Details ... Hello?

“And I have personally appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special skill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make:
the Tabernacle;
the Ark of the Covenant;
the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement;
all the furnishings of the Tabernacle;
the table and its utensils;
the pure gold lampstand with all its accessories;
the incense altar;
the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils;
the washbasin with its stand;
the beautifully stitched garments—the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests;
the anointing oil;
the fragrant incense for the Holy Place.
The craftsmen must make everything as I have commanded you.”  Exodus 31:6-11

I was born again when I was given the humbled opportunity to write devotions over fifteen years ago.  However, God has intentionally been with me all my life.  I’m aware of this now, and while I marvel at the plans He has for my life, I love to look back to recognize the level of detail He instructed me with even when I did not even know.  One of those moments is His introducing me to a man who I realize now was my first spiritual mentor.

Rev. Dr. Frederick G. Sampson was a pastor of one of the largest churches in Detroit, and he took an interest in me because my mother had attended there shortly after I started college and a decade before I gave my life to Christ.  He had a gift of simplifying who God was, and while never a member of his church, I would often go to hear him speak.  He was indeed a scholar of God’s word, and his sermons were both meticulously delivered and never boring.  Imagine listening to someone for well over an hour as a teenager and never being bored.  The one thing that I loved about his sermons was the way he ensured a point was not missed by doing this subtle 3-5 second pause after a statement and then saying, “Hello?”  Then he would repeat it again as the congregation roared its approval confirming they did not lose sight of the details being said in the lesson.

God’s attention to detail ensures we can see His path for us.  In the journey of Moses, today’s scripture is from the middle of the 31^st chapter, which is seven chapters past my last devotion.  Why?  The entire 25^th through 30^th chapters is devoted to specific instructions on building the Ark of the Covenant between God and Israel and additional construction.  It is fascinating reading because of the depth and detail of what God wanted.  From types of offerings for the Tabernacle (Side note: my mentor’s church was Tabernacle Missionary Baptist), the materials and measurements of the Ark, the clothing to be worn by priest and its material, and even to the ingredients of the anointing oil, God made clear His intention not only for what was to happen then but also to foretell the future mentioning Joshua and his children prominently in His plans.  Needless to say, this was not haphazard production.  It was God showing His wealth of knowledge and dominion over His Kingdom and people.  The verses today are the culmination of those instructions noting He even blessed individuals with the talents to be used for His will to be done.  Details.  Tons of details.  I can appreciate that thinking how it took me a full day to build an entertainment center the first time.  I thought I knew where something fit without reading the instructions carefully only to find I needed to disassemble it because I missed a detail.  God often gives us instruction through His word, and we might have to correct ourselves because we missed a detail and God taps us on the shoulder saying, “No.  This way.”  As a person who focuses on the big picture, I’m grateful to His level of detail that keeps me focused on Him and His plans as well.

God perfects the imperfections in our lives to ensure His instructions are followed.  We are not always great in following them, but we have someone who intercedes for us in Jesus Christ to straighten things out.  When speaking of the coming of Christ, John The Baptist said:

Every valley shall be filled
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough ways smooth;
And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.  Luke 3:5-6 (NKJV)

Thus, while we may make mistakes, we trust in Christ for he is the perfecter of our faith.  Let us focus more on God, His word, and walking closer to Him in our faith.  What instruction might you be ignoring today?  Who can mentor you when God’s instruction doesn’t make sense?  My prayer is we are both sensitive and aware of God’s attention to detail in guiding us righteously.  Hello?  Amen.  😊

Thursday Devotional - Imperfect Picture

The Old Testament tabernacle, temple and sacrificial system were all put in place as a representation of Heaven and foreshadow of what Christ would do to give us access to Heaven. It was a picture of what was to come. It wasn’t a perfect picture, because the sacrifices didn’t really pay for our sins and the priests couldn’t forgive.

Hebrews 9:1-3, 7-9 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. ² A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. ³ Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place… But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. ⁸ The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. ⁹ This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper.

God’s specific details, long-term plans, and creativity never ceases to amaze me!!! He had His plan of redemption planned out well before giving Moses the Law, before calling Abraham, and before flooding the world. He even gave hints of His plan to Adam and Eve after they sinned (Genesis 3). He knew we couldn’t do anything to pay for our own sins. He knew we couldn’t do anything to earn forgiveness and bring about restoration. He had to do it all, and do it all He did!  

Have you ever gone on a trip and been blown away by the beauty you saw? It was far better than the pictures you saw online ahead of time. The pictures didn’t do it justice. Similarly, let’s experience and appreciate the benefits of the new covenant with direct access to God and true forgiveness!     

Alice

Thurs Devo: Gift Management

 In addition to our local churches, there are also so many wonderful Christian organizations furthering the cause of Christ in the world. We have so many different ways we can give to God’s work. The Israelites in Moses’ day didn’t have near as many choices or opportunities. Most of their financial gifts were to one place – the Tent of Meeting (Tabernacle).

Numbers 18:21 and 24       ²¹ “I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting. ²⁴ …I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the Lord. That is why I said concerning them: ‘They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.’”

Just like our tithe at church goes toward the living expenses of our church leadership, the tithe of the Israelites went toward the expenses of the priests and Levites who did all the work at the tabernacle.

Sometimes I wonder if my gift is being used most effectively. However, it struck me that God didn’t tell the Israelites not to give their tithe if the Levites weren’t doing their job efficiently. He gave no caveat. The Israelites were to give to the Levites and the Levites were to give a tenth of that back to God. No exceptions!

Numbers 18:25-29   ²⁵ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁶ “Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering. ²⁷ Your offering will be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing floor or juice from the winepress. ²⁸ In this way you also will present an offering to the Lord from all the tithes you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give the Lord’s portion to Aaron the priest. ²⁹ You must present as the Lord’s portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.’  

Giving is an act of worship and obedience to God. The gift belongs to the Lord. If we try to micro-manage how our gifts are used, then we probably aren’t giving from our heart in true worship of God. God will hold the recipients accountable for the use of our gifts.

How will you and I prepare to give cheerfully, in sincere worship and obedience to God? After prayerfully considering where and how God would have us give, we can leave the rest in His hands!    

Alice