“Make an atonement cover of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover. Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law that I will give you. There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.
Love Each Other
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.
Dwelling Place of God
And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
As I was writing down the book of Exodus, my heart paused on “I will meet you there”
We – believers – have the power to become! Have a partnership with God on his work! Look at John 15. God decided and chose to involve us in this business of saving the world. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!
Look at that scene from the Old Testament! Moses at the burning bush. God got his attention, and when Moses dared to draw near, but God interrupted with the warning, “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Exodus 3. And after that negotiation, just prior to Moses arrival back in Egypt, God took care of one more detail. Zipporah knew what to do! Obedience. There was a covenant in place.
In a partnership it’s a matter of planning, and you’ll hear the words, you’ll do this, and I’ll do this. You go over there, I’ll go over here, and we’ll meet back here. Tasks are assigned according to ability, each part makes up the whole. Each piece of the Pie is an integral part of the pie.
God involved Moses in the mission to deliver Israel from Egypt.
He chose Moses! Look at John 15:16. Moses had found himself blessed! He was “in” … a wife, kids, a vocation (Shepard of Jethro’s flocks) and a future! Jethro was his father-in-law! He’d messed up in Egypt, run away, and now that was in the past. Happy life! Interrupted!
But it was not a new thing ! Moses was set apart, spared by God, with the cooperation of his mother, who hid him from Pharaoh.
When Moses fled, he fled not only his mess, but God’s plan! But we see that throughout Israel’s history! Sometimes the partnerships don’t work out! Saul was the first King over Israel. God gave them a King, because they wanted to be like all the other nations. And that King Saul had the kingdom stripped from him, because he was disobedient.
This is sobering stuff. Another fellow comes to mind from the Old Testament, Sampson. See Judges 16
Where are we, who are we! Where am I? Who am I? In God’s great plan for this ridiculous world we live in?!?
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?
God has us right where he wants us! The enemy on that side, galloping rising fast toward us, Red Sea In front of us, and God’s great overshadowing plan for all of creation! For all of eternity! From your loins Abraham, your offspring all creation will be blessed!
Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.
Enemy will be wiped out! God’s chosen ones will be moved forward in Gods plan!
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
And at the “top of the charts!”
They triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
Die to self rule!
Whomsoever will…
For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it
Running Down Vimy 