God Speaks
The Merciful, Compassionate God Instructs His People; They Give Back to Him
Verse of the Day: [When Moses asked God to show him His glory, the LORD said,] “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” (Exodus 33:19 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
Reflection.
Consider the following questions regarding Exodus 33-35
> 1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
> 2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
Exodus 33
1. God is willing to meet with people who find favor in His sight.
2. Generally, people are stiff-necked and disobedient, but God will show mercy and compassion as He chooses.
Exodus 34
1. God is a God of second chances; for example He repeated His instructions and rewrote the commandments.
2. People who engage with God will radiate His glory as Moses did.
Exodus 35
1. God has arranged for people to take one day per week to focus on and rest in Him.
2. People are to willingly use their wealth, possessions and skills to further the work and worship of the LORD.
Prayer
> 3. How might I pray regarding Exodus 33-35?
Thank You, O LORD, for being so merciful and kind, compassionate and forgiving. You continue to care for, direct and provide for stiff-necked people (including me). Thank You also for leaders like Moses who intercede before You on our behalf. Please show all of us Your glory, LORD. May we see Your after-glow as he did. Write Your instructions on our hearts so that we will trust You more fully and obey You more completely. Do whatever is necessary to keep us away from other gods. May celebrating Your appointed feasts bring us a fuller awareness of what an awesome God You are. May our faces and lives radiate Your holiness so that the people around us are attracted to You. May we take the Sabbath seriously, resting, fellowshiping with You and communicating with other people. Put within our hearts a willingness to part with the wealth and possessions You have given us in order to further Your kingdom and worship. May everything we do bring You glory, LORD. AMEN
Action (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
> 4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Exodus 33-35? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will [in the power of the Spirit] act in compassion and mercy, longsuffering, unfailing love, faithfulness, forgiveness and true justice.
- I will pray on behalf of myself and my family, friends, community and nation to repent of our rebellious ways, to return to God and to humbly respond to His correction.
- I will plan my schedule so that I can celebrate Shabbat (Sabbath) by resting in and reflecting on the LORD who has chosen, created, and freed me.
- I will pray that every part of God’s kingdom will have more than enough to complete the tasks He has in mind.
Share
I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.