March 24 2016

March 24 2016 Greetings My Friend Going through all the detailed instructions God gives the Israelites is information overload for me. I try each year to slow down so I can learn all the details, if I do I usually fall asleep. Last year I started listening to the audio version as I read the Bible. Having an opportunity to “hear” I am able to follow the speaking voice but reading alongside is difficult. I lose my place often and I fight the yawns something fierce. Since I went through the Bible last year I decided to get a study Bible so today as I listened to the details of the temple construction in the wilderness I started looking at the diagram of the temple. It was interesting to see all the precision of the temple. If I understand the design right I noticed that there were several layers of cloth built into the tent itself. I thought that maybe it was a very dry place when it rained or in the wind or heat of the desert it provided more shelter for the worshipers. The same attention to detail went into the construction of the tables, lampstands and altars for the tent. God had required the finest of metals and wood for the construction of the temple, the utensils to be used in worship and He even provided a place outside the community where the unclean things were to be thrown away. While the temple was under construction God also instructed His priests to be clean, which is a theme I hear often. The more I absorb the Bible I see a 2 fold clean taking place. I get the clean body aspect fairly well. More recently I see the cleansing is a preparation for the believers to clean their thoughts and actions too. In the last year or so I see the physical preparation leading to the spiritual preparation. To be honest I felt being clean in body meant a lot to me while I neglected the cleaning of my thoughts, words and actions. In the NT Jesus teaches to wash the inside of the cup not just the outside. The more I read the OT the more I see the preparing us to connect more with our spiritual selves. I am starting to see a correlation God set in place by giving the 10 commandments. We don’t know we are dirty until we know what dirty is. I hear it said “ we don’t know what sin is until we meet the law.” Isn’t it ironic that Jacob the deceiver goes to meet his mother’s family in order to find a wife. Laban Rachel’s brother is a deceiver himself and deceives Jacob several times from switching sisters on his wedding night to changing his wages. After many years 20 I think Jacob returns to his father’s land with his wives, concubines, children and cattle. Jacob has moved a long way from being a deceiver. I see this applied in my own life. I was the bully big sister. I came by it rather naturally. If I got hit by one of my parents I went in search of a sibling to beat up. As awful as my life was in my first marriage I quickly learned what bully behavior does to those that are being bullied. God allows us to be in circumstances to help us not hurt us. If I had never met my bully I would have bullied for far too many years and hurt far too many people. I am not grateful but I did learn my lesson deeply and for that I am thankful. Today I don’t allow anger to rule me. I now work more towards controlling my anger. I can only do this with God’s help. May God bless you and keep you make His face shine on you. Love Janet