We shall continue the study of Exodus, the second book of the Old Testament.
Vv. 28-31 Relationship with God – Elaboration of the 1st-4th Commandments
(1) Of the four commands given in these verses, three of them are negative commands. What are they?
(2) What constitutes “blasphemy”?
(3) Why would God’s people blaspheme their God? (See the example in Lev. 24:10-16.) How is the curse of a ruler related to blasphemy of God?
(4) We will be looking at the command to offer firstfruits in chapter 23, but here the emphasis appears to be about “bumper crops and vintage wine” (Durham, 330). So why would someone hold back bringing offerings from their best harvest to God?
(5) Is “tokenism” a common sin among today’s believers? What about you?
(6) Why is it unholy to eat animal meat torn by wild beasts? (See Lev. 7:22-27; Deut. 12:27.)
(7) Why would God’s people eat such meat?
(8) If any of God’s people commit any of the three negative sins, what does this say about this person’s relationship with God?
(9) How can you apply the spiritual principle behind these negative commands?
(10) What is the one positive command in these verses?
(11) What is the basis of this command (See Exod. 13:1, 11-16.)?
(12) How important is this command?
(13) With what attitude should God’s people obey this command?
(14) How can you apply the spiritual principle behind this command?
(15) What have you learned today and how may you apply it in your life?
(1) Read the 9th Commandment again (Exod. 20:16).
(2) In this section which elaborates on the 9th Commandment, can you find out what might be the reasons for giving false testimonies in a trial?
(3) To spread false reports is one thing, to be a false witness is quite another. What does it take for one to testify truthfully against a friend or someone one loves, especially when the consequence might be serious or even death?
(4) Can Peter’s denial of Jesus be attributed to the crowd’s pressure?
(5) What does it take for someone to withstand the pressure of crowd when it comes to be a witness?
(6) Why does God warn us against showing favoritism to the poor in giving testimony and yet He also warns us against denying justice to the poor?
(7) Why does God warn us against oppressing the foreigner within the context of the 9th Commandment?
(8) What is the most common reason for people testifying falsely or judging unjustly?
(9) Within the community of believers, what is the best way to stop someone from spreading rumors?
(10) What have you learned today and how may you apply it in your life?
In bringing these immediate elaborations of the Ten Commandments to a close, the Book of Covenant fittingly ends with the reiteration of Sabbath and the introduction of the three annual festivals of celebration for the covenant community.
Vv. 10-13 (Sabbath)
(1) While the previous stipulations of the Sabbath are on spiritual and historical grounds, v. 12 introduces and focuses on a new ground. What is it?
(2) How important is this emphasis? How does it reflect the character and the heart of God?
(3) How may you apply this principle to today’s corporate world, with oxen, donkeys, slaves and foreigners (and their modern-day equivalent) in mind?
(4) The Sabbath day is now extended to the Sabbath year in v.10. Again, it has nothing to do with spiritual or historical ground, but on a humanitarian ground which extends to the poor and even wild animals. How does it reflect the character and the heart of God?
(5) What is its modern-day implication?
(6) Not all commands like the keeping of the Sabbath day appear to have any penalty attached to them (the Sabbath Year is a case in point). Are they therefore of lesser importance? (See v. 13)
Vv. 14-19 (Annual Festivals)
(7) The stipulation to come before the Lord three times a year (basically for all males 20 and up) turned into a time of pilgrimage in later years for Israel. What might be the significance of having them come all the way before the Lord three times a year? How does it reflect the character of the Lord and His heart?
(8) What is the special meaning of each of these festivals?
a. The Unleavened Bread (tied with the Passover) would be in April.
b. The Harvest of firstfruits would be in late May or early June.
c. The Ingathering of harvest of “later crops” would be in late September or early October.
(9) In
reminding them of these gatherings before Him, why would God emphasize the following?
a. No one is to appear before Him empty-handed (in fact, one is to bring the best of first fruits; this probably refers only to the Festival of Harvest).
b. No yeast is to be offered along with any sacrifice.
c. No fat is to be kept until morning (but to be burnt totally at the time of sacrifice).
(10) One last rule given is that they should not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk. No research by any scholar has produced any concrete Ancient Near East precedents concerning such a practice, meaning your guess is as good as theirs. What do you think is the reason for such a stipulation and how does it reflect the character and heart of God?
(11) What have you learned today and how may you apply it in your life?
In the closing of the reading of the Book of Covenant, God ends with promised victory and blessings with a special emphasis on the angel (or messenger) whom He will send ahead of Him.
(1) Vv. 20-23 describes the angel whom God will send ahead of them. While it is hard to know exactly who He is (and commentators do vary greatly in their opinions), let’s consider what is said of Him:
a. His functions: To guard and bring (and go ahead of) them to the Promised Land
b. He is to be paid attention and listened to
c. He is not to be rebelled against
d. He has the power to forgive
e. The Lord’s name is “in” Him
Do you agree with Augustine that He is none other than the Lord Jesus? Why or why not? (See Note below)
(2) What are the Israelites to do once they enter into the Promised Land, according to v. 24, vv. 32-33?
(3) What is the spiritual principle behind these instructions? How may we emulate the Israelites in our lives?
(4) What are the promised blessings according to vv. 25-26? Does God really mean to honor these promises? Why did these promises never come to pass? Will they be a reality one day? (See Rev. 21:3-5 and Isa. 65:17-20)
(5) In His promise to defeat their enemies, the Lord points out that it will not be achieved overnight. Why?
(6) What important lesson(s) can we learn in our understanding of God’s promises (or answers to prayers) and miraculous deeds in our lives today?
(7) What have you learned today and how may you apply it in your life?
Note:
“Consider these words. Let the Jew, not to speak of the Manichaean, say what other angel he can find in Scripture to whom these words apply, but this leader who was to bring the people into the land of promise. Then let him inquire who it was that succeeded Moses and brought in the people. He will find that it was Jesus and that this was not his name at first but after his name was changed. It follows that he who said, 'My name is in him' is the true Jesus, the leader who brings his people into the inheritance of eternal life, according to the New Testament, of which the Old was a figure. No event or action could have a more distinctly prophetical character than this, where the very name is itself a prediction.” (By Augustine)
(1) After the giving of the instructions, which would become the Book of Covenant, directly to Moses, the Lord now invites Aaron, his two sons and the 70 elders to come near Him as well. Their experience is described in vv. 9-11:
a. What did they see? (See Exod. 33:20)
b. What was God like? Why did they only describe what’s under His feet?
c. In any case, how meaningful and important was this experience for them as leaders of the people, apart from Moses?
(2) While they had this unusual encounter with God, only Moses alone actually came close to the Lord. What is its significance?
(3) Do you think the people were sincere when they said, “Everything the Lord has said we will do”? Why did they stray away from the Lord and why did He say "so quickly" in Exodus 32:8??
In order to solemnize both the Laws and the people’s commitment, Moses did the following. Reflect on the significance of each:
(4) He built an altar at the foot of Mount Sinai. While only Moses and the leaders saw the Lord, what function did the altar serve?
(5) He erected 12 stone pillars. What did these 12 pillars represent? What kind of a precedent did it set? (See Jos. 4)
(6) He had young Israelite men make burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to God. What did this act of offering signify since the priesthood had yet to be set up?
(7) He used the blood of an animal to seal the covenant, splashing half against the altar and sprinkling half on the people: What message is being conveyed with the use of blood to seal this covenant? Why did blood have to be splashed or sprinkled on both the altar and on the people? In what way did it symbolize the eventual sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross?
(8) Read the now written down Book of Covenant and how the people responded again. What is the significance of having the words of God written down?
(9) What is the main message for you today and how may you apply it in your life?
(1) Now God summoned Moses again to climb up the mountain and God intended to give him two tablets, likely containing the Ten Commandments. While Moses has already written down “everything the Lord had said” (24:4), what is the significance of having God himself write them on the stone tablets?
(2) Here, Joshua was introduced as Moses’ aide who eventually succeeded him in leading the people into the Promised Land. What lesson about succession can we learn here?
(3) Why does the Bible say that “To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain”?
(4) Forty days and forty nights was a long time. Why would God choose to spend such a long time with one individual, Moses, apart from the need to impart instructions to the people in even greater detail?
(5) Could He not just have all these instructions and laws written down for Moses to simply read out to the people? (See Moses’ request in 33:17ff and how he looked after his time with God in 34:29.)
(6) Do you think God desires to spend an extended period of time alone with you? Do you have such a desire as well with God?
(7) What is the main message for you today and how may you apply it in your life?
These are the first instructions that Moses receives upon re-ascending Mount Sinai:
(1) Why did God command Moses to build Him a tabernacle?
(2) It is clear that even the highest heavens cannot contain God. Will God really dwell on earth with men? (2 Chr. 6:18)
(3) What purposes does the tabernacle serve?
(4) Read John 1:14. The literal translation is: “And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.” How does this literal translation deepen your understanding of God’s desire to dwell among us, even at the time of Moses?
(5) What were the materials needed for the building of the tabernacle?
(6) Where would they come from?
(7) Where did these former slaves get all these valuable stuff?
(8) Why didn’t God demand these offerings from them? Why did He leave it to their own choosing?
(9) What if not one heart was prompted to give?
(10) If you were one of the Israelites, would your heart be prompted to give? Why or why not?
(11) What is the main message for you today and how may you apply it in your life?