Commuter Bible

In our last episode, Israel turned away from the Lord while Moses was away, turning to Aaron instead, who gave them a golden calf to worship. After this incident, God tells Moses He will no longer go with Israel to the land He promised Abraham. Moses will intercede on their behalf, assuaging God’s anger. Later, God’s appointed craftsmen get to work assembling the tabernacle according to the Lord’s instructions.

The Lord plans disaster for Israel when they turn from Him in order to worship a golden calf, made by none other than Aaron, Moses’ brother and right hand man.

By the end of our reading Moses will have spent 40 days on Mt. Sinai, and in that amount of time, the Israelites gave up on Moses and on the Lord. Not long beforehand they had promised that they would do all that the Lord had commanded, but in short order, they turn away from God. Instead they turn to Aaron, who makes a golden calf for them to worship. The Lord’s anger burns against Israel, but Moses steps in as a redeemer for his people.

God gives very specific instructions on how the Israelites would build the place where He would be worshipped, how to collect funds to put it together, and how His priests would be dressed. If that sounds unimportant, you’ve never had to sit through a church committee meeting. :D It’s important to remember, however, that the tabernacle is the place where the God of the universe, perfect in all His ways, matchless in power and authority, would meet with His people in a unique way. If it were up to you to build that, wouldn’t you want detailed instructions? Right worship is important to God, and these detailed instructions gave the Israelites the freedom of knowing their worship was pleasing to Almighty God.

On today’s episode God begins to give very specific commands to the Israelite people on what it looks like to be fair, kind, and gracious to one another. The Lord’s justice is severe for those who are selfish and outright rebellious, but gracious toward those who have no intention of causing harm. As you listen, it can be tempting to think that these are dry or irrelevant, but put yourself in the shoes/sandals of the original audience, whose livelihood wasn’t based on financial income, but on livestock, crops, and community with one another. Imagine yourself in each situation, & the text becomes much more interesting.

The Lord continues to provide for his people, despite their grumbling, giving them, not only food and water, but a moral code by which they might live; this Decalogue, more commonly known as the Ten Commandments, allowed Israel to know how they could please God. After witnessing the plagues on Egypt, the columns of cloud and fire, and the Red Sea’s parting, it would have been no small thing for Israel to receive this sense of assurance that they could be in right relationship with such a powerful God.

Today we’ll read the account of the parting of the Red Sea. Along with the Passover, this event is passed down from generation to generation as a testament to the power of God. Throughout the history of Israel through both prose and poetry, God’s people remind each other of the Lord’s power and deliverance. He is faithful to His promises and makes a way where there seems to be no way, providing salvation for His people, often by completely unexpected means.

On previous episodes we began the book of Exodus at a time when Joseph and his deeds toward Egypt have been forgotten. Israel is numerous, but Pharaoh hates them and enslaves them. God sends Moses, a Hebrew man who was raised in Pharaoh’s house, to return to Egypt and tell Pharaoh tell let God’s people go, so that they may worship Him in the wilderness. When Pharaoh refuses, God sends plagues of blood, frogs, gnats, and flies, but the king of Egypt will not back down.

Today we begin to examine the ten plagues sent upon Egypt that testify to the power of the great I AM. It has been suggested that each plague is designed to show pharaoh, and all of Egypt all with him, that their gods are no match for the God of Israel, systematically robbing them of any power they claimed to have. While he is bested over and over again, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened and refuses to concede.

This is the beginning of the book of Exodus, a pivotal story in the history of Israel. Throughout Scripture, Israel is often reminded that God is the one who led His people out of bondage and out of Egypt; it’s a way to point to His power, His kindness, and His covenant faithfulness to fulfill His promises.

As we enter the text, we’re told that Joseph has been forgotten and that the nation of Israel, though numerous, is being oppressed in the bonds of slavery.

We’re covering the last four chapters today, which includes Mark’s account of the crucifixion of Jesus. As you hear the Word today, remember 1 Peter 2:22-25 “He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth; when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”