Burunche’s Blog

Exodus 37:17 – 24 “Then he made the lampstand out of pure hammered gold, all of one piece: its base and shaft, its cups, and its buds and petals. Six branches extended from the sides, three on one side and three on the other. There were three cups shaped like almond blossoms on the first branch, each with buds and petals, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches that extended from the lampstand.

And on the lampstand were four cups shaped like almond blossoms with buds and petals. A bud was under the first pair of branches that extended from the lampstand, a bud under the second pair, and a bud under the third pair. The buds and branches were all of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold. He also made its seven lamps, its wick trimmers, and trays of pure gold. He made the lampstand and all its utensils from a talent of pure gold. (A talent is approximately 75.4 pounds or 34.2 kilograms of gold.)

Once you realize the size of this lampstand, you realize that this lamp was absolutely enormous. Seventy – five pounds of gold will make a huge lampstand. This lamp was used to light the inside of the Holy place, being located across from the Table of Showbread.

Why was this lampstand made from gold? Jack Zavada provides us with the answer. (Zavada, Jack. “Symbolism Behind the Golden Lampstand of the Wilderness Tabernacle.” Learn Religions, Apr. 5, 2021, learnreligions.com/golden-lampstand-of-the-tabernacle-700108.)

“In the courtyard outside the tabernacle tent, all items were made of common bronze, but inside the tent, close to God, they were precious gold, symbolizing deity and holiness. God chose the resemblance of the lampstand to almond branches for a reason. The almond tree blooms very early in the Middle East, in late January or February. Its Hebrew root word, shaked, means “to hasten,” telling the Israelites that God is quick to fulfill his promises.

Aaron’s staff, which was a piece of almond wood, miraculously budded, bloomed, and produced almonds, indicating that God chose him as high priest. (Numbers 17:8) That rod was later put inside the ark of the covenant, which was kept in the tabernacle holy of holies, as a reminder of God’s faithfulness to his people. The golden lampstand, made in the shape of a tree, stood for God’s life-giving power. It echoed the tree of life in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9). God gave Adam and Eve the tree of life to show that he was their source of life. But when they sinned through disobedience, they were cut off from the tree of life. Even still, God had a plan to reconcile his people and give them new life in his Son, Jesus Christ. That new life is like the almond buds blossoming in springtime. The golden lampstand stood as a permanent reminder that God is the giver of all life. Like all the other tabernacle furniture, the golden lampstand was a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, the future Messiah. It gave forth light. Jesus told the people: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12, NIV)

APPLICATION: for years when I read these verses, I thought of this lamp as a cute little thing about 2 feet high sitting on a table – nothing could be further from the truth! Once you look at the weight of gold involved, you realize that this lamp stand was probably at least 6 feet tall. This lampstand was the only source of light for the holy of holies. God never does anything by half measures, and this lampstand is a prime example.

How important is light? For the first several years we lived in our small town in northern Ghana, we did not have electricity. We really missed two things: lights and fans. While we could use kerosene lanterns for light, they were smelly and hot. Later when we did get electricity, we had frequent power outages. Somewhere in our possessions there is a photo of several senior high students studying under our kitchen window, taking advantage of our security lights that we powered with a gasoline generator.

Quoting Kavada again, “Jesus compared his followers to light as well: “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16, NIV)

The question for each of us is this: what kind of light are we shedding to those around us? When people come to us, are we an encouragement or a disappointment? The only way we can possibly have light within us that will shine for others is if we allow Jesus to shine through us.

PRAYER: Father God, please shine the light of Your Son, Jesus, through us so that others will be built up and encouraged. Let us radiate Your Love. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 37:10 – 16 “He made the table of acacia wood two cubits long, a cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high. (The table was approximately 3 feet long, 1.5 feet wide, and 2.25 feet high (91.4 centimeters long, 45.7 centimeters wide, and 68.6 centimeters high) He overlaid it with pure gold and made a gold molding around it. He also made a rim around it a handbreadth wide and put a gold molding on the rim.

He cast four gold rings for the table and fastened them to the four corners at its four legs. The rings were placed close to the rim, to serve as holders for the poles used to carry the table. He made the poles of acacia wood for carrying the table and overlaid them with gold. He also made the utensils for the table out of pure gold: its plates and dishes, as well as its bowls and pitchers for pouring drink offerings.“

Today’s discussion comes from an article by Mary Fairchild. (Fairchild, Mary. “Table of Showbread.” Learn Religions, Aug. 28, 2020, learnreligions.com/table-of-showbread-700114.)

Many times we feel that the repetition of the descriptions of the furnishings of the Tabernacle are too boring and tedious! But think about it: why would God force His priests to eat bread that was a week old?

Ms. Fairchild writes: The table of showbread, also known as the “table of shewbread” (KJV), was an important piece of furniture inside the Holy Place of the tabernacle. It was situated on the north side of the Holy Place, a private chamber where only priests were allowed to enter and perform daily rituals of worship as representatives for the people....

Atop the table of showbread on pure gold plates, Aaron and his sons placed 12 loaves of bread made from fine flour. Also called “bread of the presence,” the loaves were arranged in two rows or piles of six, with frankincense sprinkled on each row. The loaves of bread were considered holy, an offering before the presence of God, and could be eaten only by the priests. Each week on the Sabbath, the priests consumed the old bread and replaced it with fresh loaves and frankincense supplied by the people.

Significance of the Table of Showbread

The table of showbread was a constant reminder of God’s everlasting covenant with his people and his provision for the 12 tribes of Israel, represented by the 12 loaves. In John 6:35, Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (NLT) Later, in verse 51, he said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Today, Christians observe communion, partaking of consecrated bread to remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. The table of showbread in Israel’s worship pointed forward to the future Messiah and his fulfillment of the covenant. The practice of communion in worship today points backward in remembrance of Christ’s victory over death on the cross.

Hebrews 8:6 says, “But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises.” (NLT)As believers under this new and better covenant, our sins are forgiven and paid for by Jesus. There is no longer a need to offer sacrifices. Our daily provision is now the living Word of God.” (Fairchild, Mary. “Table of Showbread.” Learn Religions, Aug. 28, 2020, learnreligions.com/table-of-showbread-700114.)

APPLICATION: There is an old saying that “Bread is the staff of life,” meaning that many people around the world depend on bread as the main staple of their diet. This idea has become so ingrained in our culture that one expression for earning one’s living is to “earn one’s daily bread.”

At the beginning, we asked the question regarding old bread. The bread placed on the table of showbread was considered holy; it could only be consumed by those who were also considered holy, that is, by males among the priests. There is only one recorded instance when someone other than the priests ate the showbread; when David and his men were fleeing King Saul. At that time, the priests made sure that the young men were ritually clean before releasing the old showbread to David.

To be allowed to consume the showbread was a privilege. How did this bread taste? Did the frankincense that was sprinkled on it help preserve it? This bread was unleavened and therefore less likely to go bad than bread baked with leaven. We don’t know; all we do know is that nobody has recorded instances where a priest refused to eat the bread.

2020 – 2021 has been a rough time for people all over the world! Many have lost family members or jobs or businesses in the wake of the ongoing pandemic. Current information indicates that in Myanmar, India, Nepal, and other areas, the devastation continues to burgeon. Many believers find themselves asking, “Where is God in the midst of all this?” Recently, friends in India who run a whole series of orphanages and training schools for disadvantaged students had to watch as their beloved son died in his thirties from COVID. This man had played a critical part in the ministry and was slated to take over as head; now his parents and his wife and children were bereft. This family might well have asked, “Where is God in the midst of our tragedy” and yet, they have not. Instead, this family has repeatedly praised God for His provision, for His comfort, and for His watch – care.

Those who teach a prosperity Gospel choose to proclaim that God will never allow us to lack anything physically; yet, many of God’s greatest saints have suffered deprivation. Yes, God can supply our needs; however, sometimes we demand physical help when God wants to give us something far better: spiritual help and deliverance. That man who died in India knew Jesus Christ as his Savior and had a close personal walk with God. The manner in which the family handled this man’s death left no doubt in the minds of all around them that their hope was not in present physical things but rather in the promises of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

When Jesus stated that He was the Bread of Life and that anyone who came to Him would never be hungry or thirsty, he was speaking of spiritual hunger and thirst. Countless millionaires and billionaires can witness that no matter how much they have, their riches do not satisfy them but only drive them to want more. The hunger these men and women are feeling is spiritual and cannot be assuaged by wealth or fame. The only answer to spiritual hunger is Jesus Christ.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for sending Jesus to die for our sins! We freely admit that we are sinners and that it is only through the sacrifices that Jesus Christ has made for us that we can be freed from our sins. Thank You for loving us so much that You have sent Jesus and that You continue to lead us to faith in Him. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 37:1 – 9 “Bezalel went on to construct 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. And he cast four gold rings for its four feet, two rings on one side and two on the other. Then he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. He inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry it.

He constructed a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. He made two cherubim of hammered gold at the ends of the mercy seat, one cherub on one end and one on the other, all made from one piece of gold. And the cherubim had wings that spread upward, overshadowing the mercy seat. The cherubim faced one another, looking toward the mercy seat. (The ark was approximately 3.75 feet long, 2.25 feet wide, and 2.25 feet high (114.3 centimeters long, 68.6 centimeters wide, and 68.6 centimeters high. The mercy seat was approximately 3.75 feet long and 2.25 feet wide (114.3 centimeters long and 68.6 centimeters wide).

APPLICATION: Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.” A few days ago, I quoted the poem “Invictus.” The name of the poem means “unconquered” in Latin. The poet asserts that he is the captain of his fate and the master of his soul. Nothing could really be further from the truth! While we might like to THINK that we are in charge of ourselves, this is an illusion. True, we are creatures of free will and can make wise decisions or foolish ones. But in the end, there is relatively little about our lives that we actually control.

Recently my sisters were clearing out the house my dad and my stepmother had lived in for all of their married lives. Among the things my sisters found was a clipping describing the auto accident that nearly claimed my father’s life in July 1955. It was the time of oats harvest and Dad was returning from getting parts to repair his combine so that he could complete the harvest. Unfortunately, a drunk driver roaring down the road crossed the center line, hitting Dad head – on. Dad was so seriously injured that he had a near – death experience in which he saw his grandparents and others in heaven. From my knowledge as a surgeon, I can confidently state that it was only God’s mercy that kept Dad from dying that night.

We are approaching the twentieth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, a day of infamy second only to the attack on Pearl Harbor. That morning my husband and I were flying out of Newark Airport, looking down at the World Trade Center. By the time we reached Charleston, SC, the Trade Center was already collapsing. Only the mercy of God delivered those who survived that disaster.

For anyone who continues to cling to the beliefs expressed in “Invictus,” the events of the last year should serve as a stark reminder. Even with the best of precautions, and sometimes even with the best treatments, we can develop terrible health problems. It is only God’s mercy that continues to preserve us!

One interesting point that I have never seen raised is this: just how did Bezalel and Oholiab know what cherubim would look like? I have no answer!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for Your mercies that are new every morning! Thank You for Your faithfulness! Thank You for caring for us. Help us to love You and to serve You all the days of our lives. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 36:20 – 38 THE FRAME: upright frames of acacia wood for the tabernacle… twenty frames for the south side of the tabernacle, with forty silver bases to put under the twenty frames—two bases for each frame, one under each tenon. (construction on the north side identical) … six frames for the rear of the tabernacle, the west side, and two frames for the two back corners of the tabernacle, coupled together from bottom to top and fitted into a single ring. He made both corners in this way. So there were eight frames and sixteen silver bases—two under each frame.

Five crossbars of acacia wood for the frames on one side of the tabernacle, five for those on the other side, and five for those on the rear side of the tabernacle, to the west..the central crossbar to run through the center of the frames, from one end to the other. And he overlaid the frames with gold and made gold rings to hold the crossbars. He also overlaid the crossbars with gold.

 THE VEIL: veil of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen, with cherubim skillfully worked into it… four posts of acacia wood for it and overlaid them with gold, along with gold hooks… four silver bases for the posts. For the entrance to the tent, he made a curtain embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen, together with five posts and their hooks. He overlaid the tops of the posts and their bands with gold, and their five bases were bronze.”

APPLICATION: At first, your reaction might be “Ho hum!” More statistics about the Tabernacle. Didn’t we already go through this stuff several chapters ago? Yes. We did. So why go through this again, even in an abbreviated form?

How well do people follow instructions? One of the bitter jokes about the Ten Commandments is that some people think they are actually the Ten Suggestions, something to be ignored or complied with at will. Ask any teacher how difficult it is to get students at any level to follow instructions and you will get an earful! Many people have selective hearing; they hear what they want to and ignore everything else. But instructions from God are no joke! And after weeks during which Moses was up on Mount Sinai being given divine instructions, it’s time to build the tabernacle.

If you are a carpenter or even a camper, you may be fascinated by the means God has given the Israelites to support this enormous tent and to carry it throughout 40 years of traveling in the wilderness. The frames are constructed very carefully and are supported securely through the used of the tenons, the cross bars that slide through the uprights to stiffen them. All of these supports have to be portable enough to be carried readily from place to place. If the architects had decided to ignore God’s instructions, things might have been a disaster!

How can you know what God wants for your life? God has given us His Word, the Bible. If we want to know God’s will, we need to study that Word and ask God to show you what He wants to teach you. Psalm 119:18 says, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from your law.” As we study the Bible, this should be our constant prayer.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for Your Word! Thank You that You want us to understand Your Will and that You have given us so many ways to study that Word. Please open our eyes so that we might see wonderful things from Your Law! In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The Ten Curtains for the Tabernacle

Exodus 36:8 – 13 “All the skilled craftsmen among the workmen made the ten curtains for the tabernacle. They were made of finely spun linen, as well as blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, with cherubim skillfully worked into them. Each curtain was twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide; all the curtains were the same size. And he joined five of the curtains together, and the other five he joined as well. (Each of the ten curtains was approximately 42 feet long and 6 feet wide (12.8 meters long and 1.8 meters wide) He made loops of blue material on the edge of the end curtain in the first set, and also on the end curtain in the second set. He made fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops on the end curtain of the second set, so that the loops lined up opposite one another. He also made fifty gold clasps to join the curtains together, so that the tabernacle was a unit.

The Eleven Curtains of Goat Hair

v.14 – 19 “He then made curtains of goat hair for the tent over the tabernacle—eleven curtains in all. Each of the eleven curtains was the same size—thirty cubits long and four cubits wide. (Each of the eleven curtains was approximately 45 feet long and 6 feet wide (13.7 meters long and 1.8 meters wide). He joined five of the curtains into one set and the other six into another. He made fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain in the first set, and fifty loops along the edge of the corresponding curtain in the second set. He also made fifty bronze clasps to join the tent together as a unit. Additionally, he made for the tent a covering of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of fine leather.”

Reading this list of materials can get pretty tedious! But stop and think for a moment! Here in Ghana, traditional weavers generally weave cloth in 4 inch wide strips. There are some looms that will allow the weaver to weave strips up to 15 inches wide, but that’s generally the upper limit. Now we have a description of curtains that are 6 feet wide and 42 feet long! There is no indication that these curtains were woven in strips, so someone must have set up a large loom that would create a six foot wide strip. That would mean that there would be assistants on each side of the loom passing shuttles while the master weaver would have to make sure that the material was tightly woven and that the patterns of cherubim were incorporated into the inner curtains. Other assistants would have to help collect the cloth once it had been woven. Just creating these curtains would have been a gargantuan task! The tents that the Israelites were using were probably a great deal smaller than the tabernacle. My guess is once that Bezalel looked at Oholiab and Oholiab looked at Bezalel, and the two of them shrugged their shoulders and said, “Okay! All we can do is to try!”

APPLICATION: Have you ever found yourself in a position in which it was either sink or swim and you felt that you still needed flotation devices? That’s how we felt in January 1993. I am a general and pediatric surgeon. Prior to coming to Saboba, Northern Region, I had always worked in well – equipped American hospitals where somebody else worried about ordering supplies, instruments, etc. All I had to do was to be a doctor. Hah!

Once we landed in Saboba, I suddenly found myself having to be a doctor, a store keeper, an administrator, a laboratory technician, and all kinds of other stuff in between. Fortunately, I had worked in hospital labs in the past; however, nothing had prepared me for working in a small clinic with no electricity, no running water, and no anesthetist. I had to learn to do operations under local anesthesia with ketamine for general anesthesia. I had to learn to do grouping and cross matching using reagents and bathroom tiles. Our only means of sterilizing instruments and theater packs was a large pressure cooker heated by a coal pot on the verandah. In the beginning, we didn’t even have IV cannulas, making do with hypodermic needles instead. Our first NG tubes were lengths of IV tubing cut appropriately. And there were some times when we had to use high test nylon fish line and reusable free needles to do suturing.

When our one hospital driver was sick and my husband nearly fractured his leg, I was the one who had to drive the hospital vehicle to Yendi 35 miles away to get an x – ray. I had to learn to dress wounds using hydrogen peroxide and sugar. And I had to learn to take free hand skin grafts using razor blades.

We stuffed 37 beds into a small health center size building. Blessedly, God allowed us to save many lives. Subsequently, the hospital got several other buildings to help accommodate patients. These days we have qualified laboratory technicians and anesthetists and I can concentrate on operating.

Do you feel like a little kid who has been sent to do a job requiring a Navy Seal? The only real question is this: Has God called you? If God has called you, then make a start and see what God will do with your willingness.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You that You are sufficient, no matter how insufficient we are! Thank You that when You call us to do great works, You are already in the future, leading the way and providing the energy and the resources. Help us to trust You every day of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 36:1 – 7 “So Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person are to carry out everything commanded by the LORD, who has given them skill and ability to know how to perform all the work of constructing the sanctuary.” Then Moses summoned Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person whom the LORD had gifted—everyone whose heart stirred him to come and do the work. They received from Moses all the contributions that the Israelites had brought to carry out the service of constructing the sanctuary.

Meanwhile, the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning, so that 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 has commanded us to do.”

After Moses had given an order, they sent a proclamation throughout the camp: “No man or woman should make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing more, since what they already had was more than enough to perform all the work.”

It was the greatest offering of all time! Moses called for people to give up the treasures their Egyptian neighbors had forced upon them as they were leaving Egypt. The results were staggering. Once people started giving, the gold and silver and precious stones and precious wood and yarn of various kinds just kept on coming. In the beginning, Moses might have wondered if this project was really going to work. Remember that the Israelites are in the wilderness without the resources that were available in Egypt. But when the call came for donations, the floodgates opened and donations poured in. What happened?

Perhaps in the beginning, there were a few people who were naturally generous. And there may have been people who had been horrified by the golden calf incident and who honestly wanted to worship God properly. As these people began to give, others watched and wondered and then went home to see what they had. But why did so many people give so much? This flood tide of generosity showed that God’s Holy Spirit was moving in the hearts of the people. The more some people gave, the more others also were moved to give. Finally, even the workmen who were creating the Tabernacle with its furnishings had to go to Moses and inform him that they were being covered up with donations. Moses actually had to restrain people from giving.

APPLICATION: It’s a problem that everyone working with an organization depending on contributions would love to face: having donors flood them with so many donations that they finally have to ask the donors to stop giving. The last twenty years since September 11, 2001 have been brutal for organizations depending on donations. The attacks on September 11 threw many people into a survival mentality, resulting in drastic drop – offs in charitable giving throughout the world.

Sometimes churches and other groups here in Ghana resort to a type of fund raising that feels like manipulation. The Master of Ceremonies will select a large number and then call for all willing to donate that amount of money to come forward. The amounts called for will gradually decrease until there is a call for any amount. But this practice is totally contrary to the teachings of Jesus. In Matthew 6:1- 4 , Jesus told His disciples, “Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Our solution to this problem is to wait until the general offering is called for and then make our donation. We also refuse to allow people to record our names or the amount of our donations. If we are not certain where the donation will actually go, we wait and donate privately to a bereaved family or to a needy situation.

Sometimes preachers who teach on faith will make fantastic promises about what God will do for you if you will only give to their ministries. Sadly, many times these donations do not accomplish the stated purposes but are diverted. Several years ago, we were involved in a project in which a church member had built a building to be used as a mission hospital. But this “generous” individual was now demanding compensation. We had to confront the hospital advisory board and point out that our funding was raised to support us working at a charitable institution. If that funding was now to be diverted, we had to seek written approval from every single donor; otherwise, we were in breach of contract with our donors.

Should you give? Absolutely! In Luke 6:38, Jesus told His disciples, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” It’s very important to make sure that when God gives you something, it doesn’t stick to your hands. Most of the time, we serve as a conduit for donations, directing them to areas of need. As long as we continue to be faithful to pass things and money along, God will be faithful to provide what we need. The day we panic and get grabby is the day we will lose out!

Hudson Taylor, the founder of the China Inland Mission, was fond of saying that “God’s work, done God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.” At one point, CIM had more than 1500 missionaries on the field, all supported by faith donations.

Today, what is God asking you to give? Is it your money, or your talent, or is it your time? Whatever God is asking from you, give it readily and watch while God blesses you in ways you could never imagine.

PRAYER: Father God, help everyone who reads this devotional to trust You and to give generously to those in need around them. Help them to learn that You are a God of infinite provision. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 35:30 – 35 “Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the LORD has called by name 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 craftsmanship, to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut gemstones for settings, and to carve wood, so that he may be a master of every artistic craft.

And the LORD 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 engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and as weavers—as artistic designers of every kind of craft.”

Bezalel means “in the shadow/protection of God.” Oholiab means “the tent of the Father.” Putting the names of these two men together, God has called two men who are under His protection to create the Tent/Tabernacle of the Father. Wow! When the parents of those men first named those boy babies, they never anticipated the significance those names were going to assume. But God already knew these men from the womb and God was already gifting those boy babies with incredible hand – eye coordination and skills beyond their parents’ wildest expectations.

Look at all the crafts these men have mastered: Bezalel can “design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut gemstones for settings, and to carve wood, so that he may be a master of every artistic craft.” Both men are experts in “all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and as weavers—as artistic designers of every kind of craft.” And as if this weren’t enough, both men have also been gifted with the ability to teach others.

APPLICATION: Not only are these guys skilled craftsmen, but they are also gifted teachers. What a combination!

I have been a teacher for most of my life. As a professional teacher, I taught Junior High General Science for one year. Once I entered medical school and surgery residency, there were always presentations and rounds. These days, I teach nurses, medical students, and physician assistants as I work in our mission hospital. But anybody who thinks teaching is easy should think again! Teaching forces you to learn your subject matter very thoroughly, to think about the “why” and the “how.” If you are demonstrating a hand skill, you must make certain that you go through the steps very carefully, giving clear explanations for each step. I frequently draw little diagrams on the backs of prescription blanks to illustrate complicated problems for students and for patients and their families. I love to teach for the “AHA!” moments – those moments when the person whom you are teaching suddenly understands the point you are trying to make and then asks intelligent questions.

As a teacher, I also struggle with an additional problem: my American accent. The English those around me have learned is British English; my accent can make what I say incomprehensible. The good side of this is that I have been forced to learn to communicate in tribal languages to make my points clear.

What do you think Bezalel and Oholiab thought when God singled them out? I’m afraid that my first response would have been “HUH? Who? Me?” But God knew these men intimately; He knew the skills He had given them. It’s possible that Bezalel and Oholiab didn’t even realize how much they could accomplish until they began to work on the Tabernacle and to supervise others.

Do you realize that God not only knows your name, but He also knows all the skills and abilities that He has given you? God knows more about you than you know about yourself. True story: F. M. was a missionary in Ghana for nearly thirty years, coming to Ghana in 1947. F. M. asked to be sent to an English – speaking country because he was certain that he could never learn tribal languages. Little did our friend realize that God had gifted him with the ability to learn languages and to identify with the local people. Before our friend left the mission field, he was FLUENT in seven of the major languages spoken in Northern Ghana. Our friend had even learned to play some of the local instruments.

God has a wonderful work for each of us to do. Many times, we have no idea what that work is, or we feel unqualified and argue ourselves out of even trying. But if God is leading you to do something, take the first step! Like Bezalel and Oholiab, like our friend F. M., you might find that as you go along, God gifts you with remarkable abilities far beyond your expectations.

PRAYER: Father God, there are those reading this who are limiting themselves. They feel that they are not good enough, not bright enough, not smart enough, or not skilled enough to accomplish great things. But You are the One who calls. You are the One who gives men and women skills. Lord, speak to their hearts and open their eyes so that they will see how much You love them and how much You want for them. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 35:20 — 29 “Then the whole congregation of Israel withdrew from the presence of Moses. And everyone whose heart stirred him and whose spirit prompted him came and brought an offering to the LORD for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its services, and for the sacred garments.

So all who had willing hearts, both men and women, came and brought brooches and earrings, rings and necklaces, and all kinds of gold jewelry. And they all presented their gold as a wave offering to the LORD.

Everyone who had blue, purple, or scarlet yarn, or fine linen, goat hair, ram skins dyed red, or articles of fine leather brought them. And all who could present an offering of silver or bronze brought it as a contribution to the LORD. Also, everyone who had acacia wood for any part of the service 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 skilled women whose hearts were stirred spun the goat hair.

The leaders brought onyx stones and gemstones to mount on the ephod and breastpiece, as well as spices and olive oil for the light, for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense.

So all the men and women of the Israelites whose hearts prompted them brought a freewill offering to the LORD for all the work that the LORD through Moses had commanded them to do.

WAIT A MINUTE!!! Isn’t this the same bunch of people who approved of Aaron creating a golden calf only a few weeks ago? Now they are enthusiastically giving their most precious treasures and the results of their skills for the completion of the Tabernacle. What has changed?

There are several explanations here:

1. The authority of Moses: Moses has come down off the mountain with his face shining with divine radiance from being in the presence of God. Moses’s face is so that he must tie a veil over it so that people can stand to look at him. God has given Moses an authority that is impossible to ignore.

2. These people are not the ringleaders of the golden calf incident. The men and women who incited Aaron to create the golden calf and who then entered into an orgy were slaughtered by the Levites. In any group of people, you have those who are very vocal and agitate and those who do not agree with the loudmouths but who are waiting to see what will happen. Did these people have the potential to join in the worship of the golden calf? Yes, certainly. But that’s why God had Moses instruct the Levites to kill the ringleaders of the rebellion outright, shocking everyone else out of a mob mentality and back into sanity.

3. Many of the people may not even have approved of the golden calf incident in the first place but were afraid to speak up. These people want to worship, and given the opportunity to do something legitimately, they respond whole – heartedly.

APPLICATION: In 1875, William Ernest Henley, a British poet, wrote a poem entitled “Invictus.” In this poem, Henley celebrated his independence from fate and circumstances, stating, “I thank whatever gods may be for my unconquerable soul.” Henley ended his poem by claiming, “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” Henley died at the age of 53, from tuberculosis, a disease that had forced him to have one leg amputated below the knee at age 27.

Although Henley was famous in his day, his story is a very sad one. Rather than dedicating his life and his talents to the God who had preserved his life from an early death, Henley, an avowed atheist, firmly believed that he himself was responsible for his survival. (Henley was born in 1849 and died in 1903.  According to Wikipedia, between 1851 and 1910, around four million died from TB in England and Wales – more than one third of those aged 15 to 34 and half of those aged 20 to 24 died from TB.)

What does an atheistic nineteenth century British poet have to do with the ancient Israelites? The answer lies in the wide gulf between the spirits motivating the ancient Israelites and the spirits motivating Henley. God had delivered Moses and the Israelites from the most powerful army in the world, smashing that army to bits in the process. God was leading the Israelites through the wilderness, providing food and water and guidance. God was giving the Israelites a new religion, one based on life rather than the death cults of the Egyptians. God had brought the Israelites out of darkness and into His marvelous light.

John Piper, in an article entitled “Invictus Redeemed,” points out the fact that Henley could write as he did because he was in Great Britain during the height of the British Empire and at a time when Darwinian philosophies were undermining people’s belief in God as the Creator. “And yet such verses could be written in the safety and prosperity of a Europe still governed by the courtly ethics of Western Christendom.” Was Henley an original thinker? Not particularly! Henley was responding to spirits that were abroad in his time. Piper goes on to say, “One wonders, if Henley had been given another century to live, would he have still written this in 1975, after men of Darwinian world view and nihilistic, Nietzschean and Marxian philosophies had willed to power and ruthlessly wielded their invictus resolve, resulting in the slaughter of tens of millions?”

The ancient Israelites opened their chests and their other storage places to give the best of their treasures to God. Those with skills in any craft freely and joyfully donated those skills and were blessed in the giving.

Henley’s poem has inspired many people. But those of us who are living through the ongoing pandemic realize that we actually have very little control over our bodies. The main control we have over our souls is the choice of the spirits that move us. Will we be moved by God’s Holy Spirit and draw closer and closer to God, or will we choose, as Henley did, to attempt to be our own gods and in doing so, offer the One True Living God a very rude hand gesture? The choice is ours. We should choose wisely!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for Your Holy Spirit! Lord, help us to be moved by You and by no other spirits of any kind. Help us to grow closer to You each day. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 35:3 “Do not light a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day.”

Two days ago, we touched on the prohibition regarding the lighting of fires on the Sabbath; however, there is far more that should be pointed out. In The Rational Bible: Exodus, Dennis Prager explains that the Sabbath is to honor God as the Creator, who brought something out of nothing. Lighting a fire is prohibited because lighting a fire is the closest human act to creating something out of nothing. But there is more to the explanation.

Prager explains, “Not only does fire seem to come from nothing; it also has the unique power to transform everything it touches. Everett Fox alludes to this: “Since the Shabbat was apparently to be static in nature, or at least transformative of time alone, fire (which by its nature causes chemical changes) could not be employed. : The Sabbath is a time to enjoy the world as it is. The uniquely transformative entity – fire – thus becomes the archetypal Sabbath prohibition.”

APPLICATION: How many of us really enjoy the world as it is? Video games that allow us to create our own farms, towns, cities, etc., leave us with the notion that we are really in control of things, that we can become our own little gods creating things. But at the end of these games, we still must deal with circumstances that force us to realize that we are NOT in control! If the recent pandemic has taught us little else, it should have taught us that our circumstances can be thrown out of kilter without warning.

For many of us, our regular jobs involve transformations of one sort or another. Health workers are concerned with helping people get well. Teachers want to impart knowledge and skills and see their students develop. The examples are endless. Many of us measure our successes by the transformations we can bring to our areas of expertise. We are like old fashioned children’s tops – spinning, spinning, spinning! But for each one of us there comes a point at which we must stop or the centrifugal force of our lives will pull us apart, causing pieces of our emotions to fly off in all directions.

I am unfortunately very familiar with the phenomenon of burn – out; I have burned out on at least two occasions. The World Health Organization says this about burn – out: Burn-out is defined in ICD-11 as follows:

“Burn – out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:

• feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
• increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and
• reduced professional efficacy.

One of the key signs of burn – out is a feeling of desperation that things are getting out of control. The natural response to this feeling is an attempt to increasingly control everything possible – events, family, jobs, etc. Those in burn – out are trying to transform their environment to suit themselves. Since control of this type is an impossibility, the next response is to become angry and to try even harder to control things. As the person in burn – out becomes increasingly angry, everybody around that person backs off, fearing for their emotional safety. Burn – out causes a person to frighten away the very people who might be able to help him/her. And for many burn – out victims, denial also plays a major role in the process. Acknowledgement of a problem would indicate that the burn – out victim is a failure, an idea too horrible to contemplate. Irresponsible people don’t burn out because they don’t have high expectations of themselves, nor are they concerned with transforming anything or anybody.

Psalm 46:10 says, “10“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted over the earth.”One of our pastor friends used to say that “God is in management; we are only in advertising.” Sabbaths are designed to help us remember this fact. When we fail to honor God as Creator, we are setting ourselves up as little gods, something for which we are not designed and which will only lead to despair. What is the answer? The answer is to honor God and let Him be the ultimate authority in our lives, to stop striving to change or to control everything around us, to rest.

PRAYER: Father God, HELP! We are stuck! trapped by our own circumstances that we have tried to control! We don’t see any way out. But YOU know us better than we know ourselves, and You can deliver us. Your Name is Redeemer; please redeem us from our sins, our failures, our mistakes. Help us to recognize YOU as Creator. Help us to rest in the knowledge that YOU know all of our circumstances. And help us to truly love You and serve You all the days of our lives. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 35:4 – 9 “Moses also told the whole congregation of Israel, “This is what the LORD has commanded: Take from among you an offering to the LORD. Let everyone whose heart is willing bring an offering to the LORD: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine linen and goat hair; ram skins dyed red and fine leather; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and gemstones to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.

v.10 – 19 “Let every skilled craftsman among you come and make everything that the LORD has commanded: the tabernacle with its tent and covering, its clasps and frames, its crossbars, posts, and bases; the ark with its poles and mercy seat, and the veil to shield it; the table with its poles, all its utensils, and the Bread of the Presence; the lampstand for light with its accessories and lamps and oil for the light; the altar of incense with its poles; the anointing oil and fragrant incense; the curtain for the doorway at the entrance to the tabernacle; the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grate, its poles, and all its utensils; the basin with its stand; the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the gate of the courtyard; the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard, along with their ropes; and the woven garments for ministering in the holy place—both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons to serve as priests.”

Four hundred years! For four hundred years the Israelites lived in Egypt and for much of that time, they were slaves. While our imaginations naturally turn to the building of the pyramids and Egyptian cities that took place during that time period, we forget that in every culture, slaves have also served as craftsmen, producing goods of a high order. Generation after generation, some of these families have been weaving material, creating lovely jewelry, making tents, working in bronze, and carving wood and stones. And on the night that the Israelites left Egypt, their terrified Egyptian neighbors loaded them with luxury goods of all kinds – anything to get rid of these troublesome people!

Now God is about to use every bit of those skills and every bit of those materials to create the Tabernacle as a magnificent portable temple in the wilderness. The list of materials required is truly mind – boggling when you realize that these people have already been traveling for several months; however, God knows the resources available and is calling people to freely give those resources to honor Him. Not only is God giving people the opportunity to share their most precious possessions, but He is also calling for all those with skills of any kind to share in the work of creating the temple. As we will learn later, the people respond enthusiastically to these requests and everything is done beautifully.

APPLICATION: What would cause people to give up their most precious possessions and their skills without any idea of recompense? On several occasions, we have found ourselves helping maintain or even build church buildings. On one such occasion, we helped nail down flooring materials in the sanctuary of a church in rural Upstate New York. On several other occasions, we have done smaller tasks around the churches we have attended, all as a concrete act of worship. There was no question of demanding any payment for our work; we were thrilled to have a small part in helping those who had helped us so much while we were on the mission field.

There is an old saying, “Only one life – twill soon be past. Only what’s done for God will last.” The people offering up their most precious possessions were thrilled to have a part in the Tabernacle. In a society in which oral traditions kept memories alive, these people knew that generation after generation, their names would be blessed for having freely offered their best to God. And the craftsmen knew that they too would be blessed. Generations later, someone could still point to something in the Tabernacle and say, “Shmuel Bar Isaac created that basin. David Ben Solomon helped make the altar of incense.”

What will you offer to God today? What can we possibly give to the One who has given us life and light and breath, who holds our lives and those of all the peoples of the earth in His hands? What God wants from each one of us more than anything else is that we should love Him and serve Him. At one point, God told his servants that “Obedience is better than sacrifice.” (1 Samuel 15:22) And Jesus told His disciples, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)

How do we learn what God wants? We study God’s Word, the Bible, and we pray and ask God to help us learn what His perfect will is. Psalm 119:18 tells us, “Open my eyes, Lord, that I may see the wonderful things in your law.” Why not pray that prayer now and see what God will do in your life?

PRAYER: Father God, please do open our eyes and help us to see the wonderful things in your law. Help us to learn to love you and to follow hard after you all the days of our lives. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.