Tag: God

Gaze

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 three)

“Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God.”

Someone once said about a famously charismatic politician: “He always made you feel as if he were lucky to be with you.”  Contrast that with a situation in which you attempt to talk in a public space with someone who repeatedly looks past you to other people in the room. Nothing says “You don’t matter” quite like a distracted gaze.  The Israelites—whose display of gratitude for God’s presence was genuine, and not merely political charisma—told the Lord by their intents and their actions that they needed to live with him.  They gave themselves wholly to the creation of sacred space to make such a life possible for themselves.  Are you looking past God, or creating sacred space with him?

Your Temple

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 two) 

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? 1 Corinthians 6:19

Such detail. From the dimensions to the colors and fabrics there is an excruciating amount of detail contained in these passages. All of these elements that were designed to honor the Lord must have been exquisite. Nothing was left to chance, and only the best would do to honor the Lord.

We no longer have a tabernacle or arc, but we have the Holy Spirit which has decided to take up residence in us. So how does all those details from Exodus apply to this “new” tabernacle? Everything matters! Our speech, our thoughts, and actions all reflect our character which should show the character of Christ. Our lives should honor the Lord in every aspect. If the Lord took such care with a physical structure, how much more will he care for an eternal being? For we are created to follow the Lord through eternity. Let us maintain beautiful temples for him while we are here.

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.

Trust and Obey

Re: Verse reading–Exodus 24 (day five) 

3 Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the Lord has spoken we will do!”

7 Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!”

As the Israelites enter into covenant relationship with God in Exodus, their response is a sincere and bold confession of understanding, trust, and dedication.

The new covenant through Christ requires similar understanding, trust, and dedication.  9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Rewind to the confession made in Exodus 20.  Are we just as determined to trust and obey?

God’s Glory

Re: Verse reading–Exodus 24 (day four)  God is initiating a covenant with Israel.  It is a covenant based on all of the words of the Law that He delivered to Moses.  Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy elders of Israel saw the God of Israel.  What an awesome sight!  Yet, He did not stretch out His hand against them.  When Isaiah received his commission (Isaiah 6), he too saw the Lord.  He was afraid for his life.  It pleased God to give these leaders a glimpse of His glory to inspire them to lead.  What will it take for us to lead?  We have the written Word of God…thousands of years of His working to redeem mankind.  We have the Gospel message…Jesus died for our sins and rose from the grave…paying the full price for our sin.  When we obey the Gospel, we have the Holy Spirit, living within us to give us understanding and power.  We may not have seen the Lord physically, but we have seen His hand at work.  Are we going to lead?

Climb

Re: Verse reading–Exodus 24 (day three)

“But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.”  In order to see God, the Israelite elders had to come with Moses some distance up the mountain.  We make much of God’s coming to us, and we are right to do so.  Indeed he did come to us—but he did not pander to us.  Indeed he did come to us—but he did not give us the answers we demand.  There is some distance we must climb to him, but not because God is grudging in his self-revelation.  When you really want to find something, you will not wait for it to appear in your hand; you will seek it earnestly.  Anything else is just lip service.  God knows it, and you know it.

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?

Messy

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

Exodus 21-23
We would have no need for the Law if there was no sin. The law is detailed and cumbersome. There is no part of the human existence that they do not touch. This reality teaches us a lot about ourselves and the affects of our own brokenness. Our sin has made life messy; it entangles us in every possible way, enslaving us only to perpetuate deceit and murder. The intent of the Law was not only to help us see ourselves for who we are, but also to make provisions for our sinful messes; providing a civil means to untangle that which we have entangled.

The irony is that we often believe that our rebellion against God is an expression of freedom. The reality couldn’t be further from the truth; the further we run from God the more enslaved we become. We have the messes to prove it. Lives are destroyed and relationships shattered all because the sin in us and all around us. We can look often at the Law and think “how cumbersome!” I imagine the response of God is “Well, look at the mess you’ve made.”

True freedom is when we have no need for the Law-and glory to God that day is coming thanks to Jesus who fulfilled the Law!

Consequences

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

There are consequences for every action…prices to pay for offending the law.  God’s word is law.  There is a price to pay for disobeying His word.  In the garden, Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command.  Sin entered the world and mankind is born under that sin.  Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  And Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death…”  Death is the consequence for sin.  When Christ died on the cross, He paid the price for our sin.  When He rose from the grave, He had victory over sin.  Our consequences were not just cancelled, they were paid in full.  We often hear of a victim of a crime forgiving the criminal, but there are still consequences, even though they are forgiven.  Jesus didn’t just forgive, He paid the price, He suffered the consequences in our place.  We can stand before God justified, only through Jesus Christ.

Extras

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

“These are the laws you are to set before them.”  In a movie, the people who fill the background are called “extras”.  No movie critic ever rates the performance of the extras; you don’t know their names; no one in the theater cares about them.  In real life, though, each person matters to God.  Therefore, consider the way you approach people at a lower station in life than you are, the way you use your authority over others, the way you live with foreigners.  In each of these realms of life, you are responsible to honor the sacredness of the person with whom you come into contact.  Each of the persons we encounter everyday is one whom God has determined should receive kindness, fairness, and love–from you.