this morning in the book of Ezra.
Ezra chapter 2. Ezra chapter two, there's one
more verse in this passage of scripture that I would like to
do a little examination of. As I go through the Old Testament,
I am once again reminded of a passage or some words of the Lord Jesus
to two disciples that were on the road to Emmaus. And they
were very discouraged and they were kind of put out because
they thought in their mind that this one, the Lord Jesus that
they had accompanied for those three years was the Messiah. Now, the Lord is not going to
leave his people discouraged. He will intervene. People may
be discouraged, but he'll not leave his people discouraged. We find the Lord comes in among
them and he hid his person from them. They saw a human being,
but they did not see the Lord Jesus. Now that was on purpose. God never does anything without
a purpose. The Lord Jesus never does anything
without a purpose. And so he began a conversation
with them, and when it was over, he said these words. Ought not
Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his
glory? And beginning at Moses and all
the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures the
things concerning himself. So I find great delight in going
to these Old Testament scriptures and finding the things, a little
bit of the things that are spoken of concerning the Lord Jesus
Christ. And here in the book of Ezra
chapter two, Ezra chapter 2. We've been looking through this
chapter and probably this will be our last message on chapter
2 and we'll be going into chapter 3. But in verses 61, 62, and
63 of Ezra chapter 2, there is a situation that arises among
a group of people that have left Babylonian captivity and are
approaching Jerusalem or maybe even there. And they realize
that they cannot trace their lineage. Some of them realize
that they cannot prove that they are even of Israel. And some of them cannot prove
that they are of the tribe of Levi, which they've been advertising
for the time they've been in Babylonian captivity. In Ezra
chapter 2, verse 61, the scripture says, and the children of the
priest, the children of Habiah, the children of Kos, the children
of Berzelia, which took a wife of the daughters of Berzelia,
the Gileadite, and was called after their name. They sought
their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but
they were not found. Therefore, were they, as polluted,
put from the priesthood. Now the next verse, and the Tereshithah
said unto them. Now that's a Hebrew word which
could have been translated governor, someone in authority, and it
might even have referred to the person who was leading the children
of Israel back to Jerusalem. But someone in authority spoke
up and said, here in verse 63, said unto them, that they should
not eat of the most holy things, or they should not participate
in the priesthood opportunities till there stood up a priest. Notice those two words. I wish
that I had some way of pronouncing that correctly. Urim and Thummim. They should not participate until
a priest stood up with these two things. Now this is one passage
of scripture among a number of passages of scripture that mentioned
these two items, these two names. The literal translation of this,
the first one is lights, and the second one is perfections.
That's the literal translation. If you turn with me back to the
book of Exodus chapter 28, Exodus chapter 28, we find in the dressing
of the high priest, Aaron, there came a time when the children
of Israel, after they had left Egypt, after they'd had those
many, many, many 400 years of servitude, They are finally permitted
to leave Egypt. They go out into the wilderness,
and it appears that they camped for about two years near Mount
Sinai. And during that time, they received
the law. During that time, they received
instructions for building a tabernacle. And during that time, they received
instructions for all of the clothing that the priests would wear.
And in this 28th chapter of the book of Exodus, in verse 28,
the scriptures share this. Exodus chapter 28 and verse 28
and They shall bind the breastplate now this whole chapter has to
do with the dressing of the high priest He could not go in his
civilian clothes Now the thing to remember is there's not an
article described Whether it is in the tabernacle Whether
it is the dress that the priest wore or whether it was in any
of the sacrifices that were ever offered, there is not one article
that God did not intend to be used to preach Christ and Him
crucified. The very dress that the high
priest wore or the other priest wore were very symbolic of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now the only way that I can put
that into our vernacular is We observe two things in our church
that are also pictorial and also declare great things about our
God and about the Lord Jesus Christ. One of them is the communion
service. It pictures the broken body and
shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. And if we for an instant
think that we're going to receive righteousness by taking it, we're
taking it for the wrong reason. It is a picture, it is a type,
it is a shadow, and it is to be done to picture and remember
Christ until he comes again. The other one is baptism. Now
there are many people who say, why in the world would God ever
give communion service and baptism among an enlightened group of
people? Because he is God. That's why he did it. And baptism,
again, is a symbol, a picture. And if you think for a moment
that by going through that, Going down into the water being buried
in the water and being raised up again and brought out of the
water Adds to your salvation. We are grossly mistaken because
it does not and God speaks out against it It is not by works
of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy
he saves us. That's why we don't practice
infant baptism. That's why we don't indiscriminately
baptize. That's why we don't offer the
communion service to just anybody out on the street. We don't open
up a vending place down on Court Street. and say, well, we want
you to come by here and we'll give you some help for your salvation
because there is no hope in that. So these two items are much like
what we find in the Old Testament. Now we look back at Christ and
we say, the whole New Testament is a declaration of the Lord
Jesus Christ on our behalf and what he has done and what he's
doing now. Well these people had many types
and shadows and pictures that were fulfilled in the very person
Jesus Christ and one of those was a man by the name of Aaron
that was chosen by Almighty God to become the high priest. He
did not go through a vote and he didn't volunteer. God chose
him just like he does for everybody that is ever going to be saved
It's not by volunteering and it's not by a vote. It is because
God had an eternal love for them before the foundation of the
world and he wrote their names down in the Lamb's Book of Life
and scripture tells us this. And I can say this with all authority,
if we will not believe the record, it makes us an unbeliever. I shared not long ago about a
dear friend of mine who pastors. And he had a conversation with
his daughter and she said, you don't think I'm saved. And the
dad said, I know you're not. And she said, how do you know
that? And number one, he said, because you're not a sinner.
And number two, you don't believe the record of Jesus Christ. And
you know what her comment was? You're right. I'm not a sinner and I don't
believe the record." Now, God has given her some grace to be
able to say that. I pray for her. Maybe the Lord
will deal graciously with her. Well, right in the middle of
this great dressing that Aaron goes through, a miter, don't
try to copy it. All the dressing that went on,
don't try to copy it, it's been taken care of. Christ is our
head, Christ is our righteousness, Christ is our robe, Christ is
all in all, everything that went on to him is fulfilled in the
Lord Jesus Christ. So we don't have to do that.
The only people I found, just get online, you can find anything
online you want to find. But online they'll tell you and
give you pictures of how Aaron looked and describe every article
that is there. They will tell you and give you
a model of the tabernacle. They'll give you a model of the
ark. They'll give you a model of the
temple. In fact, right here in the United States, in Kentucky,
is a model, quote unquote, of the ark. Guess what last year
they had to do? They sued the company that built
it because it was not watertight. We don't have to see models because
they cannot be built according to the standards of scripture
because God took Moses up on the mount. and he filled Noah
with the knowledge of how to do that, and the information
is not there. Now, the only thing that happens
as a result of these models and these descriptions that are given
is, there are people standing behind the lines, behind the
walls, and saying, how can we get money from gullible people? That's what happens. So, if you'll
not believe, Moses and the prophets will not believe one, though
he rose from the dead. All right, look here at Exodus
chapter 28. We'll finish reading this. They shall bind the breastplate
by the rings thereof, under the rings of the ephod, with lace
of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod.
Now, can you draw that? that the breastplate should not
loose from the ephod. 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. Now the high priest of Israel
has the names of the tribes of Israel on his breastplate and
when he goes into the holy place or goes into the holy of holy
place, he is representing those folks and those folks alone. There wasn't a Hittite's name
on the breastplate. He is sharing with us that Jesus
Christ represented all of his people when he went to the cross,
and there is not one that he didn't know when he went there,
and there's not one that's going to come up and say, oh, I don't
recognize you. In fact, he says, I never knew
you to those on the left-hand side. Now, here we have, thou
shalt put, verse 30, thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment
the Urim and the Thummim. and they shall be upon Aaron's
heart when he goeth in before the Lord, and Aaron shall bear
the judgment of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually.
You look and look and look, and you read and read and read, and
you try to come to a conclusion, and nobody knows exactly what
it was. Now, apparently, there was a
small pocket on the breastplate of Aaron, and there were two
objects put into there, And the base meaning is lights and perfections. That's the meaning of it. Now
some people have surmised that it might have been some stones.
The reason for these stones, the reason for these two items,
was that at certain times questions could be asked and God answered
those questions by these two objects. Now the problem facing those
folks that got to Jerusalem after spending 70 years in Babylonian
captivity is, these two items were lost. They never were around
again. You know what people were doing
with them? They had made them an idol. This is how God is going to answer
us. So, God had several things taken
out of that temple that was lost. They don't even have an Ark of
the Covenant when they get back. They don't have these two items
when they get back. They don't have the Shekinah
Glory when they get back. They don't have the Holy Fire
when they get back, and they don't have the Holy Oil. Five
distinct things were left out of that second temple. Now here
we have somebody saying to these folks who don't know their lineage,
we're gonna have to wait till there's a priest that can find
these objects and then we'll decide on whether you can be
a priest and eat the most holy things or not. That's what that
governor told those folks. In Leviticus, turn with me, I
had one book, if you would, Leviticus chapter eight and verse three.
Leviticus chapter 8 and verse 3, the scriptures share this. And gather thou all the congregation
together into the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
And Moses did as the Lord commanded him. And assembly was gathered
together into the door of the tabernacle of congregation. And
Moses said unto the congregation, this is the thing which the Lord
commanded to be done. And Moses brought Aaron and his
sons and washed them with water. upon them the coat, and girded
him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the
ephod upon him. And he girded him with the curious
girdle of the ephod, and bound it unto him therewith. And he
put the breastplate upon him, and also he put in the breastplate
the urim and the thumen." Many, many, many years later. There was a king by the name
of Saul. Saul was appointed by God just
like David was, but Saul's purpose was different than David's. Saul
never had God say, he's a man after my own heart. He's just
filling in until David comes along. Saul got into trouble. And he wondered about the will
of God for him. And in the book, if you'd look
with me, in the first Samuel, chapter 28. First Samuel, chapter
28. A sad state of affairs. The problem that we find here
is that Saul, had a vent towards chance or the events by chance. Those
events which seem not fortuitous or contingent are all still disposed,
ordered, governed, and governed by a sovereign will of God. There is no chance. There is no luck. There is the sovereign will of
God. Now here's a man, king of Israel,
in 1 Samuel chapter 28, and there in verse 1 it says, And it shall
come to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered their
armies together for warfare. to fight with Israel. And Achish
said unto David, Know thou assuredly that thou shalt go out with me
to battle, thou and thy men. And David said to Achish, Surely
thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David,
Therefore will I make thee keeper of my head forever. Now Samuel
was dead, and all Israel had lamented him and buried him in
Ramah, even in his own city, And Saul had put away those that
had familiar spirits and wizards out of the land. Under command
he'd done that. And the Philistines gathered
themselves together and came and pitched at Shechem. And Saul
gathered all Israel together and they pitched at Gilboa. And
when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid and
his heart greatly trembled. And when Saul inquired of the
Lord, notice this, The Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor
by Urim, nor by prophets. No greater catastrophe could
happen to a person than the Lord answered him not. Now, he goes
and calls for a witch, the witch of Imdur, and pleads with her
to find out We just see the downhill slide of a man that was not appointed
in the councils of eternity to his salvation. David is going
to be king. When Saul inquired, there was
nothing. He went to the witch of Endor.
And then the next time we find in scripture, here's a group
of people that don't know whether they're Jews and don't know whether
they're priests are told, we're going to wait for these two things
before we can give you an answer. Now, what do those two things
point to? What do they share with us? I
don't know what they look like. I don't know how they were used.
I don't know the questions that were asked, except this one time
with Saul. There's much about these things
that are a mystery even to today, and it doesn't matter what you
can find online. We're just going to stick with
this. They were lost. They weren't found. They couldn't
be used, and yet people were still inquiring about them. Where's
the lucky rocks? Where could I find an answer
for my question? And we find that our text so
often is misunderstood when simply it points to the one who has
the answer, the Lord Jesus Christ. In the book of Proverbs chapter
16, we're not too far from it there in the book of 1 Samuel,
but would you turn with me just after the Psalms to the book
of Proverbs, Proverbs chapter 16 and verse 33. The grace of God reveals to us
that there is an answer in everything that takes place. Though we don't
understand it, there is an answer. For it tells us here in Proverbs
chapter 16 and verse 33, the lot is cast. Now did you hear
that word in our lesson this morning in Luke? The lot fell
on Zacharias. to do that part of around the
altar, the lot. Here it is. The lot is cast into
the lap. All right, we're going to try
to discover God's will in this matter. We just hope that priest
comes along and got those two little shiny rocks or whatever
they were so we can find out where we stand with God. And the Bible tells us the lot
is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of
God. He is the absolute sovereign
ruler of all things, and nothing happens except by his divine
appointment. We sometimes use the terms, he
permits things to happen. Well, from our viewpoint, that's
true, but he's already purposed it to happen. So as we move through
the scriptures, we find that God had already purposed in Christ
Jesus to be the answer to all the questions. All the questions
about the tabernacle, all the questions about the temple, all
the questions about all the sacrifices, all the questions about the ark,
all those questions that we might have are found in one person. The answer is found in one person. He is our ark. He is our tabernacle. He is our temple. He is our Urim
and Thummim. He is the answer to all the questions
that we have and he is the one that God has authorized to save
his people from their sins. The Urim and Thummim should,
let's just turn back here to the book of Deuteronomy in the
Wisdom of God, he answers some of these questions for us, and
we don't have to step out. Let's look here in the book of
Deuteronomy, chapter 33. I don't understand how Jacob could
do this, and I don't understand how Moses could do this, except
through God. But they had the ability of taking,
Jacob had the ability of taking all his children and having them
come up in front of him, And then he said this to this one,
and this to this one, and this to this one, and this to this
one, through, he went through all 12 of them, and he made a
comment about what kind of folks they were, and God moved him
to say it, and that's exactly what they found. Now, when Moses
is about ready to die, he does the same thing for the children
of Israel, and he comes up with the first one, is found here
in Deuteronomy chapter 33, and verse 8. The second one, excuse me, Reuben
is six, is in verse six, and then Judah in verse eight is
Levi. Let thy Thumen and thy Urim be with thy Holy One, whom
thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at
the waters of Meribah. Now who did Israel strive with
at the waters of Meribah? They strove with God. It says right there, let thy
Thumen and thy Urim be with thy Holy One. Let thy lights and
thy perfections be with thy Holy One. Moses, led by inspiration
of the Holy Spirit, spoke generations, hundreds and hundreds of years
before of the Holy One, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the light
of the world, all perfection bound up in one person the Lord
Jesus and Said you strove with this one now Let's go over to
the book of 1st Corinthians chapter 10 if you would and the Apostle
Paul comments on this very same thing 1st Corinthians chapter
10 and verse 9 1st Corinthians chapter 10 verse 9 Neither let us tempt Christ as
some of them also tempted and were destroyed of serpents and
He takes a hold of a passage of scripture from the Old Testament
and brings it into the New Testament, and instead of striving with
God in the Old Testament, Paul is led by the Holy Spirit to
say, they strove with Christ. Now, he is the true Urim and
Thumen. It doesn't matter what that looked
like in the breastplate or the pocket of Aaron in the Old Testament,
or the priest that followed, or when the priest finally lost
them, or they were destroyed by the Babylonians as they came
in and destroyed the temple. That doesn't matter. You cannot
destroy the one of whom those things pictured today. How do we determine? the will of God. You know, I've
been around people who say they're Christians and they're the most
superstitious folks in the world. But true believers are not superstitious. They have their hope in one Jesus
Christ. They trust Him with the events
that are taking place, have been taking place, and will take place
in their lives. Even though it chafes us sometimes,
those things chafe us, we recognize the fact that these have fallen
out from God, and He has purposed them just like they're happening,
and they will be for our good and for His glory. We read here,
What do we do? Well, some people have all kinds
of ideas on discovering the will of God for their lives. What
do the scriptures say is one of the first things I want to
ask. Is what I want or what I am striving for or what I'm thinking
about, is it absolutely contrary to the scripture? We already
have the answer then. We've cast the lot into the lap and it came
up. God's word says this is not right. Or what we're thinking,
is it plainly opposed of in scripture? We got the answer. We don't have
to go any further. Well, what I say or do belittle
the holy name of God. They strove with God at the waters
of Meribah. What does that mean about their
heart? It means their heart was not
right with God. And what am I planning? self-centered
or for my own purpose or glory. The Lord Jesus spoke about a
bunch of Pharisees that were looking for only their glory,
and he said, as we heard read this morning, that bread that
came down, God gave it. You say Moses gave it, God gave
that bread that was brought down from heaven. And Jeremiah says,
I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem a horrible thing.
Oh, I know this. If I find in the scripture that
God said something is a horrible thing, I better pay attention.
Because when God says it, it is a horrible thing. It's far
horrible than we think. They commit adultery. Oh, my
goodness. And then he goes on to say, and
walk in lies. They're committing spiritual
adultery, which, and don't get me wrong, physical is bad, terrible. But spiritual adultery, God said,
spiritually adultery is worse than what was going on in Sodom
and Gomorrah. It's worse. Religious adultery
is worse than what was going on in Sodom and Gomorrah. What
do we know about God's will? Do we have to cast lots? Do we
have to pitch things out? Do we have to have lots? You
know, lots are used a number of times in the New Testament.
We heard it read this morning in the book of Luke. The lot
fell on this man. Okay, I'm going to go serve the
Lord. Another time, there was a discovery. stuck in Peter's
head. There's an Old Testament scripture
found in the book of the Psalms that said someone's got to take
Judas's place. He stood up and said, we got
to do something. Someone, the scripture says,
Judas must be replaced. Well, they looked and prayed,
and they had two guys there, and they cast lots, and the lot
fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the 12. There's another time that God
uses, it's the picture of. These stones that are recorded
in the Old Testament, God uses the picture of. Would you turn
with me to the book of Revelation? If men would be safe, or wise,
or holy, or happy, or useful, or strong, or victorious, let
them look to Jesus and to no one else. Here in the book of
Revelation chapter 2, Revelation chapter 2, a lot of preachers have salvation
as almost casting lots, almost Jormunthumen. Let's see. Well, when it comes to God, He
already has it. The answer's already out. Notice
this verse of scripture in Revelation chapter 2 and verse 17. He that
hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Oh my, would God give us hearing ears? Would He open our ears?
Would He unstop our ears so that we could hear what the Spirit
says? We have deafness to spiritual things by nature. We're just
born that way. We can't comprehend it and we
end up by saying often, I don't believe it. We thank God when
he gives us the new birth and we can say in our heart, I believe
it. Help my unbelief. I trust God. Help my untrusting. Here it says,
the Spirit sent them to the churches. To him that overcometh, now if
we go back to the book of 1st John, it says the overcomers
are those who are born again, born from above, will eat of
the hidden manna, and now notice, and I will give him a white stone. Now that's God speaking. I will
give him a white stone. Now, the closest I can get to
this in our vernacular is there are certain service clubs that
when you want to join them, you are at the mercy of other members
of those service clubs. Each one is given a black stone
and a white stone. Have you ever heard the term
being blackballed? Someone voted against you. Among the Greeks, when they voted,
And Paul brings this out when he said, I was participating
in the killing of Christians. I gave my word against them. What's that mean? I dropped in
the black stone. Here, God Almighty, before the
foundation of the world, on his choice and in his purpose, Everyone
that is born again, everyone that overcomes, everyone that
is a believer, everyone that's written down in the Lamb's Book
of Life, God has given them the white stone. God has made the
choice in the matter. and we rejoice in it. We don't
have to worry about the stones that were in Aaron's breastplate.
We have God saying to his church, I have given you a white stone,
and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving
he that receiveth it. What's that saying? It's saying
when God saves his people from their sins, there's a whole bunch
of folks that don't even understand what went on. That guy just got,
he's a Jesus freak now. He's out on the edge now. He's
given up all that he used to have as fun, and now all he wants
to do is read his Bible and go to church. He's changed so dramatically,
we can't even recognize him. And what's the name written on
that stone that's only known by those who have it? The Lord. our righteousness. Now, I'm surmising,
but that just helps me a lot. On that stone is a new name written
that no man knows except who it was given to, and the only
ones that know the Lord is their only righteousness are the ones
that God has brought out of the desperate pit that's mentioned
by the psalmist, he brought me out of a horrible pit and set
me on the solid rock and established my goings and put a new song
in my heart. So God does that. We have a new
name and that's the name of the husband and his name is the Lord
our righteousness. We don't look to a priest, we
look to the great high priest. We don't look to a prophet. We
look to the prophet. We don't look to a king. We look
to the king of kings. I have to make a confession.
It's been over 30 years ago now, but the Berlin Wall came down. I remember it. I've got a piece
of it. And you know, for a moment I
thought, oh, won't it be wonderful to have some peace in this world? It wasn't 39 seconds and all of that was gone. There
is no peace in this world. There's peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, there's one verse I want
to read before I finish. First Thessalonians chapter 5
and verse 8. Can you imagine those folks walking
off after they'd been told, we're going to have to wait until we
find the Newman and the Thurman? Sorry. What if you never find
it? You're going to wait a long time. Are you telling me I've got to
wait until that? Yeah. That's what that man said. Some
of those folks died. They never. Got to participate. That's what happens when we depend
on our works. Well, here in the book of 1 Thessalonians
chapter 5 and verse 8, the scriptures share this. Well, the scripture that I wanted
was, in everything give thanks. For this is the will of God in
Christ Jesus concerning you. Now what are we thankful for?
and almighty God. What are we thankful for? A savior
that saves. What are we thankful for? A king
that is king of kings. What are we thankful for? A salvation
that fades not away. What are we thankful for? A promised
one who will return. What are we thankful for? For
almighty God in Christ Jesus writing down names in the Lamb's
book of life and that he, because it wasn't in any of his people,
to have their names written down on merit, he chose us because
he wanted to. And he sent his gospel because
he chose to. And he crosses the two, the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ and a sinner without help, without
hope, and without God in the world, and he brings us together.
So in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God concerning
you. We don't need stones. That stone
has been cast on our behalf. by God in eternity past. We find out about it. He voted
for me. What did Adam do for us in the
Garden of Eden? He voted against God. What did
God do on the behalf of his people? He voted for us. No greater vote
has ever taken place in the world than that vote that God voted
on the behalf of the church. They shall be with me for eternity. Now what do we do? The pastor
that brought me the good news, he gave these instructions. I've
said it many times. Trust Christ and don't move a
muscle. And you think about that, how
is that possible? It's impossible with men. But nothing shall be
impossible with God. It's easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle than it is for anybody to enter the
kingdom of heaven. But with God, all things are
possible. He is our lights and perfections.