Day 37—  We are in the second month! We’ve been reading for a 1/12 of a year! Praise God! I hope that it’s become a GOOD habit that will continue.

   Day 37 – Exodus 22-24  (Laws for right living, conquest promised, people’s response)

In these chapters, God is giving Moses basic laws for living together justly and happily. Remember there are 2 million or so people now all clustered together with all their animals, living in tents in the desert. “Be nice and fair!” are basically what these laws are saying. “And here are the penalties if you don’t.” (Chapter 22)

Chapter 23 continues with a few more rules, and then clarifies more on what the Sabbath Rest means for them, particularly when they get to the Promised Land. Three obligatory festivals are mentioned; Unleavened Bread (which they alredy know), Feast of Harvest (Pentacost, 50 days later) and finally in the fall, Feast of Ingathering.

God then reafirms His presence with them when they enter the Promised Land and in the conquering of Canaan. He also warns them to HAVE NO COVENANT WITH THE PAGAN PEOPLE TO WORSHIP THEIR GODS.

In Chapter 24 Moses tells all the words and rules of the LORD to the people and “with one voice” they affirm, “All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do.”  Moses writes down all the words of the LORD, then builds an alter of 12 stones (one for each tribe of Israel), sacrifices and again reads the words of God. The people (now the THIRD time) affirm, “We will be obedient.”

Then God calls Moses up to Mt Sinai to give him the “Tablets of Stone” (Israel’s constitution, so to speak). His assistant, Joshua goes part way up with him. And a cloud covers them and the firey glory of the Lord shines out.

This will be Israel’s first test of obedience. No one knows at this point that Moses will be gone for 40 days.