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Daily Bible Reading
The nation of Israel has made their way to the foot of Mount Sinai. The boundary has been marked and the Lord has descended upon the mountain in a cloud with thunder, lightning, and the appearance of fire. The nation trembled in fear before the great I AM. The Lord spoke and gave to His infant nation the Ten Commandments. These serve as the foundation on which all other commands, statutes, and judgements would be stand upon. The Lord God has called Israel to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. He has also revealed to His chosen people the pattern of the tabernacle which would give Him fellowship in the midst of His people. What had been lost in the Garden of Eden is being restored little by little throughout the history of Israel.
- Day Thirty One - Exodus 28-29
- “You shall make holy garments…” - The pattern given to Moses pertaining to the tabernacle had to be followed, but what about the high priest and priests who would minister in the tabernacle on a day-to-day basis? The Lord did not leave any stone unturned, but in these couple of chapters gave Moses the pattern for the clothing that was to be worn by Israel’s priests. The Lord also revealed the consecration method so that these men could be holy devoted to the service of the Lord and His people. Aaron and his sons were the ones chosen by God to be consecrated and serve as Israel’s priesthood. Aaron would be anointed with oil - setting him apart - and his role as high priest would be known to all in Israel. The high priestly garments were to be worn as he entered the tabernacle and served as Israel’s intercessor during the years of the Law. The priesthood would fluctuate and often times failed to maintain their holiness to God, but they served as a shadow of the greater and more perfect high priest, Jesus! Jesus never once had to sacrifice for Himself or His own sins. He is our perfect sacrifice and great High Priest. The emphasis of holiness to the Lord is repeated throughout these chapters and the same expectation is made to all who call upon Jesus’ name.
- Day Thirty Two - Exodus 30-31
- “…they shall wash with water, so that they will not die…” - Moses continued to receive the pattern for the Tabernacle, its furnishings, its courts, and the priestly duties. In the construction of the bronze laver, there is a phrase that caught my eye. The Lord required for the bronze laver to be filled with water and to be placed outside the tent. The water was to be used by Aaron and his sons anytime prior to them entering the tent. They were instructed to wash their hands and feet from it. Their obedience was essential, because if they failed to wash, then they would die! The Lord’s use of water in this scenario should not strike us as odd or out of the normal, but rather it is a theme found throughout the Bible. The Lord has continually used water as the means of cleansing and judgement. The waters of the flood served as both the salvation of Noah and his family and the judgment of the world. The Red Sea was the means by which God saved Israel and judged Egypt. All of these serve as shadows of how water will be used by God in the NT and baptism.
- Day Thirty Three - Exodus 32-34
- “Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face…that the skin of Moses’ face shone…” - What must it have been like for Moses to behold the glory of the Lord? Moses shared in a relationship with the Lord that is so different from any other in the OT. Moses spoke to the Lord face to face. He spoke to the Lord as a man does with his friend. While we will never achieve this same physical encounter with the Lord, is this not what our prayer life with God should resemble? We pray to God with reverence and awe. Prayer is where we take everything to Him. We give Him our all, because He cares for us and desires to actively work in our lives. When Moses spent time in the presence of the Lord the consequence was that his face shone. Again we will never be in the presence of God like Moses, but the same results should be manifested in our study and application of God’s Word. When we examine our hearts by the Word of God, the impurities of this life are cast out and the LIGHT that shines in the darkness begins to illuminate our hearts. We become a reflection of His glory in our vocabulary, dress, and manner of day-to-day life. When others see us, they do not simply see a person who is driven by his own selfish motivations, but rather a disciple whose greatest desire is to become like his Master!
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