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As the LORD Commanded Moses

 The title phrase of this blog, "As the LORD Commanded Moses", appears almost 40 times from Leviticus to Joshua. It indicates how obedient Moses was in performing what God ordered him to do. The requirements were not easy. Many times during the construction of the Tabernacle there were so many minute details that need to be executed. And each time we read that Moses did them exactly, "as the LORD commanded" him to. 


When you meditate on this seemingly monotonous repetition of this detail it brings to mind an important fact, Moses was an incredibly obedient and detailed person. He heard the LORD's instructions and followed them to the letter every time. Some were nauseating. He was to separate intestines, liver, kidneys from certain sacrifices. Wash these parts with water and then burn them completely. What a gross mess. Why not just burn them without washing them? Because, God had commanded him to do it that way. Period. 

At the beginning of the Israelites time at the foot of Mount Sinai, I always find it staggering how many times God sends Moses from the top of the mountain to the foot with a seemingly banil instructions. Count the ups and downs of that dialogue and you will need a respirator. And Moses was in his 80s! However, Moses did as the LORD commanded every time.

This makes what happens at the Rock of Meribah a difficult pill to swallow. Moses was commanded by God to "speak to the rock" and that water would come out. However, in one of his only fits of anger, he hits the rock twice with his staff. The water still came out but Moses was thus denied entry into the Promised Land. His attention to detail failed him at the moment and it cost him dearly. It seems unfair to put it bluntly. But there was a purpose that God couldn't let this detail slip unnoticed. 

The event is in Numbers 20. God's answer is in verse 12,  “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.” For all of his obedience and suffering in dealing with the Israelites for 40 years in the desert, he was still taken to task because he didn't trust God's word here. He obeyed in so many details but he didn't honor God's holiness. 

Back to the Tabernacle construction and Moses' attention to each detail. The second reason detail was so important is stated by the author to the Hebrews in 8:5, 5 They (the priests) serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” Moses Tabernacle was a copy of the heavenly one where Christ serves as the Ultimate High Priest right now.

The question we need to  reflect on now is, "How detailed are we when it comes to our obedience to Jesus' commands? Jesus tied our obedience directly to our level of love for him when he stated simply, If ye love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15). How detailed are you?

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