EXODUS-THE TABERNACLE

Today is Sunday!  I'm excited.  It is Vision Sunday.  The Sunday I share the goals and plans for 2011.  I am looking forward to a great day in the LORD and for the LORD to do some great things.  I finished up Exodus this morning.  The chapters 21-30 were the giving of the law.  Not only the ten commandments mentioned in chapter 20, but all of the laws expounded and how to handle the breaking of the law.  For instance, the ten commandments would say:  "Thou shalt not kill".  But in chapters to follow, there would be law given to determine how to handle a death by accident, a death caused by a blow but with no intent to kill, a death of a man, an unborn child, an ox, an animal, etc.  So we see detailed implications and explanations of the law given on mountain to Moses.  Today's chapters deal with the Tabernacle.  Here are just a few thoughts: 1) WHOSE PEOPLE- Exodus 32:7 "And the LORD said unto Moses, God, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtestverse 11:  "And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?"  Here God is saying to Moses, look what your people did; and Moses is saying to God, they are Your people not mine.  But, finally in verse 14 it says:  "And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people."  So, they are God's people.  I enjoy reading about this interaction between Moses and the LORD.  As a pastor, I often remind the LORD that it is not my church, but His, and His people.  2) OBSERVABLE FELLOWSHIP- In Exodus 34:29, Moses had been on the mountain with the LORD, and when he came down it says:  "... that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him."  (vs. 30) "And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone: and they were afraid to come nigh him."  Moses had to put a vail upon his face so that the people would come close to him.  His time with God became an observable fellowship.  People saw that Moses had been with God.  I wonder if people can notice that we too have spent time with God?  In Acts, it says that the Jewish leaders took knowledge of the disciples that they had been with Jesus Christ.  It was observable fellowship.  Let us decide to spend enough time with God each day that our fellowship with Him is observable by others as well.  Not physically noticed, but spiritually and by our kindness noticed just the same. 3) TOO MUCH- When the people started giving with a willing heart, it came about that they gave.... too much!  I never thought that possible, but that is what happened.  In Exodus 36:5 "And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make."  and in verse 7 "For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much."  They brought all that was necessary, and then they brought more than was necessary!  Wow!  Oh that somehow God would speak to enough Christian's hearts that this would be the case at least one more time in history before Jesus comes back! Well, so much for today.  Hope you have a blessed Sunday!  Pastor Mike Mutchler out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:"  But now look at