Chapter 25 - This chapter begins the description of the items that were to be built to constitute the tabernacle. :10 the ark :17 the mercy seat :23 the table for the shewbread :31 the lamp stand. So the instructions start with the central piece in the tabernacle and work their way outward. So the focus is on the purpose for which the tabernacle was to be made - that God was to dwell amongst Israel.

ch.24 - This meeting with God provides language for Jesus in the last night of his mortal life.

25:8 Whilst there is a great amount of detail about the tabernacle the point that Israel needed to reflect on was that God was going to dwell among them - They were, in that sense, the temple and should have been holy. The lesson for us is clear.

24:3 The law was good – there was no better. However the haste with which Israel asserted that they would keep it was rather rash. As they soon learnt they were not willing to do the law. We should take careful thought about our commitment. We are committed to the things we say.

25:40 In telling Moses that he should make the tabernacle according to the ‘pattern’ Israel learnt that the tabernacle was not the ‘substance’ but that it pointed forward to something more substantial.

It is clear that Moses wrote everything that Yahweh told him in a scroll (24:4).  The covenant had already been written down and indeed read to the people (24:7).

Why then was it necessary for the covenant to be written on tablets of stone (24:12)?

Perhaps it was to confirm that this covenant came from Yahweh.  It appears that Moses went up the mountain, on his first visit, without any supplies.  He came down with two tablets on which were written the covenant.  The only possible conclusion the people could have come to was that these tablets were created by Yahweh (Exo 31:18).

24:18    Whereas Moses was able to go into the cloud to receive the law he was not allowed into the tabernacle when the glory of God was there – Exo 40:34-35 thus signifying that Moses was the lawgiver, not the priest who would have access into the presence of God – that was reserved for the prophet like Moses, the lord Jesus.

The people agreed to obey Yahweh (24:3,7).  We know that later they reneged and disobeyed.  We have agreed to obey the LORD.  Let us be true and continue as obedient children (1Pet 1:13,14).

The leaders of Israel saw God (24:9-11).  We are not told what form was displayed.  John tells us that no one has seen God (that is the very essence of Yahweh as a spirit being) (John 1:18).  And so, it is probable that the leaders of Israel saw an angel who was representing Yahweh, or some other divine representation.

24:11 "they ate & drank", having seen God, and then go on to the Golden Calf. So we eat & drink at the memorial table - do we go on to the "golden calf"?

25:2   Notice that Moses was to accept that which was given ‘willingly’ God was not interested in gifts that were  given grudgingly. The same is true of ourselves. In fact Paul, quoting what Jesus had said teaches that the Lord loveth a cheerful giver - 2Cor 9:7

24:18 Moses did not eat or drink during the forty-day span (Exo 34:28; Deut 9:9).  His experience is echoed by Elijah (1Kin 19:8); and Jesus (Matt 4:2).

25:31 In saying that the lampstand and all its parts were to be ‘of the same’ which means all of one piece we are seeing that the item which gave light in the tabernacle, a figure of the ecclesia in certain respects, must be united. Putting it colloquially one could not see any joins in the lampstand. Likewise the family of God, the ecclesia, should be so united that divisions should not be manifest. Unity is not a luxury that we can think about. Jesus says it is a fundamental element of our preaching – John 17:21 - and w are not here simply talking about different groups of believers with different views but rather how individuals should integrate n their own slam communities.

Exo 25:19-22 Moses tells us that the two cherubims were part of the mercy seat.  They faced each other with their wings stretched forth.  It was there, between the cherubim, that the Lord communed with his people.

The Hebrew word (Strong’s H251) in v. 20 for “another” is used over 600 times in the OT for “brother(s)” or “brethren”.  The cherubim faced each other across the mercy seat.  It was from between the cherubim that the Lord met with His people.
Paul makes reference to the relationship between the cherubim in exhortation (Phil 2:4)  “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”.
As the cherubim faced “one to another” so brethren should look on others to help and support.

Jesus Christ is a mercy seat (Rom 3:25 “propitiation”).  The cherubim held fast as one with the mercy seat represent his brethren (John 17:21).  The Lord communes from among them (Lev 26:11-12, 2Cor 6:16)

Phil 2:5-11 goes on to show that Jesus manifest all the features of the four faces of the cherubim in his perfect life of obedience to his Father’s Will. (more details see, contribution for Daily Readings Mark chap.1). 

Psalm 78  This Psalm is a very long song which reviews Israel's continued disobedience, in spite of a long series of Divine blessings and disciplines.

Psa 78:4  We will not hide them from our children. Just last week in our readings in Exodus we read that they ( Children of Israel) were to tell their children of the plagues in Egypt Exo 10:2 and of the events surrounding their deliverance out of Egypt. Exo 12:26  

This psalm catalogues the great deeds of Yahweh; the disobedience and subsequent punishment of His people Israel; and the mercy He still shows towards them.

We should learn from Israel's mistakes and try to avoid similar ones in our lives (Rom 15:4).  However, we should be careful not to be too critical.  Would we have acted better in those circumstances?  How are we acting in our own circumstances? 

Without God's mercy Israel would not have survived - nor we (Psa 118:1-4).  We can thank Yahweh that he knows our weaknesses and pities us (Psa 103:13,14).

78:4     Israel were to teach their children the law and speak of how God ha worked in their lives. Do we talk t our children about God’s care for us? Or do we just talk about doctrines?

Angel, a messenger of God, is described by the Hebrew word malak.  However, the reference to angel in v.25 comes from the Hebrew word abbir which describes one who is mighty, strong, or brave.  The food associated with those qualities is meant to convey its complete sustaining value.  Thus, the manna that Yahweh provided for His people contained all the nutritional and healthful excellence that was necessary to support abundant life.

78:2-3,  These verses are quoted by Jesus – Matt 13:35– to explain why he used parables.. Now it is not simply that Jesus told parables because this Psalm says he will. Rather Psalm 78 teaches that this is the way that God teaches as the Psalm continues by recounting elements of Israel’s history. So their experiences are presented as a ‘parable’ that they might learn from their experiences.

Contrast the healing of blind Bartimaeus (v.46-52) with that of the blind man in Mark 8:22-25 (see my note Feb. 12).

With Bartimaeus there was no involved procedure.  The Lord just made his pronouncement (v.52).  Unlike the other blind man, Bartimaeus made a declaration of faith (v.47).  By recognizing Jesus as the son of David, he announced him as the Messiah.  In fact, he was the first person in the Gospels to do so publicly.

10:18    The rich man's greeting 'Good master' may well have been a respectful way of addressing Jesus. We might have let such a comment pass. However Jesus addresses this first. The reason is that it highlighted a fundamental error in the thinking of the man. Until that was resolved Jesus' and God's status were not clear and so the basis of Jesus' comments would not be understood. The man had fallen into the trap that many fell in to. He was interested in the opinion of a man. Jesus focussed his attention on what God had said rather than just giving another man's opinion.

I wonder if there is a connection between Jesus speaking of His death and resurrection in Mark 10:32-34, and the account which immediately follows of the request of James and John to sit either side of Him in the Kingdom, (Mark 10:35-45). From Matthew’s record we read that this request came from their mother (Matt 20:20-28). Either she was a great woman of faith, and totally believed that after His death and resurrection would come the Kingdom, OR she was just wanting honour for her two sons. What do you think?

10:14 Maybe the disciples thought that Jesus’ teaching was so important that here was not time to spend with children. Or maybe they thought that they would not understand the teaching. Whatever the reason the disciples had to learn that Jesus had time for the children because people of the kingdom are like children. Do we, in our desire to be effective and productive, brush aside aspects of preaching which might slow us down but which, in reality, would be more effective than many of the other things that we might think to do?

10:1 Jesus taught on this occasion ‘as he was wont’ – that is a characteristic of the life of Jesus was simply that he was a teacher. It was part of his makeup as he had to manifest the qualities of his Father. We, likewise, should be ‘apt to teach’ – 1Tim 3:2, 2Tim 2:24

How (not) to follow Jesus

Notice the contrast in the blind beggar and the seeing rich man. The blind beggar's possession was a coat, and yet he was willing to throw it aside as if it were nothing (v50), in order to reach to Jesus. That coat was possibly all he owned, so it was actually worth a great deal. And if he hadn't have been healed, how would he have found the coat again? The rich man had no such worries - he came running to Jesus. Yet whilst both of these men bowed before the Lord and asked him for something, only one of them recieved it.

Notice the marked difference in Jesus' response. This may help us decide how to approach Jesus to ask him for what we need:

10:10 We see, in the disciples asking Jesus ‘in the house’ a characteristic we have seen before - Mark 4:10,34, 7:17– how those who were interested in what Jesus had to say always sought for private fuller explanation from Jesus.