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EXODUS The following comments are from Navigator's and Quiet Time Diary journals. One verse will be entered, then the comment, then the date. 1:11 So they [Egyptian leaders] appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses. After a few hundred years, the Egyptians
forgot why the Israelites were there (v. 8) and thought they could threaten the
governmental power (v. 9-10), so they created what we would call a work program.
As this book will show, God had different plans - but it took time to implement.
1:22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, "Every son who is born you are to cast into the Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive." This seems like early population control. The Pharaoh kept thinking of ways to reduce the growth of the Israeli nation, bud it still kept growing. The movie "The Ten Commandments" seems to indicate only Moses was put in the Nile, but the Bible, in this verse, shows that all were supposed to follow this command. (DRM 5/12/08) 2:7 Then his [Moses] sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you?" This is another part not in the movie. As
shown here, Moses sister talked to Pharaoh's daughter and obtained their mother
to raise her brother. That's why he was raised by his own family but still was
in the royal family. 2:8, 9 Pharaoh's daughter said to her [Moses' sister], "Go ahead." So the girl went and called the child's [Moses'] mother. 9Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away and nurse him for me and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him. Pharaoh's order was to cast all the baby boys
into the Nile (1:22). There must have been many that had done that to fulfill
his orders. 2:10 When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, "I drew him out of the water." Back to a familiar Bible story! I knew that
Moses was put in the water when he was a baby, but forgot that the Pharaoh's
daughter had Moses natural mother raise him for years before returning him to
Pharaoh's daughter again! 2:15 When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well. Today I looked at the Exodus map and found
out where Midian was/is. We call this northern Saudi Arabia today. It's easily
200 miles from where Moses was in Egypt! 2:24 So God heard their [the sons of Israel] groaning; and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As a Christ follower, I believe that God
hears my prayers to Him. He has left me on earth for a purpose, and He chooses
how and when He wants to tell me His will. I have to discern His will each day -
which is the hard part. 3:2 The angel of the LORD appeared to him [Moses] in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. I chose this verse today because this verse
states: "the angel of the LORD appeared." but later (v. 4) it was God who spoke
to Moses from the bush. 3:4 When the LORD saw that he [Moses] turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." God wanted Moses' attention and thought of
the burning bush. Now I wonder if the still small voice didn't work and He went
to something more visual? 3:7 The LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. One theory about God is that He made the
earth, then ignored it since its creation. This verse shows that the theory is
false. God made each of us different and has a plan for each of our lives. When
God saw the plight of the Israelites in Egypt, He had compassion for them and
sent Moses to go to Egypt to deliver them from their toil. 3:8 So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them up from a land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. This is part of the conversation between God
and Moses, telling Moses to go to Pharaoh and bring Israel out of Egypt (v. 10).
3:11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" Knowing the life of Moses, it makes sense
that He would choose Moses for the assignment of bringing the sons of Israel out
of Egypt - as he had been chosen since being pulled out of the Nile. 3:15 God, furthermore, said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations. . . " I have seen posters listing probably 75 names
for God, and the Bible refers to Him in many ways. This verse seems to me to be
God's official name, as He stated it to Moses. 4:1 Then Moses said, "What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, 'The LORD has not appeared to you.' " While I am not Moses, I have had very similar
experiences, but never asked/tested God the way Moses did. Now I wonder if I
should have. 4:9 But if they will not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground." God gave Moses three signs to show the
Israelites that the Lord sent him to bring them out of Egypt. The signs were:
(1) Staff to serpent (v. 3), (2) Moses' hand became leprous when put on his
bosom, then back to normal (vv. 6-7) and (3) water from Nile River turned to
blood when poured on dry ground (v. 9). 4:10 Then Moses said to the LORD, "Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." When Moses first said this verse, it was
probably a legitimate concern. When God gave Moses the solution - that He would
speak through Moses - and Moses still refused God, then it was sin. Thankfully,
God had a "Plan B." 4:11,12 The Lord said to him (Moses), "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12Now, go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." Moses and I were similar. Afraid to talk! It
seems easy to talk about earthly pursuits, but to talk to an unbeliever about
the Lord is a real problem. 4:14 Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, "Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. Moses did not fear God, and said he
couldn't/wouldn't do as He asked. Certainly God did not like this scenario, as
He was angry with Moses and had to use a 'Plan B.' 4:15 [God said] You [Moses] are to speak to him [Aaron] and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do. Moses didn't feel that he was adequate to the job of leader (v. 13). God was upset with that statement (v. 14), but provided a way out that was acceptable to Moses. As time went on, Moses' confidence grew and, I believe, he did most of the speaking. My confidence over years has also grown, but God has yet to send people who will listen. . . (DRM 5/17/08) 4:27 Now the LORD said to Aaron, "Go to meet Moses in the wilderness," so he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. This seems to be a forgotten part of the
story. Not only did God speak to Moses at the burning bush, but He also spoke to
Aaron and directed him as to where to meet Moses for instruction. (v. 28) 5:2 But Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and besides, I will not let Israel go." The word "Lord" could refer to any leader. As
an example, I believe there are "Lord's" in England. Pharaoh did not know that
Moses or the Israelites referred to God - yet, but he would find out soon
enough. 5:8 But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don't reduce the quota. Moses had asked the Pharaoh to let the
Hebrews go, but Pharaoh was a hard ruler and would not give in easily. Pharaoh
had the Hebrews make bricks without straw as shown in this verse. 5:15, 16 Then the foremen of the sons of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, "Why do you deal this way with your servants? 16There is no straw given to your servants, yet they keep saying to us, 'Make bricks!' And behold, your servants are being beaten; but it is the fault of your own people." It was almost like a "vicious circle," where Moses asked for time off to take Israel to pray to God, and Pharaoh said they were lazy for asking for time off; so increased their work. I think God really wanted this to happen to increase Pharaoh's dislike of the Jews, thus being more willing - later - to let them leave. (DRM 5/20/08) 5:23 ". . . Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people, and You have not delivered Your people at all." Moses was talking to the Lord God in this
verse. Moses had done what the Lord directed him to do and the Israelites
suffered more because of it. Moses was running out of patience and also wanted
to fulfill God's will. Whenever we set out to do something good, even when we're certain that God wants us to do it, we shouldn't be surprised when the situation gets worse before it gets better. This doesn't prove that we're doing the wrong thing; it just reminds us that we need God to accomplish everything. - Julie Ackerman Link (Our Daily Bread, Radio Bible Class) 6:4 I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they sojourned. This relates to today's news. The
Palestinians want the Jews out of the land because it is not theirs. Apparently
they have not read or don't believe in the Bible. 6:6 Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. In verses 6-8, I underlined the words, "I
will" seven times. God was telling the Israelite people, through Moses, that He
was going to deliver them out of Egypt. He assured them He could do it with the
words "I will." 6:9 So Moses spoke thus to the sons of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses on account of their despondency and cruel bondage. What would I do if someone said to me, after slaving all day at work, that the Lord said that he (Moses) would be delivering me from the land? I think I would also be skeptical, then go on with my work. I would want to see what was being done to free me from my conditions. Truly, they had to see that the Lord was working through Moses before they would follow. (DRM 5/21/08) 6:10 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country." I know I will be reading this quote many
times in the next few chapters of Exodus. . . "Let my people go. . . "
It will take many plagues and hardships to convince the king of Egypt to let the
Israelites go. . . 7:2 ". . . You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. . . " As I slowly try to become more and more like
Jesus Christ, I can only pray that my ears will listen to His desires for my
life. 7:4 When Pharaoh does not listen to you, then I will lay My hand on Egypt and bring out My hosts, My people the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt by great judgments. The prophecy of God! If there is any prophecy that we KNOW will come true, it will be the ones that God spoke. Since Jesus is a part of God, then all the prophecies that He spoke will also come true — no doubt about it. (DRM 5/22/08) 7:20 So Moses and Aaron did even as the LORD had commanded. And he lifted up the staff and struck the water that was in the Nile, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, and all the water that was in the Nile was turned to blood. Moses didn't say "this won't work," or "Pharaoh won't pay attention," but did what he was told by the Lord God. God had a plan to do several things to change Pharaoh's heart, and this was only one. We (I) don't know what God is doing "behind the scenes," so must continue to do as He directs - even if it seems "it won't work" today. (DRM 5/23/08) 8:2-4 ". . . But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite your whole territory with frogs. 3The Nile will swarm with frogs, which will come up and go into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed, and into the houses of your servants and on your people, and into your ovens and into your kneading bowls. 4So the frogs will come up on you and your people and all your servants. " ' " Logical thinking would know that only God can
tell thousands or millions of frogs to leave a river and go into the homes of
Egypt, en masse, on the same day. This was sudden. When the magicians (v. 7) did
the same thing, it had to make the problem worse. To prove that God is God, the
frogs also died on the day Pharaoh requested (v. 11). 8:8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, "Entreat the LORD that He remove the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD." In v. 15, "Pharaoh saw that there was relief,
he hardened his heart" . . . and didn't let them go. 8:18 But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not. The the gnats were on men and animals. All previous plagues that the Lord God had
produced, the magicians could also do, but in this case the magicians said
(v.19) "This is the finger of God." and they could not do this. 8:30, 31, 32 Moses went out from Pharaoh and made supplication to the LORD. 31The LORD did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of insects from Pharaoh, from his servants and from his people; not one remained, 32But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go. The Pharaoh was a stubborn man. Perhaps he
thought that his country would perish without the Israelite slaves to do all the
work, thus he wouldn't want their freedom. 9:10 So they took soot from a kiln, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses threw it toward the sky, and it became boils breaking out with sores on man and beast. Here was another plague that no one could reproduce. The Egyptian magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils (v. 11), but that still didn't change Pharaoh's heart. Sometimes I know I'm missing God's voice when He speaks, but I think I'd be convinced with all of the plagues a lot quicker than Pharaoh was. (DRM 5/26/08) 9:16 But I (God) have raised you (Pharaoh) up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. This section of Exodus still continues the
plagues that the Lord put against Egypt. 9:20, 21 The one among the servants of Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD made his servants and his livestock flee into the houses; 21but he who paid no regard to the word of the LORD left his servants and his livestock in the field. The Egyptians had a 24 hour notice that the big hailstorm was coming (v. 18) and they could choose to heed or ignore the warning. Apparently some of the citizens of Egypt heeded the warning from these two verses. To me, that was a sign that , while not Pharaoh, the citizens were believing that their country was being judged by God. Our country (USA) needs a similar awakening. (DRM 5/27/08) 9:34 But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart, he and his servants. What are we (I) to learn from the continuous hardening of Pharaoh's heart? God is still speaking in one form or another. He could be speaking through the words in the Bible, or the small voice of the Holy Spirit, or through others. He wants me (us) to hear Him and do His will, rather than going our own way. (DRM 5/28/08) 10:7 Pharaoh's officials said to him, "How long will this man (Moses) be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the Lord their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?" After all the plagues that had come from the
Lord, even Egypt's officials had had enough. But the Pharaoh was not ready to
let the Israelites go yet. The time was approaching when even the Pharaoh would
let go. 10:11 ". . . Not so! Go now, the men among you, and serve the LORD, for that is what you desire." So they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence. This almost sounded like Pharaoh was giving
in, but the words in this verse really say, "The men among you," and not all the
people - so the plagues continued, this time with locusts. 10:24 Then Pharaoh called to Moses, and said, "Go, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be detained. Even your little ones may go with you." This was a slow negotiation process. Moses
and God wanted all to leave, but Pharaoh wanted the slave labor to stay. Each
plague seemed to add more to God's position. 11:4, 5a Moses said, "Thus says the LORD, 'About midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, 5and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, . . .' " This was the declaration of the last plague.
I'm sure there will be more details in the next few readings. Certainly this
plague would effect the Egyptians like no other. All families would lose a
member, thus causing the 'great cry' (v. 6) in the whole country. 12:5 Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. As Christians, Jesus has become our
substitutionary Passover lamb when He died for our sins. 12:8 They shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. The tenth and final plague had not yet
occurred in Egypt,. This plague required a lot of preparation, and was also a
test of faith for the Israelites, as they all would have to participate. 12:19 Seven days there shall be no leaven found in your houses, for whoever eats what is leavened, that person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is an alien or a native of the land. Unaware of this law, and being a Christian, I never thought it could apply to me - until now. I stayed at a Jewish home once during Passover and had to fix my own breakfast - I found (leavened) bread in the freezer an had some toast. . . As a Christian, my trust in in Jesus to fulfill the Law, but now I feel I shouldn't have used the bread while in that house. (Should it have been available?) (DRM 6/2/08) 12:25 When you enter the land which the LORD will give you, as He has promised, you shall observe this rite. {Passover] I have gotten to know a few "nominal" Jews
from my workplace. Generally all of the Jewish feast in the Old Testament are
ignored, but the Passover meal is highly observed by these people. They choose
to observe this one more than any other. 12:39 They baked the dough which they had brought out of Egypt into cakes of unleavened bread. For it had not become leavened, since they were driven out of Egypt and could not delay, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves. When the Israelites left Egypt, they had to leave quickly. The Pharaoh had finally decided they could leave immediately. My experience with bread is that leavened bread spoils quickly - even more so in hot weather - but unleavened bread - matzo - lasts a very long time. God was already making provision for their food by causing the use of unleavened bread! (DRM 6/4/08) 12:46 "It must be eaten inside one house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones." This chapter dealt with the first Passover
and how the Lord asked the Israelites to kill sheep or goats and put the blood
over their doorways so He would spare their first-born children. They were also
instructed what to do with the meat in this verse. 13:1, 2 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me." This makes more sense to me today. To leave Egypt, the final plague eliminated all the first born (Exod. 11:5) of Egypt, but the Israelite first born were saved due to Passover. Now that the Israelite first born were still alive, God wanted them to be dedicated to Him. They would have died without Passover - shouldn't they be set aside for something special in appreciation for their lives? (DRM 6/5/08) 13:17 Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, "The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt." God knows everything - including the future. If the Israelites encountered fighting while near Egypt, they would probably have returned - as humans were given free will. God was "determined" that they would get to the promised land - even if it took 40 years! God has a plan that we (I) must follow. (DRM 6/6/08) 13:18 Hence God led the people [Israelites] around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt. There was no doubt that God was leading the
way as the Israelites traveled, as he had a pillar of cloud (like tornado?)
during the day and a pillar of fire at night (v. 22). If they saw these things,
there should have been no doubt that He was the Leader. 13:21 By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. What an awesome experience it must have been
to follow the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. The Israelites certainly
knew that God was watching over them, by watching these His shows of
strength. 13:22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people. The Israelites had just left Egypt and needed
God's direction. He didn't want them to go directly into enemy territory (v.
17), so used this method to direct their path. God used that time in the desert to instruct and mature the people He had called to follow Him. The easy road would have led them to disaster. The long road prepared the nation of Israel for their successful entry into the Promised Land. (from Our Daily Bread, 7/12/16) 14:10 As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD. It's easy to visualize the scene, as it is depicted well on the movie "The Ten Commandments." The Israelites felt trapped next to the Red Sea and the Egyptians were approaching. Not thinking of the all powerful God (lack of faith) it looked like certain death to them all. God provided a way out for the Israelites - like He will do for us (me) so long as I trust Him to do it. (DRM 6/7/08) 14:11 Then they said to Moses, "Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? This was a new experience for the Israelites
to be freed from slavery and follow Moses' direction. They probably were
thinking they were following the man Moses, rather than trusting in the Lord
God. This was their first major test and they were already ready to return to
Egypt. 14:12 Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, 'Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness." The Israelites felt trapped. It looked like
certain death as they were next to the sea and Pharaoh's troops were blocking
any land route away from where they were. They lost whatever faith they had in
God to deliver them. 14:16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. The power of God can not be imagined. One of
the greatest verses in the Bible is this one in which God tells Moses to part
the sea. 14:20 So it [pillar of cloud] came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Thus the one did not come near the other all night. Israel crossed the Red Sea at night. This
isn't how it was depicted on the movie! 14:21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. The "sons of Israel" felt trapped, they even
wanted to go back and serve the Egyptians (v. 12) rather than the certain death
that they anticipated. 14:25 He caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive with difficulty; so the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from Israel, for the LORD is fighting for them against the Egyptians." This wasn't too clear in the movie. The Egyptians followed the Israelites into the Red Sea, then the horses and riders got confused. I can understand that with walls of water on both sides! This is what slowed down the Egyptians when they were in pursuit, so the final Israelites could get across - before the water went back to normal. (DRM 6/8/08) 15:1 Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang
this song to the LORD, and said, The Israelites had just seen the power of God
through the opening of the Red Sea and the crossing, then the Red Sea on the
Egyptian army. They believed in God and that He was with them - because they had
just seen His power. 15:3, 4 "The LORD is a warrior; The LORD is His name." 4"Pharaoh's chariots and his army He has cast into the sea; And the choicest of his officers are drowned in the Red Sea. In verse 3 Moses describes the Lord as a warrior. Again in Rev. 19:11, our Lord will be a warrior in the future. Certainly He defends us against the enemy - even if we don't realize it. As He did for Pharaoh's chariots, so He also is working for our benefit "behind the scenes." (DRM 6/9/08) 15:25 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. Certainly by this time, when Moses spoke,
everyone - including God - listened! 15:26 And He said, "If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer." This is a good summary verse on how to live a life for the Lord our God. This is directed to the Israelites, but since Christians could be considered their descendants, I believe it should also apply to us - and I certainly don't want the diseases that were put on the Egyptians! (DRM 6/10/08) 15:27 Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters. Moses and the Israelites were traveling and
had been without water for three days (v. 22). God provided a temporary solution
at Marah where the water was bitter - then they came to Elim, as stated here.
16:3 The sons of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the Lord's hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." When the Israelites were in Egypt they were
slaves and the work they did was depicted as harsh and cruel. Now that they were
away from that, they remember the "good times" they had while they were in
Egypt. 16:4 Then to LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction. The Israelites complained that they didn't
have enough food in the desert. God heard their voice and provided what they
asked for. 16:12 "I have heard the grumblings of the sons of Israel; speak to them, saying, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, [quail] and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God. ' " God takes care of His people, and I'm sure that He would have done it even if they didn't complain. If God cared so much for the Israelites who didn't obey Him, then I'm sure He will take care of us (me) who are putting our trust totally in Him. He is our provider - in ALL ways. (DRM 6/11/08) 16:19, 20 Moses said to them, "Let no man leave any of it [manna] until morning." 20But they did not listen to Moses, and some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them. What would I do in the same situation in the desert, and had no other food supply? Probably the same thing! "Human tendency" is to want to store up for "a rainy day," rather than going each day at a time. This is another lesson to depend on the Lord - day by day - and know that He will make provision as the new day comes. (DRM 6/12/08) 16:21 They gathered it morning by morning, every man as much as he should eat; but when the sun grew hot, it would melt. Manna is a great example of God's provision
in our lives. 16:26 Six days you are to gather it (manna), but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any. As the Israelites were out of Egypt, they
already had doubts about where their food would be coming from. The Lord
provided manna and would supply it only six days a week. 16:29 ". . . See, the LORD has given you the sabbath; therefore He gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Remain every man in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day." When God spoke these words to Moses, He was referring to the gathering of the manna during the exodus. The 4th Commandment makes the instruction more clear. As time has progressed, keeping this commandment has gotten harder - in traveling to church and other activities that are done on Sunday. What does God want you (and me) to do each Sunday? (DRM 6/13/08) 17:2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water that we may drink." And Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?" In the previous chapter of Exodus, the Lord
provided manna and meat when the Israelites grumbled. They had witnessed God's
power several times - including crossing the Red Sea, and still had no faith
that He would provide for their needs. 17:6 "I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. In Exodus 16 the Israelites
"requested" food, and now in Exodus 17 they want water. 17:8, 9 Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim. 9So Moses said to Joshua, "Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand." Moses knew he had no power to defeat the
enemy and put his trust in God. When Moses held his hand up, Israel prevailed,
but when down, the enemy prevailed (v. 11). Even with the water just
received (17:6, 7) the Israelites needed to be reminded that God Himself was
giving the victory and not their own strength. When Moses' strength began to fail, Aaron and
Hur stood on either side of him, holding up his arms for him until sunset (v.
12). 17:11 So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. I don't see that God told Moses to hold his
hand up, but it was discovered to be true as the battle continued. Certainly
they wanted to win the battle, so thought of a way to keep Moses' hands up with
the staff of God in his hands. He (Moses) was probably about 100 years old at
the time, and needed the help of his friends. 17:12, 13 But Moses' hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. 13So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. I would consider this to be an example of keeping a "one-track" mind. When Moses' arms got tired, the battle was being lost, when upright, the battle was being won. When we (I) are distracted, the spiritual battle is being lost. To me, the point is to stay on track in our (my) service to the Lord - NOT easy! (DRM 6/14/08) 17:14 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven." Amalek came to fight against Israel (v. 8) as
Moses was still crossing the desert. 18:20 Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. This seems to me to be a intermediate chapter
between the exodus from Egypt and the Ten Commandments - sort of a
preview. 18:21 Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. Jethro was Moses' father-in-law. He saw that
Moses was judging ALL the people, so suggested the system above. This could be
called 'layered authority', and has been in use ever since - certainly in our
government. 18:22 Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be that every major dispute they will bring to you, but every minor dispute they themselves will judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. No one can do everything. Moses tried until
his father-in-law suggested this procedure. There would be leaders of 1000s,
100s, 50s and 10s; thus the minor disputes could be handled by others and Moses
would be able to do other things that were needed for leadership; and get some
rest. 19:8 All the people answered together and said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do!" And Moses brought back the words of the people to the LORD. What happened? People have short memories. I would think the people who experienced so many of God's miracles, wouldn't keep wavering in their devotion. Am I (we) doing much better? I think the "excuse" today is not knowing when it's His voice of leading - that wasn't the case for the Israelites. (DRM 6/15/08) 19:11 ". . . and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. . ." A preparation for the Ten Commandments that
were written in Exodus 20. But is there more to this verse? 19:19 When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder. When I hear thunder, I don't hear a voice. I believe that this means that God's voice is so loud, that it's like thunder. Jesus' voice is like a whisper. On different days in the future, I hope to hear all three. First, I have to listen for the still small voice. In the future it will be easier. (DRM 6/16/08) 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before Me." This is the first commandment. 20:7 You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave Him unpunished who takes His name in vain. In a way, the Ten Commandments is the
ultimate sins list. No one can meet the requirements that God has in this list.
That's why we need a Savior - who is the substitute, and took the punishment for
my sins. 20:8-10 "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. This is the fourth commandment. Perhaps it is
the most controversial in what day of the week God wants us to observe and what
we should be able to do on His day. 20:11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. These seventeen verses (20:1-17) are the first proclamation of the Ten Commandments. This verse refers to the 3rd or 4th Commandment depending on your version. One question is "which day is the sabbath?" Saturday or Sunday? I think that God wants us to rest one day a week - and to worship Him that day - but really to worship Him every day - as He is our Creator and Sustainer. (DRM 6/17/08) 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. The Ten Commandments are contained in this chapter, but the one I seem to break is shown above. After long "discussions" with my father, we never seem to agree. I must learn to listen more and be more willing to do some of the things that he asks me to do. (DRM 2/26/87) Things got better over time. (DRM 1/13/2004) 20:13 "You shall not murder."
This is the sixth commandment; short, clear and to the point. Still, it can be
misunderstood. 20:20 Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin." The Israelites were intimidated by God's
power (v. 18) and were afraid to approach Him (v. 19). There was no doubt in
their minds of His existence. Moses said in this verse that God was testing them
to show Himself so they would not depart from His directives. (The Ten
Commandments were just given to them.) Moses explained that this display of power and majesty was to demonstrate God's incomparable holiness. His power and glory were displayed so that the Israelites would revere and worship Him (v. 20). (From INSIGHT, Our Daily Bread 3/14/15) 21:17 Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death. In the past, I felt that
criticisms of both of my parents were not in God's interests. This
"law" for the Jews in Moses time, must have been hard to enforce! 22:28 Do not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.
Sins . . . I always wanted a list of what to avoid as sins, and here are two
more. 23:13 Now concerning everything which I have said to you, be on your guard; and do not mention the name of other gods, nor let them be heard from your mouth. This is just one of many rules/laws that God
gave Moses to tell the Israelites. 23:25 Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you. Never doubt God! So many times when I'm sick,
or others that I know are sick, I wonder why. (Especially if they are
believers.) 24:7 Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!" Like the Israelites, we desire to be obedient, but as time progresses, I think we make wrong decisions and slowly move towards sin. How can this be avoided? Keeping in the Word every day and leaning totally on the Lord Jesus for direction EVERY day. (DRM 6/18/08) 24: 8, 9 Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them. 9According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall construct it. Somehow the way this is written, it seems like God wanted a "home" built that would be sanctified just for Him. He would dwell with the Israelites. Like Moses was asked to prepare, we (I) should also have a special place in our heart for His residence and direction. (DRM 6/19/08) 25:11 You shall overlay it [Ark of the Covenant] with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and you shall make a gold molding around it. Most of the sentences in this section begin with "you shall," which clearly indicate God's exact specifications and direction in making the ark. I also realized that the use of gold could represent the highest value that we should give to the word = direction of the Lord God. (DRM 6/20/08) 25:32 (The lampstand) Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand - three on one side and three on the other. What a great learning experience! This is the
first mention of this lampstand that I have read. 30:33 Whoever makes perfume like it and whoever puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off from his people. When I first read this verse, I thought of
the woman pouring oil on Jesus' feet just before His death. 31:3, 4 I have filled him [Bezalel] with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, 4to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze. . .
[Re: 31:3] Everything we have and receive is a gift from God. As Creator, He put us
together before we were born. He knew in advance what our likes and desires
would be. He knew if we would be followers of Him or ignore His calls. [Re: 31:3] The Master Craftsman is the Holy Spirit, who chips away at flaws in our character to make each of us like Jesus (Romans 8:28, 29). (From Our Daily Bread, Dennis Fisher 11/21/11) [Re: 31:3, 4] God
gives each of us different abilities. While we/I think that God will most use me
doing something that is more "church related," He can use other talents for His
service as well. This is a great example of someone that He blessed as a
craftsman/artist. Re: 31:3, 4] We tend to categorize our work as either church work or secular. In truth, there is no distinction. God designs each of us in ways that make our contributions to the kingdom unique and meaningful. (from Our Daily Bread 4/3/16) 31:6 And behold, I Myself have appointed with him [Bezalel] Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the hearts of all who are skillful I have put skill, that they may make all that I have commanded you: God gives each
of us a different gift or talent. Clearly He wanted these specific people to use
their skills to work on the tent of meeting and "furniture of the tent" (v. 7).
32:1 Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down form the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, "Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. This is Exodus 32:1, the Ten Commandments are in Exodus 20 - specifically 20:4-6 about making idols. This is another example of "short term memory loss" for the Israelites. Am I (we) doing much better? Praise the Lord that He sent Jesus to cover our sins, or we would be eternally lost in our sins. 32:10 Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them, and I will make of you a great nation." When the Israelites created and worshipped the golden calf, the Lord (as stated here) wanted to destroy the whole nation and start over. Moses talked God out of it - but did he? Before the nation got to Israel, the whole nation died and the next generation entered Israel. The plan changed somewhat, but none of the sinners at this event ever saw Israel. God is truly in control of all. (DRM 6/22/08) 32:14 Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened. While Moses was on the mountain, his people
made a golden calf to worship and this greatly displeased God. 32:19 It came about, as soon as Moses came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses' anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain. Moses went to the mountain to get
instructions from the Lord God and was probably there for several days. 32:24 . . . I [Aaron] said to them, 'Whoever has any gold, let them tear it off.' So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf." The
Israelites didn't think Moses was coming back from the mountain (v. 23) and
Aaron created a false god to lead them. The statement in this verse is
impossible. Melted gold does not form into anything but liquid; it had to be
formed by a person - likely Aaron. Father in Heaven, thank You for reminding us how much it is like You to be willing to live—and die—for those who have not yet seen how much You love them. (From Our Daily Bread 8/9/17) 32:32 . . . But now, if You will, forgive their sin — and if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written!" Moses had just seen the golden calf
that Aaron had made as a god for the Israelites (v. 23). He departed from Aaron
and went back to God to ask for His forgiveness for their sin. As long as you want anything very much, especially more than you want God, it is an idol. - A. B. Simpson from Our Daily Bread, 10/20/13 33:9 Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the LORD would speak with Moses. There was no doubt Who was in charge during
the exodus. Moses was taking his orders from God - and the Israelites could see
the "pillar of cloud." Because of Jesus' death on the cross and His resurrection, we no longer need someone like Moses to speak with God for us. Instead, just as Jesus offered to His disciples, we can have friendship with God through Christ (John 15:15). We too can meet with Him, with the Lord speaking to us as one speaks to a friend. (from Our Daily Bread 7/14/17 AMY BOUCHER-PYE) 33:18, 19 Then Moses said, "I pray You, show me Your glory!" 19And He said, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show compassion on whom I will show compassion. Moses asked God to see His glory, he didn't
ask to see His face. God will not allow anyone to see His face and live (v. 20).
We can see God and His glory in His patience with us, the encouraging word of a friend, a beautiful sunset, or — best of all — the whisper of the Holy Spirit inside of us. (from Our Daily Bread 1/13/18 LINDA WASHINGTON) 33:20 "But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." This quote is by God. God keeps His promises.
From what I have read and heard, to this day, no one has seen God's face, except
Jesus Christ, who IS God in a different form. 33:22, 23 and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. 23Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen." My earthly body has a hard time comprehending meeting with Someone and not seeing His face. Like Moses, I (we) would like to see Who we are talking to. Now I feel that when I get a response from the Holy Spirit that I am getting a message from God Himself - and I'm happy with that. The important part is that He listens and cares about my (our) condition. (DRM 6/23/08) 34:1 Now the LORD said to Moses, "Cut out for yourself two stone tablets like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered. Moses shattered the first two tablets because
the Israelites were worshipping a false god (calf) while he was on the mountain
with the true God. (Exod. 32:19) 34:4 So he [Moses] cut out two stone tablets like the former ones, and Moses rose up early in the morning and went up to Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and he took two stone tablets in his hand. Moses already had the 10 Commandments on two
previous tablets, then threw them down the mountain in anger, where they
shattered (Exod. 32:19). Here Moses prepared two new tablets for God to write
on. 34:9 He [Moses] said, "If now I have found favor in Your sight, O Lord, I pray, let the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your own possession." Moses wanted the
Israelites to see God as he saw Him. He probably thought that would improve
their belief that He was/is real. 34:12 Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will be a snare in your midst. Considering the Old Testament history of the
Israelite people, this is what led to their downfall. At times they worshipped
other gods and some intermarried -as they were told NOT to do. 34:29 It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses' hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him. One major aspect of God=Jesus while in Heaven
is the light. That's why we can't see God and live - we would be blinded by the
light. Moses had to be the exception, as he saw God and told about it. May others see the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control of Jesus' Spirit glowing through us. (from Our Daily Bread INSIGHT MART DEHAAN 8/6/17) 34:32 Afterward all the sons of Israel came near, and he [Moses] commanded them to do everything that the LORD had spoken to him on Mount Sinai. Moses was 80+ years old when he met the Lord God on Mt. Sinai. From what has been written, a lot was said during those 40 days (v. 28) and only the Ten Commandments were written down. Moses must have had a good memory to remember all that the Lord said. It should be a motivation for me (us) to remember more of God's words through the Bible. (DRM 6/25/08) 35:29 The Israelites, all the men and women, whose heart moved them to bring material for all the work, which the LORD had commanded through Moses to be done, brought a freewill offering to the LORD. What's amazing to me is that the Israelites
were in the midst of moving from one location to another and still had more
possessions to give to the Lord's tent of meeting (v. 21). They couldn't have
had many possessions while traveling - compared to living in houses today. 36:5 . . . and they said to Moses, "The people are bringing much more than enough for the construction work which the LORD commanded us to perform." This quote is from the workmen at
the Tabernacle that was being constructed as the Exodus from Egypt continued.
This was a temporary structure. 38:24 The total amount of the gold from the wave offering used for all the work on the sanctuary was 29 talents and 730 shekels (about 2,000#), according to the sanctuary shekel. 2,000 pounds of Gold was used in Moses
Tabernacle! The thought of that much Gold amazes me. How did they refine
it? 39:14 There were twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes. The twelve tribes of Israel are mentioned
from the beginning of the Bible to the end. . . They are mentioned in great
detail in Revelation. 40:16 Thus Moses did; according to all that the LORD had commanded him, so he did. In the first 15 verses of this chapter, I
underlined "you shall" 16 times. God was instructing or commanding Moses how to
set up the tent of meeting - tabernacle. 40:26, 27 Then he placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the veil; 27and he [Moses] burned fragrant incense on it, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. This is very similar to yesterday's verse, but yesterday's verse was referring to how God told him to do something. In these verses, Moses did what he was told. We have the free will to do or not to do what we are told. There is no doubt what is the better choice. (DRM 6/27/08) 40:34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Truly God was with the Israelites, and they could physically see the cloud by day and fire at night (v. 38). How I would like to see a physical representation that God is with me. Thankfully the Holy Spirit is in me, and I know I can call on Him as needed. I need His love and assurance as I go through the trials of daily life! (DRM 6/28/08) 40:38 So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels. The last verse of Exodus tells us about the
glory of the Lord. Generally this phenomenon occurred only until Jesus Christ's
birth.
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