Walking Through the Bible: Exodus 32-40

Read Exodus 32-40
Forty days Moses had been up on the mountain meeting with God. It only took forty day for the people to turn from their promise to do all that the Lord has spoken (Exodus 19:8) and turn to sin (Exodus 32:1) and make a false god for themselves.

God was ready to consume them (Exodus 40:10), but Moses interceded for the people. We have Jesus making intercession for us before God (Romans 8:34). So God relented (Exodus 32:14. 

On returning to the camp, and seeing the extent of their sin, Moses breaks the two tablets of stone on which God had written the law, burned the idol of the golden calf in the fire, ground it it to powder and mixed it with water, and made them drink it (Exodus 32:19-20). 

Calling the people to come and stand on the Lord’s side, the sons of Levi gathered with him. And Moses told them to put on their swords and go through the camp killing those who didn’t. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day (Exodus 32:27-28). 

Moses goes back up the mountain to make atonement for the people and offers himself up in their place (Exodus 32:31-32). This is such a great picture of Jesus offering Himself up for our sins. 

God instructs Moses to depart for the Promised Land promising to go before them (Exodus 33:1-2). Moses receives two new tablets of stone from God (Exodus 34:1) and renews the covenant (Exodus 34:10). Along the way Moses instructs the people the words the Lord has commanded them to do regarding worship and the building of the tabernacle and the making of the tools and other implements for sacrifice (Exodus 35-39). Moses looked over all the work, and they had done as the Lord had commanded and blessed them (Exodus 39:42). 

The tabernacle and worship of God would be the centre of their lives. As it was erected for the first time, the cloud which went before them, covered the tabernacle and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Whenever the cloud remained, they remained. And when the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, they would continue on their journey (Exodus 40:34-38).

Walking Through the Bible: Exodus 19-31

Read Exodus 19-31
In the third month after leaving Egypt, Israel is in the wilderness of Sinai camped at Mount Sinai (Genesis 19:1-2) where the Lord will teach them to obey His voice, keep His covenant, and be made into a special treasure above all people, and to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Genesis 19:5-6).

At Sinai, God gives them His law, the Ten Commandments (Genesis 20:1-17), to teach them to love God and to love others. Relationship is important to God and our relationship with others is strengthened if our relationship with God is strong. God is far and away above us, and the thundering and lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and smoking mountain only underscored the majesty of God (Genesis 20:18).

The law wasn’t given to make us acceptable to God, but to teach us about the holiness of God and how far we all fall short of His glory. Paul would later write that the law was a tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith (Galatians 3:24) for no one is justified by the law (Romans 3:20).

The law teaches us the principles and precepts of living according to God’s will. It regulates our interactions with others and stipulates punishment for capital crimes. Even our responsibilities concerning animals and other property (Genesis 21-23). And Israel agreed to live by all the words of the Lord and all the judgments (Genesis 24:5).

For forty days and forty nights Moses spent time with God as God detailed what the people were to do and how He would dwell with them in the tabernacle they were to construct and how they were to conduct themselves in His presence (Genesis 24:18-Genesis 27). The priests would represent God to the people and represent the people to God (Genesis 28-30).

And when God had finished meeting with Moses He gave Moses two tablets of stone on which the law was written by His own finger (Genesis 31:18).

Walking Through the Bible: Exodus 13-18

Read Exodus 13-18
After the death of the first born of Egypt, Moses leads the people out after Pharaoh lets them go. How terrible is the price we pay when we ignore God. God took the people by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea to avoid conflict with the Philistines (Exodus 13:17-18) and led them with a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night (Exodus 13:21).

But Pharaoh wasn’t done yet. God hardened his heart and he pursued Israel (Exodus14:8). Seeing the Egyptian army on their chariots the people understandably were afraid. But Moses assures them of the salvation of the Lord as God instructs Moses to lift up his rod and stretch out his hand over the sea (Exodus 14:13-16). 

And the sea divided and the people crossed over on dry land as the Egyptians drew closer (Exodus 14:22-23). At the command of God, Moses once more stretched out his hand and the sea closed over the armies of Egypt and the chariots and men so not one remained (Exodus 14:26-30).

Seeing this the people sang a song of praise to God (Exodus 15:1-21), but it didn’t take long before songs of praise turned to bitter grumbling as they went three days into the wilderness of Shur and found no water (Exodus 15:22). They had to learn to heed the voice of the Lord (Exodus 15:26).

In the wilderness, as their supplies ran low, they grumbled and complained some more (Exodus 16:2) lamenting that they had it better in Egypt. So God provides bread from heaven to collect each day. But they were only to gather enough for that day and twice as much on the sixth day and rest on the seventh. God also provided quails for meat (Exodus 16:4-13). But some didn’t listen to the Lord and gathered more bread than they needed and it bred worms and stank (Exodus 16:20). Some even went out on the seventh day to gather but found nothing. And it angered God (Exodus 16:28-29). 

Continuing their journey they camped at Rephidim and found there was no water. Did they trust the Lord to provide? No, they grumbled and complained so much that Moses thought they would stone him (Exodus 17:3). In spite of their complaints, God provided water for them out of a rock (Exodus 17:5-6).

Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses heard all that God had done and came to join him, but he also saw that leading and caring for the people was taking a toll on Moses. So he advised Moses to raise up leaders to help (Exodus 18:13-18). These leaders were to be taught the statutes and laws to help care for the people; able men, such as fear the Lord, men of truth, and hating covetousness. These men judged the people at all times; the hard cases were brought to Moses (Exodus 18:20-26).

Walking Through the Bible: Exodus 1-12

Read Exodus 1-12
As Exodus begins, it is approximately 350 years since the end of Genesis. Jesus confirms in Mark 12:26 that Moses is the author. In Exodus we see the deliverance of God’s people from enslavement. We all need to see our need for deliverance. As we continue our journey we will see that our deliverer is Jesus Christ.

In Genesis 48:4 God had promised Israel (Jacob) that He would make His people fruitful and multiply and make a multitude of people from his family. In Exodus we see God’s promise fulfilled. During their time in Egypt their numbers increased abundantly and grew exceedingly mighty (Exodus 1:7). 

It became a problem for the new king of Egypt who did not know Joseph. To control them and keep them from multiplying he afflicted them by putting them to work. But the more they were afflicted, the more they multiplied (Exodus 1:12). Then the king ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill the new born boys. But the midwives feared God and saved the children and the people continued to multiply (Genesis 1:17-20). Pharaoh then commanded that all male children be thrown into the River. 

Moses is born and his mother hides him for three months. Eventually she made an ark of bulrushes and hid the child among the reeds on the river bank where he is found by Pharaoh’s daughter who takes pity on him and raises him as her own son (Exodus 2:1-10). Moses grows up but he is aware of his roots. One day he sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew and in an act poorly thought out kills the Egyptian (Exodus 2:12). 

Forced to flee because of his actions Moses leaves his life of privilege and becomes a shepherd in Midian, marries, and has a son. Meanwhile, Pharaoh dies, but the people remain in bondage and cry out to God who hears their groaning and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exodus 2:23-25).

Some forty years pass before God reveals Himself to Moses as, I Am (Exodus 3:14) and tells Moses He will use him and his brother Aaron to set His people free. At first the people believed Moses and Aaron were Gods emissaries (Exodus 4:31). But as Moses confronts Pharaoh he makes life even harder for the people (Exodus 5:6-19 and their expectations aren’t met as they grumble against Moses (Exodus 5:21). 

God again reminds Moses, and the people, of the covenant He has made (Exodus 6:1-4) and tells them He will deliver them, take them as His people, reveal Himself as their God, and establish them in the Promised Land (Exodus 6:7-8). 

But Pharaoh refused to let the people go so God through Moses brings ten successive plagues (Exodus 7-11) on Pharaoh and his people, devastating their belief systems and their land. Pharaoh hardens his heart against God, but the final plague breaks his heart; the deaths of the first born in all Egypt (Exodus 11). 

The plagues reveal that only by faith in God are we safe. None of the plagues came on the people of God. To remind them and foreshadow a time when all mankind will be faced with a choice, a choice to trust God or reject Him, God institutes the Passover (Exodus 12). 

Each family was to take a male lamb of the first year that was without blemish, kill it and put its blood on the doorposts and lintels of their homes. God would pass over the houses which had the lamb’s blood applied and the plague would not destroy them (Exodus 12:13). 

But where there was no blood applied, from Pharaoh’s house to every Egyptian home, the firstborn of Egypt died. (Exodus 12:30). The lambs blood saved those who were enslaved by Egypt. In the same way the blood of Jesus saves those who are slaves to sin (John 1:29).

Each Part is Necessary…

Read: Exodus 36-38
Marked: Exodus 36:3, And they received from Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of making the sanctuary. So they continued bringing to him freewill offerings every morning.

There are parallels in these chapters between the construction of the tabernacle and the building of the church, the body of Christ. The people all contributed the necessary materials. Some brought gold, some silver, others wood, cloth, or animal hides.

The intricacies of construction are detailed in these chapters, from the smallest clasps of gold, which held together the curtains, to the long boards of wood for the framework, without which there would be no unity or strength in its structure.

The New Testament details the building of the body of Christ comprised of people from every tribe and tongue coming together and bringing individual gifts used for the edifying of the church.

Paul describes the gold and silver and other spiritual materials we bring; some bringing wisdom, some knowledge, others faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, and so forth. None of these gifts is less, none are greater, but all are needed to give form and framework to the spiritual tabernacle which is the church (1 Corinthians 12).

Paul says each and every “gift” from each and every individual is needed. But we don’t all bring hands, or feet, or ears, or eyes. If we were all one member where would the body be (1 Corinthians 12:19)?

We might not give much thought to the necessity of a gold clasp in the structure of the tabernacle, but without this seemingly insignificant part it would not stay together nor be as strong.

Those members of the body we think least or weaker are necessary (1 Corinthians 12:22). Together, from smallest to greatest (in our view), to weakest or strongest, we make up the body of Christ, and we are each its members (1 Corinthians 12:27).

We, being fitted together, grow into a holy temple in the Lord, built together for the dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:21-22). We, living stones chosen by God and precious (like gold, silver, or jewels), are built into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:4-5; Romans 12:1-2).

He Knows You…

Read: Exodus 33-35
Marked: Exodus 33:12, Then Moses said to the LORD, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’

When God says, “I know you by name”, He reveals His intimacy with me. He knows everything about me. He knows me better than I know myself, and He still gives me grace.

He knows the many lies I’ve told, the thoughts of evil I’ve thought against others, my lust for possessions, my immoral thoughts, and still He loves me and gives me grace.

When I struggle to do what God instructs I should remember this. God knows what’s best for me and would never ask me to do anything that would bring me harm. His love for me is contained in His grace; a gift I don’t deserve.

Building our own Altars…

Read: Exodus 30-32
Marked: Exodus 32:5-6, So when Aaron saw [it,] he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow [is] a feast to the LORD.” Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

The golden calf didn’t replace God but was added to their worship of God. Aaron built an altar and the people sacrificed burnt offerings and brought peace offerings, and then rose up to play.

We can add to our own worship of God and think we are doing right when we are actually moving away from God. They thought what they were doing had value so they rose up early. We do what we value with eagerness.

When things are important to us we will get at them as soon as possible. And once we have done what we value we go off and play and do our own thing with little thought to God and His ways.

The truth is, the meaning behind the phrase, “they rose up to play”, is they went off and committed immortality in eating, drinking, and sexual debauchery. We quickly stray from God when we add our own desires to our worship of Him.

Spiritual Clothing…

Read: Exodus 28-29
Marked: Exodus 28:4, “And these [are] the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister to Me as priest.

Like the garments the priests wore, believers are clothed in the garments of salvation and robes of righteousness according to Isaiah 61:10. Ephesians 6:13-16 likewise details the armour of God which believers wear and which parallel the priestly garments including a breastplate, a head covering, and a sash or belt.

The priest was to be attired in these clothes to serve before God. Similarly, the believer is not to leave any part of the full armour of God unworn. Each article of clothing for the priesthood had significance as does each part of the armour of God.

To do the work of God we must be properly clothed and Christ provides the garments we need for salvation and righteousness to do His work.

The Inviting Presence of God…

Read: Exodus 25-27
Marked: Exodus 25:21-22, “You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which [are] on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.”

The ark of the Covenant had a lid on it which was called the mercy seat. God said this is where He would meet with Moses; His presence would be there.

I find it comforting that the ark, covered in gold, and having a seat is something like a throne, yet it is not a throne of judgment but a seat of mercy. It would be intimidating to go before God as He sits on a throne of judgment, but inviting knowing I can come before my Creator as He sits on a seat of mercy.

Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Grace, mercy, and help. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Don’t Follow the Crowd…

Read: Exodus 22-24
Marked: Exodus 23:2, “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert [justice.]”

We all want to belong, but we should be careful who we belong to, and who we follow. Adam followed Eve in disobedience to God and into sin.

The behaviour of a crowd is sometimes different from the normal behaviour of the individuals within it. Social scientists call this mob psychology and studies show that individual responsibility is often lost and decreases proportionately to the size of the crowd.

It is said there is strength in numbers. But given the right circumstances moral weakness is amplified in a crowd. 1 Corinthians 15:33 reminds me that evil company corrupts good habits.

When I am turned aside by a crowd to pervert justice and follow populate opinion, or a false report, then I sin.