The Lord said: "Get Up!"

Joshua 7:10 The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? 11 Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. 12 Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. 13 Get up! Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the Lord, God of Israel, “There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.”

Joshua was devastated.  After the easy victory at Jericho, the people moved on to the next city, AI. After surveying the situation, they decided only a small army was needed to invade and defeat the city. But they were sadly mistaken, as Israel was routed and many died. What happened? Not only do we have no mention of the people seeking or hearing God's instructions, some soldiers had violated God's clear commands on what to do with the spoil of the victory at Jericho. We might say there were sins of omission and commission. God chooses the emphasize the latter. He told Joshua to stop sitting there crying about it, and to do something proactive: get rid of all disobedience. It was a setback, but not the end of the story. They needed to decide if they were going to take God's instructions seriously or not. If not, no victories. How seriously will we take total obedience to God?

The Lord said... What!?!

Joshua 6:1 Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. 2 And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. 4 Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 And when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.”

To really appreciate the full impact of the Lord's instructions here, we need to recall all the ways the Lord has been building up to this moment: Doing a final numbering of men for battle, restating the covenant and all their responsibilities in the land, bringing them through the sea and closing the "door" behind them, reinstituting the Passover and cutting off the manna.  Next, we would expect a rush into battle, or at least a siege on the city, but instead, we find a stroll around the city.  God does something totally different, impressing upon them, and us, that we need to keep on listening in every circumstance for how God wants us to do things now. His ways are definitely not our ways. He does not follow conventional wisdom. His ways are definitely higher, wiser, and much more amazing.

The Lord Said: One Final Thing...

 

Joshua 5:2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. 4 And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt.

This commandment was no afterthought.  God had done everything to prepare the people for this moment. They had all the instructions on how to worship, conduct themselves, and handle their relationships with one another and outsiders.  They are ready to enter the land, including going to battle when necessary. This act of vulnerable commitment and obedience would be the ultimate reminder of who they were and Who would give the victory.  Joined with the recovery period after this procedure was the celebration of the Passover, after which the manna ceased to fall.  This signified they were finally prepared to enter the land.

The Lord Said: "So You Don't Forget..."

 Joshua 4:1 When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, 3 and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’”

Once again, God knows our tendency to forget, and our failure to often tell the next generation.  This crossing leads to the road up to Jericho, often referred to in scripture. It became an often-travelled road, where God's people who lived across the river would often travel in future years when Jerusalem would become the capital.  We are talking centuries of generations who could ask: "What is this and why is it here."  May we leave behind evidence to cause coming generations to do the same.

The Lord Said: "Cross Over"

Joshua 3:7 The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. 8 And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’” 9 And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.”  

The Lord had promised Joshua He would be with him as He had with Moses. Today was the day everyone would see.  Just as God had Moses lead the people through the sea, He was having Joshua lead them through the Jordan.  After each event there really was no turning back; it was a one-way street. Such moves carry with them their fears and doubts, but when God says "Go," there is no other right option. This first step both established Joshua as leader and opened the "door" to step after step of entering the land.  First steps can be scary, but take them one at a time.

The Lord Said: "Your Turn"

Joshua 1:1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.

If you have ever been in a situation such as this, you know how intimidating it can be.  Moses had led the people of Israel for 40 years.  Under his leadership this massive crowd with all their possessions made a major move of many miles from slavery to the verge of plenty.  There was a lot that could go wrong. Joshua was being called upon to make many steps of faith.  It's interesting how the Lord put it: "go over this Jordan." Not go through or around, but over.  God had a way He was going to do this, but for Joshua it was almost like walking on water.  The first step can often be the most scary, but when God says go, step out and don't look back. 

The Lord Said: "Next!"

Deuteronomy 31:14 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, the days approach when you must die. Call Joshua and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.” And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tent of meeting. 15 And the Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud. And the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance of the tent... 23 And the Lord commissioned Joshua the son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the people of Israel into the land that I swore to give them. I will be with you.”

The book of Deuteronomy presents us with a repetition of the history of God's people under the leadership of Moses and the instructions God had given for how they were to live upon entering the promised land. We have no mention of God saying anything new until the passage above. It was now time for the transfer of leadership from Moses to Joshua.  God's charge to Joshua was clear and concise: he was to lead the people into the land and God would be with him.  That's all he needed to hear.  He had observed God's presence with all of Israel, but especially with Moses.  He had been there to see Moses meet with God on the mountain and in the tabernacle. God was all He needed to go forward.  The same is true of each of us.

The Lord Spoke: "A Place to Go"

 

Numbers 35:1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 2 “Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites some of the inheritance of their possession as cities for them to dwell in. And you shall give to the Levites pasturelands around the cities... “The cities that you give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, where you shall permit the manslayer to flee, and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities. 7 All the cities that you give to the Levites shall be forty-eight, with their pasturelands.

One of the distinct parts of the division of the promised land was the absence of a place for the Levites. God wanted them scattered across the land for a positive spiritual influence throughout. Due to man's constant desire for revenge, there also needed to be a safe place for those who had killed (not murdered) someone accidentally.  These cities of refuge were also under the care of the Levites, making sure that there was a spiritual atmosphere that worked toward reconciliation. God made sure that everyone had a place to go.  Are our homes and churches safe havens?

The Lord Spoke: Asking for Trouble...

 Numbers 33:50 And the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 51 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their figured stones and destroy all their metal images and demolish all their high places. 53 And you shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it.... 55 But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell.

Now that the people were prepared to enter the land, God reminded them of the big picture: He was giving them this land.  Those currently in the land had completely rebelled against Him and were not turning back. Coexistence would not work.  Syncretic religion does not work.  Even a little leaven of sin would spread and reinfect the land and their lives.  To not clean house and start afresh would be asking for trouble.  How much trouble do we make for ourselves by partial obedience, selective hearing, and thinking we know better than God?

The Lord Spoke: "Setting Boundaries"

 Numbers 34:1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the people of Israel, and say to them, When you enter the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance, the land of Canaan as defined by its borders), ...16 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “These are the names of the men who shall divide the land to you for inheritance: 

Having performed his last act of military leadership as commander-in-chief, God gave Moses instructions to pass on to the people and leaders for after he was gone and the people entered the land.  They needed to know where the outside boundaries of the land were (like anyone entering a new home) and also how they were going to set boundaries within that land(hence the leaders who would divide the land.  Our tendency is to blur the lines and cross over boundaries.  God had given us all sorts of "boundary" instructions in His word, which we often cross, and He has given us those who remind us where those boundaries are - not to be mean, but to keep peace in the land.  May we respect His boundaries and those who remind us of them.

The Lord Spoke: "One Last Thing"

 Numbers 31:1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Avenge the people of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”

God had been speaking and saying a lot to Moses, having him lay out to the people of Israel all His instructions for how to live in the promised land.  The time of wandering in the wilderness was winding down. God said here there was one last thing.  Before we talk about that instruction, stop and think what the second half of verse 2 means to Moses.  "Afterward, you're a goner." This is Moses' last act in leading his people. One would hope things would go well. As his last act, Moses wanted this to be done right.  This instruction was a big one, as the Midianites had harassed the people of Israel, making them reroute their journey. They had been a thorn in their side. Now was the time to get rid of them, once and for all.  But the people did not fully obey. They kept the women - the very same Midianite women who helped lead them into idolatry. After correcting this error, the spoil of food and livestock became what Israel would use to set up their new homes in the promised land, where Moses would never go.  

The Lord Said: "They're Right!"

 Numbers 27:3 “Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah, but died for his own sin. And he had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan because he had no son? Give to us a possession among our father's brothers.” 5 Moses brought their case before the Lord. 6 And the Lord said to Moses, 7 “The daughters of Zelophehad are right. You shall give them possession of an inheritance among their father's brothers and transfer the inheritance of their father to them.

This event is a logical outcome of the previous chapter.  A whole generation had died in the wilderness.  The original plan for dividing the land had to be altered accordingly.  Faithful families should not be left without provision.  As a result of this formal complaint, a law was created to protect not only the interests of these daughters of one man, but all such cases that existed.  We live in a fallen world where injustice and selfishness rule.  None of us are perfect or immune.  We must seek God's answers to these dilemmas. We don't have the wisdom or sufficient righteousness to know on our own. He will answer and show what is right.  

The Lord Says: "See Who Is Still Around."

Numbers 26:1 After the plague, the Lord said to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron, the priest, 2 “Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers' houses, all in Israel who are able to go to war.” 3 And Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 4 “Take a census of the people, from twenty years old and upward,” as the Lord commanded Moses. 

After giving a few more examples of how the people of Israel disobeyed and failed to trust God, He once again calls on them to take a census.  Those twenty and above were considered the new generation after the disobedient one had died in the wilderness.  Comparing this census, or "Numbering," with the one made at the beginning of the wandering shows which tribes had decreased the most.  For instance, the greatest decline was in the tribe of Simeon, which was especially noted in the chapter before this (ch.25) as those falling into Baal worship and being plagued because of it.  Most of all, this chapter ends with the statement: 64 But among these there was not a man of those wo were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest when they numbered the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Sinai. (except Caleb and Joshua).  God had kept His promise. It was time to get ready to move on. 

The Lord Speaks When We're Too Blind to See

Numbers 22:31 Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face. 32 And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me. 33 The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let her live.” 34 Then Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the road against me. Now therefore, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back.” 35 And the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only the word that I tell you.” So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak.

This chapter begins the intriguing account of Balaam during the wilderness wanderings of Israel.  He had "sold out" his people to prophesy against them, and in the preceding paragraph we are told God was angry. He sent His Angel to block the way, but Balaam was oblivious.  Finally, the angel of the Lord speaks and shows Balaam has blind he had been.  How often are we that way?  So gun-ho on our own paths that we ignore what God has to show us.  He then speaks - maybe even shouts - that we are on the wrong path. Do we hear Him? Do we listen?  May He open our eyes and ears to what He has so obviously put in our path.

The Lord Said: "You Are Responsible"

 Numbers 18:1 So the Lord said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear iniquity connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear iniquity connected with your priesthood. 2 And with you bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may join you and minister to you while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony. 

We have seen over and over again sections that begin: "The Lord spoke to Moses" or "God said to Moses" and occasionally "The Lord Spoke to Moses and Aaron."  But God was speaking to Aaron, and as the passage goes on, He was entrusting - and holding accountable - the Priests and Levites for a lot of what went on at the Tabernacle.  Once again, context is everything. In the preceding chapter, God had shown Aaron's tribe to be the tribe for the job, as only his rod of the twelve budded and bore fruit overnight. The other leaders were moved to fear.  Lest this choosing go to his head, God made it very clear that with this authority came great accountability. Often we find leaders in scripture letting their choosing "go to their heads" and abusing their power, and the people as a whole resting on their laurels as "God's chosen people." We are not immune to this.  We are held responsible to God for all His blessings to us.

The Lord Said: "I'm Serious..."

Numbers 15:32 While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation. 34 They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him. 35 And the Lord said to Moses, “The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” 36 And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, as the Lord commanded Moses.

It is passages like this that make people point to the God of the Bible and portray Him as a mean, heartless ogre.  They say: "kill the man for picking up sticks - really?"  That's because we often read without context. In the proceeding verses God had been talking to people about intentional versus unintentional sins.  The former are those done "with a high hand" - deliberate, arrogant acts of rebellion against God.  We're not talking some misdemeanor act, but hateful defiance. This becomes more evident in the next event: the rebellion of Korah.  Context is everything. These were not innocent people making a mistake. They are examples of why Israel had to wait in the wilderness for forty years: their rebellious hearts.  As Paul says to the Corinthians: Let us learn from the example.

The Lord Spoke: The Complaint Department Responds

 Numbers 14:26 And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 27 “How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me. 28 Say to them, ‘As I live, declares the Lord, what you have said in my hearing I will do to you: 29 your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and of all your number, listed in the census from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against me, 30 not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. 

God had proved over and over again that He would provide, protect, and lead His people into the promised land.  As we saw yesterday, when the time came, they resisted. They complained that God had led them into the wilderness only to die there.  So God granted their request: He let them die there- not because that was His plan, but because they rejected His plan.  It is okay with us to "wrestle with God", to cry out complaints and wrestle to understand His ways. But this is an attack on His character and a blatant refusal to trust Him. Be careful what you accuse God of; it just may come true.  

The Lord Said: "Let's Start Over Here..."

 Numbers 14:11 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? 12 I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

The Lord had been speaking all sorts of instructions to the people through Moses, preparing them to enter the promised land. He had offered them a covenant promising protection, provision and His presence. He led them through the construction of the Tabernacle, how to use it, and gave guidelines for those who served there. As we saw yesterday, He said "Now is the time; take a look." And the people said "no, we won't go."  On the one hand, we can understand God's frustration. But we also wonder about the wisdom of abandoning everything God had already invested in this plan: from the Exodus to the present. In faith, Mose and Aaron, and Joshua and Caleb, vastly outnumbered and on the wrong side of the crowd, call out to both God and His people to make this work. Rather than starting over from scratch, they stared over from where they were at.  It wasn't going to be easy; it was going to take another 40 years. Like these people, we often go so far and say stop. God does not take abandon us. He starts where we are, to begin again, and learn to trust Him more.  May we do that today.

The Lord Spoke: Send Spies

Numbers 13:1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel. From each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a chief among them.”

Most of us know the rest of the story without reading on, but it's worth repeated.  Most of the spies (10 of the 12) focused on the size and number of the inhabitants, becoming full of fear.  The other two did what God said: focused on the land, its lushness and produce. We cannot ignore the historical context here: God had been building them up, preparing them for the journey, organizing them. This was the whole reason for delivering them from Egypt, and they said "No; we're stopping here."  How often have we done that with God? He calls us, prepares us, gives us everything we need, then we give in to fear and give up on it. When God shows us something, gives us a glimpse, it is to move us forward in faith and learn to trust Him more. 

The Lord Spoke: "Get Ready"

Numbers 1:1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers' houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head. 3 From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them, company by company. 4 And there shall be with you a man from each tribe, each man being the head of the house of his fathers. 

This is the second census which had been taken of Israel, the other having taken place when God was having them collect for the building of the tabernacle.  Now that it has been built, all the furnishings put in, and instructions given about the offerings and the priests, it was time to move forward to the promised land - the whole reason they had left Egypt in the first place.  God's instructions are very straightforward, making it easy for them to set up camp in an organized way so they could move the nation forward in a smooth fashion. When we listen to God's instructions, He takes us forward one step at a time, keeping our focus on where He wants us to go. 

The Lord Spoke: "Let's Celebrate!"

Leviticus 23:1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts.

As we have seen, this book is all about the holiness of the sacred covenant between God and His people. He gave them all the instructions, and admonitions, that they needed to live life in relationship with Him. As He nears the end of His guidelines, it becomes more like party plans.  Let's plan on getting together on the Sabbath, Passover, First Fruits, Feast of Weeks, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Passover, Feast of Booths. Life with God is meant to be celebrated, observed, enjoyed.  Let's not turn it into a drudgery. Let's begin by going to spend time celebrating with Him today.

The Lord Spoke Hard Core...

Leviticus 20:1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Say to the people of Israel, Any one of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. 3 I myself will set my face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given one of his children to Molech, to make my sanctuary unclean and to profane my holy name. 

We saw yesterday that after giving all these instructions about worship, God gave a general reminder that the reason for them all was His holiness.   Keepers of His Covenant keep that always in the forefront of their hearts and minds.  God did not just speak in generalities: He gave specific hard case scenarios which were true to life. People around them actually did these things.  When we follow suit, we violate His holiness. We either sustain His holiness or stain it.

The Lord Spoke Because...

Leviticus 19:1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. 3 Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God. 4 Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the Lord your God.

Many of the chapters of Leviticus leading up to this one begin: The Lord Spoke to Moses..., followed by the instructions on sacrifice, the activities of the priests, and proper lifestyle of the people. Here the Lord pauses to remind them why: He is Holy and expects holiness of His people. It is consistent with the covenantal commitment they had made at the mountain. They were to keep their relationships with God and one another in proper order because of their common commitment to Him, their family, their people. Failure to keep these instructions lightly indicated they were taking their relationships lightly, which would lead to fracturing the covenant of life.  It is good for us to pause and consider as well: What does it mean to me that God is Holy?

The Lord Called...

 

Leviticus 1:1 The Lord called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock.

Besides the Lord God saying and speaking, sometimes He calls.  When He calls, He has something very important to say. At the end of Exodus, God appointed Moses as the one who would communicate with Him on behalf of the people.  Here, in the very next chapter, God summoned Moses to give instructions to His people about sacrifices and offerings.  There are many times and ways God tells us what we need to know and do.  What follows are pages of detailed instructions - a worship manual if you will.  The important thing is that God deserves to be worshipped in His way, not ours.  When God calls, listen.

The Lord Said: "I'm Moving In..."

Exodus 40:1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “On the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting...34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.

Having listened to all God's instructions on building the parts of the Tabernacle and its furnishings, God said to put it all together.  Once they did, He "moved in."  He made His presence known constantly all through the wilderness journey to the promised land.  That pictures for us as well what happens when we listen to His instructions: it is a daily journey of His constant presence.  His protection and guidance are always there day and night.  Oh, the glory of His presence!

The Lord Said: "Go Up... But I Will Not Go"

Exodus 33:1 The Lord said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give it.’ 2 I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”

God had delivered His people, brought them through the sea, provided food and water, and committed to a covenant with them, giving them all the instructions they needed to experience His presence. But they chose the golden calf.  So, The Lord offered them the opportunity to go on to the promised land without Him, promising His angel would clear the path for them.  Fortunately, they chose to beg for God's presence to continue with them.  We often do the same thing: we experience God's saving grace, taste and see that new life is good, and make commitments to God. But then we begin to think we can go one without Him; we think we know what we are doing on our own.  May we stop, confess, and ask that above all else, He will go with us and before us.

The Lord Said: "They Shall Make..."

Exodus 25:1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me. 3 And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, 4 blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats' hair, 5 tanned rams' skins, goatskins, acacia wood, 6 oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 7 onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. 8 And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. 

We saw yesterday that God and the people of Israel agreed upon the "rules" of their relationship - the ten commandments and those that followed.  God then instructed the construction of the Tabernacle, and all the instruments involved in worship, each instruction beginning with the phrase: they shall make. Our relationship with God is to be creative. God was going to be around.  He did not want to be forgotten. As Jesus reminded the woman at the well: 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. He knows that since He is Spirit, we tend to forget He is around.  We don't see the Red Sea divide every day or hear His voice like thunder. God wants us to hang out with Him, spend time with Him, live out our relationship with Him daily. The place should never replace the relationship, but it is good for us to have a place we meet with Him. 

The Lord Said: Come, Let's Make a Covenant

Exodus 24:1 Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. 2 Moses alone shall come near to the Lord, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.” 3 Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.”  

The chapters in between today and yesterday are what we might call "rules of relationship" - how people are to interact with God and one another.  They were straightforward, specific, and fully understood. Total agreement was expressed on both sides. Moses was appointed to record all the details and sign for the people.  Covenants are made for integrity, security, and proclamation before the world. God wants everyone to know who we are an why we are here.  Do we truly understand who we are as His people?

God Speaks Out of Relationship

Exodus 20:1 And God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

We often misunderstand what God is saying to us because we misunderstand why He is saying it to us. When God came to Israel with the Ten Commandments it was not Him saying "If you want to have a relationship with Me, you have to do this and this and Not that, that, and that.  He was speaking to them saying "Because we have this relationship where I have done this, this, and that, here is how you should respond."  God did something similar with Adam at creation: "Because I made you and everything around you to enjoy, you should do thus, and so." There are many places we find these kinds of conversations and instructions.  God seeks and provides a relationship with us, which is what we really need, and He also helps us understand what makes that relationship work.

The Lord Says: Consider What You've Seen.

 

Exodus 19:2 There Israel encamped before the mountain, 3 while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ 

Having seen God's deliverance from Egypt, safe passage through the Sea, and provision of manna and water, God calls on the people (and us) to consider what our proper response is. We are to understand that God has a plan and purpose, including instructions, resources, and protection plan.  The question before us now is: Will we obey and enjoy this special calling?

And God Said: "Here's How to Get Water"

Exodus 17:5 And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

God had already provided food in response to the people's complaining; now He provided water.  God was not giving "how-to" lessons on what we need to get water, but how we can depend on God to meet our needs - even ones we take so much for granted.  As always, He has a picture for us of the Gospel - that Christ is both the Rock upon whom we can place our trust and the Source of Living Water for daily and eternal life.  The big question in all our hearts is: "Is God here and does He care?" The answer is a bigtime "YES."