Dates of Old Testament

This came from Edwin R. Thiele’s The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings and John Schaller’s Book of Books

Date(BC) Book(s) Lived

1500 Genesis Job
1400 Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy
1300 Joshua Judges (1-3)
1200 Judges (3-5)
1100 Judges (6-10) Ruth
1000 Judges (11-21) 1-2 Samuel 1 Chronicles (10-22)
900 1 Kings (1-16) 1 Chronicles (23) Proverbs Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
800 1 Kings (16- 2 Kings 13) Joel Obadiah
700 2 Kings (13-18) Amos Hosea Isaiah Jonah Micah
2 Chronicles (25-32)
600 2 Kings (19-24) Hosea Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel
Daniel Mica Nahum 2 Chronicles (33-36) Habakkuk Zephaniah
500 2 Kings (24-25) Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel
2 Chronicles (36) Haggai Zechariah Ezra (1-6)
400 Ezra (7-10) Nehemiah Malachi Esther

And then 400 years of silence!

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Some WORLD and BIBLE Part 3

586 BC to 4 BC
586
Judah (southern kingdom) falls to Babylon
Gautama Buddha, founder of Buddhism, born in Nepal
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon dies
Aesop writes his fables Confucius, famous Chinese scholar, born
King Cyrus the Great conquers the Medes and founds the Persian Empire;
Lock and key, water level, and carpenter’s square invented
Horseback postal service in Persian Empire
539
Babylon overthrown by Cyrus of Persia
First Jewish exiles return to Jerusalem
Tragedy emerges as a form of Greek drama
Polo a sport among Persians
Public libraries open in Athens, Greece
New Temple completed in Jerusalem
Rome becomes a Republic
Glass first imported into China from Near East;
Indian surgeon, Susrata, performs cataract operation;
Origin of Halloween, a Celtic festival
490
First time Greek men choose short haircuts
Esther becomes Queen of Persia
480
Golden age of Athens, Greece, begins
470
Socrates, philosopher of the ancient world is born
460
Birth of Democritus, who introduced an atomic theory by arguing that all bodies are made of invisible and unchangeable atoms
Ezra returns to Jerusalem
The Parthenon built on top of Athens Acropolis
445
Nehemiah builds Jerusalem wall
Greek sculptor Pheidias makes a 60 foot high statue of Zeus –
one of the seven wonders of the ancient world
Romans agree to concept of a dictator in times of military emergency
Malachi becomes a prophet
400
SILENCE FROM GOD – Last 400 years
399
Socrates condemned to death by Athens jury
390
Aramaic begins to replace Hebrew as Jewish language
380
Aristotle born
375
Plato writes his most famous book “The Republic”
331
Alexander the Great defeats the Persian Empire
312
Rome builds first paved road, the “Appian Way” from Rome to Capua
285
Hebrew Old Testament translated into Greek and called the “Septuagint”
241
Romans conquer Sicily and add their first non
-Italian territory to the Roman Empire
220
Great wall of China built
169
Temple of Jerusalem plundered by Antiochus IV
165
Judas Maccabaeus begins a revolt against Antiochus IV
Jews and Astrologers banished from Rome
First Chinese ships reach east coast of India;
Ball bearings used in Danish cart wheels
100
Julius Caesar, first emperor of Rome, born
51
Cleopatra becomes last independent Egyptian ruler of the ancient world
44
Julius Caesar elected dictator for life, then assinated that same year
43
Romans conquer England and make it part of Roman Empire until 442 AD
30
Cleopatra and her lover, Mark Antony both die by suicide
Herod the Great made king of Judea by the Romans
Sumo wrestling in Japan
Mary mother of Jesus born
20
Herod the Great begins remodeling the Temple in Jerusalem
4
CHRIST IS BORN IN BETHELEM

*Dates are best extimates

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Some WORLD and BIBLE Part 2

DATE-BC EVENT
1375 BC to 600 BC

1375
Judges begin to rule Israel
Egyptian King Tutankhamen dies, is buried inside an immense treasure- laden tomb
Silk fabrics manufactured in China
1209
Deborah becomes Israel’s Judge
Labor strike in Thebes; first Chinese dictionary
Destruction of Troy during Trojan
1102
Samuel born
1085
Samuel becomes Israel’s Judge
1046
Saul becomes Israel’s first king
1010
David becomes Israel’s king
City or Peking built;
Greek theology fully developed;
California Indians build wood-reed houses;
Chinese Mathematics utilizes root multiplication, geometry, proportions, and theory of motion;
Glazing of bricks and tiles begins in Near East
970
Solomon becomes Israel’s king
959
Temple in Jerusalem completed
Gold vessels and jewelry popular in Northern Europe
930
Kingdom of Israel divides
900
Celts invade Britain;
Assyrians invent inflatable skins for soldiers to cross-rivers
875
Elijah prophesies in Israel
874
Ahab becomes Israel’s king
850
Evidence of highly developed metal and stone sculptures in Africa
848
Elijah prophesies in Israel
835
Joash becomes Israel’s king
Founding of Cartage, a Phoenician trading post
Development of caste system in India;
Babyloian and Chinese astronomers understand planetary movements;
Spoked wheels used in Europe;
Homer writes Iliad and Odyssey;
Ice skating a popular sport in northern Europe
793
Jonah becomes a prophet
First known date of Olympic games
Traditional date for founding of the city of Rome
Hosea becomes a prophet
Earliest music notation written in ancient Greece;
Celts introduce plow to Britain
Israel invaded by Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria
740
Isaiah becomes a prophet
Israel (northern kingdom) falls
Hezekiah becomes Judah’s king

701
Jerusalem besieged by Sennacherib of Assyria
False teeth invented in Italy
Japan established as a nation
Soldering of iron invented
Horse racing first held at 33rd Olympic Games
640
Josiah becomes Judah’s king
Jeremiah becomes a prophet

Assyrian capital of Nineveh destroyed
605
Daniel taken captive to Babylon
Temple of Diana built in Ephesus
– one of the seven wonders of the ancient world

*Dates are best estimates

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Exodus – Part 44

To Rephidim came the Israelites and once again they had a great plight. Not enough water for man and beast to drink. Just like at Kadish and now what should they think?

They hollered at Moses to give him shame.  
Just as in the past they forgot God’s name. 
Moses’s reply was quick and clear, 
remember its God that you should fear.  
After all He has done for both me and you, 
God is so faithful and always so true.

But, maybe we should not be so quick to judge.  In our land of plenty only a small minority are willing to thank God for all we have.

And remember, they lived 400 years in a country that worshipped Pharaoh as their god-man.  

Under those circumstances it might be easy to revert to the thought that their leader was not just a man, but a god-man.

Once again the Israelites were mad, their reply was, why did you bring us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst.”

All through the first five books of the Old Testament
we will find evidence that the Israelites confused the personalities and personages of God with Moses.

We tend to assume Moses was conflicted.  He cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people?
Before long they will be stoning me.”

Protests in that day were symbolized by the stoning of those the people were unhappy with. Moses evidently was afraid of that fate.

We don’t know if Moses was truly afraid the Lord may allow him to be stoned to death or not.  

Put yourself in his place, would you be afraid of that type of riot?

But the Lord had an answer.  He told Moses to Pass before the people with some of the elders of Israel
and take your rod that has performed favorably in the past.

God then assured him. I will be standing there before you on the rock at Horab.  Smite the rock and water will issue forth from it and the people will drink.

This place was named Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested God. Massahtranslates quarreled,  Meribah translates tested.

After that incident there was a fourth crisis that fell upon the Israelite people.

The nation of Amalek, though unprovoked, came and fought with the Israelites. Moses instructed Joshua to pick some men to go out and battle Amalek.

But Moses didn’t just send Joshua, he gave him confidence that he would also be there.

He said, “I will station myself on the top of the hill,
with the rod of God in my hand.”

Joshua did as Moses told him and fought with Amalek while Moses, Aaron and Hur went on top of the hill.

I don’t know about you, but that man named Hurcaught my attention, because I never heard of him before. Though I remembered the movie “Ben Hur”.

Well there are three separate men named Hur mentioned in the Bible, all in the Old Testament.

The least-known of the three is simply mentioned by name in Nehemiah 3:9. He was the father of Rephaiah, one of the rulers of Jerusalem who repaired a section of the walls of Jerusalem.

Another Hur in the Bible was one of the five rulers of Midian in the time of Moses.

But the most well-known Hur appears in the book of Exodus. He is described as being from the tribe of Judah. 
As Hur is most often mentioned in conjunction with Aaron, Moses’ brother and high priest of the Israelites; it is likely that Hur also had a place of authority among the people. 
Hur is one of the two men who went to the top of the hill with Moses, while the Israelites’ battled 
against the Amalekites.

At the top of the hill whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, but whenever he let down his hand Amalek prevailed.

Well you can imagine poor Mosses, his hand grew weary. So they took a stone and put it under his armwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hand
on each side. Mosses hand stayed steady until the sun set.

Some interpret the fact of holding up his hand was so the Israelites could look up and dedicate their hearts to their father in Heaven, and then they prevailed; but when they forgot to look up they failed.

And Joshua overwhelmed the people of Amalek
with the sword.

⇛ continue reading Exodus – Part 45
⇛ return to Exodus

Exodus – Part 48

The fourth of the ten Commandments is “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.” Notice that God did not have to tell the Israelites what day the Sabbath was. 

He had already taught them that they could gather the manna for six days and on the sixth day, Friday, they were to gather a double portion so they would not have to gather or to work for their food on the seventh.

The instructions from God were not to work on Saturday, but it also does not say they were to rest on the Sabbath. Actually they were told to make it holy. In Hebrew “holy” means separate or distinct.

There are actually only two commandments that require positive action. All the others say, “Thou shalt not.”  And remember the Sabbath is the only commandment that requires a ritual.

It’s also important to note that the ten Commandments are universally applicable.

And it is interesting to note that the Christian world is the only non-Jewish civilization to have adopted the Ten Commandments. And the best part of all is
there is a good reason for accepting and adopting the Ten Commandments as our creed: it affirms that God created the world in six days and on the seventh day He rested. This is a good pattern for man to follow to be healthy, wealthy and wise. And the neat part of it is that your children and your animals are just as free from work as you are
on the Sabbath.

After teaching we need a day of rest we are next told to honor our father and our mother. If a child does not honor parental authority he is less likely to honor God. 
In fact, it is so in reverse also. If a child does not honor their parent they are less likely to honor God.

If we pay close attention we will see there are only two commandments telling us who we should honor.  First God and second our parents.

Actually it is more important to honor your parent than it is to love them. The moral success of a society does not depend on children loving their parents, but it does depend on children honoring their parent.

We know in Paul’s writings he repeats “Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.   
“Honour your father and mother”, which is the first commandment associated with the promise. It says “so that it may be well with you and you may have a long life on the earth.”

The only moral authority that is higher than parents is God. And then comes the reward! To honor your father and mother is the only one of the Ten Commandments that specifies a reward. The promise is to all of society. It promises the collective nation that if its members honor their parents,
the family will be preserved, it religious traditions and beliefs will be preserved, and the civilization will long endure.

The breakdown of the family is a guarantee of the breakdown of a civilization. God bless those parents
who have raised up a child In the way he should go.

God’s promise is: 
Train up a child 
in the way he should go:
and when he is old, 
he will not depart from it.

⇛ continue reading Exodus – Part 49
⇛ return to Exodus

Exodus – Part 47

At this point the Israelites are at God’s Mountain, – Mt. Sinai, and they are warned they cannot touch the mountain when God is there.  When God was no longer there they could go to the mountain because it was not holy if God was not there.

Having fear for what God can do, this fact truly frightened the Israelites.

In the Talmud there is a legend that depicts God holding the mountain over the heads of the people and threatening to drop it on them if they did not accept the law.  The point being made is the Israelites accepted the law out of fear.

When you think about it logically that seems to be what makes people obey a law?  If we are truthful, it is very convincing that we are persuaded to obey
by the combination of love or fear.   

(I behave myself because I don’t want to suffer the consequences of misbehaving, or, because my love for the law giver makes me want to keep the object of my affection happy, whether parents, spouse, or other authority.  I believe my attitude is shared by possibly the majority of people.)

Moses led the people out of the camp toward Gad where they took their places at the foot of the mountain.

Mt Sinai was all in smoke, because the Lord was on it. The Lord had come down upon it; and the whole mountain trembled violently. The Lord had come down upon it in fire. And as Moses spoke  God answered him in thunder.

The Lord had come to the top of Mt Sinai and called Moses to the top with Him. He then told Moses to go down and warn the people not to break through the land to graze. He also said the Priests must remain pure.  After this he reiterated that the people were not to come to the mountain or they would die.

Per normal, telling them once is not enough but poor Moses is naïve enough to think that since they were warned they would not come to the mountain

God, being much wiser than Moses knows curiosity will be stronger than the rule to stay away from the mountain. Genesis chapter 20 makes it abundantly clear that it is God who gave the Ten Commandments and they were not Moses’ idea.

No human is the sole source or responsible for all the words in the Ten Commandments.  God is the sole author and giver of these rules that are given to the people.

The Ten Commandments are also called “the Decalogue”.  The Decalogue is the alternative name 
for the Ten Commandments, and actually means Ten Words.

The Ten Commandments are the first and only example of a covenantal relationship between 
deity and an entire people. They are unique in that God revealed His will not just to a single prophet
or to a privileged class, but to an entire people;
all of whom became answerable to its terms.

The Ten Commandments focuses not only on the relationship with the ruler, but also on each individual’s behavior toward every other individual. They treat both religious and social obligations as expressions of divine will. The Ten Commandments are laws that are simple, absolute, and devoid of qualification.

God gave the Ten Commandments to the ancient nation of Israel. He chose to give the Commandments in the no-man’s land of a desert
rather than in the land of Israel. This seems to signify that they are not just for one nation but apply to all people, from the beginning of their giving clear through to the end.

These biblical principles given to the Jews are set principles given by God, relating to ethics and worship, and play a fundamental role in Judaism and Christianity.

The first and second commandments go hand in hand, both emphasizing the need to give our worship exclusively to the one true God

The commandments were written on two tables of stone by the finger of God.  The Jews are to follow the commandments anywhere and everywhere thy go, and not just when they are in Israel.

The Commandments  are listed in both Exodus and Deuteronomy.

⇛ continue reading Exodus – Part 48
⇛ return to Exodus

Exodus – Part 46

How very fortunate it was that Jethro loved and cared for his family.  And because he did, he came to have great respect for his son-in law, Moses
and all the work Moses had to do.

It was because he saw how taxing it was for Moses to judge every situation for the Israelites that he devised a plan that became the judicial system for that nation during Moses’ lifetime.

Moses, in return, must have had great respect for his Midianite father-in-law, because that was the system he adapted to govern all his people.

The judicial system was set up with heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.  It was set up in military style and worked so well that it freed up Moses’ time. Then Jethro went home to his own land, and his own job.

On the third new moon after leaving Egypt, the Israelites entered the wilderness of Sinai. They made their encampment in front of Mount Sinai, God’s Mountain.

And Moses went up to God. God called from the mountain and said: “You have seen what I did to the Egyptian, how I bore you on Eagles wings.

Well, it’s easy to recall the death of all the Egyptians armies, but when he says he bore the Israelites
on Eagles wings, it takes a little more explanation.

It is very rare for God to do but He is using poetic language to explain what he did for the Jews.

This is where we get a lesson on birds. God is comparing Himself to the Eagle that carries its young on its wings. Other birds put their young between their feet.

It seems the birds fear the birds that fly higher than they do that would snatch the birds off their backs.
But eagles fly the highest so they protect their babies on their wings.

Using that example God is expressing His protective love for His people. In this verse God is expressing
His love for His people by destroying their enemies 
and his care for His people by carrying them on His wing.

God then said, “If you will obey Me faithfully, and keep My covenant, you shall be My treasured possessions.”

God just said He will be their God and they shall be His people “IF” they will obey His Headship in their lives. And we all know who it was that fell down on the job! But they are not without hope as 
the prophet Hosea said later that God is ready and willing to take them back when they acknowledge they must follow Him. God made it clear that all the earth is His, and He had a chosen people.

After listening to God and knowing what God’s desire was, Moses was to go to the people 
and tell them what God expected.

He did and all the people said, All that the Lord has spoken we will do.  After telling the people God’s desires Moses returned to God.

God instructed him to tell the people that they must stay pure today and they were to wash their cloths.

Then on the third day the Lord will come down,
in the sight of all the people, on Mount Sinai.

The people were warned to not go up the mountain
and to not touch the mountain and if they do they will be put to death.

A ram’s horn was used in a long blast to let the people know when it is safe to return to the mountain.  Then they may climb the mountain
because without God then it is no longer a holy place.

On the third day, as morning dawned, and they had cleansed themselves, and washed their cloths,
as morning dawned there was thunder and lightning and a dense cloud upon the mountain
and a very loud blast of the horn and all the people in the camp trembled.

⇛ continue reading Exodus – Part 47
⇛ return to Exodus

Exodus – Part 45

The Amalekites provoked the Israelites into a war,
with God’s instructions the Israelites prevailed.
God then instructed Moses to inscribe a document
as a reminder of the battle. But it seems almost like a contradiction when God says this will be a reminder of what happened.

And not only will it be a reminder but Moses is
supposed to read it out loud to Joshua. But then God says He will blot out the memory of Amalek.

It almost sounds like a contradiction: Remember the war but forget Amalek.

Maybe remembering Amalek would give him glory.  But God is the one who deserves glory for victory over evil, and that is what we all are supposed to remember.

Then God tells them what they are to remember.
They are to build an alter and name it Adonai-nissi.

Adonai or course translates to LORD or God. And nissi is simply a banner or standard.

So they were to build an altar and over it

put an identifying marker that says, “YHVH is my banner. And that banner is meant to say, “Hand upon the throne of the Lord”:  The Lord will be at war with Amalek throughout the ages.

In the book of Exodus, the very next person God teaches us about is Jethro, Moses’s father-in-law.

It’s interesting that first we learn about Amalek, a wicked man, who was unprovoked; and now we will learn about a good man, and neither was provoked to do what they did. It’s a real contrast in human nature.

When Jethro, Moses’ father –in-law heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel he took Zipporah, Moses’ wife and sons back to Moses.

It is surmised that Moses sent his wife and sons back home to her own father to stay during all the troubling times In Egypt with the plagues and on through the exodus. But now that the Israelites were in the wilderness Moses’ family was brought back to him.

It is assumed Moses sent his wife and two sons,
Gershom and Eliezer, to his father-in-law at the time he was escaping to Midian to protect his own life against reprisals against him for killing that Egyptian overseer.  It was at that time that Pharaoh 
was bent on killing Moses.

At the time Jethro and Moses’s family are coming home Moses is encamped at the mountain of God,
better known as Mt. Sinai.

Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, he greeted him and bowed low and kissed him

When Jethro and Moses talked, Moses told his father-in- law all about what God had done for him and all the Israelites.

Jethro was completely impressed, even though he was not a Jew. He was completely impressed and said, “Blessed be the Lord, who delivered you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh, and who delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.” And he continued with, “Now I know that the Lord is greater than all Gods”.

Jethro was actually a Midianite priest and his daughter was not a Jew when Abraham married her. The only thing we have to believe that she was converted was when she circumcised her son and declared she had a bloody religion.

Jethro on the other hand, never became a Jew, he remained a Midianite Priest, but had true respect for the God of the Israelites. To show this respect Jethro brought a burnt offering and sacrificed for God.  Aaron came with all the Elders of Israel to partake of the meal before God with Jethro.

The following day Moses went back to work! He was needed!  He was the magistrate of his people. Moses listened to all the problems all the people 
who had problems.

Jethro inquired why it was Moses alone who had to do this all day long with all the people? Couldn’t someone else help with this work?

Moses’s answer was short and to the point.
When they have a dispute it comes before me and I make known the law and the teachings of God.

Remember, they had not yet been given the law.
It was written in The Ten Commandments.

Jethro felt this was the wrong way to approach all the problems. He was fearful that Moses would
wear himself out so he decided Moses needed his counsel.

“You be the one to take the problems concerning God to God; and then you teach the people in the way God would have them go. But then you seek out from among all the people, wise capable men who fear God; trustworthy men who will spurn ill-gotten gain. Set over them as chiefs of thousands,
hundreds, fifties, and tens. Let them judge the people at all times. Have them bring every major dispute to you, but let them dictate every minor dispute themselves. Make it easier for yourself 
by letting them share the burden with you.’

It’s interesting to note that a non-Jew was able to set up a whole judicial system for the Jews. How unique and wonderful when you consider that the Israelites and the Midianites would soon come to be each other’s most vile enemy.

God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform.

⇛ continue reading Exodus – Part 46
⇛ return to Exodus

Exodus – Part 51

At this point the Israelites are at God’s Mountain, -Mt. Sinai, and they are warned they cannot touch the mountain when God is there.  When God was no longer there they could go to the mountain because it was not holy if God was not there.

Having fear for what God can do, this fact truly frightened the Israelites.

In the Talmud there is a legend that depicts God holding the mountain over the heads of the people and threatening to drop it on them if they did not accept the law.  The point being made is the Israelites accepted the law out of fear.

When you think about it logically that seems to be what makes people obey a law?  If we are truthful, it is very convincing that we are persuaded to obey by the combination of love or fear.   

I behave myself because I don’t want to suffer the consequences of misbehaving, or, because my love for the law giver makes me want to keep the object of my affection happy, whether parents, spouse, or other authority.

Moses led the people out of the camp toward Gad where they took their places at the foot of the mountain.

Mt Sinai was all in smoke, because the Lord was on it. The Lord had come down upon it; and the whole mountain trembled violently. The Lord had come down upon it in fire. And as Moses spoke, God answered him in thunder.

The Lord had come to the top of Mt Sinai and called Moses to the top with Him. He then told Moses to go down, warn the people not to break through the land to graze. He also said the Priests must remain pure.  After this he reiterated that the people  werenot to come to the mountain or they would die.

Per normal, telling them once is not enough but poor Moses is naïve enough to think that since they were warned they would not come to the mountain

God, being much wiser than Moses knows curiosity will be stronger than the rule to stay away from the mountain. Genesis chapter 20 makes it abundantly clear that it is God who gave the Ten Commandments and they were not Moses’ idea.

No human is the sole source or responsible for all the words in the Ten Commandments.  God is the sole author and giver of these rules that are given to the people.

The Ten Commandments are also called “the Decalogue”.  The Decalogue is the alternative name for the Ten Commandments, and actually means Ten Words.

The Ten Commandments are the first and only example of a covenantal relationship between deity and an entire people. They are unique in that God revealed His will not just to a single prophet or to a privileged class, but to an entire people; all of whom became answerable to its terms.

The Ten Commandments focuses not only on the relationship with the ruler, but also on each individuals behavior toward every other individual. They treat both religious and social obligations as expressions of divine will. The Ten Commandments are laws that are simple, absolute, and devoid of qualification.

God gave the Ten Commandments to the ancient nation of Israel. He chose to give theCommandments in the no-man’s land of a desert rather than in the land of Israel. This seems to signify that they are not just for one nation but apply to all people, from the beginning of their giving clear through to the end.

These biblical principles given to the Jews are set principles given by God, relating to ethics and worship, and play a fundamental role in Judaism and Christianity. 

The first and second commandments go hand in hand, both emphasizing the need to give our worship exclusively to the one true God

The commandments were written on two tables of stone by the finger of God.  The Jews are to follow the commandments anywhere and everywhere thy go, and not just when they are in Israel.

The Commandments are listed in both Exodus and Deuteronomy

⇛ return to Exodus

Exodus – Part 50

How very fortunate it was that Jethro loved and cared for his family.  And because he did, he came to have great respect for his son-in law, Moses
and all the work Moses had to do.

It was because he saw how taxing it was for Moses to judge every situation for the Israelites that he devised a plan that became the judicial system for that nation during Moses’ lifetime.

Moses, in return, must have had great respect for his Midianite father-in-law, because that was the system he adapted to govern all his people.

The judicial system was set up with heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.  It was set up in military style and worked so well that it freed up Moses’ time. Then Jethro went home to his own land, and his own job.

On the third new moon after leaving Egypt, the Israelites entered the wilderness of Sinai. They made their encampment in front of Mount Sinai, God’s Mountain.

And Moses went up to God. God called from the mountain and said: “You have seen what I did to the Egyptian, how I bore you on Eagles wings.

Well, it’s easy to recall the death of all the Egyptians armies, but when he says he bore the Israelites
on Eagles wings, it takes a little more explanation.

It is very rare for God to do but He is using poetic language to explain what he did for the Jews.

This is where we get a lesson on birds. God is comparing Himself to the Eagle that carries its young on its wings. Other birds put their young between their feet.

It seems the birds fear the birds that fly higher than they do, that would snatch the birds off their backs.
But eagles fly the highest so they protect their babieson their wings.

Using that example God is expressing His protective love for His people. In this verse God is expressing
His love for His people by destroying their enemies 
and his care for His people by carrying them on His wing.

God then said, “If you will obey Me faithfully, and keep My covenant, you shall be My treasured possessions.”

God just said He will be their God and they shall be His people “IF” they will obey His Headship in their lives. And we all know who it was that fell down on the job! But they are not without hope as 
the prophet Hosea said later that God is ready and willing to take them back when they acknowledge they must follow Him. God made it clear that all the earth is His, and He had a chosen people.

After listening to God and knowing what God’s desire was, Moses was to go to the people 
and tell them what God expected.

He did and all the people said, All that the Lord has spoken we will do.  After telling the people God’s desires Moses returned to God.

God instructed him to tell the people that they must stay pure today and they were to wash their cloths.

Then on the third day the Lord will come own,
in the sight of all the people, on Mount Sinai.

The people were warned to not go up the mountain
and to not touch the mountain and if they do they will be put to death.

A ram’s horn was used in a long blast to let the people know when it is safe to return to the mountain.  Then they may climb the mountain
because without God there it is no longer a holy place.

On the third day, as morning dawned, and they had cleansed themselves, and washed their cloths,
as morning dawned, there was thunder and lightning, and a dense cloud upon the mountain,
and a very loud blast of the horn, a dense cloud upon the mountain and all the people in the camp trembled.

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