December 30, 2020
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in some Exodus? Here’s today’s reading:
Exodus 20 (NIV)
The Ten Commandments
1 And God spoke all these words:
2“I am the Lordyour God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
Sometimes the simplicity of the 10 Commandments amazes me. They truly address every issue that is a pitfall of man. If we could just follow these simple rules the world would be the place God had intended.
I love when Moses reminded the people when they were afraid of the way God was communicating with them that having the fear of God will help you obey these commandments…so true and what this world is lacking!
Amen to that Kelly! What a great foundation for any individual, family or society to base it’s life upon. And not only for the sake of following the rules, but because of how much sense they make and what they protect us from. How important it is to prioritize God, parents, each person’s right to self determination under God, the importance of commitment and fidelity in marriage, private property and personal responsibility and being content. How much destruction has happened in the world because of people’s lack of adherence to these things! And that is an understatement!
I was also struck that the Sabbath day applies to servants, foreigners and animals. God intends everyone and everything to take a break and remember Him. And to think that God gives an addendum of the second commandment almost like he knows what they are going to do…but when Moses tarries on the mountain a little long….they do exactly what God tells them not to do….build an idol of a creature….
Exodus 20
Exodus 20
I was particularly wondering about the second commandment – “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.” As an artist, I do this all the time! Well, I am not a carver, but an image-maker nonetheless. Again, on enduringword, I found my question was addressed: “The second commandment doesn’t forbid making an image of something for artistic purposes; God Himself commanded Israel make images of cherubim (Exodus 25:18, 26:31). It forbids the making of images as an aid or help to worship. “If the making of cherubim was permitted, then the prohibition of the ‘image’ will refer only to the making of direct objects of worship.” Whew!
20Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”