I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Exodus 39-40.

    Today’s passage continues describing the preparation of the Tabernacle. In particular, it describes how the craftsmen prepared the clothing to be worn by the priests. It is interesting that I find I can read this and imagine how it would look, while I found my eyes glazing over when I tried to do the same with the description of the making of the Tabernacle itself. The passage goes on to describe Moses setting up the Tabernacle. I think this gives us a good example of the limits of reading the Bible literally. It says that Moses set up the Tabernacle. A literal reading of it would imply that Moses did all of the work of setting up the Tabernacle by himself. However, going back and reading the description of the making of the Tabernacle reveals that to be unlikely. The place where this is most obvious is where it states that Moses brought the Ark of the Covenant into the Tabernacle. Go back and read the description of making the Ark. It would have been too heavy for a single man to move, and it would have been too awkwardly shaped for a single person to move. The important point to remember here is that no one is called to do it all by themselves.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Exodus 36-38.

    As I read the description of the work which Bezalel, and his assistants, did to build the Tabernacle and its furnishings it strikes me that they were skilled in many areas. There were those who could sew, those who were woodworkers and metalworkers. I know that I fail to give this passage the full appreciation it deserves. As I read it my eyes begin to glaze over at the detail given. This is not because the detail serves no purpose. Rather it happens because only a few verses in I realize that I so lack the skill to replicate this work that I cannot even visualize the Tabernacle in its true glory. I would love to see someone build a replica of the Tabernacle as described here, but I know that I do not have the skills to make something that bears even a faint resemblance to what is described.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Exodus 33-35.

    When Moses came down off Mt Sinai after chiseling the second set of God’s commandments to the children of Israel, his face glowed. This was the result of Moses speaking with God. After this, Moses face contained this glow whenever he talked with God. The result of this was that the people were afraid to speak with Moses unless he covered his face with a veil. From that day on Moses covered his face with a veil except when he went into the Tabernacle to speak with God.
    I do not want to belittle what is described here, but have you ever met a person you know speaks with God regularly just by looking at them? I have. I don’t think I would describe it as a glow, but there is something about such people. You probably won’t be able to put your finger on it, but there are people who you recognize there is something special about when you first meet them. After talking with them a short time you realize that what you saw was the visible representation of their walk with God. If people do not have that reaction to you, it is time to get serious about your relationship with God. I have once or twice had people react to me that way. However, I know that my walk today is not where it should be, where it will cause people to look at me and know that I walk with God.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Exodus 30-32.

    God gave Moses a recipe for anointing oil and for incense to be used in the Tabernacle. The people were forbidden from using a similarly scented oil or incense for anything else. Studies have shown that we remember scents on a much more basic level than anything else. Because these scents came from the oil used to consecrate things and people in the Tabernacle and from the incense used to worship God, the children of Israel would associate them with worship. If these scents were used elsewhere they would be likely to trigger a subconscious response on the part of those who smelled them. This subconscious response might lead people to worship something other than God, or it might be used by the unscrupulous to cause people to trust those that they would otherwise distrust. Therefore the people were forbidden from using this oil and this incense in any other setting.

    While Moses was on the mountain getting God’s instructions for the people, the people got impatient. I cannot say that I blame them. Moses was up on the mountain for forty days. However, rather than demand Aaron find out what was taking so long, they demanded that he come up with some other god(s) for them to follow. Aaron for his part did not attempt to dissuade them. He promptly gathered their gold and made them a calf. When Aaron saw how excited this made the people, he declared that they would have a festival to the Lord. So, we have two sides sinning here. The people for giving up on God and Moses and Aaron for having a plan as to what to do when they did. However, one of the things that struck me about this passage is that the primary sin committed was not the worshiping of the golden calf in place of God. Reading between the lines it seems to me that the biggest sin they committed was giving credit to an idol they watched being made for the mighty works which God performed to bring them out of Egypt.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Exodus 28-29.

    The passage goes into great detail about how the garments which Aaron, the high priest, was to be dressed in. These garments served two purposes. The first purpose was to set Aaron apart from the rest of the people. When people saw Aaron wearing this garment, they saw him as their high priest who interceded with God for them. The second purpose these garments served was to remind Aaron, and his successors, that he represented all of the people of Israel. He did not just represent the Levites, or even just the elites. He represented all of the people.

    The passage goes on to describe the ceremony and sacrifices for the ordination of Aaron and his sons. This ceremony, and the accompanying sacrifices, was designed to convey to Aaron and his sons the solemnity and seriousness of their roles as priests interceding with God on behalf of the people. In both portions of this, there were just a couple of people, Aaron and his sons, who were to become the priests and intercede with God on behalf of the rest. Jesus has made all who believe in Him priests. It is our job to intercede with God for everyone else. This is a solemn and serious job. One which I forget is mine all too often. It is not my job to condemn those who have failed to turn to God. It is my job to intercede with God and request that He pour out His Holy Spirit upon them.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change. Today’s study is a little on the short side. I think that may be common this year. Of course, I will warn you, that means that some day’s studies will be a bit long

Today, I am reading and commenting on Exodus 25-27.

    Whenever I read the description of the design for the Tabernacle and its furnishings I struggle to see what God is communicating to me in this passage. Today as I read this it stuck me how beautiful all of these things would have been. I think in some ways that is the point of these passages for us today. There is value in creating a place of beauty as a place to worship God. There is danger there as well, but that is not what these passages are about. These passages describe the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, and the Tabernacle furnishings as things of great beauty. The beauty of these things enhanced the ability of the children of Israel to worship God. We must not overlook how beauty will do the same for us.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change. .

Today, I am reading and commenting on Exodus 22-24.

    Having given the general rules regarding how the children should interact with God and each other, God gives some more detailed rules about how they should build their society. The first group of these rules establish property rights. These rules establish punishments for those who fail to respect their neighbors property rights. Those rules, however, place limits on one’s liability for property which another has given into your custody.
    The next two groups of rules are about how society should be structured. These two groups are not clearly separated. The first of them is, more or less, a group of commands which tell us how we should relate to God and those He has given governing authority. The second is a group of commands about how we should interact with each other and how the governing authorities should treat those it governs. However, the two groups are not clearly separated and are somewhat intermixed. It is worth reading these in detail. I am going to note a couple that stood out to me:

• Do not mistreat immigrants. (It is worth noting that this does not actually tell us anything about the illegal immigrant debate)
• You must not exploit a widow or orphan. (God will look out for the powerless)
• When you hear a rumor, find out if it is true before passing it on.
• Just because everyone else is doing it does not mean it is OK to do something that is wrong.

There are many more worth reading and thinking about just as much as these. While the commands listed here are phrased in the context of a culture different than ours, we can still see how they can guide our behavior today.

This year I switched from using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible reading to the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net”. I have now done this long enough to say that I am glad I made the change. I am firmly convinced that the One Year Bible Online is a great way to read through the Bible in a year. It breaks the parts of the Bible which can be a struggle to read into manageable portions. However, I think that the Daily Bible Reading Schedule I am using now is a better format for doing a daily Bible study.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Exodus 19-21.

    Reading about how God had the children of Israel prepare for Him to speak with them gives us an idea about what it means to fear the Lord. They were to spend three days consecrating themselves for His arrival. As a side note, I find the parallel with Jesus’ three days in the grave interesting. I am not sure there is any connection between the two, but I want to give it some thought. During this period of consecration none of the people or their animals were to touch the mountain (as defined by a boundary marked by Moses) on pain of death. When God arrived on the third day, He reminded the people that none were to attempt to cross the boundary out of a desire to see God. Even after three days of consecration they were to purify themselves further, even the priests who regularly approached God to offer sacrifices (another interesting note: this takes place BEFORE God had Moses set up Aaron and his sons as priests. Who were the priests at this time?).

    When the preparations were completed, God spoke to the children of Israel. He gave them what we call the Ten Commandments and the Jews call the Ten Sayings or Ten Words. The first four commandments have to do with our relationship with God. The final six have to do with our relationships with our fellow man. The first two establish that God is the only god and we should worship only Him. The third tells us not to abrogate God’s authority for our own, that we are not to use God’s name for our own purposes. The fourth tells us that we have six days a week to take care of our worldly needs, but we should dedicate the seventh day to worshiping and communing with God. The fifth tells us to honor our parents, that doing so is the path to a long, full life. The remaining five, as Jesus tells us, can be summed up by, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” I will note that loving and worshiping God results in us loving ourselves. If we do not love ourselves, we will not love and worship God.

This year I switched from using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible reading to the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net”. I have now done this long enough to say that I am glad I made the change. I am firmly convinced that the One Year Bible Online is a great way to read through the Bible in a year. It breaks the parts of the Bible which can be a struggle to read into manageable portions. However, I think that the Daily Bible Reading Schedule I am using now is a better format for doing a daily Bible study.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Exodus 16-18.

    Despite the miraculous way the Children of Israel escaped the Egyptian army, they quickly began to complain about food. Then when God provided them with manna, they did not follow the instructions which Moses gave them. First, they tried to keep some for the next morning, when Moses told them not to. Then when Moses told them not to go out on the Sabbath to collect it, some of them did anyway (although I can sort of understand the second reaction after what happened to the manna which some kept over the first night. One interesting note I want to make here. I have heard it suggested that manna was a natural phenomena of the Sinai wilderness which Moses knew about from his time herding his father-in-law’s herds. The problem with that is how does a natural phenomena go bad overnight for five days a week and on the sixth day last through a second day?

    After receiving the manna when they complained about no food to eat, the children of Israel began to complain when they came to a place where they did not find water when they arrived. It is worth noting that they were still collecting manna every morning except for on the Sabbath. And Moses did not turn to God until he got desperate. Nevertheless, God provided for the needs of the children of Israel once more. There is a lesson here for us. God will be faithful, even when our faith falls short. God will provide for us, even when we struggle to believe.

    The advice which Moses’ father-in-law gave him was advice which every leader needs to hear. Every leader of a group that is larger than four needs to learn to delegate. Even when God speaks to you in a clear, unambiguous voice you cannot do everything yourself. More importantly, God will call others to various roles in the group and will speak to them. He will provide them with the wisdom and judgment to make the decisions for which that role calls. God intends for every leader to empower and encourage those they lead to use the gifts which God has given them so that those followers can in turn lead others to do God’s will. If those in subordinate positions must turn to the leader for every decision, the leader is not fulfilling God’s intentions. If you are a leader and feel that those whom God has called to follow you are unable to make Godly decisions about matters regarding the group, it is your job to teach them how to do so. If you feel that they are unwilling to make those decisions for themselves, you need to push them to do so (after teaching them to do so).