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.

QT 3/27/2026 Exo 20:18-26, Be careful out there

Exodus 20:18–26 (ESV) —

18 Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off 19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” 21 The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

22 And the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven. 23 You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. 24 An altar of earth you shall make for me and 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. 25 If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it. 26 And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.’

 

NOTE: I think the key theme in this passage is fear. And the fear is not just respect for God, but a very healthy respect for his power and his holiness. When I say Holiness, I have in my mind, his hatred / anger at sin, his absolute purity, and his justice. God will not let sin go unpunished. Now, Jesus has taken the punishment for sin upon himself. But God's discipline as a Father to his sons is not to be so easily dismissed. We need to be very careful how we walk.

 

Ephesians 5:15–16 (ESV) — 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Psalm 119:9 (ESV) — How can a young man keep his way pure?

By guarding it according to your word.

Romans 13:13 (ESV) — Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.

 

We carry God's name on our person. It is much like our surname. What we do affects others. Sometimes the world attacks our good name with lies and accusations. Sometimes, those accusations are true. We need to pray daily that we do not fall into Satan's trap.

 

PONDER:

1. Am I walking wisely or am I skirting corners?
2. Do I fear the damage I might to do to the name of God for certain sins?

 

PRAYER: Father, protect me from the devil's evil schemes. Protect me. Keep me from his grasp. He is a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. I need your grace and your mercy and your protection.

QT 3/26/2026 Exo 20:1–17, The missing commandment

Exodus 20:1–17 (ESV) —

1 And 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 a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of 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 hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For 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 long in the land that the Lord your God is giving 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 is your neighbor’s.”

 

NOTE: These are the ten commandments. This is the first time God gives them and he speaks them in the hearing of all the people. The people's response to hearing God's commands is to let Moses do all the hearing from God lest they die (Exo 20:19). Jesus also reiterates all the ten commandments during his ministry but one, the Sabbath. In fact, the three instances where the Sabbath (which is Fri sunset to Sat sunset) comes up, Jesus scolds the people for how they implement it, and he never commands the Sabbath to his disciples.

So is the Sabbath required for believers? A lot of people will point to pre-law as an argument for the Sabbath, such as God resting on the seventh day. But pre-law does not make the Sabbath part of the law of Christ. There is law in the NT, but it is the things that Jesus commands.

 

Galatians 6:2 (ESV) — Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

 

Having said all that, I think the Sabbath is a good thing, especially in a day and age where stress probably causes more health problems than at any time in human history. Surprisingly, life is easier and safer, but our "screens" and pace of life has made life more stressful. We need rest, and the idea of a Sabbath or a day of rest can be a good thing -- BUT, it is not a law -- which is where the Pharisees got it wrong.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I take regular rests to recharge my batteries?
2. Do I live by rules or be the spirit of the New Covenant law?

Romans 13:8–10 (ESV) — 8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

 

PRAYER: Lord, we are to love people, not follow rules without any heart. Forgive us for dogmatic lifestyles that do not present the love of Christ to others. Help us to live in a spirit of true love, not fake or showy love.

QT 3/25/2026 Exo 19:1-25, Not everyone is a child of God

Exodus 19:5–6 (ESV) —

5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

 

NOTE: When God says that all the earth is mine, he rules out all other gods. There is one God, there are no others. He offers to Israel to become his children. Being born does not make a person a child of God. We are not all children of God. We are made in the image of God, but we are not part of his family. He does own us because he made us, but we have no right to God for life, or for that matter justice or fairness on earth. We are made by God, he can do as he pleases with us. But for some, he allows them to become a part of his family. He offers that promise to Israel here, and he offers that today to those who will believe in the name of the Son of God, Jesus -- we are then adopted into his family. A lot of people think they are children of God but they will be sorely disappointed upon death.

 

Matthew 7:21–23 (ESV) — 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

 

The will of the Father in heaven is to believe on the name of Jesus.

 

John 6:29 (ESV) — Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

John 6:40 (ESV) — For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

 

PONDER:

1. Do I really know Jesus or am I just playing a game called church?
2. Have I experienced a new birth that comes with believing upon Jesus?

 

PRAYER: Father, there are many out there who call themselves Christians, but it is only a ritual or a tradition, they do not know you. I pray that you would open their blinded eyes and they would repent and turn to you.

QT 3/24/2026 Exo 18:13-27, The answer lies in God's rule

Exodus 18:13–27 (ESV) —

13 The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. 14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?” 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; 16 when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.” 17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. 19 Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, 20 and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. 21 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”

24 So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 26 And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. 27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went away to his own country.

 

NOTE: I believe Jethro's advice was very good for a couple of reasons. One reason is what Jethro said, you will be worn out. A court system where easier cases are decide at a lower level is wise. Choosing godly men is wise (our system does not choose godly men). The second reason is that power, in time, goes to the head. A person becomes puffed up with too much power. I am not saying that would have happened to Moses, but it was a danger. In the least case, he would have become a workaholic with no time for his family.

 

Another question is why does this advice come from Jethro and not from God? God gives a list of commands and instructions but God does not prescribe government, that I am aware. God assumes a theocracy in his commands but he also gives commands for a monarchy, not prescribing a monarchy but rather, if and when, this is what a king needs to do. So, Jethro's opinion is really a government function and idea.

 

There is no perfect government until God rules upon the earth. Democracy is not good. Our version which is not democracy but a constitutional republic with representative institutions is failing. The only good government will be when God rules completely.

 

PONDER:

1. So I see politics as the answer to our world problems or do I see God's rule?
2. Where do I place my hope? In institutions, political parties, or changed hearts?

 

PRAYER: Father, I so look forward to your rule on earth. This world is falling apart, and it must break your heart. I pray for a good witness so that people would see Jesus in me.

QT 3/23/2026 Exo 18:1-9, Family responsibilities

Exodus 18:1–9 (ESV) —

1 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. 2 Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her home, 3 along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land”), 4 and the name of the other, Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”). 5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God. 6 And when he sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,” 7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. 8 Then Moses 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 come upon them in the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. 9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the Lord had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.

 

NOTE: I believe that Moses prudently chose to keep his wife and sons back during the upcoming conflict with Pharaoh. I think that they could have been used as a weapon against him during the period of the plagues, and so he wisely leaves them with his father-in-law. I don’t believe that they were separated, and nothing in the greeting would suggest otherwise. Once again, prudence and trust are integrated. It does not have to be one or the other. Someone might argue that Moses should trust God to protect his family, but I disagree. There would have been a lot of pressure placed on her by the people because of the pushback to the plagues early on. Also, her Midianite status may have been used against her. The simplest solution was to keep Zipporah back to protect her emotionally and physically from both the Egyptians and the discontented Jews. Similarly I would argue that the boys could have been also affected, but mostly, I think it was done for Zipporah's sake.

 

PONDER:

1. Protecting your family is an important responsibility for parents, and especially for the the husband. It is not a lack of trust. Does my family see me as a protector?

 

PRAYER: Father, today, life is both easier and in a way harder. The dangers of physical attack, at least in most places is low, but the danger of stress (just as deadly in the long term) is much higher. Give us ideas and wisdom on how to reduce the stress in the family. Teach us how to rest. Teach us how to protect our children (not enable, but protect).