Snoopy Examines Exodus

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paradox3 said:
Do we still believe this describes God's character today?
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Interesting read ----read all for yourselves --I just posted this

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God's Unchanging Character​


When one changes, they usually change for the better. And sometimes they change for the worst. Since
God is an absolute perfection, no change for the better is possible since you cannot improve on perfection.
The same holds true for changing for the worst. Change is not possible with God. He does not develop or grow. He always remains the same. Consequently, there is no inconsistency in God. The Scripture makes it clear that God does not change in his character or purpose, his fairness towards humankind, or in his promises. The technical term for this, as we've said, is immutability. The Bible says, "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom" [Isaiah 40:28 NIV]. So God's character is unchanged and it's unchangeable. The Bible says this over and over. The basic character of God is not subject to change. The psalmists said, "You are the same, and your years will have no end" [Psalm 102:27].

Now, if God cannot change, neither can his promises. And one promise is with respect to the guarantee of Israel's preservation. In the book of Malachi, God declares, "For I am the Lord, I do not change" [Malachi 3:6]. In the context of Malachi,

God is guaranteeing the preservation of the nation of Israel. The New Testament also says that God does not change. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" [James 1:17].

There is nearly 500 years between the book of Malachi and the book of James. But in all of that time, God's nature has not changed.
 
Exodus 24
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Bible Gateway passage: Exodus 24 - New English Translation

The Lord Ratifies the Covenant - But to Moses the LORD said, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from a distance. Moses alone may come near the LORD, but the others must not come near, nor may the people go up with him.” Moses...
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The covenant between God and the Israelites is ratified.

Moses records the ordinances of God and the people agree to follow the Book of the Covenant. Animals are ritually sacrificed and the blood is sprinkled on the people.

Moses ascends the mountain with Aaron, Nabab, Abihu and 70 elders. They see the splendor of God on a pavement made of sapphire, clear like the sky. They eat and drink in God's presence.

Moses is called further up the mountain and promised stone tablets to assist him in teaching God's law.

God is revealed after seven days. Moses spends forty days and nights on the mountain.
 
Snoopy's Snappy Review

Snoopy notes the appearance of the numbers 7, 70 and 40.

Wouldn't you love to see that pavement of sapphire, clear like the sky? :unsure:
 
We are now seeing the establishment of an actual religion. God has provided overarching moral precepts in the form of ten commandments.

There is a written Book of the Covenant and further guidance is unfolding.

Rituals have been established concerning sacrifices and three annual feasts.

In Exodus 25 we will encounter directions for building the tabernacle. Snoopy expects to be busy for the next few days and will get to it on Monday or Tuesday.
 
Let's keep in mind this is still a tribal religion about a tribal God. God ensures deliverance and victory over enemies.

Other Gods are still believed to exist but they are of no importance to the Israelites.
 
This Chapter in my View points out the nature of this Covenant between God and the Israelites and the serious nature of the israelites entering into and accepting this Blood Covenant -------

Verse 2 signifies that Moses is the Mediator between God and His people -----for this Covenant ----

2 Moses alone shall come near to the Lord, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.”

I say
Here again the Israelites promise to adhere to and follow His Laws ----in verse 3 --which of course signifies they accept the the terms set out by this Covenant -----

But as we know they are accepting a covenant of Laws they can't keep -----so failure is at hand here ----

3 Moses came and told the people all the Lord’s words and all the case laws. All the people answered in unison, “Everything that the Lord has said we will do.

I say
Moses then writes down everything the Lord told him -----So it doesn't say outright that God told him to build an Altar or to place 12 Pillars representing the 12 tribes of Israel ---or to Sprinkle blood ---But Come on Folks ----it was God instructing Moses to do this for His Purpose ----it wasn't Moses who just all of a sudden came up with this idea by himself ---

Verse 6
Moses took half of the blood and put it in large bowls. The other half of the blood he threw against the altar.

The Separating of the Blood in 2 places is significant ------this is a Blood Covenant between 2 parties ---
God has His part and the Israelites have their part to Keep -----

Now here is something to know ---In the Mafia when you have a Blood Covenant and you break that covenant -----they kill you --you are bound in that Covenant for life ----

All Praise and Thank to God that He is not like the Mafia ----God shows His love --patience and mercy to the Israelites when they break their Blood Covenant to keep the laws of God -----

-Entering Blood Covenants are a serious matter ------and the Israelites have committed themselves to a Blood Covenant they can't keep -

in verse 7 -and 8 --here we see it again --they want to obey --they say outright they WIll obey -but because of their fleshy nature they will fail to obey -----the laws are perfect ---humankind is not

7 Then he took the covenant scroll and read it out loud for the people to hear. They responded, “Everything that the Lord has said we will do, and we will obey.”

Verse 8 -----
Moses said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord now makes with you on the basis of all these words.”

verse 18 --40 days and 40 nights --significant meaningful numbers and days being pointed out ---which appear in the New Testament ---2 times

18 Moses entered the cloud and went up the mountain. Moses stayed on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.
 
when considering capital punishment in Exodus, remember the nomadic Israaealites lacked penitentiaries to house serious criminals.
 
Also, when considering capital punishment in early Judaism, there is midrash that claims that a judge who even once sentenced a person to death was known as a "hanging judge".
 
BetteTheRed said:
Also, when considering capital punishment in early Judaism, there is midrash that claims that a judge who even once sentenced a person to death was known as a "hanging judge".
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Didn't they stone people rather than hanging them?

Now I am chuckling again about stoning that guilty ox. :D
 
Mystic said:
when considering capital punishment in Exodus, remember the nomadic Israaealites lacked penitentiaries to house serious criminals.
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All the more reason we cannot use those old teachings to justify capital punishment in the modern world. Serious moral decisions like allowing the killing of people as a form of punishment must be taken in context and serve that context. So modern discussion of capital punishment needs to take account on modern realities, not late Bronze Age ones.
 
Exodus 25: 1-9
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Bible Gateway passage: Exodus 25:1-9 - New English Translation

The Materials for the Tabernacle - The LORD spoke to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to take an offering for me; from every person motivated by a willing heart you are to receive my offering. This is the offering you are to accept from them: gold, silver, bronze, blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen...
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God instructs Moses on the building of the tabernacle.

Moses is to take an offering from every person with a willing heart. God specifies gold, silver, bronze, fine linen, ram skins dyed red, fine leather, acacia wood, oil & spices, onyx & other gems.

"Let the people make for me a sanctuary," says God, "so that I may live among them."

God will provide the pattern of the tabernacle and all its furnishings. It must be made exactly so
 
Snoopy's Snappy Review:

God has expensive tastes, it seems. :)

God is looking for willing hearts and wishes to live among the people. How wonderful is that? (y)
 
paradox3 said:
Snoopy's Snappy Review:

God has expensive tastes, it seems. :)

God is looking for willing hearts and wishes to live among the people. How wonderful is that? (y)
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Love your take. There's something really beautiful about God having a flair for the extravagant. He wants to dwell in a beautiful place worthy of his presence.

The part about God looking for willing hearts is so touching. It reminds me that friendship with him is built on love. How amazing it is that the Creator wants to live among us and be part of our daily lives?
 
Thanks Jae. On first reading, I was actually put off by this chapter and saw elitism in it.

But why shouldn't we see magnificence in God? In the NT we see plenty of humility in the person of Jesus.

I, too, like the part about the willing hearts.
 
paradox3 said:
I was actually put off by this chapter and saw elitism in it.
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Agreed, but I agree that I can also see it now more about abundance. I think about how the big guy and I (and my kids, and many people I know, who live from month to month and hope nothing awful happens) talk about his lottery tickets (which I do not support, from a statistics POV, but I buy them for him) and what we will do with our windfall. I want a gold or orange volkswagen bug. He wants an Avalanche.

So why shouldn't we celebrate Creation with the best/most beautiful of it?
 
Exodus 25: 10-22
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Bible Gateway passage: Exodus 25:10-22 - New English Translation

The Ark of the Testimony - “They are to make an ark of acacia wood—its length is to be 45 inches, its width 27 inches, and its height 27 inches. You are to overlay it with pure gold—both inside and outside you must overlay it, and you are to make a surrounding border of gold over it. You are to...
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God provides specific details for the Ark of the Testimony (often translated as the Ark of the Covenant).

It is to be built to certain dimensions, made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold. There are to be rings and carrying poles which will never be removed.

God will provide the testimony to be placed in the Ark.

On top of it goes the Lid of Atonement (often translated as the Mercy Seat). Two gold cherubim are to be fashioned for the ends of the lid. Their wings are to stretch upward and overshadow the atonement lid. The cherubim will face each other.

Here God promises to meet Moses with commands for the Israelites.
 
paradox3 said:
Snoopy's Snappy Review

Here is the origin of the stuff of legends! How exciting is that? :D
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Exodus 25:10-22 is a treasure trove of divine symbolism! The Ark of the Covenant truly marks the start of something great. This artifact represented the covenant God made with his people.

It's fascinating how every detail points to something greater. It's a divine blueprint that foreshadows the ultimate meeting place between God and humanity, Jesus.

Thanks for sharing this excitement! It’s always a joy to uncover the meaning Bible stories hold.✨
 
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