I'll Have Two Sin Offerings and a Side of Potato Salad

Leviticus 6:24-30

So God has Moses tell Aaron to tell the priests about the sin offerings. There are some added details here though. The priest offering the sacrifice, eats it. This could turn into quite a feat. That's my seventh goat today, you people have got to stop sinning!

A little further into the section it says that any male in the priest's family could eat it- so I assume they had a pretty strict famliy exercise regiment to offset all the hearty meals. If I'm reading this right, these are the sacrifices where all the fat is cooked too, so it doesn't sound like the healthiest menu items for Israel's rock stars.

A few other specifics. It has to be eaten in a holy place in the courtyard of the tent of meeting. Does this indicate that this feasting is a spectator sport. Hey honey, let's go watch Aaron's kids eat all the goats. Years before Kobayashi, is Aaron's family offering the first food endurance competition?

The food also becomes a holiness conduit. In fact, anything the food touched becomes holy. If any blood gets on any garment, it has to be washed in a holy place. If the meat is cooked in a clay pot, it has to be broken. If it's a bronze pot, it has to be scoured and rinsed. If the blood of a sin offering is brought into the tent of meeting, you can't eat that offering. You have to burn it.

Apparently this offering is pretty significant. It's enough to cause pots to be destroyed, enough to cause food to be burned. And I guess that's the point of these rules. God is serious about the holiness of the blood. He's serious about sin too. He wants a public showing of the results of sin. Not so much a "yup, you sinned, and now watch us eat your livestock." But more, a way to keep the concept of the burdening of sin and the process of forgiveness in the minds of His people. But honestly, this is a rambling guess. The process itself is a bit head-scratching.

I have no idea about how much food or how many priests we're talking about. It could just be that this was how the priests were provided for. And maybe this is God showing us that He uses bad for good purposes. The people sinned- they had to account for their sins, but through their sins, the priests' physical needs are taken care of.

And maybe when I don't get it quite right, there are good results too. Don't misunderstand- there are also bad consequences, and sinning for the eventual good isn't a wise choice- it's that whole should we continue in sin so grace can abound idea- but sometimes when we sin we learn more about reliance on God, and each other. We grow stronger, a little more humble, and maybe even a little more understanding of others failing to get it right too.

The Grain is to be Mainly Eaten Plain

Leviticus 6: 14-23

So God briefly rehashes rules about the grain offering with a little more detail. The priest is to bring the offering to the altar. He takes a handful of flour and oil with all the incense and burns it. He can keep the rest- but when he eats it, he can't eat it with yeast- and he must eat it in a holy place: the courtyard of the tent of meeting. Any male decendant of Aaron can chow down on it. These instructions end with the following observation: "Whatever touches them will become holy."

They're like spiritual Midases. What does it mean for something to become holy? Does it mean that these priests never were able to cut loose? Everywhere they went, everything they did was sacred, somber, quiet and without shoes? Does it mean that they were always "on duty"? How long would it take for an Aaron spawn to burn out? I just want to chill out and do something mindless- but now I'm holding holy diet pepsi.

Or does it mean that our perceptions of "holy" or quite different from God's? Can my softball game be a holy experience? Can I read a novel and be moved in a way that makes the experience "holy" in some way? It seems like this declaration of "holy-making" is a little different than these less tangible experiences, but it's hard to wrap my mind around what it does mean.

It seems like Aaron's family, at least the men, are kind of like Israelite rock stars. They're the priests. Everyone needs them, they wear special clothing, they make everything holy, they are set apart. What's cool though, is that in the second half of this section, they too, are instructed to sacrifice. It seems like a one time thing, but on the day a priest is annointed, he brings a quart or so of fine flour in the morning and another quart in the evening. The next-in-line priest (son of the one being annointed) mixes it with oil and cooks it in a griddle. It's burned completely and none of it is to be eaten.

Even though this is a once in a lifetime thing, perhaps it serves to remind these priests, however special you may be...you're not God. You still answer to me. Don't get too big for your linen britches- I'm still in control.

And perhaps at times we need that same reminder. Whatever your status or position, no matter who answers to you, whatever amount of respect people have or don't have for you, despite your income, social standing or tenure, no matter what car you drive...you're not God. You don't call the shots, you don't make the rules.

And just like everyone else, He wants you to acknowledge and accept it...and obey.

Keep the Fire Burning

Leviticus 6: 8-13

God tells Moses to tell Aaron that the offerings are to burn throughout the night. When the morning comes, the priest is to put on linen clothes over his linen underclothing and remove the ashes, putting them next to the altar. Then, he's to change clothes and take the ashes to a ceremonially clean place outside of camp.

The fire is not to go out. The priest can arrange the charring carcasses as needed and add the daily meat to the altar, but all the while the fire is to stay burning.

A couple of observations. Why doesn't God just tell Aaron this dierctly? Wouldn't the message get there more accurately with a more direct apporach? Does God just have a better relationship with Moses? What benefit does having a middleman serve? Does Moses have a knack for softening God's harshness?

Maybe it's a matter of credibility. Not God's, but of God's message. If God talked to them all, at any time any of them could claim "God said do this". But if Moses is the only one who chats with Him, it takes Moses' involvement for a message to have veracity.

Seems like a pretty lonely existence for God, though.

Secondly, what's with the eternal flame? Is it to emphasize that there's always more to be forgiven? That this process is only a short term solution? Is God saying, look- we're burning these animals all-day, every-day- 24/7, and still... there's not enough to cover the evil that men do. Ultimately, forgiveness can't come this way. You need a bigger solution- but before I give it to you, I want you to see how hopeless things are on your own.

And so as they wait for the messiah- the camp smells of charred flesh- and the point is made: kill all the goats you want, without Jesus, it's all pointless.

Bad News For Dodge and St. Louis

Leviticus 5: 14- 6:7

Some more sacrifice specifics, these all resulting in a ram being brought to the priest as a guilt offering. No word on if the priest burns these rams or simply keeps them.

These rams are brought for a variety of reasons. First, if someone unintentionally "commits a violation" concerning the LORD's holy things, a ram is due- in addition, he must pay 20 percent beyond whatever the value was of what he failed to do.

I'm not sure what this would be- maybe if you didn't bring a sacrifice you were supposed to? If you used something in the tabernacle improperly, desecrating it? If you got blood somewhere you weren't supposed to- or maybe more realistically in this cottext, if you didn't get blood somewhere you were supposed to?

Second, if someone did something that is "forbidden in any of the LORD's commands", they bring a ram. This is pretty vague. Is this a miscellaneous law- like if you don't find another commandment regarding your specific kind of sin than just know that you'll need to find a ram to bring. Is it in addition to whatever other penalty is spelled out elsewhere? How would any of them keep all of this straight?

The final category of sin mentioned here deals with cheating your neighbor in various ways. If you lie about something your neighbor entusted you with, or steal from him, if you find lost property and lie about it, if you swear falsely, or if you fall prey to "any such sin that people may do", you return it plus 20 percent and take a ram to the priest.

It strikes me that you'd better be pretty meticulous keeping up with what you've stolen if you hope to get forgiveness for it. How could they hope to remember what was owed to who? Maybe the sinner and victim just had to come to an agreement and this law was meant as a guide, but the laws here strike me as being a lot firmer than guidelines.

I still think that it would be hard to do anything but keep digging up past sins and standing in line at the tabernacle. I wonder if you could get a card punched and every tenth ram got you a free diet pepsi.

No brainer of the day: I like our system a lot better.

And If There Are Any Animals Left...

Leviticus 4- 5:13

Sin offerings aplenty in this section. God spells out several contingencies regarding his people and sin.

First- if the priest sins - bringing guilt on the people- he brings a young bull to be sacrificed. He is to slaughter it as the other sacrifices, take the blood into of the tent of meeting, put his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of it in front of the curtain of the sanctuary seven times. Then some blood goes on the horns on the altar of fragrant incense. The rest of the blood gets dumped in front of the altar of burnt offering over at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Then the fat gets stripped off as before and gets burned on the altar, the rest of the bull gets taken outside of the camp, to somewhere ceremonially clean and burned in a woodfire on an ash heap.

It's interesting that the sin of the priest can bring guilt on the people. Is this if they instruct them incorrectly and cause them to do things God disapproves of? Does this mean that these priests are held to a higher standard? Does this mean that the priests had to answer to the people for his actions on a regular basis... hey Aaron, watch your step- your sin makes me guilty too...

Second, if the whole community sins they bring a young bull before the tent of meeting. The elders lay their hands on the bull's head and these same steps are taken. Slaughter, sprinkling, fat burning, flesh disposing.

What kind of sin involves the whole community? A lynching? The golden calf? How does an entire community seek forgiveness as a unit. It's certainly an interesting concept, but pragmatically it seems a little difficult to come to fruition.

Third, if a leader sins, he brings a defect-free goat, he slaughters it, blood goes on the horns, and the fat gets burned. These actions are similar to the last two- but just a little less involved. Is God making a statement about the severity of this sin compared to others? Is Moses just getting lazy or bored relaying detail?

Fourth, if a member of the community sins, he brings a lamb or female goat and follows the same pattern as the leader.

In all instances, it is stressed that these are for sins committed unknowingly. This unknowing sin idea is interesting. How often is sin an instance of a lack of knowledge? Certainly those things do exist- but it seems that sin is more often an act of rebellion. I know better, but I do it anyway. Not even slaughtering an animal seems to help in those instances.

Perhaps in a culture that depends on oral tradition, surely highly illiterate, without much written or accessible, the unknown sin would have been more common. But there's something odd to me about taking someone without general knowledge of God's will and penalizing their error with intricate sacrifice instructions. It all seems a bit harsh.

The last bit seems to deal with miscellaneous sin contexts. For one, if a public charge is made, and you have information about it and keep it to yourself, you are guilty.

My first thought is that this is a good way to get people to turn on each other- and to not share their foibles and weaknesses. But perhaps this is an attempt to prevent the wrong person from being condemned.

If you touch something unclean- carcasses of unclean wild animals, farm animals or animals that crawl on the ground- you are guilty. So if your animal dies, let it rot where it is, because touching it is a sin? Well the cow died, I guess we have to move so we don't touch it accidentally.

If you accidentally touch human uncleanness you are guilty.

If you thoughtlessly take an oath- good or evil...guilty. It doesn't say if you fail to fulfill it- just taking a flippant oath is sin. But maybe the implication is that if you take it flippantly, you won't fulfill it.

If you do any of these things, you have to confess it and bring a female goat or lamb to the priest.

There are provisions made for the poor. If you can't afford to bring a goat or lamb- you can bring two doves or young pigeons. The first is a sin offering, the priest wrings its neck without severing it, sprinkles some blood on the side of the altar and drains the rest. The other is for a burnt offering. Once this happens the sinner is forgiven.

If the birds are out of the sinner's price range, he can bring two quarts of flour or so for a sin offering. Since it is a sin offering, there is to be no oil or incense mixed in. The priest takes a handful of it and puts it on top of another offering and burns it. The rest of the flour becomes the property of the priest.

This strikes me as an intense system to live in. I can see where people would develop severe obsessive compulsiveness. I would live in a constant state of paranoia that I'd sinned ( I mean I pretty much do in our grace based system , I can't imagine having to go through this process- I wouldn't do anything all day besides kill animals).

Ultimately, even in this burdensome system, forgiveness exists. It comes with a lot of work, but it does come. And I really like the notion that forgiveness is not only for the rich- provision is made for the poor, too.

Ultimately, I'd never be rich enough to survive as an Israelite. The ability to live day-to-day in such an environment eludes me.

And to realize that Jesus' gift covers all of these sacrifices makes our era of grace even more amazing.

Fat-Free Offerings

Leviticus 3

This chapter spells out the specifics of offering "fellowship offerings." The most significant piece of information missing from the directions is what exactly fellowship offerings are. A wild guess is simply an offering showing a desire to be close to God- showing goodwill and kinship to the one receiving the sacrifice. But that's a stab in the dark- there's not much here to spell it out.

These fellowhip offerings follow the same format as the offerings mentioned back in chapter one with a few exceptions- or at the very least extra detail. If the animal is from the herd, after the slaughter and blood sprinkling they are to take all the fat that covers or is connected to "the inner parts" and the liver covering and the kidneys and this is what gets burned.

If the animal is from the flock it is to be a male or female without defect. The slaughter of the lamb is the same as before except this time all the fat gets chopped off too- at least the tail, fat that covers the inner parts, both kidneys and the liver covering. A goat works the same way except no tail. Jana says goat tails aren't very long- this could be the reason for the omission.

Finally this ordinance goes to generations to come- wherever they live- don't eat fat or blood.

That sounds like a healthy choice but not a very fun one. I'm guessing a juicy steak, medium rare from Outback with really flavor-filled fat would have been right out. And not only would the Israelites have missed out on some good food- logistically, this complicates things. Food becomes harder to prepare. And if food preparation becomes a matter of faith and law rather than one of preference, the pressure of getting it right has to increase too.

But why these specifications? Is God trying to keep His people healthier? Is he stressing the sanctity of blood? It's for healing not for eating. Is he teaching them discipline?

Think about trying to avoid blood and fat in your diets today? How can you be sure that no blood is in your meat? You can get it cooked well-done, but does that get it all out? Wouldn't it require that the blood be drained a certain way? If you didn't do the draining, how can you know? Is God trying to teach them to be self-reliant? Kill your own food. Drain your own meat.

Let's not even get into eating no fat. Good luck. And sad days.

Are these laws even worth bothering with in our culture? I'm not Jewish, but later on blood is still a sacred emblem. But later on the rules change regarding what can be eaten. It's still a little fuzzy.

I suspect a theme of this book is going to be...good luck, you can't do it. There are so many specifics to keep up with that even if you memorized the law, it would be impossible to keep it all straight. Maybe, once again, it's all pointing back to the need for grace- the acceptance that you can't do it without Jesus.

Hold the Yeast, Extra Salt

Leviticus 2

In case you're not an animal lover, or a lover of animal slaughtering- God also gives instruction for grain saccrifices.

First off, the offering is to be of flour with oil and incense added. The offerer takes it to the priest who burns it as a "memorial portion". The priest burns a handful of it and can keep the rest for Aaron and his sons.

If the grain offering is baked in an oven, it still must be of fine flour- but can take the form of "cakes made without yeast and mixed with oil, or wafers made without yeast and spread with oil." If it's made on a griddle, it's got to be flour mixed with oil without yeast. The offerer should crumble it and pur oil on it. If it's made in a pan it should still be fine flour mixed with oil.

In all of these instances, a portion is burned and Aaron and Sons get the rest.

The theme seems to be no yeast- in fact no yeast or honey is to be part of any burnt offering. They can be brought as an offering, but not burned. They are also instructed that the offerings are to be seasoned with salt. They are told: "Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings..."

If the offering is a grain offering of firstfruits, they are to"offer crushed heads of new grain roasted in the fire" with oil and incense added in. The priest will burn the memorial portion.

The best I can tell, there are two kinds of offerings being made here- since the last section distinguishes between regular grain offerings and offerings of firstfruits. I'm not sure if one is atonement for sin and the other is more like a tithe- or what. I tend to doubt it since no blood is involved and that seems to be a central element for sin atonement. If anyone has any insight, I'm all ears.

What I find interesting here is the specification God makes regarding the different sacrifices. It's almost like going to dinner with Sally- if I can't get Thousand Island on the side, than I'll have French dressing, but only if it's made here, if it's not I'll just have the soup of the day, but then only if...

My point is that it seems like God really knows what He likes, and the sacrifices aren't just something made up to give the Israelites some hoops to jump through. He wants these specific things done at least in part because, He likes the way they smell. He's not a fan of honey, He likes salt (although it seems as if this may be a metaphorical reminder of something I'm missisng). But He gets joy from the outcome.

If you want to please Me, give Me what I like. I think it could be easy to take a legalistic message away from this chapter. God has spelled it out pretty specifically for them. But maybe the key is that in this context, detail matters. I like my double cheeseburgers plain and dry- and I'm sure to order them that way, because if a pickle was anywhere near it, I'm not touching it. God cares about these aromas, He wants to enjoy them- so He spells it out. If He didn't care, He wouldn't offer such detail.

It's also interesting that even though He doesn't want any yeast, He's okay with it being offered as long as it isn't burned. He doesn't impose these preferences on His followers. If Aaron's family wants to eat yeast (at least from these offering)s, that's cool- just don't burn them with My stuff.

It's an obvious but important conclusion that our sacrifices aren't simply ways of passing a test. Not just hoops to jump through- but ways of accomplishing things that bring God joy. Ways of creating what's described in this chapter multiple times as "an aroma pleasing to the LORD."

Old-School Cookouts

Leviticus 1

So God calls Moses from the tent of meeting and gives him specific instructions for the Israelites regarding burnt offerings. First off they have to come from the herd or the flock. These words seem to be the same to me- get my shoes from the bedroom, or the room that has the bed- but contextually it seems to simply be an indicator of what kind of animal is to be sacrificed: bulls vs. sheep, goats or birds.

This sacrifice involves more than just giving blemish-free animals from your private collection- in fact that seems like the easy part. The slaughter of these animals is to be very a much a hands-on experience.

Aaron's sons are their for assistance, but their capacity seems to be more in the line of being grill-masters- the killin' is up to the former owner of the animal being offered. For bulls, he's to place his hand on the bull's head to atone for his (the man, not the bull's) sin and then slaughter him in front of the priests. Aaron's sons sprinkle the blood on the altar and on all sides of the entrance to the tent of meeting. After killing it, he has to skin it and cut it into pieces. In short, they are to make the tent of meeting resemble the set of a Roger Corman film.

Aaron's sons arrange the meat on the altar after putting wood and fire on it. They even cook the head and the fat. The offerer also has to wash the inner parts and legs with water.

If it's a sheep or goat (from the flock)- they still slaughter it but by the north end of the altar. The sprinkling, meat arranging and washing all still happen.

Finally if it's a bird, it has to be a dove or young pigeon. For some reason, the priest seems to have a much more violent role in these circumstances. The priest brings the bird to the altar, wrings its head off and burns it on the altar. The blood is to be drained beside the altar. He (not sure if this is the offerer or the priest) is to remove the feathers and put them with the ashes on the east side of the altar, rip the bird open by the wings- but not sever it completely- and burn it on the altar.

In all instances, the final product is described this way: "It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD."

What strikes me as important here is the involvement in the process of sacrifice. The Israelites couldn't just write a check and feel absolved- it took getting their hands dirty, in ways that I don't know I could have handled. Obviously there are some pretty serious cultural differencs between then and now, and there and here- but I don't know if I have it in me to do what these folks had to do. I'd have had to find a way, but my strengths and my comfort zones would have been left far behind. For these folks, it took doing things that would have been unpleasant and messy and smelly and expensive. It shows how serious the idea of sin is to God- but it might also show that he expects us to invest ourselves in His service, not just our bankbooks.

That's tough. And often puzzling. I know how to send money to a disaster relief fund- I know how to reach in my wallet to help the guy on the side of the road who's down on his luck. And those things are important- but I don't know how to rebuild the house of the victim of the flood- and I don't know how to help get someone off the street. But perhaps this struggle, if taken seriously- this dirtying of our hands and involvement in our sacrifices makes us people who greater appreciate the grace we've been given and the blessings offered.

I Had Some Dreams There Were Clouds in My Tabernacle

Exodus 40: 34-38

Apparently God was pleased with the finished product- His glory filled up the tabernacle. As a result, Moses couldn't enter it. I'm guessing this has more to do with the power of God than the girth of the glory.

The form of the glory was a cloud. When the cloud covered the taberacle, it was a sign that they weren't to travel that day. They would look to the tabernacle every day- if the cloud hovered, they stayed put- if the cloud had lifted, they set out.

By day the cloud would cover the tabernacle and at night the cloud would encompass fire in sight of the Israelites.

What strikes me here is that God was close enough to His people that they could literally see His presence. In a sense we can too. The glories of nature, the beauty of kindness, the majesty of art- but these are byproducts, or perhaps even metaphors. The Israelites actually SAW God's presence. He's in the cloud! He's right here with us! Fear not!

I wonder if there were doubters there too- how do we know that this cloud is God? It's a cloud- it's just smog. Would a sign like this increase faith- or simply make our doubt less excusable?

We have no cloud- well we do, but not like that cloud. But may God still be our gage to move or stay put.

Some Assembly Required

Exodus 40: 1-33

So the tabernacle is ready. The workers are done and God tells Moses to set it all up. It's like we've been reading a behind the scenes at IKEA account and now the shipment has arrived and Moses has to put it all together, that's, of course, if IKEA made fancy, golden stuff.

God tells Moses that on the first day of the first month he's to begin putting it all together. He's to set up the tabernacle, put the ark of the testimony inside it, and shield the ark with the curtain. He's to set up the table- and everything that goes on it. He's to set up the lamps on the lampstand that he's to bring inside. He has lots of other detailed things to deal with too- the gold altar of incense, the altar of burnt offerings, the basin (and water for it), the courtyard, and lots of curtain arranging.

Moses is then to annoint the tabernacle and everything in it, making it all holy. The altar of burnt offerings will be "most holy." He's to bring Aaron and sons to the entrance and wash them, dress Aaron in sacred garments, annoint him and consecrate him (which seems redundant? Unless one is the action and the other is something spoken?) and then Aaron will serve as priest.

Repeat process for Aaron Jr.'s, "(15)Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue for all generations to come". This strikes me as both interesting and odd. ALL generations to come? Where are they now? Is God suggesting that their annointing begins the line that ends with Jesus who is still our high priest? I'm guessing that isn't how they interpreted it then, but if it's not pointing to Jesus, I'm not sure what to make of it.

We get lots of detail about Moses finishing up the assembly of it all. And this was apparently how he celebrated New Year's Day- year two.

Does Moses do this by himself? God tells Moses to do it and it says that he did. Is their something about the sanctity of what's being done that excludes everyone else and only Moses is involved? Is it too avoid a "too many cooks" scenario? Or is it just that God told Moses and he orchestrated it, ran the show, saw that it got done?

I think it's pretty cool that they refer to the opening of the tabernacle as the second year. It's obviously been more than a year since it all began back in Genesis- it's like they're starting over. Are they counting time from when Moses came back down the mountain. Are they saying, the passing of this law is significant enough that we're measuring the future from that moment? We've really been following You for this long...

Kind of makes the idea of birthdates and being "born again" something interesting to ponder too. I'm 37, but I haven't marked time from the day I was baptized, or the day I decided to stop messing up, or the next day I decided to stop messing up, or the next day I decided...

But maybe this small detail shows how significant their devotion was. OK, it's not practical to count time from your baptism date (if you were an adult when it happened)- it's not very helpful to doctors, the DMV, the guy selling cigarettes, etc., but theoretically it's cool to consider yourself only so old based on your second life.

Or maybe that was just an odd translation. In which case, never mind.

Going Mobile

Exodus 39: 32-43

So the tabernacle is completed, and as we've observed ad nauseum they did all that the Lord commanded them. When they finished, they brought it to Moses for final approval.

I'm not sure why Moses didn't come to it- it seems like that would have been a much simpler proposition. But he didn't, and they brought it to him and he approved their work and blessed them.

It seems like quite a bit of responsibility to be the person to declare the tabernacle good enough for God. Did Moses feel pressure to inspect every inch, break out the tape measure, weigh the gold, compare color hues? Or was this more of a ceremonial way of declaring the end of the work they had done?

Either way, he issued blessings and the people could consider their work completed. It must have been an amazing feeling of relief and pride in the completion of such a project. And they were probably a closer community as a result of their efforts.

Purple Pomegranates

Exodus 39: 22-31

So remember our discussion about holy robes and ornamental pomegranates? Didn't think so...http://chiphall.blogspot.com/2008/06/holy-underwear-exodus-28-31-43-and-now.html.

They make the robes and headbands and undergarments which makes me think that observing Aaron and his family would look very much like an episode of "Kung Fu" or maybe like Will Ferrell in "Semi-Pro".

Finally, they made the plate and engraved "HOLY TO THE LORD" on it. And of the detail given here, this is the point that seems the most important. Despite the oddness of the attire, especially out of the context of their culture, ultimately all their work was to proclaim God's holiness. It was a form of worship.

And our labor, no matter our specific skill, can have the same purpose. With or without headbands.

Dressing up the White Meat

Exodus 39:8-21

These blog entries are falling into an unfortunate pattern. Open with moderately pretentious commentary about the boring nature of the passage- and complain that it's material already covered earlier. Post link to earlier blog entry: http://chiphall.blogspot.com/2008/05/other-things-to-not-wear-on-red-carpet.html

Make a few semi-related comments about the retread and try to not simply repeat the info found on the link.

One thing I notice here that strikes me different is that this garment seems more like a dressy vest and less like warrior garb than I had originally thought. No application or point, just an observation.

It sure must have been purty.

Close with some application.

The detail spelled out seems silly to me. Why do all these things need to be just so? Couldn't time and energy of these Israelites been better served doing something more important like feeding the hungry or defending the weak?

Ultimately I think this is still part of the major contrast between the testaments. Outward, lavish, burdensome law versus inward, grace-filled, service.

Homemade Bling

Exodus 39:2-7

And the reruns continue. If you don't remember our previous ephod discussion, you can catch it here: http://chiphall.blogspot.com/2008/02/men-in-aprons-exodus-28-6-14-next-comes.html

In case you've forgotten (I had) an ephod is an apron-like article of clothing that holds the breastplate- or something like that. The Israelites follow through and make it.

I'm struck again, as I was during the first telling by the representation of the tribes as a memorial. Not just Levi, not just a few, but all twelve tribes- each important for different reasons.

Just like the individuals doing the work here. Different skills, different circumstances, different tribes, different heritages- but collectively, like the tribes all working toward glorifying God.

All these years later, we form His body the same way. Different walks, different scars, different skills- but all important, all of use, all recipients of His love.

Another Exodus Yarn

Exodus 39:1

Double whammy... first it's another one verse section. Second, it's something already discussed several chapters back. Here's the original discussion: http://chiphall.blogspot.com/2007/12/lookin-good-exodus-28-1-5-so-god-has.html

So all we learn here is they made ministering garments out of purple, scarlet and blue yarn- and they made sacred garments for Aaron.

Aaron's role seems steeped in importance. Even his clothes are holy. It seems like much of the ornate attitude certain religious cultures have toward priestly attire could come from passages like this one. Aaron would have been macking something serious in his priestly garb.

Somehow, I can't picture Jesus ministering in this same kind of outfit. The man who didn't have somewhere to lay his head probably didn't sport fancy duds when he interacted with the poor and down-trodden. Seems like another contrast between the outwardness of the old law and the inwardness of what's to come.

So in short- clothe that inner man with purple yarn... or at least let the focus of your grooming be on the inside.

Heavy Metal

Exodus 38: 21-31

This section is a summary of the material needed to complete the tasks we've been pouring over the last several chapters. Lest you think you can relate to these workers because one time you added a deck to the back of your house- consider this:

There was a little over a ton of gold donated for this work. The community gave about three and three fourths tons of silver to use. Just the silver for the hooks alone weighed 45 pounds. They also pulled in two and a half tons of bronze.

Not just your average trip to Home Depot.

While pouring over the boring specifics, it's easy to lose sight of what a huge undertaking this was. It must have taken not only skilled laborers and skilled craftsmen, but certainly people well-skilled management-wise, keeping everyone working together and productively.

A volunteer force working as a unit for a common goal and doing amazing thing...sounds like a great blueprint for what God expects the church to be too.

Supreme Court

Exodus 38:9-20

So, here we are again. Another Exodus retelling of an incident that was pretty boring to begin with. The courtyard is built. You can read the earlier discussion here: http://chiphall.blogspot.com/2007/11/curing-insomnia-exodus-279-19-warning.html.

Lots of bronze, lots of linen, lots of yawning.

I am struck though, by the importance of work here that might not be the most thrilling. Menial, tedious, sweaty- work that would be great to pawn off on someone else to free me up to work on things more important. Besides my strong inepitude regarding most physical labor, I also harbor a deep-seated desire to avoid it... and with that desire comes great skill.

I would not have been the man chosen to head up this project. And I wouldn't have felt slighted by not being chosen. But maybe it says something that these people complete job after job, measuring posts and meeting specifications.

Granted, there was probably an artistic side of this endeavor that those in "the trade" might have reveled in, but I'm guessing there were folks there too who took part not because of the thrill of the work- but because of the desire to please the one who commissioned them in the first place.

Even when the work is less than glamorous, dull, or seems like it is beneath me (which is another issue)- perhaps remembering who the work is for can inspire dedication and focus. Even for someone who thinks a jigsaw is a puzzle.

Less is Less

Exodus 38:8

I'm not sure why the fine folks who worked on the NIV determined that Exodus 38:8 warranted an entire heading all by its self. But they did. So here we are. The verse reads: ⁸ They made the bronze basin and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

Yeah.

So what to take from this? Well these same women who I guess worked to help with washing and preparing for sacrifices and perhaps getting Aaron's family's garments ready- also gave up their mirrors- bronze mirrors no less to create the basin and stand. And while much has been stressed about the sacrifice of the craftsmen and artisans- here we see less skilled people (perhaps?) giving what they had to offer. They couldn't create the basin and stand themselves...but they could wash, and prepare, and give where supplies were lacking.

Every part contributing to the whole.

Not much... but what do you want from one verse?

Re-Altared

Exodus 38:1-7

Still bored? Yep, me too.

Another fulfillment of things we've already read about... in detail. Here's the original mini-discussion: http://chiphall.blogspot.com/2007/11/strange-fire-place-exodus-27-1-8-now.html

Even the first time it wasn't too riveting.

So they built the altar- a square about 4 1/2 feet on each side and about 7 1/2 feet high. They made utensils, rings and poles.

Do you think Moses got bored writing this?

Redundant:  See Redundant

Exodus 37:25-29

When Robin Williams wrote that joke, he may have been reading Exodus.  I'm looking forward to Leviticus- you don't hear that sentence very often.  This passage talks about the building of the altar of incense.  If you'd like a refresher on our previous discussion the first time Moses went through these details (and why wouldn't you?) you can look here:  http://chiphall.blogspot.com/2008/08/days-before-deodorant-exodus-30-1-10-so.html

I wonder when these craftsmen were plying their trade if they realized just what they were doing. Granted they knew the construction side of things, but did they get why God was having them create the various altars and edifices?  

And what must it have been like for the perfumer to work for God?  Did he feel a fulfillment in his job that he never had before?  Was it a great marketing tool?  Smell like God's official altar...yes, I'm that perfumer!  Was it just another day at the office?

Those are moments to savor- when the work you do every day is obviously praising God.  A doctor saves a life, a musician creates a work of majestic beauty, a libraian inspires literacy, or a dj comforts a distraught soul with a request played.  Some moments ring of importance, some are subtle, but when our work touches others in life changing ways, then maybe we become that perfumer seeing the value in the beauty we create.

Shine a Light

Exodus 37:17-24

It's passages like these that give the Old Testament a bad name.  It really is beyond me why we need so much repetition here at the end of Exodus... but like it or not, we're getting it.  So, the lampstand and lamps are built.  We discussed plans for them here:  http://chiphall.blogspot.com/2007/11/hide-it-under-bushel-no-exodus-2531-40.html

My reaction to all of this gold is one of curiosity.  I kind of feel like Judas claimed to when the woman poured the ointment on Jesus' feet... it seems like 75 pounds of gold could feed lots of people and wouldn't that glorify God more than a golden lampstand?  Maybe it says a lot about how already took care of the poor, maybe it says a lot about the lack of material "necessity" in that culture, maybe it speaks to a greater equality in wealth-sharing, maybe it shows that at times God likes extravegance in His honor- but for whatever reason... 75 pounds of gold goes to create this lampstand.

Litle by little, God's plans for his "house" are coming together.

Midas Touch

Exodus 37:10-16

We're still in reruns...or maybe in this section it would be appropriate to say we're revisiting golden oldies. You can find our original discussion on the golden table here: http://chiphall.blogspot.com/2007/11/tabled-discussion-exodus-25-23-30.html . It wasn't too interesting the first time.


Not much new to add. God gave them specifications...and it looks like they did it.

Now this is all being made from items freely donated by the Israelites. I wonder if this gave them an added connection to the finished product. Look Jimmy, grandpa's gold watch went into this table, you can still hear it ticking. Well, I can't chew my food because I don't have any fillings left, but that table is majestic.

And if so, maybe we should have that same connection to what's done with our "golden offerings." Instead of a blind sense of satisfaction, maybe we should take more specific interests in the lives of those who are impacted by what we give.

Author Shane Claiborne downplays the role of charity because it separates the classes of people involved. If I have money, I give, I get rid of my guilt, but I never become involved in the lives of the needy. He advocates becoming one of the needy- being connected with where our help goes.

I still think charity is important. But I think that the idea of becoming involved in the lives of those who you impact is powerful and important. I've strayed a bit from the golden table here - but maybe in the same way an Israelite might feel more connected to a table made for God because of the role they played in it being built, I might feel more connected to people all over the world if I not only help them...but am invested in the finished product.

Arkane Discussion

Exodus 37:1-9

Really short section without much new. If you recall, we earlier discussed detail about the construction of the ark. If you don't recall, you can find it here: http://chiphall.blogspot.com/2007/10/real-reason-jesus-became-carpenter.html

So, it seems that Bezalel took on the task of building the ark to God's specifications. The end.

Almost. So, he builds these poles to carry the ark... but I wonder at what point these poles became necessary for carrying it. Bezalel obviously had to touch the ark to build it... at some point this will become off-limits. But how does that happen- and how does he know?

More interestingly, how does that change affect Bezalel? An artist would surely feel some sense of ownership for the art he created. When a composer hears her song on the radio- there's a sense of pride that comes with it. When a playwright sees his play performed- he still feels a part of the process, even if he wasn't directly involved with that specific production.

What would it be like for Belazel to have worked so hard and created this beautiful artifice and do it with the spirit of worship only to know that once it's done- you've got to keep your hands off? Maybe the lesson is to understand what it means to truly turn things over to God- to release them- to let them go.

Once you've invested time, money, energy, love, and/or sweat- if it's really not for you... maybe it's ok to not have ownership any more. Maybe, as difficult as it may be, it isn't until we've released it, when we've agreed to keep our hands off, that it's really a gift for God and not just a gift from God.

Hard Hat Area

Exodus 36:8-38

And you thought it was boring the first time.

If you've keeping score at home, you may remember talking about God's instructions for the tabernacle. We heard great detail about curtains and frames and inlaid cherubims. We shared a laugh, maybe a tear...it was a grand time. If you want to relive it, look here: http://chiphall.blogspot.com/2007/11/put-it-on-my-tab.html


In this equally riveting passage, we see the tabernacle actually being built. The blueprint becomes action. They work with linen, they make rings, crossbars of acacia wood. It may have made for a beautiful edifice, it doesn't make for an interesting narrative.

But I wonder about what these workers are feeling as construction goes on. Are they paranoid that a beam isn't exactly the length God commanded? Are they pounding with pride knowing they're doing God's work? Are they thrilled to finally be connected with the other Israelite followers... finally a shared experience of importance? Are they tired of it all and resentful? Or maybe a mixture of them all?

I feel all of these emotions at times doing my own taberbacle building (not a power tool in sight). Sometimes elation at feeling like I'm finally a part of the club, sometimes skepticism that what I'm doing matters or makes a difference, sometimes burnout if the load isn't shared, sometimes self-importance, forgetting what the focus of it all should be.

Many of these emotions aren't things to be proud of... but they happen. I think especially when we focus on the "what" at the expense of the "why".

It might be easier to keep your eye on God when the commands are coming audibly, but it's no less important for us view our work as God's work- and do it for Him even when we're fighting feelings of being burdened.