Take Time To Remember
Today’s Passage – Leviticus 22 – 23 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – John 15 – 16; Proverbs 11; Psalms 56 – 60
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Matthew 6 verse 33
Read the “0211 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.” – (Leviticus 23:4)
In chapter 23 in the Book of Leviticus, we see the Lord giving His instructions regarding special days that would be set apart from other days. On these holy days, or “holidays” the people were commanded to stop their normal routine, and refrain from doing any kind of work. God wanted their focus to be on Him during these days. The special days (or in some cases weeks) listed in the chapter were as follows:
1 The Sabbath – every Saturday the people were to take a break from their work in order to rest. God rested the seventh day after He created the earth, so in some ways the Sabbath was memorial of God’s work at creation.
2 The Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread – a memorial to God’s deliverance of the children of Israel from their bondage in Egypt. It seems to be that God wants us to remember some things. We are quick to forget the provision and protection that God has given us.
3 The Feast of First fruits – this Feast took place on the day after the Sabbath of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This feast was an acknowledgement that the whole barley harvest belonged to the Lord.
4 The Feast of Weeks or Pentecost – This was a dedication of the wheat harvest. It took place in May/June 50 days after the Sabbath before the Feast of First fruits.
5 The Feast of Trumpets – 1st day of seventh month – it consecrated the entire seventh month as a Sabbatical month.
6 The Day of Atonement – 10th day of the seventh month – this was the day the priest went in to the Holy of Holies to offer for his own sins, and the sins of the nation.
7 The Feast of Tabernacles (also called Booths or Ingathering) – beginning on the 15th day of the seventh month – commemorated the time that God provided for Israel as they wandered the wilderness in tents after being delivered from Egypt. This feast is also a celebration of the fall harvest.
All of these special days and feasts were designed to help the children of Israel to remember things that should be important to them. God wants His children to remember all of the wonderful things that He has done for us. We tend to get very discontented when we forget all of the blessings that God has provided in our lives.
I believe it is important to continue these traditions in our lives today. We may not observe the same days, but there ought to be some special days in our lives where we take time out to remember. And, I believe we should be very careful to come apart on the Lord’s Day – Sunday – that one day out of seven for the purpose of resting the body, and reflection upon Christ. We are all busy people, or at least, we should be; but we need to take time out to remember. We need to take time to remember God on a daily basis by spending time with in our devotions. We also need to keep the Lord’s day holy and separated from the normal routines of the week. And there also needs to be some special days in the calendar year when we set apart time to remember important blessings from God.
There also ought to be special days that we set apart time for reasons other than spiritual. Families should observe special days, like birthdays and anniversaries. We ought to go out of our way to remember the important events and people in our lives.
Added Thought from the passage
“And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.” – (Leviticus 23:22)
In the middle of this passage dealing with special days and feasts, God instructs the people of Israel to remember the poor. They were to intentionally leave some of the fruit from the harvest in the fields so that poor folks could come by and gather it. Today, we need to also remember that there are people less fortunate than ourselves that need some help. God has blessed many of us tremendously with financial blessings, and we need to remember to share some of what the Lord has given us with others. Just a thought.
Posted in Thoughts from Leviticus by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Love Thy Neighbour As Thyself
Today’s Passage – Leviticus 19 – 21 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – John 13 – 14; Proverbs 10; Psalms 51 – 55)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 34:1 – 4
Read the “0210 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “What’s the Difference“
“Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:18)
We read the commandment, “thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” often in the Scriptures, especially in the New Testament where it appears seven times. Leviticus 19, however, is where this phrase appears first. The context surrounding verse 18, is replete with laws for Israel, many of which have to do with how the people of God treat one another.
In verses 9 and 10, God tells the people to make sure that they leave a little food for the poor:
“And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God.” (Leviticus 19:9-10)
In verse 13, God warns them not to take advantage of people who work for them:
“Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.” (Leviticus 19:13)
God was very concerned that His people be different from other people who did not know Him. The principles that God gave in the Law were not given to put an unreasonable burden on the people, but rather were given to help them to live selfless, yet profitable and abundant lives. As long as God’s people continued to love Him, live for Him, as well as loving their neighbors, God abundantly blessed them.
Maybe this is why America is struggling so much today. We have long ago cast God and His Word aside and as a result, we have become a very selfish and materialistic nation. Perhaps, if we could learn to love God and our neighbors again, God would see fit to bless us once again.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
The Blood
Today’s Passage – Leviticus 16 – 18 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – John 11 – 12; Proverbs 9; Psalms 46 – 50)
Read the “0209 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from this passage – “There Is a Fountain,” and “Abomination.“
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. … And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten; he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust. For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.” (Leviticus 17:11, 13-14)
“And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” (Hebrews 9:22)
“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” (1 Peter 1:18-19)
I must confess to you that when I first was saved, I thought Christian churches had a somewhat strange obsession with blood. We sing songs like, “Nothing But the Blood,” “There’s Power in the Blood,” and “Are You Washed in the Blood.” I did not understand then that “the blood” referenced in all of these songs as well as in the preaching was the perfect, sinless blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed for me on the Cross of Calvary. the Bible is very clear, that unless Jesus’ blood was shed for us there would be no remission of sins.
In the Book of Leviticus, we learn that even in the Old Testament sacrificial system, the blood of animals was seen as special to God, and He actually forbade people from “eating” the blood. When I was a kid, I used to get grossed out when I saw an adult drinking the blood that was on the bottom of their very rare plate of steak. Even way back in Genesis nine, when Noah and his sons were starting their lives in a brand post-flood new world, God permitted the eating of animals, but God prohibited the eating of any animal raw or uncooked:
“Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.” (Genesis 9:3-4)
God stated twice in Leviticus 17 that the life of all flesh is in the blood. It’s the presence of blood, which allows us and all animal life to live. God also said that because life is “in the blood,” blood was the only thing that could make atonement for the soul. The blood of animal’s could not atone for man’s soul in the Old Testament time period, but it did serve to remind the people of God of the coming blood sacrifice Christ would make on the Cross:
“But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:3-4)
I get it now. The blood of Christ is precious. The emphasis that God placed upon the blood back in Leviticus, is the same that we should place upon it today. We don’t worship the blood, just as we do not worship crosses; but blood should remind us of life; Christ’s life that was poured out for us on Calvary.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 10 comments.
Provision for the Poor
Today’s Passage –Leviticus 11 – 12 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – John 5 – 6; Proverbs 6; Psalms 31 – 35)
Read a previous post from this passage – Creeping Things
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 18:3 & 46
Read the “0206 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.” (Leviticus 11:2)
Our reading in Leviticus 11 records the dietary requirements for Israel. As I read this passage, I asked myself the question: why did God have all of these rules regarding eating? I am sure that there are many reasons, but one of them must be that God was concerned about the health of his people. The creatures that God permitted them to eat were healthier for them.
Leviticus 12 discusses the laws for women regarding purification after giving birth. If she had given birth to a boy, she would be separated from the rest of the congregation for a total of 41 days. For the birth of a baby girl, the time of her separation was even longer, totaling 80 days. Again, I am not sure as to why God required these specific numbers of days, but I think it provided the mother with a sufficient time for rest and recuperation, as well as a period of needed bonding with her child.
The thought that captured my attention from this passage, however, was the fact that God made provision for those that were poor among his people when it came time to offer their sacrifices for ceremonial cleansing after giving birth. Typically, a lamb was required along with a turtledove or pigeon; but for the poor, two turtledoves or two pigeons were all that was required:
“And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.” (Leviticus 12:8)
Mary and Joseph must have been pretty poor, because there is no mention of a lamb being offered at the time of Mary’s purification at the Temple:
“And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” (Luke 2:22-24)
It’s hard to believe that the God who owns all the silver and gold, and a cattle on a thousand hills, was born into poverty; but He was.
“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9)
God did not demand unreasonable expectations on the poor. Even the system of tithing was not unreasonable. Both rich and poor were to give a percentage, and percentages are fair to everyone.
God loves all people, the rich as well as the poor, and God does not want the poor to be neglected as far as ministry is concerned; nor does He want them to be excluded from participation in worship. The New Testament church opens its doors wide to everyone:
“My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” (James 2:1-5)
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
A Downward Spiral
Today’s Passage – Leviticus 8 – 10 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – John 3 – 4; Proverbs 5; Psalms 26 – 30)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Joshua 1:8
Read the “0205 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “Strange Fire.“
“And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron which were left alive, saying, Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD? Behold, the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place: ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded. And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin offering to day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD? And when Moses heard that, he was content.” (Leviticus 10:16-20)
This had to be a very discouraging period in Aaron’s life. His sons, Nadab and Abihu, were slain by the Lord for offering “strange fire” in the Tabernacle instead of the fire from off of the brazen altar (Leviticus 10:1 – 5). It is possible, even probable, that their lack of judgment in doing this was caused by their consumption of alcohol. Immediately after this happens, God prohibits the drinking of alcohol by priests (Leviticus 10:8 – 11). It seems odd that God would include this prohibition in the middle of this chapter if it had nothing to do with what happened to Aaron’s boys. Just a side note here, but notice that God specifically mentions in verse 10 and 11 that drinking alcohol would make them “unholy” and “unclean”, and would inhibit their ability to teach the Word of God (Leviticus 10:11). It’s amazing to me that today there are so many people who teach the Word of God who think it’s wise to consume alcohol.
Aaron and his other two sons, Ithamar and Eleazar, were not even permitted to mourn for their loved ones as they were at the last day of an eight-day dedication of the Tabernacle. They could not leave the Tabernacle.
Moses is very concerned that there be no further incidents in the Tabernacle so he reminds his brother and nephews about God’s instructions regarding the meat offering and the peace offerings (Leviticus 10:12 – 15). This is when Moses finds out that God’s specific instructions were violated yet again because the sin offering was not eaten by the priests in the Holy place as God commanded:
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the LORD: it is most holy. The priest that offereth it for sin shall eat it: in the holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation. … All the males among the priests shall eat thereof: it is most holy.” (Leviticus 6:24-26, 29)
Apparently, the sin offering was just burnt outside of the camp, and was not eaten. Moses questions his nephews about this, but Aaron is the one who gives the answer. Reading between the lines, it seems as if Aaron’s answer indicates that after all that had happened, their hearts (and their appetites) were just not up to eating this sacrifice. He claimed that God would not have accepted it anyway if they had hypocritically offered it and eaten it. This time, God does not kill them, and Moses lets it pass without further rebuke.
This chapter depicts a downward spiral in the lives of Aaron and his sons. It seems to begin with a foolish decision to drink alcohol while serving in the Tabernacle. That bad decision leads to a tragic consequence, which then leads to discouragement. Then, in their despair, they cannot serve the Lord as they should. Their hearts are just not in it.
We need to be aware of these downward spirals that happen in our lives as well. Something bad happens, whether our fault or “happenstance” does not really matter. Negative events often produce discouragement, which can then lead to more negative decisions resulting in further tragedy. We have to stop the spiraling before it brings us completely down. David “encouraged himself in the Lord” (1 Samuel 30:6), which prevented him from doing something stupid and making his situation worse. We need to recognize this downward spiral and take the necessary steps to pick ourselves back up and keep serving the Lord.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.
Ignorant But Not Innocent.
Today’s Passage – Leviticus 5 – 7 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – John 1 – 2; Proverbs 4; Psalms 21 – 25
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 119:105
Read the “0204 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man shall be defiled withal, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty. Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these. And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing:” – (Leviticus 5:3-5 )
I read today’s passage once through, but I struggled with what I should write about, so I went back to read it again. The second time around I noticed in chapter five that God was instructing the Israelites regarding sins of ignorance. I had to think about how a person could sin without knowing it, but it didn’t take long to figure out that we sin ignorantly all the time. Think about it. We do all kinds of things that are wrong and cause harm, without intending to do so. Also, we have done many things in the past, perhaps before we were saved, that we didn’t even know were wrong. The Bible says that even the thought of foolishness is sin. How many of us ever considered when we were yet unsaved that our thoughts were just as sinful as our actions. We may have been ignorant while doing these things, or thinking these things, but we were not innocent. Plus, there is the fact that some actions may be permissible for some, but wrong for others. The Bible says,”Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” – (James 4:17)
The bottom line is that we are sinful creatures. Not only do we intentially sin, but we also do many sinful things without fully realizing it. In our passage, God gave the children of Israel a solution for this dilemma. He told them that when they found out about their guilt, they were simply to confess it, and then offer a sacrifice for it. Praise God, today we do not have to offer up sacrifices to God for our sin because the Lord Jesus took care of all of the sacrifices necessary to atone for our sin when He was sacrificed once for all on the Cross of Calvary. But, I think it is still imperative for us to confess to God our sin when we find out about it, and then thank Him for the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that atones for it.
The idea here is that we need to stop trying to pretend that we are not guilty. We need to lower our defenses, and fire our “inner lawyer”, and get to the place where we recognize that we are full of sin, completely guilty before God, and totally unworthy and undeserving of His love and forgiveness. Stop trying to pretend that you are above sin, or that you have arrived at some kind of spiritual plateau where you are somehow better than other people. You are a sinner. I am a sinner. On my best day, I am still full of sins, most of which I am too dull spiritually to even recognize; but that’s OK, because I have a Saviour that I have completely trusted to save me from the eternal penalty of my sin, and I also trust Him daily to forgive and restore me to a place of fellowship with Him. Thank God for Jesus!
One more quick thought, If just now you have come to the place where you realize that you are a bigger sinner than you thought you were, yet you also understand that God still loves you and forgives you anyway; why don’t you cut the other sinners around you some slack; they’re struggling with the same sinful condition that you are. Just a thought.
Oh, and by the way, the baby pictured above is also not innocent, but the blood of Jesus atones for his sin, and protects him until he comes to the maturity level where he realizes that he is guilty before God. There will come a day when he will know that he is a sinner, and then he will be accountable for his sin. He will then have to either receive or reject the atonement made by the Lord for his sin.
Posted in Thoughts from Leviticus by Phil Erickson with 5 comments.
It Is Finished!
Today’s Passage – Leviticus 1 – 4 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 23 – 24; Proverbs 3; Psalms 16 – 20)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Deuteronomy 32:4
“And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering. And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar:” – (Leviticus 4:33-34)
“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.” – (Luke 23:34)
I must confess that as I was reading the 4 chapters from Leviticus this morning, I kept thinking to myself: “what am I going to write about from this passage?” The four chapters are all about the Old Testament offerings. We read about the burnt offering, the meat offering, the peace offering, and the sin offering. I have been a student of the Bible for many years, and I still don’t have all of the Old Testament offerings straight in my head. I really was not looking forward to writing a devotion on one or all of these Old Testament sacrifices. But, then I read the “second miler” passage for this morning from Luke 23. I read where Jesus said, “Forgive them”, and I thought about what He said in John’s gospel, “It is finished,” and then I got excited. I realized that I don’t have to know all of the details of the Old Testament sacrificial system because all of those sacrifices and offerings pictured and pointed to one thing: the sacrifice that Christ would make on the Cross of Calvary. It truly is finished! We don’t have to run down to the Tabernacle or Temple every time that we sin. We do not have to keep it all straight, because Jesus Christ paid for it all when He died for our sins. Praise God!
The next thing that I thought about this morning was that I don’t fully appreciate what the Lord did for me on the Cross. I cannot imagine what it must have been like to live in Old Testament Israel. It certainly would have been very burdensome to live under the Law, as it was impossible to live it perfectly. Do you think that even the best of the Israelites did everything the way they were supposed to? Do you think that every time they committed a sin of ignorance (and didn’t get caught) they went down to the priests with a sacrifice? I doubt it. That must have led to a lot of guilt, because they knew in their hearts that they were not fully obeying the Lord. What a relief it is to know that all sin, every sin, whether they be sins of ignorance or not, are forgiven. They are all under the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. I feel like speaking in tongues right now! (just kidding) Praise God for Jesus!!!!
Oh Oh! I just got another thought: a thought about sacrifices. There is one more sacrifice that I should consider today: the living sacrifice. I am to present my body a living sacrifice to the Lord. I am no longer my own: I am bought with a price, and I belong to Him; and that is my reasonable service. It is the least that I can do to live for the Lord since He was willing to die for me.
All of those thoughts from what I thought at first to be a dry and tedious portion of Scripture. Thank God for the Book of Leviticus!
Did you also notice with many of these offerings or sacrifices for sin that the man that committed the sin was the one who had to kill the animal? That makes it very personal. I do not like to kill things. I guess I am a little squeemish. I don’t even like to kill bugs. When I find one in the house, I usually bring it outside. For me to have to kill an animal every time I sin, would certainly be enough to cause me to not want to sin anymore.
Now think about the Lord Jesus. Did you ever think that every time you sin, it is like you personally crucifying the Lord. It is you and me that are piercing His brow and His side. It is you and me that are driving the nails into His hands and feet. Think about it. If every time you sin, you thought about having to slay the Lord of glory to atone for it, wouldn’t that deter you from wanting to sin anymore. I guess that is what the Bible means when it says the love of Christ constrains us. He loved us so much He was willing to die for our sins, and it was our sin, my sin that put Him on that cross. Think about it.
Posted in Thoughts from Leviticus by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Finished On Time and Under Budget
Today’s Passage – Exodus 39 – 40 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 21 – 22; Proverbs 2; Psalms 11 – 15)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – 1 John 4:7 & 8
Read the “0202 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “The Glory of the Lord“
“Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they. And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets, … According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work. And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.” (Exodus 39:32-33, 42-43)
The construction of the Old Testament Tabernacle with all of its “furniture” is the first congregational building project in the Bible. God had given Moses:
The Plans
“And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it. … And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.” (Exodus 25:8-9, 40)
The People
“See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship. And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee; The tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle,” (Exodus 31:2-7)
God equipped the congregation of Israel with wisdom that they needed to build what God planned. Bezaleel and Aholiab were the chief engineers behind the project. They supervised the construction and made sure that congregation would know what to do and how to do it.
The Particulars
“Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood, Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.” (Exodus 25:2-9)
God also provided all of the materials necessary to build the Tabernacle through the free-will offerings of the people. He actually had to hold them back from giving, because they actually collected too much (Exodus 36:6 – 7).
Finally, in Exodus 39 and 40, the Tabernacle has been completed. It was finished on time and under budget. It had to be a good feeling for this congregation to work together and complete the project that God had given them.
Now here is the practical application. More than fifteen years ago, God led our congregation to add on to our existing building. We had prayed about exactly what God would have us build for many years. We had several different plans in mind and finally settled upon the one that we felt would best suit our needs. Then there was the time it took to raise the needed funds and receive approvals and permits from the township. After many years, it is finished. Though there are still some things that need to be touched up, the building is open and being used everyday. Praise the Lord! God had given us men and women who were gifted in the area of building construction and interior design who worked to bring this job to completion, and now it is being used by the Lord to reach and teach the people, primarily children, of our church.
I do not think that we could say that our project was “on time and under budget,” but we praise the Lord that “it is finished!”
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 6 comments.
Ornaments
Today’s Passage – Exodus 33 – 35 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 17 – 18; Proverbs 31; Psalms 1 – 5 (Jump start on February because it is a short month)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – 1 John 3:1
Read the “0131 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous post from today’s reading passage – “Stiffnecked,” “Willing Servants,” and “Beaming.”
“4 And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments. 5 For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee. 6 And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.” (Exodus 33:4-6)
When considering Exodus 33, it is important that we have an understanding of the overall context. The previous chapter reveals that while Moses was up on Mt. Horeb receiving the Law from God, the Israelites and their newly appointed leader committed a “great sin” (Ex 32:31) by creating a golden god (idol) of their own to worship. The people were naked and they were singing and dancing when Moses discovers them. God was furious and so was Moses, but Moses intercedes for the people and God, in His mercy, does not utterly destroy them.
In chapter 33, God tells the people that He is sending them to their Land of Canaan as He had promised but instead of going with them, He was going to send an angel. Later on in the chapter, after the people demonstrate contrition and repentance, God reveals to Moses that He will go with them:
“14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. 15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. 16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.” (Exodus 33:14-16)
My thought for this devotion revolves around the word “ornaments” found three times in vs. 4 – 6. What does the Bible mean by “ornaments?” The Hebrew word (עֶדְיוֹ – ʿăḏî) is a third person masculine noun – literally translated “his ornaments.” Though the dictionary definitions are a little vague, the word definitely has something to do with objects or fine clothing that are used to adorn the body. Probably the best description of what is meant here is the word “jewelry,” though it may mean more than just jewelry. Keeping the idea of jewelry in mind, remember back from the previous chapter that Aaron used some of this gold jewelry (earrings – Ex 32:2 – 4) that the people were wearing to fashion his golden calf.
In Exodus 33:4 – 6, the people are mourning because of their failure recorded in the previous chapter, and because of their contrition they did not put on their ornaments. In v. 5, God tells Moses to tell all the people to strip off their ornaments. It seems that these ornaments were somehow associated with the pagan idols and false religions that were prevalent back in Egypt, and God wanted them to get rid of any remnant of their old sinful ways prior to their redemption. But what are the people going to do with all of these ornaments? Look at chapter thirty-six:
“4 And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying, 5 Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass, 6 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, 7 And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood, 8 And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense, 9 And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate.” (Exodus 35:4-9)
The greek equivalent to the word “ornament” is “kosmos,” which is sometimes translated “world” in the Scripture but also means “ornament, decoration, or adornment.” We see a form of the word used in a similar way in the New Testament:
“9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; 10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.” (1 Timothy 2:9-10)
“1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; 2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. 3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” (1 Peter 3:1-4)
These New Testament references are specifically regarding the adorning of women, but in our text from Exodus the removal of ornaments applied to both men and women. It is important for us to be clear, however, there is no New Testament prohibition against wearing jewelry, fancy clothes, or make-up; and there is nothing biblically wrong with styling your hair. Perhaps what we should glean from these passages, both Old Testament and New, is that we should not be emulating the world’s culture, particularly as the culture is progressively become more and more godless. You may recall the “accursed thing” in Joshua 6 & 7 was a “goodly Babylonish garment” that Achan had taken from Jericho. It too was a representation of the fallen world. The Israelites also apparently had gotten their taste for ornaments from their time spent among the pagan culture in Egypt.
The second thing that we can see from these passages is that we should pursue godliness above all things. This world and its godless culture has nothing to offer the people of God.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Called, Filled, and Equipped
Today’s Passage – Exodus 30 – 32 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 15 – 16; Proverbs 30; Psalms 146 – 150
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 55:17
Read a previous post from this passage – “Who Is On The Lord’s Side?”
“See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, … And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee;” – (Exodus 31:2-3, 6)
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” – (Philippians 4:19)
“For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:” – (Romans 12:4)
“But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.” – (1 Corinthians 12:18)
I just want to give a quick thought from chapter 31 of the passage in Exodus that we are reading together today. I was tempted to write something from chapter 32, but I decided that this thought was more appropriate for the people of our church. I am thankful because this message is a little more encouraging than what I would have said about chapter 32.
In the preceding chapters, God has been instructing Moses regarding the Tabernacle. God gave him a complete set of blueprints, with detailed instructions about how to go about building it. The problem was that Moses was not necessarily gifted in the area of construction. He was a great leader, but he certainly did not possess all of the skills necessary to do all that needed to be done; nor would he have the time to do it all himself. God understood this, so He raised up men who were gifted in construction, at least the type of construction required for building the Tabernacle and all the furniture and coverings involved with it. These individuals were going to oversee the construction of the tabernacle so that Moses could do what he needed to do.
I remember when we were building our first little addition to the church building. It was only a 900 square foot addition to the auditorium, but honestly I knew very little about what was needed to complete it. God raised up a man in our church to oversee the construction. The project was completed on time and under budget. Everybody congratulated me on what a wonderful job I did with the building, but truthfully I had very little to do with it. And, because I didn’t have to focus on the construction, I was able to fulfill, without distraction, my primary duties of ministry. Thank God for Don Price who was gifted and used of the Lord in a great way to fulfil this particular task.
The same was true with the more recent construction of our fellowship and classroom building. God gave us several men who dedicated themselves to the task of figuring out what needed to be done to get it finished. It is a blessing to have many good people within the ministry who love God and his work and want to do what they are gifted to do so that God’s work can be accomplished.
God equips the local church with what it needs so that it can to do what God wants it to do. Part of my job as a pastor is to try to figure out what the gifts and talents are in the people, and put them to use. People who are not being used are unhappy people, and unhappy people will not stay long and their talents will be wasted. God also equips each and every one of us with what we need so that we can fulfil His will. He will never ask us to do something without providing the tools, talents, and materials that are necessary in order to get the job done.
Have you discovered what talents and abilities that God has equipped you with? What gifts has God entrusted to your life? Are you allowing Him to use all of those things for His honor and glory? Why not find a place to serve in the local church where your talents can be used to the fullest? God wants to bear fruit in your life. Allow Him to use you.
[Updated 01/30/25]
Posted in Thoughts from Exodus by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.