Building Time

Exodus 30: 1-10 (NRSV)

You shall make an altar on which to offer 
incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. 
2 It shall be one cubit long, and one cubit 
wide; it shall be square, and shall be two 
cubits high; 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 for it a molding 
of gold all around. 4 And you shall make 
two golden rings for it; under its molding 
on two opposite sides of it you shall make 
them, and they shall hold the poles with 
which to carry it. 5 You shall make the poles 
of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 
6 You shall place it in front of the curtain 
that is above the Ark of the Covenant, in 
front of the mercy seat that is over the 
covenant, where I will meet with you. 7 
Aaron shall offer fragrant incense on it; 
every morning when he dresses the lamps 
he shall offer it, 
8 and when Aaron sets up the lamps in the 
evening, he shall offer it, a regular incense 
offering before the LORD throughout your 
generations. 9 You shall not offer grain 
offerings; and you shall not pour a drink 
offering on it. 10 Once a year Aaron shall 
perform the rite of atonement on its horns. 
Throughout your generations he shall 
perform the atonement for it once a year 
with the blood of the atoning sin offering. 
It is more holy to the LORD.

So what does all of that mean? Personally I have never heard God or felt a calling from God to build an alter to honor Him BUT I have had times in my life where I felt Him calling me back to Him, reminding me that He is always there. God has called me to build time in my life for Him. Building time is not an easy task and what I’m talking about when I say building time is creating a time in your day, in your life that is for God. Perhaps this is a time where you sit and pray about all that is on your mind and heart or a time when you simply sit in silence and listen for and to God, this may even be time to reflect on scripture – everyone’s “God Time” is a little different. Most of us have some kind of relationship with God but continuing to build that relationship isn’t easy. God asks us to offer him our faith, trust, and love; building these traits happens through relationship with him. So, Moundbuilders I think this passage is asking us to reflect on the time we have built for God and the relationship that has been the result.

Brenna Truhe is a junior English major at Southwestern College.