OT: The Book of Exodus, Chapter 31

Exodus 31:1-18

31:1-5 The Lord appoints a man named Bezalel to design artwork for the Tabernacle: "I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship..." Do net let that verse fly over you without being realized and contemplated for the miracle that is. Our Abba fills Bezalel with spiritual gifts and He will fill you too. He will fill you with the Spirit of Himself; He will become your wings, power and navigation.

1 Corinthians 12 is an in-depth look at God's spiritual gifts and how he administers them.

31:6-11 God has ordained these artisans with purpose and wisdom to create the first official place of worship. The beauty and polish of the Tabernacle does not make it special, the presence of God in it does. With plan and purpose God instructs His children through creating a place where they can always come to find him. They do not yet understand the concept of God within us yet the elemental concept of God with and advocating for us is being established.

31:12-13 God's words to Moses are meant to be passed down even to our generation: "Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: 'Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.'"

God's motivations are commonly misunderstood. God urges us to remember Him and to adhere to His traditions of faith because He knows that if we provide Him the opportunity, He can completely transform our lives. He's a strict authoritarian. Every directive He gives us is an encouragement. We have an entire text from Him and the sole intention is to convince us to allow Him to be our advocate. He loves His responsibility as our Father. He dutifully, tirelessly, passionately works to orchestrate our growth and joy.

31:14-15 The Sabbath is holy to us because it is a reminder, a time to remember, God's steadfast love for us. Anyone who does not acknowledge Him is put to spiritual death not by Him, but by life. He is our source of life... by denying Him, we cut ourselves off from what we need to be alive.

31:16 For us, this perpetual covenant is a gift, not a responsibility. For God, it's a responsibility. A responsibility He gloriously claims and keeps. We are implored to observe this perpetual covenant because it is our covering, our pillar and our source of life.

31:17 God is so faithful. So consistent. Our creator knows what we need. In this current time period, rather than rest in Him, so many work for the world... lethargically. Apathetically. There is no life inside of their bodies. Their spirits are smothered. Just as He has done, He instructs us to do. He knows what our souls need to thrive. Our spirits require rest and refreshment and we find that by resting in Him.

Every time you lie down or kneel down before Him, you have curled up on His lap, in His arms. Every time you give quiet deference to Him you receive His complete attention. You have His love and joy for you in every moment of you life but when you rest in Him, that love and joy become productive. You provide the fuel , trust and faith, they need to work miracles in your life.

Time is irrelevant for God: 2 Peter 3:8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. We know that the Earth is billions of years old because of scientific research. God is science. He is the entity, the wisdom behind that which we call science. He explains to us that a day for Him feels like a thousand years to us because time is not a constraint in His sphere. What we need to understand from Him is that regardless of how long it took Him to create this masterpiece of life, planet and universe, He rested when He finished. He came back to meditate on all that He is: compassion, creation, trust and wisdom. It's certainly working for Him... it will work for you too.

31:18 God becomes increasingly accessible to humanity. We no longer have to climb a mountain (real, figurative or imagined) to reach Him. Moses receives tablets on which the Testimony of God will serve as instruction for the children of Israel, as us as we read and live today.

OT: The Book of Exodus, Chapter 30

Exodus 30:1-38

30:1-10 Specific instructions are given for the Altar of Incense.

30:11-16 Specific instructions regarding census information are given.

30:17-21 Specific instructions for a washbasin outside of the tabernacle is given.

30:22-33 Specific instructions are given regarding Holy Anointing Oil. Aaron's sons are chosen as ministers.

30:34-38 Specific instructions regarding incense are given.

OT: The Book of Exodus, Chapter 29

Exodus 29:1-46

29:1-37 Aaron and his sons are consecrated as teachers of the faith.

• con·se·crate make or declare (something, typically a church) sacred; dedicate formally to a religious or divine purpose.

29:38-44 The now defunct process of daily offerings is explained in detail.

29:45-46 "I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them. I am the Lord their God."

OT: The Book of Exodus, Chapter 28

Exodus 28:1-43

28:1-48 This chapter establishes the type of garments the priesthood are to wear to distinguish themselves as teachers.

OT: The Book of Exodus, Chapter 27

Exodus 27:1-21

27:1-19 Specific instructions and measurements are given for the creation of the Altar (for burnt offering). Remember that God halted the practice of sacrifice, Hosea 6:6.

27:20-21 The children of Israel are instructed to bring pure olive oil for fuel to light the lamps they use to enter. Oil is represented of our Anointed One, Jesus (although the children of Israel may not realize that yet). The Lampstand in the alter is meant to symbolize God's everlasting covenant with all generations of the children of Israel.

OT: The Book of Exodus, Chapter 26

Exodus 26:1-37

26:1-27 This chapter consists of the specific instructions and measurements for the building of the tabernacle:

• tab·er·nac·le (in biblical use) a fixed or movable habitation, typically of light construction.

OT: The Book of Exodus, Chapter 25

Exodus 25:1-40

25:1-2 God, through Moses, organizes an offering to be given to Him by the children of Israel. God's intention here is to create a space where the children can feel, and thereby realize, God's presence.

25:3-9 It is an elaborately formed sanctuary for a reason: the furnishings will help the children of Israel distinguish sacred space from the ordinary. In modern times, people are quite able to communicate with God directly because the concept of monotheism is more readily known. The people of Moses' time are still largely ingrained with polytheism and idol worship. God's sanctuary is an attempt to transition from their former way of life to this new one.

25:10-22 Instructions are given for the creation of an Ark of the Testimony: a way to express the prominence of God's will and law.

25:23-30 Instructions are given for the creation of a Table for the Showbread, a table to be and remain formally set for God.

25:31-40 Instructions are given for the creation of a Gold Lampstand, complete with seen lamps representing God's completeness. 

OT: The Book of Exodus, Chapter 24

Exodus 24:1-18

24:1 Moses and Aaron, Aaron's two oldest sons, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of the children of Israel are summoned by God to worship from afar. Nadab name meaning: generous, giving. Abihu name meaning: he is my father.

24:2 Moses himself is called up to further to come near God.

24:3 Moses follows God's instructions and passes them on to the people involved. This is how they answer: "All the words which the Lord has said we will do." How many times in your life, in your daily life, do you answer in the same way? The more times you answer that way, the more your life will abound.

24:4 Moses writes all the words the Lord gives him. He rises early in the morning, builds an altar from which to worship God at the base of the mountain, and constructs twelve pillars. Each pillar represents a tribe of the children of Israel/Jacob.

24:5-6 The altar is opened for people to come and worship and meditate on the Lord.

24:7 Moses reads the Book of the Covenant, filled with all of God's guidelines for living a compassionate life to all of the people. They respond: "All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient." They do not fear God, they trust Him. It is so easy for them to profess their obedience to Him because they know that He is good. Here is the blessed reward we receive from obeying Him:

Psalm 121
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

24:8 Moses makes official the covenant between God and the children of Israel regarding His commandments.

24:9-10 Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and the children of Israel climb the mountain and see God manifested before them. Our universal God is able to manifest in beautiful ways, here, under His feet is the view of the universe. That might be nearly impossible for us to understand. What we can garner from this verse is that our God is magnificent and present.

24:11 The elders of the children of Israel do not receive direct, personal communication with God as Moses does, but they were able to witness His presence. Our intimate relationship with God is a direct blessing of fully presenting ourselves to Him. It is a direct benefit of loving Him and enabled Him to fuel our souls with His own love.

24:12 Moses is directed by the God to climb the mountain and receive tablets of stone on which to write the law and commandments from God on... so that he may teach them. Receiving God's word is the first step, after that, we have this blessed opportunity and responsibility of putting it out into the world. Through our behavior and actions, words and thoughts.

24:13 Moses follows God's command and ascends with his assistant, Joshua.

24:14 Moses tells the elders to remain and wait for them to return. Aaaron and Hur remain with them as guides. Realize what a community of God is being created! In this chapter alone we have been introduced, albeit briefly, to Aaron's sons and this man named Hur. Moses is the figurehead but surrounded him is a community of believers, all walking toward the same God. Our God. Many generations later, we are walking with them, toward Him, too.

24:15 Moses arrives at the place God directed: a high place, a secluded place. The perfect conditions under which to receive the Will of God. Quiet. Nature. Peace. Solemnity. Space for reflection and contemplation.

24:16 Moses remains on Mount Sinai for six days before God releases Him. Six days of meditation and then, on the seventh, God calls Moses out of the cloud.

24:17 The presence of God is described by the children of Israel in this way: "The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain." God's fire provides warmth for His children. Warmth and power and Light.

24:18 Moses walks back into the cloud, into the presence and instruction of God and remains for forty days and forty nights. Moses is carrying out an elemental piece of God's plan. He's establishing a covenant that will last until the culmination of the earth. God prepares Him. Allow Him to prepare you for your own purpose here.

OT: The Book of Exodus, Chapter 23

Exodus 23:1-33

Chapters 21-23 outline laws for the children of Israel.

23:1 Do not spread false rumors; it is a destructive waste of time. Do not be a silent witness of injustice.

23:2 Do not hang out with people committed unjust acts. Do not lie.

23:3 Be objective, reliant on truth.

23:4 Return lost property if found.

23:5 Help all people with their burdens.

23:6 Be just (do not bend the truth to benefit your friends).

23:7 Do not engage in, or contribute to, conflict (especially if you are not already involved).

23:8 Do not accept bribes.

23:9 Do not oppress strangers.

23:10-11 After six years of planting and harvest, let the soil recuperate for a year.

23:12 After six days of working, all people and animals should rest on the seventh day.

23:13 Do not commit idolatry.

23:14 Three periods of fasting should happen throughout a year.

23:15 Keep the celebration of Passover.

23:16 Celebrate the Feast of Harvest (first fruits) and also the end of the year.

23:17 At least three times per year present yourself to God.

23:18 Passover food cannot be used as sacrifice.

23:19 Acknowledge God in the midst of first harvest.

23:20 As God faithfully does for each of us who will receive Him, He assigns an angel to guide the children of Israel into the place which He has prepared. Notice what kind of leader God is: not only does He know the way, plan the way, guard the way, lead the way and send spiritual reinforcements, He also prepares the destination. When we arrive at the place He has ordained us to be, it is spirituality stocked. Our destination is specifically tailored by Him to fit our needs and joy.

23:21 In order to receive these blessings from God, we need to be dutiful children. The reason why we need to obey God's voice is because it is our GPS. What happens when you stop listening to the GPS in a confusing place? You get lost! It's as simple as that. The children of Israel are implored to listen to the guidance of the angel sent by God.

23:22 If you listen to Him, your enemies become His problem. He deals with them and frees you from their grasp. If you listen to Him, the people you love become beneficiaries of His blessings. Understand that God can provide for the people you love so much more comprehensively than you can. As much as you love them, He still loves them more.

23:23-24 The children of Israel are told not to follow their opposition. As long as they reject false gods and corrupt behavior, they will be led straight through danger and tribulation and into blessing. God implores them (and us) to reject idol-worship. Put your awe and faith in the creator, not in the things that cannot help or love you.

In implementing the plagues on Egypt, God challenged Egypt's false gods one-by-one and none of them were able to even respond. God continually works to show us that He is alive and powerful like no other entity.

23:25 The children of Israel are told that if they serve God, He bless their physical and spiritual bread and water. They will be feed: soul and body. How do we serve God? Our service to God is our compassion in action. Each of His commandments are guidelines to help us do that.

23:26 God promises that the children of Israel will healthily reproduce, increasing their population and strength. This is the same covenant started with Abraham, the father of many nations. God is faithful to His word. Abraham has passed away from the earth for a long time now, but God is still here, still present and fulfilling an everlasting promise. Not because He has to, but because He wants to.

23:27 God prepares the way. He destabilizes our enemies before we even arrive. Be begin each battle with Him at an incredible advantage.

23:28 He tells the children of Israel that He will even drive the enemy away from them. This promise is extended to you! If you want this promise, reach out and grab it. If you have already asked for it, trust Him to deliver. He is faithful.

23:29 God has a long-term plan for the children of Israel, our ancestors. He prepares the land to be fruitful for them: abundant with a manageable amount of plants and animals. Their enemies do not realize it, but God creates the conditions under which they tend land promised to the people they despise. 

23:30 Little by little God promises to naturally give land to the children of Israel. Instead of some catastrophic event, God creates the conditions which will allow the children of Israel to make a home in a thriving land.

23:31 The bounds are set: from the Red Sea to the sea, Philistia, and from the desert to the River.

23:32 God does not want them, or us, to make deals with our enemies. He wants us to allow Him to construct our path and destination. He secures our livelihood and our home.

23:33 God knows His children so well. His plan is to push away and separate them (and us) from all of the distractions and corruptions which tempt us away from Him. He knows we are fickle and at times weak. He prepares for everything, our every flaw. He encourages us to dwell and remain separate from our opposition. 

Keep Him as your center. Let Him set your bounds and stay within them! You will thrive.

OT: The Book of Exodus, Chapter 22

Exodus 22:1-31

Chapters 21-23 outline laws for the children of Israel.

22:1 A thief is responsible for returned property five-fold.

22:2 A victim is not responsible for the death of an intruder (self defense).

22:3 If a thief is caught and cannot replace what he took, he will be sold into service.

22:4 If a thief is caught alive, he must restore double what he took.

22:5 If a farmer is responsible for the trampling of another man's farm, he must use his own produce to restore the damaged property.

22:6 Arsonists are responsible for their actions and must restore damaged property.

22:7 A thief must pay double if he steals out of a person's house.

22:8 If there is doubt about the culprit the case must be brought to the court.

22:9 Any trespass can be brought before a judge.

22:10-13 People must make an oath to respect property temporarily entrusted to them.

22:14-15 People are responsible for respecting that which they borrow.

22:16-17 It was customary for fathers to marry their daughters to families; this law was made to ensure that the marriage contracts were respected.

22:18 Witchcraft is condemned. (For the most part, the modern world no longer believes in witchcraft).

22:19 Bestiality is punishable by death.

22:20 Strict monotheism: belief in this particular God only.

22:21 Kindness and justice must be extended to strangers.

22:22-24 Do not harm a widow or orphan. God is especially attuned to their cries.

22:25 Do not charge interest when loaning to the poor.

22:26-27 Must return a pledged-on garment before sunset. Another reminder that God hears our cries: "It will be that when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious."

22:28 Do not oppose God in hatred. (To oppose God is to oppose justice). Do not curse rulers (if they are ineffective, productively debase them; curses are ineffective, a waste of time, and harmless to the character of your soul).

22:29-30 Do not hoard your most valued possessions; raise your children to be faithful.

22:31 Be holy humans to God; do not eat corrupted meat.

OT: The Book of Exodus, Chapter 21

Exodus 21:1-36

Chapters 21-23 outline laws for the children of Israel. 

21:1 Moses is about to create law guidelines for the children of Israel. Although not directly applicable to our present day, we learn from the follow that God's children uphold justice, fairness and decency with all people.

21:2-4 When hiring on a worker, Moses tells the children of Israel to allow that worker to remain with his family, if he has one. He also says that employees are released for free after six years.

21:6-11 If an employee is happy with the family he works for, he can go through the judicial process of remaining there forever under the care of his employer. The organization of society in these times is different from ours but like us, their mission is to ensure that everyone is treated fairly. In Moses' time society was heavily patriarchal.

21:12-15 Premeditated murder, malicious killing, is forbidden.

21:16 Human trafficking is forbidden. Punishable by death. Notice that these offenses still occur in our world today.

21:17 Ill-treatment of mothers and fathers is forbidden.

21:18-19 If after a physical altercation the victim heals, the offender must pay for the loss of time and medication to heal. These decrees established much needed order.

21:20-21 Scary depiction of society! Also, contradictory to God's word. God implores us to extend kindness and gentleness with every human.

20:22-25 Continuing contradictory decrees: although this decree claims eye-for-eye type of punishment, God's work declares differently. It is normal for there to be flaws and errors in human constructions because we are imperfect. Our maturity and growth is a process. These were among the first laws to be established by humans, it makes sense that they would need improvement. Matthew 5:39 instructs us to be able to be strong enough to turn the other cheek and resist returning evil with evil.

20:26-27 If a servant is maimed is to be released from duty.

21:28 Vicious animals are sentenced to die, the animal is not to be eaten, and the owner will be unpunished. (Remember these are not word's from God's mouth). Likely this law was make to assuage persons who were harmed by animals and took their anger out on the innocent owners.

21:29-32 If the vicious animal is known to have an aggressive nature and is not stored in a way to prevent its destruction, the owner is then in serious trouble. The owner is able to pay his way out of punishment if he so chooses.

21:33-34 People are responsible for destroying others' property (livestock).

21:35-36 If one person's animal kills another person's animal, they must sell the living animal and split the funds. Again, if the animal was known to be vicious, the owner is responsible for the attack.

OT: The Book of Exodus, Chapter 20

Exodus 20:1-26

The Ten Commandments

20:1-2 God establishes His authenticity, He makes Himself known: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Do not make the mistake of thinking that God is not speaking directly to you. Your life, the entrance of your soul into this earth was enabled through the rescue He has provided throughout generations of your ancestors. He had you in mind the entire time. You are His beloved and He has given every effort to ensuring the beat of your heart in this precise moment. 

Before He begins the commandments, He is establishing familiarity. You know Him. He knows you, and has been with you. Trust Him to remain with you, He's about to outline exactly how to do that.

20:3 You shall have no other gods before Me.

This is the first commandant because it is paramount. We must at all time be able to identify our True Source of Life. Why? Not because God is greedy for power but because He loves us and knows that only He is able to heal and love us in the very particular and abundant way we need to be healed and loved.

20:4-6 You shall not make for yourself a carved imagine - any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and forth generations of those who hate me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep my commandments.

We must consider the ways we might be idolizing something other than our creator. God is specific in explaining what an idol is. In our generation, we often figuratively bow to money, time, greed and control and fame. We give our attention, dedication, space and time to things other than God. By doing so, we lose our humility. We distract ourselves from the simple and the true. 

God proclaims Himself to be a jealous God. He loves you. He is so in love with you that it hurts Him to see you choose another. He is your Father, your Creator; you mean everything to Him. It is so painful for Him to see you walk away. He's jealous because we willingly give ourselves over to things that are so much less than He is! Even though he possesses and offers us abundant beauty and love and blessings, we trade Him for corrupt things.

God makes it a point to explain that He will hold people responsible for their corruption, even throughout generations. If generation after generation of a family or nation remains corrupt, He remembers. Do not mistake this verse to mean that we are responsible for other peoples transgressions. Jeremiah 31:29 explains to us through metaphor that the actions of our ancestors do not determine God's treatment of us.

20:7 You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

Approach God with solemnity. Speak of God with solemnity. Contemplate God with solemnity. God Him in the High regard He deserves. He has earned our respect. Look around: this earth has been intricately tailored to support the life within us. With microscopic detail He has made this place our temporary home. Do not take His name in vain because He is our permanent Home. Keep the relationship you have with your Home pure and sanctified.

20:8-11 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

• Six days you shall labor and do all your work.
• But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, not your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.
• For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

God knows our souls and our bodies. He knows how easily distracted we are. He knows how weary we become. He initiates and ordains this day of rest. The world has largely abandoned this rest day, do not make the same mistake. Your soul, spirit, mind and body need time and space to rest and contemplate and reflect. So much of life happens so swiftly it leaves us spinning. God wants us to take a rest day to re-stabilize. Reestablish our balance so that we are always walking straight and forward, toward Him.

20:12 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

Regardless of the condition of your relationship with them, your parents are the vessels through which you came to the world. If you have loving and generous, attentive and present parents... wonderful. If not, you are still in the same position as the others. We all have imperfect earthly parents but a perfect spiritual parent. Our parents here on earth are imperfect but God wants us to respect them anyway. Why? Because our parents are the first relationship we have here on earth, regardless of how brief it might be. Establishing a respectful disposition with them is the foundation we have when it comes to interacting with all others.

If we become able to understand our parents, flaws and all, God knows we will be more able to understand others despite their flaws as well. Since we live in a flawed world, this ability is crucial to have.

20:13 You shall not murder. The original word used for murder in this verse is the word ratsach, meaning: premeditated murder. God understands self-defense: Psalm 144 (Psalmist David prepares for war against evil).

20:14 You shall not commit adultery. This commandment is straightforward. Honor the relationships you have with others: social, platonic, romantic, spiritual. Be respectful. Be faithful. When you unite your soul with someone, remain distractedly committed. Moreover, be loving and attentive to that person (as God has been with you).

20:15 You shall not steal. God provides. Develop the trust and faith to believe that you will never starve or hunger when He is your center of focus. He provides abundantly. In Exodus 16, God provides manna to the children of Israel and instructs them to only take what they need for the present day. Why? Because He will continue to provide fresh blessings every morning and every evening. Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

20:16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Let only truth come out of you. Never condemn someone with your lies. God protects His righteous children. 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. If you need an escape, God will provide it. Yet if we follow His other commandments, we have no reason to lie.

20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor's house;

• You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.

Consider this definition of covetousness from Susannah Baker: "To covet is to want what God has not chosen for you. We want what we do not have and we hoard what we do. The remedy: Transfer your treasure. Stop seeing God's "No" as deprivation or limitation, and see it instead as invitation."

God invites us to leave certain spaces in our lives open so that we may welcome blessings from Him in perfectly appointed time. And finally, "Do not allowed yourself to be possessed by things - possess the Lord." He is all you need. 

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 explains to us that God provides. He provides specific to the individual. No one is left out. Our gifts from Him might be different but they are equal. We can all trust and rely on His promise to provide precisely for the individual. Each gift is chosen purposefully to enable the individual to be purposeful:

4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

The upshot is that you do not need to covet anything. It is a waste of time and energy. Enable Him to do so by widening and strengthening your faith. Create the tunnel and the landing pad through and on which blessings arrive.

20:18-19 God nears completion of His message to Moses and the children of Israel are expectant, eager to receive it. Notice that people were not yet able to have a personal relationship with God. Oh, how much sweeter life is now that we have this intimate, personalized connection with God! They were not ready. God's power intimidating them. They did not realize that love and compassion are what comprise God's awe-some, stunning, quaking power. They did not know gentle love from a God and Creator. God's mission, and we read of the process throughout the Bible, is to change that. He wants to bring people closer to His safe love.

20:20 The first words out of Moses' mouth are: Do not fear. We do not not ever need to fear God, our enemies do. Injustice does. Corruption does. Evil and greed do. But we, as His compassionate children, do not. Moses continues with the message that everything God does is meant to grow us in courage and faith and ability.

20:21 Moses delivers this message in the thick of God's tremendous power but the children of Israel stand back. Be like Moses, trust God to envelope you in love, comfort and wisdom. Do not stand back because it is so sweet to be within Him.

20:22-23 God explains that we do not need to make physical representations of Him. Go to Him directly. Speak with Him directly. You do not need a middle-man or thing. Gold and silver and earthly things have no value to Him. He values your love and compassion. 

20:24-26 To remember me, God explains, build an altar from which to pray and sacrifice with solemnity.  For more on sacrifice, refer to our study in Exodus 18:12. Build an altar in your heart from which to be blessed by Him. After all, God promises in this very verse: I will come to you, and I will bless you. The condition is that we need to be in His sphere to receive Him and His blessings. Remain in His sphere of love, truth, wisdom and compassion and feel the blessings flow into your life.

OT: The Book of Exodus, Chapter 19

Exodus 19:1-25

19:1 In the third month after leaving Egypt, the children of Israel reach the wilderness of Sinai. Sinai is the place where, in the next chapter, Moses will receive the 10 commandments from God.

19:2 The children of Israel camp before the mountain. Make camp, the spiritual residence of your soul, right before the immovable, magnificent mountain that is our God.

19:3 God calls Moses up to the mountain; He has a message for our ancestors (and us), the house of Jacob (also known as the children of Israel). Moses went up to God. Make the journey to Him, so much love and wisdom awaits you.

19:4 God's message to the children of Israel is this: "You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself." Beautiful. God's message to the children of Israel is essentially this: you have seen Me, you have known Me, now trust me to outline foundations of a life well lived.

Meditate on that thought; visualize it: when God swoops in to rescue you, He pulls you up onto His wings. You and God soar. God brings you up onto His wings and gives you perspective, protection, joy, and love. He pulls you up out of the conditions of your life, good or/and bad, for special, personal moments with Him.

19:5-6 Let's let God's message continue: "Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”

Right now, life on earth is your classroom. There are exams and challenges. With God in spirit, earth will become your playground. Safe. Free. Joyful. No exams, no challenges. No bullies. No whistle signaling the end. God is imploring us to listen to Him: the way to the playground is through compassion. 

The children of Israel had not been free for many years. Our journey is an echo of theirs. God understands that it is easy to get lost in this life, in this wilderness. Therefore He provides a map, His commandments, His strongly suggested guidelines to follow. God implements commandments for our benefit. He knows what we desire: patience, peace, joy, love, compassion, justice... and so He provides the road map to the destination of those things.

A lot of religions paint God to be a harsh authoritarian. God is not desperate or greedy for control because it's not His nature and also... He doesn't need to be. He is control. He invented it (and everything and everyone else for that matter). When God gives a commandment, He gives it to help us.

God delivers this Moses to message and requests Moses to deliver it to the children of Israel.

19:7-8 The children of Israel agree to open their hearts to God's message.

19:9 God promises to completely fill the atmosphere with His spirit, encouraging the children of Israel to listen and understand. He knows we need encouragement and help and He happily gives us both.

19:10-12 God instructs Moses to prepare the people for His spiritual message. When we contemplate or actively develop our faith, it is necessary for us to be focused and reflective. We need to remove distractions from our lives. When we approach God in moments of learning, we must do so with solemnity. Truly, when we approach any new concept, especially one which pertains to our lives, we should do so with seriousness. 

19:13 It's important to God that the children of Israel approach Him as souls rather than bodies. Their curiosity must be of spirit, rather than earth. Instead of the physically tangible, God wants them to be in a mindset of spirituality. He wants them to feel Him through their souls. To absorb His message soul-deep.

19:14-15 Moses prepares the people as God commanded: he instructs them to refrain from earthly actives and to meditate specifically on spirit. They, and we, must have the right mindset when hearing something new and meaningful.

We experience all kinds of moments with God: laughter, joy, tears, fears, contentment, relaxation, anxiety. We both formal and informal moments with God. Keep a running conversation with Him throughout the day. But when God is about to deliver a serious message... that is a formal moment. A moment where we need to be quiet and attentive, focused on spirit rather than earth.

19:16 God is solemn. He takes His moments with us serious; He gives us His undivided, pure attention. On the third day, exactly when God promised, He makes Himself known to the children of Israel in a display of nature: trumpet sounds and a divine-transpiration. God trumpets His soldiers, His spiritual army to stand at attention.

19:17-20 In a tremendous display of nature, God quakes the mountain until it begins to emit smoke. Moses is called up to the top of the mountain, Mount Sinai.

19:21-22 Moses climbs the mountain (great metaphor for faith) and God reiterates the importance of ensuring that nobody else climb. We do not understand the manifestation of our Creator. What we do know is that He is magnificent. He is magnified. Consider all that He has created... yet He's greater than all of it. If even the sun's power is enough to shrink us, what would His direct like do? 

19:23 God also tells Moses to again have the people concentrate themselves. If God repeated it, there must have been the need for it to be done. Moses responds something like this: Oh, I already told them. "It's fine." Moses is flippant.

19:24-25 God looks at Moses with His parenting gaze. Uh oh. He commands Moses to repeat the message to the children of Israel and this time, Moses does.

OT: The Book of Exodus, Chapter 18

Exodus 18:1-27

18:1 In the second chapter of Exodus we met Moses' father-in-law, Jethro. Jethro gave Moses a place to live in his home in Midian after Moses fled from Egypt. Word had spread all the way into Midian about all that God was doing for the children of Israel.

18:2-4 Jethro had allowed Moses and Zipporah (Jethro's daughter and Moses' wife) to leave Midian and set out on this seemingly impossible journey: Moses wanted to free the children of Israel and had been told by God that he would be able to do so. Jethro believed and still believes as he brings Moses' wife and children to reunite with him.

Moses had sent Zipporah and their two sons, Gershom and Eliezer ahead of the group to be with Jethro in the place they were born.

• Gershom name meaning: Exile "For he [Moses] said, 'I have been a stranger in a foreign land.'"

• Eliezer name meaning: My God is Help "For he [Moses] said, 'The God of my father was my help and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.'"

Moses loves and deeply appreciates God. His two sons are reminders to him of God's mercy and generosity. In naming his sons after the blessings of our God, Moses exemplifies to us that our love for God can and should be present in every aspect of our lives. Let each piece of the world be a reminder of His compassion.

18:5-6 Jethro and Moses' family reach him while he is encamped at the mountain of God. Jethro had sent word of their journey and so Moses was expected them.

18:7 Jethro and Moses greet each other lovingly. Moses' gratitude is apparent: he's grateful to Jethro for caring for and also bringing his family back to him. Moses is kind through-and-through. His humility and kindness is not only displayed when he's communicating with God. God fills us with the blessing of joy and it illuminates our souls.

18:8-11 Jethro and Moses catch up as Moses shares the story of his incredible journey of faith. Jethro rejoices and expresses his own awe of God. Moses' experiences are enough to convince Jethro that God is the only true Creator and all-powerful being.

18:11 God is establishing himself in the hearts, minds and souls of humanity. During this time, people were worshiping idols and kings. God wanted to provide truth to their belief system, to give them a source of true power and wisdom: Himself. God's mission is still the same. Perhaps it is rare that people in our time still worship idols, little caricatures believed to be gods... but we have our own idols. We idolize wealth and fame, vanity and control. Our idols might be different now but our degree of distraction is the same.

18:12 Jethro sacrificed to God to express his believe. Aaron, Moses and the elders of the children of Israel join Jethro in celebrating our beautiful God. Although God does not want our burnt offerings, Hosea 6:6, sacrifices are and have been a meaningful way for people to express their faith. By giving something special to God, a person places Him above something they truly love. The sacrifice provides time, space and opportunity to tangibly place Him in the center of our lives and minds.

Sacrifice is a way to deny idols. To give away something valuable is to show God that He is more important in our lives than that thing. For people of Moses' time, that meant to choicest of their livelihood. For us it can be anything that consumes a lot of our time and attention. By depriving ourselves of it, we allow our love for God to take that space.

18:13 The children of Israel have questions about life and God. The hunger of their faith is awakened and they are ravenous for truth and explanation. God has rescued them from enslavement, eliminated their enemies, provided water, fed them for years in the desolation of a desert... and they want to know more about this God who has claimed them. Moses is their leader and so naturally, thousands flock to him with their questions.

18:14 Jethro notices that Moses is spending the entirety of every day sitting with people and counseling them spiritually. He's working every minute of the day with person after person. He's faithfully and passionately and arduously serving God. It's important to realize the type of serving God's children do: we serve because we crave a way to express our love and gratitude for Him. We serve because we desire to share His promises with people because we know how His love changes lives.

8:15-16 Moses is not waking up thinking, "Ugh. Time to clock in... again." Moses is waking up with energy and passion and faith and he's zealous about pouring out all the wisdom God has given him to others...

18:17-18 At the same time, Jethro notices that Moses is on track to become overwhelmed... it is a monumental task after all. The group is filled with over 600,000 people.

18:19 Read this verse as if Jethro is speaking directly to you, his advice is paramount and the best you will ever receive: Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: "Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God."

Meditate on that. Let's analyze the verse in fragments:

• |Stand before God| God's love is our haven. We grow up and become many things in the world, daughters, friends, adults, parents, siblings, employees, leaders... but when we stand before God, all of that is peeled away. When we stand before God are simply, purely, His beloved child. When we stand before God we have His complete, focused, empathetic attention. The moments we stand before God are precious ones: devoid of distractions, filters, facades. When we stand before God we can be our complete selves, we can express, unashamedly, our every emotion. When we stand before God, we are actually being held by Him. The spotlight isn't on us, waiting for us to make a speech. The light exudes from Him into us in order to comfort us. To comfort us to the point of realizing that we do not even need to say anything. He knows. He already knows. Let Him hold you and know you. Allow yourself to receive the blessing that is just a peaceful,  intimate, compassionate moment with Him. Let Him breathe renewal, refreshment, life into you. He's done it before for you, Genesis 2:7.

• |For the people| The clearest language our God understands is love. Love on behalf of others. When we genuinely care about the well being of the souls in our lives, we present Him with the gold He really desires. Selfless prayers spring up to Him so quickly. When He can see that you zealously hope to be an instrument of compassion and justice, He immediately begins to prepares you. You benefit from your selflessness. He fixes all of the hurts and broken places within you so that you are complete and able to do amazing things on His behalf for the people around you.
• For example: Notice the difference in the following two types of prayers
• "God please give me patience. I am so frustrated by the people and circumstances in my life."

vs.

• "God please give me the patience I need to understand the people and circumstances in my life. Please give me the patience I need to fix what is broken not just for myself but for others as well. Please give me the patience I need to enable joy to fill these joyless spaces."

When you speak to God, speak His language! Allow your communication with Him to thrive. Matthew 25:40, God will say to us: ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ He wants us to be our best selves not for Him... no, He's not selfish. He wants us to be our best for the benefit of His children.

• |So that you may bring| Bring to Him your concerns and burdens. Let Him deliver the relief. Let Him deliver the answers and plans. If your load is heavy, walk it right on over to Him and release it. There is nothing that you are experiencing that He cannot deal with. In fact, He's dealt with it all already, Ecclesiastes 1:9. When the load feels too heavy, surrender to Him. The moment we realize that we cannot do it alone and do not have to is the day we are free.

• |The difficulties to God| Ensure that you place your most vulnerable self before Him and no one or thing else. You are so valuable to Him. He is the One who will handle you with the delicacy your soul needs. He is the One who has the power and material and selfless desire to heal you. No one or thing else possess that ability. Only He is complete. When you need a pillar, choose Him. He will never crumble. He will never grow weary. His life is devoted to supporting you. So when you are looking for a place to rest, lay yourself down before Him, your haven. Revelation 3:12 God will make you a pillar. Part of the beauty of God's love is that it is healing and empowering. He comforts you when you need Him and then He makes you stronger. You become the pillar and He entrusts you with so much. Because He provides the strength, He enables you to do and be so much more than you ever dreamed.

18:20 Returning to Exodus, Jethro's advice to Moses is to allow God to plan and organize a system more conducive to teaching and providing God's will for such a large mass of people. God is about to establish an outline by which to live, advice from Him on how to life a joyful and productive life.

18:21 Undoutably, Jethro was placed into Moses' life by God. Jethro became a home for Moses when he was a nomad on the run from Egypt. Jethro took care of Moses' family when he was working tirelessly for the Lord, for their futures and the conditions of their world. And now Jethro provides some much needed advice: Moses you're balancing too much. Bring it to God before you become unstable.

Jethro's advice is to organize a social system in which Moses is not the sole leader. The people require more attention and more organized distribution. They need to be able to reach and communicate with leaders without standing in line of thousands, "You shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens."

18:22-23 Jethro advises Moses to bring this idea to God. The effort is to make leadership more manageable and effective. Jethro's advice is lovingly and selflessly given; Jethro does not request that Moses trust his wisdom but God's. 1 Corinthians 8:2 And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. Be humble. Do not trust anyone, not even yourself, if they are arrogant. The wisest people are the people who admit that they have questions. They inquire. They seek out truth.

18:24 Moses heeds Jethro's advice and does indeed stand before God and bring his difficulties to God. It is likely that God planted the idea of organization in Jethro's mind and sent him to share it with Moses. God consents (to the advice He likely planted) and so...

18:25-26 ...Moses begins to choose able and faithful men and place them in positions of leadership. This enables children of Israel to efficiently receive the readily available counsel they seek.

18:27 Jethro returns to his own home. His purpose as a messenger for God fulfilled. Present yourself to God as a willing instrument of His compassionate work. You and God can change the world.

OT: The Book of Exodus, Chapter 17

Exodus 17:1-16

17:1 The children of Israel reach Rephidim but find that there is no water to drink. As we grow, we venture into new spheres of society: school, work and other social engagements. As we go out into the world we might find that we develop a thirst: a thirst for understanding. The children of Israel's physical thirst is representative of this.

17:2 The children of Israel exhibit the same frustrations we often do. They turn to anger and desperation before turning to prayer and God. Their fallback is fear rather than faith. Moses confronts their tendency to do that: "Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the Lord?" The question begs us to answer also. Why are we contending with physical things when through God we have power over them? Why do we not trust Him despite all of the promises He gives? Why do we not remember the ways He is already in our lives?

17:3 They continue to lament and whine. God has promised them a glorious future, has enabled them to make steps toward it and has provided and protected them along the way. Despite all of that, as soon as there is a wrinkle, they abandon the faith that He can iron it out.

17:4 Moses turns to the Lord and because of that, his fears and troubles are immediately heard and answered. The children of Israel were so angry that Moses was afraid they might stone him! One of the most beautiful things about the people we read about in the Bible is how imperfect they are... yet still they retain the love of our Lord. They're relatable!  

Our own journey is an echo of theirs. Trust must be developed; faith must be maintained. We're fortunate enough to have the entire story written out for us... we know that God provides for their every need. Yet in the moment, their moment, during the long and arduous trek across the dry and barren region, faith was tremendously tested. Eventually, God's continued hope is that we will realize His consistency. He keeps coming through for us... straight and fiercely through all of our doubts.

17:5-6 God implements a plan for water. He is our living water, therefore He can certainly provide it:

John 4:14 "...but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” 

John 7:38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

God instructs Moses to use the rock to strike the rock and He will make water come out of it. If God is your rock, your foundation, the living water will continually flow through you.

17:7 Moses names the place Massah: tempatation, and Meribah: contention after the children of Israel's experience there.

17:8 The people of Amalek came out and started a battle with the children of Israel. Moses did not panic; he gave orders to Joshua to create an army and fight back against the Amalekites. 

17:9 Moses' plan is to stand at the top of the hill with the rod of God in his hand. Moses knows that as long as he clings to and relies on the power of God, they will continually prevail.

17:10-11 Moses lifts the rod and when he does, the children of Israel prevail. When he lowers the rod, they begin to lose. This is a metaphor of God's power in our lives. Give Him complete authority and you will win every battle. The less power you give Him, the less power you have over your opposition.

17:12 Moses grows tired from holding the rod up. We cannot fight these battles alone. A stone, a foundation is placed under Moses. It is a place where he can rest. God is our stone, our foundations, the place where we can rest. Even if the battle is long and difficult, He's going to provide us the power and spiritual comfort to overcome.

17:13 And indeed, because of God's direction, Joshua's army defeats the Amalekites. 

17:14-16 Upon God's request, Moses builds an altar from which to worship God. It is a memorial of God's promise to fight our wars for us. 

OT: The Book of Exodus, Chapter 16

Exodus 16:1-36

16:1 A month and a half has passed and the children of Israel are still journeying away from Egypt. Their passage from enslavement to freedom is a metaphorical example of our own passages. God's love and protection, leadership and wisdom are immediately available to us. He releases the shackles but it is our mutual responsible to walk. God sees and plans and prepares the destination, enables us to get there, but we must make the decision to follow Him.

16:2-3 Along their and also our passage, we experience life events that prod us to grow in faith and spiritual strength, wisdom, patience and trust. Moses and Aaron begin to the hear the grumblings of the group again. This time, they are upset that there is no food. They are complaining that they are going to die of hunger out in the wilderness during the journey. They even say: God, if you were going to let us die, you should have let us die in Egypt... at least we had food there.

God has already shown them that He provides: He freed them from the Egyptians; He rescued them from Egypt's fierce army; and He produced water for them to drink when they thought they would die of thirst.

The children of Israel show us what life is like with wavering faith: full of worry, difficulty and inconsistency. To neglect this infinite and thriving source that is our God is to seriously deprive your life. God is able to provide for our physical bodies and for our spiritual bodies.

16:4-5 These two verses are predecessor to a wisdom given in the New Testament: What we produce on Earth is given to us doubly in Spirit. We are given to in order that we may give. God's gifts are meant to flow continuously. God provides and what we do with our provisions is paramount and observed. 

We receive these gifts through our tunnel of faith. The channel through which we receive from God is dependent on our own establishment and maintenance of it. God will willing to provide for the hungry children of Israel and for His spiritually hungry children. He's going to send as much as He can through our tunnel of faith. How much fits through it is dependent on us.

The children of Israel have small and weak faith. Although it's disheartening to God that we doubt His love and ability, He isn't angry at us for needing time to develop our trust in Him. He prepares to send the children of Israel food little by little, steadily increasing the amounts as their faith grows.

Part of faith is the acknowledgement that God has provided today and another part is trusting that He will provide tomorrow as well. God explains to Moses that the more trust they give Him, the more benefits they will reap.

16:6-7 Moses and Aaron quell the group by explaining that God as again promised to fill their needs. Moses and Aaron explain that God hears their complaints. No other entity is listening as attentively as He is. Open wide that tunnel of faith, that channel of communication because through it will come everything you are asking for.

16:8 Moses explains that they will witness that the Lord has heard them: in the evening they will receive meat and in the morning they will receive bread. 

Moses adds: "And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord." The children of Israel are attacking Moses and Aaron but Moses quickly redirects them. Communicate with The One Who can actually help you. Moses and Aaron are instruments of God's work... beloved instruments, gifted instruments, but instruments all the same. Moses never wants the group to make the mistake of thinking that he is their leader. It is an act of humility on Moses' part but also an act of instruction. 

16:9-10 Moses and Aaron are prodding the children to create and foster personal relationships with God (though humanity does not start to get the hang of that until the New Testament). The children of Israel receive visual reinforcement of God's presence.

16:11-12 The Lord has heard. He is intricately involved in their, and our, lives. He's going to provide but His blessings are no use to us outside on our doorsteps... we must welcome our divine-Deliverer inside.

16:13-15 Everything unfolds exactly as God promises. Quails arrive in their camp in the evening and in the morning, they receive something they do not recognize. Moses identifies it as bread from the Lord.

This peculiar arrival is descriptive of God's blessings. Because He understands our needs better than we even do, we often do not at first understand the gifts He gives us. They frequently look different from what we envisioned. We pray for something specific because we want to be fulfilled by it... but instead of giving us that specific thing, God gives us the particular thing that would truly and completely fill the need that caused us to pray to Him. He knows when we are asking for something we do not yet realize we would not really enjoy. The changes and replacements God makes are always comprehensively better.

Gain assurance of God's gift-giving ability from Matthew 7:7-12

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

16:16-17 God's direction comes through Moses to the children: take only what you and your family need from this supply. Instead, some people take more than they need and some take less. What they take is indicative of the nature of their hearts and their faith: some people only take a small amount because they trust that the supply from God is abundant and will be consistently given. Others take a huge amount because they do not trust God and fear that they might die of hunger if they don't hoard more than their share.

16:18 What is interesting about this test of faith is that those who gathered more than their share ended up with nothing left over. Yet the people who only took a small amount (out of trust, humility, and compassion for others) never lacked.

16:19-21 Moses instructs everyone to eat their meal until nothing is left. To trust that the Lord will provide their next meal. Some people do not trust and stored their food... but their plan fails as the food spoils before they can eat it. This is another time in the Bible where God is pleading with His children: Hold onto Me not things. He alone is our abundant, consistent, and non-perishable source.

16:22-24 On the sixth day, the children of Israel receive double their ration. It is given to them to prepare for the holy day of the Lord the next day. This time, Moses explains, the food will not spoil. This time, they are the preserve the food in God's honor.

16:25-26 Moses instructs the children of Israel to gather food the entire week but to rest on the seventh day. To let it be a day of reflection. It is so imperative that we set aside time to contemplate spirituality's role in our lives. We need to remember and nourish that connection.

16:27-30 People do not listen. Instead of taking that time to rest and reflect, meditate and communicate with God, they go out to gather more...more...more. Stop and think before you judge. How often do we get swept up in the cycle of the world? We are take to consume! To procure! Greed never sleeps in our world. We rarely stop and reflect on what we already have. We are desperate to not miss an opportunity of gain. God is trying to explain here that our spirits need this time of rest in order to stay tethered to Him.

We need the time to remember that we are not sand in an hourglass. In Him, we are constant. In Him we have eternal life. Meaning that we literally have eternity to receive blessings from Him. Take the time to remember that because consistently skipping it pulls that eternal promise out of reach.

Remember that God's frustrating in this verse is because He knows how to provide for us and when He sees us rejecting Him, He sees us withering. It pains Him to see us wither. He's adamant because He cares. He wants His children to rest and be with Him, to constantly be able to recognize and receive Him.

16:31 The children of Israel name the substance Manna and describe it to taste like honey-dipped wafers. Food from God is sweet; it is packed with all of the nutrients our souls require: love, compassion, patience, blessing.

16:32-33 We are talking about more than just a substance of physical food. God instructs the children of Israel to keep the memory and promise of this Manna for generations to come.

16:34 Aaron establishes the manna as a testimony of God's ability and commitment to provide.

16:35-36 The children of Israel subsist on manna for forty years, right until they reach their destination: the land of Canaan.

OT: The Book of Exodus, Chapter 15

Exodus 15:1-27

15:1 This chapter begins with a Song of Moses, a proclamation of Moses' faith in and love for God. Another Song of Moses is written in Deuteronomy 32. The Song(s) of Moses are referenced in Revelation 15:3. The reason why these proclamations are important is because these prophets were the first to realize and make a personal connection with God. They paved the way for us to do the same. Let's see what Moses has to say about our God in verses 1-18.

I will sing to the Lord,

For He has triumphed gloriously!

The horse and its rider

He has thrown into the sea!

Moses is feeling blessed beyond belief. He has now witnessed miracle upon miracle of God's power. Moses is reflecting on his faith in this time of joy and triumph. Like Moses, keep your relationship with God constant. Communicate with Him in all seasons of your life. He hopes to share all moments of our lives with us, not just the moments when we need something.

15:2

The Lord is my strength and song,

He has become my salvation;

He is my God, and I will praise Him

My father's God, and I will exalt Him.

Moses acknowledges the ways God became his strength, the power and endurance which carried him through tribulation. He manifests as our salvation: our rescue, our safe haven. God has claimed us as His children and here Moses claims Him. Claim your Father, your creator. Joyfully profess your love for Him. Recognize the ways in your life He has become or manifested exactly what you needed. If you haven't experienced that, claim Him and you will.

15:3

The Lord is a man of war;

The Lord is His name.

Moses is astonished by God's ability to implement military strategy. God is much more than an anthropomorphism. He's so much more than a man. Humans, like Moses, have a difficult time conceiving of what exactly He is. He does not have the limitations of humans therefore He wins every war He's involved with. God intervened with the children of Israel because it was a critical point in history, His entire people could have been wiped out. Now, we have thrived. His children are spread throughout the world and now, when we engage in wars, we fight our ancestral-siblings. He allows our battles against each other for now. 

15:4-5

Pharaoh's chariots and his army He has cast into the sea

His chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea.

The depths have covered them;

They sank to the bottom like a stone.

Moses and the children of Israel have just witnessed this occurrence: the complete reduction of their slaveholders! 

15:6

Your right hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power;

Your right hand, O Lord, has dashed the enemy to pieces.

Realize that this power, God's power is your to be harnessed.

15:7

And in greatness of Your excellence

You have overthrown those who rose against you;

You sent forth your wrath;

It consumed them like stubble.

Piece out the characteristics of God Moses declares here: Great and excellent with an ability to overthrow, to completely consume His opposition.

15:8

And with the blast of Your nostrils

The waters were gathered together;

The floods stood upright like a heap;

The depths congealed in the heart of the sea.

God is the creator of this earth and universe. He understands the math and science behind everything because He even created that math and science. He knows how to create the natural conditions He needs to accomplish something. All creation bends to His will.

15:9

The enemy said, 'I will pursue,

I will overtake,

I will divide the spoil;

My desire shall be satisfied on them.

I will draw my sword,

My hand shall destroy them.'

No matter what declarations our enemies make against us, they cannot reach us as long as we have given God authority over our lives. Fierce as opposition might be, it cannot defeat God. Give God permission to be your personal army.

15:10

You blew with Your wind,

The sea covered them;

The sank like lead in the mighty waters.

God doesn't just rescue us from our enemies, He cripples their efforts entirely. He ensures that they cannot reach us now or ever. He does a complete job of disabling their mission.

15:11-12

Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?

Who is like You, glorious in holiness,

Fearful in praises, doing wonders?

You stretched out Your right hand;

The earth swallowed them.

It's amazing that Moses is taking the time to make this prayer/proclamation. We can sense from his energy and enthusiasm just how marveled he is by God. He has witnessed something amazing and he cannot help but express how blessed he feels. Pure joy, appreciation and incredulity pours out of Moses. Do you have these moments with God? When you just sit back and reflect on how wondrous He is? After all, it's not hard to spot a miracle of our own. Just waking up in the morning is an impossible miracle! The breeze and the leaves and the sun... all of our earth is an intricate miracle, an unmatched, innovative design. Marvel at the works of His creative hand.

15:13 

You in Your mercy have led forth

The people whom You have redeemed;

You have guided them in Your strength

To Your holy habitation.

Moses references God's mercy, one of His most defining traits. He loves and defends us like the Father that He is, despite all of our shortcomings and failures. We frequently doubt or even forget Him but He never doubts or forgets us. He leads us for as long as we will follow. He redeems us, draws us out and up from oppression and depression. He guides with strength: strength in wisdom, strength in perception, strength in love and leadership. He knows where we are headed, where we want to go, where we've come from and why. His strong in knowledge.

15:14-15

The people will hear and be afraid;

Sorrow will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia.

Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed;

The mighty men of Moab,

Trembling will take hold of them;

All the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away.

Moses rejoices because God's power has been made so famously known that all enemies of the children of Israel have been scared off. Moses knows that their endeavors will always be protected by God no matter what region they pass through.

14:16

Fear and dread will fall on them;

By the greatness of Your arm

They will be as still as stone,

Till Your people pass over, O Lord,

Till the people pass over

Whom You have purchased.

1 Corinthians 6:20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s; 1 Corinthians 7:23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.

We just read that were claimed by God. Through the manifestation and consequent tribulation of the messiah and all time and energy given by God, He has purchased us. He has given everything He has to be ours. He pours His whole self out to us to claim us.

15:17

You will bring them in and plant them

In the mountain of Your inheritance,

In the place, O Lord, which you have made

For Your own dwelling,

The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.

Moses speaks of God's plans for us: He will gather us together and plant us. For and through and by Him we will become fruitful trees. He will be, and is now, our source of water and light. He is the safe and nutrient dense soil we need to grow and produce righteousness among humanity.

15:18 

The Lord shall reign forever and ever.

A fitting conclusion to Moses's song: the reminder that with God, our lives do not ever conclude.

15:19 There is no end to God's compassion for us. There are no barriers or borders. He will go the full length to reach us, to save us, to love us, us to teach us, to lead us. He will always provide a dry, safe and secure path for us.

15:20-21 Aaron's sister, Miriam, is described here as a prophetess. There are so many souls who participate in the fulfillment of God's will. He shows no partiality... men, women, children... we all have a place in His divine-plans. Miriam expresses her own love for God, an iteration of what Moses proclaimed:

Sing to the Lord,

For He has triumphed gloriously

The horse and its rider

He has thrown into the sea.

The fact that Miriam is described here to have been a prophetess is a reminder that although this particular account is centered around Moses and Aaron, God was working through many of His children simultaneously. You have an important part... claim it. Claim Him.

15:22 We continue in the account of Moses in this verse. Moses and the children of Israel have just passed through the sea into the wilderness of a land named Shur. After three days of journeying, they have not found water. As we know very well, humans require water and cannot live without it much (or at all) beyond three days. Keep in mind the size of the group...there are hundreds of thousands of people. They require a significant source of water.

We delve into a metaphor here. We too are on a journey. This journey of life. Our physical bodies require water but so do our souls. Our souls require the spiritual waters of God to learn, grow and thrive. There are many souls here and luckily, our God, our source of spiritual water is an abundant spring. A water source capable of effortlessly taking care of us all. God does not need to ration. He and everything He offers to us is without limit. Keep that in mind when you need love or joy or blessing from Him... He has an infinite supply just for you. He can literally overwhelm you with blessings. He can make your life burst full of them.

15:23 The metaphor continues. Moses and the children of Israel find water... but it's bitter. They cannot drink it. Figuratively, this water is the water the world offers us. The world's water is so (literally and figuratively) polluted by corruption. By ingesting it, we harm ourselves. Not only that but it's finite. There isn't even enough to go around. The values and morals of the world do not have your best interest in heart but God does. He created you: He knows exactly what you need. He knows how to provide precisely what your body and soul requires. Choose Him as your source... trust Him to be there, right here, for you.

15:24 The children of Israel do not trust Him yet even though He has at this point given them ample reason to. They begin to grumble and complain to Moses.

15:25 Moses wisely brings his concern to God. God immediately responds... and most importantly, immediately provides. God shows Moses a tree, the tree of Life... the representation of Him. When the tree is cast into the waters, when God is placed in the center of our lives, life becomes sweet. Pure. Clean. Healthy. Joyful. 

15:26 God makes another loving promise to the children of Israel, to you: If you diligently follow His voice, if you diligently do what is right and follow His advice, you will be free from the torments of the world. Notice this proclamation from God: For I am the Lord who heals you. Through faith and righteousness, put Him directly in the center of your life... make Him your central intelligence and command center. Place Him exactly in the place where He can heal and bless you.

15:27 The group reaches Elim, meaning palms. In Elim, they find 12 wells of water and 70 palm trees. These serve as symbols that God provides for each branch of His children with strength and abundance.