From the Mountaintop with God to the Valley of Sin - Exodus 31-33 and Matthew 22:1-22
Moses went from envisioning the Tabernacle where God would dwell with His people to seeing the Israelites worshiping a golden calf. The plans of fellowship with God were shattered by the sounds of sin. One moment God was telling Moses the men to construct the place of worship, and the next moment He was telling Moses that He was going to destroy all of people. This drastic turn around came about all because of sin. We are so susceptible to sin, but God hates it, and He will have nothing to do with it. When we sin, there must be atonement for sin, or we will be consumed by the anger of God against sin.
How was the atonement accomplished in Exodus 31-33. It came through Moses. It came because he found favor in God's eyes. It came because he interceded for his people. God heard his prayers from the tent of meeting. He relented of His anger. God accepted the prayers of His servant, Moses, and He decided to go with the Israelites to Canaan after all. The atonement did not come through anything sinful. It came through Moses, who was right with God. Then, it came to the people as they turned back to God.
In Matthew 22 we read about the anger of Jesus against sin. He told the parable of the wedding feast. He talked about killing the murderers and burning their city. He told them the man without the wedding garment was cast out into outer darkness. He called the Pharisees "hypocrites." All of these things show that Jesus hates sin, because He is God. He does not give a pass to anyone lightly.
How was the ultimate atonement accomplished? It came because the righteous God-Man, Jesus, died for us. It comes to those who turn back to God and put their total trust in Christ as Savior and Lord. Anyone else is cast into outer darkness, because God will not allow sin in His presence. He is holy. I pray that these passages will get us to consider the seriousness of sin and the atonement for sin.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Exodus 34-35 and Matthew 22:23-46.
How was the atonement accomplished in Exodus 31-33. It came through Moses. It came because he found favor in God's eyes. It came because he interceded for his people. God heard his prayers from the tent of meeting. He relented of His anger. God accepted the prayers of His servant, Moses, and He decided to go with the Israelites to Canaan after all. The atonement did not come through anything sinful. It came through Moses, who was right with God. Then, it came to the people as they turned back to God.
In Matthew 22 we read about the anger of Jesus against sin. He told the parable of the wedding feast. He talked about killing the murderers and burning their city. He told them the man without the wedding garment was cast out into outer darkness. He called the Pharisees "hypocrites." All of these things show that Jesus hates sin, because He is God. He does not give a pass to anyone lightly.
How was the ultimate atonement accomplished? It came because the righteous God-Man, Jesus, died for us. It comes to those who turn back to God and put their total trust in Christ as Savior and Lord. Anyone else is cast into outer darkness, because God will not allow sin in His presence. He is holy. I pray that these passages will get us to consider the seriousness of sin and the atonement for sin.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Exodus 34-35 and Matthew 22:23-46.