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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Saturday, 25 January 2025:
Exodus 25:1, 2 — The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me.”
The Bible describes three types of offerings – the tithe, alms, and gifts or contributions. The tithe was the first and best 10% of someone’s income or produce, which was mandatory and given consistently and publicly. The tithe was what the churched used primarily as measurable and reliable income to take care of the administration and logistics of the church and to care for specific needs of the people. Alms were given specifically to the poor, both as the Bible directs and as one felt compelled from the heart to give, and gifts or contributions were given above and beyond the tithe and alms as one felt inspired to do. Gifts were to be given privately, anonymously, and gifts were never to benefit the giver, only the recipient. Prayer and secret giving are two of the best ways for you, and you alone (God already knows and others can’t see it), to measure the quality of your relationship with the LORD. If your prayer life and hidden generosity are not abundant, confess this to God in prayer, and pray that He will give you a heart for Him which would increasingly desire both.
- 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 — The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Notice that God told Moses to ask the people for contributions before explaining the purpose of the contributions. God wants our motivation for giving to be based on worship before any other reason – He is worthy. In fact, God is going to use these very valuable contributions for the building of an extremely ornate (and hard to transport in the desert) place of worship which had no other practical value. In a survival situation (in a desert full of enemies), would you put your very best into that?
- John 12:3-6 — Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.
Exodus 25:9 – “Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.”
Worshipping God starts with obedience to His every command. This is non-negotiable. The Bible provides many general principles for how to live, but it also provides very specific commands. Often, people will attempt to interpret the specific commands as general principles in order to give themselves some wiggle room for disobedience. On the contrary, sometimes people take verses intended to present general principles and make them specific commands. For example, when Jesus says to forgive your offending brother seventy-seven times in Matthew 18:22, He doesn’t mean literally seventy-seven times, He means forgive your offending brother without limit. But when the Bible says a man should have only one wife, the Bible means one wife, it is not a general principle.
God also have very specific standards and directions for gifts and giving, and there are many verses in the Bible about unacceptable giving. Giving starts with the heart and motives behind the gift. Gifting to get is unacceptable. Giving what you really didn’t want anyway or giving what you really didn’t want to give away is not godly giving. The best form of giving is that which gives to others what is most valued by you or what you genuinely believe would be of the most value to the recipient. The greatest example is God giving His One and Only Son, Jesus for our salvation: G.R.A.C.E. – God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.
Exodus 25:11, 13, 17, 18, 23, 25, 26, 28, 29, 31, 37 – “You shall make….”
God’s provision is provided first that we might have the resources to worship and serve Him. Certainly God could provide for Himself a tabernacle without people and far more spectacular than anything people could build, but God chooses to work through people for their spiritual development, and He chooses to give them the option of whether to participate and subsequently grow. Again, Jesus said He is the Vine and we are the branches. (John 15) By design, branches were intended to produce fruit (which is a given away to support life and has no value to the branch). The branch cannot produce fruit without the Vine, but the Vine, but itself, produce no fruit. Likewise, if we want to experience the life of Christ, we have to live it.
Exodus 25:30 – And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly.
Bread does not imply that God needs food but serves as a reminder that God provides our every need, and our greatest need is His presence and His word. The Bread of Presence is a picture of Jesus, the Bread of Life — “Who ever comes after me will never go hungry.” (John 6:35) The bread also symbolizes God’s communion with His people. Throughout the Bible we see the significance of food for fellowship. Relationships were nurtured around the dinner table sharing meals together.
Exodus 25:31-37 – “You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. And there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers, and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand. Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. You shall make seven lamps for it. And the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it.
Lampstands indicate God is the source of light for His people and can deliver them from all darkness. God was very specific on how He wanted the Menorah to look. The Lampstand is shaped like an almond tree which was always the first tree to blossom and bear fruit in the spring (first fruits — 1 Cor 15:20-23) and which was a symbol of the royal priesthood (God caused Aaron’s rod to grow almonds overnight) — the Bible says we are the priesthood. The Lampstand was always lit, 24/7-365. Jesus said, “I am the Vine, and you are the branches.” Jesus is the Light of the World and is always present, and in Him, we are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). In Revelation 1:20, Jesus says the seven lampstands are the seven churches. The Lampstand points to Christ.
Exodus 25:40 — And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.
“The pattern of the tabernacle was according to a heavenly reality. It was a copy and shadow of the heavenly things (Hebrews 8:5). Therefore, it had to be made according to exact dimensions, being somewhat of a ‘scale model’ of the area around God’s throne in heaven.” (David Guzik)
Listen to this message from Daniel Hyde about understanding the details outlined in the Bible about the Tabernacle: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/god-in-our-midst
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 25 January 2025: Today, pray that God will give you an appreciation of Him, His presence, and His provision which would give new life and vibrancy to your prayers and generosity.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 