We Are Redeemed Exodus 38

 

Exodus 38 We are Redeemed

 

On the brazen altar the victim was offered, and sin was judged.  This was the approach to God and any other alter built anywhere else would have been blasphemy.  The horns on the altar speak of strength – the ability of Jesus Christ to save.  The laver was made from mirrors.  The mirror represents the Word of God.  It is the Bible that shows the believer his need for cleansing. The fine twined linen speaks of the humanity of Christ, and it separated man from God.

The life of Christ does not save us; it condemns us!  It is the death of Christ that saves us.  That is the reason the brazen altar was there. Man cannot come into God’s presence until the sin question is settled.  He had to come in through the gate.  Christ has said that He is the way, the truth, and the life.  Christ also said that if you are going to worship God, you will have to worship Him in spirit and in truth.  Man entered the Holy of Holies through the veil which speaks of the life Christ gave up on the cross.  When He die, that veil was torn in two from the top to the bottom, signifying that the way to God was now open.  The Jews brought silver because it was the metal of redemption.  Every Israelite had to be redeemed to be acceptable.  We have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ which is more precious than silver or gold. 

Every individual will have to personally accept the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.  You must pay the redemption price.  The only condition is that you must be thirsty.  It is free.  Salvation is free.  It cost God everything.  He gave His Son to die on the cross and to pay the price of our redemption.  We are redeemed by His blood.  It enables us to come to God and to be accepted by Him through Christ.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

There is a Mercy Seat For Us Exodus 37

 

Exodus 37 There is a Mercy Seat for Us

 

There were three entrances to the tabernacle.  1. There was a gate through the linen fence that surrounded the tabernacle. 2. There was an entrance which led into the Holy Place. 3. The third entrance led into the Holy of Holies, where only the High Priest went once a year on the great Day of Atonement and sprinkled blood on the mercy seat- which is what made it a mercy seat. When believers went to worship God, they come into the Holy Place.  Confession, praise, thanksgiving, intercession, making requests – these are the things that have to do with worship.  To serve Christ, you cannot walk by the wisdom of the world but by the light of the Word of God.

 

The tabernacle in the wilderness was always horizonal with the earth.  It was set up on the flat surface of the ground, with its pillars and boards fitting into the sockets they put down.  But when Christ came to pay the price for our sin, He made the tabernacle perpendicular.  The cross was the brazen altar where the Lamb of God was offered for our sins.  He died down here to save us.  But He returned to heaven where He lives to keep us saved.  We do not go horizontally to God by going to a building or to a man, but we look to heaven and go directly to Him -through Jesus Christ.

Do you need to stand at the brazen altar and be saved? Are you a soiled Christian who needs to confess your sins at the laver and be cleansed? Perhaps you are in trouble, and you need mercy, grace, and help.  Well, there is a mercy seat for you today.  Go there and accept the help that is waiting for you.  God wants to bless and guide 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.

 

Working for the Lord Willingly Exodus 36

 

Exodus 36 –Working for the Lord Willingly

 

Every member of the crew, which was probably many people was engaged in the building of the tabernacle with the wisdom and understanding God had given him.  The man in charge was Bezaleel. 

If you are serving the Lord grudgingly, do not do it.  God cannot use this kind of attitude.  These people have been slaves in the past and here they are slaving again, but this time because they want to.  Their hearts are in their work.  That is the way you are to do God’s work.  God’s work is to be done with joy and happiness.  We are to serve Him with gladness.  We are to be fully persuaded that we are serving Him because we want to and because we are eager to please Him.

This is the only place on record, where the people had to be asked to stop giving.  They brought a great deal more than was needed to build and furnish the tabernacle.  They gave liberally, joyfully, and enthusiastically to their God.  That is the way God wants it done.  Our worship of God should be with joy, and so should our giving.

The covering of the tabernacle was fine twined Egyptian linen which speaks of the righteousness of Christ.  It speaks of His character and His work.  Christ is adequate to meet our needs. He can save us.  He can deliver us.  He can keep us. Everything in the tabernacle pictured some part of the person or work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

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 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