Chapters 19-40
February 15, 2017
Exodus is a book of redemption in which God delivers His people out of bondage and brings them into a special relationship with Himself because they are His ______________ people.
BACKGROUND: The Covenant and Prophesy:
Genesis 15:1,5,13-14,18-21, “1After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. 5And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 13And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; 14And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. 18In the same day the LORD made a ______________ with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: 19The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, 20And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, 21And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
Part 1 – Redemption From Egypt (Exodus 1:1-18:27)
Part 2 – Revelation From God (Exodus 19:1-40:38)
1. The Revelation of the Covenant
A. The Preparation of the People (Exodus 19:1-25)
Exodus 19:1-8, “1In 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. 2For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount. 3And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; 4Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. 5Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my ______________, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 6And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. 7And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him. 8And 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.”
Ø At Mt. Sinai, the children of Israel entered into a new ______________ with God. This ______________ included conditions, requirements of obedience and commitment to God’s law in order for God’s promises of protection and favor to be filfilled. The dispensation of law was clearly based on a conditional ______________. (King James Bible Commentary)
Ø The LORD God had delivered (redeemed) Israel and therefore did not want them to continue living a life of servitude and physical bondage; He wanted Israel to be different from the ungodly nations they would be living amongst – He wanted them to be:
· “A special treasure” – a people of great value, holding a distinctive place in His heart and in His great plan.
· “A kingdom of priests” - where every believer could come before God themselves and everyone could represent God to the nations.
· “An holy nation” - a nation and people set apart from the rest of the world.
“As God's people, we must be set apart, thinking and doing differently than others in this world.” David Guzik Commentary
1 Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;”
B. Giving of The Law and The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-23:33)
Exodus 20:1-3,7-8,12-17, “1And God spake all these words, saying, 2I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image…7Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain…8Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy…12Honour thy father and thy mother…13Thou shalt not kill. 14Thou shalt not commit adultery. 15Thou shalt not steal. 16Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. 17Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house…nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.”
Ø The 1st four commandments are regarding our conduct before God and the following six commandments are regarding our conduct before God and man. The purpose of the law was first to show us God's perfect standard, and second, to show how it is impossible for any of us to obey that standard (within ourselves)...Jesus explained that all the law - including the Ten Commandments - can be fulfilled by loving God with every thing we are and loving our neighbor as ourselves. (Adam Clarke Commentary)
Hebrews 10:16, “This is the ______________ that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;”
2. The Ratification of the Covenant (Exodus 24:1-11)
A. The Covenant is Renewed Through Blood (Exodus 24:1-8)
Exodus 24:1-4,7-8, “1And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the Lord, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off. 2And Moses alone shall come near the Lord: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him. 3And Moses came and told the people ALL the words of the Lord, and ALL the judgments: and ALL the people answered with one voice, and said, ALL the words which the Lord hath said will we do. 4And Moses wrote ALL the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel…7And he took the book of the ______________, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, ALL that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient. 8And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the ______________, which the Lord hath made with you concerning ALL these words.”
Ø When the people heard the law of God they responded with “complete agreement” (ONE voice). Then they verbally agreed to obey the LORD (ALL the words). Israel freely and eagerly agreed to “ALL” His Commandments (conditions) as well as keeping “ALL” His Commandments (obeying such) and therefore willingly entered into a ______________ relationship with the LORD.
Ø The purpose of the Law was meant to govern Israel’s earthly lives, to define sin, and to point to the coming Savior. The Law did not change the provisions of the Abraham ______________. It was God’s only conditional covenant with Israel in that blessing and success depended upon the people’s obedience to the Law (Exodus 19:5). The conditions of the ______________ were: God promised to be Israel’s God and King (presence); God would fight for them (protection) and provide for them. Israel promised to be faithful to God and obedient to His commandments.
3. The Plans for the Tabernacle and It’s Service (Exodus 25:1-31:18)
A. The Tabernacle and It’s Furnishings
Exodus 25:1-9,22, “1And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. 3And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, 4And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, 5And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood, 6Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, 7Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. 8And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. 9According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it…22And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.”
Ø Tabernacle means “tent,” “place of dwelling” or “sanctuary.” The purpose of the tabernacle was to be the dwelling place of God, a sacred place where God would choose to meet with His people, the Israelites, during the 40 years they wandered in the desert under Moses’ leadership. The pattern (blueprint) of the tabernacle was according to a heavenly reality and therefore, it had to be made according to exact dimensions of the area around God's throne in heaven. It was a copy and shadow of the heavenly things (Hebrews 8:5).
Ø God came in living flesh to “dwell” or to “tabernacle” among His people. As He walked upon the earth and lived among the Jews, Jesus Christ Himself fulfilled the picture of the Old Testament tabernacle. The tabernacle was a prophetic projection of the Lord’s redemptive plan for His people. We as New Testament Christians must accept this redemption plan through faith and obedience.
Hebrews 9:11-12;10:1, “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect … But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”
1. The Courtyard
The Courtyard was surrounded by “The Court Fence”. On the east side of the court fence, the “The Court Gate” was located and this was the access to the Tabernacle. At this wide court gate, the ancient Israelites would bring their sacrifices and offerings. There, the Priest would receive and bless the people. Within the Courtyard, the Priests would offer sacrifices at “The Bronze Altar”. There was also a “Bronze Laver”, in which the Priests could cleanse themselves to be ritually clean.
A. The Court Fence (Exodus 27:9-18;38:9-17;40:33)
B. The Court Gate (Exodus 27:16;38:18-19)
Ø The entrance gate clearly marked out the one way by which a sinner could gain access to the court of God’s house. This was the one and only way by which man could draw near to God. It was the single entrance to the entire Tabernacle. There was no other way in. Whether he was a priest going to carry out his duties or a repentant sinner seeking forgiveness, a man had to enter by the Gate. The Gate was always open, never barred, with no one to forbid a person who wanted to worship God. But one must make a personal decision to enter if he is to receive.
Ø Jesus referred to himself as the gate (door), the only entrance to God. The eastern gate pointed to Him. Sin barred us entrance to the righteousness of God but because of the blood of Christ we have a way of approach. Anyone who enters through Jesus (the gate/door) will receive eternal life.
John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
C. The Brass Altar (Exodus 27:1-8;40:6,10,29)
Ø Sin separated God and man. Sin was serious and the penalty for sin was death. Animal sacrifice was God’s gracious provision for humans. Death/punishment occurred on the altar and the sin was atoned/covered (forgiven temporarily). The blood of the animal was important to justify the people before God. Only shed blood which stands for life, could pay for sin. A proper sacrifice was an animal that was valuable and perfect, not flawed. By laying his hand on it, the person identified with the animal sacrificed.
Ø The blood of animals made the people of Israel clean and forgiven temporarily. Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice and his death makes believers clean forever, before God.
Hebrews 9:11-15, “11But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. 13For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament (______________), that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament (______________), they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
D. The Bronze Laver
Ø Washing hands and feet stood for sanctification, or becoming holy and pure. The Laver’s function was to provide a place for the priests to purify themselves (ceremonial washing and cleansing from all defilement) prior to serving in ministry or entering the Tabernacle’s Holy Place. Purification always precedes priestly ministry. This act of cleansing/sanctifying would become a continual daily exercise because their hands would immediately get dirty after offering sacrifices at the altar and their feet (since they were barefoot) would immediately get dirty after walking on the ground.