Thy Strong Word from KFUO Radio

Rev. Joe Cox, Theology teacher at Lutheran High School South in St. Louis, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 32.“So they gave [their gold] to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.” Aaron’s attempt to shift the blame only heightens the drama in Exodus 32. As reasonable as their action was—Moses was presumed dead, the idol was meant to represent Yahweh, and the bull was an anti-Egyptian Canaanite symbol—they should’ve known better. “Well we have to do something!” is often a sinful pretense for impatience and rebellion. The death that follows is a natural consequence of idolatry, but we can’t miss how Moses prefigures Christ, choosing to suffer with his people rather than rule in comfort, winning God’s forgiveness so that all would not perish.

Rev. Paul Cain, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Sheridan, Wyoming, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 31.If the church is Israel, why don’t Christians observe the Sabbath? It’s the worship practice “above all” others, for all “generations, as a covenant forever.” This is how Exodus 31 concludes God’s explanation of Israel’s worship, even prescribing the death penalty for its violation. Yet the Sabbath is not about a day, but about life. Just as the sons of Judah and Dan would use their craftsmanship for both pious and idolatrous ends, so is our use of play and free time. Ultimately the church observes the Sabbath in the fulfillment of Christ, who gives true rest and “refreshment” through His Word.

Rev. Nathan Meador, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Wisconsin, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 114 & Psalm 115.Have we been idolizing freedom? Has God driven us outside? Psalms 114 and 115 as we know them work together as a single “hallelujah” song, with refrains of taunting and triumph. These times are not unprecedented, because we see the pattern in God’s Word. The Word drives us to repent and give thanks for the past we too easily forget, not with a random sampling of songs but with “a liturgy for exiles” like us today. We are the early church. We are Israel. God took us out of Egypt, out “from a people of strange language.” No idol or ideal is ultimate for us, only God in the person of Christ Jesus.

Rev. George Murdaugh, pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Douglasville, Georgia, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 30.“You shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. [...] Whoever compounds any like it or whoever puts any of it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.” The LORD’s exclusive brand of cologne? Exodus 30 deals with the reality that we humans need tangible and sensory reminders not to treat God like another item on the to-do list. He graciously teaches us and comforts us with the scent and sight of His presence, even deigning to smell like us—as His own Son would.

Rev. Steven Theiss, retired LCMS pastor, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 29.“You shall kill the ram and take part of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and on the tips of the right ears of his sons, and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the great toes of their right feet.” Ordination ceremonies just aren’t the same anymore! Exodus 29 describes a massive seven-day feast full of smoke, water, and blood. The emphasis however is not adherence to a list of rules, but God’s promise: “I will dwell among the people.” With Christ’s blood and water, we are a new creation head to toe. In Christ, our ordination is so holy that it spills over into every moment of life—and even beyond it.

Rev. Joel Shaltanis, pastor of Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Plano, Texas, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 28.“Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the LORD.” It’s not all about the priests. Exodus 28 shows that worship is an activity of the whole people of Israel, and that through the high priest, every one of the twelve tribes enters into the holy place as gemstones precious to God. The important thing isn’t human decision, but God’s gracious provision and revelation, just as He provided Jesus the High Priest for us—in a humble form that we would never have chosen ourselves.

Rev. John Lukomski, retired LCMS pastor and co-host of Wrestling with the Basics on KFUO Radio, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 27.“The altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits. And you shall make horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze.” That’s a really big portable grill, but it had to be for oxen! Exodus 27 shows how, at every turn, the details of the Tabernacle are practical, because God is King of the whole created order. Yet bronze is also theological, the metal that symbolizes sinners’ holy approach to God—and that approach begins at an altar of sacrifice. The crimson veil and screen were royal and yet evocative of blood, a shadow of how Christ the king’s own blood would allow all people to approach God.

Rev. Richard Mittwede, pastor of University Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 26.“You shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns; you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them.” God does not endorse slavery, but He did redeem it in Exodus 26. God takes the workmanship and knowledge that the Israelites gained from their long stay in Egypt and transforms it into holy service, just as God does with our secular vocations. The Tabernacle was a true sanctuary, not only a holy place: but a place of safety, protection, and heavenly peace, whose royal colors pointed ahead to Christ’s royal atonement in the Supper.

Rev. Scott Adle, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Collinsville, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 25.“The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; [...] There I will meet with you.” This is what the Garden of Eden looked like. Far from old-school IKEA directions, Exodus 25 actually describes in detail the physical location where God became physically manifest in the heart of the Israelite camp. Contributions and construction were not legalistically compelled, but freely given as a gracious picture of heaven—of Jesus Christ Himself. He is the true temple who makes the church the true Israel. Before Him, even angels bow and hide their faces.

Rev. Thomas Eckstein, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Jamestown, North Dakota, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 24. “They saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone[...]; they beheld God, and ate and drank.” Exodus 24 is one of the most blessed and mysterious chapters of the Bible. And it drips with grace—not legalism. God graciously sends Moses down the mountain to reveal His truth not to the elite but to the whole people, and then He graciously invites Aaron, his sons, and the clan representatives to feast with Him on the mountain. Here the Spirit foreshadows for us ☧’s transfiguration, the Sacrament of the Altar, and even our own resurrection on the Last Day.