Bible League: Living His Word Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.— Exodus 25:9 ESV The Lord wanted to dwell in the midst of His people, the people of Israel. So, He told Moses to ask for contributions from them. He said, "From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me." (Exodus 25:2) The contributions were to consist of things like gold, silver, bronze, various colored yarns, fine-twined linen, goat's hair, tanned ram's skins or goat's skins, and acacia wood. The contributions were the materials necessary to build a tabernacle for the Lord, the place where He could dwell in their midst. (Exodus 25:1-8) As our verse for today makes clear, the Lord had very specific ideas about the construction of the tabernacle, including its furniture. It was to be made, "Exactly as I show you." It was not up to Moses, or the people, to decide what it would look like. It was to be made exactly after the pattern the Lord would show Moses. All Moses and the people had to do was obey the Lord and build the tabernacle after the pattern. That the Lord would require His tabernacle be made after a pattern is less than surprising. The Lord is a God of patterns, designs, and order. He designed and called into being the whole creation after patterns He had in mind. As beings made in His image and called to take responsibility for the creation (Genesis 1:26), we must be sensitive to the patterns the Lord has established for it. We see these patterns in math and science, anatomy and astronomy, and in the growth of plants and the seasons of the year. It is also striking to think of the many metaphors from nature that the Bible uses to illustrate spiritual truths: vine and branches, straying sheep, sprouting seeds, wells of water, even gender and marriage. God built these illustrations into His creation! We can't just do whatever we want with the Lord's designs. Indeed, rebelling against the Lord's patterns is sin. Just as the Lord showed Moses the pattern He had in mind for the tabernacle and its contents, so He has shown us the patterns He had in mind for our personal lives and in caring for His creation. Just as Moses could not make the tabernacle any way he wanted, so we can't live our lives any way we want. Instead, we must follow the patterns and illustrations He has given us. How has the Lord revealed to us His patterns? He has shown them to us in His Word. The Bible contains the patterns and plans for successful life. Our job, then, is not to question them, or doubt them, or ignore them, but to submit to them out of love for our Creator. Bible in a Year Old Testament Reading1 Chronicles 8, 9, 10 1 Chronicles 8 -- Genealogy from Benjamin to Saul NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB 1 Chronicles 9 -- People of Israel; Judah's Genealogies; Saul's Family Line NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB 1 Chronicles 10 -- Saul's Overthrow and Defeat NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading John 8:37-59 John 8 -- The Woman Caught in Adultery; Jesus the Light of the World; The truth will set you free NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Let those who are wise understand these things.Let those with discernment listen carefully. The paths of the LORD are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them. But in those paths sinners stumble and fall. Insight God's concern for justice that requires faithfulness and love that offers forgiveness can be seen in his dealings with Hosea. We can err by forgetting God's love and feeling that our sins are hopeless, but we can also err by forgetting his wrath against our sins and thinking he will continue to accept us no matter how we act. Forgiveness is a key word: when God forgives us, he judges the sin but shows mercy to the sinner. Challenge We should never be afraid to come to God for a clean slate and a renewed life. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Psalm 138:8 The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me.Most manifestly the confidence which the Psalmist here expressed was a divine confidence. He did not say, "I have grace enough to perfect that which concerneth me--my faith is so steady that it will not stagger--my love is so warm that it will never grow cold--my resolution is so firm that nothing can move it;" no, his dependence was on the Lord alone. If we indulge in any confidence which is not grounded on the Rock of Ages, our confidence is worse than a dream, it will fall upon us, and cover us with its ruins, to our sorrow and confusion. All that Nature spins time will unravel, to the eternal confusion of all who are clothed therein. The Psalmist was wise, he rested upon nothing short of the Lord's work. It is the Lord who has begun the good work within us; it is he who has carried it on; and if he does not finish it, it never will be complete. If there be one stitch in the celestial garment of our righteousness which we are to insert ourselves, then we are lost; but this is our confidence, the Lord who began will perfect. He has done it all, must do it all, and will do it all. Our confidence must not be in what we have done, nor in what we have resolved to do, but entirely in what the Lord will do. Unbelief insinuates--"You will never be able to stand. Look at the evil of your heart, you can never conquer sin; remember the sinful pleasures and temptations of the world that beset you, you will be certainly allured by them and led astray." Ah! yes, we should indeed perish if left to our own strength. If we had alone to navigate our frail vessels over so rough a sea, we might well give up the voyage in despair; but, thanks be to God, he will perfect that which concerneth us, and bring us to the desired haven. We can never be too confident when we confide in him alone, and never too much concerned to have such a trust. Daily Light on the Daily Path Exodus 28:12 "You shall put the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of memorial for the sons of Israel, and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for a memorial.Hebrews 7:24,25 but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. • Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Jude 1:24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, Hebrews 4:14-16 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. • For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. • Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Deuteronomy 33:12 Of Benjamin he said, "May the beloved of the LORD dwell in security by Him, Who shields him all the day, And he dwells between His shoulders." New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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