Exodus 33 & 34: Will God Be Gracious To You?
Verse of the Day: (33:19) And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
    
1. Gracious (33:1-23)
And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. (33:9)

It is God’s grace and goodness that we wake up every day and be up and running, yet many still do not acknowledge that there is a God who is our Creator and Maker of our lives. During Moses’ time, many people also did not acknowledge God, and God showed His wrath and judgment upon them. However God was gracious and merciful to Moses and those who trusted and obeyed Him. In fact, God talked to Moses face to face when he was inside His tabernacle, and told him that He shall send an angel before him and the people of Israel to drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite so that they shall occupy their land which was filled with milk and honey. Indeed, God is gracious and merciful only to all who fully trust and obey Him.

2. Goodness (34:1-9)
And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, (34:6)

Let us remember that God is merciful, gracious, longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth, and He desires to bless us only when we believe that He is the true and living God. Though the people of Israel time and again rebelled and sinned against God, yet God was full of grace and goodness toward them, and forgave their sins. However, God eventually judged and punished them as they took His grace and goodness for granted.  
 
3. God (34:10-35)
For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: (34:14)

God is a jealous God, and His jealousy is different from man’s jealousy. Man’s jealousy is selfish and possessive, while God’s jealousy is grace and goodness, as He desires that all His people created in His image to acknowledge and believe in and seek Him first before everyone and everything else. However, during the time of Moses, just like today, the people failed God as they sought the lust of their eyes, the lust of their flesh, and the pride of their life, instead of seeking God and His righteousness. Let us choose to seek God and His righteousness first, so that His grace and goodness be upon us and our families, because our lives truly belonged to Him and Him alone. (Matthew 6:33-34)

Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, thank You that I am saved by Your amazing grace and goodness.

Exodus 31 & 32: Will God blot You Out?
Verse of the Day: (32:33) And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
    
1. Bezaleel (31:1-18)
See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: (31:2)

God calls and man obeys and God bless man. This was exactly what Bezaleel did when God called him and he obeyed Him and was filled with God’s spirit, wisdom and knowledge and did exactly what God commanded him in building God’s holy tabernacle.

2. Break (32:1-14)
And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. (32:2)

God has never called us to break anything but to build things for His glory. Aaron commanded the people of Israel to break their golden earrings to make a golden calf so that they could worship it as they were upset that Moses took too long to be with God at the mountain. When Moses returned to the people, he was shocked and saddened that Aaron had led the people to sin against God by making them worshipped the golden calf instead of the true God. God told Moses that He shall severely judge Aaron and the people. Moses then prayed and pleaded with God to spare them for their great sins. Though God did eventually judge and took three thousands lives, yet He spared the rest of them. Indeed, our God is a longsuffering God, and He desires that all should repent of their sins, and believe and receive Him as their personal Saviour and Lord. (2 Peter 3:9)  
 
3. Blot (32:15-35)
Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin-; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. (32:32)

Moses loved the people so much that he was willing to be blotted out of glorious heaven and to be condemned to fiery hell, but God refused to grant him his prayer, as God loved Moses very much. God explained to Moses that every man shall account for their sins, and there was no way that Moses could account for the sins of the people. God loves all and this is why all our names are written in His book of life. However, at a certain age, we begin to sin and this is when we are accountable for our sins, and we must confess and repent of sins, and believe and receive Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour and Lord. This is the reason why when babies die, they shall go to glorious heaven, and this was why King David said that he shall go to his child of seven days who died, but the child shall not return to him. Indeed, King David was a man of God and when he died, he was reunited with his child and above all, with his great and mighty God! (2 Samuel 12:23)

Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, thank You that I am not blot out but my name is written in Your book.

Exodus 27 & 28: Are You Holy?
Verse of the Day: (28:36) And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
    
1. Horn (27:1-21)
And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass. (27:2)

Inside the holy place of the tabernacle, most items were made of pure gold that symbolised the holiness of God. Outside the tabernacle, most items were made of brass that symbolised God’s judgement upon man’s sins. The horns at the four corners of the altar symbolised the power of God to forgive man’s sins only when he offered burnt offerings at the brass altar. Indeed, this burnt offering at the altar was the great prophecy that one day, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Lamb of God, shall be the ultimate sacrifice at the cruel cross shedding His precious blood for the sins of the whole world.
 
2. Heart (28:1-35)
And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office. (28:3)

God commanded Israel to choose wise hearted men to make holy garments from the best materials that were for Aaron, the high priest, chosen by God, to offer daily sacrifice for his own sins as well as the sins of Israel. Indeed, God expects nothing but the best from His people to do His work and according to His way and holy Word. (Hebrews 7:26-28)
   
3. Holiness (28:36-43)
And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him. (28:43)

God commanded Israel to make a plate of pure gold with the words, HOLINESSS TO THE LORD, engraved on the head gear of Aaron, the high priest, who shall confess his sins as well as the sins of Israel, so that they be holy before a holy God. However, Aaron shall die in his sins if he would not confess and repent his sins before entering the holy place of God’s tabernacle. The appointment of the high priest was of utmost importance and it was only entrusted to Aaron and his descendants. The only time that the service of the high priest as well as the sacrifices at the altar ceased was the day when Jesus Christ offered His life once and for all, for the sins of the whole world. Whosoever therefore confess and repent his sins, and believes and trusts in Jesus, shall never perish in fiery hell, but shall have everlasting life with Him in glorious heaven. (Hebrews 10:10-13)   

Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to be holy and wise hearted as You are holy and wise.

Exodus 29 & 30: Are You Atoned By The Blood Of The Lamb?
Verse of the Day: (30:10) And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD.
    
1. Anointing (29:1-17)
Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him. (29:7)

The anointing of the priests, Aaron and his sons, was to set them apart to serve the holy God by offering sacrifices for the atonement and the forgiveness of their sins as well as the sins of the people of Israel. The anointing was not from man, but from the Holy Spirit who shall anoint the priests with power and wisdom to serve God at the tabernacle. However, the priests and the people of Israel, must keep themselves holy by confessing and repenting their sins otherwise God shall judge and chastise them for all their sins.

2. Altar (29:18-46)
And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar: it is a burnt offering unto the LORD: it is a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD. (29:18)

The priests, Aaron and his sons, shall offer the whole ram upon the altar to atone the sins of themselves and the people of Israel. They shall present the offerings until the Lamb of God, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, shall come to this earth and be the ultimate sacrifice to die and shed His precious blood for the sins of the whole world. (Hebrews 9:22-28)
   
3. Atonement (30:1-38)
When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD: (30:20)

Though the priests regularly sacrificed the burnt offerings at the tabernacle for their sins as well as the sins of the people of Israel, yet Aaron, the high priest, shall once a year enter into the holy place or the holiest of all to present the sacrifice for the atonement of the sins of Israel. Every priest including the high priest must wash themselves with water, not only outwardly, but inwardly by confessing and repenting their sins before they offered their sacrifices, otherwise God shall judge them of their sins. However, when Jesus Christ came to die and shed His precious blood on the cruel cross, there is no longer the necessity of the priests including the high priest to offer sacrifices at the tabernacle or the holy place, because Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Whosoever therefore confesses and repents his sins, and believes and receives Jesus as his personal Saviour and Lord, shall be forgiven of his sins, and shall never perish in fiery hell, but have everlasting life with Him in glorious heaven. (Hebrews 9:6-10)

Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, thank You that I am atoned by the blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Exodus 25 & 26: Will You Give With Your Heart?
Verse of the Day: (25:2) Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.
    
1. Give (25:1-9)
And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. (25:8)

God does not need our gifts as everything including our lives and souls are from Him and are made in His image. However, God loves to see us willingly give our lives to Him as the evidence of our love for Him. God was pleased with Israel as everyone willingly gave to build His sanctuary where He shall dwell, and Israel shall worship and sacrifice offerings to Him. God’s sanctuary was a prophesy to the world that one day, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, shall be the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Indeed, God loves a cheerful giver, and let us give cheerfully with our hearts. (2 Corinthians 9:7)

2. Gold (25:10-40)
And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about. (25:11)

Pure gold is the most expensive and precious and least tarnished among all the metals in the world. This was the reason why God commanded Israel to give Him their pure gold as well as other materials including silver, brass, fine linen, goat’s hair, rams’ skins, badgers’ skins, shittim wood, etc., for the construction of His sanctuary including the ark, mercy seat, table, candlesticks, lamps, curtains, etc. Israel fully obeyed God’s instructions as they constructed His sanctuary and its furnishings. Indeed, God is not just the God of big picture, but He is also the God of small details. Ultimately, God expects His people to give our best to Him, as He has given us His best, when He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die and shed His precious blood for the forgiveness of all our sins. (Hebrews 9:22-28)
   
3. Goat (26:1-37)
And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make. (26:7)

God is the God of the smallest details as He gave instructions that eleven curtains shall be made from goats’ hair as covering of the tabernacle as they were known for its durability. God also instructed Israel to build boards and frames that shall be covered with pure gold, as well as veils and cherubims to separate the holy from the most holy place. The ark where God dwelled was placed at the most holy place, and only the high priest could access it to offer sacrifices and sprinkled blood once every year for his sins and the sins of the people. This was indeed the prophesy that one day, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, shall come as a High Priest, and offered Himself, as the final and ultimate sacrifice, when He died and shed His precious blood for the sins of the whole world. (Hebrews 9:6-12)  

Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to be a cheerful giver who gives to You with my heart.

Exodus 23 & 24: Will You Obey The Angel?
Verse of the Day: (23:20) Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.
    
1. Angel (23:1-33)
For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off. (23:23)

God through Moses commanded Israel to be truthful and honest in all their words and works, and also to institute the feasts of unleavened bread, harvest and ingathering as thanksgiving for all His providence. God sent an Angel to Israel who was none other than His Son, Jesus Christ, to be with them, and lead and help them to overcome all their struggles so that they could eventually possess the land of Canaan, the Promised Land. Indeed, let us thank God for all His promises, and trust and obey Him, that He is always with us, and shall lead and help us to overcome all our struggles, and one day, He shall promote us to be with Him in His eternal home in glorious heaven. (Hebrews 13:5-6)

2. Altar (24:1-11)
And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. (24:4)

God commanded Moses to go to the mountain where He gave him commandments to teach Israel, and subsequently the world, as to how they could live godly lives for His glory. Before Moses went to the mountain, he built an altar and twelve pillars (representing the twelve tribes of Israel) to worship God, and sacrificed offerings and sprinkled blood, to atone for his sins and the sins of Israel. By faith, Moses prophesied to Israel that one day, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Lamb of God, shall come to earth to be the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. (Hebrews 11:28) Whosoever trusts and obeys Christ shall not perish, but have everlasting life with Him. (John 3:16)
   
3. Aaron (24:12-18)
And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them. (24:14)

God commanded Moses to appoint Aaron and Hur to represent him to lead Israel as Moses shall be with Him at the mountain for forty days and forty nights. Indeed, success in leadership is when leaders train successors to lead their people. Godly leadership is when godly leaders train other godly leaders. (2 Timothy 2:2). However, Aaron failed as a godly leader as he led Israel to worship the golden calf instead of God. (Exodus 32:1-6)

Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to trust and obey the Angel, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Exodus 21 & 22: Are You Gracious?
Verse of the Day: (22:27) For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious.
    
1. God (21:1-32)
And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee. (21:13)

God is not only the God of judgment, but He is also the God of grace as He truly loves and cares for all His people created in His image. The reason why God judges and punishes us is because He hates our sins and wickedness. At the time of Moses, God gave Israel a set of judgments, and promised them that He shall bless and keep them if they followed His judgments. In fact, Israel was to be an example in following God and His judgments, so that the rest of the world shall believe in their God and follow His judgments. God gave Israel the rights of the servants so as to protect them from the abuse from their masters. God also gave laws on murder and injury. God even appointed cities of refuge for the manslaughters. Though God commanded us not to kill as individuals, yet God allowed capital punishment and killing during wartime for the defence of the innocent. Today, some of God’s judgments, including the Ten Commandments, are still practice by the courts of many countries in the world, as they seek to protect the rights and freedom of their citizens as well as to keep law and order in their communities.

2. Good (21:33-36)
The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his. (21:34)

God gave Israel the laws on property and damage, and even stipulate the ways to make good what was done wrong. Indeed, God is just and gracious, and He desires us to do what is just and gracious, so that we shall receive His full and abundant joy and blessings not only on this temporal earth, but one day with Him in glorious heaven for all eternity!  
 
3. Gracious (22:1-31)
And ye shall be holy men unto me: neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs. (22:31)

God stipulates man’s duties and obligations to society so that there shall be peace and harmony in the community. God’s main requirement for men is that we be holy and gracious before Him as He is a holy and gracious God. God loves the widows and fatherless children as they have lost their sole breadwinners - their husbands and fathers, and He commanded the people to fully provide for all their needs. Indeed, let us be holy and gracious to others so that they shall experience God’s holiness and grace through us!

Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to be gracious and good as You are gracious and good.

Exodus 19 & 20: Will You Keep God’s Commandments?
Verse of the Day: (20:6) And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
    
1. Call (19:1-25)
And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; (19:3)

It is not we who first call God, but it is God who first calls us, because He truly loves and cares for us. (Matthew 11:28-30). Time and again, God called Moses and gave him commandments so that he could lead Israel in God’s perfect will. This time, God called Moses and commanded him to tell Israel that if they would obey Him, and tell the rest of the world that He is the one and true and living God, then shall God make them His peculiar treasure and holy nation. Indeed, God shall make us His peculiar treasure and holy people, and bless and keep us with everlasting life with Him in glorious heaven when we believe in and receive Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour and Lord. (John 3:16)

2. Commandments (20:1-23)
And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. (20:20)

While Moses was at Mount Sinai, God gave him His Ten Commandments that he would teach Israel when he returned to them. The Ten Commandments are still applicable today and they are – (1) Believe in and worship only one God. (2) Do not believe in and worship other gods or idols. (3) Do not take the name of God in vain. (4) Remember the sabbath and keep it holy – today most of us keep Sunday (our rest day) as the sabbath as we attend God’s church and worship Him. (5) God shall bless us with longevity as we honour our parents. (6) Kill not. (7) Do not commit adultery. (8) Steal not. (9) Do not bear false witness. (10) Covet not. Let us therefore obey and fear God and keep His commandments, and He shall bless and keep us, our family and church now and forever!
 
3. Come (20:24-26)
An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. (20:24)

God shall bless the altar of sacrifice whenever and wherever Israel built it to offer their burnt and peace sacrifices to Him. The altar prophesied the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Lamb of God, who shall be the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Let us come boldly to the throne of God, through Jesus Christ, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in all our troubles and trials. (Hebrews 4:16)

Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to obey and fear You and keep Your commandments.

Exodus 17 & 18: Will You Rejoice In God’s Goodness?
Verse of the Day: (18:9) And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
    
1. Rock (17:1-16)
Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. (17:6)

God can do anything and everything except fail! Though time and again, Israel murmured and complained against Moses, yet God in His goodness always provide for them, and this time, He provided water for them from the rock. When Amalek, Israel’s enemy, attacked them, God gave them victory over Amalek only when Moses held his hand with His rod. However, when Moses let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. Subsequently, Aaron and Hur went to Moses, their leader, and each kept holding one of his hands, until God gave them the final victory. Like Aaron and Hur, let us be supportive of our leaders by praying for them, and helping them, so that God’s work be victoriously accomplished!

2. Rejoice (18:1-12)
Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them. (18:11)

Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, believed that the God of Moses and Israel was the one and true God, and he rejoiced in God’s goodness after he heard from Moses all that God had done for Israel in delivering them out of the Egyptians. Indeed, let us trust God and rejoice in His goodness, as He shall deliver us from all our troubles and trials, and one day, He shall deliver us from fiery hell and promote us to glorious heaven.
 
3. Ruler (18:13-27)
Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: (18:21)

The most important criterion of a leader or ruler is to fear God or to do what is right and honest before God. When Jethro saw Moses spending all his time and energy alone teaching and ruling Israel, he advised him to choose rulers to assist him. The criteria for these rulers were that they must fear God and be men of truth who hated covetousness. Moses listened to Jethro, and chose his rulers and delegated them to teach and rule Israel - some led thousands, others hundreds, others fifties, and others tens. Only the difficult issues did Moses handle them while the routine issues were handled by his rulers. Indeed, there is nothing new under the sun, as everything, including leadership and management theories, such as delegation and empowerment, came from God’s holy Word, the Bible.

Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to fully trust You, and rejoice in Your goodness.

Exodus 15 & 16: Will You Sing To The Lord?
Verse of the Day: (15:1) Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
    
1. Sing (15:1-21)
The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. (15:2)

Singing to God and giving thanks to Him is a wonderful expression of our love and worship to Him, for who He is, and what He has done for us. Moses and the people of Israel sang and gave thanks to God for His great deliverance of them from the Egyptians as He miraculously opened the deep Red sea for them to cross dry, and then closed it and drown the Egyptians and their chariots and horses while they crossed it. Indeed, God is our strength and song, as we believe and trust in Him, and everything including “bad” things like death, work for our good - as death is absent from our physical bodies, but our precious souls are present with God in His home in glorious heaven. (2 Corinthians 5:8).

2. Sweet (15:22-27)
And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them. (15:25)

God can do anything and everything including making bitter things sweet. God provided the people of Israel with water but it was bitter, and the people complained against Moses. Moses cried to God, and God answered him and commanded him to cast a tree into the water and miraculously the bitter water became sweet. Indeed, God shall provide all our needs according to His riches in glory as we fully trust and obey Him. (Philippians 4:19)
 
3. Sabbath (16:1-36)
And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD; bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. (16:23)

God always provide for His people, but it is on a daily basis, so that we shall not take Him for granted. God provided for the children of Israel with everything including water and the best food from heaven – manna - as they travelled for forty years in the wilderness before reaching the Promised Land. God taught them to trust Him daily for their manna as He only provided for them daily. On the sixth day, God commanded them to collect twice as much for the seventh or sabbath day which He shall not provide as it was the day of rest. Indeed, let us pray to God to give us daily our provision. (Luke 11:3)

Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to sing to You and give thanks to You for everything.