Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"Then the Lord said to Moses: "Set up the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the first month. Place the ark of the Testimony in it and shield the ark with the curtain. Bring in the table and set out what belongs on it. Then bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the Testimony and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. "Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting; place the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it. Set up the courtyard around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. "Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy. Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it will be most holy. Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them. "Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest. Bring his sons and dress them in tunics. Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue for all generations to come." Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded him. So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year. When Moses set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames, inserted the crossbars and set up the posts. Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering over the tent, as the Lord commanded him. He took the Testimony and placed it in the ark, attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover over it. Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain and shielded the ark of the Testimony, as the Lord commanded him. Moses placed the table in the Tent of Meeting on the north side of the tabernacle outside the curtain and set out the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him. He placed the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle and set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him. Moses placed the gold altar in the Tent of Meeting in front of the curtain and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord commanded him. Then he put up the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. He set the altar of burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, and offered on it burnt offerings and grain offerings, as the Lord commanded him. He placed the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing, and Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash their hands and feet. They washed whenever they entered the Tent of Meeting or approached the altar, as the Lord commanded Moses. Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work. Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels." Exodus 40:1-38
We have reached the end of the Book of Exodus and what an exodus it has been for us as we have journeyed with Moses from his birth through his ascension into leadership under Pharoah to his falling out with Pharoah and his encounter with God…to his Egyptian return and leadership over Israel from bondage through the God-parted Red Sea…to the desert wilderness where water would flow from a rock…manna and quail would come from the Lord…and victory would be had over the Amalekites…to Mount Sinai where Moses met with God and received the Ten Commandments as well as other instruction and directions for building the tabernacle while the people of Israel, under the shoddy leadership of Aaron, sinned below…to his return from that meeting, the smashing of the stone tablets at seeing the sins of Israel on display and the eventual slaying of 3,000 who decided to not be for God…to his return to Mount Sinai, his second meeting of 40 days and nights with God and his return to direct the remaining, faithful people to build the tabernacle which they did and Moses blessed them after inspecting their work. Yes, we have traveled many days and nights through this book…and it has been a blessing.
As we finish Chapter 40, we see that the tabernacle is in full use and God is present as He promised…His glory filling the tabernacle. What an awesome blessing this must have been to the people of Israel. God was with them and was ready to lead them to the Promised Land as He promised.
We read that the Lord led Israel in this way:
"In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels."
When the cloud of the Lord lifted, the people knew it was time to travel and so they did. And while they traveled the cloud was with them, always in sight..."over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels." God was always with them. And so it is with us today.
For there is never anywhere that we journey that God is not with us…watching over us…rejoicing in our successes in and through Him…lamenting the times when we fail and fall. Through it all, there is God bringing us hope and joy in our journeys.
Yes indeed, we are finishing up our own personal exoduses once again, having come to the end of Lent and a journey of reflection, repentance, change and spiritual growth. We come to the end of this journey only to begin another one…fresh and new tomorrow with our Risen Savior, Jesus…God’s gift to mankind to not only pay the price for our sins but conquer death so me may as well on that day when He calls us home. Thanks be to God for His everlasting presence…thanks be to Jesus for His sacrifice that brought everlasting life to all who believe and trust in Him. Happy Easter everyone.
In Christ,
Mark
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