Tag: Exodus 20
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God’s Lovingkindness According to His Law: Reflecting on Psalm 119
The psalmist reflects on the Law of God. The Law is good. It provides the path to happiness and satisfaction in life. It even facilitates a just and equal society. The Law has many benefits, but I have to wonder about salvation. No one perfectly keeps the Law. All people sin and fall short of…
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The Law Given for Our Good- Exodus 20:22-26
God acknowledges that the people were able to see His manifestations and know that God is the one giving the commands. Moses is not manipulating them. God repeats His command for the people not to make idols and worship them. He even gives some interesting instruction concerning an altar for sacrifices. It is not to…
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The Insufficiency of the Law- Exodus 20:18-21
All the people perceive the signs of God, see the manifestation of God, from the bottom of the mountain—including the trumpet sounds. They are afraid. Surely to see any manifestation of the holy, almighty God is terrifying. Because they are afraid, they ask Moses to speak to them. They feel if God speaks to them,…
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Basic Rules for Just and Prosperous Societies- Exodus 20:13-17
Verses 13-17, the last five commandments in the decalogue, carry the same spirit as the first five. Why does God instruct a society not to permit murder within its borders? A society where people are permitted to kill one another without just cause cannot survive or prosper. Instead, for any society to live long and…
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Honor Your Mother and Father- Exodus 20:12
God instructs the Israelites to honor their fathers and mothers. This command does not always mean that parents must be agreed with or obeyed if what they are asking is immoral. It does mean they are to be heavy on the minds of their children, respected by them. Children are not to be entitled brats…
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The Sabbath Is For Man- Exodus 20:8-11
God instructs Israel to honor the Sabbath day by keeping it holy—setting it apart. The seventh day, Saturday, was to be a day of rest from labor. Toil was to be done in six days. On Saturday, the people were not to work themselves, anyone, or anything else. They were to rest. God rested on…
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Do Not Take God’s Name in Vain- Exodus 20:7 (Daily Devotional)
God instructs Israel not to take His name, Yahweh, in vain. The Hebrew word translated as “take,” here ((נסא, means to raise up, exalt, or carry—literally covering every way in which God’s name can be taken—merely spoken, used in praise, or carried as the name of a people (e.g. Israel, Christian). To do anything in…
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Daily Devotional: Exodus 20:1-3
God gives Moses the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are a summary of the whole Law. God first describes who He is and what He has done. His own character and action are the bases for the imperatives. God identifies Himself as Yahweh, Israel’s God. As Israel’s God, He brought Israel out of Egypt where…
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On Men and Women: Considering Mosaic Law
We have now seen manhood and womanhood from Genesis 1-3. The principles we saw in the narrative drive the distinctions we see between men and women in the remainder of Scripture. The most basic truth we have received is that men are the direct picture of God in relationship to His creation. Women are the…
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Thou Shalt Not Call Someone Empty-Headed
We spent the last couple of weeks walking through the first four commandments, discovering together the holiness of God and our own shortfalls as we strive to relate to God in holiness. The last six commands shift their attention slightly. The first four regard our relationship with God and the last six regard our relationship…