Thoughts on Beth Moore

I mentioned earlier that I am currently doing this Beth Moore Bible study with a group of 4 girls.  It's a 10 week study, and we are now halfway through.  I've done Bible studies before, but nothing like this.  This is much more in-depth than anything I've ever tried.  There are 5 days worth of "homework" each week and an hour long video that we all watch together on Monday nights.  I feel like I need to write something about it just to organize my thoughts!

This is a study of the Old Testament Tabernacle.  What is that you ask?  Good question, I had no idea either.  Apparently God told Moses the exact plans of how to construct a place that God would dwell in on Earth. WITH HIM.  Maybe that was common knowledge- I don't know, but I was unaware.  So far, the study has been like a very in-depth  history lesson of the Old Testament.  The next 5 weeks will tie together the Old Testament Tabernacle with Jesus Christ in the New Testament.  (Side note- the History channel is running a series called "The Bible" that is pretty much following our study, good timing right?)

Beth Moore does an incredible job weaving together scripture from all over the Bible to demonstrate these common themes that seem to run through the book from beginning to end.  I feel like I am jumping ALL over the place when I do my homework, but at the end I always have that "aha!" moment.

I wish I could record all my thoughts on this, but I will just tell you about a few of my favorite moments so far:

In week 2, Beth is still leading us through a lot of background history is Genesis and Exodus.  We read about how God actually provided bread for the starving people who doubted him.  Actually made it rain bread.  Then Beth jumps to John 6:32-35, which happens to be the words of my favorite hymn "I am the bread of life, he who comes to me shall not hunger..." and now I see those words in a completely different way.  You need to read the study to get the full effect, but it is really so cool!

Another favorite moment is in week 4 as we read about what surrounded the tabernacle.  Several tribes of people, thousands and thousands of people, surrounded the tabernacle.  Psalm 84 was written to be sung by a tribe of people who were descendants of the Levites, who surrounded the tabernacle.  The words say "better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere..." and Beth uses this message to help us realize that even one day of living the life God intended for you would be better that a thousand of someone else's life.  This message was particularly meaningful to me because one of my largest downfalls is comparing myself to other people and sometimes wishing I had what they had.

I am excited to continue with this study and see where it goes.  Do any of you have any favorite Beth Moore studies?  I'd love to have another one to recommend to my group!