Exodus 40

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

35 Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

I just love these verses. Imagine being right there when the Tabernacle was finished and everything was in place, and Moses comes rushing out because he is unable to stay in the Tabernacle any longer because the glory of the Lord is filling the whole place! That would have been a sight to behold!

But so often today, we fail to see or feel the presence of God in our midst. God may not be present in such a way that the church is filled with the glory of His presence on a Sunday morning and we all have to leave the building because there is no room. But have you ever felt the presence of God in your life? The times when you just know that He has His arms around you or is close by your side? When you feel that all you have to do is reach out and you would be able to touch Him? Jesus said that when two or three gather in His name, there He will be. So all it takes is for two people to believe and Jesus will be right there with you.

I just think that is so awesome, so amazing, so humbling, to know that when we really truly believe, that God will be right there with us. It puts a whole different perspective on worship on a Sunday morning when you remember that - because God could be standing right next to you when all you are thinking about is that long to do list, what went on in the week, whether the children are behaving themselves or not, if you should go talk to so and so after the service, and whatever else may be filling your mind other than praise and worship!

Exodus 39

42 The Israelites had done all the work just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

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

This is about talking and listening to God.

Moses had, if you like, the hotline to God. He listened to God, heard what He had to say and acted upon it. He then relayed what God had said to the Israelites. They listened and then went and did as God instructed.

It is very easy today to sit back and let everyone else in church do things. To tell ourselves that God never speaks to us, that He isn't interested in our prayers (especially not when A, B or C are right there praying), that what we do doesn't matter to God because in the overall scale of things, we are so small, so insignificant that God couldn't possibly be interested or really care. But really, when we listen to the little voice inside us telling us this, we are listening to the lies of the enemy and we are allowing him a foothold that could very soon become a stronghold in our minds and bodies.

God made each one of us unique, special, and He has a task for each one of us that no one else can do. We may feel small, insignificant, but God has counted the hairs on our head, we are fearfully and wonderfully made in His image, and He loves each one of us so much more than we could ever begin to imagine.

And it is just the same with the Israelites then as it is with us now. They could easily have sat back and let others do all the work, give all the gold, silver, precious jewels and cloth, telling themselves that so and so was a better seamstress, jeweller, potter, bronze caster (or whatever the word is!) , and so on. But each one gave as he or she felt led, and helped with the building of the Tabernacle.

Moses too could have sat back, told himself he was imaging hearing God and having all those detailed instructions given to him, but he was faithful to listen, to obey, to pass the details on.

They needed the right design for the Tabernacle, and they needed teamwork to get the Tabernacle finished. God empowered each one of them from Moses right down to the ones who felt they could only give time, or help making the refreshments rather than craft all the tools and equipment, sew the Tabernacle itself.

The church is a body of believers and we all have our part to play. What part are you playing in your church, or are you sitting back and letting everyone else volunteer first?

Exodus 38

21 These are the amounts of the materials used for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the Testimony, which were recorded at Moses' command by the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest.

It is interesting here how others are mentioned. God didn't give Moses the detailed instructions for the building of the Ark and then expect Moses to do it all himself. Nope, this was a team effort made up of men (and women) with different skills, different abilities, and all the people were called upon to give from their hearts to supply all the raw materials. Everyone had a part to play.

It's like the story of a little boy who went to school all excited because they were handing out the parts for the school play. His mother knew he probably wouldn't get a part and was ready for tears when she collected him from school. But her son came out all smiles and laughter, because he had been given one of the most important parts of all - to watch and clap.

God does not leave us to do things on our own. If we have been called, we will be equipped for the task, and that includes having the people around us to help out.

Exodus 37

In this chapter, Bezalel makes:

• The Ark of the Covenant from wood and overlays it with gold inside and out;
• The cover for the Ark from pure gold;
• Poles for the Ark and overlays them with gold;
• A table of acacia wood overlaid with gold and with a gold moulding around the edge;
• Cast 4 gold rings and attached them to the table;
• Special containers (bowls, pans, jars and pitchers) to be used in the pouring out of liquid offerings;
• A lampstand from pure hammered gold and all its decorations;
• 7 lamps for the lampstand;
• Lamp snuffers (pure gold);
• Trays (pure gold);
• Incense altar from acacia wood overlaid with gold and with a gold moulding around the entire altar;
• 2 gold rings and attached them to the altar to hold the carrying poles;
• Poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold;
• Sacred anointing oil and fragrant incense.

So Bezalel here is working with wood, gold, and raw materials for the incense and oil. HE has a lot of work to do and he has the skills to enable him to do the best possible job. He is a skilled craftsman and carpenter, since he carves out the wood and overlays everything with gold; he is also a perfumer since he can create the sacred anointing oil and incense. He is a man of many talents, and he has been gifted by God with the skills to enable him to do the tasks for which he ahs been called.

In the same way, God has gifted each one of us with the skills we need to carry out the tasks He has called us for. We may think we have not been called to do anything, after all, we are just ordinary people, just trying to make a living, pay the bills, feed and care for the family. We're nothing special, nothing out of the ordinary. But God has called each one of us. We are hand picked by God, even though we may feel left out on the rubbish pile half the time, used, abused and taken advantage of. We are children of the King, co-heirs with Christ and we have each got certain jobs to do for God. We may refuse to do them, we may not know what they are, we may relish every moment or dread each morning.

But no matter who we are, what we have done, what our normal everyday life is like, you can be certain that just like Bezalel, we have been called by God and given the necessary skills for the job. We may only have been called to put the chairs out on Sunday morning before the church service, but we will have been given the necessary chair putting out skills! We may have the gift of hospitality, being able to make people feel welcome, because we have been called to help the lost, the hurting, the insure and the uncertain come to know God. We may be great orators and have been called to preach, teach and so on. We may be called to lead Sunday school, and have a gift for getting on with children.

Whatever our calling, we can rest assured that God will provide all that we need, even when we are convinced that we are not up to the task.

Exodus 36

6 Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary. And so the people were restrained from bringing more,

7 because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.

The people gave so much that Moses had to issue orders that no one was to give anymore as they had more than enough for the work. Isn’t that amazing? Can you just imagine that happening nowadays after an appeal, when the church tells people not to give anymore because they have more than they need?

It is such a contrast with, for instance, the Church of England which has buildings, stocks, shares, money in the bank, investments. The Catholic Church is the same with many precious artefacts stored deep within the Vatican walls. Many churches operate on a 10% policy and give away 10% of all their income. Some give less, storing the income away in case income levels fall next year. Others give more and I am fortunate enough to go to a church where most of the income is given away (we have no church building, using a local community building to meet for worship).

But again, it all boils down to a willing heart, of seeking to do what God would have us do with our money, our time, our skills. Are we really making the best use of our income? Is what we are doing designed to bring us glory or God?

Exodus 35

21 and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments.

22 All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewellery of all kinds: brooches, ear-rings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the Lord.

26 And all the women who were willing and had the skill spun the goat hair.

29 All the Israelite men and women who were willing brought to the Lord freewill offerings for all the work the Lord through Moses had commanded them to do.

The phrase "God loves a cheerful giver" springs to mind here. God does not want begrudging offerings, where we count out every penny that we give and hoard the rest. He wants us to give freely, with thankful and generous hearts and these verses just emphasise this for me as only gifts from those "who were willing" are required.

But the thing is, everything we have comes from God, so shouldn't we be giving it all to God anyway? After all, there is no point in storing up treasures on this earth, as we most certainly can't take them with us when we die. Yet how many of us do this? Keep a little back in our purse, in the bank account "just in case" or don't give anything because "we need it"?

It wasn't just a case here of one or two giving, the people here gave enough gold, silver, jewellery, and so on to enable the Tabernacle to be made along with all the sacred tools. They gave willingly because they knew their gifts were needed to build the Tabernacle, to equip it. They also gave of their time and their talents. Sometimes we are not asked to give financially, but to give of our time and skills, to use the gifts we have been given by God in His service, and this is such a privilege and joy. I think this kind of giving is no less important than financial gifts. After all, the church needs money to pay for things, but where would the church be without all the volunteers, the ones who clean the churches, make the tea and coffee, organise the worship, help out with the youth and the children, visit the sick and the elderly and so on?

So we need to give from a willing heart, whether it be money, time, or our skills, not because we feel obliged to, because everyone else is and we don't want to look mean, or because no one else is and we want to look good. God sees right through to our hearts, and knows why each of us is giving (or not).

Exodus 34

6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,

7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.

I read these verses and I had trouble reconciling verse 6 with verse 7. I mean, verse 6 says that the Lord is gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, yet verse 7 says that He punishes the children and their children for the sins of the fathers even down to the third and fourth generation. How can these two apparently opposing views be compatible?

I think the thing here is that any sin has consequences. If we rob a bank and are arrested and found guilty, then we go to prison. The crime of bank robbing has the punishment of a prison sentence. If we continually lose our temper, are always shouting at others, then pretty soon they will start trying to avoid us, to stay out of our way for fear of what we might say or do. If we commit adultery and our spouse finds out, it may end in divorce. If we abuse our children, then they may grow up to be child abusers themselves. If we continually put our children down, tell them they are useless and no good, then they may develop a sense of inadequacy, feelings of uselessness and never reach their full potential because they will automatically assume they are going to fail.

Sin has consequences and some of those consequences affect the people around us, our wives, our husbands, our family, our children, even down to the third and fourth generation.

But then I found this reference to Ezekiel 18:

19 Yet you ask, 'Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?' Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live.

20 The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him.

So these verses are expanding Exodus 34. Children who follow in their parents footsteps, who do exactly the same sinful things as their parents, will be punished accordingly. But those who turn to the Lord, who do what is just and right, will surely live. It is a case of God punishing the children if they carry on the sin of their father. So if the child of a mass murderer becomes in turn a mass murderer, then that child will be punished, but if the child decides the life is a serial killer is not for him, then he will not be punished. I know this is a extreme and trivial example, but hopefully you get the gist.

Yet again it is a heart matter. One where we each need to get our hearts right with God. You can't get into heaven because your parents were Christians, you need to be a Christian in your own right, to develop a relationship with God, a walk with Him, to accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour, because it is down to you, not what your parents or friends do.

Exodus 33

13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favour with you. Remember that this nation is your people.

14 The Lord replied, My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.

15 Then Moses said to him, If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.

16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?

17 And the Lord said to Moses, I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.

18 Then Moses said, Now show me your glory.

19 And the Lord said, I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

Isn't this just an amazing chapter? The Lord tells Moses that He will be with them wherever they go, that His Presence would be with Moses and give him rest, and that he would show Moses His glory. God would meet with Moses in the Tent of Meeting and "the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to a friend."

Isn’t that just amazing? The relationship Moses and the Lord had, because Moses relied completely on God, and turned to Him for everything. The rest of the people could not have that closeness, that relationship with God, but the wonderful thing is that we can. Through the sacrifice of Jesus we can now freely approach the throne of grace, we too can come to the throne of God and have that closeness, that friendship, that relationship.

It is not a case of God being so far away, a far off distant god, someone, some being, who is so far above us, so much more good, so pure, so holy, so righteous. No, we can speak to God, talk to Him, have that close relationship as if He is right beside us. We may not have the cloud hovering over our house, our office, our car or wherever we are praying, but we can rest safe and secure in the knowledge that God is there with us, no matter what we are going through and that He will teach us His ways and show us His glory. We just need to keep our hearts and minds focused on Him.

Exodus chapter 32

1 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered round Aaron and said, Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him.

Here it is, only two months after leaving Egypt, after seeing just what God can do, walking through the parted waters of the Red Sea, seeing Pharaoh and his army being destroyed, having the pillar of fire by night and smoke by day to guide them, and experiencing daily the care and provision of God through the manna and quails. Yet as soon as Moses disappears, the people are anxious, feeling lost, bereft, abandoned, so want to make an image of God, something that they can see and touch, something physical, tangible, real. They want to mould God into something that they can control, to make Him malleable, manageable.

How often do we put things in our lives before God or try to make God into something we can contain? You can't put God into a box, shape Him to fit your wants and needs, make Him smaller than He is, more manageable, controllable. God is so amazing, so awesome, so unbelievably good, so holy, so pure, so magnificent, so wonderful. You cannot contain God or make Him fit your expectations. He is surprising, intoxicating, wonderful, amazing, a never ending source of joy. There is no box big enough to hold the One who created everything there is!

Exodus chapter 31

2 See I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,

3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts—

4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze,

5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship.

6 Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you

Just as God called Bezalel, Oholiab and the other craftsmen, so He has called us. We may seem ordinary, commonplace, nothing special and wonder at times why God has chosen us, why we have been called in preference to someone who is wiser, more skilled, who can sing better, talk more profoundly, teach , pray more fluently, and so on. But just as he equipped Bezalel, filling him with the Spirit of God, giving him ability, skill and knowledge, so He has equipped each one of us, filled us with His holy Spirit and given us the skills, ability and knowledge we need to carry out our calling.

1 Corinthians 1:27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

We may think we are a poor choice, that God would have been better off picking someone else, we may even have the person in mind who could do a much better job than we do. But God has called you, called me, called each one of us. He has decided that you, that me, are the right people for the job, that for the task ahead, only you, me, can do it just as He wants it done. Imagine, out of all the people in the world, God has chosen and called us. I just find that so awesome, to think that when God could have chosen someone with more understanding, a deeper faith, more powerful prayers, someone who is more fluent, more capable, who has the time, the commitment, and yet He chose me, the one who always keeps so buy that I never have time to do anything. For some reason, God wanted me, He personally chose me, just as He chose Bezalel, Oholiab and the others, and just as He equipped them for the task, so He has equipped me.

He knows each one of us by name, it is not a case of telling Moses that He had picked out that chap who lives over there, you know, the one who is good at design work, who can turn his hand to making fancy ornaments and jewellery. He's the one married to you know, whatshername, and they have ooh, I don't know, two or is it three children? No, God knew the specifics, He knew the name, the skills, He knows each one of us inside out, intimately, from back to front, upside down and every which way. We are not just that person who always sits at the back, third seat in from the left in church every Sunday, the one who makes the coffee, or does the notices, or the loud one who sits up front and can't sing in tune. He knows us by name, He knows our likes, our dislikes, and He has given us the skills we need to perform the tasks He has for us.

Exodus chapter 30

29 You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.

This is all about being a nation set apart for God, a nation that is pure and holy, just as God is pure and holy. We are called to be a nation of priests, a body of believers that live out Christ's love here on earthy. We are in this world but not of this world, so why do we let the cares and worries of this world weigh us down? Why do we feel so overwhelmed by all that is going on around us?

We have been given all the authority of Jesus here on earth. We have the power to heal the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead, and yet so often we feel ineffectual, useless. We are letting the things of this world get to us, to pull us down and put us down.

God has called each one of us. We each have a different calling. Some have been called to be ministers, pastors, preachers, healers, teachers, prophets. Others have been called to the mission field, to work with the lost, the hungry, the homeless, the hurting. Some have been called to work where they have been placed - in their workplace, their homes, their situations. Others have been given the gift of hospitality, they are so welcoming, so friendly, they make you feel right at home wherever they are. Some have a servant calling, wherever there is a need, you find them helping out, offering their services.

Each one of us has been called by God. It is not an accident that we are believers, not a mere chance, a fluke. We have each been deliberately and carefully chosen by God, hand picked. What a privilege that is, to be called by the One who created all there is, the one who spoke the world into being and who died so that we might spend eternity with Him. We need to spend more time with Him, to rest in His presence, to be in this world but not of it, and to let Him take up our burdens and supply all that we need.

We are called to be holy, because the Lord our God is holy.

Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

So take some time today to just be still, to sit and know that He is God, that you have been chosen, called, and that He cares more for you than you could ever imagine.

Exodus chapter 29

45 Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God.

46 They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

I just think this chapter is so amazing. Yes, ok, it can be somewhat tedious reading through all the rituals, with all the do this, do that, put blood here and there, and so on, but the rituals were designed to standardise the worship, to ensure that everything was carried out the same way and it was all designed to honour God, not man. It made the Israelites stand out amongst the nations, because when they followed God's laws, obeyed His commands, did things His way, they were less likely to follow the pagan rituals of their neighbours.

If you have a set of rules to obey, and things have to be done in a certain order, a certain way, then there is no room for bringing in your own ideas, your own ways, or the ways of others. God has laid down the rules, and they should be followed. The ritual is designed to make the priests, the people a holy nation, acceptable to God. Adding to or taking away from these rituals would prevent them approaching God, because they would be seen as unclean. God is so pure, so holy, they would not be able to approach His throne of grace without these ceremonies. Of course, now we have Jesus, the sacrificial lamb, so there is no need for all this ritual, but that doesn't mean we can just disregard it. We need to have the right frame of mind before approaching God. It's no good turning up for church on Sunday morning if you are in a bad mood because you have had to rush everyone, including yourself, to get there, if you are worried and can't concentrate on anything because of your cares, if you are just turning up because it is expected. We need to remember that God is the Creator of the Universe, He could destroy every one of us with just a thought. He is so powerful, so awesome, so amazing, yet so full of love and grace and mercy. We need to approach worship with a sense of reverence, of respect, not one of keeping an eye on the children so they don't misbehave, watching the clock because we have to be somewhere else after church, or thinking of anything and everything except God and how we are there to worship, to give him the praise.

But the best thing about this chapter is the closing verses:

Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. They will know that I am the Lord their God who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

God was telling the Moses that He would live amongst the people and would be their God. Isn't that just amazing? The Creator of the Universe and all that is in it was going to live amongst the Israelites, so that they would know that He was their God, the one who brought them safely out of Egypt. I just think this is so amazing. After all, God can do anything He wants to, be with anyone He wants to, and yet He chose the Israelites to be His people, His nation. Just as He has chosen each one of us believers to be His church, his people.

Exodus chapter 28

1 Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar,

so that they may serve me as priests.

2 Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron,

to give him dignity and honour.

3 Tell all the skilled men

to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that

they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration,

so that he may serve me as priest.

4 These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash.

They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons,

so that they may serve me as priests.

12 …... Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders as a memorial before the LORD.

21 There are to be twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel,

each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.

29 Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place,

he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision

as a continuing memorial before the LORD.

30 Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece,

so they may be over Aaron's heart whenever he enters the presence of the LORD.

Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites

over his heart before the LORD.

35 Aaron must wear it when he ministers.

The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the LORD

and when he comes out, so that he will not die.

36 Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD.

37 Fasten a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban.

38 It will be on Aaron's forehead,

and he will bear the guilt involved in the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate,

whatever their gifts may be.

It will be on Aaron's forehead continually

so that they will be acceptable to the LORD.

40 Make tunics, sashes and headbands for Aaron's sons,

to give them dignity and honour.

41 After you put these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons,

anoint and ordain them.

Consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.

42 Make linen undergarments as a covering for the body, reaching from the waist to the thigh.

43 Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place,

so that they will not incur guilt and die.

This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants. Consecration of the Priests

This is all about consecrating Aaron and his sons as priests, how they are to be set apart from the people, to wear special clothes that give them dignity and honour, and how Aaron is to bear the names of the 12 tribes of Israel as a continuing memorial before the Lord, and carry the Urim and Thummin in his breast piece so he always has the means of making decisions for the Israelites. It just shows what an important role that of a priest is, with Aaron bearing the guilt for the people.

The priests were the ones who performed the daily sacrifices, maintained the Tabernacle and taught the people how to follow and worship God. They were the people's representatives before God and had to be worthy of that office, with their lifestyles mirroring the Laws of God. It makes a mockery of God if you have a priest who says one thing, and does another, and yet continually these days, we are seeing this. Sometimes, this is because the minister has been under attack and does not have the help and support of the people around him. Sometimes it is because they are false teachers, and since we are living in the End Times, we will see more and more of this. Our leaders, ministers, priests, deserve our prayers and our help. It is no good expecting one minister to run the church and do everything himself - he (or she) needs the help of the congregation, as we are a body of believers, not a one man band with people just turning up on Sundays to watch.

Exodus chapter 27

Main verses:

20 Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning.

21 In the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain that is in front of the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the Lord from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come.

How these verses spoke to me:

In Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary, it says:

The pure oil signified the gifts and graces of the Spirit, which all believers receive from Christ, the good Olive, and without which our light cannot shine before men. The priests were to light the lamps, and tend them. It is the work of ministers, by preaching and expounding the Scriptures, which are as a lamp, to enlighten the church, God's tabernacle upon earth. Blessed be God, this light is not now confined to the Jewish tabernacle, but is a light to lighten the gentiles, and for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

Moses was instructed that the lamps were to be continually lit, a permanent symbol of the Holy Spirit who lives in each believer. But we can't just have our lamps lit and then carry on doing what we have always done.

We need to continually refill our oil, to go back and ask to be filled anew each day with the Holy Spirit. We need to be fed with the word of God, through reading the bib le for ourselves, learning from our ministers, those who preach. This is why it is so important that we keep alert, watch out for any false teachings as is a lot of that about today. We need to continually check what we are taught on a Sunday with the bible.

The lamps here also remind me of Revelation chapter 1:

12 I turned round to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,

13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash round his chest.

The lampstands were symbolic of the seven churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. Jesus had a message for each of the churches, there was good news, hope, praise and also concern, and care. Some of the churches had let their lamp grow dim as they became embroiled in the things of this world. Instead of the priests keeping the lamps burning brightly, they had allowed the world to come in and weaken their message, dilute their light. They had begun to tolerate the things of this world, the "alternative lifestyles", the "personal choices" and had lowered their standards accordingly, so watering down God's message.

The world today is so sinful there is the breakdown of the family unit, homosexuality is actively promoted as an alternative life style or choice, going out and getting drunk is seen as a normal part of life, something that has to be done if you are to have a "good time." Knives and guns are routinely carried by many people, even youngsters, and a lot of the youth today have a very hedonistic view of life.

We need to let our lamps shine brightly in this world, to show people that there is an answer, there is another way and that God does exist. The enemy is all around us, seeking to turn as many away from God as possible, and time is running short. You only have to look around and see the signs of the End Times everywhere. The enemy's time is short, he is trying to make the most of it and it is up to us to stop him. How can we do this if we do not have faith? If we do not continually turn to God, seek His guidance, read His word, spend time in prayer and seek the Holy Spirit?

We are the foot soldiers in a war which has already been won, but there are plenty of skirmishes going on all around us. We need to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit, and to make sure we put on our spiritual armour each and every day so that our lamps may shine brightly to draw others to the light of Jesus.

Exodus chapter 26

33 Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the Testimony behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

These are the detailed instructions for the building of the Tabernacle. It refers here in verse 8 to the curtain which separates the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

These are the two most sacred rooms in the Tabernacle, with the holy Place being where the incense altar , the lampstand and the Bread of the Presence was kept and the Most holy Place being the room that only the High Priest was allowed to enter, and even that was only on one day of the year, the Day of Atonement. That was the day when the priest made atonement for the sins of the nation as a whole.

The curtain was a symbol of the divide between God and us. It set the Ark of the covenant, where God's presence rested on the cover, apart from the rest of the Tabernacle, signifying how God was separated from us, or rather, how separated from God we were. Our sin, symbolised by the curtain, kept us apart. This is just my interpretation though and may be completely wrong.

When Christ died on the cross, the curtain that separates the two rooms was torn in two from top to bottom, symbolising that we now have free access to God (we can freely approach his throne of grace) because of the sacrifice of Jesus. We don't have to approach God through sacrifices and priests.

We don't have to ask a priest for forgiveness, we can go direct to God ourselves. Whereas before, we were considered sinful and so could not go to God direct (because He is so pure, so holy, he can have nothing to do with sin), now we are seen as righteous, because Jesus has taken all our sins away and we have received the forgiveness of God.

There are times when I am just so in awe of all that God has done, that Jesus has done, for me, for each one of us. I mean, can you imagine having one of your children do what Jesus did? Suffer what he went through? It’s difficult to comprehend the magnitude of it all at times, it is so overwhelming, to think that God loves each and every one of us so much, that He would do this. And then He doesn't go and leave us to fend for ourselves, either, oh no. He sends His Holy Spirit, the comforter, the guide, to help us. How many times has something happened and you feel or hear this voice inside, and you just know what to say, what to do, what not to do? If we all listened to the voice of the Holy Spirit within us all the time, just think what a better replace this world would be.

Exodus chapter 25

2 Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give.

This is another reference to the heart and about how God wants us to give from the heart, not the head. It's not a case of giving so as to impress the neighbours with our generosity, to make everyone think what a "good" person we are. God sees into our hearts, He knows our motives, our intentions, and He knows whether we are doing something for the right reasons or not. He doesn't want us to give because we feel obliged to, but to give because we want to, to show our thanks to God for all that He has done. So He tells Moses that He wants offerings from those whose hearts prompt them to give.

Sometimes, we get pressured into giving, when everyone else is giving, we feel obliged to do the same and are maybe made to feel selfish if we don't give. Like if we go to a conference and they take a "love" offering, then we end up feel pressurised into giving because everyone else is, and to not give would mean we weren't showing love.

Like tithing, this can be a difficult topic, something that brings out the best and worst in people, with many holding strong views. Any giving, whether it is to our own church, to a charity, to someone collecting on a street corner, or as part of an offering at a conference, should be from the heart, something we ask God about to see if He wants us to give. That is not a get out clause meaning we can tell ourselves that God has said no to making a donation though either. In all honesty, most people will know whether to give or not is the right thing to do and refusing to give because you really don't want to but claiming God told you so is just trying to hide your own motives. Similarly, feeling forced to give is not wants God wants for us either.

It's a case of being honest with ourselves, with others and with God. If we don't want to give, then tell God so. But don't try and dress it up with pious sounding words and explanations to try and make people impressed with your learning and erudition. God knows exactly what we are up to when we do this. And then when we do give, don't try to impress others with our generosity, our nobleness, our serving. Like Jesus says, it needs to be a case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing and to give in secret, so that our Father in heaven who knows all things sees, rather than men here on earth. It’s a heart matter, and when our hearts are right with God, everything will flow from that.

Exodus chapter 24

9 Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up

10 and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself.

11 But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.

Isn't is awesome how you can read verses in the bible and see something different each time? I've only just noticed that when Moses, Aaron and the others went up the mountain, they saw God and yet I've read this chapter many times. But just imagine that, they actually saw God and they lived to tell the tale which makes it all the more surprising that Aaron and the others went along with making the golden calf in chapter 32.

But going back to seeing God, what a difference from later on, when Isaiah saw God in Isaiah

Chapter 6:

Woe to me! I cried. I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.

Yet here, they are eating and drinking before the Lord! This is not some face to face encounter, with the elders talking to God, but it impressed on them that He was real, that He existed, and that He would be with them. It meant (or it should have meant) that they trusted in God, and that they would believe Moses when God spoke through him. Eating before God was to give them a sense of fellowship with God. I wonder whether God ate as well (does God eat? I mean, if He is spirit, then presumably He doesn't?).

I can't help wonder how come the men saw all this and then a short while later, made a golden calf because they thought Moses had abandoned them. But then I guess it's like Christians who later renounce their faith, and go on to become Muslims, Buddhists, atheists and so on. Walking with God is a daily thing, something you have to approach fresh each and every day and not let the cares and worries of this world distract you from spending time with God. Maybe the men went back down again and forgot all about this, maybe they told everyone, maybe they kept revisiting it in their minds, talking to God about it in prayer, or maybe they let the cares and worries of caring for the people of Israel overwhelm them.

Exodus chapter 23

19 Bring the best of the first fruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God. Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk.

The one thing that struck me in this chapter was verse 19:

Bring the best of the first fruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God. Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk.

This is firstly about giving our best to God, not the leftovers, or what we can do without, but the very best. It all goes back to the age old argument about whether we should tithe and if so, is it out of our net or gross income. I don't intent to get into an argument about that, as I know some people hold very strong views saying we should, others hold equally string views that we shouldn't. But what I do think is that we should give our very best to God, whether that be in the form of tithes, money in the offering plate, giving to charity, helping the poor, giving our time, our effort, our skills. God deserves the best we have, not the scraps, the leftovers, the time we have left when we have wined and dined, been out on the town, enjoyed ourselves and spent up. He deserves the first fruits, the best of the harvest.

But then you read on in this chapter and it talks about not cooking a young goat in its mothers milk. At first glance, this seems completely out of context, a random comment thrown in just to confuse. But in actual fact, according to what I have read on the internet ( a great source of information!), the Lord is warning the people here against the practices of the Canaanites, who would, apparently, sacrifice young goats in the milk of their mother to appease their goddess of fertility. However, it has led to the tradition of keeping meat and milk separate that strict Jews adhere to even today, with separate fridges, cooking dishes, etc for meat and milk dishes ( a very simplistic view, I know and there is lot more behind this).

In everything God commands, He is looking out for the people, trying to warn us about things to come, to educate us, to teach us His rules. God is so just, so pure, so holy, that He would never ask someone to do something that was wrong. Here, the whole thing about the young goat is that if the Israelites were in the habit of never doing this, if it became second nature, then when they saw the Canaanites and others performing this type of sacrifice, they would never even consider doing it themselves. But God knew back in the wilderness what the people would face when they reached Canaan, so He was forearming them against this.

It is all part and parcel of being taught right from wrong. If you are taught from an early age what you can and cannot do, then this principles become part of you, they become second nature. Whereas if you are not taught that it is wrong to steal, wrong to murder, to lie, to cheat and so on, then they too become ingrained. It is hard to break the habits of a lifetime either way, which is why it is so sad to see the way things are today, with children not being taught right from wrong.

Exodus chapter 22

These are rules governing the protection of property and various other rules showing how to act in certain specific situations. They are not meant to cover every situation, but are general guidelines as to what to do. Using these guidelines, the people should be able to set laws that were fair and just.

But as with everything, there would be situations that crop up that are not specifically covered here. I would imagine that is how the Rabbis started giving their rulings on matters, and the whole problem in Jesus' day with the Pharisees having rules governing what you could and could not do on the Sabbath. I mean, if plucking a few heads of wheat from the edge of the field was considered to be harvesting it shows to what extent the rules had become picky.

It is easy to get carried away, to try and come up with something that would cover each and every circumstance, but in reality, that is just not possible. What is necessary is to keep the Ten Commandments in mind, pay attention to these specific examples to see the gist of what is meant, and then follow that. It obviously became commonplace to take everything to the nth degree, and common sense was left behind as strict adherence to the rules became the norm. God did not intend us to live our lives forever watching to see if we were breaking some rule or other. Jesus came to bring us life in all its fullness, not to bring us life filled with petty rules saying we could do this, we couldn't do the other, we must follow this tradition, and so on.

We need to apply the Ten Commandments but keep common sense around as well.

Exodus chapter 21

These are practical examples of how God's Laws work in practice. What you have

Here are specific examples of situations and the action to be taken. Whilst some of them may seem unjust today , such as being allowed to beat your own slave and as long as they live, there is no retribution, they were presumably applicable to the time they were written. But even though we (or at least most of us) do not have slaves and the like, the general principles can still be applied to our lives. It is a case of taking things to God in prayer, of seeking His wisdom, His judgement to ensure that matters are dealt with fairly and justly.

The nation of Israel was given these laws (the Ten Commandments to set them apart form other nations, so they had a code of conduct that would mean something. If we today kept the Ten Commandments, just how much better a place would the world be? We as Christians need to take a stand, to let our light shine before men and to walk and talk in the manner god would have us walk and talk. We are not behave like other men, trying to get what we can out of life, seeking to satisfy our desires all the time, get more money, a bigger house, newer car, promotion, more pay and so on. In stead, we are to concentrate on the things of God, and to let Him fulfil all our daily wants and needs.

The eye for the eye rule was designed to make the punishment fit the crime, so that it was not excessive in comparison to the original wrong doing. It is easy to be too zealous when punishing someone - you only have to look at the situation on India right now as Hindu fanatics wreak their vengeance on the Christians for alleged killings. There, thousands of Christians have fled their homes, children's homes are being surrounded by angry mobs and threatened, many have been killed. Yet where is the justice in this? What crime have the majority of those suffering committed?