“Command the Israelites to bring the clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning.”
~ Exodus 27:20
Hi James and Ellen,
What would your dream houses look like? What would you have in your dream houses? Not long after your grandmaa and grandpaa relocated to Georgia so that they could serve as missionaries in Adventures in Missions headquarters that is in Gainesville, your grandmaa and grandpaa began to look for a house. The initial six months that your grandmaa and grandpaa lived in Georgia, your grandmaa and grandpaa lived in an apartment that is in an apartment complex that is located in Flowery Branch. Even though the third floor apartment where your grandmaa and grandpaa were living in in Flowery Branch was a nice, comfortable place, your grandmaa and grandpaa really wanted to live in a place that was larger. Instead of continuing to rent an apartment, your grandmaa and grandpaa wanted to buy a house that would over time build equity. Your grandmaa and grandpaa wanted a house that had a bedroom on the first floor that was large enough for all their bedroom furniture. Your grandmaa and grandpaa also wanted a house that had three bedrooms. Your grandmaa wanted one of the two bedrooms to be her room where she could go to to do whatever she wanted to do without having to put away when she was finished whatever it was that she was using in the room. The other bedroom would be your grandpaa’s room where he could have his office. Your grandmaa also wanted a house that had a fireplace. Because your grandmaa likes hardwood floors, your grandmaa wanted to have a house that had hardwood floors. Your grandmaa and grandpaa wanted to have a house that had the bedroom on the main located on the opposite side of the house from the other two bedrooms so that when your grandmaa and grandpaa had a guest or guests – who would stay in the bedroom which your grandpaa would use for his office, the guest or guests would be able to enjoy some privacy. Your grandmaa and grandpaa did not want a house that had steps leading to the front door. Both the condominium that your grandmaa and grandpaa owned in Colorado Springs, Colorado and the apartment that your grandmaa and grandpaa rented in Flowery Branch, Georgia had a lot of steps to climb in order for them to get to the front door of these two places.
Do you think that your grandmaa and grandpaa were too finicky about what they wanted to have in a house when they began to look for a house in Georgia? Do you think that God – as God the Father – per what Moses scribed in Exodus 27 as to what God – as God the Father, told him to do, was too fastidious when He gave Moses a detailed draft of what He wanted Moses to have built and made for Him? The draft that God – as God the Father, gave Moses called for a small place where His holy presence could reside. The draft that God – as God the Father, gave to Moses called for a half of a football field size courtyard for the place where His holy presence could reside. There is a large yard around the house were your grandmaa and grandpaa are living – which is something that your grandpaa really did not want – as your grandpaa is not into yard care. The draft that God – as God the Father, gave Moses for Moses to use to see to it for the building of a tabernacle and for the making of an altar, various utensils and a courtyard was specific. The draft that God – as God the Father, gave Moses had the measurements for Moses to have an altar made from acacia wood and to be overlaid with bronze. The draft that God – as God the Father, gave Moses had the altar being 3 cubits high, 5 cubits long and 5 cubits wide. A cubit is just about 18 inches – which made the altar 4 ½ feet high, 7 ½ feet long and 7 ½ feet wide. The draft that God – as God the Father, gave Moses told Moses to have horns securely attached to the altar’s corners. The horns were to look like natural projections from the altar’s corner posts. The horns would act as symbols of help and refuge for the Israelite people group guys and gals – who were God’s specially chosen guys and gals. The draft that God – as God the Father, gave Moses had Moses seeing to the making of the utensils out of bronze. The utensils were pots – which were to be used to remove the ashes from the altar after an animal sacrifice was made to God – as God the Father, shovels – which were to be used to shovel ashes from the altars into the pots after an animal sacrifice was made to God – as God the Father, sprinkling bowls – which were to be used to catch an animal’s blood as the animal was being killed as a sacrifice to God – as God the Father, meat forks – which were to be three-pronged and which were to be used to stir specified meat portions as these meat portions boiled in a pot on the altar and which were to be used by a priest – with Aaron being the first priest, to take out specified pieces of meat to eat, and firepans – which were to be used to carry hot coals from the altar – where animal sacrifices were made to God – as God the Father, to the incense altar.
That draft that God – as God the Father, gave Moses had a courtyard for the tabernacle to be located – which is where God – as God the Father, would have His holy presence reside. The courtyard was to be 100 cubits long and 50 cubits wide or 150 feet long and 75 feet wide. The courtyard was to be enclosed by curtains that were 5 cubits or 7 ½ feet high and made out of finely twisted linen. God – as God the Father, also told Moses that He wanted a light to always be burning during the night at the courtyard’s east side entrance. Verse 20 says, “‘Command the Israelites to bring the clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning.” Is God’s light visible today from the ‘houses’ where He now has His holy presence reside – which is in your hearts? A manmade house cannot be compared to the lives of guys, gals and kids in whose hearts the presence of God – as God the Son, lives.
Exodus 27 (893)