Year 7, Day 90: Leviticus 1

Theological Commentary: Click Here

The bloody sacrifices.  I’ll let you determine for yourself if I mean “bloody” with respect to the fact that it involves blood or in a more British sense of the word.

One thing that I will talk about with respect to this first chapter is that there are specific directions.  In fact, in all the cases but the bird, the directions are extraordinarily similar.  This causes me to wonder something significant.  Is it the death of the animal that matters or the manner in which it is treated?

In truth, I don’t think either is correct.  While I do believe that the sacrifices are meaningful to God, I do believe that this ritual practices are all about ingraining into the Hebrew culture how there can be no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood.  In other words, I believe these chapters are all about laying generations of cultural expectations so that when Christ comes and dies for our sin, there are people who understand what Christ has done.  Therefore, I don’t think that the death nor the manner of death is really what is important.  What is important is the general understanding of the precedent being sent.

Why is this important?  Well, God does want us to pay attention to the details.  There are right ways about going about God’s plan.  He wants to be obeyed because He knows what is truly best for us.

Think about this in respect to Christ.  When He came, Jesus didn’t just live any old way that He desired and die any way that He desired.  He lived underneath the direction of the Father.  He kept the Law blamelessly.  He fulfilled the Law.  He fulfilled the words of the Prophets.  There is importance in the details because in paying attention to the details we learn the true identity of Christ.

This is even true in the death of Christ.  Jesus died obediently.  He died on a cross as the Father desired.  He died rejected by His own people.  He spent three days and then conquered death as the Father desired.  I could list other examples, but I hope my point is correct.

These chapters are about pointing us to Christ.  There was an order about His death.  There was a process about His ultimate sacrifice.  These sacrifices are not done willy-nilly as anyone sees fit.  Neither was Christ’s sacrifice for us done casually.

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Year 7, Day 89: Exodus 40

Theological Commentary: Click Here

I think the lesson for today is just as simple as the lessons for the past few days.  Yes, we can reflect some more on obedience.  We can reflect on our consecration before the Lord.  For today, though, I’d like to talk about something new.

The glory of the Lord descends upon the tabernacle.  Obedience to God leads us towards the presence of God.  When we are willing to listen and obey, God will draw near to us. 

There is something to remember here, though.  God doesn’t draw near to us because of our obedience.  Instead, our obedience is a sign to God that we are receptive to His desire to come near to us.  Our obedience never earns us anything.  How can we earn what God desires to graciously give us for free?  No, our obedience opens us to a God who already desires to draw near.  That was God’s plan in the desert so many years ago; it is still His plan for us now.

We don’t just get His presence, mind you.  God abides with us.  He comes and dwells among us.  We gain the benefit of His wisdom.  We gain the benefit of His protection.  We gain the benefit of His planning.  We gain the benefit of His direction.  It isn’t just about being close to God, it is about becoming a part of what God is doing in the world.

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Year 7, Day 88: Exodus 39

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Today’s blog post is going to be short and to the point.  The chapter is all about finishing up the work of the Lord.  I find it interesting that immediately following the rebellion of the golden calf we have what is perhaps the greatest moment of obedience in this generation.  God can use our circumstances to bring about change and good things.

That’s not what I want to address today, though.  Do you notice that on this last day we focus on the priestly outfit?  Do you see what is central to this outfit?  The priests are to always remember and serve with their mind on the people of God.  Ministry and mission is about bringing people into relationship with God and then helping them stay there.

In my heart, this strikes a deep chord.  I am all about discipleship.  I am all about helping people find a relationship with God and then helping that relationship grow and stay strong.  That is in essence what the priesthood is all about in its core.  It is good to find such a discipleship centered message this far back in the Old Testament.

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Year 7, Day 87: Exodus 38

Theological Commentary: Click Here

I’m not feeling like repeating myself again today, although I could certainly do a blog post on obedience and the movement of the tabernacle again.  Instead, I’d like to take the opportunity to go down a rabbit trail.  I’ll be extrapolating on small side topics within the greater framework of the tabernacle construction.

Do you notice what metals we hear being used?  Primarily, we hear about the tabernacle implements being covered in bronze and gold.  We also hear about an occasional use of silver.  I stopped and asked myself about it today.  What is so special about gold, bronze, and silver?

I think part of the answer lies in the sheer value of the elements and alloys.  Gold and silver were valuable.  Bronze was less valuable, but it was still a very useful technology.  Certainly part of the point is to look at the value.

However, I think there is far more at work here than simple value.  Gold is highly resistant to tarnish and being dissolved by acids.  Things made out of gold tend to stay the way they are across the centuries.

Silver, by the way, has much of the same rationale as gold, so I’ll not repeat it.

Bronze is quite similar.  Bronze does patina, developing a layer of copper oxide or copper carbonate.  These are the green colorations that develop on bronze.  Once this layer develops, the bronze underneath is perfectly preserved.  Furthermore, Bronze is highly resistant to metal fatigue.  This means that bronze can be work and used frequently without risking damage from breaking or fracturing the metal.  Bronze makes sense to use in a tabernacle that is going to see repeated continuous use.

What can we glean from all of this?  As the tabernacle is being built, the framework is made of wood.  However, these metals are overlaid across the wood in order to help preserve them and allow them to be used without risking damage.  There are some neat symbolic things that we can learn.  When we are coming to worship God, we do not need to fear breaking things or destroying their structure.  When we are going out and doing mission, we can have assurance that whatever God is a part of will absolutely last the test of time. God calls us to lifelong mission, developing routines, patterns, thoughts, teachings, and other things that will last and be with us.

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Year 7, Day 86: Exodus 37

Theological Commentary: Click Here

As we read through this chapter, we are easily reminded of three lessons in our not so distant past.  First of all, this chapter continues to be full of obedience.  The items for worship are made as God desires.  They aren’t improved upon.  They aren’t casually made.  They are made to God’s standard with precision and accuracy.  There is joy in this kind of obedience.

Second, you will notice that the implements that are made are all made with rings and poles.  They are made for movement.  God mission is a mobile mission.  We are to follow God wherever he goes. 

Third, notice that the poles are overlaid with gold.  They are overlaid with gold to help keep them intact and unaffected by the weather and time.  Not only is God’s mission on the move, but it is always on the move.  It is always moving and shifting to wherever there is a heart and a place that is open to Him.  God wants us to be prepared to join Him now, tomorrow, and deep into the future.  Our commitment to Him is lifelong, even generational.  God’s work will continue long after the death of the workmen who fashioned these things and the people who donated the material resources.

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Year 7, Day 85: Exodus 36

Theological Commentary: Click Here

As I say in my commentary from a number of years ago to which I link above, this chapter and the next few chapters to come feel a bit light in content.  We are going to get much of the same story day after day.  We are going to hear how the workers did the work of the Lord as the Lord described.

On one hand, you wonder why these stories are necessary in a book like the Bible.  What wisdom of God do we gain in these verses?  It’s easy to feel this way, isn’t it?

However, so long as chapters like these don’t dominate the landscape, which they don’t, they do provide us with a very important perspective that would otherwise be lost.  God doesn’t just give directives, people follow them.  There are plenty of people before us who were obedient to the calling of their God.  They followed directions to the best of their ability.  They are an example to us.

Furthermore, notice that there was no scramble for the needed supplies.  When we are genuinely doing the work of the Lord, He will provide.  Moses actually had to cut the people off.  I think this is something that we lose in today’s culture.  How many times do we ear spiritual leaders or those under them begging and pleading for money?  The reality is that if God’s will is for something to happen, God will put the resources within His people to accomplish it.  Yes, things need to be advertised.  Moses had to tell the people what was needed.  But Moses didn’t have to beg and plead and exhort.

I wonder how many times we have a human agenda that we assert as God’s will.  We put the label of “God’s Work” upon it.  Yet it struggles to find support.  We get angry and say that the people aren’t listening or they are tight with their money.  Perhaps it is the leaders or the people who are behind the movement who aren’t listening to God.  God has the ability to resource and supply those things that are His will.

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Year 7, Day 84: Exodus 35

Theological Commentary: Click Here

The Hebrew people reach into their supplies and give to their Lord so that the tabernacle may be built as desired by the Lord.  There are many people who look into these verses and see a predecessor to the tithe.  In fact, I count myself among them.  There is good precedent in these verses for us to give to the work of the Lord.

However, I want to take a step further back from the concept of the tithe.  I found it incredibly interesting to hear how the Bible talks about the response of the people.  First of all, it was a willing offering.  Second, the Bible says that everyone went home and found what they had.  As I read that, I thought that it was worded rather interesting.  Wouldn’t they know what they had?

I don’t know about you, but I typically know what I have.  This is even more true about wealth and valued possession.  But this passage reads as thought the people went home to explore what they had and then to give it to the Lord.

Naturally, I realized the reason for my gut feelings.  Remember that the Hebrew people were slaves in Egypt.  They had nothing.  The wealth that they gained was taken from the Egyptians as they fled Egypt and followed God.  The wealth that they had gained was not earned and accumulated slowly over a lifetime but amassed all at once!  Some people had this.  Other people had that.  They needed to hear what was needed and then go home and investigate what they could offer.

I think that this really takes the passage to a deeper level of giving than just that of the tithe.  The wealth out of which these people give is only in their hands because God put it there in the first place!  When we give, we give back to God what He has placed into our possession.  We aren’t giving to God what we have earned in our own righteousness.  We give back to God what He deemed to put into our hands.

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Year 7, Day 83: Exodus 34

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Moses goes up the mountain and gets the stone tablets v 2.0.  Once more Moses gets to hear God expound upon his Law.  Maybe the extra run through was good for Moses.  Maybe Moses’ anger was proof that he really needed to hear the Law again himself.  Either way, it gives us some time to recap as well.

As I read through this passage today, I was reminded about the early commandments.  God is our God.  We are to have no other.  He wants to be our primary focus, our only true source of power.  He is a jealous God, seeking to take His rightful place at the pinnacle of our existence.

In this context, we also hear about God driving out the native people of the Promised Land.  Mind you, it doesn’t say that God will eradicate them – at least not in this passage.  They will simply be driven out before the Hebrew people.  The land is a part of the covenant for the Hebrew people.

What I love about this particular passage and how it talks about the native residents of the land.  God doesn’t reject them because of who they are.  God rejects them because they are a danger to godly people.  They are capable of tempting God’s people away from Him into idolatry.  Their nature isn’t any different than the Hebrew people.  Their nature is corrupt and sinful, just like the Hebrew people.  But the Hebrew people are willing to repent. The Hebrew people are willing to see their mistakes and humble themselves and accept correction.  The native people of the Promised Land are a danger to corrupt God’s people.  Therefore, God will drive them out.

I think that it is very important to see this point.  The Hebrew people aren’t more righteous.  They aren’t genetically superior.  They are simply the people with whom God chose to work.  The Canaanites aren’t an inferior people; they are simply a people who are likely to tempt God’s people away fro Him.

As we will see while reading through the Old Testament, any person of any genealogy can be grafted into God’s people.  It isn’t about race or color or heritage.  It is about one’s heart and its inclination towards God.

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Year 7, Day 82: Exodus 33

Theological Commentary: Click Here

This chapter is a favorite chapter for the people who consistently argue that human beings can change God’s mind.  I’m not saying that I disagree with them here.  However, I tend to argue that this chapter, like so many others in the Bible, has a bit of a deeper meaning below the surface.  This chapter is about so much more than Moses’ ability to change God’s mind.  Let’s probe into it, shall we?

What Moses is doing in this chapter is being a mediator.  Please note that this is actually a skill that God desires of Moses.  God appointed Moses to be their leader.  God wants Moses to be their representative for them in His presence.  Therefore, the first thing that we can learn about this chapter is that Moses is being obedient to God.

Furthermore, when Moses stands up for the people and argues for them, he is demonstrating his love for them.  Moses is doing more than being obedient to God; Moses is demonstrating God’s character to the people.  Moses is showing love for a people when the easier path would be to let God do what he has planned.

What Moses teaches us is more than just being able to alter the mind and will of God.  Moses teaches us what it means to be a leader.  A leader advocates for the mercy of those who are under them because he loves them.  A leader balances this with obedience to God.  Put this way, what Moses is doing here is giving us a foretaste of the greatest spiritual leader of all time.  Moses is foretelling Christ.

Think about it.  Doesn’t Christ argue for His enemies when He says, “Forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing?”    Doesn’t Christ look to the Father and ask to have this cup lifted from Him yet submit to the ultimate will of the Father?  This chapter is not as much about Moses’ attempt to change God’s mind as it is about laying down an example of great spiritual leadership, the kind like we will ultimately see in Jesus Christ.

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Year 7, Day 81: Exodus 32

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Exodus 32 is a real head-shaker of a chapter.  While it is not nearly as popular of a story as the burning bush or the ten plagues or even the crossing of the Red Sea, it is still certainly well known.  What makes it a head-shaker is the horrible way that human beings act in this chapter.

First of all, we can easily talk about impulsiveness.  Moses is gone for a reasonably short while.  While he is gone, there is all kinds of storms and lightning and reason to realize that Moses is up on the mountain with God.  But what do the people say?  “We don’t know what happened to that guy who brought us out of Egypt.”  In other words, we want leadership here and now, and if you can’t be here in the moment then we’re moving on to something else.  Doesn’t that sound rather modern?  Perhaps modern impulsiveness isn’t such a modern concept at all.

Next, of course, there is the blame game.  The people blame Moses for being away.  Aaron blames the people for making him create the golden calf.  Moses comes back before God and blames the people for making him angry.  I’m not sure that anyone takes any responsibility for anything that they do in this chapter at all.

Naturally, this leads us to anger.  Moses is so enraged by the behavior of the people that he smashes the work of the Lord.  The Law of the Lord, which God had literally just inscribed, Moses smashes in his rage.  Remember that Moses has had other anger issues in the past, by the way.

We shouldn’t also forget the human propensity to whitewash sinful behavior.  When asked about the golden calf, Aaron essentially says, “We took some gold, threw it in a fire, and out popped the calf!” This makes it sound so innocent, unplanned, benign.

Given all of this, let’s look at God’s behavior.  God’s wrath burns.  He wants to destroy the people in their rebellion.  That’s how bad the sinfulness was!  However, in His wrath He is forgiving.  There are consequences, of course.  Yet, the people live.  God deals with them in their sin, through a plague, even!  But God still forgives.  He imparts grace upon them and gives them an additional chance.  We may shake our heads at humanity, but we must acknowledge the sovereignty of God’s love.

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Year 7, Day 80: Exodus 31

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Bezalel and Oholiab.  Whenever I read these two names I always get a sense of foreboding, as if something bad is about to come.  But in reality this chapter is just the opposite.  Bezalel and Oholiab aren’t bad things, they are good people!

These are two craftsmen that God has filled with His Spirit.  They have been given the skill to construct everything as God has directed to Moses.  They have been given the desire within themselves to do the best job possible.  They have been given the ability to be creative and enjoy their trade.

However, there is more to it than simple artistry.  God tells Moses that He has given them wisdom and understanding and knowledge.  In fact, notice that these attributes are listed first, even!  Their artistic skill is nestled within their greater understanding and wisdom.

What does this wisdom do for them?  This wisdom gives them the ability to see their work in the community.  This wisdom and understanding allows them to not just follow directions but see the greater vision that God is creating within the people.  They can see their role and how they are going to play a part in God’s work.

So often we are a people who focus on skill.  We want to do things well.  However, how often do we take the time to stop and examine our skill within the community?  How often do we look to our greater role in what God is doing through us and in the community around us?  How often do we ask ourselves not just whether or not we are doing our job well but whether the job we are doing is actually a greater part of the community around us?  That’s a very important question that I often fail to ask, especially when I am in a place in my life where things are going well.

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Year 7, Day 79: Exodus 30

Theological Commentary: Click Here

As I read over this chapter, I was drawn to the fact that there are certain elements that we are not to duplicate.  In other words, there are certain things that are a part of worship that belong in the context of worship.  We are not to cheapen them by removing them and using them elsewhere.  In the chapter, we see the examples of the incense and perfume.  Whoever duplicates these will be cut off from the people.

At first, I found these assertions as though they made sense.  After all, doesn’t it make sense that there are certain things that are sacred when we come into the presence of the Lord?  Shouldn’t there be some things that we reserve for the worship of God?

On the other hand, there is a part of me that is always quick to assert that Jesus has made all things new.  He has made all things acceptable.  We hear this much when Jesus comes to Peter atop Cornelius’ house.

There doesn’t need to be tension between these ideas.  When we say that Jesus has made all things clean, it doesn’t mean that He is saying that He has made all things mundane.  He has made all things clean.  We are not to be concerned about our ritual purity because Jesus has consecrated us in a way that the sacrifices of oxen and sheep could not.

In this I actually find challenge.  The challenge is to live in the world in a way that continues to honor the sacred.  How do I remember that I am a priest as I go about my daily life?  How do I remember that I am supposed to be living with a sacred purpose yet living and serving among the people of the world?  This is the challenge of God.  We have been redeemed.  We have been purified.  All things can be ours.  But we don’t need to make everything mundane in doing so.  We are to be sacred, and help make the world around us sacred, too.

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Year 7, Day 78: Exodus 29

Theological Commentary: Click Here

At first glance, this chapter seems to be about the slaughter of many unsuspecting animals.  Of course, it is about exactly that.  However, it is about more than that.

This chapter is about the consecration of the priests.  Aaron is consecrated.  His sons are consecrated.  The regulations for passing down this consecration throughout the generations is given.  The lifetime consecration is granted by the death of the animals.

Why is this neat?  It is neat because we remember that the tabernacle is a foretelling of things to come in Christ.  The tabernacle is God’s way of preparing us for what He is going to do in Christ.

What is Christ?  Ultimately, He is the one who dies for our sakes.  He is the one who dies so that we might all be priests for God.  He dies once so that we can be consecrated for life.

I’ve never thought about the death of something in terms of consecration.  Sure, I think about the death of a sacrifice in terms of redemption all the time.  However, Christ was more than redeeming us on the cross.  he was consecrating us so that we would be prepared for service under God.  That’s a really cool thought.

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Year 7, Day 77: Exodus 28

Theological Commentary: Click Here

When I read Exodus 28, I am reminded not just of the priests but the humanity of the priests.  Remember, these are the people who are to serve God.  They are to serve God by serving among the people.  But the reality is that they are not serving God because they are perfect.  These are human beings serving God by serving among mankind.

How many times in this chapter do we hear God’s regulation followed by a sentence that says something like, “so that they might not incur guilt and die?”  We can find these kind of commands all throughout this chapter.  The reality is that these are human beings.  They can be just as guilty as the rest.  They can incur just as much sin as the rest.

I think that this is a very important point to remember for Christians, too.  When we find Christ, we find ourselves to be new beings.  But we are not perfect beings.  We continue to be flawed.  We continue to fall into our sin.  We may be called to a higher place, but we are imperfect.

It is easy for us to stand high in judgment.  It is easy to build walls to try and keep the sin of the world out.  That is not what God desires of us.  We are to remember that we are just as likely to incur God’s wrath as anyone else in the world.  We do minister among the world, calling them to a higher purpose as well.  However, we should not do so in arrogance but in humility.

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Year 7, Day 76: Exodus 27

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Notice that today we shift from the inner workings of the tabernacle to the courtyard.  The courtyard is accessible to all.  This is also where the sacrifices happen upon the altar for burnt offerings.  Sin is redeemed in the places where all have access.

The inner workings of the tabernacle are closed off and hidden.  The places about which we learned yesterday are interior, hidden behind curtains, and closed off to the people.  Only certain people with special permission can go in there.

This has great symbolism to our life.  First of all, our sin is worldly.  That doesn’t mean to say that our sin is external.  Certainly not!  All of my sin begins within.  But all of my sin is worldly.  My sin affects the world around me.  People have access to my sinful nature.  Therefore, people should be able to see my redemption as well.  People should be able to experience God redeeming what is broken about me.

Now for my second thought.  While everyone should be able to see witness to my redemption, not everyone will see the full working of God within me.  Only the priests, who had special permission to enter the tabernacle, could go in and experience more of God’s presence within the tabernacle.  So it is with me.  While everyone around me should be able to experience God’s hand working in and through me, only those who take the time to truly get to know me will also know the deep workings of how God is working within me.  The fruit of God’s work should be seen by all.  The means of God’s work is a mystery within us.

This is why relationship, discipleship, and mentoring are so important.  We need closeness to see how God is at work in others.  We need closeness to truly reveal how God is at work within ourselves.  There are times and places for both the external faith open to all and the internal faith revealed to those who desire to seek it.

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Year 7, Day 75: Exodus 26

Theological Commentary: Click Here

I’ve often thought about the tabernacle and its construction.  It’s made out of wood, linen, and cording.  Remember that this was built in the wilderness.  This tabernacle and its implements essentially was outside in the elements 24 hours a day.  It knew the sun.  It knew the wind.  It knew the sandstorms.  It occasionally knew rain, certainly more when the people actually go into the Promised Land.  It knew the process of being torn down, moved, and set back up.  This is a building that took a great deal of beating.

In this light, I’ve often thought about how it lasted.  After all, we have homes and shingles and siding to protect our more delicate implements from the weather.  But the tabernacle did not.  It took the brunt of what mother nature has to offer.  How did it possibly survive?

To answer that thought, I actually think about the Mongols quite often.  Here are a group of people that even in the modern world still live in yurts.  They live in houses made up of wooden frames, animal skins, and fabric.  Their domiciles can be constructed and deconstructed quickly.  Yet, they last a good while, even in the harsh environment of Mongolia.  Certainly, they need repair from time to time – as I am sure that the Tabernacle needed periodic repair.  It’s not unreasonable to think of a building such as God describes in the passage as being realistic in a world with little shelter.

Where am I going with all of this?  I may surprise you.  Keep reading.

What I’m getting at in all of this is that there are some things in the tabernacle that are temporary.  The acacia frame and the fabric would wear out eventually.  On the other hand, there were some things that wouldn’t wear out.  These things are the altar and the more important implements of worship.  The tabernacle had elements that would wear out mixed with elements that wouldn’t.

There is a really neat parallel that we can make here with respect to Christ.  The tabernacle was the place where the sacrificial system came into its own.  The tabernacle was the place where the Hebrew people dealt with sin and its forgiveness.  The tabernacle was made of permanent and temporary parts.  There is a certain foreshadowing to Christ that we can see here.  Christ is the place where our sin is ultimately dealt with.  Yet, Christ had both temporary and permanent elements.  He came as a human being in flesh that would die, much like certain parts of the tabernacle would wear out.  Yet, Christ embodied the Spirit of God, which would certainly never wear out, much like the altar of the tabernacle.  Christ was a mixing of the immutable and the temporary.  We see this in the foreshadowing of the tabernacle.

Not only do we see this, but we live it out as well.  We are certainly human.  Our flesh does wear out.  We get tired; we get old.  But we also have the Spirit of God dwelling within us.  That will never wear out; neither will the work that God is doing within us.

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Year 7, Day 74: Exodus 25

Theological Commentary: Click Here

I made the mistake of reading what I wrote about this chapter 7 years ago.  When I say mistake, I don’t mean I did something wrong.  What I mean is that I got myself all riled up once more!  I find it fascinating that a simple passage about constructing worship implements can have such a dramatic effect on my person.

What is it that got me riled up again?  Let’s remember that this account in Exodus is the account of God establishing His ideal condition of worship.  What is it that God desires?  God desires a tabernacle.  In other words, He desires something moveable.  He desires something that can be picked up and changed in terms of location.  In fact, as we read through the temple implements, do you notice how much emphasis there is on the fact that the temple implements need to be able to move as well?  After the fact that they are to be overlaid in gold, the second most important quality is that they can be safely carried around!

Why does God desire this?  I think the answer is very simple.  God is always on the move.  God’s hand is at work all throughout the world, where He is accepted, invited, or even necessary!  God is not static.  God is not something to be contained in a box.  God is dynamic and fluid and His work is even more so.

Why, then, do we build edifices of worship?  Why do we build complexes that testify to the greatness of the people who gather there?  Why do we build grand facades that need to be maintained and cared for?

I think the reason is because that is what we want.  Human beings like stability.  We don’t care much for change.  We like to feel important.  We like to feel like we belong to something significant.  We like to leave a lasting imprint on the world around us.

God wants to be flexible.  God wants His people – His priests – to be able to take ministry anywhere.  God doesn’t need something grand and permanent, we do!  Therefore, when it is God who asks for His place of worship to be build, He is the one who asks for a moveable tent, a moveable holy altar, and a moveable reminder of His grace.  That doesn’t mean that these things are cheap or meaningless.  It means that they are flexible and capable of managing change.

It does make me wonder about our modern conception of the worship of God.  Are we flexible, or are we building edifices?  Are we looking to go where God’s hand is at work, or are we building permanent presences in the area of the world where we want to be?  Are we taking our lead from God and looking to Him for direction on where to go or are we dictating our terms to Him?

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Year 7, Day 73: Exodus 24

Theological Commentary: Click Here

This chapter ends on a note that is quite easy to miss if we aren’t careful.  Did you see who it is that goes up the mountain with Moses?  Yes, that’s right.  Joshua goes up the mountain with Moses.  Joshua gets to accompany Moses into the presence of the Lord.

Also, notice who it is that gets to stay at home and manage the company.  Yes, that’s right.  Aaron gets to stay among the people and manage all of the disputes for the multitude.  The young Joshua gets to have the mountaintop experience while the older, yet just as faithful, Aaron gets to stay down the mountain among the people.

If you read my last sentence, it’s easy to hear the expected human emotion.  Why is it that Joshua gets to go up the mountain while Aaron has to stay at the bottom and work hard?  We often feel bad for Aaron, because he’s been so faithful all along.  If there is anyone who truly deserves to be Moses, it is Aaron.

However, I think that there are two things to remember.  First of all, remember God’s plan.  Don’t forget the bigger picture, here.  God is leading His people into the Promised Land.  God knows that it will be Joshua who carries on after Moses dies.  It is Joshua who will shoulder the burden of leadership.  Joshua needs this experience.  Joshua needs to know the presence of God.  Joshua needs to be mentored by Moses.  This experience isn’t about reward; this experience is about preparation for the future of the community.  God is preparing Joshua under the mentoring of Moses.

Second, remember that Aaron was commissioned to support Moses.  Aaron has been there to see it all.  He has the wisdom to lead the people in Moses’ absence.  He has the wisdom to oversee the people and judge over their disputes.  Aaron has far more maturity than Joshua does!  While Joshua steps into the role that God desired for him, Aaron is living out the role that God needs from him as well.

In the end, when we step back away from our emotions we can see the bigger picture.  These are people doing what God is asking of them.  These are people stepping into the roles where God needs them.  These are people making good use of their time to do the work of God’s kingdom.  It isn’t about reward and status.  It is about living obediently to God.

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Year 7, Day 72: Exodus 23

Theological Commentary: Click Here

There is a dichotomy in Exodus 23 that I always find disturbing.  I know I am not the only one who finds it disturbing, either.  How is it that the same God who says, “Do not oppress the foreigner or sojourner among you,” can also say, “I am going to drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hivites, Perizzites, Hittites, Jebusites, etc?”  What should we do, love the foreigner or drive them out?

I think that this is an incredible dichotomy to study.  I also think that this is an absolutely necessary dichotomy to keep.  When we lose either end of the dichotomy, culture gets messed up.  The reason is because I think that this topic – as with all areas with God – has more to do with motivation of the heart than anything else.

When we talk about the foreigner or sojourner in our midst, we are talking about people who want to live among us because they want to be a part of our culture.  I’m not saying that they desire to forsake their home culture completely; I am saying that they like what they see in us and they desire to genuinely be a part of it.  These are absolutely people who should be accepted.  Their hearts are open to assimilation.  their hearts are desiring to become a part of a collective.  These people can be brought into a culture, introduced to a meaningful relationship with God, and benefit greatly from it while contributing to the culture.

On the other hand, there are the ones who are to be driven out.  These people are not interested in assimilation.  They want to be themselves.  They want to corrupt the culture, not assimilate into it.  they want to fight the culture and resist against it because it is not their own.  Their hearts are not open.  these are the ones who are to be driven away.

This is why I think the dichotomy needs to exist.  When we lose either side, we end up with destructive policies in our culture.  When we forget to drive out the closed in their hearts, our culture splits and fragments and we become taken advantage of.  When we forget to embrace to sojourner, we become xenophobic and culture stagnates because we have no mission whatsoever.  The dichotomy between teachings in Exodus 22 and Exodus 23 are vitally important to proper balance in life and culture.

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Year 7, Day 71: Exodus 22

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Today we start what is typically considered the lesser exciting half of the book of Exodus.  There are still plenty of things about which we can talk.  The action certainly slows down, however.

As we look at the laws mandated by God to Moses, I am struck by just how many of them deal with the issue of fairness in human interaction.  Whenever property is considered, restitution is required if there is negligent behavior.  In most cases, such restitution is costlier than the item stolen.  There can be no doubt that God is trying to send the message that sinful behavior doesn’t pay.  In fact, sin usually costs us more than we are willing to give.

I also found the laws governing those of lesser power interesting.  God puts it right out there: don’t abuse the foreigner in your midst.  After all, how can we expect people to want to imitate us if we are mean and rude and mistreat them?  Or, what about the law that if a man takes a woman that isn’t his to take, he has to pay the bride price to the father.  I also really love the caveat that even if the father refuses to give her away, he still has to pay.  This prevents a disreputable man from taking a wife forcibly when he couldn’t get one the civil way.  Notice that God also cares about the care of the widows and orphans.  God’s message is simple: He cares about how we treat people who are less powerful than we are.

We are not to take advantage of others.  We are not to misuse our power.  We are not to live selfishly and think only of our own gain.

There might not be much action in these chapters, but there is plenty for us to learn.  We can always look at our lives and examine if we are truly living in obedience to God.  While I often find these chapters inherently less interesting to read, they often cause me to think much more deeply about my life.

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Year 7, Day 70: Exodus 21

Theological Commentary: Click Here

When I read Exodus 21, I get to hear some honest common sense.  Do you hear how many of these laws are about the motivation of the heart?  Do you hear how many of these laws are really about genuine consequences for deliberate – or deliberately negligent – action?  I think that is what honestly appeals to me about God’s Law.  God’s Law seeks more than equal punishment for a crime.  God’s Law pushes us to look beyond the action and into the heart of the person.

As the easiest example, take the passages about the bull who gores someone.  They seem odd to us in a modern society, but in an agrarian society this would be a big issue.  A person cannot be held responsible for a bull who gets angry and gores someone.  In other words, we cannot be held responsible for actions that we cannot control.  However, if we know that a bull has a propensity for goring, then a person can be held responsible if they don’t take reasonable precautions!  If some bull of mine hates people and gores every single person he sees, if I don’t build a fence or tie it up properly, then I am responsible for the negligence of my actions!  I am responsible, not for the bull’s action but for my utter thoughtlessness.

We see the same thing in the passage about the pit.  If I dig a pit and walk away, I am responsible for any injury that my hole makes.  Who digs a hole and then leaves it there for people to get injured unless it is either their intent to cause injury or the person is so self-absorbed that they don’t think?  However, if I dig a pit, responsibly cover it, and someone comes along and undoes my protection over it an injures themselves, then I am not responsible.

This naturally leads into the introductory laws where we talk about murder and injury of human beings.  If I intend to injury or kill someone, I am responsible and should pay a reasonable consequence.  However, if I am simply going about my life and an injury happens, then that is simply life.  Again, though, I would personally add negligence to this.  If I am going about my life and I don’t cause injury to someone, but because of my negligence someone becomes injured, then I am guilty!  At the very least I am guilty of my thoughtlessness and lack of concern for my fellow man.

For me, this is a powerful concept in the modern culture.  Our whole lives are ever-increasingly wrapped around our personal feeds in social media.  Our lives are quite literally wrapping around us so tightly that we are no longer the center of our own existence but sometimes become the entirety of our existence!  There are people who go through life so wrapped up in themselves that they pay no heed to the fact that the things they do affect other people!  This self-centeredness is genuine negligence with respect to the community.

I see it all over the place.  I see self-centered thoughtlessness every time I drive down the road.  How often do I see someone leave trash behind without throwing it into a garbage bin?  How often do I meet someone talking on a phone who is completely clueless about the place they choose to stop and have a conversation and how it might be in the natural flow of foot traffic around them?  How often do I see photos that people have taken of themselves who don’t realize what else the things in their photo reveal?

We need to be conscious about what we do.  We need to think about how we impact the world around us.  We need to be thoughtful people, taking into consideration how our words, actions, and possessions might just influence the people who are around us and who are sharing our space.

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Year 7, Day 69: Exodus 20

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Obviously, Exodus 20 is known for the Ten Commandments.  There are some really good comments about them if you would like to read them.  My commentary to which I’ve linked above has some good thoughts, too.

Instead, I want to talk about the unusual position of worship that we see portrayed in this passage.  Do you see the people’s reaction when they actually see God interacting with Moses on the mountaintop?  They back off in fear.  They beg Moses to be an intermediary between them and God.  In truth, when the people see what relationship with God is really like, they want to back away.  They don’t actually seem like they want anything to do with a personal relationship with God.

I think there are several reasons for this behavior.  First of all, relationship with God is quite scary.  The people see Moses dealing with lightning and thunder.  They see a human reason to fear.  I think this is reality.  When people see someone who truly has a meaningful relationship with God, they see things that makes them afraid.

Of course, this naturally leads to a second reason.  Meaningful relationship with God changes us.  It forces us to live differently.  Look at the Ten Commandments.  If we read those words and apply them to our lives, we will be challenged.  It will take serious effort to put aside our own selfish nature and abide by those commandments!  When people think about relationship with God, they often think about it in terms of what they can get for themselves from an omnipotent God.  But then reality sets in and we realize what we have to give as well.  This often causes us to back away and distance ourselves.  Sadly, it is all too easy to have a less challenging life if we follow the example of the Hebrew people in this chapter and ask to keep God at arm’s length.

I think this is why we begin and end this chapter talking about idolatry.  It is right there at the top of the Ten Commandments.  It’s also the first thing that God says to Moses after the people demonstrate their fear.  Human beings need to worship something.  We all do.  Some of us worship God, or even a god.  Other people choose to worship people, such as celebrities or athletes.  Some people live like they are worshipping their children.  Other people choose to worship material possessions like bank accounts or vehicles.  But the reality is that human beings need to worship something, we all do.

God’s point is that in our need to worship something, we have to be careful to not turn to idolatry.  We are idolatrous because it is far easier!  The truth is that the worship of my bank account places far less demands upon me than the worship of the true God.  The worship of a celebrity that I can never know places far less demands upon me than the worship of the true God.  Idolatry is the easy way out.

The unfortunate part is that in the lessening of the challenge, we also get a lessening of the reward.  When I cut myself off of the challenge of God, I don’t see maturity developing within me.  When I put God at arm’s length, I don’t allow Him into my life to analyze, scrutinize, cut, and change things.  When I take the easy way out and worship the stuff in my life instead of the true God, my life becomes simpler but with far less true reward.

That’s a pattern that I see in the Hebrew people all throughout the Old Testament.  God’s chosen people time and time again put God at arm’s length and choose other things.  In doing so, the deprive themselves of His presence.  They fall away and mire themselves in a culture of self-centeredness.  It is a sad reality that we see beginning to play itself out even as the Law is first given to them here in this chapter.

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