God’s Glory

“The LORD said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give it.’ ” – Exodus 33:1

“I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” – Exodus 33:2-3

Exodus 33:4

“For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’” –  Exodus 33:5

“Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.” – Exodus 33:6

At a time when the American dream of affluence is falling apart, when Americans trust each other less and many do not know their neighbors, when we feel as untethered as an astronaut floating in space and struggle from chronic stress so viscerally that some adults are now sleeping with stuffed animals, many young adults are choosing a different path.

“According to a Free Press profile, “zoomers” (adults under thirty years of age) are “quitting the rat race, skipping the $8 lattes, and buying homes in towns you’ve never heard of.” In choosing family over career, many are leaving cities for smaller communities and rural living.They know what happiness research has resoundingly concluded: healthy relationships are the key to flourishing. Billionaire investment guru Warren Buffett could have told us this long ago. He still lives in the same Omaha house he purchased in 1958, calling it the third-best investment he’s ever made. The top two? His and his wife’s wedding rings.” – Jim Denison ; The Daily Article

God’s Grace

“For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” – Exodus 33:16

Exodus 34:5-7

Exodus 34:8-9

John 1:17

“And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:14

 

Generosity of God’s People

“Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “This is the thing that the LORD has commanded. ‘Take from among you a contribution to the LORD. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the LORD’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze; ” – Exodus 35:4-5

“blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; goats’ hair, tanned rams’ skins, and goatskins; acacia wood, oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for fragrant incense, and onyx stones and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. ” – Exodus 35:6-9

Exodus 35:10

Exodus 35:20-21

Motive of Generosity

Measure of Generosity (2 Corinthians 9:7)

  1. Because I ought to (reluctant givers)
  2. Because I have to (compulsive givers)
  3. Because I want to (cheerful givers)

 

Methods of Generosity (John Tyler)

  1. generosity (Gal. 6:10)
  2. generosity (Acts 2-4)
  3. generosity (Matt. 6:3)
  4. generosity (2 Cor. 8:1-7)

Three Important Questions:

  1. Do you seek the glorious presence of God over the things of the world?
  2. Are you constantly amazed at the endless grace and mercy you have in Jesus?
  3. Is your life marked by a character of generosity towards the Lord and others?

Every one of us is prone to erecting our own idols, for an idol is anything that captures our attention and our devotion away from Christ. An idol can be a good thing that we have turned into a god-thing. John Calvin was so right when he said, “Every human heart is an idol factory.”

Exodus 32:1-10

Seven Steps Leading to Heart Idolatry

  1. God’s word (32:1).
  2. God’s importance (32:1).
  3. God’s grace (32:2-3).
  4. God’s character (32:4).
  5. God’s attributes (32:4).
  6. God’s people (32:5-6).
  7. true worship (32:7-8).

The consequences of their heart idolatry was the of fellowship with God (32:9-10, 35).

Maintaining True Worship

John 4:21-24

1. Worship God in .

a. According to his revealed .

b. According to his revealed .

c. According to his revealed .

2. Worship God in

a. With my

b. With my .

c. With my

1. God always keeps his promises.
2. God’s plans rarely work out the way we think they should.
3. We can trust God in all he does.

The for the High Priest (Exodus 28:1-5)

The for the Priests (Exodus 29:1, 4-9).

Christ is our High Priest (Heb. 10:10-18)

  • Jesus is superior in his .
  • Jesus is superior in his .
  • Jesus is superior in his of God’s people.
  • Jesus is superior in his .

are a (I Peter 2:9)

Two Bookends of Priesthood

The Lamp: The (Exodus 27:20-21)

The Altar of Incense: The of God’s (Exodus 30:1,6)

How do we live as priests?

1. In the of God through .
2. In the power of in all .

“The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me. And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats’ hair, tanned rams’ skins, goatskins, acacia wood, oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭25‬:‭1‬-‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The Tabernacle is the most spiritually important architectural structure in the history of the world.” Philip Ryker

  1. THE PORTRAYAL OF GOD’S DWELLING PLACE
    • The Court of the Tabernacle
    • The Bronze Altar
    • The Bronze Basin
    • The Tabernacle Structure
    • The Holy Place
    • The Most Holy Place
      • “There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭25‬:‭22‬ ‭ESV‬‬

  1. THE PICTURES OF JESUS IN GOD’S DWELLING PLACE
  • “Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭9‬:‭1‬-‭5‬, ‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬
  • “These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” Colossians‬ ‭2‬:‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬
  • “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
    John‬ ‭14‬:‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬
  • “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” John‬ ‭10‬:‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬
  • “he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,” Titus‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬
  • “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭9‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬
  • “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”” ‭‭John‬ ‭9‬:‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬
  • “I am the bread of life.” John‬ ‭6‬:‭48‬ ‭ESV‬‬
  • “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭ESV‬‬
  • ““Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬
  • “For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭32‬-‭34‬ ‭ESV‬‬
  • “And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭5‬:‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬
  • “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” ‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬
  • “Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.” ‭‭John‬ ‭2‬:‭19‬-‭22‬ ‭ESV‬‬
  • “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

  1. THE PATTERN OF WORSHIP IN GOD’S DWELLING PLACE
    • God’s Dwelling Place is Built Sacrificially
    • God’s Dwelling Place is Instructed Specifically
    • God’s Dwelling Place is Demonstrated Sufficiently
      • “Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭25‬:‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬
      • “And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭25‬:‭40‬ ‭ESV‬‬
      • “Then you shall erect the tabernacle according to the plan for it that you were shown on the mountain.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭26‬:‭30‬ ‭ESV‬‬
      • “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬‬
    • God’s Dwelling Place is Established Submissively
      • “Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭25‬:‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬
      • “And the skillfully woven band on it shall be made like it and be of one piece with it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭28‬:‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The central theme of Easter Sunday is the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Everything about Christianity rises and falls on the reality of the resurrection ofJesus Christ. The Apostle Paul gives us the essentials of the gospel in two verses:

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: That Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”

– I Corinthians 15:3-4

“But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.”

– I Corinthians 15:13-15

“For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”

– I Corinthians 15:16-19

  1. Christ is not credible.
  2. . Preaching is not profitable.
  3.  Disciples are not dependable.
  4.  Faith is not feasible.
  5. Sin is still sovereign.
  6. Death has dominion
  7.  Future is futile

Matthew 27:59-28:4, 11-15.

7 Signs of the Resurrection

  1. Sign of the
  2. Sign of the
  3. Sign of the
  4. Sign of the
  5. Sign of the
  6. Sign of the
  7. Sign of the

The Importance of the Bodily Resurrection of Jesus

  1. The bodily resurrection of Jesus he is the .
  2. The bodily resurrection of Jesus he the requirements for
  3. The bodily resurrection of Jesus for my life.
  4. The bodily resurrection of Jesus that I too will one day.

The Ten Commandments were given to people who are redeemed by God as guardrails for their good and God’s glory. They protect us from danger and direct us toward safety and success.

The First Commandment protects us from idolatry and directs us into intimacy with the only true God.

The Second Commandment protects us from the false worship of the true God and directs us in the true worship of the true God.

The Third Commandment protects us from abusing God’s name and directs us into adoring God’s name.

The Fourth Commandment protects us from an unhealthy view of work and directs us to a healthy view of worship.

The Fifth Commandment protects us from becoming a and directs us to becoming a .

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”- Exodus 20:12

The 5th Commandment protects us from dysfunction by:

  1. Loving your children
  2. Leading your children
  3. Limiting your children
  4. Laughing with your children
  5. Letting them go

The 5th Commandment directs us to a dynamic family in honor:

  1. Honor is ultimate respect
  2. Honor is unqualified respect
  3. Honor is unlimited respect

The Sixth Commandment protects us from the of human life and directs us to the of human life.

“You shall not murder.” – Exodus 20:13

The 6th Commandment protects us from:

  • Premeditated Murder
  • Suicide
  • Abortion/Euthanasia
  • Anger and Hatred

 

The 6th Commandment directs us to:

  • Physical Life
  • Spiritual Life
  • Eternal Life

The Seventh Commandment protects us from and directs us to a marriage.

“You shall not commit adultery.” – Exodus 20:14

 

The 7th Commandment protects us from:

  • A dismantled covenant
  • A defiled consummation
  • A damaged community
  • A distorted gospel

The 7th Commandment directs us to:

  • Fidelity in your covenant
  • Fight for your spouse
  • Flirt with your spouse
  • Feel for your spouse

The 8th Commandment protects us from a lack of and directs us toward and .

“You shall not steal.” – Exodus 20:15

The 8th Commandment protects us from:

  • Direct theft
  • Employer theft
  • Employee theft
  • Government theft
  • Heavenly theft

The 8th Commandment directs us to:

  • Render to God what is God’s
  • Render to Ceasar what is Ceasar’s
  • Owe no one anything but love
  • Let your work be your witness

The 9th Commandment protects us from and directs us to .

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” – Exodus 20:16

The 9th Commandment protects us from:

  • Slander
  • Gossip
  • Flattery
  • Half-truths

The 9th Commandment directs us to:

  • Speak what is truthful
  • Speak what is necessary
  • Speak what is helpful

The 10th Commandment protects us from a heart and directs us to a heart.

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.” – Exodus 20:17

The 10th Commandment protects us from an .

The 10th Commandment directs us to a found.

  • A settled disposition in my heart not based upon poverty of prosperity.
  • A learned trait.
  • Begins where I am, not where I want to be.

3 Takeaways Form the Ten Commandments

  1. Our God is an amazing Father who desires the very best for his children by giving us clear guardrails to protect us from sin and to direct us toward successful Christian living.
  1. Jesus is an amazing Savior who is perfect in every way, and has never broken a single of the Ten Commandments, either externally or internally. He alone is qualified as an atoning sacrifice.
  1. The Holy Spirit is an amazing Helper because he gives us new desires, fresh convictions and power to obediently apply his commands for God’s glory and our good.

We last left this study as God met with his people in chapter 19. The people are still in the presence of God as we come to chapter 20 as God speaks the 10 Commandments to all the people. Before God speaks, he gives some important context in verses 1-2:

“And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” – Exodus 20:1-2

Four things we need to know about the Ten Commandments:

  1. and are the prerequisites for obeying the Ten Commandments.
  1. The Commandments were not given to make us , but to showcase our . (Romans 7:7-8
  1. The Commandments are for our and for God’s .
  2. The Commandments are summed up by loving and loving others. (Matthew 22:35-40)

Loving God

The First Commandment protects us from and directs us into with the only true God. (Exodus. 20:3)

The First Commandment protects us from:

  1. designing our own gods.
  2.  becoming like our own gods.
  3. a life of darkness, deception and death.

The First Commandment directs us to know the God whom:

  1. Scripture declares.
  2. Creation displays.
  3. Faith discovers.
  4. The Son delivers.

The Second Commandment protects us from the of the true God and directs us in the of the true God. (Exodus 20:4-6)

The Second Commandment protects us from icons that can:

  1. Distort the nature of God
  2. Dishonor the character of God
  3. Diminish the attributes of God
  4. Deceive the worship of people

The Second Commandment directs us to worship God in spirit and in truth.

The Third Commandment protects us from God’s name and directs us into God’s name. (Exodus 20:7)

The Third Commandment protects us from using God’s name:

  1. Profanely
  2. Flippantly
  3. Presumptuously

The Third Commandment directs us to:

  1. Care for his name.
  2. Concentrate on his character.
  3. Call on his name.

The Fourth Commandment protects us from an unhealthy view of and directs us to a healthy view of . (Exodus 20:8-9)

The Fourth Commandment protects us from seeing work as:

  1. An evil curse.
  2. An exclusive cause.

The Fourth Commandment directs us to:

  1. Embrace God’s blessing of rest.
  2. Enjoy God’s blessing of rest.

When we come to chapter 19 in Exodus we conclude the first half of the book with God fulfilling his promise to Moses. You may recall that in Chapter 3:12 God told Moses:

“and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” – Exodus 3:12

Since that time the people witnessed:

  • God’s in destroying the Egyptians,
  • God’s with water, quail and manna.
  • God’s fulfilled in bringing them to Sinai to worship.

“On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain…” –  Exodus 19:1-2a

“While Moses went up to God. The LORD called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel:”” –  Exodus 19:3

God gives Moses four prerequisites for meeting with God:

Preparing to Meet God

  1. A heart of – Exodus 19:3b-6

may love but love.

(John 14:15, 23; John 15:10)

  1. A sensitivity to – Exodus 19:9

(Luke 8:21; Luke 11:28; Hebrews 2:1)

  1. A life consecrated to – Exodus 19:10-11, 14

(Ephesians 1:4; I Thess. 4:7; Hebrews 12:14)

  1. A of God. Exodus 19:18-22, 24

(Isaiah 6:1-5; Matthew 6:9; Hebrews 10:31)

“The heaviest obligation upon the Christian church is to purify and elevate her concept of God until it is once more worthy of Him. In all her prayers and labors this should have first place. We do the greatest service to the next generation of Christians by passing on to them, undimmed and undiminished, the noble concept of God which we received from our Hebrew and Christian fathers of generations past. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God,” – Hebrews 10:19-21

“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” –  Hebrews 10:22-23

Today we find ourselves in chapters 15, 16 and 17:1-7. I want to remind you of two very important principles I pointed out early in this study. These are two principles we need to get hold of as they will orient our lives as believers. I want to beat this drum as many times as I can as we go through this study.

  1. God has a good and perfect plan, but rarely does his plan work out the way we think it should.
  1. God is self-defining; he reveals his nature and character to us.

Why Believers Should Sing Songs of Praise

  1. Every believer should sing because of God’s .
  • Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, “I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.” – (Exodus 15:1)
  • “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ” – (Colossians 3:16)

  1. Every believer should sing God and God.
  • Exodus 15:1-5, 18 – God.
  • Exodus 15:6-17 – God.

“Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water.”  – (Exodus 15:22)

God Tests His People

Test # 1: (Exodus 15:22-27)

Test # 2: (Exodus 16:1-36)

  • It was (11-15)
  • It was (16-30)
  • It was (31-36)
  • It was (Deuteronomy 8:2-3)

Test # 3: (17:1-7)

A Cycle of Gratitude and Grumbling

 

Abundance …. we

Expectation … we

Disappointment … we

Complaint ….. we

Provision ……. we

Jesus In the Wilderness

  1. Jesus passed the test in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2-3)
  2. Jesus is the bread of eternal life (John 6:25-59)
  3. Jesus is the Rock that was struck for our salvation (I Corinthians. 10:1-5)

 

Trust His

Trust His

Trust His

Trust His


Trust His