Obedience

I've been doing a Bible study called "Seeking Him.  Experiencing the Joy of Personal Revival by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth and Tim Grissom.  It's a great study of examination and  growth.  My goal is to draw closer to our Lord, and shine brightly for Him with a fire that only comes through His Presence in my life.  

One of the questions today was based on Moses' building of the Tabernacle.  The Scripture references given were Exodus 25:1-9 and Exodus 39-40.  The whole story is in 25-31, and 37-40.  

Exodus 25:1-9 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the people of Israel to bring me their sacred offerings. Accept the contributions from all whose hearts are moved to offer them. 3 Here is a list of sacred offerings you may accept from them: gold, silver, and bronze; 4 blue, purple, and scarlet thread; fine linen and goat hair for cloth; 5 tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather; acacia wood; 6 olive oil for the lamps; spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense; 7 onyx stones, and other gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest’s chestpiece.  8 “Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them. 9 You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you.

On through the following chapters we see the Lord give instruction, minutely detailed, in the building of the Tabernacle and everything in it.  

The question given in my study was "What lesson did you learn from the account of Moses building the tabernacle?  

I have to include a couple of more verses in order to fully answer this question.  One being, Exodus 31:1-11 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. 4 He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. 5 He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft!  6 “And I have personally appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special skill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make: 7 the Tabernacle; the Ark of the Covenant; the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement; all the furnishings of the Tabernacle; 8 the table and its utensils; the pure gold lampstand with all its accessories; the incense altar; 9 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils; the washbasin with its stand; 10 the beautifully stitched garments—the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests; 11 the anointing oil; the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. The craftsmen must make everything as I have commanded you.”  The other I want to include is Exodus 40:1 Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.

So the answer I gave to the question was twofold.  1. God gave everything the people needed in order to be obedient to His design and plan.  2. When the people had been obedient, even down to the smallest detail, God's Presence filled the Tabernacle. 

And so it is with us.  Obedience brings the Lord's Presence in our lives.  And He gives us all we need to be obedient.  2 Peter 1:3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.  John 14:21  Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”  John 14:23  Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.

Obedience brings blessing!  Obedience brings glory to God!  Obedience opens doors for us to be a light to others, bringing them to Christ.

Lord, give us hearts of obedience.  Let us not talk about how much we love You, but show it as well.  I know my greatest desire is to make Your heart happy.  Help me, and all of us to lay down our own ways and follow You. I know we all struggle with dying to our flesh.  We all fail sometimes, and thankfully You are a patient and forgiving Father.  The sanctification process is lifelong!  Help us to grow in obedience every day.   In Jesus' Name, Amen