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Reflection on Exodus 39:1-40:38

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Scripture

Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.

Application

The clothing for the High Priest is detailed. Finally, everything is complete. The Tabernacle is put together, and the furnishings are installed. Then, the glory of the Lord’s presence fills the Tabernacle.

How awesome it is to consider that the tangible presence of the Lord, the glory cloud, descended in this meeting place with such weighty glory.

I love it when the glory of God becomes manifest in church meetings. There have been times, particularly during the praise and worship, that the presence of God has been so strong you could feel Him. No glory cloud, but no less real.

On the other hand, the New Testament repeatedly reminds us that we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit- individually and together. We are all little tabernacles, little glory clouds. This is true, even when I am not aware of it.

The Holy Spirit is in me constantly. The manifestation of the Spirit, the glory cloud so to speak, becomes present as I align my thoughts and actions with those of the Spirit in me.

“We have this glory in earthen vessels,” Paul writes somewhere.

I need to remember this during the various trials and tribulations of my daily life.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for the descriptions of your manifest glory. They inspire me to seek your glory in the small events of my life. Help me to recall your presence all day. Amen.

Reflection on Exodus 37:1-38:31

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Scripture

The people brought special offerings of gold totalling 2,193 pounds (about 1,000 kg).

Application

Bezael constructs the Ark of the Covenant ad the furnishings for the Tabernacle or Tent of Meeting.

We can let the numbers and details of the Tabernacle go past us because we have no point of reference. Here we are told that close to a tonne of gold went into the various furnishings.

It is impossible to compare values in our economy with the economy of the ancient world. In today’s money the gold is worth 84 million Australian dollars, and the silver is worth $40 million.

This was an amazingly costly undertaking for the people of Israel. They had only recently been slaves in Egypt, but now had resources to build this massive portable Temple.

It truly was a miracle of God’s provision.

Prayer

Lord, if you can provide that much gold and silver for a people in the wilderness, I know that you can supply what I need. Amen.

Ephesians 4:5

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Here is my commentary on Ephesians 4:5 . I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 4:5

“… one Lord, one faith, one baptism,… “

Paul continues his list of things that unite christians.

We have one Lord, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and our Redeemer .

To confess that Jesus is Lord is to proclaim that he is the supreme ruler in our heart, and in our lives.

To say that Jesus is Lord is to deny every other idol that would seek to become lord in our lives. To say “Jesus is Lord” is to say that money is not our lord, that self is not our lord, the family is not our lord .

For people in the Roman Empire, there was a requirement that all people acknowledge Caesar is lord. This meant to swear allegiance to the emperor as the single entity that united all the tribes and nations under Roman sway.

At various times, under several Emperors, it was compulsory for every person to offer incense and publicly declare “Caesar is Lord.” This was not a problem for most people, and Jews were given an exemption, but for christians this was a big imposition. For christians Jesus is the only Lord, and even Caesar has to submit to Him. This became a flash point between the Kingdom and the Empire leading to widespread persecution .

There is only one Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ .

To say “Jesus is Lord” is to commit to obeying him in every sector of life. It is about obedience and loyalty. If an employer or a government asks us to do something contrary to God’s plan, then we respectfully refuse. As the apostles said in Acts 5:28, “ we must obey God rather than men.”

There is one faith.

Christ is not divided into denominations, and faith is shared across denominations.

Even where there is a variety of expressions of christianity, it is one faith. Although it often seems that the church is fragmented, the truth is that christians agree on 99% of doctrine, and disagree on relatively minor points .

Issues of church government, eschatology, the use of spiritual gifts, and so on, pale into insignificance compared to the central truth about salvation, the love and holiness of God, the hope we have in Christ, and the Trinity .

There is one faith. We are used to arguing about the marginal details that we forget that there is no disagreement on the important points of doctrine.

When we look at the New Testament, especially the book of Acts, we see a diversity of expressions of faith. There is no hint that the church at Rome is separated from the church at Antioch, even though they operated in very different contexts. They may have had very different worship Styles and doctrinal positions , but they were United in their love for the lord. A deficient faith does not mean no faith.

There is one baptism.

There are so many different beliefs about baptism that it is almost impossible to accept that there is just one baptism. There is infant baptism, adult baptism, sprinkling and full immersion. Some will only baptise in churches, while others will only that baptise in public spaces. Some baptise into the name of Jesus, but others baptise into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Some baptise immediately on profession of faith, but others say that teaching in the ways of the Lord must come first.

In all of that variety, Paul says there is one baptism.

Baptism is about being introduced or Incorporated into the Body of Christ. Whatever and however it is practised, it is a sign that a person has been welcomed into Christ’s Kingdom and therefore into the church .

Baptism is always a faith statement whether it is a child being baptised or an adult. In either case, we cannot see the future of the person, or whether they will remain true to Christ. All we know is that on this day this person (or their parent) is claiming to be a follower of Jesus. We cannot see if that is a true claim, or whether they will persevere to the end. So the church baptises people in faith.

The sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion carry the power of the Holy Spirit in an enhanced way. They are vehicles of God’s grace, and not just religious ceremonies. When the church baptises a person, the Spirit of God is moving.

Baptism represents a person dying and rising to new life in Christ. The old nature is drowned in the water, and the person is raised to eternal life in God. Baptism is about death and resurrection more than it is about cleansing.

This verse has often been invoked to prohibit a person from being re-baptised. This is not the intention here. If a person is baptised and subsequently leaves the fellowship of the church for a time, there is nothing to stop them from being re-baptised. The second occasion is as much a celebration of the “one baptism” as the first occasion .

Key points in this verse

  • There is one Lord, Jesus Christ
  • Christians must determine that nothing else can be lord in their lives
  • We may disagree on doctrines or practice, but there is one faith
  • There is one baptism into the one church

Reflection on Exodus 35:1-36:38

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Scripture

So Moses gave the command, and the message was sent through the camp: “Men and women, don’t prepare any more gifts for the sanctuary. We have enough!” So the people stopped bringing their sacred offerings. Their contributions were more than enough to complete the whole project.

Application

The craftsmen begin the project of constructing the Tabernacle in the wilderness. The call goes out for people to bring the materials needed as a sacred offering to the Lord. The people respond so generously that Moses has to tell them to stop giving.

Has there ever been a time in the recent history of the church where a pastor has said, “Stop giving! We have enough already!”

There are two miracles in this episode.

Firstly, the people had faith and resources to give so freely to the project. Often churches and pastors have to plead with people to have faith to give generously to anything,

Whole books have been written and training courses have been developed to help pastors motivate their people to be generous.

Here in the desert, a nation of former slaves have miraculously got the materials needed. And they also have the faith in God’s provision for them to be able and willing to give.

The second miracle is for those in charge of the project to recognise that they had more than enough. They had the same kind of belief to know that God would provide all that they needed to complete what they had begun.

When we read through Exodus it is easy to focus on the failings of the Israelites. Here they show how great their faith really was.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for these people who show us how to give generously and faithfully for your works. Amen.

Reflection on Exodus 34:1-35

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Scripture

When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the Lord.

Observation

At the Lord’s command, Moses chisels two tablets of stone like the ones that had been destroyed. He takes them up Mount Sinai where the Lord meets with him.

The Lord promises to drive out other nations before them, but they must promise never to make a treaty with the people living in the land. They will lead the Israelites into all kinds of idolatry.

Moses stays on the mountain with the Lord for forty days and nights. The Lord inscribes the Ten Commandments on the stone tablets.

When Moses comes down from the mountain, he is not aware that his face is glowing from his encounter with the Lord. Aaron and the people become afraid of the radiance of Moses’ face. He then adopts the practice of wearing a veil, except when he goes to meet with the Lord.

Application

When we meet with the Lord or live in the conscious presence of the Holy Spirit, our countenance will change. We may not have a physical glow as Moses seems to have had, but we will be changed.

Pressure and stress will give way to peace. Animosity towards others will be replaced with love. The joy of the Lord will shine from us.

We are not usually aware of this because to us it is normal. However, when you see news items that show christians reacting to tragedy and non-christians in similar circumstances, the contrast becomes evident.

We do not have to pile on the cosmetics to look younger. No, the presence of the Holy Spirit will do that for us. Really, we should expect that if we dwell in the presence of the One who is Life then life will be shining through us all the time.

Prayer

Lord, I love your presence. Please help me to seek you out at every opportunity, to draw closer to you so that your life will flow through me. Amen.

Reflection on Exodus 33:1-23

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Scripture

“If it is true that you look favourably upon me, let me know your ways so that I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favour.”

Observation

The Lord tells Moses to get going. He will send an angel before them to fight the battles for the Promised Land. The Lord will not travel in the midst of the people because they are stubborn and rebellious.

Moses would set up the Tent of Meeting some distance from the camp. When he went in there, the pillar of cloud would come down and hover at the entrance of the tent. The people would stand by their tents and bow down when this happened. The Lord would speak to Moses as a man speaks with his friend.

Application

Moses’ greatest desire was to know the Lord more personally. He would go to the Tent of Meeting frequently to have fellowship with the the Lord. The pillar of cloud, representing the presence of God, would come down to him.

Moses asked the Lord to teach him His ways so he could continue to enjoy God’s favour.

As christians we should all emulate Moses’ passion to know the Lord more. We can follow his example to learn the ways of the Lord

  • Moses set apart a place and a time for regular fellowship with God.
  • He sought a deeper knowledge of the Lord. We can do this by studying the Scripture.
  • He conversed with the Lord. We can do this through listening prayer.

While Moses was dependent on the external presence of the Lord coming down to him, we have the Holy Spirit in us. He is with us all the time.

Prayer

Forgive me Lord for taking your presence for granted. Please help me to be passionate and diligent in my walk with you. Amen.

Reflection on Exodus 32:1-35

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Scripture

When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come on, make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what has happened to this fellow Moses who brought us here from the land of Egypt.”

Observation

When Moses fails to return from the mountain top, people start agitating for Aaron to produce idols for them to follow. So Aaron takes some of the gold the Israelites had brought from Egypt, melts it down, and produces a golden calf. He then builds an altar, and the people celebrate with feasting and drinking.

The Lord tells Moses to go down and see what is happening. Moses goes down, sees the celebration and is consumed by rage. He burns the calf, crushes it to powder, mixes it with water and then forces the people to drink it.

Application

Idolatry is always close to the human heart. We can make idols out of anything, and worship them to the destruction of our relationship with the Lord.

An idol is anything that we place in higher value than our relationship with the Lord. It can be a physical idol, or it can be a less tangible thing such as family or work.

The problem for the Israelites was the length of time that Moses was up the mountain. The visible embodiment of the presence of the Lord seemed to have abandoned them. So they looked for an alternative.

How often do we get discouraged because the Lord does not deliver for us in the time scale or in the way we expect? It is in those time gaps that our trust is tested and temptation confronts us.

Prayer

Lord, it is hard to trust when you seem to be slow in answering my prayers. Please help me to trust you and wait. Amen.

Reflection on Exodus 30:1-31:18

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Scripture

“Look, I have specifically chosen Bezael, son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all manner of crafts.”

Application

The Lord filled Bezael with His Spirit to oversee the construction of the Tabernacle, its furnishings, and the clothing for the priests.

We don’t often think of people being filled with the Holy Spirit to make beautiful artefacts for the worship of God. In particular, in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was given for specific purposes to the prophets, kings and priests.

In our context, we might think of someone filled or anointed with the Holy Spirit to be a preacher or evangelist, pastor or prophet.

But why not the worship leader or musicians? The people who make beautiful objects for the church to inspire people to worship the Lord?

Whenever any person seeks to lift up people’s attention to encourage them to worship the Lord, there the Spirit of God is.

Not all of these people may feel filled with the Holy Spirit every time they for their thing- the same applies to pastors and preachers. There will be times, thought, that they know that God has inspired that flower arrangement, that banner, or that musical performance.

We rejoice that God can dwell in and empower the most humble of tasks dedicated to His glory.

Prayer

Holy Spirit, come and fill me and enable me to glorify you in my acts of service. Amen.

Reflection on Exodus 29:1-46

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Scripture

“These burnt offerings are to be made each day from generation to generation. I will meet the people of Israel there in the place made holy by my glorious presence.”

Application

Every day from generation to generation the priests were to offer a burnt offering of a lamb in the morning and the afternoon in order to atone for Israel’s sins.

Jesus is our sacrifice. He died once to pay for our sins for all time. This is a powerful reminder. What the priesthood of Aaron could only achieve for half a day, Jesus our high Priest has achieved for eternity.

From the beginning there have always been some christians who have wanted to add in the Old Testament rituals and observances. But why would you do that? We have the perfect sacrifice already. We can add nothing to what Christ has done.

When the priests made the sacrifices, the Lord promised that He would meet them in that holy place that He consecrated by His presence.

Because we have the Holy Spirit, we are carriers of God’s presence and are consecrated by Him.

We don’t have to go to a particular place to meet with the Lord. He is always with us.

The Lord is always ready to meet with us also. All it takes is a desire to meet with Him and time to listen to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer

Lord I thank you that we have a better sacrifice and a better covenant than was available in the Old Testament. Thank you that I can meet with you at any time and in any place. Amen.

Ephesians 4:3

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Here is my commentary on Ephesians 4:3 . I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 4:3

“Make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

In the previous verse, Paul list qualities such as humility, patience, and love which help to keep christians on the same page and living to the high calling God has placed on us.

We might think that these are passive qualities which just bring about Christ-like living by virtue of them being in our lives. But Paul now tells us to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit.

There are people who think that God has to take all of the steps necessary to make us better people. They speak of striving as a bad thing because it takes away from God’s grace. Yet as we read through Paul’s epistles, he has a very even-handed approach. ”God has done this for you,” he says, “ Therefore you need to do this.”

Paul tells us we have to make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit. In other words, we are to strive, work hard, make it our goal to pursue unity in the Spirit.

When Paul talks about unity, he is not meaning uniformity. We can be one in the Spirit without being all the same. There are many gifts but one giver. There are many styles of worship, but one God is worshipped. There are many ways to serve, but just one Saviour.

We must pursue unity in our own congregation. Love has to be practised among the believers in the same faith community. If we have strong disagreements with other believers, we must seek reconciliation. Genuine repentance and true forgiveness are the practices that keep communities together.

We must also show respect and love to believers in other congregations. They may have different worship styles, traditions, and doctrinal emphases than we have, but they are still members of the same body, the Body of Christ.

The phrase unity of the Spirit does not mean that we have to work to keep the Holy Spirit together. When christians fight, it grieves the Holy Spirit, but it does not divide Him. I have the Holy Spirit in me, and you have the Holy Spirit in you, but when we stop talking to each other it does not cut off the Spirit in me from the Spirit in you.

The phrase “the unity of the Holy Spirit” suggests that unity is found in the Holy Spirit, that it comes from the Holy Spirit. This unity is about us being together, not the Holy Spirit being together.

We are to maintain the unity of the Holy Spirit through the bond of peace.

In chemistry, a bond is a force that joins atoms together to form molecules. In water, for example, two atoms of hydrogen are bound to an atom of oxygen to form a molecule of water. These bonds can be very hard to break.

When christians are bound by the bond of peace, it means that the peace that comes from the Holy Spirit joins us together and keeps us together regardless of circumstances. This is not something we are forced into, but it is a natural byproduct of the peace of the lord.

In Psalm 46, there is a strong contrast made between the nations which are in turmoil and the peace of the people of God. The nations are in turmoil because they do not know the peace of the Lord.

Peace is more than just an absence of fighting or of noise. Peace, or shalom in Hebrew, carries a sense of harmony, of things being in the right place doing the right thing and all in cooperation or purposefulness .

We experience God’s shalom in four dimensions. Firstly, harmony with God comes when we are in fellowship with Him. Second, there is harmony within. This is the inner peace that comes from knowing that God loves us. Third, there is harmony with others. We no longer have to put ourselves forward or put others down to know that we are valued. Finally, there is harmony with creation as we realise that we are to steward creation and not pillage it.

So the Holy Spirit gives us this peace which transforms us from the inside out, and which enhances every relationship we have. This peace binds us to other people, and makes it possible to work to maintain the unity of the Holy Spirit.

Key points in this verse:

  • We are to be active in maintaining unity in the Body of Christ
  • This is not by human effort alone, but a partnership with the Holy Spirit
  • Unity does not mean everyone has to be the same
  • The bond of peace is the force that helps to keep christians together
  • Peace is harmony that comes from everybody knowing that we are loved and accepted by God