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Exodus 3:1-12 (2)
This is the story of when Moses was tending sheep and saw a bush burning that was not consumed by the fire. In verses 1-4: What a differentiation between Moses' life as an Egyptian ruler and his life as a Midianite shepherd. As a ruler, he had everything accomplished for him since he was the renowned child of an Egyptian princess. As a Midianite shepherd, he needed to thoroughly take care of himself. He was holding the very work that he had been educated to disdain (Genesis 43:32, 46:32-34), and he lived as an obscure outsider. What a lowering encounter this probably must have been for Moses. Yet, God was getting Moses ready for an administrative role, that of a leader. Carrying on with the existence of a shepherd and a traveler, Moses found out about the methods of the individuals that he would before long be driving and furthermore about the life in the wild. Moses could not see this himself, yet God was preparing him to liberate the people of Israel from Pharaoh's grip. God addressed Moses from an unforeseen source, that of a burning bush. When Moses saw it, he went to examine this phenomenon. God regularly utilizes startling sources while working in our lives as well. It could emerge out of other individuals, the various encounters we may confront, or even our thoughts. We must be willing to examine these opportunities and be available to any surprises God may present to us. Moses saw the bush burning and talked with God (Acts 7:30-31). Many individuals in the Bible experienced God in some apparent form, not necessarily in a human form. Abraham witnessed a “smoking furnace” and a “burning lamp” (Genesis 15:17). Jacob “wrestled a man” (Genesis 32:24-29). When the slaves were liberated from Egypt, God led them “by day in a pillar of a cloud” and “by night in a pillar of fire” (Exodus 13:21). God showed up to empower his new country, to direct them, and to demonstrate the unwavering quality of his verbal message. In verses 5-8: At God's order, Moses took his shoes off and he covered his face also. The removing of his shoes was a demonstration of respect, conveying his own disgracefulness before God. God is friend to his people; however, he is likewise our sovereign Lord. To move toward him in a trivial way extends an absence of regard and truthfulness. When we come to worship God, do we move toward him nonchalantly, or do we present ourselves like a welcomed visitor before a lord? We ought to change or modify our disposition, so it is reasonable for moving toward the blessed God (Acts 7:33). Joshua experienced a comparative encounter in Joshua 5:15 where he was likewise directed to eliminate his shoes because of a sacred place. God's sacredness can be related with specific land or area, the sanctuary, and even things related with individuals of the sanctuary. The wellspring of this blessedness is God, not simply the item, the area, or the actual substance. In the New Testament, the people who trust in Jesus as Lord become sacred and are called to live as ministers of believers in sacredness to God (1 Peter 2:5-9). In verses 10-12: In these next verses, God uncovers his commission to Moses as his representative, to lead the people of Israel out of their servitude in Egypt. God gives consolation in light of Moses' questions. God additionally recognizes himself utilizing phrasing which will be vital in both the Jewish and the Christian comprehension of God’s nature. As a name, God utilizes the expression “I AM,” demonstrating his timeless, uncreated, vital, outright being. This associates with the Hebrew expression YHWH, most frequently seen as LORD, Jehovah, or Yahweh. This equivalent stating will be utilized by Jesus in the New Testament. Moses rationalized, or made excuses, on the grounds that he felt that he was deficient for the duty that God was telling him that he should do. It was normal for him to have that impression. This is a characteristic inclination, for he was deficient in his own merit. Be that as it may, God was not telling Moses that he would work alone. God offered himself as an asset, he would have Aaron, and he would have the ability to do miracles (Exodus 4:10-12). God regularly calls us to assignments that appear to be excessively troublesome, however he does not request that we do them by ourselves. God offers us assets, similarly as with Moses. We ought not take cover behind our insufficiencies, as Moses did, however, we should look past ourselves to the extraordinary assets that are accessible to us. Then, at that point, we ought to permit God to utilize our novel endowments. How do we know if the bush is still burning? Is God still speaking? We need to listen to and listen for God’s voice. Maybe we do hear him, but our attitudes are not where they should be. Some of us may not even be willing to listen. Some of us may be talking so much that we cannot hear God speak to us. Many prophets told the Israelites to “Hear the word of the Lord” (2 Kings 20:16; 2 Chronicles 18:18; Isaiah 1:10, 28:14, 39:5, 66:5; Jeremiah 7:2, 9:20, 22:2, 22:29, 31:10, 34:4, 42:15, 44:24; Ezekiel 6:3, 16:35, 20:47, 25:3, 34:7, 34:9, 36:1, 36:4, 37:4; Hosea 4:1). Do we “hear the word of the Lord?” In addition, we do not need to exclaim, “What if there is no bush burning?” God will always use something to gain our attention, to get us to stop and listen to Him (Numbers 9:8; Matthew 11:15; John 8:43; John 10:27; Rev 2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:29, 3:6, 3:13, 3:20).
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Genesis 6:18, Exodus 25:8, Revelation 3:20
What is or was the purpose of The Ark? How many Arks have existed? No doubt many people have heard about The Ark. But what is The Ark, really? Is it more than the Old Testament story about a man who built a boat and put a bunch of animals on it before a great flood? What is or was the purpose of The Ark? We will take a few moments to go back and see what we can find out about The Ark. The First Ark. In the book of Genesis, chapter six, we find the first account of The Ark. Man began to multiply, sin began to overcome the earth. God noticed that the wickedness of man was great, and every imaginable evil though was on the minds of man. This grieved the Lord, and he said that he would destroy man.
However, by verse eight we see that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was a just man and he walked with God. can the same be said about any of us in today’s society? Have we found grace in the Lord’s eyes? Are we just and walk with God daily? God told Noah that man had become evil and that he would destroy man, but Noah had a job to do. Genesis 6:14, “Make thee an ark…” God gives Noah directions on what to use and how to build The Ark. The same can be said for us today. God has given us directions on what to do and how to do it, but how many of us have actually paid attention and are following those directions? Genesis 6:18, “But with thee will I establish my covenant...” God has made a covenant with man and all creatures. This covenant is an agreement, an assurance the God would provide for man. By chapter 8, the rain has fallen, the flood waters have risen and covered the earth. With the exception of Noah and his immediate family, and the animals that were brought aboard The Ark, all of humanity and living things on the earth have perished in the flood. The Ark finally came to rest upon dry land, and Noah and his family and all the animals from The Ark walked out to restart man-kinds existence. So, what does this story tell us about The Ark? God designed it to provide protection for a just man and his family, as well as for the animals that would repopulate the earth. It was then sealed by the Lord (Genesis 7:16). The Second Ark. In Exodus, Chapter 25 through 31, God gives bearings for building the Tabernacle. Chapters 35 through 39 tell how these guidelines were done. In any case, what can every one of these old, development details show us today? In the first place, the superior quality of the valuable materials making up the Tabernacle shows God's significance and greatness. Second, the shroud encompassing the Most Holy Place shows God's moral flawlessness as represented by his detachment from the unclean and common. Third, the portability of the Tabernacle show's God's desire to always be with the Israelites as they journeyed (Exodus 25:8).
In Exodus 25:10, instructions are given on the making of The Ark. In most of the contents of the Tabernacle, including The Ark and the furniture, was made from the shittim wood, which is customarily known as acacia wood. The acacia tree was extremely hard which made for sturdy and magnificent furniture. Exodus 37:1-16, describes the actual building of The Ark. The tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written, were place within The Ark. The Ark was intended to be an image of the presence of God amidst the Israelites. The lid was alluded to as the “Mercy Seat.” Every year a priest would enter the holy tent and sprinkle blood from a sacrificial creature to offer penance for the transgressions of Israel. This old-style covenant on the Day of Atonement is no longer required as Jesus Christ became the new covenant when he sacrificed himself upon the cross was an expiation for our sins and transgressions. God would come to the Ark when the priests were there. Because of the holy nature of the Ark, it had to be carried with poles. No one could touch the place where God’s presence is. Why is that? God himself and his glory cannot be touched by sinful man. Only if the Holy Spirit resides within us can we even come near to the Throne of Grace. In Joshua 3:1-17, the nation of Israel needed to cross the Jordan River. Joshua commanded the people that when they saw the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord being carried by the Levite priests, they were to follow it. In verse five the people were told to “Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” In 1 Samuel 4, there is a war with the Philistines, and the Philistines capture The Ark. The Israelites appropriately perceived the sacredness of the Ark; however, they thought the actual Ark, the metal and wood box, was the wellspring of power. They started to utilize The Ark as a ‘Good Luck Charm'. They anticipated that it should shield them from their foes. An image of God does not ensure his essence and power. Their disposition toward the Ark came dangerously near that of idol worship. When the Ark was taken by their adversaries, they felt that Israel's magnificence was gone (1 Samuel 4:19-22) and that God had abandoned them (1 Samuel 7:1-2). God utilizes his power as per his insight and will. In Samuel chapters 5-6, the Philistines took the Ark before their false god because they had thought that they had beat the God of Israel, but each morning their idol had fallen down upon its face. Their priests were plagued with tumors. So, they decided to return the Ark back to the Israelites. People died just for looking at it. Eventually, king David took the Ark back to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 13). During the journey, the oxen had stumbled, and a man put his hand upon the Ark to steady it, but in doing so he died. Later in 2 Chronicles 5, Solomon had dedicated the rebuilt Temple, and The Ark was transferred into the Temple. Is There a Third Ark? Some may think of the baby Moses in a basket as a third Ark. At that time, the Pharaoh had commanded that the first-born male child to be killed throughout the land. Moses’ mother tried to find a way to save her newborn son. She knew that the Pharaoh’s daughter often came to the river to bathe, so to save her son, she placed him in a basket of reeds and placed him on the river. The Pharaoh’s daughter found him, knowing that death would come to him and having no children of her own, decided to save the child and bring him up as her own.
Although the story of baby Moses is a good one, and yes it could possibly typify God’s grace, however, there IS a third Ark, however, it is not made with wood.
Many would allude to this as the Sinner’s Prayer. Just saying the words does not make it so. It is believing with all of your being, believing on the person of Christ, believing on the work of Jesus and what he has done for all of humanity. It is by faith that makes us the children of God (Acts 3:26; Galatians 3:26). We are justified by faith (Romans 5:1; Galatians 2:6). By grace are we saved through faith (Ephesians 2:8). Christ dwells in our hearts by faith (Ephesians 3:17). When we have accepted Christ as our personal Savior, the Holy Spirit moves within us. So, does it not make sense that if Christ dwells in the hearts of every Christian believer, are we not therefore an Ark that carries the Spirit of Christ? What do you think? I Don’t Do That Do I?
Exodus 20:3-10 Scripture tells us what to do but do we obey? In the wake of getting away from the Egyptians through the Red Sea, the Israelites went through the wilderness and showed up at Mount Sinai. It is here that the Ten Commandments and guidelines on how to fabricate the Tabernacle were given to them. We also find out about the significance of obedience to God and how His laws uncover sin, and what to do for living righteously. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
The Israelites had just come from Egypt where many gods and idols were worshipped for different aspects of life. The people did this because they thought they could get more blessings. God was telling them that He was the One True God. They needed to learn this and if they did not learn this, they could not be His people, no matter if they were faithful in keeping the other commandments. How many of us today have let worldly values take over our lives? If we center our thoughts and hopes on things like money, fame, objects, etc., we fail in focusing on the meaning and security that God can give. We may not start out worshipping things like these, but over time, they can end up controlling our lives. God should be the center focus of our lives. Money - tithe Possessions - land, cars, clothes, etc. Status - society Jobs/careers -work 6 days, 7th is for rest (literally) Question - does it really matter what day is observed as the Sabbath? Why argue about it? Honor thy father and thy mother, but we are not to place them before God.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Thou shalt not covet.
The fifth commandment that had a promise added to it, honor thy father and mother. That means to speak well of them, be polite, show them courtesy and respect. This will lead to building good family ties and a respect for authority. Bearing false witness is understood as making false evidence as in a court of law. We should not twist the truth, invent a lie, deceiving others, leave something out of a truthful statement, etc. What does it mean to covet something? It is envying what others have, like 'oh I wish I had what he or she has'. Admiring what others may have is one thing, coveting is a way of wanting to have or take something away from someone else, then that leads to stealing. Only God can supply all our needs. We need to learn to be content in what God gives us. Why is it that so many people want more and more and expect God to provide it? Does it honor Him? Does it bring glory to God?
So how many of us do or do not do these things? How many of us seek after God's ways and follow them? As Elijah made a challenge to the people, we must take a stand. To whom do we follow?
Exodus 3:1-12
Moses was tending sheep and saw a bush burning that was not consumed by the fire. In verses 1-4: Moses had everything accomplished for him for he was the child of an Egyptian princess. As a shepherd, he needed to thoroughly take care of himself. He was holding the vocation he was educated to loathe (Genesis 43:32; 46:32-34), and he lived as an obscure outsider. How humbling this must have been for Moses. In any case, God was getting ready Moses for a leadership position. Living as a shepherd and a traveler, he found out about the methods of the people that he would before long be driving and about existence in the wilderness. Moses could not see this; however, God was preparing him to free the people of Israel. God had spoken to Moses through a burning bush, which was unforeseen. Moses went to investigate this phenomenon when he saw it. God may utilize startling sources when working in our lives. It could emerge out of others, encounters we may confront, or even our thoughts. We must be willing to examine these opportunities and be available to any surprises God may present to us. Moses saw a bush on fire and talked with God. Numerous individuals in the Bible experienced God in noticeable structures, although not human. Abraham saw the smoking firepot and a torch flaming (Genesis 15:17). Jacob grappled with a man (Genesis 32:24-29). God drove the children of Israel through the wilderness with fire and cloud as pillars. Such appearances God used to direct His people, to energize them, and to demonstrate that He was reliable.
In verses 5-8: Moses took off his shoes and secured his face when God told him to. Removing the shoes was an indication of veneration, demonstrating unworthiness of himself before God. God is our sovereign Lord, to move toward Him pointlessly is indicating an absence of regard and genuineness. While worshiping God, do we approach Him in a casual manner, or as a welcomed visitor before a king? We ought to modify our perspectives when coming before God for anything. (Genesis 28:16-17, Exodus 19:12, Joshua 5:15, Acts 7:33, Genesis 31:42, Deuteronomy 6:3) In verses 10-12: Moses rationalized, or made excuses, on the grounds that he felt lacking for what God was telling him to do. This is a characteristic inclination, for he was deficient in his own merit. Be that as it may, God was not telling Moses that he would work alone. God offered himself as an asset, he would have Aaron, and he would have the ability to do miracles. God regularly considers us to do undertakings that may appear to be challenging, yet He does not have us to do them by ourselves. We ought not hide behind our deficiencies; however, we should look to God for strength. (Acts 7:34, Exodus 4:10-12, Acts 7:7) We need to listen to and for God's voice. We may hear but our attitudes are not where they should be. Some may not be willing to listen. Some talk so much they cannot hear God speak. Many prophets told the Israelites to 'Hear the word of the Lord'. Do we? In addition, we do not need to exclaim, 'What if there is no bush burning?' God will always use something to gain our attention, to get us to stop and listen to Him. (John 8:43, Numbers 9:8, Matthew 11:15, John 10:27, Rev2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:29, 3:6, 3:13, 3:20) Exodus 20:1-17
I do not do that, do I? Scripture tells us what we are to do but do we truly obey? In the wake of getting away from the Egyptians through the Red Sea, the Israelites went through the wilderness and showed up at Mount Sinai. It is here that the Ten Commandments and guidelines on how to fabricate the Tabernacle were given to them. We also find out the significance of obedience to God and how His laws uncover sin, and what we are to do to for living righteously. For what reason was the Law fundamental for God’s new country? At the foot of Mount Sinai, God showed the people the genuine capacity and magnificence of the Law. The Law was intended to lead Israel to an existence of commonsense sacredness. Its orders and rules were planned to guide the local area to address the issues of every person in an adoring and mindful way. By Jesus’ time, notwithstanding, the vast majority saw the Law the incorrect way. They considered it to be a way to flourishing in both this world and the following. To submit to each law was the method for acquiring God’s insurance from foreign attack and cataclysmic disasters of nature, so they thought. Law-keeping turned into an end in itself, not the resources to satisfy God’s definitive law of affection.
The Israelites had quite recently emerged from Egypt, a place where there were numerous gods and idols. Since every god addressed an alternate part of life, it was normal to worship numerous divine beings to get the greatest number of gifts. At the point when God advised His people to venerate and put their faith and trust in Him, that was not really hard for them, He was only another god to add to the rundown. Yet, when He said, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," that was difficult for the people to acknowledge. In any case, if they did not discover that the God who drove them of Egypt was the only genuine God, they could not be His people, regardless of how reliably they kept the other nine commandments. Along these lines, God made this His first commandment and accentuated it more than the others. Today we can permit specific qualities to become divine beings to us. Cash, notoriety, work, or any other thing can become divine beings when we focus a lot on them for importance and security. Nobody sets out with the goal of revering these things. However, with how much time they involve in our lives, they can develop into gods, or divine beings, that at last control our energies and our thoughts. Allowing God to hold the focal spot in our lives holds these things back from transforming into divine beings.
God’s name is extraordinary, for it conveys His own personality. Utilizing it in a curse or in a pointless manner is so normal today that we might neglect to acknowledge how genuine it is. The manner in which we use God’s name passes on how we truly feel about Him. We should regard His name and use it properly. That is saying it in worship or respect rather than in a revile or jokingly. We will not be viewed as guiltless if we disrespect His name. The Sabbath was a day saved for worship and rest. God commanded to have a Sabbath since we really need to invest energy in rest and worship every week. A God who is so concerned to the point of appointing one day every week for us to rest is by all means worthy. To notice a customary time of worship and rest in our rushed world exhibits the significance of God in our lives while having the additional advantage of invigorating our spirits. Question... Does it really matter what day of the week is observed as our Sabbath day? Why argue about it and what purpose does it serve in debating it?
The fifth commandment is the first commandment with a promise connected to it. To live in harmony for ages in the Promised Land, the Israelites would have to regard authority and construct solid families. In any case, what is the significance here to “honor” our parents? Mostly, it implies speaking well and pleasantly to them. It additionally implies acting such that shows them kindness and regard (however not to comply with them if this implies noncompliance to God). Parents have an extraordinary spot in God’s sight. Indeed, even the individuals who think that it is hard to coexist with their folks are as yet instructed to respect them. Bearing a false witness implies providing a false statement in court. God realized that Israel could not endure except if its justice system were honest. We ought to be straightforward in our private dealings just as in our public articulations. Regardless, we “bear false witness” by avoiding something with regards to a story, telling a misleading statement, winding current realities, or creating a deception. God cautions us against double dealing. Despite the fact that double dealing is a lifestyle for some individuals, God’s people are not to surrender to it. To covet is to wish to have the assets of others. It goes past essentially respecting another person's assets, or figuring, “I might want to have one of those.” Coveting incorporates envy, detesting the way that others have something that we do not have. In any case, God realizes that belongings never satisfy anybody for long. Since no one but God can supply our needs in general, genuine satisfaction is found just in Him. When we start to covetousness in, we should attempt to figure out whether a more essential need is remaining behind our jealousy. For instance, we might desire somebody’s prosperity, not on the grounds that we need to remove it from him, but since we might want to feel as valued by others as he is. If so, we ought to implore that God will assist us with managing our hatred and meet our essential requirements. No one can serve two masters.
We are not to love the world.
We are not to be conformed to this world.
Whoever is a friend of the world is being an enemy of God.
Me and my house will serve the Lord.
How long will you wait to decide?
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