May 14, 2024, Day 3 of Week 7

Daily Dose of Hope

May 14, 2024, Day 3 of Week 7

Scripture:  Exodus 38-40; Hebrews 1

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, New Hope Church’s daily devotional that complements our Bible reading plan.  I hope your week is going well.  If you need prayer, don’t hesitate to reach out to me!  Okay, let’s get right into our Scripture.

We are finishing the book of Exodus today.  In chapter 38, they made the bronze basin and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.  This chapter continues the instructions for building various elements of the tabernacle–the altar for burnt offerings, the wash basin, and the courtyard.  Again, there are many details included, down to the specific amount of gold, silver, and bronze, donated by the community. 

There is one line in these instructions that I find really interesting, verse 8, which describes the making of the bronze wash basin. Ironically, it would be really easy to simply read it and not think too deeply about it, as it seems to get such a small mention among the more wordy descriptions of the burnt offering altar and the courtyard.  The wash basin needed to be made from a finer quality bronze since it was in a prominent location.  Where does one find fine quality, consistently even bronze in the middle of the desert?  Apparently from the mirrors of the women.  The mirrors would have required a higher  quality bronze that was polished very well, in order to produce a reflection. 

Then, there is a mention that the mirrors were given by those women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Just this one little line but really important!  There were ladies who served God by standing by the tent of meeting and taking care of the needs of the priests.  They may have washed dishes and utensils, done laundry, or cleaned up the courtyard, but their quiet dedication and service was essential to the running of the tabernacle.  They are mentioned once again in I Samuel 2:22 (in reference to the evil committed by Samuel’s sons).  This immediately makes me think of the countless women who have quietly served in churches for centuries, doing the mundane but necessary tasks of cleaning, sewing, washing, and cooking.  Like the women at the entrance to the tent of meeting, they go unnamed and probably many times unnoticed.  Yet, their dedication to God and service to Jesus’ church is extraordinary.  Today, I thank God for all my sisters who have gone before me, serving God humbly and quietly, by doing the important but unglamorous tasks that keep the church running.

In the final chapter of Exodus, we find Moses and the Israelites setting up the tabernacle.  All they had constructed now needed to find its proper place.  Once all was in place, the Scripture says that “the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”  The presence of the Lord was a cloud by day.  At night, there was fire in the cloud so it could easily be seen.  When the Israelites saw the cloud move, they knew it was time to pick up and move. When the cloud stayed in place, they knew to stay in place as well.  The cloud was visible manifestation of an invisible God. In a hot, sunny, arid climate, God’s presence was a sign of both comforting shade and divine authority, right in their midst.  How do we see the presence of God in our midst today?  Think about the last week, how have you seen the living God at work in your daily experiences, in your interactions with others, in your prayer and study time, or in times of worship?  While God may not show up as a visible cloud, God is here with us through the presence of the Holy Spirit.  I would love to hear about how you have experienced God’s glory.

Our New Testament reading today comes from the book of Hebrews.  The author of Hebrews is speaking to a group of Christians, probably Jews who had become Christians, and they need encouragement.  They have grown tired, they are weary of the Christian life–they were dealing with significant challenges and hardships, facing external pressures & persecution.  As we read, we’ll find that they have stopped meeting together, essentially they have stopped making attending worship services a priority.  Sound familiar?  Their faith was waning.  The author of Hebrews is presenting them with this letter/sermon to reawaken their faith.  He’s like, “Hey guys, this is worth it!  Faith isn’t flimsy dreaming, there is substance and reality to it.”  So he starts with a definition of faith and then brings to mind stories of real people that illustrate this kind of faith.  He presents a Hall of Fame of faith and over the next two weeks, we will be talking about those people in the Hall of Fame, their specific stories, and what we can learn from them.

Hebrews chapter one focuses on how God communicates.  He spoke through the prophets.  Now, he speaks through the embodied Word, Jesus Christ; the one who was present at creation, who radiates God’s glory, who is an expression (an “imprint” in other translations) of God’s character, who is full of God’s power.  The one who was born as a human being and came to cleanse us from our sins is also the one who sits at God’s right hand and is the name above all names.  Emmanuel, God with us, is also King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Almighty One, Lord of All (Phil 2:9-11, Rev. 1:8, Rev. 17:14). 

Many of you are probably familiar with Ricky Bobby’s prayer to “dear sweet babyJesus.”(Talledega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby). Despite protests that Jesus isn’t a baby anymore, Ricky insists that he likes praying to “8 pound, 6 ounce, infant baby Jesus.”  While this is a silly example, I don’t think it’s that unusual for people to prefer the unassuming, nonthreatening Jesus in a manger to the all-powerful, supreme King of Kings who is GOD himself.  The reality is that the beauty and sweetness of Christmas baby Jesus can’t be separated from the one to whom every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord (Phil. 2:9-11).  He is the one who came to save us, to die for us, and who will ultimately judge us.  He isn’t just a cute little baby but he is God himself who has chosen to dwell among his people.  I find this awe-inspiring.  The God who created all, the one who is above all things, the Redeemer, the Lord of All chose to be among his people and honestly, that has made all the difference.  John 1:14 (The Message), “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish.”

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki