February 14th Readings- Guest Post By Mrs.Oz

Today's readings are Exodus 39:32-40:38, Numbers 9:15-23.

The Tabernacle is finished! The people have followed every detail of instruction from God through Moses and the design he intended has come to completion. Each with his own skill had done his job well and together they kept obedience to God in the highest respect as they did every tiny task and every collective task. There must have been such a sense of joy for everyone at it's completion. Moses blesses them and it's the one and only time when this blessing is given to the people from him. Almost a year has elapsed since they left Egypt.
Moses did the final checking and setting up the details to God's request. Then the most joyful moment happens on the scene. The joy of the confirmation from God himself on their work. "Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle." (vs 34) How much more of an exciting affirmation could one ask for? This is definitely one of those "wish I could have been there" moments of the bible. There seems to be such intimacy between God and his people here. They have held his command highly, and he has come down to be with them and guide them with his presence as to when to stay and when to move on. Numbers 10:11 tells us that the first time it was "taken up" was 50 days after it was finished and erected.
What strikes me in all this is God's focused intention to have a relationship with his people. The fact of his holiness makes each and every detail to how this will happen crucial to say the least. Yet, he really wants to be near his people, to have their obedience and to be able to guide them in obvious ways.
Hebrews 9 tells us the other side of these important details of the tabernacle once Christ has come to full fill much of the foreshadowing here. I think our journey through the bible will make our New Testament journey all the more precious to us.
"The way to think about the old and strange and foreign is not to say it's irrelevant, or to say that it's just a shadow of eternal truths, but rather to say, that in that old period of history, under God's sovereign design, everything was pointing to a new period of history that began with Jesus, and in which we live. And the old period has much light to shed on the meaning of the new period." (John Piper sermon "Purified to Serve a Living God")
His intentions from the beginning has been reconciliation with us. All of the bible works, leads, points, and follows up on this. Many of the aspects of the tabernacle remind us that we are separated from him. The law reminds us of our imperfection and the curtain reminds us of our inadequacy to come before Him.
Our pastor often gives the convicting and somewhat comical illustration of our inadequacy to achieve holiness. He talks about the vast divide between us and God being like standing on one side of the Grand Canyon (and even this massive word picture does no justice to the reality!) looking over to the other side. At this point it does not matter if you are able to jump 5 feet or 50 feet in your spirituality! Should we cheer for he who can even jump 60? Well, Mr.60 footer won't have any time to pat himself on the back as he plumits still! The point is that we all fall so way short.
Really, I'm impressed at the humble reminders of the events at the End of Exodus. We are so unworthy and yet so loved by Him. I think Louis Giglio in his amazing DVD "Indescribable" said it best when he talks about our "significant insignificance". (BTW, if you enjoy this you can watch more on Youtube. This is part 3 of 5 and they are all amazing) Like I shared in the comments in the previous post about the lovely moment with my son about God knowing the hairs on his head, this segment speaks to this. We are so rightly humbled, and yet so divinely loved.

As you celebrate Valentines today, remember the great lover of your soul who has been working from the beginning (on every detail of your life) to have an intimate relationship with you. To guide you when to move in His will, to cover you with the blood of his Son in covenant and to sit you in the great mercy seat before Him.

The Mercy Seat by Hugh Stowell 1799-1865

From every stormy wind that blows,
From every swelling tide of woes,
There is a calm, a sure retreat;
'Tis found beneath the mercy-seat.

There is a place where Jesus sheds
The oil of gladness on our heads,
A place than all beside more sweet;
It is the blood-stained mercy-seat.

There is a spot where spirits blend,
And friend holds fellowship with friend;
Though sundered far, by faith they meet
Around one common mercy-seat.

There, there on eagle-wing we soar,
And time and sense seem all no more;
And heaven comes down our souls to greet,
And glory crowns the mercy-seat.

Tomorrow's readings: Numbers 7:1-89.