Category: Exodus

God was not surprised at the suffering of His people. His foretelling Abram of the very suffering the Israelites were experiencing at the opening of Exodus (Genesis 15: 13 – 14) reveals that He knew about it. Yet He still led Israel to Egypt, and He let the enslavement continue for 400 years. What does that reveal to you about God? Does this truth have any bearing on your own life? If you need some help here, you can refer to I Peter 4:12. How does this make you feel about God? If that answer is not what you wish it would be, please confess that to Him and ask Him to transform your thoughts toward Him. He knows your thoughts already, and trusting Him with them will build your relationship with Him.

What is the significance of the name by which God introduced Himself to His people? It is such a mysterious name, it can mean something different to every person who seeks to know God by it. I believe that is because God seeks to know each of us in a uniquely personal way. However, the relationship is on His terms, and the relationship is first and foremost about Him, not about me. I encourage you to ask God to show you what He wants you to understand about Him from this name, and spend some time listening to receive His response. He does want you to know Him and enjoy Him.

By the time the tabernacle and its furnishings and accessories were completed, Israel had been gone from Egypt for a year. They set up everything on the anniversary of the day they left Egypt. Note that everything they used, having been crafted for the purpose by the best craftsmen whom God had gifted with skill and knowledge for the work, and made from the best gifts of the people sacrificed for use in the tabernacle, had to be anointed and consecrated before being used. This was a ceremonial dedication and cleansing. This makes me wonder, do we value ceremony too little in our culture?

Here is a link to a diagram of the layout of the entire set-up, for anyone who is unable to picture it from the description. (Click on the word “link” to open the link.)

Consider each item and its significance:

The wall formed a courtyard which separated the area in which service to God took place. There was some exclusivity in the service and worship of God.

The altar of burnt offering indicated that payment for sin would be a primary feature of  their worship and the priests’ service.

The basin indicated that cleansing is also important to God, as is the practical need for washing when the sacrifices are made.

The tent itself housed the Ark of the Covenant, the place where God’s presence would rest in their midst. Of its two rooms, the holiest place, the Holy of Holies, housed the Ark. It was separated from the holy place by a veil, and would be entered only once a year and at great risk to the priest who did so. More on that later. The privilege of entering into God’s presence was very limited.

The holy place was the first room in the tent, which the priests would enter daily for tending to the furnishings. Access to it was limited to the priests who carried out the necessary duties. It housed three items – do you recall them?

The table that held the bread, indicating God’s provision for all their needs, and their trusting in Him to do so.

The lampstand, which symbolized enlightenment, and their reliance on God as their primary and most authoritative source of truth, guidance and wisdom.

The altar for burning incense, which symbolized prayer.

When everything was set up, God’s glory entered the tabernacle visibly, signifying to the people that He was pleased with their work. They had followed His instructions well, and He was pleased!

Consider again what the worship laid out here speaks to you about your own worship of God.

We have finished our third book of the Bible! For those of you who have read every day, you hopefully have established reading as a habit. If you maintain it, God will bless you for it. For those of you whose reading hasn’t been consistent enough to satisfy your conscience, don’t give up! There is still plenty of time for you to work on it; keep trying! Accept the truth that God has given you what you need to live a godly life, seek His help to resist Satan’s temptation to quit or give in to discouragement, and exercise the choice His power gives you to do what He calls you to do. You can overcome with His help! Which does remind us that prayer is a vital part of our reading.

Why do you think God has preserved for us all of the details of the Tabernacle’s construction in duplicate here? It’s dull enough the first time….

God paid attention to every detail of their worship and was good enough to give them the information they needed to please Him; it was important that each detail of His instruction was carried out. The craftsmen whom God gifted to work on the Tabernacle and its furnishings and accessories did not use their creativity in carrying out God’s instructions. They did use skill and a lot of precious materials. Consider today what the significance is for your worship of God. Does God speak to you in any other way in these details?

We may find this dull reading (I confess that I do!), but in my mind, that God has preserved so much detail for us in duplicate means that this is important for us in some way. What about His desire for the worship that His people offer to Him is important enough for Him to give us this information? Perhaps it is no more complicated than the fact that it is very important to Him how His people worship Him. If it is important to Him, shouldn’t it be important to us? Further, isn’t it interesting that He presents this to us on the day most of us have set aside to worship Him? Do you suppose your worship today delighted Him? Why don’t you ask Him?

Today’s reading teaches us much about God’s interactions with man.

It shows us what God’s forgiveness looks like. What can you learn? Did you note the fact that although the people had every reason to expect God to leave them then and there because they had already broken the covenant, He nevertheless ordered Moses to lead them into the Promised Land, referring to the covenant He had made with Abraham? Did you note that God still intended to drive out the inhabitants of the land on their behalf? Did you note that He intended for them to suffer the consequences of their sin for their own protection? Did you note that He relented when Moses asked Him to, for the sake of relationship with them?

It teaches us that we can go ever deeper in our knowledge of and intimacy with God. Moses had been meeting with God face to face as no one since Adam and Eve had; he had met with God for forty days on the mountain; and he had received God’s testimony, that He had known Moses by name, which indicates intimacy. All this, and yet Moses asked God, “let me know Your ways.” Moses appealed to Him on the basis of God’s saying that Moses had found favor His sight, requesting a greater knowledge of His ways so that he might find favor in God’s sight. Then Moses made a most bold request: to be shown God’s glory! But God wasn’t offended; in fact, He made accommodation for Moses’ human limitations so that he could witness God’s glory.

So what does God’s glory look like? Note God’s answer to Moses’ request, and learn what God’s chosen manifestation of His glory looks like. What does it teach you about God? What does the fact that showing His glory, in part, means proclaiming His name, teach you about the significance to God of knowing a name? What can you conclude about the fact that no one can see God and live? Contemplate prayerfully today the question, How does God want me to know Him more deeply today?

The altar for burning incense was the fourth piece of furniture inside the Tent of Meeting. The smoke from the incense represents prayers coming before God (reference Revelation 5:8). Prayer is so simple, and yet a great mystery. Do we appreciate what a privilege it is to be heard by God? Do we make use of prayer as God wants us to? Consider what the requirements for the altar and the incense teach about prayer.

The laver was a basin for the priests to wash in. (If you know a little French, the word “laver” makes sense!) This served both a practical and ceremonial function. God required them to be clean as a condition for their ministering before Him. The connection to our worship is obvious.

All of the items associated with worship were to be anointed, setting them apart exclusively for the worship of God.

That His people observed the Sabbath was so important to God that their failure to do so would bring punishment of death. That may seem incredibly harsh to us, and the Israelites didn’t seem to think God meant it, but He reiterated it in Numbers 15: 32-36. If Sabbath observance was that important to God, any seeker of God should seek to understand why. God said it was a sign between Him and His people throughout their generations, “that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.” (v. 31:13) I will consider Sabbath’s significance in another post; today’s reading challenges you to consider why it is so important to God, and what that means for your relationship with Him.

The behavior of the people in Moses’ absence is appalling, but we would be wise to consider the Israelites as an object lesson to us of our own tendencies. Let it remind us of what we are capable of, keep us looking to Jesus in faith, committing to Him daily, praying the prayer He gave us.

Note how Moses interceded for the people by reminding God of His covenant promises to Abraham (although the people’s prompt disobedience of His commands released Him from those promises), of His work in their midst, and His glory in the eyes of onlooking people. What does that teach you about your own prayers?

The garments for the priests and their consecration and ordination ceremonies can instruct us because Jesus, we’re told, is our High Priest. That must mean that we need a High Priest. Without a priesthood as part of our worship practice, we are ignorant about a priest’s function. So there’s a good reason God preserved this information for us! Keep in mind that I Peter 2 verses 5 and 9, and Revelation 1:6 teach that we, God’s New Testament people, are also called priests. So what does a priest do?

The priest brought the people before the Lord as he performed His duties wearing the garments bearing the stones representing each tribe. He was the intermediary between God and the people. Recall how frightened the people were to meet with God at the foot of the mountain, preferring to keep their distance; this is a welcome and potentially dangerous role. As intermediary, his work would be to make payment for the sins of the people and make known God’s will and word to them.

The role merited beautiful, impressive, and modest garments. It was exclusive to those with the right family connections, but even then, those chosen had to be set aside for the role and purified in a seven-day ceremony.

What does this indicate to you about the needs we have for a High Priest today? What does it teach you about Messiah’s work on your behalf? What does it teach you about your role as a priest? Today’s reading is an opportunity to ponder these ideas prayerfully, and learn from God.

Here we begin a lengthy passage of what most of us dread when we think about reading through the Bible. Most of us would probably rather skip these chapters. After all, they don’t even remotely apply to us, do they? Or do they? Why would God leave us without the detail we want in some passages, and yet preserve this passage for us in all of its detail? He really doesn’t want to bore us to death with His word; so what does He want us to understand from this passage?

God gave specific instructions for His people’s worship of Him. The worship He prescribed was much different than what men created for worshipping their man-made gods. God doesn’t want our worship our way, but His way. What does that say to you about your worship practices?

The tabernacle (also called the Tent of Meeting) was a tent to be used as a sanctuary for God’s dwelling in their midst. Imagine that! We New Covenant people might take that for granted, but this was the first time since the Fall that God would dwell in the midst of men.

Each of the items in the tent was significant for Israel’s worship and for ours. By Jesus’ time, these items had all become well-recognized symbols to God’s (Old) Covenant people. Jesus demonstrated that He did indeed come to fulfill the Law in the connections He made between Himself and each of the items given to Moses for Old Testament worship.

The Ark of the Covenant held the stone tablets on which God engraved the Ten Commandments, representative of the entire Law He would give them. The significance for them is obvious: their obedience was part of their worship and was a condition for God’s presence in their midst. Has that changed for us? John 1 describes Jesus as the Word of God. What does the Old Testament symbol and what it meant for those people teach you about Messiah’s work?

The table would hold the bread they were to keep in the meeting place at all times. It represented provision. Our reliance of God for provision is part of our worship. John 6:35 tells of Jesus saying, “I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to me will never go hungry….” Consider what the Old Testament symbol of bread teaches about Messiah’s work.

The lampstand represents light. Light enlightens. The significance of the symbol is that we worship God when we rely on Him as the source of truth. Jesus said, recorded in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. He who believes in me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Consider what this symbol signifies about the work of Messiah in your life.

The altar, of course, was the place where they sacrificed offerings. Offering sacrifices was to be part of their worship. Atonement, or payment, for sin was necessary to their worship, and this was God’s prescribed way to pay for sin. Hebrews 9:24-28 tells us of Messiah’s work as the ultimate sacrifice for sin.

How blessed they were to receive such detailed instructions! This ensured that they got it right, which was shown to be critical when God later struck down some who didn’t bother to get it right. When the instructions were followed, the product was a beautiful treasure that would travel well and fulfill its purpose generation after generation.

So all of the items described here are important to us as object lessons to teach us more about Messiah’s accomplishments for our great salvation. I encourage you to give some time and thought to the items in the tabernacle and the lesson each is for us in our worship of and relationship with God. As I have said before, being taught by God is much more rewarding than being taught by man. The more you ponder, the more profound the insights God will give you.

Some of these laws are astonishing to us. What do they reveal about God? If a command seems unjust to you, or harsh, how do you reconcile that with God’s claim that He is just and gracious? We cannot determine from such a seeming contradiction that God is a liar, for He tells us that He cannot lie. We must accept that our understanding of Him is limited not simply by what is or is not revealed to us, but also by our incapability to comprehend Him fully. He is so much higher than us in every respect, including His thoughts and ways. Ponder prayerfully what He wants to reveal to you about the commands that stand out to you. Just as He promised to protect the helpless orphan and widow from injustice only if they cry out to Him, He will reveal Himself to us, as much as He wants to, only if we ask. Presenting our doubts to Him gives Him the opportunity to reveal Himself in a way that is much more meaningful and powerful than if someone else teaches us about Him. So take this opportunity to seek Him!

The people agreed to enter into the covenant with God having heard what He required of them, so Moses, God’s chosen intermediary, formalized the covenant with a covenant ceremony.

The nobles of Israel saw God. Note the description offered: the only aspect that they could describe was what appeared to be under His feet.

God called Moses up to the mountain, and Moses was there six days before God spoke to him. What do you suppose that was about? Would you wait six days for God? Further, he was on the mountain for forty days. If you read the commands that were given, even if you write out the commands, that doesn’t take nearly forty days. What went on in that time? It’s worth considering, for the sake of our own intimacy with God. Intimacy apparently isn’t developed in a cursory exchange of information or in the shortest possible time period. Forty days in which Moses didn’t take time to eat….

Moses probably had no idea how long he would be on the mountain, and likely didn’t imagine it would be forty days, but he prepared the people for his lengthy absence, giving them instructions for resolving disputes while he was gone. That is important when you find out what went on at the foot of the mountain while he was gone.

The stop at Mt. Sinai fulfilled God’s promise to Moses in Exodus 3:12. There is so much of importance in today’s reading.

God offers to establish His covenant with the nation of Israel. Note the condition: they must obey God’s commands. Note what God will do for them: they will enjoy special relationship with Him. He describes the relationship as their being “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” What does that mean? It is important to us New Covenant people, because God uses similar language to describe us, and His intended relationship with His Old Covenant people will help us understand His intentions for His relationship with us.

The people agreed to enter into the covenant with God, and so God announced how He would give them the commands He expected them to obey. He first gave them instructions for preparing to meet with Him to receive these commands. They couldn’t come just as they were; they had to be clean to meet with Him. How easy would it have been for them to wash themselves and their laundry in the wilderness? That preparation required three days. They would have to observe boundaries. They met with God outside of the camp where they were living. What do these requirements teach us about God’s wishes for our own meetings with Him today? I encourage you to ponder that prayerfully today. One does not meet with God on any terms except God’s.

Note what meeting with God was like for the Israelites: they saw lightning and fire descending to the top of the mountain, large enough to engulf the entire mountain in a thick cloud of smoke. They not only heard but felt thunder and the violent quaking of the entire mountain. They also heard a trumpet, and God speaking to Moses with a voice that sounded like thunder. The experience frightened them so much that they asked to be allowed to keep their distance and let Moses meet with God as their representative. We can’t imagine what God is like; this is only one representation of Him. If we meet with Him, we will not think of ourselves except to recognize our unworthiness.

Notice that God sent Moses back down the mountain to warn the people again, even though barriers had been erected for their protection at God’s first warning. He didn’t want to have to impose the consequences of their violating the boundaries He had established. But no one seemed to be interested in taking a risk upon seeing the awe-inspiring manifestation of God.

Why are the Ten Commandments so important? In Deuteronomy 4:13, Moses refers to them as “God’s covenant, which He commanded you to perform.” God wrote them on tablets of stone – twice, thus distinguishing them among the commandments of the Law. Many think they aren’t relevant to us, but they truly are. Jesus said that He didn’t come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. These commandments distinguished by God reveal His desire for His people, and we are His people of the New Covenant. Hopefully we’re not checking off boxes to acknowledge accomplishment of the bare minimum; hopefully we desire to enjoy the most intimate relationship with God that we can possibly enjoy, and thus are seeking to understand His heart and His will for His people so that we might conform to it.

The rules for worshiping God were different from the way others worshiped their gods, and thus were counter-intuitive for people who thought the most honoring worship was in the most elaborate representations and highest altars. Consider what this means for our worship of God: does He want less from His worshipers, or more?

It didn’t take long for the people to get over their praise for God and start grumbling against Him. And they longed to return to Egypt! God’s Old Testament people give us insight into our own hearts and experiences. Doesn’t it seem like great victories or great encounters with God in your own life are often followed by what seems like catastrophe and your own crashing and burning? Do you get disappointed with yourself that your praise of God is too quick to turn into sin? We should recognize these patterns and be prepared, treasuring up the victories and great encounters by sharing them with others who will remind, encourage and admonish us, or by journaling. How else can you mark them so that you can return to them in the dark times that are sure to follow them?

Note that the discouragement in the desert did not mean that God had accomplished nothing in leading them out of slavery. Often the enemy tries to convince us of that very lie, that present failure means that God really didn’t accomplish anything so we have no other choice but to go back to living enslaved to whatever God has actually freed us from. Don’t buy the lie! The more we understand about the way the enemy works against us, the better we can withstand Him.

The Israelites had reasons to be uncomfortable, lacking food and water. God had no problem providing for them; why did He wait until they were grumbling in discontent? They needed to recognize their complete dependence on Him. As soon as they cried out to Him, He provided. That should have been a powerful lesson for them. Note that God did not hold their grumbling against them here, but He would not be so patient in the future. He expected them to learn from this experience, and cry out to Him the next time needs arose. So also, He instructs us to “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let (our) requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6) How quick are you to pray about your needs?

Notice also that in their stress the people complained about Moses’ and Aaron’s leadership, when they should have been taking their needs to God. And it bears mentioning again that they expressed a desire to return to the place of their enslavement. Further, their hardships made them question God’s presence with them when His presence was miraculously visible to them! What was wrong with these people? What insight does the Holy Spirit give you about yourself in these object lessons provided by the Israelites? Of what do you need to repent? Against what do you need to be on your guard? How can you fortify yourself now while you are in your right mind?