Degree of difficulty: 7 out of 10 (Explanation:) our action-packed story comes to a screeching halt in this week's reading. The Israelites have arrived at Mt Sinai / Horeb and are ready to receive what should be regarded as the most precious gift of history on this side of Eden: The Law of the Covenant and God's own set of instructions for His dwelling place among His people. I do not find the law portion difficult to read, quite the opposite, i find it fascinating. However the instructions for the tabernacle and priestly garments can be brutal, especially because everything is said twice. My advice, read fast :-)

About the Book

(we're still in) Exodus

Date of Authorship: 15th-13th century BC

Occasion: Exodus and the other books of the Pentateuch were likely written by Moses during the 40-year period of wandering in the desert in between their exodus from Egypt and their crossing of the Jordan river into the promised land in the book of Joshua.

Purpose: The words of Exodus were given to the Israelite people so that they would remember the incredible way that God delivered them from slavery and oppression in Egypt. Exodus is not only an account of their escape, but also their grumbling. The second half of Exodus is a large chunk of the Mosaic Law - the instructions, from God, for how the Israelite people are to live, and instructions related to the tabernacle, the dwelling of God that remained with His people.

As you read Notes

Exodus 20: The Ten Commandments

#1 "You shall have no other Gods before me" That is a funny way to put it, isn't it? We know what God is getting at. This is a command against worshiping other Gods, much like commandment #2, he might as well be saying, 'I'm the only one.' we often read this command and think of the word "before" as referring to importance or position. However the word used here does not refer to an order of priority as much as it does to an area of proximity, and should be read "you shall have no other gods in my presence." (for this point of fact i'll reference a commentary that i use often in these study notes: The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, John Walton, Victor Matthews and Mark Chavalas (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000) 95). This command would have been especially significant to ancient peoples who often believed that the gods (many of them) interacted in some sort of divine council or drama (think of Greek mythology). It would have also served to prohibit the Israelite people from bringing any foreign Gods into their camp or land, because those gods would effectively be "in the presence" of God. However, before the end of our reading we will see the Israelites break this first and crucially important commandment.
#3 "you shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God" (quoting from the aforementioned IVP Commentary here) "does not refer to blasphemy or foul language (like we often think of this commandment). Rather it is intended to prevent the exploitation of the name of Yahweh for magical purposes or hexing... The commandment was also intended to insure that the use of Yahweh's name in oaths, vows, and treaties was taken seriously."
these ten commandments are at the core of God's rules to his people. God spoke them to the whole Israelite community before Moses approached the the thick darkness where God was on Mt Sinai. there are plenty more commandments to come in this story, but the first 10 are special.

Exodus 20:26: An Altar without Steps

Did you catch why God did not want the altar to him built with steps? how do you think God feels about modesty? the altar of burnt offering in the temple will one day feature steps, but not until after God has prescribed long undergarments for the priests later in our reading.

The Sabbath

God made the Israelites rest every seventh day and called this observance "the Sabbath." The Sabbath has no known parallel in any of the cultures of the Ancient Near East - nobody did anything like this, except for God's people. there are 4 sections of instruction related to the Sabbath in this week's reading: 20:8-11 (the 4th commandment) 23:10-13, 31:12-18, and 35:1-3. God was really particular about this day, notice that the penalty for not observing it was death; hence to violate the Sabbath garnered a more severe punishment than manslaughter. The primary reason given for setting aside this day is because God rested on the 7th day of creation (Ex 31:17), but a secondary reason is provided in 23:12; that your slaves and animals will be refreshed. The Sabbath created the world's first calendar divided into weeks. Therefore, we have the commandments about the Sabbath to thank for the concept of a 'weekend' (now that is something to be truly thankful for!)

The Tabernacle

Much of this week's reading has to do with the instructions for the construction of the Tabernacle. The tabernacle was not a structure for corporate worship like a church building, but a place for God to dwell in the midst of the people. It had to be maintained in holiness and purity so that God's continuing presence could be vouchsafed. The priests existed to maintain that purity and to control access. The tabernacle idea was not invented so that there could be a place to offer sacrifices. Rather, several of the sacrifices existed as a means of maintaining the tabernacle. God's presence was the most important element to preserve.

with that in mind, let me ask you to think of the temple / tabernacle in way you may not have previously; as the Garden of Eden

The tabernacle was a place for God to dwell among his people, much in the same way that God dwelt or walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden. in this comparison there are a number of important similarities, and a few key differences. here are a few similarities noted by G.K. Beale in New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New:

the entrance to both Eden and the tabernacle pointed east
Adam is placed in the garden to "cultivate (abad)" and "keep (samar)" it (Genesis 2:15)> when those two words occur elsewhere, the refer to the job of the priest in guarding and keeping the Temple. (Numbers 3:7-8, 8:25-26, 1st Chronicles 23:32)
the lampstand is fashioned as a tree and serves as a model of the tree of life
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the ark of the covenant both were accessed or touched only on pain of death, and both were also sources of wisdom
Ezekiel 28:13-14 refers to Eden as "the holy mountain o God" which everywhere else in the Old Testament is temple and tabernacle language

There are, of course, also the differences. despite God's gift of his presence to the Israelites, the relationship between God and mankind remains fallen and broken by sin. therefore, sacrifices had to be made to allow for worship and access, and the holy places of the tabernacle, with the richest garden imagery, were off-limits to all but a select number of priests. This brokenness is perfectly illustrated in the final scene of Exodus. In Chapter 40, when the tabernacle is completed and the Glory of the Lord settles on it, Moses goes to enter it, and he cannot. Not even Moses, who has spoken with God and seen his glory, can enter into his presence - can go back into the Garden.

if you're interested in reading more about how the tabernacle and temple relate to creation and the Garden of Eden, check out this article: https://tabletalkmagazine.com/article/2017/12/the-house-of-god/

Exodus 29:30: The Urim and Thummim

Included in the instructions for the priestly garments is the instruction for the priests to carry something called the "Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece so that the priest (in this case, Aaron) could have the means of making decisions before the Israelites. No description of these objects is found in scripture, but the earliest traditions suggest that they were stones that could be used like dice (you'll see one artist's rending pictured here), one light (Urim) and one dark (Thummim) which could be used to ask God yes/no or either/or questions. there are more passages in the Old Testament which refer to the Urim and Thummim; see Numbers 27:21, and 1st Samuel 14:37-41 & 28:6. We can see a similar practice used by the disciples to select a replacement for Judas in Acts 1:23-26:

"So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles."

Exodus 34:29-25: Moses' Radiant Face (extra reading)

When Moses sees God his face Glows so bright that the Israelites make him wear a veil. Read 2nd Corinthians 3 to discover the greater glory of the New Covenant.

Exodus 35-39: Deja Vu

you will find yourself asking, "haven't i read this already?" the answer is yes. the first time it was God telling Moses all of these laws and instructions, then, for five chapters, we get to read Moses relaying those laws and instructions back to the Israelites and the record of the Israelites assembling the tabernacle as instructed. It won't hurt you

Study Questions:

In Exodus 20:6, God promises to punish the children for the sin of the parent to the third and fourth generation. Is that fair for God to do? is this true of all sin or just certain ones?
In Exodus 22:22-24, God lists two kinds of people whom hie is particularly concerned about. What do they have in common? why does God threaten their oppressors? what does this tell us about God?
In Exodus 23:30, God promises to give the Israelites victory in Canaan "little by little" not all at once. why wont God let them take it all over at once (answer in the text)? do you ever think that God has answered your prayer like this? has God ever given you what you can handle instead of what you ask for?
In Exodus 31 1-11, God provides skilled craftsman to build the ornate and particular designs of the tabernacle. What purpose has God equipped and called you to in his kingdom? (are you not sure? I recommend reading 1st Corinthians 12 and spending time in prayer to consider what part of the body God has equipped and called you to be)
In Exodus 32:24, Aaron tells his brother Moses a whopper. "i threw it (all this gold) into the fire and (whala!) out came this calf!" he did so because he is caught in a transgression. have you ever had a sin too shameful to tell about? We serve a God who knows our heart, doesn't he deserve to know the truth?
In Exodus 34:6-7, God seems to tell Moses, very succinctly who He (God) is. How does God describe himself? does this fit the way that you've understood God? is there anything in this description that our society tends to ignore or reject?
In Exodus 40:35, Moses could not enter the newly constructed tabernacle. why was he unable to enter? Are you, like Moses, restricted from entering the presence of God?

Week 4 Study Page - Exodus 20-40

Week #4 Study Page

Exodus 20-40

About the Book

As you read Notes