Center of life

DEVOTION

EXODUS

CENTER OF LIFE

Ex 27:1-8

27:1 "Build an altar of acacia wood, three cubits high; it is to be square, five cubits long and five cubits wide.   2 Make a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar are of one piece, and overlay the altar with bronze. 3 Make all its utensils of bronze — its pots to remove the ashes, and its shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks and firepans. 4 Make a grating for it, a bronze network, and make a bronze ring at each of the four corners of the network. 5 Put it under the ledge of the altar so that it is halfway up the altar. 6 Make poles of acacia wood for the altar and overlay them with bronze. 7 The poles are to be inserted into the rings so they will be on two sides of the altar when it is carried. 8 Make the altar hollow, out of boards. It is to be made just as you were shown on the mountain.

NIV

This was going to be the center of the daily business of both the priests and all the people. The altar was where all the sacrifices for sin were to be burnt. There is a list of what was to be brought based on the type of sacrifice in both Leviticus and Numbers. It gives what is to be burnt for a sin offering, a thanks offering etc. The point is that with as many people in the camp, there were sacrifices and burnt offering going on day and night twenty-four seven. The altar was never without something on it being burnt for some reason. It would seem the people had no time for anything else then to be in a line waiting for their turn to hand over their sin sacrifice or grain offering or whatever. Once they reached the front of the line it seems they would have to get another sacrifice and get at the end of the line again. How did they have time to do anything else? They could not have lived a day without some kind of offense against God, with all the laws he placed upon them. This was to teach them they needed a sacrifice for sin, and it required their full attention, almost a full time job, just bringing a sacrifice whenever they sinned, daily. Surely they would evidently be ready for the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus. But we know that was not what happened. They continued the daily sacrificing for sin. How do we handle our daily sinning? Do we have to spend our entire day waiting in a line to offer our sacrifice? Of course not, as Jesus is our sacrifice. Our sin is forgiven the moment it occurs, although we still are in somewhat of a mode of having to ask each time we sin for forgiveness. Then we aren’t much different than those Israelites in the camp. We spend the majority of our time seeking forgiveness because we continue to sin daily, maybe even hourly or even every minute of the day. Sure we do not go around committing all sorts of hardened crimes, but what about our attitudes toward other people? Are we either judgmental or prideful? Are we angry or hateful? Are we jealous or have envy? Are we bitter or unforgiving? There are so many ways in which we sin within the confines of our minds. Then there is our mouth. Jesus said that it is not what we eat or drink that defiles our bodies, but what comes from our mouth.

Matt 15:10-11

10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. 11 What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.'" 

NIV

Jesus said this right after he quoted Isiah to the people.

Matt 15:8-9

8 "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'" 

NIV

Can we get this picture? Do we give God lip service with the same lips that defile our bodies? Can a spring have both fresh water and salt water?

James 3:9-12

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.   10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

NIV

How can this be? We cannot think we are ever without sin, for our mind is corrupt and out of the heart comes the words that are within it.

Prov 23:7

7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

KJV

The idea here is that we surely would be in line all day long offering some sacrifice for our lists of offenses. Praise God Jesus is our continual sacrifice. Yet we also are to sacrifice ourselves as a living sacrifice to God.

Rom 12:1-2

12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.

NIV

This renewing of our minds is the hard part, for it seems impossible to not have thoughts at least once in a while that are not pleasing to God. But Jesus can. If Jesus lives in us, in that spiritual sense, then it should be easy. But do we allow him to have full access of our faculties? The point here is that as the people had their lives centered around the tabernacle, the altar, always bringing sacrifices, we have to center our lives around Jesus, always being aware of his living and working in our lives, being that sacrifice for our offenses and living through us so that our mind and heart are centered on God, not self. It is a daily, hourly experience. The center of life itself.