truth is a cake

From a distance I did glance

and spy a tasty sight.

sugar-frosted, sweet, and whole,

I knew it would delight...

The party moved through games and gifts and

laughter swept us all,

But in the corner was the cake...

It's beauty did enthrall.

For, having eaten cake before I knew the promise held

The beauty of its glistening coat

fulfilled within my mouth.

And truth is like a cake you see...

It's sweetness satisfies.

We view it cross the room and know,

to eat it crowns our lives.

The party games are like the ways

we act with one another,

But nothing satisfies, it seems,

like the truth cake in the corner.

Jeremiah 15:16 

Your words were found, and I ate them,
And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart;
For I am called by Your name,
O Lord God of hosts.

blessings,

Rob Smith

nothing added

Two of my daughters are currently expecting their first children.  They have provided wonderful sonogram pictures of their children in the womb that show these tiny people as unique individuals, new persons being formed right now and prepared for entrance into this challenging world.  We have been deeply moved as we consider the miracle of life and humbled to think that we are even able to behold life at this early stage, let alone to have participated in its formation ourselves.  As these thoughts set in it occurred to me that nothing can be added to God's design to improve on His handiwork.  The enormous complexity and design that is manifest in each human life is a direct reflection of the majesty of the Creator.  And as we live out our lives we may tend to try to add meaning, add purpose, add success to that design.  But, while our lives may continue to reflect the wonder of God and His design, is there anything we can add by our strength to enhance or increase that beauty?  I don't think so.  Our conception, formation, birth and physical growth are all testaments to God and the greatest step is the awakening of faith and yielding to God's grace.  When we have trusted in the saving work of Christ we are welcomed into God's family as His children.  Nothing we can attain or acquire can transcend that fulfillment of physical human life that is now eternally secure as Heaven's domain.  It is liberating to experience the miracle of life and then to recognize the source of that life and then to become restored to Him.  We may bear much fruit that results from that relationship but nothing we can add will enhance its worth or wonder.

Colossians 1:15 

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
    He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
¹⁶ for through him God created everything
    in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
    and the things we can't see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
    Everything was created through him and for him.
¹⁷ He existed before anything else,
    and he holds all creation together.

blessings,

Rob Smith

say yes to Jesus!

Leviticus 1:⁴ Lay your hand on the animal's head, and the Lord will accept its death in your place to purify you, making you right with him.

It's interesting to consider the sacrifices that were offered by the people of Israel and that were prescribed by the Lord in great detail, especially in the book of Leviticus.  The animal sacrifices had generally been raised from birth by the people who offered them.  They had been fed and sheltered with the rest of the flock.  The hands of the owners had been the hands that had tended them.  The hands of the owners were also the ones that carried the sacrificial animal to the Tabernacle to be presented to the priests.  Yet, according to Leviticus, it was vitally important that the hand of the owner be laid on the animal right before it was to be sacrificed for a different purpose.  The sacrifice needed to be directly associated with an individual for that sacrifice to count toward the forgiveness of that person.  We may have had a knowledge of Jesus for a long time.  We may have carried a certain picture of Him in our minds, even a kind picture.  He may have held a certain place in the "flock" of our thoughts and feelings.  But until we personally put our "hand" of faith on Jesus and say "Yes, you are my sacrifice" the offering of His life has not been personally associated with us in an individual way.  Have you moved from a knowledge of Jesus to the place where you have placed your hand on Jesus as the offering for your sins?  His sacrifice cannot count for you until you do!

blessings,

Rob Smith

seasoned with salt

Leviticus 2:¹³ Season all your grain offerings with salt to remind you of God's eternal covenant. Never forget to add salt to your grain offerings.

You don't hear many favorite Bible quotes from verses in the book of Leviticus.  Leviticus is a book of laws and detailed procedures.  Our pastor and teacher, Dick Woodward, tells us that Leviticus is like a minister's manual for priests to refer to as they carried out their duties.  We are reading Leviticus now as we move through the Mini Bible College and we are reminded that the Bible wasn't just written for us.  It was also written for the people of Israel to meet their needs in their wilderness experience.  But as I listened to the early chapters the verse quoted above stood out.  It would have been easy for those bringing the sacrifices and offerings and those accepting them to get in a routine that would eventually forget the purpose of the whole process.  Adding salt to the grain offerings seems like a small thing...a minor step in the procedure.  Salt is barely visible but salt affects the flavor and tends to permeate the whole food item.  This simple step was to remind the participants of the purpose of all of these sacrifices.  God had made an eternal promise to never leave His people and to lead them to the promised land and to forgive them of sins and provide for them and give them victory over their enemies...for all generations.  I am reminded that a small part of my day may be spent in prayer and devotion, like the small amount of salt added to the grain offerings of Leviticus.  But that small amount of time affects the flavor of the entire day and serves as a reminder of God's promises to me (and to you)!

blessings,

Rob Smith

alternative fuels

Our country, among others, is researching alternative fuels to meet our energy demands for transportation, heating and other demands of modern living.  The oil and coal that have been relied upon for a few centuries are becoming increasingly difficult to extract from the earth, or are damaging the environment.  And so the search and the research goes on to tap other sources to meet those needs.  It occurred to me that money could be looked at as the primary fuel that people tap to motivate their ambitions and meet their needs.  Careers, individual jobs, daily attitudes and decisions and major goals often can be centered on money.  But there are two problems with money.  It promises more than it can deliver and it can be far harder to come by for some than for others.  So it might be beneficial to look for alternative fuels for our ambition that are more reliable to deliver and more available to all.  A personal relationship with God is one suggestion.  He never promises more than He is ready to deliver and He is available to all who will believe in Him and trust in the work of His Son to redeem us and restore us and refresh us.  Are we living for money or will we live for the One who made us?  When we consider our fuels for living the choice may become more clear.

Job 22:23 

If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored—
    so clean up your life.
²⁴ If you give up your lust for money
    and throw your precious gold into the river,
²⁵ the Almighty himself will be your treasure.
    He will be your precious silver!

blessings,

Rob Smith

another Exodus

We have walked with the people of Israel and Moses through the preparation of their deliverer, through the plagues that motivated Pharaoh to release them and through the parting of the Red Sea.  All of the first two thirds of the book of Exodus goes into this real life sequence of events that also depicts our deliverance from the bondage of sin.  With the last third of Exodus we see another picture of that deliverance: the Tent of Worship, or Tabernacle.  The Tabernacle graphically displays the process by which sinful man is able to come directly into the presence of God.  The process calls for steps to be followed, symbolism to be honored and a mediator to represent each person to act on their behalf.  The steps include offering a sacrifice on an altar followed by cleansing to make the unclean acceptable and clean.  Then the representative (priest) of the sinner enters the tent and stands in the presence of three furnishings: a lampstand, representing the light of revelation, a table of bread, representing God's provision and an altar of incense, representing the prayers of repentance, adoration and praise.  But still there is a heavy curtain that must be passed to reach the Ark, or elaborate box, of the Covenant that contained the stones with the Ten Commandments and a few other important items, but most importantly was where the presence of God literally dwelt.  Only the High Priest could go past this final curtain and directly into the presence of God.  All of this process and all of these articles present aspects of Jesus Christ.  He was the perfect sacrifice, the one who washed us from our sin, the light of the world, the bread of life, the Mediator before God, the way into His presence, and the great High Priest.  Truly the picture presented by the Tabernacle reinforces the picture of the deliverance of Exodus to tell us much of the nature of man and the nature of God!

Hebrews 8 Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. ² There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands.

blessings,

Rob Smith

under the Big Top!

When I was in second grade my father took myself and my sister out of school one day to join our Mom and baby sister and go to the circus!!  Just getting out of school for a day was exciting in itself...but going to the Circus was a dream.  I was very familiar with the story of Dumbo and had clear images of the tent and the elephants and the clowns in my mind.  The name of the circus was "Christiani Brothers" and I don't know how I can still remember that except the day was so big in my experience to that point.  I remember walking up to the circus and seeing the actual tent.  It was enormous and we had to wait for a while to go in.  My imagination raced to consider all the excitement I was about to witness.  Just the anticipation was thrilling.  When we finally entered I was not disappointed as the three rings were in place, trapeze wires were strung above and the smell of animals mixed with cigarettes and cotton candy to tantalize me even more.  It was a great day!  The circus tent reminds me of the Tabernacle we have been reading about in the book of Exodus.  Imagine being part of the people of Israel.  God had given very specific and elaborate instructions for constructing His tent of worship.  These instructions called for the people to provide from their own possessions a lot of expensive goods: fabrics, gems, lumber, gold and for many skilled craftsman and artisans to contribute labor to fashion the Tabernacle with its furnishings, coverings and priestly garments.  But when all was finished the same people who had provided all the goods and labor to make the great tent could not go in.  The closest they could get was the gate that led inside.  At the gate they would give their plant and animal offerings to priests for sacrifice and then they would walk away.  How they must have wondered what the great tent was like on the inside!  Now that Jesus has paid for our sins with His own blood, as the perfect sacrifice, we can enter through the gate and behold the beauty of the inside of the tent.  We can go anywhere in the tent, including right up to the immediate presence of the Lord...with boldness.  I would have been so disappointed long ago if the closest I could get to the Circus was the outside of the tent.  We were not meant to live only in our imagination...but in the reality of experience and Jesus holds the ticket for all to enter!

Hebrews 9:²³ That is why the Tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of things in heaven, had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals.

²⁴ For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. ²⁵ And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal.

Hebrews 10:¹⁹ And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. ²⁰ By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.

blessings,

Rob Smith

Beethoven's Hallelujah

Hallelujah! unto God's Almighty Son.
Praise the Lord, ye bright angelic choirs,
In holy songs of joy.
Man, proclaim His grace and glory!
Hallelujah! unto God's Almighty Son.
Praise the Lord in holy songs of joy.

The words above are from a Beethoven composition...Beethoven's Hallelujah.  This is from his oratorio called the Mount of Olives which is a reflection of Christ's agony in the Garden of Gethsemane prior to his suffering and crucifixion.  Our Choir director, Ted Cornell, has said of Beethoven's work: "It's perfect music...just perfect".  Apparently Beethoven composed this entire oratorio in about 14 days in 1802 when he was about 31 years old.  At the time he was going through the great personal loss of his hearing...he was turning deaf.  This personal crisis is thought to have caused him to reflect on the great loss that Christ faced.  The chorus that we are learning and will sing in a few weeks is a concluding statement of victory despite the suffering Christ was to endure.  The thought I want to express is that the tender and spiritually rich experience captured by Beethoven over 200 years ago can be recreated by our choir because it was recorded in notes and composition in written form and preserved for us to learn.  When we sing this piece it is as if Beethoven, himself, were our director as well as the composer.  The passage of time has not diminished the beauty or the truth that this music communicates.  And so it is with the Gospel of Christ also.  When we inhale and exhale the reality of God through the intake of God's Word we experience the very same reality that was recorded there long ago.  Beethoven still lives through his music.  Christ lives as well and the music of His Word gives us life when activated by faith.

Mark 14:³² They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, "Sit here while I go and pray." ³³ He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. ³⁴ He told them, "My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."

³⁵ He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. ³⁶ "Abba, Father," he cried out, "everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine."

blessings,

Rob Smith

for all seasons

Luke 20:³⁴ Jesus replied, "Marriage is for people here on earth.

1 Peter 3"⁷ In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together.

What a joy to wake up next to my sweet wife this morning.  As our day began we reflected together on how life is passing and how we have been through several seasons together.  There was the season of being young and knowing very little beyond our love for each other.  That was a season of growing up in many ways.  Then there was the season of having babies and discovering so much more about the wonder of life, while continuing to grow together as a couple.  The children grew up, our parents grew older, and we marched through very busy days with huge questions in the background about the wellbeing of our family.  But then...the children became adults themselves...we and they survived their higher education and they eventually married fine men to start their married adventure.  And now it's just the two of us again...like at the beginning.  And the love that drew us near and joined us continues as we explore still new seasons.  In a way it is amazing to realize how much of the river of life we've traveled.  But more amazing yet is the continued closeness we share.  What a great design for life God fashioned in marriage.  It seems to thrive in every season as this life unfolds.

blessings,

Rob Smith

hands

Here are several verses that trace the story of Exodus through the metaphor of the "hand".  The hand represents availability, power to enslave, power to judge, power to deliver, a means of remembering and the provision and protection of God.  Here we see the hands of everyone from Pharaoh to Moses to the people of Israel to God, Himself.  In a way, the hand represents the ultimate expression of belief and conviction as it is transmitted into action!

Exodus 4:² Then the Lord asked him, "What is that in your hand?"

"A shepherd's staff," Moses replied.

Exodus 6 Then the Lord told Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. When he feels the force of my strong hand, he will let the people go. In fact, he will force them to leave his land!"

Exodus 13:⁹ This annual festival will be a visible sign to you, like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead. Let it remind you always to recite this teaching of the Lord: 'With a strong hand, the Lord rescued you from Egypt.'

Exodus 14:¹⁶ Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground.

Exodus 15:12 

You raised your right hand,
    and the earth swallowed our enemies.

Exodus 18:¹⁰ "Praise the Lord," Jethro said, "for he has rescued you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh. Yes, he has rescued Israel from the powerful hand of Egypt!

Exodus 33:¹⁸ Moses responded, "Then show me your glorious presence."

¹⁹ The Lord replied, "I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. ²⁰ But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live." ²¹ The Lord continued, "Look, stand near me on this rock. ²² As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. ²³ Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen."

blessings,

Rob Smith

inside the tent

This week and next (in the Mini Bible College) we are looking at the Tabernacle, or tent of worship, that God instructed the Hebrew people to construct in the wilderness.  The tent and its contents and the processes that took place within all point forward to the coming of Jesus and the work of Jesus on our behalf.   The people needed a way to be "made right" before they could come into the presence of God.  That was true then and it is true now.  God established a process by which people would have a substitionary sacrifice made on their behalf, so that they, themselves, would not have to die for their sins.  Then He cleansed them.  He established the role of a priest to intercede on behalf of the people before God because the people could not take care of this sacrifice or this cleansing by themselves.  He created important pictures for the people to remember: a lampstand to remember the revelation of God that had showed them the way to be restored, an altar of incense to remember the prayers that the priest lifted up before God and the Ark of the Covenant that contained the very presence of God and held important reminders of God's provision and protection for the people to never forget.  Over the course of the wandering of the Hebrew people millions of sacrifices were made for millions of people and they all pointed forward to one great sacrifice made by Jesus for all people.  We are reminded of the greatness of that sacrifice and the singular wonder of its power when we consider all that was accomplished by Jesus, who was not only the sacrifice but the priest who interceded on our behalf.

Hebrews 2:¹⁷ Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.

blessings,

Rob Smith

elaborate and portable

The last several chapters of Exodus are filled with the details of constructing the Tabernacle or tent of worship for the people of Israel.  The Lord gives scores of extremely detailed specifications for the materials and design.  This is the place where sacrifices for sin will be made and where priests will approach God on behalf of the people.  It occurred to me that the magnificent glory of this place, with all its gold and finely woven fabrics, was fashioned in the midst of a desert by a people who tended toward rebellion.  But God not only provided the design, He also prepared skilled craftsman and women and ultimately placed the strong desire in their hearts and spirits to give the materials and dedicate their talents to follow the design and complete the project.  And, as remarkable as this achievement would have been in the most sophisticated city, it was completed in the roughest and wildest of places.  Not only that, but God built "portability" into the design with a tent and with important furnishings like the Ark of the Covenant designed to be folded up or carried from place to place.  If the Tabernacle represents the glorious beauty of God's presence and His plan of forgiveness, it also represents His design to accompany His people in their walk through the wilderness.  Now we who have trusted in the Lord for salvation have become His Temple and all of the wonderful design and glory is carried within our frames as we move through the wilderness of our days.  There is wonder and glory in the desert!

Exodus 31:⁶ "Moreover, I have given special skill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make:

⁷ the Tabernacle;
the Ark of the Covenant;
the Ark's cover—the place of atonement;
all the furnishings of the Tabernacle;
⁸ the table and its utensils;
the pure gold lampstand with all its accessories;
the incense altar;
⁹ the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils;
the washbasin with its stand;
¹⁰ the beautifully stitched garments—the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests;
¹¹ the anointing oil;
the fragrant incense for the Holy Place."

blessings,

Rob Smith

image management

Yesterday, my wife Shirley and I were doing some shopping and strolling around the local outdoor shopping mall.  After finding some running shoes we wandered into a few other stores just to look around.  One particular shop fascinated us.  It specializes in women's purses.  As soon as we entered the store the smell of fine leather washed over us.  My wife explained that many women like to be seen with a purse bearing the name of this store.  I picked up one of the purses and turned it around and looked inside.  It just seemed like a fancy bag to me until I saw the price: $598.  As we wandered through the brightly colored purse displays we saw a number of women excitedly looking over the various styles.  One of the store staff busily was serving potential customers, bringing more purses from the storeroom for them to consider, the way you might consider buying a pair of shoes.  One or two of the ladies in the store was headed for the cashier with several purses to buy.  Shirley asked if I could sense the frenzy and fervor of the customers...I guess I could but all I wanted was to escape and get some fresh air outside the door of the store.  I told her that men certainly have their "hot buttons" too for certain goods, like new cars and sporting goods.  We can put a lot of money into image management and I suppose that these purses have a lot to do with this.  When people in the know see a lady carrying one of these expensive articles they realize that they are seeing someone who either has a lot of money or used to before buying the purse.  It occurred to me that image management is important for the Christian as well.  We are interested in reflecting the image of the indwelling Lord.  Perhaps that is why the Lord gives us both the gifts and the fruit of the Spirit.  Hopefully when we are around others they will realize that they are with someone who is carrying not an expensive purse but a priceless person within...the person of Christ Himself!

Romans 8:¹¹ The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

blessings,

Rob Smith

image management

Yesterday, my wife Shirley and I were doing some shopping and strolling around the local outdoor shopping mall.  After finding some running shoes we wandered into a few other stores just to look around.  One particular shop fascinated us.  It specializes in women's purses.  As soon as we entered the store the smell of fine leather washed over us.  My wife explained that many women like to be seen with a purse bearing the name of this store.  I picked up one of the purses and turned it around and looked inside.  It just seemed like a fancy bag to me until I saw the price: $598.  As we wandered through the brightly colored purse displays we saw a number of women excitedly looking over the various styles.  One of the store staff busily was serving potential customers, bringing more purses from the storeroom for them to consider, the way you might consider buying a pair of shoes.  One or two of the ladies in the store was headed for the cashier with several purses to buy.  Shirley asked if I could sense the frenzy and fervor of the customers...I guess I could but all I wanted was to escape and get some fresh air outside the door of the store.  I told her that men certainly have their "hot buttons" too for certain goods, like new cars and sporting goods.  We can put a lot of money into image management and I suppose that these purses have a lot to do with this.  When people in the know see a lady carrying one of these expensive articles they realize that they are seeing someone who either has a lot of money or used to before buying the purse.  It occurred to me that image management is important for the Christian as well.  We are interested in reflecting the image of the indwelling Lord.  Perhaps that is why the Lord gives us both the gifts and the fruit of the Spirit.  Hopefully when we are around others they will realize that they are with someone who is carrying not an expensive purse but a priceless person within...the person of Christ Himself!

Romans 8:¹¹ The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

blessings,

Rob Smith

10 Commandments

We're reviewing the Ten Commandments tomorrow in MIni Bible class.  I spent a little time mulling them over this morning.  Here are a few thoughts.  If you had to come up with the ten most important rules for living your life what would they be?  Or, put another way, if you were to look at your life and list the ten principles or rules that you live bythe closest, day in and day out, what would those ten important guidelines or principles be?  I think that God gave us the ten most important rules to lead us through our days in the Ten Commandments.  One thing that stands out is that there isn't a whole lot of focus on "self fulfillment", achievement, "self actualization" or ambition.  In fact the Ten Commandments of Exodus 20 seem to guide our thinking and actions away from self and toward God and others.  It seems to be all about key relationships...our strong orientation and focus on God is to be number one and this takes up the first four commandments.  Then we have instructions relating to the other important relationships: our parents, our spouse and our neighbors.  It seems to me that the commandments show that God understands our human tendency to put self at the center and the commandments seek to help us reorient that focus first to God and then to others.  Our worship of the Lord anchors us and our faith so that we are secure and content in our relationship with our parents, our spouse and those we live with.   So, a life that is properly aligned upward and then properly aligned outward will likely be the most fulfilling and pleasing inward.

Matthew 22:³⁴ But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. ³⁵ One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: ³⁶ "Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?"

³⁷ Jesus replied, "'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' ⁴⁰ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments."

blessings,

Rob Smith

going to Heaven

Exodus 19:^{11 "}Be sure they are ready on the third day, for on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai as all the people watch.¹² Mark off a boundary all around the mountain. Warn the people, 'Be careful! Do not go up on the mountain or even touch its boundaries. Anyone who touches the mountain will certainly be put to death. ¹³ No hand may touch the person or animal that crosses the boundary; instead, stone them or shoot them with arrows. They must be put to death.' However, when the ram's horn sounds a long blast, then the people may go up on the mountain."

As the story of Exodus is both history and allegory, or illustration, Mt. Sinai seems to be a picture of Heaven.  We picture Heaven to be high above, difficult to reach, with a commanding view as from a mountain top.  It is also the place where God is.  Chapter 19 adds to this picture some answers about going to Heaven and coming directly into the presence of God.  The boundary that is marked off around the mountain establishes a line that unholy, imperfect men may not cross to reach God.  Those who violate the boundary forfeit their lives.  Access to the mountain top is determined by God and signalled by the blast of the ram's horn.  It is important to remember that we cannot go up the mountain on our own terms.  We must yield to God and His way.  Here is Jesus speaking:

John 10:⁹ Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.  

blessings,

Rob Smith 

detailed instructions

We are working our way through the book of Exodus.  Just reading the book is something like taking a journey that has very different stops along the way.  From chapters 20-30 there is a great deal of specific instruction and commands that come directly from God.  Speaking to Moses on Mt. Sinai, God gives Moses the guidance for personal behavior that we call the Ten Commandments.  He then expands the ten commandments into detailed and very specific laws to regulate property and relationships between people.  God is also extremely detailed and specific in His commands regarding sacrifice, worship and obedience to Himself.  God also gives scores of specific directives regarding the design and construction of the Tabernacle, where priests would come before Him daily to offer sacrifice.  There is a great deal of symbolism in all of this but one observation that I make is that God has very specific plans in mind for our lives and our behavior.  His commands also show that He is an absolutely holy God and cannot be approached lightly, or without cost.  The elaborate instructions for the Tabernacle made obedience a focused and intense process that called for a significant outlay of time and attention.  It is a good lesson for us that our walk with God is not a light thing.  It calls for a commitment of time and attention.  We have a tendency to go our own way and, perhaps, the commands and laws of Exodus are a detailed reminder that there is another way to go, the way that comes from our own Mt. Sinai in Heaven.

Exodus 20 Then God gave the people all these instructions:

² "I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.

³ "You must not have any other god but me.

blessings,

Rob Smith

the majority and the crowd

Exodus 23:² "You must not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you are called to testify in a dispute, do not be swayed by the crowd to twist justice."

In our country, and in many democracies around the world, the will of the majority is taken as the sure sign of direction that the land should take.  But following the majority can become the same as following the crowd, as stated above.  The issue is not the will of the many but the instruction of the one true God.  The crowd is only to be followed when the crowd is doing right and not when it is doing wrong.  Polls and surveys cannot be the final word.  The decisions of courts cannot be the final word.  The laws passed by a majority of representatives cannot be the final word.  The news reports and opinion pages of the media cannot be the final word.  God has the final word when it comes to what is right.  The crowd only has the leverage of loudness and mutual reinforcement.  We must go to God individually to align with the right and true because the only majority that matters among men is one plus the Lord.  This is courage...to be willing to stand with the minority, or even alone, in alignment with what is right.

blessings,

Rob Smith

3 festivals

Exodus 23:¹⁴ "Each year you must celebrate three festivals in my honor.¹⁵ First, celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast, just as I commanded you. Celebrate this festival annually at the appointed time in early spring, in the month of Abib, for that is the anniversary of your departure from Egypt. No one may appear before me without an offering.

¹⁶ "Second, celebrate the Festival of Harvest, when you bring me the first crops of your harvest.

"Finally, celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the harvest season, when you have harvested all the crops from your fields."

We learn that God instructed the people of Israel to celebrate three festivals each year from Exodus 23.  Each one seems to be a picture of important transformations in the lives of people individually and perhaps for major events in the Lord's timetable of eternity.  The Festival of Unleavened Bread marks the historical departure of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt.  This seems to also be a picture of our personal salvation and perhaps of the coming of Jesus to deliver.  The Festival of Harvest marks the annual harvest and seems to picture fruitfulness in personal believers' lives as well as the building of the church through the harvest of souls across the generations.  The Festival of Final Harvest remembers how God has a plan to provide following the final harvest and seems to picture the transition to Heaven for the believer at the end of his days and the coming eternal rule of God that follows the completed church at the end of time.  It is apparently good and necessary to turn our thanks to God for the great works of redemption, fruitfulness and restoration that He has planned and is carrying out, first for Israel and then for the Church that we would ultimately know His plan is being carried out!

blessings,

Rob Smith

outrunning God

So, we've been away for a week on vacation and I'm facing a lot of "catch up" at work today.  But for some reason, as I exercised this morning, my reaction to that was to relax.  I decided to concentrate on the fact that God will accompany me throughout the day, step by step, as long as I don't try to outrun Him.  If I race ahead and try to anticipate everything that needs to be done and then try to do about five things simultaneously there won't be a good result.  So I'll let my multitasking God (who is also all knowing, all powerful and absolutely present) to order my day.  As we walk through the list of things that have shown up in the "in basket" and as we tackle the emerging issues of the new day and week, we'll walk with Him and lean on Him to show up in our thoughts.  It is so wonderful to have this all powerful God to guide this limited and linear human being.   As I continued to exercise and listened to the book of Exodus through my phone I heard this encouraging passage: 

Exodus 23:²⁰ "See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you. ²¹ Pay close attention to him, and obey his instructions.....²³ For my angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, so you may live there."

blessings,

Rob Smith