Category: World Stream

Posted on

June 4



Exodus 34:1-37:24

We are in the World Stream learning about the building of the Tabernacle. We are reading from the New Living Translation this week.

 

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

“Thank you Lord for second chances, for grace unending, for love that never fails, for rest, and for caring so much that your top concern for us is that we find you, walk with you, and are well, May we be found faithful in what you have asked us to build in your Name.  Amen”

 
34 – The Lord makes a second inscription of the Ten Commandments since Moses broke the original last time he came down the mountain.  The rerun for Moses is overwhelming, the worship that God’s Presence brought upon Moses is most impressive.  God gives Moses a few reminders to be sure and assert upon and teach the Israelites so that they live long godly healthy lives.  The time Moses spent with God; the Light of the World, even affected Moses’ face so that it glowed too.
 
35 –  The Sabbath Law is presented to the people again.  And then comes the occasion of the offering for the making of the Tabernacle and the articles therein.  The list of items to bring forward is presented.  The articles to be built from the offerings are listed and then the excitement begins as each went back to their tents to gather what they would bring as their offering for the Lord.  The Spirit moved in a touching way over the people.  Hearts were stirred for generosity.  Women got going and got sewing. Gems were brought forth. It really was a worship experience.  Bezalel and Oholiab were presented as the ones who would lead the project and teach others their skills as well.
 
36 – The work began and a wonderful “problem” occurred in that people were still bringing offerings beyond what was needed to complete the Tabernacle.  This is a pastor’s dream, btw. Imagine having to tell people to stop bringing offerings because it was excessive! Halelujah, what a problem  🙂  The work commences. After all these instructions and the drama of the Ten Commandments.  It had to be something to take part in this. There is no hint of the usual attitudes or complaining.  The atmosphere is abuzz as all are jumping in to do what they can to see this structure go up as their “house of God” in the desert.
 
37 – Then the time came to make the Ark of the Covenant.  It is amazing the way this box has entranced the religious world for 33-34 centuries. The Raiders of the Lost Ark was a landmark piece of cinema. The arguments about the Ark’s location even today can make one’s ears tingle. Well here in Exodus 37 is where it started. The gold, the gold, the gold!  It has to be beauty that challenged anyone’s ability to describe such a thing. Then the table was made, the lampstand, and the incense altar.  There was so much gold involved in the Tabernacle endeavor.  There would be more than a ton of gold involved in the building of all this by the time of completion.  We will complete the project next week and marvel at what God does once His house is built!
Posted on

May 28

 

Exodus 30-33

We are in the World Stream as God continue to give Moses instructions. We are reading from the Modern English Version this week.

 

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord Jesus, there is such a disturbing disparity between your glory and your desire for us against the behavior we witness at the first sign that people feel discouraged or bored or perplexed.  Let us be like Moses who wants you and to know you and to be with you more than life itself.  Amen.

The directions involved for the Tabernacle and the articles within continue here.  What started five chapters back is still going on.  If it helps to keep oriented, the Directions for the Tabernacle encompass ch’s. 25-31 of Exodus.  The orders are all given, it’s time for Moses to return to the people and guess what is going on . . . 

30 – The description resumes today with the Altar of Incense. Keeping the big picture, we are inside the Holy Place; a 30′ X 15′ sectioned off area that is inside the “courtyard” of the entire 150′ X 75″ area that has a 12′ high curtain of goat hair surrounding everything. Back in this Holy Place are four items: the Altar of Incense, the Golden Table, on that is the Bread of the Presence (of the Lord), and the Golden Lampstand.  The Altar of Incense was most holy to the Lord and incense was to be burning on it continually and for all generations.  The insinuation was that the Lord is sweet to us and He is always here.
-a 1/2 shekel offering was to be made by all unto God for atonement.  Everyone 20 and older must take part in this.
-a large Bronze Basin was to be built, placed and filled with water.  Aaron and his sons were to wash hands and feet before coming into the tent or near the altar. Coming in dirty meant death – so this is a memo they best adhere to … along with the rest of them!
-As for the anointing oil, here it is in our terminology: it is 12+1/2 lbs. of Myrrh, 6+1/4 lbs. of cinnamon, 6+1/4 lbs. of cane, 12+1/2 lbs. of cassia, mixed together with a gallon of pure olive oil. Pardon the crass visual but a 5-gallon bucket is not big enough to mix this in. Imagine the aroma as this is expertly mixed and then dabbed upon the tent, the fabrics, the ark, the utensils, the altars and the basins.  ‘Ever walk into a place and react, “wow, it stinks in here!” Well, entering the House of God had the opposite effect. All inhaled and thought, “wow, I love this place!” This and the Incense that was compounded with frankincense and ground and them placed in front of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting was a very sacred commodity.  All research even today shows that an aroma is the greatest trigger of memory. They were to associate this overwhelming sweet savor with the presence of God, and to never forget how sweet it is to be with God
 
31 – Two men, Bezalel and his “right hand man” Oholiab, are to lead in the building of everything that has been prescribed for building and making in this last five chapters. They were the chief artisans for the Tabernacle and everything was to be made exactly according the “blueprints” that God has been giving to Moses for much of the last 40 days since Moses was called into God’s presence to note all this.
-The stern reminder to remember the Sabbath is laid down. And God is not doing this to be a bully-to-fools-who-stacks-up-rules.  He wants people to be refreshed and rested not always working themselves into a stupor and then living in a stupor. This pleases no one; not even the workaholic who can’t get himself to pull away and rest a bit.
 
32 – This golden calf scene is a mess!  The people are wondering where Moses is as he is on Sinai in a cloud, surrounded by fire and taking notes. Moses was in a VERY intense lecture series! But when it approaches 40 days with Moses away, the people revert and dive right back into worship of “the cow”.  The ‘bull’ was the principle god of Egypt, names “Apis”.  This was also the illicitly instituted false god of the northern kingdom 4-5 centuries later from 930 – 722 B.C.  Egypt worshiped the cow because it gave beef, bones for tools, milk, fertilizer, horns for decoration, leather, and the cow provided strength for plowing. This was what Israel was immersed in for 400 years in Egypt. Some muse that the Israelites can’t be blamed for being oriented as such, but honestly! -after seeing the dozens of miracles since the plagues, the Exodus, the water, the fire, the cloud, the manna, the quail – this rebellion is inexcusable. They were carrying on like a alcohol party gone amok after midnight on a weekend in a pagan university town where stolen furniture was thrown into heap and burned and all the kooks are half-dressed and dancing in circles around it.  Aaron’s explanation is as preposterous as their behavior!  Moses’ plea with God [both times] is admirable; the mark of a true leader. Nonetheless there is punishment to be administered and 3,000 Israelites die for this shameful pagan revelry.
 
33 –  After all this, it’s time to move on.  God gives assurance of destiny, family security, victory, provision and blessing BUT their attitude must be dealt with first.  There must be complete repentance.

-The Lord would meet with Moses the way any true-hearted Believer ought desire to speak with God.  Face-to-face, [look again at Exo. 33:11]. This is virtually the most astonishing verse in the whole Old Testament from Creation in Genesis 1 to Malachi 4 written some 3600 years later!. God and Moses had a most endearing and historical conversation and assured him that He would be with him wherever he traversed. Moses revered the Presence of God most of all. Moses would go when God moved.  Moses would not move on alone; with Him only.  How about us???

 
Posted on

May 21



Exodus 27-29

We are in the World Stream today reading more about the construction the altar, tabernacle, etc. from the New International Version.

 

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Dear Lord prepare us for our meeting with you. The beauty of what is coming together in this reading today is simple and intricate and beautiful; beautiful as meeting you daily as we prepare to meet you face to face one day.
 

27 – Here we find the description of the bronze altar and the court of the Tabernacle. The altar was 15′ X 15′ and 9′ high. The details for the courtyard that would encircle the Tabernacle are many. The court was 150′ X 75′.  The linen curtains and loops and poles and lamps is rather interesting. There are helpful drawings and illustrations if searching then on the internet helps you see it better. “Tabernacle in the wilderness” should take you enough options.

 
28 – The garments for the priests; Aaron and his sons were of vital importance. The included the ephod (the breastpiece), there were gems within the garments.  The outfits were symbolic, precise, intricate, and beautiful – even inspiring. This was such a significant element of their worship. I may seem hard to grasp for many today when the dresscode has degraded to “hey, wear whatever!”  But Jesus told one parable where those who attended a wedding were expelled from the event for having the wrong outfit on.  This was also illustrative of paradise where those who are clothed in Christ are the only ones allowed to enter. Anyone else with any other outfit is cast into outer darkness.  My husband and I may have a better insight into this as we work in Hollywood and it is crucial that every woman at every event be found in a unique dress. To be seen in any way similar to another woman’s outfit is a perceived nightmare. The opposite rule goes for men – they must all look identical in black tuxedos/white shirt/black bowtie. To be seen in any variance of this is an extreme taboo.  Dressing for God matters FAR more. So it may require some mental effort, but understanding and seeing the priests outfits for the deep meaning that they carried is a rich endeavor.
 
29 – The consecrating of the Priests was the setting aside these men / their lives unto ministry was a grave matter (deathly serious) <– if we may embrace a tone of such.  They were to have their outfits and to wear them properly.  They were not to be slapped on and then take a dumb stumble into the courtyard for some yaha time with God before the people. Heavens no. This was as serious as the nation’s very existence.  If this stuff didn’t matter, then nothing else mattered…and vice versa.  There were sacrifices to me made and they were to be folllowed to the “T”.  There was food to be prepared and that must be done in a flawless manner also.
 
 Why all this detail in today’s reading? This is all described here and then it is described again in Exodus 35-40 as they are building it. We may look at this and, putting our thinking today against the mindset in the Sinai, only to be thinking now, “heard that before – got it the first time.”  This repetition only asserts the extreme importance – it is not a laborious repeat.    The TAbernacle was a foreshadow, a “likeness” of something heavenly.  The reminder to look back on this in Hebrews 8:5 is intriguing.  The significance of being right before a glorious God never goes away.  It’s similar to the issue that arrives in construction. Get the blueprints done perfectly, follow them precisely and comprehensively, build it properly and the final product is eternally right.  This matters to all involved in any construction project. and to the occupants that shall reside/and/or work there later? .  How could anything we do be of greater importance that what God wants built. Does precision and beauty and strength and value matter to God. You bet you life it does.  Listen again to the final verse today – God does this “that He might dwell among them for He is the Lord their God.”   Nothing matters more than this!