Thursday — God Gives You Opportunities
Big Point: Once we realize that the gifts and abilities that we’ve been given by God are to be used solely for His benefit to bless others, the desire of our heart becomes God’s will and not our own.

        Have you ever found yourself saying, “What on earth am I here for?” That very question became the foundation of Rick Warren’s best selling book The Purpose Driven Life. Millions of people desire to know how God has wired them and what they are supposed to do here on earth. The only problem is sometimes we don’t like what we hear after we find out what we are here on earth to do. We think we should be doing more, having a more illustrious career, being more popular, well-known, with more status and recognition. We sometimes find ourselves saying, “Why is it that some folks thrive and become successful while others are challenged and wind up becoming a bagger at Kroger?”
       Let’s set the record straight—for us to think that because of our faith, God gives more to some than others is a little slippery. Financial and physical blessing is not the best indicator of faith. We should all search our heart and become who God has created us to be and do the things He has called us to do. If God has called you to die for the Gospel, great. If God has called you to be a billionaire and to bless others, great. If God has called you to sell it all and move to the hills of Uganda and translate the Bible, great. If God has called you to flip burgers for the rest of your life to impact the lives of teenagers—never making more than the bills you have to pay—then you sure as heck better do it. It is not for you to decide, but to be faithful with what you have been called to do with the gifts you’ve been given. And it should be the desire of your heart to please Him above all else—for His will to be done, not yours!

Read and Think…. Find Answers in the Bible
Romans 12:3 has a way of busting any kind of bubble that we begin to blow up about ourselves. Fundamentally speaking, we are to base our identity in Christ. What guidelines do Romans 12:3-6 give us with regard to our gifts?

Romans 12:3-6 (New Living Translation)
³ Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. ⁴ Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, ⁵ so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. ⁶ In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.

Answer:

What does God say we must do in Psalms 37:3-5 in order for God to give us the desires of our heart?

Psalm 37:3-5 (New Living Translation)
³ Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. ⁴ Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. ⁵ Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this.

Answer:

What does Christ teach us in Luke 22:42 and how does that correlate to our desires and how we are to use them on earth? Whose will shall prevail?

Luke 22:42 (New Living Translation)
“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

Answer:

LIVE…What will you do now?
God gives us all special gifts. Have you taken the time to determine what your gifts are? If so, outline those special gifts here and jot down the top three ways that you use those gifts here at CedarCreek and beyond our walls. If you do not know your spiritual gifts, complete the spiritual gifts survey by going to cedarcreek.tv, click on “get connected,” then “classes and seminars” and you’ll find where to download the survey to the right of the screen.

                                    CedarCreek                  Beyond our Walls

1. Gift: ________        _______________        __________________

2. Gift: ________        _______________        __________________

3. Gift: ________         _______________        __________________

Do you ever find yourself in conflict with the gifts that God has given you, what God expects of you, and what you most desire to do with your life? If so, describe how you are conflicted. We realize that conflicts may occur and it may be hard to understand what God’s will is for your life. Describe the times when you have found yourself saying, “Not my will God, but your will be done.”

NOTE: If you have never had to say that, we guarantee that once you place God’s will as the desire of your heart, you will likely say such a statement.

PRAY…God, What do you want me to know & do?
Thank God for the gifts that He has given you. Ask for His strength to live the life that He has planned for you, seeking His will above all else. Ask Him to teach you how to make His will the desire of your heart so that you can take advantage of every opportunity that He provides for you to bless others.

Exodus 31

Craftsmen: Bezalel and Oholiab

¹ Then the LORD said to Moses, ² “Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. ³ I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. ⁴ He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. ⁵He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft!

⁶ “And I have personally appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special skill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make:

⁷ the Tabernacle;
the Ark of the Covenant;
the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement;
all the furnishings of the Tabernacle;
⁸ the table and its utensils;
the pure gold lampstand with all its accessories;
the incense altar;
⁹ the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils;
the washbasin with its stand;
¹⁰ the beautifully stitched garments—the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests;
¹¹ the anointing oil;
the fragrant incense for the Holy Place.

The craftsmen must make everything as I have commanded you.”

Instructions for the Sabbath

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 31:12-17)¹² The LORD then gave these instructions to Moses: ¹³ “Tell the people of Israel: ‘Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy. ¹⁴ You must keep the Sabbath day, for it is a holy day for you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; anyone who works on that day will be cut off from the community. ¹⁵ You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the LORD. Anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death. ¹⁶ The people of Israel must keep the Sabbath day by observing it from generation to generation. This is a covenant obligation for all time. ¹⁷It is a permanent sign of my covenant with the people of Israel. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and was refreshed.’”

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 31:18)¹⁸ When the LORD finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, written by the finger of God.

Exodus 32

The Gold Calf

¹When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.”

² So Aaron said, “Take the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.”

³ All the people took the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. ⁴ Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. When the people saw it, they exclaimed, “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!”

⁵ Aaron saw how excited the people were, so he built an altar in front of the calf. Then he announced, “Tomorrow will be a festival to the LORD!”

⁶ The people got up early the next morning to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, they celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 32:7-14)⁷ The LORD told Moses, “Quick! Go down the mountain! Your people whom you brought from the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. ⁸ How quickly they have turned away from the way I commanded them to live! They have melted down gold and made a calf, and they have bowed down and sacrificed to it. They are saying, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”

⁹ Then the LORD said, “I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. ¹⁰ Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation.”

¹¹ But Moses tried to pacify the LORD his God. “O LORD!” he said. “Why are you so angry with your own people whom you brought from the land of Egypt with such great power and such a strong hand? ¹² Why let the Egyptians say, ‘Their God rescued them with the evil intention of slaughtering them in the mountains and wiping them from the face of the earth’? Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people! ¹³ Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You bound yourself with an oath to them, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. And I will give them all of this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.’”

¹⁴ So the LORD changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people.

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 32:15-20) ¹⁵ Then Moses turned and went down the mountain. He held in his hands the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. ¹⁶ These tablets were God’s work; the words on them were written by God himself.

¹⁷ When Joshua heard the boisterous noise of the people shouting below them, he exclaimed to Moses, “It sounds like war in the camp!”

¹⁸ But Moses replied, “No, it’s not a shout of victory nor the wailing of defeat. I hear the sound of a celebration.”

¹⁹ When they came near the camp, Moses saw the calf and the dancing, and he burned with anger. He threw the stone tablets to the ground, smashing them at the foot of the mountain. ²⁰ He took the calf they had made and burned it. Then he ground it into powder, threw it into the water, and forced the people to drink it.

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 32:21-29)²¹ Finally, he turned to Aaron and demanded, “What did these people do to you to make you bring such terrible sin upon them?”

²² “Don’t get so upset, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know how evil these people are. ²³ They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.’ ²⁴ So I told them, ‘Whoever has gold jewelry, take it off.’ When they brought it to me, I simply threw it into the fire—and out came this calf!”

²⁵ Moses saw that Aaron had let the people get completely out of control, much to the amusement of their enemies. ²⁶ So he stood at the entrance to the camp and shouted, “All of you who are on the LORD’s side, come here and join me.” And all the Levites gathered around him.

²⁷ Moses told them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Each of you, take your swords and go back and forth from one end of the camp to the other. Kill everyone—even your brothers, friends, and neighbors.” ²⁸ The Levites obeyed Moses’ command, and about 3,000 people died that day.

²⁹ Then Moses told the Levites, “Today you have ordained yourselves for the service of the LORD, for you obeyed him even though it meant killing your own sons and brothers. Today you have earned a blessing.”

Moses Intercedes for Israel

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 32:30-35)³⁰ The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a terrible sin, but I will go back up to the LORD on the mountain. Perhaps I will be able to obtain forgivenessfor your sin.”

 ³¹ So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a terrible sin these people have committed. They have made gods of gold for themselves. ³² But now, if you will only forgive their sin—but if not, erase my name from the record you have written!”

³³ But the LORD replied to Moses, “No, I will erase the name of everyone who has sinned against me. ³⁴ Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about. Look! My angel will lead the way before you. And when I come to call the people to account, I will certainly hold them responsible for their sins.”

³⁵ Then the LORD sent a great plague upon the people because they had worshiped the calf Aaron had made.

Exodus 33

¹ The LORD said to Moses, “Get going, you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt. Go up to the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I told them, ‘I will give this land to your descendants.’ ² And I will send an angel before you to drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. ³ Go up to this land that flows with milk and honey. But I will not travel among you, for you are a stubborn and rebellious people. If I did, I would surely destroy you along the way.”

⁴ When the people heard these stern words, they went into mourning and stopped wearing their jewelry and fine clothes. ⁵ For the LORD had told Moses to tell them, “You are a stubborn and rebellious people. If I were to travel with you for even a moment, I would destroy you. Remove your jewelry and fine clothes while I decide what to do with you.” ⁶ So from the time they left Mount Sinai, the Israelites wore no more jewelry or fine clothes.

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 33:7-11)⁷ It was Moses’ practice to take the Tent of Meeting and set it up some distance from the camp. Everyone who wanted to make a request of the LORD would go to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp.

⁸ Whenever Moses went out to the Tent of Meeting, all the people would get up and stand in the entrances of their own tents. They would all watch Moses until he disappeared inside. ⁹ As he went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and hover at its entrance while the LORD spoke with Moses. ¹⁰ When the people saw the cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, they would stand and bow down in front of their own tents. ¹¹ Inside the Tent of Meeting, the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Afterward Moses would return to the camp, but the young man who assisted him, Joshua son of Nun, would remain behind in the Tent of Meeting.

Moses Sees the LORD’s Glory

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 33:12-23)¹² One day Moses said to the LORD, “You have been telling me, ‘Take these people up to the Promised Land.’ But you haven’t told me whom you will send with me. You have told me, ‘I know you by name, and I look favorably on you.’ ¹³If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people.”

¹⁴ The LORD replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”

¹⁵ Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place. ¹⁶ How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth.”

¹⁷ The LORD replied to Moses, “I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name.”

¹⁸ Moses responded, “Then show me your glorious presence.”

¹⁹ The LORD replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. ²⁰ But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.” ²¹ The LORD continued, “Look, stand near me on this rock. ²² As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. ²³ Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen.”

Exodus 34

A New Copy of the Covenant

¹ Then the LORD told Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones. I will write on them the same words that were on the tablets you smashed. ² Be ready in the morning to climb up Mount Sinai and present yourself to me on the top of the mountain. ³No one else may come with you. In fact, no one is to appear anywhere on the mountain. Do not even let the flocks or herds graze near the mountain.”

⁴ So Moses chiseled out two tablets of stone like the first ones. Early in the morning he climbed Mount Sinai as the LORD had commanded him, and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands.

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 34:5-9)⁵ Then the LORD came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh. ⁶ The LORD passed in front of Moses, calling out,

“Yahweh!The LORD!
The God of compassion and mercy!
I am slow to anger
and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
⁷ I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations.
I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin.
But I do not excuse the guilty.
I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren;
the entire family is affected—
even children in the third and fourth generations.”

⁸ Moses immediately threw himself to the ground and worshiped. ⁹ And he said, “O Lord, if it is true that I have found favor with you, then please travel with us. Yes, this is a stubborn and rebellious people, but please forgive our iniquity and our sins. Claim us as your own special possession.”

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 34:10-17)¹⁰ The LORD replied, “Listen, I am making a covenant with you in the presence of all your people. I will perform miracles that have never been performed anywhere in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people around you will see the power of the LORD—the awesome power I will display for you. ¹¹ But listen carefully to everything I command you today. Then I will go ahead of you and drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

¹² “Be very careful never to make a treaty with the people who live in the land where you are going. If you do, you will follow their evil ways and be trapped. ¹³ Instead, you must break down their pagan altars, smash their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles. ¹⁴ You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.

¹⁵ “You must not make a treaty of any kind with the people living in the land. They lust after their gods, offering sacrifices to them. They will invite you to join them in their sacrificial meals, and you will go with them. ¹⁶ Then you will accept their daughters, who sacrifice to other gods, as wives for your sons. And they will seduce your sons to commit adultery against me by worshiping other gods. ¹⁷ You must not make any gods of molten metal for yourselves.

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 34:18-27)¹⁸ “You must celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast, just as I commanded you. Celebrate this festival annually at the appointed time in early spring, in the month of Abib, for that is the anniversary of your departure from Egypt.

¹⁹ “The firstborn of every animal belongs to me, including the firstborn males from your herds of cattle and your flocks of sheep and goats. ²⁰ A firstborn donkey may be bought back from the LORD by presenting a lamb or young goat in its place. But if you do not buy it back, you must break its neck. However, you must buy back every firstborn son.

“No one may appear before me without an offering.

²¹ “You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working, even during the seasons of plowing and harvest.

²² “You must celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the first crop of the wheat harvest, and celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the harvest season. ²³ Three times each year every man in Israel must appear before the Sovereign, the LORD, the God of Israel. ²⁴ I will drive out the other nations ahead of you and expand your territory, so no one will covet and conquer your land while you appear before the LORD your God three times each year.

²⁵ “You must not offer the blood of my sacrificial offerings together with any baked goods containing yeast. And none of the meat of the Passover sacrifice may be kept over until the next morning.

²⁶ “As you harvest your crops, bring the very best of the first harvest to the house of the LORD your God.

“You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”

²⁷ Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write down all these instructions, for they represent the terms of the covenant I am making with you and with Israel.”

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 34:28-35)²⁸ Moses remained there on the mountain with the LORD forty days and forty nights. In all that time he ate no bread and drank no water. And the LORD wrote the terms of the covenant—the Ten Commandments—on the stone tablets.

²⁹ When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the LORD. ³⁰ So when Aaron and the people of Israel saw the radiance of Moses’ face, they were afraid to come near him.

³¹ But Moses called out to them and asked Aaron and all the leaders of the community to come over, and he talked with them. ³² Then all the people of Israel approached him, and Moses gave them all the instructions the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai. ³³ When Moses finished speaking with them, he covered his face with a veil. ³⁴ But whenever he went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with the LORD, he would remove the veil until he came out again. Then he would give the people whatever instructions the LORD had given him, ³⁵ and the people of Israel would see the radiant glow of his face. So he would put the veil over his face until he returned to speak with the LORD.

Exodus 35

Instructions for the Sabbath

¹ Then Moses called together the whole community of Israel and told them, “These are the instructions the LORD has commanded you to follow. ² You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the LORD. Anyone who works on that day must be put to death. ³You must not even light a fire in any of your homes on the Sabbath.”

Offerings for the Tabernacle

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 35:4-19)⁴ Then Moses said to the whole community of Israel, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ⁵Take a sacred offering for the LORD. Let those with generous hearts present the following gifts to the LORD:

gold, silver, and bronze;
⁶ blue, purple, and scarlet thread;
fine linen and goat hair for cloth;
⁷ tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather;
acacia wood;
⁸ olive oil for the lamps;
spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense;
⁹ onyx stones, and other gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest’s chestpiece.

¹⁰ “Come, all of you who are gifted craftsmen. Construct everything that the LORD has commanded:

¹¹ the Tabernacle and its sacred tent, its covering, clasps, frames, crossbars, posts, and bases;
¹² the Ark and its carrying poles;
the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement;
the inner curtain to shield the Ark;
¹³ the table, its carrying poles, and all its utensils;
the Bread of the Presence;
¹⁴ for light, the lampstand, its accessories, the lamp cups, and the olive oil for lighting;
¹⁵ the incense altar and its carrying poles;
the anointing oil and fragrant incense;
the curtain for the entrance of the Tabernacle;
¹⁶ the altar of burnt offering;
the bronze grating of the altar and its carrying poles and utensils;
the washbasin with its stand;
¹⁷ the curtains for the walls of the courtyard;
the posts and their bases;
the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard;
¹⁸ the tent pegs of the Tabernacle and courtyard and their ropes;
¹⁹ the beautifully stitched garments for the priests to wear while ministering in the Holy Place—the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests.”

²⁰ So the whole community of Israel left Moses and returned to their tents. ²¹ All whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were moved came and brought their sacred offerings to the LORD. They brought all the materials needed for the Tabernacle, for the performance of its rituals, and for the sacred garments. ²² Both men and women came, all whose hearts were willing. They brought to the LORD their offerings of gold—brooches, earrings, rings from their fingers, and necklaces. They presented gold objects of every kind as a special offering to the LORD. ²³ All those who owned the following items willingly brought them: blue, purple, and scarlet thread; fine linen and goat hair for cloth; and tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather. ²⁴ And all who had silver and bronze objects gave them as a sacred offering to the LORD. And those who had acacia wood brought it for use in the project.

²⁵ All the women who were skilled in sewing and spinning prepared blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen cloth. ²⁶ All the women who were willing used their skills to spin the goat hair into yarn. ²⁷The leaders brought onyx stones and the special gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest’s chestpiece. (Click here to view commentary on Exodus 34:28-35)²⁸ They also brought spices and olive oil for the light, the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense. ²⁹ So the people of Israel—every man and woman who was eager to help in the work the LORD had given them through Moses—brought their gifts and gave them freely to the LORD.

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 35:30-35)³⁰ Then Moses told the people of Israel, “The LORD has specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. ³¹ The LORD has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. ³² He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. ³³ He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft. ³⁴ And the LORD has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their skills to others. ³⁵ The LORD has given them special skills as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet thread on fine linen cloth, and weavers. They excel as craftsmen and as designers.

Scripture text is for personal use only; copying, printing, or selling is prohibited. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

WEDNESDAY — God Gives Blessings in Disguise
Big Point: If you call yourself a Christ-follower, always seek to find the blessing in disguise when tragedy strikes.

        There is nothing that brings more joy to people than the birth of a child. There is so much anticipation for that very special day—after all, you’ve got some time to think about things, all of nine months. No one knows that better than the mother. For most expectant parents, when the bundle of joy is due to arrive, there are so many emotions and it’s as if you can almost hear a song playing in the background that hits a peaceful note once the baby is delivered safely to the parents’ arms.
        Denise West knows that feeling all too well. You probably heard Denise’s testimony during Kyle’s weekend message about the delivery of her beautiful daughter Sophia. The song that played in Denise’s story had a dramatic twist when Sophia was diagnosed with a terminal disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA Type 1). Knowing that Sophia would not be around as a toddler, or to start school literally crushed Denise. Like any parent, Denise wanted to watch her daughter grow to a young lady and experience life to the fullest. But after much prayer and seeking God above all else, Denise has found so many blessings in life after bringing Sophia into this world. It’s likely the song that played in Denise’s story was Laura Story’s song, “Blessings”. Denise likely shed many tears and had quite a few sleepless nights. But through those times, she realized that God is faithful and He was near, that He never left her. Ultimately, Denise realized that Sophia became one of the many blessings in disguise.
        All too often, our most immediate reaction and thought process surrounding tragedy and devastation is that we are not blessed. What we don’t realize is God uses that same tragedy and devastation to ultimately bless us and that He remains faithful to us. Our job is to see the blessing(s) in disguise.

READ and THINK…Find Answers in the Bible
In order to recognize the blessings in disguise, we must first understand God’s faithfulness. What does Romans 3:3-5 tell us about how faithful God is.

Romans 3:3-5 (New Living Translation)
³ True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? ⁴ Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him, “You will be proved right in what you say, and you will win your case in court.” ⁵ “But,” some might say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?” (This is merely a human point of view.)

Answer:

God certainly challenges us to find blessings when trouble comes our way. What does James 1:2-4 challenge us to do (which is another way to find blessings in disguise)?

James 1:2-4 (New Living Translation)
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. ³For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.⁴So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

Answer:

LIVE…What will you do now?
Let’s say that two Christ followers were involved in a tragedy. One survived and the other was killed. Have you ever found yourself saying (or thinking) that the person who survived “was blessed?” Did you ever think when you said that, maybe, the other person wasn’t so blessed? After reading the above scriptures, would you say anything different as it relates to who was or was not blessed in this tragedy?

If you had to write a two paragraph essay about what a blessed life looks like, how would you write it? What illustration would you use? Take a moment to write out what a blessed life looks like. We’d love to read your story. Send it to us and we just may feature it in a future Living It Out Bible study subscription. Email dianap@cedarcreek.tv

Have you ever questioned God’s faithfulness? Describe a time when you felt that God was not for you and how you reacted in that situation.

Let’s make this personal. What if your blessing comes through rain drops, what if your healing comes through tears, what if a thousand sleepless nights is what it takes to know God is near, what will you do and how will you respond?

Take a moment to write out some of your “blessings in disguise”. After writing out your blessings take some time to share these blessings with your family. Maybe organize a “blessings in disguise” dinner this Sunday.

PRAY…God, What do you want me to know & do?
Ask God to help you count it all joy when trouble comes and to live your life recognizing the many blessings in disguise—even in the most tragic circumstances.

Exodus 25

Offerings for the Tabernacle

 ¹ The LORD said to Moses, ² “Tell the people of Israel to bring me their sacred offerings. Accept the contributions from all whose hearts are moved to offer them. ³Here is a list of sacred offerings you may accept from them:

   gold, silver, and bronze;
⁴ blue, purple, and scarlet thread;
fine linen and goat hair for cloth;
⁵ tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather;
acacia wood;
⁶ olive oil for the lamps;
spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense;
⁷ onyx stones, and other gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest’s chestpiece.

⁸ “Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them. ⁹ You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you.

Plans for the Ark of the Covenant

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 25:10-22) ¹⁰ “Have the people make an Ark of acacia wood—a sacred chest 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high. ¹¹ Overlay it inside and outside with pure gold, and run a molding of gold all around it. ¹² Cast four gold rings and attach them to its four feet, two rings on each side. ¹³ Make poles from acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. ¹⁴ Insert the poles into the rings at the sides of the Ark to carry it. ¹⁵ These carrying poles must stay inside the rings; never remove them. ¹⁶ When the Ark is finished, place inside it the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant,which I will give to you.

 ¹⁷ “Then make the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—from pure gold. It must be 45 inches long and 27 inches wide. ¹⁸ Then make two cherubim from hammered gold, and place them on the two ends of the atonement cover. ¹⁹ Mold the cherubim on each end of the atonement cover, making it all of one piece of gold. ²⁰ The cherubim will face each other and look down on the atonement cover. With their wings spread above it, they will protect it. ²¹ Place inside the Ark the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, which I will give to you. Then put the atonement cover on top of the Ark. ²² I will meet with you there and talk to you from above the atonement cover between the gold cherubim that hover over the Ark of the Covenant. From there I will give you my commands for the people of Israel.

Plans for the Table

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 25:23-30)²³ “Then make a table of acacia wood, 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high. ²⁴ Overlay it with pure gold and run a gold molding around the edge. ²⁵ Decorate it with a 3-inch border all around, and run a gold molding along the border. ²⁶ Make four gold rings for the table and attach them at the four corners next to the four legs. ²⁷ Attach the rings near the border to hold the poles that are used to carry the table. ²⁸ Make these poles from acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. ²⁹ Make special containers of pure gold for the table—bowls, pans, pitchers, and jars—to be used in pouring out liquid offerings. ³⁰Place the Bread of the Presence on the table to remain before me at all times.

Plans for the Lampstand

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 25:31-40)³¹ “Make a lampstand of pure, hammered gold. Make the entire lampstand and its decorations of one piece—the base, center stem, lamp cups, buds, and petals. ³² Make it with six branches going out from the center stem, three on each side. ³³ Each of the six branches will have three lamp cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals. ³⁴ Craft the center stem of the lampstand with four lamp cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals. ³⁵ There will also be an almond bud beneath each pair of branches where the six branches extend from the center stem. ³⁶ The almond buds and branches must all be of one piece with the center stem, and they must be hammered from pure gold. ³⁷ Then make the seven lamps for the lampstand, and set them so they reflect their light forward. ³⁸ The lamp snuffers and trays must also be made of pure gold. ³⁹ You will need seventy-five poundsof pure gold for the lampstand and its accessories.

 ⁴⁰ “Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.

Exodus 26

Plans for the Tabernacle

 ¹ “Make the Tabernacle from ten curtains of finely woven linen. Decorate the curtains with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim. ² These ten curtains must all be exactly the same size—42 feet long and 6 feet wide. ³ Join five of these curtains together to make one long curtain, then join the other five into a second long curtain. ⁴ Put loops of blue yarn along the edge of the last curtain in each set. ⁵ The fifty loops along the edge of one curtain are to match the fifty loops along the edge of the other curtain. ⁶Then make fifty gold clasps and fasten the long curtains together with the clasps. In this way, the Tabernacle will be made of one continuous piece.

 (Click here to view commentary on Exodus 26:7-14)⁷ “Make eleven curtains of goat-hair cloth to serve as a tent covering for the Tabernacle. ⁸ These eleven curtains must all be exactly the same size—45 feet long and 6 feet wide. ⁹ Join five of these curtains together to make one long curtain, and join the other six into a second long curtain. Allow 3 feet of material from the second set of curtains to hang over the front of the sacred tent. ¹⁰ Make fifty loops for one edge of each large curtain. ¹¹ Then make fifty bronze clasps, and fasten the loops of the long curtains with the clasps. In this way, the tent covering will be made of one continuous piece. ¹² The remaining 3 feetof this tent covering will be left to hang over the back of the Tabernacle. ¹³ Allow 18 inches of remaining material to hang down over each side, so the Tabernacle is completely covered. ¹⁴ Complete the tent covering with a protective layer of tanned ram skins and a layer of fine goatskin leather.

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 26:15-30)¹⁵ “For the framework of the Tabernacle, construct frames of acacia wood. ¹⁶ Each frame must be 15 feet high and 27 inches wide, ¹⁷ with two pegs under each frame. Make all the frames identical. ¹⁸ Make twenty of these frames to support the curtains on the south side of the Tabernacle. ¹⁹ Also make forty silver bases—two bases under each frame, with the pegs fitting securely into the bases. ²⁰ For the north side of the Tabernacle, make another twenty frames, ²¹ with their forty silver bases, two bases under each frame. ²²Make six frames for the rear—the west side of the Tabernacle—²³ along with two additional frames to reinforce the rear corners of the Tabernacle. ²⁴ These corner frames will be matched at the bottom and firmly attached at the top with a single ring, forming a single corner unit. Make both of these corner units the same way. ²⁵ So there will be eight frames at the rear of the Tabernacle, set in sixteen silver bases—two bases under each frame.

²⁶ “Make crossbars of acacia wood to link the frames, five crossbars for the north side of the Tabernacle ²⁷ and five for the south side. Also make five crossbars for the rear of the Tabernacle, which will face west. ²⁸ The middle crossbar, attached halfway up the frames, will run all the way from one end of the Tabernacle to the other. ²⁹ Overlay the frames with gold, and make gold rings to hold the crossbars. Overlay the crossbars with gold as well.

³⁰ “Set up this Tabernacle according to the pattern you were shown on the mountain.

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 26:31-37)³¹ “For the inside of the Tabernacle, make a special curtain of finely woven linen. Decorate it with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim. ³² Hang this curtain on gold hooks attached to four posts of acacia wood. Overlay the posts with gold, and set them in four silver bases. ³³ Hang the inner curtain from clasps, and put the Ark of the Covenant in the room behind it. This curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

 ³⁴ “Then put the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—on top of the Ark of the Covenant inside the Most Holy Place. ³⁵ Place the table outside the inner curtain on the north side of the Tabernacle, and place the lampstand across the room on the south side.

³⁶ “Make another curtain for the entrance to the sacred tent. Make it of finely woven linen and embroider it with exquisite designs, using blue, purple, and scarlet thread. ³⁷ Craft five posts from acacia wood. Overlay them with gold, and hang the curtain from them with gold hooks. Cast five bronze bases for the posts.

Exodus 27

Plans for the Altar of Burnt Offering

 ¹ “Using acacia wood, construct a square altar 71⁄2 feet wide, 71⁄2 feet long, and 41⁄2 feet high. ² Make horns for each of its four corners so that the horns and altar are all one piece. Overlay the altar with bronze. ³ Make ash buckets, shovels, basins, meat forks, and firepans, all of bronze. ⁴ Make a bronze grating for it, and attach four bronze rings at its four corners. ⁵ Install the grating halfway down the side of the altar, under the ledge. ⁶ For carrying the altar, make poles from acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. ⁷ Insert the poles through the rings on the two sides of the altar. ⁸The altar must be hollow, made from planks. Build it just as you were shown on the mountain.

Plans for the Courtyard

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 27:9-19) ⁹“Then make the courtyard for the Tabernacle, enclosed with curtains made of finely woven linen. On the south side, make the curtains 150 feet long.¹⁰ They will be held up by twenty posts set securely in twenty bronze bases. Hang the curtains with silver hooks and rings. ¹¹ Make the curtains the same on the north side—150 feet of curtains held up by twenty posts set securely in bronze bases. Hang the curtains with silver hooks and rings. ¹² The curtains on the west end of the courtyard will be 75 feet long, supported by ten posts set into ten bases. ¹³ The east end of the courtyard, the front, will also be 75 feet long. ¹⁴ The courtyard entrance will be on the east end, flanked by two curtains. The curtain on the right side will be 221⁄2 feet long,  supported by three posts set into three bases. ¹⁵The curtain on the left side will also be 221⁄2 feet long, supported by three posts set into three bases.

 ¹⁶ “For the entrance to the courtyard, make a curtain that is 30 feet long. Make it from finely woven linen, and decorate it with beautiful embroidery in blue, purple, and scarlet thread. Support it with four posts, each securely set in its own base. ¹⁷ All the posts around the courtyard must have silver rings and hooks and bronze bases. ¹⁸ So the entire courtyard will be 150 feet long and 75 feet wide, with curtain walls 71⁄2 feet high, made from finely woven linen. The bases for the posts will be made of bronze.

¹⁹ “All the articles used in the rituals of the Tabernacle, including all the tent pegs used to support the Tabernacle and the courtyard curtains, must be made of bronze.

Light for the Tabernacle

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 27:20)²⁰ “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually. ²¹ The lampstand will stand in the Tabernacle, in front of the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant.Aaron and his sons must keep the lamps burning in the LORD’s presence all night. This is a permanent law for the people of Israel, and it must be observed from generation to generation.

Exodus 28

Clothing for the Priests

 ¹ “Call for your brother, Aaron, and his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Set them apart from the rest of the people of Israel so they may minister to me and be my priests. ² Make sacred garments for Aaron that are glorious and beautiful. ³ Instruct all the skilled craftsmen whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom. Have them make garments for Aaron that will distinguish him as a priest set apart for my service. ⁴ These are the garments they are to make: a chestpiece, an ephod, a robe, a patterned tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother, Aaron, and his sons to wear when they serve me as priests. ⁵So give them fine linen cloth, gold thread, and blue, purple, and scarlet thread.

Design of the Ephod

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 28:6-14)⁶ “The craftsmen must make the ephod of finely woven linen and skillfully embroider it with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. ⁷ It will consist of two pieces, front and back, joined at the shoulders with two shoulder-pieces. ⁸The decorative sash will be made of the same materials: finely woven linen embroidered with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread.

 ⁹ “Take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the tribes of Israel. ¹⁰ Six names will be on each stone, arranged in the order of the births of the original sons of Israel. ¹¹ Engrave these names on the two stones in the same way a jeweler engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in settings of gold filigree. ¹² Fasten the two stones on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod as a reminder that Aaron represents the people of Israel. Aaron will carry these names on his shoulders as a constant reminder whenever he goes before the LORD. ¹³ Make the settings of gold filigree, ¹⁴ then braid two cords of pure gold and attach them to the filigree settings on the shoulders of the ephod.

Design of the Chestpiece

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 28:15-30)¹⁵ “Then, with great skill and care, make a chestpiece to be worn for seeking a decision from God. Make it to match the ephod, using finely woven linen embroidered with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. ¹⁶ Make the chestpiece of a single piece of cloth folded to form a pouch nine inches square. ¹⁷ Mount four rows of gemstones on it. The first row will contain a red carnelian, a pale-green peridot, and an emerald. ¹⁸ The second row will contain a turquoise, a blue lapis lazuli, and a white moonstone. ¹⁹ The third row will contain an orange jacinth, an agate, and a purple amethyst. ²⁰ The fourth row will contain a blue-green beryl, an onyx, and a green jasper. All these stones will be set in gold filigree. ²¹Each stone will represent one of the twelve sons of Israel, and the name of that tribe will be engraved on it like a seal.

²² “To attach the chestpiece to the ephod, make braided cords of pure gold thread. ²³ Then make two gold rings and attach them to the top corners of the chestpiece. ²⁴ Tie the two gold cords to the two rings on the chestpiece. ²⁵ Tie the other ends of the cords to the gold settings on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod. ²⁶ Then make two more gold rings and attach them to the inside edges of the chestpiece next to the ephod. ²⁷ And make two more gold rings and attach them to the front of the ephod, below the shoulder-pieces, just above the knot where the decorative sash is fastened to the ephod. ²⁸ Then attach the bottom rings of the chestpiece to the rings on the ephod with blue cords. This will hold the chestpiece securely to the ephod above the decorative sash.

²⁹ “In this way, Aaron will carry the names of the tribes of Israel on the sacred chestpiece over his heart when he goes into the Holy Place. This will be a continual reminder that he represents the people when he comes before the LORD. ³⁰ Insert the Urim and Thummim into the sacred chestpiece so they will be carried over Aaron’s heart when he goes into the LORD’s presence. In this way, Aaron will always carry over his heart the objects used to determine the LORD’s will for his people whenever he goes in before the LORD.

Additional Clothing for the Priests

 (Click here to view commentary on Exodus 28:31-39)³¹ “Make the robe that is worn with the ephod from a single piece of blue cloth, ³² with an opening for Aaron’s head in the middle of it. Reinforce the opening with a woven collar so it will not tear. ³³ Make pomegranates out of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and attach them to the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them. ³⁴ The gold bells and pomegranates are to alternate all around the hem. ³⁵Aaron will wear this robe whenever he ministers before the LORD, and the bells will tinkle as he goes in and out of the LORD’s presence in the Holy Place. If he wears it, he will not die.

 ³⁶ “Next make a medallion of pure gold, and engrave it like a seal with these words: HOLY TO THE LORD. ³⁷ Attach the medallion with a blue cord to the front of Aaron’s turban, where it must remain. ³⁸ Aaron must wear it on his forehead so he may take on himself any guilt of the people of Israel when they consecrate their sacred offerings. He must always wear it on his forehead so the LORD will accept the people.

³⁹ “Weave Aaron’s patterned tunic from fine linen cloth. Fashion the turban from this linen as well. Also make a sash, and decorate it with colorful embroidery.

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 28:40-43)⁴⁰ “For Aaron’s sons, make tunics, sashes, and special head coverings that are glorious and beautiful. ⁴¹ Clothe your brother, Aaron, and his sons with these garments, and then anoint and ordain them. Consecrate them so they can serve as my priests. ⁴² Also make linen undergarments for them, to be worn next to their bodies, reaching from their hips to their thighs. ⁴³ These must be worn whenever Aaron and his sons enter the Tabernacle or approach the altar in the Holy Place to perform their priestly duties. Then they will not incur guilt and die. This is a permanent law for Aaron and all his descendants after him.

Exodus 29

Dedication of the Priests

 ¹ “This is the ceremony you must follow when you consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams with no defects. ² Then, using choice wheat flour and no yeast, make loaves of bread, thin cakes mixed with olive oil, and wafers spread with oil. ³Place them all in a single basket, and present them at the entrance of the Tabernacle, along with the young bull and the two rams.

 ⁴ “Present Aaron and his sons at the entrance of the Tabernacle, and wash them with water. ⁵ Dress Aaron in his priestly garments—the tunic, the robe worn with the ephod, the ephod itself, and the chestpiece. Then wrap the decorative sash of the ephod around him. ⁶ Place the turban on his head, and fasten the sacred medallion to the turban. ⁷ Then anoint him by pouring the anointing oil over his head. ⁸ Next present his sons, and dress them in their tunics. ⁹ Wrap the sashes around the waists of Aaron and his sons, and put their special head coverings on them. Then the right to the priesthood will be theirs by law forever. In this way, you will ordain Aaron and his sons.

¹⁰ “Bring the young bull to the entrance of the Tabernacle, where Aaron and his sons will lay their hands on its head. ¹¹ Then slaughter the bull in the LORD’s presence at the entrance of the Tabernacle. ¹² Put some of its blood on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour out the rest at the base of the altar. ¹³ Take all the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat around them, and burn it all on the altar. ¹⁴ Then take the rest of the bull, including its hide, meat, and dung, and burn it outside the camp as a sin offering.

¹⁵ “Next Aaron and his sons must lay their hands on the head of one of the rams. ¹⁶ Then slaughter the ram, and splatter its blood against all sides of the altar. ¹⁷ Cut the ram into pieces, and wash off the internal organs and the legs. Set them alongside the head and the other pieces of the body, ¹⁸ then burn the entire animal on the altar. This is a burnt offering to the LORD; it is a pleasing aroma, a special gift presented to the LORD.

¹⁹ “Now take the other ram, and have Aaron and his sons lay their hands on its head. ²⁰ Then slaughter it, and apply some of its blood to the right earlobes of Aaron and his sons. Also put it on the thumbs of their right hands and the big toes of their right feet. Splatter the rest of the blood against all sides of the altar. ²¹ Then take some of the blood from the altar and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his sons and on their garments. In this way, they and their garments will be set apart as holy.

²² “Since this is the ram for the ordination of Aaron and his sons, take the fat of the ram, including the fat of the broad tail, the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat around them, along with the right thigh. ²³ Then take one round loaf of bread, one thin cake mixed with olive oil, and one wafer from the basket of bread without yeast that was placed in the LORD’s presence. ²⁴ Put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons to be lifted up as a special offering to the LORD. ²⁵ Afterward take the various breads from their hands, and burn them on the altar along with the burnt offering. It is a pleasing aroma to the LORD, a special gift for him. ²⁶ Then take the breast of Aaron’s ordination ram, and lift it up in the LORD’s presence as a special offering to him. Then keep it as your own portion.

²⁷ “Set aside the portions of the ordination ram that belong to Aaron and his sons. This includes the breast and the thigh that were lifted up before the LORD as a special offering. ²⁸ In the future, whenever the people of Israel lift up a peace offering, a portion of it must be set aside for Aaron and his descendants. This is their permanent right, and it is a sacred offering from the Israelites to the LORD.

²⁹ “Aaron’s sacred garments must be preserved for his descendants who succeed him, and they will wear them when they are anointed and ordained. ³⁰ The descendant who succeeds him as high priest will wear these clothes for seven days as he ministers in the Tabernacle and the Holy Place.

³¹ “Take the ram used in the ordination ceremony, and boil its meat in a sacred place. ³² Then Aaron and his sons will eat this meat, along with the bread in the basket, at the Tabernacle entrance. ³³ They alone may eat the meat and bread used for their purification in the ordination ceremony. No one else may eat them, for these things are set apart and holy. ³⁴ If any of the ordination meat or bread remains until the morning, it must be burned. It may not be eaten, for it is holy.

³⁵ “This is how you will ordain Aaron and his sons to their offices, just as I have commanded you. The ordination ceremony will go on for seven days. ³⁶ Each day you must sacrifice a young bull as a sin offering to purify them, making them right with the LORD. Afterward, cleanse the altar by purifying it; make it holy by anointing it with oil. ³⁷ Purify the altar, and consecrate it every day for seven days. After that, the altar will be absolutely holy, and whatever touches it will become holy.

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 29:38-46)³⁸ “These are the sacrifices you are to offer regularly on the altar. Each day, offer two lambs that are a year old, ³⁹ one in the morning and the other in the evening. ⁴⁰ With one of them, offer two quarts of choice flour mixed with one quart of pure oil of pressed olives; also, offer one quart of wine as a liquid offering. ⁴¹ Offer the other lamb in the evening, along with the same offerings of flour and wine as in the morning. It will be a pleasing aroma, a special gift presented to the LORD.

⁴² “These burnt offerings are to be made each day from generation to generation. Offer them in the LORD’s presence at the Tabernacle entrance; there I will meet with you and speak with you. ⁴³ I will meet the people of Israel there, in the place made holy by my glorious presence. ⁴⁴ Yes, I will consecrate the Tabernacle and the altar, and I will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. ⁴⁵ Then I will live among the people of Israel and be their God, ⁴⁶ and they will know that I am the LORD their God. I am the one who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I could live among them. I am the LORD their God.

Exodus 30

Plans for the Incense Altar

¹ “Then make another altar of acacia wood for burning incense. ² Make it 18 inches square and 36 inches high,  with horns at the corners carved from the same piece of wood as the altar itself. ³ Overlay the top, sides, and horns of the altar with pure gold, and run a gold molding around the entire altar. ⁴ Make two gold rings, and attach them on opposite sides of the altar below the gold molding to hold the carrying poles. ⁵ Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. ⁶ Place the incense altar just outside the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant,  in front of the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—that covers the tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant.I will meet with you there.

⁷ “Every morning when Aaron maintains the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on the altar. ⁸ And each evening when he lights the lamps, he must again burn incense in the LORD’s presence. This must be done from generation to generation. ⁹ Do not offer any unholy incense on this altar, or any burnt offerings, grain offerings, or liquid offerings.

¹⁰ “Once a year Aaron must purify the altar by smearing its horns with blood from the offering made to purify the people from their sin. This will be a regular, annual event from generation to generation, for this is the LORD’s most holy altar.”

Money for the Tabernacle

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 30:11-16)¹¹ Then the LORD said to Moses, ¹² “Whenever you take a census of the people of Israel, each man who is counted must pay a ransom for himself to the LORD. Then no plague will strike the people as you count them. ¹³ Each person who is counted must give a small piece of silver as a sacred offering to the LORD. (This payment is half a shekel,based on the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs.) ¹⁴ All who have reached their twentieth birthday must give this sacred offering to the LORD. ¹⁵ When this offering is given to the LORD to purify your lives, making you right with him,the rich must not give more than the specified amount, and the poor must not give less. ¹⁶ Receive this ransom money from the Israelites, and use it for the care of the Tabernacle.It will bring the Israelites to the LORD’s attention, and it will purify your lives.”

Plans for the Washbasin

 ¹⁷ Then the LORD said to Moses, ¹⁸ “Make a bronze washbasin with a bronze stand. Place it between the Tabernacle and the altar, and fill it with water. ¹⁹ Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and feet there. ²⁰ They must wash with water whenever they go into the Tabernacle to appear before the LORD and when they approach the altar to burn up their special gifts to the LORD—or they will die! ²¹They must always wash their hands and feet, or they will die. This is a permanent law for Aaron and his descendants, to be observed from generation to generation.”

The Anointing Oil

 (Click here to view commentary on Exodus 30:22-38)²² Then the LORD said to Moses, ²³ “Collect choice spices—121⁄2 pounds of pure myrrh, 61⁄4 pounds of fragrant cinnamon, 61⁄4 pounds of fragrant calamus, ²⁴ and 121⁄2 pounds of cassia—as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. Also get one gallon of olive oil. ²⁵ Like a skilled incense maker, blend these ingredients to make a holy anointing oil. ²⁶ Use this sacred oil to anoint the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, ²⁷ the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and all its accessories, the incense altar, ²⁸ the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the washbasin with its stand. ²⁹Consecrate them to make them absolutely holy. After this, whatever touches them will also become holy.

 ³⁰ “Anoint Aaron and his sons also, consecrating them to serve me as priests. ³¹ And say to the people of Israel, ‘This holy anointing oil is reserved for me from generation to generation. ³² It must never be used to anoint anyone else, and you must never make any blend like it for yourselves. It is holy, and you must treat it as holy. ³³ Anyone who makes a blend like it or anoints someone other than a priest will be cut off from the community.’”

The Incense

³⁴ Then the LORD said to Moses, “Gather fragrant spices—resin droplets, mollusk shell, and galbanum—and mix these fragrant spices with pure frankincense, weighed out in equal amounts. ³⁵ Using the usual techniques of the incense maker, blend the spices together and sprinkle them with salt to produce a pure and holy incense. ³⁶ Grind some of the mixture into a very fine powder and put it in front of the Ark of the Covenant, where I will meet with you in the Tabernacle. You must treat this incense as most holy. ³⁷ Never use this formula to make this incense for yourselves. It is reserved for the LORD, and you must treat it as holy. ³⁸ Anyone who makes incense like this for personal use will be cut off from the community.”

Scripture text is for personal use only; copying, printing, or selling is prohibited. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

TUESDAY — God Gives us Creation as a Blessing
Big Point: Everything you see in nature is a gift from God that proclaims the truth of who He is.

        Take a moment and look out the window if you can. Ignore the buildings, cars, poles and anything else man-made. Just take a few moments and look at the natural world. Try to focus on something specific—a cloud, a tree or the ground. What do you see? Are you amazed by it or unimpressed?
        Today we are going to look at Psalm 19:1-2. The first part of that verse says that the “heavens proclaim the glory of God.” Everything you see in creation— trees, grass, flowers, snow, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc—they all testify to God’s power. This means that when you aren’t sure about whether or not God’s got His eye on the ball, you can look at the world around you for the answer—YES!
        In his book, More than Meets the Eye, author, physician and futurist Dr. Richard Swenson examines creation and how the world around us testifies to the greatness and preciseness of a holy God. He uses elements of nature and our universe to demonstrate that a God who is precise in how He created the world is more than capable of being able to control the circumstances of our lives.

Do you ever think of God as “precise?” Here are some striking facts about our world:

• Every second, four million tons of the sun is being converted from mass to energy. We only receive 1/1,000,000,000 of that energy—and yet, that is how we live. It is exactly the amount that we need. Any closer to the sun, we would be baked. Any farther from the sun and we would be in an ice age.
• Every cell in our body has a trillion atoms. We have between 10-100 trillion atoms in the human body and we make over a trillion cells every day. Who created our body to continuously replenish itself with just the right amount of cells going to the right places each day? God.

READ & THINK…Find Answers in the Bible
Think about this—God didn’t have to create the world with intricate flowers, strange and unique looking fish, majestic mountain tops or even clear blue water. God could have just created a bland, colorless, yet functional world—but He didn’t. Read Psalm 19:1-2. What does the world around us tell us about God’s character?

Psalm 19:1-2 (New Living Translation)
¹ The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. ² Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. Answer:

Focus in on Psalm 19:2. How does our natural world speak to us each day about God’s glory?

Answer:

LIVE…What will you do now?
Have you ever taken a picture of a beautiful sunrise or sunset? Perhaps you enjoy watching lightning storms or hearing the roll of thunder. What is your favorite thing in nature? Why?

Why do you think God made thousands of different species of birds, fish, trees, and flowers with so many different colors? If you have children, discuss this with them and see what they say.

Where is the most spectacular natural setting you’ve visited or seen in a photo? How did you feel as you looked at it? Did you have any heightened sense of God? Describe your experiences.

Have you ever thought about why God created different seasons in some areas of the world, but allows other areas to be constantly warm or constantly cold? How can the fact that God can manage all of these constant variables and keep them under His control give you encouragement in your life today?

Reflect on this…
God gives us the natural world as an encouraging reminder of His character. The band, Gungor, released the song, “Beautiful Things” and it’s about how God constantly renews the earth—and us. In what are of your life do you need to trust to God for “renewal?”

PRAY…God, What do you want me to know & do?
As you are going through your day, take some time to focus on the world around you. Pay attention to everything that God created and allow those things to enlarge your view of God. Ask God to remind you of His sovereignty and power whenever you gaze upon trees or are sitting on a beach (lucky!).

Reminder: You’ll find the Daily Bible Reading commentary for Exodus 19-24 at www.livingitout.tv and click on the commentary links.

Exodus 19

The LORD Reveals Himself at Sinai

¹ Exactly two months after the Israelites left Egypt, they arrived in the wilderness of Sinai. ²After breaking camp at Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and set up camp there at the base of Mount Sinai.

³ Then Moses climbed the mountain to appear before God. The LORD called to him from the mountain and said, “Give these instructions to the family of Jacob; announce it to the descendants of Israel: ⁴ ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. You know how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. ⁵ Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. ⁶ And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.’ This is the message you must give to the people of Israel.”

⁷ So Moses returned from the mountain and called together the elders of the people and told them everything the LORD had commanded him. ⁸ And all the people responded together, “We will do everything the LORD has commanded.” So Moses brought the people’s answer back to the LORD.

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 19:9-15)⁹ Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will come to you in a thick cloud, Moses, so the people themselves can hear me when I speak with you. Then they will always trust you.”

Moses told the LORD what the people had said. ¹⁰ Then the LORD told Moses, “Go down and prepare the people for my arrival. Consecrate them today and tomorrow, and have them wash their clothing. ¹¹ Be sure they are ready on the third day, for on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai as all the people watch. ¹² Mark off a boundary all around the mountain. Warn the people, ‘Be careful! Do not go up on the mountain or even touch its boundaries. Anyone who touches the mountain will certainly be put to death. ¹³ No hand may touch the person or animal that crosses the boundary; instead, stone them or shoot them with arrows. They must be put to death.’ However, when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, then the people may go up on the mountain.”

¹⁴ So Moses went down to the people. He consecrated them for worship, and they washed their clothes. ¹⁵ He told them, “Get ready for the third day, and until then abstain from having sexual intercourse.”

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 19:16-25)¹⁶ On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram’s horn, and all the people trembled. ¹⁷ Moses led them out from the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the LORD had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently. ¹⁹ As the blast of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God thundered his reply. ²⁰ The LORD came down on the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses climbed the mountain.

²¹ Then the LORD told Moses, “Go back down and warn the people not to break through the boundaries to see the LORD, or they will die. ²² Even the priests who regularly come near to the LORD must purify themselves so that the LORD does not break out and destroy them.”

²³ “But LORD,” Moses protested, “the people cannot come up to Mount Sinai. You already warned us. You told me, ‘Mark off a boundary all around the mountain to set it apart as holy.’”

²⁴ But the LORD said, “Go down and bring Aaron back up with you. In the meantime, do not let the priests or the people break through to approach the LORD, or he will break out and destroy them.”

²⁵ So Moses went down to the people and told them what the LORD had said.

Exodus 20

Ten Commandments for the Covenant Community

 ¹ Then God gave the people all these instructions:

 ² “I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 20:3-11)³ “You must not have any other god but me.

⁴ “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. ⁵ You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. ⁶ But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those^[d] who love me and obey my commands.

⁷ “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.

⁸ “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹ You have six days each week for your ordinary work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. ¹¹ For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 20:12-17)¹² “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

¹³ “You must not murder.

¹⁴ “You must not commit adultery.

¹⁵ “You must not steal.

¹⁶ “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.

¹⁷ “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 20:18-21)¹⁸ When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear.

¹⁹ And they said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!”

²⁰ “Don’t be afraid,” Moses answered them, “for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of him will keep you from sinning!”

²¹ As the people stood in the distance, Moses approached the dark cloud where God was.

Proper Use of Altars

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 20:22-26) ²² And the LORD said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: You saw for yourselves that I spoke to you from heaven. ²³Remember, you must not make any idols of silver or gold to rival me.

 ²⁴ “Build for me an altar made of earth, and offer your sacrifices to me—your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats, and your cattle. Build my altar wherever I cause my name to be remembered, and I will come to you and bless you. ²⁵ If you use stones to build my altar, use only natural, uncut stones. Do not shape the stones with a tool, for that would make the altar unfit for holy use. ²⁶ And do not approach my altar by going up steps. If you do, someone might look up under your clothing and see your nakedness.

Exodus 21

Fair Treatment of Slaves

 ¹“These are the regulations you must present to Israel.

 ² “If you buy a Hebrew slave, he may serve for no more than six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom. ³ If he was single when he became your slave, he shall leave single. But if he was married before he became a slave, then his wife must be freed with him.

⁴ “If his master gave him a wife while he was a slave and they had sons or daughters, then only the man will be free in the seventh year, but his wife and children will still belong to his master. ⁵ But the slave may declare, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I don’t want to go free.’ ⁶ If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door or doorpost and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will serve his master for life.

⁷ “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are. ⁸ If she does not satisfy her owner, he must allow her to be bought back again. But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners, since he is the one who broke the contract with her. ⁹ But if the slave’s owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave but as a daughter.

¹⁰ “If a man who has married a slave wife takes another wife for himself, he must not neglect the rights of the first wife to food, clothing, and sexual intimacy. ¹¹ If he fails in any of these three obligations, she may leave as a free woman without making any payment.

Cases of Personal Injury

 (Click here to view commentary on Exodus 21:12-21)¹² “Anyone who assaults and kills another person must be put to death. ¹³ But if it was simply an accident permitted by God, I will appoint a place of refuge where the slayer can run for safety. ¹⁴However, if someone deliberately kills another person, then the slayer must be dragged even from my altar and be put to death.

 ¹⁵ “Anyone who strikes father or mother must be put to death.

¹⁶ “Kidnappers must be put to death, whether they are caught in possession of their victims or have already sold them as slaves.

¹⁷ “Anyone who dishonors father or mother must be put to death.

¹⁸ “Now suppose two men quarrel, and one hits the other with a stone or fist, and the injured person does not die but is confined to bed. ¹⁹ If he is later able to walk outside again, even with a crutch, the assailant will not be punished but must compensate his victim for lost wages and provide for his full recovery.

²⁰ “If a man beats his male or female slave with a club and the slave dies as a result, the owner must be punished. ²¹ But if the slave recovers within a day or two, then the owner shall not be punished, since the slave is his property.

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 21:22-36)²² “Now suppose two men are fighting, and in the process they accidentally strike a pregnant woman so she gives birth prematurely. If no further injury results, the man who struck the woman must pay the amount of compensation the woman’s husband demands and the judges approve. ²³ But if there is further injury, the punishment must match the injury: a life for a life, ²⁴ an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, ²⁵ a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, a bruise for a bruise.

²⁶ “If a man hits his male or female slave in the eye and the eye is blinded, he must let the slave go free to compensate for the eye. ²⁷ And if a man knocks out the tooth of his male or female slave, he must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth.

²⁸ “If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its flesh may not be eaten. In such a case, however, the owner will not be held liable. ²⁹ But suppose the ox had a reputation for goring, and the owner had been informed but failed to keep it under control. If the ox then kills someone, it must be stoned, and the owner must also be put to death. ³⁰ However, the dead person’s relatives may accept payment to compensate for the loss of life. The owner of the ox may redeem his life by paying whatever is demanded.

³¹ “The same regulation applies if the ox gores a boy or a girl. ³² But if the ox gores a slave, either male or female, the animal’s owner must pay the slave’s owner thirty silver coins, and the ox must be stoned.

³³ “Suppose someone digs or uncovers a pit and fails to cover it, and then an ox or a donkey falls into it. ³⁴ The owner of the pit must pay full compensation to the owner of the animal, but then he gets to keep the dead animal.

³⁵ “If someone’s ox injures a neighbor’s ox and the injured ox dies, then the two owners must sell the live ox and divide the price equally between them. They must also divide the dead animal. ³⁶ But if the ox had a reputation for goring, yet its owner failed to keep it under control, he must pay full compensation—a live ox for the dead one—but he may keep the dead ox.

Exodus 22

Protection of Property

 ¹ “If someone steals an oxor sheep and then kills or sells it, the thief must pay back five oxen for each ox stolen, and four sheep for each sheep stolen.

 ² “If a thief is caught in the act of breaking into a house and is struck and killed in the process, the person who killed the thief is not guilty of murder. ³ But if it happens in daylight, the one who killed the thief is guilty of murder.

“A thief who is caught must pay in full for everything he stole. If he cannot pay, he must be sold as a slave to pay for his theft. ⁴ If someone steals an ox or a donkey or a sheep and it is found in the thief’s possession, then the thief must pay double the value of the stolen animal.

⁵ “If an animal is grazing in a field or vineyard and the owner lets it stray into someone else’s field to graze, then the animal’s owner must pay compensation from the best of his own grain or grapes.

⁶ “If you are burning thornbushes and the fire gets out of control and spreads into another person’s field, destroying the sheaves or the uncut grain or the whole crop, the one who started the fire must pay for the lost crop.

⁷ “Suppose someone leaves money or goods with a neighbor for safekeeping, and they are stolen from the neighbor’s house. If the thief is caught, the compensation is double the value of what was stolen. ⁸ But if the thief is not caught, the neighbor must appear before God, who will determine if he stole the property.

⁹ “Suppose there is a dispute between two people who both claim to own a particular ox, donkey, sheep, article of clothing, or any lost property. Both parties must come before God, and the person whom God declares guilty must pay double compensation to the other.

¹⁰ “Now suppose someone leaves a donkey, ox, sheep, or any other animal with a neighbor for safekeeping, but it dies or is injured or gets away, and no one sees what happened. ¹¹ The neighbor must then take an oath in the presence of the LORD. If the LORD confirms that the neighbor did not steal the property, the owner must accept the verdict, and no payment will be required. ¹² But if the animal was indeed stolen, the guilty person must pay compensation to the owner. ¹³ If it was torn to pieces by a wild animal, the remains of the carcass must be shown as evidence, and no compensation will be required.

¹⁴ “If someone borrows an animal from a neighbor and it is injured or dies when the owner is absent, the person who borrowed it must pay full compensation. ¹⁵ But if the owner was present, no compensation is required. And no compensation is required if the animal was rented, for this loss is covered by the rental fee.

Social Responsibility

 ¹⁶ “If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to anyone and has sex with her, he must pay the customary bride price and marry her. ¹⁷But if her father refuses to let him marry her, the man must still pay him an amount equal to the bride price of a virgin.

 ¹⁸ “You must not allow a sorceress to live.

¹⁹ “Anyone who has sexual relations with an animal must certainly be put to death.

²⁰ “Anyone who sacrifices to any god other than the LORD must be destroyed.

²¹ “You must not mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.

²² “You must not exploit a widow or an orphan. ²³ If you exploit them in any way and they cry out to me, then I will certainly hear their cry. ²⁴ My anger will blaze against you, and I will kill you with the sword. Then your wives will be widows and your children fatherless.

²⁵ “If you lend money to any of my people who are in need, do not charge interest as a money lender would. ²⁶ If you take your neighbor’s cloak as security for a loan, you must return it before sunset. ²⁷ This coat may be the only blanket your neighbor has. How can a person sleep without it? If you do not return it and your neighbor cries out to me for help, then I will hear, for I am merciful.

²⁸ “You must not dishonor God or curse any of your rulers.

²⁹ “You must not hold anything back when you give me offerings from your crops and your wine.

“You must give me your firstborn sons.

³⁰ “You must also give me the firstborn of your cattle, sheep, and goats. But leave the newborn animal with its mother for seven days; then give it to me on the eighth day.

³¹ “You must be my holy people. Therefore, do not eat any animal that has been torn up and killed by wild animals. Throw it to the dogs.

Exodus 23

A Call for Justice

 ¹“You must not pass along false rumors. You must not cooperate with evil people by lying on the witness stand.

 ² “You must not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you are called to testify in a dispute, do not be swayed by the crowd to twist justice. ³ And do not slant your testimony in favor of a person just because that person is poor.

⁴ “If you come upon your enemy’s ox or donkey that has strayed away, take it back to its owner. ⁵ If you see that the donkey of someone who hates you has collapsed under its load, do not walk by. Instead, stop and help.

⁶ “In a lawsuit, you must not deny justice to the poor.

⁷ “Be sure never to charge anyone falsely with evil. Never sentence an innocent or blameless person to death, for I never declare a guilty person to be innocent.

⁸ “Take no bribes, for a bribe makes you ignore something that you clearly see. A bribe makes even a righteous person twist the truth.

⁹ “You must not oppress foreigners. You know what it’s like to be a foreigner, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 23:10-19)¹⁰ “Plant and harvest your crops for six years, ¹¹ but let the land be renewed and lie uncultivated during the seventh year. Then let the poor among you harvest whatever grows on its own. Leave the rest for wild animals to eat. The same applies to your vineyards and olive groves.

¹² “You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working. This gives your ox and your donkey a chance to rest. It also allows your slaves and the foreigners living among you to be refreshed.

¹³ “Pay close attention to all my instructions. You must not call on the name of any other gods. Do not even speak their names.

Three Annual Festivals

 ¹⁴ “Each year you must celebrate three festivals in my honor. ¹⁵ First, celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast, just as I commanded you. Celebrate this festival annually at the appointed time in early spring, in the month of Abib,for that is the anniversary of your departure from Egypt. No one may appear before me without an offering.

 ¹⁶ “Second, celebrate the Festival of Harvest, when you bring me the first crops of your harvest.

“Finally, celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvestat the end of the harvest season, when you have harvested all the crops from your fields. ¹⁷ At these three times each year, every man in Israel must appear before the Sovereign, the LORD.

¹⁸ “You must not offer the blood of my sacrificial offerings together with any baked goods containing yeast. And do not leave the fat from the festival offerings until the next morning.

¹⁹ “As you harvest your crops, bring the very best of the first harvest to the house of the LORD your God.

“You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.

A Promise of the LORD’s Presence

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 23:20-33)²⁰ “See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you. ²¹ Pay close attention to him, and obey his instructions. Do not rebel against him, for he is my representative, and he will not forgive your rebellion. ²² But if you are careful to obey him, following all my instructions, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will oppose those who oppose you. ²³ For my angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, so you may live there. And I will destroy them completely. ²⁴You must not worship the gods of these nations or serve them in any way or imitate their evil practices. Instead, you must utterly destroy them and smash their sacred pillars.

 ²⁵ “You must serve only the LORD your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness. ²⁶ There will be no miscarriages or infertility in your land, and I will give you long, full lives.

²⁷ “I will send my terror ahead of you and create panic among all the people whose lands you invade. I will make all your enemies turn and run. ²⁸ I will send terror ahead of you to drive out the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites. ²⁹ But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals would multiply and threaten you. ³⁰ I will drive them out a little at a time until your population has increased enough to take possession of the land. ³¹ And I will fix your boundaries from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the eastern wilderness to the Euphrates River. I will hand over to you the people now living in the land, and you will drive them out ahead of you.

³² “Make no treaties with them or their gods. ³³ They must not live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me. If you serve their gods, you will be caught in the trap of idolatry.”

Exodus 24

Israel Accepts the LORD’s Covenant

 ¹ Then the LORD instructed Moses: “Come up here to me, and bring along Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders. All of you must worship from a distance. ²Only Moses is allowed to come near to the LORD. The others must not come near, and none of the other people are allowed to climb up the mountain with him.”

 ³ Then Moses went down to the people and repeated all the instructions and regulations the LORD had given him. All the people answered with one voice, “We will do everything the LORD has commanded.”

⁴ Then Moses carefully wrote down all the LORD’s instructions. Early the next morning Moses got up and built an altar at the foot of the mountain. He also set up twelve pillars, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. ⁵ Then he sent some of the young Israelite men to present burnt offerings and to sacrifice bulls as peace offerings to the LORD. ⁶ Moses drained half the blood from these animals into basins. The other half he splattered against the altar.

⁷ Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it aloud to the people. Again they all responded, “We will do everything the LORD has commanded. We will obey.”

⁸ Then Moses took the blood from the basins and splattered it over the people, declaring, “Look, this blood confirms the covenant the LORD has made with you in giving you these instructions.”

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 24:9-11) ⁹ Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel climbed up the mountain. ¹⁰ There they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there seemed to be a surface of brilliant blue lapis lazuli, as clear as the sky itself. ¹¹ And though these nobles of Israel gazed upon God, he did not destroy them. In fact, they ate a covenant meal, eating and drinking in his presence!

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 24:12-18)¹² Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there, and I will give you the tablets of stone on which I have inscribed the instructions and commands so you can teach the people.” ¹³ So Moses and his assistant Joshua set out, and Moses climbed up the mountain of God.

¹⁴ Moses told the elders, “Stay here and wait for us until we come back. Aaron and Hur are here with you. If anyone has a dispute while I am gone, consult with them.”

¹⁵ Then Moses climbed up the mountain, and the cloud covered it. ¹⁶ And the glory of the LORD settled down on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from inside the cloud. ¹⁷ To the Israelites at the foot of the mountain, the glory of the LORD appeared at the summit like a consuming fire. ¹⁸ Then Moses disappeared into the cloud as he climbed higher up the mountain. He remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Scripture text is for personal use only; copying, printing, or selling is prohibited. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“What if Your blessings come
through raindrops?
What if your healing comes
through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless
nights are what it takes to
know you’re near?
What if the trials of this life
are your mercies in disguise?”

The 2012 Grammy Awards show was a couple of weeks ago. We remember how this year’s broadcast was overshadowed by the death of superstar Whitney Houston. Throughout the evening, music’s biggest stars offered tributes to Houston’s memory and celebrated the victories of today’s big stars like Adele and the Foo Fighters. Yet, there was a “Story” in the crowd that few people knew about.

A songwriter named Laura Story won the 2012 Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Song. You might not recognize Laura’s name, but you’ve heard of her work. Laura was the song writer behind the Chris Tomlin song, “Indescribable;” a song you’ve heard at CedarCreek during this “God” series. This year, Laura won the Grammy Award for her song, “Blessings.” If you listen to KLOVE or any other Christian station, you’ve heard this song, or perhaps you’ve heard it sung here at the ‘Creek. In this song, Laura asks God some provocative questions, mainly because of the journey she has taken.

Laura married Martin, her high school sweetheart. In 2006, Martin was diagnosed with a brain tumor while they were still newlyweds. Faced with a terrifying situation, Laura fought fear and loneliness as she sat in a hospital room watching machines keep her husband alive. Years later, Martin is doing better, but has not been completely healed, and Laura admits that it is hard to see how God is all-powerful and all-loving in a situation where hardship is a fact of life. But, Laura also realizes the “blessing in disguise” that has come as a result. With the success of her album, “Blessings,” Laura is traveling around the United States, Europe and South America and says she has a voice that she didn’t have before—but that doesn’t mean that it’s been easy for her. “It hasn’t been easy,” shares Laura. “Everyone wants to be a mature and equipped (Christ) follower, but would I have signed up had I known what it would take? God has grown us up, deepened our faith, our awareness of our great need for Him as a savior, daily. We knew it before, but we didn’t see it. This is a good place to be.”

During this weekend’s service, you watched the video of a mother of a oneyear- old recount the blessings of her child’s life—a life that will likely end in the near future. How could she possibly see the blessings in such a heart-wrenching situation? Yet, she does see the blessings. Many of you have told us about how God has blessed your life even though your heart was broken or you lost something precious. Could it be that what we think of as “bad,” God knows is for our ultimate “good?” So, could your unemployment be a gift? Yes, it could. Could choosing to struggle through overcoming an addiction be a gift? Yes, it could. Could an illness be a gift? Yes, it could. This week is a great opportunity for each of us to reconsider what God gives to each one of us every day.

Monday – God Gave Us Christ
Big Point: God didn’t have to give us ANYTHING, but God gave us EVERYTHING when He sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins.

        Valentine’s Day was last week. It’s a holiday that encourages us to express our love for those who are special to us. Of course, we all know that expressing our love toward others should not be limited to a twenty-four hour period and an overpriced Hallmark card. Love is a tremendous gift that cannot—should not—be contained. It must overflow! As they say, “Love is the gift that keeps on giving!”
        God is the Creator of love and the Bible tells us that God IS love. Of course, the Bible tells us over and over again that God loves us. Unfortunately, most of us don’t really grasp what it means for God to love us. It’s shameful for us to admit, that too often, God’s love for us isn’t enough. We say, “Yes, God loves me—but what about my health? What’s God going to do about my health?” Others say, “Yes, God loves me, but what about my house payment? Why doesn’t God send me the money I need for that?”
        Ann Voscamp is the author of the best-selling book, One Thousand Gifts, and she writes about how we underestimate the greatest gift God has given to us: “He gave us Jesus! Jesus! Gave him up for us all. If we have only one memory, isn’t this one enough? Why is this the memory I most often take for granted? He cut open the flesh of the God-Man and let the blood flow. He washed our grime with the bloody grace. He drove the iron ore through His own vein. Doesn’t that memory alone suffice? Need there be anything more? If God didn’t withhold from us His very own Son, will God withhold anything we need?”

READ & THINK…Find Answers in the Bible
We’ve focused on Romans 8:28 for a few weeks, but there are some other verses that also give us great encouragement because they expand upon the lavishness of God’s great love for us. Read Romans 8:31-32 and reflect on the question that the Apostle Paul asks us. If God was willing to give up His Son for you, then what does that say about how God will handle the other details of your life?

Romans 8:31-32 (New Living Translation)
³¹ …If God is for us, who can ever be against us? ³² Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?

Answer:

John 3:16 is another verse we’ve been focusing on lately. This verse captures the essence of God’s greatest gift to humanity. Take a moment and attempt to describe the kind of love that God must have for us to give us salvation through Christ.

John 3:16 (New Living Translation)
¹⁶ “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

Answer:

Gifts are something that are given without the expectation of payment in return. Why did God give us salvation? Even though it cost Christ his life, God didn’t pass along the cost to us. Why not?

Ephesians 2:8-9 (New Living Translation)
⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

Answer:

LIVE…What will you do now?
How has God’s gift of grace—given through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ—enriched and/or blessed your life?

For some of you, that last question might have been difficult to answer. You feel pressured by some tough circumstances in your life and so it is tough to really connect with the magnitude of God’s gift of salvation. List some of the circumstances that are getting in the way of being truly grateful for your salvation:

Now, re-read Romans 8:31-32 and fill in the space provided on the following: “If God loves me enough to send Christ to die for my sins, then I can trust that God will _______________________________________ in my current circumstance.”

No one likes being taken for granted—even God. Can you relate to Ann Voscamp’s words when she talks about God’s free gift of salvation: “Why is this the memory I most often take for granted?” If we are so grateful for God’s free gift of grace, then why don’t our lives reflect more gratitude? How can your life reflect more gratitude for God’s most precious gift to you?

PRAY…God, What do you want me to know & do?
We hope that by the end of today’s lesson you were filled with a tremendous sense of gratitude for what God sent Jesus to earth to do on your behalf. We have all taken our salvation for granted—every one of us. But, today we get the chance to individually thank God for the free gift of salvation and reflect upon God’s greatest gift of all. Take time today to talk with God about how your salvation has changed your life, and most of all, thank Him for giving you such a great gift!

Reminder: You’ll Find the Daily Bible Reading commentary for the Daily Bible Reading Plan by going to www.livingitout.tv and clicking on the appropriate commentary links that precede the reading for a particular day. The Daily Bible Reading will alternate from Old Testament to New Testament throughout 2012.

Exodus 13

Dedication of the Firstborn

¹ Then the LORD said to Moses, ²“Dedicate to me every firstborn among the Israelites. The first offspring to be born, of both humans and animals, belongs to me.”

³ So Moses said to the people, “This is a day to remember forever—the day you left Egypt, the place of your slavery. Today the LORD has brought you out by the power of his mighty hand. (Remember, eat no food containing yeast.) ⁴ On this day in early spring, in the month of Abib, you have been set free. ⁵ You must celebrate this event in this month each year after the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites. (He swore to your ancestors that he would give you this land—a land flowing with milk and honey.) ⁶ For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast. Then on the seventh day, celebrate a feast to the LORD. ⁷ Eat bread without yeast during those seven days. In fact, there must be no yeast bread or any yeast at all found within the borders of your land during this time.

⁸ “On the seventh day you must explain to your children, ‘I am celebrating what the LORD did for me when I left Egypt.’ ⁹ This annual festival will be a visible sign to you, like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead. Let it remind you always to recite this teaching of the LORD: ‘With a strong hand, the LORD rescued you from Egypt.’ ¹⁰ So observe the decree of this festival at the appointed time each year.

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 13:11-16)¹¹ “This is what you must do when the LORD fulfills the promise he swore to you and to your ancestors. When he gives you the land where the Canaanites now live, ¹² you must present all firstborn sons and firstborn male animals to the LORD, for they belong to him. ¹³ A firstborn donkey may be bought back from the LORD by presenting a lamb or young goat in its place. But if you do not buy it back, you must break its neck. However, you must buy back every firstborn son.

¹⁴ “And in the future, your children will ask you, ‘What does all this mean?’ Then you will tell them, ‘With the power of his mighty hand, the LORD brought us out of Egypt, the place of our slavery. ¹⁵ Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, so the LORD killed all the firstborn males throughout the land of Egypt, both people and animals. That is why I now sacrifice all the firstborn males to the LORD—except that the firstborn sons are always bought back.’ ¹⁶ This ceremony will be like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead. It is a reminder that the power of the LORD’s mighty hand brought us out of Egypt.”

Israel’s Wilderness Detour

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 13:17-20)¹⁷ When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” ¹⁸ So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. Thus the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle.

¹⁹ Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear to do this. He said, “God will certainly come to help you. When he does, you must take my bones with you from this place.”

²⁰The Israelites left Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. (Click here to view commentary on Exodus 13:21)²¹ The LORD went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night. ²² And the LORD did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people.

Exodus 14

¹ Then the LORD gave these instructions to Moses: ² “Order the Israelites to turn back and camp by Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea. Camp there along the shore, across from Baal-zephon. ³ Then Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are confused. They are trapped in the wilderness!’ ⁴ And once again I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after you. I have planned this in order to display my glory through Pharaoh and his whole army. After this the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD!” So the Israelites camped there as they were told.

The Egyptians Pursue Israel

⁵ When word reached the king of Egypt that the Israelites had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds. “What have we done, letting all those Israelite slaves get away?” they asked. ⁶ So Pharaoh harnessed his chariot and called up his troops. ⁷ He took with him 600 of Egypt’s best chariots, along with the rest of the chariots of Egypt, each with its commander. ⁸ The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, so he chased after the people of Israel, who had left with fists raised in defiance. ⁹The Egyptians chased after them with all the forces in Pharaoh’s army—all his horses and chariots, his charioteers, and his troops. The Egyptians caught up with the people of Israel as they were camped beside the shore near Pi-hahiroth, across from Baal-zephon.

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 14:10-14)¹⁰ As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the LORD, ¹¹ and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? ¹² Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’”

¹³ But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. ¹⁴ The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

Escape through the Red Sea

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 14:15-20)¹⁵ Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! ¹⁶ Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground. ¹⁷ And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will charge in after the Israelites. My great glory will be displayed through Pharaoh and his troops, his chariots, and his charioteers. ¹⁸When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the LORD!”

¹⁹ Then the angel of God, who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to the rear of the camp. The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and stood behind them. ²⁰ The cloud settled between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. As darkness fell, the cloud turned to fire, lighting up the night. But the Egyptians and Israelites did not approach each other all night.

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 14:21-31)²¹Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the LORD opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land.²² So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!

²³ Then the Egyptians—all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and charioteers—chased them into the middle of the sea. ²⁴ But just before dawn the LORD looked down on the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw their forces into total confusion. ²⁵ He twisted their chariot wheels, making their chariots difficult to drive. “Let’s get out of here—away from these Israelites!” the Egyptians shouted. “The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt!”

²⁶ When all the Israelites had reached the other side, the LORD said to Moses, “Raise your hand over the sea again. Then the waters will rush back and cover the Egyptians and their chariots and charioteers.” ²⁷ So as the sun began to rise, Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the water rushed back into its usual place. The Egyptians tried to escape, but the LORD swept them into the sea. ²⁸ Then the waters returned and covered all the chariots and charioteers—the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived.

²⁹ But the people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, as the water stood up like a wall on both sides. ³⁰ That is how the LORD rescued Israel from the hand of the Egyptians that day. And the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the seashore. ³¹ When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the LORD had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the LORD and in his servant Moses.

Exodus 15

A Song of Deliverance

¹Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD:

“I will sing to the LORD,
for he has triumphed gloriously;
he has hurled both horse and rider
into the sea.
² The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has given me victory.
This is my God, and I will praise him—
my father’s God, and I will exalt him!
³ The LORD is a warrior;
Yahweh is his name!
⁴ Pharaoh’s chariots and army
he has hurled into the sea.
The finest of Pharaoh’s officers
are drowned in the Red Sea.
⁵ The deep waters gushed over them;
they sank to the bottom like a stone.

⁶ “Your right hand, O LORD,
is glorious in power.
Your right hand, O LORD,
smashes the enemy.
⁷ In the greatness of your majesty,
you overthrow those who rise against you.
You unleash your blazing fury;
it consumes them like straw.
⁸ At the blast of your breath,
the waters piled up!
The surging waters stood straight like a wall;
in the heart of the sea the deep waters became hard.

⁹ “The enemy boasted, ‘I will chase them
and catch up with them.
I will plunder them
and consume them.
I will flash my sword;
my powerful hand will destroy them.’
¹⁰ But you blew with your breath,
and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
in the mighty waters.

¹¹ “Who is like you among the gods, O LORD—
glorious in holiness,
awesome in splendor,
performing great wonders?
¹² You raised your right hand,
and the earth swallowed our enemies.

¹³ “With your unfailing love you lead
the people you have redeemed.
In your might, you guide them
to your sacred home.
¹⁴ The peoples hear and tremble;
anguish grips those who live in Philistia.
¹⁵ The leaders of Edom are terrified;
the nobles of Moab tremble.
All who live in Canaan melt away;
¹⁶ terror and dread fall upon them.
The power of your arm
makes them lifeless as stone
until your people pass by, O LORD,
until the people you purchased pass by.
¹⁷ You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain—
the place, O LORD, reserved for your own dwelling,
the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hands have established.
¹⁸ The LORD will reign forever and ever!”

¹⁹ When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and charioteers rushed into the sea, the LORD brought the water crashing down on them. But the people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground!

²⁰ Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine and led all the women as they played their tambourines and danced. ²¹ And Miriam sang this song:

“Sing to the LORD,
for he has triumphed gloriously;
he has hurled both horse and rider
into the sea.”

Bitter Water at Marah

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 15:22-27)²² Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the desert of Shur. They traveled in this desert for three days without finding any water. ²³When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink. So they called the place Marah (which means “bitter”).

²⁴ Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded. ²⁵ So Moses cried out to the LORD for help, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink.

It was there at Marah that the LORD set before them the following decree as a standard to test their faithfulness to him. ²⁶ He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the LORD who heals you.”

²⁷ After leaving Marah, the Israelites traveled on to the oasis of Elim, where they found twelve springs and seventy palm trees. They camped there beside the water.

Exodus 16

Manna and Quail from Heaven

¹ Then the whole community of Israel set out from Elim and journeyed into the wilderness of Sin, between Elim and Mount Sinai. They arrived there on the fifteenth day of the second month, one month after leaving the land of Egypt. ²There, too, the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron.

³ “If only the LORD had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”

⁴ Then the LORD said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions. ⁵ On the sixth day they will gather food, and when they prepare it, there will be twice as much as usual.”

⁶ So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “By evening you will realize it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt. ⁷ In the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your complaints, which are against him, not against us. What have we done that you should complain about us?” ⁸ Then Moses added, “The LORD will give you meat to eat in the evening and bread to satisfy you in the morning, for he has heard all your complaints against him. What have we done? Yes, your complaints are against the LORD, not against us.”

⁹ Then Moses said to Aaron, “Announce this to the entire community of Israel: ‘Present yourselves before the LORD, for he has heard your complaining.’” ¹⁰ And as Aaron spoke to the whole community of Israel, they looked out toward the wilderness. There they could see the awesome glory of the LORD in the cloud.

¹¹ Then the LORD said to Moses, ¹² “I have heard the Israelites’ complaints. Now tell them, ‘In the evening you will have meat to eat, and in the morning you will have all the bread you want. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.’”

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 16:13-21) ¹³ That evening vast numbers of quail flew in and covered the camp. And the next morning the area around the camp was wet with dew. ¹⁴ When the dew evaporated, a flaky substance as fine as frost blanketed the ground. ¹⁵ The Israelites were puzzled when they saw it. “What is it?” they asked each other. They had no idea what it was.

And Moses told them, “It is the food the LORD has given you to eat. ¹⁶ These are the LORD’s instructions: Each household should gather as much as it needs. Pick up two quarts for each person in your tent.”

¹⁷ So the people of Israel did as they were told. Some gathered a lot, some only a little. ¹⁸ But when they measured it out, everyone had just enough. Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough. Each family had just what it needed.

¹⁹ Then Moses told them, “Do not keep any of it until morning.” ²⁰ But some of them didn’t listen and kept some of it until morning. But by then it was full of maggots and had a terrible smell. Moses was very angry with them.

²¹After this the people gathered the food morning by morning, each family according to its need. And as the sun became hot, the flakes they had not picked up melted and disappeared. (Click here to view commentary on Exodus 16:22-31) ²² On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much as usual—four quarts for each person instead of two. Then all the leaders of the community came and asked Moses for an explanation. ²³ He told them, “This is what the LORD commanded: Tomorrow will be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath day set apart for the LORD. So bake or boil as much as you want today, and set aside what is left for tomorrow.”

²⁴ So they put some aside until morning, just as Moses had commanded. And in the morning the leftover food was wholesome and good, without maggots or odor. ²⁵ Moses said, “Eat this food today, for today is a Sabbath day dedicated to the LORD. There will be no food on the ground today. ²⁶ You may gather the food for six days, but the seventh day is the Sabbath. There will be no food on the ground that day.”

²⁷ Some of the people went out anyway on the seventh day, but they found no food. ²⁸ The LORD asked Moses, “How long will these people refuse to obey my commands and instructions? ²⁹ They must realize that the Sabbath is the LORD’s gift to you. That is why he gives you a two-day supply on the sixth day, so there will be enough for two days. On the Sabbath day you must each stay in your place. Do not go out to pick up food on the seventh day.” ³⁰ So the people did not gather any food on the seventh day.

³¹ The Israelites called the food manna. It was white like coriander seed, and it tasted like honey wafers.

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 16:32-36) ³² Then Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded: Fill a two-quart container with manna to preserve it for your descendants. Then later generations will be able to see the food I gave you in the wilderness when I set you free from Egypt.”

³³ Moses said to Aaron, “Get a jar and fill it with two quarts of manna. Then put it in a sacred place before the LORD to preserve it for all future generations.” ³⁴ Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded Moses. He eventually placed it in the Ark of the Covenant—in front of the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. ³⁵ So the people of Israel ate manna for forty years until they arrived at the land where they would settle. They ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.

³⁶ The container used to measure the manna was an omer, which was one-tenth of an ephah; it held about two quarts.

Exodus 17

Water from the Rock

¹ At the LORD’s command, the whole community of Israel left the wilderness of Sin and moved from place to place. Eventually they camped at Rephidim, but there was no water there for the people to drink. ²So once more the people complained against Moses. “Give us water to drink!” they demanded.

“Quiet!” Moses replied. “Why are you complaining against me? And why are you testing the LORD?”

³ But tormented by thirst, they continued to argue with Moses. “Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Are you trying to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”

⁴ Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What should I do with these people? They are ready to stone me!”

⁵ The LORD said to Moses, “Walk out in front of the people. Take your staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile, and call some of the elders of Israel to join you. ⁶ I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink.” So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on.

⁷ Moses named the place Massah (which means “test”) and Meribah (which means “arguing”) because the people of Israel argued with Moses and tested the LORD by saying, “Is the LORD here with us or not?”

Israel Defeats the Amalekites

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 17:8-16) ⁸ While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek attacked them. ⁹Moses commanded Joshua, “Choose some men to go out and fight the army of Amalek for us. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill, holding the staff of God in my hand.”

¹⁰ So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. ¹¹ As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. ¹² Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. ¹³ As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle.

¹⁴ After the victory, the LORD instructed Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a permanent reminder, and read it aloud to Joshua: I will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” ¹⁵ Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-Nissi (which means “the LORD is my banner”). ¹⁶ He said, “They have raised their fist against the LORD’s throne, so now the LORD will be at war with Amalek generation after generation.”

Exodus 18

Jethro’s Visit to Moses

¹Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything God had done for Moses and his people, the Israelites. He heard especially about how the LORD had rescued them from Egypt.

² Earlier, Moses had sent his wife, Zipporah, and his two sons back to Jethro, who had taken them in. ³ (Moses’ first son was named Gershom, for Moses had said when the boy was born, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.” ⁴ His second son was named Eliezer,^[u] for Moses had said, “The God of my ancestors was my helper; he rescued me from the sword of Pharaoh.”) ⁵ Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, now came to visit Moses in the wilderness. He brought Moses’ wife and two sons with him, and they arrived while Moses and the people were camped near the mountain of God. ⁶ Jethro had sent a message to Moses, saying, “I, Jethro, your father-in-law, am coming to see you with your wife and your two sons.”

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 18:7-12) ⁷ So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law. He bowed low and kissed him. They asked about each other’s welfare and then went into Moses’ tent. ⁸ Moses told his father-in-law everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and Egypt on behalf of Israel. He also told about all the hardships they had experienced along the way and how the LORD had rescued his people from all their troubles. ⁹ Jethro was delighted when he heard about all the good things the LORD had done for Israel as he rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians.

¹⁰ “Praise the LORD,” Jethro said, “for he has rescued you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh. Yes, he has rescued Israel from the powerful hand of Egypt! ¹¹ I know now that the LORD is greater than all other gods, because he rescued his people from the oppression of the proud Egyptians.”

¹² Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God. Aaron and all the elders of Israel came out and joined him in a sacrificial meal in God’s presence.

Jethro’s Wise Advice

(Click here to view commentary on Exodus 18:13-27)¹³The next day, Moses took his seat to hear the people’s disputes against each other. They waited before him from morning till evening.

¹⁴ When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What are you really accomplishing here? Why are you trying to do all this alone while everyone stands around you from morning till evening?”

¹⁵ Moses replied, “Because the people come to me to get a ruling from God. ¹⁶ When a dispute arises, they come to me, and I am the one who settles the case between the quarreling parties. I inform the people of God’s decrees and give them his instructions.”

¹⁷ “This is not good!” Moses’ father-in-law exclaimed. ¹⁸ “You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. ¹⁹ Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people’s representative before God, bringing their disputes to him. ²⁰ Teach them God’s decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives. ²¹ But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. ²² They should always be available to solve the people’s common disputes, but have them bring the major cases to you. Let the leaders decide the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you. ²³ If you follow this advice, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.”

²⁴ Moses listened to his father-in-law’s advice and followed his suggestions. ²⁵ He chose capable men from all over Israel and appointed them as leaders over the people. He put them in charge of groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. ²⁶ These men were always available to solve the people’s common disputes. They brought the major cases to Moses, but they took care of the smaller matters themselves.

²⁷ Soon after this, Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law, who returned to his own land.

Scripture text is for personal use only; copying, printing, or selling is prohibited. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

GOD SERIES
GOD: GIVES
Kyle Gray
February 18 & 19, 2012

Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. PSALM 37:4 (ESV)

Notes:

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

ICEBREAKER: What is the most favorite gift you’ve ever been given? What about worst gift?

1.  How has God’s free gift of grace—given through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ enriched and/or blessed your life?

2.  Unfortunately, it is easy for us to take our salvation for granted because we are so focused on the other things in our life that we don’t have. If God was willing to give up His Son for us, then what does that say about how God will handle the other details of our lives?

3.  Discuss a difficult circumstance you have gone through (or currently going through), yet you realize this experience is actually a blessing in disguise (even if it doesn’t feel like it)? What has God been teaching you? How has He changed you?

4.  There are Christians who struggle in their faith because they believe that being a Christ-follower means a life of ease or minimal difficulty. How do we prevent ourselves from falling into the trap of thinking that God will make our lives smoother if we follow Him? How does God bless us more if we follow Him?

5.  It’s dangerous for us to proclaim that we are blessed just we have a certain kind of home or job. It’s equally dangerous to say that someone isn’t blessed because he or she is sick or enduring a difficult time. How should we define a “blessed life?”