QT 4/22/2026 Ex 28:31–43, Remember his eminence and majesty

Exodus 28:31–43 (ESV) —

31 “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening in a garment, so that it may not tear. 33 On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, around its hem, with bells of gold between them, 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe. 35 And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the Lord, and when he comes out, so that he does not die.

36 “You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the Lord.’ 37 And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front of the turban. 38 It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.

39 “You shall weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash embroidered with needlework.

40 “For Aaron’s sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty. 41 And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. 42 You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh. They shall reach from the hips to the thighs; 43 and they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the Holy Place, lest they bear guilt and die. This shall be a statute forever for him and for his offspring after him.

 

NOTE: As an individual, I'm not much for pomp and ceremony. I saw it in my early youth in a church that was known for religiosity and I saw it in the military as a squadron commander. I remember once, during a promotion ceremony, relaxed and teasing the promotee. Afterwards, my First Sergeant challenged my attitude. He said that it needed to be a solemn occasion as the parents and friends are attending a ceremony and expect that. He was right. I knew he was right as he said it. I of course was dressed for the occasion, but my jocularity wasn't appropriate. I changed and afterwards treated every promotion, retirement, and award with the right degree of solemnity. But why is that important? And why does God see it as important in the way he has the High Priest and the other priests dress?

 

There is something within us that recognizes that our worship and service to God should never be mundane. God is far above us and yet is also relational. We need to do both, recognize his eminence and majesty, and also that his is our friend (Holy Spirit), brother (Jesus), and father (God the father).

 

PONDER:

1. How do I treat God when I worship or when I pray to him?
2. Do I come to God in both severe humility and as a loving son?

 

PRAYER: Father, I have no right to meet with you except that Jesus has opened the door into your presence. He died in my place. He gave me his righteousness. He has cleansed me by his blood. I can enter your presence with confidence, but always with humility too. Woe am I if I ever forget your eminence and majesty.

QT 4/21/2026 Exo 28:1–30, Taking responsibility for other's spiritual welfare

Exodus 28:1–30 (ESV) —

1 “Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. 3 You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him for my priesthood. 4 These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests. ….

6 “And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked. 7 It shall have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so that it may be joined together. 8 And the skillfully woven band on it shall be made like it and be of one piece with it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 9 You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, 10 six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. 11 As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree. 12 And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for remembrance. …

15 “You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work. In the style of the ephod you shall make it—of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen shall you make it. 16 It shall be square and doubled, a span its length and a span its breadth. 17 You shall set in it four rows of stones. … They shall be set in gold filigree. 21 There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. …. 29 So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the Lord. 30 And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before the Lord. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the Lord regularly.

 

NOTE: In two of the priestly garments, the 12 tribes are specifically listed on stones, the ephod (which goes over the shoulders), and the breastplate of judgment. The Levites, and specifically the priests, were to be spiritually responsible for the whole house of Israel, all twelve tribes. I imagine that Levi and Joseph were two of the 12 names versus Manasseh and Ephraim (Joseph's sons).

 

What does that mean for us? In the new covenant, we are a kingdom of priests. It is not just our spiritual life which should concern us, but we must take an active interest in others. That would mean praying for other believers, getting to know others, finding out what God is doing in their lives, and encouraging them to walk more deeply with God.

 

Hebrews 10:24–25 (ESV) — 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.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I take an active interest in other's spiritual lives? (I'm supposed to)

 

PRAYER: Father, help me to do a better job of reaching out to others spiritually in our small group. I can be selfish, but it is my responsibility, their spiritual welfare.

QT 4/20/2026 Exo 27:1-21, God is Holy, we must not forget

Exodus 27:1–21 (ESV) —

1 “You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits broad. The altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits. 2 And you shall make horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze. 3 You shall make pots for it to receive its ashes, and shovels and basins and forks and fire pans. You shall make all its utensils of bronze. … 8 You shall make it hollow, with boards. As it has been shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made.

9 “You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side the court shall have hangings of fine twined linen a hundred cubits long for one side. 10 Its twenty pillars and their twenty bases shall be of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. … 16 For the gate of the court there shall be a screen twenty cubits long, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. It shall have four pillars and with them four bases. 17 All the pillars around the court shall be filleted with silver. Their hooks shall be of silver, and their bases of bronze. …

20 “You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn. 21 In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the Lord. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel.

 

NOTE: In this section, we learn that the altar is bronze as are the utensils. Bronze is better for heat than gold. Surprisingly or not, the altar is carried too, not moved by a cart. The tabernacle courtyard hangings use fine linen with silver connectors, and is embroidered with needlework. And the last part is a requirement for the people to bring beaten olive oil for the lamp so that would always remain burning. This is the worship area, it is not the same as the tent with the Holy place and the Holy of Holies. People did not go into that tent, except God's servants, the priests. I think the point, at least then, was that people would understand that God was holy and we are not. The priests needed to be consecrated just to get into the first room.

 

The new covenant is different. Jesus is our perfect high priest. Jesus is our Passover lamb. Jesus allows us entrance into the Holy of Holies by his life and death. But in the same way, we need to maintain the idea of Holiness. God is Holy and we carry the righteousness of Jesus, but we should not be flippant about our access. He is our friend and our brother, but he still is the Holy God of the universe and the creator of all things. When we pray, we remember these things, and should always acknowledge our Holy God.

 

PONDER:

1. Am I flippant in my prayer times, by that I mean, do we take prayer too casually?

 

PRAYER: Father, you are Holy. You are God and I am not. As I pray during the day, help me to remember that truth. I enjoy my all day access, but I don't ever want to overlook your holiness.

QT 4/17/2026 Exo 26:1-37, We need to pray and DO

Exodus 26:30–37 (ESV) —

30 Then you shall erect the tabernacle according to the plan for it that you were shown on the mountain.

31 “And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it. 32 And you shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, with hooks of gold, on four bases of silver. 33 And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy. 34 You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the Most Holy Place. 35 And you shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand on the south side of the tabernacle opposite the table, and you shall put the table on the north side.

36 “You shall make a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. 37 And you shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia, and overlay them with gold. Their hooks shall be of gold, and you shall cast five bases of bronze for them.

 

NOTE: I skipped the commenting of the structure, a lot of pillars. At first it is hard to visualize how it all fit together (vss 1-29), but then I remembered and also read verse 30, there was a pattern, a model up on the mountain. Was it a doorway into heaven or just something God created on the spot to help Moses visualize? We don't know. If God could create, then why give instructions to build it. Actual there are multiple reasons / answers to that question. God has a habit of starting a work but always using people to do the work. I think, my small brain, sees that God values purpose. God gives meaning to life through work. In the case of ministry, God trained eleven men to take the gospel to the world. He could had done it differently, but he uses people to do the work. Israel needed to build that tabernacle. Israel needed to give to build the tabernacle. This example of a microcosm of truth in walking with God. I disagree with statements like "let go and trust God." I do believe that God gives the results, we must make the first steps. We have to DO something. But we also have to trust God for the results, the strength, and the help to make it happen. A phrase incorrectly ascribed to Ignatius (although it does capture the spirit of Ignatius):

 

“Pray as if everything depends on God and work as if everything depends on you”

 

PONDER:

1. It is good to pray for change in our character, but what are we doing to create change in our life?

 

PRAYER: Father, thank you for fifty-plus years of walking with you and learning this lesson. We need to DO and to PRAY, both are indispensable. Praying without doing is laziness. Doing without praying is prideful-ness.

QT 4/16/2026 Exo 25:31-40, The tabernacle reveals truths about God

Exodus 25:31–40 (ESV) —

31 “You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. 32 And there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; 33 three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. 34 And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers, 35 and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand. 36 Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. 37 You shall make seven lamps for it. And the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it. 38 Its tongs and their trays shall be of pure gold. 39 It shall be made, with all these utensils, out of a talent of pure gold. 40 And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.

 

NOTE: There are a lot of pictures and symbols that God uses to reveal something important to his people. I can't begin to point out the various meanings, so I will leave that to those who are interested. Douglas Stuart in his commentary on Exodus in the NAC (New American Commentary) set does a good job. If you think about it, the oil to light seven lamps would have made that one room the brightest in the entire encampment, a visual reminder of "God's home" in their midst. It also reminds the people, that God is here, just as when we see a light on in a home, we assume the person is there. In today's age, that is not always true as we tend to light up our homes even when we are away for security reasons.

 

While God gives a lot of detail, there is also an actual model up on the mountain, whether it is heaven or not, I do not know. Ultimately, Moses who sees the actual model will relay the information to Bezalel and other craftsmen. Since the design is somewhere else, we can conclude that the tabernacle was only a shadow or copy of the real thing, which scripture indicates repeatedly. Likewise, the temple too was not the real thing. There is something beyond this covenant in our heavenly home.

 

Jesus fulfills the law completely, and yet in the Millennial age, Ezekiel relates another temple. Why? In my mind, these things are like the sacraments of baptism and communion, they remind us of things that are extremely important. The feasts and the tabernacle worked similarly in the OT. God is our light. His word is our light. It leads us, guides us, and teaches us God's will. It is right before us. Our responsibility is to read it.

 

PONDER:

1. Is bible reading a DAILY part of my life routine? It is extremely important.

 

PRAYER: Father, thank you for these mornings of quiet to listen to your word and to hear you speak. Be gracious unto me today. Protect me as I travel with my daughter. Heal her body.

QT 4/15/2026 Exo 25:23–30, The word of God is the bible and the only source of truth for who God is

Exodus 25:23–30 (ESV) —

23 “You shall make a table of acacia wood. Two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 24 You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a molding of gold around it. 25 And you shall make a rim around it a handbreadth wide, and a molding of gold around the rim. 26 And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and fasten the rings to the four corners at its four legs. 27 Close to the frame the rings shall lie, as holders for the poles to carry the table. 28 You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with these. 29 And you shall make its plates and dishes for incense, and its flagons and bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold. 30 And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly.

 

NOTE: In the outer room of the tabernacle (as well as the table) are three pieces of furniture. A table for bread, an incense altar, and a candelabra. The priests could come to this room daily, but the room where the ark stood, only once a year by the high priest. This room was next to the ark and on the way to the ark, but separate from the ark. The three items remind us that God's word is our bread, prayers are the incense to God, and the light of God (his will) is what we seek in life.

 

In the prayer, Jesus taught, the prayer itself is the incense. We pray for daily bread (spiritual and physical) and we pray for his will to be done (on earth as it is in heaven).

 

The foundation is the bread, the word of God. Without his word we cannot survive spiritually. Without his word, there is no definition of God, and yet that is what most of the world does. They define God in terms that they accept, ignoring the word or parts of the word that bother them. They don't like that God calls homosexuality sin, or that God says marriage is only between a man and woman, or that God only defines two genders, male and female, or that God says that sex is reserved for the marriage bed.

 

Soon, all the evil in world will be judged by God. As Jesus says, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. You can already see some of it in society when people do not get their own way. There is so much violence and hatred of good.

 

How long O, Lord? How long before you come to judge us?

 

PONDER:

1. Where do I get my truth for who God is? It is not found in selected passages of the word but it is found in the whole word of God.

 

PRAYER: Father, we have passed so far away from you. We are so ugly. We are so deceitful. I pray for you to open our eyes to real truth, your truth. I pray we would stop fooling ourselves. I pray for Jesus to come soon.

QT 4/14/2026 Exo 25:10-22, Hearing God speak

Exodus 25:10–22 (ESV) —

10 “They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it. 12 You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. 13 You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. 15 The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. 16 And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you.

17 “You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. 18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. 20 The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. 21 And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. 22 There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.

 

NOTE: The first description of the tabernacle begins with the ark, the single most important piece because it represented the presence of God, it held the covenant documents, and access was limited. For Moses, it was accessible all throughout the exodus journey (verse 22), but for the High Priest, the room where the ark was stored was only visited once a year.

 

In the book of Hebrews, the author emphasizes how the new covenant REPLACES the old covenant by the very fact of so many changes. The key change is that Jesus is our high Priest, and yet he was never a Levite or related to Aaron (this would be a violation of the old covenant). Also, we can enter into God's presence at any time. There is no longer a need for daily sacrifices or a yearly trip into the Holy of Holies to cover our sins. In fact, in the new covenant our sins are taken away, paid for completely, and we are redeemed.

 

How should we respond? Well for one, do we take advantage of the incredible gift that was given to Moses? We can go into God's presence. We can meet with him in our quiet time and hear him speak to our heart. We can experience the peace of our salvation.

 

Find a quiet place. Get up early. Bring a cup of coffee. Read a short passage of scripture. Right down what you see in the passage, and right down what you hear God saying through that passage. Relax in his presence. I type my journal, but an old-fashioned notebook and pen works as good or better.

 

PONDER:

1. Moses was given a special gift in the desert, and yet we have the same gift in the new covenant -- do I meet with God each day in his word and prayer, and listen to him speak to my heart?

 

PRAYER: Lord, thank you for these moments of quiet to hear you speak, to comfort my heart, and to restore my spiritual strength. I pray for your protection in the day. I pray for physical strength to watch my grandchildren.

QT 4/13/2026 Exo 25:1-9, God's priorities for worship

Exodus 25:1–9 (ESV) —

1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me. 3 And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, 4 blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats’ hair, 5 tanned rams’ skins, goatskins, acacia wood, 6 oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 7 onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. 8 And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. 9 Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.

 

NOTE: An interesting point is that God begins his long discussion with Moses alone on the mountain with the preparation for worship and a place of worship. While I sort-of agree with many who argue that you don't need a place to worship, but can worship anywhere and in anything, we can't ignore God's importance that he places on a worship place by starting out with it. Also, God does not provide the resources for the worship place, but expects the worshippers to give toward a worship place.

 

It is always true that people are more faithful to things that cost them something than to things that were free. If you pay to go to a conference, you are more likely to show up than if someone else pays for you to go. The counter is that if you don't pay for someone to go to a conference (for example), they might not think it important enough for them to pay to attend.

 

The third thing is that there is a pattern in heaven for the worship place. So, even when God rules on earth during the millennial kingdom, there will still be a worship place. In fact, the book of Ezekiel spends a great deal of verbiage to describe this place.

 

So what does this mean for us?

 

1. Corporate worship in a corporate place is important to God and hence, important to our own souls.
2. Giving to corporate projects and ministries is important to God and hence, important to our own souls.
3. A building or place to worship is developed from a pattern in heaven. A special place for worship is good. Although worship includes every aspect of our life and what we do, there is also a time for special worship.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I realize that God wants us to worship corporately?
2. Do I separate myself from the fellowship because of hypocrites, not realizing that to a degree I am a hypocrite too?

 

PRAYER: Father, I have not always had a good view of the church body. I've repented many times for my attitude. But I do believe that we (the church) are to be a representative of you to the world. When a person touches the church, that person is touching Jesus. Continue to change us to be more like Jesus.

QT 4/10/2026 Exo 24:12-18, Waiting is really hard

Exodus 24:12–18 (ESV) —

12 The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” 13 So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. 14 And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute, let him go to them.”

15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17 Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18 Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

 

NOTE: This is a long time to be up on the mountain. I wonder what Joshua did. Could he hear the conversation? Did he write things down from afar? Only Moses is invited up after six days of waiting. And then it takes 40 days before Moses comes back down. If I'm honest, I would have struggled to wait that long. It really is a test of whether we believe God is trustworthy. It is hard to wait upon God, especially when we feel we need an answer now (or yesterday). I admit that I struggle with waiting as much as anyone. Lately, I've tried to turn things around. Whenever I see myself imagining a solution or dwelling upon it in my head, I stop, and I pray 1 Pet 5:7, casting all my anxieties upon him -- it helps. Also, praying regularly, throughout the day and every day for top things that I worry about has helped as well.

 

PONDER:

1. How are we doing waiting upon God?
2. Is it a lesson that we have to learn over and over again? Why?

 

PRAYER: Father, waiting is tough. I will never be good at it. But I believe in your goodness and your ultimate control. I trust you to do the best and I want your best, not my definition of best. Forgive for my lapses in trust. As a parent once said to Jesus, help my unbelief.

QT 4/9/2026 Exo 24:1-11, Remaining humble

Exodus 24:1–11 (ESV) —

1 Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. 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.”

3 Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.” 4 And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. 6 And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” 8 And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

9 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. 11 And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.

 

NOTE: This is a high point for Nadab and Abihu, unfortunately it will come to an end all too soon. God will take their lives for offering foreign fire. While their deaths are clouded in mystery, it would have to be a very serious issue for God to have responded as he did. Some speculate it has to do with drinking alcohol, because of a specific conversation God has with their father Aaron after the incident. At this point, I'm sure that there was a temptation to think of oneself as exalted - eating in the presence of God and seeing a floor of sapphire stone. There is always the danger of pride when a person undergoes a miraculous event or their name is lifted up.

 

What is the lesson? How do we protect ourselves from overwhelming pride that ultimately might result in an even greater fall? How do we maintain humility in times of great achievements? I'm not sure of the answer because I don't think I have done well in those situations. Certainly, preparing yourself mentally to be humble, living in humility, always treating every person (janitor to CEO) with the same respect and kindness -- these are all good ideas. But when the moment happens will we remember?

 

I used to travel first class a lot (I was getting upgraded quite a bit) and I never saw the seat any different from an economy seat. I was grateful. I did not expect any extra treatment. And I worked heart to be kind and appreciative to the stewardess's. I also had a lot of poor examples to see and remind me of what I do not want to look like. A congresswoman from Houston was a constant reminder of what I never want to look like. I guess a negative example had more of an impression on me in terms of what I don't want to be.

 

PONDER:

1. How do I respond to acclamation or praise?
2. What do I do to remember that it is not me, but God who is at work?

 

PRAYER: Twice now, I have had young men who sat down next me because "I was a spiritual giant" in their minds. Both times, I was not very kind because I was not what they thought, and I did not like it. But even in that case, I should have been kind. Forgive me for my ugly stupidity. I pray I would never be like that again.

QT 4/8/2026 Exo 23:20-33, Salvation is only by faith

Exodus 23:20–33 (ESV) —

20 “Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. 21 Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him.

22 “But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.

23 “When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out, 24 you shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces. 25 You shall serve the Lord your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you. 26 None shall miscarry or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. 27 I will send my terror before you and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. 28 And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you. 29 I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land. 31 And I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. 32 You shall make no covenant with them and their gods. 33 They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

 

NOTE: Even though God did drive out the inhabitants little by little over seven years, Israel failed to drive them completely out. And they did become a snare to Israel and caused them to seek the gods of the lands. They lost out on the blessings of the covenant because they failed to be obedient. That was the heart of the OT law, blessings for obedience, curses for disobedience. And the law showed all people that it was impossible to follow the OT law perfectly. All men fall short, and therefore we must turn to God in faith and believe that the heart is more important than the prescriptions. Funny, people today still think that good works, or more good than bad, will save them. It won't. The only thing that can save us is faith in Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sin by his death on the cross. Everything else fails. Only faith in Jesus saves.

 

PONDER:

1. What am I putting my faith in for eternity in heaven?

 

PRAYER: Father, there are so many things going on right now. I pray for you to lead and guide. I cast my anxieties upon you. I know you will do what is right and good.

QT 4/7/2026 Exo 23:14-19, Celebrations

Exodus 23:14–19 (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.

18 “You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the fat of my feast remain until the morning.

19 “The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God.

“You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.

 

NOTE: There are seven major feasts, but only three are required for the families to travel and participate. The feasts are spread across the year and correspond to Easter and Pentecost for the first two. The Feast of Ingathering or Booths is celebrated in the fall. This is the law for those under the old Covenant. Jesus fulfilled each of these feast on his first coming (4 of 7). I believe that the remaining three fall feast, Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Ingathering will be fulfilled with the second coming. I personally believe that the Rapture, the Tribulation, and the Wedding Feast will satisfy the remaining three. Of course, none of this has anything to do with how it applies to us today.

 

How does it apply? God, who made us, says feasts or as I might call it, celebrations, are good. We need the time to come together and celebrate what God has been doing.

 

PONDER:

1. When was the last time that I celebrated what God has been doing this year in a fellowship of others?

 

PRAYER: Father, we have a celebration planned for this Sunday. I pray you would lead and guide it. I pray for good attendance. I pray for your spirit to bless it. I pray that others would be encouraged in their walk with you.

QT 4/6/2026 Exo 23:10-13, Resting

Exodus 23:10–13 (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.

13 “Pay attention to all that I have said to you, and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips.

 

NOTE: As for the sabbatical years, the language does not suggest that you cannot rotate the seven years among your fields (which is not true for the year of Jubilee). Later, in the New Testament, Jesus corrects a misunderstanding about the Sabbath, that it was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. In other words, it is not a law unto itself, but rather it was for man's good since rest is good. It is not a law, as clearly laid out in passages such as Rom 14:5-6 and Col 2:16. Some, out of conviction, choose to observe and some don't -- it's no big deal. But it is good. Jesus said so to the Pharisees when he asked them rhetorically, is okay to do good on the Sabbath, or to rescue your animal from a ditch? Of course it is okay to do good. I have read a lot over the years on the Sabbath. It seems to be the thing for people to take "Sabbaticals" and study the Sabbath too. They usually return fully convinced on the need for a Sabbath. I partially agree, but what most people need is time alone with God, a day or half-day or weekend, taken quarterly. A time to rest and pray and hear God speak.

 

PONDER:

1. When is the last time you got away from the hustle and bustle of life to a quiet place and spent a day with God?

 

PRAYER: Father, this used to be my regular habit, to meet with you in quiet once a quarter. I pray for an opportunity to do so this year, once or twice in the last 8 months.

QT 4/3/2026 Exo 23:1-9, Understanding how important laws are to life

Exodus 23:1–9 (ESV) —

1 “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. 2 You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, 3 nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.

4 “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. 5 If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him.

6 “You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit. 7 Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked. 8 And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.

9 “You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

 

NOTE: Two things to note that relate to the arguments about illegal immigrants:

 

Verse 2-3: you shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.

Verse 9: You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

 

We are not to show partiality to a person who is poor or side with the many. What is wrong remains wrong no matter who does it or how many people think it is okay. If a person is in the country illegally; has not made their deportation hearings; or have committed a crime; they should be treated with justice and legally -- they are not entitled to special privileges. For a person who has entered legally, they should not be oppressed. But if they are trouble makers or commit crimes or encourage crimes, they can be arrested and even deported (oppressed).

 

There is a strange spirit in our country which is obsessed with one man and expresses (literally) demonic outrage over his actions. I believe that many of these people are oppressed by demonic spirits; have mental health problems; and are seriously searching for meaning in their broken lives. One  cannot even talk to them because they do not want to listen to truth. All we can do is pray that God wakes them up and gets their attention with truth, the hard truth, that they have a sin problem (like we all do) and they need to repent.

 

PONDER:

1. Am I guilty of perverting justice or truth for a cause?
2. Do I respect the law (Romans 13:1-7 and I Pet 2:13-17) and submit to the institutions God has allowed and instituted?

 

PRAYER: Father, my country is desperately in need of a savior and terribly lost. We no longer believe in truth and it is showing everywhere. I pray for the people caught up in Satan's lies. Open their eyes. Get their attention. I pray that they would repent of their sin and turn to Jesus.

QT 4/2/2026 Exo 22:16-31, Idolatry is even stronger today

Exodus 22:16–31 (ESV) —

16 “If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife. 17 If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride-price for virgins.

18 “You shall not permit a sorceress to live.

19 “Whoever lies with an animal shall be put to death.

20 “Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the Lord alone, shall be devoted to destruction.

21 “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. 22 You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, 24 and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

25 “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. 26 If ever you take your neighbor’s cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, 27 for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.

28 “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.

29 “You shall not delay to offer from the fullness of your harvest and from the outflow of your presses. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to me. 30 You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep: seven days it shall be with its mother; on the eighth day you shall give it to me.

31 “You shall be consecrated to me. Therefore you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.

 

NOTE: We should not forget that we are not under the law, but under grace. The law is intended to reveal sin and to separate the people of God from the nations around them. Verses 18-20 add three laws that brought the death penalty. Constable argues that they all involve idolatry. Witchcraft is attempt to override God's will. Intercourse with animals was practiced in the ancient near east and was associated with the worship of their false gods. Third, we can only offer sacrifices to the one true God.

 

We are more guilty of idolatry than we are willing to admit. It started in the garden when Eve (and Adam) were enticed to eat the forbidden fruit so that they could become "like God" choosing what is good and evil for themselves. We are there today. In areas of sexual activity, marriage, sexual relations -- we are telling ourselves what is good and evil. What God says is evil, many call good, and attack those who would speak up for truth.

 

PONDER:

1. Am I willing to accept God's definition of sin, or do I think a more modern definition is required?
2. Do I pervert the plain reading of scripture to justify sinful actions?

 

PRAYER: Lord, this is certainly not a popular thing to discuss in today's culture. But if your word is not the source of truth, then there is no truth at all. Help us to see that we must live according to truth, not what we want truth to be. We worship ourselves, we are the ultimate idol. Forgive us Lord.

QT 4/1/2026 Exo 22:1-15, True justice and true fairness

Exodus 22:2–4 (ESV) —

2 If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him, 3 but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him. He shall surely pay. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. 4 If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double.

 

NOTE: This would be a variation of our castle doctrine, that a man has a right to defend his home even to the point of killing the intruder. There is a difference though whether the crime occurs during the evening or the daytime. A person can still defend himself during the day, but if he kills the person, he is guilty of bloodguilt. In this case, family members do have a right to avenge or ask for compensation. But that case would have to be decided before God by a judge.

 

While much of the law sounds like Hammurabi's' Code of Laws, there are significant differences such as making restitution from the best of a person's field or vineyard. In God's law, certain infractions required payment, not necessarily death. Also borrowing something where the animal died or equipment was damaged required the borrower to be responsible. The previous code did not specify liability.

 

What does this mean to us today? There is justice and fairness required in our interactions with others. We have tendency to abuse this, seeing it only from our perspective, and not also from the perspective of the other party. In that sense, we are incredibly selfish. If we break something, we need to own our actions, and fix the situation. But our society has broken down so much, that we blame everything on the other party, and it is never our fault.

 

PONDER:

1. How do I respond when someone is injured to me or vice-a-versa? Do I see only myself or do I see the hurt to the other party?

 

PRAYER: Father, sin has made us so selfish, and it is only getting worse. We have an over-fascination with freedom, that is freedom that lets me do whatever I want irrespective of the hurt it brings others. We feel we can viciously attack police or ICE officers but they cannot touch us. How sick we are!

QT 3/31/2026 Exo 21:12-36, We need to stand up for truth with gentleness and respect to the hearer

Exodus 21:16 (ESV) —

16 “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.

 

NOTE: The passage is actually quite long. Our church publishes QT passages so that we can discuss them among ourselves. I chose only verse 16 because it fits well with my QT from yesterday (3/30/2026) on the value of people. Slavery, where people are bought and sold as commodities is clearly labeled as wrong, with the penalty of death to the slave trader.

 

Men and women are created in the image of God and that does not change based on an aspect of them. They are deserving of dignity and respect. That does not excuse behavior or mean their conduct is okay, but they deserve our compassion and love. So whether they are homosexuals or trans-people or same-sex married or drunkards or liars or gossips or children who do not obey their parents (Rom 1:24-32), they (and we) are all sinners. Only Jesus can rescue us from sin. A person who is born again will try to not sin. And will be successful at times. But just like Paul, at other times, we do the things we do not want to do.

 

But anyone who encourages sinful behavior, I have to wonder if the Holy Spirit resides in them. You can love the sinner without sacrificing gentleness, dignity, and respect for the person. The media seeks to portray Christian behavior as judgmental and unloving -- that is not a true Christianity. Yes, sin is sin, there is no excuse, but we need Jesus, whatever our sins are.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I realize that despite a person's sins, he or she deserves dignity?
2. When asked about the cultural issues of the day, do we say the truth or do we shrink back? We can still communicate truth in gentleness

 

PRAYER: Father, help me to be honest and communicate the word of God to people. I want to treat all people with dignity and respect, even for those whose sin I hate (such as same-sex couples raising an opposite sex child). I can still love them.

QT 3/30/2026 Exo 21:1-11, Treating people within the context of social contracts

Exodus 21:1–11 (ESV) —

1 “Now these are the rules that you shall set before them. 2 When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. 3 If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out alone. 5 But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ 6 then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.

7 “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. 8 If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her. 9 If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. 10 If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights. 11 And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.

 

NOTE: While the passage discusses slavery, the concept is much closer to a contractual employee with additional rights and responsibilities of the employer. The contracted employee (the slave) has the freedom to leave the agreement after a set number of years. He does not have to take a wife from the employer, but instead pursue that on his own. The assumption is that the women is probably also on a contract. He can't take her out without her fulfilling her contract, which could be a considerable cost for a man without a job. He could wait it out.

 

In the second case, a man sells his daughter (they arranged marriages) to another person either as a wife, or as a wife for the man's son. If sold as a wife, she had to had to be treated as a wife (same as if he already had a wife), and if she was sold to be the man's son's wife, she had to be treated as a daughter. The passage describes the procedures, it does not address the issue of what the daughter wanted. She was bound, as any women, to the marriage, if it occurred. But it doesn't say that she was without say in the agreement. These were days of arranged marriages, and so it is hard to put our head around the situation and the environment. Women needed a husband to survive, and for some women, this would have been a very good outcome.

 

What do we learn? God never supported slavery or the idea of people as commodities. There would laws in place to protect people. We are made in the image of God; we are not cattle that is bought and sold. The scripture is very much against slavery as practiced by all the nations of earth throughout history. Twice in Amos, he specifically calls out the practice

 

9 Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Tyre,

and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,

because they delivered up a whole people to Edom,

and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.

 

Both Tyre and Gaza are judged for selling a people group as slaves to other nations. They forgot that we are all brothers, even if not related by family or tribe, we are all made in the image of God.

 

PONDER:

1. How do we treat people?
2. Do we see ourselves better that other people groups?

 

PRAYER: Father, I pray that I would treat all groups with the same kindness and love I might treat a famous individual. People are people; and people are deserving of respect.