The Book of Exodus
Chapter 1: Israel Oppressed in Egypt
Summary
After Israel died, time passed. Joseph and all his 11 brothers died as well. Their generation came and went like the blink of an eye. But the Israelites--the descendants of the 12 sons of Israel--were fruitful, increased rapidly, multiplied, and became extremely numerous so that the land of Egypt was filled with them. A new king/Pharaoh now rules the land of Egypt. This king does not even know about Joseph as he has died already. This new king of Egypt saw the Israelites as a threat to Egypt, so he forced them into slavery and made them suffer with toiling forced labor. The king made the Israelites build two new supply cities for Egypt: Pithom and Rameses. Pharaoh hates the Israelites so much he tells the Hebrew midwives who help deliver the Israelite babies to kill the baby if it is a boy and to only let the girls live. The midwives feared God, however, and did not do what the Pharaoh told them. So, after some time, Pharaoh made a law for all his people: "You must throw every son born to the Hebrews into the Nile, but let every daughter live.Verses of Interest
- Exodus 1:6-7 - Then Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died. But the Israelites were fruitful, increased rapidly, multiplied, and became extremely numerous so that the land was filled with them.
- Exodus 1:11 - So the Egyptians assigned taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. They built Pithom and Rameses as supply cities for Pharaoh.
- Exodus 1:16-17 - "When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them as they deliver. If the child is a son, kill him, but if it's a daughter, she may live." The Hebrew midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live.
- Exodus 1:22 - Pharaoh then commanded all his people: "You must throw every son born to the Hebrews into the Nile, but let every daughter live."
Thoughts on the Text
- The book of Exodus continues the account that was given in Genesis. In Genesis we left off with Israel and the 12 sons of Israel--Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Joseph, and Benjamin. Israel and all 12 of his sons have died by the start of the book of Exodus. In fact, it is believed that about 350 years have passed between the end of Genesis to the start of Exodus. Exodus means "the way out." This book is the Israelites "way out" of oppression in Egypt and bondage to sin. In this book we see the Israelites' journey to the Promised Land. Hebrews 11:23-29 states the message in the book of Exodus: "By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned."
- Exodus 1:5 tells us that 70 Israelites moved and lived in the land of Egypt. It is estimated that 2,100,000 left Egypt at the time of the Exodus!
- In the Book of Exodus, Moses' life is divided into three forty year periods:
- Forty years in Pharaoh's palace in Egypt.
- Forty years in the desert in Midian.
- Forty years in the wilderness as leader of Israel.
- The first chapter of Exodus shows that a new Pharaoh has come to power in Egypt. This Pharaoh did not know Joseph and does not feel indebted to the Israelite people. In fact, he feels quite the opposite. He hates the Hebrew people and wants to make them slaves, and do away with them completely. This brings up a key idea. It is important for each generation to learn the ways of the Lord. If we do not teach about God, his precepts, his commandments, and the story of His people--the Israelites--each successive generation will forget about God and have no care or concern about the word of God. The new Pharaoh in Egypt forgot about the history of Egypt and how an Israelite--Joseph--saved the people of Egypt. Likewise, we can forget about all the good things God has done for us. If we forget our history, and if we forget about God and Jesus Christ, history is doomed to repeat itself over and over again. We will have to face the consequences of our sin again and again. It is our responsibility to teach the Word of God to each new generation!
- This new Pharaoh that forgot how the Israelites saved the people of Egypt, now makes slaves out of the Israelites. He hates the Israelites so much that he wants to kill all the male babies, so that the Israelites will no longer be numerous and a possible threat to the Egyptians. We need to remember that God told Abraham that the Israelites would have times of hardship in the land of Egypt. Genesis 15:13-14 says, "Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions." This prophecy from God has come true in the book of Exodus. The Israelites have been strangers in the land of Egypt for nearly 400 years, they have been enslaved by Pharaoh, and they have been mistreated by the Egyptian people. Verse 14 has yet to come to pass, but it will in a later chapter in the book of Exodus.
- Pharaoh tells the midwives who deliver Hebrew babies to kill all the Hebrew sons and let the Hebrew daughters live. When the midwives don't comply, Pharaoh makes it a law to cast every Hebrew son into the Nile River to die! This is an attempt by Satan to destroy the family line that leads to Jesus Christ. When we think all is lost, God reigns supreme, takes control, and miracles of God happen! The midwives saved the children that led to the lineage of Jesus Christ. They obeyed God instead of Pharaoh. Two in particular were Shiphrah and Puah. Shiphrah means "beauty" and Puah means "splendor." God blessed these two women and all the midwives for their faith in God despite the punishment they may have received for disobeying Pharaoh. If the midwives and people of Egypt would have completely obeyed Pharaoh the Israelite people would have been exterminated. Thank God that He is in control! Jesus is our "way out!"
Summary
A man, descended from the tribe of Levi, married a woman, descended from the tribe of Levi. The descendants of Levi are known as Levites. The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy. She hid him for three months because of the "baby-killing" decree. She could no longer hide the child, so she made a basket and placed the baby inside. She placed the basket and baby in the Nile River. Pharaoh's daughter finds the basket and the child within among some reeds in the Nile River where she is bathing. She knows that it is one of the Hebrew boys, but Pharaoh's daughter has one of her servants nurse the child as her own son. The child grows older and he becomes Pharaoh's daughter's son. She names him Moses (meaning 'drawing out' or 'born') because she drew him out of the water. Years later, Moses grows up and becomes a taskmaster over his own people. By this time his Egyptian mother has told him that he is a Hebrew. One day while observing the forced labor of his people he sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew. Moses strikes the Egyptian, kills him, and hid him in the sand. The next day, two fighting Hebrews judge Moses because they now he killed an Egyptian. They say, "who are you to stop our fighting when you killed someone." Pharaoh finds out that Moses killed an Egyptian, and he tries to kill him. Moses flees Egypt to go live in the land of Midian. He sits down by a well. The seven daughters of the priest of Midian, Reuel, come to the well to draw water for their father's flock. Shepherds arrive at the well at the same time and drive the daughters away. Moses comes to the rescue and waters their flock for them. The girls tell this to their father, Reuel, the priest of Midian. Moses is invited to dinner at Reuel's house. He gives his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. She gives birth to a son named Gershom, for he said, "I have become a stranger in a foreign land." After a long time, the king of Egypt dies, and the Israelites are still suffering from forced labor. God saw and heard the pleas for help from the Israelites and He took notice.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 2:10 - When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, "Because," she said, "I drew him out of the water."
- Exodus 2:14 - "Who made you a leader and judge over us?" the man replied. "Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses became afraid and thought: What I did is certainly known.
- Exodus 2:15 - When Pharaoh heard about this, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian, and sat down by a well.
- Exodus 2:19 - They answered, "An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock."
- Exodus 2:21-22 - Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. She gave birth to a son whom he named Gershom, for he said, "I have become a stranger in a foreign land."
- Exodus 2:24-25 - So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God saw the Israelites, and He took notice.
Thoughts on the Text
- Moses is the writer of the book of Exodus. This story is a continuation from Genesis, and it is basically like Moses' autobiography. Moses writes about his parents and his own birth. He doesn't even know their names, but he does know that they were both descendants of the tribe of Levi. Later on in scripture we learn about the names of Moses' father and mother; their names are Amram and Jochebed. Jochebed can no longer hide the boy Moses. Perhaps he is screaming and crying too loud like many young babies do. She doesn't want to kill him, so her only option is to place him in a basket and put the basket in the Nile River. She puts the basket near where Pharaoh's daughter bathes, and Pharaoh's daughter finds baby Moses. She knows that he is a Hebrew boy, but she disobeys Pharaoh's decree and decides to keep the child as her own son! Moses's sister, Miriam, sees the story unfold, she approaches the princess, and asks her if she wants her to bring a nurse of the Hebrew women to take care of the child. Pharaoh's daughter says yes. Miriam then gets Moses's mother, Jochebed, to nurse him; and she gets paid for it. So, by faith, everything turned out perfectly according to plan! Moses is back in the care of his mother, and he is not in danger of being killed. Now that Moses is the Pharaoh's daughter's son, he is royalty. This story seems very reminiscent to the story of Joseph. Had Pharaoh and his wife not had any children, Moses would have been next in line to the throne!
- The first 40 years of Moses' life were spent in Egypt in the courts and household of Pharaoh. Moses was raised to be an Egyptian and not a Hebrew. If you were to have seen him walking down the street, you would have recognized him as an Egyptian.
- Acts 7:20-29 gives us some insight into this period of Moses's life as well: "At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for by his family. When he was placed outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’ “But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons."
Here is another man that turns out to be a murderer. Moses kills an Egyptian guard for beating a Hebrew man. Here we see that Moses is flawed just like every other man in the Bible and who has lived on Earth. The only perfect man who has walked the Earth is Jesus Christ. Jesus never committed any sin. Jesus is the savior of the world. While Moses isn't the savior of the world, Moses becomes the savior of the Israelites. God can use any man, no matter how flawed. God just requires our faith, belief, and dedication to him in order to use us for his glory. God uses Moses, but he had to prepare Moses and punish Moses before he was capable of being the deliverer of the Israelites. Moses must flee Egypt as Pharaoh is out to kill him for what he had done. For 40 years Moses will have to live in Midian and for another 40 years Moses will be wandering in the wilderness with the Israelites. Killing the Egyptian changes the course of Moses's life, and changes his life completely. He will no longer be Egyptian royalty. He will become a wanderer in the desert.- Moses arrives in Midian, and he meets Reuel and his seven daughters. Reuel gives Moses one of his daughters, Zipporah, in marriage. They have a son named Gershom. By the end of the chapter we see that God has not forgotten about the oppression of the Israelites. God has taken notice of them, and he will fulfill his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He will do so with this man named Moses. It will be another 40 years until Moses is ready to deliver the Israelites from their oppression and bondage in Egypt. Moses and the Israelites have a long way to go before they arrive in the Promised Land.
Summary
Moses becomes a shepherd for his father-in-law Reuel, also known as Jethro. One day, Moses takes the flock he is shepherding to Horeb, or Mount Sinai. The Angel of the Lord appears to him in the form of a burning bush. The bush does not burn up, so Moses investigates. God speaks to Moses through the burning bush. God tells Moses that He knows about the Hebrews' suffering in the land of Egypt. God tells Moses to go to Pharaoh, so that he can lead God's people, the Israelites, out of Egypt and into Canaan. Canaan will one day be the land of Israel. God informs Moses that the Pharaoh of Egypt will not agree to let the Israelites leave Egypt. God promises to strike Egypt with all kinds of plagues/miracles until the Pharaoh lets the Israelites go. The Egyptians will want the Israelites to leave after God is through with them, and the Israelites will leave with Egyptian plunder.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 3:2 - Then the Angel of the Lord appeared to him min a flame of fire within a bush. As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed.
- Exodus 3:7-8 - Then the Lord said, "I have observed the misery of My people in Egypt, and have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I know about their sufferings. I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey--the territory of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites."
- Exodus 3:10 - "Therefore, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh so that you may lead My people, the Israelites out of Egypt."
- Exodus 3:14 - God replied to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you."
- Exodus 3:19 - "However, I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go, unless he is forced by a strong hand. I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles that I will perform in it. After that, he will let you go."
Thoughts on the Text
- This chapter takes place after Moses has been in the desert region of Midian for 40 years. God has been patiently training Moses to be the deliverer, or savior if you will, of the Israelites from bondage and oppression in Egypt. Moses has been a Shepherd for Jethro, his father-in-law, for 40 long years. Moses is now about 80 years old. It is just another day in the life of a shepherd, but God has other plans. As Moses is roaming in the wilderness with his flock, he leads them to Horeb, or Mount Sinai. God appears to Moses via a burning bush that does not get consumed by the fire. Moses gets a closer look at this miraculous sign from God. God speaks one-on-one with Moses! This is incredible. Moses actually gets to see a partial view of God's glory, and he can hear God audibly and speak to God. God replies. They have an in depth conversation. How cool is that! According to "Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee," "The angel of the Lord who appeared to Moses in none other than the pre-incarnate Christ. Some people would debate this conclusion, but this is my conviction after years of studying the Word of God." If Moses or any man would see the full glory of God, he would die in an instant. No man can see God the father. The only way to know and speak to God is through God's son, Jesus Christ.
- God speaks to Moses about the salvation of the Israelite people in Egypt. God is going to take the Israelites out of Egypt and lead them to the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey. This reveals the salvation of God. God is the salvation of the Israelites and God is our salvation today! God has brought us out of death, darkness, and hell, and He has brought us into life, light, and heaven. God is out salvation and redemption. This is made clear when God speaks to Moses. So, God uses Moses to deliver the Israelites, but God is the one that saves the Israelites from bondage. The splitting of the Red Sea is one way in which God shows his power of salvation.
- Moses is humbled in this chapter. Moses asks the Lord, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt." After forty years in the desert of Midian Moses has humbled himself before God and man. Now, God can use Moses for a phenomenal mission. This verse rings true for Moses and for us: "So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, and in pressures, because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:10)." Moses had to see and fully believe that he could not deliver Israel, but God could deliver Israel through him. In our weakness we are made strong! Another scripture passage that rings true is 1 Corinthians 1:26-31: "Brothers, consider your calling: Not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one can boast in His presence. But it is from Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became God-given wisdom for us—our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, in order that, as it is written: The one who boasts must boast in the Lord."
- God tells Moses that He has ordained him to deliver the Israelites out of Egypt. God even gives Moses a word-for-word speech on how to convince the Israelites to leave Egypt with Moses. God says that he is "I AM." "I AM" means Jehovah or Yahweh. I AM is God's name. God was, is, and will forever be. God isn't going anywhere. God is!
- God tells Moses that Pharaoh is going to refuse to let the people of Israel go. So, God is going to strike down the God's of Egypt with signs, wonders, and plagues. Pharaoh will eventually briefly agree to let the Israelites go after devastating catastrophes strike them down.
- God tells Moses that the Israelites will not leave Egypt empty-handed. "Each woman will ask her neighbor and any woman staying in her house for silver and gold jewelry, and clothing, and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians." The Israelites will not be stealing these valuable items from the Egyptians. The Egyptians will be giving these valuable items to the Israelites. The Egyptians will fear God because of what He will do to the land of Egypt. The Egyptians will know that they have treated the Israelites unfairly and oppressed them for the past 400 years. So, this gift or plunder is a form of recompense for all the hard work and toil the Israelites have done for the Egyptians as slaves.
Summary
God encourages Moses to be bold when speaking with Pharaoh and the Egyptians. He also equips Moses with three miraculous signs if the Pharaoh does not believe Moses spoke with God. God also tells Moses that Aaron the Levite, Moses' brother, will be his spokesman. Aaron will help Moses with public affairs since Moses is not eloquent with public speaking. Moses then tells his father-in-law, Jethro, that he must depart and return to Egypt. Moses returns to Egypt on a donkey with his wife and sons. Moses carries God's staff. God tells Aaron to meet Moses at Mount Sinai, or the mountain of God. Moses meets with Aaron, and Moses explains what God has told them to do. Moses and Aaron then go to all the elders of the Israelites, and they tell them what God intends to do: God will free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and bring them to a Promised Land.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 4:11-12 - The Lord said to him, "Who made the human mouth? Who makes him mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say."
- Exodus 4:19-20 - Now in Midian the Lord told Moses, "Return to Egypt, for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead." So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and set out for the land of Egypt. And Moses took God's staff in his hand.
- Exodus 4:21-23 - The Lord instructed Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, make sure you do in front of Pharaoh all the wonders I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that he won't le the people go. Then you will say to Pharaoh: This is what the Lord says: Israel is My firstborn son. I told you: Let My son go so that he may worship Me, but you refused to let him go. Now I will kill your firstborn son!"
- Exodus 4:31 - The people believed, and when they heard that the Lord had paid attention to them and that He had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.
Thoughts on the Text
- This chapter in the book of Exodus focuses on Moses' return to Egypt to free the Israelites from slavery. Moses is skeptical and doubtful whether or not he was the right man for the job. Moses was not good with people. In the chapter, Moses says, "Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent--either in the past or recently or since You have been speaking to Your servant--because I am slow and hesitant in speech." Moses thinks that he isn't a good public speaker. Perhaps Moses is socially awkward, and his social isolation in the desert has rusted his interpersonal skills. Here, Moses is saying "I can't." God has chosen him for the job, and Moses is turning down God's job offer. Friends, the Lord can and will work through you no matter how insufficient you are for the job. God can take the weakest and make him the strongest. God can take the disabled and make him able. God can take the must stupid and make him the wisest. So, this is not a question of whether or not Moses was the right man for the job. Any man that God chooses is the right man for the job. The man, no matter how inept, no matter how unable, must simply believe upon the Lord. The man of God, in order to be used by God, must have faith and trust in God. The Bible says in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." God can do whatever he wants through you. God will give you the strength. With faith, God will make you the right man for the job. Moses was the right man to free the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. God even gave Moses a partner, a Robin to his Batman; his own brother Aaron would be Moses' spokesman and pubic affairs specialist. Surely this alleviated Moses' doubts, and he agreed to return to Egypt to fulfill God's plans of delivering the Israelites to the Promised Land.
- God gives Moses a staff. This staff becomes Moses' badge of authority from the Lord. This staff gives Moses strength from God. This staff turns into a serpent when Moses throws it on the ground. When he picks it back up it turns back into a staff. Later, Moses will split the Red Sea with this staff; the epitome of the Israelite Exodus. We later find out that the Egyptians have magicians that can turn a staff into a serpent. Is this power from God as well? Absolutely not. These people have a magical staff, but the power given is from Satan. We can come to the conclusion that any object can be used for either good or evil. Money can be used for good or evil. Money can be used for drugs, alcohol, prostitution, gambling, amongst other things that bring no glory to God whatsoever. However, on the flip side, money can be used to feed the homeless, buy someone a gift, or as a tithe to the church that will be used to financially support the church or for missions. So the object itself is not good or evil. The person using the object can use it for good or evil. The man is either good or evil; he either works for Satan or for the Lord. Moses uses this magical staff for God's glory. Moses will use this object to help him deliver the Israelites from bondage. Matthew 7:17 states, "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit." Likewise, Luke 6:45 states, "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." This is symbolically represented when God tells Moses to place his hand in his cloak. When he pulls his hand out it is leprous. When he put it in and takes it out a second time his hand is once again clean. Our actions follow where our heart is at. A good heart yields good works whereas a bad heart yields corruption.
- In this chapter, God calls Israel His firstborn son. This shows how important the Israelite people are to God and to human history. God loves the Israelite people, now and forevermore.
- We read in the chapter that as Moses is camping with his family on his return trip to Israel that God confronts him and seeks to put him to death. This is a strange verse, and it seems out of place after reading about how Moses will be God's chosen man to deliver the Israelites. Why is God trying to put Moses to death? From "Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, "He [Moses] had neglected to circumcise his sons. Circumcision was the evidence or seal of the covenant of God made with Abraham. If Moses would proclaim God's will to others, he too had to be obedient to God's will. God had to forcible remind Moses of his disobedience." Zipporah performs the rite of circumcision on their son Gershom in order to save Moses' life and to be obedient to God.
- Jethro and his seven daughters are Midianites. The Midianites were offspring of Abraham and Keturah. These people were monotheistic. They were not idolaters but worshiped one God. I believe this is why Moses made his home with these people for 40 years. They believed very similar to him. They both believed in the one true God!
- This chapter ends on a high note. Aaron and Moses reunite in the wilderness. They both go and assemble the Israelite elders. They tell the elders God's plan, the elders beleive that God is using Moses for their delieverance, and they all worship God. The Israelite faith in God is growing strong. Since they believe in God as their savior, God will deliver them.
Summary
Moses and Aaron confront Pharaoh, and they tell him what God told them to say, "Let my people (the Israelites) go..." Pharaoh's heart is hardened, and he does not let the Israelites go. Instead, Pharaoh imposes heavier work on the Israelites. He says the Israelites are slackers, and he does not let them leave to worship and sacrifice to their God in the wilderness. The Israelites now think and confront Moses saying, that he and God has caused trouble for the Israelite people. Moses returns to God at Mount Sinai, and he asks the Lord why He hasn't delivered the Israelites from bondage. God responds by saying that Pharaoh, "will let them go because of My strong hand; he will drive them out of the land because of My strong hand." God is referring to the ten plagues that will strike Egypt in the days to come.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 5:1-2 - Later, Moses and Aaron went in and said to Pharaoh, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Let My people go, so that they may hold a festival for Me in the wilderness." But Pharaoh responded, "Who is the Lord that I should obey Him by letting Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and what's more, I will not let Israel go."
- Exodus 5:22-23 - So Moses went back to the Lord and asked, "Lord, why have You caused trouble for this people? And why did you eve send me? Ever since I went in to Pharaoh to speak Your name he has caused trouble for this people, and You haven't delivered Your people at all."
- Exodus 6:1 - But the Lord replied to Moses, "Now you are going to see what I will do to Pharaoh: he will let them go because of My strong hand; he will drive them out of his land because of My strong hand."
Thoughts on the Text
- From "Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee": "Chapter 5 begins the contest with Pharaoh. The plagues are leveed against the idolatry of Egypt. It is actually a battle of God with the gods of Egypt. Moses returned to Egypt after an absence of forty years. The deliverer is prepared no to deliver his people. he was to assemble the elders of Israel, and they were to go to Pharaoh and present their request. Pharaoh refused to let Israel go, and this opened the struggle between God and the gods of Egypt...God used the plagues to deliver His people and to let the Egyptians know who He was...The power in Egyptian religion was satanic and Satan grants power to those who worship him...God exposed the gods of Egypt as false, and He revealed to Israel His ability to deliver them."
- In this chapter of Exodus, Moses and Aaron, along with the Israelite elders, go to Pharaoh and ask him to let them go to the wilderness for a few days to worship God. They weren't asking Pharaoh to let them go for good. Nonetheless, Pharaoh refuses to let the Israelites go even for a few days. Pharaoh says, "Who is the Lord that I should obey Him by letting Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and what's more, I will not let Israel go." Pharaoh doesn't believe in the Lord. He doesn't think that the God of Israel, the one true God has any power. Friends, let me tell you, God has all the power. What God wills will happen! If God wants something done, it will be done. Just because you don't believe in something, does not make it untrue. God is still the One true God whether you believe in God or not. Pharaoh's heart is hardened here. He is the ruler of all the land of Egypt. It is his way, or no way. He is sadly mistaken, and God must show Pharaoh and the rest of Egypt that their gods are false, and that it is His (God) way or no way at all. If you are against God you are going to eventually run full speed into a brick wall. Your very life and soul are called into question. This is what God must teach Pharaoh. Pharaoh will give in to God's will after he goes through many consequences for his sins. Lesson learned from this: when we battle God, we will lose! God wants all men, not just the Israelites, to worship him and hold him in regard as the one true God.
- We see that Pharaoh was ruthless. He did not want to listen to anything that Moses and Aaron had to say. They basically asked that all Israelites receive a vacation from work. Instead, Pharaoh makes their work harder and more toiling. He even calls the Israelites slackers for asking for this break from work. Pharaoh was trying to make life for the Israelites unbearable. The Israelites, instead of having faith in God, blame God, Aaron, and Moses for making their life more miserable. We see that the Israelites still had a long way to go. They were just about to embark on a tremendous faith journey of escaping bondage in Egypt and wandering in the desert for 40 years. During this 40 years of wandering, their faith in God would grow; their faith in God would keep them alive; they would rely on God for their very survival. If we were to be honest with ourselves, our faith in the power of God is weak. Through the years we will go through our own 40 years of wandering in the wilderness...spiritually dead...God trying to revive us and bring back to life in him. We must believe in Him, surrender to his calling, and then God will lead us to the Promised Land and save us from a spiritual death. If we are human, God is teaching us. No one is perfect. God has something to teach all of us. In this story God had something to teach Pharaoh, the Egyptian people, Moses and Aaron, and the Israelite people. No one is completely right with the Lord. Each of us has our own flaws. Many times we are oblivious to these flaws, but God loves us nonetheless. God works patiently in our lives, and it is a praise when we submit ourselves to the Lord and ask God to forgive us of our sins, come into our life, and save us! God can and will save us. We can't. The same is true of all the people in this historical account of Exodus. God will save His people. God will save those who acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior!
Summary
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 6:2-5 - Then God spoke to Moses, telling him, "I am Yahweh. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I did not make My name Yahweh known to them. I also established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land they lived in as foreigners. Furthermore, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are forcing to work as slaves, and I have remembered My covenant."
- Exodus 6:7 - I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am Yahweh your God, who delivered you from the forced labor of the Egyptians.
- Exodus 6:27 - Moses ad Aaron were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt in order to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
Thoughts on the Text
- Here we see that God wants to help the Israelites. God wants to fulfill His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Israelites have a broken spirit because of their hard labor, and they don't see the possibility of God's plan coming to fruition. God is ready to make a change in their life, but they aren't ready. How many times are we like this? God wants us to repent of our sins and turn to him. God wants us to put aside bad habits and walk in the light of Christ. But we aren't ready to receive the calling of God. We aren't ready to make the change. God will continue to work on our behalf even if we aren't ready to accept Him and His plan for our life. While we are alive on this earth, God will give us every opportunity to accept Him as Lord and savior. The Israelites needed a sign from God to prove that Moses and Aaron were sent on a mission from God. After God sent the plagues on Egypt, the Israelites believed that God was moving in their midst. They had faith in Yahweh, and they were ready to make a change.
- For a time before and after the Israelites were delivered from their bondage in Egypt they wished things simply remained the way they were. At first, they didn't believe God could deliver them from their bondage becaause they were depressed and weary from their forced labors. After they had been delivered they wandered in the desert for 40 years. During this time they wished that they were back in Egypt instead of wandering around in the wilderness. This is reminiscent of our sin nature. Many times we feel more comfortable to remain in sin than to turn from our sin, repent, and turn to the Lord. We have been in sin so long, that we don't want to leave our sin behind. In a way we almost love our sin; sin is our routine. Putting our sin behind us will require sacrifice. Possibly we will have to lose certain friends, change the places we hang out at, act a different way, and become a completely different person. Changing all these attributes about our self is like wandering in the desert for 40 years. We will never get to the promised Land that God has for us unless we make these life-changing decisions and steps in life. The Israelites would have never left their bondage in Egypt unless they trusted in the Lord and went with Moses into the wearisome wilderness. It takes struggle and change to get to the Promised Land, but if we trust in the Lord, God will take us there.
- Yahweh or Jehovah is the self-existing One. Everything depends upon God and God depends upon nothing. God created all things. No thing created God. Yahweh appears to Moses, and Moses had the privilege of knowing the name of God, Yahweh. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did not know this facet about the Lord.
- In Exodus 6:6-8 God reveals the seven "I wills" of Israelite redemption:
- I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
- I will rid you out of their bondage
- I will redeem you with an outstretched arm
- I will take you to me for a people.
- I will be to you a God
- I will bring you into the land.
- I will give it to you for a heritage
- From "Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee," "Moses was not accepted by the children of Israel; he was not accepted by Pharaoh. God told him to speak to Pharaoh again and Moses is reluctant to go. His eyes are on the circumstances rather than of God." The Israelites found it hard to believe Moses because he was responsible for making their labors more strenuous and burdensome. Moses' and the Israelites' faith is going to grow tremendously throughout the book of Exodus.
- The rest of the chapter contains a partial geneaology of the house of Israel. Below is a family tree of what is recorded in Exodus 6. This genealogy is kind of like Moses' credentials. This genealogy proves that Moses is a descendant of Jacob. Specifically, Moses is descended from the tribe of Levi. Moses is an Israelite, and he has returned to Egypt to save the Israelites from their slavery.
Summary
God encourages Moses. Pharaoh will not listen to Moses, but God will judge Pharaoh and the land of Egypt until Pharaoh listens. Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83 years old when they spoke to Pharaoh. Pharaoh does not listen to what they have to say even though their staff turns into a serpent when they throw it on the ground. God enables Moses to carry out the first plague against Egypt. Moses raises his staff in front of Pharaoh, and all the water in the Nile is turned to blood. The fish in the Nile die, the river stinks, and no one is able to drink the water. Even after this, Pharaoh's heart becomes hardened and he will not listen to Moses. Seven days pass before God strikes Egypt with the second plague.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 7:5 - "The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out My hand against Egypt, and bring out the Israelites from among them."
- Exodus 7:6 - So Moses ad Aaron did this; they did just as the Lord commanded them. Moses was 80 years old and Aaron 83 when they spoke to Pharaoh.
- Exodus 7:13 - However, Pharaoh's heart hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
- Exodus 7:16-18 - "Tell him: The Lord the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me in the wilderness, but so far you have not listened. This is what the Lord says: Here is how you will know that I am the Lord. Watch, I will strike the water in the Nile with the staff in my hand, and it will turn to blood. The fish in the Nile will die, the river will stink, and the Egyptians will be unable to drink water from it."
- Exodus 7:22-23 - But the magicians of Egypt did the same thing by their occult practices. So Pharaoh's heart hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. Pharaoh turned around, went into his palace, and didn't even take this to heart.
Thoughts on the Text
- In Chapter 7 of Exodus we come to the beginning of the ten plagues God inflicts on Egypt. Each plague is a judgement on the gods of Egypt. The first plague is turning all the water in Egypt, namely the Nile River, into blood. From "Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee:" "The fertility of the land of Egypt depended upon the overflow of the Nile River to bring it both fertilizer and water. Therefore this river was sacred to the god Osiris--whose all-seeing eye is found in many Egyptian paintings. Pagan rites were held every spring when the river brought life out of death. When the water was turned to blood, it brought death instead of life. The wise men of Egypt also imitated this plague with their sorcery." "They (the Egyptians) changed monotheism into polytheism. As Sir Wallis Budge has stated it, "They believed in the existence of one great God, self-produced, self-existent, almighty, and eternal. Unfortunately, they felt "that this Being was too great and mighty to concern Himself with the affairs and destinies of human beings." Therefore He "permitted the management of this world...to fall into the hands of hordes of 'gods' and demons, and good and bad spirits." This is what the Egyptians believed." Paul wrote about the Egyptian belief system in Romans 1:22-23, "Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles." God attacks the Egyptian gods to reveal Himself to the Egyptians. How can you know the one true living God when you worship so many false gods? This is one of God's ways of reaching out to the Gentile world in the Old Testament.
- Here we see Moses in this chapter feeling inadequate to be used by God. Apparently, he was not a good speaker, and maybe he was socially awkward, lacking social graces. So, God gets Moses' brother Aaron to help him out with his speeches he delivers to Pharaoh. Moses would be a god to Pharaoh and Aaron would be his prophet; a prophet being one who speaks on God's behalf. This is epic! Again, God can use anyone he wants to fulfill his plans and purpose. It doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter your race or color, it doesn't matter how talented or untalented you are...God can use you. Here we see God use an imperfect man named Moses for His perfect plan and to fulfill his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
- It is scary to think that Satan does have a lot of power on this earth. All the tragedy, all the conflict, all the hatred in man's heart comes from the great deceiver...Satan. In this chapter, Pharaoh's magicians and sorcerers are able to transform their staffs into serpents, and they are able to imitate the turning of water into blood. Satan has power folks! Know your enemy. We are fighting against a powerful foe if we are in God's army. Ephesians 6:12 states, "For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens." Take courage, however, because God's side will always get the victory. We see that in this chapter of Exodus. Yes, these satanic Magicians of Pharaoh are able to seemingly duplicate the wonders and miracles of God. But God defeats them. Moses' staff, once a serpent, swallows all the serpents of the magicians. God wins a victory! Yes, the magicians turn water into blood, but they are not able to turn the bloody Nile River back into water. God does this after seven days. Another victory for the Lord. In both circumstances, Pharaoh's heart is hardened. Satan has control over Pharaoh's heart and mind at this point. I believe the Pharaoh is possessed by one of the demons that he worships. Only God can exorcise the demon, and this exorcism will take place by judgement and more plagues inflicted upon Egypt.
Summary
After the first plague God inflicts on the Egyptians, Pharaoh does not let the Israelites leave Egypt. As a result, God plagues all Egypt with frogs. Pharaoh cons Moses, saying that he will free the Israelites as soon as God removes the frogs from the land of Egypt. God does so, but Pharaoh does not free the Israelites God then plagues Egypt with swarms of gnats. Pharaoh's heart hardens and he still does not let the Israelites go. Swarms of flies are then summoned by God to infest the land. Pharaoh deceptively says that he will let the people go if God stops the flies. He lies again, his heart becomes hardened, and he does not let the Israelites go.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 8:1-2 - Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh and tell him: This is what the Lord says: Let My people go, sot hat they may worship Me. But if you refuse to let them go, then I will plague all your territory with frogs.
- Exodus 8:15 - But when Pharaoh saw there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
- Exodus 8:16 - Then the Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron: stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, and it will become gnats throughout the land of Egypt."
- Exodus 8:19 - "This is the finger of God," the magicians said to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh's heart hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
- Exodus 8:20-21 - The Lord said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh when you see him going out to the water. Tell him: This is what the Lord says: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. But if you will not let My people go, then I will send swarms of flies against you, your officials, your people, and your houses. The Egyptian's' houses will swarm with flies, and so will the land where they live."
- Exodus 8:31-32 - The Lord did as Moses had said: He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, his officials, and his people; not one was left. But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also and did not let the people go.
Thoughts on the Text
- God inflicts three different plagues on the Egyptians in this chapter. Each plague brings terrible destruction to the land of Egypt, but the Pharaoh does not let the Israelites go. He is hard headed and his heart is hardened. Pharaoh's appeals to the Lord are short-lived. During the plague, Pharaoh says that he will let the Israelites go if the plague is removed. After each plague is removed, Pharaoh changes his mind and does not let the Israelites go. This is kind of like the back sliding Christian that will only worship the Lord on a conditional basis. If you do this thing for me Lord, I will worship you with my whole heart; I will tell the world about Christ. After the Lord meets the condition, the promise is broken. I know I am like this at times. When times are good, I seem to forget about God. When times are bad or when I am depressed, I turn to God for help and direction. We should always turn to God in good times or in bad times. We should focus on God throughout our whole life. Our relationship with our Creator should not be conditional. If it is then we turn out to have a hardened heart, just like Pharaoh.
- The second plague mentioned in the Bible is a plague of frogs. Again, all of the plagues are an attack on Egyptian gods and on the Egyptians living in a sinful life of idolatry. God is trying to prove to all the people that the Egyptian gods are false. The God of Israel is the one true God. From "Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee:" "One of the most beautiful temples in Memphis was the temple to Heka, the ugly frog-headed goddess. It was an offense to kill the sacred frog, but if you found them in your house, bed, food, and underfoot everywhere, as the Egyptians did, you might feel like killing them. But they were sacred. The wise men also duplicated this plague which might indicate that their success up to this point was accomplished by slight-of-hand tricks or some similar magical device." In this plague, the Pharaoh's magicians could mimic the plague of frogs, but they could not stop the plague. They had the power of Satan, but even so, they were powerless against God.
- The third plague mentioned in the Bible is a plague of gnats. From "Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee:" "The Egyptians worshiped the earth-god Geb. But "the dust of the and became lice throughout all the land of Egypt." This which was sacred to Geb they now despise. Pharaoh did not ask that this plague be taken away, and the Egyptian sorcerers could not reproduce this pestilence. They seem to have acknowledged that the One who brought this plague was supreme over the gods of Egypt." During this plague, Pharaoh's magicians were powerless to even reproduce this plague like they were able to in the previous plagues. This is the first sign that the magicians were even beginning to acknowledge that the God Moses represented was the one true God. A change is beginning to occur in the hearts of the Egyptian people, but Pharaoh still is stubborn and has a hardened heart towards God and God's plan for the Israelites.
- The fourth plague mentioned in the Bible is a plague of flies. From "Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee:" "It is thought by some that the swarms of flies were actually masses of the sacred beetle. And Khepara was the beetle-god. The beetle, or scarab, is found in the Egyptian tombs and speaks of eternal life. These beetles were sacred to Ra the sun-god". In this plague, God makes a distinction between Israeli occupied land and Egyptian occupied land. During the next plagues that take place, the land of Goshen will not be harmed by the plagues. Only the land of Egypt will be harmed by the plagues. If you remember, Goshen is where all the Israelites lived in the land of Egypt. This was the land that was basically given to Jacob and his sons by Joseph and the Pharaoh of that time. Pharaoh is finally fed up with all the plagues. He tells Moses to go and sacrifice to his God. Moses, however, tells Pharaoh that the Israelites must journey three days into the wilderness to sacrifice to their God. Pharaoh agrees, but as soon as the plague is removed by God from the land, Pharaoh reneges on his promise to let the Israelites go. What Pharaoh doesn't understand is that he is not in control. God is in control. God's plan reigns supreme. There is no stopping God's plan. You are either on board with God's plan or you better get out of the way. Because God's plan is like a freight train; there is no stopping it; there is no compromise. It's either God's way or the highway to hell. Pharaoh is finding this out the hard way. I have to admit. I have done the same in my life as well. We are all sinners. We are all in need of a savior from ourselves and our sin.
Chapter 9: The Fifth Plague: Death of Livestock, The Sixth Plague: Boils, The Seventh Plague: Hail
Summary
Three plagues from God strike the land of Egypt in this chapter. Moses continues to go to Pharaoh and tells him to let the Israelites go. Every time that Pharaoh does not let the people go another plague strikes the land of Egypt. The fifth plague on the land of Egypt is the death of all Egyptian livestock: the horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks. None of the Israelite livestock dies during this plague. After all the Egyptian livestock dies, Pharaoh hardens his heart and does not let the Israelites go. The sixth plague is festering boils on the people nd animals throughout the land of Egypt. Pharaoh's magicians even have boils on them; the Israelites are not struck by this plague. Pharaoh hardens his heart once again, and he does not let the Israelites go. This seventh plague to harm the land of Egypt is a giant hail storm. God sends the worst hail in the history of Egypt to obliterate the land. Any man or animal outside during the hail storm will die. Also, all the crops are destroyed as well. The hail, however, does not fall on the land of Goshen where the Israelites live. Pharaoh finally admits that he has sinned after this plague. He even acknowledges God as the Righteous One, and he tells Moses that he will let the Israelites go after the hail storm ceases. When the storm stopped, Pharaoh hardens his heart, sins again, and does not let the Israelites go.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 9:2 - But if you refuse to let them (the Israelites) go and keep holding them, then the Lord's hand will bring a severe plague against your livestock in the field--the horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks.
- Exodus 9:6-7 - The Lord did this the next day. All the Egyptian livestock died, but none among the Israelite livestock died. Pharaoh sent messengers who saw that not a single one of the Israelite livestock was dead. But Pharaoh's heart was hardened and he did not let the people go.
- Exodus 9:10 - So they took furnace soot and stood before Pharaoh. Moses threw it toward heaven, and it became festering boils on man and beast.
- Exodus 9:12 - But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had told Moses.
- Exodus 9:13-16 - Then the Lord said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh. Tell him: This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews says: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. Otherwise, I am going to send all My plagues against you, your officials, and your people. Then you will know there is no one like Me in all the earth. By now I could have stretched out My hand and stuck you and your people with a plague, and you would have been obliterated from the earth. However, I have let you live for this purpose: to show you My power and to make My name known in all the earth."
- Exodus 9:18 - Tomorrow at this time I will rain down the worst hail that has ever occurred in Egypt from the day it was founded until now.
- Exodus 9:25-26 - Throughout the land of Egypt, the hail struck down everything in the field, both man and beast. The hail beat down every plant of the field and shattered every tree in the field. The only place it didn't hail was in the land of Goshen where the Israelites were.
- Exodus 9:27-28 - Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron. "I have sinned this time," he said to them. "The Lord is the Righteous One, and I and my people are the guilty ones. Make an appeal to the Lord. There has been enough of God's thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don't need to stay any longer."
- Exodus 9:34-35 - When Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart, he and his officials. So Pharaoh's heart hardened, and he did not let the Israelites go, as the Lord had said through Moses.
Thoughts on the Text
- God inflicts Egypt with the 5th, 6th, and 7th plagues. The fifth plague mentioned in the Bible is the death of all the Egyptian live stock. From "Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee:" "Murrain was a disease that affected cattle. The second largest temple that Egypt ever built was located in Memphis and was for the worship of the black bull Apis. You could say that this plague caused the Egyptians to worship a sick cow!" "Apis was supposed to be an embodiment of Ptah of Memphis. Apis, thought to be engendered by a moonbeam was distinguished by several characteristics. A new Apis was always believed to be born upon the death of the old. The dead bull was embalmed and buried in Memphis. His soul then passed to the world beyond as Osiris-Apis." Again, God is punishing the Egyptians for their idolatry and belief in false gods. God is revealing how mighty He is to the Egyptians through these judgements against the land. Even though God has revealed Himself, Pharaoh continually refuses to let the Israelites go. Pharaoh's heart is hardened like many non-believers of today. Today, people simply don't want to believe that Jesus is the son of God that came to earth to bring salvation to the lost. They may believe that Jesus was a good person; perhaps even a profit. But their heart is hardened and they will not believe the truth. God must work on their hearts just as God is working on the heart of Pharaoh. After much judgment and consequences of sin these people along with Pharaoh may come to know and accept the truth.
- The sixth plague mentioned in the Bible is festering boils on all the people and animals of Egypt. From "Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee:" "The priests of all the religions of Egypt had to be spotless--with no mark or blemish on their bodies--in order to serve in the temples. Well, they had a moratorium on worship in Egypt during this period because of the boils that were on all the priests. None of them could serve anywhere. It was actually a judgment on the entire religion of Egypt." "This brings to a halt all of the false worship in Egypt." The magicians had boils all over their bodies, and most likely, Pharaoh had boils all over his body. The Israelites did not get boils on their bodies. This is a miracle of God that can be easily seen and understood by anyone. Nonetheless, Pharaoh's heart is hardened and he does not let the Israelite people go.
- The seventh plague mentioned in the Bible is a tremendously devastating hail storm throughout the land of Egypt. The hail storm does not strike the land of Goshen where the Israelites live. From "Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee:" "God demonstrates His power with the plague of hail over the sky-goddess who is powerless in her own domain." "This plague was directed against Isis (sometimes represented as a cow-headed), goddess of fertility and considered the goddess of the air. She is the mythical daughter of Set and Nut, the sister and wife of Osiris, and the mother of Horus. It is said that the tears of Isis falling into the Nile River caused it to overflow its banks and bring nourishment to the land. Isis was a prominent goddess in Egypt, and the plague of hail was directed against her." In this particular plague God gives the Egyptians a chance to survive. God gives orders to bring livestock, people working in the fields, and everything that you have into shelters. Because every person and animal that is in the field will die when the hail falls on them. Even after all these plagues, signs, and wonders from God many of the Egyptians do not believe that God is going to send a deadly hail storm over the land of Egypt. In Egypt it rains very little, so these people probably thought God was off his rocker. The people that didn't listen to God lost their cattle and many died by the hail. God gives everyone a choice. We can chose to accept Jesus as our personal Lord and savior and go to heaven, or we can deny Jesus and go to hell. Again, God gives everyone a choice, and we chose the judgment that is to come to us. The Egyptians in the Old Testament had the same choice. Pharaoh had the same choice. God gives us love, grace, and mercy. We chose our destruction. We pick our poison. All God wants is for us to believe and have faith in Him!
- In this chapter, Pharaoh actually admits that he has sinned against God and the people of Israel. This is the first step to repentance. Unfortunately, his apologetic way is short-lived as his heart is hardened even more after the hail stops. He still doesn't let the people of Israel go. The worst plagues are yet to come! Pharaoh, the people, and the gods of Egypt are coming under the judgment of God. When or will they repent?
Chapter 10: The Eighth Plague: Locusts and The Ninth Plague: Darkness
Summary
Moses comes before Pharaoh once again. He tells Pharaoh that the Lord commands him to let the Hebrew people go so that they can worship the Lord in the wilderness. If Pharaoh does not comply with God's demands, then God will plague the land with innumerable locusts. The locusts will cover everything in Egypt and destroy the remaining crops and trees. Pharaoh's officials want the Israelites to leave the land of Egypt because God has devastated the land. Pharaoh, on the other hand, will not let all the Israelites go. He agrees to let the men go to worship God in the wilderness, but he will not let the women, children, and livestock to leave the land of Egypt. So, God sends the eighth plague against Egypt: Locusts cover the land. After Egypt is completed devastated, Pharaoh admits that he has sinned against God and the Israelites. Pharaoh asks for forgiveness for his sins, and he asks Moses to make an appeal to the Lord on his behalf. The Lord blows the locusts away from the land of Egypt, but Pharaoh's heart is hardened, and he still does not let the Israelites go. So, God sends the ninth plague of darkness over the land of Egypt. There is a total darkness over the land of Egypt for three days Pharaoh summons Moses, and he tells him that the Israelites can go, but the flocks and herds of the Israelites must stay behind. Moses demands that the livestock must go with the Israelites for food and burnt offerings to the Lord. All of the livestock must go. Pharaoh does not comply, his heart becomes hardened, and he does not let the Israelites go. Pharaoh gets very angry and tells Moses that if he ever sees his face again he will die.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 10:1-2 - Then the Lord said to Moses, " Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may do these miraculous signs of Mine among them, and so that you may tell your son and grandson how severely I dealt with the Egyptians and performed miraculous signs among them, and you will know that I am the Lord."
- Exodus 10:4-5 - But if you refuse to let My people go, then tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory. They will cover the surface of the land so that no one will be able to see the land. They will eat the remainder left to you that escaped the hail; they will eat every tree that you have growing in the fields."
- Exodus 10:16-17 - Pharaoh urgently sent for Moses and Aaron and said, "I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. Please forgive my sin once more and make an appeal to the Lord your God, so that He will take this death away from me.
- Exodus 10:20 - But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the Israelites go.
- Exodus 10:21 - Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, and there will be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that can be felt."
- Exodus 10:24-25 - Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, "Go, worship the Lord. Even your families may go with you; only your flocks and your herds must stay behind." Moses responded, "You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings to prepare for the Lord our God."
- Exodus 10:27-28 - But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he was unwilling to let them go. Pharaoh said to him, "Leave me! Make sure you never see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you will die."
Thoughts on the Text
- This chapter is about the eighth and ninth plagues sent against Pharaoh, the Egyptians, and the Egyptian gods. The eighth plague to strike Egypt was a plague of locusts that covered the land and destroyed the rest of the vegetation that was left behind after the hail storm. From "Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee:" "The judgment of the locusts was against the insect gods. The plague of locusts meant the crops were cursed. This was an evidence of the judgment of God as found in the books of Joel and Revelation also." "The locust is used in Scripture as a picture of judgment. A plague of locusts is probably on of the worst things man has to face. The prophet Joel described a plague of locusts in the past, which is a matter of history, then predicted a judgment that is yet future for mankind. The Book of Revelation also mentions a great plague of locusts that will come upon the Earth. These insects probably ad a greater effect upon the land of Egypt than any of the previous plagues that had come upon the land."
- Pharaoh makes an admission of sin after the locusts are destroying the land of Egypt. It makes me wonder if this admission of guilt is heartfelt and sincere, or did you just say that he was wrong to get the plague to come to an end. I am siding with the latter because immediately after the plague of locusts ends, Pharaoh's heart hardens and he does not the Israelite people go. Pharaoh temporarily repents, then he falls back to his old ways. Pharaoh is not willing to humble himself before God. If he humbles himself before God, he will basically humble himself before all the Hebrew people. Pharaoh will never humble himself before his slaves. Pharaoh wants the power; Pharaoh wants the control. He doesn't see that God has all the power and control. The Lord will be forced to humble Pharaoh, and dethrone him for his kingly pedestal.
- The ninth plague to strike Egypt was a plague of darkness for three days. The whole land of Egypt turns to black. No one can see anything unless they have candles or fires burning. Obviously, all work stops and the Israelite slaves are not being productive. This truly is unnerving to Pharaoh. From "Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee:" "God moved in the darkness against the chief god that was worshiped--the sun-god Ra. The sun disc is the most familiar symbol found in Egyptian ruins. The plague of darkness shows the utter helplessness off Ra." After darkness covered the land of Egypt for three days Pharaoh proposed a fourth compromise to Moses. He agreed to let all the Israelites go, but their livestock must remain behind. Moses turned down the compromise for the cattle would come into play when offering burnt offerings to the Lord during worship. Pharaoh gets very angry. After all, he has conceded a great deal, but there will be no compromise. Pharaoh threatens to kill Moses if he ever sees him again. So, Moses agrees to never see Pharaoh's face again.
- The compromises that Pharaoh proposes to Moses reminds me of how many Christians, including myself, compromise our faith. We go to church on Sunday, and then the rest of the week we put God, and our Christian walk on the back burner. We watch filthy movies, tell dirty joke and use bad language at work, we don't pray or read the Bible, and we get involved in many other sinful activities and live a generally sinful lifestyle. We go to church, and get a dose of Christian medicine, like that will atone for all the bad things we do during the week. The person that lives like this is not living like a true Christian. god has a higher calling for our lives, and He wants us to live a righteous life every day of the week. God wants us to turn to him at all times. Not just on Sundays. We either accept God fully , or we don't accept Him at all. God will not accept compromise!
Summary
God tells Moses that he will strike Egypt with one more plague. After this plague Pharaoh will let the people of Israel go. The plague will be the death of all firstborn children, both male and female, and the death of all firstborn livestock. God will make a distinction between the Israelites and the Egyptians. None of the Israelite firstborn children or livestock will die. God will show the Egyptians and Israelites his almighty power and that He is the one true God. Moses warns Pharaoh and the Pharaoh's officials about the impending doom. Unfortunately, the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the Israelites leave Egypt.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 11:1 - The Lord said to Moses, "I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will drive you out of here."
- Exodus 11:4-5 - So Moses said, "This is what the Lord says: 'About midnight I will go throughout Egypt and every firstborn male in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the servant girl who is behind the millstones, as well as every firstborn of the livestock.'"
- Exodus 11:9-10 - The Lord said to Moses, "Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt." Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his land.
Thoughts on the Text
- This chapter in Exodus introduces God's final plague against Egypt: The death of all firstborn. From "Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee:" "According to the religion of Egypt, the firstborn belonged to the gods of Egypt. In other words, God took what was set aside for the gods of Egypt. God was teaching the Egyptians who He was. He was convincing Pharaoh that he was God. Also He was bringing His own people to the place where they were willing to acknowledge Him as their God. This was the final act of judgment that would free Israel from Egyptian bondage." "It is important to understand that there was purpose in the plagues of Egypt. God challenged the gods of Egypt to a contest and defeated them."
- Pharaoh and the people of Egypt have been through so much by this point. One must question, why did Pharaoh not let the Israelite people go sooner? Why did there have to be so much pain and suffering before Pharaoh had a change of heart? After all the previous plagues and a warning of the final Plague, Pharaoh's heart is still hardened, and he will not let the people of Israel go. Pharaoh has not learned his lesson yet, but I believe many of the people of Israel had learned a lesson before the final plague. In scripture it says, "The Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. And the man Moses was feared in the land of Egypt, by Pharaoh's officials and the people." By this point most of the Egyptians knew that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was the one true God. I believe the people of Egypt were willing too comply, but Pharaoh would not budge.
- We see here that the Israelites asked their Egyptian neighbors for gold and silver jewelry. The Egyptians willingly gave this to them because they feared the God of the Israelites. This was basically like receiving a back payment for wages that they never received as slaves. This was their farewell parting give in preparation for their trek into the wilderness.
Summary
God strikes Egypt with the final plague: Death of every firstborn male and firstborn male livestock. Before God inflicts this plague on Egypt, He commands the Israelites to sacrifice a one year old unblemished goat or lamb, eat it the same night, burn the remains, and put its blood around the door entrance to their homes. This is to happen on the 14th day of the first month of the year. On that day, God will carry out the tenth plague against Egypt, but when God sees the blood on the door frames He will Passover that house and leave the firstborn children unharmed. After God told this to Moses, Moses spread the message to all the Israelites in Egypt. At midnight on the 14th day of the first month of the year, the Lord struck every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh to the firstborn of his prisoner in the dungeon, and every firstborn of the livestock. After this, Pharaoh wails because he lost his firstborn son, and he begs Moses to take all the Israelites, their possessions, and livestock and leave Egypt. The Egyptians want them to leave so badly that they gave the Israelites silver and gold jewelry and clothing. The Israelites traveled from Rameses to Succoth, about 600,000 soldiers on foot, besides their families. An ethnically diverse crowd also went up with them, along with a huge number of livestock, both flocks and herds. The Israelites lived in Egypt for 430 years. God establishes this Passover as a memorial celebratory festival for all future Israelite generations.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 12:12-13 - "I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and strike every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, both man and beast. I am the Lord; I will execute judgments against all the gods of Egypt. The blood on the house where you are staying will be a distinguishing mark for you; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will be among you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt."
- Exodus 12:14 - "This day is to be a memorial for you, and you must celebrate it as a festival to the Lord. You are to celebrate it throughout your generations as a permanent statute."
- Exodus 12:29-30 - Now at midnight the Lord struck every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the prisoner who was in the dungeon, and every firstborn of the livestock. During the night Pharaoh got up, he along with all his officials and all the Egyptians, and there was a loud wailing throughout Egypt because there wasn't a house without someone dead.
- Exodus 12:31-32 - He summoned Moses and Aaron during the night and said, "Get up, leave my people, both you and the Israelites, and go, worship the Lord as you have asked. Take even your flocks and your herds as you asked, and leave, and this will also be a blessing to me."
- Exodus 12:37 - The Israelites traveled from Rameses to Succoth, about 600,000 soldiers on foot, besides their families.
- Exodus 12:40-41 - The time that the Israelites lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of 430 years, on that same day, all the divisions of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.
Thoughts on the Text
- Finally, after ten devastating plagues, Pharaoh's hardened heart softens up, and he finally tells the people of Israel to leave Egypt and go worship God in the wilderness. It took so much turmoil, ,strife, and heartache before Pharaoh comes to the conclusion that the God of the Israelites is the one true God. God took Pharaoh's firstborn son along with all the other firstborn males of Egypt. Pharaoh finally breaks down. He along with the whole nation of Egypt wail and weep at their loss. God slays the Egyptian gods, and it is a hard lesson for Pharaoh and the rest of the Egyptians. If only we would listen to God from the start. Then we could avoid many of the upsets, difficulties, and tragedies that we experience in our life. Unfortunately, many of us are like Pharaoh. We have to go to the school of hard knocks and learn the hard way. Thank God for the Bible. It serves as a constant reminder as to how we are to live this life while on Earth.
- From "Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee:" "The Feast of the Passover was instituted as a memorial to Israel's deliverance from Egypt and their adoption as Jehovah's nation. The Passover is a festival that laid the foundation of the nation Israel's birth into a new relationship with God." This Passover is a foreshadowing of Christ the Messiah dying on the cross as a way to pass over and forgive us of our sins. 1 Corinthians 5:7 states, "clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch. You are indeed unleavened, for Christ our Passover has been sacrificed."
- In this chapter God creates the beginning of months or the first month of the year for the Israelites. The beginning of the Jewish year is called Nissan. This month lasts for 30 days and spans the months of March and April. January is not the first of the year according to the Bible and the Jewish calendar. January is in the dead of winter. It is an odd time to begin the new year. The Jewish new year begins in spring time, which is a time of rebirth and growth where God makes all things new. This makes more sense to me.
- The Passover is a family and individual affair. There must be an unblemished lamb or goat sacrificed for each family. Each family member must eat some of the lamb, and the blood of the lamb must be spread on the door posts of the house in order for God to pass over and not kill the firstborn son. Likewise, each of us, Gentiles in the modern day, must partake of the Lamb of God in order to be saved from our sins. We must believe that Christ died for our sins, and the blood he shed set us free from death, giving us eternal life with Christ our Lord. Again, the Passover is an individual affair. We all must have our own individual faith in the Lord. We all must make our own decision to follow Jesus. No one else can make that decision for us. Our destiny lies in our own hands. We must believe in the power of the Holy Spirit and the blood of the Lamb! This scripture in the Old Testament undoubtedly points towards the ultimate Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus is also known as the Lamb of God. He is known this way because of the Passover. John 1:29 states, "...Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"
- If Jesus never came to Earth, then we would still be sacrificing animals to atone for our sins. This is basically what Israel did during the old Testament. Just during the Passover alone, 1,000s of lambs must have been sacrificed. Throughout history, without Jesus as our atoning sacrifice, we would have had to sacrifice billions of unblemished lambs! Thank God for the reality of John 3:16!
- From "Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee:" "...they (the Israelites) were to eat the flesh of the lamb roast with fire. Fire speaks of judgment. There must be judgment of sin. They were to eat the lamb with unleavened bread. Leaven speaks of sin, and unleavened bread speaks of Christ as the One we are to feed upon. They were also to partake of this meal with bitter herbs. Although there are different meaning attached to these herbs, in this context I believe it means that our experience will not always be sweet after we have received Jesus Christ as Savior. The bitter herbs go with redemption."
- If you are a believer, there will come a point in time where an unbeliever will make a statement to this affect: "How can a loving God take innocent life? How can God let so many bad things happen in this world? How can God kill all the firstborn sons of Egypt? I think God is a murderer, and I will not believe in him." God is not a murderer. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. God created us. He has the power to destroy us. We all must meet our maker in due time, one way or another. This is simply the way things are. Does anyone have a good rebuttal for these kinds of questions? In this story, Egypt could have escaped this judgment had Pharaoh listened to the Lord sooner. If only Pharaoh had let the Israelites go after the first sign from God, Israel would not have suffered all ten plagues. This brings to mind that many times our sufferings are our own fault.
- The Israelites left Egypt with well over 1,000,000 people. There were 600,000 soldiers on foot alone. This does not account for all the woman and children that came along with them. The Nation of Israel was born when the Israelites made their Exodus from Egypt.
- From "Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee:" "In addition to the Israelites that left Egypt, a mixed multitude (half-breeds in which Israelites married Egyptians) left with them. They will be the cause of much trouble in the camp of Israel...(These half-breeds) often wondered if they had made a mistake, and when trouble and hardship came they were the first to complain." Many of this mixed multitude will also turn the Israelites to pagan idolatry as well.
- God welcomes all people to come to him and experience a life and soul saving relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. God even welcomed the foreigner, or Gentile, to participate in the Passover festival if he or she believed in the God of Israel. Gentile males would have to be circumcised to partake in the Passover. God does not bar anyone from coming to him. God loves all people, and He gives all people a chance to know Him!
Chapter 13: Passover Instruction and The Route of the Exodus
Summary
- Exodus 13:14-16 - "In the future, when your son asks you, 'what does this mean?' say to him, 'By the strength of His hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of man to the firstborn of livestock. That is why I sacrifice to the Lord all the firstborn of the womb that are males, but I redeem all the firstborn of my sons.' So let it be a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead, for the Lord brought us out of Egypt by the strength of His hand."
- Exodus 13:18 - So He led the people around toward the Red Sea along the road of the wilderness. And the Israelites left the land of Egypt in battle formation.
- Exodus 13:21 - The Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to lead them on their way during the day and in a pillar of fire to give them light at night, so that they could travel day or night.
Thoughts on the Text
- In this chapter God gives Moses and the Israelites the command to celebrate the Passover festival on a yearly basis. God gives them instructions on how to perform the Passover festival. God also gives the Israelites the reasoning behind the Passover festival. It will serve as a yearly reminder that God delivered the Israelites out of the hands of the Egyptians. Also, it will be a remembrance of how God spared or redeemed all of the firstborn males with the blood of an unblemished firstborn male lamb. After God gives instructions concerning the Passover, God leads the Israelites on a wilderness road towards the Red Sea. They do not go into Philistine territory because God had foresight to know that a war could possibly break out. This would cause many of the Israelites to return to Egypt. The Israelites avoid war and march in battle formation from Succoth to Etham. They are on the edge of the wilderness, and little do they know, they will be wandering through the wilderness for the next 40 years.
- In this chapter we see that God wants the best of the flock to be sacrificed in order to redeem us. God wants the firstborn as His own. Like wise, God wants our best when we follow Him. God wants to be first in our lives. Many times, however, we give God no time at all. Our lives are so busy. Maybe at the end of the day we study the Bible or pray, but many times we neglect to do this. Imagine a world where we all gave God our best. Imagine a world where we all actually put God first in our lives. There would still be hard times and difficulties to overcome, but this world would be much better off.
- God makes a statute for the Israelites to follow in this chapter. From here on out, the Israelites are to observe the Passover Feast and the Feast of Unleavened Bread on a yearly basis. This is something they should do every year, and they should teach all future generations the history and reasoning behind it. All future generations must remember that God delivered them out of the land of Egypt. God is their savior and redeemer. God is the one in control. We must also remember this and tell our children and grandchildren about the Bible. Doing this is wise, and it will spread God's wisdom onward into the future of humanity on Earth. Without God, and the wisdom from the Bible, there will be no peace on earth. In the present day, we are to remember that Jesus Christ redeemed us from the pit of sin. 1 Peter 1:18-19 states, "For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from the fathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish."
- We also see in this chapter that Joseph's last wish is fulfilled. Genesis 50:24-25 states, "...I am about to die, but God will certainly come to your aid and bring you up from this land to the land He promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." So Joseph mad the sons of Israel take an oath: "When God comes to your aid, you are to carry my bones up from here." Joseph was buried in Egypt after his death. His remains were placed in a coffin. Over 200 years later, Moses remembers Joseph's final request and takes the bones with the Israelites into the wilderness on their journey to the Promised Land.
- No other nation in history has had the visible presence of God guide them by day and by night. The Israelites did! The Glory of God in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night was leading them on their travels through the wilderness. This is incredible, and many times this is overlooked in scriptures. This miracle of God is just as amazing as the parting of the Red Sea or the Burning Bush. God was guiding the Israelites day by day throughout the wilderness. God was getting them prepared spiritually to enter into the Promised Land! This was truly God's chosen people. No group of people or church has had the Glory of God lead them in physical form. Now, we pray and read the scriptures, and God graciously leads us by His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. Amen!
Summary
God tells the Israelites to wander around by the Red Sea to confuse Pharaoh and make him think that they are lost. Pharaoh will pursue the Israelites and God intends to destroy the Egyptian Army. Sure enough, the Egyptians--all Pharaoh's horses, chariots, horsemen, and his army--chased after them and caught up with them as they camped by the Red Sea. The Israelites begin to panic. They think that they will be slaughtered by the Egyptians in the wilderness. As the Egyptian army approaches, Moses calms the people saying that God is going to come to the rescue. God parts the Red Sea, and the Israelites cross to the other side of the shore walking on dry ground. The Egyptians pursue the Israelites through the parted sea. God causes the Red Sea to collapse upon them. The waters engulf them, and none of the Egyptians survive. That day the Lord saved the Israelites from the power of the Egyptians. Afterward, the people feared the Lord and believed in Him and his servant Moses.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 14:8-9 - The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the Israelites, who were going out triumphantly. The Egyptians--all Pharaoh's horses and chariots, his horsemen, and his army--chased after them and caught up with them as they camped by the sea beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-sephon.
- Exodus 14:13-14 - But Moses said to the people, "Don't be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord's salvation He will provide for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet."
- Exodus 14:21-22 - Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back with a powerful east wind all that night and turned the sea into dry land. So the waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with the waters like a wall to them on their right and their left.
- Exodus 14:27-28 - So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal depth. While the Egyptians were trying to escape from it, the Lord overthrew them in the sea. The waters came back and covered the chariots and horsemen, the entire army of Pharaoh, that had gone after them into the sea. None of them survived.
- Exodus 14:30-31 - That day the Lord saved Israel from the power of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. When Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and believed in Him and in His servant Moses.
Thoughts on the Text
- This is the story of about 2.5 million Israelites escaping Egyptian slavery. That amount of people is hard to comprehend, and to think that they all cross the Red Sea and wander in the desert for 40 years. It is literally a miracle that they survive. It would take so much food to feed that many people. We find out later that God provides both food and water for them in the wilderness. Back to the story at hand. The Israelites leave Egypt, and they can't hide their movement into the wilderness. Pharaoh probably has spies watching them, so he knows exactly where they are. He thinks they are lost in the wilderness. The most likely route to take to get to the land of Canaan would be the coastal route through the land of the Philistines. The Israelites don't take this route in order to avoid war with the Philistines. They reach the Red Sea, and all hope seems lost for the Israelites. The Egyptians are in hot pursuit behind them, and a great big sea has cut off their safe passage in front of them. There is no where to go! All hope is lost, they think they will perish in the wilderness, and without the help of God they are doomed. God comes to the rescue. God once again brings the Israelites salvation! When we feel that all hope is lost, if we turn to God, He will be our salvation. God is there for His people. God works on behalf of us and He wants to save us. We simply must accept and receive his salvation. God will deliver us from our sins just like he delivered the Israelites from the slavery of the Egyptians. God isn't going to take you out to the wilderness to die. God doesn't want sin to ruin your life. God will part the waters, let you walk across the sea bed on dry ground, and He will lead you to God's golden shore that is a vast distance away from the black shore of sin.
- There is no natural phenomena that explains the parting of the Red Sea. Both history and science have trouble explaining this awesome Biblical event. The parting of the Red Sea did happen whether science can explain it or not. The fact is, God performed a magnificent, all-powerful miracle, and He saved the Israelites from the Egyptians. It was a miracle, and yes, miracles are real! God can still work miracles in the present day as well. We just have to have faith and pay attention. God works miracles everyday that go unnoticed. Just the fact that we are alive, breathing, and living life is a miracle. Someone helping someone in need is a miracle. Birth of newborn babies is a miracle. How are whole economic system works is a miracle. There are countless miracles! Sometimes we are so busy and consumed in our daily life to notice. Take time to notice the small things, and you will be grateful to God!
- In this chapter, the Angel of God and the "pillar of cloud" come between the Egyptian and Israelite forces. Some believe that the Angel of God here is the pre-incarnate Christ and the "pillar of cloud" is the Holy Spirit. Perhaps this cloud brought darkness to the Egyptians but light to the Israelites. The "pillar of cloud" and the Angel of God lead the Israelites through the wilderness. In essence, the Holy Spirit is leading the Israelites. When Jesus ascended into heaven, He left us the Holy Spirit in our hearts. We, as Christians, are led by the Holy Spirit today. The Holy Spirit within us is supernatural. Likewise, the "pillar of cloud" and the Angel of God assisting and leading the Israelites in the wilderness is supernatural. God delivers his people, in both the past, present, and future by His power. And the power of God lives in us by the Holy Spirit. God can use us to perform His miracles just as he used Moses to part the Red Sea!
Summary
Moses and the Israelites sing a song to the Lord. The song summarizes the events that took place when God saved the Israelites from the Egyptian pursuit. Then, Moses led the Israelites out from the Red Sea to the wilderness of Shur. They traveled for three days in the wilderness without finding water. They found water at Marah, but it was bitter undrinkable water. The Lord enabled Moses to perform a miracle. Moses threw a tree into the water, and the water became drinkable. At Marah, Moses foreshadows the coming of the Ten Commandments. He says, "If you will carefully obey the Lord your God, do what is right in His eyes, pay attention to His commands, and keep all His statutes, I will not inflict any illness on you like I inflicted on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you. After the Israelites thirst was quenched, Moses led them to Elim. At Elim there were 12 springs of water and 70 date palms. The Israelites made camp here by the waters.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 15:1-3 - ...I will sing to the Lord for He is highly exalted; He has thrown the horse and its rider into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God, and I will exalt Him. The Lord is a warrior; Yahweh is His name.
- Exodus 15:11-13 - Lord, who is like you among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, revered with praises, performing wonders? You stretched out Your right hand, and the earth swallowed them. You will lead the people You have redeemed with Your faithful love; You will guide them to Your holy dwelling with Your strength.
- Exodus 15:17-18 - You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of Your possession; Lord, You have prepared the place for Your dwelling; Lord, Your hands have established the sanctuary. The Lord will reign forever and ever.
- Exodus 15:26 - He said, "If you will carefully obey the Lord your God, do what is right in His eyes, pay attention to His commands, and keep all His statutes, I will not inflict any illness on you I inflicted on the Egyptians, For I am the Lord who heals you."
Thoughts on the Text
- Right after the Israelites cross the Red Sea, escape slavery, and see the Egyptians perish they sing a song to the Lord. The song is about the power of God, and it is about how God saved and redeemed the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt! J Vernon McGee says it very eloquently in his book: "Friends, this is what happens when you trust the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. He is the One who takes us out of the Egyptian bondage and the Egyptian darkness of this world. He leads us across the Red Sea. It is His deliverance and His salvation and His redemption. He brings us to the place where we can lift a song of redemption unto Him. Then we are joined to Him. We are baptized into Christ. First Corinthians 12:13 says, "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." The Holy Spirit is the one who joins us to Christ and causes us to become one with Him. It is a wonderful thing to be joined to Him!
- The Israelites are praising God in this chapter. They sing a joyous song of redemption and victory to the Lord. If we remember, just prior, before they were saved by God, they were singing the blues. Recall that the Israelites questioned Moses and wondered why he brought them out to the wilderness simply to die. After all, there was plenty of coffins to be buried in back in Egypt. We will see this type of polar opposite mental switch with the Israelites. One moment they will have strong faith in the Lord and praise the Lord. Another minute later, they will question God and think that God has forsaken them in the wilderness. This can happen in our daily Christian walk as well. When things are going good, we give God the glory. Once things take a dive south, we question our faith in God and question God even. We need to try our best to remain solid on the cornerstone of Jesus Christ at all times, whether good or bad.
- It is pretty evident by this chapter and the song that the Israelites sang, that the Lord is a God of war. God is to be revered and God is to be feared. God will bring about peace with the sword. Sometimes war and destruction is the only way to rid the earth of unrighteousness. Many other people groups in the Bible are going to fear God and the Israelites now because of what God did to the Egyptian army. God is on Israel's side, and God is to be feared.
- Three days later, Moses had led the Israelites out to the wilderness of Shur. The Israelites are thirsting to death. The waters of Egypt can no longer quench the Israelite's thirst. Now they must find a new source of water to quench their thirst; a water provided by God. This is a parallelism of our walk with Christ. Once we are saved, the old ways in which we used to live no longer satisfy us anymore. We must live as Christ in order to be satisfied; otherwise we will be spiritually thirsty. John 7:37 states, "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink." After we are saved and redeemed by Jesus, He is the only one that can quench our thirst. Everything else pales in comparison.
- We should always bear in mind, that once we are saved, life will not always be trouble free. There will be hardships along the way in our Christian walk. Once the Israelites were saved, they journeyed into the wilderness and almost thirst to death. Moses throws a tree into the water and it makes the water of Marah sweet and drinkable. This foreshadows how the cross of Jesus Christ will make sweet the Marah experiences of life! The cross is our victory, and it is what we look towards during our trials and tribulations.
Chapter 16: Manna and Quail Provided
Summary
The Israelites departed from Elim and came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai. They began grumbling and talking behind Aaron and Moses' backs. They feared they all would soon die of hunger and wished they had stayed in Egypt. God hears the complaints of the Israelites. God sends them flocks of quail and rained down manna from heaven at the Israelite camp in Sin. This happened for six days and on the seventh day God created the Sabbath. Therefore, on the sixth day God gave them two days worth of bread, and the people are to rest on the seventh day. The Israelites ate manna for 40 years, until they reached the border of the land of Canaan.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 16:2-3 - The entire Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the Lord's hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat and ate all the bread we wanted. Instead, you brought us into this wilderness to make this whole assembly die of hunger!"
- Exodus 16:8 - Moses continued, "The Lord will give you meat to eat this evening and abundant bread in the morning, for He has heard the complaints that you are raising against Him. Who are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord."
- Exodus 16:28-30 - "Then the Lord said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep My commands and instructions? Understand that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day He will give you two days' worth of bread. Each of you stay where you are; no one is to leave his place on the seventh day." So the people rested on the seventh day.
- Exodus 16:35 - The Israelites ate manna for 40 years, until they came to an inhabited land. They ate manna until they reached the border of the land of Canaan.
Thoughts on the Text
- In this chapter, the Israelites travel from Elim to the wilderness of Sin. Here the entire Israelite community begins grumbling to the Lord because they have no food or water. They fear that they will die in the desert. They wish that they stayed behind in Egypt. Even though the forced labor was hard, they at least had plenty of food and water in Egypt. This reveals to me that people have a very short-term memory. The Israelites must have already forgot how God delivered them from the Egyptians. God just split an entire sea. Would this same God lead them into the wilderness to die? Definitely not. Israel is God's chosen people. He has definitely not forgotten them. I believe God is humbling the Israelites here. After hearing their complaints, God gives them quail and manna from heaven. God is trying to teach the Israelites that He is in control. The Israelites are dependent on God both for their physical survival and spiritual life. God is in control, and God will teach this to the Israelites for the next 40 years that they wander through the wilderness.
- This chapter is filled with symbolism that points to our sin nature and Jesus Christ. The Israelites were literally living in a place called Sin. In Sin, they are about to die from thirst and starvation. God literally gives them quail and manna for their sustenance. This directly points to Christ. When we are living in sin and according to our sin nature, Jesus Christ is our only hope of salvation. When we are living in sin we are spiritually starving. Jesus Christ comes into our life, and he provides sustenance to our spirit. Here, we can say that Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life. Jesus Christ reigns down this Bread of Life our entire life while we are on the earth. John 6:32-35 states, "..."Very truly, I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heave but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heave. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." "Sir," they said, "always give us this bread." The Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."
- It is interesting to note that God gave the Israelites the Sabbath day before the formal giving of the law, or the Ten Commandments. This shows how important the Sabbath day is to God. We should observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy whether you are a Gentile or Jew.
- From "Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee:" "A pot of manna was put in the ark, which is describe in greater detail in the final part of Exodus. In the ark were placed three things: (1) Aaron's rod that budded, (2) the pot of manna, and (3) the Ten Commandments. The Law speaks of the fact that Christ alone kept the Law. He fulfilled it for you and me. The manna also speaks of Christ's death for us. He is provided as spiritual food for us. Aaron's rod that budded speaks of His resurrection. Then placed over the ark, serving as the lid was the mercy seat where the blood was sprinkled. Christ alone was ale to meet the demands of God. He alone is able to save, and He can save us because He shed His own blood. Because of that, God can extend mercy to man, the sinner."
- The Israelites ate manna in the wilderness for 40 years. I believe that some more complaining and grumbling will result from this. I'm sure they thought, who wants to eat the same dad-blasted thing over and over again for 40 years. I'm sure they will complain (we would too), instead of being thankful and grateful to God.
- Other Bible verses of interest
- Psalm 34:8 - Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
- John 6:51 - I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
Summary
The Israelites left Sin and began wandering through the desert. They begin to thirst almost to the point of death. So, they started grumbling and testing God. Moses even feared for his life thinking that the people would stone him. So, God enabled Moses to strike a boulder at Horeb with his staff and fresh water flowed out for the people to drink. At Rephidim, where the Israelites were camped, Amalek attacks. Joshua, under Moses' command, defeats the Amalekites. God says that He will completely blot out the memory of Amalek. Afterward, Moses builds an altar and names it "The Lord is My Banner," or Yahweh-nissi.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 17:1-2 - The entire Israelite community left the Wilderness of Sin, moving from one place to the next according to the Lord's command. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So the people complained to Moses: "Give us water to drink."
- Exodus 17:6 - I am going to stand there in front of you on the rock at Horeb; when you hit the rock, water will come out of it and the people will drink."
- Exodus 17:8 - At Rephidim, Amalek came and fought against Israel.
- Exodus 17:13-16 - So Joshua defeated Amalek and his army with the sword. The Lord then said to Moses, "Write this down on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua: I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek under heaven." And Moses built an altar and named it, "The Lord is My Banner." He said, "Indeed, my hand is lifted up toward the Lord's throne. The Lord will be at war with Amalek from generation to generation."
Thoughts on the Text
- The Israelites have left Sin and are now wandering through the wilderness. There is no water to be found, and they start thirsting to death. This obviously causes much complaining and grumbling. Moses is even afraid that the people are going to stone him for bringing them into the wilderness to die. God instructs Moses what to do, and God performs another miracle through Moses. Moses hits a rock at Horeb with his staff and water comes gushing out. The people of Israel are saved once again. This can be seen as a picture of our Christian life. How often do we complain and grumble to God is things don't go our way. I'm sure we all do it from time to time. To me, this is a lesson to trust God always. We need to learn to trust God in the good times and the bad times. When times are uncertain in life we should trust God even more. The more we trust and have faith in God, the more he will help us get through troublesome times in our life. We should also remember that God is with us at all times. God never forsakes us; He is right in front of us and inside of us, watching our every move. God is there with us; He will lead us through the storm.
- The Rock at Horeb that provided water to the Israelites represents and points forward to Jesus Christ, the rock of our salvation and the water of life. 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 states, "Now I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ." Psalm 61:2 also provides an illustration of God as the rock of our salvation: "I call to You from the ends of the earth when my heart is without strength. Lead me to a rock that is high above me." Psalm 78:35 explains, "They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their Redeemer." God is unwavering, solid as a rock, and a constant help in times of trouble and need.
- From "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee:" "You can fall on the Rock Christ Jesus for salvation, but no human effort is able to get water from this Rock. Only when the rock was smitten did it bring forth life-giving waters. Jesus was crucified, and nothing short of believing that He died in your place and bore your sins on that cross will save you. The smitten rock is a picture of the death of Jesus Christ."
- From "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee:" "Amalek was a descendant of Esau, and the Amalekites had become enemies of Israel. They never ceased to be Israel's enemies. For the first time the children of Israel engage in warfare." It is interesting to note that the Israelites descended from Jacob while the Amalekites descended from Esau. We know the story of Jacob and Esau; how Esau wanted to kill Jacob for stealing his birthright and firstborn blessing. This family strife from hundreds of years ago is still impacting the Israelites. After all this time, the Israelites and the Amalekites (or Esauites if you will) are still bitter towards one another. This reveals how one sin can have an impact that lasts for generations to come.
- Some commentators believe that the battle here, between the Israelites and the Amalekites, is a battle that rages on between the spirit and the flesh. The Israelites could not win this battle on their own. Only through the power of prayer were the Israelites able to defeat the Amalekites. Moses, Aaron, and Hur went on a hilltop overlooking the battlefield, prayed, and Moses held his hands up for the duration of the battle. Whenever Moses put his hands down the Amalekites would begin overtaking the Israelites. When he put his hands back up the Israelites would start winning the battle. This is a picture of our battle with the flesh. We must pray to God in order to overcome our sin nature. When we stop praying, diving into the Word, and spending time in fellowship with other Christian believers the sin nature overtakes us. We must be diligent about the Lord's business or we will lose the battle! Only the Spirit of God can overcome the flesh. The last part of this chapter says that the Lord will be at war with Amalek from generation to generation. Likewise, humanity and the Spirit of God will be at war with the flesh from generation to generation. One day God will defeat the Amalekites and our old fleshly nature for good. Only God can win the victory of good over evil. 1 Corinthians 15:52-57 confirms this, "We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed,
in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.
For this corruptible must be clothed
with incorruptibility, and this mortal must be clothed with immortality.
When this corruptible is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up in victory.
Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?
Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." - In this chapter we are first introduced to Joshua. Moses appoints Joshua as the leader of the Israelite army. Later on Joshua will succeed Moses and lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. As of now, God is training Joshua to become the man of God who follows God and has a heart for God and the people of Israel.
Summary
Sometime before the Israelites escaped from Egypt, Moses sent his wife and sons back to Jethro (Moses' father-in-law). After the great escape, Jethro comes to visit Moses at the mountain of God, or Mt. Sinai. Moses' wife and sons come to visit him also. Moses tells Jethro how the Israelites were rescued from Egyptian slavery. Jethro's faith in God is strengthened. Moses has become the "judge" of Israel and whenever there is a dispute, it comes to him, and he makes a decision between one man and another. Moses is teaching the Israelites God's statues and laws. Jethro tells Moses that he will wear himself out if he tries to judge every case himself. So, he advises Moses to establish a basic judicial system; one in which Moses appoints trustworthy, God-fearing men to settle minor disputes. Only major disputes should be brought before Moses. Moses listens to his father-in-law's advice, and he establishes officials over the people. Afterward, Jethro travels back to Midian.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 18:5 - Moses' father-in-law Jethro, along with Moses' wife and sons, came to him in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God.
- Exodus 18:9-11 - Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the Lord had done for Israel when He rescued them from the Egyptians. "Blessed is the Lord," Jethro exclaimed, "who rescued you from Pharaoh and the power of the Egyptians, and snatched the people from the power of the Egyptians. No I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because He did wonders at the time the Egyptians acted arrogantly against Israel."
- Exodus 18:19-21 - "Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God n bring their cases to Him. Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach the way to live and what they must do. But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating bribes. Place them over the people as officials of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every important case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load, and they will bear it with you."
- Exodus 18:24 - Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.
- Exodus 18:27 - Then Moses said goodbye to his father-in-law, and he journeyed to his own land.
Thoughts on the Text
- In this chapter Moses has a family reunion with his father-in-law, Jethro, and his wife and children (Zipporah, Gershom, and Eliezer). God has been leading Moses since his encounter with God at the burning bush. God has been right there by his side directing him and giving him power and revelations. Now, Moses listens to his father-in-law for worldly wisdom on how to conduct affairs as a leader and judge. When Jethro visits Moses, he gets a glimpse into the life of Moses. He sees that Moses has a burden that is hard to bear all alone. Moses is judging all the disputes that originate in the Israelite camp. With about 2.4 million people in the Israelite camp, it is hard to imagine how many disputes arise; probably hundreds if not thousands. On top of judging all the people and giving them laws and statutes, Moses is the people's navigator in the wilderness, a miracle worker, and the peoples connection to God. Moses has too much on his plate. So, Jethro advises Moses to assemble a judicial system for the people and by the people. Jethro recommends recruiting God-fearing, trustworthy men to become judges over the people. These judges can handle the minor disputes while Moses handles all the important major disputes. This drastically reduces Moses' workload and his burden. These appointed judges share Moses' burden. Moses listens to his father-in-law and incorporates Jethro's idea into his system of leadership.
- What I have learned from this passage is to always be open to other people's advice. Especially, be open to your elder's advice. When your mom or dad say something to you, listen to them sincerely. These people who are giving you advice and wisdom are trying to help you. They been there and done that. They know the struggles that this life entails. They are giving you advice because they honestly believe it will help you in the long run. They love and care for you, and they want what is best for you. We should have open ears, open minds, and listen to these people, applying what they say to our lives.
- We should be careful not to confuse Godly wisdom with worldly wisdom. Not everything that is wise according to this world is wise to God. For example, this world considers it wise to seek after the American dream; to make as much money as possible and live an extravagant and comfortable life. This is not wisdom according to God. God on the other hand has said to the rich man, "Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." We can easily confuse worldly wisdom with Godly wisdom. In doing so, we can mix up our priorities and put worldly idols before God. This is something that the Israelites will encounter and assimilate into their belief system later on in their journey.
Summary
Moses ascends Mt. Sinai, and he talks with God. God tells Moses that if the Israelites listen to God and carry out His covenant, then they will be his people and Israel will be God's holy nation on all the earth. Moses talks with the people, and they agree to keep God's covenant. Moses returns up the mountain back to God. God prepares to deliver this covenant to Moses for all the Israelites to follow. God's covenant is the Ten Commandments. During the preparation, God tells Moses that only he can ascend Mt. Sinai and see God. Anyone else who follows him up the mountain will surely die.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 19:3-6 - Moses went up the mountain to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain: "This is what you must say to the house of Jacob, and explain to the Israelites: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to Me. Now if you will listen to Me and carefully keep My covenant, you will be My own possession out of all the peoples, although all the earth is Mine, and you will be My kingdom of priests and My holy nation. There are the words that you are to say to the Israelites."
Thoughts on the Text
- This chapter leads up to God giving the Ten Commandments to Moses and the Israelites. Here, the Israelites have left Rephidim, and they have traveled to the wilderness of Sinai. They are camped in front of Mt. Sinai, and this place will be where God gives the Law to the people of Israel. From "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee," "Chapters 19 through 24 deal with the Law. The children of Israel have arrived at Mount Sinai, and here they agree to accept the Law. In fact, what they do is exchange grace for law." God has gracefully delivered the Israelites from Egyptian slavery to where they are at in the wilderness of Sinai. Now, God asks them if they want his covenant and law, and the Israelites agree.
- God saves us by grace, and we walk by faith. The Law does not save us. The Law simply leads us down the right path, by showing us when we are in the wrong. The Law helps us stay on track and helps us correct our sinful ways. The Law is a guide on how to live a good life while on the earth. When we break the Law, we have sinned against God. When we keep the Law, we are righteous in the eyes of God. The Law reveals the character of God, and it also reveals the weaknesses and sin nature of mankind. The Law was given to mankind temporarily until Jesus Christ came to the earth to free us from our sins. In Galatians 3:23-24, Paul says, "Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith." The Law opens our eyes to our sin nature. Jesus Christ saves us from our sin nature, after we have become aware of our sin by the Law.
- Israel agrees to follow and keep the Law before receiving the Law. It turns out that the Law is hard to follow, and the Israelites aren't able to do it. For 1500 years the Israelites struggle with following and keeping the Law. Jesus finally frees them from their struggles by dying on the cross for their sins. Now, 2000 years after Christ walked the earth, we still struggle with keeping the Law. The jails and prisons are full in this country and in all countries around the world. Man is sinful yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Man always will be sinful and unable to follow the Law. Our only hope is Jesus Christ and his sacrifice on the cross that redeemed us from our sinful ways.
- Moses was God's chosen man. Only Moses could talk to God. Only Moses could be given the Law from God. If any other man or woman from the Israelite camp even got close to the mountain they would die. In this chapter God descends upon the mountain in a great cloud, lighting strikes, thunder roars, the earth trembles and shakes, and God's voice is booming. This is a spectacular sight, but at the same time, a very frightening scene. The people of Israel probably thought they were going to die. The giving of the Law is very serious and very frightening. How frightening it would be for the Israelites once they realized how bad they really were. How frightening it is to know your sin; to see how bad you really are. The Israelites were full-fledged sinners, yet they are God's chosen people. It makes me wonder, how bad off is the rest of the world? No matter, God is there to guide us, direct us, lead us, and ultimately to save us from our frightening sin!
Summary
God gives Moses the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai. Moses delivers the commandments to the people and tells them: "Do not be afraid for God has come to test you, so that you will fear him and will not sin." Moses also receives additional laws from God.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 20:20 - Moses responded to the people, "Don't be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you will fear Him and will not sin."
Thoughts on the Text
- The Ten Commandments are as follows
- Do not have other gods besides Me.
- Do not make an idol for yourself.
- Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
- Remember to dedicate the Sabbath Day.
- Honor your father and your mother.
- Do not murder.
- Do not commit adultery.
- Do not steal.
- Do not give false testimony against your neighbor.
- Do not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.
- Additional laws in Exodus 20
- You must not make gods of silver or gold to rival God.
- You must make an earthen altar for Me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings.
- If you make a stone altar to the Lord, you must not build is out of cut stones.
- You must not go up to my altar on steps, so that your nakedness is not exposed on it.
- In the next few chapters, God gives the Law to the Israelites. He first gives them the Ten Commandments, but we shall see that the Law is much more extensive than that. There are many laws that follow the Ten Commandments. From "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee:" "Instructions pertaining to the altar are also given; the Law and the altar go together. The Law revealed that man is a sinner and needs a savior. There must be an altar upon which to offer the sacrifice; there must be the shedding of blood for sin."
- Just because you are saved, and God has forgiven you of your sins does not mean that it is okay to continue breaking the Law. If you knowingly break the Law after you are saved, you are probably not saved at all. As Christians, we should love the Law, and always uphold and abide by the Law. This is the will of God for our lives in Christ. Although, we should know that no one is perfect, and regardless if we are saved or not, we break the Law from time to time. After we are saved, we still sin. We should still ask forgiveness for our sins and God will forgive us.
- Psalm 19:7 exclaims, "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The Law of the Lord is perfect, and It requires perfection on our part. This is where the sacrifice comes into play. We aren't perfect, sin is death, so something must be sacrificed to forgive us our sins. Now that Jesus has come to earth, he is the ultimate sacrifice. If we believe on him, his sacrifice on the cross cleanses us of our sins and we become perfect in the eyes of God. Even though we can't fulfill the law perfectly, Jesus Christ has done so for us.
- The Law is a dividing line between right and wrong. God tells us clearly what actions are considered right and wrong according to Him. How awesome!!! Our God is showing us how to live our life to the fullest and how to live right for our benefit here on earth! The law did not make man a sinner; the law revealed that man was always a sinner. Man just didn't know he was a sinner until God gave man the Law
- The Ten Commandments are divided into two parts. The first part of the Ten Commandments (Commandments 1-4) deal with man's relationship with God. The second part of the Ten Commandments (Commandments 5-10) deal with man's relationship with man.
- This passage of scripture reveals that our sins have a ripple effect. Our sins affect not only ourselves, but our sins negatively impact future generations. For example, when you break the second commandment, God says that he punishes the children for the father's sin to the third and fourth generations. So, your sin negatively impacts your children, your grandchildren, and your great grandchildren. This is one reason why it is important not to sin. We should always follow the Law to the best of our ability.
Summary
This chapter outlines and lists laws about slaves and laws about personal injury.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 21:2 - When you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for six years; then in the seventh he is to leave as a free man without paying anything.
- Exodus 21:12 - Whoever strikes a person so that he dies must be put to death
- Exodus 21:23-25 - If there is an injury, then you must give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, bruise for bruise, wound for wound.
Thoughts on the Text
- This chapter dives into some very detailed laws concerning social legislation. In particular, there are many laws governing slavery and personal injury. The first laws given in this chapter are those concerning slavery. It is ironic that God gives these laws to the Israelites as all Israelites were just slaves in Egypt. These laws guarantee that no Israelite can own another Israelite as a slave for life. Any Hebrew slave can only be a slave for six years. After six years of service as a slave, a Hebrew must be set free from slavery. These laws go on to state that if the slave becomes a slave alone, he is to leave alone. If the slave becomes a slave with his wife, he is to leave with his wife. If the slave's master gives him a wife and they bear sons and daughters, the wife and children belong to the master, and the man must leave alone. The slave can chose to remain a slave for life if he wants to stay with his wife and children. The slave's master will pierce him with an awl symbolizing that he belongs to the master for life. According to an article in "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee," "This is a beautiful picture of Christ. He came to this earth and took upon Himself our humanity. And we were all slaves of sin. He could have gone out free. He could have returned to heaven, to His position in the Godhead, without going through the doorway of death. He did not have to die upon the cross. But He willingly came down to earth and took upon Himself our humanity. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." "Christ was made like unto His brethren. He chose not to go out free without us. He could have left this earth without dying, but He said, "I love My Bride. I love the sinner." So He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross so that He could redeem us from the slavery of sin. What a picture this is of Christ--placed right here after the giving of the Ten Commandments."
- In this chapter, capital punishment is established. God says that if a man kills someone on purpose, then he should be killed as punishment. "Thou shalt not kill" entitles the government to exact a death penalty. Israel had a death penalty all the way back to the Ten Commandments. If a man kills someone by accident or in self defense, that man should not be executed
- This passage also mentions cities of Refuge. "There were six cities of refuge placed throughout the land of Palestine. These were set up in convenient locations so that one charged with manslaughter could avail himself of the shelter they afforded until the matter in which he was involved could be settled." (Through the Bible with J Vernon McGee)
- The law of reciprocity is also given in this passage. This is where we get the punishment of "an eye for an eye." However you injure another person, then you will be injured in the same way as punishment. All these laws were to be enforced for the protection of human life and property.
Chapter 22: Laws about Theft, Laws about Crop Protection, Laws about Personal Property, Laws about Seduction, Capital Offenses, Laws Protecting the Vulnerable, and Respect for God
Summary
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 22:28-29 - You must not blaspheme God or curse a leader among your people. You must not hold back offerings from your harvest or your vats. Give Me the firstborn of your sons.
Thoughts on the Text
- This chapter lists several laws and the punishments for breaking said laws. God lays down many laws that were pertinent to the Israelites way of life and helped them stay on the right path during their daily affairs. It is interesting to note that many of our laws today are based upon these precepts. These laws create order for society. Could you imagine a society where thou shall not kill or thou shall not steal weren't a part of the law system. Total pandemonium would ensue. A society without laws would be a hell on earth.
- This chapter starts out with laws about theft. According to the Bible, "When a man steals an ox or a sheep and butchers it or sells it, he must repay five cattle for the ox or four sheep for the sheep." We see here that the thief must pay back the owner four or five times the amount that he stole. The laws are different at the present time. Now, you must only compensate the owner for damages to property or the value of the amount you stole. Also, you will most likely face some jail time. The jail time is in addition to the damages that a thief has to repay. Likewise, God set the rule that thieves would have to pay back more than they stole as punishment for their crime. This punishment hinders people from breaking the law. The law and the punishment keep most people from going nutzoid and doing whatever the fleshly nature wants them to.
- Human nature is always the same, and it will always be the same. Human nature was the same in Old Testament times as it is today. The law and fear of the punishment from breaking the law will keep our human nature in line.
- The next law in this chapter is about self-protection. "If a thief is caught in the act of breaking in, and he is beaten to death, no one is guilty of bloodshed." This gives the homeowner the right to kill the thief in order to protect his self. The homeowner will not be guilty of murder. This is similar to our laws today. If you shoot someone when they break into your home, you are not guilty. The law is there to protect the innocent and bring justice to the guilty. The law is there to protect a man's property, his home, and his loved ones.
- If all men, women, and children in the world were capable of following God's law most of our problems would be solved. If everyone followed God's law there would be no wars, no murder, and no tragedy. It would be like entering into the Garden of Eden again. Now, many people who serve in public office do not even follow God's law. If our leaders don't follow God's law, and the people of the country don't follow God's law, then our country may eventually face judgment from God.
- From "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee," "God gave the Mosaic system to Israel so that they would be an example to the nations of the world."
- God lists three capital offenses in this chapter:
- You must not allow a sorceress or witch to live.
- Whoever has sexual intercourse with an animal must be put to death.
- Whoever sacrifices to any gods or idols, except the Lord alone, is to be set apart for destruction.
- It's hard to believe that God actually had to state some of these laws. It just shows you how corrupt mankind can become. Mankind becomes so corrupt, so cancerous, that the only remedy to the problem is death and destruction.
- God gives another form of the Golden Rule in this chapter as well. God says, "You must not exploit a foreign resident or oppress him, since you were foreigners in the land of Egypt." Since the Israelites knew what it was like to be slaves and to be oppressed, they were not to do the same thing to other people. This is a "good neighbor" policy. It goes hand in hand with the Golden Rule.
- The last part of the chapter deals with respect for God. God reiterates the third commandment. God says, "You must not blaspheme God or curse a leader among your people." We are never to misuse the name of the Lord or blaspheme the Lord. Nor are we to curse our leaders. Our leaders have been put into power by God. They are appointed officials, so we should respect them just like we should respect God. Let us not complain about our leaders and their decisions. Let us pray for our leaders and our country. It is like what John F. Kennedy said, "My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."
Summary
In this chapter of Exodus, God declares more laws about honesty and justice. God also talks about the various sabbaths and festivals the Israelites are to follow. The Israelites are to sow the land for six years, and leave the land uncultivated during the seventh year. Every week, the Israelites are to work for six days, but rest on the seventh, or Sabbath, day. The Israelites are to celebrate a festival in God's honor three times a year; they are to observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Ingathering. Lastly, God tells the Israelites that He will send an Angel ahead of them to protect them on their journey through the wilderness and bring them safely into the Promised Land. God's Angel will go before the Israelites and bring them to the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, an God will wipe them out. Israel is not to bow down and worship their gods or make a covenant with their gods. These foreign people must not remain in the Promised Land, or else they will make Israel sin against God.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 23:9 - You must not oppress a foreign resident; you yourselves know how it feels to be a foreigner because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
- Exodus 23:12 - Do your work for six days but rest on the seventh day so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female salve as well as the foreign resident may be refreshed.
- Exodus 23:19 - Bring the best of the first fruits of your land to the house of the Lord your God.
- Exodus 23:20-23 - I am going to send an Angel before you to protect you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared. Be attentive to Him and listen to His voice. Do no defy Him, because He will not forgive your acts of rebellion, for My name is in Him. But if you will carefully obey Him and do everything I saw, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes. For My Angel will go before you and bring you to the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out.
- Exodus 23:25-26 - Worship the Lord your God, nd He will bless your bread and your water. I will take away your illnesses. NO woman will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you the full umber of your days.
- Exodus 23:31-33 - I will set your borders from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates River. For I will place the inhabitants of the land under your control, and you will drive them out ahead of you. You must not make a covenant with them or their gods. They must not remain in your land, or else they will make you sin against Me. I you worship their gods, it will be a snare for you.
Thoughts on the Text
- This chapter gives many laws and precepts about honesty and justice. These laws include:
- You must now spread a false report.
- Do not join the wicked to be a malicious witness.
- Do not follow a crowd in wrongdoing.
- Do not testify in a lawsuit and go along with a crowd to pervert justice.
- Judgment should not be swayed to the rich or the poor. Judgment and justice should be exercised fairly.
- Return your neighbor's lost possessions.
- Help those in need.
- Do not kill the innocent and the just.
- Do not take a bribe.
- Do not oppress a foreign resident
- In this chapter, God once again gives Israel the Law concerning the Sabbath day and the Sabbatic year. The Sabbath day was the seventh day of the week, and the Israelites were supposed to rest on this day and keep it holy. The Sabbatic year was the seventh year (septennial). The Israelites were supposed to let the land rest in this year and keep it uncultivated.
- From "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee," "Three times a year all the Hebrew males were to appear before the Lord God in Jerusalem. There were three feasts that were to be celebrated: (1) the Feast of the Passover; (2) the Feast of Pentecost; (3) the Feast of the Tabernacles. The Feast of the Passover, you will recall, was instituted in memory of Israel's preservation from the last plague brought against the land of Egypt and her deliverance from that land of bondage."
- The Bible says in Exodus 23, verse 20-23, "I am going to send an Angel before you to protect you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared. Be attentive to Him and listen to His voice. Do no defy Him, because He will not forgive your acts of rebellion, for My name is in Him. But if you will carefully obey Him and do everything I saw, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes. For My Angel will go before you and bring you to the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out." Once again, the Angel listed here in the scriptures is the pre-incarnate Christ. Jesus Christ leads the Israelites through the wilderness into the Promised Land. Jesus Christ throws these nations into a confusion, putting fear into their heart, and gives Israel the Promised Land. Here the pre-incarnate Christ is mentioned as the "hornet". This hornet is to send panic into the minds of the nations living in the Promised Land. These nations must leave the Promised Land because they do not worship the one true God and because of their unforgiven sin. This reminds me that as sinners we are not allowed to enter into the presence of God. Our sin separates us from God. Unless we repent and believe in Jesus as our personal Lord and savior, we are like foreigners in a land that does not belong to us; if we are not saved, we are to be kicked out of the Promised Land.
- If we do not heed God's warnings and Laws, we will face just punishments for our sins.
Summary
God tells Moses to take Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and 70 of Israel's elders up to Mt. Sinai and bow/worship the Lord at a distance. Moses alone is to approach God. Moses tells all the Israelites the commands and ordinances of the Lord. The people of Israel agree to follow the commands. Moses then writes everything down to keep track of the various laws. The next morning Moses sets up an alter with 12 pillars symbolic of the 12 tribes of Israel. The Israelites offered burnt offerings and sacrificed bulls to the Lord. Moses sprinkles bull blood on the people symbolizing God's covenant with them. God then tells Moses to ascend the mountain of God again as God intends to give Moses stone tablets with the Ten Commandments and other laws and instructions for the Israelites. Moses remains on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 24:1-2 - Then He said to Moses, "Go up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and 70 of Israel's elders, and bow in worship at a distance. Moses alone is to approach the Lord, but the others are not to approach and the people are not to go up with him."
- Exodus 24:12 - Thee Lord said to Moses, "Come up to Me on the mountain and stay there so that I may give you the stone tablets with the law and commands I have written for their instruction."
- Exodus 24:17-18 - The appearance of the Lord's glory to the Israelites was like a consuming fire on the mountaintop. Moses entered the cloud as he went up the mountain, and he remained on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights.
Thoughts on the Text
- God tells Moses that he along with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and 70 Israelite elders are to worship the Lord at a distance. While the Law provides a glimpse into the psyche of God, it does not allow people to direct access to God. Under the Law, people must worship God from far away. Now, since Jesus has come to our rescue, things are different. Ephesians 2:13 says, "But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah." Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is the grace that gives us a direct connection to God. Now we can worship God wherever we are. God is always near us in the spirit, so we worship God up close and personal every time that we do worship.
- Here we see that the people of Israel agree to accept and follow God's law. They say, "we will do everything that the Lord has commanded." After Moses reads the covenant scroll to the people, they again say, "we will do and obey everything that the Lord has commanded." The agree to the Law of God, but we find later that they struggle to obey the Law. Israel falls way short of the glory of God, and they break God's law repeatedly. Israel is not alone in this. No one on this earth past, present, or future can follow the Law completely. We all fall short of the glory of God. The Bible says in John 1:8, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." Jesus Christ was the only one that never sinned, and he fulfilled the law. Again, Israel, like us, fall far short of God's law.
- Before Jesus Christ comes to earth, the only way to cleanse and forgive one's sins is to offer a sacrifice up to the Lord. Hebrews 9:22 says, "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission." A penalty must be paid before we are forgiven of our sins.
- The Bible says that Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and 70 Israelite Elders saw the God of Israel. It is believed by many that what they saw was not actually God, but a representation of God. No man can fully see God. John 1:18 says, "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." Jesus Christ will most likely be the closest view that we ever have of God. We come into the presence of God through Christ Jesus our Lord. Will we actually see the full Glory of God? This is something we will find out when we get to heaven.
- I found it interesting that Joshua went with Moses up the mountain to meet with God. Here God is still preparing Joshua to succeed Moses in time. One day Joshua will lead Israel into the Promised Land.
- On the mountaintop, Moses received the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments along with other instructions that we will study in the following chapters of Exodus.
Chapter 25: Offerings to Build the Tabernacle, The Ark, The Table, and The Lampstand.
Summary
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 25:1-2 - The Lord spoke to Moses: "Tell the Israelites to take an offering for Me. You are to take My offering from everyone whose heart stirs him to give.
- Exodus 25:8-9 - "They are to make a sanctuary for Me so that I may dwell among them. You must make it according to all that I show you--the design of the tabernacle as well as the design of all its furnishings."
- Exodus 25:10 - They are to make an ark of acacia wood, 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high.
- Exodus 25:23 - You are to construct a table of acacia wood, 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high.
- Exodus 25:31 - You are to make a lampstand out of pure, hammered gold. It is to be made of one piece: its base and shaft its ornamental cups, and its calyxes and petals.
- Exodus 25:40 - Be careful to make everything according to the model of them you have been shown on the mountain.
Thoughts on the Text
- In Exodus 25 through Exodus 30 God gives Israel the blueprints for the sanctuary tabernacle. The tabernacle would be the place where the Israelites would come before God. In order to build the tabernacle, God asks to take up an offering from the Israelites. God even lists the exact items He is looking for in order to build the tabernacle to His specifications. The offering items are listed in Exodus 25:3-7. One may wonder where the Israelites got all of these rare and expensive items. We should remember that the Israelites were blessed with a gift of jewelry and other valuables from the Egyptians before they made their Exodus out of Egypt.
- According to "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee," "When Israel left Egypt, they took out tremendous wealth. It has been estimated that at least five million dollars worth of material went into the construction of the tabernacle alone. The tabernacle was small in size because it had to be carried on the wilderness march, but it was very ornate, rich, and beautiful."
- God was going to dwell in the tabernacle. The ark that was to be built would become God's throne! There is a tabernacle in heaven, and this tabernacle in heaven contains God's literal throne! So, God wanted to replicate His heavenly throne here on earth. This is what Moses was told to construct.
- From "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee," "The ark could not be spoken of as merely a wooden chest because it also was a gold chest. It could not be called a golden chest because it was also a chest of wood. It required both gold and wood to maintain the symbolism pointing to Christ as the God-man...There is no doctrine in Scripture so filled with infinite mystery and so removed from the realm of explanation as the hypostatical union of Christ, the God-man. Yet there is no symbol so simple as the ark that describes this union of God and man in one body. A mere box made of wood and gold speaks of things unfathomable. Truly God chooses the simple things to confound the wise. That simple box tells the whole story, as far as man can take it in, of the unsearchable mystery of the blessed person of the Lord Jesus Christ." "The ark was not an empty box. It contained three items which are enumerated in Hebrews 9:4; "Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant." The contents of the ark were also symbolic. Aaron's rod that budded speaks of the Lord's resurrection. The manna speaks of the act that Christ is the Bread of Life. The Ten Commandments speak of the life He lived on earth fulfilling the Law in all points and fulfilling the prophecies spoken of Him."
Chapter 26: The Tabernacle
Summary
In this chapter in the book of Exodus, God gives Moses detailed instructions for the construction of the tabernacle. God specifically tells Moses how everything is to be laid out in the tabernacle and tells him what materials to use.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 26:1 - You are to construct the tabernacle itself with 10 curtains. You must make them of finely spun linen, and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, with a design of cherubim worked into them.
- Exodus 26:33-35 - Hang the veil under the clasps and bring the ar of the testimony there behind the veil, so the veil will make a separation for you between the holy place and the most holy place. Put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the most holy place. Place the table outside the veil and the lampstand on the south side of the tabernacle, opposite the table; put the table on the north side.
Thoughts on the Text
- The tabernacle was constructed primarily of curtains. The Bible says that the tabernacle was constructed with ten curtains. These curtains have symbolic meanings. The first curtain was fine-twined, Egyptian linen with cherubim woven in the material. This covering was very beautiful, and its beauty could only be seen from the inside of the tabernacle. Likewise, the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ cannot be seen by the world. Only those who are Christian know the beauty that Jesus Christ's grace and forgiveness provide. The cherubim with wings can symbolically mean that we are to remain hidden under the shadow of God's wings. The second curtain was made of goats' hair and it touched the ground. From "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee," "This curtain speaks of Christ's worth for sinners. It is symbolic of the death of Christ, and this is the message that is to be given to the world." The third curtain was made of ram's skin and dyed red. "This curtain speaks of the strength and vigor of Christ and His blood offering on the cross. This curtain shows the outward aspect of His offering as our substitute." The fourth curtain was made of badger's skins or sealskins. "This covering speaks of Christ's walk before men. Just as the linen covering was inside to show His beauty to the believer, so the sealskin covering had no beauty to reveal. There is no beauty on the outside that we should desire Him; we have to go inside to behold His beauty. The world does not see in Him what we see in Him."
- From "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee," "Everything in the tabernacle speaks of either the person or work of Christ. Every covering, every thread, and every article of furniture reveals some facet of the Savior." "Now the veil was made of fine-twined linen and was the only entrance to the Holy of Holies. The veil speaks of the humanity of Christ. When Christ was on the cross, He dismissed His spirit. At the moment of His death the veil was torn in two, representing the fracture of His spirit and His body. When the veil in the temple was rent in two, the way into God's presence was open. The only way to get to God today is through the Lord Jesus Christ. There is only one entrance to the Holy of Holies and only one way to God."
- "What a wonderful picture the veil is. It shows us the humanity of Christ. Friends, it is the death of Jesus Christ that saves us. His spotless life condemns us. When I stand before the veil I am condemned. I see myself as not able to pass into the presence of God." When Jesus died on the cross, the veil to the Holy of Holies was torn in two. After that we as Christians have access to God. If the veil was never torn, we would never be worthy to enter into God's presence.
- The people of Israel were highly skilled and intelligent people. To construct such an intricate, ornate, and fine tabernacle shows that the Israelite people were a people with many talents. God gave the people these talents just as He gave them the Law and the blueprints of the tabernacle. A tabernacle that prophesies and is symbolic of the Christ to come reveals that God is who He says He is and that Israel is God's chosen people. God will give us the talents necessary to do what He wants; to fulfill his plans and prophecy.
Chapter 27: The Altar of Burnt Offering, The Courtyard, and The Lampstand Oil
Summary
Chapter 27 is a continuation of the construction design and specifications of God's tabernacle. Moses is told to construct more for God's sanctuary and tabernacle. The Israelites are to construct an altar for burnt offerings. Also, they are to construct pots, shovels, basins, meat forks, firepans, and utensils that are to be used at the altar. God gives Moses the design and specifications for the tabernacle courtyard. Lastly, Moses is to command the Israelites to bring pure oil from crushed olives in order to keep the lampstand burning continually. Aaron and his sons are to tend the lamp from evening until morning before the Lord. This is to be a permanent statute for the Israelites throughout their generations.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 27:1 - "You are to construct the altar of acacia wood. The altar must be square, seven and a half feet long, and seven and a half feet wide; it must be four and a half feet high.
- Exodus 27:9 - "You are to make the courtyard for the tabernacle Make the hangings on the south of the courtyard out of finely spun linen, 150 feet long on that side.
- Exodus 27:18 - "The length of the courtyard is to be 150 feet, the width 75 feet at each end, and the height seven and a half feet, all of it made of finely spun linen. The bases of the posts must be bronze."
- Exodus 27:20-21 - "You are to command the Israelites to bring you pure oil from crushed olives for the light, in order to keep the lamp burning continually. In the tent of meeting outside the veil that is in front of the testimony Aaron and his sons are to tend the lamp from evening until morning before the Lord. This is to be a permanent statue for the Israelites throughout their generations."
Thoughts on the Text
- From "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee," "The furniture in the outer court is made of brass which represents judgment of sin. The sin question must be settled in the court before entrance can be made into the Holy Place. The furniture in the Holy Place was all off gold and pictures communion with God and worship of God. There is no sin in the Holy Place. The sin question is dealt with in the outer court. Man is standing on the outside. How is he going to approach God? The first thing he must have is a substitute to die for him. Man might avoid meeting God, but if he wants to meet God and not die, he must have a substitute. Someone will have to die on that brazen altar for him. Sometimes this altar is called the table of the Lord, and it is called the altar of burnt offering. This is where God deals with the sinner. It speaks of the cross of Christ, and of the fact that He is actually the One who died in man's stead." In Christ's case, the cross He was crucified on became the altar of burnt offering for all the sins of the world. If Jesus Christ did not lay his life down on the altar of the cross, we would have no access to God.
- The oil in this scripture speaks of the Holy Spirit of God. The Israelites were told to use olive oil in order to light the lampstand and keep it burning continually. If you recall, the night Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot, he was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. This is a large garden of ancient olive trees that stand at the foot of the Mount of Olives. From Aramaic, Gethsemane means "oil press." It is no coincidence that olive oil is used in the lampstand. Jesus Christ is the light of the world. The Holy Spirit is the oil and Jesus is the light! This is the symbolism of the oil that was used to light the lampstand.
Chapter 28: The Priestly Garments, The Ephod, The Breastpiece, The Robe, The Turban, and Other Priestly Garments
Summary
God tells Moses to instruct all the skilled craftsmen to make Aaron's garments for consecrating him to serve God as priest. These craftsmen are to make the ephod, the breastpiece, the robe, the turban, and other priestly garments such as tunics, sashes and headbands.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 28:1-4 - "Have your brother Aaron, with his sons, come to you from the Israelites to serve Me as priest--Aaron, his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. Mar holy garments for your brother Aaron, for glory and beauty. You are to instruct al the skilled craftsmen, whom I have filled with a spirit of wisdom, to make Aaron's garments for consecrating him to serve Me as priest. These are the garments that they must make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a specially woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make holy garments for your brother Aaron and his sons so that they may serve Me as priests."
Thoughts on the Text
- The Israelite tribe of Levi was to be the priestly tribe. They are known as Levites. The Levites were to care for the tabernacle, and Aaron and his sons were to be the priests. Aaron was to be the high priest. The priests of the tabernacle had to wear certain garments in order to serve in the tabernacle. They had to be consecrated in order to serve the Lord in this respect. The garments that were made for the priests was a large part of their consecration. These garments were holy, or set apart, for the service of God. Anything set apart for God is considered holy! These garments were to be beautiful, set apart for God, and for the glory of God. Aaron and his sons were to serve in the tabernacle with these garments. Without these garments, they were not fit to serve. If they entered the tabernacle without these garments, they would die.
- This is what the encyclopedia on Bible Study Tools explains about the biblical ephod: "A sacred vestment originally designed for the high priest (Exodus 28:4; 39:2), and made "of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen," held together by two shoulder-pieces and a skillfully woven band which served as a girdle for the ephod. On the shoulder pieces were two onyx stones on which were engraved the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. It is not known whether the ephod extended below the hips or only to the waist. Attached to the ephod by chains of pure gold was a breastplate containing twelve precious stones in four rows. Underneath the ephod was the blue robe of the ephod extending to the feet of the priest. The robe of the ephod was thus a garment comprising, in addition to the long robe proper, the ephod with its shoulder pieces and the breastplate of judgment." The high priest of the tabernacle was to intercede on behalf of the twelve tribes of Israel. The high priest would go before God, and he would offer a sacrifice for the sins of the twelve tribes of Israel. Likewise, Jesus Christ is our high priest. He intercedes on all of humanity's behalf. Jesus Christ has offered up a sacrifice for all of our sins, past, present, and future!
- Exodus 28:29-30 states, "Whenever he enters the sanctuary, Aaron is to carry the names of Israel's sons over his heart on the breastpiece for decisions, as a continual reminder before the Lord. Place the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece for decisions, so that they will also be over Aaron's heart whenever he comes before the Lord. Aaron will continually carry the means of decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord." What are the Urim and Thummim? They sound like some kind of mythical, mystical, science-fiction device used to determine the will of God. No one truly knows what the Urim and Thummim were. Here is what the encyclopedia on Bible Study Tools says about the Urim and Thummim:
"The terms "Urim" and "Thummim" have traditionally been understood as "light(s)" and "perfection(s)" or as "perfect light." The Urim and Thummim were a means of revelation entrusted to the high priest. No description of them is given. This oracular means apparently consisted of a material object or objects since it was physically stored in the breastpiece of the high priest ( Exod 28:30 ; Lev 8:8). Most scholars today think that the Urim and Thummim were a lot oracle, but this is by no means certain. The Urim and Thummim were used at critical moments in the history of God's people when special divine guidance was needed. The civil leader was expected to make use of this means for all important matters for which he needed direction. Although referred to in Ezra 2:63 and Nehemiah 7:65, there is no convincing evidence that the Urim and Thummim were used after the time of David. The reason for the demise of the Urim and Thummim is not explicitly given. Since the Urim and Thummim, in whatever way they functioned, were a physical means of revelation, it appears that God was taking his people away from the easy certainty inherent in a mechanical means of revelation to the more consistent use of prophecy and the Word alone. This would require the more difficult application of the norms for true and false prophecy ( Deut 13:1-4 ; 18:20-22 ) and thus necessitate a faithful teaching priesthood ( Deut 33:10 ; Mal 2:7 ).
Summary
God tells Moses what he is to do in order to consecrate Aaron and his descendants after him so they will be worthy to serve God as priests. A young bull and two unblemished rams are to be sacrificed as a sin offering and fire offering to the Lord in order to consecrate Aaron and his descendants as priests of the sanctuary. Also, Aaron and his sons are to be ordained for seven days with a sacrificial bull as a sin offering each day for atonement. God also instructs Moses to conduct a regular burnt offering at the entrance to the tent of meeting before the Lord. This is where the Lord will meet with the Israelites and speak with them. The tent of meeting will be consecrated by God's glory. Afterward, God says that He will dwell among the Israelites and be their God.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 29:1 - This is what you are to do for them to consecrate them to serve Me as priests. Take a young bull and two unblemished rams...
- Exodus 29:29-30 - The holy garments that belong to Aaron are to belong to his sons after him, so that they can be anointed and ordained in them. Any priest who is one of his sons and who succeeds him and enters the tent of meeting to minister in the sanctuary must wear them for seven days.
- Exodus 29:35-37 - "This is what you are to do for Aaron and his sons based on all I have commanded you. Ordain them for seven days. Sacrifice a bull as a sin offering each day for atonement. Purify the altar when you make atonement for it, and anoint it in order to consecrate it. For seven days you must make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. The altar will become especially holy; whatever touches the altar will become holy."
- Exodus 29:38;42 - This is what you are to offer regularly on the altar every day: two year-old lambs. This will be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance to the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet you to speak with you.
- Exodus 29:45-46 - I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. And they will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.
Thoughts on the Text
- In this chapter we see how Aaron, his sons, and all future descendants are to be consecrated and ordained in order to serve as priests of the tabernacle/tent of meeting. The consecration of the priests involves the sacrifice of a young bull and two unblemished lambs. In order to be holy enough to be a priest, there has to be a sacrifice, a blood offering, that will cover and forgive the priest of his sins. Aaron was not a perfect man. Aaron was a man like any other many. He committed sins during his lifetime. Aaron had to be consecrated, by God, in order to be fit to be a priest. This consecration is almost like a confession of sins and our inability to do anything good in this life. We are weak while God is strong. God takes the priests weakness, forgives his sins, and makes him holy. God makes the fallible man a priest.
- We see in this chapter that Aaron and his sons were to place their hands on the hand of the bull and two rams as they were being sacrificed. This laying on of hands imparts nothing magical or spiritual. This laying on of his is symbolic. Instead of the dying for one's own sins, the sacrificial animal was taking their place. The animal died instead of the man. The laying of hands on the animal identifies this. In this case, the bull and the two rams were sacrificed and took Aaron's place. These animals died for Aaron because he was a sinner.
- The food offering or contribution to the priests are briefly mentioned in this chapter. Later, we find that the Levites were apportioned no land for farming in the nation of Israel. God provided for their support by giving them a portion of the sacrifice as food for them. The Levites were to serve in the tabernacle and later in the temple, and they would receive a part of the offering as food for their sustenance.
- Every day, there was to be aa burnt offering of two year-old lambs. This was to go on indefinitely until the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. A lamb was to be sacrificed in the morning and another lamb was to be sacrificed in the evening. These sacrifices were to be a reminder to the people of Israel that someone was needed to take their place and that their sin merited death. There must be the shedding of blood for sin.
- We see here that the shedding of an animals blood for our sin does not completely forgive us of our sins. We must continually sacrifice animals in order to cleanse us of our sins. Thank God Jesus came to take away the sins of the world. The shedding of Jesus' blood completely covered our sins. Jesus only had to die once in order to save the world. If he never came to earth, the Gentiles would still be lost, and the Israelites would still be sacrificing animals in order to forgive their sins.
Chapter 30: The Incense Altar, The Atonement Money, The Bronze Basin, The Anointing Oil, and The Sacred Incense
Summary
God gives Moses instructions on how to build an incense altar, where to place it in the tabernacle, and when to perform an incense offering before the Lord. Once a year, Aaron is to perform the purification rite on the horns of the altar. He is to use the blood of the sin offering for atonement. Atonement money for the purification of sin is to be collected from the Israelites. Both the poor and the rich are to give the same amount of money. This money is used for the service of the tent of meeting. It will serve as a reminder for the Israelites before the Lord to atone for, or ransom, their lives. The Lord tells Moses to make a bronze basin for washing and a bronze stand for it. Before entering the tent of meeting the priests must wash their hands and feet or they will die. The Lord tells Moses to prepare an anointing oil and to anoint the tent of meeting and all the things within it. Also, Aaron and his sons are to be anointed and consecrated to be able to serve God as priests. The Lord tells Moses to prepare a sacred incense and put it in front of the testimony in the tent of meeting. This is where God will meet with the Israelites.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 30:1 - You are to make an altar for the burning of incense; make it of acacia wood.
- Exodus 30:7-8 - Aaron must burn fragrant incense on it; he must burn it every morning when he tends the lamps. When Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he must burn incense. There is to be an incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations.
- Exodus 30:10 - Once a year Aaron is to perform the purification rite on the horns of the altar. Throughout your generations he is to perform the purification rite for it once a year, with the blood of the sin offering for atonement. The altar is especially holy to the Lord.
- Exodus 30:11 - The Lord spoke to Moses: "When you take a census of the Israelites to register them, each of the men must pay a ransom for himself to the Lord as they are registered. Then no plague will come on them as they are registered."
- Exodus 30:16 - Take the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will serve as a reminder for the Israelites before the Lord to atone for your lives.
- Exodus 30:17-19 - The Lord spoke to Moses: "Make a bronze basin for washing and a bronze stand for it. Set it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and feet from the basin."
- Exodus 30:25-26 - "Prepare from these a holy anointing oil, a scented blend, the work of a perfumer; it will be holy anointing oil. With it you are to anoint the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony,..."
- Exodus 30:30 - "Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them to serve Me as priests."
- Exodus 30:35-36 - "Prepare expertly blended incense from these; it is to be seasoned with salt, pure and holy. Grind some of it into a fine powder and put some in front of the testimony in the tent of meeting, where I will meet with you. It must be especially holy to you."
Thoughts on the Text
- The first thing mentioned in this chapter is the incense altar to be made and placed in front of the veil by the ark of the testimony--in front of the mercy seat that is over the testimony. This incense altar was not a sacrificial altar. Rather it is a place of prayer in the tent of meeting. Only the specially made holy incense could be burned on the incense altar. We know this incense altar is a place of prayer by referencing other scriptures in the old testament. Psalm 141:2 states: "Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense..." An excerpt in "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee" states, "Incense, therefore is a figure of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Intercessor. Aaron ministered in the place of worship and Aaron is a figure of Christ in this particular sense, although Christ is actually a priest after the order of Melchizedek...It was wonderful for the children of Israel to know that their high priest was in the tabernacle at the altar of incense, praying for them. It is wonderful for us to know that Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, is praying for us."
- In the Old Testament only priests can say prayer at the altar of incense. This prayer would be heard by God. Israelites who were not priests would take their prayers to the priest, and the priest would offer the prayers up to God. The ordinary Israelites could not pray to God. Only the priests of the tent of meeting could pray to God. Now that Jesus has died on the cross for our sins, we as sinners, take our prayers directly to the high priest, whom is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ then listens to these prayers and offers them up to God the father. Now, in a sense, every Christian is a priest, and Jesus is our high priest. This is why we don't have to go to a priest to ask forgiveness for our sins. We can ask forgiveness of our sins directly to Jesus Christ!
- The next thing we see in this chapter is the atonement money given to the Lord which would be used for the service of the tent of meeting. This is interesting. This atonement money can be seen as ransom money. All the Israelites were held captive, against their will, by their sin nature. They had to pay money to the Lord in order for the Lord to free them from their sin. How cool is that!
- The third thing mentioned in this chapter concerns the bronze basin. Before the priests served in the tent of meeting they must wash their hands and feet in the basin. If they failed to do this, then they will surely die! Our sin nature even makes the most holy people dirty. Even the priests are dirty. Even they need to be cleaned in order to come into God's presence. We must keep in mind that we cannot worship God, serve God, or be of use to God unless we have cleaned up our act, repented of our sins, and taken on the righteousness of God. This calls something to my attention. We need to confess our sins to God and wash before we go to church and worship on Sunday morning. God does not accept worship until it comes from a cleansed heart nor will He accept service except from a cleansed heart.
- The fourth thing mentioned in this chapter is the specially prepared anointing oil. The anointing oil was to be made with liquid myrrh, cinnamon, fragrant cane, cassia, and olive oil. This anointing oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. The Hoy Spirit anoints us so that we can understand the Word of God. The anointing oil does absolutely nothing. It is simply symbolic of how God anoints us with the Holy Spirit when we are saved.
- The last thing mentioned in this chapter is the sacred incense to be burned at the altar of incense previously mentioned. The incense was to be made with fragrant spices such as stacte, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense. From "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee:" "Stacte was a resinous gum that oozed from trees on Mount Gilead. It was called the balm of Gilead. The onycha came from a species of shell fish that resembled a crab. The galbanum was taken from the leaves of a Syrian plant. These were blended with pure frankincense."
Summary
God tells Moses that he has appointed various Israelites and given them wisdom in order to be skilled craftsmen. These craftsmen will make all the things that the Lord has commanded Moses to make for the tabernacle. God tells Moses that for six days work may be done, but on the seventh day, there must be a Sabbath of complete rest, dedicated to the Lord. It is a sign forever between Me and the Israelites, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the Earth, but on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed. When God finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave hum the two stone tablets of the testimony (containing the Ten Commandments) inscribed by the finger of God.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 31:6 - "...I have placed wisdom within every skilled craftsman in order to make all that I have commanded you."
- Exodus 31:12-13 - The Lord said to Moses: "Tell the Israelites: You must observe My Sabbaths, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, so that you will know that I am the Lord who sets you apart."
- Exodus 31:18 - When He finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the testimony, stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God.
Thoughts on the Text
- This first part of this chapter tells about the Israelite craftsmen whom have God-given talents in order to construct the tabernacle and all the furnishings of the tabernacle that God told Moses to build. God tells Moses that Bezalel of the tribe of Judah will make artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze, he will cut gemstones for mounting, and he will carve wood for work in every craft. Oholiab of the tribe of Dan will help Bezalel make all that God has commanded. God gave these men and their helpers special talents in order to construct the tabernacle and everything else that God commanded Moses to instruct. God gave them a divine gift. Not everyone has the same talents We are like parts of a large body. Some people are the hands, some people are the feet, some people are the brain, and some people are the brawn. We are each given a unique talent in order to complete God's mission or plan here on earth. We are indeed part of God's eternal plan, now and forevermore if we are saved by the grace of God. We must allow God to work through us in order to use our talents for Him!
- The second part of this chapter deals with observing the Sabbath. The Bible has already mentioned this a couple times. So, it must have been important to the Israelites. God wants all the Israelites to rest on the Sabbath day and keep it holy. This is to be aa sign and perpetual covenant between the people of Israel and the Lord. The modern church in the present day does not observe the sabbath like the Israelites did. It could be because this command was strictly for the Israelites to follow. God never meant the church to follow the Sabbath day. If we were supposed to observe the Sabbath day, keep it holy, and rest on that day, we are doing a terrible job. From "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee," "We are not under the Sabbath day which is Saturday. We do not observe the Saturday--Jesus was dead that day and we are not serving a dead Christ. On the first day of the week Jesus Christ rose from the dead. The Church from the very beginning met on the first day of the week. That is when the church was born; the day of Pentecost was on the day after the Sabbath. The Sabbath was first given to the entire human race but man turned away from God, and God gave the Sabbath exclusively to Israel."
- Finally, this chapter concludes with God giving Moses two stone tablets of the testimony on Mount Sinai. Moses is to trek back down the mountain, and he is to deliver these two stone tablets, containing the Ten Commandments, to the Israelites. We are to find out that the people of Israel are easily swayed by the dark side, become impatient, and do not wait on the will on the Lord.
Chapter 32: The Golden Calf
Summary
The Israelites get impatient on Moses because he takes a long time to come down the mountain. So, they forge a golden calf to worship as their God. The God of Moses, the true God, knows of the people's idolatry. God tells Moses that His anger will burn against them, and He will destroy them. Then He will make Israel into a great nation. Moses intercedes for the people of Israel, and he gets God to change His plans of destruction. Moses reminds God of the covenant He established with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God changes His mind about the disaster He will bring to the Israelites, and Moses returns to his people from Mt. Sinai. He takes the Ten Commandments with him. The Ten Commandments are known as the ark of the testimony and they are inscribed on two stone tablets. Upon Moses' return, he finds the Israelites worshipping the golden calf. He becomes furious and smashes the stone tablets at the base of the mountain. Moses gathered the Israelites who were for the Lord. Moses tells these men to go thru the camp and kill the brothers, friends, and neighbors whoa re worshipping the golden calf. These men, mostly Levites, did as Moses said, and they kill 3,000 men in the camp. Moses tells the people of their sin, and then he returns to the mountain to intercede for them and ask forgiveness from God. God tells Moses to continue on as was planned, and He will deal with the people's sin.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 32:1 - When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, "Come, make us a god who will go before us because this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt--we don't know what has happened to him!
- Exodus 32:7-8 - The Lord spoke to Moses: "Go down at once! For your people you brought up from the land of Egypt have acted corruptly. They have quickly turned from the way I commanded them; they have made or themselves an image of a calf. They have bowed down to it, sacrificed to it, and said, 'Israel, this is your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.'"
- Exodus 32:13-14 - "Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel—You swore to them by Your very self and declared, ‘I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and will give your offspring all this land that I have promised, and they will inherit it forever.’” So the Lord relented concerning the disaster He said He would bring on His people."
- Exodus 32:19-20 - As he approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses became enraged and threw the tablets out of his hands, smashing them at the base of the mountain. Then he took the calf they had made, burned it up, and ground it to powder. He scattered the powder over the surface of the water and forced the Israelites to drink the water.
- Exodus 32:26-28 - And Moses stood at the camp’s entrance and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” And all the Levites gathered around him. He told them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘Every man fasten his sword to his side; go back and forth through the camp from entrance to entrance, and each of you kill his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.’” The Levites did as Moses commanded, and about 3,000 men fell dead that day among the people.
- Exodus 32:33-35 - The Lord replied to Moses: “I will erase whoever has sinned against Me from My book. Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about; see, My angel will go before you. But on the day I settle accounts, I will hold them accountable for their sin.” And the Lord inflicted a plague on the people for what they did with the calf Aaron had made.
Thoughts on the Text
- Here we see the impatience of the people of Israel, and after all they have been through, they turn to idolatry at the drop of a hat. Another huge disappointment is the fact that Aaron, the high priest of the tabernacle, is the one who leads the Israelites into making the golden calf. I figured Aaron and his sons would have stood up for what was right, stayed loyal to the one true God, and not have aided this idolatry. Unfortunately, Aaron does not stand firm on the word of God, and he along with the rest of the Israelites sin gravely.
- It is ironic that as Moses is receiving the Ten Commandments from God, the people of Israel are turning their back on God and breaking many of the Ten Commandments. Oh how soon we give into the sin nature when things don't seem to be going according to plan. Doubts enter our minds in the blink of an eye and we sin against God just like the unsaved people groups. It is inconceivable to think that the Israelites turn their back on God so quickly, just after God has delivered them in so many ways up to that point. But, sadly, they do.
- Moses gives a heartfelt prayer to the Lord in this chapter. In fact, if Moses didn't speak frankly with God, God may very well have killed all the Israelites then and there. In Exodus 32:11-14, Moses intercedes with the Lord on behalf of the people of Israel. Moses makes God remember Hi covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and because of this the Lord changes His mind about destroying the Israelites. How incredibly powerful prayer is shown to be in this scripture. If we are sincere in our prayers, we can change the course of history. If we are sincere in our prayers we can actually change God's mind and open up the doors for a miracle to take place. This shows me that prayer is important and powerful. We should never underestimate the power of prayer.
- When Moses returns to the Israelite camp and sees the people worshipping the golden calf, he goes into a furious rage and breaks the two stone tablets from God. He immediately goes to Aaron to find out how things panned out this way. Aaron, the high priest, tells Moses what happened but he lies to him as well. Aaron says that the golden calf just magically came out of the fire. Earlier in the chapter we learned the Aaron used tools to make the golden calf. It didn't appear out of nowhere. So, the high priest is not only responsible for the idolatry of the people, he is a liar as well. Now, we see why there must be atonement sacrifices in order for the high priest to enter into the tabernacle. After all, the high priest is one of the worst sinners in the entire Israelite camp.
- Once again, this chapter in the book of Exodus shows us that all sin comes at a great cost. There are severe consequences for our sin. In this case, Moses had all those people who were responsible for making the golden calf and who worshipped the golden calf killed. The Bible says 3,000 men were killed. We do not know how many women or children were killed if any. Sometimes our sin can go unnoticed, and sometimes our sin can cost us our friendships, our financial well-being, or even our life! Sin is nothing to play around with. All sin is a serious matter, and we should follow the Ten Commandments and stay away from sin the best we can.
- Moses returns to God and offers a confession of sin on behalf of the people of Israel. Moses tells God that the people of Israel made a golden calf and worshipped it as their God. Also, Moses tells God that if He intends to destroy the people of Israel because of their sin, then God can destroy him as well. Moses will not go into the Promised Land without the people of Israel. Again, this is another tremendous confession and prayer which moves God's heart and makes Him forgive the people and give them unwarranted mercy. God still, however, says that He will erase the names of the people who had committed idolatry from His book. This is the Lamb's Book of Life. This book has the names of every born again Christian. If you are a Christian then you are in the Lamb's Book of Life. A question I have here, is can you get lost again after being saved? After all, the people were in God's book at first, then He erases their names from His book. This seems to be evidence that you can get unsaved after being saved. What are your thoughts on this? The people who didn't sin and give into idolatry, will be led by the Angel of the Lord (possibly the pre-incarnate Christ) onward into the wilderness.
Summary
God tells Moses to continue on to the Promised Land. God will make a way for them and protect them from their enemies. God will send an angel ahead of them and drive out all the people groups currently living in the Promised Land. However, God tells Moses that He will not go with the Israelites into the Promised Land. Moses erects a tent outside of the main camp. He calls this tent the 'tent of meeting.' This is a place where Moses can speak with God, so he wouldn't have to go back up the mountain. Moses talks with God in the tent of meeting. He pleads with God to send His presence with the Israelites on their journey to the Promised Land. The Lord agrees to Moses' plea and prayer; the presence of God will go with the Israelites on their journey to the Promised Land. Moses wants to see the face of God in the tent, but God, also known as Yahweh, tells Moses that anyone who sees the face of God will die. Instead, God intends to show Moses his back, or a partial view of his glory.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 33:1-3 - Then the Lord said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised an oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.”
- Exodus 33:7 - Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp.
- Exodus 33:11 - The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aid Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.
- Exodus 33:18-20 - Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”
Thoughts on the Text
- In this chapter, God is preparing the Israelites to enter into the Promised Land. At first, God does not want to go with the Israelites on their journey. God says that if He goes with the Israelites He will destroy them along the way. He will destroy them because of their sin. God's presence is not found in the presence of sin. God will destroy sin, and since the Israelites were living in sin, God could not be around them. Remember in the previous chapter how the Israelites forged a golden calf and worshipped it as God. The Israelites were a sinful people. Moses intercedes for the people of Israel. In this sense, he is kind of like Jesus. Moses speaks with God as if you were speaking to a man face-to-face. This is the epitome of prayer. God speaks with Moses directly. During this prayer, Moses asks God to send His presence with the Israelite people on their journey to the Promised Land. On account of one person, Moses, God changes his mind and decides to send His presence with the Israelites on their journey to the Promised Land. This chapter once again showcases the power of prayer. Moses' prayer affects God's decision. We should all pray like Moses prays here.
- God tells the Israelites to take off their jewelry because this jewelry symbolizes the gods that were being worshiped in Egypt. The jewelry is a direct link to idolatry, and it was this very jewelry that was used in the forging of the golden calf. So God is asking the Israelites to take a stand for Him and turn away from the pagan practices that they adopted in Egypt.
- In this chapter, the tent of meeting is erected. The tent of meeting that God commanded Moses to build will come later on. This tent is the prototype of the actual tent of meeting that is to be constructed. The tent of meeting is placed outside of the Israelite camp.
- In this chapter, Moses wants to see the full glory of God. God tells Moses that no one can see His full glory. If someone attempts to see God's full glory they will die. So, no one has actually seen God the father fully. John 1:18 states, "No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known." Also, John 14:9-11 reveals, "Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves." So, We can see the son of God, but we can not see God the father. So, it is believed that Moses was speaking with Jesus face-to-face in this chapter. Jesus is known as the Angel of the Lord.
- Once again Joshua is mentioned in this chapter. God is still preparing Joshua to succeed Moses as the leader of the Israelite people. It is interesting to note that Joshua would stay in the tent of meeting after Moses left it. I wonder how long he would stay in the tent of meeting before leaving it. What would he do there? Would he also be witness to the Angel of the Lord?
- For me, this chapter makes it evident that we need God by our side to take on the challenges that each day brings. With God by our side, we can overcome sinful temptations and we can have hope for the future. We can not live this life on our own. We need the help of others, and primarily, we need the help of God. Moses realized this long ago. Without God and the presence of God, the Israelites would have never made it into the Promised Land. With God, all things are possible.
Chapter 34: New Stone Tablets, Covenant Obligations, and Moses' Radiant Face
Summary
God tells Moses to cut two new stone tablets like the 1st ones and to ascend Mt. Sinai so that He can give Moses the Ten Commandments again. Moses does as God commands. God comes down in a cloud and says this to Moses: "Yahweh--Yahweh is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving wrongdoing, rebellion, and sin. But He will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the father's wrongdoing on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation." After this, Moses bows and worships God asking forgiveness for Israel's sins. God reminds Moses and the Israelites of their covenant obligations. They are to never bow down to another God because the Lord, being jealous by nature, is a jealous God. God tells them not to make treaties with the inhabitants of the land God has promised for them (the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites). Moses was with the Lord on the mountaintop of Mt. Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights. He did not eat bread or drink water. He wrote down on the tablets the words of the covenant--the Ten Commandments. Moses descends the mountain to tell the Israelites what God had commanded. His face shown like a radiant light from being with God for so long.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 34:1-2 - The Lord said to Moses, "Cut two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Be prepared by morning. Come up Mount Sinai in the morning and stand before Me on the mountaintop.
- Exodus 34:10-12 - And the Lord responded: “Look, I am making a covenant. I will perform wonders in the presence of all your people that have never been done in all the earth or in any nation. All the people you live among will see the Lord’s work, for what I am doing with you is awe-inspiring. Observe what I command you today. I am going to drive out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Be careful not to make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land that you are going to enter; otherwise, they will become a snare among you."
Exodus 34:28 - Moses was there with the Lord 40 days and 40 nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. He wrote down on the tablets the words of the covenant--the Ten Commandments.
Thoughts on the Text
- We read in a previous chapter in Exodus that Moses broke the tablets of the Ten Commandments when he found out that the Israelites were worshipping a golden calf instead of the one true God. Now, Moses has found two more stone tablets to take back up Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments once again from the Lord.
- From "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee," "God does not extend mercy by shutting His eyes to the guilty or by saying, ,"I will just forget that sin." Sin must be punished and a penalty must be paid. God by no means clears the guilty. What happens then? How does He keep HIs mercy and take care of iniquity at the same time? A sacrifice has been provided. The sacrifices Israel made in that day did not take away sin but they pointed to that "Perfect Sacrifice," the Lord Jesus Christ, who, when He did come, put away sin by His death on the cross."
- God specifically says in this chapter that our sins will negatively affect our children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation. Our sin does not only cause consequences for us. Our sin bears consequences for other people even if they have done nothing wrong.
- We see in this chapter that the Israelites are not superior to any other people group. In fact, they are once again called a stiff-necked people. They are just as sinful as any other people group on the planet. The difference being that they did worship the one true God, and God chose them out of all the people groups on the planet.
- God specifically tells the people of Israel not to make a treaty with any of the inhabitants of the Promised Land. Any treaty would result in potential prostitution with their false gods and intermarriage between the people groups. God did not want this for Israel. Israel was to be set apart from all the other people groups in the world. These other people groups living in the Promised Land were to be driven out by God. The Promised land was to belong to the Israelites completely, and the Israelites were to worship God only. These other nations that worshipped false gods had to be driven out. This was God's perfect plan. We find out later that Israel disobeyed God and did not completely clear the land of these people. Israel suffered the sad consequences of this sin. They didn't fully listen to God, Israel became disobedient and corrupt, and they were sent into Babylonian captivity.
- God is preparing Israel to enter the Promised Land by reestablishing the feasts and sabbaths. Also, he is preparing them by giving them the Ten Commandments. Several other commands are given in the chapter as well. If the Israelites can follow these commands, the all will go smoothly for the blooming nation of Israel. The main thing Israel was to do was to put God first! This is how we should live our life as well. If we put God first in our life then God's plan for our life will unfold as it should. If we put God first, God will write the story of our life. We must allow God to be the author of our life.
- The last part of this chapter sheds light on the radiant face of Moses. Moses has been in the presence of God for so long that the glorious radiance of God has permeated the face of Moses. Moses shines bright. He shines so bright, that the people of Israel were afraid of him. When Moses returns to the Israelites, he tells them all the commands that the Lord has given them to follow. This time, Moses does not break the Ten Commandments, and the Israelites are not worshipping any false gods.
Chapter 35: The Sabbath Command, Building the Tabernacle, and Bezalel and Oholiab
Summary
Moses reminds the Israelites o the Sabbath day of rest. Afterward, the Israelites bring a freewill offering to the Lord, and craftsmen come to do all the work that the Lord had commanded to be done. The people of Israel brought more than enough materials to do all the work that was required to build the sanctuary. God appoints Bezalel and Oholiab to lead the construction of the sanctuary.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 35:2 - For six days work is to be done, but on the seventh day you are to have a holy day, a sabbath of complete rest to the Lord. Anyone who does work on it must be executed.
- Exodus 35:10 - Let all the skilled craftsmen among you come and make everything that the Lord has commanded:
- Exodus 35:29 - So the Israelites brought a freewill offering to the Lord, all the men and women whose hearts prompted them to bring something for all the work that the Lord, through Moses, had commanded to be done.
- Exodus 35:30;35 - Moses then said to the Israelites: "Look, the Lord has appointed by name Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. He has filled him with God's Spirit, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every kind of craft...He has also given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. He has filled them with skill to do all the work of a gem cutter; a designer; an embroiderer in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen; and a weaver. They can do every kind of craft and design artistic designs.
Thoughts on the Text
- This is the third time in the book of Exodus where God talks to the Israelites about keeping the Sabbath day holy. God is very strict about keeping the Sabbath day holy. If someone in the Israelite camp works on the Sabbath, he is to be executed. I believe this rule was made specifically for the Israelites. After all, in our modern-society, we have to do some kind of work on the Sabbath. For instance, think about all the people that live in the frigid northern territories during winter. They at least have to cut firewood and start a fire to stay warm. They shouldn't be executed because of this. Therefore, it seems like this law from God was made specifically for the Israelite people during the time of Moses.
- In this chapter, God asks the Israelites to bring an offering in order to build the tabernacle with all its furnishings. This offering is not a tithe. Rather, this offering is voluntary. It is a freewill offering. If you wanted to give something to build the tabernacle, you could. If you didn't want to give anything, you didn't have to. This reminds me that we should give an offering to the Lord of our free will. No one should force us to give an offering to the Lord. We should give with a joyful heart, or we should give at all.
- We can see that the people of Israel did not give money in order to build the tabernacle. Instead, the people of Israel gave precious valuables and commodities in order to build the tabernacle. This reveals that, at this particular time in scripture, the Israelites traded goods and services via a bartering system. In the modern day we give money during the Lord's offering at church. Let us not forget, we can offer more to the Lord than just money. We can give our time, our valuables, and our skills to the Lord as an offering. All of these things, including money, are pleasing gifts to the Lord.
- From "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee:" "The tabernacle was a beautiful object. It was a jewel in the desert. It was not large, not great warehouse, only a small building. It has been estimated that about five million dollars went into the construction of the tabernacle according to the value of the metals of a few years ago. The value in inflationary times would even be greater. The tabernacle was God's precious jewel; a picture of His Son, Jesus Christ."
Summary
Oholiab, Bezalel, and all the skilled craftsmen come together and begin construction on the tabernacle and create everything God commanded. This chapter details the construction of the tabernacle.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 36:1-3 - Bezalel, Oholiab, and all the skilled people are to work based on everything the Lord has commanded. The Lord has given them wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work of constructing the sanctuary. So Moses summoned Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person in whose heart moved him, to come to the work and do it. They took from Moses' presence all the contributions that the Israelites had brought for the task of making the sanctuary. Meanwhile, the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning.
- Exodus 36:6-7 - After Moses gave an order, they sent a proclamation throughout the camp: "Let no man or woman make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary." So the people stopped. The materials were sufficient for them to do all the work. There was more than enough.
Thoughts on the Text
- We see in this chapter the people of Israel come together, follow God's instructions, and build the sanctuary tabernacle. There are people who have no talent for construction, and these people give a freewill offering. On the other hand, some people give their time and talents to the construction of the tabernacle. All of these people give out of the love of their heart. The workers don't work for money. Likewise, the givers of materials don't expect to receive anything in return. They all give because they love the Lord. When we serve others or serve God, we should do so with joy. If we do not have joy while giving, we should not give at all. Instead, we should ask God to change our hearts, so that we will develop a sense of joy from freewill giving. This is how we should do God's work while on earth: with joy and happiness. The Israelites gave so much here, with joy, that Moses even commands them to stop giving. This is the first and one of the only times that has happened. The Israelites here were fully persuaded that God's plan was the way to go. Let us give of our selves; our time, talents, and money. If we all gave joyfully and in abundance this whole world would be a much better place than it is today!
- From "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee:" "God wants us to give joyfully. There was a motto years ago that said, "Give 'til it hurts." God says, "If it hurts, don't give." Our worship of God should be with joy, and so should our giving."
- The rest of this chapter is about the men of Israel going to work. This chapter deals with the execution of God's plans to build the tabernacle. Oholiab and Bezalel are leading the crew of craftsman to bring it to completion. They will build a true work of art that foretells of the coming savior, Jesus Christ.
- From "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee:" "The tabernacle had an inner veil that separated the main tabernacle into two compartments; the smaller compartment was called the Holy of Holies and the larger compartment was called the Holy Place. Everything in the tabernacle pictured some part of the person or work of the Lord Jesus Christ."
Chapter 37: Making the Ark, Making the Table, Making the Lampstand, and Making the Altar of Incense
Summary
This chapter contains detailed construction accounts of making the Ark, the table, the lampstand, and the altar of incense.
Thoughts on the Text
- From "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee:" "The two articles of furniture in the outer court were the brazen altar and the laver. When you stepped inside the Holy Place, there were three articles of furniture: the golden lampstand, the table of showbread, and the altar of incense. In the Holy of Holies was the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat...There were seven articles of furniture arranged in such a way as to give us a wonderful picture. The brazen altar speaks of the cross of Christ where we receive forgiveness of sin. The laver speaks of the fact that Christ washes or cleanses those who are His own. The laver is where we confess our sins, and receive his forgiveness and cleansing. The Holy Place is the place of worship. In it is the golden lampstand typifying Christ, the Light of the World. The table of showbread pictures Christ as the Bread of Life upon which we feed. The altar of incense is the place of prayer. It speaks of the fact that Christ is our Intercessor...The Holy of Holies pictures Jesus Christ in the presence of God. In the Book of Hebrews we are told to come to the throne of grace. The mercy seat pictures this, and this is where we find grace to help and mercy in time of need. There is a mercy seat for believers in heaven...The Holy of Holies is in heaven today. We do not go horizontally to God by going to a building or to a man, but we look to heaven and go directly to Him--through Jesus Christ. "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5).
- All of the articles of furniture in the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies is made or overlaid with pure gold. The Bible states that the lampstand alone was made with 75 pounds of pure gold.
- We must remember that the tabernacle was made to be portable. The Israelites, namely the Levites, were responsible for assembly, disassembly, and carrying the tabernacle and all the furnishings through the wilderness. They carried this portable tabernacle for 40 years until they came into the Promised Land.
Chapter 38: Making the Altar of Burnt Offering, Making the Bronze Basin, Making the Courtyard, and Inventory of Materials
Summary
This chapter contains construction details for making the altar of burnt offering, the bronze basin, and the courtyard. It also lists the inventory of materials used to make everything in the tabernacle.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 38:21-23 - This is the inventory for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, that was recorded at Moses' command. It was the work of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest, Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything that the Lord commanded Moses. With him was Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, a gem cutter, a designer, and an embroiderer with blue, purple, nd scarlet yarn, and fine linen.
Thoughts on the Text
- 2,193 pounds of gold was used on the construction of the sanctuary. There was 7,500 pounds of silver used to cast the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil. There was 100 bases, so each base weighed 75 pounds of silver. 44 pounds of silver was made for the hooks for the posts, overlaid their tops, and supplied bands for them. The bronze presentation offering totaled 5,310 pounds. This was used for the tabernacle construction as well.
- In the Old Testament, the high priest was the only man to enter into the Holy of Holies. He would only enter the Holy of Holies once a year to make atonement for the nation of Israel. After Jesus came to this earth in the form of a man, he bled and died for our sin. He is the atoning sacrifice for all people, past, present, and future. From John 14:6, Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes into the presence of the Father but by Him.
- From "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee:" "Every individua. will have to personally accept the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. You have to pay the redemption price. What is it? Well, it is not silver or gold. The only condition is that you must be thirsty. Would you like to have a drink of the water of life? It is free. Salvation is free, but it is no cheap. It cost God everything. He gave His Son to die on the cross and to pay the price of our redemption. We are redeemed by His blood."
Chapter 39: Making the Priestly Garments, Making the Ephod, Making the Breastpiece, Making the Robe, The Other Priestly Garments, Making the Holy Diadem, and Moses' Inspection of the Tabernacle
Summary
This chapter contains detailed construction instructions for making the priestly garments, the Ephod, the breastpiece, the robe and other priestly garments, and the Holy Diadem with 'holy to the Lord' inscribed on the plate. After all the work for the tabernacle and tent of meeting was finished, Moses inspects the work that had been done. He ensures everything was done according to what the Lord commanded. Moses blesses all the workers after they pass inspection.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 39:30-31 - They also made a plate, the holy diadem, out of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription like the engraving on a seal: Holy to the Lord. Then they attached a cord of blue yarn to it in order to mount it on the turban, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
- Exodus 39:32-33 - So all the work for the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was finished. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord had commanded. Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses...
- Exodus 39:42-43 - The Israelites had done all the work according to everything the Lord had commanded Moses. Moses inspected all the work they had accomplished. They had done just as the Lord commanded. Then Moses blessed them.
Thoughts on the Text
- The garments mentioned in this chapter are set aside for the high priest to wear in the presence of God. These garments were holy because they are set apart for the service of God. These garments are symbolic of the Christian life. As Christians we must be clothed with the righteousness of Christ. Then, we must live a life to back it up.
- From "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee:" "It is interesting to note that when Aaron went into the Holy of Holies to offer the sacrifice for the sin of the people, he laid aside his garments of glory and beauty. When the Lord Jesus came to earth, He did not lay aside His deity, but He did lay aside the garments of glory and beauty--that is, He laid aside His prerogatives as God. He laid aside the shekinah glory and came to earth as a human being; He was born a baby. Man was looking for a king, not a baby. Then He offered Himself as a sacrifice for sin. He died in His humanity."
- The high priest wears the priestly garments. He also wears the ephod, the breastpiece or breastplate, the Urim and Thummim, a specially woven robe, and the Holy Diadem which said 'Holy to the Lord.' Again, Holy means anything that is set aside for the use of God. The High priest is Holy. He brings the people's sins before the Lord and asks for atonement. Only the high priest is worthy to stand before the Lord. The people go to the high priest, and the high priest goes before the Lord. This modus operandi revealed in the Old Testament foreshadows the coming of the perfect high priest, Jesus Christ. Now we go to Jesus Christ to ask forgiveness for our sins. Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice and it is his blood that brings atonement. Now, we go take our sins directly to God, through the son, Jesus Christ. That is how our personal relationship with God is established; by repenting and turning from our sin. After this, Jesus saves us, and he becomes our high priest.
Summary
Moses sets up the tabernacle and the tent of meeting just as the Lord commanded. Aaron and his sons are clothed in priestly garments and they are consecrated to serve in the tabernacle. Their anointing serves to inaugurate a permanent priesthood for them throughout their generations. Moses places the testimony in the ark, and he does everything that the Lord commands. After the tabernacle is set up, the cloud of God's glory covers the tent of meeting and the glory of the Lord fills the tabernacle. This cloud was over the tabernacle by day and there was a fire inside the cloud by night. This cloud of fire is visible to all the Israelites and it leads them throughout all the stages of their journey to the Promised Land.
Verses of Interest
- Exodus 40:1-3 - The Lord spoke to Moses: "You are to set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the first day of the first month. Put the ark of the testimony there, and screen off the ark with the veil."
- Exodus 40:15 - "Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so that they may also serve Me as priests. Their anointing will serve to inaugurate a permanent priesthood for them throughout their generations."
- Exodus 40:16 - Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him.
- Exodus 40:34-38 - The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses was unable to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud rested on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. The Israelites set out whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle throughout all the stages of their journey. If the cloud was not taken up, they did not set out until the day it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and there was a fire inside the cloud by night, visible to the entire house of Israel throughout all the stages of their journey.
Thoughts on the Text
- In this chapter, the tabernacle and the tent of meeting is set up outside the Israelite camp. After Moses set up the tabernacle and did everything just as the Lord commanded, the Lord's glory came down and covered the tent of meeting. This cloud of the Lord's glory leads the Israelites to the Promised Land. The Israelites were the only people in human history to have the Lord's glory, or the visible presence of God lead them. This glory is known as the shekinah glory in Romans 9:4, "They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple service, and the promises." Basically, God led the Israelites step by step through the wilderness. The Israelites never moved their camp by their own wisdom or judgment. God, or the Lord's glory, made every decision for them. How easy life would be if God made every decision for us. How easy life would be if we, like Moses, did everything exactly as the Lord commanded us to. Instead, we tend to follow our own path, even though God's directions are plain as day. God's commands and directions are right in front of us, in the Bible and written on our conscience. Now, the pillar of cloud of the Lord's glory, is the Holy Spirit, that Jesus imparted to mankind upon his resurrection and ascension into heaven. This Holy Spirit will lead us down the right path just like the shekinah glory. If only we will listen, trust, and obey. God is there, right by our side. We just have to open our eyes. The Lord's glory is always close by.
This concludes our study in the book of Exodus. Tomorrow we will begin our study in the book of Leviticus!
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