Cover to Cover Q&A from Exodus 15-40.

At our church we have begun a 42 week series where we will be doing an over-view of all of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation!  Throughout these 42 weeks we are encouraging the people at Bethel to follow the Bible reading plan which will bring us all through the whole Bible chronologically over the next 42 weeks!  Each week at Bethel the texts that we read during the week is what the sermon will be based on.  As a part of this series we are giving people opportunities to ask questions about what they are reading that they would like answered.  So every Thursday on this blog myself, alongside the elders, will seek to answer those questions the best we can!  So here we go for the questions we received on Exodus 15-40.

Question #1:  1.) Exodus 32:27-  Did the Levites murder everyone who was non-levite?  Was it just the men or or all people they came across?  Were they Levites not guilty of participating in the golden calf incident too?  

       This in one instance where the original Hebrew helps us to better understand what is going on here.  In verse 27 where in the ESV it says "go to and fro" the Hebrew word does not indicate a wandering about just randomly killing people.  The Hebrew word indicates a careful, systematic, thorough search.  It was a careful searching out, not a haphazard killing of whoever.  With that indication (and since many people who were involved in the golden calf incident who weren't killed) we can conclude that the Levites asked people if they were going to follow God and repent of their sin or not.  Those who said no, were killed, those who said yes were spared.  The Levites were indeed guilty in participation in the golden calf incident as well.  The way in which they demonstrated their repentance was their willingness to kill family, friends, and neighbors who refused to repent and worship God alone.  It appears that only men were killed.  

2.) Why are so many of the incredibly detailed instructions for the Tabernacle, etc. seemingly repeated (almost word for word) a second time?

 Certainly doesn’t make for riveting once, let alone two times. Neither do the directions to assemble the new entertainment center, but they’re important as were the directions in building the temple. Why twice? It’s not uncommon in biblical literature for messages to be repeated. We see that in the Psalms and Proverbs, even Jesus’ genealogy (although in different formats).

As we think about the reasons for such detailed directions, it should be noted that a church building (the temple) was a markedly different venue for worshipping God. It wasn’t like there were previous temples from which to model their work or other churches on which to base their building efforts.  

Plus God probably didn’t want to trust this building to a freelance effort. After all, how quickly did the Israelites stray when Moses was up on the mountain for 40 days. Left to their own design, the Israelites would have probably added a few golden calves to the direction.

Is there any application we can garner from this?

I think the main point we can gain is that God is a God of order. Look at creation.

I also am reminded of I Corinthians 14:33 — God is not a God of disorder, but of peace.

The focus there was speaking in tongues, women speaking in church and orderly worship. God’s ways are orderly. Satan’s ways aren’t. Part of the reason we see such disorder in the world today.

3.)  What does it mean that God changed his mind/relented in Exodus 32?  

Response: 

In seems absurd to say, that GOD changed HIS mind, after all, the scripture is replete with verses like Malachi 3:6, “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.”  James 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?” 

Based on the above verses, it is ridiculous to say God can change HIS mind. But, in Exodus 32 it shows that God relented. it seems that there may be two things: perhaps the word ‘relented’ isn’t the appropriate word to use in this context and examining the verses if God’s declaration was conditional or unconditional. First, perhaps the writer of Exodus may have only a limited way of describing God’s pain as He saw the condition of His people. As such, using feelings of finite humanity to ascribe to the heart of the infinite God to help us (humans) understand God’s work from a human perspective. Consider, Exodus 32: 7- 10. In snapshot, God told Moses to go down to his (Moses’s) people, God describes the people as stiff-necked, God is vexed because Moses’s people were quick to turn away from HIM. We can see and understand how God can be upset about the attitude of HIS people.  

God’s declaration can either be conditional or unconditional. An example of unconditional declaration from God are His promises towards man, for example, II Samuel 7:16; Genesis 17: 4 – 5, etc. Here, I see it to be conditional. Verse 10 opines on the conditionality – God orders Moses to leave His presence so that His anger may burn against them. Why would God say, Moses leave…? Because, as long as Moses is in His presence, Moses will continually intercede and plead not for destruction but for life, see verses 11 – 13. This conditionality is also similar to what we find in Genesis 18: 16 – 33; Jeremiah 18: 7 – 11.  

Thus, as long as there is an attempt to try to influence a life to God’s truth, to repentance, to change a heart, our God will always relent. So, while He is unchanging and unchangeable. He is also all-wise. He cannot “change His mind” in the sense of realizing a mistake, backtracking, and trying a new approach.

4.)  What does it mean that Moses saw God in Exodus 33 when it states in the NT that no one has seen God?  

There is actually not a contradiction here because as we see in verse 20 Moses did not see the full presence of God from his front, but instead as God's glory passed by Moses was hidden from seeing God's face.  Verse 20, "'But, he said, 'you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.'  And the Lord said, 'Behold there is a place by my where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by.  then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.'"  

As we move through this series please keep the questions coming!  You can ask questions on the connect card attached to your bulletin on Sunday's, by emailing me at joshrobetson52@gmail.com

We certainly don't have all the answers and at times will not be sure how to answer but seek the one who grants wisdom to help us understand what we can.  At the end of the day it is not about having greater knowledge, or to simply know more stuff, it is to know more by which we can continue together to strive to Exalt God's Name, Equip God's People, and Evangelize God's World in our homes, communities, and world.

Cover to Cover Q&A from Genesis 37-Exodus 14

   At our church we have begun a 42 week series where we will be doing an over-view of all of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation!  Throughout these 42 weeks we are encouraging the people at Bethel to follow the Bible reading plan which will bring us all through the whole Bible chronologically over the next 42 weeks!  Each week at Bethel the texts that we read during the week is what the sermon will be based on.  As a part of this series we are giving people opportunities to ask questions about what they are reading that they would like answered.  So every Thursday on this blog myself, alongside the elders, will seek to answer those questions the best we can!  So here we go for the questions we received on Genesis 1-11.

Question #1:  1.) What does it mean to consecrate the firstborn males?  What didi it mean to redeem every firstborn male?  Exodus 13.  It sounds like the firstborn livestock were to be sacrificed but what was it to redeem the firstborn male children?"  (Answered by Josh Robertson and Keith Kinder).

          The consecrating and redeeming of the firstborn males, both for animals and for humans, was for the purpose of reminding the Israelites of how God redeemed the firstborn males of the Hebrews in Egypt by the sacrifice of the lamb that they were commanded to kill and place the blood on their door.  It seemed to be a process by which the works and provision of God in Egypt would be remembered and passed onto the coming generations (vs:14-16).  With animals they would be given the option of either sacrificing the first born to the Lord, or if they refused to sacrifice them, the first born animal would need to be killed (11-13).  It is clear that all firstborn sons were to be redeemed (not sacrificed, or killed) and they were to be redeemed by the killing of a lamb- again pointing back to the God's redeeming the firstborn of Israel in Egypt by the blood of a lamb and also a foreshadowing of what Christ was going to do on the cross in the near future.  
       When we get into Leviticus there are many instructions on redeeming and consecrating things and people through ceremonial sacrifices and/or offerings that the priests were teach the people to do in devotion and submission to YHWH, their God, who was contrasting His expectations versus the demands of the pagan "gods" around them, several of whom demanded child-sacrifice.

Question #2:  When and why did Moses send away his wife and sons in Exodus 18?  In Exodus it sounded like his wife was with him on his return to Egypt (Answered by Keith Kinder and Josh Robertson).  

 Good question.  Seems like Jethro, his father-in-law and a priest of God,(but not clear if he was a believer in JHWH or like Melchizedek a believer in God most High) had a mixed relationship with Moses that also may have influenced his daughter and grandsons, that they were in and out of Moses' life as he led children of Israel.  There is no indication when (or why) Moses sent away his wife and son between Exodus 4 and Exodus 18.  It is very possible that they never go further than the lodging place along the way that is referenced in Exodus 4 and therefore they never actually went into Egypt. Possibly they traveled together part way to be together a bit more but Moses not wanting them in Egypt when everything was taking place in God working to redeem His people.  

Question #3:  "At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him. But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses' feet with it. Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me," she said. So the Lord let him alone. (At that time she said "bridegroom of blood", referring to circumcision."  Exodus 4:24-26  Why was the Lord going to kill Moses when he had just given him such detailed instructions for what he was to do?  What does this circumcision act by his wife have to do with anything?  This thoroughly confused me and seems to not fit with the rest of things (Answered by Keith Kinder).  

Moses' mission was a life-and-death mission that was to reclaim all Israel to true worship of God which included circumcision as a sign of that covenant.  Moses going to his people with a non-conforming son would have been a bad start.  Therefore it was Moses' wife who was able to discern God's displeasure at Moses and was able to act appropriately and circumcise her son.  


 As we move through this series please keep the questions coming!  You can ask questions on the connect card attached to your bulletin on Sunday's, by emailing me at joshrobetson52@gmail.com

We certainly don't have all the answers and at times will not be sure how to answer but seek the one who grants wisdom to help us understand what we can.  At the end of the day it is not about having greater knowledge, or to simply know more stuff, it is to know more by which we can continue together to strive to Exalt God's Name, Equip God's People, and Evangelize God's World in our homes, communities, and world.  

At our church we have begun a 42 week series where we will be doing an over-view of all of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation!  Throughout these 42 weeks we are encouraging the people at Bethel to follow the Bible reading plan which will bring us all through the whole Bible chronologically over the next 42 weeks!  Each week at Bethel the texts that we read during the week is what the sermon will be based on.  As a part of this series we are giving people opportunities to ask questions about what they are reading that they would like answered.  So every Thursday on this blog myself, alongside the elders, will seek to answer those questions the best we can!  So here we go for the questions we received on Genesis 1-11.  

Cover to Cover Q&A from Genesis12-36.

  At our church we have begun a 42 week series where we will be doing an over-view of all of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation!  Throughout these 42 weeks we are encouraging the people at Bethel to follow the Bible reading plan which will bring us all through the whole Bible chronologically over the next 42 weeks!  Each week at Bethel the texts that we read during the week is what the sermon will be based on.  As a part of this series we are giving people opportunities to ask questions about what they are reading that they would like answered.  So every Thursday on this blog myself, alongside the elders, will seek to answer those questions the best we can!  So here we go for the questions we received on Genesis 12-36. 

Question #1:  From Genesis 19... Why would Lot offer his virgin daughters up to the mob of men wishing to have sex with the visitors in his home? Were women simply not valued at all? Or was he so concerned that the Lord would then destroy the city (would Abraham have share that with him?) that he decided to sacrifice his daughters for the "greater good"? (Answered by Elder Dave Grave and elder canidate Cash Ujah)  

        Difficult question to answer because we are not given any narration commentary on what Lot did, we are simply told what He did.  There does not seem to be any indication that Abraham had shared with Lot what He knew was going to be coming.  So there are likely several factors at play here.  One would indeed be that at this point in time people did hold a low-view of women so that would have played into this scenario.  Secondly, is that there was also an extremely high view of hospitality and seeking to take care of ones visitors and guests.  So those two realities combined probably led Lot to respond the way that he did.  We should note that Scripture in no way condones, encourages, or states that what Lot did was right.  I think we can safely say that what we know about Scripture and God is that Lot did not make the right choice.  Thankfully by God's grace and provision Lot's daughters were not violated and God provided for the safety of all in Lot's home doing this event.  

Question #2:  Why in Genesis 12 was Pharaoh afflicted when he had taken Sarai into his house when it was Abram that lied about the identity of Sarai.  (Answered by Elder Dave Graves)    

         Judgment reflects the gravity of the sin of taking another man’s wife (see David and Bathsheba) which doesn't change simply because Pharaoh didn't know.  It also reflects the sovereignty of God and his commitment to keep his promise to Abraham to bless him. Even though Abram lied, not only was his life spared, he received an abundance of wealth from Pharaoh both before and after Sarai’s revelation of her true identity.  

 As we move through this series please keep the questions coming!  You can ask questions on the connect card attached to your bulletin on Sunday's, by emailing me at joshrobetson52@gmail.com

We certainly don't have all the answers and at times will not be sure how to answer but seek the one who grants wisdom to help us understand what we can.  At the end of the day it is not about having greater knowledge, or to simply know more stuff, it is to know more by which we can continue together to strive to Exalt God's Name, Equip God's People, and Evangelize God's World in our homes, communities, and world.