The day with dianne Louise

Every tenth of the land's produce, grain from the soil, or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord: it is holy to the Lord. If a man decided to redeem any part of the tenth he must add a 1/5th to it's value. Every tenth animal from the herd or flock, which passes under the shepherd's rod, will be holy to the Lord. He is not to inspect whether it is good or bad, and he is not to make a substitution, both the animal and the substitute will be holy, they cannot be redeemed. Leviticus 27: 30-34 It seems the Lord was requiring the tenth of everything. This signified that the Lord was the source of everything. All came from Him. Yet this was not practiced consistently as Nehemiah had to re-institute the practice and in the book of Malachi God rebuked His people for failing to keep this instruction. What does the Lord require of us? We could say: 'We are now in Christ and are no longer obliged.' However, if we love God and want to honour Him then what is the problem...

But if you do not obey me and observe all these commands- if you reject My statutes and despise My ordinances, and do not observe all My commands- and break My covenant, then I will do this to you: I will bring terror on you....... But after these things if you will not obey Me, I will proceed to discipline you seven times for your sins. I will break down your strong pride.... If you  act with hostility towards Me and are unwilling to obey Me, I will multiply your plagues seven times for your sins..... If in spite of these things you do not accept My discipline, but act with hostility towards Me, then I will act with hostility towards you; I will also strike you seven times for your sins.... And if in spite of this you do not obey Me but act with hostility towards Me, I will act with furious hostility towards you, I will also discipline you seven times for your sins. You will eat the flesh of your sons; you will eat the flesh of your daughters..... Leviticus 26:14-16; 18,19; 21...

If you faithfully follow my statutes and faithfully observe My commands, I will give you rain at the right time, and the land will yield its produce, and the trees of the filed will bear their fruit. Your threshing will continue until grape harvest, and the rape harvest will continue until sowing time; you will have plenty of food to eat an live securely in your land. I will give peace to your land, and you will lie down with nothing to frighten you. I will remove dangerous animals from the land, and no sword will pass through your land. You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall before you by the sword by the sword. Five of you will pursue 100, and 100 of you will pursue 10,000; your enemies will fall before you by the sword. I will turn to you, make you fruitful and multiply you, and confirm my covenant with you. You will eat the old grain of the previous year and will clear out the old to make room for the new. I will place my residence among you, and I will not reject you. I ...

If your brother becomes destitute and cannot sustain himself among you, you are to support him as a foreigner or temporary resident, so that he can continue to live among you. Do not profit or take interest from him, but fear your God and let your brother live among you. You are not to lend him your silver with interest or sell him your food for profit. I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Caanan and to be your God. Leviticus 25:35-38 God wanted his people to be fair and just and loving. By supporting those who were destitute among them they were humbling themselves and trusting Him to provide for both. How often does this happen? In Australia we have a government agency called Centrelink that doles out funds to the destitute and so many well funded Australians would assume that everyone is ok. This is not the case. As a divorcee I have been destitute and had to trust the Lord to provide, which he did, often through my mother and so...

God said to Moses: " You are to count seven sabbatical years, seven times seven years, so that the time period of the seven sabbatical years amounts to 49. The Israelites are to sound a trumpet in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month; you will sound it throughout your land on the Day of Atonement. You are to consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim freedom in the land for all the inhabitants. It will be your Jubilee, when each of you is to return to his property and each to his clan. The fiftieth year will be your jubilee; you are not to sow, reap what grows by itself, or harvest its untended vines. it is to be holy to you because it is the Jubilee; you may only eat its produce directly from the field. Leviticus 25;8-12 As a Christian I have been aware of some churches making a special event around the concept of Jubilee but the Levitical tradition was stopped before the birth of Christ. The concept is a good one and would have brought freedom and celebratio...

The Lord spoke to Moses: "Speak to the entire Israelite community and tell them: Be holy because I, Yahweh your God, am Holy." Leviticus 19:1,2 This is the only time Moses is instructed to speak to the full Israelite community. This must be important. In Matthew 5:48 Jesus said: "You must be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect." In verses 43-46 Jesus teaches about love being a motivator. Loving our neighbour and praying for our persecutors, so that we may be sons of our father in heaven. In Leviticus 18:3 God tells His people to respect their mothers and fathers and in verse 4 not to turn to idols.  Firstly loving and respecting others and then respect for God by not turning from Him  to idolatry Is a part of holiness. What does 'Holy' look like? I guess the best representation of holiness would be Jesus. If we want to understand the Old Testament law we need to watch God Himself live under the law.  Further in chapter 19 God gives a summary if the la...

When the Lord saw that mankind's wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every scheme his mind thought of was nothing but evil all the time, the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth and He was grieved in His heart. then the Lord said, "I will wipe off from the face of the earth mankind, whom I created, together with the animals, creatures that crawl, and birds of the sky-for I regret that I have made them." Noah, however found favour in the sight of the Lord." Genesis 6:5-8 I am revisiting this scripture because tonight I went to see the movie: 'Noah.' What a fictitious work, lacking substance. I was annoyed with the errors but realise I should not expect Hollywood to stay true to the scripture. The unusual thing is I also taught about this story at scripture class on Tuesday, the true story that is. There were interesting thoughts about what mankind was like at that time. However, Noah was portrayed as a fanatic who did not hear Go...

The Lord spoke to Aaron: "You and your sons are not to drink wine or beer when you enter the tent of meeting, or else you will die, this is a permanent statute throughout your generations. You must distinguish between the holy and the common, and the clean and the unclean, and teach the Israelites all the statutes that the Lord has given them through Moses." Leviticus 10:8-11 God usually spoke to Moses and Aaron but here He speaks to Aaron. Aaron would be struggling as the Lord just burned two of his sons alive for doing their own thing. Aaron had been wayward in creating the golden calf and now he was having a wake-up call. Aaron's sons would have presumed they could have liberties with God because their father was not judged for his former actions. The sin of the father had come down on the sons. God now presses Aaron further, he is told that he and his two remaining sons could not drink and enter the Tent of Meeting or they would die, the noose was tightening. Bei...

Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu each took his own firepan, pu t fire in it, placed incense on it, and presented unauthorised fire before The Lord, which He had not commanded them to do. Then fire came from The Lord and burned them up. So Moses said to Aaron , "this is what The Lord meant when He said: "I will show My holiness to those who are near Me, and I will reveal My glory before all the people." But Aaron remained silent. Leviticus 10:1-3 What a way to learn that God was serious about holiness in His sanctuary! Aaron was learning a serious lesson here. This was the man who made the golden calf for the people saying: "they demanded it. " man's ways are not acceptable to God, Holiness demands we follow His ways. God's priests were close to His presence and therefore under the strictest, and most exact behaviour. Now that we are in Christ, we are not struck down for our sin: hidden or obvious, as the perfect sacrifice has been made. However, to see ...

The Lord spoke to Moses: "when someone sins and offends the Lord by deceiving his neighbour in regard to a deposit, a security, or a robbery; or defrauds his neighbour; or finds something lost and lies about it; or swears falsely about any of the sinful things a person may do- once he has sinned and acknowledged his guilt-he must return what he stole or defrauded, or the deposit entrusted to him, or the lost item found, or anything else about which he swore falsely. He must make full restitution for it and add a fifth of its value to it. He is to pay the owner on the day he acknowledges his guilt. Then he must bring his restitution offering to the Lord. Leviticus 6:1-6 What a good law! If thieves knew that they had to pay back what they stole and add 1/5 to it, I wonder if they would be so keen to steal? In Tamworth, where I live, at present the villains are becoming brazen. They are no longer concerned if the owner is at home, they still break in and steal what they want. At...

All the gold of the presentation offering that was used for the project in all the work on the sanctuary, was 2193 pounds, according to the sanctuary shekel. The silver from those of the community who were registered was 7,544 pounds, according to the sanctuary shekel-2/5 of an ounce per man, that is, half a shekel according to the sanctuary shekel, from everyone 20 years old or more who had crossed over to the registered group 603,550 men. There were 6,500 pounds of silver used to cast the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil- 100 bases from 75 pounds for each base. With the remaining 44 pounds he made the hooks for the posts, overlaid their tops, and supplied bands for them. The bronze of the presentation offering totalled 5,310 pounds. He made with it the bases for the entrance to the tent of meeting, the bronze altar and it's bronze grate, all the utensils for the altar, the bases for the surrounding courtyard, the bases for the gate if the courtyard, all the tent p...

So Moses summoned Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person in whose heart The Lord had placed wisdom, everyone whose heart moved him to come and work and do it. They took from Moses' presence all the contributions hat the Israelites had brought for the task of making the sanctuary. Meanwhile, the people continued to bring free will offerings morning after morning.  Then all the craftsmen who were doing all the work for the sanctuary came one by one from the work they were doing and said to Moses, "The people are bringing more than is needed for the construction of the work The Lord commanded to be done," After Moses gave an order, they sent a proclamation throughout the camp: " Let no man or woman make any things else as an offering for the sanctuary." So the people stopped. The materials were sufficient for them to do all the work. There was more than enough, exodus 36:2-7 How good is this? Not only the best tradesmen and craftsmen were available but all the ...

Then Moses said to the entire Israelite community, "This is what The Lord has commanded: 'Take up an offering among you for The Lord. Let everyone whose heart is willing bring this as the Lord's offering: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine linen and goat hair; rams skins dyed red and manatee skins; acacia wood; oil for the light; spices for the annointing oil and for the fragrant incence; and onyx and gemstones to mount on the ephod and breastplate. Let all the skilled craftsman among you come and make everything that the Lord has commanded. Then the entire Israelite community left Moses' presence. Everyone whose heart was moved and whose spirit prompted him came and brought an offering to The Lord for the work on the tent of meeting, for all it's services, and holy garments. Exodus 35:4-10; 20,21 Wow! A bunch of ex-slaves had in their possession all that was required to build the temple just as God had commanded. When they left Egypt al...

As Moses descended. From Mount Sinai- with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands as he descended the mountain- he did not realise that the skin of his face shone as a result of his speaking with the Lord. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin on his face shone! They were afraid to come near him. But Moses called out to them, so Aaron and all the leaders of the community returned to him, and Moses spoke to them. Afterwards all the Israelites came near, and he commanded them everything like he Lord told him on Mount Sinai. When Moses had finished speaking to them he put a veil over his face. But whenever Mkses went before The Lord to speak with him he would remove the veil until he came out. After he came out, he would tell the Israelites what he had been commanded, and the Israelites would see Moses's face was radiant. Then Moses would out a veil over his face again until he went to speak with The Lord. Exodus 34:29-35 Moses was becoming quite used to spendin...

Be careful not to make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land that you are going to enter; otherwise they will become a snare among you. Instead you must tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, and chop down their Asherah poles. You are to never bow down to another god because Yahweh, being jealous by nature, is a jealous God. Do not make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land, or else when they prostitute themselves with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, they will invite you, and you will eat their sacrifices. Then you will take some of their daughters as brides for your sons. Their daughters will prostitute themselves with their gods and cause your sons to prostitute themselves with their gods. Do not cast images of gods for yourselves. Exodus 34:12-17 The phrase 'jealous by nature' can be translated 'Yahweh jealous His name'; 'His name is jealous' or Yahweh is jealous for His name.' Anyway you look at it it implies that there is a ...

The Lord came down in a cloud, stood with Moses there, and proclaimed His name Yahweh. Then The Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed: Yahweh- Yahweh is a compassionate God, slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving wrongdoing, rebellion, and sin. But He will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers wrongdoing on the children and grandchildren to a third and fourth generation. Moses immediately bowed down to the ground and worshipped. Then he said, "My Lord, please go with us. Even through this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wrongdoings and sin, and accept us as Your own possession. Exodus 34:5-9 We all have sinned and gone astray but The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6) We definite needed a saviour. The Israelites needed God's grace  and mercy and when we come to Christ that is what we receive. Oh grace, how sweet the sound that saved ...

Morse said to The Lord, " Look, You have told me, 'Lead these people up, but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. you said, 'I know you by name, and you have also found favour in My sight." Now if I have indeed found favour in Your sight, please teach me Your ways, and I will know You and find favour in Your sight. A now consider that this nation is Your people." Then God replied, "My presence will go with you and give you rest." "If Your presence does not go," Moses responded to Him, "don't make us go up from here. How will it be known that I and Your people have found favour in Your sight unless You go with us? I and Your people will be distinguished by this from all other people on the face of the earth." The Lord answered Moses, "I will do this very thing that you have asked, for you have found favour in My sight, and I know you by name." "Then Moses said, "Please let me see Your glory....

Now Moses took a tent and set it up outside the camp, far away from the camp; he called it the Tent of Meeting. Anyone who wanted to consult The Lord would go to the tent of meeting that was outside the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would stand up, each one at the door of his tent, and they would watch Moses until he entered the tent when Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and remain at the entrance to the tent, and The Lord would speak to Moses. As all the people saw the pillar of cloud remaining at the entrance to the tent, they would stand up, then bow in worship, each one at the door of his tent. The Lord spoke with Moses face to face, just as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his assistant, the young man Joshua son of Nun, would not leave the inside o the tent. Exodus 3::7-11 What a picture of intimacy. We have it even better, as Christians, our God in dwells us and speaks to is spirit to spi...

The Lord spoke to Moses: "go leave here, you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying: I will give it to your offspring. I will send an angel ahead of you and will drive out the Caananites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebhsites. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you because you are a stiff-necked people; otherwise, I might destroy you on the way. When the people heard this bad news, they mourned an didn't put on their jewellery. For The Lord said to Moses: "Tell the Israelites: You are a stiff-necked people. If I went with you for a single moment, I would destroy you. Now take off your jewellery, and I will decide what to do with you. So the Israelites remained stripped of their jewellery from Mount Horeb onwards. Exodus 33:1-6 When I first read how the Israelites took off their jewellery when God told them they were stiff necked, I laughed. I laughed...

So Moses returned to The Lord and said, "Oh, these people have committed a grave sin; they have made a god of gold for themselves. Now if You would only forgive their sin. But if not, please erase me from the book You have written." The Lord replied to Moses: "I will erase whoever has sinned against ame from My book. Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about; see, My angel will go before you. But on the day I settle accounts, I will hold them accountable for their sin. And The Lord inflicted a plague on the people for what they did with the calf Aaron had made. Exodus 32:31-35 Moses had come down the mountain, after being with God for 40 days and nights with the Ten Commandments in his hands. Although God had warned him about what was happening and wanted to kill them all, Moses had pleaded for their lives. Yet when Moses saw what was happening he became angry and ordered the slaying of those involved. Three thousand died. I wonder if he, when he went back up...

The Lord spoke to Moses: "when you take a cencus if the Israelites to register them, each of the men must pay a ransom for himself to The Lord as they are registered. Then no plague will come on them as they are registered. Everyone who is registered must pay half a shekel according to the sanctuary shekel. This half a shekel is a contribution to The Lord. The wealthy may not give more and the poor may not give less than half a shekel when giving the contribution when giving to The Lord to atone for your lives. Take the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent meeting. It will be a reminder for the Israelites before te Lord to atone for you lives." Exodus 30:11-16 This register was probably a military register. I appreciate that this levy was an equal levy, All men are equal before The Lord. It is amazing that being registered and paying the levy protected them all from disease. How cool is that? Being a part of the family meant protection fr...

You are to make an altar for the burning of incense: make it of acacia wood. It must be square, 18 inches long and 18 inches wide; it must be 36 inches high. It's horns must be one piece. Overlay it's top, all around its aides, and it's horns with pure gold; make a gold moulding all around it. Make two gold rings for it under the moulding on two sides; put these on opposite sides of it to be holders for the poles to carry it with. Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. You are to place the altar in front if the veil by the ark of the testimony- in front of the mercy seat that is over the testimony- where I will meet with you. Aaron must burn fragrant incense on it; he must burn it every morning when he tends the lamps. Exodus 30:1-7 This is where I go to pray and today the view was spectacular. Worship and prayer are exceptionally pleasing to The Lord. The table was made of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold. In the heavenly temple prayer is constant...

The Lord also said to Moses: "I have seen this people. Now leave Me alone, so that My anger can burn against them. Then I will make of you a great nation. But Moses interceded with The Lord his God: "Lord, why does Your anger burn against Your people You brought out of the land if Egypt with great power and a strong hand? Why should the Egyptians say, "He brought them out with an evil intent to kill them in the mountains and wipe them o ff the face of the earth? Turn from Your great anger and relent concerning this disaster planned for Your people. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel-You swore to them by Your very self and declared, "I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and will give your offspring all this land that I have promised, and they will inherit it forever." So The Lord relented concerning the disaster He said He would bring on His people. Exodus 32:9-14 The Lord had good cause to be angry. Only 40 days earlier t...

The Lord said to Moses: "tell the Israelites: you must observe My Sabbaths, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, so that you will know that I am 'Tahweh who sets you apart.' Observe the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Exodus 31:12-14 Why was having a rest so important to God. There was no parallel in any other culture in that day. Yet God thought it so important that if it was contravened it meant death. In verse 17 we read: 'it is a sign forever between me and the Israelites, for in six days The Lord made the heavens and the earth, but on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.' So we see it is a sign to be observed. It is also very important to The Lord. He worked and then rested and knew it would be important for His people. Today the Sabbath is not observed unless you are of Jewish faith. Yes we are no longer under law if we are a born again believer but if God made an issue of it and I love Him would I not want to know what He ...

The Lord also spoke to Moses: " Look, I have appointed by name Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with God's Spirit, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every craft to design artistic works in gold, silver and bronze, to cut gemstones for mounting, and to carve wood for work in every craft. I have also selected Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe if Dan, to be with him. I have placed wisdom within every skilled craftsman in order to make all that I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony, the mercy seat that is on top of it, and all the other furnishings of the tent. Exodus 31:1-7 What an honor to be mentioned in the bible as being filled with wisdom for the task God had planned. Each believer has been filled with promise for a purpose. God has a plan for each if us if we dare believe. However, many are cheated because they live by sight and not by faith. Christians are given new eyes to see as God sees,...

The Lord said to Moses11: 'Take for yourself the finest spices. 121/2 pounds of liquid Myrrh, 61/2 pounds of fragrant cinnamon, 61/2 pounds of fragrant cane, 121/2 pounds of Cassia and use a gallon of olive oil. Prepare from these a holy anointing oil, a scented blend, the work of a perfumer, it will be a holy anointing oil.  With it you are to annoint the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony, the table with all the utensils, and the basin with its stand. Concecrate them and they will be especially holy. Whatever touches them will be concecrated. Exodus 30:22-29 How unusual for God to choose to concecrate his tent and all in it with herbs and spices, yet baby Jesus was given a gift of them, at His birth. What does this mean? The tent and it's contents was cincecrated by things crushed and fragrant. A crushed life can be the most fragrant life, depending on how it is received. A crushed life allows the inner contents to escape, if the contents are fragrant then the smell is...

Then God said to Moses, "Go up to The Lord , you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and 70 of Israel's elders, and bow in worship at a distance. Moses alone is to approach The Lord, but the others are not to approach, and the people are not to go up with him. Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and 70 of Israel's elders, and they saw the God of Israel. Beneath His feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire stone, as clear as the sky itself. God did not harm the Israelite nobles; they saw Him, and ate and drank. Exodus 24:11,2;9-11 Aaron, his sons and 70 elders saw God, ate and drank with Him. They had a God  encounter yet in chapter 32, because Moses was delayed on the mountain for 40 days and nights and the people came to Aaron asking for an image of their God, why did he craft a golden calf? Why not what he had seen? This grieves me to think: a man chosen by God to be His priest, who sees His personhood, within 40 days goes back to images of a former life...

I will cause the people ahead if you to feel terror and throw I to confusion all the nations you come to, I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you in retreat. I will send the hornet in front of you, and it will drive the Hivittes, Caananites, and Hittites away from you. I will not drive them out in a single year; otherwise, the land would become desolate, and wild animals would multiply against you. I will drive them out little by little ahead of you until you have become numerous and take possession of the land. Exodus 23:27-30 God is ahead and behind. Here we see God's promise to fill the enemies with fear yet we go to fear. When Joshua led the Israelites into the promised land and the spies went into Jericho, Rahab, the harlot told them of the fear of the people if the city and how they had heard about this One True God and His people. Now if God be for you, who is against you? What if God is really for me? What if He goes before me? What if I really am blessed? What...

For My angel will go before you to the land of the Ammorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out. You must not bow down to their gods or worship them. Instead demolish them and smash their sacred pillars to pieces. Worship The Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. I will remove illness from you. No woman will miscarry it be childless in your land. I will give you the full number of days. Exodus 23:23-26 Here is a promise indeed! The only requirement was to worship The Lord only and have no other gods before Him. Does not sound hard, but how hard is it? I can go to church and still worship other gods: my fitness regime; my disciplined savings; my right to watch certain things on TV and woe betide  anyone who gets in the way; my religious attitude; my love for punctuality. These are but a few that you may gasp at. Let's test them all: is God master? Who gets the glory? Who do you put down? Ok? If all things do not c...

I am going to send an angel before you to protect you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared. Be attentive to him and listen to his voice. Do not defy him, because he will not forgive your acts of rebellion, for My name is in him. But if you will carefully obey him and do everything I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes. Exodus 23:20-22 Wow! The angel had God's name in him. He belonged to God. I love this passage. In the New Testament God sent His Son in the likeness of flesh to show the Way. This Son gave His life for us, redeemed us from our waywardness, blindness, selfishness, arrogance and pride. Jesus showed a better way and when He returned to the Father sent His Holy Spirit. This Holy Spirit is our pillar of cloud and fire. Instead of judgement we now receive mercy. The Holy Spirit does not have a stick, if we refuse Him, He moves away and works on us through conviction of sin. If we continue to refuse Him, He moves further away...

Celebrate a festival in My honour three times a year. Observe the Festival of Unlevened Bread. As I commanded you, you are to eat Unlevened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, because you came out of Egypt in that month. No one is to appear before me empty handed. Also observe the Festival of Harvest with the first fruits if your produce from what you sow in the field, and observe the Festival of Ingathering  at the end of the year, when you gather your produce from the field.  Bring the best of your first fruits of your land to the house of The Lord your God. Exodus 23:14-16,19 Festivals were held to: 1) remember and 2) to honour God. Festivals are fun and celebratory, with food and wine and rest. We all like festivals. Our towns and cities have usually instituted some form of festival. In Australia we have: Easter, Christmas and New Year, Australia Day and Anzac Day. Easter is a time to honour and remember our saviour's sacrifice, Anzac Day follo...

Sow your land for six years and gather it's produce. But during the seventh year you are to let it rest and leave it uncultivated, so that the poor among your people may eat from it and the wild animals may consume what they leave. Do the same for your vineyards and your olive grove. Do you work for six days and rest on the seventh day so that your ox and donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave as well as the foreign resident may be refreshed. Exodus 23:10,11 At the heart of God is love and respect for all mankind, animals and the earth. By making room to breathe we respect our own bodies, our animals bodies and the earth. In Australia farmers are aware that lack of respect for the earth has given rise to soil salinity and a problem called 'deep drainage.' When ground cover and trees are missing the soil is eroded and loses vital carbon. By allowing fields used for crops to rest the animals can graze and their excrement can fertilize the soil. However, excessive g...

"Youist not spread a false report. Do not join the wicked to be a malicious witness. You must not follow a crowd in wrongdoing. Do not testify in a lawsuit and go along with a crowd to pevert justice. Do not show favouritism to a poor person in his lawsuit. If you come across your enemy's stray ox or donkey, you must return it to him. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you lying helpless under it's load, and you want to refrain from helping it, you must help it. You must not deny justice to a poor person among you in a lawsuit. Stay far away from a false accusation. Do not kill the innocent and the just, because I will not justify the guilty. You must not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and corrupts the words of the righteous. You must not oppress a foreign resident, you yourselves know how it feels to be a foreigner because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. Exodus 23:1-9 The Lord loves justice above our feelings. Tonight I watched a pedo...

You must not blaspheme God or curse a leader among your people. You must not hold back offerings from your harvest or your vats. Give Me the firstborn of your sons. Do the same with your cattle and your flock?  Be my holy people. Exodus 22:28-30a, 31a When irate or offended it is easy to blaspheme God or a leader! it is a trap to rob us of relationship and blessing. When we struggle with an issue, rather than lashing out, it is good to go to God and inquire why? Or how do I respond. Our base nature is emotional and reactive. God is not, He is at peace. I am assisting a lady with insurance claims and when I heard her life I grieved. How could life be so cruel? Where was God? I am sure He was right there waiting to be invited in. This lady had struggled to hold things together herself, and now she was done, her strength gone. A good time to seek The Lord. As Christiand we have an expectation that all will be well. I remember hearing of a Christian couple who were crossing the road wi...

You must not exploit a foreign resident or oppress him, since you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. Exodus 22:21 The new area I live in has new Australians:  Indians; Asians and Africans. Our hospital has expanded and is still expanding and taking on new staff. Australia expects doctors from other lands to qualify in Australia and re-sit exams accord into Australian standards. Is this fair or exploitation? I know that exploitation happens, however even as far back as 2010, exploitation of workers in the fashion industry was happening in Melbourne Australia. Workers were being paid $2/hour and working in squalid conditions. Australian made does not mean ethically made. In South Austrllia, there has not be sufficient child labour laws. Holiday workers of 15 were expected to work at call for low wages. Overseas workers on temporary visas from China or the Philippines were paid low wages in sub-standard conditions, in Austrlian cities. So here we see abuse of our own children as we...

When a man lets a field or vineyard be grazed in, then allows his animals to go and graze in someone else's field, he must repay with the best of his own field or vineyard. When a fire gets out of control, spreads to thorn bushes, and consumes stacks of cut grain, standing grain, or a field, the one who started the fire must make full restitution for what has burned. Exodus 22:5,6 In Australia we have bush fire seasons, but unfortunately, many of the fires are started by villains, firebugs who like fire, pyromaniacs. I wonder how many fires would actually be lit by such individuals if the knew they would be making restitution for what they burned. In many cases houses are lost, lives are lost. How do you measure such a cost and how could such a loss be paid for by the perpetrator? They would be forever a slave to pay off their debt, but then, they would be set free after six years. Would the law about taking someone else's life then kick in and the person who started the fire w...

When a man steals an ox or a sheep and butchers it or sells it, he must repay five cattle for the ox or four sheep for the sheep. If a thief is caught in the act of breaking in, and he is beaten to death, no one is giluty of bloodshed. But if this happens after sunrise, there is guilt of bloodshed. A thief must make full restitution. If he is unable, he is to be sold because of his theft. If what was stolen-whether ox, donkey, or sheep- is actually found alive in his possession, he must repay double. Exodus 22:1-4 Oh for the simple life again. To see a thief be liable to repay what he has stolen and more besides, if not becoming indentured until he works off his debt, how many would learn not to do it again? If a thief is beaten to death while breaking in and the liability being on the thief's head and not the victim, how good would that be? We have made sin so palatable. In Australian aborigine culture the offender, in some places, is dealt with by the tribe and must face those he...

When you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve you for six years and in the seventh he is to leave a free man without paying anything. If he arrives alone, he is to leave alone; if he arrives with a wife, his wife is to leave with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons and daughters, the wife and her children belong to her master, and the man must leave alone. But if the slave declares: I love my master, my wife, and my children; I do not want to leave as a free man, his master is to bring him to the judges and then bring him to the doorpost. His master must pierce his ear with an awl, and he will serve his master for life. Exodus 21:1-6 In our western culture we now abhor slavery. Yet today slavery is rife. Sex slavery is alive and well and the church has taken a stance against it.  In the above scripture we see godly slavery. This allowed for those who sold themselves into slavery to repay a debt or who were impoverished. It has room for freedom in the seventh ye...

Then The Lord said to Moses, "this is what you are to say to the Israelites: You have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven. You must not make gods I silver to rival Me; you must not make gods of gold for yourselves. You must make an earthen altar for ame and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats, as well as your cattle. I will come to you and bless you in every place where I cause my name to be remembered. If you make a stone altar for Me, you must not build it out of cut stones. If you use your chisel on it, you will defile it. Exodus 20:22-25 Self effort is not acceptable. Self effort gives us room for boasting. Not good!! Cut stones represent self effort. God prefers our reliance on Him and what He has made. Amen!

All the people witnessed the thunder and lightening, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain surrounded by smoke. When the people saw it they trembled and stood at a distance. "You speak to us, and we will listen," they said to Moses, "but don't let God speak to us, or we will die." Moses responded to the people, "Don't be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you will fear Him and will not sin." And the people remained standing at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. Exodus 20:18-21 Now the people are presented with a holy, just and fearful God. They have been presented with the 10 commandments. God wanted them to hear and know His expectations. They were just and right but they would be difficult for them to keep. In my natural, unregenerate state I am unable to keep the law. Invariably I would not put God first, I would fail to keep the Sabbath, I would envy and become angry with my fellow man. I would beca...

Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not give false testimony against your neighbour, Do not covet your neighbour's house. Do not covet your neighbour's wife, his male or female slave, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour. Exodus 20:13-17 Jesus addressed all of these in one command: love your neighbour as yourself. Now we love ourselves because we are constantly aware of ourselves and how others impact on our world. To love our neighbour as ourselves would to be consciously aware of them, their needs and their hearts. Not putting ourselves first is a challenge and loving others the same, well now that takes some doing. (Well for me it does present a challenge) Not loving ourselves more will hold us back from murder, thievery, covertousness. James addresses this: 'what is the source of wars and fights among you? Don't they come from the cravings that are within you? You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obt...

Honour your father and mother so that you may have a long life in the land that The Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 2012 Long life could here be a representation of the length of days Israel would receive in their promised land for honouring the parents. However, individual length of days is more probable. Joseph honoured Jacob his father,  Ruth honoured Naomi, her mother-in -law and was blessed in being the line of the saviour. Abraham honoured his father, Isaac honoured his father. Scripture also tells of the sons of Eli who did not honour their father and they were cut off prematurely. In the media we often see elderly people being asked the secret of their long life. I have never heard one say: " because I honoured my mother and father I have a long life." The world looks for repeatable acts, such as: diet; exercise; not smoking; low consumption of alcohol. Yet many long livers break all those rules yet still have a long life. Perhaps if they were asked the right ques...

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. You are to labour six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lordyour God. You must not do any work- you, your son or daughter, you male or female slave, your livestock, or the foreigner who us within your gates. Fort he Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then He rested on the seventh. Therefore The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy. Exodus 20:8-11 Rest is good, so is spending time in worship at church. God thought so much of the seventh day He created it, kept it and set it apart as holy. Yesterday I moved house but today there was still much to do. I toyed with the idea of taking it off but the need for order compelled me. Now tomorrow I will see just how much I needed to take a rest day today. I did go to church, spend time with mum, go for a walk and a bit of unpacking. However, rest is also to recharge batteries and prepare the body for the week to ...

Do not misuse the name of The Lord your God, because The Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses His name. Exodus 20:7 Imagine going into a town where you were unknown and wanting to rent and buy provisions. If a prominent man in that town took a liking to you and gave you a letter saying he stood behind all you did and would go guarantor for you how would you treat this favour? If you thought little of his generosity and used his name carelessly, he would come and remove that priveledge from you. yes? Our God, and all He is, has been given to us who believe. To attempt to walk in our old sinful flesh and thrown His precious name around would make Him and us look foolish. He, therefore, would quietly back away and we would find ourselves like the emperor without any clothes. (Short story by Hans Christian Andersen) Foolishness boasts loudly, it runs headlong into disaster, it ignores sound teaching and is emotionally driven. I watch this in action again and again. To attempt ...

I am he Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. Do not have other gods beside Me. Do not make an idol in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth, you must not bow down to them or worship them; for I, The Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the father's sin, to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love Me,  and keep My commands. Exodus 20:1-4 When men and women marry they vow to be faithful. Having an unfaithful spouse arouses jealousy, rage and resentment. When a spouse is unfaithful the injured spouse has the right to leave. Our God is a jealous God and demands faithfulness. Now, in ourselves we are prone to be more faithful to ourselves than to our God but as we rely on the Holy Spirit we are enabled. Our God is not a figurehead, a nice idea, an occasional visitor. He want...

The Lord said to Moses, "I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you and will always believe in you." Exodus 19:9 What an endorsement! God is bestowing honour upon Moses, declaring relationship and friendship. If Moses was a friend of God what are we? We are joint heirs, family. Do we walk in this? What does being a joint heir mean? I equally inherit the promises, I am equally loved, I am equally justified, declared righteous. What is available for me? Jesus said to His disciples:" all that is mine is yours." So how do I appropriate it? By faith! Faith is not arrogance, it is not wishful thinking but believing he word and expecting it's fullness. Jesus paid the price, all is mine by faith and acceptance. Amen! Today I  move house, another chapter begins, today I move into something new. Today I want to see the promises open before me. Amen!

In the third month, on the same day of the month that the Israelites had left the land of Egypt, they entered the wilderness of Sinai. After departing from Rephidim, they entered the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness, and Israel camped there in front of the mountain. Moses went up the mountain to God, and The Lord called to him from the mountain: "this is what you must say to the house of Jacob, and explain to the Israelites: you have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles wings and brought you to Me. Now if you will listen to Me and carefully keep My covenant, you will be My own possession out of all the peoples, although all the earth  is Mine, and you will be any kingdom of priests and My holy nation. These are the words you are to say to the Israelites." Exodus 19:1-6 God is moving in for a closer relationship. He was ready, were the people? God was beginning to reveal Himself, Hus holiness, His power and His might. The Israelites ...

The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until evening. When Moses' father-in-law saw everything he was doing for them he asked, "Why are you alone sitting as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning to evening?" Moses replied to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God. Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I make a decision between one man and another. I teach them God's statutes and laws." "What you are doing is not good," Moses' father-in-law said to him, "You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot do it alone. Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to Him. Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do...

Moses' father- in -law Jethro, the priest of Midian heard about everything that God had done for Moses and His people Israel, and how The Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.  Moses' father-in-law Jethro, along with Moses' wife and sons, came to him in the wilderness where he camped at the mountain of God. He sent word to Moses, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons." So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down, and then kissed him. They asked each other how they had been and went into the tent. Moses recounted to his father-in-law Jethro, all that The Lord had done to Pharoah and the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardships that confronted hem on the way and how The Lord delivered them. Jethro rejoiced over all the good things The Lord had done for Israel when He rescued them from the power of the Egyptians. "Praise The Lord," Jethro exclaimed, "who rescued you from the Pharoah and...