Exodus 36:8-37:9

Dear RTB’ers,

Are pictures really worth a thousand words? When it comes to tabernacle structures, I’d say “yes”. In an e-mail that I sent a few years back, I noted that we have a drawing on page 99 of The Chronological Study Bible that is a fairly good artistic rendering of the tabernacle. You might want to look at that if you have the CSB. The larger “fenced” area is the “court of the tabernacle” (Exodus 27:9, ff.). The smaller structure inside the court is the tabernacle, which is composed of two parts, the “holy place” and the “Most Holy” place (Exodus 26:33).

I have imbedded another artistic rendering of the tabernacle below. Both the holy place and the Most Holy place were 15 feet wide and 15 feet high. The lengths were different, 30 feet for the holy place and 15 feet for the Most Holy place. So the Most Holy place was a perfect cube, 15’ x 15’ x 15’.

If a cubit is 18 inches, then these curtains are 42 feet long and 6 feet wide. How does a 42’ x 6’ curtain fit into the tabernacle structure? My understanding is that the curtains form the sides and roof. Each curtain goes up one side (vertically), then across the roof, then down the other side. That total distance would be 45 feet (15+15+15), but the curtains are only 42 feet, three feet short of the 45 feet needed. Presumably those last three feet would be tie-downs, to hold the curtains in place.

I love numbers.

Enjoy!

Exodus 35:1-36:7

Dear RTB’ers,

Two thoughts for today. First, the Sabbath. God is serious about His Sabbath. It was one of two items from the Ten that was mentioned in yesterday’s reading and now it’s the first item in today’s reading. Maybe He wants us to be (or get) serious about observing His Sabbath. Frankly, for years I tended to observe the Sabbath by going to church and not doing a lot of “heavy lifting”. Then an incident occurred when I was a graduate student at the University of Maryland. One Sunday morning I attended a church in Washington, DC that coincided with me reading Hebrews, especially the end of chapter 3 and the beginning of chapter 4. I began to see God’s Sabbath rest more as a gift than a requirement – and I am not a person who dismisses gifts lightly. Beginning that following Sunday I rested from my studies and my homework and my teaching preparations (except for when classmates or students made a serious request of me to join them for a study session). Carol and I continue to observe God’s Sabbath rest. I encourage you to go to Hebrews and read from 3:7 to 4:13, about the Sabbath as a rest-gift rather than a requirement. It’ll change your focus.

Second item… We’re not there, but I think it’s pledging time at St. Andrew’s. Timely that we should be reading about the Israelites’ gifts for the construction of the tabernacle and all its contents and the priestly robes. I was struck by the people’s reaction to the call for contributions:

And they received from Moses all the contribution that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning, so that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task that he was doing, and said to Moses, “The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the LORD has commanded us to do.” So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more.

Exodus 36:3-7

‘Nuff said.

Blessings!

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See also: January 28 (2023) / Exodus 35-37

Exodus 34

Dear RTB’ers,

We first saw the Ten Commandments back in Exodus 20. Today God gives Moses another set of rules for the Israelites to follow, with only two of the original ten included – not seeking other gods (vv. 12-17, Exodus 20:3-4) and honoring the Sabbath (v. 21, Exodus 20:8-11). In addition God sets three times of the year where the people are to honor Him in a special way, Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the LORD God, the God of Israel (v. 23) – the Passover, the First Fruits, and the Ingathering. Finally, God demands that the firstborn males from the people and the livestock be devoted to Him. (More on that many weeks down the road…) It doesn’t seem to me that God was asking that much of His people, yet they had difficulty following Him. And, frankly, it’s true that God doesn’t ask that much of us (except that He asks for all that we have and are!), but we also have our own difficulties following Him. Another thought for the day…

Blessings!

Exodus 33

Dear RTB’ers,

We mentioned this “cleft rock” incident a few chapters ago and today we see it in context. Moses, again, seems to be looking for affirmation from the Lord that He will go with them and that He has chosen Moses to lead His people: For how shall it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? (v. 16a) You probably recall that Moses had a similar “insecurity” about leading the Israelites when God first approached him from the burning bush, how Moses tried to turn down God’s charge to him to confront Pharaoh. (See Exodus 3-4.) God gave Moses a number of assurances back then, but still Moses halted until God spoke firmly to him that he would go and that Aaron would be his mouthpiece. Today Moses sees God’s glory, but only His backside. Clearly, that was enough for Moses!

Today’s reading and the “burning bush” incident ought to move us to think about our own lives, as to what God has asked of us (or is now asking of us) and our reactions to His call. Have we rebelled or gently resisted or even hesitated a bit to where we know He is calling us? Right now I’m looking back on my own life, asking those questions. I’m going to continue to do that as I walk along today. Wanna join me?

Blessings!

Exodus 32

Dear RTB’ers,

I am touched by Moses’ leadership in this “golden calf” incident. First, when he sees God’s anger, he implores Him not to destroy the people for what they have done. But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, …“Turn from Your burning anger and relent from this disaster against Your people.” (vv. 11a, 12b) But his own anger against the people was real: And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. (v. 19) Still, Moses was able to contain his anger and do what he could to resolve their sin before the Lord. The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” (v. 30) Finally, Moses’ plea before the LORD includes a willingness to forego his own relationship with God: “But now, if You will, forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of Your book that You have written.” (v. 32) Moses’ offer of his own life calls to mind Paul’s admission in Romans 9:3, For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. What a fine example of Moses’ leadership we see in today’s reading.

Blessings!

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See also: January 27 (2023) / Exodus 32-34

Exodus 30-31

Dear RTB’ers,

A number of topics today. I’m struck at God’s naming of two people, Bezalel and Oholiab, as skilled craftsmen to be put in charge of all the detail work on the tabernacle and its contents. Occasionally we sing “He knows My Name” and we believe it, but it’s quite another for God to have named these two men from among the 600,000 at Sinai and charged them with a task for which He had supremely fitted them. But it’s no different for us – except that billions of people will not be reading about us thousands of years from now. But God has specifically gifted each and every one of us to tasks for which He has called us. Nine years retired and 76 years old and I still own the gift of teaching that God gave me years ago. Each of us should regularly name our gifts and thank God for them and for His using us as He will.

Carol and I attended the Diocesan Synod last November. Very near the end of the Synod a speaker made an announcement that vials of anointing oil were available to be picked up by clergy or their appointed laity. Reading today the specific requirements for the mixing of the Sinai anointing oil, I wonder back whether today’s anointing oil is the exact same mixture as those thousands of years ago. I’m betting that it is! And for the incense… An interesting story down the road.

Blessings!

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See also: January 26 (2023) / Exodus 29-31

Exodus 29

Dear RTB’ers,

I counted the word “offering” sixteen times in today’s reading. What kinds of offerings? Sin offerings, burnt offerings, food offerings, wave offerings, peace offerings, drink offerings, grain offerings. If you can keep track of all those, you are a Biblical scholar!

I could not find a way to shorten the ending of today’s chapter, so I offer it mostly in full: …at the entrance of the tent of meeting … I will meet with you, to speak to you there. I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God. (vv. 42b-46, slightly edited) He is the LORD, our God!!

Blessings!

Exodus 28

Dear RTB’ers,

And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. For Aaron’s sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty. (v. 2, repeated in v. 40) For glory and for beauty… To reflect God’s glory and the beauty of His Creation. When I was in the Army, I didn’t have to think about what I would wear each day. It was all OD (olive drab) green. Dull and boring. I don’t like thinking about what I’ll wear each day, but I sure like seeing the myriad colors in our clothes’ creations! For glory and for beauty!

Blessings!

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See also: January 25 (2023) / Exodus 26-28

Exodus 26-27

Dear RTB’ers,

I should have posted this yesterday – if you are up to date we have hit a stride that gets a bit difficult. To this point in Genesis and Exodus we have been doing mostly history with only a few genealogies mixed in. Now we are reading God’s instructions to Moses on specifics of building the tabernacle and all its contents. It gets a bit dry and hard to follow, so it’s good to have a Study Bible handy to look at artists’ depictions of what each item looked like and of the entire configuration of the tabernacle and its contents. So here’s my suggestion – grab your Study Bible or get on the Internet to see some pictures and maybe explanations of these constructions and their uses. The measurements make more sense when you finally see what the final product looks like. Here, for example, is the best drawing I have ever seen of the tabernacle and it’s accoutrements:

Beyond those measurements and constructions and garments, we’ll have a lot of sacrifices and laws to talk about months down the road when we get to Leviticus! Good stuff, eh?!

Blessings!

Exodus 25

Dear RTB’ers,

Today and for the next many chapters Moses is on the mountain with God receiving instructions for the building of the tabernacle and sanctuary and many other assorted items. These the Israelites will carry with them during their forty years of wilderness wandering. Today we read of articles that will be within the sanctuary, later to be called the “Holy of Holies” – the Ark of the Covenant, the table for bread, and the golden lampstand. These instructions will be repeated many weeks later when we get to the actual building of these articles after Moses comes down from the mountain.

One section that I had to read twice… The beginning of our reading today had God asking for contributions from the people of Israel. Of all these contributions there is only one item that is a necessity – the oil for the lamps. Everything else is a luxury. Similarly, when we speak of giving at church, of stewardship, our suggestion has constantly been a tithe, a tenth of your income. I daresay, that tithe for any of us would not cut into our necessity spending. Frankly, God does not ask that much of us, compared to what He gives us!

On the other hand, God asks that we give Him ALL that we have, ALL that we are. He wants us to be His, completely!

Blessings!