Let us build, let us build, let us build for Him! After days and days of instruction from God to Moses, it is finally time for action. Isn’t it awesome to think about all the preparation that went into this one task? That is how it is in our lives, too. We can’t always see it, but God is actively preparing us for something wonderful. He will provide the vision, the material, and the resources necessary to accomplish that which He desires to do.
Exodus 35: A Restful and Willing Heart
In Exodus chapter 34, the Sabbath was mentioned, and in chapter 35, it is again re-emphasized. Anytime we hear or read something repeatedly, it should give us pause. As Margaret Feinberg puts it in her book The Sacred Echo, "When God really wants to get your attention, he doesn’t just say something once, he echoes. He speaks through a Sunday sermon, a chance conversation with a friend the next day, and even a random email. The same theme, idea, impression, or lesson will repeat itself in surprising and unexpected ways until you realize that maybe, just maybe, God is at work." Let's study Exodus 35 together today and listen for His echos.
Exodus 34: Renewed Covenant
How blessed we are to have Jesus Christ, Who fulfills the covenant put in place during this Old Testament time. As New Testament believers, we don’t live by an if/then statement like this: If we follow His word and never sin, then He will love us. Romans 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” What Jesus asks of us is that we believe in Him, and then rest in His accomplished work.
Exodus 33: Exiting the Chaos
Exodus 32: Shiny Things
There are lots of things we can “worship” in this world, even without realizing it. Make a list of the things you do with your time, with your money, and with your thoughts. You're digesting those things into your life. The idols in our lives go down to the inmost parts (Proverbs 18:8) and they don’t just stay compartmentalized. They travel throughout our spiritual bloodstream.
Exodus 31: Rest, Oh My Soul
There were many preparations and details to follow in constructing the tabernacle, and God knew that the Sabbath must be kept or the work would become a distraction instead of an outlet of His glory. What distracts you from spending time with Him? These distractions may not be inherently sinful – but they can be unnecessary or imbalanced. Make a conscious and intentional decision to choose what is better.
Exodus 30: Clutter
So far in Exodus, we’ve learned about five of the seven pieces of furniture associated with the tabernacle: the ark and mercy seat, the table, the lampstand, and the altar. Everything has a divine connection and meaning – it all points to Christ. It makes me stop and think about the “furniture” which takes up residence in my temple (heart). What story does my thoughts, actions, family, career, bank account, free-time, and so forth tell? Lord, show us what creates clutter.
Exodus 29: Set Apart
Exodus 28: Fashion Fads
Exodus 27: Unclean Lips
God knew that corporate worship was necessary for the life of the believer. In Hebrews 10:25 we’re told not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. Like mentioned in Exodus 26 , how can we bear one another’s burdens if we are not fastened together? Christ did not die for us to stand separately, but sacrificed Himself so we could be tied to Him and to the other believers. God desires a unified body – a tabernacle – for Him to dwell in.
Exodus 26: Diverse, Yet Unified
The Tabernacle was to be a single unit. It had diverse structures and parts, but cohesively came together into one. Division and hatred have been in the current events spotlight recently, and I'm not going to recount those headlines or draw attention to them. Regardless of what is happening in these final days, as believers, we know where to fix, fasten, and focus our eyes: the unified Trinity.
I Lay It Down
This past Tuesday morning, I woke up feeling extra tired. On top of this, I was also in an unusual state of anxiousness. First, let me be clear in that stress is not my zone. I can do pressure ALL. DAY. LONG. But, stress is like a dark, graffiti-ridden neighborhood of my mind in which you don't want to live. I could tell I was stressed because I had "work dreams." You know, the kind where you dream about real life in your head and you feel like you put in an extra six hours of labor when you wake up…
Exodus 25: Be a Light, Not a Basket Case
God doesn’t want us to “basket-ize” our life. He wants us to let His light shine freely to those around us. Maybe it’s the basket of busyness, or the career basket, or the baby basket. Regardless, it doesn’t need to be covering up His light. Get your oil from the Holy Spirit, through communing at the table with Christ, and praise Him who sits on the throne of mercy and grace!
Hemmed In
Exodus 24: Awe Struck
The theme of chapters 1-18 in Exodus is how the Lord delivered His people from Egypt (bondage). In chapters 19-24 – what we are currently studying – the Israelites are at Mount Sinai so the Lord can adopt them as His children. He’s allowed them to experience Him and be taught by Him through Moses’ words.
We’re over half-way there! Persevere in your study as there are so many parallels between the Old Testament law and our freedom in Christ Jesus now.
This Old World
Exodus 23: Little by Little
Rest assured: little by little, God will continue His sanctifying work in our life through His Word. We know this because Jesus prayed it Himself in John 17:17, which says, “Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is truth.” Be in His truth, day by day, and allow Him to drive out the sin of your life through that truth.
Exodus 22: A Holy Nation
God desires our best because He gave His best: Jesus. This a rich truth for us to anchor in our life, especially as we begin each morning. I understand not everyone is a morning person, but we see Christ’s example throughout the gospels of how He rose very early in the morning (Mark 1:35) to pray. Jesus knew that feeding our spiritual man first, would bring about a godly harvest for the day.
The Parades of Life
Exodus 21: The Mark of Servitude
In Exodus 20, we learned about the Ten Commandments. Aren’t you thankful that you live in the New Testament and have the privilege to know God’s grace through Christ Jesus? Hebrews 10:1 tells us that the law was a shadow of the good things to come. God knew giving a law to the people wouldn’t bring about true righteousness; but, it was another step toward the revealing of His Son.