Year 1, Day 88: Exodus 39

Garments

Today we get the description of the making of the garments.  This might sound a little simple, but what were these garments for?  Serving in the temple, of course.  They weren’t garments to sleep in.  They weren’t garments to lounge around in.  They weren’t garments to walk around town and have everyone look at how esteemed a person is by being a priest.  They were garments of service. 

Oh that all the priests of God would see the clothes they put on not as decorations but as garments of service.  Remember that this blog is being written from the perspective of the fact that all believers in Jesus Christ are His priests – see Revelation 1:4-6 and Revelation 5:8-10!  Would that service should become our focus rather than making ourselves appear attractive!

Accountability in the Work

The other comment that I would like to bring out regarding this chapter is the progression that Moses takes us through here.  First, Moses must understand God’s desire.  Then, Moses must communicate God’s desire and collect volunteers.  Third, the work must get done.  Fourth, the work is reviewed for approval.

There is a nice progression there.  Lately in my preaching I’ve been talking a lot about discipleship.  I think one of the things that frustrates me the most is that there are so very few people in this world who hold me accountable spiritually.  Sure, people can hold me accountable according to the work that I do.  But who will hold me accountable spiritually – because someone certainly should!

I suppose that is one of the inherent dangers of being a pastor.  But I find that with nobody to hold me accountable – nobody to review and approve my work from God’s perspective – then I must hold myself accountable.  And we all know how that works.  Seldom do I hold myself accountable appropriately.  Either I hold myself up to a standard that is far too high and fail against it miserably or I give myself too much slack and nothing gets done properly.

Even in my discipleship process I need someone to hold me accountable just as the workers here had Moses to review and approve their work.  We all need accountability, I think.  Accountability is that which propels the job forward in a predefined manner.  It is what puts all the people who are working on the same page – in the case of a joint effort such as building the tabernacle.  Ultimately it is where we achieve growth as well as validation.  Accountability is a necessary part to doing a job well.

Blessing

I like that Moses blesses it at the end.  I really and truly do enjoy that aspect.  Moses reviews, inspects, and blesses.  Well done, good and faithful servants.  Even though these people had just recently fallen with respect to the golden calf incident and will fall again with respect to going into the Promised Land, Moses still blesses them.  Fallen or not, they are God’s people.  Fallen or not, they are Moses’ people.  Amen.

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