Numbers 13: 1-3, 17-33

¹The LORD now said to Moses, ²"Send men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to Israel. Send one leader from each of the twelve ancestral tribes." ³So Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He sent out twelve men, all tribal leaders of Israel, from their camp in the wilderness of Paran.

¹⁷Moses gave the men these instructions as he sent them out to explore the land: "Go northward through the Negev into the hill country. ¹⁸See what the land is like and find out whether the people living there are strong or weak, few or many. ¹⁹What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? Do their towns have walls or are they unprotected? ²⁰How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there many trees? Enter the land boldly, and bring back samples of the crops you see." (It happened to be the season for harvesting the first ripe grapes.)

²¹So they went up and explored the land from the wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, near Lebo-hamath. ²²Going northward, they passed first through the Negev and arrived at Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai--all descendants of Anak--lived. (The ancient town of Hebron was founded seven years before the Egyptian city of Zoan.) ²³When they came to what is now known as the valley of Eshcol, they cut down a cluster of grapes so large that it took two of them to carry it on a pole between them! They also took samples of the pomegranates and figs. ²⁴At that time the Israelites renamed the valley Eshcol--"cluster"--because of the cluster of grapes they had cut there.

²⁵After exploring the land for forty days, the men returned ²⁶to Moses, Aaron, and the people of Israel at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran. They reported to the whole community what they had seen and showed them the fruit they had taken from the land. ²⁷This was their report to Moses: "We arrived in the land you sent us to see, and it is indeed a magnificent country--a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is some of its fruit as proof. ²⁸But the people living there are powerful, and their cities and towns are fortified and very large. We also saw the descendants of Anak who are living there! ²⁹The Amalekites live in the Negev, and the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country. The Canaanites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and along the Jordan Valley."

³⁰But Caleb tried to encourage the people as they stood before Moses. "Let's go at once to take the land," he said. "We can certainly conquer it!"

³¹But the other men who had explored the land with him answered, "We can't go up against them! They are stronger than we are!" ³²So they spread discouraging reports about the land among the Israelites: "The land we explored will swallow up any who go to live there. All the people we saw were huge. ³³We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. We felt like grasshoppers next to them, and that's what we looked like to them!"

Points of Interest:

· ‘Send men to explore the land of Canaan’—they’re actually getting close to their destination. They have made their covenant with God. They’ve built the tabernacle for him to travel with them. And now they are on the doorstep of the land God wants to give them. So, God wants them to get a little sneak preview of where they will be going.

· ‘all descendants of Anak’—Anak was apparently a famous giant. So, either these people are actually part of the tribe descended from Anak, they are very big (and therefore figuratively descendents of Anak), or they just look really big to the Israelites.

· ‘After exploring the land for forty days’—Forty seems to be a number associated with preparation. Moses’ two times on the mountain, preparing for the making of the covenant, were both 40 days; and here they explore the land for 40 days before deciding to move in.

· ‘it is indeed a magnificent country’ and ‘the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites’—the land turns out to be exactly as God had described: it is an abundant land, and it is the land of the all of these different nations. Even though it’s exactly as described, the spies seem a bit surprised by what they’ve found: ‘Sure, it’s a land flowing with milk and honey, but did you know that the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites are living there?’ Of course Moses knew that. It’s what he’s been telling the people all along. But now that the spies have actually seen these people, they’re a little freaked out. Taking this land will be harder than they might have been imagining.

· ‘They are stronger than we are!’—it’s probably true that the nations inhabiting the land are stronger than they are, but according to the covenant that shouldn’t matter: it’s God’s job to drive out the people, not theirs. That’s probably why Caleb is so confident that they should go nonetheless: he sees that the land is as good as God said, and he can’t wait to have God give it to him.

Taking it home:

• For you: Pray that God will give you the faith in him to believe he has the power to give you the blessings he has promised.
• For your six: The Israelites get here a glimpse of the blessings God has in store for them, and they respond with wonder and with fear. Pray that God would also give your six a glimpse of the blessings he could give them; ask the Holy Spirit to give them the ability to maximize their wonder and minimize their fear as they respond.
• For our church: Pray for the remainder of this Lenten season. Pray that it would be a fruitful time of preparation for whatever God has in store for us next

Numbers 11:24-30, ch.12

²⁴So Moses went out and reported the LORD's words to the people. Then he gathered the seventy leaders and stationed them around the Tabernacle. ²⁵And the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses. He took some of the Spirit that was upon Moses and put it upon the seventy leaders. They prophesied as the Spirit rested upon them, but that was the only time this happened.

²⁶Two men, Eldad and Medad, were still in the camp when the Spirit rested upon them. They were listed among the leaders but had not gone out to the Tabernacle, so they prophesied there in the camp. ²⁷A young man ran and reported to Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!" ²⁸Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' personal assistant since his youth, protested, "Moses, my master, make them stop!"

²⁹But Moses replied, "Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his Spirit upon them all!" ³⁰Then Moses returned to the camp with the leaders of Israel.

¹While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he had married a Cushite woman. ²They said, "Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Hasn't he spoken through us, too?" But the LORD heard them.

³Now Moses was more humble than any other person on earth. ⁴So immediately the LORD called to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam and said, "Go out to the Tabernacle, all three of you!" And the three of them went out. ⁵Then the LORD descended in the pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle. "Aaron and Miriam!" he called, and they stepped forward. ⁶And the LORD said to them, "Now listen to me! Even with prophets, I the LORD communicate by visions and dreams. ⁷But that is not how I communicate with my servant Moses. He is entrusted with my entire house. ⁸I speak to him face to face, directly and not in riddles! He sees the LORD as he is. Should you not be afraid to criticize him?"

⁹The LORD was furious with them, and he departed. ¹⁰As the cloud moved from above the Tabernacle, Miriam suddenly became white as snow with leprosy. When Aaron saw what had happened, ¹¹he cried out to Moses, "Oh, my lord! Please don't punish us for this sin we have so foolishly committed. ¹²Don't let her be like a stillborn baby, already decayed at birth."

¹³So Moses cried out to the LORD, "Heal her, O God, I beg you!"

¹⁴And the LORD said to Moses, "If her father had spit in her face, wouldn't she have been defiled for seven days? Banish her from the camp for seven days, and after that she may return."

¹⁵So Miriam was excluded from the camp for seven days, and the people waited until she was brought back before they traveled again. ¹⁶Then they left Hazeroth and camped in the wilderness of Paran.

Points of Interest:

· ‘the LORD's words to the people’—this section is actually in the middle of the last passage, in response to Moses’ request for more help in leading the people

· ‘I wish that all the LORD's people were prophets’—in response to Moses’ need for more help in leading the people, God makes his Holy Spirit fall on 70 elders, giving them the power to do what Moses does: speak the words of the LORD to the people. This spirit of prophecy even falls on the two elders who are running late and haven’t made it to the Tabernacle yet. Joshua is a little shocked by this, perhaps out of jealousy for Moses, perhaps out of an idea that it’s somehow wrong for anyone but Moses to prophesy. But Moses isn’t trying to hoard this experience for himself. His hope would be that the connection he has with God would spread to every Israelite and eventually to every person in the world. That’s what the dream of being the priestly nation (which God talked about during the first attempt at making the covenant) was all about.

· ‘Hasn't he spoken through us, too?’—while Moses is blessing the fact that 70 other people have been filled with the Holy Spirit, Miriam and Aaron are complaining because they feel like Moses is keeping all of the fame and power to himself. Miriam is Moses’ sister. So, here we see Moses’ own family turn against him. Aaron more broadly, and Miriam in this particular circumstance, fill a common role in the life of a hero: the role of ‘Shapeshifter.’ A shapeshifter is someone who appears to be playing one role in the hero’s journey, but is actually playing another; or sometimes the shapeshifter actually moves among more than one role. For example, someone who appears to be a mentor could actually be your enemy, luring you in the wrong direction. Aaron has shown himself to be somewhat shifty in Moses’ journey. You never quite know what you’re going to get from Aaron: will it be faithful companionship under the threat of grave danger, like when they were in the contest with Pharaoh? Extreme negligence and cowardice, like during the golden calf incident? Strength and timely helpfulness, like when he held Moses’ arms up during the battle? Or open rebellion, like here? Because Aaron is constantly shifting shape, it’s probably difficult for Moses to know how to feel about him or what to think of him. He can’t treat him simply as an enemy or as a friend. I imagine that over time it becomes more difficult for Moses to rely on Aaron.

· ‘because he had married a Cushite woman’—we discover that racism is at the ugly little core of Aaron and Miriam’s complaints. They believe Moses is less worthy than them to be the leader of the people because of his bi-ethnic marriage. In all other mentions of Moses’ wife’s family, she is described as a Midianite; so it’s hard to say where this mention of Cush comes from (Cush is roughly modern-day Sudan, whereas the Midianites lived in what is now Jordan and Arabia). It’s possible that ‘Cushite’ was Egyptian slang for ‘foreigner,’ or that it’s a comment on her skin color. In any case, it’s clear that the jealousy of Aaron and Miriam comes out of ugly, petty prejudice.

· ‘Moses was more humble than any other person on earth’—it seems to me as if Moses doesn’t even answer the spite and jealousy of his siblings himself; so God himself defends Moses from the attacks and accusations of Aaron and Miriam.

· ‘Should you not be afraid to criticize him?’—God rationally points out that it is obvious to the entire people that he has a special relationship with Moses. If Moses is such good buddies with God, isn’t it a bit foolish to pick a fight with him?

· ‘Miriam suddenly became white as snow with leprosy’—interestingly, at the burning bush, the LORD gave Moses the ability to use leprosy as a sign along with turning a staff into a snake and turning water into blood. Of course, Moses ends up using the staff-into-snake and the water-into-blood signs in Egypt, but leprosy is never mentioned. It finally comes in handy here.

· ‘he cried out to Moses, "Oh, my lord!’—only Miriam ends up getting leprosy. Maybe she was the instigator, or maybe Aaron repents just in time to avoid getting zapped himself.

· ‘the people waited until she was brought back before they traveled again’—this has to be embarrassing. You make a play to oust Moses and become leader of the people yourself. All you end up with is leprosy, AND the whole nation has to sit around for seven days waiting for you to be healed before they can move on. This is a very public failure.

Taking it home

· For you: Do you have any shapeshifters in your life—people of whom it’s hard to tell if they are friends or enemies, helpers or hindrances in your journey? Ask God to give you wisdom about how to respond to these people.

· For your six: Are any of your six facing false accusations? Ask God to defend them in surprising ways, so that they don’t have to defend themselves.

· For our church: Moses says, ‘I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets.’ After Jesus’ resurrection, we’ve come one step closer to Moses’ wish being true; when Jesus rose from the dead, he poured out the Spirit on all of his followers. Peter, in explaining what had happened, said, ‘This is the time when the prophecy is fulfilled that the Spirit will be poured out on all flesh.’ But the Holy Spirit has still not yet been given out nearly as widely as God wishes it to be. Pray for more of God’s Spirit to be poured out on us and on everyone we know.

Numbers 11: 4-23, 31-34

⁴Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt, and the people of Israel also began to complain. "Oh, for some meat!" they exclaimed. ⁵"We remember all the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic that we wanted. ⁶But now our appetites are gone, and day after day we have nothing to eat but this manna!"

⁷The manna looked like small coriander seeds, pale yellow in color. ⁸The people gathered it from the ground and made flour by grinding it with hand mills or pounding it in mortars. Then they boiled it in a pot and made it into flat cakes. These cakes tasted like they had been cooked in olive oil. ⁹The manna came down on the camp with the dew during the night.

¹⁰Moses heard all the families standing in front of their tents weeping, and the LORD became extremely angry. Moses was also very aggravated. ¹¹And Moses said to the LORD, "Why are you treating me, your servant, so miserably? What did I do to deserve the burden of a people like this? ¹²Are they my children? Am I their father? Is that why you have told me to carry them in my arms--like a nurse carries a baby--to the land you swore to give their ancestors? ¹³Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people? They keep complaining and saying, `Give us meat!' ¹⁴I can't carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! ¹⁵I'd rather you killed me than treat me like this. Please spare me this misery!"

¹⁶Then the LORD said to Moses, "Summon before me seventy of the leaders of Israel. Bring them to the Tabernacle to stand there with you. ¹⁷I will come down and talk to you there. I will take some of the Spirit that is upon you, and I will put the Spirit upon them also. They will bear the burden of the people along with you, so you will not have to carry it alone.

¹⁸"And tell the people to purify themselves, for tomorrow they will have meat to eat. Tell them, `The LORD has heard your whining and complaints: "If only we had meat to eat! Surely we were better off in Egypt!" Now the LORD will give you meat, and you will have to eat it. ¹⁹And it won't be for just a day or two, or for five or ten or even twenty. ²⁰You will eat it for a whole month until you gag and are sick of it. For you have rejected the LORD, who is here among you, and you have complained to him, "Why did we ever leave Egypt?" ' "

²¹But Moses said, "There are 600,000 foot soldiers here with me, and yet you promise them meat for a whole month! ²²Even if we butchered all our flocks and herds, would that satisfy them? Even if we caught all the fish in the sea, would that be enough?"

²³Then the LORD said to Moses, "Is there any limit to my power? Now you will see whether or not my word comes true!"

³¹Now the LORD sent a wind that brought quail from the sea and let them fall into the camp and all around it! For many miles in every direction from the camp there were quail flying about three feet above the ground. ³²So the people went out and caught quail all that day and throughout the night and all the next day, too. No one gathered less than fifty bushels! They spread the quail out all over the camp. ³³But while they were still eating the meat, the anger of the LORD blazed against the people, and he caused a severe plague to break out among them. ³⁴So that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah--"the graves of craving"--because they buried the people there who had craved meat from Egypt.

Points of Interest:

· ‘the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites’—as we noticed previously, many non-Israelites joined them when they left Egypt. These foreigners were invited to become fully-participating members of the community, and many non-Israelite families were adopted into one or another of the twelve tribes. Apparently, some of the foreigners decided not to join the Israelites or take part in the covenant, but they nonetheless continued to travel with the Israelites. ‘Rabble’ might not be the kindest way to describe this group, but I think what the story is trying to get across here is that they’re kind of like the proverbial fifth wheel: they don’t really belong, but they’re there. Their decision to follow the Israelites but not to join them seems a bit odd. On the one hand, given their alien status, it seems reasonable that they might be more prone to notice the discomfort of the journey; on the other hand, it seems that they could easily part ways with the Israelites whenever they wanted. It makes me wonder what motivated them to stick around.

In any case, the main point here is that the people of God quickly jump on the complaint bandwagon with these foreign hangers-on. The honeymoon after the completion of God’s Tent doesn’t last long.

· ‘day after day we have nothing to eat but this manna!’—if you remember, manna—or, in English, what-is-it—is the miraculous bread with which God has fed the Israelites since about a month after they left Egypt. This wonderful miracle of God has eventually become a mundane part of life, or even somewhat despicable. Since it’s been several months (perhaps as much as two years), it’s understandable that they’ve gotten tired of a heavily manna-based diet. Nonetheless, it’s sad to see how disdainful they’ve become of God’s miraculous provision. It’s easy to see why God would be insulted by their ingratitude. It also seems highly possible that if they had asked rather than complaining, God might have been glad to meet their desires. Last time the subject came up, God fed them quails—even this time he does the same, though not entirely happily.

· ‘Moses was also very aggravated’—everyone seems to be in a bit of a bad mood: the people are upset with Moses and God; the LORD is angry with the people; and Moses is aggravated at God. Moses portrays himself as a parent who’s been left alone with the kids all day by his spouse—he even goes so far as to say that they’re not his kids at all. Moses is feeling overwhelmed, too small for the job, and alone. It honestly is far too big a job for one person to be the parent of hundreds of thousands. Moses essentially asks to be relieved of his position. God doesn’t grant his request, but he does provide him with help. Notably, when the Israelites complain about God, he gets angry; when Moses complains to God, the LORD answers his concern.

· ‘until you gag and are sick of it’—God wants to make sure that they are never again able to complain that he hasn’t given them enough meat.

· ‘all our flocks and herds’—the fact that they have flocks and herds speaks to the possibility that their diet is not so completely dismal as they have led us to believe.

· ‘Is there any limit to my power?’—in this whole passage, Moses has been worried that he doesn’t have what’s needed to lead and care for the people. God reminds him here that it’s never been about what Moses can muster up himself. It’s about what God is able to give him.

· ‘the anger of the LORD blazed against the people’—perhaps God is angry because the people are so busy shoving quail into their mouths that they don’t stop to say, ‘Thank you,’ or to admit that perhaps their complaints against God were unjust.

Taking it home:

· For you: As I read about the Israelites complaining about the manna, I’m tempted to think, ‘What’s the big deal?’ or even to think that it’s natural and even justified—perhaps it could even be considered emotionally healthy ‘venting’—for them to express their feelings about their boring diet. But God seems to consider it a pretty big insult to him. Perhaps God is upset because their complaints get in the way of two other things: gratitude and asking. Complaints make God look bad, and only make the Israelites feel worse. But expressing thankfulness and asking God for what they need could very well lead toward better circumstances, both emotionally and materially. The rest of the day, try to keep track of the times when you complain or are tempted to complain. Do a little one-day experiment: whenever possible, replace that potential complaint with some expression of gratitude or with a prayer to God to provide for your need. At the end of the day, reflect on how it went.

· For your six: It’s easy to assume that what we’ve already gotten from God is all he is willing or able to give, but this passage shows that the expectations of both Moses and the Israelites were far below what God would actually give. Pray for your six that they would have the boldness to ask (or continue to ask) God for what they want from him, and ask God to answer their prayers as generously as he did the prayer of Moses.

· For our church: Spend a moment praising God for the fact that it is his abilities, not our own, that are the key to our success in pursuing the purposes to which he has called us.

Exodus 39: 32-43, 40: 16-38

32And so at last the Tabernacle was finished. The Israelites had done everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 33And they brought the entire Tabernacle to Moses: the sacred tent with all its furnishings, the clasps, frames, crossbars, posts, and bases; 34the layers of tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather; the inner curtain that enclosed the Most Holy Place; 35the Ark of the Covenant and its carrying poles; the Ark's cover--the place of atonement; 36the table and all its utensils; the Bread of the Presence; 37the gold lampstand and its accessories; the lamp cups and the oil for lighting; 38the gold altar; the anointing oil; the fragrant incense; the curtain for the entrance of the sacred tent; 39the bronze altar; the bronze grating; its poles and utensils; the large washbasin and its pedestal; 40the curtains for the walls of the courtyard and the posts and bases holding them up; the curtain at the courtyard entrance; the cords and tent pegs; all the articles used in the operation of the Tabernacle; 41the beautifully crafted garments to be worn while ministering in the Holy Place--the holy garments for Aaron the priest and for his sons to wear while on duty.
42So the people of Israel followed all of the LORD's instructions to Moses. 43Moses inspected all their work and blessed them because it had been done as the LORD had commanded him.

16Moses proceeded to do everything as the LORD had commanded him. 17So the Tabernacle was set up on the first day of the new year. 18Moses put it together by setting its frames into their bases and attaching the crossbars and raising the posts. 19Then he spread the coverings over the Tabernacle framework and put on the roof layers, just as the LORD had commanded him.
20He placed inside the Ark the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, and then he attached the Ark's carrying poles. He also set the Ark's cover--the place of atonement--on top of it. 21Then he brought the Ark of the Covenant into the Tabernacle and set up the inner curtain to shield it from view, just as the LORD had commanded.
22Next he placed the table in the Tabernacle, along the north side of the Holy Place, just outside the inner curtain. 23And he arranged the Bread of the Presence on the table that stands before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded.
24He set the lampstand in the Tabernacle across from the table on the south side of the Holy Place. 25Then he set up the lamps in the LORD's presence, just as the LORD had commanded. 26He also placed the incense altar in the Tabernacle, in the Holy Place in front of the inner curtain. 27On it he burned the fragrant incense made from sweet spices, just as the LORD had commanded.
28He attached the curtain at the entrance of the Tabernacle, 29and he placed the altar of burnt offering near the Tabernacle entrance. On it he offered a burnt offering and a grain offering, just as the LORD had commanded.
30Next he placed the large washbasin between the Tabernacle and the altar. He filled it with water so the priests could use it to wash themselves. 31Moses and Aaron and Aaron's sons washed their hands and feet in the basin. 32Whenever they walked past the altar to enter the Tabernacle, they were to stop and wash, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
33Then he hung the curtains forming the courtyard around the Tabernacle and the altar. And he set up the curtain at the entrance of the courtyard. So at last Moses finished the work.
34Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glorious presence of the LORD filled it. 35Moses was no longer able to enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the Tabernacle was filled with the awesome glory of the LORD.
36Now whenever the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle and moved, the people of Israel would set out on their journey, following it. 37But if the cloud stayed, they would stay until it moved again. 38The cloud of the LORD rested on the Tabernacle during the day, and at night there was fire in the cloud so all the people of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys.

Points of Interest:
• ‘the people of Israel followed all of the LORD's instructions’—earlier, the people follow Aaron’s bad advice to gather their earrings to make an idol. Here, they successfully follow God’s instructions for building The Tent. This second time through the covenant, so far the Israelites have passed every test.
• ‘Moses put it together ‘—The names of the twelve tribes are around the outside because each tribe was responsible for constructing the curtains for a certain portion of God’s tent. Not only did that distribute the work evenly among the tribes, but it created the symbolism that all twelve tribes (as represented by their curtains) are in constant attendance at the place of worship. The little icon in the Holy of Holies (which is called ‘the inner curtain’ in our text) is the ark. The little box in the Holy Place near the entrance to the Holy of Holies is the incense altar. The rectangle on the north side is the table of bread. The dot on the south side is the lamp stand. The circle in the outer court is the washbasin in which the priest washed themselves before entering.
• ‘Moses proceeded to do everything as the LORD had commanded him’—everyone does their part. The people faithfully construct the different components of God’s Tent, and Moses then assembles it.
• ‘placed inside the Ark’—although it isn’t mentioned here, besides the stone tablets of the law, a jar of manna was placed in the Ark, so that future generations would have a memorial to God’s provision in the desert.
• ‘in the LORD's presence’—the area behind the inner curtain, also known as the Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies, was meant to represent the throne room of the LORD. The Ark symbolized the throne of God, and the Israelites pictured God sitting on the Ark, attended by an angelic court represented by the two angels on the Ark’s lid.
Over the course of history, many sects of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity have been suspicious of art—and particularly of representational art. They’ve taken God’s commandment against making idols as an indictment of art altogether. Thus, in most mosques and many synagogues, while there is frequently quite intricate abstract, geometric art, there are no portrayals of animals, humans, or angels. On a recent trip to Tyre, in Lebanon, I took a tour of the Byzantine-era ruins and saw how, when the Muslims conquered Tyre, they struck out the faces of angels on the Christian tombs, in order to comply with God’s commandment against the making of idols. Our own New England Puritans took things a step farther, prohibiting the visual arts from their churches altogether—some sects of Baptists don’t allow music either.
Such asceticism doesn’t seem to be at all what God has in mind in the design of his tent. Although he clearly prohibits the people of Israel from making any physical representations of him, he encourages them—in fact, commands them—to make representations of his throne and of his angels. The Israelites are intended to use all of their artistic talents to build the tabernacle, and to enjoy all of their senses in worship at the tabernacle: the curtains are made of several different colors of rich material woven into tapestry and embroidered with portrayals of angels; gold, silver, bronze, and many different kinds of gems ornament the tent’s furnishings; different sorts of wood are used for the different wooden element; and the whole experience is infused with the sweet smell of incense. God expects worship of him to fully engage the senses and the imaginations of his people.
• ‘the Bread of the Presence on the table’—there are twelve loaves of bread on this table, one for each of the tribes. The Illustrated Bible Dictionary postulates that they are meant to be continual reminders that God is the source of all provision (1447). I wonder if they are meant to be a memorial and a continuation of the meal that the elders shared with God at the dedication of the covenant. If that’s the case, this table is a constant invitation to friendship and companionship with God.
• ‘he burned the fragrant incense made from sweet spices’—the incense may have been meant to lend the Holy Place an air of smoky mystery, or it may symbolize the prayers of the people (Bible Background Commentary 115). Revelation, chapters 5 and 8, would lend weight to the theory that it represents the prayers of the people.
• ‘the glorious presence of the LORD filled it’—since the golden calf incident, Moses has had to meet with God in his own tent of meeting, far outside of the camp. Now, the LORD’s presence has fallen in the midst of the people, on a tent made by the people.
• ‘Moses was no longer able to enter the Tabernacle’—the presence of God so intensely rests on God’s Tent that even Moses, the man who met with God on the mountain, saw his glory, and has daily face-glowing encounters with him, can’t stand to enter.
• ‘if the cloud stayed, they would stay until it moved again’—Moses’ big request—almost a demand, even—of the LORD is that God himself accompany them and lead them on their journey. Here we see that prayer answered. By his mercy, on this journey God dwells in a tent made by the same people who had rejected him for the golden calf. The rebellious people who nearly ruined Moses’ chance of taking on this adventure with God end up providing the vehicle for his hopes to be answered.

Taking it home:
• For you: Following God for the Israelites sometimes meant moving and sometimes meant staying right where they were. They knew which one to do by taking their cues from God: when they noticed him moving, they moved; when he stayed, they stayed. Ask God to give you the eyes to see what he is doing, so that you can follow in his wake.
• For your six: In this passage, after some distance between them, God again draws close to the people. Ask God to draw near to your six, and pray for them that they would be able to feel his presence with them and enjoy it.
• For our church: Pray that we would be drawn into a deeper, multi-sensory experience of worship. Ask God to be creating in our community a group of people who are wholly about worship and are able to enter into a space of worship with genuine humility and desire to honor God.

Exodus 35: 30-36: 7

³⁰And Moses told them, "The LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. ³¹The LORD has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, intelligence, and skill in all kinds of crafts. ³²He is able to create beautiful objects from gold, silver, and bronze. ³³He is skilled in cutting and setting gemstones and in carving wood. In fact, he has every necessary skill. ³⁴And the LORD has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their skills to others. ³⁵The LORD has given them special skills as jewelers, designers, weavers, and embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn on fine linen cloth. They excel in all the crafts needed for the work.

¹ "Bezalel, Oholiab, and the other craftsmen whom the LORD has gifted with wisdom, skill, and intelligence will construct and furnish the Tabernacle, just as the LORD has commanded."

²So Moses told Bezalel and Oholiab to begin the work, along with all those who were specially gifted by the LORD. ³Moses gave them the materials donated by the people for the completion of the sanctuary. Additional gifts were brought each morning. ⁴But finally the craftsmen left their work to meet with Moses. ⁵"We have more than enough materials on hand now to complete the job the LORD has given us to do!" they exclaimed.

⁶So Moses gave the command, and this message was sent throughout the camp: "Bring no more materials! You have already given more than enough." So the people stopped bringing their offerings. ⁷Their contributions were more than enough to complete the whole project.

Points of Interest:

· ‘The LORD has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God’—we talk of artists being inspired. Well, Bezalel is literally inspired: he is filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives him a supernatural ability to create beautiful art.

· ‘the ability to teach their skills to others’—Bezalel and Oholiab aren’t the stereotypical temperamental artists who just want to be left alone with their art. Part of their job, and part of their inspiration, is training others to follow in their craft.

· ‘You have already given more than enough’—who ever heard of such a thing? The people respond so enthusiastically to Moses’ invitation to give that—rather than having to go back to them and ask for more—he has to go to them and ask them to stop. And the workers, rather than saying that they need a little bit more material than originally budgeted, are coming to Moses to say that they have more than enough. This is unlike any construction project I have ever heard of. It seems like God’s supernatural abundance is being poured out on this project. It also seems like building this tent is the kind of thing the Israelites like to do and are really quite good at.

Taking it home:

· For you: God loves to give out and to work with a phenomenal diversity of skills and talents. Do you have something you do well and love to do? If you haven’t already, ask God to give you an idea of how to use it in worship of him. Is there a skill you want or need in order to do what God has called you to do? Ask God to give it to you.

· For your six: The people of Israel have a special affinity for artistic projects. This same interest led them to the disaster of the golden calf and to the amazing success of building God’s tent. Each of your six also has unique gifts, abilities, and interests. Like the Israelites, these things could lead them into big trouble or into the most amazingly good experiences of their lives. Pray for them, that the very best would come out of their tastes and talents.

· For our church: One of our hopes for our church is to be a center of God-inspired art. Pray for the artists in our midst, and for the artists still to come. Ask God to bless them like he did Bezalel and Oholiab. Pray that they would be filled with inspiration from the Holy Spirit, and that they would have a supernatural ability to raise up other artists.

Exodus 35: 4-21

⁴Then Moses said to all the people, "This is what the LORD has commanded. ⁵Everyone is invited to bring these offerings to the LORD: gold, silver, and bronze; ⁶blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine linen; goat hair for cloth; ⁷tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather; acacia wood; ⁸olive oil for the lamps; spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense; ⁹onyx stones, and other stones to be set in the ephod and the chestpiece.

¹⁰"Come, all of you who are gifted craftsmen. Construct everything that the LORD has commanded: ¹¹the entire Tabernacle, including the sacred tent and its coverings, the clasps, frames, crossbars, posts, and bases; ¹²the Ark and its poles; the Ark's cover--the place of atonement; the inner curtain to enclose the Ark in the Most Holy Place; ¹³the table, its carrying poles, and all of its utensils; the Bread of the Presence; ¹⁴the lampstand and its accessories; the lamp cups and the oil for lighting; ¹⁵the incense altar and its carrying poles; the anointing oil and fragrant incense; the curtain for the entrance of the Tabernacle; ¹⁶the altar of burnt offering; the bronze grating of the altar and its carrying poles and utensils; the large washbasin with its pedestal; ¹⁷the curtains for the walls of the courtyard; the posts and their bases; the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; ¹⁸the tent pegs of the Tabernacle and courtyard and their cords; ¹⁹the beautifully stitched clothing for the priests to wear while ministering in the Holy Place; the sacred garments for Aaron and his sons to wear while officiating as priests."

²⁰So all the people left Moses and went to their tents to prepare their gifts. ²¹If their hearts were stirred and they desired to do so, they brought to the LORD their offerings of materials for the Tabernacle and its furnishings and for the holy garments.

Points of Interest:

· ‘everything that the LORD has commanded’—we skipped this part, but God had included very specific plans for the Tabernacle, it’s furnishings, and the uniforms of the priests during one of the recitals of the law. It’s in Exodus, ch. 25 through 30, if you’re interested. Tabernacle is just an archaic word for ‘tent or dwelling’ (Illustrated Bible Dictionary 1506). The Tabernacle is simply a respectful way of referring to God’s tent.

· ‘Everyone is invited to bring these offerings to the LORD’—last time Moses went up the mountain, Aaron called a special offering in order to make the golden calf. This time, Moses calls an offering in order to make a tent for God. Rather than making a god to be among them, they are making a place for the LORD God to live among them. They are now getting what they really wanted when they made the golden calf: a visible, accessible way to know that God is with them. It’s interesting to note that building this tent for God was always a part of the plan—God had given Moses instructions for the tent during the first 40 days. If the Israelites had just waited a few days more the first time, they would have gotten what they really longed for and saved themselves and God a lot of pain and sorrow.

· ‘the sacred garments for Aaron and his sons’—there are even special plans for Aaron, the one who made the golden calf.

Taking it home:

• For you: Aaron has recently made an incredibly horrible mistake as a leader. He contributed to the deaths of 3000 people and very nearly to the loss of God’s presence for the entire people. Nonetheless, God continues with his plan to make Aaron his high priest. He even personally designs a special wardrobe with Aaron in mind. God’s grace is immense, far larger than any mistake we are capable of making. If you’ve made a mistake, particularly a mistake in leadership, and you’re wondering if it has ruined God’s plan for you, take heart. Ask God for forgiveness, and don’t be surprised if he has restoration in mind for you.
• For your six: God knew what the Israelites wanted and needed better than they thought he did. God had a plan to give them the opportunity to express their love of art and to provide them with the kind of physical representation of his presence for which they really yearned. But, before he could share his plan with them, they devised their own, one that didn’t work out nearly as well. Pray that your six would grow in their trust that God knows what they want and need. Also pray that they would grow in their patience with him to provide it.
• For our church: God is always giving us opportunities to participate in the things that He is doing; the opportunity to use the gifts that we have been given. Pray that the Elm City Vineyard would be known as a church where people are invited to participate in the things that God is doing, and that provides opportunities for people to use their gifts to bless others and bless God.

Exodus 34: 27-35

²⁷And the LORD said to Moses, "Write down all these instructions, for they represent the terms of my covenant with you and with Israel."

²⁸Moses was up on the mountain with the LORD forty days and forty nights. In all that time he neither ate nor drank. At that time he wrote the terms of the covenant--the Ten Commandments--on the stone tablets.

²⁹When Moses came down the mountain carrying the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn't aware that his face glowed because he had spoken to the LORD face to face. ³⁰And when Aaron and the people of Israel saw the radiance of Moses' face, they were afraid to come near him.

³¹But Moses called to them and asked Aaron and the community leaders to come over and talk with him. ³²Then all the people came, and Moses gave them the instructions the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai. ³³When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. ³⁴But whenever he went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with the LORD, he removed the veil until he came out again. Then he would give the people whatever instructions the LORD had given him, ³⁵and the people would see his face aglow. Afterward he would put the veil on again until he returned to speak with the LORD.

Points of Interest:

· ‘up on the mountain with the LORD forty days and forty nights’—this repeat of the covenant even includes a second time of writing the instructions and a second forty day stay on the mountain. Things go much better this time: Moses doesn’t come down to a golden calf or to wild, drunken revelry; and the stone tablets survive intact. This second time around, Moses succeeds in his mission to bring the law of God to the people; there is new hope for a happy ending and a prosperous future.

· ‘he neither ate nor drank’—Moses fasts for 40 days from both food and drink. Forty days without food is difficult, but not impossible. Forty days without water is a miracle. It’s as if Moses is nourished by God’s presence and his laws, rather than by food and water. Jesus later undergoes a 40 day fast also, and when Satan tempts him to turn a stone into a loaf of bread, he says something to the same effect: ‘One does not live by bread alone’ (Luke 4: 4).

· ‘his face glowed’—incidentally, something similar to this happened to Jesus also. One time, he went up to a mountain to meet with God, and he ended up having a conversation with God, Moses, and Elijah (the latter two having died hundreds of years ago). As they were talking, ‘his face shone like the sun, and his clothing became dazzling white’ (Matthew 17:2).

· ‘they were afraid to come near him’—do they think he’s a ghost? Are they afraid of even this reflected version of God’s glory? Or do they just find the glow a little freaky? It must have been a bit strange to see this glowing figure come down the mountain after 40 days. But when Moses calls out to them, it normalizes the situation a bit. Moses’ voice assures them that it is the same Moses that they have always known, even if he seems to have changed in some very extraordinary ways.

· ‘he put a veil over his face’—Moses’ use of the veil is interesting. He leaves his face uncovered while he is delivering God’s words; then he puts on the veil. He continues this pattern. When he is with God, he leaves his face uncovered. When he is speaking God’s words, he still leaves his face uncovered. When he is done delivering God’s message, he puts a veil on. Perhaps Moses is using a similar principle to the one we discussed about using the LORD’s name in vain: Moses considers it appropriate to show God’s glory on his face while delivering God’s words, but he doesn’t want to use the glory to add extra weight to his own words later. Basically, when the glory on his face is visible, he is God’s messenger; when it is covered by the veil, he is speaking for himself.

Taking it home:

• For you: Moses even looked different because he had been with God and heard his words. Pray that the time you spend with God would so transform you that people would see something different about you just by looking at your face.
• For your six: Have any of your six seen any drastic changes in you because of your relationship with God? Are any of them a little freaked out by what they’ve seen? Ask God to give you the right words to assure them and to explain what has happened to you.
• For our church: Pray for the people in our church who have chosen to fast during this time of Lent. Pray that God would supernaturally sustain them (and you, if you’re one of those people) during this time of fasting, and ask God to give them spiritual nourishment like they’ve never had before to more than make up for the physical nourishment they are foregoing.