Tag: Exodus 38

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Counting God’s Plunder

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Exodus 38 Listen: (4:23) Read: Luke 20 Listen: (5:07)

Scripture Focus: Exodus 38.21

21 These are the amounts of the materials used for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the covenant law, which were recorded at Moses’ command by the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest.

Reflection: Counting God’s Plunder

By John Tillman

Why is Ithamar’s account of gifts to the Tabernacle in the Bible? What’s holy about a spreadsheet?

Ithamar wasn’t crediting the people’s generosity. He was counting God’s plunder.

Israel didn’t mine gold for the Tabernacle. They didn’t purchase it or trade for it or find it in their desert wanderings. The Egyptians gave it to them.

As Pharaoh’s heart hardened, God softened ordinary Egyptians’ hearts toward their Israelite neighbors. Faith-filled Israelite women obeyed God and asked their Egyptian neighbors for silver, gold, and clothing. When Israelite women asked, Egyptians gave freely. God described this as “plundering” the Egyptians. God’s blessings passed through female hands. (Exodus 3.21-22)

In the film, The Princess Bride, the man in black pursues Vizzini and his captive princess. Vizzini accuses the man in black of “trying to kidnap what I have rightfully stolen.” Jesus described himself as a thief, tying up a “strong man” in order to plunder his house. In the Exodus, God proved himself stronger than all the Egyptian gods, tying them up with his plagues. Then he plundered Egypt, liberating both people and possessions. When God steals, he liberates that which does not belong to those who hold it. Christ kidnaps what Satan has rightfully stolen.

In Christ, we are liberated from a kingdom of darkness into a kingdom of light (Colossians 1.13) and gifted with blessings we did not earn. (2 Corinthians 8.9) What the world gives us is not from the world anymore than what the Egyptians gave the Israelites was from Egypt. Neither spiritual nor material blessings belong to us. They are God’s plunder.

When was the last time you accounted for the blessings, the plunder, of God? Like Ithamar, you may need a spreadsheet.

Accounts of God’s blessings often contain moments of actual accounting. Biblical authors regularly note the numerical facts of miraculous events in both the Old and New Testaments. The water jars that were turned to wine held up to thirty gallons. (John 2.6) Over 4,000 people were fed. (Matthew 15.38) 3,000 people were added to their number. (Acts 2.41)

You carry God’s plunder. Have you accounted for it? What are you doing with it? (Luke 19.13)

With God’s plunder, Israel built the Tabernacle—an embassy of Eden where the sovereignty of heaven overlapped and overruled the sovereignty of the world. Put God’s plunder to work as his ambassadors to the world. Make holy space from which God’s blessings flow to all nations and in which slaves can find freedom.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer

Hear, O my people, and I will admonish you: O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not worship a foreign god.
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and said, “Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” — Psalm 81.8-10

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle.

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Mirrors and Sanctification

Exodus 38.8
They made the bronze basin and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

Reflection: Mirrors and Sanctification
By John Tillman

The first observation from today’s reading is that the women serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting gave up valuable hand-held devices, polished brass mirrors, to create a basin for ceremonial cleansing used by priests entering the tent of meeting. The modern analogy is obvious.

Can we be persuaded to give up, even for a short period of time, the valuable hand-held devices that reflect back to ourselves so much about us?

We pour our identity into our devices, and they give us back a river of reflective content. They show us an irresistible, aspirational self-portrait—just click “add to cart.” They sing us a song composed by an algorithm that knows us better than ourselves through granular data culled from our wants, lusts, and preferences.

Narcissus never faced such a captivating image. Sailors never heard such siren songs. No wonder we find it hard to turn away. No wonder we steer inexorably closer to shore.

It is appropriate that mirrors were transformed and used for ceremonial cleansing. Confession is self-reflective. May we follow the example of these women to transform our use of technology for spiritual purposes. May our devices cease to be vehicles of vanity or vain pursuits, but basins of reflective repentance and redemption.

The second observation today, is that the women who gave these gifts served in a special position at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Some, unwilling to admit that these women have a legitimate role in the tabernacle, translate the Hebrew tsaba’ as “assembled” rather than “served.” But even when tsaba’ is translated as assembled in other places, it is still in the context of official service, usually conscripted military service as in Jeremiah 52.25. Tsaba’s most common translation is to fight or defend.

Regardless of what their exact duties were, these women were not randomly gathering around the entrance. They were assembled for a purpose. Tsaba’ implies that they served in an official capacity and were conscripted in a manner similar to Levites or soldiers.

No one is exempt from being conscripted to serve, calling our communities to enter in and meet with Christ. Being sanctified through the washing of the Word, as with the water of the basin, is a prerequisite to our ministry.

Sanctify and transform your technology in ways that deliver the word of God to you. Our devotionals are just one part of that. Seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance to transform your interactions with all the technology you encounter.

Prayer: The Request for Presence
Send out your light and your truth, that they may lead me, and bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling;
That I may go to the altar of God, to the God of my joy and gladness; and on the harp I will give thanks to you, O God my God.  — Psalm 43.3-4

Today’s Readings
Exodus 38 (Listen – 4:23)
John 17 (Listen – 3:40)

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