As I sit in the waiting area, a service representative steps over to let me know what repairs my car needs. He or she is well dressed in a polo shirt and khakis. Their hands are clean unlike the mechanics who are working with tools, parts, and fluids underneath my car. That’s the one I pay. That’s the one who hands me my keys and sends me on my way. I never get to meet the actual technicians, only the rep.
That scenario reminds me of the Old Testament priests who served at the tabernacle and later, the temple in Jerusalem. God established a dress code for Aaron and the priests who go before the Lord on behalf of the people. Why? There are two reasons: “For glory and for beauty” (Exodus 28:2). The garments will glorify God. But they will also reflect a relationship with the Lord.
As you read through it, it’s complicated. There is a “breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a tunic of checkered work, a turban, and a sash.” These all work together as a reminder that when the priest goes before the Lord, it is on behalf of all the people. The priest represents a nation, but also every individual in that nation. That includes the good and the bad, the rich and the poor, and the sick and the healthy.
As the gold plate on the high priest’s turban states, the people are “holy to the Lord.” They have been chosen. They have been set free. Their sin has been atoned for, that is covered. It’s easy to forget these truths. This was a great reminder.
In the very first chapter of Revelation, John catches a glimpse of Jesus in glowing, glorious, and beautiful priestly attire. He’s also the mechanic who did all the work of salvation. Not only does he clean up nicely, but he’s give me garments of salvation and robes of righteousness, too.
Israel may not have put all these pieces together in the Sinai desert. But now, in the last days, it’s good news!
When I’m working on a jigsaw puzzle, I always look at the picture on the box to try and figure out where some of the pieces go. I do that even when I am working with my grandson on a hundred piece puzzle.
When I’m putting together a piece of furniture that came in a box, it helps to look at the picture of the item online or sometimes on the side of the box.
My finished food preparation rarely looks like the picture in the cookbook or at the top of the recipe page, but at least I know what I’m aiming for. Sometimes I’m even in the ballpark.
As I read through the instructions for the construction of the tabernacle, I think there’s a lot of room for interpretation. It’s a good thing God showed Moses what he had in mind.
God told Moses, “You shall erect the tabernacle according to its plan which you have been shown on the mountain” (Exodus 26:30).
I so wish Moses had a camera at that moment. I would love to see what Moses saw and the tabernacle he built. I can find all sorts of pictures online of what it might have looked like. But there’s not even have a sketch to look at.
Sometimes I think it must have been magnificent. After all, this is where the Lord will “tent” or camp out with his people. But other times I think it was ordinary. I think that because Jesus came in ordinary form. His physical “tent” was just like us.
When he got to his cubicle and logged into the computer, the first email that caught his eye was from the boss.
Come by and see me when you get in.
Uh-oh. That doesn’t sound good. Now what? What did I do? What did I forget to do? Should I just clean out my desk?
But it was a different kind of meeting. It was all about a a great annual review, a promotion, and a raise.
In a flurry of instructions about building a tabernacle and an ark, God gives Moses this instruction:
“You shall make an atoning cover of pure gold…Then you shall put the atoning cover on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I will give to you. There I will meet with you (Exodus 25:17,22).
Another expression for “atoning cover” is “mercy seat.” God would come and meet with his people from a place of mercy.
This is huge. As David will later sing, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy” (Psalm 103:8). The gold-covered lid for the ark, topped by two angels, was a visual statement of this truth. The condemning law of God, tablets inside the ark, was covered or “atoned” for by the mercies of God. Ultimately, that mercy would be seen at the cross, where the death of Jesus covers sin.
Now that I think about it, once the ark was placed in the holiest place of the tabernacle, no one but the high priest ever got to see it. When it was time to travel, the ark was covered in blue cloth. But everyone knew about it. The craftsmen made everything according to specifications. And then the cloud of God’s presence filled the tabernacle, it was an awesome and reassuring sign of his presence and mercy.
When I install or update software on my phone or computer, I have to agree to terms and conditions. I have to admit, I never read them. I scroll to the bottom and check the agree box. I don’t have time for all that.
I’ve only met one person who told me they always read every end user license agreement. He’s never refused to agree to the terms and conditions. But he knows what they say.
Starting with the commandments in Exodus 20, Moses brings a boatload of laws down from the mountain. There are rules about everything from personal injury to property rights. There are regulations for financial matters, farming, and feasts.
In response, “The people answered with one voice and said, ‘All the words which the Lord has spoken we will do!’” (Exodus 24:3).
Really? Don’t you want to sleep on it before you make this kind of commitment? Do you want to talk it over with your family? Do you want to have your lawyer look it over, just for good measure?
You and I know the people will not do all the Lord has spoken. Not even close. God knows it, too. They couldn’t even handle one rule in the garden.
But this isn’t just list of rules and regulations. God cares about his people. So he brings order to their life together just as he brought order to the universe at creation. He says he’ll be their God. They agree to be his people.
Yes, they have a lot to learn. Of course they will make mistakes. Lots of forgiveness will be needed. And all that is included in the words the Lord has spoken.
Just like I need a lot of forgiveness. Because I make a lot of mistakes. And I have a lot to learn. Just like he says in his word.
Our July 12-24 Hawaii trip began with a 4 am drive to the Orlando airport. We left super early because Delta was still recovering from computer problems and we anticipated long wait times for check-in and security. Of course, when you give yourself lots of extra time, there will be no wait. We checked our backs at the curb, got through security in about fifteen minutes, so we had two-and-a-half hours before the first leg of our trip.
One of our traveling companions, the one who owned the house in Hawaii where we would be staying, got us into the Delta Sky Club with her diamond travel status. We got to enjoy the buffet breakfast and some great coffee while we waited.
Our first flight took us to Seattle, where we stretched our legs and split a roast beef sandwich and Caesar salad for lunch. For the next flight to the big island of Hawaii, I switched us to two aisle seats across from each other in the comfort plus section. A little more room was nice, and I read and snoozed while my wife watched a couple of movies.
The Kona airport wasn’t at all what we expected. It’s small (only eleven gates), and the baggage claim and waiting areas were outdoors. We were not met by hula dancers putting leis around our necks to ukulele music, either. And once we got our bags and rental car, we drove down the coast through desolate lava fields to the house. We picked up some food and found our way to the house.
Our view at sunset
The five bedroom, five bathroom pool home was on the side of a mountain with a breathtaking view of the ocean. The owners rented it out most of the year. But these next two weeks, we were there with another couple and the owner. During the busy season and for the annual Ironman, they would get $1,500 a night. Off-season was about half that. So it was a blessing we could stay there for free!
Electricity is expensive on the big island, so there was no central air conditioning. Each bedroom had it’s own cooling unit. Solar panels helped with electricity usage and heated the hot water.
On Saturday morning, Lisa and I walked about a mile-and-a-half down the hill to Kona Heaven Coffee, where we sat and enjoyed some 100% Kona with a nice view of the ocean. When we got back to the house, the other couple was ready to go to the Mountain Thunder Coffee Farm with us. (Read about that excursion here.) After that we found Benny & Finn’s in downtown Kona that had Hawaiian Purple Yam Dole whip, which was amazing!
On Sunday morning, we took the two-hour Blue Hawaiian helicopter ride past the volcanoes, up the Hilo coast, and then past the gorges and waterfalls on the northern part of the island. Each Eco-star helicopter held a knowledgable pilot/guide and six passengers. The lava floes made a lot more sense from the sky. Unfortunately, there were no active lava floes for us to see. We saw the recently vacated Mars dome in the middle of a place that might as well have been a different planet. After refueling at the Hilo airport (which is even smaller than Kona), we flew into some beautiful gorges to see waterfalls not accessible by land. Just before we returned to the Waikoloa heliport, we saw a circular rainbow, visible when the sun is above you but the clouds are below. After our flight, we had a quick lunch at the Lava Lava Beach Club and headed home.
Lava flows from the sky
Part of the circular rainbow beneath our helicopter.
On Monday, we went to the Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, where we hiked to the ocean on rocky lava trails to see remains of ancient fish traps, ponds, settlements, and petroglyphs. One sea turtle was lounging on the beach, posing for pictures.
From there, we stopped by a seahorse farm, but decided that the $77 (!) entrance fee was too steep and instead had lunch at Big Kahuna in downtown Kona.
In the evening, I swapped out our Nissan Altima rental at the airport for a Jeep Wrangler, something more fun for exploring the island.
On Tuesday, Lisa and I hiked the Captain Cook trail, a steep, 3.5 mile round-trip trail to the ocean to see the Cook monument. With a 1,300 ft. elevation gain, the all uphill return hike was tough. As recommended, we had decent hiking boots. But we met quite a few other hikers in flip flops. They were either tougher or more foolish than us.
Captain Cook monument
In the afternoon, we drove to the Painted Church. The inside of this church is covered with hand-painted scenes of bible stories. Just about everyone who lives on this little road has a little fruit stand, coffee shop, or botanical garden, taking advantage of the traffic to and from the church.
On Wednesday, we took a quick flight to the Honolulu airport and took an Uber to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial. We spent time at the submarine museum and walked through the U.S.S Bowfin, toured the U.S.S. Missouri, and went to the U.S.S. Arizona memorial. There is more to do and experience at Pearl Harbor than we could do in one day, so we didn’t get to the Aviation museum. It was a moving experience, and I learned more about World War II.
U.S.S. BowfinU.S.S. Missouri
On Thursday, we took an ocean kayak and snorkeling tour. The ocean was fairly calm and the kayaks very stable. It was a beautiful day and I must have seen fifty different kinds of colorful fish in fifty-feet of absolutely clear water.
After we got home, Lisa and I took another walk down the hill to Kona. Once there, I started feeling light-headed while perusing the Lava Java restaurant menu. After I sat on the front steps, someone brought me some ice water, and I actually passed out. I woke up to EMTs who took me to the Kona Community Hospital to get checked out. My EKG and blood work were fine. With a little fluid in me, I felt better and we took an Uber back to the house. Even though I thought I was drinking plenty of water, apparently I got dehydrated. When I got back to the house, the rest of the group was waiting for me to get home so I could grill steaks for supper.
Friday was a busy day. We headed out about 7 am to get to Punalu’u Bake shop, the southernmost bakery in the United States, and also the place to get the best malasadas (Portuguese sugar-coated doughnuts). The Portuguese came here in the late 1800’s when sugar cane farming was a huge part of the island economy. Malasadas go down very easy. I ate four that day.
With cartons of malasada in hand, we drove to the green sand beach at South Point, the southernmost place in the United States. Rather than a five-mile round trip hike, we hired a driver to take us on a bouncy standing ride in the back of a four wheel drive pickup to the beach. It’s not a big beach, but it’s one of only four places in the world where the sand is green.
Green Sand BeachBlack Sand Beach
Next stop was the black sand beach, a little farther up the coast. It was unique, but not especially exciting.
From there we drove to Volcanoes National Park. This park is huge. When this volcano last erupted in 1959, lava shot up 1,900 feet into the air. That’s taller than the Empire State Building! We saw the crater from several vantage points. We could have spent a whole day here.
But we wanted to go to Mauna Kea to see the sunset. Unfortunately, the mountain was clouded in, so we couldn’t see anything.
We tried to do too much on Friday. We could have spent a day doing any one of those things. Plus, there were so many little coffee shops and bakeries along the road we could have stopped at!
On Saturday, we went back to downtown Kona. We had lunch at Java Lava, another Dole whip at Bubba & Finns, and bought ornaments for all the grandkids.
Hawaiian Purple Yam Dole whip!
On Sunday, we worshiped at Waikoloa Lutheran Church. After lunch at Lava Lava Beach Club, we drove to Waimae to visit a coffee shop and general store.
Who cares about lunch……when this is dessert?
On Sunday night we went to the luau at the King Kamehameha Courtyard resort. The food and entertainment were okay, but not as great as we expected. When you go to Hawaii, you have to go to a luau, right?
We celebrated by 67th birthday on Monday with a trip to Hilo on the other side of the island. We started with breakfast at Ken’s Pancakes, where I also got a souvenir coffee mug. The pancakes were good, but their famous macadamia nut pancakes were just pancakes with macadamia nuts sprinkled on top. The wait staff sang “Happy Birthday” to me and brought me another stack of pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream.
Akaka Falls – check out the rainbow at the base
Then went to Akaka Falls State Park. It’s only a short hike to the falls, which at four hundred feet are actually taller than Niagara Falls. After we toured the Mauna Loa Macademia Nut factory we took a tour of the Lavaloha Chocolate farm. I loved learning about the production of chocolate, from the cacao pods to a big selection of 70% cacao chocolates.
Our chocolate farm tour guideCacao pod right off the tree
We walked around down Hilo and visited a ukulele shop. The impressive selection of ukes was priced from $90 to over $1,500. The owner taught us a lot about the instruments, but we decided not to buy one on this trip.
We spent most of Tuesday packing up and cleaning up the house. Our flight home left about 8:30 pm Hawaii time, and we were back in Florida by late Wednesday afternoon.
It was a great trip, but Hawaii was much different than I expected. It wasn’t like Hawaii 5-0 or Magnum P.I. The coastline was mostly rock, not sandy beaches. Of course, we were on the big island of Hawaii, not Oahu which is more touristy. When we go back, we’ll hop and see what the other islands have to offer.
Even though my memory gets fuzzier each passing year, I remember some of those September back-to-school days. (I grew up as a public school student). It was great to see my friends. I had teachers to get used to. I had to find all the different classrooms. There was a new locker combination to memorize.
And of course, there were rules. Get to class before the bell rang. This is where you sit. Homework must be turned in on time. Get a physical at the doctor before you try out for a sport. No smoking in the bathroom.
God’s people have experienced his power, provision, and protection, summed up pretty well here: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt” (Exodus 20:2).
And then there are rules (Exodus 20:3-17). There are rules about how to live together. Other rules are about taking care of each other. God provides structure for their lives as they journey from a place of hopeless bondage to a new home of freedom and abundance.
Even though the rules aren’t numbered, they will be called the Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 4:13). Different traditions have numbered them differently, but it probably doesn’t make that much difference.
But I guess it’s like the first day of school. Are you ready to learn? Are you ready to learn about mercy, grace, and forgiveness? Are you ready to learn what it means to trust God? Are you ready to not only hear his word but keep it and be blessed?
So what do you think? Do you want to get close to this big girl, or not?
A “through the bible” devotion from Exodus 19.
When I’ve got the Great Dane on the leash, a lot of people take a step back from her hundred pounds of puppy energy, her tail whipping back and forth, and scorching-hot panting. Except for the kids. Kids line up to pet the dog, get a sloppy kiss, and gaze into those huge brown eyes.
At the base of a mountain, Moses and the people encounter what anyone else would call a volcano.
“Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the entire mountain quaked violently. When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him with thunder” (Exodus 19:18,19).
The one true God isn’t a statue. He’s no inanimate object made out of stone or wood. The ground is moving. There’s fire, smoke, and unbearable heat. The sound is deafening. Everyone takes a step back. You dare not get too close!
Unless you’re one of the kids. It’s the same God, just in human form. Later on, he takes the children in his arms and blesses them (Mark 10:16).
So what do you think? Do you want to get close to this God? Or not? And I suppose the answer is, “Yes.” I never want to forget the God of Mount Sinai. Nor do I want to forget the compassion of Christ.
A “through the bible devotion” from Exodus 17 and 18.
It was so easy to do too much. I remember too many “perfect storm” Sunday mornings when not only was I preaching, but also opening up the church, playing guitar to lead contemporary worship, teaching a Sunday School class, and taking out a bag of garbage someone forgot to put in the dumpster. It too me a while to learn that if I spread myself too thin, I really wasn’t doing anything well.
I’ve learned to always answer, “Yes,” when asked, “Do you need help?” I don’t need to be independent and self-sufficient. I used to hate group projects. Now I’d much rather be part of a team.
Moses had to learn this lesson, too. He needed help holding up his hands so Israel could defeat the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-13). He needed help settling endless disputes among the people (Exodus 18). He couldn’t – and didn’t have to – handle all the responsibility of leading a nation.
I guess it’s pride that makes us think we have to do it all and do it alone. A more honest word might be conceit. And if we’re honest, it’s idolatry.
There’s truth to the saying, “You’re not yourself when you’re hungry.”
A cute baby turns into a monster when he or she decides they want to eat. children get restless as snack time approaches. Your dog or cat sits and stares until you relent and fill their food bowl. Wedding guests get snarly as table after table is called to the buffet line ahead of them. “Just wait till I get my hands on whoever ate my lunch from the break room refrigerator!”
Hungry people are irritable, rude, impatient, and nasty.
“The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.The sons of Israel said to them, ‘If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread until we were full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this entire assembly with hunger!’” (Exodus 16:2-3)
Suddenly you wish you were back in Egypt making bricks? Your taskmasters fed you that well? You miss Pharaoh’s home cooking?
Probably not. But now you’re ready a theology lesson. “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,“I have heard the grumblings of the sons of Israel; speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’” (Exodus 16:11,12). One of the best ways to get to know God is to be hungry and then eat. Then you’ll know that he is the Lord your God.
If that’s the case, then I’m learning about God all the time. I get hungry a lot. I often forage in the kitchen for a meal or a snack. That’s my kind of education. It sure beats sitting in a seminary classroom!
Over time I’ve become a lot less demanding and much more grateful for my daily bread. Some of that comes from having to buy and prepare the food myself. But it’s also because I’ve grown in grace and knowledge of the Lord.
Waite for it... 