Exodus 40:17-38; Leviticus 1-4

We come to the close of Exodus, as the Dwelling has been completed according the Lord's precise instructions. Moses puts the commandments inside the ark, and the ark inside the Dwelling. The presence of the Lord, in the form of a cloud during the day, and cloud of fire at night, settles over the Dwelling. When the cloud lifts, the Israelites continue their journey. The Book of Leviticus begins with a very detailed description of the ritual of sacrifices. Depending on the reason for offering the sacrifice, a different animal might be used. But the animal offered as a holocaust or sacrifice must be unblemished. Just as Jesus, the ultimate Sacrifice and expiation for our sins, was a spotless Lamb. An interesting aspect of the description of these sacrificial rituals is that some of the offerings to be made are as a result of sins committed by an individual (e.g., a priest, a prince)--but the text is clear that these are sacrifices to be offered when the sin is "inadvertent." It is not clear to me what this means, because my understanding of sin includes as a condition that the act (or omission) was intentional, done with knowledge. As we leave Exodus, let me retrace my steps to mention one other thing that struck me. After Moses returned from the mountain, after having been called there by the Lord, we read of his "radiance." This radiance was so striking that Aaron and others were afraid to go near him, and he was given a veil to wear over his face. What a powerful metaphor for the transformative potential of prayer and of giving oneself to God!