February 10
Exodus 30:11-31:18
Matthew 26:47-68
Psalm 32:1-11
Proverbs 8:27-32
Exodus 30:12 – Remember David and the Census? I Chronicles 21:12 will point back to the warning of a plague if there is a census without ransom. What’s the story behind the census tax? PastorRodney’s Blog says taking a census is a “violation of ownership” – a king cannot take inventory of God’s property. Nathan Albright’s blog estimates the cost of the tax at two days’ wages – “equal payment … for God is not a respecter of persons.” Rushdoony claims this was the only civil tax endorsed by God, while others say this was a clearly non-civil tax, but a religious tax to atone for a civil sin. How much was the tax (that presumably became the temple tax of Nehemiah 10:32 and Matthew)? Roughly $5 of today’s money.
Exodus 31:2 – Bezaleel – the man with the funny name – is one of the few people to be filled with the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. In the OT the Spirit came and could leave (Judges 16:20 – Samson, 1 Samuel 16:14 – Saul).
Exodus 31:18 – Wouldn’t it be great to hold in your hands the two stone tables? Or even just a copy of them? Would you treasure them and look and study them often? We have the full revelation of the LORD in our hands! Congratulations on being committed to studying God’s Word and take some time to appreciate that just like God preserved His Words for Moses, He preserved His Words for you (Mark 13:31)!
Matthew 26:53 – How many is twelve legions? John Morris suggests 288,000. As the song says, “He could have called ten thousand angels, But He died alone for you and me.”
Psalm 32:8 – Sally Atari has recorded a song Be Glad of which the first stanza is based on this verse, and the chorus is based on v. 11. The second verse is based on Psalm 78:1-2, and the third verse is based on Psalm 37:3-4.
Proverbs 8:27 – We have an abrupt start – Who is the “I”? Wisdom. In a way similar to love – God is love, but Love is not God; here God is Wisdom, but Wisdom is not God (v.30).
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