Now that you've read the passage for Sunday, it would be helpful to draw a diagram. As you read, the east and west sides of the tabernacle are half as long as the north and south sides. So, draw a rectangle that is twice as wide as it is tall.

How many pillars were the linen curtains to be hung on the north and south sides (see Ex. 27:10-11)?

How many pillars or posts were to be on the west side(see v. 12)?

On the lines you have drawn, place bold, black dots to represent pillars. Make sure you have enough space around the diagram on your paper to add more details later.

Bible passage for Sunday, November 21

This Sunday we will study Exodus 27:9-19. If we have time, we'll also cover 20-21.

Yesterday in class, we studied the altar of sacrifice in the courtyard of the tabernacle. We read how after the instructions for building and consecrating it had been obediently followed, God found it acceptable and fire came out from Him to consume the sacrifice. At this display of His glory, the people fell face-down on the ground to worship.

Our obedience to God is for one purpose only: to bring the glory of the Lord and His joy into our lives. When we look at obedience in that light, I've got to wonder why I ever resist doing what I know is God's will. (We'll discuss that reason this coming Sunday--stay tuned!)

When God lit the fire on the altar, it was then the priests' job to keep it burning forever. When we are saved, at that moment, God lights a fire within us by giving us gifts and the Holy Spirit. It is our job to fan the flame for the rest of our lives.

Here is the assignment I gave:
1. Name a specific gift God has gien you.
2. What have you done to fan it into a flame so it can be used with excellence?
3. If you have not done anything to fan the flame, what will you plan to do?

Additionally, I am reading a book, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney. The first discipline listed is intake of the Bible. That means, to grow as a Christian, I need to take in the Word of God. There are several ways to do this, and we should do them all.

The first way is to read the whole thing. I have to confess, I've never done that. I start in Genesis and by the time I get to Deuteronomy, I'm washed up. I seem to have no trouble studying one book at a time, which is also a way to take in the Bible (and one of the ways listed in this book) but reading it through is tough for me. However, Whitney gives a plan I think I can follow, and I challenge you to follow it with me. We'll keep each other accountable.

Start in three places at once. Read one chapter in Genesis, one chapter in Job, and one chapter in Matthew each day. On Sunday, read two chapters in each of the three books. Keep reading these sections in order at that pace. In less than a year, we will have conluded all three sections, and thus the whole Bible.

The next way to take in the Bible is Bible study, which we do in class. By reading each section ahead (when I tell you what it is) and writing down any questions you may have about it, you are studying.

Number three is meditate on it. Pick a verse each day to think about for the rest of the day. Mull it over. Read it again. Ponder it. Pull all the meaning out of it.

And number four is to memorize it. Write a chosen verse on a note card and carry it with you. Write it on a post-it note and stick it to your bathroom mirror. Do whatever you need to to see it and say it several times a day.

When we know what the Bible says, and make an effort to learn what it means, and openly ask God to show us what it should mean to us in our daily lives, we will become different people. Joyful. Full of the presence and glory of God.