Category Archives: Righteousness / Serving God

Faith / Trusting God, Guide, Obeying God, Purposeful / Intentional

Wait for God Instead of Rushing Ahead (Exodus 24:12–18)

When God does not move as quickly as you want, will you continue to wait for Him—or start moving without Him?

Key Verse

“Then Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.” — Exodus 24:18 (NASB)

Background Context

Israel has formally entered into covenant with YHWH. Moses has read the Book of the Covenant to the people, they have committed themselves to obedience, and the covenant has been confirmed with blood.

Now YHWH calls Moses farther up Mount Sinai to receive the stone tablets containing His commandments and instruction.

Moses leaves Aaron and Hur with the elders and ascends with Joshua. The glory of YHWH settles upon Mount Sinai, the cloud covers it, and Moses waits six days before God calls to him on the seventh.

What follows prepares the way for God’s detailed instructions concerning the tabernacle, priesthood, and worship in the chapters ahead.

(Continued and expanded after scripture.)

Exodus 24:12-18

  12Now the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandment which I have written for their instruction.” 13So Moses arose with Joshua his servant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. 14But to the elders he said, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a legal matter, let him approach them.” 15Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16The glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. 17And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountain top. 18Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Reflection on Exodus 24:12–18:

God tells Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and stay there.” Those final words are easy to overlook. Moses knew God had called him, and he knew where he was supposed to go, but knowing God’s direction did not mean everything happened immediately. Moses obeyed, ascended the mountain, and then the cloud covered it for six days. Only on the seventh day did YHWH call to him from the midst of the cloud.

That kind of waiting can be difficult for us. We are often more comfortable when obedience produces immediate movement or visible results. We want the answer, the opportunity, the resolution, or at least the next instruction. When nothing seems to happen, we can begin wondering whether we should do something ourselves to move things along. Yet Moses did not need to manufacture the next step. God had told him to come and stay, so remaining where God had placed him was itself an act of obedience.

There is also an important contrast developing in the story. Moses will remain on the mountain for forty days and forty nights, while Israel below eventually becomes impatient. Their unwillingness to wait contributes to the disastrous decision to make the golden calf in Exodus 32. Moses waited for YHWH to reveal the next step, while Israel decided that Moses—and perhaps God—was taking too long and created its own solution. Impatience can tempt us to do something similar. We may know what God has said, but when His way seems too slow, we begin looking for another path.

This does not mean that every delay in life is specifically God telling us to do nothing, nor should we use “waiting on God” as an excuse to avoid responsibilities He has already made clear. Moses could wait because he had obeyed the instruction he had received. Biblical waiting is not inactivity when God has told us to act; it is faithfulness to what He has already said while trusting Him for what He has not yet revealed.

From Israel’s perspective below, the mountain was covered by a cloud. Yet within that cloud, YHWH was preparing to give Moses detailed instructions that would shape Israel’s worship and reveal how a holy God would dwell among His people. They could not see what God was doing, but that did not mean nothing was happening. The same can be true in our lives. We should be careful not to interpret a lack of visible progress as evidence that God is absent or inactive.

The appearance of YHWH’s glory also reminds us whom Moses was waiting upon. To Israel, “the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountain top.” Moses was not casually waiting for advice from a distant God. He had been invited into the presence of the holy YHWH. As Exodus moves toward the tabernacle, this combination will become increasingly important: God is holy and must be approached as He directs, yet this same holy God desires to dwell among His people and provides the way for them to draw near.

There will be times when God clearly calls us to act, and we should act. But there will also be times when we have faithfully done what He has shown us and simply do not know the next step. In those moments, we do not need to create our own path merely because waiting has become uncomfortable. If God has not yet shown us the next step, faithfulness means continuing to obey what He has already shown us while trusting Him with what comes next.

Application

  • Continue faithfully doing what God has already made clear while you wait for direction about what comes next.
  • Resist the temptation to create your own solution simply because God’s timing seems slower than you would prefer.
  • Do not assume that a lack of visible progress means God is absent or inactive.
  • Ask whether you are truly waiting on God or avoiding something He has already told you to do.

Closing Prayer

Father, help me trust You when Your timing is different from mine. When I have obeyed what You have shown me but cannot yet see the next step, give me patience to remain faithful rather than rushing ahead. Guard me from creating my own solutions simply because waiting has become uncomfortable. At the same time, keep me from using waiting as an excuse when You have already made clear what I should do. Help me trust that You are at work even when I cannot yet see what You are doing, and give me wisdom to move when You call me forward. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.

Fear / Reverence for God, Guide, Obeying God, Submitted / Servant

Don’t Just Hear God’s Word—Commit to Live It (Exodus 24:1–11)

Is your response to God’s Word simply to agree that it is true, or are you committed to actually living according to what He says?

Key Verse

“Then he took the book of the covenant and read it as the people listened; and they said, ‘All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!'” — Exodus 24:7 (NASB)

Background Context

Exodus 24 brings the covenant at Mount Sinai to a significant moment of confirmation. YHWH had already redeemed Israel from slavery before bringing them to Sinai. He then revealed the Ten Commandments and continued explaining how His people were to live.

Now Moses writes down “all the words of the LORD.” He reads the Book of the Covenant to the people, and Israel publicly agrees to obey what God has spoken.

The covenant is then confirmed with blood, followed by a remarkable meal in God’s presence. Redemption had brought Israel not merely out of Egypt, but into covenant relationship with YHWH.

(Continued and expanded after scripture.)

Exodus 24:1–11

People Affirm Their Covenant with God

      1Then He said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel, and you shall worship at a distance. 2“Moses alone, however, shall come near to the LORD, but they shall not come near, nor shall the people come up with him.”

      3Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the LORD and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the LORD has spoken we will do!” 4Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. Then he arose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. 5He sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD. 6Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and the other half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!” 8So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

      9Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. 11Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank.

Reflection on Exodus 24:1–11:

Twice in this passage Israel makes a strong declaration.

First they say, “All the words which the LORD has spoken we will do!” Later, after Moses reads the Book of the Covenant aloud, they respond again: “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!”

Notice the progression.

They heard God’s Word and then committed themselves to do what He said.

Scripture consistently challenges us not to separate those two things. James later writes, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves” (James 1:22).

It is possible to study Scripture, agree with Scripture, discuss Scripture, and even defend Scripture while resisting what it tells us to do. God’s Word was never intended merely to increase our knowledge. It should shape how we actually live.

But we should also remember the order of events in Exodus.

Israel did not obey God in order to persuade Him to rescue them from Egypt. He rescued them first. He delivered them from slavery, brought them to Himself, and then taught them how His redeemed people should live.

That pattern matters.

Obedience is not the price we pay to purchase redemption. It is the faithful response of people who have been redeemed.

Then Moses confirms the covenant with blood. Half is sprinkled on the altar, and the other half on the people as Moses declares, “Behold the blood of the covenant.”

The seriousness of covenant is unmistakable. Relationship with a holy God is not casual. Sin and reconciliation carry a cost. This imagery also points us forward to Yeshua, who at the Last Supper spoke of His own blood as “My blood of the covenant” (Matthew 26:28).

Then the passage ends with an extraordinary scene.

Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders ascend the mountain, and Scripture says, “they saw the God of Israel.” Under His feet was something like a pavement of sapphire, “as clear as the sky itself.”

Yet God did not destroy them.

Instead, “they saw God, and they ate and drank.”

The covenant culminates in fellowship.

That helps us see the larger purpose behind everything we have been reading. God did not deliver Israel merely to give them a collection of rules. He was forming a people who belonged to Him and could live in relationship with Him.

The commandments showed them how a redeemed people should walk with a holy God.

The same should shape how we approach God’s Word today. We should not ask merely, What does this passage say? We should also ask:

What has God shown me that I now need to live out?

Because hearing God’s Word is only the beginning. Faithfulness means allowing what He says to change how we live.

Application

  • When you read Scripture, ask not only what it means but what God is calling you to do differently because of it.
  • Remember that obedience is a response to God’s redemption and grace, not a way of earning them.
  • Take your commitment to God seriously rather than treating obedience as optional whenever His instruction becomes inconvenient.
  • Remember that God’s goal is not merely rule-keeping but a redeemed people living faithfully in relationship with Him.

Closing Prayer

Father, thank You for redeeming me and inviting me into relationship with You. Help me not to be satisfied merely with hearing, studying, or agreeing with Your Word. Show me where I need to put what You have taught me into practice. May my obedience flow from love and gratitude for what You have already done for me. Teach me to take Your Word seriously and to live faithfully as someone who belongs to You. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.

May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you.
John Golda

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, Faithful, Guide, Obeying God

Follow Where God Leads Without Compromise (Exodus 23:20–33)

Are you asking God to lead you forward while still holding onto things He has told you to leave behind?

Key Verse

“But you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water; and I will remove sickness from your midst.” — Exodus 23:25 (NASB)

Background Context

Beginning in Exodus 20, YHWH spoke the Ten Commandments and then continued with detailed instructions showing Israel how His standards applied to worship, justice, relationships, property, work, rest, and care for others.

Now, as this section draws to a close, God turns Israel’s attention toward what lies ahead.

He promises to send His messenger before them, protect them on their journey, and bring them to the place He has prepared. But God’s promises come with repeated instructions to listen, obey, worship Him alone, and reject the gods of the nations they will encounter.

Israel was being prepared not merely to enter the Promised Land, but to live there faithfully as YHWH’s people.

(Continued and expanded after scripture.)

Reflection on Exodus 23:20–33:

God begins with an extraordinary promise:

“Behold, I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.”

Israel did not know everything that waited ahead. There would be enemies, battles, uncertainty, and challenges they could not overcome by their own strength.

But God was already going before them.

That is an encouraging pattern throughout Scripture. God often calls His people forward without showing them every detail of the journey. Our confidence cannot come from knowing exactly what will happen. It comes from knowing who is leading us.

Yet immediately after promising His presence and protection, YHWH says, “Be attentive to him and obey his voice.”

God’s guidance was not an invitation for Israel to choose its own path while expecting Him to bless it. They were expected to listen and follow.

The same principle remains important for us. Sometimes we want God’s direction primarily because we want Him to lead us toward the outcome we have already chosen. Biblical faith asks something different: Where is God leading, and am I willing to follow?

YHWH then gives Israel a serious warning about the people they will encounter:

“You shall not worship their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their deeds.”

Israel’s greatest danger in the land would not ultimately be military weakness. It would be spiritual compromise.

God even warns them not to make covenants with the nations or their gods because “it will be a snare to you.” What initially appeared harmless could gradually draw their allegiance away from YHWH.

Scripture repeatedly shows that this warning was justified. Israel would later struggle precisely because they failed to remove the influences God warned them about. Compromise that seemed manageable eventually became idolatry.

There is wisdom here for us as well.

We sometimes ask, How close can I get to something sinful without actually sinning? God teaches us to ask a better question: Will this draw me toward Him or become a snare that gradually pulls me away?

The passage also contains an interesting detail about how God would give Israel the land:

“I will not drive them out before you in a single year… Little by little I will drive them out from before you.”

God promised victory, but He did not promise instant results.

There was purpose in the delay. If the land became empty too quickly, it would become desolate and wild animals would multiply. God would enlarge Israel’s territory gradually as they became able to possess it.

Sometimes “little by little” is God’s wisdom, not God’s absence.

We may become discouraged when something God is doing takes longer than we expected. But we cannot see everything He sees. Immediate fulfillment is not always the best fulfillment.

Israel’s responsibility was to keep following, keep obeying, reject compromise, and trust YHWH with the pace.

That remains a powerful pattern for us:

Follow where God leads. Obey what He says. Refuse what pulls you away from Him. And don’t mistake gradual progress for God’s failure to act.

Application

  • Follow God’s direction rather than asking Him merely to bless the direction you have already chosen.
  • Identify compromises or influences in your life that could gradually become a spiritual snare, and be willing to remove them.
  • When God’s work seems to be happening “little by little,” trust that His timing may accomplish purposes you cannot yet see.
  • Remember that God’s promises never make obedience irrelevant; continue listening to Him as you move forward.

Closing Prayer

Father, thank You that You go before Your people and know what lies ahead long before we do. Help me listen carefully to Your voice and follow where You lead rather than simply asking You to bless my own plans. Give me discernment to recognize compromises that could become snares and courage to remove anything that draws my heart away from You. When progress seems slower than I would choose, help me trust Your wisdom and continue faithfully following You, little by little, wherever You lead. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.

May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you.
John Golda

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Purposeful / Intentional, Sabbath / Rest, Submitted / Servant, Thankfulness

Build Your Life Around God, Not God Around Your Life (Exodus 23:10–19)

Does your schedule reflect that God is central to your life, or do you try to fit Him into whatever time remains?

Key Verse

“Three times a year you shall celebrate a feast to Me.” — Exodus 23:14 (NASB)

Background Context

YHWH has been teaching Israel how His people should live. Exodus 23:1–9 focused on truth and justice. Now the instructions turn toward the rhythms of Israel’s life.

God establishes a seventh-year rest for the land, reinforces the seventh-day Sabbath, and identifies three annual pilgrimage festivals: the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering.

These weren’t merely breaks from work. God was teaching Israel to organize its work, rest, worship, and calendar around Him.

(Continued and expanded after scripture.)

Exodus 23:10–19

The Sabbath and Land

      10“You shall sow your land for six years and gather in its yield, 11but on the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that the needy of your people may eat; and whatever they leave the beast of the field may eat. You are to do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.

      12“Six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you shall cease from labor so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave, as well as your stranger, may refresh themselves. 13“Now concerning everything which I have said to you, be on your guard; and do not mention the name of other gods, nor let them be heard from your mouth.

Three National Feasts

      14“Three times a year you shall celebrate a feast to Me. 15“You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. And none shall appear before Me empty-handed. 16“Also you shall observe the Feast of the Harvest of the first fruits of your labors from what you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the field. 17“Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord GOD.

      18“You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread; nor is the fat of My feast to remain overnight until morning.

      19“You shall bring the choice first fruits of your soil into the house of the LORD your God.
“You are not to boil a young goat in the milk of its mother.

Reflection on Exodus 23:10-19

The passage begins with the land itself. Israel could sow and harvest for six years, but during the seventh year the land was to rest. What grew naturally was available particularly for the needy and even the animals.

Following that command required trust.

Leaving productive land uncultivated could easily feel wasteful. Israel had to believe that obedience to YHWH was more important than squeezing every possible bit of production from what He had given them.

Then God returns to the weekly Sabbath:

“Six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you shall cease from labor.”

The Sabbath had already been established clearly in Exodus 20 as the seventh day, rooted in God’s own pattern at creation. Here God highlights another benefit: rest was not only for the landowner. The ox and donkey rested, and servants and foreigners were refreshed.

God’s rhythm of life restrained the endless demand for more work and more production.

Then YHWH turns to Israel’s annual calendar. Three times each year the men of Israel were to appear before Him at His appointed festivals.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread reminded them of their deliverance from Egypt. The Feast of Harvest acknowledged God as the source of the firstfruits of their labor. The Feast of Ingathering celebrated His provision at the completion of the agricultural year.

Notice what God was doing.

Week after week, year after year, He was building reminders of Himself into the lives of His people.

Israel could not simply say, We believe in YHWH, while structuring life exactly like the nations around them. Their calendar itself testified that they belonged to Him.

That challenges us because our lives can easily become organized around everything except God. Work has its place. School has its place. Vacations, appointments, sports, entertainment, projects, and countless responsibilities all claim space on our calendars. Then we sometimes try to fit God into whatever remains.

God’s pattern points in the opposite direction.

We should build our lives around Him rather than trying to build Him into our lives.

That does not mean every moment is spent in a religious activity. Israel still worked six days. They planted fields, raised families, conducted business, and lived ordinary lives. But God established rhythms that repeatedly interrupted ordinary life and redirected their attention toward Him.

Those interruptions also reminded Israel that their prosperity ultimately came from YHWH. They could work diligently, but crops still depended upon God’s provision. They could harvest faithfully, but the firstfruits belonged to Him.

The same is true for us. We should work diligently and steward what God gives us well, but we should never become so consumed with the gifts that we forget the Giver.

A life centered on God doesn’t merely give Him leftover time. It allows Him to shape the rhythm of everything else.

Application

  • Examine your schedule and priorities honestly: does God receive deliberate priority, or mostly whatever time remains?
  • Honor God’s pattern of work and rest rather than allowing productivity to become your master.
  • Build regular reminders of God’s faithfulness into your life so that His past provision is not forgotten.
  • Receive your work, possessions, and provision gratefully while remembering that everything ultimately comes from YHWH.

Closing Prayer

Father, help me build my life around You rather than trying to fit You around everything else. Teach me to work faithfully, rest according to Your wisdom, and regularly remember all You have done for me. Guard me from becoming so consumed with responsibilities, productivity, or possessions that I forget the One who provides them. May the way I use my time demonstrate that You are not merely part of my life, but the One around whom my life is centered. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.

May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you.

John Golda

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Help / Serve Others, Holy / Set Apart, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Kindness / Gentleness, Purposeful / Intentional

Do What Is Right, No Matter Who Benefits (Exodus 23:1–9)

Is it easier to stand for what is right when doing so benefits you—or when it benefits someone you dislike?

Key Verse

“You shall not follow the masses in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to join together with a majority in order to pervert justice.” — Exodus 23:2 (NASB)

Background Context

YHWH continues giving Israel practical instruction for living as His people. These commands address false reports, dishonest testimony, favoritism, enemies, bribery, and the treatment of foreigners.

At the heart of them is a simple but demanding principle: God’s people are to pursue what is true and right regardless of pressure, personal advantage, or personal feelings.

(Continued and expanded after scripture.)

Exodus 23:1–9

Sundry Laws

      1“You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. 2“You shall not follow the masses in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after a multitude in order to pervert justice; 3nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his dispute.

      4“If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him. 5“If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying helpless under its load, you shall refrain from leaving it to him, you shall surely release it with him.

      6“You shall not pervert the justice due to your needy brother in his dispute. 7“Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent or the righteous, for I will not acquit the guilty.

      8“You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of the just.

      9“You shall not oppress a stranger, since you yourselves know the feelings of a stranger, for you also were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Reflection

The passage begins with words that remain remarkably relevant: “You shall not give a false report.”

God cares about truth not only when we are speaking formally before a judge, but whenever our words can influence how another person is viewed or treated. Passing along something false—or participating in accusations we have not established as true—can cause tremendous damage.

Then God warns Israel not to “follow the masses in doing evil.”

A crowd does not turn wrong into right.

There is tremendous pressure to agree with the people around us. When enough people repeat an accusation, embrace a behavior, or accept a particular standard, disagreeing can become uncomfortable. But God’s people are not called to determine truth by counting how many people agree with it.

Our standard must remain what God says is right.

Interestingly, God then warns against two different forms of partiality. Israel was not to favor a poor person merely because he was poor, but neither were they to deny justice to a poor person because he lacked influence.

Compassion matters deeply to God, but compassion must not become distortion of truth. Likewise, wealth, power, status, or personal connections must never purchase a different standard of justice.

Then God makes the principle even more personal.

If an Israelite found his enemy’s wandering ox or donkey, he was required to return it. If he saw the donkey of someone who hated him struggling beneath its load, he was to help.

That is striking.

God does not say, Since he is your enemy, his problems are no concern of yours. Instead, He commands His people to do what is right even when the person who benefits is someone they dislike.

Yeshua later teaches the same heart when He says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

Biblical justice therefore asks something difficult of us: Can we still want what is right when being right helps someone we would rather see lose?

The passage concludes by returning to bribery, justice for the poor, and treatment of foreigners. Israel is reminded again, “you yourselves know the feelings of a stranger, because you also were strangers in the land of Egypt.”

God wanted His people to remember what it felt like to be vulnerable so that they would not use their own position to mistreat someone else.

Truth should not depend upon the crowd. Justice should not depend upon wealth. Compassion should not depend upon friendship.

If something is right before God, it remains right even when doing it costs us something.

Application

  • Refuse to spread accusations or reports simply because many people are repeating them; care about whether they are actually true.
  • Examine whether friendship, dislike, wealth, status, or popular opinion changes how you judge what is right.
  • When an enemy or difficult person genuinely needs help, choose obedience to God over the satisfaction of seeing that person struggle.
  • Be willing to stand apart from the crowd when God’s Word clearly points in another direction.

Closing Prayer

Father, teach me to love truth and justice as You do. Guard my words so that I do not participate in false reports or accusations. Give me courage to stand for what is right even when the crowd goes another direction. Show me where personal feelings or favoritism influence my judgment, and help me do what honors You even when it benefits someone I dislike. May my standard always be Your truth rather than my advantage. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.

May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you.

John Golda

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Purposeful / Intentional, Wise

Don’t Miss the Life God Has Given You (Ecclesiastes 9:7–10)

Are you so focused on what you are waiting for that you are failing to enjoy and faithfully use what God has already given you?

Key Verse

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity, planning, knowledge, or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.” — Ecclesiastes 9:10 (NASB)

Background Context

Ecclesiastes repeatedly reminds us that life “under the sun” is temporary. In the previous verses, Solomon emphasized that death eventually comes to everyone. But his conclusion is not that life is therefore meaningless.

Instead, because our days are limited, we should receive them as valuable.

Solomon points toward some of life’s ordinary blessings: food, celebration, marriage, and meaningful work. These things cannot provide ultimate meaning apart from God, but they can be received with gratitude as gifts from Him.

(Continued and expanded after scripture.)

Ecclesiastes 9:7-10

    7Go then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works. 8Let your clothes be white all the time, and let not oil be lacking on your head. 9Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.

Whatever Your Hand Finds to Do

10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.

Reflection

Solomon begins, “Go then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart.” Throughout Ecclesiastes, he has exposed the emptiness of trying to find lasting satisfaction in pleasure, possessions, accomplishments, or wealth. Yet he does not conclude that enjoying life is wrong.

There is an important difference between making God’s gifts our purpose and receiving God’s gifts with gratitude.

Food cannot give our lives ultimate meaning. Neither can possessions, marriage, recreation, or success. But when God provides good things, we do not honor Him by refusing to enjoy them. We can receive them thankfully while remembering the One who provided them.

Solomon even says, “Enjoy life with the wife whom you love all the days of your futile life.” His repeated description of life as “futile” or “vanity” does not mean that relationships are worthless. Rather, they are temporary. The people we love will not always be with us in this present life.

That should make us value them more, not less.

It is easy to postpone enjoying the life God has given us. We tell ourselves that we will slow down after the next project, enjoy our family when work becomes less demanding, or be content once some future problem is resolved.

But Scripture continually reminds us that we are not promised unlimited tomorrows.

Then Solomon turns toward work: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.”

Knowing that life is temporary should not make us passive. It should make us purposeful.

There is work God has placed before us today—responsibilities to fulfill, people to love, opportunities to serve, and tasks worth doing well. We cannot control how many opportunities tomorrow will bring, but we can be faithful with the ones God has given us now.

Paul expresses a similar principle in Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.”

Ecclesiastes is teaching us to hold two truths together:

Life is temporary, so don’t cling to it as though it were everything. But life is also a gift from God, so don’t waste it while you have it.

Enjoy His blessings. Love the people He has given you. Do your work faithfully. Thank Him for today.

And do not become so consumed with waiting for a different life that you miss the one God has placed before you.

Application

  • Receive ordinary blessings—meals, relationships, rest, and enjoyable moments—with gratitude rather than taking them for granted.
  • Make time for the people God has placed in your life instead of continually postponing those relationships for something “more important.”
  • Whatever responsibility God has placed before you today, seek to do it faithfully and wholeheartedly.
  • Remember that life is temporary, and let that truth help you value rather than waste the opportunities God gives you.

Closing Prayer

Father, thank You for the life You have given me and for the many ordinary blessings I can easily overlook. Help me not to seek my purpose in Your gifts, but also not to miss the joy of receiving them from Your hand. Teach me to value the people You have placed in my life and to faithfully do the work before me. Give me wisdom to use my limited days well, living with gratitude, purpose, and faithfulness to You. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.

May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you.

John Golda

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Compassionate, Loving / Kind, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms, Strong in Our Weakness

God Goes Before His People (Psalm 68:1–10)

What changes when we remember that we are not asking God to follow us into our battles, but trusting Him to go before us?

Key Verse

“A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows,
Is God in His holy habitation.” — Psalm 68:5 (NASB)

Background Context

Psalm 68 is a song celebrating YHWH as the victorious King who rises against His enemies, leads His people, provides for them, and ultimately reigns over the nations.

David begins with language that reaches back to Israel’s journey through the wilderness. When the ark of the covenant set out, Moses declared, “Rise up, LORD! And may Your enemies be scattered” (Numbers 10:35). Psalm 68 draws on that history to remind God’s people who has always gone before them.

Yet this mighty King is also introduced as the One who cares for the fatherless, widows, lonely, and oppressed. His power and His compassion belong together.

(Continued and expanded after scripture.)

Psalm 68:1-10

The God of Sinai and of the Sanctuary.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David. A Song.

1Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered,
And let those who hate Him flee before Him.

      2As smoke is driven away, so drive them away;
As wax melts before the fire,
So let the wicked perish before God.

      3But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God;
Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.

      4Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts,
Whose name is the LORD, and exult before Him.

      5A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows,
Is God in His holy habitation.

      6God makes a home for the lonely;
He leads out the prisoners into prosperity,
Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

      7O God, when You went forth before Your people,
When You marched through the wilderness,

Selah.

      8The earth quaked;
The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;
Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

      9You shed abroad a plentiful rain, O God;
You confirmed Your inheritance when it was parched.

      10Your creatures settled in it;
You provided in Your goodness for the poor, O God.

Reflection

Psalm 68 opens with a dramatic contrast. When God arises, His enemies scatter like smoke driven by the wind and wax melting before fire. But the righteous respond very differently: “Let the righteous be joyful; let them rejoice before God.”

The difference is not God’s power. Everyone encounters the same King. The difference is their relationship to Him.

For God’s people, His presence is a reason for joy because the One who possesses overwhelming power is also the One who cares for them.

David describes Him as “a father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows.” He gives the lonely a home and leads prisoners into prosperity. These are people who could easily be overlooked or exploited, yet God specifically identifies Himself as their defender.

That should shape how we understand God’s greatness. Scripture does not present Him as a distant King who is concerned only with nations and great historical events. The God who scatters armies also notices the lonely person who feels forgotten.

David then looks backward to Israel’s wilderness journey. God went before His people, the earth shook at His presence, and He provided rain for His inheritance when it was exhausted.

Israel’s journey was difficult, but they were never traveling alone.

That is an important reminder when we face our own difficult seasons. We often look ahead and see obstacles, uncertainty, or needs we do not know how to meet. Our natural response is to ask, How am I going to handle all of this?

Psalm 68 redirects the question.

Who is going before me?

This does not mean every obstacle will disappear or every situation will unfold as we prefer. Israel’s wilderness journey certainly wasn’t easy. But they were following the God who had already demonstrated that He could defeat their enemies, provide for their needs, and sustain them when they were exhausted.

We serve that same God.

We do not need to pretend the road ahead is easy. We need to remember who goes before us on the road.

Application

  • When facing uncertainty, remember God’s past faithfulness instead of focusing only on the obstacles ahead.
  • Trust YHWH to lead and provide rather than expecting yourself to control every outcome.
  • Reflect God’s character by noticing and caring for people who are vulnerable, lonely, or easily overlooked.
  • Rejoice that the God whose power defeats His enemies is the same God who compassionately cares for His people.

Closing Prayer

Father, thank You that I do not walk through life alone. When I become focused on the obstacles ahead of me, remind me that You go before Your people. Help me trust Your strength, Your provision, and Your faithfulness. Thank You that Your great power is joined with compassion and that You see those whom others may overlook. Help me reflect Your heart by caring for others and faithfully following wherever You lead. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.

May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you.

John Golda

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Guide, Holy / Set Apart, Purposeful / Intentional

Set Apart in the Way We Live (Exodus 22:16–31)

Does belonging to God change only how you worship—or also how you treat people, handle money, and conduct your everyday life?

Key Verse:

“You shall be holy men to Me.” — Exodus 22:31a (NASB)

Background Context:

God continues expanding upon the foundational commandments given in Exodus 20. His instruction now reaches into relationships, worship, finances, justice, compassion, and everyday conduct. Israel was not merely being taught religious ceremonies. YHWH was teaching them what it meant to be His people.

One theme becomes especially prominent: those who have power must not exploit those who are vulnerable. Foreigners, widows, orphans, and the poor receive particular attention from God. Israel had experienced vulnerability themselves in Egypt, and God expected that experience to influence how they treated others.

(Continued and expanded after scripture.)

Exodus 22:16-31

Sundry Laws

      16“If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged, and lies with her, he must pay a dowry for her to be his wife. 17“If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the dowry for virgins.

      18“You shall not allow a sorceress to live.

      19“Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death.

      20“He who sacrifices to any god, other than to the LORD alone, shall be utterly destroyed.

      21“You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. 22“You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. 23“If you afflict him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry; 24and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

      25“If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest. 26“If you ever take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, you are to return it to him before the sun sets, 27for that is his only covering; it is his cloak for his body. What else shall he sleep in? And it shall come about that when he cries out to Me, I will hear him, for I am gracious.

      28“You shall not curse God, nor curse a ruler of your people.

      29“You shall not delay the offering from your harvest and your vintage. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me. 30“You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep. It shall be with its mother seven days; on the eighth day you shall give it to Me.

      31“You shall be holy men to Me, therefore you shall not eat any flesh torn to pieces in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.

Reflection on Exodus 22:16–31:

This passage begins by addressing sexual conduct. A man who seduced an unmarried woman could not simply enjoy what he wanted and then walk away without responsibility. His actions created obligations. Once again, God’s instruction confronts the human tendency to pursue personal desires while leaving someone else to bear the consequences.

The passage then turns sharply toward faithfulness to YHWH. Sorcery, sexual relations with animals, and sacrificing to other gods are condemned. Israel had been called out from among nations whose worship practices were very different from God’s ways. They were not free to combine devotion to YHWH with practices He had forbidden. Being set apart for God meant allowing Him to define both their worship and their conduct.

Then God’s attention turns toward people who could easily be exploited: “You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Israel was commanded to remember its own history. They knew what it was like to live as outsiders under the authority of others. Having been delivered from oppression, they were not to become oppressors themselves.

God speaks even more strongly concerning widows and orphans. In the ancient world, people without the protection and provision normally supplied by family could be especially vulnerable. YHWH warns that if His people afflict them and they cry out to Him, “I will surely hear their cry.”

That tells us something important about God’s character. People whom society can easily overlook are not overlooked by Him. He hears their cries and holds those who mistreat them accountable.

The same concern appears in God’s instructions about lending money. If an Israelite lent to a poor person among God’s people, he was not to exploit that person’s desperation by charging interest. Even a cloak taken as security had to be returned before night because the borrower might need it simply to stay warm. God asks, “When he cries out to Me, I will hear him, for I am gracious.”

God’s law therefore does more than prohibit obvious acts of cruelty. It challenges people who possess money, authority, or influence to consider how their decisions affect those with less power. Something may benefit us financially and still fail God’s standard of compassion.

The remaining instructions address respect toward God and rulers, giving God what belongs to Him, and Israel’s distinctiveness as His people. Then comes the statement that helps tie the passage together: “You shall be holy men to Me.”

Holiness is not confined to worship gatherings or religious rituals. God cared about whom Israel worshiped, but He also cared about sexual conduct, financial dealings, treatment of foreigners, compassion for the poor, respect for authority, and ordinary decisions.

The same principle challenges us today. If we belong to God, that relationship should become visible in the way we live. Our worship of YHWH cannot be separated from how we treat the people He places around us.

Application:

  • Let God’s Word define your conduct rather than separating your faith from everyday decisions.
  • Pay particular attention to how your choices affect people who have less power, money, influence, or protection than you do.
  • Remember God’s past mercy toward you and allow it to shape the mercy you extend to others.
  • Examine whether the way you handle relationships, money, authority, and worship reflects someone who is set apart for God.

Closing Prayer:

Father, thank You for calling Your people to be set apart for You. Help me understand that holiness should shape every area of my life, not merely the parts I consider religious. Guard me from using my desires, resources, or authority in ways that harm others. Give me particular compassion for those who are vulnerable or easily overlooked. May the way I worship, work, handle money, build relationships, and treat others demonstrate that I belong to You. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.

Faith / Trusting God, Revelation, Satan, Spiritual Warfare

Faithful Until the Kingdom Comes (Revelation 20:1–6)

When faithfulness to Yeshua costs you something today, do you remember the kingdom that is still to come?

Key Verse:

“Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” — Revelation 20:6 (NASB)

Background Context:

Revelation 19 ended with Yeshua returning as King of Kings and Lord of Lords and defeating the beast and false prophet. Revelation 20 continues the story. Satan is bound and prevented from deceiving the nations for a thousand years, while those who remained faithful to Yeshua are raised and reign with Him.

There are differing interpretations among believers concerning the precise timing and nature of the thousand years. Rather than allowing those debates to overshadow the passage, we should make sure we see what John clearly emphasizes: Satan’s authority is limited, Yeshua reigns, and faithfulness to Him is never wasted.

(Continued and expanded after scripture.)

Revelation 20:1-6

Satan Bound

      1Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.

      4Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

Reflection on Revelation 20:1–6:

John sees an angel descend from heaven, seize the dragon—explicitly identified as “the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan”—and bind him for a thousand years. The enemy who has appeared so powerful throughout Revelation is completely subject to God’s authority. He cannot extend his activity one moment beyond what God permits.

This reinforces something we have seen repeatedly throughout Revelation. Satan is dangerous, deceptive, and actively opposed to God’s people, but he is never God’s equal. His power is limited, his time is limited, and his ultimate defeat is certain. God’s people should take spiritual opposition seriously without living as though the enemy determines the outcome.

John then sees thrones and those given authority to judge. He particularly draws attention to people who had suffered because of “the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God.” They refused to worship the beast or receive his mark even when faithfulness cost them their lives. From the world’s perspective, they appeared defeated. Revelation now shows us God’s perspective: “they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”

What a reversal. Those who refused the beast’s temporary power are given a place in Messiah’s kingdom. Those who appeared to lose everything because they remained faithful ultimately reign with Yeshua.

This is why Revelation repeatedly calls believers to perseverance. Faithfulness is not always immediately rewarded in this present world. Obedience may cost us opportunities, relationships, comfort, influence, or even our lives. If we evaluate our choices only according to what happens today, compromise can sometimes appear more profitable. Revelation tells us to evaluate our lives according to eternity.

John calls those participating in the first resurrection “blessed and holy.” The second death has no authority over them. Physical death may have appeared to give their enemies victory, but death itself could not separate them from the kingdom God had prepared for them.

There is also a beautiful description of their future purpose: “they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him.” God’s plan for His people is not merely rescue from judgment. He calls us into relationship and service with Him. The faithful who were rejected by the world’s kingdom are welcomed into Messiah’s kingdom.

Revelation 20 therefore encourages us to look beyond the immediate cost of obedience. Satan’s influence will not continue forever. The kingdoms opposed to God will not continue forever. Even death will not have the final word.

Yeshua reigns, and those who belong to Him have a future worth remaining faithful for.

Application:

  • Remember that Satan is a real enemy, but his authority is limited by God.
  • Do not measure whether obedience is worthwhile solely by its immediate earthly consequences.
  • When faithfulness costs you something, remember those who refused the beast even when the cost was far greater.
  • Keep your hope centered on Yeshua’s kingdom rather than the temporary rewards offered by this world.
  • Let the promise of resurrection strengthen you to remain faithful today.

Closing Prayer:

Father, thank You that Satan’s power is limited and that Your kingdom will ultimately prevail. Help me not to measure faithfulness by temporary circumstances or worldly rewards. Give me courage to obey You even when doing so is costly. Thank You for the hope of resurrection and for the promise that death does not have the final word over those who belong to Yeshua. Keep my eyes fixed on Your kingdom and help me remain faithful until the end. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.

May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you.

John Golda

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Justice / Judgment, Wise

Your Life Is in God’s Hands (Ecclesiastes (9:1-6)

When you cannot understand why God allows certain things to happen, can you still trust that your life is in His hands?

Key Verse:

“For I have taken all this to my heart and explain it that righteous men, wise men, and their deeds are in the hand of God.” — Ecclesiastes 9:1 (NASB)

Background Context:

Solomon has repeatedly wrestled with the apparent unfairness and unpredictability of life. He has seen righteous people suffer while wicked people prosper, and he has acknowledged that even great wisdom cannot explain everything God is doing.

As chapter 9 begins, Solomon anchors us in an important truth: the righteous and the wise are in the hand of God. Yet he also confronts the sobering reality that physical death eventually comes to everyone. That truth should not lead us toward despair, but toward faithfully using the life and opportunities God has given us today.

(Continued and expanded after scripture.)

Ecclesiastes 9:1-6

Men Are in the Hand of God

      1For I have taken all this to my heart and explain it that righteous men, wise men, and their deeds are in the hand of God. Man does not know whether it will be love or hatred; anything awaits him.

      2It is the same for all. There is one fate for the righteous and for the wicked; for the good, for the clean and for the unclean; for the man who offers a sacrifice and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the good man is, so is the sinner; as the swearer is, so is the one who is afraid to swear. 3This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all men. Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they go to the dead. 4For whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion. 5For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten. 6Indeed their love, their hate and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun.

Reflection on Ecclesiastes 9:1–6:

Solomon begins with reassurance in the middle of life’s uncertainty: “righteous men, wise men, and their deeds are in the hand of God.” We may not understand everything happening around us, but God’s people are not abandoned. Our inability to understand His purposes does not mean He has lost control.

Yet life “under the sun” does not always unfold as we expect. The righteous suffer and the wicked suffer. Good people experience tragedy, while those who reject God sometimes prosper. We cannot reliably determine someone’s standing with God simply by looking at their circumstances. Prosperity is not automatic evidence of righteousness, nor is suffering automatic evidence of sin.

Solomon then says that “there is one fate for the righteous and for the wicked.” In context, he is speaking about physical death. Everyone eventually dies regardless of wealth, wisdom, righteousness, or social position. He is not teaching that the righteous and wicked have the same eternal destination. Scripture elsewhere clearly speaks of resurrection and judgment (Daniel 12:2; John 5:28–29). Solomon is describing what we observe during this earthly life.

That reality gives urgency to the present. Solomon uses the memorable comparison that “a live dog is better than a dead lion.” However unimpressive our circumstances may seem, while God gives us life there remains opportunity to repent, obey, serve, reconcile, encourage others, and pursue Him. We should not continually postpone what God has given us opportunity to do today.

When Solomon says that the dead “know nothing” and no longer have a share in what happens “under the sun,” he continues speaking from this earthly perspective. Their participation in this present world has ended. The opportunities available during earthly life are no longer available to them.

For followers of Yeshua, we can face that reality with hope. Yeshua declared, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies” (John 11:25). Physical death is real, but it does not have the final word.

Ecclesiastes therefore gives us two truths to hold together: our earthly lives are temporary, and our lives remain in God’s hands. We cannot control how many days we will receive or everything that happens during them, but we can choose to use the days God gives us faithfully.

Application:

  • Trust that your life remains in God’s hands even when you do not understand your circumstances.
  • Do not judge someone’s relationship with God merely by whether that person is prospering or suffering.
  • Treat today as an opportunity God has given you rather than continually postponing what matters.
  • Consider whether there is an act of obedience, reconciliation, service, or encouragement you should stop putting off.
  • Face the reality of death with the hope of resurrection through Yeshua.

Closing Prayer:

Father, thank You that my life remains in Your hands even when I do not understand what You are doing. Help me not to measure Your faithfulness by my circumstances. Teach me to recognize that my days are limited and precious and to use the opportunities You give me faithfully. Show me where I have been postponing something You would have me do. Thank You that through Yeshua, death does not have the final word. Help me live today with purpose, faithfulness, and hope. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.

May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you.

John Golda

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.