Exodus 35

What does it say?

Moses assembled the congregation and said this is what the Lord commands. You are to work for six days and rest on the seventh day. Everyone who has a willing heart is to give a contribution for building the tabernacle and making the priestly garments. Everyone who is skillful shall build the tabernacle and the articles that are put into the tabernacle. All of the people whose heart stirred within them brought gold and silver and materials for the building of the tabernacle as a freewill offering to the Lord. Then Moses told the people that the Lord has filled Bezalel of the tribe of Judah with his Spirit to have wisdom and knowledge in craftsmanship; also, Oholiab of the tribe of Dan.

What does it mean?

There are three specific things that we should take from this text:

1. The Lord has commandments that he expects his people to follow.
2. The Lord gives people the freedom to chose.
3. The Lord chooses people to do his will.

We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23) and sin is lawlessness. (1 Jn 3:4) There are things that God expects from each of us but we all fall short. God gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not die the eternal death, in the lake of fire, but have everlasting life. (Jn 3:23, Rev 21:8) Every single person who hears the good news of eternal life in Christ Jesus has the freedom to chose eternal life in Jesus Christ. However, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (Jn 3:3) Those who believe in Jesus are born of God. God has put it into their heart, with the Spirit of God, to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and trust in him as there Savior.

What shall I do?

I shall pay heed to the teachings of Jesus Christ because he has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. (Mt 28:18) I shall use the desire that the Lord has put into my heart for his glory. I shall use the skills that the Lord has given to me for his kingdom. 

Exodus 34

What does it say?

The Lord commanded Moses to cut out two stone tablets, like the former ones that Moses had thrown down and shattered, and come up to Mount Sinai, early in the morning by himself. So, Moses did as the Lord commanded and the Lord passed before Moses while proclaiming the name of the Lord. The Lord proclaimed that God is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; that he keeps lovingkindness for thousands and forgives iniquity, transgression and sin but he will not leave the guilty unpunished and there children will suffer as a result. Hearing this, Moses worshiped the Lord and he asked the Lord to go along in the midst of the people even though they are so obstinate. He prayed that the Lord would forgive their iniquity and sin and take them as his own people. The Lord spoke to Moses of a covenant that he will make and miracles which he will preform that have never been done on the earth. The Lord commanded Moses to write down these ten commandments on the two stone tablets:

1. Make no covenant with the people of the Land.
2. The sons of Israel are to solely worship the Lord. 
3. They are to annually observe the seven day feast of unleavened bread. 
4. All the first born belong to the Lord; therefore, they shall be redeemed with a lamb as a substitute.
5. The Lord command that the sons of Israel work six days and rest on the seventh day. 
6. They are to observe the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Ingathering.
7. Three times a year the sons of Israel are to come together as one congregation to worship the Lord.
8. The Feast of the Passover is not to be left until morning. 
9. The first fruits are to be brought into the house of the Lord. 
10. A young goat shall not be boiled in its mothers milk. 

Moses was on the Mountain for forty days and when he came down his face shined with the glory of the Lord and the sons of Israel were afraid; therefore, he covered his face with a vail but he instructed the people with the word of the Lord.

What does it mean?

The first covenant that the Lord had made with the sons of Israel was shattered. The Lord showed Moses the true nature of the Lord when he made second covenant. It should be noted that the commands in the second covenant are different than the commands that the Lord spoke to all of the congregation from Mount Sinai. These are things that the people should be able to do if they are willing. The Lord is a compassionate and gracious God. The people did not deserve a second covenant but the Lord gave it to them any ways. What will happen to them if they do not keep this covenant? The Lord will visit the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the grandchildren to the third and forth generations.

What Shall I do?

I shall understand that the Lord is a covenant making and covenant keeping God. The Lord made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to give them the land of Canaan. He made a covenant with the sons of Israel at Mount Sinai which they were unable to keep; therefore, to keep the covenantal promise that he made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob he made another covenant with the sons of Israel.  I shall know that the Lord is compassionate and gracious but I shall not presume upon the grace of the Lord and ignore his commandments. Jesus Christ has given us a new commandment to love one another just as he loved us; therefore, I shall love my brothers, my neighbors and even my enemies as the Lord commanded in Christ Jesus.

Exodus 33

What does it say?

The Lord tells Moses to go to the land which he promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but he the Lord would not go with them, he will send an angle before them to drive out the inhabitants of the land. The sons of Israel went into morning and striped themselves of their ornaments because of the word of the Lord who said: “I will not go in your midst, because you are an obstinate people, and I might destroy you on the way.” (Ex.1:3, 5) Moses pitched a tent, that he called the tent of meeting, outside of the camp, and when he entered the tent, the Lord would descend in a pillar of cloud and meet with Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. While the Pillar of cloud was at the entrance of the tent, the people worshiped the Lord. Joshua was Moses servant and he remained in the tent whenever Moses departed from it. Moses prayed to the Lord to let him know the ways of the Lord, that he may know the Lord and find favor in his sight. He prays that the Lord will reconsider and go with the people, so that they may be distinguished from all the other people on the earth, with God dwelling amongst them. The Lord consented to go amongst the people because Moses had found favor in the sight of the Lord; however, Moses could not see the face of the Lord but the Lord promised to let all of his goodness pass before him and Moses could see his back as he passed. The Lord said that he will proclaim the name of the Lord before him; and he, the Lord, will be gracious to whom he will be gracious, and he will show compassion to whom he will show compassion.

What does it mean?

It means that the Lord is holy and all people are sinners fallen short of the glory of God. Should God condescend and dwell amongst people who sin against him? These people saw the mountain burning and God spoke to them from the mountain. He commanded them to not make an idol of anything in heaven or on earth and bow down to it, yet they made a golden calf and bowed down to it. The Lord was rightly angry with them. If the Lord did not go in their midst but sent an angle ahead of them to fulfill the covenant that he made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob the Lord would be kinder than they deserved. However, the Lord is amazingly gracious and compassionate. He is gracious to whom he will be gracious and compassionate to whom he will show compassion. The Lord is righteous to forgive whomever he wills.

What shall I do?

I shall worship the Lord because he has shown me all of his goodness. He has been gracious to me and compassionate towards me. There is nothing good in me that is in my flesh, yet he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. I deserve death but he has given me eternal life already but not yet, there is a resurrection coming on the last day. All of the goodness of the Lord passed before us in the person of Jesus Christ. The word became flesh and dwelt amongst us and the apostles saw his glory. No one, including Moses has seen God at anytime but the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, has revealed God in human flesh. (Jn 1:14, 18) Moses wanted to know the Lord. We know the Lord because he descended and became a man like us in the person of his Son. I shall worship the Lord our God: Father and Son and Holy Spirit.

Matthew 15

What does it say?

The Pharisees question Jesus, as to the why his disciples do not observe the hand washing tradition of the elders, but he answers them, by showing the Pharisees that they are teaching the precepts of men and ignoring the commandments of God. Jesus said to the crowd that a person is not defiled by what he eats but by what he says. The disciples were concerned that Jesus words offended the Pharisees; therefore, Jesus told his disciples that the Pharisees are false teachers. Jesus’ disciples confessed that the did not understand the statement about what defiles a man, so Jesus explained to them the workings of the gastrointestinal system. Then he explained to them that all sin begins with evil thoughts, which manifest in evil words and evil actions. A woman whose physical birth was not from one of the tribes of Israel came and asked Jesus to heal her daughter. Jesus refused her request but after she answered wisely he healed her daughter and he called the woman’s faith great. Jesus went along the sea of Galilee healing the mute, crippled, lame, and blind people brought to him and they glorified God. The crowd was with Jesus for three days and did not have food to eat but Jesus satisfactorily feed them with seven loaves of bread and a few fish; when the four thousand men who were there, along with their wives and children were satisfied, the disciples picked up seven baskets full of leftovers. After this, Jesus departed from the crowd by boat, across the sea of Galilee to another region. 

What does it mean?

The Pharisees had no right given to them by God to be the teachers of the law but made themselves the spiritual guides of the sons of Israel. The word is the Lord’s; therefore, it is the Lord who calls teachers of the word. At the end of this book Jesus will commission his disciples to teach his word. As the Son of God, Jesus has the right to teach the word of God and appoint whomever he wills to teach his word. The Pharisees were not appointed by God to teach the word of God. There are many teaching the word today who are false professors of the word. Like the Pharisees, they are teaching the precepts of men rather than the word of God. The word of God should be considered with much care because the word of God is holy. Everything that we need to know is in the word but the Holy Spirit is needed for understanding because without the Holy Spirit our hearts are darkened. It is very interesting that Jesus called the Pharisees blind guides leading the blind and then calls a gentile (Non-Jewish) woman a woman of great faith. She demonstrated the wisdom of God with the answer that she gave Jesus. God promised Abraham that in his seed all of the nations on earth would be blessed. (cf. Gn 18:18, 22:18) This woman was not claiming rights as a daughter of Israel but was claiming the promised blessing for all the nations. All of Jesus’ care and miracles demonstrate that he is the Son of God.

What shall I do?

There are many traditions in the church. My tradition is the Baptist tradition. However, I do not believe that to be a Christian a person has to adhere to the Baptist tradition. There are doctrines that we cannot waiver on but Baptism is not one of those doctrines. The church that I attend (Sylvania Church in Tyler, Texas) has a particular way of conducting our corporate worship service but we do not claim that our tradition is the only way. I shall be careful not to treat traditions as doctrines of God. Jesus is the God-Man, fully God and fully man in one person. This is a doctrine on which we cannot waiver. The miraculous signs that Jesus did demonstrate that he is the God-Man. I shall worship Jesus Christ as God in human flesh and trust in him the promised blessing for the nations. 

Exodus 32

What does it say?

Moses was a long returning from the mountain and the people became restless, so Aaron made them an idol, a molten calf to worship as their god who took them out of the land of Egypt. The Lord told Moses that the people have broken the covenant by making an idol to worship; therefore, the Lord was angry. Moses prayed to the Lord, that he would not destroy the people and he reminded the Lord of the covenant that he made with Abraham, Isaac and (Jacob) Israel; that he would multiply there descendants and give them the land that they stood on forever. Hearing this, the Lord withheld his wrath from destroying the sons of Israel. Moses descended from the mountain with the two tablets of testimony given to him by the Lord and while descending he heard the people singing. When Moses saw what they were doing he became angry and threw down the tablets which shattered. Moses ground up the golden calf, scattered the grindings over the surface of the water and he made the sons of Israel drink it. Moses then turned to Aaron who blamed the people and said that this calf was created when he threw the gold into the fire. Moses instructed the Levites to go throughout the camp and make war in the camp. Moses went back up the mountain to the Lord to make intercession for the people and offered to be excluded from the kingdom of God if the Lord would forgive them; however, the Lord rejected Moses’ offer of substitution and the Lord vowed to punish them at the judgment.

What does it mean?

Moses’ throwing down and shattering the tablets of the testimony represents the breaking of the covenant. The Lord had no more concluded giving Moses instruction and the people broke the covenant. This is a vivid picture of total depravity. The Lord is a covenant making and covenant keeping God but man always falls short of the glory of God. The people heard God speak from the mountain and they saw the fire that consumed the mountain and they heard the ten commandments spoken by the mouth of the Lord from the mountain. At that time, the people were fearful and elected Moses to go before the Lord. It took but forty days for them to forget and break the word of the Lord. The Lord is holy, righteous and just; therefore, all sin shall be punished. Moses like all men is a sinner; therefore, he was not an acceptable substitute for the sins of the people.

What shall I do?

I shall repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ because he was punished for our transgressions and was raised because of our justification. (Rom 4:25)  Moses was not an acceptable substitute for the sins of the sons of Israel but Jesus is an acceptable substitute for the sins of all men. The Lord passed over the sins of the sons of Israel at Mount Sinai because a perfect substitute was coming. Jesus death on the cross was to demonstrate the righteousness of God in passing over the sins of men. God is just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus; (Rom 3:25, 26) therefore, I shall have repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of my sins and I shall learn to observe all that Jesus commanded. 

Exodus 31

What does it say?

The Lord called Bezalel from the tribe of Judah and filled him with the Holy Spirit , along with Oholiab from the tribe of Dan; there were others but these two led the work done on the articles that the Lord commanded through Moses. The Lord reinforced the sabbath rest which is the sign of the covenant between the Lord and the sons of Israel; the sabbath rest acknowledges that God created all things in six days and rested on the seventh day. The Lord concluded speaking on Mount Sinai and gave Moses the two stone tablets of the testimony, written by the finger of God.

What does it mean?

The fact that the Lord called two men from separate tribes to do the work on the sanctuary indicates plurality in the work of the Lord. It should also be noted that these men were not of the priestly tribe of Levi but they were called by the Lord to work. The work that they were called to do was not work that most would consider holy, yet the Lord filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God in wisdom, understanding and knowledge for craftsmanship. There are many people doing all kinds of work who are not preachers. The Lord concluded giving his commandments by reinforcing the sabbath commandment. Thus, the sabbath rest is the sign of the Mosaic covenant between the Lord and the sons of Israel. The sabbath is not the sign of the new covenant. For six days the Lord created heaven and earth and he rested on the seventh day; therefore, the sabbath rest is in honor of the creator. However, the Lord is no longer at rest. He has risen from the dead on the first day of the week. God is creating a new heaven and new earth but this time God is beginning by making a new man. Therefore, the sign of the new covenant is not the sabbath, it is the empty tomb. Jesus Christ was the first to rise and all will rise at his second coming. In the first covenant God wrote his commandments on two stone tablets but in the new covenant his commandments are written on our hearts.

What shall I do?

I was called by the Lord to be a nurse. My calling is nursing as ministry. It is a difficult job for many reasons but the Lord has filled me with his Spirit in wisdom, understanding and knowledge to do this work. Therefore, I shall consider bedside nursing holy to the Lord. The sign of the new covenant is faith in Jesus Christ. We gather to worship the Lord, and hear his word preached, on the first day of the week because it is on the first day of the week that the tomb was found empty. It is not a law that I should observe but I shall gather with my brothers and sisters in Christ on the first day of the week in remembrance of Jesus Christ. Jesus broke the bread and said, “Eat,” and he passed the cup and said, “Drink,” he said to do this in remembrance of me. We do this on the first day of the week because on the first day of the week the tomb was found empty. It is a new and better beginning. 

Matthew 14

What does it say?

Herod hearing the news about Jesus believed that he might be John the Baptist risen from the dead. Herod imprisoned John the Baptist for saying that it was unlawful for Herod to marry his brother’s wife Herodias. Herod made a hasty promise to the daughter of Herodias, before his birthday guest, to give her whatever she desired; she asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter, having been prompted by her mother, his head was severed from his body and brought to the young woman on a platter. Having heard the news about John, Jesus withdrew to a secluded place across the sea to pray. Jesus feed five thousand men with five loaves and two fish, and there was enough leftovers to fill twelve baskets. Jesus withdrew to the mountain by himself to pray but that night he came to the disciples walking on the sea and they were frightened. Peter got out of the boat (at Jesus command) and began walking to him but he doubted and began to sink; therefore, he called out to the Lord who saved him. They landed on a fertile plane on the westside of the sea and many sick were brought to Jesus and he healed them all; even those who just touched his cloak were healed.

What does it mean?

It means that Jesus is not an Old Testament prophet like John the Baptist. Jesus is the Son of God. Hearing the news about Jesus’ teaching and miraculous signs, Herod thought that he might be John the Baptist risen because Herod knew that he was guilty of breaking the law of God. It was guilt that caused him to think this way. But Jesus is greater than all of the prophets, including John the Baptist. John was a prophet sent before the Messiah. There has not been an Old Testament prophet like John since Jesus was declared the Son of God with power by his resurrection from the dead. There are three miracles (which Jesus did) given in this text: Satisfactorily feeding five thousand men, along with their wives and children, from very little food. Walking on water across the sea. Healing as many as came to him of their sicknesses. These signs testify to anyone who is willing to read them that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and not another Old Testament prophet like John the Baptist.

What shall I do?

The purpose for the prophets has been fulfilled with the coming of the Son of God. There is no longer a need for the prophets because God has come in human flesh and spoken to us in Jesus Christ. Therefore, I shall listen to what Jesus has to say and observe all that Jesus commanded. Jesus is the heir of heaven and earth. Jesus is the King enthroned in heaven who will return to sit down on his glorious throne on the earth. He is the King and his word is binding. I shall learn to observe all that Jesus commanded.

Exodus 30

What does it say?

The Lord gave Moses instructions to make an ornate altar for burning incense on which is to be placed in front of the veil that separates the holy place from the holy of holies. Like the other articles, the altar of incense was designed to be carried with poles. This altar was for burning incense in the morning and in the evening and was not for sacrifice, but once a year the high priest was to make atonement on it with the blood of the sin offering of atonement. The Lord then instructs Moses to take a census of the sons of Israel, and every man numbered from twenty years old and older is to pay a ransom for himself; a half shekel for the service of the tent of meeting. A laver of bronze filled with water is to be placed between the altar and the tent of meeting; the priest are to wash their hands and feet before entering the tent of meeting or before approaching the altar with a sacrifice. A recipe for making a special perfume is given but this perfume is only to be used on the priests and holy articles. Then a recipe is given for making the incense that the high priest is to burn morning and evening on the altar of incense; no one else in Israel may use this incense for themselves, nor is the perfume to be pored on a layman.

What does it mean?

This chapter is about making clean and making the articles and the priest smell good. The incense burning day and night represents the smell of good works. I find the instructions regarding the census and the half shekel tribute for the tent of meeting service interesting because it shows that the Lord considered all of the sons of Israel equal.  The Lord is holy and the sons of Israel were in a desert. They would have been covered with dust much of the time. The priest washing before entering the tent or approaching the altar with a sacrifice is demonstration that the Lord is to be consider holy; therefore, care is to be made when approaching him. Two recipes are given: one for making a special perfume and one for making a special incense, neither of which are to be used by or on a laymen. While the half shekel tribute showed equality in persons, the use of these special recipes shows election in service.

What shall I do?

Every single human is of equal value to the Lord; therefore, I shall consider every human in that way. Much of the things talked about in this chapter regarding priestly ceremony is no more. Jesus Christ has entered through the veil and is in the holy of holies making intercession on our behalf. Jesus washed his disciples hands and feet and Jesus was anointed before his death and before his burial. Everyone of these things represent the things that happened at the end of Jesus ministry. I shall consider everything written in the Gospel of John 12-19 regarding these things as representing Jesus ministry.

Exodus 29

What does it say?

Instructions were given to Moses regarding the ordination ceremony of his brother Aaron and Aaron’s sons as priest. A bull is to be sacrificed during the ordination ceremony as a sin offering. Then a ram is to be sacrificed as a burnt offering to the Lord. A second ram is sacrificed and the blood of this lamb is to be used for anointing Aaron and his sons and their garments. The fat of the ram, with the liver, the kidneys, the right thigh, a cake of bread, a cake mixed with oil, and one wafer of unleavened bread from the basket set before the Lord is to be put in the hands of Aaron and his sons as a wave offering which they will offer up in smoke on the altar before the Lord. The breast and the thigh of the ram are to be eaten by Aaron and his sons; this portion is theirs forever of the heave offerings. Aarons holy garments are to be passed down to the generations of his sons. The meet of the ram is to be boiled and eaten with the bread in the basket by Aaron and his sons at the doorway of the tent of meeting; no one else may eat of these things offered before the Lord. For seven days in a row a bull is to offered to make atonement for the altar and consecrate it; after which, anything that touches the altar is considered holy. There will be continual sacrifices made on the altar in the morning and the evening throughout the generations. The Lord will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God. 

What does it mean?

There seems to be much falderal with this ceremony and with the daily ritual sacrifices. The truth is that there was not enough fuss being made. The purpose of all of this is given in the last verse of this chapter: 

“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.” (Ex 29:46) 

The Lord is holy and all of this ceremonial fuss is to bring attention to that fact. The Lord cannot be approached by the will of man but only as the Lord wills and commands. The third commandment says, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” This means that the Lord is to be revered at all times and in every way. 

What shall I do?

Jesus has given me the right to approach God as a son approaches his father; therefore, I address God as Father. I can approach God because I have been consecrated by the blood of Jesus Christ through faith. I have audience with God as my heavenly Father in prayer because of the sacrifice of the only begotten Son of God who is Jesus Christ the Lord. I cannot approach God in my flesh because there is nothing good in me that is in my flesh. I can approach the Father God, through faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord. It is in the name of Jesus Chris that I pray to God as my Father.

Matthew 13

What does it say?

Jesus (from a boat) began speaking to a crowd who gathered by sea. He told a parable about a man sowing seed and only one of four soils (the good soil) yielded a crop. Afterwords, the disciples asked Jesus why he teaches the crowds in parables and the answer that he gave is that it has not been granted to them to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. However, the disciples have been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus then explains the parable of the sower to the disciples: The four soils represent four types of hearers one does not hear at all, one receives with joy but is short lived, one bears no fruit because of the worries of the world; however, the disciple hears the word and yields fruit. Jesus told the crowds a parable about a good sower and a bad sower. In another parable the mustered seed which begins small and grows larger than any garden plant. In the parable of the leavened bread, the leaven spreads throughout the loaf. Jesus teaching the people with parables is in fulfillment of Psalm 78:2. The disciples asked Jesus to explain the parable of the wheat and tares and he said the sower of the wheat represents the Son of Man and the sower of the tares represents the evil one, and the wheat represents the elect and the tares represent the damned. In two parables ( hidden treasure and costly pearl) Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is worth giving up all to have. Jesus said that the end of the ages is like a fisher men who out of the drag net keeps the good fish but throws away the bad fish. In his hometown of Nazareth they would not except Jesus.

What does it mean?

There are essentially two types of people in the world. There are those whom God has elected to be in the kingdom of heaven and those who will be cast into hell. The elect hear the word of God, understand it , observe it and bare fruit. Those who have not been regenerated do not have the ability to hear, and if they do hear, they will not continue to observe the word of the Lord. All of these parables show these two types of people. At the end of time, the elect will enter the kingdom of heaven and the damned will be cast away. We can have an idea of who the elect are by their fruit. Therefore, we are to be fruit inspectors but we are not to cast anyone out because this is not our place. This is for the Lord to do at the end of time. We should also keep in mind that the preaching of the kingdom of heaven has a good effect on the world whether they believe or not. 

What shall I do?

I shall preach the gospel. Those whom God has elected to eternal life will hear and yield fruit, but the majority will not hear, and if they do hear, they will not yield fruit. I shall not be discouraged by unbelief because Jesus was rejected even in his own hometown of Nazareth. I shall preach the gospel to all persons because it causes a good effect in all of society. 

Exodus 28

What does it say?

Aaron and his sons: Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ilthamar were elected by the Lord as priest on behalf of the people before the Lord; the Lord also raised up skillful people to make garments for the priests. The outer piece of the priestly garment was a long vest called an ephod which had a stone on each should with the names of the sons of Israel engraved on the stones. The breast piece of judgment was finely knitted and decorated (four rows of precious stones representing the twelve tribes) pouch that contained the Urim and the Thummim (lights and perfections) before the Lord. The cloth of the ephod was blue and the him was decorated with bells and pomegranates so that the priest jingled when he walked before the Lord. Aaron wore a turban with a plate of pure gold with the engraving (Holy to the Lord) fastened to the turban with a blue cord. The turban of the high priest was more ornate than that of the other priests. The priest also wore linen breeches (boxer shorts) which would cover the priest genitals. 

What does it mean?

Of all the people on the earth, the Lord chose Israel and his sons to be his people and he chose Aaron and his sons to be his priests. It is not man who choses God but God who choses man. The Lord is holy; therefore, the priest are distinguished from the people by the garments that they wore. By having the names of the sons of Israel worn on the shoulders of the priest it would have been a continual reminder that they are representing the sons of Israel before the Lord. The twelve precious stones on the breast piece would have been a reminder that the sons of Israel are precious to the Lord. Only one priest (the high priest) wore the gold plate that said “Holy to the Lord.” This indicated him as the high priest. The priest’s nakedness was to be covered when ministering before the Lord. I suspect that this has something to do with Adam and Eve’s nakedness and coverings in the garden after they had eaten the forbidden fruit. (Gn 3:7)

What shall I do?

There are no longer successive priests who minister before the Lord on behalf of the people. Just like Aaron and the sons of Aaron were chosen to be high priests, Jesus Christ was chosen by God to be our high priest forever. Our high priest is different than Aaron because he is high priest perpetually. Jesus did not glorify himself to be a high priest  but the Father chose him to be our priest forever. (Heb 5:5-6) The purpose of the priest was to offer up sacrafices to the Lord on behalf of the people. He had to enter holy of holies once a year to atone for the sins of the people because the sacrifices that Aaron made were not eternal. Jesus offered up his body once for all obtaining eternal redemption for all who believe in him. (Heb 9:11-14) Therefore, I shall come to the Lord our God through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Exodus 27

This chapter gives instructions on the construction of and use of the bronze altar and the court of the tabernacle; lastly, the oil to be used for the lamp in the tent of meeting.

The tabernacle was constructed as such: The holy of holies is the place of God. In the holy of holies was the ark of the testimony. A box with attached carrying poles. In the box were two tablets on which were written, Ten Commandments for the sons of Israel. On top of the box was a led called the mercy seat. We will come back to the mercy seat in a later writing but its purpose is for atonement of sins. Going out from the holy of holies we have the holy place. This is were the priest are to meet with God. The holy place is separated from the holy of holies by a linen curtain. In the holy place was a table and a lamp. Placed on the table were twelve loaves of bread which represent the twelve tribes of Israel, the people of God. The lampstand had on it seven lamps that were to be kept lit throughout the night by the sons of Aaron. The sons of Israel were charged with bringing the clearest of olive oil as fuel for the lamps. The holy of holies was separated from the holy place by a linen curtain and the holy place was was separated from the court of the tabernacle by a fifteen foot curtain. The court was seperated from the outside world by a seven foot curtain. A square within a larger square without a roof but to tall for anyone to look over. No roof because God came as a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day. 

The bronze altar was constructed as a square made from acacia wood covered with bronze. The dimensions were five cubits by five cubits and its height was three cubits. A cubit measured from the tip of ones fingers to the elbow which was approximately 1 1/2 feet for the average man. Like the ark of the testimony, the bronze altar was constructed to be transported. Like the ark of the testimony, the bronze altar also had attached poles. These were made of acacia wood and covered with bronze. There will be more on its use later but this is the place that burnt sacrifices are to be made with Aaron’s sons presiding. 

All of this screams of Jesus Christ. He is the word of God become flesh and he is the light of the world. He was handed over for crucifixion by the priests and his blood atoned for our sins. 

Matthew 12

Jesus proves to be perfect wisdom in human flesh. The Scribes and Pharisees attempt time and time again to trick Jesus or make him sound foolish but they are the ones made out to be fools. 

The Sabbath was given by the Lord to the Sons of Israel for two reasons: First, would they trust his word. Second, for their benefit. However, the pharisees made additional laws to keep people from breaking the Sabbath. The Sabbath became a burden rather than a blessing for the people of God. Jesus would later tell Pilot, “For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” (Jn. 18:37, NASB) The pharisees were not teaching the truth about the Sabbath; therefore, understanding about the Sabbath is one area that the Messiah came to redeem. Jesus said something that must have sounded atrocious to them. He claimed to be Lord of the Sabbath. Now why would he say that? Because the pharisees (by making additional laws) had made themselves lords of the Sabbath.

They thought that they could catch him in the wrong on the Sabbath by asking him if it was legal to heal on the Sabbath. They wanted a simple yes or no answer but this is not the answer that Jesus gave. He answered with wisdom. He knew that they took care of their animals on the Sabbath. Also, they knew that the word declared man more valuable than animals. Given these two truths they had no words to speak against his healing a man on the Sabbath. If they opened their mouths they would look like fools; therefore, they conspired privately to do evil. All of Jesus words and actions fulfilled prophecy.

The pharisees could not defeat the wisdom of Jesus; therefore, they attempted to defame his character. They could not deny that he was healing men, so they declared that he was casting out demons by the ruler of the demons. However, even in their attempt to defame his character they were defeated by the wisdom of the Son of God. 

Jesus said that blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. There has been much written about this and I will say what I believe. Many have also used this to cause fear in others. And many have feared whether or not they have committed the unpardonable sin. Even the author of “Pilgrim’s Progress,” John Bunyan feared at one point in his life that he may have committed the unpardonable sin. I believe that Jesus had judged these men and found them guilty. Judgment day is coming but for these pharisees it has already come.

What is in the heart the mouth speaks. This is a hard thing because I personally have said so many things that I regret. My heart is often revealed by my words. I believe this is why James wrote to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. (Jam 1:19) I confess that I am often slow to listen, quick to speak and quick to anger.

Jesus had been going throughout Galilee, preaching the kingdom of heaven and healing many many people. Yet, some scribes and Pharisees came and requested that he perform a miracle in their sight. He knew that these men were already making plans to kill him. They would kill him through Pilot and his body would be placed in a tomb but on the third day the tomb would be empty. In the face of the facts they would still refuse to believe. 

Lastly, Jesus declared his family are those who do the will of his Father. What is the will of the Father? To believe in him whom the Father sent. (Jn 6:40)

Exodus 26

The Lord is very detailed in how he wants the tabernacle constructed. We could look at the tabernacle from outside to inside and this is the way that it is written and they way that it would have been seen but we could also go from inside out. 

I spent about one year in a U. S. Army Field Hospital unit which used very large canvas tents to construct the Field Hospital. Theses tents were about the size and dimensions of the tabernacle and used framework, clasps and rings to construct them.  Once constructed an entire wall looked as a single curtain. Inside the tent could be further partitioned into rooms with additional curtains. There was also two sets of curtains that made the walls of these great tents. There was an inner wall that was made of softer material and an outer wall of thicker and more rigged material. I imagine the construct of the tabernacle to be much like these great tents although much much much more innate and glorious in appearance.  

I would like to think more about what was in the tabernacle. A veil using blue and purple and scarlet material of fine twisted linen was constructed and hung on four pillars. This would make a square room inside of the tabernacle. Placed in this square room, which is called the holy of holies was The Arch of the Testimony. The Arch of the Testimony contained the Ten Commandments that the sons of Israel agreed to obey. Inside the tabernacle was holy but this inner room was the holy of holies because it contained the arch of the testimony and the mercy seat. The mercy seat is the place of atonement for the sins of the people. Outside of the veil was placed the table for the show bread and the lampstand which were discussed in the previous chapter. 

There was a screen constructed of blue, purple and scarlet twisted linen for the doorway of the tent. Just like with the construction of the tent and the holy of holies, the construction of the doorway was very detailed with exact specifications from the Lord.

Exodus 25

At this point in the story of the Exodus and the giving of the Mosaic covenant to the sons of Israel we enter what the covenantal theologians call ceremonial law. The covenantal theologian patricians the Law into three parts:

1. Moral
2. Civil
3. Ceremonial

He does this because he wants to bring the Christian back to the law for sanctification after he has been saved from the penalty of the law but does not want him to follow the civil or ceremonial law. He says that the civil law was for the nation of Israel only and the ceremonial law was done away with at the cross but the moral law (The Ten Commandments) are forever. 

Jesus said in Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. All of the laws given to Moses for the sons of Israel are related to The Ten Commandments. The civil laws are based on the ten commandments and the ceremonial laws are based on the ten commandments. In this chapter four commands are given by the Lord: 

1. Offerings for the Sanctuary
2. The Ark of the Covenant
3. The Table of Showbread
4. The Golden Lampstand

The materials for the sanctuary were given as free will offerings. The construction begins with the center piece and moves outwardly. The center piece in the religious life of Israel is the Law. Here it is referred to by the Lord as the testimony. From Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary: “This word refers to the Ten Commandments as a solemn divine charge or duty. In particular, it represents those commandments as written on the tablets and existing as a reminder and “testimony” of Israel’s relationship and responsibility to God:” For the sons of Israel, all of life is related to the Ten Commandments. 

The second item to be built is the table for the show bread. It should be noted that all of these items were designed for transportation and were to remain in that state. On the table were placed twelve loaves of bread representing the twelve sons of Israel.

The third item was the Golden Lampstand. The Golden Lampstand was built to illuminate the interior of the sanctuary. The most inner place was were the Ark of the Covenant was kept but just outside of that was placed the Table of Showbread and the Golden Lampstand. “Some believe that the lampstand represented the Tree of Life.”  (IVP BBC OT) 

Exodus 24

The people saw the cloud descend on Mount Sinai and they heard the voice of God speaking the ten commandments and they feared the voice of the Lord; therefore, the elected Moses to be their intercessor. The Lord gave Moses commandments on how the people are to live in the promise land. The Lord told Moses to come up to the Lord with his brother Aaron, Aaron’s two sons Nadab and Abihu, and with seventy elders to worship the Lord at a distance. 

Moses recounted to all the people the things that God had said to him when they sent him to the Lord as their intercessor. The people agreed to do all the words that the Lord had spoken. Moses wrote down all that the Lord had spoken in a book. Moses built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars. One pillar for every tribe. They sacrificed young bulls as burnt offerings on the altar as peace offerings to the Lord. When the bulls were sacrificed, Moses used half of the blood to sanctify the altar. Then he read the words of the Lord from the book of the covenant in the hearing of the people. Then he took the other half of the blood from the sacrifice of the bulls and sprinkled it on the people saying, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.” 

After sanctifying the people with the blood of bulls. The glory of the Lord rested on the mountain for six days in a cloud and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from the cloud. Moses went to the Lord on the mountain with his servant Joshua. Moses entered the midst of the cloud on the mountain and stayed there for forty days and forty nights. 

This was a type which was yet to come. The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us and the apostles beheld his glory. (Jn. 1:14) He was sacrificed on a Roman cross and his blood was poured out for us as a new covenant; we are not sanctified with the blood of bulls but with the blood of the Son of God. (Lk. 22:20) The new covenant is faultless but the Mosaic covenant is with fault because it is dependent on the obedience of the people to keep it; however, the new covenant is solely dependent on the obedience of the Son of God. (Heb. 8:7-13)

Matthew 11

In the previous chapter Jesus gave his disciples instruction and sent them out to proclaim the coming kingdom of heaven. John heard from prison what Jesus was doing and he sent his disciples to question him: “Are you the coming one?” Jesus answered them with Scripture being fulfilled by his works; namely, Isaiah 31:5f and Isaiah 61:1. Someone looking for the Messiah to come would be looking for fulfillment of these prophecies. But there is another prophecy that has been fulfilled and is being fulfilled. Jesus only states the first half of the prophecy because it is this half that relates to John the Baptist; the propecy is Malachi 3:1. The second half of the prophecy is already fulfilled in inauguration but not yet in consumption. The second half of the prohecy is the day of the Lord, when he sits down on his glorious thrown and all things are made new. Jesus calls John the best man that has ever lived, yet he is not greater than the citizens in the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus then compares the present generation to children playing in the market place. He says that they are fickle. What they complained about in John was the opposite complaint they had about Jesus. They were unhappy with either man and it really had nothing to do with the things that they complained about. Jesus denounced the unrepentant cities in which he performed miracles and preached the good news of the kingdom of heaven.  He said that the cities of Tyre, Sidon and Sodom would have repented if these miracles had been preformed in them and will be better off at the judgment than Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum; all Jewish cities. Tyre and Sidon were gentile cities and Sodom was destroyed by God (Genesis 19:1-29) for its wickedness. 

After denouncing these cities he gives praise to the Father for drawing the simple minded. Jesus gives the Father absolute credit for everything that he had and said that no one knows him except the Father, nor does anyone know the Father except him, yet there are some whom Jesus will give revelation. Jesus then calls the weary and heavy-laden to come to him for rest. Rest from what? Rest from trying to earn entry into the kingdom of heaven. The good news is that the kingdom of heaven is a free gift to all who come to Jesus Christ. 

Exodus 23

The Lord is a just and holy God. And he expects his people to act justly. Jesus said: “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt. 5:48) The ninth commandment: You shall not testify falsely against your neighbor is a commandment about justice. The Lord expects individuals to act justly no matter what the masses are doing. He expects his people to act justly towards both friend and foe. Some people are partial to the poor and others are partial to the rich. Justice should be blind to all partiality, nor should it be bribed. (vv. 1-9)

Why the Sabbath rest? The Sabbath was a test to see if the sons of Israel would obey the Lord but it also was given to them for their good. Men do best when they work hard followed by a period of rest. I know that I work best after resting and I rest best after working. Men were made for work but must have rest. This rest was not for the land owner only but was required of him to rest his animals and the slaves that worked for him. The land was to have a rest also. For six years the sons of Israel could farm the land and on the seventh year the land was to have a rest. This was to provide food for the poor and food for the animals of the land. The principle is to not always be taking but to let others have a share. (vv.10-13)

The sons of Israel were to come together three times a year and enjoy a feast as one congregation before the Lord: The Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Feast of the Harvest of the first fruits of their labors.  The Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year. They gathered to remember how the Lord took them out of Egypt. The Harvest feast and the Ingathering feast help them to remember that the Lord is the One who provides. The Feasts also kept them as one people. (vv14-19)

The Lord promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob the land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites. The Lord promised the sons of Israel that he would completely destroy them but not in a single year. The nation needed to grow before they could fully inhabit the land. They were to make no covenant with the people of the land because the Lord did not want them to be influenced to sin and worship their gods. (vv. 20-33)

Exodus 22

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Matthew 10

Jesus choose twelve men to be his disciples and he gave them authority that no one since these twelve have had. Jesus is God in human flesh; therefore, he went about Judea proclaiming the kingdom, casting out unclean spirits, healing all kinds of diseases and every kind of sickness. (cf. Mt 9:35) He gave this same authority to his twelve chosen apostles. 

Each of these men are named in groups of two. They were sent to the lost sheep of Israel in pairs. One of these men, Judas Iscariot, would betray Jesus. 

The remainder of this chapter is instructions given by Jesus for the twelve when he sent them out on a special mission to announce the coming of the kingdom of heaven to Jewish cities in Galilee. This mission is not to be confused with the great commission. (cf. Mt 28:19, 20) However, many of the things that Jesus teaches the twelve in this chapter have lasting value in missions today. But we should keep in mind that he later revoked some of the things that he said in this chapter. In Mt 10:9 he tells them to not go out with money belts but to live off what the people of that city give. But when Jesus is about to be crucified, he revokes this clause. (cf. Lk 22:35, 36) This temporary mission was to the lost sheep of Israel and they were not to enter into the way of the gentiles. 

“Way of the Gentiles” probably means a road leading only to one of the pagan, Greek cities in Palestine; Jewish people normally avoided roads that led into such cities anyway. Galilee was surrounded by Gentile regions except in the south, where it shared borders with Samaria. (IVP BBC NT) 

After giving them this initial instruction, Jesus then divulges instruction that will be applicable during the great comission. They should be wise and harmless. They are warriors being sent out on a mission; however, the battle is spiritual in a physical world. Their weapons are spiritual but the enemy uses the physical to fight them. The follower of Jesus Christ is to announce the coming kingdom of heaven but when the world persecutes the disciples is not to fight back physically. He is to be harmless like a dove but he should be wise like a serpent. The disciples should not give needless offense and enter compromising situations. Jesus warns the disciples about the persecutions that they would endure for the sake of the kingdom. Even their families would betray them. This is a test for true discipleship in the face of an unbelieving family. Is the disciple going to chose his earthly family or the kingdom of heaven? The disciple is not to fear what the unbelieving world may do to him because it is the soul that will inherit the kingdom. The true test of discipleship: Will the disciple fear men or will he fear God? Will he confess Jesus before men or will he deny him before men? Jesus’s first advent was not to bring peace to the earth. Yes, his death on the cross brought men peace with God but his first advent started a war on the earth. Remember that this war is spiritual but unbelievers fight with the physical. They can kill the body but they cannot kill the soul. The disciple of Jesus is not to resist an evil person. (Mt 5:39) He is to remember that his reward for service is not in this world but in the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven is already but not yet. The disciples reward will come when Jesus returns to sit down on his glorious throne. 

Exodus 21

This chapter begins what the covenantal theologian calls civil law.  They are laws for the people, living with one another; nonetheless, they are moral because they are related in spirit to the Ten Commandments. As said in chapter 20, the Ten Commandments, when used properly brings the knowledge of sin and make all who hear the law accountable to God. These laws, however, are civil laws for the sons of Israel living in a theocracy. 

When reading these I do not believe that they would be a better way of life; however, we should note that they are much much better than the way other nations were living at the time. C. S. Lewis pointed out in Mere Christianity that we should not judge Christianity when comparing the worst Christian’s behavior with the best unbelievers behavior, for this is not comparing apples to apples. What would that person have been like if they did not know the Lord Jesus Christ and what would this moral unbeliever be like if he did know the Lord? I think that this is the way that we should evaluate these civil laws.

The first set of laws (vv 1-11) have to do with slavery. Slavery was a fact of life during this time period and it was often the means of survival for many a person. If a person was starving, they would sell themselves to a land owner for food and clothing. However, if a Hebrew sold himself to another Hebrew he could only be held for six years but when he departs his master, nothing that belonged to the master could be taken away. This included a wife given to the slave and the children that she bore. I find this harsh but what were the other nations doing at the time? I it is also strange to me for a man to sell his daughter. Remember, we are not comparing apples to apples. The law was put into place to insure that the one who pays for the girl treats her kindly. 

The second half of this chapter (vv 12-36) have to do with personal injuries. Murder was absolutely forbidden, so there needed to be civil law to deal with it and a way out of punishment for accidental death. While some of these laws may seem strange in the 21st century, they do show that human life was considered precious; therefore, anyone who takes a human life by malice of for thought was to be put to death. It is appalling to me that a man could injure a slave and not be punished but I am judging the situation many many centuries removed, while living in a different culture, at a different time, and a different economic situation. However, it should be noted that even the life of a slave was considered precious. Even animals were to be protected and the owner of an injured animal was to be compensated.

Exodus 20

The Ten Commandments might be the most misunderstood and abused text in all of Scripture. In the protestant tradition there has been two dominant views: The covenantal view and the dispensational view.

Covenantal theologians partisan the law into moral, ceremonial and civil law. The covenantal theologian puts the ten commandments into the section of moral law. The covenantal theologian believes that there is one overarching covenant that God is acting on; the covenant that he made with Abraham. The gentiles are included as the people of God because God told Abraham, “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” (Gn 22:18) The covenantal theologian believes that the Christian has the duty to keep the moral law (The Ten Commandments) but does not have the duty to keep the cerimonial law or the civil laws of Israel because these were abolished at the cross. However, Jesus said: “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. (Mt 5:17) 

The dispensational theologian does not believe that the Christian is bound to the law of Moses because God deals with man differently at different times in history. The dispensational theologian believes that we are in the dispensation of the gentile, in which God is saving gentiles in Jesus Christ. After this, he will save all of the Jews. The dispensational believes that the law was given to the Jew and not the gentile.

I do not believe that either of these views are correct. Let us not forget what the elders of Israel agreed too: God told Moses to tell the people, “If you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Ex 19:5, 6) It is after they agreed to these covenantal terms that the Lord descended on Mount Sinai and spoke the Ten Commandments to the people. These were not spoken to the gentile but to the sons of Israel, by God from heaven, at Mount Sinai, in the wilderness. This is how the sons of Israel replied: Then they said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die.” (Ex 20:19) 

The apostle Paul, in his letter to the church in Rome, after showing that both Jew and gentile are under sin asked a rhetorical question: “Then what advantage has the Jew?” (Rom 3:1) The answer: “First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.” (Rom 3:2) No one who hears the law can boast because the law brings the hearer the knowledge that he/she is a sinner. (Rom 3:19, 20) This is the advantage that the Jew had, for the law is the tutor to lead us to Christ. (Gal 3:24) The law can be used to show someone there need for a Savior, if it is used lawfully. So, let us take a look at the Ten Commandments.

You shall have no other Gods before me.

You shall not make any idols.

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

You shall remember the Sabbath.

You shall honor your mother and Father.

You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not lie against your neighbor.

You shall not covet what belongs to your neighbor.

The apostle James wrote: “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” (Jam 2:10) You have to face a holy God on judgment day. Jesus explained in the sermon on the mount (cf. Mt 5:17-48) that God sees lust as adultery and hatred as murder. When you hear the Ten Commandments, can you honestly believe that on the day of judgment God will look at you and say: “Not guilty?” However, there is good news: Jesus took your penalty on the cross and rose again, defeating death to save you from hell. So, repent and follow Jesus today! He is the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through him. (Jn 14:7)

Exodus 19

It took the rising and waining of three moon cycles for the sons of Israel to come to the foot of the mountain in the wilderness of Sinai. The Lord spoke to Moses on the mountain and told him to tell the sons of Israel: You have seen the power of the Lord. If you will obey the voice of the Lord and keep his covenant, then you will be the Lord’s special possession among all the people on the earth. Thus, the sons of Israel were chosen by the Lord to be his special possession; however, it is not without condition, they are obligated to obey the word of the Lord and keep his commandments. Their forefather Adam was free to eat the fruit of any tree in the garden but the Lord commanded him not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; however, Adam listened to the voice of his wife and ate the forbidden fruit. Will the sons of Israel fare any better than Adam?

Moses spoke the word of the Lord to the elders of the people and they were all in agreement to observe all that the Lord commanded them. When the Lord came to Moses, he did so in a visible cloud. This was so that the people would see and believe that Moses spoke with the Lord. Moses gave the message of the people to the Lord. 

The Lord commanded that the people consecrate themselves because on the third day he would come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of the people; however, none of them are to come up on the mountain, nor any of their animals because the Lord is Holy. 

On the third day, the Lord came with thunder and lightening and in a thick cloud on the mountain and they could hear the blast of a very loud trumpet. The people trembled and rightly so, the sight and sound must of been very terrifying. All of the people came out of the camp and stood at the foot of the mountain with the thick cloud, with the thunder and lightening. The cloud was actually smoke because the Lord had descended in fire. As if the sight was not enough, as they approaced the mountain, the whole mountain trembled violently. This caused the people to tremble with fear. Moses along with the priests set bounds around the mountain that the people could not cross. This means that they could only come so close to the Lord. There was a separation in relationship. They were the Lord’s possession and special people; nonetheless, they did not have the relationship of father and child. Only Moses and Aaron were aloud in the presence of the Lord. This is the setting for the giving of the Law, the Ten Commandments of God. If the people would obey his voice and keep his commandments, they would be the Lord’s own special possession. 

Exodus 18

Jethro the priest of Midian was Moses’ Father-in-law. Moses had married Jethro’s daughter Zipporah, who bore Moses two sons (Gershom and Eliezer), while he was a sojourner in Midian, before he meet the Lord. Jethro was called the priest of Midian. Midian was an Arabian Tribe descended from Midian, the son of Abraham through Keturah, the wife of Abraham after Sarah’s death. (Gn. 25:1-4) Jethro came with Moses’ wife and sons to the mountain of God where Moses and the sons of Israel were camping. 

Moses received his father-in-law into his tent and told him all of the great things that the Lord did for Israel in Egypt. Jethro rejoiced when he heard the news and said, “Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods.” This is the reaction of a believer. When a believer hears the gospel he rejoices. Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and the elders of Israel sat with him to eat a meal before the Lord. This is true fellowship when men sit down together to enjoy a meal before the Lord.

The next day Jethro witnessed the work that Moses was doing for the people. Moses heard every dispute that the people had and judged according to the statures of God’s law. Jethro gave his son-in-law counsel that he should not do all of this work himself. He should give some of the responsibility to able men who fear God. Each of these men should be given leadership over sections of the people, and judge the people, but if there is a major dispute, it should be brought before Moses. 

Moses listened to the counsel of his father-in-law. This indicated that Moses was a humble man. Pride would have kept him from sharing the responsibility with others and would have caused Moses to lash out at the counsel of Jethro. Moses and Jethro departed from one another in good standing.

Exodus 17

The whole congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin to Rephidim. They did this because the Lord commanded the move and he orchestrated the move in stages. Later writings will reveal how the sons of Israel would move from one location to another in stages. There was no water at Rephidim and the people were thirsty. They had no means to lash out at the Lord, so they chose his human representative. Moses believed that the people were ready to stone him; therefore, he called out to the Lord for help. The Lord told Moses to pass before the people (this was so that they would see what was going on) and bring with him some of the elders. Moses was to take in his hand the staff with which he struck the Nile. Moses was to meet the Lord at Horeb. 

“Horeb (“desert”), a range of mountains on the Sinai Peninsula, of which Mount Sinai is the highest (Ex. 17:6); now called the Serbal range.” (BBC) 

The Lord stood before Moses on the rock at Horeb and Moses struck the rock with the staff and water came out of it. The people wanted to stone moses but it was the Lord who stood on the rock that Moses struck and water came poring out. 

Jesus was taken to the place of the skull, (Jn. 19:17) there they crucified him. (Jn. 19:18) One of the soldiers stuck his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. (Jn. 19:34) 

Moses named the place test and quarrel because the sons of Israel quarreled with him and they tested the Lord. So, instead of Moses being stoned, it was the Lord. Moses struck at the place where the Lord stood before him and water came out of the stone. 

Rephidim was the location of Israel’s first battle with the inhabitants of Canaan. Amalek was a descendant of Esau through Esau’s son Eliphaz and a concubine named Timna. (Gn 36:12) Amalek attacked the sons of Israel and the sons of Israel defeated Amalek. When Moses held up the staff of God in his hand, the sons of Israel prevailed but when he let down the staff, Amalek prevailed; therefore, Aaron and Hur supported Moses. Joshua was commander of the Israelite army. The Lord told Moses to write down in a book this prophecy and recite it to Joshua. “I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” (Ex. 17:14) We only know about Amalek because his name is written in Scripture but his people are no more.

Exodus 16

The people departed from the place of twelve springs and seventy fruit producing palms and came to the wilderness of Sin. It is appropriately named because there they sinned against the Lord; the whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron for taking them out of Egypt. They believed that they were better off in Egypt than to die of hunger in the wilderness. 

This was sin against the Lord because it was the Lord who took the sons of Israel out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness; therefore, it was the Lord whom they grumbled against. The Lord told Moses that for six days, in the morning he will rain bread from heaven and in the evening he will provide meat. However, the Lord did this to test the sons of Israel, whether they would listen to his commands or not.  The Law does not justify anyone but gives us the knowledge of sin; the Law closes our mouth and makes us accountable to God. (cf. Rom. 3:19, 20) The Law shows us that we need the mercy and grace of God to be justified in his sight. (cf. Gal. 3:24) 

The Lord gave a new commandment regarding the gathering of bread rained from heaven in the morning and the meat in the evening. This commandment was given to test the sons of Israel. In the evening, the Lord covered the camp with quails, and in the morning, he covered the camp with a flake like substance. It was said to be like coriander seed, white, and it tasted like a sweet wafer. The commandment of the Lord regarding the bread from heaven and the quails was that they each gather no more than they could eat on that day, but on the sixth day, each was to gather enough for two days, and rest on the seventh day.

Did they do as the Lord commanded? Some gathered more than they needed for a single day and what was leftover spoiled during the night, so, nonetheless, they had to gather again the next day. Some did not gather twice as much on the sixth day as the Lord commanded; therefore, they went out looking on the seventh day. The people failed to observe the commandment of the Lord. This is how the sabbath rest was established. It was a test. Would the sons of Israel trust the Lord to provide daily for their needs, provide twice as much as they needed on the sixth and would they rest on the seventh day?

The amount needed for a single day was an omer: “a handful, one-tenth of an ephah=half a gallon dry measure.” (EBD) The people named the flake like substance manna. The Lord commanded Moses and Aaron to keep an omerful of it, in a jar, throughout their generations as a remembrance of the Lord’s provision in the wilderness. Aaron would place it before the testimony, which at this point in the story is yet to come. The sons of Israel lived on the manna provided by the Lord for forty years. 

Exodus 15

Moses and the sons of Israel sang a praise song to the Lord for his defeat of Pharaoh and his army. Miriam, who is mentioned as Aaron’s sister and a prophetess, led the women with tambourines, dancing and singing to the Lord. Miriam is the first prophetess mentioned in Scripture and shows her as the leader of the women of Israel.  Though all listened to Moses, for he spoke to the Lord and Aaron was their High Priest, Miriam ministered to the women , for she was a prophetess. 

The sons of Israel sang to the Lord because he defeated the Egyptian army who rode to battle on horseback . It seems that a mounted army was fearful but the Lord is exalted because he is stronger than the mightiest army of men. The men declare: The Lord is my salvation.  It should be noted that the Hebrew word used (יְשׁוּעָה yeshuah) means salvation. A very close name is (יְהוֹשׁוּעַ Yehoshua) “the LORD is salvation,” which will be used later for Moses successor. This is also the Hebrew name for Jesus. Therefore, Moses and the sons of Israel are actually declaring in song that Jesus is my God and my father’s God. 

From this point on, the Lord is spoken of in song as a warrior. It is the righthand of the Lord which is majestic in power and shatters the enemy of his people. The enemy may have plans to destroy the people of God but the Lord is mightier than any foe. There is no other gods like the Lord. All the nations tremble because of what the Lord did at the reed sea. It is spoken here, that the Lord redeemed his people, he purchased them out of slavery. The Lord reigns forever and ever. The salvation of the Lord is redemption.

Moses led Israel from the Reed Sea to the wilderness of Shur. This is the sight of the people’s first grumbling. They had traveled three days to find water but when they came to Marah, the water was unpalatable; therefore, they became bitter and named the place bitter. Moses, however, cried out to the Lord and the Lord showed him a tree that made the water palatable. Whatever the fix, the meaning is that the Lord provided for their needs in the wilderness. This was the first test for them as his covenantal people. Will they trust the Lord and observe all that he commands them? The Lord vows that if they will, he will not plague them with any of the diseases that he put on the Egyptians. Thus, the Lord gives an  I AM statement, much like the I AM statements that Jesus gave in “The Gospel According to John;” for the Lord said to the sons of Israel, “I AM your healer.” Jesus Christ demonstrated himself to be the Son of God when he went about healing the people of their diseases.  

The Lord led the people to Elim. Elim was an oasis in the wilderness. At Elim were twelve springs of water and seventy fruit producing palms. Jesus feed five thousand men with five barley loaves and two fish and there was enough leftovers to fill twelve baskets. (cf. Jn.6:1-14)  It should also be noted that this miracle took place on the shores of the sea of Galilee. Israel camped beside the twelve springs of Elim while being feed from the fruit producing palms. 

Exodus 14

The Lord had the people turn back and camp in front of Baal-zephon, by the sea. “Baal Zephon is connected to Tahpanhes in Jeremiah 44:1; 46:14, in turn identified as Tell Dafana, about twenty miles west of Sile. If they camped near here, Lake Balah would be the closest sea. (IVP BBC OT) This gave the appearance to Pharaoh and his servants that there was no intention to the Israelites movements. They were aimlessly wondering. The Lord had them do this to get Pharaoh to chase after them. He did this so that the Egyptians would know that “I AM.” What the Lord planned to do, not only eventuated in the belief of the Egyptians but in the belief of the Israelites and in his servant Moses. Pharaoh and his servants had benefited greatly by the service of Israel in Egypt. Realizing their loss of laborers, Pharaoh sent his army after the sons of Israel. The sons of Israel were on foot but the Egyptians chased after them with horses and chariots. They overtook them at the Israelite camp site in front of Baal-zephon beside the sea. 

The situation must have seemed hopeless to the sons of Israel. They called on the name of the Lord to aide them but lashed out at his servant Moses for leading them to their death. They believed that slavery was better than death. The Christian is often faced with this, continue in the ways of the world and the world has no problem with you but flee from the world, they will try to bring you back and even kill you. However, is slavery to sin better than the promise of eternal life in the new heaven and new earth, even if that means suffering and death in this world?

Moses told the sons of Israel to wait and see what the Lord does for them. The Lord told Moses to lift up his staff and stretch out his hand over the sea. When he did, the sea was swept back by a strong east wind. No amount of wind could eventuate in splitting a sea; therefore, no natural occurrence could explain the parting of the sea. The angel of God, who was in a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day, came between Pharaoh’s army and the sons of Israel. Somehow darkness came upon Pharaoh’s army; therefore, they could not see were they were going, which aloud the sons of Israel time to get away.

Recently, I visited the brethren in the country of Cuba and this text has a great appeal for them that someone living in the U.S.A does not understand. American law regarding people fleeing from Cuba: If the Cuban makes it to dry land, he/she is not sent back to Cuba, but if the Cuban is found floating at sea, he/she is sent back to Cuba. The Cuban understands that making it across the sea on dry land means salvation. 

The Lord saved the sons of Israel but pharaoh’s army meet their death at sea. “The sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.” The sons of Israel were saved in the midst of the sea because the Lord gave them dry land to walk on. When they saw the power of the Lord, the people of Israel revered the Lord and they believed in him and in his servant Moses. Salvation has an assume effect on a person!

Exodus 13

The first born from every womb is special to the Lord. The Lord formed the first man from the dust of the earth and breathed life into his nostrils. The Lord fashioned woman from the first man. (Gn.2:7, 22) Every man since the first man came into the world through his mother’s womb. (Gn.3:20) Therefore, the firstborn is holy to the Lord. So that the people remember how the Lord redeemed the first born sons of Israel in Egypt, they are to redeem the first born. The first born of the clean animals are to be sacrificed (eaten) and the first born of a beast of burden, like the donkey, who was unclean for sacrifice was to be substituted with a clean animal or his neck broken and the life of the animal wasted. This entire system of redemption and sacrifice points us to the Lord Jesus Christ, imputation, and his substitutionary atonement on the cross. “The month of Abib spans our March and April. It is the ancient name for what was later called Nisan in the Israelite calendar.” (IVP BBC OT) It is in this month that the Israelite was to remember how the Lord redeemed them and took them out of Egypt. For seven days they were to celebrate the feast of unleavened bread and their houses were to be free of leaven. This demonstrates that redeemed people should not be corrupted by the things of this world. 

The Hebrew word (סוּף suph), has been translated into English, “Red Sea;” however, the literal translation of the word is “Sea of Reeds.” (NASB Strong’s (Lockman)) The most direct route from Egypt to the land of Canaan was a route called, “The way of Horus.” However, the route was a busy thoroughfare, being a sort of highway and was under constant surveillance by the Egyptian Army. (BBC) For their protection, the Lord took them on a more southern route, which would have taken the Israelites to the bitter lakes. At the time of the Exodus, there would have been a series of natural lakes between the Gulf of Suez and the Mediterranean sea: Lake Timsah, Lake Balah, and Lake Menzaleh. (IVP BBC OT) 

When they departed from Egypt, the sons of Israel took the bones of Joseph with them, as he had requested of them before his death, when he prophesied that the Lord would visit them. (cf. Gn.50:24, 25) The Lord led the Israelites by a visible pillar, a cloud by day and a fire by night. The glory of the Lord went before them. This is a look forward to the incarnation of God into human flesh: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Jn.1:14, NASB95) 

Exodus 12

The passover feast and the subsequent feast of unleavened bread are the greatest feast in the lives of the Israelite for two reasons: It is a remembrance that the Lord passed-over the Israelites when he judged the Egyptians. It is a remembrance that the Lord took them out of Egypt in haste. That month became the first month of the year for the sons of Israel. It should also be understood that a new day began when the sun set on the previous day; therefore, the passover lamb was sacrificed at twilight. The passover lamb was not to be shared with the uncircumcised. For this reason, each lamb was to be consumed by the members of a single household; however, provision was made for two smaller households sharing together in the feast. The calendar was a lunar calendar, which would mean thirteen months to a year and a week would become seven days. So, the festival would begin at twilight as the first full moon of the year was rising, then conclude after a week had passed. The blood on the lintel and two doorposts purified that household in the sight of the Lord. It was believed, by ancient people, that blood warred off evil spirits but blood used in purification was a new way of thinking. 

A batch of starter dough was used to leaven the next batch of dough and time was needed for the dough to rise before baking. The new dough was in the mixing bowls when Pharaoh sent the Israelites away; therefore, it was not leavened and had to be baked for food while traveling. Once they settled into the promised land, the Israelites were to eat unleavened bread for seven days, in remembrance, that the Lord took them out of Egypt in haste. 

Both the feast of the passover lamb and the feast of unleavened bread would be from this point on a memorial of redemption in the lives of the Israelite. The Lord passed-over the entire congregation on the night of judgment in Egypt and he led the Israelites out of Egypt as an entire congregation; therefore, it was observed with an assembly at the beginning and end of the week to celebrate the Lord’s passover of the sons of Israel and their exodus from Egypt. 

When the Egyptians saw that the first born had died in every household in Egypt, they rushed to send away the sons of Israel least they all die. The Egyptians lost great wealth when the Israelites departed. The sons of Israel took with them silver and gold from the land of Egypt. A very large assembly departed Egypt that night and traveled from Rameses to Succoth. This all occurred four hundred years after Jacob and his sons entered the land of Egypt. Thus, the word of the Lord was fulfilled, which he spoke to Jacob, in visions of the night, while he slept at Beersheba, in the land of Canaan, before the sons of Israel took their father and their little ones and their wives to Egypt. (cf.Gn.46:1-7) 

Exodus 11

The conversation between Moses and Pharaoh from the previous chapter concludes in this chapter. In Ex.10:28, Pharaoh told Moses, “Get away from me!” And told Moses that he could no longer see his face and live; however, before departing, Moses tells Pharaoh that it is Pharaoh’s son who will die and every first born son in Egypt will die. The Lord spoke to Moses either before coming to Pharaoh or while in Pharaoh’s presence. The Lord told Moses about the tenth and final plague; after which, Pharaoh will not only let the sons of Israel go but will drive them out. The Lord told Mose to tell the sons of Israel to ask for articles of silver and gold from their Egyptian neighbors. The text says, “The Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians.” As if the hearts of the Egyptians towards the sons of Israel and the hearts of Pharaoh’s servants towards Moses had been changed but Pharaoh’s heart was hardened to stone. All of the previous nine plagues that Moses warned Pharaoh about came to be; demonstrating, that the word of the Lord that Moses spoke is truth. Now, as Pharaoh is excluding Moses from face to face conversation, Moses tells Pharaoh about one last plague. The Lord is going out into the midst of Egypt, at midnight, and all the firstborn of Egypt shall die. The Lord will not make a distinction between the lowest servant and the king of Egypt’s first born, all well die; however, the Lord does make a distinction between the first born of the Egyptian and the first born of the Hebrew, none of the Hebrew first born will die. The fact that not even a dog will bark at the sons of Israel means peace (shalom) for the sons of Israel. In Ex.4:21-23, the Lord told Moses that after all of these plagues, Pharaoh’s heart would be hardened and in that text the Lord called Israel My Son, My firstborn. Then he told Moses that he, the Lord, will kill the first born son of Pharaoh. It is not that the Lord saw something good in the sons of Israel. (cf.Deut.7:6-8) He is a covenant making and a covenant keeping God. For reasons only known to God, he chose them; keeping the covenant that he made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.