In this scripture reading I’m reminded of the great glory and awe with which we should approach the Lord.  These passages go into great detail about how Moses was to set up of the Tabernacle and all that was in it.  The Lord set apart Aaron and his sons as priests.  They were to wash in a certain way and wear special garments when they were in the Tent.  The best craftsmen and artisans from among the people were called up to make the Tabernacle, the Ark, the Table,  and the Lampstand.  What a great reminder of the awe with which we ought to approach God.  Though He is a personal God and He wants a relationship with us – He is still God.  He is awesome and full of glory and we are human and simply not God.  Exodus 29:46b makes it clear when God says, “I am the LORD their God.”  It’s as simple as that.

Today is Sunday…it’s the Lord’s day.  It is in these passages of scripture that we hear for the first time that the seventh day is to be a day of rest.  These are the passages where we see the LORD beginning to teach Moses about the law and giving the people boundaries for living with each other and for worshiping him.  It’s amazing to me how much the LORD did for the Israelites.  He gave them food to eat (the quail & the manna) he provided leadership for them (Moses & Aaron), he gave them everything they needed.

The Sunday School lesson today is about obedience.  It’s based on Mark 12:28-31 where Jesus tells his disciples and the scribes that the two greatest commandments are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength…and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself.  It’s awesome how the scripture reading for today and the Sunday School lesson connect.  This whole section of Exodus is about the LORD providing for all of the people’s needs, but simply asking them to obey him, worship him, and stay within the boundaries of the law.  It’s here in these verses that the foundation for our way of life begins – for our laws and our civilization.

Today’s passage of scripture begins with the story of the Israelites in Egypt and the birth of Moses and ends with the Israelites singing a song of praise after they are freed from bondage.  This one of the greatest stories in all of scripture and it’s the story that children learn in Sunday School and VBS.  As a child I read the passages and learned about the plagues – but never grasped the true weight of what each of these did to the Egyptians.  God was truly with the Israelites just as he said he would be.  My favorite part of this sections of scripture is in Exodus 14:13-14 when the Israelites are on their run across the Red Sea and turn back to see the Egyptians coming after them.  Just as the Israelites begin to worry and doubt, Moses says these words, “Do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today.  The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.  The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”