The Blessings of Obedience
Exodus 37:1-5: "Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half was its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold around it. And he cast for it four rings of gold for its four feet, two rings on its one side, and two rings on its other side. And he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold and put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark."
In our study of Exodus, we have arrived at the glory days for the nation of Israel. They have truly repented of their sin of idolatry and aligned their lives around worship of the Lord and obedient commitment to the Lord: "All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do" (Exodus 24:3). As the book of Exodus ends, the Israelites obeyed the Lord and experienced the blessing of working together in that obedience.
Earlier, we read how the Lord gave Moses the detailed instructions for the tabernacle. Now, Bezalel, Oholiab, and the craftsman fulfilled those instructions. Every detail spoken by the Lord through Moses was followed with precision by Bezalel and his team. The obedient construction of the tabernacle strongly contrasted with the disobedient construction of the golden calf. Disobedience led to warfare, death, a plague, and the Lord removing his presence from among the people. Obedience resulted in great joy and fulfillment as God's glory returned to dwell among the Israelites and guide them toward the promised land.
The Lord was building something glorious through the nation of Israel and for the nation of Israel. By their contributions, support, and work, the Israelites constructed the tabernacle of the Lord. This dwelling place travelled with the people through the wilderness all the way to the promised land. The tabernacle served as God's dwelling place among his wandering people. The Lord's guidance through Moses laid the foundation for this building. Just as his instructions for the tabernacle were to be followed, so were his instructions for the covenant. The Lord longed to guide his people to the land he had promised. There, he wanted to bless them with his presence and with the abundance of the land. To enjoy those blessings, the nation of Israel had learned to trust the Lord's guiding leadership and to obey all his holy commands.
Just as the Lord longed to guide the nation of Israel, so he longs to guide us today. Like the Israelites, our obedience results in God's presence and blessings. The Israelites were moved by God's mercy and compassion for them; they were moved to love him generously, to long for his presence, and to desire obedience to him. Jesus says that the same thing will happen for us. When we receive the gift of salvation, we become those grateful people who love the Lord. That love will lead us to obedience that delights to please God, and God will not just dwell among us but within us. Jesus taught the disciples, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him" (John 14:23). As members of the body of Christ, we are part of a living temple of meeting for the presence of God through his indwelling Holy Spirit.
In the next chapter of John, Jesus instructed his disciples in what it means to abide in him: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full" (John 15:9-11). Do you know that the Lord wants you to have joy that is full? He knows that the only way to experience true joy is in relationship with the Father through his Son by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Joy is manifest as we surrender to God's will by following the promptings of the Spirit abiding within us. As we abide in the Lord and allow him to take up residence in us, new life - his life - will increase within us. We become more like Jesus. His guidance becomes the delight of our hearts, and blessings, peace, and abundant joy are the fruit.
May we follow the lead of the Israelites and embrace his guidance and commands that we, too, may experience his blessings.
Reflection:
Do you see the blessings of obedience? Are there areas in your life that you have not surrendered unto the Lord, places that his Spirit has been convicting you? Can you surrender, repent, and recommit to follow him whole-heartedly today?
In our study of Exodus, we have arrived at the glory days for the nation of Israel. They have truly repented of their sin of idolatry and aligned their lives around worship of the Lord and obedient commitment to the Lord: "All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do" (Exodus 24:3). As the book of Exodus ends, the Israelites obeyed the Lord and experienced the blessing of working together in that obedience.
Earlier, we read how the Lord gave Moses the detailed instructions for the tabernacle. Now, Bezalel, Oholiab, and the craftsman fulfilled those instructions. Every detail spoken by the Lord through Moses was followed with precision by Bezalel and his team. The obedient construction of the tabernacle strongly contrasted with the disobedient construction of the golden calf. Disobedience led to warfare, death, a plague, and the Lord removing his presence from among the people. Obedience resulted in great joy and fulfillment as God's glory returned to dwell among the Israelites and guide them toward the promised land.
The Lord was building something glorious through the nation of Israel and for the nation of Israel. By their contributions, support, and work, the Israelites constructed the tabernacle of the Lord. This dwelling place travelled with the people through the wilderness all the way to the promised land. The tabernacle served as God's dwelling place among his wandering people. The Lord's guidance through Moses laid the foundation for this building. Just as his instructions for the tabernacle were to be followed, so were his instructions for the covenant. The Lord longed to guide his people to the land he had promised. There, he wanted to bless them with his presence and with the abundance of the land. To enjoy those blessings, the nation of Israel had learned to trust the Lord's guiding leadership and to obey all his holy commands.
Just as the Lord longed to guide the nation of Israel, so he longs to guide us today. Like the Israelites, our obedience results in God's presence and blessings. The Israelites were moved by God's mercy and compassion for them; they were moved to love him generously, to long for his presence, and to desire obedience to him. Jesus says that the same thing will happen for us. When we receive the gift of salvation, we become those grateful people who love the Lord. That love will lead us to obedience that delights to please God, and God will not just dwell among us but within us. Jesus taught the disciples, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him" (John 14:23). As members of the body of Christ, we are part of a living temple of meeting for the presence of God through his indwelling Holy Spirit.
In the next chapter of John, Jesus instructed his disciples in what it means to abide in him: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full" (John 15:9-11). Do you know that the Lord wants you to have joy that is full? He knows that the only way to experience true joy is in relationship with the Father through his Son by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Joy is manifest as we surrender to God's will by following the promptings of the Spirit abiding within us. As we abide in the Lord and allow him to take up residence in us, new life - his life - will increase within us. We become more like Jesus. His guidance becomes the delight of our hearts, and blessings, peace, and abundant joy are the fruit.
May we follow the lead of the Israelites and embrace his guidance and commands that we, too, may experience his blessings.
Reflection:
Do you see the blessings of obedience? Are there areas in your life that you have not surrendered unto the Lord, places that his Spirit has been convicting you? Can you surrender, repent, and recommit to follow him whole-heartedly today?
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