In this study

Moshe prays for internal purity of Israel (Psalm 90)Accounting for mercy: Yeshua’s parable of the unjust steward (Luke 16:1–17)

It took about six to nine months to complete the Mishkan and before the Mishkan was completed, Moses’ personal tent possibly was the Tent of Meeting in which the people would come to inquire of Moses and HaShem about right and wrong. But once the Mishkan (Tabernacle) was completed, the Tent of Meeting slowly transfers from Moses’ personal tent to the courtyard of the Mishkan.

The Torah reveals to us that Moses was an upright and honest man. We all would love to have a reputation as good as that of Moses. No one asked Moses for an accounting of the donation to the tabernacle, but he did so anyway. He made a detailed record what was brought in and how it was used. The fact that Moses did this reinforces his reputation for honesty and forthrightness.

When people have power, it’s a struggle to maintain one’s honesty and uprightness but one way to exercise power responsibly is to humble oneself enough to be willing to make an account of one’s actions in the exercise of authority. Moses was successful in this regard, which is why the Torah tells us that Moses was also a very humble man.

We are the tabernacles of God, but what do we look like on the inside? Are we clothed in silver, gold, scarlet and blue inside full of God’s beauty and honor? Or are we clothed inside with filth and death? Our goal is to be light enough and pleasant enough for God to want to live in us.

Moshe prays for internal purity of Israel (Psalm 90)

When Moses saw the work was completed, Moses wrote Psalm 90 in response to what he saw when the Mishkan was completed.

You have placed our iniquities before You, Our secret sins in the light of Your presence.Psalm 90:8 NASB

Our iniquities and secret sins are not pleasing to God. The question is do we ignore these things and allow our dwellings to become a dungeon, or do we fix it, clean it and make our bodies worthy of God’s inhabitation? We can’t be perfect all the time, but when we fall down, we get up, clean up and do better. This process doesn’t stop until the moment we die and it’s an honor to us that God gives us so many chances to repent.

So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.Psalm 90:12 NASB

Cherish the time you have on earth to repent and prepare yourself for the Kingdom of God. Our time on earth is when we have opportunity to improve ourselves and make ourselves ready to meet with God.

Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands.Psalm 90:17 NASB

Accounting for mercy: Yeshua’s parable of the unjust steward (Luke 16:1–17)

Just as Moses calls on us to “confirm the work of our hands” before God and to repent where we fall short, so too Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) does through His many parables. Today, I want to look at the Parable of the Unjust Steward. This was a parable that was addressed to the His closest disciples first.

Now He was also saying to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions.”Luke 16:1 NASB