Thursday, March 14, 2024
Exodus 38:21-40:38
The Materials Used
21 These are the amounts of the materials used for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the covenant law, which were recorded at Moses’ command by the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest. 22 (Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything the Lord commanded Moses; 23 with him was Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan—an engraver and designer, and an embroiderer in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen.) 24 The total amount of the gold from the wave offering used for all the work on the sanctuary was 29 talents and 730 shekels,[a] according to the sanctuary shekel.
25 The silver obtained from those of the community who were counted in the census was 100 talents[b] and 1,775 shekels,[c] according to the sanctuary shekel— 26 one beka per person, that is, half a shekel,[d] according to the sanctuary shekel, from everyone who had crossed over to those counted, twenty years old or more, a total of 603,550 men. 27 The 100 talents of silver were used to cast the bases for the sanctuary and for the curtain—100 bases from the 100 talents, one talent for each base. 28 They used the 1,775 shekels to make the hooks for the posts, to overlay the tops of the posts, and to make their bands.
29 The bronze from the wave offering was 70 talents and 2,400 shekels.[e] 30 They used it to make the bases for the entrance to the tent of meeting, the bronze altar with its bronze grating and all its utensils, 31 the bases for the surrounding courtyard and those for its entrance and all the tent pegs for the tabernacle and those for the surrounding courtyard.
The Priestly Garments
39 From the blue, purple and scarlet yarn they made woven garments for ministering in the sanctuary. They also made sacred garments for Aaron, as the Lord commanded Moses.
The Ephod
2 They[f] made the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. 3 They hammered out thin sheets of gold and cut strands to be worked into the blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen—the work of skilled hands. 4 They made shoulder pieces for the ephod, which were attached to two of its corners, so it could be fastened. 5 Its skillfully woven waistband was like it—of one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen, as the Lord commanded Moses.
6 They mounted the onyx stones in gold filigree settings and engraved them like a seal with the names of the sons of Israel. 7 Then they fastened them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses.
The Breastpiece
8 They fashioned the breastpiece—the work of a skilled craftsman. They made it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. 9 It was square—a span[g] long and a span wide—and folded double. 10 Then they mounted four rows of precious stones on it. The first row was carnelian, chrysolite and beryl; 11 the second row was turquoise, lapis lazuli and emerald; 12 the third row was jacinth, agate and amethyst; 13 the fourth row was topaz, onyx and jasper.[h] They were mounted in gold filigree settings. 14 There were twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.
15 For the breastpiece they made braided chains of pure gold, like a rope. 16 They made two gold filigree settings and two gold rings, and fastened the rings to two of the corners of the breastpiece. 17 They fastened the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the breastpiece, 18 and the other ends of the chains to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. 19 They made two gold rings and attached them to the other two corners of the breastpiece on the inside edge next to the ephod. 20 Then they made two more gold rings and attached them to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the seam just above the waistband of the ephod. 21 They tied the rings of the breastpiece to the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting it to the waistband so that the breastpiece would not swing out from the ephod—as the Lord commanded Moses.
Other Priestly Garments
22 They made the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth—the work of a weaver— 23 with an opening in the center of the robe like the opening of a collar,[i] and a band around this opening, so that it would not tear. 24 They made pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen around the hem of the robe. 25 And they made bells of pure gold and attached them around the hem between the pomegranates. 26 The bells and pomegranates alternated around the hem of the robe to be worn for ministering, as the Lord commanded Moses.
27 For Aaron and his sons, they made tunics of fine linen—the work of a weaver— 28 and the turban of fine linen, the linen caps and the undergarments of finely twisted linen. 29 The sash was made of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn—the work of an embroiderer—as the Lord commanded Moses.
30 They made the plate, the sacred emblem, out of pure gold and engraved on it, like an inscription on a seal: holy to the Lord. 31 Then they fastened a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban, as the Lord commanded Moses.
Moses Inspects the Tabernacle
32 So all the work on the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was completed. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses. 33 Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses: the tent and all its furnishings, its clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases; 34 the covering of ram skins dyed red and the covering of another durable leather[j] and the shielding curtain; 35 the ark of the covenant law with its poles and the atonement cover; 36 the table with all its articles and the bread of the Presence; 37 the pure gold lampstand with its row of lamps and all its accessories, and the olive oil for the light; 38 the gold altar, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense, and the curtain for the entrance to the tent; 39 the bronze altar with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils; the basin with its stand; 40 the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; the ropes and tent pegs for the courtyard; all the furnishings for the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; 41 and the woven garments worn for ministering in the sanctuary, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when serving as priests.
42 The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 43 Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them.
Setting Up the Tabernacle
40 Then the Lord said to Moses: 2 “Set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the first day of the first month. 3 Place the ark of the covenant law in it and shield the ark with the curtain. 4 Bring in the table and set out what belongs on it. Then bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the covenant law and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.
6 “Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; 7 place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. 8 Set up the courtyard around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.
9 “Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy. 10 Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it will be most holy. 11 Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them.
12 “Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 13 Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest. 14 Bring his sons and dress them in tunics. 15 Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue throughout their generations.” 16 Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded him.
17 So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year. 18 When Moses set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames, inserted the crossbars and set up the posts. 19 Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering over the tent, as the Lord commanded him.
20 He took the tablets of the covenant law and placed them in the ark, attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover over it. 21 Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain and shielded the ark of the covenant law, as the Lord commanded him.
22 Moses placed the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle outside the curtain 23 and set out the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him.
24 He placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle 25 and set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him.
26 Moses placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the curtain 27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord commanded him.
28 Then he put up the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. 29 He set the altar of burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered on it burnt offerings and grain offerings, as the Lord commanded him.
30 He placed the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing, 31 and Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash their hands and feet. 32 They washed whenever they entered the tent of meeting or approached the altar, as the Lord commanded Moses.
33 Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.
The Glory of the Lord
34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
36 In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. 38 So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels.
Footnotes
- Exodus 38:24 The weight of the gold was a little over a ton or about 1 metric ton.
- Exodus 38:25 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons; also in verse 27
- Exodus 38:25 That is, about 44 pounds or about 20 kilograms; also in verse 28
- Exodus 38:26 That is, about 1/5 ounce or about 5.7 grams
- Exodus 38:29 The weight of the bronze was about 2 1/2 tons or about 2.4 metric tons.
- Exodus 39:2 Or He; also in verses 7, 8 and 22
- Exodus 39:9 That is, about 9 inches or about 23 centimeters
- Exodus 39:13 The precise identification of some of these precious stones is uncertain.
- Exodus 39:23 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Exodus 39:34 Possibly the hides of large aquatic mammals
Sunday, March 10, 2024
From Physics by Aristotle
04:54 minutes left to register for free
when the objects of an inquiry, in any department, have principles, conditions, or elements, it is through acquaintance with these that knowledge, that is to say scientific knowledge, is attained. For we do not think that we know a thing until we are acquainted with its primary conditions or first principles, and have carried our analysis as far as its simplest elements. Plainly therefore in the science of Nature, as in other branches of study, our first task will be to try to determine what relates to its principles.
The natural way of doing this is to start from the things which are more knowable and obvious to us and proceed towards those which are clearer and more knowable by nature; for the same things are not 'knowable relatively to us' and 'knowable' without qualification. So in the present inquiry we must follow this method and advance from what is more obscure by nature, but clearer to us, towards what is more clear and more knowable by nature.
Now what is to us plain and obvious at first is rather confused masses, the elements and principles of which become known to us later by analysis. Thus we must advance from generalities to particulars; for it is a whole that is best known to sense-perception, and a generality is a kind of whole, comprehending many things within it, like parts. Much the same thing happens in the relation of the name to the formula. A name, e.g. 'round', means vaguely a sort of whole: its definition analyses this into its particular senses. Similarly a child begins by calling all men 'father', and all women 'mother', but later on distinguishes each of them.
The natural way of doing this is to start from the things which are more knowable and obvious to us and proceed towards those which are clearer and more knowable by nature; for the same things are not 'knowable relatively to us' and 'knowable' without qualification. So in the present inquiry we must follow this method and advance from what is more obscure by nature, but clearer to us, towards what is more clear and more knowable by nature.
Now what is to us plain and obvious at first is rather confused masses, the elements and principles of which become known to us later by analysis. Thus we must advance from generalities to particulars; for it is a whole that is best known to sense-perception, and a generality is a kind of whole, comprehending many things within it, like parts. Much the same thing happens in the relation of the name to the formula. A name, e.g. 'round', means vaguely a sort of whole: its definition analyses this into its particular senses. Similarly a child begins by calling all men 'father', and all women 'mother', but later on distinguishes each of them.
Thursday, March 7, 2024
Dear MoveOn member,
Dear MoveOn member,
Yesterday, after being trounced in state after state on Super Tuesday, Nikki Haley dropped out of the Republican presidential race. With no opponents left, Donald Trump is now officially the presumptive nominee.
Tiumothy, if you were waiting until the general election began to get involved or if you were hoping that Trump would somehow be stopped during the primaries, it's not going to happen. The general election has begun, and Trump will be on the ballot in November.
There is no other option: We must do everything we can to stop him. MoveOn is running an innovative, data-driven $32 million program to do just that, but we can do it only with your help. Please, if you are able, take this opportunity to get off the sidelines and start a $5 monthly donation to MoveOn today to power and sustain our campaign to defeat Trump and defend democracy.
No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.
Fascism is not a word we throw around lightly, but it is the reality we are facing if Trump wins a second term.
It doesn't just mean right-wing extremism; instead, fascism is a well-defined set of ideas that center on providing a dictatorial leader with enormous power while also ...
Rejecting democracy and the rule of law.
By refusing to accept the results of the 2020 election, Trump has already made it clear that he does not believe in our democracy.1 He has also promised to change government rules in ways that would allow him to unilaterally fire thousands of government workers he deems "disloyal" and install those who will do his bidding, the law be damned.2
Defining one racial or religious group as superior to all others.
He has fully embraced white Christian nationalism, a political movement that seeks to turn the United States into an extremist Christian theocracy; has said that immigrants are "poisoning the blood of our country"; and even echoed Adolf Hitler by referring to his political opponents as "vermin."3,4
Fomenting public rage by creating scapegoats and spreading conspiracy theories and misinformation about them.
Trump has worked to convince his supporters not to trust the mainstream media, priming them to reject the truth and accept a twisted version of reality that he weaves for his own benefit. He has repeatedly denied science and last week declared that he would withhold federal funding from schools that require childhood vaccinations.5 And, of course, he encouraged the deadly violence during the January 6 insurrection.6
Relying on brute strength and violence to accomplish their goals.
During the uprisings following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, Trump reportedly believed that the protests made him look weak and asked his Joint Chiefs of Staff to have the military "just shoot [the protestors] in the legs or something."7 In a second term, he has also promised to invoke the Insurrection Act to give him the authority to mass-arrest peaceful protestors and has vowed to send the U.S. Army into large Democratically controlled cities to do his bidding.
Most frighteningly, when asked about the war in Gaza last week, Trump said ominously that "you've got to finish the problem," indicating he would support increasing attacks on Palestinians in the region.8
Reinforcing a patriarchal power structure by stripping rights away from women, gender-nonconforming, trans, and nonbinary people.
Donald Trump has repeatedly bragged about being responsible for overturning Roe v. Wade by packing the Supreme Court with corrupt MAGA loyalists, and if elected, he will sign a federal abortion ban into law.9 He has also pledged to ban gender-affirming care for minors nationwide and supports the MAGA book bans that are attempting to silence LGBTQ+ voices and enforce a strict gender binary on children.10
There is no other word to describe all of these policies than fascism. Which is why we have to do whatever we can to stop Trump from carrying out his plans to dismantle our democracy by denying him a second term.
MoveOn spent months doing research and working with our data scientists to develop an ambitious electoral strategy to target the exact voters that we need to turn out in order to win—11 million of them, to be exact. We call them "surge voters," or voters who first became active after the 2016 election but have not voted consistently since then. According to The New York Times, these voters have been behind nearly every win for Democrats in the last two election cycles, which is why we have laser-focused on them for 2024.
Unlike some other organizations, we are not indiscriminately spending money to blast out ads and hope that a tiny fraction of viewers are persuaded to vote. No, we are spending money only on evidence-based tactics that we know will have the highest impact, which allows us to run a far more effective campaign on a tighter budget.
But that budget still comes from members like you, which is why we have to ask: Can you help stop America's march toward fascism by making a monthly $5 gift to MoveOn's 2024 election campaign?
No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.
Together, we can stop Donald Trump, protect our democracy, and build a world where everyone can thrive.
Thanks for all you do.
–Mohammad, Alexis, Kathy, Chris, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "Trump's drumbeat of lies about the 2020 election keeps getting louder. Here are the facts," AP News, August 27, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/188055?t=6&akid=377104%2E38938583%2ELMjcm_
2. "Trump wants to fire thousands of government workers. Liberals are preparing to fight back if he wins," AP News, February 16, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/188056?t=8&akid=377104%2E38938583%2ELMjcm_
3. "The overlap of Trumpism and Christian nationalism," The Washington Post, February 29, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/188057?t=10&akid=377104%2E38938583%2ELMjcm_
4. "Why Trump's authoritarian language about 'vermin' matters," NPR, November 17, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/187569?t=12&akid=377104%2E38938583%2ELMjcm_
5. "Trump vows to cut federal funds for schools with vaccine mandates," MSNBC, March 5, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/188058?t=14&akid=377104%2E38938583%2ELMjcm_
6. "Read Trump's Jan. 6 Speech, A Key Part Of Impeachment Trial," NPR, February 10, 2021
https://act.moveon.org/go/166680?t=16&akid=377104%2E38938583%2ELMjcm_
7. "Former Pentagon chief Esper says Trump asked about shooting protesters," NPR, May 9, 2022
https://act.moveon.org/go/188059?t=18&akid=377104%2E38938583%2ELMjcm_
8. "Trump breaks silence on Israel's military campaign in Gaza: 'Finish the problem,'" NBC News, March 5, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/188060?t=20&akid=377104%2E38938583%2ELMjcm_
9. "Donald Trump, Who Regularly Takes Credit for Killing Roe v. Wade, Suggests He's Open to a National Abortion Ban," Vanity Fair, March 1, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/188061?t=22&akid=377104%2E38938583%2ELMjcm_
10. "Trump unveils sweeping attack on trans rights," Axios, January 31, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/188062?t=24&akid=377104%2E38938583%2ELMjcm_
Want to support MoveOn's work? The MAGA movement's book bans have forced teachers and librarians across the country to remove books from their shelves and censor what young people can learn. MoveOn is fighting back, including by filling a "Banned Bookmobile" with books that the far right has banned and driving it to key cities and towns to raise the visibility of book bans, hand out banned books for free, and bring people together to stop censorship. To keep up the fight against book bans and the MAGA politicians who support them, we need your help.
Will you start a monthly gift to power and sustain MoveOn's critical work?
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In Bloom (Almost)
In Bloom (Almost)
It’s March 7, and spring doesn’t technically start for another couple of weeks—but standing in the sunshine today, and feeling my seasonal allergies coming on, it’s hard not to feel a change coming in the air. Will the weather go back to being cloudy and rainy soon? Almost certainly.
But there’s reason to believe that we’re going to be in for a (relatively) warm and sunny season in the months to come. Today at Seattle Met, Justin Shaw of Seattle Weather Blog explains why unlike the last two soul-crushing years, we are probably in for a delightful spring. Get your shorts ready.
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imothy, you signed up to receive email from Rose's Simple Mystic Miracles, LLC. on 2022-07-16 02:46:16. I love having you as a part of...
