Most adults of a certain age, raised to adulthood in the sixties-seventies, probably heard this phrase more than a few times from our parents; “Our house, our rules, as long as you live under our roof as our children; you will obey our rules.” If your parents were Christians, they would add; “This is for your own good.” And they meant it for the rules were meant to protect us while they provided for us until we were able to have jobs that provided enough to have our own home. If you obeyed, life was easier. If you did not, there was constant tension. Remember?
When we enter God’s House, we come with expectant hope of seeing God’s glory at work as we worship Him with others. If we pause to prepare our hearts and truly focus on God; we will indeed hear from God and learn His ways. Coming to God’s House today is simple as we live in a country that allows us the freedom to meet to worship our God with others. We have an array of choices of where to go as there are many churches in every city or town! We are blessed to have it this easy. Will there be a time when we do not? Sometimes I wonder and I stop to give praise to God, thanking Him for the privilege to come into His house with humbled gratitude!
“I rejoiced with those who said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Psalm 122:1
God’s place has rules. These commandments, given to Moses, were the “rules of engagement” with God. The Israelites were taught to have respect, a healthy fear and awe of who God is as the One and Only God to be worshiped, with specific ways to repent of their sins through sacrifice.
God appointed were anointed and given directions of how the priests should dress with very detailed ways given by God with how they will do ministry. God gave them specific ways and means to bring His people back to Him through their repentance and His forgiveness of sins through specific ways of sacrifice.
God’s greatest desire is that we trust and obey what He says as He stands ready to pour out all the blessings we need for our good which reveals His glory at work! But when we choose not to obey, like King Saul who followed his sin nature of pride, it was the priests designated work, through the generations of Aaron, who were to bring them back to what God delights in—our obedience and allegiance to Him. Here is an example:
“Samuel, (the priest to rebellious King Saul) replied:
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.” 1 Samuel 15:22-23
So, arrogance and rebellion of God’s rules and commandments have no place in God’s house.
All of these commands are new to God’s people who He brought out of slavery from Egypt to journey through the wilderness on their way to new land that God has promised to them. They were eager to build “just as God specifically commanded them.” Now all is ready to set it up. They will see the outcome of their hard labor. They will see God’s glorious Presence descend from heaven and hover over the new tabernacle built for God. How amazing in our God!
But God’s house has rules. So, Moses and the people do exactly “as the Lord commands” in every detail.
Exodus 40
Setting Up the Tabernacle
Then the Lord said to Moses: 2 “Set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the first day of the first month. 3 Place the ark of the covenant law in it and shield the ark with the curtain. 4 Bring in the table and set out what belongs on it. Then bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the covenant law and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.
6 “Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; 7 place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. 8 Set up the courtyard around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.
9 “Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy. 10 Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it will be most holy. 11 Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them.
12 “Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 13 Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest. 14 Bring his sons and dress them in tunics. 15 Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue throughout their generations.” 16 Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded him.
17 So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year. 18 When Moses set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames, inserted the crossbars and set up the posts. 19 Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering over the tent, as the Lord commanded him.
20 He took the tablets of the covenant law and placed them in the ark, attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover over it. 21 Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain and shielded the ark of the covenant law, as the Lord commanded him.
22 Moses placed the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle outside the curtain 23 and set out the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him.
24 He placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle 25 and set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him.
26 Moses placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the curtain 27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord commanded him.
28 Then he put up the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. 29 He set the altar of burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered on it burnt offerings and grain offerings, as the Lord commanded him.
30 He placed the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing, 31 and Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash their hands and feet. 32 They washed whenever they entered the tent of meeting or approached the altar, as the Lord commanded Moses.
33 Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.
The Glory of the Lord
34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
36 In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. 38 So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
Trust and obey God! Do what He says!
Max Lucado helps us understand a heart of obedience that delights God;
“Some people believe that outward appearance determines inner quality. With God, it is the other way around: Outward appearance should reflect inner reality. The priestly garments reflected the holy character of the priests as they were in communion with a holy God.
“Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh” (Romans 13:14).
“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:26–27).
This clothing has nothing to do with dresses and jeans and suits. God’s concern is with our spiritual garments. He offers a heavenly robe that only heaven can see and only heaven can give. Listen to the words of Isaiah: “I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10)
Remember the words of the father when the prodigal son returned? He wanted his son to have new sandals, a new ring, and what else? New clothes. “Bring the best robe and put it on him” (Luke 15:22). No son of his was going to be seen in shabby, muddy rags. The father wanted the son to have the best clothing available.
Your Father wants you to have the same.
Again, this discussion of clothing has nothing to do with what the store sells you. It has everything to do with what God gives you when you give your life to him.” –Max Lucado, Lucado Encouraging Word Bible
Lord,
May we come before you with humbled, thoughtful repentance, hearts of praise and thanksgiving, with obedient attitudes who seek you first and often throughout the day and into the night.
I love you, Lord with all that is in me. Thank you for cleansing my heart, renewing my mind, transforming my behaviors, while growing your character within me.
Thank you for refreshing my soul with your tender mercies when I fail and fall. Thank you for teaching me valuable lessons while picking me up from the fall and setting my feet back on your firm foundation.
What joy it is to trust and obey you! Thank you for daily restoring the joy of your salvation within me for my good and Your glory! I delight myself in you as you delight in me as your child. You never fail! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
In Jesus Name, Amen
Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus) 