DAILY DEVOTIONALS

1 Peter 1

1 Peter 1 by Pastor David Groendyk   This letter is written by the apostle Peter generally to Christians throughout a number of provinces (v. 1) around the year 62 A.D. The purpose for this letter is to encourage this group of Christians who are being persecuted on account of their faith. Notice as you read over the next few days that Peter jumps back and forth in his writing between descriptions of our salvation…

Exodus 40

Exodus 40 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson             “This Moses did; according to all that the LORD commanded him, so he did.”  How many times have we read this verse or something similar?  Herein lies the greatness of Moses.  This is what God wants for all of us.  To do or say according to all that the Lord commands us.  Faith shows itself through obedience. Obedience is the other side of the faith coin. Moses…

Exodus 39

Exodus 39 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence This chapter is almost verbatim the same as that which is written in Exodus 28:6-43 except for a few omissions.  The purpose of this chapter is to show that the men who were appointed by Moses to design the holy garments for Aaron and his sons created them exactly as the Lord had commanded in order that the priests might safely enter into their daily service before the Lord…

Exodus 38

Exodus 38 by Pastor David Groendyk   As we continue our tour through the construction of the tabernacle and its contents, let’s remind ourselves of the significance of each of the pieces that are under construction in this chapter. The altar of burnt offering (vv. 1–7; see also Ex. 27:1–8) was the place where all the sacrifices would be offered. You can read about all the different kinds of sacrifices in Leviticus 1–7, but the…

Exodus 37

Exodus 37 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson             In Exodus 37 we see the construction of the Ark in vs. 1-9, a fulfillment of Ex 25:10-20.  Ex 37:10-16 we find the construction of the tabernacle table, a fulfillment of Ex 25:23-29.  In Exodus 37:17-24 the construction of the lamp stand a fulfillment of Exodus 25:31-39.  Finally Exodus 37:25-28, we find broad guidelines for the incense altar, a fulfillment of Ex. 30:1-5, and the composition of…

Exodus 36

Exodus 36 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence Bowlin         Bezalel and Oholiab were master craftsmen highly endowed by the Holy Spirit with both knowledge and skill.  God had gifted them in this way in part that they might be able to construct God’s holy tabernacle and all its furnishings.  Of course, they didn’t carry out all the work themselves, but they trained and equipped other gifted individuals to work with them in this marvelous endeavor.  And together…

Exodus 35

Exodus 35 by Pastor David Groendyk The golden calf incident now over, the rest of Exodus describes the actual building of the tabernacle. God’s dwelling with his people has not been forfeited but is being accomplished as planned. The theme for this chapter is “giving to the Lord”. Moses is commanding the people of Israel to give to the Lord everything that is needed for the building of the tabernacle. That begins with the various…

Exodus 34

Exodus 34 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson In his commentary on Exodus Brevard Childs writes, “Chapter 34 is one of the most difficult chapters in Exodus to analyze and opinions diverge widely” p. 604.  Chapters 32-34 seem to be one unit. We see a covenant renewal in this chapter after the golden calf incident in chapter 32.  In the following sections, we see God intending to withdraw His presence from Israel.  Moses is terrified at…

Exodus 33

Exodus 33 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence   After the Israelites had angered the Lord by fashioning their golden calf and bowing down to it, the Lord told Moses that He would still send his angel ahead of them to drive out the Canaanites in the Promised Land, yet He would not go with them personally lest He destroy them.  Hearing this news, the people mourned and Moses ministered on their behalf interceding for them.  He went…

Exodus 32

Exodus 32 by Pastor David Groendyk Our chapter today is easily one of the most tragic stories in the Bible. In the midst of God giving Israel his plan for how he will dwell with them (Exodus 25–40), Israel nearly forfeits the blessing of having God’s presence among them by making the golden calf. Despite the fact that Israel had seen God on the mountain (Ex. 20:18–21) and despite the fact that Israel had promised…

Exodus 31

Exodus 31 Devotional By Pastor Mark Hudson         This chapter easily divides into two sections.  31:1-11 about Bezalel and Oholiab and 31:12-18 on the Sabbath.  I want to focus on the first 11 verses of this chapter.  I love this section because God is calling gifted men who know how to work with their hands to serve Him in the fabrication of items for worship.   This seems like a contrast to what…

Exodus 30

Exodus 30 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence Stench and filth would overwhelm any Israelite entering into the court of the tabernacle if it were not for the ordinances given in this chapter.  One can only imagine the foul smells that would regularly emanate from all the blood and innards spilled within the complex on a typical day and how the priests themselves would be regularly covered in a combination of dirt and blood. In ancient times…

Exodus 29

Exodus 29 by Pastor David Groendyk As we make our way through more rules and regulations, this time for the consecration of the priests, don’t miss the forest for the trees. God desires to meet with, speak to, sanctify, and dwell with his people (vv. 42–46). The consecration of Aaron and the priests who would serve in the temple is necessary for God to dwell with his people. Specifically, in this chapter, God explains how…

Exodus 28

Exodus 28 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson             Some aspects of the Bible I will never understand.  Hermann Witsius in a book published in 1712 wrote, “God created the world in six days, but He used forty to instruct Moses about the tabernacle.  Little over one chapter was needed to describe the structure of the world, but six were used for the tabernacle (Misc. Sacrorum I, p. 394 ff).  This chapter is given over to…

Exodus 27

Exodus 27 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence          The tabernacle was the place where earthy, sinful men could meet with the Lord.  Of course, most men and women were never able to get that close to God in ancient times, for only the priests could enter the Holy Place, and only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place once a year on the Day of Atonement.  The closest an ordinary person could come to…

Exodus 26

Exodus 26 by Pastor David Groendyk As was mentioned in the previous chapter, the tabernacle is the place where God was to dwell in the midst of Israel (25:8). After reading about some of the objects that would be within the tabernacle, our chapter today describes the construction of the building itself. Don’t get lost in the details though; remember the bigger picture. This building was God’s home with Israel. If you’re a (very!) careful…

Exodus 25

Exodus 25 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson “Worship-where it is done, how it is done, by whom it is done, with whom is done, with what it is done – would dominate the the rest of the Sinai covenant, that is the law through the rest of Exodus, through all of Leviticus, and up to Numbers 10:10,” writes Stuart in his brief introduction to chapters 25-31:18 in his commentary on Exodus.  Further he writes, “Worship…

Exodus 24

Exodus 24 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence           After Moses gives a summary of the Law of God to the people of Israel, he initiates, at the Lord’s behest, a covenant ceremony to bind the Israelites to the Lord their God, promising that if they keep God’s laws then they will become a nation of priests and his treasured possession.  To solemnify the proceedings, the Lord calls Moses and Aaron, along with his…

Exodus 23

Exodus 23 Devotional by Pastor David Groendyk As we read through the various laws in the first half of this chapter (vv. 1–19), I’m reminded of Micah 6:8: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” So many of these laws could be boiled down to one of those three ideas:…

Exodus 22

Exodus 22 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”  This is the cry of God found throughout the Bible.  This verse was also a favorite of Martin Luther King Jr. as he and others called on our nation to be consistent in America’s pursuit of justice.  Inspired by Holy Spirit through the mouth and pen of Amos (5:24), this truth resonates within our heart…

Exodus 21

Exodus 21 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence Bowlin In this chapter, Moses delves into what is normally considered to be judicial or civil law as opposed to pure moral law.  God’s moral law such as is codified in the Ten Commandments is a set of laws that are universal and unchanging based on the very character of God and are the basis of morality for men and women in every culture.  Israel’s civil laws, on the…