Psalm 22:1

This was written 1,000 years before Jesus

was crucified. King David saw

it in the future.

Stop Giving

Imagine a pastor asking his congregation to support a particular godly project and the people responding so strongly in their giving that the pastor had to ask them to stop giving! Have you ever heard of a pastor doing that?

But this is exactly what happened in Exodus 35-36. Moses asked the people to give of their possessions for the making of the tabernacle and the clothes of the priests. He asked them to give willingly and from the heart. They were so stirred up with giving that Moses had to restrain them from giving, Exodus 36:6. Their giving was not out of conformity, fear, indoctrination or guilt. They did not give grudgingly or out of necessity. This is the essence of free will giving from the heart. It comes out of faith and love for God’s work.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 says, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

Playing the Harlot

God views the sin of idolatry in sexual terms. He treats His people as His bride and expects them to be faithful. When a wife or husband becomes unfaithful by turning to a partner outside the marriage, it is called adultery. When a nation becomes unfaithful to God, and turns to other nations and worships their gods, it is called “spiritual adultery;” and they are said to “play the harlot” with the gods of the other nations. God speaks in sexual terms because the intimacy in sexual relations in marriage is a picture of His love for His people. God loves Israel; God loves the Church. His love is of the highest order of intimacy.

Throughout the Scriptures, God is continually chastising His people for praying the harlot. They do this out of unbelief. Sometimes God’s chastisement reaches a degree of punishment, which has eternal consequences. Many in our country have played the harlot over and over, and the God of the Scriptures has been very patient with us.

The Veiled Face

The glory of God is revealed in the face of believers. After Moses had been with God for 40 days, his face shown with the glory of God. When he came down from the mountain, he covered his face before unbelieving Israel. He did not allow them to see the glory of God in his face.

Paul relates to the veiled face of Moses to explain the inadequacy of the Old Covenant to bring men to salvation and the blindness of the Jews of his day, 2 Corinthians 5:7-18. Even for today’s Jews, the veil remains on the face of Moses, whose laws they attempt to follow.

How can we relate to the veiled face? We received Christ, the Jewish Messiah, by faith, and His Holy Spirit has come to live within us. Our faces are always unveiled before Christ, and we shine with His glory. But to the unbelieving world, our faces are veiled. Scripture says, “Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” And when people see your good works and give glory to God, they see God’s glory in your face. But if they choose not to glorify God, your face becomes veiled to them. The key to seeing the glory of God is believing in the true God.

The Sheep and the Goats

When Christ returns, at the end of the Tribulation Period,

He will separate sheep from goats. He will separate

believers from those who claim to be believers

on the basis of how we treat each other.

Idolatry and The Glory of God

The Israelites sinned and were punished.

After Moses saved the Israelites from God's
wrath, he asked God to show him His glory.

Horses and Chariots

Chariots speak of nobility and power. In the time of King David, and even earlier in the times of the Egyptians, the chariot was a fierce fighting machine. It carried the trained warrior and his weapons to destroy. It was a sign of authority, as when Joseph was carried in the chariot behind the Pharaoh to show the people that Joseph was the ruler in Egypt. The Egyptian army that followed the Israelites to destroy them had mighty chariots. And Elijah the Prophet never died but was carried away by God in a chariot of fire.

Horses also speak of power and war and judgment. In Revelation, when the first four seals are opened, riders on white, red, black and pale horses are revealed, and in Revelation 19 there is a white horse whose rider is called Faithful and True whose robe was dipped in blood, and the armies of heaven followed Him riding on white horses. And there is a Scripture that talks about the very character of the horse being made ready for battle when he hears the trumpet blow. Chariots and horses are signs of power and majesty. Yet in Psalm 20:7 it says, “Some trust in horses and some in chariots, we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” We have to ask ourselves the question; do we trust in the things of this world, or in the name of the Lord our God?