Nothing is wasted

As I was looking at my Bible reading journal this morning and noticing how few pages are left to be written on, I realized that I have been very negligent to record my thoughts here on my blog when it comes to my Bible reading.  In January I started over once again on reading through the Bible for the "umpteenth" time, and have felt amazed at how much I am still learning after all these years!  The Bible truly is a living book.  No matter how many times I read through it, I keep learning new things, noticing new lessons to be learned from the examples of people and events in Scripture.

This was true as I read through Exodus and Leviticus in recent weeks.  For example:

Exodus 28:12, 18, 36, 38 … the ephod … for remembrance … the breastpiece of judgment … the robe.  And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers … the turban … that they may be accepted before the Lord.

I had never noticed the specific meanings of the pieces of the high priest’s garments before.  The ephod on his shoulders had stones engraved with the names of the tribes and the passage says that was for remembrance.  It reminded the high priest (helped him remember) that he was Israel's representative before God.  The breastpiece, according to v. 28, was the breastpiece of judgment, reminding him again that he represented the entire nation.  Then there was the robe the high priest wore.  Whenever he ministered in the Holy Place he was to wear it.  It represented his responsibility before God.  He wore a turban also when ministering.  It was the sign of the acceptance of the people by God.  Nothing of these items was accidental or incidental – every piece had meaning to enhance the act of worship.  What a great example for us to follow in our worship.  Don’t waste any act of worship.  Let it all be meaningful and meaning-filled.

Letting go

Exodus 35:22 So they came, both men and women.  All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and rings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the Lord.

In chapter 33 we read of the children of Israel taking off their gold ornaments to show their humility and submission to God, a big step for them, and it is very revealing to read here of a main result of their doing so.  Recognizing the “unimportance” of those ornaments brought them to the place of being able to let go of them.  As a result of that rather momentous step, when the opportunity came, they were able to give away some of those ornaments, freely and generously I might add, towards the work of the Lord.  Their generosity made the building of the tabernacle possible.  And what a change that was for those people!  This is a great example of how God can work in our lives a we let go of the hold our “ornaments” have over us.

Take off your ornaments

Exodus 33:5b So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.

This was the message God gave Moses for the children of Israel.  As I was thinking about what this meant to them, I began to see a message for me in this as well.  So what ornaments was God referring to?  It probably referred to the gold and silver the Egyptians gave to the people as they were leaving Egypt.  It sounds like the people had taken to wearing a lot of that jewelry themselves.  It represented freedom from slavery and most likely new-found wealth also.  In that day, both men and women were jewelry for appearance as well.  To take it all off meant visually talking away pride in your appearance but also taking away things that kept you tied to Egypt in a sense.  God was telling them to take away all they thought or saw as important so He could work with them in mercy and grace rather than in anger or punishment.  In that I see a powerful reminder that whatever “ornaments” I have that make me feel valuable or useful or that keep me tied to my earthly life need to take second place – to be taken off – in order for God to be able to work in me.

Skilled

Exodus 39:3c, 5a, 8a … skilled design … skillfully woven …. in skilled work …

One of the themes I have seen all through the book of Exodus in the story of the building of the tabernacle is the word “skill.”  Early on God commanded Moses to appoint men of skill for the work and He filled them with a spirit of skill (28:3).  This point is made again in chapter 31 when specific people are mentioned as particularly and specifically anointed with skill for the tasks involved.  Now here, as items are completed, even as detailed as items of clothing, the work is described as ”skilled.”  It all reminds me of two important points: 1) God deserves and expects my best, my most skilled work in any service or action I render in His name, and 2) any skill I have and use for Him and His glory has been given to me by Him.  He will bless it.

What if ...

Exodus 3:4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush.

One has to wonder what would have happened if Moses had not turned aside to see that burning bush.  Perhaps he would have spent the rest of his life being a shepherd, never having any more ambition that guiding and protecting the sheep.  Never being independent from his father-in-law/s wishes, never seeing more of the world than the deserts of Midian.  He would probably have never seen his family again, never done anything significant.  But Moses did turn aside to see the bush.  God did use that act to call Moses away from the behind-the-scenes lifestyle.  God was able to use Moses for a great purpose that might never have happened if Moses had not turned aside from his usual routine and heard a special message from God.

Representing God

Exodus 39:43 Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded.  So Moses blessed them.

As God’s representative, Moses had given the instructions on every detail for the tabernacle.  Then, again as God’s representative, he chose the men who would be in charge of the building and preparation of it all.  As His representative, Moses oversaw the work, and as God’s representative he then inspected the finished product.  In the final step, Moses once again served as God’s representative and recognized the good work the builders had done by blessing them.  Back in the beginning of the book of Exodus we read of God’s call to Moses to be His representative to the Israelites and the Egyptians.  When Moses hesitated, God chose his brother Aaron to be his spokesman, telling Moses “[Aaron] will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him.” (Ex. 4:16).  In other words, Moses was God’s representative to Aaron as well.  Everything revolved around Moses being God’s representative to the Egyptians and to the Israelites.  God planned to speak through Moses in every situation.  This got me to thinking about God's call to me. In a sense, I am like Moses … I am God's representative to people with whom I come in contact.  When I bless a person who has done a good job or performed an act well, I am in a sense representing God to that person.  Pretty awesome thought!  Makes me more eager to bless more people.  Look out, waiters and waitresses, store clerks and stock people, mail carriers and garbage collectors, lawn and garden keepers, auto mechanics!  More blessings coming your way!

My morning after morning offering to God

Can you tell I've been reading the book of Exodus lately??? 🕮

Exodus 36:3b And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning.

I see several important words in this verse, key words that can give special direction to my life:

   1.  “continued” … The offerings people brought were requested only one time by Moses and the tabernacle construction/decoration engineers.  Requested one time, but received more often.  The people obviously had caught a vision for what they were supporting.

   2.  “freewill” … The people were not forced into bringing the offerings.  They recognized how much their small portion contributed to the whole need.  Evidently, how much each person brought is not important enough to have been mentioned.

   3.  “morning after morning” … Although there is no indication that the same people came every day, nevertheless every day an offering showed up!  

 As long as I have something to offer God, why not make it continuing, freely given, morning after morning?  The blessing will be mine if I give God whatever I have to offer.  As I grow older, I am realizing more and more just how much better my life is when I am regularly, continuously, freely giving myself and all I can do to God, no matter how simple or small I may consider that offering to be.

That Necessary Divine Presence

Exodus 33:13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you.

Moses had a big responsibility to lead the children of Israel and he felt the weight of that responsibility very keenly.  He recognized that unless God helped him, he would not be able to do it successfully or effectively.  In the verse before this, we see that Moses knew of God’s promise to him to help him, but he still felt the need to voice his own desire to know God’s ways and to know God better.  I can certainly understand that need.  The older I get the more keenly I feel the need to express that desire to God, to remind Him that He knows my heart and my goal to honor Him with my life.  I want to request His divine assistance in accomplishing that goal.  God’s response in verse 14 is my own encouragement as it was Moses’:   “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  Moses would have all the help he needed for whatever he had to do … and he would have rest [from turmoil and/or confusion] in the process!

Spirit of God and ... crafts?

 

Exodus 31:3-5 I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills … to engage in all kinds of crafts.

This is what God told Moses about Bezalel who God had chosen to work on the furnishings for the tabernacle.  I find it interesting, enlightening, and exciting to see Bezalel’s skills with his hands coupled as equal to his spiritual condition.  His ability to do his crafts – his skills – was as important to God as his being filled with God’s Spirit.  In fact, his being chosen for his skills seems to be vitally linked to his spiritual qualifications.  This spoke to me when I read it now that I am able to spend more time on my hobbies in my retirement years.  But those hobbies, and any other skills I may have, are not just for my own enjoyment, if I am anything like Bezalel.  I cannot imagine that Bezalel did not truly enjoy what he did as a craftsman.  I need not be afraid to enjoy my hobbies while at the same time letting God use them along with my spiritual “skills.”  At first I felt hesitant to say that my scrap books and cards could be/would be used by God, but as I have stepped out to allow that to happen, I have seen how they can be used to bring encouragement to others, and that is most rewarding!

That being said, I think I'll go make another Valentine card!

Consecrated BY God's glory, not FOR it?

When reading in the book of Exodus this morning, I was struck by one little word ... "by."

Exodus 29:42b-43 There I will meet you and speak to you; there also I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory.

Although this verse is talking about the location of the burnt offering at the entrance to the tabernacle, it reminds me that when I meet with God (as the burnt offering represented) regularly, its promise for me is the same as for the Israelites.  When I go to God, He will meet me and speak to me.  My “place” – where I am – will be consecrated for God’s glory.  This also reminds me of the important place my own church (Lexington Baptist Church) holds in my life.  It is the place where I and my fellow “Israelites” meet God and it is consecrated by His Glory.  I noticed that the place was not consecrated FOR His glory … it was consecrated BY His glory!  In other words, there is nothing I or anyone else in that church can do that can make it special.  If God is present, it will be consecrated.  It is a special place for me because it is the “place” God has given me, and it is consecrated by His glory.   He is present there and that is what has made it special, and why God meets me there so often.  I cannot allow myself to become lax in my presence there.