Daily Devotions
Exodus
Psalm 93: 5 "Your testimonies are very sure; Holiness adorns Your house, O LORD, forever."
Text: Exodus 20 : 21-25
ALONE IN THE MOUNTAIN WITH GOD
Moses acceded to the request of the people. Once again, he approached this great God whom he had come to know and to love supremely!
“So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near
the thick darkness where God was. 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.
You shall not make anything to be with Me – gods of silver
or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves.'”
EXODUS 20:21-23
The Lord had also accepted the request of the children of Israel! He would speak to Moses and His message would be relayed faithfully!
1. “You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven”
The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob indeed dwelt in heaven! However, His Presence may still be felt on earth! Time and space did not affect God at all! What a deep truth to comprehend!
2. “You shall not make…gods of silver or gods of gold”
God reinforced what He had proclaimed earlier! There were no other gods besides Him! There must be no attempt to represent Him in any way! There was no need to make any carved image in order to worship Him!
CLARIFYING THE ISSUE OF WORSHIP
What if the people wished to worship the Lord? How would they be able to offer worship that would be acceptable to God? The instructions for acceptable worship were clearly spelt out.
“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 record My name
I will come to you, and I will bless you. 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. Nor shall you go up by steps
to My altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed on it.'”
EXODUS 20:24-25
This commandment concerning worship (before the Tabernacle was set up) forbade any attempt to imitate the altars set up by the other nations to worship their deities! Any attempt to tool even the altar was considered wrong and sinful (“profane”). Obedience to God, together with the fear of the Lord would be the way to offer worship!