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If anyone sins unintentionally in any of the Lord’s commandments about things not to be done, and does any one of them, if it is the anointed priest who sins, thus bringing guilt on the people, then he shall offer for the sin that he has committed a bull from the herd without blemish to the Lord for a sin offering.

There are two important ideas here, first intentions and second headship. One need not be intentional in their sin for it to make them guilty. “Oh but he didn’t know any better.” That may make it easier to stop someone from repeating a sin, that is to say, simply make them aware that they are sinning, but that doesn’t remove the guilt. This should answer the question about people who live in different cultures with different concepts of right and wrong, that doesn’t matter for guilt. There is one standard, and that’s Jesus. Also, this idea of headship. The Priest sins and all the people are made guilty. We have a great high priest who will never sin, not only that, his perfection has made all of us guiltless. Praise the Lord!

he shall offer a male without blemish.

The offering does not die because there is anything wrong with it. It is not paying for its sins, so that it can die on behalf of someone else. This is the picture of Jesus the offerings have. Jesus did not die because of his sins, he didn’t have any, thus he was able to give his life for us. If he had sin in his life, if he were somehow unclean, he could not have died for us, because death would have been required of him. Thank God Jesus lived the life we couldn’t live and died the death we should have died.

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.

God wanted a place to be with his people, and so he made the tent of meeting. But he also wanted a permanent way to be with his people, and so he sent Jesus to “tabernacle” amongst us. He is here. When you do not see the fruit of his presence in your life, perhaps that’s a good sign to change what you’re doing. Realign your life with his word and with his people. Follow him. Trust him. And be part of the new temple God is making with “living bricks,” you and me. Follow Jesus today.

If you’d like to follow along with us reading the OT in 2017, we’re using this plan:

https://johnmarkharris.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/2017-Bible-Reading-Plan-OT-Chron.pdf

There’s still plenty of time to start. Just read Genesis, Job, and Exodus and you’re all caught up!

Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half was its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold around it. And he cast for it four rings of gold for its four feet, two rings on its one side and two rings on its other side. And he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold and put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark. And he made a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half was its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. And he made two cherubim of gold. He made them of hammered work on the two ends of the mercy seat, one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat he made the cherubim on its two ends. The cherubim spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat were the faces of the cherubim.’

Who built the ark? No, not that ark, the other one. It was Moses, right? Well, yes. Moses was the one who was responsible for the building of the ark and all the elements of the Tabernacle, but Bazalel was the chief artisan. We need not, and should not, always think we have to do things ourselves, we should rely on the wisdom of professionals to make our vision (hopefully, God’s vision for us) come to life. Be willing to allow those who specialize to use their expertise to your advantage. It’s tempting in the era of Google to think you are an expert on everything, but your not. Use the wisdom of Contractors, Doctors, and yes Pastors to help guide your informed decisions about life. You’re not in this alone.

Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “This is the thing that the Lord has commanded. Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze; blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; goats’ hair, tanned rams’ skins, and goatskins; acacia wood, oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, and onyx stones and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. “Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the Lord has commanded:

Are you generous with God, or do you give more to your server at a restaurant? The issue of a “tithe” is not one of obligation, but of gaging our generosity. Do you give the “minimum” and thus are you “tipping” God, or are you giving of your best. The first of what you earn, your talent and ability, or does God get the leftovers? He deserves your best of everything.