Ex 23:20 -33

How interesting that God sent an angel to be with them during this part of the journey. He will have the power and authority of God himself as he will also defend them against their enemies. He will be a no-nonsense kind of angel (21). Again God had to re-emphasize to them that they are not to worship the gods of the lands that they will cross to get to the Promised land. Instead, they are to destroy the idol worship in the lands that they will cross. Do that and the Lord promised them a sickness free, childbearing (no miscarriages or barrenness) time as well as a "full life span" -which to me means well past 100. The angel, to them, will be a "terror" to their enemies and drive them out but this will not happen immediately but little by little. How similar is that even in life itself. If everything was handed to us, we would not mature or would be tested to be  refined gold for God. Ultimately they will possess the land, but that will come as they have grown in stature in God's eyes. The borders established in v31 seems like their final resting place but God again has to emphasize the purity and the holiness that His people are called to. The prophetic words in v 33 will ultimately be their downfall as they enter the period of the Judges and beyond.

Good day yesterday. Able to do my household chores and some more cooking. Got caught up on some of my shows and looking to do the same later. Home will be empty this weekend, just like the apartment. Still stuff to do, people to see and places to go.

Praise for today: Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you. Ex 23: 25

Ex 23: 10-19

The next section deals with the vertical relationship while being mindful of what pleases God. v 10-11 is the harvest with the remains for the poor and the animals. This concept was reiterated by Boaz in the book of Ruth. The Sabbath was for everyone including the working animals. There is always a mindset of reminding them not to worship other gods and not coming to worship empty-handed. There is also 3 annual festivals to be observed - the feast of unleavened bread (Passover), of the Harvest, and Ingathering at the end of the year. The "no yeast" concept was emphasized as well as some specific rules regarding these festivals.

Decent day yesterday - got a slingbox so I can get rid of the MLB subscription. Also made a pasta concoction with mussels, broccoli, onions and mushrooms as well as ground turkey which was really good in tomato sauce over wheat pasta. That should last a few days. Other than that, restful evening. Really enjoying this snowless winter!

Praise for today: I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you. Ps 22:22

Ex 22 and 23: 1-9

I actually blogged on Friday regarding Ex 22 but somehow that got lost when trying to post it. Weird since it usually saves it as a draft and was frustrated since it was a relatively long one. 22 was interesting in that it dealt with making restitution when property - land, animals, precious metals were involved. Sometimes the issues required paying back double. The interesting verse to to me was v3 where if a man killed someone when he was robbed in daylight, he was guilty of bloodshed rather than v2 where it was ok. The rest of the chapter dealt with "social responsibilities" with a lot of one liners which ultimately ends with 31 where God claims them to be His holy people.

23: 1-9 deals with justice and mercy. A lot was emphasized with interpersonal or horizontal relationships. It expands upon the commandment of not bearing false witness against your neighbor. This also includes taking bribes as well. God really emphasizes not only the justice part but the mercy as well. He ends the section with not oppressing the alien given their history in Egypt. In essence, each of these rules of the road makes one "do the right thing" when it comes to dealing with people. To me, it really reinforces Micah 6:8.

Decent weekend, spent some good time with David and was able to share my heart on Sunday night. Prayers for him and Daniel, as well as the rest of the crew going to Vegas this coming weekend. Will be weird going from being solo at the apartment to an empty home in NJ this weekend. Still have a dental appointment at 1:25 PM which is smack in the middle of the day with a 40 min drive each way - ugh. At least this weekend, I will start the dreaded tax season and some other things I want to do around the house. If the coast were clear in the afternoon, I would have been tempted to sit in a movie theater all day and watch the best picture nominees which I haven't seen yet. Oh well....

Glad that GG got to spend some bonding time with his other cousins which he rarely sees this past weekend and that he got back to Denver ok yesterday as well.

Praise for today: Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Ps 37:3-4

Ex 21: 12-26

I guess if the Israelites would follow God's mandates laid out here, we wouldn't have 1-800- LAWYERS. The Bible is very specific as far as any situation that would arise from the area personal injury and the rules and the punishment is very simple and clear. Restitution must be made so that there is order and not chaos. God does provide a way when He was the one that allows it (v13) and there are courts that will judge (v 22). Here is also where the eye for an eye (24-25) instance was stated. This was the "law" that governed much of what affected restitution in the "wild west". It is clear that God is One of order, justice and mercy.

Looking forward to having dinner with Irene tonight and her company before she heads down to FL for a while. Praying for her day and her safe passage here later. Also glad to have spent time talking with GG and catching up with him as well. Praiseful that his annual tests went well and he is good for another year. Nice that he is able to join Irene and Marlene and company for the long weekend as well in FL. Got my new lappy and will bring it home this weekend so David can work on it and perform his magic!

Praise for today: The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.

Ex 21: 1-11

The Lord then proceeds to give them the laws and guidance to solve and resolve issues that can arise. The first of them happens to address the Hebrew servants. The servant is to serve for 6 years and in the 7th, he is to be set free. There may be circumstances that govern his/her release - such as marriage and willingness to go but the choice is truly the servant's and not the master's. Faith is also a factor and for a woman, rights are also determined as well as fulfillment of basic and marital rights. It also covers the release of a female slave as well.

Here is where God's detail and thought process are laid out for the rest of the book. God wanted to give them detail not just to lay the groundwork for a relationship but also with the knowledge that the Israelites were in need of this type of detail given their rebellous nature.

Looking forward to today and the possibility of upgrading my laptop which I've been using for the past 6 years. While this unit has served me well, it is in serious need of an upgrade.

Praise for today: For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face. Ps. 11: 7

Ex 20

The culmination of all of this is now revealed - the 10 Commandments. Just 10 and no less and no more (for now), easier said than done. We have all broken some of these at one time or another and also the deeds we have committed in our hearts as Jesus said is equal to the task. Even today, the lack of adherance to these 10 guideposts have driven our morality and our country in a downward spiral. The mere hearing and seeing of the thunder and lightning and the trumpet and smoke in the mountains drove the Israelites to tremble with fear as they kept their distance. They would rather hear God's word from Moses than from God himself. As a result, it was Moses who approached the dark cloud where God was. Moses did say it should be the "fear of God with them" that should keep them from sinning - evidently not.

The Lord proceeded to tell Moses the truths that have long been "tradition" with the Israelites. They were perennially keeping images and small gods on their persons which annoyed and angered the Lord. This even dates back to the Jacob and Laban, where Laban kept small gods and was a point of contention. The Lord even said to Moses that the altars that were to be built not be "dressed" stones since the use of tools would defile it and go up on it via steps so that man's nakedness be exposed on it. I guess underwear wasn't invented back then.

Pretty decent weekend and what was good was the lack of snow that stuck around. Enjoyed SW 3D and the dinner on Sat and a good day at church with a early arrival here in Delly. I ended up watching the Grammys instead of my usual fare and enjoyed some of the proceedings and ignored some as well. I am starting to acknowledge the loss of Whitney Houston and her effect on our generations and am saddened about her misdirection and her demise. While everyone blames her ex on her downfall, she too played a part since it does take two to tango. Still a loss nonetheless.

Praise for today: The Lord redeems his servants: no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him. Ps 34:22

Ex 19

What a chapter! This takes place 3 months into their journey from Egypt and their approach to the Desert of Sinai. They were camped at the foot of the mountain when the Lord felt that the time was right for them to take the next step in their relationship. The Moses/Lord encounter was to emphasize the importance of obediance and blessing for the Israelites and when told of it, they were willing to comply. v 8 - we will do EVERYTHING the Lord has said. So with Moses relaying that to the Lord, the next step is underway. The Lord gave them 3 days to prepare and clean themselves before a holy God. Since the Lord would be coming to them on the Mount, the mountain was untouchable due to the holiness of God. They were instructed not even to touch the mountain since they would be put to death (including animals). Only after the trump sounded would they be permitted to go. The Lord would come as a thick dark cloud as the mount was covered with smoke as the Lord descended on fire. The Lord went to the top of the mountain and Moses followed. The Lord knew that the people would be curious and thus sent Moses down to warn them again not to come up the mountain while the Lord was there (including priests who must be consecrated). The Lord at that time instructed Moses to bring Aaron to come with him.

Today will be a long day at work but hopefully the drive home will be relatively painless. The snow is slated to start overnight so at least that should be manageable. Lots of stuff planned for Sat and hopefully all can make it out for Sat night's CNY dinner.

Praise for today: From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. Ps 3: 8