The Book Of Exodus
Exodus 3:14 "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say
unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."
God commands Moses to “…Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first…” (v.1) and to return to the top of Mount Sinai. (v.2). (Exodus 24:12, 31:18, 32:15-16, 19, Deuteronomy 4:13) God will meet with Moses once again to write upon the stone tablets the law of the renewed covenant. (Exodus 19:11, 20, Deuteronomy 10:2, 4) Just as before, no other man except Moses is allowed to come near the mountain, nor are any of the livestock allowed to graze on or near the mountain. (v.3) (Exodus 19:12-13) Moses obeys all of these instructions (v.4), and on the following morning he meets with God. Just as before, God appears in the form of the cloud that covers the top of the mountain, and, as promised in the previous chapter, the Lord proclaims His name before Moses. (v.5) (Exodus 33:19)
Verses 6-7: In chapter 19, when God first appeared to the children of Israel, there was a physical description of his power and glory. (Exodus 19:18) But in these two verses we see instead a list of God’s character attributes: merciful, gracious, longsuffering, abounding in goodness and truth. (v.6) (Numbers 14:18, Deuteronomy 4:31, Nehemiah 9:17, Psalm 108:4, Joel 2:13, Romans 2:4) Verse 7 echoes Exodus 20:5. The Believer’s Bible Commentary has this to say: “Three different words are used in verse 7 for wrongdoing. Iniquity has to do with perverting the ways of the Lord. Transgression means rebellion against God. Sin is literally ‘offense’, primarily by missing the mark which God has set. They all convey the idea of falling short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).” While God is both forgiving and compassionate (Psalm 103:3-4, Daniel 9:9, Ephesians 4:32, 1 John 1:9), He is also just and holy. (Joshua 24:19, Job 10:14, Micah 6:11, Nahum 1:3) “These attributes reflect the balance of justice and benevolence; He is a God of justice, but He is also very much a God of compassion. Going forward, God’s people were not to presume on the latter by being reminded of the former. They should not think lightly of His wrath, but they should not expect anything less than lovingkindness.” (The Moody Bible Commentary) Verses 8-28: In response to God’s proclamation Moses bows and worships and pleads once more on behalf of Israel. (v.8-9) He asks for three things: God’s presence among them, forgiveness for their iniquity and sin, and that God would again take the nation of Israel as His chosen people. (Psalm 33:12, 94:14) Verses 10-27 are God’s response to Moses’ intercessory prayer. He begins by reinstating the covenant (v.10), promising once again “…before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation…”. God is going to use His chosen people to display His presence, power and glory for all the other nations of the earth with whom the Israelites come into contact. (Deuteronomy 4:32, Psalm 77:14) “…for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.” Verses 11-27 are, in essence, a summary of the whole book of the law that God gave to Moses in chapters 20-23. The Lord starts by reiterating His promise to drive the heathen nations out of the promised land. (v.11) This is followed by a warning for Israel not to make any covenants with those nations and to tear down their idols and the altars to their false gods. To not obey this directive is to leave a snare by which the Israelites could easily fall back into apostasy, as already proven by the incident with the golden calf. Because the Israelites are making a covenant with God first, they cannot be in union with – or serve – any other nations or false deities. God is a jealous God (v.14), and He will not share His glory – or His chosen people – with any other. (Exodus 20:5, Deuteronomy 4:24) This is why God compares Israel’s sin of idolatry to “whoring” in verse 15. To rob God of His rightful worship and glory by turning to false gods is no different than a woman who betrays her husband by behaving as a harlot with other men. (Numbers 25:1-2, Deuteronomy 32:37-38, Judges 2:17) Neither does God want the Israelites to intermarry with the heathen nations for this, too, will cause them to fall away from worshiping and obeying God. (v.16) (Genesis 28:1, Deuteronomy 7:3, Joshua 23:12-13, 1 Kings 11:2, Ezra 9:2, Nehemiah 13:25) “Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.” (v.17) (Exodus 20:4, 23, 32:8, Leviticus 19:4, Deuteronomy 5:8) In light of the recent incident with the golden calf, it’s clear why God repeated the second commandment here. Verses 18-26 are a review of the laws regarding the feast of unleavened bread (v.18), the dedication of all the firstborn to God (v.19-20), observation of the sabbath (v.21), the feasts of weeks and ingathering (v.22-23), the blood sacrifices (v.25), the tithing of the firstfruits and a reminder about never boiling a young goat in his mother’s milk. (v.26) In light of the emphasis in verses 11-17 on idolatry and the importance of the Israelites separating themselves from the pagan nations around them, that last command in verse 26 seems to indicate that that specific practice is related to either the worship of false gods or some other heathen ritual. Verse 24 contains another reminder that God will cast out the nations before Israel, even changing the desires of their enemy’s hearts so that the Israelites will be able to celebrate their feasts every year in peace. (Exodus 33:2, Joshua 11:23, 1 Kings 4:21, 2 Chronicles 36:14, Psalm 78:55) Verses 27-28: Moses writes on the tablets all “…all the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.” (v.28) He’s up on the mount with God forty days and forty nights. Verse 28 makes a specific mention of Moses not eating bread or drinking water for that entire time. Though it is possible for an adult human to go that long without food or water, it’s also clear from this verse that God supernaturally sustained His faithful servant during their time together on Mount Sinai. Verses 29-35: When Moses descends the mountain with the two tables of testimony, he’s not aware that his face is shining. (v.29) (Matthew 17:2, 2 Corinthians 3:7-8) As a result of his time alone with God, the skin of Moses’ face radiates a glow that causes fear in Aaron and the other Israelite leaders that are waiting for Moses near the base of the mountain. (v.30) This glow is the direct reflection of the glory of God, the same shekinah glory that was manifested in the form of the cloud when it descended on the tent of meeting. Why exactly Moses’ face did not also shine then after meeting with God is not clear from the text. What is clear, however, is that Moses wears the veil from this time forward whenever he is not alone with God. Paul references this passage in 2 Corinthians 3:13-14.
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This chapter opens in the same scene that closed chapter 32. God is still speaking with Moses. In the aftermath of the sin of the Israelites described in chapter 32, the covenantal relationship with God is broken. God will still keep His promise to Abraham’s seed by giving the children of Israel the promised land (v.1-2), but He will not go with them on this journey in the way that they had once envisioned. “…for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.” (v.3) In the same way that Adam and Eve lost their fellowship and communion with God because of their sinful choice, so the children of Israel have lost what would have been a direct and close relationship with God during their journey to the promised land. From here on out, only Moses will have that close and personal relationship with God as he serves the dual role of leader of the people and their mediator before God. We see an example of this in the remaining scenes of this chapter.
Take note of the fact that it was the sin of idolatry that broke this covenantal relationship. Even after the Israelites had grumbled and complained about the lack of food and water during their journey to Mount Sinai God did not deal with them as harshly as He is now in the wake of their apostasy from the previous chapter. While it is true that there are no degrees of sin with God – all sin is sin, whether it be ingratitude or idolatry and sexual immorality – it is true that God often reserves harsher and more severe consequences for certain types of sin. We see this time and again throughout the OT. God repeats his promise to Moses of sending an angel before the Israelites into the promised land to drive out the heathen nations already there. (v.2-3) (Exodus 32:34) Verses 4-6: The news that God would not be dwelling among them as they had once hoped for is very distressing to the Israelites. (v.4) God instructs Moses to tell the people to put off their jewelry as a sign of mourning. (v.5-6) (Ezra 9:3, Esther 4:1, 4, Job 1:20, Ezekiel 24:17, 23) “Perhaps after they had stripped off their gold rings for the folly of the golden calf they had made other ornaments to hide that they had given up their precious personal possessions. Now they would become bare-fingered and vacant-eared (no finger rings, no earrings). The absence of these items would be a sad reminder of what they had lost, not merely physically but more importantly, spiritually—of their relative lack of the presence of God.” (Moody Bible Commentary) Verses 7-11: The tabernacle mentioned in verse 7 is obviously not the same structure described by God in chapters 25-31. This is instead just an ordinary tent that Moses pitches some distance outside the camp, perhaps as a further demonstration of the Israelites’ broken relationship with God. Rather than dwelling in the magnificent tabernacle in the heart of the camp as described to Moses up on the mount (Exodus 29:42-43), God is now, for the time being, going to meet with His people in this temporary tent “…afar off from the camp…”. (Deuteronomy 4:29) Whenever Moses enters this tabernacle the men of Israel stand at the door of their tents, watching from a distance until they see him going into the tabernacle. (v.8) (Numbers 16:27) At this point there is the familiar sight of the cloudy pillar that descends upon the tent whenever Moses is inside, indicating God’s presence. (v.9) As they wait for Moses to come out of the tent, the Israelites worship at the door of their own tents. (v.10) (Exodus 4:31) Verse 11 states that “…the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.” (Numbers 12:8, Deuteronomy 34:10) There are very few men of the Bible who can claim to be called a friend of God, and Moses now joins that honored rank. (Though scripture does not state it specifically, we can logically presume that, until this point, only Abraham, Noah, Enoch, and Adam are in this group.) It’s also stated here that Joshua, son of Nun, is assisting Moses during these times with God. The phrasing here probably indicates that Joshua remains with Moses even after Moses leaves the tent, not that Joshua remains inside the tabernacle after both Moses and God depart. The description of talking with God “face to face” is anthropomorphic language, meaning that Moses’ fellowship with God is being described in human terms that we can understand. It’s not meant to be taken literally. God does not have a “face”, much less a mouth, hands, eyes or any other human anatomy, yet we see often in scripture phrases such as “the hand of the Lord” or “the eyes of the Lord”, etc. God is a spirit, and He cannot be seen or experienced by human faculties unless he assumes human form, i.e. a theophany in the OT or Jesus Christ in the NT; or, as in this case, manifests as something non-living such as the cloud or a pillar of fire. “The fact that the Lord spoke to Moses ‘face to face, as a man speaketh to a friend’ (33:11a) indicated the warm communication that Moses had with his God. The expression denotes familiar conversation” (Davis, Moses and the Gods, 303). This likely refers to direct revelation as opposed to dreams and visions (Numbers 12:6-8).” (Moody Bible Commentary) Verses 12-23: The remainder of this chapter is Moses’ conversation with God. Moses’ first request of the Lord is reassurance of two things: 1) that Moses is still to be the leader of the Israelites (Exodus 3:10, 32:34), and 2) that God’s presence will continue to be with His chosen people. (v.12-13) Moses displays genuine humility and a sincere desire to seek the will of God, as indicated by his plea in verse 13: “…if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee…”. (Psalm 25:4, 27:11, 86:11, 119:33) Moses is afraid for the people, afraid of losing God’s presence forever because of their sin of idolatry. He is seeking God’s reassurance that He will not abandon His chosen people because of this one transgression, and God reaffirms His initial promise to Moses and the children of Israel. “…My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” (v.14) (Exodus 3:12, Deuteronomy 4:37, 12:10, 25:19, Joshua 21:44, 22:4, Isaiah 63:9) But despite God’s reassurance, Moses repeats his request, insisting once more that without the presence of the Lord there is no reason for the Israelites to go any further from this place. (v.15) The only outward evidence that God’s chosen people have found grace in His sight is by His continual presence with them, both to guide them and protect them. (v.16) Without the presence of God, there is no difference between the children of Israel and all the other “…people that are upon the face of the earth.” (Exodus 34:10, Numbers 14:14, Deuteronomy 4:7, 34) While Moses acknowledges the one thing that distinguishes the children of Israel from all other nations of the earth, he also understands the great gulf of sin that separates God from His people. Moses’ statements in these verses indicate His understanding of God’s fundamental characteristics: His righteousness, holiness, justice, wrath, and, most importantly, His mercy and lovingkindness. Without God, the children of Israel are utterly helpless and at the mercy of both their own sinful natures as well as the heathen nations around them. God’s answer to Moses’ intercession must have been of great comfort to Moses: “…I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in My sight, and I know thee by name.” (v.17) (James 5:16) How blessed to have the God of heaven and earth, the Lord and creator of the universe, say to us, “I know thee by name”! For this is true of each of us today if we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior! God knew Moses by name, and He gently, lovingly assures Moses that he “…hast found grace in My sight…”. One would think that Moses should be content with this response and leave it at that! But instead, he makes a bold request, one which shows us why he had earned the title “friend of God”. Moses asks the Lord to “…shew me Thy glory.” (v.18) (Exodus 24:16-17, 1 Timothy 6:16) God honors the request (v.19), and then describes to Moses how it will be done, for “Thou canst not see my face…and live.” (v.20) (John 1:18, 6:46) What this means is that no human can experience the unveiled and pure glory of God in our current, fallen state. (Romans 3:23) The various references in the OT of men claiming to have seen the face of God are, as noted above, speaking either of a theophany or anthropomorphically. (Genesis 32:20, for example.) The Lord also gives a reason for granting this unusual favor. I “…will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.” (v.19) Paul quotes this verse in Romans 9:15 in his discussion of God’s sovereignty and divine will. What the Lord is saying to Moses is that he (Moses) has done nothing of his own merit or work to earn this special favor. Instead, God is choosing to show grace and favor to Moses because that is His sovereign desire, which is also the point Paul makes in Romans 9:16, as well as Romans 4:4, 16. As described by God, Moses will stand in the cleft of a nearby rock (Song of Solomon 2:14, Isaiah 2:21), and, as God is passing by, He will veil Moses with His hand (Psalm 91:1, 4, Isaiah 49:2, 51:16), taking it away in time for Moses to see the Lord’s back. (v.21-23) (If verse 22 sounds awfully familiar, it’s because Fanny Crosby paraphrased it in the chorus of one of her most famous hymns, “He Hideth My Soul”.) The Moody Bible Commentary sums up the last section of this chapter as thus: “It seems that Moses’ encounter transcended those other types of seeing or meeting the Lord, but precisely how is not indicated. Although it might be that Moses saw only the Shekinah glory of God and not the Lord Himself, any speculation as to what really happened is just that, speculation. ‘What really occurred on Mount Sinai between Moses and God on this occasion will never be fully known. Undoubtedly Moses saw things which the human tongue would be incapable of uttering’ (Davis, Moses and the Gods, 305; compare 2 Corinthians 12:4).” While Moses is up on the mount receiving from God the instructions for the tabernacle (Exodus 24:18, Deuteronomy 9:9), the Israelites begin to grow restless and impatient. They demand of Aaron that he “…make us gods, which shall go before us…”. (v.1) (Acts 7:40, Exodus 13:21) The Israelites give the following justification for this demand: “…as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him…”. This statement reveals two things: 1) The people had already forgot who it was that had actually led them out of Egypt, and 2) they mistakenly assume they’re now without a leader. The Moody Bible Commentary states it as thus: “The people were foolishly impatient and fickle. Rather than allow Moses the time to receive the law from the Lord, they wanted events to happen in a time of their own choosing. This led to a god of their own making.” Just as Abraham committed his transgression with Hagar because he was unwilling to wait for God’s timing for Sarah to conceive, so the children of Israel were restless and unwilling to wait for Moses to return in order to receive further instruction from the Lord.
Verses 2-6: Aaron tells the people to give him their gold earrings, which represent some of the spoil that the Israelites took from Egypt. (v.2) (Exodus 11:2, 35:22, Judges 8:24) From these Aaron creates a molten calf. When they see it, the Israelites respond with, “These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.” (v.4) This is a clear violation of the first and second commandments. (Exodus 20:3-4, 23, Deuteronomy 9:16, Judges 17:3-4, 1 Kings 12:28, Nehemiah 9:18, Psalm 106:19, Acts 7:41) It’s important to note here that only a few days – or perhaps a week or two – earlier, Moses had given to the people the ten commandments before he and Joshua went back up the mountain to meet with God again. Therefore, there is no excuse for the Israelites’ blatant disobedience against God with their worship of this golden idol. Not only that, but the children of Israel had also been firsthand witnesses to God’s supernatural power over the Egyptians and their false gods, one of which is Bat, a cow goddess. Bat is closely linked in Egyptian mythology with Hathor, the goddess of sexuality, motherhood, music and dance. To ascribe power to these false deities is to rob the one true God of His rightful worship and praise. When Moses had finished giving them the law, the Israelites had promised, “All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.” (Exodus 24:7) Sadly, it doesn’t take them long to forget that promise. The fact that the people go to Aaron indicates that they are looking to him to be their new leader. He should have said ‘No’ to this demand and rebuked the Israelites for their disobedience. Instead, Aaron gives in to the mob’s request, and, when he sees their reaction to the calf, he encourages their apostasy by building an altar before it. He then declares, “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.” (v.5) That proclamation hints at the possibility that the Israelites believe the calf actually does represent God. The term “Lord” in verse 5 is the English translation of the Hebrew word “Jehovah”. The children of Israel very likely committed the same sin that so many Christians today fall into: mixing truth with falsehood. In this case, the creation of the golden calf, along with the sexual immorality and feasting described in verse 6, under the guise of worshiping the true God of Israel, JEHOVAH, is the real transgression. This is why God is giving Moses the instructions for the tabernacle, the Aaronic priesthood, and the system of sacrifices. Israel’s transgression proves that without the tabernacle and the priesthood they would easily fall into the heathen worship and idolatry of their neighboring nations. The phrase in verse 6, “…rose up to play…”, along with the reference in verse 25 to the nakedness of the people, indicates sexual immorality. Nearly all of the false religions of the ANE incorporated polygamy, prostitution, orgies, and bestiality in their regular worship practices. Having just come out of Egypt, the children of Israel were quick to fall back into the immorality and false religion of the Egyptians instead of patiently waiting for Moses’ return from Mount Sinai. (The picture at the top of this posting is an artist's rendering, courtesy of Logos Bible Software, of the events of this chapter.) Verses 7-14: God informs Moses of the Israelites’ sin, telling Moses to get down from the mountain. (v.7) Take note of the wording of this verse: “...for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt…” God has verbally disowned the Israelites! They are no longer His chosen people because “…they have corrupted themselves…”. That verb is used here in the same manner as in Genesis 6:11-12, hence the depth of God’s anger and desire to destroy the entire nation. “They had not just erred, this was not merely a ‘mistake in judgment’ but they had quickly turned aside, they had rapidly and rashly fallen into iniquity and transgression. They had failed to walk in the ‘…way which I commanded them…’; they had missed the mark and fallen short (32:8a). Taking the definition of ‘sin’ as ‘any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God’ (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question 38), the people had failed on both counts.” (Moody Bible Commentary) The Lord then gives a summary of all that transpired in verses 1-6 (v.8). In verse 9, He refers to the Israelites as “…a stiffnecked people…” (Exodus 33:3, 5, Exodus 34:9, Deuteronomy 9:6, 2 Chronicles 30:8, Isaiah 48:4, Acts 7:51) and expresses to Moses his desire to destroy them. (v.10) (Exodus 22:24, Numbers 14:12, Deuteronomy 9:14, 19) The phrasing in verse 10 is interesting. God says to Moses, “Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.” God tells Moses what He is about to do, as if Moses possesses the ability to prevent God from carrying out His righteous judgment! This is reminiscent of God’s dialogue with Abraham in Genesis 18:20-33, where Abraham acted as intercessor on behalf of the righteous remnant within Sodom and Gomorrah. God accepted Abraham’s mediation and promised not to destroy the cities if at least ten were found righteous within them. The same scenario seems to be playing out here in verses 10-14, this time with Moses as the mediator and intercessor. And now it’s God’s chosen people who are the object of His wrath and judgment. By revealing his plan to utterly destroy the Israelites for their disobedience and rebellion, God allows the opportunity for Moses to act as mediator on their behalf. The Holman Bible commentators state it as thus: “Earlier the Lord had needed to persuade Moses to accept His plans; now Moses uses the Lord’s own words to persuade Him to have mercy on His people. This displayed the depth of the victory that the Lord had won in Moses’ heart.” Moses seeks the face of the Lord. (v.11) (Deuteronomy 9:18, 26) His question to God is essentially this: “What will the Egyptians and the peoples of the promised land say if You destroy the Israelites now? Did you bring them out of bondage in Egypt only to slay them in the wilderness?” (v.13) (Numbers 14:13, Deuteronomy 9:28, Joshua 7:9) Moses then reminds God of His promise to Abraham and his seed, “…to whom Thou swarest by Thine own self…”. (v.13) God had promised Abraham that his seed would be as great as the number of stars in the sky and that they would one day inherit the promised land forever. How could that promise be fulfilled if God utterly destroyed the nation now? There is also a test here for Moses. God says in verse 10, “I will make of thee a great nation.” Moses displays great humility and maturity here by refusing God’s offer. He instead beseeches the Lord on behalf of Israel, showing just how much he has changed from the impetuous, angry, immature man that was hiding out in the desert when God first called him to be the leader of the Israelites. God, of course, does not renege on His promise to Abraham. (v.14) If he had, he would not be God. Moses is quite correct in pointing this out, and he also passes God’s test of character and true leadership. The verb “repent” in verse 14 is the same as that in Genesis 6:6, 1 Samuel 15:11, 2 Samuel 24:16, and Zechariah 8:14. It means that God is grieved and heartbroken by the sin and apostasy of his creation. “This repentance does not mean that God has literally ‘changed His mind’ about what He intended to do. Rather, ‘when God is said to repent, it indicates 1) his awareness that the human situation has altered and 2) his desire to act in a way fitting to this changed situation.’ (Bruce A. Ware, God’s Lesser Glory: The Diminished God of Open Theism [Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2000], 90)”. (Moody Bible Commentary) (For a more detailed commentary of this, see my notes on Genesis 6.) Verses 15-19: Moses descends the mountain with the pair of stone tablets. (Deuteronomy 9:15) Verses 15-16 emphasizes that the tablets are written on both sides and that they are “…the work of God…”. (Exodus 31:18) This underscores the depth of Moses’ anger in verse 19. The point at which Joshua is waiting for Moses is high enough up the mountain that he is unaware of what is transpiring in the camp. He can, however, hear some kind of noise from the camp far below, and he mistakes it at first for the sound of battle. (v.17) But as he and Moses draw closer to the base of the mountain, Joshua realizes it’s the noise of singing and festivity. (v.18) When they’re finally close enough to see what’s really going on, Moses hurls the stone tablets to the ground, smashing them in the presence of all the Israelites. (v.19) The same phrase “…anger waxed hot…” is used again here to describe Moses’ righteous fury, reflecting the same righteous wrath displayed by God in verse 10. (Deuteronomy 9:17) “Moses’ breaking of the tablets was an important symbolic act done carefully, deliberately, and openly for the benefit of the Israelites because of the way violation of a covenant is routinely described in the ancient Semitic world as a ‘breaking’ of that ‘covenant.’ ” (Holman Illustrated Bible Commentary) Verses 20-25: (Numbers 5:17, 24, Deuteronomy 9:21) Moses immediately melts down the calf and grinds the gold into powder which he casts “…upon the water…”, presumably a nearby stream or river flowing from Mount Sinai. He then orders the children of Israel to drink the bitter-tasting liquid. This is especially just punishment in light of the incident at Marah, just after the exodus from Egypt, when God had changed the bitter water into sweet. (Exodus 15:23-26) Moses had warned the children of Israel then that if they would always hearken to God’s voice and “…do that which is right in His sight…”, as well as obey all His commandments and statutes, that God would always care and provide for them. (Exodus 15:26) Disobedience, however, will always be punished accordingly. Next, Moses confronts Aaron. He demands of his brother to know what the people did to Aaron to convince him to bring “…so great a sin upon them?” (v.21) Aaron’s initial response of “Let not the anger of my lord wax hot…” echoes the same description from verses 10 and 19. He then blames the people, telling Moses “…that they are set on mischief…” (v.22), meaning that the Israelites are prone to evil, and that they demanded that he make for them the golden calf. (v.23) This is the very reason that Aaron should have refused the people’s request, and the fact that he is attempting to deflect the blame from himself is further proof that he knew from the start that this was wrong. His explanation for the creation of the idol in verse 24 is utterly laughable, “…I cast it [the gold] into the fire, and there came out this calf…”, and only serves to underscore the weakness of his character as well as the depth of his sin. This is the reason for Moses’ initial demand in verse 21. He is holding Aaron responsible for bringing this great sin upon the children of Israel. This is further confirmed by the statement in verse 25: “…Aaron had made them naked unto their shame…”. (2 Chronicles 28:19) This indicates the sexual immorality and extreme debauchery that was taking place while Moses and Joshua were up on the mountain. Verses 26-29: Moses stands in the gate of the camp where he can both be seen and heard. These verses indicate that many of the Israelites refused to leave their idolatrous worship and the orgy that was still taking place even though the golden calf is no longer present. The time has come to separate the ones who are persisting in their disobedience and rebellion from those who were only bystanders caught up in the heathen festivity. Moses’ declaration is clear, direct and loud enough for all to hear: “Who is on the Lord’s side? Let him come unto me!” (v. 26) Only the men of the tribe of Levi answer his call. This is interesting when one considers Jacob’s pronouncement in Genesis 49:5-6. The descendants of the two brothers known for their anger and vengeful violence are now the ones who stand with Moses and will be the executors of God’s wrath upon their fellow Israelites. Moses commands the men of Levi to go through the entire camp and slay every man and woman that is still participating in the idolatrous orgy. (v.27) This must have been heartbreaking for these sons to have to kill their own families as well as their neighbors, but they obey Moses nonetheless. When all is said and done, about three thousand men are dead. (v.28) Verse 29 reiterates the reason for this harsh judgment: God’s law – which the Israelites had readily agreed to honor and obey (Exodus 24:3) – demanded that no other gods or idols be worshiped in place of JEHOVAH, the one true God of Israel, Lord of heaven and earth. (Exodus 20:22-23) The Israelites had committed the sins of pride and rebellion, giving in to the lusts of their flesh rather than obeying God, and such grievous sin demanded swift and righteous punishment. Verses 30-35: Moses ascends Mount Sinai to once again “…go up unto the Lord…” (v.30) But now his purpose is to atone for the Israelites’ sin. “In the next section of the exodus experience, we can see Moses taking on two roles. He became the intercessor for Israel, and at the same time the intimate companion of the Lord.” (Moody Bible Commentary) Once again, we see a very different man here than the one God first called at the burning bush on the backside of the desert. Moses casts himself down before God, begging the Lord to take his life as an atonement for the children of Israel. (v.32) Moses is so distraught that he can’t even finish the conditional sentence that begins this verse. Instead, he finishes with a plea to “…blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.” (Psalm 69:28, Isaiah 4:3, Malachi 3:16, Romans 9:3) This is possibly a reference to the same book that is mentioned in Revelation 20:12, 15, also known as the Lamb’s Book of Life. It’s also possible that this is merely a metaphor for salvation as it was understood by the OT saints. Moses is, in essence, offering up his own salvation and eternal security if it means it will stay God’s wrath against the rest of Israel for their sin. This is the most selfless act any man could do for another, and it’s a testament to Moses’ character as a true leader and a man of God. But the Lord denies Moses’ request, saying that each man must pay for his own sins. (v.33) “…him will I blot out of My book.” (Exodus 17:14, Deuteronomy 29:20, Psalm 9:5, Revelation 3:5, 21:27) This is further proof that no man or woman can atone for another’s sins, only because we are all sinners – even the greatest men of God like Moses, Elijah, David or the apostle Paul. Only Jesus Christ, born in the flesh, who lived a perfect and sinless life, could properly and justly atone for the sins of all mankind. God commands Moses to lead the children of Israel to the promised land, repeating once more His promise from Exodus 23:20 regarding the Angel of the Lord. (v.34) He closes with an assurance that further punishment will be dealt upon the Israelites for their disobedience on this day. That judgment comes in the form of a plague. (v.35) Aaron is once again singled out by name for leading the people into sin. The incident of the golden calf proves the depravity of our sin nature. God created us to know, love and worship Him. It’s hardwired in the DNA of our souls. If we reject God, we will love and worship something else: money, career, family, false religion, or even just our own selfish pride. Just as the Israelites tried to satisfy their God-given need to worship something greater than themselves, so we do the same today, whether we realize it or not. This is the reason that so many false religions exist in the world. Satan knew of this need God placed within Adam and Eve, and that’s how he successfully deceived them, and how he’s still successfully deceiving mankind today. He convinced Adam and Eve that they could love and worship themselves by being “as gods” if they ate of the forbidden fruit, and he deceived all of their descendants the same way. All of us are born trying to fill that specific void within with everything BUT God. Only when we finally realize and admit the truth of our fallen, broken nature and then reach out Jesus as our LORD and Savior do we finally find the only missing component that truly completes us as created, sentient beings. That was God’s beautiful, perfect design for us – and this world – from the very beginning! This chapter describes the ritual by which Aaron and his sons are consecrated and ordained to serve as priests in the tabernacle. The ceremony begins with one young bullock and two rams, all without any blemish or spot. (v.1) (Hebrews 7:26) Along with the animals, Moses is also to bring bread, cakes, and wafers – all of them unleavened and made of wheat flour. (v.2) (Leviticus 2:4) Here in the OT, remember, leaven represents sin. Everything about this consecration ceremony symbolizes cleanliness and purification, holiness before the Lord. Aaron and his sons are to be brought to the door of the tabernacle and washed with water (v.4), the first step of purification before God. (Exodus 40:12, Leviticus 8:6, Hebrews 10:22) Next, the garments described in chapter 28 are to be put upon Aaron and his sons. (v.5-9) (Leviticus 8:7) Because Aaron will be the high priest, the one highest in rank in the tabernacle service, the process of robing him is described first. (v.5-6) After he is properly clothed, Moses is to take the anointing oil and pour it upon Aaron’s head. (v.7) (Exodus 25:6, 30:25, Leviticus 8:12, 10:7, 21:10, Numbers 35:25, Psalm 133:2) Verse 9 repeats the command that “…the priest’s office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute…”. The Aaronic priesthood is to be inherited, passed from father to son, a sacred and holy honor for the men of the tribe of Levi.
NOTE: the Aaronic priesthood is one of the institutes of the OT that Joseph Smith erroneously and egregiously turned into a fundamental doctrine and practice of the Mormon church. God never intended for anyone but the Israelites under the Mosaic law to obey and practice this institution. This is one of the many glaring contradictions between scripture and the false teachings found in the Book of Mormon. When Jesus Christ gave up his life upon the cross, and when the veil of the temple that separated the holy place from the holy of holies was torn in two, the Levitical priesthood was abolished. We who now live in the dispensation of grace are not under the law because Christ’s sacrifice paid the penalty for our sins once and for all time – past, present and future. The need for a man to serve as our high priest and mediator is no more because Jesus Christ now serves that role for us for all eternity, as explained in the book of Hebrews. Verses 10-14: The next step of the purification and consecration ceremony for the priests is the blood sacrifice of the bullock, which is the sin offering. (Leviticus 1:4-5, 8:14) This offering is for the purpose of cleansing the altar. (Exodus 24:6) Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before slaying it “…by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.” (v.11) “The priest laying hands on the animal symbolized the transfer of guilt (imputation) from the guilty to the innocent. This was a key feature of the entire sacrificial system (Leviticus 16:21-22, Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24). The concepts of transfer and imputation point to a system and theology of substitution. Combined with the act of slaying the animal, the entire scene pictured penal substitution.” (The Moody Bible Commentary) The blood of the bullock is to be sprinkled upon the horns of the brazen altar (a.k.a. the altar of burnt offering) and then poured all around the base of it. (v.12) (Leviticus 8:15) The fat of the bullock, as well as part of the liver (the caul) and the two kidneys, are to be burned upon the altar. (v.13) “The fat was considered the choicest part of the animal and was therefore offered to the Lord.” (Believer's Bible Commentary) The rest of the animal is to be burned outside the camp. “…it is a sin offering.” (v.14) (Leviticus 4:11-12, 21, Hebrews 13:11-12) “The various kinds of sin offering and their circumstances are described in Leviticus 4:1–5:13. Sometimes called a purification offering, its purpose is to atone for sin or ceremonial uncleanness in order to restore communion.” (Holman Illustrated Bible Commentary) Verses 15-18: The first ram is to be the burnt offering. (Leviticus 8:18) This offering is for propitiation. (Leviticus 1:4) Once again, Aaron and the priests are to lay their hands on the head of the ram (v.15) before killing it. (v.16) This time, however, the blood is to be sprinkled around the altar rather than just on the horns. The animal is to be cut up into pieces – the head, body, and the four legs – and his insides cleaned out and washed. All the pieces are then laid upon the altar (v.17) and burned. (v.18) This offering is one of atonement on behalf of the priests, foreshadowing once again Christ’s death on the cross for our sins. (Exodus 20:24) That’s why the whole animal is to be sacrificed on the altar. Verse 18 concludes with, “…it is a sweet savour, and offering made by fire unto the Lord.” Verses 19-21: The second ram is the ram of consecration. (Leviticus 8:22) As before, Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands upon the head of the ram before slaying it. With the blood of this animal, Moses is to put some on the tip of Aaron’s right ear, his right thumb, and the big toe of his right foot. (v.20) He then repeats the process for Aaron’s sons, and then sprinkles the blood on the altar and all around it. Lastly, Moses is to sprinkle some of the blood that’s on the altar, as well as some of the anointing oil, on Aaron and his sons and their garments. (v.21) (Exodus 30:25, 31, Leviticus 8:30, Hebrews 9:22) According to the Believer’s Bible Commentary, the placing of the blood on the right ear tip, the thumb, and the big toe “…signified the need of cleansing from sin in every area of human life—the ear for obedience to God’s Word, the hand for action or service, and the foot for walk or deportment.” By all of this, Aaron “…shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him.” It might seem strange to us that Moses is to stain these beautiful priestly garments with blood, but in the eyes of God this blood is for atonement. Without it, there is no fellowship or communion with God who is holy and perfect and us who are stained with sin. Without penal substitution and the propitiation of a blood sacrifice, there is no way of salvation for mankind. Verses 22-25: From the third ram Moses is to take the fat, the rump, the caul of the liver, the two kidneys, and the right shoulder. (v.22) All of these, along with a loaf of bread and a wafer (v.2, 23), are to be placed into the hands of Aaron and his sons. (v.24) (Leviticus 8:26) They are to offer them up “…for a wave offering before the Lord.” (Leviticus 7:30, 10:14) The priests will hold up the items and wave them back and forth in the air above the altar, presumably also looking towards heaven, as if to say to God, “See this!” After this all the items are burned upon the altar, once again “…for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour before the Lord…”. (v.25) (Leviticus 7:31, 8:28) Verses 26-28: The breast and left shoulder of the second ram are for Aaron and his sons to consume after the pieces have been sanctified and offered up in wave and heave offerings. (v.26-27) (Leviticus 7:34, 8:29, Numbers 18:11, 18, Deuteronomy 18:3) The heave offering is so named because of the priest lifting the animal flesh vertically instead of waving it horizontally above the altar. The heave offering is to always be set aside for the priests. (v.28) (Leviticus 10:15) The sacrifice of the second ram is referred to as a “peace offering” in verse 28. (Leviticus 3:1) “A peace offering (see Leviticus 7) was, in a sense, celebratory, a joyful act symbolizing the peace now enjoyed (after the sin and guilt offerings had been made and accepted by the Lord) between the worshiper and God.” (Moody Bible Commentary) Verses 29- 34: The garments of the high priest are to be passed down from generation to generation (v.29) (Numbers 20:26, 28), and the ordination ceremony for the new high priest is to last seven days. (v.30, 35) The meat of the second ram, the peace offering, is for the nourishment of the priests only (v.33), along with the bread from the basket that is to be kept always at the door of the tabernacle. (v.31-32) The ram’s flesh is to be boiled, (Leviticus 8:31), and any of the meat or bread that is left over at the end of each day is to be burned. Nothing is to be saved for the following day. (v.34) (Exodus 12:10, 16:16, 19, 23:18, 34:25, Leviticus 7:18, 8:32) As with many of the commandments found in the Mosaic law, especially in Leviticus, this rule was most likely given for health reasons. With no way to adequately and safely refrigerate any leftover meat, it would quickly spoil if the priests tried to save any for the following day or later. Verses 35-37: This ceremony of consecration is to last seven days. (v.35) (Leviticus 8:33) Each day there is to be the three different animal sacrifices. (v.36) (Hebrews 10:11) God makes a point of emphasizing the first sacrifice, that of the bullock which is the sin offering, and the holiness of the altar. (v.37) Only that which is holy may touch the altar itself. (Numbers 4:15, Matthew 23:19) Verses 38-46: The priests are to sacrifice on the altar twice daily, once in the morning and evening, a lamb less than a year old. (v.38) (Numbers 28:3, 29:6, 1 Chronicles 16:40, Ezra 3:3) “This shall be a continual burnt offering…” (v.42), says the Lord. With each lamb the priest is to combine a meat offering of flour and oil and a drink offering of wine (v.39-40), “…for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the Lord.” (v.41) The purpose of these two daily sacrifices is states in verse 43: “And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.” (Exodus 25:22, 33:7, 9, 40:34, Numbers 17:4, 1 Kings 8:11, 2 Chronicles 5:14, Ezekiel 43:5, Haggai 2:7, 9) The whole reason and purpose of the tabernacle, the priests, and the various sacrifices is so that God may commune and fellowship with His chosen people. (Exodus 6:7) It’s why he brought them out of bondage in Egypt in the first place. God desires on ongoing relationship with the Israelites, and all these commandments and instructions for the law and the tabernacle and the daily sacrifices are so that He – a holy, perfect God – can meet with His unholy, sinful creation. Sin separates us from God. Without the blood sacrifice of a perfect, sinless being there can be no atonement for our sin. Until it was time to send Christ into the world – born of a virgin, living a perfect, sinless life, and then offering up himself as a blood sacrifice once and for all for all mankind – only the daily sacrifices and burnt offerings of lambs, bulls and goats could temporarily repair the broken relationship between almighty God and His chosen people. (Hebrews 9:13-15) It was God who first desired to dwell among His people (v.45-46), and it was He that initiated the instructions to Moses in the proper way that that fellowship could be restored. (Exodus 25:8, Leviticus 11:45, 26:12, Numbers 5:3, Deuteronomy 12:11, Zechariah 2:10, John 14:17, 23, Revelation 21:3) At the conclusion of giving the law to Moses, God instructs him to return with “…Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel…”. (v.1) This is the second mention of Aaron’s sons here in Exodus. (Exodus 6:23, 28:1, Leviticus 10:1-2) Only Moses is allowed to “…come near the Lord…”. (v.2)
Verse 3: Moses descends the mountain and relays to the people all that God had given to him in the form of the Book of the Covenant. (v.7) The children of Israel readily agree to obey the law. “…All the words which the Lord hath said will we do.” (Exodus 19:8, Deuteronomy 5:27, Galatians 3:19) Verses 4-8: Moses writes down “…all the words of the Lord…”. (Exodus 17:14, 34:27, Deuteronomy 31:9) Early the next morning he builds an altar at the base of Mount Sinai. The altar’s base consists of twelve pillars – or stones – each one representing a tribe of Israel. (Genesis 28:18) Moses then calls for the “…young men of the children of Israel…” (v.5) who could offer burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. Ratification and acceptance of this new covenant by the people requires a blood sacrifice, oxen in this case. (Exodus 29:16, 20, Hebrews 9:18) Half the blood that’s drained from the animals is sprinkled on the altar. (v.6) After reading the whole law to the people once more, Moses sprinkles the other half of the blood on them. (v.7-8) (Zechariah 9:11, Matthew 26:28, Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20, 1 Corinthians 11:25, Hebrews 9:19-20, 13:20, 1 Peter 1:2) According to the Holman Illustrated Bible Commentary, “The sprinkling of blood marked the altar and the people as associated with the covenant sacrifices. And because this covenant was with God, the shed blood was also a provision for atonement and forgiveness, life for life.” That commentary also points out that the burnt offerings, in which everything but the animal hide is consumed in the fire, shows total dedication to the Lord on the part of the one giving the sacrifice. In this instance, the burnt offerings were given on behalf of all the children of Israel, signifying the nation’s whole and complete dedication to God. Verses 9-11: After all this, Moses ascends the mountain with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy elders of Israel, as God had commanded in verse 1. They pause midway up the mountain, as later indicated by God’s command to Moses in verse 12, and it’s here that they see “…the God of Israel…”. (v.10) (Numbers 12:8, Isaiah 6:5, John 1:18, 6:46, 1 John 4:12) The description that follows this statement employs a simile. The point of view is from that of a person who is prostrate on the ground and, thus, can only see what is beneath the feet of God. To Moses it must have resembled sapphire stone. (Ezekiel 1:26, Revelation 4:3) While the apostle John states clearly that no man can see God and live, it’s clear from this passage, as well as Genesis 32:30, Exodus 33:22-23, and Judges 13:22 that God can take the form of persons or things familiar to His children. The Believer’s Bible Commentary puts it this way: “…God in His unveiled glory is a consuming fire which would vaporize anyone looking at Him, yet He can reveal Himself in the form of a man, an angel, or a glory cloud (Deuteronomy 5:24) which a person could see and still live.” The phrase “laid not His hand” in verse 11 means literally “did not stretch forth His hand against”. This is a reference to the custom of this time in the ANE where a king had the power and authority to issue a death sentence against his subjects with just a hand gesture. As I noted in my commentary from chapter 19, this whole experience – God meeting with His chosen people, giving them the law, and then the Israelites accepting that law and agreeing to its covenant – is all patterned after the custom of a king forging a covenant relationship with His subjects. Verse 11 concludes by stating once more that Moses, Aaron, and the elders saw God. This experience was then followed by a feast. (“…and did eat and drink…”) This, too, was part of the ancient custom of a king dining with his faithful subjects, especially in the form of a celebration of something significant. (Genesis 14:18, Isaiah 25:6, 1 Corinthians 11:26, Revelation 19:9) Verses 12-18: This is the first mention of the “tables of stone”, the tablets upon which God will write His ten commandments for the children of Israel. (Exodus 31:18, 32:15, Deuteronomy 5:22) He calls to Moses, beckoning him further up the mountain. (v.12) Moses instructs the elders to wait where they are and that Aaron and Hur are in charge until he returns. (v.13) God appears in the form of both a cloud and a “devouring fire”, covering the whole mountain top in His glory. (v.15-16) (Exodus 3:2, 16:10, 33:18, Numbers 14:10, Deuteronomy 4:26, 36, 9:3, Romans 3:23, Hebrews 12:18, 29) Compare this passage with the transfiguration of Jesus on the mount in Matthew 17. Verse 5 of that chapter states, “…a bright cloud overshadowed them…”. Moses and Joshua wait for six days outside the cloud and on the seventh day Moses goes up into the cloud alone to meet with God. He remains there for forty days and nights. (v.17-18) (Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 9:9, 10:10) Verses 1-3: These relate to the 9th commandment. (Exodus 20:16, Leviticus 19:11, Deuteronomy 5:20, Psalm 101:5, Proverbs 10:18) God forbids the Israelites to lie to one another in matters of witness involving legal disputes (v.1), as well as participation in “mob justice”. (v.2) Legal matters are to be handled in a civil and fair manner where all cases are brought before the judges. Just going along with the angry crowd could lead to further crimes and/or perversions of justice. Likewise, the judges are to treat all parties fairly and not show partiality to one side or the other, i.e. sympathizing with someone’s cause just because he/she is poor. (v.3.) (Leviticus 19:15, Deuteronomy 1:17, 16:19)
Verses 4-5: These two verses relate to the principle of loving one’s enemies and doing good to them that hate us. (Deuteronomy 22:4, Matthew 5:44, Romans 12:20) More specifically, God is commanding the Israelites to care for not only their own personal property but that of their neighbor’s as well. In other words, treat someone else’s goods and livestock just as well as you would your own, even if you and your neighbor aren’t currently getting along. This is a basic law of any stable society. Because God Himself is kind, loving, merciful and generous, even to those that despise Him, He expects the children of Israel to behave in the same manner towards one another and their personal property. Verses 6-9: These reiterate the theme of verses 1-3. Judges are to be fair and impartial in all their dealings in regulating legal disputes. Those appearing before them are likewise to be truthful and honest in their testimony. (v.7) (Psalm 119:29, Ephesians 4:25) God will not look kindly upon those that bear false witness for the purpose of exploiting the innocent or tearing down the righteous. (Exodus 34:7, Deuteronomy 25:1, Romans 1:18) The poor, especially, are not to be taken advantage of or oppressed in any way. (v.6) (Deuteronomy 27:19, Ecclesiastes 5:8) Bribes are forbidden. (v.8) So is the unjust slavery and oppression of foreigners. (v.9) As noted in the previous chapter, the Israelites were once themselves oppressed and made slaves in a foreign country, so they should not do likewise to the peoples of the nations around them. (Exodus 22:21, Leviticus 19:33) Verses 10-12: A sabbatical rest of every seventh year for the land is commanded in verses 10-11. This is for two reasons: 1) That the poor may eat of whatever crop grows naturally from the earth in that year of rest; 2) To remind the children of Israel that the land and all the earth belong to God. We, as His creation, are merely stewards of it. Another reminder of the sabbath day is given in verse 12. Just as God rested on the seventh day after creating the heaven and the earth, so should we have a day of rest from not only our physical labor, but also for the purpose of worship and focusing on God. This is the whole reason for church on Sunday. Verse 13 sums up the reason and meaning for all the laws that have preceded it. (Deuteronomy 4:9, 23, Joshua 23:7, Psalm 16:4, Hosea 2:17, 1 Timothy 4:16) The whole point of God’s law for His chosen people is so that they would recognize His sovereignty and His Lordship over them. He is the creator of the world and all that is in it – including you and me. As such, we should acknowledge his sovereignty and humble ourselves before Him always. The point of verse 13 is that everything we do in our daily lives should always be focused on God – and God alone – by cultivating a mindset of worship, obedience and devotion to God and all that He is. In the words of the Moody Bible Commentators: “Devotion to God will mean living and serving and worship in ways quite distinct from the surrounding culture. The Lord is a God of truth and justice and His people must be the people of truth and justice.” Verses 14-17: God commands the children of Israel to observe three feasts throughout the year (Exodus 34:22, Deuteronomy 16:16): 1. The feast of unleavened bread. This feast is to be held immediately following the day of Passover in the month of Abib, as laid out in Exodus 12. It’s a week-long memorial of God’s deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt. (v.15) (Exodus 12:14, Leviticus 23:6, Numbers 28:16, Acts 12:3) 2. The feast of harvest, a.k.a. the feast of weeks. This is a celebration of God’s provision of grain specifically. The Israelites are to bring forth the firstfruits of their harvest of wheat. (v.16) (Leviticus 23:10, Numbers 28:26) 3. The feast of ingathering, a.k.a. the feast of booths or the fest of tabernacles. This is to be celebrated at the end of the year as a memorial of God’s bounty and provision for His people by bringing forth firstfruits of all the rest of the agricultural produce. (Deuteronomy 16:13) The Believer’s Bible Commentary states that the feast of unleavened bread is a symbol for believers today of the importance of purging our lives daily of malice and wickedness. The latter two feasts are a typological foreshadowing for the day of Pentecost and the formation of the NT church (feast of harvest) and the Millennial Kingdom when Christ reigns on earth and Israel is dwelling securely in the promised land (feast of ingathering). Each of these three feasts throughout the year requires the presence of the men of Israel (and, presumably, their wives and children). (v.17) (Exodus 34:23) Nor are any of them to come empty-handed. (v.15) By requiring the assembly of the whole nation three times a year, God is providing a way for His chosen people to strengthen their bonds of familial unity and community, while also memorializing all that God has done – and will do – for them. Verses 18-19: In the context and theme of the Passover leaven symbolizes sin. Therefore it is not to be used in connection with the blood sacrifices. (v.18) (Exodus 34:25, Leviticus 2:11) The fat of the animal is the best part and is to be burned completely upon the altar so that none of it is left until morning. The best of the firstfruits are to be brought to the house of the Lord. (v. 19) (Exodus 22:29, 34:26, Deuteronomy 26:2, 10, Nehemiah 10:35, Proverbs 3:9) The specific command about boiling a young goat in its mother’s milk (Deuteronomy 14:21) has baffled scholars and commentators. The common Jewish understanding today of this law is that they are not allowed to eat any meat that has been cooked in the same pan as any sauce containing cream or milk. Most Biblical scholars believe that this commandment has to do with some pagan ritual or fertility rite that was practiced by the heathen nations of the promised land. Other commentators have stated that the real purpose of this law was that a young animal that was still suckling shouldn’t be taken away from its mother until it was weaned. To do so would traumatize the mother. Whatever the case, the point of these laws regarding the blood sacrifices and the offerings of firstfruits is that no pagan rites are to be used or mixed in with the way in which the Israelites worship God. Verses 20-23: The last part of this chapter concerns the conquest of the promised land. The Angel spoken of in verses 20-23 is the preincarnate Christ. (Genesis 16:7, 21:17, 22:11, 31:11, Exodus 3:2, Joshua 5:14) We know this because of the description given in verse 21. Only God has the power and authority to forgive sins. (Luke 5:21) God also says in the second half of that verse that “…My name is in him”, meaning that God Himself is in the form and presence of this Angel, just as He was at the Red Sea. (Exodus 13:21, 14:19) Until the building of the tabernacle, God’s presence among the children of Israel took the form of a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. God repeats His promise to bless His chosen people and to defend and protect them if they will obey His commandments and follow Him only. (v.21-22) “…obey His voice, provoke Him not…” (Numbers 14:11, Deuteronomy 9:7, Psalm 78:40, 56) He further promises to deliver the heathen nations that currently inhabit the promised land into the hands of the Israelites. (v.23) (Genesis 12:3, Numbers 24:9, Deuteronomy 30:7, Joshua 24:8, 11, Isaiah 54:15, Jeremiah 30:16, 20) Verses 24-33: God lays out His game plan to Moses, describing exactly what He will do for the children of Israel upon their entering the promised land. He begins by repeating the 1st commandment: “Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works…”. (v.24) He commands the Israelites to completely overthrow the inhabitants of the land and tear down their idols and altars to their false gods. (Exodus 20:3, 5, 34:13, Numbers 33:52, Deuteronomy 7:5, 12:3, 30-31, 2 Kings 18:4) The children of Israel are to serve and obey God alone. (v.25) (Deuteronomy 6:13, Matthew 4:10) In doing so, God would bless them in multiple ways. (v.25-26) (Exodus 15:26, Deuteronomy 7:14-15, 28:4-5, 1 Chronicles 23:1, Malachi 3:11) Rahab’s report to the Israelite spies (Joshua 2:9) confirms God’s promise to Moses in verse 27. (Genesis 35:5, Exodus 15:16, Deuteronomy 2:25) Furthermore, Joshua 24:13 states that the children of Israel took possession of cities and vineyards that they had not built or planted. God will not drive out the inhabitants of Canaan all at once, lest the wild animals overtake it and “…the land become desolate…”. (v.29) He also mentions in verse 30 that the Israelites need time as well to increase their numbers in order to fully spread out and settle all of the vast area of the promised land. In verse 31 God describes the borders of that land. (Genesis 15:18, Deuteronomy 1:7-8, 11:24, 1 Kings 4:21, 24) According to the Holman Bible Commentary, the border starts at the portion of the Red Sea known as the Gulf of Aqaba (1 Kings 9:26) and extends all the way to the Mediterranean Sea, which at this time is known in Hebrew as “…the sea of the Philistines…” since it is they who live along its coast. There is a stern warning in verses 32-33. The children of Israel are to make no treaties with the inhabitants of the promised land, nor are they to worship their gods. (Exodus 34:12, 15, Deuteronomy 7:2) The Israelites are to leave no survivors of the heathen nations (“They shall not dwell in thy land…”) lest they cause the Israelites to sin against God by turning to idolatry. Failure to heed this warning would be a snare for the children of Israel. (Deuteronomy 12:30, Joshua 23:13, Judges 2:3, 1 Samuel 18:21, 1 Kings 11:4, Psalm 106:36) Sadly, that’s exactly what happened, as the children of Israel failed miserably to obey God’s command. As you’ll recall from my commentary on Genesis 3, there are at least seven distinct dispensations, or ages, of human history, starting in Genesis 1 with the creation of the heaven and the earth. The term “dispensation” refers to the primary method by which God has related to – and dealt with – mankind. Throughout human history, God has revealed Himself to man in different ways and by different means, and He has also changed His methods by which He has dispensed or instituted His governing of His creation. The Believer’s Bible Commentary puts it this way: “While God Himself never changes, His methods do. He works in different ways at different times.” Doctor C.I. Scofield, the famous 19th century American theologian, minister, and Biblical scholar, listed the following dispensations according to his study of the Bible:
1. Innocence (Genesis 1:27-28): from Adam’s creation up to his fall. 2. Conscience or Moral Responsibility (Genesis 3:7): from the Fall to the end of the Flood. 3. Human Government (Genesis 9:1-17): from the end of the Flood to the call of Abraham. 4. Promise (Genesis 12:1-3): from the call of Abraham to the giving of the Law. 5. Law (Exodus 20:1-17): from the giving of the Law to the Day of Pentecost. 6. Church (Acts 2:1): from the Day of Pentecost to the Rapture. 7. Kingdom (Revelation 20:4): the thousand-year reign of Christ. The illustration that I provided at the end of my commentary for Genesis 3, given to me by Pastor Cliff Taylor in his Bible Institute class last year, lists nine dispensations. Doctor Taylor inserted an age of transition between the age of the Law and the Church (a.k.a. the age of Grace), as well as another dispensational age for the Tribulation (Revelation 6:17) between the Church age and the Millennial Kingdom age. That latter one makes sense because God’s direct dealings with mankind will be distinctly different than they are now as well as what will be during the Millennial Kingdom after Christ’s third return to earth. However, the age of Transition that Pastor Taylor believes exists solely in Christ’s three year ministry here on earth in the four gospels is based entirely on Jesus’ words in Luke 16:16, and is up for some debate. In any case, it is clear that while God Himself never changes and is the same today as He was at the creation of the world, His methods and ways of dealing with – and interacting with – mankind have changed at various times and ages throughout human history. (For further reading and study on dispensations, I recommend Scofield’s book Rightly Dividing The Word Of Truth.) Here in Exodus 20, with the giving of the Mosaic Law to the children of Israel, God is ushering in a new dispensation. Until now, there was no direct, clear commandment from God regarding His relationship to mankind as well as mankind’s responsibilities to God and their fellow man. As noted in Scofield’s list, God had primarily used man’s conscience, then human government (which was given to Noah after the Flood), and then the covenantal promise to Abraham as methods of ruling over and guiding his creation. Now, God is giving to Moses the law by which the Israelites – and the rest of mankind, by extension – will be judged and dealt with until the death of Christ upon the cross. Verses 1-2: Once again, God reminds Moses and the children of Israel why He is the one giving them this law. He is the one who redeemed them, who brought them out of slavery and bondage in Egypt (Hosea 13:4, Deuteronomy 7:8), who guided and provided and cared for them thus far in their journey, and now God expects of His chosen people covenantal faithfulness, obedience and worship. The Moody Bible Commentary makes this note regarding verse 2: “The opening words of the Decalogue proclaim three great theological truths: The Lord is the God who speaks (in words), He is self-revealing, the God who relates: I am the LORD your God (emphasis added). The Lord is the God who acts, He is the God who redeems, who brought you out.” As noted in the previous chapter’s commentary, God is now fleshing out the details of his new treaty with the Israelites. The ten commandments specify Israel’s responsibilities to Him as their King and Lord, as well as His expectations of their responsibilities towards each other. 1. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. (v.3) (Deuteronomy 6:14, 2 Kings 17:35, Jeremiah 25:6, 35:15) The phrase “before Me” means “in addition to”. God is the only true and living God, the creator of the heaven and the earth and all that is in them. There is none like Him, and He alone deserves all of our obedience, worship and praise. The Moody Bible Commentary puts it this way: “Nothing else, no other gods (money [see Matthew 6:24], pleasure, power, fame, even one’s self) can have the priority in one’s thoughts, words, or deeds. God’s people and indeed all living creatures, owe ultimate allegiance to Him and Him alone.” 2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. (v.4) (Leviticus 19:4, 26:1, Deuteronomy 4:15, 27:15) In all the archeological digs in the Middle East there has yet to be found any carved image of Yahweh at the site of any known Israelite city. For all other nations and cultures of that time period, archeologists have unearthed many carvings and engraved images of all kinds of gods and other idols pertaining to religious worship. But there is none of the one, true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God that defeated Pharaoh and all the false gods of the Egyptians. God states in verse 5 that “…I the Lord thy God am a jealous God…”. (Exodus 34:14, Deuteronomy 4:24, Joshua 24:19, Nahum 1:2) He further commands the children of Israel, “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them…” God is Yahweh, the One who has always been and always will be. God is holy, and His holiness is the cause of His righteous jealousy. He alone deserves our obedience and our worship and our praise precisely because of who He is. Furthermore, the attempt to create a physical image of God distorts and perverts the nature of God Himself. God is a spirit, invisible to the human eye, and thus, the very methods and processes by which an image of Him would be made by human hands could never truly represent God. John 4:24 states this command as follows: “God is a Spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” The Holman Illustrated Bible Commentary puts it this way: “The best way [for the Israelites] to know and worship Him was to recall what He had already done and said and to be alert to trust Him and see what He would do in the future.” Verses 5-6: As a consequence of idol worship, God states that He will visit “…the iniquity of the father upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me…” (v.5) It seems, at first, that God is contradicting Himself here with other passages such as Deuteronomy 24:16 and Ezekiel 18:20. But, in actuality, God is addressing only the specific sin of idolatry here in verses 5 and 6. Those verses from Deuteronomy and Ezekiel are addressing other types of sins, such as theft or murder or adultery. Those verses are also referring to legal matters of the law. In a court case, the son or daughter will not be held liable for the crimes committed by their parents. God has always held each of us accountable for our own choices and actions. However, one of the consequences of idol worship – along with almost all other sins – is that the children will almost always follow the example of their parents. Thus, God is warning the Israelites here that if they worship false gods instead of Him, their children will do the same, as will their children, and so on. This type of sin naturally carries itself over from one generation to the next, and that’s what God means by his statement in verse 5. Verse 6 is the corollary of verse 5. If the Israelites worship God alone, then their children will very likely do so, and their children’s children, and so on. God will show mercy and love to those who keep His commandments – and teach them to their children – and they will not suffer the natural consequences of their sin, as well as avoid God’s wrath for those who disobey Him. (“…them that hate Me…”) 3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain. (v.7) (Leviticus 19:12, Deuteronomy 6:13, 10:20, Matthew 5:33) The Hebrew term in this verse for the word “vain”, shav, means “emptiness, nothingness, vanity”. The children of Israel are to use the name of God (Jehovah, Yahweh) with reverence, fear and respect. “Vain” refers to all manner of falsehood or lying, as in worthless deeds (Psalm 127:2), all forms of idolatry (Jonah 2:8), and false prophecy (Ezekiel 12:24), to name a few. So yes, while this command does prohibit using the Lord’s name as a curse word, it also addresses a host of other sins related to the various ways and methods in which mankind relates to the holiness of God and His name. The phrase “Oh my God” is the most common violation of this commandment in our modern world. The unsaved use this phrase so flippantly and so irreverently that it doesn’t offend us Christians nearly as grievously as it should. We hear it so often at work or when we’re out and about in our daily activities that we’ve become numb to it. Very often, we even allow it in our homes through the TV shows and movies that we watch, and we so easily forget the gravity and solemnity with which God gave this 3rd commandment to His chosen people on Mount Sinai. Not only that, but the name of His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, has also become nothing more than a profane epithet in the mouths of the lost and unbelieving of this world. I myself used it quite frequently in that manner before I was saved. Now it pricks my soul when I hear a customer spout His holy name in a very flippant and casual manner while speaking to someone on their cell phone as I am completing their transaction at my window. God’s name is holy, and He demands that His creation utter it with the deepest reverence, awe and respect that is always due Him. To do anything less is a sin. 4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. (v.8) (Exodus 23:12, 31:13, Leviticus 26:2, Deuteronomy 5:12) The sabbath is first described in Genesis 2:2-3, though not mentioned by that specific name until Exodus 16:23. God had designed for all mankind from the beginning a pattern of six days work and one day of rest. Now, here in chapter 20 of Exodus, God is formally instituting this pattern as law for His chosen people. The Jewish sabbath, observed from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday, is to be set aside as a day of complete rest for the Israelites, as well as a day to contemplate and reflect on all that God had done for the children of Israel. That is what is meant by the phrase “…the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” (v.11) God wants His chosen people to rest from their daily labor once every week, something that they as a nation of slaves in Egypt were never allowed to do. He also wants the sabbath to serve as a memorial of His deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 5:15) In a larger sense, the sabbath also represents complete rest for the weary believer at the end of this life. Just as God’s deliverance of the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt is a picture of every sinner today freed from the bondage of sin at the moment of salvation, so this day of rest each week is a picture of the rest and rejoicing that we will experience in heaven when our lives here on earth are over at last. Of the ten commandments, this one is the only one that is NOT required of us today in the New Testament church age. Nowhere in the NT did Paul or any of the other apostles write that God commands for His church to observe the sabbath as laid down in the Mosaic Law here in Exodus. It is not even required of the Jews today, just as animal sacrifices are no longer required because of Christ’s atoning death on the cross for all mankind. False religions such as Seventh Day Adventists claim that we today must adhere to the Mosaic Law, but they are wrong. They and their founder, Ellen White, failed to properly study and rightly divide scripture, and thus they missed this one important rule: we should always take into account who is writing to whom when we read and study the Bible. God is giving His law to His chosen people here in Exodus and Leviticus, and the apostles in the book of Acts – as well as throughout the NT – reinforce all the other commandments for the church EXCEPT this one. A careful study of the book of Acts as well as the Pauline epistles will bear this out. (Strangely enough, the Seventh Day Adventists don’t offer animal sacrifices every day as God commanded the Israelites to do. Why be so picky about following every single command from God in the OT, yet not that one???) In the wake of Pentecost, the new believers began assembling on Sunday for worship and teaching because that was the day that Christ rose from the dead. That’s why we do the same today. And it is worthwhile to follow the pattern that God laid down at the completion of the six days of creation in Genesis. We should be setting aside one day a week to fellowship with other believers and focus on God as we take time out to rest and recuperate from our busy lives. 5. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. (v.12) (Leviticus 19:3, Deuteronomy 5:16, 27:16, Matthew 15:4, Ephesians 6:1-3) “Honour” in this sense means “to prize highly”, “to care for”, and “to show respect for”. God commands us to love, respect and obey our parents, but not just when we are young. We are to continue honoring them throughout our lives, eventually caring and providing for them when they are too aged to do so themselves. This commandment is the key to a stable and functioning society, and it is the only commandment with a promise attached to it. God is speaking to the Israelites with regard to the promised land, but there is a broader application for us today. If we honor our parents by loving and obeying them for all of our lives and theirs, God will bless and reward us accordingly. By contrast, rebellion and pride bring about self-destruction and death. This pattern is seen often throughout the Bible, especially here in the OT, and many of Solomon’s proverbs contain warnings about the dire consequences of the sin of pride. (King David’s son, Absalom, for example.) Foolishness and pride – which naturally lead to rebellion against all forms of authority, including one’s parents – give way to a life full of conflict and strife, as well as the likelihood of an early grave. (Proverbs 20:20, 28:24) But humility combined with the search for wisdom will almost always lead to a long and fruitful life. (Proverbs 4:7-9) 6. Thou shalt not kill. (v.13) (Matthew 5:21-22, 1 John 3:15) The Hebrew word for “kill” in this commandment, ratsach, means “to murder” or “slay”, referring to the deliberate, premeditated act of taking a human life. This command from God is not referring to the slaughter of animals for food or other needs, such as the daily and yearly blood sacrifices required by the Levitical law, nor is it a prohibition against the necessary killing of one’s enemies, such as when God commands the Israelites to slay the heathen nations that currently inhabit the promised land. All life belongs to God, for He is the Creator of life. Therefore He is the only one who decides when someone should die, not us. This commandment prohibits murder, which is the sin that Cain was guilty of when he slew Abel. Man is created in the image of God, and thus, the willful, premeditated murder of a human life is a sin against God. (Genesis 9:6) It’s a transgression caused by pride and rebellion, both of which naturally give way to jealousy, envy and rage, and these are often the cause of murder. God is saying here in verse 13 that only He has the authority to decide the fate of every man, woman and child, and that for us to assume His role in that regard by taking the life of a fellow human is a grievous sin. (Romans 12:19) Nowhere is this commandment more grievously violated than in the form of child sacrifice. Ever since the days of Noah before the Flood and continuing into our present time, mankind has willfully, rebelliously assumed the role of God by sacrificing newborns on altars of fire to false gods, or by slaying the unborn in the womb. Abortion is a heinous and despicable act that grieves the heart of God, and every single man and woman that has had a direct, active role in such an act will stand before God one day and answer for that sin. If he or she has not accepted Christ as their savior and been washed clean in His blood, then they will be cast into the Lake of Fire and burn for all eternity for the crime of murdering the precious, defenseless, innocent life made in the image of God. 7. Thou shalt not commit adultery. (v.14) (Genesis 2:24, Leviticus 20:10, Deuteronomy 5:18, Matthew 5:27-28, Hebrews 13:4, James 2:11) Adultery is the act of sexual intercourse with anyone other than one’s spouse. Marriage is a sacred institution created and ordained by God, and He also designed human sexuality to be experienced only within the boundaries of marriage. Marriage is the foundation of the family unit, and God designed that unit to be the foundation of a normal, healthy society. As I noted in my commentary of Genesis 2, sexuality was one of the key areas that was corrupted by the Fall. Our sin nature has perverted and distorted God’s design for holy sexuality between man and woman, and God’s commandment here to the Israelites reflects His original design and purpose for marriage and human sexuality. One does not have to be married to commit adultery. Premarital sex between any two people who are still single is also seen as adultery in the eyes of God. Other perversions such as homosexuality, incest and bestiality also fall into this category. (Leviticus 18:6, 22-23, 20:13, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9, 1 Timothy 1:10, Jude 7) Sexual immorality was rampant among the heathen nations that inhabited the promised land, and God was making clear to His chosen people that they were not to practice these abominations. The same holds true for all believers today. We are to abstain from sex until marriage and then remain faithful to our spouse until death. That is the original intent and purpose of this 7th commandment. 8. Thou shalt not steal. (v.15) (Exodus 21:16, Leviticus 19:11, 13, Matthew 19:18) The fundamental right to private property is also key to any stable, healthy society. This commandment, along with #9, reinforces respect for others by not unlawfully seizing the private property of one’s neighbor. This includes kidnapping. 9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. (v.16) (Exodus 23:1, 7, Deuteronomy 5:20) God is a God of truth. He hates “…every false way.” (Psalm 119:104, 128) Therefore, He expects His chosen people to reflect this aspect of His character in their dealings with others. The Moody commentators put it this way: “Lying is a denial that truth is always right. It is a denial of God’s character and of His attributes. Without truth-telling the whole social structure will fail. This command prohibits blatant lies, any conscious deceptions, and unsubstantiated assertions (i.e., gossip and rumor).” 10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour’s. (v.17) (Luke 12:15, Romans 7:7, 13:9, Ephesians 5:3, 5, Hebrews 13:5) This commandment address one’s inner life, the source of the external actions that are prohibited in commandments 6-9. Covetousness is the root cause of murder, adultery, theft and lying. (Matthew 15:19) The purpose of this commandment is to remind us to always be focusing our desires on heavenly things, and not the accumulation of earthly possessions that are ultimately temporal and fleeting. God is teaching the Israelites – and us today – in these last five commandments to be content with what He has given each of them, and to not lust after anything that does not lawfully belong to them. (Philippians 4:11, 1 Timothy 6:6-8) The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life are the three basic sins from which spring all others, and these ten commandments address all three. (1 John 2:16) Covetousness and pride caused the fall of Adam and Eve. (Genesis 3:6) As we strive for holiness in our daily walk with God, we must take care to keep His commandments at the forefront of our minds and hearts (Psalm 1:2), using the power of the Holy Spirit and the armor of God (Ephesians 6:11) to keep our heart’s door firmly shut against sin. (Genesis 4:7) Verses 18-21: These four verses are a retelling of the same narrative found in the previous chapter in verses 16-20. According to the Moody Bible Commentary, those verses in chapter 19 describe the events from God’s perspective. Here in chapter 20, the same event is described from the people’s perspective. Verse 18 is the same powerful and majestic display that is shown in Exodus 19:18-19. Here in chapter 20, after listing the ten commandments, Moses revisits that scene of thundering and lightning and fire, all of it accompanied by the quaking of the whole mountain and the prolonged trumpet blast. The people are so afraid of this awesome display of God’s power and majesty that they retreat down the mountain, and they ask Moses to speak to them on God’s behalf instead of proceeding further up the mountain to the designated meeting place with God as He had initially command them. (v.19) (Exodus 19:11, 13) Moses exhorts the people to not be afraid for their lives, but rather to have the right kind of fear. (v.20) The purpose of the fire and smoke and thundering and lightning was so that the people would be possessed of a healthy fear and awe of God and all His majesty and power and holiness. (Exodus 14:13, Deuteronomy 4:10, 6:24, Proverbs 3:7, 16:6, Isaiah 8:13, 41:10, 13) This, in turn, should motivate them to honor and worship God daily by keeping and obeying the commandments that He’s going to give to Moses. But the Israelites remain at a distance, and so Moses goes back up the mountain to meet with God. Verses 22-26: God concludes the giving of His law with some additional instructions. He says in verse 22, “…Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.” (Deuteronomy 4:36, 5:24, 26, Nehemiah 9:13) He then reiterates the 2nd commandment in verse 23: “Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.” (Exodus 32:1-4, Deuteronomy 29:17) Unlike the false gods of the Egyptians or the other heathen nations that currently inhabit the promised land, God is a living God. He is the one, true God. As I noted earlier in the quote from the Moody commentators, the preamble to the decalogue in verse 2 of this chapter states clearly that God is self-revealing, that He acts of His own free will, and that He is now relating to His creation in a new and direct manner. All of those things set Him apart from all other gods that are created only from the wicked and prideful imagination of sinful mankind. God is now bringing his message to Moses full circle. The reason for the ten commandments is to show to God’s chosen people that they, too, are to be set apart from all other nations on the earth, and that they will show their allegiance to God by honoring and obeying all his commandments, for He is their God. There is none other besides Him, and He is a jealous God. In the closing verses of this chapter, God gives Moses instructions for the proper building of the altars upon which the blood sacrifices will be made by the Israelites. The first half of verse 24 states specifically that the altar is to be made of earth, not of the gold or silver that the Israelites had brought with them out of Egypt. The people can also use stones, but are not allowed to shape them or carve them in any way with tools. The stones are to remain natural and uncut, most likely to avoid the temptation of engraving on them in any manner that might violate the 2nd commandment. If they use tools of any kind in any manner during the building of the altars it would profane the altar and the sacrifice, thus polluting God’s name and glory. Nor are the Israelites allowed to build the altar upon a platform or a hill where the priest might accidentally expose himself to the people below because of the type of robes they would be wearing. This would also profane and corrupt the solemnity and purpose of the occasion of the blood sacrifice. The Believer’s Bible Commentary says it this way: “…sinners can approach God only on the ground of shed blood. The altar speaks of Christ as the way of approach to God. Man could contribute nothing to the perfection of Christ, either by the tools of personal effort or the steps of human achievement.” The Lord’s statement in the second half of verse 24 is meant to show the Israelites that God is not confined to a single place, again referring to the false gods of the Egyptians and other heathen nations. Their gods were limited to a single place or function, i.e. the sun god Ra, or Hapi, the god of the Nile. But God is everywhere, and He is over all things and all people, and He will bless the children of Israel as long as they remain faithful and obedient to Him and His commandments. (Deuteronomy 12:5, 16:6, 11, 1 Kings 9:3, 2 Chronicles 6:6) As noted previously, the children of Israel arrive in the wilderness of Sinai three months after leaving Egypt. (v.1) They set up camp at the base of Mount Sinai where they will remain for almost a year. (v.2) (Numbers 10:11-12) All the events described in the remainder of the book of Exodus, all of Leviticus, and Numbers 1-10:10 take place here in the wilderness of Sinai.
The term “wilderness” in the Bible is commonly used to describe a desolate place, a desert, or an uninhabited land. Strong’s Concordance also lists “pasture” or “open field” as one of the uses of this word in the original Hebrew. Wilderness conveys the image of an isolated place away from civilization, a vast area where there is nothing but grasslands or desert vegetation. A simple search for this word in my Bible app turned up 293 verses in the KJV, with nearly every book in the Bible having at least one verse containing this word. While it’s used as both a place of refuge for some (Genesis 21:20, Exodus 3:1, Revelation 12:6) and a form of righteous judgment for others (Job 12:24, Psalm 107:40, Isaiah 33:9, Zephaniah 2:13), it’s most often seen as the latter. There are far more references with God using the term “wilderness” as an example of His condemnation against the rebellious, the unholy, the proud and the wicked than there is of the desert as a desirable or good place. Here in Exodus, God chooses the wilderness of Sinai to give His holy law to His chosen people. The note in my study Bible for this passage says that “…this chapter, in addition to chapter 20, follows the pattern of ancient suzerainty treaties, thus suggesting that Yahweh is King and Israel is His kingdom. His subject people are to render complete submission, allegiance, and obedience to Him.” The term “suzerain” refers to the specific form of treaties that were common in the Ancient Near East (ANE), which typically consisted of the preamble (v.3), historical prologue (v.4) and then a list of specific obligations of the vassals, as well as the consequences of keeping or breaking the treaty, i.e. the blessings from God for obedience or punishment for disobedience (v.5-6). The commentary goes on to say that “…The pattern follows closely that of the Hittites, who were destroyed around 1200 B.C., thus demonstrating the antiquity of the Law, and the fact that it is a complete unit not to be dissected.” Verse 4: God had miraculously delivered the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt, shown to them signs and wonders to demonstrate His power and authority over not only the physical world around them (the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea), but also over all the people of the earth (Pharaoh and the Egyptians), guided the Israelites through the desert – also miraculously providing for their basic needs – and now brings them to a place of rest and isolation at the foot of Mount Sinai. God has given His chosen people more than enough proof of His right and authority to rule over them. Verse 5: Then God says to Moses, “Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine:” That phrase “peculiar treasure” conveys the idea of “personal possession” or “property”; something that is set aside or separated for a unique purpose. (Deuteronomy 4:20, 7:6, 14:2, 26:18, 1 Kings 8:53, Psalm 135:4, Titus 2:14, 1 Peter 2:9) God had chosen Abraham, called him out from among his people to a new land for a new purpose, and is now initiating a new, personal relationship with Abraham’s seed. God had stated as much to Moses in Exodus 6:4. Though the whole earth and all that is in it belongs to God (Exodus 9:29, Deuteronomy 10:14, Job 41:11, Psalm 50:12, I Corinthians 10:26), the children of Israel are His special, peculiar treasure. But that same status also applies today to all true believers in the New Testament church age! Verse 6: God then concludes by stating His ultimate desire for His chosen people: “…a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.” (Deuteronomy 7:6, 14:21, 26:19, Isaiah 62:12, I Corinthians 3:17, 1 Peter 1:15-16) The whole purpose of the law which God is about to give to Moses is twofold: 1) It reveals the holiness of God and His perfect nature, and 2) it reveals, by contrast, the unholy, sinful, fallen nature of mankind. God is about to institute a system of rules and processes by which His chosen people will live their daily lives. This treaty, by which God will be their Lord and king and they His subjects, will state in clear and direct terms God’s expectations for the Israelites and the process by which they will atone for their sins when they fail to obey His law. That is what meant by the phrase “a kingdom of priests”. When God first revealed Himself to Abram/Abraham, He commanded him to “…Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee…” (Genesis 12:1) God called Abraham to separate himself from his family, and from his father’s house, and leave his homeland to begin a new life and a new journey to a promised land. God is now commanding the same thing from Abraham’s seed, the children of Israel. By giving them the law, God is making clear to His chosen people that they are to come out from the world, to live separate from the heathen nations around them, and they will accomplish this daily by doing and obeying the statutes, ordinances and precepts given forth in this law. Verse 7-9: Moses relays to the elders of the people the message God has just given him. The elders, in turn, pass this on to all the people, and the children of Israel respond by saying, “…All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.” (Exodus 4:31, 24:3, 7, Deuteronomy 5:27, 26:17) When Moses meets with God to give Him the people’s answer God then tells Moses He will appear before them as a thick cloud, and the Israelites will hear God’s voice when He speaks. (Exodus 24:15, Deuteronomy 4:11, Psalm 99:7, Matthew 17:5) The children of Israel were quick to pledge their obedience to God and His law, but they had no true understanding of their own sinfulness and depravity. D.L. Moody had this to say about verse 8: “Bold and self-confident language. The golden calf, the broken tablets, the neglected ordinances, the stoned messengers, the rejected and crucified Christ, are overwhelming evidences of man’s dishonored vows.” Verses 10-15: God then gives specific instructions to Moses about the manner in which the children of Israel are to prepare to receive the revelation of His law. For this day and tomorrow, they are to sanctify themselves by washing their clothes. (v.10) Though not stated directly, there is also an implied command here that the people are to wash and cleanse themselves. (Leviticus 11:44-45, Hebrews 10:22) Husbands and wives are also to abstain from sexual relations. (v.15) (I Corinthians 7:5) God makes clear to Moses the boundaries of the mountain and where the Israelites are to gather on the morning of the third day. God had declared Mount Sinai to be holy ground, and the people are to respect God’s holiness by not even coming near that ground which God makes clear is forbidden. (Exodus 3:5, 34:3, Hebrews 12:20-21) If anyone – man or beast – defies this command, they are to be immediately killed by stoning or shot with an arrow. In other words, no one can even go up on the mountain to execute that person or beast, lest they, too, violate the first directive. The obedience of the second directive had to be done from a safe distance. God concludes His instruction to Moses by saying that, at the sound of the trumpet on the third morning, the children of Israel are to come up to the designated assembly area on the mountain. Moses relays these instructions to the elders and all the people, and the Israelites obey. (v.14) Verses 16-25: On the morning of the third day, God descends upon Mount Sinai in a thick cloud, accompanied by lightning and thunder and the fanfare of the trumpet blast. (v.16) Moses calls the people forth to the designated area of the mountain where God instructed them to assemble. (v.17) (Deuteronomy 4:10) The whole mountain quakes, wreathed in fire and thick smoke. This, along with the constant thunder and lightning and the sustained trumpet blast, naturally causes great fear and awe among the children of Israel! (v.18) (Exodus 3:2, 24:17, Deuteronomy 4:11, 5:4, Judges 5:5, 1 Kings 19:12, 2 Chronicles 7:1, Psalm 68:8, 104:32, 144:5, Jeremiah 4:24, Hebrews 12:18, 26) So much so, in fact, that the people are too terrified to ascend the mountain to the designated meeting place. (v.17) So Moses ascends the rest of the way alone to meet with God by himself. (v.20) The reason for this grand and majestic manifestation of God’s presence is because of the oath the Israelites had just sworn to God three days earlier. (v.8) God needs to impress upon His chosen people the seriousness of His holiness and the gravity of the commitment they had just made to follow his law and obey Him. But because the people are too afraid to follow God’s first command to meet Him on the mountain, God gives a new instruction to Moses. (v.21-25) Instead of a nation of priests, the children of Israel will now be a nation with priests. God commands Moses to tell the people to return to camp, “…lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish.” (v.21) Only Moses, Aaron, and the priests may come further up the mountain to meet with the Lord, but God also repeats His command regarding sanctification of the priests before they return with Moses. (Leviticus 10:3, 21:6) NOTE: the term “priests” here most likely refers to the elders, or the heads of the families, or the firstborn males of each house. [Exodus 13:2, Job 1:5] The Levitical priesthood has not yet been officially established. Moses returns to the people to give them God’s latest instructions. The Israelites continue their journey, departing Rephidim in the third month of their exodus from Egypt and setting up camp in the wilderness of Sinai, at the base of the mount of God. (Exodus 19:1-2) This is the same location where Aaron was first reunited with Moses in Exodus 4:27, and where God told Moses he was to bring the Israelites after their exodus from Egypt. (Exodus 3:12) The events described here in chapter 18 actually take place shortly after the Israelites’ arrival at Sinai. The most likely reason for relating them here rather than the next chapter is because the narrative shifts in chapter 19 from the Israelites’ exodus out of Egypt to the giving of the law from God to His chosen people. (Exodus 19-24)
Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro (Exodus 2:16, 3:1), the high priest of Midian, has heard all that God has done for the children of Israel (Psalm 106:2, 8), and he now meets with Moses at Mount Sinai, bringing with him Zipporah and their two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. (v.2-4) (Exodus 4:20, Acts 7:29) The name Gershom means “stranger in a strange land” (v.3) and Eliezer means “God is my help”. (v.4) (Genesis 49:25) We can infer from these verses that Moses had left his family with Jethro in Midian after the incident regarding the circumcision of one of his sons. (Exodus 4:24-26) Verses 6-12: Moses’ reunion with his family and his father-in-law is a sweet and blessed one. Moses tells Jethro all that God has done for the children of Israel, starting with their deliverance from bondage in Egypt. (v.8) (Exodus 15: 6, 16, Psalm 81:7) Jethro rejoices at the testimony of God’s goodness and providence, giving a testimony of his own faith in the one, true God. (v.10-11) (Isaiah 63:7) He then performs a burnt offering and sacrifices for God in the presence of Moses, Aaron, and all the elders of Israel. (v.13) (Genesis 14:18, Job 1:5) Verses 13-27: The next day, as Jethro observes Moses performing his daily duty as a judge for all of Israel, he takes note of how the great responsibility – which occupies his son-in-law from sunrise to sunset – wearies Moses. (v.14) Jethro asks Moses why he performs this duty alone, and Moses responds that the people come to him to settle disputes as well as enquire of God. (v.15-16) Moses further explains that “I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.” This is another indication that the events of this chapter very likely take place sometime after God gave the law to Moses (Exodus 19), but probably before the incident of the golden calf (Exodus 32). “Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel…” Jethro says to Moses in verse 19. He then advises Moses to assume only the role of spiritual leader for the children of Israel. Moses should limit himself to just enquiring of God on behalf of the people as well as teaching the Israelites the ordinances and laws of God. (v.19-20) As for all the other legal matters and disputes that needed to be settled among the people on a daily basis, Moses should select “able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness…” to serve as judges. (v.21) Enough men should be selected so as to equally divide the workload among all the Israelites. Only the matters that were too great for the judges to handle would then be brought to Moses to resolve. (v.22) Jethro gives this advice with God’s blessing (v.23), and Moses wisely heeds it. (v.24) Jethro then returns to Midian. (v.27) Moses displayed two of the greatest qualities of a true leader and man of God: humility and teachability. He did not allow his pride or his ego to get in the way of wise counsel from an elder, and he demonstrated a teachable attitude here in that he was willing to accept rebuke and correction from another man of God. The man that we see in this chapter is not the same man that we first encountered in Exodus 2. Moses has come a long way in just a few months, another indicator of God’s power and ability to change the heart and character of those who willingly surrender to his sovereignty and authority. About six weeks after the exodus from Egypt the Israelites arrive in the wilderness of Sin. (v.1) (Numbers 33:10-11, Ezekiel 30:15) “Sin” is the English translation of the original Hebrew word, and it’s very likely that this region is so named because of the sin committed by the children of Israel. They grumble and complain against Moses and Aaron, this time due to a lack of food. (v.2) (Psalm 106:25, 1 Corinthians 10:10) “Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt…for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” (v.3) (Exodus 17:3, Numbers 14:2-3, 20:3) How quickly the children of Israel forgot the slavery and persecution that accompanied the bread, meat, fruits and vegetables of which they had plenty in Egypt! (Numbers 11:4-5)
God, ever the patient and loving Father, tells Moses, “I will rain bread from heaven for you…” (v.4) He then gives a specific set of instructions regarding this special food: 1. There would be flesh every evening in the form of quail and bread every morning with the dew. (v.12-13) 2. Of the bread the Israelites are to gather only one omer’s worth per man. An omer is a tenth of an ephah. (v.36) 3. They are to gather only enough for that day and no more. If they try to save some for the next day, other than the sabbath day, the bread will rot and grow worms. (v.20) (Exodus 12:10, 23:18, 2 Corinthians 8:15) 4. On the sixth day of the week, the Israelites are to gather two days’ worth of food, for on the seventh day they are to rest. There will be no quail or bread from heaven on that day because it is the sabbath. (v.26-27) He then concludes these instructions with the statement, “…that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.” (v.4) (Judges 2:22) As with the incident at Marah in the previous chapter, God is once again giving His chosen people the opportunity to show their faith by trusting in Him to meet their daily needs, as well as obeying His simple instructions regarding the daily allotment of meat and bread. Moses and Aaron relay God’s message to the people. (v.6-9) One the next morning, when the Israelites first see the small, white, wafer-like substance, they call it “manna” which, in Hebrew, literally means “What is it?” (v.15, 31) It tastes sweet and can be baked or boiled (v.23), but it is unlike anything they have seen or tasted before. The description of manna in this chapter makes it clear that this food was a miracle from God. (Numbers 11:7, Deuteronomy 8:3, 16) There is not now nor back then anything naturally growing in the desert of this region of the world that fits the description of manna. Furthermore, the fact that it appeared only with the morning dew and that it would become spoiled if not eaten that same day, except on the sabbath, also testifies to the supernatural source of this bread from heaven. Verse 35 makes it clear that God used manna to feed the children of Israel from this day until they entered the promised land, a period of about forty years. There was nothing like it back then, and there has never been anything like it since. Despite Moses and Aaron’s clear and specific instructions, however, some of the Israelites do not obey. (v.20) They either gather too much and try to keep some extra overnight when the next day is not the sabbath, or they don’t gather enough on the sixth day, and when they go out on the sabbath there is no manna to be found. (v.27) But those that do obey the word of the Lord by measuring what they gather each morning – only one omer per man for the first five days of the week and two per man on the sixth day – discover that each has just enough to feed him and his family for each day. (v.18) The rulers of the congregation come to Moses, asking the reason for the gathering of an additional omer per man on the sixth day. (v.22) Moses explains that “…to morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord…” (v.23, 25) There will be no manna from heaven on the sabbath day. (v.26) This chapter in Exodus is the first mention in the Bible of the sabbath day. Although Genesis 2:3 says that God rested on the seventh day, it’s not until now that God gives this holy day of rest a specific name. It is shortly after this that God will give His law to Moses in the form of the ten commandments. (Exodus 20:8, 23:12, 31:15, 35:2, Leviticus 23:3, Nehemiah 9:13-14) As a final command from God, Moses tells Aaron to gather an omer of manna “…and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations.” (v.33) Later, when God gives instructions to Moses for the building of the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant, that urn of manna – which never spoils, yet again proving the supernatural nature of its very existence – is one of the items God commands to be placed in the ark. (Exodus 25:22, Numbers 10:33) There are within this chapter many pictures of – and lessons for – the daily life of the believer today. As the manna itself was a miraculous provision from heaven each morning, so Jesus called Himself the true bread from heaven, the Bread of Life. (John 6:32, 35) Just as God taught the Israelites here in the desert to always be looking to Him for their daily sustenance and care, so we today should be looking daily towards Christ for our spiritual manna each morning. God provided manna with the morning dew, and the Israelites had to rise early to go gather it. So we should rise early each morning to receive our daily spiritual food from the word of God. If not in the morning, then at least at some point during our day we should be setting aside an hour of quiet time to spend with our Lord and Savior. Feasting upon the manna of God’s word is the only way we will grow in our faith and our walk with Him! (John 15:4-5) God gives us instructions and commands in His word that He expects us to follow and obey. When we disobey by murmuring or complaining, or when we don’t do what we’re told, God is displeased. (v.28) The Israelites continually murmured and complained against Moses and Aaron during their sojourn in the desert, and God always chastened them for it. (Numbers 14:27, 17:5, 21:5-6, 1 Samuel 8:7, Luke 10:16, Romans 13:2, 1 Thessalonians 4:8) When we grumble and gossip and complain about our pastor or other church leaders, or even the leaders in government that God has allowed to rule over us, we sin against God Himself. We show the same immaturity of faith and lack of trust that the Israelites displayed here in Exodus 16. Instead of complaining, we are commanded by God to pray for our pastor, our deacons, our boss, the president and the kings of the earth. (Hebrews 13:17, 1 Peter 2:13-15) When the Israelites complained to Moses about the lack of food, Moses immediately turned to the Lord. (1 Peter 5:7) He made no attempt to solve the problem on his own but instead sought the wisdom of God for direction and a solution. The same holds true today for you and me. Too often we find ourselves in the midst of a crisis or some situation of peril, and, rather than get on our knees in prayer, we seek out all other solutions and directions that we think are best. Only after we’ve exhausted ourselves and are still mired in trouble and despair do we finally call out to God. Verse 10 says, “And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.” In my Bible I have written in the margin next to this verse, “Am I daily seeking God's face? Am I always turned towards the glory of the Lord?” Moses and Aaron tell the Israelites to look out towards the wilderness, and there is where they see the glory of the Lord manifested in the pillar of a cloud that has guided them every day since their exodus from Egypt. (Exodus 13:21, Numbers 16:19, 1 Kings 8:10) The children of Israel are so focused on themselves and their circumstances that they forget to look for the presence of God, which is the cloud by day and the fire by night. Unfortunately, we today are no better than they. We should always, every day, be looking for the glory of God’s presence in our lives. God provides us each day what we need, but no more. He commands us not to worry about tomorrow, for it is cast into the oven. (Matthew 6:30) That doesn’t mean that we should live foolishly by squandering the mortgage payment on a new car or use the week’s worth of grocery money on a single meal at an upscale restaurant we couldn’t ordinarily afford. God expects us to use his blessings wisely and plan smartly so that we meet our daily needs. But nor should we be so focused on the future that we neglect the work that needs to be done for the Lord today. God wants all of our attention to be on the task(s) that He has delegated to us for today and not to be concerned with what might be coming tomorrow, or next week, or next month. God meets our needs each day, both physical and spiritual, but it up to us to have faith and obey Him accordingly as we seek His glory, presence, and wisdom each morning. |
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