When you read through the details of the Old Testament sacrifices, it quickly becomes obvious that sin is a serious problem. The cost for sin to the people of Israel was the sacrifice of an animal without blemish. The process was gruesome, and if you've ever smelled fresh blood that has been spilled, you realize that it was also probably fairly ... [Continue Reading]
A Call for Skilled Workers (Exodus 27-28)
There are a lot of details in this reading about how precise the ephod for the priests needed to be. The only people able to make such a delicate article for use in worship were skilled workers. So for the first time, we learn about the importance of a person using his gifts to help in the worship of the Lord. God wants us to use our gifts, talents, and ... [Continue Reading]
A Recognition of Holiness (Exodus 25-26)
God wanted to dwell with His people, so He instructed Moses to build the Tabernacle. It's amazing to consider the detail with which Moses was to build this. In creating so much detail, I can't help but think that God was communicating how important it was for the Israelites to remember that He is set apart and holy. As I've mentioned ... [Continue Reading]
Why Destroy? (Exodus 23-24)
I have heard a lot of people ask questions about God and why He appears to be so different in the Old Testament than He does in the new. Particularly, God can seem lacking in grace - such as when He tells Moses and the Israelites that they will blot out different peoples from the earth. How can a good God do such a thing? In order to understand the ... [Continue Reading]
Do Unto Others (Exodus 21-22)
When reading some of the Old Testament laws, it's easy to get distracted and think, "and how does this apply to me?" What's important to remember is that the laws God set forth were unprecedented during this time period. Life was cheap, and it wasn't uncommon to take someone else's life. Women were disregarded and ... [Continue Reading]
A Fresh Idea on Leadership (Exodus 18-21)
Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, was a God-send as it came to the administration of Israel. Had he not shared his unsolicited advice, the nation would have been limited by Moses' efforts to listen to every dispute that the Israelites came up with. Jethro observed this unfortunate situation taking place, and suggested that Moses might increase his ... [Continue Reading]
A Daily Lesson on Trust (Exodus 16-17)
God had provided the Israelites with so much: He led them out of slavery in Egypt, He allowed them to plunder the land of its wealth, and He was now taking them to the Promised Land - a place of abundance. However, the Israelites still had some trust issues, and whenever something went wrong, they were quick to point the finger at God. God dealt with this by ... [Continue Reading]
The Highs and Lows of Faith (Exodus 13-15)
It’s really easy for me to be judgmental of the Israelites. After all, they had just seen God do amazing things. He led them by an enormous cloud and by a pillar of fire. The manifestation of God’s presence and His power to them was undeniable. He parted the Red Sea and gave them dry ground to walk on, and He allowed the Red Sea to swallow up ... [Continue Reading]
Relationship Before Rules (Exodus 10-12)
Over the years I've heard a lot of people make the comment that God is all about rules. If nothing else, this passage regarding Israel's exodus from Egypt shows that God establishes a relationship with people before he expects them to obey rules. God didn't give the Ten Commandments to the Israelites and demand obedience before leading them out of ... [Continue Reading]
Decisions and Consequences (Exodus 7-9)
Every decision has a consequence, and the land of Egypt had to learn this lesson the hard way. It’s unfortunate to think that your national leader might not consider the ramifications of the choices he or she is making. Such was the case with Pharaoh. As I read this, the resounding thought in my mind was: how much will it take? Seriously. At what point does a person ... [Continue Reading]
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