The Sabbath Exodus 35

 

Exodus 35 – The Sabbath

 

The Lord insists that the first reason for the Sabbath is that it belongs to the first creation.  God rested on the Sabbath.  There came the day when mankind, no longer recognized God but began to worship the creature.  And man gave up keeping the Sabbath.  If anyone did work on the Sabbath Day, he was stoned to death.  God’s laws were made to suit the land in which Israel lived. 

The Making of the Tabernacle

The gifts for the making of the tabernacle was to be voluntary.  In that day there was no such thing as legal tinder.  The method of barter was the exchange of goods; so, the Israelites were giving things rather than money to the Lord’s work. Even in our day, the Lord can be served when you donate things to His service.

The tabernacle was a beautiful object.  It was a jewel in the desert.  It was a small building.  It was a picture of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Each aspect of the making of the tabernacle is mentioned in detail because each part was important to God.  The smallest wooden peg had to conform to the pattern God gave Moses on the Mount.  If we expect God to be concerned about the details of our lives, we must pay attention to the details of His instructions. God gave the plan, and He also gave the workers the wisdom needed to do the job right.  There is nothing wrong with dedicated artistry, for God built beauty into His tabernacle.  God wants skillful hands as well as dedicated hearts.

God gives us the plan and the wisdom needed to do the job right.  Read His Word to get to know what His plans are for you.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard@blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

 

The Ten Commandments Renewed Exodus 34

 

Exodus 34 – The Ten Commandments Renewed

 

The first tables were broken by Moses when he descended Mount Sinai and found that the children of Israel had made a golden calf and were worshiping it.  He now comes back to the mount with blank tables of stone. God proclaimed His name to Moses, and He wants the Israelites to remember their experiences with Him since they left the land of Egypt.

God does not extend mercy by shutting His eyes to the guilty.  God by no means clears the guilty.  The sacrifices Israel made in that day did not take away sin, but they pointed to that “Perfect sacrifice”, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, when He did come, put away sin by His death on the Cross. If we only turn to Him, we will find mercy.

 God made a covenant before all the people; it was part of the shield of God that He was putting around His people.  They would have been devoured by the enemy if He had not done this.  God said that He will drive out all their enemies.  If they made a covenant with the Canaanites, it would become a snare to them and lead them back into idolatry. God is a jealous God and does not want to share His honor and glory with false gods. The land of Canaan was covered with idolatry.  Israel was to either destroy them or drive them out of the land.  The reason is because God was protecting His own from idolatry.  Israel disobeyed God and did not completely clear the land of these people and suffered the sad consequences.  Finally, God sent Israel, disobedient and corrupt, into Babylonian captivity.

Next God is preparing Israel to enter the land by reestablishing the feasts and sabbaths.  The Israelites were to put God first!  God works for us, but he expects us to walk with Him.  He will keep His covenant, but we must not compromise with evil.

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard@blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

 

Israel's Journey continues Exodus 33

 

Exodus 33 – Israel’s Journey Continues

 

This is the third time God has called Israel a stiff-necked people.  God is making it clear to them that He had not come to redeem His people because they were superior. 

God asks them to remove the signs, (their earrings), that show they are heathen and pagan to take a stand for God.  That is the reason that baptism was so important in the early church.  It was evidence that a person had left the old and was taking a stand for the new.

The tabernacle, a tent, is being constructed outside of camp. This was a meeting place where Moses talked with God.  Just as friends speak to each other face to face, God and Moses talked.  But Moses did not see God.

Joshua is mentioned again in this chapter.  He is the man that God is preparing to succeed Moses. 

I believe every sincere child of God has a desire to know God.  Moses knew that he needed the presence of God with him.  He knew that he could not make it on his own.  Even as Moses was for God. We are to be a people for God.  We need His presence today to face the problems of everyday. 

Moses saw God’s glory. Many believers Pray, “show me your way,” but not many pray, “show me Your glory.”  No man can see God in His fullness and live, but God can reveal some of His glory.  He did that for Moses “In the secret place of the Most High.”

Our experience of glory today is explained in 2 Corinthians 3:18 “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

 

 

 

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard@blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

 

The Golden Calf Exodus 32

 Exodus 32 – The Golden Calf

 

The people thought Moses was gone, probably had been killed.  Since he was gone, they wanted to make idols (gods) to lead them on the wilderness march.  Right away they lapsed into idolatry.  You would think Aaron, who was the high priest, would try to stop them, but he did not. Aaron was supposed to be the spiritual leader in the absence of Moses, but instead he gave in and let the people have their way.  During that time earrings were a sign of idolatry.  Now they were bringing those earrings to Aaron. Gross immorality was involved here.  They have already departed from God after they had told Him that they would keep all His commandments. God told Moses “I knew you were a stiff-necked people.”  “Moses get thee down, for thy people that thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves.”  Moses told God, “You brought them out of Egypt, and You did it with a mighty hand. The Egyptians would say that you were able to lead them out of Egypt but not able to take them into the land.  They are Your people, Lord, you promised to bring them into the land.”  “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel; You made a promise to them.”  When Moses prayed like that, it moved the arm of God.  If we were more honest in praying, we would see more answers – that is more visible answers to our prayers.

The children of Israel were having a good time.  They were worshiping the golden calf and living in sin.  When Aaron was confronted with his sin, Aaron blamed the people, Moses, and the furnace but he did not blame himself. On top of that he lied. Sin is an awful cancer, and God uses extreme surgery in this case by slaying those who were guilty.  God in His grace forgives the sinner, but in His government, He must punish the sin.  The judgment is serious and extreme.  It had to be that because there had been terrible sin. Once the guilty was slain, the camp was cleaned up.  If the men who had led Israel into idolatry had been allowed to live, the nation would never have entered the promised land.  Israel had to remain a separated people, or God could not work out His great purposes through them.

An atonement covered up sin. If you want to get along with God, you will have to agree with Him about sin.  Sin is sin and must be confessed.  Tell God exactly what it is.  Moses said “I take my place with the people.  If you do not intend to bring them into the land, then blot me out with them.”  Those who did not sin in the idolatry of the calf would be led by the Angel of God.  This should impress upon us the extreme importance of prayer.

 

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary

Special Gifts Exodus 31

 

Exodus 31 – Special Gifts

 

Moses spent a great deal of time on Mt. Sanai, receiving instructions on building the tabernacle.  Men and their helpers were given special gifts for craftsmanship.  They made the tabernacle furniture and the garments.  The Spirit of God equipped them for their work.  Bazaleel was given a special gift from God to do His work.  In one sense this man’s gift is more important than Aaron’s gift.  His gift was essential for the building of the tabernacle. God gives us talents, but He wants us to dedicate them to Him.  Whatever gift God has given you. He would like the Spirit of God to take it and use it for His service.

 

The Sabbath – according to J. Vernon McGee, he declares the Sabbath was given specifically to Israel. The church from the very beginning met on the first day of the week.  When the church was born; the day of Pentecost was on the day after the Sabbath.  The Sabbath was first given to the entire human race, but man turned away from God, and gave the Sabbath exclusively to Israel.  If a man was found gathering sticks on the Sabbath Day, he was stoned to death in Israel. In verses 16-17 it expressly says that the children of Israel, not the church, were to keep the Sabbath.  The church is a new creation, and it was given a new day to observe which is the first day of the week.

Even today God wants us to be balanced:  work, rest, worship.

 

 

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard@blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

 

Be Ye Cleansed Exodus 30

 

Exodus 30 Be Ye Cleansed

 

The Altar of Incense in the tabernacle was a small altar. It was placed right by the veil, and the ark and mercy seat were on the other side of the veil.  It stood in the Holy Place, the place of worship. This was not an altar of sacrifice. Only incense, and only a certain kind of incense, was to be placed upon this altar.  The priests would go in and burn incense every time they would light the lamps of the lampstand.  This altar speaks of prayer.  Incense, therefore, is a figure of the Lord Jesus Christ, our intercessor.  When we come to God in prayer, we must come through the Lord Jesus Christ.  It was wonderful for the children of Israel to know that their high priest was in the tabernacle, at the altar of incense, praying for them.  It is wonderful for us to know that Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, is praying for us. Christ does not pray for the world. Why? Because Jesus died for the world.  The Holy Spirit is here to make the offer of Christ real to those who will receive Him.  Christ is in heaven praying for those who have received Him as Savior.  In verse 8, it says “there is to be a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations.”  There is to be continual praise in God. “To pray without ceasing” The incense was to be upon the altar in the morning and evening.  When the high priest went inside and offered incense, the incense stayed upon his garments and when he came outside, the people could smell him.  Let your prayers ascend before God as sweet incense, and it will permeate your garments. 

There will be no plague among the Israelites because they are going to be redeemed.  Silver is the metal of redemption and a type of redemption.  Everyone that worshipped had to be redeemed. Not only that, but they must also be cleansed.  The laver is in the outer court and is made of brass.  The brazen laver is where God deals with our sins as saints. The priest could not come into the tabernacle to serve unless he had first washed. If they were going to the brazen altar, they washed before and after. We cannot worship Him, serve Him, or be of use to Him unless we have been cleaned up. The laver of brass pictures our sanctification. The pure water is the Word of God. The women brought their highly polished brass mirrors to make the laver. They did not have mirrors then.  The mirrors revealed dirt and that was the purpose of the laver.  The laver cleansed the priest, and the laver pictures the Word of God.  The Bible is a mirror and when we read it, our sin is revealed.  We then need to confess that sin and be cleansed. The Holy Spirit is the one who can open our mind and heart when we go to work with God to understand His Word.

 

Consecrration Exodus 29

 

Exodus 29 - Consecration

 

Consecration for a believer is nothing that he does for himself.  It is something that God does for him.  It rests upon the finished work of Christ.

The washing mentioned in the passage has to do with regeneration. It, along with consecration is coming to God with empty hands, confessing our weakness and our inability to do anything, then letting God do the rest.

The high Priest and his family put their hands upon the bullock.  The laying on of hand on an animal speaks of identification.  When a sinner came up to the altar and put his hands on the head of the animal he had brought, it meant that the animal was taking his place.  The bullock took Aaron’s place.  It will die for him because he is a sinner.  This is the burnt offering. The main sacrifice, which was the burnt offering and the first one, sets forth the person of Christ – who He is.  The altar speaks of what He has done for us.

The breast of the ram was a wave offering, which was for Aaron, and his sons.  The Levites were not given any land for farming in the nation, and this is the way God provided for their support. 

The continual burnt offering was to be continually offered. This offering was a daily sacrifice; a lamb was offered in the morning and a lamb was offered in the evening, it speaks of the fact that the people needed a continual reminder that someone was needed to take their place and that their sin merited death.  There must be shedding of blood for sin.

The blood of Christ has cleansed us, and our past is gone. Sinful hearts are purified not by religious rites but by faith and baptism in Jesus Christ. We stand in the very righteousness of Christ.  We have been anointed with the Holy Spirit and lives within us.  He enables us to minister.

The continual burnt offering morning and evening reminded them of their complete and constant devotion to God.  We need not to forget our daily presentation of ourselves to God.

 

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard@blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.