Not Taken Lightly
Exodus 20: 22 Then
the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of
Israel: ‘You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. 23 You
shall not make anything to be with Me—gods of silver or gods
of gold you shall not make for yourselves. 24 An
altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your
burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In
every place where I [d]record My name I will come to you, and I
will bless you. 25 And if you make Me an altar
of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your tool
on it, you have profaned it. 26 Nor shall you go up
by steps to My altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed on it.’
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After GOD spoke to Moses and the children of Israel, the
people became terrified of GOD. They asked that GOD speak to Moses and he would
speak to them. GOD told Moses to have the children of Israel make an altar of
sacrifice to remember HIM.
My Observations:
- GOD
reiterated that the children of Israel were not supposed to make gold or
silver gods.
- GOD
gave clear directions for the altar HE wanted.
- GOD
promised that if they remembered HIM, HE would come to them and bless
them.
GOD seemed to be establishing a formal relationship with the
children of Israel to address a mindset that was imposed on them by the
Egyptians. Gold and silver were precious metals that were remnants of the
garden of Eden. GOD did not want HIS gold or silver to be used for
manufacturing a god.
Another mindset GOD seemed to be addressing was preservation
of human life. Some people that the children of Israel would face believed in
human sacrifice. GOD wanted an offering of their food source, lamb and their
tools, oxen. HE also wanted the sacrifice to remember what HE did for Adam and
Eve by covering their nakedness. I believe Abel’s sacrifice acknowledged GOD’s
action as righteous, so he mimicked HIM.
Burnt offerings and peace offerings would become the norm
for the children of Israel for centuries until JESUS would arrive as the
ultimate sacrifice for sin. GOD gave this temporary way of confessing sin and
worshiping HIM through offering unblemished lambs and strong oxen. GOD was
focusing the children of Israel to leave their slave mindset where they would
give Pharaoh their best and to remember HIM by sacrificing their best.
Challenge
- Why
does GOD remind Moses about HIS command to provide burnt offerings?
- Has
your relationship with GOD gotten a little lackadaisical/?
- What
limiting mindset is GOD trying to guide you out of?
