This Is the Old Testament is part of a twelve-week thematic overview of the entire Bible. As we read, we’ll gain a broader understanding of the redemptive story of Scripture. Each day we’ll read a thematic selection from a different book of the Bible, along with supplemental passages that show how the theme of that day’s main reading is found throughout Scripture. We’ll also read a brief summary of each book and a reflection on how the book fits into the larger story of Scripture.
What Is Exodus? The book of Exodus details how God used Moses to bring the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery, His provision in their wilderness wanderings, and His covenant with them at Mount Sinai, including the beginning of the law.
How Exodus Fits Into the Story: Exodus is the high point of redemptive history in the Old Testament. It is a story of salvation that begins with God bringing a captive people out of slavery in Egypt into a place of total dependence on Him. Many patterns and concepts from Exodus are revisited elsewhere in Scripture, especially in the past, present, and future work of Jesus. From deliverance and provision to God’s glory and presence, the themes of Exodus find their fulfillment in Christ.
Reflection Questions:
1. What purpose does Exodus 19:4–6 give for the law established in Exodus 20?
2. How does today’s reading shape your understanding of the story of redemption?
Take time to reflect on your responses and share what you are learning with others in the community in the comments.
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138 thoughts on "Exodus"
I love the book of exodus. I know for some it feels daunting but it is truly a remarkable book in Scripture.
Wow what amazing word by our lord Jesus Christ savior.
God gave his chosen people the law. Not to create restrictions, but to help them, us, live healthier and happier lives.
If we follow the commandments, we are not bogged down by so much emotional baggage. Don’t commit murder and you don’t have to carry the burden of shame and guilt. Don’t tell lies and you don’t have to keep tangling yourself in a web of deception. Honor your father and mother and you will live longer, you’ll learn from their pain and mistakes so you don’t make the same dumb choices.
It’s not meant to be restrictive, it’s meant to help us live well.
God always keeps his promises
God is always with me and will give me the words to speak when I need him to. I want the spirit of the Lord to just flow from the words that I speak
The purpose of the law was to draw His people closer to Him and to set His people apart.
God’s laws aren’t meant to hold us back, but to bring us closer to Him and live a life of fulfillment and purpose! We see in Exodus that we can depend on God always. He is a God of deliverance!
God brings us out of slavery and we are dependent on Him just as we were as infants. When we are dependent on God, we are obedient. His laws teach us how to live and love.
I think the purpose of God’s Law is to bring us closer to himself. He talks about how the Israelites are his special people because they seek after Him by following His Law.
He wants nothing more to make us clean and holy for us to be in covenant with Him. Teaching us to keep His commandments is teaching us to stay close to Him. Though we can’t keep the commandments alone no matter how hard we try Jesus did that very thing for us when He died on the cross for our salvation. But like what is stated in Matthew He didn’t come to abolish the law nor change the law but to preach it. So it’s our job to keep near to God through obedience and ask for forgiveness and repent when we do fall astray.
God is not an OT God of wrath and an NT God of restoration. He has rescued, spoken and promised from the start. I will be your God and you will be my people. It’s about relationship. It always has been. Now it’s restoration of that relationship.
“The people stood far off while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was…
Today’s reading helps me further understand redemption by feeling into the law. The laws outline basic moral behavior. It shows us how to be kind to ourselves and one another. God’s love shines through these laws by showing us this is what matters most to him.
God equips us with what we need to be obedient and pursue righteousness. He gave us instructions through the law and then have use the Holy Spirit. He provides exactly what we need!
God is always with us and desires to be in communion with us. He is a God of justice who fights for the oppressed. Gods faithfulness to the people of Israel is throughout exodus.
He’s gotta free us before he can bless us.
God gave his people in Exodus a way to be close to him – by being a priests and a holy nation through keeping the law. Jesus fulfils the law and hence is our Saviour as we can never keep the law ourselves…He gives us a way to draw near to God by fulfilling God’s commandments. I also think it’s beautiful how Jesus honours his Father’s words by saying that he did not come to abolish the law. So for us we can take away these things: we should still hold to the law to honour God and grow in spiritual maturity, we are saved in Jesus as he has given us a way to be a priesthood and holy nation through fulfilling the law, thus we can draw close to God.
Yes, I love this!! ❤️
Wow, God literally gives us a blueprint on how to follow Him and what to share with people! Exodus 19:4-6 really sets up Exodus 20. I think it’s very eye opening to not only read about the old laws and covenants but also understand how they play into our salvation. We can’t have true freedom or know true love until we understand what we are entering into when we know the Lord and have a relationship with Him.
God’s covenant relationship with Israel was crucial to their life as a nation. This story displaying God’s grace in freedom from slavery is one that fits into the multifaceted work of the Gospel.
I feel like through this God is explaining to us that we are going to go through hard seasons, and that’s okay because he will be right there guiding us. We need to be so ready to constantly have our eyes on him because he is the only one who can bring us peace and help us through those seasons. In what I just read he lead the Israelites out of slavery, and had them wondering desert. God did this so that they could learn to follow Him and not be self reliant. God wants US! He wants us to be obedient! He wants us to turn to him and seek him by ourselves.
His laws redeem and restore community. Each of His commands strengthens relationship to Himself and to those around us.
God gives instructions and won’t have anything put before him. The Israelites wandered the desert so they could only be dependent on God, not themselves.
The purpose of the law was to draw Gods people near to him through obedience. I’m so grateful that Jesus fulfiills the law today. We can’t obey the law perfectly, but Jesus can, and our faith in him (not our perfect obedience) now allows us to commune with him even though we are still sinners.
God asks us to serve him only. We need to do right by God always not just sometimes.
what a joy it is to be viewed as “treasured possessions” of the Lord!
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God always provides an exit strategy
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Love the connection to the New Testament.
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I think sometimes we forget that the 10 Commandments are simple rules. They are not hard to follow, but the way that the world is makes Temptations so much stronger.
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1. He gives the commandments to his people to set them apart to make them a holy nation.
2. I am praising God today knowing that I am apart of his chosen people, set apart. I obey his law to show my being set apart, not to please God, but to obey him.
God delivered us from sin into freedom. Following his commandments and rules will be to protect us
1 he reminds the isrealites everything that he has done to get them to this point so they must trust him to follow his rules
2 he will magnify his power through us!
The fear of God may lead to sins but just follow the commandment. Have obedience and spread his glory to others.
Full circle!
I love the tie to the new testament through Matthew.he reminds us that Jesus didn’t come to abolish the law so that we could behave howeverwe wanted, but to teach how to keep the law and remind us of it’s importance. The Old Testament is just as validto day as when it was written!
The commandments exist not only to protect us from the darkness of this world but to remind us that we need a Savior. It’s impossible to keep the commandments on our own. Thankful for a loving and patient Father.
So often, I have thought of The 10 Commandments as God’s “Must-Do’s” in order to be loved by Him. Frequent thoughts go something like, “I must do everything perfectly and I am loved.” WRONG. God loves me – as he did the Israelites wandering in the wilderness – enough to put His presence before me and give me a list of things to avoid to enjoy deeper intimacy and delight with my Creator. It’s not an either/or. It’s a love note to His people. How we are invited into relationship and restoration to Him.
When we can view the commandments from the perspective that God gave those to us to protect us, it is very enlightening. Consider for instance, do we think our life would be better if stole things or lied about our neighbors?
Obedience is key. While God is a gracious and merciful God, He states later quite plainly to Saul that obedience is better than sacrifice. When we obey, God can use us to reflect His glory to others. It isn’t about the outside. Our hearts have to engage in true obedience to Him.
God is preparing our hearts of the glory that is to come. A desire we all want to be in the kingdom of God. In Exodus 20 God is a stern but loving Father that is giving us the law to show that we will obey, love and trust him.
To me, Exodus is a wonderful reminder that in the wilderness seasons of our lives, God calls us to rely fully on Him. He provided for the Israelites after completely saving them from captivity, and still they doubted and strayed. It’s easy to look down on them for that, but if we look in the mirror, we are the same. God provides blessings, and we still find it in our hearts to be ungrateful, mistrusting, and distracted. Yet, through all of this, God pursues us as doggedly as the Egyptians pursued the Israelites.
I love that God never gave up on the Israelites even when they doubted him, truly shows his grace and unconditional love.
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Jesus fulfills.
Before God showed us what is right & good for us, He e pressed His unconditional love for us.what a great model for sharing GoodNews with others.
What a beautiful picture of how God indeed is our rescuer! However, it does not stop there. We are rescued, but then welcomed into a new way of life that depends on Him for everything. The commandments are not rigid boundaries, but an ever present guide for success as we follow Him daily. I kept thinking of how “He calls out of darkness into His marvelous light!”
This section show how God established a covenant with His people. The Ten Commandments established for His people.
God brought us out of slavery and says that if we obey His voice and commandments we shall be His treasured possession. The people were afraid. They didn’t want God to speak directly to them. They wanted Moses to, but Moses said do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin. These laws were made for His people to be made aware and be obedient in their lives daily. That they would be aware and fear in a way that would make them faithfully obedient so they may not sin.
The purpose of the law is to show us how to be His. The Genesis reading was about how people are created in God’s image. This SHOWS us how to be more God-like. This passage also shows us that we need help. When we think we have it all figured out (or when we don’t), God has a plan and is there to help.
The first time i read Exodus, it brought me to tears…realizing that we may not know why we are being tested in a certain season, but if we keep trusting him, he will bring us out of it. It is up to us to keep striving toward him, especially when walking in slavery ( sin, soul ties, defeat, etc.) he will show us lesson of that season.
Today’s reading gave me much more insight as to what redemption really means for us. He provided a way for all of His true believers to be able to be saved. He is a loving, merciful and long suffering Father.
The story of redemption is a beautiful story of God reconciling creation to Himself. Today’s passage highlights His passionate heart for redemption. He delivered Israel because He delights in them; He gave them more than a plan for how to follow. He promised them they would be His own. He made covenant with them that would set them apart from other groups.
The law reveals our need for a saviour. We cannot be saved by our own works but through faith in Christ we are saved and set apart as children of God to live with him eternally.
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God delivers us from slavery (sin, soul ties, and anything or anybody) and delivers us to freedom from our oppressor (s) so that there is no division between us and God. We are part of His royal family, set aside, and favored, this is why the people must be in agreement with God so that we are united as ONE in the body of Christ.
Today’s reading has helped me see redemption in a different light. The actual DEFINITION of redemption through Christ is utter dependence on Him. I have always known that we have to depend on Jesus because of our human limits, although I have never really thought of dependence on Christ as being the ultimate first step of being redeemed. It’ll be a great reminder for me to fall back on when I get overwhelmed with the craziness of life. We are so utterly dependent on Him since we have no other option!
The first part of the reading had me in TEARS! Many times i’ve question God letting the enemy test me. “The enemy said I will pursue. I will overtake, I will divide the spoil. My desire will be gratified at their expense. I will draw my sword; my hand will destroy them. But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.” God did all these things for me that I would make it to the kingdom of heaven. Just like with the Ten Commandments, the weren’t to punish us but to show us the way to the kingdom to reside with him just like he intended.
The thing I got out of this passage was that God us establishing the fact that the Israelites our his chosen people and he rescued them from slavery. He is also showing us that he will save us from any “slavery” we find ourselves in and He shows us that we are Hus by giving us the rules to follow just like our earthly parents give us rules to show us thy love us.
God loves us so much that He gave us these laws so we can stay aligned with His plans for us.
Well said, Allie! I get upset too when I read about God in a fearful way too. I have a hard time rectifying parts of the Old Testament with the New Testament because of it. But you are right. From a parentale stand point his reactions make way more sense. And something I definitely understand way better now as a parent of 2 young children.
Amen! Me too. God is so good and dwelling in His word is so beautiful to get to know Him!
1. What purpose does Exodus 19:4–6 give for the law established in Exodus 20?
When reading Exodus 19:4-6, God clearly shows that He gave Israel the option to follow Him. I always just assumed that God just told them “Hey, you’re my chosen people. Now get in the car.” But what He actually says is “Hey, I’ve done all these amazing things for you. I’d like to keep doing that and take you to see all the things that I have planned for you. Wanna come?” Israel’s elders have time to talk it over and THEY SAY “I do”. Th Lord is such a gentlemen in His pursuit of His bride. I think Exodus 19:4-6 shows that God gives us the option to follow Him and lays out His promises. After we accept, He shows us this is the Law, His love language, His expectations, His commands for us to become holy and enjoy the fullness of who He is and the gospel He offers us. That doesn’t necessarily mean that we will love the change but it means He will be with us through the process, He will be loyal to our honest tries, and He will renew our hearts to become more like Him.
2. How does today’s reading shape your understanding of the story of redemption?
I am amazed that my eyes for the Lord have changed. God in the OT is portrayed as a wrathful God and punishing left and right when people disobey vs God in the NT is grace giving and relational but God is God. He is never changing. He is grace-giving in the beginning and now, His wrath and anger was placed on His Son to be appeased and atone our sins. God redeems and God loves and that is beautiful that when we truly get to know God, He is so steadfast and never changing. Praise His holy name!
I always get upset when I read about God in a fearful way. This time, however, I thought about Him being the father of a child who is run away and gotten into trouble. The father would stop at nothing to find the child, and once the child is found and rescued, of course the father is going to be disappointed, a little angry, and set new boundaries, but he is still a loving father who will always care for the child. I think this is the first time I really connected in thinking of God in that way toward the Israelites.
You’re right. I do the same thing. Good point here!
God came down to be with His people (how awesome is that?), but they were afraid and essentially rejected the relationship that He offered them. So He gave them rules, rules that no one would be able to get completely right…except Jesus. The Commandments point to Jesus as the only one who can fulfill it all. As flawed beings, it doesn’t matter how hard we try to avoid sin, we’re still going to sin, but thanks to the Jesus’ sacrifice and boundless grace, we are covered!
God set laws in place not for our detriment but for our benefit so we would fear Him – not in a scared way but in a reverent way. God loves us so much He knows we need boundaries. Freedom not captivity is Gods heart
I always think to how God chose to provide for the Israelites so specifically. They received manna from heaven that rotted if they tried to keep any more than was needed, except for the day before sabbath. They were prepared for faithfulness in this gesture from God, they literally were forced to rely on Him. I thought it would make it easier for them to follow and be obedient. I find myself in the same conundrum; wanting to store up useless things instead of fully relying on His provisions.
WOW, Adrienne! I went back and read that part of the passage after looking at your comment! WOW!
I found this so interesting as part of my Bible study separate from this was in Numbers today. In Numbers 15 the Israelites become so dissatisfied that they want a new leader and even say that they should have never left Egypt. Yet, Exodus clearly lays out His faithfulness despite their unfaithfulness. God’s provision was so clearly laid out for them, as it is for us, and yet they were unable to see it, just like we do so often. This made me more aware of God’s provision and faithfulness today.
I see Jesus in this passage in Exodus:
“Lord, your right hand is glorious in power.
Lord, your right hand shattered the enemy.” Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father!
I don’t know if it is better to do one long post or two short ones today… A sister in Christ always told me to look for Jesus in the OT. I just noticed it today. (Am I the only one?) God told Moses to tell the people to wash their clothes and be ready for Him on the THIRD day. (Hello, Jesus!) And… the Israelites arrived in the wilderness the THIRD month. Redemption foretold, huh?!?!?!
Hello, sisters. Thank you for your continued prayers for our son (free indeed mentioned us by name… thank you!) He has had a better day. Keep lifting him up!
The cloud of darkness in which God came down to speak to Moses
It makes me think it’s a metaphor that will still apply in the future for believers. It’s in the darkness when God is the closest. ❤️
Sometimes I have struggled with why God had the Israelites be His specific people when, like Exodus says, the whole world is His. But after coming from The Kingdom of God study, I’m starting to see that the Israelites was a group that was supposed to share and be an example of God’s kingdom on earth before Jesus arrived. It wasn’t an exclusive club like the Pharisees thought, because Rahab and others accepted God’s kingdom invitation. It reminds me of The Bible Project’s YouTube video “Heaven and Earth” and how we are to be pockets of the kingdom of God here until the two spheres reconnect.
Great connection.
This is awesome thank you for sharing!!
I highly recommend reading Hebrews 12:18-24 today as well, if you have time. It’s not one of the supplemental passages for today, but it definitely could’ve been, as it references the events from Exodus 20:18-21. I love that passage in Hebrews because it compares the people’s relationship with God under the old covenant to our relationship with Him through the new covenant given to us through Christ. The Israelites were afraid to approach God and in fact, they could not because His glory and power were so strong. But now, we are invited to approach God’s throne boldly because of what Jesus has done for us (Hebrews 4:15-16). He has washed our sins away and made a way for us to be reconciled to a holy God. What an amazing gift and privilege!
Gillian- I said the same thing to my husband, that keeping the sabbath a day of no work and holy is a commandment, and if the others are important, then why are we not following this one?!
My sister did for years (although it is because she is Mormon)but even she doesn’t follow through with it anymore. I think we have gotten lazy, and are living in the world, following the world, and I think I’m going to now put this to practice! I want to follow all my God’s commandments!
Oh what a wonderful morning to read God’s word and your beautiful reflections. I was struck by how Jesus said that these commandments that God laid down will still be in place until the end. So keeping the sabbath is still mandated and we do not do it, I wonder if much of our exhaustion and lack of perspective can come from this. These commandments are born out of love and care for us.
The scripture that stuck out for me this morning is Exodus 20 :21: the people stood far off on Moses Drew near to the thick Darkness where God was. The people heard hand saw the lightning and the trumpet and yet didn’t want God to speak to them directly. A couple of our children who love God have been going through severe difficulties during the last two years. They both, on different occasions, have said how God seemed silent. Often we don’t perceive that God is in the midst of the calamity. We think he’s only there when we get the answers to our prayers that we want. But he is there in the Darkness, drawing nearer after and during the calamity. It’s all part of his voice oh, but we often don’t discern the words and we withdraw like the Israelites. He tests us just as he was testing the Israelites to see the nature of our faith. Jesus opened the way so that with faith can see and hear him in the Darkness.
1/ What purpose does Exodus 19:4–6 give for the law established in Exodus 20?
Exodus 19:4-6 gave an introductory conditional proposal of God onto the Israelites, laying foundations for more details to come. “IF” is the key word that jumps out to me. All the law later introduced in Exodus 20 reveals the characters of God. And God proposed that the people who chose to walk with Him (by choice) also needed to enter in the covenant (agreement/contract) with Him. There is no following God if leaving aside the terms and conditions of God. He wants a clear distinction between His children (special treasure) versus the children of the world (For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?) (2 Corinthians 6:14-16). I also noticed that God is a very thorough God, He followed up by coming down with thunders, lightnings, noise of trumpet and smoking mountain to test His children, that His fear may be before them, so they sin not (Exodus 20:20).
2/ How does today’s reading shape your understanding of the story of redemption?
I see that God has always been a Redeemer from the day of old, the man of war (Exodus 15:3) who comes against the enemy to redeem His children. Redemption has always been God’s purpose for us mankind (who are prone to fall and wander) revealing His unending love, mercies and long suffering toward us. He redeemed Israel from their enemy back then (the Egyptians), and He is redeeming mankind today (Adam’s descendants) from the ultimate enemy Satan.
The surprise part for me was how He did it back then with 10 plagues, by natural disasters, with tremendous terrors inflicted all over the Egyptians, even drowned them in the Red Sea. But the redemption through Jesus was the complete opposite, nothing threatening, nothing of force, even no retaliation (Isaiah 53:7), just submissive and obedient.
God is a man of war, but He is also the God of silent sacrifice, of quiet endurance to the point of death. We have been redeemed today by the blood of Christ/ the blood of God (1 Peter 1:18-20) which had been planned before the earth.
Who can understand His ways? God never changes, but yet He is always doing something new (Isaiah 43:19), always making a new way of out of no way.
Glory and praise to Him who holds all the mysteries, all the solutions, who holds my future (and yours) in His hands and keeps me constantly guessing and in awe of Him.
Be blessed sisters!
May your day also be filled with amazing joy and awe thinking about God.
Praying for prayer requests that have been shared. May you experience victory sisters in Jesus’ name!
God didn’t give us the law to be a controlling dictator, he gave us the law so that we would be his treasured possession. Set apart; holy from the rest of creation.
Did anyone else find it interesting that God was in thick darkness when He was speaking to Moses?
Yes, did you catch where Moses told them to not do that- that it was a test…to learn respect of who God is… a respectful fear of the Lord.
@Amy Rihel I couldn’t agree more. God is reminding us to depend and trust in Him. Things of this world will not fulfill us, only He can do that, so we must always come back to him no matter the triumph or challenge we are facing.
With a single breath God buried all the Israelites enemies. He tells them they will be His cherished people if they follow his commands. Spoiler alert they don’t obey or depend on God as they promised. But our loving God still considers them His cherished people. Gods commands get so twisted around by the tine Jesus comes along and He is trying to set them straight.
Being dependent on God and not man will bring redemption that no other being can bring you. God is above all and we can never forget that.
My dear sisters, I’m having to run off to a doctor this morning to get test results. I’m asking for prayers please as the numbers tell me how bad my various meds have damaged my kidneys. I’d really rather not be relying opioids for pain relief. Thank you.
Prayers for you. I’ve had breast cancer twice and fully know the stress and anxiety of appointments, tests….and waiting. God has you, Sister!
I don’t think I have ever really read, to the point of thinking about and digesting, Exodus 20:18-21. Yes, I probably have read it in passing but to really think about it. Moses had just given them the 10 commandments and they told him they wanted him to talk to God for them because they were afraid of Him. WOW.
I also never really caught in Exodus 19:5 the very last part where it says, “although the whole earth is mine.”
It is amazing how every time I read the Bible I discover some new and amazing items and facts. The Lord has a way of continuing to teach me about Them and the Word.
Sisters, please be praying for me. Over the last couple of days my neighbor in the apartment above me has ran her broken washer and it leaked. The first time I understood because she didn’t know it was broken but then she tried it again yesterday and it leaked again. So two days I had water in my apartment from her washer. I have a lot of cleaning to do. I am so upset and frustrated with her. I know the Lord wants me to forgive her but I have extra work to do now.
Have a blessed day sisters.
Amen Jessica Sasser ! Love everyone’s comments here today !
Follow the law, be His treasure.
The Israelites were dependent on God in the wilderness. This was their freedom, dependency on their Savior! Things are no different for us today. Obedience can get a bad rap from the world’s view, but this is our freedom, dependency and obedience to our Savior! Just like the Israelites were dependent on God for manna to eat, we are dependent on the Living Water to sustain us in the wilderness. Our God is such a great author to foreshadow in this way–but it comes as no surprise because he has had this plan of redemption all along. Praise Jesus that he opened up the opportunity to us that we can also be apart of the holy nation and citizens of Heaven here on Earth. Have a great day ladies and happy June! ❤️
“God bringing a captive people out of slavery into total dependence on Him”
This is what He is still doing today.
SET APART
I was struck today by Ex. 20:21
“The people stood far off while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was”
Am I willing to be a Moses in this day?
To draw near to him – through the darkness sometimes – while it seems everyone else is backing away from God?
Taylor, praying for you. I looked up verse Exodus 14:14 this morning after reading your post because I wanted to mark it, I love that God pursues us and fights for us and then I noticed after looking away that God brought my eyes to verse 13 and was encouraged in my Spirit to post it “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring to you today.” He helps us stand firm and fights for us that we may see His victories. Praise God I needed to see this again I had already underlined and starred verse 14 as well. Thank you Taylor! Crystal Heft praying for your pastor, His complete healing. Dorothy, praying for Jake, that He will find the help he needs and God’s healing mercy and transformation. Mari V, praising God for your neighbor, now Sister in Christ for your sharing and her salvation! He is so good! ERB dear Sister. Isaiah 29:13-24 much here again in the justice He seeks. Verse 16 especially, “You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay. Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, He did not make me? Can the pot say of the Potter, he knows nothing?” Reminds me we are dust, save our Creator God, and lost in sin save our Jesus. But with our God we are More than conquerors, redeemed. And He loves this dust enough to chase after her when she was lost, to be pierced that she would know such love. Oh ERB it is overwhelming and so amazing this grace. Loved your post. Joy Sisters, much much Joy, we are loved and redeemed.
The great I AM brought the Israelites out of Egypt, the land of their captivity. He desired for them to never ever return there. Jesus through His death and resurrection brought me out from under the Law, once and for all. Jesus desires for me to live in freedom and joy and never to return to legalism. Lord, let my gratitude to You as the One who rescued, delivered and redeemed me protect me from slipping back into Egypt.
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Good morning sisters! God is the saw today, tomorrow, and forever! He longs for His people to hear His voice and obey. Even in this, it is for our benefit. It brings life, peace, and covenant with our heavenly Father. Sin divides and separates us from Him. @Dorothy, I am keeping your sister, Carol, and your nephew Jake in my prayers today. May God give peace even in the middle of this turmoil. Praying Jake can get the help he needs and that God draws him closer to Himself.
In the garden we sinned when we desired control and it led us instead to slavery (literally and figuratively). God delivered us and brought us to a place of repentance and DEPENDENCE on Him. It strikes me that everything revolves around our need to just let go, and let God be God.
MAURA, another AWESOME chapter FILLED-to-the-brim with TONS to digest and chew on!! These are the verses that stood out to me:
Isaiah 29:8 ..this verse really spoke to me!
Isaiah 29:10-13 with an emphasis on 10 and 13
Isaiah 29:15-16 both these verses really stood out, but 16 gave me the word picture I needed!!
Isaiah 29:18-20 speaks to what is happening then and now!!
Isaiah 29:24 love how this last verse sums up the entire chapter!!
Hope you have an amazing day!!! Be Blessed beautiful sisters!!!
If they will obey these commands, they will be God’s holy nation. Those who obey are God’s people.
I am getting better at looking at the Bible as one whole story. Yes, it is a collection of smaller stories but they all are a part of the whole. This was the beginning of the law, Jesus said he came to fulfill the law.
I love how God created this earth to be a perfect place for us, and even after man ruined that perfection God gave us a way to continue in this world he created for us. He gave us more structure than in the Garden, but he still wanted a connection with us.
Love this! Got chills reading your thoughts here. Thank you for sharing.
God outlines it perfectly for us & how we should act & what happens when we don’t believe. This story shows me that the Israelites trusted & feared God & he delivered them from evil.
It’s only day two, but I am already enjoying the connections being made between the Old Testament and the New. Before She Reads Truth (and other resources like Risen Motherhood), I never really looked at the Bible as a whole book, connected and telling the ultimate story. I always kinda looked at it as two separate books – one I spent a lot of time in (New) and one I visited sort of infrequently (Old). I’m so glad to be making these connections now!
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Thanks to the She Reads Truth Podcast; while reading this story I made it my purpose to not look for myself and where I fit but rather where God is. It changed the entirety of how I read these passages.
1.) Exodus 19:4-6 gives us the purpose as to why the law should be upheld. The law should be upheld because God promises to make those who obey a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. I also think it’s important to note why God gave the law; it was not to be mean or to make things but hard, but rather (like a loving parent does for their children) to provide guidelines for the ways to live a more peaceful life in harmony with others, glorifying Him, and the best ways to take care of themselves.
2. Exodus gives us a forshadowing of what’s to come. In the song of Moses located in Exodus 15, Moses and the children sang that He has become their salvation. However, this song was sang roughly 1400 years before Jesus earthly birth, death and resurrection. They are referring to salvation as saving them from Israel, but we know years later Jesus came and saved us from ourselves and our own sins by fulfilling the laws for us. How Great Thou Art.
Wow I am SO excited for this study with you all! I love the reflection questions and reading each of your responses :) When I opened my Bible this morning to Exodus 15, on the other side of the page I had Exodus 14:14 highlighted “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Those words washed over me this morning because I am dealing with one area in my life where I feel I am still a slave to this particular sin. Coming out of a recent relationship has really highlighted this area for me, but today’s words were so comforting that even THIS area is part of my redemptive story. I want to be in a place of TOTAL dependence on Christ to sustain me, to strengthen me, to provide for me, to restore me, to deliver me. I BELIEVE HE WILL!!!! Each day I have to rely on Him, I am given another opportunity to surrender my expectations, my desires, for Him and His will. In today’s passages, the Israelites had the exact same choice to make. The Lord will provide for each of us in our own ways! May we trust in Him today <3
God was setting His people apart. If they will obey…He will set them apart and make them His treasured possession.
What stands out to me is the Israelites just saw miracles and God’s hand in the delivery from slavery. They even heard God’s voice and trembled! Yet, it didn’t take long before they longed to go back. They wanted what was familiar and comfortable even though it brought death and separation from God. Our sin is that way. I especially think of addiction, not just to drugs alcohol and sx, but even comfort food or scrolling social media. Even after a delivery, there is still a longing to go back to false comfort when things aren’t going right. “As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. (Proverbs 26:11)
So many times I’ve read Exodus and thought what fools they were, they just saw God’s mighty hand of deliverance!!! But I am they. Just makes me realize how much I need my savior!
GENESIS – In the beginning. God. Creation. People. Unity.
Sin choice brings division.
EXODUS – Marching orders for God’s people in attitude and action. Step by step He brings us closer to Home.
He will always go above and beyond for those who keep His commands and His word in their hearts. Re-reading the commandments helped me open my eyes on some areas that I have been struggling with!
The LORD will bring me out of the place of slavery. Slavery is anything that is oppressive and works you very hard… so I’m claiming freedom, in Christ’s name, from the slavery of depression, of autoimmune sicknesses, and of guilt! God will deliver. God will provide. God’s glory will be revealed and shine! God’s presence will be with me, is with me, and has been with me.
Hosea 13:3 stood out to me this morning. “There is no other saviour.” Amen! Only Jesus can fulfill the law and make us right with God.
He has saved, called and chose us. He is the Lord God and there is no other besides Him. He hems us in keeping us as His own.
Q1: @KELLY put what I was thinking into words: “God wanted each one of His people to be a priest making a holy nation. But the people settled for Moses representing them. They could have each walked with God but chose to keep Him at a distance.”
Q2: The Triune has wanted us restored and redeemed ever since the fall of man… He calls us by our name (man) and forms us with His hands, we are precious to Him. He wants nothing more than to restore what temptation took/takes away from us. It is OUR choice! Let us choose to FOLLOW, obey and draw ever nearer to Him.
*Something I took away from yesterday’s reading in Genesis was this: we were created as watchmen, caretakers, friends who walked with God… nothing was allowed to enter that wasn’t given permission… so how did the serpent get in the garden? Why was it allowed to even speak, let alone to Eve (who was to be watched over) …why taste something that was forbidden? …was it fear? Was it desire? Was it pride? …all questions I ask myself when I realize I’ve made a choice that didn’t/doesn’t honor God.
…another thing that has had my mind kind of reeling is that Adam named ALL the creatures of the earth!! This included the fish of the sea and the birds of the air… was his body held captive with limitations like ours are today? Or did he have the freedom and ability to meet each of the creatures where they were at (underwater, in the sky) …pondering these things, has made me even MORE aware of what we may have lost (& still lose) when giving in to the serpent and also, how GREAT our God is!!! He RESTORES us FULLY unto Him when we choose to give our hearts to Him!! How AWESOME is that!!! Thank You Jesus for Your unconditional, redemptive, unrelenting and forgiving LOVE!!!
Yes! This! I’ve been taught that the Israelite’s location was a major thoroughfare with people passing through often. As followers of the commandment covenant, they were to be God’s ambassadors, showing the rest of civilization how to treat others, how to honor one God, etc.
how much more so have we now been brought out of our slavery to sin and into the freedom found in Jesus’ salvific work…allowing us to freely love, forgive, trust, obey, hope, and point to the God who orchestrated it all.
God lays out the rules, so He can have a special relationship with the Israelites. He has always desired communion with His creation. His redemptive intentions show through as He lays down boundaries for how to live. “…you will be my treasured possession.” Exodus 19:5 Then Jesus comes and says, “I’ve come to fulfill the law!” And He completes the plan. Redemption and full union with Him has been and will always be the God’s Plan A for all of His children.
Q1: I believe it is establishing Gods idea of our “best selves”. Who he created us to be is His, his beloved. And to honor that we follow the law with the knowledge that even when we fail, He in full grace and love will forgive and set us back in right standing. Q2: this is showing me another depth of Gods love for His people. Those who chose to follow Him have all of Him at their disposal. He is willing to give it all to us if we will fully submit ourselves to him. His love is the prize. He is worth it all ❤️ Be Blessed Beloved ❤️
The link doesn’t seem to work so just search “I will sing Unto the Lord (Horse and Rider)” – I pulled LifeTree Kids VBS version
God’s desire is to “bring his people to himself”. (Ex 19:4) He wants his people to be with him forever. The story of redemption is God’s beautiful plan to bring his people back to himself. What a great God we serve!!
In the podcast you said you wanted a song for this Exodus passage- guessing this has been sent but this is what I learned as a kid, we would start slow and keep speeding up to see how fast we could – it stuck!!. https://youtu.be/sW7PH8Csg0U
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Q1: God wanted each one of His people to be a priest making a holy nation. But the people settled for Moses representing them. They could have each walked with God but chose to keep Him at a distance.
Q2: Through Jesus, I am now a part of God’s holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). I am His precious possession with a mission to show others His goodness and mercy.
Hosea 13:4,4 I have been the Lord your God ever since the land of Egypt;
you know no God but me, and no Savior exists besides me.
The same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Imagine reading the scriptures with no hope. How blessed, how exciting that He hasn’t given up on us, He offers to us the same Salvation.
Thank you God.
The reading today made me think of 1 Peter 2: 9-10. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
I am now a part of God’s chosen people, not because of anything I’ve done to deserve that, but because of what Jesus did for me on the cross. The law was given to show us just how far we are from where we should be. But God, in His infinite love, grace, and mercy made a way for us to enter His presence.
We are His very own; He’s chosen us to be His beloved possessions. He has set us apart as a beautiful reflection of Himself.
Have a blessed day!
God is my salvation and strength
Good morning ladies!
Exodus 2:9 makes me think of where we are at today. The enemy would like nothing more than to overtake us and destroy us. But God… Exodus 15:2-3 – “The Lord is my strength and my song…The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name.”
So good to know that God is my salvation, my warrior. No need to fear the enemy. God is mightier.
Have a blessed day, dear sisters.