In this week’s class presentation we are looking at the Israelite Nation as they enter the wilderness after one of the most epic events in Biblical history: The Red Sea Crossing. We find them grumbling about food and circumstances, not remembering what God had just done for them! We will also cover the beginning of the giving of the Law by God through Moses, known as the Ten Commandments. We will do this by reviewing answers for Exodus chapters 16-20 from the homework. We will also focus on some of the skeptics’ questions about these events as part of our apologetics’ case-making, along with the all important emphasis on the foreshadowing of Jesus.

We are recommending that you watch Timothy Mahony’s “Patterns of Evidence” documentary series, which will help us understand the debate in academia today over the dating and events of this time period.

Each week’s class includes prayer, an “apologetics” presentation, a review of last week’s Bible study, and a homework assignment. You will also find the presentation notes, Bible study questions and additional resources below and on this website.

Watch this week’s presentation on this topic:

Overview Notes from the Presentation

Joseph to Moses: The People in the Wilderness and the Ten Commandments – Exodus Chapter 16-20

Prayer and Reflection

Write out your prayer cards and exchange them at the end of the class.

Bible Knowledge Practice (answers can be found in the introduction session of this class):

1. What are the five categories of the Old Testament books in the Christian Bible and what are the 39 books of the Old Testament in each of those five categories? (Hint 5-12-5-5-12)

2. What are the “Major Historical Events” – the “Major Players” involved in those events – and the “Major Covenants” found in Genesis and Exodus?

3. What is the “Big Picture” of the Bible (12 points to remember)?

4. What are the (8) most important focus points to watch for when studying the Old Testament?

Read, or recite, the memory verses out loud with your group:

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7 (NASB)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB)

Review of last week’s Bible Study with Basic Answers: Exodus Chapters 16 – 20

Always remember to pray before you study and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and lead you into the truth found in God’s Word – pray for protection from the evil one who will try to discourage, distract and deceive us when we commit to growing closer to the LORD.

Note: Questions are taken directly from the chapters, and answers should be found and cited from the Scripture text in order to be Biblically accurate (unless asked to summarize in your own words). Study Bibles, commentaries and your own thoughts can be used for Discussion or Going Deeper questions. If you use these kinds of sources share them with your group.

Review of Class Topic: Before getting into the Bible study questions, discuss today’s class presentation by summarizing what you learned, commenting or asking any questions.

Answers will vary…

In review of our final viewing of Patterns of Evidence, The Exodus there was a focus on:

The emphasis on the timeline discrepancies continued on into the time of the conquest of Jericho, but there is ample evidence during the time period in question, for example:

Documentation of a King Jabin killed (by Joshua) in Hazor
Multiple city/fortresses destroy in a close proximity and time period
The walls of Jericho fell outward
Evidence of fire and quick demise as grain jars were left full
A small section of housing on the outside of the walls of Jericho were left untouched (Rahab’s home)

All of this matches the Biblical narrative, yet again, it is the timeline that mainstream, secular scholarship argues and therefore denies the Biblical narrative occurs (even though the exact evidence is there, yet in an earlier time period)

Read Exodus Chapters 16 through 20, then answer the following questions:

Complaints and the Lord provides; Jethro and Moses; Israel at Sinai; The Ten Commandments

2. (Exodus 16:1-35) In this chapter we find the Israelites in the wilderness after the miraculous Red Sea crossing, and problems have begun. What was the next thing the people complained about after God, through Moses, made the bitter water sweet, and specifically, what did they say in 16:3? How did God respond to the people’s complaint (what did He say and do)? What does the word “manna” mean, what could the people do with it, and what happened to the manna when the people did not follow God’s command? What did Moses and Aaron do with some of the manna, and why?

Discuss: What was the purpose of the Sabbath day instituted by God (16:22-31)? How do Christian view the Sabbath today, and why?

The Lord Provides Manna

“16 Then they set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. ²The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. ³The sons of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” ⁴Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction. ⁵On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” ⁶So Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, “At evening you will know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt; ⁷and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, for He hears your grumblings against the Lord; and what are we, that you grumble against us?”

The Lord Provides Meat

⁸Moses said, “This will happen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread to the full in the morning; for the Lord hears your grumblings which you grumble against Him. And what are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against the Lord.” ⁹Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for He has heard your grumblings.’” ¹⁰It came about as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. ¹¹And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ¹²“I have heard the grumblings of the sons of Israel; speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’” ¹³So it came about at evening that the quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. ¹⁴When the layer of dew evaporated, behold, on the surface of the wilderness there was a fine flake-like thing, fine as the frost on the ground. ¹⁵When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat. ¹⁶This is what the Lord has commanded, ‘Gather of it every man as much as he should eat; you shall take an omer apiece according to the number of persons each of you has in his tent.’” ¹⁷The sons of Israel did so, and some gathered much and some little. ¹⁸When they measured it with an omer, he who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack; every man gathered as much as he should eat. ¹⁹Moses said to them, “Let no man leave any of it until morning.” ²⁰But they did not listen to Moses, and some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them. ²¹They gathered it morning by morning, every man as much as he should eat; but when the sun grew hot, it would melt.

The Sabbath Observed

²²Now on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. When all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, ²³then he said to them, “This is what the Lord meant: Tomorrow is a sabbath observance, a holy sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning.” ²⁴So they put it aside until morning, as Moses had ordered, and it did not become foul nor was there any worm in it. ²⁵Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. ²⁶Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the sabbath, there will be none.” ²⁷It came about on the seventh day that some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. ²⁸Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My instructions? ²⁹See, the Lord has given you the sabbath; therefore He gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Remain every man in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.” ³⁰So the people rested on the seventh day. ³¹The house of Israel named it manna, and it was like coriander seed, white, and its taste was like wafers with honey. ³²Then Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded, ‘Let an omerful of it be kept throughout your generations, that they may see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” ³³Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar and put an omerful of manna in it, and place it before the Lord to be kept throughout your generations.” ³⁴As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the Testimony, to be kept. ³⁵The sons of Israel ate the manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate the manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. ³⁶(Now an omer is a tenth of an ephah.)”. Exodus 16:1-36 (NASB)

The People complaining again, and God responds

The people had previously complained about not having water, and God miraculously provided, now they began to complain about food: 16:3 – “The sons of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
God, again shows His hesed (unconditional love, mercy and grace) to the people by giving them Heavenly bread (Manna) in the mornings and meat (quail) in the evenings.
We can also note that the people would have had food from their livestock that was brought out of Egypt (for example: milk, cheese and other meats could have been available)

Manna

Manna means “what is it” because that is what the people said when they saw it.
They could bake it and use it like bread.
16:19-21 – “Moses said to them, “Let no man leave any of it until morning.” But they did not listen to Moses, and some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them. They gathered it morning by morning, every man as much as he should eat; but when the sun grew hot, it would melt.”
As we see, God gives the people commands and regulations, and He will continue to test them for obedience because they are God’s representatives to the other Nations.
16:32-34 tells us, “Then Moses said, “This is what the Lordhas commanded, ‘Let an omerful of it be kept throughout your generations, that they may see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar and put an omerful of manna in it, and place it before the Lord to be kept throughout your generations.” As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the Testimony, to be kept.””
We know from what happens later on, that the jar of Manna is kept in the Ark of the Covenant with the stone tablets and Aaron’s rod.
The purpose for these types of commands is always “remembrance” so that the people will not forget – historically, and even today, this is a problem from one generation to the next (not remembering God’s blessings, promises and commands).

Discuss: The Sabbath

The purpose of the Sabbath seems to be twofold: 1) For the people to rest and focus on God and 2) as a test of their obedience to God’s command. Verses 22-26 tells us…

^“Now on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. When all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, then he said to them, “This is what the Lord meant: Tomorrow is a sabbath observance, a holy sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning.” So they put it aside until morning, as Moses had ordered, and it did not become foul nor was there any worm in it. Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the sabbath, there will be none.”

The consequence we see is that some of the people, who went out on the Sabbath day to gather, found no food. Later on in the Law there will be very strict consequences for this type of disobedience.
Christians are not under the Law of the Old Testament for two main reasons: 1) It was specifically given to the Nation of Israel for a purpose and a time; 2) Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament Covenant (Law), and His death and Resurrection was evidence of a final Passover sacrifice once and for all who would believe (John 3:16).

3. (Exodus 17:1-16) Here we find the people quarreling again with Moses, and we get an introduction to Joshua. What were they upset about this time, and what did God have Moses do? Who did Israel battle against and what did Moses have to do in order for Joshua and the Israelites to prevail? Do you see a picture (foreshadow) of Jesus in this event, if so, describe what you observe?

Discuss: What thoughts do you have about the people’s true commitment and belief in God, and how might that relate to “church-goers” today?

“17 Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by stages from the wilderness of Sin, according to the command of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. ²Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water that we may drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” ³But the people thirsted there for water; and they grumbled against Moses and said, “Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” ⁴So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do to this people? A little more and they will stone me.” ⁵Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pass before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. ⁶Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. ⁷He named the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us, or not?”

Amalek Fought

⁸Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim. ⁹So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” ¹⁰Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. ¹¹So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. ¹²But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. ¹³So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. ¹⁴Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” ¹⁵Moses built an altar and named it The Lord is My Banner; ¹⁶and he said, “The Lord has sworn; the Lord will have war against Amalek from generation to generation.”” Exodus 17:1-17 (NASB)

The people again grumble and quarrel with Moses

The people were again grumbling about the lack of water (this happens several times), and this time God had Moses strike the rock at Horeb and it produced water for the people.
Moses will do this again later on and will himself pay a penalty for misrepresenting God (See Numbers 20:2-12)
It is important to note here that Jesus will tell us that He is the “rock” and, as He tells the Samaritan woman at the well, that He is the “water of life” and all who drink of Him will never thirst.

Israel’s battle, and a picture of Jesus

The Amalek came out and fought against Israel. 16:9-13 – “So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.”Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.”

Again, as all throughout the Old Testament, we see a picture of Jesus: Moses hands are outstretched and he is on top of a hill (as Jesus’ will be on the cross) and salvation happens. Joshua also pictures this as the leader of the Army who trusts and follows God for victory.

Discuss: People’s true commitment to God

Answers will vary…

Just like many “nominal” Christians today, the people of Israel gave a pledge to follow the LORD, but their hearts showed their true commitment when the slightest troubles came.
Words are easy, actions show our true colors – I think this is what James meant, in his letter, verse 2:18, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” James is not talking about works for salvation, rather he is emphasizing the action that is evidence of a believer, someone who trusts fully in what God says.

4. (Exodus 18:1 through 19:25) In this section Moses gets some good advice from another person, and he also meets with God on Mount Sinai. Who came to visit Moses from Midian, and what do we know about them (18:1-7)? What advice was given to Moses, why and by whom (18:8-27)? On Mount Sinai, what did God tell Moses to say to the people, and how did the people respond (19:1-8)?

Discuss: What happened in the narrative that shows us the people did not understand the importance of who God is, and His complete authority and holiness (19:9-25)?

“18 Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people, how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. ²Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Moses’ wife Zipporah, after he had sent her away, ³and her two sons, of whom one was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.” ⁴The other was named Eliezer, for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.” ⁵Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was camped, at the mount of God. ⁶He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.” ⁷Then Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed down and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. ⁸Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had befallen them on the journey, and how the Lord had delivered them. ⁹Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, in delivering them from the hand of the Egyptians. ¹⁰So Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord who delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. ¹¹Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods; indeed, it was proven when they dealt proudly against the people.” ¹²Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law before God. ¹³It came about the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from the morning until the evening. ¹⁴Now when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge and all the people stand about you from morning until evening?” ¹⁵Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. ¹⁶When they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws.”

Jethro Counsels Moses

¹⁷Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. ¹⁸You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. ¹⁹Now listen to me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people’s representative before God, and you bring the disputes to God, ²⁰then teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do. ²¹Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. ²²Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be that every major dispute they will bring to you, but every minor dispute they themselves will judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. ²³If you do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace.” ²⁴So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did all that he had said. ²⁵Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. ²⁶They judged the people at all times; the difficult dispute they would bring to Moses, but every minor dispute they themselves would judge. ²⁷Then Moses bade his father-in-law farewell, and he went his way into his own land.

Moses on Sinai

19 In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. ²When they set out from Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness; and there Israel camped in front of the mountain. ³Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: ⁴‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. ⁵Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; ⁶and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.” ⁷So Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the Lord had commanded him. ⁸All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do!” And Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord. ⁹The Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak with you and may also believe in you forever.” Then Moses told the words of the people to the Lord. ¹⁰The Lord also said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments; ¹¹and let them be ready for the third day, for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. ¹²You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it; whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. ¹³No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” ¹⁴So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people, and they washed their garments. ¹⁵He said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.” ¹⁶So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. ¹⁷And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

The Lord Visits Sinai

¹⁸Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. ¹⁹When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder. ²⁰The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. ²¹Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go down, warn the people, so that they do not break through to the Lord to gaze, and many of them ^[j]perish. ²²Also let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves, or else the Lord will break out against them.” ²³Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for You warned us, saying, ‘Set bounds about the mountain and consecrate it.’” ²⁴Then the Lord said to him, “Go down and come up again, you and Aaron with you; but do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, or He will break forth upon them.” ²⁵So Moses went down to the people and told them.” Exodus 18:1-19:25 (NASB)

Moses’ family visits and his father-in-law’s advice

Jethro, also known as Reuel (one of the names is a title, similar to priest) is Moses’ father-in-law and he met up with Moses in the wilderness along with Moses’ wife Zipporah with Moses’ two sons Gershom and Eliezer.
The text tells us that Moses had earlier sent his wife and children away – this most likely happened just after the incident in chapter 4:24-26, or at some point during the plagues in Egypt.
Jethro observed Moses wearing himself out by judging and counseling the people, so he advised him to choose reputable leaders from the tribes and teach them the Laws of God, and have them divided into groupings even within the tribes to govern the people.
Jethro’s advice would allow Moses to bring before God the most important things and to be the people’s representative before God.
Note: This is characteristic of what many governments still do today.
In application: Moses and Jethro give us a picture of how family and friend interaction should work. These characteristics include: Listening, respecting, advising, working together and most importantly looking to God as the ultimate authority in all that we do.

God’s direction through Moses on Mt. Sinai

God told Moses to tell the people that they had seen what He did to the Egyptians, He bore them on “Eagles’ wings” and brought them to Himself, and if they will obey His voice and keep His Covenant He would make them “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
The people responded by saying that they would do all that the LORD spoke to them, but the pattern with the people is obedience then disobedience, and this results in God’s righteous justice being enacted through discipline and consequences.

Discuss: The people’s lack of understanding

19:21-25 – “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go down, warn the people, so that they do not break through to the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish. Also let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves, or else the Lord will break out against them.” Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for You warned us, saying, ‘Set bounds about the mountain and consecrate it.’” Then the Lord said to him, “Go down and come up again, you and Aaron with you; but do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, or He will break forth upon them.” So Moses went down to the people and told them.”
This passage emphasizes God’s holiness, and because of the people’s unholiness they could not meet with God.
God’s character is one of love, patience, kindness, mercy, grace and so much more, yet, in His perfection He is also holy, righteous and just and must punish evil and iniquity.
Today, we cannot take advantage of our relationship with God, and we must remember that God is perfect and holy, and therefore cannot be in the presence of unholiness. However, we can come to God through His perfect and holy son Jesus, and this is the only way (See John 14:6).

5. (Exodus 20:1-26) In this chapter we begin to learn about “the Law of God” given to Moses, and specifically the Ten Commandments. Make a list, or chart, that highlights each of the Ten Commandments and discuss them with your group. The people experienced thunder and lightning when God spoke, and they trembled, so God had to again speak through Moses. What part(s) of the Ten Commandments did God reemphasize, what did He require them to do and why?

Going Really Deep (optional): Do a word study on the meaning of each of the commandments, for example “You shall not murder” – How is the word murder defined in English and in the Hebrew? Note: There may be more than one word you would like to research in each commandment, or you may want to just select a few of the commandments for your research.

“20 Then God spoke all these words, saying, ²“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ³“You shall have no other gods before Me. ⁴“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. ⁵You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, ⁶but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. ⁷“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. ⁸“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. ¹¹For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. ¹²“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you. ¹³“You shall not murder. ¹⁴“You shall not commit adultery. ¹⁵“You shall not steal. ¹⁶“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. ¹⁷“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” ¹⁸All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance. ¹⁹Then they said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die.” ²⁰Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.” ²¹So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was. ²²Then the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘You yourselves have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven. ²³You shall not make other gods besides Me; gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves. ²⁴You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you. ²⁵If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it. ²⁶And you shall not go up by steps to My altar, so that your nakedness will not be exposed on it.’” Exodus 20:1-26 (NASB)

The Ten Commandments

You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol.
You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God.
Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
Honor your father and mother.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not give false testimony.
You shall not covet…anything that belongs to your neighbor

Notice…

The first four commandments point to a relationship with God.
The last six commandments point to relationships among human

Jesus summed up the Ten Commandments in what is known as the Great Commandment

And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 22:37-40 (NASB)

God emphasized the following:

20:22-23 – “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘You yourselves have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven. You shall not make other gods besides Me; gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves.”

He emphasized the first commandment and wanted the people to “remember” Him.
We will see that God emphasized this because again and again the people would forget God, and what He has done for them, and follow false gods in the form of idols as well as their time and allegiance.

Going Really Deep: Word study

Answers here will vary, but a few examples might include…

Word	English Definition	Hebrew Meaning
Murder	“The killing of a human being by a sane person, with intent, malice aforethought (prior intention to kill the particular victim or anyone who gets in the way) and with no legal excuse or authority. In those clear circumstances, this is first degree murder.” From dictionary.law.com	mur’-der (haragh, “to smite,” “destroy,” “kill,” “slay” (Psalms 10:8; Hosea 9:13 AV]), ratsach, “to dash to pieces,” “kill,” especially with premeditation (Numbers 35:16 and frequently; \3Job 24:14; Ps 94:6; Jer 7:9; Ho 6:9\); phoneus, “criminal homicide,” from phoneuo, “to kill,” “slay”; phonos, from pheno. From *biblestudytools.com*
Adultery	“voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than that person’s current spouse or partner.” From *miriam-webster.com*	ADULTERY (Heb. נִאוּף, ni’uf; sometimes, loosely, זְנוּת, zenut; זְנוּנִים, zenunim; lit. “fornication, (whoredom”). Voluntary sexual intercourse between a married woman, or one engaged by payment of the brideprice, and a man other than her husband. From *jewishvirtuallibrary.org*
Covet	“To want to have something very much, especially something that belongs to someone else.” From *dictionary.cambridge.org*	“The verbal form for “covet” or “desire” in Hebrew is חָמַד (cha-mad). The word can be use in a positive or negative sense. Positively, the word חָמַד means to take great delight in, or strongly desire. Negatively, the word carries the meaning of “covet” or “ inordinate, ungoverned, selfish desire.”” From *bibicalhebrewvocabularymadeeasy.weebly.com*

Note: J. Warner Wallace has an excellent article on the topic of “killing vs. murder”

https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/the-difference-between-killing-and-murdering/

Bible Study

Each week, we will have Bible study following the presentation. There will be questions presented here on the weekend, and basic answers will be part of the next presentation. This can also be used to make a leader’s guide for your own small group and future studies!

Note: Questions are taken directly from the chapters, and answers should be found and cited from the Scripture text in order to be Biblically accurate (unless asked to summarize in your own words). Study Bibles, commentaries and your own thoughts can be used for Discussion or Going Deeper questions. If you use these kinds of sources share them with your group.

1. Review of Class Topic: Before getting into the Bible study questions, discuss today’s class presentation by summarizing what you learned, commenting or asking any questions.

Read Exodus Chapters 21 through 40, then answer the following questions:

2. In chapters 21 through 24 there are some specific ordinances for the people to follow. These laws were given because the actions of the people would have consequences as they wandered in the wilderness, and on into the Promised Land. Discuss: Why do you think it was important for God to have Moses institute such detailed laws? Do we need such detailed laws for people in today’s modern society? Going Deeper: Are Christians under this Old Testament “Law,” why or why not?

3. In chapters 25 through 27, 31, and again in 35 through 38 and 40, we are introduced to the Tabernacle. What was the purpose of the Tabernacle? Make a list of the furniture and important pieces in the Tabernacle, and include what their purpose was. Going Deeper: Do we see anything that foreshadows Jesus in the Tabernacle and/or its furniture?

4. In chapters 28 through 30 and again in chapter 39, we learn about the importance of the Priests and their Priestly Garments. Discuss: Is there anything in the role of the Priest that foreshadows Jesus? Going Deeper: Make a list of what the Priestly Garment was made of and each item’s purpose and representation.

5. In chapters 32 through 34 there is an incident of major disobedience on the part of the people, and even Aaron. What happened, how did God respond, and how did Moses respond? Discuss: What can we say about God’s patience with His people at this point? Can we take comfort that He has this same patience with us?

Join us next week as we continue our “Case for the Old Testament, Joseph to Moses!”

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You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in! Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.

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Teri Dugan

TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com

1 Peter 3:15