Class Member Study Guide: Lesson 14
Exodus 15: 22-17
Exodus 16: 1-13
Exodus 17 1-13
Exodus 18: 13-26
Exodus 19
Exodus 20
Exodus 32
Exodus 33
Exodus 34
Thoughts
The story of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt led by Moses--a mighty leader who communed with the Lord face to face--tells of an enslaved people in bondage for 400 years. They were led there by the Lord to save his covenant people from starvation. The fertile crescent of the Nile provided sustenance for the Lord's people, but a change in Egyptian leadership in the late Bronze period led to the need for the Lord's people to leave. Many Israelites believed that it was "better" in Egypt, but the Lord knew that his people needed to be cut off from the secular Egyptian world in order to refocus their attention on God's laws. At the time, idol worship dominated amongst middle eastern societies.
The most significant points through the narrative of 19 chapters are
-today we need to partake of the Lord's spiritual water and bread.
-today we need to sustain our chosen leader to the point that we literally hold up their hands when they grow weary. We need to avoid murmuring against chosen leaders and others in our ward family.There are many other ideas to be explored in these chapters, but these messages have stayed with me. I mourn for the Israelites who lost the power of the higher priesthood because they did not keep their covenants.
-today we must prevent the worship of modern idols and guard against idleness which may lead us to disobey the commandments of God.
The Ensign article on how the restoration helped us to better understand Moses gives greater insight into what we know because of the Prophet Joseph Smith and others in this dispensation.
Moses: Witness of Christ
Throughout the reading and lesson, I continued to think of the 23rd Psalm especially the sixth verse:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Truly the The Lord--Jesus Christ--is my Shepard. I shall not want. He can restore my soul just as he offered to do for the Israelites in the wilderness of the Sinai.
Moses Sought Diligently to Sanctify His People That They Might Behold the Face of God
"The book of Exodus divides evenly into two broad portions: Chapter 1-18 recount the Israelites in Egypt, their exodus, and the initial journey up to Mount Sinani.
Chapters 19-40 recount Jehovah's revelation to the Israelites of laws. . . and instructions about the Tabernacle.
These two portions of Exodus thus emphasize and illustrate the important themes of divine deliverance and covenant relationship." (from Jehovah the World of the Old Testament. Holzapfel, et al.)
Egypt's Fertile Nile Delta
Landsat Satellite.
from Jehovah the World of the Old Testament. Holzapfel, et al.
There are several possible sites for
Mount Sinai. One of the traditional locations is Jebel Musa (Mountain of
Moses), pictured here.
Significant Events:
*The Israelites
worshipped a golden calf they had persuaded Aaron to make (Ex. 32:1–8).
*Elijah fled to this land from the Jezreel Valley, where Queen Jezebel lived (1 Kgs. 19:1–18).
*Elijah fled to this land from the Jezreel Valley, where Queen Jezebel lived (1 Kgs. 19:1–18).
*This is also where
Elijah talked with God (1 Kgs. 19:8–19).
Elder Marion G. Romney said:
“I desire to call your attention to the
principle of loyalty, loyalty to the truth and loyalty to the men whom God has
chosen to lead the cause of truth. I speak of ‘the truth’ and these ‘men’
jointly, because it is impossible fully to accept the one and partly reject the
other.
“I raise my voice on this matter to
warn and counsel you to be on your guard against criticism. … It comes, in
part, from those who hold, or have held, prominent positions. Ostensibly, they
are in good standing in the Church. In expressing their feelings, they
frequently say, ‘We are members of the Church, too, you know, and our feelings
should be considered.’
“They assume that one can be in full
harmony with the spirit of the gospel, enjoy full fellowship in the Church, and
at the same time be out of harmony with the leaders of the Church and the
counsel and directions they give. Such a position is wholly inconsistent,
because the guidance of this Church comes, not alone from the written word, but
also from continuous revelation, and the Lord gives that revelation to the
Church through His chosen leaders and none else. It follows, therefore, that
those who profess to accept the gospel and who at the same time criticize and
refuse to follow the counsel of the leaders, are assuming an indefensible
position.” (In Conference Report, Apr. 1942, pp. 17–18.)
Spencer W. Kimbal noted:“Idolatry is among the most serious of sins. … Modern idols or false gods can take such forms as clothes, homes, businesses, machines, automobiles, pleasure boats, and numerous other material deflectors from the path to godhood. …
“Intangible things make just as ready
gods. Degrees and letters and titles can become idols. …
“Many people build and furnish a home and buy the automobile first—and then they ‘cannot afford’ to pay tithing. Whom do they worship? Certainly not the Lord of heaven and earth. …
“Many people build and furnish a home and buy the automobile first—and then they ‘cannot afford’ to pay tithing. Whom do they worship? Certainly not the Lord of heaven and earth. …
“Many worship the hunt, the fishing
trip, the vacation, the weekend picnics and outings. Others have as their idols
the games of sport, baseball, football, the bullfight, or golf. …
“Still another image men worship is
that of power and prestige. … These gods of power, wealth, and influence are
most demanding and are quite as real as the golden calves of the children of
Israel in the wilderness” (The Miracle of Forgiveness
[1969], 40–42).\
Elder M. Russell Ballard taught:
“Although the law of Moses was
fulfilled, the principles of the law of sacrifice continue to be a part of the
doctrine of the Church.
“While the primary purpose of the law
of sacrifice continued to be that of testing and assisting us to come unto
Christ, two adjustments were made after Christ’s ultimate sacrifice. First, the
ordinance of the sacrament replaced the ordinance of [animal]
sacrifice; and second, this change moved the focus of the sacrifice from a
person’s animal to the person himself. In a sense, the sacrifice changed from
the offering to the offerer. …
“… After his mortal ministry,
Christ elevated the law of sacrifice to a new level. … Instead of the Lord
requiring a person’s animal or grain, now the Lord wants us to give up all that
is ungodly. This is a higher practice of the law of sacrifice; it reaches into
the inner soul of a person” (The Law of Sacrifice [address delivered at the
Church Educational System Symposium, 13 Aug. 1996], 5).
