End of Exodus into Leviticus Recap

Let's finish Exodus.
Exodus 37-40: The Ark, the Table, the Lampstand, and the Altar of Incense were built exactly the way God had instructed them to make it. Also the Altar of Burnt Offering, Basin for Washing and the Courtyard were done too. They used all the materials the God also instructed them to use. They followed directions. How often do you follow directions? Do you read them or do you listen to what someone is directing you to do? It's easier to read them then to follow what someone tells you. They also made the Priestly Garments: the Ephod, Breastpiece and other priestly garments. Moses inspected the Tabernacle and everything in it and for it. The Lord told Moses to set up the Tabernacle, place everything where it is suppose to go and consecrate everything, including Aaron and his sons. A cloud covered the Tent of Meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. When the cloud lifted they could travel and when it didn't they had to stay where they were.

Leviticus 1-10: This is one of the hardest books to understand. I have read further then 10 but for now that's what I'll just blog too. If you're anything like me, when my brain reads things that are hard to understand, it just shuts down and screams "SIMPLE, SIMPLE, just make it simple!" So we'll just shorten this overview and to the best that I can explain it.

Leviticus was written to the Levities specifically and to the Israelites in general. It addresses religious issues of worship, sacrificial system and people's responsibility to maintain moral and ceremonial holiness--a requirement for the worship of God.

So here are where we learn the different kinds of offering and what is to be offered.

Burnt Offering: use bull, ram, or male bird (dove or young pigeon for the poor), wholly consumed, no defect: Voluntary act of worship, atonement for unintentional sin in general.

Grain Offering: use grain, fine flour, olive oil, incense, baked bread, cakes or wafers without yeast, salt, no honey: Voluntary act of worship, recognition of God's goodness and provisions.

Fellowship Offering: any animal without defect from herd or flock, variety of breads: Voluntary act of worship, thanksgiving and fellowship.

Sin Offering: young bull for high priest and congregation; male goat for leader; female goat or lamb for common person; dove or pigeon for the poor; tenth of an ephah of fine flour for the very poor: mandatory atonement for specific unintentional sin, confession of sin, forgiveness of sin, cleansing from defilement.

Guilt Offering: ram: mandatory atonement for unintentional sin requiring restitution, cleansing from defilement, making restitution.

That's just a shorten version that is in my Bible. The priests do a lot of the act of the offering. That would be laying of the hands on the heads, sprinkling of the blood and so forth.

They were not to allowed to eat the fat of the animals or eat the blood (another words meat is to be well done) or they would be cut off from their people.

The Priests get part of some of these offerings. Part of the offerings are sacrificed and the other part the priests are allowed to keep, some have to be eaten that day no later.

Aaron and his sons are ordained to their priesthood. On the 8th day after ordination Aaron and his sons and elders did all the offerings that we went over.

Two of Aaron's sons were killed by God for they didn't follow instructions, which I could understand if they were confused or couldn't remember them all. They offered an unauthorized fire before the Lord. Their cousins had to remove them to the outside of the camp. Aaron and his other sons couldn't not mourn them, only the community. They were still being ordained and the Lord would kill them to if they didn't continue their journey into priesthood. Aaron and his sons can't drink wine or anything fermented when they are in the Tent of Meeting.

Their job is to distinguish between holy and common, unclean and clean and teach all decrees besides doing all the offerings. I don't think I could live in this time period. So thankful that Jesus Christ was the last sacrificial attonement for all of us so we don't have to do all these steps to get forgiven for our sins. Thank you Lord for sending the one and only Lamb of God.

Exodus 25-36 Recap

So I left off with Exodus 24 for to me it was a lot of info to absorb. And now we continue onward as they say.

Exodus 25: In order to make the Tabernacle, The Ark, and other furnishings, they needed supplies so the Lord told Moses to bring offerings to Him. Those offerings are gold, silver, bronze, blue, purple, scarlet yarns, fine linen, goat hair, ram skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood, olive oil, spices, fragrant incense, onyx and other gems. When they made the Ark and Table they used; acacia wood overlaid with gold, gold rings, gold mouldings. The Cherubims and lampstand is made of hammered gold and all plates, dishes, etc.... made with pure gold.

Exodus 26: The Tabernacle is also use acacia wood overlaid with gold, gold rings. Cross bars are overlaid with gold too. Then there are curtains made of goat hair, loops and bronze clasps. The frames that are made with acacia wood stand in silver bases. There is also curtains made blue, purple, scarlet, and finely twisted linen. There is to be cherubim worked into it. They hang on gold hooks.

Exodus 27: Altar of Burnt Offerings: again made of acacia wood with 4 horns all overlaid with bronze. All utensils are made of bronze. There is to be a courtyard that will have curtains made of finely twisted linen on posts, with bronze bases and silver hooks and silver bands. Entrance to courtyard will have a curtain made of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted line with embroidery. The oil for the lampstand is made of pressed olives.

Exodus 28: Aaron and his sons are to have priestly garments. The Ephod and Breastpiece are made of gold, blue, purple, scarlet yarn and finely twisted lines. They will have gem stones put on them. There are to be gold filigree settings, braided chains of pure gold. The robe of the ephod is of blue cloth, pomegranates of blue, purple, scarlet yarn, gold bells too. A plate if made of pure gold with engraving on it and will be on the turban. Tunics are of fine linen, so is the turban. Sash is made by embroider. There are to be tunics, sashes and headbands for Aaron's sons. Undergarments are to be made too.

Exodus 29: The priests are to be consecrated. Young bulls and rams without defect, fine wheat flour without yeast for bread and cakes mixed with oil and wafers. Dress Aaron in his garments and anoint him at the entrance of Tent Meeting. Bring bread and cakes in basket with bulls and rams too. Then the rest of the process of consecration. There's a lot to go in to for the instructions of consecrating. My mind just stumbles through it and I still look at it and think "huh?". I think I would be one of those people that would say repeat it to me again and again. May have to draw pictures for me too.

Exodus 30: Altar of Incense is also made of acacia wood, with horns and overlaid with pure gold, gold rings, poles of gold. Aaron must burn incense in the morning and at dusk every day. Atonement money is when a census is taken. (which this year the census will happen) Money must be paid by each person as a ransom for his life to the Lord. A basin is to be made of bronze with a bronze stand. Anointing oil is made from fine spices: liquid myrrh, cinnamon, fragrant cane, cassia. Incense: fragrant spices: gum resin, onycha and galbanum and frankincense.

Exodus 31: Bezalel and Oholiab are filled with the Spirit of God, with skills, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts. There are other craftsman who were given skills too. The Sabbath must be observed, so no work is to be done.

Exodus 32: So while Moses was on the mountain which was 40 days and 40 nights the people started to get restless. They approached Aaron and asked him to make them gods who will go before them. Aaron asked for their gold jewelry and he made a gold calf. The people said "these are your gods." I don't think I would be a part of that crowd after seeing what God himself can do. Anyways they built an altar in front of the calf. The next day they held a festival. The Lord told Moses to go down to the people for they have become corrupt. God was angry. Moses returned to the people with the Tablets. Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and he threw down the Tablets and broke them. He burned the calf to the ground. The Levites did as Moses said and killed about 3000 people and now they are set apart. Moses said he would go to the Lord to make atonement. The Lord told Moses he would blot out those who sinned against him from the book. There will be punishment when it's time.

Exodus 33: Moses and the people were to leave this place and go to the land the Lord promised but the Lord wasn't going to go. Moses made a make shift Tent of Meeting outside the camp. The people all watched Moses go in the tent and when the cloud came down around it, they worshiped the Lord, each at their own tent entrance. Moses talked with the Lord and the Lord's presence will go with him. The Lord said he would do the very thing that Moses asked. Moses asked God to show his glory, and God covered him with his hand so he can pass in front of him. Moses wasn't allowed to see his face, but he go to see God's back.

Exodus 34: New Tablets of the Law and Commandments were made. A covenant was made with Moses and God. He will drive the other people out of the land the Lord promise them. And they were not to make any treaties with those people nor bow down to their gods. They are to celebrate those Festavil as planned, work 6 days rest on the 7th and so on and Moses was to write all this down. When Moses came out of the tent his face was radiant. The people saw his face. Moses had to wear a veil except when he spoke to God.

Exodus 35 and 36: Now the materials were gathered for the Tabernacle and Bezalel and Oholiab taught people certain skills so they can get this built. So everything was made for the Tabernacle. The craftsman told Moses there was to much stuff so Moses had the people stop bringing it. So instead of going back into detail of building the Tabernacle, I will show you a picture of what it should look like from the instructions told a few chapters ago. There was to much materials so Moses had the people stop bring it.










Now with only a few more chapters left, I'll do those a bit later before we get into Leviticus, which again is the one book in the Bible that I definitely stumble through and is probably my least favorite book of the Bible. I hope this picture of the Tabernacle gives you an idea of how maybe it was suppose to look according to God's instructions.

Butterfly Circus

If you have time, watch this short film, it's about 20 minutes long. The man that plays the part of Wil is a man that has no limbs. His name is Nick Vujicic. I have seen this man and some of our youth at my church has seen him and heard him speak at a YEC youth conference a few years ago. This man God is using amazingly. This film is about hope and transformation of lives. The same way God gives us hope and transforms our lives. Please take time to watch it.