I have recently had a testing in my faith financially. Even though I have fought the battle of tithing many times, it is a weakness, especially when money is tight, the bills are due and there's just not enough money to go around. It is so easy at that point to just say "God understands that my house payment is past due" and "that utility bill has been waiting to be paid". Yes, he does, but he said the "first fruits of all our increase belong to him" (Proverbs 3:9). It's not a request, it's a command and with that command comes a promise of blessing if we obey. "So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine" (Proverbs 3:10).
I knew what I was supposed to do. I knew God would provide and yet, my faith was weak. I resisted doing the right thing. I knew my fellowship with him was broken because of my sin. But God is so good, He is so faithful and He never fails. When I could resist the holy spirit's leading no longer, I yielded, and followed the leading of the holy spirit and wrote the tithe checks.
You want to know how good God is?
Three weeks ago I submitted a bid for a commercial cleaning job worth more than a thousand dollars. Because I hadn't heard from the company I had already decided that I was not going to be awarded the job. But before I could even get my tithe checks into the offering plate, I got a phone call from one of the owners of the company. Not only did she tell me that I had the job, she told me my bid was too low and that I needed to go and look at the site and submit a higher bid.
Now, you tell me. Is that just a coincidence? I don't think so. In fact, I know that it was God's plan in action! The moment I yielded to His will, he did the rest. God has proven himself to me in similar ways over and over again.
I fail often...but God never fails. Be faithful to Him and watch his plan for your life unfold and receive the blessings that He is just waiting to pour out on you.
Remember, faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain (Mat. 17:20).
Our reading today is in Exodus 35-37
Sabbath Regulations (35:1-3)
After the ten commandments came other laws for the people to obey. As we read them they were so ritualistic feeling, but God knew in his wisdom that the people would stray without such laws; after all they had already proven it, when Moses was on the mountain. They were to follow the example of our creator, work for six days and rest on the Sabbath. This law carried with it the death penalty. I would say God took this very seriously!
In previous chapters God gives Moses the instructions. In these chapters the instructions are carried out, just as God had commanded. The offerings are given, the artisans are called and the construction process begins.
Offerings for the Tabernacle (35:4-9)
Gold, silver, bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats' hair, ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood, oil, spices, onyx stones, and other stones to be used for the clothing of the priests.
Articles of the tabernacle (35:10-19)
Gifted artisans were called out of the people to create the articles for the tabernacle according to God's specifications.
The Tabernacle Offerings Presented (35:20-29)
The offerings were given with a willing heart. That is the only way they will be acceptable unto God. He will not force us to give, and giving grudgingly, instead of with a willing heart, motivated by love, yielded to Him, forfeits the blessing.
The Artisans called by God (35:30-36:1)
The People Give More than Enough (36:2-7)
The people gives so much that Moses had to command them to stop.
What a wonderful problem to have. It sounds like they learned the lesson that God is still trying to teach me.
Building the Tabernacle (36:8-37)
Here, God gives very specific instruction for the measurements of things and how they are to be constructed.
Making the Ark of the Testimony (37:1-9)
Making the Table of Showbread (37:10-16)
Making the Gold Lampstand (37:17-24)
Making the Altar of Incense (37:25-28)
Making the Anointing Oil and the Incense (37:29)
God's plan is perfect. It was for the children of Israel and it is for us.
It sounds very simple, "just obey". But life gets in the way some times.
It's hard, but, with obedience; comes blessing!!!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Today's reading is Exodus chapters 32-34
As I began reading in chapter 32, I realized how foolish people are, how impatient we are, and how quickly we forget. God had led his people out of slavery, fed them on a daily basis, protected them from an entire army by dividing the red sea, and yet, they have forgotten all of it.
The Gold Calf (32:1-35)
Because Moses, didn't come down from the mountain (where he was talking with God) as quickly as the people thought he should, they got restless and impatient. Moses was face to face with God, pleading for the people, getting wisdom from God to help the people and risking death himself to do so. But what were the people doing? They were bending the ear of Aaron and convincing him that Moses wasn't coming back at all.
Aaron's action, at the insistence of the people, came only forty days after they received the commandments not to worship other gods, nor to make other images for worship.
Don't forget, there were about 2 million people in the nation of Israel when they left Egypt. Perhaps Aaron was afraid that the people would revolt against him, get angry, and kill him if he didn't do what they wanted.
Perhaps he feared the people more than he feared God. That was his first mistake. But for whatever reason, he yielded to the will of the people and built a golden calf, which they began to worship. Keep in mind this is the very same Aaron who had been consecrated to serve in the tabernacle and lead the people in worshiping the true God. What happened? How in the world could he get so far from the plan that God himself had established for worship?
We could ask ourselves the same question. How can we worship God on Sunday and live like the way we want to the rest of the week? How can we worship the god of money by robbing God of the tithes and offerings that He commanded us to give? How can we totally ignore gathering ourselves together to honor God on Sunday and spend our time worshiping the links or the lake? Just because we don't build the likeness of an animal and bow down to worship it, does not mean that we are not worshipping idols.
There's a very simple explanation, we have been given a free will, and often make poor choices, in spite of what God has done for us. I don't know about you, but God has blessed me far beyond what I deserve, and yet I fail him in so many ways. Don't be too hard on the children of Israel, we are all guilty of some or all of the same things, we just don't have our sins written down in a book for everyone to read about. And we are great at rationalizing and making excuses that sound really good. Aaron was trying to give an explanation to Moses (Ex. 32:22-24). Nice try Aaron, but it sounds as foolish as many of our excuses.
Don't be fooled God is not mocked "whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap" (Gal.6:7). We will not get away with our sin. Though God loves us, His holiness will not allow Him to overlook sin. But He has made a way, it is called repentance. We have been given the answer for our sin problem through the blood of Jesus Christ. It lies in the confession of sin, daily dieing to self, and fully trusting in God for all that we need.
Except for the pleading of Moses for the people, God would have destroyed them. When Moses saw that the people were worshiping the calf, he got angry and broke the very laws that were given by God (the ten commandments) to guide them into proper worship (32:19). The other problem with sin-there are always consequences. Three thousand men died as a result of the idol worship (32:28). What a big price to pay.
The Command to Leave Sinai (33:1-6)
Moses Meets with the Lord (33:7-11)
It was the job of Moses as the leader to meet with God, then give the people the words of the Lord for daily worship. When Moses went to meet with the Lord, all the people worship at the entrance to their tents.
The Promise of God's Presence (33:12-23)
How precious was the promise of God to Moses, that He would never leave him, but would go before him and the people that he was charged to lead. We have that same promise in Hebrews 13:5-6 "...I will never leave you nor forsake you." so we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper: I will not fear."
Moses Makes New Tablets (34:1-9)
The Covenant Renewed (34:10-28)
God renewed His blessing on the children of Israel. The ten commandments represent the renewal of the covenant between God and his chosen people.
Their obedience of the commandments was the source of their continued relationship with God.
The Shining Face of Moses (34:29-36)
Whenever Moses met with God, his face would be shining and he would wear a veil to keep the people from being afraid of him.
This passage brought a thought to my mind. I have heard it said that there is a "glow" on the face of those who have met with God. I wonder if this scripture is the original source for that analogy. I also wonder, have you met with God lately? Can people see the glow in you? Do they know that you have been with God? I hope so. I have often been in conversation with people whom I haven't met previously; and there is just something about them... they don't have to tell me, but I can tell that they know the Lord. There should be something distinctively different about God's people.
WE SHOULD GLOW!!!
As I began reading in chapter 32, I realized how foolish people are, how impatient we are, and how quickly we forget. God had led his people out of slavery, fed them on a daily basis, protected them from an entire army by dividing the red sea, and yet, they have forgotten all of it.
The Gold Calf (32:1-35)
Because Moses, didn't come down from the mountain (where he was talking with God) as quickly as the people thought he should, they got restless and impatient. Moses was face to face with God, pleading for the people, getting wisdom from God to help the people and risking death himself to do so. But what were the people doing? They were bending the ear of Aaron and convincing him that Moses wasn't coming back at all.
Aaron's action, at the insistence of the people, came only forty days after they received the commandments not to worship other gods, nor to make other images for worship.
Don't forget, there were about 2 million people in the nation of Israel when they left Egypt. Perhaps Aaron was afraid that the people would revolt against him, get angry, and kill him if he didn't do what they wanted.
Perhaps he feared the people more than he feared God. That was his first mistake. But for whatever reason, he yielded to the will of the people and built a golden calf, which they began to worship. Keep in mind this is the very same Aaron who had been consecrated to serve in the tabernacle and lead the people in worshiping the true God. What happened? How in the world could he get so far from the plan that God himself had established for worship?
We could ask ourselves the same question. How can we worship God on Sunday and live like the way we want to the rest of the week? How can we worship the god of money by robbing God of the tithes and offerings that He commanded us to give? How can we totally ignore gathering ourselves together to honor God on Sunday and spend our time worshiping the links or the lake? Just because we don't build the likeness of an animal and bow down to worship it, does not mean that we are not worshipping idols.
There's a very simple explanation, we have been given a free will, and often make poor choices, in spite of what God has done for us. I don't know about you, but God has blessed me far beyond what I deserve, and yet I fail him in so many ways. Don't be too hard on the children of Israel, we are all guilty of some or all of the same things, we just don't have our sins written down in a book for everyone to read about. And we are great at rationalizing and making excuses that sound really good. Aaron was trying to give an explanation to Moses (Ex. 32:22-24). Nice try Aaron, but it sounds as foolish as many of our excuses.
Don't be fooled God is not mocked "whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap" (Gal.6:7). We will not get away with our sin. Though God loves us, His holiness will not allow Him to overlook sin. But He has made a way, it is called repentance. We have been given the answer for our sin problem through the blood of Jesus Christ. It lies in the confession of sin, daily dieing to self, and fully trusting in God for all that we need.
Except for the pleading of Moses for the people, God would have destroyed them. When Moses saw that the people were worshiping the calf, he got angry and broke the very laws that were given by God (the ten commandments) to guide them into proper worship (32:19). The other problem with sin-there are always consequences. Three thousand men died as a result of the idol worship (32:28). What a big price to pay.
The Command to Leave Sinai (33:1-6)
Moses Meets with the Lord (33:7-11)
It was the job of Moses as the leader to meet with God, then give the people the words of the Lord for daily worship. When Moses went to meet with the Lord, all the people worship at the entrance to their tents.
The Promise of God's Presence (33:12-23)
How precious was the promise of God to Moses, that He would never leave him, but would go before him and the people that he was charged to lead. We have that same promise in Hebrews 13:5-6 "...I will never leave you nor forsake you." so we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper: I will not fear."
Moses Makes New Tablets (34:1-9)
The Covenant Renewed (34:10-28)
God renewed His blessing on the children of Israel. The ten commandments represent the renewal of the covenant between God and his chosen people.
Their obedience of the commandments was the source of their continued relationship with God.
The Shining Face of Moses (34:29-36)
Whenever Moses met with God, his face would be shining and he would wear a veil to keep the people from being afraid of him.
This passage brought a thought to my mind. I have heard it said that there is a "glow" on the face of those who have met with God. I wonder if this scripture is the original source for that analogy. I also wonder, have you met with God lately? Can people see the glow in you? Do they know that you have been with God? I hope so. I have often been in conversation with people whom I haven't met previously; and there is just something about them... they don't have to tell me, but I can tell that they know the Lord. There should be something distinctively different about God's people.
WE SHOULD GLOW!!!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Exodus 28-31
Garments for the Priesthood (28:1-4)
Chapter 28 begins by describing the garments that must be worn by the priest (Aaron and his sons) who served the Lord in the tabernacle. Each piece of the priestly garments was made to God's specifications and as "holy garments" (28:2,4) They were also to be made "for glory and for beauty" (28:2)
by "gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom" and garments made for the consecration of Aaron and his sons to the Lord (28:3).
The garments to be made were: "a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and a sash" (28:4).
The Ephod (28:5-13)
The Ephod was an outer garment worn by Aaron. It's significant that the Lord commanded that they should take "two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel" (28:9). These were the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. The two stones were to be attached to the shoulders of the Ephod and were to be set in pure gold. Then a set of gold chains were to be attached from one side of the Ephod to the other which connected the two stones.
It was as if God was saying to Aaron "the weight of the sins of the people of Israel are on your shoulders". The priest were responsible for making the sacrifices on behalf of the people. It was a huge responsibility. Without the sacrifices, there was no remission for sin. Until the ultimate sacrifice was made on the cross, the priest offered the substitutionary lambs before God for the people.
The Breastplate (28:15-30)
On the breastplate, again the Lord commands that the names of the twelve tribes be engraved on stones. The stones were to be set in gold and attached to the front of the breastplate in four rows (17-21). Rings were fashioned out of gold with chains attached and blue cords that connected the Ephod to the Breastplate. (22-28) "So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel (the twelve tribes) on the breastplate of judgment over his heart, when he goes into the holy place, as a memorial before the Lord continually" (28:29).
God wanted Aaron to bear the names of the 12 tribes every time he came into the tabernacle (the presence of the Lord). It was a constant memorial to him and the people that there was no permanent cure for their sin problem. That would only come later through the sacrifice of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Until then, "So Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel over his heart before the Lord continually" (28:30b)
Other Priestly Garments (28:31-43)
All the garments were hand woven of fine linen. The robe was to be blue and the hem was to have pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet woven into it and alternated with gold bells (pomegranate, bell, pomegranate, bell) all around the hem of the garment. (28:31-34). The bells were attached so that he could be heard while he was in the holy of holies. It the bells stopped ringing, they knew that God's judgment had fallen on the priest and he was dead and needed to be pulled out of the holy of holies by the blue cords attached to him. (28:35)
"You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet: HOLINESS TO THE LORD (28:36) This engraved plate was to be attached with a blue cord to the front of the turban worn by the priest. This plate is referred to as "the holy crown" of the turban. It reminds me of the holy crown worn by Christ on the cross, but his was made of thorns, not gold.
Aaron and his sons consecrated (29:1-37)
The Daily Offerings (29:38-46)
The Altar of Incense (30:1-10)
The Altar of Incense was representative of the prayers of the saints being lifted up to God and was burning day and night (30:7-8). This was to be a perpetual burning of sweet smelling incense unto the Lord. Many references are made to the incense's representation of the prayers of the saints (Psalm 141:2, Revelation 5:8, Revelation 8:3)
The Ransom Money (30:11-16)
These were offerings taken each year during the census, this money was used to sustain the functions of the tabernacle (30:11-16)
The Bronze Laver (30:17-21)
This laver was filled with water that was to be used by the priest (Aaron and his sons) was washing themselves before entering the tabernacle of meeting.
The Holy Anointing Oil (30:22-38)
This oil was made from very specific ingredients, described here, and was used to anoint every thing in the tabernacle, to make it holy before the Lord.
Artisans for Building the Tabernacle (31:1-11)
God called very specific people to aid in the construction process they are actually named here (Bezalel of the tribe of Judah and Aholiab of the tribe of Dan). These two men and their tribes were given special wisdom, and knowledge for the construction and design of the tabernacle and everything that was to be used in it's construction and ministry. Verse 3 says that this wisdom, understanding and knowledge has come from "the filling of the Spirit of God".
The Sabboth Law (12-18)
Garments for the Priesthood (28:1-4)
Chapter 28 begins by describing the garments that must be worn by the priest (Aaron and his sons) who served the Lord in the tabernacle. Each piece of the priestly garments was made to God's specifications and as "holy garments" (28:2,4) They were also to be made "for glory and for beauty" (28:2)
by "gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom" and garments made for the consecration of Aaron and his sons to the Lord (28:3).
The garments to be made were: "a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and a sash" (28:4).
The Ephod (28:5-13)
The Ephod was an outer garment worn by Aaron. It's significant that the Lord commanded that they should take "two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel" (28:9). These were the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. The two stones were to be attached to the shoulders of the Ephod and were to be set in pure gold. Then a set of gold chains were to be attached from one side of the Ephod to the other which connected the two stones.
It was as if God was saying to Aaron "the weight of the sins of the people of Israel are on your shoulders". The priest were responsible for making the sacrifices on behalf of the people. It was a huge responsibility. Without the sacrifices, there was no remission for sin. Until the ultimate sacrifice was made on the cross, the priest offered the substitutionary lambs before God for the people.
The Breastplate (28:15-30)
On the breastplate, again the Lord commands that the names of the twelve tribes be engraved on stones. The stones were to be set in gold and attached to the front of the breastplate in four rows (17-21). Rings were fashioned out of gold with chains attached and blue cords that connected the Ephod to the Breastplate. (22-28) "So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel (the twelve tribes) on the breastplate of judgment over his heart, when he goes into the holy place, as a memorial before the Lord continually" (28:29).
God wanted Aaron to bear the names of the 12 tribes every time he came into the tabernacle (the presence of the Lord). It was a constant memorial to him and the people that there was no permanent cure for their sin problem. That would only come later through the sacrifice of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Until then, "So Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel over his heart before the Lord continually" (28:30b)
Other Priestly Garments (28:31-43)
All the garments were hand woven of fine linen. The robe was to be blue and the hem was to have pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet woven into it and alternated with gold bells (pomegranate, bell, pomegranate, bell) all around the hem of the garment. (28:31-34). The bells were attached so that he could be heard while he was in the holy of holies. It the bells stopped ringing, they knew that God's judgment had fallen on the priest and he was dead and needed to be pulled out of the holy of holies by the blue cords attached to him. (28:35)
"You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet: HOLINESS TO THE LORD (28:36) This engraved plate was to be attached with a blue cord to the front of the turban worn by the priest. This plate is referred to as "the holy crown" of the turban. It reminds me of the holy crown worn by Christ on the cross, but his was made of thorns, not gold.
Aaron and his sons consecrated (29:1-37)
The Daily Offerings (29:38-46)
The Altar of Incense (30:1-10)
The Altar of Incense was representative of the prayers of the saints being lifted up to God and was burning day and night (30:7-8). This was to be a perpetual burning of sweet smelling incense unto the Lord. Many references are made to the incense's representation of the prayers of the saints (Psalm 141:2, Revelation 5:8, Revelation 8:3)
The Ransom Money (30:11-16)
These were offerings taken each year during the census, this money was used to sustain the functions of the tabernacle (30:11-16)
The Bronze Laver (30:17-21)
This laver was filled with water that was to be used by the priest (Aaron and his sons) was washing themselves before entering the tabernacle of meeting.
The Holy Anointing Oil (30:22-38)
This oil was made from very specific ingredients, described here, and was used to anoint every thing in the tabernacle, to make it holy before the Lord.
Artisans for Building the Tabernacle (31:1-11)
God called very specific people to aid in the construction process they are actually named here (Bezalel of the tribe of Judah and Aholiab of the tribe of Dan). These two men and their tribes were given special wisdom, and knowledge for the construction and design of the tabernacle and everything that was to be used in it's construction and ministry. Verse 3 says that this wisdom, understanding and knowledge has come from "the filling of the Spirit of God".
The Sabboth Law (12-18)
The people were commanded through Moses to keep the sabbath day holy. A day of rest consecrated to the Lord. This passage refers back to creation and the fact that the Lord worked for six days and "the seventh day He rested and was refreshed"(31:17b)
How often do we ignore the fact that there is a day that we should set apart for worship. Not only for worship, but also for rest from our work. In today's society, many people work seven days a week. What for? So they can buy more stuff to fill their lives that are left empty, because they fail to recognize the God of the universe who has made all things possible for us. He has blessed us so much especially in America, yet we fail to bless Him for what he has given us.
I fear that our ungrateful hearts are quickly going to be judged. I pray that we as a nation wake up to the reality that WE OWE HIM EVERYTHING!!!
May God be merciful to us...
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Exodus 25-27-The study of the tabernacle
God wanted a way for his children to be able to have fellowship with him.
He commanded Moses to tell the people to bring offerings. Not just any offerings, but "offerings of gold, silver, bronze, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats' hair, ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood; oil for the light and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate." (Ex.25:1-7)
Wow, God had very specific orders for the building of the tabernacle and the creation of every item to be used for service by the priest.
God commanded Moses to follow the specifications exactly, and as we look at this, you will get a mental picture of the beauty and glory of the sanctuary that God had the people build so that they could worship Him.
Every piece of furniture, every altar, and every serving piece used in the tabernacle was either made from pure gold, or covered with pure gold. Can you imagine the beauty as the light from the golden lampstand danced around the room, reflecting off the other pieces of gold, silver and bronze?
And the fine linen carefully hand embroidered with thread of blue, purple and scarlet to God's specifications must have been exquisite.
In my mind it was a little piece of "heaven on earth" which is exactly what God wanted for his chosen people. He wanted to cause them to ponder in their minds what heaven must be like and to worship him in a place of sanctuary from the world outside.
Offerings for the sanctuary (Ex.25:1-9)
The Ark of the Testimony (Ex. 25:10-22)
The ark was a portable chest made of wood and covered with gold (25:10). To this extent it resembles portable chests made by the Egyptians, displaying their skill in woodwork and decoration. The chests also provide examples of the way objects were carried with parallel bars arranged for the porters.
The Table for the Showbread (Ex. 25:23-30)
The Gold Lampstand (Ex. 25:31-40)
The Tabernacle (Ex. 26:1-37)
The Altar of Burnt Offering (Ex. 27:1-8)
Ancient altars from the Middle East were often provided with projections on the four corners, called horns in the Bible (Ex. 27:2). Possibly these horns were used to hold the animal on the altar as Ps. 118:27 would suggest. The bull was honored in different religions and the horn is a symbol of divine strength. But Exodus says nothing of this.
The Court of the Tabernacle (Ex. 27:9-19)
The Care of the Lampstand (Ex. 27:20-21)
It's very interesting to me that God commanded the priest (Aaron and his sons) to keep the light in the lampstand burning day and night continuously. Isn't that just like God? He provided an everlasting light for us. All we have to do is obey Him and follow His light. Prior to the death of Christ there were outward signs of the light that was yet to come in the person of Jesus Christ. So, the people had to continually be reminded that the light was available to them in the tabernacle where they came to fellowship with God.
Today, after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord, we have the same opportunity. The difference is that Jesus Christ is that eternal light. The light of the world (John 8:12, 9:5) is Jesus Christ. During the Millennial Kingdom, (Is.60:20) ..."for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light."
John 1:4 states "In him was life; and the life was the light of men."
John 1:9..."the true light..."
One of my favorites is found in (Ps.27:1) "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
We can freely receive God's light through knowing Jesus Christ as our Savior.
I am so grateful for the privilege of knowing Him as my light, and my Savior.
I hope you know Him too!!
God wanted a way for his children to be able to have fellowship with him.
He commanded Moses to tell the people to bring offerings. Not just any offerings, but "offerings of gold, silver, bronze, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats' hair, ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood; oil for the light and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate." (Ex.25:1-7)
Wow, God had very specific orders for the building of the tabernacle and the creation of every item to be used for service by the priest.
God commanded Moses to follow the specifications exactly, and as we look at this, you will get a mental picture of the beauty and glory of the sanctuary that God had the people build so that they could worship Him.
Every piece of furniture, every altar, and every serving piece used in the tabernacle was either made from pure gold, or covered with pure gold. Can you imagine the beauty as the light from the golden lampstand danced around the room, reflecting off the other pieces of gold, silver and bronze?
And the fine linen carefully hand embroidered with thread of blue, purple and scarlet to God's specifications must have been exquisite.
In my mind it was a little piece of "heaven on earth" which is exactly what God wanted for his chosen people. He wanted to cause them to ponder in their minds what heaven must be like and to worship him in a place of sanctuary from the world outside.
Offerings for the sanctuary (Ex.25:1-9)
The Ark of the Testimony (Ex. 25:10-22)
The ark was a portable chest made of wood and covered with gold (25:10). To this extent it resembles portable chests made by the Egyptians, displaying their skill in woodwork and decoration. The chests also provide examples of the way objects were carried with parallel bars arranged for the porters.
The Table for the Showbread (Ex. 25:23-30)
The Gold Lampstand (Ex. 25:31-40)
The Tabernacle (Ex. 26:1-37)
The Altar of Burnt Offering (Ex. 27:1-8)
Ancient altars from the Middle East were often provided with projections on the four corners, called horns in the Bible (Ex. 27:2). Possibly these horns were used to hold the animal on the altar as Ps. 118:27 would suggest. The bull was honored in different religions and the horn is a symbol of divine strength. But Exodus says nothing of this.
The Court of the Tabernacle (Ex. 27:9-19)
The Care of the Lampstand (Ex. 27:20-21)
It's very interesting to me that God commanded the priest (Aaron and his sons) to keep the light in the lampstand burning day and night continuously. Isn't that just like God? He provided an everlasting light for us. All we have to do is obey Him and follow His light. Prior to the death of Christ there were outward signs of the light that was yet to come in the person of Jesus Christ. So, the people had to continually be reminded that the light was available to them in the tabernacle where they came to fellowship with God.
Today, after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord, we have the same opportunity. The difference is that Jesus Christ is that eternal light. The light of the world (John 8:12, 9:5) is Jesus Christ. During the Millennial Kingdom, (Is.60:20) ..."for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light."
John 1:4 states "In him was life; and the life was the light of men."
John 1:9..."the true light..."
One of my favorites is found in (Ps.27:1) "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
We can freely receive God's light through knowing Jesus Christ as our Savior.
I am so grateful for the privilege of knowing Him as my light, and my Savior.
I hope you know Him too!!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Exodus 21-24
The study of ancient law is very interesting. Chapters 21-23 are filled with the law not only concerning people, but also animals and their control. I'm sure many of our animal control laws stem from these very verses. Isn't funny how man does not want to give the holy scriptures any credit for being "pertinent" to today's society; yet law, science, and history can be traced through God's inspired word. The Bible is a wealth of knowledge, understanding and practical values for daily living. We would all be better off if our society turned back to the Bible for help in all those areas of life.
The Law Concerning Servants (21:1-11)
The Law Concerning Violence (21:12-27)
Animal Control Law (21:28-36)
The Ox That Gored (Ex. 21:28-32)
Certain laws found in the Law of Moses concern subject matter that is treated quite similarly in the laws of other ancient Near Eastern cultures. One example, found in this passage,is the law dealing with an ox that gores a human causing personal injury or death. A "goring-ox" law was not unique to Israel; at least four other ancient Near Eastern traditions had legislation on this issue.
**Earliest appearance-(C. 2017-1793 B.C.) from Eshnunna, early Old Babylonia
In these laws there is no stipulation to stone an ox that gored habitually. The owner, rather, was heavily fined, especially if the ox had not been previously dehorned and was not kept confined (21:29). In Israel, owners were also fined (21:30-32) but the ox was stoned.
Other examples of ox-goring legislation show that such laws existed over a long period of time. One letter comes from the Old Babylonian city of Mari on the Sytian side of the Euphrates River. The Mari tablets date from around 1813 to 1760 B.C., and demonstrate that goring-ox laws were actually put into practice in Syro-Mesopotamia during the time of the biblical patriarchs. Another letter from Nuzi in northern Mesopotamia places similar laws a few centuries later (C. 1450-1330 B.C.).
Apparently, Israel shared in a tradition of laws that were common in the ancient near East. Israel and the Old Babylonian cultures shared the principle of negligence and liability in the law concerning goring-oxen. Owners who failed to safeguard against potentially dangerous situations were held responsible (21:29). Sounds a lot like our leash laws of today, doesn't it? The principles of negligence and liability are obviously still prevalent in a large portion of the laws in our current judicial system.
**Also found in the code of Hammurabi (c.1792-1750 B.C.)
Babylon's king Hammurabi is best known for his law code.
The code of Hammurabi (as it is called) contains 282 laws and has numerous parallels with Scripture. Few of the laws, however, were ever cited in existing Old Babylonian court cases. Hammurabi did not create these laws; rather, they appear to be a collection of diverse traditions. The "if...then" format of the Code of Hammurabi ("if" you do this....."then" the consequences are this...) appears frequently in the Covenant Code (Ex. 22:8,16, 17)without the word "then". This format of style of law is often called case law since its format describes particular cases of situations. There was a wide-spread legal tradition in the 2nd millennium B.C. and case law is still in modern societies to govern people.
Responsibility for Property (22:1-15)
Moral and Ceremonial Principles (22:16-31)
Justice For All (23:1-9)
The Law of Sabbaths (23:10-13)
Three Annual Feasts (23:14-19)
The Angel and the Promises (23:20-33)
This angel, it would seem, from the wording, is the Lord himself (23:21) for the Lord is the only one who can pardon our transgressions. These were a set of laws that the people were to follow while in conquests of other people and their land.
This is the continuation of the possession of the covenant promised land.
Israel Affirms the Covenant (24:1-8)
Sacrifices are made, the book of the covenant is read to the people and they promise to obey (24:5-8)
On the Mountain with God (24:9-18)
Moses went up into the cloud to be with God for forty days and forty nights.
I'm so grateful that God gave us laws to live by. I cannot even imagine how our society would be without them. The sad thing is, in our modern society, man is quickly moving away from the laws of God and increasingly relying on his own wisdom to govern.....we all see the results of this. God and prayer have been removed from the school system, the ten commandments are being removed from places where they have been for centuries, and even basic institutions created and ordained by God (marriage and the family) for example are being legislated contrary to God's word. I fear that the blessings of God on our nation are very soon going to be removed from us because of man's pride and resistance to acknowledging Him and his authority over us as a nation.
In the next few chapters we will see the specific instructions given by God to Moses for the construction of the tabernacle and every item that was to be used inside to enable His people to have fellowship with him.
The study of ancient law is very interesting. Chapters 21-23 are filled with the law not only concerning people, but also animals and their control. I'm sure many of our animal control laws stem from these very verses. Isn't funny how man does not want to give the holy scriptures any credit for being "pertinent" to today's society; yet law, science, and history can be traced through God's inspired word. The Bible is a wealth of knowledge, understanding and practical values for daily living. We would all be better off if our society turned back to the Bible for help in all those areas of life.
The Law Concerning Servants (21:1-11)
The Law Concerning Violence (21:12-27)
Animal Control Law (21:28-36)
The Ox That Gored (Ex. 21:28-32)
Certain laws found in the Law of Moses concern subject matter that is treated quite similarly in the laws of other ancient Near Eastern cultures. One example, found in this passage,is the law dealing with an ox that gores a human causing personal injury or death. A "goring-ox" law was not unique to Israel; at least four other ancient Near Eastern traditions had legislation on this issue.
**Earliest appearance-(C. 2017-1793 B.C.) from Eshnunna, early Old Babylonia
In these laws there is no stipulation to stone an ox that gored habitually. The owner, rather, was heavily fined, especially if the ox had not been previously dehorned and was not kept confined (21:29). In Israel, owners were also fined (21:30-32) but the ox was stoned.
Other examples of ox-goring legislation show that such laws existed over a long period of time. One letter comes from the Old Babylonian city of Mari on the Sytian side of the Euphrates River. The Mari tablets date from around 1813 to 1760 B.C., and demonstrate that goring-ox laws were actually put into practice in Syro-Mesopotamia during the time of the biblical patriarchs. Another letter from Nuzi in northern Mesopotamia places similar laws a few centuries later (C. 1450-1330 B.C.).
Apparently, Israel shared in a tradition of laws that were common in the ancient near East. Israel and the Old Babylonian cultures shared the principle of negligence and liability in the law concerning goring-oxen. Owners who failed to safeguard against potentially dangerous situations were held responsible (21:29). Sounds a lot like our leash laws of today, doesn't it? The principles of negligence and liability are obviously still prevalent in a large portion of the laws in our current judicial system.
**Also found in the code of Hammurabi (c.1792-1750 B.C.)
Babylon's king Hammurabi is best known for his law code.
The code of Hammurabi (as it is called) contains 282 laws and has numerous parallels with Scripture. Few of the laws, however, were ever cited in existing Old Babylonian court cases. Hammurabi did not create these laws; rather, they appear to be a collection of diverse traditions. The "if...then" format of the Code of Hammurabi ("if" you do this....."then" the consequences are this...) appears frequently in the Covenant Code (Ex. 22:8,16, 17)without the word "then". This format of style of law is often called case law since its format describes particular cases of situations. There was a wide-spread legal tradition in the 2nd millennium B.C. and case law is still in modern societies to govern people.
Responsibility for Property (22:1-15)
Moral and Ceremonial Principles (22:16-31)
Justice For All (23:1-9)
The Law of Sabbaths (23:10-13)
Three Annual Feasts (23:14-19)
The Angel and the Promises (23:20-33)
This angel, it would seem, from the wording, is the Lord himself (23:21) for the Lord is the only one who can pardon our transgressions. These were a set of laws that the people were to follow while in conquests of other people and their land.
This is the continuation of the possession of the covenant promised land.
Israel Affirms the Covenant (24:1-8)
Sacrifices are made, the book of the covenant is read to the people and they promise to obey (24:5-8)
On the Mountain with God (24:9-18)
Moses went up into the cloud to be with God for forty days and forty nights.
I'm so grateful that God gave us laws to live by. I cannot even imagine how our society would be without them. The sad thing is, in our modern society, man is quickly moving away from the laws of God and increasingly relying on his own wisdom to govern.....we all see the results of this. God and prayer have been removed from the school system, the ten commandments are being removed from places where they have been for centuries, and even basic institutions created and ordained by God (marriage and the family) for example are being legislated contrary to God's word. I fear that the blessings of God on our nation are very soon going to be removed from us because of man's pride and resistance to acknowledging Him and his authority over us as a nation.
In the next few chapters we will see the specific instructions given by God to Moses for the construction of the tabernacle and every item that was to be used inside to enable His people to have fellowship with him.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
This daily blog has proven much more difficult than I had imagined. I failed to realize that there would be days when people, responsibilities, illness, or just no time left at the end of the day (when exhaustion has already set in) would be real hindrances to getting it done.
I feel like I am apologizing a lot.
But; here we go again. I'm so sorry, I have missed several days. I will not offer up excuses...but, I do have a prayer request for you all to remember. We were in Birmingham, Alabama with my husband's parents for a few days and his dad isn't doing very well. God has been gracious to our family and preserved him for several years longer than many of his doctor's expected. But at this point his heart is only functioning at about 20%. Please be in prayer for Don's mom, that God would strengthen her for the tasks at hand and the heartache that could be coming soon. We all know that God's timing is perfect and His will, will be accomplished.
We left off at Exodus chapters 18-20
Jethro's Advice-18:1-27
Jethro was the priest of Midian, and Moses' father-in-law.
Jethro went to meet Moses with his wife Zepora and their two sons.
Moses and Jethro discussed how God had delivered them from Egypt.
Jethro rejoiced because of what God had done. But Jethro, through the wisdom of God, also realized that there was a problem.
Moses had all the people come before him to settle disputes and resolve the issues that came about through daily living. Jethro advised Moses that this was not good. That not only were the people being worn out by standing and listening to all the judgements "from day until night" (Ex.18:14) but also Moses was forced to bear the burden of all the people's problems by himself and would surely be worn out himself (Ex. 18:13-14). So Jethro advised Moses to choose some God fearing men to help (Ex.18:17-23).
Moses handled the hard cases, but the rest of the appointed men handled the smaller matters (Ex.18:24-26).
Sounds like the first court system was established right here.
Israel at the Mountain-19:1-25
The Israelites arrived at Mount Sinai in the 3rd month following their exodus from Egypt (Ex. 19:1). Here they would remain for several months while God's glory rested on the mountain. They completed work on the tabernacle in the 1st month of the 2nd year after leaving Egypt (Ex. 12:2,3). That's pretty amazing considering the intricate detail with which they were commanded by God to construct the tabernacle. If you've never done a study on the tabernacle, you should. Beth Moore has a wonderful (10 week) Bible study on the tabernacle
which is really great.
The Ten Commandments-20:1-17
In chapter 19, God spoke to Moses and warned him that the people should not come near the mountain, even the priest were in danger of death unless they were consecrated and ceremonially clean. God covered the mountain with a cloud so that His glory could not be seen, this allowed Moses and Aaron to go near enough to hear God speak to them.
The People Afraid of God's Presence-20:18-21
The people heard the loud trumpet of warning, the thundering and the lightening and feared God. God used these things to cause the people to remember that He wanted them to be holy. Doesn't He always know what it will take to persuade us to become more like him? I know in my case sometimes I have to learn the hard way. But, other times, when I think of how powerful God is, the fear created by that knowledge causes me to think twice before sinning. I'm "Scared straight" I guess you could say.
As part of my Bible study this week I was learning about the priesthood. In Hebrews chapter 7, we are reminded that we have "a high priest that has been touched by our infirmities and was tempted as we are, but without sin" this is the power that makes it possible for his perfect sacrifice to cleanse us from sin and cause us to be adopted into the family of God. What a wonderful thought.
The priests were responsible for honoring the old covenant that God had given through Abraham, which was obviously external. But the new covenant which was given through Jesus Christ and His finished work on Calvary is given as an internal (mind & heart changing) covenant. God allows us to internalize the new covenant through his perfect promises to us, whereas, the old covenant was dependant on the word of man and ceremony. Aaron and his sons could fulfill their duty to the letter of the law. They could work their hands to the bone and never miss a sacrifice, but they could not truly meet the people's need. They were powerless to make unrighteous persons righteous. How could they, they could not even make himself righteous. But (Hebrews 8:1) says, "We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in Heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man."
Jesus Christ is the only high priest with the power to cleanse us from our sin.
The Law of the Altar-20:22-26
I want to leave you with a final wonderful thought.
Christ had to be made flesh before he could completely fulfill His role as Great High Priest. Do you realize what it means to us that Christ was willing to become a man and be tempted as we are tempted?
Based on the Scriptures (Hebrews 2:17-18; 4:15) look at the impact this one element of His priesthood has on you.
1.God became flesh so that He could dwell among us.
2.Jesus faced every temptation known to humanity so He could identify with us.
3.God the Father provided a door of escape for every temptation.
4.Only Christ was in a position to unlock the door of escape by facing every temptation as a man without sin.
5.Christ not only unlocked the door of escape from every temptation but also became the Door: "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved" (John 10:9).
6.Any who have walked through the door of salvation from the sin of unbelief are also invited to walk through the door of salvation from daily temptation.
7.Because Christ has faced our every temptation without sin, we never face a temptation that has no door of escape.
8.Any door Christ has opened cannot be closed: "I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut" (Rev. 3:8).
9.Although the door is open for our victory over sin and God's blessing flows only from our willingness to walk through it, a provision is already in place for the sin of failing to choose it. The consequences of our lack of obedience are left to help train us to walk through the door next time.
10.He who walked through the door of escape, thus becoming our means of escape as well, leads us through every door of escape and prays for us (as intercessor to the Father) as we follow Him.
My friend, every provision has been made for us to be victorious over temptation! This will not be the one day, or the one moment, or the one circumstance from which there is no way out. Every door of escape has been unlocked. Christ himself made absolutely sure of it by unlocking it personally.
Our High Priest, touched by our infirmities, and tempted, yet without sin, stands with arms open wide. Run into His arms the next time you are tempted and He will provide you a door already unlocked, to allow your escape.
God Bless...
I feel like I am apologizing a lot.
But; here we go again. I'm so sorry, I have missed several days. I will not offer up excuses...but, I do have a prayer request for you all to remember. We were in Birmingham, Alabama with my husband's parents for a few days and his dad isn't doing very well. God has been gracious to our family and preserved him for several years longer than many of his doctor's expected. But at this point his heart is only functioning at about 20%. Please be in prayer for Don's mom, that God would strengthen her for the tasks at hand and the heartache that could be coming soon. We all know that God's timing is perfect and His will, will be accomplished.
We left off at Exodus chapters 18-20
Jethro's Advice-18:1-27
Jethro was the priest of Midian, and Moses' father-in-law.
Jethro went to meet Moses with his wife Zepora and their two sons.
Moses and Jethro discussed how God had delivered them from Egypt.
Jethro rejoiced because of what God had done. But Jethro, through the wisdom of God, also realized that there was a problem.
Moses had all the people come before him to settle disputes and resolve the issues that came about through daily living. Jethro advised Moses that this was not good. That not only were the people being worn out by standing and listening to all the judgements "from day until night" (Ex.18:14) but also Moses was forced to bear the burden of all the people's problems by himself and would surely be worn out himself (Ex. 18:13-14). So Jethro advised Moses to choose some God fearing men to help (Ex.18:17-23).
Moses handled the hard cases, but the rest of the appointed men handled the smaller matters (Ex.18:24-26).
Sounds like the first court system was established right here.
Israel at the Mountain-19:1-25
The Israelites arrived at Mount Sinai in the 3rd month following their exodus from Egypt (Ex. 19:1). Here they would remain for several months while God's glory rested on the mountain. They completed work on the tabernacle in the 1st month of the 2nd year after leaving Egypt (Ex. 12:2,3). That's pretty amazing considering the intricate detail with which they were commanded by God to construct the tabernacle. If you've never done a study on the tabernacle, you should. Beth Moore has a wonderful (10 week) Bible study on the tabernacle
which is really great.
The Ten Commandments-20:1-17
In chapter 19, God spoke to Moses and warned him that the people should not come near the mountain, even the priest were in danger of death unless they were consecrated and ceremonially clean. God covered the mountain with a cloud so that His glory could not be seen, this allowed Moses and Aaron to go near enough to hear God speak to them.
The People Afraid of God's Presence-20:18-21
The people heard the loud trumpet of warning, the thundering and the lightening and feared God. God used these things to cause the people to remember that He wanted them to be holy. Doesn't He always know what it will take to persuade us to become more like him? I know in my case sometimes I have to learn the hard way. But, other times, when I think of how powerful God is, the fear created by that knowledge causes me to think twice before sinning. I'm "Scared straight" I guess you could say.
As part of my Bible study this week I was learning about the priesthood. In Hebrews chapter 7, we are reminded that we have "a high priest that has been touched by our infirmities and was tempted as we are, but without sin" this is the power that makes it possible for his perfect sacrifice to cleanse us from sin and cause us to be adopted into the family of God. What a wonderful thought.
The priests were responsible for honoring the old covenant that God had given through Abraham, which was obviously external. But the new covenant which was given through Jesus Christ and His finished work on Calvary is given as an internal (mind & heart changing) covenant. God allows us to internalize the new covenant through his perfect promises to us, whereas, the old covenant was dependant on the word of man and ceremony. Aaron and his sons could fulfill their duty to the letter of the law. They could work their hands to the bone and never miss a sacrifice, but they could not truly meet the people's need. They were powerless to make unrighteous persons righteous. How could they, they could not even make himself righteous. But (Hebrews 8:1) says, "We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in Heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man."
Jesus Christ is the only high priest with the power to cleanse us from our sin.
The Law of the Altar-20:22-26
I want to leave you with a final wonderful thought.
Christ had to be made flesh before he could completely fulfill His role as Great High Priest. Do you realize what it means to us that Christ was willing to become a man and be tempted as we are tempted?
Based on the Scriptures (Hebrews 2:17-18; 4:15) look at the impact this one element of His priesthood has on you.
1.God became flesh so that He could dwell among us.
2.Jesus faced every temptation known to humanity so He could identify with us.
3.God the Father provided a door of escape for every temptation.
4.Only Christ was in a position to unlock the door of escape by facing every temptation as a man without sin.
5.Christ not only unlocked the door of escape from every temptation but also became the Door: "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved" (John 10:9).
6.Any who have walked through the door of salvation from the sin of unbelief are also invited to walk through the door of salvation from daily temptation.
7.Because Christ has faced our every temptation without sin, we never face a temptation that has no door of escape.
8.Any door Christ has opened cannot be closed: "I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut" (Rev. 3:8).
9.Although the door is open for our victory over sin and God's blessing flows only from our willingness to walk through it, a provision is already in place for the sin of failing to choose it. The consequences of our lack of obedience are left to help train us to walk through the door next time.
10.He who walked through the door of escape, thus becoming our means of escape as well, leads us through every door of escape and prays for us (as intercessor to the Father) as we follow Him.
My friend, every provision has been made for us to be victorious over temptation! This will not be the one day, or the one moment, or the one circumstance from which there is no way out. Every door of escape has been unlocked. Christ himself made absolutely sure of it by unlocking it personally.
Our High Priest, touched by our infirmities, and tempted, yet without sin, stands with arms open wide. Run into His arms the next time you are tempted and He will provide you a door already unlocked, to allow your escape.
God Bless...
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