"The people are bringing MORE than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done."

As treasurer this verse is very exciting. Moses had to stop the people from making any more offerings. This is the kind of stewardship that God intends.

The spirit-filled artist

I don't recall finding many verses in the Bible that refer to artists, but this one stuck out to me:
Exodus 31: 1-5:
Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, "See, I have singled out Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the spirit of God and endowed him with skill and perception and knowledge for every kind of craft: for the art of designing and working in gold and silver and bronze; for cutting stones to be set, for carving in wood, for every kind of craft. (...)"
Sounds like that Bezalel was quite a renaissance man.
As an artist it is good for me to be reminded that artists are also called by God to their craft along with preachers and missionary workers and bankers and everyone else who finds their true place in God's design. And if they're doing it right they will be filled with the spirit of God, like Bezalel was, to be partners in the divine business of creation.

maybe it looked like this

this is more or less a test to see how pictures can be added to the blog. I don't remember where I found this drawing--it shows the tabernacle in the middle and the tribes camped around it.

Ten Commandments--thoughts anyone?

I saw commandments 1, 2, & 3 in a new light when I read my commentary.
#1. Tells us that God is 'Only One God' we are forbidden to make him 'one of many gods.'
#2. Tells us that God as Spirit --we are forbidden from to make him into something corruptible
#3. Tells us that God is deity--he is the creator not creature--we are forbidden from "using God's name in the servise of unbelief and lying.
"The first guards God's unity, the second His spirituality, the third His deity or essence."

also this fact struck me:

"these injunctions were given to an already saved people to teach them how to walk in God's way"

Your thoughts?

Why the wilderness?

my comentary offers this:

"Released from the bondage of Egypt, Israel was now led by the Lord to Mount Sinai. At this stage God's people were a disorganized, quarrelsome, faithless multitude. They had to be molded into a nation, capable of serving him. To this end, everything, including the march to Sinai was to contribute to their training."

My take away for us is this: The development of community is God's task and it doesn't come by giving us just what WE want.

"Who am I that I should go . . ."

Our introduction to Moses doesn't paint him as the most likely person God would choose as the leader of his chosen people.
and then Moses asks God--"what is Your name, in case they ask me." Then God answers, "I AM WHO I AM"

then after much more discussion, Moses says--"Pardon me, but Please send someone else." God's answer to this is not "OK, have it your way" but to partner Moses with his brother Aaron.

It seems that "I AM" could have ushered in his plan for his people without using someone like Moses.