October 23 | Exodus 25:1-9

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DAILY READING

Exodus 25:1-9

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REFLECTION

How to Give

by Pr. Dave Mann

The preparation of the building of the Tabernacle, the dwelling place of the Lord among his people, has pertinent lessons for us, even thousands of years later.

For this in-gathering of building materials, there was no tax per person. There was no requirement for each family. There was no competition between the twelve tribes. There was simply the command of the Lord: “You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give.” God instructed Moses to accept gifts from the people who wanted to give—no manipulation, no pressure, no arm-twisting. There is a similar instruction given by Paul to the Corinthians in his collection for the gift to the famine-struck region of the early church in and around Judea. “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

But note well, the gifts were to be of high quality—“gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leather; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and other gems.” Just because there was no arm-twisting, this did not mean the Lord would be pleased with any old thing and cast-offs. There was no mention of a minimum amount, but there were specifications concerning the quality of the gifts. Just as in the sacrificial code to be given later, the animals brought to the altar for sacrifice could have no blemish or defect (Leviticus 22:21).

What is the nature of your heart when you give to the Lord? Is there some competition with others? Is there some grumbling or discontent as you give? Are your gifts leftovers—whatever you have remaining at the end of the month or just prior to the next paycheck? Or do you give as your heart prompts you, with cheer and delight? Is your gift of high quality, whatever the size? Do you give first fruits? “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops” (Proverbs 3:9).

The promise of the Lord was that when Moses would build a sanctuary from gifts given with this sort of heart attitude and with gifts of such quality, He would dwell among the people. May this be true of us as well.

PRAYER

Thank you, Lord, for the lessons you prepared for us thousands of years ago. We pray for forgiveness when we give with grumbling and resistance of heart. By your grace, allow us to give with joy and cheer, in Jesus’ name, who first gave to us. Amen.

October 22 | Exodus 40:34-38

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DAILY READING

Exodus 40:34-38

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REFLECTION

God Knows Where We Are Going

by Elaine Pierce

"By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people." (Exodus 13:21-22)

God has been with his people from the beginning of this journey out of Egypt, leading them with a pillar of fire and a pillar of cloud. As we come to the end of Exodus, we see God remains faithful, despite the many times that the people have sinned and turned their backs on him.

Do you sometimes think, "well, if I had a pillar of cloud greet me every morning, I'd never stray, I wish God was that clear in leading me"? Ah, but he is, if only we take the time to watch, to listen, and to follow him. We have his word; we have the fellowship of believers that we meet with every week; we have Bible study resources aplenty. And yet, we too, just like the ancient Israelites, want to do things our way.

As a child, I remember often after church my dad and mom would enjoy taking a drive 'in the country.' (When you grow up in a small town, the country is not far away.) My sister and brother and I would complain from the back seat, where are we going? Why don't you tell us? My dad would smile and say, "I'm going wherever the car wants to go." Oh, how that response annoyed me! Why are we wasting time aimlessly driving around? Why wasn't I in charge? Often, these "country drives" would end up at a restaurant, so all was not lost. And yet, I didn't like the car dictating what we were doing.

So, too, in our faith walk, we don't want God to be in charge. And we want him to lay out the plans he has for us, not in broad strokes, but in clear detail, year-by-year. He gave the Israelites the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire - day-by-day, "So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and the fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels." (Exodus 40:38)

He gives us what we need each day. He is driving the car, and he knows where we are going. Take his hand and follow him.

PRAYER

Lord, you are faithful to your promises when we are unfaithful. You offer us hope, faith and love, and all we have to do is follow you. Forgive us when we fail, and help us turn to you and accept the forgiveness that only you can give. Amen.

October 21 | Exodus 24:1-12

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DAILY READING

Exodus 24:1-12

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REFLECTION

Broken Promises

by Mary Alice McGinnis

Sadly, in today’s day and age, it is almost expected for contracts to be violated. Promises are rarely kept. Pledges are broken without a second thought. We have become calloused to unfaithfulness.

In today's reading, we find the children of Israel out in the desert after being freed from their bondage of slavery in Egypt. God had provided for them repeatedly in miraculous ways. Yet they still struggled to trust Him and frequently grumbled against Him.

God now appears to Moses and verbally gives him the Ten Commandments. Moses tells the people all that God had said. The children of Israel boldly and perhaps naively say, “Everything the Lord has said we will do.” And Moses writes everything down the Lord had said. And he called this the Book of the Covenant.

What exactly is a covenant? Is it a contract? Maybe a promise? How about a pledge?

I like to think of it as a pledge of faithfulness, kind of like a marriage. So maybe this moment in time is God's wedding ceremony with the Israelites. He is asking the Israelites to be His bride, His beloved. He promises to be their faithful God, and they promise to be His beloved people.

The Hebrew word for covenant means cutting. The seriousness of this covenant relationship is profoundly illustrated. It was the custom for two parties entering a covenant to cut an animal in two, and for the two parties to pass between the two pieces. This was to signify that the breaking of the covenant would be like cutting in half the two bound by their covenant. The one violating the covenant would face severe consequences, perhaps even death.

In today reading, the Israelites pledge their allegiance to following the Lord God.

But God already knew they would NOT be faithful to Him.

Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

(Exodus 24:8)

The price for their unfaithfulness needed to be paid for by the pouring out of the lifeblood of an innocent victim.

We too have been unfaithful. No matter what our best intentions, we too quickly turn our hearts to other lovers. We do not love and trust the Lord our God above all things. We fall far short of loving our neighbor as ourselves.

On the night He was betrayed, in the upper room when He served His disciples the Last Supper, Jesus spoke these words to them:

“Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:28)

All the way back at the time of the Exodus, God was already thinking about US. All the stories from the Old Testament - all the rituals they performed, all the prophecies - ALL OF IT points to Jesus, the one who paid our ransom with His innocent blood.

"How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" (Hebrews 9:14)

PRAYER

Jesus, I know I am guilty. I have wandered away and been unfaithful to You time and time again.

I lift my heart in grateful praise to You now as I see this truth once again – You gave Your life to give me life in You forever!

How Can it Be - by Laura Daigle