Monthly Archives: October 2009

Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Exodus 29

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Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. Then you will slaughter the bull in the presence of God at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Take some of the bull's blood and smear it on the horns of the Altar with your finger; pour the rest of the blood on the base of the Altar. Exodus 29:11-12 (MSG)

Have you ever picked up a novel and started reading it from the middle, or started watching a movie half-way in? It's a crazy-maker, isn't it? You find yourself trying to follow threads of the story without knowing what happened before. You feel lost and confused about characters and where the story is going.

According to God's message, the history of mankind is, indeed, a story. It's His-story. It is the story of man's willful disobedience, fall from God's grace and God's work of restoring that broken relationship. Without the context of the entire story, the chapters (like today's) are difficult to understand. The sacrificial system we read about it Exodus is brutal and confusing in today's world. Yet, it is an important piece of the larger story.

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the fruit in the Garden of Eden, relationship was broken and the punishment was mortality and death. For that ultimate disobedience to be forgiven, the penalty price of death had to be paid. God's message tells us that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness for sin. The consequence of our sins is brutally destructive. The price of our redemption is equally as brutal. That's why Jesus had to die, and his blood had to be shed. God's own son was the ultimate sacrifice.

The sacrifical system of Exodus is but a foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice God would make for me, for you, for all mankind. The daily, bloody affair prescribed for the wandering Israelites was a constant reminder of the seriousness of our disobedience – and the hight price of our redemption.

Today, I'm thankful for God, who provided the ultimate sacrifice for me.

Creative Commons photo courtesy of Flickr and the_brazilian

Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Exodus 28

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Vander Well Bible "Aaron will regularly carry the names of the sons of Israel on the Breastpiece of Judgment over his heart as he enters the Sanctuary into the presence of God for remembrance." Exodus 28:29 (MSG)

On the bay window in our dining room sits an ornate Bible big enough to choke a mule. It is worn with age, but beautiful with large silver clasps holding the cover closed. It is written entirely in Dutch. It belonged to my great-grandfather, Walter Vander Well, who emigrated to the U.S. from the Netherlands back in 1885. It regularly reminds me of the faith of my father's family, and hearkens me back to memories of sitting in my grandfather kitchen as he read God's message to the family after a meal.

On the sideboard in our living room is a tattered, leather covered Bible. It belonged to my grandfather's Uncle, James Hendrickson, who was a preacher on the Iowa and Illinois prairie in the early 20th Century. My great-grandfather committed suicide when my grandfather was 13, and my grandfather was raised by his grandparents. His Uncle Jim became a large spiritual influence in his life. His old Bible regularly reminds me of the faith of my mother's family, and how it guided them through difficult circumstances.

As I read in today's chapter about the breastpiece made for the high priest to wear, it struck me that Aaron was to take the names of his ancestors, the twelve sons of Jacob (a.k.a. Israel) into the sanctuary with him. What a reminder of spiritual legacy. How blessed to remember family, physical or spiritual, who sojourned before us and cleared a path for us to follow.

Today, I'm thankful for my family members who walked the path before me and blazed a trail of faith in ways that I'm sure I don't know nor can I comprehend. I'm mindful of a daughter getting married in two weeks, of a new generation to come, and my role in walking faithfully ahead of those who follow the path behind me.

Perhaps my Bible will one day sit on a great-great-grandson's coffee table as a reminder.


Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Exodus 27

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Burning the midnight oil. "Now, order the Israelites to bring you pure, clear olive oil for light so that the lamps can be kept burning. In the Tent of Meeting, the area outside the curtain that veils The Testimony, Aaron and his sons will keep this light burning from evening until morning before God. This is to be a permanent practice down through the generations for Israelites." Exodus 27:20-21 (MSG)

There is a light above our kitchen sink that remains on 24/7/365. The practice of keeping a light burning through the night was not motivated by any kind of spiritual reasoning. With teenage daughters often coming home well after we've gone to bed, it's there to help them not stumble on their way into the house. If we have to get up in the watches of the night for some reason, we have a light to guide us.

As I read God's command for Aaron and the priests to keep the oil lamps burning in the tent of God's dwelling, it struck me that there are parallel reasons with our little kitchen light. You need light for protection and safety. You need light if you're going to be active. What a daily word picture for the people of Israel who, at this point in the story, are still uprooted and wandering through the wilderness. The lamps in the night send a subtle, but powerful message. God does not sleep at night. God is active. God will protect and watch over you in the depths of daily darkness.

Today, I'm thankful for God who is vigilant in watching over me and my family even when I am asleep or distracted by the unimportant things of this world.

Creative Commons photo courtesy of Flickr and tlindenbaum

Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Exodus 26

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Toms bass

"Make The Dwelling itself from ten panels of tapestry woven from fine twisted linen, blue and purple and scarlet material, with an angel-cherubim design. A skilled craftsman should do it." Exodus 26:1 (MSG)

I own an electric bass that was hand-made by my brother. Each time I play it, I marvel to think that it had once been a couple of blocks of wood in my brother's hands. The craftsmanship is amazing and the sound it makes is spectacular. Each time I play the low B string I can feel the deep, vibrating rumble all the way to my toes. I think back to the cheap department store special on which I first learned to play. The difference in structure, in playability, and in the resulting sound between that bass guitar and the one my brother crafted is so vast as to be comical.

God is an artist and a craftsman. He created the world and all that is in it with infinite complexity. As I read through the detailed description of how he wanted the tent of dwelling, the first dedicated sanctuary for his presence on Earth, built – it is no wonder that he calls upon "skilled craftsman" to do the work. God didn't want a blue-light special. God wanted a hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind work of art full of color and artistry. This portable temple must have been breathtaking to behold.

Today, I meditate on the things I offer God (e.g. my time, my money, my talents, my life), and I wonder if God feels like I'm constantly handing him a cheap, department store knock-off. God is an artist. God is a skilled craftsman, and I know he wants the very best of me that I can possibly offer.