SCRIPTURE: Exodus 30
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
‘It is written,’ he said to them, ‘My house will be a house of prayer’ ; but you have made it `a den of robbers.’ [Luke 19:46]
The tabernacle was to be a “meeting place” between God and His people, a ‘house of prayer’.
It was a symbol of the individual heart in fellowship with God and others.
Sadly, the human heart always finds ways to twist and distort those relationships.The altar of incense, the special anointing oil and incense were symbols of our prayer relationship with God.
The atonement money (‘census tax’) had the twofold purpose of reminding each person of their debt to God (rich or poor, they all paid the same), and of paying for the tabernacle service.
The cleansing basis also symbolized their unworthiness to approach God, and His cleansing grace.
As time progressed, the heart of prayer and grace was forgotten, and the tabernacle/temple came to be a money-making scheme.
In Jesus day, the religious leaders charged high prices to convert currency and to purchase sacrifices.
It was not about connecting to God and people, it was about using them for their own personal gain.
While the symbols of altars, hand-washing, anointing oil and incense are not a necessary part of our new covenant relationship with God, the thought behind them still stands: we may boldly approach God together through prayer, having our consciences cleansed through the blood of Jesus.
We are forgiven, we are welcome, we are loved, we are family!
When ‘church’ (not the building but the whole institution) becomes more about building itself, funding itself, protecting itself, instead of connecting all people to God (i.e. prayer), then the human heart has once again missed the point.
I believe this is a constant danger that all churches face, when the program replaces the purpose.
It becomes more about altars, incense, tithing, ceremonies (offerings, liturgies, styles of worship, buildings, protecting the sanctuary, etc.) than about bringing people to God, helping people connect with Him.
Being in a church without a church building does not make us immune from this.
We are as much in danger of clinging to our own traditions, structures, ways of doing things, worship styles, comfort zones, etc.
The only real question that ought to drive us is, is this helping people connect to God through Jesus Christ?
PRAYER:
Lord, help us keep the main thing, the main thing!
The atonement money was the same for the rich and the poor. Upon reading other sources I read a reason which made sense to me. All of God’s people are precious in His sight and their richness or poorness had nothing to do with their acceptance. Before God, we are all the same and we all need to be saved.
The basin of washing reminded me that each day is a new day in His presence. Each day I need to renew my service for Him with renewed efforts and cleansing from the past because I am sinful. I stumble and fall along the way. But in Christ Jesus, each day is a new beginning in His service so that I can be GodStrong in all I do and say. He has made me whole.
I sought in tears my Savior’s cross,
He turned and looked on me:
“Behold,” He said, “the crimson fount
Where flows My blood for thee!”
Refrain
O precious blood! oh, hallowed blood!
Thy sacred fount I see;
It cleanseth all, whoever will;
Praise God, it cleanseth me.
With trembling step, beneath its flood
I plunged my guilty soul,
That now redeemed, can shout aloud—
His blood has made me whole!
Refrain
O, love divine, where shall my tongue
Its song of praise begin?
The precious blood of Christ, my Lord,
Has covered all my sin.
Refrain
It gave me life, it gave me joy!
With perfect healing power
It saved through faith my broken heart,
And saves me every hour.