Jubilee Leviticus 25:8–13 In this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his property. Leviticus 25:13 Jubilee was the year, occurring every fifty years, in which all land holdings in Israel were to revert to their original family owners. Nothing in our experience exactly parallels this year of Jubilee. But the intent of…

A Time for Giving Thanks Leviticus 23:33–44 Celebrate the feast of the Lord. Leviticus 23:39 Our lives are filled with many responsibilities. Our days are usually taken up with useful activities. Much of our time is spent working. We have five days a week for that, and for many of us the other days are…

The Gospel in the Law Leviticus 16:15–22 The goat shall bear all their iniquities. Leviticus 16:22 The meaning of Christ’s sacrifice was made particularly clear in the instructions for the two sacrifices to be performed in Israel on the Day of Atonement. In the first sacrifice a goat was driven away into the wilderness to…

Pointing to Christ Exodus 40:17–35 And the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Exodus 40:35 If we are to approach God “in truth” (John 4:24), we must approach God Christocentrically. This means “in Christ,” for this is God’s way of approach to him. Jesus himself signified this when he said to his disciples, “I…

The Merciful God Exodus 34:1–8 The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious. Exodus 34:6 After Moses had interceded for the people of Israel so that God would not destroy them because of their having made the golden calf, Moses made three great prayers. His first request was that he might know God (33:13)….

Satisfying God’s Wrath Exodus 32:30–35 But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written. Exodus 32:32 Moses was offering to take the place of his people as a recipient of God’s judgment, to be separated from God for them. On the preceding day,…

No Other Gods Exodus 20:1–6 You shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3 These verses make three points, all based on the premise that the God who reveals himself in the Bible is the true God: 1. We are to worship God and obey him. 2. We are to reject the worship of…

The Presence of God Exodus 13:20–22 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud. Exodus 13:21 The cloud in the desert was unlike any other cloud that the world had ever seen up to that time or has seen since. It was called a cloud only because the Hebrew language…

One Lamb Exodus 12:1–13 And when I see the blood, I will pass over you. Exodus 12:13 I am sure you have noticed in your study of the Bible how often the New Testament writers refer to the sacrifice of the lambs in Israel as an explanation of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ….

I Am Who I Am Exodus 3:13–15 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” Exodus 3:14 “I am who I am!” This name is linked with the ancient name for God, Jehovah. But it is more than a name. It is a descriptive name, pointing to all that God is in himself. In…