Doers of the Word

The Narrative

The overarching narrative of the book of Exodus is singular in its purpose, to present clearly the plan of the Lord to restore His people to an active and living relationship with the Almighty.

The opening of the book displays the pursuit of the Lord for the hearts and minds of His people. This moves to God setting apart and restoring His people for the sake of knowing Him. God then invites His people into His presence and His power. He instructs them into how to draw near and live a life in dependance upon the Lord. He then leads us into believing and finally doing what He has put in front of us.

Doers of the Word

Exodus 37:1–29 NIV

Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. He overlaid it with pure gold, both inside and out, and made a gold molding around it. He cast four gold rings for it and fastened them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. Then he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. And he inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it. He made the atonement cover of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. Then he made two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. He made one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; at the two ends he made them of one piece with the cover. The cherubim had their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim faced each other, looking toward the cover. They made the table of acacia wood—two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high. Then they overlaid it with pure gold and made a gold molding around it. They also made around it a rim a handbreadth wide and put a gold molding on the rim. They cast four gold rings for the table and fastened them to the four corners, where the four legs were. The rings were put close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table. The poles for carrying the table were made of acacia wood and were overlaid with gold. And they made from pure gold the articles for the table—its plates and dishes and bowls and its pitchers for the pouring out of drink offerings. They made the lampstand of pure gold. They hammered out its base and shaft, and made its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them. Six branches extended from the sides of the lampstand—three on one side and three on the other. Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were on one branch, three on the next branch and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand. And on the lampstand were four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. One bud was under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair—six branches in all. The buds and the branches were all of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold. They made its seven lamps, as well as its wick trimmers and trays, of pure gold. They made the lampstand and all its accessories from one talent of pure gold. They made the altar of incense out of acacia wood. It was square, a cubit long and a cubit wide and two cubits high—its horns of one piece with it. They overlaid the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and made a gold molding around it. They made two gold rings below the molding—two on each of the opposite sides—to hold the poles used to carry it. They made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. They also made the sacred anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense—the work of a perfumer.

When you preach through the book of Exodus, there are many decisions that have to be made about the approach by which you will deal with this portion of Scripture.

Exodus 25 and 26 and Exodus 37-39 are almost mirrors of one another. Often times, this portion of the book is preached as the Lord says and the people do. The book of Exodus though has been showing this progression of what it looks like to be outside of the people of the Lord to being clearly seen as a part of the people of God.

James 1:21–26 NIV

Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.

To be nothing more than a hearer of the Word is to deceive oneself. The Word is designed to transform our lives. Sadly, we settle for merely knowing the Word and then halting the process of transformation there.

Like the speed limit is known but is believed when we see a police officer around.

The people of God responded to the commands of the Lord by moving to action. They would be known as the people of God as they continually stood in His presence and in His glory.