Waiting in Worship

Drawing from Exodus chapters 29 through 32, Pastor Joel examines the tension between waiting on God and acting according to human wisdom. He walks through the consecration of the priests, the construction of the tabernacle, and the catastrophic failure of Israel at the base of Mount Sinai. The overarching theological thread is that God's people are called to wait on Him in worship rather than run ahead of His timing. The consecration rituals of washing, garments, and anointing oil point forward to the work of Christ, who has washed, clothed, and anointed His people for ministry. The anointing of Bezalel and his crew with the Spirit of God for the physical work of building the tabernacle illustrates that all work done for God, whether seemingly spiritual or mundane, is spiritual in nature and requires the empowering of the Holy Spirit. The Sabbath charge reminds believers that the work of God must never become an idol that displaces God Himself or His commands. The golden calf episode serves as a sobering warning against impatience, idolatry, popular-opinion leadership, and the inseparable connection between idolatry and immorality. Moses interceding on behalf of Israel provides a picture of Christ standing as the propitiation between God's wrath and His people, and calls believers to persistent intercessory prayer for the lost.