KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Wednesday, February 06, 2019
Chapters: Exodus 22-24
Message: It Is The Law
Hello My Friend,
There is truly no greater joy than to see God’s hand in the blessings we receive, but the true test comes when we do not see Him doing anything for us. There are going to be times in our lives where it will seem as though we do not see or hear from God, but that does not mean He is not with us, it means He is preparing for our future. If He cannot trust us to stay obedient when He is not seen, how can He trust us with what He has planned for us. “His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” – Matthew 25:23.
Just; Righteous; influenced by a regard to the laws of God; or living in exact conformity to divine will. God gives us laws in the way He wants us to live, now, He gave Israel over six hundred, which if you stop to think about is not that bad as we have to follow hundreds of laws right now. As God stood over Mount Sinai, He continues instructing them on how He wants them to live, He gives laws concerning theft and restitution.
“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. 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.” – Exodus 22:1-5.
“and shall feed in another man’s field;” Restitution; The act of returning or restoring to a person some thing or right of which he has been unjustly deprived. The law of restitution teaches us that it is not lawful to take, keep, or sell something that does not belong to us. Even if it was done in error, we are responsible for the things we borrow, and restitution must be made. God says just returning it is not enough, they must pay interest, and if a thief was not able to make restitution, they must be sold as a slave to pay back what they took. We can look at it this way, there is only one way to heaven, and that is Jesus Christ, sin steals our right to go to heaven on our own, but Jesus made restitution for us, He bought, and paid for what was stolen from us on the cross, and when we come to Him our right to enter heaven has been restored. Praise God! “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;” – Colossians 2:13-14.
Some of the law makes a lot of sense, you would have to be a fool to think that there are no consequences for stealing or killing someone, but some of them see a little strange or even harsh, but this is the way God wants us to be. God now gives the laws concerning fornication, witches, and even tithing.
“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. Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death. He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed. 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.” – Exodus 22:16-20,29-30.
“Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death.” Really? They really had to go there? I only pointed this out because laws are given only because someone did it, and it was just appalling, and or disgusting. This goes to show you that some people are so flesh driven that they will resort to anything to feed it. Morality in the world has gone out the window, and it flew the coop the second they allowed a baby to be killed in and out of the womb. How do people even sleep at night who take the lives of others, let alone a baby? I will tell you how, pure evil in their heart. God continues, giving laws about lying and following those who do evil.
“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. 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.” – Exodus 23:1-3,7-9.
“Keep thee far from a false matter;” When I was little my father drove a taxi, his fare took him to a convenience store where he robbed it, unknown to my father. The police were called, they captured the guy and my father, accusing him of being an accomplice. There really is something to be said about avoiding the appearance of evil, even if you had nothing to do with it. “Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – I Thessalonians 5:22-23.
God promises to always be there for us, to love us, protect us, and provide for us, by His grace, He really does this whether we obey or not, but imagine the blessings He would give if we obeyed Him all the time. If we are saved, and faithful to Him, Jesus really is always with us, but to see Him we need to obey Him. God reveals to Israel, that He is sending His Angel to guide them, and He will bless them for their obedience to Him
“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. 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.” – Exodus 23:20-25.
“For mine Angel shall go before thee,” The Angel here is none other than Jesus Christ Himself. When we walk with Christ He goes before us, and directs our path. Are we always going to follow His path? No. The truth is, most of the time we will, but there are going to be times in our lives where we do not obey His voice and get off the path. When that happens affliction comes, but that is what His grace is for, it enables us to get back on track.
God’s laws should be common sense to us. Do you realize He can see everything? He sees what we do, He knows what we think. Nine times out of ten the things we think become actions regardless of whether they are good or bad if we do not obey His law. It is important that we keep godly thoughts with us and separate from those who would bring the temptation in the first place. God was going to test the Israelites faithfulness. God instructs Moses to write down the laws in a book, the book of the covenant it is called, then he built an altar.
“And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD. And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.” – Exodus 24:4-8.
“Behold the blood of the covenant,” When something is signed with blood, it is set in stone, that means it cannot be broken by either party. When God said He would give eternal life to all who receive the blood of Christ He means it, and if we say we receive His blood and mean it He gives us eternal life. After Moses read the law before the congregation, He calls for him to bring the priests and elders to go up the mountain, it was there that God wanted to spend some time with only Moses on top of Mount Sinai, he tells the others to stay where they were until he had finished talking with Him.
“And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God. And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them. And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount. And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.” – Exodus 24:13-18.
“Tarry ye here for us,” More often than we care to admit we are going to wait for God, His timing is everything, and let me tell you, the majority of the time the waiting has to do with God proving our faithfulness to Him. If we trust and obey Him when it seems as though He is no where to be found, He will bless, and it will be abundantly. “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” – Hebrews 10:36.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.” – Exodus 23:20.
Today’s Prayer: God, As much as I try to live right I know that I am going to mess up from time to time. Thank You for sending Your Son to pardon me of the judgment I faced, and thank You Jesus for the sacrifice You made. Lord, help me to be obedient to Your law, to love everyone as Christ loves me, and to keep serving You, even when I do not see You with the promise that You are preparing me for something amazing. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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