![\"Winding](\"https:\/\/faith-blog-assets.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/20170523133746\/road.jpg\" "\\"road\\"")
What is the \u201cway\u201d to Indianapolis from Lafayette?\u00a0 I-65 North?\u00a0 I-65 North from Lafayette will never get you to your destination of Indy.\u00a0 If you chose I-65 North you cannot chose your destination to be Indy.\u00a0 I-65 South is the \u201cway\u201d to Indy from Lafayette.<\/p>\n
\u201cWays,\u201d \u201croads,\u201d \u201cpaths\u201d all have end destinations.\u00a0 You can choose your \u201cway,\u201d but you cannot choose the end of that way.<\/strong> If you want a different destination, you must choose a different way.\u00a0 Think about this in terms of the path on which you are walking in your finances, marriage, relationships, sex, relationship with God, etc.\u00a0 This useful metaphor can be developed in all sorts of ways (puns intended throughout this post : ).<\/p>\n Christ, in John 14:6, is called \u201cthe way\u201d to God.\u00a0 The very first Gospel believing Jews and Gentiles were called members of \u201cThe Way\u201d (Acts 9:2; Acts 19:9, 23; Acts 22:4).\u00a0 Proverbs is the book that speaks most about \u201cways\u201d and their end destination.\u00a0 Do a word search on \u201cway\u201d and \u201cpath\u201d in Proverbs and see how many hits you get.<\/p>\n The first use of \u201cthe way\u201d is found in Genesis 3:24 with an angel guarding the \u201cway\u201d to the tree of life.\u00a0 Exodus begins to develop this metaphor upon which the rest of Bible theology is built.<\/p>\n \u201cBoring and tedious\u201d is what many individuals call the last half of the book of Exodus because chapters 25-31 deal with the numerous construction details given about the tabernacle.\u00a0\u00a0 Then chapters 35-40 give the same mind-numbing details over again as Israel builds the tabernacle according to the way God outlined.\u00a0 The only hope out of boredom is the interesting golden calf incident in chapters 32-34.\u00a0 Right?\u00a0 But wait, could this structure of the last part of the book of Exodus be teaching His people something about His way?<\/strong> Certainly it is!<\/p>\n First, remember that the tabernacle was God\u2019s way to dwell physically among His people at that time (Ex 40:34-38).\u00a0 God designed specific ways for the sacrificial altar (Ex 27:1-8), the feasts (Ex. 23:14), the priesthood (Exodus 29:1-4) and the gold and silver of the people (Ex 25:1-3) to be used in setting up a way to the physical dwelling place of God.\u00a0\u00a0It is this \u201cway\u201d to the physical presence of God that is set forth in Exodus 25-31.\u00a0 So, what happens in the golden calf incident?<\/p>\n Notice that Aaron and the people set up a different \u201cway\u201d to God.\u00a0 They use their gold and silver to make a calf (Ex 32:2-4).\u00a0 They set up an alter in a different \u201cway\u201d (Ex 32:5).\u00a0 They have a different way to do the feasts (Ex 32:5).\u00a0 And Aaron is not functioning in the \u201cway\u201d God established.<\/p>\n God evaluates the situation, \u201cThey have been quick to turn from \u2018the way\u2019 I commanded them.\u201d (Ex 32:8).\u00a0\u00a0 What ensues next\u00a0 (through chapter 34) is the discipline of the people by God.\u00a0 Then a debate occurs between God and Moses about whether or not the presence of God would go with the people because they departed from \u201cthe way.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Finally, restoration of the presence of God and the covenant of God is accomplished by the mercy of God as mediated through the intercessory servant of God (Moses).<\/p>\nExodus 25-40\u00a0–\u00a0\u00a0Boring and Tedious<\/strong>?<\/h2>\n
Don’t Choose A Different \u201cWay\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n