“Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:34)
As we wrap up our time in Exodus today, we end with an uplifting picture. After slavery in Egypt, rejection, persecution, wandering, many poor choices, and hard labor, the work was finished. The curtain for the gate was hung. People washed up. Burnt offerings and incense in place. “And the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle”. Since the tabernacle functioned as a mobile dwelling place of God, His presence filling it symbolized His presence with His people. Yesterday we read of God as our shield and righteous judge in Psalm 7. Earlier we read of Him hearing our cries. Today we read of Him pursuing a close relationship with His people as His presence enveloped the sacred place He designed.
In Exodus 40:38, the last verse of Exodus and all its adventures, I noticed the phrase the “cloud of the LORD” and did a bit of a word study to see where else that comes up in scripture, knowing it was a familiar one. One of those places is Isaiah 4:5 where we find a prophecy reminiscent of the cloud filling the tabernacle, and also perhaps with some foreshadowing of a future hope. Isaiah 4:5 says
“Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud of smoke by day and a glowing flame of fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a canopy.”
Mount Zion is a term that references Jerusalem, and Isaiah paints us a picture of Jerusalem canopied by a cloud of smoke. Today, Jerusalem is often polluted with clouds of smoke from war and weapons. But, Isaiah tells us there is more to come for Mount Zion made possible through the promised Messiah who will build a bridge to. . .a new Jerusalem. From the last chapter of Exodus to its connection to the end of the Bible itself, I can think of no better thought to fix my eyes and heart right now than,
“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
(Revelation 21:2-5)
Reflection:
Consider God’s presence in your life today.
Pray for the coming kingdom and a day when God will wipe our tears.
Rest in His canopy of love and protection.
PRAYER:
Dear Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your perfect plan of salvation which mankind, including myself, is not worthy or deserving of, which we have proven over and over again. And yet, You continue to reveal Yourself and Your plan to us, giving purpose and peace in a troubled world, and hope and joy for the coming kingdom. Thank You for Your presence, direction and love. Help me to pursue You and Your presence and Your Kingdom with all that You have given me. In Your Son’s precious name I pray, Amen.
Then Moses called Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skillful person in whom the Lord had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him, to come to the work to perform it. (Exodus 36:2, NASB)
Our Exodus reading today gives a picture of what God’s people can do when working diligently and sacrificially together. God gave them guidelines to follow while they were creating the Tabernacle including the Sabbath rest, which materials to use, and even when they had worked enough at certain projects. In fact, I couldn’t help but think of my goat-loving friend, Amy, when seeing that anyone with access to goat hair would need to bring it to share. And I wondered who might have a “ram’s skin dyed red”, but it was asked for several times! I also thought of the many people from my church families who have been a blessing to me in my Christian walk, but also to the greater body of Christ. . . those who have served with their God-given gifts, crafts, knowledge, and those who have allowed their hearts to be stirred by God in serving Him, but also who have been willing to do so as we see referenced in this passage.
I love that in these chapters we see so many men and women bringing so much to the work of the Tabernacle that God was able to say it was enough. Today, we live in a church world where there are jokes sometimes about “well once you become ________, you’ll be it until you quit!” or “10% of the people do 90% of the work in a church”. And workplaces, school projects, and anywhere else can be similar sometimes. The beautiful thing about these chapters is that the Israelites were working together and sharing so much, generously and diligently, and things were accomplished. While the lack of workers in a church can be a true challenge sometimes, we as Christians also need to collectively seek to share with and welcome the service of those with different personalities, skill sets, or histories. Once, I attended a musical put on by all special needs kids, two of whom were great buddies of mine. One actress accidentally threw a sword into the crowd. One guy sat down on occasion, deciding his lines were not necessary. No one was ever in tune. The curtain to backstage always had a few heads peeping out. Despite this, I’m not sure there was a dry eye in the audience as we were applauding at the end, and the tremendous effort, love, and joy through their performance was a beautiful service to the community, their loved ones, and those kids. I have wondered at times if more “church things” operated like that play, things might just be pretty sweet.
The tabernacle of the Old Testament is a foreshadowing of what we get through Jesus in the New Testament, and I am grateful that he is the rock on which our churches are built. I long for the coming kingdom where we can live as the true church without sin and hurt and mistakes. I am thankful for those who have shared that hope with me, and dwelling on Exodus 36:2 a bit, I find myself thankful for a few workers in my Christian corners who have been willing to serve, made personal sacrifices to do so, and set an example to me. One of those is my pastor, Mark Tschaenn, who has given decades to the ministry, has taught and served others diligently, and who I hope and pray is feeling God’s strength today. One is John Railton, my former pastor and Family Camp worker extraordinaire, whose wisdom, humility, and forgiving spirit are an asset to the body of Christ. Another is Anthony Buzzard, who at 90 years old is still actively teaching and leading people to the kingdom, having sacrificed so much to do that. Your list and names will be different than mine. Your gifts different than mine. Your story is different than mine. But, if you are a part of the body of Christ, we are called to work together doing kingdom work. Working hard, generously, lovingly, humbly, and bringing others to the cause as we long for Jesus’ return.
Reflection Questions:
What work is the LORD stirring in your heart?
What kingdom work do you see being done in your church families? What hindrances are in the way?
PRAYER:
Thank You, Lord God, for giving resources, skills, abilities and Your Spirit, to be used in building up Your kingdom work. Thank you for the fine examples You have given in Your Word and in our lives. Help me see the many valuable resources You have given me and help me generously share them with others. Stir my heart, Lord. Show me where You want me to serve today. And I pray for Your Spirit to help me do it well, all for Your glory. Help us together be the tabernacle for worship and the body of Christ you have created us to be.
Exodus 31 and 32 are full of some pretty exciting stuff. There seems to be good reason why Moses is a recurring character in children’s lessons and why illustrations of these stories made the cut for one of the rare colored pictures inserted into the old Children’s Bibles of my day!
In this story, while the Israelites were busy stripping off their valuable gold to fashion it into a false god, Moses was busy encountering the LORD. Unfortunately, not only were the Israelites just doing the handicraft work of sculpting calves with gold, we also see in Exodus 32:8,
“. . .they have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt”
Umm, excuse me, who brought them out of Egypt?? The only God. The one true God. The LORD who was busy inscribing tablets for His people at this same time. God was writing. At a time where writing wasn’t something you did with a stylus on magic screens, when you didn’t highlight or color code or copy and paste. . .writing itself was more rare and precious. And while they were spouting lies and whining, God was inscribing His words in stone for them anyway.
As an occupational therapist, one thing I get to do quite a bit is assess how people write, how I might be able to make it easier, less painful, help children develop writing skills, etc. So, while I read this chapter, I couldn’t help but get intrigued wondering how He was doing it and how it looked. Is God right handed or left? Was He pointing with an index finger? Does He have an index finger? Were there any pink sparkles involved? Basically, I got distracted thinking about things through my filter and what I know. While these chapters don’t share this detail, Deuteronomy and later in Exodus tell us that these tablets were written by “the finger of God”. That is some handwriting action I would LOVE to observe! But most importantly, given the God who parted the Red Sea for this crew to miraculously flee Egypt, was writing with His finger on stone for His people, one would assume these words were treasures. But. . .
How heartbreaking to see two vastly different things going on at Mount Sinai at the same time. A God who loves His people and knows them best writing a message for them. A people who claims to be His in one breath, yet lifting a golden cow as their god in another, all the while clueless to what the true God is busy doing for them. Surely we can relate before we throw stones. We live in a world of gold, cows, false gods, lies, distractions, and people telling us other things are gods constantly. We also live in a world created by the one true God with a beautiful plan for renewal in the coming kingdom. Maybe one day we can see God write, but until then, we have His living word, His spirit, and His love available to us. Let us purge our golden idols and seek to focus our attention on Him even if it means being patient, obedient in tough things, and focused on the promised land.
Reflection Questions:
What can you learn and apply from the characters on the top and bottom of Mount Sinai in today’s story?
What can you do today to treasure God’s word?
Prayer:
Dear God, You are the one true God worthy of all our praise. Thank You for loving us through all our faults. Help us remember to seek You first and cast aside any idols we have. Amen.
What a powerful moment in history. God has redeemed and claimed His chosen people the Israelites, and is laying down a few ground rules for their behavior towards Him and towards each other. The 10 commandments have just been given a few chapters back, and Ex 23 begins with a continuation of some guidelines for interaction. Read through these carefully, do you see a common theme? These rules that God is giving really highlight His character. When I read through these (Ex 23:1-19) what stands out to me isn’t that God wants a bunch of rules followed, but that the character of God is shining through. Look closely.
God is just. God is merciful. God is forgiving. God is loving. God wants us to respect each other, and Him. God will punish the guilty. These characteristics are easily seen by the rules he asks us to follow. When I read these verses, 23:19 really stands out to me: “You shall not boil a young goat in the milk of his mother.”. Why? Because that would be unjust, and not fair. God is so full of love for all of his creation, that he’s concerned with even a baby goat, and is concerned about justice for it. Which makes sense, when you consider that the earth and all that is in it belong to God (Ps 24:1), and you consider the beauty of God’s character.
If we turn ahead a few chapters to Ex 34, God actually tells Moses (1) who He is and (2) what His character is like. This is one of my dad’s favorite verses: “…Yahweh, Yahweh God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in loving-kindness (or, mercy) and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished…” (LSB translation, Ex 34: 6-7). All of the “Children of the Book” agree on the nature of God, because He has revealed it to us. In the Quran 1:3 it describes God as “Most Gracious, Most Merciful.” (a loving nod to some of our Muslim brothers and sisters). I urge us all, let us exhibit God’s characteristics within ourselves, not only to our creator but to our fellow creation.
In Ex 23:20-23 we once again clearly see the concept of “shaliah” demonstrated, and it’s important to note that God actually clearly states “My name is in him”, granting the angel full authority. I suppose the American equivalent would be “active Power of Attorney”, but that doesn’t quite cover the fullness of the concept. We also see Jesus stating clearly in John 17:11 that he has been given this same name, the name of God, so he is acting with the full authority of the God who sent him. If you’d like a more detailed understanding of “shaliah” you can scroll back to the 1/27/2026 devotional, or just ask a jewish person.
In Ex 24, God cuts a covenant with Israel. The phrase “cuts a covenant” was at the time quite literal and involved animal sacrifice and blood, and was considered a binding promise. In this chapter we see a beautiful moment where God speaks to a large number of the priests and elders of Israel and makes a deal with them. In Ex 24:7 it states “Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “all that Yahweh has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!”” (LSB translation). Can you just feel the excited vibe amongst these people, who have witnessed an amazing and miraculous covenenat being formed, with the glory of Yahweh “like a consuming fire on the mountain top, in the eyes of the sons of Israel”?
What an amazing event! Never before had something like THIS happened, this was huge! This is what would be described by most folks as a life altering event, something that would change your outlook and destiny, something that would inspire you for a lifetime and change the very fiber of your being for the better. How long do you think something like this would stick in your memory?
40 days, that’s the answer. Moses disappears up the mountain, into the fiery glory of God and is gone for 40 days and nights before it all goes bad. While God and Moses are chatting, the sons of Israel are getting restless. Despite seeing miraculous signs and wonders, if you flip ahead to Ex 32: 1-2 it says “Then the people saw that Moses had delayed to come down from the mountain. So the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, “arise, make us gods who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” (LSB translation). Forty days. It’s just embarrasing. It’s really a good thing that God is so forgiving and merciful, because that could very easily have been turned into what the scientific minded folk would call an “Extinction Level Event” for the Israelites.
God not only doesn’t wipe them out, but He continues to shelter them, to love them, and to keep them safe and fulfill the promises he’d made both to them and to their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. WHY? Because God always keeps His promises. Because he is the Most Merciful, the Most Gracious.
Do you need further proof? Flip over to our NT reading today. In Matt 17:5 God states audibly (for the second time) “This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him!” (LSB Translation). Then later on, he offers up this man Jesus, His own beloved obedient son, as a sacrifice to grant redemption to humanity and to cut a covenant of salvation. Folks, let me tell you something; I’m a father, and although I absolutely do love a lot of you people out there that I know, if it came to a choice between you and my son…well, let’s just say you would not come out ahead in the equation, I’m sorry. “But God…” (I love that phrase) is the perfection of character, the perfection of love, the highest example of what our own character should be.
What a beautiful God we serve. I know that He is beautiful, because His creation is beautiful. The mist as it gathers at the tops of the mountains is beautiful. The sun arising through the clouds and shedding new light on the world every day is beautiful. YOU are beautiful, as is the entirety of the creation of God, and the voice that spoke all of this creation into being. It should humble and awe you, when you think about the utter depth of the love that God has towards all of His creation. We do not deserve it… “but God…” is the most compassionate, the most merciful, praise His holy name.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
Stop for a moment and think. How many times has God done something amazing and miraculous in your life?
How long did it take after that amazing and miraculous thing that God did for you before you “moved on” in your mind?
Why do you think that we, as humans, have this inclination, and what can we do better to hold on to that “awe and wonder” that is rightfully due our God?
Are WE gracious, compassionate, and merciful to our fellow creation? (Answer for all:) What about people of different denominations? Different cultures? Different faiths? Our “enemies”? Why, or why not? What can we do better?
PRAYER:
Father God, thank you.
You are the Most gracious, the Most merciful. Time and time again we have disappointed and failed You, we’ve broken the covenants that we’ve made with You, but You forgive us over and over. Father, help us to have Your character, to love our neighbor as ourself, and to never forget You who gave us life, breath, and all things. Thank You for Your never ending mercies, which are made new every morning. Help us to humbly seek Your face, to obey Your will, and to be servants who please You. Thank you Yahoveh God, in Jesus name, Amen.
In today’s reading, we find our heroes the Israelites 3 months out from escaping horribly oppressive slavery in Egypt and after being led through the harsh desert miraculously arriving safely at Mt Sinai. This is the first time in recorded history that anything like this had ever happened: God has redeemed His chosen people en masse and brought them to Him. This is a direct act of intercession from the hand of a loving God, because He had made promises and covenants with Abraham, and God always keeps His promises. Always, every time, and forever, God keeps His promises. If you remember nothing else from this devotion, remember that.
God tells Moses (Ex 19:4-6): “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I lifted you up on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself...”(LSB). That is just beautiful. Pay special attention to 19:5, wherein God clearly states “…for all the earth is mine…” (See also Psalm 24:1). What beautiful imagery! You really need to imagine the setting of Ex. 19; there are most likely millions of people waiting expectantly at the base of the mountain, who all answer together “All that Yahweh has spoken we will do!”, after which God gives them very specific instructions to purify themselves, and then much like to Lt. Dan in the movie Forrest Gump, “…right then God showed up.” Never before had anything like this happened that we are aware of, God speaks to an entire people and gives them the “House Rules”.
This may shock some of you, but I was a rather rebellious child. I remember that the day I turned 18, I thought I had complete autonomy and authority because now I was an adult, and nobody could tell me what to do. Keep in mind that at the time, being a ripe 18 years of age, I already knew everything (most of which I have sadly since forgotten), so I was pretty certain I could just do anything I wanted. I made the mistake of mentioning this to my father at the time to justify a series of extremely poor decisions on my part, in what became a rather fervent discussion. In retrospect, perhaps I was not as smart as I thought I was.
Keep in mind that all of this took place while I was staying rent free in my parents house, the one they’d paid for, paid the bills for monthly, and stocked up with food for my consumption on a regular basis, without any contributions at all from me (aside from my stunning insights and wisdom about my own autonomy, of course). My parents at the time were also paying all of my bills, feeding me regularly, buying me clothes, had bought me a car, etc. So, you know, I was an adult taking care of myself… *ahem* . During this highly needed and educational discussion, my father made the statement “Well, you can absolutely make your own decisions since you’re technically an adult now, but as long as you’re living in my house, you will abide by my rules.”
The conversation that God has with the Israelites in Exodus 20 really strongly reminds me of that conversation, without the fervency perhaps, but with more clarity. Note that God has already defined “My house” in Ex 19:5, so when God is giving us the 10 commandments in Ex. 20 He is basically telling us “when you are living in my house, this is how I expect you to behave,” in advance.
“But…” some folks will say, “these commands were given to the Israelites, they don’t apply to us today as Christians..”. Fair enough, let’s look at what Jesus says about them. Turn over to Matt 19:16-29. In this passage, Jesus first humbly points out that the man shouldn’t call him good because only God is good (which is a bit confusing if you’ve accepted a confusing post-biblical theory about Jesus’ identity), and then states very clearly “…if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” (LSB). Then he goes on to refer to some of the actual commandments, so we know what he’s referring to: it’s right here in Ex 20.
So are we as Christians responsible to keep the commandments? Only if we listen to our Christ, I would say. If you are an adult now, and no one can tell you what to do, and you have full authority and autonomy over your own life, well…you probably, like me at 18, already know everything and you don’t have to listen to anyone, ever (if you didn’t dectect the irony and sarcasm there, read it again slowly).
If, however, you are a humble Christian, seeking to please both Jesus and his God (yes, Jesus has a God, see John 20:17) then you may want to rethink that. You are, after all, living in God’s house. You should probably abide by His rules; particularly if you want a room in the kingdom, on the new earth that has been promised (and God always keeps His promises). Trust me when I tell you, you do NOT want to get kicked out of His house.
I love how God clearly identifies himself to his people, this has been grossly altered in most modern bibles, but what God actually says to preface his commandments is; “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt...” (Ex 20:2, LSB). So we know exactly who’s talking. Then he lists his expectations while we’re living in His house. The first 4 commandments have to do with us and our interactions towards God. The next 6 commandments have to do with us and our interactions towards our fellow man(kind). These are all neatly summed up by our king, the Christ, in Mark 12:29-34 when Jesus says that the greatest commandment is “Hear O Israel! The LORD our God is one LORD, and you shall love The LORD your God with all your heart…”, and the second is this, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Please note that this does not REPLACE the original commandments given by God, but summarizes them nicely.
Praise God that we serve a God of clarity and not confusion, He tells us His expectations right up front, and then lets us make our own decisions about whether or not we will listen and obey. We serve a wonderful, powerful, and amazing God who has shown that He will intercede on behalf of His people in miraculous and powerful ways throughout the scriptures, which cannot be broken. The only real question is: are we going to listen and obey and thereby be God’s People? Choose now for yourself, but as for me and my household, we will serve Yahweh the living God, who has sent us our Christ in order to bring us to Himself.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
Do you keep all of the commandments? Why, or why not?
Read Gen 2:3.Do you believe the 4th commandment (the Sabbath) is just for the Jews? Why, or why not? When did it change, if it did?
When Jesus summarized the commandments in Mark 12, did it seem like commandment keeping alone was sufficient to enter the future Kingdom of God, or was there something else we should do? Summarize in your own words what else we should do, if you feel like there’s something else.
PRAYER:
Father God, you have created us and this place, and all things belong to you. Thank you for giving us life, and breath, and all things. You are beautiful. Every blessing that we have has come directly from your hand to us, an undeserving and rebellious people. Please forgive us, and teach us, and help us to follow your commandments. Lead us toward your kingdom, Father, and help us to enter into it. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
In our Ex 15: 1-20 reading today, we find the Israelites flushed with joy (and probably a bit surprised and amazed) at their very recent miraculous escape from Pharoah’s army through the Red Sea. The song that Moses and the Israelites sang, which is beautiful, highlights their joyous wonder and details the miraculous hand of God in their redemption. Then they walked for 3 days to the well of Marah (Ex 15:22-27) and began a pattern which would repeat pretty regularly throughout the book: complaining and whining. Kind of like us, right? How many times in your life has God done something miraculous and then within days or weeks you’ve completely forgotten about it and moved on with your life? It sounds painfully familiar because at heart most of us are exactly the same. God will do something utterly and completely miraculous, and we celebrate it and praise Him, and then forget about it and are looking for our next blessing. Why are we like that? How can we act differently? (There are some practical answers towards the end, if you want to skip down)
So after God once again miraculously cared for them by giving them water to drink, predictably, the sons of Israel once more started grumbling (Ex 16:2). God then began to provide for His people, and did so for 40 years (Ex 16:35) from this point, until they came to the promised land. In the morning he gave them manna, a miraculous bread from heaven, and in the evening he gave them meat (in the form of quail) (Ex 16:13-14). During these 40 years of provision, the Israelites where physically and spiritually trained in the concept and keeping of the Sabbath (Ex 16:22-29). There is a neat description of the texture and taste of manna in Ex 16:31.
I have 2 very large dogs (Bo and Luke): they’re very sweet, very large, and very pushy. I’ve had them now for about 7 years, they’re good boys (mostly). I bring them up only to make a point. Every day I’ve had them, I have fed them the exact same dog food, in the exact same portions, twice a day. Do you know how they react? They LOVE it. Every single time, it’s like they just won the lottery, like they got the family pass to Disneyland and it’s Christmas morning, they are SO excited. Bo does standing jumps up in the air about 4′ high from the moment I go to the back to get the food until the moment I put it down for them, and Luke wags his entire backside so hard that he’ll knock you over if you get in the way (I have this on video, it happens daily). They are SO happy and just excited and grateful to get that same exact dog food, in that same exact bowl, at the same time daily. Then when they are done, they come lick my face happily (and for a bit longer than I’m usually comfortable with) while wagging their whole bodies to let me know how much they appreciated the food.
So what about you? When God gives you your daily provision, every day, do you show Him how grateful you are? Do you do standing jumps 4′ in the air and wag your whole bottom? Do you then go and lick God’s face repeatedly in thanks (figuratively, of course)? Think about it. Most of us would be more along the lines of the ancient Israelites “Ugh, manna and quail AGAIN??!“, while completely overlooking the fact that we have been provided for. Our creator, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and you gives us blessings every day. I urge you, as I urge myself; jump for joy, wag your tail, kiss the hand of the Almighty who has given us such abundant blessings undeservedly.
PRACTICAL STEPS
Pray when you wake up. Gush. Get on your hands and knees and thank God that you woke up today, that He has seen fit to grant you another day of life.
Look at your blessings, consider how ALL of them come from the hand of God (Ps 24:1)
Look at the sky in the morning, and praise God that He’s given us, His children, such a beautiful playground to live in.
Breathe in, Breathe out. That is the breath of life that God put inside you, thank Him for it.
Love the people you meet, God created them too, they are your brother/sister and it pleases Him when you acknowledge this.
When you struggle, thank God for refining you and strengthening your spirit. Ask for his help if you are failing.
When you eat anything, thank God.
When you bathe, thank God for the cleansing water. Ask Him to cleanse your heart as well.
When you go to bed, thank God for the day He gave you, and you’re still alive. Ask for forgiveness if you’ve failed in any way to please Him, and then wake up in the morning and do better.
Glorify God at all times, in everything you do, in every thought you have, in every action you take. Diminish your “self” and enlarge God’s spirit within you.
I’ve went on a bit long about our OT reading this morning, but I would be absolutely remiss if I didn’t point out a couple things in our Matt 15 reading. When the pharisees confront Jesus about some legalistic violations, Jesus calls them out (Matt 15:3) and points out the difference between honoring God with your heart and just “going through the motions”. It’s important to note that the traditions of men are not necessarily the commandments of God, we need to honor God and love him in our hearts. If we’re not doing any of the things we do daily as rituals out of pure love for God, then we too are missing the whole point.
I have a friend who believes firmly (and I don’t disagree) that “unconditional love towards the Father” is in itself perfect religion lived properly. I humbly suggest that some of the daily rituals suggested above may help us to refocus our attention and gratitude to where it belongs. May God bless you and lead you, and touch your heart with His spirit.
Reflection Questions:
Do you (figuratively) wag your tail and lick the hand that fed you, every time you get food? Why or why not?
God physically and spiritually trained his children the Israelites to keep the sabbath every week for 40 years. Do you think it was important to him?
Should we keep the Sabbath nowadays? No cheating by repeating whatever you were told by someone else: look it up in scripture, use your own words to answer, and show your work.
Prayer:
Father God, THANK YOU! You have provided for my every need, every day, and given me far beyond what was needed. I have not deserved it, I have not earned it, but you have been a gracious and loving God to me anyway. Lord God please forgive me, help me to love you with that same fierce love that you have loved me with since I was born, and teach me the depths of your awesome love. Thank you for life, and breath, and all things. Please guide me and be with me, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
When we start Exodus 3, the Israelites have been demoted from a position of honor to a position of slavery (Ex 1). Moses was born into these turbulent times and through a series of miracles survived and was promoted to a position of authority, and then fled when he was near 40 and remained in exile for 40 more years (Exodus 2, Acts 7: 23-30). This puts Moses at the spry young age of about 80 years old when the story of the burning bush kicks off in Exodus 3. This is one of the most important stories and chapters in the entirety of scripture for a couple different reasons: firstly, for the first time the concept of “shaliah” is indisputably revealed to us in scripture, and secondly God reveals himself to a human (Moses) by name for the first time in recorded history. There are a few chapters in Genesis where the concept of Shaliah can be strongly inferred, but this is the first time I’m aware of that it’s plainly revealed.
If you are not familiar with this concept, understand it is absolutely critical to understanding scripture. You are apt to get a number of scriptures wrong if you don’t view them from the perspective of it’s original authors, that is to say, the ancient Jewish people. This is what wikipedia states about the Law of Shaliah (it is a legal term):
( Quoting Wikipedia) “In Jewish law, a shaliaḥ (in Hebrew : שָלִיחַ or pl.שְלִיחִים , sheliḥim (pl) or sheliah, literally “emissary” or “messenger”) is a legal agent. In practice, “the shaliaḥ for a person is as this person himself.” Accordingly, a shaliaḥ performs an act of legal significance for the benefit of the sender, as opposed to him or herself. “
This concept is shown to us clearly in scripture by comparing and contrasting Ex 3:2 to Ex 3:4. “And the angel of Yahweh appeared to him in a blazing fire…And Yahweh saw that he turned aside to look, so God called to him from the midst of the bush…” (LSB translation). In essence, the messenger that God sends (be it angel, donkey, or human) speaks with the full authority of God, as if they are God. So when “the word of The LORD” comes to the prophets and they speak, they are speaking with the full authority of the Most High God. When God placed His name in the angel leading the Israelites in Ex 23:20-21, He explained to them that this angel spoke with His authority. When the donkey spoke to Balaam, through the “angel of Yahweh”, it states clearly that “Yahweh spoke” (Number 22:22-28). The one speaking was not the donkey, not the angel, but The LORD (YHVH) Himself (through His agent). This is why it’s so critical to understand Shaliah, because the one who is sent by God speaks with the full authority of God. This does not make the messenger mysteriously transform into God, but God lets us know that this messenger is speaking with the full authority of God so we’d better listen up.
This concept is repeated constantly throughout scripture but a lack of understanding of this concept, along with the introduction of a number of popular Greek philosophies later on, have caused numerous misinterpretations of scripture and much confusion amongst believers. That concept carries over into the New Testament as well. Jesus states in the book of John about 42 times that God sent him: he is not only the Messiah prophesied, but the man chosen to be the Shaliah of God. The title “Christ” in Greek means “The Anointed One”, and we see from the OT that you are anointed by God from among men, so every time you see “Jesus Christ” in scripture, it is an affirmation that Jesus of Nazareth was the prophesied messiah, the anointed one, the man chosen by God to be his Shaliah. Christ is a title, not a name, and it affirms Jesus’ humanity every time it is spoken while at the same time affirming that he speaks with the authority of God.
Exodus 3 is one of my favorite chapters in the bible. In it, God clearly reveals himself through his agent (Shaliah, we just talked about that) by name to a human being, for the first time recorded in history. This is both awesome and humbling: that the creator of all things would reach back out to we who bear His image in another attempt to draw us closer to Him speaks to the never ending mercy and lovingkindness of our heavenly Father. While there is some debate as to the proper pronunciation of the most sacred name (YHVH: is it Jehovah, or Yahovah, or Yaweh….?), the fact remains that He chose to reveal his identity to us, and that is wonderfully beautiful. Some people say that every breath that we breathe, in and then out, whispers the name of God. Try it, and visualize the name. That is also wonderfully beautiful, and seems to me like an amazing “made by” stamp like you might see on the bottom of a fine piece of pottery, but in our very breath. Praise God!
Personally “The LORD” really bothers me. Most of your Bibles will say something in the preface notes to the gist of “…and honoring tradition, all references to YHVH (the actual transliterated name of God) have been translated as “The LORD””. This is a horrible mistranslation, as has led to a whole lot of terrible confusion and mistaken identity later. Let me be very clear: GOD HAS A NAME. He reveals it to us, and gives us a command, in Ex 3:15: “And God furthermore said to Moses, Thus shall you say to the sons of Israel, ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and this is My memorial-name from generation to generation.” (LSB translation). Did you know that in the Old Testament, the actual name of God is used almost 7,000 times? Why have we stopped using it when we pray or worship? Think about it.
Reflection Questions:
If you had seen the burning bush, would you have turned aside to go investigate or would you be too busy with work/school/life?
How many times in a week do you think that God is trying to get your attention to tell you something important? Of those times, how many times do you stop and listen?
Do you call on God by name when you pray or worship? Why, or why not?
When you breathe in and out, and listen closely, do you hear the name of God?
Prayer
Blessed be the Lord God Yahovah, creator of the the heavens and the earth, who has made all things and us with them, who causes the sun to go down and the sun to rise, and all things to be made anew every day. Lord God, renew me today, help me to listen when you are trying to get my attention. Open my eyes so I can see you, and my ears so I can hear you. I thank you in your son Jesus’ name, Amen.
Side Note: A brief mention of 1 of the 2 verses in the Old Testament that baffled me a bit: Ex 4:24 has always confused me. If God had wanted to kill something, it would die, period. In my Bible currently, I have a handwritten note by Ex 4:24 that says “possible confusion among the host?”. I think this is one of 2 verses in the Old Testament that tend to point out that in some very rare instances, and in some minor matters, there may be some level of miscommunication amongst the Shelihim (legal agents of God; the story of Balaam is the other). This is absolutely inconceivable if it were the most high God performing the actions directly, but becomes understandable if beings lower than God are acting on their own perceptions but with God’s authority, particularly if there are multiple agents in play simultaneously. Just a theory.
In today’s reading of Exodus 1 & 2 we get to meet 5 women (one of them a young lady) who each displayed wisdom, courage and compassion.
First off, we have Shiphrah and Puah, two Hebrew midwives at a time in Egypt when Pharaoh was scared of the growing Hebrew population. Pharaoh had already tried breaking the Hebrew people by enslaving them into forced labor building his cities. But even when he made the work harder and harder, the Hebrews were still multiplying and growing in strength. Fearing an uprising, Pharaoh hatched an evil plan and gave an order to the midwives. They were to kill every Hebrew baby boy that they were called in to help deliver. Imagine for a moment that your job was to help laboring mothers bring new (9 month old) life into this world. What a sacred and holy job of joy, except for the sorrow that came with those rare instances when complications leave grief and loss instead of sweet new breath. But now Pharaoh was commanding them. With their own hands they were to be responsible for the killing of all of the baby boys that emerged – because these babies were Hebrew – and because these babies were males.
I have felt like I have been in some tough situations – but nothing anything like this! What would Shiphrah and Puah do? I am guessing they didn’t send a loud “NO” as soon as they heard the command – or else they likely wouldn’t have lived long themselves. They also didn’t run away or put in for early retirement. The Scriptures tell us they feared God and did not do as the king had commanded them. They went to work, just like before, and helped Hebrew moms deliver their babies, both boys and girls, just like before. Fearing God can take a lot of courage! And they certainly needed that courage when questioned by Pharaoh as to why the baby boys weren’t dying. They said the Hebrew women gave birth before the midwives came. “And God dealt well with the midwives…And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that he provided households for them” (Exodus 1:20-21). Well done, Shiphrah and Puah! You feared God and were rewarded.
Perhaps one or both of these courageous women came to help Jochebed (the “daughter of Levi” in Exodus 2, who is named in Exodus 6) when the time came for her to deliver her baby. Pharaoh had now changed the rules. Since the two midwives had not done his dastardly deed, now it was up to everyone to follow his new order – all Hebrew boys were to be thrown into the river! Can you imagine the scene when a Hebrew boy was born now? The emotions of the room when it was announced that this little bundle of new breath and life was a beautiful boy? The prayers said? The fears? The tears?
I find it interesting we don’t know anything about what the father (also named in Exodus 6:20 – as Amram) did. But we learn Jochebed keeps her boy hidden for 3 months, and then when that becomes impossible – she sets to work preparing a waterproof basket. She will follow the king’s order and put her child in the river – inside of a basket. She has done all she can, she leaves her child in the hands of God. She is our third wise, courageous, and compassionate woman in these passages. She sends her daughter Miriam, our fourth wise, courageous and compassionate woman, to watch over the precious bundle in the basket. I wonder if in all the scenarios (drowning, wild animals, Egyptians) that must have run through their heads if this mother and daughter had envisioned that perhaps it would be Pharaoh’s daughter who would find the basket? And if she were to find the basket – what would her reaction be?
Enter the daughter of Pharaoh. While likely not a believer of the One True God, we can learn a valuable lesson from her as well. Her extremely powerful father had made the decree that ALL HIS PEOPLE (which certainly would include his own flesh and blood offspring) would be responsible to cast Hebrew baby boys into the river. What would she do when she found the crying Hebrew baby boy in the basket in the river? She had compassion on him! She saved him from the river instead of casting him into the river. And thanks to Miriam’s quick-thinking (wisdom from God) and courage she approaches the princess and offers to get a Hebrew nurse to feed the baby. Re-enter Jochebed who not only gets to nurse, cuddle, love on, care for her baby boy (likely for a couple/few years) but is paid to do so by Pharaoh’s own daughter! Wouldn’t you love to have heard the conversations between Pharaoh and his daughter as she explains to him that she has saved a Hebrew baby from the river and she will raise him in the palace! Perhaps this is the first recorded “Daddy’s Girl” in the Bible, able to melt even her dad’s hard heart of stone.
There are so many times in this account when it would have been easy for God’s people (and even the daughter of Pharaoh) to give up. Evil was so real and oppressive. There seemed no safe way out. But, for those courageous people who feared God (rather than fearing men) – who trusted God in all circumstances, and wisely proceeded with a strong and active compassion for life, God had a reward. God saw their needs and provided exactly what they needed when they needed it. And the princess named the boy Moses, and God would use him in mighty ways to free His people.
Reflection Questions
Give some more examples of people who have feared God. What did they do? What did they not do? Do you fear God? If so, how can you show that you fear God? In your case, fearing God well means not being afraid of what?
On whom is God calling you to have compassion?
In what ways was God preparing Moses, and Moses family, for what was coming? Can you think of something in your past that has prepared you for something you have done for God? How might something you are going through now be preparing you for something God wants you to do in your future?
Prayer
Dear God Almighty and Heavenly Father – thank You for both Your power and Your love! Thank you for providing everything we need and so much more. Help us see You at work even when we are in scary situations or evil looms large. Give us the wisdom to fear YOU. Show us what You want us to do and say. I pray for a heart of compassion, even when it requires great courage as well. As these women, and your precious Son demonstrated, help me stand strong with a heart of love and compassion and forever devoted to You. In his name we pray, Amen.
Throughout history God has lead his people many ways. To a few he spoke audibly, others in dreams but he used the tabernacle to lead the Israelites. They set up the tabernacle to the very detail as God requested. After it was complete, 40:34 says
Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
God made his presence known and clearly began to lead the people on their travels. Whenever the cloud left the people knew it was time to get up and go. Whenever the cloud would stop the people would also stop.
Sometimes I wish that God led us today in such an obvious manner. I need fool proof directions just to get across town let alone the race we are called to run as followers of Christ.
Although it is not as obvious, God still leads his people. He still tells us when and where to go and also when and where to stay.
The tabernacle was a dedicated place for God in the lives of the Israelites. They gave of their time, energy and resources to have a spot for God in their lives. Many often claim that they want direction from God but have not made space for his leading in their lives. They have not made time or space for God.
After the ascension of Christ, the believers were blessed with God’s presence in an even better way than the tabernacle. God’s power, his presence, his spirit can dwell in YOU!
Will you make time and space in your life – for the glory of God to lead you where he would have you go? And further, are you willing to follow that lead?
John Wincapaw
(originally posted for SeekGrowLove on February 12, 2020)
Reflection Questions
Can you give some examples of God’s leading in your life – in big or small ways?
What types of preparation and space making would God like to see you involved in before He reveals where He wants you to go next? Unlike Moses, are there any directions you haven’t completed yet that might be a helpful pre-cursor to the big journey God wants to lead you on next?
“Will you make time and space in your life – for the glory of God to lead you where he would have you go? And further, are you willing to follow that lead?” What does it look like to make time and space for God?
After Moses destroys the idol he gets another opportunity to be in the presence of God (another 40 days on Mount Sinai). He actually was able to see the glory of God pass by.
And we see God’s description by his own account.
“The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6,7)
But what stuck out to me is how Moses changed after being in the presence of God. His face was so radiant it scared the others.
It’s easier than we might think for people to know where we’ve been or what we’ve been doing.
Many can tell you of my interest in chocolate. It started at a young age. My parents tell me a story of when I was little and I snuck a piece of cake. My face was full of chocolate icing. I was approached about if I took a piece of cake and I straight faced lied – “I did not take the cake”. Despite my insistence, my parents knew where I had been and what I was up to.
Maybe it’s the icing on your face, the ticket-stub that falls out of your pocket, maybe it’s your extensive knowledge of a certain sport, or your church name printed on your shirt, but there are clues that tell others where you have been, who you were with, or what you’ve been up to.
Over time people notice deeper things as well. Because the truth is, whether we are aware of it or not, what and who we spend our time with changes us. Whatever you spend your time looking at, meditating on, and thinking about is what you will slowly, but surely, become. And people pick up on it.
So let me ask the question, “What have you been doing?”
“Who or what has left a mark on you?”
“What do you reflect in your character?”
And more specifically, if it is easier than we might think for people to tell where we’ve been, would anyone think you’ve been with God?
Do you show signs of having been in contact with him and his Word?
John Wincapaw
(originally posted for SeekGrowLove on February 10, 2020)
Reflection Questions
Go back and spend a little more time with John’s 5 questions at the end of his devotion. Which question is hardest to answer?
What evidence have you seen in others that they have been with God? Do you think others see this same thing – or something else – in you?
God tells Moses He will do wonderful things with His covenant people but warns them of making covenants with the people of the land they are going to (Exodus 34:10-16). Does this still apply today? What would it look like today? What are the signs you have seen in yourself when you get too close to the world?
Seek Grow Love 