We're about to see a repeat of something we've already read and yet despite the fact that it might be a nuisance to a modern reader, it meant something very specific to the original ancient reader. We're about to see some unique features of the ancient Israel culture and what they mean when they talk about God visiting the sins of the fathers to the 3rd and 4th generation.

In this episode we are interrupted from a conversation between Moses and God due to the people of Israel coming up with their own system of worship that actually flies directly in the face of what YHWH has clearly expressed he wants from his people. God gets mad, Moses gets mad, there's some shouting and some crying and God ultimately threatens to abandon Israel. Is God playing reverse psychology or did he really mean it?

God is creating a whole method for dwelling with his people among His creation. In constructing a tabernacle his is also setting the stage for how it can be possible for him to reside among people who continually sin, rebel against him, and reject his laws. Although this place of worship resembles some other pagan worship sites again God's purpose is taking things they are familiar with and reorienting the way they interact with, and understand what it means to enter Holy places.

We're taking a break from Exodus this week to wrap up some final details on the gospel project we've been working on called "The Long Table". Here's a sneak peek into what's coming. We will drop a proper trailer later this week.

What did the Ark of the covenant, the table of bread, and the candlestick in the sanctuary of YHWH mean to those who were originally using them? We might discover that although they share some physical similarities with Egyptians religious artifacts their use and purpose were wholly other. God is using something familiar to create something brand new.

There's a weird interruption when we come to Exodus chapters 21-23 which is a series of case laws dealing with specific incidents in light of the 10 words (10 commandments) right before God has Moses and Aaron perform the blood elements of the New Covenant He is going to inaugurate with Israel as a declaration of His faithfulness to them and their fidelity to worship only YHWH and follow Him alone.

Wrapping up our conversation on the upcoming Easter holiday and the events following Jesus' death and burial. What does it mean that Jesus rose from the dead and gave new instructions on how people were to interact with God?

As Easter approaches we want to take some special time to focus on the most meaningful aspect of Easter and the celebration of a resurrected Christ. Stephanie and Jonathan talk through the events leading up to Jesus' death and share their thoughts. This conversation is broken up into two parts.

The 10 commandments are understood to be a set of rules and a moral guideline for people to follow, but to the original Israelite they were a seal that identified who this people group belonged to. They followed a God wholly unique from all other gods and this was how they demonstrated their allegiance to the one who had already shown His love and favor to them.

Chapter 18 gives us some insight into what the ancient society of Israel thought of their leadership structure leaving Egypt but chapter 19 sets the stage for them to understand what it means that God is establishing a whole new way mode of leadership as He prepares them to be a Kingdom of Priests, a beacon of light to the rest of the world who is following after spiritual being in rebellion against YHWH.