Skip to main content

January 24 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 24

I don't know how excited you'll get about today's reading.  But you should!  Moses will recite the law to the people.  And, the exciting part, God and the people will make a covenant.  Remember when God made a covenant with specific people before?  Now, the covenant is with all the people.  What a blessing that is to know God covenants with us all.

Today's video takes a look at that idea of covenant.



DAILY READINGS

Exodus 22-24 & Psalm 24

DAILY NOTES

Exodus 22:1-15
  • Laws concerning restitution of property.
Exodus 22:16-27
  • Laws concerning social dealings
Exodus 22:28-31
  • Laws for religious observances
Exodus 23:1-9
  • Laws regarding personal behavior
  • Notice how a person is supposed to commit to justice.
  • Within these verses about justice, there is mention of how one deals with 2 types of people: enemies and resident aliens.  
Exodus 23:12-13
  • Moses spoke of the sabbath before as a "holy rest."  It is also meant to be a relief for one's animals and servants.
Exodus 23:16
  • First fruits.
Exodus 23:21
  • God's name will continue to be with the Israelites.  Now, it will take shape/form/presence in an angel God will send to lead the people to Canaan.
Exodus 23:24
  • This is already another mention of not bowing to other gods or taking their name on our lips.  God knows how easy it is for us to turn to other gods.  We may do so because of fear, mistrust, maybe even ignorance.  When we do, God says we are setting a trap for ourselves (Verse 33).
Exodus 24:1-2
  • We continually see Moses' special role on behalf of the people and the unique place before God.
Exodus 24:3-8
  • A covenant is being made.  Moses tells the people what God requires.  The people declare what their part will be: All the words...we will do.  
    • The people even emphasize their willingness to be obedient to God.
  • Moses writes the law of God.  Later, God will give the stones with the law written upon them.  So, it's unclear what Moses uses now.
  • Blood is shed to confirm the covenant.  Think of it as signing on the dotted line.  Blood is dashed upon the altar and the people.  
Psalm 24
  • Entering the holy place is the question that sparks the beauty of this psalm.
  • Those who enter see/experience the King of glory (talk about a church service you want to be at!).

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

Reading passages about ancient laws regarding donkeys and oxen may seem akin to reading all those passages with all those hard-to-pronounce names of the Bible.  As such, we're quick to gloss over them.

That's understandable.  It's not the best way to approach scripture, but it's understandable.

You'll be doing a lot more reading about laws later on.  So, when you read those passages, look for what is important to them.  For example, in today's reading you probably noticed the word restitution repeated.  That means that our modern understanding can catch a glimpse of what was important to God and to the people through these laws.  And while specifics may change over time--don't get close to my oxen!--principles can be learned that can apply to our modern world.

Stay blessed...john

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

March 31 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 90 David's family situation continues to spiral.  In today's reading, David's family is torn apart by rape.  As a consequence, David's son sets his eyes on his father's throne. DAILY READINGS 2 Samuel 13-15 & Psalm 90 DAILY NOTES 1 Samuel 13:1-14 Amnon was David's first born son (3:2).  That may shed light as to why David seems to deal with him so easily (Verse 21).  Although he does kind of the same thing later with Absalom. Tamar is Absalom's full sister, half sister to Amnon.  Amnon is lovesick with her.  He devises a plan, with the help of a friend, to have her enter his chamber (bedroom).   Since she was a virgin, she didn't go out and about.  She remained in her house, perhaps protected.   Tamar knows what will become of her if Amnon goes through with his wishes; she will be left aside, unable to marry (see Verse 20).  She seems willing to have become married to Amnon, but his lust clouds h...
Post a Comment
Read more

January 27 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 27 We'll be reading about atonement today.  T oday's video helps make sense of that biblical theme. DAILY READINGS Exodus 30-31 & Psalm 27 DAILY NOTES Exodus 30:6 Everything has its place.   Exodus 30:10 Once a year would be Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). Exodus 12-15 The Lord's offering is required of everyone equally (of the appropriate age).  Strangely enough, there is a designation of rich and poor.  Everyone has just come from Egypt.  How has that distinction arisen?   Exodus 31:13 It's interesting to compare how the idea of sabbath here relates to previous mentions of it.   Exodus 31:18 Moses had written the words down.  Now, with merely his finger, God has provided the tablets for all to remember the covenant that has been made.   Psalm 27 Have you ever prayed and prayed and prayed for something?  The psalmist seems to know the feeling.  His final adm...
Post a Comment
Read more

June 19 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 170 DAILY READINGS Jeremiah 7-9 & Psalm 15 DAILY NOTES Jeremiah 7 Notice the emphasis of God's house having God's name.  It belongs to God, but the people, through their unrighteous actions, have made it theirs.  God's house has been turned into a "den of robbers" (vs. 11).  Remember when Jesus said that (Matthew 21:13)? According to Jesus, what was the Temple supposed to be called? Remember when the people tried to use the ark of the covenant as a weapon against the Philistines (1 Samuel 4)?  That was at Shiloh.  Jeremiah brings that event to our minds again as a sign (vs. 14).  God says that human sacrifice was not his command, nor did it come to his mind.  You'll have to do some wrestling with the story of Abraham almost sacrificing Isaac (Genesis 22). Jeremiah 8 Jeremiah (God) says to unearth the kings' bones and lay them before the sun and moon and all the other gods they served and worshiped.  Ouch. Even animals ...
Post a Comment
Read more