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  Read Exodus 35 Exodus 35 NLT - Instructions for the Sabbath - Then - Bible Gateway   Exodus 35:20-22- So the whole community of Israel left Moses and returned to their tents. All whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were moved came and brought their sacred offerings to the Lord. They brought all the materials needed for the Tabernacle, for the performance of its rituals, and for the sacred garments. Both men and women came, all whose hearts were willing. They brought to the Lord their offerings of gold—brooches, earrings, rings from their fingers, and necklaces. They presented gold objects of every kind as a special offering to the Lord.    Even though the people had recently bowed down before a golden calf when Moses was spending time with God receiving the Ten commandments, they were now once again willing to express their faithfulness to God's call on their lives through their joyful generosity through their sacrificial gifts to supply all th...

Read Exodus 30 Exodus 30 NLT - Plans for the Incense Altar - “Then - Bible Gateway   Exodus 30:34-35- Then the Lord said to Moses, “Gather fragrant spices—resin droplets, mollusk shell, and galbanum—and mix these fragrant spices with pure frankincense, weighed out in equal amounts. Using the usual techniques of the incense maker, blend the spices together and sprinkle them with salt to produce a pure and holy incense."   Here we see the incense serving as a symbol of all the prayers of the people being lifted up to God, which revealed God's deep desire to be personally connected to the people He loved so much, His precious possession. The Tabernacle was gift from God with every element designed to assist God's people in becoming a genuine community of faith made up of deeply imperfect and flawed individuals, who stood in need of ongoing, life-giving forgiveness and reconciliation. All of the symbols in this chapter helped point to this reality.   ...

  Read Exodus 23 Exodus 23 NIV - Laws of Justice and Mercy - “Do not - Bible Gateway   Exodus 23:1-2- “Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness. Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd."    What a powerful word from God's Word for us to aspire to live out faithfully. This is the idea of worshiping and doing all of life for the "audience of One," for when the Israelites gave into the popular winds of the crowd rather than listening carefully to God, they always, always, always got themselves in deep trouble. If the crowd is going in the right direction, follow away, but this serves as a word of warning to Israelites to carefully discern that their next steps are in alignment with God's purposes for them.   As Christ followers we are called to "speak the truth in love." (Ephesians 4:15). Often times, howe...