Day Nine

Psalm 90, Exodus 35:30-36:38, Esther 3, 1 Corinthians 8

Psalm 90

Ps. 90:1-2 - Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth,or ever you had formed the earth and the world,from everlasting to everlasting you are God. - Psalm 90 is a Psalm that was written by Moses. In light of that, verse one is particularly poignant. Moses led the Children of Israel out of captivity and to the Promised Land. Because of the sin of the people, most who fled Egypt never reached the Promised Land. Their children did. So, God was the literal dwelling place of the people. And God would be the dwelling place of Israel from generation to generation. He was, and is, and is to be their refuge, their home forever and ever. We too should make our refuge in Him.

Ps. 90:4 - For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. - God is eternally existent. Moses reminds us all of how small we are and how even the longest life on earth is nothing compared to God.

Ps. 90:10, 12 - 10The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. 12So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.- Moses helps us to see just how precious every day is. Like the phrase Carpe Diem, Moses is encouraging us to seize the day! I love that he encourages us to number our days so that we might get a heart of wisdom. It's so true that an unchecked life just speeds by. As a father of four, I'm blown away at just how fast life is going. I want to redeem each day. I want to live my life in a way that brings glory to God and to live my life invested in the things that are most important.

Ps. 90:17 - Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands! - As a pastor and as a husband, I love this prayer. I desire to see God show favor on me and those that I love. I want to see His favor on our congregation. And, I'd like to know that He is establishing the work of our hands and not us. May it be so!

Exodus 35:30-36:38

Ex. 35:31 - and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, - God has given each on of us gifts to be used to serve Him and make Him known amongst the nations. To Bezalel, the son of Uri, it was a lot of gifts. He had skill, he had intelligence, he could do anything when it came to craftsmanship. They were gifts from God. And, God would use Bezalel in a powerful way amongst the people in the building of the Tabernacle. So, how does God want to use the gifts that He has given you?

Ex. 36:1 - “Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the Lord has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded.” - Have you ever met someone and thought, "They were created by God to do just what they are doing?" I have. Heather Flies is the Junior High Pastor at Wooddale Church and I had the privilege of serving alongside of her for seven years. She often times says, "God created me in my mother's womb to be a junior high pastor." She's right. She's great at what she does, and she loves it. I think that's a bit what Bezalel and Oholiab must have felt as they served God in the construction of the sanctuary. They were doing just what God had created them to do, indeed what God had called them to do.

Ex. 35:5b-7 - “The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.” 6 So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing, 7 for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more. - What an amazing problem. When God's people obey Him, when they get excited about the work that He has called them to do, and when they give sacrificially of their time, talents, and treasure God shows up in a big way! That's what he did here. Can you imagine a preacher saying, "Stop giving! You've brought too much!" That's what happened here. I love the unrestrained passion that the people had as they sought to give back to God.

Esther 3

Es. 3 - Esther's third chapter records the plot that Haman made against the Jews. Haman was an evil man, who hated Mordecai, and hated the Jewish people. He talked King Ahasuerus into a genocide of all Jewish people living within the king's provinces.Verse 15, the final verse in this chapter records the contradictory feelings that Haman's actions produced: The couriers went out hurriedly by order of the king, and the decree was issued in Susa the citadel. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion. - The inhabitants of Susa didn't share Haman's hatred for the Jewish people. It's sad to see how people with too much power can so callously think of others. Such was the case with Haman and the King.

1 Corinthians 8

1 Cor. 8:9, 13 - 8But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. - The Corinthian church had a series of issues that they were facing that were causing division in the church. One of those issues was food offered to idols. There were some in the church that saw nothing wrong with eating this food, and others that saw it as sin. Paul tells the church that there is nothing in food that will commend us to God. We're not worse off for eating it, and we're no better off if we do. But, Paul cautioned the church not to do something that would offend a weaker brother. If your right is something that is offensive to another believer, then it is better for you to give up your right. Paul expands upon this in verse 13 which says, "Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble."