Psalm 13:1-6 Singing the Blues
Observation: Looks like someone is having a bad day: God doesn't take your calls, you wrestle with your thoughts (and lose), the bad guys are beating you up, and you feel like dying. Ever have a week, month, year or decade like that?
13:5 Everything changes because of this verse, trust in God's loyal love toward His people.
Two verb tenses are used “have trusted” = perfect (past completed action); “will rejoice” = imperfect (usually future incomplete action). The tenses flip in 13:6.
Application: When you're singing the blues, recall and reaffirm your trust in God's trustworthy, loyal love, and you'll be singing a different tune.
Prayer: O Lord, my God, because You are loyal to me, I will rejoice in Your salvation, and sing Your praises. (P.S., I wouldn't mind if that happens sooner, rather than later if it's OK with You. Thanks.) Amen.
Proverbs 4:9-13 Walk in Wisdom
4:9 “(7 Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom...) 9 She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you." 10 Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many. 11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths. 12 When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble. 13 Take firm hold of instruction. Don’t let her go. Keep her, for she is your life."
Observations: 4:9-13 In order to experience the benefits of wisdom, we must listen, learn, and keep a firm grip on her. Wisdom is choosing the right (God glorifying) objectives, and the right means (steps) of reaching them. That means wisdom will guide our steps in the right paths leading to blessing. Abandoning wisdom leads to a short life full of stumbles and missteps.
Application: Get wisdom, don't let it go, but have it guide your steps daily
Prayer: God of wisdom, guide my steps in Your ways every day. Amen.
Exodus 19-24 Overview:
Exodus 19 sets the stage for God to give the law (which addressed moral, religious, and civil life).
Exodus 20 God gives the Big Ten.
Exodus 21-23 There were other law codes in existence going back to Mesopotamia which are all said to come from their gods. Moses gives more specific elaborations of the Ten Commandments, emphasizing the laws for a civil society. Interspersed are stipulations regarding one's relationship with God, but mainly it's rules which would enable the Israelites to live in unity and harmony. Many are applicable to modern society, so if you haven't read them, you would profit from a quick skim. I just included general summary titles in the Observation sections, and you'll find the entire text at the end of the post.
Exodus 24 records the ratification of the Covenant, when the people commit to obey.
Questions to ask as you read:
Why did God say He gives the law?
To whom does God give the law?
What's the means of blessing the people?
Did God expect them to obey it?
What would happen if they didn't obey?
In the context, is there even a hint, much less an explicit statement, that the law was given to show they couldn't keep it? (If so, please put the verse(s) in the comment section.)
See: What's Up with the Law? on Truthbase.net for an OT and NT look at the law.
Exodus 19 Basis of Faith
Observations: 19:4-5 The basis of faith was what God had revealed, what they had seen 19:5, and heard (19:9).
19:6 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” - 1 Peter 1:9
19:12 Scrupulous obedience required. I'd be quaking too.
Exodus 20 Relationship with God
20:1 "God spoke all these words, saying, 2 "I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
I. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
II. 4 "You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 and showing hesed/loyal love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
III. 7 "You shall not bear/take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who bears/takes his name in vain.
IV. 8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 You shall labor six days, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your man-servant, nor your maid-servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates; 11 for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.
V. 12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.
VI. 13 "You shall not murder.
VII. 14 "You shall not commit adultery.
VIII. 15 "You shall not steal.
IX. 16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
X. 17 "You shall not covet your neighbor`s house. You shall not covet your neighbor`s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor`s."
18 All the people perceived the thunderings, the lightnings, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking. When the people saw it, they trembled, and stayed at a distance. 19 They said to Moses, "Speak with us yourself, and we will listen; but don`t let God speak with us, lest we die." 20 Moses said to the people, "Don`t be afraid, for God has come to refine/test you, and that his fear may be before you, that you won`t sin."
21 The people stayed at a distance, and Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. 22 Yahweh said to Moses, "This is what you shall tell the children of Israel: `You yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. 23 You shall most certainly not make alongside of me gods of silver, or gods of gold for yourselves. 24 You shall make an altar of earth for me, and shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace-offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record my name I will come to you and I will bless you."
Observations: 20:1 The law was given to a redeemed people (not the other way around).
20:4 This is not a general prohibition against art, but against images to which people bow down. Some traditions consider vv4-6 as subset of v3, and split up v17 on coveting.
20:5 is repeated in Exodus 34 as the essence of God's glory (which Moses asks to see there).
20:7 is probably not about profanity. “Vain/vanity” is falsehood (Deuteronomy 5:20) emptiness, meaningless, to no effect (a chasing after the wind - Ecclesiastes). To bear or call on the name of God and not do what He says, is vanity (in vain). To call oneself a believer, and not believe or trust in everyday life is vanity.
20:8 The Sabbath command starts with a different verb form from all the other commandments. It is the only one not repeated in the NT. It is considered the sign of this covenant. Israel went into captivity for a period years equal to their failure to keep the Sabbath years (coming up in Leviticus 26:33-35).
20:12-16 These are commands to not engage in self-centered behavior at the expense of another (the opposite of love). Seems like a good idea.
Romans 13:10 "Love doesn't harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law."
20:17 Coveting is the opposite of the first commandment, and gets to the heart of the matter. If our value system revolves around temporal rather than eternal gratification, will incur guilt
20:20 Fear God so you won't sin. (It's His idea.) What about love? See 7 Questions in sidebar on Lordship.
John 14:15 If you love me, keep my commandments.
20:23-24 Exclusivity is the key to enjoying blessings.
Application: Evaluate yourself against the ten commandments, especially the first and last, and take any appropriate corrective action.
Prayer: God who lovingly redeems and requires loyalty, help me faithfully do what you want. Amen.
Exodus 21 Relationships with Each Other
21:1-11 Slave/Servant and Women's Rights
21:12-17 Capital Crimes
21:18-27 Compensation and Property Rights
21:28-36 Responsible Community Membership
Exodus 22 Legal Relationships
22:1-17 Restitutuion or Slavery for Offenses
22:18-20 Three Capital Offenses
22:21-27 Compassionate Justice
22:28 "You shall not blaspheme God, nor curse a ruler of your people. 29 "You shall not delay to offer from your harvest and from the outflow of your presses. "You shall give the firstborn of your sons to me. 30 You shall do likewise with your oxen and with your sheep. 31 "You shall be holy men to me, therefore you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by animals in the field. You shall cast it to the dogs.
Observations: Out of a relationship with God flow our relationships with each other. Many modern legal principles are found in these verses.
Exodus 23 Regulations
23:10-19 Sabbath Years and Days and Feasts
23:20 "Behold, I send an angel before you, to keep you by the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. 21 Pay attention to him, and listen to his voice. Don`t provoke him, for he will not pardon your disobedience, for my name is in him. 22 But if you indeed listen to his voice, and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and an adversary to your adversaries. 23 For my angel shall go before you, and bring you in to the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I will cut them off.
24 You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor follow their practices, but you shall utterly overthrow them and demolish their pillars. 25 You shall serve Yahweh your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from your midst. 26 No one will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will fulfill the number of your days. 27 I will send my terror before you, and will confuse all the people to whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. 28 I will send the hornet before you, which will drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before you. 29 I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the animals of the field multiply against you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and inherit the land. 31 I will set your border from the Red Sea even to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. 32 You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. 33 They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me, for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you."
Observations: 23:21 The law was not given them to show they couldn't keep it. God demanded and expected obedience, or else.
23:32-33 God commands His people to be separate (holy) or suffer the consequences.
24:3 Moses came and told the people all the words of Yahweh, and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, "All the words which Yahweh has spoken will we do." 4 Moses wrote all the words of Yahweh 5 He sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace-offerings of oxen to Yahweh. 6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7 He took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people, and they said, "All that Yahweh has spoken will we do, and be obedient." 8 Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, "Look, this is the blood of the covenant, which Yahweh has made with you concerning all these words."
Observations: 24:3,7 Twice the people pledge obedience. God seals the deal with them by the sprinkling of blood. See observations on covenants in Gen 15. The sacrifices are not for sins.
24:10 They saw God (see full text below), yet that doesn't prevent future disloyalty.
Application: To get off the spiritual roller coaster of victory and defeat, we need to fear God (His idea) and change our values, so we'll want and do what He wants us to do.
Prayer: Awesome God, keep me mindful of who You are and what You've promised so I may keep Your commandments, as You desire. Amen.
Digging Deeper:
God in a nutshell: God is awesome beyond description; holy and powerful beyond measure, yet He chooses to make and keep a covenant with His people; He meets our needs and gives laws for the benefit of all His people, so we can live in harmony, and be blessed by Him. He expects us to remember and obey, living in exclusive loyalty to Him, and He will punish those who are disloyal and disobey.
Us in a nutshell: We have the potential to be priests to our God, giving Him what He desires, and having a righteous relationship with Him. We are redeemed to serve God, rather than sin; we're recipients of additional blessing dependent upon our obedience.
Where to Go for More:
