Sunday Reflection (Exodus Chapters 20-40): Bridging the Divine and the Human: An Epiphany on God’s Persistent Efforts and Leadership Lessons

Updated: Jun 18

Sunday Reflection (Exodus 20–40)

Catherine (🇭🇹Guillaume🇭🇹) Sackey, MPAP

She/Her

A Personal Journey through Scripture

In my commitment to reading the entire Bible in 365 days—a journey marked by missed days and determined catch-up—I arrived at a pivotal moment: Moses' ascent of Mount Sinai to commune with God (Exod. 24:12–18). This scene, layered with memory from years of watching The Ten Commandments during Passover, sparked something deeper. I began to recognize that God’s seemingly complex and ritualistic systems were in fact intentional acts of love—divinely designed to bridge the divide between perfection and human frailty.

God's Relentless Pursuit of Connection

While catching up on my reading, I paused at the meticulous details in Exodus. From the layout of the tabernacle to the sacrificial rituals (Exod. 25–31), it felt overwhelming at first. But the deeper message was clear: nothing about God's relationship with us is accidental. Every detail reflected His effort to dwell with humanity—on their terms and in their brokenness.

Even after the people sinned by creating the golden calf (Exod. 32), God did not abandon them. Instead, He gave Moses specific instructions for a sacred structure (Exod. 35–40), essentially saying: “You may not be able to approach Me directly, but I will still come close.” This was divine policy—ordered, purposeful, and compassionate.

The Sacrificial System: A Bridge, Not a Barrier

The ritual sacrifices outlined in Scripture were not about empty obedience but about spiritual participation. Every tribe, every offering (Num. 7) was a manifestation of commitment. It was a structured pathway to approach the holy. It symbolized that drawing near to God required both reverence and realignment.

Moses: Mediator of Divine Policy

Moses was more than a leader—he was a policy implementer. He stood between heaven and earth, tasked with communicating divine law to a disordered people. His success didn’t rest merely in receiving God’s laws, but in interpreting and executing them clearly (Exod. 19:3–8, 34:27–35). When the people failed, it was often due to misalignment, not lack of instruction.

The Politics of the Wilderness

Exodus is not just a book of laws—it’s a record of people navigating freedom, structure, dissent, and unity. Every act of rebellion, delay, and misunderstanding reflects what happens when policies—however righteous—are poorly followed or resisted. Moses had to manage the spiritual and political dynamics of a nation-in-formation.

A New Covenant: The Ultimate Policy Shift

Despite all the structures, rituals, and sacrifices, humanity could not fully sustain closeness with God. So God restructured the system entirely. He sent Jesus—who offered not a system of sacrifices but Himself (Heb. 10:1–10). Through Christ, the veil was torn (Matt. 27:51), and access became direct.

This was divine governance transformed. What law and sacrifice tried to maintain, grace and intimacy fulfilled.

Reflection: Bridging Gaps Still Matters

These Old Testament chapters teach us that policy—when divinely ordered—is designed to draw us into relationship. The journey from mountain to tabernacle to Messiah shows us the arc of God’s desire: to dwell with us, guide us, and align us.

Even today, our alignment with God’s will requires us to:

Listen deeply

Obey intentionally

Trust completely

The goal was never performance—it was always proximity.

Reference Guide

All Scripture citations are from The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011).

Exodus 19:3–8 — Moses relays God's covenant to the people

Exodus 20:1–17 — The Ten Commandments

Exodus 24:12–18 — Moses ascends the mountain

Exodus 25–31 — Instructions for the tabernacle and offerings

Exodus 32 — The golden calf and Israel’s disobedience

Exodus 34:27–35 — Moses' renewed covenant

Exodus 35–40 — The tabernacle constructed

Numbers 7 — Tribal offerings

Matthew 27:51 — The temple veil is torn

Hebrews 10:1–10 — Jesus as the final sacrifice

Policy Over Politics Leadership Note

This teaching is part of the Policy Over Politics Christian Leadership Series. Every lesson is written to help align the leader's heart and decisions with the policy of God’s Word over the politics of the soul. Where policy represents God’s unchanging truth, politics represents the shifting desires, emotions, and negotiations of the flesh. Alignment requires that obedience, faith, and trust converge—so that God’s kingdom order governs both personal life and leadership decisions.

Definition of Leadership

Leadership is the stewardship of alignment—the ability to govern oneself, others, and assignments according to God’s divine order. It is not built on performance, power, or popularity, but on the leader’s capacity to obey, believe, and trust God fully while carrying others through their gaps until alignment is complete.