ESV Chronological Plan, Day 40 | Exodus 37-40

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read Exodus 37:1-40:38

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Now we're here. It might seem like the description of the building project in Exodus 37-40 is virtually the same as the instructions that were given in the early chapters. But that's only because... well, it is. It is almost exactly the same. But consider what happened in the middle! God wanted to bless the people and dwell in their midst, but their sin and idolatry resulted in enmity between them and God. So God could not dwell among them, without the work of a mediator who would personally represent the people before him, reconciling God to his people. Not only is that historically how it worked out, but the book is organized that way to emphasize the role that Moses plays in that regard. And yet, a lot of things don't make sense. (1) How is it that Moses was able to effectively carry out that role? What does he actually do here? Moses offering to bear the sins of the people at the end of Exodus 32 is rejected by God, but that offer by Moses is clearly where the relationship starts to turn back towards restoration. Is this pointing to something else? Maybe this helps us get ready for the "prophet like Moses" pointed to at the end of the Torah, in Deuteronomy 18:15-19. (2) Historically, why is this episode worth mentioning when that whole generation would later be forced to wander 40 years and die in the desert anyway? And why is Exodus organized like this--one half gripping cinematic story of God conquering external enemies, and one half miscellaneous collection of laws and instructions for worship? Here's my theory: it's not enough for Israel to have deliverance from the nations and be lifted up against its oppressors. That's only the first half of the redemption story. The second half is the much more important part: Israel being delivered from the sin that separates them from God. That's the second half of the redemption story in Exodus--prefigured in Moses. And the book ends by showing that, once the work of the mediator is carried out, all the promises of God come to fruition in exact detail; every thread (in this case, of the tabernacle) will be accounted for when all is said and done.

RESPOND | WHAT IS OUR PART?

God fulfills his promises. When we get to the conclusion, nothing of what he has ordained is lacking. So we can expectantly wait for him. And, as we wait for him, we should know that our biggest problem is not an external problem, but an internal one. God can easily deliver us out of Egypt by His mighty hand and outstretched arm, but He can only deliver us from our sins at the cost of His own Son. That should underline the attitude of continual returning to God and repentance that marked previous generations of Christians; they never viewed themselves as having arrived, but constantly pressed onward towards the goal. Maybe that is our response for today: to press onward.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US CLOSER TO GOD?

Here is a suggested prayer prompt: "God, I am tempted to come before you and ask you to solve all of my external issues. And I do need your help with those. But I also acknowledge my ongoing, internal need for repentance and renewal. Grant me the strength to press onward in the journey of faith. Help me to continually identify attitudes of sin and to turn from those, knowing that I don't lose anything by doing so, but instead I just draw closer to you. I pray that your Holy Spirit would guide, convict, and empower me to live a life that honors and glorifies your name, now and forevermore. Amen."