Bible Reading Reflection from Exodus 31-40

 [Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (LRAU), a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟛𝟙:𝟜-𝟝

"To devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft."

Natural talents and skills also come from the Lord. God created us, so, everything in us is, actually.

Let's recognize God when we see and talk about skilful people. Some use them [skills and talents] for the glory of God. Others like Justin Bieber, Priyanka Chopra, almost all celebrities use them for their own glory!

Some do amazing things through the devil as well. So, there must be discerning between the two as well.

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟛𝟚:𝟚𝟙

"And Moses said to Aaron, ‘What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?’"

Tough God sought to wipe them off. Tough Leader Moses ordered a massacre. Faithful Remnants killed the ungodly.

Weak Leader Aaron compromised. Rebellious People want to have their own way. Aaron had no character to persuade the people or God. Aaron looked to be a devoted man of God, but people didn't trust nor fear him enough.

Perhaps Moses didn’t delegate enough authority and responsibility to Aaron. [Moses delegated authorities to the 70 only after the advice of Jethro]. However, Aaron is like the hireling, and Moses the shepherd.

Aaron was not rebuked by God nor by Moses. In fact, Moses asked Aaron what did the people made him do the unthinkable. Moses knew Aaron exactly. Moreover, God was angry with the people, so was Moses, and so was the faithful. Meanwhile, Aaron seems to express no anger. He seems to be a dispassionate cold guy.

But we can't expect a cricket star to play a football World Cup.

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟛𝟛:𝟚𝟛

"Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen."

Even the greatest theologian knows only the back part of God. Nobody can understand God fully. One day we shall see Him face to face, and shall not be dead, but be transformed into His likeness!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟛𝟜:𝟚𝟠

"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."

Moses had to endure another 40 days and nights as a result of breaking the tablets. And the people had to be without Moses again.

But Moses seemed to enjoy it. He even had a shining face this second time!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟛𝟝:𝟚𝟡

"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."

Have you ever been moved? Or have you been pressured, forced to? Distinguish the difference between the two questions.

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟛𝟞:𝟝-𝟟

"And said to Moses, ‘The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the LORD has commanded us to do.’ 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, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more."

When was the last time we had enough [forget about having more than enough]? When was the last time we gave enough? When was the last time ‘they’ stopped accepting? This account is amazing! 👍

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟛𝟟:𝟙

"Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half was its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height."

So, the skilful man obeyed the Lord to render his service to God. God deserves the service of the most skilful people. He deserves the best of all things. But, how have we treated God?

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟛𝟠:𝟚𝟜

"All the gold that was used for the work, in all the construction of the sanctuary, the gold from the offering, was twenty-nine talents and 730 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary."

Not only skilful people were commissioned to work, but it was also an expensive project. God is worthy of such!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟛𝟡:𝟜𝟚-𝟜𝟛

"So the sons of Israel did all the work according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses.  And Moses examined all the work and behold, they had done it; just as the LORD had commanded, this they had done. So Moses blessed them."

They did it! Indeed, physical work outside of us is easier than building the body.

The church is not just the physical building, but the spiritual body. Instead of building the body, people love to tear down with criticism, gossip, and slander.  Strive to build the body, not just the building.

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟜𝟘:𝟛𝟠

"For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel."

The Lord was with them throughout their journey. Life is a journey, friends. God is with His people throughout life's journey.

God demonstrated with clouds. I like that. My village is full of clouds. God uses natural things like clouds to remind His people of His protection. Elsewhere He set up a rainbow to remind the inhabitants of the earth of His faithfulness.

Rainbow and Cloud will go on! Remember God [especially His faithfulness, protection, and promises], whenever you see clouds and rainbows!

Bible Reading Reflection from Exodus 21-30

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (LRAU), a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟚𝟙:𝟚𝟜

"Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot."

Does anybody seriously want justice in life? I don't think so. We want mercy, grace, and love.

If you knock out somebody's tooth, do you want them to knock off yours too?

"Justice for me, but not for others" is actually what human beings are crying for.

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟚𝟚:𝟚𝟝

"If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him."

Consider these:

1. Don't lend money to the poor, give them.

2. Don't lend money to fellow Christian who are poor, give them generously! Don't ask them to pay back. Tell them to come again😂

There's a difference between needs and business! In business, both have to look for a profit! The lender will expect a profit too.

This verse is not about business.

Is it not true that a man can afford to do business only when he has more than his basic needs?

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟚𝟛:𝟙𝟝

"You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. ℕ𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕖𝕒𝕣 𝕓𝕖𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕞𝕖 𝕖𝕞𝕡𝕥𝕪-𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕕."

We are a bunch of ungrateful people! God wants us to be grateful.

So, he gave some specific commandments that we may be compelled to realize. One of them is this commandment of bringing an offering before God.

Think through that! BTW, I forgot to pay my Sunday offering yesterday because I was trying to keep up the news of home [my grandfather’s funeral]. Anyway, I shall pay doubly this coming Sunday!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟚𝟜:𝟙𝟠

"Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights."

Can you be alone with God for 40 days and nights?

Jesus did a [more] terrific thing, huh? He was alone with the Devil for 40 days and night?

Whom can you stay alone with for 40 days and nights up on mountain or desert? 🙂

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟚𝟝:𝟚

"Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me."

When was the last time God moved your heart?

When was the last time you shut off your heart and rationalise why it was better to not contribute or help? (1John3:17)

We want to have God working in our life to bless us but not to help others, as if, receiving is better than giving. God owns everything. Everything that comes to us and everything that goes out of us is an economy of God. We are neither richer nor poorer. We come to earth having nothing and shall leave earth nothing.

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟚𝟞

"Shall"

How many times do you see this word in this chapter? In every verse except 20, 21,27.

Let me know how many times. Just open your Bible and count @_______, you lazy fellow! 😅 You shall count!

And why so much instruction on making the tabernacle? God is in the details!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟚𝟟

"Shall"

Another chapter of heavy prescription "shall" in every verse of this chapter!

We cannot worship God as we like. There's a prescription. And if God is serious even in building prescription, how much does He seek after circumcised hearts?

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟚𝟠:𝟛

"You shall speak to all the skilful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron's garments to consecrate him for my priesthood."

Another chapter of "shall" but this chapter mentions "skills" not less than 7 times.

We need skilful people in the service of God. Church may be friendly and open to fools, but the wise and skilful people must be there too. After all, who gives wisdom to the wise? Is it not the everlasting God? Who is wiser than Him? He doesn't despise you [the skilful ones] nor the fool, how dare the wise of the world despise the fool?

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟚𝟡:𝟜𝟞

"And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God."

God called them out, freed them from Egypt that He may dwell among them. The Israelites would have idols rather than God. So, God gave them up to heathens.

God called us out from sin that He may dwell in us, yet we neglect Him. So, what shall [has] become of us?

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟛𝟘:𝟙𝟝

"The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the LORD's offering to make atonement for your lives."

When it comes to atonement, the rich are not rich enough, and the poor are not poorer than the rich! Everyone is a beggar before God. Not the wealth of the universe can appease the wrath of God.

Also, let's consider this: the most righteous man is not righteous enough before God, nor the vilest sinner more sinful than the most righteous man. In front of God, they altogether are as filthy rags.

Atonement offering shows how to humble themselves before God and should remove pride, boasting, and oppression from their hearts! They aren't better! Nobody is better than anybody.

Bible Reading Reflection from Exodus 11-20

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (LRAU), a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟙𝟙:𝟚-𝟛

"Speak now in the hearing of the people that each man ask from his neighbor and each woman from her neighbor for articles of silver and articles of gold." The LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Furthermore, the man Moses himself was greatly esteemed in the land of Egypt, both in the sight of Pharaoh's servants and in the sight of the people."

“Asking,” that's all! And God made them favourable to the Egyptians.

I was watching an Economic and Financial Documentary on how to reduce poverty in the world. The economists and philosophers propounded a lot of theories and examined how they have fared in this real world. And they have concluded that the best, right, appropriate way to reduce poverty in a society is for the poor to ask and the rich to be generous!

Ask if you don't have, ask if you want, don't be stupid!

If somebody asks you, be generous, don't be a stupid miser!

BTW, I don't have a Nobel Prize in economics, I don't have a PhD in Economics, but I knew from a long time ago that "asking" works and "generosity" helps.

This is God's economics. Read again, these two verses!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟙𝟚:𝟙𝟚-𝟙𝟛

"For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments--I am the LORD. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt."

The Israelites would not only plunder the Egyptians, it's far from over, God would strike each [Egyptian] family's firstborn dead, both of man and animals.

That strike of death is equally applicable [deserving] to the Israelites: they were all equally corrupt and unrighteous. Yet, God devised a way to save those who would look to God to spare them – by the means of the blood of a lamb, which is the symbol of the real salvation that would occur millennium later in the bleeding of Jesus Christ at the cross. There, God's wrath was satisfied.

So, as death befallen upon those who had no lamb's blood on their lintel, so eternal death will befall upon those who have no Lord's blood on their lintel of their soul!

We already have blood on our lintel, but we must flee Egypt, still, fleeing from worldliness. Like the Egyptian who even ate in haste with sandals on their feet and a staff on their hands, we must redeem the time and be prudent and alert!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟙𝟛:𝟠

"You shall tell your son on that day, saying, 'It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt."

The pronouns are "me" and "I".

They are not us or we. It is a personal salvation.

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟙𝟜:𝟚𝟝

"He caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive with difficulty; so the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from Israel, for the LORD is fighting for them against the Egyptians.""

The Egyptians thought they could intimidate the Israelites. They realized they couldn’t, and they were going to lose. They tried to flee away but they still were caught in the water they dared to go into. They lost terribly.

I can see an analogy in Los Angeles, California.

Grace Community Church was threatened and taken to court. The LA officials tried to shut down the church and put the pastor in jail. They did all means. They spent around 1 million dollars to stop them from gathering to worship God. (Israelites were called out to worship God. Pharaoh sent the choicest 600 chariots and best armies to stop them v7) This Tuesday [31^st August 2021], the LA officials realised that they will lose in the court. They withdrew every threat but like the armies of Egyptians, they have been too deep into the water. They have to pay the consequences. They were asked to pay 800,000 dollars to Grace Community Church.

A total of almost 2 million dollars it takes LA officials to stop the Church Worship Service. Expensive! It must be so! All the best chariots, officers, fighters of Egypt perished in that water. It was a very expensive failed pursuit!

BTW, the church had announced that all the money will go to Thomas More Society who defended them pro bono!

And one of its elders, Phil Johnson celebrated the verdict with a can of Fresca! 😂

The world always threatens us. It loves to intimidate us. It wants us to flow along with them. We have to be determined to follow God, and be brave and be convinced, and put our trust in God, and much in prayer! Israelites (Moses) were doing that! And they won. So GCC as well!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟙𝟝:𝟚

"The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will extol Him."

Most probably all of us will have children in the near future. May we live well that our children can recite this verse with their heart on it to say "my father's God"

If you don't walk with God, if you don't revere Him, if you don't enjoy Him, if you don’t see His power in your life, who would want to worship your God? They will defy your God like Goliath defied the God of the armies of Saul.

Saul was a man without character.

But BTW, David walked with God, and Goliath realized Saul's God and David's God was different.

Is your God powerful? Elijah's God is. Moses' God is. But the 12 Disciples' God wasn't powerful once, so Jesus had to rebuke them for their little faith!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟙𝟞:𝟠

"Moses said, "This will happen when the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread to the full in the morning; for the LORD hears your grumblings which you grumble against Him. And what are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against the LORD."

God hates those who grumble. He loves those who delight in Him.

When I grumble in my work, in my duty, in any of my responsibility, it shows that I am not taking delight in God. Evidently, I have seen the consequences again and again.

God did give Israelites what they wanted, but they suffered as well.

It's appropriate to see the grace, mercy, blessing, deliverance, and prosperity from God by request with much patience, not by grumbling!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟙𝟟:𝟙𝟙-𝟙𝟚

"So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set."

How Moses stood up for the victory of Israel! I can't lift up my hands for even half an hour. Moses did till sunset.

Also, how Aaron and Hur supported him! Definitely, they were too old to fight, but they did their part.

Indeed, we need men like Aaron and Hur. Many people, including me, want to be Moses, but we do need to be those who support the main leader as well, especially when we are young now!

Lord, grant me the attitude of these two humble men to support those who are above me, Amen!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟙𝟠:𝟚𝟚

"Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be that every major dispute they will bring to you, but every minor dispute they themselves will judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you."

Wisdom of Jethro: Delegating responsibilities, Training up leaders.

My pastor [of Goa] said that when he delegates responsibility to others, it is to assign blame to them when they fail. That's interestingly superb! 😂 😎

Before the delegation is the training, let's remember.

That's why I love teaching people how to do what I am doing. I give resources that I use. I don't want them just to learn from me. I want them to learn how to find for themselves and be able to teach others!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟙𝟡:𝟜-𝟝

"'You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to Myself.   Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine."

Wow! What a description! God carrying them in eagles’ wings. Have you ever said like that in your prayer, conversation, texting, etc.? Has that ever been your vocabulary?

It should be. God has carried us in eagles’ wings. If you haven't experienced that, maybe you better start worshipping Hanuman! Perhaps he will! 😬 😝 🤣

Isaiah 40:31 reiterates that those who wait upon the Lord shall mount up with wings as eagles!

Wow! What a joyous vocabulary, to express this great joy!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟚𝟘:𝟚𝟝-𝟚𝟞

"If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it. And you shall not go up by steps to My altar, so that your nakedness will not be exposed on it."

God is still this God of these verses. Worshippers must revere Him.

Here, you see, God wants human beings to treat Him differently. Even His redeemed people aren't allowed to play with God like a child jumping on the lap of a father [disturbing] in a formal meeting.

Even His people must realise that God is different, and our reverence for him is another class. What does that mean? Do anything and everything that shows your reverence for God. If your reverence for anything is greater than God, that is usurping God.

BTW, people love to be more naked these days, right? [Look at their dressing, even in church] It's plain stupidity, sin, and depravity of mind. They don't know even why it is bad because their minds are depraved, consciences are seared; and those who approve them are equally the same!