The Giving of the Law

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Law

 

 

 

Wednesday 01/03/18 

Message – The Giving of the Law

Series: Thru the Bible – Exodus 19-21

***Video is HERE***

The Giving of the Law

Exodus 19

Vs. 1-6

  • They departed from Rephidim and came to the Wilderness of Sinai.
  • Israel camped before the mountain.
  • God uses the “fear of the Lord” as a basis for Israel’s obedience.
    • God uses His mighty acts as the basis for Israel’s respect (fear).
  • Special Treasure – The primary meaning of the word theologically is its designation “unique possession.” God has made Israel His own unique possession (Exod. 19:5). Israel holds a special position among the nations of the world, although all nations belong to the Lord. Israel’s position, function, character, responsibility, and calling create its uniqueness (Deut. 7:6; Deut. 14:2; Deut. 26:18; Psa. 135:4). Israel is to be a priestly community that honors and fears the Lord, to be His alone (Mal. 3:17). In the New Testament, 1Pet. 2:9 quotes Exod. 19:5, applying it to the church.
    • Read Rom. 11
  • Moses communicates with Israel through it’s elders and through the elders received Israel’s reply of, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do.”
  • God protects both Moses and Israel concerning Moses’ authority, which would have save Mirriam and several others in Israel if they had listened.
    • Exod. 19:9, “And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.” So Moses told the words of the people to the LORD.
  • Third day – there is a significance to the number three is scripture. How it play out here I am uncertain, but it is too specific a number to think it was randomly chosen.
  • People might have been tempted to try to sneak a peek at God so He warns them to place up a barrier and not break through.
  • God describes “breaking out against them” this may be a cognitive action or simply a result. Moses was stealed against the presence of God hurting him through his being consecrated, obedient AND being invited there.
  • Moses argues with God – God puts His foot down.

 

Exodus 20

  • Again God offers the fact that He delivered them as the basis for their loyalty to Him.
    • Just as God expected and anticipated loyalty from Israel for deliverance from physical bondage He expects and anticipates loyalty from us for deliverance from spiritual bondage and from our flesh.
  • Ten Commandments: (4 between God and man, 6 between man and man)
      • 4 is the number for the physical creation (so here it is the relation of the created to the creator)
      • 6 is the number of man (so here it is the relation of man to man)

The 1st 4:

  • No other gods besides me
    • Because I am a jealous God and will punish to 3 generation those who hate me (remember our teaching on hate from Jesus? Loyal to one and despise the other or love the one and hate the other)
  • Do not idolize anything but Me and do not make for yourselves things of worship – but worship, love and serve God alone.
  • Don’t misuse My name (His name represents all He is so this can not go unpunished)
  • Consecrate the 7th day and keep it dedicated unto Me.
    • On the 4th day God created the material universe (sun, stars & other heavenly bodies) and told us He did so for signs and seasons, days and years. The Hebrew word for ‘seasons’ in Genesis 1:14 is moed is translated as “appointed times” or divine appointments. So it is natural that the commandment God mentions 4th is to remember and keep God’s holy Sabbath day (Exodus 20:9 – 11).
    • Do no work (make no money – do not use it for your own purposes or for your own provisions – remember the mana?)
    • Reason points back to Creation and God’s having rested on the 7th day.
    • Remember Isa. told us,

Isa. 58:13-14,  “If you keep from desecrating the Sabbath, from doing whatever you want on My holy day; if you call the Sabbath a delight, and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, seeking your own pleasure, or talking too much;  (14)  then you will delight yourself in the LORD, and I will make you ride over the heights of the land, and let you enjoy the heritage of your father Jacob.” For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

The 6 remaining:

  1. Honor your father and your mother.
    1. SO THAT you may live long in the place God gives to you.
  2. Don’t murder (don’t hate)
  3. Don’t commit adultery (don’t lust after another person’s mate)
  4. Don’t take what does not belong to you.
  5. Don’t hurt another’s life, livelihood, reputation or anything else by falsifying information about them.
  6. Do not covet (Be satisfied with that which you have)

 

  • When the people witnessed the thunder, the lightning, the terrible sound of the trumpet blast and the mountain quaking and smoking – they withdrew and set up terms for relationship with God THROUGH a mediator rather than directly.
    • Rather than taking interpreting these wonders in terms of reverence, they misinterpreted them in terms of personal fear.
    • Like I’ve told your – there is what God says…and then there is our understanding of what He says.
  • Moses presses in (knees knocking) and approaches God.
    • In reference to our own obedience and drawing near to God (Heb. 12:18-29)
  • God reiterates the need to not make any other Gods – not silver OR gold (He knew what they were about to do).
  • My altars will be make with stones NOT cut or shaped by man.
  • They didn’t wear underwear – ‘nuf said about that.

Exodus 21

  • If you buy one of your brothers as a slave – he is to serve NO LONGER than 7 years and then be set free owing nothing more and with all his possession in tact.
  • If a master gives his servant a wife and she bears children, upon leaving they belong to the master.
    • If he wants to keep them in his life, he must become a bond-servant.

There is more information in the audio/video of the actual message. I hope you listen, learn and enjoy!

…Blessings! 

 

I hope this teaching will challenge you and encourage you to place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

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Blessings!

 

Pastor Mark

View posts by Pastor Mark

Hi my name is Mark and though I am opposed to titles, I am currently the only Pastor (shepherd/elder) serving our assembly right now.

I have been Pastoring in one capacity or another for nearly 30 years now, though never quite like I am today.

Early in 2009 the Lord revealed to me that the way we had structured our assembly (church) was not scriptural in that it was out of sync with what Paul modeled for us in the New Testament. In truth, I (like many pastors I am sure) never even gave this fundamental issue of church structure the first thought. I had always assumed that church structure was largely the same everywhere and had been so from the beginning. While I knew Paul had some very stringent things to say about the local assembly of believers, the point of our gatherings together and who may or may not lead, I never even considered studying these issues but assumed we were all pretty much doing it right...safety in numbers right?! Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong!

So needless to say, my discovery that we had been doing it wrong for nearly two decades was a bit of a shock to me! Now, this "revelation" did not come about all at once but over the course of a few weeks. We were a traditional single pastor led congregation. It was a top-bottom model of ministry which is in part biblical, but not in the form of a monarchy.

The needed change did not come into focus until following 9 very intense months of study and discussions with those who were leaders in our church at the time.

We now understand and believe that the Bible teaches co-leadership with equal authority in each local assembly. Having multiple shepherds with God's heart and equal authority protects both Shepherds and sheep. Equal accountability keeps authority and doctrine in check. Multiple shepherds also provide teaching with various styles and giftings with leadership skills which are both different and complementary.

For a while we had two co-pastors (elders) (myself and one other man) who led the church with equal authority, but different giftings. We both taught in our own ways and styles, and our leadership skills were quite different, but complimentary. We were in complete submission to each other and worked side-by-side in the labor of shepherding the flock.

Our other Pastor has since moved on to other ministry which has left us with just myself. While we currently only have one Pastor/Elder, it is our desire that God, in His faithfulness and timing, may bring us more as we grow in maturity and even in numbers.

As to my home, I have been married since 1995 to my wonderful wife Terissa Woodson who is my closest friend and most trusted ally.

As far as my education goes, I grew up in a Christian home, but questioned everything I was ever taught.

I graduated from Bible college in 1990 and continued to question everything I was ever taught (I do not mention my college in order to avoid being labeled).

Perhaps my greatest preparation for ministry has been life and ministry itself. To quote an author I have come to enjoy namely Fredrick Buechner in his writing entitled, Now and Then, "If God speaks to us at all other than through such official channels as the Bible and the church, then I think that He speaks to us largely through what happens to us...if we keep our hearts open as well as our ears, if we listen with patience and hope, if we remember at all deeply and honestly, then I think we come to recognize beyond all doubt, that, however faintly we may hear Him, He is indeed speaking to us, and that, however little we may understand of it, His word to each of us is both recoverable and precious beyond telling." ~ Fredrick Buechner

Well that is about all there is of interest to tell you about me.

I hope our ministry here is a blessing to you and your family. I also hope that it is only a supplement to a local church where you are committed to other believers in a community of grace.

~God Bless!