Exodus chapters 34-36

The theme of these last few lessons has focused on the commandments. Have you kept the 10 commandments? How many have you broken? Are you good enough? Take the good test and find out

God’s message to me: 34:23-34 God is our protection and we have no need to worry about our protection when we serve Him. When the people of Israel celebrated Holy Days the Levites took up arms and replaced them as guard. In modern times, most of the invasions of Israel came on Holy days when most of the Israeli army was at home on leave. In every case they have found themselves out maneuvered, out gunned and out classed and caught so completely off guard that they often had half the country taken over before they could effectively recall the soldiers to service. In every single case, within days, they have retaken all lost ground and taken over large portions of the attacking country’s territory. Militarily this is impossible and the nation of Israel should have ceased to exist long ago. With God nothing is Impossible and He makes certain His people are safe, even when they are to busy worshiping to be battle ready. God uses those times to bring glory to Himself.

I have asked non believers to explain this and they can’t . I have asked Muslims to show me an example of their people winning and they can’t. I have been asked by Muslims what I will say when their people rush Israel into the sea and I point out the facts I have just shown then ask them to accept God before He destroys them for attacking His people.

Promises: God is willing and able to forgive you if you ask. Most of the Israelites were forgiven for their actions regarding the golden calf. Aaron made the calf, led the worship and then lied about how it was made and was not only forgiven but made High Priest.

Commands: Obey God. Ask forgiveness for you sins. Rely on God.

Timeless principles: God Knows what you are to do long before you do. When He laid out the design of the temple He didn’t ask for just any willing artisans. He called for the men who were best for the job by name. Ministry isn’t left for just anyone willing to try his hand. It is what God has made you for and called you to. A willing heart is necessary but so is the calling and the gifting.

How can I apply what I’ve learned: Ask God for forgiveness of those things I have done, don’t repeat the sins, and trust God to bring me through the tough times.

more to learn for in-depth study: 334:27 god says “write these words” I keep telling you this is a written record.

Exodus 34:6b-7 “The Lord God , merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 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 fourth generation.”

God is filled with mercy, grace, patience, goodness, and truth. God forgives sin whether it is a mistake or intended evil, when asked for forgiveness.

Contrary to popular belief God is a just God. The guilty are not forgiven without asking for forgiveness and accepting Him. Reject God and the result of your sin is on your children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Of course they can get right with God and escape the generational curse.

This is one of those passages that explains the reason for hell to those who “never heard the Gospel.” Visiting iniquity to the 3rd and 4th generation means around 100 years realistically. The idea being, that those who had the message and rejected it would have a difficult time not knowing the message for a long time. Atheists and agnostics can’t claim to not know the message. They simply reject it. Communists fall into this area. Communism suppresses religion to make the state the ultimate power but, both the party officials and the little guy on the street still know the message of God decades after the bible has been banned.

I have heard a number of “philosophies” from native tribesman in parts of the world that had no contact with “Christendom” for hundreds of years. While many are pagan, polytheist ramblings you find world wide there is always at lest one that is the gospel, at least from the Old Testament view. They may not have the message of Christ as risen savior but they have the message He taught from the Old Testament including not only the law but the faith in Messiah yet to come. Unlike those who seek Messiah and reject Christ these people never knew of Christ and converted quickly when they learned of Him. History classes don’t pay much attention to these peoples but they can be found in books and historical documentaries.

Keep in mind we all started in Northern Iraq(Kurdistan)at the foot of Mt Ararat. We all came from the children of Noah. We spread across the earth from there slowly and migrated to the various lands. History is filled with contacts between cultures who knew the events of the New Testament and those who didn’t. Vikings visited the America’s hundreds of years before Columbus. India and China were invaded by Romans. China traded and warred with Japan and the outlying nations like Korea and Vietnam. Australia, New Zealand, the Cook Islands and many others were settled by people from mainland areas and continued to trade and make contact by sea with others.

Before I forget, AGAIN, tomorrow we will cover Exodus chapters 37-39.