Daily Devotion | Exodus 34:17–28 | December 31, 2025

Dear brothers and sisters, peace to you. By the grace of God, we come to a new day to study our Daily Devotion. Today’s Scripture is Exodus 34:17–28.

Let us pray. Lord, we thank you. Thank you for your gracious willingness to deal patiently with us. You repeatedly instruct us and remind us, teaching us to obey your holy commands in every area of life. Lead us, O Lord, that we may glorify you each day through faithful obedience. In the name of Christ, amen.

We now continue to consider God renewing His covenant with Moses. In verses 11–16, we may understand God’s words as a repetition of the first commandment: Israel must not worship other gods or bow down to idols.

Verse 17 then repeats the second commandment: “You shall not make for yourself any gods of cast metal.” This refers to the prohibition against carved images.

As we have discussed before, the first, second, and third commandments belong together. The first concerns the proper object of worship, the second concerns the proper manner of worship, and the third concerns the proper purpose of worship. The fourth commandment then addresses the proper time of worship. These foundational truths have already been explained earlier.

In verse 18, God commands Israel to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, eating unleavened bread for seven days in the month of Abib, because it was in that month that Israel came out of Egypt. Notice carefully: God does not explicitly say “Passover” here, but rather emphasizes the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Passover and Unleavened Bread belong together. Passover speaks of redemption; Unleavened Bread speaks of sanctified living. God rescues His people first, and then calls them to live holy lives.

This pattern appears throughout Scripture. God’s demand for obedience is always grounded in His prior act of salvation. Grace comes first; obedience follows. This framework must remain in our minds as we read Scripture.

Verses 19–20 speak of the consecration of the firstborn. All firstborn males belong to the LORD. Firstborn sons must be redeemed. No one may appear before the LORD empty-handed.

As we read Exodus 34 from verse 10 through verse 28, the structure becomes clear: verse 10 emphasizes God’s saving work, while verses 11–26 describe the human response to that salvation.

Verse 21 again emphasizes the Sabbath: six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. Even during plowing time and harvest, you must rest.

God does not repeat every detail of the law given earlier in Exodus 20–24. Instead, He highlights what He especially wants to impress upon His people: the commandments concerning worship, redemption of the firstborn, and the Sabbath.

The command to rest even during plowing and harvest posed an enormous challenge. Farmers depend on precise timing. Missing the proper moment for planting or harvesting could mean great loss.

Yet God insists that even in such urgent circumstances, His people must rest. This reveals how seriously God takes the Sabbath.

God knows that during harvest people will invent excuses to neglect worship. Yet He requires His people to entrust provision fully into His hands. Sabbath-keeping becomes an expression of faith.

Verses 22–23 describe Israel’s three annual pilgrimage festivals: the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and the Feast of Ingathering (Tabernacles). All Israelite males were required to appear before the LORD.

This requirement included even soldiers guarding the borders. Humanly speaking, this seems irrational. Who protects the nation while all the men are away?

God answers this concern in verse 24: no one will covet Israel’s land while they go up to worship. God Himself guards their borders.

Unlike modern holidays centered on leisure, Israel’s festivals required costly obedience, extended travel, sacrifice, and disruption of ordinary life. Worship, not comfort, was central.

God required Israel to organize their entire life around worship. Economic provision and national security were secondary. The LORD Himself promised to provide and protect.

History confirms this principle. Even in modern times, God has preserved Israel in ways that defy human calculation.

Verses 25–26 reiterate the call to holiness: sacrifices must not be offered with leaven; offerings must be handled according to God’s command; firstfruits belong to the LORD.

These commands teach Israel that all provision comes from God. Offering firstfruits trains God’s people to acknowledge Him as their true Provider.

Through repeated rituals, God trains His people in obedience, shaping a life centered entirely upon Him.

Moses is commanded to write these words, for by them the covenant is renewed. Moses remains with the LORD forty days and forty nights, without food or water, sustained by divine provision.

God writes the Ten Commandments again on the tablets. Covenant relationship is restored.

In conclusion, God calls His people to live entirely God-centered lives. In every detail—work, worship, provision, and security— the LORD alone is King.

We must never place our own urgent concerns above God’s commands. When God’s law is neglected, discipline follows. When God’s law is trusted and obeyed, He faithfully bears full responsibility for His people.

God is not small. His power is not limited. To doubt His provision is to dishonor Him. He is our Lord and our King.

May God grant us faith to trust Him fully. This concludes today’s devotion. Thank you, brothers and sisters.