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You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn. In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the Lord. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel.

God has designed the way we worship in such a way that we are meant to work together to provide for his people to give him praise. Sure, God could have worked a miracle to provide light for the sacrifices, but that’s not what he wants. He wants us to all participate. He wants us to do the work and organization to provide even the most basic necessities for his people. That’s an even bigger miracle.

let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.

God waits for his people to build him a place to reside. Today, God has foregone residing in buildings made of wood and stone (Acts 7:48, 17:24). Now, he lives in the temple of his people (1Peter 2:4-6). But we still have to build it. Are you a house fit for God? Is your body (your individual body, but also your church body) ready for him to live there?

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living
Sanctuary for You

If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife.

Marriage is important. Most of the Old Testament Law is what we call “case law,” giving us examples we can then apply to our own situations. We see in this law that there were no such things as “deadbeat dads” in ancient Israel. Once you had slept together, you were married. It is a big deal. The move towards thinking that sex is just a physical act is misplaced. It is out of step with God’s Word and with the reality of who we are. If you’re willing to sleep together, you need to be committed to each other for the rest of your lives. That’s how it works. Do it any other way and you’re hurting yourself and others.

And God spoke… “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

1. You shall have no other gods before me.
2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image…
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain…
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy…
5. Honor your father and your mother…
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet… anything that is your neighbor’s.”

The 10 Commandments are not meant to hold you back or keep you from having joy. In fact, they’re not commands at all. This is the kind of life you live if you know God. Put this phrase in front of each of the 10 commandments… “If you really love God…” That’s what the 10 Commandments really are. Not a list of rules, it’s a fruit inspection list.

Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.” So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.

Moses was trying to do too much, and the people were more than happy to watch him try… even, they may have wanted him to. See, Moses’ job was to tell the people about the Word of God, and to help with the particularly difficult cases, but it took all the people coming together to minister to all of Israel. Sometimes, a church can be an analogous situation. People expect the Sr. Pastor to handle every ministry situation, but that’s not his role. We set aside men of God to teach the Word and to help lead generally and perhaps in the more difficult situations. But it takes a whole church, each part doing their part (Ephesians 4) to have a healthy church. Being part of a church means you’re in this together! Thank the Lord for wise fathers-in-law.