Untitled Sermon

Exodus 34

Introduction -

How many like using maps when going to a new location or having some one lead the way??

How many like to just go with it and try to figure it out, no map, no guide??

What is a good road map for this journey of life that we are currently on??

Who is a good guide for us??

Now, I know that is very basic, but sometimes we can easily lose our way in the midst of life.

This is affirmed in the chapter we will be looking at tonight.

Moses was delayed on Mt Sinai and the people fell into Idolatry with the golden calf (Ex 32). Moses realizes that God was not going to with the people and he pleads with God to go with, and God promises to go before them (Ex 33).

OUTLINE

READ VS. 1-3

I. God’s Instruction to Moses

And the LORD said to Moses, “Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke. 2 So be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself to Me there on the top of the mountain. 3 And no man shall come up with you, and let no man be seen throughout all the mountain; let neither flocks nor herds feed before that mountain.”

A. Cut two new tablets of stone (v 1)

God was planning to write on the new as the first

Replacing the old tablets that Moses destroyed (Cf. - Ex 32:19)

Significance - God does the writing - initiated and set forth by God

B. Moses to be ready in the morning (v 2)

Moses to come up on Mt Sinai

Present himself before God on the mtn. top

C. No man to come up with Moses, no one to be seen on mtn. other than Moses (v 3) - Result of previous verses - Cf. Exodus 20:18–20 “Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.”” (exhibiting paralyzing fear, not as God intended) ; Exodus 24:1–2 “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. And Moses alone shall come near the Lord, but they shall not come near; nor shall the people go up with him.”” ; Ex 24:9,Exodus 24:13 “So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up to the mountain of God.”

D. Neither flocks nor herds to feed “before” the Mtn. (Cf. Ex 19:11-13) - setting boundaries at the foot of the mountain for the people, establishing the Levitical priesthood, which Moses and Aaron were part of, shadowing the everlasting priesthood of Christ

READ VS 4

II. Moses carries out God’s Instruction (v 4)

4 So he cut two tablets of stone like the first ones. Then Moses rose early in the morning and went up Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him; and he took in his hand the two tablets of stone.

A. Cut two tablets of stone

B. Rose early in the morning, went up Mt. Sinai

C. Took the 2 tablets

D. “As the Lord commanded”

E. POINT - Exemplifying his obedience - for the believer - Cf.- (John 14:15 ““If you love Me, keep My commandments.” ; John 15:10 “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” ; 1 John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” )

READ VS 5-7

III. God descends upon the mtn. (v 5)

5 Now the LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6 And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”

A. Descends in the “cloud”

B. Stood with Moses - CF - (Exodus 33:11 “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.” )

C. Very likely this is the passing that was discussed in the previous chapter

D. Proclaimed as passing before Moses, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and fourth generation.” (v 6-7) - similar to previous when God passed before Moses - Exodus 33:19 “Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.””

“visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon children and the children’s children” -

Cf. -

Numbers 14:18 “‘The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.’”

Deuteronomy 5:9 “you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,”

Psalm 37:28 “For the Lord loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.”

Jeremiah 32:18 “You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them—the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts.”

Matthew 23:35–36 “that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.” - the repeated sin of persecuting and killing past prophets is culminated with the killing of Christ and is bringing a final judgment of the repeated persecution of the past prophets

John 9:1–3 “Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.”

POINT TO CONSIDER - sin/iniquity is visited on succeeding generations

Children not punished for sin of parents or vise versa

Exodus 32:33 “And the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.”

Deuteronomy 24:16 ““Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin.”

2 Kings 14:6 “But the children of the murderers he did not execute, according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, in which the Lord commanded, saying, “Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; but a person shall be put to death for his own sin.””

2 Chronicles 25:4 “However he did not execute their children, but did as it is written in the Law in the Book of Moses, where the Lord commanded, saying, “The fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall the children be put to death for their fathers; but a person shall die for his own sin.””

Jeremiah 31:30 “But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.”

Ezekiel 18:4–20 ““Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die. But if a man is just And does what is lawful and right; If he has not eaten on the mountains, Nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, Nor defiled his neighbor’s wife, Nor approached a woman during her impurity; If he has not oppressed anyone, But has restored to the debtor his pledge; Has robbed no one by violence, But has given his bread to the hungry And covered the naked with clothing; If he has not exacted usury Nor taken any increase, But has withdrawn his hand from iniquity And executed true judgment between man and man; If he has walked in My statutes— And kept My judgments faithfully— He is just; He shall surely live!” Says the Lord God. “If he begets a son who is a robber Or a shedder of blood, Who does any of these things And does none of those duties, But has eaten on the mountains Or defiled his neighbor’s wife; If he has oppressed the poor and needy, Robbed by violence, Not restored the pledge, Lifted his eyes to the idols, Or committed abomination; If he has exacted usury Or taken increase— Shall he then live? He shall not live! If he has done any of these abominations, He shall surely die; His blood shall be upon him. “If, however, he begets a son Who sees all the sins which his father has done, And considers but does not do likewise; Who has not eaten on the mountains, Nor lifted his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, Nor defiled his neighbor’s wife; Has not oppressed anyone, Nor withheld a pledge, Nor robbed by violence, But has given his bread to the hungry And covered the naked with clothing; Who has withdrawn his hand from the poor And not received usury or increase, But has executed My judgments And walked in My statutes He shall not die for the iniquity of his father; He shall surely live! “As for his father, Because he cruelly oppressed, Robbed his brother by violence, And did what is not good among his people, Behold, he shall die for his iniquity. “Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the guilt of the father?’ Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and observed them, he shall surely live. The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.”

POINT TO CONSIDER - Each person is responsible for his/her own sin

Sinful Nature of mankind

Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—”

Romans 5:18–19 “Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”

POINT TO CONSIDER - Sin to spread to all

All Have Sinned

Romans 3:10 “As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one;”

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

POINT TO CONSIDER - all are guilty of sin

REVIEW- based on scriptures

Sin/iniquity is visited on succeeding generations

Each person is responsible for his/her own sin

Sin to spread to all

All are guilty of sin

IS THIS A LEGITIMATE CONTRADICTION?

WHAT IS THE CORRECT INTERPRETATION OF THIS CONSIDERING THE WHOLE OF SCRIPTURE?

Is not saying -

This is not talking about original sin or the sinful nature but is more specific

This is not saying that the responsibility of one’s sin is required by the next generation, that would contradict other mentioned scripture

Is saying -

This is saying that sin is not going to be cleared apart from satisfying the requirements of the law

One’s sin does affect other’s, including succeeding generations

Each person does have the responsibility of choice to be obedient to the Lord or disobedient, which is sin (Not clearing the guilty)

There is an influence and increased tendency to follow in the sinful path of the previous generation

Conclusion - (in line with whole of scripture)

One’s sin can influence future generations. Children see the good, the bad, and the ugly. The term, “Monkey see, monkey do” is relevant. It is easy for the next generation to practice the same things they witness in parents or grandparents. They can still choose not to, but they need to be instructed that it is sin and the sinful behavior needs to be corrected. One helpful option is to be transparent by confessing our own sin and indicating that the behavior is not pleasing to God, but can be forgiven through faith in Christ.

Our response - seek to please the Lord and deny sin, because of knowing how it can influence others negatively, which does not glorify God

READ VS 8-9

IV. Moses responds to God’s presence

8 So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. 9 Then he said, “If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.”

A. Made Haste (v 8)

Bowed to the earth

worshiped - Jealous God - Exodus 20:5 “you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,” Exodus 34:14 “(for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),” Deuteronomy 4:24 “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” Deuteronomy 32:16 “They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods; With abominations they provoked Him to anger.” Deuteronomy 32:21 “They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God; They have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation; I will move them to anger by a foolish nation.” 1 Kings 14:22 “Now Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked Him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, more than all that their fathers had done.” Psalm 78:58 “For they provoked Him to anger with their high places, And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.” similar response - Joshua 5:14 “So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?”” 2 Chronicles 7:3 “When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever.”” Isaiah 6:4–7 “And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.”” worship - 1 Chronicles 16:29 “Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!” Psalm 5:7 “But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.” Psalm 29:2 “Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” Psalm 66:4 “All the earth shall worship You And sing praises to You; They shall sing praises to Your name.” Selah” Psalm 95:6–7 “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice:” Psalm 99:1–3 “The Lord reigns; Let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; Let the earth be moved! The Lord is great in Zion, And He is high above all the peoples. Let them praise Your great and awesome name— He is holy.” Matthew 2:11 “And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” John 4:23–24 “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”” Acts 24:14 “But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.” Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Hebrews 12:28 “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” Hebrews 13:15 “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”

Appealing to God’s grace (v 9)

Appealing for God’s presence despite stiff-necked people

Echoes - Moses’ plea from previous chapter for God to go with them - Exodus 33:12–16 “Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.””

Moses - realizing and declaring the importance of God’s presence (speaking of the necessary relationship with God, relying on His leadership and His power, there is a loss of purpose if God doesn’t go with)

QUESTION - DO WE EMBRACE THAT SAME NECESSITY OF GOD’S PRESENCE??

Pleading for pardon of iniquity and sin - “pardon” - similar to previous Exodus 32:32 “Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.”” - Moses interceding on behalf of the people - POINTING TO OUR ULTIMATE INTERCESSOR AND MEDIATOR JESUS CHRIST AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

Pleading - people would be God’s inheritance - God’s chosen people, His children - similar to 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” - referring to God’s chosen people that have come to faith in Jesus Christ

READ VS 10

V. God’s Response - Covenant (v 10)

10 And He said: “Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.

A. God re-establishes His Covenant with the people that they had broke (Ex 32) (Completely God initiated, showing His “grace”

“Covenant” - bereeth (hebrew) - 1285 - alliance, pledge, treaty, divine ordinance with signs or pledge

covenant - diatheke (Greek) - 1242 - covenant, testament, (covenant with Noah)

COVENANT - Two types - (1st type) One-sided, unconditional, or everlasting Covenant, initiated and sealed by God

Examples:

same usage in the following - Genesis 6:18 “But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.” Genesis 9:11 “Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.””Genesis 15:18 “On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land...”

Matthew 26:28 “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Hebrews 7:22 “by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.” Hebrews 8:6–13 “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” New covenant - forgiveness of sins through Christ - Ezekiel 11:19 “Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh,” Hebrews 10:16 ““This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,”” Hebrews 13:20 “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,”

2nd Type of Covenant - conditional, based on a promise by each party involved

The covenant here in chapter 34 is this type, the conditional.

It is called the Sinai covenant - established on Mt Sinai through Moses between God and the Israelites

God promised to bless if they are obedient

The people promise to keep God’s law

Stipulation/conditions - God will bless if people are obedient. God will bring curses if disobedient.

B. God Explains His Plan

Do marvels not previously done in all the earth or nation (v 10) - same word as “wonders” in (Ex 3:20) - expression that God is sovereign over all the world by exhibiting His control of creation which serves as confirmation that He is able to maintain and fulfill the covenant that He established with the Israelites. In context, the “marvels” referring to God driving out the inhabitants of the land before the Israelites, which has not been previously recorded the bible, referring to verse 11.

All the people with Moses will see the work of the Lord

“Awesome” thing that God was about to do with you

Indicating God will drive out - Amorite, Canaanite, Hittite, Perizzite, Hivite, Jebusite (native inhabitants of the land)

READ VS 11-17

VI. God’s Specific Commands to the People (v 11)

11 Observe what I command you this day. Behold, I am driving out from before you the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 12 Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst. 13 But you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images 14 (for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), 15 lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they play the harlot with their gods and make sacrifice to their gods, and one of them invites you and you eat of his sacrifice, 16 and you take of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters play the harlot with their gods and make your sons play the harlot with their gods. 17 “You shall make no molded gods for yourselves.

A. Command and Observe (things to do) - take heed - warning/ to pay attention to avoid making a covenant with the inhabitants, to avoid inhabitants becoming a snare (v 12)

Destroy - their altars, break their sacred pillars, cut down their wooden images (v 13)

Command - Worship no other god, the Lord, “Jealous” , “jealous God” (v 14) - direct reference to Exodus 20:3 ““You shall have no other gods before Me.” - jealous - qanna 7067 - this only used in conjunction with God. The definition includes an aspect of zeal—great energy and enthusiasm to protect and benefit his people. Joel 2:18 tells us that the Lord was jealous for his land and took pity on his people Jealous God It is the Lord who presents Himself as a “jealous God.” This title is found six times in the Old Testament (Ex. 20:5; 34:14; Deut. 4:24; 5:9; 6:15; Josh. 24:19). The first occurrence is in Exodus 20:5 JEALOUSY God’s jealousy is his zealous protectiveness of all that belongs to him (himself, his name, his glory, his people, his sole right to receive worship and ultimate obedience, his land, and his city).   Jealous I am learning that God is a jealous God. This is a problem for some of us. We see jealousy as a negative, as a sin. But we need to remember that the root of God’s jealousy is not sin at all. At the heart of God’s jealousy is love. God knows what is best for us, and it hurts Him when we choose another over Him. Deuteronomy 4:24  - IN CONTRAST - Joseph’s “brothers were jealous of him” (Gen. 37:11), and “Saul kept a jealous eye on David” (1 Sam. 18:9). This kind of jealousy is wrong and brings misery even to our loved ones.

Avoid a covenant with inhabitants - avoid their practices - playing harlotry with their gods, making sacrifices to their gods, invitation to eat of the sacrifices, and intermarrying (v 13-16) CONNECTION BETWEEN GOD’S jEALOUSY AND COVENANT - The people are to not make any type of covenant with the inhabitants, only with God

Command - do not make any molded gods (v 17) CF - Exodus 20:4 ““You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;” and Exodus 20:23 “You shall not make anything to be with Me—gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves.” Deuteronomy 7:4 “For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the Lord will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly.” Deuteronomy 7:16 “Also you shall destroy all the peoples whom the Lord your God delivers over to you; your eye shall have no pity on them; nor shall you serve their gods, for that will be a snare to you.” 1 Samuel 8:8 “According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also.” ASSOCIATED WITH HARLOTRY - 1 Chronicles 5:25 “And they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers, and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them.” Jeremiah 2:28 “But where are your gods that you have made for yourselves? Let them arise, If they can save you in the time of your trouble; For according to the number of your cities Are your gods, O Judah.” Zephaniah 2:11 “The Lord will be awesome to them, For He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; People shall worship Him, Each one from his place, Indeed all the shores of the nations.” Acts 19:26 “Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands.” Galatians 4:8 “But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods.”

God had warned them of the necessary steps to help prevent pagan or false worship and then, in the following verses God directs them to the specifics of worshipping Him.

READ VS 18

VII. Additional Command - keep “Feast of Unleavened Bread”(v 18) -

18 “The Feast of Unleavened Bread you shall keep. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, in the appointed time of the month of Abib; for in the month of Abib you came out from Egypt.

In Exodus 12, when the Israelites were still in Egypt, God gave the following instructions for the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exod 12): • At sundown on the 14th of Abib, the Israelites were to sacrifice the Passover lamb and spread its blood upon the doorposts of their homes (Exod 12:1–7). Exodus 12:17 “So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance.” Exodus 23:15 “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);”

The Feast of Unleavened Bread—Leviticus 23:6–8 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto Jehovah: seven days ye shall eat unleavened bread

A. Eat unleavened bread for seven days

B. In the month of Abib - when they came out of Egypt

Reason for unleaven - Israelites left in haste, no time to wait for the dough to rise Exodus 12:11 “And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.”

Leaven - symbolizing sin or influence of evil such as false doctrine

Old Testament - This occurs in connection with the rescue of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, the type of escape from evil. At the institution of the Passover—an ordinance

New testament - The Conduct of False Doctrine “And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod” (Mark 8:15). Matthew’s account speaks of the leaven of the “Pharisees and of the Sadducees” (Matthew 16:6)

Paul applies the same concept to moral corruption, warning that “a little leaven leavens the whole lump” and admonishing his readers to “clean out the - 1 Corinthians 5:6–8 “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

EQUATING:

What does “leaven” often refer to in the Bible?

Leaven - 1Cor 5:6-8 - influence of sin, malice, wickedness, and false doctrine (old leaven - referring to the law, the original passover in Ex 12 to the new Passover sacrifice which is Christ)

Unleaven - sincerity and truth

READ VS 19-20

VIII. Additional Command - Firstborn (v 19-20)

19 “All that open the womb are Mine, and every male firstborn among your livestock, whether ox or sheep. 20 But the firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb. And if you will not redeem him, then you shall break his neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. “And none shall appear before Me empty-handed.

Referring back to: Exodus 13:2 ““Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.”” Exodus 13:12 “that you shall set apart to the Lord all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the Lord’s.” Exodus 13:14 “So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall say to him, ‘By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” Exodus 13:15 “And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’”

A. Male firstborn of livestock - ox, sheep

B. Firstborn of donkey - redeem with a lamb, not redeemed- break its neck

C. Firstborn sons - must be redeemed

D. None Shall appear empty-handed

Levites took place of the Firstborn of the Israelites - Numb 3:40-41

E. Looking to the ultimate first born, Jesus Christ

READ VS 21

IX. Additional Command - Sabbath - six days of work, seventh day of rest - in times of plowing and harvest (v 21) - even at busy times of plowing and harvest

21 “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest.

First mentioned to Israelites: Exodus 16:23 “Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.’ ””

Explained: Exodus 20:10–11 “but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”

Jesus Declared: Mark 2:27–28 “And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.””

The Lord of the Sabbath In Mark 2:23–28, we are introduced to another of His titles: “Lord of the Sabbath” (v. 28). That designation, coming from Jesus’ own lips, underscored His divine authority while again setting Him in direct conflict with the hypocritical religious leaders of Judaism

Lord of the Sabbath - in context of religious leaders questioning Christ’s actions on the Sabbath, He is declaring that He is sovereign over all even the sabbath. Meaning his authority supersedes any views, thoughts, or authority the religious leaders may have been exhibiting.

Sabbath - The seventh day of the week that was set apart by God for rest. What the Lord is affirming is that the Sabbath has its place within the sphere of his messianic lordship and that he exercises lordship over the Sabbath because the Sabbath was made for man.

READ VS 22

X. Command - Feast of Weeks, firstfruits of wheat harvest, Feast of Ingathering at year’s end (v 22) 22 “And you shall observe the Feast of Weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year’s end.

Feast of Weeks - It is most commonly called Feast of Weeks (ḥag haššābuʿôt), from which is derived the common Jewish name for the feast, Shavuot (Exod. 34:22; Num. 28:26; Deut. 16:10, 16; 2 Chr. 8:13; cf. Lev. 23:16–21). 

THE FEAST OF WEEKS The feast of weeks was celebrated at the close of harvest, as a festival of thanks for its blessings. It was required to be always observed at the end of seven weeks from the second day of the Passover, on which the sheaf of first-fruits was offered, as an introduction to the harvest, and lasted only for one day. 

Feast of Ingathering - The Feast of Ingathering The third feast was also connected to the harvest, except it came in the autumn, seven months after Passover, when all the crops were safely gathered in. God said, “Celebrate the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field” (Exod. 23:16b).

READ VS 23-24

XI. Command - three times a year all men appear before the Lord (v 23)

23 “Three times in the year all your men shall appear before the Lord, the LORD God of Israel. 24 For I will cast out the nations before you and enlarge your borders; neither will any man covet your land when you go up to appear before the LORD your God three times in the year.

A. V 23 - Referring to the three previously mentioned feasts:

(Passover - Passover occurs on the fifteenth of Nisan (between March 15 and April 30). The Institution of Passover Passover is celebrated on the 14th day of the first month Abib (later called Nisan).)

Feast of Unleavened Bread -  A week-long Jewish festival celebrated in conjunction with the springtime Passover (Lev 23:4–8; Ezek 45:21)

Feast of Weeks

Feast of Ingathering

B. Cast out the nations, enlarge borders (v 24)

C. No one will covet each man’s land

These three feasts were designated by God for worship

QUOTE

READ VS 25

XII. Additional Command of leaven and unleaven -

25 “You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leaven, nor shall the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover be left until morning.

A. Not offer blood of My sacrifice with leaven (v 25) - Cf - Exodus 12:15 “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.”

B. Not leave the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover. until morning - Cf - Exodus 12:10 “You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire.”

READ VS 26

XIII. Additional Command of firstfruits

26 “The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring to the house of the LORD your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.”

A. First of the firstfruits - bring to the house of the Lord (v 26) - Bringing the first of your harvest as an offering to God was a way of tangibly thanking him for the land, for seasonal rainfall, and for his gracious provision of a good grain harvest.

FIRST FRUITS According to Israelite law, the people had to present to God the first portion of the harvest, whether of grain or fruit, as an expression of thanks to him for the entire harvest (Exod 22:29; 23:19)

FIRST-FRUITS, among the Hebrews, were presents made to God of part of the fruits of the harvest, to express the submission, dependence, and thankfulness of the offerers. They were offered at the temple, before the crop was touched; and when the harvest was over, before any private persons used their corn

FIRSTFRUITS (Heb. rēʾshîth, bikkûrîm, Gr. aparchē). In acknowledgment of the fact that all the products of the land came from God, and to show thankfulness for his goodness, Israelites brought as an offering a portion of the fruits that ripened first

B. Not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk - Cf - Ex 23:19 - previously mentioned due to cruelty

READ VS 27

XIV. Additional Command of writing the words of the covenant

27 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write these words, for according to the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.”

A. “Write these words”

B. According to the “tenor” - covenant with Moses and Israel (v 27) - Meaning these words, the tone of these words, emphasize the “covenant” God was establishing with the Israelites.

READ VS 28

XV. Time while Moses with the Lord (v 28)

28 So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

A. 40 days and 40 nights

Similar - Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years

Jesus 40 days in the wilderness (Mark 1:13; Luke 4:2)

B. Moses - no bread or water

C. God wrote Ten Commandments on tablets

READ 29-35

XVI. Shining Face of Moses (v 29)

29 Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. 30 So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him; and Moses talked with them. 32 Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them as commandments all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. 33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. 34 But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded. 35 And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.

A. Moses came down mtn. with tablets and face shone while with the Lord

B. Aaron, children of Israel were afraid to come near (v 30)

C. Moses talked with the rulers (v 31

D. Children drew near as Moses gave God’s commandments (v 32)

E. Moses veiled his face while with people, but removed in presence of the Lord (33-35)

Veiled Face -

Veil - Veil in the Bible, sometimes called “curtain,” refers either to a part of a person’s attire or to a piece of hanging cloth that serves as a barrier between parts of a space

The New Covenant Is Clear and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away

VEIL. Worn by Rebekah, Gen. 24:65; by Tamar, Gen. 38:14, 19; by Moses, to screen his face when he descended from Mount Sinai, Ex. 34:33, 35; 2 Cor. 3:13–16

Hafemann continues that since Israel committed idolatry in Exodus 32 and since the Lord threatened them with destruction (cf. Ex 32–33), Moses’ veiled face when addressing them was a sign of God’s judgment against them while

Veil of Tabernacle -

Exodus 26:31–37 ““You shall make a veil woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen. It shall be woven with an artistic design of cherubim. You shall hang it upon the four pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold. Their hooks shall be gold, upon four sockets of silver. And you shall hang the veil from the clasps. Then you shall bring the ark of the Testimony in there, behind the veil. The veil shall be a divider for you between the holy place and the Most Holy. You shall put the mercy seat upon the ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy. You shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand across from the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south; and you shall put the table on the north side. “You shall make a screen for the door of the tabernacle, woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, made by a weaver. And you shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold; their hooks shall be gold, and you shall cast five sockets of bronze for them.”

Veil of the temple -

The fabric that served to divide the inner sanctum (“holy of holies”) of the Tabernacle from the outer sanctum. It guarded the most holy object, the ark

2 Chronicles 3:14 “And he made the veil of blue, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and wove cherubim into it.” (Ex 26:31, Matt 27:51, Heb 9:3)

Hebrews 9:3 “and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All,”

Veil Torn - Matthew 27:50–53 “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.”

Moses put a veil on because of the response of the people, fear. Similar to their response to not go up the mountain. We are to have “fear of the Lord”, but it shouldn’t be debilitating. It is a matter of recognizing and acknowledging who God is, “The Creator of the Universe”.

Through faith in Christ, the believer can behold the Lord with an unveiled face. That is the symbolic meaning behind the veil of the temple being torn in two.

Unveiled -

Transfiguration - (unveiled) - Matthew 17:1–8 “Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.”

2 Corinthians 3:12–18 “Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech—unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

CONCLUSION

GOD’S APPARENT GRACE

Evidence of relationship

Glory of God shining forth - His light shining forth

Bring glory to His name

Matthew 5:15 “Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.”

Romans 13:12 “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”

1 John 1:5–7 “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”