Part II
Exodus 16 - 18
God had brought them out of Egypt and into the
desert to be refined and tested. The Desert they were in was called
the Desert of sin. God fed them, watered them, they won a battle,
questioned Moses, etc. Now God was brining them before him and offering
a great promise.
Exodus 19
At Mount Sinai
1
In the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on
the very day—they came to the Desert
of Sinai. 2 After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel
camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.
3 Then Moses went
up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, "This
is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the
people of Israel: 4 'You yourselves have seen what
I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to
myself. (notice isn’t it strange that God uses eagle’s
wings to describe what he has done for Israel? He brought them through water not
air, but he chooses these words for our purposes) 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations
you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you [a] will be for me a kingdom of priests and a
holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites."
(Truly isn’t this our promise from God)
7 So Moses went
back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words
the LORD had commanded him to speak. 8 The people
all responded together, "We will do everything the LORD has said."
So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.
9 The LORD said
to Moses, "I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the
people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in
you." Then Moses told the LORD what the people had said.
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. 12 Put limits
for the people around the mountain and tell them, 'Be careful that you do
not go up the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain
shall surely be put to death. 13 He shall surely
be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on him. Whether
man or animal, he shall not be permitted to live.' Only when the ram's horn
sounds a long blast may they go up to the mountain."
14 After Moses had
gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed
their clothes. 15 Then he said to the people, "Prepare
yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations."
16 On the morning
of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over
the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled.
17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God,
and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it
in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole
mountain [b] trembled violently, 19
and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and
the voice of God answered him. [c]
20 The LORD descended
to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top
of the mountain. So Moses went up 21 and the LORD
said to him, "Go down and warn the people so they do not force their
way through to see the LORD and many of them perish. 22 Even the priests, who approach the LORD, must consecrate themselves,
or the LORD will break out against them."
23 Moses said to
the LORD, "The people cannot come up Mount Sinai,
because you yourself warned us, 'Put limits around the mountain and set
it apart as holy.' "
24 The LORD replied,
"Go down and bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people
must not force their way through to come up to the LORD, or he will break
out against them."
25 So Moses went
down to the people and told them.
(Notice many mentions of 3rd
day and it was Moses’ request to Pharaoh to worship the Lord 3 days.
God is Holy. Notice all the spiritual aspects of what is going on,
Mountains, Trumpets, ascending, descending, Priests, etc.)
Exodus 20
God makes a covenant with the
Israelites. What will our covenant be? Only God knows.
Maybe the same 10 commandments, but this time we can actually keep them.
Notice 10 plagues, 10 commandments. God really uses numbers! 3, 10,
40 are all here and in use.
Exodus 21 – 22 and 1st part of 23
Exodus 23 last part
Preparation for war
God's Angel to Prepare the Way
20
"See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way
and to bring you to the place I have prepared. 21
Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him;
he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. 22
If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be
an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. 23
My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites,
Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe
them out. 24 Do not bow down before their gods or
worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break
their sacred stones to pieces. 25 Worship the LORD
your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away
sickness from among you, 26 and none will miscarry
or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.
27 "I will
send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter.
I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run. 28 I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites,
Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. 29 But I
will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become
desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. 30
Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased
enough to take possession of the land.
31 "I will
establish your borders from the Red Sea [a] to the Sea of the Philistines, [b] and from the desert to the River. [c] I will hand over to you the people who live
in the land and you will drive them out before you. 32
Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods. 33
Do not let them live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against
me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you."
Notice the number 24 (chapter) which is a clue
for government. It’s easy to see in the first part here.
Moses and Aaron and 70 men are to go before the Lord. Adding them
in that makes 72 (24 X 3), the same number Jesus sent who did miracles and
saw Satan fall from Heaven like lightning:
Luke 10:18 (New International Version)
18He replied, "I
saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
Exodus 24
The Covenant Confirmed
1
Then he said to Moses, "Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and
Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. You are to worship at a distance, 2
but Moses alone is to approach the LORD; the others must not come near.
And the people may not come up with him."
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.
He got up early the next morning and
built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars
representing the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 Then he sent
young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young
bulls as fellowship offerings [a] to the LORD. 6 Moses
took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he sprinkled
on the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant
and read it to the people. They responded, "We will do everything the
LORD has said; we will obey."
8 Moses then took
the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, "This is the blood
of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these
words."
9 Moses and Aaron, Nadab
and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel
went up 10 and saw the God
of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire,
[b] clear as the sky itself. 11 But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites;
they saw God, and they ate and drank. (big
insight into Heaven and what is to come)
12 The LORD said
to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will
give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commands I have written
for their instruction."
13 Then Moses set
out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain of God. 14
He said to the elders, "Wait here for us until we come back to you.
Aaron and Hur are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute can go to them."
15 When Moses went
up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, 16 and
the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six
days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called
to Moses from within the cloud. 17 To the Israelites
the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.
18 Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up
the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
(40 a time of testing, good to know numbers)
Look at all the deeply real spiritual
things taking place with Moses, Aaron, the 70 and Israel. Again, if you have read my other
Warrior King studies there are 3 segments here, similar to the King David
and Gideon models and divisions. Has there ever been a time where
Heaven met earth quite like this? It surely is for a reason and a
archetype.
Exodus 25 – 31
Model of Heaven, Priests and
much more
Exodus 32
Double ouch, the golden calf
a huge failure of the test by a good majority of Israel. I have my own idea about this.
I believe many Christians believe in what I call the “perfect button”.
It goes like this, I have Jesus and so I can really kind of do what I want
because when I cross the pearly gates to meet God I present my Jesus card
and he pushes the “perfect button” and Walla! Buzz.. wrong
answer – big time. These Christians if they make it this far
will get to the “Golden Calf” test and fail miserably.
God is refining us even now, and not for no good reason. If he had
a “perfect button” do you think he would take the time to refine
you the way he has. Do you notice all the scriptures on the “perfect
button”? Or, do you notice that he continues to refine until he can
see his face? Work out your faith with fear and trembling.
Exodus 33
(numbers
again, 33 is special and this chapter is a testament as you will see –
Jesus died at 33…)
1 Then the LORD
said to Moses, "Leave this place, you and the people you brought up
out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants.' 2
I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites,
Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 3 Go
up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you,
because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way."
4 When the people
heard these distressing words, they began to mourn and no one put on any
ornaments. 5 For the LORD had said to Moses, "Tell
the Israelites, 'You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you
even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and
I will decide what to do with you.' " 6 So the
Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount
Horeb.
The Tent of Meeting
7
Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance
away, calling it the "tent of meeting." Anyone inquiring of the
LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. 8
And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at
the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent.
9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come
down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses. 10 Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the
entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance
to his tent. 11 The LORD would speak to Moses face
to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the
camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.
Moses and the Glory of the LORD
12
Moses said to the LORD, "You have been telling me, 'Lead these people,'
but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said,
'I know you by name and you have found favor with me.' 13
If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue
to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people."
14 The LORD replied,
"My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
15 Then Moses said
to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from
here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased
with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish
me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?"
17 And the LORD
said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I
am pleased with you and I know you by name."
18 Then Moses said,
"Now show me your glory."
19 And the LORD
said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I
will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on
whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
20 But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one
may see me and live."
21 Then the LORD
said, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the
rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23
Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not
be seen."
(Moses sees God’s back,
and speaks to him as a friend – Wow!)
Exodus 34
Feasts,
preparing for war and destroying idol, false gods
The New Stone Tablets
1
The LORD said to Moses, "Chisel out two stone tablets like the first
ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets,
which you broke. 2 Be ready in the morning, and then
come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain. 3
No one is to come with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain; not even
the flocks and herds may graze in front of the mountain."
4 So Moses chiseled
out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the LORD had commanded him; and
he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. 5 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him
and proclaimed his name, the LORD. 6 And he passed
in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate
and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 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 fathers to the third and fourth generation."
8 Moses bowed to
the ground at once and worshiped. 9 "O Lord,
if I have found favor in your eyes," he said, "then let the Lord
go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness
and our sin, and take us as your inheritance."
10 Then the LORD
said: "I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will
do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people
you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the LORD, will do
for you. 11 Obey what I command you today. I will drive out before you
the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 12 Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the
land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you. 13
Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah
poles. [a] 14 Do not worship any
other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
15 "Be careful
not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute
themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and
you will eat their sacrifices. 16 And when you choose
some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute
themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same.
17 "Do not
make cast idols.
18 "Celebrate
the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days eat bread made without yeast,
as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Abib,
for in that month you came out of Egypt.
19 "The first
offspring of every womb belongs to me, including all the firstborn males
of your livestock, whether from herd or flock. 20
Redeem the firstborn donkey with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, break
its neck. Redeem all your firstborn sons.
"No one is to appear before me
empty-handed.
21 "Six days
you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the
plowing season and harvest you must rest.
22 "Celebrate
the Feast of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast
of Ingathering at the turn of the year. [b] 23 Three times a year
all your men are to appear before the Sovereign LORD, the God of Israel.
24 I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory,
and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to
appear before the LORD your God.
25 "Do not
offer the blood of a sacrifice to me along with anything containing yeast,
and do not let any of the sacrifice from the Passover Feast remain until
morning.
26 "Bring the
best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God.
"Do not cook a young goat in its
mother's milk."
27 Then the LORD
said to Moses, "Write down these words, for in accordance with these
words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel." 28 Moses
was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread
or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the
Ten Commandments.
The Radiant Face of Moses
29
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two
tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was
radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. 30 When
Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were
afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them;
so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke
to them. 32 Afterward all the Israelites came near
him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount
Sinai.
33 When Moses finished
speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34
But whenever he entered the LORD's presence to speak with him, he removed
the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites
what he had been commanded, 35 they saw that his
face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until
he went in to speak with the LORD.
Exodus 34 - 40
Setting up the Heavenly and Priestly
articles, including the Ark of the Covenant. How appropriate that
Exodus ends with chapter 40 (the number for testing)