Seize the Moment – Day 526
Earthen Vessels!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, August 25.
What is the purpose of our bodies in this life?
Leviticus 6:28 describes what happens to the vessels used to prepare the offering to God: “Also the earthenware vessel in which [the sin offering] was boiled shall be broken; and if it was boiled in a bronze vessel, then it shall be scoured and rinsed in water.”
Anything the animal sacrifice touched became holy. Everything that it touched became set apart for God. The priestly garments had to be cleansed from any blood defilement, the fat and blood had to be completely consumed in the fire, the meat portions were specifically allocated to the priests, and even the cooking vessels had to be either destroyed or thoroughly cleansed.
What struck me was that the temporary vessels made from clay had to be broken after being made holy, whereas the permanent vessels made from metal had to be scoured and washed thoroughly. While there are lots of practical reasons this was commanded, the connection with our bodies being the temples of the Holy Spirit is unmistakable.
Paul spoke of our bodies as earthen vessels in 2 Corinthians 4:7, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.” Again, Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2:20-21, “Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.”