Focus 2024: Week 4
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January 21, 2024
January 22nd: What Went Wrong?
Scripture Reading: Exodus 32: “When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, ’Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’”
So What:
God has given His covenant to His people, and all of Israel has heard from the Lord. Moses has met with the Lord on the mountain and gotten clarification about what all this means – The ten commandments (along with several other cultural rules handed to Israel) are given to help them understand what God is calling them to do.
And nearly immediately after all of this happens, Moses goes back up the mountain to meet with the Lord, and the people begin to get antsy. They wonder if he’s even coming back down, and, in his absence, decide to make their own gods to lead them forward.
They gather the jewelry they ransomed from Egypt (when God rescued them), and build their own (lower case) god. Moses returns, enraged, and Aaron (like Adam in the garden) blames someone else. The idol is destroyed, God’s people experience consequences, and God, in his kindness, doesn’t destroy Israel entirely.
Now What:
As much as it’s easy to look at Israel at this point and think, “These guys are ridiculous. We could never be like them”, it’s not entirely true. While we might not be making golden calves in our living room, we too get distracted by ridiculous idols in our lives.
The problem isn’t merely that we’ll be spiritually unhealthy (which is true), but that we miss out on what God is calling us to do. Israel should have been prayerfully waiting for direction from the Lord, walking in unity towards His calling. Instead, they got sidetracked by abhorrent idols that led them away from God’s will for their lives.
Even things that are good and wonderful can quickly become idols in our lives. Our job, our possessions, a hobby, even our children or spouse. While these aren’t bad, if they divert our attention away from the Lord, and take a place of higher importance, we’ve allowed them to become idols. It begs the question for us; What idols are in our hearts that keep us from immediately submitting to God’s will for our lives?
Questions to Consider:
What areas of a person’s life are most likely to lure them away from God’s will? How have you seen this play out personally?
Moses sought God’s forgiveness once he realized what the people had done. What idols are in your heart currently that you need to take before the Lord?
January 23rd: What’s the Point?
Scripture Reading: Exodus 25:1-22: “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.”
So What:
In the middle of all that has happened with Israel, God gives them a tangible reminder of His Presence. He leads them to begin construction of a tabernacle and the ark of the covenant.
The Lord said to Moses, “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.”
In every high and low that Israel will encounter in the near future (and there will be many), God wants them to be reminded of His Presence and what He’s done.
It’s more than a reminder in this case though. God promises that He will actually meet with Israel there, and “speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.”
What an incredible promise.
Now What:
As a follower of Christ, it’s worth asking; What are we really after? What’s the point? In other words, what’s the thing we want in our walk with the Lord? Is it perfect obedience? A life filled with blessing? An easy path?
Israel got to experience what we’re really after: God’s presence and being able to clearly hear from the Lord.
But the great news is that we still have an opportunity to experience God’s goodness. Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit to indwell His People (us), His Word so that we can directly hear from Him, and His People to help us get clarity and wisdom around what we’re hearing.
Often though, instead of leaning into the ways that we can hear directly from God, we’ll spend our days checked out, numbed out, or too busy to stop and hear from the One who truly matters.
There’s nothing worth trading for that experience.
Today, you can approach God and hear from Him, because of what He’s done for us.
Questions to Consider:
What have you seen get in the way of hearing from the Lord in your own life?
What can you do today to get into God’s presence and hear from Him?
January 24th: What’s God’s Presence Like?
Scripture Reading: Exodus 33:7-11: "Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.”
So What:
Here, we see what it’s like to be in the presence of God. Moses disappears from camp, and goes into solitude. When there, he meets with God, in the appropriately named, “tent of meeting.”
It’s here that we see two incredible aspects of God clearly displayed. Power and friendship.
“When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses.”
God doesn’t choose to appear merely as a “mysterious force.” Rather, in power, God shows up in a pillar of cloud that descends onto the tent before meeting with Moses.
In that power though, God doesn’t remain at a distance or continue to be an unknowable force; Rather, “the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.”
Now What:
Yesterday, we focused on God’s presence, and how that is the most important thing we can be after. But as you pursue God, it’s important to consider how you think about Him.
God is both the most powerful entity in existence, and someone who cares about you deeply.
As you seek His presence, the knowledge, both of his love for you and his incredible strength should change the way we communicate with Him.
It should lead us into worship and reverence, knowing He’s the reigning sovereign over all things and all time. It should also lead us into authenticity, hope, and joy, as we recognize that the One who is over everything loves us deeply, forever, and has a plan for our future.
Questions to Consider:
AW Tozer (a theologian) once wrote: “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” What attributes and characteristics come to mind when you think about God? Can you identify those in Scripture?
How does knowing God is in control and all-powerful change your prayer life? How does his love for you change your prayer life?
January 25th: What is Redemption?
Scripture Reading: Exodus 34: “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.”
So What:
During these 25 days, you’ve seen a lot of Israel’s mistakes. You’ve seen Moses doubt. You’ve seen Israel choose themselves, and choose their own path over what God has for them. You’ve seen idols created and worshiped instead of God. And you’ve seen men and women fail over and over again to remember who their true provider is Egypt and the wilderness.
But here, after the painful golden calf experience, we see things being made new, and being restored. New tablets are made, and the covenant is restored.
In verse 10, we read:
“And he said, ‘Behold, I am making a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been created in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord, for it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.’”
God is making all things new again. Moses, having met with the Lord and experienced God’s glory, comes down the mountain with his face literally shining in the darkness.
Now What:
This is the redemption that we’re promised in Christ. God wants to make all things new in our lives. If you’ve made it this far into the devotional, and haven’t yet asked God to come in and make your life brand new, today is an incredible day to make that decision.
God wants to come in and restore what’s been broken in you and by you.
Where you have sin, God can bring forgiveness. Where you have broken relationships, God wants to bring healing.
The death of Jesus (and his resurrection) mean that we have access to God’s forgiveness forever, and He’s inviting us to take hold of the gift He’s given us and experience life transformation.
Questions to Consider:
Have you asked God to make your life brand new in Him? Today, you can ask God for forgiveness and trust Him as your Lord and Savior.
As we move forward as a church into a new place, and as you enter into a new season (and year), who has God placed in your life that needs to hear this good news?
January 26th: What Do We Do Now?
Scripture Reading: Exodus 35:4-29: “Then all the congregation of the people of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord's contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments.”
So What:
Israel has experienced redemption, and the covenant has been renewed. Now it’s time to get to work! People are invited into generosity as they build the tabernacle, and even into the task itself.
“Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the Lord has commanded”
Here, we see the people of God working in unity to accomplish all that God has set them towards. They give generously to the task ahead – not only with their possessions (as seen in verses 6 and 7, gold, silver, and bronze; blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; goats' hair, tanned rams' skins, and goatskins etc.), but with their time.
Craftsmen of every trade show up to do the work that God has commanded them to accomplish regarding the Tabernacle.
The best part: They don’t give out of compulsion or out of a desire to please others around them. Rather, in verse 29, we read that “All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord.”
Now What:
God has given us each gifts, time, talents, relationships, and finances. As we consider these, it’s good to remind ourselves that each is a gift from God, and not something that we’ve accomplished on our own. Anything we give to God, is really just giving back to the Lord what He blessed us with.
The question: What will we do with God’s good gifts?
On a personal level, are you managing wisely what God has given you? Are you using it for His glory?
Is your family using what God has given you well?
As we consider the upcoming church plant as a church family, it’s important to also consider this; How is God calling you to use what He’s given you to advance His Kingdom through what our church is doing?
Questions to Consider:
As you read through today, is there anything God placed on your heart about managing your time or resources differently for his glory, individually or for your family? How is what you’re doing currently working out?
How is God calling you to partner with our church as we move towards this brand new church plant? Is he calling you to share your time, money, resources, or presence in any capacity? How so?
January 27th: How Did it End?
Scripture Reading: Exodus 40: “Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.”
So What:
At the end of the book of Exodus, so much has changed. The Israelites, once enslaved in Egypt, are free. Far from God, they have been brought close and get to experience his presence. Once living in ignorance of God’s calling on their lives, they’ve received clarity, wisdom, and leadership.
Moses has gone from a fearful and doubting man, to a (mostly) wonderful leader who follows God before listening to any other voices.
And God, who because of the Fall, had to send His people out of His presence, is now with His people in the freshly built tabernacle, where He is there to lead His people through whatever comes next.
Now What:
If you were reading the book of Exodus for the first time (and didn’t know the story), you probably had no idea where this was headed. How on earth could all of God’s promises of freedom and hope be fulfilled by the end of these 40 chapters?
You may feel like you’re in the middle of a mess right now.
It’s the beginning of the year, and you have no idea what your future holds.
But the Lord, in His kindness, has an incredible purpose for you this year, and will be with you each day through His Word, His Spirit, and His people.
Like Israel, we don’t know the next chapter of our story, but unlike Israel, we know the ending. God will be faithful to fulfill his promises, care for His people, and continue to redeem and free us from the shackles we place in our lives. In Christ, we have a hope, a future, and our salvation is guaranteed, now and forever.
Questions to Consider:
Having now read through most of the book of Exodus (or entirely for some of you!), what themes stood out to you? What do you need to remember that God did in this section of scripture?
What areas of your future do you need to go to the Lord and ask for wisdom and grace in currently? Do so!
January 28th: How to Leave well.
Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 34: “Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated. And the people of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended. And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.”
So What:
Yes, we’re still going for one more day, even though Exodus wrapped up yesterday!
Remember the bonus features on DVDs back in the day? This is like that.
Because the Bible is bigger than the book of Exodus, we get an in-depth look into the transfer of leadership that happens at Moses’ death. Moses heads up to Mount Nebo, and God shows Him the Promised Land, finally.
At the very end of his life, Moses will get to see (though not enter) all of the promises that God made to him, and to Israel. As Moses is passing the torch, we get to experience the first-hand perspective of the legacy Moses left behind.
“And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.”
Now What:
Moses ended his life so admirably. He was faithful to the end. Vigorous in all of his ways. Remarkable in his spiritual legacy, and in how he led the people God entrusted to him. In the end though, it all comes down to what Moses left behind.
He impacted a life behind him generationally (Joshua) and set him up to continue to faithfully lead God’s people. He led his people to the Promised Land. And he helped build God’s tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant.
While he was not a perfect man, in many ways, we get to look to Moses as someone to follow as they follow God.
The question for us, as we consider all that Moses left behind is this: What will our legacy be at the end of our days? How will we be remembered?
Questions to Consider:
When you are remembered at the end of your life, what are things you would like to be remembered for? What would you like your legacy to be? What about spiritually?
What are you doing to accomplish that legacy? What steps do you need to take to get there?
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