Exodus 31 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Sabbath

¹² And the Lord said to Moses, ¹³ “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you. ¹⁴ You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. ¹⁵ Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. ¹⁶ Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. ¹⁷ It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’”

¹⁸ And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

 

REFLECTION

• God chose workers to build the tabernacle. Once again, He reminded the Israelites to keep the Sabbath whether they are working for the sacred work or others.
• “Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths” (v13). This command was strategically placed – at the very end of all the commands to build the tabernacle. Though God gave Israel a work to do in building the tabernacle He did not want them to do that work on the Sabbath. God’s rest still had to be respected.
• Is the Sabbath for Christians? The passage states that the Sabbath is a sign of God’s covenant with Israel. On the other hand, Christians from the beginning have met on Sunday, not Sabbath – the seventh day of the week. While the Sabbath commemorates creation (v17), the first day of the week commemorates Jesus’ resurrection (Matt 28:1, Acts 20:7). What links the two is that each serves as a weekly reminder to believers of their personal relationship with God.
• If we are going to live appropriately in the world, we must keep the Sabbath. We must stop running around long enough to see what God has done and is doing. We must shut up long enough to hear what He has said and is saying. Without silence and stillness, there is no spirituality.
• Pastors and congregational leaders commonly cram the Lord’s Day with work: committee meetings, congregational meetings, projects, mission events, and social activities. But talking and doing displace Sabbath quietness and stillness. All of this activity is very well intentioned but nevertheless all very wrong. How might we re-organize our lives and priorities in order that we might actually practice Sabbath-living?
• PRAY: Recall last Sunday. How did you spend it? Did you enjoy the rest and time with God? Enjoy a few moments of silence with God knowing that God is enjoying it, too.

 

 

Exodus 30 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Census Tax

¹¹ The Lord said to Moses, ¹² “When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom for his life to the Lord when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them. ¹³ Each one who is numbered in the census shall give this: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as an offering to the Lord. ¹⁴ Everyone who is numbered in the census, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the Lord’s offering.¹⁵ The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the Lord’s offering to make atonement for your lives. ¹⁶ You shall take the atonement money from the people of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may bring the people of Israel to remembrance before the Lord, so as to make atonement for your lives.”

The Bronze Basin

¹⁷ The Lord said to Moses, ¹⁸ “You shall also make a basin of bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it, ¹⁹ with which Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet. ²⁰ When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn a food offering to the Lord, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die. ²¹ They shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they may not die. It shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his offspring throughout their generations.”

 

REFLECTION

• This chapter contains instructions not mentioned in the other chapters. Read this passage, or read the whole chapter if time allows.
• The half shekel tax “atonement money”(11-16) is to be collected from each Hebrew male, rich and poor, everyone has to pay the same small amount. This is to remind us that God’s redemption is equal to all.
• Eph 2:8-9 says: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast”. This tells us that our redemption is free to us, and we don’t need to pay the “atonement money”. However, the redemption is not cheap, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer called it, it is indeed very costly.

Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: “ye were bought at a price,” and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.

“Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our church. We are fighting today for costly grace. Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like the cheap jack wares. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”

• PRAY: An excerpt from “The Cost of Discipleship” can be found at: http://www.crossroad.to/Persecution/Bonhoffer.html. Reflect on your life as a disciple of Christ. What kind of grace is expressed in your life? Ask God to show and direct you.

 

Exodus 29 English Standard Version (ESV)

Consecration of the Priests

¹ “Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. …….

³⁵ “Thus you shall do to Aaron and to his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. Through seven days shall you ordain them, ³⁶ and every day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement. Also you shall purify the altar, when you make atonement for it, and shall anoint it to consecrate it. ³⁷ Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it, and the altar shall be most holy. Whatever touches the altar shall become holy.

³⁸ “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day regularly. ³⁹ One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. ⁴⁰ And with the first lamb a tenth measure of fine flour mingled with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering. ⁴¹ The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it a grain offering and its drink offering, as in the morning, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord. ⁴² It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there. ⁴³ There I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory. ⁴⁴ I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar. Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate to serve me as priests. ⁴⁵ I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. ⁴⁶ And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

 

REFLECTION

• The theme of this chapter is the sanctification of priests. If time permits, read through the whole chapter once. Then re-read the selected portion above.
• Priests has to wash and offer sacrifices to symbolize being cleansed before he can put on the sacred clothing. God accepts their morning and evening sacrifices (v42), and promises to be with the people always. This foretold the truth “come near to God and he will come near to you”(James 4:8).
• In verses 44-46, “dwell” has the sense of abiding, living among, taking up residence. God’s purpose in delivering the Israelites out of Egypt is to live among them. God is also dwelling in the hearts of believers today.
• PRAY: How would you react if God’s presence became visible in the building where you attend worship services? Next Sunday try a little experiment: arrive at the worship service fifteen minutes early, sit quietly in the sanctuary, and pray for God’s presence to be especially strong. What difference did this exercise make in your attitude during worship?

Exodus 28 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Priests’ Garments

¹ “Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. ² And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. ³ You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him for my priesthood. ⁴ These are the garments that they shall make: a breast piece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests.⁵ They shall receive gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen.

⁶ “And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked.⁷ It shall have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so that it may be joined together. ⁸ And the skillfully woven band on it shall be made like it and be of one piece with it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. ⁹ You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, ¹⁰ six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. ¹¹ As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree. ¹² And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for remembrance. ¹³ You shall make settings of gold filigree,¹⁴ and two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords; and you shall attach the corded chains to the settings.

 

REFLECTION

• This chapter gives instructions of priestly clothing.
• As high priest, Aaron was provided with distinctive clothing to “give him dignity and honor”. Each item he wore had symbolic significance. The ephod, a vest-like outer jacket featured two stones, mounted one on each shoulder. The name of each Israelite tribe was engraved on one of these stones. Whenever Aaron entered the tabernacle, he represented all the people of God.
• Today Jesus, our High Priest, represents the church before God’s throne. The New Testament says that “we have One who speaks to the Father in our defense – Jesus Christ the righteous”(1 John 2:1).
• All believers are “the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work,”(1 Pet 2:9). We also have the responsibility and privilege to intercede for others.
• PRAY: Let this sink in. Jesus, your high priest, is representing you and interceding for you before God’s throne. Continue wait before God. Notice if God brings anyone to mind. Is there any hardship, or need that God is reminding you? Pray for this person now, asking for blessings, and continue to do so for the coming week. If/when appropriate, speak to this person for comfort and encouragement. Wait with expectancy that God would listen to your prayer.

Exodus 27 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Bronze Altar

¹ “You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits broad. The altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits. ² And you shall make horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze. ³ You shall make pots for it to receive its ashes, and shovels and basins and forks and fire pans. You shall make all its utensils of bronze. ⁴ You shall also make for it a grating, a network of bronze, and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners.⁵ And you shall set it under the ledge of the altar so that the net extends halfway down the altar. ⁶ And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. ⁷ And the poles shall be put through the rings, so that the poles are on the two sides of the altar when it is carried. ⁸ You shall make it hollow, with boards. As it has been shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made.

The Court of the Tabernacle

⁹ “You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side the court shall have hangings of fine twined linen a hundred cubits long for one side. ¹⁰ Its twenty pillars and their twenty bases shall be of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. ¹¹ And likewise for its length on the north side there shall be hangings a hundred cubits long, its pillars twenty and their bases twenty, of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. ¹² And for the breadth of the court on the west side there shall be hangings for fifty cubits, with ten pillars and ten bases. ¹³ The breadth of the court on the front to the east shall be fifty cubits. ¹⁴ The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. ¹⁵ On the other side the hangings shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. ¹⁶ For the gate of the court there shall be a screen twenty cubits long, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. It shall have four pillars and with them four bases. ¹⁷ All the pillars around the court shall be filleted with silver. Their hooks shall be of silver, and their bases of bronze. ¹⁸ The length of the court shall be a hundred cubits, the breadth fifty, and the height five cubits, with hangings of fine twined linen and bases of bronze. ¹⁹ All the utensils of the tabernacle for every use, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the court, shall be of bronze.

Oil for the Lamp

²⁰ “You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn. ²¹ In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the Lord. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel.

 

REFLECTION

• This chapter gives instructions on building altar and the courtyard. Read it over and pay special attention to the portion of altar building.
• A sanctuary is a place where we immerse ourselves in God. We, like the Israelites, gather there to listen to the reading of the Scriptures, from which we hear stories of God’s search for us, His love for us, His embrace of us, and His covenant commitment to us.
• In the sanctuary described in Ex 25-27, we see an altar. In our sanctuaries today, we see a cross. Through the sacrificial system, God instructed Israel about the consequences of their sins and foreshadowed the need for a sacrificial system in Christ, who gave Himself once and for all for our sins.
• Just as the Israelites brought their offerings to the sanctuary, so we bring our offerings when we come to church. Like the Israelites, we sing hymns, we pray, we confess our sins, we give thanks, and we offer our lives to God. The sanctuary isn’t a showplace where the audience comes and watches what takes place onstage. The sanctuary isn’t a lecture hall where students sit, listen to a teacher, and take notes. The sanctuary is a place of being, of sinking ourselves into the reality of a God-created world, a Christ-saved world, and a Spirit-blessed world.
• And that is what our churches today should be.
• What is your ideal church like? As the church is at the point of looking ahead for further development, do you and all members of your church understand God’s “blue print” so that you may work together to build this sanctuary for God? Pray for the church development. Listen for the role God wants you to play in the blue print.

 

Exodus 26 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Tabernacle

¹ “Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns; you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them. ² The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains shall be the same size. ³ Five curtains shall be coupled to one another, and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another. ⁴ And you shall make loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set. Likewise you shall make loops on the edge of the outermost curtain in the second set. ⁵ Fifty loops you shall make on the one curtain, and fifty loops you shall make on the edge of the curtain that is in the second set; the loops shall be opposite one another. ⁶ And you shall make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains one to the other with the clasps, so that the tabernacle may be a single whole.

⁷ “You shall also make curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; eleven curtains shall you make. ⁸ The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. The eleven curtains shall be the same size. ⁹ You shall couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and the sixth curtain you shall double over at the front of the tent. ¹⁰ You shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the second set.

¹¹ “You shall make fifty clasps of bronze, and put the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent together that it may be a single whole. ¹² And the part that remains of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remains, shall hang over the back of the tabernacle. ¹³ And the extra that remains in the length of the curtains, the cubit on the one side, and the cubit on the other side, shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle, on this side and that side, to cover it. ¹⁴ And you shall make for the tent a covering of tanned rams’ skins and a covering of goatskins on top. …….

³¹ “And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it. ³² And you shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, with hooks of gold, on four bases of silver. ³³ And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy. ³⁴ You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the Most Holy Place. ³⁵ And you shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand on the south side of the tabernacle opposite the table, and you shall put the table on the north side.

³⁶ “You shall make a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. ³⁷ And you shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia, and overlay them with gold. Their hooks shall be of gold, and you shall cast five bases of bronze for them.

 

REFLECTION

• Moses was told to make the tabernacle and its furnishings “exactly like the pattern I will show you”(25:9). Chapter 26 shows us how detailed God’s instructions were. Finish the whole chapter will give you a clearer understanding of the tabernacle. (Refer to the picture of tabernacle (http://www.servantsofgraceapologetics.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Tabernacle.png)
• There are two holy places in the tabernacle – the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, which are separated by a curtain. The priests were responsible for the daily sacrifices and other functions, as well as regular feasts. On the Day of Atonement, it was the high priest’s responsibility to take the blood of the sacrificed goat into the Holy of Holies on behalf of all God’s people, for forgiveness of their sins. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, the curtain of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom (Mark 15:38). Therefore, this signifies that through Jesus, we can approach God directly with confidence. We no longer need sacrifices in order to approach God.
• Is there a special “Holy of Holies” in your home where you could feel close to God and meet with Him regularly? You may want to set aside a sacred space for yourself to have your devotions there. It may be a small corner table or a particular chair and time of day. Think of how you can use the space to help you focus on God
• PRAY: Compare your experience of coming into God’s presence with those of the Israelites then, do you appreciate the privilege? Do you comprehend what God has done for you? Do you welcome the opportunity to meet with God? Where is you “Holy of Holies” at home or in your heart where you meet God? Talk to God about it and listen to His response.

Exodus 25 English Standard Version (ESV)

Contributions for the Sanctuary

¹ The Lord said to Moses, ² “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me. ³ And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, ⁴ blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats’ hair, ⁵ tanned rams’ skins, goatskins, acacia wood, ⁶ oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense,⁷ onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breast piece. ⁸ And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. ⁹ Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.

The Ark of the Covenant

¹⁰ “They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. ¹¹ You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it. ¹² You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it.¹³ You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. ¹⁴ And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. ¹⁵ The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. ¹⁶ And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you.

¹⁷ “You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. ¹⁸ And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. ¹⁹ Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. ²⁰ The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. ²¹ And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. ²² There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.

 

REFLECTION

• Read the passage. For a better picture read the whole chapter. Imagine you were there, what would your emotions be?
• The Old Testament emphasizes the importance of the tabernacle (http://www.servantsofgraceapologetics.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Tabernacle.png), a portable tent, in Israel’s worship. Exodus takes seven chapters (25-31) to list tabernacle specifications, and then devotes six more to its construction (35-40). The New Testament touches on some of the symbolism, saying that the tabernacle design and use was intended to reflect heavenly realities (cf. Heb 9-10).
• The first item in the tabernacle mentioned, and the most important, is the ark (https://carm.org/images/arkofthecovenant4.jpg). The ark is also the only furniture inside the Holy of Holies. God’s glory resides here. God speaks to the Israelites through the Mercy Seat on the ark. It represents the presence of God, symbolized God dwelling among His people.
• It contains the Tablets of Stone on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed (v16), along with manna (16:33-34) and Aaron’s rod (Num 17:10). These three items testify to the unchanging love of God, the covenant between God and His people, and the faithfulness and power of God. They serve to remind the people to remember the God of their deliverance, and the God of unfailing mercy and love. They also remind them to obey God’s commands and to keep a thankful and humble heart.
• PRAY: What might you carry around with you to remind you of God’s past actions and continuing presence in your life? Recall the situation, note what God did and how you responded. Thank God for His past grace (prevenient) and His persevering grace.

 

Exodus 24 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Covenant Confirmed

¹ Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. ² Moses alone shall come near to the Lord, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.”

³ Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.” ⁴ And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. ⁵ And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. ⁶ And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. ⁷ Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” ⁸ And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

⁹ Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, ¹⁰ and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. ¹¹ And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.

¹² The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” ¹³ So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. ¹⁴ And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute, let him go to them.”

¹⁵ Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. ¹⁶ The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. ¹⁷ Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. ¹⁸ Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

 

REFLECTION

• Read through the whole chapter twice.
• Moses carefully explained what God expected of people who would live in personal relationship with Him (Ex 20-23;24:3). The Israelite people committed themselves to keep God’s commands, and were then fully responsible for their acts.
• God invited His people into a covenant relationship. But He wanted to make sure that the Israelites understood just what life with Him would involve.
• It’s true that people can put their trust in Christ without a deep understanding of the Gospel or of the Bible. But unless we go on to learn all God’s words, we will fall short of knowing God more fully and living the lives God desires to bless us with. As we come to know and understand the character of God, we will also be more sensitive to the work of the Holy Spirit guiding us through our daily decisions and obstacles.
• PRAYER: How well do you know and love God’s Word? How well do you understand God’s desire of your commitment to Him? Thank God for His Bible. Thank God for the 260 project and ask the Spirit for the perseverance you need to do it every day in order to increase your knowledge, love and obedience of God and His Word.

 

 

Exodus 23 English Standard Version (ESV)

Conquest of Canaan Promised

²⁰ “Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared.²¹ Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him.

²² “But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.

²³ “When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out, ²⁴ you shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces. ²⁵ You shall serve the Lord your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you. ²⁶ None shall miscarry or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. ²⁷ I will send my terror before you and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. ²⁸ And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you. ²⁹ I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you. ³⁰ Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land. ³¹ And I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you.³² You shall make no covenant with them and their gods.³³ They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

 

REFLECTION

• If time allows, read the whole chapter. Then read this passage slowly once more.
• How does the emphasis on worship fit into these chapters on law? Very simply, worship is not simply going to church and singing hymns. Worship is putting our faith into practice by loving God and following His commandments.
• When God gave Moses these laws to share with Israel, He identified them with worship and with success. God promises to provide the Israelites with abundant food, pure water, and bodily health when they worship him, needs that are physical. When we put God first and honor Him with obedience, God provides what we need and we grow towards the person God created us to be.
• Jesus told the Samaritan woman that “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Examine the reasons why you worship God and the spirit in which you worship. Are they at odds with each other? If so, what actions could you take to bring them into harmony?
• PRAY: Do you worship because you desire to receive abundance in life? Do you worship God simply and authentically? If not, ask God to show you what to do so that your worship may be pleasing to HIm.

 

 

 

Exodus 22 English Standard Version (ESV)

Laws About Social Justice

¹⁶ “If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife. ¹⁷ If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride-price for virgins.

¹⁸ “You shall not permit a sorceress to live.

¹⁹ “Whoever lies with an animal shall be put to death.

²⁰ “Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the Lord alone, shall be devoted to destruction.

²¹ “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. ²² You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. ²³ If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry,²⁴ and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

²⁵ “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. ²⁶ If ever you take your neighbor’s cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, ²⁷ for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.

²⁸ “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.

²⁹ “You shall not delay to offer from the fullness of your harvest and from the outflow of your presses. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to me. ³⁰ You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep: seven days it shall be with its mother; on the eighth day you shall give it to me.

³¹ “You shall be consecrated to me. Therefore you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.

 

REFLECTION

• This chapter continues the detailed laws. It first deals with the law concerning property. In this paragraph, Moses identified heinous sins. Read this portion slowly as if you were in that time receiving this law.
• The laws express a person’s responsibility toward others, those to whom they must show respect. To do wrong to a neighbor is to sin against God. The seduction is The sin of witchcraft was punishable by death, as was the unspeakable sin of bestiality and sacrificing unto any other god; these three sins were practiced in the heathen religions of surrounding nations, and Israel was to take no part in them.
• There were laws of not charging interest when lending to the poor; as well as returning a pledge of their cloak which would be used as a blanket at All people must be treated with dignity and respect. God’s care and protection of the foreigner, needy widow and orphan are expressed throughout Scripture (cf. James 1:27). He hears the cry of those in need, and if they are mistreated, His wrath is stirred up.
• According to the principle of this passage, how could you, your cell and your church design or adjust your social concern ministry in order to live more in line with God’s will for “holiness” and heart of compassion for the marginalized? What is one action that you could achieve in this week to allow you to live the life of a “holy people”(v31)?
• PRAY: O Holy God, You’ve not only made provision for my forgiveness, You’ve written Your laws upon my heart. Help me to surrender daily in obedience to You. And help me to do _________________________________ so that I may live the life of a “holy people”.