How to Build an Idol

PRAYER - "Face to Face with God"

God punished Israel for worshiping the golden calf, but Moses' intercession saved their lives. Immediately, God again promised to give them a land flowing with milk and honey. But the people were unmoved. Ultimately, it was Moses' profound relationship with God that salvaged the entire project. Israel could easily see that when Moses entered the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and the voice of God spoke to Moses. Remember, whole nations can depend on one man's prayers.

Exodus 33:11 - "And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend." Let's read the story.  Bible and Commentary.

PRINCIPALS - "Mount Sinai"
Mount Sinai was in the Wilderness of Sin, (some believe) named after the "moon god", Sin. But it was not a moon god who made it famous. Today, "scholars" could drive you crazy with arguments about where Sinai is, but it does not really matter. What matters is that God spoke to Moses and Israel there, and forever changed the world.

Exodus 19:18 - "And mount Sinai (Video) was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly."  Let's read the story. Bible and Commentary.

PRINCIPLES - "First Commandment - No Other Gods"
What did any other god ever do for you? The God who created everything, including YOU and ME, deserves all the glory. It is a shame that He has to tell us not to worship anybody else. You can call it a commandment if you want, but it begs to be appreciated as a stark reality. There ARE no other gods. Whoever created all this universe, OWNS it. Worshiping anything else is just plain stupid. That may not be grammatically correct, but it is theologically incontrovertible.

Exodus 20:3 - "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."  Let's read the story. Bible and Commentary.

PROPHECIES - "Ark of the Covenant"


Ark of the Covenant
Video

The first item God commissioned for the Tabernacle was the Ark of the Covenant. Built of shittim wood, roughly about 4ft-L x 3ft-W x 3ft-H, overlaid with and crowned with gold. Staves permanently slid through rings on four corners for carrying by priests. The "testimony" (Ten Commandments) inside was covered by a beaten-golden "mercy seat" with two winged cherubims facing each other. It prefigured Jesus Christ; the embodiment and mouthpiece of everything divine.
Exodus 25:22 - "...there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat."  Let's read the story. Bible and Commentary.




 

 

 

Identity That Can't
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PRAYER - "Moses the Intercessor"
After meeting God in Sinai, Moses found Israel riotously worshiping a golden calf. God started to utterly destroy them, offering to make Moses a great nation instead. But Moses wanted to be blotted out of the book of life if God would not save Israel. That was dramatic intercession!
Exodus 32:31-32 - "Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written." Let's read the story.  Bible and Commentary.


PRINCIPALS - "Exodus"

The book of Exodus is, at the outset, a biography of Moses - arguably the most significant human being ever born. Without Moses, there would have been no Bible, no Jews, no Christians, and no Muslims, and no rule of law as we know it. What man left his stamp on civilization for all time as Moses? Yet, if there had been no burning bush, no voice of God, no leprous hand, no rod changed to a serpent, we would never have heard of Moses. Without God, there had been no Moses. What would not happened if Moses had procrastinated.
     Deuteronomy 33:1 - "Moses the man of God"  Let's read the story. Bible and Commentary.

PRINCIPLES - "The Ten Commandments"
Before God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, He had already done many mighty miracles in behalf of the children of Israel (i.e., deliverance from Pharaoh, Red Sea crossing, Manna, Quail, etc.). If they had been grateful, they should have been eager to conform to His commandments. But God had to remind them of His goodness. Let us remember that we owe Him far more than He will ever ask of us.

Exodus 20:2 - "I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage."  Let's read the story. Bible and Commentary.

PROPHECIES - "The Tabernacle Plan"

The Tabernacle plan was as prophetic as anything in the Bible. Virtually everything about the tabernacle and its furnishings carried a message about the coming Messiah and His plan to redeem men from their sins. If Moses had not followed God's pattern meticulously, a profound message would have been skewed or totally lost.

Exodus 25:8-9 - "And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it."  Let's read the story. Bible and Commentary.

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PRAYER - "When Expectations Backfire"
Moses did what God told him to do. He and Aaron presented themselves to Pharaoh and delivered the message God gave him. But instead of freeing Israel, Pharaoh was bitter and punished them harsher. God often allows our enemies to rage before He smites them. It may look like our prayers and obedient actions have totally backfired, but they haven't. Moses complained, but God assured him that judgment was coming for Pharaoh.

Exodus 5:22 - "And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?"  Let's read the story. Bible and Commentary

PRINCIPALS - "Twelve Tribes"
Joseph was the first of the tribal elders to Egypt. The eleven brothers came later, in God's time, with their father. The Levites, as priests, did not inherit lands, leaving eleven. Joseph would be replaced by his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Hence, the number remained twelve. Twelve seems to be the number of divine government. Israel had twelve tribes. The church had twelve apostles. The city of Heaven has twelve foundations and twelve gates.

Exodus 1:2-5 - "Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. ...Joseph."   Let's read the story.  Bible 

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Dead Churches

PRINCIPLES - "Firstborn"
God in His Holiness instructed Moses to inform Pharaoh that Israel was God's firstborn. If Pharaoh would not free Israel, God would destroy Pharaoh's firstborn. God claimed Abraham's firstborn - "thine ONLY SON Isaac" (as if Ishmael had never been born). When Esau and Jacob were born, Esau despised his role as firstborn, so God claimed Jacob as his firstborn. This is not saying that Israel was God's first son, "because ALL the firstborn are mine," Numbers 3:13.

Exodus 4:22 - "And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn."  Let's read the story. Bible and Commentary

 

 

PROPHECIES - "God Meant It Unto Good"

Jacob was dead. The family took him to Hebron and buried him in the cave at Machpelah. The brothers were afraid that Joseph would now avenge himself of their former sins. They appealed to him for mercy. Joseph assured them that he knew God was working for all their good in that horrific experience. We should remember that in our trials. Learning to return daily unto God!
   Genesis 50:20 - "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive."  Let's read the story. Bible and Commentary

 

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Study on Finger of God

PRAYER - "This Is The Finger of God"

Pharaoh promised to let Israel go free if Moses took away the frogs. Moses cried out to God because of the frogs, and God immediately killed the frogs in the houses, villages and fields. They piled them up until the whole land stank. But Pharaoh reneged. So God sent a plague of flies by Moses. Pharaoh's magicians tried to copy the miracle to appease Pharaoh, but could not. Ultimately, NOBODY will ever beat God at His game.

Exodus 8:19 - "Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God."  Let's read the Story. Bible or Commentary

PRINCIPALS - "Pharaoh's Sorcerers"
Satan has always attempted to steal God's glory. It is his number one desire. One of his primary strategies is illegal use and imitation.  Any time Satan can delude and deceive anyone from true faith in God, he has achieved a proud objective. Again and again, however, God's power prevails. Moses' serpent ate Pharaoh's serpents. God's sword of truth will always prevail over His enemies' swords of deception.

Exodus 7:11 - "Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments."  Let's read the Story.  Bible or Commentary

PRINCIPLES - "God's Enemies"
God is not as cruel as many people accuse Him. God never launches the first strike. An offense must first be committed. God's enemies provoke Him by transgressions. He never destroys the just or the righteous. That is Satan's business. God is longsuffering, but His enemies, by nature, invariably give Him cause to destroy them.

Exodus 7:4 - "But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments."  Let's read the Story. Bible or Commentary

PROPHECIES - "That Nation Will I Judge"

When God visited Abraham during the horror of great darkness, Israel's deliverance from Egypt was prophesied. "They shall afflict them four hundred years; and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge; and afterward shall they come out with great substance." Moses pronounced ten plagues on Egypt, and Israel walked out with their jewels.

Exodus 9:14 - "For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth."  Let's read the Story. Bible or Commentary

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PRAYER - "Take Away The Frogs!"

The second plague God sent upon Egypt by Moses was frogs. Frogs were everywhere - bedchambers, kitchen ovens, even in bread dough. Pharaoh begged Moses to ask God to "take away the frogs!" Moses said, "WHEN?" Unbelievably, Pharaoh said, "TOMORROW!" Tomorrow?? Even today, people are as foolish as Pharaoh was, ignorantly postponing repentance and obedience even in calamitous times. Why not right now?  Let's read the story. Bible and Adam Clarke's Commentary

    Exodus 8:8 - "Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat the LORD, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go."  Let's read the story.

PRINCIPALS - "Jehovah - LORD"
Whenever you see the word LORD in all capital letters in the King James Version of the Bible, it is rendered thus from the Hebrew "YHWH," otherwise rendered "Jehovah." The Hebrew language contains no vowels as does the English. Many Orthodox Jews refuse to pronounce YHWH, so the word LORD is used. Either way, it means "self-existent One." In this verse, "God Almighty" is derived from "El Shaddai."

Exodus 6:3 - "I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them."  Let's read the story. Bible and  Adam Clarke's Commentary 

PRINCIPLES - "A Bloody Husband" The Woman who was a SINNER!

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God' Word will Prevail

Zipporah  was Moses' wife, daughter of a Midianite priest whom he met during his personal exile. His name was Reuel, later referred to as Jethro (possibly a priestly title meaning "excellency"). Zipporah was hostile about the Jewish circumcision, refusing to allow Moses to circumcise their two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, until God forced the issue by threatening to kill Moses. Their disagreement was so sharp that Moses sent her back to her father for a while. The entire family rejoined Moses later.

    Exodus 4:26 - "...then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision."  Let's read the story. Bible

PROPHECIES - "I Will Be With Thy Mouth"

When God calls a man, He assumes full responsibility for his future. God assured Moses that He would teach him everything he should say to Pharaoh. God also promised that Moses would "do signs" with the rod he carried with him. God foretold Moses of all the plagues He would send to Egypt and how Pharaoh would respond. Moses simply had to follow God's leading, and he did for forty more years.

Exodus 4:12 - "Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say."  Let's read the story. Bible and Adam Clarke's commentary

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PRAYER - "Aggravating Prayers"

Moses actually made God angry by his cop-out excuse-making prayers. He wanted God to send somebody else to do the job. God promised to send Aaron to help him. He gave Moses some impressive miracle-working powers (turning sticks to snakes, a hand to leprosy, and water to blood).
Some times our prayers aggravate God, but He graciously answers anyway.

Exodus 4:10 - "And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue."  Let's read the story.  Bible and Commentary

PRINCIPALS - "I AM"

Moses asked God His name, so he could tell the people. God said, "I AM." It means "the self-existent one." It also means, "the cause." Nothing else in the universe existed before God, and without Him, nothing would exist. His spirit nature is the primordial stuff - more elemental than atoms, particles, waves, hadrons, quarks, leptons and preons.God is the basis of all things.

Exodus 3:14 - "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."  Let's read the story. Bible and Commentary



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PRINCIPLES - "Fainting From Unbelief"

Unbelief is a killer, and it can kill otherwise great men. Double-minded men are unstable in all their ways. Either God is everything He says He is, or He is a liar. It is up to you to get a hold on the truth of the matter. Nobody else can do it for you. Tell Jacob that Joseph is still alive. Don't doubt it. Rejoice!

Genesis 45:26 - "And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not." Let's read the story. Bible and Commentary

PROPHECIES - "Jacob the Prophet"

Jacob was a true prophet - a seer. He knew God's working in his own life, but he could also see what God was doing in his twelve sons. The forty-ninth chapter of Genesis records Jacob's prophetic pronouncements on each of the twelve tribes. Reuben will not excel. Simeon and Levi will divide and scatter. In Judah, sceptres, lawgivers, "Shiloh" (Messiah). Everyone received a prophetic word that day.

Genesis 49:1 - "And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days."  Let's read the story. Bible and Commentary



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PRAYER - "How Shall Pharaoh Hearken?"
I probably would have asked the same question. "God, why should I believe the king of Egypt will listen to me?" But God had an answer. "I have made you a god in Pharaoh's eyes. And your brother, Aaron, will be your prophet." God can make a mountain out of a molehill. He can make ordinary men stand before kings and prevail. Stop seeing yourself through YOUR eyes and see yourself through God's eyes.
Exodus 6:30 -
  "...Moses said before the LORD, Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?"  Let's read the story. Bible

PRINCIPALS - "Aaron"                               Parental Authority

You have to appreciate the timing of this miracle. Moses had been in the wilderness and had not seen his brother, Aaron for forty years. But after meeting God at the burning bush, God promised to send Aaron. Moses returned home to collect his wife and children. Aaron suddenly showed up. There was no postal service, telephones, or Internet. The only line of communication between Moses and Aaron was God. 
         
Exodus 4:27 - "And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him."  Let's read the story.  Bible
 

PRINCIPLES - "What Is That In Thy Hand?"
I love this vast spiritual principle. God uses whatever you have available. Never underestimate God's ability to use ordinary things mightily. Moses had a stick in his hand. God turned it into a snake. He parted the Red Sea with it. He drew water out of a rock with it. That was the mightiest stick in the history of man, but only because God Almighty made it so. What is that in YOUR hand?

Exodus 4:2 - "And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod."  Let's read the story. Bible

  

PROPHECIES - "Ye Shall Not Go Empty"

 How on earth could Moses ever evacuate two million Jews from Egypt? How on earth could such a multitude survive such an upheaval and transition? Well, he certainly could not do it if not for the mighty hand of God to work miracle after miracle in their behalf. NEVER underestimate the power of God. Israel left with a vast horde of Egypt's riches.

Exodus 3:21 - "And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty:"  Let's read the story. Bible