Exodus 32 reveals that the idea of making an image to represent the “gods” originated with the Israelites. But, thereafter, Aaron enthusiastically led this idolatrous effort. He summoned the people...
As the Israelites were worshiping before the golden calf, feasting, drinking, and reveling, the Lord revealed to Moses, who was high upon...
In the last several chapters of Exodus (chs. 25-31), the Lord had been revealing to Moses how Israel should worship. Exodus 32 interrupts this revelation with a shameful story of worship gone awry....
In previous chapters of Exodus, the Lord had revealed in great detail the design of the Tabernacle, its sacred implements, and the...
It’s easy for people today, even Christians who know their Bible, to have a mistaken view of the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle was God’s dwelling place among his people.
Are you living out your callings in your different roles in life?
Exodus 22:21 introduces God’s concern for those who were powerless in the ancient world.
In yesterday’s reflection, I examined the Lex Talionis in Exodus 21:24: “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” I...
Exodus 21 contains one of the most familiar phrases in the whole Bible: “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” (21:24). Often called the Lex Talionis (Latin for “law of...
It is striking that eight out of ten of the Ten Commandments are phrased in the negative...
“You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or...
The basic meaning of the eighth commandment is clear. It forbids taking something that doesn’t belong to you without the owner’s permission...
Adultery plagues our society today. It seems that not a day goes by that we don’t hear of some government official caught...
When we read the sixth commandment in the New Living Translation, “You must not murder,” we wonder whatever happened to the “Thou...
Many cultures throughout the world train people to honor people of older generations, including parents, grandparents, and so on.
“You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse...
In the past, some Christians understood the second commandment as prohibiting visual art within a worship context, especially imaginative representations of God. These were “graven images” that...
Exodus 20:3 does not imply the existence of other genuine deities. The gods referred to here are, in the end, false gods...
Yesterday I began reflecting on Exodus 20:1-17, the Ten Commandments that constitute the core of Israel’s covenant obligation. Today I continue to...
As the Israelites left Egypt, they were pursued by the Egyptians. Fearful of the awesome power of Pharaoh’s army, the people of Israel were gripped with fear.
