God Speaks
God Gives Examples of Enforcing His Laws and Keeping His Covenant
Verse of the Day:
[God told the Israelites this about the angel (or messenger) He was sending to guide them to the Promised Land.] “If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you.” (Exodus 23:22 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
Reflection.
Consider the following questions regarding Exodus 22-24
> 1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
> 2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
Exodus 22
1. God has laid out workable consequences for breaking His laws.
2. People who steal, murder, or mistreat others will (must) face consequences.
Exodus 23
1. God is a God of justice who has set special times to worship Him and who guides His people.
2. People are to be careful to do everything God has commanded.
Exodus 24
1. God made a special agreement (covenant) with the Israelites and had private interactions with Moses.
2. People often make promises to God (or to other people) that they later don’t (or can’t) keep.
Prayer
> 3. How might I pray regarding Exodus 22-24?
O Gracious and Loving Father, You not only gave the Israelites Your rules for life, but You laid out workable examples of how they could be lived out including consequences for breaking these laws. Whenever people worship anything other than You, dishonor You by profaning Your name, do not observe Your special day, disrespect their parents, murder, break their marriage vows, steal, lie about others or inordinately desire what belongs to someone else, they will face consequences. LORD, You are a God of justice. You will hold them accountable and a good society must as well. You have set special times to worship You. Holy Spirit, enable and guide me to obey and worship well. Help me to be careful to do everything the LORD has commanded. LORD God, You made a special agreement (covenant) with the Israelites; You also had private interactions with Moses. Now You grant that privilege to me and to all of Your adopted children and servants. As You well know, we often make promises to You or to other people that we don’t or can’t keep. Thank You that Jesus kept all of them for us and has given us the Holy Spirit to enable us to keep our promises, obey Your commands and carry out Your will. When we do, we bring You glory, LORD. AMEN
Action (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
> 4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Exodus 22-24? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will not get involved with anything connected with witchcraft, sorcery, or the occult, bestiality, or sacrifices to gods other than the LORD.
- I will instruct others as to the dangers of these practices.
- I will ask the LORD to show me ways to stand up for widows (or women alone), orphans (or vulnerable children), or strangers (even personal enemies) in my area.
- I will pay careful attention to what the Holy Spirit (the messenger within me) is saying as He seeks to lead me in this life and for eternity.
Share
I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.