Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 35:27-28

27 And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate;

28 And spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.

Yesterday we saw how men and women came together, combining their different talents and expertise to create something greater than what they could have accomplished on their own. That pattern is now continued, as the efforts of the common men and women are now further adorned by the jewels, spices, and oils of the wealthy. We are seeing a synergy not only between the sexes, but also across the classes.

Also note how the giving of precious rarities to God allows for equal benefits to all. For the sparsest of resources, there literally may not be enough for everyone to have their own, but dedicating those to the Lord would allow all to share equally in the blessings of the Lord’s presence at the tabernacle.

When done intelligently, there is merit in the wealthy distributing their riches to the less fortunate. As theses verses illustrate, though, there is also the option for the wealthy to invest in infrastructure and beauty that elevates everyone together.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Genesis 13:1-4

1 And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.

2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.

3 And he went on his journeys from the south even to Beth-el, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Beth-el and Hai;

4 Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the Lord.

Abram’s story highlights the mysterious ways that God works in. First there was that famine which got Abram into the land of Egypt, where he would accumulate great wealth, the beginnings of his future kingdom. But Egypt was not supposed to be the land of Abram’s inheritance, Canaan was. So then there arose the dispute about Abram’s wife, another blessing in disguise, which pushed out of Egypt and back to his prior home on Canaan’s outskirts.

Abram has returned home, but he is not the same as when he went out. As we will see in the next verses he has grown too big for this place, the old clothes don’t fit anymore. God led him away to obtain the things that he needed, then led him back to continue his larger story.