Exodus 1: I like the midwives excuses... the Hebrew women are vigorous and give birth before we get there. :) It is

awesome to see how even through the oppression that the Egyptians are giving, God continues to bless the Israelites...

just like He does with us. Also, it made me think that I should not get too comfortable in my current circumstances,

when things are going well, and forget that not all of life is promised to be easy, because part of God's plan for my life

may be hardship, so I should thank Him for the easy time, but not become comfortable.

Exodus 2: I did not realize that Moses's mom was never given a name. Now that is true love... to give up your child

because you know that they will have a better life... it really makes me appreicate women who choose to give their

children up for adoption... to love your child and know that the gift of life is the best gift you have for them... that takes

a strong love and a strong woman.

When Moses killed the Egyptian man, he must have thought he was doing the right thing, but it came back to bite him

because doing something wrong, even with good intentions, does not make it right... I need to remember this because

sometimes I try to justify my actions, when really I need to be repenting.

I like how it says that God looked on the Isrealites and was concerned about them... sometimes I can forget that just

because I am in a hard spot doesn't mean that God has stopped caring about me... He is still concerned for me and loves

me.

Exodus 3: I love how God just lays it all out and gives the whole plan... and then, it is so. Just like in Genesis 1... God

speaks, and so it is... This is one of my favorite chapters... Chapter 3:3- God uses things to get our attention and peak our

interest so we will willingly seek Him... Jesus did that when witnessing, too, see "Woman at the Well" story in John 4...

This "focus" point also gives us something to work off of as God espands our mind to what He really wants us to "see" or

know.

verse 5-6... we should pay respect to God and give Him the honor due Him, however, it is awesome to know that now a

days, we no longer have to be afraid to "see" God... but we should still remain reverent of His holiness for His glory (see

2 Corinthins 3:13-18)

The rest of the chapter is broken down like this in my mind...

God said "Go", Moses said "Why Me?"... God said "I will be with you, now Go", Moses came up with some "what ifs"...

God said "I AM GOD. GO. NOW. I AM, so I WILL, so you will." Moses kept asking "what ifs" again and gave excuses... God

said "I made you. I know who you are. I AM with you. Now Go.", Then, Moses asked God to send someone else... God

had been patient up to this point, and encouraging but Moses's whiny defiance made God very angry. Moses lack of

confidence not just in himself, but also in God was like a slap in the face to God, but God did not destroy Moses, instead

He continued to encourage him, gave him a helper of "flesh" to hold onto and told him to "GO" again. Finally, Moses did.

This makes me think about how often am I exactly like Moses? At what point do I need to get to before I say yes to God's

"GO"?

Also, just a side reference... verse 14: I AM is also Yahwah... see John 8:58-59 for Jesus's use of "I AM".

The Study Notes made a comment about the importance of the name of God... "In ancient Near Eastern cultures, a

name made a statement about the essence and power of whoever carried it: a god's pwer was available only to the one

who knew his personal name, like a 'Password'."

Much Love,

sandJ

3 comments:

sandj said...

Extra comments...

The name of the Pharoah of Exodus is never given in the Bible, and apparently the Egyptian and other historical texts

and things do not mention this escape [makes sence not to advertise the "failures" of your nation]... no exact date can

be given to the events in Exodus, but recent archaelogical findings suggest the time to be around 1300-1250 BC.

The book Exodus is centered around mostly Moses, who is assumed to be its author, and two major redemptive acts:

the Exodus from Egypt and the establishment of the Covenant at Sinai... In fact, Moses and these events are so

fundamental to an understanding of God's plan for the redemption of humanity that it could be argued that much of the

Bible is a dialogue which reacts to, explains, implements, elaborates, and complete the redemptive plan of God as it is

revealed in this book - Ideas above taken from the "Invitation to Exodus" as written in the NIV Seredipity Bible for Study

Groups.

Sounds like another important book in the Bible (not that any of them aren't), but let's dive in and learn all we can!

Much Love,

sandJ

V said...

-1 This is a subject I've grappled with before in this part of the Bible and others. The Hebrew midwives lied in order to

save the Hebrew baby boys. The text also says that they feared God, and because they feared God, he was kind to them

gave them families of their own. Does that mean in this instance it was ok to lie, or is it another example of godly people

doing the wrong thing, but still being blessed?

-2 I'ts always striking to me how brave Miriam, Moses' older sister was in this story. Also, what a selfless love his mother

had for him. I strive to have that same love for my children, to put God's will in their lives first, and my own emotions,

comfort, etc, last.

-2:12 Moses is a murderer, not the picture most think of when they think of Moses

- 3 God is so amazing to plan people perfectly for his work - what other person would be so sympathetic to the Israelites,

and believe in their God, yet also have the "in" with Pharoah to have the chance to talk with him about freeing them

Love the thoughts, thanks!

I love Moses, because he makes me think that if God can use him, then God can use me too... I am every bit as whiny

and a scaredy cat (Exodus 4:3) as Moses was, and God did great things through him... not that being whiny and fearful is

our goal at all, but it reminds me that God is not limited by our weaknesses... God can do anything regardless of how

unamazing we seem/are, and that makes Him so much more amazing (2 Corinthians 12:9)... it also makes it that much

more amazing that He allows us to participate in all that He is doing... it is so humbling and such an honor.

Chapter 4: verse 5-I never realized the significance of the Egyptians knowing the God of Jacob,etc, before, but they

would have known of Him becuase Joseph knew Him, and although the Pharoah now did not know of Joseph (Exodus

1:8), there had to have been records of him and thus records of God. verse 14, it says that Aaron is already on his way to

meet Moses... I like this, because it is a reminder that God already knows what we'll say and what it will take for us to

follow, and so He has already gone ahead to prepare... I know we say "Getting ahead of God", but we really can't go

ahead of God, although we do like to try to get off course sometimes.

I like verse 16-17... God's almost like, "If you think you know so much more than me, and feel the need to doubt me,

then you see what it is like to be God.... and if your idea doesn't work, try Mine, like I, God, suggested to begin with." :)

Moses seems to think it is a good idea, because he now decides to go... but later he finds its not so easy to fill God's

shoes, and ironically complains when the people don't listen and do as he says.... hmmm... :) It does seem though that

God took some of Moses responsibility away and gave it to Aaron, but did it result in Moses losing some of his blessing

to Aaron, too? I can't judge though, as I know that I do this sometimes... it does make me wonder what hardships I bring

on myself (and others) because I try to be God, instead of just trusting Him to be and do what He says.

Verse 21 (and others)... I heard a great explanation of "harden his heart" one time, and I can't for the life of me

remember any of it right now... any good comments on this?

Ok, verse 24-27 is weird, and I can imagine why I have not heard a sermon on this, but does anyone have any ideas or

thoughts as to why this is here... to show the significance of giving yourself fully to God?... to ???

Chapter 5: Ok, verse 2 would make me like run for cover from lightening bolts or something... I mean, wow! how bold is

that!... but he'll know the Lord soon enough, and isn't that what we all need to remember, that we all must bow before

the throne of God at some point, either now by choice or later at judgement (Romans 14:10-12).

I found it interested that in verse 19-21, when they "realized they were in trouble", they didn't rally with God (and

Moses and Aaron), instead, when hard times got harder, they turned their back on the help they had asked for... it

remindes me of a joke I heard a long time ago: there was this person stuck on their roof and it was flooding. The person

prayed, "God save me!". A short time later, a boat came by, and the owner asked the person on the house if they

wanted a ride. The person on the house said, "No, God will save me." The waters rose higher. Again, the person on the

house prayed, "God save me!". Soon, a rescue helicopter arrived. The person on the house turned them away, saying,

"No, God will save me." The waters rose higher, and the person prayed again, "God save me!". The coast guard arrived,

and told the person on the house to get on their boat, because it was the last chance. The person on the house again

told them to leave because "God will save me." The waters rose higher, and the person on the house died. When they

went to Heaven and stood before God, they said, "God, why didn't you save me?" And God said, "Who do you think sent

the boats and helicopter?"... Anyway, it is best to recognize and thank God for His help and not push it away... it comes

down to our trust in God... do we believe He hears, cares, and will help, or don't we?

Verse 22-23... I like how Moses, even though frustrated and confused, still "returned" to God... I feel like this sometimes,

when I look at what God has asked us to give up, and all the obstacles that have come up since we agreed to His plan

(whether reluctantly or not), but I remind myself that I must remember that God is God, and I am NOT... that it is not

about me looking like a hero, it is about God being glorified... and He has a plan... it is HIS plan not mine, and He will do

it as He sees fit... He is perfect, so I just need to trust and obey, and it will all turn out exactly as it is supposed to in the

end... "very good".

Chapter 6: God starts off the chapter by telling them how it will be... "because of ME (not you, not Pharoah, not the

Israelites, not who or whatever), but because of ME, GOD, you will be free".... and moves on to verse 6 reminding them

that He is a God who upholds His promises.

verse 7 is an overarching theme throughout the Bible: I am your God and you will be my people.

verse 8 is cool, in that God says He will "give" the land to them... it is a gift, not an earned thing... sometimes God does

give us gifts as possessions, but we must remember the other part of that covenant... they are blessings solely so we can

be blessings (back to Genesis).

verse 9 was so powerful to me... "BECAUSE of their discouragement" and hardships they did not listen to God's word...

isn't that so true... when we feel like God doesn't care, the last place we want to be is in His word, yet it is the first and

only place we should be because it is there that we can see how God has worked in our lives, how He is working, and

how He promises to work... and that His promise is good and faithful... I think this is why God then takes the time to

remind Moses and Aaron of their history and lay out the strategy to them all over again (verse 13-27)... plus, the study

notes point out that verse 26 says that they are to "bring out the Isrealites by their divisions", and the geneology would

remind them how to do this, plus give Moses and Aaron the confidence booster of who they were (both for their sake

and the rally of the "kinship bonding" of the others).

Chapter 7: verse 5... one reason hard times come is so we can recognize God, without a doubt, when we see Him...

maybe because we didn't recognize Him when all was good.

verse 12 is a reminder that even though Satan masquarades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), and tries to

imitate God, Satan is still a created being and NOT as powerful as God.

verse 18 made me wonder, so the Egyptians could not drink the water, but it didn't say the Isrealites... could they drink

it?

and then, verse 24 made me wonder: so, was the groundwater not blood? These two thought made me think about how

God shows that He still loves them, because He doesn't want to kill them, just get their attention... I know the old saying

is "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger", but maybe it would be better stated in another way... something like,

"whatever doesn't kill you directs you to God".

So, on to more plagues tomorrow... :)

Have a wonderful night!

God Bless,

sandJ

3 comments:

Sandj

sandj said...

Oh, PS to yesterday... Moses's mom's name is given... it is in the geneology in Chapter 6, verse 20... if I am reading it

right, Moses's mom's name is Jochebed... just an answer to a question/comment from yesterday. :) Good night!

sandJ

V said...

-4 "what if's" and excuses from Moses - I totally empathize, yet read in 3rd person it sounds so pathetic - like, it's all

about me, Lord, instead of, I so get how big you are and know you can do anything and you're just using me as a vessel

and it's not about me and all my insecurities.

-4 the Lord sending Aaron as a helper was somewhat of a judgment because Moses asked him to send someone else

-4:20 sounds like Moses went immediately to Egypt when the Lord asked him to, immediate obedience is good

-5 the work got harder just before the Israelites were freed - good to remember when the work gets tough, sometimes

it's nearing the end - the work became much harder for Moses as well, and the opposition came early

-6:12 & 30 Moses still won't let go of his insecurities

-7:6 Why did I always think Aaron was the younger brother?

- 7 God hardened Pharoah's heart, interesting to think that he sometimes does that in situations

-Comments from your's" I thought 4:24-26 was weird, too - the NIV has the footnote that it may have been "Moses' son"

and not Moses himself which makes alot more sense to me than if it was Moses

-Great thoughts for today. I'm finally back on track!

Chapter 8: I thought it was interesting how God kept stepping the plagues up a notch each time... the first one didn't

really affect Pharoah, so he didn't care (Exodus 7:23), but the frogs came up in his space, so he couldn't turn his back on

them... sometimes I am guilty of this... I think, well that is sad but it doesn't affect me so I quickly forget and move on... I

need to be more active in, at the very least, praying for others and also take more action to help them in their situations,

instead of focusing on "me" and how it may or may not affect "me".

verse 10... I wonder why Pharoah gave the time of tomorrow, instead of immediately or today?

verse 14 made me think about how we can be so quick to ask for relief from hardships, but then, how quickly we also

forget "our side" of the "deal"... the worship of God, etc...when all becomes good again.

verse 18 and 19... again, I like how God keeps stepping it up, and now, the magicians can't follow suit... first, God shows

His overall power, little by little increasing it until it is obvious only God can do it... then, God goes on to show which side

He is on by keeping His people safe... it is so strategic how He executes this... if He had done it any other way, He would

not have had the Israelites attention, and they would not have been so fully ready to worship Him when it was all said

and done...

Chapter 9: I love verse 2, because it's not just about letting the people go and alleviating their suffering, but it includes

the reason "to worship"... so often I think that it is all about me... the suffering, the blessing, everything... yet, it is "so

that" the very important part can happen: God's plan is always for the purpose of His worship and glory.

verse 5- from here on out, God's timing is always "tomorrow"... I wonder if that is based on the precedence that

Pharoah set up in chapter 8, or if "tomorrow" is somehow just overall significant in the culture?

verse 14-16... I love how God is again stepping it up and showing His strength... He talks about now laying on His full

force (becuase up until then He'd been holding back, yet it was already above and beyond what the others could do),

and also God reminds them how He really could just wipe them out if He wanted to, but He has a purpose in all this and

it is for them to recognize who God is and that all the earth will know God... this is the overarching theme of the Bible...

it is here, was in Genesis, and continues throughout the whole New Testament... I AM your God, you ALL are my people

and I will be known by everyone everywhere for who I AM.

I like how in verse 19, even though God is going to bring some suffering, He still cares and gives them an additional

warning so they do not have to die or suffer unneccessarily... but only some listen... again, how often do I bring

unneccessary suffering and hard times on myself because I do not listen to God's instruction... it is there for my benefit,

but I act like He is punishing me by giving me His words of warning in love sometimes.

verse 29-30... I think it is cool, how even though God knows the true heart of the people, that it is not really for Him

completely, God still delivers them anyway... His love is so amazing, and I know He does this for me too and I am so glad

that He does.... I just hope that at some point I stop making Him have a reason to bail me out again.

Chapter 10: I love how the forgiveness just keeps flowing each time when asked... it reminds me of Jesus saying forgive

70times 7 (verse: Matthew 18:21-22, Luke 17:2-4)... He is not asking us to do anything He has not already done millions

of times over!

verse 21-23 is my favorite plague... ok, I know it is weird to say that, but I think it is awesome that it is so dark you can't

see anything (like in a cave or something), and that the light that the Israelites had was to localized and didn't spread...

that is really cool and amazing (albeit from a nerdy point of view, but still really cool)! :)

Chapter 11: verse 3... reminder that favor in the eyes of people comes from God not by our own works (so, I don't have

reason to ever have a big head, because, guess what... once again, it is not about me!) :)

verse 9... God even has a purpose for the "difficult" people in our lives... it is really cool that ALL things... EVERYTHING

that happens is part of God's plan... it really makes me think about the details and stand in awe of all that God

orchestrates throughout any given day... it also makes me want to look at difficult situations in a different way... I mean,

if God is allowing them to fullfill His purpose, then I should look at the grumpy person or difficult event as a blessing or a

gift or at least something to learn from (which is a blessing/gift, too)... that will take some working on, but I am glad to

be able to see this idea so I can work on it.

Good to have you back Val and welcome "R"... hope all is well with you both, and thanks for your insights! Have a

wonderful night!

God Bless,

sandJ

2 comments:

sandj said...

8-11 Talks about Pharaoh in Egypt. How God says to Moses to relay the message to Pharah to let His people go, so they

may worship Him. Pharaoh would not let the people go to the desert to worship him. After the many plagues, Pharaoh

still sinned against God.

Thinking of my life and how much I sin daily, then ask for forgiveness, while still sinning again the following day. I am

understanding that we are such great sinners. We are not worthy of his grace and mercy. We don't deserve his gift of

salvation.

What does it take in our lives to stop sinning?

How many times are you going to repeat sinning?

Be thankful; God forgives us every time we ask. From now on try not sin no more...

Sandj

V said...

-8 frogs and gnats and flies, oh my! makes me definitely glad I won't be in hell, if this is what happens to people who

reject God here on earth

-8:26 Moses remembered he had to obey completely, and rejected the idea of worshiping God right there.

-9 livestock and boils and hail, oh no!

-10 locusts and darkness

-11:8 Moses was hot with anger before Pharaoh - I don't remember reading that before

-Thanks for the great insight tonight. I go along definitely with the theme of trying to remember and live my life as if the

purpose of it all is to give him the glory he deserves, and it's not about me. So hard to live out on every level, for sure.

Hardest with the people that live in the same house as me. Not because they're difficult people, just because I am. ;)

Chapter 12: Just wondered what month this is... I know it says later in Exodus 13:4 that it is Abib, but what is Abib? Is it

January? Just curious.

I like how God makes His requirements practical... He does require the best, but not the extreme, He just wants the best

of what they already have (not something new they have to get, or become... isn't the opposite what we sometimes

think though? That God wants us only if we become something else or someone else?)... anyway, I also like the

practicality and realistic nature of God... He tells them not to waste anything and to eat what they use... He also takes

into account that their may be small families who need to share with others... God is so understanding and all

encompassing in His care for us... His details are so specific, so that the Israelites don't have to worry about making any

mistakes... That makes me think about what God really wants from me: in my life; as an offering; as a sacrifice; in

obedience; etc.

verse 11: God tells them to basically be ready to go because they are leaving... but I still don't think they really get it... it

reminds me of Jesus and the disciples in the New Testament, where He tells them He is God like a bizillion different

times and ways, and even though they kind of get it briefly sometimes, even right after His death, they are still unsure... I

have to say that my life is characterized by this too... until I see it, alot of times I just don't really get it enough to

understand and believe.

I have wondered how God could easily separate the Egyptians and Israelites all the other times, and even in amazing

ways, but this time, He "couldn't" without the sign of blood on the doorposts? I got thinking though, that it wasn't

because it was "too dark" for God to see or something, so maybe He wanted the Israelites to do this act of service

because God had shown His power, shown His love/protection/allegiance/etc, and now He wants to see theirs through

obedience and trust... Kind of like God did with Abraham and Isaac (see Genesis 22).

The study notes asked why blood was a good choice as a protecion against death, and I was thinking that is was like

blood=life (maybe), like the term "lifeblood" or something?

I have to say that I thought it was kind of harsh that God would say that anyone who ate yeast during the celebration

would be cut off from the community of Israel... like forever I think... but I guess if God could do so much for them, then

the least they could do was to abstain from yeast for one week a month (verse 19)... I am thinking about how much I

whine about the minor things God asks me to give up, like time, tithing, harsh words, etc, and yet I think about ALL He

has done for me and what all He gave up for me... His only Son (John 3:16).

verse 26 made me think about how I need to have a better understanding of the holidays we celebrate as Christians, so

that when our children ask, "Why do we put up a Christmas tree", or "Why are candy canes red and white", or whatever,

I can tell them... it also makes me want to know because if there are things we do at Christmas or Easter that do not

point to Jesus, do I really still want to do them? What would be the point? And does doing them detract from the

message I really want to convey? I think that I need to think those things out a little more and not just follow the lead of

our cultural norms.

verse 38... any ideas on who the "others" that went with them were, or why they went along?

verse 39... sometimes we do not know the why, but God always does... its cool when we see the dots connected... Cool

how God gives them the celebration details/instructions in advance to eat "unleavened" bread (verse 17...) and then,

they see the why when they have to hurry out... I love the meaning behind the celebration details!

verse 41 made me remember that it is all in God's timing... "to that very day"... God's perfect timing.

verse 51... fulfillment of God's fortelling in Exodus 6:26

The study notes also compare the Passover with the Lord's Supper (aka Communion) that we partake in today (see also

"Lord's Supper" in New Testament, like in Matt 26:17 and on).

Chapter 13: Does anyone know that actual meaning of "consecrate"(verse 2) and "redeem" (verse 13) your first born

males... does it mean make a sacrifice for them? put them through a rememberance story telling ritual? or ??? I assume

it does not mean to kill them. I get that this is like a way for the Israelites to once again remember that God brought

them out of Egypt with the plague that took the firstborn of all the Egyptian households, and so to show honor they are

to consecrate their firstborn to God, but I was surprised that with all the other details given for other things, this did not

appear very clear (or maybe it is and I just don't see it)...

verse 9... I think it is interesting that God does not COMMAND us, as His "chosen" people today to celebrate "Easter" or

"Christmas"... I suppose this is just another proof that we no longer live under the law, but instead grace.

verse 17... sometimes God takes/leads us the long way, but is it for the best, and probably actually the easiest over all

for us... God knows us intimately and cares about us enough not to push us "over the edge", but to still help us grow in

Him.

verse 19 (in reference to Gen 50:25)... Cool! What a testimony to the Hebrews memory and reverence... kind of a

commemoration of the fulfillment of God's prophesy and promise.

verse 21-22... I have always loved the "pillar of cloud" and "pillar of fire", and how they NEVER left their place in front of

the people... God is a faithful leader... He always is with us and guiding us if we just choose to see and follow Him

(anytime, day or night)! :)

Chapter 14: verse 2... so, sometimes God does make us go in circles to fulfill His will... that makes me feel better because

I have recently (and at other times in the past) gotten so frustrated when I feel like I am walking in circles, but I also feel

like I am doing what God wants me to do... I just thought that I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere, but couldn't

figure out where or how... a wise friend of mine once asked me why I thought that the answer had to be that I had

stepped off the path or been misled... I've been pondering that ever since... I never fully understood this before, but

thankfully now I do and it is SO comforting and reassuring to me! :)

verse 7... just wondered if the "chariots" refered to are actually "groups" of soldiers or whatever, because it says that

they were "with officers over them all"... so, either only officers drove them; the officers were over all the forces in

general; or the "chariots" were groups that had officers over each group... probably not of any importance, but it just

struck a curiosity button with me. :)

I find it kind of amusing (in a "laughing at myself, too", kind of way), that the Israelites march "boldly" (verse 8) when

they thought they were home free, and then they were immediately fearful again (verse 13) when they relized they still

faced some opposition... my faith can be so wishy-washy too, and although it is my true desire to become more

steadfast, it is a comfort to know that I am not alone in this struggle. The study notes also make a note about how

equipped the Egyptians were compared to the Israelites and how that played a part in their reactions... I know that I do

this-there are many times that I feel so ill-equipped for the work God has called us to, yet I forget it is God that has done

it all and will continue to do it all, both now and in the future, anyway... also, God doesn't want me to be able to handle

it on my own, because then I don't learn to trust Him, and the glory doesn't point to Him.

verse 12... reminder to stop always looking for the "greener grass" and call brown yucky "grass" what it is, not

immortalize it as "lush"... God gives us past "slavery" and a memory of it in our lives for a reason... probably so we don't

fall back into it, among other possibilities... for clarification, by "slavery" I mean whatever had kept an unhealthy hold on

us or taken the place of God, like addictions, love of the world, etc.

verse 14... LOVE this verse!... I have used this verse to remind myself to bite my tongue on more than one occassion

when I just want to "fix" of "justify", but I know that I shouldn't for various reasons... this verse is very helpful in

arguments (should they ever occur, on very rare occassions) with my spouse, to help keep myself in "check" :) .... I also

like it in conjunction with Ephesians 6:12 when we realize that it is the Lord's battle and His victory to win overall

anyway.

verse 19-20, and verse 25, too... I like how the pillar switches to the back... it reminds me that God is both our leader

and our protector... He is everything we need exactly when we need it! Also, I like how God shows His division and love

for His people again, and His limitless power, just like He did in Egypt... Boy, what a box I put God in! Lord forgive me!

verse 21-22... I have always pictured the Israelites walking along and looking at the fish staring back at them... like it was

the first aquarium or something. :)

verse 31... and then the Isrealites feared and trusted the Lord... God must have been thinking, "Finally!!!"... What does it

take for me to finally trust God? Why do I require Him to do so much before I trust Him? Do I fully trust Him yet? Hasn't

He done enough already? And how long is my trust? Forever? Just until the next hardship or easy time?

Ok, so here is a random thought: I really am growing to like the Hebrew writing. They repeat themselves all the time,

just like I do... so next time someone makes fun of me for repeating myself so much I am just going to tell them that I am

"speaking Biblically". :) Seriously, though, I like how they give the ending, then, fill in all the details of the story, give

relief spots here and there, and then repeat the main ideas at the end, and tie it all together by reminding the reader of

the promised ending, which has now come to pass. I think it is a pretty cool way to write... kind of goes along with the

guidelines for good expository/report writing that we learn nowadays.... and helps me remember better. :)

Have a great night!

In His Love,

sandJ

1 comments:

sandj said...

Read it and got side track with work. Forgot to post.

Sandj

Chapter 15: first thing they do is praise God... good to follow this in our lives.

verse 9-10... what great takes might from man only takes a breath from God.

verse 13... God will lead us, so just stay in His lead, do not try to run ahead because a leader can't lead if we don't let

them (see also Psalm 27:14)

verse 14-16... because they have seen what God can do they now look ahead to what they want Him to do... also, they

have faith He can and will fulfill the rest of His promise completely.... the part, "until the people YOU brought", reminds

me that it is God who gives us our victories and leads us out of "slavery" and into the next part of our lives, so if it is God

who leads us there, then He will also be with us throughout it as He is leading us into the next thing... like the saying "If

God brings us to it, He will lead us through it."

Study Notes talk about how we should use our creativity to praise God... a great book that I found for praying and

praising with art (actually I was turned on to it by a friend of ours who did it for us)... the name of the book is "Praying in

Color" and they have one for kids, too, it is by Sybil MacBeth.

verse 22-24... it only took 3 days for the praise to turn to grumbles because they took their eyes off the eternal and put

them on the temporary (see 2 Corinthians 4:8-9,18)

verse 25... didn't remember hearing this story ever before... God proves Himself over and over on the same basic

things... if I think over my life, I have the same hangups that I grumble over each time,too... how do we break away from

repeating these so much? or even ever again?

verse 26 made me smile because God is like "stop whining or I'll give you what the Egytians got", and it made me think

about the times when my kids are whining about stuff for the millionth time and I say the same basic thing, "stop and I

won't punish you", "obey and you'll live" :)... what was Bill Cosby's famous comedy line? "I brought you into this world

and I can take you out of it", "I made you and I can make another just like you"... or something like that. :)

Chapter 16: ok, the "Desert of Sin", wow! what a name!... now in introspection, do I have a place in my life with this

name? Am I camped there, or have I set out away from it? If not, how can I pack up and leave starting right now?

The next part about manna and quail made me think of a few things... first, in verse 3, the Isrealites whine about not

having meat, and not having all the food they wanted... so, God gives them exactly what they were wanting: quail=meat,

and manna=all the food they wanted (verse 12, 16)... God listens intently to our desires and our needs. Also, God has

unlimited patience and love, but why grumble? If He lovingly gives you what you need when you grumble, and even

when you don't even mention it, won't He give you what you need when you respect Him enough to ask Him politely

and humbly in prayer and thankfulness? Just a thought.

verse 8... when we sin it is ultimately always against God... also, we should be careful not to take our stress out on

others who are just doing what God has assigned for them to do (this can be explored on so many levels)

verse 4,20... God supplied enough for that day, yet even though God had proven Himself trustworthy, not everyone

trusted that He would supply their need in the future, too... I know I am guilty of this, and just like when the manna got

maggoty, the things I try to store up as treasure on earth wears out and falls apart and becomes no good for me

anymore, too (see Matthew 6:19-21)... my love and trust can only grow when I obediently act upon what God has

already given me so I can take the next step and see Him provide even more... when I try to supply for myself, I am

cheating myself out of the blessings God wants to give/show me.

Another thought on manna... it is just like us reading God's Word everyday... if we think of the "bread of life" as we do

the bread we eat, then, with that perspective let's answer a couple of questions? Is it necessary? Is it boring? Is it just

the same-old same-old? If we had to eat the same thing every day to stay alive, how would be view it? As a blessing or

as a frustration? How do we view our daily dose of "manna" when we read the Bible? Anyway, I know I need to work on

my perspective of it sometimes, and be thankful that God has allowed me to be "fed" everyday, so I can "stay alive" and

"healthy".

verse 26-27... I thought it was interesting that God instituted the Sabboth prior to the 10 Commandments... and then I

thought about the other 9 commandments and realized that God probably has already set some of these other laws in

place, too... certainly "do not kill", that was back in Genesis toward the beginning (somewhere shortly after Cain killed

Abel, I think)... so, maybe, although this is jumping ahead a little, sorry... maybe the 10 Commandments weren't a set of

new laws or something like I always thought, but just a compiling of existing things that the people needed reminding of,

and it was put all in one place so they could see it and remember it easier... kind of like how I put the verses I need to

work on on my mirror or something... I don't know, just a thought.... like the verse, "Thy Word I will hide in my heart so I

will not sin against You" (Psalm 119:11, and Deuteronomy 11:18)

verse 29... I like how God says that He has given them everything they need so that they can rest on the Sabbath... so

often I feel guilty for taking a rest, yet God is saying that He gives us rest as a blessing... but we have to be willing to

accept the blessing, and not go looking for "work" to do (like in verse 27)... the Study Notes suggest that one point of the

Sabbath for us might be to learn that nothing is lost by observing a day of rest... I think that is something I need to

accept... the world will not end if I choose to rest for a day... and it might just do me and everyone else some good. :)

verse 31... like that manna means "what is it"... I think I have made "manna" for dinner before. haha :)

verse 34... is the "Testimony" the elders? the alter? the???

Chapter 17: see Psalm 95 and Hebrews 3:7-11,15 for other tie-ins/commentary concerning this event. Also, there is

another water/rock episode in Numbers 20... that is apparently the one I had heard of, where Moses does not obey God

completely... in this one here in Exodus, Moses does obey God's instructions and does give glory to God.

verse 2 made me think, "for goodness sake, come up with something new to whine about already!", but I have to admit

that I do the same thing, as I already confessed earlier... I am so thankful for God's immense patience... this really is a

comfort to me, because so often I find myself thinking that I must be annoying God to death and wonder if He is just

about ready to "cut me off", but throughout Moses's story and that of the Exodus, God has been infinately patient and

so although it is not my goal to be whiny and annoying, I am thankful for the confirmation that God does have the

patience to work with me as I am trying to grow in Him.... also, this verse made me think about how we must be careful

not to put our physical needs ahead of spiritual instructions and truths.

verse 4... "What am I to do with these people"...I have asked God this same question in regards to my kids some days,

and I am sure our kids have asked God this in regards to their parents some days, too. :)

verse 7... God does tell us to test and try His Word to prove its truth and validity, but it seems to really upset God when

we keep trying and testing even after we have already been assured of who He is.

verse 8 and 10... who are Joshua and Hur?... the other named characters seem to have lineage given in association with

their names when they are given important parts in the stories, but Joshua and Hur are just thrown in... are they just

some Isrealites? I'm kind of asking because I thought I remembered hearing that Joshua was maybe a Canaanite or

something? Maybe they were part of the "others" that came out of Egypt with the Isrealites (Exodus 12:38)? Any ideas

about the history, theology, or even importance of this?

I love verses 10-13! Great teamwork, and proof that we can't do God's work alone! :)... is this why we lift our hands to

God when we worship Him (verse 16), or did this practice come from somewhere else?

Ok, have a great night, and good reading!

Much Love,

sandJ

1 comments:

18-20 Can you imagine listening to God as he speaks to us from heaven? I know that I am not worthy, but I know that is

does speak to me in a quiet voice in my heart. I would also be scared if I heard the loud trumpets and thunder from the

heavens above.

I didn't know that God spoke to the Moses and the people when he gave his commandments. I was taught that God

gave it to Moses who passed on to the people to next generations. I am learning everyday during my reading. Go figure,

if you read you will learn...

Good Night,

Sandj

3 comments:

sandj said...

Chapter 18: verse 1 called Moses's father-in-law, Jethro, a priest... this made me wonder if He was a priest of God, too,

and if so, why wasn't He part of the Isrealites group... probably a lineage thing, but did people other than the Isrealites

worship God back then, and if so, did they go to Heaven, too? Was everyone not with the Isrealites pagans? Just

curious... at least we know that now we are ALL part of God's holy priesthood (1 Peter 2, Romans 3:21-31).

verse 17-26... "you will only wear yourselves out... you cannot handle it alone"... I am so NOT good at this... I need to

remember that even if God calls us to lead, He doesn't intend for us to do it ALL, and especially not all alone... part of

leading is being able to delegate... to teach others and raise them up to be leaders... you can oversee them while they

oversee the rest, and raise up even more people to be leaders... it is one of the basic elements we have been learning

about in disciple-making... making disciples who go out and make disciples... but it is also a wise way to do any type of

leading... Sometimes we need the advice of others from the "outside" so we can be more effective in doing all God

wants us to, because we may be too "involved" in our lives to see the things that need improved ourselves... by

delegating, Moses was not being lazy, he was instead freeing himself us to focus on the most important things, as well

providing other people with the opportunity to learn and draw closer to God, too... sometimes I think if I don't do it all, I

am failing, so I am going to try to remember Jethro's advice to Moses and see how I can apply it to my life, too.

sandj said...

Chapter 19: verse 1... it surprised me that it was only 3 months... that was a jam-packed 3 months! :)

verse 4: I like the idea of the "eagle's wings"... I once heard someone say that a mother eagle will carry her baby up on

her wings, and then drop the baby from the heights... just before the baby eagle hits the ground, the mother will swoop

down and save it... she will repeat this several times... this gives the baby the confidence and trust in its mother to know

she will be there, so that as it learns to fly, it knows that it's mother will never let it fall too far.... I like that idea when

applied to how our lives are in God.

verse 5... I like the idea of being God's "treasured possession" :)

verse 15 (and others)... the idea of the "third day" was to make themselves ready/consecrate themselves and prepare

themselves for worship... do we take this time before we worship God, or do we just go and "do it"... I know that some

Sunday mornings I am not in a "consecrated" mood when I come before God... and other days of the week are not any

better... I need to make a more concerted effort to "prepare" myself before I go to God, not out of necessity, but out of

honor, love and reverence for who God is.

Just a side note... is this where the Christian band Third Day got there name, and if so, what is the symbolism behind it

for them? Just curious.

verse 19... made me think about whether I really believe that when I speak to God He will always answer me.

The study notes made some scriptural comparisons between the barrier the people had in this chapter with talking to

God, and the barriers Jesus broke down (see Hebrews 10:19 and on, and 1 Peter 2:9)

sandj said...

Chapter 20: the 10 Commandments can also be found in Deuteronomy 5, and Jesus provides some further clarification

of these in Matthew 5, too.

I think that many of these laws can be traced back to stories that illustrate the way not to do, whatever the

commandment is about, also, maybe these are so Moses can delegate easier (see Exodus 19), because if they have

written laws or a list of common laws then all the leaders can judge according to the same standards... as for the story

examples: verse 3-6... God made this obvious that there was no need to have other gods because of what He did in

Egypt (for additional clarification, also see Deuteronomy 4:15-19)

verse 8-11... Like manna lesson in the desert (Exodus 16)

verse 12... goes along with covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob... also, another thought on this one, we are

to be an example of this for our children (see Proverbs 3:1), we are to love and obey God, just as we want our kids to do

this to us, so we can model this for our kids.

verse 13... like Cain and Able

verse 14... like Sodom and Gomorrah (see also Matthew 5:27-28)

verse 15... like Rachel stealing the gods from her dad's house

verse 17... like Joseph's brothers

The Study Notes make a correlation between verse 1-11, that they are towards God, and verses 12-31 are against man,

but we have already learned that all sins we do against man is still against God, though.... the Notes also suggest

restating the 10 commandments as the 10 freedoms, for example, what other gods has the one true God freed you from

to serve Him only (like objects, goals, people, etc)...

and one comment on verse 7... the notes suggest that "misuse" of God's name is not just for the name itself, but also

misuse of God's character... Do we ever misrepresent who God is or what He can do? This would fall under this

commandment too.

verse 18-21... What does it take for us to fear God? Is that a "respect" fear or a "scared" fear? Why? What is the

difference?

verse 24..."alter of earth"... interesting that God does not ask for a great big fancy temple (like other gods have built for

them)... why? well, maybe because the temple can become a god in and of itself... a fancy alter would take the focus off

God and put it on the shiny/prettiness of the alter, not the One who the alter is for...this made me think about how we

build our churches nowadays... should our churches be so fancy? Do we build them that way for God or for ourselves?

And if for ourselves, are they glorifying to God? I'm sure this could be answered in multiple ways, but I think it is

something we should each look at our own hearts about and see what God is saying to us... do we let the "building"

distract us from our focus on God, the real reason we are in the place to worship.

verse 26... real meaning of "nakedness" or insight about this? Why is nakedness wrong here, but not a problem in Eden

(until sin entered... see Genesis 3:10-11)... does "nakedness" symbolize something else?

God Bless,

sandJ

Ok, there is alot that I do not understand within these laws, and even more that made my eyes cross as I was reading

them, so I am just going to generalize some things I see instead of try to explain things that I don't even understand

enough to properly formulate questions about them...

It appears to me like most of chapter 21-23 are an expansion of the 10 Commandments... like God is clarifying the ten

basic ideas by filling in some blanks about the "what ifs" on how they may be applied.

In Chapter 21, verse 23-25, you can also reference other Old Testaments scripture with similar statements (Leviticus

24:20, and Deuteronomy 19:21), and Jesus's teaching in the New Testament in Matthew 5:38-42.

I can really see how important it is for someone to take the whole Bible in context and not just excerp verses, because

there are so many of these laws, that if not clarified by the New Testament, or even if just used for personal desires,

could (and have) really been used for evil (like the Salem Witch Hunts... see Exodus 21:18; or kidnapping people to make

them slaves... see Exodus 21:20, but then, also see Exodus 21:16, 26-27; or "faith healing"... see Exodus 23:25-26; etc)...

humans can really pervert things that God intends for good and has put in place to help us, or bring us closer to Him.

There are also places that seem to be predecessors for what Jesus's teachings clarify in the New Testament, like Exodus

22:21-27, goes right along with Matthew 7:12 ("Golden Rule")... and Exodus 23:2-5 goes along with Matthew 5:23-28

(love your enemy)

Any ideas on Exodus 22:29-31? What is meant by "give Me [God] the firstborn of your sons"?

Exodus 22:28 is one that we should probably remember today, even though it is especially hard, because Romans 13

reaffirms that governing authorities are put in place by God, so even if we don't like God's choice, we still need to trust

God and honor Him by being respectful to the leaders He gives us.

Chapter 23: I liked learning about the 3 Festivals (verses 14-19).

I thought verse 20-23 were cool because I didn't know God actually sent His angels down to guide people, but it appears

as if His angel is not like the cuddly cutesy ones I've seen dipicted in story books, since the angel punishes disobedience

and is "terror" that goes ahead of them (verse 27) to send the Isrealites enemies running... I'm thinking the angels are

more like warriors than beings who sit on fluffy white clouds... plus God put a cherubim (in Genesis 3:24) to guard the

gate to Eden, which I am pretty sure a cherubim is a kind of angel... maybe different angels have different jobs, I don't

know, but anyway, I thought this was interesting... also, the idea of God going before to prepare the way is comforting

(and is seen again in the New Testament in John 14, when Jesus tells His disciples, and us, that He is going to prepare a

place for us... this time, in Heaven.)

I liked verses 29-30, and the idea that we should remember that God sometimes does take a little extra time to do

something (even if He has the power to do it instantly for us), but His reasoning behind delaying is for our benefit,

maybe to prepare us or make us ready to experience the full extent of His blessing.... so, if we don't see God moving

quickly, we need to trust in His sovereignty and know He loves us and is moving slowly for our own good... I'm so glad

God sees the big picture, because I would surely rush ahead and be overcome by wild animals (so to speak).... it also

makes me wonder about how much trouble I bring on myself because I don't wait for God to give me the "all clear". I

think it is awfully compassionate of God to tell the Isrealites about this delay in advance, too, since He knew they were

prone to drift from their faith when things got tough, He wanted to reassure them before they needed it, so they had

that reassurance already in their minds the second they started to worry, wonder, or doubt.

I sort of think that maybe some of all these laws, although kind of weird seeming to us, may go back to the "don't

worship other gods" thing... maybe some of the forbidden practices were things that were done in the pagan rituals, so

if the Isrealites did them, then they might be mistaken as worshipping the pagan gods, or even get themselves confused

and "contextualize" too much to the point of forgetting that they were supposed to be worshipping the one true God....

that makes me think about what I may "skimp" on when I worship God... what do I overlook, or "contextualize" too far,

so that I lose focus on the worship I am supposed to be giving to God... this is a really important thing to be careful of,

because if we give in even a little to just "accept it all", then we can be "taken over" before we know it (see verse 32-33

in Exodus 23)... love your enemies, but do not condone their actions... universalism is not ok.

The Study Notes suggest that yeast=sin, and blood sacrifice=forgiveness, or at least that is what they represent.

Chapter 24: Any clarification on the men seeing God in verses 9-11? Is this God, in the form of Jesus again (see John

1:14-18)?

verse 7... is this Book of the Covenant, the laws that Moses wrote down in verse 4?

verse 12... I always thought that the first time the people were given the laws was when Moses brought the 10

Commandments down from the mountain, but by reading these last few chapters, that's not the way it happened... God

spoke the 10 Commandments first (in Exodus 20), then verbally clarified and added details to all the laws (Exodus 21-

23), Moses wrote them all down and then reread them to the people (Exodus 24:3-4,7), and then God gave them a

"hard copy" of these laws (all of them, not just the 10 commandments) (Exodus 24:12)... at this point, God is not giving

them the laws, He is showing the permanence of His covenant with them... and they have verbally told God they were

going to uphold it on their side... this makes me think back to Exodus 15:26...

Thinking ahead a little, I am feeling really sad for God... I mean, can't you just see Him and Moses going over all the

details to how God is going to come back and live with the people again for the first time since the Garden of Eden...

God has got to be so excited... like when we go to build a new house, only more excited... and then, the people go and

turn their back on Him, even while He is happily planning their lives with Him... anyway, I know that is like going way

ahead (starting with tomorrow's lesson and on), but it just is really sad, and makes me want to cry for God... He must

have been so disappointed, yet He loves mankind so much that He even then gave them a second chance... it makes me

think about spouses who are cheated on and their sadness but then finding the love to reconcile and give a second

chance... I've never really experienced this, but it seems to correlate... anyway, sorry for the book today... Have a

wonderful night!

God Bless,

sandJ

1 comments:

25-27 The Tabernacle, The Altar of Burnt Offering,and The Priestly Garments.

Read it.

3 comments:

sandj said...

Chapter 25: I would really like to see a picture of replica of these things sometime as they just seem cool, but I can't

really get my mind wrapped around the details enough to get a solid mental "picture" of them.

verse 2...God doesn't care so much about the offering itself, as He does the heart behind the gift.

verse 3-7... the offerings are things to be used to build the temple...the study notes suggest that these would not be

impulsive gifts, but instead things that the people would have to go to some lengths to prepare or obtain... interesting

thought, because sometimes I do not do this when I give my offering in church... do I really think about it ahead of

time?... do I make it meaningful and from the heart?... lots to think about here...

verse 5... total side note, but what is a sea cow? the footnotes say it is a dugong, but that doesn't help me any. :)

verse 8...God dwells with people again... first time since Garden of Eden

verse 10... interesting to think about how God is so infinite yet can dwell inside something only 4x2x2 feet approximately

(or even inside our hearts) :)

verse 16... for clarification about what the Testimony is, see Exodus 31:18

verse 17... what is the "atonement cover"?

The study notes make an interesting point about this section where it describes how the ark is to be portable... God will

go with the people... as He dwells with THEM, not in a place... like we think of the "church" now being people, not a

building.

verse 30... for clarification on the Presence, see Leviticus 24:5-9.

verse 31... for more about the lampstands, see Hebrews 8:3-6, Revelation 1-3, and Zechariah 4

verse 39... I know that there are stories in the New Testaments about talents (Matthew 18, and Matthew 25), but I

never realized how big a talent was... the footnotes say it is equal to 75 pounds, in this case of gold (other places I don't

know)... that is alot of gold!

The Study Notes comment about whether the pattern that is set out by Moses (from God) is necessary to adequately

worship God... this made me think that it does definately helps develop good discipline and habits, and withough a good

basis or foundation, there is "no where" for a person to "go" and "nothing" for them to "build on"... but it also made me

think about a worship class we recently took and the completely different churches we visited... some were ornate and

other very minimalist, with many varieties in between... they all had the same focus: to point people to God and glorify

Him in their worship... so, that makes me believe that there is no specific pattern or building that promotes complete

and perfect worship, but it is our heart and its focus on glorifying God that ultimately makes the difference. So, why all

the details and ornateness here? Maybe to give the people something to start with... maybe it was to get their attention

and point it to Him... maybe it had something to do with their culture or the surrounding cultures and practices... maybe

it was because God likes those things, and since they asked Him, or at least listened to His imput, He gave it to them... or

maybe something else entirely... just something to think about...

sandj said...

Chapter 26: I thought it was cool how God requested "skilled craftsmen" (verse 31 and others)... it made me think about

whether God would request me, and if I am sharpening my "skills" for Him, or just floating by with what He has gifted

and given me in life.

The Study Notes ask why did the Isrealites need a tabernacle, and point out that they had been using a tent in the

meantime (see Exodus 33:7-11)

The Study Notes also point out that when Jesus died the curtain (being constructed here) in the temple was torn from

top to bottom (see Mark 15:38, and Hebrews 10:19-22).... this symbolizes that we are now free to enter into the

presence of God ourselves, and no longer need a mediator to go to Him on our behalf... very important for us today and

worthy of additional worship and praise! :)

sandj said...

Chapter 27: I thought it was cool how God showed everything to Moses on the mountain (verse 8 and others)... wouldn't

that be cool to be up on the mountaintop with God and He is giving you like an ultimate power point presentation or art

show or something on all the details.... very cool!

In reference to the oil for the lampstand (verse 20), the study notes ask why is the lamp oil the province of laity and not

the priests?... it made me think that everyone needs to participate in "corporate" worship (or worship in fellowship, like

in a building or group), because worship is to come from our hearts, not just be a ceremony we do... also, at that time,

the priests were working on behalf of the laity (or everybody who wasn't a priest), so the laity can provide the priests

what they need to do what they do, so that way there is a mutually beneficial relationship, where both need each other,

and rely on each other, and work together (as one body, see Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12)... for the ultimate glory of

God.

verse 21... the idea that the lamps were to be kept burning from evening until morning made me think about how that

meant that they must have put them out during daylight hours... No need to waste energy when the sun is sufficient...

that made me think about how we can say this in our Christian lives... by replacing "sun" with "Son" (see Galatians 3:3)...

how often do I waste my energy for no reason, instead of relying on the sufficiency of Jesus?

Ok, that's all I got for today... hope to hear your thoughts on our reading tomorrow!

In His Love,

sandJ

Chapter 28: Study Notes ask how each color used in the garments serve to dignify their role... that is a good question...

we went to visit a Catholic church as part of our worship class and the priest there explained the different colors of the

various robes they wore for different occassions and seasons, but now I don't remember the meaning behind them... is

it the same as the meaning behind these colors?

Ok, I have a couple of "what is it"s: ephod? (verse 6...Is it a robe or something like that?), Urim nd Thummim (verse 30)...

The section on the breastplate with all the ornateness and precious stones made me think, "Wow! How fancy! God

certainly does not spare any expense to show/demonstrate His love"... but that really should not come as any surprise I

suppose, I mean afterall, He did give up His one and only Son, Himself, as payment of our sin... now that is ultimate love

and definately sparing nothing (see John 3:16, and John 15:12-13)... so we should be willing to follow His lead and follow

suit.

verse 29-30... in reference to how the priests make decisions, the Study Notes gave Proverbs 16:33... which made me

think about how we have choice, but it is within God's boundaries... for example: we can choose how we live our lives,

but we will all ultimately die... the only choice we have in this is whether we choose eternal life in Heaven after our

death (by accepting Jesus as our Savior and ultimate ransom), or if we choose eternal separation from God and torture

in Hell (Hebrews 9, 1 Timothy 2:5-6, Mark 10:45, Matthew 20:28, Revelation 20:11-15).

The study notes go on to talk about how God's plan here for the decision making was different than Jethro's idea in

Exodus 18:13-23... My first thought was that Jethro's suggestion was wrong, but then I thought about how God did allow

it for a time, and it made me think about how in Ecclesciates it says that there is a time for everything (Ecclesciates 3),

and so I thought that maybe this means that although we should delegate responsibilities and seek advice and council

from others, maybe there are also times when we need to step up and take the lead, and make the ultimate decision on

our own, based on our closeness with, and the direction given to us, by God... I thought of Paul in Acts 21:10-15, and

how he had to follow God's direction despite the loving protests of his friends... so, our relationship with God needs to

be the basis for our decisions, whether we seek input from others or not... our thoughts and actions should be tied

directly to God's will...nothing more and nothing less.... I think that this is kind of the meaning behind the last part of

verse 30, "... Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Isrealites over his heart before the

Lord."

verse 35... are the bells so God knows that someone is approaching Him and who it is so God can keep Himself from

revealing so much of Himself so as to kill someone?... I thought I had heard once that the bells were so that the people

outside would know that the priest was still alive and had not died... like, if they didn't hear the bells, they would pull

the preist out by a rope because they would assume he was dead, or something like that? Any references you know of to

legitimize (or correct) this thinking?

verse 41 must be where the idea of ordination of minister/pastors/clergy comes from

verse 43... why would they die if they did not wear their undergarments? How would this incur guilt for them? I don't

get this part, because God didn't seem upset about Adam and Eve's nakedness until they became ashamed of it

themselves, and now God's mentioned at least twice that the exposed body, under the robes is shameful or sinful or

something of the sort? Why? What changed?

In regard to all the colors, scents, decorations, sounds, images, materials, etc, the Study Notes reflects on how God

wants to be worshipped with all our senses... I think this is partly because God enjoys His creation very much, and wants

us too also, so we can worship His fullness... He wants to enjoy our full enjoyment of all He made, since He made it for

us, as well as Him... requiring all these senses to be enacted is like giving us a gift each time we worship Him... I honestly

can't say if I have ever worshipped Him with all my senses, and I am certain not all at the same time... although I do

thank Him for the smell of roses, the taste of chocolate chip cookies, the hugs of my kids, the feel of warm blankets on a

chilly night, and the sight of happy smiling faces on my family... so, maybe I do worship Him with all my senses and just

never thought about it before... it does bring me joy, so I am thankful God is so thoughtful and loving to us, even as He

wants us to love Him in return!

Chapter 29: verse 6... there is an old hymn that says, in part, "... bring forth the royal diadem and crown Him Lord of

all."... I now know what a diadem is (see Exodus 29:36-38). :)

In reference of this section "Consecration of the Priests", the study notes comment that "In this detailed service of

installing priests, God seeks to ensure the sacredness and completeness of any and all sacrifices to Him." The notes then

go on to provide links to the New Testament for the ritual of "washing" (see Hebrews 10:22).

verse 20... ok, that is just weird... any ideas as to the "why" behind this one?

There appear to be 4 types of offerings that God desires: sin offering (verse 14), burnt offering (verse 18), wave offering

(verse 26... never had heard of this one before), and fellowship/peace offering (verse 28)... I suppose that I could

somehow find references for these or relate them to daily life today, but my brain is not cooperating, so if anyone has

any insight here, that would be great. :)

verse 30... I hope they get more than one set of clothes.

verse 37... I like the idea that "whatever touches it will be holy"... do we give enough consideration to the holiness of

God?

verse 41 (and also in the "annointing oil" section of Exodus 30)... "pleasing aroma to God"... the Study Notes reference 2

Corinthians 2:14-16... also see Ephesians 5:1-2... the challenge to us is "How in our busy lives can we keep the incense of

prayer burning always, and offer our lives up as pleasing aromas, or fragrant offerings to God?"... maybe a hint to the

answer lies in the word "busy"?... are we filling our lives with things according to God's will?... Have we asked Him?... the

notes further challenge us by asking, "What do you do that consecrates yourself for the Lord's work... daily?...

annually?... once and for all?"... just some things to think about...

verse 45-46... I really like these verses, and they are a major theme throughout the Bible: "I will be their God... I am their

God... They will know it... I will dwell among them."... I'm so glad God doesn't give up on us!

Chapter 30: Other references for incense (verses 1-10) are noted as Psalm 141:2, Revelation 5:8, Revelation 8:3-5.

verse 12... this is the first census... the second one is found in Numbers 26:2... also in this verse I found it interesting that

each person was required to give a ransom for his life to God... and it didn't matter if the person was rich or poor, their

ransom was the same... this made me think about the parable of the talents found in Matthew 25:14-30, where it didn't

matter how much the person was given it was about what they did with what they had... it also made me think how God

really has given to us equally, in that each of us has one life, and when it comes to the end of our lives, we have all had

the same amount of time (one life) to use for God... it doesn't matter how many days were in our life, it matters what

we did with the days (the one life) we were given, and how we lived it (or didn't) for God's glory.... so in that respect,

rich or poor, we are all equal.

In reference to the ceremonial washing (verse 17-21), the law was given to wash so they would not die... the study notes

give Mark 7:1-23 as a New Testament reference as to how this ordinance became abused by those upholding the Law...

in all of these ordinances I think that we need to remember that it is all about worshipping God to the fullest, not about

observing every detail just for the sake of saying we did it.

Another note on the "annointing oil" and "incense" sections... smell is linked to memory... it apparently has a very strong

link, which is why babies attach to their mothers (and caregivers), etc, or why the smell of fresh baked bread reminds

you of your grandma's house, or whatever... I think that is why God was so adement about wanting to "copyright"

certain smells, so that the Isrealites (and their generations) would link the fragrance to the rememberance of

worshipping God, and there by have one more way to remember their Creator, their God... God knows we all have bad

memories (both then and now), and so I think it is gracious of Him to give us so many reminders of who He is, His

awesomeness, and His love.

Chapter 31: The main thing I took away from this chapter was that what God requires us to do, He will equip us for and

give us the skills we need, by His Spirit.... see verse 3 and 6.

Also, in the "Sabbath" section (verse 12-18), we remember the Sabbath as a sign to God that we acknowledge who He is,

and all He has done in our lives... verse 14-15 made me wonder if we treat the "sabbath" seriously enough and with

enough reverence today?... we may not be struck down dead nowadays for going to work on Sunday, but God's law

does still have some effect because if we do not rest and push ourselves nonstop, we will suffer from health issues like

heart attacks, etc, which may lead to death, or at least substantial impairment... it does us good to remember that God's

laws are in place for our wellbeing, in addition to His glory, because when our bodies are healthy for Him, when we take

care of and treat His "temple" well (our bodies that He now calls His home... see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20) then He is

glorified through that... so rest is part of that, and part of who God made us to be and how He made us to function (in

His image, and He rested, too, see Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 2:2-3)... the study notes add these comments: "Having just

set before the people all the work there is to do, and the workers to do it(vv 1-11), why does God remind them abou the

Sabbath (vv 12-17)? If the project was top priority, why not work overtime? What values are held in tension here?"... I

would like to add a thought/question... what does that tell us about the priority of rest over ministry work (things we do

for God's glory)? I am not saying that we should be lazy... but many times we feel guilty about saying no to doing "God's

work", but God is reminding us that even though His work is important, we need to take time to rest, even from that,

because He knows what "no rest" will do to us... and our ability to offer our bodies as living sacrifices for His ultimate

glory... something to think about next time we are tempted to stretch ourselves "too thin", or add "just one more thing".

verse 18... the "Testimony" is finally given to them (as promised in Exodus 24:12... a written version of all the laws,

ordinances, and commandments God told them).

Also, in this verse, I like the phrase "inscribed by the finger of God"... that is just cool, and I want to think about things in

my life that I can say that about... obviously the Bible, for one... but other things, maybe, too?

And final thought... these chapters seem to act as a reminder that we must prepare ourselves for God (like the bride

described in Revelation 19:7, Revelation 21:2, and in the idea behind the parable in Matthew 25:1-13)... we, also, must

not take His Word lightly or for granted.

Have a wonderful night! We look forward to reading your thoughts on these (and the other) chapters!

Much Love,

sandJ

1 comments:

Chapter 32: Remember Exodus 20:3-4...

verse 1... How often do I get impatient and try to imitate God's plan on my own?... It's never as good as God's would be

if I would just wait, though... and it usually takes longer to fulfill God's plan because we have to first "undo" what I

messed up...."come make us gods" (or "a god")-still trying to fill their "God hole"... what "gods" do we try to fill our "God

hole" with?... the only thing that ever fills us up perfectly is the one true God, Himself... the words "this fellow Moses",

as if he's just some random guy to them at this point? How soon we forget and how fickle we can be!

verse 2... So no argument on the part of Aaron?! Where's the loyalty? Just shows, yet again, that even clergy, and those

"called by God" are imperfect... we ALL are (see Romans 3:23)

verse 3... The people obeyed... that kills me!...It does make me think about whether they would have obeyed if Aaron

had admonished them(or corrected them in love)? We have a responsibility when we are in positions of leadership, to

encourage what is right and holy, and renounce what is evil (James 3:1)

verse 4... this was not an act of passion... it obviously took some time to make so it was premeditated... they had time to

rethink this, but didn't... also, God wants His stuff to be made by skilled craftsman (see previous chapters), but the gods

of this world will take any old effort... what does this (or should this) tell us about the quality of what (or who) we

worship?... and what does this tell us about the effort we should put into worshipping God, who deserves and desires

our best (see also Exodus 34:26, among other places)?... I also thought it was crazy that they credited the god that THEY

had JUST crafted with bringing them out of Egypt!... How could that god have done it?! They just made it! did they think

that they had brought themselves out of Egypt? It is easy to be incredulous and judgemental with the Isrealites, but

honestly, how often do we cry out to God for His help, and when He gives it to us, and rescues us, we then forget and

forsake Him, and instead of thanking and worshipping Him, we pat OURSELVES on the back?

verse 5... HOW RUDE! this seems like a slap in God's face to me... the study notes asked, "After fashioning the golden

calf himself, why did Aaron announce a festival to the Lord (Yahweh)? a. He was trying to turn the people back to God (I

don't think so or he wouldn't have blamed them and lied about how it was made-see verse 22-24); b. he felt guilty about

what he had done; c. he thought the calf was the Lord; d. the calf was simpy a decoration for the party; e. I'm not sure

(this is the one I am going with... any ideas???)

verse 7... God disowns the people already because He knows what they are up to ("... because YOUR people...")

verse 10... interesting that God is still willing to uphold the covenant... but only with righteous seed... I did wonder

though, would it have mattered to start over, as men's inclination is evil... wouldn't a few generations after Moses

potentially become corrupt again, too?... how do we ensure that our generations are still faithful to God?

verse 12... Does disaster sometimes come because we do not ask God to relent? Because we do not intercede on the

behalf of others? What responsibility do we have to do this?

verse 16... I wonder what God's handwriting looks like? What did He write with? Lightening? or ???

verse 18... ahh, but they did defeat themselves, even if they did not know it yet... how often do we bring defeat on

ourselves because we refuse to trust and obey God?

verse 19... when the threw the tablets down, I wonder if God was angry or felt justified by this or ???... Do we

sometimes try to execute what God had wanted to do anyway? Why? Because we didn't believe God when He said it? It

hadn't affected us yet, so we didn't see the need? Does God withhold sometimes so we can understand His point of view

better? The Study Notes suggest that maybe the breaking of the tablets (which held the covenant laws) was symbolic of

the breaking of the covenant, maybe making it null and void, or at least breaking the Law.

verse 20... "... made the Isrealites drink it."... ok, I just felt like I wanted to say to them "You go, Moses! Serves them

right!"... like the phrase "made your bed, now lie in it"... so, that makes me be more humble because I have done this to

myself (in various ways) before... and I thank God that He let me because I have grown in character and learned from it...

or at least for a time (because I am very slow, I think!)

verse 21... Moses gave Aaron the benefit of the doubt and assumed Aaron at least put up a fight or something... sad that

Aaron didn't live up the the assumption he was given.

verse 22... Aaron blames the people but "forgets" his own evil... isn't that just like us to want to shift blame off of

ourselves... but, as we read in verse 35, God always knows the truth... why do we even lie? we can't fool God!... but not

the first time (see Genesis 3)

verse 24... not quite! (see verse 4)

verse 25... do our actions make people mock God?

verse 26-29... the Levites rallied with Moses and God... these are the future priests... Is this the reason that God trusted

them with that important position? Or did this event play any part in that choosing?

verse 27-28... sin leads to death (see also Romans 6:23)... Moses fulfills, in part, what God had wanted to do.

verse 29... do these apply here or clarify at all?: Luke 14:26-27, Matthew 10:34-38, Micah 7:4-7

verse 31-23... When I read this it made me think about those who worship idols even today... we need to pray this for

those who do not yet know God, in hopes they will on day renounce their gods and serve only the one true God.

verse 32... why pray this? Was it because Moses didn't want to serve an uncompassionate God?

verse 34... sometimes our punishment it delayed for God's glory, and to be most effective... I wonder if maybe waited to

send the plague (verse 35) until Moses was going up onto the mountain the next time, so they would be too ill to get

"creative" again in his absence? Just a thought, not able to back it up.

Chapter 33: verse 3... Wow! I hope I never am so disobedient that God leaves me! I think I would rather be destroyed by

God then to be gone from His presence (someone once said that that is what Hell is... being totally cut off from the

presence of God)... interesting that God holds us His deal even though He can't stand to be around them!... the study

notes suggest that time away from God may be for our own good... it asks "Why do you think we have those spiritual dry

spells? a. to learn patience; b. to practice listening to God; c. God has run out of things to tell us; d. time to digest what

we already know; e. to appreciate the fruitful time more; f. to test our loyalty to God; g. to anticipate the Big

Moments"... I don't know if I hold to some of these, but others had me thinking...

verse 5... just obey and be quiet, so I have time to cool off and think, and don't kill you... I've said this to my kids before...

I am encouraged in this. :)

verse 7-11... I would rather be with God than among the wicked people, too... the study notes ask "Why would Moses

seek God's face at a time like this?"... in reality, do I seek God's face when the times are "wicked"?

verse 11... so Moses saw God? What about verse 20? Did God "veil" His face to a degree or something?... How awesome

to speak to God like a friend!... that made me think: Do I treat God like a friend? Do I talk to Him like that? Do I think of

Him like that? Do I let Him be my friend? If not, what or how can I change to make this a reality in my life, too? Isn't that

what He wants, I mean, doesn't He call us His friends, too (see John 15:9-17, specifically verse 14-15)?... wonder why

Joshua doesn't leave the tent? Maybe that is how he stayed pure enough (and not badly influenced by the people) to be

allowed to lead the next generation into the promised land (see Numbers 14:30)?

verse 13... this is my prayer, too, and the reason that I am doing this Bible Study... so I can know God.

verse 14... "my Presence"... is this the Holy Spirit?... also, "give you rest"... comforting to remember that we are to find

our rest, strength and peace in God, NOT ourselves... see Matthew 11:28... how comforting to KNOW that God is really

with you. :)

verse 14-17... Request of our family... Don't go without God, for how else will we be distinguishable enough to be lights

for God that others will want to follow Him?

verse 19-20... COOL! :)

verse 21-23... God always protects us. :)

Chapter 34: verse 1... "...which you broke"- this made me smile because I picture God kind of calling Moses out on this...

kind of like "ribbing" him, since God had been so angry, and then Moses made a point of pacifying Him, but then, Moses

was so angry about the same thing He asked God not to be angry about, and Moses could not contain himself... I see

God kind of smiling and poking Moses on this point, like see I told you so, now do you see. :)

verse 11-26 are a repeat and expansion/clarification in some areas of the previous commands God gave (see Exodus 20-

23)

verse 15-16... do not let yourself be ensnared by evil practices, by the ways of the world.

verse 17... I heard once that laws are made because of need... you would think that they would have been able to get

this one without the need for specification, but then I think back to the lady with the McDonalds coffee, and how now

there is wording on the lid "Caution: Hot"...

verse 21... no excuse for not resting! If God requires rest from His work (see Exodus 31), then why would we assume He

would allow us to not rest from our work? Isn't He and His will and goals greater than us and ours? (see previous point in

verse 17, though) :)

verse 28... Moses fasted 40 days and 40 nights, is that why Jeuss did, too (see Matthew 4, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4)?... Jesus

spent this time with God to get Himself ready for the ministry He was about to do, so I am interested to see if Moses has

some big stuff coming up...

verse 29... it doesn't mention that Moses's face was radiant the first time He came down from the mountain... why? Was

it because of the sin of the people he encountered? It makes me think how sin keeps us from fully experiencing God (in

our lives, too).

verse 29-35... see also 2 Corinthians 3:7-18... these verse made me think, how can we not help but be radiant after

speaking with God (or being with God)?... He fills us up and His love and joy overflow out of our souls!... ok, now here is

a side note that I thought of, but I preface it with the fact that it is just my mind rambling and I have no real biblical basis

to back it up, but I thought it was a sweet thought: if being with the Lord makes a person's face "radiant", and children

are a blessing from God, then maybe that is why pregnant women "glow", because they've been "touched by the hand

of God", and "His face has smiled down on them"? :)

Ok, I've rambled on way too much for tonight, so sorry. Hope you have a wonderful evening!

God Bless,

sandJ

1 comments:

Can you believe it, we are almost done with our second book of the Bible!!! Way to go guys!!! :) Two books in less than a

month... I am totally siked and feeling like I've accomplished something... I can't imagine how cool it will be to know I

read the whole thing. :)

Anyway, on to today's commentary...

Chapter 35: verse 3... ok, this is me focusing on worldly stuff, but I did wonder if they couldn't light a fire on the Sabbath,

how did they stay warm that day?

verse 5 (also 21, 22 and 29)... I've said this basically before, but I still like the idea in this verse... how God wants us to

give an offering to Him out of what we have (not go get something or become someone else)... and also, to give an

offering willingly (not out of obligation or force or guilt)... this is as it should be, even now... the study notes ask "What

do you bring God when you worship Him? Which are you more likely to contribute to a project for the Lord? a. your

time? b.manual labor? c.supervisory skills? d. money?"... sometimes people say one of those choices is better than

another, but I wonder if that is really true... looking over this chapter, some people brought things, some people made

stuff with what was brought or with what they had, some people taught others how to make stuff, etc, so it seems to go

back to the idea of "giving what you have"... time isn't necessarily better than money, etc... it is about using what God

has given you (blessed and equipped you with) to the best of your ability for His glory... I think that that is different for

different people because God made us each unique (see also Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Romans 10:13-15... we

all have an important, but different role in doing God's work)

Section on "Bezalel and Oholiab" (Exodus 35:30-36:7)... interesting that these two were not chosen because of their

skills, instead, they were given skills because God chose them... so, it makes me wonder, why them?... but wow! How

cool to be chosen specifically by God to do His work! (1 Peter 2:9-12, Matthew 28:18-20)... do you ever wonder, why did

God choose me? I know I ask that question all the time, why me? surely there was someone else better? but that makes

me think about a training someone went to one time where they were going to learn how to shoot professionally, and

the trainer said it was preferable if the students had never shot a gun before because it is easier to train someone the

right way to do something if they didn't have to untrain them from the wrong way first, so maybe God likes to use

people who don't know what they are doing so He can train them in His way without having to untrain them from the

wrong way... also, when the impossibly person is chosen, it is obvious that their talent, etc, came from God because it

obviously didn't come from them. :)

Chapter 36... verse 1-2... God gives us our gifts and abilities, so isn't it fitting that we serve Him with them?

verse 5-7... interesting that rulers, like Pharoah, etc, had to enslave people and force them to build pyramids, temples,

monuments, shrines, etc to/for them, but God just had to ask and the people gave more than was even needed, out of

love... what power love has!... wouldn't that be an awesome problem nowaday?! That people were too generous and

places had to ask them to stop giving!... you know God is really blessing your work for Him if that is the case, huh?

"The Tabernacle" section (verse 8-38)... made as God instructed in Exodus 26... made by all the skilled men among the

workman

Chapter 37... "the ark" section (verse 1-9)... instructions for construction found in Exodus 25... made by Bezalel only...

cool that God asked him to specifically make His special house!... sometimes God asks us to do special projects for Him...

things that He has equipped only us to do... God made each of us for a special purpose (Psalm 139:16)... what an honor!

question on the making of the cherubs... how did Bezalel know what they looked like? Did God give him a creative

license to just go with his imagination? or did God offer him a real cherub to sit there while Bezalel sculpted him (like

they do with models in art classes and stuff)? or what?... wouldn't it be cool if God was like, hey, here's the cherub

model, and Bezalel got to see a real like little angel (isn't that what a cherub is?)?... anyway, I digress...

"the table" section (verse 10-16)... instructions in Exodus 25

"the lampstand" section (verse 17-24)... instructions in Exodus 25... all the talk of branches and being all one piece and

light (idea from lampstands), makes me think about God being our vine and us being the branches (John 15:1-8), and

how apart from God we cannot "grow" or "produce fruit"... it also makes me think of our lives being lights/lamps we put

on a "stand" so others can see God through us (Matthew 5:14-16, Luke 11:33)... I don't know if that is why God put the

details on the lampstand that He did (or even why He had them make the lampstand to begin with), but it made me

think about it anyway. :)... the study notes had a question about all the things and details being made: "What is the

difference between physical "aids" and religious "idols"? What can you do to ensure that they remain aids and do not

become idols?"... I thought these were good to think about because it can really be a fine line that we walk sometimes

between what we do or have that helps remind us or bring us closer to God, and what we begin to worship instead of

God.

"the alter of incense" section (verse 25-29)... instructions in Exodus 30... verse 29 is about the annointing oil and fragrant

incense which had their instructions in Exodus 30 also.

I thought it was interesting that the Isrealites could make these things to a "t", but they couldn't seem to follow God's

other commands... why are the tangible "do" type things easier to follow than the "heart" things so often?

That's all I've got for tonight... Have a wonderful evening!

In His Love,

sandJ

The last several chapters reports the construction of the tabernacle. It was stated twice and in detail. Clearly it was

important for Israel to have a place to worship the Lord. A place to gather in order to build a relationship with God.

Think about the place where you worship. Does the church and its ministry encourage you to grow and to build

supportive relationship?

Only as you grow in your own relationship with God are you able to model Christ in your family. So look for a place

where God is REAL to the teacher, the Bible is an exciting book, and the teacher is eager to share his or her faith.

The place where we worship is important.

God Bless you with wisdom,

Sandj

4 comments:

sandj said...

I'm having a stressful, frustrating day, so my mind is kind of slanted right now, but as I'm reading all these instructions

and completions, it makes me think, how in my own life it would be nice to receive such detailed instructions about day

to day things... for example, if God told me exactly (step by step) how to discipline my children for each act of

disobedience, or what to teach them and laid it out in a daily lesson plan, or how to spend each part of the weekly

paycheck, or how to understand my husband in entirety, or who to talk to about Christ and when and how

(specifically)... I try so hard to make sure I am doing His will, yet alot of times I get so uncertain about whether I am really

following and obeying, and just feel focused on the ways I am messing us... this is especially true in the details of life. I

know that there is frustration in too little freedom, but I wonder if there is frustration in too much freedom? And if so, is

this freedom God has given me, or freedom I am unrightfully taking?... Or, maybe I am just looking at things or doing

things wrong on some level (or altogether)... being introspective is tiring! I would love for God to come down and

inspect my "work" and tell me where I have it right, or where I need to rework something... and give me the step by step

of the "how"... although maybe if He did, I would miss the freedom of choice He gives us... afterall, it is out of love that

He did not make us robots, so for that, I am thankful.

Anyway, on to today's chapters...

Chapter 38: the instructions for "the alter of burnt offering" (verse 1-7) is in Exodus 27.

The instructions for "basin for washing" (verse 8) is in Exodus 30... also, question- who were these women? what did

they do to serve?

The instructions for "the courtyard" (verse 9-20) is in Exodus 27

"the materials used" (verse 21-31) were asked for in Exodus 25... question- why did Moses record all these amounts?

(verse 21) Just cause it was amazing to see, or what?... Ok, I just can't help myself- in verse 24, that is a "ton" of gold...

haha... the footnotes say that 29 talents and 730 shekels is equal to a little over a ton. :)

verse 26... there were alot of Isrealites, if there were 603,550 men twenty years and older, when you add in women,

children, and slaves(?), that is a bunch of people... it really puts into perspective the enormity of the job God asked

Moses to do... makes my whining about caring for a few kids seem out of place and petty.

verse 27... don't know why for sure, but I thought it was cool that the 100 bases were made from the 100 talents given...

cool that God allowed for the exact provision needed for obedience.... my OCD, "Monk" side probably likes the

even,round numberes, too. :)

sandj said...

Chapter 39: all the peices discussed here (verse 1-31) have their instructions given in Exodus 28

verse 3... cool! Can you imagine making such thin strips of gold by hand?

verse 10-14... I wonder why each specific stone was chosen for each name... what was the meaning behind the stones

chosen in relation to each one?

verse 25... why pomegranites? symbolism or just tasty? :)

verse 43...I kind of expected Moses to say, "and it was good" like God says in the creation story in Genesis 1... not to

compare man's handiwork as being equal with God's, or even close, but that was just how I read it... the study notes

suggest this thought: when (or if) God inspects my work, is (or would) He (be) pleased?... would (or does) He give me a

blessing for a job well done?... the notes also say, "Are you motivated to keep doing your best and receive from God that

ultimate blessing 'Well done good and faithful servant?'" (Matthew 25:21)... I have to admit that I needed to hear that

question, because I felt like just throwing in the towel a couple of times today, so I am glad for the reminder to keep at

it.... "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not

abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is

seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:8-9,18)

sandj said...

Chapter 40: verse 12-16... I got thinking that I do not remember Moses being annointed or consecrated, but maybe I am

forgetting it... anyway, if no one annointed/consecrated him, then, why not?, and why the big deal for the others

now?... and if I am forgetting it, then, when was Moses annointed/consecrated? and how?

verse 33... I thought it was fitting that Moses was the one to finish the work since he was the one God started the whole

thing (at least this part of everything) with (see Exodus 3)... also, I liked how Moses was given all he needed to obey God

and was then in charge of assembling the final product... I guess that is how God works in our lives, too... He gives us all

the things we need, and then we have to put it together... with the help of His Spirit guiding us and the fellowship,

encouragement, and wisdom of other believers... although there are some parts of our journey with God that I think He

wants us to go alone, so we can be fully focused on what He is trying to tell/teach us.

verse 35... why couldn't Moses enter the tabernacle when the cloud was there, since he had been in God's presence

many times before? Was the "before" God's veiled presence somehow, and this is now God's full presence? Is that what

"God's glory" means, then?- "God's complete presence"? or "all of God and who He is"?

verse 36-37... Makes me think about the verse "Wait for the LORD;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the LORD." - Psalm 27:14

How often do I not wait for God's presence or guidance before I decide to move on-no wonder sometimes I feel God's

not around... I left Him behind... or at least left Him out.

verse 38... God really seems to like to be in clouds... maybe rainy/cloudy days are the days when God's glory is really

resting on the world/us-makes rainy days not seem so bad and depressing when I think of it that way. :) I know that it is

just something that people tell little kids, but it does kind of make sense to think that the reason it rains, then, is because

God is crying... if I were God, I would cry when I looked over all the sin and devestation that is in the world (Ecclesiastes

4:1)... thank God for His hope in Jesus, that this life is only temporary and we will one day live in a place full of eternal

joy, with our loving Creator, Savior, Comforter, and Friend (Revelation 21:3-5)... one more thought on this verse...cool

that the presense of God was obvious and "in their sight"... do I keep God "in sight" in my life? is His presence obvious in

my life? if not, why? And how can I change this? Do I need to go back, or simply turnaround to see Him? Do I need to

open my eyes?

The Study Notes make a good final analysis... "Many times people try to put "God in a box", meaning they try to define

what God can and cannot do by the systematic constructs of their finite mind. How do you ensure that you use these

boundaries to UNDERSTAND God and not to LIMIT Him?"

Well, congrats on finishing Exodus!!! Way to go!!! On to Leviticus tomorrow. Have a wonderful night!

God Bless,

sandJ

sandj said...

PS One other thing I thought about Moses putting up the tent... I've done that by myself before, and it is no easy task...

sometimes obedience is not easy, but always worth it... I'm sure the tent was totally awesome when fully assembled!

Ok, now I'm done. Night! :)