Exodus 22-24
Today:
- LAWS LAWS LAWS
- Moses again goes up to Sinai
Exodus 22 and 23 are pretty much all laws.
Some highlights.
Exodus 22
It's ok to kill a person who's stealing.
2 If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.
The rule for having sex with a girl who is not promised to anyone else.
16 And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife.
17 If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins
Simple rules, that many people now don't think apply.
18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
19 Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death.
20 He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed.
Kill witches, people who have sex with animals, and anyone who gives offerings to any other god.
Be nice to widows and orphans.
22 Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.
Don't jew others.
25 If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.
Something people today should remember when talking about our beloved President Bush.
28 Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.
Offer the BEST to God.
29 Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me.
Exodus 23
2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:
Don't join the angry mob!
Remember God hates yeast with his meat.
18 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.
When you finally get to Canaan, don't do what they do.
24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.
25 And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.
Exodus 24
1 And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.
Moses writes down all the laws in the book of the covenant, and read them to the people. Now what is rather interesting, is that there are rules for vineyards, and fields in some of the laws. That's planning ahead by God. Because remember at the time, the people were just wandering around in the wilderness, not planting anything, just eating the manna each morning. It must have been a boring existence for the 40 years. Waking up in the morning, gathering manna, and then wondering if you were going to go closer to the promised land that day.
5 And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD.
6 And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.
EEEW
Then Moses and the others go up.
10 And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.
So, 74 people saw God. Interesting... even more interesting is the only description of Him is the paved road.
11 And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.
God calls Moses up the mount, he takes Joshua with him.
12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.
Moses leaves Aaron and the others down at the base of the mountain.
18 And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.
Surely in the 40 days that Moses is up there, the people will continually look up and see the cloud of God and remember to worship God.... surely... they won't turn on him... will they?
So what have we learned today?
1. God has the foresight to make laws about farming, that don't really apply to people who are wandering in the desert.
2. While we just yesterday received the Decalogue, we didn't yet receive the ones on stone tablets.
3. One of the ten commandments was thou shalt not kill, yet we just received laws today to kill witches, people who lie with animals, and people who sacrifice to other gods.
4. Many people in Exodus 24 have seen God.
PRAISE JESUS!!!
YIC
V