homework

so, god tells moses to gather his 70 or so leaders and take them up the mountain a ways. they he makes moses wait for six whole days before god says a thing to him...what in the world did moses do for six days while he waited? he probably prayed, ate, drank...what else can you do on the side of a mountain?...

then when god finally speaks, he's not messing around. it seems like he's had all of these things he wants planned out for a while, just waiting for the right time to tell moses about it. he's asking all the people to give up their treasures (basically the only thing they had from egypt), he's asking for a lot of labor intensive and expensive construction, and this lampstand! this lampstand would be a sight to behold. i'm trying to imagine it as i read this passage, and i'm having trouble. six branches, three ornate flower-shaped cups on each one, different things coming off of different places on the thing...all from one piece of hammered gold. consider that for a moment. consider with me the craftsmanship and patience it would take to work that out. not to mention all the lamps and candle snuffers and trays and so on...

what's the point? god doesn't ask you to do easy stuff. god wants you to have to work. god wants you (me) to put in hours and sweat and focus and bleed and try. the things that god asks us to do, the things worth doing, are labor intensive, daunting, difficult, scary, intimidating, sacrificial...

but if you do it, god will do amazing things in it. god came and dwelt amidst the israelites because they carried out the instructions to god's exact specifications. further along, that would provide the israelites with protection, help, strength...and a long history, all because they took on the daunting, intimidating task that god gave them.

Created over 4 years ago