71 When Moses finished setting up The Dwelling, he anointed it and consecrated it along with all that went with it. At the same time he anointed and consecrated the Altar and its accessories. 2 The leaders of Israel, the heads of the ancestral tribes who had carried out the census, brought offerings. 3 They presented before God six covered wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon from each pair of leaders and an ox from each leader. 4 God spoke to Moses: 5 ''Receive these so that they can be used to transport the Tent of Meeting. Give them to the Levites according to what they need for their work." 6 Moses took the wagons and oxen and gave them to the Levites. 7 He gave two wagons and four oxen to the Gershonites for their work 8 and four wagons and eight oxen to the Merarites for their work. They were all under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest. 9 Moses didn't give any to the Kohathites because they had to carry the holy things for which they were responsible on their shoulders.
10 When the Altar was anointed, the leaders brought their offerings for its dedication and presented them before the Altar 11 because God had instructed Moses, "Each day one leader is to present his offering for the dedication of the Altar." 12 On the first day, Nahshon son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah, brought his offering. 13 His offering was: a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering; 14 a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense; 15 a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; 16 a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering; 17 two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering. This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab. 18 On the second day, Nethanel son of Zuar, the leader of Issachar, brought his offering. 19 His offering was: a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering; 20 a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense; 21 a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; 22 a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering; 23 two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering. This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar. 24 On the third day, Eliab son of Helon, the leader of the people of Zebulun, brought his offering. 25 His offering was: a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering; 26 a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense; 27 a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; 28 a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering; 29 two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering. This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon. 30 On the fourth day, Elizur son of Shedeur, the leader of the people of Reuben, brought his offering. 31 His offering was: a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering; 32 a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense; 33 a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; 34 a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering; 35 two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering. This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur. 36 On the fifth day, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, the leader of the people of Simeon, brought his offering. 37 His offering was: a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering; 38 a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense; 39 a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; 40 a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering; 41 two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering. This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. 42 On the sixth day, Eliasaph son of Deuel, the leader of the people of Gad, brought his offering. 43 His offering was: a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering; 44 a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense; 45 a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; 46 a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering; 47 two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering. This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel. 48 On the seventh day, Elishama son of Ammihud, the leader of the people of Ephraim, brought his offering. 49 His offering was: a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering; 50 a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense; 51 a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; 52 a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering; 53 two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering. This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud. 54 On the eighth day, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, the leader of the people of Manasseh, brought his offering. 55 His offering was: a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering; 56 a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense; 57 a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; 58 a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering; 59 two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering. This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. 60 On the ninth day, Abidan son of Gideoni, the leader of the people of Benjamin, brought his offering. 61 His offering was: a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering; 62 a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense; 63 a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; 64 a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering; 65 two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering. This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni. 66 On the tenth day, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, the leader of the people of Dan, brought his offering. 67 His offering was: a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering; 68 a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense; 69 a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; 70 a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering; 71 two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering. This was the offering of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. 72 On the eleventh day, Pagiel son of Ocran, the leader of the people of Asher, brought his offering. 73 His offering was: a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering; 74 a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense; 75 a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; 76 a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering; 77 two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering. This was the offering of Pagiel son of Ocran. 78 On the twelfth day, Ahira son of Enan, the leader of the people of Naphtali, brought his offering. 79 His offering was: a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering; 80 a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense; 81 a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; 82 a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering; 83 two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering. This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan. 84 These were the dedication offerings of the leaders of Israel for the anointing of the Altar: twelve silver plates, twelve silver bowls, twelve gold vessels. 85 Each plate weighed three and a quarter pounds and each bowl one and three-quarter pounds. All the plates and bowls together weighed about sixty pounds (using the official Sanctuary weight). 86 The twelve gold vessels filled with incense weighed four ounces each (using the official Sanctuary weight). Altogether the gold vessels weighed about three pounds. 87 The sum total of animals used for the Whole-Burnt-Offering together with the Grain-Offering: twelve bulls, twelve rams, twelve yearling lambs. For the Absolution-Offering: twelve he-goats. 88 The sum total of animals used for the sacrifice of the Peace-Offering: twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty he-goats, sixty yearling lambs. These were the offerings for the dedication of the Altar after it was anointed. 89 When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with God, he heard the Voice speaking to him from between the two angel-cherubim above the Atonement-Cover on the Chest of The Testimony. He spoke with him.
81 God spoke to Moses: 2 "Tell Aaron, Install the seven lamps so they will throw light in front of the Lampstand." 3 Aaron did just that. He installed the lamps so they threw light in front of the Lampstand, as God had instructed Moses. 4 The Lampstand was made of hammered gold from its stem to its petals. It was made precisely to the design God had shown Moses. Purifying the Levites
5 God spoke to Moses: 6 "Take the Levites from the midst of the People of Israel and purify them for doing God's work. 7 This is the way you will do it: Sprinkle water of absolution on them; have them shave their entire bodies; have them scrub their clothes. Then they will have purified themselves. 8 "Have them take a young bull with its accompanying Grain-Offering of fine flour mixed with oil, plus a second young bull for an Absolution-Offering. 9 Bring the Levites to the front of the Tent of Meeting and gather the entire community of Israel. 10 Present the Levites before God as the People of Israel lay their hands on them. 11 Aaron will present the Levites before God as a Wave-Offering from the People of Israel so that they will be ready to do God's work. 12 "Have the Levites place their hands on the heads of the bulls, selecting one for the Absolution-Offering and another for the Whole-Burnt-Offering to God to make atonement for the Levites. 13 Then have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and present them as a Wave-Offering to God. 14 This is the procedure for setting apart the Levites from the rest of the People of Israel; the Levites are exclusively for my use. 15 "After you have purified the Levites and presented them as a Wave-Offering to God, they can go to work in the Tent of Meeting. 16 The Levites have been selected out of the People of Israel for my exclusive use; they function in place of every firstborn male born to an Israelite woman. 17 Every firstborn male in Israel, animal or human, is set apart for my use. When I struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, I consecrated them for my holy uses. 18 But now I take the Levites as stand-ins in place of every firstborn son in Israel, 19 selected out of the People of Israel, and I have given the Levites to Aaron and his sons to do all the work involved in the Tent of Meeting on behalf of all the People of Israel and to make atonement for them so that nothing bad will happen to them when they approach the Sanctuary." 20 Moses, Aaron, and the entire community of the People of Israel carried out these procedures with the Levites, just as God had commanded Moses. 21 The Levites purified themselves and scrubbed their clothes. Then Aaron presented them as a Wave-Offering before God and made atonement for them to purify them. 22 Only then did the Levites go to work at the Tent of Meeting. Aaron and his sons supervised them following the directions God had given. 23 God spoke to Moses: 24 "These are your instructions regarding the Levites: At the age of twenty-five they will join the work force in the Tent of Meeting; 25 at the age of fifty they must retire from the work. 26 They can assist their brothers in the tasks in the Tent of Meeting, but they are not permitted to do the actual work themselves. These are the ground rules for the work of the Levites."
21 Jesus went on: "Does anyone bring a lamp home and put it under a washtub or beneath the bed? Don't you put it up on a table or on the mantel? 22 We're not keeping secrets, we're telling them; we're not hiding things, we're bringing them out into the open. 23 "Are you listening to this? Really listening? 24 "Listen carefully to what I am saying - and be wary of the shrewd advice that tells you how to get ahead in the world on your own. Giving, not getting, is the way. 25 Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes."
26 Then Jesus said, "God's kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a man 27 who then goes to bed and forgets about it. The seed sprouts and grows - he has no idea how it happens. 28 The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain. 29 When the grain is fully formed, he reaps - harvest time!
30 "How can we picture God's kingdom? What kind of story can we use? 31 It's like a pine nut. When it lands on the ground it is quite small as seeds go, 32 yet once it is planted it grows into a huge pine tree with thick branches. Eagles nest in it."
33 With many stories like these, he presented his message to them, fitting the stories to their experience and maturity. 34 He was never without a story when he spoke. When he was alone with his disciples, he went over everything, sorting out the tangles, untying the knots.
35 Late that day he said to them, "Let's go across to the other side." 36 They took him in the boat as he was. Other boats came along. 37 A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. 38 And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying, "Teacher, is it nothing to you that we're going down?" 39 Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, "Quiet! Settle down!" The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. 40 Jesus reprimanded the disciples: "Why are you such cowards? Don't you have any faith at all?" 41 They were in absolute awe, staggered. "Who is this, anyway?" they asked. "Wind and sea at his beck and call!"
(Read Mark 4:21-34)
These declarations were intended to call the attention of the disciples to the word of Christ. By his thus instructing them, they were made able to instruct others; as candles are lighted, not to be covered, but to be placed on a candlestick, that they may give light to a room. This parable of the good seed, shows the manner in which the kingdom of God makes progress in the world. Let but the word of Christ have the place it ought to have in a soul, and it will show itself in a good conversation. It grows gradually: first the blade; then the ear; after that the full corn in the ear. When it is sprung up, it will go forward. The work of grace in the soul is, at first, but the day of small things; yet it has mighty products even now, while it is in its growth; but what will there be when it is perfected in heaven!
(Read Mark 4:35-41)
Christ was asleep in the storm, to try the faith of his disciples, and to stir them up to pray. Their faith appeared weak, and their prayers strong. When our wicked hearts are like the troubled sea which cannot rest, when our passions are unruly, let us think we hear the law of Christ, saying, Be silent, be dumb. When without are fightings, and within are fears, and the spirits are in a tumult, if he say, "Peace, be still," there is a great calm at once. Why are ye so fearful? Though there may be cause for some fear, yet not for such fear as this. Those may suspect their faith, who can have such a thought as that Jesus careth not though his people perish. How imperfect are the best of saints! Faith and fear take their turns while we are in this world; but ere long, fear will be overcome, and faith will be lost in sight.
