Good weekend to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
What if God gave you a blank piece of paper and the assignment of designing a place where you could have life changing encounters with the Almighty God? What would you draw? How would it compare to some of the great cathedrals in our world?
When you think about delicate, intricate ‘craftsmanship’ what comes to your mind? Woodworking, or precious stones, or brain surgery, or sculpting? Today I invite you back into the cloud on Mt Sinai where Moses has been with God for several days. Moses had been receiving from God specific and detailed instructions for the fabrication of things no human eye had ever seen.
Things God wanted to be used in worship as His people the Israelite slaves learn to worship the Creator of the Universe, the giver of life, the Omnipotent, Holy God. The God who had declared that among all humans on earth the Israelites are His chosen people, and He wants worship to be the centerpiece of His relationship with them!
Moses’ record of this 40-day cloud encounter with God began in Exodus 24:15. Today let’s look at Exodus 30 & 31 as these 40 days are nearing their end. God described an ‘altar of incense’ to be fabricated and placed in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. It was to be used twice daily, both morning and evening. Why? Because God wanted His people to develop the habit of beginning and ending their day in communication with God.
Initially it was Aaron the High Priest whom God invited to come into the quiet of the Tabernacle shortly after daylight, as he tended the lamps; and again, at dusk as he lit the lamps for the evening. Both times Aaron was to spend some time at the ‘altar of incense’ meeting with God, praying. (Ex. 30:1-10)
Aaron was to take hot coals off the large altar of burnt offering in the courtyard and bring those hot coals into the Tabernacle Holy Place, spread them on the altar of incense and sprinkle on those hot coals some of the special incense used only for this sacred prayer encounter with God morning and evening. (Ex. 30:34-38)
As the smoke from this burning incense wafted up, the priest was invited to lift his hands and his heart up to God in prayer. Prayer of adoration, prayer of thanksgiving, prayer of confession, prayer of intercession, however the Holy Spirit would lead him in praying. And then the priest was to LISTEN! Far more important than what the priest said to God was what God might say to the priest in these sacred, twice daily encounters.
Now that’s worth a moment of reflection, isn’t it? Is it your habit to begin and end your day in worship and prayer? Have you discovered how significant those times are and how they frame your day and your life? Have you developed a pattern of listening to God and waiting for His Holy Spirit to speak to you before you leave your prayer place?
Perhaps you noticed in Exodus 30:22-33 God described a special ‘anointing oil’ that was to be carefully made and used only for consecration of both certain people and certain things. In their anointing and consecration to God, these certain people and certain things found their sacred identity and ultimate purpose...serving and honoring Holy God.
By the time we come to the end of Exodus 30 I presume Moses has been in that cloud with God for more than 30 days. I believe God paused there, maybe for a few days, letting Moses ruminate on all he heard from God. Oh God wasn’t finished; in fact, there were three very significant things Moses would yet experience.
First was God explaining that HE had gifted and selected one man named Bezalel to be the primary craftsman who would take Moses’ explanations and fabricate these amazing, never before seen artifacts for worship. But more than skill, more than talent, God said this: “I have filled him with the Spirit of God and with wisdom and understanding, with knowledge and all kinds of skills to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones…” (Ex. 31:1-5) But this task was far too big for one man so God also gifted and selected Oholiab and others to assist Bezalel in this sacred assignment! (Ex. 31:6-11)
Finally, let’s look at one more very significant thing God and Moses spent some extended time talking about… Sabbath! (Ex. 31:12-17) We have no record of ANY other people group in the world who set aside one day in seven to rest physically, refresh emotionally and realign spiritually. This Sabbath day was God’s design for HIS Chosen people and if they protected and honored this special weekly day it would enable God’s people to stay in sync, in lock step with God and BECOME the people God designed them to be, unique in the world. And ACCOMPLISH all that God would prepare them to accomplish as they would be the blessing to our world God had promised Abraham, remember? (Gen. 12:1-3)
God said these words to Moses: “The Sabbath will be a sign between Me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.” (Ex. 31:17)
Once again God paused, oh my Moses had so much to think about. So, we need to pause, and I have three closing questions for us to consider…
1. Do we prioritize time with God, daily, morning and evening, and are those times foundational in who we are?
2. Do we celebrate the talents and abilities God has entrusted to us and has God anointed them so as we use them God is greatly glorified and we are making a God anointed difference in our world?
3. Is the Sabbath a sacred day you and I protect at all costs, and do we use it for physical rest, emotional refreshment and spiritual realignment with God?
Again important ‘Lessons Learned’ are available at the “Grand Narrative” link below; and I invite you to worship with this great Sabbath song. On Monday we’ll experience together one of the most powerful experiences in Moses’ entire life as he prepared to come down from 40 days with God!
Today’s Scripture: Exodus 30 & 31.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Exodus 31
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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