I had decided what I was going to write about earlier this week, but somehow I never got to it yesterday ... sorry this is late!
The Torah this week is Exodus 25:1-27:19, the Haftarah is 1 Kings 5:12-6:13 and Brit Chadasha is Matthew 5:33-37, Hebrew 9:1-10.
When I started reading the Torah earlier this week, I realized that we're getting into that section that can be difficult reading. It's sometimes hard to not let your mind wander when you're reading details about the Tabernacle and sacrificial system - things that we have a hard time understanding and that really do not seem to relate to us.
So as I was reading about how the Tabernacle was supposed to be built and all the details and instructions, this one thought kept running in my head ... YHWH cares about the smallest details ... He cares about the outward appearance ... and He gave specific instructions about how we are to serve and worship Him.
If He was so specific in His instructions about how He wanted His people to serve and worship Him, don't you think He cares about the other aspects of the way that we live our lives? If He gave such detailed information about how He wanted the outward appearance of the Tabernacle and the priests to be, don't you think that He cares about our appearance?
1 Peter 2:5 says "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Yeshua Messiah." And in verses 9-10, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy."
He is talking to us. It seems like many people take the position that anything goes ... it's only the heart that matters ... anyone can serve God anyway they want to ... God doesn't care about rules anymore ... etc etc. Through reading these passages like the Torah portion this week, we see that YHWH does not have a "anything goes" mindset. Think about what happened when Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire (Leviticus 10) or when Uzza reached out to catch the ark of the covenant as it was about to fall (1 Chronicles 13). Instant death for disobedience.
YHWH is a merciful God but He is also a jealous God (Exodus 34:14, Deuteronomy 4:24, to mention a few). He does care about how we serve and worship Him. We need to not take cues from everything and everyone around us (culture, society, friends, family, even fellow believers) ... but to turn to His Word for the standard of righteous living. He is the only One we're going to answer to on Judgement Day ... let's make sure that we are living our lives the way that He wants us to.
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