Exodus 22-32

We see God's love for the Israelites. But as any good parent does, there are boundaries that mustn't be crossed! God is a jealous God who fights for his people no matter what. He has their ultimate good in store! As the Israelites learned, God means business! If God says "do not make and worship idols, God means it! They were given commandments, and sinned greatly. They had no excuse for it, even though they tried to come up with one. God's commandments are for life! We need to take them SERIOUSLY!


Exodus 22: Protection of property, social responsibilities. Stealing others' property should result in a repayment. In the area of social responsibilities, my favorite verses are Exodus 22:21-25 regarding giving and treating the foreigner and widows/orphans. We do have a great responsibility and we shouldn't neglect or take advantage of the situations.


Exodus 23: In this section, we are really learning the need to be completely honest and vunerable to the Lord in everything we do. We should not take bribes, but do things out of the willingness of our own hearts. We are to not follow the crowd, but follow God. (Exodus 23:2) We need to be serious in our offerings to the Lord, and devote ourselves and households toward rest on the Sabbath.


Exodus 24: God instructs Aaron, and some of the men to come up to worship God at a distance. Moses went and told the people the laws that God had commanded him, and the covenant book. He built an altar and used twelve stones at the foot of the mountain to represent the twelve tribes of Israel. The Israelites said they would do all that God commanded.  Moses went on to the mountain as God commanded, to be given the stone tables with the commandments of God. The people thought the cloud of God looked like a consuming fire. Moses stayed up there for forty days and forty nights.


Exodus 25-27: God gives Moses commands. God wants Moses to go receive the offerings from the Israelites. Also, they are to make the ark of covenant to put the stone tablets of God's commands for the Israelites, table, lampstand, tabernacle, altar, and courtyard. The tabernacle has a special place for the ark of the covenant with the laws inside them in the most holy place! The Israelites are to bring oil for the lamps, which Aaron and his sons will keep burning from evening until morning.


Exodus 28-30: God calls Aaron and his sons to serve him as priests. The people are to make priestly garments. The garments include: a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. God instructs Moses to anoint and ordain them. They did an sin, burnt, wave offering. It took seven days to ordain them. Offering daily for the seven days to purify the place making it holy. They are to make an altar for incense for Aaron to offer daily, atonement money to atone for their lives, make a basin for washing, make sacred anointing oil, and incense. 


God is very specific in everything he is calling Aaron and Moses to make. God is setting the stage for how the people will worship him through the formation of the ark of the covenant and the tabernacle! God is setting up his priests to lead and guide his people. God is doing it. He is setting them up to be obedient to Him through his law and carrying out his covenant for his people!


Exodus 31: God has equipped Bezalel and Oholiab to make what the Lord has commanded Moses. God has equipped the people and brought skilled workers to make what God is detailedly asking of Moses to make. Moses' job seems like it is to be the overseer and ensure that it is done properly as God has given clear directions on what to do. The Lord, then, instructs Moses to remind the people the severity of them needing to keep the Sabbath. The Sabbath is remind us of God's holiness. When God sent Moses to return to the people, he also gave him the tablets inscribed by the finger of God.


Exodus 32:  The Israelites asked Aaron to make them gods--he is going to make them golden calves: ignoring the ten commandments they were just given. God sent Moses to deal with the Israelites as he told them about the Israelites sacrificing to their golden calves. The Lord's anger burned and he wanted to destroy them. Moses spoke to God and pleaded with him, so he relented. Moses, himself, burned with anger once he saw the Israelites worshiping the golden calves that he threw the tablets and burned their calves--making them drink it. He and the Levites (he said anyone who follows the Lord) killed about 3,000 people that day. Moses went before the Lord to ask for forgiveness for the people's sins. Moses knew about the book of life. God sent a plague on the Israelites for the sins they had committed.---for this great sin they committed.