Category Archives: Character of God

All Knowing, Father / Yahweh, Holy, Learning To Pray Effectively, Loving / Kind

Is God a Micro-Manager?

To some, you may be surprised that the Ark of the Covenant is real and not just a storyline in a popular movie from a few decades ago. Indeed it is not only real, but Jehovah Himself designed it. In truth, it is one of many good examples that show us Jehovah’s great interest in details. We can have good discussion around why Jehovah gets into the detail of a very specific design… “Is He a micro-manager needing to be in control of every detail? or is it just that He loves His people and has a plan for them. He cares enough to lay out even minute details.” In fact, as we read on through the Bible, we will confirm many other instances where He gets involved and leads on even seemingly small and perhaps insignificant details. We must conclude He cares about His people even to a detailed level. He cares about leading them well. He cares about setting up holy things in a way that distinguishes them as set apart for His purpose and not just a few more items around the camp.

Exodus 25:10-22

Ark of the Covenant

      10“They shall construct an ark of acacia wood two and a half cubits long, and one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high. 11“You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and you shall make a gold molding around it. 12“You shall cast four gold rings for it and fasten them on its four feet, and two rings shall be on one side of it and two rings on the other side of it. 13“You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14“You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them. 15“The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be removed from it. 16“You shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give you.

      17“You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. 18“You shall make two cherubim of gold, make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat. 19“Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at its two ends. 20“The cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings and facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be turned toward the mercy seat. 21“You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I will give to you. 22“There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.

I believe that Jehovah cares about the detail here in large part to make the point to the people that these things are holy and set apart for His purpose. Details matter. The people are called to follow His direction in every detail. He wants to help people have the right attitude toward Him when they approach Him and the ark and mercy seat are symbolic of that interface between Creator and created.

Since our Creator does not change, we should take note that He wants us to take it seriously when we seek to come into His presence. Scripture clearly tells us He is like a Father and we can approach Him with anything, but let us also not forget that He is the holy Creator of all things. He is to be revered and respected. Let us challenge ourselves not to get so casual in our relationship with Him that we forget who He is and instead redefine Him in our own image and desires. He sets the agenda. He defines right and wrong. He directs every detail. Praise to Jehovah indeed that He also makes a way for us to come before Him and enter into His presence. He loves us!

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Father / Yahweh, Giving, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Loving / Kind, Money / Finances / Wealth, Speaking, Through Prophets

Jehovah Wishes To Dwell Among His People

Jehovah wishes to dwell among His people. When He first created man and woman, He put them in the garden of Eden where He could be with them. We see again as He leads His people out of Egypt and through the wilderness that He again wishes to dwell among them. It is love that draws Him to His people. Love for His people. He will lead, if only they will follow.

Exodus 25:1-9

Offerings for the Sanctuary

      1Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Tell the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for Me; from every man whose heart moves him you shall raise My contribution. 3“This is the contribution which you are to raise from them: gold, silver and bronze, 4blue, purple and scarlet material, fine linen, goat hair, 5rams’ skins dyed red, porpoise skins, acacia wood, 6oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 7onyx stones and setting stones for the ephod and for the breastpiece. 8“Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them. 9“According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall construct it.

Jehovah wants to dwell among His people, if they will choose to be His people. As we progress through the scripture from Old to New Testament we see again His desire to dwell among us. He sends the Holy Spirit to dwell inside of each believer in Christ. He is our loving Father. We should welcome Him into our lives joyfully and with thanksgiving and praise. Who are we that the Creator of all things should want to dwell among us? For those who accept His offer of salvation through Jesus Christ, we are His children.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Father / Yahweh, Guide, Hearing from God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Holy, Justice / Judgment, Obeying God, Promises, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Jehovah Does Not Accept You The Way You Are, He Calls You To Change

Sometimes we talk about our covenant with Jehovah without a clear communication and understanding of what a covenant is and what it is not. To put it simply, a covenant is an agreement between two parties, perhaps a bit like a contract. Each is expected to do their part and meet their commitment. There is no expectation that one side can ignore it and the other is still bound by it.

Others confuse scripture and think we have a separate covenant with Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew). Jesus is the way to the Father, He is one with the Father… He does not offer us a separate and different covenant that somehow accepts us just how we are without repentance for wrongdoing.

A covenant agreement requires commitment on both sides. Typically for Jehovah and His people this comes down to something like the following “If you will be My people and obey my instructions then I will be your God.” If His people break covenant, Jehovah is not pleased and He is not ambivalent or neutral… He is disappointed or even angered.

Leviticus 26

     14‘But if you do not obey Me and do not carry out all these commandments, 15if, instead, you reject My statutes, and if your soul abhors My ordinances so as not to carry out all My commandments, and so break My covenant, 16I, in turn, will do this to you: I will appoint over you a sudden terror, consumption and fever that will waste away the eyes and cause the soul to pine away; also, you will sow your seed uselessly, for your enemies will eat it up.

People often make the mistake of concluding that Jehovah has committed to “be their God” no matter how they behave and no matter where their heart lies and what they worship. Big mistake. Take note again in Exodus 24 as God calls the people to affirm their covenant with Him. The focus is on their obedience… not His acceptance of them the way they are.

Exodus 24

People Affirm Their Covenant with God

      1Then He said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel, and you shall worship at a distance. 2“Moses alone, however, shall come near to the LORD, but they shall not come near, nor shall the people come up with him.”

      3Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the LORD and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the LORD has spoken we will do!” 4Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. Then he arose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. 5He sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD. 6Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and the other half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!” 8So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

      9Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. 11Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank.

      12Now the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandment which I have written for their instruction.” 13So Moses arose with Joshua his servant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. 14But to the elders he said, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a legal matter, let him approach them.” 15Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16The glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. 17And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountain top. 18Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Another beautiful theme we see shared in Exodus 24 is that those who submit themselves to Jehovah in obedience will literally be allowed to draw nearer to Him spiritually and relationally. It is a transformational experience to come into the presence of Jehovah! Praise to our Father in heaven. What a glorious and loving Father that provides us guidance on how we are to live and draw near to Him. If we live out our part of the covenant through wholehearted obedience, then we certainly can count on Him to fulfill His promises to be our God!

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Adultery / Sex Outside Marriage, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Drunkenness, Envy / Jealousy / Coveting, Greed, Homosexual Behavior, Idols / False Gods, Justice / Judgment, Mockers, Righteousness / Serving God, Sin, Stealing / Theft, Wickedness / Evil, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

The Unrighteous Will Not Inherit The Kingdom of God

All to often we are told by the culture of the world today that God loves and accepts all people regardless of behavior choices… whether they rebel against God or obey Him. The world twists scripture and reality to claim that people are born “with a tendency to sin” in a certain area and thus it is “not their fault”. Somehow, we are to believe, if someone is “predisposed” to a certain sin, then they are not expected to overcome it and turn from it. Instead we are told it is to be accepted out of love. The truth is much more clear and perhaps to some, harsh.

If I am born with poor balance and I fall often… I still get hurt. It is up to me to change my behavior to avoid the consequences of it. In this example of poor balance I should avoid walking along the edge of a roof or canyon where I may fall and die. I am responsible for my behavior.

To make it more silly… if I am born such that I will be very tall, like a basketball player… it is still up to me to make sure I adjust my behavior to avoid getting hurt by walking into the tops of low doorways or ceiling fans. The consequences are the same regardless of whether or not I have been “predisposed” to certain risk.

One area where this is still generally accepted is predisposition to alcohol or drug abuse. We do not encourage those individuals to drink and do drugs anyway… telling them it is not their fault. We encourage them to get help and change their behavior. They must choose to avoid situations that would even be tempting to them. If they drink or do drugs they still face the consequences of their actions.

The same is true of all manner of sin and we must take heed, lest we get in the habit of excusing all of it. Someone is not defined by their sin. They do not need to remain in it and accept it. It must be overcome with God’s help. To accept our sin and remain in it is to live in active rebellion to God and those who do so will not inherit the kingdom of God. Quite simply… when we actively ignore God and live in rebellion to His word it shows that we do not really believe in Him and that is a big warning sign that we are headed for hell when we die, unless we repent and submit to God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

      9Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

Do not be deceived. Whether or not we are predisposed to a certain sin, the consequences of actively choosing to remain in sin are the same… separation from God and eternity without Him when we die. We do no one a favor by telling them it is ok to disregard what God has told us and just to embrace and accept their sin. We obey God and show love to others by showing them the truth with gentleness and love. We help them… not by accepting them in their sin but by leading them out of it.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Father / Yahweh, Guide, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Obeying God, Promises, Protector / Deliverer, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

If You Truly Obey, I Will Be An Enemy To Your Enemies

Studying and prayerfully reflecting on God’s deliverance of His people out of slavery in Egypt and into the promised land provides great insight for His relationship with His people. We do well to study this example and look to identify and apply key aspects of what God reveals to our lives today. In Exodus 23, our heavenly Father provides important insight to what it means to be His people and what we are to do if we expect to receive His help.

Exodus 23:20-33

Conquest of the Land

      20“Behold, I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. 21“Be on your guard before him and obey his voice; do not be rebellious toward him, for he will not pardon your transgression, since My name is in him. 22“But if you truly obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. 23“For My angel will go before you and bring you in to the land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will completely destroy them. 24“You shall not worship their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their deeds; but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their sacred pillars in pieces. 25“But you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water; and I will remove sickness from your midst. 26“There shall be no one miscarrying or barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. 27“I will send My terror ahead of you, and throw into confusion all the people among whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. 28“I will send hornets ahead of you so that they will drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites before you. 29“I will not drive them out before you in a single year, that the land may not become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. 30“I will drive them out before you little by little, until you become fruitful and take possession of the land. 31“I will fix your boundary from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River Euphrates; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out before you. 32“You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods. 33“They shall not live in your land, because they will make you sin against Me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

Jehovah clearly states that He is sending an angel to protect and lead the people into the promised land. His intent is to clear out the enemies before His people and protect them. However He also provides conditions that the people must follow.

Note the importance of obedience. Obedience is the fruit and evidence of our faith. Those who have faith will obey. Those who do not have faith will make excuses not to obey.

  • Obey the angel and do not be rebellious. The angel is operating on behalf of God at God’s instruction.
  • If you truly obey, then I will be an enemy to your enemies.

God consistently speaks out strongly against false gods. Not only are we not to worship them and not to serve them, but we are not even to do things the way that the pagans do in worship or tradition / practice associated with their false gods. Further, God instructed His people not to tolerate and accept false gods among them but to overthrow them and break their sacred pillars and idols apart. Certainly today we should not be making excuses to tolerate false gods among us. God knows this always leads His people to trouble.

24“You shall not worship their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their deeds; but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their sacred pillars in pieces.

God knows the right timing for us to accept victory at His hand. We always think “give us everything now”, but God knows better. Sometimes His wisdom leads to different timing for us to accomplish our victory. We must be patient and trust His timing and His ways.

29“I will not drive them out before you in a single year, that the land may not become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. 30“I will drive them out before you little by little, until you become fruitful and take possession of the land.

God warns His people to trust in Him to drive people out of the land. Do not make covenants or treaties with them or with their false gods. Do not let them live in your land. They will make you sin against God. We are once again warned against accepting false gods and idols and their worship practices among God’s people. If our all knowing Father identifies this clear hazard, and we have a history of witnessing it leading His people astray, then why are we so quick to dismiss this repeated warning? Are we wiser than God? Do we know something He does not? or have we just been fooled by Satan to defend worship of false gods among us and to teach it in schools and treat it in government as if all faiths are equivalent? They are not. One is right… the rest are paths that lead God’s people away to hell. Many will get angry with a statement like this, but it is not in my authority to change what God has said to make people feel better. I am only able to share the truth that God has already told us.

 32“You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods. 33“They shall not live in your land, because they will make you sin against Me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

There is much to learn from how God instructed His people as they were searching for the promised land. We should each prayerfully consider these key points and apply them to our lives. Are we trusting God and God alone? Are we obeying all that He instructs, or just parts of it? Are we rejecting false gods? Are we patient to wait for His timing?

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

Faith / Trusting God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Provider

Jehovah Wants Us To Trust In Him

I find it very rewarding to unpack the laws and instructions Jehovah has provided in such a way that I can consider each thoughtfully and prayerfully. Jehovah instructs us throughout His word to observe the Sabbath. It has even more significance than most of us realize. It is beyond just resting every seventh day. Jehovah actually encouraged His people, when farming, to cease from sowing their land in every seventh year. Letting the land rest and lie fallow. This approach is so different from what we would conclude or plan. Our wisdom would tell us to keep working the field. So why does Jehovah instruct His people in this way?

Exodus 23:10-13

The Sabbath and Land

      10“You shall sow your land for six years and gather in its yield, 11but on the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that the needy of your people may eat; and whatever they leave the beast of the field may eat. You are to do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.

      12“Six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you shall cease from labor so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave, as well as your stranger, may refresh themselves. 13“Now concerning everything which I have said to you, be on your guard; and do not mention the name of other gods, nor let them be heard from your mouth.

The only reason the scripture states to let the fields rest is to help the needy or even allow animals to eat. Perhaps Jehovah has something else in mind as well. Perhaps He wants us to trust in His providence and provision rather than to continue to think of doing things only our own way. We are to trust in Him rather than be fully self sufficient. We also see another firm reminder in verse 13 that we should not even mention the names of false gods. Jehovah’s people so often chase after false gods that He constantly reminds us to not even discuss them. He does not want us focusing on how pagans worship their gods, but rather on how He tells us to worship Him and lead our lives.

Pray that Jehovah will help you to understand and obey His instructions for how we are to live. Praise Him for providing such a great record of His guidance and His relationship with His people over time… the Bible! Then make or renew your personal commitment to do things God’s way, even when you may not understand why.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Justice / Judgment, Righteousness / Serving God, Sin

Are God’s Laws Really That Weird?

I am amazed how often I meet people who say they are disciples of Jesus, and then insist that all of the laws and commands that He obeyed and that Jehovah provided to His people are obsolete… no longer meaningful. “Grace allows us to do whatever we want”, they say. “Besides, all those Old Testament laws are weird and no longer apply anyway.”

To begin with, those who are true disciples of Jesus should model their behaviors and actions after those of Jesus. Jesus modeled and taught obedience to God’s laws, not a disregard for them.

Further, many who have already dismissed God’s laws do not even know what they are… have not read them or studied them. Are God’s laws really that weird? or are they actually foundational to our western civilization and to a just and loving society that lives in obedience to God?

Exodus 23:1-9

Sundry Laws

      1“You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. 2“You shall not follow the masses in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after a multitude in order to pervert justice; 3nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his dispute.

      4“If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him. 5“If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying helpless under its load, you shall refrain from leaving it to him, you shall surely release it with him.

      6“You shall not pervert the justice due to your needy brother in his dispute. 7“Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent or the righteous, for I will not acquit the guilty.

      8“You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of the just.

      9“You shall not oppress a stranger, since you yourselves know the feelings of a stranger, for you also were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Taking just this simple collection of laws as an example…

  • Do not bear false witness
  • Do not follow the crowd and do evil
  • Show respect even to your enemies and help them
  • Do not acquit the guilty nor kill the innocent or righteous
  • Do not take a bribe
  • Do not oppress a stranger

Which of these would we willingly want to discard? None. These are all foundational to a righteous and civilized society that lives according to God’s instruction. It is irrelevant if we are talking about thousands of years ago, today, or thousands of years from now. God’s values and instructions are timeless. Let us not be so quick to discard what He has provided to guide us… instead relying on our own fallible and ever-changing “wisdom” to guide and govern.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Grace / Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Justice / Judgment, Kindness / Gentleness, Love, Obeying God, Praise / Worship / Glorify God

Follow The Example Of Christ, Our Loving Shepherd

We all have a tendency to stray, like sheep. Often foolishly straying into harm and away from our Shepherd. Jehovah’s plan included coming in the person of Jesus Christ to show us the example we should follow. What a loving Father indeed!

1 Peter 2:21-25

Christ Is Our Example

      21For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 25For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

Christ was without sin, so what better role model is there we should follow? None. He was reviled and hated, but refused to hate in return. He was threatened and beaten and killed, but did not threaten others. He entrusted Himself to our loving Father, the righteous judge. Jesus paid the penalty of our sins on the cross… the judgment that was due to each of us for our sin. By Jesus’ suffering and death, coupled with our genuine submission to Him as Lord, repenting wrong behavior and attitudes, and asking forgiveness… we are healed and reconciled with the Father.

We stray like sheep, but we have a loving Shepherd who cares for us and calls us to Him. Praise Jehovah for His lovingkindness! Give thanks to Him today. He made a way for us to be reconciled to Him where we could never have done so on our own.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Guide, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Justice / Judgment

God’s Laws Exist to Guide His People, Not To Put Them In Bondage

Jehovah is not some petty dictator who lusts for control over every detail of His people’s lives. May it never be! Jehovah is a loving Father, who guides and instructs His people out of love to help them know right from wrong and understand how to govern themselves. Consider each law thoughtfully. Do not rush to pick which you “like” or “accept” and which you do not. They are all from God. Instead, consider why our Father put each law in place. The actions that were wrong when Exodus was written are still wrong today. God’s laws are all intended for our benefit, whether or not we choose to obey is up to each of us.

Exodus 22:16-31

Sundry Laws

      16“If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged, and lies with her, he must pay a dowry for her to be his wife. 17“If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the dowry for virgins.

      18“You shall not allow a sorceress to live.

      19“Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death.

      20“He who sacrifices to any god, other than to the LORD alone, shall be utterly destroyed.

      21“You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. 22“You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. 23“If you afflict him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry; 24and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

      25“If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest. 26“If you ever take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, you are to return it to him before the sun sets, 27for that is his only covering; it is his cloak for his body. What else shall he sleep in? And it shall come about that when he cries out to Me, I will hear him, for I am gracious.

      28“You shall not curse God, nor curse a ruler of your people.

      29“You shall not delay the offering from your harvest and your vintage. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me. 30“You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep. It shall be with its mother seven days; on the eighth day you shall give it to Me.

      31“You shall be holy men to Me, therefore you shall not eat any flesh torn to pieces in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.

Reflect on Jehovah’s compassion in each of these laws. Whom is it protecting? Consider even the ones where we may think the punishment is harsh. That is protecting His people as well… from evil and detestable behaviors that cause personal destruction such as bestiality and sorcery and worshipping false gods. We can have a separate discussion regarding whether the specific punishment or response should remain the same today, but clearly God communicates some behaviors that should not be tolerated and accepted and provides guidance for behavior in other areas. We do well to consider prayerfully how these values and principles still apply today. Do not think that Jehovah has changed His mind on what is good and right and what is detestable and wrong.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Justice / Judgment

The Laws of Jehovah Are Not Obsolete… They Are Foundational

For those of us in the United States, or other countries where we still have a lot of freedom and protection for some basic rights, we do well to remember that much of our civilized society is based on the laws of Jehovah. I certainly appreciate having protection for my right to have personal property. Let’s explore an example of how God laid out the foundation in scripture for the rights we enjoy today.

Exodus 22:1-15

Property Rights

      1“If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he shall pay five oxen for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.

      2“If the thief is caught while breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there will be no bloodguiltiness on his account. 3“But if the sun has risen on him, there will be bloodguiltiness on his account. He shall surely make restitution; if he owns nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. 4“If what he stole is actually found alive in his possession, whether an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double.

      5“If a man lets a field or vineyard be grazed bare and lets his animal loose so that it grazes in another man’s field, he shall make restitution from the best of his own field and the best of his own vineyard.

      6“If a fire breaks out and spreads to thorn bushes, so that stacked grain or the standing grain or the field itself is consumed, he who started the fire shall surely make restitution.

      7“If a man gives his neighbor money or goods to keep for him and it is stolen from the man’s house, if the thief is caught, he shall pay double. 8“If the thief is not caught, then the owner of the house shall appear before the judges, to determine whether he laid his hands on his neighbor’s property. 9“For every breach of trust, whether it is for ox, for donkey, for sheep, for clothing, or for any lost thing about which one says, ‘This is it,’ the case of both parties shall come before the judges; he whom the judges condemn shall pay double to his neighbor.

      10“If a man gives his neighbor a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any animal to keep for him, and it dies or is hurt or is driven away while no one is looking, 11an oath before the LORD shall be made by the two of them that he has not laid hands on his neighbor’s property; and its owner shall accept it, and he shall not make restitution. 12“But if it is actually stolen from him, he shall make restitution to its owner. 13“If it is all torn to pieces, let him bring it as evidence; he shall not make restitution for what has been torn to pieces.

      14“If a man borrows anything from his neighbor, and it is injured or dies while its owner is not with it, he shall make full restitution. 15“If its owner is with it, he shall not make restitution; if it is hired, it came for its hire.

Property rights are foundational for a thriving society where people strive to take good care of things and work hard to invest and grow what they have and what they can provide to others. In societies where there are low or no personal property rights, people are far less motivated to take care of things in their possession. They did not work to earn it and they can not keep it even if they take great care of it. Take time to consider the significance of personal property rights and how it affects your life. Another great example of how God’s law is not obsolete or irrelevant, but rather foundational to the best parts of our society today. Give thanks to God today for establishing this foundation.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.