Tag: Digging in Deeper

Digging in Deeper: Exodus 29:10-14

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“You are to bring the bull to the front of the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons must lay their hands on the bull’s head. Slaughter the bull before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Take some of the bull’s blood and apply it to the horns of the altar with your finger; then pour out all the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. Take all the fat that covers the entrails, the fatty lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat on them, and burn them on the altar. But burn the bull’s flesh, its hide, and its waste outside the camp; it is a sin offering.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

When someone does something wrong, a debt is incurred. The very idea that there can be things that are wrong to do means that by doing them we owe another person or perhaps a group of people a debt of some kind. It may be a small debt resulting from a small offense, or it may be a large debt resulting from a large offense. But there is some party who was not only chiefly offended by our actions, but to whom we are sufficiently accountable that there is some measure by which they can either force us to pay the debt or can otherwise punish us until we do. This idea lies at the heart of the purification rituals God prescribes in the next several verses. Let’s explore this all in more detail here and over the next few posts.

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Digging in Deeper: Romans 13:1

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“Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

We don’t know what’s coming next. We can’t. Technically speaking, everything that happens is a surprise. Some of it is less surprising than others; some falls more in line with our predictions, but none of it we can say we knew with absolute certainty because, again, we don’t know what’s coming next. The result of this is that sometimes a moment occurs that changes everything. Sometimes a moment occurs that, rather than passing unremarkably by us like so many other moments do, will instantly become fixed in our minds such that we will always know where we were when it happened. The country experienced such a moment this past Saturday, and we were millimeters away from its being an even more transformative moment than it was. Somebody took a shot at former President, Donald Trump, and managed to graze his ear. In doing so, we experienced a moment that likely and perhaps permanently impacted the outcome of the presidential race, the next four years of history, and possibly much more than that. Let’s reflect on what we experienced, what some of the reactions have been, and what all of this might mean for followers of Jesus.

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Digging in Deeper: Colossians 3:12-13

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“Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive.” (CSB – Read the chapter) ‬‬

Yesterday was a family day, and family comes first. So, with a rare Saturday post, here’s the final post for this week. One of the great things about the Gospel story is that it lies at the heart of nearly all of the stories we tell. That’s why I am able to write up reviews of so many different series and movies from the standpoint of their Gospel connection. Sometimes you have to look a little harder than others, but it’s nearly always there. Looking for these connections allows us to engage with the stories we tell through the lens of what is true. The latest opportunity I’ve had to do this is with the latest entry in the Despicable Me series. Let’s talk about Despicable Me 4.

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Digging in Deeper: Exodus 28:31-35

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“You are to make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue yarn. There should be an opening at its top in the center of it. Around the opening, there should be a woven collar with an opening like that of body armor so that it does not tear. Make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn on its lower hem and all around it. Put gold bells between them all the way around, so that gold bells and pomegranates alternate around the lower hem of the robe. The robe will be worn by Aaron whenever he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he enters the sanctuary before the Lord and when he exists, so that he does not die.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

We often speak of God as holy, but through the lens of Jesus, we also tend to think of Him as friendly. I don’t mean that to say God isn’t interested in a personal relationship with us – He most emphatically is – but to attempt to describe the very familiar way we tend to think about HIm. Again, we’re fine with holy. We like holy. But we also like familiar. If we’re not careful, though, we can get so familiar that in spite of regularly reminding ourselves of it, we forget about His holiness and just what that means. This is not a good thing. The next part of the priestly garments described here – the robe – reminds us some of why that is.

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Digging in Deeper: Exodus 28:15-21, 29-30

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“You are to make an embroidered breastpiece for making decisions. Make it with the same workmanship as the ephod; make it of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet yard, and of finely spun linen. It must be square and folded double, nine inches long and nine inches wide. Place a setting of gemstones on it, four rows of stones: The first row should be a row of carnelian, topaz, and emerald; the second row, a turquoise, a lapis lazuli, and a diamond; the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They should be adorned with gold filigree in their settings. The twelve stones are to correspond to the names of Israel’s sons. Each stone must be engraved like a seal, with one of the names of the twelve tribes. . .Whenever he enters the sanctuary, Aaron is to carry the names of Israel’s sons over his heart on the breastpiece for decisions, as a continual reminder before the Lord. Place the Urim and Thummim in the breast piece for decisions, so that they will also be over Aaron’s heart whenever he comes before the Lord. Aaron will continually carry the means of decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

How do you figure out what God (or the gods, if you prefer) wants? That has been a question plaguing humanity since time immemorial. And we have come up with all sorts of ways to answer it. Some have been fairly simple and direct. Others have been entirely more complicated. Many have even crossed the line into being downright nefarious. The goal, though, has always been the same: to figure out what God wants so that we can live in light of that. For Israel, part of the answer to that question was the breastpiece. Let’s talk about this next part of the priestly garments.

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