Let us pray, ensuing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandments. Exodus 26. Lord, I will make intentional time to worship and spend time in your presence today. As I look upon your greatness, I will not miss my opportunity to experience your power like the children of Israel did. As I spend time in your word, I thank you that your Commandments and principles are actually stepping stones for me to experience your divine love and unending grace. As I follow your lead, give me the strength to always follow your ways place than to live in alignment with your desires. I praise you for making me your prized possession and for continually giving me opportunities to experience you on a personal level. Allow me, Holy spirit, to honor God's word so that I may live long and prosper on this earth. My sight is fixed, my heart is focused, and my footing is secure. I will not be moved because your word and ways are unmovable, Lord. I declare that it is a time for me to go higher than I'm ready to level up. In Jesus' name, Amen. Thank you for making prayer a priority in your day.

To learn more about the Bible, stay tuned for today's story. Story, brought to you by BibleInAyear. Com. Every year, Lent helps us remove distractions and focus on the Lord.

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He is going to lay you down in green pastures and restore your soul. Join me and let the Lord be your shepherd tonight. Listen to Sleep Psalms with Bishop TD James on the iHeardRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.

The Ten Commandments. In our last story, we learned about God's continued provision as he quenched Israel's thirst for water. We learned about God's protection as he gave them victory over their first battle against the Amalekites. Now we will learn about God's continued blessing over his people and his promise to never leave them as he gives them the Ten Commandments and instructions for the tabernacle as inspired by the Book of Exodus.

Hello, I'm Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible in a Year. In yesterday's episode, we learned of the first military victory of the Israelites. God was giving them further proof that there was no limit to what they could do as long as they trusted in him and his power. Today, we'll join them in the wilderness, once again, three months since they exited the land of Egypt and escaped Pharaoh. They've been through a lot already, and today we'll hear God once again confirm his promises to them. They are about to be a holy nation, set apart from all others. We will see how God gives them and us rules for living, the Ten Commandments. Let Let us listen now to today's story.

Three months had passed since the Exodus from Egypt. God had brought the people through hunger, thirst, and battle. The galvanizing The force of God united the people of Israel. They had made it to the wilderness of Sinai, a grazing countryside, lush and uninhabited. There they camped at the base of the mountain. There God called Moses and beckoned him to the top of the mountain. God spoke to Moses on top of the mountain and said, Tell the people of Israel that I have bore them on eagles wings to save them from the Egyptians. If you obey my commands and keep my promises, 'You will be my treasured possession among all people groups, for all the earth is mine, and you shall be my holy nation. ' So Moses went down and told the elders of God's promises. They consecrated themselves and flocked to the base of the mountain to worship God. On the morning of the third day, thunder emanated from the peak of the mountain, and lightning lit up the sky surrounding the top. A thick cloud surrounded Sinai, and a bellowing trumpet could be heard from the top. The people trembled in awe and fear.

Smoke could be seen at a distance, and Moses knew God had come in fire. The mountain shook, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Moses began to speak, but was interrupted by thunder. Moses took a deep breath, looked back at the people, and ascended up the mountain. There, God spoke with great power and authority. With lightning surrounding the mountain and the earth shaking, God poured forth his Commandments. He spoke saying, I am the Lord your God. I am the one who delivered you out of slavery from the land of Egypt. You shall have no other gods but me. You shall not make any idol, no carved images of anything that is below or above the earth. Do not bow to them or serve them, for I alone am your God. I am a jealous God, showing myself to generations of those who hated me. But I show steadfast love always, and show love to those who keep me and my Commandments. You shall not take my name in vain, for I am the Lord, and I will hold him guilty if he takes my name in vain. ' Remember the Sabbath day.

Keep it special and holy. Labor and work hard for six days, but on the seventh day, you should rest. Sabbath and rest in for me. Enjoy me. You, nor your children, serve servants or livestock should labor, for I created all things in six days, and on the seventh I enjoyed the fruit of my labor. Honor your father and your mother. If you do, your days shall be long in the land I have given you. You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not lie against your neighbor and bear false witness. You shall not covert and seek after your neighbor's possessions or relationships. God's commands held weight and the people feared and respected him enough to listen, for there was still thunder echoing from the mountain. It was always God's desire to dwell with his children. Since the garden, he desired to walk through life with those he loved. So he told Moses to have them build a tabernacle so he might live among them. A holy place for the spirit of the Lord to dwell among his people. So the Israelites did as the Lord said and built him a tabernacle, a tent for him to travel alongside them in the wilderness.

Though God was not confined to a tent, this would be a holy place for him to meet them and be in their midst. The tabernacle was constructed with great care and instruction. It included the Ark of the Covenant, mercy seat, table of show bread, the golden lamp stand, the altar of burnt offering, the altar of Incense and the Bronze lair. All these would serve as a picture of God's faithfulness, and each would represent an aspect of their relationship with the Lord.

We open today's reading with the Eilites arriving at Sinai. It's been three months since they escaped Pharaoh and his armies. God's presence and provisions was never far away. He provided water. He sent bread from heaven and quail for them to eat. And God delivered them in a ferocious battle against the Amalekites. Now they've arrived at a beautiful place, a lush pasture near the foot of a mountain. It was time to rest for a while. God gave Moses a message to remind the people of all that he had done for them, how he had delivered them from the Egyptians, carrying them on eagles wings to safety. It's a beautiful and powerful message. The promises he's made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were surely known to these people, but it had been many generations by now, and God reminds them that they are his chosen people, blessed in a very special way. But this blessing was conditioned upon their trust and obedience. If they followed his commands and kept the covenant relationship with him, they would be a holy nation, set apart from all others. Moses delivered the message, and the people responded by flocking to the mountain to worship.

For all their past failures and grumblings and unfaithfulness, their response was exactly what God desires and demands. Our right response to God, his promises, his provision, is gratitude and praise, worship and adoration. God was to come down and the people would hear him speak with a voice like thunder. But we also heard a reminder of God's Holiness and purity and how in our own power we cannot approach him. God wants his children to draw near. But because of his sin, we are separated from God. It is only through the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, who would die on the cross for our sins and rise again, that we are able now to approach the throne of God, the presence of God in his Holiness, with boldness. The foot of the mountain was as close as the people could come. But Moses and Aaron were called up higher, up to the top of the mountain to receive a very special message that was to become the guiding set of principles for God's people in every generation. There on top of the mountain, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, Rules for a Right Relationship with God, God's law.

The law of God is so very important, so significant in the scripture. This is the way we walk with God. This is the way we have a relationship with God by keeping his Commandments. The Ten Commandments have been given not only to the Israelites, but for every generation. This is the law of God, and the law of God is vital to our spiritual, physical, and emotional health. God instructed the people to build a tabernacle to worship him. This dwelling place for God on earth would represent God's presence with his people, and the tabernacle would be carried everywhere they would go on their long journey. This was not a permanent home, but a temporary tent, a dwelling that would one day be replaced when God's spirit would come upon those who followed him through his son Jesus, because now we are the permanent home of God. Too soon, though, the people will turn and break the first commandment, and that's what we'll hear about the next time. Dear God, thank you for this important, vital passage of scripture, reminding us that you dwell among us, that your presence is always near to us through Jesus Christ.

May we worship you and adore you always through your son, Jesus Christ. Amen. Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the pray. Com app and make prayer a priority in your life. If you enjoy this podcast, share it with someone you love by sharing this podcast you can make a difference in someone's life. If you want more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living, be sure to visit jackgraham. Org. God bless.

Every year, Lent helps us remove helps us remove distractions and focus on the Lord.

This year for Lent, give up tossing and turning in your sleep by listening to Sleep Psalms with Bishop TD Jakes.

He is going to lay you down in green pastures and restore your soul. Join me and let the Lord be your shepherd tonight. Listen to Sleep Psalms with Bishop TD Jakes on the iHeardRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.