Exodus 23:14-25:40
Ex. 23:14-19
These feasts were a great idea by God to have the entire nation, and the men in particular, always focused on God’s salvation-redemption-selection of Israel, God’s provision, and God’s cleansing of their sin. There is actually much more to this, but it is amazing to think of what is built into these 3 festivals. More than anything, in a heart of faith, these feasts would have made Israel strong in knowing that God’s promise to redeem all mankind was being worked out through them. They were the chosen people through whom the promise to Adam and Eve and the promise to Abraham, that all nations would be blessed through his “seed,” would be proclaimed through them.
As a footnote to these feasts and the presentation of sacrifices and first fruits, 3 stipulations are given, and looking at them, it seems to me that each applies to each feast in that order. The first has to do with the Passover feast where yeast or “leaven” was not allowed. The second says they should offer only the best as first fruits. The third has to do with the feast in October, the day of atonement and the feast of tabernacles. Men smarter and more godly than I, have broken their heads trying to understand and explain the prohibition here, but it makes sense to me that it’s just out of line, so if God said not to do it, don’t do it.
In a practical sense, for all the men to come to Jerusalem 3 times a year, would have made Israel very unique in the eyes of all its neighbors. Not just religiously, but in terms of sanity, leaving the country unguarded for weeks, in fact, the same weeks every year. For Israel itself, it would have demonstrated great love, faith and dependence on their savior God.
As disciples, we live with reminders of our salvation and the grace given to us. That God would choose us to love, forgive and call to His service is incredible. The word reminds us of God’s plan to redeem and bring salvation through Jesus. Communion reminds us of the price that was paid to redeem us. The very fact that the Church exists should be a reminder of our savior, our place in God’s kingdom and our mission to reach a lost world, making disciples. God has built all this, and more, into our lives as disciples, but they only stay vital and meaningful if we are in love with Christ and following Him in the harvest.
Ex. 23:20-33
This is a promise to the people that God will give them the land. They have seen His power, so there should be no doubt that God will do this. They see the mountain smoking, burning at the top, lightning, thunder, a blaring trumpet…all indications that what Moses is telling them from God is a pretty good bet.
One question I have is regarding the angel. Is this just an angel or is it Christ? I say this because of what Paul/Spirit says in 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 I want you to know, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same supernatural food and all drank the same supernatural drink. For they drank from the supernatural Rock which followed them, and the Rock was Christ.
I know it says Christ was represented in the “rock” or provision of water, but since there is the aspect of following or accompanying them, I wonder if Christ, before He became flesh, was this angel.
Ex. 24:1-8
This is the “Mosaic Covenant,” that is, the covenant that God made with Israel through Moses. It is a conditional covenant in that the people have to agree to obey in order to see the blessings. That obedience would actually be driven by their love of God for their redemption, and faith in God that He would fulfill the promise to Abraham through them. Even here, the focus was not on them, but on God, who would show them love as a witness to draw the nations.
Moses had already been writing, since he mentions a “book of the covenant.”
The people agreed to the covenant and in the only time this happens in the OT, they are sprinkled (somehow) with the blood of the covenant. Those words, “the blood of the covenant” will be repeated when Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper, in making a new covenant.
Just for clarification, the covenant that Jesus makes with us for redemption and righteousness before God is unconditional. In the Mosaic Covenant (MC) obedience was a mandate. The MC was an “If/Then” arrangement, not for salvation, but for national blessing. I think that the “faith that saved,” was in the God of Israel who redeemed Israel according to His promise to Abraham. I believe no one could ever be saved by obeying the law. Paul says that salvation is, and always has been, through faith. Faith is not a work of the Law. If someone uses all their own resources and buys you a car, if you believe that the one who bought the car is telling the truth, that is not a “work” that helps buy or earn the car, nor is putting out your hand to catch the keys a meritorious work. I’m just talking faith vs. works here. Election is another matter.
Ex. 24:9-11 are worth mentioning because this is the meal that usually followed the making of a covenant. It says they see God. From what I know, no one has ever seen God. Jesus, John and Paul all say that no one has ever seen God. So what is happening here? Again, I think that they are seeing the Angel of the Lord, the pre-incarnate Son of God. Seeing Jesus is the only time mankind has ever seen God.
Another thing worth mentioning has to do with the men at this meal, two of whom are Aaron’s sons. We need to keep in mind that through these 40 years, God is going to be teaching the people his holiness and the deadliness of sin. These two men are given a great privilege. How many people have eaten with God? Surely they’ve gotta be like “buds” with God, and if they mess up, He’ll cut them some slack. Right? Wrong.
Ex. 24:12-18
A couple of notes here.
Joshua went further up the mountain with Moses, but didn’t go up to the place where Moses met God. This does mean that Joshua is being given great privilege. I find it interesting that Moses’ successor is already shown to us.
Aaron and the guys went down to the people to take care of stuff.
I doubt that Joshua or Moses had food for 40 days. God must have somehow been providing for them, too.
Ex. 25:1-40
Rather than get lost in the detail, notice how much attention God gives to it. The God of creation is designing furniture. The first piece is the Ark of the Covenant. It would carry the 10 commandments in it (therefore “ark,” I suppose), but the top of it would be special cover called the “mercy seat.” It was understood that God sat on this “mercy seat” on the day of atonement and “covered” the sins of the people for another year.
Matthew 24:29-51
Matt. 24:29-31
I’ve always thought this was comical. The anti-Christ goes into the temple with an “attitude” and declares himself to be god. Then he walks out on the temple steps and, basically the earth and the universe go kaput. Cool, he has just pronounced himself captain of the Titanic.
Matt. 24:32-51
Some notes here.
The fig tree illustration is a reference to the “birth pangs.” These refer to the “atmosphere” leading to the 2nd coming of Christ, giving the hints that His “day” is coming. This coming “day” will be all 7 years of the Tribulation. For those disciples who are watching, there will be a sense of alertness when they see times of great distress hit the nations and the earth.
Jesus says that the day will come totally unexpected. There will be enough peace on earth to allow the normal flow of life. This reference of suddenness has to be referring to the beginning of the Tribulation. This “day of the Lord” will bring such severe judgment that once it begins, people who are wise can begin making X’s on their calendars. Life on earth will never again be normal for these 7 years.
I understand verses 40-41 to refer to the rapture, that is, God removing the church from earth before the Tribulation, thus introducing the Tribulation. Just as God made a choice between “believers and unbelievers” in the plagues of Egypt, He will do the same as He begins the Tribulation. The result will be turmoil on the earth and many in Israel will be awakened to belief in the Gospel and their Messiah.
Disciples are to be awake and alert. I know the final thing Jesus says about the lazy servant can be taken to mean that this servant wasn’t a believer. I think that defeats the purpose of the warning, but then, you don’t want a believer thrown into hell. What are we to do? My take on this is that the servant is a believer, like millions we have today who live for themselves as good Christians but do not follow Christ into the harvest. When they are judged…and we all will stand before the judgment seat of Christ…their lives and works built on the foundation will be looked at. I think this is another view of 1 Cor. 3:12-15. To “cut him in pieces” is a figure of speech like, “the fir will fly,” or “tear him a new one.” These hypocrites will suffer. I think those who live a lukewarm life for Christ will feel deep distress and remorse in that moment when they see their life’s work burned away and realize, in the presence of their savior, what a waste it was. I know the “weeping and gnashing of teeth” is usually reserved for those who end up in hell, but I think this anguish can be applied in this case to those who, though believing, treat the love and grace and mission of Christ with contempt.
Psalm 30
Guess what song came from this psalm.
Proverbs 7:24-27
There she is again. In my book, Looking Out For Number One, I used these verses of warning for Andreas when Angela came to get him. I intentionally made Angela look “normal” and “moral,” because most men are smart enough not to go after a wild looking prostitute, but the woman next door or in the next office who they see at lunch, comes right through their radar. It all leads to the same place.
If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.”
I'm writing these comments to and for those at New Song who are following a One Year Bible and involved in a discipleship cell. We're meeting weekly and discussing the texts, not necessarily my comments. We're growing together, learning to become and make disciples who make disciples. We will all be leading others in this process and training them to do likewise.
The comments I'm writing are in no way exhaustive, but meant to give some leading thoughts on how the text applies to us as disciples and to encourage and stimulate our growth in reading the Bible, with the effect that we will grow as disciples and encourage the growth of others as disciples growing in the word. If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.
I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible, in fact, no one in our church reads the version I do, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.
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