2026_08_23_Exodus

Thank you for providing for us this your word, for condescending to us to speak to us,! so that we can know you, and most of all, so that we can know what you have offered us in Jesus Christ.

And we thank you so much for your grace. We do not want to presume upon that. We want to recognize you as holy, and awesome, and just, and merciful, and loving. But we're so grateful that you have sent, or become flesh, walked among men, and carried our sin to the cross so that we can be made righteousness in you. We're grateful for that, Lord. And now as we gather around to edify one another, and look into your word, we ask that you, your will be done in all things today. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. So, God has offered them, us, if you will, that as Israel, we're putting, I'll put myself in their position. He's given us a provisional promise. And what was that provisional promise?

We can rough it out. Yeah. If you will obey my commandments and walk in my statutes, then I am going to make you a nation of priests. And what was my response? All that the Lord has said, I will do that.

All right. That part was easy enough. Now, now we've been, we've had, Moses has come back down from the Lord and said, okay, this is what God's telling you to do. We set bounds around the mountain.

Anybody who crosses that bound dies. If your pet dog crosses that bound, you kill him.

Well, wait a minute. I like the idea of priesthood before. Now, now God's saying, you're going to treat me as holy.

I'm going to show you a little bit of my holiness. Just a tiny bit, by the way. It's not even close to all thorough, but he says, so sanctify yourselves because right now, and then you're going to set yourself apart to whom for two days. Well, for three days, but for two days to God, sanctify yourself to God for two days. And then on the third day, God's going to talk to you. All right. So what happens in that speech?

What do they see? A thick cloud on the mountain, a burning, as it were, of fire on the mountain.

What do they hear? A blaring trumpet that grows louder and louder, and then they hear the voice of God.

Now I'm shaken. Let's pick up at verse 18. What do we see and hear specifically? The thunderings, the lightnings, the mountain smoking, and the noise of the trumpet. So what did they do? What do we do now?

I'm getting some distance. All right. Now, what did they say then? See, well, I'll mention it later.

What do I say now to Moses? He says what?

What do they say specifically? I don't want to hear him directly anymore.

He scares me. So I'll tell you what, Moses, you go talk to God. Now, what happened to all that the Lord has said I'll do?

As soon as I got even a glimpse of the holiness of God, that kind of melted away.

I won't say specifically that this is the national priesthood rejected, but it sounds suspicious to me.

You know, up to this time, I was all for this go-between business between God and the Gentiles. But now that I've seen who I'm dealing with just a little bit, I no longer am sure about that, am I?

So, and by the way, what does Moses, before I get to it, what does Moses tell the people then?

Fear not that God is going to be the same. Everyone who encounters an angel that they know to be an angel, or encounters the Lord, what's the angel's or God's first word seemingly?

Fear not. Right. After what I've seen. But he's saying, now, God has come to prove you.

Did God know what was in their heart? Well, what does the psalmist tell me about what I think and speak?

Before it's even in my mind, God knows it. What is the psalmist, well, God through David, what does he say about my days on the earth?

In your book, all of them are written. Does God know what's in their heart? So it's not testing them for God's information.

He's not saying, well, I wonder if they really will or if they won't. By the way, one of the great stumbling blocks with doubting the omniscience of God is, how did God know that creation was going to work?

Yeah. So he knew what was going to happen, right? Otherwise, how did, are we saying that he hit and missed until he happened on one creation that did work?

That's kind of a, that doesn't sound like the God of the rest of the Bible. What do I do with my salvation when in Ephesians, God through the apostle Paul says, this was God's plan in eternity.

It wasn't revealed to you, but this is what I had planned all along. What do I do with that? What do I do with Jesus Christ, who is prophesied?

Did God not know what he was doing? Did God not know the Jews as a nation are going to reject him?

And they are going to conspire with Gentiles to kill him? And the God through the apostles will say, which was in the plan of God.

What do I do with that? So God's not testing them here. And this proving has to do with an assayer's proof, by the way.

It's the same word as checking the specific gravity. You used to check this on your batteries. Most of us in here are old enough to remember the specific gravity.

You drew the assayer. How many of those little balls are floating? That's a proof. That's the kind of proof.

Or the assayer. When you take some gold into the, whoever buys it.

You take the gold in and he checks it out to see what the proof of the gold is. To make you an offer. Okay.

He's going to prove you. And what? And you have, he wants you to know you need to what?

You need to fear him. So that the fear of the Lord may be before your eyes. He's showing you just a little bit, by the way. He's not showing everything. He hasn't destroyed the whole world here, has he?

He's made the mountain quake. He's shown the fire. He's shown the smoke. He's sounded the trumpets. And he spoke with a voice.

But he hasn't destroyed them. All right. Now. The people stood afar off.

What did Moses do? Okay. So Moses approaches the cloud. Now.

In chapter 20. So begins, really, the giving of the law, doesn't it? We are not going to delve into everyone.

We will delve into ones that are requested. But everyone I won't delve into. In chapter 20, verses 22 through 23, we get a running start.

God reiterates to make no image of himself. And verses 24 through 26, he gives three laws concerning the altar.

That will pop up in a quiz. So if you want to check that out, that's collateral reading. And in chapter 21, one through chapter 23, verse 19, there are a selection of laws.

I counted 83. People who are better than me might count it differently. That's fine. There were 13 laws that I saw related to slaves.

There were 16 related to personal injury claims. There were six related to theft. A couple related to property damage.

Eight related to, I termed it for lack of, because I'm ignorant of it, I termed it fiduciary. It has to do with borrowing things and having them in your possession.

And the difference between renting them for hire and borrowing. A couple that are related to the seduction of virgins.

One related to witchcraft. One related to sexual perversion. A couple related to idolatry. Four related to oppression.

Two related to the lending of money. Two related to the respect of governmental authority. Five related to the first fruits of your harvest.

One related to your diet. Seven related to justice and how it's dispensed or witnessed. A couple related to grace.

That is, these are ones you probably know as, if you see the ass of your enemy fallen under his burden, what you should do.

There are a couple related to that. Four related to Sabbaths. Two related to social welfare system. And three related to holy days.

Those, that encompasses, we've just run through several chapters there. Hearing no one say, hey, what about these?

We'll move on. Okay. So I'll just move on. Because, once again, I'm going to quote a brother who said, the law is where your Bible reading program goes to die.

You know, numbers, Leviticus, even Deuteronomy. You know, that's where you start getting, now, none of you.

But that's where you start reading and saying, yeah. So, by the way, have you ever heard us, or anyone, not us, of course, but have you ever heard of anyone talking about how oppressive the law was in terms of how many?

There are 600 and some laws. Compare that to our codes. It wasn't very oppressive at all, really.

Related to what we deal with in this day as far as governmental regulation. So, going on then, let's go to chapter 23 and begin with verse 20.

Chapter 23 and begin with verse 20. What does God tell the people in verse 20? Behold what?

Okay. What's this angel going to do?

Well, right here in this verse. He's going to lead the way, show you where to go, and... And keep...

And... I'm sorry? Protect them? Well, to keep them in the way. Yeah, that would be a protection. That could be a protection.

And... To bring you to the place that you choose. No? Okay.

I'm going to bring you to the place I have prepared for you. By the way, where have you heard that phrase, or something very like that? Yeah, you quizzed in the book of John, so you can't answer.

What did he say? The Lord Jesus. Well, I would send you a comforter. He did say that.

But... When Thomas says, hey, where are you going? I go to... Now...

Does that mean God has been working on the dwelling place of heaven for the Christian for 2,000 years?

When did... How long did it take him to create the heavens and the earth? He took six days. Would it have taken him that long had he decided to do it in one?

No. No. That's not what he means. When he says, I go to prepare a place for you, Jesus is heading for the cross.

That's a big deal. That's a very big deal. In fact, it's the whole deal for us. It's not hard for you, but it's hard for me sometimes to remember that this temporal existence is not the most important thing.

It's sometimes gets cloudy. And... It's fine. The body clings to life, doesn't it?

Because the Apostle Paul tells us the spirit longs to be clothed. It doesn't want to be unclothed. He's talking about the spirit doesn't want to leave the body.

And we have the hope of the resurrection and the body that never corrupts. But...

In this temporal life, sometimes it gets cloudy as far as remembering that if I miss the eternal, the temporal doesn't mean anything.

Because it's gonna... That's nothing compared to what awaits. So the eternal... So the eternal...

When Jesus said, I go to prepare a place for you, that's important. That's important to me. Anyway... God has prepared.

Who chose the land? We call it the promised land. Well, some of us do. Because we've heard it for 70 years.

But we call it the promised land. Who chose that? God did. When Abraham was back in Ur of the Chaldees worshiping idols, who called him?

God did. And what did he say? Leave the land of your kinfolk, and you're gonna come to a land that I'm gonna show you, and I'm gonna give it to you.

And then in Genesis chapter 15, he makes that great covenant with Abraham, which is a totally one-sided covenant, for God goes through the covenant alone.

So... He says... He'll keep you. I'm gonna send an angel. Now, this angel... could well be God, because later on, he's equated.

His presence is equated with God Almighty. So... How are they... How are we to treat this angel?

Okay, listen to him. Listen to him as in... Obey. Obey. I'm sorry?

Don't provoke him. Because he's not gonna pardon you. Now... Because...

My name is in him. In fact, look at how he starts with verse... Verse... Uh... 21. What does...

New American say on verse 21? How does that read? Beyond your guard. Beyond your guard. Your King James Version will say, Beware.

And obey his voice. That's fine. So... He's saying...

Don't treat... Don't treat my presence lightly. Don't treat my angel lightly. Because my name is in him.

And I... Whether this is a... A manifestation of God's... Presence... What...

See... I can only think in very small terms, can't I? Where is God... Present? Everywhere.

All the time... And in all his power. Yet God will say... I will choose my name to dwell...

Here. And so... There is a manifestation... That God will make to dwell with Israel. So here he says...

You beware of this angel. Do not provoke him. Because he will not pardon your transgressions. And God willing... If we walk through... Through the sojourn...

We're going to see a number of times... When some of us... Died. Because we provoked him. Thank God for grace.

Thanks. Well... We'll... We'll... So... We've already...

Established... Why... Beware of the angel. Why... Not provoke him. Why... Obey him.

Because God's name is in him. Now... God delivers... Another provisional promise. Verse 22. What's he say?

Right. He says... If you do... What I just told you to do... And you obey... When... What I tell you... Then...

I will be an enemy... Of your enemies... And I will be an adversary... To your adversaries. Now... What is God going to do...

If they obey this? What? What? What? All right.

Now... My angel will go before you... And this is what I'm going to do. If you obey me... The...

The unspoken part... Is the converse. If you do not obey me... Then... It's going to be a different story.

Now... Verse 24. When Israel comes into this land...

Or... When they encounter any peoples... On the way to the land... What are they not to do? Not bow to their gods.

Don't serve them... Don't serve them... Nor... Do what those people are doing. Be separate.

Be different. Okay. What does God say to the church? Does he say... Does he say...

Come out... And form... Form your own community...

Geographically... And physically... Does he say that? He says... Be in the world...

But not of it. Okay. Be in the world... But not of it. Sometimes I get confused at that... Don't I? How much of that is... This... And how much of it is that?

And you know people who... Who have uniform... Dress code... So that... It's obvious. Well... They're not.

They're... They're the end group and... Is that the part... That the church is to play? Or... Better yet...

To make it more prevalent... Is the church called to... Destroy everybody... They come in contact with? Is that what the church is called to do?

Okay. So... I'd better not confuse this... Had I? Because that's... Not where we are. That's not...

The dispensation in which we live. But it is here. Now... Is there any lesson to learn?

Turn to Ephesians, please. Ephesians chapter 5, especially. Turn to Ephesians chapter 5. We don't...

We won't take the time to go through laying all the groundwork that God laid through the apostle Paul for why he says this. But this is a culmination of what he said in the first four chapters.

The whole letter is basically one straight line theme. As I turn there... As I turn there...

To whom is Ephesians written? Is it written to Israel in the dispensation of law?

I'm sorry? No. Okay. Is it written to... Those who do not believe?

No. It's written to the church. In this dispensation. Okay. So we look at that. And we say, okay.

What we're reading in the law are not marching orders for the church. We can get... We see how God works.

And we should do that. Because part of knowing who God is, is seeing what he said about himself. And how he works.

So... We look then to Ephesians. And we see, okay. The letters to the churches and to the leaders of the churches give me the actual marching orders for what I should be following in my life.

So here they come. Start with verse 3. I'm going to ask again.

Because we know from the Apostle Paul, well, from God, through the Apostle, we are saved by works. Good.

I was hoping to see some heads pop. What? Did I hear that? Well, okay.

That's what the outcome should be. But am I saved by my works? Am I saved by what I do? Or by what?

Am I saved by what I don't do? What am I saved by? Faith in Jesus Christ and what he did for me.

And we call that, because it's not by works, it's by a gift, that's what grace means.

So, therefore, we know we are saved by grace through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift, the grace, gift, same word, root word, of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.

There is no boasting before God. That's part of his holiness. And God knows who he is. He's not. There may be a whole lot of humans confused about who they are and what they are, but God's not confused.

This is not a social construct. This is a God. So, but the apostle Paul says, look, now he's gone through a lot of positive things.

But here he's going to finish up and saying, but listen, fornication and uncleanness and covetousness, don't let it even be once named among you as become whom?

Saints. Saints. Who are the saints? Believers, the holy ones. Am I holy because I don't do that?

No. I'm holy because of what Christ did. But because I'm holy because of what Christ did. God will say, don't let this even be named among you.

That's an unbecoming behavior. And it goes on with verse 4. Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient, but rather give thanks.

For this you know, that no whoremonger or unclean person, nor covetous man who is an idolater, have any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Now, you have heard someone take that verse out of its context and say, therefore, you have to have a perfect lifestyle or you're not saved.

That is not the context. That's not what Jesus is saying here. You can't be good enough. We've already seen that a number of times in Scripture.

What he's saying is, don't do that, Roger, because that's why the wrath of God is coming upon mankind. So you don't partake in that.

What did Roger say? Saved unto good works, not by good works. But Paul says to the church in this dispensation, it's because of judgment for those who resist Christ.

It's because of eternal judgment that you as a believer avoid that behavior. Not because it's going to save you.

You're saved in Jesus. But because it's unbecoming to the saint. It's unbecoming to the saint.

And it certainly is unbecoming to the Lord Jesus Christ who died for my sin. So that's what he says to the church.

But we see that that is very like what the Lord is saying through Moses to Israel at this time when he says, when you come into these people, don't act like them.

Now, get in your little time machine and run ahead any place you want to go. Am I going to stay with that?

Am I going to abide by that? No. Time and again. Time and again. Because that kind of stuff is...

Sherry calls this brain sludge. I say it's a germane social reference. In the words of a prominent 70s and 80s poet philosopher, I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints.

The sinners are much more fun. As a Christian, I shouldn't fall for that.

Because it's not true. The... Huh? You see, that tries to make fun.

But the philosophy is... Have fun. Forget eternity. Have fun now. Now, for the Christian...

For the Christian, we're not saved by avoidance of that. We're saved by the grace of God through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

But because we're saved, we take to heart, don't act like that. Now, by the way, I'll just ask a question.

Does that... Does the letter to Corinthians pop into anyone's head? Be not... Be not... Unequally...

With unbelievers. For what... Does... Belial have to do... With God? And so he says, Look, watch out how you...

How you associate. It's not that you withdraw. It's not that there are no... Friendships. But the friendship that we have with a non-Christian is a superficial friendship.

Because our minds don't work the same. We're not on the same page morally. Spiritually.

So, those are letters to the church about... Be careful, Roger, how you're living. Be careful. Not because it's going to earn you anything.

It's not going to make you any better. We are perfect in... That's where Romans chapter 8 is amazing, isn't it? Well, all of the scripture, but...

It's so amazing. We are perfect in Christ. Now, Sherry keeps telling me that that's not really true with me.

No. We're perfect in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are perfect in Christ. That's not what I see when I look in the mirror, maybe.

But I remind myself, that's what I see when I look in God's word. Go ahead. Right. Right.

See, once I thought that way, now, don't think that way any longer. Don't... When you go in, God tells Israel, when you're heading for this land that I have appointed, don't mix it up with the inhabitants that you come in contact with.

By the way, the Amorites... I don't know why this popped up, but when God went through that covenant with Abraham alone, in Genesis 15, God says, I'll tell you what, they're going to be...

They're going to be servants in a land that's not theirs, and they're going to come out in the fourth generation, and he tells them why. Because the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.

God already had a plan there about when and how. And he's saying... And he says to us, when you read the scripture, especially in those letters to the churches and to the pastors of churches, you read those letters and you see that God, time and again, is saying, I have a plan.

I'm going to carry you through. you're secure in me. You can trust me for it. I'm thankful for that.

Have a great week.