THE INCREDIBLE LOVE THAT INSPIRED THE AWESOME SACRIFICE OF PERFECT OBEDIENCE

September 19, 2010 am
MF Blume

Exo 21:1-6 KJV Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them. (2) If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. (3) If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him. (4) If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself. (5) And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: (6) Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.

A message explaining how much Jesus loves us and how we can be encouraged to not depend on how good we are to serve God, but HOW WONDERFUL THE CROSS is in order to be confident in FAITH!

This little law was instituted in Israel due to the situations in life in which a Hebrew might have to owe so much money that he must become a slave to the person to whom he is in debt.

He could not be a slave forever, though.
He was a Hebrew.
One who was freed by God from Egypt.
Using the principle of the Sabbath, which spoke of rest after labour, this servant could go free after 6 years of servitude.
And he was to go free without any debt owing.

But if he arrived at the master’s house to serve when he was single and unmarried, he had to leave single.

This even was the case should the master give him a wife to marry and this wife bears him his own little children.
When the 6 years are over, he was to depart from the master’s house, leaving his wife whom he married since he’d been there, and all his children.

And this interesting little law, with such an odd and strange demand included a wonderful option for the servant.

If that servant had a wife given to him who bore him his own flesh and blood children, whom he obviously would love and adore, and he loved the master whom he served, he could choose to do something that heralds forth a message of the love of Jesus Christ for the church!
HE COULD CHOOSE TO REMAIN A SERVANT FOREVER, and not walk away a free man.
He could look in love to his MASTER, HIS WIFE and HIS CHILDREN, and choose to be made a PERMANENT LOVE SLAVE.
The master would take him before the judgment of God and place his ear against the door of that Master’s home.
He would then take an aul and bore a hole through the servant’s ear against that door.
This would indicate that on the behalf of the servant who could have simply walked away free, that this servant would SO SACRIFICE his free life to such an extent that he would remain the master’s servant FOREVER.
He would indicate by having his ear held against the master’s door, and having it bored through with an aul, the HE WAS SO OBEDIENT TO THAT MASTER THAT HIS EAR WOULD BE FOREVERMORE DEDICATED TO HEARING EACH AND EVERY COMMAND FROM THAT MASTER.
Such incredible sacrifice of his entire life was made due to his LOVE FOR HIS MASTER, HIS WIFE and HIS CHILDREN!

This came together for me as a message of the UNBELIEVABLE LOVE OF JESUS for our souls when I read a corresponding note to this passage in Psalm 40.

Psa 40:6-8 KJV Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. (7) Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, (8) I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

Notice that verse 6 mentions HIS EARS THOU HAST OPENED.

The actual Hebrew term literally means DIGGED, or BORED, just like the love salve’s ear was bored while pressed against the door of the Master’s house.
The manner in which this ties us with the love of Jesus Christ is found by considering what Ex 21 said in light of how Hebrews 10 quotes this Psalm.

Heb 10:1-10 KJV For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. (2) For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. (3) But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. (4) For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. (5) Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: (6) In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. (7) Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. (8) Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; (9) Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. (10) By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Hebrews 10 quoted Psalm 40-6-8.

The Holy Ghost inspired the writer of Hebrews to realize that Psalm’s reference to God not desiring sacrifices and offerings meant that God wanted to do more with mankind than have an Old Testament or Old Covenant that required animal sacrifices and blood offerings all the time.
God wanted a completely NEW covenant!
A NEW Testament!
One that DID NOT REQUIRE THOSE THINGS.

This was because those sacrifices under the Old Testament COULD NEVER CAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO OFFERED THEM TO BE MADE COMPLETE.

Those sacrifices did not quite come up to par with what God saw was necessary to be done for mankind who was lost in sin.
God was so holy and so pure, that even 1,500 years of Old Testament sacrifices – and we could go back to Adam where God started sacrifices and say 4,000 years of sacrifices – could not cause God to forget their sins and let them enter HIS MOST HOLY DWELLING PLACE.

Hebrews says that God had no pleasure in sacrifices that could not perfect or complete the people so that He could intimately fellowship with them and be close to them.

And as though Jesus spoke up and replied to the Father, we read, “A body hast thou prepared me. I come to do thy will Oh God.”
The writer explained this meant that Jesus would be sacrificed HIMSELF instead of those animal sacrifices, and ACCOMPLISH WHAT GOD WANTED.
God wanted something that would COMPLETE to offerers of the sacrifices.
He wanted something that would allow them to come into His most holy dwelling place and fellowship with them again like He did with Adam and Eve before they sinned.

And Hebrews actually tells us that when Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice, HE HAD SUCH PERFECT SINLESS OBEDIENCE that this sacrifice PERFECTED FOREVER them that are sanctified by it.

It was so holy and pure a sacrifice, that GOD is able to be SO SATISFIED that HE ABSOLUTELY FORGETS THE SINS we ever committed.

Heb 10:3 KJV But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.

Compare that with:

Heb 10:14 KJV For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Heb 10:16-18 KJV This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; (17) And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (18) Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE!

The old sacrifices maintained a remembrance of sins, since they could not do a perfect job in dealing with our sins.

Those sacrifices were made ONLY IN ONE NATION for 1500 years.
They had sacrifices for every thing, when in some cases the sin was so severe there was no sacrifice and the person had to be stoned.
How many of them were offered in that span of time?
But Jesus ONE SINGLE SACRIFICE happened 2000 years ago, covering the entire time those inept sacrifices were offered, plus 500 more years…
And it can deal with more than one nation of Israel, but people from EVERY NATION, KINDRED AND TONGUE!
And it CAN cause the sins that were not covered by sacrifice under the old testament to be dealt with adequately!
AND IT MOVED GOD TO FORGET OUR INIQUITY TOTALLY!

It had to be THAT pure for God to do THAT MUCH HONOUR towards it and completely wash away our sins!

Now, Hebrews 10 here explains what Psalm 40 was talking about when it described the WORDS and OBEDIENCE that tell us HOW OBEDIENT JESUS WAS to the Father.

Now, Hebrews 10 made one little difference in quoting the Psalm.

While Hebrews 10:5 says “but a body hast thou prepared me:”, Psalm 40:6 says, “mine ears hast thou opened.”
But the idea is the same.
Having one’s EARS DIGGED or OPENED refers to the BORING through with an aul while held against the master’s door.
It depicted ABSOLUTE WILLINGNESS TO HEAR EVERY COMMAND from the master forevermore in absolute sacrifice of the servant’s life and freedom.
And to say BUT A BODY HAST THOU PREPARED ME in the same instance would also mean the same thing.
HE HAD TO OBEY the Father’s will BY SACRIFICING HIS BODY on the cross.

The bible calls Jesus; death on the cross an act of the most astounding obedience and servitude to God that was ever possible.

Php 2:8 KJV And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Heb 5:8-9 KJV Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; (9) And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

It is not just obedience in dying on the cross that is the point, though that is incredibly awesome in itself!

But it is the unbelievable degree of obedience Jesus lived during His entire life that caused him to actually never commit a single sin, and be THAT HOLY an offering and sacrifice that led God to blow our minds with an overwhelming degree of blessings that we receive as a result!

Imagine living so holy a life of obedience for 33 years to not so much as sin a single time.

Then to take such a holy life and sacrifice it completely, as if that degree of obedience was not enough, IN ORDER TO DIE SO THAT OUR SINS could be absolutely FORGOTTEN BY GOD ALMIGHTY…
While this GOD was not satisfied with the millions upon millions of sacrifices offered for 1,500 years for every little sin Israel could commit.
But Jesus comes along and LIVES SUCH A HOLY LIFE, that HIS DEATH stands for not just sins of Israelite people from one nation, but for the sins of every single person even back in time from Adam to the very last person who will ever be born on this earth who is not even born yet!
And in one fell sweep, cause God to be so pleased by that sacrifice, that he absolutely forgets the sins of everyone of us people who accepts that cross and lets the blood of Jesus wipe our sins out!
To get baptized into His death in His name, and identify with that holy and pure and absolutely clean death, and be considered resurrected with Jesus Christ!

Not only that, but to have God open up to us the gates of the eternal Heaven itself FOR ALL ETERNITY!!

What kind of obedience was it that Jesus accomplished, anyway?

You see, Hebrews 10 says that sacrifice of Jesus CHANGED ENTIRE COVENANTS.

It caused God to bring about a NEW covenant that was not like the old one where the people could not continue.
But it was a covenant that would put the very law of God in people’s HEARTS to LOVE to obey the Lord.

HIS BLOOD CAN MAKE THE VILEST SINNER CLEAN!

The holiness of God is so pure that the disgust and sick feeling you feel over the worst sin you can imagine is multiplied ten million times to indicate what GOD FEELS FOR THE LITTLEST SIN YOU CAN IMAGINE!

Imagine the degree of the sacrifice Jesus made that was THAT holy and OBEDIENT to move God to wipe all our sins away and leave us totally FORGIVEN!

That is what the PSALM 40 is trying to say and it takes a picture form that little law about the love slave to try and reveal a mighty revelation to us as believers.

What was it that inspired the slave to sacrifice his whole life that was his to freely live without any debt to pay again?

What was it that caused him to have his master press his ear against the master’s home’s door and bore a hole through it and cause blood to trickle down that doorway to indicate a servitude to that master forevermore?
The bible tells us.
We already read it!

Ex 21: (5) And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: (6) Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.

IT WAS LOVE FOR HIS MASTER, HIS WIFE AND HIS CHILDREN!

Translate that over to the picture of Jesus Christ and the Church.

The church is his bride.
The saved believers -- the true Christians – are HIS CHILDREN.
Paul called the church Jerusalem above, the mother of us all, the ride of Christ.

It was LOVE that moved the servant to be THAT obedient!

If it was love that caused the servant to have his ear bored with an aul, …
And Psalm 40 used that picture to indicate a prophecy of Jesus’ obedience to CHANGE ENTIRE COVENANTS and stop animal sacrifices that can never take away sins, to a NEW covenant that moves God to perfectly forgive us and FORGET THOSE SINS,…
Can you imagine the degree of how much Jesus loves us to accomplish such a sacrifice?

Imagine the sacrifice of living so incredibly pure that HE NEVER COMMITS ONE SINGLE SIN ALL HIS LIFE!

Imagine the sacrifice of living so incredibly pure that it moves God to wipe out our sins and forget them, where 1500 years of sacrifices for one nation could not move God close to that position!

Imagine the sacrifice of living so incredibly pure that we read this as a result….

Heb 10:16-24 KJV This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; (17) And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (18) Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. (19) Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, (20) By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; (21) And having an high priest over the house of God; (22) Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. (23) Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) (24) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

God could not open the door to his most holy dwellingplace for mankind due to the incredibly vile sin in our lives.

While 1500 years of repeated animal sacrifices could not change that situation, JESUS CHRIST LIVES SUCH A HOLY AND PURE HUMAN LIFE OUT OF PURE LOVE FOR US, AND IS SO OBEDIENT THAT HE SACRIFICES HIMSELF FOR OUR SINS…
AND THAT ONE SINGLE SACRIFICE MOVES GOD TO TELL US TO COME BOLDLY INTO THE MOST HOLY PLACE OF HIS DWELLING!
WHAT OBEDIENCE AND LOVE COULD DO THAT?

He looked at His Master, so to speak, and HIS WIFE and HIS CHILDREN, and said I LOVE THEM SO MUCH THAT I AM GOING TO BE THAT OBEDIENT!

What does that tell us about how much He loves us?

Furthermore, you need to grasp this degree of love of Jesus for us, because we get down on ourselves for sins we commit and think God no longer loves us any more.

But the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was THAT POWERFUL and AWESOME that it moved a holy God of the universe to open up His most Holy place for you to come BOLDLY INTO HIS PRESENCE!
Do you think God is looking at your puny efforts to be good enough for Him?
He is looking at one thing and one thing only, and you puny efforts to be good do not come near that by a million miles!
HE LOOKS AT THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF JESUS CHRIST!

He looks at the awesome LOVE to obey the Father’s word to such a degree that boring a hole into the ear of the Lord against the Father’s doorpost shows CHRIST’S UNBELIEVABLE OBEDIENCE THAT CAN ONLY BLOW OUR MINDS WHEN WE THINK OF WHAT DEGREE OF LOVE CAUSED HIM TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT!

Could it be that the reason his ear is pressed against the doorway of the master’s house is to indicate HIS OBEDIENCE AND LOVE FOR US WAS A LONGING WE CAN NEVER IMAGINE TO SEE US IN THE MOST HOLY PLACE WHERE HE WILL DWELL WITH US FOREVER – OUR BRIDEGROOM, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST?

KING OF KINGS WITH HIS QUEEN AT HIS SIDE FOREVERMORE?

Stop looking at how you can please God by your microscopic good deeds, worrying if you will ever be able to please Him.

What you must do in order to please God is HAVE FAITH in the thing that pleases HIM!
THE LOVE AND OBEDIENCE AND PURE HOLINESS of Jesus Christ the Son of God who DIED on the old rugged cross – AND NOTHING ELSE!

Rev 1:5-6 KJV And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (6) And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

He can take any sin you can imagine and make the vilest sinner clean.

Though your sins be as scarlet, He makes them whiter than snow!

Though King of Kings now, picture Jesus as that servant in His death who loved his wife and children, the church, so much that he made such an incredible sacrifice that Hebrews claims Psalm s 40 teaches changed entire covenants and made God forget our sins when millions upon millions of sacrifices could not do it over 4000 years!

And we worry about things we asked God to forgive by the blood of Jesus!