APPRECIATING CRAFTSMANSHIP (PART 3)

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

They made the table of acacia wood—two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high. Then they overlaid it with pure gold and made a gold molding around it. They also made around it a rim a handbreadth wide and put a gold molding on the rim. They cast four gold rings for the table and fastened them to the four corners, where the four legs were. The rings were put close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table. The poles for carrying the table were made of acacia wood and were overlaid with gold. And they made from pure gold the articles for the table—its plates and dishes and bowls and its pitchers for the pouring out of drink offerings.

Exodus 37:9-16

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Beginning in Exodus, chapter 36, we see the skilled workers of Israel, those given special gifts and talents by God, getting to work on constructing the portable sanctuary and its accessories that would serve as a worship temple during the journey to Canaan. This construction project has been at the core of this series, Appreciating Craftsmanship, and thus far we have looked at the building of the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant.

Today, we move to a special table built for the section of the tabernacle called The Holy Place. Look again at these words from chapter 37:

They made the table of acacia wood—two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high. Then they overlaid it with pure gold and made a gold molding around it. They also made around it a rim a handbreadth wide and put a gold molding on the rim. They cast four gold rings for the table and fastened them to the four corners, where the four legs were. The rings were put close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table. The poles for carrying the table were made of acacia wood and were overlaid with gold. And they made from pure gold the articles for the table—its plates and dishes and bowls and its pitchers for the pouring out of drink offerings. Vv.9-16

What was this table used for in The Holy Place?

On it would be placed the bread of the Presence (also called the “showbread”). Every Sabbath, the priests would place twelve freshly baked loaves of bread on the table in two stacks of six. These loaves were representative of the twelve tribes of Israel and could only be eaten by Aaron and his sons. We find God providing guidance on this from the Book of Leviticus, chapter 24:

“Take the finest flour and bake twelve loaves of bread, using two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf. Arrange them in two stacks, six in each stack, on the table of pure gold before the Lord. By each stack put some pure incense as a memorial portion to represent the bread and to be a food offering presented to the Lord. This bread is to be set out before the Lord regularly, Sabbath after Sabbath, on behalf of the Israelites, as a lasting covenant. It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in the sanctuary area, because it is a most holy part of their perpetual share of the food offerings presented to the Lord.” Vv.5-9

Further, we read in today’s passage where there were several articles made for this table that included plates, dishes, bowls, and pitchers which were made from pure gold. The pitchers would be used “for the pouring out of drink offerings” within The Holy Place. Ultimately, the table was symbolic of God’s “lasting covenant” with the Israelites.

Who had the specific responsibility for this table and ensuring the bread was prepared and displayed just as God commanded?

We find the answer in the twenty ninth chapter of the 1 Chronicles:

...some members of the clan of Kohath were in charge of preparing the bread to be set on the table each Sabbath day.

Okay, so we know where the table was located, its purpose, and who managed it within the tabernacle but first, it had to be built to the Lord’s specifications.

Like the tabernacle framework and the ark of the covenant, the scriptures tell us the table was made from “acacia wood”, a strong and durable material. It was made to match the following prescribed dimensions:

Two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high.

As we covered in the first two messages, a cubit was the ancient standard of measurement that was equal to around 18 inches. It covered the distance between one’s elbow and the very end of the middle finger. Given this, the table was 3 feet long, a foot and a half wide, and two and a quarter feet high. I think we can easily see why the bread needed to be stacked, right?

Also as we saw with the tabernacle and ark, the acacia wood was covered with an overlay of “pure gold” with “gold molding around it”. There was also “a rim” with “gold molding” which was a “handbreadth wide”. This standard was the width of four fingers placed together or approximately 3 inches.  

The table would need to be carried from place to place as the Israelites traveled and so we read where “four gold rings” were “fastened” to its “four corners, where the four legs were”. These rings would “hold the poles used in carrying the table” and those poles, like those for the ark “were made of acacia wood and were overlaid with gold”.

So much intricate handiwork went into all these components we have studied so far and I don’t know about you but I have gained a great appreciation for the handiwork done by these Old Testament Israelite artisans, all without sophisticated tools or technology.

Tomorrow, we’ll look at another sacred item made for The Holy Place, the lampstand.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

APPRECIATING CRAFTSMANSHIP (PART 2)

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. He overlaid it with pure gold, both inside and out, and made a gold molding around it. He cast four gold rings for it and fastened them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. Then he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. And he inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it.

He made the atonement cover of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. Then he made two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. He made one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; at the two ends he made them of one piece with the cover. The cherubim had their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim faced each other, looking toward the cover.

Exodus 37:1-8

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Yesterday, we began a series on appreciating the amazing workmanship that took place in constructing the tabernacle and its associated accessories in Old Testament time. God had given Moses very detailed instructions on how everything was to be made and then blessed Israelite workers with the skills and talents needed to carry out His will.

As we look at the opening verses of Exodus, chapter 37, we come to the building of the ark, also referred to as the ark of the covenant. Once constructed, it would house the two stone tablets that God wrote His Ten Commandments on, a jar of manna, and Aaron’s budded staff. The ark would reside within the Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies once the tabernacle was constructed.

As we see in our passage, one man, Bezalel, was responsible for building the ark. We were introduced to him all the way back in chapter 31:

Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have chosen Bezalel, son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts.” Vv.1-5

Note here that the Lord chose Bezalel and then “filled him with” His Spirit, providing wisdom and understanding as well as the knowledge and skills to “make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts”. He puts all these blessings to work as he builds the ark.

The ark itself was made out of “acacia wood”, the same kind of wood used to build the tabernacle. You’ll remember that this wood was chosen for its durability, strength, and resistance to rotting.

As for the dimensions, we once again see the cubit used as a unit of measurement, a common standard in Old Testament times. A cubit was roughly 18 inches or the distance from one’s elbow to the end of their middle finger so we can use this conversion to get a better idea of the ark’s size. It was 3.75 feet long, 2.25 feet wide, and 2.25 feet high.

Once the ark was built from the wood, we read where Bezalel “overlaid it with pure gold” on the “inside and out” also making a “gold molding around it”. The gold overlaying was done only after pounding the gold into a thin, pliable sheet and then wrapping it around the wood and fastening it. It was intricate work that required special skills.

The ark would be carried from place to place and it was of critical importance that no one came into contact with it because this would men instant death. And so Bezalel fastened four gold rings to the feet of the arm, one on each foot through which poles, made of acacia wood and overlaid with god, would be inserted to carry the ark from place to place.  

Next, Bezalel made the ark’s lid, referred to as “the atonement cover” and also the “mercy seat” where God was to be seated within the Most Holy Place. We read where the cover was made out of “pure gold” and matched the dimensions of the ark itself, “two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide”.

What really set the cover apart and brought its magnificence was the “two cherubim” that Bezalel crafted out of “hammered gold”. These cherubs were placed “at the ends of the cover” and they were made to be “one piece with the cover”. They were oriented with “their wings spread upward” which allowed them to overshadow the cover as they faced one another.

Once done, the ark was nothing short of an outstanding work of master craftsmanship, one that should lead us to appreciate the skills and abilities God had given his people to do such amazing work without the luxury of specialized tools and technology that we enjoy in present times.

Tomorrow, we’ll continue to look at other items that were built.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

APPRECIATING CRAFTSMANSHIP (PART 1)

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

All those who were skilled among the workers made the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim woven into them by expert hands. All the curtains were the same size—twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide. They joined five of the curtains together and did the same with the other five. Then they made loops of blue material along the edge of the end curtain in one set, and the same was done with the end curtain in the other set. They also made fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops on the end curtain of the other set, with the loops opposite each other. Then they made fifty gold clasps and used them to fasten the two sets of curtains together so that the tabernacle was a unit.

They made curtains of goat hair for the tent over the tabernacle—eleven altogether. All eleven curtains were the same size—thirty cubits long and four cubits wide. They joined five of the curtains into one set and the other six into another set. Then they made fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain in one set and also along the edge of the end curtain in the other set. They made fifty bronze clasps to fasten the tent together as a unit. Then they made for the tent a covering of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of the other durable leather.

They made upright frames of acacia wood for the tabernacle. Each frame was ten cubits long and a cubit and a half wide, with two projections set parallel to each other. They made all the frames of the tabernacle in this way. They made twenty frames for the south side of the tabernacle and made forty silver bases to go under them—two bases for each frame, one under each projection. For the other side, the north side of the tabernacle, they made twenty frames and forty silver bases—two under each frame. They made six frames for the far end, that is, the west end of the tabernacle, and two frames were made for the corners of the tabernacle at the far end. At these two corners the frames were double from the bottom all the way to the top and fitted into a single ring; both were made alike. So there were eight frames and sixteen silver bases—two under each frame.

They also made crossbars of acacia wood: five for the frames on one side of the tabernacle, five for those on the other side, and five for the frames on the west, at the far end of the tabernacle. They made the center crossbar so that it extended from end to end at the middle of the frames. They overlaid the frames with gold and made gold rings to hold the crossbars. They also overlaid the crossbars with gold.

They made the curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim woven into it by a skilled worker. They made four posts of acacia wood for it and overlaid them with gold. They made gold hooks for them and cast their four silver bases. For the entrance to the tent they made a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen—the work of an embroiderer; and they made five posts with hooks for them. They overlaid the tops of the posts and their bands with gold and made their five bases of bronze.

Exodus 36:8-38

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

With all the materials gathered, we see in Exodus, chapter 36 where “all those who were skilled among the workers” got to work building the tabernacle and its accessories, just as God had directed and exactly per His specifications.

Now, it would be easy to simply gloss over this section of the scriptures that will span through chapter 39 but in doing so, we would miss a lot in regard to really appreciating all the work that went into constructing God’s portable worship center and the materials that were used. So in this series of messages, we’ll drill down a little and my hope is that we’ll glean a lot of knowledge as well as admiration for all that was done well over 2,000 years ago.

Let’s start there, with the fact that all the labor of the skilled workers was done without the benefit of refined tools or technology that we have today. Everything was done by hand.

Consider the process of overlaying wood with God, for example. The craftsman would first need to purify the gold donated by the Israelites because nothing but the best quality materials would be suitable for a place where God would be worshipped and honored. Pure gold would reflect the purity of the Lord and the skilled workers would pound it into thin, pliable sheets that would be affixed to the wooden frames and crossbars. These parts of the tabernacle were made of acacia wood, known for its strength, durability, and resistance to rotting.

Then, we read about the tabernacle curtains.

Ten of them were made of “finely twisted linen” and “blue, purple and scarlet yarn”. This fine linen was made from the flax plant and again, remember that there wasn’t any industrial-quality mechanical looms to make these curtains. Ditto for getting the fibers from the flax plants which involved pulling fibrous strips from the stalk much like we can do with celery today. It was tedious work to say the least.

Now these curtains weren’t small by any means. We read where they were “all the same size”, measuring “twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide”.

How much is a cubit?

Well, the ancient measuring unit was essentially the length from one’s elbow to the end of the middle finger, approximately 18 inches. So if we convert to a standard we can better understand, the curtains were 504 inches or 42 feet long and 72 inches or 6 feet wide.

We read where there was also some intricate embroidery done on the curtains as “cherubim were woven into them by expert hands”. Once done, the curtains were fastened together with fifty gold clasps so the two sets of five curtains could form one unit in the tabernacle.

There were some additional curtains to form the tent over the tabernacle. These eleven curtains were made out of “goat hair” and were of the same size, thirty cubits or 45 feet long and, like the other curtains, 4 cubits or 6 feet wide. Five of these curtains formed one set and the other six, the second. These two sets of curtains were joined by bronze clasps so to fasten the tent together as a unit. This was followed by making a tent “covering of ram’s skins” that were dyed red and then “over that a covering of the other durable leather”.

In sum, this was an incredible undertaking by many people who had wonderful, specialized skills, skills that we know were bestowed by the Lord Himself. I pray that we will step back from this passage and the ones that are to follow, and truly appreciate the incredible craftsmanship that went into making God’s commands a reality.

Tomorrow, we’ll continue this series by looking at chapter 37.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

THE IMPORTANCE OF TEACHING

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then Moses said to the Israelites, "See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel, son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts - to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship. And he has given both him and Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them master craftsmen and designers. So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the Lord has commanded."

Exodus 35:30-35

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Before I surge toward the final chapters of the Book of Exodus, I wanted to come back to a passage at the end of Chapter 35 because it underscores an important point about our obligation as believers. For when the Lord grant us gifts in the way of talents and skills, He doesn’t expect us to keep all our knowledge and experience to ourselves as we carry out His will. He expects us to teach others as well.

Look again at these six verses here:

Then Moses said to the Israelites, "See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel, son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts - to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship. And he has given both him and Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them master craftsmen and designers. So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the Lord has commanded." Vv.30-35

Notice here that God not only gave Bezalel and Oholiab the "skill to do all kinds of work" but He also "the ability to teach others." Two men wouldn’t be able to do everything required on their own and so more men would need trained with the abilities needed to construct the tabernacle and its accessories. This would also be important in case something happened to Bezalel and Oholiab. Further, by teaching others, there would enough people educated in the trades to pass them down to future generations.

In regard to the matter of teaching, the Bible also talks about our responsibility to do so in many other places. Consider the following passages:

The Jews were amazed and asked, "How did this man get such learning without having studied?" Jesus answered, "My teaching is not My own. It comes from Him who sent Me. If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether My teaching comes from God or whether I speak on My own." John 7:15-17

Here, through the words of our Savior Jesus, we’re reminded that all legitimate teaching first comes from God who sent His only Son to save us. If we’re going to teach others properly, we cannot rely on our own understanding but rather the wisdom and knowledge that God grants when we seek His will.

"In your teaching show integrity, seriousness, and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us." Titus 2:7-8

The Word of God is serious business because it literally deals with the matter of life and death, point blank. Whoever who does not believe and trust in God’s Son Jesus will not be saved; they will perish and not have everlasting life (John 3:16). All teachers must deliver the unvarnished truth through the Spirit of Christ, the One who is THE Way, THE Truth and THE Life, and the only One through which anyone can come to God the Father (John 14:16).

When anyone’s teaching is grounded in Christ through the guiding of the Holy Spirit, then they won’t be able to be condemned because their teaching will be delivered on the foundation of “integrity, seriousness, and soundness of speech”. This is the teaching I am blessed to bring to readers each and every day.

"Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed My teaching, they will obey yours also." John 15:20

When we teach in the name and Spirit of Jesus and do so with absolute integrity, seriousness, and soundness of speech, people will obey that teaching, not because it came from you but Jesus Himself. There’s also a word of warning here because there is often a cost associated with emulating the life and teaching of our Savior. As we see in this verse, He assures His disciples that they would experience persecution just as He did, and this truth continues today, more than 2,000 years later.

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

"Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son." 2 John 1:9

Why should believers always be ready to teach others, sharing the Word?

Because as we see in the scriptures, Jesus commanded it and expects them to do it.

This might be harrowing for some but note the assurance that Jesus provides at the end of His Great Commission:

“...surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Jesus isn’t sending His disciples out to teach what He commanded on their own. Rather, He has promised that He will be with us every step of the way, right down to the very end when He comes to judge the world.

We also need to hear loud and clear what John says regarding those who choose to be disobedient to the call to continue Jesus’ teaching. The scriptures tell us that a person like that doesn’t have God. Conversely, the one who is obedient and walks with Jesus every day, teaching as He did, has “both the Father and the Son”.

Finally, we have this from the Book of Acts:

"The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ." Acts 5:41-42

Remember how Jesus told His disciples that they would be persecuted as He was. Well, as we see in Acts, chapter 5, it doesn’t take long for this promise to come to life for shortly after receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2), Jesus’ chosen followers got to work sharing the Gospel and the Christian church began to take root in Jerusalem, much to the chagrin of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious authority.

And so they hauled “the apostles” in to appear before them and after testifying about Jesus and then being ordered to no longer speak in His name, the apostles emerged emboldened as they went into the “temple courts” and “from house to house” daily to teach and proclaim “the good news that Jesus is the Christ (or Messiah)”.

Like those first apostles, we need to see that there’s no expiration date on teaching the good news of Jesus. All believers today need to follow their lead, never ceasing to teach and proclaim the Gospel within every day that we’re blessed with life.

Friends, we need to see that the matter of teaching is central to the Bible, especially in regard to the Gospel. Jesus was our Savior but He also was our great Teacher for we could never learn how to be a Christian had it not been for His instruction. To serve Him properly is to be like Him in every way and the scriptures teach us how to be like that if we would just dedicate our time to study them.

Since 2007, the Lord has called me to share His Word with others through this ministry, The Christian Walk, and I pray that His messages, provided through me as His messenger, will help you to have a greater understanding of the Bible as you grow closer in your relationship with Him and become more like His Son Jesus.

Further, as we see highlighted in this message today, I pray you will see your responsibility to teach others as Jesus commanded in His Great Commission. For there’s much work to be done to help lost souls find salvation and be rescued from Hell by Christ, the only One who can save them.

How will you do your part today?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

SHARING WITH THE LEAST

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then Moses said to the Israelites, "See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel, son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts - to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship. And he has given both him and Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them master craftsmen and designers. So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the Lord has commanded."

Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning.

So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work and said to Moses, "The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done."

Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: "No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary."

And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.

Exodus 35:30-35, 36:1-7

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In yesterday’s devotional, we saw how the people of Israel were expected to give willingly in response to God’s expectations, providing materials needed for the construction of the tabernacle and its accessories.

Today, we look at the closing verses of Exodus, chapter 35 and the opening seven verses of chapter 36, where we find the Israelite people responding so strongly to the Lord’s command that there was an overwhelming abundance of materials donated. The scriptures tell us that they gave "more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done".

And so Moses, their leader, issued the following order:

"No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary."

Friends, this passage is an illustration of what can happen when the people of God come together in the spirit of obedient giving, giving to God what He has first freely given us. We see that instead of having to worry about whether or not you might get what’s needed to achieve God’s purposes, you can find yourself ending up with a bounty.

It’s this truth that has led me to this thought.

God has given this world enough to solve every single social woe we see. All we need to do is give back what He has provided to help those who are less fortunate.

Need a snapshot of troubles in the world today that should sicken our hearts?

Here are some statistics from World Vision, a Christian organization at ground zero in the places where people have the greatest needs:

- A child dies every 3 seconds because of extreme poverty and disease.

- Some 900 million people in the world live in extreme poverty, living on less than $2 a day.

- 593 million children in the world live in multi-dimensional poverty which means they lack basic necessities like clean water or nutrition.

- And even in a nation as affluent as the United States of America, 12.5 percent of its people live in poverty.

To try and resolve these issues, World Vision has proposed a rather interesting solution to defeat the world hunger problem. They did some math and found that if every person in the world who was not impoverished would donate a one-time gift of 75 cents, then there would be more than enough money available to completely eradicate poverty and starvation while stemming the death rate from illness, many of which are completely treatable.

The reality of things is that our God has lavished abundant blessings on His creation and He didn’t intend for us to selfishly keep all those blessings to ourselves. Rather, He expects us to take what He has provided and seek ways to help others whenever and wherever possible. Our Savior Jesus validated this when He said the following:

"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.”

"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I needed clothes and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit Me.'”

"Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and invite You in, or needing clothes and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and go to visit You?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.'" Matthew 25:31-40

Friends, could Jesus be any clearer about our obligation to care for the least of His disciples, those who are in His family and considered brothers and sisters?

His Father, our God has blessed most of us with more than we could ever ask for and more than we really need. Unfortunately, it can be easy to get entrapped in a materialism that the world fully endorses. This can lead us to blur the line between what we want and what we really need.

Jesus helps bring that line back into the proper focus with a perspective that is different.

For He expects us to willingly WANT to help those in NEED.

After all, how can we live in grandeur and with a clear conscience when so many live in squalor, staring down death that is completely preventable?

My brothers and sisters, are you willing to consider what you can do to help someone who needs assistance, someone who is down and out, whether it’s in your community, nation, or world?

And can you see how much joy you can experience, knowing that you were obedient to Jesus desire that you help the least, blessing them richly for their welfare and His honor and glory?

The Lord has given us all that’s needed to radically change our world for the better with the real potential to save lives. Now, it’s time for us to do it.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

GIVE WILLINGLY

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Moses assembled the whole Israelite community and said to them, "These are the things the Lord has commanded you to do: For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it must be put to death. Do not light a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day."

Moses said to the whole Israelite community, "This is what the Lord has commanded: From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the Lord an offering of gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.”

"All who are skilled among you are to come and make everything the Lord has commanded: the tabernacle with its tent and its covering, clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases; the ark with its poles and the atonement cover and the curtain that shields it; the table with its poles and all its articles and the bread of the Presence; the lampstand that is for light with its accessories, lamps and oil for the light; the altar of incense with its poles, the anointing oil and the fragrant incense; the curtain for the doorway at the entrance to the tabernacle; the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils; the bronze basin with its stand; the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard, and their ropes; the woven garments worn for ministering in the sanctuary—both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests."

Then the whole Israelite community withdrew from Moses' presence, and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments. All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds: brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the Lord.

Everyone who had blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen, or goat hair, ram skins dyed red or hides of sea cows brought them. Those presenting an offering of silver or bronze brought it as an offering to the Lord, and everyone who had acacia wood for any part of the work brought it.

Every skilled woman spun with her hands and brought what she had spun—blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen. And all the women who were willing and had the skill spun the goat hair.

The leaders brought onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. They also brought spices and olive oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense.

All the Israelite men and women who were willing brought to the Lord freewill offerings for all the work the Lord through Moses had commanded them to do.

Exodus 35:1-29

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In the opening verses of Exodus, chapter 35, we find Moses giving the Israelites a call to action regarding the commandments he had received from the Lord. After a brief reminder about observing the Sabbath, Moses begins to discuss God’s directions regarding the construction of the tabernacle, the making of the items that would be within the place of worship, and the articles that the priests would wear.

You’ll recall that God had given Moses very specific directions for all this during the first Israel’s leader went before him, spending forty days and nights on Mount Sinai. There, the Lord provided a detailed oral blueprint for building the tabernacle and its components, not only for the present but the future as well. And of interest, those specifications would later come into play when God’s temple was built in Jerusalem, just multiplied since that permanent structure would obviously be much larger than the portable worship place the Israelites would build while in the wilderness.

Well, before anything could be built or made, materials would be needed and God had given Moses the following instructions for getting these supplies:

"Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give."

This was a “Reader’s Digest abbreviated” statement from a more lengthy statement from that first visit Moses made. As a refresher, here’s what God said then:

The Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to bring Me an offering. You are to receive the offering for Me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give. These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leather; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.

“Then have them make a sanctuary for Me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.” Exodus 25:1-9

Note that in both of these scripture excerpts, the Lord wants offerings only from those “whose heart prompts them to give”. From this, I believe there are some key points regarding giving that applied not just to the days of the Old Testament Israelites but to believers today as well.

First, those who give to the Lord should be willing to do so.

In today’s passage, we find God saying this:

"From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the Lord an offering of gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece."

“Everyone who is willing.”

These four words resonate in these verses for being willing to give is far different than the feeling that you’re giving because you have to. It’s a giving not driven by compulsion but rather the working and moving of the Holy Spirit within the heart of the believer, a working and moving that leads them to gladly offer the Lord what He desires. They delight in doing anything that would be pleasing to Him.

Need an example of what this looks like. Here’s another scripture passage from First Chronicles where we find these words from David, a man who had a reputation of being after God’s heart:

"O Lord our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building You a temple for Your holy name, it comes from Your hand, and all of it belongs to You. I know, my God, that You test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly Your people who are here have given to You. O Lord, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of Your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to You." 1 Chronicles 29:16-18

This passage leads me to a second point about giving:

Everything we have comes from God and belongs to Him.

Unfortunately, too often we tend to cling to the things we have as if everything we own is ours but the truth is that we wouldn’t have anything without God’s mighty, generous provision. And so when we consider all that we have, we need to realize that we only have it because He has given it to us.

Therefore, when our Lord calls us to give, He is only asking us to give back some of what He gave us.

Here’s the final point for today:

We can (and should) give more than just material things.

Note in our scripture passage for today that God called on His people to use the talents that He had blessed them with to take the materials and make the things He commanded. Whether they were a builder or a spinner of yarn or linen, they were expected to use whatever specialized skill they had to accomplish what God wanted.

We need to know that there are other things we can give God outside of material things and beyond talents, here are some other things we should consider, things that everyone can do.

We can share our time with someone.

God gives all of us twenty-four hours each, every day. We need to invest that time wisely, giving it to our Lord and others He wants us to serve.

We can share encouragement with others.

Who doesn’t like a “pick-me-up” from someone?

Anyone can say a kind or complimentary word to someone and we should seek to do this within every opportunity God provides. Sometimes you’ll never know how much it can boost and improve the way a person is feeling in their life.

We can love unconditionally.

It doesn’t cost anything to love your neighbor as yourself as Jesus commanded (Mark 12:31) and this should come naturally for any believer. For before they love anyone else, they should first love God with all their heart and mind and soul and strength, also commanded by Jesus (Mark 12:30). When it’s done in that order, the love of God saturates a Christian to the point where any love they share isn’t really their love but His.

Given this, we know the Lord loves unconditionally. We can too through Him.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, when it comes right down to it, there’s really no reason or excuse why any believer is unable to give when it comes right down to it. Every single person has something they can contribute to make to honor God and His Kingdom work here on earth or make a difference in the life of another.

With this, some closing questions for self reflection:

How would God grade me on the matter of giving?

Am I actively seeking opportunities to give to others?

Do I willingly and willfully seek to use the gifts that God has given me to further His kingdom and glorify His name?

Do I truly see that everything I have really belongs to God for it has come straight from His hand?

Let me finish this by saying that there’s no such thing as a perfect giver. Each day gives us a chance to be better at it and we’ll always improve when we seek to emulate our Savior Jesus who showed us exactly what sacrificial giving looks like. For He didn’t hold onto His life but rather freely surrendered it in order to bring us salvation.

Jesus was willing to give up everything in obedience to His Father’s calling. Today, He sits at God’s right hand in authority over all Heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18-20, 1 Peter 3:22).

As His disciples, we need to follow His example when God calls us to give for one day we will inhabit a mansion that Jesus has prepared for us (John 14:2-6). When we do, none of us will take anything from this world along for the ride so in the here and now, let’s all give, doing so willingly and cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

REFLECTING AND PROJECTING THE LORD'S LIGHT

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.

When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them.

Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai. When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever he entered the Lord's presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord.

Exodus 34:29-35

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

On his second visit to God, traveling back up to the top of Mount Sinai, Moses spent an additional forty days and nights as God rewrote His commandments on two new stone tablets.

Why did they need to be redone?

Because as we saw earlier in this book, Moses smashed the first ones after coming down from his first extended time with God (also 40 days and nights) and witnessing the Israelites worshipping a false god in the form of a golden calf.

But that was then and in today’s scripture, we see a completely different scene as Moses descends the mountain and returns to the Israelite camp. For we read where his face, which was filled with anger after his first descent, was now "radiant because he had spoken with the Lord." And although Moses "was not aware" of it, his brother Aaron and the other Israelites quickly noticed it as he approached.

How did they respond to this sight and Moses; illuminated face?

The scriptures tell us that "they were afraid to come near him" but after "Moses called to them", "Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back” so he could speak to them. When they did, Moses told the people of Israel "all the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai" and, then after finishing, "put a veil over his face."

From that point on, Israel’s God-appointed leader would wear the veil until he went into the Lord's presence to speak with Him but each time he emerged from a meeting with the Almighty, his face would once again shine radiantly as he conveyed to the people what God commanded. Then once finished, Moses would once again cover his face with the veil until he went to see the Lord again.

Friends, this passage shows us the awesome impact that God has on any believer who would choose to obey, trust, and believe in Him. For truly, when anyone is fully committed to living every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day for the Lord, then they can’t help but reflect His radiance toward others. Consider these words of our Savior Jesus, during His Sermon on the Mount:

"Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven." Matthew 5:16

Before we can let our light shine we have to have the Lord’s Light within us and we gain that Light when we place our faith and trust in Him and receive the indwelling of His Holy Spirit. When this happens, when we dedicate ourselves to God and fully invest ourselves in communion with the Spirit, the power of that communion allows divine light to radiate from us to everything around and others can’t help but notice.

Need an example?

Several years ago, I was blessed with the privilege to sing a solo at my church, performing the song, "Your Grace Still Amazes Me’ by Phillips, Craig and Dean. I don’t know if you have ever heard it before but it’s incredible song about the wonder of God’s mercy and love for us, even though we are sinners who fall short of His glory (Romans 3:23). It truly is an amazing grace that should bring us to our knees in a spirit of praise and thanksgiving.

As I sang this song, my soul opened as the Holy Spirit sang through me as He does any time I get a chance to perform. The same thing happens when I sit down with my laptop and compose these daily messages. In both cases, it never ceases to amaze me how many people will tell me how they were incredibly blessed by the sung song or written message from the Word. It’s a powerful testimony to the strength of the Holy Spirit working through us to impact the lives of others when we are fully open to letting Him do so.

Or in other words, when we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in carrying out what God calls us to do in obedience, the Lord’s radiance will shine on those you serve and they, in turn, become blessed.

In regard to receiving God’s Light in our lives, there are several other scripture passages we should look at.

In the Psalms, we read where His radiance was received from His instruction. Consider these words from the 19th Psalm:

"The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes." Psalm 19:8

When we know and trust in God’s guidance to us, responding to it with willing obedience and producing the righteousness He expects, His radiant commands will then fill our eyes with His holy Light.

The Bible also tells us that we receive radiance when we look to God, similar to what Moses experienced. Look at this from the 34th Psalm:

"I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame." Psalm 34:4-5

When we persistently look toward God, we will find ourselves radiant because we are looking into the One who defines radiance. And with the forgiveness and mercy He brings to us through His love, we need not be ashamed for He and He alone is able to cast our sins into the mighty sea of forgetfulness (Micah 7:19).

My brothers and sisters, let’s recommit ourselves to be the light of the world, turning to the Lord each and every day while dedicating time to Him in full communion with His Holy Spirit. There, let us seek His commands for our lives so to be able to reflect His awesome, beautiful light onto all that we see. For when Jesus told us to let our light shine, He wasn’t talking about just any light but THE LIGHT that only comes from Him, the One who IS the Light as well as the Truth and the Life (John 14:16).

Today and every day, let’s give thanks to God for His radiance, the radiance that He passed onto His servant leader Moses, the radiance that He passes onto believers like us today so we be empowered to let His Light shine in all that we do in His holy name.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com 

EASY AS 1, 2, 3

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

"O Lord, if I have found favor in Your eyes," he said, "then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance."

Then the Lord said: "I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you. Obey what I command you today. I will drive out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you. Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles. Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”

"Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices. And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same.”

"Do not make cast idols.”

"Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in that month you came out of Egypt.”

"The first offspring of every womb belongs to Me, including all the firstborn males of your livestock, whether from herd or flock. Redeem the firstborn donkey with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem all your firstborn sons.”

"No one is to appear before me empty-handed.”

"Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest.”

"Celebrate the Feast of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year. Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord, the God of Israel. I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the Lord your God.”

"Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to Me along with anything containing yeast, and do not let any of the sacrifice from the Passover Feast remain until morning.”

"Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God.”

"Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk."

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel."

Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.

Exodus 34:9-28

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Earlier in the Book of Exodus, we saw where God’s people had broken their covenant with Him when they decided to worship a golden calf crafted from their jewelry by Aaron, a clear act of idolatry and in direct violation of God’s commandments to have no other gods before Him.

While they were doing this, Moses was spending forty days and with the Lord on Mount Sinai, receiving not only instruction and direction on God’s expectations for the way the Israelites were to live but also directions for the construction of the tabernacle and all its components needed for proper worship. Once his meeting with God had ended, you’ll remember that Moses descended the mountain and as he came into the camp and witnessed how his fellow Hebrews had abandoned God, he became so enraged that he smashed the two stone tablets on which God had written the Ten Commandments with His finger.

This put the Israelites firmly in the crosshairs of God’s judgment but as we see in our passage today, the Lord was ready and willing to give His people a second chance after hearing this from Moses:

"O Lord, if I have found favor in your eyes then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance."

Notice here that there are three key steps used by Moses to repair the fractured relationship between the Israelites and God.

First, there was confession as Moses admitted to God that the people of Israel were stiff-necked.

Indeed, the Israelites chose their own desire to worship an idol over God’s demand to not do so and it was this blatant, intentional disobedience that got them into trouble. Fortunately, their God was a merciful God and so repentance would get them out of it.

This brings to mind some words we find from John’s first letter in the New Testament:

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:8-9

In our scripture passage, Moses had confessed the sins of the Israelites. He then took the second step toward repairing the damaged relationship with God.

He sought forgiveness.

For after admitting his people were stubborn in their disobedience, Moses asked God to "forgive our wickedness and our sin." Let’s return to the words from First John:

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:8-9

Moses didn’t attempt to cover up the sinfulness of the people. Rather, he openly professed it before God, seeking His forgiveness and purifying from their unrighteousness. This action displayed a turning back to God for His grace and in seeing this, God did forgive His people and took steps to reestablish His covenant with them.

This led to God giving His people a second chance, something He didn’t have to do by any means but He willingly chose to display His awesome compassion and pardon, honoring the promises He had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob prior.

Now, there was one final step that Moses took that needs to be considered right along with confession and seeking forgiveness. For we see Moses display the quality of surrender before his Lord. We see it through his words as He says this to God:

“Take us as Your inheritance."

In other words, Moses is asking the Lord to possess them because they belonged to Him.

It’s important for us to remember that when someone surrenders themselves to God, their life stops being about themselves but rather the Lord they are surrendering themselves to. It was the attitude we see prominent in Jesus who displayed in its purest, most perfect form, surrendering Himself for us and dying in the cross of Calvary to pay the price for our sins.

Friends, what an awesome, blessed assurance we have knowing that we don’t just serve a God of second chances but a forgiving Heavenly Father, a divine and holy Parent who never stops showing us that His faithfulness is great and His mercies are truly new every morning. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

If you need to fix your relationship with God, follow the lead of Moses.

First confess your sin, then seek His forgiveness, and finally surrender yourself to Him.

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.