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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. 

The Lord said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give it.’ I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”

God’s promises come true, eventually. Time passes and it can be tempting to forget that God has a plan for you, we don’t always recognize him in our midst. We are usually more selfish and “stiff-necked” than we’d like to admit. God knows this, and he’s still faithful to follow-through on his promises. Trust him today!

Six days shall work be done…

Work is a blessing from the Lord. When the Bible speaks of “work” it is not referring a 9-5 5-day work week kind of work. We are, honestly, very soft on work. When the Bible, either Old or New Testament speaks of a “day” of work, it’s talking about labor while the sun is up. Most people would be calling OSHA if a 60+ hour work week was required for their job… Yet, this is how we are made. We all have the same about of time during the week, but do we make the most of it? Rest well, but earn that rest. Work is a blessing, take advantage of it while you can. Some call that “hustle.” Look to the ant… (Prov 6:6)

 The Lord said to Moses, “When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom for his life to the Lord when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them. Each one who is numbered in the census shall give this: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as an offering to the Lord. Everyone who is numbered in the census, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the Lord’s offering. The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the Lord’s offering to make atonement for your lives. You shall take the atonement money from the people of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may bring the people of Israel to remembrance before the Lord, so as to make atonement for your lives.”

We are all in need of atonement for our sins, that means someone pays the price. In the Old Testament there were all kinds of rites and rituals which pictured this. The “Temple Tax” was one such symbol. It didn’t change based on how much money you had, and it was required of every adult. So too it is with us. You don’t need extra special saving if you’re “really bad” nor do we need any less help from Jesus if you’re already a “good person.” We all need the same atonement for our sins. That price was paid by Jesus on the cross. Praise the Lord!