End of the Exodus
In the beginning of Genesis it is all about being naked.
Now, in Exodus, God is preparing a place for himself among his people, and it seems to be all about the clothes. All of chapter 28 concerns the clothing of the priests. Starting in chapter 35 we are told about the Tabernacle. The place where God resides among his people. In a way, this Tabernacle is His clothing. Before the fall, Adam and Eve walked with God, they were naked and felt no shame. Now, because of our sin and imperfection and God's holiness and perfection, if the Israelites do not take extra precaution to wear just the right clothes, if they fail to make the right clothes for the tabernacle, they risk death.
One troubling part of scripture: Exodus 32:27-29. After the worship of the cow, Moses asks, "Whoever is for the LORD, come to me." The Levites come. Then Moses tells them that God wants them to strap on swords, go throughout the camp, and kill their brother and friend and neighbor. 3000 people died that day. Moses tells the men that they are blessed because they, "were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day." Later, God sends a plague upon Israel.
God is righteous. God is Holy. God is love. God is justice. He can not have a half hearted emotion. He is forgiving, but not in the sense that we are forgiving. Most of my forgiveness that I give myself credit for is more a result of apathy than true forgiveness. Someone honks the horn at me because I've failed to move as quickly as they would like after a light has turned green. Eventually. Mainly because this person really doesn't matter to me. God never has that luxury. Everyone matters, everyone's actions matter to God.
God goes to a tremendous amount of trouble to Tabernacle with his people. It is obvious that he so desires to walk in a garden with us again.
Now, in Exodus, God is preparing a place for himself among his people, and it seems to be all about the clothes. All of chapter 28 concerns the clothing of the priests. Starting in chapter 35 we are told about the Tabernacle. The place where God resides among his people. In a way, this Tabernacle is His clothing. Before the fall, Adam and Eve walked with God, they were naked and felt no shame. Now, because of our sin and imperfection and God's holiness and perfection, if the Israelites do not take extra precaution to wear just the right clothes, if they fail to make the right clothes for the tabernacle, they risk death.
One troubling part of scripture: Exodus 32:27-29. After the worship of the cow, Moses asks, "Whoever is for the LORD, come to me." The Levites come. Then Moses tells them that God wants them to strap on swords, go throughout the camp, and kill their brother and friend and neighbor. 3000 people died that day. Moses tells the men that they are blessed because they, "were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day." Later, God sends a plague upon Israel.
God is righteous. God is Holy. God is love. God is justice. He can not have a half hearted emotion. He is forgiving, but not in the sense that we are forgiving. Most of my forgiveness that I give myself credit for is more a result of apathy than true forgiveness. Someone honks the horn at me because I've failed to move as quickly as they would like after a light has turned green. Eventually. Mainly because this person really doesn't matter to me. God never has that luxury. Everyone matters, everyone's actions matter to God.
God goes to a tremendous amount of trouble to Tabernacle with his people. It is obvious that he so desires to walk in a garden with us again.
posted by Leslie at 7:08 PM
1 Comments:
My understanding of scripture leads me to believe that certain parts of the Sabbath was part of the old covenant. Just like circumcision and all of the food laws.
That being said, I do believe that we are to rest one day a week because at the beginning of creation God rests one day a week.
I don't know all the meaning behind the Sabbath laws. But after Christ comes, this holy time is redundant. We do not need a temple because our bodies become the temple. In a sense, in the Kingdom that Christ establishes every day is a Sabbath.
Post a Comment
<< Home