Real Hope: The God ConnectionНамуна

Why And Why Not

A summary of this chapter in Exodus could be that God had called the Jewish people into an intimate relationship with Himself and revealed to them the things that pleased Him. He reminds them that He is Holy and that He can be approached but only on His terms. He invites them and us to align ourselves with Him and then He promises – ‘There I will meet with you.

There are many questions that arise from the intricate instructions surrounding the design, construction, and use of the temple components, whether they be the altar, the bowls, the incense, or the oil. They are often ‘why’ or ‘why not’ questions. Why does God want it done this way or why can’t we have that for ourselves too? For example, the formula for the anointing oil.

The fact that God requires it this way and the fact that we are not God should answer some of the questions. With careful patience and humility, we will find more substantial, deeper, and satisfying answers as we read and reread this passage and other books of the Bible. Most instructions are for our own benefit, but some reasons are only explained in the awesome nature and character of God.

Our contemporary view of God is now through the New Testament revelation of Jesus Christ. But some of the Exodus elements are still the same, such as the fact that God is still holy, and we must approach Him according to the instructions of His invitation.

Like Exodus, the Apostle Paul writes in the book of Ephesians, ‘… find out what pleases the Lord’ (Ephesians 5:10 NIV). When we do this, we too will find that He will meet with us.

Written by JOHN SCOTT