Who did Jesus meet after His resurrection? What will happen to whoever believes and is baptized? What did the disciples do after Jesus ascended to heaven? Are we continuing that legacy? Let’s find out in Mark 16.
What happened after sunset, when the Sabbath ended, and the following Sunday morning early?
Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside. (Mark 16:1-4 NLT)
What did the women discover? What were they told?
Entering into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were amazed. He said to them, “Don’t be amazed. You seek Jesus, the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen. He is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him! But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He goes before you into Galilee. There you will see him, as he said to you.’” (Mark 16:5-7 WEB)
Did they leave the tomb quickly? Why were they afraid?
Overcome with terror and dread, they fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. (Mark 16:8 CEB)
Who did Jesus first meet after His resurrection?
Very early on the first day of the week, after Jesus had risen to life, he appeared to Mary Magdalene. Earlier he had forced seven demons out of her. She left and told his friends, who were crying and mourning. Even though they heard that Jesus was alive and that Mary had seen him, they still would not believe it. (Mark 16:9-11 CEV)
Did Jesus also appear to others after His resurrection?
After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them. (Mark 16:12-13 ESV)
Did Jesus also appear to the eleven remaining disciples? Why did He rebuke them? What two step approach did He summarize as the way to salvation?
Later, He appeared to the Eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table. He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who saw Him after He had been resurrected. Then He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages; they will pick up snakes; if they should drink anything deadly, it will never harm them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well.” (Mark 16:14-18 HCSB)
Did Jesus then ascend to heaven? Did the disciples then go and preach everywhere?
So the Lord Jesus, after talking with his disciples, was taken up to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. Then his disciples went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord kept working with them and confirming the message by the signs that accompanied it. (Mark 16:29-20 ISV)
Who did Jesus meet after His resurrection? What will happen to whoever believes and is baptized? What did the disciples do after Jesus ascended to heaven? Are we continuing that legacy? You decide!
Everyone has a Part (Exodus 35)
Was the old covenant law like a schoolmaster bringing us to faith? How did the Sabbath, the tabernacle and gifts from the Holy Spirit to certain individuals bring us to faith? Let’s look at Exodus 35.
What was the purpose of the old covenant law? Does it lead us to faith?
Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian [schoolmaster] until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. (Galatians 3:24 NLT)
What day was central to the old covenant and what was to be done on it?
Moses assembled all the congregation of the children of Israel, and said to them, “These are the words which Yahweh has commanded, that you should do them. ‘Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of solemn rest to Yahweh: whoever does any work in it shall be put to death. You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations on the Sabbath day.’” (Exodus 35:1-3 WEB)
What was the freewill offering for and of what did it consist?
Moses said to the whole Israelite community, This is what the Lord has commanded: Collect gift offerings for the Lord from all of you. Whoever freely wants to give should bring the Lord’s gift offerings: gold, silver, and copper; blue, purple, and deep red yarns; fine linen; goats’ hair; rams’ skins dyed red; beaded leather; acacia wood; the oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet-smelling incense; gemstones; and gems for setting in the priest’s vest and in the priest’s chest pendant. (Exodus 35:4-9 CEB)
What were they to use their God-given skills to build?
If you have any skills, you should use them to help make what I have commanded: the sacred tent with its covering and hooks, its framework and crossbars, and its post and stands; the sacred chest with its carrying poles, its place of mercy, and the curtain in front of it; the table with its carrying poles and all that goes on it, including the sacred bread; the lamp with its equipment and oil; (Exodus 35:10-14 CEV)
What other parts of the tabernacle were people’s skills to be used for? Is there a part for everyone to contribute?
and the altar of incense, with its poles, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle; the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils, the basin and its stand; the hangings of the court, its pillars and its bases, and the screen for the gate of the court; the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court, and their cords; the finely worked garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests. (Exodus 35:15-19 ESV)
What kinds of things did the people offer willingly? Do we offer willingly? Is this a picture of the many and varied ministries within a local church?
Then the entire Israelite community left Moses’ presence. Everyone whose heart was moved and whose spirit prompted him came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its services, and for the holy garments. Both men and women came; all who had willing hearts brought brooches, earrings, rings, necklaces, and all kinds of gold jewelry—everyone who waved a presentation offering of gold to the Lord. Everyone who had in his possession blue, purple, or scarlet yarn, fine linen or goat hair, ram skins dyed red or manatee skins, brought them. (Exodus 35:20-23 HCSB)
What other valuable things did the offering consist of? Are physical things more important to us than serving God?
Everyone who could give an offering of silver and bronze brought it as a contribution for the Lord. Also all who had acacia wood for any use in the work brought it. Every skilled woman spun with her hands, and brought what she had spun: blue, purple, and scarlet material, and fine linen. All the women who were skilled artisans spun the goat hair. The leaders brought onyx stones and stones to be set in the ephod and the breast piece, spices and oil for the light and for the anointing oil and the aromatic incense. Each Israeli man and woman whose heart was prompted brought something as a freewill offering to the Lord for all the work that the Lord had commanded them to do through Moses. (Exodus 35:24-29 ISV)
What kinds of skills had God specifically gifted to different men and women for the work of the tabernacle? Does God still give gifts, filling men with the Spirit?
And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the Lord hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship; And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work. And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work. (Exodus 35:30-35 KJV)
Was the old covenant law like a schoolmaster bringing us to faith? How did the Sabbath, the tabernacle and gifts from the Holy Spirit to certain individuals bring us to faith? You decide!
What was the purpose of the old covenant law? Does it lead us to faith?
Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian [schoolmaster] until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. (Galatians 3:24 NLT)
What day was central to the old covenant and what was to be done on it?
Moses assembled all the congregation of the children of Israel, and said to them, “These are the words which Yahweh has commanded, that you should do them. ‘Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of solemn rest to Yahweh: whoever does any work in it shall be put to death. You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations on the Sabbath day.’” (Exodus 35:1-3 WEB)
What was the freewill offering for and of what did it consist?
Moses said to the whole Israelite community, This is what the Lord has commanded: Collect gift offerings for the Lord from all of you. Whoever freely wants to give should bring the Lord’s gift offerings: gold, silver, and copper; blue, purple, and deep red yarns; fine linen; goats’ hair; rams’ skins dyed red; beaded leather; acacia wood; the oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet-smelling incense; gemstones; and gems for setting in the priest’s vest and in the priest’s chest pendant. (Exodus 35:4-9 CEB)
What were they to use their God-given skills to build?
If you have any skills, you should use them to help make what I have commanded: the sacred tent with its covering and hooks, its framework and crossbars, and its post and stands; the sacred chest with its carrying poles, its place of mercy, and the curtain in front of it; the table with its carrying poles and all that goes on it, including the sacred bread; the lamp with its equipment and oil; (Exodus 35:10-14 CEV)
What other parts of the tabernacle were people’s skills to be used for? Is there a part for everyone to contribute?
and the altar of incense, with its poles, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle; the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils, the basin and its stand; the hangings of the court, its pillars and its bases, and the screen for the gate of the court; the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court, and their cords; the finely worked garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests. (Exodus 35:15-19 ESV)
What kinds of things did the people offer willingly? Do we offer willingly? Is this a picture of the many and varied ministries within a local church?
Then the entire Israelite community left Moses’ presence. Everyone whose heart was moved and whose spirit prompted him came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its services, and for the holy garments. Both men and women came; all who had willing hearts brought brooches, earrings, rings, necklaces, and all kinds of gold jewelry—everyone who waved a presentation offering of gold to the Lord. Everyone who had in his possession blue, purple, or scarlet yarn, fine linen or goat hair, ram skins dyed red or manatee skins, brought them. (Exodus 35:20-23 HCSB)
What other valuable things did the offering consist of? Are physical things more important to us than serving God?
Everyone who could give an offering of silver and bronze brought it as a contribution for the Lord. Also all who had acacia wood for any use in the work brought it. Every skilled woman spun with her hands, and brought what she had spun: blue, purple, and scarlet material, and fine linen. All the women who were skilled artisans spun the goat hair. The leaders brought onyx stones and stones to be set in the ephod and the breast piece, spices and oil for the light and for the anointing oil and the aromatic incense. Each Israeli man and woman whose heart was prompted brought something as a freewill offering to the Lord for all the work that the Lord had commanded them to do through Moses. (Exodus 35:24-29 ISV)
What kinds of skills had God specifically gifted to different men and women for the work of the tabernacle? Does God still give gifts, filling men with the Spirit?
And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the Lord hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship; And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work. And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work. (Exodus 35:30-35 KJV)
Was the old covenant law like a schoolmaster bringing us to faith? How did the Sabbath, the tabernacle and gifts from the Holy Spirit to certain individuals bring us to faith? You decide!
Replacement Tablets (Exodus 34)
Does God sometimes require a do over after we have broken things? How great is God’s mercy? Do we let our light shine from within? Let's look at Exodus 34.
Were the previous tablets “the work of God?“ Was Moses to chisel a copy of the stone tablets himself this time, for God to write on?
The Lord said to Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain. No one is to come with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain; not even the flocks and herds may graze in front of the mountain.” So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the Lord had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. (Exodus 34:1-4 NIV)
How much greater is God’s mercy than His punishment?
Then the Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh. The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.” (Exodus 34:5-7 NLT)
What was Moses’ prayer about this time? Do we also need God’s pardon? Do we desire His inheritance?
So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. Then he said, “If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.” (Exodus 34:8-9 NKJV)
Did God make a covenant to drive out six corrupt and perverse nations?
He said, “Behold, I make a covenant: before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been worked in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of Yahweh; for it is an awesome thing that I do with you. Observe that which I command you today. Behold, I will drive out before you the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. (Exodus 34:10-11 WEB)
What did God have to say about international agreements or treaties between Israel and foreign nations?
Don't make treaties with any of those people. If you do, it will be like falling into a trap. Instead, you must destroy their altars and tear down the sacred poles they use in the worship of the goddess Asherah. I demand your complete loyalty—you must not worship any other god! (Exodus 34:12-14 CEV)
Is idolatry like prostitution? Were ritual sex acts part of pagan worship?
Don’t make a covenant with those who live in the land. When they prostitute themselves with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, they may invite you and you may end up eating some of the sacrifice. Then you might go and choose their daughters as wives for your sons. And their daughters who prostitute themselves with their gods might lead your sons to prostitute themselves with their gods. Don’t make metal gods for yourself. (Exodus 34:15-17 CEB)
What festival season were they to keep? What about the firstborn?
You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month Abib, for in the month Abib you came out from Egypt. All that open the womb are mine, all your male livestock, the firstborn of cow and sheep. The firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. And none shall appear before me empty-handed. (Exodus 34:18-20 ESV)
What weekly and other annual festival seasons were they to observe?
You are to labor six days but you must rest on the seventh day; you must even rest during plowing and harvesting times. Observe the Festival of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Festival of Ingathering at the turn of the agricultural year. Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel. For I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory. No one will covet your land when you go up three times a year to appear before the Lord your God. (Exodus 34:21-24 HCSB)
What other stipulations did God require of Israel under this covenant?
You are not to offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, nor are you to allow the sacrifice of the Festival of Passover to remain until morning. You are to bring the best of the first fruits of the ground to the house of the Lord your God. You are not to boil a young goat in its mother’s milk. (Exodus 34:25-26 ISV)
How long was Moses on the mountain this time? What were the words of the covenant?
And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. (Exodus 34:27-28 KJV)
Why were people afraid to come near Moses after he came down from the mountain?
Now it happened 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. Then Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. (Exodus 34:29-30 LSB)
What did Moses do to his face when he finished speaking with the people?
Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers in the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them. 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. When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. (Exodus 34:31-33 NASB)
What did Moses do with the veil when he went in to speak with the Lord?
But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord. (Exodus 34:34-35 NIV)
What light does Jesus expect to shine from our lives?
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16 NKJV)
What internal light does Jesus expect to find in us? Does where our eyes are focused have anything to do with that light?
Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is unhealthy, your body is filled with darkness. Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light. (Luke 11:34-36 NLT)
Does God sometimes require a do over after we have broken things? How great is God’s mercy? Do we let our light shine from within? You decide!
Were the previous tablets “the work of God?“ Was Moses to chisel a copy of the stone tablets himself this time, for God to write on?
The Lord said to Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain. No one is to come with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain; not even the flocks and herds may graze in front of the mountain.” So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the Lord had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. (Exodus 34:1-4 NIV)
How much greater is God’s mercy than His punishment?
Then the Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh. The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.” (Exodus 34:5-7 NLT)
What was Moses’ prayer about this time? Do we also need God’s pardon? Do we desire His inheritance?
So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. Then he said, “If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.” (Exodus 34:8-9 NKJV)
Did God make a covenant to drive out six corrupt and perverse nations?
He said, “Behold, I make a covenant: before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been worked in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of Yahweh; for it is an awesome thing that I do with you. Observe that which I command you today. Behold, I will drive out before you the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. (Exodus 34:10-11 WEB)
What did God have to say about international agreements or treaties between Israel and foreign nations?
Don't make treaties with any of those people. If you do, it will be like falling into a trap. Instead, you must destroy their altars and tear down the sacred poles they use in the worship of the goddess Asherah. I demand your complete loyalty—you must not worship any other god! (Exodus 34:12-14 CEV)
Is idolatry like prostitution? Were ritual sex acts part of pagan worship?
Don’t make a covenant with those who live in the land. When they prostitute themselves with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, they may invite you and you may end up eating some of the sacrifice. Then you might go and choose their daughters as wives for your sons. And their daughters who prostitute themselves with their gods might lead your sons to prostitute themselves with their gods. Don’t make metal gods for yourself. (Exodus 34:15-17 CEB)
What festival season were they to keep? What about the firstborn?
You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month Abib, for in the month Abib you came out from Egypt. All that open the womb are mine, all your male livestock, the firstborn of cow and sheep. The firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. And none shall appear before me empty-handed. (Exodus 34:18-20 ESV)
What weekly and other annual festival seasons were they to observe?
You are to labor six days but you must rest on the seventh day; you must even rest during plowing and harvesting times. Observe the Festival of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Festival of Ingathering at the turn of the agricultural year. Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel. For I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory. No one will covet your land when you go up three times a year to appear before the Lord your God. (Exodus 34:21-24 HCSB)
What other stipulations did God require of Israel under this covenant?
You are not to offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, nor are you to allow the sacrifice of the Festival of Passover to remain until morning. You are to bring the best of the first fruits of the ground to the house of the Lord your God. You are not to boil a young goat in its mother’s milk. (Exodus 34:25-26 ISV)
How long was Moses on the mountain this time? What were the words of the covenant?
And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. (Exodus 34:27-28 KJV)
Why were people afraid to come near Moses after he came down from the mountain?
Now it happened 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. Then Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. (Exodus 34:29-30 LSB)
What did Moses do to his face when he finished speaking with the people?
Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers in the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them. 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. When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. (Exodus 34:31-33 NASB)
What did Moses do with the veil when he went in to speak with the Lord?
But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord. (Exodus 34:34-35 NIV)
What light does Jesus expect to shine from our lives?
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16 NKJV)
What internal light does Jesus expect to find in us? Does where our eyes are focused have anything to do with that light?
Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is unhealthy, your body is filled with darkness. Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light. (Luke 11:34-36 NLT)
Does God sometimes require a do over after we have broken things? How great is God’s mercy? Do we let our light shine from within? You decide!
A Stubborn People (Exodus 33)
If God called the Israelites a stubborn people, what would He say about us? If there was one man in a stubborn nation who found grace in God’s sight, how many of us have found that same grace? Let’s look at Exodus 33.
Why did God say that He would not go up with the Israelites?
The Lord said to Moses, “Go and leave this place, you and the people whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt. Go to the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I’ll give it to your descendants.’ I’ll send a messenger before you. I’ll drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Go to this land full of milk and honey. But I won’t go up with you because I would end up destroying you along the way since you are a stubborn people.” (Exodus 33:1-3 CEB)
Why did the people remove their fancy jewelry? Was it because they had misused their jewelry before in crafting an idol?
Even before the Lord said these harsh things, he had told Moses, “These people really are rebellious, and I would kill them at once, if I went with them. But tell them to take off their fancy jewelry, then I'll decide what to do with them.” So the people started mourning, and after leaving Mount Sinai, they stopped wearing fancy jewelry. (Exodus 33:4-6 CEV)
What exactly was the tent of meeting and what was it for?
Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off 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. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. When 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. (Exodus 33:7-9 ESV)
What would Moses do after meeting with the Lord there?
As all the people saw the pillar of cloud remaining at the entrance to the tent, they would stand up, then bow in worship, each one at the door of his tent. The Lord spoke with Moses face to face, just as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his assistant, the young man Joshua son of Nun, would not leave the inside of the tent. (Exodus 33:10-11 (HCSB)
What questions did Moses have for the Lord after those disappointing events?
Moses told the Lord, “Look, you have told me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you haven’t let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name,’ and also, ‘You have found favor in my sight.’ Now, if I’ve found favor in your sight, please show me your ways so I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. And remember, this nation is your people.” (Exodus 33:12-13 ISV)
How did God answer Moses’ plea? Did one man in a stubborn nation find grace in God’s sight?
And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. (Exodus 33:14-17 KJV)
What did Moses then ask of God? Why can a man not see God’s face? Could other places where men did see God’s face, be referring to the pre-incarnate Son of God and not God the Father?
Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of Yahweh before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” (Exodus 33:18-20 LSB)
How did God protect Moses from seeing His face?
Then the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; 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. Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.” (Exodus 33:21-23 NASB)
If God called the Israelites a stubborn people, what would He say about us? If there was one man in a stubborn nation who found grace in God’s sight, how many of us have found that same grace? You decide!
Why did God say that He would not go up with the Israelites?
The Lord said to Moses, “Go and leave this place, you and the people whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt. Go to the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I’ll give it to your descendants.’ I’ll send a messenger before you. I’ll drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Go to this land full of milk and honey. But I won’t go up with you because I would end up destroying you along the way since you are a stubborn people.” (Exodus 33:1-3 CEB)
Why did the people remove their fancy jewelry? Was it because they had misused their jewelry before in crafting an idol?
Even before the Lord said these harsh things, he had told Moses, “These people really are rebellious, and I would kill them at once, if I went with them. But tell them to take off their fancy jewelry, then I'll decide what to do with them.” So the people started mourning, and after leaving Mount Sinai, they stopped wearing fancy jewelry. (Exodus 33:4-6 CEV)
What exactly was the tent of meeting and what was it for?
Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off 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. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. When 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. (Exodus 33:7-9 ESV)
What would Moses do after meeting with the Lord there?
As all the people saw the pillar of cloud remaining at the entrance to the tent, they would stand up, then bow in worship, each one at the door of his tent. The Lord spoke with Moses face to face, just as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his assistant, the young man Joshua son of Nun, would not leave the inside of the tent. (Exodus 33:10-11 (HCSB)
What questions did Moses have for the Lord after those disappointing events?
Moses told the Lord, “Look, you have told me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you haven’t let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name,’ and also, ‘You have found favor in my sight.’ Now, if I’ve found favor in your sight, please show me your ways so I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. And remember, this nation is your people.” (Exodus 33:12-13 ISV)
How did God answer Moses’ plea? Did one man in a stubborn nation find grace in God’s sight?
And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. (Exodus 33:14-17 KJV)
What did Moses then ask of God? Why can a man not see God’s face? Could other places where men did see God’s face, be referring to the pre-incarnate Son of God and not God the Father?
Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of Yahweh before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” (Exodus 33:18-20 LSB)
How did God protect Moses from seeing His face?
Then the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; 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. Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.” (Exodus 33:21-23 NASB)
If God called the Israelites a stubborn people, what would He say about us? If there was one man in a stubborn nation who found grace in God’s sight, how many of us have found that same grace? You decide!
The Golden Calf (Exodus 32)
How quickly do our churches fall away from the truths taught by Jesus and the apostles, and build golden calves of alternate traditions? How quickly can apostasy occur? Let’s look at Exodus 32.
How quickly and easily was it for Israel and its spiritual leaders to slide down into idolatry?
When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.” So Aaron said, “Take the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.” (Exodus 32:1-2 NLT)
Would our churches be so enthusiastic about apostasy as Israel was?
All the people took off the golden rings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. He received what they handed him, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it a molded calf. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 32:3-4 WEB)
Do people still celebrate apostasy as if it is a good thing?
When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf. Then Aaron announced, “Tomorrow will be a festival to the Lord!” They got up early the next day and offered up entirely burned offerings and brought well-being sacrifices. The people sat down to eat and drink and then got up to celebrate. (Exodus 32:5-6 CEB)
What did God say to Moses about the idol worship that Israel had slid into?
The Lord said to Moses: Hurry back down! Those people you led out of Egypt are acting like fools. They have already stopped obeying me and have made themselves an idol in the shape of a young bull. They have bowed down to it, offered sacrifices, and said that it is the god who brought them out of Egypt. Moses, I have seen how stubborn these people are, and I'm angry enough to destroy them, so don't try to stop me. But I will make your descendants into a great nation. (Exodus 32:7-10 CEV)
Like Moses, do we intervene in prayer for our churches when they stray?
But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. (Exodus 32:11-12 ESV)
Did God really need reminding or was He speaking to Moses in anthropomorphic terms, similar to the manner of a parent with a child?
Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel—You swore to them by Your very self and declared, ‘I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and will give your offspring all this land that I have promised, and they will inherit it forever.’” So the Lord relented concerning the disaster He said He would bring on His people. (Exodus 32:13-14 HCSB)
What did Moses return with after forty days on the mountain? Can you spot how many depictions of the tablets are just plain wrong?
Then Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two Tablets of the Testimony in his hand, tablets which were written on both sides. They were written on one side and the other. The tablets were the work of God and the writing was God’s writing, inscribed on the tablets. (Exodus 32:15-16 ISV)
What did Joshua think he heard as he descended the mountain with Moses?
And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear. (Exodus 32:17-18 KJV)
What did Moses do when he realized what was going on? Would we get angry if the church slid into idolatry? What are some modern idols?
Now it happened, as soon as Moses came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses’ anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain. Then he took the calf which they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it over the surface of the water and made the sons of Israel drink it. (Exodus 32:19-20 LSB)
What lame excuse did Aaron give to Moses? Do we also make lame excuses for bowing to the sinful wishes of a congregation?
Then Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” And Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, that they are prone to evil. For they said to me, ‘Make a god for us who will go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt—we do not know what happened to him.’ So I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them tear it off.’ Then they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.” (Exodus 32:21-24 NASB)
Did Moses then call a meeting of all who were on the Lord’s side in this matter? Who rallied to him?
Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies. So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him. (Exodus 32:25-26 NIV)
Did Moses order capital punishment of the people involved in idolatry? What could be the punishment in a Christian congregation?
And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’ ” So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day. Then Moses said, “Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, that He may bestow on you a blessing this day, for every man has opposed his son and his brother.” (Exodus 32:27-29 NKJV)
What did Moses announce to the people? What shocking prayer did he say to God?
The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a terrible sin, but I will go back up to the Lord on the mountain. Perhaps I will be able to obtain forgiveness for your sin.” So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a terrible sin these people have committed. They have made gods of gold for themselves. But now, if you will only forgive their sin—but if not, erase my name from the record you have written!” (Exodus 32:30-32 NLT)
What was God’s answer? How did He punish those involved?
Yahweh said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot him out of my book. Now go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.” Yahweh struck the people, because of what they did with the calf, which Aaron made. (Exodus 32:33-35 WEB)
How quickly do our churches fall away from the truths taught by Jesus and the apostles, and build golden calves of alternate traditions? How quickly can apostasy occur? You decide!
How quickly and easily was it for Israel and its spiritual leaders to slide down into idolatry?
When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.” So Aaron said, “Take the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.” (Exodus 32:1-2 NLT)
Would our churches be so enthusiastic about apostasy as Israel was?
All the people took off the golden rings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. He received what they handed him, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it a molded calf. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 32:3-4 WEB)
Do people still celebrate apostasy as if it is a good thing?
When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf. Then Aaron announced, “Tomorrow will be a festival to the Lord!” They got up early the next day and offered up entirely burned offerings and brought well-being sacrifices. The people sat down to eat and drink and then got up to celebrate. (Exodus 32:5-6 CEB)
What did God say to Moses about the idol worship that Israel had slid into?
The Lord said to Moses: Hurry back down! Those people you led out of Egypt are acting like fools. They have already stopped obeying me and have made themselves an idol in the shape of a young bull. They have bowed down to it, offered sacrifices, and said that it is the god who brought them out of Egypt. Moses, I have seen how stubborn these people are, and I'm angry enough to destroy them, so don't try to stop me. But I will make your descendants into a great nation. (Exodus 32:7-10 CEV)
Like Moses, do we intervene in prayer for our churches when they stray?
But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. (Exodus 32:11-12 ESV)
Did God really need reminding or was He speaking to Moses in anthropomorphic terms, similar to the manner of a parent with a child?
Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel—You swore to them by Your very self and declared, ‘I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and will give your offspring all this land that I have promised, and they will inherit it forever.’” So the Lord relented concerning the disaster He said He would bring on His people. (Exodus 32:13-14 HCSB)
What did Moses return with after forty days on the mountain? Can you spot how many depictions of the tablets are just plain wrong?
Then Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two Tablets of the Testimony in his hand, tablets which were written on both sides. They were written on one side and the other. The tablets were the work of God and the writing was God’s writing, inscribed on the tablets. (Exodus 32:15-16 ISV)
What did Joshua think he heard as he descended the mountain with Moses?
And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear. (Exodus 32:17-18 KJV)
What did Moses do when he realized what was going on? Would we get angry if the church slid into idolatry? What are some modern idols?
Now it happened, as soon as Moses came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses’ anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain. Then he took the calf which they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it over the surface of the water and made the sons of Israel drink it. (Exodus 32:19-20 LSB)
What lame excuse did Aaron give to Moses? Do we also make lame excuses for bowing to the sinful wishes of a congregation?
Then Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” And Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, that they are prone to evil. For they said to me, ‘Make a god for us who will go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt—we do not know what happened to him.’ So I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them tear it off.’ Then they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.” (Exodus 32:21-24 NASB)
Did Moses then call a meeting of all who were on the Lord’s side in this matter? Who rallied to him?
Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies. So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him. (Exodus 32:25-26 NIV)
Did Moses order capital punishment of the people involved in idolatry? What could be the punishment in a Christian congregation?
And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’ ” So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day. Then Moses said, “Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, that He may bestow on you a blessing this day, for every man has opposed his son and his brother.” (Exodus 32:27-29 NKJV)
What did Moses announce to the people? What shocking prayer did he say to God?
The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a terrible sin, but I will go back up to the Lord on the mountain. Perhaps I will be able to obtain forgiveness for your sin.” So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a terrible sin these people have committed. They have made gods of gold for themselves. But now, if you will only forgive their sin—but if not, erase my name from the record you have written!” (Exodus 32:30-32 NLT)
What was God’s answer? How did He punish those involved?
Yahweh said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot him out of my book. Now go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.” Yahweh struck the people, because of what they did with the calf, which Aaron made. (Exodus 32:33-35 WEB)
How quickly do our churches fall away from the truths taught by Jesus and the apostles, and build golden calves of alternate traditions? How quickly can apostasy occur? You decide!
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