Category Archives: Sin

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.

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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.

Discipline / Correction, Guide, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Justice / Judgment, Love, Loving / Kind, Sin

We Are To Be Judged For Our Actions And Intent

Jehovah knows that even His people will continue to sin. That does not mean he endorses or approves of it, but He does prepare for it. Jehovah established ordinances for His people to help govern them. Much of legal system in the United States can trace its heritage back to Judeo Christian values. Our Father provided thoughtful guidance for us to govern by, knowing that people would sin.

Exodus 21:12-36

Personal Injuries

      12“He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death. 13“But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint you a place to which he may flee. 14“If, however, a man acts presumptuously toward his neighbor, so as to kill him craftily, you are to take him even from My altar, that he may die.

      15“He who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

      16“He who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death.

      17“He who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

      18“If men have a quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, and he does not die but remains in bed, 19if he gets up and walks around outside on his staff, then he who struck him shall go unpunished; he shall only pay for his loss of time, and shall take care of him until he is completely healed.

      20“If a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod and he dies at his hand, he shall be punished. 21“If, however, he survives a day or two, no vengeance shall be taken; for he is his property.

      22“If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide. 23“But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, 24eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

      26“If a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave, and destroys it, he shall let him go free on account of his eye. 27“And if he knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let him go free on account of his tooth.

      28“If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall surely be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall go unpunished. 29“If, however, an ox was previously in the habit of goring and its owner has been warned, yet he does not confine it and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death. 30“If a ransom is demanded of him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is demanded of him. 31“Whether it gores a son or a daughter, it shall be done to him according to the same rule. 32“If the ox gores a male or female slave, the owner shall give his or her master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

      33“If a man opens a pit, or digs a pit and does not cover it over, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34the owner of the pit shall make restitution; he shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall become his.

      35“If one man’s ox hurts another’s so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide its price equally; and also they shall divide the dead ox. 36“Or if it is known that the ox was previously in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not confined it, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead animal shall become his.

One of the things that stands out to me as I read is that Jehovah puts emphasis on “intent”. Look at the difference between verse 13 and 14. Jehovah judges both actions and intent and measures out justice based on both.

     12“He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death. 13“But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint you a place to which he may flee. 14“If, however, a man acts presumptuously toward his neighbor, so as to kill him craftily, you are to take him even from My altar, that he may die.

So, too, with reference to the ox. If the owner was negligent, knowing the ox had a tendency to gore things… the punishment is different and more harsh.

It is simple and straightforward to summarize that both our actions and our intentions matter to Jehovah and we are to be held accountable for both.

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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.

Anger (unrighteous anger), Grace / Patience, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Righteousness / Serving God

Be Quick To Hear, Slow To Speak, And Slow To Anger

All of us have experienced the opportunity to react in anger. Probably all of us have also responded wrongly in anger at some point or other in our lives. I certainly have. I can see the evidence of the Holy Spirit working in me in how He has led me over the past few years to respond less in anger and more with patience. How we respond to a situation does not have to be completely dependent on whether or not we are right. We can react gracefully and honor Christ in us even when someone treats us wrongly and we are right.

James 1:19-20

19This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

Being quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger can truly distinguish us as disciples of Christ from others around us. It helps us achieve the righteousness of God.

Prayerfully consider how you react even in frustrating situations when others that confront you are wrong and even rude. Pray that the Holy Spirit, who dwells within you as a true follower of Christ, would help transform you to be more like Christ Jesus and less like the world. Experience how much a patient and peaceful response on your part can diffuse a difficult situation and help you remain calm in the face of adversity… not to mention the opportunity it may open to share Christ with someone who may otherwise not listen.

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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, Discerning / Judging, Help / Serve Others, Humility, Pride, Protector / Deliverer, Provider, Teachable, Wise

Listen To Wise Advice And Work With Others

Moses was chosen by Jehovah to lead His people out of slavery in Egypt. After many miracles and a deepening relationship with Jehovah, it would seem easy for Moses to be vulnerable to pride and not be open to the wise council and advice from someone else. However, Moses deserves credit for listening to and following the advice he received from Jethro.

Exodus 18:1

Jethro, Moses’ Father-in-law

      1Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people, how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Moses’ wife Zipporah, after he had sent her away, 3and her two sons, of whom one was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.” 4The other was named Eliezer, for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”

      5Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was camped, at the mount of God. 6He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.” 7Then Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed down and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. 8Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had befallen them on the journey, and how the LORD had delivered them. 9Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, in delivering them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10So Jethro said, “Blessed be the LORD who delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11“Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods; indeed, it was proven when they dealt proudly against the people.” 12Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

      13It came about the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from the morning until the evening. 14Now when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge and all the people stand about you from morning until evening?” 15Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16“When they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws.”

Jethro Counsels Moses

      17Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. 18“You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. 19“Now listen to me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people’s representative before God, and you bring the disputes to God, 20then teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do. 21“Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. 22“Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be that every major dispute they will bring to you, but every minor dispute they themselves will judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23“If you do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace.”

      24So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. 26They judged the people at all times; the difficult dispute they would bring to Moses, but every minor dispute they themselves would judge. 27Then Moses bade his father-in-law farewell, and he went his way into his own land.

When Jehovah gives us a responsibility to serve Him, we absolutely want to take it seriously and work hard at doing it right. However, we must be careful that we do not wear ourselves out by taking on too much of the burden on our own. We must learn to listen to wise advice and take it, whether from Jehovah or from man. We have greater and longer lasting impact when we can lean on others who can be trusted and let them help us do our Father’s work.

Are there any situations in your life that are putting a heavy burden on you? It can be work or family or even ministry… as in Moses’ case. Pray for Jehovah to send you help and wisdom on how to do His work most effectively and sustainably.

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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.

Addiction, Guide, Sin, Study the Word, Teachable

The Truth Will Make You Free

Many of us are captive to addiction and other sin and do not even realize it.  Some of us realize it and want to be set free, but struggle to break free. There are many programs that claim to help, and some of them are helpful. However to truly be set free from our addiction  we must learn and apply God’s truth to our lives. The truth will make you free from addiction (and other sin).

John 8:31-36

The Truth Will Make You Free

      31So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”

      34Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35“The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. 36“So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

For any who are struggling to overcome addiction or sin, it is good to come before God and pray for His help. Study and learn His word and apply it to your life. Come together with others who share your faith in Christ and seek their help. Find others who follow Christ that have gone through what you are struggling with. Ask them about their journey to overcome addiction with God’s help.

There are many programs that claim to help, and some of them actually do, but to fully be set free from addiction and sin of any kind, we must lean on the truth of God’s word and seek His help to apply it in our lives.

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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.

Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Father / Yahweh, Grace / Forgiveness, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Miracles, Mockers, Obeying God, Speaking, Through Prophets

The Patience of Our Father

Good parents exhibit patience with their children when they are learning to obey. Jehovah is no different. He is our heavenly Father. He loves His people. When He brought the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt, He understood that they would need to learn to obey Him. He was not surprised. As such, Jehovah exhibited great patience in dealing with them as they complained and whined about Pharaoh’s army and then food and water. Each time, Jehovah protected them and provided for them.

Exodus 17:1-7

Water in the Rock

      1Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by stages from the wilderness of Sin, according to the command of the LORD, and camped at Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. 2Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water that we may drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?” 3But the people thirsted there for water; and they grumbled against Moses and said, “Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “What shall I do to this people? A little more and they will stone me.” 5Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pass before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6“Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7He named the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us, or not?”

Though Jehovah was patient and merciful with His people in this example, we should not take His patience for granted and we should not deliberately put Him to the test.

Luke 4:12

12And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’”

As we spend time with our children to teach them and help them grow, we eventually expect them to mature in their understanding, obedience, and respect.  Similarly, our Father in heaven expects this from us also. Let us strive to trust and obey our heavenly Father and praise Him for His patience with us as we grow in maturity, faith and understanding.

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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.

Doubt / Lacking Faith, Grace / Forgiveness, Obeying God, Provider, Speaking, Through Prophets

The Grace and Provision of Jehovah

Have you ever gone out of your way to really help someone else who was in need. Not just a little help, but fundamentally transforming their lives in a certain area. Perhaps bringing them out of addiction or adopting them to bring them into a loving home or bringing them to know the joy of Jehovah through Jesus Christ. Imagine if all they did was complain and whine about it and say they wish they were back where they started? How would that make you feel?

It is easy to imagine us losing interest in wanting to continue helping this person when they respond that way… ungrateful. How gracious is Jehovah in His love and provision for His people. Even after He has performed many miracles, over and over in the sight of the people, leading them out of slavery in Egypt and into freedom… many whine and complain. Yes, really.

While we may easily be able to understand if Jehovah responded by sending them back to slavery, we see that is not His way. He tests and teaches His people to follow and obey His instruction. He is preparing them to be ready to take the promised land. They are not ready yet.

Exodus 16:1-21

The LORD Provides Manna

      1Then they set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. 2The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3The sons of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the LORD’S hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

      4Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction. 5“On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” 6So Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, “At evening you will know that the LORD has brought you out of the land of Egypt; 7and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, for He hears your grumblings against the LORD; and what are we, that you grumble against us?”

The LORD Provides Meat

      8Moses said, “This will happen when the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread to the full in the morning; for the LORD hears your grumblings which you grumble against Him. And what are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against the LORD.”

      9Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, ‘Come near before the LORD, for He has heard your grumblings.’” 10It came about as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. 11And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12“I have heard the grumblings of the sons of Israel; speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God.’”

      13So it came about at evening that the quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14When the layer of dew evaporated, behold, on the surface of the wilderness there was a fine flake-like thing, fine as the frost on the ground. 15When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat. 16“This is what the LORD has commanded, ‘Gather of it every man as much as he should eat; you shall take an omer apiece according to the number of persons each of you has in his tent.’” 17The sons of Israel did so, and some gathered much and some little. 18When they measured it with an omer, he who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack; every man gathered as much as he should eat. 19Moses said to them, “Let no man leave any of it until morning.” 20But they did not listen to Moses, and some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them. 21They gathered it morning by morning, every man as much as he should eat; but when the sun grew hot, it would melt.

Let us each challenge ourselves to avoid grumbling complaints about where and how Jehovah is leading us. Instead, pray He will help us to trust and obey joyfully. Then let us also help one another by focusing on the good things Jehovah provides for us even when times are tough. Finally, let us obey Him and do things His way even if they do not seem to make sense to us!

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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, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Protector / Deliverer, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Stop Defining God By How You Would Do Things

I hear many things said today by people who reject Jehovah and even by those who claim to follow Him that reflect a poor understanding of Him. Yes, even many who claim to follow Jehovah through Jesus Christ still do not understand the God they worship. They try to define God based on how they feel comfortable or what the world tells them is right rather than understand God as He has revealed Himself through the Bible.

“I don’t want to believe in a God that would allow pain and suffering in the world.”

“The God I know would not hurt anyone.”

“God is a God of love so that behavior cannot really be sin or why would he make people that way?”

“God would not hurt animals.”

“God would not use the wicked or suffering to bring about His plan.”

The above are all examples of wildly false statements that people use when they do not understand God. If we constantly try to view God through a man made box in which we constrain artificially how we are willing to accept that He interacts with this world, we will continue to drift farther and farther from Him. If we seek Him as revealed through the Bible and through prayer, accepting Him even when we disagree or do not understand, we will draw near to Him and He to us.

Exodus 11

The Last Plague

      1Now the LORD said to Moses, “One more plague I will bring on Pharaoh and on Egypt; after that he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out from here completely. 2“Speak now in the hearing of the people that each man ask from his neighbor and each woman from her neighbor for articles of silver and articles of gold.” 3The LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Furthermore, the man Moses himself was greatly esteemed in the land of Egypt, both in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.

      4Moses said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘About midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, 5and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of the Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; all the firstborn of the cattle as well. 6‘Moreover, there shall be a great cry in all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been before and such as shall never be again. 7‘But against any of the sons of Israel a dog will not even bark, whether against man or beast, that you may understand how the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’ 8“All these your servants will come down to me and bow themselves before me, saying, ‘Go out, you and all the people who follow you,’ and after that I will go out.” And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger.

      9Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that My wonders will be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” 10Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh; yet the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go out of his land.

Yes, God not only allowed, but caused the firstborn of all the Egyptians to die. He did not only do this for the ruling Pharoah or the rich and powerful but explicitly even to the lowest slave and the cattle as well. Oh, and He hardened Pharaoh’s heart to get to this point without releasing the Hebrew people so that He could demonstrate signs and wonders. Yes, that was God. No, He was not wrong to do it. His ways are above our ways. Just because we don’t understand it does not mean it is wrong. We must break away from always assuming we are wise and understand the big picture… we do not. God does.

I could spend a lot of time debating why God worked this way and how I process it, but instead, let’s go back to what God said about it.

      9Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that My wonders will be multiplied in the land of Egypt.”

God wanted to demonstrate an amazing series of wonders so that the Egyptians and the Hebrew people would know that He is God. This establishes a strong and memorable foundation to help His people as they go on their journey out of Egypt and into the wilderness and eventually into the promised land. These wonders are still talked about today as an example of God’s power and deliverance for His people. They also serve as warning to watch how quickly some of His people forget Him and fall away from faith as the times get tough, despite amazing wonders done in His name.

If we are to draw near to God, we must try to understand Him through studying the Bible and not through surface opinions of our own or the world that try to say what He should or should not do. His followers seek Him to understand Him and we follow Him even when we do not understand Him. We do not redefine who we think He should be to make us more comfortable.

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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, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Speaking, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Do Not Negotiate With God, But Rather Obey

Be careful in your life that when Jehovah speaks clearly to you, you do not negotiate with Him but rather obey. He is our Lord and all powerful Creator of everything. His wisdom and His plans are beyond our understanding. We have not position or power or wisdom with which to negotiate with Him. We either obey or disobey, and then receive the consequences of our choice.

By the time we read the history through to Exodus 10, Pharaoh has been through a lot. He started by trusting in his magicians to replicate the signs and wonders God provided. This helped him rationalize that God is not very powerful or special and thus could be ignored or dismissed. Then, when his magicians could no longer replicate the signs, Pharaoh would relent under pressure and agree to let the Israelites go, but then change his mind as soon as the threat was no longer in front of him. It was as if he was rationalizing that it never happened or could not be repeated once it had passed. Now in Exodus 10, Pharaoh first tries to negotiate or compromise with God by allowing only the men to go worship, when God demanded all the people and their livestock to go. It must have been difficult for Pharaoh, a mighty king, to submit humbly to Jehovah. Pharaoh had already decided the people must return, so was trying to keep the children and now, in Exodus 10:21-29, the livestock from going away with the people.

Pharaoh’s hard hearted attempts to bargain or negotiate with God fail. God has already stated His demands and will not change His mind for the likes of Pharaoh.

Exodus 10:20-29

 20But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go.

Darkness over the Land

      21Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt.” 22So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. 23They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings. 24Then Pharaoh called to Moses, and said, “Go, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be detained. Even your little ones may go with you.” 25But Moses said, “You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice them to the LORD our God. 26“Therefore, our livestock too shall go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we shall take some of them to serve the LORD our God. And until we arrive there, we ourselves do not know with what we shall serve the LORD.” 27But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to let them go. 28Then Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me! Beware, do not see my face again, for in the day you see my face you shall die!” 29Moses said, “You are right; I shall never see your face again!”

Be careful that you do not dismiss Pharaoh to easily. We can all be vulnerable to similar patterns of behavior and rationalization. What God tells us to do, we should do and not debate or negotiate. This can apply to His specific will for our lives that He may choose to reveal to us each through prayer or scripture or through other means. It can also apply to His general will, documented so clearly in the Bible. God gave us many instructions to follow to help us know right from wrong and to be set apart from the world clearly to be His people. How many of us though, grow up with a compromised version of which of His rules we are taught we should obey and which we are wrongly taught no longer apply.

Who are we to choose what commandments or instructions we will follow and which we will not? How often I notice that people who claim to follow Him may agree they should not use the Lord’s name in vain, they should honor their parents, not kill, not commit adultery, not steal, not lie, and not covet… but they ignore the Sabbath day, include statues (idols) even in their church and worship, and place many things in priority in their life before God. These things may range from money, lust, sports, job, power, or accepting other false beliefs associated with make believe gods.

God is not pleased when we choose to obey some of what He tells us any more than human parents are pleased when their children obey some of the instructions they are given, but disobey many more. Is a business owner pleased when employees obey half the rules he gives them? Doubtful… he will probably fire those employees. Why then do we expect that we can please God by negotiating or compromising with Him?

Prayerfully examine your own life and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any areas where you are not fully submitted to God. Also, as you study scripture make note of the instructions God gives His people and test whether or not it still applies and you should be following it today. Pay special attention to the Old Testament passages as many churches today teach wrongly that most of the instruction God gave His people in that time are now obsolete, despite Jesus clearly stating and showing by His life that God’s instruction in the Old Testament is still valid.

To learn more, read Understanding the Law – What Does It Mean For Us Today?

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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.

Consequences of Sin, Father / Yahweh, Grace / Forgiveness, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Sin

We Are By Nature Children Of Wrath

Contrary to what many today want to believe, we are not born holy and righteous. Human nature draws us toward sin and disobedience to Jehovah rather than submission to Him. Left on our own, we are dead in sin and will be held accountable as such by God on the day of judgment. Yes, there really is a heaven and a hell.

While this makes many uncomfortable, it is important to understand in order to have a clear picture of God’s love, grace and mercy. He displays all of it by providing a way to save us from our sin, to bridge the gap between our selfish and rebellious nature and His holiness.

God demonstrates mercy in that He is willing to withhold from us the punishment we deserve based on the gap between our behavior and attitudes and His holy standard. Further He shows grace by providing us forgiveness we do not deserve and a way to be reconciled with Him. He demonstrated love by coming to live among us and die on our behalf to pay the penalty for our sins and rebellion. He did this in the person of Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:1-10

     1And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

It is important to remember that we are not inherently good. We do not deserve forgiveness. We can not earn forgiveness. We can never achieve God’s standard through our own works. We are saved by God’s grace, through our faith in Jesus Christ. It is a gift we do not deserve, but still we must choose to accept it. Once we accept this gift, God does indeed expect us to walk in good works as evidence of our submission to Him.

Trying to bridge the gap between us and God without accepting Jesus Christ as Lord is akin to trying to climb down into the Grand Canyon using a step ladder. We do not even come close on our own. Let us remember and remind others that God shows His great love, great mercy and great grace by the offer of reconciliation and salvation He offers in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We should praise Him and glorify Him and never take it for granted as something we do not need or something we deserve based on our own works.

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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.