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?

Daughter and dog...

About six months ago we discovered that Ann was pregnant and were very excited for she and Jackson. We will have babies on this side and that of the Atlantic. We weren't prepared for that news and we we were even less prepared for the news that our little dog is pregnant. To date we have spent more on the dog than on Annie (don't tell her... Ann that is). Ann has yet to discover whether her baby is a boy or girl. Both ultrasound images were inconclusive. Though I did some further investigation of my own and was startled with what I found. to me it looks as if the baby is definitely a boy and has some resemblance from both sides of the family. Take a look for yourself and let me know what you think.

God’s Orchestration

I love to see the Lord work His Salvation miracles. His works are Master Pieces of sweet music. They are arrangements that only He can make happen. Two weeks ago I began my second attempt at cello lessons. I had tried the instrument about five years ago and found my fingers so rusty and decrepit that I had given up after just a few months. So, why my second go? Here’s one short and sweet story. There is a youg man that works with Alexandre at school. He teaches music and is a musical genius. At sixteen he began a city wide music program to train young musicians in Sorocaba. Recently he has worked with two deaf children and has been able to teach them to play violin using a method that he developed. There doesn’t seem to be an instrument that he cannot play. His seventeen year old wife also plays the flute and is studying nursing. They are a very young but very sharp couple. In a conversation after the recent Recital Junior convinced me that it would be a good idea for me to take up...

Abs of Steel with Glasses

Have you ever wondered why Clark Kent always took his glasses off before he turned into Superman? I hadn’t ever thought about it either until this last Saturday when I almost got sucker-punched. Wellington, one of my spunky Juniors, wanted to wrestle. He feigned a punch to my gut and I said, “Go ahead. I have abs of steel!” I think that my gym visits might be going to my head because my abs of steel are buried under a healthy layer of blubber. I have improved my six-pack but it is far from chiseled. It looks more like a quarter of a keg. Anyway, quick as a wink and with near lightening speed Wellington said, “Yeah but up here is made of glass!” as his poke went within a hair’s breadth of my glasses! I belly-laughed. His rapid reflexes and wit had caught me by surprise. And what he said was so true and funny. It was an excellent though brief lesson. I often prepare for an oncoming fray. I get ready, set and then “BLAM”! The proverbial punch comes from a totally different direction. ...

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