Lent 2014

Today is the first day of Lent. Lent is a sober reflection upon our condition, which leads us to faith and fresh trust in and leaning on the finished work of Christ. It is a time of preparation for Easter.

Easter is the season that brings us hope. It opens up opportunities to share and live out our faith. Through the next 40 days of our daily reading, take the time to reflect on the following:

1. What’s God’s Story in the passage and what are the implications for my life?

2. Praying for your 8-15 (those in your life who need Jesus)

3. Opportunities to invite your 8-15 to church or our big Easter culmination “Journey to the Cross” on Good Friday

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Exodus 39

The Priestly Garments

39 Moreover, from the blue and purple and scarlet material, they made finely woven garments for ministering in the holy place as well as the holy garments which were for Aaron, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

² He made the ephod of gold, and of blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen. ³ Then they hammered out gold sheets and cut them into threads to be woven in with the blue and the purple and the scarlet material, and the fine linen, the work of a skillful workman. ⁴ They made attaching shoulder pieces for the ephod; it was attached at its two upper ends. ⁵ The skillfully woven band which was on it was like its workmanship, of the same material: of gold and of blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

⁶ They made the onyx stones, set in gold filigree settings; they were engraved like the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the sons of Israel. ⁷ And he placed them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

⁸ He made the breastpiece, the work of a skillful workman, like the workmanship of the ephod: of gold and of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. ⁹ It was square; they made the breastpiece folded double, a span long and a span wide when folded double. ¹⁰ And they mounted four rows of stones on it. The first row was a row of ruby, topaz, and emerald; ¹¹ and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire and a diamond;¹² and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; ¹³ and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were set in gold filigree settings when they were mounted. ¹⁴ The stones were corresponding to the names of the sons of Israel; they were twelve, corresponding to their names, engraved with the engravings of a signet, each with its name for the twelve tribes. ¹⁵ They made on the breastpiece chains like cords, of twisted cordage work in pure gold. ¹⁶ They made two gold filigree settings and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece. ¹⁷ Then they put the two gold cords in the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece. ¹⁸ They put the other two ends of the two cords on the two filigree settings, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front of it. ¹⁹ They made two gold rings and placed them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inner edge which was next to the ephod. ²⁰ Furthermore, they made two gold rings and placed them on the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on the front of it, close to the place where it joined, above the woven band of the ephod. ²¹ They bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it would be on the woven band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece would not come loose from the ephod, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

²² Then he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue; ²³ and the opening of the robe was at the top in the center, as the opening of a coat of mail, with a binding all around its opening, so that it would not be torn. ²⁴ They made pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material and twisted linen on the hem of the robe. ²⁵ They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates all around on the hem of the robe, ²⁶ alternating a bell and a pomegranate all around on the hem of the robe for the service, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

²⁷ They made the tunics of finely woven linen for Aaron and his sons, ²⁸ and the turban of fine linen, and the decorated caps of fine linen, and the linen breeches of fine twisted linen,²⁹ and the sash of fine twisted linen, and blue and purple and scarlet material, the work of the weaver, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

³⁰ They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and inscribed it like the engravings of a signet, “Holy to the Lord.” ³¹ They fastened a blue cord to it, to fasten it on the turban above, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

³² Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was completed; and the sons of Israel did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses; so they did. ³³ They brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its furnishings: its clasps, its boards, its bars, and its pillars and its sockets; ³⁴ and the covering of rams’ skins  dyed red, and the covering of porpoise skins, and the screening veil; ³⁵ the ark of the testimony and its poles and the mercy seat; ³⁶ the table, all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; ³⁷ the pure gold lampstand, with its arrangement of lamps and all its utensils, and the oil for the light; ³⁸ and the gold altar, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the veil for the doorway of the tent; ³⁹ the bronze altar and its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils, the laver and its stand; ⁴⁰ the hangings for the court, its pillars and its sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court, its cords and its pegs and all the equipment for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; ⁴¹ the woven garments for ministering in the holy place and the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests. ⁴² So the sons of Israel did all the work according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses. ⁴³ And Moses examined all the work and behold, they had done it; just as the Lord had commanded, this they had done. So Moses blessed them.

Exodus 40

The Tabernacle Erected

40 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² “On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. ³ You shall place the ark of the testimony there, and you shall screen the ark with the veil. ⁴ You shall bring in the table and arrange what belongs on it; and you shall bring in the lampstand and mount its lamps. ⁵ Moreover, you shall set the gold altar of incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the veil for the doorway to the tabernacle. ⁶ You shall set the altar of burnt offering in front of the doorway of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. ⁷ You shall set the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. ⁸ You shall set up the court all around and hang up the veil for the gateway of the court. ⁹ Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and shall consecrate it and all its furnishings; and it shall be holy. ¹⁰ You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, and the altar shall be most holy. ¹¹ You shall anoint the laver and its stand, and consecrate it. ¹² Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. ¹³ You shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister as a priest to Me. ¹⁴ You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them; ¹⁵ and you shall anoint them even as you have anointed their father, that they may minister as priests to Me; and their anointing will qualify them for a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.” ¹⁶ Thus Moses did; according to all that the Lord had commanded him, so he did.

¹⁷ Now in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected. ¹⁸ Moses erected the tabernacle and laid its sockets, and set up its boards, and inserted its bars and erected its pillars. ¹⁹ He spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ²⁰ Then he took the testimony and put it into the ark, and attached the poles to the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark. ²¹ He brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up a veil for the screen, and screened off the ark of the testimony, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ²² Then he put the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil. ²³ He set the arrangement of bread in order on it before the Lord, just as theLord had commanded Moses. ²⁴ Then he placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle. ²⁵ He lighted the lamps before theLord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ²⁶ Then he placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the veil; ²⁷ and he burned fragrant incense on it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ²⁸ Then he set up the veil for the doorway of the tabernacle. ²⁹ He set the altar of burnt offering before the doorway of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the meal offering, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ³⁰ He placed the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing. ³¹ From it Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet.³² When they entered the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ³³ He erected the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the veil for the gateway of the court. Thus Moses finished the work.

The Glory of the Lord

³⁴ Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.³⁵ Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ³⁶ Throughout all their journeys whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out; ³⁷ but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day when it was taken up. ³⁸ For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation (www.lockman.org)

Exodus 36

The Tabernacle Underwritten

36 “Now Bezalel and Oholiab, and every skillful person in whom the Lord has put skill and understanding to know how to perform all the work in the construction of the sanctuary, shall perform in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded.”

² Then Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every skillful person in whom the Lord had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him, to come to the work to perform it. ³ They received from Moses all the contributions which the sons of Israel had brought to perform the work  in the construction of the sanctuary. And they still continued bringing to him freewill offerings every morning. ⁴ And all the  skillful men who were performing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work which he was performing, ⁵ and they said to Moses, “The people are bringing much more than enough for the construction work which the Lord commanded us to perform.” ⁶ So Moses issued a command, and a proclamation was circulated throughout the camp, saying, “Let no man or woman any longer perform work for the contributions of the sanctuary.” Thus the people were restrained from bringing any more. ⁷ For the material they had was sufficient and more than enough for all the work, to perform it.

Construction Proceeds

⁸ All the  skillful men among those who were performing the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains; of fine twisted linen and blue and purple and scarlet material, with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman, Bezalel made them. ⁹ The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits and the width of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains had the same measurements. ¹⁰ He joined five curtains to one another and the other five curtains he joined to one another. ¹¹ He made loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set; he did likewise on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the second set. ¹² He made fifty loops in the one curtain and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was in the second set; the loops were opposite each other. ¹³ He made fifty clasps of gold and joined the curtains to one another with the clasps, so the tabernacle was a unit.

¹⁴ Then he made curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; he made eleven curtains in all. ¹⁵ The length of each curtain was thirty cubits and four cubits the width of each curtain; the eleven curtains had the same measurements. ¹⁶ He joined five curtains by themselves and the other six curtains by themselves. ¹⁷ Moreover, he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the first set, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the second set. ¹⁸ He made fifty clasps of bronze to join the tent together so that it would be a unit. ¹⁹ He made a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering of porpoise skins above.

²⁰ Then he made the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing upright. ²¹ Ten cubits was the length of  each board and one and a half cubits the width of each board. ²² There were two tenons for each board, fitted to one another; thus he did for all the boards of the tabernacle. ²³ He made the boards for the tabernacle: twenty boards for the south side;²⁴ and he made forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for its two tenons and two  sockets under another board for its two tenons. ²⁵ Then for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty boards, ²⁶ and their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board and two sockets under another board. ²⁷ For the rear of the tabernacle, to the west, he made six boards. ²⁸ He made two boards for the corners of the tabernacle at the rear. ²⁹ They were double beneath, and together they were complete to its top to the first ring; thus he did with both of them for the two corners. ³⁰ There were eight boards with their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets, two under every board.

³¹ Then he made bars of acacia wood, five for the boards of one side of the tabernacle,³² and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the rear side to the west. ³³ He made the middle bar to pass through in the center of the boards from end to end. ³⁴ He overlaid the boards with gold and made their rings of gold as holders for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.

³⁵ Moreover, he made the veil of blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen; he made it with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman. ³⁶ He made four pillars of acacia for it, and overlaid them with gold, with their hooks of gold; and he cast four sockets of silver for them. ³⁷ He made a screen for the doorway of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen, the work of a weaver; ³⁸ and he made its five pillars with their hooks, and he overlaid their tops and their bands with gold; but their five sockets were of bronze.

Exodus 37

Construction Continues

37 Now Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; its length was two and a half cubits, and its width one and a half cubits, and its height one and a half cubits; ² and he overlaid it with pure gold inside and out, and made a gold molding for it all around. ³ He cast four rings of gold for it on its four feet; even two rings on one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it.⁴ He made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. ⁵ He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry it. ⁶ He made a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. ⁷ He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat; ⁸ one cherub at the one end and one cherub at the other end; he made the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at the two ends. ⁹ The cherubim had their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward each other; the faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.

¹⁰ Then he made the table of acacia wood, two cubits long and a cubit wide and one and a half cubits high. ¹¹ He overlaid it with pure gold, and made a gold molding for it all around. ¹² He made a rim for it of a handbreadth all around, and made a gold molding for its rim all around. ¹³ He cast four gold rings for it and put the rings on the four corners that were on its four feet. ¹⁴ Close by the rim were the rings, the holders for the poles to carry the table. ¹⁵ He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table.¹⁶ He made the utensils which were on the table, its dishes and its pans and its bowls and its jars, with which to pour out drink offerings, of pure gold.

¹⁷ Then he made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work, its base and its shaft; its cups, its bulbs and its flowers were of one piece with it. ¹⁸ There were six branches going out of its sides; three branches of the lampstand from the one side of it and three branches of the lampstand from the other side of it; ¹⁹ three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a bulb and a flower in one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a bulb and a flower in the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. ²⁰ In the lampstand there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms, its bulbs and its flowers; ²¹ and a bulb was under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the second pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. ²² Their bulbs and their branches were of one piece with it; the whole of it was a single hammered work of pure gold. ²³ He made its seven lamps with its snuffers and its trays of pure gold. ²⁴ He made it and all its utensils from a talent of pure gold.

²⁵ Then he made the altar of incense of acacia wood: a cubit long and a cubit  wide, square, and two cubits high; its horns were of one piece with it. ²⁶ He overlaid it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and he made a gold molding for it all around. ²⁷ He made two golden rings for it under its molding, on its two sides—on opposite sides—as holders for poles with which to carry it. ²⁸ He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. ²⁹ And he made the holy anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense of spices, the work of a perfumer.

Exodus 38

The Tabernacle Completed

38 Then he made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, five cubits long, and five cubits wide, square, and three cubits high. ² He made its horns on its four corners, its horns being of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze. ³ He made all the utensils of the altar, the pails and the shovels and the basins, the flesh hooks and the firepans; he made all its utensils of bronze. ⁴ He made for the altar a grating of bronze network beneath, under its ledge, reaching halfway up. ⁵ He cast four rings on the four ends of the bronze grating as holders for the poles. ⁶ He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. ⁷ He inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it. He made it hollow with planks.

⁸ Moreover, he made the laver of bronze with its base of bronze, from the mirrors of the serving women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

⁹ Then he made the court:for the south side the hangings of the court were of fine twisted linen, one hundred cubits; ¹⁰ their twenty pillars, and their twenty sockets, made of bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. ¹¹ For the north side there were one hundred cubits; their twenty pillars and their twenty sockets were of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. ¹² For the west side there were hangings of fifty cubits with their ten pillars and their ten sockets; the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. ¹³ For the east side fifty cubits. ¹⁴ The hangings for the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets, ¹⁵ and so for the other side. On both sides of the gate of the court were hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets. ¹⁶ All the hangings of the court all around were of fine twisted linen. ¹⁷ The sockets for the pillars were of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands, of silver; and the overlaying of their tops, of silver, and all the pillars of the court were furnished with silver bands. ¹⁸ The screen of the gate of the court was the work of the weaver, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. And the length was twenty cubits and the height was five cubits, corresponding to the hangings of the court. ¹⁹ Their four pillars and their four sockets were of bronze; their hooks were of silver, and the overlaying of their tops and their bands were of silver. ²⁰ All the pegs of the tabernacle and of the court all around were of bronze.

The Cost of the Tabernacle

²¹This is the number of the things for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were numbered according to the command of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. ²² Now Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the Lord had commanded Moses.²³ With him was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and a skillful workman and a weaver in blue and in purple and in scarlet material, and fine linen.

²⁴ All the gold that was used for the work, in all the work of the sanctuary, even the gold of the wave offering, was 29 talents and 730 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.²⁵ The silver of those of the congregation who were numbered was 100 talents and 1,775 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; ²⁶ a beka a head (that is, half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary), for each one who passed over to those who were numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men. ²⁷ The hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the sanctuary and the sockets of the veil; one hundred sockets for the hundred talents, a talent for a socket. ²⁸ Of the 1,775 shekels, he made hooks for the pillars and overlaid their tops and made bands for them. ²⁹ The bronze of the wave offering was 70 talents and 2,400 shekels. ³⁰ With it he made the sockets to the doorway of the tent of meeting, and the bronze altar and its bronze grating, and all the utensils of the altar, ³¹ and the sockets of the court all around and the sockets of the gate of the court, and all the pegs of the tabernacle and all the pegs of the court all around.

Know the Story…

Pray for an open and teachable heart as you read through God’s Word and discover His truths.

Consider keeping a journal of what you are learning.

Read the Word: Read the passages provided.

Dig Into the Word: What’s the big story behind the passage?

Implications of the Word: What are the implications of this passage for my life today?

 

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation (www.lockman.org)

Exodus 33

The Journey Resumed

33 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’ ² I will send an angel before you and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite.³ Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, because you are an obstinate people, and I might destroy you on the way.”

⁴ When the people heard this sad word, they went into mourning, and none of them put on his ornaments. ⁵ For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the sons of Israel, ‘You are an obstinate people; should I go up in your midst for one moment, I would destroy you. Now therefore, put off your ornaments from you, that I may know what I shall do with you.’” ⁶ So the sons of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.

⁷ Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp. ⁸ And it came about, whenever Moses went out to the tent, that all the people would arise and stand, each at the entrance of his tent, and gaze after Moses until he entered the tent. ⁹ Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the Lord would speak with Moses. ¹⁰ When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent. ¹¹ Thus theLord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

Moses Intercedes

¹² Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people!’ But You Yourself have not let me know whom You will send with me. Moreover, You have said, ‘I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.’ ¹³ Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people.” ¹⁴ And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” ¹⁵ Then he said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. ¹⁶ For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?”

¹⁷ The Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name.” ¹⁸ Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” ¹⁹ And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” ²⁰ But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” ²¹ Then the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; ²² and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. ²³ Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.”

Exodus 34

The Two Tablets Replaced

34Now the Lord said to Moses, “Cut out for yourself two stone tablets like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered.² So be ready by morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to Me on the top of the mountain. ³ No man is to come up with you, nor let any man be seen anywhere on the mountain; even the flocks and the herds may not graze in front of that mountain.” ⁴ So he cut out two stone tablets like the former ones, and Moses rose up early in the morning and went up to Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and he took two stone tablets in his hand. ⁵ The Lord descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of the Lord. ⁶ Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; ⁷ who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished,visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” ⁸ Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship. ⁹ He said, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, O Lord, I pray, let the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your own possession.”

The Covenant Renewed

¹⁰ Then God said, “Behold, I am going to make a covenant. Before all your people I will perform miracles which have not been produced in all the earth nor among any of the nations; and all the people among whom you live will see the working of the Lord, for it is a fearful thing that I am going to perform with you.

¹¹ “Be sure to observe what I am commanding you this day: behold, I am going to drive out the Amorite before you, and the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. ¹² Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst. ¹³ But rather, you are to tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their Asherim ¹⁴ —for you shall not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God—¹⁵ otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they would play the harlot with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone might invite you to eat of his sacrifice, ¹⁶ and you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might play the harlot with their gods and cause your sons also to play the harlot with their gods. ¹⁷ You shall make for yourself no molten gods.

¹⁸ “You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in the month of Abib you came out of Egypt.

¹⁹ “The first offspring from every womb belongs to Me, and all your male livestock, the first offspring from cattle and sheep. ²⁰ You shall redeem with a lamb the first offspring from a donkey; and if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. You shall redeem all the firstborn of your sons. None shall appear before Me empty-handed.

²¹ “You shall work six days, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during plowing time and harvest you shall rest. ²² You shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks, that is, the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year. ²³ Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel. ²⁴ For I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your borders, and no man shall covet your land when you go up three times a year to appear before the Lord your God.

²⁵ “You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread, nor is the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover to be left over until morning.

²⁶ “You shall bring the very first of the first fruits of your soil into the house of the Lord your God.

“You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.”

²⁷ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” ²⁸ So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

Moses’ Face Shines

²⁹ It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses’ hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him. ³⁰ So when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. ³¹ Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers in the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them. ³² Afterward all the sons of Israel came near, and he commanded them to do everything that the Lord had spoken to him on Mount Sinai. ³³ When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.³⁴ But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take off the veil until he came out; and whenever he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded, ³⁵ the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone. So Moses would replace the veil over his face until he went in to speak with Him.

Exodus 35

The Sabbath Emphasized

35Then Moses assembled all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and said to them, “These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do:

² “For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy day, a sabbath of complete rest to the Lord; whoever does any work on it shall be put to death.³ You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the sabbath day.”

⁴ Moses spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded, saying, ⁵ ‘Take from among you a contribution to the Lord; whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as the Lord’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze,⁶ and blue, purple and scarlet material, fine linen, goats’ hair, ⁷ and rams’ skins dyed red, and porpoise skins, and acacia wood, ⁸ and oil for lighting, and spices for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense, ⁹ and onyx stones and setting stones for the ephod and for the breastpiece.

Tabernacle Workmen

¹⁰ ‘Let every skillful man among you come, and make all that the Lord has commanded:¹¹ the tabernacle, its tent and its covering, its hooks and its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; ¹² the ark and its poles, the mercy seat, and the curtain of the screen;¹³ the table and its poles, and all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; ¹⁴ the lampstand also for the light and its utensils and its lamps and the oil for the light; ¹⁵ and the altar of incense and its poles, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the doorway at the entrance of the tabernacle; ¹⁶ the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its poles, and all its utensils, the  basin and its stand; ¹⁷ the hangings of the court, its pillars and its sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court; ¹⁸ the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court and their cords; ¹⁹ the woven garments for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests.’”

Gifts Received

²⁰ Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel departed from Moses’ presence. ²¹ Everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit moved him came and brought the Lord’s contribution for the work of the tent of meeting and for all its service and for the holy garments. ²² Then all whose hearts moved them, both men and women, came and brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and bracelets, all articles of gold; so did every man who presented an offering of gold to the Lord. ²³ Every man, who had in his possession blue and purple and scarlet material and fine linen and goats’ hair and rams’ skins dyed red and porpoise skins, brought them. ²⁴ Everyone who could make a contribution of silver and bronze brought the Lord’s contribution; and every man who had in his possession acacia wood for any work of the service brought it. ²⁵ All the skilled women spun with their hands, and brought what they had spun, in blue and purple and scarlet material and in fine linen. ²⁶ All the women whose heart stirred with a skill spun the goats’ hair. ²⁷ The rulers brought the onyx stones and the stones for setting for the ephod and for the breastpiece; ²⁸ and the spice and the oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense. ²⁹ The  Israelites, all the men and women, whose heart moved them to bring material for all the work, which the Lord had commanded through Moses to be done, brought a freewill offering to the Lord.

³⁰ Then Moses said to the sons of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. ³¹ And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding and in knowledge and in all  craftsmanship; ³²  to make designs for working in gold and in silver and in  bronze, ³³ and in the cutting of stones for settings and in the carving of wood, so as to perform in every inventive work. ³⁴ He also has put in his heart to teach, both he and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. ³⁵ He has filled them with skill to perform every work of an engraver and of a designer and of an embroiderer, in blue and in purple and in scarlet material, and in fine linen, and of a weaver, as performers of every work and makers of designs.

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Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation (www.lockman.org)