Importance of God’s Presence

Moses implored God to go with them. HIS presence carried great significance.

In Exodus 33 – 34, God refused going with stiff-necked people for fear of consuming them. People feared God and yet they knew HIS presence was vital. Moses tried his best to beseech the LORD. HE agreed finally, with the covenant renewed before setting out.

The precious values of God’s presence:

1)      God’s grace is bestowed, a sign to distinguish HIS people from other people dwelling on the earth. HIS people don’t have to fear humans no matter how strong other parties are.

2)      Nothing is impossible to the LORD. HE is the infallible source of protection from enemy, hunger, thirsty, evilness. HE never runs short of wondrous works and is generous with help to HIS people.

3)      God is full of goodness and refuses to go with wicked people. HIS presence suggested mercy and forgiveness given to children of Israel because they committed idolatry not long ago.

4)      God could check man’s corruption effectively through severe punishments or wondrous works. HIS presence will remind people to fear HIM and walk in a circumspect manner.

The LORD’s presence was remarkable indeed. To the majority, HE came in the form of a cloud. To Moses, they could talk like friends and he could see HIS back. No man can see God’s face and still be alive; HIS caution is an act of love, to spare life.

Same as children of Israel, we ought to believe in God, know HIM and receive HIS graces without seeing HIM. Always count our blessings and be thankful to the LORD. Never be a stiff-necked people, forgetting HIS loving-kindness to us.

Moses and children of Israel knew that they couldn’t do without God. Fear not to be with God but strengthen ourselves not to sin, HE will keep us safe without consuming us. Learn from Moses to stay friendly and rewardingly with God. He knew the LORD well, glorified and worshiped HIM properly. His virtues were worthy of imitating.

God is merciful and gracious, slow to wrath, and abound in love, goodness and truth. HE shows mercy to those who repent and ask for forgiveness, and yet HE won’t skip the punishments to sinners. HIS people must keep the renewed covenant to maintain a harmonious relationship with HIM.

Moses received God’s instructions 40 days and 40 nights, neither ate nor drank, and passed them to HIS people faithfully. His health did not deteriorate. In addition, his face shone and he had to wear a veil in front of other people. What a marvel result from talking with God!

Though God is omnipresence, we must make our effort to seek HIM. Fear the LORD, pray to HIM, praise HIM and observe HIS laws strictly forever. With faith growing stronger, we will earn HIS presence gradually.

Let’s pray to God:

Savior Jesus, have mercy on us. Please remove our sins, help us regain God’s presence and cherish it steadfastly throughout our life. Amen.

The Gold Calf

No idolatry, this is God’s forever command, but children of Israel violated it.

In Exodus 32, children of Israel made a gold calf to sin against God. They were punished severely. We have to learn from their mistake and avoid committing the same sin.

While Moses was getting the instructions from God, people lost patience. They didn’t wait uprightly but wanted a quick fix according to their own will by asking Aaron to make them gods to worship. Man could neither make nor assign God. Since nobody saw God, any image would misrepresent HIM. This is definitely not a proof of love towards the LORD. But they didn’t care because they believed their will was more important than God’s. They lost respect and fear to God, violating HIS rule openly.

God appointed Moses to communicate between HIS people and HIM. The LORD would take care of Moses and appoint a successor after his death. God never forsakes HIS people, but keeps being with them as long as they don’t sin against HIM. On the contrary, man is forgetful and unreliable. The refusal to wait for God’s instruction is a lack of faith in HIM. They didn’t believe in HIS protection and love, and they didn’t return love by obeying HIM strictly.

When Aaron burned the gold and got a calf, children of Israel accepted it with utmost stupidity. Calf is to be killed and eaten, an inferior to man. How can it be God? They overlooked God’s omnipotence and belittled HIS power as if they could mold HIM. This is a serious transgression. The gold calf is a dead thing; it has no will and couldn’t save itself when Moses burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder.

The sinners indulged themselves into the wrong worship, joy, eating, drinking and dancing. They were killed; the rest were plagued. People had to kill their own brothers, friends and relatives for this great sin. Punishments are necessary to stop the evil thoughts and practices spreading all over causing more people to sin in the same manner.

Aaron was blamed for letting God’s people going astray. Being the authority during Moses’ temporal absence, he should restrain them with an absolute refusal and proper exhortation to reassert God’s commandment. His failure to do the correct things upon people’s wrong pressing led to terrible consequences.

Man corrupts easily. Thus, we must correct one another with exhortation. We ought to repeat studying God’s commands and monitoring our daily life practices to make sure that we haven’t forgotten HIS word but keep acting godly. Deny the self for any decision that doesn’t conform to HIS rules. Don’t let weak mind and limited wisdom cause us violating God’s will; otherwise, we would lose HIS grace and couldn’t afford to pay the price of offending HIM.

Let’s pray to God:

The Admiralty God, please give us wisdom to discern the right and the wrong, be diligent in learning more about You and Your laws, trust You and love You forever. Amen.

Exactness to God’s Commands

Understand why it’s essential to follow God’s orders exactly.

In Exodus 24 – 31, God gave HIS people many commands to help them worship HIM properly. Exactness is absolutely important because it means a lot and affects our relationship with God.

Scope of God’s commands:

1)      Collection of specific offering for the sanctuary

2)      The style of the sanctuary

3)      The ark of the Testimony

4)      The table of the showbread

5)      The gold lampstand

6)      The tabernacle

7)      The altar of burnt offering

8)      The court of the tabernacle

9)      The care of the lampstand

10)  Garments for the priesthood

11)  The breastplate

12)  Other priestly garments

13)  Consecration of Aaron and his sons

14)  The altar of Incense

15)  The ransom money

16)  The Bronze layer

17)  The holy anointing oil

18)  Incense

19)  Artisans for building the tabernacle

20)  The Sabbath law

God’s commands gave specific details on each requirement. Humans have no right to make any change without HIS consent. The specifications have control over the following areas:

1)      Materials

2)      Colors

3)      Measurements

4)      Styles (e.g. two cherubim of gold at the two ends of the mercy seat…)

5)      How to make it (e.g. incense)

6)      Special care and handling (e.g. the burning of the lamp continuously)

7)      Obligatory laws, practices and arrangements (e.g. for the priests and the non-priests)

8)      Quantity (e.g. the amount of the ransom money)

Why God introduces such strict requirements? Man’s faithful executions carry significant meanings and HE wants us to learn important lessons.

Importance to obey God exactly:

1)      Exactness strengthens our belief in the LORD as HE knows what the best is for us.

2)      God’s will comes first. It brings forth unity. We shouldn’t act according to our own will to sin and drift away from God.

3)      We serve and respect God wholeheartedly.

4)      Full accuracy helps us learn to love, obey and trust God entirely.

5)      God will help us stretch our ability for HIS approved projects. For example, HE filled people with spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of workmanship.

6)      HIS people would have to cooperate, work together as one.

7)      Exactness ensures us to treat God’s laws and requirements properly, e.g. the priest’s duty, power and responsibilities.

8)      Meticulous care is required as some practices could endow things to become hallowed because the instructions are given by the Almighty LORD. For example, priest’s holy garment, and holy food.

9)      Avoid death penalty. For example, in Exodus 30:20, wash one’s hands and feet with water is a must.

Keep God’s commands precisely is an important education to man. We ought to learn full obedience and loyalty to the LORD, devoting our consistency and persistence to serve God heartily, the only way we can return love to HIM.

Let’s pray to God:

Dear God, help us deny the self and fulfill all the details of Your instructions, obey You faithfully and keep all Your commands without hesitation, carelessness and casualness. Amen.

The Ten Commandments

Are we keeping the Ten Commandments?

In Exodus 20, God gave HIS people the Ten Commandments. God’s rules had more meanings and we shouldn’t take the words superficially. Study them in-depth. Also, we are too forgetful and often sin against HIM. We ought to examine our life carefully, do corrections and resist temptations to avoid sin in our lifetime.

I. You shall have no other gods before Me.

Have we worshiped other gods? Some people are too busy in gathering wealth. They serve money as their god and completely forget the LORD, the Creator. Some people are fools and don’t bother to worship the true God. They worship as many gods as they could, for “the greatest protection”.

II. You shall not make for yourself a carved image.

Nobody has seen God. Making a carved image for HIM is definitely misleading. The carved image diverts people’s devotion to the wrong target that only leads the worshiper be drowned in sin, losing salvation.

III. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.

We should fully respect God and take HIS name seriously. Don’t make an oath or joke with it. Blasphemy is a sin that won’t be forgiven. Never test God for this.

IV. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Do we attend Sunday mass? Spread our work over six days and leave Sunday for a rest and for spiritual cultivation such as reading the Bible, communicating with God through prayers and mediation.

V. Honor your father and your mother.

If your parents are ungodly, pray to God for their sake, exhort them and try to maintain peace without yourself going astray. This commandment also extends to other elders and demands respect to all people, neighbors at all ages.

VI. You shall not murder.

Life is a gift from God and we have no right to take it away. Be careful with our thoughts and behaviors. Don’t fight. Don’t use lethal weapons on others. Don’t let your wicked plan work lest you are responsible to other’s death.

VII. You shall not commit adultery.

Many people treat sex, love relationship and marriage casually. They indulge into instant gratifications and ignore the bad consequences. The wickedness contaminates our heart and makes us blind to the true love, separating us from God.

VIII. You shall not steal.

Have we downloaded or enjoyed movies, music and eBooks from the Internet illegally? The temptation to steal is great and we often commit this sin, thinking that nobody knows. But God knows.

IX. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbors.

The causes of telling lies vary. Some people plot against others for their own benefits. Others dare not tell the truth for fear that they will be bullied or persecuted. Some people are simply indifferent. Neither take the lead nor be a passive accomplice.

X. You shall not covet.

Some people like to seize things from others. They refuse to gain from hard labor; they like to profit effortlessly and at other’s expense. Never plot against others to satisfy one’s own covertness.

The Ten Commandments are to keep us safe from sin if we follow them strictly. Examine our life and eliminate the bad practices that violate God’s rules. The earlier we do the cleansing with full effort, the earlier we could be freed from sin and reconciled with God.

Let’s pray to God:

Lord Jesus, You understand all the temptations we have to face and succeed in sinning not. Please help us understand God’s rules and keep them strictly, delay no more in cleansing and shielding our heart and mind. Amen.