January 15, 2021
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in some Exodus? Here’s today’s reading:
Exodus 36 (NIV)
1 So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the Lord has commanded.”........Continue Reading
I love that the people gave too much….so much that Moses had to ask that they stop giving! Amazing how God worked in the hearts of these people who had recently shown so much doubt making idols! Then they followed God’s directions, came together, and built the tabernacle and all the parts according to His plan.
I very much agree Kelly. That we would give so readily and generously as well. Giving is based on appreciation for how God has provided, faith in what God promises to provide and obedience in that it is commanded. It also stems from the reality that God’s work needs funds and God always looks for His people to provide for it rather than God Himself.
The rest of the chapter shows that the Jews followed the directions given about how the tabernacle was to be built!
Exodus 36
Exodus 36
I’d like to share my thoughts on my own personal reading this morning from the book of Acts. I recently just finished chapters 10-11. Peter had reported to the Church in Jerusalem on spreading the good news of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, within the house of Cornelius they received the gift of the Holy Spirit. I particularly was fascinated with how great our God of the universe is to provide us with the gift that is the Holy Spirit to help serve as our guide in serving the Lord but also spreading his word, especially for someone myself as a new Christian. I’d also like to highlight verses 11:5 – 11:10.
““While I was praying in the city of Joppa, I had a vision. I saw something coming down that looked like a large sheet being lowered by its four corners from heaven, and it stopped next to me.”
Acts 11:5 GNTD
https://www.bible.com/69/act.11.5.gntd
To me personally I think Peter had a vision which would be the coming of Jesus back to earth or God revealing to Peter the kingdom of Heaven? Feel free to share your own interpretations. Thanks for taking the time to hear about my reading, look forward to sharing more each day.
Evan A.
Evan, thanks for posting. The vision that Peter had was of a sheet with animals on it that he as a Jew would consider unclean. When God tells him to eat He is making a connection between unclean food and unclean people. The Jews would also consider Gentiles unclean. So in opening Peter’s mind about engaging with food that he could now eat, God is directing and making him comfortable to go minister to the Gentile Cornelius. And what better way to confirm that the Gentiles were accepted than to give them the Holy Spirit evidenced by the speaking in tongues? So not so much a vision of Christ’s return, but of the lesson about the animals. I would also propose that it is God the Father speaking to Peter here and not Jesus. Feel free to ask me why…..
Wow, that is interesting and makes so much more sense now. Definitely in need of the why!
Exodus 36
Genesis 36
I was also struck by the people giving too much and that Moses actually had to tell them to stop.
vs 6 ” …the people were restrained from bringing more”. I found this Impressive in many ways.
Merriam-Webster: prevented, restrained, kept under control from doing or expressing
Exodus 36
“So they continued bringing to him freewill offerings every morning. 4 Then all the craftsmen who were doing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work he was doing, 5 and they spoke to Moses, saying, “The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the Lord commanded us to do.”
6 So Moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, “Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.” And the people were restrained from bringing, 7 for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done—indeed too much.”
I’m always noticing when the Bible mentions that someone does something of their own “free will.” Not by any means to negate God’s sovereignty, I believe that God is sovereign and knows (foreknows) every decision we make before we make it. But each time the Bible mentions man doing something of his own accord, I think of the relationship between God and man. God did not create man to enjoy His own puppet theater, He created man for relationship.
“The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done.”
6Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more, 7because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.