So I've been reading in Exodus this week, chapters 20-... Now if you've read these you will notice that they are mainly plans for the tabernacle, what the priests are to do and wear, etc. I was reading though it and was feeling a bit bored by it, until I realized how detailed God is.
Sometimes I view God as looking at the big picture, since he sees the beginning and the end. But in reality He is a detail guy. Details are fun, because they give the reader a better understanding of what is going on.
I'm glad that God is interested in the details of my life and not just the big picture. The details are what I need the most help with, daily walking with God sometimes proves to be a struggle, but I know that God is with me and is desiring to walk with me through the details of life.
Romans 12:1-2
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. Do not conform an longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and aprove what God's will is -- his good, pleasing, and perfect will.
3 comments:
Hey Chris,
In saying this I am in no way trying to contradict your observations about Exodus, which are, I think, valid. However, Exodus has been impressing me in exactly the opposite way. Who cares about all the details?!? (I know these words must sound strange coming out of MY mouth) I was thinking yesterday, before I read your post, how many big things about God and the Bible and redemptive history and theology we would love to have more information about, and instead we get PAGES of inane details about everyday interactions and regulations. I'm sure that you are right that God cares about the details, and in truth I guess we really do too. But, wouldn't you love to trade a chapter of rules in Exodus for a new chapter telling us what life was like in the Garden of Eden or the pre-Flood world? Or a chapter of details about heaven? Or a chapter that would solve the interminable conflicts related to the doctrines of grace? I think it remarkable (and somewhat baffling, frankly) what God chose to include in Scripture and what he did not. I'm not doubting whether he chose wisely; I guess it just demonstrates that our "wisdom" is not like his Wisdom.
Hope you're doing well,
Ben
Everything in the Bible points to the Savior. Scholars have related all of the details of the Tabernacle to the story of the Gospel. The Bible is simple enough for a child to understand. It is also complex enough for a person to spend a lifetime in its study and never get bored or run out of material to study. The purpose of glorifying God is not always easy to see on the surface. But that is the perspective we must take to hope to understand it. God is concerned about details (like a sparrow falling to earth and the numbering of the hairs on our head). Otherwise, why would the creator of the universe be concerned with insignificant man? These things amaze me.
Thank you both for replying. I get your point Ben, it would be nice to know other specifics from other events in the Bible, but for whatever reason God chose to put what He did in there. It was information that He felt that we should know.
As I continued to read through Exodus I came across the point where Moses asked and was allowed to see God's goodness and the backside of His Glory. I thought, "How bold of Moses to even think of asking God to see His face and glory!!" But then I realized that the relationship that Moses had with God was so amazing that it only made sense to desire to see God's face.
My point is that maybe God's point is like when Moses talked to God on the mountain for 40 days he didn't talk about the weather, sports, news, gossip...but rather he talked about the specific things that would bring glory to Him. Maybe this is the type of things that we should be talking to God about. He does say that we should bring all request to Him, but also there is a reason that God wrote this part of Exodus. Just a thought.
I'm glad you both wrote, you helped me to think about this in a different light and I would appreciate your continued comments.
PS. Ben when is your next open weekend???
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