God Calls for True Worship
Whilst Moses receives God’s laws
on the mountain, the Israelites
are busy on the plains below.
Concluding that their leaders has
died in the presence of God, they
fashion their gold jewelry into a
replica of an Egyptian God and
turn the camp into a pagan party.
Moses returns and in righteous
anger shatters the 2 stone tablets,
destroys the golden calf and orders
Levites to purge guilty Israelites.
The book of Exodus closes with
the record of how the tabernacle
& priestly garments are completed
exactly as God instructed. Moses
inspects the finished product and
Aaron and his sons are anointed
for service. Finally, God declares
His satisfaction by filling the tent
with His glory. For the next 480 yrs
the tabernacle will remain the
focal point of the nation’s worship.
Lord, You revealed Your law to
the Israelites at Sinai, where we
also learned more about You and
You expect Your people to live.
Lord, U Alone is to be Worshipped.
We Belong Solely to You; and
we purpose to Follow You. Amen.
Lord, U Alone is to be Worshipped:
Now when the people saw that
Moses delayed coming down from
the mountain, the people gathered
together to Aaron and said to him:
Come, make us gods that shall
go before us… And he received
the gold from their hand and he
fashioned it into a molded calf.
Then they said: This is your god,
O Israel that brought you out of
Egypt! And the Lord said to Moses:
I have seen this people and indeed
it is a stiff-necked people (E32:1-4)
HS, we have a tendency to shape
God to our liking and make him
intoa thing for which we merely
perform rituals, while we live as
we please. Yet we too know that
there is only one God and he alone
deserves to be worshipped. Amen.
Lord, we Belong Solely to You:
Now the Lord descended in the
cloud and stood with him there.
And the Lord passed before him
and proclaimed: The Lord God,
merciful and gracious, patient,
slow to anger and abounding in
love and faithfulness (Ex 34:5-6).
Take heed, lest you make covenant
with the inhabitants of the land…
But you shall destroy their altars…
for you shall worship no other god,
for the Lord, whose name is
Jealous, is a jealous God (v12-14)
Lord, soften my heart to hear the
love & jealousy behind Your words.
Everything You say is for my good.
And help me to receive Your words
as expression of Your love. Amen.
Lord, we purpose to Follow You:
Moses proceeded to do everything
as the Lord had commanded(40:16)
Then the cloud covered Tabernacle
and the glory of the Lord filled
the Tabernacle… Whenever the
cloud lifted from the Tabernacle,
the people of Israel would set
out on their journey, following it.
But if the cloud did not rise,
they remained where they were
until it lifted (Exo 40:34-37).
Lord, I turn attention to Your
subtle leading and invite You to
direct me however You choose.
Grant me a patient spirit and
help me not rush to judgment.
And when I have heard from You,
help me follow with confidence.
In Jesus precious name, Amen.