Category: Exodus

  • Exodus 23

    Exodus 23

    Read Exodus 23

    Laws of Justice and Mercy

    1 “Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.

    “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, and do not show favoritism to a poor person in a lawsuit.

    “If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it.

    “Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits.Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty.

    “Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the innocent.

    “Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt.

    Sabbath Laws

    10 “For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, 11 but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what is left. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.

    12 “Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed.

    13 “Be careful to do everything I have said to you. Do not invoke the names of other gods; do not let them be heard on your lips.

    The Three Annual Festivals

    14 “Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to me.

    15 “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread; for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv, for in that month you came out of Egypt.

    “No one is to appear before me empty-handed.

    16 “Celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the firstfruits of the crops you sow in your field.

    “Celebrate the Festival of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field.

    17 “Three times a year all the men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord.

    18 “Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me along with anything containing yeast.

    “The fat of my festival offerings must not be kept until morning.

    19 “Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God.

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

    God’s Angel to Prepare the Way

    20 “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.21 Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. 22 If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. 23 My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out.24 Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces. 25 Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, 26 and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.

    27 “I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run. 28 I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way.29 But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.

    31 “I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the desert to the Euphrates River. I will give into your hands the people who live in the land, and you will drive them out before you. 32 Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods. 33 Do not let them live in your land or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you.”

    Go Deeper

    Another day, another set of instructions for the Israelites to live by. So far, we have seen God outline the expectations for everything from property, to sexuality, to how to properly borrow something from a neighbor. This chapter begins by talking about justice and ends with God essentially re-affirming His commitment to the Israelites. This chapter, along with the few preceding it, give us tremendous insight into Israelite culture as they were trying to navigate life beyond slavery. 

    There’s an interesting thread that flows throughout this chapter, beginning in verse 2, where it says, “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.” Later on, there are warnings of what can happen when you worship the gods of others (verses 24 and 32). Clearly, God was concerned that the Israelites would fall victim to peer pressure and turn their backs on Him. 

    Who we surround ourselves with matters. This is a theme that prevails throughout the story of Scripture. Proverbs 13:20 says, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” It’s easy to follow the crowd. It’s easy to do whatever everyone else is doing. It takes boldness and courage to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.  

    At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that our citizenship here on earth is temporary. When we idolize status or possessions, when we make gods out of money or acclaim, we’ve simply given in and followed the crowd. We have let the world around us dictate success, when instead God has laid out His expectations for us. We need to surround ourselves with people who will help us love God more, spur us on towards love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24), and help us chip away at the parts of us that don’t look like Christ. 

    Questions
    1. What instructions or laws stuck out to you the most when you read this chapter? Why?

    2. Are you more of a leader or a follower? How have you seen that play out in your own life?

    3. What gods do you find yourself following the crowd to worship? How can you remove those false gods from the pedestal on which you have placed them?

    Did You Know?

    The instructions regarding oxen and donkeys (v. 4-5) read like a precursor to Jesus’ teachings of loving your neighbor as yourself. The expectation is clear: We are to treat those around us with kindness and grace, regardless of how you feel about the person.

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  • Rest Day + Family Guide (Exodus 17-22)

    Rest Day + Family Guide (Exodus 17-22)

    Rest Day

    Each Sunday is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence.

    Each Rest Day, we will have an additional element to help you dig deeper. Sometimes it will be extra resources to further your study, a video to watch, or a podcast to listen to. Sometimes we’ll have a verse to commit to memorize to help you hide God’s Word in your heart. 

    If you have kids, our Family Guide will help you discuss what you’re reading and learning with them! It’s a great opportunity for your family to read God’s Word together and review what we read the previous week!

    Dig Deeper

    Check out this article from The Gospel Coalition called “Ten Things You Should Know About the Ten Commandments”!

    Family Guide

    Check out this week’s Exodus 17-22 Family Guide!

  • Exodus 22

    Exodus 22

    Read Exodus 22

    Protection of Property

    “Whoever steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it must pay back five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.

    “If a thief is caught breaking in at night and is struck a fatal blow, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed; but if it happens after sunrise, the defender is guilty of bloodshed.

    “Anyone who steals must certainly make restitution, but if they have nothing, they must be sold to pay for their theft. If the stolen animal is found alive in their possession—whether ox or donkey or sheep—they must pay back double.

    “If anyone grazes their livestock in a field or vineyard and lets them stray and they graze in someone else’s field, the offender must make restitution from the best of their own field or vineyard.

    “If a fire breaks out and spreads into thornbushes so that it burns shocks of grain or standing grain or the whole field, the one who started the fire must make restitution.

    “If anyone gives a neighbor silver or goods for safekeeping and they are stolen from the neighbor’s house, the thief, if caught, must pay back double. But if the thief is not found, the owner of the house must appear before the judges, and they must determine whether the owner of the house has laid hands on the other person’s property. In all cases of illegal possession of an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any other lost property about which somebody says, ‘This is mine,’ both parties are to bring their cases before the judges. The one whom the judges declare guilty must pay back double to the other.

    10 “If anyone gives a donkey, an ox, a sheep or any other animal to their neighbor for safekeeping and it dies or is injured or is taken away while no one is looking, 11 the issue between them will be settled by the taking of an oath before the Lord that the neighbor did not lay hands on the other person’s property. The owner is to accept this, and no restitution is required. 12 But if the animal was stolen from the neighbor, restitution must be made to the owner. 13 If it was torn to pieces by a wild animal, the neighbor shall bring in the remains as evidence and shall not be required to pay for the torn animal.

    14 “If anyone borrows an animal from their neighbor and it is injured or dies while the owner is not present, they must make restitution. 15 But if the owner is with the animal, the borrower will not have to pay. If the animal was hired, the money paid for the hire covers the loss.

    Social Responsibility

    16 “If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price, and she shall be his wife. 17 If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must still pay the bride-price for virgins.

    18 “Do not allow a sorceress to live.

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

    20 “Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the Lord must be destroyed.

    21 “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.

    22 “Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless. 23 If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry.24 My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.

    25 “If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest.26 If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, return it by sunset, 27 because that cloak is the only covering your neighbor has. What else can they sleep in? When they cry out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.

    28 “Do not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.

    29 “Do not hold back offerings from your granaries or your vats.

    “You must give me the firstborn of your sons. 30 Do the same with your cattle and your sheep. Let them stay with their mothers for seven days, but give them to me on the eighth day.

    31 “You are to be my holy people. So do not eat the meat of an animal torn by wild beasts; throw it to the dogs.

    Go Deeper

    When we read the Old Testament, it’s easy at times to get bogged down in what might seem like irrelevant details and rules. Exodus 22 is no exception to this challenge, as we read about livestock, silver, fires, and thieves. Immediately after instructing God’s people to not allow sorceresses and those who are involved “romantically” with animals to live, Moses drops a truth bomb in verse 20. He says, “Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the Lord must be destroyed.”

    You may think you’re in the clear since you don’t practice Old Testament sacrifices. You may think you’re safe from God’s judgment in Exodus 22 because you don’t sacrifice to any god–you’re not sacrificing doves and sheep at the altar! But every day, you worship other gods. Maybe it’s food, drink, or stuff. Maybe you worship your own body and obsess over it, or maybe you worship your reputation and what others think of you. While we don’t sacrifice animals at the altar, we sacrifice our resources for our own comfort and pleasure. In the process, we put our own desires before God.

    In the Ten Commandments, God says, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). He’s kind enough to remind us again in chapter 22 that we shall not worship or sacrifice to any other god. And if we’re honest, we know we need this reminder–not just in Exodus 20 and 22, but pretty much every moment of every single day.

    We need to be people who are thankful for God’s mercy, grace, and forgiveness. God doesn’t give us what we deserve (mercy). He forgives us for our sins and transgressions against Him and others. And He demonstrates grace towards us—He gives us something we don’t deserve. Even though our sins of worshipping and sacrificing to idols earn us death, God gives us life through His Son, Jesus Christ. 

    Let’s not miss these great Truths that still affect us today in the midst of a bunch of seemingly outdated laws and rules.

    Questions
    1. Would you consider yourself a rule breaker or rule follower? Why?

    2. Why do you think God gave us such detailed laws and rules in chapters like Exodus 22?

    3. What are some ways you sacrifice to or worship idols? Share your response with someone in your family or in your Life Group.

    Did You Know?

    The word “restitution” is used six times in the first 14 verses of Exodus 22. It means “to restore something lost or stolen to its proper owner or to recompense for injury or loss.”

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  • Exodus 21

    Exodus 21

    Read Exodus 21

    “These are the laws you are to set before them:

    Hebrew Servants

    “If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything. If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.

    “But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.

    “If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as male servants do. If she does not please the master who has selected her for himself, he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, because he has broken faith with her. If he selects her for his son, he must grant her the rights of a daughter. 10 If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights. 11 If he does not provide her with these three things, she is to go free, without any payment of money.

    Personal Injuries

    12 “Anyone who strikes a person with a fatal blow is to be put to death. 13 However, if it is not done intentionally, but God lets it happen, they are to flee to a place I will designate. 14 But if anyone schemes and kills someone deliberately, that person is to be taken from my altar and put to death.

    15 “Anyone who attacks their father or mother is to be put to death.

    16 “Anyone who kidnaps someone is to be put to death, whether the victim has been sold or is still in the kidnapper’s possession.

    17 “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.

    18 “If people quarrel and one person hits another with a stone or with their fist and the victim does not die but is confined to bed, 19 the one who struck the blow will not be held liable if the other can get up and walk around outside with a staff; however, the guilty party must pay the injured person for any loss of time and see that the victim is completely healed.

    20 “Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, 21 but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property.

    22 “If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. 23 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

    26 “An owner who hits a male or female slave in the eye and destroys it must let the slave go free to compensate for the eye. 27 And an owner who knocks out the tooth of a male or female slave must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth.

    28 “If a bull gores a man or woman to death, the bull is to be stoned to death, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held responsible. 29 If, however, the bull has had the habit of goring and the owner has been warned but has not kept it penned up and it kills a man or woman, the bull is to be stoned and its owner also is to be put to death. 30 However, if payment is demanded, the owner may redeem his life by the payment of whatever is demanded.31 This law also applies if the bull gores a son or daughter. 32 If the bull gores a male or female slave, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver to the master of the slave, and the bull is to be stoned to death.

    33 “If anyone uncovers a pit or digs one and fails to cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34 the one who opened the pit must pay the owner for the loss and take the dead animal in exchange.

    35 “If anyone’s bull injures someone else’s bull and it dies, the two parties are to sell the live one and divide both the money and the dead animal equally. 36 However, if it was known that the bull had the habit of goring, yet the owner did not keep it penned up, the owner must pay, animal for animal, and take the dead animal in exchange.

    Go Deeper

    If you were a servant, can you imagine being allowed to go free, but instead you choose to stay? That just doesn’t even seem possible in our minds. Freedom is one of the ideals on which we place a large value. We want to do what we want, spend what we want, and go where we want. Why would we choose servitude over freedom? The only reason you would is if you had a tremendously generous, gracious, and protective master. This is the story in the beginning of this chapter. God is outlining what must be done if a servant chooses to stay with his or her master.  

    This is an interesting beginning to the chapter because the Israelites are in a very important time in their history. They have just received freedom from Egypt and now have the ability to do whatever they want. It’s an inflection point for the people of God. Will they choose to stay under God’s leadership, or will they put themselves in charge? The rules written in this chapter are God’s attempt to remind His people that He is a good master who wants to protect them. Each one of these laws is about guarding the value of life. These men and women can go out on their own, but their Good Shepherd has told them over and over again how much He values them.

    This point in Israel’s history is somewhat similar to John 6. Jesus had just given a hard teaching, and many of His followers turned back and left Him. They thought they were better off on their own. Jesus then asked His twelve disciples, “‘You do not want to leave too, do you?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.’” Just as the Israelites and Simon Peter made the decision to stick with their masters, so should we. His laws are always made with our flourishing in mind.

    Questions
    1. Why do you think they had to make so many different rules about murder?

    2. How does this chapter compare to Jesus’ teaching on “an eye for an eye” in Matthew 5?

    3. What causes you to drift from following God’s commands or believing they are what is best for you?

    Did You Know?

    There were other sets of laws from different governments and kingdoms in existence prior to God giving this new set of instructions to Moses. These Mosaic laws were meant to provide a framework and set of instructions for God’s people to follow in addition to the laws of the land.

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  • Exodus 20

    Exodus 20

    Read Exodus 20

    The Ten Commandments

    And God spoke all these words:

    “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

    “You shall have no other gods before me.

    “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

    “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

    “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

    12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

    13 “You shall not murder.

    14 “You shall not commit adultery.

    15 “You shall not steal.

    16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

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

    18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance 19 and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”

    20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”

    21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

    Idols and Altars

    22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven: 23 Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.

    24 “‘Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you. 25 If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it. 26 And do not go up to my altar on steps, or your private parts may be exposed.’

    Go Deeper

    Exodus 20 demonstrates God’s desire to initiate relationships with His creation. Before the events of this chapter, the Lord approached Moses, drew His people out of slavery, and reminded them of His promises and plans. God desires to dwell in intimacy with His people and set them apart as His own. To do this, He gives them the Law: The Ten Commandments. 

    Reading through the list of Commandments, it is easy for us to get discouraged. No matter how hard we try, how nice we are, or how often we attend church, we are bound to break them. We are all broken in our own way. We can’t follow the guidelines. We gossip about our coworkers without even thinking about it. We covet the opportunities and possessions of our peers. We envy the remodeled kitchen of our neighbor. We get jealous of our roommate when they are in a God-honoring relationship, and we are not. We break these Commandments time after time. Does this mean we have no hope? Why even try? Now what?   

    God created these laws knowing that we wouldn’t be able to uphold them. He gave us this law so that we could understand sin. He uses these Commandments to build upon the foundation of His grand plan. To fill the gap of our inadequacy and brokenness, He gave us His son, Jesus, who lived, died, and rose again so we could walk with the Lord in righteousness and freedom that we don’t deserve. These Commandments remind us of our inability to earn or work for our salvation, but thankfully, that is not the end of our story. We have a God who shows steadfast love for His people.  

    Unlike pagan gods, our God isn’t basing our value on perfection, feelings, or performance. Instead, He forgives us for the ways we fall short of His expectations.  

    Praise God we don’t have to be separated from God because of our mistakes; rather, we can follow Moses’ example in verse 20 and draw near to God in the midst of darkness. 

    Questions
    1. What are ways you have fallen to sin and away from God’s best? Take some time to pray and repent.  

    2. What are some ways you can encourage your people today by showing them God’s love and kindness?  

    3. Have you gossiped about or resented someone recently that you need to go to and ask for forgiveness? What is one step you will take today to move toward that person?

    Watch This

    The laws that we’re introduced to in this chapter make up some of the 600+ laws found the Old Testament. What are we to make of all these laws? Why are there so many? Which ones should we follow today? Check out this short video about the Law from The Bible Project!

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  • Exodus 19

    Exodus 19

    Read Exodus 19

    At Mount Sinai

    On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on that very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai.After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.

    Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

    So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.

    The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.” Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said.

    10 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes 11 and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. 13 They are to be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.”

    14 After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. 15 Then he said to the people, “Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations.”

    16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace,and the whole mountain trembled violently. 19 As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.

    20 The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up 21 and the Lord said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the Lord and many of them perish. 22 Even the priests, who approach the Lord, must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.”

    23 Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, ‘Put limitsaround the mountain and set it apart as holy.’”

    24 The Lord replied, “Go down and bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the Lord, or he will break out against them.”

    25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.

    Go Deeper

    In the book of Genesis, we saw God establish multiple covenants with His people. The first covenant began with Adam, then the next with Noah, and then another with Abraham in Genesis 12. With each covenant, God makes promises to His people while also setting expectations for them to uphold. 

    The Israelites have been through a lot over the past few months. God has delivered them, fed them, and guided them this far. Clearly God was on their side, but He decided to remind them of that and establish a whole new covenant with His people. God wants to set Israel apart again, and in verse 8 the Israelites say they’re willing to do whatever God asks of them. Spoiler alert: they do at first, but it doesn’t last long). 

    This is one of those chapters where you almost need to close your eyes in order to visualize what’s going on here. Clearly, something was happening that was going to change their lives forever. The Israelites must have been terrified, excited, and bewildered all at the same time. As God rolls out these instructions over the next few chapters, we see Him lay the framework for the Israelites for essentially the rest of the Old Testament. This covenant sets Israel apart as a “kingdom of priests,” calling them to be a light in a world of darkness (the first time we see God using kingdom language). 

    Unsurprisingly, we’ll see the Israelites fall short of the standard God set for them time and time again. The Mosaic Covenant serves as more than just a rulebook for Israel to follow; it sets up their ultimate need for a savior. Jesus is able to do what the Israelites were ultimately unable to do: uphold the Mosaic law perfectly. 

    So what does this mean for us today? While we’re no longer under (bound by) the laws of Moses, they do serve as a helpful guide for us as we pursue holiness. If we’re following hard after Jesus, seeking to live as He did, our desires to covet, steal, or murder will fade and be replaced with a desire to live out the gospel instead. Just like the Israelites, we will consistently fall short of God’s standard. Through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, He fulfilled the law and, as a result, we get to enjoy a renewed relationship with God.

    Questions
    1. Why did God use covenants between Israel and Himself? 

    2. What do you remember about the other three covenants that preceded this one? How was this one similar? How was it different?

    3. What does it mean that we’re no longer under the law? What role does (and should) the law of Moses play in our lives today?

    Watch This

    Watch The Bible Project’s video overview of the second portion of the book of Exodus! 

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  • Exodus 18

    Exodus 18

    Read Exodus 18

    Jethro Visits Moses

    1 Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.

    After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land”; and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”

    Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountain of God. Jethro had sent word to him, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”

    So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent. Moses told his father-in-law about everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the Lord had saved them.

    Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10 He said, “Praise be to the Lord, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians.11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.” 12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.

    13 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening.14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”

    15 Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.”

    17 Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. 19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him.20 Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. 21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

    24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 26 They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.

    27 Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.

    Go Deeper

    We love to be wanted and needed by others. Whether you’re a parent whose kids need help tying their shoes, the friend to whom everyone turns for wisdom, or the boss who knows all the answers, it’s good to be in high demand. But sometimes this “need to be needed” becomes a source of pride. We find too much significance from being needed by others.

    The people of Israel needed Moses. The lines to get time with him to pick his brain were very long—God’s people stood around Moses from morning till evening (Exodus 18:13-14), waiting for his help and counsel. He alone sat as the judge for the people. The text doesn’t tell us how Moses felt, but he thought he had to be the one, the only one, who could help the people know God’s decrees and instructions. He is, after all, Moses! He’s the one who led them out of captivity and was the leader of God’s people. The Lord spoke to him through a burning bush, he stood up to the evil Pharaoh, and he led the people through the Red Sea. 

    Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, called him out when he said, “What you are doing is not good” (v. 17). After singing the praises of the Lord and all the work He had done (see verses 8-11), Moses now thinks he needs to do it all. We often feel the same way. We want to be needed and think we need to do it all. “My way is the best way”–and in the process, we wear ourselves out and leave people dissatisfied.

    We can be grateful for the example of Moses and the way he applied Jethro’s wisdom. Once Moses selected capable men to help lead, he was no longer weary, and the people went home satisfied. We see something similar in Acts 6:1-7. When the workload of the twelve Apostles was distributed to others, the Word of God spread and disciples were made. The Good News of the gospel of Jesus Christ was shared in making disciples and strengthening the saints!

    Getting practical for your life today: think through the areas of life where you “need to be needed.” Too often, we find significance in what we do and being needed by others. In the process, we wear ourselves out. Think through how you can better follow the example of Moses in building teams and including others in the work that needs to be done.

    Questions
    1. How does Exodus describe the men who Moses selected to share his workload?

    2. Do you have men and women in your life who aren’t afraid to tell you that “what you’re doing isn’t good”? How can you better position yourself to hear the feedback and input of others?

    3. Why do you think we like to be needed? Do you think there might be some sin in your need to be needed?

    Did You Know?

    Jethro’s plan through Moses paves the way for the rule of God’s law. Israel needed a system in place to help resolve legal disputes. Very soon, we’ll see Israel become a nation ruled by God’s law, and this system implemented by Moses sets God’s people up for their legal system.

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  • Exodus 17

    Exodus 17

    Read Exodus 17

    Water From the Rock

    The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”

    Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”

    But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”

    Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

    The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

    The Amalekites Defeated

    The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”

    10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

    14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.”

    15 Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner.16 He said, “Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”

    Go Deeper

    We should realize by now that the story of the Israelites in Exodus is really just a study on our own human condition. The only difference between us and them is that their actions were actually written down! This chapter begins with the people of God complaining about their thirst and doubting God’s goodness…again. 

    These are the people that God miraculously freed from Egypt, and yet Satan is able to attack their faith by making them a little thirsty. How could they so quickly give up on the One who has done so much for them? It’s because their faith is defined by their feelings. Their situation is the number one driver of their attitude in their walk with God. The Israelites have a “What have you done for me lately?” type of relationship both with Moses and with their Savior.  

    When we read this chapter, it’s hard not to see them as an entitled and fragile bunch. Rather than trusting God in the hard times, they just give up immediately! And yet, if someone was writing the story of your life, how similar would it look to Exodus 17? How often do you fall into temptation because you’re in a bad mood? How often do you distance yourself from God as soon as your situation isn’t to your liking?

    We probably look like the Israelites more than we’d like to admit. But we don’t have to let Exodus 17 be our story. We can choose to remember God’s faithfulness when we feel thirsty in the desert. We can know that God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). So today, don’t let your feelings define your faith. Instead, let’s choose to praise God before we see His provision, not just after He has provided it.

    Questions
    1. Why do you think these two stories are paired together in the same chapter? How do the two stories differ when people become tired?

    2. When have you recently sounded like the Israelites from the first half of this chapter?

    3. Why do you think the Israelites had such fragile faith, while Moses’ faith was much more resilient? What can you do to create a more resilient faith?

    Did You Know?

    The Amalekites, with whom the Israelites went to battle, were descendants of one of Esau’s grandsons (Genesis 36:12). This is yet another example of tension between Jacob’s and Esau’s descendants.

  • Rest Day + Family Guide (Exodus 11-16)

    Rest Day + Family Guide (Exodus 11-16)

    Rest Day

    Each Sunday is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence.

    Each Rest Day, we will have an additional element to help you dig deeper. Sometimes it will be extra resources to further your study, a video to watch, or a podcast to listen to. Sometimes we’ll have a verse to commit to memorize to help you hide God’s Word in your heart. 

    If you have kids, our Family Guide will help you discuss what you’re reading and learning with them! It’s a great opportunity for your family to read God’s Word together and review what we read the previous week!

    Dig Deeper

    The book of Exodus is broken into two parts. To review all that we’ve learned in the first part of the book, re-watch this video from The Bible Project! 

    Family Guide

    Check out this week’s Exodus 11-16 Family Guide!

  • Exodus 16

    Exodus 16

    Read Exodus 16

    Manna and Quail

    1 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

    Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”

    So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?” Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”

    Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’”

    10 While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud.

    11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’”

    13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was.

    Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’”

    17 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. 18 And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.

    19 Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.”

    20 However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.

    21 Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. 22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much—two omers for each person—and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. 23 He said to them, “This is what the Lord commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’”

    24 So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. 25 “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a sabbath to the Lord. You will not find any of it on the ground today. 26 Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any.”

    27 Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. 28 Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my command sand my instructions? 29 Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

    31 The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.32 Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the wilderness when I brought you out of Egypt.’”

    33 So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar and put an omer of manna in it. Then place it before the Lord to be kept for the generations to come.”

    34 As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron put the manna with the tablets of the covenant law, so that it might be preserved. 35 The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.

    36 (An omer is one-tenth of an ephah.)

    Go Deeper

    Just a little over a month passes from Exodus 15 to Exodus 16. Remember when the Israelites sang a song of gratitude at their triumph over the Egyptians?  The Israelites’ song of praise and declaration that “In Your unfailing love You will lead the people You have redeemed. In Your strength, You will guide them…” (Exodus 15:13). Yet, here they are, just a few weeks later, complaining that they would rather be back in Egypt and questioning the intention and leading of God. 

    Already?! After all the miracles of deliverance and provision they witnessed with their own eyes—the Ten Plagues; the escape route through parted waters of the Red Sea; the destruction of Pharaoh’s strongest warriors; bitter water made sweet to quench their thirst. They are already exhausted with the God of exhaustless resources and provisions. 

    The Israelites do what so many of us do. They recreate history and romanticize the past. They question God’s appointed leaders over us and they question God’s deliverance and care for us.  They approach God as a glorified Santa Claus, hoping He grants our wish list without asking anything of us. 

    We are a forgetful bunch. We beg God for miracles of deliverance and then quickly forget them when He provides. We pray things like, “God if you’ll get me out of this mess, I’ll believe;” or, “God, provide for me and then I’ll believe.” But, miracles only bring people to a faith in God for a short time. A faith and belief dependent on what God can do for you will be disappointing at best and disheartening and distrusting at worst. God cannot and will not be manipulated. 

    However, God will provide for us. He is true to His promises. He will supply all we need (Philippians 4:19). Let’s not be people who evaluate God’s faithfulness and goodness to us by what He does for us. The goal is dependency on the Giver, not the gifts. He will be faithful to us. Let’s be faithful to Him.

    Questions
    1. What do you learn from the Israelites in this passage? How do you relate with them? How are you different?

    2. What do you learn about the character of God in this passage?

    3. In what ways do you ask God to provide for you? How often are those requests tied to your belief in His goodness and faithfulness?

    Did You Know?

    Manna is a Hebrew word for “what is it?” The Israelites would eat manna every day for forty years until they entered the land of Canaan. Joshua 5:10-12 records this event.

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