Exodus-The Sign of the covenant

In Exodus 4:1-13, Moses debated with God over his suitability for the appointed task of leading Israel out of Egypt. Even after all the wonderful signs God gave him, Moses asked God to send someone else (v13).

The book of Exodus reveals the Lord as a compassionate God,  slow to anger and abundant in mercy, yet not to be taken advantage of  for He is also a consuming fire. The anger of  the Lord was kindled against Moses, yet God did not strike him dead. Instead He assigned Aaron, Moses’ brother to be a helper to him and a spokesman to the nation of Israel (v14-17).

From the time Moses was attracted to the burning bush, God spoke directly to him in a very personal way. It seems confusing then, that the very God who had so mightily commissioned him a little while before would seek to take his life as he made the arduous journey to  Egypt with his family (Ex 4:20-24).

Ex 4:25-26 reveals that it was Zipporah’s quick thinking in circumcising her son that saved  Moses, and appeased the Lord’s anger against him. Moses had been appointed to lead the nation of Israel out of Egypt. As a young boy born to Hebrew parents, he had no doubt been circumcised on the eighth day as was customary. However, being raised in the palace as Pharoah’s adopted son had caused him to be estranged to his own people and he had neglected to circumcise his own son.

Genesis 17:9-14 reveals the significance of the rite of circumcision. It was a sign of the everlasting covenant which God had made with Abraham. Verse 14 reveals that the uncircumcised man-child would be cut off  from his people for not carrying the sign of the covenant. God knew that  the nation of Israel would not accept a leader who would not circumcise his own son, so He made provision for Moses’ son to be circumcised. Moses would have no doubt in his mind regarding his place among the nation of Israel after the circumcision of his son. He no longer had a double identity; he could  no longer play “double-agent.” He  had a singular purpose to surrender to God’s Will and, by the power of  the Almighty, to lead the nation of Israel out of Egyptian slavery.

Circumcision was just the sign of the covenant, a means to an end and not the end in itself. It was an important sign to the nation of Israel, indicating their position as the people of God. It was not circumcision that made  them God’s people, but rather they were circumcised because God had chosen them for His very own. In the same way, God’s people  in this age must have their hearts “circumcised”, always  pliable to His commands. Although salvation is not obtained by obedience, but by acceptance of Christ’s atoning sacrifice, obedience to God’s commands reflects our love for the God who first loved us. Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Satan is against the people of God who keep God’s commandments and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Scripture refs: Ex 4:1-26, Rev 12:17, John 14:15, 1 John 5:1-3, James 2:17-26

God's Royal Law of Liberty

Jesus said: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” (Matt 4:4) It is the Word of God that created us and it is still the Word of God that sustains us each and every day of our lives. Therefore the Word of God should be the focal point of  our lives. It has many functions.

It serves as a moral compass to us to help us avoid the darker aspect of our human natures. “It is a lamp unto our feet, and a Light unto our paths.” (Ps 119:105) When the Word of God is eliminated from a society, moral decay soon follows.

In every Word of God is wrapped up His constant love for us and His desire to protect us. I like to imagine that God had each of us specifically in mind when He wrote His Royal Law. Isaiah 49:16 says He has our names engraved on the palms of His hands. When the Word of God  is practiced in the daily life of a believer, it serves as a happy liberation to the soul and leads others to admire God, our King.

The Law of God reflects His justice and points us to Christ, in whom is revealed His mercy. Like the blood of Christ represented “the sorrow and love that flowed mingled down”, so the Word of God represents His heart and thoughts to us.

We should follow the Word of God not through grudging or legalistic obedience as slaves to it, but rather because we love God. Jesus said: “If you love Me, You will keep my commandments.” We are sons, not slaves and we should behave as such. (Romans 8:15)

Shakespeare wrote that: “love is a star to every wandering bark, whose worth is not known though its height be taken.”

The Word of God as revealed in the Holy Scriptures is our “star of gladness gleaming”, for there is no greater love than the love of our Heavenly Father who has promised to “write His Law within our hearts.” (Romans 2:15). Keep your thoughts pure-reflect on God’s Law! (Phil 4:8)

"So speak and do as those who shall be judged by the Law of liberty." -James 2:12

The Brother who died for me

Our Bible study at church this quarter has focused on what it means to be clothed in Christ. I cannot resist the temptation to share this story told by a Romanian pastor imprisoned for his faith before the fall of Communism, to criminals sharing his cell.

There were once two brothers. The elder was a devout, God-fearing man while the younger was a rebel who surrounded himself with unsavoury companions and riotous living. One day, he ran to his older brother who was reading in his study screaming: “Brother, save me! The police are after me. I have killed a man!” Without hesitating, his older brother grasped the situation. “I will save you, let us change garments,” he replied. The elder brother donned the blood-stained garments, and handed his white robe to his younger sibling. They had barely dressed when the cops burst in on the scene and arrested the older brother on charges of murder.

At his trial he pleaded guilty, saying to the judge: “I accept full responsibility for the crime.” Faced with the evidence-the pursuit, the bloodstained clothes and a confession, he was sentenced to death. “What is your final wish?” the judge asked. “Only one”, replied the supposed criminal. “Please deliver this letter to my brother at the moment of my execution.”

On opening the letter, the younger brother read: “My beloved, at this moment I die in your place, in your bloodstained clothes, for your crime. I am happy to offer this sacrifice because I love you. All I ask is that in the white robe I gave you, you live a life of righteousness and purity. I have no other desire!”

As the younger brother read the letter, tears flowed down his cheeks. He ran in desperation, hoping to stop the execution but no one believed his story. “The crime has been expiated-what happened between you two is none of our concern” said the judge. Thereafter, every time his former friends called him to loose living, the younger brother would say: “In the white robe left to me by my brother who gave his life for me, I can no longer do the evil deeds I did before.”

Jesus Christ,  Son of God (our elder Brother) paid a terrible price in dying for our sins. Our token of love to Him is a life of righteousness and purity. Our good works cannot save us-if they could, Christ would not have had to die. No matter how good you are now or intend to be in future, your past sins still condemn you until you accept Christ's sacrifice for your atonement. Keeping God’s Commandments should not be a burden to us, but a token of our love for Christ.

"If ye love me, keep my commandments. "-John 14:15 (Jesus speaking)
"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous."- 1 John 5:3
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.-Romans 5:6-10

Also read Matt ch 26-ch 28 on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, remembering that He did all this for you. Also read John 13.

Life and Death part 2-The Love of God and the Law of God

In Part 1, I discussed how the love of God is enough to keep a person alive by daily providing a reason to live.

Sometimes however, we also need the commands of a stern Father to keep us from doing the unthinkable. When a person feels like there is nothing left to live for, the commandments of God serve as a protective barrier against evil. The commandment, “Thou shalt not kill” (Ex 20:13) resonates down through the ages to us and in this day and age, is a lifesaver to a person who is so deep in depression that he cannot feel God’s love. Knowing God and His royal Law could mean the difference between life and death. The Christian has a distinct advantage over the average person when it comes to dealing with depression and the suicidal tendencies it sometimes creates in the heart and mind of man. While we may shut out God’s love, we cannot silence His commandments!

I believe that the commandment not to kill was not just intended to prevent us from murdering others, but also to protect ourselves. Sometimes, a person’s worst enemy is himself and this is especially true for those locked in the solitary deserts of depression.

When a Christian feels like giving up on life, he has not only God’s love but also His commandments to help him out of the icy grip of depression and death. Killing yourself will not solve any problems, but it will mean that you have disobeyed God and will face the consequences in judgement. Just the thought of not having a place in God’s kingdom is enough to bring stability to a troubled mind. Being separated from God is no joke; it was the one thing our Lord feared as evidenced by His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.

However, in order for you to experience the protective, keeping power of God’s Law as well as His love, you must determine why you want to be in His eternal kingdom. This means asking a question which may prove difficult for some. Are you only following Jesus so that you can one day wear a crown or walk on streets of gold and a sea of glass? Would you still be a Christian if Jesus promised you nothing but atonement for your sins and the lowliest place in His kingdom? Would gazing into His face every day in worship be enough of a reward for you if there were no crowns or streets of gold promised?

If your answer to this question is in the negative, then your so- called devotion will never stand the test of time. Life is difficult and the desire for riches, whether it be now or in the new Heavens and Earth, will not be enough incentive to help you when you hit rock - bottom and have to make a choice whether life is worth living. At that point in time, it’s only a relationship with the Lifegiver that will save you. When you refuse to feel His continual love enveloping you, knowing His commands will save your life, because you cannot disobey as you will be risking your chance to spend eternity in His company and that’s an awful lot to lose!

Scripture refs: Deut 30:19; Job 6:11; Job 7:15; Ps 21:4; Ps 119:11,25,55; Prov 14:27; John 1:4