Old Testament reading: Exodus 36-40

Today’s reading may be summed with the words of Exodus 39:42 — “According to all that God commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did all the work.” Three notes about this text: 1) The people had to be restrained from giving to the work of the Lord (36:3-6 — this may be the one and only time this ever happened!); 2) Having already more carefully read the instructions, I was not as studious in this reading; 3) There is a lesson found 25 times throughout this text, “as the Lord had commanded Moses.” We are not at liberty to change the word of God. Moreover, when one preaches or teaches the word of God, it should be accepted and obeyed as if given directly from the mouth of God. One note from the end of yesterday’s reading (Ex 35:30-35) – God gave the artisans the ability both to envision and accomplish their work. Though not miraculously endowed with such abilities today, the church still needs men with vision and the ability to see it through!

New Testament reading: Luke 22

“But I have prayed for you, that your strength should not fail” (Luke 22:32). How would you feel if you heard these same words from the mouth of Jesus. “Lord, you are praying for me?” One textual consideration needs to be noted. The modern translations (NKJV included), do not distinguish between singular and plural pronouns as does the King James Version. In so doing, they fail to note a distinction made by the Lord in verses 31-32. This is why I keep my KJV handy in my studies for comparison and clarification. Quick lesson, when you see “thee,” “thou,” “thy” and “thine,” the subject is singular. When you see “you,” “ye,” “your” and “yours,” the subject is plural. In verse 31, Satan desired to have all of the apostles, and not Peter alone, as the “you” there is plural. In verse 32, the “you” of the NKJV is singular, indicating that Jesus had specifically prayed for Peter, and not all the apostles in this respect. Thus, this was Peter’s first warning about his impending denial of the Lord, for Jesus said specifically to him, “when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” Read Luke 22:31-34 in the KJV and see the difference.

Old Testament reading: Exodus 33-35

At the end of chapter 33 we see a common phrase that has created much confusion through the years. After Moses asked God to show him His glory, God responded, “You cannot see My face, for no man shall see Me, and live” (33:20). Even among Bible characters before and after Moses, this truth was known, yet misunderstood in its application. In Genesis 32:22-32 Jacob wrestled with God and was said to have prevailed. This must be understood in some accommodative sense, for no man can prevail against God. Jacob also called the place Peniel saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” Again, some accommodative sense must be here understood. A similar account is also seen in the life of Gideon (Jdg 6:22). Additionally, in my experience, it is also commonly understood that Moses’ face shone after he came down from receiving the Ten Commandments. This is not the case. Moses had already received the Ten Commandments earlier and had come down from the mountain to deliver them to the people. His face was not shining then. It was because of the events of this particular encounter, and the passing by of God’s glory, that Moses’ face shone. The receiving of the Ten Commandments was not the reason, but rather it was being in God’s presence.

New Testament reading: Luke 20-21

“Beware lest anyone cheat (make spoil of) you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Col 2:8). The chief priests, scribes and Pharisees were notorious for enriching themselves at the expense of the common Jew (cf Luke 11:46; 20:47; Matt 23:14). They are the vinedressers of Luke 20:9-19.  The servants are God’s prophets, and Jesus is the son. The Jewish leaders had rejected God’s prophets through the years, and now believed that killing Jesus would allow them to exercise their power over the people. This explains the vinedressers’ assumption that killing the son would permit them to take possession of his inheritance. Jesus makes it clear that all such men would be utterly destroyed by His Father.

Old Testament reading: Exodus 30-32

The ground is level at the foot of the cross. In Exodus 30 we see the annual monetary offering required of everyone over the age of 20. Of this ransom paid, God commanded, “the rich shall not give more and the poor shall not gives less than half a shekel” (v 15). There are a number of important pictures here. First, everyone is equally overtaken in sin and in need of ransom. No one is immune or exempt from the justice of God. Second, the quality of the price paid also testifies to the common payment for sins and transgression. Third, every soul was considered as equally valued in God’s eyes. Finally, the payment of the ransom brought deliverance from Divine retribution, in this case identified as a plague. The picture of Christ and His sacrifice is clearly seen in this Old Testament shadow. All men stand equally condemned as sinners, for “there is not a just man on the earth who does good and does not sin” (Ecc 7:20), and “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). The only remedy for sin is the blood of Jesus (Rev 1:5). His blood is sufficient for all men, for all sin, for all time.

New Testament reading: Luke 17-19

“But if you do not forgive men their trespasses…” (Matt 6:15). Luke 17:3-5 teach us a number of lessons about forgiveness. The first is the requisite to forgive. Jesus begins with the warning to take heed to ourselves. I must not permit the seeds of unforgiveness to occupy any space in my heart. As in our opening line, unforgiveness on my part causes me to forfeit the blessing of forgiveness. Second, the text does not permit us to overlook sin – “If your brother sins, rebuke him.” Looking the other way leads to the loss of two souls, my brother’s and my own (cf Lev 20:4-5). Third, where there is no repentance, there can be no forgiveness – “If he repents, forgive him.” God does not forgive the unrepentant, and we cannot forgive those who refuse to repent.  We must be ready to forgive when God’s conditions are met, but we are not at liberty to ignore sin or forgive those who have no desire to be forgiven. Finally, the text teaches the difficulty of forgiveness – “Lord, increase our faith!” We must earnestly desire to forgive as God does. Remember, it wasn’t easy for Him either.

Old Testament reading: Exodus 27-29

Today’s reading continues with construction of the tabernacle, the priestly garments and the Aaronic priesthood. In John 5:39, Jesus said the Old Testament testifies of him. One help I use in getting through these less than riveting texts is to look for Jesus. It is not difficult to see Jesus in these texts. The altar of offering (Ex 27) and Aaron’s priesthood (Ex 29) easy. In Exodus 28, the garments of the high priest bear the names of the children of Israel on his shoulders (v 12) and over his heart (v 30). In like fashion, Jesus bears our sins and burdens on his shoulders as well as having us in his heart.

New Testament reading: Luke 14-16 

Luke 15 contains three of our Lord’s better known parables: the Lost Sheep (vv 3-7); the Lost Coin (vv 8-10); and the Lost Sons (vv 11-32). Yes, I said lost sons (plural); I’ll get to that in a moment. The first two teach the value of a single soul. In the first the shepherd leaves the 99 and goes in search of the one lost sheep. He did not say, “I still have 99; why go to great lengths for 1?” But is this not the attitude of some brethren? Weak brethren wander from the fold of safety, and elders (and I?) are content to let them go. It seems as if so long as the budget is met and the boat isn’t rocked, things are good. In the second, the woman with ten coins must “clean house” in search of the lost coin. In both parables, there is great rejoicing with that which was lost is found. The third parable is generally called the prodigal son. The word prodigal means “wasteful.” But remember, contextually, Jesus is talking about lost souls. In the third parable, I would contend first that both sons are lost. The younger son represents the Gentiles who had long ago abandoned God, while the elder son represented the self-righteousness of the Jews (Luke 18:1ff). Like the Jews, the elder son had never left home, but he was still lost nonetheless. Second, I would contend that both sons were prodigal. While the younger wasted his father’s goods, the elder wasted his father’s love and grace. It never occurred to the elder that he did deserve to be praised or have a party thrown on his behalf for doing what he was obligated to do. We’ll read more about this tomorrow in Luke 17:7-10. See you then!

Old Testament reading: Exodus 25-26

These and subsequent chapters are a difficult read, but there are lessons to be gleaned from this text. First, God wants our giving to come from the heart (25:2). The New Testament counterpart to this text is 2 Corinthians 9:7 – “Every man as he has purposed in his heart, so let him give, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Second, everyone has something to contribute to build up the Lord’s house (25:3-8). It was the individual gift, regardless of size, that permitted every person to have a part in the project. My gift is not compared to another from someone with greater or lesser ability to give, but is accepted according to what I have and my own ability (2 Cor 8:12). Third, there is a pattern for serving God (25:9). God gave Moses a specific plan for the tabernacle and the furnishings, just like He gave Noah a pattern for the ark. Man has never been left to himself to worship or serve God as he sees fit in his own heart. Neither are we without a pattern for worship and Divine service today (cf Heb 8:5). God is concerned about the details! People act as though they can do whatever they want and call it service to God, and act as if God ought to be happy with it (cf Lev 10:1-3).

New Testament reading: Luke 12-13

“Take heed and beware of covetousness.”  While some say, “He who dies with the most toys wins,” the truth is, “He who dies with the most toys is still dead and must answer to God.”  In our crazy society of deficit spending, credit cards and instant gratification, we would do well to remember the Lord’s words, “A man’s life does not consist of the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15), and ‘You can’t take it with you’ (Luke 12:20). Consider also the matter that prompted Jesus’ parable. In Luke 12:13, someone from the crowd sought to use Jesus’ authority against his brother regarding an inheritance. Jesus refused to be drawn into the dispute primarily because the man’s heart wasn’t right. Second, it wasn’t His mission to be an arbiter in human disputes. If there was a legitimate case to be made, there were courts to handle it. We would also be wise to confine ourselves to our own business (cf Prov 26:17).

Old Testament reading Exodus 22-24

Israel was a theocracy. Therefore, her laws governed the people in matters of religion as well as in matters of crime and punishment. Exodus 21 began the system of rule designed to govern the everyday affairs of the people in matters of property, morality and justice. Admittedly, some of these laws seem harsh while others seem lax. I must remember that I cannot judge the laws of Israel based upon my own experience or in light of modern culture. As an American, I find it offensive when Europeans and the “Euro Wanna Be’s” in the media look down their noses at our laws (e.g., capital punishment) they deem offensive or “beneath people of education and culture.” Moreover, we must remember that God is the one who gave Israel her law system. Therefore, that law was perfect in every way to govern His people. This is one primary difference between the Mosaic Law and the gospel wherein people fail to make a distinction. The gospel is not given to govern nations; it is given to govern the hearts of men and the church. There is no system of crime and punishment in the gospel concerning secular matters. However, I believe all nations would be far better off if their leaders’ hearts were ruled by the gospel or the basic principles found therein.

New Testament reading: Luke 10-11

We’ve already noted the Limited Commission of Matthew 10, but in today’s reading we see a second commission wherein 70 others, (in addition to the apostles who were sent out in chapter 9), are sent to preach the gospel of the kingdom. These were sent separately from the 12, but were given the same instructions, including the command to heal the sick (10:9). We would do well to note that there were many in addition to the apostles who were given the ability to heal during Jesus’ public ministry. Before these 70 were sent out, in chapter 9 we saw a man rebuked by the apostles for casting out demons. Why the rebuke? The apostles didn’t know him. Jesus corrects this error by pointing to the man’s deeds as evidence of Divine approval. Elsewhere He said, “by their fruits you will know them” (Matt 7:20).

Old Testament reading: Exodus 19-21

We might be inclined to focus all our attention on Exodus 20 and the Ten Commandments. But if we did, we would miss the gems of chapter 19, and some of the shadows of the church. In Exodus 19:5, God says, “If you will obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people.” Likewise, those who are participants in the New Covenant (gospel) are described as being God’s “own special people” (Titus 2:14). The ESV refers to these as “a people of His own special possession.” While God certainly loves all men, there is no question the church constitutes God’s special people today. Now, listen to God’s promise continued in verse 6 – “And you will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” My mind immediately went to 1 Peter 2:9 and God’s words concerning the church: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people.” I also think of Revelation 1:6 wherein Jesus is said to have made the church to be “kings and priests to His God and Father.” Finally, in verse 10 we see that men must prepare themselves before they can be present themselves to the Lord. In Matthew 22:11-13 we see a man who presented himself at the wedding without a proper garment. He was cast out into outer darkness for his lack of preparation.

New Testament reading: Luke 8-9

“I’ve got friends in low places.” So sang a country singer some years ago. Jesus certainly had friends whom the world would have described as coming from low places. He could be found among the common man (Mark 12:37). He was known not only to keep company with tax collectors and sinners (Matt 9:10-11), but was also accused of being a friend of the same (Matt 11:19). Horror of horrors! But Jesus came as the Savior of the world, and this included “the upper crust” as well. In today’s reading, we see Him assisted by Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward. Jesus also had other friends of wealth influence, including Nicodemus the Pharisee and Joseph of Arimathea. Jesus was of such character so as to draw all men to Himself (cf John 12:32). Our lives should mimic His in this way, that we might point all men to Jesus.

Old Testament reading: Exodus 16-18

If you haven’t figured it out yet, one of the things I love about reading these Old Testament texts is seeing the New Testament and Jesus in particular. Today’s reading is a “no brainer” in this respect. Exodus 16 tells us about the Lord’s provision of bread and meat for His children in the wilderness. Exodus 17 provides the account of Israel receiving water from a rock. Let us remember that the Old Testament is written for our learning (Rom 15:4) and the things found therein are given to us as examples (1 Cor 10:11). One thing about the manna that I want to mention is the name. Many miss the meaning of the name, thinking manna is a synonym for bread or sustenance. Not so. Of this provision, in Exodus 16:15 we see the children ask, “What is it?” In verse 30, the name Manna is given, meaning, “What is it?” The New Testament picture is obvious; Jesus likened Himself to this manna, calling Himself the bread of God sent down from heaven that gives life to the world (John 6:32-33). In the first epistle to the church at Corinth, Paul spoke of Israel as all eating of the same spiritual food and drinking the same spiritual drink (1 Cor 10:3-4). Both the food and drink are called “spiritual” because they were miraculously given. Continuing with his illustration, Paul writes, “For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.” The people called the bread Manna, because they did not know what it was. Jesus might also be likened to Manna today in the sense that most do not know who He is. We can help them in this respect in our teaching and in our example.

New Testament reading: Luke 6-7

Today we read a shorter rendering of the Sermon on the Mount. By length, Luke’s account is about 1/3 the length of Matthew’s. Although this particular account and context coincides with Matthew’s account (Matt 5-8), we need to understand that Jesus did not preach a new sermon everywhere he went. The truths taught in Matthew 5-7 and Luke 6 were repeated throughout the course of Jesus’ ministry. Moreover, we must remember that the words we find in the biblical record are only a summation of a more extensive discourse (cf Acts 2:40).

Old Testament reading: Exodus 13-15

“Let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Cor 5:8). Again we see the significance of the events and feast associated with the Passover. The feast here is not a reference to the Lord’s Supper, as Paul would take up that topic in chapter 11. Rather, he is speaking to the purity commanded by those who have been participants in the blessing of the Passover. For seven days following the Passover, Israel was commanded to put away all leaven from out of their houses under the threat of death (Ex 12:15). Exodus 13 marks the feast of unleavened bread as a perpetual memorial to God’s deliverance from Egypt, and not just deliverance, but deliverance by the strong hand of God (vv 8-9). Exodus 13 also details God’s guidance through the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. This phenomena is referenced by Isaiah in connection with the day of the Branch of the Lord, Jesus Christ (Isa 4:2-5).

New Testament reading: Luke 4-5

Today’s reading affirms the rejection of Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy (4:16-30) and serves to illustrate Paul’s statement that in due time Jesus died for the ungodly (Rom 5:6). Some believe and teach that Jesus came to establish an earthly kingdom but was rejected by the Jews, as if He didn’t foresee this rejection and failed in His purpose for coming.  Jesus’ rejection was planned according to the foreknowledge of God, and was not an unforeseen roadblock on the road to the establishment of the kingdom. Additionally, Jesus’ death was not only to be carried out on God’s schedule, but also had to be accomplished in God’s way. Aside from the issue of timing, being cast off a cliff was not in accordance with the Scriptures that foretold of the type of death he would die. Neither did the stoning He escaped in John 8:59. Jesus had to die by crucifixion (Psa 22:16-18; Isa 53:4-5; John 3:14). Of necessity, everything had to take place according to the eternal purpose and foreknowledge of God (Acts 2:23).

Old Testament reading: Exodus 10-12

No Old Testament event has a greater connection to the New Testament than does the Passover. The significance of this is seen as Jesus is called “our Passover,” who “was sacrificed for us” (1 Cor 5:7). The observance of the Passover was one of following what are sometimes called God’s positive commands. God’s commands may be divided into two categories. By moral commands, we speak of those things wherein we can see an actions resultant good or evil. It take neither a genius nor a high level of faith to see the resultant good of “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” By God’s positive commands, we speak of those things promised by God that must be obeyed purely through faith in God. Concerning the Passover, there was no logical connection between the application of blood to the door posts with deliverance from the Destroyer. Only faith in God would prompt obedience. In like fashion, it is only when the blood of Jesus is applied to the door of our hearts that we give testimony to our faith in God. The only remedy for sin is the blood of Jesus (Rev 1:5). The only way to receive remission of sins is to be baptized in response to believing the gospel (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38). Thus baptism is the means by which we contact the blood of Jesus. Upon hearing what the Bible teaches about salvation, people understand the need for faith in Christ, repentance and confession, but balk at baptism, saying, “I just don’t see the connection.” But baptism is a pure act of faith, for in it we declare our faith in the promise and working of God (Col 2:12).

New Testament reading: Luke 2-3

“I can die now.” This phrase is often used by those who meet some childhood hero or finally accomplish a lifelong dream. Simeon said the same things 2000 years ago when he finally saw the promised Messiah (2:25-29). How unfortunate that so many in Israel did not see in Jesus what Simeon saw, of which he also spoke in verses 34-35. Jesus came as God’s salvation for all people (v 31). Isaiah prophesied this very thing in Isaiah 9. The salvation of the Gentiles was to Israel’s glory, but Israel was blinded by pride so as to deny themselves God’s glory by killing His Son and opposing the Gentiles as partakers of God’s promise to Abraham.