Category: Through the Bible Devotions

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Resting and feasting

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Leif Inge Fosen on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Exodus 31.

In his book Recapturing the Wonder, Mike Cosper shares this experience:

“Once, I attended a Sabbath dinner with an Orthodox Jewish family in Jerusalem. they welcomed about twenty of us into their home, packing tables and chairs around their small living room. The sheer quantity of food they served that night was astounding. Every time you thought you thought you were done eating, another course came: the bread, the salad, the matzoh soup, the eggplant and hummus, the fish , then the chicken, then the beef, then more cheese and snacks, then dessert, and then more dessert. The host sang and read scripture and told stories and prayed, and the night is forever marked in my mind. The Sabbath is a celebration that the week is over, that the work is done, and that God has provided. The feast made that reality tangible.”1

When I was growing up, our “Sabbath” was Sunday, and everything was closed. But there was still plenty to do. Sometimes we went to Granny’s (my dad’s mom) apartment for dinner. Reading the Sunday newspaper (especially the color comics) took up a chunk of time in the afternoon. I usually had homework to complete for school on Monday. Sunday night was a big night for television watching, especially the Ed Sullivan Show, The Wonderful World of Disney, and movies.

We found plenty of things to fill up our weekend that had nothing to do with the original observance of a Sabbath, or day of rest. I like the idea of not working in order to enjoy the fruits of your work just like God did. What a great weekly reminder of God’s presence and provision in our lives.

“The sons of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to celebrate the Sabbath throughout their generations as a permanent covenant. It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed.” (Exodus 31:16,17).

1Mike Cosper, Recapturing the Wonder (InterVarsity Press, 2017), p. 134

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Oil and incense

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Stéfano Girardelli on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Exodus 29.

It’s possible to find a copycat recipe for just about anything. I’ve made a lemon loaf just like the ones at Starbucks, Italian salad dressing just like Good Seasons, and Olive Garden’s chicken marsala.

However, you didn’t want to mix up a batch of anointing oil or incense like the blends used for the tabernacle. If you got caught, you’d be in big trouble.

“This shall be a holy anointing oil to me throughout your generations. It shall not be poured on anyone’s body, nor shall you make any like it in the same proportions; it is holy, and it shall be holy to you. Whoever mixes any like it or whoever puts any of it on a layman shall be cut off from his people” (Exodus 29:31,32).

“And the incense which you shall make, you shall not make in the same proportions for yourselves; it shall be holy to you for the Lord. Whoever makes any like it, to use as perfume, shall be cut off from his people” (Exodus 29:37,38).

Worship wasn’t a do-it-yourself endeavor. It was set up to be done a specific way at a specific time in a specific place. Unlike pagan rituals done on any and every high place to any number of different gods, there’s only one true God. We relate to him on his terms, not ours.

God is holy. Nothing about him is ordinary. So it is fitting to have oil and incense only used for worship. The fragrance of each would remind you of the uniqueness of God. Is anyone or any thing like him? Nope. Nothing even comes close.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Dress code

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from Exodus 28.

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!

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

He’s got you covered

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Damir Kopezhanov on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Exodus 25.

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.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

It’s a deal

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Photo by Sebastian Herrmann on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Exodus 24.

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.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Do you need some help?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Image by freestocks-photos from Pixabay

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.

Thank God for all those who are there to help!

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Today’s lesson: food!

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Dushawn Jovic on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Exodus 16.

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.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Tap water

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Swanky Fella on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Exodus 15.

“I fill my cup with tap water.”

To me, that seemed like a benign comment. However, I’ll bet I offended those in the car with me. Everyone had brought along their favorite bottled water. One passenger suggested we stop to buy a six-pack of water with added electrolytes. There was a moment of silence when I threw out, “I filled up my cup with tap water.”

It’s not quiet when the grandchildren get thirsty. They demand, “Where’s my drink?” And if we do not provide water at the right temperature in the right container, they turn up the volume, “Where’s my drink?”

I never did that. It’s a generational thing. If I had said that to my parents, in our non-air-conditioned, AM radio, crank down the windows by hand, bump-in-the-middle-seat station wagon, my parents would have threatened corporal punishment.

I chuckle when I read about the nation of Israel’s thirst in the wilderness. It’s been three days since God parted the Red Sea for them so they could escape the Egyptian armies. But it’s been three days since they’ve found any drinkable water. “What are we going to drink, Moses?” (Exodus 15:24)

I’m thinking, “Oh, boy. You’re going to get it now.” But God provides drinkable water. He’s a lot more patient and slow to anger than I am.

I take my water for granted. Too many people in this world do not have drinkable water. When I Googled this, I learned that twenty-five percent of people on planet Earth do not have access to clean water. I don’t even think about it, so I rarely thank God for the gift of water.

But I should be grateful every morning when I get up and drink a glass of water, start up the coffee maker, wash my face, and flush the toilet. It’s all a gift of God.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

We’re number one!

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from Exodus 15.

I got my first taste of marching band in seventh grade. Most of us had two years of instrument lessons and elementary band experience when we took the field for the fall football season. The first thing we learned was how to march “eight to five” (eight steps for every five yards). Second, we learned the school fight song, which I later learned was the Notre Dame fight song. Pretty much every junior high marching band adopted that fight song for their own. Those who didn’t used “On Wisconsin.”

The first song in the bible is a fight song (Exodus 15:1-18), sung by Moses and the people of Israel after God routs the Egyptians in the Red Sea (Exodus 14). As I read it, I hear shouts of victory and proclamations of “We’re number one!”

While fans exhibit religious devotion for a favorite sports team, few worshipers want church to sound like a football game. Having said that, churches do sing about our powerful God and victory over the opposition. The crowds celebrated Saul’s and David’s military victories with songs (1 Samuel 18:7). I always imagine that scene to be like a stadium full of soccer fans, chanting and waving huge flags. Later, David sings about offering up sacrifices with shouts of joy (Psalm 27). Even God, a victorious warrior, rejoices over his people with shouts of joy (Zephaniah 3:17).

We’ve toned it down for most of our worship services. But no one can turn down the volume when every creature in heaven and on earth praises the Lord (Revelation 5:11-14)!