“There were twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They were like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes.” – Exodus 39:14

Throughout the many centuries the High Priests of Israel served in the Tabernacle and later Temples, they wore a breastplate with twelve engraved gemstones representing the twelve tribes of Israel. They also wore stones engraved with the names of the tribes on their shoulders. Whenever the priest went before the Lord, he put on these representations of all God’s people. This was because the role of the priest was to represent the people before God. To make sacrifices for their sins, offer incense to God, and intercede on their behalf in prayer.

All of that pointed forward to what Jesus does for His people. The Book of Hebrews proclaims that Jesus is our eternal great high priest, always representing us to God the Father and making intercession on our behalf. However, Jesus doesn’t wear a breastplate or shoulder pieces to represent us. Instead, He put on humanity itself. The eternal and divine Son of God took on a human body and nature, being born into our world. He become fully human in addition to being fully divine. He did this so He could represent us, offer Himself as a sacrifice for our sins, and continue to intercede for us up to this very moment.

Jesus is our great and perfect high priest! He doesn’t merely wear engraved stones to represent us, He became flesh and dwelt among us. He doesn’t have to make atonement for any sins of His own, so He made complete atonement for all who believe in Him. Unlike the high priests of old, Jesus never takes off His priestly garb. He remains in a glorified human body, always making intercession for us from the right hand of the Father. If Jesus is your Lord, then He is also your great high priest, able to save you to the uttermost and always interceding on your behalf. #FollowJesus

“And said to Moses, ‘The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.’” – Exodus 36:5

It’s always breath-taking to see how God moves to accomplish His plans. Throughout the Exodus, He moves in several different ways to accomplish His purpose. He moved through dramatic and miraculous interventions, including the plagues on Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea. He moved by speaking and showing the way, appearing in a bush, in a cloud, and on a mountain. However, sometimes He invited His people to be the means by which He moved. He gifted and called certain craftsmen to build His tabernacle. Then He stirred the hearts of all His people to give generously from their possessions to provide all the materials needed to build the tabernacle.

There’s nothing quite like seeing God move His people to accomplish His will on earth. There’s such power and beauty in seeing people come together for something greater than themselves. For those invited to join that work, there’s such an abundance of joy. The people of Israel gave with joy. So much so that the craftsmen had to ask them to stop! God still works in this way. He often changes the world by inviting His people to join His work. For those who answer the call, there is joy and delight. We get to be part of blessing the world with the knowledge and love of God. Incredible! It’s impossible to put the delight of that into words.

In our own day and age, God is working in so many ways to reach those far from Him and bless those who are suffering. He still invites His people to join into His work. We are the means by which He proclaims the Gospel to the end of the earth. We are the means by which He cares for the most vulnerable around the world. As a follower of Jesus, you’re invited to join God in that glorious work in many different ways, including prayer, service, going, and giving. Have you fully, joyfully accepted His invitation? If not, take time to really wrestle with what is holding you back. Is God calling you into deeper, more committed, more impactful partnership with Him? #FollowJesus

“The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.’” – Exodus 34:6-7

This is one of the most significant moments in the Bible. Moses had begged God to show him His glory. God did so (with necessary safety precautions for Moses) and also proclaimed His name, meaning His fundamental nature. This is the essential nature of God. God’s description of Himself is repeated countless times afterward in the Old Testament, because it is, most fundamentally Who God is. Learn these words! Remember them. Meditate on them. Delight in them, because this is Who you worship.

God is merciful by nature. He doesn’t delight in punishing but in showing us mercy we don’t deserve.

God is gracious by nature. He loves to lavishly give blessings His people don’t deserve.

God is slow to anger. Though we sin and fall short of His glory often, He doesn’t give up on us, doesn’t throw us in the garbage out of frustration for our foolishness. God continues to call us back into His grace and mercy far longer than we could possibly imagine.

God is abounding in steadfast love. He overflows with faithful, loyal love that’s never based on “what have you done for me lately.”

God is faithful. He keeps His word, His promises, and His covenants, even though we don’t.

God is forgiving. When we repent and ask forgiveness, God is always delighted to forgive.

God is just. He will certainly deal with sin justly in His perfect timing and will.

All of these traits intersect at the cross of Jesus Christ. Through the sending, sacrifice, and resurrection of His eternal Son, God demonstrated His perfect mercy, grace, patience, steadfast love, faithfulness, forgiveness, and justice. This is Who God is! If this isn’t how you think of Him, correct your thinking! Then think about Him more, remembering these characteristics and worshiping the Lord! #FollowJesus

“And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship” – Exodus 31:3

On the one hand, God uniquely gifted Bezalel, Oholiab, and their helpers to construct His Tabernacle in the wilderness. On the far more important other hand, Scripture is clear that every believer in Jesus Christ is sealed and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit gives every believer one or more gifts to be used to build up the local body of Christ (the church) and its members. Gifts like knowledge, wisdom, teaching ability, a passion for service, a love of helping, mercy, leadership, and more.

These gifts always have a purpose. They’re never an accident. They aren’t given for personal satisfaction, though there is deep satisfaction in doing what God has prepared us to do. They aren’t there for personal exaltation, though God will exalt those who use their gifts faithfully. They aren’t given for personal benefit, though rewards in heaven await those who are faithful to serve on earth. They’re given to be used. To bless others, to make disciples, to guide believers to maturity.

If Jesus is your Lord, you have gift(s) from God to be used for His glory. Are you using yours? Are you doing the good works God has prepared for you to do (Ephesians 2:10) or are you making excuses or dwelling in distraction? How has God gifted and shaped you to serve Him and bless others? Are you walking in the deep joy and satisfaction that comes from doing precisely what God made you to do? If not, figure out what your gifts are and put them to good use for the Lord! #FollowJesus

“Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel.” – Exodus 24:17

Take some time, right now, to simply picture this… The presence of God, His glory revealed in fire atop the mountain. Try to imagine what that must have been like. Then let yourself be filled with awe toward God. With reverence. With the fear of the Lord. Why?

Because Hebrews 12 refers to this moment to command followers of Jesus to worship God in reverence and awe, “let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” Christians must worship God. And we must do so in reverence and awe for Who He is. The Bible teaches many wonderful things that are true about God the Father. In Christ, He’s our adoptive Father. He welcomes us into His presence. He hears our prayers and petitions. He loves us. He lives within us. These are all true and should fuel our praise and worship.

However, it’s also true that God is this overwhelming, consuming fire. He is glorious and transcendent in ways we can’t begin to process. A vast fire consuming the top of a mountain. That should drive us to reverent worship as well. Deep worship filled with the wonder and awe of the Almighty Creator Who loved us so much He sent His Son to die on a cross. Meditate on your Creator right now. Worship Him, for He is worthy of worship! #FollowJesus