We now move on to Exodus 39 where the garments for the priests are described.  We think pastors in suits are fancy. That is nothing compared to what Aaron and his sons were to wear. This is to set them apart from even the other Levites.  They are not better. They simply have a job that requires them to come into the very presence of God. These garments honor Yahweh.

Many older Christians still wear their best clothes when they go to worship in their local church. If they do this to show off, it is wrong. If it is to show honor to God, it is appropriate. We honor people that we look up to and respect by dressing correctly in their presence. Today honor is not shown to God or others as it once was. Why do you suppose that is true?

According to Exodus 40 the new tabernacle and all its associated items are used first on the first day of the New Year. The tent, altar, and all the furnishings must be anointed with the special oil that has been made for this purpose. After washing and dressing in the sacred garments, Aaron and his sons are also anointed.

The show bread and other items of worship are put in place. A burnt offering and grain offering are presented as an act of worship. When Moses finished the construction of all the curtains and framework, Jehovah moved over it in the cloud. As the cloud moved, the Israelites moved out taking down and moving the tent of meeting and their personal dwellings. Tomorrow we begin the third book, Leviticus.

How often do our churches have to stop taking offerings?  Exodus 36 tells that all that was needed for the sanctuary had been received and Moses requested the giving to stop.  Offerings would be received, but they would be for the sacrifices, not the building program.

The tent of meeting and all the accompanying items are painstakingly created in the manner that was shown to Moses on the mountain.  The people want to obey Jehovah, at least this time.  What happens later?

Exodus 37 tells of the construction of the Ark of the Covenant.  This was considered the seat of God.  Its presence symbolized the fact that Jehovah was there when they worshiped.  It was ornate and covered in gold.  Why did all these furnishings have to be carved in wood and then covered with Gold?

Now we come to the altar for the burnt offerings in Exodus 38.  It was covered with bronze, not gold.  Why was this done?  A bronze basin was made for washing.  Why was it important to have a way to wash when much blood was shed and sprinkled on the altar?

A courtyard also had to be constructed for the people to gather to worship outside of the places where the priests would minister.  Some churches continue to have areas in their buildings designated for ministers and the general congregation is not allowed access except on special occasions.

©Copyright 2020 by Charles Kensinger

Jehovah’s chastisement of the Israelites continues in Exodus 33.  He will allow them to enter the land of Canaan and subdue the people as He had promised before, but Yahweh will not travel with them.  An angel or messenger will go with them and clear their enemies.

God met with Moses in the tabernacle on a regular basis.  Joshua was the only one who went in with Moses.  He agrees to go with the Jews and Moses requests to see the Glory of Jehovah.  He is only allowed to view Go

Back up the mountain in Exodus 34 with two stone tablets for the law.  The Jewish leader watches God as He moves away.  Verses six and seven are Jehovah’s description of Himself.  His love, faith, and grace are expounded.  Moses throws himself on his face to worship his Lord.

A promise is made to show miracles even greater than He has performed to this point.  God’s presence will be seen and felt.  He asks them to again keep themselves separate from those who now occupy the promised land.  The covenant law is given again as God writes it on the tablets.  God challenges them as He does Christians today knowing that humans cannot obey as they are asked to.

Exodus 35 begins with more instructions on the Sabbath observance.  Why is breaking this law punishable by execution?  Modern science tells us how important rest is to the human body.  With this information we still do not follow this instruction and many die prematurely because we do not get enough rest.

The collection of offerings for materials and building of the tabernacle begins.  The instructions given to Moses are repeated, demonstrating how important the place of worship is for the Israelites.  As Christians, we are the temple of God.  How careful are we to care for His dwelling?

©Copyright 2020 by Charles Kensinger

The garments for the priests which include Aaron and his sons are detailed in chapter 28 of Exodus.  The garments continue the dedication to the worship of Yahweh as the one true God.  All the care given to the clothing of the priests emphasizes the glory of God.

The Urim and Thummim are worn by Aaron.  These devices were like modern dice.  They were used in the process of casting lots.  When they needed a direct word from God to decide an issue, the lot was cast and showed yes or no.  Is that gambling? I would not want to wager anything against Yahweh.

Consecration is a term that is discussed in Exodus 29.  To consecrate is to dedicate for a specific purpose.  Ordination is another word that is used here that sometimes is not understood.  It is setting someone aside for a specific purpose.  In Christian churches, we ordain ministers, elders, deacons and other positions in the congregations.

Consecration and ordination are very important ceremonies.  God wanted these done in a specific way.  Many churches view their ceremonies as just as holy as the methods that are specified by Jehovah.  Often, we forget the reasons why certain things or actions are considered sacred.  We are no different from the Israelites.

©Copyright 2020 by Charles Kensinger

We continue with statutes that are to be observed upon arriving in the Promised Land in Exodus 22.  Each person is expected to obey these laws to create a civilized society.  Basic court procedure is established in this law as well as guidelines dealing with negligence and loss of property and accidental death.

Rape and rights of women, what few they had at this time, are also dealt with.  Sorcery is condemned as are all other types of worship of other gods.  Another area that is dealt with is general hygiene and food preparation.  These rules were for safety even before the FDA, USDA and OSHA.

The statement of the law continues in Exodus 23.  Much of these instructions are common sense and we wonder why God felt it necessary to tell people not to follow the crowd and pervert justice in that way.  Shouldn’t everyone know that if you see livestock that has wandered away from the owner, it should be returned to them?  Is bribery something that we don’t know is wrong?

The Sabbath day and the Sabbath year is also a procedure that should have been learned by every farmer.  As a child, I remember reading that agricultural specialist George Washington Carver teaching crop rotation in the late 1880’s.  Why aren’t these things passed down and continued with each generation?

Every new generation wants to rebel from the old-fashioned ideas.  They also want to come up with something new that they can claim.  These selfish reasons seem to be the answer for many of our mistakes.

God even promises at the end of this chapter to send an angel to drive the other nations from the Promised Land.  He tells them that it will not be all at once.  He warns them that they will be led astray if they do not kill them and remove them completely from the land as He has instructed.  As usual, they will not listen

In Exodus 24 Moses is the only one that is to get close to Jehovah on the mount.  An altar is built, sacrifices travel up to God, and promises are made by the Israelites.  Certain of the elders could come to a certain point and view Yahweh from a distance.  Moses continued with God for over a month.  This was a problem for the people as we will see tomorrow.