What In The Wilderness?

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Hello, I’m Elliot.

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QUESTION: What is the most lost you’ve ever been?

OPENING: "So there I was… lost in the desert.”

ILLUSTRATION: Lost in the desert (orienteering)

TRANSITION: As minimally dangerous as that situation actually was, I learned something that day.

Tension

Time spent in the desert can be a defining moment

Time spent in the wilderness can be a defining moment?

ILLUSTRATION: Aron Ralston. Back in 2003, when Yahoo was #1 site (barely beating AOL), before MySpace. Hiking guy, cut off his own arm in Utah canyon. 127 Hours.

I think you’ve also been in a desert. You’ve spent time wandering in the wilderness. Not really talking about a literal desert. Not an actual wilderness.

Seasons of depression

Tightened purse strings

Going through life without purpose, direction

All deserts, each person’s wilderness, might not look the same, but we’ve all been through them.

TRANSITION: What I want to do today, is look at a story from the Bible of people wandering in the wilderness. In the desert. It’s a story so fundamental to both the Christian and the Jewish faith.

Truth

Along the way, they make some mistakes. They get some things right, and they get some stuff wrong. Their journey, as old as it is, can inform ours when we find ourselves in the desert. When we’re wandering through the wilderness.

At The Base Of A Mountain

Exodus 24–31 LEB

And to Moses he said, “Go up to Yahweh—you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy from the elders of Israel—and you will worship at a distance. And Moses alone will come near to Yahweh, and they will not come near, and the people will not go up with him.” And Moses came, and he told the people all the words of Yahweh and all the regulations. And all the people answered with one voice, and they said, “All the words that Yahweh has spoken we will do.” And Moses wrote all the words of Yahweh, and he rose early in the morning, and he built an altar at the base of the mountain and set up twelve memorial stones for the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men from the Israelites, and they offered burnt offerings, and they sacrificed sacrifices as fellowship offerings to Yahweh using bulls. And Moses took half of the blood, and he put it in bowls, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. And he took the scroll of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people, and they said, “All that Yahweh has spoken we will do, and we will listen.” And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and he said, “Look, the blood of the covenant that Yahweh has made with you in accordance with all these words.” And Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy from the elders of Israel went up. And they saw the God of Israel, and what was under his feet was like sapphire tile work and like the very heavens for clearness. And toward the leaders of the Israelites he did not stretch out his hand, and they beheld God, and they ate, and they drank. And Yahweh said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and be there, and I will give you the tablets of stone and the law and the commandments that I have written to instruct them.” And Moses got up, and Joshua, his assistant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. And to the elders he said, “Wait for us here until we return to you. And look, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute will bring it to you.” And Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. And the glory of Yahweh settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days, and he called to Moses on the seventh day from the midst of the cloud. And the appearance of the glory of Yahweh was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain to the eyes of the Israelites. And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and he went up the mountain, and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the Israelites, and let them bring to me a contribution. You will receive my contribution from every man whose heart prompts him. And this is the contribution that you will receive from them—gold and silver and bronze, blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and fine linen and goat hair, and red-dyed ram skins, and fine leather, and acacia wood, oil for the lamp, balsam oils for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, onyx stones and stones for mountings on the ephod and the breast piece. And make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell in the midst of them, according to all that I show you—the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its equipment—and so you will do. “And they will make an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits its length and a cubit and a half its width and a cubit and a half its height. And you will overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside you will overlay it, and you will make on it a gold molding all around. And you will cast for it four gold rings, and you will put them on its four feet, with two rings on its one side and two rings on its second side. And you will make poles of acacia wood, and you will overlay them with gold. And you will put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark with them. In the rings of the ark will be the poles; they will not be removed from it. And you will put into the ark the testimony that I will give to you. “And you will make an atonement cover of pure gold, two and a half cubits its length and a cubit and a half its width. And you will make two cherubim of gold; you will make them of hammered work at the two ends of the atonement cover. And make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end of the atonement cover; you will make the cherubim on its two ends. And the cherubim will be with outspread wings above, covering with their wings over the atonement cover and facing each other; the faces of the cherubim will be toward the atonement cover. And you will put the atonement cover above onto the ark, and into the ark you will put the testimony that I will give you. And I will meet you there, and I will speak with you from over the atonement cover, from between the two cherubim that are to be on the ark of the testimony—all that I will command you to the Israelites. “And you will make a table of acacia wood, two cubits its length and a cubit its width and a cubit and a half its height. And you will overlay it with pure gold, and you will make for it a gold molding all around. And you will make for it a handbreadth rim all around, and you will make a gold molding for its rim all around. And you will make four gold rings for it, and you will put the rings on the four corners where its four legs are. The rings will be near the rim as holders for poles to carry the table. And you will make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, and the table will be carried with them. And you will make its plates and its ladles and its pitchers and its bowls with which libations will be poured; of pure gold you will make them. And you will put on the table the bread of presence to be before me continually. “And you will make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand will be made of hammered work—its base and its branch, its cups, its buds, and its blossoms will be from it. And six branches will be going out from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from its one side and three branches of the lampstand from its second side. Three almond-flower cups will be on the one branch with a bud and a blossom, and three almond-flower cups will be on the one branch with a bud and a blossom—likewise for the six branches going out from the lampstand. And on the lampstand will be four almond-flower cups, with its buds and its blossoms. And a bud will be under the two branches that come from it, and a bud under the two branches from it, and a bud under the two branches from it, likewise for the six branches coming out from the lampstand. Their buds and their branches will be from it, all of it one piece of pure gold hammered work. And you will make its seven lamps, and its lamps will be set up, and it will give light in the space in front of it. And its snuffers and its fire pans will be pure gold. It will be made from a talent of pure gold, with all these pieces of equipment. And see and make all according to their pattern, which you were shown in the mountain. “And the tabernacle you will make with ten curtains; you will make them of finely twisted linen and blue and purple and crimson yarns, with cherubim, the work of a skilled craftsman. The length of the one curtain will be twenty-eight cubits, and the width will be four cubits for the one curtain; one measure will be for all the curtains. Five curtains will be joined to one another, and five curtains joined to one another. And you will make loops of blue on the edge of the one curtain, at the end in the set; and you will do so on the edge of the end curtain in the second set. You will make fifty loops on the one curtain, and you will make fifty loops on the end of the curtain that is in the second set; the loops are to be opposite to one another. And you will make fifty gold clasps and join the curtains to one another with the clasps, so that the tabernacle will be one. “And you will make curtains of goat hair for a tent over the tabernacle; you will make them eleven curtains. The length of the one curtain will be thirty cubits, and the width will be four cubits for the one curtain; one measure will be for the eleven curtains. And you will join five curtains together and six curtains together, and you will fold double the sixth curtain at the front of the tent. And you will make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain at the end of the first set and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain in the second set. And you will make fifty bronze clasps, and you will put the clasps in the loops and join the tent, so that it will be one. “And the surplus in the curtains of the tent will be an overhang; the surplus half curtain will hang over the back of the tabernacle. And a cubit from one side and a cubit from the other side in the surplus in the length of the curtains of the tent will be hung over the sides of the tabernacle equally to cover it. “And you will make a covering for the tent of red-dyed ram skins and a covering of fine leather to go above. “And you will make the frames for the tabernacle of acacia wood as uprights. The length of the frame will be ten cubits, and the width of the one frame will be one and a half cubits. You will make two pegs for the one frame for joining each to another and likewise for all the frames of the tabernacle. And you will make the frames for the tabernacle with twenty frames for the south side. And you will make forty silver bases under the twenty frames, with two bases under the one frame for its two pegs and two bases under the next frame for its two pegs. And for the second side of the tabernacle, the north side, there will be twenty frames and their forty silver bases, with two bases under the one frame and two bases under the next frame. “And for the rear of the tabernacle on the west you will make six frames. And you will make two frames for the tabernacle corners at the rear. They will be double at the bottom, and they will be completely together on its top to the one ring; it will be likewise for the two of them; they will be for the two corners. And there will be eight frames and their silver bases, sixteen bases, with two bases under the one frame and two bases under the next frame. “You will make five bars of acacia wood for the frames on the one side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames on the second side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames on the side of the tabernacle at the rear on the west. And the bar in the middle, in the midst of the frames will run from end to end. And you will overlay the frames with gold, and you will make their rings of gold as holders for the bars, and you will overlay the bars with gold. And you will erect the tabernacle according to its plan, which you have been shown on the mountain. “And you will make a curtain of blue and purple and crimson yarns and finely twisted linen, the work of a skilled craftsman; he will make it with cherubim. And you will put it on four acacia pillars overlaid with gold with their gold hooks on four silver bases. And you will put the curtain under the clasps, and you will bring the ark of the testimony there inside the curtain, and the curtain will separate for you between the holy and the most holy place. And you will put the atonement cover on the ark of the testimony in the most holy place. And you will place the table outside the curtain and the lampstand opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle, and you will put the table on the north side. “And you will make for the entrance of the tent a screen of blue and purple and crimson yarns and finely twisted linen, the work of an embroiderer. And you will make for the screen five acacia pillars, and you will overlay them with gold with their gold hooks, and you will cast for them five bronze bases. “And you will make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar will be square, and its height will be three cubits. And you will make its horns on its four corners; its horns will be of one piece with it, and you will overlay it with bronze. And you will make its pots for removing its fat-soaked ashes and its shovels and its sprinkling bowls and its forks and its fire pans; you will make all its equipment with bronze. And you will make for it a grating, a work of bronze network, and you will make on the network four bronze rings on its four ends. And you will put it under the ledge of the altar, below, and the network will be up to the middle of the altar. And you will make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and you will overlay them with bronze. And the poles will be put into the rings, and the poles will be on the two sides of the altar when carrying it. You will make it hollow with boards. As it was shown you on the mountain, so they will do. “You will make the courtyard of the tabernacle; for the south side will be hangings for the courtyard of finely twisted linen, one hundred cubits long for the one side. And its twenty pillars and their twenty bases will be bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their bands will be silver. And likewise for the north side along the length will be hangings one hundred cubits long; and its twenty pillars and their bases will be bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their bands will be silver. And the width of the courtyard for the west side will be hangings of fifty cubits, their ten pillars and their ten bases. And the width of the courtyard for the east side, toward sunrise, will be fifty cubits. And hangings for the shoulder will be fifteen cubits with their three pillars and their three bases. And fifteen cubits of hangings will be for the second shoulder with their three pillars and their three bases. And for the gate of the courtyard there will be a screen of twenty cubits of blue and purple and crimson yarns and finely twisted linen, the work of an embroiderer; with their four pillars and their four bases. “All the pillars of the courtyard all around will be banded with silver, and their hooks will be silver, and their bases will be bronze. The length of the courtyard will be one hundred cubits and the width fifty cubits and the height five cubits, of finely twisted linen, with their bronze bases. Bronze will be for all the equipment of the tabernacle in all its service and all its pegs and all the pegs of the courtyard. “And you will command the Israelites, and they will bring to you pure, beaten olive oil for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually. In the tent of assembly outside the curtain that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons will arrange it, from evening until morning, before Yahweh as a lasting statute throughout their generations from the Israelites. “And bring near to you Aaron, your brother, and his sons with him from the midst of the Israelites to serve as priests for me—Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron. And you will make holy garments for Aaron, your brother, for glory and for splendor. And you will speak to all the skilled of heart, whom I have given a gift of skill, and they will make the garments of Aaron to consecrate him for his serving as my priest. And these are the garments that they will make: A breast piece and an ephod and a robe and a tunic of specially woven fabric, a turban and a sash. And they will make holy garments for Aaron your brother, and for his sons to serve as priests for me. “And they will take the gold and the blue and the purple and the crimson yarns and the fine linen, and they will make the ephod of gold, blue and purple, and crimson yarns, and finely twisted linen, the work of a skilled craftsman. It will have two joining shoulder pieces at its two edges, so that it can be fastened. And the waistband of his ephod, which is on it, will be of like work to it—gold, blue, and purple and crimson yarns and finely twisted linen. “And you will take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the Israelites, with six of their names on the one stone and the remaining six on the second, according to their genealogies. As the work of a skilled stone craftsman, with seal engravings you will engrave on the two stones the names of the Israelites; you will make them mounted in gold filigree settings. And you will set the two stones on the ephod’s shoulder pieces as stones of remembrance for the Israelites, and Aaron will bear their names before Yahweh on his two shoulder pieces for remembrance. “And you will make gold filigree settings. And you will make two braided chains of pure gold ornamental cord work, and you will put the chains of the ornamental cords on the filigree settings. And you will make a breast piece of judgment, a work of a skilled craftsman; you will make it like the work of the ephod; you will make it of gold, blue and purple and crimson yarns, and finely twisted linen. It will be squared, doubled, a span its length and a span its width. And you will fill it with stone mounting, four rows of stone, a row of carnelian, topaz, and emerald is the first row; and the second row is a malachite, a sapphire, and a moonstone; and the third row is a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; and the fourth row is a turquoise and an onyx and a jasper. Their settings will be woven with gold. The stones will be according to the names of the Israelites, twelve according to their names, with seal engravings, each according to its name they will be for the twelve tribes. “And you will make on the breast piece braided chains, a work of pure gold ornamental cord. And you will make on the breast piece two gold rings, and you will put the two rings on the two edges of the breast piece. And you will put the two gold ornamental cords on the two rings on the edges of the breast piece. And you will put the two ends of the two ornamental cords on the two filigree settings, and you will put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front of it. And you will make two gold rings, and you will place them on the two ends of the breast piece, on its edge that is on the other side of the ephod, to the inside. And you will make two rings and put them on the two shoulder pieces of the ephod below at its front near its seam above the waistband of the ephod. And they will tie the breast piece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord to be on the waistband of the ephod, and the breast piece will not come loose from the ephod. And Aaron will bear the names of the Israelites in the breast piece of judgment on his heart, when he comes to the sanctuary, for a remembrance before Yahweh continually. And you will put the Urim and the Thummim on the breast piece of judgment, and they will be on the heart of Aaron when he comes before Yahweh, and Aaron will bear the judgment of the Israelites on his heart before Yahweh continually. “And you will make the robe of the ephod totally of blue yarn. And the opening for his head will be in the middle of it; its opening will have an edge all around, the work of a weaver; it will be like the opening of a sturdy garment for it, so that it will not be torn. And you will make on its hem pomegranates of blue and purple and crimson yarns on its hem all around and bells of gold in the midst of them all around, a gold bell and a pomegranate, a gold bell and a pomegranate, on the hem of the robe all around. And it will be on Aaron for serving, and its sound will be heard at his coming into the sanctuary before Yahweh and at his going out, so that he will not die. “And you will make a pure gold rosette, and you will engrave on it with seal engravings: “A holy object for Yahweh.” And you will place it on a blue cord, and it will be on the turban, at the front of the turban it will be. And it will be on the forehead of Aaron, and Aaron will bear the guilt of the holy objects that the Israelites will consecrate for all their holy gifts, and it will be on his forehead continually for acceptance for them before Yahweh. “And you will weave the tunic of fine linen, and you will make a turban of fine linen, and you will make a sash, the work of an embroiderer. And for the sons of Aaron you will make tunics, and you will make for them sashes and headdresses; you will make them for glory and for splendor. And you will clothe them—Aaron, your brother, and his sons with him—and you will anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, and they will serve as priests for me. And make for them undergarments of linen to cover naked flesh; they will be from loins to thigh. And they will be on Aaron and on his sons when they come to the tent of assembly or when they approach the altar to serve in the sanctuary, so that they will not bear guilt and die. It is a lasting statute for him and for his offspring after him. “And this is the thing that you will do for them to consecrate them to serve as a priest for me: Take one young bull and two rams without defect and unleavened bread and unleavened, ring-shaped bread cakes mixed with oil, and wafers of unleavened breads smeared with oil. You will make them with finely milled wheat flour, and you will put them on one basket, and you will bring them on the basket and bring the bull and the two rams. And you will bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of assembly, and you will wash them with water. And you will take the garments and clothe Aaron with the tunic and the robe of the ephod, and you will fasten to him the ephod and the breast piece with the waistband of the ephod. And you will set the turban on his head, and you will put the holy diadem on the turban. And you will take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. And you will bring his sons and clothe them with tunics. And you will gird Aaron and his sons with sashes and wrap headdresses on them. And priesthood will be theirs as a lasting rule, and you will ordain Aaron and his sons. “And you will bring the bull before the tent of assembly, and Aaron and his sons will lay their hands on the head of the bull. And you will slaughter the bull before Yahweh at the entrance of the tent of assembly. And you will take some of the blood of the bull and with your finger put it on the horns of the altar, and you will pour out all the blood at the base of the altar. And you will take and turn into smoke on the altar all the fat covering the inner parts and the lobe on the liver and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them. And the flesh of the bull and its skin and its offal you will burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering. “And you will take the one ram, and Aaron and his sons will lay their hands on the head of the ram. And you will slaughter the ram and take its blood and sprinkle it on the altar all around. And you will cut the ram into pieces and wash its inner parts, and you will put its legs with its pieces and with its head. And you will turn into smoke on the altar all of the ram; it is a burnt offering for Yahweh; it is a smell of appeasement, an offering by fire for Yahweh. “And you will take the second ram, and Aaron and his sons will lay their hands on the head of the ram. And you will slaughter the ram and take some of its blood and put it on Aaron’s right earlobe and on the right earlobe of his sons and on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot, and you will sprinkle the blood at the base of the altar all around. And you will take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil, and you will spatter it on Aaron and on his garments and on his sons and on his sons’ garments with him, and he will be sacred, and his garments and his sons and his sons’ garments with him. And you will take from the ram the fat and the fat tail and the fat covering the inner parts and the lobe of the liver and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them and the right thigh, because it is the ram of ordination. “And one loaf of bread and one ring-shaped bread cake of oiled bread and one wafer from the basket of unleavened bread that is before Yahweh— you will put them all on the palms of Aaron and on the palms of his sons, and you will wave them as a wave offering before Yahweh. And you will take them from their hand and turn them to smoke on the altar beside the burnt offering as a fragrance of appeasement before Yahweh; it is an offering made by fire before Yahweh. “And you will take the breast section from the ram of ordination that is for Aaron, and you will wave it as a wave offering before Yahweh. It will be your portion. And you will consecrate the wave offering breast section and the thigh of the contribution that was waved and that was presented from the ram of the ordination that is for Aaron and for his sons. And it will be for Aaron and for his sons as a lasting rule from the Israelites, because it is a contribution, and it will be a contribution from the Israelites from their sacrifices of fellowship, their contribution to Yahweh. “And the holy garments that are for Aaron will be for his sons after him in which to anoint them and to ordain them. Seven days the priest who replaces him from among his sons will wear them, who comes to the tent of assembly to serve in the sanctuary. And you will take the ram of ordination and boil its meat in a holy place. And Aaron and his sons will eat the meat of the ram and the bread that is in the basket at the entrance of the tent of assembly. And they will eat them—the things by which atonement was made for them to ordain them to consecrate them—and a stranger will not eat them because they are holy objects. If any remains until morning from the ordination meat or from the bread, you will burn the remainder in fire; it will not be eaten, because it is a holy object. And you will do so for Aaron and for his sons, according to all that I have commanded you; seven days you will ordain them. “And you will offer a bull for a sin offering every day for the atonement; and you will offer a sin offering on the altar when you make atonement for it, and you will anoint it to consecrate it. Seven days you will make atonement for the altar, and you will consecrate it, and the altar will be a most holy thing. Anyone who touches the altar will be holy. “And this is what you shall offer on the altar: Two one-year-old male lambs every day continually. The first lamb you will offer in the morning, and the second lamb you will offer at twilight. And a tenth of finely milled flour mixed with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine as a libation with the first lamb. And the second lamb you will offer at twilight; you will offer a grain offering and its libation like that of the morning for a fragrance of appeasement, an offering made by fire for Yahweh. It will be a burnt offering of continuity throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of assembly before Yahweh, where I will meet with you to speak to you there. “And I will meet with the Israelites there, and it will be consecrated by my glory. And I will consecrate the tent of assembly and the altar, and Aaron and his sons I will consecrate to serve as priests for me. And I will dwell in the midst of the Israelites, and I will be their God. And they will know that I am Yahweh, their God, who brought them out from the land of Egypt in order to dwell in their midst. I am Yahweh their God. “And you will make an altar for burning incense; you will make it of acacia wood, a cubit its length and a cubit its width—it will be square—and two cubits its height, its horns of one piece with it. And you will overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around and its horns, and you will make for it a gold molding all around. And you will make two gold rings for it; under its molding on two opposite sides you will make them as holders for poles to carry it with them. You will make the poles of acacia wood, and you will overlay them with gold. And you will put it before the curtain that is upon the ark of the testimony, before the atonement cover, which is on the testimony, there where I will meet with you. “And on it Aaron will turn fragrant incense into smoke; each morning when he tends the lamps, he will turn it into smoke. And when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he will turn it into smoke—incense of continuity—before Yahweh throughout your generations. You will not offer on it strange incense or a burnt offering or a grain offering, and you will not pour a libation on it. And Aaron will make atonement on its horns one time in the year from the blood of the sin offering of the atonement; one time in the year he will make atonement on it throughout your generations; it is a most holy thing for Yahweh.” And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, they will each give the ransom of his life for Yahweh when counting them, and a plague will not be among them when counting them. This they will give, everyone who is counted, the half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which is twenty gerahs per shekel. The half shekel is a contribution for Yahweh. Everyone who is counted from twenty years old and above will give the contribution of Yahweh. The rich will not give more, and the poor will not give less than the half shekel to give the contribution of Yahweh to make atonement for their lives. And you will take the atonement money from the Israelites and give it to the service of the tent of assembly, and it will be as a memorial for the Israelites before Yahweh to make atonement for your lives.” And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “And you will make a basin of bronze and its bronze stand for washing, and you will put it between the tent of assembly and the altar, and you will put water there. And Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and their feet with it. When they come to the tent of assembly, they will wash with water so that they do not die, or when they approach the altar to serve by turning to smoke an offering made by fire to Yahweh. And they will wash their hands and their feet so that they do not die, and it will be a lasting rule for them—to him and to his offspring throughout their generations. And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “And take for yourself top quality balsam oils, five hundred shekels of flowing myrrh, half as much—two hundred and fifty shekels of fragrant cinnamon, and two hundred and fifty shekels of fragrant reed, and five hundred shekels of cassia, according to the sanctuary shekel, and a hin of olive oil. And you will make it into holy anointing oil, a spice blend of a fragrant ointment the work of a perfumer; it will be holy anointing oil. And you will anoint with it the tent of assembly and the ark of the testimony, and the table and all its equipment and the lampstand and its equipment and the incense altar, and the altar of burnt offering and all its equipment and the basin and its stand. And you will consecrate them, and they will be most holy things; anyone who touches them will be holy. And you will anoint Aaron and his sons, and you will consecrate them to serve as priests for me. “And you will speak to the Israelites, saying, ‘This will be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations. It will not be poured on human flesh, and with its measurements you will not make any like it; it is holy; it will be holy to you. Anyone who compounds perfume like it and who puts it on a stranger will be cut off from his people.’ ” And Yahweh said to Moses, “Take for yourself fragrant perfumes—stacte resin and onycha and galbanum—fragrant perfumes and pure frankincense, an equal part of each, and make it into a compound of incense, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, holy. And you will grind part of it to powder, and you will put part of it before the testimony in the tent of assembly where I will meet with you; it will be a most holy thing to you. And the incense that you will make with its measurements you will not make for yourselves; it will be holy to you for Yahweh. Anyone who makes any like it to smell it will be cut off from his people.” And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri the son of Hur, from the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom and with skill and with knowledge and with every kind of craftsmanship, to devise designs, to work with gold and with silver and with bronze, and in stonecutting for setting and in cutting wood, for doing every kind of craftsmanship. And, look, I have given with him Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan, and I have put skill in the heart of all the skilled of heart, and they will make all that I have commanded you— the tent of assembly and the ark of the testimony and the atonement cover that is on it and all the equipment of the tent, and the table and all its equipment, and the pure gold lampstand and all its equipment, and the incense altar, and the altar of burnt offering and all its equipment, and the basin and its stand, and the garments of woven material, and the garments of the sanctuary for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons to serve as priests, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the sanctuary. According to all that I have commanded you, they will make it. And Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, “And you, speak to the Israelites, saying, ‘Surely you must keep my Sabbaths, because it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, in order to know that I am Yahweh, who consecrates you. And you must keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you; defilers of it will surely be put to death, because anyone who does work on it—that person will be cut off from among his people. On six days work can be done, and on the seventh is a Sabbath of complete rest, a holy day for Yahweh; anyone doing work on the Sabbath day will surely be put to death. The Israelites will pay attention to the Sabbath in order to fulfill the Sabbath throughout their generations as a lasting covenant. It is a sign between me and the Israelites forever, because in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh he ceased and recovered.” And when he finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, he gave to Moses the two tablets of the testimony, stone tablets, written with the finger of God.

Truth

Something

Summarize

law given (only worship me, no idols), people afraid

moses goes up, receives law

covenant accepted, blood sprinkling

Exodus 23:4 NLT

“If you come upon your enemy’s ox or donkey that has strayed away, take it back to its owner.

Exodus 24:3 NLT

Then Moses went down to the people and repeated all the instructions and regulations the Lord had given him. All the people answered with one voice, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded.”

Exodus 24:7 NLT

Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it aloud to the people. Again they all responded, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded. We will obey.”

Exodus 23:7 NLT

“Be sure never to charge anyone falsely with evil. Never sentence an innocent or blameless person to death, for I never declare a guilty person to be innocent.

moses goes up again, 40 days, tabernacle instructions

Exodus 29:43–46 NLT

I will meet the people of Israel there, in the place made holy by my glorious presence. Yes, I will consecrate the Tabernacle and the altar, and I will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. Then I will live among the people of Israel and be their God, and they will know that I am the Lord their God. I am the one who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I could live among them. I am the Lord their God.

Exodus 29:

Application

Wait patiently.

(Sometimes, you have to move, though)

TRANSITION: Something

Taking Matters Into Their Own Hands

Truth

Summarize

golden calf

Exodus 32:1–6 NLT

When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.” So Aaron said, “Take the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.” All the people took the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. When the people saw it, they exclaimed, “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!” Aaron saw how excited the people were, so he built an altar in front of the calf. Then he announced, “Tomorrow will be a festival to the Lord!” The people got up early the next morning to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, they celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.

At that moment, God was handing the covenant to Moses. Ink on the contract was still wet.

Exodus 31:18

Exodus 31:18 NLT

When the Lord finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, written by the finger of God.

God threatens Israel, moses comes down, breaks tablets

moses prays, God relents

Exodus 34:6–7 NLT

The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected— even children in the third and fourth generations.”

Exodus 33:1–3 NLT

The Lord said to Moses, “Get going, you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt. Go up to the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I told them, ‘I will give this land to your descendants.’ And I will send an angel before you to drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Go up to this land that flows with milk and honey. But I will not travel among you, for you are a stubborn and rebellious people. If I did, I would surely destroy you along the way.”

Exodus 34:

The fundamental problem they faced was whether or not they would accept God’s presence on his terms, or if they would take control of the situation.

Application

Focus on God only!

We face the same problem. Our idols might not look the same now (Hindu background).

What are the idols in your life?

ILLUSTRATION: Screens? Newness?

Idols ask for more. They want the throne. We have to ask: who (or what) will we give that seat to.

TRANSITION: Something

God Takes Up Residence

Truth

Summarize

people build tabernacle, overly generous

God moves in to the Tabernacle anyway

Exodus 40:34–38 NLT

Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. Now whenever the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out on their journey, following it. But if the cloud did not rise, they remained where they were until it lifted. The cloud of the Lord hovered over the Tabernacle during the day, and at night fire glowed inside the cloud so the whole family of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys.

TRANSITION: Something

Application

Application

Wait Patiently

Focus On God Only

ILLUSTRATION: Screens? Newness?

Idols ask for more. They want the throne.

Let God Move In

Jesus is the incarnation of God in this world. Holy Spirit’s presence is with us always.

Romans 5:8–11 NLT

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Romans 5:8-

Romans 5:8 NLT

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

TRANSITION: Something

Inspiration

Bottom Line: It’s never too late to give up your idols.

What would it look like for you to put God back on the throne?

Bottom Line: Coming out of the wilderness, what will you choose to serve?

Bottom Line:

Bottom Line:

TRANSITION: Something

Action

Rosh-Hashanah begins today. Jewish new year (much more serious than January 1). Start of the High Holidays.

blowing the shofar (Video of guy blowing shofar)

throw bread into a pond (tashlich)

blowing the shofar (Video of guy blowing shofar)

10 days of repentance (teshuvah), reflecting on the year

throw bread into a pond

Leads to Yom Kippur

CLOSING: Shana Tova!

Decision Song

Something