March in Exodus/Leviticus

MARCH

1.     Exodus 23&24

2.     Exodus 25

3.     Exodus 26

4.     Exodus 27

5.     Exodus 28

6.     Exodus 29

7.     Exodus 30

8.     Exodus 31&32

9.     Exodus 33

10.  Exodus 34

11.  Exodus 35

12.  Exodus 36-38

13.  Exodus 36-38

14.  Exodus 39

15.  Exodus 40

16.  Leviticus 1&2

17.  Leviticus 3&4

18.  Leviticus 5&6

19.  Leviticus 7

20.  Leviticus 8

21.  Leviticus 9&10

22.  Leviticus 11&12

23.  Leviticus 13-15

24.  Leviticus 13-15

25.  Leviticus 13-15

26.  Leviticus 16

27.  Leviticus 17

28.  Leviticus 18-20

29.  Leviticus 18-20

30.  Leviticus 21

31.  Leviticus 22

February in Genesis/Exodus

1. Genesis 41
2. Genesis 42
3. Genesis 43
4. Genesis 44
5. Genesis 45
6. Genesis 46
7. Genesis 47
8. Genesis 48
9. Genesis 49
10. Genesis 50
11. Exodus 1 & 2
12. Exodus 3
13. Exodus 4 & 5
14. Exodus 6
15. Exodus 7
16. Exodus 8
17. Exodus 9
18. Exodus 10
19. Exodus 11 & 12
20. Exodus 13
21. Exodus 14
22. Exodus 15
23. Exodus 16
24. Exodus 17 & 18
25. Exodus 19
26. Exodus 20
27. Exodus 21
28. Exodus 22

Put Exodus on the Shelf!

Yahoo! You have finished another book on the first shelf! This is huge! Go, go, go!

Exodus 40 - The Glory of the LORD Fills the Temple

LINK: Exodus 40

BACKGROUND

The Tabernacle was completed one year after the Exodus. The people arrived in Sinai three months later. Then, Moses was on Mount Sinai for the instructions. It is estimated that it took about 6 1/2 months (from mid-September to late March) to gather all the materials needed and construct the Tabernacle.

The Lord gave instructions to Moses about how to arrange everything in the Tabernacle, consecrating it for holy use, and anointing Aaron and his sons for the priesthood. "Moses did; according to all the LORD had commanded him" (40:16). Then He "finished the work" (40:33). Did you know that the word "commanded" is used eighteen times in Exodus 39 and 40?

With the work on the Tabernacle completed, the glory of God filled the Tabernacle.

REFLECTION

"Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle" (40:35).  In this cloud was the "Shekinah glory" of God (see also Exodus 24:16). This comes from the Hebrew word shawkan that means in the Qal tense "to settle down to abide." The presence of God had "settled down to abide" in the Tabernacle. We will learn in 1 Samuel 4 that this abiding presence departed when the people and priests sinned against God. When Solomon dedicated the temple, this Shekinah glory came again to dwell (1 Kings 8:10-11), but their sins made it depart again (Ezekiel 8:4; 9:3; 10:4, 18; 11:23).

The Scarlet Thread of Redemption

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, 

and we saw His glory, 

glory as of the only begotten from the Father, 

full of grace and truth.

(John 1:14)

God's glory returned in the person of Jesus Christ. After His death and resurrection, that glory has come to dwell in the body of believers in Jesus Christ!  

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, 

and that you are not your own? 

For you have been bought with a price: 

therefore glorify God in your body. 

(1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Isn't that an awesome thought that God's Shekinah glory dwells in you?

APPLICATION

Jesus said, "Abide in me, and I in You" (John 15:4).  He dwells in You, and He has asked you to abide in Him. His glory is already there in You. All you need to do is plug into it!  Talk to God about your willingness to abide in His presence. Make it your ambition in life to abide!

Here are downloadable links to writings by Frank C. Laubach, a man who tried to live in a moment-by-moment connection with God:

Letters by a Modern Mystic 

Game with Minutes

It is such a lovely book. As I was writing this, I realized that I had loaned my hard copy out about two months ago, and I just asked for it back because I love to refer to it regularly! I gave it as a gift to a friend, and she is playing the "Game with Minutes" with her kids. It is a great book!

PRAYER

Thank You that Your glory dwells in us who believe in Jesus. I thank You for Your abiding presence that teaches us how to live to glorify You. Help us to listen to Your voice today. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Exodus 39 - Priestly Garments & Completing the Tabernacle

LINK: Exodus 39

BACKGROUND

Click HERE for a review of the priestly garments from Exodus 28.

Here is a diagram with an explanation of each component:

Details on Garments  - You need to scroll down just a bit to get this great picture.

Here is a picture of a tabernacle model that I bought for my kids and for the Bible Book Club Live Meetings we had the first time we did Bible Book Club:

APPLICATION 

With this visual picture. Take a prayer journey through the Tabernacle today!

Here is a downloadable sheet from the post about this from last week:

A Prayer Journey Through the Tabernacle

PRAYER

Lord, thank You for the awesome privilege of entering into Your very presence every day because of the blood of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Exodus 36-38 - Work Rising Up to God and Interpretation Tool

LINK: Exodus 36-38

It's Bible Study "TOOL TIME"!

Last tool time, we talked about the first step in Bible Study: OBSERVATION. Now, let's talk about the next step. 

INTERPRETATION

Interpretation is the step of determining the author's meaning and can only be accomplished after good observation. Many want to jump to interpretation, but do not go to it until you have spent adequate time in observation! Your prayerful observation will bring up your interpretive questions.

Five Simple Steps to Answer Interpretive Questions:

1) Pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance - Remember that this is not about increasing your Bible knowledge but about a life-changing relationship with God!

2) Read for context - Answers can often be found in the context of the passage.

3) Define key words and phrase using an exhaustive concordance, expository dictionary, or English dictionary. Here is a handout to help you do this (Just remember the example is for a Greek study, and you will be doing a Hebrew study in the Old Testament.): 

"How to Do a Word Study"

If you do not have the resources, BibleStudyTools.com has both Hebrew and Greek lexicons. 

Below is an example of a word study of Exodus 36 

You can set this up to have the words hyperlinked in blue. If you click on them, the Hebrew or Greek definition (with pronunciation) will come up. 

In order to do this, you must always be on the New American Standard Bible or King James Version, click on the "settings" button on the far right that I have circled in red:

This will lead you to a drop-down menu: 

When you click on "Strongs Numbers," it will show Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament) words in blue. If you click on the blue words, they will lead you to a new page with the definition! 

The website www.preceptaustin.org also has some amazing study tools. Here are their directions for doing a Hebrew Word study.

If you prefer to not use heavy books or be tied to being online, LOGOS is an amazing Bible software that I have used since 1996. I am completely digital in my Bible Study now. 

4) Correlate with cross-references - The best way to interpret Scripture is with other Scripture. A concordance has all the verses listed for a particular word. Most Bibles have cross-references in the margins. This is one of the options in the screenshot of the drop-down menu above.

5) Consult commentaries last. Commentaries can be biased, but they have their place after your own study. I use commentaries after I am done with the above study. It is helpful when I get stuck in my understanding or want to know something historically significant about the passage. The websites I mentioned above also have links to commentaries.

The BACKGROUND section each day in the Bible Book Club is a result of my interpretative explorations. I thought it would be fun for you to know how to find answers to your own questions since I am sure my background section will not cover all your questions or be free of my bias.

BACKGROUND - My personal INTERPRETATION step

In Exodus 35 - 38, there were some keywords/phrases that kept on sticking out to me while observing these chapters, and I had some burning questions about them. Here are some of my findings from one of my favorite resources for Hebrew Word Studies, the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament by Ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke.

1) Movement of the Heart

There were many words to describe the heart of the people in these chapters. Their hearts "stirred" them (4 times in Exodus 35-36). It is the Hebrew word nasa which means "lift." By extension, it means "The heart 'lifts one up' thus inciting action" (p.600).

Their spirit and hearts "moved" them. (Exodus 35:5, 21, 29). This Hebrew root word, nadab, is the same one used for the word "freewill offering." It "denotes one who is either typified by voluntarily and freely sacrificing and/or serving the deity," Their hearts "impelled them to offer willingly" (p.554).

2) Contribution/Offering (35:5, 21 36:3)

The movement of the heart led them to make a contribution/offering. My margin said, "heave offering," and I was curious about what that was. The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (TWOT) says:

The term 'heave offering,' originally referred to the physical manipulation of the offering at the time it was given; but there are no biblical examples that clearly refer to such manipulation. The term had worn down until it simply meant "gift" or "offering" without implication as to how the gift was manipulated. (p. 838) 

So, it doesn't mean much! I will say that looking up the word helped me to see that it comes from the Hebrew root verb rum which means "be high, lofty; rise up" (p.837). 

This helps me visualize an offering that is not going across laterally from one person to another, but it is rising up to God! I want to remember that my gifts go to God, not to a person, church, or organization.

3) Skillful People ("skillful" 15 times in Exodus 25-39), ("skill" 7 times in Exodus 31-36)

The Hebrew word chokmah (skill) means "wise" and chakam (skillful) means "wise(man)" (p.282). It is the same word that described Bezalel in 35:31. God had filled him "in wisdom in all craftsmanship." Skill was born out of wise-hearted obedience to God's commands.

Exodus 36-38 is a fulfillment of what God stipulated to Moses in Exodus 25-27 and 30. So, if you have any questions about the pieces in the tabernacle, you can look back at these days: Tabernacle Specifics. 

There is one additional fact about the bronze laver not included in those previous chapters. It was made from mirrors of polished bronze of the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. It was common for Egyptian women to carry mirrors with them to the temples. Commentators think that they may have taken these when they left Egypt and plundered the Egyptians. It was also an assurance that these women would not practice this in their tabernacle worship.

REFLECTION

These people were so moved/stirred that they gave to overflowing, and they were "restrained from bringing any more" (36:6).

How often do you hear this at your church?

"Please stop writing checks, Ladies and Gentlemen. We don't need any more money. We have more workers overseas than we can handle at this point. Also, please quit volunteering in the nursery. We have too many people holding those babies. You are commanded to stop!"

Not very often! Most churches have a shortage of funds and people for ministry. That is why this section of Scripture always challenges me!

The thing that struck me most in meditating on these chapters was that they were moved from the inside out. They were not compelled by an outside force upon them. There was no pressure. No slick sales pitch. Their hearts were "busting" out lifting up willingly all that they had to the LORD as a freewill offering. God commanded and their hearts were stirred from within!

I want to give of my time, talents, gifts, and possessions according to 1 Corinthians 9:6-8:

Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart not grudgingly or under compulsion for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.

This implies that I am wisely tuned in to the LORD and listening to His calling for me to go and do what He would have me do. My heart will be stirred from within, and I will have an abundance of time, money, energy, and enthusiasm to accomplish what He has for me to accomplish! For more on this process read the amazing booklet God Guides. 

I know that people have asked me over and over again, "How much time do you spend doing the Bible Book Club every day?" I will not tell you how much, but I have to honestly say it doesn't matter! I am joyfully giving the time from my heart! George walked into the room one day, and I was typing one of these posts, and he said, "Carol, you have such a wonderful smile on your face. I can tell you really enjoy what you are doing right now." 

He is right! I do. My heart is stirred from within to lift up this freewill offering of time to the LORD so that maybe people might be encouraged to read and study the Bible and grow closer to the LORD. It is a slam-dunk, WIN-WIN. God called, and I obeyed. So, I have the "abundance" for it.

APPLICATION

What is your free will offering to the LORD?

You might like to conclude your time today in doing a heart check by talking with the LORD about it. Here are some questions for the heart check:

What are you giving with a "willing heart"?

What are you holding back?

What are the reasons for holding back?

What are you giving out of obligation or guilt rather than out of a joyful, willing heart?

If you could do anything for the LORD, what would it be? 

What are some of your gifts, talents, and abilities? 

How is God nudging you to "fan into flame the gift of God which is in you" (2 Timothy 1:6)?

PRAYER

Lord, thank You for making it so simple. Help us to listen to You and stir our hearts from within to serve You. Move our hearts so that we might move willingly toward the work that You have for us to do. We love You! Amen.

Exodus 35 - Sabbath Details and Work Begins on the Tabernacle

LINK: Exodus 35


BACKGROUND

Moses assembled all of Israel to hear the stipulations for the Sabbath.  Sabbath was the sign of the covenant between God and Israel (31:16-17). So it was very important that they obey. Do you take a sabbath day of rest once a week?

The people willingly committed themselves to the Tabernacle's construction and workers were appointed (this section is similar to 31:1-11).

The work starts tomorrow!

REFLECTION

I am not big on church buildings and especially "building programs."  I have been through some pretty lame building program "sales pitches" that were manipulative and unnecessary. People never gave to them, and they never happened.

When I was meditating on the Tabernacle chapters three years ago, our pastor preached about it in the context of building a larger facility for our growing church. I know many people are anti-building projects, but the spirit and way that our leadership handled the building of it were so wonderful! People gave willingly and many workers who are skilled craftsmen came out to lend a hand. It was a beautiful process. Three years later, we have a new facility that has really blessed the community as it is used for many activities throughout the week.  It was nice to have a positive experience in this sometimes dreaded endeavor of expansion.

APPLICATION

What have you done to improve the place where you worship lately?

PRAYER

Lord, we love the place where Your glory dwells. Thank You for giving us roofs over our heads as we worship You. Bless those who are skilled craftsmen for their labors of love in improving those places in which we worship. Amen.

Exodus 34 - God Reveals His Glory

LINK: Exodus 34

BACKGROUND

The beginning of this chapter is the fulfillment of Moses' request to see God's glory from the previous chapter. The LORD revealed His glory by displaying His covenantal name:

The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave {the guilty} unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations. (34:6-7)

This is one long name, but it sums up the delicate balance of God's nature. He is both loving and forgiving but He deals with sin justly. This explanation of His name will be repeated throughout the Old Testament.

I love Moses' response: "Moses made haste to bow low and worship" (34:8). Awesome. His worship was followed by intercession. (Jesus had found favor too, and He interceded for us in John 17). God then renewed His covenant and repeated much of what He stipulated in Exodus 19-24.

He reiterated that His people should not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land they were about to possess because the worship of their gods would become a snare, but we will see in the future how this part of the covenant was not followed by Israel over and over again!

The Asherim were mentioned in 34:13. These were symbols of Asherah, the name of the wife of El who was the chief Canaanite god. Wooden poles were often carved with her image.

In this renewal, they also were reminded of the Sabbath and the observance of the feasts. HERE is the Feasts Chart I mentioned before. It will become more helpful as we study Leviticus. The reason they were to observe the feasts was so that Israel would center on GOD and not on the gods of the land they were about to inhabit. The observances also made a statement of God's power to the inhabitants of the land.

Moses came down with his face shining because he had been in the presence of God for forty days and forty nights. His face struck fear in the people. So, he covered his face with a veil.

We find a New Testament parallel to this in 2 Corinthians 3:7-18:

But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory. For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it. For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory. Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away.

REFLECTION/APPLICATION

This passage has caused me to reflect and sing the Michael Card song called "The Face that Shone" today. It is a song about Moses and another face that shone! Enjoy a day of worship as you meditate on the lyrics:

He ate the bread of heaven

Drank water from the rock

And the grumbling children followed

Like a misbegotten flock

He climbed up on a mountain

They couldn’t even touch

Who’d ever known that one encounter

Could have ever meant so much

And up upon that high place

In a cleft of solid stone

His face was set on fire

As the God of Glory shone

He alone had seen it

And had lived to tell the tale

But because they feared the fire

He had to hide behind a veil

A face that shone with the radiance of the Father

Though it had known and endured dark desert days

A face that shone with the glory of Another

So the prophet would discover

As the glory was fading away

He was the Bread from Heaven

He would be the smitten Rock

He had twelve confused disciples

They were his bewildered flock

When he climbed upon the mountain

He took Peter, James and John

In the face of pending glory

They soon began to yawn

As he prayed while they were sleeping

He was transfigured into Light

His face a flash of lightning

His clothes so burning bright

So Moses finally saw the face

Before he’d hidden from

Then came a voice from heaven

“This is my beloved Son”

The face that shone is the Glory of the Father

And he had known from the start that it was so

The face that shone had let the light shine out of darkness

And we’re changed into His likeness

As we gaze upon the Son

But you and me we tend to flee from shining faces

We see the glow and then we know that we’re undone

They shine His light into our emptiest of spaces

With their bright and shining faces

Reflect the radiance of the Son

The face that shone is the Glory of the Father

And he had known from the start that it was so

The face that shone had let the light shine out of darkness

And we’re changed into His likeness

As we gaze upon the Son

PRAYER

Lord, we want to shine like Jesus! Praise You that Jesus let light shine out of darkness. Lord, may we change into Your likeness as we gaze upon the Son. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Exodus 33 - Moses, the Intercessor

LINK: Exodus 33

BACKGROUND

God reiterated His command to go to the promised land of Canaan and promised to send an angel, but He said He would NOT go with them in their midst because of the obstinate ("like unresponsive oxen or horses") people of Israel who made that golden calf.

Moses' response was to go to the "tent of meeting" (The tabernacle had not been built yet) outside the camp where The LORD would speak to Moses "face to face, just as a man would speak to his friend" (33:11).

Moses boldly interceded for the people based on this "face to face" relationship with God. He was concerned that the LORD would not go up in their midst. He wanted God's presence with them. As a result of Moses' concerned intercession, God responded with these beautiful words:

"My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest." (33:14)

God responded because of Moses' appeal on the grounds that God's people needed to be distinguished from all the other people on earth. As I said yesterday, remember one of the bottom line themes in the Old Testament is that "all the peoples would know the God of Israel." This is so important to grasp.

God did what Moses asked because Moses had found favor in God's sight and He had known him by name (17). As a result of this, Moses asked to see God's glory, and God told him how to behold His veiled glory as it passed. We will see how this happens in the next chapter.

REFLECTION

I don't know about you, but there is one thing I long for more than anything: to know God's presence and speak to Him as a friend. Intimacy with God is my heart's desire. It reminds me of my favorite verse:

One thing I have asked of the LORD that I will seek;
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD,
And to meditate in His temple (Psalm 27:4).

Don't you want that too?

One of my favorite statements by God is . . .

My presence shall go with you, 

and I will give you rest 

(33:14)

I want that 24/7/365 relationship with God. I want a moment-by-moment awareness of His presence with me. This is possible because of the Holy Spirit within us. We are now the temple of the very presence of God. Isn't that amazing?

When I stop and really consider God's presence, it makes me relax if I am worried, fretful, or just having a bad day. God's presence gives me rest. What balm to my soul.

I want to continue to cultivate a relationship with the LORD that is minute-by-minute. I want my heart to be completely His at all times. I have a long way to go, but this is my desire.

One thing that has helped me maintain closeness with the Lord has been to intentionally break away from the routine of life to go "outside the camp" much like Moses did to seek the Lord. He was a busy man with plenty of responsibility, but he took time out to seek the Lord's face. I do this by taking a regular "prayer retreat" every other month or so. I call them "My Lord and Me" times. It is a time where God has 100% of my attention. I stop the craziness of life, look full into God's face, and listen to what He has to say to me. It may seem passive, but it is a very dynamic face-to-face time with the Lord. I heartily recommend it!

Moses' intimacy with God also led him to intercession for the people God gave him to lead. I am taking notes throughout Scripture on the character and actions of the people God chooses to use. Intimacy with God and a life of intercessory prayer are key traits of a good leader. I am challenged by this. I want to be a prayer warrior for those He entrusts me to lead.

APPLICATION

When is the last time you went "outside the camp" and sought the Lord? Can you pencil in some extended time with God for intimacy and intercession in the next month? I led a women's leadership class in 2005-2006 and most of the women commented that the scheduled half-day in prayer was the most significant thing they did the whole year! Many of those women continue to do it as a regular practice and have been very blessed.

If you need some structure, you can download this helpful handout: "How to Spend a Day in Prayer"  by Lorne Sanny, former president of The Navigators. It has been a blessing to me, and I often refer back to it during my retreat days. I let the Lord lead without any structure too. It depends on the particular day of prayer.

PRAYER

Lord, thank You that You dwell in us. Help us to appropriate Your presence on a 24/7/365 basis. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Exodus 31 & 32 - Craftsmanship, Sabbath Day, and a Golden Calf

LINK: Exodus 31 & 32

BACKGROUND

Exodus 31

Before you get lost in the details of these chapters never let it get far from your mind that all these tabernacle details were given in order to have a place for God's glory to dwell and His servants to minister to Him there. Think about it: God's glory would dwell there! WOW (Exodus 25:8, 45-46; 29:44-46). 

The craftsmen were commissioned to make sacred garments, oil, and incense. Bezalel and Oholiab and others were skilled craftsmen by divine gift (31:3, 6). This is why "Craftsmanship" is often put on Spiritual Gifts lists even though it is not listed as a spiritual gift in any of the gift lists in the New Testament (Ephesians 4, 1 Peter 4, Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12). We will talk more about evaluating your gifts in the New Testament; but if you cannot wait, here is a Spiritual Gifts Test.

In the middle of His instructions, God reminded them of the holiness of the Sabbath day and the seriousness of keeping it. They were to labor for six days, but they were to have complete rest on the seventh day. Traditionally, the Sabbath is from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. 

Exodus 32

Remember when the people promised to obey God (19:8; 24:3, 7; 20:19)? Well here is the crushing chapter where they renege on their promise to God (Deuteronomy 5:28-29) and commit a "great sin" (32:21, 30-31). I always shake my head when I read what Aaron said in response to Moses, "I said to them, 'Whoever has any gold, let them tear it off.' So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf."  

Say what? That is pretty wimpy leadership if you ask me. Aaron did not turn to God but let the impatient people call the shots! Then he blamed the people. 

God's people had already seen God's judgments on Egypt in the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, the provision of food and water, and the pillar of cloud and fire. They had forty days and nights of waiting until Moses got down from the mountain, and they broke the first, second, and seventh commandments in one fell swoop! They exchanged the glory of God for an image of an animal (Psalm 106:19-23; Romans 1:22-27). 

If not for the intercession of Moses, even Aaron would have been destroyed (Deuteronomy 9:20). Some people get hung up on the fact that God "changed His mind" (NASB), "relented" (NIV), or "repented" (KJV) as if Moses were in charge of the situation and not God. A little insight into the meaning of this Hebrew word nāḥam might be helpful: 

The KJV translates the Niphal of nḥm “repent” thirty-eight times. The majority of these instances refer to God’s repentance, not man’s. The word most frequently employed to indicate man’s repentance is šûb (q.v.), meaning “to turn” (from sin to God). Unlike man, who under the conviction of sin feels genuine remorse and sorrow, God is free from sin. Yet the Scriptures inform us that God repents (Gen 6:6–7: Ex 32:14; Jud 2:18; I Sam 15:11 et al.), i.e. he relents or changes his dealings with men according to his sovereign purposes. On the surface, such language seems inconsistent, if not contradictory, with certain passages which affirm God’s immutability: “God is not a man … that he should repent” (I Sam 15:29 contra v. I I); “The lord has sworn and will not change his mind” (Ps 110:4). When nāḥam is used of God, however, the expression is anthropopathic and there is not ultimate tension. From man’s limited, earthly, finite perspective it only appears that God’s purposes have changed. Thus the ot states that God “repented” of the judgments or “evil” which he had planned to carry out (I Chr 21:15; Jer 18:8; 26:3, 19; Amos 7:3, 6; Jon 3:10). Certainly Jer 18:7–10 is a striking reminder that from God’s perspective, most prophecy (excluding messianic predictions) is conditional upon the response of men. In this regard, A. J. Heschel (The Prophets, p. 194) has said, “No word is God’s final word. Judgment, far from being absolute, is conditional. A change in man’s conduct brings about a change in God’s judgment.”  

Harris, R. L., Harris, R. L., Archer, G. L., & Waltke, B. K. (1999, c1980). Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed.) (571). Chicago: Moody Press.

God knew what the ultimate outcome of this interaction with Moses would be. I believe it was a test of Moses' remembrance of God's promise to Israel, his love for the people God had chosen, and Moses' comprehension that God's reputation was at stake. The "bottom line" message is that all the nations of the earth would know that God was above all other gods. Destroying Israel was not in God's plan, but God wanted to test Moses to make sure he understood this. Moses passed the test, and I do not have any problem with God's actions in this passage. 

REFLECTION

WOW! There is so much to chew on here. I want to reflect on the importance of intercession on the part of God's people in the whole scheme of things. I want to reflect on obedience and remembering the promises of God when I am tempted to sin while waiting (I gave a message on "Waiting" for a women's retreat once, and this passage really spoke to me.).  I also want to meditate on what it means to stand strong as a leader when the people I am leading want to do things that are not according to God's plan. I can identify with Aaron. I can be a wimpy leader at times.  

All that said, God led me to another reflection that seems like such a small part of these two chapters.  I was struck at how God interrupted his teaching on the tabernacle details to reiterate the importance of the Sabbath rest. The purpose was to remind them that He was the LORD who sanctified them.  Were the people waiting for Moses back at the camp practicing this? If they were, surely they were just going through the motions. If they practiced the five Sabbath rests during those forty days and nights and remembered the LORD, would they have resorted to a golden calf to meet their needs? I would hope not!  I am convinced that sin results from us taking our eyes off of God.  I think they had lost their focus. The Sabbath was meant to refocus them. 

We try to do Sabbath rests as a family on a regular basis (sometimes with the whole Sabbath ceremony), but it is not always possible from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday being that we are not living in a Jewish culture and activities abound on Saturdays!  So, we each have individual ones. When I first started writing for the Bible Book Club, my Sabbath day of rest was from sunset Sunday to sunset Monday. It was my rest day from fitness workouts too, and I scheduled no appointments or ministry on that day. 

2014 Update: Here is something I wrote just the other day about REST!

Back then, my rest Monday was followed by a bunch of twenty to thirty-somethings invading our home for our weekly "Jesus Community" on Tuesday night.  That Tuesday, heavy things came out of the time, and I was glad that I had rested during the day. When the last person left at 10:10 p.m., I needed to process the evening because something did not sit right, and I was up until 1:20 am.  

Now, I work Monday - Wednesday, so I try to have a 24-hour rest period sometime between Wednesday evening and Sunday evening. But lately, I have not been consistent, and with this latest read-through of the Bible in 2017 (the fourth cycle of the three-year Bible Book Club), I feel I need to make this happen! I believe we are not bound by Old Testament law, but I do believe that if God had to rest on the seventh day from all He had created, it is certainly a good example for all His people to follow!

APPLICATION

Do you fit a day of rest into your week? You are no longer under the Law, but the principle is there. We are not superheroes, and God wants us to take time to rejuvenate and remember Him!

Also, Aaron's wimpy leadership really convicted me. I had something happen last night where I should have stood up and been a leader rather than a follower of the crowd. I need to have wisdom in how to handle a sticky situation.  Oh dear, always growing!

PRAYER

Thank You for your rest. Refuel us for the challenges that You have for us, LORD. Help us hear Your voice and lead us. Amen.