Today brings us to the close of the book of Exodus and because I love you all I'm warning you now - today's reading is a doozy. It took me nearly 35 minutes to read it all as today we have 5 chapters instead of the usual 3. Further, about 4 of these chapters could have been omitted as they are exact copies of previous chapters as Moses recreates the 10 commandments and they record who and how built the tabernacle. Anyways, buck in and give yourselves another high five for finishing another book in the Bible. 50 to go!
Scripture to Read
Exodus 35 - 40 (ugh)
Audio Bible
Questions to Consider
What does this teach me about God?
What does this teach me about humanity?
What does this teach me about the relationship between the two?
Would Jesus say amen to this?
- My Thoughts -
I love how God so casually works with Moses to recreate everything that he had broken in his bout of anger from yesterdays reading. God doesn't even bring it up or chastise Moses. God simply sits with Moses and patiently does it all again over the course of 40 days and 40 nights. That is such a message of good news. God can handle our worst moments and our moments of anger and God doesn't punish us but rather gifts us with grace and patience. When we destroy the good things in our lives - whether that's material, or a relationship, or our bodies, God picks up the broken pieces and begins anew with us. If you're reading this and you know thats true for you then give God some praise and join us for church this week to be a witness of God's grace moving in your life.
Although I was less than happy having to read the long, long, long re-do with Moses it is a powerful to cap off the story of Exodus. These were enslaved people who had no hope, if you recall for over 10 chapters of their time in the wilderness they begged Moses to go back to their enslavement or just to be killed rather than be in an unknown place. That's 1/4 of the book! And these hopeless and enslaved people now have their very own temple, a beautiful temple adorned with the nicest of gems, and cloth, and minerals. It's undeniably a really cool story of redemption of what God can do in peoples lives. How's God done that for you? That's what I'm meditating on today.
Prayer:
Thank you God for not giving up on me when I'm in my worst moments, but helping me start back over again, step-by-step. You are so good to me. Blessed God, help me to utilize the gifts that I have to give back to you for the ways you've moved in my life. Just like the people all took their gifts to build a temple, help me to build your kingdom here on earth. With gratitude and grateful anticipation I pray, amen.