Scripture Reading: 1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Exo. 28:1-4; 29:1-5, 27-29, 32-33, 38-42; Matt. 3:17; 11:27
Ⅰ
The garments and the food of the priests—Exo. 28:1-4; 29:1-5, 8-9, 27-28, 32-33, 38-42:
A
The priestly garments and the priestly food are for the filling up of our outward and inward emptiness—29:27-29:
１
Outward emptiness is a matter of nakedness (the exposure of our natural being), and inward emptiness is a matter of hunger—Rev. 16:15; John 6:35.
２
Our outward emptiness is filled with Christ as our clothing, and our inward emptiness is filled with Christ as our food—Luke 15:22-23.
B
The significance of the priestly garments is the expression of Christ in the priesthood; this means that the garments signify Christ lived out of the priesthood—Rev. 1:13; Phil. 1:20-21a; 3:9:
１
The priests need a long robe to cover them completely; this priestly robe is Christ—Exo. 28:31-34.
２
The priestly garments are "for glory" and "for beauty"—v. 2:
ａ
"For glory" means to express Christ's divinity, and "for beauty" means to express Christ's humanity.
ｂ
It is a life that expresses Christ with the divine glory and the human beauty that qualifies us to be the priesthood—1 Pet. 2:5, 9.
C
The expression of Christ signified by the priestly garments is actually a building; therefore, if we would express Christ's divine glory and human beauty, we must be built up in the Body of Christ—Eph. 4:16:
１
The emphasis in the Bible is not on how to be holy or spiritual—the emphasis is on God's building—1 Cor. 3:9b; 12:4, 12; 14:26b.
２
True spirituality is a matter of the building; the only way to be holy, spiritual, or powerful is to be built into God's building—v. 12.
３
Whenever we are separated from the other saints and become individualistic, we immediately express the fallen, natural life instead of expressing Christ with the divine glory and human beauty.
４
The purpose of the building is to bring us all into the proper order in life under the headship of Christ—Eph. 1:22-23, 10.
D
The priests needed the offerings in addition to the garments; the offerings were to be the priests' food—Exo. 29:31-35:
１
We need Christ to be not only our outward expression but also our inward nourishment and strengthening; we need Him to be our food—John 6:27.
２
Inwardly, Christ is our nourishment and strength; He fills our inward emptiness—Luke 1:53a.
３
As priests, we are constituted with the food we eat, for we are saturated by what we eat and transformed by it; we become what we eat—John 6:51-57.
Ⅱ
The food offered to God for His enjoyment and satisfaction—Num. 28:2; Exo. 29:38-42:
A
God needs food; this is why Numbers 28:2 says, "My offering, My food for My offerings by fire of a satisfying fragrance to Me, you shall be careful to present to Me at its appointed time."
B
The first aspect of God's food is the burnt offering; this is the reason that, of all the offerings described in the book of Leviticus, the burnt offering is mentioned first—1:2-3, 13b.
C
The peace offering, which is for enjoyment and satisfaction, enables the priests to enjoy Christ with God—3:1-17; 7:11-38:
１
The peace offering is for our feasting with God, and through it God and we have mutual enjoyment and mutual satisfaction; this is a picture of the church meetings.
２
Part of the peace offering is for the ministering priests, and part is for God's enjoyment and satisfaction—3:3-6, 9-11, 14-16; 7:12-16, 29-35:
ａ
As we are enjoying our food, we need to remember that God also desires food and that we need to prepare something for Him to eat:
⑴
Although God is almighty, He cannot provide Himself something to eat.
⑵
God's food must come from His people—Num. 28:2.
ｂ
The inward parts and the fat of the peace offering were burned to be God's food—Lev. 3:3-5:
⑴
The inward parts signify the tender inward being of Christ—Phil. 1:8.
⑵
The fat signifies Christ's inward riches for God's satisfaction according to His glory—Rom. 3:23; Heb. 9:5a.
⑶
Only God the Father can fully appreciate and enjoy what Christ is in His tender inward being and in His inward riches—Matt. 11:27.
D
Christ is God's food in the way of fulfilling God's eternal economy—Eph. 1:10:
１
God desires to have His economy fulfilled by Christ, with Christ, and in Christ—Col. 1:15-18:
ａ
Because Christ is everything for the fulfillment of God's economy, He is God's food, God's satisfaction—Matt. 3:17; 17:5.
ｂ
For eternity Christ will be God's satisfaction, and for eternity we will enjoy the Christ who satisfies God—Rev. 22:1-2a, 14.
２
The more we enjoy Christ and experience Christ, the more we will fulfill God's economy, and the more we participate in the fulfillment of God's economy, the more we will be able to offer Christ to God as food—Matt. 26:26-30; Heb. 2:12; 13:12-15; 1 Pet. 2:5; John 4:23-24.