Chapter Five

The Week of February 19


The Israelites have, with God¹s intervention, successfully escaped to the other side of the Red Sea. They are free and safe. Now where do they go? The shortest distance to Canaan is about 150 miles NE. They go South!

Direction is needed, both geographically and spiritually. The spiritual comes first. They have maintained their connection as a community; now they need their connection to God Who has saved them.

Read Exodus 18 where Moses' father-in-law Jethro tells that Moses is blocking fair justice by having all the people come to and through him. He needs to delegate for others to administer justice so the people and Moses will not wear out. But what standards will these designated judges use? They need the law from God.

P 59 God makes an if-then promise to Israel: If you obey Me and keep My commandments, you will be My treasured people. After over four centuries, how would that feel to have this re-commitment proposal from God?

P 60 A pyrotechnic display of lightning, thunder and smoke introduced God¹s coming to Mount Sinai. This was truly and awe-inspiring sight.

P 61 The first four of the commandments deal with honoring God, the last six with honoring people. Which of these would you have deleted? What would you have added?

P 62-3 The people gathered and agreed with their part of the covenant: We will do everything the Lord has said. And they consecrated their vow with a sacrifice. More fireworks gave the appearance that God was a consuming fire.

 P 64 After 40 days the people became impatient. Aaron, the brother of Moses succumbed to their lack of trust and helped them make a calf of gold (these are your gods), at the very place they had worshipped the only true God. Why are we so vulnerable that we may go from sincere worship to idolatry? (Don't miss that this was a violation of the first three commandments that had just been given.)

P 64-5 When God indicated He would destroy the Israelites, Moses asked that this not happen because God's name would be defamed in the nations (God had brought them out only to kill them). Do you think God would have really done this or was He testing Moses?

P 66 Aaron led the idolatry and then lied about it (I threw it in the fire and it came out a calf?) How did he avoid punishment? Yet Moses asked forgiveness for their sin and a blotting out of Moses if they were not forgiven. How is his attitude show the marks of a leader?

P 69 God is exclusive with Israel and He expects Israel to be exclusive with Him. What are the positive aspects of Him being a Jealous God?

P 69 Moses had a reflective glory from being in God's presence. In 2 Corinthians 3: 7-18 Paul compares this glory with the Law and our freedom in Christ with the Spirit. How do we have something greater than what Moses experienced?

A nation needs organization. Now Israel had the Law, people to help to determine judgments, sacrifices to make when the Law was broken, and priests and a tabernacle that would be the place of meeting with God. They also had a pillar of fire by day and a cloud by night; God was with them.