“See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” -Exodus 25:40 God operates in patterns. In Exodus, he gave Moses directions for various items to be built for the tabernacle, the temporary Jewish place of worship. Exodus 25 notes instructions for offerings, the Ark, the table, and the lampstand. At the end, God noted, “See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” God gave words; he also gave visual... Read more
3 When Moses went and told the people all the LORD’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, “Everything the LORD has said we will do.” 4 Moses then wrote down everything the LORD had said. -Exodus 24:3-4 Obedience is often neither fun nor easy. That has never been the goal. Obedience is about following the way of God. Moses was directly given God’s revelation in the wilderness. When he returned to his people, they promised to do all... Read more
“Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.” -Exodus 23:2 Doing the right thing is often the loneliest thing. Perhaps this why God commanded, “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.” Standing apart takes courage. Courage often requires encouragement. One of the best ways we can foster integrity in our lives and among others is to encourage right choices. Advertising tells us to live for our wants, our interests, our desires. God tells us to do what is right.... Read more
“You are to be my holy people.” -Exodus 22:31 Many of the laws of the Old Testament make no sense to us. Rules about which animals to eat, what clothing to wear, and what oils to burn in the tabernacle sound like a page right out of The Lord of the Rings. Yet God does reveal one of his enduring principles in Exodus 22:31: “You are to be my holy people.” What does it mean to be a holy person?... Read more
22 “If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. 23 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.” -Exodus 21:22-25 Let’s face it–the Old Testament Law... Read more
1 And God spoke all these words: 2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me.” -Exodus 20:1-3 Exodus 20 is the chapter where God reveals the Ten Commandments to Moses. We debate their display in courthouses today, but their original context highlighted God’s greatness rather than political correctness. The first commandment is the summary of them all: You shall have... Read more
10 And the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes 11 and be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. -Exodus 19:10-11 Jesus offers all-access to worship God. But Exodus 19 reveals that there is still some importance to preparing for worship. Just as we might invest much time and energy... Read more
13 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. 14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?” -Exodus 18:13-14 Moses could part the sea by God’s power. He could turn water... Read more
1 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?” 3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They... Read more
1 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. 2 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted,... Read more
Holy Writ
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