45th Week Exodus Chapters 38-40 (Click on Title for Video Introduction)

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Click on the Title for a Video Introduction
Monday, Exodus Chapter 38
Exodus 38
Mindy Strayer
July 30, 2008

THOUGHT
Chapter 38 again shows us the amount of resources that went into building His sanctuary. Interesting is that the offerings that were brought in by the Israelite people were directly used. Gold, silver, bronze, fine linen, and yarn of blue, purple, and scarlet coloring were used to construct God’s house and all of the articles that went along with it. God could have commanded His house to be made of different materials, perhaps less costly.  But He did not. Why? I don’t know. The materials sound like they were the best that the people possessed. God is able to work with the ordinary and turn it into the extraordinary. He is able to work with very little and turn it into a lot. But, my guess is that He loves it when His children, with a joyful heart, bring to Him a lot of the best that we possess, and I am not just talking about our finances. 

This made me think about what I give to God. Do I bring the best of what I have to the Lord?  Not just financially speaking but everything, my time, my energy, my spirit, my body, my talents, etc. Do I give Him the best of what I have?  Lots of times the Lord gets what is left over after everything else gets taken care of. But, our God deserves our best.

PRAYER
Lord, thank You for all the many blessings in all of our lives. We thank You for sending Jesus who forgives us and cleanses us from all our sin.  Lord, we want to bring to You our best, because You are worthy and because You do great things through us when we allow the best of what we have to be
used by You. Show us this week areas in our lives where we need to improve our giving to You. I pray that as we give, our relationship with You would deepen. Thank You, God, for Your love.  AMEN

Tuesday, Exodus Chapter 39
 Exodus 39
Verse 43
Mindy Strayer
July 33, 2008

Verse 43:  Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them.

THOUGHT
Chapter 39 gives us all the specific information on how the priestly garments were made. They required a lot of detail to make them as God commanded. When all was completed, the Israelites brought the work to Moses so that he could evaluate everything they had done. The leadership style
of Moses during the construction of the tabernacle and all of its articles was one of delegating to the people who were qualified to do the job and let them do it. We don’t hear of Moses interfering in any way. He recognized the talents and value of his followers and trusted them to follow instructions. Then as the job was done, he essentially told them, “well done”, and blessed them.

So many times in life we neglect to recognize hard work and a job well done in even the menial jobs in life. If we are in positions of leadership, it is so essential to tell the person or group or whoever, “well done and thank you for your efforts.” If this gets neglected, bitterness can creep in and people will start to resent you as a leader. But if this gets said with a true heart, the benefits are priceless as respect for one another increases and drives each one to work hard and continue to put forth their best efforts.

PRAYER
Lord, thank You for the fine example of leadership that Moses gives to us.  Help us, God, to be imitators of Your leadership whenever we are called upon to give it. In Jesus Name. AMEN

Wednesday, Exodus Chapter 40
Exodus 40
Verses 34 & 38
Jeanie Boldt
April 29, 2013

Verse 34: Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

Verse 38: So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.

THOUGHT
We will close the book of Exodus with these thoughts on my heart.
  
The tabernacle was God’s home on earth. He filled it with His glory - the overpowering sense of His presence. Almost 500 years later, Solomon built the temple, which replaced the tabernacle as the central place of worship. God also filled the temple with His glory (2 Chronicles 5:13,14). But when Israel turned from God, His glory and presence departed from the temple, and it was destroyed by invading armies (2 Kings 25). The temple was rebuilt in 516 BC. God’s glory returned in even great splendor nearly five centuries later when Jesus Christ, God’s Son, entered it and taught. When Jesus was crucified, God’s glory again left the temple. However, God no longer needed a physical building after Jesus rose from the dead. God’s temple now is His church, the body of believers.

The Israelites were once Egyptian slaves making bricks without straw. Here they were following the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire, carrying the tabernacle they had built for God. Exodus begins in gloom and ends in glory. This parallels our progress through the Christian life. We begin as slaves to
sin, are redeemed by God, and end our pilgrimage living with God forever. The lessons the Israelites learned along the way we also need to learn.

Every day there are times of growth from our mistakes. May we keep our eyes on Jesus our Savior with the presence of the Holy Spirit. We will learn the right things and do it in the right way.

PRAYER
Father of us all, Your Son made our journey so much easier for us. We praise You and give You honor for the gift. Where You call us - we will go. Open our eyes, ears and hearts to all You have for us to learn.  We want to be Your Church – Your Tabernacle.  Thank You for the Salt Shakers - Our Own Body of Believers. AMEN



Thursday
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.  James 1:19

Friday
Vis these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Deuteronomy 11:18


 

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