Category Archives: Obeying God

Faith / Trusting God, Father / Yahweh, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Holy, Holy / Set Apart, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God

To Be Holy and Set Apart for the Father

To set apart your life and purpose to the service of Jehovah is a big deal. All followers are called to do this … to lay down their wants and desires and sinful temptations and to instead follow the ways of Christ. Less of us, more of Him.

John 3:30

30“He must increase, but I must decrease.

In Leviticus, we see how significant an event it was for Aaron and his sons to be consecrated in order to serve Jehovah. The Father was very detailed in the steps to be carried out. There is rich symbolism we can explore, but there are two areas in particular I want to highlight that we can all apply in our lives today.

Those set aside for the service of the Father were anything but a secret. Their consecration was not subtle. They assembled the congregation of believers. Their dedication to the Father was public, no matter what others may think about it. Second… count how many times in this scripture we are told that the instructions of Jehovah were obeyed. I count at least six times. If we are to be holy and set apart for God, we must be obedient.

Leviticus 8

The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons

      1Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments and the anointing oil and the bull of the sin offering, and the two rams and the basket of unleavened bread, 3and assemble all the congregation at the doorway of the tent of meeting.” 4So Moses did just as the LORD commanded him. When the congregation was assembled at the doorway of the tent of meeting, 5Moses said to the congregation, “This is the thing which the LORD has commanded to do.”

      6Then Moses had Aaron and his sons come near and washed them with water. 7He put the tunic on him and girded him with the sash, and clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him; and he girded him with the artistic band of the ephod, with which he tied it to him. 8He then placed the breastpiece on him, and in the breastpiece he put the Urim and the Thummim. 9He also placed the turban on his head, and on the turban, at its front, he placed the golden plate, the holy crown, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      10Moses then took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them. 11He sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times and anointed the altar and all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, to consecrate them. 12Then he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him, to consecrate him. 13Next Moses had Aaron’s sons come near and clothed them with tunics, and girded them with sashes and bound caps on them, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      14Then he brought the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering. 15Next Moses slaughtered it and took the blood and with his finger put some of it around on the horns of the altar, and purified the altar. Then he poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it, to make atonement for it. 16He also took all the fat that was on the entrails and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat; and Moses offered it up in smoke on the altar. 17But the bull and its hide and its flesh and its refuse he burned in the fire outside the camp, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      18Then he presented the ram of the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 19Moses slaughtered it and sprinkled the blood around on the altar. 20When he had cut the ram into its pieces, Moses offered up the head and the pieces and the suet in smoke. 21After he had washed the entrails and the legs with water, Moses offered up the whole ram in smoke on the altar. It was a burnt offering for a soothing aroma; it was an offering by fire to the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      22Then he presented the second ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 23Moses slaughtered it and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 24He also had Aaron’s sons come near; and Moses put some of the blood on the lobe of their right ear, and on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot. Moses then sprinkled the rest of the blood around on the altar. 25He took the fat, and the fat tail, and all the fat that was on the entrails, and the lobe of the liver and the two kidneys and their fat and the right thigh. 26From the basket of unleavened bread that was before the LORD, he took one unleavened cake and one cake of bread mixed with oil and one wafer, and placed them on the portions of fat and on the right thigh. 27He then put all these on the hands of Aaron and on the hands of his sons and presented them as a wave offering before the LORD. 28Then Moses took them from their hands and offered them up in smoke on the altar with the burnt offering. They were an ordination offering for a soothing aroma; it was an offering by fire to the LORD. 29Moses also took the breast and presented it for a wave offering before the LORD; it was Moses’ portion of the ram of ordination, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      30So Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him; and he consecrated Aaron, his garments, and his sons, and the garments of his sons with him.

      31Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons, “Boil the flesh at the doorway of the tent of meeting, and eat it there together with the bread which is in the basket of the ordination offering, just as I commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons shall eat it.’ 32“The remainder of the flesh and of the bread you shall burn in the fire. 33“You shall not go outside the doorway of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the day that the period of your ordination is fulfilled; for he will ordain you through seven days. 34“The LORD has commanded to do as has been done this day, to make atonement on your behalf. 35“At the doorway of the tent of meeting, moreover, you shall remain day and night for seven days and keep the charge of the LORD, so that you will not die, for so I have been commanded.” 36Thus Aaron and his sons did all the things which the LORD had commanded through Moses.

Each of us as followers of Christ should not be shy about our dedication to the Lord. It should be public and obvious as part of our lives rather than a secret. Obedience is a must, even if we don’t always understand why He asks us to do something or do it a certain way. To be holy is to be set apart to live our lives according to His purposes and ways rather than our own or those of the world.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Fear / Reverence for God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Holy / Set Apart, Obeying God, Offering Sacrifices, Study the Word, Through Prophets, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Seek the Lord and Serve Him In The Way of His Choosing

There is rich historical and spiritual context to be studied in reading through Biblical commentaries or other study material online regarding the sacrifices detailed throughout Leviticus 6. I encourage each of you to take some time and read some. BibleHub.com has many available online at no charge… just a few clicks away. One example is Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Even on the surface of the scripture we can appreciate some things it tells us about our Father and what He desires from our relationship with Him. Our Father calls even those serving Him full time to (such as Aaron and his sons) come before Him with offerings. There is much preparation for those who serve the Father even in how we give offerings. We are called to take time in doing this His way. It is a main activity and not a distraction. We are to focus on the Father and what He wants. We are not to hurry and treat this as a distraction from our daily lives.

 Leviticus 6:19-23

      19Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 20“This is the offering which Aaron and his sons are to present to the LORD on the day when he is anointed; the tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half of it in the evening. 21“It shall be prepared with oil on a griddle. When it is well stirred, you shall bring it. You shall present the grain offering in baked pieces as a soothing aroma to the LORD. 22“The anointed priest who will be in his place among his sons shall offer it. By a permanent ordinance it shall be entirely offered up in smoke to the LORD. 23“So every grain offering of the priest shall be burned entirely. It shall not be eaten.”

Do you set aside time to maintain and grow your relationship with the Father the way He calls us to? In the example above, many of us may struggle with why the priests should go to so much trouble to prepare an offering, just to burn it all. There is actually some spiritual messaging there if we go and study to understand it in greater depth, but also even on the surface we can see that we are called to obey and serve the Father His way… even if we don’t always understand it.

Faith / Trusting God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Obeying God, Offering Sacrifices, Prayer, Provider, Study the Word, Through Prophets

Do Not Let the Fire Go Out

I will admit, as I read through the entirety of scripture, I do find times and passages where I struggle to immediately find value for application today. I have to dwell on it and sometimes study some of the commentaries. I am reminded by 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that even after our Lord Jesus was crucified and raised again from the dead,  the entirety of Old Testament scripture is still inspired by God and valuable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness… so we may be equipped for every good work. It is worth the time to seek to understand how it applies in my life still today.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

16All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Leviticus 6:8-13 has quite a bit of significance, though I would miss it if I just scanned it and said… “sacrifices no longer apply, so I will skip this.” I challenged myself to study further and take time to pause and meditate on it.

Our Father has provided many instructions to help us. Some we understand… some we do not. All are intended to help us love God and love one another. Should we insist that we must understand all that He asks in order to obey? No. That is not the natural order of things. All of us who had good and loving parents had to obey them as children, even if we did not understand why every time. They were helping us, protecting us, teaching us, etc. We could not as children understand as much of the complexity of life as the adults did. So too with us as adults… we can not fully understand the ways of God, but we can still obey and seek Him.

Leviticus 6:8-13

The Priest’s Part in the Offerings

      8Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 9“Command Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the law for the burnt offering: the burnt offering itself shall remain on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire on the altar is to be kept burning on it. 10‘The priest is to put on his linen robe, and he shall put on undergarments next to his flesh; and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire reduces the burnt offering on the altar and place them beside the altar. 11‘Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. 12‘The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it. It shall not go out, but the priest shall burn wood on it every morning; and he shall lay out the burnt offering on it, and offer up in smoke the fat portions of the peace offerings on it. 13‘Fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar; it is not to go out.

There are many things we could explore and study in this passage. Why did the priest put on undergarments next to his flesh when approaching the alter? What symbolism is intended in the detailed instructions for this activity, which is set apart to honor God… it is holy. Why should the fire never go out? How might that apply for me today?

I will take one of those and unpack it a bit. I encourage you to read some commentaries (available through the link on BibleHub.com for no cost) and seek out more meaning and background.

The priests were to keep the fire going continually. They were not to let it go out. Our relationship with God needs constant attention. We should always be mindful of Him. We do not “turn on” and “turn off” our relationship with a spouse or child and neither shall we do so with God. He is to be continually a part of our focus through our daily life. We are to obey Him and seek Him in prayer and study His word and share His word and help others… continually. God does not wish us to go to church (e.g. light a fire to please Him) for a short while once a week, then ignore Him for a week (e.g. allow the fire to go out) until it is time to go to church again. We are to be in constant relationship with our Father. Yes… it takes time and commitment. Yes… He must be a priority and we must not get too distracted on lesser important things. Yes… if we tend to His business and obey, He will take care of the rest.

What else can you unpack from this scripture through prayer and study to apply in your life?

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Holy, Holy / Set Apart, Obeying God, Offering Sacrifices, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Through Prophets

Sin Is Still Ugly, Even When It Is Unintentional

There is much symbolism and cultural context we could study throughout Leviticus. However, as I read Leviticus 4 today, something much more basic shouted at me from the text. Something that many of us understand, but many still do not take ownership for. Sin is sin… even if it was unintentional. When we sin unintentionally, it may seem as if it is not as bad as intentional sin, but it is still sin. It still may hurt us or others. It still separates us from the Father. We are called to repent of our unintentional sin once we become aware of it… just as we should repent of intentional sin.

Leviticus 4

The Law of Sin Offerings

      1Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If a person sins unintentionally in any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and commits any of them, 3if the anointed priest sins so as to bring guilt on the people, then let him offer to the LORD a bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed. 4‘He shall bring the bull to the doorway of the tent of meeting before the LORD, and he shall lay his hand on the head of the bull and slay the bull before the LORD. 5‘Then the anointed priest is to take some of the blood of the bull and bring it to the tent of meeting, 6and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil of the sanctuary. 7‘The priest shall also put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense which is before the LORD in the tent of meeting; and all the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering which is at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 8‘He shall remove from it all the fat of the bull of the sin offering: the fat that covers the entrails, and all the fat which is on the entrails, 9and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys 10(just as it is removed from the ox of the sacrifice of peace offerings), and the priest is to offer them up in smoke on the altar of burnt offering. 11‘But the hide of the bull and all its flesh with its head and its legs and its entrails and its refuse, 12that is, all the rest of the bull, he is to bring out to a clean place outside the camp where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire; where the ashes are poured out it shall be burned.

      13‘Now if the whole congregation of Israel commits error and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly, and they commit any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and they become guilty; 14when the sin which they have committed becomes known, then the assembly shall offer a bull of the herd for a sin offering and bring it before the tent of meeting. 15‘Then the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the LORD, and the bull shall be slain before the LORD. 16‘Then the anointed priest is to bring some of the blood of the bull to the tent of meeting; 17and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil. 18‘He shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before the LORD in the tent of meeting; and all the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering which is at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 19‘He shall remove all its fat from it and offer it up in smoke on the altar. 20‘He shall also do with the bull just as he did with the bull of the sin offering; thus he shall do with it. So the priest shall make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven. 21‘Then he is to bring out the bull to a place outside the camp and burn it as he burned the first bull; it is the sin offering for the assembly.

      22‘When a leader sins and unintentionally does any one of all the things which the LORD his God has commanded not to be done, and he becomes guilty, 23if his sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring for his offering a goat, a male without defect. 24‘He shall lay his hand on the head of the male goat and slay it in the place where they slay the burnt offering before the LORD; it is a sin offering. 25‘Then the priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering; and the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering. 26‘All its fat he shall offer up in smoke on the altar as in the case of the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him in regard to his sin, and he will be forgiven.

      27‘Now if anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and becomes guilty, 28if his sin which he has committed is made known to him, then he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without defect, for his sin which he has committed. 29‘He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slay the sin offering at the place of the burnt offering. 30‘The priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering; and all the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar. 31‘Then he shall remove all its fat, just as the fat was removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar for a soothing aroma to the LORD. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.

      32‘But if he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring it, a female without defect. 33‘He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slay it for a sin offering in the place where they slay the burnt offering. 34‘The priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and all the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar. 35‘Then he shall remove all its fat, just as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offerings, and the priest shall offer them up in smoke on the altar, on the offerings by fire to the LORD. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him in regard to his sin which he has committed, and he will be forgiven.

Sin is ugly, whether intentional or not. Do not let yourself make excuses like “I did not mean to.” The Father still calls us to repent, change our ways, and ask forgiveness. Let us not excuse our sin, but rather ask forgiveness for it and strive to do better and sin less.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

False Prophets / Teachers, Help / Serve Others, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Holy / Set Apart, Hypocrisy, Jesus (hearing from God), Lying / Deceiving, Obeying God

Appearances Can Be Deceiving

Often appearances can be deceiving. We may be impressed by someone’s outer appearance as they say long prayers or receive respectful greetings, but what are they really like? Not everyone who gives the appearance of following God and loving others truly does so. In fact, sometimes, they are complete hypocrites.

Mark 12:38-40

     38In His teaching He was saying: “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places, 39and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, 40who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation.”

Do not focus too much on the appearance someone may portray that makes them look important. Seek instead to judge them by their actions and motives. A pastor of a large church may seem impressive in his slick suit and big smile, but is he teaching scripture correctly or is he just tickling peoples ears with what they want to hear so he can feel important and popular and respected?

Not only should we pay attention to this scripture as we seek to identify genuine leaders from false ones, but also we must challenge ourselves to focus on what is important to God rather than just putting up good appearances before people… lest we be the ones who receive greater condemnation.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, Father / Yahweh, Guide, Obeying God, Self Control

Do As The Lord Commands and Prepare for His Glory

The glory of the Lord is something marvelous to behold. Most of us have not witnessed it first hand, but we can see evidence of His majesty at work when His people come together and do what He commands, just as He commands it to be done. The Israelites worked tirelessly to complete the Tabernacle and priestly garments and then put them together just as the Lord commanded. After serious dedication and obedience, the Lord came to reveal His glory among them and lead them.

Exodus 40

The Tabernacle Erected

      1Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3“You shall place the ark of the testimony there, and you shall screen the ark with the veil. 4“You shall bring in the table and arrange what belongs on it; and you shall bring in the lampstand and mount its lamps. 5“Moreover, you shall set the gold altar of incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the veil for the doorway to the tabernacle. 6“You shall set the altar of burnt offering in front of the doorway of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 7“You shall set the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. 8“You shall set up the court all around and hang up the veil for the gateway of the court. 9“Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and shall consecrate it and all its furnishings; and it shall be holy. 10“You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, and the altar shall be most holy. 11“You shall anoint the laver and its stand, and consecrate it. 12“Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 13“You shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister as a priest to Me. 14“You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them; 15and you shall anoint them even as you have anointed their father, that they may minister as priests to Me; and their anointing will qualify them for a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.” 16Thus Moses did; according to all that the LORD had commanded him, so he did.

      17Now in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected. 18Moses erected the tabernacle and laid its sockets, and set up its boards, and inserted its bars and erected its pillars. 19He spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 20Then he took the testimony and put it into the ark, and attached the poles to the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark. 21He brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up a veil for the screen, and screened off the ark of the testimony, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 22Then he put the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil. 23He set the arrangement of bread in order on it before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 24Then he placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle. 25He lighted the lamps before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 26Then he placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the veil; 27and he burned fragrant incense on it, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 28Then he set up the veil for the doorway of the tabernacle. 29He set the altar of burnt offering before the doorway of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the meal offering, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 30He placed the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing. 31From it Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet. 32When they entered the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 33He erected the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the veil for the gateway of the court. Thus Moses finished the work.

The Glory of the LORD

      34Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 36Throughout all their journeys whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out; 37but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day when it was taken up. 38For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.

Do you want to follow God’s instructions and receive His guidance for your life? Begin by following the instructions He has already provided, even if they are complicated. We all have instructions waiting for us from our Creator. Just pull out the Bible and study and pray to understand what He would have us do and not do. As we continue to walk in faith with Him, He may often reveal more and even reveal specific guidance to our lives or our particular situation that goes beyond the general guidance He provides in scripture. Continue to obey tirelessly and He will continue to reveal more and more of Himself to you.

If you want to experience and follow the Lord’s glory, make a disciplined habit of obeying all of His instructions just as He has commanded.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Church / Body of Christ, Controlling Thoughts, Faith / Trusting God, Guide, Help / Serve Others, Obeying God, Prayer, Study the Word, Through Prophets

Just As The Lord Had Commanded

We are called by our Father in heaven to do just as He commands. His instruction and design is far greater than our own. We are to work together as a body of Christ, letting each one use their specific (and unique) God-given talents and abilities to the fulfillment of the whole of what He commands. It is like watching a beautiful masterpiece come together when we obey in this way. Paying attention to fine detail and not rushing our work for God, but rather putting aside the right time and focus for it.  Doing what God commands us is not a distraction we must complete to get back to our lives, but rather it is the main point of our lives!

Exodus 39

The Priestly Garments

      1Moreover, from the blue and purple and scarlet material, they made finely woven garments for ministering in the holy place as well as the holy garments which were for Aaron, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      2He made the ephod of gold, and of blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen. 3Then they hammered out gold sheets and cut them into threads to be woven in with the blue and the purple and the scarlet material, and the fine linen, the work of a skillful workman. 4They made attaching shoulder pieces for the ephod; it was attached at its two upper ends. 5The skillfully woven band which was on it was like its workmanship, of the same material: of gold and of blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      6They made the onyx stones, set in gold filigree settings; they were engraved like the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the sons of Israel. 7And he placed them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      8He made the breastpiece, the work of a skillful workman, like the workmanship of the ephod: of gold and of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. 9It was square; they made the breastpiece folded double, a span long and a span wide when folded double. 10And they mounted four rows of stones on it. The first row was a row of ruby, topaz, and emerald; 11and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire and a diamond; 12and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 13and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were set in gold filigree settings when they were mounted. 14The stones were corresponding to the names of the sons of Israel; they were twelve, corresponding to their names, engraved with the engravings of a signet, each with its name for the twelve tribes. 15They made on the breastpiece chains like cords, of twisted cordage work in pure gold. 16They made two gold filigree settings and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece. 17Then they put the two gold cords in the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece. 18They put the other two ends of the two cords on the two filigree settings, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front of it. 19They made two gold rings and placed them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inner edge which was next to the ephod. 20Furthermore, they made two gold rings and placed them on the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on the front of it, close to the place where it joined, above the woven band of the ephod. 21They bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it would be on the woven band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece would not come loose from the ephod, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      22Then he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue; 23and the opening of the robe was at the top in the center, as the opening of a coat of mail, with a binding all around its opening, so that it would not be torn. 24They made pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material and twisted linen on the hem of the robe. 25They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates all around on the hem of the robe, 26alternating a bell and a pomegranate all around on the hem of the robe for the service, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      27They made the tunics of finely woven linen for Aaron and his sons, 28and the turban of fine linen, and the decorated caps of fine linen, and the linen breeches of fine twisted linen, 29and the sash of fine twisted linen, and blue and purple and scarlet material, the work of the weaver, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      30They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and inscribed it like the engravings of a signet, “Holy to the LORD.” 31They fastened a blue cord to it, to fasten it on the turban above, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      32Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was completed; and the sons of Israel did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did. 33They brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its furnishings: its clasps, its boards, its bars, and its pillars and its sockets; 34and the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, and the covering of porpoise skins, and the screening veil; 35the ark of the testimony and its poles and the mercy seat; 36the table, all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; 37the pure gold lampstand, with its arrangement of lamps and all its utensils, and the oil for the light; 38and the gold altar, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the veil for the doorway of the tent; 39the bronze altar and its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils, the laver and its stand; 40the hangings for the court, its pillars and its sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court, its cords and its pegs and all the equipment for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; 41the woven garments for ministering in the holy place and the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests. 42So the sons of Israel did all the work according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses. 43And Moses examined all the work and behold, they had done it; just as the LORD had commanded, this they had done. So Moses blessed them.

We should take a lesson from how Moses and the Israelites completed the details not only of the tabernacle, but also the priestly garments. There were intricate and labor intensive details which God instructed them to complete in a very specific way. Each time, they avoided hurry or rushing, but instead took the time and care necessary to deliver exactly what God commanded. In this passage of scripture alone there are eight times it highlights not just completing a task, but that they had completed each task “just as the LORD had commanded Moses”.

At the very end, we see as a result that the people were blessed.

“So Moses blessed them.”

For guidance, we must study the Bible, seek Jehovah in prayer, and it is also good to seek confirmation from other true believers that do the same. This will help us to understand His character and the general instructions He has already provided for our lives. As we continue to look for His specific will for our lives it is important that we learn how to recognize His voice and confirm through the scriptures and other believers. Remember to pursue what God calls you to do as the main thing, rather than a distraction to be completed so you can go back to your leisure activity or work. Take the time to do it right… do it just as the Lord has commanded… and that always involves a right attitude to go along with physical obedience.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Jehovah Is Bigger Than The Missions He Gives Us

We can often get wrapped up in how big a challenge appears. We can think as if we have to make it happen all by ourselves. We do well to consider, however, that if God is the one who told us to go accomplish the mission, then He already knows how He will enable us to accomplish it. He will provide. We need only listen and obey, even if we don’t see how He will finish the task with us and through us.

Exodus 38:21-31

The Cost of the Tabernacle

      21This is the number of the things for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were numbered according to the command of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 22Now Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD had commanded Moses. 23With him was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and a skillful workman and a weaver in blue and in purple and in scarlet material, and fine linen.

      24All the gold that was used for the work, in all the work of the sanctuary, even the gold of the wave offering, was 29 talents and 730 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. 25The silver of those of the congregation who were numbered was 100 talents and 1,775 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; 26a beka a head (that is, half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary), for each one who passed over to those who were numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men. 27The hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the sanctuary and the sockets of the veil; one hundred sockets for the hundred talents, a talent for a socket. 28Of the 1,775 shekels, he made hooks for the pillars and overlaid their tops and made bands for them. 29The bronze of the wave offering was 70 talents and 2,400 shekels. 30With it he made the sockets to the doorway of the tent of meeting, and the bronze altar and its bronze grating, and all the utensils of the altar, 31and the sockets of the court all around and the sockets of the gate of the court, and all the pegs of the tabernacle and all the pegs of the court all around.

Think about how overwhelming the mission could or perhaps did appear to Moses and the Israelites to build the tabernacle. They were in the desert, not in a land of plenty! Jehovah laid out very specific instructions and a grand scale for the tabernacle. The people could easily have thrown up their hands and made excuses why it was not possible. They could have quit even before they started. They did not. And consider what they accomplished!

Are you facing a mission or challenge that Jehovah has called you to complete? Does it feel overwhelming? Do not be discouraged or find reasons to reject the challenge. Instead, trust in Him, seek Him, and obey His instructions and guidance. You will be amazed at what He can accomplish through His people.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Jehovah’s Works Are Materpieces

Exodus explains in incredible detail the obedience of the craftsmen in building the Tabernacle according to God’s specifications. God was very particular and intentional in His design. He is a master. The craftsmen whom He gifted and charged with building His design took painstaking effort to deliver exactly what was commanded. It must have been extraordinary to see. I am sure the people took time to appreciate the fine detail and symbolic nature of the Tabernacle as they finished it and ultimately used it according to God’s purpose.

Exodus 38:1-20

The Tabernacle Completed

      1Then he made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, five cubits long, and five cubits wide, square, and three cubits high. 2He made its horns on its four corners, its horns being of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze. 3He made all the utensils of the altar, the pails and the shovels and the basins, the flesh hooks and the firepans; he made all its utensils of bronze. 4He made for the altar a grating of bronze network beneath, under its ledge, reaching halfway up. 5He cast four rings on the four ends of the bronze grating as holders for the poles. 6He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. 7He inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it. He made it hollow with planks.

      8Moreover, he made the laver of bronze with its base of bronze, from the mirrors of the serving women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

      9Then he made the court: for the south side the hangings of the court were of fine twisted linen, one hundred cubits; 10their twenty pillars, and their twenty sockets, made of bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. 11For the north side there were one hundred cubits; their twenty pillars and their twenty sockets were of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. 12For the west side there were hangings of fifty cubits with their ten pillars and their ten sockets; the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. 13For the east side fifty cubits. 14The hangings for the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets, 15and 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 sockets. 16All the hangings of the court all around were of fine twisted linen. 17The sockets for the pillars were of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands, of silver; and the overlaying of their tops, of silver, and all the pillars of the court were furnished with silver bands. 18The screen of the gate of the court was the work of the weaver, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. And the length was twenty cubits and the height was five cubits, corresponding to the hangings of the court. 19Their four pillars and their four sockets were of bronze; their hooks were of silver, and the overlaying of their tops and their bands were of silver. 20All the pegs of the tabernacle and of the court all around were of bronze.

What has God done in your life or the life of those around you? Have you taken time to pause and appreciate the fine details He has worked out to accomplish His specific purpose? I can reflect across my life at the journey He has brought me through. Many situations I would never have chosen, were knit together by the Master to help me develop and grow closer to Him. The more closely I seek to understand His instruction for how to live my life and the more closely I apply it in my life the better it gets. I can see how He has transformed me and continues to do so. I can now see it reflected in my family where we have established His word as the guide… the lamp unto our feet. I still find myself growing more and more and learning where I could and should do even better to honor Him, often by choosing His way consciously over my own, even in small things. The details matter. Follow God in the details and pause every once in awhile to admire His work. Then continue to seek Him even more.

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Obey God Even In The Details

I am sure we could explore much detail and symbolism in regards to the details Jehovah provided in designing the ark. However, something else strikes me while I read Exodus 37… Bezalel took a tremendous amount of time to properly execute the details of the work according to Jehovah’s instructions. He did not just “wing it” or “hurry it”. He used his skills with painstaking detail and patience to complete the work exactly as Jehovah instructed… and it was magnificent.

Exodus 37

Construction Continues

      1Now Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; its length was two and a half cubits, and its width one and a half cubits, and its height one and a half cubits; 2and he overlaid it with pure gold inside and out, and made a gold molding for it all around. 3He cast four rings of gold for it on its four feet; even two rings on one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. 4He made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 5He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry it. 6He made a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. 7He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat; 8one cherub at the one end and one cherub at the other end; he made the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at the two ends. 9The cherubim had their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward each other; the faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.

      10Then he made the table of acacia wood, two cubits long and a cubit wide and one and a half cubits high. 11He overlaid it with pure gold, and made a gold molding for it all around. 12He made a rim for it of a handbreadth all around, and made a gold molding for its rim all around. 13He cast four gold rings for it and put the rings on the four corners that were on its four feet. 14Close by the rim were the rings, the holders for the poles to carry the table. 15He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table. 16He made the utensils which were on the table, its dishes and its pans and its bowls and its jars, with which to pour out drink offerings, of pure gold.

      17Then he made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work, its base and its shaft; its cups, its bulbs and its flowers were of one piece with it. 18There were six branches going out of its sides; three branches of the lampstand from the one side of it and three branches of the lampstand from the other side of it; 19three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a bulb and a flower in one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a bulb and a flower in the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. 20In the lampstand there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms, its bulbs and its flowers; 21and a bulb was under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the second pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. 22Their bulbs and their branches were of one piece with it; the whole of it was a single hammered work of pure gold. 23He made its seven lamps with its snuffers and its trays of pure gold. 24He made it and all its utensils from a talent of pure gold.

      25Then he made the altar of incense of acacia wood: a cubit long and a cubit wide, square, and two cubits high; its horns were of one piece with it. 26He overlaid it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and he made a gold molding for it all around. 27He made two golden rings for it under its molding, on its two sides—on opposite sides—as holders for poles with which to carry it. 28He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 29And he made the holy anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense of spices, the work of a perfumer.

When Jehovah calls us to live a certain way or do a certain task, do not take shortcuts and just try to get it “sort of right”. Take time to understand and follow all of the details in God’s instructions to us. God has much wisdom in His plans. We should take care not to miss the glorious because we choose to cut corners and take shortcuts on our obedience to Him.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to show you any areas in your life where you are not wholeheartedly seeking to obey God even in the details and ask for His help for you to rededicate yourself to live out the details of your life as God intends.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.