OVERVIEW:

Nadab and Abihu are judged by God; the first kosher menu is created; instruction regarding postpartum purification; leprosy is identified and addressed.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we pick up in our reading today in Leviticus 10, we learn something tremendously significant about our holy, loving, gracious, merciful, tenderhearted, compassionate, forbearing and forgiving God, and that is, HE TAKES HIS WORD VERY SERIOUSLY!

Though all the qualities just listed are wonderfully true of our God, when our sincere hearts, good intentions, and pure motives don’t align themselves to God’s will and purposes, as they are REVEALED in His WORD oh, buddy, watch out! If you doubt whether that’s true, just ask the two men to whom we are introduced in chapter 10, Nadab and Abihu! These men (Aaron’s sons) allowed themselves to be so caught up in the emotional excitement of experiencing God’s presence at the end of chapter 9 (verses 23–24), they “invented”, as it were, their own self-styled way to worship God in chapter 10 and verse 1.

Now, without understanding the God of the Bible, someone might think, “Well, isn’t that admirable! These two men didn’t want to be limited in the expression of their worship of God only from what they learned in a book, they wanted to be free to express themselves from their hearts and minds in a way that reflected their own ideas and personality!” As “cool” and as “organic” as that might sound to our 21^st century way of thinking, suffice it to say, God was not the slightest bit impressed! Nadab and Abihu did what they thought was right in their own eyes out of the sincerity and goodness of their heart, by offering fire of their own creativity and invention to the Lord. God immediately let Nadab and Abihu, the children of Israel, and us(!!!) know exactly how He felt about it by answering with fire out of heaven that “zap-fried” them right on the spot! Leviticus 10:2 says, “And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.” Again, don’t miss WHY God responded the way He did! Verse 1 says, “And Nadab and Abihu…offered STRANGE FIRE before the Lord, WHICH HE COMMANDED THEM NOT.”

The fire of God’s judgment devoured them because they refused to worship God in accordance with His word! This is such an important lesson for us to learn! Jesus reiterated this principle in John 4:23 when He said, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”

Yes, God is certainly seeking WORSHIP, but not just any kind of worship! He is only interested in “true worship” that arises out of the spirit of a “true worshipper”. But do recognize that biblically, worship will not only always be “in spirit”, but it will always be “in truth”! That is, it will always be GENERATED by the truth of His word, and it will also always be GOVERNED by the truth of His word. In response to the word of God, it then arises from deep within our innermost being (our spirits), and then runs straight through our hearts, our minds, our emotions and, ultimately, out of our mouths in honor, praise and worship of God!

The practical lesson we must learn from Nadab and Abihu is that with any activity we are witnessing or being influenced to participate in, we must train our brain to constantly be asking: What is the biblical precedence for this? Does the Bible give an example of this? Does the Bible specifically command me to do this? If there is a biblical example and/or command, does it actually apply to me, as one who is living in the dispensation of the Church Age?

In the 21^st century, though God may not be “zap-frying” people who violate His truth in worship, we must make certain we understand that “strange fire” is being offered to the Lord at literally every turn in “Christianity”, and in almost every “Christian” denomination.

Nadab and Abihu are a graphic illustration of the principle God taught us in Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Oh, my brothers and sisters, we must LEARN the truth of the word of God and respond/worship accordingly, and not LEAN upon our own understanding, or our own natural instincts or inclinations!

After laying down Israel’s dietary laws in chapter 11, and instruction regarding postpartum purification in chapter 12, in chapter 13, God paints an incredible picture of the working and consequences of sin, through His teaching concerning leprosy. Make a mental note that leprosy will always be a picture of sin throughout the remainder of the Bible. Notice, that just like leprosy, SIN:

• Is a disease that spreads throughout the body.
• Often remains undetected by others.
• Defiles everyone it is near.
• Isolates the one(s) infected.
• Is fit only for destruction by fire.

However, if we choose to separate ourselves from the sin, “putting off” the garment of the flesh (Colossians 3:5–9), allowing our High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, to apply the blood of the sacrifice (1^st John 1:7), and anoint us with “oil” (a type of the Holy Spirit), through the picture of Leviticus 13, God lets us know that through Christ, our faithful High Priest, we can be restored to the joy of our fellowship with God and man.

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

As our HIGH PRIEST who identifies and cleanses the disease of our sin – Leviticus 13 (Hebrews 4:14-15)

OVERVIEW:

Restating of the sacrifices in a new order and with an additional offering; Aaron and his sons consecrated for and instituted in service to God.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

We can be certain that our omniscient God doesn’t suffer from short-term memory loss. When God repeats Himself, start digging because you’re standing on buried treasure! In chapters 6 and 7, God repeats the discussion concerning the sacrifices/offerings that He just talked about in chapters 1–5. But notice something interesting in these two chapters. The offerings/sacrifices are listed in the following order: burnt, meat, peace, sin, and trespass. This order shows God’s transcendence toward man through the person of Jesus Christ: Jesus voluntarily offered (burnt offering) His sinless life (meat offering) to reconcile (peace offering) God and man by atoning for man’s sin (sin and trespass offerings).

As the sacrifices are listed again, in chapters 6 and 7, notice that this time they are listed in a new order, and with the addition of another sacrifice: burnt, meat, priest’s (new), sin, trespass and peace. The addition of this new sacrifice, and in this new order, reveals that man’s ascension toward God is only through Jesus Christ, the great High Priest. It is no accident that the priest’s offering serves as a bridge between the burnt and meat offerings, and the sin and trespass offerings, because the Bible teaches us that, “…there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all…” (1^st Timothy 2:5-6a) Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only bridge to God!

Notice also that the last offering listed in this new order is the peace offering, teaching us that peace is the result of our Lord Jesus Christ standing in the gap between God and man. Romans 5:1 teaches us that, “…we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” and Ephesians 2:14 says, “For he (Christ) is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition (sin!) between us“.

Then, also notice, that the fire of the altar was forbidden to go out. Chapter 6 and verse 13 says: “The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.” This signifies that because of Christ’s sacrifice for us, our God is always ready, willing, and waiting for us to enter into His presence. Psalm 86:5 declares, “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.” Let’s join Paul, in 2^nd Corinthians 9:15 in declaring, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” Amen!

Once the path to God has been established and clearly marked (chapters 1–7), God prepares His children for consecration to His service and to experience His glorious presence. Chapters 8 and 9 show us the consecration of the priests in preparation for God’s glorious presence. 

Be aware of several other key things we glean from the book of Leviticus:

First: “all priests are Levites, but not all Levites are priests.” You may need to read that again to get your head wrapped around it!  Only Aaron’s sons could become priests. In other words, you had to be born a priest. This pictures the New Testament truth that only those who have been born-again into the family of the great High Priest, our Lord Jesus Christ, can serve and worship God as priests. (2^nd Peter 2:5; Revelation 1:6)

Secondly: only the high priest wears the “holy crown” (Leviticus 8:9), teaching us that there is only one High Priest who is also a King, our Lord Jesus Christ, and only He holds the place of preeminence, both in the universe and in our lives. (Colossians 1:18) 

Thirdly: when Aaron and his sons were consecrated for service to God, blood was placed upon their right ear lobes, right thumbs, and right toes, symbolizing that all of their strength (denoted by the right side) was devoted to hearing and obeying God’s HOLY WORD, carrying out God’s HOLY WORK and continuing in a HOLY WALK. That threefold devotion is what our Lord also desires of us as New Testament priests! (Colossians 1:10) 

Lastly: in chapter 9, verses 6 and 7, Aaron makes atonement for himself and the people as a prerequisite to God’s glory descending upon the tabernacle, picturing the fact that atonement necessarily precedes God’s presence. Unless we are in a right relationship with God, completely consecrated to Him, we will never experience the glory of His presence in our lives. (Leviticus 9:24)

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

As our MEDIATOR and HIGH PRIEST who intercedes before God on our behalf –Leviticus 9:7–24 (1^st Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 7:22–26)

OVERVIEW:

The Burnt Offering (Chapter 1); the Meat (meal, grain) Offering (Chapter 2); the Peace Offering (Chapter 3); the Sin Offering (Chapter 4); the Trespass Offering (Chapter 5).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

We have now come to what is for many people one of the most challenging sections of the entire Bible. It is challenging, not because the language is difficult to understand, or because the information is difficult to process. It is difficult because all of the intricate details regarding the sacrifices and feasts seem to be so irrelevant. Therefore, reading through chapter after chapter of them just inevitably becomes boring and monotonous. The reason most Church Age believers think it’s irrelevant is simply because they have mistakenly assumed that Leviticus has no application to us. Because of Christ’s once-for-all offering, of Himself, we no longer offer animal sacrifices or celebrate the Jewish feasts. But, keep in mind that God tells us in 2^nd Timothy 3:16 that “ALL scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”, and Romans 15:4 tells us that the things written in the Old Testament “were written for our learning”! So, just what do the teachings in the book of Leviticus have to do with our lives today?  Well, consider the following:

• Leviticus contains more words spoken directly by God Himself than any other book in the Bible. (Leviticus 1:1)
• Leviticus is quoted more than 40 times in the New Testament. Apparently, there is something very important that God wants to communicate to us in the book of Leviticus!
• Without Leviticus, we could never understand the New Testament book of Hebrews, or much of the terminology used in other New Testament books. Leviticus foreshadows and pictures many New Testament truths regarding the person and work of Jesus Christ.
• David continuously and emphatically declared that he delighted in God’s “statutes”. (Psalm 119:16, 54, 80) Many of God’s “statutes” are recorded in the book of Leviticus. (Leviticus 3:17) Apparently then, David, the man after God’s own heart, actually DELIGHTED in the book of Leviticus!
• The book of Leviticus reveals that God, through Jesus Christ, has prepared three things for us:

1. A SACRIFICE (Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God—John 1:29)
2. A PRIEST (Jesus Christ, the great High Priest—Hebrews 3:1)
3. A PLACE (Heaven, where Jesus Christ is enthroned—1^st Peter 3:22)

• Not only has God prepared these three things for us, He has also made each of us who are “in Christ”: 

1. A SACRIFICE (Roman 12:1–2)
2. A PRIEST (1^st Peter 2:5)
3. A PLACE (Ephesians 2:22)

The purpose of the book of Leviticus is twofold: first, to show us that we must worship the Lord in holiness (the word “holy” or some form of the word appears 94 times in Leviticus!) and second, to show us that worship is the only pathway to peace, rest, and fruitfulness. God will not give us peace, rest, or fruitfulness until we are worshiping Him in holiness.

Historically, the events recorded in Leviticus occur at the door of the tabernacle over a period of one month. (Leviticus 1:1; Exodus 40:17; Numbers 1:1) Having delivered His children by the blood of the lamb (the book of Exodus), God plans to take them to a place of peace, rest, and fruitfulness, but before they embark on their journey, they must first establish worship. The book of Leviticus is Israel’s instruction book on worship. The word “Leviticus” means “that which pertains to the Levites” and is so called because the tribe of Levi was chosen by God to be Israel’s “worship leaders”. The word “Levi” means “joined to God”, and because the Levites were “joined to God”, they had no inheritance in the promised land; God was their inheritance.

Leviticus chapters 1 through 5 describe five types of sacrifices, all of which are an incredible prophetic picture, of both the Lord Jesus Christ and New Testament believers.

Chapter 1 – The Burnt Offering. 

This offering represents the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ. As believers, this offering points us to the New Testament reality that we are to offer our bodies as “living sacrifices, holy, acceptable unto God.” (Romans 12:1) Note that the head and fat of the animal is laid upon the wood (1:8), a picture of you and me laying our plans, our wills, our treasures, and all that we are upon the cross of Christ. (Luke 9:23) Notice also, that the “inwards and the legs” were to be washed in water (1:9, 13), representing our “inner man” (Ephesians 3:16) and our “walk” (Colossians 1:10) being washed with the water of the word of God! (Ephesians 5:26–27)

Chapter 2 – The Meat (or the Meal or Grain) Offering.

This is the only bloodless sacrifice. It represents the sinless life of Jesus Christ. The remnant of this offering was given to Aaron’s sons (2:10), picturing Christ’s righteousness given to believers. (2^nd Corinthians 5:21)

Chapter 3 – The Peace Offering.

This offering represents the peace which Jesus Christ purchased for us with His own precious blood. (Colossians 1:20; Ephesians 2:14) Note that the kidney, caul, and liver, the organs used to filter out poisonous toxins, were taken away. Through this sacrifice, God teaches us that we have permanent genuine peace with Him through our Savior Jesus Christ, who has taken away the poison of our sin.

Chapter 4 – The Sin Offering.

This offering reveals how Jesus Christ has given believers victory over our sinful nature, the flesh. The sin talked about in this chapter is “ignorant sin”, referring to sin that mysteriously permeates our flesh; sin that is so deeply rooted in us that we are sometimes even unaware of it. (See Psalm 19:12; 90:8; 139:23–24; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 7) Note that the whole body of the bullock (an ox or horned cow) was to be taken outside of the camp and burned, picturing the fact that our flesh is of no value or use to God, and must, therefore, be “mortified” and “put off”. (Colossians 3:5-17; Romans 6:1-23)

Chapter 5 – The Trespass Offering.

This offering represents Christ’s victory over specific individual sins, also called trespasses. This is the only sacrifice associated with money. (5:15) Truly, “the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) Thanks be to God, Jesus Christ has paid the price for our sins with His own precious blood! (Acts 20:28)

In today’s reading, it will become obvious that the book of Leviticus is a book of violence and blood. In fact, the word “offering” occurs 387 times, and the word “blood” appears 88 times. Why would a loving God require such horrible violence? For several reasons:

1. “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission” for sin. (Hebrews 9:22)
2. God never wants us to forget the horrific consequences of sin. (James 1:15)
3. God wants us to know that He loved us so much that He voluntarily subjected His Son to the bloody violence of the cross to pay the price of our sin. (Leviticus 1:3; Romans 5:8)
4. We are in a violent war with our flesh. (Romans 7:23)
5. God desires to have every part of us, severally and wholly, and that can be very excruciating! (Colossians 3:5; Romans 8:13)

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

As our VOLUNTARY SUBSTITUTIONARY SACRIFICE – Leviticus 1 (The Burnt Offering) Who lived a SINLESS LIFE – Leviticus 2 (The Meat Offering) and purchased PEACE WITH GOD – Leviticus 3 (The Peace Offering) by PAYING the PRICE for our SINS – Leviticus 4 (The Sin Offering) and giving us VICTORY over our FLESH – Leviticus 5 (The Trespass Offering).

OVERVIEW:

The tabernacle is completed, and an inventory is taken; God commands Moses to set up the tabernacle; God’s presence fills the tabernacle. 

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

In chapters 37 and 38, the Spirit of God inspires Moses to once again list and describe the seven pieces of furniture to be placed in the tabernacle. 

1. The Brazen Altar
2. The Brazen Laver
3. The Table of Shewbread 
4. The Candlestick 
5. The Altar of Incense 
6. The Ark 
7. The Mercy Seat

It is very interesting, as we make our way into the Gospel of John, to note the word the Apostle John uses to refer to the eternal Word of God becoming a human being and “dwelling” among us! John says of the Lord Jesus Christ, “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt (literally, “TABERNACLED”) among us”. Once we observe that biblical connection between our Lord Jesus Christ and the Old Testament tabernacle, and start examining the way the Holy Spirit of God inspired John to lay out the contents of his Gospel, it’s amazing to observe that the order of the furniture found in the tabernacle in Exodus 37 and 38 is the exact order of what unfolds in the ministry of Jesus throughout John’s Gospel!

He begins by leading us to the brasen altar of sacrifice, as twice in John chapter one He urges us to “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29, 46)

We are then taken to the laver in John 3:5, where the Spirit of God records, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

Moving further into the Gospel of John (and into the tabernacle), the Spirit leads us, in chapters 4–6, to what is pictured in the food and drink of the table of shewbread, as John presents Christ as “Living Water” and “Living Bread”. (Keep in mind, the tabernacle and its furniture in the book of Exodus is the PICTURE, and Christ and the Tabernacle in Heaven is the REALITY! It’s easy to get those reversed!)

In John 8 and 9 we are taken to what is pictured in the golden candlestick, as twice John records our Lord Jesus Christ as He proclaims, “I am the light of the world”, (John 8:12a) and “…he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12b)

In John 14–16, the Spirit of God brings us, as it were, to the altar of incense, as Jesus teaches us to pray in His name: the name of the One that is to the Father a sweetsmelling savor. (Ephesians 5:2)

Then in John 17, we are taken beyond the veil into the “Holy of Holies” to behold our great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, making intercession for us in the presence of God.  Here, Christ is seen, not only as our High Priest, but as the Ark and the Mercy Seat through whom we have found access and acceptance with His Father and God. Jesus said in John 20:17, “I ascend unto MY Father, and YOUR Father; and to MY God, and YOUR God.”

Finally, in Exodus 39–40, everything having been made according to the divine pattern, it was then ready to be filled with the Divine Glory. In perfect fulfillment of the Old Testament picture, the Gospel of John closes with Jesus breathing on His disciples saying, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” (John 20:22)

Wow! What a supernatural book God has entrusted to our stewardship!

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

In the HIGH PRIEST and his BREASTPLATE, who bears the names of God’s people before the presence of God – Exodus 39:8–21 (Hebrews 9:11; 10:19–22)

In the FOUR COLORS that represent the FOUR GOSPELS – Exodus 38:18, 23; 39:2–3, 5, 8, 24, 29

OVERVIEW:

God commands the people to go to Canaan; Moses asks God to reestablish His presence with Israel; God rewrites the tables of stone that Moses had broken; God reaffirms His special relationship with Israel; Moses reveals the tabernacle plans and the people respond obediently.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we begin today’s reading, God has very simply had “ENOUGH!” He reiterates His promise to give the children of Israel the land of Canaan, but lets them know they would be making the journey to get there without Him. He informs them, however, that though His personal presence would not be with them, He would see to it that “an angel” would provide the strength and guidance He knew they would need to overcome the enemies that would attempt to keep them from taking the land. (33:2) Notice though, that the angel that is promised here (“an angel”) is different than the angel (“mine Angel”) mentioned in Exodus 23:23 and 32:34, which was the “Angel of the Lord”. (See the “Highlights & Insights” for Exodus 22-24.) God also informs them that His decision to not go with them was actually for their own good, saying, “lest I consume thee in the way.” (33:3) God tells them, “for thou art a STIFFNECKED people.” Wow! What an indictment!

The word “stiffnecked” appears six times in the Old Testament and one time in the New Testament. It is used to refer to the children of Israel all seven times. By observing my own spiritual journey, as well as the journey of others, something tells me that the last of the “stiffnecked people” God has had to put up with did not end with the children of Israel in the wilderness! When God’s plan for our lives does not line up with our own plans, or when God is trying to use the circumstances of our lives (trials) to conform us into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29), our reaction is often much like that of our spiritual forefathers in the book of Exodus; we tend to resist, to become stubborn and obstinate, or to “stiffen” our “neck”.

Notice in today’s reading that there is an interesting contrast found between those God describes as having a “STIFFENED NECK”, (33:3, 5; 34:9) and those who have a “WILLING HEART” (35:5, 21, 29); a “STIRRED HEART” (35:21, 26; 36:2) and a “WILLING SPIRIT”. (35:21) Based on your spiritual walk in the last six months, which term do you think God would use to describe you? Very simply, have you had a “STIRRED” and “WILLING HEART/ SPIRIT”, or have you had a “STIFFENED NECK.” Obviously, the two are mutually exclusive.

It is interesting, however, that even though the children of Israel were a “stiffnecked people”, the thought of not having the Lord’s presence with them was extremely disturbing to them. Verse 4 of chapter 33 says that when they heard that the Lord would not be going with them, “they MOURNED”. Their reaction made me wonder what our reaction would be if the Lord were to tell us that He would still take us to heaven when we die, but rather than having His presence in and on our lives, “an angel” would be guiding us in the remainder of our journey. Would we be content, or satisfied with the angel, simply being in proximity to the things of God, or would we mourn because we are passionate for GOD HIMSELF, and having HIS HOLY PRESENCE with us? Would our reaction be like Moses’ in 33:15, “If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence”?

Other practical gleanings to note in today’s reading:

• Let us rejoice in the fact that, like Moses, the Lord knows each of us by name, and that we have found grace in His sight! (33:12, 17)
• Notice that Moses’ passion quickly takes him from begging God to “show me thy WAY” (33:13), to begging God for Him to “show me thy GLORY! (33:18) Oh, let the passion that guides our hearts be a passion for God Himself; that He would receive “the glory due unto His name”! (Psalm 29:2; 96:8)
• Oh that the testimony of Moses’ relationship with God also be ours: “And the Lord spoke unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend…” (33:11)
• Exodus 33:20 teaches us a vital and far-reaching lesson: No living flesh can see God! If we will truly see God in the fullness of His majesty, splendor, and glory, it requires DEATH! Very simply, we must DIE to ourselves; our FLESH must be CRUCIFIED! (Galatians 5:24; Colossians 3:5)

• We would do well to follow the admonition God gave to Moses in 34:2–3: “And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount. And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.” Practically speaking, let us determine that our lives will be characterized by the fact that each day we “READY” ourselves for the day by reserving the first part of it (“THE MORNING”) to get ALONE with God (34:3a) before we are DISTRACTED BY OUR DAILY RESPONSIBILITIES (34:36) and “COME UP” into the mountain of the Lord’s presence (Psalm 24:3), to “PRESENT” ourselves to the Lord a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1).
• “The name of the Lord” is a key phrase in the Bible. Chapter 34, verses 5–7 defines “the name of the Lord” as the sum total of all of His attributes. Notice, that He is GOD (!!!), and as such, is merciful, gracious, longsuffering, abundantly good, and abundantly truth!
• Check out Moses’ prayer in 34:9: “If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.” Notice that it is a prayer for:

• The Lord’s PRESENCE.
• The Lord’s PARDON.
• The Lord’s POSSESSION.

• Notice in 34:28 that it was said of Moses, “And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights.” With this “forty-day” thing showing up quite a bit throughout the Bible, it appears to be connected to a time of testing and/or trial:

1. Noah’s flood lasted 40 days and 40 nights. (Genesis 7:12)
2. Noah waited another 40 days after the rain stopped before opening the window in the ark. (Genesis 8:6)
3. Moses was on mount Sinai with God 40 days and 40 nights, twice! (Exodus 24:18; 34:28–29)
4. Twelve spies searched out the promised land for 40 days. (Numbers 13:25)
5. Goliath defied God and His armies for 40 days before being defeated by David. (1^st Samuel 17:16)
6. Elijah fasted for 40 days on mount Horeb. (1^st Kings 19:8)
7. Ezekiel laid on his right side for 40 days to bear the iniquity of Judah. (Ezekiel 4:6)
8. Jonah warned that Nineveh would be overthrown in 40 days. (Jonah 3:4)
9. Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness. (Matthew 4:1–2; Luke 4:2; Mark 1:13)
10. Jesus was on the earth 40 days after His resurrection. (Acts 1:3)

After the 40 days with him on the mountain, God begins to talk to Moses about His plans for the second building project: the tabernacle. Obviously, the Divine Architect, the Designer and Builder of the universe could have simply spoken the tabernacle into existence, but in His sovereignty, He chose to permit the people to enjoy a sense of ownership in the project by allowing them to provide both the funding and the craftsmanship for the project. As the old saying goes, “People regard that which costs them nothing as having little or no value.” Obviously, God knows that about we humans, and certainly wanted to be sure that the people of Israel never felt that way about the tabernacle, because it would serve as “God’s mobile worship center” as they made their way through the wilderness and into the land that was promised. It was virtually a tent that was used as a sanctuary to house the ark of the covenant by the Israelites after the exodus and until the construction of the temple (approximately 400 years!)

The reason God was so explicit about how the tabernacle was to be constructed is because it was to be the earthly representation of the true tabernacle in heaven. (Exodus 25:9; Hebrews 8:5) Just as there were three parts of the tabernacle, there are three heavens; just as God’s presence was beyond the veil in the third part of the tabernacle, the “Holy of Holies”, God’s presence is beyond the veil identified as “the deep” in the third heaven; and perhaps most importantly, the instructions concerning the tabernacle were so explicit because it was also a picture of Christ.

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

In the TABERNACLE – Exodus 35 (Hebrews 9:1-14)

The SINGLE DOOR into the tabernacle – Exodus 35:15 (John 10:1–2, 7, 9)

The “HOLY OF HOLIES” into which only the high priest could enter – Exodus 35:19 (Hebrews 9:12)

OVERVIEW:

God gives instruction on the consecration of the priests; God explains how the tabernacle is to operate; God appoints specific men to oversee the building of the tabernacle; God emphasizes the sabbath day; Israel sins against God; Moses intercedes for Israel.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

For 40 days (since the end of Exodus 24), Moses has been back up on Mount Sinai receiving explicit instruction from God. Do you remember the incredible initial response the people had to “the words of the Lord” when Moses came down from the mountain the first time? With complete unity (“one voice”) they had declared to Moses with their mouth, “…All the words which the Lord hath said will we do.” (24:3) Moses then wrote the words the Lord had spoken to him up on the mountain and read them to the children of Israel, and once again, the people declared with their mouths, “…All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient.” (Exodus. 24:7) Wow! That is the simple essence of the Christian life! “Whatever Your word tells us, Lord, that is what we will do!” Oh, that that were not only the DECLARATION from the MOUTH of every believer in Christ, but that it were the DETERMINATION in each of our HEARTS! But just as it was for the children of Israel in the Old Testament, it is easy for those of us in Christ’s church to BELIEVE every word of the Bible, and it is easy for us to SAY that we will OBEY every word of the Bible, but it is quite another thing to DO it! As mentioned before, “talk is cheap.”

God had called Moses to come back up to the mountain, and just 40 days after making these incredible declarations, Exodus 32:1 says, “And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.”

Sadly, Aaron, the high priest, whom God had just spent four chapters giving Moses detailed instructions (even referring to Aaron by name 39 times in His dialogue with Moses from chapters 28–31!) because Aaron would picture our High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, here we find Aaron in chapter 32, verses 1–6, bowing to the pressures of the people, making a false god and leading Israel in the worship of it! They actually even commence to dancing about it naked, praising “IT” for delivering them from Egypt! Absolutely unbelievable! How in the world could they possibly be so fickle… so weak… and so downright sinful?! Especially considering God’s words to Moses concerning Aaron and the children of Israel in chapter 29, verses 44 and 45! God said to Moses, “And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest’s office. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.” Oh, had they only known the incredible future God had designed for them!

Yet, don’t forget, the children of Israel in the Old Testament are a picture of the individual believer in the New Testament! We might do well to stop to consider how many times, like Israel, we have exercised our sinful flesh despite God’s supernatural working in our lives, and when God hasn’t worked according to our timetable, how often we have redirected the glory for victories God had wrought to someone or something other than the One to whom it was due!

Then, notice Aaron’s lame cover-up when confronted with his sin! (Exodus 32:24) Aaron actually has the audacity to say to Moses, that he simply threw the gold into the fire and out popped a golden calf! That “miracle” having taken place, the only natural thing to do, according to Aaron’s whacked out rationalization and justification, was to set it in front of the people so they could dance around it and party the day away in sensual lust! Though Aaron’s “explanation” sounds totally absurd to us, I wonder how absurd the rationalizations and justifications we sometimes try to use to “explain” away our carnal behavior sounds to God!

Sadly, the wonderful things that God had planned for His people that He was detailing to Moses up on the mountain, were at that very moment being polluted by Aaron, and the children of Israel, down at the base of the mountain. (Make note that this great sin committed by the children of Israel in Exodus 32 became a sinful “marker” or “milestone” in Israel’s history that Stephen even referenced when recounting Israel’s history to their leaders in Acts 7:41–43!) The tragic fact is, while God was painting a beautiful picture to Moses of how His people could exemplify His holiness and mercy, Israel was simultaneously painting the dreadful portrait of how God’s people so often misrepresent and adulterate His love and His word. (1^st Corinthians 10:1–11)    

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through God’s plan for Aaron the high priest – Exodus 29 (Hebrews 7:26–8:1)

Through the Once-a-year sacrifice for Atonement – Exodus 30:10 (Romans 6:10; Hebrews 7:27; 9:7, 12; 10:10)

OVERVIEW:

God details His plans for the tabernacle; God details His plans for the High Priest’s coverings.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

In John 4, Jesus lets us know that there is something our Father in heaven is seeking: He is seeking WORSHIP! But He is not just seeking “any kind” of worship. He is seeking the worship that only comes from “true worshippers”! (John 4:23) Obviously, by qualifying them as “true worshippers”, there must be a type of unacceptable worship that God recognizes as coming from “false worshippers”! We can then conclude that not everything that goes on in the name of “worship” is recognized by God and received of God as “true worship”! In the section we enter, in our reading today, our God is providing a detailed description and prescription for the “true worship” He desired from the nation of Israel in the days following their exodus from Egypt. It all surrounds what was basically a “tent” that was approximately 45 feet long, 15 feet wide and 15 feet high, which is the outer court surrounding the tent measuring approximately 150 feet by 75 feet. The whole thing is what is most commonly referred to biblically as the “tabernacle” and served the nation of Israel as what might be referred to as a “mobile worship center”.

The tabernacle was actually comprised of three sections: the outer court, in which the common people could come; the holy place, in which only the priests could come; and, what we call the holy of holies, or the most holy place, in which only the high priest could come (and that, only once a year, on the day of atonement). This “mobile worship center” represented God’s presence with His people, Israel, for over 400 years—from the exodus to the building of the permanent structure known as the temple.

As we begin to discuss some of the details of the tabernacle, it is important to note that the Divine Architect (the Designer and Builder of the universe!) is now taking on His second “building project” through man. The first, of course, was the ark Noah built, which was a vessel by which God SAVED man, carrying him through the FLOOD. The second, the tabernacle (and specifically the ark of the covenant in the “holy of holies” inside the tabernacle), was a vessel through which God MET with man, as MAN carried GOD through the WILDERNESS. In both building projects, note that the instructions for the construction of each project were very detailed and specific, and were given to man by supernatural revelation. God left nothing to man’s self-styled imagination or invention.

It is worth noting that God begins this second building project by instructing Moses to take up an offering from the people for the construction of the tabernacle. Obviously, God could have simply spoken it into existence, just as He did the entire universe, so it begs the question, why didn’t He? While there are certainly other reasons, there are at least two very simple, and yet, very significant ones:

1. A PRACTICAL Reason.

This tent would serve as the place where God would “dwell” with man; be His “meeting place” with man; and be the place where He would “inhabit the praises of His people.” For those very important reasons, God chose to allow the people to enjoy a sense of ownership in the project by allowing them to provide both the funding and the craftsmanship (sewing, carving, goldsmithing, baking, dying, etc.) for its completion. As has been noted through the centuries, “People regard that which cost them nothing as having little or no value.” Obviously, God wanted to be sure that never happened with the tabernacle but wanted to ensure that the people of Israel always maintained a keen appreciation for this special “meeting place” with God! Note, also, that the offering God specified was not in any way to be connected to LAW, but rather to GRACE! Verse 2 of chapter 25 says that the offering was to be given “WILLINGLY” and with their “HEART”!

• An INSTRUCTIONAL Reason.

God gave very explicit details concerning the tabernacle’s construction for a very monumental reason: this was no ordinary tent! This tent was actually the EARTHLY representation of another tabernacle, a HEAVENLY tabernacle that Hebrews 8:2 refers to as “the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” In the specifications for the tabernacle’s construction, God used the pattern of the HEAVENLY tabernacle to reveal to Moses, and the children of Israel, the desired details concerning His EARTHLY dwelling place. (Exodus 25:9; Hebrews 8:5) One day we will understand that the details provided in Exodus 25–30 and Exodus 35–39 actually reveal more information about the universe than the most powerful and sophisticated 21^st century telescope, as well as reveal to us the information about the universe that God didn’t see fit to include in Genesis 1 and Job 38! But I must say, comprehending the details of how the EARTHLY TABERNACLE actually mirrored the HEAVENLY TABERNACLE now, will take someone much more spiritually and biblically astute than me, not to mention someone way more intelligent!

One thing I do understand, is that just as there were three parts of the tabernacle on the earth, there are three heavens. (2^nd Corinthians 12:2; Psalm 148) Just as God’s presence was beyond the veil in the third part of the tabernacle (the “holy of holies”), God’s actual presence in the universe is beyond the veil identified as the frozen waters of “the deep” northward in the third heaven. (Job 38:30; Isaiah 14:13; Psalm 48:2)

Other “tidbits” concerning the tabernacle:

• The tabernacle is referred to in scripture by such names as the tent, the tent of testimony, the tent of the congregation, the tabernacle of witness, the tabernacle of testimony, the tabernacle of the congregation, and the place of dwelling.
• In Exodus 25–39, God provides for us a verbal diagram of the tabernacle, the details concerning the materials that were to be used in its construction, the furniture to be placed within, the utensils to be used inside, as well as a description of those who were to minister therein.
• Exodus 25–27, where the prominent vessel of the tabernacle is detailed, the ark of the covenant, reveal to us GOD’s approach to MAN.
• Exodus 28–30, where the prominent “vessel” of the tabernacle that is detailed, the high priest, reveal to us MAN’S approach to GOD.
• Historically, God designed this tabernacle because He wanted to dwell and commune with His people, the JEWS. (Exodus 25:8, 22) Practically, God designed the record of it so that all of the people through the annals of history would likewise know that through Christ (which is what is actually being pictured throughout the tabernacle), that same God wants to dwell in and commune with US, His CHURCH! (2^nd Corinthians 6:14–16; 1^st John 4:12–13; Hebrews 9:1–14)
• Entire books have been written about the numerous pictures and types drawn by God in the whole layout, design, and contents of the tabernacle. Like any great art, the more you look at it, the more you see!

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

In the ARK of the COVENANT, wood overlaid by pure gold (wood representing His humanity and gold representing His deity) – Exodus 25:10–11 (Philippians 2:6–8)

In the MERCY SEAT – Exodus 25:17 (Romans 3:24–25 – Note that the word “propitiation” in Romans 3:25 is translated “mercy seat” in Hebrews 9:5, and 1^st John 2:2 says that Christ “is the propitiation for our sins.”)

In the TABLE of SHEWBREAD – Exodus 25:23–30 (Jesus is the bread of life: John 6:33, 35, 48, 51).

In the CANDLESTICK – Exodus 25:31 (Jesus is the light: John 1:4–9; 8:12; 9:5; 12:35–36, 46)

In the VEIL – Exodus 26:30–37 (Representing the physical body of Christ which was “torn” to bring us to God: Mark 15:38; Hebrews 10:20)

Through the HIGH PRIEST and all of his CLOTHING – Exodus 28:1–43 (Jesus is our High Priest: Hebrews 2:17; 3:1)

OVERVIEW:

God gives examples of His “judgments” by which to judge right from wrong; Israel agrees to obey God’s commands; Moses goes up again to meet with God on Mount Sinai.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we came through Exodus 21 in yesterday’s reading, God began giving Israel “judgments” by which to judge right from wrong. He lays down specific commands for how the nation of Israel was to function in their relationship with Him, and thus, with one another. It is important to recognize that, in this nation that God was forming in Israel, the blueprint for their governmental structure would be different from any nation in the world. This nation would not be a democracy, a dictatorship, or a republic. Israel was the first and only Theocracy, meaning that God Himself would serve as their King, Chief Executive, Ruler, Legislator, and Judge. The plan was simple: they were to obey God, and the result would be protection and blessing. As God recounts the establishment of this Theocracy in Jeremiah 11:4, notice that the key to their “society” wasn’t first and foremost how man related to his fellow man, but how man related to God. God, of course, knows that when men are rightly related to Him, they will be rightly related to one another. God also knows that the opposite is also true: if men are NOT rightly related to Him, no amount of laws can keep a society functioning properly. Romans 1:16–32 explains the inevitability of the moral decay of society when sinful human beings disregard the God who created them.

It is interesting to note that the very first thing God emphasizes after giving the nation of Israel the Ten Commandments was the admonition to treat their servants properly. (Chapter 21) Keep in mind that this instruction comes immediately after they had been delivered from 400 years of abusive servitude at the hands of the Egyptians! The fact was, Israel’s mindset concerning the treatment of servants needed serious renovation, or in the words of Romans 12:2, the people of Israel needed to be “transformed by the renewing of their minds.” Being delivered out of the bondage of our own particular background, each of us would do well to consider what areas of our life God knows we need to be “transformed by the renewing of our mind”, lest sinful behavior be the result of our old patterns of thinking.

What follows, in this section in the book of Exodus, are various laws that appear to be random, yet God was very calculatingly laying down each one, not only because they were essential examples the people of Israel needed in order to understand God’s holy character and values, but because they were essential for how God wanted to put His holiness on display to the watching world through this unique nation! Keep in mind, that though God will ultimately fulfill His promises to the nation of Israel during the Tribulation Period, right now, according to 1^st Peter 2:9, we (the born-again body of believers, the church) are that “holy nation” through which God wants to put His glory on display to a watching world through our holiness!

Notice also, in this section, that God begins to reveal the fact that He has a special place in His heart for “the fatherless and widows”, as well as for “the poor”. In 22:22–24, He mentions the “affliction” of the fatherless and widows and takes up the cause of the poor in 22:25. God continuously reveals His heart for these three groups of people throughout the Old Testament and continues His revelation even on into the New Testament. He tells us in James 1:27, that “pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and the widows in their AFFLICTION”, and in Galatians 2:10, He tells us that as believers in Christ, we are to “REMEMBER the poor”.

In 23:20–23, we are introduced to “the Angel of the Lord”. He is none other than a pre-incarnate appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Galatians 4:14) Note in verses 20 and 21 of chapter 23 that this “Angel”…

1. Is “before [us]”, just as our Lord Jesus Christ went “before us” as the “Author of our faith”, or the “race” we’ve been called to run. (23:20a c.f. Hebrews 12:1-2)
2. Is the One who will “keep [us] in the way”. (23:20b c.f. Hebrews13:5–6)
3. Is the One who will “bring [us] into the place which [He has] prepared”. (23:20c c.f. John 14:1–3)
4. Is the One of whom we must “beware”. (23:21a c.f. Galatians 6:7a)
5. Is the One whose “voice” we must “obey”. (23:21b c.f. John 14:15)
6. Is the One we must not “provoke”. (23:21c c.f. 1^st Corinthians 10:1–11)
7. Is the One who is an “enemy unto [our] enemies, and an adversary unto [our] adversaries”. (23:21d) Note in Ephesians 6:10–18, that in our battle with Satan and his network of demonic forces, we have not been called to “fight” but to “stand”! Jesus has already fought our enemies/adversary and won!

The three “feasts” mentioned in 23:14–17 held at three different times in the year (23:14) obviously fulfilled an HISTORIC purpose, and yet, they also fulfill a PROPHETIC purpose:

1. The “feast of unleavened bread” (23:15) is the passover feast held in the spring and is representative of the grace and forgiveness found in the offering of Christ as the true Passover Lamb. (1^st Corinthians 5:7)
2. The “feast of harvest” (23:16a), also known as “the feast of firstfruits” (23:16b), or “the feast of weeks” (Deuteronomy 16:16), represents Christ’s resurrection and the subsequent coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, 50 days after passover. (Note: the word “pentecost” means “fiftieth day”, and was held the day AFTER seven weeks, or the day AFTER 49 days had passed from passover.)
3. The “feast of ingathering” (23:16b), also known as the “feast of tabernacles” (Deuteronomy 16:16), pictures the crowning of our glorious King, the Lord Jesus Christ, at His Second Coming when He will “tabernacle” (“dwell” – John 1:14) on this planet with His “gathered” saints for a period of 1000 years.

What an incredible response the people have after hearing “the words of the Lord” in 24:3. With complete unity (“one voice”) they declare to Moses with their mouth, “All the words which the Lord hath said will we do”! (24:3) Moses then wrote the words the Lord had spoken to him while on the mountain and read them to the children of Israel, and once again, the people declare with their mouths, “All that the Lord hath said will we do and be obedient.” Wow! That is the simple essence of the Christian life! Oh, that that were not only the declaration from the mouth of every believer in Christ but that it were the determination in each of our hearts! It is easy to BELIEVE every word of the Bible, and it is easy to SAY we will OBEY every word of the Bible, but it is quite another thing to actually DO it! That’s exactly the case with the children of Israel here in Exodus 24. Just 40 days after making this incredible declaration, Exodus 32:1 says, “And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.” As the old saying goes, “Talk is cheap.”

One of the most simple, yet profound (and blessed!) verses in this entire section is found in chapter 24 and verse 12. God is inviting Moses to come up to Mount Sinai to receive the infamous “tables of stone”. It is obviously a very significant piece of the entire puzzle concerning God’s dealing with man. The wording of verse 12, however, not only screams out the heart of the passage, but the very heart of God! Notice that God DOES NOT say to Moses, “Come up into the mount, and I will give thee tables of stone.” What God says to Moses is, “Come up TO ME into the mount, and BE THERE: and I will give thee tables of stone”! God lets Moses know that even more than giving him the incredibly significant tables of stone, what was important to His heart was that Moses come into His PRESENCE, just to BE WITH HIM! So often we relegate the Christian life to “DOING”.  God wants us to know that, though there are certainly many, many important things that we need to DO, what is vitally important to His heart is that we simply desire to BE with Him, like He desires to BE with us!

As we continue to make our journey through the word of God, remember that what is in God’s heart is not simply that we DO our assigned daily readings, but that every day we come up into His PRESENCE through the pages of His glorious book, to BE WITH HIM!

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through MOSES who delivers God’s commands, consummates a blood sacrifice, and communes with God for 40 days – Exodus 24:2, 3, 8, 18 (Hebrews 10:12; Mark 1:13)

OVERVIEW:

Water from the rock in Horeb; Joshua leads Israel in defeating Amalek in battle at the Lord’s command; Jethro brings Moses’ wife and two sons to Moses in the wilderness; God appears to Moses on Mount Sinai; God gives to Moses the ten commandments; the civil law for the nation of Israel and the consequences for disobedience.  

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we move into Exodus 17, in today’s reading, Moses illustrates what a trusting Christian does in times of testing: he turns to the Lord and asks for guidance! (Exodus 17:4; James 1:5) In response, the Lord orders Moses to smite the rock at Horeb and out would flow water for the murmuring people of Israel. The picture is obvious: Christ, who is our Rock (1^st Corinthians 10:4), was smitten on the cross to provide living water to quench the souls of all who are thirsty! (John 7:37–38)

In the second half of chapter 17, Moses orders Joshua to lead the people of Israel in battle against Amalek (a picture of the flesh). Notice that God makes a point, in 17:16, to let us know that the battle with Amalek is a battle that will continue from generation to generation. In Galatians 5:17, God makes a point, to let us know, that the battle between the Spirit and the flesh is a battle that we will face until we receive a glorified body! (Romans 8:23) As pictured in Exodus 17, our only hope in winning this battle is to allow our Joshua (the Lord Jesus Christ) to lead us to daily victory. (Exodus 17:10, 13) Note that this battle was won only after Israel had received water from the rock! Water in the Bible is a picture of the word of God, which is the weapon (the Sword) the Spirit of God, who lives in us, uses against the flesh!  (Ephesians 5:26; 6:17; Psalm 119:9–11)

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, comes to the wilderness in chapter 18 and offers Moses some advice about how to delegate responsibility so that he and the people of Israel wouldn’t get worn out. (Exodus 18:16–18, 21–22) Moses takes his advice (Exodus 18:24–26) and it certainly lifted some of the burden and responsibility off of his shoulders. Whether or not this is what God intended, however, is unclear. Even Jethro didn’t know if his plan would be pleasing to God. (Exodus 18:23) Though Jethro’s counsel makes a lot of sense from a human perspective (“the wisdom of men” – 1^st Corinthians 2:5), we must always be careful when getting “wisdom from this world” (1^st Corinthians 2:6) because God says in Isaiah 55:8– 9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

In chapter 19, Moses meets with God on Mount Sinai. It is here that God reveals to Moses His plan for the people of Israel and the rest of the world. (Exodus 19:5–6) God desired Israel to be “a kingdom of priests and an holy nation.” His intention was that Israel would be so different from the rest of the world that the people of the world would want what Israel had, namely, their God! God’s plan is still the same! We read in 1^st Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” God wants us to be so different from the rest of the world that they will want what we have: a personal relationship with the God of the universe!

In chapter 19 and verse 11, God paints a prophetic picture of the second coming of Christ. God says, “Be ready against the third day: for the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai.” Peter explains in 2^nd Peter 3:8 that a thousand years is as one day to God. Using that equation, it has been about 2000 years (or two days on God’s time clock) since Christ died on the cross. The third day is fast approaching, when the Lord will come down in the sight of the whole world! (Philippians 2:10–11)

Chapters 20 and 21 deals with the law of Moses, or the Ten Commandments, as we most often refer to them. We know that the law is good (1^st Timothy 1:8–9) because it embodies the character and nature of God’s holiness, but we must be sure it is used for the right reasons. The law was never intended to provide our salvation, though, it has a very important purpose in bringing us to salvation. The law was given to reveal to us our sin (Romans 7:7), so that in humility and contrition, we would cry out to God for the salvation He offers through His Son! (Galatians 3:19–24)

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

As the ROCK from which water flows – Exodus 17:1–6 (1^st Corinthians 10:4; John 4:14)

Through JOSHUA – Exodus 17:9–16

Note: Joshua is the Hebrew name for Jesus, the one who fights for us in battle with our enemies.

Through the LAW – Exodus 20:1–17 (Matthew 5:17; Hebrews 4:15; Romans 10:4)

OVERVIEW:

Israel’s exodus out of Egypt and the crossing of the Red sea; the song of Moses and Israel; manna from heaven.  

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As the passover clearly illustrates the Christian’s salvation through the blood of the Lamb, so the journey of Israel from Egypt to Canaan is a picture of the battles and blessings of the Christian life. Sadly, like Israel, many Christians after being delivered out of the bondage of Egypt get lost in the wilderness of unbelief. That’s not to say they lose their salvation; they just never receive all the inheritance that God intends for them. (Note: losing your salvation is not taught, in precept, in the New Testament for those who are a part of the body of Christ, and the picture is consistent in the Old Testament. Notice that in the picture painted through the nation of Israel in Exodus 14:13, they never returned to Egypt!)

The crossing of the Red Sea is a picture of the believer’s identification with Christ. Israel was “baptized unto Moses” (1^st Corinthians 10:1–2) or, in other words, they followed their deliverer, Moses (a picture of Christ), identifying themselves with him as they went through the Red Sea. When they came up out of the parted waters, and they closed behind them, it symbolized that they had left the old life in Egypt behind. We make our public identification with Christ at our water baptism, which symbolizes our spiritual identification with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection that was made when we called upon His name to save us, and symbolizes that we, too, are leaving the old life in Egypt (sin) behind!

Just as there is a law of gravity to which all are subjected, there is also a law of sowing and reaping to which all are subjected! (Galatians 6:7–8) Pharaoh reaped exactly what he had sown. In Exodus 1:22, he had been responsible for drowning many Jewish males—now the males in his army were drowned. (Exodus 14:26–28) Our God will not be mocked! (Galatians 6:7)

Notice also, that just as Moses and Israel sang a song praising God for their deliverance from their bondage in Egypt (Exodus 15), as believers in Christ, we, too, sing a song of deliverance praising God for our deliverance from Egypt (sin)! (Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:19; Psalm 40:1-3)

As the children of Israel begin their journey through the wilderness in chapter 16, God feeds them with bread from heaven that is called “manna”. In John 6:31–35, Jesus let us know that the manna was actually a picture of Him! Note at least eight ways the manna in Exodus 16 is a picture of Christ…

1. It was a mystery.

Verse 15 says, “And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was…” In fact, the word “manna” actually means “What is it?” They called it that because they could not explain it. It was a mystery to them. This is exactly what Paul was talking about in 1^st Timothy 3:16, that he is called, “the mystery of godliness”. Just what was the mystery? That “God was manifest in the flesh”. Manna is a picture of who Christ is; that incredible mystery that He is God, manifest in the flesh, or God in a human body.

• It was small.

Verse 14 says, it was “…as small as the hoar (or white) frost on the ground.” Of course, “small” speaks of Christ’s humility. Though He was the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, Shekinah glory of the Godhead, He humbled Himself to be born into the world that He, Himself, had created. He did so, as a “small” baby. Philippians 2:6–7 says that though Christ was equal with God, He made Himself of no reputation (He humbled Himself) by allowing Himself to be made in the likeness of men.

• It was round.

The middle of verse 14 says that it was “…a small round thing…” This speaks of Christ’s eternality: the fact that He had no beginning and has no end. In John 8:58, Jesus said, “…Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” Notice that He didn’t say, “Before Abraham was, I WAS!” He clearly said, “Before Abraham was, I AM!” In other words, like something that is round, He had no beginning and has no end. In Revelation 1:8, Jesus said to the Apostle John, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which IS, and which WAS, and which IS TO COME, the Almighty.” Listen, God could have made the manna any shape He wanted to make it, but because it was a picture of Christ, He made it ROUND—having no beginning and no ending.

• It was a gift.

The middle of verse 15 says “…And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath GIVEN you to eat.” John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he GAVE…” Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death, but the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

• It was white.

Verse 31 says, “And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: it was like coriander seed, WHITE…” White, of course, speaks of His purity and righteousness. It speaks of the fact that He came into this world without sin and without a sin nature, because He came by way of a virgin birth. (Matthew 1:20) Note that Romans 5:12 says that the curse of sin is passed through the man.

• It was sweet.

The end of verse 31 says, “…and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.” Psalm 34:8 says, “O, taste and see that the Lord is good…” Psalm 119:103 says, “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”  But, if you are ever really going to know His sweetness, you must taste of the Lord; you must take Him in! It wasn’t enough for the children of Israel to admire the manna, or to respect it, or even to acknowledge that it was a gift from God; they had to eat it for themselves!

• It was on the ground.

So, you know what you had to do to get it? You had to bow; you had to bend; you had to stoop. In other words, you had to humble yourself to get it. Do you realize that God could have put the manna anywhere He wanted? He could have suspended it in midair. He could have put it on the branches of the trees. He could have put it on the mountain tops. But you know what He did? He made it accessible to everyone! It came to where they were, but to get it, they had to stoop. Do you know who could reach it best? Children! Because they don’t have as far to bend. Jesus said in Matthew 18:3, “…Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus came to where we are, but to receive Him, we must humble ourselves.

• It must be received early.

Verse 21 says, “And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.” There was an urgency concerning the manna, because once the sun rose on the earth, the manna melted. The opportunity to receive it was gone! Interestingly, the Bible says in Malachi 4:1-2, that in the very near future, the “Sun of righteousness” (the Lord Jesus Christ) is going to arise on this planet, and He will burn up all His enemies. (Psalm 97:3) In 2^nd Thessalonians 1:7–9, Paul tells us that the day is coming “…when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire (like the sun!) taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.” God’s message concerning the manna was to be sure to receive it before the sun came up! Likewise, God’s message to the people in the last days is to be sure to receive Christ before He rises in the eastern sky as the “Sun of righteousness” upon this planet! Isaiah 55:6 warns us, “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:”     

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

As MANNA from heaven – Exodus 16 (John 6:31–35)

(See Highlights & Insights above)