Tag Archives: Old Testament

Moses sets up God’s Tent (Exodus 40)

Posted on by

Bible Summary:

Moses sets up the Tent of God’s Presence with the Ten Commandment tablets, two years after he led the people of Israel out of Egypt, and then dedicates it to God. God visits the Tent as a cloud with dazzling lights. Each time the cloud lifts, they move the camp.

My Thoughts:

Worship Center: Moses established the worship center and holy rituals, followed by the Jews for the last 3,500 years. The Christian religions incorporate many of these rituals since Jesus was a Jew and practiced them.

Traveling with God: The people of Israel feared God’s presence with them during the time of Moses, but I am sure most people today would love to have God visibly with them, especially in their time of need or “wandering”.

Prayer: Please be with us God. Help us through our suffering, provide us what we need, give us hope to fulfill our dreams for You, and forever shine Your light upon us to bring happiness and joy.

Second Ten Commandment Tablets (Exodus 34)

Posted on by

Bible Summary:

God tells Moses to cut two new stones tablets and bring them up Mount Sinai so He can rewrite the Ten Commandments. Moses pleads for Him to come with the people of Israel, so God renews His covenant and says He will clear the way for them. He tells Moses not to make any treaties because it could be a fatal trap. They are to destroy the other people’s religious objects and not worship their goddess Asherah. God reminds Moses to keep all the commandments. Moses stays forty days and nights, eating and drinking nothing, while rewriting the Ten Commandments on the tablets. Moses returns from Mount Sinai with a shining face from speaking to God and the people are afraid to go near him.

My Thoughts:

Anger: Moses took another forty days to create a second pair of Ten Commandment tablets after he broke the first in a fit of anger because the people of Israel worshiped the gold calf.

Most of the time, anger is triggered by something that happens different from what we expect. And, even grown-ups can have tantrums and break things. If you feel anger coming on, just walk away from the situation until you cool down. Then, take time to think about what caused the anger. What expectation was not met and is that expectation really important enough that you are willing to ruin a relationship over it? After you calm down, talk to the person you were getting angry with. Communication can only help you both move toward common expectations, or at least acceptance of each other’s differences.

Peace be with you.

God agrees to go with the people of Israel (Exodus 33)

Posted on by

Bible Summary:

God tells Moses to take the people of Israel from Mount Sinai to the land He promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He says he will drive out all the other people from this fertile land, but He cannot join them since they are so stubborn. The people mourn that God is not happy with them and stop wearing jewelry at His request.

Moses sets up the Tent of His presences outside of each new camp. Whenever he goes to the Tent, a pillar of cloud joins him and the people bow down when they see the cloud.

God changes His mind since He is pleased with Moses and now agrees to go with the people of Israel, plus to give them victory.

My Thoughts:

History of the victor: God agrees to drive all the other people (Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites) out of the fertile land for the people of Israel. Every victor believes God was on their side for the win and sanctioned the contest against the loser. I wonder what God had against those other people.

Israelites defy God, worship gold calf (Exodus 32)

Posted on by

Bible Summary:

Moses is gone forty days and nights up Mount Sinai, so the people of Israel give up on him and ask Aaron to make a god to lead them. Aaron asks for all their gold earrings, melts them down, and molds them into a calf. He then builds an altar to the gold calf and announces a festival for the next day.

God tells Moses the people of Israel have rejected Him, so He is going to destroy them and make a great nation from his descendants. Moses pleads for their lives and God changes His mind.

Moses returns down the mountain with the stone commandments. He is furious to find people worshiping the gold calf, so he smashes the tablets. He grinds the gold calf into powder and makes the people drink it. Then, he calls everyone over to God’s side of the gate to the camp, but only the Levites join him, so Moses tells them to kill the rest, even if they are brother, friend or neighbor. They obey and slaughter 3,000 people that day.

The next day Moses tells the people they have committed a terrible sin. He heads back up the mountain and asks God for forgiveness for their sins. God tells Moses to lead the people to the place he promised with the help of a guiding angel. He then sends disease on the people for their sin.

My Thoughts:

Jealous and vengeful God: This jealous and vengeful God is in stark contrast to the loving God we learn about in the New Testament. How can they be one in the same? How could God think about wiping out millions of people just because they worship a golden calf? This sure sounds like men used the name of God to threaten people into doing their bidding. They are looking for the same obedience as the King of Egypt.

Jealousy: Jealousy can make people angry enough to lash out against others, like this story of God. Jealousy comes from a sense of insecurity and a lack of confidence. A wife may fear her husband will find someone better. A man may fear a colleague getting promoted over him.

Challenge your jealousy with the confidence that God made you beautiful the way you are and gave you abilities to do amazing things. You just need to believe!

God Gives Moses the Tablets (Exodus 31)

Posted on by

Bible Summary:

On Mount Sinai, God tells Moses which craftsman from among the people of Israel to use to design and make the Tent of His presence, the Covenant Box, altars, and lampstand. He also commands Moses to tell the people to keep the Sabbath, the day of rest. God gives Moses two stone tablets that He wrote the Ten Commandments on.

My Thoughts:

Skills: We each have our own skills. Some are craftsman, some artists; others have the aptitude for medicine. Each is as unique as a snowflake. Focus on what you are good at, your unique ability. Carve out a niche somewhere in this economy with that skill. There are hundreds of ways to use your talents and make a living. “Try on” different jobs to see if they “fit”. If not, keep looking until you find your bliss. Have faith and you will.

Whatever you do, never let anyone make you feel unimportant because of your career choice. They may make more money and have more material belongings, but if you do what you were meant to do, you will be a thousand times happier. And God will smile.

Day of Rest: Each time I read about God’s command to take a day of rest I think about all the single mothers who work hard, many with two jobs, and then come home to care for their children. How can they take a day of rest? They rarely get an hour of rest.

The commandment has two elements to it: worshiping God and resting your body and soul, both which can help you live longer. If you are one of these moms, ask a friend or family member to watch the kids once a week for an hour or two so you can go and worship God, even if it is just taking time alone with Him in a park communing with nature. It will cleanse your soul and rejuvenate your batteries for another week. God bless!

God’s Anointing Oil and Incense (Exodus 30)

Posted on by

Bible Summary:

God instructs Moses to:

  • Make an altar where Aaron is to burn incense every morning and evening.
  • Collect a tax from every man during census for upkeep of the holy Tent. Each man is to pay the same whether rich or poor.
  • Make a bronze basin for the priests to wash their hands and feet before entering the holy Tent.
  • Mix the spices myrrh, cinnamon, cane, and cassia with olive oil to make sacred oil to anoint the Tent and everything in it.
  • Blend equal parts of the spices stacte, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense to make the holy incense.

My Thoughts:

Taxes: So, basically this chapter of Exodus says God created the first tax!

God or Coincidence: The last bible study topic was about wise men giving baby Jesus gold, frankincense and myrrh and this Exodus story describes what frankincense and myrrh were for. Coincidence or did God have a hand in the timing? When I was younger I would have said this was a coincidence, but now that I have experienced so many of these in my life I know that God is with me.

Follow your instincts: A few chapters back I struggled about jumping ahead to the New Testament. I think I found my answer. Follow your instincts and see where they lead you.

Baby Jesus and Wise Men (Matthew 2)

Posted on by

Bible Summary:

Jesus is born in Bethlehem. Wise men follow a star to Jerusalem. King Herod learns of Jesus’ birth and plots to have the wise men lead him to the baby. The wise men find baby Jesus and present him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. God warns them about Herod, so they leave by another road.

An angel warns Joseph about Herod, so they escape to Egypt. Herod realizes the wise men tricked him, so he orders the death of all boys two and younger in Bethlehem, which fulfills the prophecy about Rachel weeping for her children.

After King Herod dies, God tells Joseph to return to the land of Israel. Joseph is afraid to learn that Herod’s son has succeeded him, so God guides him to Nazareth in the province of Galilee, fulfilling the prophecy that the Messiah will be a Nazarene.

My Thoughts:

Wise Men: This story conflicts with all the nativity scenes and stories that have the wise men show up right at the birth of Jesus instead of two years later. Must be poetic license.

These Magi came from “the East”, which was likely Mesopotamia where Abraham was from or possibly Persia.

Jesus similar to Moses: Jesus miraculously survives the killing of all the baby boys in Bethlehem like Moses survived the King of Egypt’s edict to kill all the Hebrew babies (see the Israelites Grow Numerous in Egypt  and Moses is Born stories in Exodus).

God Establishes Priesthood (Exodus 26,27,28,29)

Posted on by

Bible Summary:

God gives Moses detailed instructions on how to build the sacred tent and altar so people can worship Him. God then tells Moses to call and ordain his brother Aaron and sons to become priests to the people of Israel. He also describes the garments the priests are to wear, including a breastplate engraved with the names of the tribes of Israel so God will always remember His people. The people are to give a daily offering to God.

My Thoughts:

Priesthood: God established the priesthood to help people remember to worship Him. Some people say man created the priesthood to control people and collect “offerings” that benefit themselves. Sure, there have been periods of control, like the Inquisition, and some cases of individuals taking advantage of their role, but I believe the religious establishment does well at educating the people to act kindly towards each other and truly be a community. They also help us grieve, support the poor, and give us hope. I would like to thank all the religious leaders around the globe for all they do. Thank you!

God Establishes First Synagogue (Exodus 25)

Posted on by

Bible Summary:

God tells Moses to have the Israelites make him an offering of gold, silver and many other items. He is to accept whatever each person gives. The items are to be used to create a sacred tent for God to be with the people, a covenant box to house the Ten Commandment tablets, a table to offer bread to God, and a lampstand.

My Thoughts:

Most Important Chapter: Amazing! In one chapter of the book of Exodus we are given the beginning of the Priesthood, the first synagogue (the tent), the Ark of the Covenant (the box), and the detailed design of the menorah (the lampstand).

Be Gracious: God tells Moses to accept whatever each person can give. I think He was telling Moses they should he gracious for each gift because a small gift to them may be enormous to the giver.  Let’s take this to heart this Christmas and be grateful for each gift we receive no matter the size or how much we like it.

God’s Covenant is Sealed (Exodus 24)

Posted on by

Bible Summary:

God calls Moses up to the mountain. Moses reads the book of the covenant to the Israelites and they all agree to obey the commandments. Moses sacrifices animals and consecrates the people with the blood to seal God’s covenant. God calls Moses up Mount Sinai again to give him two stone tablets of all the laws for the people of Israel. Moses stays on the mountain for forty days and nights.

My Thoughts:

Book of the Covenant: According to this chapter of Exodus, Moses and the leaders had written a book of God’s laws – “the book of the covenant, in which the Lord’s commands were written.” This is the first reference in the Bible of writing in book form to pass on laws and knowledge.  This book likely included parts, if not all, of the books of Genesis and Exodus.

Stone Tablets: God would have known about the impermanence of the book, likely written on papyrus, so he created the stone tablets so the Israelites would remember his commandments for a long time.