Reading Exodus 38, I’m struck by the phrases they built…they made…they cast. They are following the directions Moses received from God to build the tabernacle and all the things needed for them to offer sacrifices and offerings – burnt offerings, grain offerings, sin offerings, trespass offerings. Why? God is holy and we are not. We sin. God provides forgiveness and grace. The tabernacle they are building is providing a way for them to know God is with them and they will need that in the days and years to come. We need that too…desperately.

Our ancient brethren, the Children of Israel, had a tabernacle that they took with them. God even provided instructions for poles to insert to carry the various elements, and strong hides to cover it to protect it. God provides. He thinks of everything.

Last night, watching the news, my heart was grieved watching the report about the celebrity Kanye West who is actively voicing anti-Semitism and there are people who are quickly following that up with banners hanging from overpasses. Soon hearts will be following with acts of hate. We make. We sin. We hate.

This morning in Hearing God by Dallas Willard, he quoted the Bible verse Then Elisha prayed: “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw; the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:17. Willard went on to explain in the text below: God enabled the young man to see the powers of his realm that totally interpenetrated and upheld the visible reality around him. How we need Elishas today who, by life and teaching and prayer, might open our eyes to see the reality of God’s presence all around us.

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 1 Timothy 4:1-2.

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

Sound familiar? Painfully so.

No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Acts 2:16-21.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:17.

We sin. Ancient Israel sinned. God provides. God provides forgiveness of sins…all sins by all people. I can’t begin to fathom that but God already knows. He thinks of everything.

Open our eyes Lord so that we can see You even in the midst of so much hate, let us see You and the good You are doing for us. You are patient, and kind and You love us. We hate…You love – and it is Your love that overcomes all the hate we make. God speed that great and glorious day of the Lord. Our need is so great.