Confession time

This post is long overdue.  I haven't kept up with my reading this past week.  I didn't have time or opportunity to do the blog, and I allowed it to affect keeping up with my reading.  Now I'm greatly behind.  I have to say, I'm really disappointed. And very frustrated.  Many problems with keeping up with this blog is due to the limited access I have to the internet here at my parents' house.  They very willingly and generously share the internet with us, but I often get it at times when I can not sit down and write, mostly due to the fact that Eliza suddenly becomes needy (and therefore distracting) when I am on the computer, or she is napping but I am behind on my chores, and internet usage gets pushed back.  We are not hard at work renovating what will be our apartment so we can move out, and then we will have our own internet and I can get up at 5am if necessary and get this done.  Until then, I need to figure something else out.

Game plan for the next few days, perhaps weeks: get caught up on my reading.  Write blog posts when I can, and condense multiple passage readings into one.  I hate to do it, but it's got to be done.  My hope is that I can get back on track soon, that I will be in the Word every day again, and that I can keep on trucking.  And I look forward to steady and reliable internet access so that I can make a habit in the mornings of getting my reading done and then my blogging, Lord willing.

Leviticus 5:14-6:7

I've read the passage, but a clingy, crying, fussy, aggravated baby has precluded me from getting much time to sit down and write today.  And I thought maybe I could get a little ahead because the passage was so short!  Boy, was I wrong!  However, I am glad that I got the passage read this morning.  Hopefully tomorrow she'll be in a better mood and I can get more done!

Next Reading: Leviticus 6:8-7:38

Leviticus 4:1-5:13

This is what I find most interesting about this passage: that the emphasis is based again and again on the sin being unintentional.  If someone accidentally breaks one of the legal codes, the moral codes of the Law, then these are the offerings that they are to bring forward: a different requirement based upon the situation.  What if the sin was intentional?  Is there a sin offering for something like that?  Or are those sins condemned?  Because let's face it: we might sin unintentionally all the time, but more often than not we are sinning intentionally.  We know we shouldn't tell that little white lie, but we rationalize it so that it's "okay" or that we can get by, or even that we are doing someone a favor.  We know that if we say a certain thing, that it will hurt someone, and so we say it.  Or we think they deserve it.  We share gossip as a means to "keeping people in the know."  There are all sorts of things that we do, intentionally.  Big, small, either way, they are sin.  And we do it on purpose.  What kind of sacrifice was there for those kinds of intentional sin?  What if a person did something intentionally and learned to regret it; what if they learned, later, what true righteousness was and wanted to atone for what they did.  Was there a sacrifice for that?

Not in this chapter.  It says again and again, if it was unintentional or if it is hidden to them only to become known later or for their conscience to prick, then they are to offer this certain animal for the sin offering.  It doesn't say anything about, "Now, if their sin is intentional...."  We're left a little hanging here.  I guess we'll have to keep reading to see what the stipulations are there.

Next Reading: Leviticus 5:14-6:7

Leviticus 3:1-17

I miss my commentaries.  I have a pretty nifty piece of Bible software I often use in my Bible study (in fact, my reading plan is input into it so that I can just click on a link and it brings up my reading for the day, or I type in my reading in the Study search, and it will bring up commentaries and helpful resources, and then after I've read it, I only have to click and it's marked as read!  Sweet, huh?).  This is my go-to piece for all things OT (Old Testament) as all of my OT books from college are... missing.  I have notes, but my books and things have mysteriously disappeared.  I want them back.  Actually, I want my software back.  But, because of disk space, memory, storage, etc., my husband did an upgrade on the computer, and has so far reinstalled everything but my software.  I must ask him to do this.  Soon.

I feel a bit at a loss with this passage.  I admit: I feel I should know more about peace offerings than I do.  What is the exact purpose of the peace offering?  Is it to be given in concert with a burnt offering, a sin offering, a guilt offering in order to make peace with God?  Or is a celebration of the peace with God that can be found through righteous living?  This passage more than adequately states how to appropriately conduct a peace offering, but I feel at a loss for what a peace offering is.  Have I missed it?  I miss my commentaries for this purpose, where men (and women) older, wiser, more learned can explain to me the intricacies of the Scriptures that I'm missing.  I even got out my OT notes on Leviticus and while they are more than adequate for explaining the purpose and structure of Leviticus as well as the offerings and sacrifices, but... not so hot on explaining the specifics of each one.  I know there are other places in Scripture where the offerings are discussed, but my concordance in the back of my Bible(s, actually) is inadequate to point me there, and I don't have a very good head for remembering where things are at.  (That makes memorization difficult oftentimes.)  Here again, my trusty software would be of use.

One thing I did note, rather superficial, is the gruesomeness of the offering.  The offerer was to put their hand on the head of the animal to be sacrificed as its throat was cut and it's blood drained away.  Then the priests were to take the blood and throw it, literally splatter it against the side of the altar.  All this before the animal is cut up, served up as an offering, and then later eaten with the priests.  Kind of rocks our modern sensibilities, doesn't it?  I wonder how PETA would react when they finally get the sacrificial system up and going again in Israel, as I hear they are trying to do (and expect they will for Scripture to be fulfilled).  But I guess, in a way, it is typical, or rather prophetic.  See, I mean "typical" as in "type", as in a foreshadowing.  (I guess that's rather technical Biblical studies language there, isn't it?)  There are types of Christ throughout the Old Testament.  The Passover is a type of Christ's sacrifice on the cross in that His sacrifice as our substitute allows the penalty of death to "pass over us" (I'm sure there's a better way to explain that, though).  Similarly, these offerings, peace offerings, burnt offerings, guilt and sin offerings, all are types of Christ's sacrifice as well, and that His blood was shed in a pretty gruesome way in order to make our relationship right with the Lord.  In fact, as the sacrifices were designed to enable fallen people to live in a Holy Presence, Christ's sacrifice allows all fallen people to be inhabited by God Himself.  Pretty cool, huh?

I'm gonna get that software up and running again.  And then I'm going to take a very serious look at these offerings, because I'm intrigued.

Next Reading: Leviticus 4:1-5:13

Accountability

So, accountability is kind of pointless unless it's honest, right?  And that's the point of this blog: accountability.  I want to read through the entire Bible, chronologically, in two years.  I want to be in the Word every day.  Have I done it?  No, not absolutely every day, but most days.  CIY was a huge wrench in my plan.  I was doing my reading, and I was even doing my study and meditation.  And then I intended to come back and get all my blog posts done.  Has it happened?  Not really.  I've found it difficult to sit down and write every day because we've been working on our new house, because my daughter's schedule and sleep habits have been destroyed by the week away (as well as the upset in being at the house every day at varying times), and we've learned that we're expecting another child which completely explains my exhaustion; add into that the fact our internet access is shared and not actually available on my own computer 24-7, not all times with the internet are convenient or even possible for me to write.  Are the blog posts important?  To me, they are.  They're an acknowledgement that I am actually in the Word daily.  But in trying to get the blog posts done, I'm falling behind in the reading.  What is more important: the exercise or the accomplishment?  Really, what's important is that I'm in the Word.

Do I still intend to get caught up on my posts?  Yes, indeed.  But not at the expense of making sure I'm in the Word, and not for the sake of being in the Word for this blog.  So, it may take some time.  But I'll make it there.  Maybe when the work on the house slows, we're moved in, and full internet access is ours again (and then my parents can blissfully have their internet back to themselves, as well).

For now, do I have something to say about my next reading?  Not really.  Did I really think I'd have much to say about Leviticus?  I hoped.  So, I'm actually waiting to write anything about Leviticus 3 until I've had more time to think on it.  After all, a chapter on peace offerings feels like you should have something to say, right?  After all, Christ was the ultimate peace offering, wasn't He?

Leviticus 1:1-2:16

Okay, this post isn't about this actual reading particularly, but Leviticus in general.  Has anyone ever tried to read through the Bible in a year (or three years) and died in Leviticus?  I know I've heard some of my high school girls in our d-group say that exact same thing.  Everyone understands why Leviticus is in the Bible.  It holds a great many of the actual laws of the Old Testament!  It really does sometimes seem like it is just one long list of "Do this" and "Don't do this" and "Ye shall not" and "Ye shall" and "The consequences of...."  Yeah.  I can see how it's hard to read through.  So, why do we have to read through it?

There are a couple of purposes for the book of Leviticus.  One, it has all the Laws the Levites and the Levitical priesthood (the priesthood established through Aaron, the Levite) must obey, enforce, and perform sacrificial duties for.  But really, the purpose of this book is to outline what it takes to be holy.  Ever looked at this book and thought, "Yikes, who can possibly uphold all of this all the time?"  Well, it's kind of the point, isn't it?  Ever read Romans?  It's not the whole point, to be sure; to say so seriously downplays the importance and gravity of the Old Testament Law.  But one thing we do learn from the Law: that we can't possibly be holy on our own.  We need God.  We also see why we need Jesus particularly as our High Priest (yeah, that's Hebrews for you): the Levitical priesthood couldn't completely cut it.  It had to make sacrifices again and again and again. The sacrifices were insufficient.  Christ's sacrifice, however, was completely sufficient, worked for everyone for all time, for all sin.  The enormity of this comparison would be missing for us as believers if it weren't for Leviticus, as well as Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy (Genesis, too).  The Mosaic Law is the foundation for our faith.  The tenets of our faith are all rooted in and built upon these laws and the requirements to keep them and to atone for them when they are broken.  Jesus did say, after all, that not one bit of the Law will pass away, nor that He came to abolish it, but to fulfill it.  How can we know what He is that He fulfills or how He does that if we don't know what it is or all about?

So, should we as believers read Leviticus?  Yes.  Absolutely.  Is it difficult reading at times?  Yes.  Definitely.  But it's worth it.

Now, I feel like I've minimized Leviticus and its sister books in the Pentateuch to only being a foothold for Christianity, and it's not, at all.  But to go further into that may mean this post becomes a rant rather than a thought.  Perhaps I should come back to it some other time.

For now, pay special attention to how special and precious each burnt offering was to be.  It was no ordinary goat or sheep or whatever you feel like taking from your flocks.  Not at all.  This was a sacrifice; it was supposed to hurt.  It was supposed to be unblemished, clean, pure, the best of the best.  And there are several reasons for that, not just that a sacrifice is to really sacrifice something.  But that, my friends, is likely another post.

Next Reading: Leviticus 3:1-17

Exodus 40:1-38

I imagine that when the Tabernacle was finally erected among the Israelite camp, it was a pretty awesome thing.  It likely didn't go down the way I imagine that it did, but I picture something like this: Moses comes before the entire congregation of Israel to ask for contributions for the building of the Tabernacle, which will be devoted to the worship of the Lord God.  People come day after day, offering up their gold to be melted down, their precious yarns and linen, silver, wood, etc.  All for the sake of this Tabernacle.  In fact, they bring so much, they have to be stopped!  Then the work begins, amidst the camp of Israel.  Maybe people walked by just to see how the work was coming.  First, there are wood frames and boxes.  Slowly, fabric for curtains begins to come together.  Embroidery begins to slowly, day by day, depict the images of angels and holy things.  Frames come together, curtains spread out, precious articles begin to take shape.  At last, God gives the direction for the Tabernacle to be erected.  The frames are set up, the curtains hung, the tent overlying it spread out, and Moses begins the anointing.  He anoints every article, the tent, everything.  And then the glory of the Lord comes down.

When Solomon builds his temple, it talks about the Shekinah glory, where God's glory comes down and fills the Temple and people are weeping.  Seriously.  It's such an amazing moment that people lose it and worship with abandon.  Now, in that "cold, clinical" statement, maybe it sounds silly, but can you imagine just an amazing moment where you actually see God's glory descend?  That Shekinah Glory doesn't return when the Temple is rebuilt after the Exile in Babylon, and the people weep then for its loss.  Exodus doesn't describe anything like that.  Was it because they had become accustomed to the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night?  Had they become a little immune to the glory of God's presence?  Is that possible?  Every day, we believers wish we could experience that in our lives, and we always treasure those worship moments or prayer moments or study moments where we really feel God's presence.  What we wouldn't give to have a visible reminder, a physical thing to point to say, "See, God is here!"  The Israelites did: it was a daily matter of whether or not God's glory lifted from the Tabernacle one whether or not they were walking that day.  How amazing is that?

Maybe they weren't immune to it, and Scripture is just silent on it.  But the way I picture it, after watching the Tabernacle come together over a period of time, it must have been so fulfilling to see it at last standing.  And knowing that they were fearful enough of the Lord's presence to request that Moses be their go-between rather than meet God face-to-face on a daily basis, I think must have been a thing of awe and glory to see God descend upon the very structure the entire nation of Israel had come together to build, whether through offerings or skill.  It makes me want to be a part of something like that.

Next Reading: Leviticus 1:1-2:16

Exodus 39:1-43

You know, I have to admit, I'd feel one of two ways wearing the priests' garments: either a trumped-up turkey, or a mighty important person.  I wonder how many of those Levitical high priests ever felt like the first one?  I'm pretty sure quite a few felt like they were pretty important, if the behavior of the ones mentioned in the Gospels and Acts are any indication.

It must have been a beautiful garment, though: red, blue, purple thread entwined with real, hammered gold thread.  (Can you imagine the work it would take to hammer out gold thin enough to intertwine with regular fabric type threads?)  The stones set in gold filigree, engraved like signet rings...  It has again made me a little desirous of a ceremonial piece to wear, if for no other time than to wear it while praying or studying.  I should really consider a prayer shawl.

The thing that got me the most, though, was the plate on the crown with the inscription, "Holy to the Lord."  Set apart to the Lord.  That was to describe the entire priesthood, not just the high priest that would wear those gowns.  They were to be set apart to the Lord, in speech, in conduct, love, faith, and purity (1 Timothy 4:12, look it up), not just be set apart by these outer garments.  The garments were symbol of their office and their duties and were to remind them of those things and to whom they owed these things: first to God, and then to the nation of Israel.  Don't we all have that same duty?  To be examples before a fallen world, before our own church bodies, but first to the Lord?  We don't wear priestly garments; we are not even necessarily go-betweens in the same way the priests were; Jesus is that priest and there is no need for another (Hebrews, check it out).  But we are representatives; we are salt and light.  We are the examples.  I would shudder to wear something inscribed "Holy to the Lord" because of the tremendous responsibility.  Nothing says "stand out" like something inscribed with those words on it.  But wouldn't it be good for us?  A daily reminder?  Not being allowed to fall back on the "I'm human" excuse for behavior?  I am human!  I mess up all the time! And while I strive to do my best, how much more would I work for that knowing that I've got that inscribed across my forehead?  It's a question worth pondering.  How about I pretend it's there and live like it is?

Next Reading: Exodus 40:1-38

Exodus 38:9-31

Holy cats!

(Yes, I said that.)

  Ok, let's be honest: when reading the specifications for how much gold, how much silver, etc., did you simply read over the words, with your eyes slightly glazed?  Or did you take a moment and really think about what that's saying?  I did, and HOLY CATS!

Let's break this down:

1. 29 talents and 730 shekels of gold works out to be 2193.25 lbs of gold.
2. 100 talents and 1775 shekels of silver works out to be 7544 and 3/8 lbs of silver.
3. 70 talents and 2,400 shekels of bronze turns out to be 5310 lbs of bronze.

Can you say phenomenal?  Have you ever seen almost 2200 pounds of gold before?  What about more than 7500 pounds of silver all at once?  And this was for the construction of the Tabernacle.  And supplied solely by the Israelites.  It boggles my mind.  A single base for the frames of the sanctuary was one talent of gold: 75lbs of gold for each base constructed.  Heavy, huh?  But beautiful and very, very precious.

Think: this is for the Tabernacle, the Lord's dwelling.  I would need to reread it, but I'm not sure that God gave instructions for the building of the Temple.  The building is described and everything that it required to make it, but it doesn't say anywhere that the Lord God said, "Now, you should build the Temple in this way."  The Tabernacle is really the only place where we see God give instructions for the building and use of a place for Him to dwell among men, and look how precious it was!  Today, where does God dwell?  In us!  Those of us who have submitted ourselves, our lives, and our souls to Him have become the vessels for His Holy Spirit.  Should we not take as much care and attention to our own bodies?  Does that mean we have to "gild the lily", so to speak, by focusing purely on our physical aspect?  I don't think so.  But I do think that means that we should treat our bodies, our beings as precious.  What do you think that means?

Next Reading: Exodus 39:1-43

Exodus 37:1-38:8

Reading these passages, I was blown away by the amount of work and the quality of work that went into building the articles for the Tabernacle.  Just take the lampstand, for instance.  It was made from hammered work, all one piece.  From this single piece of gold, by hammering and molding, not attaching and soddering, they created an entire lampstand with six branches and the cups like almond blossoms, including the calyx and the flower.  It took me a moment to really understand what that meant.  So, from a single piece of gold, these guys hammered out a "trunk" or stand, and then were able to pull out/section out six branches from that single piece of gold, and upon those branches, by hammering (not molding with the hands and then adding on like an appendage), created a delicate cup to represent a flower and all it's little parts.  (A calyx is the cup-like part of the flower.)  It amazes me!  I couldn't imagine what it would even begin to take to plan this out so that from one piece, you can form such an intricate object.  You would have to know where to begin pounding, how to hit it just right so that the gold would shape in the direction you would want it to go, how to make sure there was enough gold to extend to all the parts that you are intending...  How do you do that?

The entire passage and the amount of work made me think of a few things.  First, these men showed a great deal of devotion, attention to detail, and pride in their work for the Lord.  It doesn't sound like they worked in a slapdashed manner (which, by the way, no, I would not normally use "slapdash", but it works.  What I wanted to use would have fully explained their lack of care and attention, as well as a small amount of derision for that attitude, but it wasn't appropriate and I wouldn't use it).  They took time, they took care, they made sure that their work was quality.  That then led me to think about our own work for the Lord.  Not many of us are creating articles or pieces for worship.  But we do have work that the Lord has set before us.  Are we giving our work this kind of attention?  Are we giving it every ounce of ability and talent and love that we have?  Do we have this kind of attitude when we work with children, especially rowdy, disrespectful, difficult-to-handle ones?  Do we show them the same love?  Do we treat with gentleness and respect those teens we come into contact with, safeguarding their molding into adult Christians?  Do we devote ourselves to other believers?  God has equipped us for all kinds of works, and with all kinds of skill sets to accomplish them.  But one thing that we all can give to the Lord is this kind of devotion.  Are we doing it?

Tomorrow's Reading: Exodus 38:9-31

Exodus 35:30-36:8

It's kind of like that age-old question: which came first, the chicken or the egg?  Which came first?  Did God first gift Oholiab and Bezalel with all manner of skills for craftsmanship and then chose to select them from among the Israelites to head the construction of the Tabernacle?  Or, did God first choose them and then equip them for the job at hand?

Does it matter?

Let's face it.  Sometimes, God hands us jobs or gives us callings that seem to require a certain skill set.  The ability to acquire a new language is pretty helpful if you want to be a missionary in a foreign country.  People skills (which some just have, and some don't) make ministry a great deal more affective.  But do you have to have these things naturally?  Does God give you gifts and skills and then call you to do any job that fits those skills?  You have the gift of administration, better be a secretary or a c.e.o.  You have a gift for teaching, than by all means, teach!  The question always comes up, though, when you seem to get a calling that is outside your talents and skills set.  Has that ever happened to you?  And then you're plagued with questions: is this something you're really called to do?  What if you can't do it?  Should you really do it?  What if you mess it up?  This, then, is where people offer the assurance: God will never give you anything you can't handle.  He will give you what you need to get the job done.  After all, it is by God's power we can do anything at all, right?

So which is it?  The chicken or the egg?  Looking at this passage, God clearly says that He has gifted Oholiab and Bezalel with a number of extraordinary gifts, as well as a number of others.  And if you look at the work they did in building the Tabernacle, their gifts were not simply specialized areas, but several areas: metalwork for the gold, weaving and embroidery for the curtains, woodwork for the construction of the articles.  Usually, unless I'm mistaken, a craftsman will hone their skills on one particular craft, whether they dabble in others or not.  It takes so much skill, talent, and work to master one craft, can you imagine mastering many?  (Not more than one, many.)  We know these multiple gifts are from God.  But, it doesn't say that God chose these men because He had gifted them, or that He gifted them so that He could choose them.  Maybe it's just a fine line of semantics, but does it matter?  God has given them a job and He has given them the wherewithal to get it done.  Does it matter which came first?

Next reading: Exodus 37:1-38:8

I am alive and I'm catching up

We're back.  CIY.  It's a good, challenging week.  And also draining.  And have I ever mentioned consuming?  I am catching up on my reading from the past week.  Or rather, rereading, because the lack of sleep you get at CIY really affects your retention level, even with notes.  That said, tomorrow marks the first day I'm going to do multiple posts to get everything back on track.  It was good reading.  I hadn't really thought reading about the actual building of the Tabernacle would be so fascinating, especially as most of the information mimics the instructions for the building.  But... it was.  More on that to come.  But can I say, I rather did miss this blog?  It's not the conversation I had hoped to have, but I did miss nailing my rear to the seat of the desk chair every day to make sure I spent time in God's Word.  I spent time in God's Word at CIY, too, and it's good.  But having a chance to really articulate thoughts, rather than jotting notes so I can remember... It's different.  And only something that could be typed: handwriting out all my thoughts, I wouldn't be able to keep up with myself!

Tomorrow: the Tabernacle.