Read: Exodus 34:1-35:9; Matthew 27:15-31: Psalm 33:12-22; Proverbs 9:1-6
God called Moses back up the mountain to rewrite the commandments on stone tablets. God came down and stood before Moses and proclaimed who he was. He was the Lord, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. He does not let the guilty get away with their sin, but punishes them to the third and fourth generation.
He promised to do miracles for them that no nation had ever seen before. He would drive out their enemies before them. But, they were never to make a treaty with them, attend their sacrifices or intermarry with them. They were to break down and smash the enemies’ altars of worship.
The first born their wombs and their animals would be the Lord’s. The donkey was to be redeemed with a lamb. The donkey stood for the stiff-necked and stubborn which was a description God gave of this people. If they didn’t redeem the donkey with a lamb, they were to break its neck. In other words, redemption can come easy or hard depending on their will.
They were to celebrate the three feast seasons and God would protect their fields while they celebrated to Him.
God said this command several times so I want to talk about it: “Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.” We do this all the time. This is expecting a child to act just like its mother and condemning the child because it came from the mother. We cook them both in the same pot. They are individuals and we cannot curse the child because the mother is cursed.
Moses came down wearing the glory of God on his face. He had to cover his face while speaking to the people because they couldn’t bear the glory of God. Stephen wore this same glory as he was being stoned in the New Testament.
We can wear this glory if we are willing to spend time with God. We will wear this glory in the days ahead which will mark us.
The devil always copies what God does because he has no creativity of his own. The Romans had a custom, like the Jews where they would let a person go free. God called it the scapegoat. Barabbas means “son of father”. Satan’s son went free while God’s son bore the penalty for all of the sons of sin so that they might become sons of righteousness. We are like Barabbas that went free because Jesus payed our debt.
Pilate was one of the inspectors of the lamb who pronounced him unblemished and innocent. The crowd’s deception and sin won.
They dressed Jesus in a scarlet robe and a twisted thorned crown. They put a staff in his hand and bowed before him mocking him as the king of the Jews. They spit on him and hit him on the head driving the thorns into his skin. They then took the things away from him and put his old clothes back on him and led him to be crucified. You can see the hatred of Satan who was reveling in his moment. Satan’s victory only lasted three days.
Lord, it is hard to read about your crucifixion and not be sickened at the fact that we all crucified you. Thank you for your life that you laid down so that we might live in joy and freedom. We are eternally grateful.
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