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Adult QuarterlySUNDAY SCHOOL FALL QUARTER, 2011

Redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb

A Study in ExodusWritten by David Robinson

EDITOR IN CHIEF:Larry E. Clements [email protected]

BUSINESS MANAGER:Wayne Sewell [email protected]

PRODUCTION EDITOR: Sally McInvale

ADULT EDITOR: Jim Jones

CHILDREN’S EDITOR: Libby Gill

ILLUSTRATOR: Connie Spears

GRAPHIC ARTISTS:Shawn Blase, Jeff Allen, Greg Hilterbrand,Ashley Carozza , Blake Tilton

LAYOUT DESIGNERS: Bonita McKnight, Kyle Elkins, Cindy Butler

CONTENT EDITORS: Terry McKellarDeby TurrentineCarolyn BurksJoni Curtis

PRINT PRODUCTION: Charles Easley

Cover Design: Jeff Allen

Copyright © 2011Vol. 97, No. 4

Baptist Sunday School Committee4605 N. State Line Ave.Texarkana, TX 75503-2928www.abaptist.org1-800-264-2482

QUARTERLY AIM: The student will see how God loved, redeemed and led the people of Israel, and that He has love, redemption and guidance for His people today.

4—God Prepares Deliverance . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 11—God Calls His Servant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1118—God Remembers His Covenant . . . . . . . .1825—God Manifests His Power . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

2—God Redeems His People . . . . . . . . . . . .33 9—God Leads His People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4016—God Provides for His People . . . . . . . . . .4723—God Declares His Commandments . . . . .5430—God Reveals His Laws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

6—God Directs the Tabernacle Design . . . . .6813—God Commands Priestly Duties . . . . . . . .7520—God Renews His Covenant. . . . . . . . . . . .8327—God Blesses His Tabernacle. . . . . . . . . . .90

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

American Baptist AssociationThrough-the-Bible Series Sunday School Lessons

2019

2020

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

John 13—21

DanielEzekiel

Zechariah

Genesis 12—50

Romans

Acts 1—14

Mark 9—16

Psalms 73—150

ProverbsEcclesiastes

Song of Solomon

2 Corinthians

Ephesians

Ezra; NehemiahHabakkuk; HaggaiMalachi; Esther

Revelation 1—7

Matthew 1—13

LeviticusNumbers

Deuteronomy

Acts 15—28

2 Samuel 5—241 Chronicles

11—291 Kings 1; 2

Galatians

Luke 1—13:21

Isaiah 1—392 Chronicles 29—32

2 Kings 17—20Nahum

1 Timothy2 Timothy

Titus

1 Peter2 Peter

Revelation 8—22

Matthew 14—28

Hebrews

1 Samuel2 Samuel 1—41 Chronicles

1 —10

James1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians

1 Kings 3—222 Chronicles 1—24

2 Kings 1—13Joel; Obadiah

Luke 13:22—24

Isaiah 40—662 Kings 21—23

2 Chronicles 33—35Zephaniah

JeremiahLamentations2 Kings 24; 25

2 Chronicles 36

1, 2, 3 JohnJude

Genesis 1—11Job

Exodus

JoshuaJudgesRuth

Mark 1—8

Psalms 1—72

1 Corinthians

Hosea; Amos;Micah; Jonah;

2 Kings 14—162 Chronicles 25—28

PhilemonPhilippiansColossians

John 1—12

Winter Spring Summer Fall

September 4, 2011

1 God PreparesDeliverance

Text: Exodus 1:1—2:25 Focus: Exodus 1:7-12, 22; 2:1-4, 10-12, 15, 23-25

Key Verse:“And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.”

Exodus 2:23

Sunday Devotional: Choosing in Faith, Hebrews 11:24-27.

Application: God sees, hears and knows our pain. He will de-liver His people in this temporal life or permanently in eternity.

A FIRST LOOK

The book of Exodus is about the deliverance of Israel from Egypt. The nation of Israel was in Egypt for four hundred thirty years. It is interesting to note that in all that time these people had not integrated into Egyptian society. The Hebrew men had not married Egyptian women, and the Hebrew women had not married Egyptian men. After years of living in close proximity, the Egyptians and the Hebrews still regarded themselves as a distinct and separate people. As we study these remarkable Scriptures, we will learn that many of the Hebrews did not want to leave Egypt. Even after years of their journey through the Sinai, many of them wanted to return to Egypt. In spite of all the bad things that happened in Egypt, some of these people considered it their home. This

4

Daily DevotionalsM. — The Faith of Moses’ Parents, Hebrews 11:23.T. — In Your Distress—Call Upon God, Psalm 18:1-6. W. — Obey God Rather than Man, Acts 5:29.T. — The Whole Duty of Man, Ecclesiastes 12:13.F. — The Wisdom of the Egyptians, Acts 7:20-29.S. — He Hears Our Cries, Psalm 138:1-3.

was a different generation of people than those who traveled to Egypt years before. To them Canaan was a distant land that was the home of their ancestors. One important key element in this study is that God had a plan for Israel. His plan took precedence over their immediate desires, and God moved in a wonderful way to bring His plan to pass. We should all realize that God also has a plan for each of His children. We are not accidents, wandering haplessly from situation to situation in life. We are the children of God, and He has a plan for our lives. Like Israel of old, we will only fi nd happiness when we discover God’s plan and yield ourselves to it.

I. The Blessing of God on Israel

Exodus 1:7-12, 227. And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased

abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them. 8. Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. 9. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: 10. Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. 11. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

* * *

22. And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.

A CLOSER LOOK

Text: Exodus 1:1—2:25 5

The seeds of the prosperity of Israel were sown years before by Joseph. Through the providence of God, Joseph had risen to be the second most powerful man in Egypt. His wisdom had led to prosperity for both Israel and Egypt. In the intervening years, God had blessed His people, and they had prospered in Egypt. The numbers are revealing. When Jacob and his sons came into Egypt, they numbered only seventy souls. When the people left Egypt four hundred thirty years later, there were six hundred thousand men besides women and children. By any standard, God had greatly multiplied His people. Added to this population increase in Israel was the fact that a new king had arisen in Egypt. This king had no memory of Joseph. There is an often overlooked truth taught here. If any generation fails to pass the truth along to the next generation, that truth can be lost. This new king did not know that the Hebrews had been a great blessing to his predecessors. He did not know anything about the seven lean years when Egypt had been saved from famine by the wisdom of Joseph. He did not know about the promises his fathers had made to Joseph and Jacob. Having no knowledge of the past, he had only the things he could see as a basis for his decisions. Sadly, he came to a wrong conclusion. This king began to ask a dangerous question that always has evil consequences. The question was “What if . . .?” He knew that the Hebrews were more numerous and mightier than the Egyptians. He imagined that, if a war should come, the Hebrews would join the enemies of Egypt and fi ght against the Egyptians rather than with them. We do not know the basis for his reasoning, but this writer believes that the king came to this conclusion because this is what he would have done had the situation been reversed. He was an unprincipled opportunist, and he supposed that everyone else was as well. The simplest solution would have been to send the Hebrews back to Canaan, but, evidently, this did not occur to Pharaoh. He was thinking only about his own welfare, and the result was that the Israelite farmers and ranchers were made slaves. They were given the task of building the storehouse cities of Pithom and Raamses. The purpose was to affl ict the Hebrew people and limit their population growth. This plan did not work. The more Pharaoh tried to limit the Hebrews, the more they multiplied.

6 God Prepares Deliverance

Pharaoh tried several schemes designed to increase the burden on the people of Israel. He forced them to make the bricks for the building, and he forced them to gather their own straw for the bricks. All these schemes failed, and, eventually, Pharaoh came to direct intervention. He ordered the midwives, the medical attendants to the Hebrew women, to kill the Hebrew babies as soon as they were born. He told them to save the girl babies and throw the boy babies in the river. All this should sound familiar to us. Each year millions of unborn children are killed by medical professionals because their births would be an inconvenience. Sadly, some history repeats itself.

II. God Sends a Deliverer

Exodus 2:1-4,10 1. And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. 2. And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. 3. And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink. 4. And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.

* * *

10. And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.

When God decides to change things, He moves in a remarkable way. God did not send an angel or a natural disaster to Egypt. He sent a baby. A Levite named Amram married a woman named Jochebed. This couple had three children—Aaron, Miriam and Moses. By the time Moses was born, the order to throw all male babies into the river had been given, so Jochebed gave birth privately. For three months she hid her young son. This is an example of people obeying God rather than man. It was against the decree of Pharaoh to keep this baby alive, but the parents ignored Egyptian law and gave life to their son.


The baby could be hidden no longer, so Jochebed devised a plan. She made an ark, or a fl oating box, of bulrushes and waterproofed it. She stationed her daughter to watch, and she set the ark with her baby boy in it into the river. As Pharaoh’s daughter and her maidens came to the river to wash, they discovered the ark with a Hebrew baby inside. The natural maternal urges came to these Egyptian women. It’s one thing to know that babies are being killed; it’s quite different to look at a crying three-month-old baby. At that moment, Miriam, who had been watching, stepped up and offered to fi nd a nurse for the baby. Pharaoh’s daughter accepted her offer, and Miriam brought Jochebed to them. The baby’s mother served as his nurse until he was weaned. Moses was returned to Pharaoh’s daughter and raised in the palace of Pharaoh. Pharaoh’s daughter named the boy Moses, which in Egyptian means “to bear or take.” This is a wonderful account of the providence of God. When God’s people resolve to do right, God always helps them. Amram and Jochebed were in a tragic situation. It could have ended with the death of their young son. However, God used their wisdom to bring about an entirely different result. What might have been viewed as a problem was turned into a blessing. The lesson is that God can and will preserve us when we determine to do His will and use our intelligence in the process.

III. Moses Chooses the People of God

Exodus 2:11, 12, 15, 23-25 11. And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12. And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.

* * *

15. Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.


* * * 23. And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. 24. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.

Many years had passed and Moses had grown to adulthood. He was about forty years old when he came to a turning point in his life. As we learn in Hebrews 11:24-26, this was a deliberate choice, not a reaction to circumstances. Throughout his life, Moses knew that he was a Hebrew and not an Egyptian. He had been raised in an Egyptian home, and he lived in an Egyptian palace, but in his heart he knew that he was not an Egyptian. Here is the argument between nature and nurture. In this case, nature won. What Moses saw was not uncommon. Moses went out to observe the work that the Hebrew men were doing. As he did so, he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew worker. Moses looked around and could see no one looking, and he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand. The next day he found two Hebrews fi ghting, and he learned that his murder of the Egyptian had been seen. He knew that Pharaoh would soon know about it. Moses took preemptive action and fl ed Egypt for the land of Midian in the Sinai. Moses spent the next forty years of his life there. He married and worked successfully for his father-in-law, Jethro, who was himself a priest. It possibly seems that this was wasted time, but it was not. As a herdsman, Moses wandered in the desert and learned its secrets. This prepared him for the leadership role that God would later give him. In the course of time, the pharaoh who was in power when Moses killed the Egyptian died, and another ruled in his place. This meant that Moses was no longer under a death penalty if he returned to Egypt. Also, the Hebrews were in severe bondage. They were hurting, and they cried to God for help. God did, in-deed, send help, but not in the way the people of Israel expected. God had begun the plan eighty years before when a baby boy


was born to Amram and Jochebed. Now, the plan would be com-plete and the redemption of Israel would proceed.

At the time these events took place, no one understood that this was a part of a larger plan that God had in place. If the king of Egypt had not forgotten about Joseph and made the lives of the Hebrews diffi cult, they would never have wanted to leave Egypt. Even then, many of them never got over the desire to live there. (See Numbers 11.) If the evil population control plan of Pharaoh had been carried out completely, Moses would not have survived long after he was born. But God intervened through two faithful people, Amram and Jochebed, who chose to obey God and not allow their baby boy to be killed. At great peril to themselves, they chose to save Moses, and God aided them. Moses was raised in the halls of Egyptian power, preparing him for the work he was later to do. If Moses had ignored the mistreatment of the unknown Hebrew slave, his life would have been different. He would not have been a fugitive, and he would not have known the geography of the Sinai wilderness as he did. All these things worked together to further the plan of God for the release of Israel from Egypt. God has a plan for each of His children (Eph. 2:10). We may not realize it as we go through life. It may seem to us that we are bouncing from incident to incident without meaning or purpose, but all things are working together for the good of those who love the Lord and are the called according to His purpose.

1. Why did the Egyptians so intensely hate the Israelites? 2. Has anyone ever hated you without cause? How did it make you feel? What did you do? 3. Did it seem as if God did not care about what was happening to His people in Egypt? 4. As you see the way God worked in Exodus, preparing deliverance for His people, describe some ways God has worked in your life to provide deliverance for you.

A FINAL WORD

FOR CLASS DISCUSSION


September 11, 2011

God Calls His Servant

Text: Exodus 3:1—4:31 Focus: Exodus 3:1-10; 13, 14, 19, 20; 4:10-12

Key Verse:“And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affl iction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.”

Exodus 4:31

Sunday Devotional: Called of God on Holy Ground, Acts 7:30-35.

Application: God calls people to serve Him. It may not be from a burning bush, but wherever He calls, it is always best to obey Him.

A FIRST LOOK

Deliverance begins with a deliverer. There are many ways God could have brought the people of Israel out of Egypt. He chose to do it in a way that illustrates for all mankind the way that we are saved from our sins and delivered to walk in a new life. It is important to realize these Old Testament events are pictures of things that are happening now in the lives of God’s people. Read 1 Corinthians 10:1-11 for more information about these spiritual pictures. God had been working on the plan of Israel’s deliverance for more than eighty years when the events of this lesson took place. During this time, it seemed nothing was happening, but Moses was growing in grace and knowledge to take his place and lead Israel out of Egypt. There are times when we think God is ignoring us because He does not work according to our schedules, but

11

Daily DevotionalsM. — Here Am I; Send Me, Isaiah 6:5-8.T. — The Purpose of Miraculous Signs, Exodus 4:1-9. W. — Jesus—The Great I Am, John 8:51-59.T. — Moses’ Neglect Brought Discipline, Exodus 4:18-26.F. — He Is God of the Living, Mark 12:24-27.S. — Announcing Deliverance, Exodus 4:27-31.

2

God is never slack concerning His promises to us. Delay never indicates indifference. The events of this lesson changed the world. The call of Moses set a series of events in motion that led to the establishment of Israel as a great nation and eventually to the coming of Jesus as the Messiah. The monumental nature of these events made all the miracles associated with them necessary. These verses are an accurate record of events that took place. This is not a legend or a fable.

I. God Appears to Moses

Exodus 3:1-10 1. Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. 2. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. 5. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

Moses was trained and skilled in the affairs of state of a great nation according to Acts 7:22. At this time, Egyptian society was highly developed especially in fi elds of science and astronomy. Moses was intelligent and educated, but he was also a shepherd, tending to his father-in-law’s sheep in the wilderness of Sinai. This area was a high plain that offered sparse grazing. Moses had to lead the sheep far from home to fi nd limited pasture.

A CLOSER LOOK

12 God Calls His Servant

Text: Exodus 3:1 —4:31 13

His travels as a shepherd brought him all the way to Mount Horeb, which is another name for Mount Sinai. This mountain is located in the southern extremity of the Sinai Peninsula. It is a high mountain about seventy-fi ve hundred feet above sea level. There is a large plain at the foot of the mountain. This plain is possibly the location of this incident. As Moses was tending the sheep belonging to Jethro, he saw an amazing sight. He saw a bush that was burning, but the bush was not consumed. The fi re burned long after the normal time when the bush should have been consumed. This was caused by an angel of God who was specifi cally appearing to Moses. Moses turned aside to see this wonder, and God called his name out of the fi re. The voice from the bush called Moses’ name twice, and Moses responded that he was there and he had heard the voice. At this point, Moses knew that he was a witness to two remarkable things. He saw a bush that burned but was not consumed, and he heard a voice calling his name from the middle of the fi re. At this time, God instructed Moses to stay a safe distance away and take off his shoes because he was standing on holy ground. What made this place holy ground was because of what was happening. At this moment, God was at that place, and God was calling his servant. Otherwise, this was only another bush in the backside of the desert. Moses obeyed the voice, and God identifi ed Himself and instructed Moses further. God identifi ed Himself as Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In addition to all his secular learning, Moses knew about the God of his fathers, and he was afraid to look at the bush any longer. He realized this was an encounter with God, not just a physical curiosity.

II. God Reveals His Plans to Moses

Exodus 3:7-10, 13, 14 7. And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; 8. And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

9. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.

10. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

* * *

13. And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? 14. And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

God has a purpose in the things He does. He was not appearing to Moses to make an impressive showing. God had instructions to give Moses, and the burning bush was a way to get his attention and to provide a lifelong memory of a call and a commission. God began by revealing His plans to Moses. This took Moses back to what he had witnessed forty years earlier when he saw the Egyptian mistreating a Hebrew slave. God had seen the affl iction of Israel, and He had heard their cry. God knew about their sorrows, and He had come to deliver them from Egypt. It was never God’s plan for Israel to remain in Egypt. He had sent them there to preserve the nation many years before, and now it was time for Israel to become a nation in its own place. God had a destination planned for the people of Israel before He sent Moses to lead them out of Egypt. He planned to take them to a specifi c place inhabited by specifi c people. God’s plans are not smoke and mirrors; His leadership is defi nite. God wanted the Israelites out of Egypt and in the land of Canaan. Moses was given a defi nite direction for his ministry. God heard the cries of the oppressed Israelites. He had seen their complaints were valid and was putting the plan into action that would lead to their deliverance. God began by giving Moses a general overview of what would happen. Moses would go to Pharaoh and lead God’s people out of Egypt. God would fi ll in the details over many months, but generally this is what would happen. It is important to


understand the big picture as we live the day-to-day details of our service to the Lord. Moses began to raise various objections to his involvement in the plans of God. Moses did not deny that this was a good thing to do, but he did object to his personal involvement in the work. Basically, Moses raised fi ve objections. First, he stated that he was not worthy (Ex 3:11). Then, he said he did not know the name of God who was sending him (verse 13). He said the elders would not believe him (Ex. 4:1-9). He said he was not a good speaker (verses 10-12), and, fi nally, someone else could do the job better (verses 13-17). God clearly revealed the name for Moses to use. He was to say that I AM had sent him. Later Jesus would amplify and identify Himself as the great I AM. Look up the many passages in which Jesus clearly stated, “I AM” (John 14:6, 10, 11 and 20). God was telling Moses He was a living, dynamic God and was able to meet the needs of Israel as they faced the challenges of their journey. III. God Answers the Objections of Moses

Exodus 3:19, 20 19. And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. 20. And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.

Exodus 4:10-12 10. And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. 11. And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? 12. Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.

God knew what was ahead for Moses and clearly told Moses what to expect. The king of Egypt would not let the Hebrews go, not even in the face of the mighty hand of God. God would


do many awesome miracles, and, at last, Pharaoh would let the people go. It is important for God’s servants to have a realistic expectation about what God is doing. We may expect God to act in ways He has not promised and we may be disappointed when God does not do what we think He should. God wanted Moses to know this would be a long and diffi cult process, but it would end with Israel free from Egypt and in the Promised Land. As mentioned earlier, Moses objected, not to God’s plan, but to his being God’s spokesman. He makes the objection that he is not eloquent but is slow of speech. Moses seems to be saying what this job needs is a smooth talker who is fast in his thinking and quick with an answer. The truth is that this was the work of God, not the work of a skilled man. The skills we think are necessary to serve the Lord are not necessarily the skills God needs. God knew all about Moses long before this call took place. God had made Moses what he was, and God wanted to use Moses just as he was. The only qualifi cation Moses needed was the calling of God. God will use any willing servant. If God directs us as His Word teaches us, we can safely follow and leave the rest to the Lord. Those who do God’s work in God’s way can count on God’s help as they do His work.

As we read this book, we will see all of Moses’ objections proved to be without merit. He became a great leader, who often spoke the Word of the Lord eloquently. This shows us God knows us better than we know ourselves. Often we do not know what we will do in a time of trial, but God does. He has already equipped us to deal with our tribulations. We need to trust His leadership without question. Moses had lived nearly two thirds of his life when this call took place. It might have seemed that he would live out his life as a shepherd in the backside of the desert, but God had far greater things in mind for this man. What does God have in mind for each of us? According to Ephesians 2:10, we are created in Jesus unto good works, and


A FINAL WORD

God has already ordained that we should walk in them. Every day we should seek God’s plan for our lives. When it is revealed to us, we should not object; instead, we should eagerly follow the Lord wherever He leads. God has a work for us to do, and only eternity will reveal the blessing that will be ours if we will follow wherever the Holy Spirit leads us.

1. Why do you think God chose to call Moses from a burning bush? 2. Does God use incidents and circumstances today to get the attention of His servants? 3. If not in burning bushes, how does God call His servants to follow and serve Him today? 4. Moses offered several excuses that he thought would disqualify his service. Have you ever offered excuses to God’s call on your life? In what ways? Why?



September 18, 2011

3 God RemembersHis Covenant

Text: Exodus 5:1 —6:30 Focus: Exodus 5:1-8, 20, 21; 6:1-8

Key Verse:“And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remem-bered my covenant.”

Exodus 6:5

Sunday Devotional: Embrace His Promises! Hebrews 11:13.

Application: During their oppres -sion, God called the Israelites to remember His promises because God always keeps His word. When troubled, trust His promises.

A FIRST LOOK

Before Moses set foot back in Egypt, God told him what to expect. God promised Moses that, even though the king of Egypt would not obey at fi rst, by mighty miracles the people would eventually be released (Ex. 3:19, 20). Moses was not surprised by the reaction of Pharaoh to his request. This is a great lesson to be learned. We need to know the will of God, and we need to know as much as we can about the things God is doing in our own lives. We can all suffer greatly from unrealistic expectations. When we serve the Lord, we must carefully read the specifi c instructions Jesus gave, and we should not expect to be treated any better than He was by a sinful world (Matt. 10:24). In this fi rst encounter with Pharaoh, we see a pat-tern that will persist until the eventual destruction of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea. God was gracious in extending opportunity

18

Daily Devotionals

M. — Who Is God? 2 Chronicles 32:13-21.T. — Only Fools Defy God, Psalm 14:1-7. W. — Truth and Consequences, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10.T. — I Am the Lord! Isaiah 42:6-8.F. — Find Your Glory in Him, Jeremiah 9:23, 24.S. — Our Faithful High Priest, Hebrews 2:14-18.

after opportunity to the Egyptians to simply let the people of Israel go, but time after time the Egyptians refused the offer of the grace of God. When grace is refused, the only thing left is judgment. This judgment was not only on the stubborn Egyptians, it was on their gods as well. This contest was with the gods the Egyptians worshiped as well as with Pharaoh. These incidents proved the gods of Egypt were powerless to help the Egyptians and the God of the Hebrews was powerful and real. Whatever appeal there is to false religion, we must never forget the simple fact that it is false. False religion, like that of ancient Egypt, consists of man-made gods which have no power other than the power men give them. In great contrast, the one true God is all-powerful and able to accomplish His will in the face of human opposition.

I. Moses’ Request

Exodus 5:1-3 1. And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. 2. And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go. 3. And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.

Moses began by establishing his credentials with the Hebrew people. The people were glad when they learned that God had sent them a deliverer, and they worshiped the Lord. Moses then went in to Pharaoh and made a simple request. He asked that the Hebrew people be allowed to travel three days into the wilderness to hold a feast to the Lord. Three days travel, one day to worship, and three days back would mean an absence of one week from their labor.

A CLOSER LOOK


Pharaoh showed evidence of his hard heart. He responded with a question. He demanded to know who the Lord was and why should he obey His voice and let the people go. Pharaoh rightly declared that he did not know the Lord. He refused to allow the people to go worship the Lord in the wilderness. Moses and Aaron restated their case. They declared that the Lord was the God of the Hebrews, and He had asked for a sacrifi ce in the wilderness under penalty of pestilence or the sword. We must remember that at this time the gods of Egypt had an important role in almost everything the Egyptian government did. Pharaoh often made decisions based on what his magicians and priests told him. He listened to the demands of various gods at various times. The Egyptian priests and magicians used their knowledge of astronomy to infl uence the people and to convince them to obey their requests. Moses’ request was denied because Pharaoh did not recognize the God of the Hebrews. When he refused to recognize God, he viewed any request by God as inconsequential. This same mistake is still being made today. There are many false gods in the world, but there is only one true God. Man may not recognize Him when He speaks, but His Word can never be ignored.

II. Pharaoh’s Answer

Exodus 5:4-8 4. And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens. 5. And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now aremany, and ye make them rest from their burdens. 6. And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, 7. Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8. And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

20 God Remembers His Covenant


Pharaoh imagined that what Moses really wanted was to make a name for himself by temporarily relieving the burden of the Hebrews. At this time the Hebrews were building the cities of Pithom and Raamses. Evidently, they were using a kind of sun-dried brick made with slime or mud and straw. In a show of contempt for Moses and disrespect for the Hebrews, Pharaoh instructed the taskmasters to add to the burden of the Hebrews by requiring them to gather their own straw for the bricks they made. He did not decrease the number of bricks they had to make each day, but they had to produce the same number of bricks with the added burden of gathering the straw used in the process. Pharaoh wrongly reasoned that the Hebrews wanted to go worship because they were idle. He was giving them more work to do to stop any desire they might have to take time for worship. Pharaoh ignored the fact Moses had not said the people wanted to go worship; rather he had said that God had said to let the people go and worship. The request came from God, not from the Hebrews.

III. The People’s Complaint

Exodus 5:20, 21 20. And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: 21. And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.

The additional task of gathering straw proved to be nearly impossible for the Hebrews. They appealed to their taskmasters for relief but were told the situation would not change. The Egyptians blamed it all on Moses and his request to let the people go into the wilderness to worship God. The Hebrew people quickly turned on Moses and Aaron. They had gladly received them; now they accused them of causing Pharaoh to despise them and of giving Pharaoh an excuse to kill them. This was the beginning of a pattern that would be repeated many times over the coming years. People who do not understand what the Lord is doing often express their

frustration by complaining about the leaders God has sent them. The underlying complaint was that Moses was not trying to help the Hebrews but had come to harm them. We should remember two things when we are tempted to complain about those God has sent to lead us. First, we should remember that God chose Moses; the people did not choose him. Moses was in Egypt because God had sent him there for a specifi c purpose. This was the work of God, not the working out of the plans of men. Second, we should remember that, although we may not understand everything our God-sent leaders are doing, they are working in our best interests. In addition to convincing Pharaoh to let the people go, these people had to be convinced to leave Egypt. God was at work on both levels. When the time came, Israel would gladly leave Egypt behind, but in the hearts of this generation, Egypt would always be thought of as home.

IV. God’s Eternal Plan

Exodus 6:1-8 1. Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. 2. And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: 3. And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. 4. And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. 5. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. 6. Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: 7. And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.



8. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.

The people complained to Moses, and Moses went to God in prayer. This is always the proper response. Moses did not try to defend his actions to the people. There was nothing he could say that would help them at this time. Moses went to God, and God confi rmed what He had told Moses. God would work on all levels, and in the end, the Hebrews would leave Egypt forever. The disappointment of the people was because God had appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but these people did not know God by the name Jehovah. These people had simply ignored the fact that they were in the hands of the Almighty God in this matter. Moses was to go to the people and tell them that the Lord would bring them out of Egypt and would relieve their burdens. God was beginning a process that would convince Egypt and Israel that He was the one true God and He was able to do exactly what He had promised. God would bring His people out when no one else possibly could. God would not only release Israel from Egypt, He would also lead them into the land of promise where they would become a great nation. Faith in this promise was the answer to the doubt and confusion of the Hebrew people.

This lesson answers a pressing question for all of us. What do we do when following God not only does not seem to be working, but following Him actually seems to be making things worse? How should we react when all the evidence suggests that Satan is winning and God is losing? At one time or another, every child of God has been in such a situation. The process is outlined here. When the people complained to Moses, Moses went to God. This should be our fi rst step. Moses knew that, if he was right with God and if he clearly understood what God wanted, he could proceed no matter what else

A FINAL WORD

happened. We need to be on solid ground concerning the will of God for our lives. Then, we should be reminded we are never on our own. We should remember we are a part of an eternal plan that God has had in place for centuries. God had been mindful of the Hebrews for four hundred thirty years. He had never forgotten the promise He made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It was time for those promises to begin to come to pass. In a similar way, we are a part of a two-thousand-year-old covenant that God made in the New Testament. We may not always understand how these promises are being worked out, especially when our troubles seem to multiply and our blessings seem to be few. However, we should always remember God is faithful to His promises when men are not. God cannot deny Himself, and His Word will always come to pass. It did not matter that Pharaoh did not believe in God or the Hebrews were disappointed in Moses. God’s work would not fail, and Israel would be free from Egypt forever.

1. What is your initial reaction to affl iction or unjust suffering? 2. What should be your reaction to affl iction or unjust suffering? 3. Does it ever seem to you that God is not listening to your prayers and pleas? What should you do when that happens? 4. Discuss the promises of God that bring the most assurance and comfort when you hurt.



September 25, 2011

4 God Manifests His Power

Text: Exodus 7:1 —10:29 Focus: Exodus 7:1-7, 17; 8:6, 16, 21; 9:3, 9, 22; 10:12, 21, 27-29

Key Verse:“And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the chil-dren of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.”

Exodus 7:3, 4

Sunday Devotional: Nothing Is Impossible for God, Jeremiah 32:17-20.

Application: God’s power is unlimited and His sovereignty is indisputable. He, alone, rules in the heavens and on the earth. Recognize His authority.

A FIRST LOOK

This lesson covers the time period during which the plagues on Egypt proved the power of God. God had many things to accomplish in these events. First, God demonstrated the utter helplessness and futility of the Egyptian gods. The Egyptians worshiped many gods, perhaps as many as eighty different deities that were supposed to control and infl uence every part of the daily life of Egypt and travel with dead Egyptians into eternity. This whole system was based on human imagination, and it was nonsense. None of the gods of Egypt had any power. False religion has only the power that men give it. Time and again, the Bible clearly shows us there is one true God and one Savior of mankind (1 Tim. 2:5).

25

Daily DevotionalsM. — Remember His Wonders, Psalm 78:42-51.T. — Know—The Lord Is God! Deuteronomy 4:33-39. W. — The Power of His Presence, Isaiah 41:10.T. — The One Fearful Thing, Hebrews 10:30, 31.F. — The Mimicry of False Prophets, 2 Corin- thians 11:13-15.S. — Deliverance and Judgment, 2 Peter 2:9, 10.

God had to convince the Hebrews of the same thing. Over the years, many Hebrews had become accustomed, even enamored, with the Egyptian gods. Later on, the Hebrews made a golden calf, one of the Egyptian gods, and worshiped it in the wilderness. Much later Jeroboam instituted calf worship in Samaria. False religion dies hard. Once it gets its roots into men’s hearts, it is diffi cult to dislodge. God was proving Himself to His own people as well as to the Egyptians. Unknown to the Egyptians and the Hebrews, God was also working toward a specifi c place in time. The people of Israel would be released from Egypt four hundred thirty years from the day they came into the land (Ex. 12:41). None of these things which happened were accidental. The timing of these plagues was used to accomplish the purposes of God.

I. God’s Purpose in the Plagues

Exodus 7:1-7 1. And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. 2. Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land. 3. And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. 4. But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. 5. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them. 6. And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they. 7. And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.

There are many remarkable things taught in these verses. First, Pharaoh refused to believe in God, but God gave him

A CLOSER LOOK



something else in which to believe. God made Moses like a god in the eyes of Pharaoh. This demonstrated that Moses was the instrument God used to perform all the miracles associated with the plagues. Here is an illuminating Bible principle. To believe, men often need a demonstration of God’s power. Jesus performed miracles so that His Word would be accepted (John 5:36). The apostles did the same thing until the Word of God was completed. Now that we have the completed Bible and the personal witness of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we no longer need miracles to believe (John 20:31). God elevated Moses in the sight of Pharaoh, but God also told Moses specifi cally what the outcome of all this would be. Pharaoh would harden his heart and not listen to Moses. God’s purpose in all this was to ultimately destroy the ability of Egypt to harm Israel. This was accomplished through the destruction of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea. Through these incidents, God was showing Egypt, Israel and the whole world that He was the one true God and He alone was worthy of the worship of men. Pharaoh would harden his heart, and God would add to that hardness. The plan of God would be completed and the Hebrews would leave Egypt. There was no doubt about the eventual outcome of God’s plan. Finally, note that, when this took place, Moses was eighty years old and Aaron was eighty-three. By any standards, these were old men. Neither of them had lived a particularly easy life. Moses had spent many years as a shepherd in the desert, and Aaron had labored making bricks and building cities in Egypt. Their hardships through those years had led up to this time, when in a period of a few months, these men would follow the Lord and change the world forever. The world would not be the same if the Hebrews had remained slaves in Egypt instead of becoming the great nation they are today.

II. God’s Power Revealed in the Plagues

Exodus 7:17 17. Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

Exodus 8:6, 16, 21 6. And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

* * * 16. And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

* * * 21. Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of fl ies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of fl ies, and also the ground whereon they are.

Exodus 9:3, 9, 22 3. Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the fi eld, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.

* * *9. And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and

shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.

* * *22. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand

toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the fi eld, throughout the land of Egypt.

Exodus 10:12, 21 12. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.

* * * 21. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.

These verses recount the ten plagues on Egypt. In addition to these plagues, Moses performed the miracle of transforming his rod into a serpent. This did not impress Pharaoh because his magicians were able to imitate this miracle. As we read in



2 Timothy 3:8, these men were named Jannes and Jambres, and they were able to withstand Moses in a limited way. The magicians of Pharaoh were able to duplicate the fi rst two plagues. Satan has some power, but there is a limit to what he can do. The magicians had to eventually admit it was the fi nger of God that brought these plagues. The fi rst plague was the turning of the waters of Egypt into blood. This brought horrible pollution to the land. The fi sh in the river died and the water became foul. This brought a great stink to the land, but the magicians imitated this and Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to believe Moses and Aaron. The Egyptians worshiped the river and the things in it. God was beginning to judge the gods the Egyptians worshiped. The second plague was a plague of frogs. Frogs rapidly multiplied and literally covered the land. A frog is not necessarily harmful, but millions of them everywhere would cause great turmoil. Moses told Pharaoh what would happen fi rst and gave him an opportunity to change his mind. When Pharaoh refused, the frogs came even into the Egyptian bedrooms and kitchens. Once again, the magicians were able to duplicate this plague, and Pharaoh hardened his heart when he saw the frogs were gone. We come to the end of the power of the Egyptian magicians. The third plague was lice. The dust of Egypt—Egypt was a dusty place—became lice. These tiny insects infested both men and animals throughout the land. This time the magicians tried in vain to duplicate the miracle. They gave up and advised Pharaoh that this had to be the fi nger of God. This did not move Pharaoh, and once again, he refused to let the people go. Next, God brought a plague of larger insects, fl ies. This time an important element was added. The fl ies only affl icted the Egyptians. The Hebrews were immune from this plague. It must have been interesting for the Egyptians to be literally covered with fl ies on their bodies and in their houses and see the Hebrew slaves completely free of this problem. This was obvious evidence of God at work. Pharaoh agreed to let the people go worship, but when the fl ies were gone, he hardened his heart and changed his mind. He lied to Moses to get relief from the fl ies. We clearly see the kind of opportunist Pharaoh was.

The next plague was a disease that came on the Egyptian cattle. The Bible calls this disease murrain. We do not know what this plague was, and we should not speculate. It was deadly and the livestock of the Egyptians died. The animals belonging to the Hebrews were totally free of this plague. This plague not only demonstrated the power of God, it also should have taught the Egyptians that they were now dependent on the Hebrews for the renewal of their herds. The only animals left in Egypt were those belonging to the Hebrews. Sadly, this great disaster did not change Pharaoh’s mind. He still refused to let the people go. Then the plague of boils came. Moses gathered ashes from the furnaces of Egypt and scattered them to the winds. The misery that resulted was great because wherever these small ashes touched the skin of the Egyptians became boils and blisters. No Egyptian was immune. The magicians of Pharaoh could no longer appear in his court because of this great affl iction. An interesting element is added. This time God hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he did not change his mind. Previously, Pharaoh had hardened his own heart, but God recognized his decision and added to that hardness. The next plague was hail. The Egyptians worshiped the heavens and were proud of their knowledge of astronomy and meteorology. They had accurate calendars and could predict eclipses and other phenomena. Now, the heavens were opened against them and hail fell throughout Egypt, but notably, not on the Hebrews. This was no ordinary storm. Moses warned the Egyptians to get their animals to shelter and themselves inside as well. Those who listened to the words of God were spared, but those who did not were killed by the falling hailstones. Still, Pharaoh refused to heed the word of Moses. Then, Moses predicted a plague of locusts which would destroy what little crops were spared from the hail. This time, Pharaoh tried to make a deal with Moses. He offered to let the men go worship if the women and children stayed behind. Moses refused and was driven out from the presence of Pharaoh. The locusts came and the destruction was almost complete. This time Pharaoh was ready to confess his sin. He did not confess to God; rather, he confessed to Moses. Moses prayed, and God sent a west wind and removed the locusts. Pharaoh had been insincere in his repentance, and his heart was hardened once again. He refused to let the Hebrew people go.



God had systematically attacked the gods of the Egyptians, and He mocked their supposed knowledge of the universe. God brought a thick darkness to Egypt for three days. In all that time, it was light where the Hebrews lived. Once again Pharaoh tried to bargain with Moses. He offered to let the people go, but keep all their cattle and fl ocks. Moses refused and Pharaoh’s heart was again hardened.

III. God’s Plan Revealed in the Plagues

Exodus 10:27-29 27. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go. 28. And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.

29. And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.

Pharaoh pronounced a death sentence on Moses if Moses came before him again, and Moses left promising Pharaoh that he would see his face no more. Pharaoh had not learned anything in all the plagues. He still seemed to think he would stop the message if he killed the messenger. Pharaoh thought he was dealing with Moses when, in fact, he was dealing with God. God hardened the heart of Pharaoh. God had not determined that Pharaoh would act in this way. Pharaoh, like all of us today, had a choice. He could have listened to Moses when Moses fi rst came to him. He could have agreed with the plan of God and acted in harmony with God’s purposes. Years before, another pharaoh had listened to Joseph, and the nation had been blessed by the presence of the Hebrews. This evil man had brought disaster to his nation. Moses left Pharaoh, but God was not through with the Egyptians. Pharaoh would not only let the people go; he would literally insist that they go. He would drive them out. God’s plan would be accomplished, and every word God spoke through Moses would come to pass.

This Pharaoh and Egypt would never be the same after the plagues. It would take many years for another king of Egypt to rebuild the economy of the land. When all this began, another pharaoh had feared that the Hebrews would turn on the Egyptians, side with their enemies and, thus, defeat Egypt. This had not happened, but Egypt was defeated by their own stubbornness. We do not have to harden our hearts. We can listen to the Word of God and accept both the messenger and the message of God into our hearts. The Holy Spirit will bear witness with the gospel that it is right. The Holy Spirit is a more powerful witness than physical miracles. His witness is not all around us, it is in our hearts when we hear the gospel. If we heed the message of God, we can be eternally saved. If we harden our hearts and stiffen our necks, the only thing left is judgment. Pharaoh judged himself when he refused to listen to God. God judged him and hardened his heart. The opportunities we have to hear the Word of God and obey the Holy Spirit of God are precious. We should think of them that way and always be ready and attentive to hear what God is saying to us. The last invitation in the Bible is for those who hear the gospel to come to Jesus (Rev. 22:17). Are you listening, or are you hardening your heart and resisting the love and grace of God?

1. What was the cause of Pharaoh’s obstinate stand against God? 2. Discuss the source of Pharaoh’s hardened heart (Ex. 7:13; 8:15). 3. What was God’s purpose behind the plagues? 4. Does God still bring good things from bad circumstances? (Rom. 8:28)?



A FINAL WORD

October 2, 2011

5 God Redeems HisPeople

Text: Exodus 11:1 —12:51 Focus: Exodus 12:3-14

Key Verse:“For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come into your houses to smite you.”

Exodus 12:23

Sunday Devotional: Re-deemed by Precious Blood, 1 Peter 1:18, 19.

Application: Only God can redeem His people! He provides the only source of redemption—the atoning blood of His Son —Jesus, the Lamb of God.

A FIRST LOOK

The events of this lesson teach us the truth of the wonderful statement in 1 Peter 1:18, 19. We were not redeemed with silver, gold or precious jewels; instead, we are redeemed by the shed blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. God had clearly shown His great power to the Egyptians. He had put a difference between the Egyptians and the Hebrews. After the great plagues that had already come, any reasonable person would have concluded that God was all-powerful and the many Egyptian gods could do nothing to protect those who worshiped them. However, the heart of Pharaoh was hardened and he would not let the Hebrews go. This often happens in our lives. We can simply be stubborn and resist a course of action that we know to be right. Then, as time goes on,

33

Daily DevotionalsM. — Redeemed Through His Blood, Ephesians 1:7.T. — Christ Our Passover, 1 Corinthians 5:7, 8. W. — Our Perfect Substitute, 2 Corinthians 5:21.T. — Justifi ed by His Blood, Romans 5:8, 9. F. — Redeemed by Blood, Revelation 5:9.S. — Reconciled to God, Colossians 1:20-22.

we can become more stubborn and set in our ways no matter how much evidence there is that we should change our minds. Among the most diffi cult words that can pass from human lips are I was wrong. At this point, God had worked notable miracles; yet, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and the demand of Moses to release the people from Egypt was stalled. Now, God would work in a mighty way to redeem His people. Death is not a pleasant subject, especially for an unbeliever; yet, this lesson is about death. It involves the death of an innocent lamb, and the death of thousands of unrepentant people who would not listen to the Word of God and put themselves under the protective blood of that lamb. That lamb represents Jesus, the Lamb of God, and we all must come under His blood to be redeemed.

I. The Preparation of the Sacrifi cial Lamb

Exodus 12:3-5 3. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: 4. And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. 5. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats.

God gave Moses a message of preparation for the Hebrews. First, they were to borrow jewels, silver and gold from the Egyptians. God also gave the Hebrews favor in the sight of the Egyptians so that they willingly gave their wealth to them. This was God’s way of repaying His people for the many years they had labored as slaves. God always takes care of His own. Then, Moses had a message for the Egyptians. He predicted that the

A CLOSER LOOK

34 God Redeems His People

fi rstborn of the Egyptians—from the fi rstborn child of Pharaoh, to the fi rstborn children of the servants and the fi rstborn animals—would die during one dreadful night, but the Hebrews would once again be spared from the destruction. Moses gave specifi c instructions concerning the timing and preparation for this sacrifi ce. First, the preparation was to begin on the tenth day of the month. Each family, according to the ancestry, would choose a lamb. If the family happened to be too small to consume the whole animal, two families could share this meal. The object was to decide how many people each lamb would feed and gather that number together for the Passover Supper. The people were going to leave the next day and there were to be no leftovers. The lamb was a special animal. First, it was to be without blemish of any kind. A sick or crippled lamb would not do. The lamb was to be a male and of the fi rst year. Finally, the lamb was to be separated from the fl ock and carefully inspected to make certain it was suitable for the sacrifi ce. There are great lessons for us in this simple selection process. Jesus, the Lamb of God, was likewise without spot or blemish. During His ministry, Jesus was examined repeatedly by the harshest of critics, and yet, when all the accusations were made and all the evidence was in, Pilate, the Roman judge, concluded that he found no fault in Jesus (Luke 23:4). God spoke from Heaven at the baptism of Jesus and again on the mount of transfi guration, declaring He was well pleased with Jesus. No other human being could meet the divine qualifi cations set for the Redeemer. There were many lambs in Egypt, but only a few were suitable for this sacrifi ce. Jesus is the unique Lamb of God who can take away the sins of the world. Another great lesson is that God demands our best. The thousands of lambs that perished that night were the best of the fl ocks. Considering the destruction of the Egyptian animals during the plagues, these animals were, no doubt, valuable; yet, they were to be sacrifi ced, and no substitutions were to be made. God demanded only the best for this special offering. Later in Israel, the prophet Malachi condemned the Hebrews for bringing crippled or sick animals for the sacrifi ce (Malachi 1:8, 13.) Then and now, God demands our best.

Text: Exodus 11-1—12:51 35


II. The Blood of the Passover

Exodus 12:6-10 6. And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. 7. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. 8. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast withfire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. 10. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.

Remember that, although this may seem familiar to us, these were strange, unusual new instructions for the Hebrews. This had never before been done. After keeping the lamb apart from other animals for four days and, no doubt, feeding it and inspecting it to make sure it met the qualifi cations, the lamb was killed late on the fourteenth day. This was different from normal procedure. Normally, an animal was slaughtered early in the morning so that it could be processed and eaten during the day. This lamb was to be killed in the evening and eaten immediately. Keep in mind these people did not have our modern concepts of refrigeration and meat storage. When an animal was killed, it had to be consumed quickly especially in the warm climate of Egypt. The blood of the lamb was to be spread on the doorposts and the lintel of the house where the people would gather to eat the evening meal. This blood was the sign for the Lord to pass over that house and spare the fi rstborn in that dwelling. The fresh lamb was to be prepared in a special way. The cooks were not left to their own devices about preparing this meal. The lamb was to be roasted. It was not to be eaten raw or soaked and boiled in water. It was to be accompanied with bitter herbs as a side dish. The whole lamb, with all its edible parts, was to be roasted and eaten. If any parts of the animal remained, they were to be burned in the fi re.

This was to teach the Hebrew people many great lessons. The bitter herbs were to remind the people of the bitterness of their experiences in Egypt. The Hebrews soon forgot the bitterness of Egypt and longed to return to the land (Num. 11). Beware of the lure of the good old days. The roasting insured that the lamb would remain whole. If the lamb were boiled, it would have to be cut up into small pieces to fi t the pots. It is doubtful that the Hebrews had vessels large enough to boil a whole lamb. It was important that the bones not be broken and the lamb remain whole. They were to consume all of the lamb because they were to be ready to travel on the next day. The meal consisted of the roasted lamb, the bitter herbs and unleavened bread. Each of these offers us spiritual lessons and an insight into the plans of God for His people. Remember it was the blood of the lamb placed on the doorposts which spared the household. The life of the fi rstborn in every house was saved by the blood, not by the meal.

III. The Memorial for Future Generations

Exodus 12:11-14 11. And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S passover. 12. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. 13. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. 14. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

Normally, the Hebrews would eat their evening meal relaxed and ready for bed. This meal was to be eaten fully clothed with shoes on and staffs ready. It was to be eaten rapidly, as we might

Text: Exodus 11-1—12:51 37


eat if we took a brief pause from our work for nourishment, planning to return to our labors as quickly as possible. The meal was given a name, the Lord’s Passover. This is the fi rst time this term occurs in the Bible. The reason for this title is plainly given. God promised to go through Egypt that night and kill every fi rstborn man or beast in all Egypt. This was a death sentence on every family. In some of the previous plagues, the Hebrews had been exempt from the destruction and torment, but not this time. Whether you were Hebrew or Egyptian, your family was under the penalty of death on this night. This was not an accident or a sudden unexplained illness; this was the specifi c judgment of God. The only thing that would stop this judgment was the blood on the doorposts and lintels of the houses. God promised when He saw the blood He would pass over that house and the plague of death would not visit there. Thus, the term Passover was used because the houses identifi ed with the blood of the lamb were not subject to death that night. The fi nal instruction was that, although this event happened only once and would never be repeated, the feast would be repeated every year as a memorial of this fi nal act of God that set the Hebrews free from Egyptian bondage. Each generation was to observe this feast once a year and, in that way, keep the redeeming power of God uppermost in their minds.

The lesson of this awesome night should fl ow into the heart of every child of God. Like the fi rstborn in the land of Egypt that night long ago, we are under a death sentence. Every human being is a sinner by nature, and there is nothing we can do to change it. Thanks to God we have a divine plan of redemption. The blood of the Lamb of God will take away our sins when it is applied to our hearts. Spiritual death will never come to those who are under His blood. As Jesus plainly said in John 11:26, “And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” Like the Hebrews of old, we must believe the message we hear about death. We must be obedient and actually follow the instructions we are given. It was not enough to hear those

A FINAL WORD

instructions; those who heard them had to put them into practice. Someone had to select the lamb. Someone had to put the lamb up for four days. The lamb had to be killed on the evening of the fourteenth day and the meal had to be served. It was not enough to simply know all about this; the plan demanded obedience. In the same way, it is important to understand there is a vast difference between being convicted by the Holy Spirit and being saved from your sins. We can know the plan of salvation, and we can be convicted by the preaching of the gospel. Until we personally repent of our sin and place our faith in Jesus, we are lost. Death is coming to every human. Has the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God, been applied to your heart? If not, trust Him now.

1. Consider and discuss the immediate effects and implications of the tenth plague. 2. Why was the source of the Passover blood (a lamb) so important? 3. What can be implied from the fact that the blood had to be applied? 4. What does the picture of the Passover lamb mean to you?


Text: Exodus 11-1—12:51 39

October 9, 2011

6 God Leads HisPeople

Text: Exodus 13:1—15:27 Focus: Exodus 13:12, 22; 14:13-18, 21-27

Key Verse:“But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and in the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.”

Exodus 14:29

Sunday Devotional: Through the Sea on Dry Land, Hebrews 11:28, 29.

Application: God will always guide His people in His way. As His children follow and obey, they will fi nd joy and fulfi llment.

Over the years, the account of the Exodus of the people of Israel from Egypt has been fi ctionalized in many forms. Some of these are powerful, and many people have images in their minds from these fi ctional accounts. Often these preconceived ideas color our understanding of the actual events. The only reliable record of the events of the Exodus is in the Word of God. We must measure our conceptions of these events with the Bible, and we must accept only what the Bible teaches. For instance, few understand that God led the people of Israel through the desert for a specifi c reason (Ex. 13:17). It was a much easier journey to travel up the coastal road known as the way of the Philistines, but that road was also easy to follow back to Egypt when diffi culties came along. God wanted these people to be dependent on Him, so He led them to a place where they had no other choice. Also, we learn that the Hebrews went up “harnessed”

40

A FIRST LOOK

Daily Devotionals

M. — The Law of the Firstborn, Exodus 13:1-19.T. — Criticism and Complaints, Exodus 14:1-12. W. — The Song of Moses, Exodus 15:1-21.T. — Hearken and Be Blessed, Exodus 15:23-26.F. — He Will Guide You, John 16:13.S. — God Is Faithful! 1 Corinthians 10:13.

(Ex. 13:18) out of Egypt. In Egypt they were under the control of their Egyptian taskmasters; in the desert they were under the control of God. God did not set these people free to make whatever choices their fl eshly natures may have desired. They were under specifi c rules, and they were moving toward a specifi c goal (Ex. 13:5). When they left Egypt, they surely did not expect to be beginning a forty year journey that only two men would survive. Of the six hundred thousand men who left Egypt, only Joshua and Caleb reached the Promised Land. Their fi rst stop was Succoth, which means booths—possibly animal stalls, on the edge of the desert. From there, they traveled to Etham, which was on the edge of the wilderness near the Red Sea. This was the specifi c plan of God for the people of Israel, and He would see to it that they had every opportunity to trust in Him and obey His word.

I. The Continuing Presence of God

Exodus 13:21, 22 21. And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: 22. He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

The events of the Exodus are examples and lessons for Christians today (1 Cor. 10:1-11). The Passover represents our salvation through the blood of Jesus. The Red Sea crossing represents baptism. In these verses, we have a wonderful picture of the leadership of the Holy Spirit. The fi rst thing the people of Israel needed was leadership. God had appointed Moses as their leader, but Moses was not free to lead the people anywhere he wanted. They followed Moses as Moses followed God. It was true that Moses was probably familiar with the Sinai desert, but God was leading the people. Moses was following the fi re and the cloud like everyone else.

A CLOSER LOOK

Text: Exodus 13:1—15:27 41

42 God Leads His People

We can also marvel at the obvious nature of the leadership of God. How could anyone miss a pillar of cloud during the daytime and a pillar of fi re at night? The presence of God should have been obvious to everyone on this journey. These people may not have always been where they wanted to be, but they could not deny that they were always where God had led them. The cloud and the fi re were more than manifestations of leadership; they were also manifestations of God’s presence. Every morning, the people of Israel could wake up and look out and see the pillar of cloud that assured them God was still with them. If someone woke up during the night, he or she could look out of his or her tent and see God was still there by observing the pillar of fi re before the camp. This is a picture of the leadership of the Holy Spirit in the heart of every believer. Every born-again child of God has the presence of the Holy Spirit in his or her heart (Rom. 8:9-14). The Holy Spirit is there to lead us in the paths of righteousness and to remind us of the continual presence of God in our lives. It is life-changing to realize that once we are saved we can never be alone again. Men may forsake us, but God is always there. He is in our hearts and nothing can separate us from our Savior. In the darkest night of our lives, we can look into our hearts and fi nd the presence of God to comfort and assure us, and, if we follow Him, we can rest assured He will lead us home to a place of wonderful promise and continual blessing.

II. The Wonderful Providence of God

Exodus 14:13-18 13. And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 14. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. 15. And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: 16. But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

17. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

18. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

Soon after the people of Israel were free from Egypt, God moved Pharaoh to pursue them. This was not an accident. God intended to demonstrate His power to the Egyptians as well as to Israel. Pharaoh imagined the desert had become a trap to the the people of Israel. He thought he could easily pursue them and bring them back into slavery. He gathered his army, along with six hundred chariots, and chased after the multitude, catching up to the people of Israel at a place called Pi-hahiroth, which was near the Red Sea. When the people of Israel saw the Egyptian army, they cried unto the Lord and complained to Moses. They accused Moses of bringing them into the desert because there were not enough graves in Egypt to bury them there. They reminded Moses that, while they were in Egypt, they had resisted his plan to lead them to freedom. They plainly said that they would prefer slavery in Egypt to death in the desert. This shows us the spirit of the generation that would follow them for the next forty years. Moses responded by giving the wonderful assurance found in these verses. First, he told them to stop milling around and to stand still. Trouble can make us restless, and when we are constantly moving, it is diffi cult to see what God is doing. Moses assured the people that God was at work here and that He was going to permanently end any threat the Egyptians might pose to them. God would fi ght for the people of Israel and they did not need to complain. We can only wonder at the lack of the faith of these people. They had the pillar of fi re and the cloud, but they thought they would all be killed by the Egyptians and buried in the desert. God spoke to Moses and gave him an unusual command. The people were confi ned by the desert on either side, by the Egyptian army behind them and by the Red Sea before them. It would seem that they had no place to go, but God instructed Moses to lead them forward through the sea.

Text: Exodus 13:1—15:27 43


There is a “Red Sea” place in all our lives. We come to a place where there is no way back and no way around. The only way we can go is through whatever troubles lie ahead. It is at this place we fi nd the power of God to take us through what seems to be an impossible situation. Moses was instructed to lift up his rod. The sea divided and the people of Israel walked through on dry land. God hardened the hearts of the Egyptians and they followed. When they did, the waters returned and the Egyptian army drowned. The remaining Egyptians knew the God of Abraham was the one true God, and the so-called gods of Egypt were only fi gments of men’s imaginations.

III. The Miraculous Protection of God

Exodus 14:21-27 21. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

22. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

23. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

24. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,

25. And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.

26. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.

27. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

Moses followed God’s orders and stretched out his rod over the impassable sea. A strong east wind blew all night, and the sea

became dry land. The waters were divided so that they were a wall on the right hand and on the left. This was not the sudden, dramatic event often depicted. It took all night for the waters of the sea to divide. The people of Israel then safely and simply walked through what had been an impenetrable obstacle. It took no special ability to walk through the Red Sea. They walked through on dry ground like they were able to walk anywhere else. The Egyptians saw the safe passage of the people of Israeland wrongly presumed they could safely follow them. When the Egyptians came into the sea, God intervened. He troubled the Egyptians and made the wheels fall off the six hundred chariots. This disheartened the Egyptian army, and they decided to fl ee from the sea and back to Egypt. They realized God was fi ghting for the people of Israel. At this point, Moses again stretched his rod over the sea, and the sea returned to normal. This was sudden and dramatic, and it caught the Egyptians totally unprepared. They tried to fl ee from the returning waters but could not do so and were drowned in middle of the sea. God accomplished many wonderful things at this event. The people of Israel passed over a great obstacle and was another step closer to the Promised Land. Also, Egypt lost its ability to make war. These Egyptians would never again harass the people of Israel as they traveled on toward Canaan.

When the people of Israel reached the other shore of the Red Sea, Moses memorialized this incident with the song recorded in Exodus 15:1-19. This was to insure this event would never be forgotten. Hebrew poetry was a way for future generations to keep important events and teachings fresh in their minds. We fi nd more important information in the latter part of chapter 15. We learn the people moved into the wilderness and came to a place called Marah. The water in Marah was bitter and the people once again complained. God told Moses to cast

Text: Exodus 13:1—15:27 45

A FINAL WORD


a certain tree into the water, and the waters were made sweet. This shows God’s continuing providence for His people. God made a statute and an ordinance to prove these people. Moses told them that, if they would hearken to the Lord, do what was right in His sight and give heed to God’s commandments, God would put none of the diseases on the people of Israel that He had brought on the Egyptians. This was a commandment with a great promise attached. Once again we see the provision of God for the physical welfare of His people. After this, the people of Israel were led to an oasis at Elim where there were twelve good wells of water and seventy palm trees. Instead of facing death, hemmed in by the Egyptians, the desert and the Red Sea, the people of Israel had come to a place of peace and rest. The great lesson for us is that this is where God is always trying to lead His people. The leadership of God is always accompanied by the presence and provision of God.

1. Does God still lead His people today? 2. If God does not lead using a pillar of fi re, how does He direct His people? 3. Are there times you need to “stand still” (Ex. 14:13) to see God work in deliverance? Share a recent example of waiting on God’s deliverance. 4. What kind of faith was required for the people of Israel to walk into the dry path in the midst of the Red Sea? Is that kind of faith required today?


October 16, 2011

7 God Provides forHis People

Text: Exodus 16:1—18:27 Focus: Exodus 16:2-8, 10-15, 35

Key Verse:“I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat fl esh, and in the morning ye shall be fi lled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.”

Exodus 16:12

Sunday Devotional: God Will Provide Your Needs, Mat-thew 6:25-33.

Application: God hears when His people pray and promises to provide their needs. We should love Him, serve Him and trust Him!

The daily gift of manna was one of the most important provisions for the people of Israel during the wilderness journey. Throughout the rest of the Bible, this gift is used as a symbol of the provision of God for His people. Jesus used manna to teach that He was the true bread that came down from Heaven (John 6:31-41). In Revelation 2:17, the angel promised access to hidden manna that would sustain the overcomers. To understand the many spiritual applications of manna, we must have a good understanding of the physical provision represented by manna. Manna means “What is it?” This question was asked by the astonished the people of Israel when the manna fi rst appeared, and the name stuck. Manna was a small round substance that resembled frost (Ex. 16:14). It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made

47

A FIRST LOOK

Daily Devotionals

M. — Water from the Rock, Exodus 17:1-7.T. — Jehovah —My Banner, Exodus 17:8-16.W. — Rejoicing in God’s Deliverance, Exodus 18:1-12.T. — God Will Deliver You, Psalm 34:19.F. — All Things Work Together for Good, Romans 8:28.S. — Trust Him and Do Good, Psalm 37:3.

with honey (verse 31), or like pastry made with oil (Num. 11:8). Manna was a raw material, not a fi nished product. Like fl our or corn meal, the people ate what they cooked, using the manna as an ingredient. As we study these verses, we must remember that this was a miracle, not a natural provision. Manna was not a clever use of a material that was in the desert naturally. God provided manna every day for the duration of the wilderness wandering. We may understand the miraculous supply of God as a onetime thing in a crisis, but in this case, God supplied the needs of Israel daily over a long period of time. Eventually, they got tired of eating manna, but God never failed to supply it for them (Num. 11:4-9).

I. The Complaint of the People

Exodus 16:2, 3 2. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: 3. And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

After the encampment at Elim, the people of Israel resumed their journey on the fi fteenth day of the second month after they left Egypt. They were going into the harsh desert known as the wilderness of Sin. It quickly became apparent that they were running out of food. No doubt, they had some provisions that were taken from Egypt. They also had provisions from the wells and palm trees at Elim. They were now in the desert, and their need for food was fi rst in their minds. Note carefully their reaction. They did not pray to God for help. Instead of calling a prayer meeting, they began to murmur against Moses and Aaron. There is a component of ignorance in most complaining, and we certainly see it here. They began by suggesting, as they had at the Red Sea, that they would have

A CLOSER LOOK

48 God Provides for His People

been better off if they had died in Egypt. They remembered the pots of fl esh, and the bread they had to eat in Egypt. They conveniently forgot the awful burdens they bore and the death of their innocent babies at the hands of the Egyptians. Memory is a peculiar thing. Some people have such good memories they can remember things that never happened. There is always a danger in wistfully looking back at the good old days. This is why Paul wisely advised us to forget the things that are behind (Phil. 3:13). Of course, this does not mean that we should forget our heritage. We should never remove the ancient landmarks, but we should be certain our memories of the past are accurate. The Israelites may have had food in Egypt, but they also had hard, diffi cult, dangerous lives. They seemed to have forgotten this. Their second complaint is a repetition of a theme. They suggested that Moses and Aaron had a secret agenda. They alleged that these men of God were pretending to lead the people to the Promised Land, but actually they had brought them into the desert to starve them to death. In all of this, the people seem to have forgotten that they were led by the cloud and the pillar of fi re. It should have been obvious they were being led by God as well as by Moses and Aaron, but in the face of hunger all this was forgotten. They did not remember the Passover, the destruction of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea or the miraculous provision at Marah. Hunger and bad circumstances brought out a spirit of unreasonable complaint. God was listening to this particular complaint. The older generation did, indeed, die in the wilderness.

II. The Answer of God

Exodus 16:4-8 4. Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. 5. And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.

Text: Exodus 16:1—18:27 49


6. And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt: 7. And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us? 8. And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.

God heard the complaining of the people and gave them what they needed. This divine supply could have come from a humble prayer instead of from complaining hearts. God had not led the people of Israel into the desert to kill them, and He was more than willing to supply their needs during their journey. The manna was given but not without restrictions. God stated plainly that the manna was a test. It was designed to prove the people and see if they were willing to obey the commands of God regarding this miraculous source of food. The fi rst rule applied to the manna was the law of the Sabbath. This was before the actual written Law was given from Mount Sinai. The Sabbath preceded the Law of Moses; in fact, the Sabbath is as old as creation itself. God rested on the seventh day not because He was weary, but to give us a pattern to follow. Then and now, the wise man will take one day out of seven and rest from his labor. Regarding manna, it was to be gathered daily as it was supplied, but on the sixth day twice as much was to be gathered and prepared ahead so that there was no work required on the Sabbath or seventh day. Moses and Aaron delivered this message to the congregation. They told them that this process was designed to teach them that the Lord had brought them out of Egypt. There is a great lesson here. No matter how richly God has blessed us, we can become discouraged and forget about our past blessings in a time or trouble and need. One good use of memory is to remind ourselves of the blessings of the past. God has not brought us this far to let us perish. God has a plan for every one of His

children, and as long as we trust and follow Jesus, He will supply what we truly need. Moses reminded the people of a fact that may have been lost on them. When they complained against the leaders God had chosen for them, they were complaining against God Himself. God had chosen Moses. God had empowered and led Moses. Moses was not serving himself or his own interests; he was serving God. Any complaint against Moses was a complaint against what God had done in the life of Moses. This principle is why the New Testament clearly warns us about this kind of murmuring (Heb. 13:17; James 4:11). Gossip and complaining are the favorite indoor sports of many of God’s people, but they are an abomination to the Lord. We should realize that when we complain about the men God has chosen to lead us, we are complaining about God Himself. God gave these people fl esh to eat and bread as well. God heard their murmuring and supplied their needs.

III. The Power and Provision of God

Exodus 16:10-15, 35 10. And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. 11. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 12. I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD

your God. 13. And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. 14. And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. 15. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.

Text: Exodus 16:1—18:27 51


* * * 35. And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until

they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.

While Aaron was delivering this message to the congregation, they looked to the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in a cloud. This must have been a magnifi cent sight that immediately silenced the murmuring and doubt. God spoke to Moses out of the cloud so that others could hear the message. This message had come from Moses and Aaron, but now it came from God Himself. We are reminded that three times God spoke from Heaven during the ministry of Jesus. Anyone listening could know that Jesus was who He said He was and God was pleased with His only begotten Son. God repeated and confi rmed the message Moses and Aaron had delivered. God would give them fl esh and bread, and they would be fi lled with food. The purpose was that these people might realize this was the work of the Lord. The rest of the day passed uneventfully, but that evening quails came up and covered the camp. There was fl esh for everyone to eat. The next morning, when the dew evaporated, the people of Israel looked out and saw a small round thing, like white frost, on the ground. Of course, this was the desert and it was not frost at all. They looked out and proclaimed, “What is it?” which in Hebrew is Manna. Moses answered their question and told them this was the bread that God had promised. They began to gather it, and they found that everyone had gathered exactly what they needed for the day’s supply. They could not keep it over until the next day. If they did, the manna would spoil and stink. Only on the sixth day could the manna be kept until the next day and not spoil. Some of the people ignored this rule and went out on the seventh day to gather manna and found there was none. Moses reminded them that they were ignoring the laws of God and refusing to keep His commandments. Evidently, the people of Israel quickly learned the rules regarding the manna. Moses commanded them to gather one omer of manna and keep it to show future generations what their fathers ate in the wilderness.

The manna would last for forty years until the journey was completed, and the people of Israel came into a land of milk and honey.

There are many great lessons for us in this incident. First, we should learn a lesson about complaining. We may not always understand why we are where we are, but we should not take our frustrations out on the leaders God has given us. Instead, we should humbly pray to God for understanding and patience. Then, we should learn that God is always on our side. Those who follow the leadership of God can always count on the provision of God. God will supply our every need. God had a plan for the people of Israel and the plan would not fail because the people ran out of food in the desert. We should know that the provision of God is accompanied by rules. The people had to gather the manna. It was not dropped into their cooking pots. They had to gather twice as much on the sixth day so that they could observe the Sabbath. If they ignored these rules, they went hungry until the next day. God will bless us, but we cannot insist that God bless us on our terms. Those people ate manna and were hungry again and again. In sharp contrast, Jesus is the true bread from Heaven that permanently and eternally supplies the needs of a lost soul. He, indeed, is the Bread of Life.

1. What does it mean to you that God hears you when you complain? 2. Were the people of Israel justifi ed in their complaints? Why or why not? 3. Do you feel you are justifi ed when you complain about things? 4. In what specifi c ways has God provided for your needs? (Share examples.)


Text: Exodus 16:1—18:27 53

A FINAL WORD

October 23, 2011

8 God Declares HisCommandments

Text: Exodus 19:1—20:26 Focus: Exodus 19:5-8,16-18, 20:3, 4, 7, 8, 12-19

Key Verse:“Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine.”

Exodus 19:5

Sunday Devotional: The True Work of the Law, Galatians 3:22-24.

Application: God always has our best interest at heart in His commands. Those who heed His Word and live by His promises are always blessed.

A FIRST LOOK

Three important things have happened since the manna was given. As the Hebrews moved toward Mount Sinai, they came to the plains of Rephidim. There they once again ran out of water. As was their pattern, they complained to Moses and were ready to stone him for leading them into the desert. Diffi cult times often bring out irrational behavior. How would killing Moses have helped the situation in any way? In answer to the prayer of Moses, God instructed him to strike a particular rock and water came out to provide for the needs of the people. This is important because this is a type of Jesus being stricken so that our spiritual thirst can be satisfi ed. This incident showed that the hearts of this generation were still in Egypt. Second, the people of Israel fought their fi rst battle. With the help of God, they defeated the Amalekites. The Amalekites were a band of pirates who preyed on the caravans that

54

Daily Devotionals

M. — Preparing To Meet God, Exodus 19:9-25.T. — The Law Exposes Sin, Romans 3:19, 20. W. — The Law Points to the Savior, Galatians 4:4-6.T. — Justifi ed by Faith, Galatians 2:16.F. — He Bore Our Sins, 1 Peter 2:24.S. — Justifi ed from All Things, Acts 13:38, 39.

traveled through the Sinai desert. They attacked the people of Israel, and Joshua was chosen to lead the battle. By the power of God, the people of Israel prevailed and the Amalekites were defeated. The third important event was that Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought Moses’ wife and children to join the people on their journey. Jethro was a Gentile priest who gave Moses sound advice. Moses had taken on himself the administration of this entire congregation. Jethro advised Moses to set up a system where small matters would be dealt with locally. Moses was to choose rulers over thousands, hundreds, fi fties and tens. Moses would teach these rulers the ordinances and laws and instruct them in the work they were to do. These rulers would apply these ordinances to the people. The Law was not dropped on an unprepared and unsuspecting nation. God gave the people of Israel His law so that they could be a unique and special people.

I. God’s Conditional Covenant

Exodus 19:5-8 5. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 6. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. 7. And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him. 8. And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.

Remember when the Hebrews came out of Egypt, they were a large group of former slaves; they were not yet a great nation. Although these people had maintained their cultural identity, the only government they had ever known was the government of Egypt. This generation had never governed themselves.

A CLOSER LOOK

Text: Exodus 19:1—20:26 55

56 God Declares His Commandments

God gave the people of Israel a remarkable and totally different form of government. Previously, governments had been governments of men. For instance, when Moses killed the Egyptian taskmaster, he had to fl ee into the desert, but when a new pharaoh arose, he could safely return to Egypt. God would change this by making His nation a nation governed by unchanging laws, not a nation ruled by the whims of men. Moses instructed the people that they were to be different. The people of Israel were to obey the voice of God, and they were to keep the covenant God made with them. As they did, they became a peculiar treasure to God. The people of Israel was chosen to be an example to other nations. Sadly, they often behaved like the other nations instead of leading other nations to worship God. Israel was to be a nation of priests. A priest was a man who represented the people to God. The priest took the sacrifi ce and presented it to God. Israel was to be the nation that gave other nations an example of how to properly relate to the one Almighty God who rules the universe. The beginning of this arrangement was the agreement of the people to this covenant. Moses presented this remarkable challenge to the elders of the people, and they promised to keep all that God spoke to them. Moses returned this message to the Lord, and the stage was set for the giving of the Law.

II. A Demonstration of God’s Power

Exodus 19:16-18 16. And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. 17. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. 18. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.

The giving of the Law on Mount Sinai was accompanied by many miracles. The people of Israel was experiencing miracles every day. Remember they had the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fi re constantly before them. They gathered manna every morning for their food. When they needed water, God miraculously provided it for them. These things happened regularly, but there were also special things that happened only once.

When Moses confi rmed the decision of the people to keep the covenant of God, he was commanded to tell the people that in three days God would appear to the congregation so they would know that He had confi rmed this covenant. For three days the people prepared themselves to meet God. This must have been a time of great anticipation for the people of Israel. On the third day, as God had promised, things began to happen. There were thunderings and lightnings as a thick cloud surrounded the mountain. Remember this is in the desert where thunderstorms are rarely seen. Then, there was the sound of a trumpet, so loud that it made the whole camp tremble. Moses brought some of the people out toward the mountain. They stood at the foot of the mountain and witnessed the smoke, fi re and quaking of the mountain as this part of creation groaned at the presence of God on the mountain. When the people saw this great scene, they were fearful. They moved away from the mountain and told Moses an interesting thing. They asked Moses to speak to them. They promised to listen to him, but they asked that God not speak to them. They were afraid they would die if they heard the voice of God directly. Sadly, this awe and fear did not last. Moses went on the mountain to receive the Law and deliver it to the people. While Moses was gone, the people lapsed into idolatry and made a golden calf and were worshiping this calf when Moses came down from the mountain. No matter how impressed we may be with the works of God, life can soon become ordinary, and we forget the spectacle and majesty we have witnessed.

III. God’s Commandments for His People

Exodus 20:3, 4, 7, 8, 12-19 3. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

* * * 7. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. 8. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

* * * 12. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Text: Exodus 19:1—20:26 57


13. Thou shalt not kill. 14. Thou shalt not commit adultery. 15. Thou shalt not steal. 16. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. 17. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s. 18. And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. 19. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. In these verses, we have the record of what we call the Ten Commandments. Many mistakenly refer to these as the Law of Moses. In truth, the Law of Moses encompasses all the various rules and regulations found in much of Exodus and Leviticus. These Ten Commandments are the preamble and basis for the Law. The rest of the Law is a practical application of the principles taught here. There are two basic divisions in these commandments. The fi rst four deal with our relationship with God. The following six deal with our relationship with each other. To relate properly to others, we must fi rst have a right relationship with God. Think of this as a cross. The vertical part of a cross must be there fi rst before the horizontal part can be attached. Remember these are commandments, not suggestions. These commandments were not given as a kind of spiritual buffet where the people of Israel could pick and choose what they liked or thought was important. Each of these principles was to be applied to every life. An individual may or may not have found them convenient, but that was not the issue. These were the principles needed for the people of Israel to be the peculiar and great nation God designed it to be. These principles were for everyone. These were not elite rules for a special class of people. Every man, woman, boy and girl in Israel was to obey them and be governed by them. Only as these commandments were understood and implemented could the rest of the Law be observed. As Jesus taught, the letter of these laws could be kept. These laws would serve a dual purpose

of regulating the society of Israel and also of revealing the sins of the people. The letter of the Law could be kept, but the hearts of men would still be evil. The Law was never designed to save anyone from his sins; instead, it was designed to show men that they were sinners and cause them to turn to the Lord. First and foremost was their relationship with God. There were to be no other gods in the nation. Simply put, if God is who He claims to be, then, all other gods are foolish inventions of men. Men may not look at it this way, but it is as silly to worship a cartoon character as it is to worship a false god. Both are the products of human imagination. To reinforce this, the people of Israel were not to make any graven images, or likenesses of things on earth and worship them. This was a contrast to the Egyptians who worshiped images of fi sh, cattle, snakes, cats and all kinds of creatures. Interestingly, the people were disobeying this commandment while Moses was receiving it. The people were to regard God as special and not take His name in vain. This involves not only the particular words we speak, it also involves using the authority of God in ways that promote human vanity. The Sabbath was to be strictly observed. This was not new. The Sabbath was as old as creation and was applied to the gathering of manna, but now Sabbath observance was incorporated into the Law. It had been a custom and a rule, now it was the Law. Remember these things were not optional. The people of Israel were expected to actually live according to these commandments. The second division concerns our treatment of each other. It is interesting that this section begins with regulations about how we treat our parents. This is the fi rst commandment with a promise attached. If we will not treat the members of our own families properly, we cannot hope to have a foundation for treating other people properly. A stable and peaceful society depends on all men keeping these simple regulations. They involve murder, adultery, theft, lying and covetousness. God is teaching that these things are absolutely wrong and should never be practiced. It is never right to do wrong, and it is never wrong to do right. No circumstance will make it right to violate these laws.

Text: Exodus 19:1—20:26 59


Men may keep some and causally set others aside. For instance, murder is still regarded as universally wrong, while lying and covetousness are seen by many as minor and harmless offences. This attitude is deadly. We should live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

When asked which was the fi rst and greatest commandment of the Law, Jesus answered that there were actually two (Matt. 22:35-40). His response to the lawyer’s question gives us the spiritual principles behind these regulations. The fi rst response of Jesus was that we are to love God with all our hearts, souls and minds. If we do this, the fi rst four commandments will be honestly kept with no further interpretation needed. It is when men do not truly love God that they seek ways to get around these plain statements. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves. If we truly love our parents, our children and our neighbors, we will honor our parents without legal intervention. We will not murder anyone nor will we commit adultery, lie, steal or covet. These two spiritual commandments are the nails on which all the other laws hang. Jesus revealed the spiritual component behind the physical laws. The people of Israel were expected to obey and keep this law, but they could not do this unless their hearts were right with God. There are many commandments in the New Testament, and, likewise, we cannot keep them unless our hearts are right with God. This is the great underlying principle in obeying any command God has given to men in any age.

1. If people cannot keep God’s Law, why was it given? 2. What is the primary purpose of God’s Law? (Hint: Galatians 3:24). 3. Are the Ten Commandments repeated in the New Testa-ment? 4. What are the benefi ts of obeying God’s commands?


A FINAL WORD

October 30, 2011

9 God Reveals His Laws Text: Exodus 21:1—24:18 Focus: Exodus 21:1; 23:13-17, 25; 24:3-8, 16-18

Key Verse:“And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audi-ence of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.”

Exodus 24:7

Sunday Devotional: Blessed Is the Nation, Psalm 33:12.

Application: God gave His laws to insure orderliness and justice in society. When communities obey His laws, the result is peace and prosperity.

A FIRST LOOK

These chapters mark a division in the book of Exodus. We have been following the journey of the people of Israel as they left Egypt and headed for the Promised Land. According to Exodus 24:7, we are now concerned with the book of the covenant. These chapters set forth the various rules and regulations that God gave to govern the day-to-day life of the people of Israel. These laws were designed to establish and maintain the covenant relationship between God and His people. In many ways a just and well-ordered society is the product of having the will of God done in the hearts of the individuals who make up a nation. There is certainly unrighteousness and injustice in the world now, but when Jesus returns to set up His earthly kingdom, He will rule with a rod of iron, and the world will be judged in righteousness. When the people of Israel obeyed the laws of God, even down to the details given in these chapters, it was a righteous

61

Daily DevotionalsM. — Righteousness Exalts a Nation, Proverbs 14:34.T. — God’s Laws Obeyed—A Great Nation, Deuteronomy 4:6-8. W. — Righteousness Enriches a City, Proverbs 11:10, 11.T. — God Exalts Nations That Hear Him, Deuteronomy 28:1.F. — Turn to God, Isaiah 55:7.S. — Every Person Accountable, Romans 14:12.

nation. This does not mean there was no sin in Israel. It does mean there was a way provided to deal honestly and rationally with the sins men did commit. The purpose of the Law of Moses was never to save the souls of men or to forgive the sins of men. The Law was a schoolmaster designed to bring us to Jesus. These laws worked. They produced a well-regulated society, that at its height, was the envy of all other nations. Sadly, when the people of Israel rejected God and turned to idols, they also rejected the laws that gave them their unique standing with God and men.

I. Laws Concerning Personal Conduct

Exodus 21:1 1. Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.

Following this verse are many instructions and rules that deal with everyday life. The Law God gave was designed to be self-administrating. People were to know the laws and obey them voluntarily for the common good of their nation. Keep in mind that these laws were not passed by a legislative or deliberative body. They were not the product of research or of trial and error. These were commandments from God, and they were to be recognized as such. To disobey the least of these was to disobey the voice of God. No doubt, the people who originally received them thought of these laws this way, but later they were largely set aside. The fi rst rules given deal with servants. Notice as you read these verses many of them begin with if. These were rules that dealt with many possible contingencies. No one was likely to have all, or even most, of these things happen to him, but if a child of Israel should fi nd himself in a particular situation, he could turn to these verses and know what to do. Over the years society has changed drastically, and many of these rules seem archaic to us, but the principles behind them still apply. All these regulations are based on the original Ten Commandments. The next laws deal with crimes that required capital punishment. There were situations that could only be resolved

A CLOSER LOOK

62 God Reveals His Laws

by the death of the guilty party. Other situations called for lesser penalties. The principle, expressed in Exodus 21:24, 25, was that the punishment for the crime be equivalent to the crime itself. Whatever damage a criminal might do would, in turn, be done to him. Above all else this is fair. Many of these rules have to do with the relationships and interactions of children and parents. God recognized that the home was the foundation of all societies. If the families in Israel were depraved and weak, the society would also be depraved and weak. This is why there were penalties for cursing your father or mother. It was not assumed that anyone would do this, but realizing the penalty was severe might make anyone so inclined to stop before he did irreparable harm to his family. Many of these laws deal with property damage and the proper restoration. Most of these deal with various matters of agriculture or animal husbandry. These people would eventually earn their living from the land, and they needed order in their relationships as farmers and ranchers. These laws provided the framework for a stable and productive society. There follows a series of miscellaneous rules and regulations that deal with various situations which might arise. Some of these were likely, others would seldom happen, but, in either case, the people had rules to apply in every situation. A careful reading of these chapters will reveal how far-reaching and comprehensive these rules were. One important note to these various laws is that they were meant for the people of Israel. No other nation was expected to keep these rules. It might be good for Gentile nations to obey some, or even all of them, but when these laws were given, the Gentiles could not gain a covenant relationship with God by keeping these laws of Israel. The covenant relationship between God and the people of Israel was special and would never exist between God and any other nation.

II. Laws Concerning Public Worship

Exodus 23:13-17, 2513. And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect:

and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth. 14. Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.

Text: Exodus 21:1—24:18 63


15. Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) 16. And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field. 17. Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.

* * * 25. And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.

God gave Israel regulations concerning the use of their time. First of all, they were to observe the Sabbath, that is, they were to rest one day out of seven. They were also commanded to observe a Sabbath year. They were to work for six years and, then, let the land rest for a year before resuming their farming. This was an ecologically sound policy as well as being benefi cial for the individuals involved. This took faith and planning to implement. The people had to plan ahead for six years, and they had to have faith that God would sustain them through their year of rest. God also addressed the yearly calendar of Israel. In addition to the Sabbath, they were to observe three feasts during the year. These feasts represented special times when work ceased, and they turned their attention to the Lord. The specifi c calendar of Israel is given in Leviticus 23, and it is fascinating to study. In this chapter, we have the requirements God gave the people of Israel. Later, other feasts and observances were added with the per mission of God, but this is the foundation of their celebrations. First, there was the Feast of Unleavened Bread that ended in the Passover. This yearly feast was to remind the the people of Israel they were once slaves in Egypt, and they owed all they had to the grace of God who set them free through the shed blood of an innocent lamb. Jesus observed the Passover, and the last time He did so, He instituted the Lord’s Supper for those under the new covenant. This often-neglected service is designed to remind us of the price that was paid so that we can be what we are and have what we have through Jesus.

There was also a feast fi fty days later that was referred to as Pentecost. The third celebration was the Feast of Tabernacles that took place at the time of the harvest. All these feasts were times of family harmony and fellowship. Each one offered rich spiritual lessons and is worthy of our examination. It is not likely that every person in Israel was faithful to keep the Sabbath or the feasts that God had planned. No doubt, many found excuses to skip one celebration or another, but when they did, they did so to their personal loss. When people skip church or ignore any of God’s laws, they may think that they have cheated God out of something or gotten some personal gain through their behavior. The opposite is true. When we ignore the requests of God, we are cheating ourselves. Many people today lead empty, sad lives although they are surrounded by creature comforts. The reason is they have not heeded the admonition of Jesus to put the kingdom of God fi rst and everything else second. All the men of Israel were to appear before God at least three times a year. The responsibility for seeing that the families of Israel observed the feasts of God was placed on the men of the households. The men were the spiritual leaders, and it was up to them to see to it that their families honored and respected the Law of God. God promised to add His blessing to the observance of His Law. God promised to do what He alone could do. He would take away sickness from the people of Israel. This did not mean that no one would ever be ill or no one would die, but it did mean that following God’s Law promoted a healthy life-style, and God would add His blessings to that way of life so that the people of Israel would be as healthy as they could be.

III. The People Agree to the Law

Exodus 24:3-8, 16 3. And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do. 4. And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. 5. And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt-offerings, and sacrificed peace-offerings of oxen unto the LORD. 6. And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.

Text: Exodus 21:1—24:18 65


7. And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. 8. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.

* * *16. And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and

the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17. And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fi re on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.

For the most part we look at laws as rules imposed on us by others. Someone passes a law and we have to obey it whether we want to or not. That is the nature of a law. In this case, note a profound difference. God gave the Law, but the people also exercised their free choice to accept it. Moses spoke all these laws and regulations to the people. This must have consumed a lot of time and required a lot of interest and attention, but piece-by-piece and rule-by-rule, Moses covered it all. Then, the people unanimously agreed to keep the Law. They spoke with one voice. There was evidently not one dissenting voice in the whole camp to these regulations. Moses actually took the time to write these laws and regulations so that they could be preserved accurately for future generations. This is expressed in a few words but possibly took a long time to accomplish. This was one of the greatest works Moses ever did for God or for mankind. We can only imagine how our lives would be different today if we did not have the books God inspired Moses to write. To seal this agreement, Moses built a special altar with pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel and offered a special sacrifi ce to God. This was a solemn occasion that would change the lives of these people forever, and it needed to be commemorated as such. They offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings to the Lord. After the sacrifi ces were over, Moses again read all the written Law to the people. Again, this took a long time and required that the people patiently listen a third time to the reading of the Law. When this was done, the people once again agreed they would do all the Lord had said to them. In accordance with future law, the Law had been read and confi rmed three times. Once Moses spoke it, he wrote it, and he

read aloud what he had written. There was no excuse for anyone not knowing the Law or being ignorant that he had bound himself to live under the Law. Moses referred to this as the book of the covenant. This was the covenant that God made with His special people. That covenant is still in effect and will only be brought to complete fulfi llment when Jesus comes again. God Himself gave witness to the grandeur of this occasion through His presence on the mountain.

Israel remained encamped in the plains before Mount Sinai for about eleven months. This was the longest encampment of their entire journey. There they received the Law, built the Tabernacle and became a nation under God. This was not wasted time in their journey toward the Promised Land. The times when we read and understand the plans of God are precious times. God was building a foundation for the centuries in the hearts of these people who had recently been slaves in Egypt. It took time to do this, and the people willingly gave God their attention. Did this work? The answer is in one word Israel. Most, if not all, of the nations of the Bible are long forgotten. Empires and great nations have faded into the dust of history. They are merely quaint and peculiar remembrances in the foggy memories of historians. Yet, there is still and has always been an Israel. God’s covenants and promises are sure. Both Israel and the churches Jesus is building can count on those promises.

1. Discuss the statutes and laws given by God to control personal and public life. Are there similarities to present-day laws? Discuss any similarities. 2. Why do you think God required all males to appear before Him at the three national feasts (Ex. 23:17)? 3. What was the effect of the people’s immediate, vocal and unanimous agreement to the covenant? 4. What was their reaction to seeing the glory of God? Why?

Text: Exodus 21:1—24:18 67

A FINAL WORD


November 6, 2011

10 God Directs theTabernacle DesignTabernacle DesignTabernacle Design

Text: Exodus 25:1—27:21 Focus: Exodus 25:1, 2, 8, 9, 16-22, 40; 26:30-35

Key Verse:“And let them make me a sanctu-ary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the taber-nacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.”

Exodus 25:8, 9

Sunday Devotional: The Pic-ture Fulfi lled, Hebrews 9:23-28.

Application: As the Taber-nacle provided a place for God to commune with men, so, through His death on the cross, the Lord Jesus allows believers access to God.

God delivered His people from Egypt, and He shaped them into a great nation. To do this God gave them the Law. The Law of Moses was to make a far-reaching and permanent difference between Israel and all other nations. It not only made Israel different when it observed the Law, it made it strong. At this time God added another building block; He commanded the building of the Tabernacle. Like the Law, the Tabernacle created a basic, fundamental difference between Israel and all other nations. Other nations had various places of worship. These ranged from simple groves (brush arbors) to elaborate, extensively built temples. The variety of the worship sites for false gods is limited only by the imaginations of men. In contrast to these, God commanded His people to build a place for Him to dwell. This did not mean that

68

A FIRST LOOK

Daily DevotionalsM. — Be a Cheerful Giver! 2 Corinthians 9:6-8.T. — The True Tabernacle, Hebrews 8:1-6. W. — The New and Living Way, Hebrews 10:19-22.T. — Limitations of the First Tabernacle, Hebrews 9:1-10.F. — Everlasting Intercession, Hebrews 7:23-27.S. — The Cleansing Blood, Hebrews 9:11-15.

God was somehow confi ned to the Tabernacle. It did mean the Tabernacle was the place where the people could be assured of the presence of God. God promised to meet the people there when the sin-offering was made. No other nation had the living God literally in their midst. The Tabernacle became the focus of the camp of the people of Israel. All the tribes were placed around the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle also became the instrument of leadership for the people of Israel. The pillar of cloud and the pillar of fi re hovered over the Tabernacle, and when these pillars moved, the Tabernacle was disassembled and the people moved. The Law provided for an individual spiritual relationship with God by showing men their sin and leading them to Jesus. The Tabernacle provided a physical reminder of the presence of God in this nation.

I. The Source of the Funds for the Tabernacle

Exodus 25:1, 2 1. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2. Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.

The Tabernacle was an impressive structure. It required a great deal of talent to build, and it was expensive. Only the best materials were used. Gold, silver and bronze were needed as well as various fabrics and animal skins. It has been estimated that over a ton of gold and three tons of silver were needed to construct the Tabernacle. The plan for fi nancing the Tabernacle was simple. Moses was to tell the children of Israel to bring an offering. They were to make the offering willingly and from their hearts. This is always the way God wants us to give. The Tabernacle was not fi nanced by a tax or a levy of some kind. These people were recently slaves. There were no wealthy people among them; yet, they had acquired some recent wealth. We read in Exodus 12:35, 36 that God had moved on the Egyptians to give the Hebrews gold and

A CLOSER LOOK

Text: Exodus 25:1—27:21 69

silver. This may have seemed strange at the time, but God had a plan for this wealth. Also, Israel had recently won a victory over the Amalekites, and they may have gained considerable wealth through this victory. In any case, they had the materials needed, and they willingly gave them to the Lord. This illustrates the principle of biblical giving. We are to understand that God gives us what we have in this world, and we are to give a portion of it back to Him. The Hebrews had gold and silver because God had moved on the hearts of the Egyptians to give it to them. They were to give some of it back to God. In one way or another, everything we have comes from God (James 1:17). The real question is not what will we take from our possessions and give to God; instead, it is what will we keep for ourselves from all God has given us. The way you ask this question makes a great difference in your attitude toward giving. These people gave so much so willingly that Moses had to ask them to stop giving (Ex. 36:6, 7). This makes an interesting point. God’s people always have enough money to accomplish God’s will. The problem is that the hearts of the people are not in the work of the Lord. When our hearts are in a project, our money will quickly follow. For more information on biblical giving see 2 Corinthians 8:1-5.

II. The Source of the Plans for the Tabernacle

Exodus 25:8, 9, 40 8. And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. 9. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it. 40. And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

God has a plan for our lives, and He also has a plan for everything that He asks us to do for Him. Whether we are building our lives, our homes or the Lord’s churches, the Bible has a plan for us to follow. God had a plan for the Tabernacle. Later, He gave David the plans for the Temple, and David passed these along to Solomon. God instructed Moses in all the particulars of the Tabernacle, down to the details about the decorations and the furniture.

70 God Directs the Tabernacle Design

Text: Exodus 25:1—27:21 71

The pattern of the Tabernacle was taken after the pattern of the Temple in Heaven. Many references are made to this in Revelation, and it would be valuable to study each of them. Jesus taught us to pray that God’s will would be done on earth as it is in Heaven, and we are to worship God on earth as He is worshiped in Heaven. The plan of the Tabernacle refl ected that teaching. Many accurate books have been written about the Tabernacle. One excellent reference is the book written by Bro. Bobby Sparks and published by the Baptist Sunday School Committee. This is invaluable source material for anyone who wishes to make an in-depth study of the Tabernacle.

III. The Great Purpose of the Tabernacle

Exodus 25:16-22 16. And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee. 17. And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. 18. And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. 19. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. 20. And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. 21. And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. 22. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

The main place in the Tabernacle was the Holy of Holies. This was the place that housed the ark of the covenant. At the top of this ark, or box, was the mercy seat described in these verses. A cubit was the length of a man’s arm from his elbow to his fi ngertips. In our measurements, this is about eighteen inches. This formula would make the ark about thirty-six by forty-fi ve

inches. The ark was made of wood and overlaid with gold. The top of the ark was the mercy seat that had cherubims on each end. These fi gures were made of beaten gold, and they faced each other so that their wings touched and completely covered the ark. The symbolism here seems obvious. This illustrates the nature of Jesus. He was human, represented by the wood, and He was also divine, represented by the gold. The wood and the gold can also represent the two natures of a saved human being. We still have our Adamic nature, the wood, but that nature is overlaid with our spiritual nature, the gold. The mercy seat is self-explanatory. When the blood of the sin-offering was poured out here, the mercy of God was guaranteed at this place. The glory of God fi lled the Tabernacle beginning at the mercy seat. This pictures the blood of Jesus poured out for our sins at Calvary. Only when we accept this sacrifi ce, do we truly fi nd the mercy of God applied to our souls. The ark was also a place of revelation. It was here that Moses met with God, and God revealed to Moses His will for the people. (See Exodus 25:21, 22; 29:42; 30:6, 36.) The glory of God that appeared in the Tabernacle was an obvious sign to the people of Israel that God was with them in a special way and His guidance was available to them in their everyday lives.

IV. The Precise Placement of the Furnishings

Exodus 26:30-35 30. And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount. 31. And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: 32. And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver. 33. And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy. 34. And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.


Text: Exodus 25:1—27:21 73

35. And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.

Basically, the Tabernacle was a tent. It was ornately decorated and precisely built, but it was a tent that could be put up and taken down and moved. The Tabernacle traveled with the people of Israel through their journey in the desert and was brought into the Promised Land in the days of Joshua. The Tabernacle was used as a place of worship until Solomon completed and dedicated the Temple. The Tabernacle served for many years and became the archetypical design for all places of worship. In some ways, every structure used for worship resembles the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle began as a fence that enclosed the area where main tent was erected. The entrance to the tent faced the east. Inside this fence was an altar where burnt-offerings were made. Beyond the altar was a bronze laver fi lled with water that was used to wash and purify the offerings. The Tabernacle itself was next. It was a tent covered by different kinds of cloth and animal skins and supported by golden pillars. Inside, the Tabernacle was divided into two areas. The fi rst was the Holy Place. This contained three articles of furniture: a lampstand that was kept burning to provide light, a table of shewbread and an altar of incense. The other area was the Holy of Holies, and this housed the ark of the covenant. As noted before, the ark was made of acacia wood and covered with gold inside and out. This ark contained the tables of the Law, a pot of manna and Aaron’s rod. Each of these articles has a spiritual meaning, and it would be helpful to research them and see the spiritual applications that they make to our lives. The Tabernacle served not only as a place of worship and revelation, it also brought order to the people of Israel. Each tribe was assigned a place to camp based on the location of the Tabernacle. From this point on, the location of each tribe was not random; each tribe camped in a particular place. It is important to realize that, as magnifi cent and beautiful as it was, the Tabernacle was a temporary structure designed to be taken down and moved at the pleasure of God. No matter how many blessings may have been received in one place, the

Tabernacle moved as the pillar of fi re and the pillar of cloud moved. Step by step, God was shaping the people of Israel into a nation that followed Him in every way.

Over their years in Egypt, these people had seen many temples and shrines that the Egyptians had built for their man-made gods. As we learn from history and archeology, some of these were beautiful, elaborate buildings. No matter how beautiful they were, they were all worship places for gods that did not exist. An idol has only the power and reality that the imagination of men assign to it. In contrast, God instructed His people to build a relatively modest structure for Him. It was designed to be portable. This was to teach the people of Israel the temporary and transitory nature of life. Life moves, and the simple truth is that we cannot stay here. Every human being is moving through time and space, and we are headed for a meeting with God in eternity. To be prepared for that meeting, we need to free ourselves from the illusions of permanence in this world and prepare our hearts to meet Jesus. Jesus is in your future either as Judge or as welcoming Savior. Choose to believe in Him, serve Him and follow Him as He leads through life. Then, we will be led through life, and we will meet Him in our permanent home in Heaven.

1. If God took such care to defi ne the Tabernacle, do you think He would have left the plan for His New Testament church to chance? 2. Read Hebrews 9:21-28 and discuss how God pictured the atonement and provided a better sacrifi ce by fulfi lling “the patterns of things in the heavens” (verse 23). 3. Why was it necessary for the people of Israel to see a physical manifestation of God’s presence and leadership? In what ways may people see God work and lead today? 4. Discuss the implication of the rending of the veil in the Temple at the death of Christ (Mark 15:37, 38).


A FINAL WORD


November 13, 2011

11 God CommandsPriestly DutiesPriestly DutiesPriestly Duties

Text: Exodus 28:1—31:18 Focus: Exodus 28:1-4, 41; 29:5-9, 43-46; 31:2, 3, 6

Key Verse:“And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.”

Exodus 29:45, 46

Sunday Devotional: Our Great High Priest, Hebrews 4:14-16.

Application: Aaronic priests interceded between God and His people by offering sacrifi ces and prayers. Jesus, our inter-cessor, is a perfect and eternal High Priest.

A FIRST LOOK

The Tabernacle required skill and talent to build. It also took dedicated people to move it and erect it repeatedly. But the most important thing about the Tabernacle was what took place when it was functioning. The Tabernacle defi ned the ministry of the priests. As men had made offerings to God before the Tabernacle was built, men also served as priests at various times. God was now instating the priesthood. By His grace, God chose certain men to serve as priests and assigned them specifi c duties and gave them special clothes to wear to identify their offi ce. All this was a part of Israel becoming a great nation under God. Basically, the duty of the priests was to represent the people before God. God had instructed Moses that the Tabernacle was to be a place

75

Daily DevotionalsM. — Sprinkling of Blood, Hebrews 9:16-22.T. — The Sanctifying Sacrifi ce, Hebrews 10:1-10. W. — A Priest For Ever, Hebrews 5:5-10.T. — One Sacrifi ce For Ever, Hebrews 10:11-14.F. — New Testament Priests, 1 Peter 2:5-9.S. — Just One Mediator!1 Timothy 2:5, 6.

where He could dwell among His people. The priesthood was a chosen group of men who would represent the people from time to time before God. All this is a fi gure or shadow of Jesus who is our Great High Priest. He is our Advocate before the Father and He ever lives to make intercession for us. Because Jesus came and assumed this offi ce, there is no need now for a human priesthood. There is one God and one Mediator between God and men and that is Jesus. As we study about the priesthood, carefully notice how this offi ce pointed to Christ.

I. The Composition of the Priesthood

Exodus 28:1 1. And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.

Aaron, the brother of Moses, and his four sons were chosen as the fi rst priests. Their children would succeed them in this offi ce. This choice was entirely by the grace of God. Aaron was certainly not without sin personally, and as we learn later, Nadab and Abihu failed in their priestly duties. Aaron was not chosen for any particular characteristic he possessed; he was chosen at the will and pleasure of God. Moses and Aaron were from the tribe of Levi, and this entire tribe would now be called the priestly tribe. Later, when the real estate of the Promised Land was being assigned, Levi would not receive this kind of inheritance but would, instead, be given forty-eight cities in Canaan. This tribe was to be different and from it would come the men known as priests. The Hebrew word for priest is Kohen. It means “the one offi ciating, or in charge.” This word occurs seven hundred forty-one times in the Old Testament. It is used to refer to the priests of false gods as well as the true priesthood. The phrase, minister unto me, occurs six times in our Text. The priests were chosen

A CLOSER LOOK

76 God Commands Priestly Duties

Text: Exodus 28:1—31:18 77

by God, and they were ministering unto God although they were representing the people before God. God chose the men for the priesthood. He set the qualifi cations, and He gave them the work they were to do. A priest was never free to choose his own course of action or decide for himself what his duties were. Priestly duties were precisely prescribed in the Word of God, and the priests were supposed to obey their instructions. There was no resistance on the part of Aaron to this assign-ment. Evidently, he readily accepted God’s choice for him and his family and as far as we know, he gladly served as the fi rst high priest of Israel.

II. The Clothing of the High Priest

Exodus 28:2-4 2. And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty. 3. And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have fi lled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s offi ce. 4. And these are the garments which they shall make; a breast-plate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s offi ce.

We often identify people by the clothes they wear. We expect certain clothing to represent certain occupations, even skill levels. The uniform of a soldier, a policeman or the robes of a judge are all testimonies to the offi ces they hold. In a similar manner, the garments of the high priest were used to identify the man and his offi ce. These garments were holy. This means that they were dedi-cated to this specifi c task. No one but the high priest was to wear these special garments. These garments were to be made by those who understood what they were doing. Those who actually made these garments were to be wise and understand the importance of their job. The garments of the high priest were not like the other clothing used in everyday life. These special garments were a sign of consecration and service to the Lord.

In two verses we are introduced to the great teachings of holiness, consecration and ministry. All these were involved in the offi ce of the high priest. To be holy and consecrated means “to be set apart for the service of the Lord and used in the ministry of God.” The high priest was all these, and his clothes were to indicate the status of this offi ce. The clothing of the high priest consisted of six different articles. Some were functional and others were decorative, but each one was necessary to portray the ministry of the high priest. The fi nest materials were used in making each of these articles. This writer believes this teaches us that the service of God deserves our best. This clothing represented the best in terms of materials and construction. We should never offer God anything less than our best. The fi rst article was the breastplate. This was a kind of vest that went with the ephod. On the breastplate were twelve precious stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel. These were arranged in four rows with three in each row. This was a colorful, beautiful article of clothing. The obvious teaching is that the people of God were to be near to the heart of the high priest as he went about his duties. Next was the ephod. This article of clothing is diffi cult to describe. It was worn over the linen garment. The ephod was two long pieces of cloth that were brought together and fastened by a stone on each shoulder. The material was gathered and held in the middle with a girdle. Six of the names of the children of Israel were engraved on one onyx stone on one shoulder, and six names were engraved on the other. The robe was the outer garment. Along the bottom of the robe were golden bells and blue, purple and scarlet pomegranates. They were arranged with a bell and then a pomegranate and so on encircling the bottom of the robe. The bells meant that the high priest announced his presence by his movement. The pomegranates represented the fruitfulness of a right relationship with God. Over the robe was a broidered coat. No doubt this was an intricate and detailed garment that added great beauty to this clothing. The fi nal articles were a mitre, which was a kind of hat, and a girdle, or what we might call the belt or sash. A detailed study of each of these articles would be profi table, but overall we should note these garments were beautiful and


Text: Exodus 28:1—31:18 79

colorful. There was nothing drab or ordinary about this clothing. They were beautiful to see, and they represented the beauty of God and the beauty of serving God.

III. The Consecration of the High Priest

Exodus 28:41 41. And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s offi ce.

Exodus 29:5-9 5. And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod: 6. And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre. 7. Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him. 8. And thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats upon them. 9. And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest’s offi ce shall be their’s for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons.

Exodus 29:43-46 43. And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctifi ed by my glory. 44. And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest’s offi ce. 45. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. 46. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.

Aaron was not to assume the duties of this offi ce on his own. A special service was necessary to consecrate him for the offi ce. To be consecrated means “to be set apart for a special purpose.”

From now on, Aaron was not a herdsman or a laborer, or a leader like Moses. He was the high priest, and this ceremony changed his life forever. The consecration ceremony was in two parts. First was the clothing of the high priest. The special clothes that had been laboriously prepared were actually placed on Aaron in a specifi c order. As Aaron took on the various pieces of clothing, he also assumed the various duties of the priesthood represented by each article of clothing. When Aaron was fully clothed as the high priest, he was anointed. Anointing was a ceremony where oil was poured on the head of the one chosen for special service or duty. After a person was anointed, he belonged to God in a special way and was to serve the Lord in a special offi ce. The high priest as well as kings and prophets were all anointed from time to time. This ceremony may seem strange to us, but it was a common practice in ancient societies. Those present knew exactly what it meant. By this ceremony, Aaron had separated himself from his former life and duties and had publicly assumed the duties of the offi ce of the high priest of Israel. We should note this service was not something that Aaron did for himself. It began with God. Consecration is not something we do for ourselves; rather, it is something God does for us. This whole process began with God, not with men. It was God’s decision to have a high priest, and God specifi ed the details of this man’s dress and service. The consecration service was to show what God was doing in the life of Aaron.

IV. The Craftsmen of the Tabernacle

Exodus 31:2, 3, 6 2. See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: 3. And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.

* * * 6. And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee.


Text: Exodus 28:1—31:18 81

A great principle taught in the Scriptures is that, when God gives us a duty or a challenge, He always provides the power to carry out His will. If we look at the situation, we can learn many valuable lessons about obedience and service. God had commanded Moses to build an elaborate and intricate Tabernacle. He had commanded the consecration of a high priest and had separated the family of Aaron for this job. All this was good, but who would actually make the various articles of the Tabernacle and the clothing for the high priest? We see how God made provision for these things. God chose certain men to carry out the duty of building the Tabernacle. When we think of the Tabernacle, we tend to think of Moses and Aaron. Many Bible students have never heard of Bezaleel. This man from Judah was given the special talents needed to actually build the Tabernacle. God fi lled Bezaleel with wisdom, understanding and knowledge of all kinds of skills. Bezaleel had the metallurgical, carpentry and other construction skills needed to build every part of the Tabernacle. This was a vital link between the plans and the actual building. The material had been given, and yet, the Tabernacle could not become a reality until the hands and hearts of the people went to work to build it. Also involved was a man named Aholiab. Aholiab was from the tribe of Dan, and he, too, had the wisdom and skill needed to build the Tabernacle. God commanded that a Tabernacle be built. He provided the materials and the plans. He also added the skilled workers needed to perform this wonderful work.

There are many great lessons in these historical verses. There is a rich and wonderful picture in the high priest of Israel representing our Great High Priest, Jesus. Every part of the clothing and the ritual of consecration points to Jesus, the Messiah of Israel. There is a practical lesson in the special clothing chosen for the high priest. We are still identifi ed by the clothes we wear. A child of God should take care to dress modestly and appropriately for

A FINAL WORD


every occasion. We should never send confl icting or confusing messages by the clothes we wear. Consecration is still a needed part of the service of God. Only God can truly consecrate anyone, but we should never be ashamed to publicly dedicate ourselves to the service of God. We should honor our vows and actually change our lives to put Jesus in the center of everything we do. God still gives each of His children special talents. These are not identical, and they are not interchangeable. Every child of God should do his or her best to discover what spiritual talents God has given him or her and use those talents in the service of the Lord.

1. Discuss some of the shortcomings of the Aaronic Priesthood. 2. Read 1 Peter 2:5-9 and discuss the New Testament priest-hood. Who serves and what is involved in the work of New Testament priests? 3. Read Hebrews 7:21-27 and discuss how Jesus is a better High Priest. In what ways is He better? 4. Read Hebrews 4:14-16 and discuss the relationship between our prayers and Christ’s service as our High Priest. What does He do when we pray?


November 20, 2011

12 God Renews HisCovenant

Text: Exodus 32:1—34:35 Focus: Exodus 32:1-8, 11-14, 19, 20, 31, 32; 34:1, 2, 9, 27, 28

Key Verse:“And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheri-tance.”

Exodus 34:9

Sunday Devotional: Examples To Avoid, 1 Corinthians 10:6-11. Application: Though wickedly betrayed, God willingly forgave the sins of His people. Thankfully, He is still merciful, loving and forgiving through His Son.

A FIRST LOOK

The plans of God for our lives are often directly contradicted by our personal behavior. This is illustrated in the life of Aaron. While Moses was on the mountain getting the plans for the Tabernacle and the priesthood, Aaron was in the valley leading the congregation into sin. In these chapters, we see a great contrast between the blessings God has planned for us and our sinful behavior. Unknown to most men, God is at work behind the scenes of history. His work is always designed to bring blessing and harmony into the lives of those who love Him. The things Moses received on the mountain would change the world forever. Literally, every nation on earth eventually benefi ted from the Law God gave to Israel through Moses. Down in the valley things were different. There the people saw only what was immediately before their eyes. This distorted view gave rise to sinful behavior.

83

Daily DevotionalsM. — Moses Intercedes, Deuteronomy 9:12-21.T. — The Failure of Aaron, Acts 7:35-41. W. — Idolatry to Immorality, Romans 1:21-26.T. — Behold His Glory! 2 Corinthians 3:12-18.F. — Transformed—Not Conformed! Romans 12:1, 2.S. — God’s Steadfast Love, Hosea 2:19-23.

The great lesson for us is to trust the instructions of God and obey them no matter what. If God’s Word instructs us and we completely and thoroughly understand the Scriptures, we should follow what we are taught. But if we have instructions that are clear, but confusing, that we do not completely understand and may not make sense to us, we should be especially faithful to do as God asks. God is always right and His choices are always best. Israel found this out the hard way.

I. The Great Betrayal by the People

Exodus 32:1-8 1. And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves to gether unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 2. And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. 3. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which werein their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. 4. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 5. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD. 6. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt-offerings, and brought peace-offerings: and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. 7. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: 8. They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

A CLOSER LOOK

84 God Renews His Covenant

Idolatry is a powerful force. There is a great temptation to worship what we can see and touch. The truth is that God is a spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. Here we fi nd the direct opposite of worshiping the one true God in spirit and in truth. These people were deceived by circumstances and by their own false expectations. Moses had been gone on the mountain for a long time. He had instructed the people to wait, but they became impatient. We do not know how long they expected Moses to be gone, but, evidently, he was gone much longer than they expected. There was no suggestion that Moses was doing anything wrong or he was not accomplishing what God had promised. Their disappointment was in timing alone. This offers us a valuable lesson. God will answer our prayers and honor His Word, but He will not do either according to our schedules. Disappointment in God’s timing led to a false assumption. They presumed that they did not know what had happened to Moses. Of course, this was wrong as well. They knew exactly where Moses was and what Moses was doing. God had given the people instructions, but they had not paid attention to them. Their false conclusion, based on false reasoning, was that they needed to make idolatrous gods and trust those gods to lead them and protect them. Evidently, no one remembered the utter failure of the gods of Egypt to protect or lead the Egyptians. Bad reasoning can never produce a good outcome, and the outcome here was that the nation had turned to idolatry. Aaron, the man who would later be the high priest, instructed the people to collect the earrings from their wives, sons and daughters and bring them to him. Aaron melted the gold and fashioned it into the likeness of a calf, using engraving tools for the work. Note verse 4 carefully and compare it with Aaron’s explanation of these events given in verses 22-24. Aaron declared that the calf he had made was the god of Israel and there should be a great celebration in honor of this new god. The next day a great feast began. The people brought offerings to the calf and evidently the celebration devolved into completely disrespectful behavior. We can only wonder if they used the manna God provided every day in the feast to this false, man-made calf-god. Men can be so blind and deluded that they fail to grasp the obvious. God was giving these people their daily bread, and they were using that bread as an offering to a golden calf.

Text: Exodus 32:1—34:35 85


Of course, God knew what was happening, and He instructed Moses to leave the mountain and return to the camp. When Moses arrived, he saw the calf and the dancing, and he threw down the tables of stone God had written and broke them. Moses destroyed the calf, ground it to powder, sprinkled the powder in the water supply and made the people drink it. Aaron gave a fanciful, false explanation for what had happened. Moses called for those on the Lord’s side to stand with him, and those who responded were commanded to go through the camp and kill those who had committed this sin. That day three thousand men died. This account should remind us that idolatry is not a harmless diversion. It is a sin against God, and we should be careful not to worship an idol of any kind. Anything that turns us away from God or comes between us and God can become an idol.

II. The Great Intercession by Moses

Exodus 32:11-14, 19, 20, 31, 32 11. And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? 12. Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. 13. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. 14. And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.

* * * 19. And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.

20. And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.

* * * 31. And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. 32. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.

Moses was angry, and, more importantly, God was angry. Before Moses left the mountain God told him what the people had done. God suggested that this entire nation should be killed and He would make a new nation starting with Moses. In effect, Moses would become another Abraham. Diffi cult experiences with people will either make or break any leader. God was testing Moses to see how Moses would react to this suggestion. No matter what Moses said, God was not going to dishonor His word or change His eternal plan for Israel. Moses responded in humility and sincerity at the great offer God made. He went to God in prayer and reminded God of the promises He had made to these people and to their fathers before them. Moses knew the words of God and he believed them. He was confi dent that God would always honor His word, and this was the substance of his prayer. In his intercession for the people under his care, Moses passed a great test of leadership. He revealed that in his heart he was a shepherd, not a hireling. Moses was not merely doing the job of a leader, he had these people in his heart. This kind of dedication and concern is always a part of effective prayer, and God honored the prayer of Moses. This did not diminish the sin these people committed, neither did it lessen the punishment they suffered because of their sin. It showed Moses the love as well as the power of God. At this point, God told Moses about the sin of the people, but Moses had not actually seen the calf. When he saw it, he reacted as we saw above, with judgment. What Moses saw when he came down from the mountain made him realize the magnitude of the sin Israel committed. Note his question to his brother Aaron, “What did they do to you to make you bring so great a sin on the people?” Moses could not imagine that Aaron had done this of his own free will, although that is exactly what happened. When he realized the depth of this sin, Moses went to God and prayed once more for the people. He asked God to forgive their sin. He showed his sincerity by asking God to punish him if it would mean sparing the people he led. This is similar to the love

Text: Exodus 32:1—34:35 87


the apostle Paul showed for the people of Israel in Romans 9:3. God did not blot Moses out of His book, but He promises to deal with each individual according to his own sin.

III. The Great Restoration by God

Exodus 34:1, 2, 9, 27, 28 1. And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest. 2. And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.

* * * 9. And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.

* * * 27. And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. 28. And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

Following this incident, Moses returned to the mountain and resumed the work of receiving the Law and the commandments of God. No matter what the reaction of the people; the work of God had to continue. God gave the Law to Moses a second time, but the people in the valley were not without punishment. Idolatry is an attack on our relationship with God. It is questioning the reality of God, and it makes a permanent difference in our relationship with God. God punished the people of Israel. In addition to the three thousand men killed by the Levites, God sent a plague that also killed an unspecifi ed number of people. We can speculate that these were the ringleaders who wanted to make idols in the fi rst place. God also refused to go before the people any longer. Now, the people would be led by an angel. God had been in the midst of the people in the cloud and the fi re, but that presence would be replaced by an angel. The people were punished for their sin; yet, the word and covenants of God were secure. We must see that the punishment was great and the people felt it. There was great mourning

throughout the camp for the sins they had done. God kept His word and honored His promise, but the people were not happy about the idolatry they had committed.

If we seek to know why this happened, we fi nd an answer in Exodus 32:9. These people were stiff-necked. This means that the people were unwilling to adapt to the new demands of the Law God was giving through Moses. They were governed by a kind of built-in contradiction. They were in love with evil and ignorant of good. They were obstinate and resistant to the things God was tying to do for their own good. These people should have learned there was no power in idols. They should have rejected the gods of Egypt, but instead, they turned again to these false gods. God not only sees what we do, He sees the character behind our actions. God knew the hearts of these people as well as He knew their actions. Evil actions come from evil hearts. When our hearts are right, we will be able to understand the great sin of idolatry and the eternal benefi t of quiet, faithful obedience to the will of the one true God.

1. What would cause people to abandon what they said they would do? 2. Was Aaron as innocent as he made himself to appear (Ex. 32:24)? Why or why not? 3. When Moses offered himself in the place of his people (Ex. 32:32), did he sound like someone else who loved the people of Israel? (Hint: Romans 9:3.) 4. Read Exodus 34:6, 7, and discuss the character of God revealed in these verses. Can you see the balance of mercy and judgment in God’s character? What does that mean to you?


Text: Exodus 32:1—34:35 89

A FINAL WORD

November 27, 2011

13 God Blesses HisTabernacle

Text: Exodus 35:1—40:38 Focus: Exodus 35:5, 22, 29; 36:1, 2, 5-7; 37:1; 38:21-23; 39:32, 33, 43, 40:34-38

Key Verse:“Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD fi lled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD fi lled the tabernacle.”

Exodus 40:34, 35

Sunday Devotional: Glory Throughout All Ages! Ephe-sians 3:20, 21.

Application: God’s Old Tes-tament sanctuary—prepared by sacrifi ce, sanctifi ed by blood and fi lled with His glory—should encourage believers to serve Him in churches today.

A FIRST LOOK

The book of Exodus does not record the end of the wanderings of the people of Israel. It was many years later that this nation fi nally came into the Promised Land. Indeed, only two men from this generation of people entered Canaan. The people who left Egypt had many unique and wonderful experiences. Their lives had begun in slavery with no apparent hope that life would ever be different. Through the providence and grace of God, these people had been freed from slavery and set on a path that would change the world forever. Many of the events of ancient history have been grand and amazing. From time to time many nations have won great victories, but the events recorded in Exodus were permanent changes for the whole world. As the world was permanently changed by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, so the world was changed by the forming of the Hebrew people into the nation of Israel.

90

Daily Devotionals

M. — The Temple and Ark in Heaven, Revelation 11:19.T. — Our Advocate with the Father, 1 John 2:1, 2. W. — Access to the Father, Ephesians 2:14-18.T. — He Is the Door, John 10:7-15.F. — The Manifestation of His Love, 1 John 4:9, 10.S. — The Future Tabernacle, Revelation 21:1-3.

God gave these people the Law that would become the centerpiece of human liberty and interaction down through the ages. God gave them the instructions for the Tabernacle that would become the archetypical place of worship for the whole world. Now these great changes would actually be implemented, and God would honor this nation with His presence among them. Note the intermingling of the human and the divine. Only God could give the Law and the plans for the Tabernacle. God gave the plans, but it was up to human beings to actually build it. The Tabernacle did not descend whole out of Heaven. God expects us to do what we can, and He will add His presence and special work to our efforts. We are, indeed, laborers together with God(1 Cor. 3:9).

I. Willing Hearted Givers

Exodus 35:5, 22, 29 5. Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass,

* * * 22. And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the LORD.

* * * 29. The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.

Exodus 36:5-7 5. And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make. 6. And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing. 7. For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.

A CLOSER LOOK

Text: Exodus 35:1—40:38 91

92 God Blesses His Tabernacle

These verses show us how the material needed for the Tabernacle was provided. The key is that the people who gave were of a willing heart. Their hearts were in the work of God, and their money soon followed. We may not see it this way, but to God failure to give is a sign of heart trouble. Those who refuse to give to the Lord’s work have a problem in their hearts. God did not impose a tax on His people. He did not make any demands on them. They gave willingly from their hearts. This is always the way scriptural giving works. They gave what they already had. The people brought bracelets, earrings, rings, tablets, jewels and gold. No doubt, they had gotten most of these from the Egyptians as we learned previously. These people had been slaves all their lives. They had never had these luxuries, and now that they had them, they were asked to give them up to build a building. It shows the dedication of their hearts that they were willing to give up some of their newfound wealth for the work of God. Also, we see this was not only giving for the sake of giving. Scriptural giving always has a scriptural goal. This was not a general benevolence fund where no one really knew where or how the money would be used. This giving had a specifi c goal, and the goal was the building of the Tabernacle. God had commanded Moses to build an expensive, elaborate structure. The coverings for the fence posts that surrounded it were made of silver. No cost-cutting measures were imposed. This was God’s work and it demanded the best. This was the result of giving from a willing heart. As the people brought their gold and jewels to a common treasury, those in charge went to Moses and told him the people had given more than was necessary. Moses issued an order for the giving to stop. Many who wanted to give did not have the opportunity to do so. Moses and the leaders of Israel were not collecting money to build up a treasury. They had a specifi c goal in mind, and when they had enough to accomplish the goal, the giving stopped.

II. Spirit-fi lled Workers

Exodus 36:1, 2 1. Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded.

2. And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it:

Exodus 37:1 1. And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it:

Exodus 38:21-23 21. This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest. 22. And Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses. 23. And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.

As we learned before, God specifi cally gave Bezaleel and Aholiab the wisdom and understanding to actually do the work of building the Tabernacle. Moses wisely called these men and assigned them this work. Moses and Aaron did not do the work of actually building the Tabernacle. God led the men to whom He had given special talents to do this specifi c work. Everyone can do something for the Lord, but our talents are not interchangeable. We should carefully seek to discover the talents God has given us, and we should use them for the honor and glory of the Lord. We should not assume that anyone can do anything. Only Moses could do what Moses did, and only Bezaleel could do what Bezaleel did. One thing Bezaleel did was to build the ark of the covenant. This ark, or box, was made of shittim wood, overlaid with gold. As we learned before, this beautifully pictures the nature of Jesus and the two natures in a child of God. This ark had no special power in itself. The special thing about this box was what it represented and the honor God had specifi cally given it. Bezaleel had the carpentry and metallurgical skills needed to build the ark, and Aholiab had the other skills needed to complete the Tabernacle. Aholiab was a master engraver and

Text: Exodus 35:1—40:38 93


able to embroider the various cloth used in the Tabernacle. Once again, we see each individual using his unique talents and working together to accomplish God’s will.

III. A Completed Task

Exodus 39:32, 33, 43 32. Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they. 33. And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets,

* * * 43. And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.

Working together, possibly for a long time, the men God had called and enabled, fi nished the work of the Tabernacle. The plans God gave were followed precisely. The workmen did all God commanded them to do. No doubt, there were times in this construction process when the workmen were tempted to take a shortcut or substitute a common material for the rare material specifi ed in the plan. Perhaps no one on earth would have noticed if they had, but God would. It is diffi cult for us to realize the critical importance of following the patterns God has given us. We may want to make a substitution, thinking our wisdom is as good as God’s or this is the best we can do. This attitude will always lead to failure. When we have a pattern of proper conduct taught in the Bible, we should follow the pattern precisely, no matter what it costs or how long it takes. The Tabernacle was not a tent that housed the people of Israel; it was a place where God would dwell among His people. When the completed parts of the Tabernacle were brought to Moses, he inspected them and determined that they met the specifi cations God had given. When this was done, Moses blessed the work. This meant the Tabernacle could be erected and used for its intended purpose.

IV. The Presence of God

Exodus 40:34-38 34. Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 36. And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys: 37. But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up. 38. For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

On the fi rst day of the fi rst month of the second year after the Hebrew people left Egypt, Moses set up the Tabernacle. Step by step and piece by piece the Tabernacle was erected. The various parts of the Tabernacle were set in place. The ark was placed, so were the tables of shewbread and incense. The lampstand was lit and Aaron and the other priests were clothed so that their ministry could begin. At this point Moses had fi nished the work he was to do in building the Tabernacle. Then, a cloud covered this tent and the glory of the Lord fi lled the Tabernacle. This was the glory of God, the earthly presence of Heaven, we read about in several places in the Bible. This same glory appeared to the shepherds the night Jesus was born. It must have been a wonderful sight to behold. This glory was so wonderful that no one was able to enter the Tabernacle while it was there. It must have been beautiful but frightening at the same time. Moses and the others knew that they should not attempt to enter the Tabernacle until this glory had subsided. Eventually, the cloud was taken up from the Tabernacle. This became the sign for the people of Israel to resume their journey. From now on they would travel when the cloud left the Tabernacle and led them onward. As long as the cloud hovered over the Tabernacle, the people remained where they were camped. At night this cloud became a pillar of fi re. Everyone could see it and know that God was leading them.

Text: Exodus 35:1—40:38 95


When the cloud moved on, the Tabernacle was disassembled, and those charged with that duty carried the various parts and erected it again when the cloud stopped. God appeared in this building, but God was never confi ned to it. Today God does not live in a building. A church is not a building; a church building houses a church. A church is people and God lives in the hearts of those people. We are literally the temple of God (1 Cor. 6:19, 20). Every church building, no matter how humble or how grand, will eventually pass away. In due course, the Tabernacle gave way to the Temple in Jerusalem. That Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, rebuilt by Ezra, destroyed and rebuilt and fi nally destroyed by the Romans in AD 70. In a similar manner, our bodies, the temple of the Holy Spirit, will one day perish, unless we are alive when Jesus comes again. Either way, this mortal will eventually put on immortality, and we will dwell with God forever and ever. Is your heart the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit? If not, then repent of your sins and place your faith in Jesus and let Jesus come into your heart.

1. In your offerings, what difference does it make whether you give freely with a willing heart? 2. Does God still call men to lead and build spiritually? (Read Ephesians 4:11-16.) 3. Does God lead, guide and fi ll His people today? In what ways? 4. Since God does not lead with a pillar of fi re or a cloud today, how do you know He leads?


A FINAL WORD

Supplemental Helps for Winter Quarter

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