Devotions

laws about giving

Posted on September 28, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

Exodus 22:25-31

²⁵ “If you lend money to any of my poor people with you, you should not be like a creditor to him; you should not require interest from him.²⁶ If you take your neighbor’s cloak in pledge, you should return it to him before the sun goes down,²⁷ because that is his only covering; it is his cloak for his body; in what else would he sleep? Then if he cries out to me, I will respond, because I am compassionate.²⁸ “You should not demean God, nor curse a leader of your people.²⁹ “You should not delay to offer from the fullness of your harvest and from the outpouring of your presses. The firstborn of your sons you should give to me.³⁰ You should do the same with your oxen and with your sheep: seven days it should be with its mother; on the eighth day you should give it to me.³¹ “You should be set apart for me. For that reason you should not eat any flesh that is torn by animals in the field; you should throw it to the dogs.

laws about giving

These rules were particularly applicable to the wealthy in the covenant community. Those with a bit more disposable income would be tempted to use it to their advantage, charging their neighbors interest on loans. The rich might also be tempted to think the normal societal rules about religious talk, or respect for leaders, or worship do not apply to them as they do to the little people. These rules were a reminder that the wealthy were definitely a part of the holy community, and it was particularly important for them to demonstrate respect for others and dedication to the LORD. If they did not do so, it would be defiling the whole community. It would be like eating the carcass of an animal that had been killed by other animals in the field.

LORD, the world is watching. May we be people who are beyond reproach, sharing with the less fortunate whenever possible, and so demonstrating our connection to you.

Posted in consideration of others, equality, genuineness, giving, idolatry, money | Tagged Exodus 22 | 1 Comment

taking advantage

Posted on September 27, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

Exodus 22:16-24

¹⁶ “If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to be married and has sex with her, he should give the bride-price for her and make her his wife.¹⁷ If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he should still pay money equal to the bride-price for virgins.¹⁸ “You must not allow a sorceress to live.¹⁹ “Whoever has sex with an animal should be put to death.²⁰ “Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the LORD alone, should be set apart for destruction.²¹ “You should not take advantage of a temporary resident or oppress him, because you were temporary residents in the land of Egypt.²² You should not mistreat any widow or fatherless child.²³ If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry,²⁴ and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

taking advantage

These examples sited are all ways that someone might take advantage of someone else for his own personal gain. The LORD wanted his community to know that he was watching, and that the community was responsible to see to it that the weaker parties were not taken advantage of. If the community did not step in and seek justice for the mistreated, the God himself would break out against his own community.

Who is it that speaks for the abused and mistreated today? God’s people still have this role. If we are too busy doing our religious thing that we don’t not stop and seek justice for the mistreated, we should not be surprised when the LORD lashes out against the land. We have a responsibility to protect the weak and innocent from those who take advantage of them.

LORD, make us protectors of the unprotected, defenders of the defenseless.

Posted in church, consideration of others, responsibility | Tagged Exodus 22 | 1 Comment

covenant household property loss liability rights

Posted on September 26, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

Exodus 22:1-15

¹ “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he should repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.² “If a thief is found breaking in and is attacked and dies as a result, there should be no bloodguilt for him,³ but if the sun has risen on him, there should be bloodguilt for him. He shall surely pay. If he has nothing, then he should be sold for his theft.⁴ If the stolen animal is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he should pay double.⁵ “If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets his animal loose and it feeds in another man’s field, he should recompense the man from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard.⁶ “If fire breaks out and catches in weeds so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire should fully recompense for the loss.⁷ “If a man gives to his neighbor money or goods to keep safe, and it is stolen from the man’s house, then, if the thief is found, he should pay double.⁸ If the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall come near to God to show whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor’s property.⁹ For every breach of trust, whether it is for an ox, for a donkey, for a sheep, for a cloak, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, ‘This is it,’ the case of both parties should come before God. The one whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor.¹⁰ “If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any animal to keep safe, and it dies or is injured or is driven away, without anyone seeing it,¹¹ an oath by the LORD should be between them both to see whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor’s property. The owner should accept the oath, and he should not seek recompense.¹² But if it is stolen from him, he should seek recompense from its owner.¹³ If it is torn by animals, let him bring it as evidence. He should not seek recompense for what has been torn.¹⁴ “If a man borrows anything of his neighbor, and it is injured or dies, the owner not being with it, he should full recompense the loss.¹⁵ If the owner was with it, he should not seek recompense; if it was rented, only the rental fee is due.

covenant household property loss liability rights

These legal rules helped the judges determine who was responsible in case items of property were lost or stolen, and how those liable were to compensate for the loss. Some general thoughts are helpful:

The rules applied to more than just animals. They were to be applied for any loss, indicating that the LORD took property loss seriously.
None of the rules suggested incarceration as the appropriate penalty. The goal was restitution of both parties and restoration of the peace in the community. By contrast, imprisonment forces isolation and segregation.
In some cases, liability could not be established. In such cases, the accused and accuser were both to make an oath before God, and leave the matter in his hands. This implies a belief in divine justice, even if the courts cannot establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt. God was the supreme court.
People were to be held responsible for neglect resulting in damage or loss of property. This taught the principle that other people’s property is to be respected as much as one’s own. Again, the community as a whole is in view. There is no place in God’s community for those who are only willing to look out for number one.

LORD, restore us – not just to yourself, but also to one another. Help us to function as the divine community, and so model your plan for our future.

Posted in church, consideration of others, fellowship, judgment | Tagged Exodus 22 | 1 Comment

covenant household property loss compensation rights

Posted on September 25, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

Exodus 21:28-36

²⁸ “When an ox gores a man or a woman, and death occurs, the ox should be stoned, and its meat should not be eaten, but the owner of the ox will not be liable.²⁹ But if the ox has been given to goring in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept watch over it, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox should be stoned, and its owner also should be put to death.³⁰ If a redemption price is set for him, then he should give for the redemption of his life whatever is set for him.³¹ If it gores a man’s son or daughter, he should be dealt with according to this same rule.³² If the ox gores a servant, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox should be stoned.³³ “When a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit but does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,³⁴ the owner of the pit should make restoration. He should give money to its owner, and the dead animal will be his.³⁵ “When one man’s ox butts another’s, so that it dies, then they should sell the live ox and share its price, and the dead beast also they shall share.³⁶ Or if it is known that the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has not kept watch over it, he should repay ox for ox, and the dead animal will be his.

covenant household property loss compensation rights

Work animals were essential in the agrarian society of the Hebrews. These rules gave instruction to the judges who had to decide what was proper compensation for the injury or loss of someone’s work animal. These rules came from the heart of a God who cared about the everyday lives of his people. He was not just concerned about their worship, or even their interpersonal relationships. He spoke into their everyday lives. He met them where they were. There was nothing more practical for a wandering Israelite than the protection of his animals. One of the lies that the Israelites would hear over and over in Canaan was that the LORD was not interested in their everyday life, so that is why they needed to worship Baal – because he promised fertile animals and full crops! The book of the covenant was the LORD’s answer to that lie. He cares about every aspect of our lives.

LORD, thank you for caring about our practical needs. We come to you today sharing the needs we have, trusting you to give us that daily bread.

Posted in consideration of others, idolatry, relationship with God | Tagged Exodus 21 | 1 Comment

covenant household injury compensation rights

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

Exodus 21:12-27

¹² “Whoever hits a man so hard that he dies should be put to death.¹³ But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint for you a location to which he may escape.¹⁴ But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him deliberately, you should take him even from my altar, so that he may die.¹⁵ “Whoever hits his father or his mother should be put to death.¹⁶ “Whoever kidnaps a man and sells him into slavery, and anyone found in possession of him, should be put to death.¹⁷ “Whoever curses his father or his mother should be put to death.¹⁸ “When men quarrel and one hits the other with a stone or with his fist and the man does not die but takes to his bed,¹⁹ then if the man rises again and walks outdoors with his staff, he who struck him will be clear; only he should pay for the loss of his time, and should make sure he is thoroughly healed.²⁰ “When a man hits his servant, male or female, with a rod and the servant dies under his hand, he should be avenged.²¹ But if the servant recovers after a day or two, he is not to be avenged, for the servant is his silver.²² “When men fight together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no lasting harm to them, the one who hit her should surely be fined, whatever the woman’s husband will impose on him, and he should pay as the judges determine.²³ But if there is lasting harm, then you shall pay life for life,²⁴ eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,²⁵ burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.²⁶ “When a man hits the eye of his servant, male or female, and destroys it, he should let the servant go free because of his eye.²⁷ If he knocks out the tooth of his servant, male or female, he should let the servant go free because of his tooth.

covenant household injury compensation rights

The LORD spelled out the details as to how the judges in Israel should rule to protect people from intentional violence, and protect those who caused injury unintentionally. Specifically, these legal rules covered:

violence resulting in homicide (12-14),
violence in conjunction with breaking other commandments (15-17)
violence resulting in injury to others (18-27).

These rules allowed for a society which took personal harm seriously, but allowed for justice to be served without it simply turning into a matter of family blood feuds. They showed something about the LORD. They demonstrated his compassion for those who are hurt and victimized. They also reflected the reality that the very nation called on to reflect God’s holiness and lead others to him would itself be plagued by anger and violence. The fact that these laws were in place showed our LORD’s distaste for that kind of double-mindedness. He calls his people to peace among themselves so as to reflect the peace he has bought for them

LORD, make us a church who loves, restores, forgives, and lives at peace with the world around us.

Posted in consideration of others, depravity, self-control | Tagged Exodus 21 | 1 Comment

covenant household employment rights

Posted on September 23, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

Exodus 21:1-11

21:1 “These are the legal rules that you should explain to them.² When you contract with a Hebrew servant, he should serve six years, and in the seventh he should go out free, for nothing.³ If he comes in single, he should go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife should go out with him.⁴ If his employer gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her employer’s, and he should go out alone.⁵ But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’⁶ then his employer should bring him to God, and he should bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his employer should bore his ear through with an awl, and he will be his slave forever.⁷ “When a man contracts out his daughter as a servant, she should not go out as the male slaves do.⁸ If she does not please her employer, who has designated her for himself, then he should let her be redeemed. He will have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her.⁹ If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter.¹⁰ If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights.¹¹ And if he does not do these three things for her, she will go out for nothing, without payment of money.

covenant household employment rights

The “book of the covenant”[1] apparently begins here. It was a set of legal descriptions and elaborations which explained how the ten words (commandments) applied to the covenant community. Judges would use this book as they tried individual cases to see whether a crime against the covenant had been committed, and how to respond to the crime if it had been committed.

Since the entire nation had been subjected to forced slavery by the Egyptians, it makes sense that the instructions on how to judge human rights violations would begin here. Contractual obligations for those who decide to employ contract workers is the issue at hand. The reason it was so important is that the entire generation had no experience doing anything but serving in Egypt. To those with little or no possessions to trade, contractual service would seem a logical option.

1. The arrangement is contractual, so the term of employment is for only six years, after which the single worker must be set free (2). This arrangement parallels the rules about Sabbath observance, and reminds both parties that God is the author of the rest that comes at the seventh period of time. It also provides for the person employed a way of legally walking away from the arrangement, by setting a time limit to the contract – something the Hebrews never had under the Egyptians.

2. Children born to the contract worker must be protected (3-4). A child born to parents under contractual obligation is to remain under the protection of the worker’s employer even when one of the parents has served his time limit, and is no longer under the employer’s supervision.

3. A contract worker may voluntarily choose to make his situation permanent (5-6). In such cases, a separate contract for lifetime service can be arrange, attested to by the priests. This arrangement had to be signified by making a hole in the worker’s ear, a sign of the permanence of the new contractual arrangement.

4. Certain restrictions applied in the contractual arrangement between an employer and a woman who would serve in his household (7-11). These restrictions protected the rights of both the woman and her employer.

Anyone who has ever been unemployed, or faced the threat of unemployment – knows how depressing and disheartening it feels. The LORD wanted his people to know that he cared for them. His laws protected them, and showed that he loved them.

LORD, we pray for those trapped in unemployment and discouraged today. Help them out of that trap. But until they are free, remind them that you love them and value them.

[1] 24:7.

Posted in dependence upon God, employment, encouragement, judgment | Tagged Exodus 21 | 1 Comment

monotheistic worship

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

Exodus 20:22-26

²² And the LORD told Moses, “This is what you should say to the people of Israel: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have communicated with you from the sky.²³ Do not make gods of silver to represent me, nor make for yourselves gods of gold.²⁴ You should make for me an earthen altar and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. I will come to you and bless you in each place where I cause my name to be remembered.²⁵ If you make me an altar of stone, you should not build it out of carved stones, because if you use your tool on it you defile it.²⁶ And do not go up by steps to my altar, so that your nakedness is not exposed on it.’

monotheistic worship

As soon as the ten words from God had been pronounced, the LORD himself provided a few exegetical explanations of them. This showed how important it was for the covenant keepers to understand clearly what the LORD wanted, so that their practices met up with his expectations.

The first thing to be explained was monotheistic worship. It was to be done with a whole new set of rules – opposite those of polytheistic worship.

1. The fallen spirits who demanded worship from their people had also demanded that those people make representational images to depict them. These images had to be made of something intrinsically valuable, like silver or gold, or at least stone carved by an artisan. The more valuable the representation, the more power the adherent possessed. But the LORD would not follow that convention. He demanded that worshippers come to him with nothing to commend themselves. In other words, the relationship was to be one based on the grace of the LORD, not the wealth or wisdom or strength of the worshipper.

2. Those fallen spirits also required that certain places be adorned with elaborate costly altars, also to make a distinction between the haves and the have-nots. The wealthy or skillful or powerful who could afford to appease the gods would (it was suggested) be treated with deference by those gods. It preserved a class system that favored the rich and kept the poor in their place. The LORD would have none of that. His altar would be made of dirt, or untouched stones. Anyone could make such an altar. It was particularly important at this juncture for the LORD to make such a rule, because it reinforced the new concept of salvation by grace.

3. The fallen spirits had also taken advantage of the unbridled lusts of their adherents, requiring altars with steps that exposed the genitals of their priests. Their “worship” services involved all sorts of sexual acts and pornographic depictions. The LORD was rewriting the rules for worship, demanding modesty and refocusing on the spiritual realities rather than the physical. The sexual urges are a powerful force. Rather that adopting that force as the unclean spirits had done, the LORD demanded that his followers stay focused on him, not each other. He knew that one of the easiest things for the human being to idolize – and be distracted by — is someone else’s body.

LORD, help us to rediscover your way of worship. We want to approach you on the basis of your love and grace. We reject any worship which takes our focus off you.

Posted in dependence upon God, grace, idolatry, worship | Tagged Exodus 20 | 1 Comment

covenant constitution (part two)

Posted on September 21, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

Exodus 20:12-21

¹² “Value your father and your mother, so that your lives may be extended in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.¹³ “Do not murder.¹⁴ “Do not commit adultery.¹⁵ “Do not steal.¹⁶ “Do not give false testimony against your neighbor.¹⁷ “Do not covet your neighbor’s house; Do not lust after your neighbor’s wife, or greedily seek his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”¹⁸ Then all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off¹⁹ and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or else we will die.”²⁰ Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, because God has come to test you, so that the fear of him may be before you, so that you may not sin.”²¹ The people stood far off, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

covenant constitution (part two)

The second group of words from God turned the focus from the vertical relationship with the LORD himself to the horizontal relationships that covenant keepers were to have.

1. Parents were to be valued, honored, and respected. The verb contains the idea of weight, as if the covenant keepers were expected to consider the weight of their parents as gifts from the LORD, and highly value them as a result of that consideration. Longevity in the land for the people as a whole depended on that kind of parental respect.

2. Human life was to be held sacred. This was not a universal command against all kinds of killing. It certainly could not have been a mandate against the warfare that the Israelites had already participated in, or would later – at the LORD’s command. Nor did it preclude capital punishment. The LORD had just instructed them to either stone or shoot with arrows anyone besides Moses and Aaron who dared to touch the mountain where he was speaking. No, this particular covenant promise was to avoid taking any human life for personal gain, or out of personal wrath.

3. The marriage vows and the marriage bed were also to be considered sacred. The same God who brought together Adam and Eve in Eden wanted to bring together couples in the covenant community who celebrate the gift of each other their entire lives. Adultery destroys relationships and the families brought about by those relationships.

4. Personal property was considered a God given right, and that right was not to be violated by theft.

5. The truth was required when a covenant keeper was called upon to testify about his neighbor. This went both ways: a neighbor could not lie about his neighbor’s actions in order to gain over that neighbor, or to defend that neighbor against right judgment.

6. Covenant keepers were not to seek advantage over their neighbors. This included the previously mentioned prohibitions against adultery and theft. But it also included the heart attitude of seeing someone or something which properly belongs to someone else. A true covenant keeper seeks the welfare and health of his neighbor.

LORD, you have rescued us for yourself, but you require that we love and respect others as you do. Build within us communities that show your love and grace, and treat each other properly.

Posted in consideration of others, contentment, discipleship, love, marriage, self-control | Tagged Exodus 20 | 4 Comments

covenant constitution (part one)

Posted on September 20, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

Exodus 20:1-11

¹ Then God spoke all these words, saying,² “I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, taking you out of the house of slavery.³ “No other gods before me are for you.⁴ “You will not make for yourself a carved image, or any reproduction of anything that is in the sky above, or that is in the land beneath, or that is in the water under the land.⁵ You will not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,⁶ but showing dependable love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.⁷ “You will not use the name of the LORD your God hypocritically, because the LORD will not hold him guiltless who uses his name hypocritically.⁸ “Remember the Sabbath day, by keeping it holy.⁹ Six days you will work, and do all your labor,¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you will not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the temporary resident who is within your gates.¹¹ Because in six days the LORD made the sky and land, the sea, and everything that is in them, and ceased on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

covenant constitution (part one)

The LORD provided for the Israelites a summary of what they were to be all about. That summary was called the “ten words.” The first four words focused on their agreement to love the LORD with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. The LORD had rescued them from slavery in an polytheistic context, and they were now responsible to walk in that newness of life, and not to go back to that old life.

1. In the old life, they knew about Yahveh, but he was only one god among many. The LORD calls on his people to experience a radical paradigm shift. He demands that their lives be centered around only one deity. He does not deny the existence of other supernatural beings. He has taken those false gods on in Egypt, and defeated them — showing their inferiority and dependence upon him. His people are be strict practical monotheists.

2. No representation of any created thing was to be manufactured by the nation, because they were covenanting to honor and revere the LORD alone. They had been raised in a context where images of multiple gods were multiple means of getting what people wanted. Rejecting idolatry was rejecting the usual means of personal wealth and success. It was a visible sign of faithfulness and dependence on only one God. It was also a sign of conversion from the manipulation religion, which was all they had ever known.

3. The old life was also one that championed personal choice and flexibility. Before Moses and the exodus, the Israelites could worship Yahveh as a family, and hold their own personal opinions and practices as well. Now, the LORD will not have that. If they call themselves believers in Yahveh, his is the name they will use. His is the throne they will pray to. His are the laws they will obey. He will be their national, tribal, family and personal God. No more hypocrisy and double mindedness.

4. As a sign of their rescue from oppression and slavery, the LORD also demanded that they take a day off every week. The day that he chose for them was the seventh day, because he had ceased his creation work on the seventh day. The Sabbath was not intended to be a law unto itself. It was intended to reinforce the new covenant community as they sought to be true to their absolute loyalty to the LORD. It was a sign from the LORD, indicating the new freedom they had because of his rescue by grace. It was also a sign to the nations around them, because it set the entire nation apart as his special people, whom he had saved.

LORD, you have rescued us from slavery to sin by Christ. We pledge our absolute unqualified loyalty to you, and ask you to teach us how to demonstrate our faith in you to the watching world.

Posted in dependence upon God, discipleship, faith, faithfulness, idolatry, obedience, Sabbath | Tagged Exodus 20 | 5 Comments

no DIY religion

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

Exodus 19:9-25

⁹ And the LORD told Moses, “See, I am going to come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear it when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.” When Moses told the words of the people to the LORD,¹⁰ the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and have them wash their garments¹¹ and be ready for the third day. Because on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai before the eyes of all the people.¹² And you will set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Be careful not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain will be put to death.¹³ No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether animal or man, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they will come up to the mountain.”¹⁴ So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments.¹⁵ And he said to the people, “Be prepared for the three days; by not going near a woman.”¹⁶ On the morning of the third day there were thunders and flashes of lightning and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled.¹⁷ Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain.¹⁸ Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had come down on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, causing the whole mountain to violently trembled.¹⁹ And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses said something, and God answered him in thunder.²⁰ The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.²¹ And the LORD said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, so they do not break through to the LORD to look and many of them perish.²² Also let the priests who come near to the LORD consecrate themselves, so the LORD does not break out against them.”²³ And Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set boundaries around the mountain and consecrate it.'”²⁴ And the LORD said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not allow the priests and the people to break through to come up to the LORD, lest he break out against them.”²⁵ So Moses went down to the people and told them.

no DIY religion

The LORD warned Moses not to allow any of the people to approach the mountain during the time when he is revealing the law to Moses. There is a direct connection between this event, and the prohibition against eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Eden. In fact, the very same words, in the same grammatical structure, are used. They usually translate differently in English in the two places, so it is not so easy to see the connection. These translations better show the similarity:

“In the day that you eat of it, you will be put to death” (Genesis 2:17).

“Whoever touches the mountain, he will be put to death” (Exodus 19:12).

One obvious reason that these two prohibitions are so similar is that they both involve the knowledge of good and evil — knowing what God wants, and what he has outlawed. Why does God forbid that? Well, he does not exactly forbid it. He commands Moses and Aaron to approach, receive the law, and descend the mountain to teach that law to his people. God intends to show his will, but his people will only have access to it through his chosen servants.

Now God speaks to us through his Son, Jesus Christ.[1] Let not the philosophers and kings of this world dare to approach God’s holy mountain apart from him. He is the one of whom the Father has said “Listen to him.”[2]

That speaks against the grain of much of modern culture. We are used to doing it ourselves. We live in a DIY (do it yourself) age. But spiritual truth is not an area where we have the authorization to do it ourselves. God chooses those to whom and through whom he will speak. We should not presume to say anything that the LORD Jesus has not said, or would not say. It is a serious thing to declare our own ideas and teachings to those listening for God’s word.

LORD, give us the godly fear that we need to keep from presuming to say what you have not said through your Son. But give us the boldness to share his commands and teachings, knowing that they are your covenant message for today.

[1] Hebrews 1:2.

[2] Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7.

Posted in dependence upon God, Jesus Christ, ministry, Moses, will of God | Tagged Exodus 19 | 1 Comment