Tag: worship

Set Apart for a Purpose (Exodus 30:22-38)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
Aaron is anointed by Moses, by Jack Baumgartner

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Collect choice spices—12 1⁄2 pounds of pure myrrh, 6 1⁄4 pounds of fragrant cinnamon, 6 1⁄4 pounds of fragrant calamus, and 12 1⁄2 pounds of cassia—as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. Also get one gallon of olive oil.

Like a skilled incense maker, blend these ingredients to make a holy anointing oil. Use this sacred oil to anoint the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and all its accessories, the incense altar, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the washbasin with its stand. Consecrate them to make them absolutely holy. After this, whatever touches them will also become holy.

“Anoint Aaron and his sons also, consecrating them to serve me as priests. And say to the people of Israel, ‘This holy anointing oil is reserved for me from generation to generation. It must never be used to anoint anyone else, and you must never make any blend like it for yourselves. It is holy, and you must treat it as holy. Anyone who makes a blend like it or anoints someone other than a priest will be cut off from the community.’”

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. Grind some of the mixture into a very fine powder and put it in front of the Ark of the Covenant, where I will meet with you in the Tabernacle.

You must treat this incense as most holy. Never use this formula to make this incense for yourselves. It is reserved for the Lord, and you must treat it as holy. Anyone who makes incense like this for personal use will be cut off from the community.” (New Living Translation)

It’s not everyday that you get a scripture text like this one to reflect upon. Yet, since all of Holy Scripture is given to us and for us, it’s good to occasionally have to work through the place and purpose of seemingly mundane passages within the Bible.

The ancient world of the Israelites had a relationship with their God in which everything and every part of their lives were to be holy – both worship and daily life were infused with reminders that they were set apart entirely to God and for God.

Therefore, what the people wore, what they ate, and how they went about daily tasks of living and worshiping was dictated to them from the Lord. The purpose of all the detailed instructions was to reinforce the importance of being a holy people, a kingdom of priests, who could show the world how a community of persons devoted to Yahweh lived, talked, and acted.

Concerning the people’s worship of God, chapters 25-31 of Exodus provide detailed plans for the sacred space and symbols which were to be used in that worship. Elaborate specifications were given for their construction and placement.

Today’s Old Testament lesson deals with the special formula for anointing oil. In keeping with the holiness which is to be pervasive throughout all of Israelite life, this particular oil has a specific use, and is never to be used outside of that ordained purpose.

The sanctity of the oil is communicated in the strongest of terms; profane use of it is strictly forbidden. And all of the work is to be done during six days of the week, because the Sabbath is a day set apart as different, with an abundant rest from labor.

The anointing oil is used for symbolic marking in the service of God. The priests (the Levites Aaron and his sons) were to use the oil, since they were the only ones set apart to do the priestly work. The articles used for worship were also marked with the anointing oil. (Exodus 29:4-7)

None of this liturgical action was in any sort of way magical; it communicated the important theological concept that God is holy, and therefore, holiness is to be woven into every facet of Israelite life. The anointing oil was a sign of God’s acknowledgement and approval that the objects and the people being anointed were to be exclusively used for worship.

Holiness and being set apart aren’t only ancient ideas and practices; it’s also an important part of the New Testament and the way we are to live today. That’s because holiness isn’t merely something God does; it is inherent to God’s very nature. Therefore, as people created in God’s image and likeness, we too, are to live sanctified lives, set apart to live as humans are designed to live.

“You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” (Leviticus 19:2, NLT)

“You must be holy because I, the Lord, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own.” (Leviticus 20:26, NLT)

But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:15-16, NLT

Followers of Christ are set apart for a purpose – to be holy and sanctified in all they say and do. And, much like the ancient followers of God, Christians are to worship the Lord alone, living differently than the rest of the world.

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified. (1 Thessalonians 4:3a, NIV)

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10, NIV)

We have an opportunity, as people anointed and set apart for God’s good purposes, to bring mercy as we have received mercy, love as we ourselves have received love; and to maintain the integrity of holiness everywhere we go.

In today’s mass produced factory products, consumers only see the end results; they are ignorant of the person and process that made the product. Most things we buy and use come to us without any history of how they were made and who made them.

Yet, the people and the processes used in making anything is significant because holiness cannot be factory-made. There is always a connection between the person, the process, and what is being produced for the end product.

In God’s economy, it isn’t enough just to have anointing oil composed of the right ingredients; the individual and the craft employed are what make it truly an oil for anointing the holy.

People, in truth, are neither interchangeable on a factory floor assembly line, nor with the worship of God. The individual person offering their process will always have a particular outcome unique to that mix of person, process, and product. The belief that singing, praying, serving, and whatever else happens in worship is to be done with consistency – no matter who does it – is both impossible and not expected by God.

Though the ingredients of a particular spiritual experience always remain the same, Holy Scripture suggests that the subtle differences each individual brings to the craft of worship is good and necessary; without that uniqueness, there cannot be holiness.

Sanctify your church by the truth, O Lord; your word is truth.

Sanctify us by the truth, O Lord; your word is truth.

Sanctify me by the truth, O Lord; your word is truth. Amen.

Mercy, Not Sacrifice (Hosea 6:1-6)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

“Come, let us return to the Lord,
    for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us;
    he has struck down, and he will bind us up.
After two days he will revive us;
    on the third day he will raise us up,
    that we may live before him.
Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord;
    his appearing is as sure as the dawn;
he will come to us like the showers,
    like the spring rains that water the earth.”

What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
    What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,
    like the dew that goes away early.
Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets;
    I have killed them by the words of my mouth,
    and my judgment goes forth as the light.
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
    the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. (New Revised Standard Version)

My favorite word in all of Holy Scripture is the Hebrew word chesed (חֶסֶד pronounced “hes-ed” with a guttural sound on the “h”). It’s such a rich word that no single English word can capture its depth. 

So, chesed is translated in various ways across the English translations of the Bible as “mercy,” “grace,” “steadfast love,” “covenant loyalty,” “kindness,” “compassion,” and more. It’s no wonder, then, that since chesed marks the character and activity of God, the Lord very much desires people to reflect this same stance toward others. 

In today’s Old Testament lesson, God was calling and wooing wayward people to return to a divine life of closeness with the Lord. God demonstrated chesed by not putting the people away, like a spouse outright divorcing an unfaithful partner. But instead, God committed to loving the Israelites even when they were unlovely.

At all times, the response God wants is not simply going through the motions of outward worship. Ritual practices mean little if there is no heart behind them. The Lord longs for people to demonstrate both fidelity and fealty through mercy and a steadfast love to God and neighbor. Both our work and our worship are to be infused with divine mercy. 

God deeply desires a close relationship with humanity and is profoundly pained when people seek after other gods to meet their needs and to love them. Hosea’s prophecy is an impassioned plea for all persons to find their true fulfillment and enjoyment in a committed loving divine/human union, just like a marriage.

In Christian readings of Hosea’s prophecy, repentance means accepting God’s chesed through Jesus Christ. The believer is to allow the character of God to rule and reign in their heart so that commitment comes flowing out in loving words, actions, thoughts, and dispositions. Mercy finds its highest expression in the person and work of Jesus. Thus, Advent is a season of anticipating the great love and mercy of God through the incarnation of Christ.

It, therefore, ought to be no surprise that Jesus lifted Hosea’s prophecy as a treasured principle of operation when asked why he deliberately made connections with “questionable” people:

While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:10-12, NIV)

And when confronted about “questionable” activities Jesus appealed to the same source of Hosea’s prophecy:

“Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.” Jesus answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.” (Matthew 12:2-7, NIV)

One can never go wrong with mercy and grace. If in doubt between whether to judge another or show mercy, the Christian’s choice is clear. Grace and love create connections – reconnecting the disconnected. The heart of true Christian spirituality is a deep kinship with the divine. Whenever that relation is broken or severed, it is vital to restore it. The means of doing so is not judgment but mercy.

Chesed is more than a word; it is a way of life. God wants mercy. Grace is the Lord’s divine will.

So, let us today receive the forgiveness of Jesus and devote ourselves to prayer and works of love which come from a heart profoundly touched by grace. May the result be healing of that which has been broken, and reconciled relationships with others.

Merciful and loving God, the One who shows amazing grace, forgive us for our wanderings away from the divine life. Return us, again, to the grace of Jesus Christ our Savior so that our hearts will be renewed and aflame with love for others. In the Name of the Father, Son, and Spirit, the Great Three in One. Amen.

Paul the Missionary (Acts 13:1-12)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment
Elymas the sorcerer is struck blind by Paul, before Sergius Paulus. painting by Raphael (1483-1520)

Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.

They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.”

Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord. (New International Version)

Most, if not every, follower of Jesus wants to hear the voice of God’s Spirit. Yet, many don’t. Why? Because they have not yet put themselves in a position to listen and learn.

We can only hear if we are attentive. We cannot hear if we are distracted doing other things.

The Antioch Church heard the Holy Spirit speak to them because they deliberately arranged their Christian lives so that they could learn God’s Word and clearly hear God’s voice. Notice what helped them:

  1. A diversity of leaders. The Church purposely had Christians from various backgrounds, races, ethnicities, and cultures, including Barnabas, a Jewish Levite from the island of Cyprus; Simeon, a Black man from sub-Saharan Africa; Lucius, a Roman from North Africa; and Manaen, an upper class Jew from Judea. They knew that the Spirit’s voice was not limited to one particular group of people, and could come to anyone.
  2. Worship and fasting. Together, the prophets and teachers worshipped the Lord and committed themselves to the spiritual practice of fasting. They knew that focusing on God by abstaining from food for a time, and using that time for prayer, would help them be ready to hear and respond to the Spirit.

As a result, the Church heard the Holy Spirit’s instructions for them to send Barnabas and Saul [Paul] as missionaries to the Gentiles. The Christians obeyed God, blessed the team, and sent them off to do their work.

It was the missionaries practice to find the Jewish synagogues wherever they went. There they would proclaim the good news of God’s grace in Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of divine promises to the people. Early on, Barnabas and Paul encountered Elymas, an esoteric individual who had the ear of the Roman authority in Paphos, a city in Cyprus.

Elymas was, frankly, a spiritual pest who kept interfering with Paul’s ministry to the Roman official. Paul, having many gifts of the Spirit, saw exactly who Elymas was – a windbag who deceived and cheated people for his own advantage.

Paul got down to it with Elymas, bluntly informing him that he has finally come up against God himself, and his trickery is over. Paul declared that Elymas was about to go blind for a good long time. And sure enough, the supposed magician was plunged immediately into a shadowy mist; he stumbled around, begging people to take his hand and show him the way.

It was only fitting that a person who promoted dark ways and crooked paths should be subject to that darkness and have to grope around for a time.

When the Roman official saw what happened, he became a believer on the spot, full of enthusiasm over what Barnabas and Paul were saying about Jesus.

So began years of ministry for the Apostle Paul, missionary to the Gentiles. There never seemed to be a dull moment with him around, making gracious waves of good news for those coming to God; and a tsunami of judgment for people, like Elymas, who were stuck in their selfish ways.

Paul, like Jesus, demonstrated his authority over the forces of darkness. He thus proved himself in Christian mission. The conversion experience and the commissioning of Paul became real and complete at the beginning of this missionary journey.

It is from this point on that the former Saul is now consistently referred to as Paul – signifying his change of status as a person who once opposed Christ to one who is dedicated to serving Christ and making him known throughout the Roman Empire.

Years of mature learning, spiritual growth, and discovering Jesus went into Saul’s life before he then became the missionary Paul. Although Paul was an extremely gifted person with a large intellect, he still needed to go through what we all must go through in the Christian life – put the time and effort into spiritual growth and maturity needed within the church, in order to go out and change the world with the good news of Jesus.

Gracious and almighty God, you have given pastors and teachers to equip us to do your work and to build up the church, the Body of Christ. Help us all together to realize unity in the faith, and knowledge of your Son, so that we will be spiritually mature in Christ, in whose name we are bold to pray. Amen.

All Work Is Spiritual (Exodus 31:1-11)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Year ALeave a comment
Bezalel and Oholiab build the ark of the covenant, a woodcut from the Cologne Bible, 1479

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft!

“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:

the Tabernacle;
the Ark of the Covenant;
the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement;
all the furnishings of the Tabernacle;
the table and its utensils;
the pure gold lampstand with all its accessories;
the incense altar;
the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils;
the washbasin with its stand;
the beautifully stitched garments—the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests;
the anointing oil;
the fragrant incense for the Holy Place.

The craftsmen must make everything as I have commanded you.” (New Living Translation)

Methinks God cares about worship. After all, chapters 25-31 in Exodus are thoroughly dedicated to God communicating the specifics for the sacred spaces and symbols of worship for the Israelites.

Once the equipment for worship was described in detail, the one matter still needed was an artisan who could actually build and construct the objects. So, Yahweh also planned for the workers, as well. Bezalel was identified and designated as the person who would be divinely endowed for the task. He would be assisted by Oholiab, and together they carried out God’s instructions to the letter.

Although Bezalel and Oholiab were not priests and did not do “spiritual” work, nonetheless they were filled with the Spirit and set apart by God for their gifts to be used. In reality, all work is spiritual work, even the work of our hands. Everything we do is to be consecrated, set apart, and dedicated to the Lord for good and holy purposes.

The Spirit of God inspired and helped the two men in their very physical and mundane work. The Lord was present with them when they drew up the plans for making the objects, carved the wood, did the weaving and needlework of clothes, and the smithing of the gold. God cares about all work, not just the ethereal stuff.

A willing heart is one that follows in doing work for the Lord, and not following their own whims of how they think things ought to go. The craftsmen, Bezalel and Oholiab, were to do their work just as the Lord had commanded them to do it, just like the pattern shown to Moses on Mount Sinai. (Exodus 25:39)

God is concerned about everything, great and small alike.

When it came to the Lord’s will, the Israelites did not so much seek God’s guidance, as they waited for it. When in the desert, the pillar of cloud by day, and pillar of fire by night, determined when they moved and when they stayed put. The people simply observed, then responded. In other words, they were patient and waited for God to move, speak, command, and do whatever God was going to do.

So, when the Lord lays down some very specific instructions, those directives are meant to be followed down to the minutest detail. For the Christian, Jesus is our example. God’s will was made known to Jesus in the daily privilege and discipline of meeting with his heavenly Father and doing exactly what the Father wanted.

The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom,
    so that I know how to comfort the weary.
Morning by morning he wakens me
    and opens my understanding to his will.
The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me,
    and I have listened.
    I have not rebelled or turned away. (Isaiah 50:4-5, NLT)

All work is God’s work, and is to be done in the way God prescribes. Worship is to be directed to God, and as such, is to be done as God commands – and not any old way we think is good and needed.

No matter who we are, where we are, or what circumstances we find ourselves in, consistency in doing the will of God is imperative. Nobody has any ground for excusing themselves from their God-ordained work and worship. The ancient Israelites were in a desert without a permanent abode, yet they were still expected to follow God’s directives.

In order to embrace the will of God when it comes, and not make excuses, there are some practices we can do to help receive and do what the Lord wants:

  • Don’t fixate on past mistakes. Learn to be present and focus on what is happening in a given moment, and then you will be able to act in doing God’s will. As a result, you can stop making excuses and learn from past mistakes.
  • Take responsibility for your own words and actions. Take charge of what you have control over. If we don’t own this, then the excuses come out for why we failed to do what was needed.
  • Focus on your spiritual gifts and your strengths and skills. By actively doing what God has enables you to do, you can get the most out of each situation, without succumbing to excuses.
  • Don’t compare yourself to others. We are all unique individuals with unique journeys. That’s why it’s unhealthy to compare ourselves to others and make excuses of “not being good enough” or not measuring up to the skills of Bezalel or Oholiab or someone else. The only person you should compare yourself to is you!

By being attentive to your own walk with God, and being responsive to God’s will for your life, you will find your place in this world and discover the meaning and purpose meant for you in blessing others.

Blessed Holy Spirt of God, with God the Father and God the Son, I adore you as the Holy Trinity, the God whom I serve. I give you my heart, and offer my thanks to you for the grace given me in Jesus Christ. Continue to visit me with your grace, and enable me for work and worship in your church and your world. Amen.