St. Paul Lutheran Church, Matteson, Illinois & Pastor Troester

Read the words of King Solomon and the wisdom he shares about how not to find peace in this world, and the frustration you will find in this world's wisdom and knowledge.

Read how the tabernacle/tent of meeting is completed, following all the direction of God for how it is made, what belongs in it and it's purpose in reminding people of God's presence with them.

Read how the tabernacle is finished by the Craftsman that God provided, and the materials that God provided, and the willing heart that God provided, to provide for the people a visual of God grace, that He also provides for us all.  Blessed Christmas, another of God's provisions for all the grace that we need!

Read about how the people responded to God saving them and the many blessings they had received from God by giving and giving until Moses finally had to tell them to stop!

Read about the willingness of the people to give and work, as the Holy Spirit has gifted them and inspired them to not be selfish, but the be selfless, like their Heavenly Father.

Read how God leads the people to the Promised Land, even though they had not kept their part of the covenant, God provides for forgiveness and direction and grace.

Read how the grace of God is tested as the people grow impatient and quickly turn to gods of their own making, yet through the mercy of God, and the intervention of Moses, God turns in His grace, and though He punishes severely, spares their lives, looking to the atonement that Christ would win for all who have faith in Him.

Read how God sets aside what happens in the temple for a holy purpose, emphasizing that God would reconnect with people, and be reconciled with us, but at the price of a life, and ultimately through the life of His only Son, Jesus.

Read how God sets apart the priests for their service to God and to people.

Read about how worship has depth, meaning and order as it reminds us of who God is, and who we are in Him.

God is about order and beauty as He gives Moses the dimensions, layout and the fabrics and colors of the temple.  It's the best of the best which shows the excellence of God and our relationship with Him.

God speaks to Moses about the worship of His people, centered around God's promises to be with them and bless them, and they promise their faithfulness and trust in God.

Read how God gives His people guidelines on living a blessed life, curbing our sinful desires, loving as we have been loved, with the promise that God is leading all the way.

After giving us the 10 Commandments and spelling out how we should act morally towards God and toward one another, now we read God's rules for living in the culture of the world, and God's puts boundaries on the actions, and demands accoutablility, and limits practices which are acceptable in the world.

Read how God establishes His Covenant relationship with His people, having heard them and delivered them, now affiming that love for them by giving them guidelines by which to live at peace with Him and with others.  We call those guidelines, the 10 Commandments.  Read about how much God loves you.

Reading about the mediator work that Moses does for the people, which foreshadow how Jesus is our Mediator between us and God.

Read how God cares for His people, both for their physical needs and for their protection, despite the grumbling of the people, and in the power of his might, as God fights and defeats their enemy, and as Moses lifts up his hands to the Lord on behalf of the people.

Read about the faithfulness of God, and the grumbling of His people, who quickly forget what God has done, and yet find mercy and blessing when they turn back to Him.

Read about how God prepares the people to move forward from their slavery in Egypt, by giving them yearly festivals to remember what He had done for them, and He also leads them to the Promised Land.

It's a new day for the Children of Israel, as God delivers them from slavery, just as on that first Easter morning, on the first day of the week, Jesus rose from the dead to give us new life.

Read about the patience of God, both in being faithful to His people as they wait for Him to bring them out of Egypt, and with Pharoah as God warns him over and over and over again, but finally judging him for ignoring the grace of God.

Bless you as you are in the Word.  Be in worship tomorrow.  Peace.

Read about God warning and giving Pharaoh, chance after chance to come to God, and Pharaoh, in his stubborness, refusing to hear and obey.

Read about the awesome power of God, who created all things and is in control over all the evil effects of sin, and all evil powers, including Pharaoh, yet loves Pharaoh, and through Moses, calls Pharoah to repent.  

Read about how God responds to our cries to Him, with more than just words, but action, and there is no power that is greater than His--We have Hope!