Daily Scripture Reading Exodus 34:22 - 35:9
The Bible frequently mentions faith. Faith is a good thing. It is something we are required to have. The Bible even says without faith it is impossible to please God.
Some people believe faith is a blind hope. One of the Mirriam-Webster definitions of faith is “firm belief in something for which there is no proof”. Believing in something without proof would be somewhat of an irrational belief.
We often associate faith with the New Testament, but some tenets of the Mosaic Law also required faith. We will read one today which helps illustrate the Biblical concept of faith and debunks the myth that faith is irrational or a blind hope.
When Israel escaped slavery in Egypt, they were driven out of Egypt because Yahweh had killed all the first born of the land of Egypt. The first born of Israel were protected from death because the Israelites had blood on their door posts and lintels. Furthermore, the Israelites ate unleavened bread that night because they left Egypt in haste and did not have time to allow the bread to rise. Before they even left Egypt, Yahweh commanded the Israelites to observe the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread every year as a way of remembering their escape from Egypt.
When they arrived at Mount Sinai, Yahweh dictated the Mosaic Law. He added more feasts that they were required to observe.
Ex. 34:22 And you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks, that is, the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year.
Ex. 34:23 Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord Yahweh, the God of Israel.
Notice the number “three”. The three times were the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Ingathering. The Feast of Unleavened Bread is before planting time. The Feast of Weeks is at the beginning of harvest season. The Feast of Ingathering is after harvest is finished.
Notice the phrase “all your males”. Every male was to go to the tabernacle during those three feasts.
Ex. 34:24 For I will dispossess nations before you and enlarge your borders, and no man shall covet your land when you go up three times a year to appear before Yahweh your God.
Yahweh was giving these instructions at Mount Sinai, but the expectation was they were soon going to the Promised Land where they would observe all these instructions. If all the males went to the tabernacle three times per year, then the Promised Land would be vulnerable to invasion. However, Yahweh promised He would miraculously protect them by preventing any enemy from coveting their land during the three feasts.
It would have taken faith for the Israelite men to go to the tabernacle and leave their homes, cities, families, and borders unprotected. Their faith would not have been an irrational hope that their enemy would not attack during their absence. Instead, their faith would have been based on the fact that Yahweh promised to protect them. Fatih essentially meant they believed God’s promise.
Some Christians today believe faith is blind hope that is not based on any evidence. However, the faith the New Testament exhorts us to have is not mere hope. Faith is a belief that certain things will happen, a belief we hold because God promised that certain things will happen.
Ex. 34:25 ¶ “You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread, and the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover shall not be left over until morning.
Ex. 34:26 ¶ “You shall bring the very first of the first fruits of your ground into the house of Yahweh your God. ¶ “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.”
Because of this last command, observant Jews do not mix meat and dairy products. That means they do not eat cheeseburgers or lasagna.
Ex. 34:27 ¶ Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have cut a covenant with you and with Israel.”
Take note of the command to “write down these words”. The Mosaic Law was not an oral tradition that changed over time. It was a written document.
Many Christians believe Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. This is one of the verses they cite as proof that Moses was the author. However, this verse only says Moses wrote down the law that Yahweh gave Israel. The book of Exodus contains many historical facts in addition to the rules and regulations that were given at Mount Sinai. This verse only tells us Moses wrote down the rules and regulations. That does not mean Moses recorded all the historical events that surrounded the receipt of the law.
Ex. 34:28 So he was there with Yahweh forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.
Ex. 34:29 ¶ 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.
Look at the word “shone”. The glory of God was so great, that the face of Moses began to shine.
Ex. 34:30 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.
Ex. 34:31 Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers in the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them.
Ex. 34:32 And afterward all the sons of Israel came near, and he commanded them everything that Yahweh had spoken to him on Mount Sinai.
Ex. 34:33 Then Moses finished speaking with them and put a veil over his face.
Ex. 34:34 But whenever Moses went in before Yahweh to speak with Him, he would take off the veil until he came out; and then he would come out and speak to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded,
Ex. 34:35 and the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone. So Moses would return the veil over his face until he went in to speak with Him.
The glory of God was so great and had such an effect on the face of Moses that Moses had to veil his face in order to protect the Israelites. This reinforces the truth that man cannot see the face of God and live.
Ex. 35:1 ¶ Then Moses assembled all the congregation of the sons of Israel and said to them, “These are the things that Yahweh has commanded you to do:
Ex. 35:2 ¶ “Six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy day, a sabbath of complete rest to Yahweh; whoever does any work on it shall be put to death.
Ex. 35:3 You shall not kindle a fire in any of your places of habitation on the sabbath day.”
Due to this command, observant Jews will not flip light switches on the Sabbath because, when a switch is flipped, there is a brief spark, which they view as kindling a fire.
Ex. 35:4 ¶ And Moses spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which Yahweh has commanded, saying,
Ex. 35:5 ‘Take from among you a contribution to Yahweh; whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as a contribution to Yahweh: gold, silver, and bronze,
Ex. 35:6 and blue, purple, and scarlet material, fine linen, goats’ hair,
Ex. 35:7 and rams’ skins dyed red, and porpoise skins, and acacia wood,
Ex. 35:8 and oil for lighting, and spices for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense,
Ex. 35:9 and onyx stones and setting stones for the ephod and for the breastpiece.
The Israelite men were commanded to appear before Yahweh three times a year; thus leaving their houses, families, and land unprotected. Yahweh promised to prohibit their enemy from taking advantage of them during those feasts. When the Israelite men obeyed this command, they demonstrated faith. It was not a blind, irrational faith. It was a faith based on a promise of God.
Likewise, the New Testament commands us to have faith, the conviction of things not seen. Our convictions are not based on irrational hope. Instead, our faith is based on God’s statements and promises.
Do you believe all of God’s promises?
Are you willing to live in a way that proves you believe all of God’s promises?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”