Would you join me this morning
in the book of Ezra? The book of Ezra. Ezra chapter three. I once saw one of those sponges
that's about that big until you drop it in water, and then it
goes whoosh. I think Mike kind of summed that
up this morning when he was talking about the book of Luke. It gets
bigger and bigger. There's more to it. And we've
already spoke on the verse I want to look at here in Ezra chapter
3 this morning, but something else caught my eye. And we'd
like to look at that. It's Ezra chapter 3, and I would
like to read down through verse 5. Ezra chapter 3, 1 through
5. And when the seventh month was
come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people
gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem. Then
stood up Joshua, the son of Josedek, and his brethren, the priest,
and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brethren, and built the
altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings thereon,
as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God. And they
set the altar upon his bases. I remember when we were there,
there is absolutely no room to deviate When it comes to God's
salvation, there's no room to the right hand or to the left
hand. It is all Christ or nothing. And that is what they're telling
us. They put that altar right back where the original one was,
exactly. For fear was upon them because
the people of those countries and they offered burnt offerings,
their honor to the Lord, even burnt offerings morning and evening.
And they kept also the feast of tabernacles as it is written
and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the custom
as the duty of every day required for seven days. They offered
these offerings and afterward offered the continual burnt offering
both of the new moons and of all the set feasts of the Lord
that were consecrated and of every one that willingly offered
a freewill offering unto the Lord. As I was reading through
this chapter in preparation for today's message, I had thought
we would be a little further along, and this verse five, there
was a word that stuck out at me, that reached out to me, that
this word is continual. It tells us in verse five, the
afterword offered, the continual burnt offering. The word continual,
struck me as I read this continual, think about that for
a moment, continual burnt offering. It reminded me somewhat of growing
up with my mom and dad on a small farm in Northern California with
cows, pigs, and chickens. How often did my parents ever
take a vacation because there was continual feeding of that
stock? If you left, you had to find
someone because the cows, and the pigs, and the chickens were
not going to stop eating. They continually needed to be
fed. I know people that can't leave
their homes because there's all that to happen. Continual pain never stops. I've met people
that have continuous ringing in the ears, continual, never
stops. I visited the cemetery at Arlington
and went down to JFK's grave and there was a continual fire
burning at his grave. This word continual used in Ezra
chapter 3 and verse 5 is translated from a Hebrew word that is used
often in the Old Testament, in fact about 103 times in the Old
Testament. And it is translated a number
of different ways, but most of the time they are synonyms that
we say, okay, I understand that. But the thought of having a continual
burnt offering, continual burnt offering. Every day, morning
and evening, continual burnt offerings. Never a stop, never
a ceasing. Now, I overheard a conversation
in the kitchen this morning about Julia going down to Guatemala
and she's going to see some things down there that other doctors
see that I'm just not interested in seeing. Very little do we
have in the scriptures about a description of exact description
of what these sacrifices went through. Most of them, they were
slain and a burnt offering. Once in a while, we have a deeper
description and I kind of skip over that. But a continual burnt
offering. Turn back with me, if you would,
to the book of Exodus for just a moment. two or three verses
of scripture out of the book of Exodus that helped, to me
at least, helped me understand what this word continuous, continual
in Exodus chapter 25 and in verse 30. Exodus 25 and verse 30. And thou shalt set upon the table
showbread before me always. Now it was left there for about
a week, but it was always to be there. It was perpetual. In fact, we find this word translated
from time to time in the Old Testament as perpetual. The lamp
was to burn always. It was not to go out. They were
to take care of it on a daily basis. Turn with me to Exodus
chapter 28, if you would, in verse 29. Exodus chapter 28,
in verse 29, we have the same word again used, but translated
here. Exodus chapter 28, in verse 29,
the scriptures share this, and Aaron shall bear the names of
the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon
his heart, when he goeth into the holy place for a memorial
before the Lord continually. He continually wore this breastplate
when he was representing the people of the Lord, when he was
representing Israel. This word has been translated,
the fire shall ever be burning. Don't let it go out. And there
was a daily meat offering. It will be offered every day
without stopping. There is no rest. It continuously. Goes on and on and on Continuous
burnt offering in the psalm psalm 51 David said my sin is ever
before me You know in this life. We never get eradicated from
us I'm thankful for the Lord that he treats us as his children
sometimes in a grocery store and holds us, restrains us from
doing things. And if it wasn't for that restraining
power, we'd do those things. It's God in us that makes us
to both will and to do of his good pleasure. It's nothing in
us. We don't have the capabilities
or we don't have the understanding to do that. In the book of Isaiah,
and my name continually every day is blasphemed. It doesn't
take us long to be in the world or be by ourselves to find out
that is the truth. In this world, the Lord's name
is continuously blasphemed. What does that mean? I don't
believe what the Bible says. That is a blasphemy about the
name of the Lord God. I remember that preacher sharing
with me when he was talking to his daughter. She says, you don't
think I'm saved, do you? And he says, I know you're not.
How do you know that? Because number one, you've never
been a sinner, and number two, you don't believe the report
about Christ. That puts us in a category of
unbelievers. In Isaiah chapter 62, would you
turn with me to Isaiah chapter 62 as we look at this word a
couple of more times, how it's translated. In Isaiah chapter
62 and verse 6, we have these words. Isaiah chapter 62 and
verse 6 it says I have set watchmen upon the walls of Jerusalem We
don't know how blessed We are when we find out that God has
set watchmen upon the walls Oh Jerusalem Brother Lance Heller
is a watchman upon the walls. Brother Gary Shepherd is a watchman
upon the walls. What was it that those two men
shared with us and other preachers have shared with us? Here as
we read in the book of Isaiah, there in chapter 62 and verse
six, I set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall
never hold their peace day nor night. Ye that make mention of
the Lord keep not silence. They never hold their peace. Those messages from those fellows
was they always were preaching Christ and they never held their
peace. That word in there that we have
is They shall never. It is a continual. That is their
call. That is their ministry. And that's
what they know God will use to change the lives of people. That's
how he uses to save his people from their sins, is to hear that
continuous message. And they will never cease from
it. That's a promise from God that from the very beginning,
God created the heavens and the earth, He placed man upon it,
man fell, He gave the wonderful blessing in Genesis chapter 3
and verse 15, that there will be the seed of the woman, the
Messiah will come and take care of the problem. He will take
care of sin, He will take care of the people and the sin of
the people. He'll have to be bruised in order
to do it, but he will take care of his people. And here from
that time, from the very beginning, God has been careful to declare
the gospel to people on this earth. We might ask, why wasn't he with
the Hittites? There was no sheep there. And that's the truth. Why was
he with Israel? Because there were sheep there.
Why is he down in New Guinea? Because there's sheep there. Why is he here? Because there's
sheep here. And that's the only reason that
God has ever had the gospel preached anywhere. There's sheep there. He has set a watchman upon the
walls of Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace. There
was one of the last kings of Israel taken into captivity in
the Babylonian captivity. He spent a lot of time in prison.
And one day the king said, bring him up here. We're going to put
some clothes on him, some new clothes. And he is going to sit
at my table. And for his diet, there was a
continual diet given him. Every day, he got to eat at the
king's table. Continual diet. Well, when we
look at this continual burnt offering found in Ezra chapter
3 and verse 5, it was morning and evening, special times, and
on and on. And what is the Lord telling
us with that? Why does he even mention that there is the necessity
in those days and times of a continual burnt offering? This continual
burnt offerings were to be a constant reminder that God had promised
someone much better was coming and would be able to put away
all the continual offerings for time and forever. These were
just a picture, a type and a shadow and someone was coming, someone
had been promised Genesis 315 and all through the Old Testament,
those heralds, those prophets, those preachers, those ministers,
those gospel men were declaring that someone is coming to take
care of the problem. They preach Christ and him crucified
throughout the Old Testament and that's what the Lord Jesus
brings up when he's talking to the two on the road to Emmaus
and also to his own 12 disciples. This must be fulfilled. Here are the pictures. Here's
the types. Here's the shadows. And if you
want to get involved in the Old Testament law, it is a continuous
burden to keep up with it, and you never get to sit down. That's
why people that are involved with the law, they're always
busy, because they never get to sit down. There's never any
righteousness except self-righteousness. There is nothing that is satisfying. They're always looking for something
else. They're always going to this place or that place. They're
always interested in something new. And that's one thing that
when Christ saves his people, we don't have to look at the
weather vane, we look to Christ. What's popular today? It's mentioned
in my study this morning that the millennials are leaving the
established churches in droves. What is there to keep them? Ministers have no interest. They
don't have a message. They don't have any hope. You just can't share hope if
you don't have any yourself. And so they are leaving. There's
only one place, and it's the only place that has ever been,
and that's the person Christ Jesus is the only one that is
the Savior. And it's not an established church
to begin with. My brother has said, I've tried
it, it doesn't work. You better believe, religion
doesn't work and never has worked for anyone. But Christ, the sacrifice,
The only sacrifice for sin, not a continual sacrifice as we find
throughout the Old Testament. Someone much better is promised
and he is the Messiah. He's been promised and He's been
promised to be much better than the continual offerings made
throughout the history of Israel. They did it throughout their
40 years of wandering in the wilderness. They did it when
they got into the promised land. left were taken out for 70 years. When they got back to Jerusalem,
they were doing it some more. Why? That's what God wanted them
to do, but it was a constant reminder every day. This isn't sufficient. This will
not take away the sin of one person. One sin of one person. But the one that this pictures
will take away all the sins of all of his people forever, And
there will be the promise of eternal life given. If we only
had the Old Testament, it would be quite apparent that there
is no need to look for a Messiah coming the first time in our
day. We read from Daniel chapter 9
last week, there was 483 years after the day that it was declared they were going to go
back to Jerusalem and build the walls of Jerusalem, the Messiah
would come. Well, we've got 2,500 years past
that time that it was ordered. It's happened already. So if
we only have the Old Testament, we know that the Messiah has
had to be here. Well, we have the New Testament. When he came, he was born of
a woman, born of a virgin, in the fullness of time. Daniel
chapter 9, fullness of time. Exactly at the right moment,
he arrived. The fullness of time. And we
find, and would you join me for the rest of our lesson, our message
in the book of Hebrews. The book of Hebrews takes and
cements so much of the Old Testament and says, There's the word better
is used in the book of Hebrews quite a number of times and many
of them are in with regard to the Lord Jesus Christ over the
old system. In the old system, you went down
there, there was a continual burnt offering. It went on until
the time of Christ. During the time of Christ, when
he was on this earth, there was a continual burnt offering. There was the Feast of Tabernacles.
There was the Passover. There was the Feast of Weeks.
Continual burnt offerings. It never took away sin. And there
was new people coming on all the time. Those high priests
were kind of like the judges on the Supreme Court. The only
way you got out of it was to die. When you died, someone else
was appointed. But the work was never finished.
As the moment Aaron died, his son took over and offered continual
burnt offerings. And when he died, his son took
over and there was continual burnt offerings. And when we
get up to the Babylonian captivity and the release of these Jews
from Babylonian captivity, one of the descendants of Aaron took
over as the high priest and they offered continual burnt offerings. I have never tried to calculate
how many burnt offerings that would be. But I'm just going
to say close to a million. A million animal sacrifices,
continual burnt offerings. That is just weary. I'm so thankful
the grace of God took care of it in Christ Jesus. And in AD
70, he said, even if they want to continue it, I'm going to
take care of it and put it aside. No more continual burnt offerings. Do you realize there are, I hate
to use this word, evangelical Christians that want to start
that up again? They're hoping that Israel will
build a temple so they can get that started again. Can you imagine
the blasphemy? The continual burnt offerings
have ceased because there has been a better offering given. The book of Hebrews chapter 10
would you turn there with me Hebrews chapter 10? beginning
with verse 10 Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 10 By the which
will we are sanctified to the offering of the body of Jesus
Christ once Now we have two words at it for all that just gives
us some understanding for how long it's going to take and once
for all time. Verse 10, by the which will we
are sanctified to the offering of the body of Christ once for
all. Those words were never given
to Moses. Those words were never given
to Aaron. Those words were never given
to Eliezer. Those words were never given
to a priest in the Old Testament. Once for all time, this will
take care of it. It was always the continual burnt offering.
But when we come to Christ, we find out that His offering was
once for all time. Why? Because of the significance
of the one that was offered. The blood of bulls and goats
cannot take away sin, never could take away sin, never will take
away sin, because they are animals. And you can't take an animal
and offer a sacrifice for a human being. It has the picture and
the type and the shadow. A man can't even do it because
we're related to Adam. We have the sin strain. It's
in the genes. There needed to be one that was
promised by God from heaven above, first promise made in the book
of Genesis, that the seed of the woman would come. No man
would be interfering in this. Even Zacharias and his wife had
a child in their old age, but it was by the natural process.
But this one came when the Holy Spirit overshadowed the Virgin
Mary, and that which was in her was holy. So it's totally different. This is the God-man that has
come. It tells us there in Hebrews
chapter 10 and verse 11, and every high priest standeth daily
ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can
never take away sins. Takes us right back to Ezra chapter
three and verse five, continual burnt offerings. Every high priest
standing daily ministering. Can you imagine the amount of
bleach it took to clean up their clothes? Daily, the offering
of blood, picturing the one who would come to take care of the
problem. Goes on to tell us there, but
this man, Jesus, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins
forever, sat down at the right hand of God. This one, the promised
seed. The Lord Jesus Christ, when he
made one offering for sin, it was so sufficient that he never
would ever, not in a century, not in a millennial, not in any
time whatsoever, would he ever have to offer it again. There
would be no continual offering with the Lord Jesus Christ. Once
for all time, because of whose blood it was, the Lord's blood. This man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of
God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool, and by one offering he hath perfected forever them
that are sanctified. God has made every one that he
purposed to be sanctified before the foundation of the world,
and in that sanctification, he said from eternity, they will
be perfect. Because my blood is perfect,
the sacrifice is perfect, the son is perfect, he is holy and
harmless and undefiled. Now, turn back with me in the
book of Hebrews to chapter 1. The book of Hebrews has much
to say about the Lord Jesus Christ being better than, better than. There was a group of people in
that day and time, just like there are today, whether they
say it out loud or not, that have a high esteem for angels. There was a group of people that
were even worshiping angels. They're very high beings. They're
a step above us. in their creation. It says angels
visit the preaching of the gospel daily and wonder about it because
they know nothing about grace. If they fell, there was never
a purpose in God to redeem any of them. One third fell with
Satan when he fell. They are bound in chains in darkness.
Those who did not fall have no understanding whatever of grace. It is not in their vocabulary.
They look into it to see what it is But here in Hebrews chapter
1 and verse 4 Being that speaks of Christ these
first three or four verses just Elaborate the glory of the Son
of God and in verse 4 being made so much better than angels Doesn't
mean he was made, but he has declared himself in his very
being. He is the creator. They are created. He is made so much better than
the angels, as he hath in inheritance obtained a more excellent name
than they. What are they? What is he called?
The son of God. God's Son, the Messiah, all the
Old Testament names brought together in one person, the Lord Jesus
Christ, so much better than the angels. There were cherubims
that had their wings together over the tabernacle or over the
mercy seat. But the blood that was sprinkled
was so much better than the angels that were there, even in those
days. And so in Christ Jesus, he is
a person, he is a being, he is God so much better than the angels. And in Hebrews chapter seven,
would you turn there with me? Hebrews chapter seven and verse
19. Hebrews chapter 7 and verse 19 talking about those perpetual,
ongoing, seemingly over and over continuous burnt offerings. In
verse 19 of chapter 7 of the book of Hebrews, for the law
made nothing perfect. Every sacrifice that was offered
never cleaned up one person. In fact, it made them dirty.
But the bringing in of a better hope did. He is a better hope. Oh, I hope today it's taken care
of. He's a better hope. He takes
care of it. This one, the law made nothing
perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did, by the
which we draw nigh unto God. And in that same chapter in verse
22, for so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. The Old Testament, you obey it
to the T. There is no slack. There is no
room. It is absolute, there is no room
in this. Either you love him with all
your heart and mind and soul and spirit 24-7, 365 days a year,
or you are right out. And what does that do for us? but the bringing in of a better
testament, the New Testament, the New Covenant, where in this
one, in the Council Halls of Eternity,
this one was set aside to be a surety, or to be a propitiation,
or to lay down his life a ransom, and to pay the price completely
and in totality, so that there would never, ever be another
offering necessary. We can't even pray our way out
of one sin, but His blood took care of all of them. The only
thing we can do is ask God to forgive us. Guess what? He's
done that. He's forgiven all His people
of all their sin. But when it is brought to our
attention, we have the blessed privilege of coming, Lord, forgive
me, for I know not what I do. Realizing and completely satisfied
that he's taking care of it all. In the 8th chapter of the book
of Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 8 and verse 6. By now hath he obtained a more
excellent ministry. By how much also he is a mediator
of a better covenant. Moses was a mediator of a covenant.
Do or die. Christ is a mediator of a better
covenant done and be saved. Done and live. I've taken care
of it. He's a mediator of a better covenant
which is established upon better promises. My goodness, the promises
of God, yea and amen. I'll take care of all my people
for all time. I will take care of them in this
my son, the Lord Jesus. He will be the ransom. He will
be the offering. And there will be no need for
a second one. Boy, if they'd have gone for
a month, they'd have thought they'd have been on vacation.
If they'd have gone for a week, the high priest, I have time
to go down for a vacation. But all those days, months, and
years, day after day, week after week, month after month, continuous
burnt offering. And it's like that hand out in
the middle of the desert pointing to the oasis. This is just a
picture. Go that way to the one who is
the true sacrifice for sin, and he'll take care of it once for
all time. Now, the scriptures teach us
that he was a lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Abel was saved by the same blood that we are on the promise that
he would fulfill what was written in the covenant. Turn with me,
if you would, to the book of Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 23. Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 23. It was therefore necessary that
the patterns of things in heaven should be purified with these,
but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. There was a picture. This is
how things are purified. But when it come to the heavenlies, it took a better sacrifice than
all of these. If there was a thousand, we know
there was a thousand, because there was more than that offered
at the dedication of the temple. But let's just say there was
only 1,000. All of that couldn't take care of what one took care
of. But we have to go further than that because there was more
than 1,000. Let's say there was 100,000. We know that took place.
There was several thousands taken care of at the dedication of
the temple alone. They're in the wilderness for
38 years doing this. They get into the promised land
for 500 years. By the end of that, they've kind
of waning on some of it. But all those sacrifice, year
after year after year after year, day after day, month after month,
continual burnt offerings. They go into Babylonian captivity
for seven years. Nothing happens during that time,
but as soon as they get back, they set up that altar and start
it over by the command of God. And here we go up until the time
of Christ, 500 years. and continuous burnt offerings
and all of those, that historical statement about the continuous
burnt offerings couldn't take care of what this man did in
one offering of himself. The church says, thank God. The church says, thank you, Lord. I couldn't offer enough sacrifices
in my life. I couldn't say enough prayers.
I think I've told you that I had someone tell me he knew I wasn't
saved because I'd never said I repented of my sins. I told
that person, I don't have time. We sin by the second. I have
one that took care of all my sins in his blood on the cross. Hebrews chapter 12 and verse
24. Hebrews chapter 12. And to Jesus, the mediator of
the new covenant, to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better
things than of Abel. Abel was killed by his brother.
Who took Jesus Christ and crucified him? All his family. There are
many similarities and types and shadows in Abel in the Old Testament,
but the blood of Christ even speaks of better things than
Abel. He was a wonderful guy. He loved his mom and his dad
and his brother, even though his brother was mean to him.
because he had the grace of God. He knew what was necessary to
enjoy spiritual things, and that was God gave him the new birth,
and that's the only reason he offered a more excellent sacrifice
than his brother. God gave him the new birth. He
gave a picture and a type and a shadow of who would take care
of his problem, of his sin, who had taken care of it. His brother
rose up against him. He'd never done anything wrong
to his brother. His brother rose up against him
and killed him. God came down and says, where
are your brother? And he says, I'm not my brother's keeper. He never
was ashamed. He never had a thought of meeting
God in fear or anything. But that blood of Abel that spilled
into this earth, the blood of Christ speaks of much better
things. Many things are similar. Family
rose up against. His family rose up against him
and his family rose up against Christ. But the blood of Abel
had no efficacy in it. Couldn't take care of his own
sin, not alone the sin of his brother. It saved no one. But the shedding of Christ's
blood procured pardon, peace, reconciliation, and redemption.
It is far greater than the blood of even Abel. Once more, would
you turn with me to the book of Hebrews chapter 10 and verse
14. Hebrews chapter 10 and verse
14, for by the offering, Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 14, it says,
for by one offering, one offering hath perfected forever
them that are sanctified. By one offering, by the offering
of himself, no man takes my life from me. but I lay it down of
myself that I might take it up again. And in Hebrews chapter
seven, would you turn back there with me again? Hebrews chapter
seven and verse 27. Who needeth not daily as those
high priests to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins and then
for the people's, for this he did once when he offered up himself. Every time that high priest came
out, the first thing he had to do was take care, picture of
his own. That's the difference between
that high priest and this high priest. He didn't have to take
care of his own sin. He had none. So he took care
of all those who would be king priests in his kingdom. All his
children, he took care of their sin. Hebrews 7, verse 26, I just
want to back up there. For such a high priest became
us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made
higher than the heavens. What's it mean, separate from
sinners? He was accused of eating with sinners. He did. Sometimes I've kind of been flippant. People said, would you mind eating
with us? And I said, well, even the Lord
ate with publicans and sinners. He ain't with sinners. He was
around them all the time. But it says here, separate from
sinners, his genealogy traced right back to glory. Didn't trace it back to the garden.
Traces it back to glory. Made higher than the heavens.
Who needeth not daily as those high priests to offer up sacrifice? Continuous burnt offerings. Can you imagine the amount of
wood? The time. The global warming from the fires. First for his own sins and then
for the people's. For this he did once when he
offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests
which have infirmity. Everyone that's trying to follow
the law has an infirmity. But the word of the oath which
was since the law maketh the son who is consecrated forevermore. He became sin for us who knew
no sin, but he had no sin in himself. Sin was placed on him,
imposed upon him for the sins of his people. But one offering
for all time, he took care of all the problems that every one
of his children had with God and God had with them in one
sacrifice. No more continual burnt offerings. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. We have continual intercession
for us. We have continuous love for us,
continuous grace for us, but no continual burnt offerings. It was taken care of in one sacrifice,
the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our ransom for his people.