Through the Bible – Day 27

₁The Israelites left the desert and moved from one place to another each time the LORD ordered them to. Once they camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for them to drink.

₂The people started complaining to Moses, “Give us some water!”

Moses replied, “Why are you complaining to me and trying to put the LORD to the test?”

₃But the people were thirsty and kept on complaining, “Moses, did you bring us out of Egypt just to let us and our families and our animals die of thirst?”

₄Then Moses prayed to the LORD, “What am I going to do with these people? They are about to stone me to death!”

₅The LORD answered, “Take some of the leaders with you and go ahead of the rest of the people. Also take along the walking stick you used to strike the River Nile, ₆and when you get to the rock at Mount Sinai, I will be there with you. Strike the rock with the stick, and water will pour out for the people to drink.” Moses did this while the leaders watched.

₇The people had complained and tested the LORD by asking, “Is the LORD really with us?” So Moses named that place Massah, which means “testing” and Meribah, which means “complaining”.

₈When the Israelites were at Rephidim, they were attacked by the Amalekites. ₉So Moses told Joshua, “Have some men ready to attack the Amalekites tomorrow. I will stand on a hilltop, holding this walking stick that has the power of God.”

₁₀Joshua led the attack as Moses had commanded, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur stood on the hilltop. ₁₁The Israelites out-fought the Amalekites as long as Moses held up his arms, but they started losing whenever he had to lower them. ₁₂Finally, Moses was so tired that Aaron and Hur got a rock for him to sit on. Then they stood beside him and supported his arms in the same position until sunset. ₁₃That's how Joshua defeated the Amalekites.

₁₄Afterwards, the LORD said to Moses, “Write an account of this victory and read it to Joshua. I want the Amalekites to be forgotten for ever.”

₁₅Moses built an altar and named it “The LORD Gives me Victory”. ₁₆Then Moses explained, “This is because I depended on the LORD. But in future generations, the LORD will have to fight the Amalekites again.”

₁Jethro was the priest of Midian and the father-in-law of Moses. And he heard what the LORD God had done for Moses and his people, after rescuing them from Egypt.

_2-4In the meantime, Moses had sent his wife Zipporah and her two sons to stay with Jethro, and he had welcomed them. Moses was still a foreigner in Midian when his first son was born, and so Moses said, “I'll name him Gershom.”

When his second son was born, Moses said, “I'll name him Eliezer, because the God my father worshipped has saved me from the king of Egypt.”

_5-6While Israel was camped in the desert near Mount Sinai, Jethro sent Moses this message: “I am coming to visit you, and I am bringing your wife and two sons.”

₇When they arrived, Moses went out and bowed down in front of Jethro, then kissed him. After they had greeted each other, they went into the tent, ₈where Moses told him everything the LORD had done to protect Israel against the Egyptians and their king. He also told him how the LORD had helped them in all their troubles.

₉Jethro was so pleased to hear this good news about what the LORD had done, ₁₀that he shouted, “Praise the LORD! He rescued you and the Israelites from the Egyptians and their king. ₁₁Now I know that the LORD is the greatest God, because he has rescued Israel from their arrogant enemies.” ₁₂Jethro offered sacrifices to God. Then Aaron and Israel's leaders came to eat with Jethro there at the place of worship.

₁₃The next morning Moses sat down at the place where he decided legal cases for the people, and everyone crowded around him until evening. ₁₄Jethro saw how much Moses had to do for the people, and he asked, “Why are you the only judge? Why do you let these people crowd around you from morning till evening?”

₁₅Moses answered, “Because they come here to find out what God wants them to do. ₁₆They bring their complaints to me, and I make decisions on the basis of God's laws.”

₁₇Jethro replied:

₂₄Moses followed Jethro's advice. ₂₅He chose some competent leaders from every tribe in Israel and put them over groups of ten, fifty, a hundred, and a thousand. ₂₆They served as judges, deciding the easy cases themselves, but bringing the more difficult ones to Moses.

₂₇After Moses and his father-in-law Jethro had said goodbye to each other, Jethro returned home.

_1-2The Israelites left Rephidim. Then two months after leaving Egypt, they arrived at the desert near Mount Sinai, where they set up camp at the foot of the mountain.

₃Moses went up the mountain to meet with the LORD God, who told him to say to the people:

₇After Moses went back, he reported to the leaders what the LORD had said, ₈and they promised, “We will do everything the LORD has commanded.” So Moses told the LORD about this.

₉The LORD said to Moses, “I will come to you in a thick cloud and let the people hear me speak to you. Then they will always trust you.” Again Moses reported to the people what the LORD had told him.

₁₀Once more the LORD spoke to Moses:

₁₄After Moses went down the mountain, he gave orders for the people to wash their clothes and make themselves acceptable to worship God. ₁₅He told them to be ready in three days and not to have sex in the meantime.

₁₆On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud covered the mountain, a loud trumpet blast was heard, and everyone in camp trembled with fear. ₁₇Moses led them out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

₁₈Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the LORD had come down in a flaming fire. Smoke poured out of the mountain just like a furnace, and the whole mountain shook. ₁₉The trumpet blew louder and louder. Moses spoke, and God answered him with thunder.

₂₀The LORD came down to the top of Mount Sinai and told Moses to meet him there. ₂₁Then he said, “Moses, go and warn the people not to cross the boundary that you set at the foot of the mountain. They must not cross it to come and look at me, because if they do, many of them will die. ₂₂Only the priests may come near me, and they must obey strict rules before I let them. If they don't, they will be punished.”

₂₃Moses replied, “The people cannot come up the mountain. You warned us to stay away because it is holy.”

₂₄Then the LORD told Moses, “Go down and bring Aaron back here with you. But the priests and people must not try to push their way through, or I will rush at them like a flood!”

₂₅After Moses had gone back down, he told the people what the LORD had said.

₂₁From then on, Jesus began telling his disciples what would happen to him. He said, “I must go to Jerusalem. There the nation's leaders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law of Moses will make me suffer terribly. I will be killed, but three days later I will rise to life.”

₂₂Peter took Jesus aside and told him to stop talking like that. He said, “God would never let this happen to you, Lord!”

₂₃Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Satan, get away from me! You're in my way because you think like everyone else and not like God.”

₂₄Then Jesus said to his disciples:

₁Six days later Jesus took Peter and the brothers James and John with him. They went up on a very high mountain where they could be alone. ₂There in front of the disciples, Jesus was completely changed. His face was shining like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.

₃All at once Moses and Elijah were there talking with Jesus. ₄So Peter said to him, “Lord, it is good for us to be here! Let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

₅While Peter was still speaking, the shadow of a bright cloud passed over them. From the cloud a voice said, “This is my own dear Son, and I am pleased with him. Listen to what he says!” ₆When the disciples heard the voice, they were so afraid that they fell flat on the ground. ₇But Jesus came over and touched them. He said, “Get up and don't be afraid!” ₈When they opened their eyes, they saw only Jesus.

₉On their way down from the mountain, Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the Son of Man had been raised from death.

₁₀The disciples asked Jesus, “Don't the teachers of the Law of Moses say that Elijah must come before the Messiah does?”

₁₁Jesus told them, “Elijah certainly will come and get everything ready. ₁₂In fact, he has already come. But the people did not recognize him and treated him just as they wanted to. They will soon make the Son of Man suffer in the same way.” ₁₃Then the disciples understood that Jesus was talking to them about John the Baptist.