I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Exodus 39-40.

    Today’s passage continues describing the preparation of the Tabernacle. In particular, it describes how the craftsmen prepared the clothing to be worn by the priests. It is interesting that I find I can read this and imagine how it would look, while I found my eyes glazing over when I tried to do the same with the description of the making of the Tabernacle itself. The passage goes on to describe Moses setting up the Tabernacle. I think this gives us a good example of the limits of reading the Bible literally. It says that Moses set up the Tabernacle. A literal reading of it would imply that Moses did all of the work of setting up the Tabernacle by himself. However, going back and reading the description of the making of the Tabernacle reveals that to be unlikely. The place where this is most obvious is where it states that Moses brought the Ark of the Covenant into the Tabernacle. Go back and read the description of making the Ark. It would have been too heavy for a single man to move, and it would have been too awkwardly shaped for a single person to move. The important point to remember here is that no one is called to do it all by themselves.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Exodus 36-38.

    As I read the description of the work which Bezalel, and his assistants, did to build the Tabernacle and its furnishings it strikes me that they were skilled in many areas. There were those who could sew, those who were woodworkers and metalworkers. I know that I fail to give this passage the full appreciation it deserves. As I read it my eyes begin to glaze over at the detail given. This is not because the detail serves no purpose. Rather it happens because only a few verses in I realize that I so lack the skill to replicate this work that I cannot even visualize the Tabernacle in its true glory. I would love to see someone build a replica of the Tabernacle as described here, but I know that I do not have the skills to make something that bears even a faint resemblance to what is described.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Exodus 33-35.

    When Moses came down off Mt Sinai after chiseling the second set of God’s commandments to the children of Israel, his face glowed. This was the result of Moses speaking with God. After this, Moses face contained this glow whenever he talked with God. The result of this was that the people were afraid to speak with Moses unless he covered his face with a veil. From that day on Moses covered his face with a veil except when he went into the Tabernacle to speak with God.
    I do not want to belittle what is described here, but have you ever met a person you know speaks with God regularly just by looking at them? I have. I don’t think I would describe it as a glow, but there is something about such people. You probably won’t be able to put your finger on it, but there are people who you recognize there is something special about when you first meet them. After talking with them a short time you realize that what you saw was the visible representation of their walk with God. If people do not have that reaction to you, it is time to get serious about your relationship with God. I have once or twice had people react to me that way. However, I know that my walk today is not where it should be, where it will cause people to look at me and know that I walk with God.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Exodus 30-32.

    God gave Moses a recipe for anointing oil and for incense to be used in the Tabernacle. The people were forbidden from using a similarly scented oil or incense for anything else. Studies have shown that we remember scents on a much more basic level than anything else. Because these scents came from the oil used to consecrate things and people in the Tabernacle and from the incense used to worship God, the children of Israel would associate them with worship. If these scents were used elsewhere they would be likely to trigger a subconscious response on the part of those who smelled them. This subconscious response might lead people to worship something other than God, or it might be used by the unscrupulous to cause people to trust those that they would otherwise distrust. Therefore the people were forbidden from using this oil and this incense in any other setting.

    While Moses was on the mountain getting God’s instructions for the people, the people got impatient. I cannot say that I blame them. Moses was up on the mountain for forty days. However, rather than demand Aaron find out what was taking so long, they demanded that he come up with some other god(s) for them to follow. Aaron for his part did not attempt to dissuade them. He promptly gathered their gold and made them a calf. When Aaron saw how excited this made the people, he declared that they would have a festival to the Lord. So, we have two sides sinning here. The people for giving up on God and Moses and Aaron for having a plan as to what to do when they did. However, one of the things that struck me about this passage is that the primary sin committed was not the worshiping of the golden calf in place of God. Reading between the lines it seems to me that the biggest sin they committed was giving credit to an idol they watched being made for the mighty works which God performed to bring them out of Egypt.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Exodus 28-29.

    The passage goes into great detail about how the garments which Aaron, the high priest, was to be dressed in. These garments served two purposes. The first purpose was to set Aaron apart from the rest of the people. When people saw Aaron wearing this garment, they saw him as their high priest who interceded with God for them. The second purpose these garments served was to remind Aaron, and his successors, that he represented all of the people of Israel. He did not just represent the Levites, or even just the elites. He represented all of the people.

    The passage goes on to describe the ceremony and sacrifices for the ordination of Aaron and his sons. This ceremony, and the accompanying sacrifices, was designed to convey to Aaron and his sons the solemnity and seriousness of their roles as priests interceding with God on behalf of the people. In both portions of this, there were just a couple of people, Aaron and his sons, who were to become the priests and intercede with God on behalf of the rest. Jesus has made all who believe in Him priests. It is our job to intercede with God for everyone else. This is a solemn and serious job. One which I forget is mine all too often. It is not my job to condemn those who have failed to turn to God. It is my job to intercede with God and request that He pour out His Holy Spirit upon them.