Tag Archives: Christian devotional

EXODUS 36 GOD PROVIDES THOSE WHO SUPPORT HIS KINGDOM

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August 30

EXODUS 36

25 For the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty frames 26 and their forty bases of silver, two bases under one frame and two bases under the next frame. 27 For the rear of the tabernacle westward he made six frames. 28 He made two frames for corners of the tabernacle in the rear. 29 And they were separate beneath but joined at the top, at the first ring. He made two of them this way for the two corners. 30 There were eight frames with their bases of silver: sixteen bases, under every frame two bases.31 He made bars of acacia wood, five for the frames of the one side of the tabernacle, 32 and five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the tabernacle at the rear westward. 33 And he made the middle bar to run from end to end halfway up the frames. 34 And he overlaid the frames with gold, and made their rings of gold for holders for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold

                                                                   – Exodus 36:25-34

EXODUS 36 GOD PROVIDES THOSE WHO SUPPORT HIS KINGDOM

According to the inspired scriptures.com website, the symbolism of the building supports the Tabernacle in the context of giving is that each aspect of the support system pointed toward Jesus. The acacia wood symbolized His incorruptible body (Ps. 16:10(b); Acts 13:35). The gold symbolized His divinity, which makes our salvation possible (Jo. 1:1, 14; 3:16). The silver symbolizes redemption (Matt. 26:14-16). It is only through Jesus that our redemption is possible. The bronze symbolizes judgment (Ex. 38:2; Rev. 1:15; Rom. 16:20). He bore the judgment for each believer (2 Cor. 5:21; John 1:29; Acts 3:19; 1 John 2:2). He is the boards and the sockets which hold the Church together. He is also the veil or door which leads into the Tabernacle and fellowship with both Jesus and the Church in heaven (Jo. 14:6). When God’s people generously gave to build the tabernacle, God will provide for all those who supported to build his kingdom. All the materials he required to be used for frames and supports for the tabernacle were very specific. It symbolized how God’s provision for all those who contributed in building his kingdom were going to have stability and firm foundation. All these materials pointed to Jesus. He is the firm foundation that we need to anchor our lives on so that we will have that stability we need to navigate the very corrupt world we live in. God wants us to anchor our whole existence on Jesus.

REFLECTION

  • Share a time when God blessed you more than what you offered for his church.

EXODUS 36 CURTAINS FOR THE TABERNACLE

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August 29

EXODUS 36

14 He also made curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle. He made eleven curtains. 15 The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. The eleven curtains were the same size. 16 He coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves. 17 And he made fifty loops on the edge of the outermost curtain of the one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the other connecting curtain. 18 And he made fifty clasps of bronze to couple the tent together that it might be a single whole. 19 And he made for the tent a covering of tanned rams’ skins and goatskins.

20 Then he made the upright frames for the tabernacle of acacia wood. 21 Ten cubits was the length of a frame, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each frame. 22 Each frame had two tenons for fitting together. He did this for all the frames of the tabernacle. 23 The frames for the tabernacle he made thus: twenty frames for the south side. 24 And he made forty bases of silver under the twenty frames, two bases under one frame for its two tenons, and two bases under the next frame for its two tenons. – Exodus 36:14-24

EXODUS 36 CURTAINS FOR THE TABERNACLE

In Genesis 27:11,15;37:31-34;1 Sam.19:12-17, they talk about the goat skin symbolizes sin. During Atonement Day, the high priest cast the sins of the nations upon a goat and drove it away as Lev.16:10,20-22 indicated. This account foreshadows our Lord Jesus Christ who cast our sins away as 2 Cor. 5:21 says: Like the goat, he will carry away our sin. “The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29; Acts 3:19;1 John 2:2).

According to inspiredscriptures.com, the fact that there are 50 bronze clasps signifies the freedom from judgment that comes from Christ’s completed work on the cross. In Romans 8:1, we are no longer condemned because of our sins since they were already taken away by Jesus’ death on the cross. In Hebrews 8:12, God even promised that he will forget your sins.

The rams’ skins dyed red symbolized the substitution of guilt that is made for every believer. According to Matthew Henry, the shelter and special protection that the church is under are signified by the curtains of hair-cloth, which were spread over the tabernacle and the coverings of ram skins and badger skins over them. God has provided for his people a shadow from the heat and a covert from storm and rain which Isa.4:6 mentions.

REFLECTION

  • Share a time when God covered you in his protection.

EXODUS 36 BUILDING THE TEN CURTAINS FOR THE TABERNACLE

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August 28

EXODUS 36

8 And all the craftsmen among the workmen made the tabernacle with ten curtains. They were made of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns, with cherubim skillfully worked. 9 The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains were the same size.10 He coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another. 11 He made loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain of the first set. Likewise he made them on the edge of the outermost curtain of the second set. 12 He made fifty loops on the one curtain, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was in the second set. The loops were opposite one another. 13 And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains one to the other with clasps. So the tabernacle was a single whole.

                                                                   – Exodus 36:8-13

EXODUS 36 BUILDING THE TEN CURTAINS FOR THE TABERNACLE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

After the Lord assigned all the craftsmen to work on the tabernacle

All the craftsmen began making the ten curtains of the house of the Lord

Blue, purple and scarlet yarns were used for the building of this place

All the curtains were similar in sizes and grouped in two sets of fives.

There were only specific types of materials used which were fine twined linen and only three colors which were blue, purple and scarlet. According to the inspired scripture.com website, the fine linens pointed toward the unified and purified body of Jesus.2 Peter 1:4 and Colossians 1:22,27 says that as a believer, Jesus has imparted some of His righteousness to believers by making them holy with his blood. Blue symbolizes heaven. It is only through Jesus that we can have access to heaven. Purple symbolizes his royalty as “King of kings.” As mentioned in Revelation. The scarlet material symbolizes his blood that was poured out to atone for our sins as revealed in Revelation 7:14 and Hebrews 9:14. The ten curtains joined together as one symbolizes the divine order that comes from living out of love and not obligations and the 50 loops and clasps symbolize the freedom from sorrow that comes from living within the protection of his Covenant.

REFLECTION

·       What can you learn from the making of the ten curtains by God’s chosen craftsmen?

EXODUS 36 OVERFLOWING CONTRIBUTION FOR THE SANCTUARY

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August 27

EXODUS 36

 “Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the Lord has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded.”2 And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the Lord had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work. 3 And they received from Moses all the contribution that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning, 4 so that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task that he was doing, 5 and said to Moses, “The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.” 6 So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing, 7 for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more. – Exodus 36:1-7

EXODUS 36 OVERFLOWING CONTRIBUTION FOR THE SANCTUARY

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When the Lord asked the Israelites to take part in building the sanctuary

He required them to give a contribution from their hearts & out of their generosity

The freewill offerings came every morning so that the task was done by the craftsmen

But it came to a point when the overflow was too much that they were restrained.

What an interesting account that proves God’s blessings on all those who contributed willingly and generously out of their hearts. The Lord God assigned craftsmen to execute his detailed plan for the sanctuary, but he also provided the materials that came from each of their plunder from the Egyptians when they were let go by them. I think that they realized that after they sinned against God with the golden calf, they can no longer use the material wealth given to them for their own purposes, but to give back to God what they have actually received from their Lord who provided everything for them.

Whenever we give out something from our hearts to glorify the Lord, He multiplies what we supply. Because the Lord is a generous God, he expects us to be like him too when we give. After all, everything belongs to him.

REFLECTION

  • Why is it important for Christians to be generous to give for God’s work?

EXODUS 35 ARTISTIC GIFTS FROM GOD

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August 26

EXODUS 35

30 Then Moses said to the people of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, 32 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, 33 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft. 34 And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. 35 He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer. – Exodus 35:30-35

EXODUS 35 ARTISTIC GIFTS FROM GOD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When God assigns people to do his artistic design

He chose Bezalel and Oholiab from his various tribes of Israel

To Bezalel, he gave him talent to cut silver, bronze and gold

He was also given the ability to cut stones and carve wood

Oholiab was filled with engraving and embroidering skills

He is able to work with the various yarns and weave linens.

The two people whom God entrusted to oversee the building of the Tabernacle were Bezalel and Oholiab. They were filled with God’s Spirit so they can execute the ornate and very detailed design that God himself created. In order that a divine design can be implemented, he had to ensure that he equipped the people he assigned with the craftsmanship in the building of the Tabernacle. Aside from that, he also gave them the ability to teach and to be knowledgeable in God’s truth.

I am especially honored that not only God gave me the artistic abilities in painting, photography, theatre arts, musical and culinary arts, but also in the literary arts which I have been gifted with much later in life. I never thought that I could write poetry and commentaries for spreading God’s word until I was in my late fifties.  He also gave me a hunger for his word and a longing to know him deeply. All these gifts are from God and they need to be used to give him glory.

REFLECTION

·       How can God’s gifts be misused by some people?

EXODUS 35 FREEWILL OFFERING TO THE LORD

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August 25

EXODUS 35

20 Then all the congregation of the people of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. 21 And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord’s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. 22 So they came, both men and women. All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the Lord. 23 And every one who possessed blue or purple or scarlet yarns or fine linen or goats’ hair or tanned rams’ skins or goatskins brought them. 24 Everyone who could make a contribution of silver or bronze brought it as the Lord’s contribution. And everyone who possessed acacia wood of any use in the work brought it. 25 And every skillful woman spun with her hands, and they all brought what they had spun in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. 26 All the women whose hearts stirred them to use their skill spun the goats’ hair. 27 And the leaders brought onyx stones and stones to be set, for the ephod and for the breastpiece, 28 and spices and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. 29 All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord. – Exodus 35:20-29

EXODUS 35 FREEWILL OFFERING TO THE LORD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When your heart is stirred to offer what you have

Remember that it is the Lord that gave you that gift

When you give from your heart, you are mirroring God

Generosity is a work of the Spirit so you can praise the Lord.

This account shows us the work of the Spirit in the hearts of the people of God. On our own, we are selfish by nature. Only the Spirit can stir us to do otherwise. When we are given situations that remind us that we need to share or give something that we have, God’s Spirit whispers to our hearts that we are given an opportunity to praise our generous God. This is clearly the work of the Holy Spirit. We can never boast that it came from us. It all comes from the Lord who is a generous God.

REFLECTION

  • Why is it important to listen and do as you are prodded by the Holy Spirit to give?

EXODUS 35 THE LORD PROVIDES WHAT HE REQUIRES

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August 24

EXODUS 35

10 “Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the Lord has commanded: 11 the tabernacle, its tent and its covering, its hooks and its frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; 12 the ark with its poles, the mercy seat, and the veil of the screen; 13 the table with its poles and all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; 14 the lampstand also for the light, with its utensils and its lamps, and the oil for the light; 15 and the altar of incense, with its poles, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle; 16 the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils, the basin and its stand; 17 the hangings of the court, its pillars and its bases, and the screen for the gate of the court; 18 the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court, and their cords; 19 the finely worked garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests.” – Exodus 35:10-19

EXODUS 35 THE LORD PROVIDES WHAT HE REQUIRES

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When God requires his people to build details for building his church

He also provides every item and gives all resources for them to build it

Because he created everything, he is also the source of all things

When he asks us to do something, he wants our obedience in doing it

He could have done it all himself, but he also makes us his co-creator

Let us trust and obey the Lord when he requires us to do something.

This account is almost synonymous to Exodus 31 instructions in building the altar, tabernacle and the Most Holy of Holies. The focus on this chapter is mostly on how God gives us a part in being co-builders of his church. He could have built the church himself and not involve anyone in doing so. He made the whole creation by himself so why involve people in building the church? God is love and therefore he wants to be in a relationship with his people. When he instructs us, he is building a relationship with us and making us involved in his plans. He requires obedience and trust which he himself gives us as well. I think that he wants us more to learn trust and obedience when he gives us details in order to execute his salvation plan.

REFLECTION

  • Why is trust and obedience important virtues to exercise in the Christian Walk?

EXODUS 35 ON SABBATH & ON BUILDING THE CHURCH

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August 23

EXODUS 35

Moses assembled all the congregation of the people of Israel and said to them, “These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do. 2 Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. 3 You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day.”4 Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “This is the thing that the Lord has commanded. 5 Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze; 6 blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; goats’ hair, 7 tanned rams’ skins, and goatskins; acacia wood, 8 oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 9 and onyx stones and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. – Exodus 35:1-8

EXODUS 35 ON SABBATH & ON BUILDING THE CHURCH

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The Lord created all things in six days then rested on the seventh day

Since he made us in his likeness, he wants us to work and also rest

When we work, we get wrapped up in our toil and may forget to praise God

The seventh day is a holy day so we can honor and praise the Giver of life

All believers must participate and contribute to build the church of God

The Lord gives us resources not for our own use but to build God’s church.

This was the third time God mentions the Sabbath in his holy book aside from Ex. 20:8-11 and in Dt. 5:12-16. It must be very important to him. Jesus also talks about the Sabbath in Matthew 2:27-28 and says that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. Why do you think God made the Sabbath? We are sinful people and if we constantly work all week, we will surely forget to rest and give thanks and glory to the Lord. It is easy for us to forget what God has done when we keep on working. Our focus shifts to our efforts and our achievements instead of on God who gave us the capacity to work and the resources to do so. When we rest, we get a respite from toil and remember our Source and Giver of Life. We also get refreshed after rest. Some people get sick when they constantly work because they get obsessed with what they do and be out of balance.

REFLECTION

  • Why is the Sabbath one of the most ignored laws of God nowadays?

EXODUS 34 MOSES’ FACE SHINES AS HE MEETS GOD

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August 22

EXODUS 34

29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.30 Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. 32 Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. 33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. 34 Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, 35 the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him. – Exodus 34:29-35

EXODUS 34 MOSES’ FACE SHINES AS HE MEETS GOD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

After the Lord and Moses finished the two tablets with God’s laws

Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets in his hands

As Moses approached the people, Aaron saw his brother’s face shining

They were afraid to come near him for they fear their lives would end

So, Moses placed a veil on his face so they could come near him

Each time Moses went up to meet with God, his face would shine.

Just after Moses finished the new tablet with the commandments of God, his face shone so brightly. From the description, Aaron and the people had a hard time looking at him and were afraid because he radiated so much light. It’s as if you are looking at the sun and your eyes hurt. That’s what I imagined it felt like for them. No wonder, God warned his people that they would die if they saw his face. Even though the bible doesn’t tell us directly that Moses was face to face with God and he just saw God’s back, he still radiated those powerful rays from being in God’s presence.

REFLECTION

·       How would you relate this phenomenon of Moses’ face shining with the joy of the Lord manifesting in a Christian’s face?

EXODUS 34 WRITING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

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August 21

EXODUS 34

25 “You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover remain until the morning. 26 The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.”27 And the Lord said to Moses, “Write these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” 28 So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

                                                                     – Exodus 34:25-28

EXODUS 34 WRITING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The Lord asked Moses to stay with him in writing the covenant

He was with the Lord forty days and forty nights

He didn’t eat bread or drake water as he wrote the words

It is God who told him what needs to be written on those tablets.

According to inspiredscriptures.com In Canaan, if one wished to gain favor with a deity, he or she would slay a young goat in milk and present it to the deity (The Ras Shamra tablets, Archeology and Bible History, by Joseph P. Free. pg 105). Orthodox Jews, however, now interpreted these verses to prohibit serving animal meat with cheese. But this interpretation is incorrect. Abraham once served a meal with meat and cheese (milk and curds) (Gen. 18:7-8).In Exodus 23:19 the Israelites were commanded to bring the best of the firstfruits of their soil to the house of God and they were prohibited to cook a young goat in its mother’s milk. In Deuteronomy 14:21, they were prohibited to eat anything that they found already dead. They can give it to foreigners in their town or sell it to these foreigners, but they were not to eat it.

When Moses fasted forty days and forty nights, it was a foreshadowing of Jesus’ fasting those same number of days and nights in the desert and he was tempted by the devil. When Moses was told to write the words of the covenant, he needed to be pure. If we serve the Lord, we also need to be holy and pure as God is holy.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think Moses fasted when he was writing the ten commandments?