Burunche’s Blog

Exodus 20: 13 “You shall not murder.”

“Oh, I could just KILL him!” “Some people just need killing!” “You’d better kill that idea!” “He/She is nothing but a killjoy!” “You’re killing me here!”

We have all heard friends or coworkers making remarks referring to killing. Thankfully, most of the time the tone of these remarks is a semi-joking one; however, are such statements a good idea? What does God think about killing?

The first recorded murder in the Bible was the murder of Abel by his brother Cain. The story is told in Genesis 4. v. 2. – 7 describes the beginning of the problem: ” Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, while Cain was a tiller of the soil. So in the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruit of the soil as an offering to the LORD, while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock. And the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but He had no regard for Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell.

“Why are you angry,” said the LORD to Cain, “and why has your countenance fallen? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you, but you must master it.”

Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock while Cain brought “some of the fruit of the soil.” There is no record of God having commanded a blood sacrifice at this point, so Cain’s offering should have been acceptable. What was wrong? From the description it appears that Abel was careful to offer God his very best while Cain evidently just gathered up whatever he had lying around. Perhaps Cain’s offering was even rotting and drawing flies!!! Abel truly worshiped God while Cain had no regard for him. God Himself informs Cain that he has not acted rightly. When God found Cain’s offering unacceptable, Cain did not ask God how he could best please God but became furious with Abel and killed him.

Later on when God is giving the Israelites instructions on how they are to live, He warns them not to engage in quarrels and outlines what will happen to anybody who causes harm to someone else. When the Israelites are about to enter Canaan, God even makes provision for cities of refuge to which those who have killed accidentally can flee and be safe from anyone seeking vengeance. For God to draw these distinctions means that God understands human hearts and knows when accidents might occur.

APPLICATION: It was 3 AM when I was called by a frantic hospital watchman that I should rush to the Casualty Unit. There I found the twenty – one year old son of one of our nurses lying dead on a gurney. The police were there with the son’s friend, a local barber, who was very drunk. A terrible tragedy had occurred. The two young men were drinking heavily and got into an argument. The young barber had just cut someone’s hair that afternoon and still had a pair of scissors in his pocket. In an alcoholic rage, this young man stabbed his friend in the chest, penetrating his heart and killing him quickly. It was only when the young man who had been stabbed collapsed that his friend sobered up enough to call for help. And now one promising young man was dead and a second was under arrest for murder, all because of an alcohol – fueled rage. As I watched, the second young man sobered up and suddenly realized that his friend was dead and that he had killed him.

These days the violent video games have proliferated. Several years ago, one teen in a small Southern town who had been playing “Grand Theft Auto” repeatedly went out and shot a local police officer, someone his family knew well and liked. There was little or no provocation for this act. It was strongly suspected that practicing murder in a video game had led to this tragedy. Airlines train their pilots on flight simulators, so why would violent video games not lead to a disregard for human life and a willingness to kill?

What does God say about vengeance? Deuteronomy 32:35 says, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. ” Later on Romans 12:19 God says, “Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”

When we commit murder, we take over God’s job, one for which we are totally unsuited! And murder, or even thoughts of murder, leave a stain on our own souls that only God can heal, if we will let Him. But the very act of murder involves turning away from God and repudiating His commandments. Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.” Committing murder sets us on a path to our own destruction.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you that you know our hearts far better than we do! Lord, help us to forgive quickly and completely, leaving vengeance to you. And help us to turn away from violent films, violent video games, and other forms of violence that would encourage us to take matters into our own hands and commit murder. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”

God is all about families and their relationships! The Bible describes all kinds of families – good families, dysfunctional families, fractured families, families with murder and incest, families with sexual abuse. Obviously God knows human hearts and he knows how badly things can go wrong in families. All this being the case, why does God give this commandment?

Consider what happens when a baby is conceived. Half of the DNA comes from each parent. That means that as that baby grows, he or she will automatically reflect each side of the family. Through the years, there have been arguments about “Nature vs. Nurture,” the question being which is more important, your DNA or the way you were raised. While both of these contribute, there have been many reported cases in which twins who were separated by birth and raised by different families have wound up with similar jobs, liking similar leisure activities, etc. Heredity is important.

APPLICATION: Given the fact that half your DNA comes from each parent, if you reject one or both of your parents, you are actually rejecting your own body. Yesterday we spoke about stress and the bad health problems stress can promote. Persistent rejection of parents or failure to honor them will definitely bring about stress and result in health problems, including ones that can shorten your life.

“But what if my parents are not good ones?” you ask. This is a fair question. There are some parents who are control freaks or manipulative or abusive or even criminals. Those who work in Child Protective Services know that there are some people who should never have had children in the first. In one small town in the Midwest, a five year old girl was found roaming the streets at all hours. Eventually it was learned that her parents were running a meth lab in their house, endangering their child and themselves, not to mention the entire neighborhood.

We need to go back and re – read this commandment. Notice that the commandment orders us to “honor” our parents. The commandment does not say “love” your parents or even “like” your parents. The commandment also does not say “take abuse from your parents” or “allow your parents to steal from you.”

People who have grown up with abusive parents who quickly fly into rages know that sometimes you have to remove yourself from a situation to protect yourself. And God also knows this. So the big question is this: WHAT IF MY PARENTS HAVE FAILED ME? DO I STILL HAVE TO HONOR THEM AND IF SO, HOW? HOW DO I HONOR MY PARENTS WHEN THEY DON’T DESERVE IT?

When God gave this commandment, He knew that some parents would be horrible. One thing we need to examine is what honor is not. To honor means to give respect, and you can acknowledge someone as your parent without approving of their actions, their character, or their treatment of you. You can honor a parent without liking them.

Here are some ways you can honor your parents, no matter what they are like:

1. Pray for your parents! Pray that they will turn their lives over to God. If they have problems with drugs, alcohol, gambling, or any other addictive behavior, pray that God will soften their hearts with His love and that they will learn to follow Jesus Christ, His Son. Pray that the hurts your parents suffered as children will be healed. Speak healing and positive Scripture over your parents. Never doubt that these proclamations can change their lives!

2. Do not trash your parents. Do not broadcast their sins in public, with your friends, or in any group with which you are associated. Do not make disparaging remarks about your parents, particularly to your children. If your friends/acquaintances insist on bringing up the subject of your parents’ bad behavior, you can simply advise them that you are praying for your parents and you refuse to discuss this further.

3. Do what you can to help your parents without becoming their victim. Some people are incredibly manipulative and view relatives as easy forms of prey. You must set boundaries. Example: If a parent continually runs up big bills buying things on credit and then expecting you to pay for them, you can refuse. If necessary, consult a lawyer and take steps to protect your own spouse and children.

4. What about the parent who tries to use their grandchildren as a weapon? Again, each case must be tailored individually and you may need to consult both a lawyer and a family counselor for advice. One major challenge is the manipulative grandparent who gives a grandchild a secret cell phone and then communicates with them without your knowledge. Such behavior can become a thorny issue, with the grandparent attempting to alienate your child from you. In such cases, you may need to take the stance that “You are my father/mother and I thank God for you having given birth to me. But your behavior makes it difficult/impossible for me to trust you with my child/children.” If necessary, you may have to involve law enforcement. In this case you are not refusing to honor your parents; you are protecting your children.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you that YOU are the perfect parent! But Lord, many of us have problem parents to deal with and honoring them is difficult. Please show us how to honor problem parents while we protect our families. And help us to copy you as our Divine Father, rather than copying the wrong things that our parents did to us. Thank you for loving us and for caring for us and for hearing and answering our prayers. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 20:8 – 11 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work—neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant or livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, but on the seventh day He rested. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.”

 At first this might seem to be the weirdest commandment of them all! This commandment speaks of God resting, but God is immortal and all – powerful, so surely He doesn’t need to rest! And yet, God lists this commandment right after the one regarding the misuse of His Name. Why?

Throughout all of nature, there are cycles of activity and rest – day and night, summer and winter, times of growth and times of inactivity. When God created the world, He established these patterns, and as part of those patterns, he established Sabbath rest. Does God need to rest? NO! Do WE need to rest? ABSOLUTELY!

God knows us better than we know ourselves! God knows that many people, given the chance, would simply keep working and working and working, giving themselves little time to rest and no time for worship. So God established a seven day cycle in which the seventh day was to be a day of complete rest for everybody in the household, including the servants and the animals. As God continued to teach Moses and the Israelites, the Sabbath also became a day of worship.

How much importance did God attach to the Sabbaths? God ordered the Israelites to remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy. God wanted to make sure that at least one day a week, the Israelites would stop their normal activities and focus on Him instead.

How serious was God about the failure of His people to observe the Sabbath? Repeatedly, when God was admonishing the Jews for their failures to follow Him properly, He rebuked them for refusing to observe the Sabbath. In Isaiah 58:13 – 14 God says, “If you turn your foot from breaking the Sabbath, from doing as you please on My holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight, and the LORD’s holy day honorable, if you honor it by not going your own way or seeking your own pleasure or speaking idle words, then you will delight yourself in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the land and feed you with the heritage of your father Jacob.” For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. One of the reasons that both Israel and Judah were overrun by invaders was their refusal to observe the Sabbath and their insistence on treating it as just one more day on which to make money.

APPLICATION: How do we observe the Sabbath or do we observe it at all? In recent years, there has been a great deal written about the destructive effects of continued stress on health and emotional well – being. Those who are under perpetual stress may develop all kinds of problems, including depression, allergies, autoimmune disorders, and even cancer. Frankly speaking. our bodies were created to need regular Sabbaths. When we refuse to rest regularly, we are only hurting ourselves.

For years I manned a bush hospital in a remote rural area in Ghana as the only doctor. As much as possible, I tried to keep Sundays as days of some rest, even if it was just sliding into a church service late and getting a long afternoon nap. It was an incredible relief when I gained colleagues and was able to schedule regular times out, including being off some Sundays so that I could truly enjoy worship and rest. Those times when I was forced to operate seven days a week due to emergencies frequently led to my falling sick with typhoid or malaria and being forced to take time off anyway.

How can you keep the Sabbath holy? You need to ask God to show you what He wants you to do. When we are in the U.S., we try not to buy things on Sunday if at all possible and we try to attend church and to rest. Some people must work on Sundays due to scheduling; perhaps God would have you take some other day off as your Sabbath. The biggest thing is to pray and ask God how you can best honor Him. Rest assured that God will open ways and means for you when you ask.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you for your Sabbaths! Thank you for the chance to be quiet, to rest and to restore ourselves. Thank you for the opportunities for worship. Lord, show everyone who reads this the ways you want them to honor you. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 20: 7 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.”

“OMG!!!” As an abbreviation for “Oh My God!” these three letters have become commonly used in text messages and on the internet. But there are two questions that must be asked:

1. IS HE REALLY YOUR GOD?

2. IF HE IS REALLY YOUR GOD, WHY ARE YOU MISUSING HIS NAME? WHY ARE YOU SO DISRESPECTFUL???

We live and work in Ghana, where people have several different names. Names and naming ceremonies are critically important. Children are not named until they are a few weeks old, just to make sure that they will live. Families think long and hard about the names they will give their children. It is quite common for a person to bear a Christian name, a name denoting the day of the week on which one was born, and a traditional name, plus the father’s name in addition. Frequently the traditional name will refer to a well – known proverb. As a Thursday – born female, my Twi name includes “Yaa.” In the north, many names are adapted from Hausa and there the name for a Thursday – born female is “Lamissi.” I also have a Konkomba name that means “God provides.”

When we began working in another part of northern Ghana, someone wanted to give me a traditional name with strange implications and I rejected it. Names can be blessings or curses and I had no desire to acquire a name that had a curse attached to it. If you are not a close personal friend of someone, it is impolite to use a traditional name unless you are in the proper setting. Yes, names are an important matter.

APPLICATION: God takes His Name seriously. When God spoke to Moses through the burning bush, He told Moses,”God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14) Perhaps God did not give Moses any other name because He knew that as soon as He did, someone would begin swearing oaths by it.

How did the use of God’s name as an exclamation start? It’s likely that in the beginning, people were calling upon God to witness that they were telling the truth. Perhaps in the beginning, calling upon God was actually a form of prayer. But we have become so used to throwing God’s name around that we have no idea how truly evil this practice is.

Imagine this: a female college student is sitting in her dorm room texting her friend and writes “OMG! LOL! ROFL!” Suddenly there is a blinding flash of light and the Angel of the lord appears in the room.

“You called?” asks the angel.

”Oh my God!” exclaims the teen. “Who are you?”

”I am the Angel of the Lord, the representative of the God whose Name you have been using in all your text messages. And you just called on God again.”

“But I thought that was just an expression,.”

“No, God really is the One True Living God, Creator and Master of the Universe, existing before all time and space, dwelling in dazzling and unapproachable light. And every time you use that “OMG” text, you are twisting God’s Name into a piece of rubbish.”

“I had no idea.” By this point, the young lady is trying to find a place to hide because the light from the angel is blinding. “What do I do now?”

“Well,” replies the angel, “are you aware that God has ordered people to be careful about how they handle his Name? And are you aware that God has warned that He will punish people who misuse His Name?”

“N..n..no!” stammers the student.

“Do you know what it means to repent?” asks the Angel.

“Um, to say I’m sorry?” questions the student.

“Well, it’s more than just mouthing words. True repentance means that you must have a change of heart and be grieved over the wrong things that you have done. If you don’t want God to punish you for misusing His Name, you need to repent.”

“But why should I be sorry?” asks the student.

“Do you love your parents and do your parents love you?” asks the Angel.

“Why yes! Of course I love my parents and they love me!”the student exclaims indignantly.

“Well, God loves you far more than your parents can ever love you. And some day your parents will grow old and die, but God will be with you forever. Isn’t a love like that worth some respect?”

“Um, sure, I guess.” Now the student is beginning to wonder about this.

“Why do you think that I have appeared to you today?” asks the angel. “God sent me here. God loves you, and He wants you to know Him so that you won’t misuse His Name any more.”

We’re leaving our college student and her angelic visitor at this point. But the question the Angel posed is for each of us: do we really know God and if we do, why are we misusing His Name? Do we realize that each time we misuse God’s Name, we are opening ourselves up for God to punish us? And do we realize that we have no choice in the means by which God will punish us? We too need to repent.

PRAYER: Father God, forgive us! We have shown no respect for you or for your Name. We have used your name as an exclamation, as a curse, and for that we deserve nothing but punishment. Lord, forgive us. Clean up our speech and help us always to have respect and awe for you. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 20:1 – 6 “And God spoke all these words: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens above, on the earth beneath, or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

The 20^th chapter of Exodus is one of the most important chapters in the entire Bible. Here God clearly lays out His standards and explains His reasons.

God begins by reminding the Israelites who He is; God is the One who has delivered them from their slavery in Egypt. Using the ten plagues, God has clearly demonstrated that He is Ruler over all of nature and even over death, and that the Egyptian gods are worthless. As the Deliverer, God deserves all worship. God is fully aware of all the idols, not only those from Egypt but also those from other countries and wants to make it clear that the Israelites are not to make any images of anything, whether in nature or from their imaginations. With God, there can be no exceptions and no compromise!

“ You shall not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens above, on the earth beneath, or in the waters below.” God knows the human heart better than humans do. Give human beings any leeway, and before you know it, they are off making graven images of the sun, the moon, of stars, etc.

“You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

APPLICATION: At first this statement seems totally unfair! Why should God punish children and grand children and even great grand children or great great grand children for the sins of the fathers? But God is actually very merciful and He is issuing a realistic warning. Familial sins repeat themselves throughout generations. One prime example is parents who give children alcohol. Recently in our part of rural Ghana, I attended the traditional funeral for the father of a friend. While our friend is a Christian and does not drink, most of the people attending the funeral were drinking heavily. There were five gallon jerry cans of pito throughout the funeral grounds. (Pito is the local beer.) One of the saddest parts of the funeral was seeing the number of children who were sampling the pito and the women who were carrying large amounts of pito back to their homes for consumption there. These children are quite likely to grow up to become alcoholics. And since their parents gave them alcohol as kids, they will do the same thing to their children, thus repeating this terrible pattern. And then when the children are dying of alcoholism, these same families will come begging, “Doctor, advise him/her to stop drinking!”

Multigenerational legacies are no joke! In a story entitled “Multigenerational Legacies-the story of Jonathan Edwards,” Larry Ballard describes two families, one with a heritage of righteousness and the other with a heritage of evil. Quoting Ballard:Jonathan Edwards, was a Puritan Preacher who lived from 1703 – 1758. He was one of the most respected preachers in his day. He attended Yale at the age of thirteen and later went on to become the president of Princeton college. He married his wife Sara in 1727 and they were blessed with eleven children. Every night when Mr. Edwards was home, he would spend an hour conversing with his family and then praying a blessing over each child. Jonathan and his wife Sarah passed on a great, godly legacy to their eleven children.

An American educator, A.E. Winship decided to trace the descendants of Jonathan Edwards almost 150 years after his death. His findings are remarkable, especially when compared to another man from the same time period known as Max Jukes.

Jonathan Edwards’ legacy includes: 1 U.S. Vice-President, 1 Dean of a law school, 1 dean of a medical school, 3 U.S. Senators, 3 governors, 3 mayors, 13 college presidents, 30 judges, 60 doctors, 65 professors, 75 Military officers, 80 public office holders, 100 lawyers, 100 clergymen, and 285 college graduates. How may this be explained? Edwards was a godly man, but he was also hard working, intelligent and moral. Furthermore, Winship states, “Much of the capacity and talent, intensity and character of the more than 1,400 of Edwards’ family is due to Mrs. Edwards.”

Max Jukes’ legacy came to people’s attention when the family trees of 42 different men in the New York prison system were traced back to him. He lived in New York at about the same period as Edwards. The Jukes family originally was studied by sociologist Richard L. Dugdale in 1877. Jukes’ descendants included: 7 murderers, 60 thieves, 190 prostitutes, 150 other convicts, 310 paupers, and 440 who were physically wrecked by addiction to alcohol. Of the 1,200 descendants that were studied, 300 died prematurely.

Ballard concludes: These contrasting legacies provide an example of what some call the five-generation rule. “How a parent raises their child — the love they give, the values they teach, the emotional environment they offer, the education they provide — influences not only their children but the four generations to follow, either for good or evil.” What a challenging thought! If someone studied your descendants four generations later, what would you want them to discover? Do you want an Edwards’ legacy or a Jukes’ legacy? The life you live will determine the legacy you leave! (https://www.ywam-fmi.org/news/multigenerational-legacies-the-story-of-jonathan-edwards/)

PRAYER: Father God, help us! We have no idea how much influence we have over future generations of our families! Lord, help us to bless our children as did Jonathan Edwards and to strive to live righteous lives so that our children will be encouraged to do the same. Thank you that you are the One who helps us to do this. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 19:16 – 25 “On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud was upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the ram’s horn went out, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke, because the LORD had descended on it in fire. And the smoke rose like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. And as the sound of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in the thunder.

The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the summit. So Moses went up, and the LORD said to him, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the LORD, lest many of them perish. Even the priests who approach the LORD must consecrate themselves, or the LORD will break out against them.”

But Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, for You solemnly warned us, ‘Put a boundary around the mountain and set it apart as holy.’”

And the LORD replied, “Go down and bring Aaron with you. But the priests and the people must not break through to come up to the LORD, or He will break out against them.”

So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.

Bless Moses’ trusting heart! Even though the Israelites have murmured, complained, and rebelled nearly to the point of stoning Moses, he still believes that they will follow instructions! But God knows human hearts, and God knows that down there in the camp there are already people planning their route to the mountain.

Why are there blasts from a ram’s horn? In a culture in which people herded sheep and goats, the ram’s horn, or shofar was an obvious choice as a means of getting attention and raising alarms. even today, the shofar is blown in synagogues around the world during certain celebrations. In ancient days, anybody hearing blasts from a ram’s horn would naturally stop what they were doing and look to see what the problem was. Here God is using an instrument that the Israelites would recognize to get their attention.

God descends in earthquakes, thunder, fire, and smoke. The entire mountain is shaking, including the ground on which the Israelites are camped. Moses goes to the mountain top and God speaks with him. But God is warning Moses.

“Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the LORD, lest many of them perish. Even the priests who approach the LORD must consecrate themselves, or the LORD will break out against them.”

Huh? God has already ordered Moses to establish a boundary and to get the people to consecrate themselves. It seems that the Israelites don’t take directions much better than did the sheep that Moses used to herd. Evidently by this point, there are priests who approach the Lord. The origin of these priests is unclear, but they too have failed to follow instructions to consecrate themselves. Perhaps the priests figured that since they were already priests, they were special and had no need of cleansing, so they ignored Moses’ warnings.

APPLICATION: How holy are we? We spend most of our days in highly secular situations that are anything but holy. Our speech and our actions may fit our particular situation, but do they honor God? Sadly, most of us must say no.

Honoring God must begin in our hearts and then spread into the rest of our lives. Many of us may have grown up in homes in which there was nobody to model holiness for us. We really are as clueless as the Israelites wandering around the base of Mount Sinai. God has given each of us a longing for Him, which means that deep inside we long to be holy.

Take heart! The same God who disicipled the Israelites into a nation can also teach you how to be holy. If you are willing to give up anything that stands in the way of holiness, God is already prepared to help you!

PRAYER: Father God, we are not holy, and we really don’t even have a clue about how to achieve holiness. You are the One who taught Israel. Please teach us. Cleanse us. And help us to follow hard after you all the days of our lives. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 19:9 – 14 “The LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you, and they will always put their trust in you.”

And Moses relayed the words of the people to the LORD.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes and be prepared by the third day, for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.

And you are to set up a boundary for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful not to go up on the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with arrows—whether man or beast, he must not live.’

Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain. ”

When Moses came down from the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. “Be prepared for the third day,” he said to the people. “Do not draw near to a woman.”

For three months the Israelites have been following God through the wilderness as He has led them by a pillar of cloud by day and protected them by a pillar of fire at night. But now God is taking things up to a higher level; He is preparing to meet with Moses and to speak audibly in the presence of all the people, so that they will thoroughly understand that God is leading Moses.

What causes you to trust somebody? A very wise man once said that trust is something that is difficult to earn, but easy to lose, and once lost, is nearly impossible to regain. God knows that there are many Israelites who are still murmuring against Moses in the quiet of their tents. Until now, God and Moses have met privately, but now God wants to meet with Moses publicly so that people will fully understand how close Moses is to God. God knows there’s a lot of rough stuff that the Israelites are going to have to experience and He wants them to trust Moses implicitly.

In preparation for this meeting, God orders the people to wash their clothes and to allow Moses to consecrate them. What this consecration entails is not clear; however, it’s possible that Moses orders the people to get rid of their amulets and charms and to search their hearts for anything from which they need to repent. Moses adds that they should abstain from sex. Why? Moses wants the people to be focused on God and not on themselves.

God orders Moses to set up a boundary around the mountain so that curious onlookers do not rashly come too close. Anybody who tries to approach the mountain before the ram’s horn blows is to be stoned or killed with arrows; such a person is not to be touched, lest someone else become profaned by touching the offender.

Why all the preparations? When God met with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, He disguised Himself or sent an angelic messenger. There was very little teaching as to how to relate to God or to approach God. But now God is following up on His promises in verses 5 – 6. “Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ God is endeavoring to teach an entire nation how to be priests and holy. Such an undertaking is massive and demands major demonstrations of power. God is beginning by teaching the Israelites to fear and respect Him.

APPLICATION: Most of us are far too casual with God! We act as if God were some kind of strange comic figure, instead of who he really is, the Lord God, Ruler of the Universe. Someone has said that many people feel the Ten Commandments are only ten suggestions, to be obeyed or discarded at will. Years ago, J. B. Phillips wrote a book entitled Your God Is Too Small. Phillips was right! Most of us are not worshiping God; we are worshiping some little god we have created out of a few of God’s more appealing attributes. When God really shows up in our lives, we don’t recognize Him because we have never really known Him.

In preparation for the meeting on Mount Sinai, Moses consecrated the people. We don’t know what that consecration entailed; however, it’s likely that Moses warned the people to get rid of anything that reminded them of Egypt. Objects that could be burned would be burned. Cult objects that could not be burned must be buried out in the desert where it would be impossible to find them again. Children – and adults – who had been named for Egyptian gods might require new names. And people were to fix their minds on God and not on sex; something that is still a challenge today.

If you knew that God wanted to meet with you, what would you have to eliminate from your life? Guess what? God DOES want to meet with you! Ask yourself if there is anything that is hindering you from meeting with God. And then find a way to get rid of that object or to turn away from that practice.

PRAYER: Father God, we are no better than the Israelites! We have all kinds of stuff in our lives that makes it difficult or impossible to meet with you. And many times we have not worshiped you but have worshiped some pseudo – deity that we have dreamed up. Lord, please come in your strength and your power! Cleanse us! Help us to get rid of the things that are keeping us from really engaging with you and going forward with you. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 19:1 -4 “In the third month, on the same day of the months that the Israelites had left the land of Egypt, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. After they had set out from Rephidim, they entered the Wilderness of Sinai, and Israel camped there in front of the mountain.

Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, “This is what you are to tell the house of Jacob and explain to the sons of Israel: ‘You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.

INCREDIBLE GOD!!! Appearing as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, God has led the Israelites out into the desert and away from the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Now the group is encamped before Mt. Sinai, where God previously called Moses into ministry using a burning bush to get his attention. God reminds the Israelites that just as a mother eagle will briefly carry her eaglets on her back as she flies to allow them to become used to flight, so He has carried Israel. God has delivered Israel out of Egypt with all its demonic gods and has brought them to a quiet place in which He can meet with them. Now God is sharing his vision for the Nation of Israel, and it is amazing.

v. 5-6 “Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.”

God has chosen Israel to be a kingdom of priests to all the earth, mediators between God and man. God wants Israel to be a holy nation to demonstrate to the rest of the people of the earth what can happen when an entire nation follows God. Does this mean that God is blind to the faults of the Israelites? Far from it! God knows every thought and every intent of the heart. God knows how many Israelites have Egyptian amulets and images hidden in their baggage. But God also knows that He can clean up the Israelites and make them holy. God wants the all the people of the earth to see that HE can sanctify them.

v. 7-8 “So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him. And all the people answered together, “We will do everything that the LORD has spoken.” So Moses brought their words back to the LORD.”

Buoyed up by the Red Sea deliverance and miraculous supplies of manna, quail, and water, the Israelites are quick to respond that they will obey God completely. SAY WHAT??? These are the same people who have nearly stoned Moses and Aaron on numerous occasions when things didn’t work out precisely the way they anticipated. But that was then and this is no. The Israelites have conveniently short memories and also absolutely no clue as to the hardness of their own hearts.

APPLICATION: We might read this story and think smugly about how we would have responded to God. We would have realized the enormous value of God’s calling! We would certainly have followed up on our promises! We would never have fallen away… or would we?

Remember Simon Peter on the night when Jesus was betrayed? When Jesus told all the disciples that they would desert him, Peter was quick to assert that he would NEVER do such a thing and that in fact, he was ready to die for Jesus. Only a few short hours later, Peter flatly denied that he had ever known Jesus, even though his Galilean accent clearly showed him to be one of Jesus’ followers.

God still calls us and the promises He made to Israel are also for all believers. God wants each of us to be holy and to be priests and priestesses to worship before Him. But there is a catch; we must keep covenant with God. Most of us are very easily distracted by all sorts of things – social media, television, hobbies – the list is endless. We are just like the sheep that Moses used to herd; we wander off in search of one more blade of delicious grass, never realizing that we are distancing ourselves from God in the process.

Today, what are the things that are taking God’s place in your life? Is it sports or your work or your family? Have you become addicted to videos on YouTube? Have you gotten caught up in online gaming? Or are there even darker things such as pornography and gambling?

God is calling you to come out! Come out of your obsessions and focus on Him! He can make you holy! He can purify your heart! And the peace and rest you are seeking in your obsessions can only be found in Him.

PRAYER: Father God, you know our hearts. Help us to leave anything behind that is not of you. Help us to answer your call to holiness, knowing that you are the one who can clean us up and make that call a reality. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 18:. 13 – 27 “The next day Moses took his seat to judge the people, and they stood around him from morning until evening. When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone as judge, with all the people standing around you from morning till evening?”

“Because the people come to me to inquire of God,” Moses replied. “Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me to judge between one man and another, and I make known to them the statutes and laws of God.”

But Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. Surely you and these people with you will wear yourselves out, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot handle it alone. Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their causes to Him. Teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way to live and the work they must do.

Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. Have these men judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you any major issue, but all minor cases they can judge on their own, so that your load may be lightened as they share it with you.

If you follow this advice and God so directs you, you will be able to endure, and all these people can go home in peace.”

Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. So Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult cases to Moses, but any minor issue they would judge themselves.

Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own land.”

Not only is Jethro a godly man, but he is also a very intelligent leader. Moses is doing his best, but trying to judge every case brought by the Israelites is wearing him out! People who stand all day waiting for their problems to be considered are also becoming fed up. Everybody needs a break, and God is advising Moses through Jethro.

APPLICATION: One veteran leader has described the experience of trying to handle everyone’s problems as being akin to “being stoned to death with popcorn.” Jethro advises Moses that Moses needs time to be with God, both to represent his people before God and also to hear from God so that he can pass on God’s messages to the people. Moses is drowning in trivia! Jethro advises that the men be organized into units of tens, fifties, hundreds, and thousands, with God-fearing, honest and trustworthy men over each of these division. If a matter makes it all the way up to the highest level and no solution is found, only then should the matter be presented to Moses.

Jethro’s advice is outstanding for several reasons:

1. Clearly, better methods for problem – solving are needed.

2. Any system that depends on one individual is doomed to failure.

3. Depending on one man means that no other leaders are being developed. The system Jethro proposes develops leaders. Remember there were 600,000 men, so that means 600 leaders of thousands, 6,000 leaders of hundreds, 12,000 leaders of fifties, and 60,000 leaders of tens. Overall, that means that Moses (and Aaron) will train 78,600 leaders at various levels. Training this many leaders will not only relieve Moses of much of the burden he has been shouldering but will also help organize the Israelites and prepare them for the things God wants them to do in the future.

ARE YOU TRYING TO BE THE ONLY LEADER OR ARE YOU HELPING DEVELOP OTHERS AS LEADERS? Clearly, God’s plan is for leaders to multiply themselves.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you for the wisdom you gave Jethro and for your plans for us to develop as leaders ourselves and to develop others. Please help us to seek your perfect will as we do these things. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 18:1-12 “Now Moses’ father-in-law Jethroa the priest of Midian, heard about all that God had done for Moses and His people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. After Moses had sent back his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro had received her along with her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.” The other son was named Eliezerc because Moses had said, “The God of my father was my helper and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.” (“Gershon” means “Sojourner.” “Eliezer” means “God is my helper.”)

Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, along with Moses’ wife and sons, came to him in the desert, where he was encamped at the mountain of God. He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”

So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and went into the tent. Then Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships they had encountered along the way, and how the LORD had delivered them.

And Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the LORD had done for Israel, whom He had rescued from the hand of the Egyptians. Jethro declared, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for He did this when they treated Israel with arrogance.”

Then Moses’ father-in-law Jethro brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.”

Who is Jethro? Remember that when Moses murdered the Egyptian overseer for abusing an Israelite slave, he had to escape to the desert to save himself. While Moses was wandering in the desert, God led him to the camp of Jethro, who evidently was already worshiping God on his own. Jethro’s daughter Zipporah became Moses’ wife, and they had two sons. Even as Moses was wandering, God was leading him to a woman who would be a fit helpmate and not an idol – worshiping hindrance.

Jethro is Moses’ father – in – law, but the Bible also describes him as “the priest of Midian.” This was an age in which polytheism was the norm, and people were worshiping all kinds of god associated with rocks and trees and bodies of water, not to mention gods of rain, gods of harvest, fertility gods, etc. It was common for travelers to carry their teraphim, their family gods, with them. Remember Rachel stealing Laban’s teraphim and hiding them under a camel saddle?

Obviously, Jethro has outgrown these little gods and has somehow found his way to worship the One True Living God. How can we tell this? Moses makes Jethro his confidante, sharing with Jethro everything that God has done for the Israelites. What is Jethro’s response?

v. 9 – 12 “And Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the LORD had done for Israel, whom He had rescued from the hand of the Egyptians. Jethro declared, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for He did this when they treated Israel with arrogance.”

Then Moses’ father-in-law Jethro brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.”

 Aaron and the Israelite elders also recognize Jethro as a godly man and share a sacrificial meal with him. In the wonderful book Eternity in Their Hearts, missionary Don Richardson has described many ways in which God the peoples of different cultures to receive Him and His Word. How did Jethro find his way to God? We don’t know, but that Jethro was worshiping God and not demons is beyond all doubt.

APPLICATION: When Moses fled Egypt, he had no idea what God was about to do; yet, God was able to guide him to Jethro and to Jethro’s daughter, Zipporah, who became his wife. Many times we long for guidance, but sometimes we question whether or not God can really lead us. Does God really know about our problems, all the details of our lives?

The story of Moses should give us courage to trust in God. Moses was an exile who could have easily died in the desert; yet, God spared him and led him to Jethro’s camp. Jethro mentored Moses in sheep – herding and taught him skills that Moses would need later when he was leading the Israelites. And Jethro was obviously a good man who believed in God’s call on Moses’ life and who was willing to help Moses and encourage him.

Do you feel lost and confused today? Remember that the same God who cared for Moses and who raised up Jethro and his family to help Moses will also come to your aid.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you for your watch care and your provision! Help us to turn to you with all our needs. Thank you that you know us better than we know ourselves. And thank you for loving us and caring for us. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.