Moses wants to see God.

I.  God repeats His command for Moses to lead the people into the promised land, and God repeats His promise to send His Angel to fight for them (Exodus 33:1-6).

II. Moses (and Joshua) meet with God in a tent outside the camp while the people stand in the doorway of their tents awaiting God’s word (Exodus 33:7-11)

III. Moses, looking for a sign of God’s guarantee, asks first to see God’s way (13) and then to see God’s glory (18). God grants the request as far as divinely possible (Exodus 33:12-23).

Meditation Points:

1. When God speaks to us one time, that should be sufficient; but when God repeats His word to us, then we should especially take notice. After the debacle over the golden calf, one might have thought that God would abandon the people; but God repeats His will for Moses to assure him and the people that God will be true to His word.
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While Moses is on the mountaintop listening to God, the people at the mountain base are building their own likeness of God out of golden jewelry.

• A golden calf constructed and worshiped (Exodus 32:1-6)
• God is aware of the people’s rebellion (Exodus 32:7-14)
• Moses sees the rebellion for himself (Exodus 32:15-21)
• Rebellion resolved (Exodus 32:22-29)
• God is faithful (Exodus 32:30-35)

Meditation Points:

1. The gold earrings came originally from the Egyptians; the idea of building gold representations of gods came from the Egyptians, too. How often does our adhering to the fashion of the world adversely affect our worship, too?
2. Do you ever get impatient with God’s delays? We must learn to wait upon the Lord as long as necessary.

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Exodus 30

I.  Incense Altar (Exodus 30:1-10)

II.  Redemption Money (Exodus 30:11-16)

III. Brazen Laver (Exodus 30:17-21)

IV.  Anointing Oil (Exodus 30:22-33)

V.  Holy Perfume (Exodus 30:34-38)

Exodus 31

I.  Inspired Artisans (Exodus 31:1-11)

II.  Sabbath Emphasized (Exodus 31:12-17)

III.  Two Stone Tables (Exodus 31:18)

Meditation Points:

• Atonement (30:10, 16) is only needed when there is sin.
• No strange incense was to be burned on the altar (30:9); the incense of the Lord was not to be counterfeited or used without God’s approval (30:32-33); and making a knock-off of the perfume was an excommunicable offense (30:38).
• The redemption/atonement price was the same for all. Sin’s penalty is the same for all – death. Sin’s redemption price is the same for all – Christ.
• When God wanted something done right by men, God needed to put His spirit and wisdom within them (31:3, 6). Even today, for men to obey the gospel and trust Christ, God must put His spirit and wisdom within them.
• Sabbath defilement was a capital crime (31:14-15). Not resting in Christ for salvation is an eternally capital crime.
• How did God the eternal Spirit write His law in stone with His finger?

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The Aaronic Priesthood Sanctified and Serving

I. The priesthood established (Exodus 29:1-37)

What things surrounded the Old Testament priest?

• animals:
  • bullocks (Ex. 29:1, 3, 10, 11, 12, 14, 36)
  • rams (Ex. 29:1, 3, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 26, 27, 31, 32)
  • lambs (Ex. 29:38-41)
  • (and more, as we shall read in later chapters)
• food stuffs:
  • bread
  • cakes
  • wafers
  • oil
  • flour
  • wine
  • (and more, as we shall read in later chapters)
• sacrifices:
  • burnt offerings
  • wave offerings
  • heave offerings
  • (and more, as we shall read in later chapters)

II. The priesthood duties (Exodus 29:38-46)

• sacrifice daily, morning and evening
• meet with God
• minister to God
• live with God
• know God

Meditation Points:

1. An offering for sin must be made regularly. Why?  Because the people sin regularly and the sacrifices of animals are not a permanent solution.
2. For the work of priests to be acceptable to God, the priests must be holy.
3. Not all offerings were because of sin.  So our offerings to God may also be out of gratitude for His grace and mercy and not out of guilt.
4. God promises to dwell with the people who worship Him according to His prescription.
5. When God lives amongst His people, they will know Him.
6. The tabernacle structure made by men’s hands out of gold and silver and wood and linen is sanctified by God’s glory. So our earthly tabernacle is sanctified by the indwelling and glorious God.

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