Would you turn with me to the
book of Numbers chapter 4. We just sang that hymn out of
our green hymn book. It mentions there in verse 2,
and may we smell thy fragrance near. How fortuitous that hymn. As we look at this verse of scripture
found in the book of Numbers chapter 4. We're only going to
look at one verse this morning. It was almost passed over in
our studies, but I think it was kind of like that passage of
scripture we read about Moses walking to the desert and he
saw a bush on fire. And he says, I think I'll go
see what this is all about. So we're going to go to Numbers
chapter 4, verse 16. Numbers chapter 4 and verse 16. In this passage of scripture,
we have one of the sons of Aaron mentioned. Numbers chapter 4,
verse 16. We have one of the sons of Aaron
mentioned, and his name is Eleazar. An aliaser is going to take Aaron's
place when Aaron passes. It's going to be in a while.
It's going to be in about 40 years. before that takes place. But he has been given an office. He has been given a place here
in this verse of scripture. This word office is to have charge
of or to have the oversight of. Now remember, as we go through
this chapter, chapter four, it's talking about those who will
be ministering in moving the tabernacle. When it comes time
to move it or time to set it up, There's going to be certain
people in doing different jobs. They have their responsibility.
We looked last week at that coverings of all of those instruments inside
of the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies that Aaron and his
sons took care of before the sons of the Kohathites could
go in and grab the handles and carry those articles, those pieces
of furniture, how they needed to be covered because without
a covering, there would be certain death. Without the covering of
blood, there will be certain death. Unless I see the blood,
When I see the blood, I will pass over you. Well, here we
have the job or the responsibility of Aaron's son, Eliezer. Verse 16, it says, and notice
this, there are about six different responsibilities that God has
put on him. And to the office of Eliezer,
the son of Aaron, the priest pertaineth, Number one, the oil
for the light. Number two, and the sweet incense. Number three, and the daily meat
or meal offering, the grain offering. And the anointing oil, number
four. And the oversight of all the
tabernacle, number five. And of all that therein is, in
the sanctuary and in the vessels thereof, six different responsibilities
that have been placed upon this one person when it comes time
to move or when it comes time to set up. And we would like
to look at that passage of scripture this morning. For in this, we
see how is declared the much about the true high priest, the
Lord Jesus Christ. It has been such a blessing for
me since the Lord saved me those many years ago to be able to
go to the scriptures and find Christ. That's something I couldn't
do in religion. I could find religion. I could
find how important it was to worship on a certain day. I can
tell you how to clothe yourself. I could tell you what you could
watch on TV and all of that stuff. But I couldn't instruct anybody.
in finding Jesus Christ. It was not in me. And as we heard
this morning in the Bible class, we know why. Because the natural
man cannot understand spiritual things. We can only find physical
things. So here we have in this verse
of scripture some very spiritual things about our Lord Jesus Christ. Another translation put that
verse of scripture thusly, Eliezer the son of Aaron, the priest
will be responsible for the oil. of the lampstand, the fragrant
incense, the daily grain offering, the anointing oil. In fact, Eleazar
will be responsible for the entire tabernacle and everything in
it, including the sanctuary and its furnishings. Now that covers
a wide swath, and there's only one that truly has that ability
and that responsibility, and that's our Savior, the Lord Jesus
Christ. He has these many things that
he is responsible for, in this passage of scripture. And yet
I do not find him ever complaining about the responsibilities that
were imposed upon him. I find in fact that this man
Eleazar, not only does he collect tithes, but he has already paid
tithes before he was ever born. He's already had that responsibility
taken care of for him. In the book of Hebrews, and keep
your finger here, but turn with me to the book of Hebrews chapter
7. Eliezer was considered in Abraham's paying to Melchizedek
as the Levites were. Eleazar is there in Hebrews chapter
7 and verse 9. What a wonderful statement it
is here about someone taking care of a bill before you ever
had the bill. In other words, before we were
ever born, someone took care of the bill on our behalf. The
bill of our salvation, the bill of our sin. In Hebrews chapter
7 and verse 9, It says, and as I may so say, Levi also hath
received tithes, paid tithes in Abraham. So that business
has been taken care of. There was no worry on the part
of the Levites. or upon the priests and kings
of God about paying the responsibility. It's been taken care of by one
far greater than us with far greater responsibility. In fact,
his responsibility can never be our responsibility because
the problem is too great. Eliezer was born into this service. He wasn't voted into it, he was
born into the service. He's the son of Aaron. the son
of Levi. He was born into this service.
When Aaron had this son, he was already determined by God Almighty
that Eliezer would be the priest and he would have the responsibility
of taking care of these six things when the children of Israel moved
the tabernacle. They shall call his name Jesus,
for he shall save his people from their sins. Already We find
before the foundation of the world that one that has credibility
with the father and could call himself brethren with the saints,
one would set himself aside for this great task. We find that
Eliezer was given the responsibility that no one else was given. In
fact, the task was too great. There are some things in that
tabernacle that are pictured that are far greater than anybody
else to take care of. It must be this anointed one,
this set aside one, this one that comes. Sometimes we cannot
be trusted, the task cannot be trusted by others. The importance
is just too great. We're not going to give this
to some other person. We're not going to give this
to the preacher. We're not going to give it to the deacon or the
Sunday school teacher. We're not going to give it to
another man. This task will be held only by the Son of God,
the Lord Jesus Christ. Eliezer was consented to all
this responsibility. Not one word is here mentioned
about he being grumbled the fact that as they moved he had these
articles and these responsibilities. He had the oil for the light,
he had the incense, he had the holy oil for anointing, This
was his responsibility and he would carry it out. He had the
daily grain offering as they moved. He was going to be a representative
before the children of Israel, and I want to underline this,
for the children of Israel. There was not a Hittite that
Eliezer represented. There was not a highlight that
Eliezer represented. He is going to be the representative
for the picture of the church, the children of Israel, just
like the Lord Jesus Christ is a representative for the church,
and he is the one that stands before God Almighty making intercession
for the church. Eliezer consented to all these
responsibilities, and these responsibilities were on the behalf of the children
of Israel. Eleazar consented. I love that
passage of scripture where it says, Jesus said with regard
to his own forthcoming death, no man takes my life from me,
I lay it down of myself. Now, many will blame it onto
the Sanhedrin, and many will blame it onto the Roman soldiers,
and many will blame it onto the Jews. But Jesus said in himself,
in his own words, no man taketh my life from me, I lay it down
of myself. Just as we see this man dressed
in these robes and having that bonnet upon his head, marching
through the wilderness as the tabernacle is being moved, he
has fully consented to the burden that he has with him. These articles
and the responsibility is his on this building being moved
to the proper place and being assembled at the proper time
when God says, let's stop here. Well, as we look at this passage
of scripture, we find that the first item that Eleazar had listed,
given to him, is that oil for the light. I wish, well, no I don't. You know what, if that tabernacle
was still around, what would happen to it? People would worship it. They did that with that brazen
serpent. They did that with all the articles of God. Why did
he take them all away? Because he was sick and tired
of people worshiping the article instead of who it represented. And his anger is not over with
today. Just as we heard this morning,
to have that abomination of blaming the Holy Spirit Well, as we look
here at the oil of light, he carried the very special oil
for the lamp in the holy place. Now, that lamp was burning day
and night. But from a physical standpoint,
it was absolutely impossible to provide that light day and
night without oil being put in it. And there were priests that
were responsible for that. The Levites were responsible
for putting that oil in it. But when it came time to move,
there was one responsible for carrying it, to taking care of
this oil that was used for the light. There is no light without
a source. We got these lights on, but there's
power lines that bring it in. Somewhere, and I'm not sure which
dam provides it, but some dam provides this light for us. This
is a source that we look at, but there's a greater source
that provides this. Over in the book of 1 John 1,
we find a wonderful verse about our God. about the God of heaven,
about the Lord Jesus Christ himself, and this holy light that is in
the holy place on the candle. He has the candlestick. He's
the light of the candlestick. In the book of Revelation, he
wanders in and around the candlestick. Those seven churches of Asia,
he has oversight over them. Here in the book of 1st John
chapter 1 and verse 5, we have this wonderful message about
God, This wonderful message that there is absolutely no darkness
at all in him. It says, and this then is the
message which we have heard of him and declare unto you. The
gospel is a declaration. It's never been a proposition.
It's always been a declaration. We declare it unto you that God
is light. Now we can reflect on this when
we go back to the book of Genesis and find out that there was total
darkness and God created the light. Let there be light. Now God is the source of all
light. He is the one that gives us light. And when it comes to
spiritual matters, he's the God that gives us spiritual light.
He's the one that must create that light in us. He's the one
that is the source of that light. He quickens us, makes us alive
in spiritual resurrection. So here it says, in God, there's
a wonderful message here that God is light and in him is no
darkness. And then it emphasizes that at
all. there is no darkness at all. Turn with me if you would back
to the book of John, the gospel of John in John chapter 8, and
we find as Eleazar is walking through the wilderness carrying
these objects in preparation for the setting up of this tabernacle
once again, he's carrying that wonderful oil for the light there
in the holy of in the holy place. In the book of John chapter 8,
we read these words of the Lord as he spoke these words and he
shares with us and we rejoice in this statement about him.
As God is light and in him is no darkness at all. Jesus shares
this in John chapter 8 and verse 12 and says, then spake Jesus
again unto them saying, I am the light of the world. If there's
ever going to be any light anywhere in any soul, I am the light.
We cannot have light in ourselves. Religion tells us there's a spark.
The Bible tells us there's none. Religion tells us we can just
fan it. The Bible tells us God must bring that. He is the giver
of light. He's the one that has the holy
oil of light. I am the light of the world.
He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have
the light of life. You may go to sleep in a dark
bedroom, but if you have the Holy Spirit and the indwelling
of the Spirit, you have light that nobody else can extinguish,
and by the grace of God, unless it's the grace of God, no one
else can experience. It is a light beyond any light
that we can even fathom. It's a light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. We attribute
all riches to the Son of God, the Lord Jesus. Just as we read
over here, on your way, stop by Luke chapter 2 and 32. I know
we're backing up here, but we want to go to 2 Corinthians.
But here is a wonderful statement about the light of the Lord Jesus. Even in his infancy, this is
attributed to him in Luke chapter 2 and verse 32. Luke chapter
2 and verse 32, it says, Simeon came in and he makes some
statements about this baby Jesus. He had some understanding. He
had some light. He had some understanding of
Old Testament scriptures revealed to him by the Holy Spirit. And
he says this about the Lord Jesus, a light to lighten the Gentiles
and the glory of thy people Israel. This one will not only be a light
for Israel, but he will be a light for the Gentiles. And these combined
will be the church. A light to lighten the Gentiles. Now turn with me over there to
2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians chapter 4. In 2 Corinthians chapter 4, we
have this illusion of going clear back to the book of Genesis and
the creation of light in the beginning. It's interesting when
you go over there and read that there was light before the sun
was created. There was light before the stars were created,
and there was light before the moon was created. Now we know
the moon is just a reflection of the light of the sun. And
the sun is just a big star out there providing heat and light
for us every day. Whether the clouds are there
or not, it still shines. But the true light is Jesus Christ
the righteous. In 2 Corinthians chapter 4, 2
Corinthians chapter 4, we read these wonderful words about the
salvation that God has for his people and the person who is
the author of it, the Lord Jesus. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, and
there in verse 6, for God, who commanded, I like that statement
there, who commanded. for God who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness. We could travel over several
thousand years to the book of Genesis chapter one and read
about God saying, declaring, commanding, let there be light. And the scriptures go on and
say, and there was light. And God goes on and says, and
the light was good. God created the light. Let there
be light. who commanded the light to shine
out of darkness. Now, by the same power that he
commanded that light to shine out of darkness has shined in
our hearts in regeneration There is such a change made in us that
we recognize that the true light is Jesus Christ and not our own
righteousness. The true light comes from heaven
and not from ourselves. We don't introspect, we look
out, we look up, we see Christ as the author and finisher of
our faith, has shined in our hearts to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
When God saves us, we're given some information. We're given
some knowledge about God. We'll never doubt what God's
word has to say to us. We may not be able to engulf
it all. We may not be able to find it
all. We may not be able to take it
all in, but we'll never doubt the word of God. There is a light
there that God creates that says, it is me that has created the
heavens and the earth, and it is me that created new life in
you, and this life is permanent life, this light is permanent
life, and it shall not be extinguished in time or for eternity. What
a glorious light that we have. And here is Eleazar in his priestly
gowns, his bonnet on, walking along. I don't know how he carried
it all. I don't know what he contained
it in. But I do know this. It was given to him, the responsibility
of carrying this oil for light. The next thing that we find him
carrying along, and I can just think in my mind as if you were
going to cross the path of Eleazar as he's going from one place
to another, carrying his responsible articles. Now, we wouldn't do this because
we'd be with our tribe. But if just for a moment, you
cross the path of Eleazar as he's moving along, you would
go, Oh my. That is sweet smelling incense. You know, there's nothing in
this world that smells worse to me than a skunk. I mean, there's nothing in this
world. Where I grew up, we had striped skunks. Now, I don't
know what kind we have here, but every once in a while, I'll
wake up in the night and one has gone by the house. Now, they
don't have to be angry with anybody to stink. They just do it naturally. But when they get angry with
you, they really stink. That is a foul smell. But can
you imagine going through the wilderness and crossing the path
of Eleazar and saying, oh my. Now I know what that incense
smells like on the altar of incense in the Holy Place. It's delightful. It's indescribable. It's beyond
words. I've smelled a skunk, but now
I smell the sweet incense of the Holy Place. As Eliezer walked
carrying the sweet incense, What an odor would be given off. There
was sweet incense of grace in every step of Eleazar's antitype,
the Lord Jesus Christ. Everywhere he went, there was
the sweet smell of incense of the grace of God. Every moment
he stopped, every instance that he had planned out before the
foundation of the world to stop by and make a visit with people,
we're going to have the sweet incense of the grace of God demonstrated. We're going to find him going
to places that we normally would not think he would even go. But
he would go there on purpose so that someone could smell the
sweet incense of the glory of God in the person of Christ Jesus. This true smell, the true grace. Eleazar was consecrated by God
and so was our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. His agenda was
primarily, the Lord's agenda primarily, just as we follow
Eleazar going. The agenda of Eleazar as he went
through the wilderness was to go to the next place to set the
tabernacle up so they could get back to their service. When it
was time to move, he moved. When it was time to move, he
carried these objects with him. And he had this sweet oil that
was used for light, but he also had this sweet incense that you
and I could smell as he walked along. But as we look at the
Lord Jesus Christ, we find that his major agenda from the foundation
of the world was to go to Jerusalem. He went and set his face as a
flint to Jerusalem to accomplish what he purposed in the covenant
of grace, and that was to give his life a ransom for many. There
were many given by the Father to the Son, and Jesus Christ
said, ''Of all that the Father giveth me, I shall lose none. I will take care of them at the
cross.'' His major goal was to go to Jerusalem. From his very
birth to that day, he was nailed to the cross. He was going towards
Jerusalem. But you know, he made a lot of
sachets in that trip. In those three years, that he
traveled through the wilderness as we know this world. He went
through the wilderness and as he traveled, there were so many
as we would with Eliezer, caught up with him and they could smell
the sweet incense of grace. How did they catch up with him?
He caught up with them. He's the one that met them. We
heard read over there in the book of John this morning, Chapter
1 about Nathaniel. But before we go there, would
you turn with me to the book of John Chapter 12. In John Chapter
12, there was an incident that shares with us what we find in
Eliezer carrying that sweet incense all the way to the next place
they set up, the tabernacle. In John Chapter 12, and there
in verse 3. John Chapter 12 and verse 3.
Scripture shares this, Then took Mary a pound of ointment
of spikenard. One day I was in a store. I think
it was in our mall. I like our mall. It's small. I was in a store and I caught
the scent. It was so sweet. I had to find
out what it was so I can buy some of that for my wife. It
was so good. Well, as I think about this,
here is a lady that brought a pound of spikenard. John chapter 12,
verse 3. It says, Dan took Mary a pound
of ointment of spikenard. Very costly. and anointed the
feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair, and the house
was filled with the odor of the ointment." Now isn't that interesting?
Now, Jesus didn't spend the rest of his ministry in that house.
What did his feet smell like as he left? What did his feet
smell like as he traveled? What did his feet smell like
as he came to his next appointment? Spagnard! Physically, that's
what happened. Spiritually, every place he stopped,
there was the sweet smell of grace. We heard read this morning
there a passage of scripture in the book of John chapter one
about Nathaniel. Would you join me there? In the
book of John chapter one, there in verse 48 and 49, John chapter
one, verses 48 and 49, we find the sweet smell of grace. Can
you hear that man say, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? You know, that's what he believed.
He believed that there's nothing good could come out of Nazareth.
He knew about Nazareth. He's speaking about this one,
this king that has been identified by his brother. We found him
who Moses and the prophets wrote about. We found him. He's Jesus
of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. We found him and his comment
about that is so natural and so normal. Can any good thing
come out of Nazareth? How in the world do you expect
me to hear anything about anybody being a savior? I am saved myself
and I've done it myself. Well, God is so gracious. The
sweet smell of grace, you know, it didn't stop there. How often
would, if God had stopped, bringing us grace when we said, can any
good thing come out of Nazareth? Is there any good thing about
that gospel? Is there any good thing about
that gospel of free grace? My goodness, that takes away
all merit from me. That takes away all works from
me. Can any good thing come out of that? And then if God has
said, all right, that's enough. But you know what? Jesus didn't
stop with that. He's the God of that wonderful
fragrance, fragrance of grace. John chapter 1, verse 45, it
says, Philip findeth Nathanael and said unto him, we have found
him of whom Moses and the law and the prophets did speak, did
write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael
said, can any good thing come out of Nazareth? And Philip said
unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to
him and said of him, now who was really doing the drawing
here? Who's really active here? The one that said, let there
be light. The one that said, grace is a sweet pregnance. Behold
an Israelite indeed with whom is no guile. And Nathanael said
unto him, whence knowest thou me? Jesus, isn't that neat? How do you know me? From whence
knoweth me? We find out how wonderful it
is that our Savior is omniscient. He knows all. Jesus answered
and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou
wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Now, Philip could only
give the general call. Come on. I want to introduce
you. I'd like to take you. I'd like
to talk to you about someone. But there's only one that can
give spiritual interest in coming. Nathanael answered his son unto
him, You're not that troublemaker from Nazareth. You're not that
no good thing can come out of Nazareth. What does he say? He
says, Rabbi, teacher, master, thou art the Son of God, thou
art the King of Israel. Lot of difference. Jesus answered
and said, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig
tree, believest thou? Thou shalt see greater things
than these. You know, instantly there was
a young man that smelled the rich fragrance of grace. This one, Jesus, he was accustomed
to going around and with his very own purpose in mind, met
people that would smell the rich, sweet fragrance of grace. The
next stop we have is the Nicodemus. You know, Jesus could have just
said, I don't have a word for you. Because there were times
when he said that. I don't have a word for you.
There were other times he said, you answer my question, I'll
answer yours. And they said, oh, we can't do that because
we'll get in trouble. You know what? This man, this well-versed
man in the Old Testament by the name of Nicodemus came to him
by night. And I read all kinds of scholars
and commentators saying why he came at night. But he came, he
was drawn, and Jesus Christ gave him the message he'd never heard
in studying the Old Testament law. No preacher had ever brought
this message to him, you must be born again. There was a fragrance
of grace, unmerited favor. It's not up to you Nicodemus.
You are a wise man in Old Testament studies but you've got nowhere
past the physical things until God gives us that we'll have
nothing. Though you must be born again
and without that you will not even see the kingdom of heaven.
You can't enter the kingdom of heaven without that. Jesus told
him, he said, you, being a doctor of the law, don't know these
things? You know what Jesus Christ was insinuating? You've studied
the Old Testament, and you've never once marked down how many
times it was God that won the victory. It was God that created
the heavens and the earth. It was God that created the light.
It was God that created man. It was God that gave you Jericho.
It was God that brought you out of Egypt. It was God that provided
the Passover. It was God that did all those
things. You know, without salvation, without the new birth, we'll
never see that it was God. When God saves us, we confess
it's God. He provides all of that. There
was a Samaritan woman in chapter 4. I love that passage where it
says he must, needs, go through Samaria. What does he have? He has the sweet fragrance of
grace. And as he moves, he is going
to his appointed places on his way to the cross. He is going
to stop from time to time on the way to the cross to bring
the sweet fragrance of grace to undeserving people, to come
to a woman who has all of the sin about her. And he says here
as he come up, I must needs go to Samaria. That's in John chapter
4. I want to read verses 3-7. He must needs to go through Samaria,
then cometh to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near
to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. At one time, this was part of
Israel, but now it's Samaria. When they came and overthrew
Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar came. He came
and overthrew Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, and brought in Gentiles,
and they intermarried with these people. The Jews that came back
said, we can't have no dealings with the Samaritans. Now Jacob's
well was there. Jesus, therefore, being wearied
with his journey, sat thus on the well, and it was the sixth
hour, and there cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water. And
Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. We know the rest of
the story. The sweet fragrance of grace
came to this well, Jesus Christ the righteous. And he preached
Christ in him crucified and gave this woman the new birth. And she was able to go back rejoicing
and says, come see a man that told me all things ever I did. Every stop that Jesus made on
the way to the cross was intensely filled with the great, wonderful
smell of grace. He's going to stop a number of
times. Our time is up. We'll pick up here next time,
Lord willing, and see a few more instances where his great smell
of grace came upon people and their lives were no longer their
lives, they were God's. Brother Mike, if you'll come.