Archives for January 2024

OVERVIEW:

God commands the people to go to Canaan; Moses asks God to reestablish His presence with Israel; God rewrites the tables of stone that Moses had broken; God reaffirms His special relationship with Israel; Moses reveals the tabernacle plans and the people respond obediently.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we begin today’s reading, God has very simply had “ENOUGH!” He reiterates His promise to give the children of Israel the land of Canaan, but lets them know they would be making the journey to get there without Him. He informs them, however, that though His personal presence would not be with them, He would see to it that “an angel” would provide the strength and guidance He knew they would need to overcome the enemies that would attempt to keep them from taking the land. (33:2) Notice though, that the angel that is promised here (“an angel”) is different than the angel (“mine Angel”) mentioned in Exodus 23:23 and 32:34, which was the “Angel of the Lord”. (See the “Highlights & Insights” for Exodus 22-24.) God also informs them that His decision to not go with them was actually for their own good, saying, “lest I consume thee in the way.” (33:3) God tells them, “for thou art a STIFFNECKED people.” Wow! What an indictment!

The word “stiffnecked” appears six times in the Old Testament and one time in the New Testament. It is used to refer to the children of Israel all seven times. By observing my own spiritual journey, as well as the journey of others, something tells me that the last of the “stiffnecked people” God has had to put up with did not end with the children of Israel in the wilderness! When God’s plan for our lives does not line up with our own plans, or when God is trying to use the circumstances of our lives (trials) to conform us into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29), our reaction is often much like that of our spiritual forefathers in the book of Exodus; we tend to resist, to become stubborn and obstinate, or to “stiffen” our “neck”.

Notice in today’s reading that there is an interesting contrast found between those God describes as having a “STIFFENED NECK”, (33:3, 5; 34:9) and those who have a “WILLING HEART” (35:5, 21, 29); a “STIRRED HEART” (35:21, 26; 36:2) and a “WILLING SPIRIT”. (35:21) Based on your spiritual walk in the last six months, which term do you think God would use to describe you? Very simply, have you had a “STIRRED” and “WILLING HEART/ SPIRIT”, or have you had a “STIFFENED NECK.” Obviously, the two are mutually exclusive.

It is interesting, however, that even though the children of Israel were a “stiffnecked people”, the thought of not having the Lord’s presence with them was extremely disturbing to them. Verse 4 of chapter 33 says that when they heard that the Lord would not be going with them, “they MOURNED”. Their reaction made me wonder what our reaction would be if the Lord were to tell us that He would still take us to heaven when we die, but rather than having His presence in and on our lives, “an angel” would be guiding us in the remainder of our journey. Would we be content, or satisfied with the angel, simply being in proximity to the things of God, or would we mourn because we are passionate for GOD HIMSELF, and having HIS HOLY PRESENCE with us? Would our reaction be like Moses’ in 33:15, “If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence”?

Other practical gleanings to note in today’s reading:

• Let us rejoice in the fact that, like Moses, the Lord knows each of us by name, and that we have found grace in His sight! (33:12, 17)
• Notice that Moses’ passion quickly takes him from begging God to “show me thy WAY” (33:13), to begging God for Him to “show me thy GLORY! (33:18) Oh, let the passion that guides our hearts be a passion for God Himself; that He would receive “the glory due unto His name”! (Psalm 29:2; 96:8)
• Oh that the testimony of Moses’ relationship with God also be ours: “And the Lord spoke unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend…” (33:11)
• Exodus 33:20 teaches us a vital and far-reaching lesson: No living flesh can see God! If we will truly see God in the fullness of His majesty, splendor, and glory, it requires DEATH! Very simply, we must DIE to ourselves; our FLESH must be CRUCIFIED! (Galatians 5:24; Colossians 3:5)
• We would do well to follow the admonition God gave to Moses in 34:2–3: “And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount. And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.” Practically speaking, let us determine that our lives will be characterized by the fact that each day we “READY” ourselves for the day by reserving the first part of it (“THE MORNING”) to get ALONE with God (34:3a) before we are DISTRACTED BY OUR DAILY RESPONSIBILITIES (34:36) and “COME UP” into the mountain of the Lord’s presence (Psalm 24:3), to “PRESENT” ourselves to the Lord a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1).
• “The name of the Lord” is a key phrase in the Bible. Chapter 34, verses 5–7 defines “the name of the Lord” as the sum total of all of His attributes. Notice, that He is GOD (!!!), and as such, is merciful, gracious, longsuffering, abundantly good, and abundantly truth!
• Check out Moses’ prayer in 34:9: “If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.” Notice that it is a prayer for:

• The Lord’s PRESENCE.
• The Lord’s PARDON.
• The Lord’s POSSESSION.

• Notice in 34:28 that it was said of Moses, “And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights.” With this “forty-day” thing showing up quite a bit throughout the Bible, it appears to be connected to a time of testing and/or trial:

1. Noah’s flood lasted 40 days and 40 nights. (Genesis 7:12)
2. Noah waited another 40 days after the rain stopped before opening the window in the ark. (Genesis 8:6)
3. Moses was on mount Sinai with God 40 days and 40 nights, twice! (Exodus 24:18; 34:28–29)
4. Twelve spies searched out the promised land for 40 days. (Numbers 13:25)
5. Goliath defied God and His armies for 40 days before being defeated by David. (1^st Samuel 17:16)
6. Elijah fasted for 40 days on mount Horeb. (1^st Kings 19:8)
7. Ezekiel laid on his right side for 40 days to bear the iniquity of Judah. (Ezekiel 4:6)
8. Jonah warned that Nineveh would be overthrown in 40 days. (Jonah 3:4)
9. Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness. (Matthew 4:1–2; Luke 4:2; Mark 1:13)
10. Jesus was on the earth 40 days after His resurrection. (Acts 1:3)

After the 40 days with him on the mountain, God begins to talk to Moses about His plans for the second building project: the tabernacle. Obviously, the Divine Architect, the Designer and Builder of the universe could have simply spoken the tabernacle into existence, but in His sovereignty, He chose to permit the people to enjoy a sense of ownership in the project by allowing them to provide both the funding and the craftsmanship for the project. As the old saying goes, “People regard that which costs them nothing as having little or no value.” Obviously, God knows that about we humans, and certainly wanted to be sure that the people of Israel never felt that way about the tabernacle, because it would serve as “God’s mobile worship center” as they made their way through the wilderness and into the land that was promised. It was virtually a tent that was used as a sanctuary to house the ark of the covenant by the Israelites after the exodus and until the construction of the temple (approximately 400 years!)

The reason God was so explicit about how the tabernacle was to be constructed is because it was to be the earthly representation of the true tabernacle in heaven. (Exodus 25:9; Hebrews 8:5) Just as there were three parts of the tabernacle, there are three heavens; just as God’s presence was beyond the veil in the third part of the tabernacle, the “Holy of Holies”, God’s presence is beyond the veil identified as “the deep” in the third heaven; and perhaps most importantly, the instructions concerning the tabernacle were so explicit because it was also a picture of Christ.

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

In the TABERNACLE – Exodus 35 (Hebrews 9:1-14)

The SINGLE DOOR into the tabernacle – Exodus 35:15 (John 10:1–2, 7, 9)

The “HOLY OF HOLIES” into which only the high priest could enter – Exodus 35:19 (Hebrews 9:12)

OVERVIEW:

God gives instruction on the consecration of the priests; God explains how the tabernacle is to operate; God appoints specific men to oversee the building of the tabernacle; God emphasizes the sabbath day; Israel sins against God; Moses intercedes for Israel.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

For 40 days (since the end of Exodus 24), Moses has been back up on Mount Sinai receiving explicit instruction from God. Do you remember the incredible initial response the people had to “the words of the Lord” when Moses came down from the mountain the first time? With complete unity (“one voice”) they had declared to Moses with their mouth, “…All the words which the Lord hath said will we do.” (24:3) Moses then wrote the words the Lord had spoken to him up on the mountain and read them to the children of Israel, and once again, the people declared with their mouths, “…All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient.” (Exodus. 24:7) Wow! That is the simple essence of the Christian life! “Whatever Your word tells us, Lord, that is what we will do!” Oh, that that were not only the DECLARATION from the MOUTH of every believer in Christ, but that it were the DETERMINATION in each of our HEARTS! But just as it was for the children of Israel in the Old Testament, it is easy for those of us in Christ’s church to BELIEVE every word of the Bible, and it is easy for us to SAY that we will OBEY every word of the Bible, but it is quite another thing to actually DO it! As mentioned before, “talk is cheap.”

God had called Moses to come back up to the mountain, and just 40 days after making these incredible declarations, Exodus 32:1 says, “And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.”

Sadly, Aaron, the high priest, whom God had just spent four chapters giving Moses detailed instructions (even referring to Aaron by name 39 times in His dialogue with Moses from chapters 28–31!) because Aaron would picture our High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, here we find Aaron in chapter 32, verses 1–6, bowing to the pressures of the people, making a false god and leading Israel in the worship of it! They actually even commence to dancing about it naked, praising “IT” for delivering them from Egypt! Absolutely unbelievable! How in the world could they possibly be so fickle… so weak… and so downright sinful?! Especially considering God’s words to Moses concerning Aaron and the children of Israel in chapter 29, verses 44 and 45! God said to Moses, “And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest’s office. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.” Oh, had they only known the incredible future God had designed for them!

Yet, don’t forget, the children of Israel in the Old Testament are a picture of the individual believer in the New Testament! We might do well to stop to consider how many times, like Israel, we have exercised our sinful flesh despite God’s supernatural working in our lives, and when God hasn’t worked according to our timetable, how often we have redirected the glory for victories God had wrought to someone or something other than the One to whom it was due!

Then, notice Aaron’s lame cover-up when confronted with his sin! (Exodus 32:24) Aaron actually has the audacity to say to Moses, that he simply threw the gold into the fire and out popped a golden calf! That “miracle” having taken place, the only natural thing to do, according to Aaron’s whacked out rationalization and justification, was to set it in front of the people so they could dance around it and party the day away in sensual lust! Though Aaron’s “explanation” sounds totally absurd to us, I wonder how absurd the rationalizations and justifications we sometimes try to use to “explain” away our carnal behavior sounds to God!

Sadly, the wonderful things that God had planned for His people that He was detailing to Moses up on the mountain, were at that very moment being polluted by Aaron, and the children of Israel, down at the base of the mountain. (Make note that this great sin committed by the children of Israel in Exodus 32 became a sinful “marker” or “milestone” in Israel’s history that Stephen even referenced when recounting Israel’s history to their leaders in Acts 7:41–43!) The tragic fact is, while God was painting a beautiful picture to Moses of how His people could exemplify His holiness and mercy, Israel was simultaneously painting the dreadful portrait of how God’s people so often misrepresent and adulterate His love and His word. (1^st Corinthians 10:1–11)    

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through God’s plan for Aaron the high priest – Exodus 29 (Hebrews 7:26–8:1)

Through the Once-a-year sacrifice for Atonement – Exodus 30:10 (Romans 6:10; Hebrews 7:27; 9:7, 12; 10:10)

OVERVIEW:

God details His plans for the tabernacle; God details His plans for the High Priest’s coverings.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

In John 4, Jesus lets us know that there is something our Father in heaven is seeking: He is seeking WORSHIP! But He is not just seeking “any kind” of worship. He is seeking the worship that only comes from “true worshippers”! (John 4:23) Obviously, by qualifying them as “true worshippers”, there must be a type of unacceptable worship that God recognizes as coming from “false worshippers”! We can then conclude that not everything that goes on in the name of “worship” is actually recognized by God and received of God as “true worship”! In the section we enter, in our reading today, our God is providing a detailed description and prescription for the “true worship” He desired from the nation of Israel in the days following their exodus from Egypt. It all surrounds what was basically a “tent” that was approximately 45 feet long, 15 feet wide and 15 feet high, which is the outer court surrounding the tent measuring approximately 150 feet by 75 feet. The whole thing is what is most commonly referred to biblically as the “tabernacle” and served the nation of Israel as what might be referred to as a “mobile worship center”.

The tabernacle was actually comprised of three sections: the outer court, in which the common people could come; the holy place, in which only the priests could come; and, what we call the holy of holies, or the most holy place, in which only the high priest could come (and that, only once a year, on the day of atonement). This “mobile worship center” represented God’s presence with His people, Israel, for over 400 years—from the exodus to the building of the permanent structure known as the temple.

As we begin to discuss some of the details of the tabernacle, it is important to note that the Divine Architect (the Designer and Builder of the universe!) is now taking on His second “building project” through man. The first, of course, was the ark Noah built, which was a vessel by which God SAVED man, carrying him through the FLOOD. The second, the tabernacle (and specifically the ark of the covenant in the “holy of holies” inside the tabernacle), was a vessel through which God MET with man, as MAN carried GOD through the WILDERNESS. In both building projects, note that the instructions for the construction of each project were very detailed and specific, and were given to man by supernatural revelation. God left nothing to man’s self-styled imagination or invention.

It is worth noting that God begins this second building project by instructing Moses to take up an offering from the people for the construction of the tabernacle. Obviously, God could have simply spoken it into existence, just as He did the entire universe, so it begs the question, why didn’t He? While there are certainly other reasons, there are at least two very simple, and yet, very significant ones:

1. A PRACTICAL Reason.

This tent would serve as the place where God would “dwell” with man; be His “meeting place” with man; and be the place where He would “inhabit the praises of His people.” For those very important reasons, God chose to allow the people to enjoy a sense of ownership in the project by allowing them to provide both the funding and the craftsmanship (sewing, carving, goldsmithing, baking, dying, etc.) for its completion. As has been noted through the centuries, “People regard that which cost them nothing as having little or no value.” Obviously, God wanted to be sure that never happened with the tabernacle but wanted to ensure that the people of Israel always maintained a keen appreciation for this special “meeting place” with God! Note, also, that the offering God specified was not in any way to be connected to LAW, but rather to GRACE! Verse 2 of chapter 25 says that the offering was to be given “WILLINGLY” and with their “HEART”!

2. An INSTRUCTIONAL Reason.

God gave very explicit details concerning the tabernacle’s construction for a very monumental reason: this was no ordinary tent! This tent was actually the EARTHLY representation of another tabernacle, a HEAVENLY tabernacle that Hebrews 8:2 refers to as “the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” In the specifications for the tabernacle’s construction, God used the pattern of the HEAVENLY tabernacle to reveal to Moses, and the children of Israel, the desired details concerning His EARTHLY dwelling place. (Exodus 25:9; Hebrews 8:5) One day we will understand that the details provided in Exodus 25–30 and Exodus 35–39 actually reveal more information about the universe than the most powerful and sophisticated 21^st century telescope, as well as reveal to us the information about the universe that God didn’t see fit to include in Genesis 1 and Job 38! But I must say, comprehending the details of how the EARTHLY TABERNACLE actually mirrored the HEAVENLY TABERNACLE now, will take someone much more spiritually and biblically astute than me, not to mention someone way more intelligent!

One thing I do understand, is that just as there were three parts of the tabernacle on the earth, there are three heavens. (2^nd Corinthians 12:2; Psalm 148) Just as God’s presence was beyond the veil in the third part of the tabernacle (the “holy of holies”), God’s actual presence in the universe is beyond the veil identified as the frozen waters of “the deep” northward in the third heaven. (Job 38:30; Isaiah 14:13; Psalm 48:2)

Other “tidbits” concerning the tabernacle:

• The tabernacle is referred to in scripture by such names as the tent, the tent of testimony, the tent of the congregation, the tabernacle of witness, the tabernacle of testimony, the tabernacle of the congregation, and the place of dwelling.
• In Exodus 25–39, God provides for us a verbal diagram of the tabernacle, the details concerning the materials that were to be used in its construction, the furniture to be placed within, the utensils to be used inside, as well as a description of those who were to minister therein.
• Exodus 25–27, where the prominent vessel of the tabernacle is detailed, the ark of the covenant, reveal to us GOD’s approach to MAN.
• Exodus 28–30, where the prominent “vessel” of the tabernacle that is detailed, the high priest, reveal to us MAN’S approach to GOD.
• Historically, God designed this tabernacle because He wanted to dwell and commune with His people, the JEWS. (Exodus 25:8, 22) Practically, God designed the record of it so that all of the people through the annals of history would likewise know that through Christ (which is what is actually being pictured throughout the tabernacle), that same God wants to dwell in and commune with US, His CHURCH! (2^nd Corinthians 6:14–16; 1^st John 4:12–13; Hebrews 9:1–14)
• Entire books have been written about the numerous pictures and types drawn by God in the whole layout, design, and contents of the tabernacle. Like any great art, the more you look at it, the more you see!

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

In the ARK of the COVENANT, wood overlaid by pure gold (wood representing His humanity and gold representing His deity) – Exodus 25:10–11 (Philippians 2:6–8)

In the MERCY SEAT – Exodus 25:17 (Romans 3:24–25 – Note that the word “propitiation” in Romans 3:25 is translated “mercy seat” in Hebrews 9:5, and 1^st John 2:2 says that Christ “is the propitiation for our sins.”)

In the TABLE of SHEWBREAD – Exodus 25:23–30 (Jesus is the bread of life: John 6:33, 35, 48, 51).

In the CANDLESTICK – Exodus 25:31 (Jesus is the light: John 1:4–9; 8:12; 9:5; 12:35–36, 46)

In the VEIL – Exodus 26:30–37 (Representing the physical body of Christ which was “torn” to bring us to God: Mark 15:38; Hebrews 10:20)

Through the HIGH PRIEST and all of his CLOTHING – Exodus 28:1–43 (Jesus is our High Priest: Hebrews 2:17; 3:1)

OVERVIEW:

God gives examples of His “judgments” by which to judge right from wrong; Israel agrees to obey God’s commands; Moses goes up again to meet with God on Mount Sinai.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we came through Exodus 21 in yesterday’s reading, God began giving Israel “judgments” by which to judge right from wrong. He lays down specific commands for how the nation of Israel was to function in their relationship with Him, and thus, with one another. It is important to recognize that, in this nation that God was forming in Israel, the blueprint for their governmental structure would be different from any nation in the world. This nation would not be a democracy, a dictatorship, or a republic. Israel was the first and only Theocracy, meaning that God Himself would serve as their King, Chief Executive, Ruler, Legislator, and Judge. The plan was simple: they were to obey God, and the result would be protection and blessing. As God recounts the establishment of this Theocracy in Jeremiah 11:4, notice that the key to their “society” wasn’t first and foremost how man related to his fellow man, but how man related to God. God, of course, knows that when men are rightly related to Him, they will be rightly related to one another. God also knows that the opposite is also true: if men are NOT rightly related to Him, no amount of laws can keep a society functioning properly. Romans 1:16–32 explains the inevitability of the moral decay of society when sinful human beings disregard the God who created them.

It is interesting to note that the very first thing God emphasizes after giving the nation of Israel the Ten Commandments was the admonition to treat their servants properly. (Chapter 21) Keep in mind that this instruction comes immediately after they had been delivered from 400 years of abusive servitude at the hands of the Egyptians! The fact was, Israel’s mindset concerning the treatment of servants needed serious renovation, or in the words of Romans 12:2, the people of Israel needed to be “transformed by the renewing of their minds.” Being delivered out of the bondage of our own particular background, each of us would do well to consider what areas of our life God knows we need to be “transformed by the renewing of our mind”, lest sinful behavior be the result of our old patterns of thinking.

What follows, in this section in the book of Exodus, are various laws that appear to be random, yet God was very calculatingly laying down each one, not only because they were essential examples the people of Israel needed in order to understand God’s holy character and values, but because they were essential for how God wanted to put His holiness on display to the watching world through this unique nation! Keep in mind, that though God will ultimately fulfill His promises to the nation of Israel during the Tribulation Period, right now, according to 1^st Peter 2:9, we (the born-again body of believers, the church) are that “holy nation” through which God wants to put His glory on display to a watching world through our holiness!

Notice also, in this section, that God begins to reveal the fact that He has a special place in His heart for “the fatherless and widows”, as well as for “the poor”. In 22:22–24, He mentions the “affliction” of the fatherless and widows and takes up the cause of the poor in 22:25. God continuously reveals His heart for these three groups of people throughout the Old Testament and continues His revelation even on into the New Testament. He tells us in James 1:27, that “pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and the widows in their AFFLICTION”, and in Galatians 2:10, He tells us that as believers in Christ, we are to “REMEMBER the poor”.

In 23:20–23, we are introduced to “the Angel of the Lord”. He is none other than a pre-incarnate appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Galatians 4:14) Note in verses 20 and 21 of chapter 23 that this “Angel”…

1. Is “before [us]”, just as our Lord Jesus Christ went “before us” as the “Author of our faith”, or the “race” we’ve been called to run. (23:20a c.f. Hebrews 12:1-2)
2. Is the One who will “keep [us] in the way”. (23:20b c.f. Hebrews13:5–6)
3. Is the One who will “bring [us] into the place which [He has] prepared”. (23:20c c.f. John 14:1–3)
4. Is the One of whom we must “beware”. (23:21a c.f. Galatians 6:7a)
5. Is the One whose “voice” we must “obey”. (23:21b c.f. John 14:15)
6. Is the One we must not “provoke”. (23:21c c.f. 1^st Corinthians 10:1–11)
7. Is the One who is an “enemy unto [our] enemies, and an adversary unto [our] adversaries”. (23:21d) Note in Ephesians 6:10–18, that in our battle with Satan and his network of demonic forces, we have not been called to “fight” but to “stand”! Jesus has already fought our enemies/adversary and won!

The three “feasts” mentioned in 23:14–17 held at three different times in the year (23:14) obviously fulfilled an HISTORIC purpose, and yet, they also fulfill a PROPHETIC purpose:

1. The “feast of unleavened bread” (23:15) is the passover feast held in the spring and is representative of the grace and forgiveness found in the offering of Christ as the true Passover Lamb. (1^st Corinthians 5:7)
2. The “feast of harvest” (23:16a), also known as “the feast of firstfruits” (23:16b), or “the feast of weeks” (Deuteronomy 16:16), represents Christ’s resurrection and the subsequent coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, 50 days after passover. (Note: the word “pentecost” means “fiftieth day”, and was held the day AFTER seven weeks, or the day AFTER 49 days had passed from passover.)
3. The “feast of ingathering” (23:16b), also known as the “feast of tabernacles” (Deuteronomy 16:16), pictures the crowning of our glorious King, the Lord Jesus Christ, at His Second Coming when He will “tabernacle” (“dwell” – John 1:14) on this planet with His “gathered” saints for a period of 1000 years.

What an incredible response the people have after hearing “the words of the Lord” in 24:3. With complete unity (“one voice”) they declare to Moses with their mouth, “All the words which the Lord hath said will we do”! (24:3) Moses then wrote the words the Lord had spoken to him while on the mountain and read them to the children of Israel, and once again, the people declare with their mouths, “All that the Lord hath said will we do and be obedient.” Wow! That is the simple essence of the Christian life! Oh, that that were not only the declaration from the mouth of every believer in Christ but that it were the determination in each of our hearts! It is easy to BELIEVE every word of the Bible, and it is easy to SAY we will OBEY every word of the Bible, but it is quite another thing to actually DO it! That’s exactly the case with the children of Israel here in Exodus 24. Just 40 days after making this incredible declaration, Exodus 32:1 says, “And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.” As the old saying goes, “Talk is cheap.”

One of the most simple, yet profound (and blessed!) verses in this entire section is found in chapter 24 and verse 12. God is inviting Moses to come up to Mount Sinai to receive the infamous “tables of stone”. It is obviously a very significant piece of the entire puzzle concerning God’s dealing with man. The wording of verse 12, however, not only screams out the heart of the passage, but the very heart of God! Notice that God DOES NOT say to Moses, “Come up into the mount, and I will give thee tables of stone.” What God says to Moses is, “Come up TO ME into the mount, and BE THERE: and I will give thee tables of stone”! God lets Moses know that even more than giving him the incredibly significant tables of stone, what was important to His heart was that Moses come into His PRESENCE, just to BE WITH HIM! So often we relegate the Christian life to “DOING”.  God wants us to know that, though there are certainly many, many important things that we need to DO, what is vitally important to His heart is that we simply desire to BE with Him, like He desires to BE with us!

As we continue to make our journey through the word of God, remember that what is in God’s heart is not simply that we DO our assigned daily readings, but that every day we come up into His PRESENCE through the pages of His glorious book, to BE WITH HIM!

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through MOSES who delivers God’s commands, consummates a blood sacrifice, and communes with God for 40 days – Exodus 24:2, 3, 8, 18 (Hebrews 10:12; Mark 1:13)

OVERVIEW:

Water from the rock in Horeb; Joshua leads Israel in defeating Amalek in battle at the Lord’s command; Jethro brings Moses’ wife and two sons to Moses in the wilderness; God appears to Moses on Mount Sinai; God gives to Moses the ten commandments; the civil law for the nation of Israel and the consequences for disobedience.  

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we move into Exodus 17, in today’s reading, Moses illustrates what a trusting Christian does in times of testing: he turns to the Lord and asks for guidance! (Exodus 17:4; James 1:5) In response, the Lord orders Moses to smite the rock at Horeb and out would flow water for the murmuring people of Israel. The picture is obvious: Christ, who is our Rock (1^st Corinthians 10:4), was smitten on the cross to provide living water to quench the souls of all who are thirsty! (John 7:37–38)

In the second half of chapter 17, Moses orders Joshua to lead the people of Israel in battle against Amalek (a picture of the flesh). Notice that God makes a point, in 17:16, to let us know that the battle with Amalek is a battle that will continue from generation to generation. In Galatians 5:17, God makes a point, to let us know, that the battle between the Spirit and the flesh is a battle that we will face until we receive a glorified body! (Romans 8:23) As pictured in Exodus 17, our only hope in winning this battle is to allow our Joshua (the Lord Jesus Christ) to lead us to daily victory. (Exodus 17:10, 13) Note that this battle was won only after Israel had received water from the rock! Water in the Bible is a picture of the word of God, which is the weapon (the Sword) the Spirit of God, who lives in us, uses against the flesh!  (Ephesians 5:26; 6:17; Psalm 119:9–11)

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, comes to the wilderness in chapter 18 and offers Moses some advice about how to delegate responsibility so that he and the people of Israel wouldn’t get worn out. (Exodus 18:16–18, 21–22) Moses takes his advice (Exodus 18:24–26) and it certainly lifted some of the burden and responsibility off of his shoulders. Whether or not this is what God intended, however, is unclear. Even Jethro didn’t know if his plan would be pleasing to God. (Exodus 18:23) Though Jethro’s counsel makes a lot of sense from a human perspective (“the wisdom of men” – 1^st Corinthians 2:5), we must always be careful when getting “wisdom from this world” (1^st Corinthians 2:6) because God says in Isaiah 55:8– 9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

In chapter 19, Moses meets with God on Mount Sinai. It is here that God reveals to Moses His plan for the people of Israel and the rest of the world. (Exodus 19:5–6) God desired Israel to be “a kingdom of priests and an holy nation.” His intention was that Israel would be so different from the rest of the world that the people of the world would want what Israel had, namely, their God! God’s plan is still the same! We read in 1^st Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” God wants us to be so different from the rest of the world that they will want what we have: a personal relationship with the God of the universe!

In chapter 19 and verse 11, God paints a prophetic picture of the second coming of Christ. God says, “Be ready against the third day: for the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai.” Peter explains in 2^nd Peter 3:8 that a thousand years is as one day to God. Using that equation, it has been about 2000 years (or two days on God’s time clock) since Christ died on the cross. The third day is fast approaching, when the Lord will come down in the sight of the whole world! (Philippians 2:10–11)

Chapters 20 and 21 deals with the law of Moses, or the Ten Commandments, as we most often refer to them. We know that the law is good (1^st Timothy 1:8–9) because it embodies the character and nature of God’s holiness, but we must be sure it is used for the right reasons. The law was never intended to provide our salvation, though, it has a very important purpose in bringing us to salvation. The law was given to reveal to us our sin (Romans 7:7), so that in humility and contrition, we would cry out to God for the salvation He offers through His Son! (Galatians 3:19–24)

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

As the ROCK from which water flows – Exodus 17:1–6 (1^st Corinthians 10:4; John 4:14)

Through JOSHUA – Exodus 17:9–16

Note: Joshua is the Hebrew name for Jesus, the one who fights for us in battle with our enemies.

Through the LAW – Exodus 20:1–17 (Matthew 5:17; Hebrews 4:15; Romans 10:4)

OVERVIEW:

Israel’s exodus out of Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea; the song of Moses and Israel; manna from heaven.  

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As the passover clearly illustrates the Christian’s salvation through the blood of the Lamb, so the journey of Israel from Egypt to Canaan is a picture of the battles and blessings of the Christian life. Sadly, like Israel, many Christians after being delivered out of the bondage of Egypt get lost in the wilderness of unbelief. That’s not to say they lose their salvation; they just never receive all the inheritance that God intends for them. (Note: losing your salvation is not taught, in precept, in the New Testament for those who are a part of the body of Christ, and the picture is consistent in the Old Testament. Notice that in the picture painted through the nation of Israel in Exodus 14:13, they never returned to Egypt!)

The crossing of the Red Sea is a picture of the believer’s identification with Christ. Israel was “baptized unto Moses” (1^st Corinthians 10:1–2) or, in other words, they followed their deliverer, Moses (a picture of Christ), identifying themselves with him as they went through the Red Sea. When they came up out of the parted waters, and they closed behind them, it symbolized that they had left the old life in Egypt behind. We make our public identification with Christ at our water baptism, which symbolizes our spiritual identification with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection that was made when we called upon His name to save us, and symbolizes that we, too, are leaving the old life in Egypt (sin) behind!

Just as there is a law of gravity to which all are subjected, there is also a law of sowing and reaping to which all are subjected! (Galatians 6:7–8) Pharaoh reaped exactly what he had sown. In Exodus 1:22, he had been responsible for drowning many Jewish males—now the males in his army were drowned. (Exodus 14:26–28) Our God will not be mocked! (Galatians 6:7)

Notice also, that just as Moses and Israel sang a song praising God for their deliverance from their bondage in Egypt (Exodus 15), as believers in Christ, we, too, sing a song of deliverance praising God for our deliverance from Egypt (sin)! (Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:19; Psalm 40:1-3)

As the children of Israel begin their journey through the wilderness in chapter 16, God feeds them with bread from heaven that is called “manna”. In John 6:31–35, Jesus let us know that the manna was actually a picture of Him! Note at least eight ways the manna in Exodus 16 is a picture of Christ…

• It was a mystery.

Verse 15 says, “And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was…” In fact, the word “manna” actually means “What is it?” They called it that because they could not explain it. It was a mystery to them. This is exactly what Paul was talking about in 1^st Timothy 3:16, that he is called, “the mystery of godliness”. Just what was the mystery? That “God was manifest in the flesh”. Manna is a picture of who Christ is; that incredible mystery that He is God, manifest in the flesh, or God in a human body.

• It was small.

Verse 14 says, it was “…as small as the hoar (or white) frost on the ground.” Of course, “small” speaks of Christ’s humility. Though He was the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, Shekinah glory of the Godhead, He humbled Himself to be born into the world that He, Himself, had created. He did so, as a “small” baby. Philippians 2:6–7 says that though Christ was equal with God, He made Himself of no reputation (He humbled Himself) by allowing Himself to be made in the likeness of men.

• It was round.

The middle of verse 14 says that it was “…a small round thing…” This speaks of Christ’s eternality: the fact that He had no beginning and has no end. In John 8:58, Jesus said, “…Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” Notice that He didn’t say, “Before Abraham was, I WAS!” He clearly said, “Before Abraham was, I AM!” In other words, like something that is round, He had no beginning and has no end. In Revelation 1:8, Jesus said to the Apostle John, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which IS, and which WAS, and which IS TO COME, the Almighty.” Listen, God could have made the manna any shape He wanted to make it, but because it was a picture of Christ, He made it ROUND—having no beginning and no ending.

• It was a gift.

The middle of verse 15 says “…And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath GIVEN you to eat.” John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he GAVE…” Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death, but the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

• It was white.

Verse 31 says, “And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: it was like coriander seed, WHITE…” White, of course, speaks of His purity and righteousness. It speaks of the fact that He came into this world without sin and without a sin nature, because He came by way of a virgin birth. (Matthew 1:20) Note that Romans 5:12 says that the curse of sin is passed through the man.

• It was sweet.

The end of verse 31 says, “…and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.” Psalm 34:8 says, “O, taste and see that the Lord is good…” Psalm 119:103 says, “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”  But, if you are ever really going to know His sweetness, you must taste of the Lord; you must take Him in! It wasn’t enough for the children of Israel to admire the manna, or to respect it, or even to acknowledge that it was a gift from God; they had to eat it for themselves!

• It was on the ground.

So, you know what you had to do to get it? You had to bow; you had to bend; you had to stoop. In other words, you had to humble yourself to get it. Do you realize that God could have put the manna anywhere He wanted? He could have suspended it in midair. He could have put it on the branches of the trees. He could have put it on the mountain tops. But you know what He did? He made it accessible to everyone! It came to where they were, but to get it, they had to stoop. Do you know who could reach it best? Children! Because they don’t have as far to bend. Jesus said in Matthew 18:3, “…Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus came to where we are, but to receive Him, we must humble ourselves.

• It must be received early.

Verse 21 says, “And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.” There was an urgency concerning the manna, because once the sun rose on the earth, the manna melted. The opportunity to receive it was gone! Interestingly enough, the Bible says in Malachi 4:1-2, that in the very near future, the “Sun of righteousness” (the Lord Jesus Christ) is going to arise on this planet, and He will burn up all His enemies. (Psalm 97:3) In 2^nd Thessalonians 1:7–9, Paul tells us that the day is coming “…when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire (like the sun!) taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.” God’s message concerning the manna was to be sure to receive it before the sun came up! Likewise, God’s message to the people in the last days is to be sure to receive Christ before He rises in the eastern sky as the “Sun of righteousness” upon this planet! Isaiah 55:6 warns us, “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:”     

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

As MANNA from heaven – Exodus 16 (John 6:31–35)

(See Highlights & Insights above)

OVERVIEW:

The last three of the 10 plagues, including the death of the firstborn; the passover and feast of unleavened bread instituted by God as a memorial feast.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

God’s desire in delivering Israel out of the bondage of Egypt was to totally separate them as a people unto Himself. He intended not only to bring them OUT of EGYPT, but to bring them IN to CANAAN! (Deuteronomy 6:23; Leviticus 25:38; Exodus 3:8) Canaan was the place of abundance; it was the place God had promised them; the place that signified victory over their enemies; the place where they could experience a brand new kind of existence because of the intimacy of their relationship with God. (Leviticus 25:38b)

As we have seen, though all of those things were gloriously true of God’s desire for Israel, God uses the historical account of their exodus to teach us about our own exodus. (1^st Corinthians 10:6, 11) God’s desire in delivering us out of our bondage to sin, self, and Satan was to, likewise, separate us as a people unto Himself. Now that God has delivered us out of the clutches of Satan, and the world’s system of evil, 2^nd Corinthians 6:14–18 lets us know that He wants us to make absolutely no compromises with the world and/or the devil. He wants to bring US into a brand new type of existence because of the intimacy of our relationship with Him. A relationship where we are experiencing the “abundant life” that Jesus talked about in John 10:10, and where we live in victory over our enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil!

With God’s intentions for Israel in mind, it’s interesting to note the four compromises Pharaoh (a picture of Satan) offered to Moses and the people of Israel (the individual believer in Christ) in the midst of the 10 plagues. Recognize that these are the same compromises Satan seeks to use to keep God’s purposes from being fulfilled in and through us!

• Worship God, but stay in Egypt. (Exodus 8:25–27)

In other words, go to church, get involved, serve, tithe, even witness, but just don’t separate yourself from the world. Allow the world to still be your “friend”. It does not bother Satan one bit for us to be double-minded, or to have a double allegiance; he welcomes it! God, however, despises it (James 1:8; 4:8) and demands complete separation from the world because friendship with the world is enmity with Him. (James 4:4; 2^nd Corinthians 6:14–18)

• Leave, but don’t go too far away. (Exodus 8:28)

Satan says, “Sure, do the ‘God thing’, but you don’t have to be a fanatic about it! Give God a place in your heart, but don’t go overboard with it!”  God says, “If I am God, follow me alone! If anything else is god, then follow it! But don’t think that you can do both!” (1^st Kings 18:21) The fact is, we can’t be close to God and close to the world at the same time. Jesus said it is an impossibility! (Matthew 6:24) He also said it makes Him sick! (Revelation 3:5–16)

• Leave, but allow your children to remain in Egypt. (Exodus10:7–11)

Satan will let men think they’re doing well spiritually, if in so doing, he can take captive the next generation. Men have been called, however, to bring their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4), and to lead their families to worship God and God alone. (1^st Timothy 3:4–5; Titus 1:6)

• Leave, but keep your possessions in Egypt. (Exodus 10:24–26)

Satan wants us to think that our relationship with God and our relationship with our money and possessions are two different things. The simple biblical fact is, they are not! Jesus said, “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24), and “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:21) If we have somehow convinced ourselves that we are walking in the perfect will of God for our life, but our treasure is in Egypt (the world) we have been duped!

In other words, go to church, get involved, serve, tithe, even witness, but just don’t separate yourself from the world. Allow the world to still be your “friend”. It does not bother Satan one bit for us to be double-minded, or to have a double allegiance; he welcomes it! God, however, despises it (James 1:8; 4:8) and demands complete separation from the world because friendship with the world is enmity with Him. (James 4:4; 2^nd Corinthians 6:14–18)

Satan says, “Sure, do the ‘God thing’, but you don’t have to be a fanatic about it! Give God a place in your heart, but don’t go overboard with it!”  God says, “If I am God, follow me alone! If anything else is god, then follow it! But don’t think that you can do both!” (1^st Kings 18:21) The fact is, we can’t be close to God and close to the world at the same time. Jesus said it is an impossibility! (Matthew 6:24) He also said it makes Him sick! (Revelation 3:5–16)

Satan will let men think they’re doing well spiritually, if in so doing, he can take captive the next generation. Men have been called, however, to bring their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4), and to lead their families to worship God and God alone. (1^st Timothy 3:4–5; Titus 1:6)

Satan wants us to think that our relationship with God and our relationship with our money and possessions are two different things. The simple biblical fact is, they are not! Jesus said, “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24), and “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:21) If we have somehow convinced ourselves that we are walking in the perfect will of God for our life, but our treasure is in Egypt (the world) we have been duped!

To avoid the death of the firstborn, the people of Israel had to kill a spotless lamb and apply the blood to the doorposts of their house. When God saw the blood, He “passed over” that house and the judgment upon the firstborn was averted. Once again, God is painting an Old Testament picture to teach us the New Testament truth that we can only be delivered from the curse of death upon our first birth by applying the blood of the true, spotless “Passover Lamb”, the Lord Jesus Christ! (1^st Corinthians 5:7; 1^st Peter 1:18–19; John 3:3)

Note the progression concerning the lamb in Exodus 12:3–5. It is “A lamb”, then, “THE lamb”, then “YOUR lamb”. The practical implications to each individual are powerful: in order for your sin to be removed, you need “A lamb”! (Luke 2:11) But, not just any lamb will do! It must be “THE Lamb”! (John 4:42) But in order for your sin to actually be removed, “THE Lamb” must become “YOUR Lamb”! (John 20:28)    

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

As the LIGHT TO HIS PEOPLE – Exodus 10:22–23 (John 8:12)

The sacrifice of an UNBLEMISHED LAMB with no BROKEN BONES – Exodus 12:5, 46 (1^st Peter 1:19; Psalm 34:20; John 19:36)

As the Passover Lamb – Exodus 12:3–5 (1^st Corinthians 5:7b; 1^st Peter 1:19; John 1:29)

OVERVIEW:

Moses and Aaron go before Pharaoh; the first seven of the 10 plagues.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Seven times God says to Pharaoh, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.” (Exodus 5:1; 7:16; 8:1, 20; 9:1, 13; 10:3). Notice that, though the children of Israel would most certainly be the beneficiaries of God’s delivering power, the actual purpose in delivering them out of the bondage of Egypt wasn’t first and foremost for them, it was for Him! It was so the children of Israel could “serve HIM”, not Pharaoh, and not Egypt! In recounting His purpose in Israel’s “exodus” in Ezekiel 20:9, God said, “But I wrought for my name’s sake, that it should be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them fourth out of the land of Egypt.” Let us never forget, that God’s purpose in delivering us out of the bondage of Egypt (sin/ world) was not simply so we could live comfortable, happy lives, and go to heaven when we die. He saved us for His purposes and pleasure (Ephesians 2:10; Revelation 4:11; John 17:3). He saved us so we would cease polluting His holy name! He saved us so we would cease serving our own selfish and worldly interests—so we could serve HIM! (2^nd Corinthians 5:15)

The ten plagues of Egypt had a fourfold purpose:

1. They were signs to Israel, assuring them of God’s power and care. (Exodus 7:3; 1^st Corinthians 1:22)
2. They were judgments upon Egypt and its ruler, Pharaoh, for persecuting Israel.
3. They were prophecies of judgments that will come upon this world and Satan when Moses reappears on this planet during the tribulation period. (Revelation 16)
4. To show the people of Egypt God’s superiority over their gods.

• The 1^st plague of bloody waters was directed against the Egyptian god, Osiris, the god of the Nile. (Exodus 7:20)

• The 2^nd plague of the frogs was directed against Hekt, the Egyptian frog goddess. (Exodus 8:6)

• The 3^rd plague of lice was directed against the Egyptian god, Seb, the earth god. (Exodus 8:17)

• The 4^th plague of flies was directed against the Egyptian goddess, Hatkok, the wife of Osiris. (Exodus 8:24)

• The 5^th plague of cattle disease was directed against the Egyptian god, Apis, the sacred bull god. (Exodus 9:6)

• The 6^th plague of boils was directed against the Egyptian god, Typhon, god of volcanic forces and strong winds. (Exodus 9:10)

• The 7^th plague, hail with fire, was directed against the Egyptian god, Shu, the god of the atmosphere. (Exodus 9:23)

• The 8^th plague of locusts was directed against Serapia, the god who supposedly protected Egypt against locusts. (Exodus 10:14)

• The 9^th plague, darkness, was directed against the Egyptian god, Ra, the sun god. (Exodus 10:22)

• The 10^th plague, the death of the firstborn, was directed against all gods. (Exodus 12:29)

Notice Pharaoh’s (Satan’s) response to God’s command to let his people go in Exodus 5:1: “And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice…?” (Exodus 5:2) Keep in mind that the world and Satan have no respect for God’s word; it is “vain” to them. (5:9) Sinners will either yield to God’s word, or resist it and become hardened. (Exodus 7:14; Hebrews 3:13)

Notice also that God says that His purpose in allowing Pharaoh to oppress Israel was so that His power and glory might be known to the world. (Exodus 6:7; 7:5, 17; 8:10, 22) Today, God is fulfilling His purposes through His church. (Ephesians 3:10) That is why God sometimes allows us to be oppressed (“suffer persecution”—2^nd Timothy 3:12); that He might reveal His power and glory to the world! Our response to persecution and suffering will determine whether or not we will allow God to fulfill His purposes through us. (1^st Peter 2:19–23, Philippians 1:28–29)   

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

As the REDEEMER from the bondage of sin – Exodus 6:6 (Romans 6:14; Galatians 3:13; 1^st Peter 1:18–25)

OVERVIEW:

The bondage of the Jews in Egypt; Moses’ birth and early life in Egypt; Moses’ flight into Midian; the burning bush; God commissions Moses and Aaron to deliver Israel; Moses’ return to Egypt.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

The word “exodus” means “the way out”. The book of Exodus is the story of Israel’s deliverance from bondage in Egypt. It should be noted, as we begin this portion of the Bible, that more column inches are given to the record of Israel’s exodus than any other thing in the entire Bible! It is the subject matter, not only of the book of Exodus, but the books of Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy and even into the book of Joshua! Why so much detail about one event? We are told why in 1^st Corinthians 10:1-11: the exodus is not just a PORTION of Israel’s history—it is a PORTRAIT of the Christian life! God tells us that we’re given this incredible record of Israel’s history, so that the same thing that happened to them, doesn’t happen to us! (See 1^st Corinthians 10:6, 11.) The sad reality is that for most believers, it does!

To help you “develop the pictures”, as we make our way through Israel’s exodus, keep in mind that:

• EGYPT is a picture of the world and sin. It will consistently stand for that which is in opposition to God and God’s people. Just as Egypt held God’s people in bondage in the Old Testament, it pictures the world’s system that seeks to hold us in bondage in the New Testament. (Ephesians 2:2)
• PHARAOH, the wicked king of Egypt, is a picture of Satan, the wicked king of the world’s system who exercises his will in taking God’s people captive. (2^nd Timothy 2:26)
• ISRAEL is a picture of the individual believer. Please note that Israel is not a picture of the church! In Exodus 4:22-23, God plainly declares that “Israel is my son” and commands Moses to tell Pharaoh to “let my son go, that he may serve me.” In the New Testament, God reveals that as individual believers in Christ, we now possess the title, “son of God”. (1^st John 3:2; John 1:12; Romans 8:14) Making the proper connection between Israel and the individual believer will keep us from “wrongly dividing the word of truth” (2^nd Timothy 2:13), and misapplying God’s word to our lives.
• MOSES is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, the deliverer of God’s people.
• AMALEK is a picture of the flesh, which constantly wars with our spirits as we seek to walk with Christ. (Galatians 5:16-17)

Keep in mind, as you read about Israel’s affliction in today’s reading, that the Jews had gone down to Egypt and lived off the best of the land. (Genesis 47:6) This luxury has now turned into sorrow and suffering. It is an inescapable principle of life: sin promises freedom and happiness, but in the end, it only leads to bondage and sorrow. Be constantly on guard against the “deceitfulness of sin”! (Hebrews 3:13; Romans 7:11; Ephesians 4:22)

As the Hebrews remained in bondage for 400 years(!), it seemed as if God was either unaware or unconcerned of their situation. They, no doubt, felt forsaken, and wondered why God had not provided their deliverance. Had they only remembered what God said in Genesis 15:13-16, they would have known that God had already prophesied that the duration of their bondage would be 400 years. During these years when it seemed as if God was doing nothing, He was actually preparing His people (Exodus 1), preparing the deliverer (Exodus 2-4), and extending incredible mercy by giving the wicked nations of Canaan time to repent (Genesis 15:16). When we feel that God is either unaware or unconcerned about our circumstances, we must remember that God is constantly at work in our lives for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28-29), even when we can’t see it with our physical eyes!

At 40 years of age, Moses determined that it was time to accomplish the mission for which he had been called—to deliver Israel! There was only one problem, however. It wasn’t GOD’S time! Exodus 2:12 says that Moses “looked this way and that.” Moses wanted to fulfill God’s calling on his life but he was walking by sight and not by faith. (2^nd Corinthians 5:7) God had 40 years of training ahead for Moses in the land of Midian serving as a shepherd for his father-in-law’s flock before he would be prepared for the difficult task that lie ahead in shepherding God’s flock.

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through MOSES as SHEPHERD and DELIVERER – Exodus 3:1, 11 (John 10:11-14; Hebrews 13:20; 1^st Peter 5:4; Romans 11:26; Titus 2:14)

Note: Moses is one of the most perfect types of Christ in the entire Bible. Moses himself makes this declaration in Deuteronomy 18:15. As the Great I AM – Exodus 3:13–14 (John 8:58; Hebrews 13:8)

OVERVIEW:

Jacob’s vision at Beersheba; the journey to Egypt; Joseph and the famine; the best land given to Jacob; Jacob blesses Joseph’s sons; Jacob’s prophecies upon his sons; the deaths of Jacob and Joseph.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

In today’s reading, Jacob begins the journey toward Egypt to be reunited with his beloved son, Joseph. At Beersheba, God spoke to Jacob in a vision of the night, assuring him that it was His will that he goes to Egypt, and that though he would die there, God would eventually return His people to the land that was promised. As has been already noted, God is consistently hammering the point that Egypt is a downward move, and one must be brought up out of Egypt. (Genesis 46:4) Egypt is a picture of sin and the world.

When Jacob is reunited with Joseph, it has been 22 long years, with an incredible amount of water that has passed under the proverbial bridge. Joseph is now 39, and Jacob is 130. Joseph introduces his father to the Pharaoh and he grants Jacob the best part of Egypt for his family to settle in; an area called Goshen.

After 17 years in Egypt, Jacob realizes that he is close to death. He has one major thing that he makes Joseph promise him: “Bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt.” (47:2-31)

Chapter 48 records Jacob’s (Israel’s) last blessing. Joseph brings his two sons before his father, and he adopts them as his own sons and assures them of an equal inheritance. However, a strange thing happens as Israel bestows the blessing upon his sons. As Joseph brings his two sons before his father, Manasseh is brought toward Jacob’s right hand, and Ephraim is brought toward his left hand. As Jacob reaches out to impart the blessing, he crosses his hands, giving the firstborn blessing of his right hand to Ephraim, the younger son. Though Joseph objected, Israel explained that God was once again going to bestow the firstborn blessing upon the younger son.

What is the meaning of this bizarre story? It is all an incredible picture! The Bible refers to Christ as the “firstborn among many brethren,” who is “seated at the Father’s right hand.” When we came before the Father, and asked Him to bestow the blessing of eternal life upon us, in effect, God the Father crossed His hands. Since He only has one gift of eternal life, and that life is in His Son (1^st John 5:11-12), God took His right hand and placed it on us, and took His left hand and placed it on His Son. Christ gets our sin—we get His righteousness. (2^nd Corinthians 5:20) Christ dies our death—we get His life. (Romans 5:10) Christ gets our curse—we get the firstborn blessing! (Galatians 3:13-14)

The scene in chapter 49 as the dying Jacob calls his sons into his bedroom is not only incredibly prophetic (Genesis 49:1 “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days”), it is also an incredible picture! It is an extremely graphic and detailed picture of the Judgment Seat of Christ! (2^nd Corinthians 5:10-11)

As Joseph comes to the end of his life in Genesis 50, he has the same passion as did his father before him, manifest through one major request. He wanted to be certain that his bones did not remain in Egypt! Like his father, he wanted to be buried in Canaan. Why? Because Canaan was the land promised. Jacob and Joseph both realized that though they were in Egypt (the world), they were not of Egypt (the world)! (John 17:11–16) Joseph’s request was not forgotten. As the children of Israel set out for Canaan, 400 years later, Exodus 13:19 says that they took Joseph’s bones with them. Don’t miss the incredible picture being painted here because we also have the promise of God that He will not allow our bones to remain in Egypt! (1^st Thessalonians 4:11-17) Notice that the book of Genesis begins with a man in a garden, and ends with a man in a coffin; it begins with life, and ends with death. God says, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) and “sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:15)

As we conclude the book of Genesis today, here is a simple way to remember the content of this vitally important book. The book of Genesis is comprised of:

✦ FOUR KEY EVENTS (Genesis 1–11)

1. Creation (1–2)
2. The Fall (3–5)
3. The Flood (6–9)
4. The Tower of Babel (10–11)

✦ FOUR KEY MEN (Genesis 12–50)

1. Abraham (12:1–25:8)
2. Isaac (21:1–35:29)
3. Jacob (25:21–50:14)
4. Joseph (30:22–50:26)

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through JOSEPH, WHO SUSTAINED LIFE AND OFFERED PROVISION FROM HIS POSITION ON THE THRONE – Genesis 47:15-17 (John 6:33) As SHILOH, THE ONE WHO HOLDS THE SCEPTRE FROM THE TRIBE OF JUDAH – Genesis 49:10 (Luke 3:23-33)