Exodus 32:30-35 Lord, how have we sinned against you?

30The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. Now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”

31So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made gods of gold for themselves. 32Yet now, if You would only forgive their sin.... But if not, please blot me out of the book that You have written.”

33The LORD replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book. 34Now go, lead the people to the place I described. Behold, My angel shall go before you. But on the day I settle accounts, I will punish them for their sin.”

35And the LORD sent a plague on the people because of what they had done with the calf that Aaron had made.

Lord, how have we sinned against you?

When we read through the Bible we see evidence on how sinning against the Lord brings judgement against people, against nations. It can be in the form of a plague, it can be from a evil king or it can be in the form of a drought.

As of this morning the Chinese Coronavirus has stricken the United States with 164,359 infections, 3,173 deaths, 5,507 recovered.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

Should we be asking, Lord, how have we sinned against you?

Some ask, how can a loving god strike the world with a pandemic?

The people that ask that question don’t know our God! And they don’t study the Bible!

Maybe we deserved the pandemic because of the sins we committed as a nation?

Abortion, funding sinful ways, sinful leaders, sinful curriculum in schools, sinful lives, to name a few.

As a nation, we need to get on our knees and repent!

Lord, how have we sinned against you?

Blessings, David 

Exodus 32:25-29 The People Were Out of Control!

25Moses saw that the people were out of control, for Aaron had let them run wild and become a laughingstock to their enemies. 26So Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me.”

And all the Levites gathered around him.

27He told them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each of you men is to fasten his sword to his side, go back and forth through the camp from gate to gate, and slay his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.’”

28The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people fell dead.

29Afterward, Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for service to the LORD, since each man went against his son and his brother; so the LORD has bestowed a blessing on you this day.”

The people were out of control! Satan likes it that way!

Proverbs 14: 12There is a way that seems right to a man,

but its end is the way of death.

All the Levite’s gathered around him. Think how sad that was, only the Levite’s!

Are people today any different than in this scripture? My spouse sent this link to an article in the news. “Maryland man defies coronavirus emergency order, hosts bonfire with 60 people, police say” 

The people were out of control...

https://www.foxnews.com/us/maryland-man-coronavirus-bonfire-police

You and I can be part of the cure or part of the pandemic.

Which will you choose? Do your part and stay home unless it’s essential.

May our Lord keep His hand of protection over you and if you become ill may He heal you quickly. Do not fear, we know where our true home is. Remember, we are just visitors here!

How to keep your family safe.

https://vimeo.com/399733860

Blessings, David 

Exodus 32:21-24 Out Came this Calf!

21“What did this people do to you,” Moses asked Aaron, “that you have led them into so great a sin?”

22“Do not be enraged, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know that the people are intent on evil. 23They told me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!’

24So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, let him take it off,’ and they gave it to me. And when I threw it into the fire, out came this calf!”

“Lazy people always find fault with their tools, and those who do not intend to work always find some excuse or other; and then they make up for their laziness by having a delicious spiritual dream. Have the nominally Christian people about us are dreaming; and they consider that thus they are doing the work of the LORD. They are only doing it deceitfully by putting dreaming into the place of real service.” (Spurgeon)

“And when I threw it into the fire, out came this calf!”

“What a silly and ridiculous subterfuge!... Just like the popish legend of the falling of the shrine of our Lady of Loretta out of heaven! These legends come from the same quarter. Satan can provide more when necessary for his purpose.” (Clarke)

Do you remember what Adam said to God after Adam and Eve sinned?

Genesis 3: 12And the man answered, “The woman whom You gave me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

Do you see any difference in Adam’s excuse verses Aaron’s?

When we deflect blame we are lying.

Have you ever deflected blame for your sin?

Blessings, David 

Exodus 32:19-20 Water of Bitterness!

19As Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, he burned with anger and threw the tablets out of his hands, shattering them at the base of the mountain. 20Then he took the calf they had made, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, and scattered the powder over the face of the water. Then he forced the Israelites to drink it.

Moses’ anger almost seems justified until we realize he’s dealt with anger throughout his life, like when he killed the Egyptian!

Exodus 2:12 After looking this way and that and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand.

All my life I’ve had a reading and sleeping problem, recently I discovered it is because I have A.D.D. 

To help me sleep I’ve been prescribed a medication, the problem is it makes me angry. It affects my temperament and slowly builds over time until I pop! Normal sleep aids don’t help as I cannot turn off my racing thoughts. Last nite I turned it over to the Lord, so I was able to sleep and was able to shutdown my thoughts.

So I understand Moses’ anger issue.

“Then he forced the Israelites to drink it.”

“The gold dust sprinkled on the water of the wady, flowing down from the mountain, the water that Israel must drink, reminds us of the ‘water of bitterness’ to be drunk by the wife suspected of unfaithfulness (Numbers 5:18-22).” (Cole)

If it weren’t for Jesus and His free gift of salvation we all would have to drink the water of bitterness because of sin.

Drink the water of bitterness or accept the gift of salvation.

Which have you chosen?

Blessings, David

Exodus 32:15-18 Spiritual War!

15Then Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. 16The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.

17When Joshua heard the sound of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “The sound of war is in the camp.”

18But Moses replied:

“It is neither the cry of victory nor the cry of defeat;

I hear the sound of singing!”

“the writing was the writing of God”! Let that sink in!

“For as he is the sole author of law and justice, so he alone can write them on the heart of man.” (Clarke)

“The sound of war is in the camp.” Joshua was correct, even though he couldn’t see it he heard the results, because there was a spiritual war in the camp!

When we have troubles, may we have the wisdom to realize that a spiritual war may be the cause!

We aren’t equipped to fight a spiritual war, but HE is! 

Get on your knees and ask Him to fight it for you!

Blessings, David 

Exodus 32:11-14 Calamity!

11But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God, saying, “O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people, whom You brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? 12Why should the Egyptians declare, ‘He brought them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce anger and relent from doing harm to Your people. 13Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, to whom You swore by Your very self when You declared, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give your descendants all this land that I have promised, and it shall be their inheritance forever.’”

“It is not the length, but the strength of prayer that appeals to heaven.” (Meyer)

“Thus did Jehovah lead His servant into fellowship with the deepest things of His own heart. Therefore his intercession prevailed.” (Morgan)

“Undoubtedly Moses was filled with compassion for the people, but his chief concern was for the honor of the name of God.” (Morgan)

14So the LORD relented from the calamity He had threatened to bring on His people.

Several versions say, relented from the calamity, changed His mind, relented from the harm, repented of the evil....

“I suppose that I need not say that this verse speaks after the manner of men. I do not know after what other manner we can speak. To speak of God after the manner of God, is reserved for God himself; and mortal men could not comprehend such speech. In this sense, the LORD often speaks, not according to the literal fact, but according to the appearance of things to us, in order that we may understand so far as the human can comprehend the divine.” (Spurgeon)

When a calamity happens in your life, how do you address it with the Lord?

Do you get angry with Him?

Do you ask Him for help?

Do you remind Him of His promises for you?

The level of your response is your maturity level of your faith. Let that sink in, meditate on it.

He has a plan for you, He loves you!

Blessings, David 

Exodus 32:9-10 Stiff-necked people!

9The LORD also said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people. 10Now leave Me alone, so that My anger may burn against them and consume them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”

Stiff-necked definition is - haughty, stubborn.

My spouse came home from work Saturday in tears, she assisted hundreds of people who were with their children. She saw people and friends from church. She asked several, what are you doing here? Everyone is supposed to be in isolation due to the coronavirus-19. But instead people are using it as a holiday, taking vacations, working on projects.

Stiff-necked people! 

Do you know anyone that is stubborn?

Our state just issued “stay at home” orders.

Please pray for our nation.

Blessings, David 

Exodus 32:7-8 Wretched Man!

7Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8How quickly they have turned aside from the way that I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it. They have sacrificed to it and said, ‘These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’”

How quickly people (we) turn from God but God was with them and

God knew exactly what they did!

Don’t we corrupt ourselves when we bow down to sin?

Oh what a wretched man I am!

I thank God for Jesus Christ!

Romans 7: 21So this is the principle I have discovered: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God’s law. 23But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.b 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord!

I thank God for Paul. If our Lord can forgive him can’t He forgive me or you?

Blessings, David 

Exodus 32:2-6 Made it a god!

2So Aaron told them, “Take off the gold earrings that are on your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.”

3Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, “These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”

5When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before the calf and proclaimed: “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.”

6So the next day they arose, offered burnt offerings, and presented peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to indulge in revelry.

“Aaron might make a calf, but the people made it a god, by adoring it.” (Trapp)

NASB 6:”So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.”

“The verb sahaq (play) signifies drunken, immoral orgies and sexual play.” (Kaiser)

“It seems impossible that, so soon after receiving such a lofty revelation, Israel could fall so low: but Christian experience today is often the same.” (Cole)

How many Christians claim to be such but adore a god of their own making?

A god can be anything that you put more passion into than Jesus Himself.

It can be a hobby, an addiction, a person, etc.....

Have you made (it) a god by adoring it?

Blessings, David 

Exodus 32:1 A god with a face!

Exodus 32

1Now when the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!”

“As later Israel wanted a human king, not the invisible divine king (1 Samuel 8:4-8), so now they want a god ‘with a face’, like everybody else.” (Cole)

Forty days must have seemed like forever! But to God and Moses it wasn’t. 

Why do we become impatient when we are waiting on people or God?

Why is it that we want a god with a face?

This reminds me of a verse...

John 20:29 Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Do you have faith in the invisible divine King or desire a god with a face?

Blessings, David

Exodus 31:18 Finger of God!

18When the LORD had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.

Where did the phrase come from, “it’s not written in stone”?

“It's a cultural reference; it's based on the Ten Commandments Moses brought down from Mount Sinai, which were literally written in (carved, etched, or burned into) tablets of stone. Thus, the phrase implies that nothing else is as absolute and unchangeable as the Ten Commandments.”

The tablets of stone were inscribed with the Ten Commandments written by the finger of a God!

What did Moses do with these tablets?

Stay tuned!

Blessings, David 

Exodus 31:12-17 The Sabbath!

12And the LORD said to Moses, 13“Tell the Israelites, ‘Surely you must keep My Sabbaths, for this will be a sign between Me and you for the generations to come, so that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. 14Keep the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Whoever profanes it must surely be put to death. Anyone who does work on that day must be cut off from his people. 15Work may be done for six days, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must surely be put to death.

16The Israelites must keep the Sabbath, celebrating it as a lasting covenant for the generations to come. 17It is a sign between Me and the Israelites forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, but on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’”

Those who are under the New Covenant are not bound by the Old Covenant.

https://www.gotquestions.org/old-covenant.html

The question is, are Christians bound by the sabbath? No

Does the Lord honor those who worship Him? Yes

It is good for you to have a day of rest on a weekly basis. In our busy, fast paced world this always doesn’t happen and it will eventually catch up to you.

But can you also do too much for the Lord?

When we were in the nursery ministry at our current church we did both services and all the special events. We rarely had enough help and after a year without being able to attend service or worship we got burned out.

There needs to be a balance.

There needs to be time on a weekly basis to remember what the Lord did for us and to worship Him.

What about you?

Blessings, David

Exodus 31:6b-11 The List

I have also given skill to all the craftsmen, that they may fashion all that I have commanded you: 7the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony and the mercy seat upon it, and all the other furnishings of the tent— 8the table with its utensils, the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense, 9the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its stand— 10as well as the woven garments, both the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons to serve as priests, 11in addition to the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them according to all that I have commanded you.”

The List

Organized and in detail so nothing could be forgotten, built to specification.

Have you ever made a list and forgotten it or used it and forgotten something on the list?

The difference between the Lord and man is, He never forgets and always keeps a promise! Man always forgets and fails to keep all their promises.

Jesus gave us a list for His free gift of salvation.

The List

1.  Recognize that you are a sinner. (Romans 3:10, 23) “There is no one righteous, not even one… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
2. Recognize that Jesus died on the cross for you. (1 Peter 3:18) “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.”
3.  Repent of your sins. (Acts 3:19 NIV) “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord”
4. Receive Jesus as you Savior. (Romans 10:9-10) “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

Have you forgotten anything on this list? 

Blessings, David 

Exodus 31:1-6 Skill, Ability and Knowledge!

1Then the LORD said to Moses, 2“See, I have called by name Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of craftsmanship, 4to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze, 5to cut gemstones for settings, and to carve wood, so that he may be a master of every craft.

6Moreover, I have selected Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, as his assistant.

I believe the Lord gives us our skill, ability and knowledge that we use in life. He first looks at our heart and gives accordingly.

I remember transferring 8mm home movies to dvd and there was a scene from a Christmas when I was about five years old. I received a gift of a gas station with cars and my older brother received a toy carpenters belt with tools. I asked my father jokingly, if he was trying to brain wash us! As adults I became a mechanic and my brother a builder. My father laughed and said no, that’s what you wanted.

What skill, ability and knowledge has He given you?

Blessings, David 

Exodus 30:34-38 Pleasing Perfume!

34Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense—in equal measures, 35and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy. 36Grind some of it into fine powder and place it in front of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. 37You are never to use this formula to make incense for yourselves; you shall regard it as sacred to the LORD. 38Anyone who makes something like it to enjoy its fragrance shall be cut off from his people.”

“Where so many sacrifices were offered it was essentially necessary to have some pleasing perfume to counteract the disagreeable smells that must have arisen from the slaughter of so many animals, the sprinkling of so much blood, and the burning of so much flesh.” (Clarke)

Have you ever hunted and field dressed an animal or lived on a farm and slaughtered your own animals for food? It’s wise to be careful, not nicking (cutting) the bowels. Fragrant spices (pleasing perfume) would be helpful to cover the odors!

I remember as a child my father changing diapers on a younger sibling, he put a clothes pin on his nose! Lol

Can you think of a time when a pleasing perfume would have been helpful?

Blessings, David 

Exodus 30:22-33 Holy Anointing Oil

22Once again, the LORD said to Moses, 23“Take the finest spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh,f half that amount (250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon,g 250 shekels of fragrant cane,h 24500 shekels of cassiai —all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil.j 25Prepare from these a holy anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer; it will be a holy anointing oil.

26Use this oil to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony, 27the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, the altar of incense, 28the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. 29You are to consecrate them so that they will be most holy. Whatever touches them will be holy. 30Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them to serve Me as priests.

31And you are to tell the Israelites, ‘This will be My sacred anointing oil for the generations to come. 32It must not be used to anoint an ordinary man, and you must not make anything like it with the same formula. It is holy, and it must be holy to you. 33Anyone who mixes perfume like it or puts it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.’”

Holy anointing oil, for the Tent of Meeting, ark of Testimony, table and utensils, alter of incense, alter of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin and stand.

Anoint Aaron and his sons.

But what does the bible say about anointing oil?

https://www.gotquestions.org/anointing-oil.html

As chaplains we used oil to anoint the sick when we prayed over them. We would apply it to the forehead in the pattern of the cross when we prayed.

It’s a biblical practice for the sick.

But what type of oil should you use? Don’t use the formula in this scripture!

Many have opinions, ours was olive oil which was plentiful during Jesus’s time on earth. If you don’t have olive oil any clean and refined oil for consumption will work in a pinch. 

James 5: 14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.

Mark 6: 13They also drove out many demons and healed many of the sick, anointing them with oil.

And when fasting...

Matthew 6: 17But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

When someone is sick and you pray over them for healing do you anoint them with oil?

Blessings, David

Exodus 30:17-21 The Laver & the Word!

17Again, the LORD said to Moses, 18“You are to make a bronze basin with a bronze stand for washing. Set it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it, 19with which Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet. 20Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister by presenting an offering made by fire to the LORD, they must wash with water so that they will not die. 21Thus they are to wash their hands and feet so that they will not die; this shall be a permanent statute for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”

“The laver then was to stand in the great courtyard, before men entered the Tent itself… Priests must certainly have needed to wash after sacrifice and blood ritual, so it had practical value as well.” (Cole)

Laver: a large basin upon a foot or pedestal in the court of the Hebrew tabernacle and subsequently in the temple, containing water for the ablutions of the priests and for the washing of the sacrifices in the temple service.

Our 1/2 bathroom has a small laver made of porcelain which sits on a footstool. But I couldn’t imagine being bloody from sacrifice and blood ritual and trying to wash in it, lest I die!

Spiritual washing!

Ephesians 5:26 to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,

Do you wash yourself daily with the word?

Blessings, David