Reading for September 8th

 Constructing the altar, the court, and the lamps. In 27.1-21: The instructions pertain to items and areas outside and surrounding the tabernacle itself. Comments or Questions..

Read Exodus 27.1-21. No Comments..

Reading for September 7th

 Instructions concerning the tabernacle's frame and curtains. In 26.1-37: The decryption of the tabernacle includes some parallels tot he description of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 6) and the vision of the Temple in Ezek 40-43. 

Read Exodus 26.1-37. No Comments.

Reading for September 6th

 Read Exodus 25.31-40. No comments..

Reading for September 5th

Furnishings for the Tabernacle. In 25.1-40: This unit begins an extended section of instructions for building and furbishing the portable sanctuary or shrine called the tabernacle (25.1-31.18). The tabernacle is to be the vehicle of God's presence as they leave God's dwelling place of Mount Sinai and set off on the journey through the wilderness to the promised land. The tabernacle will not be built until after the golden calf rebellion (ch.32) and the renewal of the covenant (chs. 33-34). 

 Read Exodus 25.1- 30. In verse 3: The gold and silver and other finery derive presumably from the Egyptians gave to the Israelites as they fled Egypt (12.35-36). In verse 7: On the ephod, see comment on 28.6. In verse 10: The wooden ark is as a container that functions "throne or footstool for the divine presence." In verse 16: The two tablets of stone that contained the Ten Commandments are the covenant that will be carried in the ark. In verses 17-22: Cherubim are half-human  and half-animal creatures with wings. The head is human and the body usually a lion a or bull. They guard holy areas as well as kings. The mercy seat is the throne for the deity's presence. In verse 21: On the covenant, see comment on v. 16. In verse 30: The bread of the Presence is set out on table as a sign of hospitality to the deity, but the priests actually eat the bread (Lev 24.5-9). Comments or Questions...

Reading for September 4th

 Read Exodus 24.1-18. In 24.1-18: The Lord, Moses and the people formally enter into a covenant relationship. In verse 1: Nadah and Abihu and two sons of Aaron who serve as priests (see 6.23). In verses 6-8: The altar represents God's presence (v. 6). Sprinkling blood on the altar and then the people signifies their binding together in relationship. The book of the covenant is presumably some form of the laws and commandments in chs. 20-23. In verse 9: On Nadah and Abihu, see comment on v. 1. In verse 14: Hur is a leader from the Israelite tribe of Judah (17.10; 31.2), Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 3rd

 Read Exodus 23.20-33. In 23.20-33: God promises and instructions regarding Israel's future entry into Canaan. In verse 20: The Lord promises to send an angel as a divine representative to protect and fight for the Israelites (see v. 23 and 14.19) Discussion about the angel will reappear in Josh 5.13-15 and Judg 2.1-5. In verse 31: The sea of the Philistines is the Mediterranean Sea to the west of Canaan. The wilderness is probably the Negev region south of Canaan. The boundaries correspond roughly to the size of Israel under King Solomon (1 Kings 4.21). Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 2nd

 Read Exodus 22.31-23.19. In verse 15: On the festival of unleavened bread see. 13.3-10. In verse 19: The probations against boiling a young goat or kid in its mother's milk involves  the ritual impurity of crossing the boundary between life  and death. The mother's milk gives life, but using it to boil meat mixes it with death. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 1st

 Read Exodus 22.21-30. In verses 21-24: Israel's experience of being aliens in the land of Egypt motivated these laws against oppressing a resident alien or other marginal people in the community (see 23.9). Israel also knew firsthand the power of the oppressed who cry out to arose God's saving action (see 2.23-25). In verse 30: The seven days of waiting is the time required for the mother and the baby to become ritually clean after the birth (Lev 12.2-3). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 31st

 Read Exodus 21.1-20. No Comments.....

Reading for August 30th

 Read Exodus 21.15-36. The principle for life seeks to limit the extent of any revenge. The principle who means that simply paying money to a victim or victim's family cannot compensate for the loss of a of a priceless life or limb. In verse 28: The ox, shall be stoned and not eaten because it has become ritually impure by causing the death of a human. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 29th

Additional laws in the Book of the Covenant. 20.22-23.19: Most scholars consider this group of laws to be the oldest of all legal collections of the Bible. These Biblical laws have several parallels in subject matter and form to ancient Babylonian law codes. The laws alternate between religious concerns and criminal, social, and economic matters.

 Read Exodus 20.22-21.14. In 20.26: the concern for stairs and the exposure of nakedness implies that those doing the sacrificing at the altar wore robes that were open at the bottom. In 21.6: The blood on the door post from the pierced ear was a sign of the permanent attachment of the slave to the household . Inverse 8: The case deals with a husband's taking a slave as a wife or  concubine through whom he might have children (Gen 21.10-13). In verse 13-14: Accidental killers could flee to designated "cities of refuge" where they could live protected from family members of the victim who seek revenge (Num 35.9-28). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 28th

The Ten Commandments In 20.1-21: These ten rules form the core of Israel's obligation in its relationship with God. Moses repeats these ten commandments in a slightly altered form to a new generation in Deut 5.6-21. God is the one who writes the Ten Commandments on two stone tablets (31.18). The commandments are a central element of the faith of Judaism and Christianity. 

 Read Exodus 20.1-21. In verse 4; The description assumes a three-level universe: heaven above, earth beneath, and water under the earth. See Gen 1.6-10. In verse 7: The probation against the wrongful use of the name of the Lord is aimed particularly at violating oaths made in the deity's name (Lev 19.12). In verse 8: the root meaning of the sabbath is "to stop to rest." To keep it holy signifies setting the seventh day apart as different from all other days of the week. In verse 11: In the creation story in Gen 1, God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh (Gen 2.1-3). In verse 12: The commandment concerning parents may have originally been aimed especially at the care of elderly parents. In verse 13: Murder refers to any killing not sanctioned by  the community, including personal acts of revenge. In verse 16: The prohibition of false witness involves false testimony in judicial cases and disputes. In verse 17: To covet refers to the inner yearning and strong desire to take something that rightfully belongs to others, especially the poor and less powerful. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 27th

 Israel prepares for the covenant with the Lord. This chapter begins a major new section within the book of Exodus, 19.1-24.18. God initiates a formal relationship or covenant agreement for Israel. This Covenant includes lists of obligations for Israel in the form of the Ten Commandments (20.1-17) and the laws in the Book of the Covenant (20.22-23.19). Israel will remain encamped in this area at Sinai until Num 10.11-12.

Read Exodus 19.1-25. In verse 1: The wilderness of Sinai in the Sinai Peninsula east of Egypt contains many mountains. The exact location of Mount Sinai is not known. The mountain is traditionally located in the south-central area of the Sinai Peninsula. In verse 4: the image of God leading Israel out of Egypt like an eagle is expanded in Deut 32.11. In verse 6: Israel as a priestly kingdom and a holy nation implies that God has set Israel aside apart from other nations. Israel has a higher standard of holiness and mission to  mediate between God and other nations. In verses 12-13: The mountain is holy because of God's presence. Holiness and ritual impurity cannot mix. Unless a person is properly prepared, any human contact with the realm of God's holiness leads to death (vv. 21-24.). In verse 15: Sexual relations rendered a person ritually unclean for a day (1 Sam 21.4). In verse 16: Ancient Israel and its neighboring cultures often portray the appearance of the deity with an accompanying storm of thunder, lightening, and thick cloud (Ps 29; 68). In verses 21-24: On the danger of crossing the boundary of holiness, see comment on vv. 12-13. Comments or Questions...

Reading for August 26th

 Jethro gives administrative advice. In 18.1-27: Alternate versions of this story in which Jethro is not involved occur in Num11.10-30 and Deut 1.9-19.

Read Exodus 18.1-27. In verse 1: The name of Moses' father -in-law is Jethro here, but the name varies in other biblical traditions. His name is sometimes Reuel (2.18) or Hobab (Num 10.29, Judg 4.11). In verse 2; Moses' Midianite wife wife Zipporah (2.21-22) went with Moses from Midian to Egypt (4.20). At some point, Moses had sent away his wife. Now Jethro brings her and the two sons back to join Moses (vv. 5-6). In verse 3: On Gershom, see comment on 2.22. In verse 4: The name Eliezer means "my God is help." In verse 5l The mountain of God is Mount Horeb, otherwise known as Mount Sinai (3.1). In verse 21: these numbered divisions of the population most often appear in military contexts (2 Sam 18.1). Comments or Questions...

Reading for August 25th

 Read Exodus 17.8-16.In 17.8-16: Amalek attacks Israel, but Israel defeats them. In verse 8: Amalek is a desert tribe from the nation of Edom (Gen 36.12) that lives in the wilderness around Kadesh (Num 13.29). In verse 9: This is the first mention of Joshua. Joshua is Moses' young assistant (24.13; 33.11) and Israel's military commander. Joshua becomes leader of all Israel after Moses' death (Num 27.12-23; Joshua (1.1-11). In verse 10: Hur is a leader in the Israelite tribe of Judah (24.14; 31.2) In verses 11-12: Moses' raised hands are a sign of divine power that aids the Israelites in their battle against Amalek. In verse 14: Write ... in a book or scroll. 1 Chronicles 4.41-43 recounts the final defeat of Amalek during the reign of Hezekiah, king of Judah. In verse15: The word banner ('nas") puns on the verb "test" ("Nasah," v. 7). In verse 16: War with Amalek continues for many generations (1 Sam 15.1-9; 30.1-20). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 24th

 Read Exodus 16.9-17.7. In verse 15: The phrase What is it? ("man hu") is a pun on the name of the food "manna" (v. 31). In verse 16: An omer is a unit of dry measure, less that a gallon . See v. 36 where the omer is defined as one-tenth of an "ephah." An ""ephah is about 20 liters. In verse 34: The covenant refers to the two stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written. The tablets were carried in the ornate container called the "ark" or ark of the covenant" (25.16). Aaron placed the jar of manna into the same ark. In verse 35: The transition from manna to the produce of Canaan occurs in Josh 5.12. In 17.7: Massah means "test," and meribah means "Quarrel. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 23rd

 Israel Complains and God responds. In 15.22-17.7: God provides water and food in response to the legitimate complaints of Israel as they enter in the dry desert of the Sinai Peninsula. Similar complaints about food and water (see Num 11.1-9; 31-35; 20.1-13) provoke God's anger and punishment.

Read Exodus 15.22-16.8. In verse 23: The place name Marah means "Bitterness," a wordplay on the bitter water there, In verse 25: Traditional cultures believed that certain kinds of wood or trees had the ability to "heal" poisonous water and make it sweet or drinkable. In 16.1: The Wilderness of Sin is in the Sinai peninsula just west of Egypt. In verse 5: They will gather twice as much on the sixth day in order they may rest on the seventh day. The seventh day is the day of sabbath when no work is to be done (vv. 22-30; see the commandment in 20.8-11). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 22nd.

 Moses and Miriam sing songs of victory. In 15.1-21: These songs of Moses and Miriam represent some of the earliest traditions of the Bible. The elevated language of Hebrew poetry in the songs contains many examples of parallelism, or doubling of thoughts and images in consecutive lines. A recurring image in the poem is fear like a lead stone (vv. 5, 10, 16) in contrast to the eternal security of God's stone mountain sanctuary (vv. 17-18). The Song of Moses ((vv. 1-18) retells the story of ch 14 with some differences in the details. For example, Israel's crossing the sea on dry land (14.22) is not described in the song.  

Read Exodus 15.1-21. In verse 3: The Lord is a warrior; see comment on 14.14. In verse 4: On the Red Sea, see comment on 13.18. In verse 11: Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? This question assumes that the Lord is the one superior God above a number of lesser gods gathered in a heavenly council. This theme occurs in other ancient biblical poems (Ps 86; 89.6-8) In verse 13: the poem turns from victory against the Egyptians and describes God leading Israel to the land of Canaan. In verses 14-16: Philistia (v. 14), Edom, Moab, and Canaan (v. 15) are nations in and around the promised land of Canaan who Israel will encounter on the way there. In verse 17: The mountain maybe a reference to the much later establishment of the Lord's temple on mount Zion in the city of Jerusalem (Ps 48.1-3) or to the hill country of Canaan in general (Ps 78.54). In verses 20-21: The prophet of Miriam may have been the original bard or singer in an earlier version of the tradition. it was a women who typically sang victory songs after military victories in ancient Israel (Judg 11.34, 1 Sam 18.6-7). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 21st

 Read Exodus 14.15-31. In verse 17: On the hardening of the heart, see comment on 4.21. In verse 19: The angel is an alternative way of describing the presence of the Lord (v. 24). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 20th

 Read Exodus 14.1-14. In 14.1-31: Israel crosses the Red Sea and God defeats the Egyptians. As Pharaoh had tried to drown Israel's children in the Nile River (1.22), so Pharaoh and his army will drown in the Red Sea. The sea crossing is one of the central events in ancient Israel's collective memory. In verse 2: Pl-hahiroth, Migdol, and Baal-zephon appear here a sites on the western boundary of Egypt, just before Israel crosses into the wilderness of the Sinai Peninsula. In verse 4: On Pharaoh's hardened heart, see comment on 4.21. In verse 8: On Pharaoh's hardened heart, see v. 4 and comment on 4.21. In verse 13: The Egyptians ... you shall never see again recalls Moses' words to the Pharaoh in 10.28-29. In verse 14: The image of the Lord as a divine warrior who will fight for you is frequent biblical theme (15.2; Ps 24.8; Isa 42.13). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 19th

Read Exodus 13.17-22. In 13.17-22: Led by the pillar of cloud and fire, Israel begins to leave Egypt.  In verse 17: The Philistines were people who lived on the western border of Canaan near the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, Their territory would have been the most direct route from Goshen (the Nile Delta region of Egypt) to Canaan. However, the reference to the Philistines here may represent a later tradition since the Philistines settled this region sometime later than the traditional date for Israel's Exodus (after 1200 BCE). In verse 18: Some scholars argue that the Red Sea ("yam suf") is too far south and too large a body of water to have been the sea Israel would eventually cross. (14.21-28). Thus, some prefer to call it the "Sea of Reeds" and assume it was a shallow body of water farther north in Egypt near the Mediterranean Sea. However, later readers in ancient Israel may have known only about the larger Red Sea.. In verse 19: See Gen 50.24-26. In verse 20:The place name Succoth in Hebrew means "Booths" or temporary shelters. The locations or Succoth and Ethan are uncertain except that they are on the eastern border of Egypt. In verse 21: The two pillars or columns of cloud and fire are apparently one and the same (14.24-25). The cloud by itself is visible by day. At night, only the fire within the cloud is visible. The cloud and fire are visible signs of God's presence among the Israelites. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 18th

 Read Exodus 13.1-16. In 13.1-16: The Unleavened Bread and the firstborn: God provides instructions for life in Canaan. The death of Eygpt's firstborn (12.29) prompts the Lord to instruct Israel concerning the dedication or consecration of Israel's firstborn to God (vv. 1-2, 11-16). The instructions for Passover (12.1-28, 43-51) also prompt God to provide laws for celebration a closely related festival, the festival of Unleavened Bread (vv. 3-10). Both obligations will begin later, when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites (vv. 5, 11),  As such the laws function as a promise for the future. In verse 4: The the month of Abib, see comment on 12.2. inverse 5: This listing of peoples-the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites-is a traditional list of all the native inhabitants or the promised land of Canaan (Gen 15.19-21; Deut 7.1). In verse 9: Sign on your hand and reminder on your forehead indicate ornaments that came to be worn in worship in remembrance of the Exodus. In Jewish practice, they are called phylacteries. See v. 16 and Deut 6.8. In verse 13; The donkey is ritually unclean (Lev 11.3). Therefore, a ritually clean animal (a sheep must be offered to redeem or purchase back the firstborn donkey from God. If the owner does not redeem the donkey with a sheep, the owner must break its neck and kill it since it cannot be ritually slaughtered as a clean animal. The firstborn donkey belongs to God and cannot be used by humans without redeeming it. Every firstborn male child must be redeemed or purchased back from God, either with money (Num18.16; five shekels) or the substitution of a member of the priestly tribe of Levi ((Num 3.11-13) On the meaning of redeem see, comments on 6.6. In verse 16: see comment on v. 9. Comments or Questons..

Reading for August 17th

 Read Exodus 12.29-51. In 12.29-51:Egypt's firstborn die and Israel departs from Egypt. The haste to leave Egypt provides a rationale for the haste in eating the Passover meal (vv. 8, 11) and for celebrating the festival of Unleavened Bread (v. 39; 13.3-10). In verses 35-36: The people of Israel plundered Egypt as they received silver and gold from their former oppressors. The plundered jewelry is Israel's war booty and implies the victory of Israel's God over Pharaoh. In verse 37: Six hundred thousand men apart from women and children, and elderly would mean an amazing total population of about two million Israelites. This large number appears again in the census list in Num 1.46 (603, 550 Israelite warriors). A typical large army is in this ancient period would be 15,000- 20, 000 warriors. In verse 38: A mixed crowd suggests an ethnically mixed group that joins the Israelites in fleeing Egypt (see Num 11.4). In verse 41: Gen 15.13 predicted 400 years of slavery in Egypt. Gen 15.16 predicted four generations or about 160 years (assuming 40 years per generations). In verses 43-49: The Lord provided further instructions about Passover as it applies to an alien who resides with you. The instruction follow appropriately the earlier mentioned of the "mixed crowd" that joined Israel's Exodus (v. 38). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 16th

 Read Exodus 12.14-28. In verse 22: Hyssop is an aromatic plant or bush that is used for ritual purification (Lev 14.4; Num 19.6). In verse 23: The destroyer is an agent that brings death and is here distinguished from the Lord. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 15th

 Read Exodus12.1-13. In 12.1-28: The Lord provides instructions for the annual festivals of Passover and Unleavened Bread. The flow of the exodus story is interrupted by instructions for celebrating the two festivals of Passover and Unleavened Bread. The immediate purpose of the Passover is to mark every Israelite home with blood as that it will be protected from the effects of the tenth plague, the death of the Egyptian firstborn. After Israel leaves Egypt, the annual festivals of Passover and Unleavened Bread will enable future generations. to remember and identify the story of the Exodus as their own (vv. 14-17). In verse 2: This month begins the new year, it occurs in the springtime (March-April) and is called either Abib (13.4; Deut 16.1) or Nisan (Esth 3.7) in later biblical traditions. Older biblical traditions begin the new year in the fall (23.16; 34.22). In verse 7: The smearing of the lamb's blood on the door posts and lintel or upper door frame will mark the house as Israelite and thus protect it from the plague, which will kill all the Egyptian firstborn (vv. 12-12, 21-22). In verse 8: Unleavened bread or biscuits without yeast, is quickly baked bread, or biscuits without yeast, is quickly baked bread. Verses 33-34 provide the connection with the exodus: The Israelites had to hurry out of Egypt and so could not wait for their bread dough to rise. The bitter herbs recall the bitterness of Israel's slavery. In verse 9: The lamb is to be roasted rather than eaten raw or boiled to ensure all of its blood is drained. The blood is the essence of life and must be returned to the deity and not eaten in recognition that life belongs to God (Gen 9.4; Lev 17.10-14)/ In verse 13; The verb pass over ("pasuah," also in vv. 23, 270 is the basis for the festival's name, Passover ("pesah," v. 11). Comments or Questions.

Reading for August 14th

 Read Exodus 11.1-10. In 11.1-10: Moses warns Pharaoh about the tenth and final plague. In verses 1-2: The horror of the final plague will cause Pharaoh and the other Egyptians to plead with Israel to leave their land. The Egyptians will voluntarily surrender objects of silver and gold (v. 20 as predicted in 3.22 and fulfilled in 12.35-36). The plundering of the Egyptians signifies Egypt's defeat in the battle with Israel's God. Israel will carry away the spoils of of war. In verse 5: The coming death of every first born in the land of Egypt expands the earlier judgment of 4.22-23, which predicted the death only of Pharaoh's firstborn son. Part of the background to this judgment is the deity's claim to all the firstborn among humans and animals as God's rightful possession (13.1-2). In verse 10: On Pharaoh's harden heart, see comment of 4.21. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 13th

Read Exodus 10.21-29. In 10.21-29: The ninth plague: A dense darkness sweeps over all Egypt.  In verse 23: The Israelites again are separated and thus do not suffer the effects of the plagues on the Egyptians. See comment on 8.22. In verse 27: On Pharaoh's hardened heart, see comment on 4.21. In verses 28-29: Moses pledges not to seek an audience with Pharaoh again, but Pharaoh will in fact summon Moses one more time during the tenth and final plague (12.31). Moses' word may also hint at the death of Pharaoh and his army at the Red Sea crossing (14.13, 26-29). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 12th

 Read Exodus 10.1-20. In 10.1-20: The eighth plague: An east wind brings swarms of locusts. In verse &: This is the first time Pharaoh's own officials seek to persuade him to let the people go. In verse 13: The blowing of the east wind and the duration all that night anticipates the parallel events of the Red Sea "all night" (14.21) to expose dry land so that the Israelites can cross safely. In verse 15: The land black with locusts anticipates the next plague darkness (vv. 21-22). In verse 16: This is the second and last time Pharaoh confesses his guilt, "I have sinned" (see 9,27). In verse 19: The mention of the wind and the Red Sea foreshadows the Red Sea crossing (14.21, 28). In verse 20: On Pharaoh's hardened heart, see comment on 4.21. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 11th

Read Exodus 9.13-35. In 9.13-35: The seventh plague: Thunder, hail, and fire pour out of the skies. In verses 20-21: The story acknowledges for the first time a distinction between some Egyptians who feared the word of the Lord and those who did not regard his word of the Lord. In verse 22: The plagues' disruption of the order established by God at creation now extends to the plants as well as animals and humans (Gen 1.11-12; 2.5). In verse 26: On the separation of Israelites in the land of Goshen, see comment on 8.22. In verse 27: This is the first time Pharaoh confesses "I have sinned." He will do so one more time in 10.16. In verse 32; Some plants survive, only to be devoured in the next plague (10.12, 15). In verses 34-35; On Pharaoh's hardened heart, see comment 4.21. Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for August 10th

 Read Exodus 9.8-12. In 9.8-12: The sixth plague: Soot and ashes cause boils on humans and animals. In verse 10: This is the first plague in which humans are directly affected along with the animals. In verse 11; On the magicians, see comment on 7.22. In verse 12: On Pharaoh's hardened heart, see comment on 4.21. This is the first time the Lord explicitly hardened his heart. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 9th

Read Exodus 9.1-7. In 9.1-7: The fifth plague: Disease kills Egyptians but not Israelite animals. In verse 6: The claim that all the livestock of the Egyptians died is in some tension with the later plagues, where more Egyptian livestock are repeatedly involved (9.10, 19-21; 11.55; 12.29). In verse 7: On Pharaoh's hardened heart, see comment on 4.21. Comments or Questions..