Justice for All, Love Your Enemy, and A Call for Separation (Exodus 23)

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Scripture reading – Exodus 23

The instructions that gave practical applications of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) continued in Exodus 23. As noted in the prior devotion (Exodus 21-22), you will recognize in today’s Scripture the foundational principles of civil society.

A Demand for Judicial Integrity: Justice for All (Exodus 23:1-3)

The ninth commandment stated, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” (20:16). For justice to be fair and impartial, God’s Law demanded that Israel’s judges be above reproach and intolerant of any who would pervert justice (23:1-9). Therefore, a witness was commanded to state the truth and not bring a false accusation against an innocent man in a judicial matter, nor should a witness’ lie spare the guilty their due punishment (23:1-2). There was one law and one standard, and neither the poor nor the rich were granted a charitable judgment or spared the weight of the Law (23:3).

Blind, Compassionate Justice: “Love thy enemy.” (Exodus 23:4-5; Matthew 5:43-44; Romans 12:20)

Exodus 23:4-5 challenged man’s natural bent for vengeance when wronged and commanded God’s people to show kindness and grace even to an enemy. Understanding Israel was chiefly an agricultural nation throughout its history, the illustration of returning an ox or ass to its owner (even if he was an enemy) is practical and easily applied in our modern day. Essentially, God’s people are to offer aid and not sit by idly when they know an enemy is struggling or has suffered a loss.

Justice for All (Exodus 23:6-9)

Exodus 23:6-9 returned to judicial matters and the demand for impartial judgment. Under God’s Law, the poor were not to be denied representation or justice (23:6), and judges were to see that righteous judgment prevailed (23:7). Judges were not to be bribed (23:8), and non-Hebrews (“strangers”), were to be judged fairly (23:9).

The Sabbath Year (Exodus 23:10-12)

Emphasizing the significance of “Sabbath Rest” (20:8-11), Israel was commanded to observe a “Sabbath Year.” Every seventh year the land was to remain fallow (not to be plowed), and crops were not to be planted (23:10). The land was to rest, and if seeds volunteered and grew to bear fruit, the poor and the “beast of the field” were given liberty to eat (23:11). For both man and beast, the Sabbath was to be observed as a day to rest and “be refreshed” (23:12).

Three Feasts (or Festivals) were Observed by Israel (Exodus 23:14-19)

Israel was commanded to observe three annual festivals (23:14-19). First, there was the “feast of unleavened bread” and the Passover (23:15, 18), commemorating the Passover in Egypt when the LORD spared the firstborn of Israel. The “feast of the harvest,” known as Firstfruits and later celebrated as Pentecost, was observed at the beginning of harvest (23:16a). At that time, the first fruits of the harvest were offered to the LORD (23:19a). Finally, there was also the “feast of the ingathering,” that was observed at the end of the harvest season (23:16b), and was a time of thanksgiving.

Three Promises (Exodus 23:20-28)

The LORD made three promises to Israel, whose fulfillment was conditioned upon the people hearing and obeying His Law and Commandments (23:20-28). First, He promised to “send an Angel” before the nation to “keep [Israel] in the way, and to bring [the nation] into the place which [God had] prepared” (23:20). (I think that this “Angel” was a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ.) The LORD promised that if Israel obeyed the “voice” of the Angel, He would fulfill His covenant and “be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries” (23:22).

Secondly, the LORD promised His “Angel” would protect Israel, and “go before” the nation and cut off those nations that occupied the land of Canaan (23:23). The Angel would give Israel protection (23:23), provisions (23:25), and posterity (i.e., future generations; 23:26). Unlike other nations that adopted and sacrificed to the gods of the land they conquered; Israel was to destroy the idols of the Canaanite people (23:24).

Finally, God promised to set the boundaries of the land He covenanted with Abraham (23:31). He warned Israel that the people were not to befriend or make any covenant with the Canaanites they conquered or worship their gods. Furthermore, the LORD admonished that the heathen “shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee (23:33).

Closing thoughts:

**Although it is rarely preached in the pulpit nor practiced in the pew, the principle of radical separation is found throughout the Scriptures,**

Israel was admonished to drive the heathen out of the land. Should they fail, the children of Israel would invariably adopt the sins of their neighbors (23:33). Tragically, that same truth is all too evident in today’s churches. In his first letter to believers in ancient Corinth, Paul exhorted, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners” (1 Corinthians 15:33). In his second letter to the same church, Paul admonished, “Wherefore come out from among them [the unsaved], and be ye separate” (2 Corinthians 6:17a).

Israel was called to separate from the heathen they conquered and to destroy their gods. So, too are believers to separate and distance themselves from the ungodly, lest we become like them! We are commanded and exhorted, “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).

Questions to consider:

1) How did the Law illustrate God’s demand that His people have compassion for an enemy? (Exodus 23:4-5)

2) What were the Israelites not to do during the Sabbath year? (Exodus 23:10-12)

3) What were the three feasts Israel was commanded to observe yearly? (Exodus 23:14-19)

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Sometimes Saying, “I’m sorry” is Not Enough! (Exodus 21; Exodus 22)

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Scripture reading: Exodus 21-22

Having established the Ten Commandments as the foundation of God’s Covenant with Israel, today’s Scripture reading states the practical and personal application of the Commandments. We read, “Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them” (21:1).

The following verses served not only Israel but have been the foundation of democratic law and government down through the centuries. You will find here the basis of your sense of justice and fairness. Yet, tragically, I fear the principles recorded here have been forgotten and discarded by leaders, politicians, and citizens of the 21^st century.

Exodus 21

Human Rights: Precepts for Slavery, Manslaughter, Rebellion, and Injury

Slavery and indentured servitude (21:1-11) have been practiced since ancient times and continue in some form to this day. Those who object to the inclusion of this topic in the Bible must realize it was a commonly accepted practice and had to be addressed righteously. Understanding poverty might reduce a man to slavery; the LORD instituted prudent principles that forbade injustice. Here we have guidelines to impart dignity to even the lowest household servant. Unfortunately, there is an epidemic of human trafficking and “sex slaves” today, perpetuating the shameful abuses God’s Law prohibits.

Slavery and Individual Sovereignty (21:1-6)

Should a Hebrew man become impoverished and reduced to slavery to pay his debt, he would serve his master no more than six years. Upon the seventh year, he was to be freed from his indebtedness and servitude (21:1-2). Should a married man be reduced to servitude, he, his wife, and his children would be released in the seventh year.

However, should a man take a wife during his servitude, he alone would be at liberty in the seventh year (21:3-4). Although freed from obligation, should the man love his master and not want to depart alone, he was permitted to choose to continue voluntarily as a slave (21:5). Such a man would have his ear bored through (21:6) and would serve either till the death of his master, or be set free with his family in the year of jubilee (which would occur every 50 years).

The Desperate Role of Daughters (21:7-11)

Poverty might sometimes force a father to part with his daughter and sell her to another as a household servant (21:7). Because this system was fraught with abuses, the Law provided guidelines to preserve the dignity and reputation of Hebrew daughters. For example, a poor man who desired a better life for his daughter sometimes permitted a wealthy man to purchase her and take her to his wife when she came of age. When she came of age, if the man or his son refused to marry her, they would send her away with a dowry enough to provide her food and clothing and with no further obligation to the benefactor (21:8-11).

The Sanctity of Human Life (21:12-14)

The sixth commandment stated, “Thou shalt not kill” (20:13). Prudently, God’s Law recognized a difference between murder and manslaughter (taking a life without intent, 21:12-14).

The Honor to be Afforded Parents (21:15, 17).

The fifth commandment said, “Honour thy father and thy mother” (20:12). Cursing or striking one’s parents was a capital offense, and death was mandated (21:15, 17). Still, we must understand that cursing or hitting one’s father or mother carried judicial stipulations. The commandments are filled with conditions, longsuffering, and love. In addition, all offenses were brought before a judicial body that ruled over offenses. As such, we do not have a Biblical account of any being put to death for this offense.

Justice and Fair Compensation for Loss (21:18-36)

Fair and adequate compensation was required for accidental injuries that did not result in death. Should a victim of injury be unable to provide for himself or his family, he was to be fairly and adequately compensated (21:18-32). The law states, “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot” (21:24). Losses caused by one’s negligence were to be compensated (21:28-36). It did not require the offender to lose his eye, tooth, or life.

Exodus 22

Theft and Endangerment of One’s Livelihood were not Tolerated. (22:1-13)

The theft of ox or sheep was a serious offense (22:1-4) in an agricultural society where a man’s livelihood and his family’s well-being depended on farming and husbandry. Damage to a man’s vineyard or crops required fair compensation for the loss (22:5-6).

Personal responsibility and liability were important issues among God’s people, and fair compensation for losses, whether caused by theft or neglect, was mandated (22:7-15).

Loans and the Obligation of Debtors (22:14-15)

Exodus 22:14-15 states the obligation a borrower assumed when using another man’s property. For the sake of illustration, if a farmer borrowed another man’s ox to plow his field, and the ox was injured or died, the borrower became a debtor and was under obligation to “make it good” (22:14). In other words, one must choose to either repay or replace the ox. An exception to the law of repayment or replacement was when the owner of an ox plowed another man’s field “for his hire” (22:15). Because he was hired to plow a field, the employer (owner of the field) was not under obligation to replace the ox.

Exodus 22 concluded with various laws that addressed moral and societal issues (22:16-23:19), including rape (22:16-17), witchcraft (22:18), bestiality (22:19), and idolatry (22:20). The matter of borrowing, and indebtedness were addressed as well as charging excessive interest that imposed unnecessary hardships on the poor were condemned (22:25-27).

Closing thoughts:

The Law and its application to daily life necessitate honesty and integrity. Indeed, the need for spiritual principles and values is as great today as they were when they were given. Certainly, if we want the next generation to have integrity, they must be taught to be responsible. Justice and fairness demand that when one’s actions cause injury or loss, there is an obligation to make the injured party whole.

After all, sometimes saying, “I’m sorry,” is not enough!

Questions to consider:

1) To pay a debt, a man might be forced to become an indentured servant (slave). What was the maximum number of years a man might be enslaved? (Exodus 21:2)

2) What would become of a man’s wife and children should he marry while enslaved? (Exodus 21:4)

3) What physical sign identified a man as a willing, voluntary servant? (Exodus 21:5-6)

4) The penalty for intentional murder was death (Exodus 21:12). What was the consequence of manslaughter (unintentional killing of another)? (Exodus 21:13)

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The Ten Commandments – Part 2 (Exodus 20)

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Scripture reading: Exodus 19-20

All of Israel witnessed the outward manifestation of God’s heavenly glory as smoke and fire engulfed Mount Sinai. The trumpet blasts warned man, woman, and beast that none dared approach the mount and live (19:12-13). Then, out of the midst of the mountain, the LORD was heard saying, “I am the LORD [Jehovah; Eternal, Self-Existent God] thy God [Elohim], which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” (20:2).

Exodus 20

The Ten Commandments were part of the LORD’S covenant with Israel, and the people were commanded to hear, heed, and obey them (20:1-17).

The first commandment stated, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (20:3). Unlike the neighboring nations who worshipped innumerable gods, Israel was to worship one God—Yahweh, Elohim, the True, Eternal, Self-existent One.

The second commandment was, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: ⁵Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; ⁶And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments” (20:4-6). Unlike their neighbors, Israel was not to worship idols or images like Israel’s God. The people were warned that the family would bear the guilt for violating the second commandment and thereby invoke God’s judgment “upon the children” (20:5).

The third commandment reminded Israel that the essence of God’s character was summed up in His name. We read, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain” (20:7). God’s name was to be honored and not spoken of lightly or in vain. The name and meaning of Israel’s God was to be hallowed.

The fourth commandment served as a reminder that Israel’s God was Creator, and the Sabbath would serve as a day of rest and a memorial to His handiwork. Of the Sabbath, we read: “⁸Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: ¹⁰But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: ¹¹For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it” (20:8-11). The Sabbath Day, the seventh day of the week, was dedicated to the LORD as a day of worship and rest (31:16-17).

The fifth commandment moved the emphasis of the Law and Commandments from man’s relationship with his Creator to his relationship with his fellow man. Israel was commanded, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee” (20:12). Because fathers and mothers represented God’s authority, sons and daughters of Israel were to honor and revere their parents. Likewise, the elderly were to be honored and revered; any who failed were condemned (Deuteronomy 27:16). The fifth commandment also carried a particular promise and reward–long life (20:12b; Ephesians 6:1-3).

The sixth commandment was a reminder of the sanctity of human life: “Thou shalt not kill” (20:13). Because Adam was created in God’s image, the life of man and woman were to be valued as sacred (Genesis 1:27; 2:7, 21-22).

The seventh commandment served as a reminder of the sanctity of marriage. The LORD commanded Israel, “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (20:14). From the beginning, God established the institution of marriage as a sacred covenant between Himself and the man and woman. It was ordained by their Creator that “man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). As “one flesh,” the bond between the husband and his wife is not to be broken (Genesis 2:24). So sacred is the institution of marriage, that it served in the New Testament as a picture of Christ’s enduring love for believers and the church (Ephesians 5:30-32; Matthew 5:27-29).

The eighth commandment established the right of ownership. It stated: “Thou shalt not steal” (20:15). Thus, to take that which belonged to another (whether by theft or deceit) was a sin against God and man (Ephesians 4:28).

The ninth commandment demanded that truth would prevail. We read, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” (20:16). God’s people were to speak the truth (Ephesians 4:15, 25, 29), and libel, slander, or bearing false witness was a grievous sin.

The tenth commandment stated, “Thou shalt not covet,” and focused upon desires for that which belonged to another. So we read, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s” (20:17). Though manifested outwardly, covetousness is deeply-rooted within the heart of man.

The Manner of Worship Required by a Holy God (Exodus 20:18-26)

Having forbidden idols and images of Himself (20:4-6; 23-25), the LORD was also concerned about the attitude and manner of those who approached His altar to worship and offer sacrifices. Therefore, steps were forbidden at the altar to preserve a modest, respectful decorum, lest those who worshipped be perceived as immodest (20:26).

Closing thoughts:

The LORD’S expectations for Israel’s altar, and His demand for modesty, should be instructive. The priests were commanded to conduct themselves in a manner befitting the holiness of God. There were not to allow “nakedness” (immodesty) to distract those who worshipped the LORD (20:26).

Tragically, “anything goes” seems to be the mode of worshippers in the 21^st-century church. I fear there is little thought given to the manner or style of worshiping God who is holy.

Questions to consider:

1) Was Israel permitted to have and worship a physical likeness (image) of God? (Exodus 20:4)

2) What were the people promised if they kept God’s Commandments? (20:6)

3) Why was Israel commanded to consider the Sabbath a holy day? (20:11)

4) What two commandments stressed the sanctity of human life and marriage? (Exodus 20:13-14)

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A Display of God’s Majesty on Sinai, Part 1 (Exodus 19)

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Scripture reading: Exodus 19-20

Review – Three Months Out of Egypt (19:1)

Much had happened since Moses shepherded Israel out of Egypt. Leading a people who had suffered the oppression of slavery for four centuries was daunting and exhausting. Only three months had passed (19:1), but already the tribes of Israel had experienced the joys of victory and the despair of hardships that included thirst and hunger. However, above and beyond the physical stress of the journey, Moses faced the constant threat of murmuring and insurrection, to the point that he feared the people were “almost ready to stone” him (17:4). Having followed the counsel of his father-in-law, Moses had chosen, taught, and delegated to capable men the task of judging the people in “small matters” (18:20-25) and freeing him to judge “the hard causes” (18:26).

Exodus 19

Encampment at Sinai (19:1-2)

“In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai…[and] were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount” (19:1-2). Mount Sinai, also known as Mount Horeb, had been the place God first spoke to Moses out of the burning bush (3:1-6). Here, the LORD promised Moses, “When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain” (3:12).

Israel encamped at Mount Sinai for the next eleven months, during which time God gave Moses His Law and Commandments. At this time, Israel was transformed from twelve tribes of enslaved people to a mighty nation with one God and one Law.

God’s Charge to Moses (19:3-6)

While the people pitched their tents at the base of Sinai, “Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain” (19:3). Acting as Israel’s mediator, the LORD charged Moses with the task of reminding the people all that He had done for them. Then, in a statement that evidenced His loving grace and mercy, the LORD described how He had thrust His people out of Egypt, carrying them along with the tenderness and speed of an eagle that shadows her eaglets (19:4).

Moses was charged with reminding the people that if they would obey God’s voice and keep His covenant, He would “treasure” them “above all people” (19:5). The LORD promised Israel would be “a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation” (19:5-6). God would later ordain Aaron and his sons to serve Israel as His priests; however, He desired that Israel would be a holy nation and “a light of the Gentiles” (Isaiah 42:6).

Israel’s Affirmation of God’s Covenant (19:7-8)

As God’s mediator, Moses called “the elders of the people” together and presented the LORD’s proposition (19:7). We read, with one voice, “all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord” (19:8).

Israel’s Preparation to Meet the LORD (19:9-15)

To fulfill the institution of the covenant, Moses commanded the people to personally and ceremonially “sanctify” themselves and “wash their clothes” (19:10). Moses revealed that on the third day, the LORD would descend upon Mount Sinai and make His voice and presence known to the nation (19:11). Israel was commanded to set a boundary about the base of the mount, and warned if any approached they would be put to death (19:12-13).

The Appearance of the LORD (19:16-25)

On the third day, the presence of God was seen in the “thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled” (19:16). Moses then led the nation to the base of Mount Sinai (19:17). The whole mount was engulfed in smoke, as “the Lorddescended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly” (19:18). The sound of a trumpet, a shofar, grew louder and louder, and “Moses spake [in the hearing of the people], and God answered him by a voice” (19:19). As commanded, Moses warned the people not to approach Mount Sinai (19:21-25).

Today’s second devotional will focus on God’s Laws and Commandments and the nature of His covenant with Israel (Exodus 20).

Closing thoughts:

Imagine seeing Mount Sinai engulfed in fire and smoke and feeling the foundations of the mountain moving at the sound of God’s voice. What a dreadful, frightening display of God’s power and presence! To receive His Law and Commandments, the people were required to be sanctified, holy, and set apart unto Him (19:10). God required of His people what was true of Himself – “Ye shall be holy; for I am holy” (19:10; Leviticus 11:44-45).

Tragically, you would not know it to look at 21st-century churches, but what was essential for Israel is requisite for all believers. The apostle Peter wrote: “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; ¹⁶ Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16).

Questions to consider:

1) What did the LORD promise Israel if the people kept His Covenant? (Exodus 19:5)

2) To bind God’s Covenant, what did the people promise? (Exodus 19:8)

3) What was the penalty if a man, woman, or beast violated the boundary about the mountain where God appeared to Moses? (Exodus 19:12-13)

4) What was the visible sign that God had descended upon Mount Sinai? (Exodus 19:18-19)

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Does Character Matter? (Exodus 18)

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Scripture reading: Exodus 18

A Family Reunion (18:1-8)

With the defeat of the Amalekites (17:13-16), the LORD magnified the standing of Moses and Joshua. Soon, the news reached the nations of “all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and [how] the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt” (18:1). Soon after, Jethro, “the priest of Midian” and the father-in-law of Moses, journeyed to Israel’s encampment (18:1), and reunited him with Zipporah, Moses’ wife “and her two sons,” Gershom and Eliezer (18:1-5).

A beautiful scene unfolds as we are privy to the family reunion and the visible signs of love and respect evidenced by Moses and his father-in-law (18:6-8). Although he had proved himself to be a great leader, when Moses learned his father-in-law had come, he honored him and “went out to meet [him]… and did obeisance [bowed before him], and kissed him” (18:7a).

What a blessed reunion, as Jethro and Moses “asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent” of Moses (18:7b). We do not know the number of hours that passed as Moses rehearsed “all that the Lord had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the Lord delivered them” (18:8a). Remembering Moses’ when the LORD had first called to him from the midst of the burning bush (Exodus 3), I am sure Jethro took pride in the man who was his son by marriage.

Moses shared not only the victories, but “all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the Lorddelivered them” (18:8) from thirst and hunger, and gave Israel success over the Amalekites (17:8-16).

A Proud Father-in-law (18:9-12)

Jethro rejoiced in the LORD’s goodness and how He had delivered Israel out of slavery (18:9-10). He declared, “Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them” (18:11). Though he was a Midianite and not numbered among the Twelve Tribes of Israel, Jethro was a man of faith in the God of Israel (for the Midianites were descendants of Abraham through his wife Keturah, Genesis 25:1-2, 4). Therefore, Jethro “took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God” (18:12) and invited Moses, his brother Aaron, “and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread…before God” (18:12).

The Daily Toil of Leadership (18:13-22)

The reunion celebration was short-lived, for the next day, Moses returned to his all-consuming task as he “sat to judge the people” (18:13). Jethro looked on as the people gathered “from the morning unto the evening” (18:13), waiting for Moses to weigh their concerns, and pass judgment. He then enquired of Moses, “What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?” (18:14)

Moses then explained that his role was not to make laws, but to make “the statutes of God, and His laws” known (18:15-16). Jethro, concerned for his son-in-law’s well-being, said to Moses, “this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone” (18:18). He proposed there was a better way to judge the people, and that was to “teach [the people] ordinances and laws, and [show] them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do” (18:20).

Rather than serve as the judge of the people, Jethro suggested Moses should be God’s mediator and “teach them ordinances and laws…wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do” (18:19-20). He urged Moses to choose “able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them…²²And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee” (18:21-22).

Closing thoughts: Character Matters (18:23-26)

Moses wisely heeded his father-in-law’s counsel and “chose able [capable] men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people…and they judged the people at all seasons [as the need arose]: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves” (18:25-26).

What manner of men were chosen to judge the people? First, they were men who feared God (indicative of all who walk in His Law and Commandments). They were pious, godly men, “men of truth” and worthy of trust (18:21). Those who sat in judgment were to hate “covetousness” and therefore not favor the poor or the wealthy, the weak or the strong. They were to be men of integrity and above reproach (18:21)

Tragically, the same cannot be said of men and women in places of authority in our day. How different our society, world, and churches would be if we demanded that those in authority must be “able men, such as fear God, men of truth, [and] hating covetousness” (18:21)

What about you? Do you have the spiritual qualities God seeks so that you may serve Him?

Questions to consider:

1) What was Jethro’s response when Moses told him all the things God had done in delivering Israel? (Exodus 18:9-11)

2) What overwhelming task did Jethro observe Moses doing in his leadership role? (Exodus 18:13)

3) What were Jethro’s concerns and advice to Moses? (Exodus 18:17-18)

4) What manner of man was Moses to choose to sit in judgment of the people? (Exodus 18:21)

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Jehovah-nissi: The LORD My Banner (Exodus 16-17)

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Scripture reading: Exodus 16-17

We have considered the faithlessness of the children of Israel who, after the miracle of the Red Sea crossing, turned from celebrating Egypt’s defeat to murmuring “against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?” (15:24).

Exodus 16

Daily Complaining, Daily Manna, and Daily Meat

In Exodus 15, the people complained about a lack of water; in Exodus 16, they complained about a lack of food. When the people left Egypt, they must have packed enough provisions for a month; however, when their supplies were exhausted, they began to murmur against Moses and Aaron. The people complained that they would have been better off dying in Egypt than following Moses into the desert only to starve and die (16:2-3). (Notice how soon they forgot God’s miraculous provision of water, Exodus 15.)

Once again, Moses cried to the LORD. God responded and promised to “rain bread from heaven” (16:4), sufficient for a day that He might “prove [the people], whether they will walk in my law, or no” (16:4). The LORD promised on the sixth day he would provide twice the daily manna, that the people might store enough for the Sabbath (16:5). Moses and Aaron encouraged the people, how the LORD would provide them bread in the morning, and “in the evening flesh to eat” (16:6-8). Moses also taught a spiritual truth all believers should understand and God’s faithful ministers should remember: “The Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord” (16:8b).

Faithful to His promise, quail covered the camp each evening and provided the people with meat. Each morning they found a small round bread they called “manna” (16:15). Moses then instructed the men to gather only enough for their households, “every man according to his eating” (16:18). Moses also admonished, “Let no man leave of it till the morning” (16:19).

What lesson did the LORD teach Israel by providing them daily provisions?

He taught the people to look to Him for their daily needs; yet, some failed to trust the LORD and hoarded more manna than they could eat, and “it bred worms, and stank [rotted]” (16:20). As promised, the day before the Sabbath, the LORD provided enough for the day and the day after (16:22-26). Thus, the people did not need to seek provisions for the Sabbath, “so the people rested on the seventh day” (16:30). As a reminder of God’s faithfulness, Moses directed Aaron to “take a pot” and store “manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD to be “kept” as a lasting “Testimony” (16:33-34).

Closing thought:

Thus did the LORD provide for Israel for “forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan” (16:35).

Exodus 17

Israel continued her journey in the “wilderness of Sin” and encamped in Rephidim, where “there was no water for the people to drink” (17:1). Once again, the people questioned, “Is the LORD among us, or not?” (17:7). Again, they accused Moses of bringing them out of Egypt to kill them (17:3). The criticism became so vicious, that Moses feared the people were “almost ready to stone” him (17:4). The LORD then commanded Moses to take the rod he carried when the waters of the Red Sea were divided, and stand “upon the rock in Horeb; and… smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink” (17:5-6).

Israel witnessed the LORD’s compassion and provision for their needs; however, the Gospel of John reveals a greater truth. While the “rock in Horeb” supplied water to Israel, it was merely a type, a prophetic picture of Jesus Christ. The water that flowed from the rock in Horeb quenched the temporal thirst of Israel. Christ, however, promised He could give water so that a soul might “never thirst,” for He was the “well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14).

Israel’s First War (17:8-16)

After departing Egypt and crossing the Red Sea, the children of Israel encountered their first enemy when the Amalekites, descendants of Esau (Jacob’s twin brother), came to war against them (17:8). Moses summoned Joshua. He commanded him to choose men in Israel to “fight with Amalek” (17:9).

While Joshua led Israel to war in the valley, Moses stood on the “top of the hill with the rod of God in [his] hand” (17:9). When the arms of Moses were outstretched, Israel prevailed. Still, when his arms grew heavy, the battle went against the nation (17:11). Finally, sitting down on a rock, Moses’ brother steadied one arm. At the same time, a man named Hur held the other aloft (17:12). Thus, Israel prevailed, and “Joshua discomfited [defeated] Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword” (17:13).

Closing thoughts:

Israel’s first battle in the wilderness served as a reminder that the LORD was on their side. The LORD commanded Moses to write the victory in a book and exhorted him to rehearse the victory “in the ears of Joshua” (17:14). As a memorial to the victory, Moses “built an altar, and called it Jehovah-nissi,” meaning “The LORD is My Banner” (17:15).

Questions to consider:

A sinful pattern of failing to obey and trust the LORD has emerged in our study of Israel. Therefore, let me encourage you to consider that those who complain are like Israel and are given to exaggeration and accusations.

1) Of what evil did the people accuse Moses? (Exodus 16:3)

2) Why did the LORD warn the people not to hoard daily manna? (Exodus 16:4b)

3) On what day was Israel not to gather manna? (Exodus 16:23-26, 30)

4) What did God command Moses to do that the people might have water to drink? (Exodus 17:5-6)

5) What lesson was Joshua to learn from his first battle with the Amalekites? (Exodus 17:13-16)

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Israel’s Long-awaited Exodus and a Short-lived Celebration (Exodus 14; Exodus 15)

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Scripture reading: Exodus 14; Exodus 15

Exodus 14

Showdown on the Seashore (14:1-10)

With the cloud overshadowing Israel by day and the pillar of fire giving the people light by night, Moses led a nation of more than one million souls to freedom. But to find liberty in another land, they had to travel according to the LORD’s command, bringing Israel to a seemingly precarious place encamped by the Red Sea (14:2).

In his grief, Pharaoh thrust the children of Israel out of the land. Yet, the LORD hardened the proud king’s heart (14:3-4), and Moses learned his conflict with Pharaoh was not yet ended. Spies of the king followed the movement of Israel and saw the multitude encamped by the sea. News of the encampment was sent to Pharaoh, who then set his army in array to pursue and overtake Moses and the people (14:5-7).

Having witnessed how God brought Pharaoh and Egypt to her knees, the people had departed “with an high hand” and were bold, triumphant, and rejoicing in their freedom (14:8). Yet, the celebration soon ended when Israel saw a great cloud of dust formed by the approach of six hundred chariots and soldiers. When Pharoah and his army drew near Israel’s encampment, “the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and…cried out unto the Lord” (14:10).

Celebrations turned to Protestations (14:11-12)

With the Red Sea before them and Egypt’s army behind them, the people derided Moses, saying: “Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?” (14:11)

Could you take a moment and consider the fickle nature of sinners?

Though Israel departed Egypt “with an high hand” (14:8), their delight was suddenly turned to moaning and despair. The people complained with a sentiment they would express on many occasions in the future and said: “For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness” (14:12).

Moses’ Undaunted Faith (14:13-18)

Disappointed but unshaken by the people’s murmuring and the approach of Pharaoh’s army, Moses challenged the people saying, “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever” (14:13). Then, Moses assured them, “The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace” (14:14).

Moses cried to the LORD, Who questioned him, saying, “Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward” (14:15).

For Moses, the time for prayer was over, and it was time to step out on faith and trust the LORD, who commanded him: “Lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea” (14:16).

The LORD commanded Moses to be prepared, for when the waters of the sea opened, Pharaoh and his chariots would surely pursue the people into the midst of the sea (14:17), and Egypt would know the LORD when the king and his army are drowned in the sea (14:18).

The Provision and Providence of God (14:19-31)

The cloud that guided Israel out of Egypt moved rearward and became a barrier of darkness between the people and Pharaoh’s army (14:19-20). Then, Israel passed through the midst of the waters of the sea on dry ground (14:21-22). When the Egyptians pursued Israel into the midst of the Red Sea, the LORD brought the waters down and drowned them. “Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore… and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses.” (14:23-31).

Exodus 15

A Celebratory Song of Deliverance (15:1-21)

Standing triumphantly on the far shores of the Red Sea, Moses and the children of Israel broke into a song of praise and rejoicing (15:1-19). Moses led the song, and the men sang the refrain (15:1), while his sister Miriam “took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances” (15:20) and singing the chorus (15:21).

Moses’ song celebrated and memorialized the great victory the LORD gave Israel over Pharaoh and Egypt. The news of Israel’s triumphant crossing of the Red Sea preceded them and struck fear and awe in the hearts of the enemies they faced in the wilderness and the Promised Land (15:14-16). What a grand celebration, and indeed one that should have continued for days and weeks; however, such was not the case.

A Crisis of Faith (15:22-25)

Israel was only three days journey into the wilderness when the people “found no water” (15:22) and “murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?” (15:24). Sadly, whispering and grumbling became a sinful pattern that haunted Israel’s journey for forty years, and became a great sorrow to Moses and the LORD. Finally, Moses “cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet” (15:25).

Why did the LORD test Israel? (15:25)

The LORD “made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them” (15:25). To “prove” is to test and thereby reveal what manner of people Israel was. So they witnessed a great demonstration of God’s power and deliverance at the Red Sea, only to be found complaining and murmuring three days later.

What was the “statute” and the “ordinance” God wanted Israel to learn? (15:26)

If Israel would “diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord… [and] do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes,” the LORD promised, “I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee” (15:26).

Questions to consider:

1) How did Pharaoh respond when he heard Israel was encamped by the waters of the Red Sea? (Exodus 14:5-8)

2) How did Israel respond when they saw Pharaoh and his chariots approaching? (Exodus 14:10-12)

3) How did Moses and Israel celebrate their victory over Egypt? (Exodus 15:1-21)

4) Three days after their victory over Egypt, how did the LORD test Israel, and what spiritual lesson did He want the people to learn? (Exodus 15:22-27).

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Christ, Our Passover (Exodus 13)

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Scripture reading: Exodus 13

Review (Exodus 12)

The slaying of the firstborn of Egypt was the tenth and final plague, and it moved Pharaoh to thrust Israel out of the land where they had lived for 430 years (12:40-41). Having established the Passover as a perpetual memorial of the night the firstborn of Egypt were slain, God spared the households in Israel and all those who believed God and applied the lamb’s blood to the door posts (12:1-28, 43-51).

Exodus 13

The LORD then commanded that the firstborn of every household, both children and beast, be sanctified (set apart and dedicated) to the LORD as a memorial to Him (13:1-2). Remembering His covenant with their forefathers, the LORD promised to bring Israel into “a land flowing with milk and honey” (13:5). There, they were commanded to observe seven days of “unleavened bread” and to keep the feast of the Passover (13:6). Thus, being reminded of Israel’s sudden departure from Egypt and serving as a lasting memorial to the LORD’s deliverance (13:7).

Promising He would bring Israel into the “land of the Canaanites” as He had vowed (13:11), the people were to dedicate the firstborn male of every beast to the LORD (13:11-12). The firstborn of “clean” beasts were to be sacrificed, including lambs, kids of goats, and calves (Exodus 22:30; Numbers 18:17-18). Because the ass (donkey) was declared unclean, the firstborn of an ass would be redeemed with a lamb (the lamb being a sacrificial substitute). The clean (lambs, calves, or kids of goats) were to be sacrificed in the place of unclean beasts (13:13)

While some heathen nations sacrificed their firstborn sons and daughters to idols, Israel was commanded to redeem her firstborn (13:13b). Bearing in mind the sanctity of human life and that all humanity is sinful and universally “unclean” in the sight of God, the price of a firstborn’s redemption in Israel was set as “five sheckles” (Numbers 3:47; 18:16). Also, the people were to instruct their sons concerning the meaning of redemption (13:14-16).

The LORD knew that a nation of slaves would not be ready for the challenges of war against those nations that inhabited the land He promised His people (13:17). Therefore, rather than lead Israel on a direct route out of Egypt through the land occupied by the Philistines, the LORD guided Israel into the “wilderness of the Red Sea” (13:18). Also, fulfilling the vow their forefathers had made to Joseph, his bones were taken up from Egypt. He would be buried in Canaan (13:19).

As a visible testimony of God’s presence and providential care of His people, the LORD promised to shadow Israel with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (13:21-22).

Closing thoughts:

To spare Israel the tenth plague and the death of the firstborn, the LORD required the lamb’s blood be placed upon the doorposts. Without the blood, the firstborn of the household would be slain. (So it is for all sinners, for “without shedding of blood is no remission [forgiveness; deliverance],” Hebrews 9:22).

Remember, all the sacrificed lambs were a type, a picture, of God’s punishment of sin that would be satisfied in the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. The author of Hebrews wrote: “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:28). Paul wrote in his letter to Corinth, “For He [God] hath made Him [Jesus Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

If you have not, will you confess you are a sinner and trust Jesus Christ as your Redeemer?

Romans 6:23 – ²³For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Questions to consider:

1) Who did the LORD command Israel to sanctify, dedicate, and set apart to Him? (Exodus 13:1-2, 11-16)

2) What did unleavened bread memorialize? (Exodus 13:3, 6-7)

3) Why did the LORD lead Israel through the wilderness and not “through the way of the land of the Philistines?” (Exodus 13:17-18)

4) What two things did the LORD give Israel as a testimony of His presence and protection? (Exodus 13:21-22)

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The Passover: “Behold the Lamb” (The Institution and Significance of the Passover, Exodus 12) – Part 2 of 2 daily devotions.

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Scripture reading: Exodus 12

The Passover was instituted in Exodus 12 and took its name from the LORD, sparing His people the plague that struck the firstborn of Egypt (12:1-14, 27-28). The LORD instructed Moses and Aaron to speak to the people and say, “²This month shall be unto you the beginning of months…³In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb…⁵Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: ⁶And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening” (12:2-6).

Moses instructed the people to put the blood of the sacrifice on the side posts and lintel [top of the door facing] of the houses (12:7). The LORD promised, saying “when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt” (12:12-13).

The Sacrificial Lamb (Exodus 12:8-11, 14-19)

Specific instructions were given for the sacrificial lambs (12:8-11, 14-19). We are reminded that the lambs were a “type,” meaning a picture of the ultimate sacrifice for sin, the Messiah, whose name they did not know and who would come in the Father’s time. Israel would have to trust in the substitutionary blood on their doorposts and know by faith that it represented God’s provision, sacrifice, and covenant with Abraham. The lamb was to be roasted whole (12:8-9), and the bones were not to be broken. (Jesus Christ’s death on the cross fulfilled that condition, John 19:31-37; Psalm 34:20). He was the perfect, sinless, spotless “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” John 1:29).

A second element of the Passover was “unleavened bread” (12:15, 17-20). Leaven, the equivalent of yeast today, was not used in bread during the Passover season. (The leaven used in ancient times was from fermented dough left over from the previous day.) Taking a pinch of fermented dough, and kneading it into a fresh batch of flour, would, in time, permeate the whole of the dough and cause the bread to rise.

The permeating nature of leaven is a symbol in the Scriptures of the nature of sin. Sin in our lives functions the same as leaven in the dough, for “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” (Galatians 5:9). In the same way that leaven was not to be in Passover bread, a believer is not to tolerate even a “little sin” in his life.

The Night of the Passover (Exodus 12:29-34)

The night of the Passover came, and “at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh… [to] the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle” (12:29). Pharaoh and all Egypt cried in anguish, “for there was not a house where there was not one dead” (12:30).

The king then sent for Moses and Aaron and charged them, “Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said. ³²Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also” (12:31-32).

The same urgency took hold among the Egyptians, who urged Israel to depart “out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men” (12:33). As God had commanded, the children of Israel required “of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: ³⁶And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians” (12:35-36).

Delivered Israel Out of Egypt (Exodus 12:37-51)

Thus, Israel was thrust out of Egypt. The people who began the exodus numbered 600,000 men, not including women and children (12:37). We also read that a “mixed multitude” went out with them. However, they were not of the lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (12:38). Those non-Hebrew people would become a curse to Israel in her wilderness journey (Numbers 11:4).

The years of Israel’s stay in Egypt had been “four hundred and thirty years” (12:40). We read, “at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt” (12:41). The sparing of the firstborn and Israel’s exodus from Egypt is memorialized in a perpetual observance of the Passover (12:43). Also, the circumcision of males was to continue as a sign of that nation’s consecration to the LORD (12:44-48). Whether Hebrew or of the mixed multitude, there would be “One Law” that would serve the people (12:49).

Closing thoughts:

In conclusion, we are reminded that God is intolerant of sin among His people. As the leaven was put out, and forbidden in the households during the Passover (Exodus 12:15, 19-20), so should our sins be addressed and confessed in our lives and homes. Drawing a parallel between leaven and sin, Paul wrote in his first epistle to the believers in Corinth:

1 Corinthians 5:6b–8 – “Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? ⁷Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: ⁸Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

Questions to consider:

1) What conditions did God give for the Passover lamb? (Exodus 12:5)

2) What were God’s instructions for the blood of the lamb? (Exodus 12:6-7)

3) What did God say He would do on Passover night? (Exodus 12:12)

4) What did Pharoah do after his son died? (Exodus 12:30-32)

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Humility: The Essence of a Servant-Leader (Exodus 11) – Part 1 of 2 daily devotions.

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Scripture reading: Exodus 11-12

Exodus 11

The Man (or Woman) God Calls

Before the LORD sent the tenth, and final plague, He instructed Moses to communicate to the people that they would “borrow [to request or demand] of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold” (11:2).

This seems a strange request for a people preparing to sojourn in the desert; however, I suggest two motives for the demand. First, the Egyptians had enslaved God’s people for four centuries, and the value of what they demanded in precious metals would scarcely be regarded as full payment for their toil. A second purpose, the “jewels of silver, and jewels of gold” would be required to decorate the tabernacle and fabricate vessels that would later be used in worship.

Before I address the tenth plague, consider what the LORD had done in this contest between Pharaoh and His servant Moses.

The LORD had magnified Moses in Egypt, and the fears he had entertained in returning from the wilderness were overcome by God giving him “favour in the sight of the Egyptians” (11:3a). Forty years of herding his father-in-law’s sheep had humbled this once proud prince of Egypt. However, the LORD had so magnified him that he became “very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the sight of the people” (11:3).

Forty years earlier, Moses’ flight into the wilderness left behind everything that gave him rank and privilege as a prince in Egypt. Now, having departed from the quiet pastoral life of a shepherd, God had blessed and elevated him above the king of Egypt in the eyes of the people.

The Tenth Plague

The final plague severely affected Egypt’s proud, obstinate king. The Egyptians viewed Pharaoh as a god (though human, they believed he was an intermediary between the gods and humanity), and the tenth plague assailed the king and his son, the future heir to Egypt’s throne. Thus, Moses prophesied, “Thus saith the Lord, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: ⁵And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die…⁶And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more” (11:4-6).

The LORD promised to spare Israel’s firstborn and “put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel” (11:7), but only if the people followed the Word of the LORD as Moses instructed. If they refused to obey God’s Word, they would be no different from Egypt. But, as we will see in Exodus 12, God did withhold His judgment of Israel because of the blood of the Passover (12:13). (The succeeding devotion will establish the central meaning of the Passover and its significance, Exodus 12).

Moses: A Model of Humility.

Take a moment and reflect on Moses’ example of humility. When God called and commanded him to leave his sheep and return to Egypt, the once proud prince of Egypt protested. Moses asked God, “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh?” (3:11a) The solitude of the desert and the calling and promises of God did so transform his life that we will later read in the Scriptures, “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3).

Closing thought:

It is rare to find a man or woman of great talents and abilities humble enough to trust, obey, and serve the LORD!

Unlike Moses, who was a model of humility and meekness, our society, including churches, has produced a generation given to “selfies” and self-promotion, the antithesis of humility. Is it possible that the dearth of men and women entering ministry indicates a generation too proud to serve?

In his epistle to believers in Corinth, Paul wrote: “Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: ²⁷ But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty…²⁹ That no flesh should glory in his presence.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).

There is a desperate need for men and women humble enough for God to use (1 Corinthians 1:26-29) and bold enough to declare the Word of the LORD unapologetically!

* A second devotional will follow and focus on Exodus 12.

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