One of the things that God forms in his people in the wilderness is culture. Israel’s culture was multifaceted and revolved around family traditions, priestly rites, and days, weeks, and years of celebrations centered around fasting and feasting. As we continue to read Scripture, we see that these festivals were more than just vacation days on the Hebrew calendar. They become a part of God’s cosmic calendar, with each celebration taking on greater meaning in the life of Jesus and the church.
Just as the intricate design of the Tabernacle followed a pattern so the people could experience God in worship, Jesus’ incarnation was intricately designed so we could experience the presence of God in our lives and the church. This Sunday, we’ll examine the state of our tabernacles and the difference God’s presence should make.
How does the law of Jesus compare to the law of Moses?
The Torah is the closest thing we get to a set of rules from God. But even amongst the 613 commands, there is narrative, mystery, and tension. No set of rules could be complete enough to guide the human heart. The Spirit knew we needed more and has given us a rich set of 66 books. The result is that we are often unable to just turn to a simple answer for the things we face. Rightly handling the word of God means that we must engage with the Spirit, engage with spiritual people, research theology and history, and above all else, pray.
We all have things that we rely on or look to in our lives. Often we don’t give these strong influences much thought. As Israel makes their escape in Exodus they are given a physical reminder of the presence of God in the form of a pillar of cloud and fire. Day and night, God was with them, leading their steps, and protecting them powerfully. What are you leaning on? How do you know where God is leading you? Is the presence of God a pillar in your life?
We all need to grow in our understanding of God’s process of formation. We want growth to be easy. But that’s not the reality we see in any part of creation, including our own souls. When God wants to grow us (and he does!), he takes us into the wilderness to be formed into people…
In the Great Commission, we are tasked with making disciples and baptizing them. The Exodus story powerfully shows that this has always been God’s plan. But just as there is much more to the Exodus story than moving through the parted waters, there is much more to the Great Commission. The freedom that comes from piercing the waters of baptism should be celebrated as the Spirit-enabled beginning of an incredible journey marked by learning to obey all that Jesus taught.
The theme of this week’s service is formation. That might not be a word we use every day – but it is something that God is doing in our lives every day whether we realize it or not. Formation means that God has big plans for our lives, but he needs to mold us or form us into the kind of person who can accomplish his will.
