Readings for January 23-29
Maps and pictures are at the end of this posting.
JANUARY 23
Pg 103
Moses goes back to Egypt with his brother Aaron. He asks Pharaoh to let the people go so that they may go and worship God by holding a festival for Him in the desert. At this point in the story of God's people, there have been no commandments for celebrating any of the Feast or Festival Days. Because there weren't any yet. Moses is only asking for a three day journey (70 miles or so), he isn't asking Pharaoh to free the Hebrew slaves for good. Pharaoh perceives that he will lose his slave laborers if they make this three day journey. He punishes the people by ordering them to make bricks without providing straw for them. The people are told that they must gather their own straw. Straw mixes with mud to make the brick stronger and to hold it together while it dries. Gathering straw takes time away from making the brick.
Once this decree is issued, that they must make bricks without straw or gather their own stray, the Hebrews are not very happy with Moses. They did not want to listen to Moses "because of their discouragement and cruel bondage". Yet this (discouragement and cruel bondage) is just what God was offering them deliverance from.
Pg 104
I have remembered my covenant.
It isn’t as if God forgot and just suddenly remembered. It means that He restated the covenant.
I will redeem you with an outstretched arm….”Moses delivered this amazing prophetic statement to the Hebrew slaves. God was telling them that He would redeem them from the yoke of slavery. He is telling us that He will redeem us with outstretched arms on the cross of Calvary.
Look at what God promises the Israelites:
1. I will free you from slavery. (Jesus frees us from being slaves to sin.)
2. I will redeem you. (Jesus redeems us.)
3. I will take you as my own. (Jesus brings us into His family.)
4. I will be your God. (Jesus is the Lord of our lives.)
5. You will know that I am your God. (Jesus reveals Himself to us continuously.)
6. I will bring you into the land and give it to you as your possession. (Jesus brings us into the Kingdom of Heaven and makes a special place just for each one of us.)
Pg 105
Faltering lips - Hebrew word means uncircumcised or not ready.
When Pharaoh's magicians duplicate some of the signs that Moses performed, we can see this as evidence of Satan's counterfeit signs and wonders. However, the magicians could not duplicate certain things. Satan cannot counterfeit everything.
Pg 106-107
Notice in the readings for the next few pages, several times Pharaoh asks Moses to pray for him. And several times the Lord hardens Pharaoh’s heart.
Distinction between animals and livestock. Cattle, sheep, and goats are livestock. Animals are all others, whether tame or wild.
Sometimes Pharaoh promises that he will honor Moses' request but with compromises. Sometimes, Pharaoh hardens his heart and sometimes it is God who hardens Pharaoh's heart. In the plagues, notice how often the land of Goshen (where the Hebrews - the Israelites live) is spared.
Moses mentions to Pharaoh that the sacrifices they are to offer would be detestable to the Egyptians. Of course it would be detestable to them. The animals that the Hebrews used for sacrifices were the gods of the Egyptians.
The plagues that God sent on Egypt showed His power over all the Egyptian gods. They were publicly defeated and humiliated one at a time.
JANUARY 24
Pg. 107
In the first three plagues, Aaron was God's instrument, and the first two plagues were copied by Pharaoh's magicians. Beginning with the fourth plague of flies, the area of Goshen was not affected. The reason that Goshen was not affected was so that everyone would know that Goshen and the people were different, and singled out by God as special and unique to Him. Moses was God's instrument for plagues 6,7,8, and 9. For plagues 4, 5, and 10, neither Moses nor Aaron are listed as being God's instruments in carrying out the plagues.
A Listing of the Plagues and the gods and goddesses defeated
If all the livestock died during plague 5, what animals had boils in plague 6? There is a difference made between livestock and animals. Perhaps the animals with the boils were household animals or other animals not considered livestock.
After the plague of boils, Pharaoh doesn't harden his heart, it is God who hardens Pharaoh's heart. We are reminded repeatedly that God has hardened Pharaoh's heart so that His (God's) power may be displayed.
During the plague of hail, again livestock is mentioned. An unknown amount of time has passed since plague 5 for them to have livestock or they could have acquired more animals from the people in Goshen, or from outside the city of Egypt and from the land of Egypt. (Egypt is the city. The land of Egypt is the surrounding fields and country.)
In Exodus 8:25, Pharaoh tells Moses they can sacrifice to God but to do it within the land. Moses responds by saying that sacrificing animals in the land would be an abomination to the Egyptians. What he means is that the very animals that the Hebrew people would be sacrificing are the animals that the Egyptians considered "gods".
Pg 108
Exodus 9 gives us a clue as to the time of year between plagues 7 and 8. It is late spring because "the barley had headed and the flax was in bloom".
In Exodus 10 Moses says to Pharaoh, "we are to celebrate a festival to the Lord." This is a festival yet to be identified to the Israelites. We know the festival they eventually celebrated is Passover - part of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which occurs in spring.
The plague of locusts is a devastating phenomenon. The locusts destroy every green thing on a tree or plant.
In the plague of darkness, it says that the darkness can be felt, yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived. What kind of darkness can be felt? Perhaps a kind of darkness that gives one a suffocating feeling or a feeling of terror and disorientation, despair and depression. The people of Egypt must have been terrified. Their "god" Ra, the sun "god" is gone. Not only were they in the dark but their “god” had disappeared.
JANUARY 25
Pg. 111
God institutes the Passover festival. God's instructions to the Israelites 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 prophetic 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 prophetic 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. Scripture is filled with prophecies and symbolism that point to Jesus and the cross. For more specific details concerning the prophetic messianic symbolism of the Passover see the book The Journey of Jesus from the Manger to the Mansion. It includes a day by day account of the week and an hour by hour account of the crucifixion and resurrection beginning on page 97.
https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Jesus-Manger-Mansion/dp/154990406X/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1541083060&sr=11&keywords=the+journey+of+jesus+from+the+manger+to+the+mansion
See also the book Nisan 14 Then Came the Day
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Nisan+14+Then+Came+the+Day+by+phil+and+patti+moore&crid=1KFQS1VL132TL&sprefix=nisan+14+then+came+the+day+by+phil+and+patti+moore%2Caps%2C74
God says that they may take the animal for sacrifice from either the sheep or the goats. Is this to symbolize that Jesus will be sacrificed for all people, not just those who believe in Him. He died for sheep and goats.
Pg. 112
Psalm 78 is a good review of the exodus, including an explanation of the striking of the firstborn.
Psalm 78:49
He sent on them the heat of His anger, wrath and fury and trouble, by sending evil angels.
It is very clear from this passage in Psalm 78 that God sent evil angels to strike the firstborn. They were given very specific instructions, boundaries, and guidelines. Even with God's warning to kill the Passover lamb and place the blood over the doorposts, most likely there were a few of the Israelites who didn't obey.
When God gave the instructions concerning Passover, He told them the following.
Exodus 12:24
Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance (or law) for you and your descendants.
For the Israelites, for devout Jews today, Passover is a law for them. However, the following is for Believers in Jesus today.
Exodus 12:25
When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony.
We are to observe the Passover. The Hebrew word "observe" means "to guard, protect, heed, treasure, to hedge about as with thorns". As we honor and observe Passover, not necessarily adhering to every detail of everything under the law, we are to treasure and protect our remembrance of the Passover and what Jesus did for us. Jesus said whenever you observe it remember me.
Finally, after the final plague of the death of the firstborn male both man and animal, 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.
However, the Egyptian people had no notion of any three day journey, so they urged the Israelites to leave. God put a desire in the hearts of the Egyptians to give the Israelites 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 Israelites left Egypt. Some remained and others had already left previously and gone into such places as Greece and North Africa. Three historical reference books that explain these departures: The Common Heritage of the Greeks and Hebrews, Common Background of Greek and Hebrew Civilizations, and Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings. Also there were other people who left with them who were not Israelites. 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 of their bondage in Egypt. After Jesus' prophetic 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? Do we treasure and protect and honor His Holy Days?
JANUARY 26
Pg. 114
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, this plan of God (according to our human logic), makes no sense at all! But God took them through the wilderness so they would learn to depend on Him. Also, in going this way, the army of Pharaoh that followed would drown in the sea, without them even having to fight - showing them the miracle..
The Lord went ahead of the Israelites 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.
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 to the direction they should travel. At any rate, Pharaoh and his officials knew their route. Spies perhaps?
Pg. 115
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. Pharaoh and the Egyptian army relied on their own strength. The Israelites had the strength of the Lord. "Your right hand, O Lord was majestic in power. Your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy." And just who is the Lord's right hand?
The song of Moses 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.
Pg. 116
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 redeemed. He leads us in His perfect love.
John 10:27
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
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!
JANUARY 27
How quickly the Israelites forget! After witnessing the miracles that brought about their safe exodus from Egyptian bondage, they begin their never-ending complaining. We may be tempted to wonder why they couldn't acknowledge God's very presence with them. We may wonder about their lack of faith that He will miraculously provide for them. When we begin these wonderings, we must take a look at our own lives. Do we complain? Do we fail to acknowledge God's presence with us in the form of the Holy Spirit? Do we lack the faith that God will provide?
And speaking of wondering about the Israelites wandering... 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 a great amount of time 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. This became a rather difficult task since the names of cities and places are not necessarily where they are supposed to be on any given map. We would suggest viewing a video, Mountain of Fire that follows Scripture in placing Mt. Sinai in Arabia.
Pg. 117
The Israelites 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. Their next encampment was exactly one month after leaving Egypt at a place named Elim.
Pg. 118
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. Apparently they brought provisions with them for a month before the daily manna began. The glory of the Lord also appeared to them in the form of a cloud. Seems as if once people experience this, how can they continue to grumble and complain? And yet...they do.
Several times in Scripture we will read that God brought His people out of Egypt. Since most of the Sinai Peninsula was claimed by Egypt, then if all their wanderings were in Sinai, then they never left Egypt.
Pg. 120
At the top of this page is the phrase “the rock of Horeb”. Interestingly, it isn’t called the rock of Sinai.
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.
The Amalekites (descendants of Esau) struggle with the Israelites (descendants of Jacob) illustrates the eternal struggle between good and evil. The Amalekites knew the boundaries of the land given to Jacob by God and yet… God said they would be at war with Him from generation to generation. The Amalikites are no more but are associated with ancient Persia, known as Iran today. Haman and Ester will encounter the Amalikites later.
Pg. 121
Jethro, father-in-law of Moses had investigated all manner of pagan gods and practices and decided that God is greater than all false gods. These offerings Jethro brought were thank offerings that he had found the one true God. The burnt offering was symbolic of burning away sins. One of the offerings is called an elevation offering done by new converts to the faith. Notice this was done in the presence of a very happy God.
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?"
JANUARY 28
Pg. 122
God promised the Israelites that if they would obey Him fully and keep His covenant that they would be His treasured possession. The people agreed. So far...so good.
In the next few pages notice how many times Moses went up the mountain.
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 Elohim (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 it 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 language.
"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. Read these verses: Daniel 7:9-10, Matthew 17:2-5, Acts 7:53, Galatians 3:19, Hebrews 2:2, Revelation 4:1, Revelation 8:13, Revelation 9:14. They speak of something similar.
Reading the Hebrew definitions of the words in Exodus 19:16 give us better and deeper insight into these verses.
Acts 7:53
who received the Law through disposition of angels, and did not keep it.
Galatians 3:19
Why then the Law? It was added because of transgressions, until the Seed should come to those to whom it had been promised, being ordained through angels in the Mediator's hand.
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.
It seems as if the unbelievers heard thunder. The Believers heard an angel.
Who is this "angel" God sent to go with them who has the power to forgive sin?
1 Corinthians 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.
Pg. 124
God told the people to listen to the Angel He is sending with them. He says, “Pay attention to him and listen to what he says”
God also said something similar at the Mt. of Transfiguration.
Matthew 17 5
He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him."
Since Moses was there with Jesus at the Mt. of Transfiguration, wonder if he thought back on what God said to him then at Mt. Horeb. 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.
Exodus 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.
The people were promised that if they would "worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span." Exodus 23:25-26
God is saying to obey His commands and worship Him, then multiple blessings will follow. Can we claim His promises today?
JANUARY 29
Great quote from the commentary today. No detail of man’s worship of God is too small for God’s concern.
Isn't it amazing at the details God gave Moses for the construction of the tabernacle and the articles in it? Have you ever wondered why there were so many intricate details? Could it be that each of these intricate details has spiritual significance and the tabernacle and the furnishings are visual reminders?
"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.
Exodus 25:8
Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.
A sanctuary is a holy place, a designated and protected and guarded place - different from its surroundings.
What a great foreshadowing for us. Our bodies are to be a tabernacle for the Holy Spirit to dwell! This tabernacle of ours is also to be a holy place, a protected and guarded place - different from our surroundings. We should keep our bodies holy and pure - protected and guarded from evil influences.
Did God give Moses the plans for the building of the tabernacle while he was on the mountain? Was he given a vision of the completed, entire tabernacle? 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 breast piece for the priest was to be used for making decisions. How does that relate to us as Believers with the breastplate of righteousness?
Ephesians 6:14
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
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 for making the intricate 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 on our own.
Exodus 14:3
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