In the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain that is in front of the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the LORD from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come. – Exodus 27:21

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 15, 2012): Exodus 27

It seems that our house is very seldom empty. Over the past few years, as my kids have grown older, there always seems to be somebody at home. I am afraid that family vacations are a thing of the past. This summer it is just my wife and I that will be going away and our son will be home. But it has not always been that way. In the past, there have always been times when the house would sit empty for a period of time during the summer. The family would be away, hopefully spending some quality time at a beach enjoying the sun. And during those times I would sometimes worry about my empty house. So we would employ a device that would turn our lights on and off giving the impression that somebody was home, even when we were away.

I like having lights on in the house even when I am home. My wife has tried to train me to turn off the lights when I leave a room, but especially in the winter when darkness seems to rule, there is something comforting to me to be able to wander through the rooms of my house with the lights already lit. Somehow it just seems a little warmer – even if it is less green.

God instructs Aaron and his sons, those that would be ordained as the priests of God throughout the coming centuries, that they were to literally keep the lights burning in the tabernacle (and later the temple) throughout the night. The command would actual ensure that two things would happen. The first and probably most important accomplishment of the lamps was that the light served as a reminder that God was always present – even in the darkest part of the night. But the second thing that the lamps accomplished was that it required a priest to work through the night. The work of God was never finished – and he is not only present through our nights, but he is awake and active.

While the gods of other nations were known to take holidays or go to sleep, the God of Israel stayed awake. He was always present and always at work, accomplishing his goals even when his creation had committed themselves to a nightly rest. God was truly able to watch over Israel because he was always alert – and always awake – giving his creation the confidence to fall asleep.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Exodus 28