Thursday, February 13

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2014

Exodus 35:10–36:38

Matthew 27:32–66

Psalm 34:1–10

Proverbs 9:7,8

 

 

Today's passage describes the careful construction of the Tabernacle, a "tent of meeting," that would serve as the site of the Israelites' communal worship.  This Tabernacle replaces Moses's first tent of meeting and foreshadows the Temple in Jerusalem and, ultimately, heaven.

 

Although the specific terms for measurements and weights may sound foreign to us, it is clear that the people were careful to follow all that God had commanded them through Moses.  The Israelites eagerly offer their gold, silver, yarn, and fine linen and their time and talents as well.  It is fascinating to see how a people, who had given their gold jewelry only a few chapters earlier to the production of the golden calf, have now turned their focus to honoring the Lord through this Tabernacle, where He will meet with them.  We also note how the craftsmen constructed these items for portability, placing poles in many items so that the Israelites might reconstruct the Tabernacle after God has led them elsewhere.

 

The Tabernacle is truly a celebration of God's presence.  The people go forth with the building project with joy because they have seen God's presence.  As Scott wrote yesterday, we should seek nothing greater than His presence.  (Each day, we are challenged by the reminder of the many idols in American life:  sports, celebrity, sensual pleasure, food, and material possessions.  How many of these idols will appear in a single half-hour of broadcast television today?)

 

We also witness a helpful picture of the ingredients for serving the Lord faithfully:  the Lord equips the craftsmen for His work through sending the Holy Spirit, and they dedicate themselves to serving with diligence and excellence.  This interaction of God's work and man's work results in a beautiful place for celebrating His presence.  We must not rely only on ourselves to serve the Lord, but we can't stand idly by either.

 

Below, I offer two applications from considering the Tabernacle and our living today:

 

1) The “how” matters as much as the “what.”  We might summarize this concept with the axiom:  “God’s work done in God’s way will honor God and receive His blessing.”  (Missionary Hudson Taylor offered another greater truth in a similar statement:  “God’s work, done God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.”)  Clearly, God has endowed each of us, much in the way that He blessed the Tabernacle craftsmen, with skills and abilities:  “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)  We must be careful to note that we do not undertake these “good works” in order to “earn” our salvation, but rather our sacrificial attitude towards service reflects our grateful reaction to the finished work of Christ on the cross and its power to bring eternal life “to all who received him, to those who believed in his name.” (John 1:12)

 

On the other hand, we must not allow ourselves to become complacent in thinking that our work, however tedious, has no greater meaning.  Indeed, as I noted above, I am convinced that our attitude matters as much as our achievements.  We will not all paint masterpieces, write symphonies, manage Fortune 500 companies, or pastor and counsel hundreds of people.  Yet, God has called each one of us to His purpose for our lives.  Colossians 3:22–24 instructs us:  “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”  As we all serve others, these verses apply equally appropriately to a 21st-century office worker as to a first-century bondsman.

How should we approach our work?  Too often, we look at work as a chore or an obligation, rather than a blessing and means of glorifying and honoring God.  Instead, we may view every (legal) activity as a means of blessing His people and bringing glory to His Name.  The Scriptures make clear that, even in the Garden, God has called us to work as a means of worshipping and serving Him and His people.

 

 

2) We ought to offer our lives as living sacrifices.  In a similar way to the Israelites, God has called us to offer our lives as “living sacrifices.” (Romans 12:1,2)  In so doing, we become committed to living a life of worship and intentionality:  “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17)  Practically speaking, this commitment demands that we place all our time, talent, energy, and money at His feet, asking for His direction in how to deploy our limited resources.  In our pride, we will find ourselves seeking to retake control of the reins.  We must rededicate ourselves to this attitude on a daily or hourly basis, recognizing that God has created us for His very purpose (Ephesians 2:10 again).

 

 

QUESTIONS

 

1.  How can you offer your "craftsmanship" in excellence to the Lord this week?  How can you honor Him with the talents He has given you?

2.  How can you better celebrate God's presence?

 

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