Week 13 Thursday
The priestly garments are finished, pointing us again to Christ, Psalm 61 shows us a God who is our strength and refuge even when our hearts grow faint, and Stephen is killed while forgiving those who stone him.
Exodus 39
📖 What are we reading?: We read again of the priestly garments here, and the fact that the priests were meant to be holy to the Lord in everything. Moses sees the finished tabernacle and blesses the people for having completed it with excellence.
✞ What does this passage say about God? Some see the colours used here as pointing to the manifold glories of Christ as seen in the four Gospels - purple for Matthew's King, scarlet for Mark's suffering servant, white for Luke's sinless Man, and blue for John's Son of God come down from heaven. The gold threads in the ephod even speak of Christ's deity (verse 3).
🛐 How does this passage teach us to live? Do we see our own work as an expression of our service to God? Perhaps we should.
Looking for some extra info?
➡️ The bigger picture: Exodus, meaning "departure", was written by Moses around 1400 BC. It tells the thrilling story of Israel's miraculous deliverance from slavery in Egypt - a picture of Christ setting us free from the prison of sin.
Psalm 61
📖 What are we reading?: Once more David turns to God when his heart is faint.
✞ What does this passage say about God? He is our strength, our refuge, and our tower.
🛐 How does this passage teach us to live? We can call to God even when our hearts are faint. Is verse 4 your cry today?
Looking for some extra info?
➡️ The bigger picture: The Psalms is a collection of 150 poems and songs, written by David and others, expressing the full range of human emotion in response to God and to life.
Acts 7:54-60
📖 What are we reading?: Stephen is dragged out and stoned to death, praying for the Lord to receive his spirit and forgive his killers even as he dies.
✞ What does this passage say about God? Consider the picture of Jesus standing at the right hand of God here - an important message that Jesus is exalted and one with the Father.
🛐 How does this passage teach us to live? Stephen is killed brutally for his faith, yet he forgives. The Christlike heart is always full of forgiveness, even to the end. Do you need to forgive someone who's "stoned" you today?
Looking for some extra info?
📝 A devotion on Stephen's compassion, even for those stoning him.
📝 A devotion on Stephen being the first Christian martyr.
➡️ The bigger picture: Luke's second book outlines the ministry of the early church - though it could just as well be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit, as He guides and grows Jesus' small movement into something that changes the world.
A Prayer for the Day
🙏 Lord, thank You that every thread of Your Word points to Christ; be our strength and refuge when our hearts grow faint, and give us Stephen's forgiving heart towards those who wound us. Amen.
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