February 14, 2010, Exodus 37:1-38:31, Matthew 28:1-20, Psalm 34:11-22, Proverbs 9:9-10

Happy Valentine's Day. Let's talk about Love.

Heavenly Father. We wish to bask in your love as we ponder your word today. May our love for you and for one another be evident as we share those insights you have shared with us. Amen.

Response to Exodus 37:1-38:31

A very important man! Remember the name. Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, son of Caleb, son of Hezron, son of Perez, son of Judah, son of Israel. (see I Chronicles 2:1-20).  He was of the tribe of Judah, not of the tribe of Levi.   From Matthew 1:2-3 and Luke 3:33-34, we can see that Ram (greek aram or Arni) and Caleb were sons of Hezron.  Ram (Arni) was an ancestor of David, Joseph, and Mary. And you thought those geneologies weren't important!

We met Bezalel in Exodus 31:1 when God appointed him to supervise the construction.  Oholiab of the tribe of Dan was his associate providing craftsmanship, design, and embroidering (see Exodus 38:23). Exodus 31 says that God had inspired  Bezalel with ability, intelligence, knowledge, and all craftsmanship to design and work the plans.  In addition, God had inspired all able men with ability to make all He had commanded.  

I have often wondered why scripture repeats itself.  However, knowing there were no printing presses, and much knowledge was learned through memorization, perhaps learning it twice is better than learning it once.  Also, this drives home the fact that the people performed the work exactly as they were instructed by God.  In addition, as we read the library of knowledge within the Bible, we are able to compare writings.  Perhaps there is a reason God would have us read the same story two times with conflicting thoughts or facts to realize these stories were written by men inspired by God, but the Bible was not to be used as an idol.  Then again, perhaps as some have led us to believe, there is a puzzle involved to confuse the majority of mankind and allow only the smartest puzzle solvers to figure it out.  I think not (although such puzzles may certainly exist).  I think God will speak to you every time you open this book and each story will touch our lives in a different way each time no matter how much thought and study we put into it.  I am concerned however that deep theology scares many people away - and is absolutely not necessary to hear God through his word.

One final thought on the repetition of this passage is this.  Not every one of us is able to see inside the tabernacle and certainly not into the Holy of Holies. Neither was every Jewish person.  Therefore, the student or reader of the Bible has the chance to see inside through this reading multiple times to instill a strong memory of how God made these people holy. I enjoy having to read about cubits and handbreadths and having to see commentaries as it causes me to slow down and reflect on how this all looked.

A word of caution to those who are not reading through the whole Bible: Be careful when considering exclusionary theologies based on sections of scripture without reading the whole Bible.  Much of Jewish theology, Christian theology, and Muslim theology is exclusionary and it is evident to me even the Biblical writers struggled with exclusionary thinking in their own world and life views.  I can hear them say God loves the whole world and then turn right around and contradict themselves. Naively considering passages where these world and life views obviously contradict our understanding of a Loving God as portrayed in the whole of scripture can be catastrophic to our own world and life views.  Justifying our own bad behavior claiming "infallibility" of our own thinking based on an incomplete understanding of the Word of God could pit us against the very will of God. 

If you don't read passages from the Bible like this, how would you know verses like Exodus 38:8 existed and have the chance to contemplate whether the women were already working there before the bronze basin was constructed? Plus, what was their job as I do not believe their service has been recorded? Inquiring minds want to know. Share your thoughts or knowledge!

Did you read the footnotes for Exodus 38:24-; over 1 ton of gold, over 3.75 tons of silver, and over 2.5 tons of bronze. Remember that when we discuss how many levites it took to carry the tabernacle every time they moved.

As I was writing this, I looked at the antique lamp providing lamp for my study and can just imagine the beauty of the ornate design and craftsmanship described here.  Can you imagine how beautiful the tabernacle was - and what a priviledge to go to the House of the Lord? Anticipation and Joy - Glory to God!

David wrote in Psalm 122:1 regarding the tabernacle; "I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord!" Isaiah and Micah applied this thought to latter days; "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.  For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (Isaiah 2:3 and Micah 4:2).  Take note of these two verses. When has the world seen such peace.  That's what I'm talkin about!

Response to Matthew 28:1-20

Sunday morning. The first day of the week.  Jesus has been in the grave over the Sabbath day.  We know the Roman guards had sealed the tomb and stood watch.  Matthew claims that the Jewish leaders devised a lie to confuse the Jews.  I guess it is up to us to decide who is telling the truth. 

If there was a body, someone would have put this cult to bed long ago.  If some poor distraught disciples could somehow overcome the guards and roll the big rock away and steal the body, the Roman guard would not have the reputation it still does today.  Perhaps the Roman guard that thought this was a Son of God devised a plan! But that story has not been circulated for 2000 so it would be foolish to consider it now.  We could consider that none of this ever happened, but Jews, Christians, Muslims - all major faiths do not consider this man, Jesus Christ to be a myth.  They are just in disagreement about who He was.

From what I hear, Muslims have a hunger to know more about this prophet.  Their stories about God fooling the people into only thinking it had been Jesus on the cross leave them asking questions.  More and more Jews are struggling to come up with logical answers regarding this man, Jesus.  Although Christians claim that he died and rose again for the salvation of all men, they question His power in the world today to bring about peace.  The Dalit of India have made a major shift in faith and seek after the Christ.  He is alive and well and working to bring about His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. He has invited us to be a part.

Matthews account shows Jesus meeting the women and telling the disciples to go to a hill in Galilee.  Mark 16:7 agrees, yet more recent manuscripts add confusion following Mark 16:8.  Luke and John do not mention the return to Galilee, but leave the disciples at Jerusalem.  Certainly, I would be interested in your thoughts on the variant stories, but take solace again that the stories do not match in that it shows that the Bible as a whole has not been made up, but as II Timothy 3:16 states, "All scripture is inspired by God, is profitable for teaching, for correction, and for training in righteousness."  My faith  is not shaken to find that part of Mark may have been added after the first century, nor that the stories of post resurection visitations may have been manipulated.  The story of the women at the tomb and the men on the road to Emmaus certainly remain constant as Jesus sparks the revelance of Old Testament prophecy and how it fortold His life.  Old Testament writings are held sacred by all and deserve our study and dialogue.

I find it amazing the amount of theological conflict which can come from individual verses in the Bible.  Matthew 28:19 keeps two continents locked in mortal conflict. Are there 3 Gods or One God? So much misunderstanding of ideologies and resulting hatred.  Matthew 28:19 states "baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit;"  This does not say names! My gut tells me this is the great "I Am" that we have all recognized from the Old Testament. The reason we are on this quest is to find that God the Father - who claims Himself as the Redeemer through the prophets - who sends His Spirit into the world - is One God.  He is the Father.  His Spirit was indwelt within His only begotten Son born of a virgin in a way beyond our comprehension.  Jesus himself referred to Himself as the servant of God - in accordance with the Old Testament writings - and claimed that He and the Father were one. Again, exactly how the Holy Spirit was manifested within Jesus Christ - or us for that matter is beyond our comprehension.  All we can do is theorize.  Why have we become so hostile? Why do we tend to claim our theories to be fact and call down hatred, judgement, and even death on our fellow man - all in the name of our Loving God?  Hey Muslims, Jews, and Christians I have big news! We all believe there is One God, the Father Almighty.  How His Spirit was manifest through His servant, Jesus Christ is our quest! Let's travel this road together in Love as brothers, deal?

Again, not only do I disagree with anyone who says the Old Testament is not relevent to this discussion, I put forth my own theory that the Old Testament is the key that will bring peace on earth.  Romans 14:11 and Philippians 2:10 were not the first to claim that "one day every knee would bow and every tongue confess the Lord Jesus to the glory of God the Father." They were quoting Isaiah 45:22-25; "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.  By myself I have sworn, from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness a word that shall not return: 'To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.' Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed, all who were incensed against him. In the Lord all the offspring of Israel (God's word claims this to be all believers - all nations - all of creation) shall triumph and glory." End of Story. But, that's just the theory I'm pursuing in this quest. I am anxious to hear yours.

Response to Psalm 34:11-22

I feel a good question to ask after reading this Psalm is "Am I the oppressed, or am I oppressing?" Another theme you may have picked up from me is this "Prince of Peace" thing.  Psalm 34:14 "Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it."

There was a time when the United States was dealt a mighty blow on September 11, 2001.  We were a nation at peace and we were attacked without provocation.  The face of the Lord was against those who did evil. We attacked with force and had great success.  We crippled the evil forces and retained our strength.  We had a tremendous opportunity to talk of peace.  Yet, instead, we are still spending billions a year on a war with individuals who see the world as a different place than us while WE refuse to talk peace.  We wish to destroy our enemies way of life, just the way they hoped to destroy ours.  In the struggle, we have invested in a violence and hatred in the region that has cost hundreds of thousands of human lives.  As a nation we have rebelled against 2 leaders and continue a swift course towards financial ruin while justifying an ever increasing financial margin between the haves and the have nots both in the political and business world.  The reputation we hold in the world based on our production of pornography, state sponsored abortion, free morality, and oppression of the alien is a slap in the face of Jesus Christ as many wish to espouse our country as a "Christian Nation." 

Do you seek God? Do you see God the Father as a God of wrath and judgement? Does that make you feel good? Do you see anger and calamity as you observe creation? Or do you see order, beauty, and Love.  Do you feel called to destroy, or build up? Psalm 34:21 claims; "Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the rightous will be condemned." Psalm 34:19 states "A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all."  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul. Love your neighbor as yourself - even if it's a brother with a different ideology across the sea - just a few hours away by plane.

Prayer Works. From the inside out, we can change the world. 

Response to Proverbs 9:9-10

We have seen the Beauty of an Almighty God who, although He is loving, has a bad temper when things don't go His way.  He observed all that He created, and behold it was very good. Adam and Eve thought it would be fun to know good and evil, and they got their wish.  In their resulting embarrassment as they attempted to define evil, they hid from their creator. If we will follow His plans for Love, we will eventually understand good.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." Proverbs 9:10 (my favorite verse of all time).

Happy Valentine's Day. Pray that you can understanding your enemy in the light of a Loving God.

Until tomorrow

Rick