Author: Don Guthrie

Don Guthrie is the Senior Pastor at FBCSA.

God with us

Re: Verse reading–Exodus 39:32, 42-43; 40:1-2, 16-17, 32-38 (day one)

“So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.”–40:38.

At the end of the day, it is our only advantage, the only thing that distinguishes Christians from other people.  The Lord is with us!  Not because we are good.  The golden calf settled that.  Not because we are strong.  Years of slavery gave them (us) nothing to offer.  Rather, because He called us to Himself in covenant, because He has given us His name.  Not fail safe!  Not something that anyone should take for granted!  Years later God would remove His glorious presence from the temple and nation.  Even now, there are “Christians” who by grieving and quenching the Holy Spirit, live without any evidence of His nearness.  Protection. . . Identity. . . Guidance. . . All these are ours when God is with us.

Gifted

Re: Verse reading–Exodus 35:4-10; 20-35; 36:2-7 (day seven)

“Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord had given ability.”–36:2.

The biblical idea of spiritual gifts is larger than we sometimes think.  Most of us are familiar with “tests” that can be taken to identify our “gifts”. But these instruments often use a very narrow list of possible giftings.  Bezalel and Oholiab were probably excluded. The SPIRIT had given them artistic skill.  See 35:30.  Metal, stone and wood.  They were craftsmen.  They were also, by the same SPIRIT, gifted to teach others.  See 35:34.  Reminds me of the FBCSA Imago Academy.  SPIRITUALLY gifted artists, training the next generation to serve God through music, voice and art.  Are you gifted?  Don’t be surprised if the Lord “summons” you to develop and use your gift in Kingdom service.  As true with money and freedom (Happy Memorial Day, everyone) as it is with talent, “To whom much is given, much is required.”

A generous gospel

Re: Verse reading–Exodus 35:4-10; 20-35; 36:2-7 (day one)

“The people are bringing MORE THAN ENOUGH for doing the work the Lord has commanded. . .and so they were restrained from bringing more.”–36:5-6.  Followers of Christ are often marked by extravagance,  a reckless generosity that answers need with enthusiasm and call with over-the-top willingness.  Real faith is not stingy.  Our gospel is generous.  Many examples of it in Scripture.  Mary in John 12.  She POURS perfume on Christ and is criticized for being extravagant.  By everyone but Christ.  He knew.  True love doesn’t pinch pennies.  Another example is the people of Israel in the collection for the tabernacle.  They overgive!  (is that a word?  If it isn’t, it should be).  They respond with such generosity that they have to be restrained.  Hmmmm. . . too many teachers for Bible study, too many dollars for the projects we feel led to accomplish,  too many ideas/ volunteers for reaching people.  True mark of faith, ours is a generous gospel.

Effectual and fervent prayer

Re: Verse reading–Exodus 32:1-19, 30-33; 33:12-17; 34:1-7 (day seven)

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”–James 5:16 (KJV).  It is a burden.  No way round this truth.  Real prayer is eventually a relief and a blessing, but before that it is hard and holy work!  It is also an expression of love.  When we love people, we pray for them.  Not in an easy, casual, convenient sort of way.  With passion and perseverance.  Like Moses in Exodus 32.  Having received just a hint of hope from God, “let me alone so that my anger may burn against them”–32:10,  Moses discerns an opportunity to intercede.  Not for himself.  Not even for them, I think, but in pursuit of the higher purpose of God.  Reminds me of Jesus in Gethsemane.  Reminds me also of God’s unchanging invitation.  “Call unto Me and I will show you great and mighty things that you do not know.”–Jeremiah 33:3.  The highest purposes of God come only when we pray.

Epic fail

Re: Verse reading–Exodus 32:1-19, 30-33; 33:12-17; 34:1-7 (day one)

“He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf.”–v 32:4.   It was an epic fail!  How could it happen?  Just weeks before (in Exodus 24) these same people had promised full obedience to the Lord and His commandments.  “No other gods. . .no images.”  With sincere hearts (we assume) they entered into a covenant of obedience with God.  How, then (by chapter 32), could they stumble so badly, so publically, as to make a golden calf and represent it as Jehovah God?  Those of us who have made promises to God know the answer.  So long as we count on ourselves and our own resources to do God’s will, we fail every time. “The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” said Jesus to Peter.  “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it” we sing in confession of this truth.  We need God in order to obey God.

God’s house

Re: Verse reading–Exodus 25:1-11, 17-18, 23-24, 31-32; 26:1-2, 7-8; 27:1-2; 29:43-46 (day seven)

“And let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell with them.” (v 8)

Does God have an address?  A place where we can always find Him?  At some level, the answer is, “no”.  In 2 Chronicles 6:18, Solomon prays, “Will God indeed dwell with mankind on the earth?  Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain Thee; how much less this house which I have built?”  At another level, however, God does dwell, stay, (can always be found) in the places He has promised to do so.  He dwelt in the tabernacle.  He met with Israel there.  Christ, in similar fashion, promised to meet us in the gathered fellowship of His family.  “Where two or three are gathered together in My Name, I will be in the midst.”  (Matthew 28:20)  God’s house, God’s address is His people when we gather in cooperation with His purposes.  He lives there.  It is where we will find Him.

God with us

Re: Verse reading–Exodus 25:1-11, 17-18, 23-24, 31-32; 26:1-2, 7-8; 27:1-2; 29:43-46 (day one) 

After the Passover, after the Red Sea Crossing, after the 10 Commandments, after the Covenant was ratified, God commanded Moses to build a sanctuary.  Hebrew=miqdash, “holy or sacred place”.  The sanctuary (Tabernacle) was to stand in the center of the camp signifying worship as the center of this new society.  The sanctuary was to be made exactly after the pattern God gave Moses–v 25:9.  It was for the purpose of worship and God promised to meet the people in this holy place.  “And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them.”–v 29:46.  What a lofty, beautiful vision of human life!  God with us!  Immanuel.  May the symbol of the sanctuary drive our hearts to hunger for this promised unbroken fellowship with the Living God.  May we dream of the safety and profit and joy that comes when He is near.

Come up to the Lord

Re: Verse reading–Exodus 24 (day seven) 

“Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and the seventy elders of Israel.”–v 1.

The Bible speaks of “the upward call of God in Jesus Christ”.  Believers are told, in Colossians, “the keep seeking the things above, where Christ is”.  So, what does it mean when God invites us to “come up”?  It means the great mistake in life is to never let it be great.  We stay stuck, either by distraction or anxiety, in insignificant things that will not matter in 2 months, much less 20 years. It means being too busy to pray, too absorbed with self to reflect on God, too lazy to study and let Holy words call us higher.  Eventually, all of us either attempt to pull God into our affairs, or we hear God’s call to “come up” and get involved in His affairs.  It is grace that invites us.  It is faith that answers His command.

Friendship Restored

Re: Verse reading–Exodus 24 (day one)

“Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders went up and saw the God of Israel. . .and they ate and drank.”–v 9, 11.  It was a friendship restored.  Life as God intended.  Committing themselves to the covenant demands (v 3), and having been sprinkled with the blood of an innocent sacrifice, (v 8), the children of Israel entered into a new relationship with God and all of its privileges.  Through their representatives, they heard testimony of the beauty of Heaven.  They heard the report of feeling welcomed, safe and provided for.  Once again, men ate and drank in the very presence of God without fear or shame.  Leaders were invited into the presence of the Most High to hear “great and mighty things”.  The dream, however,  would soon be shattered. By Exodus 32, a golden calf has been made and worshipped. Bitter consequences came.  What do you think?  In Christ, can our friendship and privileges be restored?

Eye for an eye

Re: Verse reading–Exodus 21:1-2, 7-17, 22-27; 22:21-31; 23:1-12 (day seven)

“If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman. . .[and] there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.”–v 21:22, 24.

It sounds vengeful to a society  that has grown soft on consequences, like permission to “get even”.  And probably it has been misused in the past.  Originally, however, it was an expression of accountability and consequence.  Men who fought and injured the innocent by doing so (even if unintentionally) were to be held accountable.  The response was to be measured.  Eye for eye.  Tooth for tooth.  No escalation, but no confusion or avoidance of consequence either.  Jesus will later prohibit us from using this law in personal revenge.  See Matthew 5:38.  I do not think Jesus was removing the principle from courts of law.  Wouldn’t we all make better decisions if we knew that this law (or something like it) would be impartially applied to our choices and actions?