Setting thing in the Way God told Moses

 

Exodus 40:22-33

 

November 22, 2024

 

 He put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil, and arranged the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses.  He put the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle,  and set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses.  He put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil,  and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord had commanded Moses.  He put in place the screen for the door of the tabernacle.  And he set the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the Lord had commanded Moses.  He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing,  with which Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet.  When they went into the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, as the Lord commanded Moses.  And he erected the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So, Moses finished the work.

 

What if we, who are followers of Christ, were obedient to what the Lord has commanded us to do as those workmen and women in obedient to what the Lord had commanded Moses?  Would the Church see the Wind of the Spirit of God moving in their lives?  Would our neighbors see that we put their interests as important as ours?  

 

What if we, the followers of Christ, examined ourselves and asked the Holy Spirit to guide us as He did? Moses and the people who were obedient to what God had told them. We do not need the water in a basin to wash our hands and feet, but just ask, and knock, and the door to our ministry will be open.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Making the Priestly Garments

 

Exodus 40:1-21

 

November 21, 2024

 

Making the Priestly Garments

From the blue and purple and scarlet yarns, they made finely woven garments, for ministering in the Holy Place. They made the holy garments for Aaron, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

He made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen.  And they hammered out gold leaf, and he cut it into threads to work into the blue and purple and the scarlet yarns, and into the fine twined linen, in skilled design.  They made for the ephod attaching shoulder pieces, joined to it at its two edges.  And the skillfully woven band on it was of one piece with it and made like it, of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

They made the onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold filigree, and engraved like the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the sons of Israel.  And he set them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod to be stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

He made the breast piece, in skilled work, in the style of the ephod, of gold, blue and purple, and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen.  It was square. They made the breast piece doubled, a span its length and a span its breadth when doubled.  And they set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle was the first row;  and the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond;  and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;  and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold filigree.  There were twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They were like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes.  And they made on the breast piece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold.  And they made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings and put the two rings on the two edges of the breast piece.  And they put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breast piece.  They attached the two ends of the two cords to the two settings of filigree. Thus, they attached it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod.  Then they made two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breast piece, on its inside edge next to the ephod.  And they made two rings of gold, and attached them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod.  And they bound the breast piece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it should lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breast piece should not come loose from the ephod, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

 

As a Gentile and a follower of Christ, I often need help with the when and whys, and often the whys are just because it pleased God to do so.  But in the case of the priestly Garments, it was a reminder to Aaron and the people of Israel of the promises of God to Abraham, Isaiah, and Jacob.  A reminder of the sons of Israel and the twelve tribes. 

 

One of my when was the wearing of the priestly garments, and I found this answer on the internet: “that he wore them whenever he performed priestly duties in the tabernacle; essentially, whenever he was ministering to God on behalf of the Israelites.“

 

These garments set aside Aaron and his sons as special in their duty to God and his chosen people, and to show them honor and respect.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

The Dsh

 

 

The Dash

 

Back on December 22, 2018, at my friend Buddy Neubauer's memorial service, this poem was given to each person, and since I had not worn that suit very often, I found it in my coat pocket.  It began in this way;

 

I read of a man who stood to speak at a funeral.  He referred to the date on the tombstone from the beginning … to the end.

 

He noted that first came the date of birth and spoke of the following date with tears, but he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.

 

The dash represents all the time they spent alive on earth, and how only those who loved them know what that little line is worth.

 

For it matters not how much we own, the cars… the house… the cash.  What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash.

 

So, think about this long and hard; are there things you’d like to change?  For you never know how much time is left that still can be rearranged.

 

To be less quick to anger and show appreciation more, and love the people in our lives as we’ve never loved before.

 

If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile… remembering that this special dash might only last a little while.

 

So, when your eulogy is being read,  with your life’s actions to rehash, would you be proud of the things they say about how you lived your dash?

 

                                                                                        Author Linda Ellis

 

My life was richer in knowing Buddy since Junior High school, and still good friends with his bride, Debbie.

 

 

The Dash without Jesus

But it is the poem that has got my full attention, the Dash.  This thought came into my mind it from the Scripture a quote from Jesus;  ^“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26) The poem ask that question, What does it matter, what you are worth, or what you have, it all left behind.  But an eternity without Jesus is not a good choice; in fact, it is just plain stupid.  Being a kind and nice person will not earn you heaven, nor being religious; it requires a personal relationship with Jesus.  I believe Romans 10:9-10 gives you and me the way to have such a relationship.   ^“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart, one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

One night many years ago in Victoria, Texas, in a motel room about 10 pm, as I put the key in the door, I heard this voice in my mind, “This is the last night my Spirit is going to deal with you.  I've been trying to make a deal with God for about 5 months, and it was like talking to a wall.  But that night, it was not about a deal; it was very clear, God was giving me an ultimatum.  I could not get to the hotel Bible fast enough, and it opened to Romans 10, and my eyes went to verses 9-10.  As I read that I knew it was true, I also knew I was a sinner, and I told the Lord, I have not one thing to offer you, but You have everything I need.  And by an act of faith that God gave me, I ask Him into my life.  He changed my dash that night.  It took a lot of unlearning how to get my needs met outside of Jesus. It was not a quick lesson, I’m still learning, but this I know, my Father in Heaven is the God who spoke the world into being, and formed man out of the dust of the earth.

But, there is much that is beyond my limited understanding, God's love is one of them.  Why, before He spoke the world into being, He knew that He would have to send Jesus to buy me and you out of the control of sin.  This I know without doubt, He did, and God gave us the ability to choose or not choose the gift of His Son. I sure hope you chose Jesus.  In Matthew 16:27, “For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.”  What he/she has done with Jesus.

At the memorial service, it's nice that people will say he/she was a good person, but that's not what's important; does God call you His son​/daughter?  One of the saddest verses in the Bible is found in Matthew 7:21-23: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

​Let me share one more thing that Jesus said, it recorded in  John 14:6,  ^“Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  Many believe that being moral and good to others is all you need; others try to do good religious acts, but they will be the ones verse 23 is referring to.

The best quote I ever heard to explain the difference between religions and a personal relationship with Christ is: Religion is about doing, and a relationship with Christ is about being done.  Jesus did it all on the Cross, and He said it is finished.  So, we are told to choose this day, whom we will serve, or what will you give in exchange for your soul?

From our Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Materials for the Tabernacle

 

 

Exodus 38:21-31

 

November 19, 2024

 

Materials for the Tabernacle

These are the records of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were recorded at the commandment of Moses, the responsibility of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest.  Bezalel, the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the Lord commanded Moses;  and with him was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and designer and embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen.

All the gold that was used for the work, in all the construction of the sanctuary, the gold from the offering, was twenty-nine talents and 730 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary.  The silver from those of the congregation who were recorded was a hundred talents and 1,775 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary: a beka a head (that is, half a shekel, by the shekel of the sanctuary), for everyone who was listed in the records, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men.  The hundred talents of silver were for casting the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil; a hundred bases for the hundred talents, a talent a base.  And of the 1,775 shekels, he made hooks for the pillars and overlaid their capitals and made fillets for them.  The bronze that was offered was seventy talents and 2,400 shekels;  with it he made the bases for the entrance of the tent of meeting, the bronze altar and the bronze grating for it and all the utensils of the altar,  the bases around the court, and the bases of the gate of the court, all the pegs of the tabernacle, and all the pegs around the court.

I took this from the internet, on the value of a talent in Exodus: “a "talent" in Exodus is roughly equivalent to around $522,000 in today's dollars, based on the understanding that a talent is equal to 3,000 shekels, making it a substantial sum of money in ancient times; however, the exact value can vary depending on whether it is measured in gold or silver and the specific time period being considered.” 

 

That was a lot of gold and silver for a people of about two million to have while wandering around in a desert.  So how did they get all the materials needed?  That is a great question, and the answer is that God provided them.  Now he used the Egyptian people to do so when the people of Israel left Egypt.

 

You also may have wondered, as I did, what a beka was. It was a tax of half a shekel of silver paid by each man in the congregation who was at least 20 years old.  We serve a mighty God, who has promised to provide all we need, but often the Church is not about needs but wants.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Making the Court

 

Exodus 38:9-20

 

November 18, 2024

 

Making the Court

And he made the court. For the south side, the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, a hundred cubits; their twenty pillars and their twenty bases were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.  And for the north side, there were hangings of a hundred cubits; their twenty pillars and their twenty bases were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.  And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their ten pillars, and their ten bases; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.  And for the front to the east, fifty cubits.  The hangings for one side of the gate were fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases.  And so, for the other side. On both sides of the gate of the court were hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three bases.  All the hangings around the court were of fine twined linen.  And the bases for the pillars were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. The overlaying of their capitals was also of silver, and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver.  And the screen for the gate of the court was embroidered with needlework in blue and purple, and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It was twenty cubits long and five cubits high in its breadth, corresponding to the hangings of the court.  And their pillars were four in number. Their four bases were of bronze, their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their capitals and their fillets of silver.  And all the pegs for the tabernacle and for the court all around were of bronze.

The tabernacle of Moses was the temporary place of worship that the Israelites built according to God’s specifications while wandering the desert and used until King Solomon built a temple. The word tabernacle is a translation of the Hebrew mishkan, which means “dwelling-place.”

The overall shape of the tabernacle of Moses followed traditional structures of the time. It consisted of an outer court, approximately seventy-five feet wide by one hundred and fifty feet long, with a fifteen-foot by forty-five-foot structure in the back (Exodus 27:9–19). The court walls consisted of linen curtains attached by bronze hooks to a series of pillars. The pillars were supported on the bottom by bronze sockets and possibly held in place with rope that attached to bronze rings. The gate, always facing east, was about thirty feet of blue, purple, and scarlet woven into a curtain of linen. The altar of burnt offering and the bronze laver that the priests purified themselves in sat in the courtyard.  (Got Question)

 

The people of Israel and the once who came with them could enter the courtyard, but only the priest and Levite could go into the Tabernacle, and only the high priest once a year into the Holy of Holies.  The altar for burnt offering was in the courtyard, and the bronze laver with water to wash with.

 

It is hard for us to understand the fullness of what Jesus did on the cross; the veil was torn, and we now have access to the Father.  No more outer court, and you are invited to receive the new life that is given to all who see, the forgiveness of sin through the blood of Jesus Christ.  

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

The Altar and the Bronze Basin

 

 

Exodus 38:1-8

 

November 16, 2024

 

Making the Altar of Burnt Offering

He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood. Five cubits was its length, and five cubits its breadth. It was square, and three cubits was its height.  He made horns for it on its four corners. Its horns were of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze.  And he made all the utensils of the altar, the pots, the shovels, the basins, the forks, and the fire pans. He made all its utensils of bronze.  And he made for the altar a grating, a network of bronze, under its ledge, extending halfway down.  He cast four rings on the four corners of the bronze grating as holders for the poles.  He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze.  And he put the poles through the rings on the sides of the altar to carry it with them. He made it hollow, with boards.

Making the Bronze Basin

He made the basin of bronze and its stand of bronze, from the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered in the entrance of the tent of meeting.

My first thought was more of how God designed the items that went into the Tabernacle.  But the Scripture came into my mind, “Be still, and know that I am God.  So, after doing so, I ask what one can learn from this teaching to help in our daily walk?

The Altar was for the outer court, where the people could bring sacrificial atonement and consecration; it was not a one-time thing, it had to be done over and over.  It was a place to atone for sin and gain favor from the Lord. The worshipper would sacrifice an animal without blemish as a gift to God.

So, as a follower of Christ, do I need an altar to go to for the forgiveness of my sins?  We are told in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that Christ became our sin offering.  “For our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”  In 1 Peter 2:24, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds, you have been healed.”  Hebrews 9:27-28, “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Once we enter Christ and are sealed by the Holy Spirit, we will choose not to sin. When we do, it should break our hearts, and often, that is a great time of worship and being thankful for God’s grace and forgiveness.  

But worship should take place each day of our lives, with praise and worship.  I find great peace in the early morning, getting into the Word, and getting time to allow God's Spirit to give me an understanding of how to go about the day.

Worship also occurs when we share all that God has blessed us with as a family or a nation. It takes place when we do anything for others with the right heart; serving others puts us in good company with our Lord.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A Table, the Lampstand, and the Altar of Incense

 

 

Exodus 37:10-29

 

November 15, 2024

 

Making the Table

He also made the table of acacia wood. Two cubits was its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height.  And he overlaid it with pure gold and made a molding of gold around it.  And he made a rim around it a handbreadth^[b] wide and made a molding of gold around the rim.  He cast for it four rings of gold and fastened the rings to the four corners at its four legs.  Close to the frame were the rings, as holders for the poles to carry the table. He made the poles of acacia wood to carry the table and overlaid them with gold.  And he made the vessels of pure gold that were to be on the table, its plates and dishes for incense, and its bowls and flagons with which to pour drink offerings.

Making the Lampstand

He also made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work. Its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers were of one piece with it.  And there were six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it;  three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand.  And on the lampstand itself were four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers,  and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out of it.  Their calyxes and their branches were of one piece with it. The whole of it was a single piece of hammered work of pure gold.  And he made its seven lamps and its tongs and its trays of pure gold.  He made it and all its utensils out of a talent^[c] of pure gold.

Making the Altar of Incense

He made the altar of incense of acacia wood. Its length was a cubit, and its breadth was a cubit. It was square, and two cubits was its height. Its horns were of one piece with it.  He overlaid it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And he made a molding of gold around it,  and made two rings of gold on it under its molding, on two opposite sides of it, as holders for the poles with which to carry it.  And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.

He made the holy anointing oil also, and the pure fragrant incense, blended as by the perfumer.

Bezalel made all of this, and most of us who go by the title of Christian would not remember his name, much less how God's Spirit gave him the skill, talent, and knowledge to do so.

 

We, you and I, live in a culture that acknowledges the skill of sportspeople to the point of acting as if they accomplished the skill and understanding all by themselves.  The election of our President of the USA is now over, and I see many who act as if he has the power to change the hearts of people; he does not.  Only God can do so. President Trump will need the hand of God on him, guiding him, and all who know God, asking for mercy and grace to bring us out of the evil that is at the center of our problems.  I feel the need to remind each of us what God's Word has to say on the subject.  Ephesians 6:10-12,  ^“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

 

If you are in Christ, then His Spirit is living in you, and it is going to require you and me to pray for our leaders, to first seek God, and then to pray that God will lead us out of the control of Satan, and into victory.  We will not do that any other way.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice