May the mumbling commence!
We should celebrate and support those with special skills. We should also pray for them – that they would use their skills to glorify our God in heaven. These topics are evident in Exodus 30:1-33:6.
But, before I dive in to think about Bezalel and Oholiab and the golden calf, I want to make a quick diversion. I must admit: I struggle with the words contained in Exodus 30:11-16 – especially the ones contained in verse 15, “The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less when you make an offering to atone for your lives.” My first reaction was, “O, great. Here’s a verse that seems to advocate for a ‘flat tax’ that many wealthy people would like to see. I don’t like that one bit.” However, what I find interesting is that the material is not specified. Could that mean the rich would give a half shekel of gold, while the poor would give a half shekel (about a half an ounce, by the way) of bronze? There’s food for thought for this struggle. I am not sure what to believe…
Anyways… Give thanks for those around you with special skills this day. I do. I give thanks for the work of Betty Robinson and so many others that is apparent in the stained-glass windows in our sanctuary at Community Church. I give thanks for the beautiful music that Terri provides on the piano. I give thanks for those who make beautiful music in the chime choir. I give thanks for those who have beautiful voices with which to sing – like Anita (my wife), Kylie, Terri, and Ivan just to name a few. I give thanks for those who are gifted in drama (too many to name). (I wonder how many other gifted singers and actors are hiding in our church!)
Just like Moses, Aaron, Miriam, and Joshua (and all the people of Israel as well) would give thanks to Bezalel and Oholiab for making the blueprints for the Tabernacle, its furnishings, and its tools come to life. These two men were noted as filled with the Spirit of God. God would guide their work. May God also guide the work of His people at Community Church.
May we make Sabbath the experience that God wants it to be. At the end of Exodus 31, the Lord describes Sabbath. We observe Sabbath so that we may know that it is the Lord who makes us holy, set apart. We observe the Sabbath because it is holy to us, set apart for us in the creation story. In creation, our Great Creator took a rest on the seventh day as an example for us to follow (for it is highly unlikely that our Lord would need rest). Yes, the Sabbath is about rest – the seventh day. I need that reminder to rest in the Lord so that I might be refreshed to start anew. We observe the Sabbath because it is the sign of the lasting covenant between God and us. And in the seventh day, Sabbath is about rest; but Sabbath is a way of life. Everyday can be a Sabbath to God. We can dedicate all we do to the Lord and rest in His power to inspire us and help us.
These thoughts are so beautiful. I don’t really want to venture forth into Exodus 32. Yeah, it’s that golden calf thing. It is a cautionary tale. We need to pray for one another as we use our God-given special skills. We pray that we would allow God to guide us and that God would be glorified. In Exodus 32, the Israelites were ready to leave Moses for dead after less than forty days and nights. They asked for a tangible god to lead them. And Aaron asked for their golden jewelry. He cast the gold into the fire, and he used a tool to create a calf image out of it, an idol. It was funny that later, when Moses confronted him, Aaron would claim that the idol came out of the fire that way. What a misuse of God-given skill! Aaron was not alone in this. The others sang songs and danced about the calf idol, giving it the worship due to God. Was this another misuse of skill? (But how skillful could it be? From far off, Joshua thought it was the sounds of battle. Must have been some singers like me!)
And the interaction between Moses and the Lord on the mountain (recorded in Exodus 32:7-14) sounds like a conversation between the parents of unruly children. The Lord told Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt.” And the “you” language continues throughout the conversation by both the Lord and Moses. It is easy to claim our brothers and sisters in Christ when they do godly things, but it is another situation entirely when they misbehave. Like Moses, let us use tough love to restore relationship with God and among people. Let us drink, along with Israel, the bitter water laced with gold; and let us be cleansed. May each of us accept the guidance of the Holy Spirit of God so that we may use our special talents to glorify God.
Enough mumbling for today…
Peace Out
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