MONDAY 8TH APRIL 2019 MORNING
Exodus 32:25-35 New International Version (NIV)
25 Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies.26 So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him.
27 Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’” 28 The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. 29 Then Moses said, “You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day.”
30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”
31 So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.”
33 The Lord replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book. 34 Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin.”
35 And the Lord struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made.
This passage helps us to understand how seriously God treats sin. The people had rebelled against God. They broke God’s commandments and made an idol and started to worship the calf made of Gold instead of worshipping the true God. People were given a chance to choose to worship the true God. The Levites chose to serve the true God and were told to kill those who opposed God.
Moses wanted to be punished in place of the people. This did not happen. But later Jesus Christ came to die in our place. Let us not take sin lightly. Let us repent and obey God.
JUMATATU TAREHE 8 APRILI 2019 ASUBUHI
KUTOKA 32:25-35
25 Basi Musa alipoona ya kuwa watu hawa wameasi, maana Haruni amewaacha waasi, ili wawe dhihaka kati ya adui zao,
26 ndipo Musa akasimama katika mlango wa marago, akasema, Mtu awaye yote aliye upande wa Bwana, na aje kwangu. Wana wa Lawi wote wakamkusanyikia
27 Akawaambia, Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, asema hivi, Kila mtu na ajifunge upanga wake pajani mwake, akapite huko na huko toka mlango hata mlango kati ya marago, mkamchinje kila mtu ndugu yake, na kila mtu mwenziwe na kila mtu jirani yake.
28 Na hao wana wa Lawi wakafanya kama vile alivyosema Musa, wakaanguka siku ile kama watu elfu tatu.
29 Musa akasema, Jiwekeni wakfu kwa Bwana leo, naam, kila mtu juu ya mwanawe na juu ya ndugu yake; ili awape baraka leo.
30 Hata asubuhi yake Musa akawaambia watu, Mmetenda dhambi kuu; na sasa nitakwenda juu kwa Bwana, labda nitafanya upatanisho kwa ajili ya dhambi yenu.
31 Musa akarejea kwa Bwana akasema, Aa! Watu hawa wametenda dhambi kuu wamejifanyia miungu ya dhahabu.
32 Walakini sasa, ikiwa utawasamehe dhambi yao -- na kama sivyo, unifute, nakusihi, katika kitabu chako ulichoandika.
33 Bwana akamwambia Musa, Mtu ye yote aliyenitenda dhambi ndiye nitakayemfuta katika kitabu changu.
34 Basi sasa uende ukawaongoze watu hawa mpaka mahali pale ambapo nimekwambia habari zake; tazama, malaika wangu atakutangulia; pamoja na hayo siku nitakayowajilia nitawapatiliza kwa ajili ya dhambi yao.
35 Bwana akawapiga hao watu, kwa walivyoifanya ile ndama, ambayo Haruni aliifanya.
-- na kama sivyo, unifute, nakusihi, katika kitabu chako ulichoandika.
33 Bwana akamwambia Musa, Mtu ye yote aliyenitenda dhambi ndiye nitakayemfuta katika kitabu changu.
34 Basi sasa uende ukawaongoze watu hawa mpaka mahali pale ambapo nimekwambia habari zake; tazama, malaika wangu atakutangulia; pamoja na hayo siku nitakayowajilia nitawapatiliza kwa ajili ya dhambi yao.
35 Bwana akawapiga hao watu, kwa walivyoifanya ile ndama, ambayo Haruni aliifanya.
Habari hapo juu inatuonyesha uzito na ubaya wa dhambi. Waisraeli walimwasi Mungu na kuvunja amri zake kwa kutengeneza na kuabudu sanamu badala ya kumwabudu Mungu wa kweli tu. Walipewa Nafasi ya kutubu na kumchagua Mungu wa kweli. Kabila la Walawi walimchagua Mungu. Lakini waliamrishwa kuua ndugu zao waliomwaasi Mungu.
Musa alitaka kubeba adhabu ya Mungu kwa niaba ya Waisraeli. Mungu hakumrusu kufanya hivyo. Lakini baadaye Mungu alituma mwanae peke Yesu Kristo afe msalabani kuchukwa adabu ya kila mtu. Tumshukru Mungu kwa neema hii. Tutubu dhambi zetu na kumwamini Yesu Kristo.
