We’ve talked a lot about God and His expectations of us during the first segment of our series, and now our focus shifts to explore Moses and his impact on our faith. In fact, the story of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt plays such a central role in the history of our faith… both Judaism and Christianity… that we would be remiss if we did not include it in our exploration of God and His Word.
Moses heard God’s call
While Moses was out tending a flock of sheep, he heard God call to him. God wanted Moses to go to Egypt and have Pharaoh set the Israelites free.
One day as Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, out at the edge of the desert near Horeb [Mt. Sinai], the mountain of God, suddenly the Angel of God appeared to him as a flame of fire in a bush. When Moses saw that the bush was on fire and that it didn’t burn up, he went over to investigate. Then God called out to him, “Moses! Moses!” “Who is it?” Moses asked. “Don’t come any closer,” God told him. “Take off your shoes, for you are standing on holy ground. I am the God of your fathers – the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (Moses covered his face with his hands, for he was afraid to look at God.) Then God Almighty told him, “I have seen the deep sorrows of My people in Egypt, and have heard their pleas for freedom from their harsh taskmasters. I have come to deliver them from the Egyptians and to take them out of Egypt into a good land, a large land, a land ‘flowing with milk and honey’ – the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites live. Yes, the wail of the people of Israel has risen to Me in heaven, and I have seen the heavy tasks the Egyptians have oppressed them with. Now I am going to send you to Pharaoh, to demand that he let you lead My people out of Egypt.” – Exodus 3:1-10
And so Moses set out for Egypt and did just that… he got Pharaoh to let the Israelite slaves leave. And God was with them the whole way, guiding them through the wilderness with a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire during the night.
God Almighty guided them by a pillar of cloud during the daytime, and by a pillar of fire at night. So they could travel either by day or night. – Exodus 13:21
Now, of course that’s a very condensed version of what all took place, but it’s everything we need to know at this time. If you wish to read the story in its entirety, you can find it in Exodus Chapters 3 through 13.
Moses received God’s commands and rules for worship
About thirty days into their flight from Egypt, Moses and the Israelites came to rest at the base of Mt. Sinai. As the people set up camp, Moses climbed up the mountain to meet with God.
The Israelis arrived in the Sinai Peninsula three months after the night of their departure from Egypt. After breaking camp at Rephidim, they came to the base of Mt. Sinai and set up camp there. Moses climbed the rugged mountain to meet with God, and from somewhere in the mountain God called to him and said, “Give these instructions to the people of Israel. Tell them, ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I brought you to Myself as though on eagles’ wings. Now if you will obey Me and keep your part of My contract with you, you shall be My own little flock from among all the nations of the earth; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be a kingdom of priests to God, a holy nation” – Exodus 19:1-6
While there, Moses received God’s Commandments for living – how He expects us to interact with each other – and also His instructions for worship, including specific details for altar construction.
Then God issued this edict: “I am God Almighty, your God who liberated you from your slavery in Egypt. You may worship no other god than Me. You shall not make yourselves any idols: no images of animals, birds, or fish. You must never bow or worship it in any way; for I, your God, am very possessive. I will not share your affection with any other god! And when I punish people for their sins, the punishment continues upon the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of those who hate Me; but I lavish My love upon thousands of those who love Me and obey My commandments. You shall not use the name of your God irreverently, nor use it to swear to a falsehood. You will not escape punishment if you do. Remember to observe the Sabbath as a holy day. Six days a week are for your daily duties and your regular work, but the seventh day is a day of Sabbath rest before your God. On that day you are to do no work of any kind, nor shall your son, daughter, or slaves – whether men or women – or your cattle or your house guests. For in six days God made the heaven, earth, and sea, and everything in them, and rested the seventh day; so he blessed the Sabbath day and set it aside for rest. Honor your father and mother, that you may have a long, good life in the land God will give you. You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not lie. You must not be envious of your neighbor’s house, or want to sleep with his wife, or want to own his slaves, oxen, donkeys, or anything else he has.” All the people saw the lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, and heard the thunder and the long, frightening trumpet blast; and they stood at a distance, shaking with fear. They said to Moses, “You tell us what God says and we will obey, but don’t let God speak directly to us, or it will kill us.” “Don’t be afraid,” Moses told them, “for God has come in this way to show you His awesome power, so that from now on you will be afraid to sin against Him!” As the people stood in the distance, Moses entered into the deep darkness where God was. And God Almighty told Moses to be His spokesman to the people of Israel. “You are witnesses to the fact that I have made known My will to you from heaven. Remember, you must not make or worship idols made of silver or gold or of anything else! The altars you make for Me must be simple altars of earth. Offer upon them your sacrifices to Me – your burnt offerings and peace offerings of sheep and oxen. Build altars only where I tell you to, and I will come and bless you there. You may also build altars from stone, but if you do, then use only uncut stones and boulders. Don’t chip or shape the stones with a tool, for that would make them unfit for My altar. And don’t make steps for the altar, or someone might look up beneath the skirts of your clothing and see your nakedness.” – Exodus 20
Here are other laws you must obey: If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve only six years and be freed in the seventh year, and need pay nothing to regain his freedom. If he sold himself as a slave before he married, then if he married afterwards, only he shall be freed, but if he was married before he became a slave, then his wife shall be freed with him at the same time. But if his master gave him a wife while he was a slave, and they have sons or daughters, the wife and children shall still belong to the master, and he shall go out by himself free. But if the man shall plainly declare, ‘I prefer my master, my wife, and my children, and I would rather not go free,’ then his master shall bring him before the judges and shall publicly bore his ear with an awl, and after that he will be a slave forever. If a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not be freed at the end of six years as the men are. If she does not please the man who bought her, then he shall let her be bought back again, but he has no power to sell her to foreigners, since he has wronged her by no longer wanting her after marrying her. And if he arranges an engagement between a Hebrew slave-girl and his son, then he may no longer treat her as a slave-girl, but must treat her as a daughter. If he himself marries her and then takes another wife, he may not reduce her food or clothing, or fail to sleep with her as his wife. If he fails in any of these three things, then she may leave freely without any payment. Anyone who hits a man so hard that he dies shall surely be put to death. But if it is accidental – an act of God – and not intentional, then I will appoint a place where he can run and get protection. However, if a man deliberately attacks another, intending to kill him, drag him even from My altar, and kill him. Anyone who strikes his father or mother shall surely be put to death. A kidnapper must be killed, whether he is caught in possession of his victim or has already sold him as a slave. Anyone who reviles or curses his mother or father shall surely be put to death. If two men are fighting, and one hits the other with a stone or with his fist and injures him so that he must be confined to bed, but doesn’t die, if later he is able to walk again, even with a limp, the man who hit him will be innocent except that he must pay for the loss of his time until he is thoroughly healed, and pay any medical expenses. If a man beats his slave to death – whether the slave is male or female – that man shall surely be punished. However, if the slave does not die for a couple of days, then the man shall not be punished – for the slave is his property. If two men are fighting, and in the process hurt a pregnant woman so that she has a miscarriage, but she lives, then the man who injured her shall be fined whatever amount the woman’s husband shall demand, and as the judges approve. But if any harm comes to the woman and she dies, he shall be executed. If her eye is injured, injure his; if her tooth is knocked out, knock out his; and so on – hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, lash for lash. If a man hits his slave in the eye, whether man or woman, and the eye is blinded, then the slave shall go free because of his eye. And if a master knocks out his slave’s tooth, he shall let him go free to pay for the tooth. If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox shall be stoned and its flesh not eaten, but the owner shall not be held – unless the ox was known to gore people in the past, and the owner had been notified and still the ox was not kept under control; in that case, if it kills someone, the ox shall be stoned and the owner also shall be killed. But the dead man’s relatives may accept a fine instead, if they wish. The judges will determine the amount. The same law holds if the ox gores a boy or a girl. But if the ox gores a slave, whether male or female, the slave’s master shall be given thirty pieces of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. If a man digs a well and doesn’t cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, the owner of the well shall pay full damages to the owner of the animal, and the dead animal shall belong to him. If a man’s ox injures another, and it dies, then the two owners shall sell the live ox and divide the price between them – and each shall also own half of the dead ox. But if the ox was known from past experience to gore, and its owner has not kept it under control, then there will not be a division of the income; but the owner of the living ox shall pay in full for the dead ox, and the dead one shall be his.” – Exodus 21
“If a man steals an ox or sheep and then kills or sells it, he shall pay a fine of five to one – five oxen shall be returned for each stolen ox. For sheep, the fine shall be four to one – four sheep returned for each sheep stolen. If a thief is caught in the act of breaking into a house and is killed, the one who killed him is not guilty. But if it happens in the daylight, it must be presumed to be murder and the man who kills him is guilty. If a thief is captured, he must make full restitution; if he can’t, then he must be sold as a slave for his debt. If he is caught in the act of stealing a live ox or donkey or sheep or whatever it is, he shall pay double value as his fine. If someone deliberately lets his animal loose and it gets into another man’s vineyard; or if he turns it into another man’s field to graze, he must pay for all damages by giving the owner of the field or vineyard an equal amount of the best of his own crop. If the field is being burned off and the fire gets out of control and goes into another field so that the shocks of grain, or the standing grain, are destroyed, the one who started the fire shall make full restitution. If someone gives money or goods to anyone to keep for him, and it is stolen, the thief shall pay double if he is found. But if no thief is found, then the man to whom the valuables were entrusted shall be brought before God to determine whether or not he himself has stolen his neighbor’s property. In every case in which an ox, donkey, sheep, clothing, or anything else is lost, and the owner believes he has found it in the possession of someone else who denies it, both parties to the dispute shall come before God for a decision, and the one whom God declares guilty shall pay double to the other. If a man asks his neighbor to keep a donkey, ox, sheep, or any other animal for him, and it dies, or is hurt, or gets away, and there is no eyewitness to report just what happened to it, then the neighbor must take an oath that he has not stolen it, and the owner must accept his word, and no restitution shall be made for it. But if the animal or property has been stolen, the neighbor caring for it must repay the owner. If it was attacked by some wild animal, he shall bring the torn carcass to confirm the fact, and shall not be required to make restitution. If a man borrows an animal (or anything else) from a neighbor, and it is injured or killed, and the owner is not there at the time, then the man who borrowed it must pay for it. But if the owner is there, he need not pay; and if it was rented, then he need not pay, because this possibility was included in the original rental fee. If a man seduces a girl who is not engaged to anyone, and sleeps with her, he must pay the usual dowry and accept her as his wife. But if her father utterly refuses to let her marry him, then he shall pay the money anyway. A sorceress shall be put to death. Anyone having sexual relations with an animal shall certainly be executed. Anyone sacrificing to any other god than God Almighty shall be executed. You must not oppress a stranger in any way; remember, you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt. You must not exploit widows or orphans; if you do so in any way, and they cry to Me for My help, I will surely give it. And My anger shall flame out against you, and I will kill you with enemy armies, so that your wives will be widows and your children fatherless. If you lend money to a needy fellow-Hebrew, you are not to handle the transaction in an ordinary way, with interest. If you take his clothing as a pledge of his repayment, you must let him have it back at night. For it is probably his only warmth; how can he sleep without it? If you don’t return it, and he cries to Me for help, I will hear and be very gracious to him (at your expense), for I am very compassionate. You shall not blaspheme God, nor curse government officials – your judges and your rulers. You must be prompt in giving Me the tithe of your crops and your wine, and the redemption payment for your oldest son. As to the firstborn of the oxen and the sheep, give it to Me on the eighth day, after leaving it with its mother for seven days. And since you yourselves are holy – My special people – do not eat any animal that has been attacked and killed by a wild animal. Leave its carcass for the dogs to eat.” – Exodus 22
“Do not pass along untrue reports. Do not cooperate with an evil man by affirming on the witness stand something you know is false. Don’t join mobs intent on evil. When on the witness stand, don’t be swayed in your testimony by the mood of the majority present, and do not slant your testimony in favor of a man just because he is poor. If you come upon an enemy’s ox or donkey that has strayed away, you must take it back to its owner. If you see your enemy trying to get his donkey onto its feet beneath a heavy load, you must not go on by, but must help him. A man’s poverty is no excuse for twisting justice against him. Keep far away from falsely charging anyone with evil; never let an innocent person be put to death. I will not stand for this. Take no bribes, for a bribe makes you unaware of what you clearly see! A bribe hurts the cause of the person who is right. Do not oppress foreigners; you know what it’s like to be a foreigner; remember your own experience in the land of Egypt. Sow and reap your crops for six years, but let the land rest and lie fallow during the seventh year, and let the poor among the people harvest any volunteer crop that may come up; leave the rest for the animals to enjoy. The same rule applies to your vineyards and your olive groves. Work six days only, and rest the seventh; this is to give your oxen and donkeys a rest, as well as the people of your household – your slaves and visitors. Be sure to obey all of these instructions; and remember – never mention the name of any other god. There are three annual religious pilgrimages you must make. The first is the Pilgrimage of Unleavened Bread, when for seven days you are not to eat bread with yeast, just as I commanded you before. This celebration is to be an annual event at the regular time in March, the month you left Egypt; everyone must bring Me a sacrifice at that time. Then there is the Harvest Pilgrimage, when you must bring to Me the first of your crops. And, finally, the Pilgrimage of Ingathering at the end of the harvest season. At these three times each year, every man in Israel shall appear before God Almighty. No sacrificial blood shall be offered with leavened bread; no sacrificial fat shall be left unoffered until the next morning. As you reap each of your crops, bring Me the choicest sample of the first day’s harvest; it shall be offered to Me your God. Do not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.” – Exodus 23:1-19
Moses wrote down all the instructions that God had given him and titled it… the Book of the Covenant. Then he went back down the mountain, gathered the Israelites together, and read God’s Word to them.
And they all promised to obey God’s Commands.
And he read to the people the Book he had written – the Book of the Covenant – containing God’s directions and laws. And the people said again, “We solemnly promise to obey every one of these rules.” – Exodus 24:7
The Book of the Covenant
At that point in time, the Israelites’ faith included several basic tenets:
God is accessible and omnipresent
God can be anywhere… He isn’t just in one special place.
How do we know that? Because He tells us in the second part of Exodus 20:24…
“… build altars only where I tell you to, and I will come and bless you there.” – Exodus 20:24
That means that wherever we are sent, that’s where God will come to… to bless us there. Why? Because He has the power to be anywhere and everywhere!
our relationship with God can be personal
God intended from the very beginning to have a deeply personal relationship with each one of us…
“Now if you will obey Me and keep your part of My contract with you, you shall be My own little flock from among all the nations of the earth; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be a kingdom of priests to God, a holy nation.“ – Exodus 19:5-6
Let’s think about this for a moment.
Being a priest to God is like being His personal servant. That’s a very special relationship to have! And these verses tell us that God wanted to have that kind of a relationship with us… one where we could communicate with Him personally, without the need for anyone else to intercede on our behalf.
specific instructions for altar construction
Exodus 20:24 also gives us God’s specific instructions on how to build altars for worship.
“The altars you make for Me must be simple altars of earth…” – Exodus 20:24
And in Exodus 20:25 He elaborates on the types of materials to be used (and those that are unfit to be used) in altar construction.
“You may also build altars from stone, but if you do, then use only uncut stones and boulders. Don’t chip or shape the stones with a tool, for that would make them unfit for My altar.” – Exodus 20:25
We feel the need to reiterate here… God said to use only unaltered materials, and He even made it a point to tell us that if the materials were chipped or shaped with a tool they would be unfit for His altar.
God also specifically told us not to make or worship idols from silver, gold, or any other material.
“Remember, you must not make or worship idols made of silver or gold or of anything else!” – Exodus 20:23
no sin or guilt offerings
The original instructions God gave to Moses did not include any guilt or sin offerings of any kind. The only reference to sacrifices, up to this point, are the kind that God referred to in Cain and Abel’s times… those of thanksgiving and peace that are offered to God in a worship-type manner.
God’s clear intent..
The laws that God gave to Moses in the Book of the Covenant are the laws and commands that God wanted the Israelites to follow… to the letter.
How do we know this? Because God was so pleased after Moses read the Book of the Covenant to the people and they pledged to obey, that several of them were permitted into His presence and they had a meal before Him.
And he read to the people the Book he had written – the Book of the Covenant – containing God’s directions and laws. And the people said again, “We solemnly promise to obey every one of these rules.” Then Moses threw the blood from the basins towards the people and said, “This blood confirms and seals the covenant God Almighty made with you in giving you these laws.” Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up into the mountain. And they saw the God of Israel; under His feet there seemed to be a pavement of brilliant sapphire stones, as clear as the heavens. Yet even though the elders saw God, He did not destroy them; and they had a meal together before God. – Exodus 24:7-11
At this point in their journey, God’s wishes are extremely clear; they are simple, succinct, and direct with no way to misinterpret what He wants and doesn’t want.
And as we’ve discussed, God was obviously pleased with this particular set of events.
So…
What happened?
God had been so pleased earlier…. but by the time the Israelites were pulling up camp, He was completely undone with all of them.
Then God said to Moses, “Lead these people you brought from Egypt to the land I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; for I said, ‘I will give this land to your descendants.’ I will send an Angel before you to drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. It is a land ‘flowing with milk and honey’; but I will not travel among you, for you are a stubborn, unruly people, and I would be tempted to destroy you along the way.” When the people heard these stern words, they went into mourning and stripped themselves of their jewelry and ornaments. For God Almighty had told Moses to tell them, “You are an unruly, stubborn people. If I were there among you for even a moment, I would exterminate you. Remove your jewelry and ornaments until I decide what to do with you.” – Exodus 33:1-5
Notice that God revealed His level of irritation with them when He told Moses that He would not be traveling with them… because if He were among them, even for a moment, He would exterminate them!
Wow! Now there’s a complete reversal! That’s a one-hundred-eighty degree change in attitude that cannot be ignored.
God went from having the guys over for lunch, so to speak, to being so angry with them all that He refused to be among them just to keep Himself from killing the lot of them.
So, again we ask… what could have come between the Israelites and God to cause that kind of response in Him?
Let’s look some more…
An alternate set of instructions
After Moses read the Book of the Covenant to the people, and before they pulled up camp, there was a significant event that occurred.
Immediately following the meal that they had in the presence of God (Exodus 24:11), Moses was called back up the mountain so that he could receive “the laws and commandments that were written.”
And God said to Moses, “Come up to Me into the mountain, and remain until I give you the laws and commandments I have written on tablets of stone, so that you can teach the people from them.” – Exodus 24:12
…but they had already done that.
God had already given Moses His rules for living and worship and Moses had already written them down. Moses had already read and delivered the Book of the Covenant to the people, and they had already promised to obey those Commands that God had given them.
And we know that God was pleased with them at that point because He allowed Moses and the elders to have a meal before Him.
The differences between the Book of the Covenant and the alternate set of instructions Moses received
There are several significant differences between the Book of the Covenant and the alternate set of instructions Moses received when he returned to the mountain.
God gave us laws of interaction and rules for worship; He also taught us that He is omnipresent and accessible. We can have a personal relationship with Him if we only obey!
But that’s not what Moses heard when he was called back up the mountain.
That time atop Mt. Sinai, Moses got a different – and completely opposite – set of instructions for altar construction and where / how to worship and interact with God.
Take a moment to read Exodus, Chapters 25 through 31, keeping in mind God’s wishes for the way we are to worship Him….
did you notice the differences?
According to the Book of the Covenant, the Israelites knew that God is accessible and omnipresent… they knew that no matter where God sent them, He would come there to bless them…
“… build altars only where I tell you to, and I will come and bless you there.” – Exodus 20:24
After Moses received the alternate instructions, the Israelites believed that God did not exist anywhere except in the Holy of Holies, where only an ordained priest was permitted to enter His presence.
“And I will meet with you there and talk with you from above the place of mercy between the guardian angels…”- Exodus 25:22
“Make a curtain from fine linen, with blue, purple, and scarlet guardian angels embroidered into the cloth. Hang this curtain on gold hooks set into four pillars made from acacia wood overlaid with gold. The pillars are to be set in silver bases. Behind this curtain place the Ark containing the stone tablets engraved with God’s Laws. The curtain will separate the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.” – Exodus 26:31-33
God now said to Moses, “Put together the Tabernacle on the first day of the first month. In it, place the Ark containing the Ten Commandments; and install the veil to enclose the Ark within the Holy of Holies.” – Exodus 40:1-3
The Book of the Covenant affirmed our ability to have a personal relationship with God. In fact, God said that all of Israel could be an entire nation of priests to Him…
After breaking camp at Rephidim, they came to the base of Mt. Sinai and set up camp there. Moses climbed the rugged mountain to meet with God, and from somewhere in the mountain God called to him and said, “Give these instructions to the people of Israel. Tell them, ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I brought you to Myself as though on eagles’ wings. Now if you will obey Me and keep your part of My contract with you, you shall be My own little flock from among all the nations of the earth; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be a kingdom of priests to God, a holy nation.’ Moses returned from the mountain and called together the leaders of the people and told them what God had said. They all responded in unison, ‘We will certainly do everything He asks of us.’ Moses reported the words of the people to God Almighty.” – Exodus 19:2-8
But the alternate set of instructions taught the Israelites that they were not to call upon God for themselves and that they needed specially ordained priests to be intermediaries between them and God…
“This plate is to be attached by means of a blue ribbon to the front of Aaron’s turban. In this way Aaron will be wearing it upon his forehead, and thus bear the guilt connected with any errors regarding the offerings of the people of Israel. It shall always be worn when he goes into the presence of God Almighty, so that the people will be accepted and forgiven.” – Exodus 28:37-38
“… Bring the animal to the entrance of the Tabernacle where the priests will accept your gift for God Almighty.” – Leviticus 1:3
“Any Israelite who sacrifices an ox, lamb, or goat anywhere except at the Tabernacle is guilty of murder and shall be excommunicated from his nation. The purpose of this law is to stop the people of Israel from sacrificing in the open fields, and to cause them to bring their sacrifices to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle…” – Leviticus 17:3-5
The Book of the Covenant told them that they were to use materials from the earth or uncut boulders or stones to build their altars. But after Moses received the alternate instructions, they were to cut and chisel every piece of their worship materials… which if you remember, God said cutting and chiseling with tools would make construction materials “unfit” to use in worshiping Him.
“The altars you make for Me must be simple altars of earth… you may also build altars from stone, but if you do, then use only uncut stones and boulders. Don’t chip or shape the stones with a tool, for that would make them unfit for My altar.” – Exodus 20:24-25 (bold mine)
And, the Book of the Covenant forbade them to make idols… graven images… statues… from silver, gold, or any other material.
“Remember, you must not make or worship idols made of silver or gold or of anything else!” – Exodus 20:23
When Moses received the alternate instructions, they were to cut and shape every piece of material used in their altar construction, decorate their worship instruments with cherubs and angels, and adorn everything with gold, silver, bronze, and numerous other forbidden materials.
“Using acacia wood, make a square altar 7 ½ feet wide, and four and a half feet high. Make horns for the four corners of the altar, attach them firmly, and overlay everything with bronze.” – Exodus 27:1-2
“Then make a small altar for burning incense. It shall be made from acacia wood. It is to be eighteen inches square and three feet high, with horns carved from the wood of the altar – they are not to be merely separate parts that are attached. Overlay the top, sides, and horns of the altar with pure gold, and run a gold molding around the entire altar.” – Exodus 30:1-3
The Book of the Covenant gave us rules in case something went terribly wrong… and restitution / death was the consequence for our actions.
“Anyone who hits a man so hard that he dies shall surely be put to death. But if it is accidental – an act of God – and not intentional, then I will appoint a place where he can run and get protection.” – Exodus 21:12-13
But after Moses and the Israelites began obeying the new instructions… they added guilt and sin sacrifices as substitutes for owning up to their own sins.
“The person bringing it is to lay his hand upon its head, and it then becomes his substitute: the death of the animal will be accepted by God instead of the death of the man who brings it, as the penalty for his sins.” – Leviticus 1:4
“If any one of the common people sins and doesn’t realize it, he is guilty. But as soon as he does realize it, he is to bring as his sacrifice a female goat without defect to atone for his sin.” – Leviticus 4:27-28
Then God Almighty said to Moses, “If anyone sins against Me by refusing to return a deposit on something borrowed or rented, or by refusing to return something entrusted to him, or by robbery, or by oppressing his neighbor, or by finding a lost article and lying about it, swearing that he doesn’t have it – on the day he is found guilty of any such sin, he shall restore what he took, adding a twenty percent fine, and give it to the one he has harmed; and on the same day he shall bring his guilt offering to the Tabernacle. His guilt offering shall be a ram without defect, and must be worth whatever value you demand. He shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall make atonement for him before God, and he shall be forgiven.” – Leviticus 6:1-7
And… when God originally spoke, Moses wrote down God’s Words and titled it the Book of the Covenant (representing the Covenant God was making with His people). After Moses received the alternate set of instructions, the Israelites used those new instructions to begin to develop what is now known as the Mosaic Law (Mosaic as in Moses’ Law).
A note of interest….
It’s interesting to me that when they were leaving the base of Mt. Sinai, God didn’t tell Moses to lead His [My] people that He [God] brought from Egypt… God called them ‘these’ people that ‘you’ [Moses] brought…
Then God Almighty said to Moses, “Lead these people you brought from Egypt to the land I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; for I said, ‘I will give this land to your descendants.’ “ – Exodus 33:1 (bold mine)
Is it possible that God’s calling them ‘these’ people ‘you’ brought from Egypt was God’s way of making reference to their collective choice to discard His Book of the Covenant to follow Moses’ Mosaic Law instead… thereby turning the Israelites into ‘these’ people that ‘you’ [Moses] brought out of Egypt?
It’s just a thought…
Seeing the Torah in a new light
Perhaps if we utilize our previous lessons where we discovered God’s expectations of us and learned about Jesus’ experience being tested, we can better sort out what may have happened with Moses and the Israelites all those many years ago.
So far we have found Scriptural evidence that God expects us to… know what He has said… and obey His Commands… without question or altercation… regardless of who we are… because God expects to be first in our lives… first in our hearts and minds… first in our actions, and first in our interactions with Him and with others. However, even when we do obey in this manner, we are not assured that adversity will not come… and when adversity does come, we are not to rail against God or our life, but instead we are to go humbly to God for His guidance on our situation… because we do not know better than God, nor do we know what He expects of us individually. And when things go awry and we mess up… again, we are to go humbly to God in repentance because He is eager to forgive and guide us.
And… we know that there are many examples of falls-from-Grace in the Scriptures. However, Jesus’ life and experience with Satan give testimony to the fact that there is a definitive way to pass Satan’s tests. If we know God’s Word and we refute any information that comes to us that is contrary to what we know God expects, then we can pass Satan’s tests and stay in God’s favor.
We also know that God had already told Moses that He was “testing” their obedience on two separate occasions before reaching Mount Sinai.
[Shortly after crossing the Red Sea] …It was there at Marah that God Almighty laid before them the following conditions, to test their commitment to Him. – Exodus 15:25
Then God Almighty said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for them. Everyone can go out each day and gather as much food as he needs. And I will test them in this, to see whether they will follow My instructions or not.” – Exodus 16:4
In fact, just before they entered the Promised Land, Moses reminded the people of God’s commands and how He had tested them during their forty-year trek through the wilderness.
“You must obey all the commandments I [Moses] give you today. If you do, you will not only live, you will multiply and will go in and take over the land promised to your fathers by God Almighty. Do you remember how God led you through the wilderness for all those forty years, humbling you and testing you to find out how you would respond, and whether or not you would really obey Him?” – Deuteronomy 8:1-2
And that tells us that Moses was well aware of God’s penchant for out-right testing of obedience!
So… let’s look closer at Jesus’ forty-day encounter with Satan and compare it to Moses’ experience atop Mt. Sinai (after the Book of the Covenant) because there are some definite similarities between the two.
both left God’s presence to go into the wilderness
Immediately following Jesus’ baptism, where God spoke of His pleasure in the event, Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tested by Satan.
Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, to be tempted there by Satan. – Matthew 4:1
Immediately following the meal that Moses and the elders had before God, where God was clearly pleased with the events of that day, Moses was called into the wilderness atop Mt. Sinai to ‘receive the laws’… even though God had already commanded Moses to write and deliver the Book of the Covenant to His people.
And God said to Moses, “Come up to Me into the mountain, and remain until I give you the laws and commandments I have written on tablets of stone, so that you can teach the people from them.” – Exodus 24:12
they were both presented with opposing ideas of what they already understood to be God’s Word
Satan proposed scenarios to Jesus that went against what Jesus knew to be God’s Word.
Then Satan tempted him to get food by changing stones into loaves of bread. “It will prove you are the son of God,” he said. But Jesus told him, “No! for the Scriptures [God] tell us that bread won’t feed men’s souls: obedience to every word of God is what we need.” – Matthew 4:3-4
Then Satan took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time; and the devil told him, “I will give you all these splendid kingdoms and their glory – for they are mine to give to anyone I wish – if you will only get down on your knees and worship me.” Jesus replied, “We must worship God, and Him alone. So it is written in the Scriptures.” – Luke 4:5-8
The alternate instructions Moses received regarding our relationship with God, worship, and altar construction contradicted the Commands God had given him just days before… and Moses knew that because he had written the first ones down, read the Book of the Covenant to the people, and they had all agreed to obey.
And he read to the people the Book he had written – the Book of the Covenant – containing God’s directions and laws. And the people said again, “We solemnly promise to obey every one of these rules.” Then Moses threw the blood from the basins towards the people and said, “This blood confirms and seals the Covenant God Almighty made with you in giving you these laws.” – Exodus 24:7-8
their experiences were similar, but here’s where they differ…
We determined previously that Jesus stayed in God’s favor by passing Satan’s tests; he passed them by denying Satan and quoting God’s Word. When Satan proposed something, Jesus responded with some variation of, “No, the Scriptures (God) says [this]…”
Moses was also presented with opposing information during his time in the wilderness, but he accepted the new information without dispute and took it back to the Israelite people. Then they all discarded God’s original Word in favor of this new set of instructions.
Having done that… they effectively replaced God’s Book of the Covenant with Moses’ Mosaic Law.
but, wait… there is one more very significant similarity
Jesus spent forty days and nights alone in the wilderness, without eating or drinking, being tested by Satan with ideas that opposed God’s Word.
Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, to be tempted there by Satan. For forty days and forty nights he ate nothing and became very hungry. – Matthew 4:1-2
Do you remember how long Moses was up on Mt. Sinai when he received the opposing instructions?
Forty days and nights.
Moses was up on the mountain with God for forty days and forty nights, and in all that time he neither ate nor drank… – Exodus 34:28
Indications that the entire generation fell from Grace
So far we’ve found clearly defined differences between what God originally said in the Book of the Covenant (that was cast by the wayside) and the Mosaic Law that the Israelites adopted as their guiding laws and commands.
And we know that… even though God was so upset with the Israelites that He refused to travel with them, He sent them on towards the Promised Land anyway… with the admonishment that He would need to decide what to do with them.
“… Remove your jewelry and ornaments until I decide what to do with you.” – Exodus 33:5
But…!!!
We serve a God of forgiveness, mercy, and… second chances.
Remember back in our first segment, we learned about God’s loving kindness and His eagerness to forgive and guide us. Well, that’s exactly what He did for Moses, Aaron, and the entire Israelite generation… God gave all of them a second chance to obey Him before they reached the Promised Land.
Moses and Aaron’s second chance
In Numbers 20 we see God give Aaron and Moses their second chance at obedience.
And [God] said to Moses, “Get Aaron’s rod; then you and Aaron must summon the people. As they watch, speak to that rock over there and tell it to pour out its water! You will give them water from a rock, enough for all the people and all their cattle!” So Moses did as instructed. He took the rod from the place where it was kept before God; then Moses and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock; and he said to them, “Listen, you rebels! Must we bring you water from this rock?” Then Moses lifted the rod and struck the rock twice, and water gushed out; and the people and their cattle drank. – Numbers 20:7-11 (bold and emphasis mine)
Here again Moses and Aaron did not follow God’s instructions… when they struck the rock instead of speaking to it as God had commanded, it appeared as though they had provided the water themselves instead of God providing it.
As a consequence, neither of them were permitted into the Promised Land.
But God said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me and did not sanctify Me in the eyes of the people of Israel, you shall not bring them into the land I have promised them!” – Numbers 20:12
the Israelites’ second chance
When they first reached the edge of the Promised Land, God directed Moses to form a search committee to explore the land for themselves.
God Almighty now instructed Moses, “Send spies into the land of Canaan – the land I am giving to Israel; send one leader from each tribe.” – Numbers 13:1-2
Joshua and Caleb were two of twelve spies that went to see what the Promised Land was like.
(The Israelis were camped in the wilderness of Paran at the time.) Moses did as God had commanded and sent these twelve tribal leaders… with these instructions: “Go northward into the hill country of the Negeb, and see what the land is like; see also what the people are like who live there, whether they are strong or weak, many or few; and whether the land is fertile or not; and what cities there are, and whether they are villages or are fortified; whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there are many trees. Don’t be afraid, and bring back some samples of the crops you see.” – Numbers 13:3, 17-20
So the twelve spies went out to explore the land, and…
This was their report: “We arrived in the land you sent us to see, and it is indeed a magnificent country – a land ‘flowing with milk and honey.’ Here is some fruit we have brought as proof. But the people living there are powerful, and their cities are fortified and very large; and what’s more, we saw Anakim giants there! – Numbers 13:27-28
The Israelites were so distraught at the news that they would have to face giants in order to gain access to the Promised Land that they revolted against Moses and Aaron…
Then all the people began weeping aloud, and they carried on all night. Their voices rose in a great chorus of complaint against Moses and Aaron… – Numbers 14:1-2
But throughout all of this, two of the spies (Joshua and Caleb) stood their ground and defended God’s plan to give this great and wonderful land to His people.
Two of the spies, Joshua (the son of Nun), and Caleb (the son of Jephunneh), ripped their clothing and said to all the people, “It is a wonderful country ahead, and God loves us. He will bring us safely into the land and give it to us. It is very fertile, a land ‘flowing with milk and honey’! Oh, do not rebel against God Almighty, and do not fear the people of the land. For they are but bread for us to eat! God Almighty is with us and He has removed His protection from them! Don’t be afraid of them!” – Numbers 14:6-9
and God’s decision was simple…
When the entire generation of Israelites revolted and refused to listen to Joshua and Caleb, God decided that the entire generation – all of those 20-years-old and older at the time – would not be permitted into the Promised Land.
“Tell them, ‘God Almighty vows to do to you what you feared: you will all die here in this wilderness! Not a single one of you twenty years old and older, who has complained against Me, shall enter the Promised Land…’ “ – Numbers 14:28-30
… except Joshua and Caleb.
“…only Caleb (son of Jephunneh) and Joshua (son of Nun) are permitted to enter it.” – Numbers 14:30
In fact, God was so upset with the Israelites for rejecting Him… again… that He sentenced them to forty years wandering in the wilderness…
“You said your children would become slaves of the people of the land. Well, instead I will bring them safely into the land and they shall inherit what you have despised. But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. You must wander in the desert like nomads for forty years. In this way you will pay for your faithlessness, until the last of you lies dead in the desert. Since the spies were in the land for forty days, you must wander in the wilderness for forty years – a year for each day, bearing the burden of your sins. I will teach you what it means to reject Me.” – Numbers 14:31-34
And then He struck the other 10 spies dead on the spot.
Then the ten spies who had incited the rebellion against God by striking fear into the hearts of the people were struck dead before God. Of all the spies, only Joshua and Caleb remained alive. – Numbers 14:36-38
And, so….
Aaron was not permitted to enter the Promised Land
Moses’ brother and co-leader of the Israelites, Aaron, was not allowed to enter the Promised Land.
Then God said to Moses and Aaron at the border of the land of Edom, “The time has come for Aaron to die – for he shall not enter the land I have given the people of Israel, for the two of you rebelled against my instructions concerning the water at Meribah.“ – Numbers 20:23-24
Moses was not permitted to enter the Promised Land
At the end of his life, Moses was led to the top of Mt. Abarim to see out across the Promised Land, but he was not permitted to enter it. God allowed him to be close enough that he could see victory and then told him he was going to die before crossing the finish line!
One day God said to Moses, “Go up into Mount Abarim and look across the river to the land I have given to the people of Israel. After you have seen it, you shall die as Aaron your brother did, for you rebelled against My instructions in the wilderness of Zin. When the people of Israel rebelled, you did not glorify Me before them by following My instructions to order water to come out of the rock…“ – Numbers 27:12-14
and Joshua and Caleb were the only two of the entire generation permitted into the Promised Land
Out of the entire generation of Israelites that were twenty years old or older at the time of their exodus, the only ones permitted to enter the Promised Land were Caleb and Joshua.
…“How long will this wicked nation complain about Me? For I have heard all that they have been saying. Tell them, God vows to do to you what you feared: You will all die here in this wilderness! Not a single one of you twenty years old and older, who has complained against Me, shall enter the Promised Land. Only Caleb (son of Jephunneh) and Joshua (son of Nun) are permitted to enter it.” – Numbers 14:26-30
So these are the census figures as prepared by Moses and Eleazar the priest, in the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho. Not one person in this entire census had been counted in the previous census taken in the wilderness of Sinai! For all who had been counted then had died, as God Almighty had decreed when He said of them, “They shall die in the wilderness.” The only exceptions were Caleb (son of Jephunneh) and Joshua (son of Nun). – Numbers 26:63-65
Sorting it out…
So how does everything we’ve discussed so far fit together? And more importantly, how does it bring us into life and faith today?
Let’s circle back around to Jesus for just a moment.
We all know that the New Testament is about his life and works, but let’s take a look at what Jesus had to do with the Mosaic Law.
Many folks believe that Jesus taught new concepts about God and our relationship with Him, but actually, most of what Jesus preached about can be traced back to the Old Testament Scriptures.
Do these sound familiar?
“Now I am sending for many fishermen to fish you from the deeps….” – Jeremiah 16:16 (bold mine)
But God says, “See, I am placing a Foundation Stone in Zion — a firm, tested, precious Cornerstone that is safe to build on. He who believes need never run away again.” – Isaiah 28:16 (bold mine)
So, now let’s take another look at the changes that Moses brought down to the people after he received the alternate set of instructions, and see how God used Jesus to turn things back around to the way they were before all of that happened…
God is accessible and omnipresent
Probably the most important thing that Jesus showed us is that God is not reserved for only ordained priests… He can be right here, right now, and with us when we call on Him.
Jesus reminded us about God’s accessibility, and that was a complete one-hundred-eighty degree reversal from the way Moses taught the people (from the alternate set of instructions) that God was housed only in the Holy of Holies where only the High Priest was allowed into His presence.
And as we explored before, Exodus 20:24 tells us that no matter where we are or where we go, God can be right there with us.
In this way, Jesus brought us back to God’s original words in the Book of the Covenant.
our relationship with God can be personal… in fact, He is our heavenly Father
The concept of God being our heavenly Father is so commonplace now that we think and say it without even giving it much thought. Many of us learned as small children that we each have a very special, individual, and personal relationship with God, and that we can call upon Him any time we feel the need… but that wasn’t the case for the Israelites.
When Moses came back down the mountain after receiving the alternate set of instructions, he taught the people that they were not able to have a personal relationship with God.
Moses taught them that they were not to go directly to God for themselves. They believed that the only way to get to God was through an intermediary… a specially ordained priest.
Remember how Job talked about how he wished he could speak directly to God? (… and then he did!)
“Oh, how I long to speak directly to The Almighty. I want to talk this over with God Himself.” – Job 13:3. (?)
Here again, Jesus brought us back to the original instructions God gave us in the Book of the Covenant… God is omnipresent and available to us personally.
And Jesus added another principle from the Scriptures, that God is our Father…
[Portion of the song God composed and had Moses teach the Israelites] “Is this the way you treat God Almighty? O foolish people, Is not God your Father? Has He not created you? Has He not established you and made you strong?” – Deuteronomy 32:6 (bold mine)
“O God Almighty, look down from heaven and see us from Your holy, glorious home; where is the love for us You used to show – Your power, Your mercy and Your compassion? Where are they now? Surely You are still our Father! Even if Abraham and Jacob would disown us, still You would be our Father, our Redeemer from ages past.” –Isaiah 63:15-16 (bold mine)
And yet, O God Almighty, You are our Father. We are the clay and You are the Potter. We are all formed by Your Hand. – Isaiah 64:8 (bold mine)
“And I thought how wonderful it would be for you to be here among My children. I planned to give you part of this beautiful land, the finest in the world. I looked forward to your calling Me ‘Father,’ and thought that you would never turn away from Me again.” – Jeremiah 3:19 (bold mine)
“A son honors his father, a servant honors his master, I am your Father and Master, yet you don’t honor Me, O priests, but you despise My Name…” – Malachi 1:6 (bold mine)
the Mosaic Law
Jesus also addressed the additional laws that Moses received during their forty-year trek through the wilderness. He showed us how the Mosaic Law was largely unattainable… even for the Pharisees and Sadducees… but that God’s original instructions are still relevant and they are eternal.
There are actually three lessons rolled into that one statement.
1) The Additional Laws
First… trying to get to Heaven by adhering to all of the Mosaic Laws is largely unattainable. Even the experts in the law had a hard time obeying every one of them at all times.
Then Jesus said to the crowds, and to his disciples, “You would think these Jewish leaders and these Pharisees were Moses, the way they keep making up so many laws! And of course you should obey their every whim! It may be all right to do what they say, but above anything else, don’t follow their example. For they don’t do what they tell you to do. They load you with impossible demands that they themselves don’t even try to keep. – Matthew 23:1-4
“Yes, woe upon you, Pharisees, and you other religious leaders – hypocrites! For you tithe down to the last mint leaf in your garden, but ignore the important things – justice and mercy and faith. Yes, you should tithe, but you shouldn’t leave the more important things undone.” – Matthew 23:23 (bold mine)
Jesus was referring to Scripture when he said those things…
Oh the joys of those who do not follow evil men’s advice… – Psalm 1:1
God Almighty declares: “I will send disaster upon the leaders of My people – the shepherds of My sheep – for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were to care for. Instead of leading My flock to safety, you have deserted them and driven them to destruction…“ – Jeremiah 23:1-2
“Listen, you leaders of Israel – you are supposed to know right from wrong, yet you are the very ones who hate good and love evil; you skin My people and strip them to the bone.” – Micah 3:1-2
2) Justice, Mercy, and Forgiveness
Second… as we just read in Matthew 23:23 (above)… there are “more important things” we need to do; they are… justice, mercy, and forgiveness. Because even if we could adhere to all the laws, simply ‘doing proper deeds’ isn’t adequate in-and-of-itself nor what God wants from us anyway.
We must be fair and just in our dealings… show mercy and extend forgiveness to others in order to receive justice, mercy and forgiveness for ourselves from God.
None of us is perfect; we fail and wallow continually. Yet, we long for God to be in our lives and so we go to Him in prayer and ask for His forgiveness and His mercy on us. And while God is eager to do those things for us, Jesus reminded us that in order to receive mercy and forgiveness from God we must first be willing to extend mercy and forgiveness to those who have failed and hurt us.
Then he [Jesus] added, “Now go away and learn the meaning of this verse of Scripture, ‘It isn’t your sacrifices and your gifts I [God] want – I [God] want you to be merciful.,’ For I [Jesus] have come to urge sinners, not the self-righteous, back to God.” – Matthew 9:13
When Jesus said that, he was referring to specific messages from God in the Scriptures…
“For I desire mercy, not sacrifice; I don’t want your offerings, I want you to know Me.” – Hosea 6:6
“How can we make up to You for what we’ve done?” you ask. “Shall we bow before God Almighty with offerings of yearling calves?” Oh, no! For if you offered Him thousands of rivers of olive oil – would that please Him? Would He be satisfied? If you sacrificed your oldest child, would that make Him glad? Then would He forgive your sins? Of course not! No, He has told you what He wants, and this is all it is: “to be fair and just and merciful, and to walk humbly with your God.” – Micah 6:6-8
Then this message from God Almighty came to Zechariah. “Tell them to be honest and fair – and not to take bribes – and to be merciful and kind to everyone. Tell them to stop oppressing widows and orphans, foreigners and poor people, and to stop plotting evil against each other.” – Zechariah 7:8-10
3) The Eternal Nature of the Original Commandments
Third… God’s original Commandments still stand and are eternal.
When Jesus talked about the Commandments, he put them in terms of two things that are most important… to love God above all else and to love one another as ourselves.
… one of them, a lawyer, spoke up: “Sir, which is the most important command in the laws of Moses?” Jesus replied, “ ‘Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second most important is similar: ‘Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself.’ All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets stem from these two laws and are fulfilled if you obey them. Keep only these and you will find that you are obeying all the others.” – Matthew 22:35-40
And this comes from…
“O Israel, listen: God Almighty is our God, Him alone. You must love Him with ALL your heart, soul, and might.” – Deuteronomy 6:4-5
“God’s laws are perfect. They protect us, make us wise, and give us joy and light. God’s laws are pure, eternal, just. They are more desirable than gold. They are sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb. For they warn us away from harm and give success to those who obey them.” – Psalm 19:7-11 (bold mine)
“The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the Word of our God shall stand forever.” – Isaiah 40:8
When you think about it… if you live your life grounded in love for God and others, you aren’t going to dishonor God by worshiping idols, you aren’t going to disrespect your parents, you aren’t going to lie about others, you aren’t going to steal from them or wish you had their stuff, and you certainly aren’t going to kill them…
And that pretty much sums up God’s original Commandments, doesn’t it?
So here again, even in regards to the Mosaic Law, Jesus didn’t actually teach us anything new. He simply restored our faith to God’s original instructions in the Scriptures and the Book of the Covenant.
Loving God…
Loving each other…
And extending justice, mercy and forgiveness when we fail each other…
So that we can receive justice, mercy and forgiveness ourselves.
…. and this is the closest we have ever been to uniting Judaism and Christianity through Jesus of Nazareth.