Next, we find Moses and the people of Israel at the Red Sea.  They had Pharaoh's army chasing them and the Red Sea blocking them, and they immediately forgot what God had already done and thought they were going to be killed.  If we are doing what God leads us to do, and find ourselves in a seemingly impossible situation, we should still keep our faith in God.  As with the people of Israel, God will provide a way of escape, even if we lose our mortal life.  We just have to remain true to Him.  For the Israelites, the way of escape came when God parted the Red Sea.  I hear people  occasionally referring to Moses parting the Red Sea, but he didn't do it.  God did, though he worked through Moses using the rod that God had given him, which I hadn't mentioned, to show God's presence in the act.  We today need to be certain that God receives the credit for the things that He does through us.  After Moses and the people of Israel passed through the Red Sea on dry land, Pharaoh and his army chased them in and were drowned when God allowed the waters to close in again.  As stated when discussing this passage, the people of Israel did not pass through a marshy area as some claim, or Pharaoh and his army drowned in that same marsh.  When the people of Israel were on the other side and Moses went up the mountain to receive God's law, they immediately forgot all that God had done and demanded that Aaron make them a god.  Even though Aaron was God's spokesman for Moses, he did as they asked.  Today, we as followers of Christ cannot give in to the demands of the world and attempt to make false gods in our lives.  On the mountain, God knew what was going on below.  We cannot hide our sins from God, even if we think He is not watching us.  Moses interceded for the people, but when he came down and saw what they had done, as they worshipped the golden calf, he became angry.  We should be upset if we see those who are supposed to be God's people worshipping the things of this world.  I believe that anyone who claims that Christianity is a way to material blessings and that all we have to do is claim them is misrepresenting the gospel.  After dealing with the people and Aaron, who was not truthful about what had happened, Moses had to go back up the mountain, because he had literally broken God's law, the tablets on which the law was inscribed.  Even if we see others who profess to be Christians breaking God's law, we cannot afford to allow their actions to cause us to do the same.  When the people complained, as they often did, about being led out of Egypt only to starve when they were free, God again provided for their needs.  We need not complain about God's lack of providing for us, because if we live by faith in Him, He will always provide for our needs.  Finally, we have a record of the building of the tabernacle in accordance with God's design.  God planned it and then he equipped people with the ability to build it.  Today, we have God's salvation plan to share with the lost world.  Salvation comes only through God's plan, and He equips us, as followers of Christ, to share it with the lost people of the world.  Just as Moses followed God's leadership at that time, so must we today.        

Then we find Moses before Pharaoh.  This was possibly the last place that Moses wanted to be, since the last Pharaoh had declared a death sentence on him, but he went.  We today must be willing to go anywhere that God sends us, even if it places us in a dangerous situation.  Moses really had but one message for Pharaoh, and the was that God said for him to him to let God's people go.  We are to carry the gospel into all the world today, and the message is that the sins of the world are to let a person go through their faith in Christ as their Savior and Lord.  We know that in the New Testament, Christians were often still servants or slaves, but they were spiritually free.  When Moses proclaimed God's message, through Aaron, to Pharaoh. he refused to listen over and over again.  The world today is going to refuse to listen to Gods message of salvation over and over again.  Still, God continued to send Moses to Pharaoh with the same message.  The consequences for not listening got a little more severe each time.  When a person hears the message of salvation over and over again and refuses to listen and accept God's salvation, that person will ultimately suffer the greatest consequence, and that is everlasting separation from God.  I personally believe that even if they are materially rich that they will suffer each day from a lack of real peace in their lives.  God had Moses prepare the people of Israel for deliverance from the ultimate plague, the death of the first born.  They had been spared from the other plaques, but now they ere required to take a particular action in order to be spared, and that was to place the blood over their door.  We today may benefit from being with God's people, but in order to claim salvation, we must take a particular action, and that is to accept the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, so that we might be passed over from everlasting spiritual death by being covered by His blood.  The people of Israel who chose to not put the blood over their door would not be spared, just as people today who refuse to accept Christ as their Savior and Lord will not be saved.  Even someone who is a part of the most devout family of believers in Christ will not be saved until they personally accept Christ as their Savior and Lord.  Even after Pharaoh finally agreed to allow the people of Israel to go, and they were going with great material wealth, he again changed his mind and started after them with an army to bring them back.  Today, when a person is close to salvation, which gives someone the greatest spiritual wealth available, we can be certain that those who do not believe in Christ will do everything possible to keep that person from salvation.  In some parts of the world, this might be an actual physical assault.

Next, we see that Moses' identifying as an Israelite led him to intervene on behalf of another Israelite, at which time he killed and buried an Egyptian.  Moses thought his act was hidden, but it was seen by others.  We today may think that our sins are hidden, but if no one else sees them, God does.  Moses' action would bring consequences, just as our sin today does  Though God forgives our sins, that does not mean that He removes all the earthly consequences for them.  Because of what Moses did, he had to flee from Egypt and Pharaoh, for fear of Pharaoh because Pharaoh had ordered him to be killed.  Moses spent many years working for his then father-in-law, and was doing very little if anything to help his fellow Israelites.  When we are running from our sins, we can do very little for our fellow Christians.  Then, Moses encountered God.  Though God had protected him as a baby and he identified with the people of Israel, Moses so far had not had an encounter with God that we are told of.  I believe that Moses knew Who God was, but that did not mean that he knew God.  We today may know Who God is, but until we have a personal encounter with Him, through Jesus Christ, then we do not really know God.  God called Moses for a particular task, and I am sure it was not one that Moses wanted to do.  Moses was to go to Pharaoh, who was a different one by now, and tell him that God said that Pharaoh was to let the people of Israel, God's chosen people, go.  God may today call us to go into situations that we don't want to go into, and some might even be dangerous, but we must be willing to go.  Moses first asked God who he should say had sent him, and God replied, "I am that I am."   We either accept the fact that God is God, or we do not.  Moses began to offer excuses.  He could not speak well.  Moses was looking at his own abilities instead of the power of God.  God answered Moses' concern by telling him that He would send Moses' brother Aaron to speak for him.  God will answer our concerns today when He calls us to do something for Him.  We simply have to put our faith in God and not in our self.

Exodus Review

We will look at some of the lessons learned from the book of Exodus.  The first thing that we see is that God miraculously spared Moses when he was a baby.  We could say that his mother did this, but I believe that it was the work of God.  We know that Moses' sister Miriam played a big part in his being placed in a better situation.  She had kept an eye on Moses to see what was going to happen to him and was instrumental in having his mother being placed in charge of his upbringing.  God works through both males and females to accomplish His will, then and today.  Just as Moses could not have been spared without God being behind the situation, we today cannot be saved except through accepting the  sacrifice of Christ on the cross.  We know that Pharaoh ordered the killing of the boy babies because he was afraid that the people of Israel would become to great, and there are people today who would like to kill those who are Christians because they are afraid that we will become to great.  We also know that today many unborn babies are killed before they are born simply because they are seen as an inconvenience, which is even worse than what Pharaoh was doing.  Then, we see that Moses grew up in the household of the Pharaoh, with all the benefits that this brought, but he still knew that he was an Israelite.  I am not sure if this was because of the influence of his mother or not, but as we will see later, he knew.  No matter how rich we may be materially today, in order to claim salvation, we must identify as a part of the kingdom of God.  This can only come through accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Hopefully, our mothers and fathers will point us to Christ.  Having grown up with the riches of the Pharaoh, Moses still knew that he was an Israelite.  We must never allow the riches of the world to keep us from coming to God, and when we do, we can never allow the riches of the world keep us from identifying as followers of Christ.

Exodus 40:31

Exodus 40:31 says, And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet thereat:  Moses, Aaron and Aaron's sons washed their hands and feet at the laver.  The laver was not there simply for ceremonial purposes, but was there to physically cleanse the hands and feet of those who were to come closest to God.  We today are not just ceremonial cleansed by the blood of Christ, but we are spiritually cleansed in order to come close to God.  Of course, the laver would be of no use unless Moses, Aaron and Aaron's sons used it in accordance with God's directions, just as the death of of Christ is no good to an individual unless it is accepted by faith as an atonement for the sins of that individual.  

Verse thirty-two adds, When they went into the tent of the congregation, and when they came near unto the altar, they washed; as the LORD commanded Moses.  This simply tells us that they obeyed God's command, just as we must today if we are to serve Him effectively.  

Verse thirty-three continues, And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.  The work of the tabernacle was finally finished, as God had instructed Moses to build it. The people then had to simply use it as it had been intended to be used.  Today, the work of  redemption is finished, through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ on the cross, according to God's plan.  We simply have to accept it.  

Verse thirty-four declares, Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.  A cloud then covered the tent of the congregation and the tent was filed with the presence of the LORD.  This was a visible sign of God's presence.  We today may not have a physical sign of God's presence, but if we are a Christian, we are filled with the Holy Spirit, which is the presence of God in us.  

Verse thirty-five adds, And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.  Even Moses, God's spokesman to the people, was unable to enter the tent of the congregation when it was filled with the presence of God.  We today, through the sacrifice of Christ, have unlimited access to God.   

Verse thirty-six continues, And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:  When the cloud was removed, the people of Israel continued on their journey.  We today have God with us wherever we go on our journey of life.  Of course, God had not abandoned them when the cloud disappeared, but the symbol of His presence was gone.  Likewise, we do not have a physical symbol of God with us, but like the people of Israel, we must simply go by faith.  

Verse thirty-seven states, But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.  When the cloud didn't go up, the people of Israel did not move.  We today must not move until God directs us to if we are to be effective in doing His work.  

Verse thirty-eight adds, For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.  There was a cloud on the tabernacle by day and a pillar of fire on it by night throughout all the journey of the people of Israel.  God is with us today if we are followers of Christ through the presence of the Holy Spirit.  This concludes Exodus, and next we will go to Philippians.

Exodus 40:17

Exodus 40:17 says, And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up.  The tabernacle was completed and raised up.  When Jesus had completed His work on earth, He was raised up, and if we accept Him as Savior and Lord of our life, then we are raised up to everlasting life.  

Verse eighteen adds, And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and fastened his sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and reared up his pillars.  As God's representative to the people of Israel, it says that Moses raised up the tabernacle, but we know that he did not do it alone.  Today, if one person receives credit for doing great things for God, we can be certain that the person did not do it alone.  There are always many people working behind the scenes.  

Verse nineteen continues,  And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon it; as the LORD commanded Moses.  

Verse twenty states, And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above upon the ark:  When the tent of the tabernacle was up, the ark of the testimony was put inside.  When we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, our body, our tabernacle, is raised up to God and the Holy Spirit comes to live inside us.  

Verse twenty-one adds, And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the vail of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony; as the LORD commanded Moses.  The ark was placed behind the veil, as God had commanded.  This was to separate the people, except for the high priest, from the ark.  We today are not separated from God by any veil if we are Christians, but the lost people of the world cannot see the works of God because they refuse to believe in Him.  Even though we have the Holy Spirit living in us, the world does not see Him except through our works and worship.  

Verse twenty-two says, And he put the table in the tent of the congregation, upon the side of the tabernacle northward, without the vail.  

Verse twenty-three adds, And he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD; as the LORD had commanded Moses.  

Verse twenty-four continues,  And he put the candlestick in the tent of the congregation, over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward.  These were the things that the people of Israel would see when they came into the tabernacle.  

Verse twenty-five states, And he lighted the lamps before the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.  Moses lit the lamps as Good had commanded to provide light inside the tabernacle.  As followers of Christ today, we are to shed the light of Christ into the spiritual darkness of the world.  

Verse twenty-six adds, And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the vail:  

Verse twenty-seven continues, And he burnt sweet incense thereon; as the LORD commanded Moses.  This altar was used to burn sweet incense to the LORD at this time.  When we offer ourselves as a living sacrifice to God, this is a sweet incense to God.  

Verse twenty-eight says, And he set up the hanging at the door of the tabernacle.  

Verse twenty-nine adds, And he put the altar of burnt offering by the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the meat offering; as the LORD commanded Moses.  The altar of burnt offering was set up by the door of the tabernacle for offering sacrifices to God.  If we are to come into God's presence today with our sins forgiven, we must come through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.  

Verse thirty concludes,  And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water there, to wash withal.  Water was placed between the tent of the congregation and the altar, so that anyone going to the altar could cleanse himself or herself.  We today are cleansed by the shed blood of Christ.

Exod 40:1

Exodus 40:1 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  

Verse two adds, On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.  God had given Moses instructions on how to build the tabernacle, and now He was giving him instructions on when it was to be used.  It was called the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.  It had not only been built according to God's instructions, but it had been built for God's purpose, just as church buildings must be today.  The church building is for the congregation to gathering in, but must be built and used for God's purpose.  

Verse three continues, And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail,  Next, the ark of the testimony was to be set up in the tabernacle.  This represented God's law.  God's law must direct everything we do as a church today.  

Verse four states, And thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it; and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof.  Next, the table and candlesticks were to be put in place.  

Verse five adds, And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the hanging of the door to the tabernacle.  

Verse six continues, And thou shalt set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.  

Verse seven says, And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shalt put water therein.  This was to separate the holy of holies from the rest of the congregation and the priests.  We have no such dividing point today.  If we are a follower of Christ, we do not have to go through anyone else to have access to God.  

Verse eight adds, And thou shalt set up the court round about, and hang up the hanging at the court gate.  

Verse nine continues, And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy.  The tabernacle was to be anointed with the anointing oil and it was to be considered holy.  We today as Christians are anointed by the blood of Christ and are to be holy, or set aside for Him.  

Verse ten states, And thou shalt anoint the altar of the burnt offering, and all his vessels, and sanctify the altar: and it shall be an altar most holy.  The altar was to be sanctified as the altar of the Most High, which is the only true God.  

Verse eleven adds, And thou shalt anoint the laver and his foot, and sanctify it.  Everything associated with the tabernacle was to be anointed.  Since our bodies today are the temple, or tabernacle, of God, if we are followers of Christ, then everything we have and do should be consecrated to God.  

Verse twelve continues, And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.  

Verse thirteen says, And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.  First Aaron was to be cleansed and consecrated for his service as priest.  We today set aside certain people as preachers and deacons, but that does not make them better than any other Christian, just as Aaron was no better of his own merit then any other person in Israel.  He was simply chosen by God for this purpose.  

Verse fourteen adds, And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats:  

Verse fifteen continues, And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.  Aaron's sons were to likewise be consecrated as priests, and this says for an everlasting priesthood.  I believe that when Jesus died on the cross that those that accept Him as Savior and Lord become a part of the everlasting priesthood.  We all have equal access to God.  

Verse sixteen concludes, Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he.  God's instructions to Moses were no good if they weren't carried out, just as God's instructions to us today are no good if they aren't carried out.  Like Moses, we must do as God commands us.