Women in the Word

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2/17/2015 12:26 pm  #1


Weekly Discussion: Exodus Chapters 31-35

Monday
Reading: Exodus 31
Optional GMG Discussion Question:
God gives each of His children gifts with which to serve Him. What gift has God blessed you with in order to serve Him? How are you using it today?

Tuesday
Reading: Exodus 32
Optional GMG Discussion Question:
The Israelites repeatedly turned away and forgot all of God’s workings in their lives. How do you ensure you don’t forget all that God has done for you?

Wednesday
Reading: Exodus 33
Optional GMG Discussion Question:
God’s grace is what Moses called upon following the Israelite’s sin. Share a time when you called upon (or simply received) God and His grace for yourself.

Thursday
Reading: Exodus 34
Optional GMG Discussion Question:
God’s children are called to live Godly lives, pursuing a life devoted to and living for Him. In what ways do you strive to ensure you’re faithfully living for the Lord?

Friday
Reading: Exodus 35
Optional GMG Discussion Question:
Our offerings are to be given from a willing heart, not because we’re required to give, but because we desire to give. How do you ensure your heart is willing to give back to the Lord from that which He has blessed you?

 

2/17/2015 12:34 pm  #2


Re: Weekly Discussion: Exodus Chapters 31-35

Exodus 31

Exodus 31:2-3
"See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship

This reminds me to remember that our talents and abilities have nothing to do with how great or special we are or our value. They are gifts that God has given for His purpose and it is not us or our ability, but the Spirit of God working in us. So, therefore, we should never have any reason to boast or be prideful but to simply respond as a servant doing the work of his master.

Exodus 31:13
"You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, 'Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you.

This shows how important it is to God to make a remembrance of His work in our lives and make a remembrance of our relationship with Him. It makes me think of communion, where Jesus says to do this in remembrance of Him.

This is a good reminder of the importance of making a point of commemorating God's work in our lives.

The importance of preserving a Godly line and a line of those who follow Him. It is easy to be drawn away from the Lord when they allow people who do not honor His statues to have intimacy with them. 

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2/17/2015 9:14 pm  #3


Re: Weekly Discussion: Exodus Chapters 31-35

Exodus 32

Scripture 32:1
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."

Observation
When they did not see God working they became afraid and turned to anything else to "save" them.

Application
Wow, we so easily judge Israel when reading this passage.  But, I realize we do the same thing when we don't see God working in a situation. We have waited so long that we are sure He is not going to come through. We forget all the amazing things He has done in our lives and all the ways He has worked in our lives.  We forget that He is even the source of our very salvation if nothing else.  We start looking for other things to help us and turn to things that are even displeasing to God in our attempt to find help.

Scripture 32:4
And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!"

Everybody needs someone or something to worship.  Some unbelievers think that they don't worship anything, but that is never true. People worship pleasure, self, others, acceptance, success, money, comfort.  Everybody serves a master.

Scripture 32:5
When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD."

Observation
My Bible notes pointed out that they were trying to worship the true God through idol worship. So instead of worship God as He had commanded, they wanted to worship Him according to how they wanted.

Application
We see this very frequently in our world today. People want to worship God on their own terms. Well, this is what is meaningful to me, or that does not work for me, etc. Instead of worship God according to how He has commanded. We even do ungodly and sinful things and justify that it is for God or that it will ultimately honor God.

Last edited by TBG (2/18/2015 5:21 pm)

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2/19/2015 2:21 am  #4


Re: Weekly Discussion: Exodus Chapters 31-35

Exodus 31

S - “Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. (‭Exodus‬ ‭31‬:‭2-3‬ NLT)

O - God gives us all special gifts along with wisdom.

A - how am I using my  gifts? Am I using my gifts?

p - God helps us to not only tap in and realize we all have special gifts you have created in us, but also for wisdom.

 

2/19/2015 2:31 am  #5


Re: Weekly Discussion: Exodus Chapters 31-35

Exodus 32

This chapter reminds me of how quickly we forget what God does for us that we will look up to something or someone to satisfy us, or hope in

Lord help us to have minds stayed on you, and to be aware of other gods we may be worshipping or giving esteem. Money, material things, acceptance, etc

 

2/19/2015 8:22 pm  #6


Re: Weekly Discussion: Exodus Chapters 31-35

Exodus 33 
2 I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
3 Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way."
14 The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
15 Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.
16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?"
17 And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name."
 
God went with the people of Israel, but God lives in us. Seeing God’s anger at their sin should remind us not to take sin in our lives lightly because God is living in us. This is such a daily spiritual battle. Staying in the Word and in prayer helps so much.
 
God told Moses that His presence would be with him, but that is not good enough for Moses. Moses intercedes for the people and ask that God’s presence would be with them as well.
 
How we really need to focus on truly interceding for and praying for people. I am not saying that we should pretend that sin is fine or act like it is OK to sin. But I am saying that maybe we can be so focused on dwelling on people’s sin instead of simply noting it and instead of dwelling spend earnest time in intercession on their behalf. I really see this as a call to redouble efforts in prayer.
 

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2/19/2015 8:44 pm  #7


Re: Weekly Discussion: Exodus Chapters 31-35

Exodus 34

Ok, one of my favorite verses from the Old Testament and probably the favorite one from the Pentateuch. I had been reading online and not in my physical Bible and did not realize that I was already upon this verse.
 
Scripture
Exodus 33:19

And he said, "I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name 'The LORD.' And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.

Exodus 34:5-8
Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed His name, the LORD. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation." Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped.

Application
This is God’s goodness and God proclaimed His name to be the compassionate, gracious God who is slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin yet not leaving the guilty unpunished.
 
Wow, that is who God is. The God of the Old Testament and the God of the new, the God of yesterday, today and forever. Completely loving and just to forgive yet also to keep justice and fairness by punishing wickedness. But through the Christ God took our punishment on Himself so that He can still be a righteous judge who executes justice by punishing the guilty while still being the infinitely loving God.

As Moses did, may we all stop and worship His person and His holiness.

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2/19/2015 8:46 pm  #8


Re: Weekly Discussion: Exodus Chapters 31-35

Exodus 34 Contd.

A lot in this chapter so this is a two part answer.

Scripture 34:12,15,16
12 Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you.
15 "Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices.
16 And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same.

 
Application
Thus the warning in the New Testament about not being unequally yolked. When we make close covenants, contracts and intertwine ourselves with unbelievers they will lead us astray.

Scripture 34:13-14
13 Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles.
14 Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.


Application
When we in our own lives allow the presence of sinful things or things that will be a snare to stay around our homes, on our computers, etc. They are snares to us. Verse 13

 

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2/19/2015 8:49 pm  #9


Re: Weekly Discussion: Exodus Chapters 31-35

Exodus 34 Cont. again

Ok, so a three part answer.

Scripture: Verses 29-35

Application
These verses talk about the radiant face of Moses.  We are supposed to radiate and reflect the person of God as well.

2 Corinthians 14-16,18
But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
 
People could not fully comprehend God’s message and purpose until the coming of Christ. Christ reveals God’s true will to us and allows us to have relationship with Him and to be in His presence. And we are to reflect His image and He transforms us more and more each day into His image.
 

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2/20/2015 10:02 am  #10


Re: Weekly Discussion: Exodus Chapters 31-35

Exodus 35 

Scripture
Verse 5: Take from among you a contribution to the LORD. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the LORD's contribution: gold, silver, and bronze;
 
Verse 21:  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.
 
Verse 29:  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.

Application
It is interesting how God wanted freewill offering from those whose hearts were moved out of generosity. This is a beautiful picture of how we should give. We should give with hearts of love and generosity. If our hearts to do stir us to give, we should ask why and is the Holy Spirit not working in us.
 
And not just money. A friend was excited one week because she finally had enough to give a dollar. That reminds me of the widow’s might. So we can give out of our poverty which is even more powerful.
 
But I am not saving what some teach that you give money you don’t have in the bank and God will magically make money appear, I am not saying that. I am just saying even someone in poverty can give from their heart although meager.
 
But also let’s not just focus on money but on giving of ourselves, our time, our love and our service.
 
Scripture 35:30-31
Then Moses said to the people of Israel, "See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;  and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship,
 
Observation
God called Uri and equipped him with the skills and resources he needed to accomplish God’s task under the direction of the Holy Spirit.
 
Application
We can strive so hard to do things in our own strength. And they may be good and Godly things and our motives may be pure. But we need to seek out what God has called us to do so that we can work in His strength and under His guidance. We need to seek out His will in: (1) the diligent and consistent reading of the Word, (2) diligent, ongoing, daily, unceasing prayer where we acknowledge God’s authority and headship, repent, petition, and yield our hearts,  and (3) Godly counsel.
 

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