Exodus 27:1-28:43
In case you got as lost as I did, here is a picture (from blueletterbible.org) of what was prescribed for the tabernacle:
The remainder of today’s section focusses on the tabernacle togs for Aaron and his sons. I really love the fact that I can show up for church in old jeans and with toothpaste down my T-shirt - I wouldn’t want to change this for the world - but, it is humbling to see quite what an extent Aaron had to go to just to be able to enter the presence of the Lord. The outfit sounds hot, heavy and uncomfortable, especially to wear in the middle of the desert. But it is also stunningly beautiful and richly evocative of the representative and transactional nature of Aaron’s business with the Lord. He was, and always would be, a representative of his people to God and of God to his people. He brought before God the trespass and the thanks of his community and brought back to his community the mercy and the splendour of God. He is a fascinating picture of what the priesthood of all believers is actually meant to convey.
Mark 5:21-6:6a
Shame. It’s an ugly word that gnaws at your innards. And yet it hangs around Jesus like an unshakable fug. Some people, like the synagogue ruler, have to put themselves through it for the sake of their loved ones (it can’t have been at all easy to wriggle and squirm around on the floor in front of the people you were meant to be leading), and others, like the bleeding woman, are put through it by Jesus for the sake of their healing. But, they were the lucky ones. The ones who really suffered were those who were not willing to shame themselves, preferring instead to take that particular stick and shake it at Jesus. The grieving relatives just thought they knew better than Jesus and broke from their mourning to make sure everyone knew it. The inhabitants of his home town were possibly envious or threatened but, either way, they chose to turn that feeling into a finger-pointing rejection. The tragedy is that all of these had a chance to walk into the life everlasting but were the victims of some inner dialogue that recoiled at the prospect of tutting tongues and shaking heads. I think this is where the rubber of humility hits the road of discipleship. How much shame are we willing to take for the sake of following Jesus? I know that my appetite for it is tiny, but I’m praying that God gives me the stomach for it anyway. After all, I know this - that He opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Psalm 24:1-10
This incredible psalm is the outworking of the defining features of Judaism - covenantal creational monotheism. Monotheism - there is one Lord and one King of Glory; creational - this Lord made everything and can come into it as and when he desires; covenantal - relationship with this Lord is possible for those who are willing to follow the terms of his covenant of holiness. It is a truly brilliant picture of how theology, when done well, can hugely enrich the life and worship of the believer.
