A Pattern
Everyone knows it! There is no occupation or activity where a pattern is not obvious. A recipe, blueprint, spreadsheet, dose, or measurement must be followed meticulously and exactly. A small deviation from any pattern will not produce the expected results. From a computer, hard drive, or memory stick to a car, house or microwave, everyone knows that there is no room for variation. For each product, things must be done exactly the same every time. A candy bar, coke, or drug must be exactly the same every time. Physics, chemistry, anatomy, and physiology are exact sciences. We know it, do it and expect it! Anything less is failure.
Then someone reads the Bible and all this is suspended. Even though God said over and over his expectations in the spiritual realm mirror his creative power in the material, people just don’t listen. A craftsman will spend hours cutting and building a beautiful cabinet, then go worship God with absolutely no concern about its beauty or craftsmanship.
Since the first act of worship, this has been so. While Abel did exactly what any craftsman would do, Cain did not give enough thought to God’s instructions. While Abel’s worship “worked” exactly as God revealed, Cain’s failed. Abel listened, trusted in God’s wisdom, and did it exactly as specified. Cain did not listen, leaned on his own wisdom, and modified it to his own specifications. Should it really surprise us that it failed? It falls in line with everything else we know.
The amazing thing was Cain’s response. We are told that Thomas Edison tried over and over again to make a filament for the light bulb. He did not get angry. The Wright Brothers tried over and over again to get an airplane to fly and did not get angry. We tell our children “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” So why did Cain become angry, kill his brother, and “go out from the presence of Jehovah?” God gives only one answer. “His works were evil and his brother’s righteous” (1Jn. 3:12). So instead of admitting failure, accepting responsibility, and “doing well,” he took on the characteristics of the evil one and slew his brother. Try that in a business or hobby.
Sadly, this has become the norm in spiritual things. An inventor or cook would be pleased and thankful to have an error pointed out and success assured, but not those who study the Bible. Jesus revealed that Abel was just the first of many prophets who were killed, and that it would continue upon his own apostles and prophets (Lk. 11:49-51).
This is such a fundamental part of serving God properly that Jesus promised blessings on those who would be persecuted as Abel and the prophets. “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.” “Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake... For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets. (Mt. 5:10-12; Lk. 6:22-23). It makes no sense. It is completely opposite of all other areas of life, but it is the truth and we have to accept it.
Those who truly love God are like inventors, always searching Scripture to be certain their work is compliant with God’s specifications. They are also like the engineer who seeks to make a plane fly in harmony with physics. All share a common attribute. They love the truth, want to succeed, and are willing to change whenever truth demands change.
When God asked Israel to “make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them,” he only wanted what every home owner who brings his blueprints to the builder wants. God wanted it built “according to all that I show thee, the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the furniture thereof, even so shall ye make it” (Ex 25:8-9, 40). It was God’s house and he wanted it built as ”a copy and shadow of the heavenly things,” and ”copies of the things in the heavens” (Heb 8:4-5; 9:23-24). It could only be right if they carefully looked over the pattern and were cautious and concerned to get it right.
Why is this so hard to understand? An engineer plans an airplane to fly and tells the builder not to deviate or it will crash. A rocket scientist sends a rocket to the moon and tells the builders not to deviate. Apple wants an iPad to their specs and tells the builder not to deviate. God wants a tabernacle and a church to save people and tells us not to deviate. Why are all the others wise craftsman while the Christian who seeks the same thing is narrow-minded and unloving?
How can people go to work, trust the boss, and do things exactly as they are told then mock those who do the same thing with the Bible and their relationship with God? How can people do shoddy work for God doing things that would get them fired at work and expect that God will be pleased?
The recipe for Coke and Pepsi are carefully guarded secrets. It is an exact recipe made up of their own special ingredients. Anyone leaving one ingredient out or adding one in would be fired and generate an expensive recall. God has revealed that Salvation is made up of five “ingredients.” Leave one out or add another in and it will fail to save. Worship is made up of five “ingredients.” Cain has already shown us what will happen if we leave something out or change it to our own liking. But point this out to those involved and watch the sparks fly!
Every part of God’s revelation is exactly the same (all Scripture is given by inspiration of God) - precisely revealed instructions given by the Holy Spirit. No one would dare treat instructions by their boss or police as casually as they do God’s Word. A devout Christian treats God’s Word with reverence, respect, and awe. Yet always it is the same: “Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ Also, I set watchmen over you,
Then someone reads the Bible and all this is suspended. Even though God said over and over his expectations in the spiritual realm mirror his creative power in the material, people just don’t listen. A craftsman will spend hours cutting and building a beautiful cabinet, then go worship God with absolutely no concern about its beauty or craftsmanship.
Since the first act of worship, this has been so. While Abel did exactly what any craftsman would do, Cain did not give enough thought to God’s instructions. While Abel’s worship “worked” exactly as God revealed, Cain’s failed. Abel listened, trusted in God’s wisdom, and did it exactly as specified. Cain did not listen, leaned on his own wisdom, and modified it to his own specifications. Should it really surprise us that it failed? It falls in line with everything else we know.
The amazing thing was Cain’s response. We are told that Thomas Edison tried over and over again to make a filament for the light bulb. He did not get angry. The Wright Brothers tried over and over again to get an airplane to fly and did not get angry. We tell our children “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” So why did Cain become angry, kill his brother, and “go out from the presence of Jehovah?” God gives only one answer. “His works were evil and his brother’s righteous” (1Jn. 3:12). So instead of admitting failure, accepting responsibility, and “doing well,” he took on the characteristics of the evil one and slew his brother. Try that in a business or hobby.
Sadly, this has become the norm in spiritual things. An inventor or cook would be pleased and thankful to have an error pointed out and success assured, but not those who study the Bible. Jesus revealed that Abel was just the first of many prophets who were killed, and that it would continue upon his own apostles and prophets (Lk. 11:49-51).
This is such a fundamental part of serving God properly that Jesus promised blessings on those who would be persecuted as Abel and the prophets. “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.” “Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake... For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets. (Mt. 5:10-12; Lk. 6:22-23). It makes no sense. It is completely opposite of all other areas of life, but it is the truth and we have to accept it.
Those who truly love God are like inventors, always searching Scripture to be certain their work is compliant with God’s specifications. They are also like the engineer who seeks to make a plane fly in harmony with physics. All share a common attribute. They love the truth, want to succeed, and are willing to change whenever truth demands change.
When God asked Israel to “make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them,” he only wanted what every home owner who brings his blueprints to the builder wants. God wanted it built “according to all that I show thee, the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the furniture thereof, even so shall ye make it” (Ex 25:8-9, 40). It was God’s house and he wanted it built as ”a copy and shadow of the heavenly things,” and ”copies of the things in the heavens” (Heb 8:4-5; 9:23-24). It could only be right if they carefully looked over the pattern and were cautious and concerned to get it right.
Why is this so hard to understand? An engineer plans an airplane to fly and tells the builder not to deviate or it will crash. A rocket scientist sends a rocket to the moon and tells the builders not to deviate. Apple wants an iPad to their specs and tells the builder not to deviate. God wants a tabernacle and a church to save people and tells us not to deviate. Why are all the others wise craftsman while the Christian who seeks the same thing is narrow-minded and unloving?
How can people go to work, trust the boss, and do things exactly as they are told then mock those who do the same thing with the Bible and their relationship with God? How can people do shoddy work for God doing things that would get them fired at work and expect that God will be pleased?
The recipe for Coke and Pepsi are carefully guarded secrets. It is an exact recipe made up of their own special ingredients. Anyone leaving one ingredient out or adding one in would be fired and generate an expensive recall. God has revealed that Salvation is made up of five “ingredients.” Leave one out or add another in and it will fail to save. Worship is made up of five “ingredients.” Cain has already shown us what will happen if we leave something out or change it to our own liking. But point this out to those involved and watch the sparks fly!
Every part of God’s revelation is exactly the same (all Scripture is given by inspiration of God) - precisely revealed instructions given by the Holy Spirit. No one would dare treat instructions by their boss or police as casually as they do God’s Word. A devout Christian treats God’s Word with reverence, respect, and awe. Yet always it is the same: “Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ Also, I set watchmen over you,