Here's the Sidra we discussed:
Parashat Hashavuah
Ki Tisa "When you take"
Torah : Exodus 30:11-34:35
Haftarah : 1 Kings 18:1-39
Gospel : Mark 13-14
It seems to me this is a higher point in the narrative than even the 10 commandments ceremony. It comes after the highest high and the lowest low. God is tenderly dealing with Moses here ...and reveals more of who he is.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
God's 13 attributes
Last night at Bible study, we made it through three lessons; two previous weeks of bad weather had kept us apart. It was wonderful to get back together to share our lives and what we’re learning from God’s very words in the Torah. We discussed Exodus 25-31. This is post the 10 commandments and the high point of Israel pledging to be God’s people. Right after that, a dark episode happens. They turn their energy and devotion not to their creator, but to an idol they constructed. God is not pleased, to say the least. As punishment, Moses grinds up the golden calf and makes them drink it. Not everyone survives.
It’s at this point God reveals who he really is to Moses.
Moses and God are in dialogue here in Exodus 33:
“12 Moses said to the LORD, "You have been telling me, 'Lead these people,' but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, 'I know you by name and you have found favor with me.' 13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”
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. 20 But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."
And God puts Moses in the cleft of the rock and reveals his nature.
Listen to who God is (Exodus 33):
“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."”
God is loving and forgiving even though he is just.
And we have Jesus, our high priest, who took the punishment for us ... And connects us to God.
My favorite passage from Hebrews 10:
“18And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. 19Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
God is a just and holy God, but he also loves his people. Jesus serves as the intermediary between us and God’s justice that we can’t meet. What encouraging words. Lord, help us to draw near to you and hold to this hope.
It’s at this point God reveals who he really is to Moses.
Moses and God are in dialogue here in Exodus 33:
“12 Moses said to the LORD, "You have been telling me, 'Lead these people,' but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, 'I know you by name and you have found favor with me.' 13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”
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. 20 But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."
And God puts Moses in the cleft of the rock and reveals his nature.
Listen to who God is (Exodus 33):
“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."”
God is loving and forgiving even though he is just.
And we have Jesus, our high priest, who took the punishment for us ... And connects us to God.
My favorite passage from Hebrews 10:
“18And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. 19Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
God is a just and holy God, but he also loves his people. Jesus serves as the intermediary between us and God’s justice that we can’t meet. What encouraging words. Lord, help us to draw near to you and hold to this hope.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Christ and the tabernacle
It's about time that I return to posting. We've had trouble assembling the group. Jackie is in Florida and Joyce is in Arizona. Plus, the weather's been horrible and Aaron is moving. But still...we solider on. The Torah cycle continues!
Last week was an off week for us, so now we're reading:
Terumah : "Heave offering"
Torah : Exodus 25-27:19
Haftarah : 1 Kings 5:2-6:13
Gospel : Mark 10-11
Tetzaveh - "You shall command"
Torah : Exodus 27:20-30:10
Haftarah : Ezekiel 43:10-27
Gospel : Mark 12
These two sidra delve deeply into the tabernacle and the priesthood. Of course the illusions to Christ are manifold.
Tabernacle:
John 1:14...and the Word became flesh and tabernacled with us...
God instructs Moses to build a tabernacle ... a copy of what is in heaven. Why does heaven have a tabernacle? I have no idea what the answer is to that. But it's really clear that Jesus dwells with us...and he is anointed with the Spirit of God.
And God dwells in us too. The Israelites had to go to a building to worship God...and we God dwelling within us. We are the temple. Does that change how we live? It should!!
The Ark:
God also tells Moses to build the ark, the earthly throne of God. Just as God spoke to Moses from atop the ark (the mercy seat), Jesus speaks God's word to us. The angels look at the ark ... as the angels look at the throne of God in heaven.
The Menorah:
This one is clear; Jesus is the light of the world.
The veil:
When Jesus was crucified, the veil in the temple was rent; access was granted to God like never before.
In Tetzaveh, we see how Jesus is the Messiah Priest, Priest in the Order of Melchizedek, and the Intercessor.
There are many types of priests, and many types are listed in the Bible. We learn about the Egyptian priests, Melchizedek and Jethro, and the Aaronic priests. Jesus is the priest...but not in the same way that Aaron and the other cohenim are. Did you know that Aaron's turbin had the name of God engraved in God on it? It's God's authority of the priesthood. And the common people are told to bind the words of God on their hands and foreheads.
"There will no longer be any curse: and the throne of God and the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His fame, and His name will be on their foreheads." Rev. 22:3-4
Jesus is a priest...he is a Messiah Priest, priest over the heavenly temple. And he "ever lives and pleads for me."
Again, I return to the song Before the Throne of God Above
"Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart."
An we have another thread in the tapestry of God being our God and we being His people. The Tabernacle reminds us that God dwells with us...and we're they're with him.
Even so come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Last week was an off week for us, so now we're reading:
Terumah : "Heave offering"
Torah : Exodus 25-27:19
Haftarah : 1 Kings 5:2-6:13
Gospel : Mark 10-11
Tetzaveh - "You shall command"
Torah : Exodus 27:20-30:10
Haftarah : Ezekiel 43:10-27
Gospel : Mark 12
These two sidra delve deeply into the tabernacle and the priesthood. Of course the illusions to Christ are manifold.
Tabernacle:
John 1:14...and the Word became flesh and tabernacled with us...
God instructs Moses to build a tabernacle ... a copy of what is in heaven. Why does heaven have a tabernacle? I have no idea what the answer is to that. But it's really clear that Jesus dwells with us...and he is anointed with the Spirit of God.
And God dwells in us too. The Israelites had to go to a building to worship God...and we God dwelling within us. We are the temple. Does that change how we live? It should!!
The Ark:
God also tells Moses to build the ark, the earthly throne of God. Just as God spoke to Moses from atop the ark (the mercy seat), Jesus speaks God's word to us. The angels look at the ark ... as the angels look at the throne of God in heaven.
The Menorah:
This one is clear; Jesus is the light of the world.
The veil:
When Jesus was crucified, the veil in the temple was rent; access was granted to God like never before.
In Tetzaveh, we see how Jesus is the Messiah Priest, Priest in the Order of Melchizedek, and the Intercessor.
There are many types of priests, and many types are listed in the Bible. We learn about the Egyptian priests, Melchizedek and Jethro, and the Aaronic priests. Jesus is the priest...but not in the same way that Aaron and the other cohenim are. Did you know that Aaron's turbin had the name of God engraved in God on it? It's God's authority of the priesthood. And the common people are told to bind the words of God on their hands and foreheads.
"There will no longer be any curse: and the throne of God and the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His fame, and His name will be on their foreheads." Rev. 22:3-4
Jesus is a priest...he is a Messiah Priest, priest over the heavenly temple. And he "ever lives and pleads for me."
Again, I return to the song Before the Throne of God Above
"Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart."
An we have another thread in the tapestry of God being our God and we being His people. The Tabernacle reminds us that God dwells with us...and we're they're with him.
Even so come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Continuing on
Terumah : תרומה : - “Heave offering”
Torah : Exodus 25:1–27:19
Haftarah : 1 Kings 5:26–6:13
Gospel : Mark 10–11
We're contining in the part of Exodus where the narrative has ground to a halt, but there is something more important going here. The Bible is not, essentially, a novel. It is a book of Salvation.
"We receive all these books and these only as holy and canonical, for the regulating, founding, and establishing of our faith."
The Belgic Confession
I am planning on reading this text...I'll see what insights are contained within the study notes and the text itself. I really want to get back to posting.
Torah : Exodus 25:1–27:19
Haftarah : 1 Kings 5:26–6:13
Gospel : Mark 10–11
We're contining in the part of Exodus where the narrative has ground to a halt, but there is something more important going here. The Bible is not, essentially, a novel. It is a book of Salvation.
"We receive all these books and these only as holy and canonical, for the regulating, founding, and establishing of our faith."
The Belgic Confession
I am planning on reading this text...I'll see what insights are contained within the study notes and the text itself. I really want to get back to posting.
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