25 April 2010
Psalm 63,98; Exod. 28:1-4,30-38; 1 John 2:18-29; Mark 6:30-44

Moses is instructed in the garments Aaron and those who follow in the office of high priest will wear in the service of God. Here we see the “breastpiece of judgment” which was a pouch of sorts that had on its face twelve stones representing the twelve tribes, the twelve sons of Jacob/Israel. The pouch contained the Urim and Thummim and the truth is no one really knows what they looked like or how they were used in order to determine the will of God in crisis situations. The priest and the Lord were reminded that he represented all the nation when he performed his duties. The bells on the robe were so that all on the outside of the tent would know that he was still in the midst of his duties and had not died in the presence of the Lord, it was an assuring sign for the priest to live, not only for the priest but also for the people as he represented them in this service, not himself. The final piece on the headdress, the rosette, was a declaration to the Lord of the intentions of the people in this work, lest any of the preparations for ministry fail to please the Lord, this was the intention, holy to the Lord.

Jesus’ intention was to get away with the disciples yet the people wanted more and followed them to this “deserted place.” They have just been sent out on a mission of healing and proclamation and they are anxious to tell Jesus how it went and yet the mission was so successful that the people came with them. Jesus’ compassion for the people is great and so, even though it disrupted His plans, He teaches them until late in the day. Although the disciples have done great things on their mission, when Jesus suggests that they feed this multitude it never crosses anyone’s mind that they might be able to do so, suggesting they don’t have enough money and even if they did, where would they buy anything here. We tend to think the same way, even though God has done great things, in crisis we often doubt Him or never think He might have a plan as we consider our own alternatives.

It seems that Gnosticism has crept into the church here in this epistle. Gnosticism was/is a belief that salvation is from knowledge, a special revelation given to some that makes them the enlightened few. John assures his readers that they have knowledge and not just any knowledge, knowledge of truth. The content of that truth is plain and simple, Jesus is the Christ, the anointed one of God, and assures them that in this knowledge they, too, are anointed ones. We need not spend our time worrying about “the” antichrist, John says that what he means by that is those who deny the truth. Just as the high priest was to judge between the people in the Old Testament, so has John judged between people in the New Testament church, and judgment requires nothing more than the testimony of Jesus.

Oh sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
The LORD has made known his salvation;
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.