You'll recall from yesterday's study that we talked about how the first four commandments regard man's relationship with God and that the last six commandments have to do with man's relationship with his fellow humans.
Today we will look at the final three commandments and we begin with the eight one which says: "You shall not steal." (Exodus 20:15) The things that belong to us are the things God gives us and the things we earn by performing honest work. No one is to take these things from us and we do not have the right to take from anyone else what God has given them or what they have purchased for themselves with money they have earned. I doubt there has ever been a nation on earth that didn't consider stealing to be a crime because most people are able to understand that thievery is wrong. This is where sin enters the picture: when a person knows stealing is wrong but does it anyway. For a society to function properly, laws have to be enacted against stealing and penalties for stealing have to be imposed, so the Lord is laying down a foundation for the legal system and is establishing a rule book to guide the moral character of the nation.
Have you ever had anything stolen from you? I have. Several times. It's highly upsetting. Have you ever stolen anything? I have, at least once that I can remember. I stole some crayons from my second grade classroom. The teacher had several large metal canisters that she poured crayons into and each day during our art time she'd put one of the metal canisters at the head of every row of desks and each student was to grab a handful of crayons to take back to their desk for that day's drawing. Sometimes I'd end up with a crayon color that I didn't have at home and I'd stick it in my pocket. I don't recall having any real awareness of the wrongness of my actions, at least not from a religious viewpoint. Morally I may have known it was wrong but spiritually I wasn't troubled by it until later that school year. I remember sitting in the floor by the Christmas tree one evening with paper and crayons and suddenly being overcome with guilt and fear. My mom was sitting nearby on the couch reading the evening paper and I went over to her and asked her if a person could go to hell for stealing crayons. We had a nice talk and she was very helpful to me regarding how repentance and forgiveness works and how a person must return the things they have stolen. I'd been in church since infancy but was only just then reaching the age where some of the things I heard in church were really starting to make sense to me and apparently I'd heard the commandment against stealing. The Lord intends a person to read or hear the eighth commandment and avoid stealing, but if a person has already stolen, He intends this commandment to strike a holy fear in the heart of the thief so that the thief repents and finds strength in the Lord not to steal again.
The ninth commandment says, "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." (Exodus 20:16) The Lord Jesus, in the parable of the Good Samaritan, demonstrated that the word "neighbor" simply means our fellow man, not just the people who live on our street or the people who are of our same race or our same religion or our same sex or our same social class. So we could translate verse 16 as, "You shall not tell lies about any human being." We aren't to commit slander or libel against anyone. We aren't to give false testimony against anyone in court. We aren't to attack anyone's character with falsehoods or by spreading rumors.
Have you ever been the victim of lies and rumors? Two of the most bizarre rumors I've ever heard were about me! One was so weird that I just laughed it off and went on about my business. No one who knew even the least bit about me would have fallen for that particular lie. I don't even know who started that one. The other rumor was so personal and such an attack on my character that I was deeply troubled by it and I was afraid people would actually believe I'd been living this immoral lifestyle and keeping this dark secret. From what I could tell, no one seemed to believe it or even give it a second thought, but several decades later I can still clearly recall the fear and the hurt I felt at that time. I knew who started the rumor and I went to her to ask why she made up such a thing. She refused to answer any of my questions or even look at me. For a long time I wondered why she did it but later I came to the conclusion that it had nothing to do with me. She did it to gain a few minutes of attention for herself. While she was telling a tall tale she was experiencing the temporary satisfaction of five minutes of fame. That's it. That's the only reason for making up such an awful story against another human being, and that's why the Lord considers giving false testimony such an ugly sin that He included it in the ten commandments. False testimony can have long-lasting repercussions. No doubt there have been many people who've committed suicide due having their character falsely assassinated. Many people have been imprisoned due to false testimony. In the workplace I'm sure employees have been passed over for promotions because someone stirred up rumors against them. We do not have the right---ever!----to tell lies about another human being.
The tenth commandment says, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." (Exodus 20:17) The tenth commandment may appear closely related to the commandment against stealing, and in a lot of cases when a person steals it's because he covets something someone else has. But it goes even deeper than that. Coveting implies a discontent with one's own life. It implies dissatisfaction with one's own blessings and jealousy over someone else's blessings. It's a spirit of ingratitude. It leads to this kind of thinking, "How did Joe get such a pretty wife? He's no Mister America! Why should he have such an attractive woman to come home to every night when I'm going home to an empty house after work? I'd like to have his wife for myself. She's everything I'm looking for in a woman. I'm going to try to get her!" Covetousness leads to thoughts like this, "Lucy's house is so spacious and beautiful and she has such nice furnishings. Her house is so much nicer than mine that I'm ashamed to have her come over. Why does she have better stuff than I do? It's not fair! I'm living in a two bedroom house while she's living in that big four bedroom house. My furniture is twenty years old and she just bought a new living room suite. I'm starting to not like going over to her house. It makes me mad when I see all the pretty things she has. I'm starting to not even like her."
Covetousness can lead to stealing, but when it does it usually involves a more personal type of thievery. It's not so much the stealing of money or objects as it is the stealing of affections (as in the case of luring a person's spouse away from them) or the stealing of opportunities (using various means to put roadblocks in the path of another person's future success) or the stealing of happiness (causing the person you envy to not be able to enjoy what they have by bringing trouble into their lives).
It's interesting how the breaking of any of the ten commandments can have a snowball effect. Breaking one can lead to the breaking of others---or all. Not keeping the first commandment to honor God as Lord can lead to pretty much any behavior. That's why He placed that commandment at the head of the list, but we have to be on guard against breaking any of them. It's a slippery slope when we start to have little regard for any one of the commandments. Committing a particular sin becomes easier each time we commit it. Breaking one commandment also makes it easier to break the others. But the Lord has graciously provided us with these guidelines so we can regularly assess the condition of our hearts throughout our lives. If the idea of breaking any of these commandments doesn't trouble us, we need to repent and draw closer to the Lord. If we've already broken some of them and haven't repented, there's no better time than now.
Sunday, June 7, 2020
Saturday, June 6, 2020
The Exodus. Day 69, The Ten Commandments, Part Four---Commandments Six And Seven
The sixth commandment says, "You shall not murder." (Exodus 20:13) Some versions of the Bible, such as the King James, render this verse as, "Thou shalt not kill," but the word would be more appropriately translated as "murder" because the intent is that people would not unlawfully take the life of another. Several examples of the unlawful taking of a life include a killing that is premeditated with malice aforethought, a killing that takes place during in a fit of rage in the heat of the moment, or a killing that occurs as a result of or during the commission of some other type of crime. Later in the Bible we'll find the Lord laying out circumstances under which capital punishment is legal. We will also find Him not condemning killings that take place during battle and, in some cases, instructing the Israelites to completely wipe out certain wicked, pagan tribes in Canaan. So we see that the sixth commandment is speaking of the taking of a human life under the type of circumstances our own legal system today would consider "murder", not the taking of a human life in war, in self defense, or as punishment for a capital crime.
I am not here to argue for or against capital punishment. I have mixed feelings about it myself and maybe you do too. I am just pointing out the fact that it was legal, on the pages of the Bible, to carry out capital punishment if the case met certain conditions and if the person's crime was witnessed by the required number of persons to establish guilt beyond a shadow of a doubt. Some of the laws that will be given to the Israelites in the Old Testament are stricter than some of the laws we follow today and the death penalty could be administered for offenses we'd never consider a capital offense in our own times. When we study those laws we'll be discussing some possible reasons why the Lord laid down such strict rules while the nation of Israel was forming.
But in all societies of the world and since the beginning of time, as far as we know, all cultures appear to recognize the intentional, unlawful taking of human life as "murder". It is the absolute worst crime one person can perpetrate against another.
Now we move on to the seventh commandment. "You shall not commit adultery." (Exodus 20:14) The first four commandments regard how a person is to treat the Lord. The last six commandments regard how a person is to treat his fellow man. We've already taken a look at the commandments to honor our parents (and, by extension, to have care and concern for all the elderly) and to not take a human life unlawfully. Now we look at the commandment that says not to treat our marriage partner cruelly.
Our relationship with the Lord should be the most important relationship in our lives, but right after that comes our relationship with our spouse. Time and time again the Bible compares the relationship between a husband and wife to the relationship between the Lord and Israel or to the relationship between Christ and the church. Marriage is holy and sacred in the eyes of God. Within the bonds of marriage is the only place God considers sexual relations to not be a sin. Marriage is the foundation of the home and provides a stable environment for the raising of children. Marriage has a civilizing effect on the individuals involved and on society as a whole. God has placed His stamp of approval on it and He considers it such a holy institution and such an unbreakable covenant that He only recognizes divorce and remarriage as being legal when one marriage partner has committed adultery against the other. (Matthew 19:9) The innocent party has the right to divorce the unfaithful partner and find another marriage partner if he or she wants to do so. But the breaking up of marriages and homes could be avoided if the persons involved would obey the seventh commandment and not commit adultery in the first place.
I don't think the Bible is saying a couple cannot separate for a time under certain conditions, although even then the goal is that the problem would be corrected and the couple would reconcile. (For this type of marital advice for Christian couples, you may consult 1 Corinthians 7). But there are reasons why a person might have to leave the marital home for their own physical, emotional, or mental safety. If a marriage partner is being abusive to their spouse or children then I don't feel the Bible commands anyone to remain in a home that is not safe, and generally you won't find the pastors of mainstream denominations advising anyone to remain in an abusive situation. Separation is sometimes necessary for safety or as a method of trying to get the marriage partner to correct other behaviors that are seriously harmful to the family, such as when that person has descended deeply into addiction. The Bible also says that if one marriage partner becomes a Christian and the other does not, and if the unbeliever wants to leave the believer, the believer is not to try to force them to remain in the home. (1 Corinthians 7:15) But in all these cases we've just outlined, the Bible doesn't seem to be telling the innocent party to file for divorce. These waters are murky, to be sure, and in our society today the innocent party may actually feel compelled to file for divorce due to legal, financial, and custodial reasons. Very few church leaders or church members in these times would condemn the idea of a person divorcing their spouse for certain very serious issues that are capable of tearing marriages and families apart. But Biblically speaking we only find adultery being named as legal grounds for divorce and it's only under those circumstances that we find remarriage valid in the eyes of God.
Adultery breaks the most sacred covenant between human beings. It has a ripple effect that spreads out far and wide, like when you throw a pebble into a pond. It affects at least one marriage---two if both the people involved in the illicit relationship were married. It affects the children, not just children who still live in the home but also the adult children, for their family life will never be the same. It affects the in-laws who are deeply saddened by the breakup of their child's marriage. The parents of the innocent party will experience pain and indignation on behalf of their grown child. The parents of the guilty party will feel all sorts of emotions, but will likely spend many years wishing their child had kept his or her marriage vows and had not brought unnecessary pain into the lives of their spouse and children. Adultery can affect a person's career and work relationships, especially if their illicit relationship involved someone they work with. It can affect a person's standing in the community; some of their friends and neighbors will cut off contact with them to show solidarity with the innocent party. The commission of adultery, and the consequences of that act, can follow a person for the rest of his or her life. It can affect the innocent spouse and the children and many other members of the family for the rest of their lives. The Lord considers it such a serious offense that He placed it on the ten commandment list right after murder.
Tomorrow we take a look at the final three commandments.
I am not here to argue for or against capital punishment. I have mixed feelings about it myself and maybe you do too. I am just pointing out the fact that it was legal, on the pages of the Bible, to carry out capital punishment if the case met certain conditions and if the person's crime was witnessed by the required number of persons to establish guilt beyond a shadow of a doubt. Some of the laws that will be given to the Israelites in the Old Testament are stricter than some of the laws we follow today and the death penalty could be administered for offenses we'd never consider a capital offense in our own times. When we study those laws we'll be discussing some possible reasons why the Lord laid down such strict rules while the nation of Israel was forming.
But in all societies of the world and since the beginning of time, as far as we know, all cultures appear to recognize the intentional, unlawful taking of human life as "murder". It is the absolute worst crime one person can perpetrate against another.
Now we move on to the seventh commandment. "You shall not commit adultery." (Exodus 20:14) The first four commandments regard how a person is to treat the Lord. The last six commandments regard how a person is to treat his fellow man. We've already taken a look at the commandments to honor our parents (and, by extension, to have care and concern for all the elderly) and to not take a human life unlawfully. Now we look at the commandment that says not to treat our marriage partner cruelly.
Our relationship with the Lord should be the most important relationship in our lives, but right after that comes our relationship with our spouse. Time and time again the Bible compares the relationship between a husband and wife to the relationship between the Lord and Israel or to the relationship between Christ and the church. Marriage is holy and sacred in the eyes of God. Within the bonds of marriage is the only place God considers sexual relations to not be a sin. Marriage is the foundation of the home and provides a stable environment for the raising of children. Marriage has a civilizing effect on the individuals involved and on society as a whole. God has placed His stamp of approval on it and He considers it such a holy institution and such an unbreakable covenant that He only recognizes divorce and remarriage as being legal when one marriage partner has committed adultery against the other. (Matthew 19:9) The innocent party has the right to divorce the unfaithful partner and find another marriage partner if he or she wants to do so. But the breaking up of marriages and homes could be avoided if the persons involved would obey the seventh commandment and not commit adultery in the first place.
I don't think the Bible is saying a couple cannot separate for a time under certain conditions, although even then the goal is that the problem would be corrected and the couple would reconcile. (For this type of marital advice for Christian couples, you may consult 1 Corinthians 7). But there are reasons why a person might have to leave the marital home for their own physical, emotional, or mental safety. If a marriage partner is being abusive to their spouse or children then I don't feel the Bible commands anyone to remain in a home that is not safe, and generally you won't find the pastors of mainstream denominations advising anyone to remain in an abusive situation. Separation is sometimes necessary for safety or as a method of trying to get the marriage partner to correct other behaviors that are seriously harmful to the family, such as when that person has descended deeply into addiction. The Bible also says that if one marriage partner becomes a Christian and the other does not, and if the unbeliever wants to leave the believer, the believer is not to try to force them to remain in the home. (1 Corinthians 7:15) But in all these cases we've just outlined, the Bible doesn't seem to be telling the innocent party to file for divorce. These waters are murky, to be sure, and in our society today the innocent party may actually feel compelled to file for divorce due to legal, financial, and custodial reasons. Very few church leaders or church members in these times would condemn the idea of a person divorcing their spouse for certain very serious issues that are capable of tearing marriages and families apart. But Biblically speaking we only find adultery being named as legal grounds for divorce and it's only under those circumstances that we find remarriage valid in the eyes of God.
Adultery breaks the most sacred covenant between human beings. It has a ripple effect that spreads out far and wide, like when you throw a pebble into a pond. It affects at least one marriage---two if both the people involved in the illicit relationship were married. It affects the children, not just children who still live in the home but also the adult children, for their family life will never be the same. It affects the in-laws who are deeply saddened by the breakup of their child's marriage. The parents of the innocent party will experience pain and indignation on behalf of their grown child. The parents of the guilty party will feel all sorts of emotions, but will likely spend many years wishing their child had kept his or her marriage vows and had not brought unnecessary pain into the lives of their spouse and children. Adultery can affect a person's career and work relationships, especially if their illicit relationship involved someone they work with. It can affect a person's standing in the community; some of their friends and neighbors will cut off contact with them to show solidarity with the innocent party. The commission of adultery, and the consequences of that act, can follow a person for the rest of his or her life. It can affect the innocent spouse and the children and many other members of the family for the rest of their lives. The Lord considers it such a serious offense that He placed it on the ten commandment list right after murder.
Tomorrow we take a look at the final three commandments.
Friday, June 5, 2020
The Exodus. Day 68, The Ten Commandments, Part Three---Commandments Three Through Five
On Thursday we studied the first two commandments: "You shall have no other God besides Me", and, "You shall not make an idol". Today we look at the third, fourth, and fifth commandments.
"You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name." (Exodus 20:7) You are probably more familiar with how this verse is worded in the King James Bible: "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord your God in vain." The name of the Lord is often used as a swear word. This would be an example of misusing His name, and sadly it's one of the most common ways people misuse it. I cringe whenever I hear the name of God the Father or the name of Jesus Christ used in this manner. Another example of misusing His name would be using His name irreverently and hypocritically. For instance, when a person pretends to be religious (but actually is not) and they throw His name about as if they know Him. There are several reasons why a person might pretend to know the Lord and they may be familiar with just enough Bible and just enough church culture to talk about Him a way that at least temporarily persuades others into thinking he's a believer. Taking oaths in the name of the Lord can be another way of misusing His name. If a person goes to court to give testimony and swears to tell the truth "so help me God" but intends to commit perjury instead, that person has disrespected the name of a holy God who sees through all lies. Another way of improperly using His name is when a person likes to fling His name into the conversation needlessly to attest to the truth of whatever he's saying, such as adding in phrases like, "I swear to God!" Even though that person may be telling the truth, it's unnecessary to throw the Lord's name into the conversation in that way and it displays a casual attitude toward Him.
I am thankful that the Bible tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ has another name that no one knows but Him. (Revelation 19:12) This means our precious Savior who loved us more than His own life, who gave everything He had for us, who shed His blood to pay for our sins, has a name no one has ever been able to blaspheme. He deserves that! It's so sad when someone blasphemes the name of the One who suffered and died for us. I honestly cannot think of any worse curse that could come out of a person's mouth than a curse that includes the name of Jesus. In my opinion, God the Father probably feels the same way. I can't imagine anything that would be more offensive to the Father than to hear someone blaspheming the name of His Son, especially considering what His Son endured for the sake of mankind. But the Lord Jesus has a name no one has ever been able to misuse and the thought of that fills me with joy.
Now we move on to the fourth commandment. "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." (Exodus 20:8-11) God rested on the seventh day because His creation work was complete, not because He never intended to do any work again. The Lord Jesus stated that the Father is always at work in our lives. (John 5:17) But the labor of the creation was finished and nothing remained to be adjusted or improved upon, so the Lord rested on the seventh day. I don't believe He needed to rest, for He "will not grow tired or weary" (Isaiah 40:28) and He never has to "slumber or sleep" (Psalm 121:3-4). But He was setting an example for us to follow.
The Lord knew if He didn't make the keeping of the Sabbath a commandment some people would work themselves or their children or their servants or their animals to the bone. He knew some would be "workaholics" and never know when to rest or how to relax. He knew some would rest on the Sabbath but would expect others to keep working, so He made it a rule that they could not expect their children, their paid servants, or their slaves to work on the Sabbath. He was looking out for the welfare of animals and commanded that they be allowed to rest on the Sabbath as well. The keeping of the Sabbath honors the Lord and the creation work He performed, but more than that it protects the health of people and animals. This is why the Lord Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27) The commandment regarding the Sabbath was given primarily for our benefit. If a person takes a day each week to rest from as much work as possible and to focus their mind on the Lord and not on all the other problems of this life, that person will be able to face the rest of the week feeling refreshed in body, mind, and spirit.
We conclude today's study with the fifth commandment. "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you." (Exodus 20:12) I realize not everyone grew up in a household with godly parents or with parents who were loving and kind. We aren't going to get into a discussion about dysfunctional families except to say that when a person cannot respect or admire the behavior of a person it is sometimes possible to still maintain a reverence for the position that person holds. For instance, there are going to be a number of occasions in school or at work where we have to follow the instructions of someone we don't particularly like or agree with, but we are still called to show respect for the position of authority they hold. If a person had parents who inspired very little love and affection, perhaps that person can fulfill the spirit of verse 12 by mustering up some reverence for the position their parents hold in the home and by being thankful that their parents did at least provide food, clothing, and shelter for them.
But I think the majority of parents care about their children and the Lord expects the children to care about their parents. In fact, He requires it, so much so that He includes a promise for anyone who faithfully obeys verse 12 to the best of their ability: "that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you". He's saying to the Israelites something like, "Do you want to live a long time in the promised land? Then show respect for your parents. In your youth, don't backtalk them and rebel against them. As an adult who has left home, make sure your parents aren't going without the basic necessities. At one time they were keeping a roof over your head and clothes on your back and food in your belly. The least you can do is make sure they have the same. Also show them the honor that is due an elder. You may not always agree with their advice or their opinion, but you can listen respectfully. If you can't show any respect for your parents or be obedient to your parents, how do you expect to respect Me or be obedient to Me? You may not always agree with Me either. From time to time you may not be happy with circumstances I've allowed into your life. But I always have your best interests at heart like a good parent. Learning how to honor your father and mother is good training for learning how to honor Me."
Suppose your parents have already passed on and you didn't do much to honor them while they lived? Perhaps you were rebellious in your youth. Perhaps you just weren't a very loving or concerned person back in the days when they were still alive. Or perhaps your parents weren't likable people and you couldn't find it within yourself to honor them or you couldn't figure out how, considering the type of people they were. Well, maybe you could honor someone else's parents and so fulfill the spirit of verse 12. There are lots of people who have outlived their children or whose children live far away or whose children are out in the world living sinful lives not caring about their parents. Those parents need friends and you can be that friend. My own parents have both passed on and I can no longer do anything for them, but I can honor and respect others who are my elders. I can be a friend to them. I have many friends who are old enough to be my mom or dad and I can show them the care and respect I'm not longer able to show my own parents.
In tomorrow's study we'll take a look at the sixth and seventh commandments.
"You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name." (Exodus 20:7) You are probably more familiar with how this verse is worded in the King James Bible: "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord your God in vain." The name of the Lord is often used as a swear word. This would be an example of misusing His name, and sadly it's one of the most common ways people misuse it. I cringe whenever I hear the name of God the Father or the name of Jesus Christ used in this manner. Another example of misusing His name would be using His name irreverently and hypocritically. For instance, when a person pretends to be religious (but actually is not) and they throw His name about as if they know Him. There are several reasons why a person might pretend to know the Lord and they may be familiar with just enough Bible and just enough church culture to talk about Him a way that at least temporarily persuades others into thinking he's a believer. Taking oaths in the name of the Lord can be another way of misusing His name. If a person goes to court to give testimony and swears to tell the truth "so help me God" but intends to commit perjury instead, that person has disrespected the name of a holy God who sees through all lies. Another way of improperly using His name is when a person likes to fling His name into the conversation needlessly to attest to the truth of whatever he's saying, such as adding in phrases like, "I swear to God!" Even though that person may be telling the truth, it's unnecessary to throw the Lord's name into the conversation in that way and it displays a casual attitude toward Him.
I am thankful that the Bible tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ has another name that no one knows but Him. (Revelation 19:12) This means our precious Savior who loved us more than His own life, who gave everything He had for us, who shed His blood to pay for our sins, has a name no one has ever been able to blaspheme. He deserves that! It's so sad when someone blasphemes the name of the One who suffered and died for us. I honestly cannot think of any worse curse that could come out of a person's mouth than a curse that includes the name of Jesus. In my opinion, God the Father probably feels the same way. I can't imagine anything that would be more offensive to the Father than to hear someone blaspheming the name of His Son, especially considering what His Son endured for the sake of mankind. But the Lord Jesus has a name no one has ever been able to misuse and the thought of that fills me with joy.
Now we move on to the fourth commandment. "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." (Exodus 20:8-11) God rested on the seventh day because His creation work was complete, not because He never intended to do any work again. The Lord Jesus stated that the Father is always at work in our lives. (John 5:17) But the labor of the creation was finished and nothing remained to be adjusted or improved upon, so the Lord rested on the seventh day. I don't believe He needed to rest, for He "will not grow tired or weary" (Isaiah 40:28) and He never has to "slumber or sleep" (Psalm 121:3-4). But He was setting an example for us to follow.
The Lord knew if He didn't make the keeping of the Sabbath a commandment some people would work themselves or their children or their servants or their animals to the bone. He knew some would be "workaholics" and never know when to rest or how to relax. He knew some would rest on the Sabbath but would expect others to keep working, so He made it a rule that they could not expect their children, their paid servants, or their slaves to work on the Sabbath. He was looking out for the welfare of animals and commanded that they be allowed to rest on the Sabbath as well. The keeping of the Sabbath honors the Lord and the creation work He performed, but more than that it protects the health of people and animals. This is why the Lord Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27) The commandment regarding the Sabbath was given primarily for our benefit. If a person takes a day each week to rest from as much work as possible and to focus their mind on the Lord and not on all the other problems of this life, that person will be able to face the rest of the week feeling refreshed in body, mind, and spirit.
We conclude today's study with the fifth commandment. "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you." (Exodus 20:12) I realize not everyone grew up in a household with godly parents or with parents who were loving and kind. We aren't going to get into a discussion about dysfunctional families except to say that when a person cannot respect or admire the behavior of a person it is sometimes possible to still maintain a reverence for the position that person holds. For instance, there are going to be a number of occasions in school or at work where we have to follow the instructions of someone we don't particularly like or agree with, but we are still called to show respect for the position of authority they hold. If a person had parents who inspired very little love and affection, perhaps that person can fulfill the spirit of verse 12 by mustering up some reverence for the position their parents hold in the home and by being thankful that their parents did at least provide food, clothing, and shelter for them.
But I think the majority of parents care about their children and the Lord expects the children to care about their parents. In fact, He requires it, so much so that He includes a promise for anyone who faithfully obeys verse 12 to the best of their ability: "that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you". He's saying to the Israelites something like, "Do you want to live a long time in the promised land? Then show respect for your parents. In your youth, don't backtalk them and rebel against them. As an adult who has left home, make sure your parents aren't going without the basic necessities. At one time they were keeping a roof over your head and clothes on your back and food in your belly. The least you can do is make sure they have the same. Also show them the honor that is due an elder. You may not always agree with their advice or their opinion, but you can listen respectfully. If you can't show any respect for your parents or be obedient to your parents, how do you expect to respect Me or be obedient to Me? You may not always agree with Me either. From time to time you may not be happy with circumstances I've allowed into your life. But I always have your best interests at heart like a good parent. Learning how to honor your father and mother is good training for learning how to honor Me."
Suppose your parents have already passed on and you didn't do much to honor them while they lived? Perhaps you were rebellious in your youth. Perhaps you just weren't a very loving or concerned person back in the days when they were still alive. Or perhaps your parents weren't likable people and you couldn't find it within yourself to honor them or you couldn't figure out how, considering the type of people they were. Well, maybe you could honor someone else's parents and so fulfill the spirit of verse 12. There are lots of people who have outlived their children or whose children live far away or whose children are out in the world living sinful lives not caring about their parents. Those parents need friends and you can be that friend. My own parents have both passed on and I can no longer do anything for them, but I can honor and respect others who are my elders. I can be a friend to them. I have many friends who are old enough to be my mom or dad and I can show them the care and respect I'm not longer able to show my own parents.
In tomorrow's study we'll take a look at the sixth and seventh commandments.
Thursday, June 4, 2020
The Exodus. Day 67, The Ten Commandments, Part Two---Commandments One And Two
We move on into Chapter 20 and the Lord begins giving the ten commandments.
"And God spoke all these words: 'I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.'" (Exodus 20:1-2) He reminds them who He is before He tells them what is required of them. He is the Lord---the Lord, the one and only Lord---and He wants to be the personal God of each of them. Because of who He is, they owe Him their allegiance. Because of who He is, He alone can help them through this life and supply their needs in this world. Besides that, He is the one who rescued them from slavery in Egypt. No other "god" did that. No man did it either. Because He cares for them and did mighty deeds on their behalf, they owe Him their allegiance.
Because of who He is and what He has done and what He will do, they are to worship Him alone. "You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3) The word translated as "before" would be more accurately translated in this instance as "besides". He's not saying they can worship other gods as long as He is their chief God. He's saying they are to worship no one but Him.
In order to aid them in not falling away from Him and falling into idolatry, He forbids the fashioning of images. "You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments." (Exodus 20:4-6) These verses call for closer scrutiny below.
As far as God's jealousy goes, I once heard someone explain it in a way that made so much sense to me that I believe they are correct in saying that what God means is that He is jealous for us. We naturally want the best for those we love, don't we? I'm not a parent but I can easily imagine the emotion of being jealous for my child: wanting the best grades for them, recognition for their achievements, loyal friends, relationships in which they are highly valued, the best education possible, a great job where they will be paid well and provided with advancement opportunities, a loving and stable marriage, children of their own if they want to become parents, and on and on. It's also natural for a parent to want his children to do better than other people's children. That might seem selfish to us and maybe it is, but it's human nature to want the most awesome things for those who belong to us. It's human nature to focus our hopes and dreams on those who belong to us far more than on those who don't belong to us. And I think it's God's nature to want awesome things for those who belong to Him. Remaining faithful to Him is what's best for His children. Idolatry will lead them astray and into many useless and sinful practices that will actually prevent the very best things from entering into their lives. So in that sense He's jealous not only for His children but is jealous of anything that comes between Him and His children because anything that comes between Him and His children is going to bring harm on His children. Wouldn't you be angry at anything that led your child astray, whether it be drugs or alcohol or a false religion or an abusive relationship? That's how God feels about anything that pulls us out of His will and into hurtful situations.
Next we need to talk about what He means when He says that the sin of the parents affects their descendants to the third and fourth generation. This verse is closely connected to the verses forbidding idolatry. It's closely connected to the verse about those who "hate" the Lord. Should any of the parents fall into idolatry, thereby "hating" God (shunning Him, refusing to acknowledge Him, turning to anything they can besides Him), their actions are going to affect their children, their grandchildren, their great-grandchildren, and perhaps even their great-great-grandchildren. Remember, people are still living well over one hundred years during the time of the exodus, so a person could live to see several generations of his descendants. This means the person's idolatry has the potential to influence several generations of his descendants. The children of parents who engage in idolatry are going to see their parents performing these rituals. The children are going to imitate what they see. If they don't repudiate the false gods when they become adults, they will continue these idolatrous practices in their own homes in front of their own children. It may be several generations before the members that particular family line turn back to the Lord, if indeed they ever do, but certainly it will be more difficult for the first few generations to turn away from idolatry while their great-granddaddy is still alive and still bowing down to idols. As time goes on and great-granddaddy passes away, it can become easier for successive generations to reject the idols he worshiped and seek the one true God.
We don't want to miss something huge in verse 6. Idolatry and a rejection of the Lord may be capable of influencing three or four generations, but faithfulness to the Lord and love for the Lord is capable of benefiting a thousand generations! An example of this in the world today is the nation of Israel. It began with one man, Abraham, who loved the Lord. Because this one man forsook the false gods of his homeland and gave all his allegiance to the one true God, the Lord made a promise to Abraham and to all his descendants after him. The Lord promised to make a great nation of Abraham's descendants. The Lord promised that this nation would never be wiped from the earth. We can clearly see that the Lord has kept this promise though Abraham has been dead and buried for thousands of years. The Lord has kept this promise even though not all of Abraham's descendants remained faithful to Him. This is an example of the Lord showing love to a thousand generations for the sake of a person who loved Him.
We will find many examples in the Bible of the Lord showing mercy to a person not because that person is particularly faithful to Him but for the sake of someone who is faithful to Him. The first example that comes to mind is when the Lord spared Abraham's nephew Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot doesn't come across as a hero of the faith on the pages of the Bible. He comes across as a man who wants to straddle the fence, as the saying goes, with one foot in the church and the other foot in the world. He was a man willing to compromise his values to live and work in a region where he was benefiting financially. But for the sake of Abraham, who loved the Lord, the Lord spared Lot. I wonder how many times the Lord has shown me mercy simply because my mother was faithful to Him or because my grandparents or great-grandparents were faithful to Him. During the years I lived in sin, when I was refusing to bow my knees to my Maker, perhaps it was their faith and their prayers that preserved my life. It may have been for their sake that the Lord protected me and didn't let me die in my sins and didn't let me make mistakes so huge they'd follow me all my life long.
A while back one of my relatives posted a meme on Facebook that said, "Your mother's prayers are still protecting you." I think that's the truth and that it is backed up by Exodus 20:6. My mother's prayers are still protecting me even though she's been in heaven with the Lord for twenty-four years. If you had a praying parent and that parent has already gone on to be with the Lord, those prayers still cover you. The prayers your grandparents and great-grandparents prayed are still benefiting you. The prayers your ancestors (who never even laid eyes on you) prayed are still blessing you, for who knows how many times the Lord protected you simply because you had an ancestor who loved Him with all their heart? Who can say how many dangers He has turned away from our generation because preceding generations of our family honored His name? Taking this into consideration, shouldn't we be praying for the generations of our family that are yet to come?
Join us tomorrow as we take a look at the third, fourth, and fifth commandments.
"And God spoke all these words: 'I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.'" (Exodus 20:1-2) He reminds them who He is before He tells them what is required of them. He is the Lord---the Lord, the one and only Lord---and He wants to be the personal God of each of them. Because of who He is, they owe Him their allegiance. Because of who He is, He alone can help them through this life and supply their needs in this world. Besides that, He is the one who rescued them from slavery in Egypt. No other "god" did that. No man did it either. Because He cares for them and did mighty deeds on their behalf, they owe Him their allegiance.
Because of who He is and what He has done and what He will do, they are to worship Him alone. "You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3) The word translated as "before" would be more accurately translated in this instance as "besides". He's not saying they can worship other gods as long as He is their chief God. He's saying they are to worship no one but Him.
In order to aid them in not falling away from Him and falling into idolatry, He forbids the fashioning of images. "You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments." (Exodus 20:4-6) These verses call for closer scrutiny below.
As far as God's jealousy goes, I once heard someone explain it in a way that made so much sense to me that I believe they are correct in saying that what God means is that He is jealous for us. We naturally want the best for those we love, don't we? I'm not a parent but I can easily imagine the emotion of being jealous for my child: wanting the best grades for them, recognition for their achievements, loyal friends, relationships in which they are highly valued, the best education possible, a great job where they will be paid well and provided with advancement opportunities, a loving and stable marriage, children of their own if they want to become parents, and on and on. It's also natural for a parent to want his children to do better than other people's children. That might seem selfish to us and maybe it is, but it's human nature to want the most awesome things for those who belong to us. It's human nature to focus our hopes and dreams on those who belong to us far more than on those who don't belong to us. And I think it's God's nature to want awesome things for those who belong to Him. Remaining faithful to Him is what's best for His children. Idolatry will lead them astray and into many useless and sinful practices that will actually prevent the very best things from entering into their lives. So in that sense He's jealous not only for His children but is jealous of anything that comes between Him and His children because anything that comes between Him and His children is going to bring harm on His children. Wouldn't you be angry at anything that led your child astray, whether it be drugs or alcohol or a false religion or an abusive relationship? That's how God feels about anything that pulls us out of His will and into hurtful situations.
Next we need to talk about what He means when He says that the sin of the parents affects their descendants to the third and fourth generation. This verse is closely connected to the verses forbidding idolatry. It's closely connected to the verse about those who "hate" the Lord. Should any of the parents fall into idolatry, thereby "hating" God (shunning Him, refusing to acknowledge Him, turning to anything they can besides Him), their actions are going to affect their children, their grandchildren, their great-grandchildren, and perhaps even their great-great-grandchildren. Remember, people are still living well over one hundred years during the time of the exodus, so a person could live to see several generations of his descendants. This means the person's idolatry has the potential to influence several generations of his descendants. The children of parents who engage in idolatry are going to see their parents performing these rituals. The children are going to imitate what they see. If they don't repudiate the false gods when they become adults, they will continue these idolatrous practices in their own homes in front of their own children. It may be several generations before the members that particular family line turn back to the Lord, if indeed they ever do, but certainly it will be more difficult for the first few generations to turn away from idolatry while their great-granddaddy is still alive and still bowing down to idols. As time goes on and great-granddaddy passes away, it can become easier for successive generations to reject the idols he worshiped and seek the one true God.
We don't want to miss something huge in verse 6. Idolatry and a rejection of the Lord may be capable of influencing three or four generations, but faithfulness to the Lord and love for the Lord is capable of benefiting a thousand generations! An example of this in the world today is the nation of Israel. It began with one man, Abraham, who loved the Lord. Because this one man forsook the false gods of his homeland and gave all his allegiance to the one true God, the Lord made a promise to Abraham and to all his descendants after him. The Lord promised to make a great nation of Abraham's descendants. The Lord promised that this nation would never be wiped from the earth. We can clearly see that the Lord has kept this promise though Abraham has been dead and buried for thousands of years. The Lord has kept this promise even though not all of Abraham's descendants remained faithful to Him. This is an example of the Lord showing love to a thousand generations for the sake of a person who loved Him.
We will find many examples in the Bible of the Lord showing mercy to a person not because that person is particularly faithful to Him but for the sake of someone who is faithful to Him. The first example that comes to mind is when the Lord spared Abraham's nephew Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot doesn't come across as a hero of the faith on the pages of the Bible. He comes across as a man who wants to straddle the fence, as the saying goes, with one foot in the church and the other foot in the world. He was a man willing to compromise his values to live and work in a region where he was benefiting financially. But for the sake of Abraham, who loved the Lord, the Lord spared Lot. I wonder how many times the Lord has shown me mercy simply because my mother was faithful to Him or because my grandparents or great-grandparents were faithful to Him. During the years I lived in sin, when I was refusing to bow my knees to my Maker, perhaps it was their faith and their prayers that preserved my life. It may have been for their sake that the Lord protected me and didn't let me die in my sins and didn't let me make mistakes so huge they'd follow me all my life long.
A while back one of my relatives posted a meme on Facebook that said, "Your mother's prayers are still protecting you." I think that's the truth and that it is backed up by Exodus 20:6. My mother's prayers are still protecting me even though she's been in heaven with the Lord for twenty-four years. If you had a praying parent and that parent has already gone on to be with the Lord, those prayers still cover you. The prayers your grandparents and great-grandparents prayed are still benefiting you. The prayers your ancestors (who never even laid eyes on you) prayed are still blessing you, for who knows how many times the Lord protected you simply because you had an ancestor who loved Him with all their heart? Who can say how many dangers He has turned away from our generation because preceding generations of our family honored His name? Taking this into consideration, shouldn't we be praying for the generations of our family that are yet to come?
Join us tomorrow as we take a look at the third, fourth, and fifth commandments.
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
The Exodus. Day 66, The Ten Commandments, Part One---Further Warnings For The People/Moses And Aaron Go Up The Mountain
The people are gathered at the foot of Mount Sinai. The presence of the Lord has descended upon the mountain in smoke and fire while thunder rumbles and the earth shakes and a trumpet sounds. The Lord has something monumental to say and He has the people's attention.
He is going to call Moses and his brother Aaron up onto the mountain but the people must keep their distance. They have already been warned not to try to come up onto the mountain into the presence of God lest His indescribable holiness and righteousness consume them in their weak, mortal, human state. He has granted a special dispensation of immunity to Moses and Aaron for the purpose of the roles they are called to fill, but the assembly must not rush up the mountain or even so much as touch it while the Lord is present on it, as we learned in yesterday's passage.
"The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up and the Lord said to him, 'Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the Lord and many of them perish. Even the priests, who approach the Lord, must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.'" (Exodus 19:20-22) The people were already warned in yesterday's passage but the Lord feels the warning is worth repeating, especially since the priests might not have interpreted this rule as applying to them. The priests are already in the habit of regularly consecrating themselves before performing their duties. They are already in the habit of acting as intermediaries between the people and the Lord when offering up prayers, incense, and sacrifices. Some of them might misunderstand and think that the instructions for the Israelites as a whole don't apply to those who are used to ministering before the Lord on behalf of the people.
There are rules everywhere we go in life. There are roles we fill that allow us access to certain things and certain places. For example, I have a key to my workplace doors but non-employees don't. I have access to the cash drawer at work but non-employees don't. I have the authority to sign checks out of a checkbook at work but non-employees don't. When the Lord gives the ten commandments, He grants more access to Moses and Aaron than He does to anyone else because in a way we could say Moses and Aaron are His employees. They have rights and responsibilities that others do not have. In order to fulfill their duties they must be allowed a higher level of access than others, so God will keep them safe when they come up on the mountain, but He has not granted this level of access to all the others. It's not necessary for the assembly to have such access and if they take it upon themselves to cross the barrier and go where they've been forbidden to go there will be fatal consequences.
I don't know why this little incident popped into my head just now but I remember a time when I was a kid when I thought a rule for the whole class didn't apply to me. I disobeyed the rule and suffered the consequences. It seemed to me that I was the favorite student of my second grade teacher. That very well may have been true; she was a close friend of my mother's and was also my mother's Sunday school teacher and she regularly wrote very nice things about me in the report cards that were sent home every six weeks. So I don't think it was all in my own mind that I was either her favorite or at least one of the top five! But one day we were working in our math books and a few students were having some problems with something new we were learning that week and she told the whole class to be quiet and listen while she went over it again. She said everyone was to stop what they were doing and for no one to be talking or asking questions until she was finished. Well, I thought her instructions didn't apply to me, so in the middle of her explanations I raised my hand to ask a question about something on the next page of our math books, and to my horror she snatched me up out of my seat and spanked me across the bottom two or three times in front of the whole class. (This would have been in about 1977 when that type of discipline was still administered in schools.) I don't think the spanking actually hurt but the humiliation did. The spanking was the embarrassing consequence of my disobedience. But at least I lived to tell about it. The priests won't be so lucky if they disobey the Lord. When the Lord tells Moses to be sure and warn the priests not to think the rules don't apply to them, He has a good reason for believing they really may think the instructions don't apply to them, for the positions they hold may lead them to think they are especially favored.
Moses thinks an extra warning isn't necessary. "Moses said to the Lord, 'The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because You Yourself warned us, 'Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy.'" (Exodus 19:23) He says, "The people have been advised of the dangers. We've put a barrier at the foot of the mountain. They know better than to push their way through."
Ah, but the Lord understands human nature better than Moses does! The Lord knows it's a human tendency to want to push boundaries, to resist being told what to do, and to want to see things for themselves. If we didn't already know this, some of the things that have happened during the Covid-19 outbreak should have clued us in. Look how many deny that the pandemic is even real. Think about all the weird conspiracy theories that have cropped up saying that the virus is just a "front" or "cover-up" for a sinister threat that's being perpetrated against us. Consider how many people have outright refused to follow any of the guidelines even when not following them puts themselves and others in danger. For example, at my work we've put up markings and boundaries to aid our staff and customers in safe social distancing practices but a number of our customers have ridiculed these measures and have basically called us foolish for believing they're necessary. Some of them have said that this pandemic is either not real at all or---if it is real---it's no worse than a cold or flu. Two customers deliberately pulled down the caution tape that they were supposed to stand behind to keep them six feet from me while I was waiting on them at our front desk. We can easily understand why the Lord feels further warnings are necessary. Here in Exodus 19 the Lord knows just how likely it is that one or more people will cross over the boundary or scoff at the idea that it's dangerous for a weak and sinful human being to step into the very presence of a God whose holiness is so great it cannot even begin to be fathomed by the human mind. So the Lord repeats His request for Moses to warn the people once more, and while Moses is down there he's to collect his brother to bring him up onto the mountain with him. "The Lord replied, 'Go down and bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the Lord, or He will break out against them.' So Moses went down to the people and told them." (Exodus 19:24-25)
Join us tomorrow as the Lord begins to provide the very holy set of rules that we know as "the ten commandments".
He is going to call Moses and his brother Aaron up onto the mountain but the people must keep their distance. They have already been warned not to try to come up onto the mountain into the presence of God lest His indescribable holiness and righteousness consume them in their weak, mortal, human state. He has granted a special dispensation of immunity to Moses and Aaron for the purpose of the roles they are called to fill, but the assembly must not rush up the mountain or even so much as touch it while the Lord is present on it, as we learned in yesterday's passage.
"The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up and the Lord said to him, 'Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the Lord and many of them perish. Even the priests, who approach the Lord, must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.'" (Exodus 19:20-22) The people were already warned in yesterday's passage but the Lord feels the warning is worth repeating, especially since the priests might not have interpreted this rule as applying to them. The priests are already in the habit of regularly consecrating themselves before performing their duties. They are already in the habit of acting as intermediaries between the people and the Lord when offering up prayers, incense, and sacrifices. Some of them might misunderstand and think that the instructions for the Israelites as a whole don't apply to those who are used to ministering before the Lord on behalf of the people.
There are rules everywhere we go in life. There are roles we fill that allow us access to certain things and certain places. For example, I have a key to my workplace doors but non-employees don't. I have access to the cash drawer at work but non-employees don't. I have the authority to sign checks out of a checkbook at work but non-employees don't. When the Lord gives the ten commandments, He grants more access to Moses and Aaron than He does to anyone else because in a way we could say Moses and Aaron are His employees. They have rights and responsibilities that others do not have. In order to fulfill their duties they must be allowed a higher level of access than others, so God will keep them safe when they come up on the mountain, but He has not granted this level of access to all the others. It's not necessary for the assembly to have such access and if they take it upon themselves to cross the barrier and go where they've been forbidden to go there will be fatal consequences.
I don't know why this little incident popped into my head just now but I remember a time when I was a kid when I thought a rule for the whole class didn't apply to me. I disobeyed the rule and suffered the consequences. It seemed to me that I was the favorite student of my second grade teacher. That very well may have been true; she was a close friend of my mother's and was also my mother's Sunday school teacher and she regularly wrote very nice things about me in the report cards that were sent home every six weeks. So I don't think it was all in my own mind that I was either her favorite or at least one of the top five! But one day we were working in our math books and a few students were having some problems with something new we were learning that week and she told the whole class to be quiet and listen while she went over it again. She said everyone was to stop what they were doing and for no one to be talking or asking questions until she was finished. Well, I thought her instructions didn't apply to me, so in the middle of her explanations I raised my hand to ask a question about something on the next page of our math books, and to my horror she snatched me up out of my seat and spanked me across the bottom two or three times in front of the whole class. (This would have been in about 1977 when that type of discipline was still administered in schools.) I don't think the spanking actually hurt but the humiliation did. The spanking was the embarrassing consequence of my disobedience. But at least I lived to tell about it. The priests won't be so lucky if they disobey the Lord. When the Lord tells Moses to be sure and warn the priests not to think the rules don't apply to them, He has a good reason for believing they really may think the instructions don't apply to them, for the positions they hold may lead them to think they are especially favored.
Moses thinks an extra warning isn't necessary. "Moses said to the Lord, 'The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because You Yourself warned us, 'Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy.'" (Exodus 19:23) He says, "The people have been advised of the dangers. We've put a barrier at the foot of the mountain. They know better than to push their way through."
Ah, but the Lord understands human nature better than Moses does! The Lord knows it's a human tendency to want to push boundaries, to resist being told what to do, and to want to see things for themselves. If we didn't already know this, some of the things that have happened during the Covid-19 outbreak should have clued us in. Look how many deny that the pandemic is even real. Think about all the weird conspiracy theories that have cropped up saying that the virus is just a "front" or "cover-up" for a sinister threat that's being perpetrated against us. Consider how many people have outright refused to follow any of the guidelines even when not following them puts themselves and others in danger. For example, at my work we've put up markings and boundaries to aid our staff and customers in safe social distancing practices but a number of our customers have ridiculed these measures and have basically called us foolish for believing they're necessary. Some of them have said that this pandemic is either not real at all or---if it is real---it's no worse than a cold or flu. Two customers deliberately pulled down the caution tape that they were supposed to stand behind to keep them six feet from me while I was waiting on them at our front desk. We can easily understand why the Lord feels further warnings are necessary. Here in Exodus 19 the Lord knows just how likely it is that one or more people will cross over the boundary or scoff at the idea that it's dangerous for a weak and sinful human being to step into the very presence of a God whose holiness is so great it cannot even begin to be fathomed by the human mind. So the Lord repeats His request for Moses to warn the people once more, and while Moses is down there he's to collect his brother to bring him up onto the mountain with him. "The Lord replied, 'Go down and bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the Lord, or He will break out against them.' So Moses went down to the people and told them." (Exodus 19:24-25)
Join us tomorrow as the Lord begins to provide the very holy set of rules that we know as "the ten commandments".
Tuesday, June 2, 2020
The Exodus. Day 65, The Lord Comes Down On Mount Sinai
In yesterday's passage the Lord said the people should consecrate themselves and be prepared for the third day when He will appear on the mountain. Today's passage begins with further instructions regarding this assembly.
"Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, 'Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. They are to be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.' Only when the ram's horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain." (Exodus 19:12-13) These sound like strange instructions! What do they mean?
I think the Lord wants to impress upon the people His utter holiness and "differentness" from them. Though He wants to communicate with them and be their God, at no time must they begin to think they are anywhere near being His equals. God is God and man is man. God is the maker of man and the Creator is far superior to the creature. The people must stand at a distance in a reverent attitude when their Maker comes down onto the mountain to speak with them. Any person who rashly breaks away from the group and tries to crowd in on the presence of the Lord or attempt to see Him face to face would be behaving in an audacious, irreverent spirit. Even Moses himself will never actually see God face to face and only goes onto the mountain at the Lord's invitation, not on his own initiative. To put oneself forward in a bold and prideful manner in an attempt to meet one-on-one with God on the mountain would be stating the person thinks himself equal with God. Anyone who does this thing is to be considered unclean and untouchable and is to be put to death in a manner that doesn't require anyone else laying hands on him.
We don't get a sense of the state of the people's hearts in Exodus 19 but in Exodus 20, when they hear the Lord's voice and see a mighty display of His power, they will decide they don't want to hear His voice and that they don't want to see Him even if they could. It's too much for them. They are not ready, spiritually speaking, to step up their game to the level of where Moses is in his relationship with the Lord. They will voice their preference to continue to have Moses speaking on behalf of the Lord instead of hearing the Lord's voice for themselves. They are not ready to interact with the Lord on a much deeper level and will be content to stay at a distance, both physically and spiritually. Because they are not yet close enough in their hearts to the Lord, it's imperative that they don't come too close physically to Him. He's actually being merciful to them in instructing them to keep their distance from the mountain at this time. He doesn't want anyone to perish as a result of recklessly rushing in.
After the Lord provides these instructions, Moses comes down off the mountain to relay the instructions to the people. "After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. Then he said to the people, 'Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations.'" (Exodus 19:14-15) There is nothing sinful about sexual relations between a husband and wife, but during this time the people are to focus on that which is spiritual, not that which satisfies the carnal side of man's nature. When the Apostle Paul was giving marriage advice in 1 Corinthians 7:5, he stressed the importance of the husband and wife fulfilling each other's physical needs, but he said it was permitted for them to abstain from sexual relations from time to time (by mutual consent) in order to devote themselves to prayer. I think that's what the Lord is asking the people to do in verse 15. While they ready themselves for the meeting at Mount Sinai, they are to devote themselves to prayer. They are to "fast", if you will, from fulfilling physical desires. A similar thing happens when a person fasts from food while laboring in prayer. That person is temporarily denying the physical needs of the body in order to focus on his spiritual needs.
"On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like the smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. As the voice of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him." (Exodus 19:16-19) Can you imagine how intimidating this whole experience was? The mountain is covered with smoke and fire. The earth is shaking. The people are shaking. The long trumpet blast from heaven steadily increases in volume until the sound of it probably feels like it's vibrating inside their bodies.
And yet this is but a mere glimpse of the glory and majesty and power of Almighty God. This is the smallest hint of the One who spoke into the darkness, "Let there be light," and an entire universe sprang forth out of nothing. The people will not actually see God's face, and it's a good thing they won't, for His indescribable glory and holiness would consume them in their natural physical condition. He will sternly warn Moses of this outcome should anyone break through the barrier and try to rush up the mountain, saying, "Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the Lord and many of them perish." He doesn't want anyone to perish, but this would be the natural outcome of the imperfect coming into too close contact with the perfect, with the unholy coming in too close contact with the holy, with the carnal coming in too close contact with the Spirit.
How, then, can we ever approach God and speak to Him man to man? Through Christ, through the Word of God made flesh, through the One who took on our image in order to conform us into His image. As the author of the book of Hebrews states, now we no longer approach God at the foot of a mountain that shakes and smokes, but we approach Him through the Son who mediated a covenant between man and God that is superior to the covenant Moses mediated between man and God. (Hebrews 12:18-29) No man could ever see God's face and survive the encounter, so He came to us as God the Son, in the form of a man, to interact with us, to give Himself for us, and to consecrate us by His blood. This is how we will someday stand in the presence of God without being consumed.
"Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, 'Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. They are to be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.' Only when the ram's horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain." (Exodus 19:12-13) These sound like strange instructions! What do they mean?
I think the Lord wants to impress upon the people His utter holiness and "differentness" from them. Though He wants to communicate with them and be their God, at no time must they begin to think they are anywhere near being His equals. God is God and man is man. God is the maker of man and the Creator is far superior to the creature. The people must stand at a distance in a reverent attitude when their Maker comes down onto the mountain to speak with them. Any person who rashly breaks away from the group and tries to crowd in on the presence of the Lord or attempt to see Him face to face would be behaving in an audacious, irreverent spirit. Even Moses himself will never actually see God face to face and only goes onto the mountain at the Lord's invitation, not on his own initiative. To put oneself forward in a bold and prideful manner in an attempt to meet one-on-one with God on the mountain would be stating the person thinks himself equal with God. Anyone who does this thing is to be considered unclean and untouchable and is to be put to death in a manner that doesn't require anyone else laying hands on him.
We don't get a sense of the state of the people's hearts in Exodus 19 but in Exodus 20, when they hear the Lord's voice and see a mighty display of His power, they will decide they don't want to hear His voice and that they don't want to see Him even if they could. It's too much for them. They are not ready, spiritually speaking, to step up their game to the level of where Moses is in his relationship with the Lord. They will voice their preference to continue to have Moses speaking on behalf of the Lord instead of hearing the Lord's voice for themselves. They are not ready to interact with the Lord on a much deeper level and will be content to stay at a distance, both physically and spiritually. Because they are not yet close enough in their hearts to the Lord, it's imperative that they don't come too close physically to Him. He's actually being merciful to them in instructing them to keep their distance from the mountain at this time. He doesn't want anyone to perish as a result of recklessly rushing in.
After the Lord provides these instructions, Moses comes down off the mountain to relay the instructions to the people. "After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. Then he said to the people, 'Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations.'" (Exodus 19:14-15) There is nothing sinful about sexual relations between a husband and wife, but during this time the people are to focus on that which is spiritual, not that which satisfies the carnal side of man's nature. When the Apostle Paul was giving marriage advice in 1 Corinthians 7:5, he stressed the importance of the husband and wife fulfilling each other's physical needs, but he said it was permitted for them to abstain from sexual relations from time to time (by mutual consent) in order to devote themselves to prayer. I think that's what the Lord is asking the people to do in verse 15. While they ready themselves for the meeting at Mount Sinai, they are to devote themselves to prayer. They are to "fast", if you will, from fulfilling physical desires. A similar thing happens when a person fasts from food while laboring in prayer. That person is temporarily denying the physical needs of the body in order to focus on his spiritual needs.
"On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like the smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. As the voice of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him." (Exodus 19:16-19) Can you imagine how intimidating this whole experience was? The mountain is covered with smoke and fire. The earth is shaking. The people are shaking. The long trumpet blast from heaven steadily increases in volume until the sound of it probably feels like it's vibrating inside their bodies.
And yet this is but a mere glimpse of the glory and majesty and power of Almighty God. This is the smallest hint of the One who spoke into the darkness, "Let there be light," and an entire universe sprang forth out of nothing. The people will not actually see God's face, and it's a good thing they won't, for His indescribable glory and holiness would consume them in their natural physical condition. He will sternly warn Moses of this outcome should anyone break through the barrier and try to rush up the mountain, saying, "Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the Lord and many of them perish." He doesn't want anyone to perish, but this would be the natural outcome of the imperfect coming into too close contact with the perfect, with the unholy coming in too close contact with the holy, with the carnal coming in too close contact with the Spirit.
How, then, can we ever approach God and speak to Him man to man? Through Christ, through the Word of God made flesh, through the One who took on our image in order to conform us into His image. As the author of the book of Hebrews states, now we no longer approach God at the foot of a mountain that shakes and smokes, but we approach Him through the Son who mediated a covenant between man and God that is superior to the covenant Moses mediated between man and God. (Hebrews 12:18-29) No man could ever see God's face and survive the encounter, so He came to us as God the Son, in the form of a man, to interact with us, to give Himself for us, and to consecrate us by His blood. This is how we will someday stand in the presence of God without being consumed.
Monday, June 1, 2020
The Exodus. Day 64, The Israelites Reach Mount Sinai
The Israelites reach Sinai in our study today, where many important things are going to happen.
"On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt---on that very day, they came to the Desert of Sinai. After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain." (Exodus 19:1-2) Rephidim is the place where the Lord caused water to come out of a rock and it's also the place where Israel won a battle when the Amalekites unexpectedly attacked them.
Now they are at the foot of Mount Sinai and Moses goes up onto the mountain to commune privately with God, just as God said he would back in Exodus 3. The burning bush where the Lord spoke to Moses was in this area and the Lord promised He would make Moses successful in Egypt and that He would bring Moses back to this mountain where Moses would worship Him. "Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, 'This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 'You yourselves have seen what I did in Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. Now if you obey Me fully and keep My covenant, then out of all nations you will be My treasured possession. Although the whole earth is Mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.'" (Exodus 19:3-6)
The people have already witnessed enough to know that God is trustworthy. He displayed His power in Egypt and brought them out by His mighty hand. They already know enough about God that they should want to serve Him. On top of that, He rescued them from Egypt not simply to right a wrong. He has far more in mind for them than merely setting them free of slavery. He rescued them to make them His. He wants to be their personal God. He wants to have a relationship with each and every one of them. Their faith may still be weak at this point, and they may be led more by human thinking than by spiritual thinking, but they have enough strength to believe He is there and that's a good starting point. They have enough strength to call upon His name and that lays a foundation upon which the Lord can build. This is a foundation upon which He can teach them His laws and commandments---and if they remain faithful to Him and do not renounce Him and turn to idolatry, they will forever be a special, chosen people to the Lord.
The Lord is laying out His terms for a binding legal agreement with the people. Moses takes His terms to the elders and explains to them how the people are to keep their part of the bargain. "So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. The people all responded together, 'We will do everything the Lord has said.' So Moses brought their answer back to God." (Exodus 19:7-8) The people accept the Lord's offer. They say, "We will serve Him and only Him. We will follow His instructions. We will not turn aside to other gods." This transaction reminds me of marriage vows, in a way, when each party to the legally binding contract of marriage promises to keep themselves only for the other and to remain together no matter what comes their way. The Israelites are saying, "We will not serve other gods. We will keep ourselves only for You, Lord. We will remain faithful to You in good times and in bad times. We will adhere to our side of the contract."
Moses tells the Lord that the people have accepted His offer. Of course the Lord already knows this, but Moses is acting as a mediator between God and man and it's important that he go through all the steps that a mediator has to follow. The people need to see the legal procedure taking place between Moses and God. This is how a mediator would act as a go-between if he were mediating an agreement between humans. He would go back and forth between the parties until the terms of the agreement were settled. To show that God has received and has accepted the people's reply, He is going to put on a visual and auditory display for them. "The Lord said to Moses, 'I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear Me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.' Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said." (Exodus 19:9)
This cloud is believed to be the pillar of cloud that went before them on their journey out of Egypt. It will cover Mount Sinai while the Lord converses with Moses. This display will lend further support to the authority of Moses over the people; it puts the Lord's "seal of approval" upon Moses' leadership. If such glory comes down and covers the mountain while Moses speaks with God, then surely Moses is God's chosen leader for this period of time. It proves to the people that the instructions Moses gives them are coming from the Lord Himself and that means the instructions are to be obeyed. They are not man-made instructions but God-made instructions.
"And the Lord said to Moses, 'Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people." (Exodus 19:10-11) The people will not approach God as closely as Moses will, but to even be in the vicinity of the cloud they must bathe and wash their clothes. This outer cleansing is intended to reflect a cleansing that should have taken place in the heart, for what good is it to cleanse the outside and leave the inside filthy? They are to ready their hearts and minds and spirits to come near to God. This readying should include a time of prayer and inward reflection so the Holy Spirit can reveal to each of them anything that needs to be repented of or changed. We are told to do something similar before taking part in communion in church: "Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink of the cup." (1 Corinthians 11:28) Baptism is another example of an outward sign of an inward change. We accept Christ as Savior, then we voluntarily submit to baptism. The ritual of baptism reflects the cleansing that has happened on the inside.
Inward consecration is the goal in our passage today, and the Lord Jesus once hotly criticized some of the religious leaders in His community for making themselves look clean only on the outside while not having their hearts right on the inside: "You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence." (Matthew 23:25, Luke 11:39) They appeared to be doing all the right things from the outside. They were going through the motions. They were observing the rituals. But they had lost the heart of their religion. They weren't loving their neighbors as themselves. They weren't loving the Lord their God with all the heart, mind, soul, and strength. What good did it do them to look right on the outside when they were wrong on the inside? The Lord has Moses instruct the people to wash and put on clean clothes, but this is to reflect the consecration of the heart. True consecration is not outward; it's inward.
"On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt---on that very day, they came to the Desert of Sinai. After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain." (Exodus 19:1-2) Rephidim is the place where the Lord caused water to come out of a rock and it's also the place where Israel won a battle when the Amalekites unexpectedly attacked them.
Now they are at the foot of Mount Sinai and Moses goes up onto the mountain to commune privately with God, just as God said he would back in Exodus 3. The burning bush where the Lord spoke to Moses was in this area and the Lord promised He would make Moses successful in Egypt and that He would bring Moses back to this mountain where Moses would worship Him. "Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, 'This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 'You yourselves have seen what I did in Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. Now if you obey Me fully and keep My covenant, then out of all nations you will be My treasured possession. Although the whole earth is Mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.'" (Exodus 19:3-6)
The people have already witnessed enough to know that God is trustworthy. He displayed His power in Egypt and brought them out by His mighty hand. They already know enough about God that they should want to serve Him. On top of that, He rescued them from Egypt not simply to right a wrong. He has far more in mind for them than merely setting them free of slavery. He rescued them to make them His. He wants to be their personal God. He wants to have a relationship with each and every one of them. Their faith may still be weak at this point, and they may be led more by human thinking than by spiritual thinking, but they have enough strength to believe He is there and that's a good starting point. They have enough strength to call upon His name and that lays a foundation upon which the Lord can build. This is a foundation upon which He can teach them His laws and commandments---and if they remain faithful to Him and do not renounce Him and turn to idolatry, they will forever be a special, chosen people to the Lord.
The Lord is laying out His terms for a binding legal agreement with the people. Moses takes His terms to the elders and explains to them how the people are to keep their part of the bargain. "So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. The people all responded together, 'We will do everything the Lord has said.' So Moses brought their answer back to God." (Exodus 19:7-8) The people accept the Lord's offer. They say, "We will serve Him and only Him. We will follow His instructions. We will not turn aside to other gods." This transaction reminds me of marriage vows, in a way, when each party to the legally binding contract of marriage promises to keep themselves only for the other and to remain together no matter what comes their way. The Israelites are saying, "We will not serve other gods. We will keep ourselves only for You, Lord. We will remain faithful to You in good times and in bad times. We will adhere to our side of the contract."
Moses tells the Lord that the people have accepted His offer. Of course the Lord already knows this, but Moses is acting as a mediator between God and man and it's important that he go through all the steps that a mediator has to follow. The people need to see the legal procedure taking place between Moses and God. This is how a mediator would act as a go-between if he were mediating an agreement between humans. He would go back and forth between the parties until the terms of the agreement were settled. To show that God has received and has accepted the people's reply, He is going to put on a visual and auditory display for them. "The Lord said to Moses, 'I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear Me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.' Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said." (Exodus 19:9)
This cloud is believed to be the pillar of cloud that went before them on their journey out of Egypt. It will cover Mount Sinai while the Lord converses with Moses. This display will lend further support to the authority of Moses over the people; it puts the Lord's "seal of approval" upon Moses' leadership. If such glory comes down and covers the mountain while Moses speaks with God, then surely Moses is God's chosen leader for this period of time. It proves to the people that the instructions Moses gives them are coming from the Lord Himself and that means the instructions are to be obeyed. They are not man-made instructions but God-made instructions.
"And the Lord said to Moses, 'Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people." (Exodus 19:10-11) The people will not approach God as closely as Moses will, but to even be in the vicinity of the cloud they must bathe and wash their clothes. This outer cleansing is intended to reflect a cleansing that should have taken place in the heart, for what good is it to cleanse the outside and leave the inside filthy? They are to ready their hearts and minds and spirits to come near to God. This readying should include a time of prayer and inward reflection so the Holy Spirit can reveal to each of them anything that needs to be repented of or changed. We are told to do something similar before taking part in communion in church: "Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink of the cup." (1 Corinthians 11:28) Baptism is another example of an outward sign of an inward change. We accept Christ as Savior, then we voluntarily submit to baptism. The ritual of baptism reflects the cleansing that has happened on the inside.
Inward consecration is the goal in our passage today, and the Lord Jesus once hotly criticized some of the religious leaders in His community for making themselves look clean only on the outside while not having their hearts right on the inside: "You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence." (Matthew 23:25, Luke 11:39) They appeared to be doing all the right things from the outside. They were going through the motions. They were observing the rituals. But they had lost the heart of their religion. They weren't loving their neighbors as themselves. They weren't loving the Lord their God with all the heart, mind, soul, and strength. What good did it do them to look right on the outside when they were wrong on the inside? The Lord has Moses instruct the people to wash and put on clean clothes, but this is to reflect the consecration of the heart. True consecration is not outward; it's inward.
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