READING FOR AUGUST 5, 2024: EXODUS 39, PHILEMON 1, PSALM 76                                            EXODUS 39 This chapter implements God’s designs for the priestly garments. It follows the pattern step by step as given in Exodus 28. At the end, the work was evaluated and received this judgment: “So, the sons of Israel did all the work according to everything that the Lord had commanded Moses. And Moses examined all the work, and behold, they had done it; just as the Lord had commanded, this they had done. So, Moses blessed them” (Ex. 39:42-43). This should be what all of us desire to hear when we face the Lord in judgment after death. There is no higher accolade.   

Because they obediently stuck with God’s script given in Exodus 28, there is nothing else new to discuss from our review of Exodus 28. This might be an opportunity to look at how some interpret scripture to find greater meaning, in this case the one item: the golden bells attached around the hem of the robe. What do folks think this means and why? Here are six views:

1. The traditional interpretation is that if the bells were to stop tinkling while the priest was in the Holy of Holies, then those outside would know the priest was struck down due to some violation of protocol in his service. (This is the interpretation the writer has heard since childhood and has some validity.)
2. Each of us is a golden bell singing the melody of our lives in the presence of the open heart of the divine.
3. The sound of the bells on Aaron’s hem would automatically start when he moved. I think this can teach us about how natural and automatic prayer was to Christ, and it can also teach us how natural and automatic prayer can be (and should be to us) if we want to be like Him.
4. The bells ring when [the church] is in communication with [God] IN SPIRIT. It’s pleasant sound to My ears. It brings the expensive price that My Son paid with His Blood into remembrance. That’s why the high priest could enter into my presence. The bells were worship and pointing to the price to be paid.
5. Amidst the boisterous hum of human life, to the natural ear these golden bells might seem to give forth but a feeble melody, yet they uttered a still small voice which would reach the listening ear, and would arrest the true hearted worshipper, and turn his thoughts in holiness and faith towards God.  
6. The bells reminded the High Priest he is the mediator between God and man. It would be easy to recall all the negative the children of Israel have done. It would be tempting to even gossip before the Lord to remind him of wrongdoing. He must remind himself that he not only represents the people living honorable lives. He also represents noisy clambering people who complain and frequently do wrong.

Here is the original text: “It [robe with golden bells] shall be on Aaron when he ministers; and its sound shall be heard when he enters and leaves the Holy Place before the Lord, so that he will not die” (Ex. 28:38). What can be stated with certainty as the reason for these bells based solely on the text? The text states that if the bells are not heard when Aaron enters and leaves the holy place, he will die. The text doesn’t specify who needs to hear them. The text doesn’t say the bells need to be heard while he is in the Holy Place. Unless there is a passage in the Bible that provides clarifying information, anything further is human speculation. This is as an example of how these study guides attempt to interpret biblical texts.

READING FOR AUGUST 5, 2024 CONTINUED: EXODUS 39, PHILEMON 1, PSALM 76  PHILEMON 1 Paul almost seems to have fun in this letter. There are not so subtle hints and seeming plays on words, all in the context of a serious request to a close friend. Paul identifies himself as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. He reuses this phrase a verse later; in both verses 12 and 13 he says, “my imprisonment;” and in verse 23 he singles out Epaphras as a “fellow prisoner.” We can safely assume Paul is in prison when writing this. As in Paul’s letter to Philippi, we see prison didn’t dampen Paul’s mood. We can also discern that Philemon lived in Colosse and likely this personal letter was sent along with the more general letter to that entire church. This letter is just addressed to three individuals, not an entire church. The exact same names are listed here as in the Colosse letter as sending their greetings. Also, Paul says In Colossians 4:9 that Onesimus, one of their own, was coming to provide them with more information. 

It appears that Onesimus was Philemon’s runaway slave whom Paul met and converted while Paul was incarcerated. Onesimus (his name means profitable) became extremely useful or profitable to Paul’s ministry. Paul wanted to keep him as a kind of contribution from Philemon to his ministry but knew this would be a gift without consent. So, Paul is reluctantly sending back Onesimus, BUT asks that Philemon no longer consider him as a slave. Paul also said he would reimburse Philemon for anything Onesimus owed. (Paul gently reminds him, however, that Philemon owes his entire eternal life to Paul.)  In verse 21, Paul compliments Philemon for knowing he will do more than he asks. Paul is nothing if not clever. Plus, he seems to be preparing for the elimination of slavery as an institution: “Antislavery doctrines began to appear in Christian theology soon after the decline of Rome and were accompanied by the eventual disappearance of slavery in all but the fringes of Christian Europe” (from Rodney Stark’s book For the Glory of God).         PSALM 76 This must have been a golden era in Israel because Asaph says God was known there. According to surveys, God is less known in America that before. May it at least be said that God is known at YMC. Salem is usually considered the ancient name of Jerusalem. Zion is also used interchangeably with Jerusalem: “So the name of the LORD will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem” (Psalm 102:31).  Asaph states the tabernacle was there, although the only clear statement the tabernacle was brought to Jerusalem is during Solomon’s reign to help furnish the Temple. The Ark, however, was brought to Jerusalem much earlier by David (2 Sam. 6:16).  The main point of the poetry, though, is that God’s presence protects Israel during attacks. It is a better and earlier version of the Iron Dome that currently intercepts incoming missiles.  This is the same God who is our personal protector today. He saves those of us who have humbled themselves before Him. Verse 10 is fascinating: “The wrath of mankind shall praise You.”  This seems to mean that when man seeks to do God ill, the result ends up bringing praise to God. We saw this with Pharoah and the plagues of Egypt. This will be the case again in Revelation.