As they prepare to observe the first Passover celebration since their exodus from Egypt, a problem surfaced. Some of the Israelites were ceremonially unclean because of their contact with a dead body and could not celebrate the Passover. Because they were unsure of what to do in light of the regulation restrictions, they went to Moses with their confusion. Moses did the right thing by taking it to the Lord.

When we are unsure or confused about something, is our first thought to take it to the Lord?

The Lord orders a numbering or a census of the sons of Israel from age 20 years or more. During this census, the people are still encamped at Sinai. Don't become discouraged in the reading.

Again in the numbering of the tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh represent the tribe of Joseph. Then the tribes are given their placement to camp and the order for marching whenever they are given the word to move. The tribe of Judah always leads. Dan always comes last.

The families of the tribe of Levi are not counted along with the others. It is clear that this tribe is set apart. Even their tents are set up around the tabernacle so that wrath will not fall on the Israelite community. They guard the tabernacle. No one gets in without going through the Levites. And we continue to see how "set apart" this tribe actually is. Application for us as Believers??? We too are "set apart". Do we act like it???

In Exodus 25 we read about a sea cow used in the tabernacle. The Hebrew word for sea cow is tachash and means
1) a kind of leather, skin, or animal hide
1a) perhaps the animal yielding the skin
1a1) perhaps the badger or dugong dolphin, or sheep

Here's a link sent to us from one of the e-bible study participants. (Thanks Steve)

For those who may be interested in knowing what a dugong is (referenced as a sea cow in Exodus), here is a link to wikipedia that gives an explanation and description of this animal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dugong

Try not to get too bogged down in the readings for today. Take note of the specifics of the offerings. All these offerings were to be used in the work at the Tent of Meeting. These offerings will be of great significance later on.

Notice that the offerings of the 12 tribes are the same, no matter how small or how large the tribe. Also notice that there are 12 tribes even though the tribe of Levi is not counted. Joseph is left out and his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh are in.

The Levites become the kinsmen redeemers for the first born male. Moses was also told to purify the Levites and to present them as a wave offering. The Levites themselves were to be a wave offering before the Lord. They were also given as gifts to Aaron and his sons to do the work at the tabernacle. We find out a little later just how much work they had to do!

Aaron was told to set up the seven lamps that had been made according to the pattern God had given Moses on the mountain.
Num 8:2-4
"Speak to Aaron and say to him, 'When you set up the seven lamps, they are to light the area in front of the lampstand.'"Aaron did so; he set up the lamps so that they faced forward on the lampstand, just as the LORD commanded Moses. This is how the lampstand was made: It was made of hammered gold-- from its base to its blossoms. The lampstand was made exactly like the pattern the LORD had shown Moses.

Seven lamps are prominent elsewhere in Scripture as well.
Rev 4:5
From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.

Everything was done by Moses just as the Lord commanded. So far…so good. Stay tuned!

Chapters 8 through 10 in the book of Leviticus cover the consecration of Aaron and his sons. As you read, pay close attention to the words ordination, eat, clean, and unclean. Chapter 10 has the first reference in the Bible to God's holiness. Note what happened.

Once again, Moses is obedient to the Lord when it comes to the special offerings and sacrifices during the week of the dedication of the tabernacle. Blood represented the innocent life of the animal that was sacrificed in place of the guilty person. God granted forgiveness of the sinner based on the faith of the person doing the sacrifice - a foreshadowing of the sacrificial death of Jesus for our sins.

This "pleasing aroma" of the sacrifice was a way of saying that God accepted the sacrifice because of the people's attitude.

Aaron’s sons died because they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord. Do people today in positions of authority and leadership in effect offer “unauthorized fire” to the Lord? Do they do this in the form of unbiblical observances and teachings? Just a thought…

Jer 2:13
"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

Lev 10:10
You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean,

Again, something that church and denomination leaders are charged with, to teach the people the difference between the spiritual and the worldly. And again, much like it will be as the apostate church devolves into the false church during the last days.

How is it with us as believers in Jesus? Do we know the difference between the holy and the common, between the clean and the unclean? God tells us in Leviticus 10 "I will show himself holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored."

Do we honor Him in the way we worship? Do we treat Him as holy? Is our attitude of worship pleasing to Him? Do we honor Him in the way we dress, the way we talk, the way we act?

Moses did everything as the Lord commanded.

This phrase is repeated several times in today's reading. Can others say this about us? Do we as Believers do everything as the Lord commanded?

Moses' faith put the tabernacle in place.

And so Moses finished the work.
Again, can this be said about us as Believers? Do we finish the work that the Lord has given us to do?

And look what happened next. The Lord was so pleased with the work.
“…and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”

Can there be a more spectacular proclamation? Maybe so. Read the following.

Acts 4:31
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

As the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle, so we should allow ourselves to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Imagine a group of people so filled with the Holy Spirit that the place where they are meeting is shaken. Kind of gives a person goosebumps doesn’t it?

Here's another "conversation" concerning some confusing things in the readings.

I'm confused about the "Tablets". The tablets of the Testimony were inscribed by the finger of God, which Moses smashed. In Ex. 34:1-7, God said that he would write on a second set as he did the first. However, Ex:27,28, God has Moses doing the writing.

Taken at face value it appears as if there is a conflict. We know that when there is an "apparent contradiction" there is something WE don't understand. We often think that the Ten Commandments were the only things written on the tablets. After looking carefully at all the words again, we know that God did indeed write the commandments on the first set of tablets. As for the second set of tablets, God said He would write them again. In Ex. 34:27, God tells Moses, "Write down these words..." Could it be that the words to which He is referring are the previous words concerning the treaties, the smashing of the other gods and their altars and monuments? If so then that would make sense then when verse 28 says that "he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant - the Ten Commandments." The "he" would be God and not Moses. There is some clarification on page 216 Deuteronomy 10:1-5. These verses indicate that it was God who wrote the Ten Commandments. It appears that Moses wrote some of the details, such as all the other laws, the commands about the treaties, etc.

Were there actually two different sets of tablets (not including the smashed ones).?

Both times there were two separate stone tablets. It was the Ten Commandments plus all the other rules that we'll read about later. There was more information there than just the Ten Commandments.

Were the tablets of the Testimony different than the tablets containing the 10 commandments?

They were the same.

Why did God write some and then have Moses write some?

God wrote commandments 1-10. Moses wrote the rest.

God gives through Moses the first stewardship “sermon”. God commands that everyone who is WILLING is to bring an offering to the Lord. So everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him gave to the Lord. These are offerings and are different from the tithe which comes later.

Then Moses summoned every skilled worker (with God-given abilities) and who was WILLING to come and do the work.

The people were bringing offerings above and beyond what was needed, so much so that the people had to be restrained from bringing more. This happened because their hearts were moved and they gave for all the right reasons.
(Email us for a copy of A Biblical View of Stewardship)

Notice the attention to even the minutest detail, such careful attention to accuracy in the instructions for the construction of the tabernacle. Can you even begin to imagine the beauty?

All this is just a foretaste of the heavenly beauty that awaits us in eternity.