They hammered out thin sheets of gold and cut strands to be worked into the blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen—the work of skilled hands. – Exodus 39:3

Today's Scripture Reading (December 9, 2024): Exodus 39

Whenever I think of my favorite clothing, my mind goes back to a shirt I wore for a long time when I was younger. The shirt was gold and black, and I have no idea why I liked the shirt, but I admit I did. I wore the shirt for years until it was literally filled with holes and in tatters. Finally, it simply disappeared. It might be tempting to argue that I wore the shirt until nothing was left of it, but the truth is that one day my wife simply ensured the shirt was permanently evicted from my closet. I would look for it, but it was gone. 

Most of the things we wear are made from an assortment of materials. Part of the reason for this is two-fold. First, we want our clothes to be comfortable. Often, single-component clothing can be uncomfortable to wear. But the second reason is that multi-fabric clothing wears better and longer, holding its shape and color longer than others. The last thing any of us want is a comfortable piece of clothing that we fall in love with, which becomes like my gold and black shirt in just a few wears. We want our clothes to last.

The ephod was an apron-like garment that was to be worn by the high priest. But one of the unusual attributes of the priest's ephod was the things of which this piece of clothing was made. When David danced before God, he wore a linen ephod, but the priest's ephod was made of multicolored yarn, linen, and gold. It is not made of gold-colored fabric but actual gold.

Moses tells us how the artisans hammered out the gold into a thin sheet. Gold is a precious metal, but it is also very soft. I don't think most Olympic gold medal winners understand why some athletes are pictured biting into their medals. If the medals were pure gold, the medal would be soft enough to leave tooth marks on the medal from the bite. Pure gold is highly malleable. Of course, Olympic medals aren't pure gold; at best, they are six percent gold.

For the ephod, the gold is hammered into sheets that are as thin as the artisans can make it and then cut into thin strips that can be woven into the mix of yarn and linen. Modern clothing is made of mixed fabrics to make it durable, but the inclusion of gold likely made the ephod a little more delicate. And it likely symbolized both the purity of the priest, but also the fragility of the priesthood. Without God, the priesthood would fall apart, and Israel would never be more than one generation away from complete apostasy. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Exodus 40

All the tent pegs of the Tabernacle and of the surrounding courtyard were bronze. – Exodus 38:20

Today's Scripture Reading (December 8, 2024): Exodus 38

A few years ago, I bought some furniture. Now, it was used furniture, and I wanted it for my basement, so I did not have a lot of expectations about what I was purchasing. However, I have to admit that the furniture did look good. It had been lightly used, and it was perfect for my needs. But it did not take long for the furniture to start to show problems. The furniture was no longer being used' lightly in a house with a couple of teenage children (and all of their friends). The first problems to appear were all of the places where the manufacturer had cut some corners. They were the places that had initially been hidden, but now the hidden was being revealed. 

Our attitude is often that if people cannot see it, then it really does not matter. And the principle seems to apply to so many areas of our lives. A while back, a friend asked me if it was okay to lie on his résumé. After all, it was the job he would do that mattered; as long as he did a good job, who cared about his work history. It was hidden, and, therefore, it did not matter.

We feel the same way about what we do inside our castles. The home is a sacred place, and what happens there is no one else's business. And neither are the hidden sins in our lives. As long as no one knows, and we can look okay in public, then what does it really matter what things are hidden underneath? But the reality in which I live is this: just like my furniture, the wear and stress of life will soon inevitably reveal what had been hidden. The secrets, in some way or other, will be exposed.

As God gives the plans for his Tabernacle, no area could be overlooked. Even the tent pegs, which would be hidden in the dirt, were to be made of a specified material: bronze. Bronze was chosen for the pegs because it was the hardest substance known at the time. Where the builders would have used stone, bronze became a longer-lasting, harder (and more expensive) alternative. Even when the Bronze Age began to yield to the Iron Age, the change would not be because iron was a better substance. Iron would begin to reign because it was more plentiful to find and easier to produce. But bronze was still, in many ways, superior.

But God wanted even the things that were hidden to be of the best quality for the job. And I think the example holds for the Tabernacle, the things we make with our hands, and even how we live our lives. As complicated a thought as this might be, we are to live with the sure knowledge that the hidden will be revealed one day.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Exodus 39

He overlaid it with pure gold, both inside and out, and made a gold molding around it. – Exodus 37:2

Today's Scripture Reading (December 7, 2024): Exodus 37

I have a friend who, a few years ago, had the perfect office set up. Actually, he had two offices. The outer office was where he would meet with people. It was neat and ordered; every bit of dust had been removed. This office was perfect in every way. It had a desk, but it was only for show; my friend never worked there. In front of the desk were a couple of comfortable chairs and a couch. But this was a place of meeting. 

A door leading into a second office was at the back of the office. Maybe the outer office could be called the Pastor's office, but the Pastor's study was on the other side of the door. This was where sermons were written and administrative duties were fulfilled. And this office was the opposite of the first. The desk was cluttered with books and a computer. A coffee cup sat in one corner of the desk, and a pile of papers that needed to be waded through sat on another corner. There were no comfortable chairs for visitors, although an old wooden chair sat on the other side of the desk just in case someone wandered in and wanted to sit down. But this was obviously a "working office" that no one saw. 

Another door led out of this study, and it led to the Pastor's library, where all of the Pastor's books were arranged in a way that they were reasonably easy to find. A few piles of books were scattered on a wooden table that needed to be returned to their place in a spare moment in the future, but for now, they waited until that time had come.

The first time I wandered through my friend's office, it was the library that I coveted (and yes, I know that is a sin). I have never had an office that could comfortably display all of my books. I admit to being a bit of a book addict. But as time passed, I also began to covet his working office. My office is a bit of everything. I have some of my books in bookcases and a reasonably large desk. I try to keep the front part of my desk clean, but the side portion tends to be a bit of a mess. A recent visitor pointed to the sideboard of my desk when she was trying to describe the state of her son's room. I got the point. 

The plan for the Ark of the Covenant was that it was to be plated with gold, both inside and out. The gold was a sign of the purity and holiness of God. Gold was rare, which increased the significance of the metal used on the cover of the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark would have been a beautiful piece of work, making excellent use of the experts who had been chosen to build it. It was something that deserved to be displayed. Instead, it would be hidden away in what amounted to the inner office of the Tabernacle, a place where no one was allowed to go except for the high priest, and he would only go there once a year. This inner office would be called the Holy of Holies, and it held what was most important to the fledgling nation of Israel.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Exodus 38

Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. – Exodus 36:2

Today's Scripture Reading (December 6, 2024): Exodus 36

Building something comes in several stages. I have been following the proposed building of a new arena in a nearby city. And it started with the declaration of a need. The existing arena in the city had been built for the 1988 Olympics. It houses the city's National Hockey League team, but there was a perceived need for an updated arena. The present arena was state-of-the-art in the 1980s, but now it is forty years old and doesn't have some of the amenities that are present in newer facilities. When the idea first surfaced, there was a plan to build a combined entertainment complex that would house the NHL team and a field for the local Football (not Soccer) team. But that didn't get the approval needed, even though a new football field might be needed even more than an arena. 

Once the need is recognized, a plan becomes the next step. Blueprints are drawn. Concessions are made as principles compromise on the original plans, often to lower costs. Then, financing is obtained. In the drama happening in the nearby city, this has been a sticking point. Who is going to pay for the new facility? Not only that but who is going to benefit financially from the new arena? How will revenues gained from the arena be divided up? These are essential questions, and answers must be obtained before the project can proceed.

As I write this, all of the above is finished for the arena. Now is the time to get the crews to work on the new facility. It is time to break ground and start the process of building. At some point, every project reaches this point. At some point, the artisans need to take the plans and work to make them into the fulfillment of everything they had dreamed of. 

Moses has gone through the process. God has handed to the Prophet the plans for the Tabernacle. Moses has raised the funds and the materials to complete the building. But now it is time to gather the artisans who know how to take a plan and make it a reality. Now is the time to get to work and build the Tabernacle and all of the items that would be needed inside of the Tabernacle so that the priests could carry out the tasks that worship would demand of them.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Exodus 37

For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a day of sabbath rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it is to be put to death. – Exodus 35:2

Today's Scripture Reading (December 5, 2024): Exodus 35

I live in a busy world. Maybe that is an understatement for most of us. There always seem to be places we have to go or meetings we need to attend. If we have children, then that situation multiplies exponentially. And sometimes, taking a Sabbath is almost an impossible decision. A friend recently told me that he needed a break once a week, and if the only day he could find happened to be Sunday, don't expect to see him in church. He needed to have one day with no appointments or expectations for his health. 

I get it. Busyness is a by-product of our world, and there are days that I feel the same way. However, I am unsure that taking a Sabbath without God is the answer. But what my friend feels is actually an outgrowth of how we are created. Every one of us needs a Sabbath, a day set apart from the everyday things we do, which includes setting aside time to worship God.

In the beginning, God sets up his expectation that Israel would have a Sabbath. Sometimes, I think we belittle this expectation, arguing that maybe it was easy to take a Sabbath then because life was less busy than we experience now. But that is not the truth. Imagine what Israel is being told. They were told that the nation would need to create a Tabernacle or Tent of Meeting from scratch. That meant that they would have to find the resources required for the tent, including wood for the poles, skins, the weaving of fabric, and items that are necessary for the coloration of the cloth. They needed to build all of the things that would be required inside of the Tabernacle. All of this is on top of what each person would have to do just to maintain their own homes and lives. There was no store to run to to get the item you needed to mend or replace something that was broken. Everything had to be made from the raw resources available in the surrounding area. 

Yet, on top of all of this, Israel is being told that one day a week, they were to stop and do something else. Meet with God and spend some time on their relationship with him. Yes, there was a lot to do, but everything that needed to be accomplished required a commitment to the Sabbath. David Guzik reminds us of this reality.

        This was a strict call to obedience. Before they did the work of building the Tabernacle, God first            called Israel to the work of simple obedience. Basic obedience is a pre-requisite for doing work for         the LORD (David Guzik).

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Exodus 36

Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain. – Exodus 34:2

Today's Scripture Reading (December 4, 2024): Exodus 34

One weekend, when my parents were away and I was in High School, my Youth Pastor phoned me and asked if I wanted to go to a football game with him. I love football, but maybe I must stress that the game I love is not soccer. I wish football were more like hockey or baseball, which means I wish there could be more games in a season. However, I have also played football, and I understand why it isn't; it takes at least a week to recover from the bruises and nagging injuries received in the average game. When I received the invitation, I said yes. The game was a couple of days away, so there was a bit of time between the invitation and the game. 

I had some stuff to do and fun to have. I came home from work the night before the game, and my phone rang. It was a good friend of mine, and we decided we just wanted to hang out together. So, he came over, and we played some ping-pong together. Then, we kicked back and listened to some music before he went home, and I went to bed, looking forward to the game I would be attending the next day. But as we played ping-pong, the keys to my car were in my pocket, and I threw them down by the leg of the ping-pong table. 

The following day, the sun got up, but I didn't (it was an afternoon game, and teenagers can sleep forever). So, I rose late in the morning, ate lunch, dressed, and then it was time to leave. I went to grab my keys but couldn't find them. I can still feel the pain today. I wanted to go to the football game, and this was before cell phones, so I couldn't even phone my Youth pastor to tell him what kind of an idiot I was. He had made an effort to go and buy the tickets and invite me to come with him; all I needed to do was show up, and I couldn't even do that.

God tells Moses to get a couple of stone tablets, get ready, and come to the mountain. I will come to you and write the words on tablets. I know you broke the first ones you gave me, but I am not expecting you to be my secretary and write down the laws on the tablet. You come and meet me, get ready for me, and I will write the commandments on the stone. Just get ready and come.

Luckily for all of us, Moses didn't misplace the keys to his chariot by the ping-pong table after a game with a friend. He showed up and received from God the information that had been promised. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Exodus 35

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants. – Exodus 33:1

Today's Scripture Reading (December 3, 2024): Exodus 33

Occasionally, someone asks if they can come and just sit in the sanctuary of the church. And sometimes, they don’t ask. Every so often, if the church is open, they just come in and sit down. There is something about the sanctuary where people feel close to God.

Many years ago, I attended a church where we met every Saturday night to pray. This wasn’t the kind of prayer meeting I had become used to, where we gathered in a room or even in the church's sanctuary, sang some songs, and then prayed together. And it wasn’t anything like the kind of prayer service my African friends celebrate, which is punctuated with loud music and even some yelling. We met as a group at the church but then fanned out all through the church to pray. Many ended up sitting in the pews in the sanctuary or kneeling at the altar. Still, I have to admit that my favorite place on those nights was to climb up on the roof and sit at the edge of the building with legs hanging over the wall, overlooking the neighborhood with a view of the downtown skyline. Sometimes, like my friends sitting in the sanctuary below me, I could lose my sense of time praying and looking at the city I believed was my mission field. 

It has been over a decade since I served at the church that hosted those prayer meetings. The church I currently serve doesn’t have a roof with as easy access as that church. Yet, I still remember those times of prayer up on the roof. And I often wish I could return to my perch overlooking the city.

I can’t imagine any of those places of prayer or solace measured up to what it was like to be invited to meet with God up on the side of Mount Sinai. What was it like to be with God and converse with him like Moses had? I don’t think that I would have wanted to leave. Or, at the very least, that I would have voluntarily wandered away from that mountain. 

However, Moses isn’t allowed to stay in the vicinity of Mount Sinai. God commands Moses and his people to leave the area of Sinai. This place where Moses met with God was not to be the final destination of the people of Israel. And unlike other religions, this would also not be a place of annual pilgrimages. When Moses left the mountain, he and the people were to leave the area and go to the place God had promised to Abraham and his descendants. Sinai was not to be a place to which Israel would return. Sinai was designed to be a one-time event. Elijah, deep in his depression, would return to the mountain of God, but it wasn’t to become a place of worship for Israel. God had no plan to stay on this mountain. He would move with Israel into the place promised to them. And now, it was time to go forward into the next chapter of the nation’s journey. 

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Exodus 34