Make a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar are of one piece, and overlay the altar with bronze. – Exodus 27:2

Today's Scripture Reading (November 27, 2024): Exodus 27

In 1935, Italy declared war on Ethiopia. Over the previous centuries, it seemed that European powers had carved up Africa and placed various African countries under European control. Italy felt that they had been left out of the windfall. Benito Mussolini believed that Ethiopia, or more precisely Abyssinia, which was made up of the Highlands of Ethiopia and Eritrea, was part of the Italian Empire, and they had every right to take the land back before some other European power claimed it as their own.

The war was a mismatch. Italy had a modern army that was mobilized and ready to go, while Ethiopia was unready for the fight. Maybe the best example of this was that Italy sent as many as 800 tanks into Ethiopia to face the four older tanks that the African nation possessed. And the mismatch continued in several other areas. Italy had 2,000 artillery pieces to go up against the 200 artillery pieces of Ethiopia, and 595 aircraft flew missions against the thirteen planes that Ethiopia had to defend the nation. 

Italy knew that this conflict was not going to be close. Ethiopia's only hope was that it was a member of the League of Nations, which meant that the other member countries would hopefully come to its defense. The problem was that Italy was also a member. But Italy was also the aggressor and had undertaken the conflict to expand its territory, which was Illegal after the horrors of the War to End All Wars. Following its own rules, the League should have come to the defense of Ethiopia. The African nation had done everything right. But, in that moment, the rest of the world blinked. The nations of the League didn't want a war with Italy. So, the League chose not to interfere in the conflict that was taking place in the Eastern African nation. 

The League of Nations was supposed to facilitate conversation and allow the nations to reach out and find ways other than war to solve their issues. War was still an available response. But if war were declared on a League nation, the League would come to the assistance of the one who was being attacked. In the Italian-Ethiopian War of 1935, that should have been to the benefit of Ethiopia.

As the Tabernacle was being built, Moses was also instructed to make an altar on which the animal sacrifices would occur. The altar was to have a horn on each of its corners. These horns were not to be added on but to be one piece with the altar; the horns were an integral part of this place of sacrifice. And when an animal was sacrificed on the altar, blood from the animal would be placed on these horns. Part of the meaning of horns was that they gave an image of something that was reaching out. The horns carried the concept that had been present within Israel since the days of Abraham. I will bless you so that you can bless the nations. I will bless you so that you can bless the world. There was never an idea that Israel, or I believe the Christian Church, would curl up in a ball and take care of itself. We have been created to reach out, covered with the blood of the sacrifice, and make a difference in the world.

We are to be the source of salt and light that this world needs. We would Be God's presence in the world. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Exodus 28