November 30– Exodus 37:1-16 Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half was its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height.  2  And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold around it.  3  And he cast for it four rings of gold for its four feet, two rings on its one side and two rings on its other side.  4  And he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold  5  and put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark.  6  And he made a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half was its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth.  7  And he made two cherubim of gold. He made them of hammered work on the two ends of the mercy seat,  8  one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat he made the cherubim on its two ends.  9  The cherubim spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces on

November 29– Exodus 36:31-38 31  He made bars of acacia wood, five for the frames of the one side of the tabernacle,   32  and five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the tabernacle at the rear westward.   33  And he made the middle bar to run from end to end halfway up the frames.   34  And he overlaid the frames with gold, and made their rings of gold for holders for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold. 35  He made the veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; with cherubim skillfully worked into it he made it.   36  And for it he made four pillars of acacia and overlaid them with gold. Their hooks were of gold, and he cast for them four bases of silver.   37  He also made a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework,   38  and its five pillars with their hooks. He overlaid their capitals, and their fillets were of go

November 28– Exodus 36:20-30 20  Then he made the upright frames for the tabernacle of acacia wood.   21  Ten cubits was the length of a frame, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each frame.   22  Each frame had two tenons for fitting together. He did this for all the frames of the tabernacle.   23  The frames for the tabernacle he made thus: twenty frames for the south side.   24  And he made forty bases of silver under the twenty frames, two bases under one frame for its two tenons, and two bases under the next frame for its two tenons.   25  For the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty frames   26  and their forty bases of silver, two bases under one frame and two bases under the next frame.   27  For the rear of the tabernacle westward he made six frames.   28  He made two frames for corners of the tabernacle in the rear.   29  And they were separate beneath but joined at the top, at the first ring. He made two of them this way for the two corners.

November 27– Exodus 36:8-19 8  And all the craftsmen among the workmen made the tabernacle with ten curtains. They were made of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns, with cherubim skillfully worked.   9  The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains were the same size. 10  He coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another.   11  He made loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain of the first set. Likewise he made them on the edge of the outermost curtain of the second set.   12  He made fifty loops on the one curtain, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was in the second set. The loops were opposite one another.   13  And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains one to the other with clasps. So the tabernacle was a single whole. 14  He also made curtains of goats' hair for a tent over the tabernacle. He m

November 26– Exodus 36:2-7 2  And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the  Lord  had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work.   3  And they received from Moses all the contribution that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning,   4  so that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task that he was doing,   5  and said to Moses, “The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the  Lord  has commanded us to do.”   6  So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing,   7  for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more. How amazing it must have been that they had to stop people from giving more and doing more.  

November 25– Exodus 35:30-36:1 30  Then Moses said to the people of Israel, “See, the  Lord  has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;  31  and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship,  32  to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze,  33  in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft.  34  And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan.  35  He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer. “Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the  Lord  has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the 

  November 24– Exodus 35:20-29 20  Then all the congregation of the people of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.  21  And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the  Lord 's contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments.  22  So they came, both men and women. All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the  Lord .  23  And every one who possessed blue or purple or scarlet yarns or fine linen or goats' hair or tanned rams' skins or goatskins brought them.  24  Everyone who could make a contribution of silver or bronze brought it as the  Lord 's contribution. And every one who possessed acacia wood of any use in the work brought it.  25  And every skillful woman spun with her hands, and they all brought what they had spun in blue and pur

November 23– Exodus 35:10-19 10  “Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the  Lord  has commanded:  11  the tabernacle, its tent and its covering, its hooks and its frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases;  12  the ark with its poles, the mercy seat, and the veil of the screen;  13  the table with its poles and all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence;  14  the lampstand also for the light, with its utensils and its lamps, and the oil for the light;  15  and the altar of incense, with its poles, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle;  16  the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils, the basin and its stand;  17  the hangings of the court, its pillars and its bases, and the screen for the gate of the court;  18  the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court, and their cords;  19  the finely worked garments for ministering in the Ho

November 22– Exodus 35:1-9 Moses assembled all the congregation of the people of Israel and said to them, “These are the things that the  Lord  has commanded you to do.  2  Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the  Lord . Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death.  3  You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day.” 4  Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “This is the thing that the  Lord  has commanded.  5  Take from among you a contribution to the  Lord . Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the  Lord 's contribution: gold, silver, and bronze;  6  blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; goats' hair,  7  tanned rams' skins, and goatskins; acacia wood,  8  oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense,  9  and onyx stones and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. A day of r

November 21– Exodus 34:29-35 29  When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.  30  Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.  31  But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them.  32  Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the  Lord  had spoken with him in Mount Sinai.  33  And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. 34  Whenever Moses went in before the  Lord  to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded,  35  the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face was shining.

November 20– Exodus 34:25-28 25  “You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover remain until the morning.  26  The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring to the house of the  Lord  your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.” 27  And the  Lord  said to Moses, “Write these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.”  28  So he was there with the  Lord  forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. God wants our best. His laws and commands to us are to help us be our best.   How often do we think of God’s words as restrictive or punishment rather than protection and direction? Ask the Lord today where you fall short in the offering of your very best. I am afraid my offerings are often not my very best.   Heavenly Father,

November 19– Exodus 34:18-24 18  “You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month Abib, for in the month Abib you came out from Egypt.  19  All that open the womb are mine, all your male livestock, the firstborn of cow and sheep.  20  The firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. And none shall appear before me empty-handed. 21  “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. In plowing time and in harvest you shall rest.  22  You shall observe the Feast of Weeks, the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year's end.  23  Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the  Lord  God, the God of Israel.  24  For I will cast out nations before you and enlarge your borders; no one shall covet your land, when you go up

November 18– Exodus 34:10-17 10  And he said, “Behold, I am making a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been created in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the  Lord , for it is an awesome thing that I will do with you. 11  “Observe what I command you this day. Behold, I will drive out before you the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.  12  Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a snare in your midst.  13  You shall tear down their altars and break their pillars and cut down their Asherim  14  (for you shall worship no other god, for the  Lord , whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),  15  lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they whore after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and you are invited, you eat of his sacrifice,  16  and you take of t

  November 17– Exodus 34:1-9 The  Lord  said to Moses, “Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.  2  Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain.  3  No one shall come up with you, and let no one be seen throughout all the mountain. Let no flocks or herds graze opposite that mountain.”  4  So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the  Lord  had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone.  5  The  Lord  descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the  Lord .  6  The  Lord  passed before him and proclaimed, “The  Lord , the  Lord , a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,  7  keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity

November 16– Exodus 33:17-23 17  And the  Lord  said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.”  18  Moses said, “Please show me your glory.”  19  And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The  Lord .’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.  20  But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.”  21  And the  Lord  said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock,  22  and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by.  23  Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.” I love that God is so loving to Moses. He will show himself but in doing so He must protect Moses. What a loving God we serve. Have you experienced the love of God

  November 15– Exodus 33:12-16 12  Moses said to the  Lord , “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’  13  Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.”  14  And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  15  And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.  16  For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” I love that Moses feels the freedom to speak such words to God. He is reminding God of His promises and basically says. “If you don’t deliver, don’t move us from this lan

  November 14– Exodus 33:7-11 7  Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the  Lord  would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp.  8  Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent.  9  When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the  Lord  would speak with Moses.  10  And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door.  11  Thus the  Lord  used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. I cannot even begin to imagine how Moses delighted in these conversat

  November 13– Exodus 33:1-6 The  Lord  said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give it.’  2  I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.  3  Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” 4  When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments.  5  For the  Lord  had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’”  6  Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. In this

N ovember 12 – Exodus 32:30-34 30  The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the  Lord ; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”   31  So Moses returned to the  Lord  and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold.   32  But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.”   33  But the  Lord  said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book.   34  But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.” Here we see Moses acting as a mediator between the Israelites and God. As I look forward to the New Testament, I see Jesus paying the ultimate price for my sin. He stood in the gap for me and for you. I know that if I were to meditate on this price that Jesus paid, I wou