Month: September 2025

The Lord then gave these instructions to Moses. “Tell the people of Israel: ‘Be careful to keep My Sabbath day, for the Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy. You must keep the Sabbath day, for it is a holy day for you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; anyone who works on that day will be cut off from the community. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the Lord. Anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death. The people of Israel must keep the Sabbath day by observing it from generation to generation. This is a covenant obligation for all time. It is a permanent sign of My covenant with the people of Israel. For in six days, the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He stopped working as was refreshed.”

When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, written by the finger of God. (vv 2-18, NLT)

Then the Lord said to Moses, “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, expertise on all kinds of crafts. He is a master craftsman, expert working with gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in engraving and mounting stones and carving wood. He is a master at every craft!

And I have personally appointed Oholiab so of Ashismach, of the trive of Dan, to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special sill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make:

the Tabernacle; the Ark of the Covenant,; the Ark’s cover-placement of atonement; all the furnishings of the Tabernacle; all the furnishings of the Tabernacle; the table and its utensils; the pure gold lampstand with all its accessories; the incense altar; the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils; the washbasin with its stand; the beautifully stitched garments-the sacred garments for Aaron, the priest, and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests; the anointing oil; the fragrant incense for the Holy Place.

The craftsmen must make everything as I have commended you.” (vv 1-11, NLT)

Then Moses went down to the people and repeated all the instructions and regulations the Lord had given him. All the people answered with one voice, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded.” (v 3 NLT)

Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it aloud to the people. Again, they all responded, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded. We will obey.” (v 7 NLT)

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there, and I will give you tablets of stone on which I have inscribed the instructions and commands to you can teach the people.” So Moses ad his assistant, Joshua set out, and Moses climbed up the mountain of God. (vv 12-13, NLT)

Then Moses climbed up the mountain, and the cloud covered it. And the glory of the Lord settled down on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day, the Lord called Moses from inside the cloud. To the Israelites at the foot of the mountain, the glory of the Lord appeared at the summit like a consuming fire. Then Moses disappeared into the cloud as he climbed higher up on the mountain. He remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights. (vv 15-18, NLT)

“See, I am sending you an angel before you to protect you and your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you. Pay close attention to him, and obey his instructions. Do not rebel against him, for he is My representative, and he will not forgive your rebellion. But if you are careful to obey him, the I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will oppose those who oppose you. For my angel will go before you and bring you to the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, so that you many live there. And I will destroy them completely. You must not worship the gods of these nations or serve them in any way or imitate their evil practices. Instead, you must utterly destroy them and smash their sacred pillars.”

“You must serve only the Lord you God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness. There will be no more miscarriages or infertility in your land, and I will give you long, full lives.” (vv. 20-26, NLT)

The. God gave the people all these instructions:

“I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.

You must not have any other god but Me.
You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens, or on earth, or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord you God, am a jealous God who not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected-even the children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject Me. But I will lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love Me and obey My commands.

You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse His name.

Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day, no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, you livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days, the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day, He rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

You must not murder.
You must not commit adultery.
You must not steal.
You must ot testify falsely against your neighbor.
Yo must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”

When the people heard the thunder and loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear.

And they said to Moses, “You speak to us and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die.”

“Don’t be afraid,” Moses answered them, “for God has come in this way to test you and so that your fear of Him will keep you from sinning.” As the people stood in the distance, Moses approached the dark cloud where God was.”
(vv. 1-21, NLT)

On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down alongside the mountain. There was a loud, blast from a ram’s horn, and all the people trembled. Moses led them out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had descended down on in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently. As the blast of the ram’s horn grew louder, Moses spoke, and God thundered His reply, “The Lord came down on the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses climbed the mountain.

The Lord said to Moses, “Go back down and warn the people not to break through the boundaries to see the Lord, or they will die. Even the priests who regularly come near to the Lord must purify themselves so that the Lord does not break out and destroy them.”

“But Lord,” Moses protested, “the people cannot come up to Mount Sinai. You already warned us. You told me , ‘Mark off a boundary all around the mountain to set it apart as holy.'”

But the Lord said, “Go down and bring Aaron back with you. In the meantime, do not let the priests or the people break through to approach the Lord, or He will break down and destroy them.”

So Moses went down to the people and told them what the Lord had said. (vv. 16-25, NLT)

Moses told the Lord what the people had said. Then the Lord told Moses, “Go down and prepare the people for My arrival. Consecrate them today and tomorrow, and have them wash their clothing. Be sure they are ready on the third day, for on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai as all the people watch. Mark off a boundary around all the mountain. Warn the people, ‘Be careful! Do not go upon the mountain or even touch its boundaries. Anyone who touches the mountain will certainly be put to death. No hand may touch the person or animal that crosses the boundary; instead, stone them or shoot them with arrows. They must be put to death.’ However, when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, then the people may go up on the mountain.” (vv. 9b-13, NLT)

Exactly two months after the Israelites left Egypt, they arrived in the wilderness of Sinai. After breaking camp at Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and set up camp there at the base of Mount Sinai.

Then Moses climbed up the mountain to appear before God.The Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “Give these instructions to the family of Jacob; announce it to the descendants of Israel: ‘You have see what I did to the Egyptians. you know how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. No if you will obey Me and keep My covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples of the earth; for all the earth belongs to Me. And you will be My kingdom of priests, My holy nation.’ This is the message you must give to the people of Israel.

So Moses returned from the mountain and called together the elders of the people and told them everything the Lord had commanded him. And all the people said, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded.” So Moses brought the people’s answer back to God.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will come to you in a thick cloud, Moses, so the people themselves can hear Me when I speak with you. Then they will always trust you.” (vv. 1-9a, NLT)

The next day, Moses took his seat to hear the people’s disputes against each other. They waited before him from morning till evening.

When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What are you really accomplishing here? Why are you trying to do all this alone while everyone stands around you from morning till evening?”

Moses replied, “Because the people come to me to get a ruling from God. When a dispute arises, they come to me, and I am the one who settles the case between the quarreling parties. In in form the people of God’s decrees and give the His instructions.” (vv 13-16, NLT)

Moses listened to his father-in-law’s advise and followed his suggestions. He chose capable men from all over Israel and appointed them as leaders over the people. He put then in charges of groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. These men were always available to solve the people’s common disputes. They brought the major cases to Moses, but they took car of the smaller matters themselves.

Soon after this, Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law, who returned to his own land. (vv. 24-27, NLT)_

Jethro had send a message to Moss, saying, “I, Jethro, your father-in-law, am coming to see you with your wife and two sons.”

So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law. He bowed low and kissed him. They asked about each other’s welfare and then went into Moses’s tent. Moses told his father-in-law everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and Egypt on the behalf of Israel. He also told about all the hardships they had experienced along the way and how the Lord had rescued his people from all their troubles. Jethro was delighted when he heard all the good things the Lord had done for Israel as he rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians.

“Praise the Lord,” Jethro said, “for He has rescued you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh. Yes, He has rescued Israel from the powerful hand of Egypt! I know now that theLord is greater than all other gods, because He rescued His people from the oppression of the proud Egyptians.”

Then Jethro, Moses father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God. Aaron and all the elders of Israel came out and joined him in the sacrificial meal in God’s presence. (vv. 6-12, NLT)