February 26, 2012 … Consecrating the Temple and Communing with God

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Numbers, Chapters 7 … To study these chapters, go to this link -

Numbers 7: 1-3: … [Consecrating the Tabernacle]… 1 When Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it and all its furnishings. He also anointed and consecrated the altar and all its utensils. 2 Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of families who were the tribal leaders in charge of those who were counted, made offerings. 3 They brought as their gifts before the LORD six covered carts and twelve oxen—an ox from each leader and a cart from every two. These they presented before the tabernacle.

Numbers 7: 89: … [God’s Communion with Moses] … When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with the LORD, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant law. In this way the LORD spoke to him.

My Journal for Today: Today I was only led to read one chapter of Numbers, chapter 7; and there is a lot of repetition as you read how each leader of the twelve tribes of Israel presented their consecration offerings to God in the Tent of meetings – i.e., the Tabernacle. And yes, it is interesting to note how important this offering – very significant and generous – was to the ongoing work of God’s Priesthood so that God could interact with His people on their journey to the promised land by traveling with them and communing with them through Moses and the High Priests.

I could easily see an important point upon which to elaborate about the offerings and how they were necessary for God’s anointed, the Levites, to do the work of maintaining the tabernacle as well as the system of worship which God had established. All of this has interesting parallels with how important are Christians give our free-will offerings to God’s established New Covenant Tabernacle – the Church. And the offering of God’s people, in and through God’s Church today, is certainly a much overlooked and devalued part of our life of worship as Christians, … wouldn’t you agree?

However, it was not until I got to the last verse in Chapter 7 of Numbers that God seem to highlight what His word was saying to me today. And that’s the reason why I’ve copied Verse 89 of Chapter 7 in bold relief above. And I believe God was communicating to me (well, maybe not in actual words, but very definitely in meditative interpretation), something like … “Bill, I live in the Tabernacle of your heart; and I want to commune with you there every moment of your life. I’m here for you; and you can know Me through My inspired word.” … Yep, … that’s what I got from verse 89 this morning!

Moses came into the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle; and he heard God speak to him. I come to my God every day in my “Tent of Meetings,” i.e., my heart; and God speaks to me. Oh, for sure, God doesn’t commune with me in the same way He spoke to Moses – who probably heard God speaking … even audibly (that had to have been impressive, don’t you think?!).

May I give my witness of testimony as to how God communes with me in the Tabernacle of my heart? For example, … my time with Him this morning was very much like it is almost every morning when I genuinely come to my special, quiet place to be alone with my God, pursuing His wisdom, His will, and His way for my life by delving into His word. And everyday, as I dig into His word – that repository of God’s mind and wisdom – I pray for Him to reveal more of Himself to me through His word. If you’re following along with me in my daily journaling, it may seem like what I’m doing, ie.., the discipline of this study of the word of God, may seem artificial and contrived – i.e., a chronological reading plan. However, there is NOTHING contrived about every “jot and tittle” of God’s word. Our Bible is all of what is promised and proposed in Isaiah 55: 11 and 2nd Timothy 3: 16-17. And if you’ve ever mediated through all of Psalm 119 and Job, chapter 28, you know that digging deeply into God’s word will reveal the very mind of God and produce for us gems of wisdom which are beyond human value. As the Mastercard commercial touts … “PRICELESS!!!”

So, when I Tabernacle with my God every day – yes, every morning – I know, like Moses must’ve known in faith, that our omnipotent/omniscient God is going to be there to speak to me, to reveal Himself, to give me His light and His love directly through His word. And like He did this very morning, when I read, study, and meditate on His word, portions of His masterwork jump out at me, giving me insights into God Himself or shining a light on my path as is promised in Psalm 119: 105.

Delving into God’s word and drilling it into my heart, helps to arm me for the battles of life, sharpening my Spirit-sword (see Eph. 6: 17 and Heb. 4: 12.

Getting God’s word into my mind with discipline and diligence – in faith – helps me to become confident in knowing God’s way and being successful in carrying out God’s will. That’s the 2nd Tim. 3: 17principle which God taught Joshua after Moses had died (see Joshua 1: 8). I want to be successful in following my God as Jesus commanded in Luke 9: 23; and that will only allow me to avoid sin and selfishness in my life IF I bury God’s word so deeply in my heart so as to root out my sin nature (see Psalm 119: 9-11).

And how did I know the powerful direction of all of those verses which I’ve referenced above? Well, they have become part of me; and when I come under pressure, they well up in my consciousness to give me strength and peace and power. That’s why I keep coming back for re-consecration - daily - to the Tabernacle which resides in my heart and which is blessed even further by my giving my offering of will and work so as to keep the Temple pure and empowered.

That is what Moses experienced by going to commune with God in the Lord’s consecrated Holy of Holies; and that is what I experience when I come to be with God – in His word – every day in this quiet place in my heart where God resides. And I pray that for you, too!

My Prayer Today: … Lord, thank You for being here ever day when I come to be with You in Your word. Amen

2010 – Day 33. Feb. 2 – Anointed for Holiness

Study from Exodus 39 – 40; Passage for Reflection: Exodus 40: 9 … NIV [God to Moses] "Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy.”

My Journal for Today: What’s going on here in Exodus 40 (and on into Chapter 41), where the Tabernacle and the Priesthood are being Anointed with oil by Moses at God’s command? Is there something magical or extra-spiritual about the oil (which, by the way, is not specified by any type of oil)? No, what is going on here is the reality that the Tabernacle (i.e., God’s “Temple”) is being “set apart” as a Holy place where God, Himself, can and will reside. And that place must be so designated and consecrated, as well as those who enter the “Holy of Holies,” because these anointed Priests are to be in the place where God Himself has chosen to reside.

Do you see what implication this ritualization of Holiness has upon you and me as Christians in the New Covenant, where Jesus Christ has become our Tabernacle and His Spirit resides in the Holy of Holies, … our hearts. From the standpoint of the Church, God resides in His Body, the Church collective (see 1st Cor. 3:16-17 - linked); and from the standpoint of each individual Christian (see 1st Cor. 6: 19-20 - linked), God, the Holy Spirit, Who is One with God, the Father and God, the Son, resides in the place which should be consecrated as the Holy of Holies – our hearts.

So, this brings up the ultimate question for all of us from studying how God wanted His Tabernacle (i.e., His Temple of Holiness) to be anointed (i.e., “set apart”) where He, The Lord, could reside. It must be a place anointed (i.e., “dedicated”) to absolute Holiness; and this raises the biggie question for me today: “Bill Berry, is your heart set apart for holiness?” Since I am the place, along with any born-again Christian, where God has chosen to reside, I must ask myself if my heart (i.e., my body) is worthy of His residence there?

And my answer? Well, my answer is my answer! And your answer to that question must be yours. But God certainly knows where the process of our being anointed for His Holiness now stands. And He deserves to reside only in a place – our hearts – which is “set apart” for His holiness. What we need to do to clean out and anoint this place for our Lord is something we all must do in our own hearts to make it a Holy place for God’s Spirit to reside.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, may I be anointed for Your Holiness. Amen