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Old Testament Lesson 14: ‘Ye Shall be a Peculiar Treasure Unto Me’

1. The Lord provides water, manna, and quail for the children of Israel.

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Exodus 15:24 The people murmured against Moses

‘The murmurings and rebellions of ancient Israel prevented Moses from leading them to the land of Canaan. (Ex. 15:24) So soon as they had to endure hardship they began to murmur against Moses, and the result was the Lord would not give them His Spirit; the same has been the result in this dispensation.
In the days of Joseph, if a woman happened to put on her stocking wrong side out she would blame the Prophet; and if a man happened to tie his shoestring in a hard instead of a bow knot, he was angry with the Prophet for not having inspiration enough to have prevented so dire an event. The brains of that class of people never reach above the calves of their legs. I like to see the people have a little hard sense, like the mule; I like to see them understand the principles of the Son of God.’ (Jedediah M Grant, Journal of Discourses)
Exodus 15:25 There he proved them
‘God now brought the Israelites into circumstances which would put their faith and obedience to the test.’ (Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible)
Image result for Aaron and Hur hold up Moses’ hands so Israel prevails in battle against Amalek. Moses follows Jethro’s counsel to appoint judges and delegate authority to them.
Exodus 17:1-7 Israel murmurs for want of water
‘Lacking water to drink, the Israelites again complained and pessimistically ‘tempted’ the Lord. The word ‘tempted’ is translated from the Hebrew word meaning ‘test, ‘try’ or ‘prove’. They were testing the Lord to see whether he could be depended upon to help them when they needed help. This is the same idea Jesus seems to have had in mind when he said, ‘Thou shalt not tempt the Lord they God,’ quoting Deuteronomy 6:16 (See Luke 4:12, Matthew 22:18 and compare Acts 5:9).
At every sign of trouble the people of Israel wished to be back in Egypt. There seems to have been a lot of murmuring, which is half suppressed or muttered complaint or grumbling. We might wonder at this point why Moses continued as their leader.
The ‘rock in Horeb [Sinai]’ was another symbolic representation of Christ, the spiritual rock of their salvation (1 Corinthians 10:4)’ (Andrew C Skinner and D Kelly Ogden, Verse by Verse, The Old Testament)

Exodus 16:1–35; 17:1–7. What Lessons Did God Seek to Teach Israel by the Way He Gave Them Water and Manna?

‘“The manna was used by God to teach lessons for spiritual instruction as well as physical sustenance. Israel was told that with the failure of other food (‘suffered thee to hunger’), His provision of manna was to ‘make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live’ [Deuteronomy 8:3, see v. 16]. God used the provision of manna on six days and not the seventh to teach Israel obedience, and convicted them of disobedience [see Exodus 16:19, see vv. 20, 25–30]. Jesus Christ uses the manna, God-given ‘bread from heaven’, as a type of Himself, the true bread of life, and contrasts the shadow with the substance: ‘your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead’ [John 6:49], but He could say, ‘I am the bread of life … which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever’ [John 6:35, 51; see vv. 26–59].” (Douglas, New Bible Dictionary, s.v. “manna,” p. 780.)

Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 10:1–4 makes clear what the Lord was seeking to teach Israel regarding Christ when He provided both manna and water for them. Elder Bruce R. McConkie’s commentary on Paul’s statement is very enlightening:

“Christ is the bread which came down from heaven, the Bread of Life, the spiritual manna, of which men must eat to gain salvation. (John 6:31–58.) He is the spiritual drink, the living water, the water of life, which if men drink they shall never thirst more. (John 4:6–15.)” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 2:355.)

The “hidden manna” mentioned by John in Revelation 2:17 was explained by Elder McConkie as being “the bread of life, the good word of God, the doctrines of Him who is the Bread of Life—all of which is hidden from the carnal mind. Those who eat thereof shall never hunger more; eternal life is their eventual inheritance.” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:451.)’ (Institute Old Testament Manual)

2. Aaron and Hur hold up Moses’ hands so Israel prevails in battle against Amalek. Moses follows Jethro’s counsel to appoint judges and delegate authority to them.

Exodus 17:8-13 Aaron and Hur uphold Moses’ hands so that Joshua prevails against Amalek.

‘I think we could learn a lesson from the story that we read in the book of Exodus  (Ex. 17:8-13 )in the life of Moses the prophet. You will recall that Amalek had come upon Israel, and Joshua was commanded by Moses to go out with his army. He said to Joshua, “I will stand upon the mount with the rod of the Lord in my hand, and you go fight the battles of Israel.” And as long as he stood with his hands upraised Israel prevailed against the enemy, but his hands became heavy and he could not hold them up, and when he would drop his hands, the enemy prevailed over Israel. And so they sat him upon a rock upon the Mount, and Aaron and Hur stood holding his hands upraised, that Israel would prevail in that terrible day.

That also is not without its shadow today and its lesson to Israel. Here sits today on this stand the man as President of this Church who holds in his hand the rod of the Lord; he is sitting upon the mount, and as long as his hands are upheld by obedience to his direction and his counsel, Israel will prevail against her enemies. But whenever we come to a time when we allow his hands to fall, and we as the Priesthood of the living God fail to uphold his hands, just in that day we may expect our enemies to come upon us and to destroy us.’ (Harold B Lee, General Conference, April 1943)

Exodus 18 Jethro counsels Moses

“Jethro made a valuable contribution to Moses in suggesting an organization of leaders over units of ten, fifty, one hundred and one thousand to instruct and to judge the people in all but the most difficult of matters, which would be passed up through the system of inferior and superior courts if necessary, until they reached Moses at the head. Moses showed commendable humility and wisdom in accepting the old Priest’s advice. (A modern use of the same type of organization is seen in D&C 136.)” (Rasmussen, Introduction to the Old Testament, 1:82–83.)

Joseph Smith changed Exodus 18:1 to read “the highpriest of Midian” (emphasis added), confirming what is recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 84:6–7, that Jethro held the Melchizedek Priesthood.’ (Institute Old Testament Manual)

3. The Lord meets with Moses on Mount Sinai and gives Israel the Ten Commandments.

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Exodus 19:5. A “Peculiar” People

‘Today the word peculiar is used to mean something different and unusual. Since Israel was to be a peculiar people in this sense also, Exodus 19:5 and similar scriptures (see Deuteronomy 14:2; 1 Peter 2:9) are often read in that way. The original word in both Hebrew and Greek, however, means “property, wealth, private property, which is laid up or reserved; the leading idea is that of select, precious, endeared; something exceedingly prized and [diligently] preserved” (Wilson, Old Testament Word Studies, s.v. “peculiar,” p. 305).’ (Institute Old Testament Manual)

Exodus 19:7-13 The Lord covenants to make Israel a peculiar treasure, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation

‘At this point the Lord wanted to reform the Israelites’ lives, bestow upon them the greater, or Melchizedek, priesthood, establish a holy Temple, and give them a sacred endowment. Had the Israelites followed the Lord’s instructions and accepted all the privileges offered them, they could have received the grandest of all revelations: they could have seen the Lord, heard him speak to Moses, known for themselves about his will and his law, comprehended Moses’ future revelations from God (Deut 4:10), and been translated as other communities had (JST Gen 14:32-34). There was a need for cleanliness and dedication in preparing for this great spiritual experience.

At first Israel accepted and committed themselves to the Lord’s intended plan. ‘All that the Lord has spoken we will do.’ (v8). But something was amiss – a fact we are not made aware of until the next chapter, when we see Israel retreating or shrinking from their opportunities (Exodus 20:19)’ (Andrew C Skinner and D Kelly Ogden, Verse by Verse, The Old Testament)

Exodus 19:9 A thick cloud

‘The Jews consider this as the fullest evidence their fathers had of the Divine mission of Moses; themselves were permitted to see this awfully glorious sight, and to hear God himself speak out of the thick darkness: for before this, as Rabbi Maymon remarks, they might have thought that Moses wrought his miracles by sorcery or enchantment; but now, hearing the voice of God himself, they could no longer disbelieve nor even doubt.’ (Clarke’s Commentary on t.he Bible)

Exodus 20:8 Remember the Sabbath day

‘In Hebrew the term Sabbath means “rest.” It contemplates quiet tranquility, peace of mind and spirit. It is a day to get rid of selfish interests and absorbing activities.
The Sabbath day is given throughout the generations of man for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between the Lord and his children forever. It is a day in which to worship and to express our gratitude and appreciation to the Lord. It is a day on which to surrender every worldly interest and to praise the Lord humbly, for humility is the beginning of exaltation. It is a day not for affliction and burden but for rest and righteous enjoyment. It is a day not for lavish banqueting, but a day of simple meals and spiritual feasting; not a day of abstinence from food, except fast day, but a day when maid and mistress might be relieved from the preparation. It is a day graciously given us by our Heavenly Father. It is a day when animals may be turned out to graze and rest; when the plow may be stored in the barn and other machinery cooled down; a day when employer and employee, master and servant may be free from plowing, digging, toiling. It is a day when the office may be locked and business postponed, and troubles forgotten; a day when man may be temporarily released from that first injunction, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground.” (Genesis 3:19.) It is a day when bodies may rest, minds relax, and spirits grow. It is a day when songs may be sung, prayers offered, sermons preached, and testimonies borne, and when man may climb high, almost annihilating time, space, and distance between himself and his Creator.
The Sabbath is a day on which to take inventory—to analyze our weaknesses, to confess our sins to our associates and our Lord. It is a day on which to fast in “sackcloth and ashes.” It is a day on which to read good books, a day to contemplate and ponder, a day to study lessons for priesthood and auxiliary organizations, a day to study the scriptures and to prepare sermons, a day to nap and rest and relax, a day to visit the sick, a day to preach the gospel, a day to proselyte, a day to visit quietly with the family and get acquainted with our children, a day for proper courting, a day to do good, a day to drink at the fountain of knowledge and of instruction, a day to seek forgiveness of our sins, a day for the enrichment of our spirit and our soul, a day to restore us to our spiritual stature, a day to partake of the emblems of his sacrifice and atonement, a day to contemplate the glories of the gospel and of the eternal realms, a day to climb high on the upward path toward our Heavenly Father. ‘ (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, edited by Edward L. Kimball [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1982], 216)

4. The Lord introduces the law of Moses.

Exodus 32:1–6. Why Did the Israelites Desire to Worship a Gold Calf?

“The whole of this is a most strange and unaccountable transaction. Was it possible that the people could have so soon lost sight of the wonderful manifestations of God upon the mount? Was it possible that Aaron could have imagined that he could make any god that could help them? And yet it does not appear that he ever remonstrated with the people! Possibly he only intended to make them some symbolical representation of the Divine power and energy, that might be as evident to them as the pillar of cloud and fire had been, and to which God might attach an always present energy and influence; or in requiring them to sacrifice their ornaments, he might have supposed they would have desisted from urging their request: but all this is mere conjecture, with very little probability to support it. It must however be granted that Aaron does not appear to have even designed a worship that should supersede the worship of the Most High; hence we find him making proclamation, To-morrow is a feast to theLord [Jehovah], and we find farther that some of the proper rites of the true worship were observed on this occasion, for they brought burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, ver. 6, 7: hence it is evident he intended that the true God should be the object of their worship, though he permitted and even encouraged them to offer this worship through an idolatrous medium, the molten calf.” (Clarke, Bible Commentary, 1:463–64.)

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