Temple - Part 3
August 21, 2022Today's message was given by Pastor Jonathan Shaheen. A video of the message is here. Today's message continued a series called "Temple" by developing a notion of "midnight worship," worship in your darkest moments. [Conversation Starters will begin again with the start of the next official small groups session in September.]
Jonathan noted a few references to worship music in the Torah, specifically Exodus 15 and Deuteronomy 31. The former account (Ex. 15) actually included ALL the children of Israel singing to God, and adds that Miriam and her sisters had instruments - timbrels. The latter reference (Deut. 31) sets the stage for the actual song, the Song of Moses, in Deuteronomy 32.
Song of Moses (Deut. 32)
The song starts with "Give ear" (Hear). The Torah trusts the ears far more than the eyes. Other key teachings in the song are: God's greatness, the abandonment of God by the Isrealites, and God's anger over that abandonment. It was a "midnight event" for them, too. Another key message is that faith is as central as works (law). This song contains one of the first uses of "Rock" as a description of God. Another key message is "remember the past and teach it to your children" (verse 7).
The Song of Moses also contains a version of the idea of God bearing you up on eagle's wings (Deut 32:11, see also Exodus 19:4). Since no bird flies higher than the eagle, the baby is safest on its back. All other birds carry young between their feet to protect from attack from above. And, momma eagle will take the arrow first which is also coming up from beneath her.
Immediately following the song, Moses cautions the people "to take this to heart!"
And much, much more. The Song of Moses is 43 verses long and packed with instruction and ideas! When Prager's book on Deuteronomy comes out in October, we'll see what he has to say about this song.
Let's take a step sideways for some parallel notions in the Torah. Jonathan listed three things that "midnight worship" does: gets God's attention, gets the attenetion of others, and sets you free. The step sideways is to consider the dress of the priests in the Tabernacle (portable Temple for the Israelites in the wildnerness). Exodus goes into excruciating detail not only about the Tabernacle itself, but also about who will bring the people to God, the Priests. You would think the first thing God would specify about the priests are their duties. But no. The first concern is the clothing of the priests and is described in similar detail to the Tabernacle construction.
Credit: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/477240891741768326/
Clothing matters. Just as midnight worship affects you, others, and God, so does the clothing of the priest. A careful reading of the description of the priests' clothing (Exodus 28) will put a clear image of honor and beauty in your head. And that's exactly what God intends it all for: honor and beauty (Ex. 28:2). The word for "honor" here (kaw-bode) is the same word used in "honor your father and your mother" and carries a sense of "heavy" (important). The word translated as beauty (a-ret) also has notions of adornment and glory. The former, honor, is of the spiritual and the latter, beauty, is of the physical. Both are important.
Does clothing really matter today? Certainly first impressions matter, and clothes are at the forefront of your first impression. Uniformed policeman matter. How would you feel if your doctor walked into the room in shorts and a tee-shirt rather than a white coat? Dress codes that include uniforms at schools have been shown to improve learning and reduce violence. Even in our "progressive" society today, consider how you might react to a group of men/boys in hoodies versus a group of men/boys in coat and tie! And you stand taller when better dressed; it affects you, too. It's hard not to have a holy moment of some sort when you walk by a nun in her habit or a catholic priest in his collar. Can you imagine what the desert Israelites thought when they saw their priests in these clothes!?
There is a place for beauty (art, as it were) in religion. And just like all the other old vessels into which the Torah poured new wine, this beauty (which the Greeks and pagans adored) was made to have it's new place - to elevate, to lead you to God.
There's one other idea to note about clothing. God generally does not provide instructions to humans about human activities, e.g. how to build a fire, hunt, cook, plant, etc. But one such category is noted right away in Genesis 3:21, God clothes Adam and Eve. And here in Exodus, God is providing a great deal of detail about clothing including how to put it on. As Prager notes (via Liebowitz and Jacob), God is making it clear that while we are created in the image of God and of animals, we are to elevate ourselves by moving from the animal end of behavior to the God end of that God-animal spectrum. Clothes are clearly meant to separate Man from the animals.
Bonus
Urim and Tummim
This part of the priests clothing is also detailed in this same section about the priesthood, Exodus 28:15-28. The Urim & Tummim are part of the Breastplate of Decision. In the picture below, Urim is written on the white stone and Tummim on the black stone. Not much is known about this and is an artifact that was last mentioned later in the Old Testament. Most scholars think this was two stones kept on/under the breastplate. They are believed to have been used to ask questions of God, but could only provide yes/no answers and only for questions about society (should we go to war?), not personal questions (should I buy AT&T?). God knew that these neophyte monotheists would want to ask questions directly of God, so this was provided, but only temporarily. Nowadays, we have what we need: Torah, OT, NT, etc.
