Exodus 23-28 (Read Exodus 23:20-25:22)
On the 26th May 2018, just eight days ago, Ireland voted to remove the last remaining restriction they had against abortion. It was hailed as a great day, a day of rejoicing, a day for women’s rights, a day when women stood up and were counted. On Wednesday NRK celebrated 40 years of abortion in Norway praising Grete Irvoll, an Arbeiderpartiet politician, as a hero who stood up for women.
It was fascinating to read these articles with God’s laws ringing in my ears: the 10 commandments and then the book of the covenant in chapters 22 and 23. Because God’s laws protect the weak. Our abortion laws do not. Our abortion law does not protect women, but exposes them to abuse.
We are fooled by being shallow. The abortion campaign won by telling stories, personal stories, about women who had backroom abortions and how things went wrong and they nearly died and oh my goodness isn’t that terrible, we need to protect women from this.
And then you read the Bible and it’s all like Ex 22:16–17 “If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to anyone and has sex with her, he must pay the customary bride price and marry her. 17 But if her father refuses to let him marry her, the man must still pay him an amount equal to the bride price of a virgin.
Isn’t that terrible! Oppressive! Misogynistic! That’s what our gut reaction says. But is it? Look closer. Think. What kind of woman is it who would be seduced by the type of man that a father would forbid? A weak one. The strong can stand up for themselves, stand up against even their father. “No father, we’re in love”. But I regularly see in the news stories of women being fooled by a man seducing them, pretending to love them, and then making off with hundreds of thousands of kroners. Where was their protector? God’s laws protect the weak.
But the abortion laws protect the strong. The stories we hear are of the strong. Those who were strong enough to take that stance. Yes, things went wrong but then they made a big noise.
We don’t hear of those forced to kill their babies because it is an inconvenience to others. They are still silent in fear and in shame. “Why wasn’t I strong enough to save my baby?” “Why couldn’t I stand against my boyfriend or father or mother?”
No-one speaks for the babies, conscious of pain, being torn apart in the womb. They have no voice.
And very few speak up for the disabled who are quietly being eradicated. We are two-faced, celebrating the disabled with front page articles while supporting the laws which make sure we don’t have any more of their kind here because, really, that’s not a life worth living.
God’s laws protect the weak, those who can’t pay back. It is undeserved mercy. His laws are an expression of his heart. And that is fully seen in Jesus. He died on the cross for us in our weakness. He cries out Father forgive. He defends the cause of the fatherless and upholds the widow. He fulfils the law, and as Christians we are called to do the same. In fact, we are called to go beyond. Fulfilment and freedom. We are to act in love to protect the weak and to love the unlovable.
1. God will defend his people, so trust Him
2. God has mercy on his people, so draw near to Him
3. God is with his people, see Him
1. God will defend his people, so trust Him
20 “See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you.
Remember where we are in the story. The people of God are standing before the mountain of God. They have just experienced a miraculous rescue. Just a few weeks prior they were slaves in Egypt, being beaten and mercilessly worked. Then God stepped in. He rescued them through an incredible show of power. 10 plagues, ending in darkness and then death. Death of the first-born of everyone whose house was not marked by the blood of a lamb. It was a swap – the life of the lamb for the life of the firstborn. Everyone who believed God’s word, God’s way out, was saved!
And they were set free. Sent out with great rejoicing! And then Pharaoh changed his mind and sent his army after them. And they were trapped between the army and the sea. Oh no! Many wanted to turn back: “let’s go back to Pharaoh, at least we were safe”. “Did God bring us out just to kill us?”
Of course we know what happened. God showed his power by parting the sea and they walked through as if on dry ground – and when Pharaoh’s army tried to follow them – bam! The waters flooded back and wiped them out. “Hooray!” said the Israelites.
And now Israel are facing the next task. To believe God’s word that the land promised to Abraham is theirs. God said to Abraham in Genesis 15:13-16 “400 years from now your descendants will march out to take the land”. And that is now.
For them then they were to trust the Lord that he would do what he said. Bring them to the promised land. Despite the significant challenges! They needed to remember that they were no longer slaves in Egypt. God had rescued them, had given them a new identity. They were not to be like everyone else around them. They were to be different. Holy. 24 You must not worship the gods of these nations or serve them in any way or imitate their evil practices. Don’t compromise. Fight! V24 continues Instead, you must utterly destroy them and smash their sacred pillars.
For us now: we too were slaves, slaves to sin. We have been rescued. We have a new identity: God’s people. A holy nation. Our sins are wiped clean. We are righteous in his sight!
But like Israel when we are under pressure we are tempted to go back into the old life, into slavery. Blend in. Do what everyone else is doing. It’s easier. Take the old shortcuts. Tell a few lies. Cheat a bit. Go back to old sins. Open the browser to look at porn. Pick up the bottle. Grab the syringe. Old habits. Old sins. We know where that leads, and it does not lead to joy.
We need to keep our eyes on Jesus! Just practically, going to church – this – helps greatly. It is a means of grace. It is no surprise to me when people who have been away from church for a while are struggling. Relationships are difficult. Sin is easy. God seems far away. Use what He has given you. Keep your eyes on him. For we are not alone in this battle. In fact, we don’t even really fight the battle.
Because did you notice v27-30 that it is the Lord who will drive them out. V27 I will send my terror ahead of you v27 I will make them run v28 I will send my terror v30 I will drive them out. It wasn’t the Israelites who had to drive them out. Oh yes, they had to pick up the sword. But the battle was the Lords. Oh, they may swing the sword, but it is the Lord who brings victory. Remember Jericho, that huge walled city? They walked around it and shouted, and the walls fell! God was with them. And then they went off by themselves and tried to defeat the little village of Ai without God – and were soundly beaten.
That’s us. With the Lord, we are victorious. On our own, we are lost. So keep your eyes focussed on him in your fight against sin. Do what is right and trust him.
And when we look at what’s going on around us in the world, at the battlefield of our culture… it’s easy to despair. To feel weak. As we watch people celebrating their sin, mocking God. It can be daunting. Like a little tribe wandering in the desert going to do battle against this big and strong and powerful people!
But the Lord is with us!
We need to swing the sword by proclaiming the gospel. It seems so weak. We might feel like grasshoppers when we open our mouth at work to talk about Jesus. But God is with us! And people need him. They desperately need the gospel, Good News.
Like Israel, we need to remember what God has already done, and not disobey him, but trust Him.
God will defend his people, so trust Him.
2. God has mercy on his people, so draw near to Him
24:8 Then Moses took the blood from the basins and splattered it over the people, declaring, “Look, this blood confirms the covenant the Lord has made with you in giving you these instructions.” 9 Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel climbed up the mountain. 10 There they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there seemed to be a surface of brilliant blue lapis lazuli, as clear as the sky itself. 11 And though these nobles of Israel gazed upon God, he did not destroy them. In fact, they ate a covenant meal, eating and drinking in his presence!
So this is the actual covenant between God and the people. This why they have been brought here out of Egypt – to worship God. To be his people. Not just rescued from slavery, but to freedom. Likewise with us – we’re not just saved FROM sin, but saved TO righteousness.
So the Lord calls the leaders of Israel forward, and then Moses obeys God by doing what God has just been talking about. He builds an altar (with unhewn stones and no steps I would presume (20:24-26)). He substitutes dead animals for live people – because any unholy person who sees the Lord must die. So instead of the people dying, the oxen die in their place, and he splatters the blood on them symbolically. They are made holy through the sacrifice. The death they deserve has been taken by another.
And then he reads the book of the covenant – this is how you are to live as God’s holy people.
Great. But why? Why can they see God and not die? Why can Moses go and talk to God and not die? It’s not because he is righteous in himself. I mean, he was a murderer for goodness sake! So it can’t be his own righteousness.
And the elders and Aaron. In chapter 32 they show themselves to be completely unrighteous when they make a Golden calf to worship. So why can they see God and not be destroyed?
And why so much blood? And why does the blood work – I mean how can an ox take the place of a man?
We need to be asking these sorts of questions when we read the Bible.
For we are not worthy to see God. The people are afraid, at a distance, because of God’s holiness. They can only come near at his invitation. Without his invitation, they will die. It is like light and darkness – you turn on the light and the darkness is destroyed! It’s the way things are. God is a holy God and we are unholy. To meet him is to die – unless He makes us holy. So the blood. But how can ox blood make people holy?
Remember that the Old Testament speaks about Jesus. He’s the key to understanding. God’s mercy, God accepting sinners, and the blood sacrifices are all clues for us to see Christ.
God can forgive sinners because of Jesus’ death. All the sins of God’s people were poured out on Jesus on the Cross, including Moses and Aaron and the Israelites. They didn’t know how it worked – we do! They just had to trust God’s word that somehow the blood of the animal would be enough.
We trust God’s word that all who put their faith in Jesus will be saved. Our altar is the Cross. Our blood sacrifice is Jesus. He is our substitute, the one who dies in our place. And we are covered by his blood. This is what we remember in communion. This is what Jesus means when he says in John 6:53 “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you.”
Just as they ate the sacrificial offerings and had the blood splattered on them – ew – so we too eat and drink in memory of what Jesus has done for us. We remind ourselves that we are unholy sinners. We cannot approach the holy God without dying. And then – o glorious truth – our death he has died, his life we have received – and so we remember his body and blood as we at the bread and drink the juice. We remember who we are.
And that means we have direct access to the Father. As Father. That was unthinkable for the Israelites. Even Moses did not experience what we experience now. They saw the Lord as King. They ate with him. Moses spoke with him in the glory cloud. But everything said “Danger! Danger!” v11 And though these nobles of Israel gazed upon God, he did not destroy them.
V17 To the Israelites at the foot of the mountain, the glory of the Lord appeared at the summit like a consuming fire.
But we! We have access to the very throne room of heaven, not because the king extends his sceptre of mercy, but because he is our Dad! We run in to him and babble to him our prayers, and snuggle up to him, and say “Dad can you help me with this” and “Sorry Dad I was so rude” and all the other things children do. That is what Jesus did for us. We call him Abba, father. We have the same status as Jesus.
It is a swap. He took our status upon himself, and gave us his. 1 Jn 3:1 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!
I like the King James version here: 1 Jn 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God!
More than Moses even experienced. That’s what you and I have! Do you see how what we have in Christ fulfils and goes beyond anything we read about in the Old Testament? It is so familiar we don’t see it. But wow! Thank you Lord God, thank you Jesus for what you have done. Thank you Father that we can call you Father! Praise God! Praise you Holy Name! Praise you for your mercy! Amen!
God has mercy on his people, so draw near to Him
3. God is with his people, see Him
25:8 “Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them.
22 I will meet with you there and talk to you from above the atonement cover between the gold cherubim that hover over the Ark of the Covenant. From there I will give you my commands for the people of Israel
Wow. Again, we miss the significance of this. We are so used to God being with us that we forget what a privilege it is. That God, the Holy God, should live with his people. That’s crazy! Who are we?
Think about them then. You pitched your tent. That’s my tent. And that’s God’s tent. Over there. He is with us. What a symbol! God with his people. And you could go to his tent, and meet with him. Admittedly through a lot of sacrifices and blood spattering and the priests doing their thing – but you could meet with GOD!
That’s how amazing the Tabernacle is. And later the Temple – which was a Tabernacle made of bricks. That was a place where God and man could meet.
But we have something so much better. Because Christ is the fulfilment of the Tabernacle. He is the perfect meeting place between God and man. He is the blood sacrifice which opens the way. He is the great high priest who mediates between us and God. He is even the Word of God, a better Moses who doesn’t just bring us the law but fulfils the law. He is the law. Love personified. So we follow him, his way of love, not the letter of the law.
He is now our Tabernacle. Imagine if we had to go to a special place to talk to God. Travel to Mecca to touch a rock? To Jerusalem to wail at a wall. As Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well: John 4:23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth.
In Christ we meet God. Only in Christ. There are no holy places!
But be more amazed. Because not only is Jesus the Tabernacle/Temple, but then he declares us his Temple, and comes to live within us. Eph 2:20–21 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. When we come to church we don’t come to a holy building, but we see holy people. We are the Temple of God. Made holy by his mercy.
God will defend his people, so trust Him
God has mercy on his people, so draw near to Him
God is with his people, see Him
What does that mean then. How should this affect us? Let’s spend a few moments applying this passage.
Because I don’t know what you’re struggling with. But dear friends, God is with us! So whatever it is do what is right and trust the Lord.
Maybe it’s relationship issues?
You’re single and tempted to date a non-Christian. Trust the Lord. He’ll look after you. Don’t take shortcuts!
Maybe you’re married and struggling - starting to look away. Don’t! Love the one you’re with. Get your strength from God and decide to love them.
Maybe you seek refuge in porn because its easier than fixing your relationship (or starting one!). Flee from sexual sin. Trust that the Lord’s way is best.
Or maybe you run to a fantasy world of your perfect wife or husband. Don’t. Live the life you’ve been given. Trust the Lord.
If you need help - get help! Sin withers and dies when exposed. It’s the only way to kill sin. Sin hidden GROWS. We’re all here for you. Christian keeps me accountable. And Debby. I know I can speak to them about my sin and not be judged, not be crushed, but helped. Who can you speak to?
And remember that if someone confesses their sin to you – forgiveness and mercy. They already know its wrong! That’s why they’re confessing. We all need help, not judgement. For none of us are perfect.
Maybe your struggle is with money. You may be tempted not to give because “we don’t have enough”. Obey the Lord and trust him for the result.
You may want to lie or cheat to get yourself out of a situation. Tell the truth and trust the Lord.
You may be greedy! Spend less. And be happy. Things own us. They don’t provide happiness! See the glory of the Lord. The shiny things fade compared to his beauty!
Or ill health. Hard to trust the Lord when your body is failing. But look to him for strength. Ask him to show you how you can glorify him in your weakness.
Or time. Time for Bible study or church. It’s so easy to go naa. Trust the Lord. I have never regretted making church a priority. Since 1995 I have gone to church nearly every Sunday. It has kept me alive, growing. Do what is right, and trust the Lord!
Draw courage from the Israelites. They were small and weak. And they had to walk in faith through the desert and fight massive armies. And God was with them.
We walk in faith through life, and fight our own battles. But the Lord is with us. He is already victorious. So let’s live out the gospel and share it with people, so more can be saved and bring glory to God. Let this church be filled more and more with the praises of those who were lost but now am found. (Uncover)