The Spiritual Gift of Carpentry?

Exodus 31:1-11

1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, 4 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, 5 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. 6 And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: 7 the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, 8 the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, 9 and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, 10 and the finely worked garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests, 11 and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do.”

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We are specifically told that the Spirit of God has filled Bezalel so that he is gifted at craftmanship and carpentry. Not Moses, not Joshua, not Abraham, but Bezalel: a craftsman is gifted by the Spirit for his work here.

It’s good for us to remember that so-called ordinary trades and professions matter to the Lord, and that the Lord gives skills to people so that they can do their everyday tasks in ways that honor Him.

Sweet Scents

Exodus 30:1-38

30 “You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. 2 A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth. It shall be square, and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. 3 You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And you shall make a molding of gold around it. 4 And you shall make two golden rings for it. Under its molding on two opposite sides of it you shall make them, and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. 5 You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 6 And you shall put it in front of the veil that is above the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is above the testimony, where I will meet with you. 7 And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, 8 and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations. 9 You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it. 10 Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year. With the blood of the sin offering of atonement he shall make atonement for it once in the year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.”
11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom for his life to the Lord when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them. 13 Each one who is numbered in the census shall give this: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as an offering to the Lord. 14 Everyone who is numbered in the census, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the Lord's offering. 15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the Lord's offering to make atonement for your lives. 16 You shall take the atonement money from the people of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may bring the people of Israel to remembrance before the Lord, so as to make atonement for your lives.”
17 The Lord said to Moses, 18 “You shall also make a basin of bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it, 19 with which Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet. 20 When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn a food offering to the Lord, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die. 21 They shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they may not die. It shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his offspring throughout their generations.”
22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh 500 shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as much, that is, 250, and 250 of aromatic cane, 24 and 500 of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. 25 And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. 26 With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, 27 and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, 28 and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils and the basin and its stand. 29 You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them will become holy. 30 You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. 31 And you shall say to the people of Israel, ‘This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations. 32 It shall not be poured on the body of an ordinary person, and you shall make no other like it in composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. 33 Whoever compounds any like it or whoever puts any of it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.’”
34 The Lord said to Moses, “Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part), 35 and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy. 36 You shall beat some of it very small, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I shall meet with you. It shall be most holy for you. 37 And the incense that you shall make according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves. It shall be for you holy to the Lord. 38 Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume shall be cut off from his people.”

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Remember: the central image of the tabernacle is that of the Garden of Eden, filled with the glory of God.

The tabernacle enables the presence of God to come close to the people. So, here we first read (vv. 1-10) of the altar of incense and how it is supposed to stand in the outer room of the tabernacle, by the lampstand. It’s not very big because it’s just for the burning of incense. Once a year, the high priest— “Aaron”—touches it with the blood of the sacrifice to make it ritually pure, but otherwise his job is to tend it every day.

Then, we read (vv. 17-21) of the little basin—sometimes called a “laver”— for the priests to use to for the ceremonial washing of their hands and feet before they enter the tabernacle. It stands in the courtyard, outside the tent.

And finally, we read specific instructions for the incense (vv. 22-38), instructions that close with this detail:

And the incense that you shall make according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves. It shall be for you holy to the Lord. 38 Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume shall be cut off from his people. [Exodus 30:37-38]

In other words, this particular scent is to be used only in the tabernacle and set apart for the Lord, and if you make it and use it for everyday life, you will be cast out of Israel.

Ordination

Exodus 29:1-45

29 “Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. Take one bull of the herd and two rams without blemish, 2 and unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers smeared with oil. You shall make them of fine wheat flour. 3 You shall put them in one basket and bring them in the basket, and bring the bull and the two rams. 4 You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 5 Then you shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the coat and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastpiece, and gird him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 6 And you shall set the turban on his head and put the holy crown on the turban. 7 You shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. 8 Then you shall bring his sons and put coats on them, 9 and you shall gird Aaron and his sons with sashes and bind caps on them. And the priesthood shall be theirs by a statute forever. Thus you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.
10 “Then you shall bring the bull before the tent of meeting. Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull. 11 Then you shall kill the bull before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting, 12 and shall take part of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and the rest of the blood you shall pour out at the base of the altar. 13 And you shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, and the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar. 14 But the flesh of the bull and its skin and its dung you shall burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering.
15 “Then you shall take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram, 16 and you shall kill the ram and shall take its blood and throw it against the sides of the altar. 17 Then you shall cut the ram into pieces, and wash its entrails and its legs, and put them with its pieces and its head, 18 and burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord. It is a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord.
19 “You shall take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram, 20 and you shall kill the ram and take part of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and on the tips of the right ears of his sons, and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the great toes of their right feet, and throw the rest of the blood against the sides of the altar. 21 Then you shall take part of the blood that is on the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and his sons' garments with him. He and his garments shall be holy, and his sons and his sons' garments with him.
22 “You shall also take the fat from the ram and the fat tail and the fat that covers the entrails, and the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of ordination), 23 and one loaf of bread and one cake of bread made with oil, and one wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before the Lord. 24 You shall put all these on the palms of Aaron and on the palms of his sons, and wave them for a wave offering before the Lord. 25 Then you shall take them from their hands and burn them on the altar on top of the burnt offering, as a pleasing aroma before the Lord. It is a food offering to the Lord.
26 “You shall take the breast of the ram of Aaron's ordination and wave it for a wave offering before the Lord, and it shall be your portion. 27 And you shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering that is waved and the thigh of the priests' portion that is contributed from the ram of ordination, from what was Aaron's and his sons'. 28 It shall be for Aaron and his sons as a perpetual due from the people of Israel, for it is a contribution. It shall be a contribution from the people of Israel from their peace offerings, their contribution to the Lord.
29 “The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him; they shall be anointed in them and ordained in them. 30 The son who succeeds him as priest, who comes into the tent of meeting to minister in the Holy Place, shall wear them seven days.
31 “You shall take the ram of ordination and boil its flesh in a holy place. 32 And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram and the bread that is in the basket in the entrance of the tent of meeting. 33 They shall eat those things with which atonement was made at their ordination and consecration, but an outsider shall not eat of them, because they are holy. 34 And if any of the flesh for the ordination or of the bread remain until the morning, then you shall burn the remainder with fire. It shall not be eaten, because it is holy.
35 “Thus you shall do to Aaron and to his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. Through seven days shall you ordain them, 36 and every day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement. Also you shall purify the altar, when you make atonement for it, and shall anoint it to consecrate it. 37 Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it, and the altar shall be most holy. Whatever touches the altar shall become holy.
38 “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day regularly. 39 One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. 40 And with the first lamb a tenth measure of fine flour mingled with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering. 41 The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it a grain offering and its drink offering, as in the morning, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord. 42 It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there. 43 There I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory. 44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar. Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate to serve me as priests. 45 I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. 46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

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Ordination is the process by which certain people are set apart for religious work. In the old covenant, it was for the priesthood and the overseeing of sacrifices; in the new covenant, it is for the leadership of the church and the administration of the sacraments. It is meant to be a sacred responsibility.

Here, this initial ordination ceremony is meant to take seven days! Can you imagine how solemn it must have been for Aaron and his sons to put their hands on the sacrificial animals before they were killed and then to have the blood of the sacrifice placed on their earlobes and their thumbs and their toes?

The message is clear: this is a heavy responsibility with life and death consequences. How can you pray for a pastor today?

The Clothes Make The Man

Exodus 28:1-34

28 “Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. 3 You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron's garments to consecrate him for my priesthood. 4 These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests. 5 They shall receive gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen.
6 “And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked. 7 It shall have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so that it may be joined together. 8 And the skillfully woven band on it shall be made like it and be of one piece with it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 9 You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, 10 six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. 11 As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree. 12 And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for remembrance. 13 You shall make settings of gold filigree, 14 and two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords; and you shall attach the corded chains to the settings.
15 “You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work. In the style of the ephod you shall make it—of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen shall you make it. 16 It shall be square and doubled, a span its length and a span its breadth. 17 You shall set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row; 18 and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19 and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold filigree. 21 There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. 22 You shall make for the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold. 23 And you shall make for the breastpiece two rings of gold, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece. 24 And you shall put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece. 25 The two ends of the two cords you shall attach to the two settings of filigree, and so attach it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. 26 You shall make two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod. 27 And you shall make two rings of gold, and attach 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. 28 And they shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it may lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, so that the breastpiece shall not come loose from the ephod. 29 So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the Lord. 30 And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron's heart, when he goes in before the Lord. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the Lord regularly.
31 “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening in a garment, so that it may not tear. 33 On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, around its hem, with bells of gold between them, 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe.

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It's worth taking our time and thinking through the instructions for the high priest’s clothing.

· The clothes are meant to dazzle and delight!

You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. [Exodus 28:2]

· Some people have been specifically gifted by the Holy Spirit for creative endeavors and craftmanship.

You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron's garments to consecrate him for my priesthood. [Exodus 28:3]

· We take for granted today all the colors we see around us in our clothing, but in the ancient world colored clothing was rare and expensive. For example, purple dye was only available from the crushed shells of a particular shellfish, and so only royalty could afford it, as a whole basketful of the shells would yield only a few drops of the dye. Imagine then how dazzling the high priest’s robe would have appeared with all its colors!
· On the breastplate are twelve precious stones, one for each tribe of Israel. The high priest then “carries” or “bears” the names of the tribes every time he goes before the Lord. This is the exact same phrase that is used in the Name Command, the Third Commandment:

You shall not [“carry” or “bear”] the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who [“carries” or “bears”] his name in vain. [Exodus 20:7]

· The hem of the robe has little bells on it, so that even when the high priest moves there is beauty that would catch the attention of Israel.

The Lamps Are Meant To Burn All Night

Exodus 27:1-21

27 “You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits broad. The altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits. 2 And you shall make horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze. 3 You shall make pots for it to receive its ashes, and shovels and basins and forks and fire pans. You shall make all its utensils of bronze. 4 You shall also make for it a grating, a network of bronze, and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners. 5 And you shall set it under the ledge of the altar so that the net extends halfway down the altar. 6 And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. 7 And the poles shall be put through the rings, so that the poles are on the two sides of the altar when it is carried. 8 You shall make it hollow, with boards. As it has been shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made.
9 “You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side the court shall have hangings of fine twined linen a hundred cubits long for one side. 10 Its twenty pillars and their twenty bases shall be of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. 11 And likewise for its length on the north side there shall be hangings a hundred cubits long, its pillars twenty and their bases twenty, of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. 12 And for the breadth of the court on the west side there shall be hangings for fifty cubits, with ten pillars and ten bases. 13 The breadth of the court on the front to the east shall be fifty cubits. 14 The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. 15 On the other side the hangings shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. 16 For the gate of the court there shall be a screen twenty cubits long, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. It shall have four pillars and with them four bases. 17 All the pillars around the court shall be filleted with silver. Their hooks shall be of silver, and their bases of bronze. 18 The length of the court shall be a hundred cubits, the breadth fifty, and the height five cubits, with hangings of fine twined linen and bases of bronze. 19 All the utensils of the tabernacle for every use, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the court, shall be of bronze.
20 “You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn. 21 In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the Lord. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel.

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I love that last detail:

20 “You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn. 21 In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the Lord. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel. [Exodus 27:20-21]

The priests are meant to tend the lamplight all night, so that it never goes out.

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"The Old Testament’s teachings on keeping the lamps burning regularly may provide background for Jesus’s admonition in Luke 12:35. There he says, “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning.” For Jesus, keeping one’s lamp burning continually is a symbol of watchfulness, being ready and waiting of the master’s return." -Victor P. Hamilton, Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary

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Are you prepared?

The Curtain Between The Holy Place And The Most Holy Place

Exodus 26:1-37

26 “Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns; you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them. 2 The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains shall be the same size. 3 Five curtains shall be coupled to one another, and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another. 4 And you shall make loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set. Likewise you shall make loops on the edge of the outermost curtain in the second set. 5 Fifty loops you shall make on the one curtain, and fifty loops you shall make on the edge of the curtain that is in the second set; the loops shall be opposite one another. 6 And you shall make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains one to the other with the clasps, so that the tabernacle may be a single whole.
7 “You shall also make curtains of goats' hair for a tent over the tabernacle; eleven curtains shall you make. 8 The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. The eleven curtains shall be the same size. 9 You shall couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and the sixth curtain you shall double over at the front of the tent. 10 You shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the second set.
11 “You shall make fifty clasps of bronze, and put the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent together that it may be a single whole. 12 And the part that remains of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remains, shall hang over the back of the tabernacle. 13 And the extra that remains in the length of the curtains, the cubit on the one side, and the cubit on the other side, shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle, on this side and that side, to cover it. 14 And you shall make for the tent a covering of tanned rams' skins and a covering of goatskins on top.
15 “You shall make upright frames for the tabernacle of acacia wood. 16 Ten cubits shall be the length of a frame, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each frame. 17 There shall be two tenons in each frame, for fitting together. So shall you do for all the frames of the tabernacle. 18 You shall make the frames for the tabernacle: twenty frames for the south side; 19 and forty bases of silver you shall make under the twenty frames, two bases under one frame for its two tenons, and two bases under the next frame for its two tenons; 20 and for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side twenty frames, 21 and their forty bases of silver, two bases under one frame, and two bases under the next frame. 22 And for the rear of the tabernacle westward you shall make six frames. 23 And you shall make two frames for corners of the tabernacle in the rear; 24 they shall be separate beneath, but joined at the top, at the first ring. Thus shall it be with both of them; they shall form the two corners. 25 And there shall be eight frames, with their bases of silver, sixteen bases; two bases under one frame, and two bases under another frame.
26 “You shall make bars of acacia wood, five for the frames of the one side of the tabernacle, 27 and five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the side of the tabernacle at the rear westward. 28 The middle bar, halfway up the frames, shall run from end to end. 29 You shall overlay the frames with gold and shall make their rings of gold for holders for the bars, and you shall overlay the bars with gold. 30 Then you shall erect the tabernacle according to the plan for it that you were shown on the mountain.
31 “And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it. 32 And you shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, with28 hooks of gold, on four bases of silver. 33 And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy. 34 You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the Most Holy Place. 35 And you shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand on the south side of the tabernacle opposite the table, and you shall put the table on the north side.
36 “You shall make a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. 37 And you shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia, and overlay them with gold. Their hooks shall be of gold, and you shall cast five bases of bronze for them.

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The tabernacle is a big tent, and inside are two rooms. The bigger, outer room is called the Holy Place. The inner, smaller room is called the Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies, and the high priest only goes in there once a year.

“The veil, which hangs by clasps on four acacia-wood pillars, separates the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. Behind it is the ark and the ark’s cover. In front of it are the table on one side and the lampstand on the other. The altar of incense will end up there too, but it has not yet been mentioned (30:1-6).” -Victor P. Hamilton, Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary

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Why the division between the “hot spot” of God’s presence in the Holy of Holies and everything else? Why can’t the people just approach the Lord willy-nilly?

In a way that’s hard for us to understand, human sin makes it impossible for us to be in God’s presence without dying, and so the Lord sets up zones for the people, so they know how far to go, and no farther. In fact, even the high priest himself only enters the Holy of Holies one day of the year. Like the sun itself, if we draw too near to God’s presence we will be consumed. Somehow, human sin needs to be atoned for.

This is what happens on the cross. Jesus dies in the place of sinful humanity, and thereby reconciles the world back to God. This is why when Jesus dies, the curtain in the Temple is torn.

37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” [Mark 15:37-39]

How To Build A Replica Of The Garden Of Eden In Your Backyard

Exodus 25:1-40

25 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me. 3 And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, 4 blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats' hair, 5 tanned rams' skins, goatskins, acacia wood, 6 oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 7 onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. 8 And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. 9 Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.
10 “They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it. 12 You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. 13 You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. 15 The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. 16 And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you.
17 “You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. 18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. 20 The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. 21 And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. 22 There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.
23 “You shall make a table of acacia wood. Two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 24 You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a molding of gold around it. 25 And you shall make a rim around it a handbreadth wide, and a molding of gold around the rim. 26 And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and fasten the rings to the four corners at its four legs. 27 Close to the frame the rings shall lie, as holders for the poles to carry the table. 28 You shall make the poles of24 acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with these. 29 And you shall make its plates and dishes for incense, and its flagons and bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold. 30 And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly.
31 “You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. 32 And there shall be 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; 33 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. 34 And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers, 35 and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand. 36 Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. 37 You shall make seven lamps for it. And the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it. 38 Its tongs and their trays shall be of pure gold. 39 It shall be made, with all these utensils, out of a talent of pure gold. 40 And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.

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Short Summary of the Bible So Far

The Lord created humanity in His image, to represent Him to the world. Humanity is both incredibly powerful and incredibly vulnerable, and so the Lord set up the Man and the Woman in the Garden of Eden to be instructed in how to live well. In the middle of the Garden was the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil—the fruit of both trees was meant to help the humans grow and learn and live in God’s presence.

Rather than trust the Lord, however, they reach out and take from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil on their own. This action tears at the trust that is necessary for people to live with God, and so they leave Eden.

The Lord doesn’t give up on humanity, however, and chooses one man—Abraham—and his family to bring blessing to the entire world.

Abraham’s family finds itself enslaved in Egypt, but the Lord rescues them and brings them to Mount Sinai and tells them they will be His representatives to the nations. He gives them the Ten Commandments and the Law so that they will know how to live well.

And then He gives Moses blueprints to create an Eden-like enclosure and tent in the midst of the Israelite encampment. The purpose? So that the Lord can be close to the people.

And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. [Exodus 25:8]

It’s as if the Lord is going to start all over again and teach people what they need to flourish and live at peace with the rest of creation.

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Some Notes on the Tabernacle Instructions

This is the kind of material in the Bible that many of us skip, but, when I slow down and actually pay attention, I find it really interesting.

Some quick notes:

· The Israelites have come up out of Egypt and are currently in the middle of the wilderness. So, any building materials will have to come from what they themselves brought out of Egypt.
· The offering is voluntary! The Lord just asks people to give as they feel led to give (v.2).
· Some of the jewels and precious metals are first mentioned as being in the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 2.)
· Cherubim are these terrifying spiritual beings with wings; the last time we heard of them was in Genesis 3:24, where they were stationed with flaming swords to keep the Man and the Woman from coming back into the Garden of Eden.
· The plan for the lampstand is obviously to make it look like a tree! Read the details and you can see that it will look tree-like when it is completed.

All of this is to say that the plans for the inner part of the tabernacle are meant to invoke imagery from the Garden of Eden. After those long years of exile from the Lord’s presence, now the Lord is making plans to be close to His people again.

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I can’t be the only person who:

1. Faces discouragement;
2. Faces confusion.

I’m discouraged sometimes because so many things seem so difficult and depressing. There is so much bad news and life is so difficult for so many people.

I’m confused because I often don’t know what to do.

The solution to both discouragement and confusion is to spend time with the Lord.

The more we experience the Lord’s presence, the more convinced we are that:

In the end, everything will be okay.
If it’s not okay, then it’s not the end.
And if it’s not the end, then the Lord still has work for us to do.

It’s not that the bad things go away when we spend time with the Lord, it’s that we become more convinced that somehow and someway, everything is going to be okay. We have the strength to carry on.

And, the more time we spend with the Lord, the more we become like Him and the more His wisdom influences how we see and act in the world. We learn how best to live.

The presence of God is life itself, and apart from Him we can do nothing.

What if you lived today as if you were desperate for the Lord to be close?

P.S. One of the ways that I believe modern Christianity has lost its way is in the manner by which we build churches today: spare, utilitarian spaces that don’t look much different from department stores or schools or hospitals. What if we took inspiration from the tent the Lord has the Israelites construct in the desert and decided that spaces dedicated to the worship of God ought to be the best and most beautiful spaces we could build?

The Set Up To What Follows

Exodus 24:1-18

24 Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. 2 Moses alone shall come near to the Lord, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.”
3 Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.” 4 And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. 6 And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” 8 And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
9 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. 11 And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.
12 The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” 13 So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. 14 And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute, let him go to them.”
15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17 Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18 Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

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Chapter 24 is setting us up for what will follow.

· In chapter 19, the Lord tells the people that they will be His representatives to the nations; they only need to listen to the terms of the covenant and obey them;
· In chapter 20, the Lord gives the Ten Commandments, which are the first part of the covenant;
· In chapters 21-23, the rest of the terms of the covenant are given.

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Setup #1 – the Golden Calf

Here, the people agree to the terms of the Lord’s covenant:

3 Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.” 4 And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. 6 And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” 8 And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” [Exodus 24:3-8]

Twice, Moses tells the people the terms of the covenant, and twice they agree. Then, Moses sprinkles the people with the blood of the sacrifice, essentially saying, “the stakes of this covenant are life and death.”

But, as we will see shortly, the people almost immediately break the covenant when they create and worship the golden calf (Exodus 32)! So, what will be the consequences?

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Setup #2 – Aaron’s sons

Moses goes up the mountain, but he brings some of the leaders of Israel with him; Aaron’s sons Nadad and Abihu are specifically mentioned.

9 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. 11 And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank. [Exodus 24:9-11]

It’s an amazing scene. The very ground itself is transformed by the presence of the Lord, and these leaders picnic in the presence of God and aren’t consumed by His glory!

It seems, however, that this experience will give Aaron’s sons a dangerous and irreverent sense of familiarity with the Lord. Later in Leviticus, immediately after their ordination to the priesthood, they fool around in the tabernacle, taking advantage of their position, and they are killed as a result:

1 Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. 2 And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” And Aaron held his peace. [Leviticus 10:1-3]

This episode here in Exodus has set us up for what will follow.

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Setup #3 – Joshua

Joshua has only been mentioned in one previous episode, the fight with the Amalekites in chapter 17. Here is our second reference to him:

12 The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” 13 So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. [Exodus 24:12-14]

The reason this matters is because while Moses is up on the mountain, the people below—under Aaron’s leadership—will create and worship the golden calf.

What we learn here is that when that happens, Joshua is not with them! Joshua, who will be Moses’s successor, has no part in the people’s idolatry.

Do Whatever It Takes To Stay Away From False Gods

Exodus 23:20-33

20 “Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. 21 Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him.
22 “But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.
23 “When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out, 24 you shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces. 25 You shall serve the Lord your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you. 26 None shall miscarry or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. 27 I will send my terror before you and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. 28 And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you. 29 I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land. 31 And I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. 32 You shall make no covenant with them and their gods. 33 They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

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The reason why it is so important that the Canaanites are driven out of the Promised Land is because their idolatry is likely to trip up the Israelites.

There is an important lesson here about how easy it is for God’s people to become like their unbelieving neighbors. In the American church, we talk a lot about influencing others, but it often seems as if we are more influenced by the larger culture than we are actively influencing and shaping it.

Why do you think that is?

Where in your own life are you living too much like an unbeliever?

Join us for One Big Service!

Celebrate Pentecost, the day the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles, with our special 10am service on Sunday, May 19th.

Afterward, join the festivities at our block party!

Invite everyone—friends, family, neighbors—for food, fun, and fellowship!

Why Jews Don't Eat Cheeseburgers

Exodus 23:1-19

23 “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. 2 You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, 3 nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit. 4 “If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. 5 If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him.
6 “You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit. 7 Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked. 8 And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right. 9 “You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
10 “For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, 11 but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard.
12 “Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed.
13 “Pay attention to all that I have said to you, and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips.
14 “Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to me. 15 You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. None shall appear before me empty-handed. 16 You shall keep the Feast of Harvest, of the firstfruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor. 17 Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord God.
18 “You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the fat of my feast remain until the morning.
19 “The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God. “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.

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Remember, the laws are meant to teach us important principles that lay behind the specific statutes. These principles show us the heart of God.

What do you think of this law?

10 “For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, 11 but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard. [Exodus 23:10-11]

Farmers are meant to let their fields stay unharvested every seven years, so that the poor might harvest whatever is there for their own sustenance. The very structure of Israelite society is meant to provide for the poor.

P.S. See that note about not boiling “a young goat in its mother’s milk” [v. 19b]? This prohibition—repeated three times in the Bible—is the reason the rabbis developed the prohibition against mixing meat and dairy, a prohibition that observant Jews keep to this day. The reason for this law may be to prevent the mixing of life and death—milk provides for life but cooking means death. Throughout Leviticus, we see that it’s important that the Israelites learn to separate death from life (hence the concern with blood—the “life” of an animal).

Join us for One Big Service!

Celebrate Pentecost, the day the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles, with our special 10am service on Sunday, May 19th.

Afterward, join the festivities at our block party!

Invite everyone—friends, family, neighbors—for food, fun, and fellowship!

Protecting The Vulnerable

Exodus 22:1-31

1  “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. 2 If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him, 3 but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him. He shall surely pay. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. 4 If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double.
5 “If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man's field, he shall make restitution from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard.
6 “If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution.
7 “If a man gives to his neighbor money or goods to keep safe, and it is stolen from the man's house, then, if the thief is found, he shall pay double. 8 If the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall come near to God to show whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor's property. 9 For every breach of trust, whether it is for an ox, for a donkey, for a sheep, for a cloak, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, ‘This is it,’ the case of both parties shall come before God. The one whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor.
10 “If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep safe, and it dies or is injured or is driven away, without anyone seeing it, 11 an oath by the Lord shall be between them both to see whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor's property. The owner shall accept the oath, and he shall not make restitution. 12 But if it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution to its owner. 13 If it is torn by beasts, let him bring it as evidence. He shall not make restitution for what has been torn. 14 “If a man borrows anything of his neighbor, and it is injured or dies, the owner not being with it, he shall make full restitution. 15 If the owner was with it, he shall not make restitution; if it was hired, it came for its hiring fee.
16 “If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife. 17 If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride-price for virgins.
18 “You shall not permit a sorceress to live.
19 “Whoever lies with an animal shall be put to death.
20 “Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the Lord alone, shall be devoted to destruction.
21 “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. 22 You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, 24 and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.
25 “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. 26 If ever you take your neighbor's cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, 27 for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.
28 “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.
29 “You shall not delay to offer from the fullness of your harvest and from the outflow of your presses. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to me. 30 You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep: seven days it shall be with its mother; on the eighth day you shall give it to me. 31 “You shall be consecrated to me. Therefore you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.

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Remember, these laws teach us about what matters to God. In general, we see two main categories here:
· First category: protecting the vulnerable;
· Second category: keeping people away from serious sin and error.

In the first category, see vv. 21-24:
21 “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. 22 You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, 24 and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless. [Exodus 22:21-24]

In the second category, see vv. 18-20:
18 “You shall not permit a sorceress to live.
19 “Whoever lies with an animal shall be put to death.
20 “Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the Lord alone, shall be devoted to destruction. [Exodus 22:18-20]

These actions are so destructive to the community that those who take them face the ultimate punishment: death.

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Which of the laws in today’s reading is most needed in our society today?

P.S. Did you note 22:16-17? That law is saying that if you sleep with a woman, you had better be committed to marry her and pay the price. This is another example of a law that at first seems reprehensible to us, but was a way of protecting women, who were always vulnerable in the ancient world.

The Bible And Slavery

Exodus 21:1-36

21 “Now these are the rules that you shall set before them. 2 When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. 3 If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out alone. 5 But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ 6 then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.
7 “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. 8 If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her. 9 If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. 10 If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights. 11 And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.
12 “Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death. 13 But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee. 14 But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.
15 “Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death.
16 “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.
17 “Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.
18 “When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist and the man does not die but takes to his bed, 19 then if the man rises again and walks outdoors with his staff, he who struck him shall be clear; only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall have him thoroughly healed.
20 “When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged. 21 But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be avenged, for the slave is his money.
22 “When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman's husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23 But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
26 “When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free because of his eye. 27 If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth.
28 “When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall not be liable. 29 But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death. 30 If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed on him. 31 If it gores a man's son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this same rule. 32 If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
33 “When a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34 the owner of the pit shall make restoration. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his.
35 “When one man's ox butts another's, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and share its price, and the dead beast also they shall share. 36 Or if it is known that the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall repay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his.

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To orient ourselves: the Lord has made a covenant with Israel, and they have agreed to its terms. The first set of terms are the Ten Commandments. As we have seen, the Ten (given in chapter 20) are general principles that offer guidance on how to live well. Then, chapters 21-23 will provide more detailed instructions, based on the Ten.

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Modern readers are often troubled by the fact that there was slavery in Ancient Israel. Shouldn’t the people who themselves had been slaves in Egypt have refused the practice?

The overall direction of the Bible is anti-slavery, but in the ancient world slavery was like how electricity is today—utterly part of life, and unthinkable to be without. So, what we have here is the Lord beginning to tighten the screws and make slavery less and less of an option for Israel.

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Many of these laws in chapters 21-23 are “casuistic laws,” that is laws that are “if…then” laws. In other words, they are not speaking to the ideal but to the actual—they are for the people how and where they actually are, not how they should be. What we will see is that these laws are meant to protect the vulnerable from the powerful. Strange as they seem on first reading, when we dig deeper we see that they are a way of restricting oppression, not amplifying it.

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Slavery in Israel was NOT the same thing as the institution of American slavery. For one thing, it wasn’t what we could call “race-based.” (In fact, the concept of race as being related to skin pigmentation is a modern concept from the past several hundred years; this concept did not exist in the ancient world.) In the ancient world, people groups—what we might call tribes or nations—were the primary divisions between peoples. So, for example, we read in the Bible of the Israelites and the Egyptians and the Midianites and the Philistines, etc. These groups are defined by their common ancestry and by the land they inhabited.

One of the ways that people became enslaved was through war—slaves were enemy captives. When Julius Caesar made war in Gaul, he enslaved the Gauls in the hundreds of thousands. Note that the Romans (from modern day Italy) enslaved people—the Gauls (from modern day France)—who had similar skin tones.

Also, American slavery had its roots in kidnapping—Africans were kidnapped in Africa and brought against their will across the terrible Middle Passage to be sold in the Americas. But, in Exodus, kidnapping is a capital crime, punished by the death penalty:

Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death. [Exodus 21:16]

Note that both the slave seller and the slave buyer are put to death!

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The word translated “slave” here in the English Standard Version actually has a range of meanings. The Hebrew word (spelled with English letters) is ebed, and it can mean:
· Servant;
· Slave;
· Indentured servant.

In fact, it is that last category that makes the most sense in our context, because the reason someone would be enslaved in Ancient Israel was as a way to pay off debts. Selling yourself into domestic servitude in order to pay off debts is, as strange and off-putting as it is to us, a social safety net.

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So, with that in mind, look at 21:1-4:

1 “Now these are the rules that you shall set before them. 2 When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. 3 If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out alone. [Exodus 21:1-4]

When you become an indentured servant, you automatically are released from your debts every seven years. If a husband and wife come into service together, then they go out together. But, if an indentured servant ends up getting married while in servitude, then his wife will not automatically go out with him, because she will still need to work off her own debts.

We still might have problems with the entire system of indentured servitude, but nevertheless looking at those initial verses above in this way helps understand a bit more the heart behind the laws.

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Now, let’s look at 21:7-11, which initially seem really troubling:

7 “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. 8 If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her. 9 If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. 10 If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights. 11 And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money. [Exodus 21:7-11]

Remember that in the ancient world, women found security and provision by being tied to a man, either as a daughter or as a wife or as a mother. Verses 7-11 therefore are about protecting women by making it impossible for female indentured servants to be traded around between men as sexual objects. If a female indentured servant becomes a sexual partner to a man in her household, she cannot then be cast aside.

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If a man decides that he cannot survive on his own and prefers to stay with another household, then he has that choice:

5 But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ 6 then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever. [Exodus 21:5-6]

But it must be clear to everyone that this is his choice, hence the pierced ear. Otherwise, he would go free after seven years and have to make his own way in the world.

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What’s interesting to me is that the very first laws after the Ten Commandment are focused on household service. The Lord is here restricting how vulnerable people might be oppressed. Servitude is not permanent but must be lifted every seven years. If you physically abuse your indentured servants, then they go free even if their debts are not yet paid:

26 “When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free because of his eye. 27 If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth. [Exodus 21:26-27]

What does this first section of laws tell us about the heart of God and the temptations of humanity?

Do You Have A Specific Spot For Prayer? [Exodus Part 4 Begins!]

Our fourth and final part of Exodus begins today, and will run for six weeks. I’ve included here the introduction I’ve written to help you get the most out of this section. Today’s reading and commentary will be found below the introduction.

IS THIS THE HARDEST PART OF THE BIBLE?
In some ways this final section of Exodus is the most challenging part of the whole book, and among the most challenging parts of the entire Bible. This is because, for modern readers, Exodus chapters 20-40 seem overwhelmingly boring. What relevance do the meticulous instructions for the construction of the tabernacle have for my life? How can reading Old Testament law possibly help me today?

If we are willing to approach the Bible with open minds and do a little bit of work, however, I’m convinced that these seemingly boring passages are really a blessing to us. We’ve been reading through Exodus for months, let’s finish the story and see what the Lord has for us!

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3 WAYS TO GET THE MOST OUT OF EXODUS 20-40

1. Pay attention to where you are in the overall story. Context matters, and when you trace the overall arc of the story, some of the passages that at first seem boring actually become really interesting. Remember, the process is the point. So, for example, we’ll see that when the tabernacle instructions are repeated almost verbatim, there is something really important going on. (Spoiler: the instructions are repeated after the incident with the golden calf; the repetition shows that the Lord is giving the people a chance to start over—the repetition is a good thing! If you’re interested, you can read ahead to the commentary for Thursday, June 13 to find out more.)
2. Think about the point behind the law. After the revelation of the Ten Commandments, the Lord gives the Israelites more detailed laws about how to live and represent Him well. The Ten Commandments are like a constitution, and the subsequent laws amplify its intent by giving greater specificity— “If this happens, then do this.” What we see when we pay attention to the point behind the laws is the heart of God. By thinking about God’s intention with the laws, we can see how seemingly obsolete Old Testament law can inform how we live today.
3. Remember that the question Exodus is trying to answer is, how can a Holy God live in the midst of a sinful people? The tabernacle is meant to provide the means by which the Lord can be close to the people and sustain them as they move into the Promised Land. The Lord wants to guide them and strengthen them, but their fear and idolatry is a constant threat to His purposes.

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SUMMARY OF THE STORY SO FAR

• The children of Israel were enslaved by Pharaoh;

• Moses was spared by the Lord and then sent by the Lord to lead the children of Israel to freedom;

• The Lord sent the plagues and brought judgment on the so-called gods of Egypt;

• The Lord delivered His people through the Passover and the Red Sea;

• And He brought them to Mount Sinai to commission them as His representatives to the nations.

The people have been rescued for a purpose. At Mount Sinai (chapters 20-40), they receive that purpose.

First, they receive the Ten Commandments.

Second, they receive additional laws so they can live well.

Third, they are told how to properly worship through the construction of an ornate tent in the middle of their desert camp—a tent called “the tabernacle”—and there is a priesthood ordained to lead them in proper worship.

From the time of the Passover until the end of the Book of Exodus, one-year period elapses, and so things are moving along relatively quickly.

But God’s plan is interrupted by the shocking Israelite decision to make and worship a golden calf while Moses is on the mountain hearing from the Lord. Literally right after they have been told in the Second Commandment not to worship idols, that’s exactly what they do!

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IF YOU WERE GOD, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

We are confronted at Mount Sinai with the central tension of the entire biblical story—how does a good God stay committed to a rebellious and sinful humanity?

What we will see is that the Lord remains committed to Israel but that nevertheless there are consequences for their sin. In fact, the entire sacrificial system of worship the Lord institutes at the tabernacle is meant to teach Israel about the deadly consequences of sin and His desire to forgive them and reinstate them into a right relationship with Him.

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How this Reading Plan Works

Remember, consistency is more important than intensity! That is, don’t try to read the whole Bible in one sitting—rather, pace yourself and make a commitment to be consistent. To that end, the readings are parceled-out on weekdays only—if you get behind, catch up each weekend. Each day I’ve written brief commentary to help you get something out of your reading. The commentary is NOT the point; the Bible is the point. If the commentary helps you, great! If it doesn’t, no worries—just skip it.

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WHY EXODUS MATTERS TO YOUR LIFE TODAY

As we will see, the Ten Commandments are guidance from God about how to live well. The Ten Commandments (and the other laws that follow) are revealed from God to His people so that they can be His representatives to the nations.

The church has that same purpose today (see 1 Peter 2:9-12)—we represent the Lord to the world. It’s my prayer that these readings will show us how to live well so we can be a blessing to our neighbors and to the nations.

P.S. Want to receive these daily readings and commentary each weekday morning in your inbox? Sign up on my website: andrewforrest.org.

P.P.S. What did the tabernacle look like? What’s the point of the ark of the covenant and the lampstand and the high priest’s clothing, etc.? What are we supposed to do with all the Old Testament laws? I’ll be teaching my final All-Church Bible Study on Exodus on Wednesday, May 29, 6:30-8:00pm in the Asbury Sanctuary.

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Monday, May 13

Exodus 20:22-26

22 And the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven. 23 You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. 24 An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you. 25 If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it. 26 And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.’

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After the Ten Commandments, the Lord gives more specific instructions to Moses. Here, the Lord repeats the injunction against making idols and then explains how the Israelites are to make altars.

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Altars, Not Idols
Israelite worship should not consist of little statues but rather simple altars. (This simplicity is why they are not meant to use hewn stone, but rather just use field stone as they find it.) And, because these altars are for ordinary people who won’t be clothed in priestly robes, they need to be careful that they remain appropriately clothed and dignified when they worship.

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Why Should We Care?
The Israelites are not to worship idols, but they are to construct altars. I think the lesson here for us is that it is good for us to have particular places in which to pray and worship. Obviously, our churches play this function, but we live most of our lives outside the church building so I think it’s also good to have a particular spot at home to pray. Your closet? Upstairs? Downstairs? Back patio? Front stoop? Breakfast table? The garden? At the foot of your bed? Pick a spot and make a practice of just sitting there and praying. It will change your life.

Moses Goes Up

Our fourth and final section of Exodus begins Monday! Pick up your Exodus reading guides this weekend at Asbury. Part 4 will run for six weeks: from Monday, May 13 to Friday, June 21.

If you live out of town, email Sandie Tomlinson and she’ll mail you a copy;

• If you live in Dallas, email Sandie and she’ll tell you how you can pick yours up for yourself there in town.

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Exodus 20:18-21

18 Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off 19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” 21 The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

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With the Ten Commandments concluded, the people are overwhelmed. The Lord has been speaking directly to the Israelites, but from now on He will speak to Moses on the mountain and then Moses will speak to the people.

We resume our reading on Monday with a new reading guide, Exodus Part 4.

Something to think about over the weekend: how can the Ten help you live more fully and freely? How are they God’s gift to you, today?

Desire [The Tenth Commandment]

Exodus 20:17

17 “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.”

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I like the word “covet” because it is an English word that we only use in religious contexts:
1. We use it in the tenth commandment. (More on this below.)
2. We use it in the Christian phrase, “I covet your prayers.” (This is an
example of what you might call “Christianese.”)

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The word covet means desire, and in fact in Hebrew the word used in the tenth commandment has the same root that is used in Genesis 3:6 when Eve sees that the tree with the forbidden fruit is desirable.

The tenth commandment is strange, because it obviously cannot be legally enforced—you cannot prosecute someone for his thoughts. This is an important insight into the nature of the Ten Commandments overall, because it indicates that the Ten are less about specific legislation than they are about the ideas behind the laws. The Ten, in essence, are guiding principles from the Lord about how to live well. The right way to use the Ten Commandments, then, is to use them as bedrock principles on which to build a well-ordered society.

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The tenth commandment is important and occurs last because our thoughts determine our actions. It is very hard to commit adultery if you haven’t first coveted another person’s spouse; it is very hard to steal if you haven’t first coveted another person’s property, etc.

HOW TO KEEP FROM COVETING
One of the marks of Christian maturity is to learn to discipline your thoughts. The way to practically do this is to practice gratitude. When you give thanks, you leave no room for desiring that which you do not have. By its very nature, coveting requires ingratitude—I’m not grateful for my house, or my wife, or my donkey, or my car, and so I desire yours.

What if you woke up tomorrow with only that which you thanked the Lord for today?

False Witness [The Ninth Command]

Exodus 20:16

16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

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Just as the previous commandments spoke about my responsibility to my neighbor, so does this one: I am responsible for telling the truth about my neighbor. In any society, truthfulness is necessary for there to be flourishing. When you cannot trust other people, everyone suffers.

What if Christians were known in every community to be scrupulously honest and faithful to the truth?

How does the ninth commandment relate to the third commandment?

Why Stealing Is Wrong [The Eighth Commandment]

Exodus 20:15

15 “You shall not steal.

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One way to look at the second half of the Ten Commandments is that they are about my responsibility for my neighbor. I don’t take my neighbor’s life, I don’t take my neighbor’s wife, and I don’t take my neighbor’s property. The Ten give me the responsibility to look out for my neighbor.

Theft is also a sign of a lack of trust in God. In essence, when I steal I’m saying, “I want that person’s property and I do not trust that the Lord will provide it for me, so I’m going to take what I want.”

Theft begins in the thoughts. How can you direct your thoughts away from theft today?

The Adultery One [The Seventh Commandment]

Exodus 20:14

14 “You shall not commit adultery.

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Jesus said that part of the greatest commandment is to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39, though He was quoting from Leviticus 19:18).

One of the ways to love one’s neighbor is to stay away from his or her spouse. It is a wicked thing to steal another’s spouse, and the consequences of adultery will affect future generations. Because adultery requires two people, an adulterous spouse still needs a willing partner for adultery to be possible. Think how different life would be if one of the two parties in an adulterous relationship had refused to take part. The seventh commandment teaches that I am responsible for guarding my neighbor’s marriage by staying away from adultery.

How can you stay as far away as possible from adultery today?

(Remember, adultery always begins first in the mind.)

What Is The Difference Between Killing And Murder? [The Sixth Commandment]

Exodus 20:13

13 “You shall not murder.

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The difference between killing and murder is that murder is unlawful killing.

But that answer just raises another question:

What is lawful killing? By whose law?

In some ways, the rest of the Torah will offer answers, as it spells out times when death is the consequence for human sin. Pharaoh himself was killed in the Red Sea as a consequence of his behavior. But, what about when human laws are unlawful in God’s eyes? Just because a human law permits killing doesn’t mean it aligns with God’s justice.

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Jesus himself in the Sermon on the Mount draws attention to the heart behind this law when He tells His disciples to beware even of hateful thoughts:

21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. 23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. 25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. [Matthew 6:21-26]

In the background here is the story of Cain and Abel: Cain is so angry with the offering his brother Abel offers to the Lord that it drives him to murder.

Anger, Jesus says, can lead to murder—be careful.

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So, when is killing justified? An answer lies beyond the scope of this commentary, but I won’t dodge the question completely. The sixth commandment seems to imply (and the rest of the Bible supports) the idea that some human sins bring with them the consequence of death. A relatively easy example would be murderous actions against the innocent. If the innocent defend themselves and the result is the death of the would-be murderer, then that killing would be justified (though a human tragedy). The problem is that people nearly always claim that their actions are justified. This is why due process and a judiciary system is so important for human societies—we must watch over each other and seek justice in every situation. Of course, we will fail at this and some people have concluded that since justice is always imperfect, it is better and safer never to permit lawful killing. I understand that point of view, but I do not totally agree with it. To me, there are times and situations when death is the consequence for human sin. Sometimes that means defending yourself in war, and sometimes that means a society defending itself in times of peace. But always, death is a tragedy and ought never to be shamelessly celebrated.

But, this is what I think, and I certainly could be wrong. What about you?

Is there a difference between killing and murder? If so, what is it?

What Does It Mean To Honor Your Father And Your Mother? [The Fifth Commandment]

Exodus 20:12

12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

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What does it mean to honor your father and your mother?

At the very least, it means to be grateful that the Lord used them to give you life. Procreation is a partnership with the Lord; obviously, a man and a woman have to come together for there to be conception, but it’s God who makes life possible. The Lord has delegated power to fathers and mothers to make procreation possible. So, every human life is a product of what the Bible calls the “one flesh” union between a father and a mother. There are no people who do not have both a biological father and a biological mother.

Now, many people don’t know their biological parents for many reasons, and many other people had parents who were abusive or even evil. And yet, the basic fact is the same: none of us would be here were it not for our parents (and their parents, and their parents, etc.).

So, honoring your father and mother must always start with gratitude that the Lord used them to give your life. It can be more than that, but it’s not less. And gratitude is always a good place to start.

P.S. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus (Ephesians 6:2-3), this is the first commandment with a promise. Do this, and things will go well for you.

P.P.S. Note how both fathers and mothers are given equal place here—both are essential to life, and neither is more important than the other.