Sabbaths

Say to the Israelites, “You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.”                     Exodus 31.13

God showed the way. He created the heavens and the earth in six days and He ceased work and rested on the seventh day. He called this day the Sabbath.

The Sabbath is not a throwaway day. It is not on optional extra. The whole of creation leads to the Sabbath. Humanity, and everything else in the created order, was brought into being so that it might rest in and enjoy the Lord.

Here God institutes the Sabbath for celebration as a lasting covenant (v.16). It is to be entered into seriously, and not lightly. The Sabbath is a personal invitation to relax with God, and experience His touch of holiness.

Lord God,

I am realising, more and more, what a privilege it is to rest in You. I hear Your words, Be still and know that I am God, and I rejoice. I do know You, Lord, and this is exciting. Of course, I should like to know You more, and I will not let go of this. I will press in. I will come closer. I say, Lord, may I partake of a Sabbath rest with You?

I’m here, Lord, here to celebrate with You. I offer myself to that rest that restores and renews as I relax and let go to You.

May the peace of Jesus enfold me. May the power that comes with His peace be with me. In myself I am nothing, but in You I find all that I need. Lord, lead me into Your Sabbath rest, in Jesus’ Name I ask.                                                                                                             Amen.

The work finished

Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.                            Exodus 40.34

Great rejoicing! The Tent of Meeting has been completed and set up, and God has arrived in power. What celebrations ensued.

I note with interest the sentence before the verse I have quoted: And so Moses finished the work (v.33). It was after Moses had done all that God had asked of him that God’s presence was powerfully experienced. I know God is able to do anything and He’s not dependent upon, nor confined by, our completion of the work He gives us before He will bless us with His presence. But it does encourage me to want, even more, to be obedient to all that He asks or requires of me.

A further aspect comes to me from the verses that complete the Book of Exodus. The cloud of the presence of God that covered the Tent of Meeting determined all that the Israelites did (at least for a season!). When the cloud lifted from the tabernacle, the Israelites would move on. And they would wait for God’s indication before they set out. God was ever present with them. Through the cloud by day and the fire by night, God was with Israel during all their travels.

So, what do I want? As if it’s up to me! Yet I can dream, and desire, and pray.

Firstly, I want to be obedient to God. I would dearly like it said, of me, as of Moses, that I finished the work. I want firstly to be and also to do all that God would of me.

I desire and seek God’s presence. As He was with the Israelites in all things, I, likewise, want always to live in relationship and intimacy with Him. Out of this I seek, and expect, His leading in all that I do. The Lord God led the Israelites constantly in, and through, the wilderness. As long as they were focused on Him, He led them – everywhere. O, may this be for me! Holy Father, lead me on, in Your way.

Lord God, Heavenly Dad,

I want to undertake and complete all that You would have of me. I want to be, and do, what You want. May I, in the course of my life here on earth, finish the work You have for me, and be the person You want me to be. I want to do nothing without You. The cloud, and the movement of the cloud was a sign for the Israelites. I ask also for clear signs from You in what I am to do. I desire to see Your glory operate in my life. This in nothing of me but everything of You. Hear my prayer. Know my heart. Let Your heavenly will be done on earth.

                                                                                                                                           Amen

Full interaction

Moses did as the LORD commanded him, and the assembly gathered at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.                                                       Lev. 8.4

As the Scriptures read there is much evidence of Moses in constant interaction with the Lord. Moses meets with God regularly and participates in meaningful conversation with Him. What a wonderful picture this gives me of a man’s relationship with God.

But, having spoken with and listened to God, Moses then obeys. Moses, more so than the Israelites in general, is obedient to what God asks of him. In this instance, however, the whole assembly is in accord with the Lord’s wishes. I am reminded of Psalm 133: when brothers live in unity – there the Lord bestows His blessing.

How blessed Moses was to enjoy God’s friendship, to fellowship and converse with Him, and to be committed to obeying Him.

Lord God,

My prayer today is to ask, humbly but in faith, for some of the things that Moses knew in his life.

I ask, Lord, for a deeper relationship with You. I dare to believe that I might become Your friend. My request is urgent, and insistent. I will not rest until I am close to You. I am nothing without You. I look to You to make me everything You would have me be.

I pray that I may “abide” in You. Lord, let me live in constant communion with You. Speak to me. Converse with me. Show me Your ways. Share of Your secrets with me. Delight in me and lead me into delight in You. Know my love and enjoy it.

Please let me be obedient. I can do all things when You are in me. I acknowledge the presence of Your Holy Spirit in me, and I ask for more. Lord, I want more of You. I seek a life filled to overflowing with Your blessing. I look for Your leading every step of the way. Let me live to do Your will. Hear my prayer, my urgent plea. Fulfil me, Lord, in Jesus’ Name I pray.

                                                                                                                                            Amen.

In this way

In this way the priest will make atonement for them (the whole Israelite community), and they will be forgiven.           Lev. 4.20

In this way the priest will make atonement for the man’s (leader) sin, and he will be forgiven.                                                          Lev. 4.26

In this way the priest will make atonement for him (a member of the community), and he will be forgiven.                                                      Lev. 4.31 & also 35

The priest himself was liable to sin and was required to bring a sin offering to the Lord (Lev. 4.3). The priest also “processed” the sin offerings of all other members of the community. The priest was the link between man and God. Every time a sin was discovered, atonement had to be offered by means of a sin offering presented to God through the priest. Thousands of offerings were likely made during the period covered by the Old Testament.

Then God brought change. When Christ came into the world He said:

Here I am, I have come to do your will...

And by that will we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Heb. 10.9,10).

The perfect sacrifice purifies all who will confess it. Christ is the way.

Lord God,

Hallelujah! And thanksgiving. Thank You, Lord for the most amazing gift of forgiveness, reconciliation and eternal life that You have made available to me through Your own supreme sacrifice. I accept and I receive. I rejoice in the new life I have in You. I am a new creation. Hallelujah!

Please lead me forward in this new life and further into You. I have been set free from the old and I thank You. O, how I thank You. May I now receive the fullness of the new life in You and the fullness of Christ in me. Thank You, Lord.                                                           Amen.

Not happy

Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.       Exodus 5.23

Moses is speaking to God, and he is not a happy chappie. He is not happy with God. He is in the poo, and it’s all God’s fault.

Moses was most reluctant to undertake God’s mission for him in the first place. And now it is patently not working as he would like it. I know that as I read further into this saga I will see that it gets a whole lot worse before it gets any better. Yet this was the start of the great Exodus – the deliverance of God’s people out of captivity, the fore-runner of the wonderful deliverance that is available to everyone by salvation in Christ. And, just as the Israelites in Egypt were subjected to certain experiences, parallels can be seen in the lives of many pilgrims today. In his blunt speech to God, Moses identifies two issues that may well occur in the experience of today’s believer.

The first is the negative response encountered when speaking to non-believers in God’s name. Moses was commissioned to speak to Pharaoh, the highest authority in the land, and all he got was trouble. Yet, he was fully in God’s plan. It will help me, to remember that I might experience negative reaction, even trouble, when I speak to unbelievers about Jesus. It is important, therefore, that I commit any and all such initiatives into God’s hands, seeking His guidance as I go.

The second point made by Moses is that God has not rescued your people at all. The plan seemed reasonably clear. Moses was commissioned, however reluctantly, by God to approach Pharaoh for the release of the Israelites. Moses has done his bit, and all that’s ensued is trouble for everyone. Clearly God has let them down, and Moses tells Him so.

God’s response is to remind Moses who He is.

God also said to Moses, “I am the LORD.” (Exod. 6.2)

Therefore (because of my covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), say to the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians...I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God...And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.’ ” (Exod. 6.6-8)

Surely the point is that God is God. Nothing is impossible, and what He says He will do – He will most certainly do. But the timing will be His. Moses and the Israelites experienced much trouble and hardship before they enjoyed the Promised Land. Yet, through all their wilderness wanderings, God was with them every step of the way.

And so it is for me. God has a plan for me. He has, from time to time, declared something of His plan. My part is to trust Him, to receive His Word and accept it as truth, to let Him know that I believe fully and totally in Him.

Lord God,

I thank You for this word. I am tempted to follow Solomon and say there is nothing new under the sun, for surely the situations and circumstances that I struggle with have all been seen, perhaps in different guises, before.

I rejoice that You have a plan for my life, and I surrender myself totally to Your plan. I thank You for the insights You have given me from time to time. I receive every prophetic word You have sent to me. I hold to them believing that You have spoken and will outwork, in due course, everything that You have said. Whatever might appear in the physical, I choose to believe that Your full and perfect plan will come to pass in my life.

I declare You are my Lord. You are the one I worship and adore. I offer up my full allegiance to You. I willingly give You my life. I want only for Your will to be outworked in me.

Glorious Lord, I love You and thank You for the love You have for me. Lead me in love, in Jesus’ Name I ask.                                                                                                          Amen.