Jan 28 Ex 19-20,23:20- 24:18

Up until today, except for the commentaries, this Bible has not read much different than any other Bible. Today is where I really start loving it! In the actual Bible, the long list of Laws are given fully at least twice and parts of them are reviewed many times. I'm sure that wandering in the Wilderness they needed to hear them over and over (especially since it was 40 years), but what a stroke of brilliance on L. Smiths part to put them all together, catagorize them and just have to read it once. There are things we can learn from the laws and it's important to have them there to refer to so we can understand the NT better, but since many of them don't really apply to us this is where many people reading through the Bible start to lose it. But we are going to hang in there!!

The verses I mentioned before- Ex. 23:20-21 (I am sending an angel ahead....do not rebel against him, he will not forgive your rebellion) has come up already. I said I would tackle that when I got there....but boy it's a tough one. I couldn't find any helpful commentaries or interpretations. This is the best I can figure out, if someone else has more insight, jump in. One translation says 'he won't bear with them', giving the idea not of unforgiveness, but "I'm not putting up with that". Also in a list of 'related verses', it mentions ones about not letting them go into the promised land because of their rebellion. So I am guessing that this has to do more with 'he won't let their sins go unpunished' rather than refusing to forgive them. As always, we have to take scripture as whole and we know that God will forgive us when we are repentant. In reading these related scriptures I noted that we will see more of this 'angel of the Lord' and there is now little doubt in my mind that it is a Christophany (preincarnate Jesus). Remember that the word translated angel actually means messenger and doesn't always mean the being created to serve God in heaven.

It always bothered me that when they finally take over the Promised Land that there has to be so much blood shed. Then I heard a message one time that used this passage to show that was not God's original intent. Here in Ex 23:23-33 (with the 'original' Israelites not the next generation who actually do go into the Promised Land) He tells them He will drive out the inhabitants little by little and he will send 'the hornet' ahead of them. One source I read said that this is a metaphore for 'ills and calamaties". At any rate by the time they finally get there, they have disobeyed so many times that they have to fight for the land. But I'm jumping ahead a little.

Back to the scene at hand- it is interesting that Moses sprinkles them with blood. I had not noticed that before. And they seem so eager to obey, twice the saw 'We will do everything the the Lord has said, we will obey". Hmm......we'll see......

Nabad and Abihu, by the way are Aaron's sons. They will won't be obeying for very long (preview of coming attractions.....)

And what must it have been like to see God's glory?? Wow. The closest we get now is His majestic creation.

• When have you been aware of the Lord’s presence while observing nature?
• Close your eyes and place yourself on Mount Sinai with Moses and friends. Meditate on God’s beauty as he stands on the blue sapphire pavement.
• Now bask in the cool peace of God’s beauty.