Archive | February 2024

#2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 48

Feb17

    Day 48 —  We are in the second month! We’ve been reading for over a 1/12 of a year! Praise God! I hope that it’s become a GOOD habit that will continue.

   Day 48 – Leviticus 14 – 15  (cleansing lepers, homes, men/women)

Yesterday’s reading was about recognizing some “unclean” things that Israel was to avoid. Today’s is about the cleansing process of those things (but not food).

Chapter 14 describes elaborate rituals, washings, and offerings over two weeks to determine if a person is actually recovered/healed from leprosy. It involved an examination of the person (outside the camp) and a collection of two clean birds, cedarwood, scarlet yarn and hyssop for the person (either by his family, or by other priests). (This is what Jesus told the 10 healed lepers to do to begin the process.  “Go show yourselves to the priest”) Luke 17:14

One bird was killed and it’s blood mixed with water in a basis. The cedar & hyssop was tied together by the scarlet yarn and, along with the living bird, dipped into the mix of water and blood. This symbolized  purification. The then released living bird symbolized the person’s release from quarantine. This process reminds me of Titus 3:4-5

After that, the former leper had to wash his clothes, shave all over, and bathe. After another week outside the camp he’d be examined again. If still “clean” he would bring 3 lambs and some flour and oil as an offering. A dab of blood from one lamb killed for the guilt offering would be placed on his right ear, thumb & big toe. Again with the oil. (Provision was made if the person was poor.)

Houses (once in the Promised Land) might need cleansing from mold, fungus, and mildew. There was a ritual for that too involving examinations, waiting periods, scraping & replacing. If it persisted the house would be torn down. If it didn’t, an offering was made and then it would be livable.

This all was a protection for the people against contagious disease and prevalent, dangerous mold/fungus.. Cleansing seemed to always involve water and blood, and makes us look to Jesus.

Chapter 15 tells about what makes men and women temporarily unclean. Bodily fluid discharges, whether during a woman’s monthly period and childbirth, or a man’s seminal release. Also about diseased discharges.  It’s kind of gross to read, but important to keep Israel clean physically and spiritually. And again to show on a greater scale, the absolute HOLINESS and separateness of God, who must be set apart from His sinful chosen people.

Again, this all seems to point to the ultimate cleansing FROM SIN that will come through faith in the sacrificial death & resurrection of Jesus Christ.

#2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 47

Feb16

    Day 47 —  We are in the second month! We’ve been reading for over a 1/12 of a year! Praise God! I hope that it’s become a GOOD habit that will continue.

   Day 47 – Leviticus 11 – 13  (Unclean things, skin disease)

In chapter 10, we read about how two newly-consecrated priests sinned so defiantly, that God burned them up on the spot. God is HOLY and want’s he people to be holy as well. In the next 3-4 chapters God will show what the people must do to be “clean” in His sight.  NOT SINLESS for that is impossible on earth.

First, in chapter 11, God lists the CLEAN and unclean animals on Israel’s menu. Some unclean items are what we as Americans can eat every day – bacon, ham, shrimp, clams, even rabbit. Other things we might distain are okay, like grasshoppers, locusts, crickets. (I ate a grasshopper in Africa, fried in oil. It tasted a bit like crunchy bits of straw.)

Why this detailed list for God’s people? The answer is in 11:44. God is Holy (set apart) and Israel was to be set apart among the nations as well. Chosen by God to represent Him.  Many of the forbidden foods were worshipped & eaten by the pagan nations that they would find and fight in Canaan.

(People have argued the health benefits of this diet as well.)

Chapter 12 talks about another kind of “uncleanness.”  It involves blood. God looks on blood in a different way than most of us do. It’s the LIFE of a creature (the first job of EMTs is to stop the bleeding).  Blood is also used in sacrifice and the atonement for sin (culminating in Jesus’ blood shed for us), and in consecrating people and things to God as holy.

So — not to denigrate women or childbirth in any way in this chapter — God speaks of a woman’s monthly “period” and the flow of blood in childbirth as being “unclean.” He tells Moses the ways she can be “purified” after childbirth and monthly bleeding are with lengths of time and with ritual offerings, depending on their financial statis.

(I’ve always personally believed that it is also a protection from infection and/or bruising etc. (and even abuse) for a woman whose hubby may wish to resume intercourse before she is “back to normal” inside – MY belief, not historically or spiritually stated here.)

Chapter 13, is HARD TO READ, especially for the squeamish.  It’s about the identification and the actions to be taken when leprosy and other skin diseases are found.  It’s pretty graphic and ugly, and the person (or thing) with a contagious skin disease is to be removed from the camp.

But, since leprosy is sometimes a vivid illustration for SIN in human lives, we also need to see to sin’s elimination in ourselves and guard against spread.  I think of 1 John 1:9 and other verses – the believer’s First Aid for the deadly disease of Sin.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

“Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing HOLINESS to completion in the fear of God.”  2 Corinthians 7:1

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Tomorrow’s reading will show the laws for the cleansing of leprosy and the re-introducing of the person back into the camp.”

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses.” Ephesians 1:7

#2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 46

Feb15

    Day 46 —  We are in the second month! We’ve been reading for over a 1/12 of a year! Praise God! I hope that it’s become a GOOD habit that will continue.

   Day 46 – Leviticus 8 – 10  (Consecration of Priests, LORD’s acceptance, sin & death)

In chapter 8 God tells Moses to consecrate Aaron and his four sons to serve in the Holy Tabernacle. They are washed and dressed in the specially designed priestly garments with Aaron also receiving the ephod, jeweled breast piece with the Urim and Thummim inside, the hat, and the golden plate or “holy crown” for his head.

The special anointing oil is used, there are sacrifices of a bull and ram with their blood sprinkled on the holy objects as well as the priests. There is fire for sacrifice and for boiling water and cooking meat, and a command to eat. Aaron and his 4 sons are commanded to stay at the entrance of the Tabernacle, day and night for seven days doing everything God told them.

Chapter 9  tells that on the 8th day Aaron was to offer specific burnt offerings, a peace offering, and a grain offering before the LORD with the elders witnessing it all. Aaron performed all the duties completely, including blessing all the people.  And God was pleased. “…and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering. When the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.” (9:23b-24)

But after those great and glorious things, there seems to always follow deep sin.  From highs to lows; mountain tops to valleys of shadow. We should be aware of this in our own lives!

Boldly, brazenly, arrogantly, two of Aaron’s four newly consecrated sons took censers, put “fire” on them and laid “incense” on them and offered UNAUTHORIZED fire before the LORD, which He had NOT commanded.

Immediately, fire – HOLY FIRE – came out from the LORD and consumed them. Living to dead in seconds. SHOCK WAVE!

And then the voice of the LORD boomed forth, “AMONG THOSE WHO ARE NEAR ME I WILL BE SANCTIFIED. AND BEFORE ALL THE PEOPLE, I WILL BE GLORIFIED.”

Moses called for another Levite to carry out their remains, IN THEIR PRIESTLY COATS (which had just been consecrated) out of the camp. Moses then told Aaron and the two remaining sons NOT TO MOURN the deaths of Nadab and Abihu. They were to continue with their duties, a burnt offering and a grain offering, part of which they were to eat inside the courtyard.

Chapter 10: BUT, Aaron, Eleazar and Ithamar could not eat it – disobeying God’s direct LAW (Lev. 6:26).  Moses charged them with this disobedience, but possibly fearing another judgement from God, which would have left no one in succession for the priesthood, he let it go.

What a way to begin their holy service to the LORD. It just proves that they – like we – are sinners, and could easily do far worse than we ever thought possible… given the right nudge.

Praise God for his mercy!

#2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 45

Feb14

    Day 45 —  We are in the second month! We’ve been reading for over a 1/12 of a year! Praise God! I hope that it’s become a GOOD habit that will continue.

   Day 45 – Leviticus 5 – 7  (LAWS requiring penitence, compensation, and restoration)

In chapter 5, God continues to speak to Moses about “rules and regulations” for His own people.  He covers sins of omission, uncleanness, and a person’s financial means and limitations to provide for atonement. (An offering of a female lamb or goat, or two doves/pigeons, or even (2 liters) of fine flour.)

And any who don’t realize they are sinning but are then made aware of it, he should bring in a guilt offering.  God always wants the sinner to COME TO HIM in repentance, NOT to run away from Him.

Leviticus 6:4-5 – “If anyone has sinned and has realized his guilt and will restore what he;

1) took by robbery,

2) or got by oppression,

3) or the deposit that was committed to him,

4) or the lost thing that he found (finders keepers attitude),

5) or anything about which he has sworn falsely —

He shall restore it in full and shall add a fifth (20%) and give it to whom it belongs ON THE DAY he realizes his guilt.”  And also bring an offering to the priest to make atonement. “And he shall be forgiven for any of the things that one may do and thereby  become guilty.” 6:7b

(Doesn’t this remind you of the repentant Zacchaeus?)

An interesting note in verses 6:12-13, is that the fire on the bronze alter should be kept burning continually, day and night. (Perhaps so there would be no delay when the people brought their sacrifices? Or probably it was God showing that a person could come to Him in repentance any time and have their sins atoned for and forgiven.)

The rest of chapter 6 and chapter 7 cover the various offering in detail — grain offerings, sin offerings, guilt offerings, peace offerings, ordination, thanksgiving, vow, and freewill offerings — and which of the animals (or their parts) were to be given to the priests & families to eat.

And again God reminds them what is unclean to the people and which must be atoned for — touching dead bodies or infectious people, eating old meat, fat, or blood.

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All these details in Leviticus may seem tedious today, but I wonder how many of us (Americans) have recently read the Constitution of the United States, or us (Christians) the Apostle’s Creed or the Westminster’s Catechism in detail. OR THE ENTIRE BIBLE for that matter!! It might be a worthwhile way to pass some time.

#2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 43

Feb13

    Day 43 —  We are in the second month! We’ve been reading for over a 1/12 of a year! Praise God! I hope that it’s become a GOOD habit that will continue.

   Day 43 – Leviticus 1 – 4  (LAWS for Offerings – burnt, grain, peace, and sin)

Today begins a new book. We’ll be in Leviticus for ten days. Don’t get discouraged about all the sacrifices and details. There is truth here for us as well as Israel. God is holy and we are not, but he wants a relationship with us.

In chapter 1, God speaks to Moses about offerings and sacrifices. It will be the way a sinful Israel can approach their holy God who is living in their midst. Some of the sacrifices point to the ultimate offering for sin – God’s son, Jesus. Other offerings are for the provision of the Levitical priests whose forever job is taking care of the Tabernacle and the worship of the LORD.

A burnt offering would become a “covering of sin” (atonement) for the giver and would be completely burned on the bronze alter as a “pleasing aroma to the LORD.”

Chapter 2 tells about the grain offering, a voluntary offering of cooked bread, seasoned, but without sugar or leaven. A portion would be burned, with the rest going to the priests for their food.

Chapter 3 covers the peace offering (including the thanksgiving, freewill, and wave offerings) in which part would go to the priest and the rest shared with others before God. It could be animal or grain.  It’s interesting that in verses 16-17, the forever statute was that they would never eat the fat or blood of an animal. The blood represented the “life” that was given (Genesis 9:4), and “All fat is the LORD’s”

And chapter 4, looks at the sin offering, or purification offering. When a priest or the whole congregation who sinned unintentionally in any of the LORD’s commandments and became aware of it, a bull from the herd would be brought, the elders laying their hands on its head, and then sacrificed and a portion of its blood sprinkled inside the Tabernacle before the veil. If a leader of the people sinned, a male goat would be sacrificed, the person laying his hand on its head first. When any of the common people sinned, they would bring a female goat or lamb, put their hand on its head, and the priest would make atonement for their sin and it would be forgiven.  (more details in chapter 5)

Sacrificing animals was not uncommon to these ex-slaves. Egyptians also sacrificed to their gods. But for Israel, it was always in acknowledgment of their sin or need, and God’s holiness and provision.  And they were NEVER to sacrifice children.

#2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, days 42 & 43

Feb12

   Day 42 & 43 —  We are in the second month of 2024! Praise God! I hope that reading God’s Word has become a GOOD habit that will continue. (Note: SUNDAY’s readings are combined with MONDAY’s)

   Day 42 – Exodus 36-38  (Tabernacle construction)

After Israel sinned so grossly, and the LORD judged them, and then graciously renewed His covenant with them, it seems they are repentant and eager to obey.

They have a project. The construction of the beautiful place where God’s presence will dwell with them. (They’d been frightened that He would send them to the Promised Land….but not go with them!)

Chapter 36. Bezalel and Oholiab (whom God had chosen and empowered with skills and knowledge) stood ready. The people so generously donated to the work that these men had to tell Moses to make them stop. They had enough to do all the work and more.

Chapter 37. And so the work on the curtains and coverings, frames and bases, veil and screen, and utensils was begun and was accomplished by those God had skilled to do it. Then the gold covered, solid gold, or bronze furniture inside and out of the Tabernacle Tent, and finally the huge courtyard hangings, pillars, bases and pegs were all made.

Chapter 38. All was constructed, carved, embroidered, and covered in gold just as God had told Moses. And the Levites kept a record of all the materials used. (READ 38:24-31 carefully. It is jaw-dropping!)

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    Day 43 – Exodus 39-40 (Priests garments, erection of the Tabernacle, the glory of the LORD)  T

Chapter 39. The last of the instructions that God gave to Moses was about the holy garments that were to be worn by the priests in the LORD’s service. Bezalel and his skilled workers took on this task as well, completing it in all the magnificent and precise details.  And when Moses saw that all the work had been done just as the LORD had commanded, he blessed them.

Chapter 40. And so, exactly to the day, one year after leaving Egypt, the Tabernacle was erected and all it’s furniture put into place. Moses consecrated it all to God by anointing each item with the holy oil, including Aaron and his sons (after washing them).

Moses took the tablets of the law and put them into the Ark of the Covenant. He put the poles into the rings and the mercy seat on top and took it into the Most Holy Place. He erected the veil between it and the Holy Place. He then placed the Table of Showbread, the Lampstand, and the Alter of Incense, burning some of the sacred incense before the LORD.  Then he hung the outer curtain and went out of the Tabernacle. (Remember, Moses was a Levite as well.)

Next he set up the Bronze alter and offered burnt (animal) and grain offerings. He set up the basin for washing and filled it with water.  He supervised the erection of the outer court around the Tabernacle, and the gate of the court.  And it was finished.

Then the cloud of the Shekinah Glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle, a visual manifestation of the presence of God with Israel.

And Exodus ends.

#2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 41

Feb10

    Day 41 —  We are in the second month! We’ve been reading for over a 1/12 of a year! Praise God! I hope that it’s become a GOOD habit that will continue.

   Day 41 – Exodus 33 – 35  (Intimate intercession, Covenant renewed, generous donations.)

Chapter 32 left us with broken laws, idolatry, and retribution.  And Moses beginning to intercede for the people and for his brother, Aaron.

Now in chapter 33 he pleads for God to continue His presence WITH them. And he asks God an impossible favor – to SEE God’s face. But God is Spirit, so no person can see His face, nor can they see His glory without vaporizing! However, God allows his friend Moses to see a bit of His fading glory (His goodness) after he passes by. Moses is safe in a cleft of rock with God’s “hand” covering the entrance.

In chapter 34, God “passes before Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and faithfulness, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but…. Who will by no means clear the guilty…”  And Moses falls on his face and worships God, and once more pleads that HE will pardon the sin of the people and take them for His inheritance.

God promises (covenants) to be their God, only they are to have NO OTHER GODS BEFORE HIM (for He is a jealous God) nor to MAKE FOR THEMSELVES ANY GODS OF CAST METAL. (These are the first two of the TEN commandments, and the ones that the people had already broken with that golden calf.)

God also reminds Moses that they must keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover – to remember and celebrate how He freed them from Egypt – and to obey the laws of the Sabbath. He re-wrote the Ten Words on the stone tablets and sent Moses back down the mountain.

And Moses’ face glowed so brightly from the presence of God that the people were terrified. After he spoke to them all that God had told him, Moses veiled his face. (After that. he set up a special tent outside the camp where he would go and meet the LORD. This wasn’t the Tabernacle which was to be set up in the middle of the camp.)

In chapter 35, Moses tells the people about building the Tabernacle, a place where their God would dwell among them and make His presence known to them. He told them all that was required for the tent, the furniture, and all the priests clothing. “Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the LORD’s contribution.”

And the people, both men and women, began to generously give their freewill offerings of jewelry and gold, silver, bronze, and linen and yarns. And both men and women volunteered their skills to help in the construction, led by Bezalel ben Hur and Oholiab ben Ahisamach.

And so it seems a catastrophe was averted by a man’s intercession before a Most Holy God. Oh, that WE would pray like this!.

#2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 40

Feb9

    Day 40 —  We are in the second month! We’ve been reading for over a 1/12 of a year! Praise God! I hope that it’s become a GOOD habit that will continue.

   Day 40 – Exodus 30 – 32  (Alters, Workers, the golden calf)

Moses is still on Mt. Sinai – how glorious to be in the presence of Almighty God for weeks at a time – no food or water, just GOD!

Now that the special clothing of the priests has be laid out, God shows Moses how the priest will approach God in chapter 30. The Incense Alter set next to the veil in the Holy Place is where he will offer sweet smelling incense to God. In Revelation, incense is pictured as “the prayers of God’s people.”  Morning & evening Aaron is to offer it on this alter.

God even tells Moses how anointing oil should be made – the finest spices, liquid myrrh, cinnamon, aromatic cane, cassia, and olive oil, and also the incense – sweet spices, pure frankincense, and salt to burn before the Holy of Holies. A head tax would be levied on every person in Israel, 20 years old. There were to pay a half-shekel. Rich and poor would give the same to the Lord’s offering. This would help pay for the needed items to serve in the Tabernacle.

Also a Bronze Basin (Laver) would be made and placed between the great alter of sacrifice in the courtyard and the entrance into the tent of meeting. Here the priest would wash hands and feet before entering the Holy Place.

In Chapter 31, God picks the two men who will oversee all this construction of the Tabernacle etc. Bezalel ben Hur of Judah, and Oholiab ben Ahisamach of the tribe Dan. These men God had “filled with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting and in carving wood, to work in EVERY craft.” 

And to ALL ABLE MEN, God gave ability to make everything He’d commanded, the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony with the mercy seat, all the furnishings of the tent, the table & utensils, the lampstand, the alter of incense, the alter of burnt offerings, and the basin and stand. Also, they would be skilled to make the finely-worked garments for Aaron and his sons, and the oil and the incense.

WOW!  And yet today God has also given to His church, men of special ability to lead well, and He’s given to the congregation other abilities (gifts) to minister and serve.  God is so good!

God now again stresses the importance of the SABBATH-keeping to His people. It was a sign, a covenant, between God and the people that they could KNOW him and be SANCTIFIED by Him.  It was a sign for them…forever.

Then God gave Moses the tablets of stone on which were engraved “by the finger of God” the Ten Words.

Chapter 32 takes us down the mountain, and WAY DOWN into degradation.  Impatient or fearful about Moses being away almost six weeks (was he dead?), the people asked Aaron to make “a god” to lead them.  They had God Almighty, Lord and creator of Heaven and Earth, and they wanted an idol made with human hands.  Sheesh!!

So Aaron called for them to donate gold earrings (which should have been given for the articles of the Tabernacle).  He fashioned it with a “graving tool” and made a golden calf (a famous god of Egypt).  Seriously???  Wasn’t Aaron present with the LORD did all those miracles through Moses before Pharaoh? Didn’t he KNOW the true God?

He also proclaimed a “Feast to the LORD.”   With a graven image of a COW???  Didn’t he remember the FIRST TWO commandments of the Ten, that they all had agreed to? The LORD first, and NO graven images??

The people “sat down to eat the feast, then rose up to play.”  This wasn’t charades or Scrabble.  “Play” here meant a wild, uncontrolled sex-orgy. This is how PAGANS worshiped idols, not the people of God the Most Holy LORD.

God was so angry he told Moses He would kill them all and make a “new nation” from his descendants. But Moses fell on his face and pleaded FOR GOD’S SAKE, not to destroy Israel, His children. Moses did not want God’s name or power to be denigrated in the eyes of the surrounding nations.  God, of course, was testing Moses, and Moses passed.

Then Moses & Joshua descended Sinai to see that revelry.  He was so angry & distraught he hurled the stone tablets at them. And the stone was broken, just as the laws on it had been.

“Aaron, what did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin on them?” asked Moses.

“You know these people, they are set on evil. They gave me gold. I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”

WHATTTT????  Is he saying “the people made me do it?” Or is he trying to show that the miracles they performed before Pharaoh, were still working in him?   Either way, Moses destroyed the image, ground it to dust and mixed it in water, and made the people drink it.

Then Moses drew a line in the sand. WHO IS ON THE LORD’S SIDE?  The Levites (Moses’ own tribe) stepped over it and stood with him. Then he sent them on a violent, bloody mission of mercy for Israel. They killed the 3000 false worshippers with their swords.  And Moses ordained THEM, the Levites, for the service of the LORD.

And Moses returned to the mountain of God to intercede for the nation … and for his brother.  Moses even offered HIS OWN LIFE in place of the sinning nation (shadows of the work of Christ).

God forgave.  But there are also always consequences to sin. The LORD sent a plague on the people because of the calf THAT AARON MADE.

#2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 39

Feb8

    Day 39 —  We are in the second month! We’ve been reading for over a 1/12 of a year! Praise God! I hope that it’s become a GOOD habit that will continue.

   Day 39 – Exodus 28 – 29  (Levitical priests, clothes & consecration)

Moses is still up on the smoking mountain. He’s received instructions on building the Tabernacle and some of the furniture in it. In Chapter 28, God will tell him WHO will be ministering in the Tabernacle, and how he is to dress and act.

Moses is to set apart his brother Aaron and Aaron’s four sons (and later descendants) to be Israel’s priests continually. (Remember, Moses also is a Levite.)

The wondrous garments that are to be made for them to wear when ministering to the LORD are breath-taking, both in “glory and beauty.” Pure white linen, with red, blue, purple, & gold threads embroidered in portions. Precious stones to represent the 12 tribes of Israel… when the priest went before God.

I don’t know what some of those stones look like, but the topaz, emerald, sapphire, diamond, & amethyst are ones I’ve seen and they are gorgeous. So colorful! (An interesting study would be to see which tribe name would be placed on which stone on the High Priest’s breastplate!)

Gold chains, rings and clasps, woven pomegranates and golden bells all decorate the clothing for glory and for beauty. Inside (a pocket?) of the breastplate is the Urim and Thummin. What they are we don’t know, but they were used to sometimes determine the will of God. And since HE said to put them there, He must have approved.  A golden medalion with “Holy to the LORD” carved on it would be at the front of the priest’s turbon as he enters God’s presence.

God describes to Moses the making of coats, sashes, caps, and even undershorts for the Priest and his sons.

In chapter 29, Moses is told how to consecrate Aaron (his sons and any priests to follow) before the Most Holy God. Sacrifices, blood sprinkling on the alter, blood touching the outermost places of the exposed sin of the men after being robed in the holy garments (ear lobes, thumb tips, big toe tips). Unblemished bulls, rams, lambs, as well as oil and grain, bread and cakes are offerings and sacrifices — all pointing to the absolute HOLINESS of God and the absolute SINFULNESS of mankind.  (A lesson I need to deeply learn myself.)

All this (and more) in order that God would… “dwell among the people of Israel and be their God. 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.” (29:45-46)

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Hebrews 9:18-22 also speaks of the sprinkling of blood, in particular Jesus’ blood.  “…without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” This act of redemption by Jesus Christ was set up and foreshadowed in the Old Testament, from the first clothing of skins God made to cover the sin of Adam and Eve, to the High Priest’s daily and annual sacrifices and sprinkling of blood begun at Mt. Sinai.

#2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 38

Feb7

    Day 38—  We are in the second month! We’ve been reading for over a 1/12 of a year! Praise God! I hope that it’s become a GOOD habit that will continue.

   Day 38 – Exodus 25 – 27  (Blueprints for the Tabernacle & it’s contents)

Moses has ascended Mt. Sinai, the “Mountain of God,” and will be gone 40 days and 40 nights. It will be glorious for him, a time of waiting for Joshua, and a time of testing for Israel.

We begin to see in detail the plans to build a “dwelling place” for Israel’s God among His people in Chapter 25. The materials – gold, silver, bronze, blue, purple, scarlet yarns, fine twisted linen, goats’ hair, tanned ram’s skins, goatskins, acacia wood, oil, spices, onyx and other precious stones – are to be GIVEN BY THE PEOPLE…. willingly.

Huh?  And where would two million slaves get all those things?  Remember in 12:35-36, “The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they PLUNDERED THE EGYPTIANS.”  Now… these things would be freely given to build a sanctuary for God.

This chapter also outlines building some the Tabernacle furniture; the Ark of the Covenant with the mercy seat, the Table for Bread, the Golden Lampstand, and the Bronze Alter in the outer court. Beautiful in detail and meaning. (The Alter of Insense and the Bronze Basin are described in chapter 30.)

Chapters 26 – 27 cover the literal construction of the Tabernacle or Tent of Meeting with its outer court or “fence” – wood, material and skin coverings, clasps, posts, pegs, all either plain or beautifully embroidered.

For a picturesque you-tube video that shows how the Tabernacle and it’s furniture might have been constructed, check out this video –   The Tabernacle of Moses

     (Tomorrow we will see the details God shows Moses for the Levitical Priesthood)