They made the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. – Exodus 39:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (September 18, 2018): Exodus 39

I don’t like uniforms. I have worked with people who came to work every day wearing a suit and tie that often identified them and their position. That was their uniform. I am much more likely to show up at work wearing a sweatshirt and track pants, especially if I am not expecting to meet with anyone. If I have a board meeting or a denominational meeting, then sometimes, a real emphasis on sometimes, I grab a shirt and tie out of my closet in the morning. But if left to my preferences, a sweatshirt and pair of track pants work fine for me.

Having said that, while I am moving away from any kind of uniform or standard of dress, our culture is beginning to shift towards it, especially for non-profits. The problem is one of identification. When I am walking down the street, I tend to blend in with the rest of humanity. I am very comfortable being one of the masses. So when I stop and talk to that elderly lady out cutting her grass, or joke with a senior out on his walk, or high five with that teenager excited about passing an exam, I am not wearing a clerical collar, and there is nothing that identifies me outwardly as a pastor. And for insurance purposes, that is a problem. The easiest solution is wearing name tags, which I am also not that fond of, but it is becoming a necessary evil. In practice, this is becoming essential for those people on the front lines meeting the visitor as they enter the building.

The Ephod was a kind of uniform. It eventually came to identify a priest who was actively ministering before God. It was also used for inquiring of God about future events. But the ephod was not a form of complete clothing. It was usually worn with something else under it. In this, it was almost more of a name tag. It, worn over other clothes, identified someone working on behalf of God.

And so, when David danced wearing an ephod as the Ark of the Covenant was brought into Jerusalem, and his wife complained that he was dancing “half-naked” (2 Samuel 6:20). Often I have heard this incident described as “David dancing in his underwear,” but that isn’t quite right.  It seems likely that David was dancing with just the ephod on, this partial outer garment, not caring about who was watching. In the mind of David, the others really didn’t matter. His attention was focused solely on his God.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Exodus 40

The total amount of the gold from the wave offering used for all the work on the sanctuary was 29 talents and 730 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. – Exodus 38:24

Today’s Scripture Reading (September 17, 2018): Exodus 38

J. M. Barrie in “Peter Pan” writes that “Dreams do come true, if only we wish hard enough. You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it.” In this case, the sacrifice is more important than the wish. Unfortunately, most of us live in a culture that does not value sacrifice. We want what it is that we want, and we want it now. We will pay the bill later. And we do. The reason why most of us are low on cash and live with credit cards that are maxed out is because we have never valued sacrifice. Everyone has the potential to be a millionaire and to retire as a multi-millionaire, even if we have never had six-figure incomes. But that eventuality is dependent on whether or not we are willing to sacrifice.

Others have sacrificed wealth to participate in a career that pays us in other ways. But no matter our choice, often what we are willing to sacrifice has a lot to do with where we end up.

Our faith requires sacrifices from us as well. Sometimes that sacrifice comes in the form of attitudes and behaviors. As followers of Christ, we believe in loving others even when we do not feel like loving them. We believe in racial equality, no matter what the opposition might say. I believe that the Bible speaks very plainly about gender equality, even though there exist people within the church that might disagree with me. These are some of the very real sacrifices that we make for God. And our actions hopefully portray our sacrifices.

And we make monetary sacrifices as well. We give the church offerings so that they can carry out the work of Christ in our communities. I am encouraged when the church uses its financial resources to reach out beyond the walls of the building to make a difference in the community. But sometimes, I admit that I struggle with churches who spend enormous sums of money on ornate decorations and additions for their buildings, while the needs of the community are ignored. For me, the building is only a tool to be used to accomplish the directives of Christ in our communities. The church building needs to be kept in good condition, and that in turn becomes part of our testimony. But, how ornate we make our churches sometimes remains a painful question.

So I struggle with passages like this one. Setting a value on something like the gold that was used in the building of the tabernacle is a hard thing to do; we have no idea of the value of gold in the antiquity. But the metal was precious. And part of the reason why it was donated was that the people wanted to give their best to God. And gold was “the best.”

According to our modern standards, the amount of gold used on the Tabernacle was about 2,030 pounds or about 920 kilograms. With the price of gold as I write this, that amounts to almost 40 million dollars (USD). The people sacrificed so that they could build a tent for their God that was just as majestic and the Temples their neighbors were building for their gods. And while people like me might have questioned the expense, it was the best that the people could provide, and they wanted to sacrifice to give of their best for their God.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Exodus 39

Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. – Exodus 37:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (September 16, 2018): Exodus 37

The Ark of the Covenant continues to capture our imaginations. The Ark was essentially a box that was forty-five inches long and twenty-seven inches wide and high. In recent culture, and to some extent early understanding, the box possessed magical powers, although in reality probably nothing like that given to it by Steven Spielberg in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” It was essential to the Temple worship because it was believed to be the seat of God here on the earth.

I have discussed in this blog some of the theories that exist around whether the Ark still exists, hidden away in some corner of our world. Traditions exist that argue that the ark was stolen by the Babylonians at the time of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Or the Ark was hidden in the caves below the Temple on Temple Mount by Jeremiah just before the destruction of Jerusalem. Or maybe it was spirited away by Solomon to what is now Ethiopia and given as an inheritance to Menelik I, the supposed child of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, and replaced in Jerusalem by a clever forgery.

What we sometimes miss is that there is also a biblical passage, sort of, that describes exactly what happened to the Ark. The biblical passage is found in the deuterocanonical book of “2 Maccabees.” According to Maccabees, a report existed at the time of the Maccabean revolt that described Jeremiah’s instructions to those who were leaving Jerusalem just before the fall of the city.

'The same document also describes how the prophet, warned by an oracle, gave orders for the tent and the ark to go with him, when he set out for the mountain which Moses had climbed to survey God's heritage. On his arrival, Jeremiah found a cave-dwelling, into which he put the tent, the ark and the altar of incense, afterwards blocking up the entrance. Some of his companions went back later to mark out the path but were unable to find it. When Jeremiah learned this, he reproached them, "The place is to remain unknown," he said, "until God gathers his people together again and shows them his mercy.”

                                                2 Maccabees 2:4-7

Deciphering the passage, according to the author of Maccabees, the Ark of the Covenant was taken by the Prophet, Jeremiah, along with the tent, which we believe is the original Tabernacle. But Jeremiah did not hide them on Temple Mount. Instead, spirited everything away from the city and hid it on the mountain that Moses died on, which would be Mount Nebo in present-day Jordan.

According to Maccabees, there is also a warning and promise to treasure hunters about this sacred box of Israel. The Ark is hidden, and it will never be found until the time when “God gathers his people together again.” And we can interpret these words to mean that the Ark will not reappear until the Temple is once again built on Temple Mount although, in the context of Maccabees, the original author probably meant that the Ark would be revealed when Israel became independent and Zerubbabel’s Temple was once again consecrated.

But the Ark was not found during the Maccabean independence, and we are still waiting for the appearance of the sacred box of Israel. Waiting for the day when God gathers his people and re-establishes his Temple in Jerusalem.        

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Exodus 38

So all the skilled workers who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left what they were doing and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done.” – Exodus 36:4-5

Today’s Scripture Reading (September 15, 2018): Exodus 36

Most people who run departments that receive money from some general budget to operate know that the one guiding principle is that you need to spend all that you receive. The reasoning behind the spending is that if you don’t spend it, you might not get the next year when the budget comes out, and next year you might need what you didn’t need in the current year. And so departments can sometimes be accused of spending money extravagantly, all because they want to make sure that they receive the money that they need in the next round of the budgeting process.

But the spending also means that sometimes needs go unaddressed because money is misallocated. Taxes continue to rise not because more money is needed, but because the money is not spent where it is needed. And under these conditions, there never seems to be enough.

“Not enough” is the truth of every ministry of which I have been apart. There is never enough money to do the things that we feel need to be done. There is never enough to care for each homeless person, or for every program that reaches out to disadvantaged youth – or even the myriad of children and youth programs to take care of the needs of our own youth.

Two amazing things seem to be taking place in this passage. The first is that there is more than enough donations to run the ministry. The reality is that, when God moves, and his people are obedient, we never have to worry about possessing enough in his church. The problem is that, for various reasons, we are often not obedient in our giving. And sometimes our disobedience is a direct result of the spending at the very top of the ministry chain. We have all seen the abuses of some pastors. The extravagant housing and the demand for private planes, or some other toy that is required for the ministry. Disobedience in the way that funds are spent often results in disobedience from the ones who donate the funds. But when we are obedient and good stewards of the money donated, and those within the ministry are obedient with their donations, the result is that there is enough to move the ministry forward, and to care for the “least of these” within our care. With most things, religious and secular, when the system is not abused in some way, the result is usually “enough.”

And that brings us to the second amazing thing in this passage. There was no abuse. Those responsible for the Tabernacle refused to hoard resources. They didn’t worry about unforeseen expenses, or whether they would get enough of what they needed in the future. They didn’t take from the funds to advance their own financial position within the community. They simply said “thanks for all that you have given. We have enough. And we will tell you when that changes.”

The idea of “enough” is the dream. And I am convinced that it is possible, but first, we all have to be obedient – both with the giving and with the spending.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Exodus 37

He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers. – Exodus 35:35

Today’s Scripture Reading (September 14, 2018): Exodus 35

One of the greatest lies of American culture is that you can be whatever it is that you want to be. It is simply not the truth. There are many things that I cannot do, and would not be able to do even if I spent all the time I had available to me to learn what is necessary to complete the task. The truth is that I have gone down many of those roads, often actively rejecting the very things for which I seem to have a natural aptitude. In these attempts, I have failed. And for a number of people within my circle of influence, I see people either trapped in a career for which they are ill-suited, often careers that they chose on a strictly on an economic basis, or people who bounce from job to job searching for the right fit, chasing rainbows they will never be able to catch. All while rejecting the things that they are really good, and often enjoy, doing.

We are not blank slates waiting for our education and experiences to write the story of our lives. Each one of us arrives on this planet preloaded for a difference that we can make if we are willing. This difference begins with understanding our strengths, and our weaknesses. And we will never make a difference if all we do is strengthen our weaknesses, even though that seems to be the choice that many of us make. Success is reserved for those who are willing to strengthen the areas where they are already preloaded to be strong. And it is this knowledge of self that we need to maximize.

As Moses explains to Israel what is about to happen with the construction of the tabernacle, part of what he focuses on is that there are some, like Bezalel and Oholiab, who have the natural ability that is needed in the construction process. Others, ones who can be taught to maximize their natural abilities, will also be chosen for the process. But all who are chosen will be somehow gifted by God.

God is still gifting us, allowing us to make the most of the abilities that have been preloaded into our beings. We can’t be whatever we want to be. We are simply not built that way. But we can make a difference by making the most of who God has designed us to be; and building on the gifts that God has already given us, as he prepares us to be difference makers in our corner of the world.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Exodus 36

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. – Exodus 34:29

Today’s Scripture Reading (September 13, 2018): Exodus 34

With just a glance at Michelangelo’s sculpture of Moses reveals that something is not quite right. Like, what are those two things sticking out of his head? “The Horns of Moses” are the subject of many debates among historians and art scholars. And yes, they are most definitely horns. Moses in paintings and sculptures sometimes appears with his horns, and sometimes he is without them. But there is no argument that the horns, at least to contemporary eyes, make Moses seem less of a prophet and more of a demon.

So, where did this idea of horns on the Lawgiver originate? Again, even this is up to debate, but the simplest explanation is that the horns of Moses are a hilarious mistranslation of Exodus 34:29 (Or even verses 30 and 35) from the Latin Vulgate. According to the mistranslation, Moses had horns. In the New International Version, the translation says that Moses’s “face was radiant.” According to the King James Version, this verse is translated into “the skin of his face shone,” but according to the Latin Vulgate, Moses’s face had horns, which has resulted in horns on top of Moses’s head as presented by Michelangelo, and horns on the head of Moses on many other Medieval imaginations of the Lawgiver's appearance.

Sometimes, we get it wrong. Maybe the most important lesson that Michelangelo teaches us with the horn-headed Moses is to remember that any translation is vulnerable. There are no perfect translations of the Bible. And part of the translation process is an artful shaping of the words and an attempt to imagine what it was that the original writer was trying to tell us. So, whenever in doubt, check another translation and see how they translated the passage. Another perspective on how other translators have viewed the Bible gives us depth into the passage and hopefully steers us away from imagining Moses with horns.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Exodus 35

Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. – Exodus 33:7

Today’s Scripture Reading (September 12, 2018): Exodus 33

There is so much to respect about the life of Supreme Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. From her early rejection by the establishment, her concerted effort throughout her career to be a voice for “the least of these,” her hardworking nature, and her love affair with her husband Marty, this little woman has been a force to be reckoned with throughout the length of her life. But part of that power originates from the fact that she has been a voice from within the struggle. Within the life of this often stern looking little lady, beats the heart of a champion looking out for the beaten down and abused because that is who she is. She understood the struggle long before she became an advocate for those, admittedly mostly women, who were being beaten down by our culture and society. And for that, she has found immense respect even from among those who disagree with her view about the law (enter Justice Anthony Scalia). And in all of this, there is something special that needs to be celebrated.

God had given Moses a vision of the Tabernacle. But the Tabernacle was going to take time to build and get ready, and Moses was not willing to wait for the construction to be completed. So he decides to set up a tent where he would worship, and invite the community to come and worship with him, inquiring of God about the struggle and the questions that arise out of that struggle.

And according to the custom of the day, Moses set up his “Tent of Meeting” away from the community. Sanctuaries were often built a distance away from the communities that they served in the ancient world. People would have to walk out away from the Community to get to God. And they came faithfully, just to be near the Tent. But the placement of his “Tent of Meeting” might also be considered his failure. His decision to conform to the world around him removed the uniqueness that existed in his God when compared to the gods of the other nations. After all, this was the God who would become known as Immanuel, “God with us.” God’s desire was not that he would be segregated away from the people, but rather that he would dwell in their midst.

When the Tabernacle God had commanded Moses to build was completed, it would not be placed some distance away from the people that it served. God’s tabernacle would be placed at the center of the community, with the tribes gathering around it. God desired to exist in the midst of the struggle, and in the form of Jesus, to experientially understand our rejection and our pain. He is the rejected and the “least of these,” his message is spoken from within our midst, and so he understands when that is the way that we feel. 

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Exodus 34