Exodus 32 - Praying God's Word

Please read Exodus 32.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/exo/32/1/s_82001

Meditate on verses 7-8a.

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people,

whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 

They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them.

Exodus 32 is the continuation of the story that began in Exodus 24. The last thing the people said to Moses before he went up the mountain to receive God’s law was, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!” (Exodus 24:7). Well, the people quickly got out of control, corrupting themselves in idol worship.

God was furious, and if His compassion for these obstinate people had not overcome His wrath for their sin, He would have totally destroyed them.

Do you ever feel like an Israelite, saying you will obey the LORD but quickly turning aside from the way He tells you to go? Exodus 32:25, 29, and 32 tells you how to stop sinful behavior:

1.     Recognize when you are out of control.

2.     Dedicate yourself, today and everyday, to the LORD.

3.     Ask the LORD to forgive you.

Pray Exodus 32:7-8, 25-26, 29, and 32 as a prayer of confession for yourself and a prayer of intercession for those whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, ___________ and I have corrupted ourselves.

 We have quickly turned aside from the way

which You have commanded us.

  Help us recognize when we are out

of control and come to You. 

We dedicate ourselves today to You, LORD. 

Please forgive our sins. 

Because of Your mercy, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL 2 ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Exodus 31 - Praying God's Word

Please read Exodus 31.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/exo/31/1/s_81001

Meditate on verse 18.

When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai,

He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony,

tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.

It is fascinating to observe the finger of God throughout Scripture. Exodus 31:18 and Deuteronomy 9:10 both record God writing His Words with His finger on tablets of stone. Daniel 5 tells about a prideful king whose imminent death and the death of his kingdom were foretold by fingers writing on a wall. Jesus declared that He “cast out demons by the finger of God” (Luke 11:20). And when Jesus wrote on the ground with His finger, accusers eager to stone a woman caught in adultery, quickly dropped their rocks and left the scene realizing they, too, had committed sins worthy of death (John 8:3-11). The same finger of God that wrote “You shall not commit adultery” on tablets of stone, touched men with hearts of stone and the heart of a sinful woman with mercy, grace, and the command to “sin no more” (Exodus 20:14; John 8:11).

Has the finger of God touched your life? Ask the LORD to search your heart and use His finger to cut out anything that displeases Him.

Pray Exodus 31:2-3 and 6 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, call __________ and me by name.

Fill us with Your Spirit, God,

in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge,

and in all kinds of craftsmanship.

 Appoint us, LORD, and put in our hearts

 the skill to do all that You have commanded us.

Because Your finger has touched our lives, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL 2 ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Exodus 30 - Praying God's Word

Please read Exodus 30.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/exo/30/1/s_80001

Meditate on verse 8b.

There shall be perpetual incense before the LORD

throughout your generations.

Inside the tabernacle, the altar of incense was placed in front of the veil separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. The fragrance of incense went over the veil into the room containing the Ark of the Covenant, the place where God’s presence dwelled. For the priests to be in God’s presence, they had to smell good.

For you to be in God’s presence, you have to smell good. Sin makes you stink, and God cannot be in the same room with stinky sin. If you are a Christian, then you have put on Jesus Christ; you not only look like Him; you also smell like Him. Amazing!

For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who

 are being saved and among those who are perishing.

—2 Corinthians 2:15

You probably try to talk and act like Jesus throughout the day. Add the sense of smell to your journey into Christlikeness. Do you smell like Jesus? Ask the LORD to show you areas of your life that need to be permeated with the sweet aroma of Him.

Pray Exodus 30:6b, 8, and 10b over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, __________ and I want to meet with You.

May we be perpetual incense before You. 

Make the generations that come after us

 perpetual incense, too.

Make us most holy to You, LORD.

Because we smell like You, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL 2 ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Exodus 29 - Praying God's Word

Please read Exodus 29.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/exo/29/1/s_79001

Meditate on verse 44.

I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar;

I will also consecrate Aaron and his sons to minister as priests to Me.

Consecrate is used ten times in Exodus 29. It means to set apart as holy and dedicated to the LORD.1 It is used in the context of great sacrifice: bulls, rams, and lambs killed and much blood applied in order to be consecrated as God’s priest. About 28 sacrificial steps are listed in this chapter.

Yesterday, you learned that in Christ, you are God’s priest. It is in the context of great sacrifice that you have this privilege.

By this will, we have been sanctified

 through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

  For by one offering He perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

—Hebrews 10:10, 14

Jesus’ death met all of the sacrificial requirements of the Old Testament Law. Your acceptance of this perfect sacrifice sets you apart as God’s dwelling place and His priest (1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Peter 2:5, 9). Live your life dedicated to the One who accomplished everything for you!

Pray Exodus 29:43-46 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, meet with __________ and me.

Consecrate us by Your glory.

Consecrate us to minister as priests to You.

Dwell among us and be our God.

We know that You are the LORD our God

 who brought us out of the land of our sin,

that You might dwell among us. 

Because You are the LORD our God, Jesus~”

1. Retrieved from www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H6942&t=NASB

The WATCHMAN on the WALL 2 ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Exodus 28 - Praying God's Word

Please read Exodus 28.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/exo/28/1/s_78001

Meditate on verses 2 and 3b.

You shall make holy garments for Aaron your

 brother, for glory and for beauty. 

Make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that

he may minister as priest to Me.

Now meditate on these verses from the New Testament:

Put on the LORD Jesus Christ.

You also, as living stones, are being built up as

a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up

spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

—Romans 13:14a; 1 Peter 2:5

Being a Christian means you put on Jesus, just like Aaron put on holy garments, setting him apart as God’s priest. God says that when you put on Jesus, you became part of His priesthood to minister for Him. These truths are important to know as you live in Christ.

Aaron also wore a turban on his head containing the words: “Holy to the LORD.” In Christ, you are also “Holy to the LORD.” Let that phrase be on your mind, governing what you think, say, and do.

Pray Exodus 28:3, 12, 29-30, 36, and 38 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 “LORD, thank You for making me a priest

to minister before You.

I bear the names of _____________ before

You, LORD; remember them.

I carry the names of ____________ over my heart

before You continually, LORD;

may they choose to follow You

and not incur Your judgment.

Let it always be on our mind

that we are holy to You.

Because You are holy, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL 2 ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Exodus 27 - Praying God's Word

Please read Exodus 27.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/exo/27/1/s_77001

Meditate on verse 21.

In the tent of meeting, outside the veil which is before the testimony,

Aaron and his sons shall keep it in order from evening until morning before the LORD; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout their generations for the sons of Israel.

As you continue reading about the tabernacle, ask the LORD to show you how these words written 3,500 years ago apply to your life. Compare today’s meditation verse to 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you,

whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?

 For you have been bought with a price; therefore, glorify God in your body.

The detailed instructions for the tabernacle are a picture of the details accomplished by Christ on the cross in order for you to become the temple/tabernacle where the Spirit of God dwells. What are you doing to keep the temple in order? Do you meditate on God’s Word day and night (Joshua 1:8)? Do you “devote yourself to prayer, keeping alert in it” (Colossians 4:2)?

Ask the LORD to reveal areas where you need to let Him put His tent of meeting in order. Pray Exodus 27:20-21 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, let Your light burn continually in _________ and me.

Help us keep our bodies, the tent of meeting,

 in order from evening to morning before You, LORD. 

Make this a perpetual statute of our lives throughout our generations.

Because You live in us, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL 2 ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Exodus 26 - Praying God's Word

Please read Exodus 26.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/exo/26/1/s_76001

Meditate on verses 33b-34.

The veil shall serve for you as a partition between the holy

 place and the holy of holies.  You shall put the mercy

 seat on the ark of the testimony in the holy of holies.

Holy God made special provision to keep Himself separated from sin. As you read the words “curtain,” “board,” “bar,” “veil,” and “screen” 60 times in Exodus 26, you probably felt the distance put between God and man. But notice in the midst of separation, God placed the mercy seat over the ark. God provided a place of mercy where people can be freed from sins and reunited with Him.

Knowing Exodus 26 helps you understand what happened 1,500 years later when Christ was crucified.

And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed His last.

And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

—Mark 15:37-38

Jesus cut through all the curtains, boards, bars, veils, and screens, so you can “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace to receive mercy” (Hebrews 4:16). Jesus entered inside the veil “to save forever those who draw near to God through Him” (Hebrews 6:19; 7:25).

Use the words from Exodus 26:33-34 and praise Jesus for being the Way to get to the mercy seat and into the presence of God.

“Jesus, thank You for removing the partition

between the holy place and the holy of holies.

 LORD, you are my Mercy Seat. 

Please let ________ accept You as their Mercy Seat. 

In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL 2 ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Exodus 25 - Praying God's Word

Please read Exodus 25.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/exo/25/1/s_75001

Meditate on verse 8.

Let them construct a sanctuary for Me,

 that I may dwell among them.

Exodus 25:8 is the first time sanctuary is mentioned in the Bible. It means a “holy place.” Since the beginning of creation, God desired to live with people. When sin entered the world, God who is perfect could no longer live among sinful humans. Yet His desire did not change, and the construction of the sanctuary/tabernacle provided a way for God to dwell among His people. As you continue to read Exodus, you will learn what is required for humans to have their Creator live with them.

Each piece of furniture in the tabernacle was a picture and foreshadowing of Jesus Christ. For example, the tabernacle contained a table with the bread of the Presence on it (v. 30). Jesus is “the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever” (John 6:51).

As you continue to read about the tabernacle, ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you, and thank Him for dwelling with you.

Pray Exodus 25:8, 22, and 30-31 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, make ________ and me a sanctuary for You; dwell among us. 

Meet with us and speak to us about all Your commandments.

Jesus, be the bread of the Presence and the lampstand of our lives.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL 2 ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Exodus 24 - Praying God's Word

Please read Exodus 24.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/exo/24/1/s_74001

Meditate on verse 12a.

Now the LORD said to Moses,

“Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there…”

How close do you want to be to God? In Exodus 24, the LORD was on Mount Sinai, and the people were at the foot of the mountain looking up at His glory. Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders went up the mountain with Moses and ate and drank in God’s presence. Then God invited Moses to come further up and remain with Him. Notice that Joshua joined Moses to be with the LORD. I love that Joshua went with Moses even though his name was not personally on the invitation. Joshua wanted to be with God.

Where are you in relationship to the LORD? Do you watch from a distance the relationship others have with Christ, perhaps envying the intimacy they enjoy with Him? Do you occasionally eat and drink with Jesus when you partake of the LORD’s Supper, but that closeness to God is reserved for days when you go to church? Or do you have an abiding relationship, spending your days walking and talking with God?

God extends the invitation to you to come to Him and remain there. What is your response?

Pray Exodus 24:7, 11, and 12 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, help _________ and me to be obedient

and do all that You have spoken. 

Let us see You and eat and drink with You.

We want to come to You and remain there.

Because of our relationship with You, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 2 ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Exodus 23 - Praying God's Word

Please read Exodus 23.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/exo/23/1/s_73001

Meditate on verse 13a.

Now concerning everything which I have said to you, be on your guard...

As you continue to read the laws in Exodus, observe that the LORD is the one speaking. You are reading the words of Almighty God, not the opinions of Moses or any other human. As you ponder the Words of the LORD, ask God to give you His heart to know Him more intimately and to understand the importance of His 613 laws.

Notice God promises to guard you when you obey Him (vs. 20-21). People want God’s blessings. Blessings come from walking in obedience to the LORD, serving the LORD, and not rebelling against Him.

As you continue to learn God’s Word, be on your guard to keep God’s Word. When we obey God, it goes well with us (Jeremiah 7:23).

Pray Exodus 23:2a, 13, and 25 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, do not let _________ and me follow the masses in doing evil.

Let us be on our guard concerning everything You have said to us.

 Do not let us mention the name of other gods,

 nor let them be heard from our mouth.

Let us only serve You, LORD our God.

Please bless our bread and water,

and remove sickness from our midst.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL 2 ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Exodus 22 - Praying God's Word

Please read Exodus 22.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/exo/22/1/s_72001

Meditate on verse 31a.

You shall be holy men to Me…

God gave Moses laws for His people. These rules governed the behavior of people who belonged to the LORD.

In Exodus 22, you observe that God expects you to take responsibility for things entrusted to your care. If you borrow something and it breaks, do not return it broken; fix it or replace it (v. 14).

The LORD wants you to have nothing to do with witchcraft or sorcery (v. 18). Many popular books, shows, and movies revolve around this theme. Do you let yourself and your family to be entertained by it? What do you allow into your heart and mind?

When you became a Christian, God made you holy and set apart for Jesus; this distinction should be obvious by your behavior. The LORD wrote His laws on your heart (Hebrews 10:16); be sensitive to obey them as you observe them in His Word.

Pray Exodus 22:27b and 31a over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, thank You that when _________ and I cry out to You,

You hear us because You are gracious. 

We cry out to You for ___________.

Make us holy people to You.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL 2 ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Exodus 21 - Praying God's Word

Please read Exodus 21.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/exo/21/1/s_71001

Meditate on verses 15 and 17.

He who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

He who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

Besides the Ten Commandments, God gave the people an additional 603 rules to help them live with Him and others. Over the next few days, you will read many of these 613 laws. Do not be tempted to skip reading these chapters, for the Law reveals what pleases the LORD and what He hates.

The meditation verses sound severe, but it is important to remember that these are the very words of God as recorded by Moses. Jesus even reminded the Pharisees and scribes of these rules:

For God said, “Honor your father and mother,” and

“He who speaks evil of father or mother is to be put to death.”

—Matthew 15:4

Would children treat their parents differently if they knew God views disrespect of parents as an offense worthy of the death penalty? When our children were young, we taught them what the Bible says about obeying and honoring parents. God’s Word shaped their attitudes and behaviors in ways pleasing to Him.

Pray Exodus 21:15 and 17 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, let __________ and me never strike or curse our father or mother.

Help us put to death thoughts, attitudes, and actions that displease You.

Because of Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL 2 ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Exodus 20 - Praying God's Word

Please read Exodus 20.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/exo/20/1/s_70001

Meditate on verse 2.

I am the LORD your God,

who brought you out of the land of Egypt,

out of the house of slavery.

Exodus 20 contains the Ten Commandments, laws God gave His people so they would know how to live with Him and others. These commands came after the LORD rescued the Israelites from 400 years of slavery in Egypt.

The LORD saved His people first, then gave them His commandments. God followed the same pattern when He saved you. First He rescued you from your slavery to sin, then He wrote His laws on your heart (Hebrews 10:16-17). Keeping God’s law will not save you; only Jesus saves. Once you are in a saving relationship with Jesus, you will want to spend the rest of your life pleasing and obeying Him.

Pray Exodus 20:2-3, 6, and 20 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, thank You for bringing _______ and

me out of slavery to sin. 

Let us have no other gods before You. 

As we love You and keep Your commands,

show lovingkindness to us and our families.

May we always fear You, so that we may not sin.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL 2 ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Exodus 19 - Praying God's Word

Please read Exodus 19.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/exo/19/1/s_69001

Meditate on verses 5-6a.

Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant,

 then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples,

 for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me

a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

In order to belong to God, the Israelites had to obey Him and keep His covenant. In order for you to belong to God, you must obey His command to come to Him through a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ (John 14:6). You have access to something even more wonderful than the Israelites—that covenant relationship lets you abide in God, not just gaze up at Him from the foot of a mountain. Jesus Himself said, “In that day, you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you” (John 14:20).

When you belong to God, He says words to you that are similar to what He said to the children of Israel:

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,

a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies

of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God…

—1 Peter 2:9-10a

As a faithful, prayerful watchman, pray Exodus 19:5-6 over someone who needs to be in a covenant relationship with the LORD.

“LORD, let ______ obey Your voice and keep Your covenant.

 May they become Your own possession

 and a part of Your kingdom of priests and holy nation.

Through You, Jesus Christ, our Savior~

The WATCHMAN on the WALL 2 ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Exodus 18 - Praying God's Word

Please read Exodus 18.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/exo/18/1/s_68001

Meditate on verse 9.

Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel,

in delivering them from the hand of the Egyptians.

Deliver is used five times in Exodus 18 and means “to snatch away, rescue, and save.”¹ Moses told his father-in-law, Jethro, about the  difficulties he and the Israelites faced and how the LORD delivered them. Jethro rejoiced in the LORD’s deliverance and acknowledged, “Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods” (v. 11a).

What difficult situation are you or someone you love facing? The LORD wants you to ask Him for help. He is your deliverer.

I love You, O LORD, my strength.

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer.

—Psalm 18:1-2a

As you trust in God and wait for Him to deliver, others will see the LORD working, and they will give Him praise, recognizing He is greater than all.

Call on God, your help, and pray Exodus 18:8-11 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“God, my help, please deliver _________ and me

from all the hardship that has befallen us.

We rejoice over all the goodness You have done to us. 

We will rejoice again as you deliver us from the hand of __________.

Blessed be You, LORD, who delivers us.

I know You are greater than all.

Because You are Jesus~”

1. Retrieved from www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H5337&t=NASB

The WATCHMAN on the WALL 2 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Exodus 17 - Praying God's Word

Please read Exodus 17.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/exo/17/1/s_67001

Meditate on verses 2a and 4a.

Therefore the people quarreled with Moses…

So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying,  “What shall I do to this people?”

As you continue reading Exodus, observe Moses and his leadership style. There is much to be learned from the life of Moses as he led grumbling people from the land of slavery to the land of promise.

God freed the Israelites from the Egyptians with miraculous signs and wonders. He killed a mighty Egyptian army, burying them in the mud of the Red Sea. The LORD provided fresh water, manna, and quail. He consistently made His presence known with a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire. Yet, when the people arrived at Rephidim with no sign of drinking water, they grumbled against Moses to the point he thought they would stone him. Notice Moses’ response. He took his grumbling people and trying situation to his miraculous LORD. The LORD told Moses what to do and promised to stand before him in the presence of the people.

What impossible situation are you facing? Cry out to your LORD. He is waiting for you to come to Him for His solution.

Pray Exodus 17:4, 6, 13, and 15-16 over difficult situations in your life and the lives of those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, what shall ________ and I do?

Stand before us, LORD! Overwhelm our situations!

LORD, You are our Banner; You have sworn, and You will do it.

Because of Your name, Jesus~”

The Watchman on the Wall, Volume 2 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell