19:3 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:4 'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.5 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,6 yout will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites."
20:1 God spoke all these words:2 I am God, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of a life of slavery.3 No other gods, only me.4 No carved gods of any size, shape, or form of anything whatever, whether of things that fly or walk or swim.5 Don’t bow down to them and don’t serve them because I am God, your God, and I’m a most jealous God, punishing the children for any sins their parents pass on to them to the third, and yes, even to the fourth generation of those who hate me.6 But I’m unswervingly loyal to the thousands who love me and keep my commandments.7 No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter; God won’t put up with the irreverant use of his name.8 Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.9 Work six days and do everything you need to do.10 But the seventh day is a Sabbath to God, your God. Don’t do any work—not you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your maid, nor your animals, not even the foreign guest visiting in your town.11 For in six days God made Heaven, Earth, and sea, and everything in them; he rested on the seventh day. Therefore God blessed the Sabbath day; he set it apart as a holy day.12 Honor your father and mother so that you’ll live a long time in the land that God, your God, is giving you.13 No murder.14 No adultery.15 No stealing.16 No lies about your neighbor.17 No lusting after your neighbor’s house—or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don’t set your heart on anything that is your neighbor’s.
21:15 “If someone hits father or mother, the penalty is death. .... 17 “If someone curses father or mother, the penalty is death.
22:20 "Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the Lord must be destroyed. 21 "Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt
23:14 "Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to me.15 "Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread; for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv, for in that month you came out of Egypt. "No one is to appear before me empty-handed. 16 "Celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the firstfruits of the crops you sow in your field "Celebrate the Festival of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field. 17 "Three times a year all the men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord. ............ 31 "I will establish your borders from the Red Seat to the Mediterranean Sea,t and from the desert to the Euphrates River. I will give into your hands the people who live in the land, and you will drive them out before you.32 Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods.33 Do not let them live in your land or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you."
24:4 Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said.
He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel.5 Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord.6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed against the altar.7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, "We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey." 8 Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, "This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words."
He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel.5 Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord.6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed against the altar.7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, "We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey." 8 Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, "This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words."
Observations - God gave careful & specific instructions to the Israelites on everything from how to deal with borrowing your neighbors' animals to what to do when a man lays with a virgin. And Moses wrote it all down in the Book of the Covenant! I thought he'd only written the 10 Commandments, but it says he wrote it all down. It's a lot to follow. No wonder the Israelites kept forgetting! God sent Jesus so that we wouldn't have to follow the old laws anymore. Thank you God!!
Application - As I'm trying to figure out how to deal with a wayward teen this week, I'm finding this reading very fitting. God was specific. He instructed the Israelites in every detail of how to treat each other, how to worship Him, how to take care of themselves. How much more specific to we have to be with our own children? Don't they need correcting & instruction more than our anger when they misbehave? I'm finding out that I will have to be very specific in telling my children how they are to behave. How they are to treat each other & people in the world. How to love God. How to take care of themselves. "Do not do anything illegal in the eyes of the laws of our country." I didn't think that one had to be spelled out, but apparently it does. Repeatedly. From now on, our household will have specific rules regarding everything.
Prayer - Dear God, help me to be understanding with my children. Help me to instruct them in Your ways. Be with me as my guide as I guide them into adulthood. Give me the wisdom to be specific in all that I expect of them. They always deserve my love and gentle correction. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment