Confessional Lutheran Ministerium

Exodus 36:2-19 NKJV ² Then Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, everyone whose heart was stirred, to come and do the work. ³ And they received from Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of making the sanctuary. So they continued bringing to him freewill offerings every morning. ⁴ Then all the craftsmen who were doing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work he was doing, ⁵ and they spoke to Moses, saying, “The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the Lord commanded us to do.”

⁶ So Moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, “Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.” And the people were restrained from bringing, ⁷ for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done—indeed too much.

⁸ Then all the gifted artisans among them who worked on the tabernacle made ten curtains woven of fine linen, and of blue, purple, and scarlet thread; with artistic designs of cherubim they made them. ⁹ The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; the curtains were all the same size. ¹⁰ And he coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another. ¹¹ He made loops of blue yarn on the edge of the curtain on the selvedge of one set; likewise he did on the outer edge of the other curtain of the second set. ¹² Fifty loops he made on one curtain, and fifty loops he made on the edge of the curtain on the end of the second set; the loops held one curtain to another. ¹³ And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains to one another with the clasps, that it might be one tabernacle.

¹⁴ He made curtains of goats’ hair for the tent over the tabernacle; he made eleven curtains. ¹⁵ The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; the eleven curtains were the same size. ¹⁶ He coupled five curtains by themselves and six curtains by themselves. ¹⁷ And he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in one set, and fifty loops he made on the edge of the curtain of the second set. ¹⁸ He also made fifty bronze clasps to couple the tent together, that it might be one. ¹⁹ Then he made a covering for the tent of ram skins dyed red, and a covering of badger skins above that.

“Then Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, everyone whose heart was stirred, to come and do the work.”

The construction of the Tabernacle reveals a beautiful interplay between God’s provision, human skill, and willing hearts. God stirred the hearts of the people to give generously for the work of the sanctuary, so much so that the artisans eventually had more than enough materials. Bezalel and Aholiab, along with others gifted by God, used their wisdom and skill to fashion the Tabernacle according to His precise instructions.

This passage highlights the value of both spiritual and practical gifts in service to God. The people’s freewill offerings—gold, silver, fabric, and other materials—were tangible expressions of their devotion. These gifts, combined with the God-given abilities of the craftsmen, came together to create a dwelling place for God’s presence among His people.

In the same way, God has entrusted each of us with unique gifts, whether material resources, talents, or time. He calls us to use these gifts in service to His kingdom, not out of compulsion, but from hearts moved by gratitude for His grace. When we offer ourselves willingly, God uses our contributions—great or small—to accomplish His purposes.

Consider also the joy in this work. The people gave abundantly, and the craftsmen labored diligently, not out of obligation but because their hearts were stirred. Their work was worship, a response to the God who had redeemed them from Egypt and made His covenant with them.

As you reflect on this passage, ask yourself: What gifts has God entrusted to me? How can I use them to glorify Him? Whether it’s a skill, a resource, or a moment of your time, God delights in the offerings of a willing heart.

Let us pray: Lord, You are the giver of every good gift. Stir our hearts to serve You with willing hands and joyful spirits. Teach us to use all that You have entrusted to us for Your glory and the building of Your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Psalm 78:12-25 NKJV

¹² Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers,
In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
¹³ He divided the sea and caused them to pass through;
And He made the waters stand up like a heap.
¹⁴ In the daytime also He led them with the cloud,
And all the night with a light of fire.
¹⁵ He split the rocks in the wilderness,
And gave them drink in abundance like the depths.
¹⁶ He also brought streams out of the rock,
And caused waters to run down like rivers.

¹⁷ But they sinned even more against Him
By rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.
¹⁸ And they tested God in their heart
By asking for the food of their fancy.
¹⁹ Yes, they spoke against God:
They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
²⁰ Behold, He struck the rock,
So that the waters gushed out,
And the streams overflowed.
Can He give bread also?
Can He provide meat for His people?”

²¹ Therefore the Lord heard this and was furious;
So a fire was kindled against Jacob,
And anger also came up against Israel,
²² Because they did not believe in God,
And did not trust in His salvation.
²³ Yet He had commanded the clouds above,
And opened the doors of heaven,
²⁴ Had rained down manna on them to eat,
And given them of the bread of heaven.
²⁵ Men ate angels’ food;
He sent them food to the full.

“Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. He divided the sea and caused them to pass through; and He made the waters stand up like a heap. In the daytime also He led them with the cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.”

Psalm 78 recounts the mighty deeds of God, reminding His people of His steadfast faithfulness, even in the midst of their rebellion. The psalmist draws our attention to the wonders God performed to deliver Israel, leading them out of bondage and sustaining them in the wilderness. From the parting of the sea to the pillar of cloud and fire, God’s power and mercy were displayed time and again.

Yet, despite witnessing His miraculous care, the hearts of the people often wavered. They doubted His provision, testing Him in the wilderness. How quickly they forgot the One who brought water from the rock and rained down manna from heaven! This divine bread, called “angels’ food,” was not just sustenance but a testament to God’s gracious provision for His chosen people.

As we reflect on this passage, we see parallels in our own lives. How often do we, too, forget God’s faithfulness? When challenges arise, we may question His care, overlooking the countless ways He has provided for us in the past. Like Israel, we may demand signs or grow impatient, as if God’s grace were insufficient for today’s needs.

Psalm 78 reminds us to remember and trust. God has not changed. The same Lord who provided manna in the wilderness has given us the Bread of Life—Jesus Christ. In Him, we find not only our daily provision but eternal life. When doubts creep in, let us turn to His Word, recalling His works and promises.

Take heart in knowing that God’s faithfulness endures through every trial. Trust Him to provide for your needs today, just as He has done in the past. His grace is sufficient; His mercies are new every morning. Let us pray: Gracious Lord, thank You for Your steadfast faithfulness and abundant provision. Help us to trust in Your care and remember Your mighty works, that we may walk by faith and not by sight. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Psalm 78:1-11 NKJV

78 Give ear, O my people, to my law;
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
² I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings of old,
³ Which we have heard and known,
And our fathers have told us.
⁴ We will not hide them from their children,
Telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord,
And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.

⁵ For He established a testimony in Jacob,
And appointed a law in Israel,
Which He commanded our fathers,
That they should make them known to their children;
⁶ That the generation to come might know them,
The children who would be born,
That they may arise and declare them to their children,
⁷ That they may set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments;
⁸ And may not be like their fathers,
A stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation that did not set its heart aright,
And whose spirit was not faithful to God.

⁹ The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows,
Turned back in the day of battle.
¹⁰ They did not keep the covenant of God;
They refused to walk in His law,
¹¹ And forgot His works
And His wonders that He had shown them.

Psalm 78 is one of the longer Psalms, with the very simple theme of God’s faithfulness contrasted with Israel’s unfaithfulness. But the Psalmist’s purpose in making this contrast is neither to shame nor to berate, but to teach.

“I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old.” Matthew tells us that this saying was fulfilled by Christ in the many parables He told. If we consider His parables, we realize that they didn’t teach anything new. Jesus spoke old truths—truths expressed throughout the Old Testament—in new and sometimes hidden ways, which forced the hearers to ponder and dig deeper into the things He taught. For those who take the time to do so, seeking the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, we learn invaluable lessons from Jesus’ parables about God, about His kingdom, and about ourselves.

The Psalmist’s concern is to pass on the same old truths to Israel, that parents may pass them on to their children, and so on, and so on, throughout the generations. The things to pass on are the wondrous works of God and the commandments of God, or to put it another way, Bible history and Bible doctrine.

The importance of passing on these two aspects of the Christian faith cannot be overestimated. This is how God forms and preserves His Church, with both parents and pastors playing a vital role in training up children in the way they should go (cf. Prov. 22:6), “that they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.”

Because, what happens when people forget? Israel’s own history provides the answer, over and over again, starting with their many rebellions in the wilderness with Moses. The people forget the Lord, turn away from His Word, and come to ruin, both physical and spiritual, every single time. But as St. Paul says, “All these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition” (1 Cor. 10:11). And again, “Whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Rom. 15:4). Let us pray: O Lord, we will tell Your praises to the generation to come, and Your strength and Your wonderful works that You have done. Amen.

Exodus 35:20 – 36:1 NKJV

²⁰ And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. ²¹ Then everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments. ²² They came, both men and women, as many as had a willing heart, and brought earrings and nose rings, rings and necklaces, all jewelry of gold, that is, every man who made an offering of gold to the Lord. ²³ And every man, with whom was found blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair, red skins of rams, and badger skins, brought them. ²⁴ Everyone who offered an offering of silver or bronze brought the Lord’s offering. And everyone with whom was found acacia wood for any work of the service, brought it. ²⁵ All the women who were gifted artisans spun yarn with their hands, and brought what they had spun, of blue, purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. ²⁶ And all the women whose hearts stirred with wisdom spun yarn of goats’ hair. ²⁷ The rulers brought onyx stones, and the stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate, ²⁸ and spices and oil for the light, for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense. ²⁹ The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the Lord, all the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring material for all kinds of work which the Lord, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done.

³⁰ And Moses said to the children of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; ³¹ and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship, ³² to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver and bronze, ³³ in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of artistic workmanship.

³⁴ “And He has put in his heart the ability to teach, in him and Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. ³⁵ He has filled them with skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and the designer and the tapestry maker, in blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen, and of the weaver—those who do every work and those who design artistic works.

36 “And Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whom the Lord has put wisdom and understanding, to know how to do all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, shall do according to all that the Lord has commanded.”

The people of Israel had come a long way in the past six weeks. They had gone from open idolaters who were bored with the Lord to cheerful givers, ready to give away their treasures for the work of the ministry. The forgiveness of sins will do that to people. God’s commandment to make no idols wasn’t enough to keep them from idolatry. But God’s forgiveness, combined with an opportunity to freely contribute to the Lord’s work, produced the proper response.

Isolated in the middle of the wilderness, the people of Israel readily gave up their precious metals and stones, threads of rare colors, scarce supplies of wood, coveted supplies of animal skins. Men and women donated freely to the construction of their divinely designed place of worship. God, through His people, saw to it that all the needed materials were provided.

As for the artisans, God also saw to them. He gave His Holy Spirit to two men, to whom He gave all the necessary gifts to oversee every intricate detail of the construction. With the help of the other gifted craftsmen in Israel, they would produce a tabernacle and priestly vestments that were not only functional but also beautiful, not slapped together but crafted with excellence, all for the purpose of teaching the people what they needed to know about God, sin, atonement, and the person and work of the coming Messiah. Ultimately, the forms of worship God instituted were to teach the people how to be saved through faith in Christ.

The promise of God’s forgiveness for Christ’s sake, when it is believed, always moves God’s people to respond with thanksgiving. Finally, with the burden of guilt removed, we are able to offer Him our best, for the good of His New Testament tabernacle, which is the Church, the body of Christ. Meanwhile, through our humble efforts, God sees to it that His Church has everything it needs: faithful preachers, devoted members, a place to gather around Word and Sacrament, and all the gifts necessary to ensure that the Gospel of Christ is taught clearly among us, so that we may know how to approach the Father through Him. Let us pray: Father in heaven, we offer You our bodies as living sacrifices, for the praise of Your glorious grace. Amen.

Exodus 35:1-19 NKJV 35 Then Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said to them, “These are the words which the Lord has commanded you to do: ² Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. ³ You shall kindle no fire throughout your dwellings on the Sabbath day.”

⁴ And Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the Lord commanded, saying: ⁵ ‘Take from among you an offering to the Lord. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the Lord: gold, silver, and bronze; ⁶ blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair; ⁷ ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood; ⁸ oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; ⁹ onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate.

¹⁰ ‘All who are gifted artisans among you shall come and make all that the Lord has commanded: ¹¹ the tabernacle, its tent, its covering, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; ¹² the ark and its poles, with the mercy seat, and the veil of the covering; ¹³ the table and its poles, all its utensils, and the showbread; ¹⁴ also the lampstand for the light, its utensils, its lamps, and the oil for the light; ¹⁵ the incense altar, its poles, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, and the screen for the door at the entrance of the tabernacle; ¹⁶ the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its poles, all its utensils, and the laver and its base; ¹⁷ the hangings of the court, its pillars, their sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court; ¹⁸ the pegs of the tabernacle, the pegs of the court, and their cords; ¹⁹ the garments of ministry, for ministering in the holy place—the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests.’ ”

After conveying all the commandments and regulations of the Covenant to the people of Israel, Moses now turns to implementing the special forms of worship which God has given them under this covenant.

A large part of Israel’s worship centered on the Sabbath Day, so he repeats the content of the Third Commandment. They were to do no work on the Sabbath day, not even kindling a fire in their homes. How serious was the Lord about this? He sentenced Sabbath-breakers to the death penalty! To refrain from work on the Sabbath Day was an act of worship that God demanded. So, to work on that day was to intentionally refuse to worship God.

The other special aspect of Israel’s worship had to do with the tabernacle and with the priestly ministry which would take place in it. Having received from God the designs for the tabernacle and for the priestly vestments, Moses now turns to the people for the things that will be required.

First, he calls for an offering to be gathered. It is to be a freewill offering, so that all the outward forms of worship God has prescribed for their worship may be carried out according to His instructions. Then, Moses calls for the gifted artisans to come forward and make the structure of the tabernacle, and its furnishings, and the ornate priestly garments. All this is to be done (1) freely, out of thanksgiving to God and to honor God, and (2) according to the Word of God.

While we in the New Testament are no longer under the Sabbath command, we can learn the same lesson that Israel was to learn: that God’s Word is to be strictly honored, that only those acts of worship are God-pleasing which are done according to His Word, and that we dare not seek to be justified before God by any of our works, but only by faith in Christ. And while the Old Testament tabernacle and priesthood are no longer in effect, being fulfilled in the person and priesthood of the Lord Jesus, we can learn from this chapter the grace of contributing our God-given possessions and gifts to the ministry of the New Testament, that God’s Word may be purely preached among us. Let us pray: Lord God, we thank You for teaching us to worship You by receiving and honoring Your Word. Graciously preserve it in our midst, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Exodus 34:19-35 NKJV

¹⁹ “All that open the womb are Mine, and every male firstborn among your livestock, whether ox or sheep. ²⁰ But the firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb. And if you will not redeem him, then you shall break his neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem.

“And none shall appear before Me empty-handed.

²¹ “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest.

²² “And you shall observe the Feast of Weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year’s end.

²³ “Three times in the year all your men shall appear before the Lord, the Lord God of Israel. ²⁴ For I will cast out the nations before you and enlarge your borders; neither will any man covet your land when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year.

²⁵ “You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leaven, nor shall the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover be left until morning.

²⁶ “The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.”

²⁷ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write these words, for according to the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” ²⁸ So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

²⁹ Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. ³⁰ So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. ³¹ Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him; and Moses talked with them. ³² Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them as commandments all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. ³³ And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. ³⁴ But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded. ³⁵ And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.

In His renewal of the covenant, the Lord repeats the laws concerning the firstborn, the Sabbath, annual attendance at the three major feasts, and the prohibition of leaven from the altar of God. He even repeats the law against cooking a young goat in its mother’s milk. Although we are no longer subject to the laws of this covenant, we do well to meditate on all these commandments, to consider what permanent lessons God was teaching Israel and us through them.

Again, in this chapter a comparison is set up between Moses and the Lord Christ. Moses spends another forty days on the mountain with God, fasting and writing. This forty-day fast is mirrored in the life of Jesus, the Prophet like Moses (cf. Deut. 18:15), who would spend forty days in the wilderness, fasting and enduring temptation, not so that He could give us a new law, but so that He might fulfill the old law and set us free from its condemnations. As John writes, “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).

The apostle Paul also makes a comparison (cf. 2 Cor. 3:7-18) between the Old and New Testaments through the account of Moses’ shining face. His face literally glowed brightly after speaking with God on Mt. Sinai, and for a little while after he would speak with God in the tent of meeting. The Israelites saw the glory of his face and were amazed. But after relating God’s Word to the people with glowing face, Moses would put a veil over his face until the next time he spoke with the Lord. As Paul explains, this was to prevent the Israelites from watching the radiance slowly fade away in between Moses’ encounters with God. The glory didn’t last.

This “fading glory” represents the inferior, fading nature of the Old Testament. The Law-covenant of Sinai was always meant to fade away and be replaced by the Gospel-covenant of Christ. The glory of Moses faded away, but the glory of Christ will never fade away. The Law of Moses, sealed with the blood of animals, was in place for a limited time, but the New Testament, sealed with the blood of Christ, endures forever!

Let us pray: Father, as we behold Your glory in Christ, keep transforming us into His image, from glory into glory. Amen.

Exodus 34:1-18 NKJV

34 And the Lord said to Moses, “Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke. ² So be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself to Me there on the top of the mountain. ³ And no man shall come up with you, and let no man be seen throughout all the mountain; let neither flocks nor herds feed before that mountain.”

⁴ So he cut two tablets of stone like the first ones. Then Moses rose early in the morning and went up Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him; and he took in his hand the two tablets of stone.

⁵ Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. ⁶ And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, ⁷ keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”

⁸ So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. ⁹ Then he said, “If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.”

¹⁰ And He said: “Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you. ¹¹ Observe what I command you this day. Behold, I am driving out from before you the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. ¹² Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst. ¹³ But you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images ¹⁴ (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), ¹⁵ lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they play the harlot with their gods and make sacrifice to their gods, and one of them invites you and you eat of his sacrifice, ¹⁶ and you take of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters play the harlot with their gods and make your sons play the harlot with their gods.

¹⁷ “You shall make no molded gods for yourselves.

¹⁸ “The Feast of Unleavened Bread you shall keep. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, in the appointed time of the month of Abib; for in the month of Abib you came out from Egypt.

The LORD mercifully renews the covenant Israel has broken, symbolized by new tablets to replace the broken ones. Here Yahweh repeats His name, which includes not only “He who is,” but also “who He is,” namely, the God who is merciful, gracious, very patient, abounding in goodness and truth. He is the God who shows mercy and forgives sin to the penitent. He is also the God who remains angry with the impenitent and will erupt against them with judgment.

Counting on that truth of who God is, Moses confidently repeats his fervent plea for God to accompany His people into the Promised Land, even as he openly admits that the people of Israel are stubborn and rebellious and don’t deserve God’s favor or help. God has already given a “yes” answer to this request, but Moses doesn’t hesitate to seek confirmation, and God doesn’t hesitate to give it. In fact, whenever the Gospel is preached, God is repeating the same promises to His children, because we feed on those repeated promises as a baby continually feeds on her mother’s milk.

In the verses that follow, Moses gives a sampling of the content of the covenant. The Lord will work wonders for Israel and give them victory over all the Canaanite tribes when they reach the Promised Land. Israel is expected to abide by the terms of the covenant. Above all, they are to strictly observe the First Commandment, avoiding all the idolatry of the Canaanites.

One might think that such warnings were unnecessary. After all, given who the Lord is, given all that He had done and promised to do for Israel, given the visible, miraculous proofs of His power, who would be so foolish as to turn away from Him to another god? You know the answer. Israel would. And so would every sinful human being, because we all carry around a sinful flesh that is always looking for a “better” god to serve, whose name is sometimes simply “me.” Only by God’s grace, by the atonement that Christ has made, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, working through the Means of Grace, can we remain faithful all the way into the Promised Land of heaven! Let us pray: O Lord, we praise You for who You are. Have mercy on us and preserve us in Your covenant of grace, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Exodus 33:1-23 NKJV

33 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Depart and go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’ ² And I will send My Angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. ³ Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”

⁴ And when the people heard this bad news, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. ⁵ For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the children of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. I could come up into your midst in one moment and consume you. Now therefore, take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do to you.’ ” ⁶ So the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by Mount Horeb.

⁷ Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who sought the Lord went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp. ⁸ So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle. ⁹ And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. ¹⁰ All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door. ¹¹ So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.

¹² Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ ¹³ Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.”

¹⁴ And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

¹⁵ Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. ¹⁶ For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.”

¹⁷ So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”

¹⁸ And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.”

¹⁹ Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” ²⁰ But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” ²¹ And the Lord said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. ²² So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. ²³ Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”

After the horrendous act of idolatry that Israel had committed in making and worshiping the golden calf, Moses already interceded for the people once, seeking God’s forgiveness on their behalf. And the Lord agreed to send an angel before them to fulfill His covenant-promise to lead them into the Promised Land. But this was not a cause of rejoicing for Moses, or for the people, because the Lord’s anger remained. He informed them that He would no longer be accompanying them with His gracious, fatherly presence. They had already broken His covenant, and the tragic result was a broken relationship between God and the people.

But the Lord didn’t leave it at that. He called on them to remove their “ornaments,” their jewelry, to humble themselves before Him and repent, putting themselves at the mercy of the Lord, allowing Him to determine their fate. Then He gave them a visible sign of His lingering favor upon Moses, with whom His relationship was not in question but was still fully intact. Moses wasn’t sinless, but he was faithful, and so he retained God’s favor, though even he couldn’t see God’s face. Then Moses, whose heart went out to the poor, pathetic people, dared to intercede again before the Lord on their behalf, begging the Lord to accompany them again with His gracious presence. And, because of His favor toward Moses, the Lord agreed. His anger toward them was calmed. He would go with them after all.

This chapter provides us with a striking comparison between Moses, the mediator of the Old Testament, and Christ, the Mediator of the New Testament. All have sinned, even as all Israel had sinned. But God is well-pleased with His Son. Jesus does see the Father’s face! So, if God allowed Himself to be persuaded by the intercession of Moses to lay aside His anger and to reclaim the people as His own, how much more is the Father persuaded by the intercession of Christ, who is at the right hand of God, making intercession for us (Rom. 8:34)! Therefore, let us not hope to be reconciled to God through our own efforts, but only through the intercession of the one Mediator between God and man, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us pray: Father in heaven, forgive us our sins for Jesus’ sake, and go with us as we journey to the Promised Land. Amen.

Psalm 77:16-20 NKJV

¹⁶ The waters saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were afraid;
The depths also trembled.
¹⁷ The clouds poured out water;
The skies sent out a sound;
Your arrows also flashed about.
¹⁸ The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook.
¹⁹ Your way was in the sea,
Your path in the great waters,
And Your footsteps were not known.
²⁰ You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.

The Psalmist is suffering and has been waiting a long time for the Lord to make it better. He has come close to despair. But now confusion and dwindling patience give way to the believer’s resolve to meditate on God’s Word, and specifically the Word that tells of God’s deeds of deliverance in the past. He turns to the most spectacular act of deliverance Israel had experienced, namely, God’s miraculous and extraordinary deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt, culminating in their exodus through the parted waters of the Red Sea.

The Psalmist personifies the weather in the last verses of Psalm 77. The waters (of the Red Sea) were “afraid.” They didn’t dare stand in the way of God’s people when He commanded the waters to part. But it wasn’t just a command issued from the heavens. God Himself walked ahead of the people and led them through the Red Sea, though His “footsteps were not known” (v. 19). It was God Himself, working through Moses and Aaron, who went ahead of Israel and led them, much like a shepherd leads his flock of sheep.

The Psalmist finds great comfort in God’s commitment to His people, because the LORD always led His people in just the right way, eventually accomplishing, in the exodus, the greatest act of deliverance the world had ever seen, even though His people had to wait a long time for that deliverance to come. Now the Psalmist, too, can keep waiting patiently for the LORD, because He knows exactly how and when to deliver His people.

When you’ve been waiting for the Lord’s deliverance and are growing weary of waiting, remember God’s redeeming acts recorded in Holy Scripture. Think back to the parting of the Red Sea and see your redemption there, because God was leading His people to the place where your Savior would eventually be born. Meditate on the great redemption accomplished by the Son of God on the cross. Take comfort in His resurrection from the dead, because Jesus still lives and reigns for your good. Remember that faith often requires waiting for deliverance, but faith in God and in His promises will never be disappointed. Let us pray: O Lord Jesus, as You shepherded Your people in the past, so lead and guide us now, through all the troubles and sorrows of this life, into Your heavenly pastures. Amen.

Psalm 76:1-12 NKJV

76 In Judah God is known;
His name is great in Israel.
² In Salem also is His tabernacle,
And His dwelling place in Zion.
³ There He broke the arrows of the bow,
The shield and sword of battle. Selah

⁴ You are more glorious and excellent
Than the mountains of prey.
⁵ The stouthearted were plundered;
They have sunk into their sleep;
And none of the mighty men have found the use of their hands.
⁶ At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
Both the chariot and horse were cast into a dead sleep.

⁷ You, Yourself, are to be feared;
And who may stand in Your presence
When once You are angry?
⁸ You caused judgment to be heard from heaven;
The earth feared and was still,
⁹ When God arose to judgment,
To deliver all the oppressed of the earth. Selah

¹⁰ Surely the wrath of man shall praise You;
With the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself.

¹¹ Make vows to the Lord your God, and pay them;
Let all who are around Him bring presents to Him who ought to be feared.
¹² He shall cut off the spirit of princes;
He is awesome to the kings of the earth.

In this, yet another psalm penned by Asaph (as was last Sunday’s), thanks is given to God that He has his dwelling, Word, and worship in Jerusalem and that He wonderfully protects his people from being overcome and devoured by the enemy. In vv. 3-5 it is clear that God Himself is the One who breaks “the arrows and the bow” and plundered the stouthearted and cast chariots and horses into “a dead sleep.”

It is the same way with the enemies of God’s people today. We have so many and great promises from our good and gracious God that He will ultimately deliver His people, if not in this life, then perfectly by taking them to the life of the world to come. Yet, when our sinful nature rears its ugly head and we allow our attention and focus to wander away from God’s Word and promises, the Evil One then licks his chops because he has us right where he wants us – focusing on ourselves, our problems, and our anxieties.  That is a manifestation of the sinful nature curving in on itself; it’s also called “navel gazing.”

Repent, dear Christian, of allowing yourself to be thrown that far off course. Cry out to God in your weakness and receive His strength. Look to Christ who paid for your sins on his cross. Know that God fights for you, even when it seems hard to defend yourself against temptation and sin. Take courage in knowing and believing that even the devil himself must flee before the Lord, for “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (I John 4:4). Remember and live in your baptism and receive Christ’s gifts in the Divine Service. By these you will be sustained for the battle and comforted with Christ’s victorious resurrection.

Let us pray: O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of Your people who call upon You and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfill the same; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.