Day 13

4:00 AM wakeup

Exodus 28

While the very exact instructions God gave to Moses for the tabernacle and ark is interesting, I find his instruction about the priests to be more fascinating. Here He designates Aaron and his boys as priests "before Me". He gives clear instruction for their cloths, but asks Moses to "speak to all the skillful persons whom I have endowed with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister as priest to Me." If He is giving explicit directions for making the garments, why do they need to be skillful persons with a spirit of wisdom? It gives me pause, and cause to tremble. I think of the Renaissance and 19th century picture of God as the watchmaker - setting things in order, winding the clock, and then things are on their own. That's not the God of Exodus 28. Even though He certainly has set all in order, He is engaged in the process throughout. Is it because He doesn't trust us? Certainly we do have an infinite capacity for mistakes, but I don't think this is the primary reason. I think God likes us doing things with Him. He wants to be engaged in our life. He doesn't ask us to serve in tasks while He goes about the rest of His business - He wants us to do with with Him - to be skillful, but with His Spirit of wisdom. May we all have His Spirit of wisdom as we go about His work as priests - marketplace ministers.

224#

Cold and rainy this morning. Will run tomorrow. I probably ought to be more hardened.