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The Impact of the Old Testament on Colossians

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The writers of the New Testament were saturated in the text and worldview of the Old Testament. So instead of trying to figure things out for ourselves, we’re usually better served by picking up on not only the quotations but also the allusions to the Old Testament.

For example, in this article, G.K. Beale explains three OT allusions in the book of Colossians that are easy to miss.

  1. Col 1:6, 10 – alluding to Gen 1:28
  2. Col 1:9 – alluding to Ex 31:3, 35:31-32
  3. Col 3:16 – alluding to the superscripts of Psalms 67 and 76

Beale doesn’t merely observe these allusions. He also explains how they illuminate Paul’s argument in Colossians.

Check it out!

Overlooked Details of the Red Sea Crossing

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Joseph Barrientos (2015), public domain

The crossing of the Red Sea is one of the most memorable and cinematic events recorded in the Bible. This brief section of history has been captured in several films as well as in thousands of Sunday school lessons and coloring pages.

So if we were asked to recount this story, we could probably list many of the highlights without consulting Scripture. However, because the episode is so famous, and depictions of the event are so numerous, we will inevitably miss some details. The story is perhaps too familiar.

This was certainly the case for me! I recently reread this portion of Exodus and felt like I was reading this passage for the first time.

Four Important Details

Peter has written extensively and deeply on all of Exodus and on this passage specifically. To learn how this event fits into the whole book of Exodus, and for a razor-sharp look at this particular episode, I encourage you to read his article.

Here I will highlight some aspects of Exodus 13–14 that I had not remembered. These details are not just interesting—they help guide us to the main point of the passage. (Remember: good observation fuels accurate interpretation!)

Israel crossed at night

For understandable reasons, all pictures and video depicting this event happen during the day. (That makes for a much better coloring page!) But this event happened in the dark of night. (See Exodus 14:24 and Exodus 14:27 where it seems that the Israelites crossed during the night, with their path illuminated by the pillar of fire, and then the Egyptians started their pursuit at first light of the morning.) As we will see below, God aimed to confuse the Egyptians, and the nighttime setting was an important ingredient.

The wind blew all night to part the sea

Yes, Moses “stretched out his hand” in order to divide the sea, but the way this happened was that “the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided” (Exodus 14:21). This miracle did not happen in an instant but rather over the course of several hours. Imagine waiting by the side of the Sea while this was happening!

The pillar of cloud protected Israel

God went with his people out of Egypt in the form of the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. His primary purpose was to lead and direct his people. And those very pillars led Israel to the shore of this great sea.

But God led Israel in a roundabout way to this particular spot in order to provoke Egypt to pursue their valuable runaway slaves. Once Egypt caught up, there was a real threat!

Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night. (Exodus 14:19–20)

The Egyptians fled from Israel

In my memory, the Egyptians pursued Israel into the bed of the Red Sea, the Israelites exited on the other side, and then the Egyptians drowned as the waters returned to normal. But that’s not what happened!

The Egyptians, having been provoked by the Lord to chase the Israelites, went into the sea (Exodus 14:23). But the Lord intervened—he “threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily” (Exodus 14:24–25). The Egyptians knew they were in trouble, so they decided to flee (Exodus 14:25). So, it was while these two nations were running away from each other that the Red Sea covered Pharaoh’s army.

Why These Details Matter

The Lord determined that he would get abundant glory at the Red Sea. He said, “And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord” (Exodus 14:4). He says much the same to Moses again in Exodus 14:17–18.

This was not just about God getting glory from the Egyptians. He also wanted his people to know and fear him.

Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses. (Exodus 14:30–31)

This is crucial, because the Israelites were greatly afraid when they saw Pharaoh and his army drawing near (Exodus 14:10). Moses told the people:

Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. (Exodus 14:13–14)

The four details above show God’s hands-on involvement in the crossing of the Red Sea. God rescued his people and closed the door to any possible return to Egypt. In tangible ways, the Lord fought for his people as he promised.

When God sets out to deliver his people and gain glory for himself, he will make both happen.

Introducing a New Way to Read the Book of Exodus

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The Risk of Reader’s Bibles

Last week, I spoke with a Vice President of major Bible publisher, who informed me that some reader’s Bibles have not yet provided an adequate return on the investment required to publish them. I do not know if this situation is widespread across many publishers, or many versions of reader’s Bibles. But I was deeply saddened to hear that even one of my favorite reader’s Bibles has not yet proven “worth it” to its publisher.

So please indulge me with a brief commercial, advertising my favorite reader’s Bibles. Though I list them here in the order of how much I like them, every one of these reader’s Bibles would be worth your investment.

  1. NIV Sola Scriptura (4 volumes)
  2. ESV six-volume (without chapter and verse numbers)
  3. ESV one-volume
  4. CSB one-volume
  5. ESV gospels

I have little doubt the CSB five-volume would also be worth your investment; I just have not yet acquired it for myself. There is even a way to introduce your children to the concept of a reader’s Bible. Publishers have taken great risks to present God’s word to us in these non-traditional ways, and they ought to win medals for having done so. I believe a reader’s Bible is the best prescription I can give for increasing your delight in God’s word.

I don’t think I can overstate the value of clearing out the clutter that has accumulated over centuries in presenting God’s word in printed form. Though a reader’s Bible may appear novel and jarring—on the page, it really does not look like the sort of Bible you are accustomed to reading—we must remember that even our “traditional” Bible presentations are nothing like the original manuscripts would have appeared to the original readers. The New Testament was written with all capital letters, no punctuation or spaces, and certainly no headings, verse numbers, or cross-references. Modern versions of the Bible have drifted far from the original look and feel. So why not continue finding new ways to present the Scripture in ways that increase the reader’s joy in this glorious literature?

Introducing Exodus: A Novella

With that purpose in mind, I am thrilled to introduce you to a passion project I’ve been working on for some time. With the help of a professional book layout designer, I have developed a version of the book of Exodus designed to look in every way like a modern novella. Exodus is one of the greatest narratives in the history of the world, but the drama of it can be lost amid the standard double-column format, distracting verse and chapter numbers, and myriad footnotes or study notes.

But what if we could read this glorious narrative the same way we read our favorite novels? What if the book was presented in a way that visually presents the gripping plot arcs, follows the highs and lows of the action, and encourages you to keep turning the pages to read? And read. And read. What if the visual design encouraged you to spend an entire afternoon in this divinely inspired, deeply engaging story of redemption? And yes, I’m including all the laws and tabernacle details when I use such adjectives as “greatest,” “glorious,” “gripping,” and “engaging.”

DOWNLOAD EXODUS: A NOVELLA

I present to you Exodus: A Novella. Exodus is one of the best, true stories you could ever read, and here it is presented in a format that underscores why the world has been so captivated by it. You won’t find any verse numbers or footnotes, though a few names are translated in brackets to reveal wordplays. There are chapter numbers, but not the traditional ones. Instead of 40 “chapters,” somewhat arbitrarily determined, the Novella has 7 chapters, following the narrative’s natural literary divisions. It has page numbers, part titles, and page headers, just like the average novel you might pick up today. But unlike the average novel today, this spirit-inspired text is guaranteed to change your life again and again.

My biggest regret is that I was unable to secure permission from a Bible publisher to use a popular translation. So you’ll have to live with my own translation of Exodus, which has been a work in progress for nearly 20 years. In no way do I insinuate that my translation is any “better” than the ones you are used to; it is simply a fact that copyright laws prevent me from using most of the translations you might be familiar with. I didn’t want to delay the project any further by pursuing permission from every Bible publisher out there, so I moved forward with my own text. But if you are a Bible publisher and would be interested in permitting me to use your translation for this purpose, please feel free to contact me to work out the details.

While I’m on the topic of copyright, I’ll mention that I’m licensing Exodus: A Novella under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license. This means that you are free to print, copy, adapt, and distribute this work in any way you like, as long as you credit the work to the original creator and distribute it under an identical license. So, no need to request permission if you’d like to print it out, give it away, or do something else with it.

DOWNLOAD EXODUS: A NOVELLA

Here is a preview of the Table of Contents and prologue (what you might know as Exodus chapter 1).

If you’d like to download and read the complete novella, click the button and enjoy!

DOWNLOAD EXODUS: A NOVELLA

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Exodus: Why Should I Obey Yahweh?

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While most book overviews are written with a view toward observation (summarizing or outlining what is said), I would like to present a series of overviews with a view toward interpretation (summarizing or outlining why it is said). I will walk through not simply the contents but the argument of each book. I will not cover every book, but only those I have spent enough time in to believe I have something to say.

I come now to the book of Exodus.

Introduction

I spent over a year on this blog studying my way through the complete book of Exodus. You can find the contents of that series on this page. In that series, you’ll find the material in this post expanded on and demonstrated from each portion of text.

Literary Markers

The chief markers of literary division in Exodus are the shifts in genre and style. These markers are rather obvious, to the point that people sometimes examine only one of the book’s divisions. The trick is to figure out how things flow from one division to the next.

Chapters 1-18 consist of epic narratives, interrupted only by a brief genealogy in chapter 6 and a lengthy poem in chapter 15. Yet the setting and focus of the narratives after the poem are starkly different from the narratives before the poem. We ought to see the poem of chapter 15 as the resolution to the conflict of the book’s first division. This leaves the narratives of chapters 16-18 as either a new division, or a transition to the following division.

Though chapter 19 is also narrative, the setting—with the people finally at Mt. Sinai—clearly fits together with the law codes and covenant ceremony of chapters 20-24. Chapters 25-40 consist of tabernacle details (first instruction, then construction), divided by the narratives of covenant rending and repair in chapters 32-34.

Therefore, the book has three main divisions: Narratives of rescue (Ex 1-15), narratives of preparation (Ex 16-18), and discourses on law, covenant, and tabernacle (Ex 19-40).

Image by Jeff Jacobs from Pixabay

Part 1 Walkthrough

The book’s introduction (Ex 1) sets the stage for the blessed children of Israel enjoying the blessings of covenant with their God expressed through their fruitful multiplying. Enter a new king who forgets Joseph and feels threatened by Israel’s multiplication. He attempts to quash the power of God in three phases: burdening Israel’s labor (Ex 1:11-14), murdering their sons (Ex 1:15-21), and drowning their sons (Ex 1:22).

Yahweh, of course, remembers his covenant (even if the king forgets Joseph), and he must do something about the situation. His solution has two aspects: raising up a mediator (Ex 2:1-7:7), and executing judgment (Ex 7:8-15:21).

Exodus 2:1-7:7 show us the appointment and training of the mediator. This mediator launches a campaign of deliverance, but the people reject him; so he turns from them (Ex 2). Yahweh calls him back (Ex 3:1-4:17) and makes him like his brothers in every way (Ex 4:18-31). Things must then get even worse (Ex 5:1-21) so the people can see that what they need is not only a political mediator but a faithful and merciful high priest (Ex 5:22-7:7).

With all these things in place, rescue can proceed and be shown to be all of God. His glory must fill the earth. And Yahweh’s rescue results when he returns the king of Egypt’s tactics from chapter 1 back on his own head. Yahweh burden’s Egypt’s labor (Ex 7:8-10:29). He kills their sons (Ex 11:1-13:16). He drowns their sons (Ex 13:17-14:31).

The demolishing of the house of slavery warrants reflection in song (Ex 15:1-21). There is no other god who can so cast down his enemies and lift up his covenant people. This God is a God who judges and rescues.

Part 2 Walkthrough

Everything shifts beginning with Ex 15:22, as Egypt is no longer in the picture. It is not enough for Yahweh to demolish the house of slavery. He must also prepare to rebuild his people.

Therefore, the Lord uses a sequence of events to expose how much his people need his instruction. They cannot simply be freedmen; they must submit to a benevolent Master.

The Lord gives instructions, in the face of the people’s physical needs, to expose how distrustful and disobedient they are—and therefore undeserving of his fatherly care (Ex 15:22-17:7). He wants their highest and most public loyalty to be to him alone (Ex 17:8-16). And he sends messengers to help them constantly remember their deliverance and to look to his instruction alone for new life (Ex 18:1-27). This God is a God worth trusting and obeying.

Part 3 Walkthrough

The final, and longest, part of the book alternates two themes in four sections: covenant, tabernacle, covenant, tabernacle. Through such alternation, we see Yahweh finally building his true house—the community of his covenant people.

First, the covenant is made (Ex 19-24). God wants to make something special out of an undeserving people (Ex 19). So he establishes a treaty, inspiring them to fear, so they might draw near to him (Ex 20). He then architects a social paradise that will stand out among the world’s nations (Ex 21-23), and he draws these people close through the blood of a substitute (Ex 24).

Second, the tabernacle instruction (Ex 25-31). Yahweh re-creates heaven on earth, packing up the holy mountain for transport through pictures embedded in furniture (Ex 25:1-27:19), priesthood (Ex 27:20-30:38), and sabbath rest (Ex 31). Seven speeches, climaxing in spirit-filled humans and sabbath rest. New Creation.

Third, the covenant is rent and repaired (Ex 32-34). The main thing at stake here is whether it will ever work out for heaven to come to earth, for God to dwell with men and remain with them (Ex 32). Sinners will always need not only forgiveness of their sins but also reconciliation to their God (Ex 33). And the glory of Yahweh’s covenant cohabitation is even more glorious after the fall than it was before (Ex 34:1-28). But how long will it really last (Ex 34:29-35)?

Fourth, back to tabernacle construction (Ex 35-40). The new covenant people, redeemed and reconciled after terrible ruin, are staggeringly empowered for outrageous obedience to their God (Ex 35-39). And when Yahweh finally moves in with them, we know it’s the real deal (Ex 40). But it’s not yet the end. Something is still lacking…

This God is a God who builds his own house in and with his people.

Conclusion

Pharaoh’s question to Moses is a perfect statement of the purpose of Exodus: “Who is Yahweh, that I should obey his voice?” (Ex 5:2). The very design of the book is to answer that question by showing us exactly who Yahweh is and why we ought to obey him. He is the one who demolishes the house of slavery, who prepares his people to rebuild, and who builds his own house in the midst of his people. The glory of redemption is greater than that of pre-Fall creation. This is why the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead (Luke 24:26-27).

Instead of having three or four disparate divisions—independent of one another and to be studied apart from one another—the book of Exodus has a coherent message from beginning to end.

Interpretive Outline

  1. Nobody can prevent Yahweh from keeping his promises, but we’re not sure how he’ll do it (Ex 1).
  2. Yahweh demolishes the house of slavery (Ex 1:1-15:21).
    1. Part 1: Yahweh appoints a mediator and ensures he is fully qualified and trained for the task of deliverance (Ex 2:1-7:7).
    2. Part 2: Yahweh delivers a deserved destruction to his enemies and a frightful joy to his people (Ex 7:8-15:21).
  3. Yahweh prepares to rebuild by exposing how deeply his people need his law to know him (Ex 15:22-18:27).
  4. Yahweh builds his house in the midst of his people (Ex 19-40).
    • Part 1: Yahweh architects a perfect paradise for the community of his people, so he can bring them near through the blood of a substitute (Ex 19-24).
      • Part 2: Yahweh explains how his people can re-create this paradise on earth (Ex 25-31).
    • Part 3: Yahweh hands them something more glorious than paradise; he hands them more of himself (Ex 32-34).
      • Part 4: The obedient new creators build the house, and Yahweh moves in. But not even Moses can enter the glory. This tent cannot be it; there must be something more to come (Ex 35-40).

For more interpretive walkthroughs of books of the Bible, click here.

The Most Important Tool for Observing the Structure of a Narrative Episode

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I’ve spent a few weeks showing both why structure matters and how to observe it. My focus to this point has been on macro-structure—structure across entire books or large subdivisions—because that is the part I’ve seen most people neglect in their Bible study. And there is great value in doing this well.

In this post, however, I’ll narrow my focus to distinct episodes in a single genre: narrative. How do you observe the structure of a narrative scene? And how does that structure convey the author’s meaning?

What We Learned in Grade School

For years, I spent so much time trying to be ingenious when observing structure that I missed something I learned in grade school. And I’ve recently come to see that thing I missed as the most important tool for observing the structure of a narrative.

That tool is the essential plot structure that nearly all narratives follow.

Do you remember learning, in school, terms such as setting, conflict, climax, and resolution? Those are the building blocks of narrative plot structure.

  • Setting (or Exposition) is what sets the scene for the action to take place. Setting can include an introduction of characters, a description of time or location, and even some basic action that sets up the body of the story.
  • Conflict is the story’s heartbeat. Tension enters the story in the form of man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. society, man vs. technology, man vs. himself, or man vs. God.
  • Rising Action narrates how the chief tension moves the story forward and builds through the episode.
  • Climax is the point at which the conflict is dealt with or reversed in some way.
  • Resolution (or Falling Action) describes the consequences of the climactic reversal.
  • New Setting (or Denouement) is the situation in which the characters find themselves as a result of living through the conflict and its climax. This new setting often sets up the next episode.

With these building blocks, we can quickly outline nearly any narrative episode. (Exception: Sometimes a single episode serves no other purpose than to elaborate the setting or to introduce the book or subdivision. If there is no conflict and reversal, we’ll need other to use other tools to observe the structure.) And there might be some gray area as to where exactly the setting ends and conflict begins, or which precise statement constitutes the exact climax. But if we get ourselves in the right ballpark, we will do well.

Public Domain

Putting the Tool into Practice

Let’s outline the narrative in Mark 2:1-12 of the healing of the paralytic.

  • Setting (Mark 2:1-5): Jesus teaches in Capernaum after some days. So many people listen to his teaching that a group of friends can’t get in the door. They open a hole in the roof, lower their friend, and Jesus forgives his sins. Someone could argue that the struggle to get into the crowded house introduces conflict (man vs. environment), but the fact that the story doesn’t climax with their entry to the house suggests Mark wants a different conflict to grab our attention.
  • Conflict introduced (Mark 2:6-7): Scribes vs. Jesus. Scribes question Jesus in their hearts: God alone can forgive sins!
  • Rising action (Mark 2:8-10): Jesus knows their thoughts, bluntly addresses them, asks a few questions, and reasons that though it would be easy to say “your sins are forgiven” (since you can’t see or touch the evidence to verify that forgiveness took place), it would be harder (i.e. more objectively falsifiable) to say “rise and walk.” Will he have the chutzpah to go there? Maybe he will! To make them know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive, he speaks…!
  • Climax (Mark 2:11): “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” The point of conflict was whether Jesus had authority to do what he had done. He now puts that claim of authority on the line by doing that which is more objectively falsifiable.
  • Resolution (Mark 2:12a): The paralyzed man immediately rises, picks up his bed, and walks out in plain view of all. The proof is presented; the gauntlet has been thrown down.
  • New setting (Mark 2:12b): All are now amazed and glorifying God, as they’ve now seen something they’ve never seen before: A man with divine authority to forgive sins.

Let me give another example from Exodus 13:17-14:31, the crossing of the Red Sea.

  • Setting (Ex 13:17-22): God leads the people along a certain route.
  • Conflict introduced (Ex 14:1-4): God commands the people to turn back and camp between Migdol and the sea because Pharaoh will think they’re helpless. God will harden his heart so he can get glory over Pharaoh. Striking: The primary conflict is not between Israel and Pharaoh; it is between Israel and God! Will they trust him, even when he makes their situation harder than they expect?
  • Rising action (Ex 14:5-28): Pharaoh indeed responds as God foretold, and God indeed hardens his heart. Pharaoh pursues the people, and they see their impossible predicament. They cry out to God through Moses, and Yahweh wants them to move forward instead of crying out. He holds Egypt back long enough to set up walls of water for them to race into. Then, through Moses, he crashes the water down on Egypt’s chariots.
  • Climax (Ex 14:29): If the chief conflict is between Israel and God (will they trust him through the painful circumstances?), the reversal happens in verse 29 when the people walk on dry ground through the sea. In doing this, they obey God’s command to “go forward” (Ex 14:15). It’s tempting to place the climax at Ex 14:28, when the waters drown the Egyptians; but the Egyptians were not the chief antagonists in the narrator’s framing of the story.
  • Resolution (Ex 14:30): Yahweh saved the people that day (summary statement), and Israel saw Egypt dead on the shore.
  • New setting (Ex 14:31): The people who were struggling to trust their God have now seen his great power. They have learned to fear Yahweh and to believe both Yahweh and his servant Moses.

Sometimes the exact boundaries of the different plot components will be fuzzy. But the clearest points should be 1) when conflict is introduced, and 2) when that conflict climaxes in a reversal. If you can find those two things, the rest of the pieces fall into place.

Why This Matters

We will typically find the narrator’s main point at the point of climax or resolution. The climax presents the reversal he seeks to portray. The resolution draws out the implications of that reversal. So we must look there for the main point.

Observing the narrative’s plot structure in this way helps us to avoid placing too much weight on unimportant details. For example, in Mark 2, we ought not make much (either interpretation or application) of the fact that Jesus saw the friends’ faith and thereby forgave the paralytic’s sins (Mark 2:5). That’s only part of the setting, or the set up for the actual main point: Jesus’ authority to pronounce forgiveness. For another example, in Exodus 14, our application will focus more on developing trust in God than in necessarily expecting to be rescued from hard circumstances.

And outlining a narrative’s plot structure enables us to answer the age-old question of whether a particular narrative is meant to be prescriptive or descriptive. Identify the conflict, climax, and resolution, and you’ll be close to the main point. Grasp that main point, and you can have confidence in what the author wants us to get from his narrative. Perhaps it may be a descriptive point; perhaps it may be more prescriptive.

Putting Micro-Structure and Macro-Structure Together

And when you combine the micro-structure (plot arc) with the macro-structure of the larger division, you are approaching mastery of the text and a profound grasp of the narrator’s intentions.

For example, you might notice that the story of the paralytic is preceded by 4 healing episodes (Mark 1:21-28, 29-31, 32-39, 40-45) and that it is followed by 4 controversy episodes (Mark 2:13-17, 18-22, 23-28; 3:1-6). The paralytic story is itself both a healing and a controversy. The first two healings take place on a Sabbath, and the last two controversies take place on a Sabbath. The passage begins with Jesus having more authority than the scribes (Mark 1:22), and it ends with Pharisees and Herodians taking counsel to destroy him (Mark 3:6). There is therefore a clear chiastic (symmetric) arrangement here (A-B-C-D-E-D-C-B-A), with the paralytic story sitting at the prominent hinge point in the center.

So Jesus’ divine authority (perhaps even his specific authority to forgive sins) must be a major component of the message of the full section that goes from Mark 1:21 to Mark 3:9. Append Mark 1:16-20 as an introduction and Mark 3:7-12 as a conclusion, and you’ve got your hands on Mark’s first major literary division.

I’m grateful for a few Simeon Trust preaching workshops, which alerted me to the importance of these plot devices in outlining a narrative’s structure.

Context Matters: Moses’ Shining Face

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Perhaps you’ve heard of how Moses covered his shining face with a veil so people couldn’t see the blazing glory emanating from it. And perhaps you’ve also heard of the veil that now lies over people’s hearts that prevents them from being able to see Jesus in the Old Testament Scripture. These well-intentioned lessons might feel personal and impactful, but they have little to do with what the text of Scripture says.

Context matters. If we learn to read the Bible for what it is—and not as a collection of independently assembled inspirational stories—we’ll discover that some of our most familiar passages don’t actually mean what we’ve always assumed.

Yu-cheng Hsiao (2009), Creative Commons

Exodus 34

To set us straight with Exodus 34, we don’t need the context; we just need to observe more carefully:

As he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.

Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him. (Ex 34:29-35)

Perhaps my experience is atypical, but I have often heard people talk about how Moses used the veil to protect people from seeing the glory radiating from his face. But this is not what Exodus says. It says that he allowed them to see the glory when he spoke the words of Yahweh to them. And then he put the veil over his face until the next time he got a recharge from speaking with the Lord within the tent.

2 Corinthians 3

But some will argue that 2 Cor 3 says that Moses used the veil to hide the glory. And that that’s where we get the idea that the veil is a metaphor for people who can’t see Jesus in the Old Testament. A few verses seem to imply these things:

Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory… (2 Cor 3:7)

But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. (2 Cor 3:14-16)

Here is where we need help from the context.

First, notice the next clause in verse 7: “the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end.” Now this could mean that they could not gaze at the glory, and the glory was coming to an end—two separate thoughts. But look at where he goes next.

Second, notice the nature of the old/new contrasts. Old = condemnation; new = righteousness (2 Cor 3:9). Old = glory that became no glory; new = surpassing glory (2 Cor 3:10). Old = glory of what was being brought to an end; new = glory for what is permanent (2 Cor 3:11). These contrasts are getting at the superior glory of the new covenant. But that glory is superior primarily because it has no end. It is permanent. It will not fade.

Third, notice Paul’s clarification of what the Israelites saw. His point is not that they saw only a veil and not the glorious face of Moses. His point is that they “might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end” (2 Cor 3:13). In other words, Moses’ veil was never about hiding the glory from the people. It was all about hiding the fact that the glory was fading.

And by contrast, what we have in the new covenant is something permanent. Something unsurpassed. Something that will never fade, but will instead transform its subjects “from one degree of glory to another” (2 Cor 3:18).

The Argument

I covered this in my Bible study of Exodus 34:29-35, but the train of thought is worth repeating here.

Paul uses this episode from Exodus to make a profound point about the glory of the New Covenant in Christ (2 Cor 3:1-4:18). If we assume that Moses’ veil was covering the glory itself (when it was actually concealing the fact that the glory was fading), we miss Paul’s point. Paul’s argument:

  • The people he ministers to are themselves the proof of Paul’s recommendation from Christ (2 Cor 3:1-3).
  • His sufficiency as a minister of the new covenant comes from Christ who makes him sufficient (2 Cor 3:4-6).
  • While Moses’ ministry had a blazing, terrifying glory, it was always a fading glory (“the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end” – 2 Cor 3:7-11).
  • Therefore, Paul is not like Moses, who tried to conceal the fact that his glory was fading (“Moses…put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end” – 2 Cor 3:12-13).
  • Even today, the Jews fail to see the temporary, fading nature of the Old Covenant when it’s read to them (2 Cor 3:14-15).
  • But when they turn to Christ, they finally see the Old Covenant for the fading and temporary thing it is. They behold the Lord’s face and become perpetually and increasingly glorious (2 Cor 3:16-18).
  • This is why the people, whose reflection of Christ’s glory never fades but always brightens, are themselves the proof of Paul’s qualification for ministering this superior covenant (2 Cor 3:1-3, 4:1-15).
  • This gives Paul tremendous courage to persevere when ministry is hard (2 Cor 4:16-18).

Conclusion

The veil conceals the fact that the glory of the old covenant is, and always has been, fading. Only by gazing on the unfading—no, the ever-increasing—glory of Jesus Christ through his Spirit, can the veil be lifted and people finally see the old covenant for what it is (fading).

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

Access to the Full Series of Bible Studies on Exodus

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I’ve created a page to serve as a table of contents for the complete series of Bible studies through the book of Exodus. You can reach it through the menu (OIA Method > Examples > Who is Yahweh: Exodus). Or you can just click this link. If you’d like to see an interpretive outline of the book at a glance, or if you’d like to revisit any of the studies, you can easily have at it!

And now that I’ve finished the study of Exodus, I’m open to suggestions about what to blog about next. I have a few one-off posts I’d like to write on various topics. And then I’m thinking about doing an occasional series on Bible verses we’re so familiar with that we fail to understand their true meaning in context. I’m compiling a list of verses to tackle, including:

  • A bruised reed he will not break
  • The widow’s mite
  • Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
  • And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
  • Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
  • We know that for those who love God all things work together for good.
  • The parable of the talents
  • The faith hall of fame
  • Cast all your cares on him because he cares for you
  • God will not give you more than you can handle

Do you have other ideas of familiar verses you suspect may be commonly misused or divorced from their contexts? I do not plan to cover Philippians 4:13, Matthew 18:20, or Jeremiah 29:11, as I’ve seen them each covered adequately many times over in other places.

And are there any other topics you’d appreciate seeing on this blog to help you in your Bible study?

Exodus: The Book in Review

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Step Back

When our Bible study focuses intently on each passage, one after another, we may find it difficult to step back and see how they fit together. But we must remember the Bible is a work of literature. It was not written to be scrutinized in bites; it was written to be devoured in gobbles. We should remember to read the Bible as we’d read any other book: moving through it at a reasonable pace and recognizing ongoing themes, climax, resolution, and character development. When we hit milestones in the text, we should take the opportunity to survey where we’ve been and how it fits together.

So, now that we’ve completed our study of each chapter, we ought to look back and put it all together.

Review

Let me list the main points I’ve proposed for each passage in the last section:

  • Exodus 35:1-39:43: When God empowers his people with the glory of his grace and truth, his redeemed, new covenant people are able to do everything just as he commands.
  • Exodus 40:1-38: While the tabernacle reveals the magnificent glory of God with us, there is something even more glorious yet.

In addition, my overview of the whole book led me to this overall main point:

Who is Yahweh, and why should you obey him? He is the God who 1) demolishes the house of slavery (Ex 1-15), 2) prepares to rebuild (Ex 16-18), and 3) builds his house in the midst of his people (Ex 19-40).

The main idea of Act I (Ex 1:1-15:21) was that Yahweh demolishes the house of slavery. He does this in two parts:

  1. He trains up a qualified mediator to deliver (Ex 1:1-7:7).
  2. He delivers his people from their enemies into a frightful joy (Ex 7:8-15:21).

The main idea of Act II (Ex 15:22-18:27) was that Yahweh prepares the house of his people by showing them they need his law to know him.

Now in Act III, Yahweh builds his house in the midst of his people. We’ve already covered three parts:

  1. In Part 1 (Ex 19:1-24:18), God prepares the conditions for a perfect paradise with his people, where they can draw near to him through the blood of a substitute.
  2. In Part 2 (Ex 25:1-31:18), God delivers blueprints for a tent, so he can re-create heaven on earth by living among his people.
  3. In Part 3 (Ex 32:1-34:35), God hands them something better than paradise; he hands them more of himself.

Pull It Together

Now what do these things show us about the flow of thought in chapters 35-40? We have reached the end of the book and have every reason to expect something even more climactic than the Passover, the Red Sea crossing, or the Ten Commandments.

  • Act I describes God’s deliverance of his people. Act II shows how God prepares them for a covenant relationship with him. Act III now constructs that covenant relationship.
  • Part 1: Exodus 19-24 opens the gates of paradise by drawing the people close through the blood of a substitute and endowing them with a utopian vision.
  • Part 2: Exodus 25-31 recreates heaven on earth, proposing a place where God will dwell with his people, through a series of building plans.
  • Part 3: Exodus 32-34 shows us what happens when a righteous God tries to live with a sinful people.
  • Part 4: Exodus 35-40 now enacts the covenant as the parties finally move in together.
    • Exodus 35-39 uses every possible narrative convention to explain how astoundingly obedient the people are to Yahweh’s commands.
    • Exodus 40 portrays the final product, where Yahweh finally moves in. Except it ends like a wedding reception where the bride and groom ride off into the sunset…in two different cars.

These chapters show us that the tabernacle was not God’s final plan. Of course, it would later lead to a temple. But not even the temple would be the final plan. These religious structures have no power in themselves to save. Only the final Immanuel, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God come in the flesh, can fully draw us in and unite us to God.

Greg (2012), Creative Commons

We can finally complete our outline of the whole book:

Act I: Yahweh demolishes the house of slavery (Ex 1-15).

Introduction: Nobody can prevent Yahweh from keeping his promises, but we’re not sure how he’ll do it (Ex 1).

Part 1: Yahweh appoints a mediator and ensures he is fully qualified and trained for the task of deliverance (Ex 2:1-7:7).

Part 2: Yahweh delivers a deserved destruction to his enemies and a frightful joy to his people (Ex 7:8-15:21).

Act II: Yahweh prepares to rebuild by exposing how deeply his people need his law to know him (Ex 16-18).

Act III: Yahweh builds his house in the midst of his people (Ex 19-40).

Part 1: Yahweh architects a perfect paradise for the community of his people, so he can bring them near through the blood of a substitute (Ex 19-24).

Part 2: Yahweh explains how his people can re-create this paradise on earth (Ex 25-31).

Part 3: Yahweh hands them something more glorious than paradise; he hands them more of himself (Ex 32-34).

Part 4: The obedient new creators build the house, and Yahweh moves in. But not even Moses can enter the glory. This tent cannot be it; there must be something more to come (Ex 35-40).

Gaze Upon Jesus

When Yahweh finally moves in, Moses unexpectedly can’t even enter the cloud of glory. But Jesus would eventually come to finish all the Father’s work. Now he has taken up his rest at the Father’s right hand. And we who have believed enter that rest (Heb 4:3). So now, it is not the work of our hands, but the community itself that is the dwelling place of God (1 Cor 3:16-17).

Apply

Let’s be honest: The book of Exodus contains both some of the most exciting narratives and some of the most boring inventories in all the Scripture. But now that you’ve seen the point of it all, have you found eyes to see the glory? Dwell in this book for any length of time, gaze on the glory of our God’s grace and truth, and you, too, will experience something Moses and the freed slaves could only have dreamed.

Click here to see what I’m doing with this sample Bible study and why I’m doing it.

Exodus 40: Great But Not Great Enough

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God’s rescued and rebellious people have been brought out of bondage and brought back to their glorious Master. They have done all he’s asked them to do in building his tent. How will Moses conclude this book?

Observation of Exodus 40:1-38

Most repeated words: tabernacle (17 times), Lord (14x), put (14), tent (14), Moses (13), set (13), meeting (12), up (12), altar (11), all (8), anoint (8), ark (8), commanded (8)

  • The clear focus is on the tabernacle/tent (31x), which Yahweh (14) commanded (8) and Moses (13) set (13) up (12) and put (14) in place for meeting (12) with Yahweh.

Scene 1: Yahweh’s speech to Moses (Ex 40:1-15)

  • Moses must erect the tabernacle exactly one year after they came out of Egypt (Ex 40:2, 17; Ex 12:1-2).
  • All the pieces must go in the right place (Ex 40:1-8):
    • Ark
    • Veil
    • Table
    • Lampstand
    • Incense altar
    • Screen door
    • Offering altar
    • Basin
    • Court
    • Screen gate
  • Moses must anoint (pour oil on) all these pieces, the structure itself, and the people who will serve as priests (Ex 40:9-15)

Scene 2: Moses’ obedience (Ex 40:16-33)

  • Moses did it, “according to all that Yahweh commanded him” (Ex 40:16). The repetition of this evaluation statement divides the steps of obedience into the following chunks:
    • Tabernacle, bases, frames, poles, pillars, tent covering (Ex 40:18-19)
    • Ark with tablets, poles, mercy seat, screen veil (Ex 40:20-21)
    • Table with bread on north side of outer room (Ex 40:22-23)
    • Lampstand with lamps on south side of outer room (Ex 40:24-25)
    • Golden altar with incense in front of screen veil to inner room (Ex 40:26-27)
    • Screen door, altar of burnt offering outside, with burnt offering and grain offering (Ex 40:28-29)
    • Basin with water, so Moses, Aaron, and sons can wash (Ex 40:30-32)
    • Court with screen gate (Ex 40:33)
  • I observe that the steps of Moses’ obedience exactly follow the order of Yahweh’s instructions from Ex 40:1-8.
  • When it’s over, we get a concluding narrative statement: “So Moses finished the work” (Ex 40:33b).

Scene 3: The aftermath (Ex 40:34-38)

  • Yahweh’s cloud covers the tent, and his glory fills the tabernacle (Ex 40:34).
  • Because of the cloud and the glory, Moses is not able to enter (Ex 40:35).
  • The cloud directs Israel’s camping route and schedule (Ex 40:36-38).

    John McSporran (2016), Creative Commons

Interpretation of Exodus 40

Some possible questions:

  1. Why are both tabernacle and priests anointed?
  2. Why does the narrator record Moses’ obedience in the same order as Yahweh’s command?
  3. Moses was able to enter (Ex 20:21, 24:18) and see (sort of: Ex 33:18-23, 34:5-8) the cloud of Yahweh’s glory. How come he can’t now enter the glory when it fills the tabernacle?
  4. Why does the book end by relegating the glory cloud to the role of wilderness tour guide?

My answers (numbers correspond to the questions):

  1. The priests are linked to the tabernacle by being treated in the same way—getting oil dumped on them. They are also linked by having the same purpose of the anointing: to consecrate them, or make them holy (that is, special). These special men are now linked to this special place in a special way. They work together to make “Immanuel” possible.
  2. Exodus 35-39 showed outrageous obedience on the part of the craftsmen and people. Now we see Moses, as the leader, is just as faithful in all God’s house (Heb 3:2). Also, if God is the Creator of the new creation tabernacle in Ex 25-31, Moses is now the new creator, in God’s image. The concluding “So Moses finished the work” is fitting when compared to Yahweh’s work (Gen 2:2).
  3. Certainly something has shifted. When things were just getting set up, Moses entered the glory to show Yahweh’s inclusion of his glorified mediator in his covenant purposes. But now that the tabernacle is erected, perhaps we have here some foreshadowing that this “new covenant” is not new enough. There must be something better than this. This can’t be the full and final relationship with Immanuel that we’ve been waiting for.
  4. This is a fulfillment of Yahweh’s promise to go up with the people into the land he had promised them (Ex 33:14). It also shows both how dependent the people are on Yahweh’s glory to guide them, and how they are unable to enter the glory in the tabernacle (all they can do is watch and follow; they cannot enter). Finally, it ends the narrative right where it began (Ex 1:1): with the people of Israel moving from one place to another, looking for the ultimate fulfillment of Yahweh’s promises. This cannot be the end of their story.

Train of thought:

  • Put all the pieces together so we can dwell together.
  • He puts all the pieces together so they can dwell together.
  • But they can’t actually dwell together yet.

Main point: While the tabernacle reveals the magnificent glory of God with us, there is something even more glorious yet.

Connection to Christ: These people long for the day when they can really and truly live with their God. Little did they know he would come to live with them (Matt 1:21-23). He would lead his people into yet greater obedience, as they behold the glory of his grace and truth (John 1:14).

My Application of Exodus 40

Head: I can trust God’s good purposes when I feel tension between the already and the not yet. I already have everything I need in Christ: his presence with me by his Spirit, empowering me to obey his commands. Yet, it will become even more wonderful and glorious when I can set my aside once and for all to be with him forever.

Heart: My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. If he is not with me, what hope do I have?

Hands: The grace of God teaches me to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live a self-controlled, upright, and godly life (Titus 2:11-12) while I wait for my blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of my great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13-14). I don’t need a second helping of dessert tonight. I can restrain my harsh words to my children. I can respond to my discouragement with the hope of what Jesus is doing in the world.

Click here to see what I’m doing with this sample Bible study and why I’m doing it.

Exodus 35-39: Outrageous Obedience

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Though Yahweh’s people don’t deserve his presence, he has handed them more of himself. How will this fact affect their covenant relationship? What will happen to all the blueprints for the tabernacle? We’ve decided not to freak out over the massive repetition of tabernacle details. So how do we understand these closing chapters of Exodus? I will focus on the new material.

Observation of Exodus 35-39

Ten most repeated words: made (81 times), gold (48x), all (46), two (36), base (30), cubits (28), Lord (28), one (26), work (26), frame (25)

  • clearly, this section is about gathering all the materials and constructing the tabernacle
  • I’ll mention one other prominent repeated word, though it’s not in the top 10: commanded (19 times). It occurs in both the first and last verses of this section, as well as at key points throughout.

The narrative picks up exactly where Yahweh’s instructions had left off: with the weekly cycle of 6 working days followed by one Sabbath day (Ex 35:1-3, compare with Ex 31:12-17).

  • Moses’ words in Ex 35:2 are almost an exact repetition of Yahweh’s words in Ex 31:15, even standing by the death penalty for disobedience.
  • But Moses adds a new instruction: kindle no fire in your dwellings on the Sabbath (Ex 35:3).

Moses then moves to the next “commandment” of Yahweh: to take a contribution for the tabernacle’s materials (Ex 35:4-9).

  • Not just anyone is to give. The focus is on “whoever is of a generous heart” (Ex 35:5).

Then he addresses the “skillful craftsmen”: come and make all that Yahweh has commanded (Ex 35:10-19).

  • Moses lists all the parts and pieces of the tabernacle to be built.
  • The pieces are listed here in the same order their construction is narrated in Ex 36:8-39:23. See my outline.
    • The only exceptions are the inside veil and the outside entrance curtain for the tabernacle. They are woven along with the tent curtains in Ex 36, but this list puts them in more logical places (veil after ark; entrance screen after remaining inside furniture—Ex 35:12, 15).
    • This makes this inventory list a table of contents for the next few chapters.

Next, we see the people going crazy to contribute the requested materials (Ex 35:20-29).

  • This long paragraph once again lists all the materials by name.
  • The paragraph begins by mentioning “everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him” (Ex 35:21).
  • The paragraph tells of both men and women (Ex 35:22, 29).
  • Everyone, who could contribute, did (Ex 35:24).
  • Women used their hands to create the right cloth (Ex 35:25-26).
  • The leaders also brought precious materials (Ex 35:27-28).
  • The paragraph closes with a comprehensive mention of “all the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them…brought it” (Ex 35:29).
  • And it was all for “the work that Yahweh had commanded by Moses to be done” (Ex 35:29).

Moses then appoints Bezalel and Oholiab to the primary work of craftsmanship (Ex 35:30-36:1), just as Yahweh had said in his sixth speech (Ex 31:1-11).

The craftsmen begin their work by receiving and inventorying the people’s contributions (Ex 36:2-7).

  • The craftsmen get so overwhelmed by the daily contributions (Ex 36:3) that they must leave their work (Ex 36:4) and appeal to Moses regarding the surplus (Ex 36:5).
  • Moses must “command” and “restrain” the people from bringing more (Ex 36:6).
  • Because, in case you didn’t get it, “the material they had was sufficient…and more” (Ex 36:7).

The craftsmen craft everything, in the order listed in Ex 35:10-19, exactly as Yahweh had commanded in Ex 25-31 (Ex 36:8-39:31).

  • The only significant interruption to the narrative (i.e. the only main thing that is not a repetition from Ex 25-31) is the inventory of resources used in Ex 38:24-31.
  • But there is also a not-so-subtle insertion into the narration of the crafting of the priests’ garments in chapter 39.
    • “As Yahweh had commanded Moses,” “as Yahweh had commanded Moses,” “as Yahweh had commanded Moses”…seven times (Ex 39:1, 5, 7, 21, 26, 29, and 31).

Finally, the section ends with yet one more inventory of tabernacle pieces (Ex 39:32-43).

  • The work was finished (Ex 39:32).
  • The people did, once more, “according to all that Yahweh had commanded Moses” (Ex 39:32).
  • The list occurs in the same order as the list in Ex 35:10-19, which is also the same order of narration in Ex 38:8-39:32.
  • According to all that Yahweh had commanded Moses, so the people did (Ex 39:42).
  • Moses saw the work; behold they had done it (Ex 39:43).
  • As Yahweh had commanded, so had they done it (Ex 39:43).
  • Then Moses blessed them (Ex 39:43).

Structure:

  • Moses issues Yahweh’s commands (Ex 35:1-19)
    • Work and rest (Ex 35:1-3)
    • Contribute (Ex 35:4-9)
    • Craft (Ex 35:10-19)
      • First inventory (Ex 35:11-19)
  • The people obey, in every particular, and more (Ex 35:20-39:31)
    • They get to work (Ex 35:20-21)
    • They contribute (Ex 35:21-29)
    • The craftsmen begin (Ex 35:30-36:1)
    • The craftsmen have to restrain the people from contributing further (Ex 36:2-7)
    • The craftsmen build, according to the inventory list (Ex 36:8-39:31)
  • Evaluation of their efforts (Ex 39:32-43)
    • Finished work, according to Yahweh’s command (Ex 39:32)
    • Closing inventory (Ex 39:33-41)
    • Moses sees the work and blesses the people (Ex 39:42-43)

      Magnes Museum (2005), Creative Commons

Interpretation of Exodus 35-39

Some possible questions:

  1. Why does the narrative of Ex 35:1-3 pick up exactly where the instructions of Ex 31:12-17 left off?
  2. Why does Moses add the new instruction not to kindle fires in their personal dwellings on the Sabbath?
  3. Why is Moses concerned that contributions come only from those who are of a generous heart (Ex 35:5)?
  4. Why does the work (Ex 36:8-39:31) follow the same order as the inventories (Ex 35:11-19, 39:33-41)?
  5. What is the point of the closing paragraph (Ex 39:32-43)?

My answers (numbers correspond to the questions):

  1. It is as though the events of Ex 32-34 didn’t even happen. Everything proceeds as it ought to have, as though they never turned aside to worship the golden calf. Yahweh clearly remembers their sins no more.
  2. The tabernacle instructions began with God’s intent to dwell with his people (Ex 25:8, 29:45-46). There is no such statement of intent here. Instead, we’re reminded that each Israelite family has its own dwelling. And the Sabbath day is a reminder of God’s dwelling place with his people, such that there must be no fires in their dwellings to compete with the fire in his dwelling. No wonder the next recorded sin involves the bringing of “strange fire” to Yahweh’s dwelling, in competition with Yahweh’s own fire (Lev 9:23-10:3).
  3. God doesn’t just want their stuff; he wants their hearts. This is the very problem he sought to address in Ex 32-34 (see Ex 32:8). It’s no coincidence that the first item on every list of resources is gold (Ex 35:5, 38:24). God doesn’t really need their gold (which they could use to fashion a calf); he wants their hearts.
  4. With the triple repetition (first inventory list, narrative of crafting items in same order, closing inventory list), the narrator shows the perfect obedience to all that Yahweh has commanded. Combine this with the sevenfold insertion in chapter 39: “as Yahweh commanded Moses.” Combine this also with the near-exact repetition of Ex 36:8-39:31 with Ex 25:1-31:18. Combine this as well with the over-the-top statements in the concluding paragraph (Ex 39:32, 42-43). Put all this together, and we see an unblinking focus on the perfect and complete obedience of these remade, Spirit-filled people, to all that Yahweh has commanded them.
  5. In addition to giving a place for clear statements of the people’s obedience (Ex 39:32, 42-43), the closing paragraph also completes the links we saw between the crafting of the tabernacle and the creation of the world. But with a major progression. In Genesis 1 and 2, God is the one who “sees” the completed work of creation and blesses his subordinates (Gen 1:31, 1:28). But now, it is Moses who stands in that place of seeing, evaluating, and blessing (Ex 39:43).What a glorious elevation of God’s people!

Train of thought:

  • Yahweh commands.
  • The people obey (to the extreme).
  • It is good. It is all good.

Main point: When God empowers his people with the glory of his grace and truth, his redeemed, new covenant people are able to do everything just as he commands.

Connection to Christ: Of course, these people don’t last long. Their leaders offer strange fire. They doubt God’s promises. They repudiate his commands. They hope in their tabernacle instead of in their God. Their hearts move far from him. They fall in the wilderness.

  • They (we) need God to take on flesh and dwell among them. He is filled with the Spirit (Luke 4:16-21). He can build his temple (John 2:19, Eph 2:19-22). He obeys everything the Father gives him to do (John 5:19-20, 30; Matt 5:17-20). Through his death and resurrection, he can now grant to his new covenant people all things that pertain to life and godliness, so they may partake in his divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-11).

My Application of Exodus 35-39

In Christ, I have everything I need to obey what God has commanded. My obedience does not earn his favor, but it flows from his favor. My obedience enables me to experience a deeper communion and intimacy with him (James 4:7-10). This is worth far more to me than whatever reward my disobedience deceptively promises.

No excuse for disobedience will ever carry weight. But it’s who I am. But she hurt me first. But the situation was out of control. But you would have done the same thing in my place. But nobody is perfect. Blah, blah, blah (Rom 6:12, 17-18).

Click here to see what I’m doing with this sample Bible study and why I’m doing it.