One Year Bible, February 5

EXODUS 21:22-23:13
Exodus 20 is moral law, Exodus 21-23 are civil law, Exodus 24 is about the covenant agreement to keep these laws, and Exodus 25-40 are ceremonial law. What these are speaking to us about is the Lifestyle of God's People. We are to be holy and live holy. Because we lived like Egyptians (worldly and secular) when we were in Egypt (the world), we have to have rules while the Spirit of God begins writing these things on our hearts. Knowing that we are, by human nature, very defensive, vengeful, greedy, arrogant, self-serving people, God protects our "victims" in many cases, setting limits or boundaries to what we may and may not do. Did you notice 22:28? You may not "curse the ruler of your people." (Just so you know, the word "curse" means "to wish or speak evil of anyone".)

RESPONSE:   Everything about us is supposed to be holy. My belongings are holy, my family members are holy, my thoughts should be holy, what I watch on television should be holy, my conversations should be holy. This is because I am a holy person - I belong to God and have no life of my own. This is scary because it changes everything! I need to think about what I'm buying, about I'm doing, about what I'm watching or looking at. I need to take good care of what I have and not abuse it or misuse it. And I really, really need to stop talking about our rulers!

MATTHEW 24:1-28
This is still part of the section of Matthew dealing with the demise of the "old order". What do you think was supposed to happen to religious Judaism when Jesus came? What happened to your "old life" when Jesus came to you? Remember, Jesus did NOT come to revise or restore the "old order" - the Kingdom of Man. He came to initiate a "new thing" - the Kingdom of God. The Gospel of that Kingdom is "repent and change".

The whole point of Matthew 24 is as part of His discourse spelling "lights out" for the old order. The disciples had asked Jesus a 3-part question, "When will this happen (destruction of the Temple), and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" And THREE TIMES, Jesus warns us about being deceived about this subject! (Verses 5, 11, 23-24) First of all, in v. 6, Jesus separated the "end" from all those signs. Those signs spelled the end of religious Judaism! They were supposed to "repent and change", just like the rest of us! The "end of the age", is the end of religious Judaism - and the beginning of the Church.

The disciples were to hurry through the cities of Israel to preach because the time was short. Sure enough, by 70 AD most of those very cities had been destroyed, and when the Romans sacked Jerusalem, ("the great tribulation") they killed over 1 million Jews and 2 million were taken as slaves. The old order was dead.

Our pastor said one time, "If it works in the USA, it must work in Uganda. And if it works in Uganda, it works in the USA." In Third World countries, Christians live by faith, not knowing the future. They don't believe in any kind of escapism, because not only is that pagan in its origin, but it implies that the Gospel has no power in it. Ask any Believer in Jesus living where Christianity is against the law (eg. Moslem countries or China), when the "great tribulation" really began! Acts 14:22 says it begins with admission to the Kingdom of God!  Martyrs don't escape, they carry on their assignments, laying down their lives. We are not victims, but we are sacrifices. "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." (Rev 12:11)

RESPONSE: God, protect me from drawing incorrect conclusions based on wishful thinking. Being killed isn't the worst thing that could happen. Having to live in front of everyone is tougher.

PSALM 29:1-11
This Psalm is written in response to the revelation of God's power in a raging storm. We echo the storm's power in outward "glory and might," joyously and loudly and vigorously. Worship wholeheartedly, because this is "due" Him - God is entitled to it because of His greatness and goodness.

God's power is voice-activated, and the word "voice" is used 7 times in this Psalm. Rev 14:4 says God's voice is like thunder. In fact, it shook "the great and terrible wilderness", and it shook Mt. Sinai when God called Moses to the top. Of course, we know that most times God speaks in a "still, small voice". He shouldn't have to scare us all the time. And sometimes He speaks through donkeys, chickens, small children, circumstances, the Bible, another person. But this time, He spoke in a terrifying storm.

PROVERBS 7:6-23
This passage demonstrates how "the Great Whore of Babylon" works. She (the harlot) is a type of the seduction of sin. None of us decides one day to do something we know is wrong. We get seduced, "little knowing it will cost him his life". The devil comes like a beast or like a whore. He takes us by force or by seduction. This seduction can take the form of arrogance, unforgiveness, criticism, taking offense, misleading people, self-pity, etc., etc., etc. All of these things are forms of self-interest and self-preservation and uncleanness. This is why it is SO IMPORTANT to "lose your life", because then the beast and the whore have no access to your soul. (see Rev 12:11 and 1 John 5:18) 

RESPONSE:   Now I know why I love storms, although I don't like the destruction that sometimes comes with them. I remember getting an ice storm in early October in Omaha. The leaves were still on most of the trees, so the weight of the ice snapped off the tops of all of them - evergreens too. It looked like an angry God had swept through our neighborhoods. God demands respect and fear. This is why the "fear of God" is basic to our understanding of anything. And nothing instills that fear like a bad storm. 

God, I thank You for giving Your people "peace" - even in the midst of a storm. That when everything and everyone around me is raging, I have Your strength and Your peace. I don't live in denial, I live in Your Presence. Don't let me be seduced into thinking I can live without You.