Exodus 20:15 Not Steal!

15You shall not steal.

This is the foundation of human society, the right to personal property. In my humble opinion this is why communism is affront to God. You are a collective that works for the state, you don’t have a right to personal property. 

Not to mention it removes God from society. Look at the persecution China is performing on Christians.

When I was a child I was taught not to steal, but I did it anyway. I’m ashamed of myself. But I now have Jesus as my Lord and Savior. 

Ephesians 4:28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need.

Not steal....

Have you ever stole anything from a brother or sister, your parents, a school, a store, a neighbor, a friend or God?

I’m guilty!

Blessings, David 

Exodus 20:14 Adultery!

14You shall not commit adultery.

Galatians 5:19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery;

Matthew 5: 27You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’f 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 

Lust, our society throws images at us everyday. Everywhere we turn there are images of partial undress, sexual innuendo and nudity.

If you find yourself lusting, turn off the source. Television or internet, get rid of it.

Pornography is Satins tool to entrap you. Cut his snare and seek help.

I’m guilty, are you?

Blessings, David

Exodus 20:13 RASAH!

13You shall not murder.

murder is the taking of life without legal justification (execution after due process) or moral justification (killing in defense).

rasah: The Hebrew word that is translated as "murder" is RASAH. It means "to murder."

“Hebrew possesses seven words for killing… If any one of the seven words could signify ‘murder,’ where factors of premeditation and intentionality are present, this is the verb.” (Kaiser)

This important distinction explains how someone can quite consistently argue for the principle of capital punishment and the prohibition of murder. When carried out properly, capital punishment is killing with legal justification. (Guzik)

Some argue that the commandment says, thou shall not kill.

I would argue that the Old Testament proves this wording incorrect. If you read it you will see that Moses, Saul, David and others were told to utterly destroy a people’s, men, women, children and livestock.

If the commandment was thou shall not kill, wouldn’t this commandment make these leaders and kings guilty of violating this commandment?

But some could say God has judged them and used these leaders and kings to carry out the judgement. I would say true, but it doesn’t negate the fact that they killed!

Have you ever wished someone would die?

I’m guilty!

Blessings, David 

Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and mother!

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

“This is not a popular doctrine in our modern world, where youth is worshipped, and old age dreaded or despised. The result is the folly by which men or women strive to remain eternally youthful, only to find it an impossible task.” (Cole)

Concerning Cole’s commentary, all you have to do is watch the news or commercials to verify the wisdom of his statement.

I’m guilty of not honoring my father and mother and because of my sin I’ve condemned myself! But because of Jesus I was set free!

What about you?

“A good child lengtheneth his father’s days; therefore God promiseth to lengthen his.” (Trapp)

Rebellion is costly, and many have paid a high price personally for their rebellion against their parents. (Guzik)

I paid that high price but luckily I reconciled myself to my parents before their time was “cut off”.

Psalm 90:10 The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

This Temporary Life

https://www.davidjeremiah.org/magazine/daily-devotional?date=2019-10-28

Reconciliation is hard and our time is short!

Do you have someone you need to be reconciled with?

Blessings, David 

Exodus 20:8-11 The Lord blessed the Sabbath!

8Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10but 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. 11For 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.

“The baser (common man) sort of people in Sweden do always break the Sabbath, saying that it is for gentlemen to keep that day.” (Trapp)

But look what the Lord said: neither you, son or daughter, nor manservant or maidservant or livestock, nor the foreigner.

EVERYONE and EVERYTHING!

Why you ask? “the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.”

 But the Lord also commands us to work six days, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work,”

“He who idles his time away in the six days is equally culpable in the sight of God as he who works on the seventh.” (Clarke) 

He doesn’t want us to be idle, slothful or lazy!

Proverbs 18:9 Whoever is slothful in his work is brother to him who destroys.

Romans 12:11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

Under Law, men worked towards God’s rest; but after Jesus’ finished work on the cross, the believer enters into rest and goes from that rest out to work. (Guzik)

Since I retired there hasn’t been enough time in the day to get things done. 

My “inbox” has never been fuller!

My wife says, when I die my inbox will be full.

My brother says, living in “our state” is like having a free gym membership.

I’ve found with the four seasons of the year:

Spring-working on outdoor projects you couldn’t do during winter, stocking up on firewood for winter!

Summer-doing outdoor projects on house and property before winter!

Fall-scrambling to finish projects before winter!

Winter-snow removal and keeping the house warm by bringing in firewood and keeping the wood stove going!

How do you occupy your time?

Blessings, David 

Exodus 20:7 Hallowed be Your name!

7You 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.

Gods last name isn’t dammit! 

Cursing was the norm in my occupation and the places I worked at. I was guilty but changed my ways.

I eventually wold ask a person who took the Lords name in vain, why would you curse God? They would usually shrug and walk away or say it was habit and it didn’t mean anything.

But that’s the point because it does mean something! 

I confess that there are times when I accidentally hurt myself while working and I blurt out a G-dammit, but then I ask for forgiveness. 

Old habits are hard to break. 😔

But this verse isn’t just about cursing while using the Lords name.

It can be using His name in a superficial stupid way.

Or claiming the name of God but acting in a way that disgraces Him.

Matthew 6:9 So then, this is how you should pray: ’Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name,

Hallowed be Your name!

Dear Lord, please forgive us when we misuse your hallowed name. Give us the wisdom not to, the courage to speak up and tell others to stop and the conscience to correct our evil hearts and ways.

In Jesus name I pray.

Blessings, David 

Exodus 20:5-6 Zealous for us!

5You 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, 6but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.

“God’s jealousy is love in action. He refuses to share the human heart with any rival, not because He is selfish and wants us all for Himself, but because He knows that upon that loyalty to Him depends our very moral life… God is not jealous of us: He is jealous for us.” (Redpath)

“‘Zealous’ might be a better translation in modern English, since ‘jealousy’ has acquired an exclusively bad meaning.” (Cole)

God is “Zealous” for us! 

“‘This necessarily implies - IF the children walk in the steps of their fathers; for no man can be condemned by Divine justice for a crime of which he was never guilty.” (Clarke)

“Children who repeat the sins of their father evidence it in personally hating god; hence they too are punished like their fathers.” (Kaiser)

“children walk in the steps of their fathers”

Children emulate their parents, they want to be like them, they want to be with them.

We had six children in our family. My father would be leaving and I would ask where he was going?

He would reply, crazy. 

I thought it was a place. I would ask if I could go with him. He’d reply, no. 

It wasn’t until I was older that I understood what he meant.

What type of steps did you teach your children?

Blessings, David 

Exodus 20:4 Idol or an image!

4You 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. 

Deuteronomy 4:12 And the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; there was only a voice.

The worship of God was intended to be word-based not image-based.

“If the making of cherubim was permitted, then the prohibition of the ‘image’ will refer only to the making of direct objects of worship.” (Cole)

“To countenance its image worship, the Roman Catholic Church has left the whole of this second commandment out of the decalogue, and thus lost one whole commandment out of the ten; but to keep up the number they have divided the tenth into two.” (Clarke)

I refer to myself as a recovering catholic, I walked away from the church because of all the sexual abuse of children. But I didn’t become born again until a couple years later. I walked away and found Jesus as my savior!

But if He draws us to Him, did He cause me to walk away?

John 4:24 God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”

How do you worship Him?

Blessings, David 

Exodus 20:1-3 Other gods!

1And God spoke all these words:

2“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

3You shall have no other gods before Me.

God spoke: 

“These commandments were after all addressed to the ordinary Israelite, not to the religious elite of the day: they are expressed in strong simple terms, understandable to all, and deal with the temptations of the common man, not of the theologian.” (Cole)

“It has been well said that the commandments are God’s nature expressed in terms of moral imperatives.” (Cole)

No other gods:

Deuteronomy 5: 6“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

7You shall have no other gods before Me.

8You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth beneath, or in the waters below. 9You 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, 10but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.

It doesn’t get much plainer than that!

Other gods can be many things. It can of course be a false god, but it can also be material things. It can be addictions, the substance that is craved above all else. 

It can be money, it can be automobiles, it can be property, it can be pornography etc...

Ask God to reveal to your heart if you have another god in your life.

If you do, ask Him to help you get rid of it. Pray continually until it’s gone!

Blessings, David 

Exodus 19:20-25 Another Warning!

20The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the summit. So Moses went up, 21and the LORD said to him, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the LORD, lest many of them perish. 22Even the priests who approach the LORD must consecrate themselves, or the LORD will break out against them.”

23But 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.’”

24And 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.”

25So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.

Another warning! Only Moses and Aaron could approach God!

They were the Lords representatives to the Israelites.

We are dirty and unclean because of sin, but because of what Jesus did on the cross we can approach God directly through His Son!

John 14: 6Jesus answered, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.“

“Reader, art thou still under the influence and condemning power of that fiery law which proceeded from his right hand? Art though yet afar off? Remember, thou canst only come nigh by the blood of sprinkling; and till justified by his blood, thou are under the curse. Consider the terrible majesty of God. If thou have his favour thou hast life;if his frown, death. Be instantly reconciled to God, for though thou hast deeply sinned, and he is just, yet he is the justifier of him that believeth in Christ Jesus. Believe on him, receive his salvation; OBEY his voice indeed, and KEEP his covenant, and THEN shalt thou be a king and a priest unto God and the Lamb, and be finally saved with all the power of an endless life. Amen.” (Clarke)

Are you justified by His blood?

Blessings, David 

Exodus 19:16-19 God answered him by voice!

16On 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. 17Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

18Mount 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. 19And as the sound of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in the thunder.

Nkjv 19 And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.

It’s interesting to read the different versions and commentaries. We think the people only heard thunder or thundering but from the commentaries, some believe the people actually heard the Lords voice talking to Moses.

We hear His voice today by listening to Him through our heart and conscience. If you are still enough, you can feel His presence.

Can you hear Him and feel His presence?

Blessings, David 

Exodus 19:12-15 Boundaries!

12And 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. 13No 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 go up the mountain.”

14When Moses came down from the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. 15“Be prepared for the third day,” he said to the people. “Do not draw near to a woman.” (Wives)

Boundaries, we all have them! You have them when you drive, you have them as children, as adults, in school, at home, with property, in marriage etc. 

Society will always push the envelope of boundaries, such as legalization of drugs, redefining marriage, abortion etc.

Recently I heard a congresswoman call for the abolition of prisons! 

What kind of message will society receive from that? NO Boundaries!

God set boundaries because of unholiness and sin.

“Be prepared for the third day,”

“Men must come before God with the best preparation they can get.” (Trapp)

How often do you come before God?

Blessings, David 

Exodus 19:10-11 Consecration-Living Sacrifice!

10Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes 11and 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.

Consecrate: “the separation of oneself from things that are unclean, especially anything that would contaminate one’s relationship with a perfect God.” Consecration also carries the connotation of sanctification, holiness, or purity.

“for on the third day the LORD will come down”

Do you notice the third day in this verse? I find it interesting how God uses certain timeframes.

Acts 10:40 God raised Him up on the third day and caused Him to be seen—

“as true believers in Christ, the act of consecration involves our lives being a living sacrifice to Him; we are totally separated from the defilement of the world.”

https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-consecration.html

Are you a living sacrifice?

Blessings, David 

Exodus 19:7-9 We will do!

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

So Moses brought their words back to the LORD.

9The 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.

“Even so with us. We say, ‘All that Jehovah hath spoken we will do,’ and we fail. But God never fails. He waits and pursues His own way of grace and government.” (Morgan)

“We will do everything that the LORD has spoken.”

How many of us attend church on Sunday only to go to work on Monday for everyone to see we are hypocrites or no different than anyone else? 

Jesus called us to be different, to be like Him! It’s not easy in this insane world where everything is upside down.

Can you try to display some of His light to the lost world?

Stand out and be different, love one another and be His beacon.

Say we will do and mean it!

Blessings, David 

Exodus 19:5-6 The Whole Earth is Mine!

5Now 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. 6And 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.”

Obey my voice and keep my covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations! Think about that statement, what a promise!

For the whole earth is Mine... this declaration tells me global warming is a hoax. The Lord is in control and only He is going to warm up the earth when He burns is up and creates a new heaven and earth!

“Where his treasure is, there is a man’s heart. If it is in ships on the treacherous sea, he tosses restlessly on his bed, solicitous for its safety. If it is in fabrics, he guards against moth; if in metal, against rust and thieves. And is Christ less careful for his own?” (Meyer)

A holy nation! The Lord wanted the Israelites to stand out and be different than all the nations of the earth! 

Where is your treasure?

Blessings, David 

Exodus 19:1-4 Eagles Wings!

1In the third month, on the same day of the month that the Israelites had left the land of Egypt, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. 2After they had set out from Rephidim, they entered the Wilderness of Sinai, and Israel camped there in front of the mountain.

“The word conventionally translated ‘wilderness’ is not a sandy desert, but grazing country, not settled by man.” (Cole)

3Then 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:

“If the traditional site of Mount Sinai looks like anything, it looks like a huge pulpit - a sudden, steep outcropping of mountain out in the wilderness. Here, God preached one of the most dramatic sermons ever heard.” (Guzik)

 4‘You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.

Deuteronomy 32:11 As an eagle stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, He spread His wings to catch them; He carried them on His pinions.

This world is full of God’s beauty, you just have to open your eyes and recognize He created it. I lived in a high desert for thirty years and some people would comment... How can you live here, it’s so dry and....

But when the rains came, certain smells came forth and everything bloomed displaying the Lords beauty.

Guzik’s quote of the huge pulpit really impressed me, think about ALL the sermons you have heard, now imagine the Lord giving one from that “steep outcropping of mountain out in the wilderness”!

We will be surprised when we meet the Lord and find out how many times He carried us on “eagle wings”!

Rest in His wings and ask Him to carry you through your day!

Blessings, David 

Exodus 18:23-27 Remitting, Ratification and Amendment!

23If you follow this advice and God so directs you, you will be able to endure, and all these people can go home in peace.”

Did you catch what Jethro said? He gave his advice but followed it up with “and God so directs you,”! 

Brethren let that sink in! You can take advice from man but you need to lift that advice up in prayer and wait on God to direct you!

“All advice which we receive from men should be tested by remitting the same to God for ratification and amendment.” (Morgan)

24Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 

So Moses did everything Jethro said AND as God directed by remitting, ratification and amendment!

25So 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. 26And they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult cases to Moses, but any minor issue they would judge themselves.

“It is better to set a hundred men to work than to do the work of a hundred men.” (D.L. Moody)

27Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own land.

Jethro’s mission was complete, he delivered his daughter and grandchildren to Moses and gave him godly advice. 

What mission has God prepared you for?

Blessings, David 

Exodus 18:21-22 God-fearing, trustworthy men!

21Furthermore, 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.

22Have 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.

“There is no greater art in the world than to develop the latent capacities of those around us by yoking them to useful service.” (Meyer)

A good leader delegates responsibilities to godly and trustworthy men and women.

If you search out the real news and don’t listen to the corrupt news you will discover that our leaders in our country have sold their offices to the highest bidder, shipped our factories and jobs overseas while pocketing millions and in some cases billions of dollars. 

This is because our government has turned away from God and the people have been electing untrustworthy men and women that promise free everything.

We need to select and elect “God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain.”

But, we need to also remember the Lord is in control! Please pray that He exposes those in our government who are corrupt and that we have a revival, a revival of God in our government, in our homes and our families.

Please pray for our government.

Blessings, David