My Bible Reading Journal

Sherry

25 Dec, 2023

The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting. He told Moses to speak to the children of Israel saying, “When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of the livestock – of the herd and of the flock.”

Offering From The Herd (Cattle)

If the offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, it should be a male without blemish. He shall offer it at his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord. He shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. He shall kill the bull before the Lord. The priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood and sprinkle it all around on the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of meeting. The burnt offering should then be skinned and cut into pieces. The priests shall put the fire on the altar and lay the wood in order on the fire. Then the priests shall lay the parts, the head and the fat in order on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar. The entrails and the legs shall be washed with water. The priest shall burn all on the altar as a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord. (Image by Cally Lawson from Pixabay)

Offering From The Flock (Sheep or Goats)

If the offering is of the flocks – sheep or goats – as a burnt sacrifice, it shall be a male without blemish. The animal should be killed on the north side of the altar before the Lord. Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall sprinkle its blood all around on the altar. The offering shall be cut into pieces with its head and fat. The priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar. The entrails and the legs shall be washed with water. Then the priest shall burn it on the altar because it is a burnt sacrifice; an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord. (Image by 12019 from Pixabay)

Offering Of Birds

If the burnt sacrificial offering is of birds, the offering shall be turtledoves or young pigeons. The priest shall bring it to the altar, wring off its neck and burn it on the altar. Its blood shall be drained out at the side of the altar. The crop (section of the lower esophagus used for storing food before digestion) with its feathers should be removed and cast beside the altar on the east side where ashes were placed. The bird shall be split at its wings, but not divided completely. The priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord. (Image by Silviu on the street from Pixabay)

According to Seedbed, seedbed.com, the purpose of the Burnt Offering was for general atonement of sin and expression of devotion to God.

Based on the different categories of the animals for the burnt sacrificial offerings, God made it possible for everyone to give to Him with no excuses. I’m guessing that those who offered cattle were among the wealthiest. Those who offered sheep or goats were “middle class” and those who offered birds were poor in comparison to the others. So, regardless of your capabilities (financially or talent/skills), make sure you give God your best offering. Let your offerings be a sweet aroma to the Lord.

Next week we journey to Leviticus 2.

To God Be The Glory!

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Sherry

18 Dec, 2023

The Lord told Moses that on the first day of the first month, he should set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.

The ark of the Testimony was to be partitioned off with the veil.

The table for the showbread was to have the things to be set on it, arranged and set in order.

The lampstand was to be brought in and the lamps were to be lit.

The altar of gold for the incense was to be set before the ark of the Testimony.

The screen for the door of the tabernacle was to be put in place.

The altar of burnt offering was to be set up before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.

The laver was to be set up between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar with water placed in it.

The court was to be set up all around and the screen hung up at the court gate.

Anointings – Moses was to take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that was in it. He was to hallow it and all its utensils because it was holy. He was to anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils and consecrate the altar. The altar was most holy. Next, he was to anoint the laver and its base and consecrate it. Moses was to bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of meeting and wash them with water. He was to put the holy garments on Aaron, and anoint and consecrate him so that he could minister to God as priest. Moses was to bring Aaron’s sons and clothe them with tunics. He was to anoint them just as he did Aaron so that they could minister to God as priests. Their anointing would be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.

Moses did all that the Lord commanded him to do.

The tabernacle was raised up in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month. The sockets were fastened, boards set up, the bars were installed and its pillars were raised. Moses spread out the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, just as the Lord commanded him. He took the Testimony and put it in the ark. Then he inserted poles through the rings of the ark and he put the mercy seat on top of it. He took the ark into the tabernacle and hung up the veil of the covering to partition off the ark of the Testimony, just as the Lord commanded him. He put the table in the tabernacle of meeting on the north side, outside the veil and set the bread in order upon it before the Lord. Moses did just as the Lord commanded him. Moses put the lampstand in the tabernacle of meeting across from the table on the south side and lit the lamps before the Lord, just as he was commanded by the Lord. He put the gold altar in the tabernacle of meeting in front of the veil and burned incense on it just as the Lord commanded him. He hung up the screen at the door of the tabernacle. Moses put the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting and offered the burnt and grains offerings, just as the Lord commanded him. Moses set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar and put water there for washing. Moses, Aaron and his sons would wash their hands and feet with water from it. Whenever they went into the tabernacle of meeting and came near the altar, they washed as the Lord commanded Moses. He set up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar and hung up the screen of the court gate. So, Moses finished the work. One of the main things I noticed about this chapter and in the most recent chapters, was how often it spoke of Moses doing as the Lord commanded. How often do you do exactly what the Lord commanded? We all can learn a very important lesson from Moses.

The cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses couldn’t enter the tabernacle of meeting because the cloud rested above it and the glory of the Lord filled it. Whenever, the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the Israelites would go onward in all their journeys. If the cloud was not taken up, they did not journey until the day it was taken up. The cloud of the Lord was above the tabernacle by day and fire was over it by night in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

This concludes the Book of Exodus. Next week we will travel to the Book of Leviticus.

To God Be The Glory!

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Sherry

11 Dec, 2023

Exodus 39:22-43 / Seal Of Approval

We continue with the making of Priestly Garments as discussed in the first part of Chapter 39. He made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue. The robe had an opening in the middle similar to the opening in a coat of mail (defensive armor that has overlapping plates of metal strung on leather or cloth). The opening in the robe had a woven binding all around it so that it would not tear. On the hem of the robe, they made pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet and of fine woven linen. They made bells of pure gold which were put between the pomegranates all around the hem of the robe. So, it was a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate all around the robe’s hem to minister in, as the Lord commanded Moses.

They made tunics that were artistically woven of fine linen for Aaron and his sons. They made a turban and exquisite hats of fine linen as well as short trousers of fine woven linen. A weaver made a sash of fine woven linen with blue, purple and scarlet thread just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold and wrote an inscription on it like the engraving of a signet with the words, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. They tied to it a blue cord, to fasten it above on the turban as the Lord had commanded Moses. All the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished. The children of Israel did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses.

Items brought to Moses – the tabernacle tent and all its furnishings: its clasps, boards, bars, pillars and sockets. They brought the covering of ram skins dyed red, the covering of badger skins, and the veil of the covering. They also brought the ark of the Testimony with its poles and the mercy seat; the table with all its utensils and the showbread; the pure gold lampstand with its lamps (set in order), all its utensils and the oil for light; the gold altar (altar of incense), the anointing oil, and the sweet incense. The screen for the tabernacle door was also brought to Moses. They brought the bronze altar, its bronze grate, its poles and all its utensils; the laver with its base. The hangings of the court, its pillars and sockets, the screen for the court gate, its cords and pegs; all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting were also brought. Last, but not least, they brought the garments of ministry, to minister in the holy place: the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons’ garments, to minister as priests.

The children of Israel did all the work according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses. Then Moses inspected all the work and indeed it was all done just as the Lord commanded him. Moses blessed them (seal of approval). Just as the Israelites received Moses’ seal of approval, we should strive for God’s seal of approval for the tasks He assigns to us. We should want to hear God say, “Well done, good and faithful servant….” (Matthew 25:21 & 23)

To God Be The Glory!

Next week, we’re off to Exodus 40!

Click “Be Encouraged” for Spiritual, Encouraging and Inspirational Uplifting.

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Sherry

4 Dec, 2023

Exodus 39:1-21 / Dressed To Minister

Garments of ministry of blue, purple, and scarlet thread were made for ministering in the holy place. Holy garments were made for Aaron, as the Lord commanded Moses.

He made the ephod of gold, blue, purple and scarlet thread and of fine woven linen. They beat the gold into thin sheets and cut it into threads. It was then intertwined with the blue, purple, and scarlet thread and the fine linen into artistic designs. They made shoulder straps to couple it together at its two edges. The intricately woven band of Aaron’s ephod was of the same workmanship – woven of gold, blue, purple and scarlet thread and of fine woven linen, just as the Lord commanded Moses. They set onyx stones, enclosed in gold settings and engraved them with the names of the sons of Israel as signets are engraved. He put them on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones as commanded by the Lord to Moses.

He made the breastplate artistically woven in the same manner of the ephod with gold, blue, purple and scarlet thread and of fine woven linen. The breastplate was made square shaped by doubling it. Its length and width were a span each when doubled. They set four rows of stones. The first row had sardius, topaz and emerald stones. The second row had turquoise, sapphire and diamond stones. The third row had jacinth, agate and amethyst stones. The fourth row had beryl, onyx and jasper stones. All the stones were enclosed in gold settings in their mountings. The twelve stones were according to the names of the sons of Israel, engraved like a signet. Each stone had its own name according to the twelve tribes. They made chains for the breastplate at the ends, like braided cords of pure gold. They made two gold settings and two gold rings and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. They put the braided gold chains in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate. They fastened the two ends of the two braided chains to the settings and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod in the front. On the inward side of the ephod, they put two gold rings on the two ends of the edges of the breastplate. They made two more gold rings and put them on the shoulder straps underneath the ephod toward the front, right at the seam above the intricately woven band of the ephod. They bound the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord so that it would be above the woven band and so that the breastplate would not come loose from the ephod, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

To God Be The Glory!

Next week, we continue in the 39th Chapter of Exodus.

Click “Be Encouraged” for Spiritual, Encouraging and Inspirational Uplifting.

Be Encouraged

Image is courtesy of scripture-images.com.

Sherry

27 Nov, 2023

Exodus 38 – Inventory Check

Altar of Burnt Offering

He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood. Its length and width was five cubits each to form a square shape. Its height was three cubits. The horns for its four corners were of one piece and overlaid with bronze. He made all of the utensils for the altar of bronze – the pans, shovels, basins, forks, and fire pans. He made a grate of bronze network for the altar, under its rim, midway from the bottom. He cast four rings for the four corners of the bronze grating, as holders for the poles. The poles were made of acacia wood and overlaid with bronze. He, then, put the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to bear it. He made the altar hollow with boards.

Bronze Laver

He made the bronze laver and base from the bronze mirrors of the serving women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

Court of the Tabernacle

He made the south and north sides of the court with hangings of fine woven linen, one hundred cubits long. There were twenty pillars for them with twenty bronze sockets for both sides. The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver. On the west side were hangings of fifty cubits with ten pillars and their ten sockets. The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver. For the east side the hangings were of fifty cubits. The hangings on each side of the gate were fifteen cubits long, with three pillars and their three sockets. All the hangings around the court were of fine woven linen. The sockets for the pillars were bronze. The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver. The overlay of their capitals were silver. All the pillars of the court had silver bands. The screen for the gate of the court was woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread and of fine woven linen. The length was twenty cubits. The height along with the width was five cubits, corresponding to the hangings of the court. There were four pillars with four bronze sockets. Their hooks were silver, and the overlay of their capitals and their bands was silver. All the pegs of the tabernacle and the surrounding court were bronze.

The inventory of the tabernacle of the Testimony was counted according to Moses’ commandment, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest. Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah made all that the Lord commanded Moses. With him, was Aholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. He was an engraver, a designer and a weaver of blue, purple and scarlet thread and of fine linen.

Inventory Check

Gold – The total amount of gold, freely given and used in all the work of the holy place, was twenty-nine talents (29) and seven hundred and thirty shekels (730), according to the shekel of the sanctuary. The Message Bible states that this weighed out at 1,900 pounds.

Silver – The silver from those who were numbered of the congregation was one hundred talents (100) and one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels (1,775), according to the shekel of the sanctuary. A bekah for each man, twenty years old and above was offered. A bekah is a half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary. The number of men totaled six hundred and three thousand, five hundred fifty men (603,550). The Message Bible states that the silver weighed 6,437 pounds. From the one hundred talents of silver, the sockets of the sanctuary were cast and the bases of the veil. There was a talent for each socket. From the 1,775 shekels, he made hooks for the pillars, overlaid their capitals and made bands for them.

Bronze – The bronze offering was seventy talents (70) and two thousand four hundred shekels (2,400). The Message Bible states that this weighed 4,522 pounds of bronze. With the bronze, he made sockets for the door of the tabernacle of meeting, the bronze altar, the bronze grating for it and all the utensils for the altar. The sockets for the surrounding court, the bases for the court gate, and all the pegs for the tabernacle and the court were made of bronze.

To God Be The Glory!

Next week, it’s Exodus 39.

Click “Be Encouraged” for Spiritual, Encouraging and Inspirational Uplifting.

Be Encouraged

Images are courtesy of scripture-images.com and http://freebibleimages.org

Sherry

20 Nov, 2023

Exodus 37 – The Work Continues

The Ark of the Testimony also known as The Ark of the Covenant & Mercy Seat

Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. It was two and a half cubits in length, a cubit and a half in width and height. He overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside and made a gold molding all around it. He cast four rings to be set in its four corners with two rings on each side. He made two poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. He put the poles in the rings at the sides of the ark.

He made the mercy seat of pure gold. It was two and a half cubits in length and a cubit and a half in width. He made the two cherubim of beaten gold and they were of one piece at the ends of the mercy seat. A cherub at one end on this side and a cherub at the other end on that side. Again, the cherubim at the two ends were of one piece with the mercy seat. The cherubim spread out their wings above and covered the mercy seat with their wings. They faced each other. Their faces were toward the mercy seat.

The Table for the Showbread

He made the table of acacia wood. It was two cubits in length, a cubit in width, and a cubit and a half in height. He overlaid it with pure gold and made a gold molding all around it. He made a frame of a handbreadth all around it and a gold molding for the frame all around it. He cast four rings of gold for it and put them on the four corners at its four legs. The rings were close to the frame, as holders for the poles to bear the table. He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. He made the utensils on the table of pure gold – its cups, bowls, and pitchers for pouring.

The Gold Lampstand

He made the lampstand of pure gold and of hammered work. Its shaft, branches, bowls, ornamental knobs and flowers were of the same piece. Six branches came out of its sides; three branches on each side. On each branch coming out of the lampstand, there were three bowls made like almond blossoms with an ornamental knob and flower. On the lampstand itself, there were four bowls made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower. There was a knob under each set of branches. Again, their knobs and branches were of one piece and all of one hammered piece of pure gold.

He made its seven lamps, its wick-trimmers and trays of pure gold. With a talent of pure gold he made it, with all its utensils.

The Altar of Incense

He made the incense altar of acacia wood. It was a cubit in length and width forming a square shape. It was two cubits in height. Its horns were of one piece with it. He overlaid it with pure gold – its top, all the sides and horns. He also made a gold molding all around it. He made two gold rings for it under its molding, by its two corners of both sides. These were holders for the poles with which to bear it. He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.

He made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of sweet spices according to the work of the perfumer.

To God Be The Glory!

We will journey to Exodus 38 next week.

Click “Be Encouraged” for Spiritual, Encouraging and Inspirational Uplifting

Be Encouraged

Images are courtesy of Igor Rodrigues and Jeremy Park, Bible-Scenes.com.

Sherry

13 Nov, 2023

Exodus 36 – Giving More Than Enough

Bezalel, Aholiab and every gifted artisan in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding to do the work for the service of the sanctuary, were to do all that the Lord commanded. So, Moses called them and all those in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom and whose heart was stirred to come and do the work. They received all the offerings from Moses that the Israelites brought for the work of the service of making the sanctuary. The people continued to bring freewill offerings to Moses every morning. The craftsmen doing the work, left their jobs and went to Moses, telling him that the people were bringing much more than enough for the service of the work that the Lord had commanded them to do. So, Moses gave the commandment and they proclaimed it throughout the camp that no man nor woman was to do any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. The people were restrained from bringing material because what they had was sufficient for all the work to be done. Indeed, it was too much. I am sure there are a lot of pastors and leaders who would love to have this problem. Even though the Israelites were giving more than enough in this instance, we must realize that we are incapable of giving God more than enough. When God gave His Only Begotten Son, Jesus, to die for our sins and He rose again defeating death and the grave, we were given a debt that we could never repay. However, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to give God our all as much as possible.

Let the work begin! Building the Tabernacle

Curtains – All the gifted artisans among them who worked on the tabernacle made ten curtains woven of fine linen and blue, purple and scarlet thread. They made them with artistic designs of cherubim. The curtains were all the same size with the length being twenty-eight cubits and the width being four cubits. The curtains were coupled in groups of five. Loops of blue yarn were on the edge of the curtain on the selvedge of one set and likewise on the outer edge of the curtain of the second set. Fifty loops were made on one set and fifty loops on the edge of the second set. The loops held one curtain to another. Fifty clasps of gold were made to couple the curtains to make one tabernacle. Eleven curtains were made of goats’ hair for the tent over the tabernacle. The eleven curtains were the same size, thirty cubits in length and four cubits in width. Five curtains were coupled together and the other six were coupled together. Fifty loops were made to the outermost curtain on one set and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain on the second set. Fifty bronze clasps were made to couple the tent together as one.

Tent Coverings – The covering for the tent was made of ram skins dyed red with a covering of badger skins above that.

The Tabernacle – Made of boards of acacia wood, standing upright. The length of each board was ten cubits and the width of each board was a cubit and a half. Each board had two tenons for binding one to another. There were twenty boards for the south side and twenty boards for the north side. Each side had forty sockets of silver to go under the boards; two sockets under each board for its two tenons. The west side of the tabernacle had six boards. There were two boards for the two back corners of the tabernacle coupled at the bottom and coupled at the top by one ring. So, there were eight boards and their sixteen sockets of silver; two sockets under each of the boards. Five bars of acacia wood were made for the boards on each side of the tabernacle with the middle bars passing through the boards from one side to the other. The boards and bars were overlaid with gold. There were rings of gold to be holders for the bars. Please revisit Exodus 26 for pictures of the acacia wood boards and bars of the Tabernacle.

The Veil – Blue, purple and scarlet thread was used along with fine woven linen. The veil was worked with an artistic design of cherubim. It also had four pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold and with hooks of gold. The four sockets were made of silver.

The Screen – The Tabernacle door’s screen was made of blue, purple, and scarlet thread along with fine woven linen made by a weaver. It had five pillars with their hooks. Their capitals and rings were overlaid with gold, but their five sockets were bronze.

Next week, it’s Exodus 37.

To God Be The Glory!

Click “Be Encouraged” for Spiritual, Encouraging and Inspirational Uplifting

Be Encouraged

Images courtesy of http://www.scripture-images.com and freebibleimages.org.

Sherry

6 Nov, 2023

Exodus 35 – Let The Willing Giving Begin!

Moses gathered all the congregation of the Israelites together and told them the words which the Lord commanded them to do. Work was allowed for six days, but the seventh day was to be a holy day for them, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord. Whoever did any work on the Sabbath was to be put to death. Wow! How many of us would now be dead? They weren’t even allowed to kindle a fire in their dwellings on the Sabbath day.

Moses also told the Israelites that the Lord commanded that an offering be taken for Him from whoever was of a willing heart to bring gold, silver, and bronze. Other offering materials were to be blue, purple and scarlet thread, fine linen, goats’ hair, ram skins dyed red, badger skins, acacia wood, oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense, onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate.

All the gifted artisans were to come together and make the following: The tabernacle – its tent, covering, clasps, boards, bars, pillars and sockets.

The ark – its poles, with the mercy seat and the veil of the covering

The table – its poles, all its utensils, and the showbread

The lampstand for the light – its utensils, lamps and the oil for the light

The incense altar – its poles, the anointing oil, the sweet incense

The screen for the door at the entrance of the tabernacle

The altar of burnt offering – its bronze grating, poles, utensils, the laver and its base

The hangings of the court – its pillars, their sockets and the screen for the gate of the court

Pegs – for the tabernacle and the court and their cords

The garments of ministry for ministering in the holy place – holy garments for Aaron, the priest and garments of his sons to minister as priests

Then all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. Afterwards, everyone came whose heart was stirred and whose spirit was willing. They brought the Lord’s offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service and for the holy garments.

General Giving – Both, men and women who had a willing heart, made an offering of gold to the Lord, by bringing earrings, nose rings, rings, necklaces, all gold jewelry. Every man who had blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, goats’ hair, red skins of rams, and badger skins gave. Everyone offering silver or bronze brought the Lord’s offering. Everyone who had acacia wood for any work of the service, brought it.

Women’s Contributions – All of the women who were gifted artisans spun yarn with their hands and brought what they had spun of blue, purple, and scarlet thread and fine linen. All the women whose hearts stirred with wisdom spun yarn of goats’ hair.

Rulers’ Giving – Rulers brought onyx stones, the stones to be set in the ephod and the breastplate, spices, oil for the light, for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense.

The Israelites brought a freewill offering to the Lord. All the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring materials for all kinds of work, which the Lord commanded through Moses to be done. Do you have a willing heart or spirit to give to the Lord?

Moses told the Israelites that the Lord called Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah by name. He said that God had filled him with His Spirit in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship. Bezalel was called to design artistic works, to work in gold, silver and bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood and to work in all manner of artistic workmanship. God put in Bezalel’s heart the ability to teach. He also put it in Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. God filled them with the skill to do all manner of work of the engraver, the designer, the tapestry maker, in blue, purple and scarlet thread, fine linen and of the weaver – those who do every work and those who design artistic work. What skills do you have that can be used for the building up of God’s kingdom? Are you teaching others your skills so that they can give to the Lord?

We’re off to Exodus 36 next week.

To God Be The Glory!

Click “Be Encouraged” for Spiritual, Encouraging and Inspirational Uplifting

Be Encouraged

Sherry

29 Oct, 2023

Exodus 34 – A New And Different Look

The Lord told Moses to cut two tablets of stone and that He would write on them just as He did on the tablets he broke. He told Moses to be ready to go up Mount Sinai the next morning and present himself to Him at the top of the mountain. No one was to go up the mountain with him, nor was anyone to be seen throughout the mountain. The flocks nor the herds were to graze before the mountain neither. So, Moses did as he was told and took the two new tablets up the mountain. The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with Moses there and proclaimed His name. The Lord passed before Moses proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. Then Moses said, “If I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance. Here Moses goes again, saying, “If I have found grace in Your sight” when God already told him in Chapter 33 that he did. Also, we all should want God to be with us despite our sinful ways and accept us as His own.

God told Moses to behold that He would make a covenant. He promised to do marvels such as never been seen in all the earth nor in any nation. All the people with Moses would see the work of the Lord because it was going to be an awesome thing that God was going to do with them. Is God doing something awesome for or with you? God said for them to observe what He commanded. He was going to drive out the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perrizite, the Hivite and the Jebusite from before them. God was just repeating His word to them in Exodus 33:2. God also warned them not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where they were going. Doing so, would be a snare among them. They were to destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars and cut down their wooden images. God said that they should not worship any other god, for He, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. Otherwise, they might make a covenant with the land’s inhabitants and play the harlot with their gods, make sacrifice to them and eat of the sacrifice to their gods if invited to do so. They might also take the daughters of the inhabitants for their sons and when they play the harlot with their gods, they will make their sons play the harlot with their gods also. God said, “You shall make no molded gods for yourselves.” This was God’s way of saying, “Don’t do anything like that golden calf situation again!”

God said that they were to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days they could eat unleavened bread as He commanded in the appointed time of the month of Abib, which is the month they left Egypt.

God also said that all that opened the womb belonged to Him as well as every firstborn male among the livestock, whether ox or sheep. The firstborn of a donkey was to be redeemed with a lamb. If the donkey is not redeemed, then they were to break his neck. All of the firstborn of their sons were to be redeemed and none were to appear before the Lord, empty-handed. What have you given the Lord, lately? God said that they should work for six days and rest on the seventh one, in plowing time or harvest time.

The people were also to observe the Feast of Weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest and the Feast of the Ingathering at the year’s end. Three times a year, all the men were to appear before the Lord God of Israel. God promised to cast out nations before them and enlarge their borders. No man would covet their land when they went up to appear before the Lord their God three times in the year. They were not to offer blood of God’s sacrifice with leaven. None of the sacrifices of the Feast of the Passover was to be left until morning. The first of the firstfruits of the land was to be taken to the Lord’s house. They were not to boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.

The Lord told Moses to write these words, because it was according to these words that He made a covenant with him and Israel. So, Moses was with the Lord for forty days and forty nights. He didn’t eat bread nor drank water. The Lord wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he didn’t know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with God. Aaron and the Israelites were afraid to go near Moses because the skin of his face was shining. Moses called to them, then Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him and Moses talked with them. Afterwards, all the Israelites came near and Moses gave them as commandments all that God had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. When Moses finished speaking with the Israelites, he put a veil on his face. Whenever Moses went in before the Lord, he would take off the veil until he came out and then he would tell the Israelites whatever the Lord commanded. When the Israelites saw Moses’ shining face, he would put on the veil again, until he went to speak with God. Can a change be seen in you when you spend time with God? Acts 4:13 states, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” (ESV) Spending time with Jesus does make a big difference.

Next week our stop is Exodus 35.

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