43.k. “Wilderness” – 7.r. Sinai – Judgments

 

Exodus 21:1  “Now these are the rules that you shall set before them.

 – When you buy a Hebrew slave

 – If he comes in single

 – If his master gives him a wife

 – But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master

 – “When a man sells his daughter as a slave

 –  If she does not please her master

 –  If he designates her for his son

 –  If he takes another wife to himself

 – And if he does not do these three things

 – “Whoever strikes a man

 – If he did not lie in wait for him

 –  But if a man willfully attacks another

 – “Whoever strikes his father or his mother

 – “Whoever steals a man and sells him

 – “Whoever curses his father or his mother

 –  “When men quarrel and one strikes the other

 – “When a man strikes his slave

 – “When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman

 – “When a man strikes the eye of his slave

 – “When an ox gores a man or a woman

 – “When an ox gores a man or a woman

 – If it gores a man’s son or daughter

 –  If the ox gores a slave, male or female

 Leviticus 18:5   You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD.

 Leviticus 18:26   But you shall keep my statutes and my rules and do none of these abominations, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you

 Leviticus 20:22  “You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out.

 Deuteronomy 5:1    And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them.

 Deuteronomy 5:31    But you, stand here by me, and I will tell you the whole commandment and the statutes and the rules that you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land that I am giving them to possess.’

 1 Kings 6:12    “Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father.

 Ezekiel 20:11    I gave them my statutes and made known to them my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live.

 Malachi 4:4    “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him

When you read these dos and don’ts it is easy to say, (in error),  to yourself; “I will do these and be made worthy of God’s love”. Like the rich young ruler who asked Jesus what must I do to inherit eternal life and stated that he had faithfully followed all of the commandments, Jesus told him to sell everything and give it away to the poor. This young rich ruler went away sad as he had much. 

It is easy to get caught up in “doing” for the sake of thinking that this is making oneself pure and right in the eyes of God. It is easy to do the right things for the wrong reasons. It all comes down to understanding what our single purpose in life is; To Honor and Glorify Jesus Christ in all we think, say, and do. If we choose and purpose to seek and do right for the Honor and Glory of Jesus Christ then there are no burdens of following God’s rules, statutes, and commands. We may fail at times but know with certainty that if we confess and repent of these failings He is faithful and just to forgive us. 

When we choose to Honor and Glorify Jesus Christ in all we think, say, and do, we will not fall into the trap of doing it for our worthiness before God.