04/08/12

The brass vessels of the Sanctuary

Acts 5:6 - And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him


We read in today's message about a group of young men who were there when Ananias and his wife Sapphira died due to their disobedience in their givings and then lying to the Holy Spirit. The recordings of the incident in the book of Acts does not state that these youth were instructed by the Apostles or anyone to wound up, carry out and bury the bodies of Ananias or Sapphira. They knew what was required and immediately moved in to do the job. The scriptures state that all the people present there were shocked at the speed at which judgment was executed and so were the young men among those them but they did not remain in that state of shock, they knew what was required of them and immediately acted.

In the Bible there are many who did small or big jobs for the Kingdom of God and whose names are not highlighted in bold or even noted but these people have played important roles in history recorded in the Bible.

In the Church there are many who will not stand on pulpits or have callings in their lives (should not be mistaken with mission for all have a mission as Christians), yet they play very important roles in the Body of Christ. Sometimes they are like the cement between the bricks of a wall.

In the Tabernacle there were 2 types of vessels which were considered as holy vessels by the Lord and they were 2 kinds of metals some were of gold and some of brass. Even though they were made of different metals yet the Lord considered them both equally important to Him. They both were put together, not that the gold vessels were given a separate higher place and the brass a lower place, they had their own respective place and purpose. God loved the brass vessels as much as He loved the gold vessels.

The gold vessels symbolizes people who have a spiritual calling as part of the Body of Christ and the brass vessels symbolizes those who are called to serve the Body of Christ but do not have a spiritual calling.

In our Churches today we find the gold vessels are put on pedestals and the brass vessels are not bothered for. They are sometimes used like door mats by those who have a spiritual calling.

There is a young preacher whom we love to invite to the events we organize in various places. He comes all the way from Bangalore to Mumbai or the remote places in Maharashtra. It is not that Mumbai lacks preachers but there is some different about him that makes us love and prefer him. Other people around also notice this something about him and do not fail to say he is different. They see he sits with us, eats with us and fellowships with us unlike other preachers who prefer to have privacy all the time. They want a better room and food than all the others. They only meet and fellowship with the top or important people. Their smiles and love is as real as actors in movies.

In today's message the Lord is telling us we need to realize the importance of the brass vessels. We need to understand the Lord loves them as much as He loves the gold vessels and they too are anointed for a purpose in the Body of Christ. They may not be Apostles, Prophets, Teachers, Evangelists, Pastors (Administrators) or Healers but yet they as important as anyone of those stated. They play a very important role in the Body of Christ and should be given equal respect for they too are the anointed of God.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, there are many in the Body of Christ who do great work from the Kingdom of God and are faceless to the people. We know their rewards will be great for they do not advertise the works of their hands. Lord, we pray for all these people that they be encouraged and be blessed to continue the work You have given them. May your Spirit increase in them abundantly. We also pray that they be given due respect, even if they are doing small jobs for they too are your anointed vessels...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
Exodus 27:1-4
1 And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits.
2 And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass.
3 And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass.
4 And thou shalt make for it a grate of network of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brasen rings in the four corners thereof.

Exodus 27:19 - All the vessels of the tabernacle in all the service thereof, and all the pins thereof, and all the pins of the court, shall be of brass.

Exodus 38:3 - And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basons, and the fleshhooks, and the firepans: all the vessels thereof made he of brass.

Exodus 39:32-43
32 Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.
33 And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets,
34 And the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers' skins, and the vail of the covering,
35 The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy seat,
36 The table, and all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread,
37 The pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light,
38 And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door,
39 The brasen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
40 The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation,
41 The cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons' garments, to minister in the priest's office.
42 According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work.
43 And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.

Exodus 40:9 - And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy.

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