January 27-31
[M] Exodus 1-3; Gal 5
[T] Ex 4-6; Gal 6
[W] Ex 7-9; Psalm 105; Ephesians 1
[T] Ex 10-12; Eph 2
[F] Ex 13-15; Psalm 114; Eph 3
Dwell Plan Day 21-25 | CSB | Digital PDF | Printable PDF
Notes from Jon & Chris
Monday
Exodus 3:14 | One of the strangest and most spiritually ironic stories comes out of this verse. In this book, in 17 chapters or so, we’re going to be introduced to the ten commandments. They’re pretty famous and well known, but one of those commandments is specifically about God’s Name. You’re not to speak God’s Name in a vain way—as a worthless thing. This is an old usage of the word “vain” to mean something empty and meaningless. This word is also used to describe idols! The ancient scribes, who copied the Old Testament by hand, were very religious. But being “religious” in the bible isn’t a compliment. It means being more about rules than about relationships - especially a relationship with God. Anyway, they were overachievers and wanted to do extra “homework” on this commandment, just to be sure that they would obey it. (Nevermind that God said not to add or to take away from His law; see Deuteronomy 4:2.) So, what’s the best way to make sure that no one uses God’s Name wrong? Misspell it! Yes, that’s right, they intentionally misspelled God’s name so folks would see God’s Name and not accidentally say it. If they did, they would be saying it wrong and thereby not disobey it. Sounds kind of clever, doesn’t it? They took the vowels from the word Adonai, which means master, and put them into God’s personal Name. To this day, when the bible is read in the synagogue the reader says out loud “ADONAI” when they see God’s Name misspelled, to keep up the ancient tradition. But get this, those scribes were so thorough in their religiosity, we actually have no records of God’s Name in the Hebrew with the original spelling! Imagine that, the one word we don’t know how to spell in our bibles is God’s Name! Here’s the irony though. By rejecting Jesus, the religious Jews who didn’t accept Him (remember that many did) missed the same personal relationship with God the same way they missed it in changing the spelling of God’s personal Name! It’s just a religion to those who make up silly rules, it isn’t personal or intimate. It’s more of a game of holiness than any personal transformation. What the scribes couldn’t see, was that God offering His personal Name was the invitation to know Him as a Person. Misguided religious zeal does what it always does, it hides the beautiful grace that moves an eternal love.
Galatians 5:12 | If you want to know how upset Paul is about religious “rules” instead of grace, you just need to read this verse. He’s telling them they aren’t going far enough on this whole circumcision thing. They aren’t committed enough. If you’re going to obey the law, you better go all the way. Please cut the whole thing off! Paul tells it like it is, but more importantly, this reveals how strongly and violently we are to oppose all self righteousness, including our own!
Galatians 5:16 | There’s something in the core of our faith that is utterly supernatural. You want victory over the desires of your flesh? Walk by the Spirit! How do you get more of the Spirit? How do you walk in step with the Spirit? You ask Jesus and look for it. It’s unnatural from beginning to end. Praise Him!
Tuesday
Exodus 4:21 | Take notice in the next handful of chapters of the back and forth between God hardening Pharaoh's heart and Pharaoh hardening his own heart. It brings up the question, “Who is doing the hardening?” Here is an excerpt from the note in the Biblical Theology Study Bible that doesn’t go in-depth but helps us not lose perspective:
“But, however we resolve the problem of Pharaoh’s heart, two important points must be remembered: (1) The main concern in this section of the book is to demonstrate that the Lord, not Pharaoh, is ultimately in control, as indicated by the recurring phrase “as the Lord had said” (7:13; 8:15, 19; 9:12, 35). (2) God’s sovereign control of these affairs does not absolve Pharaoh of blame because, like all sinners, he remains fully responsible for his refusal to obey God (Rom 9:16–18).”
Wednesday
Psalm 105 | I love the way this reading plan connects Psalms to the readings of historical situations. We just read about the plagues in Egypt, and now we get to Psalm 105. This Psalm is a prayer of remembrance that points the hearts of the people back to the work of God in Exodus. I think there is an encouragement here, not just in the content of the Psalm, but in the form. It’s so easy to pray as if we are the center of the gospel story. But we aren’t at the center. God is. What would your prayer life look like if you spent more time praying like the author of this Psalm? Maybe give it a try. Sit down for a few minutes and just thank and praise God for his work (both in the stories of scripture and in your own lived experience)
Ephesians 1 | As we dive into the book of Ephesians (just like we did with Galatians), I want to share an encouraging thought with you: remember, we’re here to read, not to scrutinize every single word. It's easy to get caught up in the pressure of "I have to catch every detail," and let that turn into feelings of inadequacy.
Take a moment to consider this: when Martyn Lloyd Jones preached through Ephesians, he covered chapter 1 in 37 sermons! That just goes to show how much depth there is in these epistles. So, as you read, focus on the bigger picture, and give yourself the freedom to revisit the details later on.
Ephesians 1:3 | These “heavenly places” are only referred to in Ephesians and there’s a reason for that. Ephesus had the temple of Artemis. Its claim to fame was a statue of Artemis, made from a meteor. Literally they thought they had a god who had fallen out of heaven! So, in answer to that and to encourage the Christians who had to live in this town, around this super popular worship spot, Paul mentions our blessing and our position “in heavenly places.” After this verse he mentions it 4 more times - Ephesians 1:20, 2:6; 3:10; and 6:12. Don’t fear the “gods” who come from heaven, in Jesus you’re already seated there! This also teaches us to read Paul carefully. He isn’t rambling in his letters, he’s carefully encouraging and teaching folks in practical ways that apply to their situation. That’s real pastoral care.
Thursday
Exodus 12 | The Passover: This is the clearest instance in the Old Testament of God sovereignly ordaining an event to come to pass in order to create patterns to teach his people. In Biblical studies, we call this “Typology.” There is a small idea that points to a bigger one. In Exodus 12, a lamb dies, and blood is painted on the doorposts in order to let judgment and death pass over the households of the people of God. The lamb typology is developed all throughout the Old Testament until it finds its peak in the life and death of Christ. Take a look at what John the Baptist says, “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1:29) Or think about how the death of Jesus took place at Passover. Or think about the lamb imagery all through Revelation (don’t worry… we’ll get there eventually). This idea is so crucial to our faith. A lamb dies, and his blood covers the people of God so that they avoid the judgment of God. What happens in Exodus 12 with the Passover lamb is important. What happens with the Lamb of God the foundation of our salvation.
Exodus 12:7 | Blood on the door, staining the jambs and dripping from the lintel. Again and again, it’s all about the blood. Gory and visceral, it reaches into the guts of life and connects our God and our rescue with the most elemental things of this world. So much blood, so much sin and judgment, so much grace for sinners. This is all preaching and shouting “Jesus!” How will God not judge us? He will pass over our sins because of the cross, stained and dripping with the blood that rescues us all. This makes their faith the same faith as our faith, trusting in God for a sacrifice that could deliver from judgment. These folks are our brothers and sisters, just with a much shorter Bible! Same salvation, different day!
Exodus 12:38 | “A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds.” In this middle of all this exciting stuff about plagues, Passover, and exodus is this weird little, often overlooked, but crucially important verse. We live in a world of sinful division, racism, and clan mentality. The ancient world was the same way. That’s the way of Babylon. But the way of the kingdom is upside-down. So, if Babylon is about sinful division, the kingdom of God is about unity. We see this clearly in Acts 2 at Pentecost and then fleshed out in the rest of the New Testament, especially in Revelation, where the army of the Lamb is comprised of people from every nation and tribe. But what I want you to see is that this image doesn’t start in Acts 2; it begins in the Old Testament. We see it here: the group that left Egypt and headed to Sinai wasn’t just made up of ethnic Hebrews. It was a mixed-up group of people. In his book From Every People and Nation: A Biblical Theology of Race (which I highly recommend), the theologian and Bible scholar J. Daniel Hays makes the case that this group included Hebrews, Egyptians, and dark-skinned African Cushites. He says that from the beginning of the Exodus, what glued the people of God together wasn’t ethnicity, but theology. As we move into the sections of the Torah about the law, and later into the history and prophets, keep this in mind. The Old Testament Covenant was always meant to chip away at the structures of racism and tribalism that are produced by the human heart until the New Testament Church comes along to smash its very foundations.
Friday
Exodus 13:21–22 | And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.
When Moses met God at the burning bush, God was in the fire. Here, a pillar of fire leads the people around the desert. In a little bit, we will read about the fire of God’s presence at Sinai. Then we’ll see the fire of God at the dedication of the Tabernacle in the wilderness, and in a few hundred years, at the dedication of Solomon’s temple. When the ancient people thought of the presence of God, they thought of this fire. But it was always localized. If you wanted to be near God, you needed to head up to the temple in Jerusalem.
Maybe you can see where I’m headed with this? Think about Acts 2:3 “And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.” In the Old Testament, the fire is way over there somewhere. But after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, and the coming of the Spirit in Acts 2, the very presence of God indwells his people. We are all walking temples, carrying around the Spirit of God everywhere we go. I’ve always wondered how the Exodus generation could be such blockheads after witnessing the plagues and the fire of God and all that cool stuff. But now they’re all dead, and thery’re all probably wondering how I can be such an idiot when I carry around that fire and the presence of God the Holy Spirit in my very soul. Ironic, isn’t it?
Exodus 13:22 | It’s so easy to think, “Wow, if I saw a pillar of fire or smoke, I’d believe all of this stuff easily!” But you’re telling on yourself when you think things like that. You think it’s about seeing. It’s isn’t about proof, or even seeing someone rise from the dead. If your heart is dead, you’ll just explain it away and won’t believe. The only way to understand anything is by the Spirit. Period. So you're telling on yourself more deeply than you think. In effect, you’re saying “I’m clever enough and wise enough to see those amazing things and realize it’s got to be God. I wouldn’t need any help if I saw wonders like that.” And that’s just proud independence—you know—the kind that God opposes. Ask Him to enlarge your faith today!
Ephesians 3:14-21 | Paul can’t do his theology in the abstract. Not at all, because it’s all real to him. His “theology” is totally devotional, popping out of his writing in prayer and praise in every letter he wrote. In fact, his goal is that we would experience God the way he does—it’s what he prays for! This is your homework this next week: pray this prayer for yourself and others around you for a whole week. See what it does to your “theology”!