Confessional Lutheran Ministerium

Exodus 21:1-19 NKJV

21 “Now these are the judgments which you shall set before them: ² If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing. ³ If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. ⁴ If his master has given him a wife, and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself. ⁵ But if the servant plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ ⁶ then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.

⁷ “And if a man sells his daughter to be a female slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. ⁸ If she does not please her master, who has betrothed her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her. ⁹ And if he has betrothed her to his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters. ¹⁰ If he takes another wife, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marriage rights. ¹¹ And if he does not do these three for her, then she shall go out free, without paying money.

¹² “He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death. ¹³ However, if he did not lie in wait, but God delivered him into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.

¹⁴ “But if a man acts with premeditation against his neighbor, to kill him by treachery, you shall take him from My altar, that he may die.

¹⁵ “And he who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

¹⁶ “He who kidnaps a man and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, shall surely be put to death.

¹⁷ “And he who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

¹⁸ “If men contend with each other, and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, and he does not die but is confined to his bed, ¹⁹ if he rises again and walks about outside with his staff, then he who struck him shall be acquitted. He shall only pay for the loss of his time, and shall provide for him to be thoroughly healed.

Today’s reading begins a section of civil laws governing Israelite society under the Old Testament. It’s important to remember that these laws were not designed either to create or to govern a perfect society on earth. They were laws intended to govern a society of sinners, all of whom were members of the Visible Church of Israel, but many of whom were not actual believers in the God of Israel. Nor has God imposed these civil laws, with their specific penalties, on any society except for Old Testament Israel. Still, we learn some things about our God from them.

The first laws given in this chapter have to do with Hebrew servants, or “slaves,” where an Israelite man could voluntarily sell himself or a family member into the service of another Israelite. Why was this practice allowed at all? It was God’s alternative to a welfare system for those who were able to work. God commanded charity, but He didn’t regulate it or make it a long-term solution to poverty in Israel. Instead, He set up a well-regulated system in which those who bankrupted themselves could sell themselves temporarily to their neighbor, to become his full-time indentured servants, ensuring that they would at least have food, clothing, and shelter. Here we see the principle that the apostle Paul also expresses, “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat” (2 Thess. 3:10).

Next, we encounter the penalties God established for certain crimes: the death penalty for premeditated murder, for striking or even cursing one’s father or mother, and for kidnapping, while lesser penalties were imposed for assault and battery. See how serious God was (and still is) about the 4^th Commandment (“Honor your father and mother”) and about the 5^th Commandment (“You shall not murder”)! See how God’s law served as a curb against bad behavior! Unlike modern ideas about reforming criminals, God’s plan of justice in a fallen world was to punish criminals swiftly, with punishments that fit the crime, both giving the criminals what they deserved and deterring others from committing similar crimes. Let us pray: Lord God, we thank You for the laws You gave to Israel. Teach us by them, so that we may always do what is right in Your sight; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Exodus 20:1-26 NJKV

20 And God spoke all these words, saying:

² “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

³ “You shall have no other gods before Me.

⁴ “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; ⁵ you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, ⁶ but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

⁷ “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

⁸ “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

¹² “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

¹³ “You shall not murder.

¹⁴ “You shall not commit adultery.

¹⁵ “You shall not steal.

¹⁶ “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

¹⁷ “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

¹⁸ Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. ¹⁹ Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”

²⁰ And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” ²¹ So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.

²² Then the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. ²³ You shall not make anything to be with Me—gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves. ²⁴ An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you. ²⁵ And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your tool on it, you have profaned it. ²⁶ Nor shall you go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed on it.’

Every Christian should know the Ten Commandments. But even more important than knowing them is understanding them in their Biblical and historical context, for which Luther’s explanations in the Small Catechism are an invaluable tool. For now, let’s focus on three things in this chapter.

The first thing to notice is that the Ten Commandments were not dropped down from heaven to all men; they were given specifically to the nation of Israel in the context of their recent delivery from slavery in Egypt. In fact, this is the first word that God speaks to the people gathered in fear and awe at the foot of Mt. Sinai: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” Certain parts of the Ten Commandments applied only to Old Testament Israel, while large parts reflect the eternal, unchanging will of God for all mankind.  Studying the Law of Moses involves distinguishing between God’s eternal will for all men (often referred to as the “moral law”) and His temporary commands for Israel only (referred to as “ceremonial law” and “civil law”).

The second thing to notice is that, as Jesus makes clear in the Sermon on the Mount (cf. Matt. 5), the Ten Commandments govern not only our actions but also the words we speak and the very thoughts and desires of our hearts. The commandments forbidding coveting make this especially clear. God commands not only outward obedience but obedience that flows from genuine love for God and for our neighbor.

Third, notice that the Ten Commandments command well enough, but they do not empower obedience. Many of the same people who heard God thunder down His commandments would soon flagrantly disobey the very first one. Such disobedience became an entrenched pattern for Israel, revealing the utter depravity of sinful man and the need for sinners to be saved in a different way than by keeping the commandments, namely, through faith in Christ Jesus, who has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (Gal. 3:13).

Let us pray: Lord, grant us Your Holy Spirit, that we who trust in Jesus alone for salvation may joyfully and diligently run in the way of Your commandments. Amen.

Exodus 19:1-25 NKJV

19 In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. ² For they had departed from Rephidim, had come to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. So Israel camped there before the mountain.

³ And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: ⁴ ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. ⁵ Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. ⁶ And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

⁷ So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the Lord commanded him. ⁸ Then all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” So Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord. ⁹ And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.”

So Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.

¹⁰ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. ¹¹ And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. ¹² You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. ¹³ Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain.”

¹⁴ So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes. ¹⁵ And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not come near your wives.”

¹⁶ Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. ¹⁷ And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸ Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. ¹⁹ And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice. ²⁰ Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

²¹ And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish. ²² Also let the priests who come near the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.”

²³ But Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us, saying, ‘Set bounds around the mountain and consecrate it.’ ”

²⁴ Then the Lord said to him, “Away! Get down and then come up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest He break out against them.” ²⁵ So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.

As the people of Israel assembled at the foot of Mount Sinai, about two months after they had crossed the Red Sea, God reminded them, through Moses, that He was the One who had saved them and carried them here on eagles’ wings. Now He was prepared to make a covenant with them. His end of the bargain was making them a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Their end of the bargain was obedience to the terms of the covenant.

The scene for the giving of the Law at Sinai was intentionally dramatic, with thunderings and lightning, thick clouds of smoke and fire, a loud ram’s horn trumpet, and earthquakes. God was teaching His newly redeemed people of Israel to fear Him. Yes, He was their Savior and their Redeemer, but He was not their buddy, and the Law He was about to give was not made up of friendly suggestions. They should be afraid to disobey Him.

But the dramatic scene at Sinai served another important purpose as well: “Warning! Only the mediator may approach!” God would only deal with Israel through Moses as the mediator of the Old Covenant. He went back and forth, up and down the mountain to represent God to the people and the people back to God, to plead with the people on God’s behalf and to plead with God on the people’s behalf, and to sanctify the people so that they would be acceptable to God. If anyone else dared to even set foot on the mountain, they were to be killed. In this way, God exalted the mediator in the eyes of the people so that they would always seek God through His appointed go-between.

Moses was a type or pattern of Christ. God will not deal with sinners except through this Mediator. This Mediator, who is true God and true man, bore the sins of mankind and presented His sacrifice to God the Father. Jesus now comes to us, inviting all men to enter into His New Covenant through Baptism and to approach God through Him. Through faith in the Mediator, we have access to God the Father, who no longer speaks to believers through thunderings and fire, but through His beloved Son, who has now brought us into the people of God and has made us a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (cf. 1 Pet. 2:9). Let us pray: O God, unapproachable in Your holiness, we dare to approach You through the Mediator You have appointed, seeking Your merciful help for His sake alone. Amen.

Exodus 18:1-27 NKJV

18 And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people—that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. ² Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, ³ with her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land”) ⁴ and the name of the other was Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”); ⁵ and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of God. ⁶ Now he had said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.”

⁷ So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their well-being, and they went into the tent. ⁸ And Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. ⁹ Then Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the Lord had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. ¹⁰ And Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. ¹¹ Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them.” ¹² Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

¹³ And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. ¹⁴ So when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”

¹⁵ And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. ¹⁶ When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.”

¹⁷ So Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good. ¹⁸ Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself. ¹⁹ Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God. ²⁰ And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. ²¹ Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. ²² And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. ²³ If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace.”

²⁴ So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. ²⁵ And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. ²⁶ So they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.

²⁷ Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land.

In the previous chapter, God taught Moses and Israel a valuable lesson: A prophet of God has certain God-given tasks, but he does not have to do everything alone; it is good to support him where support is appropriate and needed. In chapter 17, Moses held the rod, but he couldn’t hold it up on his own; his hands were literally supported by Aaron and Hur. In chapter 18, a similar lesson is learned.

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law and the priest of Midian, does Moses two favors in this chapter. First, he brings Moses’ wife and children to him. Now that the people of Israel are safe from Pharaoh’s reach, it’s only proper for the family to be reunited. And when he hears how much the LORD has done for Israel, Jethro leads the Israelites in a sacrificial meal of thanksgiving.

Then Jethro shares some fatherly wisdom with his son-in-law. How can one man possibly judge every dispute among some two million people? He can’t. Moses has a unique call from God to be God’s voice to the people of Israel and to teach them God’s commandments, but there are other important tasks that can be shared among God-fearing men. So, Moses learns to delegate the tasks that can be delegated, and the godly men in Israel learn to assist God’s prophet in shepherding God’s people.

This principle applies broadly to every position of authority. A father is called by God to be the head of his family, but he needs the support of his wife and children to make the household work. An employer depends on the support of his employees, each with his or her given task. A secular ruler depends on the cooperation of the officers who serve under him.

Likewise, also in the Church, the pastor has a unique call from God to preach and teach His Word and to administer His Sacraments. But the larger the flock entrusted to his care, the more support he will need from the men and women of his congregation to assist him, according to their gifts and abilities, so that the body of Christ may be built up. God has designed His Church to function like a body, with many members working together to carry out different but much-needed tasks.

Let us pray: O Lord, we give You thanks for faithful pastors, and we ask You to give us opportunities to serve one another in love, that Your people may be well-served. Amen.

Psalm 68:24-35 NKJV

²⁴ They have seen Your procession, O God,
The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.
²⁵ The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after;
Among them were the maidens playing timbrels.
²⁶ Bless God in the congregations,
The Lord, from the fountain of Israel.
²⁷ There is little Benjamin, their leader,
The princes of Judah and their company,
The princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.

²⁸ Your God has commanded your strength;
Strengthen, O God, what You have done for us.
²⁹ Because of Your temple at Jerusalem,
Kings will bring presents to You.
³⁰ Rebuke the beasts of the reeds,
The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples,
Till everyone submits himself with pieces of silver.
Scatter the peoples who delight in war.
³¹ Envoys will come out of Egypt;
Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God.

³² Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth;
Oh, sing praises to the Lord, Selah
³³ To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old!
Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice.
³⁴ Ascribe strength to God;
His excellence is over Israel,
And His strength is in the clouds.
³⁵ O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places.
The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people.

David finishes his Psalm with a beautiful picture of God’s people coming together to worship Him. Men and women, Israelites from the south and from the north, the little tribes and the powerful tribes from “the fountain of Israel,” as well as Gentiles from all over the world are all united in their joyful procession to the tabernacle in Jerusalem to praise God for His greatness and for His goodness.

During the time of the Old Testament, it was the physical location of Jerusalem and the building of the tabernacle and temple where God had chosen to be gracious to sinful mankind, through the sacrifices that He commanded to be made on that particular altar. Now Christ Jesus is where God has chosen to be gracious to sinful mankind, and wherever His Gospel is preached and His Sacraments are administered, there God invites people to gather and to rejoice in the goodness of the God who gave His only-begotten Son into death for our sins, so that we might enter by faith into the new Israel of His holy Christian Church and be called “the people of God.”

V. 28 is translated quite differently from one English version to the next, but Luther’s translation captures the sense of it well: “Your God has established your kingdom. Oh, that You would strengthen it for us, O God, for it is Your work.” God established the Old Testament kingdom of Israel, even as He builds the New Testament kingdom of the Christian Church. Let us pray earnestly that He would strengthen it among us, because it is His work, and only He can give us the strength we need to remain steadfast in His Word.

While believers joyfully gather in God’s Church to praise Him, the unbelieving and “the peoples who delight in war” are rebuked and driven away by God. Let us pray that the unbelieving may be brought to repentance and faith before Christ returns, when the impenitent will be driven away permanently into the outer darkness. Meanwhile, let us continue to rejoice in the God of our salvation and to proclaim His goodness far and wide! Let us pray: O God, receive the joyful praises of Your people whom You have redeemed, and, by Your Holy Spirit, give strength and power to Your people, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Psalm 68:11-23 NKJV ¹¹ The Lord gave the word;
Great was the company of those who proclaimed it:
¹² “Kings of armies flee, they flee,
And she who remains at home divides the spoil.
¹³ Though you lie down among the sheepfolds,
You will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver,
And her feathers with yellow gold.”
¹⁴ When the Almighty scattered kings in it,
It was white as snow in Zalmon.

¹⁵ A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan;
A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan.
¹⁶ Why do you fume with envy, you mountains of many peaks?
This is the mountain which God desires to dwell in;
Yes, the Lord will dwell in it forever.

¹⁷ The chariots of God are twenty thousand,
Even thousands of thousands;
The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place.
¹⁸ You have ascended on high,
You have led captivity captive;
You have received gifts among men,
Even from the rebellious,
That the Lord God might dwell there.

¹⁹ Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits,
The God of our salvation! Selah
²⁰ Our God is the God of salvation;
And to God the Lord belong escapes from death.

²¹ But God will wound the head of His enemies,
The hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in his trespasses.
²² The Lord said, “I will bring back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
²³ That your foot may crush them in blood,
And the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.”

Psalm 68 begins, “Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered. Let those who hate Him flee before Him… Let the wicked perish at the presence of God.”  And then in the verses assigned for today, there is a beautiful and powerful prophecy of Christ, that He shall rise, ascend to heaven, give his spirit, send his apostles, let Himself be preached, and rescue poor sinners from death.

In v. 21, David writes prophetically that “God will wound the head of His enemies.” This reminds us of God’s promise in the Garden of Eden that the Seed of the woman – ultimately Christ – “will bruise/crush” the head of the serpent who is the devil. Ultimately that promise came to fruition when Christ suffered and died on the cross and rose again thus defeating/crushing the devil’s plans, purpose, and powers.

As is the case with all of God’s holy Word, all His promises are and will be fulfilled. Christ indeed ascended on high after His victorious death and resurrection. He indeed took captivity captive when He descended to hell to proclaim His victory over the devil. God always “loads us with benefits,” which are the spoils of His victory – His preached Word, His sacramental gifts, and our daily bread which includes “everything that has to do with the support and needs of the body” (meaning to the Fourth Petition in the Small Catechism).

Dear Christian, pray this psalm regularly, even sing it. Let God’s Words from David strengthen and encourage you amid all the things that bear down on you in this troubled and sin-sick world. Your God “is the God of salvation, and to God the Lord belong escapes from death,” especially spiritual death as through faith in Christ you will not die eternally but rise with Christ on the Last Day, soul reunited with a sinless body, to reign with Him forever.

Let us pray: Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Exodus 17:1-16 NKJV

17 Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. ² Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.”

So Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the Lord?”

³ And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”

⁴ So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!”

⁵ And the Lord said to Moses, “Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. ⁶ Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.”

And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. ⁷ So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

⁸ Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. ⁹ And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” ¹⁰ So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. ¹¹ And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. ¹² But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. ¹³ So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

¹⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” ¹⁵ And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner; ¹⁶ for he said, “Because the Lord has sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

There are two scenarios in today’s reading. In the first, the Israelites – again, true to form – complained that there was no water to drink while camped at Rephidim. Moses rightly chastised the people and accused them of tempting the Lord by complaining. They even reprised their earlier lament by asking if Moses had brought them out into the wilderness only to be killed off. Again, the Israelites had forgotten how miraculously God had thus far taken care of them; they were overcome by and focused only on their circumstances.

And again, God provided for the complainers and ingrates by blessing them with the miracle of water from a rock which Moses was commanded by God to strike. This teaches you to trust God even when your circumstances dictate otherwise. Trust his Word and not your emotions or feelings of doubt. Repent of your sins and receive Christ’s forgiveness in the Absolution and Supper.

In the second scenario, the Amalekites came to fight against Israel. Moses told the people that he would stand on a hill with his arm outstretched and holding God’s rod. The Israelites prevailed while Moses’ arm was up but failed when it was down. Aaron and Hur provided a stone for Moses to sit on, and each of them held up one of Moses’ arms for the rest of the day so that Joshua defeated the Amalekites.

This reminds you to hold up your faithful pastor in prayer and help him provide for himself and his family. By supporting your faithful pastor, you are supporting the faithful preaching of God’s Word and the right administration of His sacraments for the good of God’s people as they fight against the devil the world, and the sinful flesh. Rejoice that the Lord is your strength and shield, and that you are privileged to support His work.

Let us pray: Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Exodus 16:18-36 NKJV

¹⁸ So when they measured it by omers, he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one’s need. ¹⁹ And Moses said, “Let no one leave any of it till morning.” ²⁰ Notwithstanding they did not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. ²¹ So they gathered it every morning, every man according to his need. And when the sun became hot, it melted.

²² And so it was, on the sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. ²³ Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.’ ” ²⁴ So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it. ²⁵ Then Moses said, “Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. ²⁶ Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.”

²⁷ Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none. ²⁸ And the Lord said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? ²⁹ See! For the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.” ³⁰ So the people rested on the seventh day.

³¹ And the house of Israel called its name Manna. And it was like white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.

³² Then Moses said, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: ‘Fill an omer with it, to be kept for your generations, that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’ ” ³³ And Moses said to Aaron, “Take a pot and put an omer of manna in it, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations.” ³⁴ As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept. ³⁵ And the children of Israel ate manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. ³⁶ Now an omer is one-tenth of an ephah.

In today’s reading Moses elaborates on the specifics of how the daily manna – the bread from heaven that God provided – was to be measured, gathered, and eaten. The people were to gather just enough for their daily needs; nothing more. And on the sixth day they were to gather two days’ worth so that the Sabbath may be kept and no work done that day. If any of the weekday manna was left until the next morning, it bred worms and stank; but what they gathered on the sixth day stayed fresh for the Sabbath day.

Yet again, God miraculously provided for all the basic needs of this large number of people – hundreds of thousands of people – who were being given their literal daily bread simply by the hand of their gracious God. And apparently it tasted pretty good: “…and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.”

True to form, some of the people disobeyed God and went out on the Sabbath to gather manna, something which God had expressly forbidden. And God was angry, telling Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments?” The Lord’s rebuke hit home, and they obeyed the Sabbath.

Dear saints, when you are convicted of not keeping God’s commandments, and when God shows you your errors of unbelief and lack of trust in Him, repent and believe that Christ has paid for your sins. Receive his body and blood for forgiveness and strength, and trust by God-given faith that all of God’s Word is good for you. His Word and promises never fail. Of that you can be certain!

Let us pray: Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Exodus 16:1-17 NKJV

16 And they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt. ² Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. ³ And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. ⁵ And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.”

⁶ Then Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, “At evening you shall know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt. ⁷ And in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord; for He hears your complaints against the Lord. But what are we, that you complain against us?” ⁸ Also Moses said, “This shall be seen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the Lord hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord.”

⁹ Then Moses spoke to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for He has heard your complaints.’ ” ¹⁰ Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.

¹¹ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ¹² “I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’ ”

¹³ So it was that quail came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay all around the camp. ¹⁴ And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground. ¹⁵ So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was.

And Moses said to them, “This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat. ¹⁶ This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: ‘Let every man gather it according to each one’s need, one omer for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent.’ ”

¹⁷ Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less.

“What have You done for me lately?” That question sums up the Israelites’ attitude and mindset throughout this entire section of Exodus. God delivered them from the hand of the Egyptians, but then they complained about being cornered. God delivered them and gifted them with the ability to walk through the Red Sea on dry ground, but then they complained about bad-tasting water. Here in today’s reading the Israelites were complaining once again, this time about the lack of food. Their cry to Moses was an insult to God.  Ungratefully, they would rather have full bellies and be back in captivity in Egypt than face hunger and death out in the wilderness with God.

And yet God, having every right and reason to be done with these complainers and ingrates, provided for them yet again by raining bread from heaven each morning and meat – quail from heaven – to assuage their hunger needs.

Do you ask God what He has done for you lately? Do you complain that your daily bread is boring? Have you forgotten God’s promises to provide for you?  Have you forgotten how God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for your sins? Have you forgotten how God provides for your daily bread? Have you forgotten How God feeds your soul through the right preaching of His Word and the faithful administration of His Sacramental gifts?

Repent and believe in His goodness and faithfulness. Trust God to come through for you and be strengthened by the example He showed to you by taking care of the Israelites. Receive His Body and Blood for your forgiveness and to strengthen your faith. Be strengthened by and strengthen your fellow believers as you engage God’s goodness in the Divine Liturgy together.

Let us pray: Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Exodus 15:1-27 NKJV

15 Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying:

“I will sing to the Lord,
For He has triumphed gloriously!
The horse and its rider
He has thrown into the sea!
² The Lord is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation;
He is my God, and I will praise Him;
My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.
³ The Lord is a man of war;
The Lord is His name.
⁴ Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea;
His chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea.
⁵ The depths have covered them;
They sank to the bottom like a stone.

⁶ “Your right hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power;
Your right hand, O Lord, has dashed the enemy in pieces.
⁷ And in the greatness of Your excellence
You have overthrown those who rose against You;
You sent forth Your wrath;
It consumed them like stubble.
⁸ And with the blast of Your nostrils
The waters were gathered together;
The floods stood upright like a heap;
The depths congealed in the heart of the sea.
⁹ The enemy said, ‘I will pursue,
I will overtake,
I will divide the spoil;
My desire shall be satisfied on them.
I will draw my sword,
My hand shall destroy them.’
¹⁰ You blew with Your wind,
The sea covered them;
They sank like lead in the mighty waters.

¹¹ “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders?
¹² You stretched out Your right hand;
The earth swallowed them.
¹³ You in Your mercy have led forth
The people whom You have redeemed;
You have guided them in Your strength
To Your holy habitation.

¹⁴ “The people will hear and be afraid;
Sorrow will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia.
¹⁵ Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed;
The mighty men of Moab,
Trembling will take hold of them;
All the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away.
¹⁶ Fear and dread will fall on them;
By the greatness of Your arm
They will be as still as a stone,
Till Your people pass over, O Lord,
Till the people pass over
Whom You have purchased.
¹⁷ You will bring them in and plant them
In the mountain of Your inheritance,
In the place, O Lord, which You have made
For Your own dwelling,
The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.

¹⁸ “The Lord shall reign forever and ever.”

¹⁹ For the horses of Pharaoh went with his chariots and his horsemen into the sea, and the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them. But the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.

²⁰ Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. ²¹ And Miriam answered them:

“Sing to the Lord,
For He has triumphed gloriously!
The horse and its rider
He has thrown into the sea!”

²² So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. ²³ Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. ²⁴ And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” ²⁵ So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.

There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, ²⁶ and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”

²⁷ Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.

At the beginning of today’s reading, Moses writes that both he and the children of Israel “sang this song to the Lord.” And what follows is a magnificent testimony to the many signs, wonders, and miracles God had performed before their eyes when He delivered them through the Red Sea.

Notice who gets all the credit: “The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea… Pharoah’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea… You have overthrown those who rose against You… With the blast of Your nostrils the waters were gathered together… You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them… You stretched out Your right hand; the earth swallowed them…” Remember, they ALL sang this song to the Lord…

But then they went for three days without water, found some that was bitter, and quickly forgot everything the Lord had done for them as they complained bitterly to Moses. Yet again, God provided a miracle, giving them drinkable water.

The Israelites show you yourself. So often when troubles arise, you are quick to complain and so quickly forget the countless times God has come through for you. You tend to forget all of God’s promises to take care of you and to meet all your needs according to His good and gracious will. You are normal; and you are a sinner rife with sin and weakness and unbelief.

Repent of your ungratefulness. Repent of your short-term memory. Confess your sinfulness. Go to your pastor for Holy Absolution, for he is the very man God has given you to hear your confession and deliver forgiveness as from God Himself. And when you hear that Absolution, do not doubt but firmly believe that for Christ’s sake God has paid for all your sins. Then go home rejoicing that God has yet again met all your needs and continues to promise the same until He calls you Home.

Let us pray: Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.