While Moses was on the mountain the people were impatient and built a golden calf to worship. When Moses returned from the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony, he questioned his brother about this, Aaron replied with the lamest excuse on record. “…they gave me this gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!” HA!

We wonder why the people would so quickly dismiss all the miracles God had already done for them. We sometimes forget that the people were accustomed to seeing and hearing about the multiple gods of the Egyptians and the practices associated with their worship of the false gods.  They were copying the Egyptians when they celebrated, worshiped and honored their Egyptian gods by participating in revelry. The Hebrew word for revelry is the same word used in Genesis 34:14 and means sexual activity.

When Aaron proclaimed a "feast to the Lord" in honor of the golden calf, he was compromising and justifying the worship of a pagan god, by calling it a "feast to the Lord". He was trying to worship God on an altar of paganism.  At this point God had not given the Israelites all the commands of the Feast Days.  Today, we know about all the God-ordained Feast Days and yet we still worship God on the altar of paganism.  God's ordained days are Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover) and Feast of Tabernacles (birth of Jesus) and yet we in the western Christian church honor and celebrate Easter and Christmas, both with pagan origins.  And we ignore the holy days. Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras) is an example today reminiscent of the revelry that the people indulged in as recorded in today's reading (Exodus 32).

Exodus 31:13  

"Say to the Israelites, 'Be sure to observe my days of worship. This will be a sign between me and you for generations to come so that you will know that I am the LORD who makes you holy.

We may be tempted to think that if we go to church on Sunday and don’t do any work at all on that day of the week, this is what will make us somehow righteous and devout.  These days of worship referred to in this passage certainly meant the seventh day of rest, but also the other days of worship, His holy days, the feast and festival days of Tabernacles, Passover, and Pentecost.  Be worshiping Him and honoring Him on those days, would be a sign for all to see, a distinguishing mark.  This is what God says will set us apart from all the other people  on the face of the earth.  When we are set apart in this way, He says we will know (and other people will know) that He is the Lord who makes us holy.  Did you get the significance of that verse?  If we observe His days of worship, we will show the world that we are distinguished, we are set apart, we are different from the world and are made holy.

The Levites make a bold stand for the Lord.  The 3,000 people who were killed...were these the ones who were directly involved in the making of the golden calf and/or the ones leading the revelry?  The people were struck with a plague because of what they had done with the calf.  Could this be the result of heavy metal poisoning from being made to drink the water sprinkled with the dust from the golden calf?

In response to their sin, Moses makes an almost unbelievable plea on behalf of the people.
“…please forgive their sin - but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.”
What book? (See Phil 4:3, Ps 69:28, Rev 3:5)

There are some "apparent contradictions" in today's reading. God tells Moses that no one can see His face and live and yet earlier it says the Lord would speak to Moses face to face as a man speaks with a friend.
The only explanation is that Moses spoke with God the Son, the preincarnate Jesus.  God, the Father is surrounded by unapproachable light.

Moses chiseled out two stone tablets to take back up the mountain so that God could write on them the words that were on the first tablets which Moses broke in anger.  Moses wrote down words that God spoke to him in addition to the Ten Commandments.  The words of the Commandments were written by the finger of God.

Exod 34:33-35
When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 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, 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.
2 Cor 3:18
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Are our faces radiant after we have spoken with the Lord?

In the reading for today, as well as other days' readings, are listed many intricate details prescribed by God. Even though many of these things don't apply to us today, reading about them will be useful later on as a reference.

There are some rather unique instructions concerning the placement of the blood on Aaron and his sons for their consecration.  It is to be placed on the lobes of the right ears and the thumbs of the right hands and on their right toes. Is this a reminder that they are to hear and do the work of the Lord?

There are many times the words “without yeast” appear in reference to presenting offerings to God. In the New Testament, Jesus warned us about the "yeast" of the Pharisees.
Matt 16:11b-12
But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Notice how many times the words “a pleasing aroma” appear in Scripture, followed every time in this day’s reading by the words, “an offering made to the Lord by fire.” What is the significance of that for us spiritually?
Rom 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of worship.
2 Cor 2:14
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.

Is this the "pleasing aroma" He expects from us? To spread the knowledge of Him?

The two tablets of the Testimony were inscribed by the finger of God! WOW!

Isn't it amazing at the details God gave Moses for the construction of the tabernacle and the articles in it?

"You are to receive the offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give."
What a great pattern for us in our giving to the Lord. He wants us to let our hearts lead us in our giving. That of course is conditional on our hearts being in tune with God's heart.

God tells Moses that the people are to build a tabernacle and that is where His presence will dwell. What a great foreshadowing for us. Our bodies are to be a tabernacle for the Holy Spirit to dwell!

Did God give Moses the plans for the building of the tabernacle while he was on the mountain? Did Moses write all those many, many details down on something or did he just supernaturally remember? Or did God refresh his memory from time to time?

The breastpiece for the priest was to be used for making decisions. How does that relate to us as Believers with the breastplate of righteousness?
Eph 6:14
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
Check out this video, The Bells Are Ringing. It relates the high priest to Jesus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAMLAIqUoYo

We would also recommend this link to Rose Publishing Company.  They offer many free publications, including a picture of the garments of the high priest.
http://www.rose-publishing.com/Assets/ClientPages/Echart_highpriest.aspx?gclid=COzrjMPChLUCFegWMgodAhcACg

Isn’t it remarkable that these men who were skilled in brick making now have been given skills as seamstresses for making the garments for the priests? Just an example of how God gives us spiritual gifts and uses us for tasks that we could have never dreamed of doing.

Are all of us using our God-given spiritual gifts? If you have never identified your spiritual gift(s), or if you would like a refresher, email us for a Spiritual Gifts Inventory. Once your gift(s) have been identified, we can send you more information on your gift(s).

Exodus 19:3
Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain...
Ever wonder why the word God and the LORD are used, seemingly interchangeably? Well, we must go back to the Hebrew words to understand. The word God is Eloheim (meaning Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).  The word LORD is Yehovah (meaning Jesus). Moses went up the mountain to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit but is was the Son who spoke to him. Using the meanings of the Hebrew words gives us a better vision. This same thing is especially true with the following verse:
Exodus 19:16
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.

Now if we look only at the English words, we envision a storm on the mountain, black heavy clouds, booming thunder, and flashes of lightning. But using the Hebrew word meanings, we get a completely different picture. Here's how it would read in the Hebrew.

"There were loud voices in proclamation blowing a great trumpet accompanied by bright, glittering gleams enveloped in bright clouds."

Does that sound a bit like the company of angels that announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds??? It should. Just read these verses: Dan 7:9-10, Matt 17:2-5, Acts 7:53, Gal 3:19, Heb 2:2, Rev 4:1, Rev 8:13, Rev 9:14.

God spoke the words of the Ten Commandments the first time. The people did not want to listen to the voice of God.  They didn't want to get too close to God.  A similar thing happened with Jesus.
John 12:28-29
Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again."The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

Who is this "angel" God sent to go with them who has the power to forgive sin?
1 Cor 10:1-4
For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea.They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
John 5:22
Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son

Pretty clear...the "angel", God's Presence, was God, the Son.

Another example of how God, the Son interacted with people in the Old Testament is found in this passage.
Exod 24:9-11
Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.

And then we have this verse.
John 6:46
No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father.

If no one can see the Father then how can Moses, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, along with the seventy elders see God? Again, it's perfectly clear... the leaders saw God, the Son.

Ever wonder about the route of the Exodus journey?  There are about as many routes as there are "experts" who map them out.  The locations of the places named in Scripture are in dispute, even among the "experts". After spending several hours trying to discover a commonality with these "experts" as to the location of the places and the route taken by Moses and the Israelites, we decided to just look at Scripture and see if we could discern the Exodus route.  Here are our findings.

The Isralites camped about a three-day journey from Goshen (exact spot from which they left is unknown but Succoth is mentioned) and there they celebrated a festival to the Lord.  Actually, this festival began in Egypt on the 15th day of the first month.  But it was a week-long festival.  They left Succoth and camped at Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the Sea opposite Bael Ziphon. (Exodus 14) A three-day journey would have placed them at the tip of the northern end of the Red Sea, which is about 60-75 miles from the outskirts of Goshen. So these places named in Scripture must have been at the far northern end of the Red Sea.  The Red Sea forms the shape of a "Y" and splits Egypt from Arabia with a wilderness in between.  The left arm of the Y is the Gulf of Suez. The right arm of the Red Sea is the Gulf of Aqaba.  Apparently once Pharaoh decided that they weren't coming back, he sent the army after them.  It seems as if it is here at the Northern tip of the Red Sea where the crossing occurred.  Had the crossing been farther down near the southern end of the Red Sea, it would have been a lengthy journey not only for the Hebrews but also for Pharaoh's army, and much, much longer than a three-day journey.  Scripture then says that after the crossing of the Sea, Moses led them across the wilderness for three days until they arrived at a place called Marah where they found bitter water. Again this would have been a journey of about 60-75 miles, but probably less, because they were in no hurry.  Their pursuers were dead.  Their next encampment was exactly one month after leaving Egypt at a place named Elim. If they traveled south via the Red Sea, it would have necessitated another crossing of the Red Sea (across the right arm of the Sea - the Gulf of Aqaba) in order to get to Midian, where they met with Moses' father-in-law.  If, however, they traveled across the wilderness (which Scripture seems to indicate) then they would have arrived at Midian at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba ,  the right arm of the Red Sea. If this has been confusing, come Monday night to the discussion session.  We have maps!

Once they camped at  Elim, the people began to grumble.  It is at this time that God sends them their daily manna - their daily bread.

After spending some time at Elim, the journey continues until they reach Rephidim where God miraculously provides water. The Israelites defeat the Amalekites at that place.  Rephidim may be located near the mountain of God because they are there when Moses is reunited with his wife and children and his father-in-law.

As we read of the journey of the Israelites there is an interesting pattern that emerges, one that is often overlooked. God tells the people that He will protect them from diseases if they will just listen to Him and follow His commands. At this time the only new commands they had were the ones given to them as they traveled, commands such as gathering manna daily six days a week. How hard was that??? It is only later when the people have consistently disobeyed and grumbled and complained that God sent Moses from the mountain with a set of laws carved in stone.

We often equate “carved in stone” as something that is unmoving, unwavering, unchanging, consistent, completely fixed. Yet some people today want to bend and change the Ten Commandments when they literally were carved in stone. Shouldn’t that tell us something?

There is a great lesson to be learned concerning the manna. The Israelites had to trust God daily to supply their needs. Shouldn’t we do that too? Just wake up each morning trusting God to meet our every need. Meet Him with this request, "Lord, here I am, what would you have me do today?"

Exodus 13:17-18
When Pharaoh let the people go, God didn't lead them on the road through Philistine territory, although that was the shortest route. God said, "If they see that they have to fight a war, they may change their minds and go back to Egypt."  So God led the people around the other way, on the road through the desert toward the Red Sea. The Israelites were ready for battle when they left Egypt.

If you look at a map, it is easily understood that this route, according to our human logic, this plan of God makes no sense at all! But God took them through the wilderness so they would learn to depend on Him.

The Lord went ahead of the Hebrews as they made their exodus from Egypt. He guided them in a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire. They were following the Lord and He guided and protected them. The people were    told to “Stand firm.” And “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to stand still.”

It is so hard for us to be obedient in standing still, isn't it? We tend to want to DO something.

Then the Lord tells the Israelites to “move on”. If only we would listen to the Lord and stand still when He tells us to and to move on when He tells us to.

Exodus 14:5
When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, "What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services."
Remember, Pharaoh believed they were going on a three day journey to celebrate a festival to the Lord.  Notice earlier, after they had journeyed several days, God told Moses to tell them to turn back and encamp between Migdol and the sea.  (Exodus 14:1-4) This was not a direct route back to the land of Goshen.  By this detour, Pharaoh's officials knew that they did not intend to come back...or that they were confused as the direction they should travel.

The angel of God (God, the Son) who had been traveling in front of them, now withdrew and went behind them, along with the pillar of cloud, protecting the Israelites from Pharaoh's army.  It was during the night that the crossing of the Red Sea took place.  It was at daybreak that God caused the waters to flow over the Egyptian army.

Pay careful attention to the song of Moses.  It lists several references to God, the Son. The word "salvation" appears often in Scripture. Interestingly the English word salvation is translated from several Hebrew words. Sometimes salvation means “save or rescue”. However in the case of the word salvation used in Exodus 15:2, the Hebrew word is "yeshuw` ah." Sound familiar??? It should. It means “He who saves” – Jesus!

The song of Moses appears later in Scripture, illustrating that the entire Bible is one continuous story, with one consistent theme - salvation through Jesus.
Revelation 15:3
And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty, just and true are Your ways, O King of saints.
 
Exodus 15:13 is an excellent verse to ponder for today (or any day for that matter).
“In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.

God's love for us is never-ending. It is everlasting and unfailing. We are the redeemed. He leads us in His perfect love. He leads. We follow. That's His perfect plan. If we rely on His strength, He will guide us in everything we do in this life and ultimately into our heavenly reward, His holy dwelling. We need only to allow Him!

God institutes the Passover festival.  God's instructions to the Hebrews concerning the Passover are very specifically detailed. The great significance of the Passover is in the prophetic symbolism. Some 1500 years later Jesus became the fulfillment of the Passover by becoming the Passover lamb. The days, hours, minutes, the directions and orders concerning the regulations of the Passover are exact. They are specific so that we can recognize the connections between the first Passover and the fulfillment in the crucifixion and resurrection  of Jesus. The prophecies were fulfilled exactly. From the penning up of the lamb on the tenth of the month to the slaughter of the lamb at twilight on the 14th of the month, Jesus fulfilled these prophecies precisely. As we go through this study we will discover many prophecies that point to Jesus and the cross. Details are on the website www.philandpatti.com concerning the prophetic messianic symbolism of the Passover. Look under A Biblical View of Holy Week. This writing includes a day by day account of the week and an hour by hour account of the crucifixion and resurrection. 


Finally, after the final plague of the death of the firstborn, Pharaoh relents and lets the people go.  At this point, it appears that Pharaoh still believes they are taking only a three day journey into the desert to celebrate a festival to the Lord.

The Egyptian people are glad to see them go and give them articles of silver and gold, and cloth.  These articles originally belonged to the Israelites, as the result of a legitimate sale for food many, many years earlier when Joseph ruled in Egypt. (see Genesis 47).  These articles of gold and silver and costly material will be used in the construction of the tabernacle in the wilderness.  Just an example of the providence of God!

The Israelite men (by most records men were those over age 20 and under age 60, those who were of fighting age) who left Egypt in the exodus numbered 600,000, not counting women and children. Whew!
We must take into account that not all the Hebrews left Egypt.  Some remained.  Also there were other people who left with them who were not Hebrews.  They will later be known as "the rabble". 

When the Lord instituted the Feast of Unleavened Bread, He said to do this as a remembrance of how He had brought them out their bondage in Egypt. After Jesus' fulfillment of this feast day, we as Believers are to still remember, but instead of remembering that God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, we remember that Jesus redeems us from a life of bondage in sin.  “This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the law of the Lord is to be on your lips”

A sign on our hand is what we do. A reminder on our forehead is what we think and remember. The law of the Lord should be in what we communicate to others by the way we live our lives.

How do we as Believers observe and honor our remembrance of what God has done for us?