Acknowledgements

The World English Bible (WEB) is a Public Domain (no copyright) Modern English translation of the Holy Bible. The author is grateful to Michael and Lori Johnson of World Outreach Ministries for their work and dedication in creating the World English Bible and freely sharing it with God’s family. The WEB is available at http://ebible.org/web/

References to verses from the American Standard Version (ASV), Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the King James Version (KJV) bibles are from Theophilos Bible Software, website http://www.theophilos.com/ . This is a wonderful free Bible study program with many great features.

Scripture notations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation, Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Thank you MaryAnn, for looking away from the members of our small group and directly into my eyes; saying the words, “We need a Bible Study leader.

For ‘My Lady’ Mary Lou thank you for all of your understanding, support and patience.

And thank you God for allowing me to be your scribe.

Table of Contents

1) Growing in Faith

2) Creation to the Fall, and Punishment

3) Corruption, Noah and the Ark

4) The Flood

5) The Tower of Babel

6) Abraham, Father of the Jewish Nation.

7) Abram and Melchizedek

8) Abram’s Sons

9) Sodom and Gomorrah

10) Isaac

11) Esau and Jacob

12) Jacob and Laban

13) Esau and Jacob Reunited

14) Joseph, Slave of Egypt

15) Joseph Leads Egypt

16) Family Reunited

17) Israel Moves to Egypt

18) Jacob’s Prophecies

19) Job, Man of God

20) Job, Remains with God

21) Job, Works or Grace

22) Job, Conversations with God

23) Slavery

24) The Plagues of Egypt

25) The Exodus

26) The First Fight

27) God Speaks from the Mountain

28) The Golden Calf

29) God Enters His Tabernacle

30) Rebellion

31) Stories from the Desert

32) Balak and Balaam

33) The Promised Land

34) Moses Bids Farewell

1) Growing in Faith

‘Enter’ and ‘Exit’ … which is correct?

Walmart sees a lot of my paycheck. My missus and I make a lot of trips there. Me being me, I insist on walking into the store by the door with the sign over it that says ‘Exit’ – drives my wife right up the wall. So of course when we leave the store I leave by the door that says ‘Enter’.

I do explain why every now and then. You see, I tell her that I’m exiting the parking lot. I’m the only one that’s doing it right! Of course that always starts a good hearted conversation. “But people have decided”, she tells me, “that you “Enter” the store. You know she’s right. People have decided.

But I’m right too. I really am exiting that parking lot. The world has decided that there can be two truths to view our reality. Only one truth can lead us to an eternity with God. That’s why we’re here. We sense or we recognize that there are two truths being taught in this world. There is the truth as man has decided it should be. More and more often we hear that that truth is ever evolving and flexible.

Then there is the truth of God. That is the truth with constancy. We’re here to learn and to share that God truth.

Each of us is in a different stage of maturity, or growth, with God.

We can look across our home, our church, our Christian community, and see Christians in many different roles within the Body. We’ve become used to looking at these people and their God-shared abilities as a sliver in time; constants. But time flows like a river. We grow and mature constantly.

There are points in our lives when we look at our brothers and sisters and think, why can’t I be more like him or her? Why can’t I be that dynamic speaker, or so brave as to talk to strangers about Christ?

When we say that, we never ever put those thoughts with the other statement, “time flows”. Think about what that means for just a minute. We all have our own God-given time on this Earth. Our time intersects with the time lines of many people. This means that those around us can be much farther on their journey with Christ than we. And of course, we must also remember that we are further along than others. Those others are watching us – if we know it or not. We are all traveling on that path toward God together.

If that makes sense, doesn’t it also make sense that those farther along their path should also have more experience in their walk?

The simplest explanation of why you, me, any of us are not where we want to be in our walk with Christ may simply be that we aren’t far enough down the path just yet.

Nicodemus

We’re going to talk now about one man’s journey on that path and his growth with Christ. Nicodemus is mentioned in three sets of passages – all in the Book of John. With everything else John teaches us, he also wanted us to see one other contemporary of Christ; see him very clearly. When we look a little closer, we’ll see that every time Nicodemus comes back in to the story of Jesus that he has been changed; that he has grown and is further down that path toward God.

The First Meeting

Let’s begin with John 3:1 – 17.

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. John 3:1

Remember, the Pharisees were not friends of Jesus. Nor were they receptive to him or his teaching. Nicodemus was one of their leaders.

The same came to him by night, John 3:2a

Why night? Nicodemus didn’t want to be seen approaching Jesus.

... and [Nicodemus] said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.” John 3:2b

What does this tell us about his motives? Why did Nicodemus come to Jesus? Nicodemus sensed that there was a different truth in this special man. He understood that Jesus brought the truth of God, not men.

Jesus answered him, “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see God’s Kingdom.” John 3:3

Look at Jesus’ reply for just a second. Doesn’t that sound like Jesus had just changed the subject? What was he really saying to Nicodemus; ‘You may believe in me and that I am sent by my Father, but your belief is not enough. You must come to me.’

Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter into God’s Kingdom. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” John 3:4-6

This clearly caught Nicodemus’ attention. Jesus saw this and went on to say to him…

Don’t marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don’t know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered him, “How can these things be?” John 3:7-9

Nicodemus was listening. He was beginning to get the message. It is here with this surprising discussion of births that we see the beginning of Nicodemus’ conversion. They continue their discussion and Jesus, with a mild rebuke, begins to fully educate Nicodemus.

Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and don’t understand these things? Most certainly I tell you, we speak that which we know, and testify of that which we have seen, and you don’t receive our witness. If I told you earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven, but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up… John 3:10-14

You may have noticed that we are closing on John 3:16, the most quoted verse of the Bible. Did you know that in our rush to John 3:16 that we are overlooking maybe the best one sentence summary of the Bible – and of our faith? Jesus tells Nicodemus,

“…that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:15

Let that verse sink in.

Now we get to Verse 16, John 3:16, the most quoted bible verse, and with it verse 17, possibly more important than verse 16.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him. John 3:17

These two extremely important verses, and remember verse 15 as well, were given directly to Nicodemus. Just these three verses are a very good summation of the entire Bible. Jesus chose this conversation with Nicodemus to reveal to all of us in these three verses the entirety of our salvation. Knowing this now, do you think that Jesus also wanted Nicodemus’ story to be told to all of us?

Nicodemus Grows

Now, as we begin our second discussion of Nicodemus we need to put things in perspective – advance the story. Time has passed. Jesus has continued his teachings. His popularity had grown as Jesus traveled across the countryside. Many had come to him. Others openly questioned Jesus and his teachings.

We’re about to see that Nicodemus has kept that late night conversation with Jesus close to his heart. Nicodemus has begun his own journey down that path to salvation.

Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.” But he said this about the Spirit, which those believing in him were to receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus wasn’t yet glorified. John 7:37-39

Did you catch how much is in these three verses? If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! Sermons have been written on this single sentence. He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.

This next sentence should sum up our Christian lives. And the third major statement from these three verses, but he said this about the Spirit, which those believing in him were to receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus wasn’t yet glorified. This is a brief but wonderful description of the Spirit of God that now dwells in us.

This lesson from Jesus incensed the Pharisees. They looked for any reason to send their own officers after Jesus. The people in the crowd would give them their reason to arrest Jesus.

Many of the multitude therefore, when they heard these words, said, “This is truly the prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “What, does the Christ come out of Galilee? Hasn’t the Scripture said that the Christ comes of the offspring of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” So there arose a division in the multitude because of him. Some of them would have arrested him, but no one laid hands on him. John 7:40-44

Even with a reason to arrest Jesus, everyone in that crowd somehow knew not to touch him. No one stepped forward to do the Pharisees’ bidding, not even the Pharisees own police.

The officers therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why didn’t you bring him?” The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this man!” The Pharisees therefore answered them, “You aren’t also led astray, are you? Have any of the rulers believed in him, or of the Pharisees? But this multitude that doesn’t know the law is accursed.” John 7:45-49

Even the Pharisees’ officers could not bring themselves to arrest Jesus. Not knowing what else to do, the Pharisees convened a meeting. They had what they saw as a major problem in Jesus and his new teachings. You can imagine them becoming enraged as they talked – almost egging one another on as they worked themselves into a fever pitch.

Nicodemus (he who came to him [Jesus] by night, being one of them [a Pharisee]) said to them … John 7: 50

Let’s look at this verse a little closer. This last part is in parentheses. John consciously did this. He wanted us to recall Nicodemus and his first discussion with Jesus. John now wants to show us more of Nicodemus’ ‘Growing in Faith.’ Let’s look at his words to the Pharisees.

“Does our law judge a man, unless it first hears from him personally and knows what he does?” They answered him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search, and see that no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.” Everyone went to his own house. John 7: 51-53

Nicodemus did not sneak off in the middle of the night this time. He addressed that enraged court of Pharisees. Still, Nicodemus wasn’t ‘there’ yet. He was growing in faith but was not yet a mature Christian. He had farther to travel down the path.

What he did undoubtedly took some courage, but Nicodemus still hedged his bets. He didn’t directly defend Jesus. He talked around what he really wanted to say. He asked in Verse 51 what the Pharisees took to be a neutral question, “Does our law judge a man, unless it first hears from him personally and knows what he does?”

This one question ended the debate for the moment. Nicodemus had accomplished what he intended – defending Christ – but he did it on the sly.

If you look back at the very end of verse 53 you won’t see a period. The sentence doesn’t end at the end of this chapter. Here is the rest of that sentence, in the very first verse of Chapter 8.

But Jesus went to the Mountain of Olives. John 8:1

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Yes, God was in control, but think about what Nicodemus’ intervention had now allowed – the Sermon on the Mount.

He’s There!

Now we begin our third discussion of Nicodemus. Here is the context…

When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished.” He bowed his head, and gave up his spirit. John 19:30

Again, this is a very powerful verse; deep in meaning. “It is finished.” Like the verses from John 3, entire sermons have been written on just these three words from the cross.

Let’s get back to Nicodemus.

After these things, Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked of Pilate that he might take away Jesus’ body. Pilate gave him permission. He came therefore and took away his body.

Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred Roman pounds. So they took Jesus’ body, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden. In the garden was a new tomb in which no man had ever yet been laid. Then because of the Jews’ Preparation Day (for the tomb was near at hand) they laid Jesus there. John 19:38-42

Again, John consciously, purposely reminds us who Nicodemus is. He says, “…who at first came to Jesus by night”.

Twice now John has done this to remind us of the story within the story. He led us through the “Growing in Faith” of Nicodemus. Let’s look now at the ‘mature in Christ’ Nicodemus.

Nicodemus also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred Roman pounds, verse 39 tells us. Nicodemus walked right up front, out in the open, and directly to Pilate. Pilate was the man that had just handed Jesus over to be crucified, and could have done the same to Nicodemus.

A fully mature Nicodemus for the first time openly came to Jesus, having grown in his faith.

That’s the last we hear of Nicodemus. John doesn’t tell us, I don’t think that he had to, but can you believe that Nicodemus did not resign his duties as a Pharisee?

Conclusion

Now think about Nicodemus and what his story means for each of us. The Bible will teach us that God is all knowing. He foretold all of the events that we have seen and read in the Bible. He foretold all of the still to come events that we take as faith.

·         God, knowing that we collectively would most often quote John 3:16 gave those words to Jesus to speak them to Nicodemus. This was a verse that Jesus could have used at any point in his ministry. He spoke those words to Nicodemus.

·         John purposely and pointedly leads us through the spiritual growth of Nicodemus.

·         Through Nicodemus, God tells us that it’s okay to grow. We don’t have to be – He doesn’t expect us to be – fully mature the moment we come to Christ.

·         He also tells us that he wants us to grow; just like Nicodemus. Just keep walking down that path toward God. Follow the Light.

In our next story we will begin at God’s beginning; Creation. We will learn that God dreamed of strolling through His garden, the Garden of Eden, with His friends. We’ll meet Adam and Eve and watch them fall into sin. Our story will come from the books of Genesis, Job, Psalms, and the New Testament. Our remaining stories will flow chronologically; in the order they were lived.

2) Creation to the Fall, and Punishment

Last time we talked about growing in our Faith. God used John and Nicodemus to teach us that it’s okay to grow in our belief and in our relationship with God. We just have to continue our journey down the path towards Him.

- An all-knowing God understood that John 3:16 would become the most recognized verse of the Bible. Jesus spoke these words from John 3:16 to Nicodemus.

- John intentionally reminds us of the spiritual growth of Nicodemus and weaves his growth directly into his book of the life of Jesus.

- God used this story of Nicodemus to let us know that it’s okay to grow. He doesn’t expect any of us to be fully mature the day we meet Christ.

- God does want all of us to grow, to continue our personal journey down the path that leads to God. Follow the Light.

For most of this story we’ll be in Genesis, the very first book of the Bible, but we won’t be starting there. We’ll begin our story in the Book of Job. Then we will introduce Adam, Eve, Satan, some old bones and a pomegranate.

By the way, Genesis is a name taken from the Greek, and signifies "the book of generation or production". You may hear it called the Book of Beginnings. That’s fitting, it contains an account of the origin of all things; everything on Earth and in the skies.

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding. Who determined its measures, if you know? Or who stretched the line on it? Whereupon were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? “Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke out of the womb, when I made clouds its garment, and wrapped it in thick darkness, marked out for it my bound, set bars and doors, and said, ‘Here you may come, but no further. Here your proud waves shall be stayed?’ Job 38: 4-11

This passage is part of a conversation between God and Job. We’ll learn the rest of this story and hear Job’s answer another time.

Remember one line for now, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? We’ll get back to this quote later. First, we’ll move forward to Psalms.

Your years are throughout all generations. Of old, you laid the foundation of the earth. The heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will endure. Yes, all of them will wear out like a garment. You will change them like a cloak, and they will be changed. But you are the same. Your years will have no end. Psalms 102:24b-27

In these two passages we are introduced to God’s word declaring that He is the creator of the heavens, and of earth and mankind. Next we will see that this theme of God’s creation is carried forward into the New Testament. Paul speaks these words.

Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation? For by him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things are held together. Colossians 1:15-17

And here we have an almost word for word repeat of the Psalms quote,

“You, Lord, in the beginning, laid the foundation of the earth. The heavens are the works of your hands. They will perish, but you continue. They all will grow old like a garment does. You will roll them up like a mantle, and they will be changed; but you are the same. Your years will not fail.” Hebrews 1:10-12

So we see that God does remind us several times throughout the Bible that He was the creator of the universe. Repeating this so many times, beginning with Genesis, it was obviously important to God that we understand, and that we accept, the story of Creation.

Creation.

Now we can go to Genesis Chapter 1. The Story of the creation of the universe is first about the preparation of a home for mankind; the Earth. The entire story of Creation is told in only a few brief paragraphs.

[Day 1:] In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep and God’s Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters. God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw the light, and saw that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light “day”, and the darkness he called “night”. There was evening and there was morning, the first day. Genesis 1:1-5

Think about something right here. If you can believe just one passage of the Bible, if you can accept the very first verse, Genesis 1:1, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth as accurate and truthful, then it’s real easy to believe and trust in the rest of the Bible.

We’re just five verses into the Bible and we’re about to learn that we must never quickly read God’s word. As our study continues we will learn that there are layers of meaning in these verses. Just a quick reading of verses 3 and 4 seems only to discuss daylight arising from darkness. There is so much more. Let’s read only verse 3 separately this time.

God said, “Let there be light.” and there was light. Genesis 1:3

Many of us read the next verse right away and then just assume that God spoke only about creating daylight. This was so much more. Let’s look at a few other verses. We’ll begin in Psalms and learn that God really was creating far more than sunlight.

Commit your way to Yahweh. Trust also in him, and he will do this: He will make your righteousness go forth as the light, and your justice as the noon day sun. Psalms 37:5-6

God gave us a light that leads to blessing. We’ll see this message again in this Psalm.

The entrance of your words gives light. It gives understanding to the simple. Psalms 119:130

Job and many of the prophets also discuss this light of God. The message of light continues throughout the New Testament.

For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. Ephesians 5:8

And,

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

Even Jesus spoke to us of “the light”.

Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

These multiple meanings of light, with which we started in Genesis, Chapter 1 continues into the very last book of the Bible, Revelations.

There will be no night, and they need no lamp light; for the Lord God will illuminate them. They will reign forever and ever. Revelation 22:5

The Book of John will give us our most powerful argument for Jesus, light, and the beginning.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it. John 1:1-5

This will be only our first example of the multiple meanings and richness of the Bible. Now we can return to God’s creation.

[Day 2:] God said, “Let there be an expanse in the middle of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” God made the expanse, and divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. God called the expanse “sky”. There was evening and there was morning, a second day. Genesis 1:6 - 8

[Day 3:] God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. God called the dry land “earth”, and the gathering together of the waters he called “seas”. God saw that it was good. God said, “Let the earth yield grass, herbs yielding seeds, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with their seeds in it, on the earth”; and it was so. The earth yielded grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with their seeds in it, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a third day. Genesis 1:9 - 13

[Day 4:] God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs to mark seasons, days, and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth”; and it was so. God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light to the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day. Genesis 1:14 - 19

[Day 5:] God said, “Let the waters abound with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.” God created the large sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind. God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. Genesis 1:20 - 23

[Day 6:] God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures after their kind, livestock, creeping things, and animals of the earth after their kind”; and it was so. God made the animals of the earth after their kind, and the livestock after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind. God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:24 – 25

We’re going to stop right here, just for a minute. We’re a moment before God creates Adam. We need to notice two things for now. Many times during the days of Creation we hear the phrase, God saw that it was good. God intentionally created good. We’ll get back to this later. For now, just remember that God started creating our paradise from Day 1.

The other thing to notice for now is that Moses, the writer of the first 5 books of the Bible, wanted to be very clear that these were days. They were not periods of time. At the conclusion of each activity of Creation, each day, we see the phrase, “There was evening and there was morning, a third/fourth/fifth day...”

Creation of Mankind

We’ve now gone through the first 5 ½ days of Creation. We saw God working through six successive periods of light and darkness, six days, preparing the world to put mankind in it.

God spent about 90% of his time during the Creation to prepare for our creation. Think of this like when you are getting company that you actually want. You might spend a week washing and cooking and cleaning. Then, when that special friend arrives you can just relax and talk. Everything has been made ready and you just enjoy one another’s company.

I think about sitting on the porch with my friends. God dreamed of strolling through his garden.

God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:26 – 27

God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness … This is the first of many times that we hear God describe Himself as a triune God; three in one, or the Trinity.

He shaped our body out of the dust of the earth and breathed into the nostrils of that first human form and made Adam a living being. It was the breath of God that gave life to man, but not just our mortal life. Nowhere else did we hear that God breathed life in to any animal or bird or fish.

Think about this, it was that breath of God that gave us our immortal life; our soul. He didn’t have to breathe life in to the animals. He didn’t have to breathe life in to the dry bones that he showed to Ezekiel in the desert. Let’s go there for a minute to read part of the story foretelling the rebirth of a united Israel.

So I prophesied as I was commanded. As I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, there was an earthquake. Then the bones came together, bone to its bone. I saw, and, behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh came up, and skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the wind, prophesy, son of man, and tell the wind, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Come from the four winds, breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Ezekiel 37:7 – 10

…and they lived and stood up on their feet; those human bones came to life without another breath of life from God. They had life but not a second soul.

Back to Genesis, Chapter 2 this time.

The man gave names to all livestock, and to the birds of the sky, and to every animal of the field; but for man there was not found a helper comparable to him. Yahweh God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. As the man slept, he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Yahweh God made a woman from the rib which he had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.

The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh. The man and his wife were both naked, and they were not ashamed. Genesis 2:20 - 24

Eve’s creation was to provide for man a helpful companion so that his life and happiness might be complete. Her creation out of a part of man's body provides the grounds of biblical marriage and the basis upon which a man and a woman are in marriage to become "one flesh." Our children provide that “one flesh”.

The Temptation

Now we’re going to move on to the Temptation. We’re going to talk about Adam and Eve, the apple and the serpent. By the way, there are stories from Jewish sources that have questioned if that fruit in Eden was a pomegranate.

The pomegranate, you might know, is totally full of seeds. According to some ancient texts there are supposed to be exactly 613 seeds. They went on to say that there is also that same number of commandments in the Old Testament. Interestingly an experiment was conducted at Columbia University and seeds were counted from more than 200 pomegranates. The average was found to be exactly 613!

Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?’” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden, but not the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said, ‘You shall not eat of it. You shall not touch it, lest you die.’”

The serpent said to the woman, “You won’t really die, for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took some of its fruit, and ate; and she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate it, too. Genesis 3:1 - 6

Think about something that we talked about a few minutes ago. At the end of every single day of Creation we read the phrase, and God saw that it was good. There was no treachery. There was no evil. There was no deceit. How then did we ever get to the Temptation?

Do you remember that first passage we said that we would get back to, “when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy” That was the quote from Job. Keep “all the sons of God” in mind as we look way at the back of the Bible, at Revelation Chapter 12.

There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war. They didn’t prevail, neither was a place found for him any more in heaven. The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Revelation 12:7 - 9

There was already a race of fallen beings in the universe. That’s how the Temptation was able happen. Notice how Satan is described? “…the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world”; the serpent, just like Genesis 3:1 called him. Satan was the chief of these rebelling Angels and had the ability or power of tempting others to follow him; the fallen Angels first, and then Adam and Eve.

Now, let’s talk about the subtleties of the Temptation. Eve was bombarded with more information than she could process so quickly. We’ll learn that she was willing, but she was also deceived. Understand that the temptation of Eve had several elements:

(1) The talking serpent may have been to Eve a miracle. A talking serpent, all by itself would put most of us out of our normal thoughts and actions. This is the first mention in the Bible of any talking animal. Think of it like an ambush or a trap that Eve didn’t see.

(2) Eve had not heard the command of God herself but had learned it from Adam. It was given before her creation.

Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Yahweh God planted a garden eastward, in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground Yahweh God made every tree to grow that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food, including the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2:7-9

And a few verses later,

Yahweh God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it. Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but you shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.” Yahweh God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Genesis 2:15 - 18

So we see that God did give that command only to Adam to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve did not hear that command from God. The devil therefore raised a doubt in Eve’s mind as to whether God really forbade it.

(3) The question that Eve heard from the Devil was, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?’” That question implies a doubt that Satan planted in Eve’s mind. Think about that question asked a little differently, like when someone is teasing you or daring you, “Did he really say that?” In this appeal to Eve’s curiosity there is also an implied dare; “You can do it, you know you want to.”

(4) Eve was told that she had a mistaken idea of the penalty - that she would not surely die.

And the snake said, Death will not certainly come to you: Genesis 3: 4

(5) The fruit was appealing to the eye and to Eve’s pride. It was beautiful, good for food, and it will make her wise like God;

For God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. Genesis 3:5

So we saw that Satan, “the old serpent” that Revelations called him, worked on Eve in a lot of different ways. Think of it as emotional overload. She was amazed and put off balance, there was a lot of doubt about many things, there was greed, and there was an appeal to her pride and to her vanity. Finally, you can bet that Eve was never given the chance to sit down and sort all of this out. Think Telemarketer!

In all this the temptation presented to Eve was to go upward. The temptation was to better herself. Isn’t that always our temptation? Adam was not directly approached, but he willfully disobeyed without being tempted. Just maybe that makes his sin worse than Eve’s.

Adam wasn’t deceived, but the woman, being deceived, has fallen into disobedience. 1 Timothy 2:14

Guilt

Eve ate the fruit. It must have been every bit as delicious as she was led to believe. She couldn’t wait to share it with her husband.

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took some of its fruit, and ate; and she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate it, too. Their eyes were opened, and they both knew that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together, and made coverings for themselves. They heard Yahweh God’s voice walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden. Genesis 3:6-8

Look just for a moment between the positive and negative descriptions of the first and last part of this passage. The first part describes what was all around Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden; good for food, delight to the eyes, and to be desired. Now, one bite and look what happens; their eyes were opened, knew that they were naked, and hid themselves from the presence of God. These descriptions went from positive to negative immediately.

Adam and Eve were changed. They became conscious of guilt and they tried to hide themselves from God. In fact, they became so ashamed that they tried to hide themselves two ways; they made clothes from fig leaves and then they hid in the trees of the garden. Think of it like a six year old running in to her room, shutting the door, and then hiding under the bed. You do all that; you know there’s deep trouble.

But think about what that really meant. Adam and Eve acknowledged right there that they were now unfit to be with God; no more strolls in His garden. No more fellowship with Him. This was our spiritual death.

Yahweh God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” The man said, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” Genesis 3:9:10

Look at God’s question one more time and think about it; where are you? Do you think that Adam answered the real question? Of course, an all knowing, omnipotent God would know exactly where Adam was. Mothers, have you ever asked your kids with a sad or a shocked voice, “What have you done?” You know exactly what had been done or you never would have asked that question. You were really asking “Why?” and "Did you really do this without thinking of the consequences?”

Now go back to God’s question, Where are you? God was not asking where Adam was physically. God was looking at Adam’s spiritual death and his fall from Grace. As He asked the question, the fall from grace was already determined. There was nothing left but to sentence the guilty.

Judgment

The sentences were immediately handed down. God gave His judgment to all three of the participants. First to the serpent:

Yahweh God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed above all livestock, and above every animal of the field. You shall go on your belly and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:14:15

God isn’t half way through pronouncing His judgments and in the blink of an eye He has already formed His Plan B. This is the first reference to Jesus in the Bible.

The New Testament alludes to Satan’s temptations several times. Here are two examples.

He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8

“…the devil has been sinning from the beginning” refers right back to the Temptation. Paul is even more obvious when he says,

And the God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet. Romans 16:20a

Eve was judged next,

To the woman he said, “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth. In pain you will bear children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” Genesis 3:16

Now God turns to Adam,

To Adam he said, “Because you have listened to your wife’s voice, and ate from the tree, about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ the ground is cursed for your sake. You will eat from it with much labor all the days of your life. It will yield thorns and thistles to you; and you will eat the herb of the field. By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:17-19

Look at one comment God made, the ground is cursed for your sake. We’ve all heard people ask just after a tragedy, “How could a loving God let this happen?” Now you have your answer. It wasn’t God’s choice.

Notice too that God said this to Adam. Remember that it was Adam who willingly committed sin. It wasn’t Eve that was most at fault; like most people believe. Eve was deceived. Did you notice that God’s judgment to Satan and to Eve were only on themselves and their relationship to each other. Adam’s judgment was on himself – and on the entire planet.

Banishment

Yahweh God made coats of animal skins for Adam and for his wife, and clothed them. Yahweh God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand, and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever—” Therefore Yahweh God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed cherubim at the east of the Garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3:21:24

Let’s discuss what just happened. Yahweh God made coats of animal skins for Adam and for his wife, and clothed them. The punishment was over. God in His mercy was now providing Adam and Eve with suitable clothes. After the judgment and after making these clothes God made a new decision; to banish Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.

He had to banish them. Look at this reading again. Yahweh God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand, and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever

Two things here. God said, …like one of us. This may have one or two meanings. This may be another reminder of a triune God. It may also be a confirmation that the Angels and the fallen Angels previously had that same knowledge of good and evil.

Second, God realized that if Adam and Eve had sinned once then they would undoubtedly sin again by eating from the Tree of Life. God could not let that happen.

Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden, the paradise where they could walk with God daily, and forced to struggle for food. Their bodies knew pain, then death. Because of Adam the earth was cursed. It no longer provided comfort and support. Instead we have famine, earthquakes and tornados.

We also learned that Adam and Eve were not beyond the pale of God's love. We were given a promise, in Genesis 3:15, telling us of the coming of one who would deal with Satan. Finally crushing that Old Serpent’s head and repairing the damage of the Fall. Did you know, all of the rest of the Bible unfolds the plan and work of God in fulfilling this one promise?

Cain and Abel

The man knew Eve his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man with Yahweh’s help.” Again she gave birth, to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

As time passed, Cain brought an offering to Yahweh from the fruit of the ground. Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. Yahweh respected Abel and his offering, but he didn’t respect Cain and his offering.

Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell. Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why has the expression of your face fallen? If you do well, won’t it be lifted up? If you don’t do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it.” Genesis 4:1-7

Are you wondering why God was pleased with one offering, but not the other? It certainly caught Cain by surprise. Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell. Let’s go to the New Testament.

By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had testimony given to him that he was righteous, God testifying with respect to his gifts; and through it he, being dead, still speaks. Hebrews 11:4

Faith is the answer. Abel gave to God because he wanted to give to God – through love. Cain gave to God because he thought that he had to give something, anything. Cain knew that he had also worked for his offering, but he thought of it as more of a tax than a gift. Let’s go back now to our text for one more point,

As time passed, Cain brought an offering to Yahweh from the fruit of the ground. Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. Yahweh respected Abel and his offering, but he didn’t respect Cain and his offering. Genesis 4:3:5a

Notice that it says that Cain gave from the fruit of the ground, but Abel gave of his flock. For Abel, it was a personal gift.

Continuing,

Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell. Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why has the expression of your face fallen? If you do well, won’t it be lifted up? If you don’t do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it.” Genesis 4:5b-7

Notice that the earlier verse said that he didn’t respect Cain and his offering. It did not say that God was angry or mad or hurt – only that God had no respect. God told him to just “do well”. God also warned Cain that sin was waiting at the door.

Unfortunately Cain didn’t take God’s advice. Maybe he got jealous. Maybe he decided to play the game of “Why is everybody always picking on me?” It was probably a little bit of both. The book of 1 John gives us some insight into why Cain acted as he did.

In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn’t do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn’t love his brother. For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; unlike Cain, who was of the evil one, and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s righteous. 1 John 3:10-12

Now that we know a bit more about Cain we can get back his story. His sins are about to grow.

Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s go into the field.” While they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him. Yahweh said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?” He said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Yahweh said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries to me from the ground. Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. From now on, when you till the ground, it won’t yield its strength to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth.” Genesis 4:8-12

We just read that this was no accident. Cain lured Abel out to the fields. As God had warned him, Cain had let sin become his master. Now once again God was forced to come in judgment. Notice though that this time it was different. The judgments of the sins of Adam and Eve have fallen down to all of us. For Cain, the judgment was on him alone. We can see this in our next reading.

Cain said to Yahweh, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, you have driven me out today from the surface of the ground. I will be hidden from your face, and I will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth. Whoever finds me will kill me.”

Yahweh said to him, “Therefore whoever slays Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” Yahweh appointed a sign for Cain, so that anyone finding him would not strike him. Cain left Yahweh’s presence, and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Genesis 4:13-16

Before we move on, let’s look at a few things from this story of Cain and Abel. Think about Adam and Eve. This was the very first mother to lose a child – and not one child, but two. Don’t you wonder how much of their lives were spent thinking all of the “what ifs”; from that day in the garden with the serpent, the pain and suffering, the loss of two sons? Maybe it was right here that they both realized the full effects of their sin.

Now think about Cain and Abel, not just the men, but what they represent by their lives. One man approached God with his works. God accepted his gift but was not pleased; neither did he send him away. But for the other, for Abel, he gave of his faith and God was pleased. This is our first example that we will please God by our faith, and not by works.

Cain, Seth and Further Falling.

Adam knew his wife again. She gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, saying, “For God has given me another child instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” Genesis 4:25

Another son was born to Adam and Eve, named Seth. Probably others had been born since the death of Abel as well. The Bible doesn’t tell us that. It does tell us that there is a difference in the children of Cain and of Seth.

A son was also born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on Yahweh’s name. Genesis 4:26

Notice that in this verse Seth and began to call on Yahweh’s name are together. It has been said that Seth and his lineage were known as children of God.

The son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. Luke 3:38

The children of Cain have been called children of men. Genesis 11 is the first of many places we’ll see that phase.

Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built. Genesis 11:5

We’ll discuss these “children of men” when we learn about the Tower of Babel. Genesis 6:1 mentions “the daughters of men”. We’ll go there when we discuss Noah and the Flood.

In this short story we learned perhaps the greatest tragedy in our history. Mankind was forced from God’s presence and thrown from His garden. Adam and Eve learned pain, suffering, and toil. They would face aging and death.

This short story also gave us the basis for one of God’s greatest works. To return us to His side God prepared His Plan B, allowing each of us to return to His side. Almost all of the Bible details His plan B for our salvation; the death, burial, and resurrection of His son Jesus that will culminate in the Second Coming.

- There are multiple meanings, and a richness in God’s word. As we learn the stories, remember to search for the lesson.

- It was the breath of God that gave life to man, but not just our mortal life. It was that breath of God that gave us our immortal life; our soul.

- The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was never placed in the Garden of Eden as a trap by God. Satan used what was available for his own purposes. He will always use what we make available.

- The temptation of Eve had several elements. Satan manipulated her on many levels; never giving her the chance to talk to Adam or to God and never a chance to think of the consequences.

- We learned that God called out each participant of the Temptation separately. He then gave His judgment to each of the three based upon their personal sins.

- Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden; not as part of their judgment, but because God feared that they would also eat of the Tree of Life.

- And the Lord was pleased with Abel's offering; but in Cain and his offering He had no pleasure. We had our first example that we will please God by our faith, and not by works.

As we continue with our stories we will explore all of God’s Plan B. Next time we will meet Noah, a man of God. We’ll learn why God told him to build that ark. We’ll also talk about the wickedness that came over the Earth that caused God to be sorry that He had ever brought mankind on to the Earth. We mentioned one aspect of that wickedness this time, the generations of Cain. We’ll also discuss one more possibility next time. We will even learn about the mysterious beings that the Bible calls Nephilim.

3) Corruption, Noah and the Ark

Last time we started our study just after the Temptation. Eve was tempted by Satan but Adam willingly sinned. We worked through the Fall and Punishment. We learned that:

- God fit His punishment from the Temptation to the sins of each of the three participants.

- It was not God that put a curse upon the Earth. It was Adam’s sin.

- Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden; not as part of their judgment, but because God feared that they would also eat from the Tree of Life.

- The story of the gifts of Cain and Abel is our first example that we will please God by our faith, and not by works.

- We learned that there was a difference in the descendants of Cain and Seth.

This time we will continue our discussion about the wickedness leading to the Flood. Man gets plenty of blame for this wickedness on Earth but only half of the total blame. We will meet Noah and learn why he found favor with God. Finally we will discover that there were a lot more than two of many animals aboard the ark.

Reasons for the Flood

Now we’ll talk about the wickedness that lead to the Flood. Last time we mentioned one aspect of that wickedness of mankind, the generations of Cain. Of course, the wickedness of Mankind spread to everyone except Noah and his family. Seth and his lineage were known as “children of God” or "the song of God" The children of Cain have been called “children of men”.

Genesis 6:1 mentions “the daughters of men”. We’ll read from there in just a minute and we’ll also discuss a second possibility for the wickedness on Earth. First, let’s look at three passages in Job.

Now on the day when God’s sons came to present themselves before Yahweh, Satan also came among them. Job 1:6

And,

Again, on the day when the God’s sons came to present themselves before Yahweh, Satan came also among them to present himself before Yahweh. Job 2:1

Job twice mentions sons of God. The third time God speaks of the ‘sons of God’ while He is talking to Job. We mentioned this passage when we studied the Creation.

Whereupon were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Job 38: 6-7

Now we can go to Genesis Chapter 6.

When men began to multiply on the surface of the ground, and daughters were born to them, God’s sons saw that men’s daughters were beautiful, and they took any that they wanted for themselves as wives. Yahweh said, “My Spirit will not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; so his days will be one hundred twenty years.” The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when God’s sons came in to men’s daughters and had children with them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was continually only evil. Genesis 6:1-5

We just read that “God’s sons saw that men’s daughters were beautiful, and they took any that they wanted for themselves as wives.” And then, “The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when God’s sons came in to men’s daughters and had children with them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.”

God, through Moses, tells us a lot about the Nephilim, the offspring of the sons of God and the daughters of men. Notice too that that this discussion is mixed through God’s growing displeasure with Mankind. God intentionally intertwined these two stories; one sentence about the Nephilim and the next about man, back and forth.

So let’s stop right here and try to decide who these Nephilim were. Directly, the Nephilim are mentioned twice in the Bible. Indirectly, there appear to be several more references to them. We can also look outside of scripture to find what could be confirmation of these Nephilim.

We first read of the Nephilim in Genesis. The second direct mention is in Numbers 13. We’ll talk more about this story in Numbers in the future. It is the reason that the Israelites wandered the deserts for 40 years.

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Send men, that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel. Of every tribe of their fathers, you shall send a man, every one a prince among them.” Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran according to the commandment of Yahweh. All of them were men who were heads of the children of Israel. Numbers 13:1-3

This story takes place not long after Moses led his people from Egypt. Twelve scouts were sent out to gather knowledge of the land that God intended to give to the Israelites.

They returned from spying out the land at the end of forty days. They went and came to Moses, to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, to the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word to them and to all the congregation. They showed them the fruit of the land.

Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it!” But the men who went up with him said, “We aren’t able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.” They brought up an evil report of the land which they had spied out to the children of Israel, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that eats up its inhabitants; and all the people who we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim. We were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” Numbers 13: 25-26, 30-33

We were as grasshoppers certainly describes being in a land of giants. Many other references seem to allude to the Nephilim.

They will not lie with the mighty who are fallen of the uncircumcised, who have gone down to Sheol with their weapons of war, and have laid their swords under their heads, and their iniquities are on their bones; for they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living. Ezekiel 32:27

And,

Yet I destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath. Amos 2:9

The third, you may already know. Remember, Genesis told us “The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that…”

A champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span went out. He had a helmet of brass on his head, and he wore a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. He had brass shin armor on his legs, and a brass javelin between his shoulders. The staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. His shield bearer went before him. 1 Samuel 17:4:7

At six cubits and a span, Goliath was about eleven feet tall. But Goliath was not the only giant of that time.

Again there was war with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. There was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six on each hand, and six on each foot; and he also was born to the giant. 1 Chronicles 20:5-6

The last place we’ll look for Nephilim is the New Testament book of Jude.

Angels who didn’t keep their first domain, but deserted their own dwelling place, he has kept in everlasting bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day. Jude 1-6

I also told you that we can look outside of scripture to find what could be confirmation of these Nephilim. Have you read any Greek mythology? Anybody remember the story of Helen of Troy? It’s full of stories of what they called ‘heroes’; men described as children of the gods that each possessed the strength of many men.

Not quite convinced? Let’s look at one more translation of verse 4 from Genesis chapter 6. This one is from the New Living Translation.

In those days, and for some time after, giant Nephilim lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes and famous warriors of ancient times. Genesis 6:4

If you look, many other cultures have similar stories.

Noah Found Favor with God

Now that we have discussed the two possible reasons for the wickedness on Earth we can get back to Noah. This is his lineage.

Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 1 Chronicles 1:1-4

Notice that this passage does not mention Cain and Abel. That is because this is a list of ancestry; the lineage of Noah. Counting Adam through Noah, there were ten generations. Christ was a descendent of Noah. Christ came from the lineage of Seth, not Cain the murderer.

Here is a quick introduction to Noah.

Lamech lived one hundred eighty-two years, then became the father of a son. He named him Noah, saying, “This one will comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, caused by the ground which Yahweh has cursed.” Genesis 5:28-29

We also know,

But Noah found favor in Yahweh’s eyes. This is the history of the generations of Noah: Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. Noah walked with God. Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Genesis 6:8-10

God repeats in Genesis 7:1 that Noah was a righteous man. We’ll go there in just a minute. The New Testament mentions Noah and his faith in God as well.

By faith, Noah, being warned about things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared a ship for the saving of his house, through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. Hebrews 11:7

Noah and his family are also mentioned in 1 Peter during a comparison of the Flood to water Baptism.

Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which he also went and preached to the spirits in prison, who before were disobedient, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, while the ship was being built. In it, few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you—not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 3:18-21

And in 2 Peter we read about the fallen Angels and of Noah. Notice the difference between how they are described.

For if God didn’t spare angels when they sinned, but cast them down to [hell], and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and didn’t spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood on the world of the ungodly… 2 Peter 2:4-5

So far we have learned that Noah:

- will give us rest from our trouble and the hard work of our hands;

- found favor in the eyes of God;

- was a righteous man, and perfect in his generations;

- By faith Noah made ready an ark for the salvation of his family.

Look at that last item again. By faith Noah made ready an ark for the salvation of his family. The story of the gifts of Cain and Abel already taught us that God is pleased by faith but not by works. Because of his faith Noah was righteous, perfect in his generations and found favor with God.

All of this ties back to that first point. Truly, he will give us rest from our trouble and the hard work of our hands. If we go forward today ‘by faith’, as Noah did, we don’t need hard work, or ‘works’, to find favor with God. That is how He will give us rest.

The Ark

Now that we have introduced Noah we’ll talk about the Ark.

The earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. God saw the earth, and saw that it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. God said to Noah, “I will bring an end to all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them and the earth.” Genesis 6:11-13

It didn’t take long for God to come to His decision to destroy the Earth. There were only those ten generations between Adam and Seth to Noah. All the Earth was corrupt; His words. Corruption can happen very quickly. We must always be vigilant.

Make a ship of gopher wood. You shall make rooms in the ship, and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch. This is how you shall make it. The length of the ship shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. You shall make a roof in the ship, and you shall finish it to a cubit upward. You shall set the door of the ship in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third levels. Genesis 6:14-16

Cubit is derived from the Latin word ‘cubitus’. It means ‘forearm’. Depending on where you look, a cubit seems to be anywhere from 20 to 22 inches long. So if we just assume 21 inches for a minute, the Ark was 525 ft. long, 87½ ft. wide, and 52½ ft. tall. That’s about two football fields long and four stories high.

I, even I, do bring the flood of waters on this earth, to destroy all flesh having the breath of life from under the sky. Everything that is in the earth will die. But I will establish my covenant with you. You shall come into the ship, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. Of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ship, to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind, of the livestock after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every sort will come to you, to keep them alive. Take with you some of all food that is eaten, and gather it to yourself; and it will be for food for you, and for them.” Thus Noah did. He did all that God commanded him. Genesis 6:17-22

This is where we got the idea that there were two of every creature gathered to the Ark. But was it really just two of every animal? First, look a little closer at that last passage. Of the birds after their kind, of the livestock after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every sort will come to you, to keep them alive. Take with you some of all food that is eaten, and gather it to yourself; and it will be for food for you, and for them.

Take all food that is eaten. That verse does not tell Noah to load up on oats and barley. It commands Noah to gather every kind of food. That would include meat. Now let’s go to Chapter 7. First to verse 1,

Yahweh said to Noah, “Come with all of your household into the ship, for I have seen your righteousness before me in this generation. Genesis 7:1

This was the other reference to Noah that we said earlier that we would read. This time God tells Noah directly that he is righteous.

Now let’s get back to counting animals.

You shall take seven pairs of every clean animal with you, the male and his female. Of the animals that are not clean, take two, the male and his female. Also of the birds of the sky, seven and seven, male and female, to keep seed alive on the surface of all the earth. In seven days, I will cause it to rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights. I will destroy every living thing that I have made from the surface of the ground.” Noah did everything that Yahweh commanded him. Genesis 7:2-5

So the Ark held a lot more animals than we thought. Noah took aboard the Ark 14 of every kind of bird; 7 males and 7 females. He also gathered 14 of every clean beast. Now we’re getting an idea of how crowded the Ark really was, but we still don’t have a complete picture. Let’s see what God meant by ‘clean beast’.

Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘These are the living things which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. Whatever parts the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and chews the cud among the animals, that you may eat. Leviticus 11:1-3

So any animal that had a cloven hoof and chewed its cud was a ‘clean beast’. This meant that 7 heifers and 7 bulls, 7 ewes and 7 rams, etc. went on to the ark; not one each.

We’ll stop right here and review what we’ve learned.

- God intertwined two stories when He told us the reasons of his displeasure.

- God faulted the wickedness of mankind.

- God also faulted the Nephilim, the offspring of the sons of God and the daughters of men.

- God Himself told Noah that he was a righteous man.

- Noah pleased God and was called perfect in his generation because Noah walked by faith, not his works.

- The Ark held more than 2 of every kind of animal. It also held 14 of every kind of bird and 14 of every kind of clean beast.

Next time we’ll work our way through the Flood. Most of our reading will be from the second half of Genesis Chapter 7 through Genesis Chapter 9.

4) The Flood

Last time we talked about the corruption that caused God to flood the Earth. God then found just one man in all the Earth upon whom He would give a second chance for mankind.

- One aspect that lead God to the Flood was the wickedness of Mankind;

- A second reason for the Flood was the Nephilim, the offspring of the sons of God and the daughters of men;

- God intentionally intertwined these two stories;

- Christ, a descendent of Noah came from the lineage of Seth, not Cain the murderer;

- By faith Noah made ready an ark for the salvation of his family;

- Because of his faith Noah was righteous, perfect in his generations, and found favor with God;

- The Ark held a lot more animals than we thought. Noah took aboard the Ark 14 of every kind of bird; 7 males and 7 females. He also gathered 14 of every clean beast; 7 males and 7 females. He also took everything necessary for food.

This time we will talk about the flood. We’ll also spend a minute thinking about how long it took Noah to build that ark. Then we will discover that a dove was actually Noah’s second choice of bird to look for dry land. We will end our story with God’s Rainbow Covenant.

The Waters Rise

This time most of our reading will be from Genesis Chapters 7 through 9. We’ll begin as the animals are entering the ark.

Clean animals, unclean animals, birds, and everything that creeps on the ground went by pairs to Noah into the ship, male and female, as God commanded Noah. After the seven days, the floodwaters came on the earth. Genesis 7:8-10

Let’s stop here and look at something. Noah had just spent most of the last 100 years building the Ark! We have to read several verses and then do some math to come up with that number. First look at Genesis Chapter 5.

Noah was five hundred years old, then Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Genesis 5:32

Noah doesn’t begin building the Ark until Chapter 6. When we look at Genesis Chapter 7 in a moment we will see that Noah was 600 years old when the Flood began. We also learned that Noah’s three sons had wives, from our earlier reading in Genesis Chapter 6.

God said to Noah, “I will bring an end to all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them and the earth. Make a ship of gopher wood. You shall make rooms in the ship, and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch. This is how you shall make it. The length of the ship shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. You shall make a roof in the ship, and you shall finish it to a cubit upward. You shall set the door of the ship in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third levels. I, even I, do bring the flood of waters on this earth, to destroy all flesh having the breath of life from under the sky. Everything that is in the earth will die. But I will establish my covenant with you. You shall come into the ship, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.” Genesis 6:13-18

So if Noah’s sons were old enough to marry when God gave His pronouncement of the Flood then we have to guess that all three of his sons were at least about 20 years old. We’ll confirm this in our next reading. We’ll soon read that Noah and his family were on the ark for a little more than a year. That would have made Noah’s sons about 100 years old when they got off of the Ark.

This is the history of the generations of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old when he became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood. Genesis 11:10

This tells us that Shem would have been 98 years old when he left the Ark with his wife. Now if we go back to our guess that Shem and his brothers were about 20 when the Ark construction was described to Noah then the Ark could have been built in no more than 78 years. Because we had so many ifs, like how old the boys were at the time of God’s proclamation, let’s call our best guess 75 years to build the Ark.

His neighbors certainly knew all about Noah building that Ark. Don’t you think that as Noah was building the Ark that he also took time now and then to explain to his neighbors all that God had told him? After all of those years you can bet that the story of “Crazy Noah” had spread far and wide.

No one else in all that time bothered to listen hard enough to Noah, didn’t reconsider their own evil actions hard enough, to build their own boat. Even after those 75 years of Noah’s ceaseless work those animals still had to walk up to the ark and climb in. The neighbors had to see that too. Now think about this, after those 75 years of building and talking, after seeing thousands of animals walk through town toward the ark, seeing mankind ignore every single sign and warning, God still gave mankind one last chance. God held off the rains for one more week in one last attempt to save others. He won’t be doing that again. Let’s go to the New Testament where we can see these warnings from Matthew, Mark and Paul.

“Now from the fig tree learn this parable. When its branch has now become tender, and produces its leaves, you know that the summer is near. Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Matthew 24:32-33

Mathew makes this clearer just a few verses later says this.

But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only. “As the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship, and they didn’t know until the flood came, and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:36-39

Now, from Mark…

But when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let him who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter in, to take anything out of his house. Let him who is in the field not return back to take his cloak. But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babies in those days! Pray that your flight won’t be in the winter. Mark 13:14-18

And this from Paul to the Thessalonians…

But concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that anything be written to you. For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman; and they will in no way escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3

If you look, you can find other references as well. Next time God will not give us a one week window for a last chance. We’re either all in or we’ve missed the boat. Now let’s get back to Genesis 7.

In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep were burst open, and the sky’s windows were opened. It rained on the earth forty days and forty nights. In the same day Noah, and Shem, Ham, and Japheth—the sons of Noah—and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered into the ship—they, and every animal after its kind, all the livestock after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. Pairs from all flesh with the breath of life in them went into the ship to Noah. Those who went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God commanded him; then Yahweh shut him in. Genesis 7:11-16

This is where we see that Noah was, indeed, 600 years old when the Flood began. We have two things to pay attention to here. First, notice that Noah and his family entered the ark on the day of the floods. Remember that Noah did everything by faith. Noah had no need to run to the ark in fear, waiting for the storm. He let things happen in God’s time.

Now look at verse 16 one more time, then Yahweh shut him in. It might have appeared to Noah many times that he seemed to be doing most of the work on the ark but that verse reminds us that God was watching everything. In the end, God made sure everything was okay and then shut the door behind Noah and his family. To put that in today’s terms, God’s got your back.

The flood was forty days on the earth. The waters increased, and lifted up the ship, and it was lifted up above the earth. The waters rose, and increased greatly on the earth; and the ship floated on the surface of the waters. The waters rose very high on the earth. All the high mountains that were under the whole sky were covered. The waters rose fifteen cubits higher, and the mountains were covered. All flesh died that moved on the earth, including birds, livestock, animals, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man. All on the dry land, in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died. Every living thing was destroyed that was on the surface of the ground, including man, livestock, creeping things, and birds of the sky. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ship. The waters flooded the earth one hundred fifty days. Genesis 7:17-24

In its own way, this is as scary as anything that Steven King ever wrote. God tells us four times in a row that everything and everyone died. All flesh died that moved on the earth, including birds, livestock, animals, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man … All on the dry land, in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died ... Every living thing was destroyed that was on the surface of the ground, including man, livestock, creeping things, and birds of the sky… They were destroyed from the earth...

It gets even scarier for those people living at the time of the Flood. They had never even seen rain before! It’s surprising but true! We know this because God had covered the earth with a mist to water the land.

No plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up; for Yahweh God had not caused it to rain on the earth. There was not a man to till the ground, but a mist went up from the earth, and watered the whole surface of the ground. Genesis 2:5-6

Peter comments on this destruction as well.

“…by which means the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished. 2 Peter 3:6

With warnings like we read in the New Testament and the terror of those people living when the flood began, I sure don’t want to be here after the Rapture.

The Flood Recedes

God remembered Noah, all the animals, and all the livestock that were with him in the ship; and God made a wind to pass over the earth. The waters subsided. The deep’s fountains and the sky’s windows were also stopped, and the rain from the sky was restrained. The waters continually receded from the earth. After the end of one hundred fifty days the waters decreased. The ship rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on Ararat’s mountains. The waters receded continually until the tenth month. In the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were visible. Genesis 8:1-5

So to this point Noah, his family, and the animals have been on the ark for almost 8 months. Have you ever wondered why the Flood lasted so long? It certainly didn’t take that long for everything on the earth to give up and die. One reason may be that God wanted a long period to impress upon us the seriousness of this punishment.

Of course He could have caused the entire flood in a moment and then caused the waters to recede just as quickly. Remember that we learned in “The Creation” that God created those waters, similar to the Flood, in day 1 of Creation. Just maybe God was making other changes as well.

Look at the earlier chapters of Genesis again, especially Chapter 5. You probably noticed that the men at that time lived many hundreds of years. When you read the accounts, you almost have to feel sorry for Enoch. He died a very young man at only 365 years old! You won’t find anyone after the Flood having that long of a life. Go back and look at Genesis Chapter 6 once more.

Yahweh said, “My Spirit will not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; so his days will be one hundred twenty years.” Genesis 6:3

Now to get back, the ark has been afloat now for 7½ months. Only the tops of a few mountains were visible.

At the end of forty days, Noah opened the window of the ship which he had made, and he sent out a raven. It went back and forth, until the waters were dried up from the earth. He himself sent out a dove to see if the waters were abated from the surface of the ground, but the dove found no place to rest her foot, and she returned into the ship to him, for the waters were on the surface of the whole earth. He put out his hand, and took her, and brought her to him into the ship. He waited yet another seven days; and again he sent the dove out of the ship. The dove came back to him at evening and, behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters were abated from the earth. He waited yet another seven days, and sent out the dove; and she didn’t return to him anymore.

In the six hundred first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from the earth. Noah removed the covering of the ship, and looked. He saw that the surface of the ground was dried. In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry. Genesis 8: 6-14

If we add all this up, Noah and his passengers were on the ark for 12½ months. Let’s look at three more items in this passage. The first bird that Noah sent from the ark was a raven. Did you ever wonder why? The Bible doesn’t tell us so we have to make an informed guess. A raven is a hearty bird. It has endurance and strength. It also survives on carrion.

The second bird that Noah sent out was a dove. The second time that the dove returned to Noah it had a fresh Olive leaf in its beak. The raven never brought back a sign of land. Think about those two birds. The first is a black raven, often associated with evil. You probably cringed when I mentioned eating carrion.

Now look at the dove. It’s a white bird. We think of it as pure. A dove has come to symbolize peace; even more so with that olive branch. Just maybe these birds are both mentioned for a reason. That raven never found God’s restored earth because it was looking at things of the past; carrion. The dove though looked to the new. It brought back that olive leaf.

And the third item, a few minutes ago God told us four times in a row that every living thing on the earth had died. Olive trees are very slow to mature. Of course, they get leaves right away, but even with the right climate and irrigation systems, olive trees take at least 10 years before they are mature enough to yield a reasonable harvest. The best crop yields for an olive tree happen between 30 and 70 years of age. Now from our next reading we’ll see that the olive tree, as well as every other kind of plant must have again been both mature and prevalent on this restored earth.

God spoke to Noah, saying, “Go out of the ship, you, your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh, including birds, livestock, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply on the earth.” Genesis 8:15-17

Here we see that trees and all vegetation had returned to the earth fully mature. If not, Noah could not have released the animals and had any hope in their survival.

The Sacrifice and Rainbow Covenant

Noah went out, with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives with him. Every animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, whatever moves on the earth, after their families, went out of the ship.

Noah built an altar to Yahweh, and took of every clean animal, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. Yahweh smelled the pleasant aroma. Yahweh said in his heart, “I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake because the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth. I will never again strike every living thing, as I have done. Genesis 8:18-21

After all of those months on the ark, after the hard work, the boredom, the sights and smells Noah still remembered God. Noah…left the ark… then Noah built an altar to the LORD. Noah did several things here pleasing to God. Of course, Noah provided the sacrifices. More importantly, Noah showed his continued devotion to God. He also expressed his thanksgiving immediately to God.

God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth. The fear of you and the dread of you will be on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the sky. Everything that moves along the ground, and all the fish of the sea, are delivered into your hand. Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As I gave you the green herb, I have given everything to you. But flesh with its life, that is, its blood, you shall not eat. Genesis 9:1-4

God’s words to Noah and his family are the same as he spoke to Adam and Eve.

God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28

God repeats this in verse 7.

Be fruitful and multiply. Increase abundantly in the earth, and multiply in it.” Genesis 9:7

Look at what else God tells Noah, “The fear of you and the dread of you will be on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the sky. Everything that moves along the ground, and all the fish of the sea, are delivered into your hand. Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As I gave you the green herb, I have given everything to you. But flesh with its life, that is, its blood, you shall not eat.” God made it abundantly clear that it’s okay to eat meat!

And now God gives his Rainbow Covenant.

While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.” Genesis 8:22

God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, “As for me, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your offspring after you, and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ship, even every animal of the earth. I will establish my covenant with you: All flesh will not be cut off any more by the waters of the flood. There will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.” God said, “This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be a sign of a covenant between me and the earth. When I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.” Genesis 9:8-17

It’s not hard to find many other descriptions of the flood outside of the Bible. Dr. Walt Brown is author of the book, “In the Beginning: Compelling Evidence for Creation and the Flood”. On the creationscience.com web site he lists 130 flood accounts from across the globe; most of them very similar to what we’ve just read in Genesis. Even more compelling than this, the man who discovered the resting place of the Titanic presented evidence of God’s world-wide flood.

In an interview with Christiane Amanpour for ABC News, Robert Ballard, one of the world's best-known underwater archaeologists, talked about his findings. His team is probing the depths of the Black Sea off the coast of Turkey in search of traces of an ancient civilization hidden underwater since the time of Noah.

Ballard's track record for finding the impossible is well known. In 1985, using a robotic submersible equipped with remote-controlled cameras, Ballard and his crew hunted down the world's most famous shipwreck, the Titanic.

"We went in there to look for the flood," he said. "Not just a slow moving, advancing rise of sea level, but a really big flood that then stayed... The land that went under stayed under."

Four hundred feet below the surface, they unearthed an ancient shoreline, proof to Ballard that a catastrophic event did happen in the Black Sea. By carbon dating shells found along the shoreline, Ballard said he believes they have established a timeline for that catastrophic event, which he estimates happened around 5,000 BC. Some experts believe this was around the time when Noah's flood could have occurred. http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/evidence-suggests-biblical-great-flood-noahs-time-happened/story?id=17884533#.UMa2fXcU8Uy

We learned several things this time.

- Even after Noah had completed the ark God held off the rains for one more week in one last attempt to save others.

- Next time God will not give us a one week window for a last chance.

- God made sure everything was okay and then shut the door of the ark behind Noah and his family. God’s got your back.

- As part of his anger, God declared, The days of his life will be a hundred and twenty years.

- All vegetation was returned to the earth fully mature. The day that God told Noah to set the animals free the earth was fully ready to provide all their needs.

- Immediately after leaving the ark Noah showed his continued devotion and thanksgiving to God. God is pleased with the worship of those who obey him.

- God gave us the rainbow as His covenant, His promise, never to flood the earth again.

Next time we’ll be looking at man’s own plant to prevent the destruction of another great flood. We will meet the ruler behind the Tower of Babel. Most of our reading will be from Genesis, chapters 9, 10 and 11.

5) The Tower of Babel

Our last time together we talked about The Flood, about Noah, and the Ark. We learned several things about God, about Noah, and about our future.

- Even after the ark was built and God was ready for the flood he still gave the people one more week to repent and turn from their worldly ways.

- God let us know several times throughout the rest of the Bible that He won’t give us that last, last chance again; the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

- Then the LORD closed the door behind them. Even when we feel like we’re doing all the heavy lifting God is watching over us and guiding us.

- As the waters receded God immediately provided all of the mature plants, trees and vegetables that mankind and the animals would need.

- Immediately after leaving the ark Noah and his family gave thanks to the Lord.

- God was pleased with Noah and his offerings. God then gave Noah what is often called the Rainbow Covenant. This was God’s promise to never again destroy the Earth with a flood. The rainbow is God’s visual reminder of this promise.

In this lesson we will understand that Noah, like each of us, was not perfect. We’ll talk about some other heroes of the Bible and find that none were perfect, save Jesus. They became heroes of the Bible because they loved God, and were loved by God, because of their faith. Then we will meet the architect of the Tower of Babel. We will see again that sometimes God protects us by doing something we might see as harsh but He knows is for our good or our protection.

Noah’s Vineyard.

The sons of Noah who went out from the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham is the father of Canaan. These three were the sons of Noah, and from these, the whole earth was populated.

Noah began to be a farmer, and planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and got drunk. He was uncovered within his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it on both their shoulders, went in backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were backwards, and they didn’t see their father’s nakedness. Genesis 9:18-23

The first thing that we learned here is that all of us, everywhere on the earth, are descendants of one of three lines; Noah’s three sons. Next we see that Noah got drunk and passed out, naked, in his tent. Looking back, and looking forward to our next discussions we’ll see that every hero of the Bible sinned. Not one, but Jesus, was perfect. We’ll see murderers, adulterers, and cowards; think Moses, David and Jonah.

Moses murdered an Egyptian.

In those days, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his brothers, and looked at their burdens. He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his brothers. He looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no one, he killed the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. He went out the second day, and behold, two men of the Hebrews were fighting with each other. He said to him who did the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow?” He said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you plan to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian?”

Moses was afraid, and said, “Surely this thing is known.” Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and lived in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well. Exodus 2:11-15

David sent Uriah to his death because David laid with Uriah’s wife and got her pregnant.

At the return of the year, at the time when kings go out, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. At evening, David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. From the roof, he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to look at. David sent and inquired after the woman. One said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, Uriah the Hittite’s wife?”

David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in to him, and he lay with her (for she was purified from her uncleanness); and she returned to her house. The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, “I am with child.” 2 Samuel 11:1-5

There is more to this story. It shows us that Uriah appeared to be a loyal and honorable man. We’ll come back to this story when we are discussing King David. For now, we will skip forward a short time.

He [David] wrote in the letter, saying, “Send Uriah to the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck, and die.” When Joab kept watch on the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew that valiant men were. The men of the city went out, and fought with Joab. Some of the people fell, even of David’s servants; and Uriah the Hittite died also. 2 Samuel 11:15-17

Jonah spent three days in the belly of a whale because ran away from God in fear.

Now Yahweh’s word came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. Jonah 1:1-3

We’ll also see that God still loved each of them. What we need to see in their lives is that no matter their faults, each Biblical hero praised God and allowed God to use them for His glory. Paul tells us exactly that in his first letter to the Corinthians.

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brothers, that not many are wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, and not many noble; but God chose the foolish things of the world that he might put to shame those who are wise. God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong. 1 Corinthians 1:25-27

Noah’s Prophesies

Now we can get back to Noah. It is now the next morning.

Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son had done to him. He said, “Canaan is cursed. He will be a servant of servants to his brothers.” He said, “Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant. May God enlarge Japheth. Let him dwell in the tents of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant.” Genesis 9:24-27

Did you ever wonder why Noah was so mad at Ham, but not with Ham’s brothers? It may have been the way that Ham told his brothers. We know that Shem and Japheth did everything that they could to avoid embarrassing themselves and their father. Noah was not angry with them. Noah then made three prophesies, one for each of his three sons.

Notice too that Noah directed his prophecy for Ham directly to Ham’s son, Canaan. This shows us just how upset Noah was with Ham. It’s okay if you and I have a disagreement but you better not attack my kids because of me. That’s how any of us would feel. Noah knew that Ham would feel the same way.

Genesis Chapter 10 then tells us the descendants of Japheth, then of Ham, and finally the descendants of Noah’s third son, Shem. 1 Chronicles, Chapter 1 also lists the descendants of Ham and of Shem. It’s worth noting here that from Ham’s lineage arose the old world civilizations of the Egyptians, the Babylonians and the Canaanites. All three arose to prominence but also fell away. All three of these civilizations, descendants of Ham and Canaan, plagued the Jewish people.

By the way, Abraham and Jesus descended from the lineage of Shem. We’ll read just a few select verses of Jesus’ lineage.

Jesus himself, when he began to teach, was about thirty years old, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, Luke 3:23

The son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, Luke 3:34

The son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, Luke 3:36

Descendants of Ham.

We just learned that Noah had blessed the generations of Shem and of Japheth. Noah cursed the descendants of Canaan, son of Ham. Guess which people would build the Tower of Babel?

The sons of Ham were: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. The sons of Cush were: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah were: Sheba and Dedan. Cush became the father of Nimrod. He began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before Yahweh. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before Yahweh”.

The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. Out of that land he went into Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and the great city Calah. Genesis 10:6-12

Depending on your translation, verse 10 may say that he built his kingdom in something other than Shinar. Other names that you will see in the Bible for Shinar are Babel, Babylon, Babylonia, and Mesopotamia.

Today, only the ruins of Babylon / Babel are left. The ruins are spread over a cluster of sand mounds on the Euphrates River. They are about 60 miles southwest of Baghdad, Iraq. Until his fall Saddam Hussein was working at rebuilding that ruined city. Recent efforts at rebuilding are beginning once again.

So we have just learned that the generations of Ham and Canaan, whom Noah cursed, built the city of Babylon and the Tower of Babel.

In the middle of these verses we also read about Nimrod. Cush became the father of Nimrod. He began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before Yahweh. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before Yahweh”. We talked about the Nephilim in an earlier lesson. Nimrod is one more example of Nephilim.

Josephus, a Roman historian, documents that it was Nimrod that was the instigator of the Tower of Babel. What we will read next is not a favorable testimony of Nimrod. As we read this account from Josephus, think about the world today.

Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah, a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded them not to ascribe it to God, as if it was through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness. He also gradually changed the government into tyranny, seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence on his power. He also said he would be revenged on God, if he should have a mind to drown the world again; for that he would build a tower too high for the waters to be able to reach! And that he would avenge himself on God for destroying their forefathers!

Now the multitude were very ready to follow the determination of Nimrod, and to esteem it a piece of cowardice to submit to God; and they built a tower, neither sparing any pains, nor being in any degree negligent about the work: and, by reason of the multitude of hands employed in it, it grew very high, sooner than anyone could expect; but the thickness of it was so great, and it was so strongly built, that thereby its great height seemed, upon the view, to be less than it really was. It was built of burnt brick, cemented together with mortar, made of bitumen, that it might not be liable to admit water. Packard Technologies (2002-11-27). Works of Josephus (Kindle Locations 1542-1549). Packard Technologies. Kindle Edition.

What we just read was an independent, Roman description of the Tower of Babel. The Tower of Babel did exist.

Rise and Fall of the Tower

Now we’ll learn the biblical account of the Tower of Babel.

The whole earth was of one language and of one speech. As they traveled from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they lived there. Genesis 11:1-2

Here we see the significance of the Tower of Babel. Until that tower was destroyed by God all people had a common identity and a shared language.

Remember too, that the people we’re talking about, the people that settled in Babylon, were the cursed descendants of Ham and of Canaan.

They said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. They said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let’s make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth.” Genesis 11:3-4

Let’s make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth. They were half right. They became famous. The rest of that quote though tells us why they angered God and also sets their punishment; exactly what they did not want to happen.

Remember last time we read a portion of Genesis 1:28 that said … and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth… These people were defying God. They did not want to scatter and replenish the earth.

Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built. Yahweh said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing will be withheld from them, which they intend to do. Come, let’s go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” Genesis 11:5-7

God said, in words of today, “After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!” This was the third time, that we know of, when God became angry with mankind; the temptation, the flood, and now this tower.

So Yahweh scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the earth. They stopped building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there Yahweh confused the language of all the earth. From there, Yahweh scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth. Genesis 11:8-9

Like we mentioned once before, this time there was no warning. God confused the people with different languages that caused us to drift from one another and to eventually form kingdoms and countries. Because those people refused to replenish the earth as God had instructed, He now enforced His requirement.

Notice too that God did not destroy Babel. He stopped the building of the city. Babylon survived to plague the Israelites for another 1900 years; until it was conquered by Alexander the Great.

But why punish all of the other people of the earth? Surely not everyone on earth was involved in building the tower. Why were they also punished? If you are asking that question then you are thinking in the ways of man. Always remember that the Bible describes the ways of God.

We’ve all heard the expression, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Many of us have wondered that more than once. We read God’s answer to that question just a moment ago. God said. “After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!” We’ll spend more time with this question when we learn the story of Job.

God wasn’t punishing the rest of us. He was saving us from ourselves. Always remember that God is love. Let’s look at three verses that say exactly that.

He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:8

John repeats this a few verses later.

We know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. 1 John 4:16

And of course,

For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

What better way to close than with this last message in our hearts.

We learned a lot this time.

- The story of the Tower of Babel is only nine verses long and mentioned nowhere else in the Bible. Yet the sin and punishment of building this tower has to be one of the most profound happenings to mankind since our creation.

- We learned that God loved Noah, even though Noah, like us, was not perfect.

- We read that God prefers to work with the weak and the sinners; those that allow God to work in them and through them.

- Noah blessed two of his sons but cursed Canaan, son of Ham and his descendants.

- It was the descendants of Ham and Canaan that began building the Tower of Babel.

- God confused the people with different languages to stop the building of the tower and to force mankind out to replenish the earth, more importantly, to save us from ourselves.

- God is love.

Next time we’ll begin talking about Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation. Most of our reading will be from Genesis Chapters 12 and 13.

6) Abraham, Father of the Jewish Nation.

Last time we discussed the Tower of Babel. We learned why this very short story, only nine verses long, is so important to us.

- God’s judgment of confusing the people with many languages has perhaps had more impact upon mankind than anything else since the Flood.

- Noah was not perfect, but God loved Noah. He used Noah for God’s glory because Noah was willing to acknowledge God and to allow God to use his life.

- Noah’s cursing Canaan, son of Ham, and all his generations was prophetic. It was this branch that defied God in building the Tower of Babel. We will also be learning that it was this same branch that harassed God’s people throughout much of the Old Testament. The Babylonians and the Egyptians were descendants of Ham.

- The Tower of Babel was being built in defiance of God’s will that mankind should replenish all of the earth.

- God’s judgment was also because, as He said, “After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!”

- All of the people were affected by God’s judgment, not because all of them had contributed to the construction of the tower, but because God loves us and was protecting us from ourselves.

- God is love.

We’ll now spend time introducing ourselves to Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation. We’ll also meet Abraham’s wife Sarah and his nephew, Lot. We will begin to talk about geography in this lesson and continue that In the future. Many Biblical events recur in the same locations. We will also read that at times it is okay, even necessary, to retrace our steps and meet God on His terms once again. First, we will learn that Abraham and his wife Sarah began their lives as Abram and Sarai.

An Introduction to Abraham.

This is the family of Shem, son of Noah.

Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, Abram (also called Abraham). 1 Chronicles 1:24-27

Terah, son of Nahor, was the father of Abraham. Early in his life Abraham was known as Abram.

Now this is the history of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot. Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees. Abram and Nahor married wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran who was also the father of Iscah.

Sarai was barren. She had no child. Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife. They went from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan. They came to Haran and lived there. Genesis 11:27-31

We covered a lot of Abram’s life in these passages. The first thing that we see is that Abraham was named Abram at his birth. We’ll soon read about God’s covenant with Abram that changed his name to Abraham and his wife’s name to Sarah. We read that Abram, an ancestor of Jesus, was a descendent of Noah’s son Shem; one of the brothers that received Noah’s blessing. Abram was Lot’s uncle. We’ll begin talking about Lot a little later.

Abram married Sarai. By the way, we know that Abram was ten years older than his bride.

Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?” Genesis 17:17

We’ll refer back to that verse later.

We also learned that Abram’s father Terah, moved Abram, Sarai, and Lot. They left Ur to settle in Canaan but stopped at Haran.

God’s First Gift to Abram

Now we’ll move forward. Abram is now 75 years old. Most of us would be well in to retirement but we’ll see that Abram’s life work was just beginning.

Now Yahweh said to Abram, “Leave your country, and your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:1-3

At this point of the Bible we don’t know why God loved Abram so much beyond other men. We’ll learn about that in the next verses. Until we hear the words, “Well done” on the other side of Heaven, it’s hard to imagine any greater praise or blessing from God. Abram will be blessed. He will be famous. He will become a great nation and all the earth will be blessed through him. Abram didn’t understand that last part, but it was a reference from God about the coming birth of Christ.

And here is our first understanding of why God loved Abram above other men of his time.

So Abram went, as Yahweh had told him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother’s son, all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they went to go into the land of Canaan. They entered into the land of Canaan. Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time, Canaanites were in the land. Genesis 12:4-6

God gave Abram his marching orders and Abram marched. He was 75. His wife Sarai was now 65. They gathered all of their possessions and put their faith in God. Abram completely trusted God.

The Oak of Moreh

We also read the phrase, to the oak of Moreh. The oak of Moreh was an important landmark of the time. We’ll discuss this landmark for a minute so that we can learn that many events of the Bible occur in many of the same locations throughout the land that God gave his people. For instance, we’ll soon learn that Solomon’s Temple was built at a location that already had great significance to God. Now, let’s discus this Oak of Moreh; also called the Oak of Mamre. Moreh seems to be the location, and Mamre was the owner. We’ll also read of Shechem in these verses; again, scholars believe these were all the same place.

This Oak of Moreh is mentioned several times in the Old Testament. We’ll read more about this first reference next time.

One who had escaped came and told Abram, the Hebrew. At that time, he lived by the oaks of Mamre, the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner; and they were allies of Abram. Genesis 14:13

And,

They gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. Genesis 35:4

Also,

It shall happen, when Yahweh your God brings you into the land where you go to possess it, that you shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim, and the curse on Mount Ebal. Aren’t they beyond the Jordan, behind the way of the going down of the sun, in the land of the Canaanites who dwell in the Arabah, near Gilgal, beside the oaks of Moreh? Deuteronomy 11:29-30

Joshua also mentions this oak tree.

So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of Yahweh. Joshua 24:25-26

Many hundred years later, after Joshua entered the Promised Land, this oak tree is again mentioned as a landmark.

All the men of Shechem assembled themselves together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem. Judges 9:6

The King James Bible uses the word ‘plain’ instead of ‘oak’. The original Hebrew word, elon, means ‘oak’, but Moreh itself seems to be a plain so both versions are correct in their way.

God’s Second Gift to Abram

Now let’s go to God’s next meeting with Abram.

Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” He built an altar there to Yahweh, who had appeared to him. He left from there to go to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to Yahweh and called on Yahweh’s name. Abram traveled, still going on toward the South. Genesis 12:7-9

God now gives Abram another wonderful gift. “I will give this land to your offspring.” Abram immediately built an alter to thank and to praise God. This is another example of Abram living by faith. This gift was yet far in the future but Abram believed Him and praised God.

Paul also talks about Abraham’s faith, in Galatians. Let’s take a look at what he says.

Even as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.” Know therefore that those who are of faith, the same are children of Abraham. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the Good News beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you all the nations will be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who doesn’t continue in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.” Now that no man is justified by the law before God is evident, for, “The righteous will live by faith.” Galatians 3:6-11

Abram goes to Egypt

We’re about to see fear come to Abram that will cause him to temporarily forget his trust in God. Abram, like every other hero of the Bible, was still human and had his own weaknesses. If men like Noah, Abram, and David who were biblical heroes had weakness and failings then ours are okay too. We simply have to remember to let God lead us, and then follow him by faith.

There was a famine in the land. Abram went down into Egypt to live as a foreigner there, for the famine was severe in the land. When he had come near to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look at. It will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me, but they will save you alive. Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you.” Genesis 12:10-13

If Abram had trusted God and remembered His promises, then Abram would have known that God would protect him and his wife.

When Abram had come into Egypt, Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. The princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. He dealt well with Abram for her sake. He had sheep, cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels. Genesis 12:14-16

Remember, Sarai is at least 65 years old when Pharaoh meets her and desires her.

Yahweh afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this that you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now therefore, see your wife, take her, and go your way.” Pharaoh commanded men concerning him, and they escorted him away with his wife and all that he had. Genesis 12:17-20

We read earlier that God told Abram, “I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you.” He also told Abram, “I will give this land to your offspring.” Abram and Sarai had no children when this happened, and would not until Abram was 100 years old! So in his fear Abram forgot God’s promises.

Abram’s fear caused him to lie to the Egyptians. Pharaoh took Abram at his word. In his way Pharaoh was polite and honest with Abram; He dealt well with Abram for her sake. Still, God punished Pharaoh, not Abram. Yahweh afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. We all have to remember that when we sin others suffer.

Retracing his Steps

Abram went up out of Egypt—he, his wife, all that he had, and Lot with him—into the South. Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. He went on his journeys from the South even to Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first. There Abram called on Yahweh’s name. Genesis 13:1-4

This passage clearly tells us that Abram was ashamed of his fear. Abram retraced his path through Negev and back to the second alter that he had built. Abram went to a place that had special meaning to him and reached out to God.

Remember, this Bible is much more than just a history book. Everything is here for a reason. It’s okay for us to turn back from where we are heading; retrace our steps until we come to God again, and worship Him? He will welcome us.

Abram and Lot Separate

Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks, herds, and tents. The land was not able to bear them, that they might live together; for their substance was great, so that they could not live together. There was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites lived in the land at that time. Genesis 13:5-7

We see two things in this passage. God had indeed been blessing Abram. Even during all this time of traveling he and Lot had both become very rich; “for their substance was great.”

We also see that the dispute that lead to the separation of Abram and Lot was not between them but between their respective herdsmen. The next passage emphasizes this.

Abram said to Lot, “Please, let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen; for we are relatives. Isn’t the whole land before you? Please separate yourself from me. If you go to the left hand, then I will go to the right. Or if you go to the right hand, then I will go to the left.” Genesis 13:8-9

Abram approached Lot to end the growing tensions before things got worse. (We need to follow his example.) Abram divided everything right down the middle; land to the left and land to the right. He then told Lot to make his choice. Abram would take what remained. Lot took advantage of the generous offer.

Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well-watered everywhere, before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of Yahweh, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar. So Lot chose the Plain of the Jordan for himself. Lot traveled east, and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram lived in the land of Canaan, and Lot lived in the cities of the plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinners against Yahweh. Genesis 13:10-13

God’s Third Gift to Abram

Yahweh said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him, “Now, lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land which you see, I will give to you, and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can count the dust of the earth, then your offspring may also be counted. Genesis 13:14-16

Again, there is a lot in this passage. We first read that Lot left the area, not Abram. Now God makes his first of two new promises to Abram. “Now, lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land which you see, I will give to you, and to your offspring forever.” Everything that Abram thought he had given away to Lot, God immediately gave back. Did you ever feel God leading you to give money or time that you thought you couldn’t afford? Did you then ever feel a new reward back to yourself that more than replaced your sacrifice?

God’s second new promise to Abram was, “I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can count the dust of the earth, then your offspring may also be counted.” Remember, still no children for Abram and Sarai.

God then told Abram,

“Arise, walk through the land in its length and in its width; for I will give it to you.” Abram moved his tent, and came and lived by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to Yahweh. Genesis 13:17-18

This is becoming a recurring theme in our stories. The people that God loves, love God. Once again God told Abram to move and he did. As soon as he had moved Abram built still another alter to God.

We’ll be stopping here. Abram, later called Abraham, is talked about far more than most heroes of the Bible. Moses and David are mentioned more but few others even come close. His story is important. Abraham is the father of the Jewish nation. He will be with us in other stories.

In this first part of Abram’s life God taught us many things.

- Each time that God calls on him for action Abram obeys.

- Each time, after following God’s command to move, Abram built an alter to thank God for being in his life, and to praise Him.

- In his fear Abram forgot God’s promises. Don’t forget God in your fear. He protected Abram and He will protect you.

- Abram’s lie to the Egyptians caused them harm, not him.

- Just like Abram, we can retrace our steps until we come to God again.

- As we learned with Abram’s gift to Lot, no matter what we give, God will give more.

- The people that God loves love God.

Next time there will be war. Lot is taken prisoner. Abram will be forced to lead a few of his shepherds in a daring rescue. He will face the undefeated armies of five kings to rescue Lot. We will also meet Melchizedek. Most of our reading will be from Genesis Chapters 14 and 15.

7) Abram and Melchizedek

Last time we were introduced to Abram.

- God deeply loved Abram and selected Abram to be the father of the Jewish nation; “All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

- Abram also loved God and each time followed God’s instructions without delay.

- Each time after following God’s instructions, Abram built an alter to praise God.

- Being human, Abram gave in to his fear of Pharaoh rather than trusting in God.

- It was Pharaoh that suffered because of Abram’s failure to trust God, not Abram.

- Just like Abram, we can walk away from where we are heading and return to God.

- Thinking of Abram’s agreement with Lot, no matter what we sacrifice and give away, God will give us more.

- God loves the people that love God.

This time Abram and Lot are caught in war. We’ll see the extraordinary efforts of Abram to rescue Lot, who was taken prisoner. We will also meet Melchizedek; king and priest of God. Melchizedek will be honored by Abram.

War

In our last study Abram and Lot came to the friendly agreement to separate their two herds. Both men had become wealthy. The land between Bethel and Ai simply could not support their growing herds of sheep, cattle, and goats. Lot was to have his choice of locations. He looked out and saw the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley and quickly chose that route. At the time, this area that Lot chose for his herds was in the kingdom of Sodom. Abram spoke with God received His blessing, and then moved in the opposite direction.

In the days of Amraphel, king of Shinar, Arioch, king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and Tidal, king of Goiim, they made war with Bera, king of Sodom, and with Birsha, king of Gomorrah, Shinab, king of Admah, and Shemeber, king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (also called Zoar). Genesis 14:1-2

In this first group you can recognize the names of some of the kingdoms; Shinar (or Babylonia), Sodom, and Gomorrah. We don’t know, but we can bet that the remaining kings and kingdoms were equally defiant to God.

All these joined together in the valley of Siddim (also called the Salt Sea). They served Chedorlaomer for twelve years, and in the thirteenth year, they rebelled. In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer came, and the kings who were with him, and struck the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim, and the Horites in their Mount Seir, to El Paran, which is by the wilderness. They returned, and came to En Mishpat (also called Kadesh), and struck all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that lived in Hazazon Tamar. Genesis 14:3-7

That first group of kingdoms fought several battles and defeated the neighboring, rebelling kingdoms. They apparently were able to win by fighting one rebelling kingdom at a time. The remaining rebels finally decided to band together and fight as one large army.

The king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (also called Zoar) went out; and they set the battle in array against them in the valley of Siddim; against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings against the five. Now the valley of Siddim was full of tar pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and some fell there, and those who remained fled to the hills. Genesis 14:8-10

The rebel kings were beaten badly in this large battle - four kings against the five. Many of the defeated soldiers actually ran right in to the tar pits in their panic.

Josephus wrote an interesting account of this battle. “These kings had laid waste all Syria, and overthrown the offspring of the giants. And when they were come over against Sodom, they pitched their camp at the vale called the Slime Pits, for at that time there were pits in that place; but now, upon the destruction of the city of Sodom, that vale became the Lake Asphaltites, as it is called.” Packard Technologies (2002-11-27). Works of Josephus (Kindle Locations 1685-1687). Packard Technologies. Kindle Edition.

Josephus told us that these kings had first “overthrown the offspring of the giants.” We talked about the offspring of the sons of God and the women of men when we began discussing Noah and the Flood. Josephus the Roman historian gives us one more confirmation of their existence from outside the Bible. He also confirms the destruction of Sodom that we’ll soon read.

They took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their food, and went their way. They took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who lived in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. One who had escaped came and told Abram, the Hebrew. At that time, he lived by the oaks of Mamre, the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner; and they were allies of Abram. Genesis 14:11-13

This is the first time that we’ll see the word “Hebrew” in the Bible.

We don’t know from this account if Lot and his herdsmen participated in this battle. If he did participate, he would have likely sided with the king of Sodom because the land that he chose to settle was in that kingdom. He was also captured with many of the losers from that battle. We do know from this account that the tensions between Lot’s and Abram’s herdsmen must have eased. It was to Abram that the escaped man fled.

When Abram heard that his relative was taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued as far as Dan. He divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and struck them, and pursued them to Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative, Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the other people. Genesis 14:14-16

This passage tells us a lot about the continued protection the Lord gave Abram. All of these kingdoms that sided with Babylon ranged from the lands north of the Persian Gulf and throughout most of the Middle-East Peninsula. These kings had a tremendous area from which to build their armies. They had also won every previous battle. King Kedorlaomer of Elam, for instance, ruled the land that would soon become Persia. It was the Persians that nearly conquered Greece. Abram had a few herdsmen on a plain.

We already know that Abram was constantly worshiping God. It is likely then that he asked for, and was given, guidance as Abram drew up his battle plans. Abram, with just 318 men pursued what the Bible tells us several times was an entire army to rescue his nephew Lot. This battle where Lot was captured was fought in the valley of the Dead Sea. That valley is south of the Dead Sea.

Abram was somewhere west of there. Abram and his men pursued the army north. He caught up with them at Dan, fought them, and chased the routed army as far as Hobah which is north of Damascus. Damascus is north of Dan. Dan is far to the north of the Sea of Galilee. All this to say that Abram traveled north about 200 miles to rescue his nephew Lot. This was when people walked. Abram didn’t simply defeat Kedorlaomer’s battle-hardened army, he routed it; they ran away in a panic so quickly that they didn’t even carry off their spoils and trophies of war. Lot was saved.

Melchizedek and Abram

Now that the fight was over, Abram led Lot and the other captives back south. Word of their victory preceded their return. Kings would greet them.

The king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High. He blessed him, and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”

Abram gave him a tenth of all. Genesis 14:17-20

Once more we see a lot in these few verses. First, we see that the king of Sodom didn’t mind following behind, but he had no part in Abram’s victory. Worse, it was another king, Melchizedek, that was thoughtful enough to offer Abram refreshments; bread and wine. Melchizedek was king of Salem; later known as the city of Jerusalem.

As they were eating Melchizedek blessed Abram and praised God. Here is one more of many reminders that God was the possessor of Heaven and Earth, and all of us. And as we mentioned earlier, it was God that defeated Abram’s enemies.

After this blessing Abram gives to Melchizedek a tenth of the looted goods that he had recovered. Abram did not give his tithe to Melchizedek the king but to a priest of God Most High.

The King of Sodom then speaks. Notice the difference. Melchizedek blessed Abram and praised God. The King of Sodom is concerned with himself.

The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, and take the goods for yourself.” Genesis 14:21

We just read that Melchizedek, King of Salem, praised God. The King of doomed Sodom did not praise God. This king had just been routed by the combined armies of the invading kings. He then saw a rancher, Abram with a few men defeat that same large army. With all of this plainly before him, the king of Sodom still chose to ignore God’s obvious influence. How many people do we know today with that same stubborn attitude?

Now it is Abram’s turn to speak.

Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted up my hand to Yahweh, God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take a thread nor a sandal strap nor anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ I will accept nothing from you except that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. Let them take their portion.” Genesis 14:22-24

Abram is very clear that he is also more interested in God and His continued blessing than he is of Sodom. Abram was very concerned that the world would know that his riches came from God, not from the king of Sodom. You can also tell that Abram was listening to Melchizedek by repeating one phrase of that king’s blessing; God Most High.

God’s Fourth Gift to Abram

In our last lesson we discussed God’s three gifts, or blessings, to Abram. The first time God spoke with Abram He said, “I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others... All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” As His second gift, the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” The third gift was given to Abram after Lot chose the land where his herds would graze. The Lord said to Abram, “I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession. And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted!”

Now God is about to give to Abram another gift, a son.

After these things Yahweh’s word came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” Abram said, “Lord Yahweh, what will you give me, since I go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” Abram said, “Behold, to me you have given no children: and, behold, one born in my house is my heir.”

Behold, Yahweh’s word came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir, but he who will come out of your own body will be your heir.” Yahweh brought him outside, and said, “Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” He said to Abram, “So will your offspring be.” He believed in Yahweh, who credited it to him for righteousness. Genesis 15:1-6

There may have been others, but this is at least the fourth time that God had a conversation with Abram. God began this conversation by repeating three already made promises; do not be afraid, I am your shield, and your exceedingly great reward.

Then, at the very end of His latest promise to Abram we see a statement that Paul would later hold near to his heart. He believed in Yahweh, who credited it to him for righteousness. Paul would make Abram’s faith in God a central theme of Romans.

As it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations.” This is in the presence of him whom he believed: God, who gives life to the dead, and calls the things that are not, as though they were. Besides hope, Abraham in hope believed, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, “So will your offspring be.” Without being weakened in faith, he didn’t consider his own body, already having been worn out, (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. Yet, looking to the promise of God, he didn’t waver through unbelief, but grew strong through faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was also able to perform. Therefore it also was “credited to him for righteousness.” Romans 4:17-22

How pleased was God with Abram’s faith? Compare those promises from God to Abram with a statement from Jesus when the Jews were about to stone him as He was walking in the Temple of Jerusalem.

I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. John 10:28

Said a little differently, but we have these same three promises that God made to Abram. Like Abram, we need not fear, He will protect all of us, and our reward will be great, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 NLV

This is a good time to break. This time we learned;

- That Abram deeply loved his nephew Lot. With only 318 men he marched about a week and a half to save Lot from an army of five kings.

- Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered. Melchizedek was a priest of God Most High.

- Melchizedek and Abram praised God but the king of Sodom did not.

- God’s fourth gift to Abram is a son, and so many descendants that their number will rival all the stars in the heavens.

- God’s first three promises to Abram are repeated by Jesus to all of us; do not be afraid, I will protect you, and your reward will be great.

Next time we’ll come back to Abram and learn about the heir that God promised. We’ll also learn that it will be God’s plan to have his people, the Israelites, spend 400 years as slaves in Egypt. We will also meet not one, but two of Abram’s sons. Most of our reading will be from Genesis chapters 15 through 18.

8) Abram’s Sons

Last time we talked about Abram and his faith in God. We learned;

- Abram had great faith in God. He also loved his nephew Lot. With just 318 herdsmen he chased an army of five kingdoms about 200 miles on foot to rescue Lot.

- Because Melchizedek was a High Priest of God, Abram gave him, for God’s use, a tenth of all the goods Abram had recovered.

- Melchizedek and Abram praised God for this victory but the king of Sodom did not praise God.

- God’s first three promises to Abram were repeated by Jesus, with slightly different words, to all believers; do not be afraid, I will protect you, and your reward will be great.

In this story God will foretell the 400 years of slavery in Egypt and its aftermath. Abram will forget God’s promise again and have a son to Sarai’s servant. This son, Ishmael will be the root of Islam. We’ll read the words of God giving Abram and Sarai their new names. We’ll discover why circumcision is in the Bible. And finally, Abraham and Sarah’s son Isaac will arrive.

God’s Revelation to Abram

We ended our last story with God’s fourth promise to Abram.

After these things Yahweh’s word came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” … Behold, Yahweh’s word came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir, but he who will come out of your own body will be your heir.” Yahweh brought him outside, and said, “Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” He said to Abram, “So will your offspring be.” He believed in Yahweh, who credited it to him for righteousness. Genesis 15:1, 4-6

That same evening God would reveal his plan for the children of Abram, they would become the Jewish nation.

When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. Now terror and great darkness fell on him. He said to Abram, “Know for sure that your offspring will live as foreigners in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them. They will afflict them four hundred years. I will also judge that nation, whom they will serve. Afterward they will come out with great wealth, but you will go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.” Genesis 15:12-16

In this passage God foretold the 400 years of slavery in Egypt, Moses and the ten plagues, the Israelites triumphant departure from Egypt, and the 40 years of wandering in the desert. Here is a great example of God being all knowing. From Abram through Joseph there were 21 generations. God accurately described major events of the next almost 500 years in this passage.

In that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying, “I have given this land to your offspring, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.” Genesis 15:18

We’re seeing another pattern here. God often repeats his covenant and promises with Abraham. We have already looked at Genesis chapters 12, 13 and 15 to see God’s blessings and promises to Abram. Soon we’ll talk about Genesis 17:1-8. Other locations where we see God’s promises are chapters 18 and 22. God doesn’t stop there. He renews it in the generations to come as well. First to Isaac,

There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, to Gerar. Yahweh appeared to him, and said, “Don’t go down into Egypt. Live in the land I will tell you about. Live in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you. For I will give to you, and to your offspring, all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your offspring as the stars of the sky, and will give all these lands to your offspring. In your offspring will all the nations of the earth be blessed, because Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my requirements, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” Genesis 26:1-5

And then to Jacob,

Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place, and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep. He dreamed. Behold, a stairway set upon the earth, and its top reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it. Behold, Yahweh stood above it, and said, “I am Yahweh, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land whereon you lie, to you will I give it, and to your offspring. Your offspring will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your offspring will all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you, until I have done that which I have spoken of to you.” Genesis 28:10-15

You would think that with all of these promises from God, with all of Abram’s great faith in God, that it would be easy for Abram and Sarai to just sit back, wait for the birth of their son, and crochet a baby afghan. We’ll see that, like us, they were both still a work in progress.

Ishmael

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. Sarai said to Abram, “See now, Yahweh has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my servant. It may be that I will obtain children by her.” Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife. Genesis 16:1-3

Does any of this sound like a repeat of Adam and Eve’s temptation? Sarai was tempted. She wanted Abram to have his son. Abram, just like Adam, willingly agreed.

He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. Sarai said to Abram, “This wrong is your fault. I gave my servant into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. Yahweh judge between me and you.” But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do to her whatever is good in your eyes.” Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face. Genesis 16:4-6

As we read this did any of you wonder how Abram and Sarai could act like this, treat Hagar so badly, and still be selected as the head of the family of God’s chosen people? We talked about this once before and will again when we learn about Moses, the murderer leading God’s people out of Egypt. God has forgiven us our sins; all of our sins. He instead looks at our worth – our love, belief, and faith. Like Abram and Sarai, it doesn’t matter as much what we’ve done. It’s more important what we offer to God and allow Him to use in us; our faith.

Yahweh’s angel found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain on the way to Shur. He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where did you come from? Where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai.”

Yahweh’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands.” Yahweh’s angel said to her, “I will greatly multiply your offspring, that they will not be counted for multitude.” Yahweh’s angel said to her, “Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because Yahweh has heard your affliction. He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. He will live opposite all of his brothers.” Genesis 16:7-12

Hagar was badly treated by Abram and Sarai, she had some blame also, but she heard the word of God and also submitted to Him. She returned to Sarai as God had asked.

Let’s also talk about what the Angel of the Lord prophesied for Hagar’s son, Ishmael. He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. He will live opposite all of his brothers. That’s a whole lot different than what God had promised to Abram for the son that Sarai would give him. In you and in your offspring will all the families of the earth be blessed.

Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram. Genesis 16:16

Many of us learned in our lives that when we don’t trust God, don’t follow God’s word, that some pretty bad things happen. This passage is from the Koran.

The Prophet Ishmael “was a Messenger and a Prophet”; he was the son of Abraham and Hagar, Abraham’s second wife. When Abraham was young he received a “dream” from God in which he was “slaughtering” Ishmael. Although this was extremely difficult for Abraham to do, he proceeded anyway into the desert to sacrifice Ishmael. When Abraham told his son what God planned, Ishmael offered himself willingly saying, “Father, do what thou art commanded; thou wilt find me, if Allah please, steadfast”. But God made Abraham’s knife dull like wax and Abraham was unable to shed Ishmael’s blood. God saw both Abraham’s tears and his devotion and, therefore, God caused a ram to appear for Abraham to sacrifice instead of Ishmael.

When Ishmael grew older God called on Abraham and his son to go to Mecca and rebuild the mosque there. The original shrine, built by Adam, was displaced during the flood. Upon its completion, Ishmael “settled… in [the] barren valley near Thy Sacred House” of Mecca with his mother; there he married. Ishmael’s progeny became known as the Quraysh, the direct ancestors of Muhammad. Ishmael was the first Prophet to write and preach of the one true God – to “perform Prayer with due observance” – in Arabic; he is the “father of all the Arabs”. http://web.uvic.ca/~rpn/files/ishmael.html

This synopsis of the life of Ishmael was from the Koran and the translation of a book called Islamic Legends. Until Abram had his two sons the Koran follows closely with the story of the Bible, of course with a very Islamic twisting of the facts. He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. He will live opposite all of his brothers.

We’ll read one more passage from Genesis about Ishmael that would seem to confirm some of what the Koran describes about his life.

The child grew, and was weaned. Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this servant and her son! For the son of this servant will not be heir with my son, Isaac.”

The thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight on account of his son. God said to Abraham, “Don’t let it be grievous in your sight because of the boy, and because of your servant. In all that Sarah says to you, listen to her voice. For your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac. I will also make a nation of the son of the servant, because he is your child.” Genesis 21:8-13

God himself did not recognize Ishmael as Abraham’s legitimate son.

After these things, God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.” He said, “Now take your son, your only son, whom you love, even Isaac, and go into the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of.” Genesis 22:1-2

“Take your son, your only son …” We’ll get back to this story of sacrificing Isaac right after we discuss the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, has one last comment on Ishmael.

Now we, brothers, as Isaac was, are children of promise. But as then, he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. However what does the Scripture say? “Throw out the servant and her son, for the son of the servant will not inherit with the son of the free woman.” So then, brothers, we are not children of a servant, but of the free woman. Galatians 4:28-31

He who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, describes Ishmael’s treatment of his baby brother Isaac; ancestor to Jesus.

Abram Becomes Abraham

God is about to speak to Abram once again. This will be at least the sixth time that God has had a conversation with Abram. We’ll see that God puts much more importance in this next conversation with Abram.

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Yahweh appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty. Walk before me, and be blameless. I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”

Abram fell on his face. God talked with him, saying, “As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations. Your name will no more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you.

I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your offspring after you. I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God.” Genesis 17:1-8

Lots of changes here! It’s now thirteen years later. God is about to make another covenant with Abram. In a moment we’ll also see how important this particular promise to Abram was to God. First Abram hears a repeat of earlier promises; you will be the father of a multitude of nations. Now we hear something new in God’s promises. Your name will no more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.

Sarai’s name was also changed.

God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name will be Sarah. I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her.” Genesis 17:15-16

Circumcision

There was something else different this time in God’s covenant with Abram, now named Abraham by God. This time God required a sign from Abraham of his acceptance of this covenant.

God said to Abraham, “As for you, you will keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin. It will be a token of the covenant between me and you. He who is eight days old will be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring. He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. My covenant will be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.” Genesis 17:9-14

This passage found its way in to Western culture and has become our tradition.

Isaac

We read a minute ago that Sarah would be blessed with a son. If you’ve been keeping track, we’ve talking about Abraham and Sarah having a lot of years on their bones and many miles under their feet by this time. So how do you think Abraham responded to this news?

Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?” Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” God said, “No, but Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. You shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. Genesis 17:17-19

Ishmael is again rejected by God as Abraham’s heir. And ninety year old Sarah doesn’t quite believe the news of her coming son. We’ll learn her reaction as three very special guests have dinner with Abraham.

Yahweh appeared to him [Abraham] by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood opposite him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth, and said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don’t go away from your servant. Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. I will get a morsel of bread so you can refresh your heart. After that you may go your way, now that you have come to your servant.” They said, “Very well, do as you have said.” Genesis 18:1-5

He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate. They asked him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” He said, “See, in the tent.” He said, “I will certainly return to you at about this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” Genesis 18:8-12

But, of course, it did happen. With God, all things are possible.

Yahweh visited Sarah as he had said, and Yahweh did to Sarah as he had spoken. Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. Abraham circumcised his son, Isaac, when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Genesis 21:1-4

As these three travelers, including the Lord, were leaving they began a new conversation with Abraham. We’ll discover what was said next time when we discuss Sodom and Gomorrah. Most of our reading will be from Genesis 18 and 19.

- We talked about the birth of two religions this time; Islam and Judaism.

- God foretold the 400 years of slavery in Egypt, Moses and the ten plagues, the Israelites triumphant departure from Egypt, and the 40 years of wandering in the desert.

- God repeats his covenant with Abraham to Isaac and then to Jacob.

- Abram knew Sarai’s servant Hagar and had his first son, Ishmael.

- Many years later Abraham and his wife Sarah had their own son, the one foretold by God, Isaac.

9) Sodom and Gomorrah

- Last time we discovered that two of the major religions have the same roots.

- Judaism and Islam claim the same ancestry from Adam through Abraham, though their recollections of the history are quite different.

- The Bible tells us that Isaac was the son promised by God.

- Islam claims that Ishmael by right of first birth was chosen by Allah.

- In God’s fifth conversation with Abram He foretold the 400 years of oppression and slavery in Egypt, 40 years of wandering in the desert and more.

- God’s covenant with Abraham was so important to Him that He also shared it with Isaac and Jacob.

This time we will listen to the remainder of the conversation between Abraham, God, and two angels. We will travel with these two angels to Sodom, meet Lot once again and spend the night in his home. We will witness the honor of a different age as Lot protects his two guests. Then we will read the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

The Bargain

Last time we ended with Abraham serving three travelers, including the Lord. As the travelers were leaving they began a new conversation with Abraham.

The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way. Yahweh said, “Will I hide from Abraham what I do, since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him? For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him.” Genesis 18:16-19

Up to now we have no indication that Abraham knew that he was serving the Lord God a meal. That was about to change.

Yahweh said, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, I will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know.” Genesis 18:20-21

We know what evil deeds God has heard from Sodom. We have to look to Ezekiel for a quick description.

Behold, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: pride, fullness of bread, and prosperous ease was in her and in her daughters. She also didn’t strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. They were haughty, and committed abomination before me. Therefore I took them away when I saw it. Ezekiel 16:49-50

Through the prophet Ezekiel God tells us that Sodom and its doomed sister cities were prideful, placing themselves above God. Though the area was very fertile and prosperous, Lot chose this land to settle because of its bounty, the people did not help the poor and needy around them. They were greedy. We will learn soon about their iniquity and their lustful abominations before God. Lot will share that part of the story with us.

In a moment we’ll return to Abraham’s conversation with God. Listen to this exchange. This will be another of many examples we’ll see in the Bible that God does listen and respond to our prayers and requests. Our first example of God answering our prayers and supplying our needs was the mark God placed on Cain so that no one would kill him for murdering his brother.

And Cain said, my punishment is greater than my strength. You have sent me out this day from the face of the earth and from before your face; I will be a wanderer in flight over the earth, and whoever sees me will put me to death. And the Lord said, Truly, if Cain is put to death, seven lives will be taken for his. And the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one might put him to death. Genesis 4:13-15

Abraham’s conversation begins.

The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before Yahweh. Genesis 18:22

We’ll see in a minute that the other men mentioned here are two of God’s angels.

Abraham came near, and said, “Will you consume the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it? Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn’t the Judge of all the earth do right?” Genesis 18:23-25

Shouldn’t the Judge of all the earth do right? Wow! Doesn’t that sound like Abraham is arguing with or trying to correct God? This was a man that God loved so deeply that he visited and had conversations with him regularly. Some versions of the Bible put exclamation points on a couple of those statements. Just maybe Abraham was raising his voice – to God.

Does this mean that it might be okay to get angry sometimes when we speak to God in our prayers? Has a mother ever prayed, “Why did you take my son!”, or a father, “I needed that job!” without being at least a little angry or hurt with God? Always remember, He hears our hearts, not our emotions.

Yahweh said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place for their sake.” Abraham answered, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, although I am dust and ashes. What if there will lack five of the fifty righteous? Will you destroy all the city for lack of five?” He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” He spoke to him yet again, and said, “What if there are forty found there?” He said, “I will not do it for the forty’s sake.” He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?” He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” Genesis 18:26-30

Doesn’t this sound like a conversation with a five year old? “You let me have a piece of candy but they’re little, can I have two?” Abraham certainly knows that he is having a disagreement with God. Respectfully, he’s pushing God as much as he dares.

He said, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?” He said, “I will not destroy it for the twenty’s sake.” Genesis 18:31

Just maybe Abraham senses that he’s pushed God as far as he can. He still tries one last time.

He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He said, “I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake.” Yahweh went his way, as soon as he had finished communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place. Genesis 18:32-33

Like we said earlier, God does listen and respond to our prayers and requests. Abraham convinced God to first find just fifty righteous people, just fifty out of an entire city. Abraham then further pleaded with God to find just ten righteous people and save the cities. Yes, you could argue that an all knowing God was aware that he would not find even ten righteous souls. You then must also admit that God, by his very nature, would actually look for those ten before destroying the cities.

More than Sodom and Gomorrah

By the way, did you know that on that fateful day God destroyed more cities than just Sodom and Gomorrah? We’ll begin by looking at an earlier passage one more time. We read this when we talked about Abram chasing the armies to rescue his nephew Lot.

The king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (also called Zoar) went out; and they set the battle in array against them in the valley of Siddim. Genesis 14:8

These were the five kings and their cities that went against, and fell to, the four invading kings. Here is what Deuteronomy tells us.

The generation to come, your children who will rise up after you, and the foreigner who will come from a far land, will say, when they see the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses with which Yahweh has made it sick; and that all of its land is sulfur, salt, and burning, that it is not sown, doesn’t produce, nor does any grass grow in it, like the overthrow of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which Yahweh overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath. Deuteronomy 29:22-23

The city of Zoar, also called Bela, escaped this destruction out of mercy to Lot. We’ll go there soon. Now we’ll get back to our story of Sodom and Gomorrah. God’s angels have arrived at the city gate.

The Visit

The two angels came to Sodom at evening. Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them. He bowed himself with his face to the earth, and he said, “See now, my lords, please turn aside into your servant’s house, stay all night, wash your feet, and you can rise up early, and go on your way.” They said, “No, but we will stay in the street all night.” He urged them greatly, and they came in with him, and entered into his house. He made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. Genesis 19:1-3

Many years had passed since Lot was rescued. He had gone from being a herdsman to living in the city of Sodom. He may have lived in Sodom but we’ll see that he kept the ways of God.

First we’ll discover one of the reasons why Sodom was wicked in God’s sight.

But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter. They called to Lot, and said to him, “Where are the men who came in to you this night? Bring them out to us, that we may have sex with them.” Genesis 19:4-5

Perhaps God was thinking back to exactly this night in Lot’s house when He later said,

If a man lies with a male, as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. Leviticus 20:13

We hear talk today of honor and of integrity. Have these words lost their meaning? Let us look now to Lot’s response and see if we would measure up to his definition of these values.

Lot went out to them to the door, and shut the door after him. He said, “Please, my brothers, don’t act so wickedly. See now, I have two virgin daughters. Please let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them what seems good to you. Only don’t do anything to these men, because they have come under the shadow of my roof.” Genesis 19:6-8

By bringing these two men in to his home Lot was offering them much more than a meal and a bed. With that invitation he was also pledging his protection to his guests. With their acceptance to his invitation Lot made himself duty-bound to uphold his word at any cost; even to the point of trading two daughters that he deeply loved for the lives and honor of his guests.

They said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one fellow came in to live as a foreigner, and he appoints himself a judge. Now will we deal worse with you, than with them!” They pressed hard on the man Lot, and came near to break the door. But the men reached out their hand, and brought Lot into the house to them, and shut the door. They struck the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the door. Genesis 19:9-11

Lot didn’t know this, but his two guests certainly didn’t need his protection. They were watching what Lot would do however. With God, they were looking for ten righteous people.

The men said to Lot, “Do you have anybody else here? Sons-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whoever you have in the city, bring them out of the place: for we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown so great before Yahweh that Yahweh has sent us to destroy it.”

Lot went out, and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters, and said, “Get up! Get out of this place, for Yahweh will destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be joking. When the morning came, then the angels hurried Lot, saying, “Get up! Take your wife, and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the iniquity of the city.” Genesis19:12-15

The time for destruction had come. There was no more time to convince his daughters’ fiancés to leave the city. Only Lot and his family could be spared.

Saving Zoar

Now we’ll learn why Zoar was saved.

But he lingered; and the men grabbed his hand, his wife’s hand, and his two daughters’ hands, Yahweh being merciful to him; and they took him out, and set him outside of the city. It came to pass, when they had taken them out, that he said, “Escape for your life! Don’t look behind you, and don’t stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be consumed!”

Lot said to them, “Oh, not so, my lord. See now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your loving kindness, which you have shown to me in saving my life. I can’t escape to the mountain, lest evil overtake me, and I die. See now, this city is near to flee to, and it is a little one. Oh let me escape there (isn’t it a little one?), and my soul will live.”

He said to him, “Behold, I have granted your request concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. Hurry, escape there, for I can’t do anything until you get there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. Genesis19:16-23

The Destruction

With Lot and his family safely away from the city it was time for the destruction.

Then Yahweh rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah sulfur and fire from Yahweh out of the sky. He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew on the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. Genesis19:24-26

But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. Lot and his daughters had their faith and trust in the Lord. Lot’s wife left her heart in Sodom. By looking back she revealed that to God and was also destroyed. Here is a quote from Josephus the historian from ancient Rome. “But Lot's wife continually turning back to view the city as she went from it, and being too nicely inquisitive what would become of it, although God had forbidden her so to do, was changed into a pillar of salt for I have seen it, and it remains at this day.” Packard Technologies (2002-11-27). Works of Josephus (Kindle Locations 1756-1758). Packard Technologies. Kindle Edition.

Here is a brief description of Abraham’s reaction on the morning of the destruction.

Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he had stood before Yahweh. He looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and looked, and saw that the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace. When God destroyed the cities of the plain, God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the middle of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot lived. Genesis 19:27-29

This is a description from outside the Bible of those plains from about the first century B.C. It is from Alexander Polyhistor a Greek scholar and writer that lived much of his life as a Roman slave. It is in honor of Polyhistor that we have the word, ‘history’.

“A long way off from Jerusalem, there lies a woeful spectacle of a country to be seen which was blasted from heaven and appeared by the blackness of the earth falling all to cinders. There were in that place before this two cities, one called Sodom, the other Gomorrah, where if an apple grew, though it appeared to be ripe, yet it was not at all edible. Its outer skin contained nothing within it except a stinking smell mixed with ashes and if ever so slightly touched, sent forth a smoke and the rest fell into a light powder.”

And here are some biblical descriptions of the destruction. There are several others. This first one we read earlier.

The generation to come, your children who will rise up after you, and the foreigner who will come from a far land, will say, when they see the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses with which Yahweh has made it sick; and that all of its land is sulfur, salt, and burning, that it is not sown, doesn’t produce, nor does any grass grow in it, like the overthrow of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which Yahweh overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath; Deuteronomy 29:22-23

Zephaniah was one of God’s prophets. We’ll learn his story another time.

Therefore as I live, says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, surely Moab will be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles, and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The remnant of my people will plunder them, and the survivors of my nation will inherit them. Zephaniah 2:9

Jude was a half-brother of Jesus; later born of Mary.

Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them, having, in the same way as these, given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are shown as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire. Jude 1:7

This last passage expands on the others by telling us that in addition to what those citizens did among themselves, they ignored the plight of their neighbors.

“Now this was the sin of … Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen”. Ezekiel 16:49–50 NIV

- We learned that even though God had promised to never again destroy the world by flood that did not mean that He would not punish sinful man.

- God does listen and respond to our prayers.

- God hears our hearts, not our emotions.

- There were four cities destroyed by God that morning; Sodom and Gomorrah, plus Admah and Zeboiim.

- Lot and his two daughters were the only survivors from the destroyed cities.

Next time we’ll be leaving Abraham. We’ll learn much more about his son Isaac. Much of our reading will be from Genesis chapters 22 through 25.

10) Isaac

Last time we talked about Sodom and Gomorrah.

- God does listen and respond to our prayers.

- God listens to our hearts, not our emotions.

- There were four cities destroyed by God on the day Lot fled; Sodom and Gomorrah, plus Admah and Zeboiim.

- Only Lot and his two daughters survived the destroyed cities.

In this discussion God will test Abraham as He has tested few men. He will ask Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. We will discover that Isaac too was tested by God. He was old enough and strong enough to resist his father but did not defend himself. And we will discover where the Temple of Solomon was built and why that location was so special to God.

The Sacrifice

We also talked last time about Lot’s honor and integrity as he did his best to defend his two guests. We’ll start now with a similar story that vividly describes Abraham’s obedience and faith in God.

After these things, God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.” He said, “Now take your son, your only son, whom you love, even Isaac, and go into the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of.” Genesis 22:1-2

Look at what God was asking of Abraham and how he asked it. Not only was God telling this now more than 100 year old man to sacrifice his ‘only son’, Gods words, but at the same time God was reminding Abraham how much Abraham loved Isaac. How many people would have said, “Well… okay.” Abraham did.

Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son. He split the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went to the place of which God had told him. Genesis 22:3

Abraham’s faith was so great that he didn’t hesitate or try to slow down his trip to Moriah. In fact, Abraham got up early! That’s devotion to God.

On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place far off. Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go yonder. We will worship, and come back to you.” Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. He took in his hand the fire and the knife. They both went together. Genesis 22:4-6

We’ll talk about three things from this passage. It was a three day trip or more to the mountain God had selected for the sacrifice. Based on what we discussed after reading the first two verses this appears to be one more chance for God to watch Abraham and judge his actions; giving Abraham those many days to think about his son.

Abraham told his servants, “The boy and I will go yonder. We will worship, and come back to you.” Was he lying to the servants or was this Abraham’s way of reaching the mountain quickly without defending his devotion to God? It may also be said that Abraham remembered God’s many promises to his family and had complete faith in God, as God had in him.

And our third point from this passage, a burnt offering needs a big fire. A big fire needs a lot of wood. A fire large enough for Isaac as the burnt offering needed even more wood. Isaac carried all of that heavy wood on his back. Isaac could not have been a small child.

Josephus the historian from ancient Rome tells us that Isaac was 25 years old. So if Isaac were to be sacrificed, he must also agree to God’s command. Remember, his father was well over 100 years old and no match for a young man in his prime.

Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, “My father?” He said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they both went together. They came to the place which God had told him of. Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, on the wood. Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to kill his son. Genesis 22:7-10

This brings us right back to our last comments. Isaac realized that there was no animal for a sacrifice. At some point Isaac knew that he was to be the sacrifice. Even then Isaac allowed himself to be tied and placed on the wood at the altar. Abraham’s answer to his so also supports the likelihood that Abraham did have absolute faith and trust in God. Knowing each man’s acceptance, this becomes a story of two men’s devotion to God, not just Abraham.

Yahweh’s angel called to him out of the sky, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.” He said, “Don’t lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw that behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son. Genesis 22:11-13

This is one more mention that in God’s eyes Abraham had only one son; Isaac. God clearly told him, you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.

Do you know how proud God was of Isaac and Abraham? That mountain of the sacrifice, Mount Moriah, is where He put the Temple of Solomon.

Then Solomon began to build Yahweh’s house at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where Yahweh appeared to David his father, which he prepared in the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 2 Chronicles 3:1

We’ll read much more about this temple in other stories. God now has another message of praise for Abraham.

Yahweh’s angel called to Abraham a second time out of the sky, and said, “I have sworn by myself, says Yahweh, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, that I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your offspring greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the gate of his enemies. All the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring, because you have obeyed my voice.” Genesis 22:15-18

…because you have obeyed my voice; how far can we go if we completely trust in God?

We continue to learn that God’s word is like an onion, with many layers of meaning. God’s infinite wisdom can say so much with very few words. Stars of the heavens, and sand which is on the seashore are two more examples of God’s many layers of meaning. Stars give us light.

God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs to mark seasons, days, and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth”; and it was so. Genesis 1:14-15

God’s lights will rule over day and night; light and darkness.

God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light to the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:16-18

And God’s stars are His messengers, guiding us with prophecy.

I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Yahweh comes. It will happen that whoever will call on Yahweh’s name shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as Yahweh has said, and among the remnant, those whom Yahweh calls. Joel 2:30-32

Now remember, there is another bright light in the Bible.

Then again Jesus said to them, I am the light of the world; he who comes with me will not be walking in the dark but will have the light of life. John 8:12

Jesus was a descendant of Abraham, a bright star.

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give witness to you of these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright and morning star. Revelation 22:16

There is another allusion to Jesus in our last reading; all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring. Take some time with your Bible. Search out sand and earth and firmament to see God’s many layers of meaning. Let us continue with Abraham’s story.

So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba. Abraham lived at Beersheba. Genesis 22:19

Even this last verse says a lot. It is not anticlimactic at all. Instead it is a further testimony to Isaac and Abraham’s faith. This had to be one of the most powerful events in these two men’s lives, human sacrifice, but it was over. It was now completely behind them because of their continued faith in God. ‘God is good, let’s go home.’

Sarah’s Death

It is now about a dozen years later and Isaac is about to lose his mother.

Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. This was the length of Sarah’s life. Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron), in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. Genesis 23:1-2

Did you know that Sarah is the only woman of the Bible whose age at her death is recorded in the Bible?

Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spoke to the children of Heth, saying, “I am a stranger and a foreigner living with you. Give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”

The children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, “Hear us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the best of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb. Bury your dead.” Genesis 23:3-6

So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all of its borders, were deeded to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city. After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan. The field, and the cave that is in it, were deeded to Abraham for a possession of a burying place by the children of Heth. Genesis 23:17-20

Isaac’s Bride

Abraham was old, and well stricken in age. Yahweh had blessed Abraham in all things. Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please put your hand under my thigh. I will make you swear by Yahweh, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live. But you shall go to my country, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” Genesis 24:1-4

We can’t be sure, but this was probably Abraham’s servant Eliezer of Damascus the man in charge of Abraham’s household. Abram mentioned him to God while talking about not having his own son.

Abram said, “Lord Yahweh, what will you give me, since I go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” Genesis 15:2

If you remember, Abram’s father Terah took Abram, Lot and their wives from the land of Ur; Mesopotamia.

Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife. They went from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan. They came to Haran and lived there. Genesis 11:31

This was probably somewhere in modern day Iraq. The trip was about 400 miles. Here is what Josephus had to say about the journey. “The servant got thither not under a considerable time; for it requires much time to pass through Mesopotamia, in which it is tedious traveling, both in the winter for the depth of the clay, and in summer for want of water; and, besides this, for the robberies there committed, which are not to be avoided by travelers but by caution beforehand.” Packard Technologies (2002-11-27). Works of Josephus (Kindle Locations 1865-1868). Packard Technologies. Kindle Edition.

The servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter. The servant took ten camels, of his master’s camels, and departed, having a variety of good things of his master’s with him. He arose, and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time that women go out to draw water. Genesis 24:9-11

Abraham sent a very large dowry to the family of his son’s still unknown bride. A camel can easily carry men across the desert. So if we assume 200 pounds per camel, Abraham sent an entire ton of expensive gifts! Remember too that Josephus warned us about the robberies.

We’ll rejoin the story just as Abraham’s servant has safely arrived.

He said, “Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, please give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. Behold, I am standing by the spring of water. The daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Let it happen, that the young lady to whom I will say, ‘Please let down your pitcher, that I may drink,’ and she will say, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink,’—let her be the one you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.” Genesis 24:12-14

We see here that Abraham had surrounded himself with people that also loved God. As soon as he had tended to the camels Abraham’s servant prayed to God for success. Now we’ll see how quickly God responds.

Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder. The young lady was very beautiful to look at, a virgin. No man had known her. She went down to the spring, filled her pitcher, and came up. The servant ran to meet her, and said, “Please give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher.”

She said, “Drink, my lord.” She hurried, and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him drink. When she had done giving him drink, she said, “I will also draw for your camels, until they have done drinking.” Genesis 24:15-19

Rebekah showed a lot of kindness to a stranger. If we guess that her water jug held about five gallons of water then Rebekah was holding about 45 pounds on her shoulder. After giving Abraham’s servant a drink of water, plus any handlers with him, Rebekah watered those ten camels. A thirsty camel can drink twenty gallons or more at a time. Rebekah may have made 40 trips or so between the well and the camels to carry those 200 gallons of water on her shoulder.

The man bowed his head, and worshiped Yahweh. He said, “Blessed be Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his loving kindness and his truth toward my master. As for me, Yahweh has led me on the way to the house of my master’s relatives.” Genesis 24:26-27

We see that God answered ‘yes’ to every bit of Abraham’s and his servant’s prayers.

Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. He loved her. Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. Genesis 24:67

Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Paddan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian, to be his wife. Genesis 25:20

The Twins

We’re going to move forward now about 19 years. Isaac and his wife Rebekah, just like Isaac’s parents Abraham and Sarah were unable to conceive children. Like his father before him, Isaac is going to the Lord in prayer.

Isaac entreated Yahweh for his wife, because she was barren. Yahweh was entreated by him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. Genesis 25:21

Another prayer was answered, to Isaac, and the covenant from God to Abraham continued. We’re about to learn why God selected Rebekah to be Isaac’s wife; she also loved God.

The children struggled together within her. She said, “If it is so, why do I live?” She went to inquire of Yahweh. Yahweh said to her, “Two nations are in your womb. Two peoples will be separated from your body. The one people will be stronger than the other people. The elder will serve the younger.” Genesis 25:22-23

We’ve been working our way through the ancestors of Jesus in our stories of the Bible. One thing common to all of the heroes in our stories, including now Rebekah, was that they loved God and were loved by Him.

God answers Rebekah’s prayed question directly. He answers her though with a prophecy. We’ll spend more time with this prophecy next time. For now we’ll look at one passage from Hosea.

Yahweh also has a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his deeds he will repay him. In the womb he took his brother by the heel; and in his manhood he contended with God. Hosea 12:2-3

This is what God meant when He said, two peoples will be separated from your body. Even before birth these two brothers were rivals.

When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. They named him Esau. After that, his brother came out, and his hand had hold on Esau’s heel. He was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. Genesis 25:24-26

Abraham Dies

Now we’re going to move forward again, about fifteen years this time.

These are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred seventy-five years. Abraham gave up his spirit, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people. Isaac and Ishmael, his sons, buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre, the field which Abraham purchased of the children of Heth. Abraham was buried there with Sarah, his wife. After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac, his son. Isaac lived by Beer Lahai Roi. Genesis 25:7-11

Notice here that Abraham’s sons, Ishmael and Isaac, buried Abraham next to Sarah but we are specifically told that God blessed Isaac, his son. There is no mention of a blessing at this time for Ishmael.

Did you wonder why we went forward in Chapter 25 to the births of the twins and then went back to the death of Abraham? It’s not always clear, but the Bible often bounces back and forth in time or in story.

By faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out to the place which he was to receive for an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he went. By faith, he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. Hebrews 11:8-9

You see, Hebrews lets us know that Abraham was alive long enough to be dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob.

This time we talked about the sacrifice that Abraham and Isaac were asked to make.

- “Take your son, your only son… and sacrifice him as a burnt offering”

- Abraham got up early and lead Isaac to the sacrificial mountain.

- Isaac allowed himself to be tied and placed on the wood at the altar.

- This mountain in Moriah would hold special meaning to God because of this father and son. Mount Moriah will become the site of Solomon’s Temple.

- Many times God acknowledges only Isaac as Abraham’s son but not Ismael.

- With God’s help in the selection, Isaac married Rebekah.

- God gave Rebekah a prophecy about her twin sons.

Next time we’ll talk more about God’s prophecy to Rebekah about her twin sons Esau and Jacob. They were brothers, but not friends. Most of our reading will be from Genesis chapters 25 through 27.

11) Esau and Jacob

We spent much of last time learning about Abraham’s son Isaac.

- God required that Abraham take Isaac to Mount Mariah and offer him as a sacrifice.

- Abraham, always trusting God, got up early and went to obey God.

- Isaac did not resist, but allowed himself to be tied and placed on the altar. Isaac also trusted God.

- Mount Mariah would become the site of Solomon’s Temple.

- God calls Isaac Abraham’s only son, ignoring Ishmael.

- God lead Abraham’s servant to Isaac’s future wife, Rebekah.

- Answering her prayer, God gave Rebekah a prophecy about her twin sons.

This time we will meet Isaac and Rebekah’s twin sons. One son will sell his birthright for some stew. The other son will be given the same promises that God gave to Abraham. We’ll end with one brother’s threats to kill the other.

The Prophecy

Last time we briefly mentioned God’s prophecy to Rebekah concerning her twin sons. Rebekah prayed to God asking about her rough pregnancy.

The children struggled together within her. She said, “If it is so, why do I live?” She went to inquire of Yahweh. Yahweh said to her, “Two nations are in your womb. Two peoples will be separated from your body. The one people will be stronger than the other people. The elder will serve the younger.” Genesis 25:22-23

God answers Rebekah’s prayer with a prophecy. The prophecy is in four parts, 1) Two nations are in your womb; 2) Two peoples will be separated from your body; 3) The one people will be stronger than the other people; and 4) The elder will serve the younger. We’ll discuss each of these.

First, here is a description of the birth of the twin boys and some background.

When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. They named him Esau. After that, his brother came out, and his hand had hold on Esau’s heel. He was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. The boys grew. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. Genesis 25:24-27

These verses already relate to God’s prophesy for these two boys. Their different looks and Jacob fighting to the last to become first-born begin God’s prophecy of two different nations struggling. Part of this prophecy is later used by Hosea as a judgment against the divided kingdom of Judah. We’ll discuss these divided kingdoms later.

Yahweh also has a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his deeds he will repay him. In the womb he took his brother by the heel; and in his manhood he contended with God. Hosea 12:2-3

This is what God meant when He said, two peoples will be separated from your body. The NLT version of the Bible says, from the very beginning; the two nations will be rivals. Even before birth these two brothers were rivals. The second part of verse 3, and in his manhood he contended with God, also describes an event in Jacob’s adult life.

Indeed, he struggled with the angel, and prevailed. Hosea 12:4a

We’ll come back another time to Jacob’s wrestling match with that angel, and we will learn that God gives him a new name that we all recognize because of this wrestling match.

Now Isaac loved Esau, because he ate his venison. Rebekah loved Jacob. Genesis 25:28

We’ll read more of this, but we already see the seed that even mom and dad would help to fuel this rivalry between the brothers.

Jacob boiled stew. Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. 30 Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called Edom. Jacob said, “First, sell me your birthright.” Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?” Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” He swore to him. He sold his birthright to Jacob. Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils. He ate and drank, rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright. Genesis 25:29-34

Esau despised his birthright. Today we can question how ethical it may have been for Jacob to even ask his brother to strike such a deal, but the Bible clearly faults Esau for accepting. This is the root of the fourth part of God’s prophecy; the elder will serve the younger.

It’s now several years later. Isaac has moved his family to Gerar because of a famine. While Isaac and his family are in Gerar God repeats His vow to Isaac’s father, Abraham.

Live in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you. For I will give to you, and to your offspring, all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your offspring as the stars of the sky, and will give all these lands to your offspring. In your offspring will all the nations of the earth be blessed, because Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my requirements, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” Isaac lived in Gerar. Genesis 26:3-6

Isaac became very wealthy as a herdsman but he also had several conflicts with Abimelech and moved his family to several locations in the Gerar Valley; still within the land God told him to possess. You might remember that Abimelech was the King of Gerar and desired Sarah.

And Abraham said of Sarah, his wife, she is my sister: and Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent and took Sarah. Genesis 20:2

Because of his conflicts with Abimelech Abraham left Gerar.

He went up from there to Beersheba. Yahweh appeared to him the same night, and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you, and will bless you, and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.” He built an altar there, and called on Yahweh’s name, and pitched his tent there. There Isaac’s servants dug a well. Genesis 26:23-25

During this time Esau became old enough to marry. Not everyone was pleased with Esau’s choices of brides.

When Esau was forty years old, he took as wife Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite. They grieved Isaac’s and Rebekah’s spirits. Genesis 26:34-35

Instead of Hittite wives your translation may say Canaanite wives. The wives’ fathers, Beeri and Elon were both influential lords among the Canaanites. We then must wonder if Esau took these wives in love or because these marriages gave him instant authority in the land of Canaan.

We’ll move forward again. Isaac has become very old and was losing his sight. He’s beginning to think seriously about his death.

When Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said to him, “My son?” He said to him, “Here I am.” He said, “See now, I am old. I don’t know the day of my death. Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and take me venison. Make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat, and that my soul may bless you before I die.” Genesis 27:1-4

Remember that throughout most of history that the birthright – the right of inheritance – was very important; one of the most important aspects of life. Isaac wanted to ensure that his oldest son, his favorite, Esau claimed Isaac’s inheritance. Sending Esau out to hunt and prepare Isaac’s favorite meal was part of the ritual of the blessing and inheritance. The blessing of inheritance was to be done in a formal manner.

Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, “Behold, I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying, ‘Bring me venison, and make me savory food, that I may eat, and bless you before Yahweh before my death.’ Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command you. Go now to the flock, and get me from there two good young goats. I will make them savory food for your father, such as he loves. You shall bring it to your father that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death.” Genesis 27:5-10

Again we can see from these last two readings that Isaac and Rebekah each continued to push for, and conspire with, their own favorite son. Was Rebekah’s deceit in tricking her husband Isaac out of Esau’s blessing ethical? Our first answer would probably be ‘No.’ but remember that Esau willingly gave up his rights as the firstborn son for that bowl of stew long ago.

Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. What if my father touches me? I will seem to him as a deceiver, and I would bring a curse on myself, and not a blessing.” His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son. Only obey my voice, and go get them for me.” Genesis 27:11-13

Jacob was clearly willing to deceive his father. He just wasn’t real sure of his mom’s plan. Rebekah insisted that Jacob follow her instructions and her son obeyed his mother.

He went, and got them, and brought them to his mother. His mother made savory food, such as his father loved. Rebekah took the good clothes of Esau, her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob, her younger son. She put the skins of the young goats on his hands, and on the smooth of his neck. She gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. Genesis 27:14-17

Are you wondering how this could plan could possibly work? Remember that Esau and Jacob were twins. We were told back in Genesis 25 that Esau was born with coarse red hair but Jacob was not covered in that same hair. The Bible mentions no other physical differences between the twins. We’ll see that they were not exactly the same but must have been very close.

He came to his father, and said, “My father?” He said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” Genesis 27:18

We can already see that Isaac had some doubts. Those doubts will continue.

Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done what you asked me to do. Please arise, sit and eat of my venison, that your soul may bless me.” Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He said, “Because Yahweh your God gave me success.” Genesis 27:19-20

Isaac is having more doubts about which son is before him. Isaac tries something new to answer his doubts.

Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.” Jacob went near to Isaac his father. He felt him, and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” He didn’t recognize him, because his hands were hairy, like his brother, Esau’s hands. So he blessed him. He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He said, “I am.” Genesis 27:21-24

Isaac is beginning to fall for the deceit. He’s smart though and still wondering. He now tries one last thing to determine which son is serving him and will receive his blessing.

He said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless you.” He brought it near to him, and he ate. He brought him wine, and he drank. His father Isaac said to him, “Come near now, and kiss me, my son.” He came near, and kissed him. He smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him, and said, “Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which Yahweh has blessed. Genesis 27:25-27

Finally, the smell of the clothes that Jacob was wearing convinced his father of the deceit. With that Isaac immediately offers his son this blessing.

God give you of the dew of the sky, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and new wine. Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers. Let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you. Blessed be everyone who blesses you.” Genesis 27:28-29

So Jacob received his father’s blessing that Isaac had intended to give to Esau. Now, like any good story, the plot thickens.

As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had just gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting. He also made savory food, and brought it to his father. He said to his father, “Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that your soul may bless me.” Genesis 27:30-31

Jacob left his father just minutes before Esau carried his own meal to Isaac. As soon as Esau greets his father Isaac knows what has happened.

Isaac his father said to him, “Who are you?” He said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” Isaac trembled violently, and said, “Who, then, is he who has taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before you came, and have blessed him? Yes, he will be blessed.” Genesis 27:32-33

Isaac’s last sentence again tells us the importance of the blessing on a first-born son; yes, he will be blessed. Once given, Isaac was honor-bound to keep his blessing in place; even in deceit. Esau will reluctantly agree with the finality of Isaac’s blessing. We’ll see this in Esau’s emotional response and in his request. Esau does not ask Isaac to revoke his blessing on Jacob but asks for his own blessing.

When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, my father.” He said, “Your brother came with deceit, and has taken away your blessing.” He said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright. See, now he has taken away my blessing.” He said, “Haven’t you reserved a blessing for me?” Genesis 27:34-36

Did Esau have it right here? Did Jacob really cheat him twice? Let’s go back to an earlier passage.

Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?” Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” He swore to him. He sold his birthright to Jacob. Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils. He ate and drank, rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright. Genesis 25:32-34

Esau was hungry. He willingly gave up his birthright for a meal. Part of the birthright that Esau would have given away to his brother was their father’s blessing. Jacob did not cheat Esau at all. He did deceive his father though.

Isaac answered Esau, “Behold, I have made him your lord, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants. I have sustained him with grain and new wine. What then will I do for you, my son?” Esau said to his father, “Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, my father.” Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. Genesis 27:37-38

Did you ever hear the expression, “Be careful what you wish for”? Esau is about to understand what that saying means.

Then Isaac his father made answer and said to him, Far from the fertile places of the earth, and far from the dew of heaven on high will your living-place be: by your sword will you get your living and you will be your brother's servant; but when your power is increased his yoke will be broken from off your neck. Genesis 27:39-40

This is nothing like Isaac’s earlier blessing. You could call this a curse. Isaac declares that Esau will be separated from the goodness of heaven and of earth. Esau will live by the sword. He will not know peace or rest. And, as prophesied to his mother, Esau will serve his brother Jacob. He immediately begins thinking about that sword.

Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him. Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand. Then I will kill my brother Jacob.” Genesis 27:41

Esau agreed with the finality of Isaac’s blessing but that didn’t stop him from thinking of revenge. Esau was not crafty or subtle. Everyone soon knew of his threats to kill his brother Jacob.

The words of Esau, her elder son, were told to Rebekah. She sent and called Jacob, her younger son, and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban, my brother, in Haran. Stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury turns away; until your brother’s anger turn away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send, and get you from there. Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?”

Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these, of the daughters of the land, what good will my life do me?” Genesis 27:42-46

Of course Rebekah did not forget God’s prophecy about her two sons. Jacob was not yet married, had no children, but God said that each twin would become a nation. Rebekah also saw no need to tempt God’s prophecy by leaving Jacob in danger. She would arrange to send him away. And did you notice the subtle way his mother put even more pressure on Jacob to flee? She urged Jacob to run from Esau until he forgets what you have done to him. Rebekah has just removed herself from the plot.

Isaac called Jacob, blessed him, and commanded him, “You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Paddan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father. Take a wife from there from the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a company of peoples, and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you, and to your offspring with you, that you may inherit the land where you travel, which God gave to Abraham.” Isaac sent Jacob away. He went to Paddan Aram to Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, Rebekah’s brother, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother. Genesis 28:1-5

Again, a lot happened in this short passage. Isaac gave Jacob another rich blessing. He told Esau a short time earlier that he had no suitable blessing, “What then will I do for you, my son?” Isaac’s newest blessing for Jacob includes nations, descendants, land and all of the blessings of Abraham.

Isaac, as head of the family, also decreed that Jacob must not marry a Canaanite woman. Jacob must leave, travel to his uncle and marry one of his uncle’s daughters. In just two verses Isaac set the events of much of the remainder of Jacob’s life. We’ll talk about that next time. Much of our reading will be from Genesis Chapters 28.

- This time we talked about God’s prophecy to Rebekah concerning her twin sons. “The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.”

- From before their birth, during their birth, and continually during the first phase of their lives these boys were battling.

- Esau showed contempt for his birth right by selling the privileges of the first-born to his brother Jacob for a bowl of stew.

- Jacob and his mother, Rebekah, conspired to ensure that Isaac would indeed give the blessing of the first-born to Jacob.

- Feeling cheated, Esau asked for his own blessing but received a woeful description of living his life by the sword away from the richness of the earth and the dew of heaven.

- Because Esau wanted to kill him, Jacob was forced to go far away to his uncle and there seek a wife.

12) Jacob and Laban

- Last time we read God’s prophecy to Rebekah for her twin sons Esau and Jacob. “The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.”

- Esau sold his rights as first born son to his brother Jacob for a bowl of stew. We are told that Esau showed contempt for his birth right.

- To ensure that Jacob would actually receive Isaac’s blessing, he and his mother Rebekah conspired to fool Isaac.

- After receiving the Isaac’s blessing for the first born son Jacob was forced to flee to his uncle because Esau threatened to kill him.

Jacob leaves his home

You may already know that Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. Have you ever wondered how brothers could do that? As we continue learning about Jacob we will begin to answer the ‘why’. We’ll begin by following Jacob on the next phase of his life. He’ll live with and work for his uncle. He will marry and he will become rich. He’ll also continue to serve God. Here are his father’s parting words to Jacob.

Isaac called Jacob, blessed him, and commanded him, “You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Paddan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father. Take a wife from there from the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a company of peoples, and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you, and to your offspring with you, that you may inherit the land where you travel, which God gave to Abraham.” Isaac sent Jacob away. He went to Paddan Aram to Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, Rebekah’s brother, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother. Genesis 28:1-5

Do you remember what Isaac told Esau as the two discovered that the blessing of the first born had been given to Jacob?

Isaac answered Esau, “Behold, I have made him your lord, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants. I have sustained him with grain and new wine. What then will I do for you, my son?” Genesis 27:37

The blessing Isaac eventually gave to Esau was closer to a curse.

Then Isaac his father made answer and said to him, “Far from the fertile places of the earth, and far from the dew of heaven on high will your living-place be: by your sword will you get your living and you will be your brother's servant; but when your power is increased his yoke will be broken from off your neck.” Genesis 27:39-40

Compare that with the blessing that Isaac gave to Jacob just a while later. “May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a company of peoples, and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you, and to your offspring with you, that you may inherit the land where you travel, which God gave to Abraham.”

This is the blessing that God so often repeated to Abraham. We will see this blessing again.

Jacob’s dream

We’ll catch up with Jacob a few miles down the road from his family and about to spend his first night away from home.

Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place, and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep. He dreamed. Behold, a stairway set upon the earth, and its top reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

Behold, Yahweh stood above it, and said, “I am Yahweh, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land whereon you lie, to you will I give it, and to your offspring. Your offspring will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your offspring will all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you, until I have done that which I have spoken of to you.” Genesis 28:10-15

Do you remember the many blessings that God gave to Abraham? God promised land, many descendants and protection; “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt.” and “I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted!” We pulled these last two statements from separate verses. Notice though how similar they are to what God has just told Jacob, a descendant of Abraham.

Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, “Surely Yahweh is in this place, and I didn’t know it.” He was afraid, and said, “How dreadful is this place! This is none other than God’s house, and this is the gate of heaven.” Genesis 28:16-17

So Jacob is visited by God. God gives him a wonderful promise. Jacob is so amazed by all this that he exclaims that he is at the gate of heaven! So can you imagine what Jacob does? No you can’t. He rolls over and goes back to sleep! Pay attention to the first part of the next verse.

Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil on its top. He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. Jacob vowed a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothing to put on, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, and Yahweh will be my God, then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, will be God’s house. Of all that you will give me I will surely give a tenth to you.” Genesis 28:18-22

We have heard many times that the Jews are God’s chosen people. This was one more description of why. Jacob, like Isaac and Abraham and Noah, made God central in his life. Jacob got up early and he built a memorial to God. He gave the place of his dream and this memorial a name that we have heard before and probably never paid much attention to what it means; Bethel, house of God.

This is also the second time that we have seen the offer of giving 1/10th to God. The first time, you may remember was Abraham giving a tenth of the spoils of battle to Melchizedek, a priest of God.

Jacob takes two wives

Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the children of the east. He looked, and behold, a well in the field, and, behold, three flocks of sheep lying there by it. For out of that well they watered the flocks. The stone on the well’s mouth was large. There all the flocks were gathered. They rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again on the well’s mouth in its place.

Jacob said to them, “My relatives, where are you from?” They said, “We are from Haran.” He said to them, “Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.” He said to them, “Is it well with him?” They said, “It is well. See, Rachel, his daughter, is coming with the sheep.” Genesis 29:1-6

Jacob arrives safely and almost immediately gets his first glimpse of his future wife, Rachel.

While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she kept them. When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban, Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept. Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s nephew, and that he was Rebekah’s son. She ran and told her father. Genesis 29:9-12

We can’t be sure, but it certainly sounds like Rachel got so excited at meeting her cousin that she literally ran off without her flock. She left Jacob and her flock at the well.

When Laban heard the news of Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet Jacob, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things. Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh.” He lived with him for a month. Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my brother, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what will your wages be?” Genesis 29:13-15

Just as Jacob’s mother knew he would, Laban immediately and warmly welcomed Jacob into his home. Jacob, for his part, is working hard enough for his uncle that they soon discuss payment for that work. They come to a very unusual, for us, agreement.

Laban had two daughters. The name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and attractive. Jacob loved Rachel. He said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter.” Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you, than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.” Genesis 29:16-19

Jacob agreed to stay with his uncle and work for him for seven years in exchange for taking Laban’s younger daughter Rachel as his wife. We said just a minute ago that this agreement was unusual for us. During this time of Jacob it was apparently customary to pay for a wife rather than ask for a dowry, which has become so customary today in many parts of the world.

Remember that Abraham, Isaac’s father, sent a servant with ten camels loaded with expensive gifts to find a suitable wife for Isaac. Isaac’s son Jacob did not have gifts to buy his bride. Instead Jacob agreed to work for his uncle for those seven years.

Jacob served seven years for Rachel. They seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had for her. Genesis 29:20

Look at just that one verse. It is so understated that it would be easy to pass over it as we continue our story. It is one of the strongest devotions to love that you will ever read.

Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.” Genesis 29:21

Jacob worked seven years for his chosen bride, Rachel. If you were wondering, Jacob was 84 on his wedding night. Next time we’ll discover how we arrived at his age.

Jacob kept his word to his uncle by first working those seven years. Laban, his uncle, not so much.

Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. In the evening, he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him [Jacob]. He went in to her. Laban gave Zilpah his servant to his daughter Leah for a servant. In the morning, behold, it was Leah. He said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Didn’t I serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” Genesis 29:22-25

Likely Jacob was a little drunk. It was dark. Jacob was deceived by his Uncle Laban, and by his cousin Leah. Can you imagine how Jacob felt; what about Rachel?

We’re about to see that Laban also had much more than Leah’s future in mind when he hatched this scheme.

Laban said, “It is not done so in our place, to give the younger before the firstborn. Fulfill the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you will serve with me yet seven other years.”

Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week. He gave him Rachel his daughter as wife. Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah, his servant, to be her servant. He went in also to Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years. Genesis 29:26-30

Laban was certainly bold! He had just forced Jacob to work for him for another seven whole years! True to his word, again, Jacob stayed with his Uncle Laban and work an additional seven years, fourteen in all, for Rachel.

Doesn’t this sound like a wonderful love story; total devotion by Jacob to win his love, Rachel. God didn’t see things that way. Have you noticed the problem?

Yahweh saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him Reuben. For she said, “Because Yahweh has looked at my affliction. For now my husband will love me.” She conceived again, and bore a son, and said, “Because Yahweh has heard that I am hated, he has therefore given me this son also.”

She named him Simeon. She conceived again, and bore a son. Said, “Now this time will my husband be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi. She conceived again, and bore a son. She said, “This time will I praise Yahweh.” Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing. Genesis 29:31-35

We are meeting the young sons that will one day form ten of the twelve tribes of Israel. We’ll learn another time that Moses’ two sons will lead the final two tribes. Jesus descended, through Mary from the tribe of Judah. Our last passage tells us a lot about why Judah was selected. This time will I praise Yahweh.” Therefore she named him Judah. Leah praised God for Judah’s birth.

Leah had these four sons with Jacob while he was still working his second seven year period to pay for Rachel. Leah tells us that Jacob has no affection for her yet he has these four children by her. This is one more example of a hero of the Bible showing us that he is human, like us.

When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I will die.” Jacob’s anger burned against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in God’s place, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”

She said, “Behold, my maid Bilhah. Go in to her, that she may bear on my knees, and I also may obtain children by her.” She gave him Bilhah her servant as wife, and Jacob went in to her. Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son. Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son.” Therefore called she his name Dan. Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, conceived again, and bore Jacob a second son. Rachel said, “I have wrestled with my sister with mighty wrestlings, and have prevailed.” She named him Naphtali. Genesis 30:1-8

Jacob has finally married Rachel, already has four sons with Leah and now has two more sons to Bilhah.

When Leah saw that she had finished bearing, she took Zilpah, her servant, and gave her to Jacob as a wife. Zilpah, Leah’s servant, bore Jacob a son. Leah said, “How fortunate!” She named him Gad. Zilpah, Leah’s servant, bore Jacob a second son. Leah said, “Happy am I, for the daughters will call me happy.” She named him Asher. Genesis 30:9-13

And here are two more sons to Jacob by the servant Zilpah.

Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother, Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” Genesis 30:14

Rueben was Jacob’s oldest son. His mother was Leah.

She said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes, also?” Rachel said, “Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes.” Genesis 30:15

Did you catch what Leah told Rachel? “Wasn’t it enough that you stole my husband?” Remember that it was Leah that slipped into Jacob’s wedding bed when he believed it was Rachel beside him.

From these past several readings we have seen that Leah and Rachel have been feuding over Jacob. We’ll see that Jacob must have been aware of this and doesn’t mind too much.

Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, “You must come in to me; for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” He lay with her that night. God listened to Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob a fifth son. Leah said, “God has given me my hire, because I gave my servant to my husband.” She named him Issachar. Leah conceived again, and bore a sixth son to Jacob. Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good dowry. Now my husband will live with me, because I have borne him six sons.” She named him Zebulun. Genesis 30:16-20

After several years and after giving Jacob six sons Leah is still not loved the way that she wants to be loved by Jacob. Now my husband will live with me, because I have borne him six sons.

Afterwards, she bore a daughter, and named her Dinah. God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb. She conceived, bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” She named him Joseph, saying, “May Yahweh add another son to me.” Genesis 30:21-24

It took us some time to get here in our reading. We now have the information that we need to answer our earlier question. How could Joseph’s brothers have been so cold as to conspire to kill him and then sell him to strangers as a slave?

Joseph had ten older brothers. It is more accurate to say that Joseph had ten half-brothers. His father Jacob had six sons with Leah; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. Jacob had four more sons to his wives’ servants. Bilhah gave him Dan and Naphtali. Leah’s servant Zilpah gave him Gad and Asher. To his mother Rachel Joseph was an only child.

Joseph’s ten half-brothers belonged to three different mothers. We also know that at least Leah and Rachel were each jealous of Jacob. We don’t know, but there was probably some resentment from at least one of these two servants to Joseph’s mother. It gets easier to see that there was probably little love between these half-brothers and Joseph.

In addition to learning why Joseph’s brothers could have sold him as a slave we learned a few more things.

- Isaac gave to Jacob the blessing that God so often repeated to Abraham. May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a company of peoples, and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you, and to your offspring with you, that you may inherit the land where you travel, which God gave to Abraham.

- Shortly after this God gives Jacob this same blessing. The land whereon you lie, to you will I give it, and to your offspring. Your offspring will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your offspring will all the families of the earth be blessed.

- These blessings came to him because Jacob, like Isaac and Abraham and Noah, made God central in his life.

- Jacob shows us that God was central by the ways he dealt with Laban’s deceit.

Next time we’ll follow Jacob to his next meeting with his brother Esau. First, we will watch Laban cheat Jacob once again. We will also see that for a really old guy Jacob was stronger than men a quarter his age. Most of our reading will be from Genesis chapters 30-33.

13) Esau and Jacob Reunited

- Last time we began to understand why Joseph’s brothers could sell Joseph into slavery. They were Joseph’s half-brothers. There was jealousy between the four mothers. We’ll learn about more reasons for this jealousy now.

- Isaac passed to Jacob the blessing that God gave to Jacob’s grandfather Abraham. May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a company of peoples, and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you, and to your offspring with you, that you may inherit the land where you travel, which God gave to Abraham.

- Shortly after this blessing from his father Isaac God confirms this same blessing to Jacob. The land whereon you lie, to you will I give it, and to your offspring. Your offspring will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your offspring will all the families of the earth be blessed.

- This blessing from God was because Jacob; like Isaac, Abraham, and Noah; made God central in his life.

This time we’ll follow Jacob’s return journey home. He will pack up his wives, many children, and possessions and leave Laban. He’ll also have to deal with meeting his brother Esau who twenty years earlier had vowed to kill Jacob.

Jacob Prepares to Leave

When Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place, and to my country. Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service with which I have served you.” Genesis 30:25-26

Jacob has now been away from his friends and family for fourteen years. He was also a lot older than you would have thought. With a little help from other verses we can come up with Jacob’s age when he asked permission to leave his uncle. We’ll begin by looking a few years in to the future. Joseph is about to be sold in to slavery by his brothers.

This is the history of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought an evil report of them to their father. Genesis 37:2

Next time we will learn that Joseph was eventually sold to a powerful Egyptian then finds himself in prison. He is eventually freed from prison by Pharaoh because Joseph would interpret Pharaoh’s dream.

Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt. There will arise after them seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land, Genesis 41:29-30

This next verse tells why we just read a little about Pharaoh’s dream.

Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh King of Egypt. Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. Genesis 41:46

Now we’ll move forward nine years. We’re still working on determining how old Jacob is in our story. The seven years of plenty had passed and Egypt is now in its second year of famine. Joseph says,

For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are yet five years, in which there will be no plowing and no harvest. Genesis 45:6

We also know that Jacob was 130 years old when he traveled to Egypt.

Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many are the days of the years of your life?” Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred thirty years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.” Genesis 47:8-9

It took us a minute to get here, but we now know that Jacob was 130 years minus 39 years of Joseph’s age, or 91 years old, when Joseph was born. We’ll read this next verse again in a few minutes. It tells us that after Joseph was born that Jacob stayed and worked another six years for Laban to gain a portion of the livestock.

These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. Genesis31:41

Jacob’s Wages

We’ll get back to Jacob’s conversation with Laban asking permission to leave. As we do, remember that Jacob was 97 years old before he finally asked Laban’s permission to return to his home.

Laban said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, stay here, for I have divined that Yahweh has blessed me for your sake.” He said, “Appoint me your wages, and I will give it.” Genesis 30:27-28

So far Laban’s reply sounds good. They have sounded good before. We know though that Laban has cheated Jacob in the past. Here is what Jacob asks for his wages.

He said to him, “You know how I have served you, and how your livestock have fared with me. For it was little which you had before I came, and it has increased to a multitude. Yahweh has blessed you wherever I turned. Now when will I provide for my own house also?”

He said, “What shall I give you?” Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed your flock and keep it. I will pass through all your flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted one, and every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats. This will be my hire. So my righteousness will answer for me hereafter, when you come concerning my hire that is before you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the sheep, that might be with me, will be considered stolen.” Laban said, “Behold, let it be according to your word.” Genesis 30:29-34

Think of Jacob’s request as having asked only for those animals that were of lower quality. He left the best for Laban.

That day, he [Laban] removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white in it, and all the black ones among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons. He set three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.

Jacob took to himself rods of fresh poplar, almond, plane tree, peeled white streaks in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods. He set the rods which he had peeled opposite the flocks in the gutters in the watering-troughs where the flocks came to drink. They conceived when they came to drink. The flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks produced streaked, speckled, and spotted.

Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the black in the flock of Laban: and he put his own droves apart, and didn’t put them into Laban’s flock. Whenever the stronger of the flock conceived, Jacob laid the rods in front of the eyes of the flock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods; but when the flock were feeble, he didn’t put them in. So the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s. The man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys. Genesis 30:35-43

Laban agreed to Jacob’s proposal but then he went right out and broke their agreement; that day, he removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white in it, and all the black ones among the sheep.

Jacob knew that he had been tricked once again. He made his own plan to gain the flock he had earned. As we saw in verse 41, this took Jacob six years. That is where our next reading takes us, six years into the future.

He heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s. From that which was our father’s, has he gotten all this wealth.” Jacob saw the expression on Laban’s face, and, behold, it was not toward him as before. Yahweh said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers, and to your relatives, and I will be with you.” Genesis 31:1-3

Jacob Leaves Laban

Everyone knew that it was time for Jacob to be leaving Laban. God told Jacob to return to the land of his family. He was reminded that God would stay with him. Remembering that earlier conversation about the flocks, Jacob decides not to ask Laban’s permission this time.

Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock, and said to them, “I see the expression on your father’s face, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me. You know that I have served your father with all of my strength. Your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but God didn’t allow him to hurt me. Genesis 31:4-7

Jacob’s wives were both okay with his suggestion to leave their father.

Rachel and Leah answered him, “Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? Aren’t we accounted by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and has also quite devoured our money. Genesis 31:14=15

With his wives approval, Jacob didn’t waste any time in leaving Laban. He didn’t even say good-bye to his uncle.

Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives on the camels, and he took away all his livestock, and all his possessions which he had gathered, including the livestock which he had gained in Paddan Aram, to go to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan. Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep: and Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father’s. Genesis 31:17-19

Let’s talk about that last line for a minute; Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father’s. Teraphim were household idols, or the family gods, of pagans. This is important but we have to do some thinking to understand why Rachel would take them.

Josephus, the Roman historian says it this way, “But the reason why Rachel took the images of the gods, although Jacob had taught her to despise such worship of those gods, was this, that in case they were pursued and taken by her father she might have recourse to these images in order to obtain his pardon.” In other words, if Jacob’s God did not protect them perhaps her father’s idols would.

We’ll soon read about the role these idols would play in the next meeting between Jacob and Laban. We talked about these same idols once before. You may remember learning about the Oak of Moreh.

They gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. Genesis 35:4

Laban’s idols, along with many others, were buried under the same Oak of Moreh where Abram had lived.

Laban Pursues Jacob

Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled. He took his relatives with him, and pursued him seven days’ journey. He overtook him in the mountain of Gilead. God came to Laban, the Syrian, in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Be careful that you don’t speak to Jacob either good or bad.” Genesis 31:22-24

It’s not hard to read a little something into these verses. Jacob had a full three days head start before Laban even knew that he was gone. Laban had to gather his relatives from the fields and arrange provisions. The New Living Translation says that Laban set out in hot pursuit. That’s probably an accurate description because he caught up with Jacob only four days later; after Jacob had traveled seven days!

Laban was mad. God knew it too. God and Laban both knew what Laban was planning for their meeting the next day. That was why God gave Laban that admonition; “I’m warning you—leave Jacob alone!” NLT It worked.

Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain, and Laban with his relatives encamped in the mountain of Gilead. Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have deceived me, and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword? Why did you flee secretly, and deceive me, and didn’t tell me, that I might have sent you away with mirth and with songs, with tambourine and with harp; and didn’t allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now have you done foolishly. Genesis 31:25-28

Laban twists history and blames Jacob for deceiving him! Yes, Jacob slipped away but he learned that lesson six years earlier when Laban again deceived Jacob by removing all of the lesser quality animals. By the way, Laban is still more than a little mad. These are his next words to Jacob.

It is in the power of my hand to hurt you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you don’t speak to Jacob either good or bad.’ Genesis 31:29

Having just said this, Laban knew that he was on dangerous ground. Look at how quickly he changes the subject.

Now, you want to be gone, because you greatly longed for your father’s house, but why have you stolen my gods?”

Jacob answered Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Lest you should take your daughters from me by force.’ Anyone you find your gods with shall not live. Before our relatives, discern what is yours with me, and take it.” For Jacob didn’t know that Rachel had stolen them. Genesis 31:30-32

It’s not looking good for Rachel.

Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two female servants; but he didn’t find them. He went out of Leah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent. Now Rachel had taken the teraphim, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. Genesis 31:33-34a

Did you notice that Laban went to search Jacob’s tent first? That’s just like saying, “I know that someone stole my idols and I’m betting that it was you!” That was more than enough for Jacob. It’s his turn to get mad.

Jacob was angry, and argued with Laban. Jacob answered Laban, “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me? Now that you have felt around in all my stuff, what have you found of all your household stuff? Set it here before my relatives and your relatives, that they may judge between us two.

“These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not cast their young, and I haven’t eaten the rams of your flocks. That which was torn of animals, I didn’t bring to you. I bore its loss. Of my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. This was my situation: in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from my eyes.

These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.” Genesis 31:36-42

Laban knew that he had lost. He tries to make the best of it, even while not conceding anything.

Laban answered Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine: and what can I do today to these my daughters, or to their children whom they have borne? Now come, let us make a covenant, you and I; and let it be for a witness between me and you.” Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. Genesis 31:43-44, 47

Jegar Sahadutha and Galeed mean ‘witness heap’ or ‘witness pile’ in Aramaic and Hebrew.

He doesn’t like to lose. Laban still has to get in the last word.

If you afflict my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, no man is with us; behold, God is witness between me and you.” Early in the morning, Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. Laban departed and returned to his place. Genesis 31:50, 55

Angels and Esau

These two men parted. Laban returned to his flocks. That same morning Jacob and his family traveled to Jacob’s homeland.

Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s camp.” He called the name of that place Mahanaim. Genesis 32:1-2 NLT

“This is God’s camp!” is a very significant statement that is not explained here. We’ll need to do some exploring in the Old Testament. Mahanaim means ‘two camps’ in Hebrew; a camp of man and a camp of angels. There is a lot of Biblical history in Mahanaim.

Moses gave to the tribe of Gad, to the children of Gad, according to their families. Their border was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the children of Ammon, to Aroer that is near Rabbah; and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpeh, and Betonim; and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir; Joshua 13:24-26

Moses gave an inheritance to the half-tribe of Manasseh. It was for the half-tribe of the children of Manasseh according to their families. Their border was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the villages of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities. Joshua 13:29-30

Notice here that Mahanaim was a border town separating the tribes of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. Because of this it became an important city; a capital.

Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s army, had taken Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim; and he made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel. 2 Samuel 2:8-9

It was then the site of a great battle.

Then David came to Mahanaim. Absalom passed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. 2 Samuel 17:24

The memory of that battle stayed with David all of his life.

Now the days of David came near that he should die; and he commanded Solomon his son, saying, “Behold, there is with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite, of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim; but he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by Yahweh, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ 1 Kings 2:1, 8

The Reunion

Now that we know more about ‘God’s camp’, Mahanaim, let’s get back to Jacob and his reunion with his brother Esau.

Jacob sent messengers in front of him to Esau, his brother, to the land of Seir, the field of Edom. He commanded them, saying, “This is what you shall tell my lord, Esau: ‘This is what your servant, Jacob, says. I have lived as a foreigner with Laban, and stayed until now. I have cattle, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight.’” Genesis 32:3-5

It’s been twenty years since Jacob was forced to flee because of his brother’s threats. He is still afraid of Esau. He is about to learn that he has reason to fear his brother.

The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau. Not only that, but he comes to meet you, and four hundred men with him.” Then Jacob was greatly afraid and was distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks, and the herds, and the camels, into two companies; and he said, “If Esau comes to the one company, and strikes it, then the company which is left will escape.” Genesis 32:6-8

Maybe he was right. In his fear Jacob again turns to God. Learn that lesson.

Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, Yahweh, who said to me, ‘Return to your country, and to your relatives, and I will do you good,’ I am not worthy of the least of all the loving kindnesses, and of all the truth, which you have shown to your servant; for with just my staff I crossed over this Jordan; and now I have become two companies. Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he come and strike me, and the mothers with the children. You said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which can’t be counted because there are so many.’” Genesis 32:9-12

Jacob trusted in the Lord. He did not flee from his brother. Instead, he made plans to welcome Esau.

He stayed there that night, and took from that which he had with him, a present for Esau, his brother: two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty milk camels and their colts, forty cows, ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten foals. He delivered them into the hands of his servants, every herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass over before me, and put a space between herd and herd.” Genesis 32:13-16

Jacob trusted God but he was still hedging his bets. (Jacob, like us, is human.) Jacob divided these hundreds of animals into several herds and assigned each herd to different servants. He then told each group to keep itself separated from the others. He likely did this to give the illusion of greater numbers. Esau would have seen sizeable herds and servants everywhere.

He rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of the Jabbok. He took them, and sent them over the stream, and sent over that which he had. Jacob was left alone, and wrestled with a man there until the breaking of the day. Genesis 32:22-24

The Jabbock River flows north and empties into the Jordan River. Remember, we just calculated that Jacob is 97 years old! Now he has just spent the night wrestling with some stranger; better yet, he wins!

When he saw that he didn’t prevail against him [Jacob], he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was strained, as he wrestled. The man said, “Let me go, for the day breaks.” Jacob said, “I won’t let you go, unless you bless me.” He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob”. He said, “Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Genesis 32:25-28

Israel means ‘God fights’ in Hebrew.

Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” He said, “Why is it that you ask what my name is?” He blessed him there. Jacob called the name of the place Peniel [which means “face of God”]: for, he said, “I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” Genesis 32:29-30

So now 97 year old Jacob has just spent the night wrestling across his tent with God. His hip has been pulled from the socket. He would not be able to stand, and by the way, the brother that wanted to kill him is fast approaching with 400 men. Can Jacob’s morning get any worse?

Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred men. He divided the children between Leah, Rachel, and the two servants. He put the servants and their children in front, Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear. He himself passed over in front of them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed him, and they wept. Genesis 33:1-4

Jacob didn’t know how this morning would end but he walked out to face the 400 with God at his side. With God, Jacob prevailed. Give God your fear and walk with Him.

Notice too, the order of march for his family. Jacob placed the two servants and their children first. Leah and her children were next. Rachel and Joseph were given the place of honor at the rear; saving the best for last.

He [Esau] lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, “Who are these with you?” He said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” Then the servants came near with their children, and they bowed themselves. Leah also and her children came near, and bowed themselves. After them, Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed themselves. Genesis 33:5-7

This simply emphasizes the relative order of importance these people had in Jacob’s life. Joseph and Rachel were presented last; the most important.

Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company which I met?” Jacob said, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; let that which you have be yours.” Genesis 33:8-9

You may have heard of the expression that ‘time heals all wounds.’ This is one good example of that adage. Esau was genuinely happy to again see his twin. This reunion was twenty years in the making. Esau didn’t want the gifts, only Jacob’s company.

Jacob said, “Please, no, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present at my hand, because I have seen your face, as one sees the face of God, and you were pleased with me. Please take the gift that I brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” He urged him, and he took it. Genesis 33:10-11

Jacob was happy to give Esau the gifts. He was relieved! Think about Jacob’s night; wrestling, the torn hip, watching 400 men advancing on him. Imagine the thoughts in his head as he told Esau, I have seen your face, as one sees the face of God, and you were pleased with me.

We covered many chapters this time.

- We began with Jacob again being cheated by Laban in a dispute over Jacob’s wages.

- We saw that each time he was cheated by Laban that Jacob responded with integrity.

- God Himself counseled Laban to not harm Jacob.

- We learned some more geography of the Bible when we discussed the importance of Mahanaim and we learned a little more about the Oak of Moreh.

- We found the first time that Israel is mentioned in the Bible when it was given as a new name to Jacob after successfully wrestling with God.

- Israel means ‘God fights’ in Hebrew.

- We ended this discussion by leading Joseph to the land where his brothers would sell his as a slave in just eleven more years.

Next time we will follow Joseph all the way to Egypt as he is betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, then falsely imprisoned. Most of our reading will be from Genesis Chapters 35 through Genesis 40.

14) Joseph, Slave of Egypt

We saw Jacob and Esau reunited in our last story. Their reunion was twenty years in the making. God was instrumental in making this a peaceful and joyous reunion.

- We also saw Jacob cheated once again by Laban, forcing him to work for his uncle another six years.

- Each time he was cheated Jacob responded with grace and integrity.

- God appeared to Laban in a dream, telling Laban not to harm Jacob.

- We learned that even seemingly minor details of the Bible hold a lot of meaning; Rachel and the idols, and the camp at Mahanaim are two examples.

- Israel is the name given to Jacob from God and means ‘God fights’ in Hebrew.

This time we will follow Joseph as he is sold into slavery by his brothers, taken to Egypt, thrown into prison, and left there for years before he speaks with Pharaoh, and becomes a ruler of all Egypt.

God speaks to Jacob

God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan Aram, and blessed him. God said to him, “Your name is Jacob. Your name shall not be Jacob any more, but your name will be Israel.” He named him Israel. God said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations will be from you, and kings will come out of your body. The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, and to your offspring after you will I give the land.” God went up from him in the place where he spoke with him. Genesis 35:9-13

There is a lot in this first paragraph. God reaffirms Jacob’s new name of Israel. God calls himself El-Shaddai — ‘God Almighty’. Just that one word, Almighty, speaks volumes; all seeing, all knowing, all powerful, El-Shaddai.

We also saw God pass on His same promise to another generation; Abraham, then Isaac, and now to Jacob. You will become a great nation, many nations, I give you this land. God begins this promise though with one addition, be fruitful and multiply. God spoke these same words to Adam and to Noah.

Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it, and poured oil on it. Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him “Bethel”. Genesis 35:14-15

And here is another reason why God continued to make these promises to Jacob and his family. Jacob, just like Abraham and Isaac before him, built an alter to worship and honor God. We also learned that Bethel means house of God.

They traveled from Bethel. There was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and Rachel travailed. She had hard labor. When she was in hard labor, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for now you will have another son.” As her soul was departing (for she died), she named him Benoni, but his father named him Benjamin. Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath (also called Bethlehem). Jacob set up a pillar on her grave. The same is the Pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day. Genesis 35:16-20

Mother and father each gave this new son a different name. Both were thinking of the same person, Rachel. Rachel was thinking of her pain and pending death when she called her son Benoni. Jacob was honoring the wife he loved and lost when he named his son Benjamin, “son of my right hand”.

Joseph Dreams

Jacob lived in the land of his father’s travels, in the land of Canaan. This is the history of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought an evil report of them to their father. Genesis 37:1-2

Bilhah was Rachel’s servant and gave Jacob two sons; Dan and Naphtali. Zilpah was Leah’s servant and also had two sons with Jacob; Gad and Asher. As to what Joseph reported to his father, Jacob will remember these bad things and will recall them when the time comes to bless all of his sons. We’ll learn that story another time.

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a coat of many colors. His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn’t speak peaceably to him. Genesis 37:3-4

This gift was the multi-colored robe that we often associate with Joseph. While it was a gift of love from his father, the robe became a constant sign of favoritism to Joseph’s brothers that increased their hatred of Joseph. That hatred for Joseph is about to grow.

Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more. Genesis 37:5

It’s beginning to sound like Joseph’s brothers were looking for reasons to hate him.

He said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came around, and bowed down to my sheaf.”

His brothers said to him, “Will you indeed reign over us? Or will you indeed have dominion over us?” They hated him all the more for his dreams and for his words. Genesis 37:6-8

This is the first prophetic dream of Joseph that we know about. God’s plan for his life was to use Joseph’s dreams and his interpreting these dreams for others to bring the Israelites to Egypt.

He dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, “Behold, I have dreamed yet another dream: and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me.” He told it to his father and to his brothers. His father rebuked him, and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves down to you to the earth?” His brothers envied him, but his father kept this saying in mind. Genesis 37:9-11

Jacob had good reason to wonder about Joseph’s dreams and what they would mean. He remembered Laban’s dream on the night God had appeared to Laban and told him, “I’m warning you—leave Jacob alone!” He also would have known of the many times that God had appeared to his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham.

His brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem. Genesis 37:12

Shechem was the landmark where The Oak of Moreh is located. This was the place where Jacob had earlier buried all of the idols after fleeing from Laban.

Israel said to Joseph, “Aren’t your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” He said to him, “Here I am.” He said to him, “Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers, and well with the flock; and bring me word again.” So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. Genesis 37:13-14

This was to be the last time that Israel would see his son Joseph for many years. Joseph’s brothers are about to act on their hate.

They saw him afar off, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him. They said to one another, “Behold, this dreamer comes. Come now therefore, and let’s kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, ‘An evil animal has devoured him.’ We will see what will become of his dreams.”

Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, “Let’s not take his life.” Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hand, to restore him to his father. Genesis 37:18-22

Reuben was Jacob’s first-born son. His mother was Leah. Right now it looks like Reuben might be the best of the rest. He was the only son that didn’t want to kill Joseph. We’ll learn another time that Reuben was the only son of the twelve that did not go on to lead one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his coat, the coat of many colors that was on him; and they took him, and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty. There was no water in it. They sat down to eat bread, and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. Genesis 37:23-25

You may remember that Ishmael was Abram’s son to Sarai’s servant Hagar. So these traders were actually distant cousins of the twelve brothers. God once told Ishmael’s mother,

As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. Genesis 17:20

Continuing…

Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not let our hand be on him; for he is our brother, our flesh.” His brothers listened to him. Midianites who were merchants passed by, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. They brought Joseph into Egypt.

Reuben returned to the pit; and saw that Joseph wasn’t in the pit; and he tore his clothes. He returned to his brothers, and said, “The child is no more; and I, where will I go?” They took Joseph’s coat, and killed a male goat, and dipped the coat in the blood. They took the coat of many colors, and they brought it to their father, and said, “We have found this. Examine it, now, whether it is your son’s coat or not.”

He recognized it, and said, “It is my son’s coat. An evil animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces.” Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He said, “For I will go down to Sheol to my son mourning.” His father wept for him. Genesis 37:26-35

Remember, we learned just a few minutes ago that Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age.

Joseph was brought down to Egypt. Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the hand of the Ishmaelites that had brought him down there. Genesis 39:1

We can look at Egyptian history to confirm that Potiphar actually lived at the time of Joseph. Potiphar’s official title was ‘Master of the Double Cabinet, Chief of the Treasury’. There is an inscription in an ancient cemetery that is named Sarbut el-Khademis. “728. The last dated inscription of Amenemhet III at the Sarbut el-Khademis of the year 45 and it reads as follows: ‘Year 45 under the majesty of the Good God, Lord of the Two Lands, Nematre (Amenemhet III), given life forever, beloved of Hathor. I was one sent to bring plentiful ... [turquois] from the land of ..., ready in his reports to his lord, delivering Asia to him who is in the palace, bringing Sinai at his heels, traversing inaccessible valleys, bringing unknown extremities (of the world), the master of the double cabinet, chief of the treasury, Potiphar, triumphant, born of Yata.’” Ancient Records of Egypt: Historical Documents From the Earliest Times to the Persian Conquest (V. 1 ) (1906-07) by James Henry Breasted

Yahweh was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man. He was in the house of his master the Egyptian. His master saw that Yahweh was with him, and that Yahweh made all that he did prosper in his hand. Joseph found favor in his sight. He ministered to him, and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. From the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, Yahweh blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake. Yahweh’s blessing was on all that he had, in the house and in the field. Genesis 39:2-5

There is a Bible passage in Ephesians that describes Joseph’s attitude toward his Egyptian master.

Servants, be obedient to those who according to the flesh are your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to Christ; not in the way of service only when eyes are on you, as men pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men; knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive the same again from the Lord, whether he is bound or free. Ephesians 6:5-8

Psalm 37 also says a word about trusting God and it describes Joseph’s attitude well.

Commit your way to Yahweh. Trust also in him, and he will do this: he will make your righteousness go out as the light, and your justice as the noon day sun. Psalms 37:5-6

Back to Genesis and Potiphar; the first half of verse 6 says,

He left all that he had in Joseph’s hand. He didn’t concern himself with anything, except for the food which he ate. Genesis 39:6a

All this tells us that long before Paul ever wrote his letter to the Ephesians Joseph knew to do all things in life as if he were doing them for God. Joseph didn’t fully understand this at the time but even the menial work of a slave was important to God and served His purpose.

Potiphar’s wife

Joseph was well-built and handsome. After these things, his master’s wife set her eyes on Joseph; and she said, “Lie with me.” But he refused, and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, my master doesn’t know what is with me in the house, and he has put all that he has into my hand. No one is greater in this house than I am, and he has not kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” Genesis 39:6b-9

And here is our next example of Joseph doing everything in his life to honor God.

As she spoke to Joseph day by day, he didn’t listen to her, to lie by her, or to be with her. About this time, he went into the house to do his work, and there were none of the men of the house inside. She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!”

He left his garment in her hand, and ran outside. When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and had run outside, she called to the men of her house, and spoke to them, saying, “Behold, he has brought in a Hebrew to us to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice. When he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment by me, and ran outside.” She laid up his garment by her, until his master came home. She spoke to him according to these words, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought to us, came in to me to mock me, and as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment by me, and ran outside.” Genesis 39:10-18

We may be thinking of that common question, why do bad things happen to good people? Each of us must answer that question in the same way that Joseph answered it; by trusting in God.

Joseph Goes to Prison

When his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, “This is what your servant did to me,” his wrath was kindled. Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were bound, and he was there in custody. But Yahweh was with Joseph, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. The keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever they did there, he was responsible for it. The keeper of the prison didn’t look after anything that was under his hand, because Yahweh was with him; and that which he did, Yahweh made it prosper. Genesis 39:19-23

Joseph is again ill-treated and this time sent to prison. Still trusting in God, Joseph once again works, lives, and acts like he is directly serving the Lord. He was, because his attitude put him in a position that would eventually bring him before Pharaoh.

Interpreting Prisoners Dreams

After these things, the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cup bearer and the chief baker. He put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.

The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he took care of them. They stayed in prison many days. They both dreamed a dream, each man his dream, in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the cup bearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were bound in the prison.

Joseph came in to them in the morning, and saw them, and saw that they were sad. He asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in custody in his master’s house, saying, “Why do you look so sad today?” They said to him, “We have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it.” Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Please tell it to me.” Genesis 40:1-8

These two officials, Pharaoh’s butler, or chief cup bearer, and Pharaoh’s baker, were put in the prison of the captain of the guard. This captain was Potiphar, Joseph’s owner.

The chief cup bearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “In my dream, behold, a vine was in front of me, and in the vine were three branches. It was as though it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters produced ripe grapes. Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.”

Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days. Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head, and restore you to your office. You will give Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, the way you did when you were his cup bearer. But remember me when it will be well with you, and please show kindness to me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house. For indeed, I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.” Genesis 40:9-15

Look at this dream a little closer and the words that the chief cup-bearer used to describe his dream. It budded, it blossomed, its clusters produced ripe grapes, and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup are all positive statements. Now compare those positive statements to the chief baker’s dream.

When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, “I also was in my dream, and behold, three baskets of white bread were on my head. In the uppermost basket there were all kinds of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.”

Joseph answered, “This is its interpretation. The three baskets are three days. Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head from off you, and will hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from off you.” Genesis 40:16-19

The birds ate them out of the basket on my head is a negative statement. The chief cup-bearer’s dream was positive and produced the wine. The chief baker’s dream was negative and the pastries were lost.

On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants, and he lifted up the head of the chief cup bearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. He restored the chief cup bearer to his position again, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand; but he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet the chief cup bearer didn’t remember Joseph, but forgot him. Genesis 40: 20-23

So, unfortunately for the chief baker, Joseph’s interpretation of the two dreams was very accurate. You have to wonder about the chief cup-bearer though. Doesn’t he seem to be very ungrateful? He saw everything unfold just as Joseph had foreseen yet he never thought to say one word about Joseph to Pharaoh. We can’t know for sure, but it may be that God just wasn’t ready at that time for Joseph to meet Pharaoh.

This time we watched Joseph’s life seemingly continue to worsen. He left his father on an errand of a few weeks. He was betrayed by all of his brothers, sold as a slave, and carried far away to the center of Egypt. As Joseph was making himself relatively comfortable in this new life he is betrayed once again and thrown into prison. He has now been forgotten in this prison.

- We saw Joseph continually trusting God, no matter his difficulties. Not once did Joseph say, ‘This isn’t fair!’

- Joseph understood at all times that serving men was also serving God.

- We may wonder at times why God would let us suffer, or why He would allow us to suffer for months or years. Like Joseph, God is preparing us for His purpose and simply may not be ready to use us today.

Next time we will be with Joseph as he is taken from prison to meet Pharaoh. We’ll see that Joseph will hold to his work ethic and give his best to Pharaoh. This will place him in authority over all of Egypt. Joseph will then have the opportunity to test his brothers with his new authority. His brothers will not be pleased. Most of our reading will be from Genesis Chapters 41 and 42.

15) Joseph Leads Egypt

Last time we saw Joseph attacked by his brothers, sold to the Ishmaelites, taken to Egypt as a slave, and then thrown into an Egyptian prison. Joseph has now been in prison two more years.

- We know that God was preparing Joseph for something special at an early age. As a teenager God showed Joseph prophetic dreams of his family bowing before him.

- Joseph’s brothers grew to hate him and sold Joseph into slavery to distant cousins; the Ishmaelites.

- Joseph was then sold to Potiphar, captain of the guard for Pharaoh.

- Though a slave, Joseph understood to serve his master as well as he served God. Always working as if he were serving God (he was) allowed Joseph to participate in God’s plan.

- Through no fault of his own, Joseph was thrown into an Egyptian prison. While there he served the jailer as well as he had served Potiphar and God.

- In our own suffering we may turn to God and ask ‘why’. Like Joseph, God may simply be preparing us today for a future calling.

This time we will see Joseph taken from prison to advise Pharaoh. By offering Pharaoh his very best, just as he serves God, Joseph will find himself ruler of all Egypt. He will lead the land through great feasting and through great famine. We will also watch Joseph’s brothers bow before him, as God foretold.

Pharaoh Dreams

At the end of two full years, Pharaoh dreamed: and behold, he stood by the river. Behold, there came up out of the river seven cattle, sleek and fat, and they fed in the marsh grass. Behold, seven other cattle came up after them out of the river, ugly and thin, and stood by the other cattle on the brink of the river. The ugly and thin cattle ate up the seven sleek and fat cattle. So Pharaoh awoke.

He slept and dreamed a second time: and behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, healthy and good. Behold, seven heads of grain, thin and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them. The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy and full ears. Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.

In the morning, his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all of Egypt’s magicians and wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh. Then the chief cup bearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I remember my faults today. Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, with the chief baker. Genesis 41:1-10

Remember, the Captain of the Guard was Potiphar, Joseph’s Egyptian owner. As we mentioned earlier, it was now that God wanted Joseph to meet Pharaoh. So now the chief cup-bearer remembered Joseph. He’ll go on to tell his own story to Pharaoh.

We dreamed a dream in one night, he and I. We dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. There was with us there a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard, and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams. To each man according to his dream he interpreted. As he interpreted to us, so it was. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him.”

Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. He shaved himself, changed his clothing, and came in to Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It isn’t in me. God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” Genesis 41:11-16

This is our latest example of why Joseph is one of God’s biblical heroes. After two long years, possibly many more, Joseph is given a chance to advise Pharaoh. Joseph may earn his freedom if Pharaoh is pleased. Instead of taking credit for God’s gift of prophecy, Joseph gives God the honor. It isn’t in me. God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I stood on the brink of the river: and behold, there came up out of the river seven cattle, fat and sleek. They fed in the marsh grass, and behold, seven other cattle came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for ugliness. The thin and ugly cattle ate up the first seven fat cattle, and when they had eaten them up, it couldn’t be known that they had eaten them, but they were still ugly, as at the beginning. So I awoke. I saw in my dream, and behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, full and good: and behold, seven heads of grain, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them. The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”

Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dream of Pharaoh is one. What God is about to do he has declared to Pharaoh. The seven good cattle are seven years; and the seven good heads of grain are seven years. The dream is one. The seven thin and ugly cattle that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty heads of grain blasted with the east wind; they will be seven years of famine. Genesis 41:17-27

Joseph’s Prophecy

Joseph is again quick to credit God. Joseph said, [God] has declared to Pharaoh. Joseph then describes the seven years of plenty that will lead into seven years of a great famine. The next few verses describe how good the good years will be as well as warn of the severity of the seven years of famine.

That is the thing which I spoke to Pharaoh. What God is about to do he has shown to Pharaoh. Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt. There will arise after them seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land, and the plenty will not be known in the land by reason of that famine which follows; for it will be very grievous. The dream was doubled to Pharaoh, because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. Genesis 41:28-32

Science has confirmed that this great famine actually occurred. Researcher Michael Krom of Leeds University analyzed core samples of mud. He determined that isotopes in these samples corroborated the biblical account of Genesis.

Mr. Krom says, “Even ancient Egypt's mighty pyramid builders were powerless in the face of the famine that helped bring down their civilization around 2180 BC. Now evidence gleaned from mud deposited by the River Nile suggests that a shift in climate thousands of kilometers to the south was ultimately to blame.” http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg17323271.800-how-egypt-was-felled-by-famine--in-2180-bc.html

Joseph continues speaking to Pharaoh. This will be the speech God wanted delivered; when the time was right.

“Now therefore let Pharaoh look for a discreet and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint overseers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt’s produce in the seven plenteous years. Let them gather all the food of these good years that come, and lay up grain under the hand of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. The food will be for a store to the land against the seven years of famine, which will be in the land of Egypt; that the land not perish through the famine.” Genesis 41:33-36

Do you agree that Joseph’s last speech was inspired by God? Now we are beginning to understand why God let Joseph wait in prison those extra two years. God had been saving him and preparing him for this moment. Or was Joseph suddenly becoming arrogant? Think of his first sentence, Now therefore let Pharaoh look for a discreet and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. That’s the kind of thing many of us would say today if we were hinting for that same job with Pharaoh.

That is not what Joseph was doing. Let’s look at three verses from the New Testament. All three of these are quotes from Jesus to His disciples.

But when they deliver you up, don’t be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what you will say. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. Matthew 10:19-20

When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, don’t be anxious how or what you will answer, or what you will say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you must say.” Luke 12:11-12

For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. John 12:49

Joseph was not arrogant. He was speaking the words that God had given him for this special place and time. We’ll see confirmation of this from Pharaoh with these next verses.

Joseph, Ruler of Egypt

The thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has shown you all of this, there is no one so discreet and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and according to your word will all my people be ruled. Only in the throne I will be greater than you.” Genesis 41:37-40

Even Pharaoh admitted that Joseph’s words were from God. He said, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” And we also now know why Joseph had to wait on God’s timing. Joseph would be used to fill this special role, created by God, Ruler of all Egypt.

Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-Paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On as a wife. Joseph went out over the land of Egypt. Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. Genesis 41:45-46

We can see again how impressed Pharaoh was with Joseph. The name that Pharaoh gave to Joseph, Zaphenath-Paneah means ‘God speaks and lives’.

The wife that Pharaoh selected for Joseph also acknowledged Joseph’s new standing in Egyptian society. Asenath was the daughter of the priest of the city of On. On was a very large city. You may know it better by its Greek name. The Greeks knew this city of On as Heliopolis. Helios was the Greek god of the sun and this was a regional Egyptian capital. http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Heliopolis_%28ancient%29.html

We also know that Joseph was sold into slavery when he was 17. This passage says that Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. So between his time managing Potiphar’s affairs and his time in prison, 13 years had passed. More than two of those years, we don’t know how long, Joseph spent in an Egyptian prison.

In the seven plenteous years the earth produced abundantly. He gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was around every city, he laid up in the same. Joseph laid up grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he stopped counting, for it was without number.

To Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him. Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, “For”, he said, “God has made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.” The name of the second, he called Ephraim: “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” Genesis 41:47-52

Here we learn again that Joseph, like so many others we have studied, did not forget God. The names that Joseph chooses for his two sons clearly show his continued devotion to God; God has made me forget all my toil and God has made me fruitful.

The seven years of plenty, that were in the land of Egypt, came to an end. The seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.” Genesis 41:53-55

Joseph has now been a ruler in Egypt for seven years. We can see by Pharaoh’s statement to go to Joseph, that Pharaoh trusted Joseph completely. Joseph was as faithful in his work for Pharaoh as he had been to Potiphar and to his jailer; and always for God.

The famine was over all the surface of the earth. Joseph opened all the store houses, and sold to the Egyptians. The famine was severe in the land of Egypt. All countries came into Egypt, to Joseph, to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all the earth. Genesis 41:56-57

To Egypt for Grain

It’s time now to catch up with Joseph’s father Jacob and with Joseph’s brothers. This great famine has affected them even far away in Canaan.

Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” He said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy for us from there, so that we may live, and not die.” Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. But Jacob didn’t send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers; for he said, “Lest perhaps harm happen to him.” The sons of Israel came to buy among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. Genesis 42:1-5

We are told now that the famine was beyond the borders of Egypt. The famine had spread at least to Canaan as well; the land that God had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. As we continue we will see that it was God’s intent to relocate his people to Egypt. Joseph and all of the events of his life were designed to accomplish this move.

Joseph was the governor over the land. It was he who sold to all the people of the land. Joseph’s brothers came, and bowed themselves down to him with their faces to the earth. Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognized them, but acted like a stranger to them, and spoke roughly with them. He said to them, “Where did you come from?” They said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.” Joseph recognized his brothers, but they didn’t recognize him. Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed about them… Genesis 42:6-9a

These dreams that Joseph remembered were from his days as a teenager. His first dream was about a field of grain.

He said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came around, and bowed down to my sheaf.” Genesis 37:6-7.

Joseph also shared his second dream with his father, as well as his brothers.

He dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, “Behold, I have dreamed yet another dream: and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me.” He told it to his father and to his brothers. His father rebuked him, and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves down to you to the earth?” Genesis 37:9-10

The Tests Begin

We’ll also see that Joseph has not forgotten what his brothers had done to him more than twenty years earlier. As we read, decide if Joseph was now having his revenge.

“You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land.” They said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. We are all one man’s sons; we are honest men. Your servants are not spies.” He said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land!” They said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is today with our father, and one is no more.”

Joseph said to them, “It is like I told you, saying, ‘You are spies!’ By this you shall be tested. By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go out from here, unless your youngest brother comes here. Send one of you, and let him get your brother, and you shall be bound, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you, or else by the life of Pharaoh surely you are spies.” Genesis 42:9b-16

Was this revenge? Joseph has now arranged affairs that would cause his youngest brother, Benjamin, to be brought before him. If this was not revenge, then why would Joseph act this way?

As a boy, Joseph painfully learned that his brothers were liars, deceitful, and unrepentant. Joseph could not simply reveal himself and ask them of Benjamin and his father Jacob. Joseph would be unable to believe anything that they told him. We’ll see Joseph put his brothers through a series of these tests.

He put them all together into custody for three days. Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this, and live, for I fear God. If you are honest men, then let one of your brothers be bound in your prison; but you go, carry grain for the famine of your houses. Bring your youngest brother to me; so will your words be verified, and you won’t die.” They did so. Genesis 42:17-20

Joseph’s older brothers had just spent the last three days in an Egyptian prison. We can guess that they were scared and confused. They were now willing to grasp at any chance of freedom.

They said to one another, “We are certainly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us, and we wouldn’t listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us.” Reuben answered them, saying, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘Don’t sin against the child,’ and you wouldn’t listen? Therefore also, behold, his blood is required.”

They didn’t know that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them. He turned himself away from them, and wept. Then he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes. Genesis 42:21-24

Why did Joseph select Simeon to remain in prison? You may remember that when Joseph’s brothers plotted to kill him and then decided to sell him into slavery that it was the oldest brother, Reuben that tried to save him.

Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hand, to restore him to his father. Genesis 37:22

Simeon was the second oldest of Jacob’s sons. Simeon then was the oldest brother while Reuben was away. He was therefore the leader, or acting patriarch, in the plot to destroy Joseph.

Return to Jacob

Now Joseph is about to show an act of kindness that his brothers will misinterpret.

Then Joseph gave a command to fill their bags with grain, and to restore each man’s money into his sack, and to give them food for the way. So it was done to them. They loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed from there. As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey food in the lodging place, he saw his money. Behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. He said to his brothers, “My money is restored! Behold, it is in my sack!” Their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?” Genesis 42:25-28

Instead of celebrating their good fortune, these nine brothers let their guilty consciences lead them into a deep fear. They were trembling in that fear.

They came to Jacob their father, to the land of Canaan, and told him all that had happened to them, saying, “The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country. We said to him, ‘We are honest men. We are no spies. We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is today with our father in the land of Canaan.’ Genesis 42:29-32

Even after 22 years Joseph’s brothers were still deceiving their father. When speaking of Joseph, they only said, one is no more. It may not have been what we consider a pure lie, the sentence was all true, but it was said in a way meant to deceive. Not knowing, of course, continued to torture their father.

The man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your houses, and go your way. Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. So I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.’”

As they emptied their sacks, behold, each man’s bundle of money was in his sack. When they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid. Jacob, their father, said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children! Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.” Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons, if I don’t bring him to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him to you again.” Genesis 42:33-37

Once again it is the oldest brother Reuben that speaks up and tries to save others. Think of what he proposes though, the lives of his two sons if he does not return from Egypt with his youngest brother Benjamin. Why? Do you remember our discussion of Lot and his protection of the two guests in his home? Lot offered his two daughters to the lustful crowd in return for not harming his guests. For Rueben, as for Lot, his word and his honor were most important to him before men.

He said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm happens to him along the way in which you go, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.” Genesis 42:38

As we mentioned earlier, after about 22 years Jacob was still grieving for his lost son. Think about how Joseph’s brothers treated Joseph and Jacob. Then compare that to how Joseph treated his father and his many masters over these years. The difference was that Joseph served God while his brothers served themselves.

We’ll end here. We’ll be spending three more stories with Joseph. This time Joseph was freed from prison. He became a ruler of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. And as foretold in his dreams, Joseph’s brothers bowed before him, more than once.

- Even before Pharaoh, as he has always done, Joseph was quick to credit God for his words of prophecy.

- Science has confirmed that this great famine actually occurred in Egypt.

- God did not forget or forsake Joseph. God let Joseph wait in prison those extra two years because God was preparing Joseph for his interview with Pharaoh.

- Joseph was not acting in revenge when he treated his brothers so badly. Joseph could not trust his brothers and this was his method of learning the truth about his father and brother Benjamin.

- Even after twenty years Joseph’s brothers were still letting their guilty consciences control their fears and emotions. Acts of evil do not leave us.

Next time we’ll see further testing of his brothers by Joseph. This harsh testing will then lead to reconciliation and forgiveness with his brothers. Most of our reading next time will be from Genesis chapters 43 through 45.

16) Family Reunited

Last time we were with Joseph as he left an Egyptian prison to become Egypt’s ruler, second only to Pharaoh. The seven years of plenty had passed. Egypt is now in its second year of severe famine but is doing well because of Joseph’s God-inspired leadership.

·         We learned that even with his new position, power and influence that Joseph never forgot God.

·         Scientists have proven that this great famine of Egypt actually occurred.

·         God did not forget about Joseph while he languished in prison. God saved Joseph for His use until the time was right.

·         Joseph did not treat his brothers badly out of revenge. Joseph used a series of tests to learn the truth about Benjamin and his father Jacob.

·         Even after twenty years Joseph’s brothers let their guilt control their lives and happiness.

This time we will begin two years into the famine of Egypt. Jacob is about to make the fateful decision to send his remaining sons, including Benjamin, back to Egypt for more grain. They will again meet Joseph and begin their final testing from him.

Second Journey to Egypt

The famine was severe in the land. When they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little more food.” Genesis 43:1-2

Two years have passed. Simeon is still in prison. Until the new grain from Egypt was almost gone Simeon had been ignored by his family.

Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’ If you’ll send our brother with us, we’ll go down and buy you food, but if you’ll not send him, we’ll not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’”

Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly, telling the man that you had another brother?” They said, “The man asked directly concerning ourselves, and concerning our relatives, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ We just answered his questions. Is there any way we could know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down?’”

Judah said to Israel, his father, “Send the boy with me, and we’ll get up and go, so that we may live, and not die, both we, and you, and also our little ones. I’ll be collateral for him. From my hand will you require him. If I don’t bring him to you, and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever, for if we hadn’t delayed, surely we would have returned a second time by now.” Genesis 43:3-10

With this admission, the brothers are acknowledging that they and their father intentionally left Simeon in prison for these past two years.

It was also Judah that now guarantees Benjamin’s safety. His promise is not as strong as Reuben’s earlier promise; offering his own sons as collateral for Benjamin.

Their father, Israel, said to them, “If it must be so, then do this. Take from the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry down a present for the man, a little balm, a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts, and almonds; and take double money in your hand, and take back the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight. Take your brother also, get up, and return to the man. May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”

The men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and got up, went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and butcher an animal, and prepare; for the men will dine with me at noon.” The man did as Joseph commanded, and the man brought the men to Joseph’s house. Genesis 43:11-17

We can tell that Jacob had no choice but to send all of his remaining sons to Egypt for food, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved. Even making such a hard decision Jacob remembered God. He asked for God’s mercy. Jacob then did what he could to prepare. His sons were given double the money that they would need. Plus their earlier payment. This was to account for any increase in cost and compensation for the accident that allowed them to have the earlier grain for free. He also prepared gifts for the unknown governor, Joseph.

The men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, “Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time, we’re brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, attack us, and seize us as slaves, along with our donkeys.” Genesis 43:18

Doesn’t this sound like a guilty conscience? Let’s look at a verse in Proverbs that talks about exactly this kind of guilt.

The wicked flee when no one pursues; but the righteous are as bold as a lion. Proverbs 28:1

Like Solomon told us with this proverb, Joseph’s brothers have carried their guilt with them all these years.

Joseph Meets Benjamin

They came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house, and said, “Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food. When we came to the lodging place, we opened our sacks, and behold, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. We have brought it back in our hand. We have brought down other money in our hand to buy food. We don’t know who put our money in our sacks.”

He said, “Peace be to you. Don’t be afraid. Your God, and the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks. I received your money.” He brought Simeon out to them. The man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet. He gave their donkeys fodder. They prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there. When Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves down to him to the earth Genesis 43:19-26

Again, Joseph’s brothers bowed to him.

Joseph has now seen his brother Benjamin. Even at the sight of his youngest brother, Joseph still isn’t ready to reveal himself to his brothers. He must learn two things, the well-being of his father and if he can ever trust his brothers. Joseph will be preparing one more test for them.

Final Test

He asked them of their welfare, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he yet alive?” They said, “Your servant, our father, is well. He is still alive.” They bowed down humbly. He lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin, his brother, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” He said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” Genesis 43:27-29

This is the first time that Joseph has spoken directly to his youngest brother. It overwhelms his emotions.

Joseph hurried, for his heart yearned over his brother; and he sought a place to weep. He entered into his room, and wept there. He washed his face, and came out. He controlled himself, and said, “Serve the meal.” They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians, that ate with him, by themselves, because the Egyptians don’t eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. Genesis 43:30-32

Notice here that Joseph also did not eat at the table of the Hebrews, his brothers. Joseph was not ready to concede anything to his brothers until he was absolutely sure that he could believe his brothers. As ruler of Egypt, Joseph was also careful to maintain the decorum of his office.

They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men marveled one with another. He sent portions to them from before him, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. They drank, and were merry with him. Genesis 43:33-34

In this one act of serving his brothers Joseph is actually doing several things at once. He is showing kindness to his brothers by serving them himself. This very act leaves the brothers amazed and in wonder. How could he possibly know their ages, they wondered. Joseph’s actions probably also reinforced his authority to them because of his knowledge. He also could not help but treat his brother Benjamin much better than the other brothers.

He commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in his sack’s mouth. Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, with his grain money.” He did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. Genesis 44:1-2

This begins Joseph’s last test for his older brothers. He needs to learn if his brothers are scoundrels or if they are ready to atone for their misdeeds.

As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, ask them, ‘Why have you rewarded evil for good? Isn’t this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.’” Genesis 44:3-5

Remember, these brothers had just let Simeon waste in prison for more than two years. Joseph saw their lack of concern. Joseph needed to learn how these ten would now treat his youngest brother, Benjamin.

He overtook them, and he spoke these words to them. They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing! Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then should we steal silver or gold out of your lord’s house? With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.” He said, “Now also let it be according to your words: he with whom it is found will be my slave; and you will be blameless.” Genesis 44:6-10

As Joseph had directed, the palace manager only intended to hold Benjamin, beginning the testing of these remaining brothers.

Then they hurried, and each man took his sack down to the ground, and each man opened his sack. He searched, beginning with the oldest, and ending at the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey, and returned to the city. Genesis 44:11-13

This is improvement! The remaining brothers tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey, and returned to the city. In the time of Joseph, tearing your clothes was a sign of extreme grief. Finally these brothers were thinking beyond themselves. We first saw an indication of this improvement, if you recall, when Judah promised Jacob several times that he would personally see to Benjamin’s safety.

Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him. Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Don’t you know that such a man as I can indeed divine?” Judah said, “What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? Or how will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found.” Genesis 44:14-16

Listen again to Judah. God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Have you noticed that Judah is becoming the actual leader among his brothers? We’ll revisit this when Jacob blesses his sons in a future story.

Judah and his brothers live with their sin constantly. Just think about how that guilt must have aged them. Think of the years of happiness they had lost.

Now, finally, Joseph hears something that returns hope in his brothers. Behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found. As we recently discussed, Joseph’s brothers are finally thinking of someone beside themselves.

He said, “Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he will be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.” Genesis 44:17

Was Judah’s speech from his fear or from his heart? Joseph continues his test. The pressure on his brothers is building. They can leave Benjamin and return home as free men, and with the grain, should they choose. Judah continues to speak for the others.

Then Judah came near to him, and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and don’t let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even as Pharaoh. My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’ We said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loves him.’ Genesis 44:18-20

We’re talking about Benjamin here. His brother is dead, refers to Joseph. Judah continues his pleading.

You said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ We said to my lord, ‘The boy can’t leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ You said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will see my face no more.’ When we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

Our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food.’ We said, ‘We can’t go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down: for we may not see the man’s face, unless our youngest brother is with us.’ Your servant, my father, said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons: and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces”; and I haven’t seen him since. If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.’ Genesis 44:21-29

They may have been repeating exactly what Jacob had told them, but the brothers still continued the deception of their treatment of Joseph. Deceit is just one more way to lie; anything less than the full truth is no truth.

Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us; since his life is bound up in the boy’s life; it will happen, when he sees that the boy is no more, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow to Sheol. For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I don’t bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.’ Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, my lord’s slave; and let the boy go up with his brothers. For how will I go up to my father, if the boy isn’t with me?—lest I see the evil that will come on my father.” Genesis 44:30-34

The last bit of this speech overwhelms Joseph. No doubt he was also watching the others and saw confirmation in their eyes as well.

Then Joseph couldn’t control himself before all those who stood before him, and he cried, “Cause everyone to go out from me!” No one else stood with him, while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. He wept aloud. The Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard.

Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Does my father still live?” His brothers couldn’t answer him; for they were terrified at his presence. Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” They came near. “He said, I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Now don’t be grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. Genesis 45:1-5

God’s Purpose Revealed

Earlier we said that Joseph would have to wait for quite some time before God’s plan for his life would be revealed. It is here, more than 22 years after Joseph’s peaceful shepherd’s life was changed by his brothers that Joseph began to fully understand God’s purpose. Listen to him now.

For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are yet five years, in which there will be no plowing and no harvest. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance. So now it wasn’t you who sent me here, but God, and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Genesis 45:6-8

Joseph understands, and with this understanding he is quick to thank God, just like his fathers before him. Listen now to Joseph’s next words. The past is gone and he welcomes his brothers. Just like Joseph, be quick to forgive – and to forget.

Hurry, and go up to my father, and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says, “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me. Don’t wait. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you will be near to me, you, your children, your children’s children, your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. There I will nourish you; for there are yet five years of famine; lest you come to poverty, you, and your household, and all that you have.”’

Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. You shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. You shall hurry and bring my father down here.” He fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. He kissed all his brothers, and wept on them. After that his brothers talked with him. Genesis 45:9-15

His brothers began talking freely with Joseph. By this we know that the brothers accepted Joseph’s forgiveness and welcomed him again as a brother. This long coming family reunion will lead Jacob to move all of his family to Egypt. This move will both bless his family and lead to the 400 years enslavement still to come. Both of these events were a part of God’s plan. We’ll discuss these blessings next time.

This time we began two years into the great famine. Simeon had been waiting in prison these past two years for his brothers to return for him. It was only after the original grain was largely gone that Jacob and his sons thought seriously about that return trip to Egypt.

- Even knowing that he may lose his remaining sons on this trip Jacob praised God and once again asked for His blessing.

- More than twenty years after their act against Joseph, his brothers still let their guilt control their thoughts and actions. They were terrified to enter Joseph’s home.

- Including Benjamin this time, all of Joseph’s brothers bowed before him and fulfilling part of the prophecies of Joseph’s youth.

- During his final test, Joseph’s brothers finally showed him, and themselves, that they could think of others before themselves.

- It took Joseph 22 full years to finally understand God’s purpose for his life. For all these years Joseph was content to serve God to the best of his ability. Always serve God and His purpose, even when you cannot see the fruits of your labor.

- It was Joseph’s complete faith in God that allowed God to use Joseph.

Next time Israel will finally be reunited with his son Joseph. Israel will gather all of his family and move to Egypt. We’ll see Israel give blessings to Joseph’s two sons. Our reading will be primarily from Genesis chapters 45 through 48, plus several passages throughout Numbers.

17) Israel Moves to Egypt

Last time we were two years into the seven years of famine. Joseph was leading Egypt through this difficult time. Simeon was still in prison, and Jacob’s family was rapidly running out of grain. It was time to travel to Egypt again for the food that his family and animals desperately needed.

- Knowing that he may lose his remaining sons, Jacob is still quick to praise God and ask for His blessings.

- His brothers great fear at entering Joseph’s home demonstrates the hold that their guilt from 22 years earlier had on each brother.

- Fulfilling one prophecy from his youth, all of Joseph’s brothers bowed before him.

- Joseph continued to test his older brothers until they finally demonstrated that they could think of others before themselves.

- Joseph was 22 years learning God’s purpose for his life. All that time, Joseph did not question, but was content serving God as well as he could.

- It was Joseph’s complete faith in God that allowed God to shape and use the events in Joseph’s life.

This time Jacob, whom an angel renamed Israel, will leave the land of God’s promises and move his family to Egypt. He will be reunited with his son, Joseph. Knowing his own death is nearing, we will also be with Jacob as he blesses Joseph’s two sons.

Jacob Travels to Egypt

The report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” It pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this. Load your animals, and go, travel to the land of Canaan. Take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.’ Genesis 45:16-18

His command to Joseph was actually a gauge of the esteem Pharaoh had for Joseph. Pharaoh offers Joseph’s family the very best land and food in all of Egypt. By this we know that Joseph continued to serve Pharaoh as well as God. Joseph did not use his position for personal gain. Pharaoh is now about to offer even more to Joseph.

Now you are commanded: do this. Take wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. Also, don’t concern yourselves about your belongings, for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.”

The sons of Israel did so. Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way. He gave each one of them changes of clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothing. He sent the following to his father: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and provision for his father by the way. Genesis 45:19-23

Joseph accepts Pharaoh’s gifts and sends his brothers off now with some necessary advice.

So he sent his brothers away, and they departed. He said to them, “See that you don’t quarrel on the way.” They went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father. They told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” His heart fainted, for he didn’t believe them. They told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them. When he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob, their father, revived. Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.” Genesis 45:24-28

Imagine how Jacob must have felt when he received this news; Joseph was alive! Jacob and his family made ready for their trip to Egypt.

Israel traveled with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father, Isaac. Genesis 46:1

Why does this verse tell us that Jacob first traveled to Beersheba? God made him a promise in Beersheba many years earlier. This was the night that his own father sent him away from Esau and to Laban in search of a wife.

Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place, and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep. He dreamed.

Behold, a stairway set upon the earth, and its top reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it. Behold, Yahweh stood above it, and said, “I am Yahweh, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land whereon you lie, to you will I give it, and to your offspring. Your offspring will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south.

In you and in your offspring will all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you, until I have done that which I have spoken of to you.” Genesis 28:10-15

I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. Jacob surely remembered God’s promise to guide him back to this land. Offering these sacrifices was Jacob’s way of confirming with God that one day he or his family would return and lay claim to this land. Here at Beersheba God will again speak to Israel.

God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” He said, “Here I am.” He said, “I am God, the God of your father. Don’t be afraid to go down into Egypt, for there I will make of you a great nation. I will go down with you into Egypt. I will also surely bring you up again. Joseph will close your eyes.” Genesis 46:2-4

As before, God visits Jacob in Beersheba as he dreams. God reaffirms his promise of making him a great nation. This was more than good enough for Jacob. He now leaves his homeland behind and looks forward to the journey to Egypt.

Jacob rose up from Beersheba, and the sons of Israel carried Jacob, their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. They took their livestock, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt—Jacob, and all his offspring with him, his sons, and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters, and he brought all his offspring with him into Egypt.

He sent Judah before him to Joseph, to show the way before him to Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen. Joseph prepared his chariot, and went up to meet Israel, his father, in Goshen. He presented himself to him, and fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive.” Genesis 46: 5-7, 28-30

This reunion was most of 23 years in the making. We know that Joseph missed his father just as much as he had been missed; Joseph fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.

Joseph said to his brothers, and to his father’s house, “I will go up, and speak with Pharaoh, and will tell him, ‘My brothers, and my father’s house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. These men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.’

It will happen, when Pharaoh summons you, and will say, ‘What is your occupation?’ that you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we, and our fathers:’ that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.” Genesis 46:31-34

Two important things will actually happen with this plan to move everyone to Goshen. Jacob’s family will possess some of the most fertile land in all of Egypt. These Hebrews will also remain separated from the Egyptians and not inter-mingle. This will become important when we meet Moses in a later story.

Jacob Meets Pharaoh

Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks, their herds, and all that they own, have come out of the land of Canaan; and behold, they are in the land of Goshen.” From among his brothers he took five men, and presented them to Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?”

They said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.” They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live as foreigners in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks. For the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.” Genesis 47:1-4

This short speech is significant for two reasons. It was God’s will that the Israelites settle in the land of Goshen to keep them separate from the Egyptians. This also shows us how far these brothers that once thought of killing him had come in trusting Joseph. They followed Joseph’s advice completely.

Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you. Make your father and your brothers dwell in the best of the land. Let them dwell in the land of Goshen. If you know any able men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock.” Genesis 47:5-6

Again, in respect to Joseph, Pharaoh offers a great gift to Joseph’s family. Always remember to work as if you were working directly for God; you are. You never know how far this will lead you.

Joseph brought in Jacob, his father, and set him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many are the days of the years of your life?”

Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred thirty years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.” Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from the presence of Pharaoh.

Joseph placed his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Ramesses, as Pharaoh had commanded. Joseph nourished his father, his brothers, and all of his father’s household, with bread, according to their families. Genesis 47:7-12

Joseph, we learned again, did not abuse his office. Joseph treated his family equal to every other citizen of Egypt. He did not give his family more than others received during this continuing famine. He gave them only according to their families.

Joseph’s Oath to Jacob

Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred forty-seven years. The time came near that Israel must die, and he called his son Joseph, and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. Please don’t bury me in Egypt, but when I sleep with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying place.” He said, “I will do as you have said.” He said, “Swear to me,” and he swore to him. Israel bowed himself on the bed’s head. Genesis 47:28-31

It was very important to Jacob that he not be buried in Egypt. Joseph agreed to his father’s request but that wasn’t enough for Jacob. Swear to me. Why was Jacob so strong with his request?

It is likely that Jacob remembered all of God’s promises. Egypt was not his home. Jacob wanted to rest in the land of Canaan that God promised to Jacob and his descendants. This was also one last lesson to all of his sons; Egypt was not their home.

Finally, Jacob was wise enough to understand that Pharaoh may oppose Jacob’s burial anywhere other than in Egypt. An oath would carry greater weight with Pharaoh. Let’s go forward in time for a moment.

When the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the house of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, ‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am dying. Bury me in my grave which I have dug for myself in the land of Canaan.” Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come again.’” Pharaoh said, “Go up, and bury your father, just like he made you swear.” Genesis 50:4-6

Going back to Jacob’s conversation with Joseph, let’s look at the very last sentence of verse 31. Israel bowed himself on the bed’s head fulfilled the remainder of the prophecy of Joseph’s dreams. His brothers had already bowed down before Joseph.

Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons

Now we’ll return to Israel and his last days. Word has reached Joseph to return quickly to his father.

After these things, someone said to Joseph, “Behold, your father is sick.” He took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Someone told Jacob, and said, “Behold, your son Joseph comes to you,” and Israel strengthened himself, and sat on the bed. Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.’ Genesis 48:1-4

Jacob says all of this to Joseph in preparation for the blessings that Jacob is about to give to each of his sons. His first blessings will be to Joseph’s two sons.

Israel said to Joseph, “I didn’t think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.” Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near to him.

Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn. He blessed Joseph, and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day, the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. Let them grow into a multitude upon the earth.” Genesis 48:11-16

Why did Jacob switch hands and change the blessings of his two sons, Joseph wondered. He tries to correct what he sees as an old man’s mistake. Jacob would have none of this interference.

When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him. He held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”

His father refused, and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also will become a people, and he also will be great. However, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his offspring will become a multitude of nations.” He blessed them that day, saying, “In you will Israel bless, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh’” He set Ephraim before Manasseh. Genesis 48:17-20

Once again we are seeing a blessing become a prophecy from God. Jacob understood that the descendants of Ephraim would become greater than those of his older brother Manasseh. We’ll learn later that Ephraim and Manasseh would each become one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The other tribes that Moses, then Joshua moved to the Promised Land were named for Jacob’s sons, excepting Joseph and Levi. Joseph’s inheritance, we’ll see, was to be doubled and took the form of his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, each earning a full share. The children of Levi were to become the priests of the people and would have no direct inheritance.

Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers. Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.” Genesis 48:21-22

Jacob’s awarding a double share of his inheritance to Joseph could be explained by many things, probably all of them contributed. Joseph was kept from Jacob for many years. Joseph’s brothers were responsible for so much pain in Jacob’s life. Joseph saved his family from starvation. Joseph’s double share of his father’s inheritance was actually divided between Joseph’s two sons; Ephraim and Manasseh, each earned a full share of Jacob’s inheritance.

We still haven’t answered the question of why Jacob blessed Ephraim ahead of Manasseh. We need to look at their descendants to find our answer. The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh would each produce a great warrior that would save the Israelites. These two warriors were Gideon and Joshua. Let’s first look at Gideon.

The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight: and Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. The hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made themselves the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds. So it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the children of the east came up against them. They encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, until you come to Gaza. They left no sustenance in Israel, and no sheep, ox, or donkey. Judges 6:1-4

In this time of great fear and need the Lord was about to ask Gideon to save his people.

Yahweh looked at him, and said, “Go in this your might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Haven’t I sent you?” He said to him, “O Lord, how shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” Yahweh said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” Judges 6:14-16

We’ll learn more about this later, but God wanted everyone to know that Gideon’s victory was from God. He arranged for Gideon and just 300 specially chosen men to defeat the vast Midianite army.

Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people who were with him, rose up early, and encamped beside the spring of Harod. Midian’s camp was on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. Yahweh said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel brag against me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained.

Yahweh said to Gideon, “There are still too many people. Bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. It shall be, that those whom I tell you, ‘This shall go with you,’ the same shall go with you; and whoever I tell you, ‘This shall not go with you,’ the same shall not go.” So he brought down the people to the water; and Yahweh said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps of the water with his tongue, like a dog laps, you shall set him by himself; likewise everyone who bows down on his knees to drink.” The number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water. Yahweh said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, each to his own place.” Judges 7:1-7

If this victory by just 300 men would have been amazing to the Israelites, Joshua’s victory is nothing less than astounding. God, through Joshua, stopped the movement of the sun to win this next victory. First, we’ll establish Joshua’s lineage and then we’ll take a look at that battle. We’ll need to put two verses together from the Book of Numbers.

Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his chosen men, answered, “My lord Moses, forbid them!” Numbers 11:28

Of the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun. Numbers 13:8

So Joshua and his brother Hoshea were each the son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim. Now the battle…

Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together and went up, they and all their armies, and encamped against Gibeon, and made war against it. The men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Don’t abandon your servants! Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us; for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the hill country have gathered together against us.”

So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he, and the whole army with him, including all the mighty men of valor. Yahweh said to Joshua, “Don’t fear them, for I have delivered them into your hands. Not a man of them will stand before you.”

Joshua therefore came to them suddenly. He marched from Gilgal all night. Yahweh confused them before Israel. He killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth Horon, and struck them to Azekah and to Makkedah. As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth Horon, Yahweh hurled down great stones from the sky on them to Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the children of Israel killed with the sword.

Then Joshua spoke to Yahweh in the day when Yahweh delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel. He said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still on Gibeon! You, moon, stop in the valley of Aijalon!” Joshua 10:5-12

This was also the same Joshua the Ephraimite that lead the Israelites to the Promised Land after Moses’ death.

For Yahweh had said of them, “They shall surely die in the wilderness.” There was not a man left of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. Numbers 26:65

There are more indications that God and all Israel took this changed order of blessings with Ephraim ahead of Manasseh very seriously. We can see this in the order of march through the desert, and the consecrating of gifts for the Tabernacle.

Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, “The children of Israel shall encamp every man by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses: at a distance from the Tent of Meeting shall they encamp around it.”

“On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their divisions: and the prince of the children of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud. His division, and those who were counted of them, were forty thousand five hundred.

“Next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh: and the prince of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. His division, and those who were counted of them, were thirty-two thousand two hundred. Numbers 2: 1-2, 18-21

Notice too that the tribe of Ephraim was larger than the tribe of Manasseh; again, Ephraim is first. Next we’ll look at Numbers chapter 7.

Yahweh said to Moses, “They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedication of the altar.” He who offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah, Numbers 7:11-12

Ephraim and Manasseh have their turns in verses 48 and 54.

On the seventh day Elishama the son of Ammihud, prince of the children of Ephraim Numbers 7:48

On the eighth day Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, prince of the children of Manasseh Numbers 7:54

We can see that the question of why Jacob blessed Ephraim ahead of Manasseh required a long answer. This blessing prevailed for many generations.

We also saw Jacob, whom an angel renamed Israel, leave the land of God’s promises and move his family to Egypt. He became reunited with his son, Joseph. And knowing his own death was nearing, we were with Jacob as he blessed Joseph’s two sons.

- Because of his very high regard for Joseph, Pharaoh offered Jacob and the rest of Joseph’s family the very best land in all of Egypt for their new home.

- This only happened because of Joseph’s complete trust in, and obedience to, God.

- Before leaving for Egypt, Jacob detoured to Beersheba, the site of his vision from God, and offered sacrifices to God.

- Jacob likely repeated the story to all of his family of God’s many promises to give his people this land and to make them plentiful, guide them and make their name a blessing to many.

- It was God’s will that the Israelites settle in the land of Goshen to keep them separate from the Egyptians.

Next time we will be in Jacob’s tent as he offers blessings and prophecies for each of his heirs. Some blessings are good, some are surprising, and some are not good at all. Most of our reading will be from Genesis Chapters 49 and 50.

18) Jacob’s Prophecies

Last time we were with Jacob as he gathered his family and moved to Egypt; away from the land of God’s promises. In Egypt Jacob was reunited with Joseph and his family prospered during the great famine.

- Pharaoh gave Joseph’s family the best land in all Egypt for their home because of Pharaoh’s esteem for Joseph.

- Joseph earned Pharaoh’s praise because Joseph trusted and obeyed God completely and worked constantly to please Him.

- Jacob returned one last time to Beersheba to offer sacrifices to God, and God spoke to him there once again.

- While they were encamped at Beersheba Jacob likely reminded his family of God’s many promises for them; to be plentiful, guided always by God, and a blessing to many.

- The Israelites, Jacob’s family, settled in Goshen and away from the influence of the Egyptians because it was God’s will.

Blessing or Curse

Now we can get to Jacob’s blessings for his family. After having a private meeting between Jacob and Joseph and the blessing of Joseph’s two sons a dying Jacob calls in the rest of his sons and gives his blessing to each of his heirs. We’ll begin as Jacob calls them together.

Jacob called to his sons, and said: “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which will happen to you in the days to come. Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father. Genesis 49:1-2

Some of these blessings will be good and many, not so good. Jacob based his blessings on the life each son chose to lead. Jacob also remembered young Joseph’s reports.

Jacob lived in the land of his father’s travels, in the land of Canaan. This is the history of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought an evil report of them to their father. Genesis 37:1-2

We’ll get back to this evil report. Now Jacob began to speak to his sons.

“Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength; excelling in dignity, and excelling in power. Boiling over like water, you shall not excel; because you went up to your father’s bed, then defiled it. He went up to my couch. Genesis 49:3-4

By telling Reuben that he was first in rank and first in power Jacob was acknowledging tradition of the firstborn son inheriting leadership of the clan. Then comes the ‘but’ as Jacob tells Reuben that he is first no longer. This is why…

While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it. Genesis 35:22a

Next come Simeon and Levi. Will they fare any better?

“Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords are weapons of violence. My soul, don’t come into their council. My glory, don’t be united to their assembly; for in their anger they killed men. In their self-will they hamstrung cattle. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel. Genesis 49:5-7

Simeon and Levi are the second- and third-born sons of Jacob. Jacob calls only these two brothers for the moment. It was they who took revenge for the attack on their sister by destroying an entire town; leaving nothing but waste.

On the third day, when they were sore, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword, came upon the unsuspecting city, and killed all the males. They killed Hamor and Shechem, his son, with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went away. Jacob’s sons came on the dead, and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. They took their flocks, their herds, their donkeys, that which was in the city, that which was in the field, and all their wealth. They took captive all their little ones and their wives, and took as plunder everything that was in the house. Genesis 34:25-29

For this terrible act and for the viciousness of their revenge, Jacob delivered a curse to the two brothers. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel. These two sons were also not to inherit the leadership of Jacob’s clan.

For the Levites this curse was never removed but was later turned into a blessing from God because of the Levites later faithfulness in His service. We’ll learn that story after we meet Moses.

When Moses saw that the people had broken loose, (for Aaron had let them loose for a derision among their enemies), then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on Yahweh’s side, come to me!” All the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. Exodus 32:25-26

This happened when the Israelites were making the golden calf. We’ll talk more about that golden calf another time. Still, the original curse was not removed. The Levites were to receive no share of the Promised Land.

But Moses gave no inheritance to the tribe of Levi. Yahweh, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he spoke to them. Joshua 13:33

For the tribe of Simeon things didn’t work out so well.

When the Egyptians left Egypt with Moses the tribe of Simeon was the third largest of the Israelite tribes.

Of the children of Simeon, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, those who were counted of it, according to the number of the names, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war; those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty-nine thousand three hundred. Numbers 1:22-23

But just thirty-five years later, during the second census, the tribe of Simeon had shrunk by almost two thirds.

These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty-two thousand two hundred. Numbers 26:14

In fact, the Simeonite tribe later become so small that they did not inherit a full share of the Promised Land but for their own protection found their land entirely within the boundaries of the tribe of Judah.

The second lot came out for Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families. Their inheritance was in the middle of the inheritance of the children of Judah. Joshua 19:1

Verse 9 goes on to explain in more detail.

Out of the part of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon; for the portion of the children of Judah was too much for them. Therefore the children of Simeon had inheritance in the middle of their inheritance. Joshua 19:9

Next up is Judah, the fourth-born son. Given what his three older brothers had heard from Jacob we have to wonder if Judah was trying to sneak out the door! Let’s look at his life. First, it was Judah that saw profit in selling Joseph rather than killing him.

Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not let our hand be on him; for he is our brother, our flesh.” His brothers listened to him. Genesis 37:26-27

There was more. Judah had quite a bit of trouble several years after selling Joseph, with his daughter-in-law Tamar.

About three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has played the prostitute. Moreover, behold, she is with child by prostitution.” Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man, whose these are, I am with child.” She also said, “Please discern whose are these—the signet, and the cords, and the staff.” Judah acknowledged them, and said, “She is more righteous than I, because I didn’t give her to Shelah, my son.” Genesis 38:24-26

Jacob began to speak.

“Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father’s sons will bow down before you. Judah is a lion’s cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down, he crouched as a lion, as a lioness. Who will rouse him up? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. To him will the obedience of the peoples be. Binding his foal to the vine, his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; he has washed his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be red with wine, his teeth white with milk. Genesis 49:8-12

To his surprise Judah, Jacob’s fourth-born son, is established as the leader. Judah is described as fierce as a lion. But Jacob said far more than that. The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. To him will the obedience of the peoples be. It is John who calls Jesus the Lion of Judah in the book of Revelations.

And I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look in it. One of the elders said to me, “Don’t weep. Behold, the Lion who is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome; he who opens the book and its seven seals.” Revelation 5:4-5

Another line of Jacob’s blessing also refers directly to Jesus. Binding his foal to the vine, his donkey’s colt to the choice vine. We’ll need to go to several places to put this together. Our first stop is in John Chapter 15. We’ll look at two verses spoken by Jesus.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer. John 15:1

And the other verse in which Jesus describes himself as the vine is verse 5.

I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

Now that we know that Jesus is the vine we’ll look at Luke 19 to find a reference to the donkey and its colt.

Saying, “Go your way into the village on the other side, in which, as you enter, you will find a colt tied, whereon no man ever yet sat. Untie it, and bring it. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say to him: ‘The Lord needs it.’” Luke 19:30-31

Mathew Chapter 21 has this same account but adds a line in verse 4 that says,

All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, Matthew 21:4

Finally, we will look at Zechariah for a repeat of Jacob’s prophecy. Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you! He is righteous, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9

So Jacob’s blessing, “Binding his foal to the vine, his donkey’s colt to the choice vine.” is actually an early prophecy of Jesus.

Next to be blessed is Zebulun. This probably surprised Zebulon as well as his brothers. You may remember that Zebulon was Jacob’s tenth son. But if we dig just a little deeper we’ll also remember that Zebulon and his brother Issachar were the next sons born to Leah, Jacob’s first wife. Issachar was ninth in age but received his blessing after Zebulun because Issachar’s descendants would have a lesser role in the Israelites future than those of his younger brother Zebulun.

This blessing for Zebulun is very short.

“Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Sidon. Genesis 49:13

The tribe of Zebulun would one day inherit land in northern Israel that would later be known as Galilee. Much of Galilee was on the Mediterranean Sea as well as the Sea of Galilee. These people will establish profitable trade routes.

Moses would later offer a similar blessing to Zebulon that was shared with the tribe of Issachar.

About Zebulun he said, “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out; and Issachar, in your tents. They will call the peoples to the mountain. There they will offer sacrifices of righteousness, for they will draw out the abundance of the seas, the hidden treasures of the sand.” Deuteronomy 33:18-19

The tribe of Zebulun had their good times and their not so good times in their obedience to God. They disobeyed God by failing to remove the Canaanites, as God commanded of Moses.

Yahweh spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, “When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their stone idols, destroy all their molten images, and demolish all their high places. You shall take possession of the land, and dwell therein; for I have given the land to you to possess it. Numbers 33:50-53

Instead of driving out the Canaanites, the tribe of Zebulun disobeyed God and made slaves of them.

Zebulun didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites lived among them, and became subject to forced labor. Judges 1:30

Now, on the positive side, the tribesmen of Zebulun were fierce fighters and later produced a Judge of Israel.

Zebulun was a people that jeopardized their lives to the death; Naphtali also, on the high places of the field. Judges 5:18

They served King David well as loyal soldiers.

Of Zebulun, such as were able to go out in the army, who could set the battle in array, with all kinds of instruments of war, fifty thousand, and who could command and were not of doubtful heart. 1 Chronicles 12:33

As we mentioned, Elon was the judge that would come from the tribe of Zebulun.

After him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years. Judges 12:11

Because of their mixed devotedness to God that improved over time, Isaiah recognized Zebulun in his own prophecy.

But there shall be no more gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time, he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the latter time he has made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. Isaiah 9:1

Issachar is the last of Leah’s sons to receive a blessing from his father.

“Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags. He saw a resting place, that it was good, the land, that it was pleasant. He bows his shoulder to the burden, and becomes a servant doing forced labor. Genesis 49:14-15

Other translations say that Issachar will submit himself to hard labor or will become a slave or servant. What we do know is that the tribe of Issachar became gifted scholars of their time.

Of the children of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their heads were two hundred; and all their brothers were at their command. 1 Chronicles 12:32

So the reference to two saddlebags and hard labor may refer to the twin tasks of farming in the Promised Land and of educating themselves.

Dan was next to hear Israel’s blessing.

“Dan will judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a serpent on the trail, an adder in the path that bites the horse’s heels, so that his rider falls backward. I have waited for your salvation, Yahweh. Genesis 49:16-18

Again, Jacob packs a lot in to three sentences. The phrase Dan will judge his people refers to one of the best known Judges of Israel. Let’s look at Judges Chapter 13 to tie this Judge to the tribe of Dan.

There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and childless. Yahweh’s angel appeared to the woman, and said to her, “See now, you are barren and childless; but you shall conceive, and bear a son. Now therefore please beware and drink no wine nor strong drink, and don’t eat any unclean thing: for, behold, you shall conceive, and give birth to a son. No razor shall come on his head; for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb. He shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” Judges 13:2-5

This Judge was Samson. We’ll learn more about him another time. Jacob’s last words to Dan also refer to Samson; I have waited for your salvation, Yahweh.

Samson called to Yahweh, and said, “Lord Yahweh, remember me, please, and strengthen me, please, only this once, God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.” Judges 16:28

Now let’s see why Jacob also called Dan a serpent on the trail. We can look to three Old Testament books. Our first location is in Judges where the Danites introduced idol worship to the Israelites after murdering an entire town.

They took that which Micah had made, and the priest whom he had, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck them with the edge of the sword; then they burned the city with fire. There was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone else; and it was in the valley that lies by Beth Rehob. They built the city, and lived in it. They called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel; however the name of the city used to be Laish.

The children of Dan set up for themselves the engraved image; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land. So they set up for themselves Micah’s engraved image which he made, and it remained all the time that God’s house was in Shiloh. Judges 18:27-31

Our next view of the tribe of Dan involves evil King Jeroboam and some golden calves.

Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to David’s house. If this people goes up to offer sacrifices in Yahweh’s house at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me, and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.” So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look and behold your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” He set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. 1 Kings 12:26-29

This was just the start of idol worship for the Danites. The prophet Amos also describes their idolatry.

Behold, the days come,” says the Lord Yahweh, “that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing Yahweh’s words. They will wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; they will run back and forth to seek Yahweh’s word, and will not find it. In that day the beautiful virgins and the young men will faint for thirst. Those who swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, ‘As your god, Dan, lives;’ and, ‘As the way of Beersheba lives;’ they will fall, and never rise up again.” Amos 8:11-14

Gad is next to hear from Jacob. For Gad, Asher, and Naphtali, Jacob will speak just one sentence to each; in two parts.

“A troop will press on Gad, but he will press on their heel. Genesis 49:19

Gad’s share of the Promised Land was on the East side of the Jordan River; not actually in the Promised Land.

Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock. When they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that behold, the place was a place for livestock; the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the princes of the congregation, saying, “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, the land which Yahweh struck before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock; and your servants have livestock.” They said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Don’t bring us over the Jordan.” Numbers 32:1-5

Because Gad’s inheritance was outside of the Promised Land they were often the victims of raids from neighboring kingdoms.

Of the children of Ammon. Yahweh says: “Has Israel no sons? Has he no heir? Why then does Malcam possess Gad, and his people dwell in its cities? Jeremiah 49:1

Perhaps because of this constant fighting the men of Gad became notable warriors. They served King David as the officers of his army.

These of the sons of Gad were captains of the army: he who was least was equal to one hundred, and the greatest to one thousand. These are those who went over the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks; and they put to flight all who lived in the valleys, both toward the east and toward the west. 1 Chronicles 12:14-15

Asher now heard his prophecy from Jacob.

“Asher’s food will be rich. He will produce royal dainties. Genesis 49:20

Asher’s share of the Promised Land must have been very fertile. Moses also speaks highly of Asher.

About Asher he said, “Asher is blessed with children. Let him be acceptable to his brothers. Let him dip his foot in oil. Deuteronomy 33:24

And now Naphtali has his turn.

“Naphtali is a doe set free, who bears beautiful fawns. Genesis 49:21

The second half of this verse in the ASV says he giveth goodly words. The ASV does not mention beautiful fawns. This is just an example of the difficulties of making translations from the ancient languages. We will explore the phrase from the ASV this time; he giveth goodly words. These goodly words would come from Jesus. Pay close attention to verse 16, at the end of this passage.

Now when Jesus heard that John was delivered up, he withdrew into Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he came and lived in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sat in darkness saw a great light, to those who sat in the region and shadow of death, to them light has dawned.” Matthew 4:12-16

And the reference by Jesus here to Isaiah is from Chapter 9.

But there shall be no more gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time, he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the latter time he has made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. Isaiah 9:1

Jacob has now spoken to ten of his twelve sons. Only Joseph and Benjamin remain to receive their father’s blessing. Joseph’s turn comes first. His blessing is much longer than those of his last three brothers.

“Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall. The archers have severely grieved him, shot at him, and persecute him: But his bow remained strong. The arms of his hands were made strong, by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, (from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel), even by the God of your father, who will help you; by the Almighty, who will bless you, with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb. The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of your ancestors, above the boundaries of the ancient hills. They will be on the head of Joseph, on the crown of the head of him who is separated from his brothers. Genesis 49:22-26

This blessing alone will be for Joseph and not his descendants. His descendants, remember, were already blessed by Jacob through Ephraim and Manasseh in our previous story of the Bible.

Jacob’s words allude to Joseph’s many trials; first with his own brothers and then Joseph’s years in an Egyptian prison. Yet Joseph’s bow remained strong. His faith in God never failed him.

Jacob then goes on to express his own deep faith by describing God five different ways; the Mighty One of Jacob, the shepherd, the stone of Israel, the God of your father, the Almighty. Next Jacob asks that his own blessings of Joseph with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb, and these blessings above the boundaries of the ancient hills. Finally Jacob calls his son Joseph a prince among his brothers, saying, on the head of Joseph, on the crown of the head of him who is separated from his brothers; giving two meanings to the word ‘prince’. Joseph was certainly a prince of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. His life in comparison to the lives of his brothers was also princely; virtuous.

Benjamin’s blessing comes last.

“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey. At evening he will divide the plunder.” Genesis 49:27

This prophecy may have surprised you. Until now we may have thought of Benjamin as the one innocent brother. Now Jacob calls him a ravenous wolf. If we do some looking we will see that this description, like many of Jacob’s other prophecies, is more for Benjamin’s descendants than for Benjamin. We’ll look at some examples of tribe Benjamin devouring its enemies.

The children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. But when the children of Israel cried to Yahweh, Yahweh raised up a savior for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. The children of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he wore it under his clothing on his right thigh. He offered the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. When he had finished offering the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute. But he himself turned back from the stone idols that were by Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.”

The king said, “Keep silence!” All who stood by him left him. Ehud came to him; and he was sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. Ehud said, “I have a message from God to you.” He arose out of his seat. Ehud put out his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his body. Judges 3:14-21

So with cunning and no warning Ehud, a Benjamite killed King Eglon. Our next example of a Benjamite wolf is King Saul.

Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor. He had a son, whose name was Saul, an impressive young man; and there was not among the children of Israel a better person than he. From his shoulders and upward he was taller than any of the people. 1 Samuel 9:1-2

King Saul did not wait for a fight but took his wars to all of his neighbors.

Now when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned himself, he defeated them. 1 Samuel 14:47

But Saul did not fight only the enemies of his people. He also warred against those that would be his friend.

The women sang to one another as they played, and said, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. What can he have more but the kingdom?” Saul watched David from that day and forward.

On the next day, an evil spirit from God came mightily on Saul, and he prophesied in the middle of the house. David played with his hand, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand; and Saul threw the spear, for he said, “I will pin David even to the wall!” David escaped from his presence twice. 1 Samuel 18:7-11

So far we’ve talked about the first half of Benjamin’s prophecy, in the morning he will devour the prey. As we look at our next verses we can think of these first examples as the early history of the Israelites and the tribe of Benjamin; the morning. These next verses will explain the second part of the prophecy, at evening he will divide the plunder, as later Jewish history.

And let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” The thing pleased the king, and he did so. There was a certain Jew in the citadel of Susa, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite, who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. He brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter; for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter. Esther 2:4-7

We’ll learn more about Esther and Mordecai another time. They saved, perhaps, the lives of all Jews living at the time. For now we’ll move to a highlight of their story as we explain the remainder of the prophecy of Benjamin.

Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast “Pur”, that is the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them; but when this became known to the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he had devised against the Jews, should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. Esther 9:24-25

So Esther and Mordecai, like Ehud and Saul before them, were as clever and as vicious as any ravenous wolf.

The prophesies have been delivered to Israel’s sons. Now we’ll return to hear Jacob’s last request of his sons.

He instructed them, and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a burial place. There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife, and there I buried Leah: the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth.” When Jacob finished charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the spirit, and was gathered to his people. Genesis 49:29–33

Mamre, you may remember owned the field where the landmark ‘Oak of Moreh’ was located. This was also the oak tree where Jacob buried the foreign idols after he left Laban.

And now it is time that we say good-bye to Joseph as well.

Joseph lived in Egypt, he, and his father’s house. Joseph lived one hundred ten years. Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. The children also of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph’s knees. Joseph said to his brothers, “I am dying, but God will surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” So Joseph died, being one hundred ten years old, and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. Genesis 50:22-26

Egypt was never Joseph’s home. Joseph’s dying oath was, God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here. He remembered God’s promises and wanted to be buried in the land of the gift of God.

- We continued to learn that everything written in the Bible is there for a reason. As we dig, we learn new relationships and new understanding.

- Each of Jacob’s prophecies faithfully played out in the history of the tribes of his sons.

- Like the Levites, what has been done cannot be undone, but if we change and come to God, what was initially a curse can become our great blessing.

- As with Jacob’s sons, we may never understand our earthly destiny. Our destiny may not come fully in to play for generations. It is enough that God has planted the seed.

Next time we will meet Job and learn about his absolute faith in God. God was so proud of Job that He even bragged to Satan about him; twice! Most of our reading will be from the first eight chapters of the Book of Job.

19) Job, Man of God

Last time we were with Jacob’s sons as each one heard their prophecy from Jacob. We were with Joseph as he died and asked that his bones would one day be carried out of Egypt and to the Promised Land.

- We learned last time as we read Jacob’s prophecies that everything in the Bible is there for a reason. We’ll emphasize that lesson as we begin our study of Job.

- We learned that every one of Jacob’s prophesies played out in the following generations of his family. We may not see the fulfilment of God’s plan in our own life.

- The Levites learned that their prophecy, or destiny, could not be undone. But once they changed their ways and came to God that initial curse was turned into a blessing. They were blessed with becoming the priests of their people.

- Like Jacob’s sons, we may never see the fulfillment of our lives, our individual destiny. It is enough that God has used our lives for his purpose.

This time we will begin to look at Job as we work our way chronologically through the stories of the Bible. Many scholars believe that Job lived about the same time as Abraham or Isaac, or possibly as late as the Israelites’ forty year Exile in the desert. So we’ll be with Job as the Israelites begin their slavery in Egypt.

We’ll learn about Job’s earthly success, his relationship with God, his tragedies, and finally we’ll look at his spiritual success. We’ll also learn that sometimes God will allow suffering for His own purposes; think about Joseph’s years in prison.

As we look at Job’s life we will condense the story of the Book of Job. We will not ignore the content. You see, the writing style and the way of speaking used in Job are very different than our shorter, crisper style of today. Much of Job is poetic. It becomes easy to get lost in the style and lengthy speeches and then lose sight of the story.

We’ll divide our study of Job into four discussions; there is a lot to talk about. Very briefly, there are five acts in this play. First, we will meet Job and learn a bit about him and his life. Next, we will learn of an astonishing conversation in Heaven that leads to tragedy for Job. In the third part of Job’s story we will meet Job’s close friends. They will each claim that Job must be guilty of some great sin to deserve such a fate. These friends will fail to convince Job of his sins. That brings us to the fourth act; Job’s friends now try to convince him that even claiming to be innocent is a sin worthy of Job’s punishment.

Exactly this argument was used in the dark ages to convict witches. An accused witch was taken to a stream or a pond. The water was then blessed and said to be made holy. The bound witch was then hurled into the water. The thinking was that if a person was truly innocent the holy water would accept them – drown them – and they would immediately be with God. If, instead, the person floated it was proof that the holy water had rejected them. The ‘guilty’ witch would then be pulled from the holy water and burned at the stake to give them their first taste of Hell’s fire. Now you know where the expression, “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t”, may have originated.

At the end of the Book of Job, in Act 5, we learn that God has been listening closely to the conversations that Job has had with his friends. God clearly states his authority and power as he instructs and corrects Job and his friends.

Pay attention to all of these conversations in the five acts of Job. Job and all of his friends appear to believe in God. How many of these men fully trust in God? Learn the difference between believing in God and trusting in God and take that lesson from this story. We’ll begin the first act now by learning about Job.

Job, Wealthy and Pious

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God, and turned away from evil. Job 1:1

First, let’s try to find the land of Uz. It’s actually mentioned several times in the Bible. The first time we meet Uz, we learn that he is the great-grandson of Noah. Noah had three sons; Ham, Shem, and Japheth. Uz is Shem’s grandson.

The sons of Shem were: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. The sons of Aram were: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. Genesis 10:22-23

So now we know that there was a person named Uz. But there was another man in the Bible named Uz. This Uz, also the oldest son, had an Uncle Abraham that we recently spent time meeting.

After these things, Abraham was told, “Behold, Milcah, she also has borne children to your brother Nahor: Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, Genesis 22:20-21

You may have noticed, yes, there were also two men named Aram. One of the men named Uz, we don’t know which one, would live in a land that would be named for him. It would be a large territory because it will have several kingdoms. We learn that in Jeremiah.

and all the mixed people, and all the kings of the land of the Uz, all the kings of the Philistines, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod; Jeremiah 25:20

The land of Uz is mentioned again in Lamentations.

Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom that dwells in the land of Uz. The cup will pass through to you also. You will be drunken, and will make yourself naked. Lamentations 4:21

Uz is not mentioned after this in the Bible. But we now know that the land of Uz did exist. We’re just not certain of exactly where it was located. Now we’re ready to learn a little more about Job.

There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. His possessions also were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east. His sons went and held a feast in the house of each one on his birthday; and they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. It was so, when the days of their feasting had run their course, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned, and renounced God in their hearts.” Job did so continually. Job 1:2-5

These few verses tell us a lot about Job. This very rich man deeply believed in and respected God. More than that, Job kept God in his daily life and did his best to keep God in the lives of his family. We’ll learn that is why God held Job in such high esteem.

Attacked by Satan

Let’s move to Act 2. Did you know that God and Satan speak together?

Now on the day when God’s sons came to present themselves before Yahweh, Satan also came among them. Yahweh said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered Yahweh, and said, “From going back and forth in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”

Yahweh said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant, Job? For there is no one like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from evil.” Job 1:6-8

Back in verse 1 we were told that Job is blameless and upright — so much so, that God calls Satan’s attention to him now.

Then Satan answered Yahweh, and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Haven’t you made a hedge around him, and around his house, and around all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will renounce you to your face.” Yahweh said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power. Only on himself don’t stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of Yahweh. Job 1:9-12

Did you pick up on Satan being in Heaven? He is actually having a civil discussion with God. Why would God even allow Satan to approach? The quick answer is that God can use everything for His own purpose; including Satan’s evil. In fact God uses Satan several times in scripture to advance His own purpose. Job’s coming suffering is not even our first example of this. God used Satan’s temptation of Eve and subsequent punishment to lay the groundwork for Jesus to arrive. God later allowed Satan’s temptation of Christ to serve as examples and wisdom for us. In the Book of Revelations God will again use Satan to separate the wheat from the tares. We’ll learn more about that parable of wheat and tares when we get to the book of Matthew.

Now let’s see what evil Satan has planned for Job.

It fell on a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, that there came a messenger to Job, and said, “The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans attacked, and took them away. Yes, they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

While he was still speaking, there also came another, and said, “The fire of God has fallen from the sky, and has burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, “The Chaldeans made three bands, and swept down on the camels, and have taken them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young men, and they are dead. I alone have escaped to tell you.” Job 1:13-19

Satan used every bit of the liberty that God allowed him. He did everything evil that he could think of to Job. First, the men of Sheba came to Job’s land and stole Job’s work animals. Then we learned of a fire from above that fell on Job’s sheep, goats, and herdsmen; killing all but one man. As he was still speaking a third survivor ran to Job to tell him that the Chaldeans had plundered his camels and killed those herdsmen.

In moments Job’s great wealth was gone. Still more grief was to come to Job as a fourth servant ran into his home. Job next learned that a great wind, a tornado, hit his oldest son’s house and killed all of Job’s children and their families.

Then Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and worshiped. He said, “Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away. Blessed be Yahweh’s name.” In all this, Job did not sin, nor charge God with wrongdoing. Job 1:20-22

Job praised God in his misery. Now do you understand why God Himself would praise this man? In moments Job lost his possessions, his wealth, and his family. Everything on Earth that Job possessed was now gone. Yet Job knew without a doubt that his real riches were with God. Job kept his one true possession. Here is a different translation of Verse 21 from the King James Version that says exactly that Job knew what was most important.

Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. Job 1:21 KJV

The Second Attack

We’ll continue now with a second conversation in Heaven. Satan is about to ask God for a second crack at Job!

Again it happened on the day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Yahweh, that Satan came also among them to present himself before Yahweh. Yahweh said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered Yahweh, and said, “From going back and forth in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”

Yahweh said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? For there is none like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from evil. He still maintains his integrity, although you incited me against him, to ruin him without cause.”

Satan answered Yahweh, and said, “Skin for skin. Yes, all that a man has will he give for his life. But put forth your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce you to your face.” Yahweh said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand. Only spare his life.” Job 2:1-6

Do you have so much faith and so much love that God would be willing to give Satan two free shots at you? This is God’s second conversation with Satan about Job. Can you imagine God sitting on his throne with the look of a proud parent when Satan approached Him? Can your own faith put that smile on God’s face?

So Satan went out from the presence of Yahweh, and struck Job with painful sores from the sole of his foot to his head. He took for himself a potsherd to scrape himself with, and he sat among the ashes. Then his wife said to him, “Do you still maintain your integrity? Renounce God, and die.” Job 2:7-9

Wow. Can you imagine any other comment that better shows a complete lack of faith than, “Curse God, and die” KJV ? Job understands this too and is about to explain his faith to his wife.

But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job didn’t sin with his lips. Job 2:10

In his own way Job tells his wife to act as an adult, understanding that with God’s gifts come responsibilities; including faith and trust.

Three Friends

We’re about to move on with Job’s story, into our third Act. Job is about to have a very long series of conversations with his friends. These conversations fill most of the book of Job so we will condense the conversations without losing the story or the lessons of those stories.

Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come on him, they each came from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him. Job 2:11

These friends came to offer their comfort to Job, but listen to their conversations and decide for yourself how much comfort each friend actually gives to Job.

When they lifted up their eyes from a distance, and didn’t recognize him, they raised their voices, and wept; and they each tore his robe, and sprinkled dust on their heads toward the sky. So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great. Job 2:12-13

Do you see how deeply these events have affected Job? Yet until this point Job had not sinned. Still, now that they are here, Job cannot help wondering and questioning his fate in front of his three friends. In doing so, is Job questioning God, challenging Him?

After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed the day of his birth. Job answered: “Let the day perish in which I was born, the night which said, ‘There is a boy conceived.’ Let that day be darkness. Don’t let God from above seek for it, neither let the light shine on it. Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own. Let a cloud dwell on it. Let all that makes black the day terrify it.

As for that night, let thick darkness seize on it. Let it not rejoice among the days of the year. Let it not come into the number of the months. Behold, let that night be barren. Let no joyful voice come therein. Let them curse it who curse the day, who are ready to rouse up leviathan. Let the stars of its twilight be dark. Let it look for light, but have none, neither let it see the eyelids of the morning, Job 3:1-9

Job continues to describe his intense pain for the next 17 verses. Then we begin to hear responses from each of Job’s friends. Eliphaz speaks first, offering encouragement to Job.

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered, “If someone ventures to talk with you, will you be grieved? But who can withhold himself from speaking? Behold, you have instructed many, you have strengthened the weak hands. Your words have supported him who was falling, you have made firm the feeble knees. But now it has come to you, and you faint. It touches you, and you are troubled. Isn’t your piety your confidence? Isn’t the integrity of your ways your hope? “Remember, now, whoever perished, being innocent? Or where were the upright cut off? Job 4:1-7

Eliphaz is almost talking too nice to Job. You can’t help wondering if there is a ‘but’. Here comes the ‘but’.

According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity, and sow trouble, reap the same. By the breath of God they perish. By the blast of his anger are they consumed. Job 4:8-9

Eliphaz spends the rest of this chapter in a negative speech aimed at Job. He is just getting started. Eliphaz has still more bad news for his friend Job. Here is a small portion.

“Call now; is there any who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn? For resentment kills the foolish man, and jealousy kills the simple. I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his habitation. His children are far from safety. They are crushed in the gate. Neither is there any to deliver them, Job 5:1-4

Now Eliphaz comes back to God; a place that Job never left. He won’t stay there long before he again attacks Job.

“But as for me, I would seek God. I would commit my cause to God, who does great things that can’t be fathomed, marvelous things without number; who gives rain on the earth, and sends waters on the fields; so that he sets up on high those who are low, those who mourn are exalted to safety.” Job 5:8-11

Now turning back to fault Job, Eliphaz continues with…

He frustrates the devices of the crafty, So that their hands can’t perform their enterprise. He takes the wise in their own craftiness; the counsel of the cunning is carried headlong. Job 5:12-13

Eliphaz then ends his first speech by telling Job that God will comfort those He has punished.

“Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects. Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. For he wounds, and binds up. He injures, and his hands make whole. Job 5:17-18

Challenging God

Job now responds and defends himself. We’ll see that Job is feeling very sorry for his present life. Notice that Job does not attack the harsh words from Eliphaz.

“Oh that I might have my request, that God would grant the thing that I long for, even that it would please God to crush me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off! Be it still my consolation, yes, let me exult in pain that doesn’t spare, that I have not denied the words of the Holy One. What is my strength that I should wait? What is my end, that I should be patient? Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh of brass? Isn’t it that I have no help in me, that wisdom is driven quite from me? Job 6:8-13

Even here, Job still admits that he is nothing by himself and must have God with him; I have no help in me. Yet even as Job says that he has no help in himself he begins to question God.

What is man, that you should magnify him, that you should set your mind on him, that you should visit him every morning, and test him every moment? How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone until I swallow down my spittle? If I have sinned, what do I do to you, you watcher of men? Why have you set me as a mark for you, so that I am a burden to myself? Why do you not pardon my disobedience, and take away my iniquity? For now shall I lie down in the dust. You will seek me diligently, but I shall not be.” Job 7:17-21

Job challenges God now in two ways. First he wonders why God is being so cruel; test him every moment. Job then goes on to say, how long will you not look away from me? Job has directly accused God of causing his ills. Even with this outburst, Job is not about to walk away from God. He asks God for forgiveness and redemption. Job next says, why do you not pardon my disobedience, and take away my iniquity?

Next to speak to Job is his friend Bildad. Will he be of any comfort to Job?

Then Bildad the Shuhite answered, “How long will you speak these things? Shall the words of your mouth be a mighty wind? Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert righteousness? If your children have sinned against him, He has delivered them into the hand of their disobedience. If you want to seek God diligently, make your supplication to the Almighty. If you were pure and upright, surely now he would awaken for you, and make the habitation of your righteousness prosperous. Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would greatly increase. Job 8:1-7

The Grace of God

Bildad said, if you were pure and upright, surely now he would awaken for you. Can you see from this argument the difference between Job and his friends? Jobs friends had the same perception of God as do many of today’s Christians. Bildad and his friends believed in works; that their own efforts will give them salvation. Job understood God’s grace.

Job understood that faith and the grace of God was his path to salvation. Job knew this truth many centuries before Jesus’ death on the cross. Paul was one of many who told the rest of us about God’s grace. Let’s look at just a few verses that describe God’s gift of grace.

I don’t reject the grace of God. For if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing!” Galatians 2:21

Even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), Ephesians 2:5

And perhaps this verse says it best.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, Ephesians 2:8

Many years before the arrival of Jesus, Job instinctively knew that salvation was a gift and could not be earned.

Bildad speaks for several more verses to amplify his thoughts. Then Job gives his response. We’ll listen to Job give his understanding of living under the law rather than under Grace in our next story of the Bible. Job’s perception of Grace is amazing, in that his understanding of Grace comes almost 2,000 years before Christ was born and shared the message of Grace with the rest of us.

This time we learned God can and will use everything to advance His plan for us. That includes the evil on this Earth and even Satan himself. God controls everything. All we need to do is understand and embrace that concept. Just to learn this one fact will remove all of our doubts and fears; giving us peace in our heart and soul. It will let us rest in God.

- Even after the rebellion in Heaven God still permitted Satan to approach His thrown, and would speak with him.

- We learned that God really is like a father to us. He can be so proud of us that he wants to show us off – even brag about us to Satan.

- Job taught us that no matter how bad our troubles become that we must remember that with God’s gifts there are responsibilities; including faith and trust. To say that another way, how can we truly enjoy the peaks – the great times - in our lives without also experiencing the valleys?

Next time we will sit with Job and listen to the conversation as his friends become increasingly hostile toward Job. Much of that conversation will be about the differences between Law and Grace. We’ll also learn more of why God was so proud of this man. Most of our reading will be from Job chapters 9 through 20.

20) Job, Remains with God

Last time we met Job and learned a bit about why God was so proud of him. We glimpsed Job’s prosperity and saw Satan’s conversations with God in Heaven. We also learned of God’s permission for Satan to severely test Job.

- Job clearly lived long after the rebellion in Heaven yet God, for His own purposes, still allowed Satan to enter into Heaven.

- We know that God is our heavenly father. We learned from the Book of Job that God is at least as proud of us as our earthly fathers. God was so proud of Job that he actually bragged of him to Satan.

- We learned that with God’s gifts and blessings comes responsibility. We must have faith in God’s plan for our life and we must trust God as we follow His path for us.

Describing God

This time we will see Job’s humanity; his doubts and fears. We’ll also learn more of why God was so proud of this man. These conversations are a wonderful study of Law and Grace. We begin our story as Job declares God’s wisdom and knowledge.

Then Job answered, “Truly I know that it is so, but how can man be just with God? If he is pleased to contend with him, he can’t answer him one time in a thousand. Job 9:1-3

Job simply declares, who is wise enough to argue with God? He then goes on to declare God’s authority and power.

God who is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who has hardened himself against him, and prospered? He removes the mountains, and they don’t know it, when he overturns them in his anger. He shakes the earth out of its place. Its pillars tremble. He commands the sun, and it doesn’t rise, and seals up the stars. He alone stretches out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea. He makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the rooms of the south. He does great things past finding out; yes, marvelous things without number. Job 9:4-10

Grace not Law

Now that Job has briefly described God’s wonder he returns to the point of his argument that no man is worthy or capable of arguing the law with God.

How much less shall I answer him, and choose my words to argue with him? Though I were righteous, yet I wouldn’t answer him. I would make supplication to my judge. Job 9:14-15

Here we see that Job does truly understand that God’s Grace is the key to our salvation. Job said, I would make request for grace from him who was against me. Job 9:15 BBE Job now goes on to explain the grace of God to his friends.

“‘Your hands have framed me and fashioned me altogether, yet you destroy me. Remember, I beg you, that you have fashioned me as clay. Will you bring me into dust again? Haven’t you poured me out like milk, and curdled me like cheese? You have clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews. You have granted me life and loving kindness. Your visitation has preserved my spirit. Yet you hid these things in your heart. I know that this is with you: Job 10:8-13

Now we are beginning to see doubt take hold of Job. Like each of us, Job is merely human. Job is about to give voice to his rising doubt.

If I sin, then you mark me. You will not acquit me from my iniquity. If I am wicked, woe to me. If I am righteous, I still shall not lift up my head, being filled with disgrace, and conscious of my affliction. If my head is held high, you hunt me like a lion. Again you show yourself powerful to me. You renew your witnesses against me, and increase your indignation on me. Changes and warfare are with me. “‘Why, then, have you brought me out of the womb? I wish I had given up the spirit, and no eye had seen me. Job 10:14-18

The Rebuttal

It’s hard to be more despondent than Job is now. Job’s third friend, Zophar speaks to him.

“Can you fathom the mystery of God? Or can you probe the limits of the Almighty? They are high as heaven. What can you do? They are deeper than Sheol. What can you know? Job 11: 7-8

Zophar continues questioning Job’s wisdom, but we’ll jump down to verse 13. We’ll read what will be Zophar’s way of encouraging Job.

“If you set your heart aright, stretch out your hands toward him. If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away. Don’t let unrighteousness dwell in your tents. Surely then you shall lift up your face without spot; yes, you shall be steadfast, and shall not fear: for you shall forget your misery. You shall remember it like waters that have passed away. Life shall be clearer than the noonday. Though there is darkness, it shall be as the morning. Job 11:13-17

Zophar, again, is pleading with Job to live by his own works; not by faith.

To this, Job replies.

Then Job answered, “No doubt, but you are the people, and wisdom shall die with you. But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Yes, who doesn’t know such things as these? Job 12:1-3

Job’s Reply

Pay attention to Job’s reply. His friends came to him as experts, in their own eyes. Yet Job felt it more important to speak God’s truth than to listen to the supposed truths of men. Don’t let the truths of men lead you from what you know in your heart is God’s truth.

I am like one who is a joke to his neighbor, I, who called on God, and he answered. The just, the blameless man is a joke. In the thought of him who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune. It is ready for them whose foot slips. Job 12:4-5

Today, we might rephrase this as saying Job’s neighbors have kicked him while he is down. We’ll skip down to verse 12 in this conversation.

With aged men is wisdom, in length of days understanding. “With God is wisdom and might. He has counsel and understanding. Behold, he breaks down, and it can’t be built again. He imprisons a man, and there can be no release. Job 12:12-14

Job is proclaiming God’s knowledge and wisdom. Yet, at the same time Job is lamenting his own woes as directly coming from God. God, Himself, is taking note of this conversation and will soon speak with Job and instruct him. Job continues for many more verses; all of them seeming to say that God can cause unpleasantness, or worse, simply because He chooses to do these things in our lives. Here is an example.

Behold, he withholds the waters, and they dry up. Again, he sends them out, and they overturn the earth. With him is strength and wisdom. The deceived and the deceiver are his. He leads counselors away stripped. He makes judges fools. He loosens the bond of kings. He binds their waist with a belt. He leads priests away stripped, and overthrows the mighty. He removes the speech of those who are trusted, and takes away the understanding of the elders. He pours contempt on princes, and loosens the belt of the strong. Job 12:15-21

The Challenge

Job continues to give several more examples of God seeming to give, then take away. We’ll move along to the point of Job’s latest speech; he wants to confront God.

“Behold, my eye has seen all this. My ear has heard and understood it. What you know, I know also. I am not inferior to you. “Surely I would speak to the Almighty. I desire to reason with God. Job 13:1-3

We can tell that Job is really feeling sorry for himself. Remember, it was Job that recently said that he was wholly inadequate to challenge God’s knowledge of the law. He must remember this, even as he is speaking. Job then goes on to chastise his three friends.

But you are forgers of lies. You are all physicians of no value. Oh that you would be completely silent! Then you would be wise. Job 13:4-5

Solomon must have liked that last line. It became one of his Proverbs.

Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is counted wise. When he shuts his lips, he is thought to be discerning. Proverbs 17:28

Having just rebuked his friends, Job now tries to share some wisdom with them about thinking themselves worthy of speaking for God.

Hear now my reasoning. Listen to the pleadings of my lips. Will you speak unrighteously for God, and talk deceitfully for him? Will you show partiality to him? Will you contend for God? Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceives a man, will you deceive him? He will surely reprove you, if you secretly show partiality. Shall not his majesty make you afraid, And his dread fall on you? Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, your defenses are defenses of clay. Job 13:6-12

Job now comes back and reaffirms his own trust in God.

Behold, he will kill me. I have no hope. Nevertheless, I will maintain my ways before him. This also shall be my salvation, that a godless man shall not come before him. Job 13:15--16

Bargaining with God

Job then puts his requests before God. We can’t call this a prayer because Job is trying to bargain with God. Be careful of this in your own life; bargaining is not praying.

“Only don’t do two things to me; then I will not hide myself from your face: withdraw your hand far from me; and don’t let your terror make me afraid. Then call, and I will answer; or let me speak, and you answer me. Job 13:20-22

Too many of us bargain with God rather than praying to Him. Listen to the words of Jesus on the night of his arrest. He did not bargain with God.

He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and he knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” Luke 22:41-42

Let your own prayers always say, “Not my will, but thy will.”

Again, Job must feel himself straying too far from God. He goes back to pleading for answers but doesn’t stay there long before he is accusing God once again.

How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my disobedience and my sin. Why hide you your face, and hold me for your enemy? Will you harass a driven leaf? Will you pursue the dry stubble? For you write bitter things against me, and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth: You also put my feet in the stocks, and mark all my paths. You set a bound to the soles of my feet, though I am decaying like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten. Job 13:23-28

Job continues speaking these thoughts in Chapter 14.

“Man, who is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble. He grows up like a flower, and is cut down. He also flees like a shadow, and doesn’t continue. Do you open your eyes on such a one, and bring me into judgment with you? Job 14:1-3

The Argument for Works

Job continues to lament the fate of a man before God until Eliphaz again speaks to Job. We’ll move to Chapter 15.

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered, “Should a wise man answer with vain knowledge, and fill himself with the east wind? Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches with which he can do no good? Yes, you do away with fear, and hinder devotion before God. For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty. Your own mouth condemns you, and not I. Yes, your own lips testify against you. Job 15:1-6

Eliphaz is again lecturing Job on works. He simply doesn’t understand God’s Grace. Eliphaz continues speaking to Job.

What is man, that he should be clean? What is he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones. Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight; how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water! Job 15:14-16

Put another way, Eliphaz is telling Job that if someone as worthy as himself will never reach perfection then how can such an abominable and corrupt man like Job even dream of meeting God. Think about that as you give advice to friends; words can heal, or scar. Jesus Himself warned us of this attitude.

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye? Matthew 7:3

Eliphaz continues to speak.

A sound of terrors is in his ears. In prosperity the destroyer shall come on him. He doesn’t believe that he shall return out of darkness. He is waited for by the sword. He wanders abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that the day of darkness is ready at his hand. Distress and anguish make him afraid. They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle. Because he has stretched out his hand against God, and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty; Job 15:21-25

We’ll skip a few verses that also condemn Job to reach Eliphaz’s main, degrading point.

He [the man who sins] shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive tree. For the company of the godless shall be barren, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery. They conceive mischief, and produce iniquity. Their heart prepares deceit.” Job 15:33-35

Job has just been deeply insulted by someone he thought was a friend. Even after hearing this, Job again patiently responds without fighting. He is still able to speak his mind calmly and without surrender to pressure. There is peace in God’s Grace.

Then Job answered, “I have heard many such things. You are all miserable comforters! Job 16:1-2

Think about Job’s words to these men that Job thought were his friends; you are all miserable comforters! We need to remember this, first of all when others come to comfort us. Accept comfort but do not let your pain become a toy or a tool on others hands. There will also be times when we can comfort others. Be sensitive. We must all learn to comfort without criticizing or challenging. Remember these words from 1 Corinthians…

Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:14

Self-Pity

Now Job once again turns away from his friends to question God.

He has torn me in his wrath, and persecuted me. He has gnashed on me with his teeth. My adversary sharpens his eyes on me. They have gaped on me with their mouth. They have struck me on the cheek reproachfully. They gather themselves together against me. God delivers me to the ungodly, and casts me into the hands of the wicked. Job 16:9-11

We said this earlier. Job has endured much without sinning against God. Like all of us, even Job is human. All of us have doubted or questioned God. Soon we’ll hear God Himself answer Job’s questioning and doubting.

For when a few years have come, I shall go the way of no return. “My spirit is consumed. My days are extinct, and the grave is ready for me. Surely there are mockers with me. My eye dwells on their provocation. Job 16:22, 17:1-2

In his own, eloquent way, Job says, “I wish I were dead.” Then he gets back to an earlier discussion; false comfort is a bitter pill. Yet, as he always does, Job once more comes back to his faith in God.

Yet shall the righteous hold on his way. He who has clean hands shall grow stronger and stronger. Job 17:9

Bildad Speaks to Job

Now Bildad takes his second turn. We instantly see that nothing Job has said to his friends was heard by them. Job’s friends, like too many of us, hear but do not listen. Avoid this trap. Job will say this very thing to his friends a little later in their conversation. He asks his friends to hear, and to listen.

“However, Job, Please hear my speech, and listen to all my words. Job 33:1

Bildad begins speaking.

Then Bildad the Shuhite answered, “How long will you hunt for words? Consider, and afterwards we will speak. Job 18:1-2

Again, Job is insulted by his friends. He’s told that there isn’t even room for a conversation; Job must submit and abandon his own beliefs and values simply because he is outnumbered. Don’t ever fear a crowd. Remember these words from Jesus.

Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to withstand or to contradict. Luke 21:14-15

You may remember that these are also the words that God once spoke to Moses as he commanded him to approach mighty Pharaoh.

Moses said to Yahweh, “O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” Yahweh said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn’t it I, Yahweh? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.” Exodus 4:10-12

Bildad continues to speak to Job.

Why are we counted as animals, which have become unclean in your sight? You who tear yourself in your anger, shall the earth be forsaken for you? Or shall the rock be removed out of its place? “Yes, the light of the wicked shall be put out, the spark of his fire shall not shine. The light shall be dark in his tent. His lamp above him shall be put out. Job 18:3-6

Bildad continues speaking harshly to Job for the rest of this chapter. After this long, disparaging speech, it is Job’s turn again to reply to his friends.

Then Job answered, “How long will you torment me, and crush me with words? You have reproached me ten times. You aren’t ashamed that you attack me. Job 19:1-3

Job’s Prophesy

Job has had enough, yet he can’t help feeling sad at the continued harsh words of his friends. Job now attempts to both reason with his friends and to question God.

If indeed you will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach; know now that God has subverted me, and has surrounded me with his net. “Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard. I cry for help, but there is no justice.

He has walled up my way so that I can’t pass, and has set darkness in my paths. He has stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head. He has broken me down on every side, and I am gone. My hope he has plucked up like a tree. He has also kindled his wrath against me. He counts me among his adversaries. Job 19:5-11

Job continues, but we’ll drop down to verse 21.

“Have pity on me, have pity on me, you my friends; for the hand of God has touched me. Why do you persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh? Job 19:21-22

With these two verses, we can see that Job has reached the lowest point of his despair. His next few words though are prophetic and show us once again that God is always with us and that He does answer prayer.

“Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! That with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever! Job 19:23-24

Job’s words have been recorded forever, and even more permanently than being carved in rock. We have all of Job’s words in our Bible. Continuing, Job gives us another prophetic statement.

But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives. In the end, he will stand upon the earth. Job 19:25

Job lived, as near as we can tell, about the time of the end of the Book of Genesis; when Abraham or Joseph walked the earth. Yet Job’s prophetic statement of a living redeemer clearly makes the leap into the New Testament, and even into the end of the Book of Revelation!

I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with people, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. Revelation 21:2-3

Job then goes on to describe his own interpretation of Paul’s statement…

We are courageous, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8

We often repeat this verse simply as ‘absent from the body, present with the Lord’; Job’s version is this…

After my skin is destroyed, then in my flesh shall I see God, whom I, even I, shall see on my side. My eyes shall see, and not as a stranger. “My heart is consumed within me. Job 19:26-27

Zophar Speaks to Job

Zophar’s next chance to debate Job has arrived. He’s quickly losing patience with his friend Job. Zophar ignores Job’s clear vision of our future and returns to speaking of works as his own way to salvation.

Then Zophar the Naamathite answered, “Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me, even by reason of my haste that is in me. I have heard the reproof which puts me to shame. The spirit of my understanding answers me. Don’t you know this from old time, since man was placed on earth, that the triumphing of the wicked is short, the joy of the godless but for a moment? Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach to the clouds, yet he shall perish forever like his own dung. Those who have seen him shall say, ‘Where is he?’ He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found. Yes, he shall be chased away like a vision of the night. The eye which saw him shall see him no more, neither shall his place anymore see him. Job 20:1-9

Zophar may have heard Job but he certainly wasn’t listening. Zophar, you may have noticed, makes his arguments based on Law, not on God’s Grace. Zophar clearly believes that fellowship with God must be earned, and then can be lost at any time. Zophar not only continues attacking Job’s character, his language becomes more graphic. Would you repeat any of these next verses to your own friend?

He has swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again. God will cast them out of his belly. He shall suck cobra venom. The viper’s tongue shall kill him. He shall not look at the rivers, the flowing streams of honey and butter. Job 20:15-17

Job has just been cursed by a friend. As we read a moment ago, allow God to give you the words to speak and you will not lose your friend’s love. Zophar now attempts his own prophecy. God hears this as well, and will respond soon.

There was nothing left that he didn’t devour, therefore his prosperity shall not endure. He shall flee from the iron weapon. The bronze arrow shall strike him through. He draws it out, and it comes out of his body. Yes, the glittering point comes out of his liver. Terrors are on him. All darkness is laid up for his treasures. An unfanned fire shall devour him. It shall consume that which is left in his tent. The heavens shall reveal his iniquity. The earth shall rise up against him. Job 20:21, 24-27

Look at Zophar’s last words for a minute, the heavens shall reveal his iniquity. The earth shall rise up against him. Have you ever heard the expression, ‘Woe is me’? That saying actually comes from Job – even before these harsh words came to him from his friend.

If I am wicked, woe to me. Job 10:15a

Zophar ends his attack with one last, chilling verse for Job. We’ll get to that next time. Next time Job’s friends will move further from comforting their friend to insulting him and deeply hurting him.

We’ll also hear Job and his friends speak more of Law and Grace. They will also ask a question many of us continue to ask today, 'why does so much evil seem to go unpunished.' Next time most of our reading will be from Job Chapters 21 through 37.

This time we learned that Job, like us, is human, with his own fears and doubt. Job questioned God but never strayed far from God’s Truth and God’s Grace.

- Each time he began to stray Job brought himself quickly back to God, even when he doubted and feared the most. Let this also become our habit.

- Far ahead of his time, Job understood and taught the Grace of God.

- Like Job, learn and speak the truth of God, not the truths of men; know the difference.

- Like Jesus, learn to pray to God, not bargain with Him, “Not my will, but thy will.”

- Do not repeat the harsh tones and stinging words of Job’s three friends. Always allow God to guide you and give you His words, just like He did with Moses before Pharaoh. As Paul taught, “With all gentle and quiet behavior, taking whatever comes, putting up with one another in love; taking care to keep the harmony of the Spirit in the yoke of peace.” Ephesians 4:2-3 and in Corinthians, “Let all you do be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14

21) Job, Works or Grace

Last time we finished as Zophar was attacking Job’s character. The men that had come to comfort their friend were now attacking him and deepening his pain.

- Yet in all of his suffering Job never strayed far from God. When he did begin to doubt or question, Job quickly returned to God’s Grace.

- Long before anyone else, Job understood Grace.

- Even in his suffering, Job was resolute in speaking the truth of God rather than surrendering to the truths of men. We must learn the difference, and then follow the truth of God in our own lives.

- Pray to God and for God. Do not bargain with Him.

- As we comfort others we must always remember to do everything with love. Allow God to give us the words of healing. Remember the words of Paul, “With all gentle and quiet behavior, taking whatever comes, putting up with one another in love; taking care to keep the harmony of the Spirit in the yoke of peace.” Ephesians 4:2-3 and in Corinthians, “Let all you do be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14

Good versus Evil

This time we will return to Zophar’s attack of Job’s character. Zophar has lost his patience with Job. He has attacked Job personally and defended Works as the path to God. Zophar now ends his attack with one last, chilling verse for Job.

This is the portion of a wicked man from God, the heritage appointed to him by God.” Job 20:29

When we think about Job and his suffering, losing all his possessions and family, shouldn’t we also wonder about how Job must have suffered in this conversation with what he thought were three close friends? When we console a friend we must remember to ask God for the words that will bring comfort.

Job responds to Zophar by asking the same questions that each of us have asked ourselves and each other; why do the good suffer while so much evil seems to occur without consequence; and so often producing earthly wealth. Have you ever heard the expression, “The mill grinds slow but exceedingly fine”? It’s not in the Bible but seems to come from biblical teaching. Nahum says it this way.

Yahweh is slow to anger, and great in power, and will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. Yahweh has his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. Nahum 1:3

Peter would later restate this thought in accordance with the Grace of the New Testament.

The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

This is how Job asks that question about evil appearing to go unpunished in this world.

“Why do the wicked live, become old, yes, and grow mighty in power? Their child is established with them in their sight, their offspring before their eyes. Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them. Their bulls breed without fail. Their cows calve, and don’t miscarry. They send out their little ones like a flock. Their children dance. Job 21:7-11

Job continues to question why evil men seem to not be punished. The end of Chapter 21 brings this discussion back to the comments from Job’s own friends.

…that the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity, that they are led out to the day of wrath? Who shall declare his way to his face? Who shall repay him what he has done? Yet he will be borne to the grave. Men shall keep watch over the tomb. The clods of the valley shall be sweet to him. All men shall draw after him, as there were innumerable before him. So how can you comfort me with nonsense, because in your answers there remains only falsehood? Job 21:30-34

An Unloving God?

Eliphaz tries again to tell Job that his misery must have come from Job’s own sin.

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered, “Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that you are righteous? Or does it benefit him, that you make your ways perfect? Is it for your piety that he reproves you, that he enters with you into judgment? Job 22:1-4

Eliphaz is telling Job that their God is uncaring and unloving. This is not the God we know to have sent his only son to die for us on a Roman cross. Eliphaz now goes from his belief of God to attacking Job directly. Eliphaz, like his two friends, clearly does not yet know that God is love. We never learned this, ourselves, until the New Testament.

He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:8

Eliphaz continues…

Isn’t your wickedness great? Neither is there any end to your iniquities. For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing. You haven’t given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry. But as for the mighty man, he had the earth. The honorable man, he lived in it. You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken. Therefore snares are around you. Sudden fear troubles you, or darkness, so that you cannot see, and floods of waters cover you. Job 22:5-11

Eliphaz, like his two friends Bildad and Zophar, cannot understand the Grace that Job sees in God. Instead, Eliphaz however tries to speak for God.

“Acquaint yourself with him, now, and be at peace. Thereby good shall come to you. Please receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you shall be built up, if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents. Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks. The Almighty will be your treasure, and precious silver to you. For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and shall lift up your face to God. You shall make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You shall pay your vows. Job 22:21-27

Eliphaz goes right back to a discussion of living under the Law. To be fair, all four of these men lived during the time of the Law. It was only Job that had this vision of coming Grace.

Gold of Ophir

Let’s also take a minute to understand something else Eliphaz said to Job. He said, Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks. Ophir and its gold are mentioned about a dozen times throughout the Old Testament. We’ll look at a few references to the gold of Ophir. We’ll first learn of Ophir, the person.

You may remember that Noah had three sons; Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ophir was the name of Shem’s great-great-grandson.

Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. Genesis 10:29

We have already seen that cities and regions in the Old Testament have been given the names of people mentioned in the Bible. Ophir is one more example. The gold mines that were found in the land of Ophir must have been extraordinary. Look at these passages.

They came to Ophir, and fetched from there gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to King Solomon. 1 Kings 9:28

A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds, so 420 talents is almost 14 tons!

even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, with which to overlay the walls of the houses; 1 Chronicles 29:4

Huram sent him ships and servants who had knowledge of the sea by the hands of his servants; and they came with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and brought from there four hundred fifty talents of gold, and brought them to King Solomon. 2 Chronicles 8:18

Kings’ daughters are among your honorable women. At your right hand the queen stands in gold of Ophir. Psalms 45:9

Seeking God

It is now Job’s turn to speak again. He tells his three friends that he would like to speak directly to God about his sorrows. He’ll soon get his wish.

Then Job answered, “Even today my complaint is rebellious. His hand is heavy in spite of my groaning. Oh that I knew where I might find him! That I might come even to his seat! I would set my cause in order before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would tell me. Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No, but he would listen to me. Job 23:1-6

Job now talks about searching for God. How many of us search this same way?

“If I go east, he is not there; if west, I can’t find him; He works to the north, but I can’t see him. He turns south, but I can’t catch a glimpse of him. Job 23:8-9

Job had an understanding of Faith and of Grace but he did not understand that to find God we must look inward – to our hearts. We now know that God seeks to live within us. Job moves on and recounts his faith.

But he knows the way that I take. When he has tried me, I shall come out like gold. My foot has held fast to his steps. I have kept his way, and not turned aside. I haven’t gone back from the commandment of his lips. I have treasured up the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. Job 23:10-12

As he continues though, Job cannot help returning to his growing doubts.

But he stands alone, and who can oppose him? What his soul desires, even that he does. For he performs that which is appointed for me. Many such things are with him. Therefore I am terrified at his presence. When I consider, I am afraid of him. For God has made my heart faint. The Almighty has terrified me. Job 23:13-16

Job finally goes back to his original question of why evil seems to have no punishment.

There are people who remove the landmarks. They violently take away flocks, and feed them. They drive away the donkey of the fatherless, and they take the widow’s ox for a pledge. They turn the needy out of the way. The poor of the earth all hide themselves. Behold, as wild donkeys in the desert, they go out to their work, seeking diligently for food. The wilderness yields them bread for their children. Job 24:2-5

Job continues to describe the suffering of the weak and the poor but then turns this directly into a questioning of God.

From out of the populous city, men groan. The soul of the wounded cries out, yet God doesn’t regard the folly. “These are of those who rebel against the light. They don’t know its ways, nor stay in its paths. The murderer rises with the light. He kills the poor and needy. In the night he is like a thief. The eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, ‘No eye shall see me.’ He disguises his face. Job 24:12-15

Even with his own doubts and questions, Job doesn’t stray from God’s power for long.

Sheol is naked before God, and Abaddon has no covering. He stretches out the north over empty space, and hangs the earth on nothing. He binds up the waters in his thick clouds, and the cloud is not burst under them. He encloses the face of his throne, and spreads his cloud on it. He has described a boundary on the surface of the waters, and to the confines of light and darkness. The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his rebuke. He stirs up the sea with his power, and by his understanding he strikes through Rahab. By his Spirit the heavens are garnished. His hand has pierced the swift serpent. Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways. How small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?” Job 26:6-14

Sheol refers to the grave or to the underworld; where the dead await redemption. Abaddon means Destroyer. We can take this to mean Satan.

Returning to God

Job begins here by listing what we would normally think of as great achievements of God; He controls the rain and the sunshine on the Earth. God quiets the sea and shakes the pillars of Heaven.

Job also told us that by his understanding he strikes through Rahab. There are several references to a woman named Rahab. Most of her story is tied to the city of Jericho.

Joshua the son of Nun secretly sent two men out of Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, including Jericho.” They went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and slept there. Joshua 2:1

And

The city shall be devoted, even it and all that is in it, to Yahweh. Only Rahab the prostitute shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. Joshua 6:17

We’ll learn much more of Rahab’s story another time. Instead, the Rahab to which Job refers seems to be a city or country. This Rahab is mentioned in two of the Psalms.

I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me. Behold, Philistia, Tyre, and also Ethiopia: “This one was born there.” Psalms 87:4

And,

You have broken Rahab in pieces, like one of the slain. You have scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. Psalms 89:10

Job’s words were, by his understanding he strikes through Rahab. That seems to fit best with Psalms 89.

Job’s turn to speak continues.

Job again took up his parable, and said, “As God lives, who has taken away my right, the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter (for the length of my life is still in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils); surely my lips shall not speak unrighteousness, neither shall my tongue utter deceit. Far be it from me that I should justify you. Until I die I will not put away my integrity from me. I hold fast to my righteousness, and will not let it go. My heart shall not reproach me so long as I live. Job 27:1-6

The spirit of God is in my nostrils, Job says. Even in all of his misery Job puts God and His will first. This is a lesson that all of us must learn. God wants to be, needs to be, first in our lives. Paul says it this way.

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21

As Job continues, he answers his own question, and our question, of why evil seems to go unpunished.

For what is the hope of the godless, when he is cut off, when God takes away his life? Will God hear his cry when trouble comes on him? Will he delight himself in the Almighty, and call on God at all times?

I will teach you about the hand of God. That which is with the Almighty will I not conceal. Behold, all of you have seen it yourselves; why then have you become altogether vain? “This is the portion of a wicked man with God, the heritage of oppressors, which they receive from the Almighty. If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword. His offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.

Those who remain of him shall be buried in death. His widows shall make no lamentation. Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare clothing as the clay; he may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.

He builds his house as the moth, as a booth which the watchman makes. He lies down rich, but he shall not do so again. He opens his eyes, and he is not. Terrors overtake him like waters. A storm steals him away in the night. The east wind carries him away, and he departs. It sweeps him out of his place. For it hurls at him, and does not spare, as he flees away from his hand. Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place. Job 27:8-23

The Book of Job was written as poetry. In his own poetic way Job answers the question of no punishment for the evil in this world by saying that God one day will hold the evil doers to account for their sins.

John tells us more about this accounting before God in the Book of Revelations.

I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them. I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. Revelation 20:11-12

Job continues speaking of evil, then moves on to describe God’s wisdom in great detail; describing it as even beyond the understanding of men. This leads Job to speak of happier times. In Job’s words we hear the later teachings of Paul as he described living his life in and for Christ.

Job again took up his parable, and said, “Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me; when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness, as I was in the ripeness of my days, when the friendship of God was in my tent, when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me, when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me, Job 29:1-6

By Job’s own admission, he had enjoyed a very good, blessed life. He next tells us that the men of the town gave him great respect. They saw God in Job’s life. Let the people around you see God in your life as well.

Pay attention now to Job’s words for living with and for God.

When I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street. The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood. The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth. The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth. For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it commended me.

Because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him, the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem. I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame. I was a father to the needy. The cause of him who I didn’t know, I searched out. I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth. Job 29:7-17

How many of us today could honestly repeat even one of these statements from Job? But now, once again, Job questions God. This shows us that we cannot rest on our own achievements. We must rest in God. He is our strength.

Terrors have turned on me. They chase my honor as the wind. My welfare has passed away as a cloud. “Now my soul is poured out within me. Days of affliction have taken hold on me. In the night season my bones are pierced in me, and the pains that gnaw me take no rest.

By great force is my garment disfigured. It binds me about as the collar of my coat. He has cast me into the mire. I have become like dust and ashes. I cry to you, and you do not answer me. I stand up, and you gaze at me. You have turned to be cruel to me. With the might of your hand you persecute me. Job 30:15-21

With this last, you have turned to be cruel to me, Job tries placing all of the blame for his own sorrows on God. Again, He doesn’t go far down this path before he again pleads with God for a fair accounting.

“If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hurried to deceit (let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity); if my step has turned out of the way, if my heart walked after my eyes, if any defilement has stuck to my hands, then let me sow, and let another eat. Yes, let the produce of my field be rooted out. Job 31:5-8

As Job continues asking God for fair judgment he makes a statement that would become popular during the days of abolition before the Civil War.

“If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me; what then shall I do when God rises up? When he visits, what shall I answer him? Didn’t he who made me in the womb make him? Didn’t one fashion us in the womb? Job 31:13-15

More Right than God

Some of you may remember The Three Stooges. You may even remember that there were actually six Three Stooges; Larry, Curly, Moe, Shemp, Joe, and Little Joe. In the same way, we are about to learn that there are actually four of the three friends that visited with Job. Earlier we met three of them, the men who have been speaking with Job.

Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come on him, they each came from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him. Job 2:11

Elihu is the last man in this group of grieving friends. He must have been a very young man during this conversation. He will tell us that he is young. That is likely why his name was not mentioned with the ‘adults’.

Elihu is about to speak. He’s getting mad, but not just with Job. He is angry with each of his friends; Job for not admitting his great sin, and his three other friends for not exposing Job’s sin. He is the youngest of the group so he has waited patiently, but no more.

So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. Then the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel, the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was kindled against Job. His wrath was kindled because he justified himself rather than God. Also his wrath was kindled against his three friends, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job, because they were elder than he. When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was kindled.

Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered, “I am young, and you are very old; therefore I held back, and didn’t dare show you my opinion. I said, ‘Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.’ But there is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding. It is not the great who are wise, nor the aged who understand justice.

Therefore I said, ‘Listen to me; I also will show my opinion.’ “Behold, I waited for your words, and I listened for your reasoning, while you searched out what to say. Yes, I gave you my full attention, but there was no one who convinced Job, or who answered his words, among you. Job 32:1-12

Elihu spent more time warming up. He likely spent so much time preparing his three friends for what he had to say because Elihu really did have great respect for the wisdom that comes with age.

Behold, my terror shall not make you afraid, neither shall my pressure be heavy on you. “Surely you have spoken in my hearing, I have heard the voice of your words, saying, ‘I am clean, without disobedience. I am innocent, neither is there iniquity in me. Behold, he finds occasions against me. He counts me for his enemy. He puts my feet in the stocks. He marks all my paths.’

“Behold, I will answer you. In this you are not just, for God is greater than man. Why do you strive against him, because he doesn’t give account of any of his matters? For God speaks once, yes twice, though man pays no attention. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, in slumbering on the bed; then he opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction, that he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. He keeps back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword. Job 33:7-18

Elihu’s almost got it – what we call Grace today. He is speaking to Job about Works. He will soon continue his speech by describing an angel of God that sounds very much like Jesus to us. Elihu first talks about God’s punishment for evil deeds.

He is chastened also with pain on his bed, with continual strife in his bones; so that his life abhors bread, and his soul dainty food. His flesh is so consumed away, that it can’t be seen. His bones that were not seen stick out. Yes, his soul draws near to the pit, and his life to the destroyers. Job 33:19-22

This is where Elihu moves from Works to describe what we now call Grace. He continues to describe what may be an accounting of Jesus.

“If there is beside him an angel, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show to man what is right for him; then God is gracious to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom.’ His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s. He returns to the days of his youth. He prays to God, and he is favorable to him, so that he sees his face with joy. He restores to man his righteousness. He sings before men, and says, ‘I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it didn’t profit me. He has redeemed my soul from going into the pit. My life shall see the light.’ Job 33:23-28

Elihu’s last sentences, He has redeemed my soul from going into the pit. My life shall see the light, are actually a very good description of accepting Christ and His gift of salvation. Unfortunately, Elihu falls just short of fully understanding his own words. He returns to arguing Works.

What man is like Job, who drinks scorn like water, who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, and walks with wicked men? For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.’ “Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness, from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity. For the work of a man he will render to him, and cause every man to find according to his ways. Job 34:7-11

Elihu could not be any clearer in describing Works; for the work of a man He will render to him. Elihu continues by praising God as Just.

Yes surely, God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert justice. Job 34:12

But Elihu turns this praise back to a discussion of Works.

He breaks in pieces mighty men in ways past finding out, and sets others in their place. Therefore he takes knowledge of their works. He overturns them in the night, so that they are destroyed. He strikes them as wicked men in the open sight of others; Job 34:24-26

Elihu continues speaking for quite some time. Clearly he was saving up and waiting for his turn to speak.

Elihu also continued, and said, “Bear with me a little, and I will show you; for I still have something to say on God’s behalf. Job 36:1-2

Right here we see the error in all of Elihu’s logic. None of us speak ‘for God’. He continues this way, believing himself to be the voice of God.

For truly my words are not false. One who is perfect in knowledge is with you. Job 36:4

One with perfect knowledge is, indeed, with this group. God is now very close to joining this conversation. Elihu again tries to explain Works to Job.

“Behold, God is mighty, and doesn’t despise anyone. He is mighty in strength of understanding. He doesn’t preserve the life of the wicked, but gives to the afflicted their right. He doesn’t withdraw his eyes from the righteous, but with kings on the throne, he sets them forever, and they are exalted.

If they are bound in fetters, and are taken in the cords of afflictions, then he shows them their work, and their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly. He also opens their ears to instruction, and commands that they return from iniquity. If they listen and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. But if they don’t listen, they shall perish by the sword; they shall die without knowledge. Job 36:5-12

He believes deeply in Works rather than in Grace, but Elihu clearly loves God, as we’ll see with his next words.

“Remember that you magnify his work, whereof men have sung. All men have looked on it. Man sees it afar off. Behold, God is great, and we don’t know him. The number of his years is unsearchable. For he draws up the drops of water, which distill in rain from his vapor, which the skies pour down and which drop on man abundantly.

Yes, can any understand the spreading of the clouds, and the thunderings of his pavilion? Behold, he spreads his light around him. He covers the bottom of the sea. For by these he judges the people. He gives food in abundance. He covers his hands with the lightning, and commands it to strike the mark. Its noise tells about him, and the livestock also concerning the storm that comes up. Job 36:24-33

But even in this, Elihu is misguided. He gives honor to God, and Elihu recognizes God’s glory and wisdom, but he doesn’t seem to see God’s love. Listen as Elihu continues.

“Yes, at this my heart trembles, and is moved out of its place. Hear, oh, hear the noise of his voice, the sound that goes out of his mouth. He sends it out under the whole sky, and his lightning to the ends of the earth. After it a voice roars. He thunders with the voice of his majesty. He doesn’t hold back anything when his voice is heard. God thunders marvelously with his voice.

He does great things, which we can’t comprehend. For he says to the snow, ‘fall on the earth;’ likewise to the shower of rain, and to the showers of his mighty rain. He seals up the hand of every man, that all men whom he has made may know it. Then the animals take cover, and remain in their dens. Out of its room comes the storm, and cold out of the north.

By the breath of God, ice is given, and the width of the waters is frozen. Yes, he loads the thick cloud with moisture. He spreads abroad the cloud of his lightning. It is turned around by his guidance, that they may do whatever he commands them on the surface of the habitable world, whether it is for correction, or for his land, or for loving kindness, that he causes it to come. Job 37:1-13

Yes, all of this describes the power of God but these are dark descriptions of a God with little compassion. When you think of God, when you describe God, remember the words of John that God is love.

He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:8

Elihu ends by saying quite clearly that God is to be feared and not loved.

And now the light is not seen, for it is dark because of the clouds; but a wind comes, clearing them away. A bright light comes out of the north; God's glory is greatly to be feared. There is no searching out of the Ruler of all: his strength and his judging are great; he is full of righteousness, doing no wrong. For this cause men go in fear of him; he has no respect for any who are wise in heart. Job 37:21-24 BBE

Elihu and his two friends have been unsuccessful in persuading Job that Works and the law are the only way to see Heaven. If he had more time, Job may have summarized his thoughts in much the same way that the prophet Micah would later eloquently describe the Grace of God.

Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn’t retain his anger forever, because he delights in loving kindness. He will again have compassion on us. He will tread our iniquities under foot; and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:18-19

Job does not speak. This conversation comes to an abrupt but amazing end. God has now had enough of others claiming to speak for Him. He is about to join this conversation and speak for Himself. We will be with Job and his four friends next time as they all hear God’s words. Most of our reading will be from the Book of Job, chapters 38 through 42.

This time we learned a great deal about Law and Grace. These conversations with Job give us a deeper understanding of God’s gift of Grace. All of the guilt of our sins, described in this Book of Job, was taken from each of us by Christ’s death on the cross. Always remember why Christ died for you.

- We learned that Job, like all of us, wondered why so much evil seems to go unpunished. We learned that our time is not God’s time and that one day all will stand before the White Throne of Judgment.

- We heard Job’s friends claim to speak for God. We quickly saw, through New Testament Grace, that they did not speak for God. Allow God to speak to you, not those who claim to be His voice. Listen with your heart and you will know.

- Job searched for God with his eyes, and said, “I am not able to see him.” None of us will see God until we search with our heart.

- Job said, “The spirit of God is my life. Paul said it this way, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Can we offer any less?

22) Job, Conversations with God

Last time we listened to Job’s conversations with his four friends as they debated Law and Grace. As Job’s friends described Law they also shared graphic examples of sinners that fail to uphold all of the law. Christ’s death on the cross removed those punishments from us.

- Job asked why God seems to allow so much suffering from evil in this world while the evil doers seem to go on, unharmed and prosperous. We learned that our time is not God’s time. One day all unbelievers will face God’s judgment.

- Job’s friends claimed to speak for God. To this day, many claim to speak for God. Allow God, and God’s word to speak to you. Listen with your heart and you will know the difference.

- Job searched for God with his eyes but could not find Him. None of us will see God until we search for Him with our heart.

- Job said, “The spirit of God is my life. Paul said it this way, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Can we offer any less?

As we finish our time with Job and his three friends God will come forward to speak for Himself. God will correct, He will teach, and He will show Job His love.

God Joins the Conversation

God has now had enough of others claiming to speak for Him. He says that to Elihu as God now joins in the conversation and otherwise speaks directly to Job.

Then Yahweh answered Job out of the whirlwind, “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man, for I will question you, then you answer me! Job 38:1-3

God begins this conversation by letting Job, and everyone else, know that He is in charge. In our terms, He tells Job to stand up and act like a man. God now begins His questioning and His teaching.

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding. Who determined its measures, if you know? Or who stretched the line on it? Whereupon were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? “Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke out of the womb, when I made clouds its garment, and wrapped it in thick darkness, marked out for it my bound, set bars and doors, and said, ‘Here you may come, but no further. Here your proud waves shall be stayed?’ Job 38:4-11

God has begun by asking Job where he was while God was busy during the week of Creation. Saying, in effect, what did you do to help? What God is really saying to Job and his friends, to us as well, is that man has no ability and no concept of the wonders and powers of God. His works and thoughts and deeds are above our understanding. God, Himself, tells us that.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,” says Yahweh. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

God continues speaking to Job; scolding him may be a better description.

“Have you commanded the morning in your days, and caused the dawn to know its place; that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and shake the wicked out of it? It is changed as clay under the seal, and presented as a garment. From the wicked, their light is withheld. The high arm is broken.

“Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the gates of the shadow of death? Have you comprehended the earth in its width? Declare, if you know it all.

“What is the way to the dwelling of light? As for darkness, where is its place, that you should take it to its bound, that you should discern the paths to its house? Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great!

Have you entered the treasuries of the snow, or have you seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war? By what way is the lightning distributed, or the east wind scattered on the earth? Who has cut a channel for the flood water, or the path for the thunderstorm; To cause it to rain on a land where no man is; on the wilderness, in which there is no man; to satisfy the waste and desolate ground, to cause the tender grass to grow?

Does the rain have a father? Or who fathers the drops of dew? Out of whose womb came the ice? The gray frost of the sky, who has given birth to it? The waters become hard like stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen. “Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loosen the cords of Orion? Can you lead the constellations out in their season? Or can you guide the Bear with her cubs? Job 38:12-32

The Pleiades, Orion, and the Bears; Ursa Major and Ursa Minor; are all constellations. God is asking Job, “Did you create the heavens and the stars?” God says exactly that next.

Speaking Across the Generations

Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you establish its dominion over the earth? “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover you? Can you send out lightnings, that they may go? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are?’ Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the mind? Job 38:33-36

Verse 36 will be stated differently in other versions of the Bible. For instance the Bible in Basic English reads this way.

Who has put wisdom in the high clouds, or given knowledge to the lights of the north? Job 38:36 BBE

Think about this last sentence for a moment. God is referring here to the Aurora Borealis; the Northern Lights. The Northern lights are not visible anywhere near the equator where Job lives. So God, as He questions Job on something Job cannot understand, also sends a message to us that this Bible is truly God’s word. It was always meant to carry His word across the centuries to all people.

Who can count the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of the sky, when the dust runs into a mass, and the clods of earth stick together? Job 38:37-38

God speaks in these last two verses of actually creating the earth; joining the land together in masses – continents.

God continues speaking to Job.

“Can you hunt the prey for the lioness, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, when they crouch in their dens, and lie in wait in the thicket? Who provides for the raven his prey, when his young ones cry to God, and wander for lack of food? Job 38:39-41

God explained that he even provides food to the mighty lions. He goes on to explain his omnipotence; explaining that He is all-seeing, all-knowing, and all-powerful. As we read this next long passage consider for yourself all that God does each moment for every one of us, plus every being on earth.

“Do you know the time when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears fawns? Can you count the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they give birth? They bow themselves, they bear their young. They end their labor pains. Their young ones become strong. They grow up in the open field. They go out, and don’t return again.

Who has set the wild donkey free? Or who has loosened the bonds of the swift donkey, whose home I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling place? He scorns the tumult of the city, neither does he hear the shouting of the driver. The range of the mountains is his pasture, He searches after every green thing. Will the wild ox be content to serve you? Or will he stay by your feeding trough? Can you hold the wild ox in the furrow with his harness? Or will he till the valleys after you? Will you trust him, because his strength is great? Or will you leave to him your labor? Will you confide in him, that he will bring home your seed, and gather the grain of your threshing floor?

The wings of the ostrich wave proudly; but are they the feathers and plumage of love? For she leaves her eggs on the earth, warms them in the dust, and forgets that the foot may crush them, or that the wild animal may trample them. She deals harshly with her young ones, as if they were not hers. Though her labor is in vain, she is without fear, because God has deprived her of wisdom, neither has he imparted to her understanding. When she lifts up herself on high, she scorns the horse and his rider.

Have you given the horse might? Have you clothed his neck with a quivering mane? Have you made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is awesome. He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength. He goes out to meet the armed men. He mocks at fear, and is not dismayed, neither does he turn back from the sword. The quiver rattles against him, the flashing spear and the javelin. He eats up the ground with fierceness and rage, neither does he stand still at the sound of the trumpet. As often as the trumpet sounds he snorts, ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars, and stretches her wings toward the south? Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up, and makes his nest on high? On the cliff he dwells, and makes his home, on the point of the cliff, and the stronghold. From there he spies out the prey. His eyes see it afar off. His young ones also suck up blood. Where the slain are, there he is.” Job 39:1-30

As God is addressing Job, He also tells us that each of His creations have their own purpose – even the wisdomless ostrich which knows no fear, laughs at the mighty horse of war.

Job Answers God

God will now give Job his chance to reply.

Moreover Yahweh answered Job, “Shall he who argues contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.” Job 40:1-2

Job wisely responds to God’s instruction by not questioning God’s authority.

Then Job answered Yahweh, “Behold, I am of small account. What shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.” Job 40:3-5

God the Teacher

God then continues his conversation with Job. God accepts Job’s answer and is now willing to move on from a scolding to teaching Job and his four friends. If we allow Him, God is always a willing and eager teacher.

Before He begins teaching Job, and us, God needs to make sure that Job is ready to learn. God begins by repeating His earlier charge to ‘man up’.

Then Yahweh answered Job out of the whirlwind, “Now brace yourself like a man. I will question you, and you will answer me. Job 40:6-7

Job must have responded immediately, because God goes straight into His teaching.

Will you even annul my judgment? Will you condemn me, that you may be justified? Or do you have an arm like God? Can you thunder with a voice like him?

“Now deck yourself with excellency and dignity. Array yourself with honor and majesty. Pour out the fury of your anger. Look at everyone who is proud, and bring him low. Look at everyone who is proud, and humble him. Crush the wicked in their place. Hide them in the dust together. Bind their faces in the hidden place. Then I will also admit to you that your own right hand can save you. Job 40:8-14

God is now describing His own authority and Himself. Do you have an arm like God, is likely describing what would have been understood in the Old Testament to have meant a strong sword arm. A voice of thunder would have described Gods authority and ability to command His army.

“See now, behemoth, which I made as well as you. He eats grass as an ox. Look now, his strength is in his thighs. His force is in the muscles of his belly. He moves his tail like a cedar. The sinews of his thighs are knit together. His bones are like tubes of brass. His limbs are like bars of iron. He is the chief of the ways of God. He who made him gives him his sword.

Surely the mountains produce food for him, where all the animals of the field play. He lies under the lotus trees, in the covert of the reed, and the marsh. The lotuses cover him with their shade. The willows of the brook surround him. Behold, if a river overflows, he doesn’t tremble. He is confident, though the Jordan swells even to his mouth. Shall any take him when he is on the watch, or pierce through his nose with a snare? Job 40:15-24

This is one example from the Bible where many believe that God is describing dinosaurs; dinosaurs living with man. Can you think of any other animals with no fear of a flooding river or of the Jordan River rushing against him? God is about to give us two more examples, one of the giant dinosaurs of the sea and the other of what we call dragons. God now describes for us large, fearsome water animals.

“Can you draw out Leviathan with a fish hook, or press down his tongue with a cord? Can you put a rope into his nose, or pierce his jaw through with a hook? Will he make many petitions to you, or will he speak soft words to you? Will he make a covenant with you, that you should take him for a servant forever? Will you play with him as with a bird? Or will you bind him for your girls? Will traders barter for him? Will they part him among the merchants?

Can you fill his skin with barbed irons, or his head with fish spears? Lay your hand on him. Remember the battle, and do so no more. Behold, the hope of him is in vain. Won’t one be cast down even at the sight of him? None is so fierce that he dare stir him up. Who then is he who can stand before me? Job 41:1-10

What God is saying here is that Job, and no one else, is even willing to tackle one of God’s creations. How then can anyone hope to challenge God Himself? He tells us that before God moves on to His next example. As we read these next verses, think about your own vision of dragons. How close do we get to God’s description?

Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Everything under the heavens is mine. “I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, nor his mighty strength, nor his goodly frame. Who can strip off his outer garment? Who shall come within his jaws? Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror.

Strong scales are his pride, shut up together with a close seal. One is so near to another that no air can come between them. They are joined to one another. They stick together, so that they can’t be pulled apart. His sneezing flashes out light. His eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

Out of his mouth go burning torches. Sparks of fire leap out. Out of his nostrils a smoke goes, as of a boiling pot over a fire of reeds. His breath kindles coals. A flame goes out of his mouth. There is strength in his neck. Terror dances before him. The flakes of his flesh are joined together. They are firm on him. They can’t be moved. His heart is as firm as a stone, yes, firm as the lower millstone.

When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid. They retreat before his thrashing. If one attacks him with the sword, it can’t prevail; nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft. He counts iron as straw; and brass as rotten wood. The arrow can’t make him flee. Sling stones are like chaff to him. Clubs are counted as stubble. He laughs at the rushing of the javelin.

His undersides are like sharp potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge. He makes the deep to boil like a pot. He makes the sea like a pot of ointment. He makes a path shine after him. One would think the deep had white hair. On earth there is not his equal that is made without fear. He sees everything that is high. He is king over all the sons of pride. Job 41:11-34

Everything under the heavens is mine, God said. Remember this when you consider the size or the quality of your own gifts to God.

Many cultures have their own accounts of dragons; great fire-breathing beasts. Middle-age Europe and ancient China are but two examples of cultures describing dragons the same way that God explained them to Job. Job meekly answers God; completely surrendering to God.

Then Job answered Yahweh, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be restrained. You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ therefore I have uttered that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I didn’t know. You said, ‘Listen, now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you will answer me.’ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:1-6

Finale

Finishing with Job, God now addresses Job’s three friends.

It was so, that after Yahweh had spoken these words to Job, Yahweh said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you, and against your two friends; for you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has. Now therefore, take to yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept him, that I not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has.”

So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did what Yahweh commanded them, and Yahweh accepted Job. Job 42:7-9

So in very clear terms God tells Job’s friends that it is they who are wrong. God makes it very clear that all of us really do live under God’s Grace. Loving and trusting God is far more important to Him. These men must make amends to Job, and it is Job that must ask God to forgive his friends. Moving on once again God now restores Job’s property and his good life.

Yahweh turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends. Yahweh gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then came there to him all his brothers, and all his sisters, and all those who had been of his acquaintance before, and ate bread with him in his house. They comforted him, and consoled him concerning all the evil that Yahweh had brought on him. Everyone also gave him a piece of money, and everyone a ring of gold.

So Yahweh blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand female donkeys. He had also seven sons and three daughters. He called the name of the first, Jemimah; and the name of the second, Keziah; and the name of the third, Keren Happuch. In all the land were no women found so beautiful as the daughters of Job. Their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. After this Job lived one hundred forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, to four generations. So Job died, being old and full of days. Job 42:10-17

This time we learned some of who and what God is and what this means to us; an all-powerful, loving God sharing His Grace. We learned that even the animals know and obey God.

- In speaking of the Northern lights God was telling all generations that His word is constant, true, and for every nation.

- God often spoke to His people in the Old Testament in broad terms, leaving His meaning to become known to other generations. In the same way, Jesus spoke in parables; wanting the entirety of His lesson to become known at some later date.

- Rest, do not worry that your knowledge of God is incomplete. God reveals His story in His own time. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, or your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

- God tells us that each of His creations have their own purpose. He also lets us know that we need not know His purpose, it is enough that He knows.

- God is willing and eager to teach. We must be willing and eager to learn.

- As God explained to Job and his three friends, when we have been wronged we must pray to God on behalf of our own tormentors.

Next time we will return to the Israelites living in Egypt. We will learn of their captivity, their 400 years of slavery and the man God would select to lead them from Egypt. Most of our reading will be from Exodus Chapters 1 through 6.

23) Slavery

Our last time together, we were with Job and his friends as God corrected them, and then trained them in His ways. We learned that even the animals know and obey God.

- Though speaking with Job, we learned that God was also speaking to all generations. His mention of the Northern Lights was one indication of this multi-generation communication.

- More indications of God speaking across the generations are His continued use of broad terms and promises that took many generations to become fully known. Jesus also spoke across generations with His use of parables and promises still unfulfilled, yet now on our own horizon.

- We need not know God’s purpose and plans. It is enough that He knows them.

- God will fully reveal Himself to the world in His own time and not on our own perceptions of evil in the world. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,” says Yahweh. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

- God wants to teach. We must want to learn.

- God instructed Job, as Jesus later taught us; pray to God on behalf of those that would do us wrong.

We’ll now return to the Israelites in Egypt. We will learn that these people who were once honored by Pharaoh have been suffering through years of slavery. We’ll meet Moses, the man whom God selected to lead His people from their bondage. We’ll also begin a subtle transition in the Bible. We will go from meeting and learning about select men of the Bible to learning of God’s people; the Nation of Israel. You will see the stories change from being just about Moses, one person, to being about all of Israel’s children; all of God’s children.

By the way, we’re told that Moses was the author of the first five books of the Bible. Do you know why? Let’s quickly look at two verses.

Yahweh said to Moses, “Write you these words: for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” Exodus 34:27

Jesus also calls Exodus “The book of Moses”.

But about the dead, that they are raised; haven’t you read in the book of Moses, about the Bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? Mark 12:26

Exodus means to us a permanent leaving and probably a long dangerous journey. The Israelites traveled forty years through a desert, with Moses as their earthly savior and leader, away from the bondage of Egypt. In our own lives God has given us a savior to free us from bondage. His name is Jesus.

Let’s take this one step further. We’ll soon read about the Passover. Lambs’ blood was spilled over doorways to save the first-born children. Jesus, the Lamb of God, spilled His blood to save all of His children from death. Always look for deeper meaning in His Word.

Birth of Moses

Let us begin.

Joseph died, as did all his brothers, and all that generation. The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them. Exodus 1:6-7

You may recall that God promised exactly this to Joseph’s father Israel during a dream one night near Beersheba. He was traveling to Egypt at that time to be with Joseph.

He said, “I am God, the God of your father. Don’t be afraid to go down into Egypt, for there I will make of you a great nation. Genesis 46:3

The Israelites became extremely powerful and filled the land of Goshen, in Egypt. But they were not yet a nation; this was not their land. Now, let’s get back to Exodus and learn why the slavery began.

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who didn’t know Joseph. Exodus 1:8

Historians tell us that Mephramuthosis and, later in Joseph’s life, Thmosis were Pharaohs of Egypt. Eventually Ramesses Miamun became Pharaoh. We know him better as Ramesses. It was he that persecuted the Israelites. (141 and 161. The Annals of the World, James Ussher 1658, revised and updated 2008 by Larry and Marion Pierce, Master Books)

Jesus, in Acts, spoke of this second Pharaoh.

“But as the time of the promise came close which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, until there arose a different king, who didn’t know Joseph. Acts 7:17-18

Now we’ll learn more about Ramesses.

He [Ramesses] said to his people, “Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our enemies, and fight against us, and escape out of the land.” Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Ramesses. Exodus 1:9-11

The historian Josephus described their slavery this way. “And having, in length of time, forgotten the benefits they [the Egyptians] had received from Joseph, particularly the crown being now come into another family, they became very abusive to the Israelites, and contrived many ways of afflicting them; for they enjoined them to cut a great number of channels for the river, and to build walls for their cities and ramparts, that they might restrain the river, and hinder its waters from stagnating, upon its running over its own banks: they set them also to build pyramids, and by all this wore them out; and forced them to learn all sorts of mechanical arts, and to accustom themselves to hard labor.” Packard Technologies (2002-11-27). Works of Josephus (Kindle Locations 2628-2633). Packard Technologies. Kindle Edition.

Even in their slavery God was with the Israelites.

But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. They were grieved because of the children of Israel. The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve, and they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all kinds of service in the field, all their service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve. Exodus 1:12-14

Still, the Israelites multiplied, as God promised them. Because of this Pharaoh made an evil plan to stop all of Israel.

The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah, and he said, “When you perform the duty of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stool; if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” But the midwives feared God, and didn’t do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive. Exodus 1:15-17

We began our study this time by briefly comparing the story of Exodus to our own redemption in Christ. This killing of all baby sons exactly parallels what Matthew told us of the days after Jesus’ birth.

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and sent out, and killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding countryside, from two years old and under, according to the exact time which he had learned from the wise men. Matthew 2:16

At this time in history, the Pharaoh of Egypt may have been the most powerful man in the world. What would he now do to these women for refusing his orders to kill all the male children?

The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and have saved the boys alive?” The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women aren’t like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous, and give birth before the midwife comes to them.”

God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty. Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “You shall cast every son who is born into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.” Exodus 1:18-22

God protected Shiphrah and Puah. He also gave them families of their own. Pharaoh though was not to be stopped so easily. He ordered every new-born Israelite boy to be thrown into the river. As in Herod’s day, many children died by this cruel order of a king.

A man of the house of Levi went and took a daughter of Levi as his wife. The woman conceived, and bore a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket for him, and coated it with tar and with pitch. She put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank. His sister stood far off, to see what would be done to him.

Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe at the river. Her maidens walked along by the riverside. She saw the basket among the reeds, and sent her servant to get it. She opened it, and saw the child, and behold, the baby cried. She had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”

Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Should I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?” Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” The young woman went and called the child’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away, and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.”

The woman took the child, and nursed it. The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, and said, “Because I drew him out of the water.” Exodus 2:1-10

We know that Moses’ mother was able to keep her son, nurse him, and hide him from the Egyptians for just three months. We can read that in Acts.

At that time Moses was born, and was exceedingly handsome. He was nourished three months in his father’s house. Acts 7:20

Now that we know this child’s name we’ll take a quick look at his relatives. We’ll begin with Israel and his son Levi; those from Levi’s lineage would one day become the Levitical Priests. We’ll learn about them another time.

The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. 1 Chronicles 6:1-3a

Murder

Now we’ll return to our story of Moses. Years have passed. Moses is now an adult and living a good life as part of Pharaoh’s family.

In those days, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his brothers, and looked at their burdens. He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his brothers. Exodus 2:11

From this short description, we only know that Moses had become an adult. To learn more, we must turn to Acts, Chapter 7. The apostle Luke wrote the books of Acts as both a history of the Old Testament and as an overview of new Church history; through the time of Jesus and His death.

Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He was mighty in his words and works. But when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. Seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him who was oppressed, striking the Egyptian. He supposed that his brothers understood that God, by his hand, was giving them deliverance; but they didn’t understand. Acts 7:22-25

Let’s spend a minute with that last verse again; Acts 7:25. He supposed that his brothers understood that God, by his hand, was giving them deliverance; but they didn’t understand. When many of us read that Moses killed the Egyptian, we tend to think that it was because of anger over the Egyptian’s treatment of a fellow Jew. While anger may have played a role, Luke tells us that the pride of Moses also played a part in this death. While we can understand Moses wanting to defend his people, we must also understand that this murder was also from the pride of Moses, not the will of God. God did not want His people freed by revolt, but by God’s own hand. He caused the Israelites to not yet see Moses as their savior.

Acts 7:22 also gives us a glimpse of the man that Moses had become before killing the Egyptian, mighty in his words and works. We’ll come back to this passage when Moses is about forty years older.

He looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no one, he killed the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. Exodus 2:12

We can look at this verse as further proof that Moses was acting without God’s blessing. Moses tried to hide the body, and hide his own crime. When God later sent the ten plagues against Egypt, He was both open and forceful.

Now let’s see how successful Moses was in hiding his crime.

He went out the second day, and behold, two men of the Hebrews were fighting with each other. He said to him who did the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow?” He said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you plan to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian?” Moses was afraid, and said, “Surely this thing is known.” Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and lived in the land of Midian. Exodus 2:13-15a

Fleeing Egypt

Moses was forced to flee for his life. He ran all the way from central Egypt, home of Pharaoh to what is today south-west Iran. Moses fled about 1,500 miles before he felt safe.

Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and lived in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. The shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. Exodus 2:15b-17

Moses was at the well alone. “The shepherds” sounds like more than two. How could Moses, alone and in a strange land, have won this fight? We need to remember that Moses was part of Pharaoh’s house. As part of the nobility, Moses would have learned combat and the arts of war. He opposed multiple, but untrained shepherds at the well. Moses won this brief scuffle decisively enough to chase these men away from the well and defend the seven daughters.

When they came to Reuel, their father, he said, “How is it that you have returned so early today?” They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and moreover he drew water for us, and watered the flock.” He said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.” Moses was content to dwell with the man. He gave Moses Zipporah, his daughter. She bore a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land.” Exodus 2:18-22

Luke summarized this part of Moses’ life in Acts. We’ll begin the day after the murder.

“The day following, he appeared to them as they fought, and urged them to be at peace again, saying, ‘Sirs, you are brothers. Why do you wrong one another?’ But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Do you want to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ Moses fled at this saying, and became a stranger in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons. Acts 7:26-29

Luke’s accounting is more evidence that Moses had acted on his own; without God’s guidance.

In the course of those many days, the king of Egypt died, and the children of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the children of Israel, and God was concerned about them. Exodus 2:23-25

Exodus only tells us to this point that years had passed, not how many years. Again, Acts tells us more.

“When forty years were fulfilled, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight. As he came close to see, a voice of the Lord came to him, ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ Moses trembled, and dared not look. The Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you stand is holy ground. I have surely seen the affliction of my people that is in Egypt, and have heard their groaning. I have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you into Egypt.’ Acts 7:30-34

The Burning Bush

Now we’ll let the 80 year old Moses tell his own story of speaking with God.

Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to God’s mountain, to Horeb. Exodus 3:1

Horeb is better known to us as Mount Sinai. We’ll get to this another time, but Moses named Horeb as Mount Sinai, the mountain of God, because that is also where God would later descend from Heaven and give Moses the Ten Commandments.

Yahweh’s angel appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the middle of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. Moses said, “I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When Yahweh saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the middle of the bush, and said, “Moses! Moses!” He said, “Here I am.”

He said, “Don’t come close. Take off your sandals, for the place you are standing on is holy ground.” Moreover he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look at God.

Yahweh said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to me. Moreover I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” Exodus 3:2-10

Just maybe some of this conversation was God answering many years of Moses’ prayers; why had God let the Jewish people continue to suffer when Moses struck that first blow? God told him, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.

It took 40 years, but God did answer those many prayers from Moses of why had God done nothing. God gave Moses his answer, telling him that Moses himself was to lead God’s people. Now that he was older, and maybe thought himself wiser, Moses wasn’t interested in God’s plans. He is about to do his best to get away from God’s plan for his life.

Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He said, “Certainly I will be with you. This will be the token to you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” Exodus 3:11-12

Moses protested to God. We’ll see quite a bit of that sentiment as we read more of Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush. God gave Moses a miracle, the burning bush, spoke directly to him and with him, and God gave Moses a sign that He had sent Moses to Pharaoh. None of this was enough for Moses.

Moses said to God, “Behold, when I come to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you;’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What should I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said, “You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” God said moreover to Moses, “You shall tell the children of Israel this, ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations. Exodus 3:13-15

We’ll talk more about God’s name in a few minutes. Now, God has answered this question from Moses. God also tried to send Moses to do His work. God again tells Moses clearly to get back to Egypt.

Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and tell them, ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt; and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ Exodus 3:16-17

God may have sensed that Moses was about to offer more resistance. God answers the next question before it is even asked by Moses.

They will listen to your voice, and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and you shall tell him, ‘Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Yahweh, our God.’ I know that the king of Egypt won’t give you permission to go, no, not by a mighty hand. I will reach out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do among them, and after that he will let you go. I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, and it will happen that when you go, you shall not go empty-handed. Exodus 3:18-21

God goes on to explain these gifts to Moses that the Egyptians would give to the Jewish people as they leave Egypt.

But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who visits her house, jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons, and on your daughters. You shall plunder the Egyptians.” Exodus 3:22

Miracles for Moses

Moses still wasn’t interested in working for God. He continues to argue.

Moses answered, “But, behold, they will not believe me, nor listen to my voice; for they will say, ‘Yahweh has not appeared to you.’” Exodus 4:1

Does this last question sound like a childish argument to you; ‘Yes he did!’, ‘No he didn’t!’? Still, the Lord has patience with Moses. He offers Moses something real, a sign from God that Moses can carry with him as a reminder of God’s promises.

We have talked before about it being okay to continue growing in our faith. Our growth in Faith is part of God’s process for us. On this day Moses still had some growing to do, but we know that God loved him. God loves us today as well, even when we still need to grow. Say ‘Thank you’.

Yahweh said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.” He said, “Throw it on the ground.” He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses ran away from it. Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand, and take it by the tail.” He stretched out his hand, and took hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand. “That they may believe that Yahweh, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” Exodus 4:2-5

God also wanted to make this very real and very personal for Moses. He is about to give Moses a more intimate sign.

Yahweh said furthermore to him, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” He put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow. He said, “Put your hand inside your cloak again.” He put his hand inside his cloak again, and when he took it out of his cloak, behold, it had turned again as his other flesh.

“It will happen, if they will not believe you or listen to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. It will happen, if they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river, and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take out of the river will become blood on the dry land.” Exodus 4:6-9

God has just given Moses three more miracles that he can perform to convince others that Moses really is God’s messenger. All of that is still not enough for Moses. He resists God once again.

Moses said to Yahweh, “O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” Exodus 4:10

Do you remember when we first read Luke’s account of Moses from Acts Chapter 7? Luke described Moses this way,

Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He was mighty in his words and works. Acts 7:22

When he wanted it, Moses could perform great works for Pharaoh. He could speak clearly and with persuasion. Now that God was calling him, Moses made excuse after excuse as he tried to avoid God’s calling.

With Moses, God was patient. God is not always so patient and we must remember that; don’t you test God’s patience. Let’s look at an example of God, for His own reasons, not showing that same patience that He showed to Moses.

Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and offered strange fire before Yahweh, which he had not commanded them. Fire came out from before Yahweh, and devoured them, and they died before Yahweh. Leviticus 10:1-2

We’ll learn more of these two young men that God loved another time. Still, God is about to lose His patience with Moses. He has had enough of this resistance. If you look at God's tone now, He begins speaking more harshly to Moses.

Yahweh said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn’t it I, Yahweh? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.” Exodus 4:11-12

“Now go!” God tells Moses. Even after this direct command from God, Moses continues to argue. Remember, if God wants you bad enough, you will serve His desires; think about Jonah and the whale. We’ll learn Jonah’s story another time.

He said, “Oh, Lord, please send someone else.” Exodus 4:13

God has had enough. Moses has challenged Him too many times. God is clearly frustrated with the resistance that Moses is showing Him.

Yahweh’s anger burned against Moses, and he said, “What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he comes out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. You shall speak to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do. He will be your spokesman to the people; and it will happen, that he will be to you a mouth, and you will be to him as God. You shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.” Exodus 4:14-17

Return to Egypt

Perhaps Moses understood that he had tried God patience too hard. He accepted God’s service for his life. This conversation was over.

Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” Yahweh said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return into Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.”

Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. Moses took God’s rod in his hand. Yahweh said to Moses, “When you go back into Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your hand, but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go. You shall tell Pharaoh, ‘Yahweh says, Israel is my son, my firstborn, and I have said to you, “Let my son go, that he may serve me”; and you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.’” Exodus 4:18-23

God now speaks with Moses’ brother, Aaron; preparing him as well for his service to God beside Moses.

Yahweh said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” He went, and met him on God’s mountain, and kissed him. Moses told Aaron all Yahweh’s words with which he had sent him, and all the signs with which he had instructed him. Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. Aaron spoke all the words which Yahweh had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. The people believed, and when they heard that Yahweh had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped. Exodus 4:27-31

Once again, The Lord speaks and His people immediately worship Him. This theme is often repeated in the Bible. It is repeated for a reason. Paul tells us that everything in the Bible is for instruction, and for our knowledge and use.

Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Pharaoh

We’ll return to Moses and Aaron. They are about to speak with Pharaoh.

Afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’” Pharaoh said, “Who is Yahweh, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don’t know Yahweh, and moreover I will not let Israel go.”

They said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Yahweh, our God, lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword.” The king of Egypt said to them, “Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people from their work? Get back to your burdens!” Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens.” Exodus 5:1-5

As God told Moses earlier, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened. We’re about to see how harshly Pharaoh will respond to their request. Pharaoh is about to strike back at Moses and Aaron through the Jewish people.

The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. The number of the bricks, which they made before, you require from them. You shall not diminish anything of it, for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it; and don’t let them pay any attention to lying words.” Exodus 5:6-9

‘Listening to lies’ has been a theme used by tyrants against Jews, then Christians for many centuries. The Roman Caesar, Titus, tore down the Jewish temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. because Caesar was to be worshipped as a god. Hitler was a modern example of spreading lies about the Jews. Today, being a Christian in many countries will land you and your family in prison, or worse.

The taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you straw. Go yourselves, get straw where you can find it, for nothing of your work shall be diminished.’” So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. The taskmasters were urgent saying, “Fulfill your work quota daily, as when there was straw!” The officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, “Why haven’t you fulfilled your quota both yesterday and today, in making brick as before?”

Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you deal this way with your servants? No straw is given to your servants, and they tell us, ‘Make brick!’ and behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.” But he said, “You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to Yahweh.’ Go therefore now, and work, for no straw shall be given to you, yet you shall deliver the same number of bricks!”

The officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble, when it was said, “You shall not diminish anything from your daily quota of bricks!” They met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came out from Pharaoh: and they said to them, “May Yahweh look at you, and judge, because you have made us a stench to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

Moses returned to Yahweh, and said, “Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people; and you have not rescued your people at all.” Exodus 5:10-23

Moses is working for God but he is not yet working with God. Moses still does not trust God’s methods. We talked earlier about Nicodemus growing in faith. It is required of all of us if we are to grow closer to God. It happens naturally as we accept, pray, and allow God to work.

Moses was still growing in his faith. Moses was not perfect. Neither are we. Not fully believing or trusting, Moses still followed God’s will. Can we say the same or do we also resist?

The Names of God

Yahweh said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh, for by a strong hand he shall let them go, and by a strong hand he shall drive them out of his land.” God spoke to Moses, and said to him, “I am Yahweh; and I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Yahweh I was not known to them. Exodus 6:1-3

Yes, God does have a name. It is Yahweh. But God has many names. When Moses spoke to God at the burning bush God told him other names.

Moses said to God, “Behold, when I come to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you;’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What should I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said, “You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” God said moreover to Moses, “You shall tell the children of Israel this, ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations. Exodus 3:13-15

In these few verses we learned two names of God; Yahweh and, I Am. Other names of God that you will find in your Bible are El-Shaddai and Jehovah.

No One Listens

God continues speaking to Moses.

I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their travels, in which they lived as aliens. Moreover I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered my covenant. Therefore tell the children of Israel, ‘I am Yahweh, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments: and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and you shall know that I am Yahweh your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you for a heritage: I am Yahweh.’” Exodus 6:4-8

Once again, the Bible is telling us a lot with just a few verses. God again reaffirms His covenant. This was the promise that God originally had made to Abraham. He then repeated his promise to Isaac and Jacob. Let’s look at that promise once again.

In that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying, “I have given this land to your offspring, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates: Genesis 15:18

Moses took God’s word back to his people. He had wonderful news that God had just reaffirmed His promise of a land for His chosen people. The people didn’t listen.

Moses spoke so to the children of Israel, but they didn’t listen to Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage. Exodus 6:9

Too often we become discouraged too quickly. We are too concerned with our own present life when we should look forward to God’s plans for our future life.

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Go in, speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.” Moses spoke before Yahweh, saying, “Behold, the children of Israel haven’t listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, who am of uncircumcised lips?” Exodus 6:10-12

Moses is beginning to come around. He’s now more willing to do as the Lord tells him. But Moses still doesn’t trust God. We learned a short while ago that Moses was raised in Pharaoh’s court, and was trained in the wisdom of Egypt. Luke told us that Moses was “great in his words and works.”

Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and gave them a command to the children of Israel, and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. Exodus 6:13

The LORD commanded Moses and Aaron to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. Next time we’ll learn how Moses and Aaron will accomplish this feat. Do you remember reading God telling Moses that Pharaoh would be forced to let the Jewish people go?

Yahweh said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh, for by a strong hand he shall let them go, and by a strong hand he shall drive them out of his land.” Exodus 6:1

We will learn in our next story about God’s outstretched arm and how He forces Pharaoh to let His people leave Egypt. We’ll learn about the ten plagues and we will learn why God chose these particular plagues. Most of our reading will be from Exodus Chapters 7 through 12.

This time we introduced ourselves to Moses and Aaron.

- Pharaoh feared the Jews. He said Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we. He then decreed that all Jewish newborn male babies be killed. This forced Moses’ mother to place him in a basket and float him down the Nile River; trusting God to save her son.

- Moses wanted to free his fellow Jews but tried within himself rather than trusting, and waiting for, God. Moses murdered an Egyptian then hoped that his people would rally behind him. They did not.

- God appeared to Moses at the foot of Mount Sinai in a burning bush, telling him that Moses would be God’s instrument in freeing the Jewish people from slavery.

- Speaking from the burning bush, God told Moses, “This is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.” It was at this same mountain that God would give Moses two tablets containing the Ten Commandments.

24) The Plagues of Egypt

Our last time together we met Moses. We followed him from his trip down the river Nile in a wicker basket, and his becoming a member of Pharaoh’s family. We learned that Moses killed a man then fled from Egypt to today’s country of Iran. God met him there, in a mountain. We left Moses and Aaron as they were about to approach Pharaoh for the second time. They asked Pharaoh for permission to travel three days and offer sacrifices to God. Pharaoh refused, then made life much harder for the Israelite slaves.

- We learned that the Pharaoh whom Moses knew had no knowledge of Joseph and his help to Egypt many years before. This new Pharaoh feared the Jewish people and ordered the death of all newborn Jewish sons.

- When he killed the Egyptian, Moses hoped that the Jewish people would join him in throwing of the Egyptian oppression. Because this was not God’s will the people did not rally to him.

- While tending flocks in his adopted home Moses met with God. God appeared to Moses as a burning bush that was not consumed by the flames.

- God told Moses, as a sign, that Moses would one day return to this very mountain and worship God. This was Mount Sinai, the mountain where God would later give the Ten Commandments to Moses.

This time we will learn about the ten plagues that God sent against Egypt. We’ll also learn why God chose these particular plagues. We’ll begin with God giving new instructions to Moses and his brother Aaron.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pay close attention to this. I will make you seem like God to Pharaoh, and your brother, Aaron, will be your prophet. Tell Aaron everything I command you, and Aaron must command Pharaoh to let the people of Israel leave his country. But I will make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn so I can multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. Even then Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you. So I will bring down my fist on Egypt. Then I will rescue my forces—my people, the Israelites—from the land of Egypt with great acts of judgment. When I raise my powerful hand and bring out the Israelites, the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” Exodus 7:1-5

Why would God harden Pharaoh’s heart? He tells us why He sent the ten plagues on the Egyptians in this passage. When I raise my powerful hand and bring out the Israelites, the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD. This was a message to a strong nation with many false gods. Because the message was so harsh, it has also become a warning across time to all generations to have no other god. This was so important to God that He made this His first Commandment to Moses.

Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3

Moses and Aaron will now appear before Pharaoh with God’s command to let His people go from Egypt.

So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded them. Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron was eighty-three when they made their demands to Pharaoh. Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Pharaoh will demand, ‘Show me a miracle.’ When he does this, say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh, and it will become a serpent.’”

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did what the LORD had commanded them. Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent! Then Pharaoh called in his own wise men and sorcerers, and these Egyptian magicians did the same thing with their magic. They threw down their staffs, which also became serpents! But then Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. Pharaoh’s heart, however, remained hard. He still refused to listen, just as the LORD had predicted. Exodus 7:6-13

There were two Egyptian magicians that created serpents with their own staffs. Paul tells us their names.

And even as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also withstand the truth. Men corrupted in mind, reprobate concerning the faith. 2 Timothy 3:8

There are other accounts of these two magicians. Ussher relates this account from Eusebius. “Jannes and Jambres, interpreters of the mysteries of Egypt, were in great repute at the time when the Jews were sent out of Egypt. It was the opinion of all men that these were inferior to none in the art of magic. For by the common opinion of the Egyptians, these two were chosen to oppose Moses, the ring leader of the Jews. Moses’ prayers were most prevalent with God and they alone were able to undo and end all of those most grievous calamities that God brought upon all Egyptians.” (178. The Annals of the World, James Ussher 1658, revised and updated 2008 by Larry and Marion Pierce, Master Books)

We’re ready to learn about the Ten Plagues of Egypt. We can find summaries of these plagues in two of the Psalms. This first account may have been written by Isaiah, but we don’t know for sure.

How he set his signs in Egypt and his wonders in the field of Zoan, and turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink. He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar, and their labor unto the locust. He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore-trees with frost. He gave over their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation; and trouble, a band of angels of evil. He made a path for his anger; He spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence, and smote all the first-born in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham. But he led forth his own people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. Psalms 78:43-52

The plagues are also briefly described in Psalms 105; again, we do not know the author of this Psalm.

Then Israel came into Egypt, and Jacob was living in the land of Ham. And his people were greatly increased, and became stronger than those who were against them. Their hearts were turned to hate against his people, so that they made secret designs against them. He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, the man of his selection. He let his signs be seen among the people, and his wonders in the land of Ham. He sent black night and made it dark; and they did not go against his word. At his word their waters were turned to blood, and he sent death on all their fish. Their land was full of frogs, even in the rooms of the king. He gave the word, and there came the dog-fly and insects over all the land. He gave them ice for rain, and flaming fire in their land. He gave their vines and their fig-trees to destruction, and the trees of their land were broken down. At his word the locusts came, and young locusts more than might be numbered, and put an end to all the plants of their land, taking all the fruit of the earth for food. He put to death the first child of every family in the land, the first-fruits of their strength. He took his people out with silver and gold: there was not one feeble person among them. Psalms 105:23-37

These two Psalms tells us that Egypt was populated by the descendants of Ham, Noah’s son; the land of Ham. It was Ham that embarrassed his father and brought about Noah’s curse on Ham’s son Canaan.

Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son had done to him. He said, “Canaan is cursed. He will be a servant of servants to his brothers.” He said, “Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant. May God enlarge Japheth. Let him dwell in the tents of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant.” Genesis 9:24-27

The old world civilizations of the Egyptians, the Babylonians and the Canaanites all descended from cursed Canaan. All three of these ancient powers attacked the Israelites.

First Plague

With this brief introduction, we’ll return to Moses’ own accounting of the plagues, and of Pharaoh’s resistance to God.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn, and he still refuses to let the people go. So go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes down to the river. Stand on the bank of the Nile and meet him there. Be sure to take along the staff that turned into a snake. Then announce to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you, “Let my people go, so they can worship me in the wilderness.” Until now, you have refused to listen to him.

So this is what the LORD says: “I will show you that I am the LORD.” Look! I will strike the water of the Nile with this staff in my hand, and the river will turn to blood. The fish in it will die, and the river will stink. The Egyptians will not be able to drink any water from the Nile.’” Then the LORD said to Moses: “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and raise your hand over the waters of Egypt—all its rivers, canals, ponds, and all the reservoirs. Turn all the water to blood. Everywhere in Egypt the water will turn to blood, even the water stored in wooden bowls and stone pots.’” Exodus 7:14-19

This first plague is amazing, and it is deadly; as will be the plagues yet to come to Egypt. Have you ever wondered why God chose these plagues? The Egyptians were polytheistic; they worshiped many gods. In addition to freeing His people from their slavery in Egypt, God was about to teach the Egyptians that He was God of Creation and above all other gods.

By turning the waters of the Nile to blood and killing its fish God attacked the Egyptian god Hapi; the Egyptian God of the Nile. The waters of the Nile River allowed Egypt to prosper. The Nile watered fertile land with each Spring flood. This flooding provided Egypt with its abundant crops. Hapi will be unable to stop this plague. (This and the following descriptions of Egyptian gods were taken from the web site http://www.sermonfollowup.org/Sermon_Follow_Up/Ten_Plagues_of_Egypt.html.)

So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD commanded them. As Pharaoh and all of his officials watched, Aaron raised his staff and struck the water of the Nile. Suddenly, the whole river turned to blood! The fish in the river died, and the water became so foul that the Egyptians couldn’t drink it. There was blood everywhere throughout the land of Egypt. But again the magicians of Egypt used their magic, and they, too, turned water into blood. So Pharaoh’s heart remained hard. He refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had predicted. Pharaoh returned to his palace and put the whole thing out of his mind. Then all the Egyptians dug along the riverbank to find drinking water, for they couldn’t drink the water from the Nile. Seven days passed from the time the LORD struck the Nile. Exodus 7:20-25

Once again the two Egyptian magicians were able to repeat the miracle performed by Moses and Aaron. Jannes and Jambres also turned water into blood. Seeing this, Pharaoh thought nothing more of the event and returned to the palace. Of course, Jannes and Jambres were unable to do the opposite and restore the blood to drinking and bathing water. God restored the water for Egypt after seven days.

Once we read about the fourth plague we will also learn that God has allowed His first three plagues to also affect the Israelites. You may be wondering how anyone, or any animals, could survive a week with no water. For some portion of those seven days the people would have had access to wines or beer, as well as milk. No doubt, by the seventh day all of these people and animals were truly suffering.

Second Plague

Pharaoh had spent this week ignoring this first plague. It was time for God to send the second plague to Egypt.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go back to Pharaoh and announce to him, ‘‘This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs across your entire land. The Nile River will swarm with frogs. They will come up out of the river and into your palace, even into your bedroom and onto your bed! They will enter the houses of your officials and your people. They will even jump into your ovens and your kneading bowls. Frogs will jump on you, your people, and all your officials.’” Exodus 8:1-4

God’s second plague was an attack on the goddess Heket; the Egyptian Goddess of Fertility. Heket had the head of a frog. With this plague God ensured that Pharaoh would pay attention to Him. God told Pharaoh that these frogs would even jump on Pharaoh and into Pharaoh’s bed and his food.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Raise the staff in your hand over all the rivers, canals, and ponds of Egypt, and bring up frogs over all the land.’” So Aaron raised his hand over the waters of Egypt, and frogs came up and covered the whole land! But the magicians were able to do the same thing with their magic. They, too, caused frogs to come up on the land of Egypt. Exodus 8:5-7

Once again the two magicians were able to repeat the plague by creating their own frogs for Pharaoh. However, once again they were unable to make the frogs of the plague disappear. Pharaoh also recognized this failure of his two chief magicians. He summoned Moses to rid the land of these frogs.

Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and begged, “Plead with the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people. I will let your people go, so they can offer sacrifices to the LORD.” “You set the time!” Moses replied. “Tell me when you want me to pray for you, your officials, and your people. Then you and your houses will be rid of the frogs. They will remain only in the Nile River.”

“Do it tomorrow,” Pharaoh said. “All right,” Moses replied, “it will be as you have said. Then you will know that there is no one like the LORD our God. The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials, and your people. They will remain only in the Nile River.” Exodus 8:8-11

At the appointed hour Moses would pray to God and the plague of frogs would be over. There would still be a grisly reminder of this plague for the Egyptians.

So Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh’s palace, and Moses cried out to the LORD about the frogs he had inflicted on Pharaoh. And the LORD did just what Moses had predicted. The frogs in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields all died. The Egyptians piled them into great heaps, and a terrible stench filled the land. But when Pharaoh saw that relief had come, he became stubborn. He refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had predicted. Exodus 8:12-15

Pharaoh begged Moses to ask God to remove the plague of frogs. Moses and God answered Pharaoh’s request for mercy. Once those frogs were gone Pharaoh quickly forgot God’s mercy and His help. How often are we also guilty of moving away from God once He has answered our own prayers?

Third Plague

Pharaoh cared only that the frogs were gone. He stubbornly refused to recognize God as supreme. It was time for the third plague to strike Egypt.

So the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Raise your staff and strike the ground. The dust will turn into swarms of gnats throughout the land of Egypt.’” So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded them. When Aaron raised his hand and struck the ground with his staff, gnats infested the entire land, covering the Egyptians and their animals. All the dust in the land of Egypt turned into gnats. Pharaoh’s magicians tried to do the same thing with their secret arts, but this time they failed. And the gnats covered everyone, people and animals alike. “This is the finger of God!” the magicians exclaimed to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart remained hard. He wouldn’t listen to them, just as the LORD had predicted. Exodus 8:16-19

God’s third plague attacked the Egyptian god, Geb. Geb was the Egyptian God of the Earth; making Geb also the ruler over the dust that Aaron turned into gnats. This time Jannes and Jambres were unable to repeat this plague. Even these two magicians had to admit that this is the finger of God! They would no longer replicate any of the plagues.

Aaron would also no longer be involved in the creation of the plagues. The next three plagues would all arise from Moses. Perhaps he now had the confidence to completely believe in God and in His plans.

Fourth Plague

Then the LORD told Moses, “Get up early in the morning and stand in Pharaoh’s way as he goes down to the river. Say to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. If you refuse, then I will send swarms of flies on you, your officials, your people, and all the houses. The Egyptian homes will be filled with flies, and the ground will be covered with them. But this time I will spare the region of Goshen, where my people live. No flies will be found there. Then you will know that I am the LORD and that I am present even in the heart of your land. I will make a clear distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will happen tomorrow.’” Exodus 8:20-23

Once again God was going to increase the weight of His presence. God would cause these flies to infest all of Egypt, except for the land of the Jewish people; Goshen. As God said, He was about to separate his people from the Egyptians. God did this as much to prepare His people for their exodus from Egypt as He did this to show His presence to the Egyptians; again, elevating Himself above the Egyptian gods.

With this fourth plague God will attack the Egyptian god, Khepri; Egyptian God of creation. Khepri had the head of a fly.

And the LORD did just as he had said. A thick swarm of flies filled Pharaoh’s palace and the houses of his officials. The whole land of Egypt was thrown into chaos by the flies. Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron. “All right! Go ahead and offer sacrifices to your God,” he said. “But do it here in this land.” Exodus 8:24-25

With this plague Pharaoh understood that it was more than his own magicians could duplicate; it must be from the God of Moses. Even with this understanding, Pharaoh attempts to bargain with God. He will fail.

But Moses replied, “That wouldn’t be right. The Egyptians detest the sacrifices that we offer to the LORD our God. Look, if we offer our sacrifices here where the Egyptians can see us, they will stone us. We must take a three-day trip into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, just as he has commanded us.”

“All right, go ahead,” Pharaoh replied. “I will let you go into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD your God. But don’t go too far away. Now hurry and pray for me.” Moses answered, “As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the LORD, and tomorrow the swarms of flies will disappear from you and your officials and all your people. But I am warning you, Pharaoh, don’t lie to us again and refuse to let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.” So Moses left Pharaoh’s palace and pleaded with the LORD to remove all the flies. And the LORD did as Moses asked and caused the swarms of flies to disappear from Pharaoh, his officials, and his people. Not a single fly remained. But Pharaoh again became stubborn and refused to let the people go. Exodus 8:26-32

Once again we see Pharaoh pleading with Moses to ask God for relief. As soon as God answers the prayers of Moses Pharaoh turns away from God. Be very sure that you do not fall into this same habit. God answers the prayers of unbelievers but He only saves His believers; those people that accept Him and stay with Him always.

Fifth Plague

“Go back to Pharaoh,” the LORD commanded Moses. “Tell him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. If you continue to hold them and refuse to let them go, the hand of the LORD will strike all your livestock—your horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep, and goats—with a deadly plague. But the LORD will again make a distinction between the livestock of the Israelites and that of the Egyptians. Not a single one of Israel’s animals will die! The LORD has already set the time for the plague to begin. He has declared that he will strike the land tomorrow.’” Exodus 9:1-5

Have you noticed that before these plagues that God and Moses often warned Pharaoh of what was to come? God provided these warnings to allow Pharaoh, and the Egyptians, time to think about the God of Moses; and perhaps to consider their actions and beliefs.

As before, each plague is a direct attack of one of the many Egyptian gods. This time the Lord attacks Hathor; Egyptian Goddess of Love and Protection. Hathor wore the head of a cow. She protected nothing from God.

And the LORD did just as he had said. The next morning all the livestock of the Egyptians died, but the Israelites didn’t lose a single animal. Pharaoh sent his officials to investigate, and they discovered that the Israelites had not lost a single animal! But even so, Pharaoh’s heart remained stubborn, and he still refused to let the people go. Exodus 9:6-7

In addition to the very fertile banks of the Nile River, the Egyptians were rich in livestock. They had abundant horses, cattle and other farming animals. Such a devastating plague ruined Egyptian commerce and attacked transportation and food.

Pharaoh was really beginning to believe in the power of God. With this fifth plague we are told that Pharaoh actually sent his officials to see for themselves that none of the Jewish animals had been harmed. There could be no more doubt that God was in control. Yet even with this overwhelming evidence, Pharaoh refused God command to let His people worship.

Sixth Plague

Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a brick kiln, and have Moses toss it into the air while Pharaoh watches. The ashes will spread like fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, causing festering boils to break out on people and animals throughout the land.” So they took soot from a brick kiln and went and stood before Pharaoh. As Pharaoh watched, Moses threw the soot into the air, and boils broke out on people and animals alike. Even the magicians were unable to stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and all the Egyptians. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and just as the LORD had predicted to Moses, Pharaoh refused to listen. Exodus 9:8-12

This time the sixth plague attacked Isis, the Egyptian Goddess of Medicine and Peace. Again, only the Egyptians and their possessions are attacked. God spares the Israelites from this plague.

We also read that even the magicians were unable to stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them. We’ll read no more about these two Egyptian magicians.

Seventh Plague

Given the number and the severity of these plagues it may be hard to understand that God has restrained Himself. He’s about to tell us that he could have done far worse to the Egyptians. He also gives them another chance to let the Israelites leave Egypt before sending a new plague.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh. Tell him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. If you don’t, I will send more plagues on you and your officials and your people. Then you will know that there is no one like me in all the earth.

By now I could have lifted my hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the face of the earth, but I have spared you for a purpose—to show you my power and to spread my fame throughout the earth. But you still lord it over my people and refuse to let them go. So tomorrow at this time I will send a hailstorm more devastating than any in all the history of Egypt. Quick! Order your livestock and servants to come in from the fields to find shelter. Any person or animal left outside will die when the hail falls.’” Exodus 9:13-19

Once again, we can learn a lot from these few verses. God explains to Pharaoh, you will know that there is no one like me in all the earth. Yes, as we have discussed, God really had been attacking the Egyptian deities.

We also learned that, in His mercy, God again warns the Egyptians of a new and deadly plague. He also shows His mercy by explaining that at any time He could have removed the Egyptians from the face of the earth. We know that God has done such things before; think about Sodom and Gomorra. God further shows His mercy by warning Pharaoh to bring his servants and remaining livestock in from the fields to find shelter from the coming hail storm. John tells us why God would warn Pharaoh to save his people.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

God wanted the Egyptians, and all of us, to believe in Him and have an eternal life at the side of God. Many Egyptians would learn this message.

Some of Pharaoh’s officials were afraid because of what the LORD had said. They quickly brought their servants and livestock in from the fields. But those who paid no attention to the word of the LORD left theirs out in the open. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Lift your hand toward the sky so hail may fall on the people, the livestock, and all the plants throughout the land of Egypt.”

So Moses lifted his staff toward the sky, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed toward the earth. The LORD sent a tremendous hailstorm against all the land of Egypt. Never in all the history of Egypt had there been a storm like that, with such devastating hail and continuous lightning. It left all of Egypt in ruins. The hail struck down everything in the open field—people, animals, and plants alike. Even the trees were destroyed. The only place without hail was the region of Goshen, where the people of Israel lived. Exodus 9:20-26

God had earlier attacked the Egyptian economy, transportation and food. This new plague continued those attacks. The Egyptian god that this time would fail to prevent this attack was Nut, the Egyptian Goddess of the Sky.

Then Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he confessed. “The LORD is the righteous one, and my people and I are wrong. Please beg the LORD to end this terrifying thunder and hail. We’ve had enough. I will let you go; you don’t need to stay any longer.” “All right,” Moses replied. “As soon as I leave the city, I will lift my hands and pray to the LORD. Then the thunder and hail will stop, and you will know that the earth belongs to the LORD. But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the LORD God.”

(All the flax and barley were ruined by the hail, because the barley had formed heads and the flax was budding. But the wheat and the emmer wheat were spared, because they had not yet sprouted from the ground.) So Moses left Pharaoh’s court and went out of the city. When he lifted his hands to the LORD, the thunder and hail stopped, and the downpour ceased. But when Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had stopped, he and his officials sinned again, and Pharaoh again became stubborn. Because his heart was hard, Pharaoh refused to let the people leave, just as the LORD had predicted through Moses. Exodus 9:27-35

Once again Pharaoh turned to God when he needed help. Once that help was given, Pharaoh dismissed God from his life.

Eighth Plague

Because Pharaoh still refused to let Moses and his people leave Egypt God was about to send the eighth plague to Egypt. This would be a great swarm of Locusts that would devour the remaining plants. This latest plague would be a challenge to Seth, the god of crops.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Return to Pharaoh and make your demands again. I have made him and his officials stubborn so I can display my miraculous signs among them. I’ve also done it so you can tell your children and grandchildren about how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and about the signs I displayed among them—and so you will know that I am the LORD.”

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: How long will you refuse to submit to me? Let my people go, so they can worship me. If you refuse, watch out! For tomorrow I will bring a swarm of locusts on your country. They will cover the land so that you won’t be able to see the ground. They will devour what little is left of your crops after the hailstorm, including all the trees growing in the fields. They will overrun your palaces and the homes of your officials and all the houses in Egypt. Never in the history of Egypt have your ancestors seen a plague like this one!” And with that, Moses turned and left Pharaoh.

Pharaoh’s officials now came to Pharaoh and appealed to him. “How long will you let this man hold us hostage? Let the men go to worship the LORD their God! Don’t you realize that Egypt lies in ruins?” Exodus 10:1-7

Pharaoh and his advisors paid attention to the words of Moses. They clearly heard Moses say to them, “Never in the history of Egypt have your ancestors seen a plague like this one!” But because their hearts had hardened as much as Pharaoh’s, they asked for something less than Moses and God demanded of Pharaoh. These advisers suggested that Pharaoh let the men go to worship the LORD their God; not ‘let the people go’.

So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “All right,” he told them, “go and worship the LORD your God. But who exactly will be going with you?” Moses replied, “We will all go—young and old, our sons and daughters, and our flocks and herds. We must all join together in celebrating a festival to the LORD.” Pharaoh retorted, “The LORD will certainly need to be with you if I let you take your little ones! I can see through your evil plan. Never! Only the men may go and worship the LORD, since that is what you requested.” And Pharaoh threw them out of the palace. Exodus 10:8-11

Pharaoh clearly thought that he was in control. He hoped that his compromise of allowing only the men worship God would end these many plagues. He would be proven wrong.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Raise your hand over the land of Egypt to bring on the locusts. Let them cover the land and devour every plant that survived the hailstorm.” So Moses raised his staff over Egypt, and the LORD caused an east wind to blow over the land all that day and through the night. When morning arrived, the east wind had brought the locusts. And the locusts swarmed over the whole land of Egypt, settling in dense swarms from one end of the country to the other. It was the worst locust plague in Egyptian history, and there has never been another one like it. For the locusts covered the whole country and darkened the land. They devoured every plant in the fields and all the fruit on the trees that had survived the hailstorm. Not a single leaf was left on the trees and plants throughout the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron. “I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you,” he confessed. “Forgive my sin, just this once, and plead with the LORD your God to take away this death from me.” So Moses left Pharaoh’s court and pleaded with the LORD. The LORD responded by shifting the wind and the strong west wind blew the locusts into the Red Sea. Not a single locust remained in all the land of Egypt. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart again, so he refused to let the people go. Exodus 10:12-20

Again, Pharaoh acknowledged that he had sinned before God and he asked Moses to pray to God to stop this plague. God listened to this prayer and ended the plague of locusts. No matter how often we fall away from God, He will listen to our prayers of forgiveness. God wants to forgive us.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Ninth Plague

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Lift your hand toward heaven, and the land of Egypt will be covered with a darkness so thick you can feel it.” So Moses lifted his hand to the sky, and a deep darkness covered the entire land of Egypt for three days. During all that time the people could not see each other, and no one moved. But there was light as usual where the people of Israel lived. Finally, Pharaoh called for Moses. “Go and worship the LORD,” he said. “But leave your flocks and herds here. You may even take your little ones with you.” Exodus 10:21-24

With this ninth plague God gives us a glimpse of what may be found in Hell. This plague was a darkness so deep that it could be felt. This was darkness so deep that the Egyptians could not move. Everyone was alone with their own fears. Peter described a similar darkness this way;

For if God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment. 2 Peter 2:4

With this plague God attacked the highest Egyptian god. God attacked Ra, the sun god; the supreme Egyptian god. Even Ra was unable to stand before God.

“No,” Moses said, “you must provide us with animals for sacrifices and burnt offerings to the LORD our God. All our livestock must go with us, too; not a hoof can be left behind. We must choose our sacrifices for the LORD our God from among these animals. And we won’t know how we are to worship the LORD until we get there.” But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart once more, and he would not let them go. “Get out of here!” Pharaoh shouted at Moses. “I’m warning you. Never come back to see me again! The day you see my face, you will die!” “Very well,” Moses replied. “I will never see your face again.” Exodus 10:25-29

Once again Pharaoh was trying to negotiate with God. Once again he failed. The Egyptians now had almost no animals left alive because of the plagues. They needed the Israelite animals for food, work and transportation. Losing this discussion, Pharaoh became angry and told Moses that the next time he saw Pharaoh’s face that Moses would die. God would ensure that Moses never again saw the face of Pharaoh. God did not ask Moses or Aaron to participate in the final Egyptian plague.

Tenth Plague

This final plague was so terrible that it would be remembered across the generations. In this final plague, God attacked the one remaining Egyptian god; Pharaoh. In ancient Egypt Pharaoh was worshiped as a living god. Because it was Pharaoh that both rejected and challenged God, his plague would be the most devastating.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will strike Pharaoh and the land of Egypt with one more blow. After that, Pharaoh will let you leave this country. In fact, he will be so eager to get rid of you that he will force you all to leave. Tell all the Israelite men and women to ask their Egyptian neighbors for articles of silver and gold.” (Now the LORD had caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the people of Israel. And Moses was considered a very great man in the land of Egypt, respected by Pharaoh’s officials and the Egyptian people alike.) Exodus11:1-3

You may recall that God had once told Moses that when the Israelites left Egypt that the Egyptians would give them jewelry and many gifts.

And I will give this people grace in the eyes of the Egyptians, so that when you go out you will go out with your hands full. For every woman will get from her neighbor and from the woman living in her house, ornaments of silver and gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and your daughters; you will take the best of their goods from the Egyptians. Exodus 3:21-22

Now we’ll learn what Moses had earlier been told would happen with the tenth devastating plague.

Moses had announced to Pharaoh, “This is what the LORD says: At midnight tonight I will pass through the heart of Egypt. All the firstborn sons will die in every family in Egypt, from the oldest son of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, to the oldest son of his lowliest servant girl who grinds the flour. Even the firstborn of all the livestock will die. Then a loud wail will rise throughout the land of Egypt, a wail like no one has heard before or will ever hear again. But among the Israelites it will be so peaceful that not even a dog will bark. Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites. All the officials of Egypt will run to me and fall to the ground before me. ‘Please leave!’ they will beg. ‘Hurry! And take all your followers with you.’ Only then will I go!”

Then, burning with anger, Moses left Pharaoh. Now the LORD had told Moses earlier, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, but then I will do even more mighty miracles in the land of Egypt.” Moses and Aaron performed these miracles in Pharaoh’s presence, but the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he wouldn’t let the Israelites leave the country. Exodus 11:4-10

This final plague would be so terrible that all the officials of Egypt would run to Moses and beg him to take the Jewish people and leave Egypt. The oldest son of every Egyptian, plus the sons of their servants and even the eldest male animals that still lived would now die. The night of this final plague was so terrible, yet so special to the Israelites that God commanded that it be remembered by all generations. These were his instructions for this Passover remembrance to Moses and Aaron.

While the Israelites were still in the land of Egypt, the LORD gave the following instructions to Moses and Aaron: “From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you. Announce to the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice, one animal for each household. If a family is too small to eat a whole animal, let them share with another family in the neighborhood. Divide the animal according to the size of each family and how much they can eat. The animal you select must be a one-year-old male, either a sheep or a goat, with no defects.

“Take special care of this chosen animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel must slaughter their lamb or young goat at twilight. They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the animal. That same night they must roast the meat over a fire and eat it along with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast. Do not eat any of the meat raw or boiled in water. The whole animal—including the head, legs, and internal organs—must be roasted over a fire. Do not leave any of it until the next morning. Burn whatever is not eaten before morning. Exodus 12:1-10

God then goes on to explain His instructions for remembering the flight from Egypt; the Exodus.

“These are your instructions for eating this meal: Be fully dressed, wear your sandals, and carry your walking stick in your hand. Eat the meal with urgency, for this is the LORD’s Passover. On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the LORD! But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt. Exodus 12:11-13

As we have been discussing, God now tells Moses that He has been executing judgment against all the gods of Egypt. God intends to show the Egyptians, and all of us, that He is supreme.

On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the LORD! Exodus 12:12

God then explains to Moses and Aaron why this final day of the Israelite captivity must be remembered forever. This will become known as Passover, because the Lord, in His mercy, would pass over the homes of every Israelite that followed His instructions.

“This is a day to remember. Each year, from generation to generation, you must celebrate it as a special festival to the LORD. This is a law for all time. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast. On the first day of the festival, remove every trace of yeast from your homes. Anyone who eats bread made with yeast during the seven days of the festival will be cut off from the community of Israel. On the first day of the festival and again on the seventh day, all the people must observe an official day for holy assembly. No work of any kind may be done on these days except in the preparation of food.

“Celebrate this Festival of Unleavened Bread, for it will remind you that I brought your forces out of the land of Egypt on this very day. This festival will be a permanent law for you; celebrate this day from generation to generation. The bread you eat must be made without yeast from the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month until the evening of the twenty-first day of that month. During those seven days, there must be no trace of yeast in your homes. Anyone who eats anything made with yeast during this week will be cut off from the community of Israel. These regulations apply both to the foreigners living among you and to the native-born Israelites. During those days you must not eat anything made with yeast. Wherever you live, eat only bread made without yeast.” Exodus 12:14-20

And these are the instructions that Moses passed on to the elders for all the Israelites. Moses is careful to repeat that this night must always be remembered.

Then Moses called all the elders of Israel together and said to them, “Go, pick out a lamb or young goat for each of your families, and slaughter the Passover animal. Drain the blood into a basin. Then take a bundle of hyssop branches and dip it into the blood. Brush the hyssop across the top and sides of the doorframes of your houses. And no one may go out through the door until morning. For the LORD will pass through the land to strike down the Egyptians. But when he sees the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe, the LORD will pass over your home. He will not permit his death angel to enter your house and strike you down.

“Remember, these instructions are a permanent law that you and your descendants must observe forever. When you enter the land the LORD has promised to give you, you will continue to observe this ceremony. Then your children will ask, ‘What does this ceremony mean?’ And you will reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. And though he struck the Egyptians, he spared our families.’” When Moses had finished speaking, all the people bowed down to the ground and worshiped. Exodus 12:21-27

We see this once again; the people bowed and worshiped the Lord. This simple message is repeated very often, and for our benefit. We must also remember to keep God central in our lives and worship him with our prayers and in our actions.

So the people of Israel did just as the LORD had commanded through Moses and Aaron. And that night at midnight, the LORD struck down all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn son of the prisoner in the dungeon. Even the firstborn of their livestock were killed. Pharaoh and all his officials and all the people of Egypt woke up during the night, and loud wailing was heard throughout the land of Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died. Exodus 12:28-30

This final plague was so terrible that this night is remembered by all of us, Jew and Gentile, as The Passover. Next time we will be with Moses and Aaron as they triumphantly lead their people from Egypt. We will also learn of the continuing anger and need for revenge in the heart of Pharaoh. This will be a revenge that will kill thousands. Most of our reading will be from Exodus Chapters 12 through 19.

- Many people openly wonder why God would have hardened Pharaoh’s heart and then sent the ten plagues to Egypt. God explains this for us in this passage, “When I raise my powerful hand and bring out the Israelites, the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” Exodus 7:5. This was a message to a strong nation with many false gods.

- This message of one god for mankind was so important to God that He made this His first Commandment to Moses. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3

- History records two Egyptian magicians, Jannes and Jambres, that performed magic similar to the first plagues, but on a smaller scale. These two magicians could not undo any of the plagues.

- Aaron only helped Moses bring the first three plagues. God next had Moses bring on the next three plagues. God personally sent the final four plagues.

- The Israelites also suffered from the first three plagues. The Israelites did not suffer from the remaining plagues because God wanted Pharaoh to know that God was present even in the heart of Egypt and protecting His people.

- God directly attacked all of the gods of Egypt to show the Egyptians, and all of us, that He is supreme. On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the LORD! Exodus 12:12

25) The Exodus

Last time we followed along as Aaron, Moses and God attacked an Egyptian deity with each new plague. Each new plague was worse than the one before. The tenth plague was so devastating that the Egyptians begged the Israelites to leave Egypt. As we ended, the Egyptians were even giving precious gifts to the Israelites as they began their journey from Egypt, the Exodus.

- We learned why God would continually harden Pharaoh’s heart and then send these ten plagues on Egypt. “When I raise my powerful hand and bring out the Israelites, the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” Exodus 7:5.

- God made the message that He is supreme, His first commandment to Moses. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3

- The two Egyptian magicians, Jannes and Jambres, could duplicate on a small scale the early plagues. They could not undo any of God’s plagues. They ultimately declared that God was all-powerful. “This is the finger of God!” the magicians exclaimed to Pharaoh.” in Exodus 8:19.

- Aaron was used by God to bring the first three plagues. God then used Moses to deliver the next three plagues on Egypt. God personally delivered the final four plagues.

- The Israelites suffered through the first three plagues along with the Egyptians but not the remaining seven plagues. This was because God wanted Pharaoh and the Egyptians to know that God was with His people even in the heart of Egypt.

- God used these ten plagues to attack and demean the Egyptian gods, as well as the Egyptian people, to clearly proclaim that He is God of gods. On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the LORD! Exodus 12:12

As we continue, we will be with the Israelites as they leave Egypt and are pursued by Pharaoh and his army. We will learn how God would guide them through the desert and keep the Israelites from harm. We’ll begin on the night of the final plague as Pharaoh summons Moses to his palace.

The Journey Begins

Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron during the night. “Get out!” he ordered. “Leave my people—and take the rest of the Israelites with you! Go and worship the LORD as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you said, and be gone. Go, but bless me as you leave.”

All the Egyptians urged the people of Israel to get out of the land as quickly as possible, for they thought, “We will all die!” The Israelites took their bread dough before yeast was added. They wrapped their kneading boards in their cloaks and carried them on their shoulders. And the people of Israel did as Moses had instructed; they asked the Egyptians for clothing and articles of silver and gold. The LORD caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for. So they stripped the Egyptians of their wealth! Exodus 12:31-36

Finally, after ten devastating plagues Pharaoh was through with his attempts at bargaining with God. The Israelites could leave. Surprisingly, Pharaoh asked Moses for one more favor; bless me as you leave.

That night the people of Israel left Ramesses and started for Succoth. There were about 600,000 men, plus all the women and children. A rabble of non-Israelites went with them, along with great flocks and herds of livestock. For bread they baked flat cakes from the dough without yeast they had brought from Egypt. It was made without yeast because the people were driven out of Egypt in such a hurry that they had no time to prepare the bread or other food.

The people of Israel had lived in Egypt for 430 years. In fact, it was on the last day of the 430th year that all the LORD’s forces left the land. On this night the LORD kept his promise to bring his people out of the land of Egypt. So this night belongs to him, and it must be commemorated every year by all the Israelites, from generation to generation. Exodus 12:37-42

This commemoration, or remembrance, is known to us as Passover; the Angel of Death ‘passed over’ the houses of the Israelites as it struck the Egyptian first-born.

We also read here about a rabble of non-Israelites that left Egypt with Moses and the Israelites. Moses probably used a term like ‘rabble’ on purpose; these people would soon cause problems for the Israelites. We’ll come back to these people when we begin to hear criticisms about the food available to the people on their journey. They will cause problems for Moses and the Israelites many times on their forty-year journey.

When Pharaoh finally let the people go; God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. Thus the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle. Exodus 13:17-18

We have discussed growing in our faith on several occasions. Here is one more example that it’s okay to grow. The Israelites had just witnessed ten great plagues and they had seen miracles performed by Moses and Aaron. They had suffered through several of these plagues. God understood that His people still had some growing to do before they could completely trust God and fight at His direction.

Have you ever wondered why prayers may be slowly answered or why God has lead us along a particular path? It may be that He is also saving us from battles that we are not ready to face.

Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear to do this. He said, “God will certainly come to help you. When he does, you must take my bones with you from this place.” Exodus 13:19

Joseph made this request to his brothers shortly before his death.

And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die; but God will surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land unto the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence. So Joseph died, being a hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. Genesis 50:24-26

Joseph knew that Egypt was not his home. He remembered God’s promises to Isaac, Abraham and Jacob. Joseph wanted to be buried in the land of God’s promises.

Ever-present God

Now we’ll return to the journey from Egypt.

The Israelites left Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. The LORD went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night. And the LORD did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people. Exodus 13:20-22

The people and their animals rested at night; most of them asleep. They did not need the fire to guide their journey. God provided the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire to also comfort and guide their souls. God said to the Israelites with these pillars exactly what Paul would one day voice to the Athenians;

That they should seek God, if haply they might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. Acts 17:27

These pillars by night and by day were a guide and a reminder that God was very close to His people.

Then the LORD gave these instructions to Moses: “Order the Israelites to turn back and camp by Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea. Camp there along the shore, across from Baal-zephon. Then Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are confused. They are trapped in the wilderness!’ And once again I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after you. I have planned this in order to display my glory through Pharaoh and his whole army. After this the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD!” So the Israelites camped there as they were told. Exodus 14:1-4

As Moses received these instructions from God he did not know that God was about to swallow Pharaoh’s entire army in the Red Sea. Moses, and the Israelites, simply did as they were told, they camped. We need to remember this as well. What we consider to be big things do not happen every day. Often the big events do not happen in our life at all. We must rest – camp – when God leads us to rest and let God’s work happen in His time.

When word reached the king of Egypt that the Israelites had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds. “What have we done, letting all those Israelite slaves get away?” they asked. So Pharaoh harnessed his chariot and called up his troops. He took with him 600 of Egypt’s best chariots, along with the rest of the chariots of Egypt, each with its commander. The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, so he chased after the people of Israel, who had left with fists raised in defiance. The Egyptians chased after them with all the forces in Pharaoh’s army—all his horses and chariots, his charioteers, and his troops. The Egyptians caught up with the people of Israel as they were camped beside the shore near Pi-hahiroth, across from Baal-zephon. Exodus 14:5-9

Pharaoh must have felt many emotions. He would have been grieving for his newly dead son. He lost an army of laborers that took the riches of Egypt and then raised their fists in defiance. His people likely saw him as defeated by Moses. Without thinking of the dramatic way that God had bested him and his magicians, Pharaoh knew only that he had an army that was second to no other mortal army. Pharaoh intended to use that army now against the Israelites.

As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the LORD, and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’” Exodus 14:10-12

Like Pharaoh, the Israelites also forgot what God had just done for them. Worse, the Israelites had God’s constant reminders, the two pillars, with them. Moses did not forget. Like Noah, Abraham, and Joseph; Moses trusted God.

But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Exodus 14:13-15

God’s answer to his trust must have surprised Moses! Perhaps these words from God have brought us the saying, ‘God helps those that help themselves.’ Moses’ surprise may be one reason that we were later told by Isaiah,

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, or your ways my ways, says the Lord. Isaiah 55:8

There is actually a lot more in God’s reply to Moses. God told Moses, and all of us, that we are capable of helping ourselves. To simply pray and then sit around waiting for the results was clearly not what God wanted from Moses, or what He wants from us. We must be active. James reminds us to be active in Christ.

Even so, faith without works is dead. James 2:17

Parting the Red Sea

Having taught Moses this quick lesson, God then continued his directions to Moses.

Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will charge in after the Israelites. My great glory will be displayed through Pharaoh and his troops, his chariots, and his charioteers. When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the LORD!”

Then the angel of God, who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to the rear of the camp. The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and stood behind them. The cloud settled between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. As darkness fell, the cloud turned to fire, lighting up the night. But the Egyptians and Israelites did not approach each other all night.

Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the LORD opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side! Then the Egyptians—all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and charioteers—chased them into the middle of the sea. But just before dawn the LORD looked down on the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw their forces into total confusion. He twisted their chariot wheels, making their chariots difficult to drive. “Let’s get out of here—away from these Israelites!” the Egyptians shouted. “The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt!”

When all the Israelites had reached the other side, the LORD said to Moses, “Raise your hand over the sea again. Then the waters will rush back and cover the Egyptians and their chariots and charioteers.” So as the sun began to rise, Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the water rushed back into its usual place. The Egyptians tried to escape, but the LORD swept them into the sea. Then the waters returned and covered all the chariots and charioteers—the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived.

But the people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, as the water stood up like a wall on both sides. That is how the LORD rescued Israel from the hand of the Egyptians that day. And the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the seashore. When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the LORD had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the LORD and in his servant Moses. Exodus 14:16-31

That last sentences reminds me of nursery rhymes; they all lived happily ever after. Putting your faith and trust completely in the Lord will let you live happily ever after as well.

Did you know that there is evidence of this Egyptian army at the bottom of the Red Sea? You can view pictures at http://www.arkdiscovery.com and at other locations. Scientists have also determined that it is very possible for the waters in that location to have parted for Moses and his travelers just as the event is described in Exodus.

Doubting God

The verses that we’ll now pass over are songs of praise from the Israelites to God for the wonders they had experienced. It didn’t take long for the people to forget their praises and all the miracles of God. They quickly began to doubt God and Moses.

Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the desert of Shur. They traveled in this desert for three days without finding any water. When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink. So they called the place Marah (which means “bitter”). Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded. Exodus 15:22-24

The Israelites had witnessed the ten plagues. They passed through the Red Sea and saw its waters destroy the Egyptian army. Even with the pillars leading them the people doubted that God would provide for their needs.

So Moses cried out to the LORD for help and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink. It was there at Marah that the LORD set before them the following decree as a standard to test their faithfulness to him.

He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the LORD who heals you.” After leaving Marah, the Israelites traveled on to the oasis of Elim, where they found twelve springs and seventy palm trees. They camped there beside the water. Exodus 15:25-27

It may be that God was disappointed with the pride of His chosen people. It may be that they still had more growing to do. He reminded them that while He is a loving God, He has also punished what was not right. They didn’t listen.

Then the whole community of Israel set out from Elim and journeyed into the wilderness of Sin, between Elim and Mount Sinai. They arrived there on the fifteenth day of the second month, one month after leaving the land of Egypt. There, too, the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron. “If only the LORD had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.” Exodus 16:1-3

Following God is not easy. We are told this many times by Jesus,

He who has more love for his father or mother than for me is not good enough for me; he who has more love for son or daughter than for me is not good enough for me. Matthew 10:37

And this,

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any man would come after me, let him give up all, and take up his cross, and come after me.” Matthew 16:24

And from Paul,

But in everything making it clear that we are the servants of God, in quiet strength, in troubles, in need, in sorrow, in blows, in prisons, in attacks, in hard work, in watchings, in going without food. 2 Corinthians 6:4-5

God understood that He had much to teach the continually doubting Israelites. He is a patient God. Jonah says this, and so much more, in his prayer,

For I was certain that you were a loving God, full of pity, slow to be angry and great in mercy; Jonah 4:2

God understood that the provisions that the Israelites carried with them from Egypt were gone. He will feed His people with a wonderful new food.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they will gather food, and when they prepare it, there will be twice as much as usual.” Exodus 16:4-5

We have seen this several times now, in this and in previous discussions; God does provide, he also tests. God wants us to learn and grow, not simply receive. We must be active in the body of Christ.

So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “By evening you will realize it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt. In the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your complaints, which are against him, not against us. What have we done that you should complain about us?” Then Moses added, “The LORD will give you meat to eat in the evening and bread to satisfy you in the morning, for he has heard all your complaints against him. What have we done? Yes, your complaints are against the LORD, not against us.” Exodus 16:6-8

Manna from Heaven

God announced through Moses and Aaron that he would provide food for the Israelites. God would now reinforce the message that He was always with His people. All of them were about to see His glory.

That evening vast numbers of quail flew in and covered the camp. And the next morning the area around the camp was wet with dew. When the dew evaporated, a flaky substance as fine as frost blanketed the ground. The Israelites were puzzled when they saw it. “What is it?” they asked each other. They had no idea what it was. And Moses told them, “It is the food the LORD has given you to eat.

These are the LORD’s instructions: Each household should gather as much as it needs. Pick up two quarts for each person in your tent.” So the people of Israel did as they were told. Some gathered a lot, some only a little. But when they measured it out, everyone had just enough. Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough. Each family had just what it needed. Exodus 16:13-18

Later in his writing Moses tells us more about this Manna.

The manna looked like small coriander seeds, and it was pale yellow like gum resin. The people would go out and gather it from the ground. They made flour by grinding it with hand mills or pounding it in mortars. Then they boiled it in a pot and made it into flat cakes. These cakes tasted like pastries baked with olive oil. Numbers 11:7-8

When many of us think of this story, we remember only the ‘manna from heaven’, but God also provided meat to His people. They ate quail. We’ll learn more about the manna in a few verses.

We also read an interesting passage that tells us about God and our relationship with Him. Some gathered a lot, some only a little. But when they measured it out, everyone had just enough. Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough. Each family had just what it needed. Think about these words as a description of our salvation and eternal life. Jesus taught us a similar parable.

For the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a house, who went out early in the morning to get workers into his vine-garden. And when he had made an agreement with the workmen for a penny a day, he sent them into his vine-garden. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others in the market-place doing nothing; and he said to them, “Go into the vine-garden with the others, and whatever is right I will give you.” And they went to work. Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and saw others doing nothing; and he says to them, “Why are you here all the day doing nothing?” They say to him, “Because no man has given us work.” He says to them, “Go in with the rest, into the vine-garden.” And when evening came, the lord of the vine-garden said to his manager, “Let the workers come, and give them their payment, from the last to the first.” And when those men came who had gone to work at the eleventh hour, they were given every man a penny. Then those who came first had the idea that they would get more; and they, like the rest, were given a penny. And when they got it, they made a protest against the master of the house, saying, “These last have done only one hour's work, and you have made them equal to us, who have undergone the hard work of the day and the burning heat.” But he in answer said to one of them, “Friend, I do you no wrong: did you not make an agreement with me for a penny? Take what is yours, and go away; it is my pleasure to give to this last, even as to you. Have I not the right to do as seems good to me in my house, or is your eye evil, because I am good?” Matthew 20:1-15

In this parable Jesus was discussing our salvation. If we come to Him early in our life, or later, we all find our name written in the Book of Life. Similar to the gathering of manna, we will have just enough; eternal life in Heaven.

Then Moses told them, “Do not keep any of it until morning.” But some of them didn’t listen and kept some of it until morning. But by then it was full of maggots and had a terrible smell. Moses was very angry with them. After this the people gathered the food morning by morning, each family according to its need. And as the sun became hot, the flakes they had not picked up melted and disappeared.

On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much as usual—four quarts for each person instead of two. Then all the leaders of the community came and asked Moses for an explanation. He told them, “This is what the LORD commanded: Tomorrow will be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath day set apart for the LORD. So bake or boil as much as you want today, and set aside what is left for tomorrow.” Exodus 16:19-23

As we read this story of the Bible we must remember that the Ten Commandments had not yet been given to Moses and the People. That is why they needed this explanation. It was earlier, from the Book of Genesis, that we learned that God made this seventh day holy.

And the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it; because that in it he rested from all his work which God had created and made. Genesis 2:1-3

We’ll return to Moses and the left-over manna.

So they put some aside until morning, just as Moses had commanded. And in the morning the leftover food was wholesome and good, without maggots or odor. Moses said, “Eat this food today, for today is a Sabbath day dedicated to the LORD. There will be no food on the ground today. You may gather the food for six days, but the seventh day is the Sabbath. There will be no food on the ground that day.”

Some of the people went out anyway on the seventh day, but they found no food. The LORD asked Moses, “How long will these people refuse to obey my commands and instructions? They must realize that the Sabbath is the LORD’s gift to you. That is why he gives you a two-day supply on the sixth day, so there will be enough for two days. On the Sabbath day you must each stay in your place. Do not go out to pick up food on the seventh day.” So the people did not gather any food on the seventh day. Exodus 16:24-30

The Sabbath is a gift from God. It was never a proclamation to not work. The Sabbath is a gift of rest, relaxation and meditation. Jesus explained the difference.

He said to them, “What man is there among you, who has one sheep, and if this one falls into a pit on the Sabbath day, won't he grab on to it, and lift it out? Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day.” Matthew 12:11-12

Now we’ll learn more about manna.

The Israelites called the food manna. It was white like coriander seed, and it tasted like honey wafers. Then Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded: Fill a two-quart container with manna to preserve it for your descendants. Then later generations will be able to see the food I gave you in the wilderness when I set you free from Egypt.” Moses said to Aaron, “Get a jar and fill it with two quarts of manna. Then put it in a sacred place before the LORD to preserve it for all future generations.”

Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded Moses. He eventually placed it in the Ark of the Covenant—in front of the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. So the people of Israel ate manna for forty years until they arrived at the land where they would settle. They ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. Exodus 16:31-35

We just learned that Aaron eventually placed some of the manna into the Ark of the Covenant. We’re a little ahead of our stories of the Bible, but this is a good time to ask, “Whatever happened to the Ark of the Covenant and why can’t we see this manna and the tables of the Ten Commandments today?”

We’ll learn his story another time, but Josiah gives us the last mention of the Ark in the Old Testament.

And Josiah kept a Passover unto Jehovah in Jerusalem: and they killed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. And he set the priests in their offices, and encouraged them to the service of the house of Jehovah. And he said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, that were holy unto Jehovah, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; there shall no more be a burden upon your shoulders: now serve Jehovah your God, and his people Israel. 2 Chronicles 35:1-3

We’ll soon discover that Solomon built his temple at Jerusalem. We’ll also learn that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon later attacked Jerusalem twice; the first time plundering the Temple of Solomon and the second time burning Jerusalem to the ground. We don’t know if Nebuchadnezzar captured the Ark of the Covenant or if it was hidden before he arrived but we do know that he did not destroy it. John saw the Ark of the Covenant in Heaven. He tells us about the Ark when he is describing the Third Woe of the end times.

And there was opened the temple of God that is in heaven; and there was seen in his temple the ark of his covenant; and there followed lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and great hail. Revelation 11:19

Now that we know the Ark is safe in Heaven we can end our story.

- We learned again that it’s okay to continue to grow in faith. God knows this too and, like shielding the Israelites from a battle they were not ready to fight, God also saves us from the struggles that we are not ready to face.

- We also learned that even with God’s constant presence that the Israelites continually disobeyed Him.

- God provided a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire to guide His people on their journey. These pillars were also a constant comfort and reminder that God was very close to His people.

- God told Moses to wait – camp – until He was ready for the Israelites to move. Like them we must also obey God when we hear ‘wait’. Allow Him to work in us as He knows best.

- As the Egyptians advanced on his camp Moses told the Israelites to sit back and watch God deal with that army. God then gave Moses, and us, the lesson that we must also help ourselves. God said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!”

- God provided all of the food and water that the Israelites needed. He forbade them from taking more than was necessary. God provides for our needs but not our selfish desires.

Next time we will be traveling with the Israelites and we’ll return to the mountain where Moses spoke with God through the burning bush. It is on that mountain that God will give to Moses the Ten Commandments. Most of our reading will be from Exodus 17 through 19.

26) The First Fight

Last time we were with Moses and the Israelites as God led them from Egypt. We learned that God was constantly with them as they crossed the desert. We also learned about manna; food from Heaven.

- God taught us one more time that it’s okay to continue to grow in our faith. God saved the Israelites from a battle for which they were not ready. In the same way He protects us from the battles that we aren’t prepared to face.

- Even with God’s continued presence, the Israelites were quick to disobey Him.

- During their exodus from Egypt God gave His followers constant reminders to comfort and guide the Israelites on their journey. These two reminders were a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night.

- As their journey began, God commanded Moses to make camp – wait – and await further instructions from God. Sometimes our inaction serves God best, but only when He commands inaction from us.

- Moses saw the Egyptians advancing on the Israelite camp. He told the people to relax and watch God deal with the Egyptians. Instead God told Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!” God helps those that help themselves.

- God gave the Israelites all of the food and water that they needed. They ate manna daily and even had quail. God forbade His people from taking more food than they needed. God will provide for our needs but not for our selfish desires.

This time we’ll continue the journey through the desert and return with Moses to Mount Sinai; God’s mountain, as Moses called it in Exodus 3:1. This time the Israelites better be ready for battle. They will be attacked in the desert.

The Pentateuch

We’ll also begin to bounce around the first five books of the Bible. These five books are a history of the Jewish people. Moses is credited as the author of these first five Bible books; Genesis through Deuteronomy. We can find this credit for Moses throughout the Bible. Let’s look at just a few mentions. The first is by Moses.

These are the journeys of the children of Israel, when they went forth out of the land of Egypt by their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron. Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of Yahweh: and these are their journeys according to their goings out. Numbers 33:1-2

Ezra led a group of Jewish former slaves home to Jerusalem from Babylon. We’ll learn his story another time. He also credits Moses as God’s first historian.

They set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses. Ezra 6:18

Jesus also cites the book of Moses.

Jesus answered them, “Isn't this because you are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God? For when they will rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. But about the dead, that they are raised; haven't you read in the book of Moses, about the Bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?’ Mark 12:24-26

Throughout these five books Moses often tells parts of the same story in different places. That’s why we’ll bounce around these first five books so often. We’ll make a chronology of the forty years in the desert and also create a better understanding of these five books as we continue our stories of Moses.

Together, these five books are called the Pentateuch by Christians. Pentateuch comes to us from the Greek pent teuchos, which means five volumes or five scrolls (books or writings). To the Jews, these five books of Moses are the Torah. Torah means instructions or teachings but has come to commonly mean law; the laws of God.

Camps

All the congregation of the children of Israel traveled from the wilderness of Sin, by their journeys, according to Yahweh's commandment, and encamped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. Exodus 17:1

This first verse covers a lot of traveling by simply saying that the people moved from place to place. Last time together we learned about the first camps. The Israelites camped at Succoth on their first night of freedom. They made their next camp at Etham. It was at Etham that the Lord gave them a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire to comfort and guide them, and to show His continual presence. God next led the Israelites back to Pi-hahiroth, and made Pharaoh believe that the Israelites were trapped in the wilderness.

After crossing the Red Sea, God led the Israelites across the desert of Shur to the oasis of Marah where they found bitter water. Leaving Marah, the Israelites traveled on to the oasis of Elim. Here they found twelve springs and many palm trees. In the wilderness of Sin, traveling toward Mount Sinai, God provided the Israelites with manna and quail.

The book of Numbers, Chapter 33 lists each of the Israelite camps during their forty year journey. We’ll learn more about many of these camps as we travel with Moses. For now, we’ll read the words that Moses used to describe the beginning of this forty year journey.

These are the journeys of the children of Israel, when they went forth out of the land of Egypt by their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron. Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of Yahweh: and these are their journeys according to their goings out. They traveled from Ramesses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the next day after the Passover the children of Israel went out with a high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians. Numbers 33:1-3

Moses recorded that the people left Egypt defiantly and openly; proudly. God walked with them as they left Egypt. He walks with you as well. Walk proudly with God.

We learned a moment ago that the Israelites next camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. We’ll return now to the Rephidim camp. The people need another reminder that God is with them. Do we also need too many reminders of God’s presence?

Therefore the people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test Yahweh?” Exodus 17:2

Moses has just asked the people a very interesting question, why do you test Yahweh? All of us must remember not to test God when we doubt or fear or complain. We must not say, in effect, “I can’t if You won’t!”

The people were thirsty for water there; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?” Moses cried to Yahweh, saying, “What shall I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

Yahweh said to Moses, “Walk on before the people, and take the elders of Israel with you, and take the rod in your hand with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb. You shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because the children of Israel quarreled, and because they tested Yahweh, saying, “Is Yahweh among us, or not?” Exodus 17:3-7

Paul used this water-giving-rock as an analogy of Christ for the Corinthians.

Now I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:1-4

First Fight

The people now had water in the desert. They also received a new challenge.

Then Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. Exodus 17:8

This tribe of Jewish emigrants was about to enter into battle. They were not prepared to fight, but a victory would begin to unite them as a people.

Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us, and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with God’s rod in my hand.” Exodus 17:9

By the way, we’ll learn when we talk about the twelve spies that Moses changed Joshua’s name from Hoshea. No, this was not the prophet Hosea that gave us a book of the Bible.

These are the names of the men who Moses sent to spy out the land. Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua. Numbers 13:16

We know that Joshua will defend the Israelites but we’re not sure, from this passage, why there even was a fight between the Israelites and the Amaleks. We need to look to Deuteronomy for our answer.

Keep in mind what Amalek did to you on your way from Egypt; how, meeting you on the way, he made an attack on you when you were tired and without strength, cutting off all the feeble ones at the end of your line; and the fear of God was not in him. Deuteronomy 25:17-18

Now we know that the Israelites had to defend themselves from a horde that attacked their old and feeble; the stragglers. The battle with the Amaleks is about to begin.

So Joshua did as Moses had told him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed. When he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side. His hands were steady until sunset.

Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. Yahweh said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under the sky.” Moses built an altar, and called its name Yahweh our Banner. He said, “Yahweh has sworn: ‘Yahweh will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.’” Exodus 17:10-16

As God declared, the Amaleks would be completely defeated. That would not happen for many more years. This fight was to be only the first of many battles with the Amaleks. Let’s find out who they were. We’ll begin by going back to an earlier story of two brothers destined to fight with each other.

Isaac and his wife Rebekah were unable to conceive children. Isaac, like so many men of the Bible, went to the Lord in prayer; asking for children. Later, his wife Rebekah was having a difficult pregnancy and she also went to the Lord in prayer.

But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the LORD about it. “Why is this happening to me?” she asked. And the LORD told her, “The sons in your womb will become two nations. The children struggled together within her. She said, “If it be so, why do I live?” She went to inquire of Yahweh. Yahweh said to her, Two nations are in your womb, Two peoples will be separated from your body. The one people will be stronger than the other people. The elder will serve the younger. Genesis 25:22-23

These two sons were Esau and Jacob. Esau sold his inheritance as first-born to Jacob for a bowl of stew. Later, Esau would try to kill Jacob, forcing Jacob to run from his brother for many years.

Jacob boiled stew. Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called Edom. Jacob said, “First, sell me your birthright.” Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?” Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” He swore to him. He sold his birthright to Jacob. Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils. He ate and drank, rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright. Genesis 25:29-34

And,

Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him. Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand. Then I will kill my brother Jacob.” Genesis 27:41

Esau later fathered a son that was named Eliphaz. Eliphaz and his concubine had a son as well.

Timna was concubine to Eliphaz, Esau's son; and she bore to Eliphaz Amalek. Genesis 36:12a

Now we know that Amalek, and the people later known as Amaleks, were closely related to the Israelites. As God foretold, these two nations would become rivals.

These Amaleks were later part of the reason that God decreed that most of the Israelites would not enter the Promised Land.

They went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, to the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word to them, and to all the congregation, and shown them the fruit of the land. They told him, and said, we came to the land where you sent us; and surely it flows with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. However the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. Amalek dwells in the land of the South: and the Hittite, and the Jebusite, and the Amorite, dwell in the hill-country; and the Canaanite dwells by the sea, and along by the side of the Jordan. Numbers 13:26-29

We’ll learn this story of the twelve spies soon. Immediately after this story of the twelve spies the Israelites attacked the Amaleks against God’s command. It was a disaster.

Moses said, why now do you disobey the commandment of Yahweh, seeing it shall not prosper? Don't go up, for Yahweh isn't among you; that you not be struck down before your enemies. For there the Amalekite and the Canaanite are before you, and you shall fall by the sword: because you are turned back from following Yahweh, therefore Yahweh will not be with you.

But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, and Moses, didn't depart out of the camp. Then the Amalekite came down, and the Canaanite who lived in that mountain, and struck them and beat them down, even to Hormah. Numbers 14:41-45

After this Israelite defeat there were several other skirmishes involving the Amaleks.

The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh: and Yahweh strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh. He gathered to him the children of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and struck Israel, and they possessed the city of palm trees. Judges 3:12-13

These attacks grew more frequent.

So it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east; they came up against them. Judges 6:3

And,

Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east assembled themselves together; and they passed over, and encamped in the valley of Jezreel. Judges 6:33

Psalms 83 also refers to the continuous attempted destruction of the Israelites by the Amaleks.

“Come,” they say, “and let's destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” For they have conspired together with one mind. They form an alliance against you. The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab, and the Hagarites; Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Psalms 83:4-7

Even God grew weary of these never ending attacks. He wanted the Amaleks completely gone. God’s first appointed King, Saul, was ordered to battle the Amaleks as his initial mission from God.

Samuel said to Saul, Yahweh sent me to anoint you to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore listen you to the voice of the words of Yahweh. Thus says Yahweh of Armies, I have marked that which Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way, when he came up out of Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and don't spare them; but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. 1 Samuel 15:1-3

Saul did not complete God’s command.

Saul struck the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is before Egypt. He took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and wouldn't utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly. Then came the word of Yahweh to Samuel, saying, it grieves me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments. Samuel was angry; and he cried to Yahweh all night. 1 Samuel 15:7-11

Because of Saul’s failure to obey God King David was then forced to war against the Amaleks because of their continued hostilities.

It happened, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid on the South, and on Ziklag, and had struck Ziklag, and burned it with fire, and had taken captive the women and all who were therein, both small and great: they didn't kill any, but carried them off, and went their way. When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captive. David struck them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day: and there not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who rode on camels and fled. 1 Samuel 30:1-3, 17

King David appears to have defeated all of the Amaleks, except for a few stragglers or deserters. Others removed the last of the Amaleks.

Some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to Mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi. They struck the remnant of the Amalekites who escaped, and have lived there to this day. 1 Chronicles 4:42-43

Government of the People

Now that Joshua and the Israelites have won this first battle against the Amalekites, we will return to Moses and see him reunited with his wife and family.

Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, how that Yahweh had brought Israel out of Egypt. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away, and her two sons. The name of one son was Gershom, for Moses said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land”. The name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my help and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword.”

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the Mountain of God. He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you with your wife, and her two sons with her.” Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed and kissed him. They asked each other of their welfare, and they came into the tent. Moses told his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that had come on them on the way, and how Yahweh delivered them.

Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which Yahweh had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians. Jethro said, “Blessed be Yahweh, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all gods because of the thing in which they dealt arrogantly against them.” Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron came with all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God. Exodus 18:1-12

Moses and Jethro, like so many others we’ve read about, remembered and honored God. This example, repeated so many times for us in the Bible, is one that we must follow. Always honor God.

Now, Moses is about to learn that he doesn’t have to lead every detail of these people’s lives. Remember, the Israelites left Egypt shortly before with 600,000 men; plus women and children. These Israelites could have easily numbered a quarter-million or more people. All of them looked to Moses for leadership.

On the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the evening. When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, “What is this thing that you do for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning to evening?”

Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.” Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good. You will surely wear away, both you, and this people that is with you; for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to perform it yourself alone.

Listen now to my voice. I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You represent the people before God, and bring the causes to God. You shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and shall show them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do. Exodus 18:13-20

These inspired words from Jethro have influenced government and society from Moses’ time through today; consider America’s system of local, county, state and federal government. These governing bodies deal with community items at the local level, and all the way up to national issues. This gives us both an identity for our community as well as a national identity.

Jethro also gave us our method of learning God’s ways and living our lives. He said, “Teach them God’s decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives.” We follow this pattern every week in our churches.

Jethro continues to advise Moses. He says,

Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men which fear God: men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. Let them judge the people at all times. It shall be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge themselves. So shall it be easier for you, and they shall share the load with you. If you will do this thing, and God commands you so, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace.”

So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said. 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. They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard causes to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves. Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land. Exodus 18:21-27

With this advice and the help it gave him, Moses and the Israelites were ready to continue their journey. All the people were about to see God’s presence.

In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that same day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. When they had departed from Rephidim, and had come to the wilderness of Sinai, they encamped in the wilderness; and there Israel encamped before the mountain. Exodus 19:1-2

Return to Sinai

The Bible tells us that the Israelites camped at Mount Sinai for a long time. We just read that they reached Sinai two months after leaving Egypt. In Numbers we’ll learn that they broke camp just a few days short of a full year.

It happened in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, that the cloud was taken up from over the tent of the testimony. The children of Israel set forward according to their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud abode in the wilderness of Paran. Numbers 10:11-12

From this and other Bible passages we know that the Israelites did not spend forty years walking in a desert month after month. For much of those forty years the Israelites were encamped at various places.

Mount Sinai is significant. It was here, you may remember, that God first spoke to Moses through a burning bush and sent Moses to free His chosen people.

“When forty years were fulfilled, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight. As he came close to see, a voice of the Lord came to him, ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’

Moses trembled, and dared not look. The Lord said to him, ‘Take your sandals off of your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. I have surely seen the affliction of my people that is in Egypt, and have heard their groaning. I have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you into Egypt.’ Acts 7:30-34

After returning to Mount Sinai and encamping with the Israelites, Moses again climbed the mountain to speak with God.

Moses went up to God, and Yahweh called to him out of the mountain, saying, “This is what you shall tell the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine; 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.” Exodus 19:3-6

God has just plainly declared His sovereignty of all the Earth. He unmistakably proclaims all the earth is mine.

Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which Yahweh commanded him. All the people answered together, and said, “All that Yahweh has spoken we will do.” Moses reported the words of the people to Yahweh.

Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.” Moses told the words of the people to Yahweh. Exodus 19:7-9

God wants there to be no doubt among His people that Moses remains His chosen leader. God is about to arrange a conversation with Moses before all of the Israelites.

Yahweh said to Moses, “Go to the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments, and be ready against the third day; for on the third day Yahweh will come down in the sight of all the people on Mount Sinai. You shall set bounds to the people all around, saying, ‘Be careful that you don’t go up onto the mountain, or touch its border. Whoever touches the mountain shall be surely put to death. No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether it is animal or man, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come up to the mountain.”

Moses went down from the mountain to the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes. He said to the people, “Be ready by the third day. Don’t have sexual relations with a woman.” Exodus 19:10-15

Next time we will join the Israelites as we listen to the words of God. He will speak the Ten Commandments to His people. Most of our reading will be from Exodus chapters 20 through 31.

- Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

- When they were thirsty, the people fought with Moses and again questioned God. We must be careful to not question God by doubting that He does protect us and will provide for us.

- The Amaleks attacked the Israelite stragglers; the tired and weakest. This was to be the first of many battles these two nations would fight.

- Perhaps to reinforce His earlier lesson about helping himself, God required that Moses must also participate in this battle with the Amaleks by holding his arm and staff above him. Moses held his staff aloft from the start of battle until sunset.

- The Amaleks and the Israelites were distantly related people. The twins born to Isaac and Rebekah would become these two rival nations, as foretold by God.

- Jethro’s suggestions to Moses have shaped governments across the ages and in many countries. Jethro also defined our common method of learning God’s ways, which we have turned into church attendance.

27) God Speaks from the Mountain

Our last Bible story was a hectic time for Moses and the Israelites. They walked across a desert, faced severe thirst, and their stragglers were attacked and killed. The Israelites were forced into a battle that they won. As we left them, the Israelites had reached Mount Sinai and they were about to hear God speak.

We learned many things our last time together.

- We know that Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. These are the journeys of the children of Israel, when they went forth out of the land of Egypt by their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron. Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of Yahweh: and these are their journeys according to their goings out. Numbers 33:1-2

- As the people grew thirsty they again began to doubt Moses and to question God. Never doubt God’s protection. Jesus told us exactly this. “I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened. Luke 11:9-10

- The Amaleks attacked the weak Israelite stragglers. This brought about the first of many battles between the two nations.

- During this battle with the Amaleks Moses held his staff in the air. While he held the staff high the battle favored the Israelites. When Moses lowered his arms the momentum would swing to the Amaleks.

- The Israelites and the Amaleks were distantly related. The Israelites descended from Jacob and the Amaleks were descendants of Jacob’s twin brother Esau.

- When Moses struggled to fulfill all of the needs of the people his father-in-law, Jethro, offered some suggestions that are still with us today. Jethro suggested that Moses appoint layers of honest, God-fearing men to solve many of the daily problems and disputes. He also suggested a way of learning about God that has evolved into pastors and churches.

God Speaks

Our last time together, God gave Moses instructions to prepare all the people for His arrival. Among other things, they were to cordon off Mount Sinai so that no one could approach too near to God. These preparations lasted two days.

On the third day, when it was morning, there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of an exceedingly loud trumpet; and all the people who were in the camp trembled. Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the lower part of the mountain.

All of Mount Sinai smoked, because Yahweh descended on it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice. Yahweh came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. Yahweh called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. Exodus 19:16-20

Can you imagine the awe, and the fear, that gripped these Israelites? Moses said that ‘all the people trembled’ from even being near where God stood. The people must have quickly overcome their fear and begun to push nearer the mountain, and to God.

Yahweh said to Moses, “Go down, warn the people, lest they break through to Yahweh to gaze, and many of them perish. Let the priests also, who come near to Yahweh, sanctify themselves, lest Yahweh break out on them.”

Moses said to Yahweh, “The people can’t come up to Mount Sinai, for you warned us, saying, ‘Set bounds around the mountain, and sanctify it.’” Yahweh said to him, “Go down! You shall bring Aaron up with you, but don’t let the priests and the people break through to come up to Yahweh, lest he break out against them.” So Moses went down to the people, and told them. Exodus 19:21-25

And now the Lord is about to say far more to Moses. God is about to state His laws. He’ll begin with the Ten Commandments.

God spoke all these words, saying, “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. “You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me, and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

“You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. You shall labor six days, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you. “You shall not murder. “You shall not commit adultery. “You shall not steal. “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

“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.” Exodus 20:1-17

We know that before this day at the mountain God had been angered by His children many times. So have you then wondered why God would wait until this day at Mount Sinai to give us His laws? Paul gives us the answer in Galatians.

Now I say this. A covenant confirmed beforehand by God in Christ, the law, which came four hundred thirty years after, does not annul, so as to make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by promise. What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions. Galatians 3:17-19a

So Paul tells us that God gave the Israelites the law to teach them His many definitions of sinning. Moses is about to say this as well.

All the people perceived the thunderings, the lightnings, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking. When the people saw it, they trembled, and stayed at a distance. They said to Moses, “Speak with us yourself, and we will listen; but don’t let God speak with us, lest we die.” Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, and that his fear may be before you, that you won’t sin.” Exodus 20:18-20

Having reassured the people, Moses now returns to speak with God. He’ll hear God’s instruction to build an altar.

The people stayed at a distance, and Moses came near to the thick darkness where God was. Yahweh said to Moses, “This is what you shall tell the children of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. You shall most certainly not make gods of silver or gods of gold for yourselves to be alongside me.

You shall make an altar of earth for me, and shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I record my name I will come to you and I will bless you. If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of cut stones; for if you lift up your tool on it, you have polluted it. You shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed to it.’ Exodus 20:21-26

The Law

God next gives Moses the first of His many laws. He told Moses,

“Now these are the ordinances which you shall set before them.” Exodus 21:1

God then goes on to list many, many laws for His people. We’ll look at only a few of them. The first law that we’ll read refers to murder and the death penalty.

One who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death, but not if it is unintentional, but God allows it to happen: then I will appoint you a place where he shall flee. If a man schemes and comes presumptuously on his neighbor to kill him, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die. Exodus 21:12-14

You may have heard the expression, ‘an eye for an eye’. Here is the biblical language behind that phrase.

If men fight and hurt a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely, and yet no harm follows, he shall be surely fined as much as the woman’s husband demands and the judges allow. But if any harm follows, then you must take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise. Exodus 21:22-25

This next passage discusses lending and borrowing.

If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor. You shall not charge him interest. If you take your neighbor’s garment as collateral, you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down, for that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What would he sleep in? It will happen, when he cries to me, that I will hear, for I am gracious. Exodus 22:25-27

This next verse briefly discusses politics.

You shall not blaspheme God, nor curse a ruler of your people. Exodus 22:28

Understand that ‘do not curse your rulers’ does not mean that we cannot work for social or political change. It simply tells us to do so with dignity.

These next verses explain the origin of all first-born belonging to God. It also helps us understand why Jesus, and others we’ll learn about, were the first-born children; they belong to God.

You shall give the firstborn of your sons to me. You shall do likewise with your cattle and with your sheep. Seven days it shall be with its mother, then on the eighth day you shall give it to me. Exodus 22:29b-30

God next told Moses to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread as a remembrance of the journey from Egypt.

Each year you must celebrate three festivals in my honor. First, celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast, just as I commanded you. Celebrate this festival annually at the appointed time in early spring, in the month of Abib, for that is the anniversary of your departure from Egypt. No one may appear before me without an offering. Exodus 23:14-15

The other two feasts required by God are the Festival of Harvest and the Festival of the Final Harvest, which respectively celebrate the first crops of the harvest and the last crops of each year.

There was one more reason, besides teaching them His many definitions of sinning, for God to give so many of His Laws to the Israelites. God also wanted His chosen people to be separate and distinct from other nations. These laws gave His people unique customs. They already had a unique form of government by using a layered series of judges to settle disputes.

Having presented so many laws to Moses and the Israelites, God is now ready to expand on His earlier vow to lead His chosen people to the Promised Land. He begins by telling the people to follow and obey His new representative.

Behold, I send an angel before you, to keep you by the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Pay attention to him, and listen to his voice. Don’t provoke him, for he will not pardon your disobedience, for my name is in him. Exodus 23:20-21

His next words are quoted often today as Christians discuss the support of the country of Israel.

But if you indeed listen to his voice, and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and an adversary to your adversaries. Exodus 23:22

It is this promise from God that today gives Israel its courage while surrounded by enemies. He will oppose those that would attack the land of Israel. God now continues his vow by describing the actual location of the Promised Land. He also places precautionary demands on the people.

For my angel shall go before you, and bring you in to the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I will cut them off. You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor follow their practices, but you shall utterly overthrow them and demolish their pillars. Exodus 23:23-24

These sound like harsh words. Many of us wonder why a loving God would use such strong language. The answer is that He is a loving God than knew the future events coming to harm Israel. We’ll learn another time that the Israelites divided into two kingdoms, were attacked and then conquered, and again became slaves. This all happened because the Israelites failed to heed God’s command.

God continues His instructions and offers wonderful promises and encouragement to the Israelites.

You shall serve Yahweh your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you. No one will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will fulfill the number of your days. I will send my terror before you, and will confuse all the people to whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you.

I will send the hornet before you, which will drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before you. I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the animals of the field multiply against you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and inherit the land. Exodus 23:25-30

God now sets the actual boundaries of the Promised Land.

I will set your border from the Red Sea even to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. Exodus 23:31

God then returns to His prior warning; a second attempt to save His people.

You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me, for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you. Exodus 23:32-33

Dinner with God

Finishing His promise and commands, God now asks Moses and several elders to approach Him.

He said to Moses, “Come up to Yahweh, you, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship from a distance. Moses alone shall come near to Yahweh, but they shall not come near. The people shall not go up with him.” Exodus 24:1-2

Now we learn that Moses and the Israelites understood God’s message and agreed to His requirements. To Keep God’s message for all time, Moses also wrote God’s word to share with all generations.

Moses came and told the people all Yahweh’s words, and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, “All the words which Yahweh has spoken will we do.” Moses wrote all Yahweh’s words, and rose up early in the morning, and built an altar under the mountain, and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. He sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of cattle to Yahweh. Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. Exodus 24:3-6

Building this altar and twelve pillars, then preparing the sacrificial peace offerings, affirmed the people’s commitment to obeying the Lord. They are about to formalize their previous vow of obedience.

He took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people, and they said, “All that Yahweh has spoken will we do, and be obedient.” Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Look, this is the blood of the covenant, which Yahweh has made with you concerning all these words.” Exodus 24:7-8

Moses told the people that the blood of the sacrificed bulls has confirmed the covenant, or agreement, with the Lord. God has formally defined the boundaries of the Promised Land, and given very specific requirements to the Israelites to follow. The Israelites made their own promise to keep these requirements and obey God.

We’ll learn in our stories that Israel did not keep these vows. The people often broke their promise to God. God will then allow a long series of calamities to trouble His people; all in the hope that they will return to Him.

Now Moses and the elders are about to meet God, and share a meal with Him!

Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up. They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was like a paved work of sapphire stone, like the skies for clearness. He didn’t lay his hand on the nobles of the children of Israel. They saw God, and ate and drank. Exodus 24:9-11

Nadab and Abihu were two of Aaron’s sons. Can you imagine how good it felt for these men to see God and eat at His table? Now we know that many men have actually seen God and been near Him. He does exist.

Yahweh said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and stay here, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commands that I have written, that you may teach them.” Moses rose up with Joshua, his servant, and Moses went up onto God’s Mountain. He said to the elders, “Wait here for us, until we come again to you. Behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever is involved in a dispute can go to them.”

Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. Yahweh’s glory settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. The seventh day he called to Moses out of the middle of the cloud. The appearance of Yahweh’s glory was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel. Moses entered into the middle of the cloud, and went up on the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. Exodus 24:12-18

Now we’ll learn what Moses did for those forty days on the mountain. We join him now in his conversations with God.

The Ark of the Covenant

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, that they take an offering for me. From everyone whose heart makes him willing you shall take my offering. This is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, brass, blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats’ hair, rams’ skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood, oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense, onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate.

Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all of its furniture, even so you shall make it. Exodus 25:1-9

God has just announced His intention to live among the Israelites! God had not lived among the people since Adam was chased from the Garden of Eden! Imagine the excitement that Moses must have felt.

After giving Moses a list of sacred offerings that Moses can accept from the people, God will now go into great detail on the construction of what will become the Ark of the Covenant. This is the very first item for His temple that God will discuss with Moses. This is significant!

Think about God’s many commands and promises. Each time God spoke to our Old Testament heroes He listed the items most important to Him first. Our story is near the point where God will give Moses His Ten Commandments on stone tablets. The first four Commandments describe our relationship and allegiance with God. Our relationship with God is most important to Him.

In the same way, this Ark of the Covenant, just like Noah’s rainbow, was to become a visual and constant reminder to the Israelites of God’s promise to them. The Ark affirms God’s pledge to the Israelites for all time. God still values that pledge. Remember, John tells us that he saw this very same Ark of the Covenant in Heaven. He was describing the Third Woe of the end times when we read this passage.

God's temple that is in heaven was opened, and the ark of the Lord's covenant was seen in his temple. Lightnings, sounds, thunders, an earthquake, and great hail followed. Revelation 11:19

God now provides the many details of the Ark of the Covenant. These very detailed descriptions fill the remainder of chapter 25 and continue through Exodus Chapter 31. We’ll briefly describe these items and invite you to read the great amount of detail, and love, that God obviously put into the Ark of the Covenant and its care.

“They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Its length shall be two and a half cubits, its width a cubit and a half, and a cubit and a half its height. You shall overlay it with pure gold. You shall overlay it inside and outside, and you shall make a gold molding around it. You shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four feet. Two rings shall be on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it.

You shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark. The poles shall be in the rings of the ark. They shall not be taken from it. You shall put the testimony which I shall give you into the ark. You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two and a half cubits shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its width. You shall make two cherubim of hammered gold. You shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other end. You shall make the cherubim on its two ends of one piece with the mercy seat.

The cherubim shall spread out their wings upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward one another. The faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat. You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I will give you. There I will meet with you, and I will tell you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the testimony, all that I command you for the children of Israel. Exodus 25:10-22

God’s Temple

Now that God has provided the details for His Ark, He continues with the descriptions of the temple furnishings. These furnishings are a gold-overlaid table and a very ornate golden lampstand. God then begins His description of the tabernacle that will hold His Ark, and where He will meet His people. The details of this temple construction even include the types of joints and the connectors for each of the walls!

This tabernacle is obviously very important to God. He passes more construction details to Moses; this time for a nearly eight foot square bronze covered holy altar. This altar will be for the burnt offerings given to God. Finishing with the many details of the interior of the tabernacle God continues with His instructions for the very large courtyard; seventy-five feet on each side. Its entrance would be on the East; facing the rising sun. God even mentions the bronze tent pegs in His description.

Still not finished, God continues with the oil for the lamps and the very elaborate, ceremonial clothing of the priests.

You shall command the children of Israel, that they bring to you pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually. In the Tent of Meeting, outside the veil which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall keep it in order from evening to morning before Yahweh: it shall be a statute forever throughout their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel. Exodus 27:20-21

Now that God has declared that there shall always be light inside His tabernacle He announces the priests that will serve Him; Aaron and his sons. Their priestly robes are then described by God.

Bring Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, near to you from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons. You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. You shall speak to all who are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron’s garments to sanctify him, that he may minister to me in the priest’s office.

These are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, and his sons, that he may minister to me in the priest’s office. They shall take the gold, and the blue, and the purple, and the scarlet, and the fine linen. Exodus 28:1-5

Can’t you tell that God wants everything to be perfect for this tabernacle and its holy Ark. He even gave special wisdom to the skilled craftsmen making these priestly robes. Soon He will even mention some craftsmen by name. Imagine their pride at receiving this special blessing from God. Now remember that God’s special blessing went to tailors and seamstresses; what we may consider honorable but inglorious jobs. Nothing we do is unimportant to God.

Now we’ll learn of all the symbolism that God wants on these robes to remind Him, and the Israelites, of their special bond.

They shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the skillful workman. It shall have two shoulder straps joined to the two ends of it, that it may be joined together. The skillfully woven band, which is on it, that is on him, shall be like its work and of the same piece; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.

You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the children of Israel: six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the six that remain on the other stone, in the order of their birth. With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones, according to the names of the children of Israel: you shall make them to be enclosed in settings of gold. You shall put the two stones on the shoulder straps of the ephod, to be stones of memorial for the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before Yahweh on his two shoulders for a memorial. Exodus 28:6-12

The description of these robes continues, and includes details for a beautiful chest piece with four rows of gemstones that represent the twelve sons of Israel, plus gold bells and pomegranates that alternate all around the hem. Included is a golden medallion with the saying, Holy to Yahweh that Aaron will wear on his forehead to carry the guilt of the people before the Lord. God even describes underwear for His new priests!

You shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister to me in the priest’s office. You shall make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness; from the waist even to the thighs they shall reach: they shall be on Aaron, and on his sons, when they go in to the Tent of Meeting, or when they come near to the altar to minister in the holy place; that they don’t bear iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute forever to him and to his offspring after him. Exodus 28:41-43

God’s instructions continue with, again, very detailed instructions to consecrate Aaron and his sons as priests; and instructions for making His temple holy. God then concludes with this wonderful promise.

There I will meet with the children of Israel; and the place shall be sanctified by my glory. I will sanctify the Tent of Meeting and the altar: Aaron also and his sons I will sanctify, to minister to me in the priest’s office. I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. They shall know that I am Yahweh their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them: I am Yahweh their God. Exodus 29:43-46

God brought His people out of Egypt so that he could live among them. Surely God must have missed his evening walks with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

While God was providing the details of consecrating Aaron and his sons as priests He mentions several times burnt offerings and their pleasing aroma of a barbeque. God now continues with further instructions for more wonderful smells. He gives Moses instructions for an Incense Alter.

You shall make an altar to burn incense on. You shall make it of acacia wood. Its length shall be a cubit, and its width a cubit. It shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top, its sides around it, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding around it. Exodus 30:1-3

The First Census

God will also ask Moses to take the first census of the Jewish men. There were several reasons to ask for this census. A census would help Moses and the elders deal with the logistics of moving and communicating with so many people. It will divide the work of a traveling nation fairly across the twelve tribes. The census will enhance the sense of community for the people of this young nation. Finally, a census will be necessary to help Moses and his leaders prepare for future battles and wars.

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “When you take a census of the children of Israel, according to those who are counted among them, then each man shall give a ransom for his soul to Yahweh, when you count them; that there be no plague among them when you count them. They shall give this, everyone who passes over to those who are counted, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs); half a shekel for an offering to Yahweh. Everyone who passes over to those who are counted, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the offering to Yahweh. Exodus 30:11-14

A shekel weighed about 10 grams, or about a third of an ounce.

The Lord has asked Moses and the People to provide a minimal tax, a small piece of silver, which will be given to the Lord to purify the life of each Israelite. Notice in our next passage that this will be, in our present terms, a flat tax and not a graduated income tax.

The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when they give the offering of Yahweh, to make atonement for your souls. Exodus 30:15

From this passage, we can see that we are all equal before God. Each soul is equally valuable to God.

Have you heard the phase, “cleanliness is next to Godliness”? God’s next instructions to Moses give us the meaning behind that saying.

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “You shall also make a basin of brass, and its base of brass, in which to wash. You shall put it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it. Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in it. When they go into the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water, that they not die; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to Yahweh. So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they not die: and it shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his descendants throughout their generations.” Exodus 30:17-21

Sweet Aromas

God next gives Moses instructions for a similar practice performed today in many churches; the anointing of oil. We’ll see that this anointing oil makes holy all that it touches.

Moreover Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Also take fine spices: of liquid myrrh, five hundred shekels; and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, even two hundred and fifty; and of fragrant cane, two hundred and fifty; and of cassia five hundred, after the shekel of the sanctuary; and a hin of olive oil. You shall make it a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer: it shall be a holy anointing oil.

You shall use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the testimony, the table and all its articles, the lamp stand and its accessories, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its base. You shall sanctify them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them shall be holy. You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and sanctify them, that they may minister to me in the priest’s office. Exodus 30:22-30

This special holy anointing oil was to be only used for God, in His tabernacle.

You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, “This shall be a holy anointing oil to me throughout your generations. It shall not be poured on man’s flesh, and do not make any like it, according to its composition. It is holy. It shall be holy to you. Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on a stranger, he shall be cut off from his people.” Exodus 30:31-33

Having already directed the plans for an Incense Alter, God next provides this recipe for His incense, and like the holy anointing oil, this incense is to be used only for God.

Yahweh said to Moses, “Take to yourself sweet spices, gum resin, and onycha, and galbanum; sweet spices with pure frankincense: there shall be an equal weight of each; and you shall make incense of it, a perfume after the art of the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy: and you shall beat some of it very small, and put some of it before the testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be to you most holy. The incense which you shall make, according to its composition you shall not make for yourselves: it shall be to you holy for Yahweh. Whoever shall make any like that, to smell of it, he shall be cut off from his people.” Exodus 30:34-38

Having completed all of His instructions for Moses concerning the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant, God then appointed two chief craftsmen to lead all of the other Israelite artists and tailors. These two men are Bezalel and Oholiab.

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all kinds of workmanship, to devise skillful works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all kinds of workmanship. Behold, I myself have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the heart of all who are wise-hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded you.” Exodus 31:1-6

Sabbath Day Instructions

God has now completed His many instructions to Moses for constructing the Ark of the Covenant and for the Tabernacle of the Ark of the Covenant. This instruction went into great detail and covered many items. God will now conclude his instructions by describing the Sabbath Day.

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying, ‘most certainly you shall keep my Sabbaths: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that you may know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies you. You shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to Yahweh. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall surely be put to death. Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.’” He gave to Moses, when he finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, stone tablets, written with God’s finger. Exodus 31:12-18

Next time we’ll cover several chapters. Most of our reading will be from Exodus chapters 32 - 36. We’ll be with the Israelites as they build the Tabernacle of the Covenant, the Ark of the Covenant, and all of the furnishings described by God. God will speak with Moses from inside the Tabernacle. But first, we’ll also learn just how fragile these stone tablets, written by God, really were. Moses will barely get back down Mount Sinai before he destroys them. We’ll learn why and we’ll see how God deals with Moses.

This time we were with Moses atop the mountain as God first spoke His Ten Commandments. God also gave Moses the many laws contained in the Old Testament. It is from these laws that Western civilization adapted many of its own laws and beliefs. They modeled our society.

- It is also on this mountain, Mount Sinai, that God made His great covenant with the people of Israel. This promise to the people was perhaps God’s most important.

- God provided Moses with many instructions for a temple to formalize this promise, instructions for the Ark of the Covenant that were to hold His sacred tablets, instructions for the Tabernacle of the Ark of the Covenant, and instructions for His priests and their priestly robes.

- And do not forget the reason for all of this planning. God was about to come and live with the people of Israel!

28) The Golden Calf

Our last time in God’s Word we sat with Moses atop Mount Sinai as God spoke with him. God began by pronouncing His Ten Commandments. These and the other laws that God spoke to Moses gave us the foundations for much of western civilization. This conversation with God affects our society and customs even today.

- It was also atop Mount Sinai that God offered His great covenant with the Israelites. This was perhaps God’s greatest promise to the Israelites.

- In remembrance of this covenant God directed Moses to have the people build a temple where this promise would be formalized with all the people. God provided very detailed instructions for the Tabernacle’s construction, plus precise instructions for the temple furnishings and clothing for the priests. This included the Arc of the Covenant that would hold God’s sacred tablets.

- Also remember the reason for all of this meticulous planning and attention to detail. God was about to come and live with the people of Israel! Unfortunately, these people were making other plans.

This time we’ll learn about the Golden Calf. We will also discover why the Tribe of Levi became the priests of God. You may recall Jacob’s prophesies for each of his sons from his death-bed. Levi and his brother Simeon were the two hot-heads of the family. They killed animals for sport, and did far worse deeds.

It happened on the third day, when they were sore, that two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword, came upon the unsuspecting city, and killed all the males. They killed Hamor and Shechem, his son, with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went away.

Jacob's sons came on the dead, and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. They took their flocks, their herds, their donkeys, that which was in the city, that which was in the field; and all their wealth. They took captive all their little ones and their wives, and took as plunder everything that was in the house. Genesis 34:25-29

The Calf of Gold

The people have just heard God speak to them from the mountain. They saw his pillars by day and by night. Yet after only forty days, the time God was speaking to Moses, the Israelites forgot God and made themselves a new idol to replace God. Even Aaron helped!

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him.” Exodus 32:1

Wow. Shortly before, these same people trembled before God’s presence. Now, just forty days later the Israelites have forgotten God. They have also turned away from the man that led them from Egypt; as for this Moses. Perhaps more amazing is that Aaron so easily agreed with the people. He was with Moses before Pharaoh and performed for God the early miracles of the Ten Plagues.

Aaron said to them, “Take off the golden rings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them to me.” All the people took off the golden rings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. He received what they handed him, and fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it a molten calf; and they said, “These are your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation, and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to Yahweh.” Exodus 32:2-5

We see that Aaron did far more than simply agree with the people in denouncing God and his brother Moses. He became the leader of this rebellion. Aaron built the Golden Calf, constructed an alter for it, and planned a festival for its celebration.

They rose up early on the next day, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. Exodus 32:6

Of course God was aware of these deeds. He cut short His visit with Moses, sending him back down the mountain to regain control.

Yahweh spoke to Moses, “Go, get down; for your people, who you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves! They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it, and have sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’”

Yahweh said to Moses, “I have seen these people, and behold, they are a stiff-necked people. Now therefore leave me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of you a great nation.” Exodus 32:7-10

Moses tells us that this was God’s fierce anger. God was way beyond mad. Yet even in His anger God did not forget His promises of creating a great nation for Israel. God did slightly modify that promise. He told Moses, leave me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of you a great nation. Israel’s descendants would still become God’s great nation, through Moses. The people that left Egypt with Moses would not become His great nation.

Moses has many times seen God’s glory and power. Now, seeing God’s fierce anger, Moses was both brave enough and comfortable enough with God to try and calm Him. Are you close enough in your walk with God that you can speak to Him as a friend, as well as your Lord?

Moses begged Yahweh his God, and said, “Yahweh, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, that you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘He brought them out for evil, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the surface of the earth?’ Turn from your fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against your people.

Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of the sky, and all this land that I have spoken of I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” Yahweh repented of the evil which he said he would do to his people. Exodus 32:11-14

Moses Destroys God’s Tablets

Moses spoke to God as his friend and his Lord. He used his own knowledge of God’s teachings to calm God and change His mind. Moses, however, neglected to calm his own anger.

Moses turned, and went down from the mountain, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand; tablets that were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other they were written. The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. Exodus 32:15-16

Moses has just described the two tablets upon which God had carved His Ten Commandments. Moses’ description of these tablets must have been for himself as well for all of us. As he wrote, Moses shamefully remembered that it was he who destroyed these two gifts of God.

When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is the noise of war in the camp.” He said, “It isn’t the voice of those who shout for victory. It is not the voice of those who cry for being overcome; but the noise of those who sing that I hear.” Exodus 32:17-18

This was not a celebration for Moses’ return from the mountain. Remember, God had just declared to Moses His fierce anger that the people have corrupted themselves.

As soon as he came near to the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. Then Moses’ anger grew hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mountain. He took the calf which they had made, and burned it with fire, ground it to powder, and scattered it on the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it. Moses said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you have brought a great sin on them?” Exodus 32:19-21

Moses’ own anger must have been terrible. He gave no thought to the logic that he had just used to calm God. Moses now turned all of his attention to his brother Aaron, and his rage still burned.

Aaron said, “Don’t let the anger of my lord grow hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. For they said to me, ‘Make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him.’ I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them take it off:’ so they gave it to me; and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.” Exodus 32:22-24

Aaron knew that his brother had once killed a man; the Egyptian. Aaron now chose his words carefully; addressing his brother as “my lord”; let not my lord be angry. Exodus 32:22 BBE Aaron also minimized his own part in this evil. We learned a moment ago that Aaron molded the gold into the shape of a calf. Then seeing how excited the people were, Aaron built a temple for that Golden Calf. He told Moses that the calf simply appeared.

Levites Appointed as the Priests of God

When Moses saw that the people had broken loose, (for Aaron had let them loose for a derision among their enemies), then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on Yahweh’s side, come to me!” All the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. Exodus 32:25-26

We are about to learn why the Levites became the priests of God. These first priests were not docile, peaceful men. Many Israelites were about to die.

He said to them, “Yahweh says, the God of Israel, ‘Every man put his sword on his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and every man kill his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’” The sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. Moses said, “Consecrate yourselves today to Yahweh, yes, every man against his son, and against his brother; that he may give you a blessing today.” Exodus 32:27-29

The Levites were the descendants of Jacob’s son, Levi. On this day, and for this act, God changed Jacob’s death-bed prophecy from a curse into a blessing. Jacob gave his second and third sons, Simeon and Levi, this prophecy.

Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, scatter them in Israel. Genesis 49:7

The Levites would still be scattered, as Jacob declared, but now they would scatter among the Israelites as priests of God; an honor instead of a curse.

Returning to God

Moses was well aware that God’s anger remained with Him. On behalf of the Israelites Moses would again try to calm The Lord.

On the next day, Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. Now I will go up to Yahweh. Perhaps I shall make atonement for your sin.” Moses returned to Yahweh, and said, “Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made themselves gods of gold. Yet now, if you will, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out of your book which you have written.” Exodus 32:30-32

Was this a strange request from Moses, to erase his own name from God’s record? It was not he that had sinned against God. Those of you with a military background understand that a commanding officer is ultimately responsible for every act and every person under that officer’s authority. Moses was the leader, the commanding officer, of this still forming Israelite nation. He instinctively understood that his own action, or inaction, had contributed to this great sin. Moses declared his own sin to God. His own brother Aaron had failed to admit his own involvement in constructing the Golden Calf before Moses. How will God react?

Yahweh said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. Now go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.” Exodus 32:33-34

God would not wait for long to hold the people accountable. He immediately sends down a plague.

And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made. Exodus 32:35 KJV

God now had new instructions for Moses and the Israelites. He would not be living among this present lot of sinful people.

Yahweh spoke to Moses, “Depart, go up from here, you and the people that you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I will send an angel before you; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: to a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up among you, for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you on the way.” Exodus 33:1-3

These Israelites had just suffered a great plague for their great sin. Now they heard that their God now refused to even travel with them for fear of destroying them. How would the people react?

When the people heard this evil news, they mourned: and no one put on his jewelry. Yahweh said to Moses, “Tell the children of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go up into the middle of you for one moment, I would consume you. Therefore now take off your jewelry from you, that I may know what to do to you.’” The children of Israel stripped themselves of their jewelry from Mount Horeb onward. Exodus 33:4-6

Tent of Meeting

Now Moses used to take the tent and to pitch it outside the camp, far away from the camp, and he called it “The Tent of Meeting.” Everyone who sought Yahweh went out to the Tent of Meeting, which was outside the camp. Exodus 33:7

This Tent of Meeting was not the great tabernacle we learned about during our last time together. Instead, this Tent of Meeting served as a temporary place for Moses to speak with God until the Lord’s Tabernacle was built.

When Moses went out to the Tent, that all the people rose up, and stood, everyone at their tent door, and watched Moses, until he had gone into the Tent. When Moses entered into the Tent, the pillar of cloud descended, stood at the door of the Tent, and spoke with Moses. All the people saw the pillar of cloud stand at the door of the Tent, and all the people rose up and worshiped, everyone at their tent door. Yahweh spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Exodus 33:8-11a

We talked earlier about Moses speaking to God as a friend, and as his Lord. Moses has just told us that God also spoke to him as a friend. Let God speak to you as a friend – and as Lord. God loves you.

Moses said to Yahweh, “Behold, you tell me, ‘bring up this people:’ and you haven’t let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your way, that I may know you, so that I may find favor in your sight: and consider that this nation is your people.”

He said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” He said to him, “If your presence doesn’t go with me, don’t carry us up from here. For how would people know that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Isn’t it that you go with us, so that we are separated, I and your people, from all the people who are on the surface of the earth?” Exodus 33:12-16

In his conversation with God Moses said, you go with us, so that we are separated, I and your people, from all the people who are on the surface of the earth. Moses understood that God’s presence was very special. Today, when God is with you, and you are with God, the people around you will know. The Lord also told Moses that He would give Moses rest. Remember to rest in the Lord. Let Him work through you. Never assume that you have to do all the heavy work. You only have to be willing to participate in His plans.

Good continues speaking with Moses; having a conversation.

Yahweh said to Moses, “I will do this thing also that you have spoken; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” He said, “Please show me your glory.” He said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim Yahweh’s name before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.”

He said, “You cannot see my face, for man may not see me and live.” Yahweh also said, “Behold, there is a place by me, and you shall stand on the rock. It will happen, while my glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back; but my face shall not be seen.” Exodus 33:17-23

Can you imagine a beauty and a glory that is too great for mortal man to behold? Consider this statement by God as a brief glimpse of the wonders of Heaven where we will be with Him constantly.

Replacing the Tablets and Recarving the Ten Commandments

Now it is time for Moses to replace the two stone tablets. God created and inscribed the original tablets. This time Moses must do some of the work.

Yahweh said to Moses, “Chisel two stone tablets like the first. I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain. No one shall come up with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain. Do not let the flocks or herds graze in front of that mountain.” Exodus 34:1-3

Once again, God covers a lot of ground in these few verses. So much is easy to miss as we read the story and ignore the messages. God isn’t giving Moses a command. He is speaking like a good and long-time friend. Let God be your friend. He casually reminded Moses that it was Moses who destroyed the original tablets, yet God does this with no anger and no accusation. This is a wonderful example of these words from King David.

As far as the east is from the west, So far has he removed our transgressions from us. Psalms 103:12

God had forever moved on from Moses’ destruction of the original tablets. Without anger or hurt, He simply told Moses to get two new ones and come back to see Him. We continue.

So Moses chiseled out two tablets of stone like the first ones. Early in the morning he climbed Mount Sinai as the LORD had commanded him, and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. Then the LORD came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh. The LORD passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The LORD! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.” Exodus 34:4-7

God is telling us that our sins will be forgiven, yet the consequences of our sins remain with us and those sins often affect others that we love. Always remember a sin is not only against God.

Moses hurried and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. He said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, Lord, please let the Lord go among us; although this is a stiff-necked people; pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.” He said, “Behold, I make a covenant: before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been worked in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among which you are shall see the work of Yahweh; for it is an awesome thing that I do with you. Observe that which I command you today. Behold, I drive out before you the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Exodus 34:8-11

Moses continues to ask God to lead the Israelites on their journey. God had earlier told Moses that an angel would now lead them. Moses spoke with God many times now; asking for His companionship on the journey. It’s okay to prayerfully ask God more than once to grant your request.

Moving on, God is now about to repeat a warning that He had shared earlier with Moses.

Be careful, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be for a snare in the middle of you: but you shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and you shall cut down their Asherah poles. Exodus 34:12-13

God shared this same warning with Moses earlier, on Mount Sinai.

For my angel shall go before you, and bring you in to the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I will cut them off. You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor follow their practices, but you shall utterly overthrow them and demolish their pillars. Exodus 23:23-24

Asherah, by the way was simply one of the pagan gods. These poles, or pillars, marked pagan religious sites. God continues speaking to Moses.

For you shall worship no other god: for Yahweh, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. Exodus 34:14

God tells us that He is a jealous God. He demands all of our love and all of our attention. We’re told this again in the New Testament by Matthew and by Luke. We’ll read from Matthew.

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can't serve both God and Mammon. Matthew 6:24

Mammon is wealth or earthly possessions. God continues to explain to Moses why the Israelites must not live with the people and tribes currently inhabiting God’s Promised Land.

Don’t make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, lest they play the prostitute after their gods, and sacrifice to their gods, and one call you and you eat of his sacrifice; and you take of their daughters to your sons, and their daughters play the prostitute after their gods, and make your sons play the prostitute after their gods. You shall make no cast idols for yourselves. Exodus 34:15-17

To summarize this, God wants His people to focus on Him, not on this earth. He is actually repeating His proclamation that no one can serve two gods. God is now ready to repeat His instructions concerning all firstborn males; animal and human.

All that opens the womb is mine; and all your livestock that is male, the firstborn of cow and sheep. You shall redeem the firstborn of a donkey with a lamb. If you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. You shall redeem all the firstborn of your sons. No one shall appear before me empty. Exodus 34:19-20

God earlier shared this instruction with Moses upon Mount Sinai.

You shall not delay to offer from your harvest and from the outflow of your presses. “You shall give the firstborn of your sons to me. You shall do likewise with your oxen and with your sheep. Seven days it shall be with its mother, then on the eighth day you shall give it me. Exodus 22:29-30

Thinking of Jesus as the firstborn son of Mary, you can understand why this was important to God and worth repeating to Moses. To further emphasize the importance of the firstborn to God, He now repeats His commandment to keep the Sabbath holy; also very important to God.

Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest: in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest. Exodus 34:21

It is again time to carve the Ten Commandments on the two stone slabs.

Yahweh said to Moses, “Write you these words: for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” He was there with Yahweh forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread, nor drank water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. Exodus 34:27-28

We tend to think that God forced Moses to recarve the tablets himself after Moses destroyed the original tablets. Actually, God and Moses shared the task of recreating the two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. Moses carved the tablets from the rock but God and Moses rewrote the Commandments. We read that earlier.

Yahweh said to Moses, “Chisel two stone tablets like the first: and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Exodus 34:1

Moses carried these new tablets with him as he left God and descended the mountain. Moses is much happier this time when he greets the people.

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mountain, Moses didn’t know that the skin of his face shone by reason of his speaking with him. When Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come near him. Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them. Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them all the commandments that Yahweh had spoken with him on Mount Sinai.

When Moses was done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. But when Moses went in before Yahweh to speak with him, he took the veil off, until he came out; and he came out, and spoke to the children of Israel that which he was commanded. The children of Israel saw Moses’ face, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with him. Exodus 34:29-35

Moses spoke with God, constantly in conversation with Him. People saw his radiance. God will also change you. Just speak with Him, and listen.

Moses assembled all the congregation of the children of Israel, and said to them, “These are the words which Yahweh has commanded, that you should do them. ‘Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of solemn rest to Yahweh: whoever does any work in it shall be put to death. You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations on the Sabbath day.” Exodus 35:1-3

Constructing the Tabernacle

Moses first comments to the people were to repeat the important command that God had repeated to him; keep the Sabbath holy. Moses will now describe the gifts for God’s new Tabernacle.

Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which Yahweh commanded, saying, ‘Take from among you an offering to Yahweh. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, Yahweh’s offering: gold, silver, brass, blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats’ hair, rams’ skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood, oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense, onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate. Exodus 35:4-9

Did you catch the words at the beginning of this passage? This is the thing which Yahweh commanded … Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, Yahweh’s offering. God does not just want His gifts, tithes, and offerings. God wants them to be given with a glad and generous heart; never out of compulsion. Moses continues God’s commands for the Tabernacle gifts.

Let every wise-hearted man among you come, and make all that Yahweh has commanded: the tabernacle, its outer covering, its roof, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; the ark, and its poles, the mercy seat, the veil of the screen; the table with its poles and all its vessels, and the show bread; the lamp stand also for the light, with its vessels, its lamps, and the oil for the light; and the altar of incense with its poles, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, the screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle; the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of brass, it poles, and all its vessels, the basin and its base; the hangings of the court, its pillars, their sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court; the pins of the tabernacle, the pins of the court, and their cords; the finely worked garments, for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office. Exodus 35:10-19

These were all of the items, we learned earlier, that were described by God in great detail for His Tabernacle; that holy place designed to hold the symbols of God’s great promise to the Israelites. Those symbols were the two stone tablets, carved by God, bearing the Ten Commandments.

Moses will now describe in great detail the collection of the offerings from the people and their willingness to give freely to God’s Tabernacle. The Israelites offered so much, in fact, that Moses had to speak with the people and actually asked them to stop giving so much!

Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab, and every wise-hearted man, in whose heart Yahweh had put wisdom, even everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to the work to do it: and they received from Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, with which to make it. They brought yet to him freewill offerings every morning. All the wise men, who performed all the work of the sanctuary, each came from his work which they did. They spoke to Moses, saying, “The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which Yahweh commanded to make.”

Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, “Let neither man nor woman make anything else for the offering for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing. For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much. Exodus 36:2-7

After describing the great generosity of the Israelites for God, Moses then continues with much detail of the actual construction of every one of the Tabernacle items. He describes the curtains, the tabernacle construction, details of the Arc of the Covenant, the Tabernacle furniture and alters, and the courtyard. Moses next gives credit to many Israelites for their hand in the Tabernacle’s construction. He then records totals of the donations given by the people for God’s Tabernacle. These gifts included more than a ton of gold and nearly 4 tons of silver!

Moses continues his descriptions and the people’s generosity for several chapters of the Book of Exodus. As we enter Chapter 39 Moses has begun to describe the details and quality of the priestly robes. When everything was complete the Israelites brought their work before Moses. They sought his reassurance that their efforts would be pleasing to God. Moses inspected every detail of every item.

Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting was finished. The children of Israel did according to all that Yahweh commanded Moses; so they did. They brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent, with all its furniture, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, the covering of sea cow hides, the veil of the screen, the ark of the testimony with its poles, the mercy seat, the table, all its vessels, the show bread, the pure lamp stand, its lamps, even the lamps to be set in order, all its vessels, the oil for the light, the golden altar, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, the screen for the door of the Tent, the bronze altar, its grating of brass, its poles, all of its vessels, the basin and its base, the hangings of the court, its pillars, its sockets, the screen for the gate of the court, its cords, its pins, all the instruments of the service of the tabernacle, for the Tent of Meeting, the finely worked garments for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office. According to all that Yahweh commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did all the work. Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it as Yahweh had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them. Exodus 39:32-43

Following Moses’ inspection and acceptance of all of the Tabernacle items God gave Moses permission to raise the Tabernacle.

Moses did so. According to all that Yahweh commanded him, so he did. In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was raised up. Exodus 40:16-17

This time we saw the completion of the Tabernacle and the Arc of the Covenant. These were to be a constant reminder of God’s great promise to the Israelites. Also remember the greater reason for all of this meticulous construction and attention to detail. God was about to come and live with the people of Israel!

Just forty short days after trembling before God’s presence, the Israelites had forgotten God and Moses. They willfully decided to worship a pagan god of their own creation.

- Aaron, Moses’ own brother, collected gold from the people, melted that gold and created the Golden Calf. Aaron also created an alter for this idol.

- As the people began their celebrations before this idol God knew their sin. He told Moses, I have seen these people, and behold, they are a stiff-necked people. Now therefore leave me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them, and that I may consume them.

- Moses, because of his close relationship with God, spoke to Him as a friend. Moses convinced God not to destroy all of the Israelites. Moses hurried down from Mount Sinai to deal with these stiff-necked people.

- As Moses approached the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing crowds of people. Moses became so angry that he threw down God’s two tables of the Ten Commandments; shattering them at his feet.

- Moses went among these people and called upon all who served God to stand beside him. Moses ordered these men to kill the idolaters. The men standing beside Moses that day were Levites. For this reason the Levites became the priests of God.

- After calming himself, Moses chastised the people. God sent a great plague among them.

- After these events of the Golden Calf the Israelites repented before God and began the work of building God’s Tabernacle. Moses, proud of their work provides us with many details of this construction.

- After he destroyed the original tablets Moses was instructed by God to carve two new tablets. It was God that again helped to carve the Ten Commandments on these two tablets.

Next time we’ll be with Moses and the Israelites as God enters the Tabernacle and lives with the Israelites. His presence will be with, and guide, the Israelites for the remainder of their journey to the Promised Land. We’ll also discover the roots for some common sayings and traditions.

We’ll bounce around several books of the Bible. Much of our reading will be from Exodus Chapter 40, Leviticus Chapters 9-11, 16, 19, 24-26 and Numbers Chapters1 and 7-9. Moses, remember, wrote each of these books of the Bible; possibly over many years. This caused a lot of repeating, plus bouncing back and forth, in his accounts. We’ll put these accounts in order to help our understanding.

29) God Enters His Tabernacle

Our last time together The Israelites completed all of the work of building God’s Tabernacle. This Tabernacle was to be a lasting reminder to God’s people of His great promise to the Israelites. And what a reminder this will be! God will now move in to the Tabernacle and be present with His people. We’ll learn how God will enter His special temple. We’ll also discover the basis for several of our sayings and customs.

Before the Tabernacle was presented to God the people asked Moses to inspect their work and skill. Moses was pleased. He went into great detail describing every item the people had built for the Lord. Moses found everything to be just as the Lord had described it. Moses pronounced his acceptance of their efforts by blessing the people. But that was the happy ending to our last story. Before this happy ending the people sinned before God and suffered for their sins. They ignored God. Turning from Him, they created the Golden Calf; a pagan god of their own imagination.

- Aaron, the brother of Moses, was one of the ringleaders in this plot. Aaron, collected gold from the people, melted it, and formed the image of the calf. Aaron even created an alter for this image.

- God was with Moses atop Mount Sinai as the people began their celebration of the Golden Calf. In His fierce anger God told Moses that He would destroy the people.

- Moses replied to God’s anger as a friend. Because of his close relationship with God, Moses was able to convince God not to destroy the Israelites. Moses then hurried down the mountain to confront the people himself.

- Moses saw the dancing and celebrations before the pagan god. In his own rage Moses forgot the wise words he had just shared with God. Acting on that rage, Moses threw down and destroyed the two stone tablets carved by God with the Ten Commandments upon them.

- Moses then entered the camp and called those that would again align themselves with God to stand beside him. The Tribe of Levi responded. Moses ordered the Levites to destroy the idolaters. Many people died. For their actions in defending God on this day the Levites would be named the priests of God.

- Even after these many deaths, neither Moses nor the Lord were done with the people. Moses severely chastised them. God set a plague upon them.

- The Israelites then repented their sin and asked for God’s forgiveness. With a renewed faith and love in God, the people began to build His tabernacle. Moses was proud of their work and detailed all of their efforts for us.

- Moses destroyed God’s original two stone tablets. God instructed Moses to hew two new tablets from the rock. God again carved the Ten Commandments on these new tablets with Moses.

God Glory Fills the Tabernacle

As we begin our story, all of the preparations for the tabernacle are complete. The tabernacle has been finished and it was inspected and approved by Moses. Will God approve of all this work and effort?

Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and Yahweh’s glory filled the tabernacle. Moses wasn’t able to enter into the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud stayed on it, and Yahweh’s glory filled the tabernacle. Exodus 40:34-35

Yes! God approved! Remember from our last time together that Moses met with God regularly in the Tent of Meeting. In that smaller area there was plenty of room for both God and Moses. God’s was so happy with the people’s work that His glory completely filled His new Tabernacle.

When the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward, throughout all their journeys; but if the cloud wasn’t taken up, then they didn’t travel until the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of Yahweh was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys. Exodus 40:36-38

You have to think about this a little, but the manner in which God showed His presence also showed His pleasure with His people. God’s sign to the Israelites was a cloud. Now remember, the Israelites were in a desert. It’s really hot there! God’s cloud led the Israelites on their journey. It also gave them constant relief from the heat and glare of the sun. If you follow where God would lead you then He will protect you.

Now, we’ll look at a passage from Numbers that describes God’s cloud to us.

On the day that the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, even the Tent of the Testimony: and at evening it was over the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until morning. So it was continually. The cloud covered it, and the appearance of fire by night. Whenever the cloud was taken up from over the Tent, then after that the children of Israel traveled; and in the place where the cloud remained, there the children of Israel encamped. At the commandment of Yahweh, the children of Israel traveled, and at the commandment of Yahweh they encamped.

As long as the cloud remained on the tabernacle they remained encamped. When the cloud stayed on the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept Yahweh’s command, and didn’t travel. Sometimes the cloud was a few days on the tabernacle; then according to the commandment of Yahweh they remained encamped, and according to the commandment of Yahweh they traveled.

Sometimes the cloud was from evening until morning; and when the cloud was taken up in the morning, they traveled: or by day and by night, when the cloud was taken up, they traveled. Whether it was two days, or a month, or a year that the cloud stayed on the tabernacle, remaining on it, the children of Israel remained encamped, and didn’t travel; but when it was taken up, they traveled. At the commandment of Yahweh they encamped, and at the commandment of Yahweh they traveled. They kept Yahweh’s command, at the commandment of Yahweh by Moses. Numbers 9:15-23

The Israelites had completed the Tabernacle. God has accepted it and moved in. His presence will continue with the Israelites for the rest of their journey. Now the Israelites were about to show their appreciation to God for His renewed faith in them. They present Him with many wonderful offerings.

On the day that Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle, and had anointed it and sanctified it, with all its furniture, and the altar with all its vessels, and had anointed and sanctified them; the princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers’ houses, offered. These were the princes of the tribes. These are they who were over those who were counted: and they brought their offering before Yahweh, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for every two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they presented them before the tabernacle. Numbers 7:1-3

Of course, these offerings were perfect for God. He had a plan for them.

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Accept these from them, that they may be used in doing the service of the Tent of Meeting; and you shall give them to the Levites, to every man according to his service.” Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them to the Levites. He gave two wagons and four oxen to the sons of Gershon, according to their service: and he gave four wagons and eight oxen to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because the service of the sanctuary belonged to them; they carried it on their shoulders. Numbers 7:4-9

There were even more offerings to God. Moses records for us the offerings presented by each of the Tribes of Israel.

The princes gave offerings for the dedication of the altar in the day that it was anointed, even the princes gave their offerings before the altar. Yahweh said to Moses, “They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedication of the altar.”

He who offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah, and his offering was: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering; one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense; one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab. Numbers 7:10-17

Nahshon was the leader of the Tribe of Judah. As leader, it was Nahshon’s honor to present his tribe’s offerings to God. Nahshon was destined for a greater honor; one he would never know during his lifetime. Another time together we briefly discussed the many names mentioned in the Bible. These were men of whom we know only that they served God’s purpose – in His time. Jesus was a direct descendant of Nahshon through Joseph as well as through Mary.

The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham… Ram became the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon. Nahshon became the father of Salmon… Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. Matthew 1:1, 4, 16

And,

Jesus himself, when he began to teach, was about thirty years old, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,… the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon. Luke 3:23, 32

Moses goes on to describe the offerings to God from each of the other 11 Tribes of Israel. Each Tribe presented God with an identical offering. Moses doesn’t say this, but living with God’s presence had a remarkable effect on all the people. No one tried to outshine their brothers before God. Each tribe provided an identical offering so that each gift would be equally pleasing to God. God does not want us to compete. He wants us to work together. We hear about the body of Christ in the New Testament many times. We are all part of this one body working together. Look at these examples from Paul.

The cup of blessing which we bless, isn't it a communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, isn't it a communion of the body of Christ? Because we, who are many, are one bread, one body; for we all partake of the one bread. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

And,

Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 1 Corinthians 12:27

Moses also tells us that God had a favorite place within His Tabernacle. The Lord spoke to Moses from above the Ark of the Covenant and between the two cherubim adorning its cover.

When Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with Yahweh, he heard his voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubim: and he spoke to him. Numbers 7:89

This Ark of the Covenant, the two tablets of the Ten Commandments, and all of the meaning attached to these treasures truly did have a special significance to God. He spent His time near them. Remember too, that Aaron preserved some of God’s manna inside the ark.

Moses said to Aaron, “Take a pot, and put an omer-full of manna in it, and lay it up before Yahweh, to be kept throughout your generations.” As Yahweh commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept. Exodus 16:33

Levites Set Apart as God’s Priests

The next task that God set before Moses was to formally dedicate the Levites as His priests.

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. You shall do this to them, to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of cleansing on them, let them shave their whole bodies with a razor, and let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves. Then let them take a young bull, and its meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil; and another young bull you shall take for a sin offering.

You shall present the Levites before the Tent of Meeting. You shall assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel. You shall present the Levites before Yahweh. The children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites, and Aaron shall offer the Levites before Yahweh for a wave offering, on the behalf of the children of Israel, that it may be theirs to do the service of Yahweh. Numbers 8:5-11

Today, many church congregations ‘lay hands’ on their brothers and sisters. Many congregations ‘raise hands’ to God during worship. This dedication of the Levites to God is the Biblical basis for those acts of worship; a modern-day dedication to the Lord’s service.

God continues His instructions to Moses in setting apart the Levites.

The Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering to Yahweh, to make atonement for the Levites. You shall set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them as a wave offering to Yahweh. Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine. After that, the Levites shall go in to do the service of the Tent of Meeting: and you shall cleanse them, and offer them as a wave offering. Numbers 8:12-15

God now explains the symbolism of selecting the Levites as His priests.

For they are wholly given to me from among the children of Israel; instead of all who open the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Israel, I have taken them to me. For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are mine, both man and animal. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for myself. I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel; that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come near to the sanctuary.” Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel did so to the Levites. According to all that Yahweh commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the children of Israel did to them. Numbers 8:16-20

The Second Passover

As we look back at our last few stories of the Bible and as we consider all that has passed for the Israelites, we begin to understand that all of this is truly a testimony to God’s love, patience, and abilities. The Israelites were slaves, living in Egypt just one year earlier. Now they are a united people under God and well on their way to becoming Israel’s great nation.

Yahweh spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, “Moreover let the children of Israel keep the Passover in its appointed season. On the fourteenth day of this month, at evening, you shall keep it in its appointed season—according to all its statutes, and according to all its ordinances, you shall keep it.”

Moses spoke to the children of Israel, that they should keep the Passover. They kept the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at evening, in the wilderness of Sinai. According to all that Yahweh commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did. Numbers 9:1-5

Unholy Fire

Shortly after God’s presence came into the Tabernacle Aaron and the new priests offered sacrifices to God. God is about to accept these offerings, and His new Levite priests, in a very special way.

Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people, and blessed them; and he came down from offering the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings. Moses and Aaron went into the Tent of Meeting, and came out, and blessed the people: and Yahweh’s glory appeared to all the people. Fire came out from before Yahweh, and consumed the burnt offering and the fat upon the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted, and fell on their faces. Leviticus 9:22-24

This consuming fire actually served two purposes. God let His people know that He had accepted their offerings. God also used this consuming fire to impress upon the people that the new Levite priests were ordained by and accepted by God. These new priests truly were His earthly representatives. Unfortunately this celebration is about to go horribly wrong.

Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and offered strange fire before Yahweh, which he had not commanded them. Leviticus 10:1

Before we go further, let’s see who these two young men were.

He said to Moses, “Come up to Yahweh, you, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship from a distance. Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up. They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was like a paved work of sapphire stone, like the skies for clearness. He didn't lay his hand on the nobles of the children of Israel. They saw God, and ate and drank. Exodus 24:1, 9-11

Nadab and Abihu were well known and very loved by God; even over other men of their generation. They were mentioned by name to meet with God upon the mountain, Mount Sinai, and eat with Him! Even Moses’ own sons were not mentioned for this special honor of dining with God. Nadab and Abihu, two young men joined the elders of Israel on this special occasion. Now we will learn how the Lord would respond to a sin from men that God knew and loved.

Fire came out from before Yahweh, and devoured them, and they died before Yahweh. Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what Yahweh spoke of, saying, ‘I will show myself holy to those who come near me, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” Aaron held his peace.

Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Draw near, carry your brothers from before the sanctuary out of the camp.” So they came near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp, as Moses had said. Leviticus 10:2-5

God Presents His Laws

It was after the Tabernacle was complete and before the Israelites began their wanderings in the desert that God gave them His many laws, now written within the Book of Leviticus. We don’t know, but it is not hard to imagine that God was sad at being forced to destroy two young men whom he obviously loved. These new laws that God was about to introduce were perhaps His way of avoiding further tragedies. We’ll look at just a few of these laws. The Book of Leviticus is primarily a collection of God’s law. Our first passage will discuss the duties and authority of the priests.

You are to make a distinction between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean. You are to teach the children of Israel all the statutes which Yahweh has spoken to them by Moses.” Leviticus 10:10-11

We’ll learn from the New Testament that the priests would one day abuse this responsibility. Jesus will rebuke the priests many times for acting on behalf of their own interests rather than those of God.

God next gave instructions for the types of meat, fish and birds the Israelites could eat and which they must avoid.

Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘These are the living things which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. Whatever parts the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and chews the cud among the animals, that you may eat. Leviticus 11:1-3

After listing several examples of good and bad meat, God mentions the pig.

The pig, because he has a split hoof, and is cloven-footed, but doesn’t chew the cud, he is unclean to you. Of their meat you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean to you. Leviticus 11:7-8

The Scapegoat

Have you ever heard of the term, ‘scapegoat’? We think of a scapegoat as someone, often innocent, that takes the blame for others. We’re about to learn of God’s scapegoat.

Aaron shall offer the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house. He shall take the two goats, and set them before Yahweh at the door of the Tent of Meeting. Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats; one lot for Yahweh, and the other lot for the scapegoat.

Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for Yahweh, and offer him for a sin offering. But the goat on which the lot fell for the scapegoat shall be presented alive before Yahweh, to make atonement for him, to send him away for the scapegoat into the wilderness.

When he has finished atoning for the Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, he shall present the live goat. Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, even all their sins; and he shall put them on the head of the goat, and shall send him away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. The goat shall carry all their iniquities on himself to a solitary land, and he shall release the goat in the wilderness. Leviticus 16:6-10, 20-22

Now we know that a scapegoat’s purpose is to carry the sins of others away from the Lord – deep into the wilderness where they will be forgotten.

Next we’ll learn how God instructed the Israelites about feeding the poor.

When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. You shall not glean your vineyard, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the foreigner. I am Yahweh your God. Leviticus 19:9-10

God’s description of providing food to the poor is different from modern society’s concept of caring for the needy. Under God, food was to be available for the poor to gather; not gathered for them.

God also addressed judges and the impartiality of the courts.

You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor show favoritism to the great; but you shall judge your neighbor in righteousness. Leviticus 19:15

This command from God has given us our concept that justice is blind. You may be familiar with the statue of a blindfolded woman holding scales and a sword; representing Justice. Versions of that statue come to us from antiquity. The Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all recognized this pagan idol. https://lib.law.washington.edu/content/guides/themis

God transitions from this law for judges, to respect and love for our neighbors. God tells us to love your neighbor as yourself.

You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am Yahweh. Leviticus 19:18

Understanding the importance of this statement Jesus would one day restate this command from God.

Therefore whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12

Jesus felt this one point was so important that he would later repeat it to a Pharisee as one of the two most important commandments.

One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him. “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:34-40

Next we will read what God told the Israelites about mediums and fortune tellers, those who claim to speak with the dead.

Don’t turn to those who are mediums, nor to the wizards. Don’t seek them out, to be defiled by them. I am Yahweh your God. Leviticus 19:31

God repeated His warning about mediums.

The person that turns to those who are mediums, and to the wizards, to play the prostitute after them, I will even set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people. Leviticus 20:6

God also gave Moses instructions for dealing with murderers.

He who strikes any man mortally shall surely be put to death. Leviticus 24:17

During this same discussion God provided a once very common phrase; an eye for eye. This is the entire context.

If anyone injures his neighbor; as he has done, so shall it be done to him: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has injured someone, so shall it be done to him. He who kills an animal shall make it good; and he who kills a man shall be put to death. You shall have one kind of law for the foreigner as well as the native-born; for I am Yahweh your God. Leviticus 24:19-22

God next discussed farming with Moses, giving him instructions to let fields and vineyards lay fallow. Farmers have followed these instructions for centuries to improve their crops.

Yahweh said to Moses in Mount Sinai, “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a Sabbath to Yahweh. You shall sow your field six years, and you shall prune your vineyard six years, and gather in its fruits; but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to Yahweh. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. What grows of itself in your harvest you shall not reap, and you shall not gather the grapes of your undressed vine.

It shall be a year of solemn rest for the land. The Sabbath of the land shall be for food for you; for yourself, for your servant, for your maid, for your hired servant, and for your stranger, who lives as a foreigner with you. For your livestock also, and for the animals that are in your land, shall all its increase be for food. Leviticus 25:1-7

God then informs Moses that He will live among the Israelites and be their God. The Israelites will be His people.

I will have respect for you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and will establish my covenant with you. You shall eat old store long kept, and you shall move out the old because of the new. I will set my tent among you, and my soul won’t abhor you. I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you will be my people. Leviticus 26:9-12

That last line states all that God ever wanted; I will be your God, and you will be my people. He wants to be with us. God wants us to be with Him. God also told the Israelites that His protection and His promises must continually be acknowledged by the people.

I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. I have broken the bars of your yoke, and made you go upright. But if you will not listen to me, and will not do all these commandments; and if you shall reject my statutes, and if your soul abhors my ordinances, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant; I also will do this to you: I will appoint terror over you, even consumption and fever, that shall consume the eyes, and make the soul to pine away. You will sow your seed in vain, for your enemies will eat it. I will set my face against you, and you will be struck before your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you; and you will flee when no one pursues you. Leviticus 26:13-17

God leaves no doubt that He will punish the Israelites for any contempt or disrespect. Remember, at this time people lived under the Law. Jesus had not arrived and given His life so that we may live under Grace. With these warnings God has set the stage for actions He will take against the Old Testament Northern and Southern Kingdoms. We’ll discuss these kingdoms in our second volume.

First Census

During this same time, shortly after the Tabernacle was completed, God told Moses to take a census. God had several reasons for asking Moses to take this census. God, of course knows the hairs on your head. He knew how many people traveled with Moses.

Aren't five sparrows sold for two farthings? Not one of them is forgotten by God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore don't be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows. Luke 12:6-7

We also discussed another reason for this census in an earlier story.

When you take a census of the children of Israel, according to those who are numbered among them, then each man shall give a ransom for his soul to Yahweh. Exodus 30:12a

God also asked Moses to take this census because it would be used to divide duties of the camp appropriately. This way the twelve tribes will continue to become one nation. Finally, knowing the number of young men will be necessary in times of war.

Yahweh spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, “Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, every male, one by one; from twenty years old and upward, all who are able to go out to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall count them by their divisions. With you there shall be a man of every tribe; everyone head of his fathers’ house. Numbers 1:1-4

God wanted Moses, and all the Israelites, to understand and acknowledge the strength of their number. This was one more step in creating a nation among the Israelites. That is why this book is called Numbers. It is a recording of these Israelite men. It was not about the number of men but about the understanding of what they were counting; members of a young nation.

These are the names of the men who shall stand with you: of Reuben: Elizur the son of Shedeur. Numbers 1:5

Did you ever wonder why there are so many long lists of names in the Bible? Almost all those names we will read just once. Usually, we learn little more about those people, other than that they once lived and had fathers and sons. There are many such lists throughout the Bible. Almost the entire book of 1 Chronicles is nothing but names. Other long lists of names can be found in Ezra Chapters 2 and 10, Nehemiah 7, 11, and 12, and Romans 16.

We are learning that everything in this Bible is there for a reason. What we once thought were obscure references to places or towns actually refer to very important landmarks of the Bible and historical sites. Why then did God decide that it was necessary to immortalize these otherwise anonymous names?

As we read the Bible we read a lot about biblical heroes like Joseph, Moses, David, John the Baptist and Paul. We know less about Obadiah, Micah and Nahum but we do know that they were prophets and must have been pretty special in God’s sight. We also know that God cares deeply for every one of us, not just those that appear to contribute more to His Kingdom than others.

These lists of names of ordinary men, fathers and sons were real people; with hopes, dreams, and fears; just like most of us today. We live. We love God. We’re invisible to most of the world. Like these otherwise anonymous men that have had their names immortalized in God’s word, the Bible, our own names have been immortalized by God. Chapter 21 of the Book of Revelations describes the City of God. Let’s look at the very last verse, the one that tells us who will get to see this wonderful city.

There will in no way enter into it anything profane, or one who causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. Revelation 21:27

We, all of us that believe in, trust and accept God have their names in that Lamb’s book of Life. Just like Elizur and Shedeur, your own name can be immortalized by God; if only you ask Him.

Moses and Aaron took these men who are mentioned by name. They assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month; and they declared their ancestry by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, one by one. As Yahweh commanded Moses, so he counted them in the wilderness of Sinai. Numbers 1:17-19

With the numbers we’re about to see, we can begin to appreciate the difficulties Moses had in leading so many people. Remember, there were no radios, cell phones or mail boxes available to Moses. All of his instructions had to pass through messengers – then to people that travelled to several new camps during their wandering. Nothing was routine.

These are those who were counted, whom Moses and Aaron counted, and the princes of Israel, being twelve men: they were each one for his fathers’ house. So all those who were counted of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war in Israel; even all those who were counted were six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty. Numbers 1:44-46

We learned that the census total was just over 600,000. That was just the men able to go to war. This count did not include the old or disabled men. It did not include women and children. It is easy to conclude then that Moses was actually responsible for over two million people, possibly many more. We’ll learn why there may have been far more people right now.

But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not counted among them. For Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not count, neither shall you take a census of them among the children of Israel; but appoint the Levites over the Tabernacle of the Testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it.

They shall carry the tabernacle, and all its furnishings; and they shall take care of it, and shall encamp around it. When the tabernacle is to move, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death. Numbers 1:47-51

This last statement would one day lead to a tragedy along the road as King David was transporting home the Ark of the Covenant.

When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen stumbled. The anger of Yahweh was kindled against Uzzah; and God struck him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. 2 Samuel 6:6

The Levites also had one more responsibility. We learned that these Levites became the priests of God for their willingness to take up swords and fight for Him. As we read above about strangers coming too near to God’s tabernacle, these Levites were now to be named God’s defense in protecting the people from God’s anger.

The children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, according to their divisions. But the Levites shall encamp around the Tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be responsible for the Tabernacle of the Testimony.” Thus the children of Israel did. According to all that Yahweh commanded Moses, so they did. Numbers 1:52-54

God is also about to designate a portion of each camp, and the order of march for the Israelites. We’ll learn why next time. This time God entered His Tabernacle. His Glory filled it! God’s presence with the Israelites was in the form of a cloud by day. Fire glowed from the cloud each night. The people could always see God leading and protecting them.

- This cloud protected the Israelites from the heat of the desert sun. Follow where God leads and He will protect you as well.

- To thank God for accepting their Tabernacle, and for living among them, the Israelites gave God may wonderful offerings. God had a plan for each gift. He also has plans ready for your gifts.

- We learned about the unholy fire and why God was forced to end two lives of young men that God obviously loved.

- This incident of the unholy fire was perhaps much of the reason that God gave Moses and the Israelites His many laws. God wanted to avoid further loss of life.

- God used the scapegoat to symbolize His removing the people’s sins from His sight and memory. The scapegoat wandered deep into the wilderness to become unseen and forgotten.

- God also instructed Moses to conduct the first census of the Israelites. This was one more necessary step in constructing a nation from these recent slaves.

Next time we will be with Moses and the Israelites as God leads them directly to their Promised Land – for the first time. Much of our reading will be from Numbers chapters 2, and 10-14.

30) Rebellion

Our last time together God entered His newly built Tabernacle and His Glory filled it completely! As a constant reminder of His pleasure with them, God’s presence was continually visible to the people; as a cloud by day and as a fire within the cloud at night.

- This cloud also protected God’s people from the heat of the desert sun as they followed Him. Follow God and He will protect you as well.

- In appreciation and in love, the people gave God many valuable offerings for His continued presence. God was ready. He had a plan to best use each of these gifts. He has plans for you and your gifts as well.

- We learned about the unholy fire and why God was forced to destroy two young men that He loved.

- This tragedy of the unholy fire may be much of the reason that God quickly gave the Israelites His laws that we read in Leviticus.

- The scapegoat became a clear picture for the Israelites of how God had removed their sins far from them, never to be remembered.

- God directed Moses to complete the first census of the Israelite men.

Creating Order

This time we’ll see God lead His people to the Promised Land. We’ll also learn why He caused the people to then wander the desert for forty years. As we begin, God will prescribe a very specific order of march and camp locations for the Israelites as they travel to the Promised Land.

Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, “The children of Israel shall encamp every man by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses: at a distance from the Tent of Meeting shall they encamp around it.” Numbers 2:1-2

Moses is about to describe for us the arrangements of the massive camp of Israel. There will be three families or clans on each side and the Tabernacle will be at the center of this camp, protected by the Levites. But that’s thirteen clans or tribes of Israel! We know there are only twelve tribes of Israel! We have to also remember that Joseph’s two sons inherited equally in Joseph’s share. That means that the clans of Ephraim and Manasseh together formed the Tribe of Joseph. That brings us back to twelve tribes. Have you also noticed that there were also twelve disciples surrounding Jesus?

Moses begins his description of the camp.

Those who encamp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah, according to their divisions: and the prince of the children of Judah shall be Nahshon the son of Amminadab. His division, and those who were counted of them, were seventy-four thousand six hundred. Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar: and the prince of the children of Issachar shall be Nethanel the son of Zuar. His division, and those who were counted of it, were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

The tribe of Zebulun: and the prince of the children of Zebulun shall be Eliab the son of Helon. His division, and those who were counted of it, were fifty-seven thousand four hundred. All who were counted of the camp of Judah were one hundred eighty-six thousand four hundred, according to their divisions. They shall set out first. Numbers 2:3-9

It is also interesting to note that God placed the entrance of His Tabernacle on the East and, as we just read, also directed the Tribe of Judah to camp on the East side of the camp.

Make six frames for the rear – the West side of the Tabernacle. Exodus 26:22 NLT

With the rear facing West, the front of the Tabernacle must face East; toward Judah. Think of it this way, the way to God in the Tabernacle was through Judah. Today, the way to God for us is through the Lion of Judah, Jesus Christ.

The location and order of march of the other tribes are also described for us by Moses. Moses then tells us that the Levites will carry the Tabernacle in the middle of the tribes.

Then the Tent of Meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps. As they encamp, so shall they set out, every man in his place, by their standards. Numbers 2:17

After listing the specifics for each tribe, Moses then summarizes for us the number of able-bodied men marching under God’s protection.

These are those who were counted of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses. All who were counted of the camps according to their armies were six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty. But the Levites were not counted among the children of Israel; as Yahweh commanded Moses. Thus the children of Israel did. According to all that Yahweh commanded Moses, so they encamped by their standards, and so they set out, everyone by their families, according to their fathers’ houses. Numbers 2:32-34

A Special Blessing

God next gave Moses a special blessing for His people. Many church pastors today repeat this same special blessing over their congregations.

And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, “the LORD bless thee, and keep thee: the LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” Numbers 6:22-26 KJV

God also told Moses that when His priests bless the Israelites that God will also bless the Israelites.

So they shall put my name on the children of Israel; and I will bless them. Numbers 6:27

God then continues to describe His preparations for breaking camp. The Israelites had been near Mount Sinai for over a year.

Silver Trumpets

God knew that so many people were difficult for one man, Moses, to manage. He will help Moses communicate more easily with the people by giving him new tools.

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Make two trumpets of silver. You shall make them of beaten work. You shall use them for the calling of the congregation, and for the journeying of the camps. When they blow them, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the door of the Tent of Meeting. If they blow just one, then the princes, the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves to you.

When you blow an alarm, the camps that lie on the east side shall go forward. When you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that lie on the south side shall go forward. They shall blow an alarm for their journeys. But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but you shall not sound an alarm. “The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. This shall be to you for a statute forever throughout your generations. Numbers 10:1-8

God continues with even more uses for these two silver trumpets.

When you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets. Then you will be remembered before Yahweh your God, and you will be saved from your enemies. “Also in the day of your gladness, and in your set feasts, and in the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be to you for a memorial before your God. I am Yahweh your God.” Numbers 10:9-10

With these trumpets complete, the Israelites are ready for God to lead them from Mount Sinai and to their Promised Land. It will be the Tribe of Judah, from whom Jesus descended, leading the way.

In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle of the testimony. The children of Israel went forward according to their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud stayed in the wilderness of Paran. They first went forward according to the commandment of Yahweh by Moses. First, the standard of the camp of the children of Judah went forward according to their armies. Nahshon the son of Amminadab was over his army. Numbers 10:11-14

Moses describes for us the Order of March, naming each tribe and its leader. He ends by telling us that Dan had the important task of guarding their rear.

The standard of the camp of the children of Dan, which was the rear guard of all the camps, set forward according to their armies. Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai was over his army. Pagiel the son of Ochran was over the army of the tribe of the children of Asher. Ahira the son of Enan was over the army of the tribe of the children of Naphtali. Thus were the travels of the children of Israel according to their armies; and they went forward. Numbers 10:25-28

We’ll learn that this first journey was shorter than many marches the people would later make. Like the Israelites, God will ease us into our own journeys and protect us. Moses now tells us exactly that.

They set forward from the Mount of Yahweh three days’ journey. The ark of Yahweh’s covenant went before them three days’ journey, to seek out a resting place for them. The cloud of Yahweh was over them by day, when they set forward from the camp. When the ark went forward, Moses said, “Rise up, Yahweh, and let your enemies be scattered! Let those who hate you flee before you!” When it rested, he said, “Return, Yahweh, to the ten thousands of the thousands of Israel.” Numbers 10:33-36

Troubles for Moses

Even with this relatively short and easy trip the people quickly began their complaining once again.

The people were complaining in the ears of Yahweh. When Yahweh heard it, his anger burned; and Yahweh’s fire burned among them, and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. The people cried to Moses; and Moses prayed to Yahweh, and the fire abated. The name of that place was called Taberah, because Yahweh’s fire burned among them. Numbers 11:1-3

Taberah means ‘burning’. Again, just like at Mount Sinai, Moses spoke to God as a friend and calmed His wrath. Quickly there was more trouble for Moses. Do you remember from our story of the Exodus how Moses described the foreigners leaving Egypt with the Israelites as rabble?

That night the people of Israel left Ramesses and started for Succoth. There were about 600,000 men, plus all the women and children. A rabble of non-Israelites went with them, along with great flocks and herds of livestock. Exodus 12:37-38 NLT

Moses is about to call them ‘rabble’ once again.

Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt. And the people of Israel also began to complain. “Oh, for some meat!” they exclaimed. “We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!” Numbers 11:4-6 NLT

This discontent quickly spread to the Israelites. Moses has had enough and takes his frustrations to God. We can take our worries and frustrations to Him as well. Just remember to ask, never demand.

Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man at the door of his tent; and Yahweh’s anger burned greatly; and Moses was displeased. Moses said to Yahweh, “Why have you treated with your servant so badly? Why haven’t I found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? Have I conceived all this people? Have I brought them out, that you should tell me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which you swore to their fathers?’

Where could I get meat to give to all this people? For they weep to me, saying, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. If you treat me this way, please kill me right now, if I have found favor in your sight; and don’t let me see my wretchedness.” Numbers 11:10-15

God listened to Moses. God heard his anguish and frustration. Then God answered Moses’ prayers and gave Moses the help he needed.

Yahweh said to Moses, “Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you. I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit which is on you, and will put it on them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you not bear it yourself alone. Numbers 11:16-17

Have you ever heard the expression, ‘Be careful what you ask for’? God was still angry with the Israelites and He is about to give them exactly what they asked for.

Say to the people, ‘Sanctify yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, and you will eat meat; for you have wept in the ears of Yahweh, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.” Therefore Yahweh will give you meat, and you will eat. You will not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils, and it is loathsome to you; because you have rejected Yahweh who is among you, and have wept before him, saying, “Why did we come out of Egypt? Numbers 11:18-20

Yes, even with God’s cloud by day and fire at night the people once again rejected God. Accept the gifts and blessings that God shares with you and be grateful. Do not covet the gifts that God shares with others.

Moses now forgot for the moment that he was speaking directly to God and Moses began thinking too hard; not accepting God’s word. Remember to say ‘Thank you’ but never, ‘How’. God is about to gently say this same thing to Moses.

Moses said, “The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand men on foot; and you have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month.’ Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to be sufficient for them? Shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be sufficient for them?” Yahweh said to Moses, “Has Yahweh’s hand grown short? Now you will see whether my word will happen to you or not.” Numbers 11:21-23

This gentle rebuke was enough for Moses. He quickly did as God instructed.

Moses went out, and told the people Yahweh’s words; and he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them around the Tent. Yahweh came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was on him, and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did so no more. Numbers 11:24-25

Moses now shares a quick story with us that lets us all know that he truly did understand all that God had done and said.

But two men remained in the camp. The name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the Spirit rested on them; and they were of those who were written, but had not gone out to the Tent; and they prophesied in the camp. A young man ran, and told Moses, and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!” Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his chosen men, answered, “My lord Moses, forbid them!” Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all Yahweh’s people were prophets, that Yahweh would put his Spirit on them!” Numbers 11:26-29

To put the Lord’s Spirit upon all people should be our hope as well, and that is our calling directly from Jesus.

He said to them, “Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to the whole creation. Mark 16:15

Moses understood what God was teaching. The people, however, did not learn their lesson. God was now about to reinforce it for them.

A wind from Yahweh went out and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day’s journey on this side, and a day’s journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the earth. The people rose up all that day, and all of that night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails. He who gathered least gathered ten homers; and they spread them all out for themselves around the camp. While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, Yahweh’s anger burned against the people, and Yahweh struck the people with a very great plague. The name of that place was called Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who lusted. Numbers 11:31-34

God then led the people away from the ‘graves of gluttony’ (Kibroth Hattaavah) and gave them a chance to gather their thoughts, regroup, and focus on Him.

From Kibroth Hattaavah the people traveled to Hazeroth; and they stayed at Hazeroth. Numbers 11:35

The troubles for Moses were not over after he left Kibroth-Hattaavah. He will be attacked by his own family at Hazeroth.

Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married; for he had married a Cushite woman. They said, “Has Yahweh indeed spoken only with Moses? Hasn’t he spoken also with us?” And Yahweh heard it. Numbers 12:1-2

The Lord always hears. God also knew that Moses would not end this family feud. Moses, by the way agrees with God on this as well. God is about to call Aaron and Mariam on the carpet for their remarks.

Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all the men who were on the surface of the earth. Yahweh spoke suddenly to Moses, to Aaron, and to Miriam, “You three come out to the Tent of Meeting!” The three of them came out. Yahweh came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the Tent, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forward.

He said, “Now hear my words. If there is a prophet among you, I, Yahweh, will make myself known to him in a vision. I will speak with him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so. He is faithful in all my house. With him, I will speak mouth to mouth, even plainly, and not in riddles; and he shall see Yahweh’s form. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?” Yahweh’s anger burned against them; and he departed. Numbers 12:3-9

God left them, but He was not through with them.

The cloud departed from over the Tent; and behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. Aaron looked at Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, please don’t count this sin against us, in which we have done foolishly, and in which we have sinned. Let her not, I pray, be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.”

Moses cried to Yahweh, saying, “Heal her, God, I beg you!” Yahweh said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, shouldn’t she be ashamed seven days? Let her be shut up outside of the camp seven days, and after that she shall be brought in again.” Miriam was shut up outside of the camp seven days, and the people didn’t travel until Miriam was brought in again. Numbers 12:10-15

After seven days Miriam was healed and returned to the camp. God then led the people away to the land that He intended for them to settle as their inheritance.

Afterward the people traveled from Hazeroth, and encamped in the wilderness of Paran. Numbers 12:16

Twelve Spies

God thought the people were finally ready to follow Him, worship Him, and become a mighty nation. We’re about to learn that the people thought otherwise. Now we’ll learn why God made the Israelites wander throughout the desert for forty years. And remember, this forty years of wandering would begin after God had delivered the Israelites to the very edge of the Promised Land He would have given them as His blessing.

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Send men, that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel. Of every tribe of their fathers, you shall send a man, every one a prince among them.” Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran according to the commandment of Yahweh. All of them were men who were heads of the children of Israel. Numbers 13:1-3

Each of the twelve tribes of Israel had an equal chance to explore their new home. This was God’s way of letting the people know that all the tribes were equal before Him. Being tribal leaders, these were all brave, respected men. Most, we’ll see did not trust God; even though He lived among them.

Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go up this way by the South, and go up into the hill country. See the land, what it is; and the people who dwell therein, whether they are strong or weak, whether they are few or many; and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it is good or bad; and what cities they are that they dwell in, whether in camps, or in strongholds; and what the land is, whether it is fat or lean, whether there is wood therein, or not. Be courageous, and bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the time of the first-ripe grapes. Numbers 13:17-20

Moses gave these twelve men, spies, very detailed instructions for scouting the land and for evaluating the desirability of living there. The Negev Desert, by the way, is in the south of modern Israel. It was a very fruitful and desirable land indeed.

So they went up, and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, to the entrance of Hamath. They went up by the South, and came to Hebron; and Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) They came to the valley of Eshcol, and cut down from there a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bore it on a staff between two. They also brought some of the pomegranates and figs. That place was called the valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the children of Israel cut down from there. Numbers 13:21-24

After thoroughly exploring this new land and gathering these amazing samples of fruits the twelve scouts were ready to return to camp and give to Moses, and all the people, their report.

They returned from spying out the land at the end of forty days. They went and came to Moses, to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, to the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word to them and to all the congregation. They showed them the fruit of the land. They told him, and said, “We came to the land where you sent us. Surely it flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Numbers 13:25-27

Can you imagine the good thoughts running through the people’s heads at the sight of a cluster of grapes so large that two men had to carry it before them? That was the good part of their report. Ten of the twelve were now about to show their lack of trust in God.

However the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover, we saw the children of Anak there. Amalek dwells in the land of the South. The Hittite, the Jebusite, and the Amorite dwell in the hill country. The Canaanite dwells by the sea, and along the side of the Jordan.” Numbers 13:28-29

With just a few words these men had named every enemy and awakened every fear of the Israelites. One other scout now spoke to the people. Caleb had not forgotten God. One voice against ten was lost. To be sure that Caleb’s voice would not be heard, and shouting over Caleb, the ten made this Promised Land sound even worse.

Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it!” But the men who went up with him said, “We aren’t able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.” They brought up an evil report of the land which they had spied out to the children of Israel, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that eats up its inhabitants; and all the people who we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim. We were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” Numbers 13:30-33

Of course ten loud voices would defeat one lone voice of reason. All the people left the meeting in despair. God and Moses became the focus of their complaints as the people grew restless in their fear.

All the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. All the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “We wish that we had died in the land of Egypt, or that we had died in this wilderness! Why does Yahweh bring us to this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be captured or killed! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return into Egypt?” They said to one another, “Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.” Numbers 14:1-4

Caleb had been silenced, but he did not stop fighting for God. Joshua joined him in one last attempt to persuade the people to trust in God.

Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of those who spied out the land, tore their clothes. They spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceeding good land. If Yahweh delights in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us; a land which flows with milk and honey. Only don’t rebel against Yahweh, neither fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us. Their defense is removed from over them, and Yahweh is with us. Don’t fear them.” Numbers 14:6-9

Caleb and Joshua may not have said this, but the Israelites already knew that their promised land would be held by others when they arrived. God first told Moses of this land of milk and honey from the burning bush atop Mount Sinai and while the Israelites were slaves in Egypt.

Yahweh said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Exodus 3:7-8

God repeated His promise and described the people inhabiting this land of milk and honey as Moses and all the people later camped below Mount Sinai. All these people already knew about the enemies living in the land that the Israelites were to claim.

It shall be, when Yahweh shall bring you into the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month. Exodus 13:5

The people trusted God only while their life was easy and their enemies were distant. At every hardship the people turned away from God. Don’t make that same mistake. Take all of your worries and troubles to God. Leave them with Him. Jesus tells us clearly that working for his kingdom is best for us.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:30

Caleb and Joshua were unable to persuade the Israelites. The people were about to turn against the two as the people’s restlessness turned toward rebellion.

But all the congregation threatened to stone them with stones. Yahweh’s glory appeared in the Tent of Meeting to all the children of Israel. Yahweh said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have worked among them? I will strike them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.” Numbers 14:10-12

God was about to save Caleb and Joshua by destroying the Israelites. Moses, however, saved these Israelites once again by speaking to God as a friend.

Moses said to Yahweh, “Then the Egyptians will hear it; for you brought up this people in your might from among them. They will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you Yahweh are in the middle of this people; for you Yahweh are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them, and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if you killed this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of you will speak, saying, ‘Because Yahweh was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore to them, therefore he has slain them in the wilderness.’

Now please let the power of the Lord be great, according as you have spoken, saying, ‘Yahweh is slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, forgiving iniquity and disobedience; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation.’ Please pardon the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your loving kindness, and according as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.” Numbers 14:13-19

Forty Years

Moses really was a good friend of God. Moses listened, understood, and remembered his conversations with God; as a good friend will do. Moses used those earlier conversations now to convince God to not destroy the rebelling Israelites. He succeeded in persuading God. God would forgive the people – but He would also hold them accountable.

Yahweh said, “I have pardoned according to your word: but in very deed, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with Yahweh’s glory; because all those men who have seen my glory, and my signs, which I worked in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have tempted me these ten times, and have not listened to my voice; surely they shall not see the land which I swore to their fathers, neither shall any of those who despised me see it. But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and has followed me fully, him I will bring into the land into which he went. His offspring shall possess it. Numbers 14:20-24

Instead of allowing the Israelites to enter their Promised Land, God will now instruct Moses to lead them far from the Israelite’s future home.

Since the Amalekite and the Canaanite dwell in the valley, tomorrow turn, and go into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea. Numbers 14:25

God was not yet done. He now gave Moses a dire revelation.

Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, that murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. Tell them, ‘As I live, says Yahweh, surely as you have spoken in my ears, so will I do to you. Your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness; and all who were counted of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against me, surely you shall not come into the land, concerning which I swore that I would make you dwell therein, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

But your little ones, that you said should be captured or killed, them I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have rejected. But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. Your children shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your prostitution, until your dead bodies are consumed in the wilderness. Numbers 14:26-33

We recently learned that the twelve spies were exploring their promised land for forty days.

They returned from spying out the land at the end of forty days. Numbers 13:25

God will use these forty days to sentence the Israelites to forty years of wandering the desert.

After the number of the days in which you spied out the land, even forty days, for every day a year, you will bear your iniquities, even forty years, and you will know my alienation.’ I, Yahweh, have spoken. I will surely do this to all this evil congregation, who are gathered together against me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.” Numbers 14:34-35

Every adult Israelite, save two, has been sentenced to wander for the rest of their lives across the deserts. Still the Lord was not done. For ten men there was more anguish to come.

The men, whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up an evil report against the land, even those men who brought up an evil report of the land, died by the plague before Yahweh. But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, remained alive of those men who went to spy out the land. Numbers 14:36-38

With this pronouncement to wander the deserts for the remainder of their lives, and with the ten scouts dead before them these Israelites still didn’t get the message!

Moses told these words to all the children of Israel, and the people mourned greatly. They rose up early in the morning, and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, “Behold, we are here, and will go up to the place which Yahweh has promised: for we have sinned.” Numbers 14:39-40

The people were finally willing to enter their promised land. Of course they were ready. They didn’t want to wander in the desert for forty years! Notice though that these people never apologized to Moses, Joshua, Caleb, or to God. Moses instead tries to prepare them for their journey. He will fail.

Moses said, “Why now do you disobey the commandment of Yahweh, since it shall not prosper? Don’t go up, for Yahweh isn’t among you; that you not be struck down before your enemies. For there the Amalekite and the Canaanite are before you, and you shall fall by the sword, because you turned back from following Yahweh, therefore Yahweh will not be with you.”

But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain. Nevertheless, the ark of Yahweh’s covenant and Moses didn’t depart out of the camp. Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites who lived in that mountain, and struck them and beat them down, even to Hormah. Numbers 14:41-45

We saw the Lord lead His people from Egypt, to Mount Sinai, and to the land He had promised them as an inheritance. These people left Egypt as former slaves. God spent a precious year teaching the people to become a nation; with Godly laws and traditions. When they were ready God led them to within a few hilltops of their Promised Land. Rather than thanking Him, and trusting God, these Israelites defied Him at every opportunity. God tried to make their path easy. The people refused to trust and follow God.

Another time we’ll meet a man named Jonah that also refused to trust and follow God. God caused Jonah to complete his journey in the belly of a fish!

- Moses detailed the relationships of each tribe within the Israelite camp. Moses also gives us God’s instructions for the order of march.

- These directions provided order and control for Moses as he led the people beneath God’s cloud.

- More important, these directions gave each tribe work and responsibility benefiting the entirety of the people. In this way God gently turned these people from individuals and gave them identity as tribes that would grow into the pride of a nation.

- God also helped Moses better control and lead the Israelites. First God described two silver trumpets. Then God suggested 70 elders that would help Moses with the daily tasks of leading so many people.

- God led His people to the wilderness of Paran. From here, twelve scouts went to spy the land in which God wanted the Israelites to settle. The twelve explored this new land for forty days.

- Ten of these twelve scouts forgot God and gave the people a fearful report of a land that all agreed was flowing with milk and honey.

- The fearful report and further exaggerations of these ten men lead the people toward rebellion. They prepared to stone Caleb and Joshua, choose a new leader to replace Moses (and God), then return to Egypt and slavery.

- For this rebellion God decreed that every adult, except Caleb and Joshua, would wander through the desert for forty years until all had died. Their children would one day enter the Promised Land.

Even after being sentenced to wander the desert for the remainder of their lives for distrusting God and rebelling against Him the people had not repented. Next time we will see that even the Levites, the priests of God, will lead a rebellion of their own. Most of our reading will be from Numbers chapters 16-17 and chapters 20-21.

31) Stories from the Desert

Last time we saw God lead the Israelites to the borders of their Promised Land. Instead of entering and claiming this land as their own, the Israelites distrusted God and rebelled.

- Moses described camp life and many responsibilities. He gave us the prescribed order of march for the Israelites.

- These details enabled Moses to more easily lead the many Israelites under his care.

- These directions also turned the Israelites from a wandering band of slaves into a single people that would first develop identities as one of the twelve tribes, then come together to become a great nation.

- God eased the many duties Moses had to perform. God first gave Moses two silver trumpets for communications. God then suggested that 70 elders help Moses by handling the daily tasks necessary to lead so many people.

- Twelve Israelite scouts left their camp in the wilderness of Paran to explore their Promised Land then report back to the people. The twelve spies spent forty days exploring this new land.

- All twelve agreed that this was a rich and fertile land, flowing with milk and honey, yet ten of these twelve men ignored God’s word and gave a fearful report to the people.

- This fearful report and further exaggeration by these ten men caused the Israelites to turn toward rebellion. They readied themselves to stone Caleb and Joshua, replace Moses and return to Egypt.

- These evil deeds caused God to decree that, save for Caleb and Joshua, no other adult Israelite would ever enter the Promised Land. The children would grow and become the generation that would inherit the Promised Land. All others would wander the desert for forty years, or until they had all died.

This time together Moses will share several stories with us from the time spent wandering in the desert. In these stories Moses will tell us how the Israelites treated him, and continued to show their contempt for God. We’ll begin with another story of rebellion; this one led by a Levite priest.

The Priests Rebel

One day Korah son of Izhar, a descendant of Kohath son of Levi, conspired with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, from the tribe of Reuben. They incited a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 other leaders of the community, all prominent members of the assembly.

They united against Moses and Aaron and said, “You have gone too far! The whole community of Israel has been set apart by the LORD, and he is with all of us. What right do you have to act as though you are greater than the rest of the LORD’s people?” Numbers 16:1-3

This same devil’s scheme has snared many people. Korah, like many of us, saw the prominence of Moses but he did not consider the many burdens and responsibilities that God also gave to Moses. Korah saw the glory but not the effort. We must all accept the duties and the responsibilities that God has given us without jealousy or resentment. All parts of the body must function without complaint for the Body of Christ to be in full health.

For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members have not the same office: so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and severally members one of another. Romans 12:4-5

Moses did not argue or fight with Korah. Moses has learned to take this problems to God.

When Moses heard what they were saying, he fell face down on the ground. Then he said to Korah and his followers, “Tomorrow morning the LORD will show us who belongs to him and who is holy. The LORD will allow only those whom he selects to enter his own presence. Korah, you and all your followers must prepare your incense burners. Light fires in them tomorrow, and burn incense before the LORD. Then we will see whom the LORD chooses as his holy one. You Levites are the ones who have gone too far!” Numbers 16:4-7

Moses then warned Korah that his fight was not with Moses, but with God. Moses reminds Korah that He is also important to God’s work.

Then Moses spoke again to Korah: “Now listen, you Levites! Does it seem insignificant to you that the God of Israel has chosen you from among all the community of Israel to be near him so you can serve in the LORD’s Tabernacle and special ministry to you and your fellow Levites? Are you now demanding the priesthood as well? The LORD is the one you and your followers are really revolting against! For who is Aaron that you are complaining about him?” Numbers 16:8-11

Moses may have sensed that Dathan and Abiram were merely following improper leaders. He tries to appeal directly to these two young men.

Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they replied, “We refuse to come before you! Isn’t it enough that you brought us out of Egypt, a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us here in this wilderness, and that you now treat us like your subjects? What’s more, you haven’t brought us into another land flowing with milk and honey. You haven’t given us a new homeland with fields and vineyards. Are you trying to fool these men? We will not come.” Numbers 16:12-14

This was too much for Moses. Every Israelite knew that they had disobeyed God and were then led away from their Promised Land of milk and honey to wander the desert. Moses spoke his anger to God and then removed his earlier proposition of allowing Korah and his followers to approach God with incense; turning it into an order.

Then Moses became very angry and said to the LORD, “Do not accept their grain offerings! I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, and I have never hurt a single one of them.” And Moses said to Korah, “You and all your followers must come here tomorrow and present yourselves before the LORD. Aaron will also be here. You and each of your 250 followers must prepare an incense burner and put incense on it, so you can all present them before the LORD. Aaron will also bring his incense burner.” Numbers 16:15-17

Korah had other plans. Korah was not about to let God decide his fate. Korah would instead rally the community to himself.

So each of these men prepared an incense burner, lit the fire, and placed incense on it. Then they all stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle with Moses and Aaron. Meanwhile, Korah had stirred up the entire community against Moses and Aaron, and they all gathered at the Tabernacle entrance. Then the glorious presence of the LORD appeared to the whole community. Numbers 16:18-19

Now it is God’s turn to speak. He is not pleased with this new challenge to His authority.

And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Get away from all these people so that I may instantly destroy them!” But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground. “O God,” they pleaded, “you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Must you be angry with all the people when only one man sins?” Numbers 16:20-22

Moses again shows all of us why God chose him to lead the people. Moses asked God’s forgiveness for others. Once more Moses went to God, spoke to Him as a friend, and saved many lives.

And the LORD said to Moses, “Then tell all the people to get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.” So Moses got up and rushed over to the tents of Dathan and Abiram, followed by the elders of Israel. “Quick!” he told the people. “Get away from the tents of these wicked men, and don’t touch anything that belongs to them. If you do, you will be destroyed for their sins.”

So all the people stood back from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Then Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrances of their tents, together with their wives and children and little ones. And Moses said, “This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things that I have done—for I have not done them on my own. If these men die a natural death, or if nothing unusual happens, then the LORD has not sent me. But if the LORD does something entirely new and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and all their belongings, and they go down alive into the grave, then you will know that these men have shown contempt for the LORD.” Numbers 16:23-30

Moses has again shown us his deep faith in God. You may think that Moses ignored one possibility – that nothing happens to these men. Moses knew God deeply. By faith Moses knew that God would not let these men go unpunished.

Moses was also constantly the leader of this young nation. Moses chose his words to teach the others that God, indeed, was in control and speaking to the people through Moses.

He had hardly finished speaking the words when the ground suddenly split open beneath them. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the men, along with their households and all their followers who were standing with them, and everything they owned. So they went down alive into the grave, along with all their belongings. The earth closed over them, and they all vanished from among the people of Israel. All the people around them fled when they heard their screams. “The earth will swallow us, too!” they cried. Then fire blazed forth from the LORD and burned up the 250 men who were offering incense. Numbers 16:31-35

The Lord, remember, still traveled with the Israelites as a cloud by day and as a fire within cloud at night. These people have now seen and heard from God many times. They ran frightened from the chasm that had just swallowed so many wicked men and their followers. Amazingly these people were no closer to trusting and truly following God. Moses’ first short story ends here, but the very next morning a new story will begin.

But the very next morning the whole community of Israel began muttering again against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the LORD’s people!” As the community gathered to protest against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the Tabernacle and saw that the cloud had covered it, and the glorious presence of the LORD appeared. Moses and Aaron came and stood in front of the Tabernacle, and the LORD said to Moses, “Get away from all these people so that I can instantly destroy them!” But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground. Numbers 16:41-45

God is striking these insolent people with plague! Many people are dying. Guess who will come again to save these rebellious Israelites.

And Moses said to Aaron, “Quick, take an incense burner and place burning coals on it from the altar. Lay incense on it, and carry it out among the people to purify them and make them right with the LORD. The LORD’s anger is blazing against them—the plague has already begun.” Aaron did as Moses told him and ran out among the people. The plague had already begun to strike down the people, but Aaron burned the incense and purified the people. He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague stopped. But 14,700 people died in that plague, in addition to those who had died in the affair involving Korah. Then because the plague had stopped, Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the Tabernacle. Numbers 16:46-50

Aaron’s Staff

Many people died from this plague. God did what He must, but he grieved for His people. God has a new plan to save lives; hoping the people will rebel no more. As Moses recounts this next story for us we will learn that God is about to help Moses end the people’s constant murmuring and complaints.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell the people of Israel to bring you twelve wooden staffs, one from each leader of Israel’s ancestral tribes, and inscribe each leader’s name on his staff. Inscribe Aaron’s name on the staff of the tribe of Levi, for there must be one staff for the leader of each ancestral tribe. Place these staffs in the Tabernacle in front of the Ark containing the tablets of the Covenant, where I meet with you. Buds will sprout on the staff belonging to the man I choose. Then I will finally put an end to the people’s murmuring and complaining against you.” Numbers 17:1-5

God will place living buds on these long dead pieces of wood that the leaders have used for many, many miles as staffs. God will also give us new life if we ask Him from our heart. Think of that rich new life when Moses now describes what God has done with Aaron’s staff.

So Moses gave the instructions to the people of Israel, and each of the twelve tribal leaders, including Aaron, brought Moses a staff. Moses placed the staffs in the LORD’s presence in the Tabernacle of the Covenant. When he went into the Tabernacle of the Covenant the next day, he found that Aaron’s staff, representing the tribe of Levi, had sprouted, budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds! Numbers 17:6-8

Jesus gives us life, and gives it abundantly, similar to the abundant life of Aaron’s staff but far more precious to Him.

The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. John 10:10

Moses will now use Aaron’s living staff as a constant reminder to the troublemakers living about him. Unfortunately the people will once again reject this very clear message directly from God. Please, do not be this stubborn.

When Moses brought all the staffs out from the LORD’s presence, he showed them to the people. Each man claimed his own staff. And the LORD said to Moses: “Place Aaron’s staff permanently before the Ark of the Covenant to serve as a warning to rebels. This should put an end to their complaints against me and prevent any further deaths.” So Moses did as the LORD commanded him. Then the people of Israel said to Moses, “Look, we are doomed! We are dead! We are ruined! Everyone who even comes close to the Tabernacle of the LORD dies. Are we all doomed to die?” Numbers 17:9-13

Tithing

With these last complaints and their misplaced fear the people must have finally begun following the leadership of Moses. Moses finally has time to briefly describe for us ‘tithing’ to the Levitical priests.

And the LORD said to Aaron, “You priests will receive no allotment of land or share of property among the people of Israel. I am your share and your allotment. As for the tribe of Levi, your relatives, I will compensate them for their service in the Tabernacle. Instead of an allotment of land, I will give them the tithes from the entire land of Israel. Numbers 18:20-21

Water from the Rock

Moses now returns to telling us one more story of rebellion. His sister Miriam is about to fall.

In the first month of the year, the whole community of Israel arrived in the wilderness of Zin and camped at Kadesh. While they were there, Miriam died and was buried. There was no water for the people to drink at that place, so they rebelled against Moses and Aaron. The people blamed Moses and said, “If only we had died in the LORD’s presence with our brothers! Why have you brought the congregation of the LORD’s people into this wilderness to die, along with all our livestock? Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates, and no water to drink!” Numbers 20:1-5

Do you remember our discussion of the Exodus from Egypt? The Israelites were urged to leave by the Egyptians. Even Pharaoh told them to take all they had and leave. Moses did not force them anywhere.

And he sent for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Get up and go out from among my people, you and the children of Israel; go and give worship to the Lord as you have said. And take your flocks and your herds as you have said, and be gone; and give me your blessing. And the Egyptians were forcing the people on, to get them out of the land quickly; for they said, “We are all dead men.” Exodus 12:31-33

Again, as the people complained for water, Moses turned to God. Learn from Moses and turn to God when you need help; and like Moses speak to God as a friend.

Moses and Aaron turned away from the people and went to the entrance of the Tabernacle, where they fell face down on the ground. Then the glorious presence of the LORD appeared to them, and the LORD said to Moses, “You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will provide enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock.” Numbers 20:6-8

That was a pretty amazing thing for God to tell Moses! Talk to a rock and receive enough water to satisfy millions of thirsty souls. Moses knew God too well to doubt Him. Look at Moses’ very next words.

So Moses did as he was told. He took the staff from the place where it was kept before the LORD. Numbers 20:9

Moses did as he was told. That is complete faith and trust. Moses was grateful for the water but he has had his fill with the people. Look at the way he scolds them.

Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. “Listen, you rebels!” he shouted. “Must we bring you water from this rock?” Numbers 20:10

Moses Fails God

Moses is about to let his anger with these people, you rebels, get in the way of his work for the Lord. Remember to do all things with love. Act like Christ lives in you.

Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill. But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!” Numbers 20:11-12

God had a plan. Moses did not follow God’s direction and did not demonstrate God’s holiness to the Israelites. This anger from Moses affected millions of Israelites. They missed this opportunity to learn more of God. Don’t lose this lesson. Acting in anger, or not acting as God leads you may affect only one person but yours may have been the voice to lead that one person to God. Leave no soul behind you.

Diplomacy with Edom

Moses’ next account describes Israel’s first diplomatic adventure as a young, nomadic nation. It would not go well.

While Moses was at Kadesh, he sent ambassadors to the king of Edom with this message: “This is what your relatives, the people of Israel, say: You know all the hardships we have been through. Numbers 20:14

You may remember that Isaac and Rebekah had twin sons. These boys were named Esau and Jacob. Esau would one day sell his birthright for a meal.

And Esau said to Jacob, Give me a full meal of that red soup, for I am overcome with need for food: for this reason he was named Edom. Genesis 25:30

Esau became known as Edom, and the land he settled was also known as Edom.

Now Jacob sent servants before him to Esau, his brother, in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. Genesis 32:3

Do you also remember that Jacob was also renamed by God?

And he said, your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel: for in your fight with God and with men you have overcome. Genesis 32:28

Moses was right. The Israelites and these Edomites were distant relatives; but that was hundreds of years in their past. Moses will give a brief account of that past and he will courteously ask permission to pass through Edom.

Our ancestors went down to Egypt, and we lived there a long time, and we and our ancestors were brutally mistreated by the Egyptians. But when we cried out to the LORD, he heard us and sent an angel who brought us out of Egypt. Now we are camped at Kadesh, a town on the border of your land. Please let us travel through your land. We will be careful not to go through your fields and vineyards. We won’t even drink water from your wells. We will stay on the king’s road and never leave it until we have passed through your territory.” Numbers 20:15-17

Moses travelled with very many people. Edom saw this large number of people as a threat.

But the king of Edom said, “Stay out of my land, or I will meet you with an army!” Numbers 20:18

Moses tries once again. He even offers to pay for any damages. It’s not enough.

The Israelites answered, “We will stay on the main road. If our livestock drink your water, we will pay for it. Just let us pass through your country. That’s all we ask.” But the king of Edom replied, “Stay out! You may not pass through our land.” With that he mobilized his army and marched out against them with an imposing force. Because Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their country, Israel was forced to turn around. Numbers 20:19-21

You may be wondering why God didn’t destroy these Edomites. He could also have ordered Moses to assemble his army and defeat the Edomites in battle. Moses doesn’t tell us this, but the reason may have been that God understood that the King of Edom was acting in fear and not with animosity. The Edomite king was simply defending his lands from possible invaders. God may have let the Edomites live because they showed no hatred to the Israelites.

Aaron Rests

God will lead His people away from Edom and toward Mount Hor. It is here that Aaron will leave his brother Moses.

The whole community of Israel left Kadesh and arrived at Mount Hor. There, on the border of the land of Edom, the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “The time has come for Aaron to join his ancestors in death. He will not enter the land I am giving the people of Israel, because the two of you rebelled against my instructions concerning the water at Meribah. Now take Aaron and his son Eleazar up Mount Hor. There you will remove Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on Eleazar, his son. Aaron will die there and join his ancestors.” Numbers 20:22-26

Even now, with Aaron about to die, he and Moses obey the Lord. All the people showed their respect of Aaron, and of Moses, as Aaron left them for the last time.

So Moses did as the LORD commanded. The three of them went up Mount Hor together as the whole community watched. At the summit, Moses removed the priestly garments from Aaron and put them on Eleazar, Aaron’s son. Then Aaron died there on top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar went back down. When the people realized that Aaron had died, all Israel mourned for him thirty days. Numbers 20:27-29

War and Conquest

Sometime after this thirty days of mourning for Aaron God was again leading the Israelites to a new camp. Moses will quickly describe a new king who will attack the Israelites and the consequences for that king.

The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that the Israelites were approaching on the road through Atharim. So he attacked the Israelites and took some of them as prisoners. Then the people of Israel made this vow to the LORD: “If you will hand these people over to us, we will completely destroy all their towns.” The LORD heard the Israelites’ request and gave them victory over the Canaanites. The Israelites completely destroyed them and their towns, and the place has been called Hormah ever since. Numbers 21:1-3

This brief accounting, and the next verse we will read, seems to support our earlier discussion that God did not destroy the Edomites because they defended their lands and bore no ill will toward the Israelites. The Canaanites, however, attacked the Israelites long before Moses had the opportunity to speak peacefully to them. Every trace of these Canaanites was removed. By the way, Hormah means “devoted to destruction”. http://www.encyclo.co.uk/define/Hormah

The Golden Serpent

After defeating the Canaanites, Moses and the people are about to follow God on their longest single march yet. They are about to travel toward the Red Sea and around the land of Edom. Once again the people will grow restless and rebel against God and Moses.

Then the people of Israel set out from Mount Hor, taking the road to the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient with the long journey, and they began to speak against God and Moses. “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?” they complained. “There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this horrible manna!” Numbers 21:4-5

If you think about it, it is amazing that a people with God’s presence constantly with them, would turn from Him so many times. Think of all the times these people had seen God’s miracles. God has had enough of their constant crying and lack of trust.

So the LORD sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died. Numbers 21:6

Once again these people would turn to the man that they have been abusing; Moses. Moses will forgive them and help them. Many years later, perhaps thinking of Moses, Jesus would discuss this kind of forgiveness with His disciples.

Then Peter came and said to him, Lord, what number of times may my brother do wrong against me, and I give him forgiveness, till seven times? Jesus says to him, I say not to you, till seven times; but, till seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21-22

Now we will see how God and Moses deal with these poisonous snakes.

Then the people came to Moses and cried out, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take away the snakes.” So Moses prayed for the people. Then the LORD told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!” So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed! Numbers 21:7-9

Are you wondering why God didn’t simply take the snakes away, or why He didn’t just heal the people from the snake venom? Moses describes over and over again that these people had no faith or confidence in God. If they had faith there would have been no complaints.

God continued to teach these Israelites. God used this cast bronze serpent to heal the people’s hearts as well as their bodies. God made it necessary for a bitten person to look to this symbol – to believe or at least hope – to be cured. Hope, then belief are the first steps toward faith.

Remembering that God directed to Moses to cast a snake of bronze and coil it on a pole, modern physicians use this same symbol of a serpent coiled about a staff to represent healing – just as God did.

Failed Diplomacy and Conquest

Moses next mentions several camps used by the Israelites as they wandered the desert beneath the cloud of God. They eventually came to the land of the Amorites. Moses will ask the Amorite king for permission to pass through that country.

The Israelites sent ambassadors to King Sihon of the Amorites with this message: “Let us travel through your land. We will be careful not to go through your fields and vineyards. We won’t even drink water from your wells. We will stay on the king’s road until we have passed through your territory.” Numbers 21:21-22

This is the same request that Moses had earlier made of the Edomites, his kinsmen. This king’s response will be worse.

But King Sihon refused to let them cross his territory. Instead, he mobilized his entire army and attacked Israel in the wilderness, engaging them in battle at Jahaz. But the Israelites slaughtered them with their swords and occupied their land from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River. They went only as far as the Ammonite border because the boundary of the Ammonites was fortified. So Israel captured all the towns of the Amorites and settled in them, including the city of Heshbon and its surrounding villages. Numbers 21:23-25

King Sihon did more than defend his lands, as the Edomites had done. King Sihon left his lands and attacked the Israelites in the wilderness outside his kingdom. That is why God allowed the Israelites to defeat King Sihon and his army.

Moses and the people were not done with these Amorites. God will also lead them against another king.

After Moses sent men to explore the Jazer area, they captured all the towns in the region and drove out the Amorites who lived there. Then they turned and marched up the road to Bashan, but King Og of Bashan and all his people attacked them at Edrei. The LORD said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you, along with all his people and his land. Do the same to him as you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon.” And Israel killed King Og, his sons, and all his subjects; not a single survivor remained. Then Israel occupied their land. Numbers 21:32-35

This was not their Promised Land. God would next lead His people to the land of Moab, near the city of Jericho. This is the subject of Moses’ next story for us. Next time we will meet King Balak and a prophet named Balaam. We’ll learn that Balaam was a powerful and courageous follower of God. Most of our reading will be from Numbers chapters 22 through 24.

This time we read several accounts from Moses from the forty years of wandering the desert. Moses lost his sister and then his brother during this time of traveling the desert. Miriam fell at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin. The Lord called Aaron atop Mount Hor to rest with his ancestors.

- The Levite priest, Korah, lead a rebellion against Moses because of jealousy. He saw Moses’ relationship with God and the people. Korah wanted that same prominence but never considered the burdens that Moses also carried. Each of us must accept and perform the service that God lays before us.

- Like Aaron’s dead staff, God will give us new life. We must only ask for it. Then, just as Aaron’s staff produced almonds, we will also be productive for God.

- After the people complained to Moses for water God instructed him to speak to a rock in God’s name and that rock would pour out enough water for all the people and all of their livestock. Moses instead struck the rock in his anger. For this act Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land.

- Edom refused to allow the Israelites to pass through that country. The Edomites were prepared to defend themselves but did not attack Israel. God led His people quietly away from Edomite lands.

- A Canaanite king did send his army to attack the Israelites. The Canaanites, and even their cities and towns, were completely destroyed.

- Growing restless once again during a long march the people spoke against God and Moses. As punishment, God sent poisonous snakes among them. Many people died. Moses again forgave these rebellious people and spoke to God on their behalf. God directed that a bronze serpent be cast and placed upon a staff. Anyone looking at this bronze snake - believing God’s word - would survive the poisonous bites.

- After rejecting Moses’ request for the Israelites to pass through the kingdom of the Amorites, these Amorites attacked Moses and the people in the wilderness. The Israelites defeated these Amorites in a series of battles and then temporarily settled in this land.

32) Balak and Balaam

Last time Moses gave us an accounting of several episodes from the Israelites wanderings through the desert. Moses lost his brother and sister during this time. Miriam fell first. Soon after God called Aaron to the top of Mount Hor to rest with his ancestors.

- A Levite priest led an unsuccessful rebellion against Moses and God. Korah wanted the prominence of Moses with God and the people but he never considered the burdens that Moses also carried.

- God gave new life to Aaron’s staff. He will also give us new life, if we ask it of Him. Then, like Aaron’s staff producing almonds we will also be productive for the Lord.

- When the people complained of no water God instructed Moses to speak to a rock and that rock would then give its water, sufficient for every Israelite plus all of their livestock. Moses fell to his own anger and instead struck the rock. For this God told Moses that he was not to enter the Promised Land.

- Edom refused to allow the Israelites to pass through their land but did not attack the Israelites. God led the Israelites peacefully away from Edom.

- The Canaanites did attack the people of Israel as they were traveling. The Israelites utterly destroyed these Canaanites.

- After the people again spoke against Moses and God, God sent poisonous snakes among the people that killed many Israelites. Moses again forgave these people and asked God to help them. God directed that a bronze snake be cast and then erected upon a staff. Once bitten the people were to look at this bronze serpent, believe God’s promise, and they would be cured.

- Moses asked the Amorites for permission to pass through their country. The Amorites refused, then attacked the Israelites in the wilderness outside the Amorite lands. The Israelites defeated these Amorites completely and then temporarily settled in their land.

A King Calls a Prophet

This time Moses will continue his account of the forty years in the desert. He will share with us the story of King Balak and a prophet who grew to love God. The prophet’s name was Balaam.

The children of Israel traveled, and encamped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho. Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. Moab was very afraid of the people, because they were many. Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. Numbers 22:1-3

Last time Moses told us of other kings that were fearful of the Israelites. The Edomites prepared to defend themselves but did not attack the Israelites. God lead the people away from Edom. The Canaanites heard the same request for passage through their lands. These Canaanites attacked the people and were destroyed. King Balak will choose another course.

Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this multitude will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. He sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, there is a people who came out of Egypt. Behold, they cover the surface of the earth, and they are staying opposite me. Numbers 22:4-5

Rather than sending his own army against the Israelites, King Balak asks for help from one man. Moses now tells us why the king would put his hope on a single person.

Please come now therefore curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall prevail, that we may strike them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.” Numbers 22:6

Balaam was a prophet. We’re about to learn that Balaam knew God. We’ll soon see that he also had to do some growing. Like Nicodemus, from our first story, we’ll learn again that it’s okay to continue growing and maturing in Christ. God understands that our faith must grow. Paul explained this growing to the Corinthians as feeding a baby; giving it milk, not meat.

Brothers, I couldn't speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Christ. I fed you with milk, not with meat; for you weren't yet ready. Indeed, not even now are you ready, for you are still fleshly. For insofar as there is jealousy, strife, and factions among you, aren't you fleshly, and don't you walk in the ways of men? 1 Corinthians 3:1

King Balak’s elders, his most important messengers, carried the king’s message to Balaam.

The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand. They came to Balaam, and spoke to him the words of Balak. He said to them, “Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as Yahweh shall speak to me.” The princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. Numbers 22:7-8

We don’t know this, but if Balaam knew and loved God then he may have known that these Israelites were God’s people. Balaam may also have known these Israelites by reputation – hearing the same accounts that so worried King Balak. We do know that Balaam waited for God to guide him before giving these messengers his response. God will speak for Balaam. Wait and allow God to speak for you as well. Even Jesus waited to hear from God before speaking.

For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. John 12:49

Now God speaks to Balaam.

God came to Balaam, and said, “Who are these men with you?” Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has said to me, ‘Behold, the people that has come out of Egypt covers the surface of the earth. Now, come curse me them. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them, and shall drive them out.’” God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people; for they are blessed.” Numbers 22:9-12

God told Balaam not to travel with the king’s men, and not to curse the Israelites. Balaam is now forced to choose between honoring a king and honoring God. He tries to do both.

Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your land; for Yahweh refuses to permit me to go with you.” The princes of Moab rose up, and they went to Balak, and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.” Numbers 22:13-14

Balaam’s message to the king’s messengers was not as strong as it could have been. This weak answer will give the king enough hope to make a new request. Balaam could have simply stopped at “Go back home!” Instead, Balaam said ‘God won’t let me.’

Knowing that kings hold the power of life and death would your own answer have been any stronger than Balaam’s reply? Would your answer be even as strong as Balaam’s or would you have refused God? Remember to trust Him with the hard decisions as well as the easy tasks.

Yahweh, he it is who does go before you; he will be with you, he will not fail you, neither forsake you: don't be afraid, neither be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31:8

A Second Request

King Balak had a great respect for Balaam, or the king needed Balaam’s help very badly. He now tries harder to persuade Balaam.

Balak again sent princes, more, and more honorable than they. They came to Balaam, and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me, for I will promote you to very great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Please come therefore, and curse this people for me.” Numbers 22:15-17

Balaam will be a very rich man if only he will do as King Balak asks of him. We must make this same decision between earthly and heavenly rewards. Even Jesus had to make this choice.

Again, the devil took him to an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory. He said to him, “I will give you all of these things, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’” Matthew 4:8

Balaam gave this answer to the king’s princes.

Balaam answered the servants of Balak, “If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can’t go beyond the word of Yahweh my God, to do less or more. Now therefore, please wait also here this night, that I may know what Yahweh will speak to me more.” Numbers 22:18-19

Did Balaam’s answer to these new messengers sound reasonable to you? Remember, Balaam has already asked God for guidance and God gave Balaam His answer. Balaam, like before, wants to try and keep God and king both happy with him. Jesus told us clearly that we cannot serve two masters.

No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Luke 16:13a

A Talking Donkey

Balaam’s answer was not reasonable to God. God is about to teach Balaam a shocking but gentle lesson. It begins with a donkey.

God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak to you, that you shall do.” Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab. God’s anger burned because he went; and Yahweh’s angel placed himself in the way for an adversary against him.

Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. The donkey saw Yahweh’s angel standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned aside out of the way, and went into the field. Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the way. Then Yahweh’s angel stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. The donkey saw Yahweh’s angel, and she thrust herself to the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. He struck her again.

Yahweh’s angel went further, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. The donkey saw Yahweh’s angel, and she lay down under Balaam. Balaam’s anger burned, and he struck the donkey with his staff. Numbers 22:20-27

Balaam is having a terrible day in front of these prominent officials and he just can’t understand what is happening with his donkey. Remember, Balaam cannot see the angel and he is about as mad as can be. Now it is time for phase two of God’s lesson.

Yahweh opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” Numbers 22:28

Most of us, hearing an animal speak, would be shocked into silence. Not Balaam though; he’s way too mad. He just answers his donkey.

Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have mocked me, I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would have killed you.” The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long until today? Was I ever in the habit of doing so to you?” He said, “No.” Numbers 22:29-30

Balaam calms down quickly. He must now realize that something extraordinary is happening. That makes it time for phase three of God’s lesson.

Then Yahweh opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw Yahweh’s angel standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face. Yahweh’s angel said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way is perverse before me. The donkey saw me, and turned aside before me these three times. Unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I would have killed you, and saved her alive.” Numbers 22:31-33

The lesson has been learned. Balaam now understands that he must only serve God.

Balaam said to Yahweh’s angel, “I have sinned; for I didn’t know that you stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases you, I will go back again.” Yahweh’s angel said to Balaam, “Go with the men; but only the word that I shall speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. Numbers 22:34-35

Having learned this lesson of serving only one master, Balaam and the officials travel quietly to meet the king. Meanwhile, King Balak is too worried about the approaching Israelites to act kingly. He rushed out to meet Balaam.

When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him to the City of Moab, which is on the border of the Arnon, which is in the utmost part of the border. Balak said to Balaam, “Didn’t I earnestly send to you to call you? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I not able indeed to promote you to honor?” Numbers 22:36-37

Balaam doesn’t reply in the way King Balak would expect. Balaam will actually warn the king to be careful what he asks of Balaam.

Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come to you. Have I now any power at all to speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak.” Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath Huzoth. Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes who were with him. Numbers 22:38-40

Moses does not clearly tell us, but we can believe that Balak offered his sacrifices to God. It appears that Balaam accepted the portions of meat. Balaam and Balak will also offer sacrifices together to God the next day.

In the morning, Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal; and he saw from there part of the people. Numbers 22:41

Balaam said to Balak, “Build here seven altars for me, and prepare here seven bulls and seven rams for me.” Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bull and a ram. Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps Yahweh will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you.” He went to a bare height [top of a hill]. God met Balaam, and he said to him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.” Numbers 23:1-4

First Prophecy

With these preparations complete God will now give Balaam His message for the king.

Yahweh put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” He returned to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moab. He took up his parable, and said, “From Aram has Balak brought me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East. Come, curse Jacob for me. Come, defy Israel.

How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy whom Yahweh has not defied? For from the top of the rocks I see him. From the hills I see him. Behold, it is a people that dwells alone, and shall not be listed among the nations. Who can count the dust of Jacob, or count the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous! Let my last end be like his!” Numbers 23:5-10

Second Prophecy

King Balak is not happy with God’s message. Do you understand Balak’s real problem. The king wanted God for his servant rather than as his Lord. Serve God. Do not ask Him to serve you.

Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them altogether.” He answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak that which Yahweh puts in my mouth?” Numbers 23:11-12

Balak has not learned that he cannot control God. He gives Balaam new instructions.

Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, where you may see them. You shall see just part of them, and shall not see them all. Curse them from there for me.” He took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar. Numbers 23:13-14

The king repeated his ritual. He again built alters and offered sacrifices; as to a pagan god. God, through Balaam, will teach Balak that He is not a pagan deity.

He said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet over there.” Yahweh met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and say this.” He came to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. Balak said to him, “What has Yahweh spoken?”

He took up his parable, and said, “Rise up, Balak, and hear! Listen to me, you son of Zippor. God is not a man, that he should lie, nor the son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good? Behold, I have received a command to bless. He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it. He has not seen iniquity in Jacob. Neither has he seen perverseness in Israel.

Yahweh his God is with him. The shout of a king is among them. God brings them out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox. Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob; neither is there any divination with Israel. Now it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘What has God done!’ Behold, the people rises up as a lioness. As a lion he lifts himself up. He shall not lie down until he eats of the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain.” Numbers 23:15-24

Third Prophecy

Balak listened, but he still didn’t learn God’s lesson. Balak will now try to barter with Balaam; and through Balaam, barter with God.

Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.” But Balaam answered Balak, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘All that Yahweh speaks, that I must do?’” Balak said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.”

Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks down on the desert. Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.” Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar. Numbers 23:25-30

Balaam has also been learning lessons from God. This time he is ready to act completely within God’s word. He now tells us how much more he believes God.

When Balaam saw that it pleased Yahweh to bless Israel, he didn’t go, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness. Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came on him. He took up his parable, and said, “Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eyes are open says; he says, who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, and having his eyes open: Numbers 24:1-4

Yes, Balaam is certainly much closer to God. He has learned God’s lessons. Listen to this new blessing for Israel.

How goodly are your tents, Jacob, and your tents, Israel! As valleys they are spread out, as gardens by the riverside, as aloes which Yahweh has planted, as cedar trees beside the waters. Water shall flow from his buckets. His seed shall be in many waters. His king shall be higher than Agag. His kingdom shall be exalted.

God brings him out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox. He shall eat up the nations his adversaries, shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them with his arrows. He couched, he lay down as a lion, as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Everyone who blesses you is blessed. Everyone who curses you is cursed.” Numbers 24:5-9

Prophecy of Jesus

Has Balak also learned God’s lessons? We’ll see how he responds to Balaam’s latest blessing.

Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have altogether blessed them these three times. Therefore now flee you to your place! I thought to promote you to great honor; but, behold, Yahweh has kept you back from honor.” Numbers 24:10-11

Moses tells us that King Balak’s anger burned against Balaam. It’s not hard to see why Balak was so enraged. Three times now he has asked Balaam to curse Israel. Each time it has gotten worse for Balak! With Balaam’s first pronouncement he simply did not curse Israel. Balak, as we said, has not learned any lesson from God. The king asked Balaam to speak to God again. The second time Balaam actually blessed Israel! After refusing to submit to God’s will again, Balak asked Balaam once more to curse Israel. This last time Balaam cursed King Balak!

Balak did remember that Balaam represented God. He will let Balaam leave with his life. Balaam becomes bolder. He will have the last word, for God. Balaam is about to show all of us how quickly he has grown in God’s service. He will speak fearlessly, and with authority, to King Balak.

Balaam said to Balak, “Didn’t I also tell your messengers who you sent to me, saying, ‘If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can’t go beyond Yahweh’s word, to do either good or bad of my own mind. I will say what Yahweh says’? Now, behold, I go to my people. Come, I will inform you what this people shall do to your people in the latter days.”

He took up his parable, and said, “Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eyes are open says; he says, who hears the words of God, knows the knowledge of the Most High, and who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, and having his eyes open: I see him, but not now. I see him, but not near.

A star will come out of Jacob. A scepter will rise out of Israel, and shall strike through the corners of Moab, and break down all the sons of Sheth. Edom shall be a possession. Seir, his enemies, also shall be a possession, while Israel does valiantly.

Out of Jacob shall one have dominion, and shall destroy the remnant from the city.” He looked at Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, “Amalek was the first of the nations, but his latter end shall come to destruction.”

He looked at the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, “Your dwelling place is strong. Your nest is set in the rock. Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted, until Asshur carries you away captive.”

He took up his parable, and said, “Alas, who shall live when God does this? But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim. They shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber. He also shall come to destruction.” Numbers 24:12-24

Did you catch how Balaam described his relationship with God? He said, Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eyes are open says; he says, who hears the words of God, knows the knowledge of the Most High, and who sees the vision of the Almighty. Do you wonder if Balaam was perhaps looking at his donkey and thinking of recent events as he spoke those particular words?

Balaam’s next words in our last passage prophesized Jesus as King of the Earth. He described Jesus as the star of Jacob and the scepter of Israel. Jesus reminds us that He is that star.

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify these things to you for the assemblies. I am the root and the offspring of David; the Bright and Morning Star.” Revelation 22:16

And of the scepter of Israel? Revelation clearly gives us this description of Jesus.

He has on his garment and on his thigh a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” Revelation 19:16

There was nothing more for Balaam to say.

Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way. Numbers 24:25

Moses, and God, had a lot to teach us with this story of Balak and Balaam. Yes, it recounts part of Israelites adventures as they wandered the desert for forty years. There is much more. God has a message here for all of us; some will listen to Him, some will not. We must all choose our master. Choose wisely.

- King Balak saw the many Israelites approaching his kingdom and was afraid. He knew of the recent Israelite conquests. He could sense that the God of Israel marched with His people.

- Balak schemed to place a curse on the Israelites. He sent for the prophet Balaam.

- Balaam heard the king’s request. Wisely, Balaam asked God’s will before giving his answer for the king. Unfortunately, Balaam’s reply was not as strong as it should have been. His answer gave the king enough hope to send a second delegation to Balaam.

- God was angry with Balaam, but also sent the prophet to the king. On the journey God would begin to draw Balaam closer to Himself. He will help Balaam grow.

- God sent an angel to Balaam. This angel, and a suddenly talking donkey, opened Balaam’s eyes to God’s authority.

- Balak learned that he cannot bargain with God. Three times King Balak asked the prophet Balaam to curse Israel so that the king’s army could then attack and defeat Moses and the people. Each of these three times God’s response, through Balaam was stronger; a gentle rebuke, to blessing the Israelites, to cursing Balak!

- Balak and Balaam taught us that some people will hear God’s message and follow Him; others will hear God’s lessons but will not follow Him. Choose wisely.

Through these many accounts from Moses we have passed almost all of the forty years of wanderings through the desert. Most of those people that feared to enter their promised land have now fallen. Our next time together Moses will lead a new generation of Israelites near the land of their inheritance. Most of our reading will be from Numbers Chapters 25-27, and 31-35.

33) The Promised Land

Many of the stories that Moses has shared with us have been little more than brief accounts of the adventures and exploits of the Israelites. Our last time together Moses went into more detail in recounting King Balak and the prophet Balaam for us. Moses understood that there was a message within the story. God’s message within this story is that some of us will learn to honor, obey, and follow God. Others will ignore Him and His teachings, no matter how obvious His lessons.

- King Balak saw the Israelites approaching his kingdom. He knew God marched with the Israelites.

- Rather than deal with the Israelites, Balak schemed to defeat them after having a curse placed on the people. Balak sent for Balaam to place this curse.

- Balaam was wise enough to first ask God’s will before he acted. Unfortunately, Balaam was not yet far enough in his walk with God to give the strong answer to the king that God wanted Balaam to speak.

- God was angry with Balaam’s reply. God also knew that He could share some lessons with Balaam that would draw him closer to God.

- God’s series of lessons to Balaam included an angel, and a talking donkey. Balaam learned his lesson and quickly grew close to God.

- King Balak also learned from God. Balak learned that he cannot bargain with God. Three times Balak asked Balaam to curse the Israelites so that the king could defeat them in battle. Each time God’s response, spoken by Balaam was stronger and harsher; first a gentle refusal, then blessing the Israelites, finally cursing Balak and his kingdom!

- Moses, with this account of Balaam and Balak taught us that all people will hear God’s teachings. The wise will follow Him. Others will choose not to heed His teachings.

Baal Worship

This time together Moses will share with us God’s plans for the new generation of young Israelites that are now approaching their Promised Land. These will be sobering lessons for us today. First, we will learn that not all of this next generation of Israelites will enter their Promised Land. These men have found a new way to reject God.

Israel stayed in Shittim; and the people began to play the prostitute with the daughters of Moab; for they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods. The people ate and bowed down to their gods. Israel joined himself to Baal Peor. Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel. Numbers 25:1-3

Remember, these young Israelites had spent their life following God’s cloud. They could constantly look up and see God’s cloud protecting them every day. They could gaze at His fire with the cloud every single night. God knew this as well. That is why God was angry with these men; they rejected Him.

By the way, other Bible translations may call Shittim, Acacia Grove. Joshua, Hosea, and Micah will also mention Shittim in their accounts of God. We’ll learn more of Shittim another time.

Yahweh said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up to Yahweh before the sun, that the fierce anger of Yahweh may turn away from Israel.” Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Everyone kill his men who have joined themselves to Baal Peor.” Numbers 25:4-5

Even as he pronounced God’s sentence, Moses is about to learn just how blatant these men were acting before God.

Behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of the Tent of Meeting. Numbers 25:6

A young priest is about to show everyone his own anger at this evil deed.

When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the middle of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand. He went after the man of Israel into the pavilion, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. Those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand. Numbers 25:7-9

Almost as an aside, Moses tells us that 24,000 died for leaving God and His protection. Now we’ll learn what God would say about this brash young priest that has just killed two people with his spear.

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I didn’t consume the children of Israel in my jealousy. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace. It shall be to him, and to his offspring after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was jealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.’” Numbers 25:10-13

Phinehas was zealous for God and God was very pleased; not for these deaths, but because Phinehas was so zealous in following God. Follow the Lord’s guidance in your own life with zeal; eagerness and enthusiasm. He will be pleased.

Moses next gives us a few final details and lets us know how God will deal with the Midianites that have caused so many of His people to sin.

Now the name of the man of Israel that was slain, who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a fathers’ house among the Simeonites. The name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur. He was head of the people of a fathers’ house in Midian.

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Harass the Midianites, and strike them, for they harassed you with their wiles, with which they have deceived you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor.” Numbers 25:14-18

Second Census

We’ll soon come back to the conclusion of this story. Now Moses will tell us about God’s second census. This new census was necessary because all of the men accounted in the original census had now fallen, save three; Moses, Caleb and Joshua.

After the plague, Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying, “Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers’ houses, all who are able to go out to war in Israel.” Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, “Take a census, from twenty years old and upward; as Yahweh commanded Moses and the children of Israel.” These are those that came out of the land of Egypt. Numbers 26:1-4

Moses, as he has done before will go into great detail in recording all of the men of Israel. We will jump forward to Moses’ summary of this second census. We will also learn a new reason of why God wanted this second record.

These are those who were counted of the children of Israel, six hundred one thousand seven hundred thirty. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “To these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names. To the more you shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer you shall give the less inheritance. To everyone according to those who were counted of him shall his inheritance be given. Numbers 26:51-54

God will now let the people know that Moses will show no favoritism in dividing the Promised Land. It will be God that selects the location in which each tribe will settle.

Notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot. According to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. According to the lot shall their inheritance be divided between the more and the fewer.” Numbers 26:55-56

We will also now learn that the Levites will not receive an inheritance of land.

Those who were counted of them were twenty-three thousand, every male from a month old and upward; for they were not counted among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel. These are those who were counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who counted the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.

But among these there was not a man of them who were counted by Moses and Aaron the priest, who counted the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. For Yahweh had said of them, “They shall surely die in the wilderness.” There was not a man left of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. Numbers 26:62-65

The Daughters of Zelophehad

With this census complete, the people now knew how they were about to share in the wealth and abundance of the Promised Land. But in addition to the Levites, there was one family that might not receive its share of land. Let’s meet these five sisters.

Then the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph came near. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. They stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, at the door of the Tent of Meeting, saying, “Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against Yahweh in the company of Korah, but he died in his own sin. He had no sons. Why should the name of our father be taken away from among his family, because he had no son? Give to us a possession among the brothers of our father.” Numbers 27:1-4

This request from five daughters caught Moses by surprise. He understood that over time many fathers would see no sons. There could not be an eventual consolidation of land to fewer and fewer families. Moses again turned to God for the solution to this problem.

Moses brought their cause before Yahweh. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “The daughters of Zelophehad speak right. You shall surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brothers. You shall cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. Numbers 27:5-7

God agreed with these five daughters of Zelophehad. They will receive their father’s inheritance. God then went further and defined all future inheritance law for Israel.

You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies, and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. If his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his kinsman who is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it. This shall be a statute and ordinance for the children of Israel, as Yahweh commanded Moses.’” Numbers 27:8-11

Moses Prepares to Leave

It is now time for Moses to prepare to leave us and join God. Moses will say goodbye to the Israelites in our next story. As a reward for his faithfulness and friendship, God will allow Moses to see the Promised Land before he dies.

Yahweh said to Moses, “Go up into this mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel. When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered; because in the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin, to honor me as holy at the waters before their eyes.” (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.) Numbers 27:12-14

Even hearing the news of his own coming death, Moses shows us once again why God chose him as His leader of the Israelites. Moses’ first thought is of the people that followed him these many years.

Moses spoke to Yahweh, saying, “Let Yahweh, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in; that the congregation of Yahweh not be as sheep which have no shepherd.” Numbers 27:15-17

Of course, God has someone in mind to be the new leader of the nation of Israel. We’ve met him before.

Yahweh said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. Set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and commission him in their sight. You shall give authority to him that all the congregation of the children of Israel may obey. Numbers 27:18-20

Joshua will become the man that leads the Israelites into the Promised Land. Let’s look back at what we know about this new leader; selected by God. It was Joshua that led the Israelites in their first battle. It was against the Amaleks. This was the fight where so long as Moses held his staff over his head the fight would favor the Israelites.

So Joshua did as Moses had told him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Exodus 17:10

Joshua was with Moses on Mount Sinai as the Lord wrote His Ten Commandments on stone.

Yahweh said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and stay here, and I will give you the tables of stone with the law and the commands that I have written, that you may teach them.” Moses rose up with Joshua, his servant, and Moses went up onto God's Mountain. Exodus 24:12-13

Joshua was also one of the twelve spies that were sent to explore the Promised Land. As Moses told us the stories of these twelve spies we also learned that Moses Changed Joshua’s name.

These are the names of the men who Moses sent to spy out the land. Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua. Numbers 13:16

And, of course, Joshua was one of only two people from his generation that would be permitted to enter into the Promised Land.

For Yahweh had said of them, they shall surely die in the wilderness. There was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. Numbers 26:65

Moses presented Joshua to the priests and to all the people as God’s chosen leader.

Moses did as Yahweh commanded him. He took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation. He laid his hands on him, and commissioned him, as Yahweh spoke by Moses. Numbers 27:22-23

War with the Midianites

New we’ll return to the rest of Moses’ story of the Moabites and Midianites that caused so many young men to sin against God by worshiping Baal of Peor. The remainder of this story is quite violent. Remember though, the great sins committed within the Lord’s camp and even before His Tabernacle.

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Avenge the children of Israel for the Midianites. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.” Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute Yahweh’s vengeance on Midian. Of every tribe one thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, you shall send to the war.”

So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. Moses sent them, one thousand of every tribe, to the war, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand. They fought against Midian, as Yahweh commanded Moses. They killed every male. Numbers 31:1-7

The Israelites prevailed. They also met the Prophet Balaam this day. We learned about the prophet Balaam’s and King Balak’s story our last time together. Moses will now tell us Balaam’s fate.

They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword. The children of Israel took the women of Midian captive with their little ones; and all their livestock, all their flocks, and all their goods, they took as plunder. All their cities in the places in which they lived, and all their encampments, they burned with fire. Numbers 31:8-10

A moment ago Moses told us that the Israelites killed all of the men in battle. We just learned that the Midianite women and children were captured. Do you remember that it was the women that caused the men of Israel to sin? We read this account earlier.

Israel abode in Shittim; and the people began to play the prostitute with the daughters of Moab: for they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods; and the people ate, and bowed down to their gods. Israel joined himself to Baal Peor: and the anger of Yahweh was kindled against Israel. Numbers 25:1-3

These captured women that had caused so many Israelites to sin were brought before Moses and the people as war trophies. Moses will not be pleased.

They took all the captives, and all the plunder, both of man and of animal. They brought the captives, and the prey, and the plunder, to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan at Jericho. Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went out to meet them outside of the camp.

Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who came from the service of the war. Moses said to them, “Have you saved all the women alive? Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against Yahweh in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of Yahweh. Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him. Numbers 31:11-17

Yes, Moses ordered, probably, thousands of captured women and young boys to be killed. Can you understand why this would be God’s will? Moses and God both understood that if these women were allowed to live that they would soon corrupt other Israelite men. The sin of Baal worship would spread like a cancer among the people. God was right. Many years later Baal worship would actually destroy even the kings of Israel.

Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Hephzibah. He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, after the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh cast out before the children of Israel. For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made an Asherah, as did Ahab king of Israel, and worshiped all the army of the sky, and served them. 2 Kings 21:1-3

We’ll learn much more of this evil Baal worship as our stories of the Bible continue in our next book.

Moses will go on to give us an exact accounting of the plunder the Israelites had taken in battle. Moses then hears amazing news from the officers of the Israelite army.

The officers who were over the thousands of the army, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near to Moses. They said to Moses, “Your servants have taken the sum of the men of war who are under our command, and there lacks not one man of us. We have brought Yahweh’s offering, what every man has gotten, of jewels of gold, armlets, and bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make atonement for our souls before Yahweh.” Numbers 31:48-50

This accounting of not one lost Israelite is even more amazing when you consider the sizes of both armies that were fighting in a battle where no quarter was asked or given. These Israelites sent 12,000 men to the fight. Not one was lost. These twelve thousand faced the combined armies of five kings. These five armies were completely destroyed without the loss of even a single Israelite! God protected the Israelites. He will protect you as well, if you let Him.

A Nation Divides

Even more amazing to him, Moses will now hear a strange request from the men of two tribes; they no longer want to go to their Promised Land!

Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock. When they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that behold, the place was a place for livestock; the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the princes of the congregation, saying, “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, the land which Yahweh struck before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock; and your servants have livestock.” They said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Don’t bring us over the Jordan.” Numbers 32:1-5

Moses is furious. He comes very close to calling these men cowards.

Moses said to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to the war, and shall you sit here? Why do you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which Yahweh has given them? Your fathers did so when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land. For when they went up to the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which Yahweh had given them. Numbers 32:6-9

Moses now reminds these men that God was very displeased when others feared entering into the Promised Land. God’s displeasure led to the forty years of wandering the desert.

Yahweh’s anger burned in that day, and he swore, saying, ‘Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun; because they have followed Yahweh completely.’

Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he made them wander back and forth in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, who had done evil in Yahweh’s sight, was consumed. “Behold, you have risen up in your fathers’ place, an increase of sinful men, to increase the fierce anger of Yahweh toward Israel. For if you turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and you will destroy all these people.” Numbers 32:10-15

Moses has judged these men wrong. He is about to learn that as they calmly reply to his anger.

They came near to him, and said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones; but we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the children of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our houses, until the children of Israel have each inherited their inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan, and forward; because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan eastward.” Numbers 32:16-19

This was a reasonable request. Moses quickly agrees – if these men will actually do as they have just promised. By the way, the other side of the Jordan that these men mention is the Jordan River of modern-day Israel.

Moses said to them, “If you will do this thing, if you will arm yourselves to go before Yahweh to the war, and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before Yahweh, until he has driven out his enemies from before him, and the land is subdued before Yahweh; then afterward you shall return, and be guiltless towards Yahweh, and towards Israel; and this land shall be to you for a possession before Yahweh.

“But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against Yahweh; and be sure your sin will find you out. Build cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which has proceeded out of your mouth.” Numbers 32:20-24

The men of these two tribes quickly agreed with Moses.

The children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, “Your servants will do as my lord commands. Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock, shall be there in the cities of Gilead; but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before Yahweh to battle, as my lord says.” Numbers 32:25-27

Now that this discussion is over Moses learns that others also want to stay on this side of Jordan River and claiming a portion of God’s Promised Land.

The children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, “As Yahweh has said to your servants, so will we do. We will pass over armed before Yahweh into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan.” Moses gave to them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, according to its cities and borders, even the cities of the surrounding land. Numbers 32:31-33

Preparing for the Promised Land

With this different inheritance settled Moses goes on to record each of the camps during the forty years of wandering the desert. His details can be found in the 33rd chapter of Numbers. Shortly after Moses recounts this forty year journey God gives him instructions to pass on to the people for entering into the Promised Land.

Yahweh spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, “When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their stone idols, destroy all their molten images, and demolish all their high places. You shall take possession of the land, and dwell therein; for I have given the land to you to possess it. Numbers 33:50-53

Having given Moses these instructions, God now repeats a stark warning that he has previously voiced many times. Remember, God knows our future.

“But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those you let remain of them will be as pricks in your eyes and as thorns in your sides, and they will harass you in the land in which you dwell. It shall happen that as I thought to do to them, so will I do to you.” Numbers 33:55-56

Having repeated His warning, God proceeds to very accurately define the borders of His Promised Land for the Israelites.

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you come into the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan according to its borders), then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the side of Edom, and your south border shall be from the end of the Salt Sea eastward. Your border shall turnabout southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, and pass along to Zin; and it shall pass southward of Kadesh Barnea; and it shall go from there to Hazar Addar, and pass along to Azmon. The border shall turnabout from Azmon to the brook of Egypt, and it shall end at the sea.

“‘For the western border, you shall have the great sea and its border. This shall be your west border. “‘This shall be your north border: from the great sea you shall mark out for yourselves Mount Hor. From Mount Hor you shall mark out to the entrance of Hamath; and the border shall pass by Zedad. Then the border shall go to Ziphron, and it shall end at Hazar Enan. This shall be your north border.

“‘You shall mark out your east border from Hazar Enan to Shepham. The border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain. The border shall go down, and shall reach to the side of the sea of Chinnereth eastward. The border shall go down to the Jordan, and end at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land according to its borders around it.’” Numbers 34:1-12

Refuge Cities

God will now define the inheritance of the Levites. The Levite cities and towns will be given to them from every other tribe’s inheritance. God will also make six of these cities very special.

Yahweh spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, “Command the children of Israel to give to the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in. You shall give suburbs for the cities around them to the Levites. They shall have the cities to dwell in. Their suburbs shall be for their livestock, and for their possessions, and for all their animals.

“The suburbs of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward one thousand cubits around it. You shall measure outside of the city for the east side two thousand cubits, and for the south side two thousand cubits, and for the west side two thousand cubits, and for the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the middle. This shall be the suburbs of their cities.

“The cities which you shall give to the Levites, they shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the man slayer to flee to. Besides them you shall give forty-two cities. All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities together with their suburbs. Concerning the cities which you shall give of the possession of the children of Israel, from the many you shall take many; and from the few you shall take few. Everyone according to his inheritance which he inherits shall give some of his cities to the Levites.” Numbers 35:1-8

These cites of refuge were to be safe havens for anyone that accidently kills another. God understands our dark desire for revenge. He will give Moses further direction for the need and use of these refuge cities.

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall appoint for yourselves cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the man slayer who kills any person unwittingly may flee there. The cities shall be to you for refuge from the avenger, that the man slayer not die, until he stands before the congregation for judgment.

The cities which you shall give shall be for you six cities of refuge. You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and you shall give three cities in the land of Canaan. They shall be cities of refuge. For the children of Israel, and for the stranger and for the foreigner living among them, shall these six cities be for refuge; that everyone who kills any person unwittingly may flee there. Numbers 35:9-15

God said again that these refuge cities were to only protect anyone who accidently kills another until that person comes to trial; until he stands before the congregation for judgment. God will make it very clear that a city of refuge will not protect a murderer.

“‘But if he struck him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall surely be put to death. If he struck him with a stone in the hand, by which a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall surely be put to death. Or if he struck him with a weapon of wood in the hand, by which a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall surely be put to death. Numbers 35:16-18

These directions from God to Moses help us understand better why western civilization has had death penalty laws from antiquity. God also understood that there would be accidental deaths in addition to willful murder. God will now discuss accidental death.

“‘But if he shoved him suddenly without hostility, or hurled on him anything without lying in wait, or with any stone, by which a man may die, not seeing him, and cast it on him, so that he died, and he was not his enemy, neither sought his harm; then the congregation shall judge between the striker and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances. The congregation shall deliver the man slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, where he had fled. He shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

“‘But if the man slayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge, where he flees, and the avenger of blood finds him outside of the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the man slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood, because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest, the man slayer shall return into the land of his possession. “‘These things shall be for a statute and ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. Numbers 35:22-29

Accidental deaths and negligence were to have serious consequences for the killer but that killer would not forfeit his life because of the deed. God will now conclude His instructions to Moses by stressing His earlier command that murderers must be put to death.

“‘Whoever kills any person, the murderer shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify against any person that he die. “‘Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death; but he shall surely be put to death. “‘You shall take no ransom for him who is fled to his city of refuge, that he may come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.

“‘So you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land. No atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, but by the blood of him who shed it. You shall not defile the land which you inhabit, in the middle of which I dwell; for I, Yahweh, dwell in the middle of the children of Israel.’” Numbers 35:30-34

God told the Israelites that a murderer must be convicted only on the testimony of more than one witness. He said that whoever kills any person, the murderer shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses; more than one.

This was a grim story for us. Let’s talk about that and try to understand, so much as we can, God’s reasons for requiring the deaths of some many thousands of Moabites and Midianites, and the execution of murderers. God explained this for us in His most recent words for Moses. God said to him, You must not defile the land where you live, for I live there myself. I am the LORD, who lives among the people of Israel.

God is holy and pure. He will not tolerate evil. Have you ever heard the expression, “Give the Devil an inch and he’ll be your ruler”? God understood that His laws must be inviolate; unchanging across the generations. God knew that idol worship will cause the people to sin. These many commands from God to cleanse the lands were His way of keeping the evils of the world from His chosen people. We’ll learn in other stories that the Israelites will fail to follow God’s instructions and it will cost them centuries of further misery, including more years of slavery.

- While the Israelites were camped at Acacia Grove, some of the men defiled themselves with Moabite women. These women also invited these men to attend sacrifices to the gods of Moab; including Baal.

- God ordered that the ringleaders of this sin be executed. He also sent a plague among the sinners that killed 24,000 people.

- God then ordered Moses to attack the Moabites and Midianites; destroying them for the sin that they brought among the Israelites.

- God instructed Moses to complete a second census. It was for a new generation. Those that had defied God by refusing to enter the Promised Land had now fallen. More than 600,000 men were now counted as ready for war.

- When Israel did fight and destroy the Moabites and Midianites just one thousand men from each of twelve tribes, twelve thousand in all, marched against five armies. Not a single Israelite solder fell. They were under God’s protection.

- God provided the Israelites with laws governing inheritance after Moses received a special request from the daughters of Zelophehad; he died and left no sons to claim his own inheritance.

- God then told Moses to prepare for his own death. God will first allow Moses to see the Promised Land. God tells Moses that Joshua will become the new leader after Moses falls.

- The tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh petitioned Moses and God to take the conquered Moabite and Midianite lands as their own inheritance rather than crossing into the Promised Land. Their request was granted after these men agreed to help the other tribes win the Promised Land.

Our next time together Moses will give us his farewell address. He will recount forty years of history. He will encourage God’s people. Moses will also share his frustrations. Most of our reading will be from all of the Book of Deuteronomy. We’ll cover a lot of ground.

34) Moses Bids Farewell

Our last story of the Bible was harsh. As we learned about the killing of so many Moabites and Midianites, many of us were wondering how a loving God could order the deaths of so many people. As so often happens, our answer lies within our question; God does love us, and wants to protect us.

God knows the future. He knows our individual futures. How else could God have given so many prophesies to so many prophets and then let us all see those promises come to fruition? The Bible is fulfilled prophecy.

Knowing the future, God understood what Baal worship would do to the Israelites. Even with the deaths of so many, God knew that Baal worship will return to plague the Israelites. It will lead to the destruction of their nation and many years of new enslavement.

- Israelite men defiled themselves by going to Moabite women. These men turned further from God by joining the Moabite women in attending sacrifices to the Moabite and Midianite gods.

- God ordered the deaths of those Israelite’s most responsible for defiling His people. God also sent a plague into the Israelite camp that killed 24,000 of the sinners.

- God ordered Moses to destroy the Moabites and Midianites to end more temptation.

- All those that had taken part in God’s first census have now died. They had once refused to enter God’s Promised Land because of their fears and were punished by wandering the desert for forty years. A new census of a new generation revealed more than 600,000 Israelite men ready to defend Israel.

- To again show His power and protection, God instructed Moses to send just 12,000 men to face solders from five combined armies. Not a single Israelite fell in the battle.

- The daughters of Zelophehad approached Moses with a petition. Their father died and left no sons to claim his inheritance. God granted Zelophehad’s daughters their request. God then gave Moses new laws governing inheritance for the Israelites.

- The tribes of Gad and Reuben, plus the half tribe of Manasseh, asked God to allow them to keep the recently conquered lands of the Moabites and Midianites as their own possession rather than entering into the Promised Land. God granted this request in return of a promise from these men that they would help take control of the Promised Land.

Farewell Address

This time Moses will give the people his farewell address. He is about to join his brother Aaron at God’s side. With his last words Moses will recount the Israelite’s history of the past forty years; leaving Egypt, wandering the desert, victories, and sad events. Moses will encourage. He will vent his frustrations. He will give final instructions.

Moses’ final speech nearly fills the entire Book of Deuteronomy. As you have the time, read all of Moses’ speech. It is a wonderful summary of living with God for forty years. In our time together we will discuss only a few highlights. We’ll begin with a ‘where and when’.

These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah over against Suf, between Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab. It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea. In the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, Moses spoke to the children of Israel, according to all that Yahweh had given him in commandment to them; after he had struck Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth, at Edrei. Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses began to declare this law. Deuteronomy 1:1-5

Moses begins his address with an understatement, letting us know that the years of wandering the desert while an entire generation died could have been completed with an eleven day trip! If only the Israelites had trusted God and taken their Promised Land when it was first offered! Moses gently repeats what we just mentioned.

“Yahweh our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying, ‘You have lived long enough at this mountain. Turn, and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites, and to all the places near there, in the Arabah, in the hill country, and in the lowland, and in the South, and by the seashore, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates. Behold, I have set the land before you. Go in and possess the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their offspring after them.’” Deuteronomy 1:6-8

After this gentle rebuke that forty years had been wasted, Moses begins his farewell address by telling the people what a burden they have been to him. Moses will repeat his frustration several times as he speaks to the people.

I spoke to you at that time, saying, “I am not able to bear you myself alone. Yahweh your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as the stars of the sky for multitude. Yahweh, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as you are, and bless you, as he has promised you! How can I myself alone bear your problems, your burdens, and your strife? Deuteronomy 1:9-12

Moses goes on to describe the appointment of judges from each tribe that will deal with most of the daily squabbles of the people. Moses’ instructions from God to these judges set the standards for our court system today. He told them this …

I commanded your judges at that time, saying, “Hear cases between your brothers, and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and the foreigner who is living with him. You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God’s. Deuteronomy 1:16-17a

Turned from the Promised Land

Moses next recounts the story of the twelve spies scouting God’s Promised Land for the people. Moses reminds these people that it was their idea to first send these twelve spies rather than simply entering the land God was providing.

I said to you, “You have come to the hill country of the Amorites, which Yahweh our God gives to us. Behold, Yahweh your God has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has spoken to you. Don’t be afraid, neither be dismayed.”

You came near to me, every one of you, and said, “Let us send men before us, that they may search the land for us, and bring us word again of the way by which we must go up, and the cities to which we shall come.” The thing pleased me well.

I took twelve men of you, one man for every tribe. They turned and went up into the hill country, and came to the valley of Eshcol, and spied it out. They took some of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down to us, and brought us word again, and said, “It is a good land which Yahweh our God gives to us.” Deuteronomy 1:20-25

Moses reminds the people that they doubted God’s great promise.

Yet you wouldn’t go up, but rebelled against the commandment of Yahweh your God. You murmured in your tents, and said, “Because Yahweh hated us, he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. Deuteronomy 1:26-27

Moses then quickly reminds these Israelites why they have been walking the desert for forty years.

Yahweh heard the voice of your words, and was angry, and swore, saying, “Surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land, which I swore to give to your fathers, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh. He shall see it. I will give the land that he has trodden on to him, and to his children, because he has wholly followed Yahweh.” Deuteronomy 1:34-36

Now Moses lets these people know that he blames them for God’s command that Moses never enter the Promised Land.

Also Yahweh was angry with me for your sakes, saying, “You also shall not go in there. Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, shall go in there. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it. Deuteronomy 1:37-38

Moses continues with his recounting of history by telling the Israelites of their travels to the land of the Edomites, the descendants of Esau. They journeyed to the land of the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Amorites, and others. After recounting these travels and battles Moses repeated the division of land to be given to the tribes of Reuben and Gad on the east side of the Jordan River.

Burdens of Leadership

Moses is still bitter. Moses, like us, is human and his thoughts return to the sin that denied his entry into the Promised Land.

I begged Yahweh at that time, saying, “Lord Yahweh, you have begun to show your servant your greatness, and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or in earth that can do works like yours, and mighty acts like yours? Please let me go over and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that fine mountain, and Lebanon.” But Yahweh was angry with me for your sakes, and didn’t listen to me. Yahweh said to me, “Let this satisfy you. Speak no more to me of this matter. Deuteronomy 3:23-26

Moses must have immediately listened to God. God will at least allow Moses to look upon the Promised Land. God then said these words to Moses…

Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift up your eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and see with your eyes; for you shall not go over this Jordan. But commission Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you shall see.” Deuteronomy 3:27-28

Moses tries to not let this personal pain distract him from the messages he must give the people. He will not be completely successful. Moses goes into great detail once again, describing God’s laws for the Israelites. In the midst of these laws Moses reminds the people of their awesome God.

“Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” For what great nation is there, that has a god so near to them, as Yahweh our God is whenever we call on him? What great nation is there, that has statutes and ordinances as righteous as all this law, which I set before you today? Deuteronomy 4:6b-8

Even with this reminder of God, Moses cannot resist one more criticism against the Israelites. He does turn this accusation into a warning for the people.

Furthermore Yahweh was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that I should not go over the Jordan, and that I should not go in to that good land, which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance; but I must die in this land. I must not go over the Jordan; but you shall go over, and possess that good land. Be careful, lest you forget the covenant of Yahweh your God, which he made with you, and make yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which Yahweh your God has forbidden you. For Yahweh your God is a devouring fire, a jealous God. Deuteronomy 4:21-24

Moses next gives the people a prophetic warning that they will fail to heed.

When you shall father children, and children’s children, and you shall have been long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a carved image in the form of anything, and shall do that which is evil in your God’s sight, to provoke him to anger; I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will soon utterly perish from off the land which you go over the Jordan to possess it. You will not prolong your days on it, but will utterly be destroyed. Yahweh will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations, where Yahweh will lead you away. Deuteronomy 4:25-27

Then Moses gives them hope for a renewed future with God. All of us, no matter our past, must remember the words Moses is about to speak, For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not fail you, neither destroy you. All we need to do is search after him with all your heart and with all your soul, then simply ask for His forgiveness. God will do the rest.

There you shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. But from there you shall seek Yahweh your God, and you shall find him, when you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in oppression, and all these things have come on you, in the latter days you shall return to Yahweh your God, and listen to his voice. For Yahweh your God is a merciful God. He will not fail you, neither destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which he swore to them. Deuteronomy 4:28-31

God’s Glory

Moses now declares God’s glory to the people.

For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and from the one end of the sky to the other, whether there has been anything as this great thing is, or has been heard like it? Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the middle of the fire, as you have heard, and live? Or has God tried to go and take a nation for himself from among another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, by war, by a mighty hand, by an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that Yahweh your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?

It was shown to you so that you might know that Yahweh is God. There is no one else besides him. Out of heaven he made you to hear his voice, that he might instruct you. On earth he made you to see his great fire; and you heard his words out of the middle of the fire. Because he loved your fathers, therefore he chose their offspring after them, and brought you out with his presence, with his great power, out of Egypt; to drive out nations from before you greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is today.

Know therefore today, and take it to heart, that Yahweh himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath. There is no one else. You shall keep his statutes, and his commandments, which I command you today that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land, which Yahweh your God gives you, forever. Deuteronomy 4:32-40

Yahweh himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath. There is no one else. With this re-introduction of God Moses continues his instructions by repeating God’s Ten Commandments; so important that God Himself carved them in stone. Moses begins with this quote from God.

I am the LORD thy God. Deuteronomy 5:6a KJV

With these words Moses tried again to warn the people that there is no other God. Many Israelites had died over the past forty years for not remembering that there is only one God. Remember that today. Never trade God for ‘stuff’. You can read these Ten Commandments again in Deuteronomy chapter 5.

After repeating God’s Ten Commandments Moses continues his message of providing once again all of God’s laws and commands. He pleads with the Israelites to keep God’s commands.

You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. These words, which I command you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the door posts of your house, and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:5-9

Earlier we learned a harsh story of why it was necessary for God to command the destruction of so many Moabites and Midianites. They taught the Israelites to worship false gods. Moses will remind the people of this harsh lesson as he implores them yet again to avoid these false gods.

When Yahweh your God brings you into the land where you go to possess it, and casts out many nations before you, the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, seven nations greater and mightier than you; and when Yahweh your God delivers them up before you, and you strike them; then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them, nor show mercy to them; neither shall you make marriages with them.

You shall not give your daughter to his son, nor shall you take his daughter for your son. For he will turn away your son from following me, that they may serve other gods. So Yahweh’s anger would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly. But you shall deal with them like this. You shall break down their altars, dash their pillars in pieces, and cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their engraved images with fire. Deuteronomy 7:1-5

Moses again reminds the Israelites why they are God’s chosen people.

For you are a holy people to Yahweh your God. Yahweh your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples who are on the face of the earth. Yahweh didn’t set his love on you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people; for you were the fewest of all peoples: but because Yahweh loves you, and because he desires to keep the oath which he swore to your fathers, Yahweh has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that Yahweh your God himself is God, the faithful God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with them who love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations. Deuteronomy 7:6-9

Moses will continue to encourage and guide the people as he continues to speak. He gives the people equal measures of encouragement and warnings. As he is speaking, Moses gives them a quote that we often repeat simply as “Man does not live by bread alone”.

He humbled you, and allowed you to be hungry, and fed you with manna, which you didn’t know, neither did your fathers know; that he might teach you that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of Yahweh’s mouth. Deuteronomy 8:3

A Hidden Miracle

Moses then made this amazing statement.

Your clothing didn’t grow old on you, neither did your foot swell, these forty years. Deuteronomy 8:4

Think about it for a moment. Millions of people wandered the desert sands for forty years. There was not a single blister. No one ever needed a new pair of sandals. Clothing never wore thin. This may be the most overlooked miracle of the Bible!

Moses next words ring true for us today as we live in the most prosperous lands and times of history. Do not lose God as you gain prosperity.

You shall eat and be full, and you shall bless Yahweh your God for the good land which he has given you. Beware lest you forget Yahweh your God, in not keeping his commandments, and his ordinances, and his statutes, which I command you today. Deuteronomy 8:10-11

Moses goes on to remind the people of the Golden Calf and how near to destruction these people were because of it.

Remember, and don’t forget, how you provoked Yahweh your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day that you left the land of Egypt, until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against Yahweh. Also in Horeb you provoked Yahweh to wrath, and Yahweh was angry with you to destroy you.

Furthermore Yahweh spoke to me, saying, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Leave me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under the sky; and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.” Yahweh was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him. I prayed for Aaron also at the same time. Deuteronomy 9:7-8, 13-14, 20

Moses has been unhappy with these people that he led for many years. Within all of the guidance that he provided for the Israelites, Moses again used his farewell address to vent his many frustrations.

You have been rebellious against Yahweh from the day that I knew you. Deuteronomy 9:24

Moses then moved on to briefly recount the building of the Ark of the Covenant. Moses described the duties of the Levites and explained again why the Levites will have no direct share of property or land.

Accept God

Moses then gives the Israelites a wonderful summary of what little God actually asks of them. This is all that God has ever asked of any one of us.

And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the LORD your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. Deuteronomy 10:12

God only wants our love and devotion. Moses’ words are exactly what Jesus taught us as he was addressing the Pharisees.

But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, gathered themselves together. One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him. “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. Matthew 22:34-38

God’s message did not change in all the years between Moses’ death and Jesus’ teaching. God’s message for us today is constant as well; love the Lord, your God with all that you have.

Moses then added these words.

Keep Yahweh’s commandments and statutes, which I command you today for your good. Deuteronomy 10:13

Moses continues with another saying many of us will recognize and that we often repeat simply as ‘Lord of lords’.

Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked. For Yahweh your God, he is God of gods, and Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty, and the awesome, who doesn't regard persons, nor takes reward. Deuteronomy 10:16-17

Moses then continues to encourage the people into loving and trusting God. He tells them to obey every single command and they will continue to receive God’s blessing. Look at how strongly Moses encourages the people.

Therefore you shall lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul. You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them, when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall write them on the door posts of your house, and on your gates. Deuteronomy 11:18-20

Always keep God’s word in front of you. Moses now makes his warning even stronger. He clearly tells the people that they must make the choice to accept God. We must make this same choice between blessing and curse.

Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you today, to go after other gods, which you have not known. Deuteronomy 11:26-28

Having given the people the choice of blessing or curse, Moses immediately warns them again to remove the temptations of other gods.

You shall surely destroy all the places in which the nations that you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains, and on the hills, and under every green tree. You shall break down their altars, and dash their pillars in pieces, and burn their Asherah poles with fire. You shall cut down the engraved images of their gods. You shall destroy their name out of that place. Deuteronomy 12:2-3

Let us repeat this warning of temptation from Moses as we would speak today. ‘Never allow yourself even the slightest temptation.’

A moment ago Moses gave us what Jesus called the greatest commandment; loving God. Now, in describing law and justice, Moses will tell us what Jesus called the second greatest commandment.

You shall make judges and officers in all your gates, which Yahweh your God gives you, according to your tribes; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality. You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise, and perverts the words of the righteous. You shall follow that which is altogether just, that you may live, and inherit the land which Yahweh your God gives you. Deuteronomy16:18-20

Jesus said it this way as He continued His answer to the Pharisees …

A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22:39

Moses then makes a very brief statement about our gifts to God before moving on.

Never sacrifice sick or defective cattle, sheep, or goats to the LORD your God, for he detests such gifts. Deuteronomy 17:1 ASV

Think about that the next time you pull some dusty cans from the back of the cupboard for a local food drive. Provide only those gifts that will honor and please your God.

Kings for Israel

Moses’ next words from God are again prophetic. God knew that these people would one day ask for a king. Through Moses, God gave the people guidelines for choosing their king.

When you have come to the land which Yahweh your God gives you, and possess it, and dwell in it, and say, “I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me”; you shall surely set him king over yourselves, whom Yahweh your God chooses. You shall set as king over you one from among your brothers. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. Deuteronomy 17:14-15

America’s founding fathers remembered these words when they required in the constitution that the country’s president must be American by birth. Moses next addresses the evil of witches, psychics and evil customs.

When you have come into the land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found with you anyone who makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices sorcery, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or a consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh. Deuteronomy 18:9-12a

Moses then returns to God’s commands for law and justice. Again, this message speaks to the second greatest commandment of loving your neighbor. This is the passage giving us the expression of ‘an eye for an eye’. As you read this, understand why God’s messages sometimes sound harsh to us. God loves good and loathes evil. Learn this lesson before you see the White Throne of Judgment.

If an unrighteous witness rises up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing, then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before Yahweh, before the priests and the judges who shall be in those days; and the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother; then you shall do to him as he had thought to do to his brother. So you shall remove the evil from among you. Those who remain shall hear, and fear, and will never again commit any such evil among you. Your eyes shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. Deuteronomy 19:16-21

Again, Moses pleads to the people to keep God’s commands. He tells them of the blessings that will come from loving and obeying God.

It shall happen, if you shall listen diligently to Yahweh your God’s voice, to observe to do all his commandments which I command you today, that Yahweh your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come upon you, and overtake you, if you listen to Yahweh your God’s voice.

You shall be blessed in the city, and you shall be blessed in the field. You shall be blessed in the fruit of your body, the fruit of your ground, the fruit of your animals, the increase of your livestock, and the young of your flock. Your basket and your kneading trough shall be blessed. You shall be blessed when you come in, and you shall be blessed when you go out. Deuteronomy 28:1-6

Eyes and Ears

Moses continued with many more of God’s blessings. He then makes a statement about eyes and ears that Jesus would one day repeat to His disciples.

Your eyes have seen all that Yahweh did in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land; the great trials which your eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders. But Yahweh has not given you a heart to know, eyes to see, and ears to hear, to this day. Deuteronomy 29:2-4

Jesus would one day allude to this statement from Moses when He taught the parable of the sower and the seeds. After giving us that parable Jesus discussed its meaning with His disciples. He told them…

He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Matthew 13:9

And during this discussion Jesus also told the disciples these words.

But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. Matthew 13:16

Jesus was alluding to those Israelites wandering the desert with Moses. They had seen God’s presence. They heard God’s voice. They refused to believe and trust their God living among them. Their eyes did not see Him and their ears refused to hear Him. Jesus’ disciples, however, walked with God’s son and believed in Him. These disciples eyes saw and their ears heard their Lord.

As Moses continues to persuade the people to make the right decision and follow God, he gives them this simple choice.

Behold, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and evil. For I command you today to love Yahweh your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances, that you may live and multiply, and that Yahweh your God may bless you in the land where you go in to possess it. But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce to you today, that you will surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you pass over the Jordan to go in to possess it. Deuteronomy 30:15-18

Joshua Will Lead

And now it is time for Moses to declare God’s new leader.

Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. He said to them, “I am one hundred twenty years old today. I can no more go out and come in. Yahweh has said to me, ‘You shall not go over this Jordan.’ Yahweh your God himself will go over before you. He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua will go over before you, as Yahweh has spoken. Deuteronomy 31:1-3

Having declared God’s new leader, Moses speaks directly to Joshua and gives him these words to guide him in his new office.

Moses called to Joshua, and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which Yahweh has sworn to their fathers to give them; and you shall cause them to inherit it. Yahweh himself is who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:7-8

Goodbye

With a new leader in place for the Israelites, God calls to Moses.

Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, your days approach that you must die. Call Joshua, and present yourselves in the Tent of Meeting, that I may commission him.” Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the Tent of Meeting.

Yahweh appeared in the Tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood over the Tent’s door. Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, you shall sleep with your fathers. This people will rise up, and play the prostitute after the strange gods of the land, where they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them. Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall come on them; so that they will say in that day, ‘Haven’t these evils come on us because our God is not among us?’ I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evil which they have done, in that they have turned to other gods. Deuteronomy 31:14-18

In future stories we will see how very accurate God’s prophecy was against these Israelites. In fact, God says this very thing to Moses, telling him to record His prophecy in a very novel way.

Now therefore write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the children of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel. Deuteronomy 31:19

These two friends now have one more act to perform before Moses must leave. After giving God’s song to all of the people it is time for Moses to at last look at God’s Promised Land that he would never enter. God will speak to Moses of the future as they view the Promised Land together. First, God firmly reminds Moses why he cannot enter the Promised Land.

Yahweh spoke to Moses that same day, saying, “Go up into this mountain of Abarim, to Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab that is across from Jericho; and see the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel for a possession. Die on the mountain where you go up, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor, and was gathered to his people; because you trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah of Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because you didn’t uphold my holiness among the children of Israel. For you shall see the land from a distance; but you shall not go there into the land which I give the children of Israel.” Deuteronomy 32:48-52

Moses offered a blessing to each tribe of Israel then he left the people to join his ancestors. God traveled beside him. God will also travel with you.

Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is over against Jericho. Yahweh showed him all the land of Gilead, to Dan, and all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, to the western sea, and the south, and the Plain of the valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, to Zoar. Yahweh said to him, “This is the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.”

So Moses the servant of Yahweh died there in the land of Moab, according to Yahweh’s word. He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth Peor, but no man knows where his tomb is to this day. Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died. His eye was not dim, nor his strength gone.

We know that God took Moses to the top of Pisgah Peak to look over all of the Promised Land. We also know that God did not leave Moses there and that God truly forgave Moses. God has a very special reward for Moses. Let’s go forward many years.

After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain by themselves. He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as the light. Behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with him.

Peter answered, and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, let’s make three tents here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.” Matthew 17:1-5

We’ll meet Elijah another time. This time, we learned some of what Moses told the Israelites with his farewell speech.

- The Book of Deuteronomy is essentially all of Moses’ final words and inspiration to the Israelites. It’s well worth your time to read this, and every book of the Bible.

- The early part of Moses’ speech is a reminder to the people that forty years have been wasted in wandering the desert while an entire generation of untrusting Israelites fell away.

- Moses also used much of his final address to share his innermost thoughts on the burden of leadership with God’s people.

- Moses recounted all of their forty year history of traveling so that the people could understand past failures and appreciate God’s blessings.

- Moses spent much of this time detailing God’s blessings and also warning the people of God’s threatened curses if the people were to again leave God’s side.

- Moses also gave the people God’s stark warning of how they would eventually leave His side, and the sorry future those Israelites would live.

- God deeply loves Moses and completely forgave all of Moses sins. Moses joined God and Elijah as they met God’s son on Earth.

Our next time together we will begin a new chapter of Jewish history. Israel will enter its Promised Land. Judges, then Kings will rule the land. Israel will forget God once again. The people will form two kingdoms. Each kingdom will fall and God’s people will again see slavery.

In our first story of volume two we will follow Israel’s new leader, Joshua as he leads the people into their Promised Land. Much of our reading will be from the Book of Joshua. If these stories of the Bible have eased your own journey on the path to God then please help share this book with all of God’s children. Leave a favorable review at www.amazon.com. Thank you. Paul

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

1) Growing in Faith

2) Creation to the Fall, and Punishment

3) Corruption, Noah and the Ark

4) The Flood

5) The Tower of Babel

6) Abraham, Father of the Jewish Nation.

7) Abram and Melchizedek

8) Abram’s Sons

9) Sodom and Gomorrah

10) Isaac

11) Esau and Jacob

12) Jacob and Laban

13) Esau and Jacob Reunited

14) Joseph, Slave of Egypt

15) Joseph Leads Egypt

16) Family Reunited

17) Israel Moves to Egypt

18) Jacob’s Prophecies

19) Job, Man of God

20) Job, Remains with God

21) Job, Works or Grace

22) Job, Conversations with God

23) Slavery

24) The Plagues of Egypt

25) The Exodus

26) The First Fight

27) God Speaks from the Mountain

28) The Golden Calf

29) God Enters His Tabernacle

30) Rebellion

31) Stories from the Desert

32) Balak and Balaam

33) The Promised Land

34) Moses Bids Farewell