The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Exodus 30:1-3; 8-9, “Moreover, you shall make an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.
2 “Its length shall be a cubit, and its width a cubit, it shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits; its horns shall be of one piece with it.
3 “You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding all around for it.
…
8 “When Aaron trims the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense. There shall be perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.
9 “You shall not offer any strange incense on this altar, or burnt offering or meal offering; and you shall not pour out a drink offering on it.”

We cannot read very far into the Book of Exodus without encountering the overall strictness that the LORD requires of His people. Here in verses one and two, the LORD sets forth the size and substance of the Holy Altar. Not just any size or any substance are of any value. The LORD is precise! Further-more, the Altar is to be overlaid completely with “pure gold.” Only the bottom side of the Altar, resting on the ground, is bereft of gold for its covering.

I’ve often wondered if that’s where my parents received the idea that that everything that I was required to do (piano practice, memorization lines for school plays, etc.) came from this Old Testament Book of Exodus! However, what they required of me, was ultimately required of our children. Had it not been so, some of our family would have landed far from the Church and even further from the LORD!

The LORD is very strict with His people! He sets the standard for all parents and for all their children. Unfortunately, parents that fail to follow the LORD, more often than not, fail to set the standard for their children. Such failure encourages crime, including all unacceptable conduct, leading thereto.

The human conduct that the LORD requires is further supported by the words of Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go. Even when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

We parents are not without human errors. At the same time, we are the shadows, as it were, for our own children, grandchildren, and great-grand-children. May we ever and always set an acceptable standard by adhering to His Word ourselves! May God bless us all!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom