Verse for the Day, 22 September 2014.

Exodus 23:25-33, “You shall serve the LORD your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you.  (26)  None shall miscarry or be barren in your land; I will fulfil the number of your days.  (27)  I will send my terror before you and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you.  (28)  And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you.  (29)  I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you.  (30)  Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land.  (31)  And I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you.  (32)  You shall make no covenant with them and their gods.  (33) They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

The above verses demonstrate to us the blessings that come with obedience, as well as the many mercies, favour, protection, provision and help of God. The people of Israel are being encouraged to remain faithful to God, to live in obedience to God’s laws and serve only God.

They are given encouragement by means of the promised blessings for their faithfulness and obedience. God will provide for their physical needs, He will keep them in health, He will bless their families and their land. He will fight with and for them, granting them victory and success over their enemies. He will be the one that leads them through the conquest and they shall eat the fruit and crops that were planted by others, by their enemies. They will know the full protection and provision of God. The final promised blessing is that God would give them a great land, the promise inheritance.

Once having stated all the blessings they shall know and enjoy from God if they faithfully and obediently serve Him, after having been encouraged to this, this chapter ends with another call to faithfulness, and gives a clear warning.

The Israelites are given some specific instructions: They are to drive out the nations from the land, they are not to enter into any covenant with them, they are not to embrace the idolatry of the nations around them, and serve those gods alongside their worship of God. These instructions come with a clear warning. If they fail to do this, to drive out the nations, making no covenants and reject their false gods, then these very things, the nations with their idolatrous ways, will become a snare to them, it will bring them into danger, into a trap from which there is little escape.

Tragically, we know that in spite of this and other clear warnings, despite all the blessings promised and encouragements given to be obedient and faithful, they people of Israel fail on all three accounts. They fail to drive out the nations, they enter into covenants with some of the nations and adopt the gods of these nations as their own. Their actions truly become a snare and the people of Israel suffer under God’s hand of judgement and wrath against sin.

This is a clear lesson and encouragement to us to pursue the path of faithfulness and obedience to God, through the Lord Jesus Christ. We must not become like this generation of Israelites, for they presumed upon their position as God’s people, and failed to address the sin in their lives, or to respond in obedience to the simple commands of God. We must watch ourselves closely, never presuming upon our special position as children of God, we must realise that God takes our sin seriously and will therefore discipline us if He deems it necessary. The path of obedience and faithfulness is the path that leads to the further blessing, mercy and grace of God, and demonstrates our thankfulness towards Him for His great faithfulness to us.

Holy Father, thank You for the clear warnings that You give in Your Word, and for the many encouragements to help us to remain faithful and obedient. We praise You that You are so good to us, and when we walk in faithfulness and obedience You make Your goodness know to us in even greater measure. We pray that You would help us to heed these warnings, to understand that faithfulness and obedience is better, and to therefore strive after it all the more. Amen.

Verse for the Day, 17 September 2014.

Exodus 22:7-9  "If a man gives to his neighbour money or goods to keep safe, and it is stolen from the man's house, then, if the thief is found, he shall pay double.  (8)  If the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall come near to God to show whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbour's property.  (9)  For every breach of trust, whether it is for an ox, for a donkey, for a sheep, for a cloak, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, 'This is it,' the case of both parties shall come before God. The one whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbour.

Much of Exodus 22 has to do with the protection of property from theft, damage or destruction. God gives to the people of Israel the principles, laws and practices that should help them to govern their nation and to ensure that justice is fairly served when the law is transgressed.

If we read through this chapter we see that several of the Ten Commandments form the foundation of this chapter. We see the first commandment, and commandments six through ten. The people of Israel are learning what the upholding, enforcing and wider implications of the law are and what it would look like on a practical level. The Ten Commandments in some respects are quite broad, and require further definition and explanation. God in His grace supplies this additional explanation. From issues dealing with the death of a person in an act of self-defence, to malicious damage of property by means of fire, to the protection of property entrusted to us by our neighbour, to the manner in which we are to use property that we have borrowed, to the treatment of women, the manner in which those who are sorcerers are to be dealt with, to those who are sexually immoral. It is very broad, but also specific. In all these various laws there is call for truthfulness, holiness and the honouring of God. This would mean that the people Israel would seek to discern and understand God’s commandments, and how they should live in light of them. Those who transgress would be dealt with quickly, justly and appropriately. This would lead to a nation that was functioning well, had a good understand of God and His Word, sought to honour God by their obedience and had a strong but fair justice system. It sent out a clear warning to those who sought to defy the law, those who look for ways around it, a means by which they could justify their sinful actions, or to blame it on another person, that God will hold them accountable for their actions.

All these laws and principles are given to us in God’s common grace, and we should be greatly thankful that He has done this. God knows our hearts and He knows how prone we are to sin, how we will look for any and every means to justify or excuse our sin. God also knows how our sin has a wider, detrimental impact on ourselves and those around us, sin often will lead to more sin. Thus God in He grace towards us and so as to restrain our sinfulness gives us these laws to teach us exactly what His law means, how He would have us live and to the know the many blessings of living in obedience to God. Many of these laws may not be in existence in our country, and some might not even apply immediately to us. However, we should not just disregard them, rather we need to study them, understand them, learning what it is that God requires of us now as His children in regards to similar matters. These many be ancient laws, but the truth they teach still stands to this day.

Righteous and Just Father, we thank You for Your law and for the many ways in which You teach us how to understand and apply Your law to our lives. We pray for Your forgiveness, as we are often slow to be obedient, we seek to excuse of justify our sin and fail to walk in holiness. Give us a greater understanding of Your holiness and wisdom, help us to love You, Your law and obedience, so that we might honour You in all of our lives. Amen.

Verse for the Day, 15 September 2014.

Exodus 21:23-25, “But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life,  (24)  eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,  (25)  burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.”

In Exodus 21 further laws are given, the majority of these laws pertain to murder, assault, and personal injuries at the hands of each other, or due to an unruly animal. In the midst of these civil laws, come these well-known verses. As well as these verses are known, they are equally misunderstood. The principle given in these verses is there to guide those who were to serve as magistrates and judges in the nation of Israel. It was a means to help them know how restitution was to be made and justice served. Their design is to prevent personal revenge, overly harsh punishment, light punishment or injustice. The greater principle behind these verses is that of the commandment not to murder, the people of Israel are to understand that human life is created in the image of God, is therefore precious and is to be upheld, protected and preserved. An attack against a person, is to attack someone who is created in the image of God and therefore to come against God Himself. Thus the Israelites are being taught the further implication of this commandment, it is not just murder that is wrong, it is any act of selfish, unjust, and evil violence against each other. We are not only commanded not to murder, we are also commanded not to strike each other in sin and anger. Both murder and acts of violence are to be dealt with in a manner that is just and appropriate.

These verses are also well-known to us because they are quoted in part by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus not only quotes these verses, but he takes them to another level when applying it to the lives of those who believe in and follow him. Matthew 5:38-48, “You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' (39)  But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. (40)  And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. (41)  And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. (42)  Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. (43)  "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.' (44)  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (45) so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (46)  For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? (47)  And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? (48) You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Jesus here is not denying the need and place for justice, he is not saying that if a Christian is murdered that the murderer should go free. Rather what Jesus would have us understand is how this principle applies to us as Christians when we face opposition for our faith in Christ, how we should respond towards Christian persecution. If someone comes against us because of our faith in Christ, we should not retaliate, nor seek after revenge, rather we should extend grace, mercy, love and forgiveness to our persecutors and entrust ourselves to God’s justice. This doesn’t mean that if a Christian is murdered because of their faith, that the murderer should be forgiven and let off, justice must be served through the means of justice that God has established. As Christians, we should seek for justice to be done, but we also need to extend the Gospel, forgiveness and love to those who have come against us.

In doing this we are following the example set for us by God. Our actions against God demanded justice, we must be punished for what we have done. God also desires to show love, mercy, grace and favour to us. However, God’s holiness and justice cannot be overpowered by His love and grace, nor can it merely sweep our sin under the carpet. God may love us with an everlasting indescribable love, but God must also be just. Therefore God acts both in justice and in love, our sin is dealt with, the punishment against it is laid upon Christ, God’s holiness, and justice is satisfied, and love, forgiveness and salvation is extended to us on that basis. It is this example that we are to follow.

Most holy, righteous, just and loving God, we praise and thank You for Your grace given to us through the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank You, that He bore the just and full punishment that we deserved and we have undeservedly received grace and salvation through Christ’s work. We pray that You would help us to follow Your example when it comes to responding to those who come against us because of our faith in You. May we seek to love those who hate You and therefore hate us, remembering that there once was a time when we hated You, and yet You showed love and forgiveness towards us. May we become more and more like You, for the glory of Your name. Amen.