Exodus – Page 5 – Be Still…

Exodus 25:1-40 – Get Ready for God’s Presence

The Lord had a message for Moses. He was designing the first church building, or tabernacle. It was to be a place to recognize and worship God. A sanctuary for God so he could dwell among the people. We’ve called our churches today the “house of God.” Yet we realize that God is everywhere. He doesn’t need to be contained to do his work. It’s for us. We want to be able to imagine him in our midst. Having a place for God helps us.

God was very clear in his instructions to Moses. There were very particular things he felt important to be part of his “house” or tabernacle. Of utmost importance was “The Ark.” Not to be confused with the big boat that Noah made to save his family and the animals from destruction. This was a chest to hold the Testimony or law God would give. This would be a holy box. Its design was to be magnificent.

Exodus 24:1-18 – Covenant Made

Read Exodus 24:1-18

We don’t use the word covenant all that frequently in conversation these days. It is more of a legal word describing an agreement between parties to a contract. But we do use a similar word, promise. As I understand it, the covenant God made with his people is a very strong promise meant to bring about a committed relationship. God was promising to care and provide, and the people were to obey his commands.

As you imagine what was happening when this first covenant was made, what do you see? I see hordes of people milling about doing their daily tasks, and I see leadership trying to keep the peace. God gave Moses the vision, and he was providing daily sustenance to the people. In return, God wanted them to desire a relationship with him.

Exodus 23:20-33 – Follow the Angel

Read Exodus 23:20-33

Today’s reading seems to be speaking to Moses and the Israelites while they are still roaming. God is again providing for them by giving them an angel. We all have our notion of what an angel is, and even what an angel should look like. Somewhere along the line angels got wings and flowing white gowns. I don’t think this is what the angel in today’s reading will look like.

The idea here is to follow the angel. God is going to take care of casting fear into the folks living in the land they are passing through. God is warning them to take care and not bow down to other gods. He knows how weak and fickle his people are. They will be drawn in to the temptation, and their sin will separate them from God. He knew it and prescribed a way to help them. Would they listen?

Exodus 23:14-19 – Festivals

Read Exodus 23:14-19

Let’s have a party! Festivals are celebrations for what God has done. There are several different festivals, but only three of the annual ones are mentioned here. This is a brief explanation of what God wanted or expected the people to do to remember him. Again, these are laws that were given to Moses for the people to follow when they reached the promised land.

Jewish tradition would recognize most of these festivals today. I have always found it fascinating. It’s good to understand our faith roots. After all, Jesus was Jewish, and he would have celebrated these festivals. There isn’t a lot of detail here, so I did a little research to help understand these celebrations.

Exodus 23:1-13 – Justice

Read Exodus 23:1-13

God is our final judge. He makes the rules and enforces them. Our obedience should be to God alone. We may not ever see all of the “rulings” he makes, and that’s okay. God is God, and we are not. When people ask me something about God’s law or his desire for us, I can point to Scripture, but ultimately, God decides and has the final say. Suffice it to say God is faithful and just.

There are some interesting reminders in today’s reading. What ones resonated most with you? We see God doesn’t like gossiping, peer pressure, accusing the innocent, bribery, or oppression of foreigners. He wants us to rest on the 7th day and let our fields rest during the 7th year. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe farmers today still do this to help maximize yield in their crops.