Author: 7streams

Posted on

June 11



Exodus 37:25-40:38

We are in the World Stream finishing the book of Exodus. We are reading from the New American Standard Bible this week.

 

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

God we thank you for visiting us and all who will prepare themselves to come into the Presence of You. Thank for availing yourself to us. To be with YOU is the blessing of all blessings.  Amen
 

37 – Bezalel made the ark of the covenant, the table for it, the lampstand, and the altar of incense.  Take a moment in your mind to transport back 33+ centuries and imagine yourself walking quietly up to Bezalel at work. “Bezalel, what are you making?”      “A box of acacia wood to be covered in gold to hold the X Commandments…”    “What’s the significance of this?”  To which Bezalel replies, “all society hinges upon what’s in this box for all time!  The governments who ignore these Commandments shall crumble, as will the nations, the states, the communities, neighborhoods and families and individuals. The opposite is more true…all who honor and follow these commands will become eternally blessed.  This box is not just a part of history, it IS history. In fact history pivots upon the contents of this box!”  After this conversation there is nothing left to do but walk away backward, in awe in the presence of the work of a holy God that is a consuming fire.

 
38 – Everything that was described a few chapters back is completed at this point. In 38 the Altar is the completed, and the laver, and the court; the gorgeous linen perimeter of the Tabernacle.  All contents for the Tabernacle were completed.  The mathematics of this are staggering.  It’s too much to sum up.  We will just leave you with this, however – there was over 2200 lbs. of gold involved in this endeavor.  This was the place where God would be met and consulted with, and sins forgiven, and direction received.  It had been over 2600 years since Adam/Eve were expelled from the garden. Religiously, a myriad of procedures had been experimented with the world over and nothing was working to solve the problem regarding the colossal gap between where we were and where God wanted us to be.  This Tabernacle was where God would be met.  It was gravely awesome to be near this place. … And it would be assembled soon.
 
39 – The ornate garments for the priests are made and completed.  They are far more decorative and costly than what we would label as “fit for a king.”  The details were tedious and numerous and the work was done fastidiously,  comprehensively, and perfectly.  Once this was complete, these garments, along with the rest of the items for the Tabernacle, were brought to Moses for examination by Moses. The work was done just as the Lord had commanded.  Moses blessed them and now it was time for the finale~ of the Book of Exodus.
 
40 – The Tabernacle is finally raised and assembled.  The anointing is completed, the lamps are lit, the offerings are placed, the washing is done.  And they entered the Tent of Meeting, did the finishings and all the work was done.  Then the miracle of God’s presence occurred.  The Cloud, symbolizing the Presence of God, settled upon the Tabernacle.  And for the next two generations that they would be in the Wilderness of Sinai and around, the Cloud would settle upon the Tabernacle to state that “God was IN”.  When He lifted, it was time to go, when he settled it was time to settle and wait.  There was cloud by day and fire by night.  And this was a blessing to witness for all the house of Israel, not just the priests and leaders.  What a marvel.
Posted on

June 9

 

Mark 15-16

We are in the Christ Stream reading from the book of the Hebrews.

 

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

“Lord Jesus, This day expressed the depth of your love. All we want to do and be are people who understand your love, then live it and share it.  Amen.”
 
Mark 15 – Jesus is taken by the leading priests and elders to Pilate since they were not getting anywhere with their illicit trial.  Pilate had no interest in killing Jesus since Jesus had done nothing wrong.  As we all remember, a prisoner Barabbas is released, instead of Jesus, since that is whom the crowd was goaded to cry for the release of.  The part where Pilate stalls for time by sending Jesus to Herod is found in Luke, not Mark – in case anyone was wondering.
When the crowd demands, “crucify him!”, Pilate’s question is so good: “why, what evil has he done?”  And to that, they have no answer.  They only demand, “crucify him!” over and again like a frothing mob of crazed drunks.  Pilate hands Jesus over to be whipped, and then to the Romans who mock and beat him and put a crown of thorns on his head.
When he was led out to Golgotha, Simon from Cyrene was compelled to carry Jesus’ cross for him. Jesus is offered wine and myrrh but he refuses to drink it. The Romans crucified him and divided his garments by lot v.s. cutting it – each getting a piece. It was now 9 a.m.  Mt/Mk/Lk say almost identical reports about the sign above Jesus’ head “The King of the Jews”.  John’s report of the crucifixion tells of the sign being in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. The squabble about what it said and the chief priests’ fussing about it , the details about the dividing the garment since it was seamless and they opted not to cut it because it was seamless.
Matthew and Mark have the detail about people chiding and deriding Jesus on the cross, telling him to save himself. Luke has very little of this. John has none of it.  [The confession of one of the thief wanting Jesus to remember him is in Luke; none of the other gospels]
“My God…why have you forsaken me? is in Matthew and Mark only for they were writing to the Jewish world.  The distinction at his point of death is interesting.  Mt/Mk tell of Jesus giving a loud cry, Matthew says Jesus yielded up his spirit, Mark says Jesus breathed his last, Luke has, “father, into thy hands I commit my spirit.” John concludes Jesus’ life with “it is finished.”
The centurion is impressed to say, “truly this man was the Son of God!”  All four gospels note the women who were there observing all of this.  The Burial of Jesus is given the fullest description in Mark.
 
16 – The women came to the tomb on the first day of the week, bringing spices to further anoint Jesus and find the stone rolled away, an angel there beside it who told them Jesus had risen and was not here.  The angel told them to go tell the disciples.  Amazing that the news that is most important in history is trusted to the women who are to pass it to the disciples.  What better and most sure way to spread news but the inform the ladies of this grandest of events. Ladies must talk about what they have experienced and are feeling about it.  A culture that had females to be secondary status was about to be altered some and ladies were to be very involved with the men in sharing the gospel everywhere they go.  That still holds true today.