My last post examined the fact that the silver sockets, used for the foundation of the Tabernacle, were cast out of the material used to redeem the Israelites. The foundation of our faith is the same -- it is based upon redemption; Christ's finished work at the cross.
In this post I will look at the incredible cost of this foundation.
RICHES
The Tabernacle was 45 feet by 15 feet. The size of a 675 square foot room! Yet, its foundation was 100 sockets of silver, each one weighing a talent. Exodus 38:27 -- The hundred talents of silver were for casting the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil; a hundred bases for the hundred talents, a talent a base.
Each talent weighed 93.25 lbs! So, the base of this small room was worth (in today’s currency) ~$600,000 USD. Think about that: a small building ~600 square feet, whose foundation stones were going cost ~$600,000.00! The foundation gives a small indication of the worth of the foundation of our faith.
1st Peter 1:17 – 19 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
What is the worth of the foundation upon which our faith is grounded? You see how Paul compares the ‘perishable’ things, such as gold and silver, to the PRECIOUS blood of Christ!
Oh brothers and sisters, we spend far too much of our lives in pursuit of the perishable things! Let us cling to the precious blood of Christ -- this will never fail us!
Ephesians 1:1-10 -- Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Spiritual Blessings in Christ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
I pray that I will always be more conscious of the worth of salvation than I am of the things of this world! To the world, our salvation looks as silly as a half million-dollar foundation on a backyard shed.
1st Corinthians 1:18–25 -- For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Again in Ephesians we find this; Ephesians 2:4–9 -- But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved — and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
I am guilty of taking for granted the incredible price paid for my salvation. Our temple, (our lives), is built upon a precious and priceless foundation; the blood of the Messiah!
We could never ‘buy’ this, and we could never earn it! Only through the free gift of the Father can we receive this. When we understand the price that was paid, it is easy for us to join Paul in Romans 12:1, 2, when he states -- I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
EQUAL
In Exodus 30:15, we read this -- The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the Lord's offering to make atonement for your lives.
When it came to the atonement money, everyone paid the same price. Romans 10:11-13 -- For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 3:22b–26 -- For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
The Lord says there is no difference, but you will find men who will say that a certain color, or a certain nation is worthier of God’s blessing, and here we find that it is all nonsense. God made sure that His people understood that there was ONE PRICE for atonement, and it mattered not whether you were rich or poor.
In Acts 10:34, 35 we find Peter preaching to Cornelius and his family; mind you, these were those dirty, nasty Gentiles! -- So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
In Galatians 3:26–28 we find this statement -- for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Our foundation is precious beyond our understanding, and efficacious to save those who are called by His name!
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