INTERESTING FACTS : The KJV is the only English version available today which is not copyrighted outside England. Everyone can freely use it and reproduce it. Many early reformers and translators such as John Wycliff, John Huss, and William Tyndale suffered hardships, were persecuted and even burned at the stake for trying to distribute the Scriptures. Nowadays, a person could be sued in court for reproducing a modern version without the written permission of the copyright owner![1] .

DAILY READING : [EXODUS 36 - 38]

TEXT : Exo 37:1-9 1 And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it:2 And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about.3 And he cast for it four rings of gold, to be set by the four corners of it; even two rings upon the one side of it, and two rings upon the other side of it.4 And he made staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.5 And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.6 And he made the mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof.7 And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat;8 One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof.9 And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims.

THEME : OBEDIENCE

In Exodus 25-31 we see God giving Moses detailed instructions on how to build the Tabernacle and all that pertains to it. Yet here again we find the same detailed instructions reiterated as the Bezaleel and Aholiab are actually performing the work. It would have been sufficient to simply state that everything was built according to God's instruction, but instead Moses, as the author of Exodus, shows us explicitly that God's detailed plan was followed.

Obedience had not been the status quo for Israel. It wasn't long after God delivered Israel from Egypt with a mighty hand, that Israel began to disobey the Word of the Lord. Even while God was providing for their needs with manna from heaven, some of them disobeyed His commands to both, rest on the Sabbath, and gather twice as much manna on the sixth day to provide for their Sabbath meals (Ex. 15:27-26).

Even Moses himself, the great deliverer of Israel from Egypt, could not enter the Promised Land because of his disobedience. When God told him to speak to the rock to bring forth water for Israel, he instead struck it with a rod as in times past. For this disobedience, Moses was allowed to see, but not enter, the Promised Land (Num. 20:7-12).

But yet, here in these Chapters we find an account of how God's commands were meticulously obeyed. I'm sure the temptation must have been there to make some changes and improve on God's design, but as we read here this is one instance where God's commands were explicitly obeyed.

TRUTH FOR TODAY : GOD DESIRES OUR OBEDIENCE FROM A REGENERATE HEART!

It is why man is in the fallen state he is in today - disobedience (For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.[Romans 5:19]), and it is something God considers quite serious.

"And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." [1 Samuel 15:22]

Those memorable words were spoken by Samuel after Saul returned from a battle where he was commanded to kill every living thing. As Saul approached, Samuel could hear the bleating of the sheep which Saul had not killed, but rather spared them and brought them back as a "sacrifice unto the Lord". Whether or not that was Saul's true intent is irrelevant, for God made his response very clear. For his disobedience Saul lost his position as king over Israel. It was not the sacrifices God wanted, it was Saul's obedience.

We find another striking example of this not long after, when David is king over Israel and the ark of God is being brought back to Israel. God gave specific instructions that only the Levites were to handle the moving of the Tabernacle and all that pertains to it. (And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.[Numbers 1:51]) Uzzah's disobedience cost him his life. "And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.[2 Samuel 6:6-7] Uzzah's response can be seen as a pure one - one of trying to keep the ark from meeting with disaster, but we must be reminded that God does not need our help, but requires our obedience.

We must remember though, that our obedience is not a means of our salvation, it is the rightful response of a heart that has been redeemed. Adulterers aren't saved because they stop their adultery. Neither are liars saved because they stop lying, nor thieves stealing. It is not obedience that brings salvation, but rather the opposite. It is salvation, that breeds in the regenerated, a heart of obedience towards God. It is only the blood of Jesus Christ, the redeeming work He did on the cross, that puts us in right relationship with God (For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.[Ephesians 2:8-9]). But for the regenerated heart, the proper response is one of obedience to God (For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.[Ephesians 2:10]).

I think the temptation to let little things slip comes stronger for those of us who have walked with the Lord a while. "Familiarity breeds contempt" goes the old saying. We begin to think that because of our years of service, we are owed a little leniency in some areas and begin to make compromises and try to justify our behavior. We forget it is the "little foxes" (Song 2.15) that trip us up. We also forget that our "years of service" to God are only a reasonable response for the mercy and grace He has bestowed upon us (I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.[Romans 12:1]).

May God continue to soften our hearts, that ours would be a heart of obedience towards Him. Not looking to see how much we can "get away with", but rather how much our lives can honor and bring glory to His name.