Monthly Archives: August 2024

EXODUS 35 FREEWILL OFFERING TO THE LORD

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August 25

EXODUS 35

20 Then all the congregation of the people of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. 21 And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord’s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. 22 So they came, both men and women. All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the Lord. 23 And every one who possessed blue or purple or scarlet yarns or fine linen or goats’ hair or tanned rams’ skins or goatskins brought them. 24 Everyone who could make a contribution of silver or bronze brought it as the Lord’s contribution. And everyone who possessed acacia wood of any use in the work brought it. 25 And every skillful woman spun with her hands, and they all brought what they had spun in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. 26 All the women whose hearts stirred them to use their skill spun the goats’ hair. 27 And the leaders brought onyx stones and stones to be set, for the ephod and for the breastpiece, 28 and spices and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. 29 All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord. – Exodus 35:20-29

EXODUS 35 FREEWILL OFFERING TO THE LORD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When your heart is stirred to offer what you have

Remember that it is the Lord that gave you that gift

When you give from your heart, you are mirroring God

Generosity is a work of the Spirit so you can praise the Lord.

This account shows us the work of the Spirit in the hearts of the people of God. On our own, we are selfish by nature. Only the Spirit can stir us to do otherwise. When we are given situations that remind us that we need to share or give something that we have, God’s Spirit whispers to our hearts that we are given an opportunity to praise our generous God. This is clearly the work of the Holy Spirit. We can never boast that it came from us. It all comes from the Lord who is a generous God.

REFLECTION

  • Why is it important to listen and do as you are prodded by the Holy Spirit to give?

EXODUS 35 THE LORD PROVIDES WHAT HE REQUIRES

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August 24

EXODUS 35

10 “Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the Lord has commanded: 11 the tabernacle, its tent and its covering, its hooks and its frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; 12 the ark with its poles, the mercy seat, and the veil of the screen; 13 the table with its poles and all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; 14 the lampstand also for the light, with its utensils and its lamps, and the oil for the light; 15 and the altar of incense, with its poles, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle; 16 the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils, the basin and its stand; 17 the hangings of the court, its pillars and its bases, and the screen for the gate of the court; 18 the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court, and their cords; 19 the finely worked garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests.” – Exodus 35:10-19

EXODUS 35 THE LORD PROVIDES WHAT HE REQUIRES

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When God requires his people to build details for building his church

He also provides every item and gives all resources for them to build it

Because he created everything, he is also the source of all things

When he asks us to do something, he wants our obedience in doing it

He could have done it all himself, but he also makes us his co-creator

Let us trust and obey the Lord when he requires us to do something.

This account is almost synonymous to Exodus 31 instructions in building the altar, tabernacle and the Most Holy of Holies. The focus on this chapter is mostly on how God gives us a part in being co-builders of his church. He could have built the church himself and not involve anyone in doing so. He made the whole creation by himself so why involve people in building the church? God is love and therefore he wants to be in a relationship with his people. When he instructs us, he is building a relationship with us and making us involved in his plans. He requires obedience and trust which he himself gives us as well. I think that he wants us more to learn trust and obedience when he gives us details in order to execute his salvation plan.

REFLECTION

  • Why is trust and obedience important virtues to exercise in the Christian Walk?

EXODUS 35 ON SABBATH & ON BUILDING THE CHURCH

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August 23

EXODUS 35

Moses assembled all the congregation of the people of Israel and said to them, “These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do. 2 Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. 3 You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day.”4 Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “This is the thing that the Lord has commanded. 5 Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze; 6 blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; goats’ hair, 7 tanned rams’ skins, and goatskins; acacia wood, 8 oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 9 and onyx stones and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. – Exodus 35:1-8

EXODUS 35 ON SABBATH & ON BUILDING THE CHURCH

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The Lord created all things in six days then rested on the seventh day

Since he made us in his likeness, he wants us to work and also rest

When we work, we get wrapped up in our toil and may forget to praise God

The seventh day is a holy day so we can honor and praise the Giver of life

All believers must participate and contribute to build the church of God

The Lord gives us resources not for our own use but to build God’s church.

This was the third time God mentions the Sabbath in his holy book aside from Ex. 20:8-11 and in Dt. 5:12-16. It must be very important to him. Jesus also talks about the Sabbath in Matthew 2:27-28 and says that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. Why do you think God made the Sabbath? We are sinful people and if we constantly work all week, we will surely forget to rest and give thanks and glory to the Lord. It is easy for us to forget what God has done when we keep on working. Our focus shifts to our efforts and our achievements instead of on God who gave us the capacity to work and the resources to do so. When we rest, we get a respite from toil and remember our Source and Giver of Life. We also get refreshed after rest. Some people get sick when they constantly work because they get obsessed with what they do and be out of balance.

REFLECTION

  • Why is the Sabbath one of the most ignored laws of God nowadays?

EXODUS 34 MOSES’ FACE SHINES AS HE MEETS GOD

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August 22

EXODUS 34

29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.30 Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. 32 Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. 33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. 34 Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, 35 the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him. – Exodus 34:29-35

EXODUS 34 MOSES’ FACE SHINES AS HE MEETS GOD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

After the Lord and Moses finished the two tablets with God’s laws

Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets in his hands

As Moses approached the people, Aaron saw his brother’s face shining

They were afraid to come near him for they fear their lives would end

So, Moses placed a veil on his face so they could come near him

Each time Moses went up to meet with God, his face would shine.

Just after Moses finished the new tablet with the commandments of God, his face shone so brightly. From the description, Aaron and the people had a hard time looking at him and were afraid because he radiated so much light. It’s as if you are looking at the sun and your eyes hurt. That’s what I imagined it felt like for them. No wonder, God warned his people that they would die if they saw his face. Even though the bible doesn’t tell us directly that Moses was face to face with God and he just saw God’s back, he still radiated those powerful rays from being in God’s presence.

REFLECTION

·       How would you relate this phenomenon of Moses’ face shining with the joy of the Lord manifesting in a Christian’s face?

EXODUS 34 WRITING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

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August 21

EXODUS 34

25 “You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover remain until the morning. 26 The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.”27 And the Lord said to Moses, “Write these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” 28 So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

                                                                     – Exodus 34:25-28

EXODUS 34 WRITING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The Lord asked Moses to stay with him in writing the covenant

He was with the Lord forty days and forty nights

He didn’t eat bread or drake water as he wrote the words

It is God who told him what needs to be written on those tablets.

According to inspiredscriptures.com In Canaan, if one wished to gain favor with a deity, he or she would slay a young goat in milk and present it to the deity (The Ras Shamra tablets, Archeology and Bible History, by Joseph P. Free. pg 105). Orthodox Jews, however, now interpreted these verses to prohibit serving animal meat with cheese. But this interpretation is incorrect. Abraham once served a meal with meat and cheese (milk and curds) (Gen. 18:7-8).In Exodus 23:19 the Israelites were commanded to bring the best of the firstfruits of their soil to the house of God and they were prohibited to cook a young goat in its mother’s milk. In Deuteronomy 14:21, they were prohibited to eat anything that they found already dead. They can give it to foreigners in their town or sell it to these foreigners, but they were not to eat it.

When Moses fasted forty days and forty nights, it was a foreshadowing of Jesus’ fasting those same number of days and nights in the desert and he was tempted by the devil. When Moses was told to write the words of the covenant, he needed to be pure. If we serve the Lord, we also need to be holy and pure as God is holy.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think Moses fasted when he was writing the ten commandments?

EXODUS 34 FEASTS TO OBSERVE COMMANDED BY GOD

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August 20

EXODUS 34

18 “You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month Abib, for in the month Abib you came out from Egypt. 19 All that open the womb are mine, all your malelivestock, the firstborn of cow and sheep. 20 The firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. And none shall appear before me empty-handed.21 “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. In plowing time and in harvest you shall rest. 22 You shall observe the Feast of Weeks, the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year’s end. 23 Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel. 24 For I will cast out nations before you and enlarge your borders; no one shall covet your land, when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year. – Exodus 34:18-24

EXODUS 34 FEASTS TO OBSERVE COMMANDED BY GOD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

God commanded the Israelites to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread

By observing it, they will be reminded to keep themselves pure and clean

The Feast of Weeks were to be observed and they were to bring their firstfruits

They are to work six days and on the seventh offer their best harvest when they rest

The Feast of Ingathering at the year’s end was also required from them

God will bless all the males three times a year so they can triumph over other nations.

Why did God ask his people to observe these feasts? I think that it is to protect them. By nature, we do not easily want to give glory to God. These feasts were reminders for the Israelites what he required of his people. He wants his people to live their lives in total dependence on him and to remember all the things that He has done for them. It is easy to be selfish, that is our inclination.  By observing these feasts, they will be reminded that it was all God’s doing that they were delivered from the Egyptians. It also shows them that God expects them to stay holy for Him since they are serving a Holy God.

REFLECTION

  • How different are the feasts of the world that we attend or participate in from the feasts that God required from his people to observe?

EXODUS 34 COVENANT RENEWED & COMMAND TO DESTROY IDOLS

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August 19

EXODUS 34

10 And he said, “Behold, I am making a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been created in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord, for it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.11 “Observe what I command you this day. Behold, I will drive out before you the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 12 Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a snare in your midst. 13 You shall tear down their altars and break their pillars and cut down their Asherim 14 (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), 15 lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they whore after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and you are invited, you eat of his sacrifice, 16 and you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters whore after their gods and make your sons whore after their gods.17 “You shall not make for yourself any gods of cast metal.– Exodus 34:10-17

EXODUS 34 COVENANT RENEWED & COMMAND TO DESTROY IDOLS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The Lord gave his people requirements for the renewed covenant

He will bless them and give them favor so all nations will know he is God

He promised to drive out all those living in Canaan so that they can occupy it

They were to destroy all the altars and pillars and cut down their Asherim

He is a Jealous God and wouldn’t want them idolizing other gods

They were not to yoke with pagans or make images to make idols.

In this account, we see God’s mercy for his people. Because they repented of their idolatry of the golden calf, they were given another chance to prove their faithfulness to the Lord. So, God renewed his covenant with them but reiterated his command to destroy the poles, altars and images that were created of other gods. God was clearly teaching his people how important it is to do this so that they can stay faithful to him. In turn, the Lord will bless them and grow them into a prosperous nation that other nations will know that it was God who gave them all these favors. God was very clear about his character about being jealous and so the Israelites were prohibited from participating in their paganism.

REFLECTION

  • Why were they prohibited from participating in worship of other gods?

EXODUS 34 THE NEW STONE TABLETS

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August 18

EXODUS 34

The Lord said to Moses, “Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. 2 Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain. 3 No one shall come up with you, and let no one be seen throughout all the mountain. Let no flocks or herds graze opposite that mountain.” 4 So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone. 5 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” 8 And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. 9 And he said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.” – Exodus 34:1-9

EXODUS 34 THE NEW STONE TABLETS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When Moses got mad at the idolatrous sin of the Israelites

He threw the tablets of stone at their unfaithfulness

The Lord God instructed Moses later to cut two tablets of stones after

Then God wrote again in those new stone tablets what was in the first tablets.

It is interesting to know that there was no mention of God confronting Moses when he threw the stone tablets at the Israelites upon the discovery of their worship of the golden calf. I would surmise that Moses’ anger was legitimate to God because he knew that they had committed a grievous sin. He hated that they were unfaithful to God when they idolized that golden calf. God showed his approval of his anger when he instructed Moses to get two new stone tablets so he could write again his laws on it.

REFLECTION

·       How does God manifest his mercy in this account?

EXODUS 33 MOSES REQUESTS TO SEE GOD’S GLORY

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August 17

EXODUS 33

17 And the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” 19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” 21 And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.” – Exodus 33:17-23

EXODUS 33 MOSES REQUESTS TO SEE GOD’S GLORY

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Moses desired so much to see the glory of the Lord

He requested to be given favor to see the God he served

Because the Lord knew that if Moses sees his glory, he would die

So, he told him to go and hide in a cleft of a rock as he passed by

Moses was granted to see God’s back even though he didn’t see his face

What a privilege it was for Moses to be given that favor to see God’s presence!

Have you ever desired to see or know someone so closely and so intimately? This was Moses’ request to God. After years of obeying God and being used by the Lord to deliver his chosen people, Moses’ hunger to know his Master grew deeper as well. His relationship with the Lord grew through those forty years that he led the Israelites in the wilderness. What a big shift it was from the first time God showed himself to him in the burning bush. Moses was reluctant when he was instructed to talk to Pharaoh to release the Israelites from bondage. He didn’t know the Lord then, but after God had used him to do miracles and wonders, Moses’ desire to want to see the Lord was insatiable.

There were only a few people in the Old Testament whom God showed himself to. Jacob wrestled with God, who assumed the form of an angel. Moses was able to be shielded from dying by God himself when he saw God’s back by instructing him to hide in the cleft of a rock. God made sure that he was safe from dying.

REFLECTION

  • Share an experience when the Lord showed or made himself known to you.

EXODUS 33 MOSES’ PRAYER FOR ASSURANCE

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August 16

EXODUS 33

12 Moses said to the Lord, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ 13 Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” 14 And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”  – Exodus 33:12-16

EXODUS 33 MOSES’ PRAYER FOR ASSURANCE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Moses trusted the Lord so much and asked for assurance

Because he had a relationship with God, he could ask him favor

Even if Moses didn’t know the rest of God’s plan

He was reassured by God that they will give them rest.

Trust is an important ingredient in a relationship. In Exodus 3, we recall how God appeared to Moses in the burning bush. Moses was reluctant to go to Pharaoh to ask him to release the Israelites, but God also reassured him that he will be with Moses as he delivers the people from the Egyptians and lead them to the Promised Land. Moses was given all the powers and signs during the ten plagues in Egypt. From that time, we can surmise that Moses has developed his trust in the Lord by this time. Although this account happened after the great sin of the golden calf, we can still witness here God’s faithfulness. He could have just annihilated the Israelites for worshiping that calf, but the Lord still shows mercy and favor to his people.

The Israelites travelled 40 years in the wilderness and those number of years must have built that trust that Moses have for the Lord. In verse 13, Moses was still asking the Lord to make himself known to him. God’s ways are not our ways. He will reveal himself to anyone who would want to deeply know him, but not necessarily understanding God’s ways. It’s God prerogative how much understanding he wants to happen.

REFLECTION

  • Why is it important to trust God even if we don’t understand things?