Ki Tisa “When You Elevate”
Exodus 30:11 - 34:35
Let’s jump right in, because there is a lot in this reading! Here is a summary of what we are going to find. God continues describing the tabernacle to Moses, the people worship a golden calf that they construct, because they believe Moses is gone. Moses pleads to God on their behalf (Intercessory Prayer) and God forgives His people, Moses gets the commandments on stone twice, we see the Glory of God on Moses face…
We begin this reading with a census of the people. However, this census looks a little different than you would imagine today. We learn how God wants His people accounted for. God asks Moses to take a census of the people; however, there is not a “head count” as we would count a group of people today.
I found it interesting that God tells Moses to collect a half shekel (we see later in Matthew 17:24, this becomes a n annual temple tax) from each person. I imagine the ancient money was collected in a basket and then counted, as each basket filled with shelkels. I bet this took a little while. Each coin represented a person. From what I could find, there is not an exact answer as to why God had Moses count the people in this way. I found this point of view interesting, counting could signify ownership. This would speak against God’s ownership of Israel, because of their thinking, a man only had the right to count or number what belonged to him. Israel didn’t belong to Israel; Israel belonged to God. We do see other places in scripture where a similar count was made. King Saul used an animal to assess how many soldiers were present. Also, King David did a census of sorts, however, he counted the people each and a plague struck the land and wiped out many Jewish people. In Hosea we read “the number of the children of Israel are like the sands of the seashore and can never be counted or measured.”
We understand this giving of a shekel is for anyone 20 years old and up. And the rich are not required to give more and the poor shall not give any less. The money collected was given to the service of the tabernacle. There was quite a bit of silver needed for the building and this was how it was obtained.
God instructs Moses to make a bronze basin for washing. Aaron and his sons had to wash their hands and feet when they would go into the tent or when they came near the alter to minister or to burn a food offering to the Lord.
The first “anointing oil” is blended. God instructs Moses very specifically in measurements for the oil blend. This special oil was to be used to anoint the tabernacle along with many things inside it. Once these items were anointed with the oil, the items themselves became holy and anything that touched them also became holy. Along with Aaron and his sons were anointed with the oil, so they could serve God as His priests. God tells us that there shall never be a replica of this blend made ever again. If you have ever smelled an anointing oil that is used today, most generally smell delightful, not over bearing, with heavy floral or citrus (although I love both those scents). I love the smell, of a good oil mix. I can only imagine how fragrant this oil that Moses made would smell. Maybe one day, when we are all in heaven, we can be delighted by this fragrance.
God needs people that have the knowledge of craftsmanship, so He fills some of the people from tribes with the Spirit. The Spirit gives them the ability, knowledge and wisdom needed to craft the work on the tabernacle, the garments, utensils, the basin and the stand. Ya’ll this was no small project. I imagine the majority of the Israelites were never “schooled” in craftsmanship. Not like today, where people go to a school to learn these skills. God knew they would need the Holy Spirit to lead and guide them and that is exactly what He gave them. We need the Holy Spirit just as much today! The people, now filled with the Spirit got to work and worked tirelessly all day long.
God knew they would need a day to recoup and recover, but also to spend time giving reverence to God Himself. God instructs Moses to tell the people that they shall keep His Sabbaths, for this is a sign between God and the people. This is a Holy time for the people. God tells them to do no work. This will be a day of solemn rest for the people. During this time that God is giving these specific instructions, Moses is up on Mt. Sinai with God Himself. The people down in the camp, started to become impatient and they begin to wonder if Moses would ever return. The people begin to influence Aaron and asked Aaron to make a god that would help them, because they didn't think Moses would return. Unfortunately Aaron followed the people and instructed them to remove all their gold jewelry they were wearing or had and give it to Aaron to be melted it down. The melted metal becomes this calf, known as “the golden calf”, the people began to bow down to this and call this inanimate object “the god of Israel, which brought them out of the land of Egypt”.
Woah…is this just crazy sounding?? This was not a living, breathing anything. We see how quickly the people begin following a fake god.
Aaron himself builds an alter to this…thing, Aaron himself proclaims this to be a god and wants to have a feast the following day dedicated to the Lord. The people come together and they eat, drink and just have a good ole time. But, God sees all, right?! God tells Moses to go down and see what the people have done, they have corrupted themselves and are bowing, worshipping and making sacrifices to a fake god.
You know, we read this story thousands of years later and we know what happens, but can you imagine what God was feeling!? God has delivered these people from oppression, slavery and injustice. How quickly we as people forget. Well, God was not happy and tells Moses, “he is going to wipe them out”. We know the God promised to never again flood the earth. But He was willing to start over and start with Moses and continue to make a great nation of him.
Moses quickly pleads with God and asked God, “why would you want to destroy the people you saved”? Won’t the Egyptians say, God saved them with evil intent, to kill them all later?! Moses reminds God of His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to multiply their offspring like stars of the heaven and give them a promised land. The Lord renounces the punishment He wanted to hand down on these people. Remember, Moses has not seen for himself exactly what the people are doing. Moses heads down the mountain with the tablets of stone in his hands that have God’s instructions to the Israelites. When Moses makes it to the bottom, he sees for himself the wild ways of the people, the dancing and worshipping of this calf. Moses anger flares and he throws the tablets and they shatter. Moses then takes the calf and burns it with fire to the ground, he then grinds it up and puts it in water and makes the people of Israel to drink it. Moses immediately questions Aaron, asking him what did the people do that allowed this great sin to happen. Aaron shares with Moses that the people are inclined to evil and they persuaded him.
The enemy is sneaky. And unfortunately the enemy clouded Aaron’s vision of truth and righteousness. I am so grateful we have God’s written word today, to feast on and that helps us to know the ways God expects us to act. We have the armor of God we put on and leave on to offer us protection from the wiles of the devil.
The people get a dose of reality from Moses of this great sin they have committed. Moses asks all the people that are on God’s side to come to him. For those that didn’t go to Moses side, were killed by the sword of the ones that went to his side. An estimated 3000 people were killed that day. Moses asks God to be taken out of his book of life if He cannot forgive the people. But God, tells Moses that He will blot out those that sinned against He.
God then instructs Moses to lead the people to the place God had told them about and He sends an angel to go before them. The angel would drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites and the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites. God tells the people that He will not go with them, because they are a stiff-necked people and God would destroy them, so better not to go. Finally, the people understand this and they begin to mourn. Moses makes a tent of meeting outside of the camp for those that sought the Lord. When Moses would go into the tent of meeting all the people would watch in awe, as a pillar of cloud would descend over the door of the tent while the Lord spoke with Moses. When the people saw this, they would begin to worship God. God allows Moses to return to the mountain and carve two more stone tablets like the first set. Moses continues to intercede for the people by asking God to pardon the sins of the people and take them as an inheritance. God says, “behold I make a covenant, I will make distinctions such as never have been created in all the earth, nor in any nation. All the people will see the work of the Lord. God wants the people to break down their alters and smash their pillars that were in place to other gods. They are to bow to no other god. And we see God giving more instructions to the people. We see Passover explained, Sabbaths, Shavout and giving our first fruits to the temple of God. Moses remains with God for 40 days and 40 nights and never ate or drank anything.
When Moses finally comes down with the new stone tablets, he doesn’t realize his face is literally glowing because he had been in the presence of God. When the people saw this they became frightened. Moses reassured the people it was okay and Moses gave the commandments to the priests and rulers first then to the children of Israel. Moses shared in all the Lord had spoken to him.
Moses continued to go and speak with God and spend time with Him. Moses would wear a veil when he was among the people, to shield the radiance on his face after being with God, and he would take the veil off when he was with God.
I just love feasting on God’s word! The more we dig in to feast, the more we learn of the Awesome God we serve! I hope this blog blesses you, but please don’t take for granted His Holy Word and dig in yourself. Sometimes, the Holy Spirit reveals different nuggets to each of us in the same passages. There is so much to understand in scripture to last a lifetime.
