The Types of Redemption
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less. Something can be right in front of you, and you don’t even see it. Can you see it with this
bunch? It should have been so obvious: don’t open your mouth and rebel. But the whole bunch
did because they were so darkened, so dull.
The murmuring continues in Numbers 16:41. “But on the morrow all the congregation,” not just
a few of them, but all the congregation, “of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and
against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the L
ORD
.” They thought they had a problem
with Moses and Aaron, but it really was a problem with the Lord; He took it personally.
“And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that
they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the
glory of the L
ORD
appeared. And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the
congregation. And the L
ORD
spake to Moses, saying, Get you up from among this congregation,
that I may consume them as in a moment.” How does God feel about rebellion? “And they fell
upon their faces. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the
altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for
them: for there is wrath gone out from the L
ORD
; the plague is begun.”
We saw how this worked when the Lord was going to smite the first born. When He saw the
blood, He was able to cause the destroyer
not
to come into their house. “When I see the blood, I
will not suffer,” I will not allow, “the destroyer to come into you.”
We see more and more, particularly in Judges, that the Lord doesn’t have to
try
to destroy you. If
He does not protect you, you will be destroyed. Do you see this? The Lord passes judgment that
allows the destroyer access, and there are plenty of devils, diseases, accidents, and crazy people
ready to take you out. All He has to do is
not
keep you.
So really, it’s a person’s own sin that removes the protection. The plague began to sweep through
the people because of their rebellion and the removal of God’s protection. Verse 47 says, “And
Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the
plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the
people.”
Is this typical of redemption? Do we have a High Priest today? Did the high priest do
something as a mediator? Yes. Can you see this? Oh, it just gets richer the further you read. He
made an atonement for the people, “And he stood between the dead and the living; and the
plague was stayed.” He stood up as high priest, having made the atonement, and the plague that
had already killed people and was advancing couldn’t get through him to the other people. The
plague couldn’t get through the high priest. It couldn’t get through the atoning sacrifice. The
plague was stopped in its tracks; it was stayed. Can you see Jesus in this? Is there healing in this?
It’s like the last one we read. The whole thing is about healing. Glory to God!
Do we have a Mediator now? Hebrews 4:14 says, “Seeing then that we have a great high
priest…” We have a High Priest. Aaron the high priest was a type of our High Priest. “…we
have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God…” What are we to
do? “…let us hold fast our profession.” Other translations say “confession.”
