Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"So all the work on the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, was completed. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses. Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses: the tent and all its furnishings, its clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases; the covering of ram skins dyed red, the covering of hides of sea cows and the shielding curtain; the ark of the Testimony with its poles and the atonement cover; the table with all its articles and the bread of the Presence; the pure gold lampstand with its row of lamps and all its accessories, and the oil for the light; the gold altar, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense, and the curtain for the entrance to the tent; the bronze altar with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils; the basin with its stand; the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; the ropes and tent pegs for the courtyard; all the furnishings for the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting; and the woven garments worn for ministering in the sanctuary, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when serving as priests. The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses. Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them." Exodus 39:32-43
As many of my readers know, I have been in the Navy for a long time now (over 24 years) and through this time, I have been stationed on many different shore and sea commands with more time at sea than on shore. One thing you get accustomed to right away regardless of where you are stationed is the matter of being inspected.
It really gets started in basic training. I remember getting inspected on everything. If I was in uniform, I was under inspection. If I had cleaning responsibilities, I wouldn’t be done until I had someone inspect and approve my work. I even had to have my storage locker inspected to make sure I folded my undergarments correctly (and yes, they do it…trust me). They were trying to teach us attention to detail and the importance of following direction to the letter. As we would learn later as we went into the Navy and began to work in our specialties, not following directions could lead to some vital piece of equipment not functioning properly and the mission failing as a part of it.
This is why ships are scrutinized so carefully. It seems like you never stop being inspected when you’re inport and getting ready for your next deployment. The Navy wants to make sure the ship is in top condition to do whatever it needs to do in defense of our country and other nations. It also wants to make sure that the taxpayer’s investment (tax dollars buys ships) is being taken care of properly. Inspections are not fun to go through but are of the utmost importance.
But inspections didn’t just start when I joined the Navy. To a lesser degree, they were part of my upbringing.
When I was home, my parents would always check out my room and, believe me, if it got messy…I was going to hear about it. Ditto for my homework. My parents would ask me, "Are you done with your homework?" and if my response was "Yes" then the next words from them would be, "Bring it to me so I can check it." They wanted to inspect my work to make sure I was doing things properly.
In today’s scripture, Moses too decides it is time to inspect the work of the Israelites. They had worked very hard to make the tabernacle items in accordance with God’s directions and now their work was set to be tested. Scripture tells us "they brought…the tent and all its furnishings, its clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases; the covering of ram skins dyed red, the covering of hides of sea cows and the shielding curtain; the ark of the Testimony with its poles and the atonement cover; the table with all its articles and the bread of the Presence; the pure gold lampstand with its row of lamps and all its accessories, and the oil for the light; the gold altar, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense, and the curtain for the entrance to the tent; the bronze altar with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils; the basin with its stand; the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; the ropes and tent pegs for the courtyard; all the furnishings for the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting; and the woven garments worn for ministering in the sanctuary, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when serving as priests"…everything they had been told to make, they brought.
Moses then went through everything to make sure it was "done it just as the Lord had commanded." Seeing that it was, we read that he "blessed them." In other words, they had done a great job! And with the items all made to specifications, the people of Israel were soon to have a place of regular formal worship.
Question: If God were to inspect you and your life, what kind of assessment would He give you? Would He say you were ready to go forth and meet His mission requirements?
In the bible, we are given God’s directions for how He expects us to build our lives. There is little doubt as to what we are supposed to do. There’s also little doubt that we serve a God who is checking us out constantly…inspecting us to make sure we are living up to His standard. In other words, God inspects us to see if we are what He expects. Again, how do you size up? What changes do you need to make to ensure you pass inspection?
Friends, now is the time and God’s word holds all the answers to how He wants us to live. We only need to comply and obey. As a result, we can hope that God will want to bless us after inspection, just as Moses did to the people of Israel.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
No comments:
Post a Comment