Daily Reading Passages
Click below for access to the passages. Biblegateway.com is an excellent site with many versions of the Bible. The link below opens in NIV. Youversion.com is a new site that allows you to annotate your own Bible, make notes, and comments once you create an account. That link opens in the TNIV version. Other versions are available at both sites.
Coaching Comments
Today's Old testament reading, Exodus 30:11 - 31:18, continues with detailed instructions that God gave Moses for creating and maintaining the Tabernacle. We see instructions for a basin for the priests to wash in, special instructions for making the oil and the incense, and a special one time tax to raise money to support the Tabernacle.
There are two interesting things I want to point out. First, God gives specific instructions, a recipe really, for both the anointing oil and the incense that are to be used in the sacred rituals. He doesn't just say, "Get perfume that smells good." He gives a specific recipe. Then He goes so far as to say that this specific recipe is not to be used by anyone else under any other circumstances. What God is doing here is creating a sense of specialness, of value. He wants this particular scent to have one meaning only. This is all part of God creting a new culture where the people value Him and His things in a special way.
Second, we see in Chapter 31 a very interesting little piece about two men, Bezalel and Oholiab. These two men were artists and craftsmen that God wanted in charge of building all these beautiful things. While creativity and excellent craftsmanship are not listed in Paul's lists of spiritual gifts in the New Testament, this passage makes it clear that God anoints certain people with special artistic ability that He wants to work through.
In Matthew, our New Testament reading, Matthew 26:47-68, the Passion week continues with Jesus' arrest, and His first trial before the Sanhedrin. Again, it's interesting to be reading these particular passages in the New testament at the same time as we're reading the very detailed instructions God gave His people in the Old testament. It's a good reminder, as we watch Jesus' Passion unfold, that not a single tiny piece of this was accidental. This is not something that was happening to Jesus as a victim. All of these events were happening as God had intended them to happen, in order to communicate to the people then, and in order to communicate to you and me.
When I was a kid hearing this story, it always frustrated me that Jesus didn't fight back. After all He was the good guy. This passage shows this pretty well in both the Garden and before the Sanhedrin. But Jesus was living out the highest representation of the character of God. Love does not influence through power or manipulation. Love woos.
Our Psalms Reading, The 32nd Psalm (Psalms 32:1-11) is clearly a song written for public performance. It comes in two sections. The first part is the voice of David, or the singer, talking about the reality of keeping things locked inside. He finds this to be destructive for his soul and he discovers the healing power of confession. He takes all of his weakness and sin to God. The second part of the song is in God's voice responding to the person who has confessed.
This is a powerful passage reminding us of the importance of confession. Confession is not just that one prayer we pray when we become Christians confessing our sin and our belief in Jesus. Confession is the spiritual discipline of keeping an open heart to God, agreeing with Him when we have gone off track, any time we have gone off track. It is the first step of going to God and finding healing in our on-going spiritual journey. When we do this, we find that God actually teaches us and leads us in ways that we've not experienced before.
Our Proverbs reading today (Proverbs 8:27-32) continues yesterday's proverb, explaining all the characteristics of Lady Wisdom. In these verses, we see that Godly wisdom has been around since the very beginning. Of course, that makes sense, because God's been around since the very beginning.
2007 Cohort Comments
Comments (7)
Marc Schelske said
at 10:35 am on Feb 10, 2009
Good morning, everyone! I'm back in the saddle after a week of scrambling and running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I hope that in my absence things have continued on. I'll be going back and reading all your comments and responding where I can - but that will have to happen tomorrow. I hope to see some of you around today!
Psalms 32 really is a great one for me. It's this really cool mix of confession (which can often be heavy and painful) and peace and joy. It really encouraged my heart as I reflected on some of the hard stuff I've been dealing with in my own heart lately.
Jacqui Wheelhouse said
at 11:29 am on Feb 10, 2009
Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you
while you may be found;
surely when the mighty waters rise,
they will not reach him.
You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
Selah (pause and reflect)
These verses in Psalms resonated with my heart today.
Lord, help me in my unbelief. I believe you keep your word because it is who you are. Sometimes my flesh goes to fear and when I look around at my circumstances, my faith gets shaken. Lord, I just want to understand and there are things in this world that simply won't make sense. They just are. So in those places of my heart and mind today, help me to trust Your ways. Help me to see you working in the midst. I cry out to you as your daughter and ask that your Holy Spirit fill all those unsure places inside of me with your strength, courage and love. You never said this life would be easy, however you did promise that you would be with us until the end of this age and we are gathered up to be with you. Help me to remember that you are my hiding place and my refuge in times of trouble. I want to be hidden in you Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Nate Burton said
at 1:44 pm on Feb 10, 2009
Father, I affirm Jacqui's prayer today. Please draw her near to you in whatever difficult circumstances she's facing today. Clearly we all could use more faith to believe that you are working good for those who love you, but please give Jacqui an extra dose of that faith now. Thank you for knowing each of us deeply. I see from Jesus' struggle in the garden, that you have faced incredible fear and pain, so we can trust you with ours. I can think of several people who are hurting for one reason or another right now, but you are more than big enough to carry all of these cares. Thank you for being a rock and a strong tower for your children. Thank you for calling us your children and loving us unconditionally. Please help me, and Jacqui, and everyone else seeking your love today, to find it. To give up our cares and rest there in your arms.
Nate Burton said
at 1:57 pm on Feb 10, 2009
I'm with you Marc and Jacqui, I find this Psalm pretty incredible. The way David talks about confession and forgiveness sounds very much like New Testament salvation stuff. This is very different from most of the tone I have always felt the Old Testament held to. It has been interesting to read Marc's comments about how the main point of all the rules and regs that God lays out in Exodus is really just about redeeming His people to Himself. He just wanted to draw them closer to His image so they could be a light to the world, much like we are called to be. I wonder how far short of God's real intention the Hebrews fell. I wonder how short I and other Christians are falling from what God really could do through us. Either way, I'm thankful for God's forgiveness today, and His desire to draw me back to Him when I wander or stumble.
I'm also fascinated by the specifics that God goes to in describing the tabernacle, the temple, and then the New Jerusalem. I wonder what kind of architecture He's into... can't wait to see! It's also really interesting that some of the details like figures and embroidery were alluded to, but He seemed to leave the finess to the skills of the craftsmen. (the skills He blessed them with, of course) I hope I'm blessed with some design skill, and can find ways to use if for greater good in some way. I know I have a passion for it for a reason, just not sure what that is yet. The cool thing to me, is that the skills that each person has is a reflection of one part of God's character. He blesses some with real heart for counsel and teaching, some with abilities to lead or organize, some to empathize, some to craft or calculate, some who just love to study some aspect of His creation. All of this is cool to me, I feel like He lets us in on a piece of the joy and pleasure He gets from each of these traits of His.
Jim Huddart said
at 7:52 pm on Feb 10, 2009
My prayers are also with you Jacqui. The difficulties you are going through may seem overwhelming, but they are never too big for God.
Psalms 32 is a great reminder of how we often cause ourselves additional pain by not confessing immediately. It's as if we believe that God won't know if we don't say anything. In reality, He is anxiously waiting to hear us confess what He already knows and has already decided to forgive. Once we open our hearts, the forgiveness has such a powerful healing effect. Thank You Lord!
Rich Rawlins said
at 8:53 pm on Feb 10, 2009
Hey Jacqui, sorry to hear your going through it. Never any fun. This sounds a little warped, but anytime I go through a rough patch, I always think to myself that it's only going to be a handful of years before I'm dead, and what ever it is that's working on me, well... seems to not be anywhere near as bad all of a sudden. Not sure that will help you, but know we are praying for you and I'm sure there are several of us that would be willing to help in any kind of a practical way and are just an email away.
Hey Marc, I have a question for you. In your comments above, you state "What God is doing here is creating a sense of specialness, of value. He wants this particular scent to have one meaning only." Now, please don't take offense at this, I'm not picking on you at all. I'm just looking for answers. How do you know what God is thinking here? Is this something you are speculating on or is there something else in the scripture that indicates that God is doing that and his wants are in deed what you stated?
Finally, does anyone else think it's a bit harsh to kill someone who worked a little on the Sabbath? Last weekend I have to admit I cleaned the house up a bit on Saturday. Not sure how I would take it if you all decided to put a bullet in the back of my head over that, but obviously God is pretty serious about this. Does this bother anyone else?
...rich
Rich Rawlins said
at 9:01 pm on Feb 10, 2009
PS... Thought this was an interesting article that ties into todays OT passage...
http://conservativethoughts.us/2007/07/24/biblical-recipe-produces-virus-fighting-oil/
...rich
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