Exodus 23:10-24:18

Good morning church! First of all, I’d like to let you all know that we’ll be in our own place here very soon. I know some of you have some want to have some involvement in how you can help us out in this new place, because we’re going to have to handle everything ourselves moving forward. If you’re interested in serving, you can come and see the elders about that. We have things we’d like to do, and other things we will need to make sure we have covered. Please come visit with them. As soon as we have an opportunity to, I’d like to take some time out on a Sunday and take us all over there. Start here, have some worship and then go there, let you all have a look around, and take some time to pray for our ministry moving forward.

Last week, in Exodus 22 and starting 23, we were talking about the reasoning behind the case law that has been laid out thus far to Moses from God while Moses was on the mountain. God wanted His people to be so different than the rest of the world, that they would be purposely looked at as odd.

The Lord would be making sure that all of the customs they learned living in the land of the Canaanites before Egypt, and then in Egypt, they would unlearn. Undoing slavery and making it honorable. Honoring women. Being responsible for your family and possessions, making restitution if you’re careless. Taking care of orphans and widows, the poor, and even treating their enemies with respect was encouraged by the Lord. These are all things that Jesus would come to teach us.

It’s kind of like what we’re about to head into, isn’t it? Unlike the Israelites, who have spent a few weeks maybe in the wilderness, we’ve spent 3 years there, waiting on something like this for us. Now, we need to unlearn all of our habits and form some new ones. That will take all of you taking on a role. Whether you like it or not, you’re a part of the Body of Christ, and as a whole, we’re a part of the bigger body of Christ. I’m not going to do what some pastors would, wrap these events around what we’re going thru, they are not the same, but some of the principles are.

This week, there is going to be even more foreshadowing to the rest of the Old Testament, as well as straight to Jesus. That’s the most important thing, that you can help people see Jesus throughout scripture. There are strange winds of doctrine blowing all around right now. Don’t take the bait. There are no new revelations of Scripture. They may mean different things, but the Word is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. Be prepared for those challenges to come, and always return to Scripture and to the titans of the faith that have stood before us. There is a multitude of information to pull from, always weigh it with Scripture.

Exodus 23:10–13 NKJV

10 “Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its produce, 11 but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave, the beasts of the field may eat. In like manner you shall do with your vineyard and your olive grove. 12 Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female servant and the stranger may be refreshed. 13 “And in all that I have said to you, be circumspect and make no mention of the name of other gods, nor let it be heard from your mouth.

What is God referring to here. Sabbath rest FOR THE LAND, not just for man. He’s mirroring the creation story: 6 years of Grace from the Lord, the 7th year, keep it Holy. Rest is important. Someone tell that to Aaron, right? I need to rest. My life is at breakneck speed, I don’t want to miss the things the Lord has for me to be observant about. You can’t observe anything traveling at that speed, except things at a distance, right? You can see the hills and mountains, everything in front is a blur.

How about those things at a distance, are they clear either? No, they aren’t. Beautiful, but not clear. Even leaders can have clear vision about where we’re going, and still run over things, or people on their way there. I don’t want to be like that. I don’t want you to be like that. The most important things in your life are the people in your family. Your wife, your husband, your kids. Nothing can take their places.

Why does God say to let the land rest, in verse 11? GIVE ALL OF THAT TO THE POOR. It’s not to be cultivated and sold. Let it be free. That’s what your Sabbath day should look like. A day of freedom. Not slaved to work, or school, but a day to give back to the Lord. A “What would you have me do today Lord?” day. Be honest, how many of us would even hear the proper voice of the Lord in our life? One of my kids was just asking me the other day what the voice in my head sounds like that tells me I’m not good enough and things of the such. I told her I don’t hear that voice, and I need to apologize, I do hear it. I should have used a better word, I don’t heed that voice. I’m not who this world says I am. You’re not who this world says you are. You, and I, are who the Lord says we are. That other voice can go right back to hell. Amen. Yes, I said hell in church, it’s a place where the person who tells us about that lives.

Now, would the Israelites do this? NOPE. Why? They forgot the precepts of the Lord, because they intermingled with the people of the land and embraced their gods. See, it’s important that we don’t tolerate the gods of this world. I’m using strong language because we need to be strong about it. There are 2 stories in Ezekiel about the watchman on the wall. If we see something dangerous coming close to the people we are to be protecting, we need to sound the alarm. Alarms aren’t pleasant, are they? Kids, what do you do when you hear an alarm? What do you WANT to do when you hear it? SMASH IT, right? What does the alarm do, though? It saves your life if you heed the warning. This is why some of you will hear me tell you, unless you have to, don’t even identify the devil. Don’t give him a foothold in your life. That foothold will leave a divot for a stronghold to form. Focus on the Savior, not the destroyer.

This is the basis of the prophecy of why Israel went into captivity for 70 years. See, they spent 490 years from this point to then not taking that sabbath year off and letting the land rest. That’s 70 Sabbath Years (70x7). See, God will reclaim what He commands, whether we are obedient or not. My best advice to you, be obedient to the Lord in your life. When you take the time to tune into His voice (which takes a lot of time, prayer, and SILENCE in your life) you’ll distinguish better those voices that tear you down.

Sabbath is for enjoyment of the mercy, grace, and love of the Lord upon us. Take it seriously.

Exodus 23:14–16 NKJV

14 “Three times you shall keep a feast to Me in the year: 15 You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread (you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt; none shall appear before Me empty); 16 and the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors which you have sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you have gathered in the fruit of your labors from the field.

There are 7 total feasts, these are the 3 major ones that the Lord is setting up for us first, 4 will come in Leviticus. Mark these down:

Feast of Unleavened Bread - Passover/Easter - In the Spring. Kids, what is unleavened bread? What does it look like? Why?

Why is this important to the Christian? It’s Resurrection time. This is the celebration of the redemption of Israel. When we read a few weeks ago about the captives being lead out of Egypt, they were set free by God. Just like they’ll be set free when Christ rises from the grave. God is saying “Remember Me, so you know Me when you see Me!”

Feast of Harvest - Late May, Early June - Kids, what is a harvest?

50 days after Passover, also known as Pentecost, from the Greek Septuagint and it means literally 50th - Why is THIS important to the Christian? It’s the day when the Holy Spirit descended and was given to the Disciples making them, now Apostles. Disciple means learner, Apostle means one sent out. There was a great harvest of souls when that event occurred, and it’s still occuring today because of them.

This is a representation of what happens to the soul that has been redeemed by Christ. The Holy Spirit comes upon them and and lives with them in their heart. This is different than the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, though, that’s what happened to the Apostles. They were not just comforted, they were lit on fire. Nothing could stop them from proclaiming Jesus, and no cost would be too high for them to pay to meet their savior again in Heaven.

Feast of Ingathering - is in the fall, known today as the Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot. Kids, what is a tabernacle? Why would you build a tabernacle? Who gets in it with you?

It’s a time of thanksgiving and to remember the time in the wilderness. It was a massive celebration of the harvest for the year, celebrating fellowship. To the Christian today, it would be a time for us to remember and celebrate the provision of the Lord, and that, thru it all, every step we take, He is with those who call Him Lord. He will never leave us or forsake us.

Vs 17 says what?

Exodus 23:17 NKJV

17 “Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord God.

Why did the males have to make the trip, to do what? To come appear before the Lord. Every man was to examine his heart and humble himself before the Lord. The men have a serious role before God. Like we talked about last week, men and women are different, for a reason. Men, we’re to die for our families. Protect and provide at all cost. Women, you are to live for your families. Love and nurture is the role. It doesn’t mean you’re incapable of other things, but this world perverts the design of men and women.

Why was it important, though? MEN WERE THE LEADERS. We are the authority. We should be the RIGHTEOUS authority, shouldn’t we? As we go, our families go. Dad’s are the missing link in families today. Our culture is weak because men have given up their position of authority in their homes. It’s time we took it back. Take a headship role in your children’s spiritual growth. It’s not an option, it’s a command.

Each week, we print up questionnaire's for you to take with you. If your kids can read, it will help them get more out of the message. BUT, more than that, it helps you ask your kids the questions that help bolster the information. Take an active role, or the world will take it from you. If you’re behind, take up the mantle. There will come a time when it’ll be too late. Don’t let things get that far.

God is asking the men to show up and give an account. It’s time again, our men should step up. The next generation could be the generation we lose completely.

Exodus 23:18–19 NKJV

18 “You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread; nor shall the fat of My sacrifice remain until morning. 19 The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.

Follow the Lord’s commands...but what is this boiling a young goat in it’s mother’s milk? What does that mean? The Jews have taken this to serve as some kosher laws, when I was in Israel, I couldn’t have cheese on pizza with meat, or if I wanted cheese, I couldn’t have meat on the pizza. Actually, when I was there, I sat down to eat a sandwich and was confronted by 2 young men yelling at me. I asked what the problem was, and they said “You can’t have ice cream with meat, it’s not kosher.” The ice cream was sitting on the table in front of me. They emphatically told me, throw out one or the other, and they wouldn’t let me eat both. They explained it fit this scripture.

But there’s another meaning that I believe fits here too. I heard a Hebrew scholar say, the way this is written speaks toward a reminder to not do things against God’s design. The milk of the mother is supposed to nourish and sooth their young. He said there was a magic ritual that would often be performed during sacrifices, and he wanted to make sure the Israelites didn’t do those things.

Now, I want you to listen carefully to the next 5 verses, and think about who this might be:

Exodus 23:20–24 NKJV

20 “Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. 21 Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him. 22 But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. 23 For My Angel will go before you and bring you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off. 24 You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars.

This Angel, also translated as Messenger, is it capitalized in your Bible? Mine too. Who do you think this Angel is? It’s the Christophany. This is another representation of Jesus in the Old Testament. This is part of where the Jews get the conquering Messiah that they long for. Jesus would come to conquer, but it would be to conquer the grave, not the enemies of Israel, because He had already done that for them, as described here.

This leader for Israel will hold the people to the Law, until the Law has done it’s job in the land. That is to turn every eye to Christ, to their need for a savior, so they make their choice as to who they will serve, God, or himself. there is a promise of prosperity if they follow God’s commands. Not prosperity as false teachers teach. It’s a spiritual prosperity. It’s a Heavenly prosperity. It’s one that doesn’t get eaten away by the things of this world.

There will be a supernatural fight that will go on behind the scenes to allow Israel to enter the land just as the Lord has promised. He knows the people of the land now have desecrated it. Now, could He just break all of these things down Himself? He has that power, doesn’t He? We see that throughout the Bible. BUT, God takes a different tactic. He wants to use His people to tear down these strongholds and defeat these idols. That’s why it’s so important for us to not be deceived by useless geneologys and every wind of doctrine. Be wise, be bold. The Lord did not give a single one of us a spirit of fear, but of power, strength, poise, and grace.

If you feel unworthy to a task, God will tell you, you’re not ready, but I am. We march around, we plan...we limit ourselves, the Lord goes before us, will we follow Him? If the Lord is in it, it will prosper. If it’s not, it will fail. Be a willing follower. You are not ready for the task. That’s OK. I’m not ready to lead you all...Let the “But God” moments be the ones where you stepped out in faith, and let them be many in your life.

Here are the promises the Lord makes to Israel if they follow this Angel and recognize Him. (2 SLIDES)

Exodus 23:25–28 NKJV

25 “So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. 26 No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. 27 “I will send My fear before you, I will cause confusion among all the people to whom you come, and will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. 28 And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before you.

Exodus 23:29–33 NKJV

29 I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land. 31 And I will set your bounds from the Red Sea to the sea, Philistia, and from the desert to the River. For I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. 32 You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. 33 They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

God sets VERY GENEROUS BOUNDS for the land Israel is to occupy. The River described here isn’t the Jordan river, it’s the Euphrates river. The Euphrates splits Iraq in half. That’s an ENORMOUS piece of land. The Lord said He would use these enemies to continue to prepare the land for them, and drive them out little by little, and He will! Many times the Lord’s supernatural hand will be seen and felt by His people.

But again, the command...I’m your God, their gods are not. They are useless, and stand against everything the Lord has created. Serve the God of man, not the gods by man, or there will be consequences.

We are going to head thru one more chapter today, so let’s start Chapter 24

Exodus 24:1–2 NKJV

1 Now He said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. 2 And Moses alone shall come near the Lord, but they shall not come near; nor shall the people go up with him.”

Moses was now sent down to grab Aaron and his 2 sons, and the elders and bring them closer, and deliver what He’s heard from the Lord so far. The Lord wanted them to witness Moses, again, being the one to be called up when he returned.

Exodus 24:3–8 NKJV

3 So Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the judgments. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the Lord has said we will do.” 4 And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord. And he rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 Then he sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. 6 And Moses took half the blood and put it in basins, and half the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient.” 8 And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words.”

Moses built the altar as the Lord had instructed him and provided a sacrifice. He made the 12 pillars to represent the sacrifice being witnessed by the 12 tribes.

After making the altar, he called the MEN of Israel, the leaders of the houses, to bring a sacrifice. Half of the blood would be sprinkled on the altar, and half sprinkled on the people, what does this symbolize? If we think all the way back to Abraham, God made a covenant with Himself when He asked Abraham to provide a sacrifice, cut the animals in two and then made him wait all day and night. He had to fight off animals all day to keep them away from the sacrifice because the Lord said He’d show up.

Finally, the Lord put Abraham into a deep sleep, and when Abraham arose, he saw a fire, and a smoldering pot float thru the middle of the pieces of the animal, thru the blood providing that THIS COVENANT was not contingent on Man, but would be everlasting because God does not break His promises. We consistently can’t keep our promises, but He always will.

The symbol here, is half of the animal is sprinkled unto the Lord, and half on the people. It symbolizes life returning to the Lord, and life being given to the people. It’s a symbol of the blood poured out by Jesus, and the blood applied to the born again believer. We must sacrifice our life to Him to receive the blessing of eternal life in Heaven. A life for a life. Brothers, it starts with us.

Exodus 24:9–11 NKJV

9 Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. 11 But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank.

The elders got to see the God of Israel’s feet, and they had a fear that the Lord would smite them, because that’s what He said He would do if they got too close. Clearly, this time, God wanted them close to Him as a witness. So the men had fellowship together there.

Exodus 24:12 NKJV

12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them.”

NOW, Moses gets the tablets with the commandments.

To the kids in this room, who wrote the commandments on the stone tablets this time? God did! In about 10 chapters, we’re going to hear that Moses gets angry and does what to those tablets? He breaks them, right? Then, he has to go back up the mountain, and what does God make Moses do then? He makes MOSES write it this time. Do any of you like writing sentences? God taught Moses a lesson by making him WALK UP A MOUNTAIN, then WRITE SENTENCES. IN a piece of STONE. Imagine your parents doing that, huh? Be thankful it’s with a paper an pencil now. Your parents want you to learn your lesson quickly and have those words inscribed on your heart.

Exodus 24:13–15 NKJV

13 So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. 14 And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Indeed, Aaron and Hur are with you. If any man has a difficulty, let him go to them.” 15 Then Moses went up into the mountain, and a cloud covered the mountain.

Moses knew he would need an assistant. Who better than Joshua. Joshua means “Jehovah is Salvation.” He would take over after Moses dies and lead the people into the promised land. Joshua was a man of great faith, and it was he and Caleb that were 2 of the 12 spies sent into the promised land to report back if the land was ready for them to move forward into the land. This is the only time that the Israelites should have NOT taken the multitude of council’s advice. Caleb and Joshua were men of great courage, and we’ll see that in the future as we follow along thru the scripture.

Exodus 24:16–18 NKJV

16 Now the glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17 The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel. 18 So Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

The Glory of the Lord was a visible presence before the people of Israel. Every time that’s mentioned throughout the Bible, it’s usually a cloud or bright blinding light or fire. God wanted to make sure the people of Israel knew He was real.

40 is significant to the Hebrew people as a period of spiritual separation and purification. It’s a time of personal growth. Moses was being set apart, fasting and communing with God for as long as the human body can. When Moses returns from this encounter, he will forever be different. Just like wilderness times for us are necessary for growth to happen.

Thruout these 2 chapters, God is saying “I’ve given you My Commandments, and some of my laws, now I will send for you a messenger to go before you, to protect and guide you.” A task was set fourth, YOU will have to cleanse the land as you take it. It’s been defiled by pagan gods, and they are the reason they must be conquered.

Then, in Chapter 24, God prepares His people for worship, and consecrates them to Himself again. Reminding the people, you are Mine, and I want to be yours. This is not a new covenant, it’s a sign of the old. God has done what He said He would do, and always will. Israel is His chosen people. We are Gentiles grafted into that vine thru the Grace of God. This is God telling His people, you have a mission to accomplish. You have had your eyes open. Look for me. Just as we should now, look for that second coming of Christ, when He returns for His bride, to protect us from the wrath that is to come.

We all have our idols and things we worship. This Super Bowl Sunday is one of the those pagan idol days. Whom do you serve? The gods of this world? Or the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? If there is something that happens that dishonors God, what will you do about it? Will you allow it? Or will you stand against it? That’s the problem with Christianity today, we have allowed so much to go on for so long, we can’t get it back in the box. We see God’s Grace as a cheap oil when it was the costly blood of Jesus that allows for that Grace. God is a God of judgement if there is no Grace. Do we want Wrath? Or do we beg for Mercy? We surely deserve wrath. It’s coming for all who don’t believe in the name of Jesus.

Men, Fathers in this room, are you going to take up your mantle as the Spiritual leader of your family? Will you take up the cause? Our children are being bought and sold. Our sons corrupted into a sea of filth that we are afraid to confront because we have been wading, and in some cases swimming in that same filth. Our daughters are being enticed by so much more than a seductive fruit. Their self image is so distorted, fear of gluttony leading to body dysmorphia, a self worth of negative values.

Our wives longing for someone to turn to them and say “I will protect you no matter what happens, and I will forsake everything, including my secret sin to lift you up as the daughter of the Most High God that has been given to me.

Men, I have made things easy for you for months now, to take the sheets that we made for your kids here, and reteach them the questions on the back. We must understand, as I see it clearly, if our kids are unruly, it’s because we are undisciplined. When was the last time you taught your children the things you know how to do? Or are we too busy filling our time with mindlessness and video games? Or worse? Our kids don’t run our families. We don’t chase them. They should be chasing us to the exciting things you’re leading them to.

Some of us need to get on the Mountain with the Lord. No other distractions, but you and Him. Ladies, some of you may need that too. Find a prayer life that has been missing. Return to your first love. God loves His children. He never wants to be away from them. He’s always teaching them, always proving them, always making them uncomfortable, and always for His glory. Do we look at our children like that? Or are we quick to hand them off to people who we don’t know, and don’t understand the intentions of. I used to be like that. I want my kids to know I love them, the way God so loved Israel. If they obey what I tell them, they will prosper. I will be quick to show grace and mercy, yet quick to correct when an idol is present.

It’s a few short years we have that influence. Then they make their own decisions. Let’s make our sons and daughters grow up to be like us. Not the sinful side of us, not the selfish side of us, but the side of us that lives on now...or maybe the side of us that is just a little down the road because, this could be the day you make the changes to lead them properly. Be the anchor they need when the wind is high and the seas are dangerous. I’m the best and worst of my parents. I would like to think I’ve got more of the better parts of them that come out most often. I want my kids, and you should want yours, to be better than you are. To take those things they don’t like and crush them in their life, and take the wonderful things about you and make them wonderfuller.

I’m at a crossroads with my kids now. I know soon I’ll have to release some of them. I can only pray from then on, and be available, as the prodigal’s father was, waiting for them to return. Be prepared for how you will respond when they do. Remember how the Lord does for you when you fall. Is it with a crashing down of the law? Or is it covered with grace? How do we respond? I know how I do...and most times, to my chagrin, it’s with more law. There is a time for that.

Take up your role, church. This world needs leaders, big brothers and sisters, disciplers that are ready to show the way. You don’t have to be ready, just able. That’s all He calls us to. Be willing to venture out into the darkness and let the Lord guide you.