The Rewards Of Obedience To God

God designed the world to function according to certain principles, and when we follow them, they naturally benefit us, as for example, the principle of letting the land lay fallow in the previous post.  If that were the only benefit of following God’s commands, it would be well worth the effort, but it doesn’t stop there.  If Israel would follow his commands, God promised that he would intervene miraculously on their behalf in other ways. 

Just as he had delivered them from Egypt and defeated the Amalekites, God would  defeat those who were living in Canaan, giving the land to Israel, according to Exodus 23:20-24.  “Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.  Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.  But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.  For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.”

Many people think it unfair that one group takies the land that another group has held.  We forget that all the earth belongs to God, and like any land owner, if those who he allows to live there refuse to live by the terms of their lease, he has the right to evict them and let someone else use the land.  When people forget it is God’s land, and that they are responsible to him they violate his laws and terms of use.  God warned Israel not to make that mistake, in Exodus 23:24-25.  “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.  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.”  They were to completely destroy all record of the other God’s so that they would not be tempted to follow the other religions. 

Exodus 23:26-31 describes the kind of things God would do for them if they would do as he commanded.  “There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.  

I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.  And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.  I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.  By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.”

In Exodus 15:26, God had promised, “…If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.”  Now he also promised that if they would wholly follow him, he would ensure that there would be no barren livestock or women among them, and that no mother would lose a baby, and that they could expect to live the full natural term of their lives.   They wouldn’t have to worry about dying from some disease or as a result of complications in childbirth or other common causes. 

God would cause the people in the land to fear them, fleeing in panic and deserting their homes.  He promised to send hornets or wasps to drive their enemies out, but only as they needed more land so that they would not have to reclaim it, but would have houses and the necessary infra structure to use it immediately.  He would continue to bless them that way until they took over the entire area God intended them to have.  Their boundaries would ultimately stretch from Red Sea and the Mediterranean eastward to Mount Sinai (present day Jebel el Laws), northward to the Euphrates River and back to the west to Lebanon, as Deuteronomy 11:22-24 makes clear.  “For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him; Then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves.  Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be.” 

It was crucial that Israel stay faithful to God if they were to receive these promises, Exodus 23:32-33 warns, “Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.  They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.

Israel constantly turned away from God and as a result have never possessed all the land God promised them, even under David and Solomon.  Isaiah 11 indicates they will control it all during the millennial period, when Christ sets up his earthly kingdom. 

Just Do It God’s Way

To our modern way of thinking, many of God’s commands seem counter-productive.  For example, allowing the land to rest every seventh year seems like it is a waste of time and money.  Let’s look more closely at the command in Exodus 23:10-11.  “And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof: But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard.”   Each time we grow the same crop on piece of land, we deplete certain nutrients that crop needs.  Most crops take their nutrients from the top few inches of soil, making it unproductive in a little while. 

Many weeds require different minerals, making them able to survive on the depleted soil, and their roots tend to go far deeper.  As they grow, they bring up nutrients from deep in the soil and replace the nutrients the crops needed, making the soil more fertile again.  There will nearly always be some of the seed from the crops that grows voluntarily, and those plants were to be left for those who had no land of their own or for the wild animals.  There are areas where this method has been followed for thousands of years and the land is still fertile and productive, and the ecosystem has been protected as well.  Experiments have shown that little or no fertilizer is required and that the soil tends to become better in the process.  God promised that if they would follow this procedure, he would cause the crop the sixth year to be enough to feed them until another crop was produced, in Leviticus 25:21-22.  “Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years.  And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat of the old store.”   If they simply trusted God, he promised they would not lose financially, but would have and entire year’s vacation, and there would be no pressure to provide for the poor. 

In a similar manner, they were to take the seventh day as a day of rest, as Exodus 23:12 commands.  “Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.”  Numerous studies have demonstrated that people and animals are most productive when they have regular breaks from work.  When people get greedy, demanding people work seven days a week, their workers become increasingly unproductive. 

God repeatedly forbade worship of other gods.  At the same time he instructed people not disrespect other people by making fun of their gods.  Exodus 23:12 describes the best way to prevent doing either thing.  “And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.”  By just not mentioning them we take no chance of insulting those who worship them, nor do we imply any approval of them.  If we wish to reach others, it is far more effective to allow them to see Christ in us than to run down their beliefs. 

God designated three specific feasts for Israel to celebrate, as Exodus 23:14-17 tells us.  “Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.  Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.  Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.” 

Each of these feasts was a celebration of what God had done for them.  Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread was a reminder of What God had done in delivering them from Egypt.  The Feast of Harvest, better known as the Feast of First Fruits was a way of thanking God for making their crops to grow, giving them something to harvest, while the Feast of ingathering came at the end of the harvest when they could celebrate how much he had provided. 

Even their worship of God was to be performed in a manner that placed the emphasis on god rather than what they were doing, as Exodus 23:18-19 instructs.  “Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.  The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.”  They were to follow the rules God had made, not trying to improve on it by making better tasting bread, by buying nicer fruit than what they had grown, or using milk instead of water to cook the meat.  He wanted exactly the way he made it so that the glory went to him rather than the chef of priest who prepared the sacrifices.  It is the same principle as was described in Exodus 20:25.  “And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.”   

Demonstrating Our Love For God

While we had known for years that our political system was corrupt, Donald Trump’s election has revealed a level of wickedness most Americans had never imagined.  Numerous charges have been leveled without any evidence, with active investigations unable to find any supporting evidence.   Under the Constitution, a person was to be considered innocent until his guilt was proven, yet the attitude of our politicians and media appears to be that a person has a different opinion than theirs is guilty until proven innocent, and the truth is irrelevant. 

God is very concerned with the truth.  Revelation 21:8 warns that “…the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. “  We have already looked at some of these other things.  God considers lying as bad as murder, or adultery, or worshipping other gods, and will suffer the same eternal penalty. 

With that in mind, Exodus 23:1-3 commands, “Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.  Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment: Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.”  God’s people are not to make false or unsubstantiated statements about anything.   They are especially not to help others in slandering or accusing other people, nor are they to go along with the crowd, leading people to a false conclusion.  They are not to favor a person simply because he is poor, but are to speak only what is known to be true.    

God’s people are to treat even those they don’t like fairly and with proper respect.  Exodus 23:4-5 commands, “If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.  If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.”  Much as you might dislike a person, you were still to go out of your way to protect their property and rights.   

People ought to be completely fair to everyone.  They should not take sides based on a person’s financial or political standing, nor should he go along with things that are not right regardless who supports it.  Exodus 23:6-9 commands, “Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.  Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.  And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.  Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.”  Any kind of gift leaves one with a sense of indebtedness, creating a potential conflict of interest, and is to be avoided.   God will judge and punish those who have treated others unfairly. 

As I mentioned, our present political situation is exposing the wickedness of our politicians in both parties.  I suspect God has brought Trump to his position deliberately to make those who claim to be Christians chose whether they will obey God or just go along with one party or the other.  Their actions reflect their attitude toward God and Christ, as John 14:15 tells us.  “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

Demonstrating Respect For God

God had declared they were not to worship anything besides God.   Exodus 22:18 commanded, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live,” while Exodus 22:20 warns, “He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed.”  The various spells and potions used in different forms of the occult are essentially acknowledging various spirits and deities as having supernatural power, and thus are a form of worship, whether people realize t or not. 

  

All humans were created in the image of God and are equal before him   As slaves in Egypt, Israel had experienced what it felt like to be treated as an inferior race    They were not to take treat others as inferior or use their inexperience or lack of support to take advantage of them.  Exodus 22:21-24 warned, “Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.  Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.  If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.”  Failure to treat them properly would result in their being treated the way they treated the others. 

They were not to take advantage of a person’s time of need.  While they were free to charge those who could afford it interest, they were not to charge the poor interest(usury), according to Exodus 22:25-27.  “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.  If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down: For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious.”    Even if they took something for pawn, such as a person’s coat, they were to allow him to have the use of it when he needed it.    God would intervene if they ignored these instructions. 

A study of Israel’s history shows numerous times when God has intervened on behalf of those who were being taken advantage of.  Unfortunately history is replete with instances of the same thing in other countries, because the same principles apply to every nation, not just to the Jews.  We do not need to repeat the mistakes of the past because as I Corinthians 10:11 tells us, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”  Those who refuse to learn from the past are destined to repeat it.

God is creator of the world and everything in it, and he controls its workings.  Colossians 1:16-17 tells us, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”  According to Romans 13:1, “…there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”   When we begin to complain about our circumstances or curse the government or other powers we are in effect cursing God.  Exodus 22:28-31 commands, “Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.  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.  Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy sheep: seven days it shall be with his dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it me.  And ye shall be holy men unto me: neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.”

Instead of complaining about their lot, they were to recognize that everything they had was from God, and not hesitate to thank him for blessing them with what they had.  They were to dedicate their children to the Lord, as well as the firstborn of their livestock.  In keeping with that, they were to be holy to God, maintaining a healthy diet and avoiding foods that were likely to be infected.  Since predators tend to attack the weak and sickly, they were to avoid eating those which the animals had attacked.  They could depend on God to supply what they needed and did not need to endanger their health to survive.       

Loving God Enough To Obey His Law

God’s laws were concerned with justice for those who had been wronged.  Modern American law is more concerned with punishment of the wrong doer.  As a result, the guilty party is fined or incarcerated, while the victim may be forced to file a separate civil suit to collect any reparations for his losses.  Frequently, legal fees wipe out any reparations he receives.    As we have already seen, God specified what the penalty for various actions was to be so that the victim suffered as little as possible.  Rather than paying a fine of being imprisoned for theft, a person was required to make reparation, 

Exodus 22:1-4 gives guidelines for dealing with thieves.  “If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.  If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.  If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.  If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double.”   

Most thieves do not steal to feed their families or to meet their needs, but to obtin something they want without having to earn it.  Under God’s law, if the item was recovered, the thief was to pay back twice the value of the item.  If the item had been sold or destroyed the thief had to pay back four times the value of the item for everyday items, such as a sheep which could easily be replaced, and five times as much for things which were critical for his job.  The ox was the equivalent of the farmer’s tractor today, and without it he could not farm his land.  Good oxen might not be readily available. 

If a thief broke into a house at night and the homeowner killed him, there were to be no charges brought against the homeowner. He could not see who the thief was or what kind of weapons he might have, and so was considered to be acting in self-defense.   If it was light however, he had could identify the thief, and thus had the responsibility to try to capture him alive or have him arrested.  If the thief was unable to pay the specified penalty for what he had taken, he was to be sold as a slave or indentured servant to cover those penalties.  In the American system, he is not expected to pay back what he took, and is often placed into prison where he could not earn the money to make restitution if he wanted to. 

When I was a child, if a guy had sex with a girl and she got pregnant, he was expected to marry her,  Later, thanks to the sexual revolution it was considered okay not to marry her even if she got pregnant, and Roe v Wade made it acceptable to get an abortion if the girl thought it would be inconvenient to have the baby.  God’s law was far different, according to Exodus 22:16-17.  “And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife.  If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.”  If a man had consensual sex with a woman who was not married or engaged to be married, he was required to acknowledge her as his wife, whether she got pregnant or not, even if her parents refused to allow her to live with him.  

If a married or engaged person had sex with someone other than their mate, they were to both be executed except in cases where there was definite evidence the sex was not consensual.    Deuteronomy 22:22-29 goes into detail about this.  “If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.  If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour's wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you.

But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die: But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter: For he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her.

If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days.”

Along this same line, Exodus 22:19 commands, “Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death.”  Leviticus 20:13-16 goes into greater detail about this and other prohibited sexual behavior.  “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.  And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you.  And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast.  And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.”

Unfortunately, many churches and pastors today consider that sexual promiscuity is acceptable and should be ignored.  Some take the same position with homosexual activity or other sexual behavior.   Others go to the opposite extreme, forbidding couples who have indulged in sex before being legally married from getting married.  Clearly both approaches are contrary to God’s command, and as Jesus warned in Matthew 5:19, “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”  They will still be saved, but they will miss out on rewards they could have had.  As John 14:23-24 tells us, “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.”  The refusal to obey his law indicates a person does not love Christ as much as he likes the sin.

Responsibility Toward Other People’s Property

Romans 3:20 tells us, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”  Keeping the law would not save the Old Testament saints, nor will it save people today.   The whole purpose of the Law was to define what sin was.  Unfortunately, knowing the Law would not enable us to get into heaven because obeying it was dependent on human willpower.  Romans 8:3-4 tells us, “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”  The fact that Christ fulfilled the law emphasized that it was not an impossible standard, making it clear anyone who didn’t fulfill it was not fitted for heaven.  It is only through accepting his sacrifice for our sin that we can be fitted for heaven. 

In Matthew 5:18-19, Jesus warned, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”  While we can be saved without meeting the standards of the Law, ignoring it and teaching others to do so will cost rewards in the kingdom.  It behooves us to learn the standards God has set in order to please him. 

As we saw in the previous study, a man was responsible for the actions in which another person was hurt.  God had specified that anyone or any animal who killed a person was to be held accountable in Genesis 9:5-6.  “And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man.  Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.” 

Exodus 21:28-29 expands on this command.  “If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.  But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.  If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.  Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.  If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.” 

If a man’s animal killed someone, the animal was to be stoned and the body destroyed, but if the owner knew the animal was dangerous and made no effort to protect others, the owner was considered responsible for the person’s death, and deserved to die.  Since it was not deliberate, they had the option of collecting damages from if they chose to allow him to live.    Even if the animal did not kill the person, but deliberately hurt him the animal was to be killed and damages paid to the victim. 

People were to take responsibility in protecting other people’s property as well.  Exodus 21:33-36 commanded, “And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein; The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his.  And if one man's ox hurt another's, that he die; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money of it; and the dead ox also they shall divide.  Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time past, and his owner hath not kept him in; he shall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall be his own.” 

Exodus 22:5-15 relate to other situations where one’s actions could cause another to suffer loss.  “If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.  If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.

If a man shall deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man's house; if the thief be found, let him pay double.  If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbour's goods.

For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour.

If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it: Then shall an oath of the LORD be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbour's goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good.  And if it be stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto the owner thereof.  If it be torn in pieces, then let him bring it for witness, and he shall not make good that which was torn.

And if a man borrow ought of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof being not with it, he shall surely make it good.  But if the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: if it be an hired thing, it came for his hire.”

God expects people to take responsibility for their actions affect other people. 

Taking Responsibility for The Results of One’s Actions

Human ideas of right and wrong tend to be much different than God’s standards.  Respect for God and the things he created are the basis for moral standards.  Murder is an affront to God in that it deliberately destroys a person who was created in the image of God.  The mandatory penalty for such disrespect toward God was death.  Exodus 21:15-17 describe three other crimes God says deserve the death penalty.  “And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.  And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.  And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.” 

Our parents give us life in a very real sense, and for the first years of our life we are totally dependent on them.  In a very real sense they are the epitome of God for us.  When we disrespect them by physically or verbally abusing them we are indirectly attacking God and violating Exodus 20:12, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”  The penalty was to be death. 

God created people to be free to follow him.  Kidnapping disrespects God by taking away that freedom, forcing them to obey their captors instead.  Kidnappers were to be executed whether the captives were recovered or had been sold into slavery. 

As we saw, while serious, an accidental killing did not command the same penalty.  Physical injuries ot others were also to be taken quite seriously.  When two people fought, if one was injured, the other was to pay for hurting him, according to Exodus 21:18-19.  “And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed: If he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote him be quit: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.”

If in the course of a fight, a bystander, in particular, a woman was injured the one who injured them was to be held accountable.  Exodus 21:22-25 describes the effects.  “If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.  And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.”  If the incident caused the loss of a baby, the woman’s husband was to set a figure for damages and if the judges determined it was legitimate, the man was to pay it.  If the injury cause permanent harm to the woman, the guilty party was to be injured in the same way the woman had been.   

Owning a slave did not give one the right to mistreat them.  Exodus 21:20 commanded, “And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.”   If the owner killed a slave, it was to be considered murder and the owner was to be executed just like any other murderer.  If the servant survived the punishment for a few days, the owner could not be charged with murder, because he was responsible for keeping him alive, but if the punishment caused permanent injury, even something so minor as knocking out a tooth, he had to give the slave or servant their freedom, according to Exodus 21:21, 26-27.  “Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.  And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye's sake.  And if he smite out his manservant's tooth, or his maidservant's tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.” 

Under the Law, a person was responsible for the results of his actions.  They were not to just ignore the consequences when others were hurt.  Unfortunately, modern court procedures tend to produce penalties far in excess of what was truly merited while the victims may receive far less than they should, with the settlements going for fines, court costs and legal fees.

It is important to know that while slavery was permitted it was very different from that practiced by most groups.  As we have seen they could not keep a person as a slave more than six years, nor could they keep what he had owned before he was enslaved.  Forcing people into slavery by kidnapping was illegal, and the slaves had very definite rights as people.  Unfortunately, when the American colonies were established, they followed British law rather than God’s law, and slavery became a serious problem. 

Punishment For Killing

The American court system today is not concerned about justice.  It has become a contest between the lawyers.  The clients just provide the cases and the money for the lawyers to play the game, and the winning lawyers get extra pay and prestige.  Frequently even the winning client does not win enough to recover his legal expenses, but because our laws have become so complex almost everyone is forced to hire a lawyer, enabling them to charge exorbitant fees. 

When the jury finally gets the case, they are given a series of complex instructions that frequently make it difficult to come to a decision as to what the verdict should be.  God’s laws were much more straightforward, so that lawyers were not necessary, but by Christ’s time, the Jews had modified and complicated the law enough to justify a class of lawyers.    The laws God gave Moses were simple and logical. 

For example his laws relating to murder and manslaughter were quite clear, as we see in Exodus 21:12-14.  “He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.  And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.  But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.” 

There was no concern for whether a person was mentally competent.  If he murdered someone he was to be executed.    If it was an accident, God made provision for the person to go to one of the cities of refuge, and as long as he remained in the city he was protected from execution.  If the person deliberately attacked the person and killed him it was murder, and he was to be executed, even if he fled to the City of Refuge or into the very temple itself.  They were not to protect or provide sanctuary for murderers.

Deuteronomy 19:4-13 goes into greater detail about this.  “And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past; As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live: Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.

Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.  And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy coast, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers; If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three: That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.

But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities: Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.  Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.”

Numbers 35:16-25 goes into greater detail about how to decide if it was an accident or murder.  “And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.  And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.  Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.  The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him. But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die; Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.

But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait, Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm: Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments: And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.”

If they used any implement as a weapon, it was to be considered murder, but things that were clearly an accident, such as unintentionally knocking a rock off a wall and hitting someone was to be considered accidental manslaughter and the person was to be protected, provided he followed the rules as   Numbers 35:26-28 tells us.  “But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled; And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood: Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession.”  Manslaughter was a life sentence, and it was up to the guilty person to stay inside the City of Refuge.

This was God’s standard, and it was not to be changed.  Numbers 35:29-32 commanded, “So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.  Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.  Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.  And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.”   No one should be able to get by with murder or manslaughter, regardless how much money or power their family might have.  At the same time, no one could be convicted on the basis of a single witness.  There had to be additional evidence. 

When we look at man’s standard it seems that some people matter more than others.  Black lives appear to matter more if they are killed by a police officer than if they are killed by another black person.  Sanctuary cities protect murderers who are illegal aliens, and powerful political figures are never investigated when they are linked to murders.   God said every murderer was to be executed.  While we cannot bring the victim back to life, we can prevent their killer from killing others. 

God’s Principles For daily Life

One of the things we know is that the basic principles of science that God established at creation do not change over time.  As a result, I can confidently place things on shelf, knowing that gravity will keep them there unless something moves them.   A basketball player can shoot at the goal, knowing gravity will cause the ball to act in a certain way.  The same rules that govern what the basketball does also govern what a space ship does.  All of science is based on the principle that the rules do not change.  If it is not true, there can be no science.  When we ignore those principles, things do not work out as we expect them to.   The better we understand those principles, the easier it is to accomplish the things we want.

During the dark ages, there was a determined effort to set aside those rules in an attempt to turn other materials into gold. Alchemists spent vast amounts of money and resources in the effort, eventually proving that the ancient scientist had been right all along.   Modern chemistry and physics developed as a result of their failures.   

In a similar way, God established certain principles for human interactions.  Efforts to ignore them cause serious conflicts and problems at every level.  God gave Israel a set of laws relating to those principles, in an effort to help them avoid many of the problems that result from ignoring them.    Unfortunately, like the alchemists during the Dark Ages, many people today think we can change or ignore those principles.  In Matthew 5:17-19, Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” 

Those same principles will remain in effect as long as this world exists.  Efforts to change or ignore them bring us into direct conflict with other people and with God.  Christ’s sacrifice on the cross freed those who believe from the penalty for breaking the law, but the law is still in effect.  In an emergency, a police officer is free to exceed the speed limit but in doing so he may put his life and those of others around him in danger, because the purpose of the law is to protect people.  In the same way, while we are not bound by the Old Testament Law, we need to be very careful because failure to obey may put us or others at risk.   Exodus 21-23 list some of the laws as to how the Israelites were to treat each other. 

Because of differences in our culture and language, sometimes it can be a little confusing as to what is meant, but the principles stay the same.  For example, slavery is not legal in America, so it is easy to think the principles relating to it do not apply to our society.  Let’s examine these laws for a moment.

Exodus 21:2-3 says, “If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.   If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.”   It is very clear they did not own the servant or slave.  They had only purchased his services for a period of time, and the maximum time was for six years.  At the end of the time he was free to leave.  If the agreement included both the man and his wife. both were free at the end of the time.  While slavery is illegal in America, we still have apprenticeship programs, businesses still contract for people to work for a period of time, and the military still has people enlist for specified periods.  At the end of the term, the employer has no claim against things he had before he went to work for them.  At the same time, he has no claim against his employer for things they have provided while he worked for them, even though they were personal things.   Exodus 21:4 states, “If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself.” 

When the term was finished, the employee was free to negotiate a new agreement with his employer if he liked the job, as we see in Exodus 21:5-6.  “And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever.”  He can stay in the same job forever if that’s what they decide, but it has to be the employee’s decision. 

Many employers have taken advantage of their power to get sexual favors from those under them.  There were some special guidelines for how women were to be treated according to Exodus 21:7-11.   And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.  If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.  And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.  If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.  And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.

In taking a woman on as a slave, the employer assumed the responsibility for providing her a husband.  If he didn’t want to marry her, he had to give her the opportunity to marry someone else, who would pay her debt, but he could not sell her. If she married his son, she was to be treated as equal with his own daughters, and she could not be kept secretly, but was to be acknowledged a truly his wife with all the rights and privileges such a position offered.  If he was not willing to meet those requirements, the woman was free to leave, owing him nothing.

These laws and others dealt with many of the abuses modern labor laws are designed to prevent.  Though our laws are different, human nature is not.   People still need protection from the same kinds of abuses. 

Emphasizing Respect For God

A serious problem in modern society is the number of parents and teachers who are more concerned about being the child’s friend than being a parent or teacher.  Instead of preparing healthy food for the child, the parent allows them to choose what they want.  Since the child doesn’t understand what his body needs, he tends to choose only familiar things and avoid new tastes, becoming a picky eater.  He begins to get the idea he should always get his own way, and gets very angry and rebellious when he doesn’t, having little or no respect for anyone. 

Good parents realize it is their responsibility to develop their children’s physical and social health, even when it is not what the child wants.  They are the parent or teacher, not just another friend.  They have to teach the child to show respect for themselves in order to develop a proper parent child relationship.  If the child does not learn to respect his parents, it will be difficult for him to obey them or to develop a proper attitude toward other people.  The attitude toward their parents tends to dominate one’s attitude toward other people.  In much the same way, our attitude toward God influences our attitude toward other people.   A person who has little respect for God will find obey him, and as we have seen, many of God’s commands have to do with our relationship to other people. 

Knowing this, God deliberately acted in a manner to emphasize his authority and power, and the people were intimidated, as we see in Exodus 20:18-19.  “And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.  And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” 

A recognition that a parent or God can take unpleasant action when we do things that they don’t like furnishes an incentive to cooperate with them even when we don’t understand why they make such demands.  At the same time it is important to know that they want what is best for us.  Exodus 10:20m tells us, “And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.”  God’s purpose was to encourage them to do what was right. He was not just looking for something to punish them for.  He had demonstrated his concern for them by delivering them for Egypt and supplying their needs, but they needed to understand he was God, not just a genie for them to order around. 

God gave some special instructions emphasize their respect for him, in Exodus 20:21-26.  “And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.  And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.  Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.

An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.  And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.  Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.”

They had heard God speak to them and seen his power.  They were not to worship any other gods or statues along with him.    As he said in Exodus 20:4-6, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”  Figures of other things would be like a husband keeping a photograph of a former girlfriend in his wallet and spending time looking at it every day.   It implies he is not satisfied with what he already has, and his wife would have every right to be jealous. 

Any altar they used to worship were to be made on natural materials just the way God had made tyhem.  Any attempt to make fit together better implied God didn’t do things well enough.  Finally they were nto to do things that would distract from worshipping.  Steps might allow one to see up skirt, distracting one from focusing on God.  Later, he would demand that priest’s garments included underwear (breeches) for the same reason.   

An Outline Of God’s Expectations

God had gone out of his way to impress the people with the seriousness of a covenant with him.  The people had said they wanted such a covenant, so with the so called Ten Commandments, he gave them a brief outline of what their responsibilities would be.  Later, he would flesh out this outline in greater detail before it was finally approved, much like establishing a contract between two people or businesses.   They start by outlining what is desired, and once an agreement is reached, a final contract with all the details is written and signed by both parties.

The first part of the Ten Commandments outlines the attitude they were to have toward God.  Exodus 20:1-6 said they were not to worship any other Gods.  “And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.  Thou shalt have no other gods before me.  Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” 

God was the one who had delivered them from Egypt, sending the plagues and destroying the Egyptian army, and clearly showing he was more powerful than anything the Egyptians might worship.  When he said, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” the combination of words translated before means literally they were not to set anything alongside of or equal to God.  They were not to worship, to in any way credit anything with having power similar to God’s.  They were not to bow to other religions gods , or even the rulers of other countries.  God is a jealous God, not willing to share his position as God with others, just as a husband should not be willing to share his position as husband with others.  He promised to reward those who followed his commands and to punish those who would not. 

God demanded total respect.  Exodus 20:7 commands, “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”  They were not to treat his name lightly or disrespectfully.  To do so would be treated as disrespecting God, and those who made fun of him or otherwise disrespected him would be held accountable for what they had done. 

Exodus 20:8-11 set the Sabbath day apart as an holy day.  “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” 

Resting on the Sabbath was a mark of respect for God and creation, because it marked the completion of creation.  In Mark 2:27, Jesus said, “…The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”  Both humans and animals need rest, and by taking a day off, we demonstrate respect for the things God created, and by obeying him in doing so we demonstrate our respect for him. 

This emphasis on respect carries over in the rest of the commandments.  Exodus 20:12 commands, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” Because they have more experience, learning to pay attention to what our parents tell us can literally save our lives and avoid a lot of suffering. 

Exodus 20:13 commands, “Thou shalt not kill.”  The word kill used here means to kill a person and refers specifically to murder.  It is based again on respect for God and the things he has created.  Genesis 9:5-6 states,  “And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man.  Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.”  Taking a person’s life disrespects that person as well as the God who created him. 

Exodus 20:14 commands, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”  Sexual sin has a similar implication of disrespect for both God and other people.  Genesis 2:24 tells us, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”  Taking another person’s wife or husband is the emotional equivalent of chopping off their arm or leg, and shows a complete lack of regard for them and for God’s command.     Taking their belongings or destroying their reputation are other ways of showing disrespect.  Exodus 20:15-16 commands, “Thou shalt not steal.  Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.” 

Jesus said all the law could be summed up in Loving God and Loving man, in Matthew 22:37-40.  “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”  When we respect and love God or other people, we do not wish to hurt them. 

When we begin to focus on what others have there is danger we may begin to try to take it for ourselves.  Exodus 20:17 warns against allowing that attitude in our lives.  “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.”  If we are not careful, having those things will become more important than God to us.  Ephesians 5:3-5 warns Christians to be careful about our attitudes and behavior.  “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.  For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”    

Taking God Seriously

Israel had left Egypt on the fifteenth day of the first month.  A month later, God began supplying manna.  A few days later they crossed a ridge of hills at Rephidim, where God brought water from the rock.  After crossing the foothills they descended back into the desert and continued eastward to the eastern slope of Mount Sinai, arriving about two months after leaving Egypt, in the third month of the year, according to Exodus 19:1-2.  “In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.  For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.” 

On the east side of Jebel el Laws, the biblical mount Sinai is a large flat area where there is definite evidence of a large group having camped for an extended period.  Numerous artifacts indicate this was in fact where Israel camped for the next nine months, while receiving the Law and building the Tabernacle.    

When they arrived, Moses went up on the mountain to talk with the Lord and God began to describe his plans for Israel, in Exodus 19:3-6.  “And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.  Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.”

God told Moses to remind the people of what they had seen him do in the previous three months, including the various plagues,  crossing the Red Sea, the destruction of the Egyptian army, the daily supply of manna, and the water from the rock at Rephidim.  He offered that if they would obey his commands, he would treat them as his special people.   While all the earth and everyone on it belongs to God, Israel would have a special place as priests to represent God to the world.  The people readily agreed with God’s conditions, in Exodus 19:7-8.  “And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.  And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.”

People find it very easy to make promises without taking them seriously.  God wanted them to take the agreement seriously, so he gave special instructions to Moses as to what they were to do in an attempt to drive the importance home, in Exodus 19:9-15.  “And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.  And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.  And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.  And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.”  To drive home how important this agreement was, anyone who ignored the instructions was to be put to death. 

Three days later, God met with the people speaking to them from Mount Sinai and reminding them of the importance in Exodus 19:16-22.  “And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.  And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.  And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.

And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.  And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.  And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.  And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.”

The main reason for pomp and ceremony is to emphasize the importance of and event.  Even at the most serious events, some people get caught up in their own things and become quite disrespectful.  God warned Moses about not allowing that to happen.  Moses told him they knew what they were to do but God told him to remind them again, in Exodus 19:23-25.  And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.  And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them.  So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.” 

People, and especially children observe us to see how seriously we take things as a way of determining how important they are.  By making a special effort to show respect for God, we encourage others to take him seriously.  One reason there is little respect for God in America is because those who claim to be Christians do not take him seriously.

Listening to Others

Moses had originally taken his wife and children to Egypt, but as the conflict with Pharaoh grew, he sent them back to her father for protection.  Learning that Moses was back in the local area, Jethro brought her and her sons to Moses, in Exodus 18:1-6.  “When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt; Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back, And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land: And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh: And Jethro, Moses' father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God: And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her. “

Moses had worked with Jethro for forty years, and they had a close relationship.  He was excited to share what God was doing with Israel, in Exodus 18:7-8.  “And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent.  And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them.”

Though the Midianites were starting to turn away, Jethro and his family still worshipped God.  Jethro was almost as excited as Moses about what God was doing.  “And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.  And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.  Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.  And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father in law before God.”

The next day, Jethro saw some potential problems in the way Moses was doing things, and made some suggestions he felt would prevent some of the problems, In Exodus 18:13-23.  “And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.  And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?

And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God: When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.

And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.  Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.  Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.

Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.  If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.”

Moses was trying to deal with all the problems himself so everything would be done right.   As Jethro observed, he said Moses was exhausting himself and frustrating the people.  If they knew what was expected they could avoid many of the problems.  While problems would still arise, with clear guidelines, authority could be delegated to certain individuals to deal with most of them, leaving Moses free to deal with the most serious problems.   He suggested Moses seek the Lord’s leadership in implementing such a program. 

A common mistake people make is trying to micromanage everything so every detail turns out just the way they want.  This makes others resentful and afraid to act on their own initiative for fear of making the person mad.  By letting people know what is expected and allowing them freedom to do things their own way, we allow them to grow and develop their abilities, even though they may not always do things just the way we think best. 

Because Moses was an humble person and respected his father-in-law, he listened to his advice, as Exodus 18:24-27 tells us.  “So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.  And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.  And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.  And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.”

Sometimes, God uses other people to teach us how to do things more effectively.   If we are too proud or selfish to listen, we may impede what we are trying to accomplish.  None of us is perfect, or even close to being, and we don’t always know the best way to do things.  Because Moses listened to Jethro, he would be able to leave others in charge while he met with God and learned what God wanted.  Later, they would set up a very similar program as a permanent system in Israel, as Moses describes in Deuteronomy 1:6-18.