Exodus 34:18–28
This section of Exodus has really given the scholars trouble. It seems they have many questions that because of the way they approach this section remain unanswered.
Why does God repeat Himself here, almost in some cases verbatim?
Why does He only remind them of certain commands and not all of them?
Is the Ten Commandments that Moses gets the second time the same commands as the first?
It’s important for us to understand this section. What is God doing here? If we see this, it’s like everything falls into place. We discover answers and are reminded that the Bible is written by God through the Holy Spirit exactly as He intended.
God is entering into a covenant with Israel and desires that they remain faithful. He is giving them some very practical things to practice on a regular basis to help them keep His covenant.
These three things are very helpful for us as well. Over the years I have seen these three things really work to help Christians in their faithfulness to Christ. Those who practice these things become mature Christians over time.
God is making a Covenant with Israel. They have proven to be idol worshippers. Yet, among the larger group is the smaller group often called the remnant. There’s no proof that even some of God’s people were not involved with the sin of the Golden Calf as well. God will make a covenant with the people and will preserve those who will bring about the Messiah.
Because of Moses and for the sake of Christ, God has forgiven their sin. He is making a covenant with them and He is giving them the second edition of the Ten Commandments…
Here’s a problem, they are still sinners; still idol worshippers. They will, no doubt, sin again. Their sin will require God to act.
Here is another problem.
Exodus 34:6 (ESV)
6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,
Exodus 34:14 (ESV)
14 (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),
On the one hand, God is merciful, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…On the other hand He is a jealous God. How will God’s mercy and jealousy work in light of Israel’s idolatries?
God is out to not only make a covenant with them and give them His commands, but He also desires to help them remain faithful. So, we enter this section of helps.
1. The Regularity of Worship (34:18-24)
Worshipping God Corporately and Consistently Will Help You Follow Christ.
Corporate worship will help you remain faithful to God and His commands…
It is in the regular meeting together that sinners are sanctified. Those who attend worship regularly meeting with other like-minded Christians are the ones who are growing in their faith.
Those who are involved in the life of the Church are the ones growing and maturing as believers.
How does God take sinners and make them saints? They gather every Lord’s Day in worship and fellowship.
Its not by chance we do what we do here. The elders have determined that the regular meetings and the monthly fellowship meal together are vital parts of your sanctification. It’s important that you avail yourself to these opportunities. They are offered but you are the one who needs to make the most of them. If they are drudgery for you then there is an issue in your heart that needs worked out.
I want to say it like this…Not every Sunday morning will you feel like attending, I get it. Sometimes you’re tired etc. You are not called to attend only when you’re at the pinnacle of health and energy. You are called to consistency.
This was God’s plan for His people in the OT. He knew it would be in these ways they could maintain love for Him.
The same is stated in the NT for Christians…
Hebrews 10:23–25 (ESV)
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Hebrews 13:17 (ESV)
17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
The Israelites met for worship every Sabbath Day. That was their weekly meeting. Then God set in place certain special times when He was to also be worshipped.
A. The Feast of Unleavened Bread
18 “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. 19 All that open the womb are mine, all your male livestock, the firstborn of cow and sheep. 20 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 12:17–20 (ESV)
17 And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. 18 In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. 20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.”
This feast is connected with and follows the Passover celebration. It is carried out in large homes where neighbors would join and the command not to come empty handed was enforced. So together the Israelites remembered and worshipped God regularly, not only weekly on the Sabbath but also on these special celebrations.
In biblical times, the firstborn was given certain unique rights, responsibilities, and privileges. A married couple’s firstborn male child was given priority and preeminence in the family, and the best of the inheritance. The nation of Israel is identified as God’s “firstborn” in the Bible (Exodus 4:22; Jeremiah 31:9); in other words, Israel held a special place of privilege and blessing among the nations.
People in ancient cultures attached great value to the eldest son, assigning him distinct benefits and obligations. The firstborn male was important because he was believed to represent the prime of human strength and vitality (Genesis 49:3; Psalm 78:51) as the “opener of the womb” (Exodus 13:2, 12, 15; Numbers 18:15; Luke 2:23). As a result, the firstborn son became the primary heir of the family. The firstborn’s birthright involved a double portion of the household estate and the leadership of the family if his father became incapacitated or was absent for some reason (Deuteronomy 21:17). After his father’s death, the eldest son usually cared for his mother until her death and provided for his unmarried sisters.
The firstborn was considered belonging to God and the father would give money to the priest to purchase him…called redeeming him. This is connected to the Passover and the Feast on Unleavened Bread because in Egypt all the first born who were covered by the blood of the Passover lamb died. Here, with God being worshipped the firstborn lived, redeemed and were given an inheritance.
B. The Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Ingathering
22 You shall observe the Feast of Weeks, the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year’s end. 23 Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel. 24 For I will cast out nations before you and enlarge your borders; no one shall covet your land, when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year.
Exodus 23:14–17 (ESV)
14 “Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to me. 15 You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. None shall appear before me empty-handed. 16 You shall keep the Feast of Harvest, of the firstfruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor. 17 Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord God.
We see the Feast of Harvest also called Firstfruits and sometimes the Feast of Weeks because the Israelites would count seven weeks after Passover for their next feast. This is when they would bring the firstfruits of their crops and present to God as an offering.
Then was the Feast of Ingathering or Feast of Tabernacles or sometimes called the Feast of Booths. This very joyous festival came at the end of harvest when all the work was done and the harvest safely gathered. This was the Israelites time to bring God another offering and then go camping. They make tents and go camp out simulating the time spent in the wilderness.
Leviticus 23:41–44 (ESV)
41 You shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, 43 that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
44 Thus Moses declared to the people of Israel the appointed feasts of the Lord.
So, they worshipped every Sabbath Day once a week corporately. They also worshipped during the Feast multiple times per year. These Feasts, collectively were called pilgrim Feasts because they were to remind Israel of God’s salvation…He redeemed them and brought them out of the Land of Egypt.
For us in the Latter Days; in the NT times we see that these Feasts have been fulfilled in Christ. He is the Passover Lamb, He is the bread from Haeven, He is the Sabbath rest, He is the Ingathering, when at the Feast of Ingathering also known in Acts as Pentecost, our Lord sent His Holy Spirit to gather in the nations. Jesus is the firstfuits as well. All the feasts have been fulfilled in Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:20 (ESV)
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
How do we celebrate these feasts today? By trusting and worshipping Christ as our Savior. He is the One who leads us out of Egypt; out of our bondage to sin.
Today, we too celebrate yearly holidays in honor of Jesus, our Lord. We have Christmas (incarnation), Good Friday (atonement), Resurrection Festival some call Easter (Resurrection), also, Thanksgiving is really a Christian holiday (Thankful to God for all His bounty). One thing we must realize with these is that they are not found in Scripture. The Church recognizes them but not the Bible.
There is one Feast God has given us in the Bible…The Lord’s Supper. Like the Passover, here God reminds us who is responsible for our salvation. This is why we choose to celebrate it monthly. Most Churches I know do it quarterly but I wanted to do it more often than that. It seems the early Church celebrated it weekly. However, on this point of frequency, there is no Scriptural mandate.
2. The Regularity of Rest (34:21)
Taking a Day of Rest Will Help You Follow Christ more Consistently
21 “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. In plowing time and in harvest you shall rest.
God also reminded the Israelites of His command to rest and worship on the Sabbath. This too was a way to encourage weekly corporate worship as Israel would come together, in those days, around the Tabernacle and worship God.
The Sabbath principle is found in Exodus as the Israelites could only gather Manna six days.
Exodus 23:10–12 (ESV)
10 “For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, 11 but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard.
12 “Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed.
We see it again with the construction of the Tabernacle…
Exodus 31:12–15 (ESV)
12 And the Lord said to Moses, 13 “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death.
We honor the Sabbath as we rest and worship on the Lord’s Day. We must make sure that this day is kept different from the others. Do you trust God in that six days are enough to get your work done? To take a day of rest is a time to be refreshed bodily. A time to be refreshed in the Lord as we forget all the stuff we need to do and focus on Christ. The Lord’s Day is the weekly festival for worship and rest.
People who practice this consistently are inevitably the ones who are growing in their faith.
3. The Pattern of Giving God Our Best (34:25-26)
Follow Christ more Consistently by Consistent Giving
25 “You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover remain until the morning. 26 The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.”
Here is the principle of love. We are to consistently give God our best. This principle is found in many places in Scripture.
In all the sacrifices we read that they were to bring a spotless lamb, one without blemish. They were not to bring a sick or deformed lamb but their best lamb. In these ways, their love for God was shown in material ways.
We are only to offer God what He has given us.
1 Peter 1:18–19 (ESV)
18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
God told them when they meet together, don’t come empty handed.
We are to be His people; a giving people. Generosity is a wonderful tool to rid yourself of idols.
Give to God your best.
When Paul was collecting money to distribute to the Saints in Jerusalem, he wrote the Corinthians this…
1 Corinthians 16:1–2 (ESV)
16 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.
These are the three things God told Moses to tell the people. These three things would help them remain faithful.
These are true for us today as Christians. If you do these things consistently, week after week you too will see growth and maturity in Christ. These are real and tangible ways to worship God and to remain obedient to Him.
I have seen it over and over again.
27 And the Lord said to Moses, “Write these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” 28 So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.
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