Damned Jealousy! Right? (Right???)

You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you. [Exodus 34.14] 

For us to say God is our "everything," means nothing if we are not adamant about living it out.

How does our God, Whose very name is Jealous, view it when we say "God is my Provider" and then take a loan at interest for our need?

How does our God, Whose very name is Jealous, view it when we say "God is my Protector" and then pay for insurance to remediate losses?

How does our God, Whose very name is Jealous, view it when we say "God is my Healer" and then turn to expensive medicine for our health?

How does our God, Whose very name is Jealous, view it when we say "God is my Rest" and then become bound like a rat on a treadmill to the latest and greatest gadgetry and its costly convenience?

We can say, "tomorrow is a festival to the LORD" all we want to, but if that declaration includes (as opposed to "excludes") anything man-made and expensive (like a gold calf) born of our impatience (wanting it now), our words mean nothing to God Whose very name is Jealous.

When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.” So Aaron said, “Take the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.” All the people took the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. When the people saw it, they exclaimed, “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!” Aaron saw how excited the people were, so he built an altar in front of the calf. Then he announced, “Tomorrow will be a festival to the LORD!” The people got up early the next morning to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, they celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry. [Exodus 32.1-6]

Go ahead, argue that God uses debt, insurance, medicine and technology all you want to... But remember, that God's name, God, to Whom you refer, is Jealous. All your excuses and reasoning will surely persuade Him to change His name, right? Check out the definition of "jealous" at merriam-webster.com the ask yourself what "reason" has to do with it...

When God said, "You must not have any other god but me" (Exodus 20.3), He meant it. The 1st Commandment defies inclusion.

When God said, "You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind" (Exodus 20.4), He meant it. In fact, in the context of Exodus 20.4-6, God defends His jealousy. The 2nd Commandment defies inclusion.

When God said, "You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God" (Exodus 20.7), He meant it also. When God, Whose very name is Jealous, is credited for the work of an idol (a man-made, costly solution born of impatience), that is preposterous in His sight. Why? BECAUSE HE IS JEALOUS - HIS NAME IS JEALOUS! The 3rd Commandment also defies inclusion.

God's pattern seen here is NOT inclusion. The name "Jealous" rules out inclusion in any way, shape, form or fashion. It's a "jealous thing."

So, before we condemn jealousy, we need to understand that God's very name is Jealous. Yes, we better rewind and we better re-think. It was in the midst of Israel's "celebration" of God's association with the gold calf (celebrating the LORD's deliverance from Egypt in conjunction with the gold calf) that God made the following conclusion:

Then the LORD said, “I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation.” [Exodus 32.9-10]

Can you say, "Jealous!"? God's very name is Jealous.

Do we dare presume then that debt, insurance, medicine and technology are God's way to meet our needs? We can damn jealousy in popular virtue signaling all we want, but we cannot change God's self-declared name and character.

Until we understand how to comply with God in His name and character, "Jealous," we can never understand, let alone comply with, Jesus' exclusive demand:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

Father, I respect and honor Your name, Jealous, and the character it depicts. May I be found fully submitted to Jesus as "God - Jealous - in the flesh," giving up my own way, taking up my cross, and exclusively following Him. So be it.

The Penalty For Breaking The Sabbath Is Death

The LORD then gave these instructions to Moses: “Tell the people of Israel: ‘Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy. You must keep the Sabbath day, for it is a holy day for you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; anyone who works on that day will be cut off from the community. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the LORD. Anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death. The people of Israel must keep the Sabbath day by observing it from generation to generation. This is a covenant obligation for all time. It is a permanent sign of my covenant with the people of Israel. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and was refreshed.’” [Exodus 31.12-17] 

Any interpretation of the Sabbath that does not include Jesus Christ has missed the point altogether. This goes for every other ritualistic practice described in the Old Testament as well.

So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. [Colossians 2.16-17]

With this understanding, a Christ-follower's obligation to the Sabbath and other rituals of the Old Testament is not removed, but in fact refined in Jesus Christ. It should be understood that the gravity of Exodus 31.12-17 is exponentially increased in the meaning of Colossians 2.16-17. God Himself confirmed this in the context of Exodus 31.12-17: The people of Israel must keep the Sabbath day by observing it from generation to generation. This is a covenant obligation for all time. It is a permanent sign of my covenant with the people of Israel.

First off, it must be conceded that when God says a covenant obligation for all time and a permanent sign, He means a covenant obligation for all time and a permanent sign. God did not misspeak and Jesus did not invalidate God's words in Exodus (or anywhere else for that matter)!

Next, it must be understood then who Israel really is:

The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God. [Galatians 3.7]

But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. [Romans 9.6-8 NKJV] 

And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you. [Galatians 3.29] 

Israel is representative of the body of believers in Jesus Christ. 

The consequences of failure to observe the Sabbath are (as opposed to "were") severe. Failure to enter the "Sabbath rest" of Jesus Christ places a person (any person) under the penalty of death. And, as Adam and Eve were deceived to find out the hard way, "death" includes not only the termination of life, but the entire cursed process of getting there.

God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, “In my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest,’” even though this rest has been ready since he made the world. We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day: “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.” [Hebrews 4.1-4]

The Sabbath is not one of seven days to act a certain way. The Sabbath is a day in which to live permanently and perpetually. Believers are not "in Christ" only one day a week! In fact, Jesus very clearly requires one hundred percent commitment:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

What is your own way? It is the six days of work where man exerts time, thought, and energy to take care of himself. It includes every fabrication of man (idol) that assists him in doing so independently of God.

What is your cross? It is remaining "in Christ the Sabbath day of rest" as He, in the compassion of God on earth, taught the Word, announced the Good News about the Kingdom, healed every kind of disease and illness, and hung upon a cross. On our cross, our hands and feet are incapacitated for any work of our own effort. On our cross, we intentionally avoid self-preservation and every idol that offers such. On our cross, we enter the Sabbath rest of Jesus.

Failure to give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Jesus is one and the same as breaking the Sabbath. Death (including every curse to get there) is the penalty. In contrast, in keeping the covenant of the Sabbath, we enter God's refreshing: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and was refreshed.

Father, may I be found resting in Your refreshing every day of my life as I follow Jesus, the Sabbath day of rest. So be it.

We Have An Exact Pattern

Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them. You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you. [Exodus 25.8-9] 

Today's One Year Chronological Bible reading does not offer much in the way of moral teaching. However, it very much gives us a glimpse into the person of God by the intricate details He required for the Tabernacle and its furnishings.

Of course, Jesus would eventually make His Advent to earth and upon His return to heaven, would render Temple (Tabernacle) activities a thing of antiquity. But for the purpose of this article, the focus will be on the design of the Tabernacle and the nature of God for Whom it was built.

The first thing that should be understood about God from the instructions given to Moses for the design and construction of the Tabernacle is the word "exactly": You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you. God did not give Moses 'creative license' in building His dwelling place. God offered no tolerance for deviation from His requirements. The Tabernacle was to be built to God's specifications alone. Even though it was to be a meeting place for God and man, man was required to strictly comply to God and not the other way around  as is evident in the following instruction:

Next make a medallion of pure gold, and engrave it like a seal with these words: HOLY TO THE LORD. [Exodus 28.36]

The next thing that should be considered regarding the Tabernacle accompanying the word "exact" is the word "pattern." While "exact" reveals that God will have it no other way, "pattern" reveals there is indeed "a way."

As the instructions regarding the "form" of God's Tabernacle give way to the instructions for its "function," we will also see that that function is just as critical to God as the form. Mind you, we are talking about God the Father.

Every detail about the Tabernacle, as God's dwelling place, involves man coming to God's 'house.' The pivotal Advent of Jesus Christ changed this to God coming to man's house. God is still God and man is still man, but the form and function of their meeting together was altered greatly. The one thing however that did not change is the requirement upon man for the new form and function to still meet God's exclusive and exact pattern, the most profound of which follows:

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. [John 14.6]

God's exacting nature and character are quite naturally evident in His Son. 

God's nature and character pattern is also seen in His Son:

Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? [John 14.9]

Peter, one of Jesus' disciples, recognized the nature and character pattern of God in Jesus:

And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. [Acts 10.38] 

The point of the old form and function of meeting with God is the same as the point of the new form and function of meeting with God: and that is meeting with God. God desires the company of man. 

The most important thing man must understand about the person of God is that God desires man's company. 

While the Tabernacle provided a "picture" of what was to come, Jesus provided "in the flesh" the exact pattern of God so that all who come to Him (in repentance and faith) might enjoy God's company both for now and for eternity.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. [John 3.16]

How God enjoys our company then, through Jesus, should come as no surprise as it has everything to do with an exact pattern:

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [John 14.12] 

While many argue this fact regarding its form and function, Jesus (in exact-pattern-fashion as the very Son of God) left little room for debate:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

Dear reader, have you submitted to Jesus in this way? Is the exact pattern of Jesus (the exact pattern of God) seen in your life? God wants relationship with you - the Tabernacle is our picture of this fact and Jesus Christ is our reality of it. There is indeed an exact pattern of commitment required though, and that requirement is met in us as we follow Jesus.

Would you pray this prayer with me...

Father in heaven, I see and understand today that You want my company - You want to have relationship with me. I see and understand that following Jesus, on the exclusive and exact-pattern terms He provided, is how I enter that fellowship with You. I want to have relationship with You! I see and understand that to do so I must give up my own way (humble repentance), take up my cross (actionable faith), and follow Jesus' lead. Please make this my reality today. 

If today you prayed the prayer above for the first time in your life, tell others - make it known in the comments to this article - find other believers and spend time with them. Read the Bible as a personal letter from God to you (understanding that its depth will always match and exceed your effort to find it). Live "Jesus" in your world.

Bribery As We Have Never Seen It

Take no bribes, for a bribe makes you ignore something that you clearly see. A bribe makes even a righteous person twist the truth. [Exodus 23.8] 

The thing about a bribe is that it is never "just a bribe." A bribe influences a person to do something he or she is not otherwise inclined or allowed to do.

Watch this...

God, as God, never minced for words declaring His demand for exclusive obedience. Look at the first part of the passage below:

You must serve only the LORD your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness. There will be no miscarriages or infertility in your land, and I will give you long, full lives. [Exodus 23.25-26]

By the time in history that Exodus 23.8 had been written, much of the world including Egypt and God's people had clearly seen God perform distinct miracles on behalf of His own people (the plagues upon Egypt, the Red Sea event, water from a rock and quail and manna.). God made unmistakable distinction between His people and the people of Egypt. God's promise, going forward, was that His miracle-laced protection and provision would continue as long as His people served only Him. 

In contrast, God warned that serving other entities (idols) would guarantee God's withdrawal of His miraculous provision and protection (food and water, protection from illness, miscarriages and infertility, and long blessed - full - lives). In fact, prior to Exodus 23.25-26, God had already given the related warning:

Anyone who sacrifices to any god other than the LORD must be destroyed. [Exodus 22.20] 

Let's bring this into the 21st Century. God's promise of God-distinguishing, miraculous blessings has not passed away as some suppose, but is just as valid today as it ever was. Jesus, yes, Jesus - God With Us, said this:

For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ [Matthew 13.15]

Jesus described the bribe God warned about in Exodus 23.8: namely intentionally (hard-heartedly) ignoring what can be clearly seen, and about what God said in Exodus 23.25- 26: that food and water, good health, vitality, and long, full life (healing), were at stake because of  ignoring what can be clearly seen.

Blindness is characteristic of idolatry, ...as is deafness and lifelessness in general. Look back at Matthew 13.15 above, and then consider the following descriptive passages from the Psalms.

Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 115.4-8]

The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have  mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and mouths but cannot breathe. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 135.15-18]

The Bible clearly reveals God as man's intentional Protector and Provider (in fact, their everything). It is a bribe however that draws people away (distracts them) from God - a bribe that promises everything that God promised, but without the obligation to serve only God. And, in typical bribe fashion, the "bribe" requires ongoing maintenance...

With promises of wealth, protection, health and convenience, idols today bribe people with man-made solutions at the ongoing sacrificial cost of money while willfully ignoring God's miraculous solutions (clearly portrayed and demonstrated in the Bible) at the ongoing sacrificial cost of obedience - the obedience of faith in Jesus Christ. What's worse is that these idols' bribes have lured even God's people to twist the truth (as Exodus 23.8 foretells).

Yes again, this is more real in the 21st Century than ever before. And, for this reason, Jesus' extension of God's promised protection and provision stands:

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. [Matthew 6.24-34]

Also. Jesus' demand of His would-be followers is timeless:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

Idolatry is bribery that draws men to willful blindness of God's Word. It is bribery as we have never seen it.

Father, may the truth of Your Word penetrate our blind eyes and make us see. So be it.

Too Much About Idolatry?

And the LORD said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: You saw for yourselves that I spoke to you from heaven. Remember, you must not make any idols of silver or gold to rival me. [Exodus 20.22-23]

For anyone who would think or tell me I am making too much of the subject of idolatry, I simply submit the passage above as evidence that I am not. 

In the chronology of God giving the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20.1-17), and, besides the fact that the first three Commandments deal directly or indirectly with the subject of idolatry, the passage above is God's effective "recap" of the Ten Commandments revealing the priority of avoiding idolatry. Why do you suppose that is?

The truth is, we overlook God's warning against idolatry following the Ten Commandments just like we overlook Jesus' warning against unforgiveness following the Lord's (Model) Prayer (Matthew 6.9-15). Even though God and Jesus (God With Us) reiterated these subjects respectively following two of the most well-known passages of the Bible, we conveniently downplay idolatry and unforgiveness because of their indictment upon our current society making repentance significantly actionable.

Unforgiveness itself is idolatry as it is a person's way of making a god of himself. If we will see it then, God's demand for "no other gods" - no idolatry - is the single most important mandate of the Bible. Can we then focus too much on that topic?

Jesus said it like this:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

The revelation of "giving up our own way" and "taking up our cross" is purely the work of the Holy Spirit making both Jesus' life and His death our own personal goals. This life "in Christ" is exactly what the apostle Paul spoke of:

If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. [Romans 14.8]

For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. [Philippians 1.20]

So convinced of the claims above was the apostle Paul that he even referred to himself in the following manner:

This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. [Romans 1.1] 

Is it just irony then that the very regulations God discussed with Moses following His reiteration about idolatry, was slavery?

“These are the regulations you must present to Israel. “If you buy a Hebrew slave, he may serve for no more than six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom. If he was single when he became your slave, he shall leave single. But if he was married before he became a slave, then his wife must be freed with him. “If his master gave him a wife while he was a slave and they had sons or daughters, then only the man will be free in the seventh year, but his wife and children will still belong to his master. But the slave may declare, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I don’t want to go free.’ If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door or doorpost and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will serve his master for life. “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are. If she does not satisfy her owner, he must allow her to be bought back again. But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners, since he is the one who broke the contract with her. But if the slave’s owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave but as a daughter. “If a man who has married a slave wife takes another wife for himself, he must not neglect the rights of the first wife to food, clothing, and sexual intimacy. If he fails in any of these three obligations, she may leave as a free woman without making any payment. [Exodus 21.1-11]

Is it just irony then that Jesus used slavery terminology regarding our daily self-needs?

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. [Matthew 6.24-34]

Like it or not, following Jesus (God With Us) is slavery. The Scriptures are compelling.

Like it or not, following idols is slavery. The Scriptures are compelling.

While idols allow their servants to serve many masters, God allows His servants to serve NO OTHER master... And so, for this reason, should we then not give as much priority to avoiding idols as God has in the Written and Living Word? (The correct answer is "yes.")

Anyone unwilling to prioritize avoiding idolatry, is in blatant and defiant disregard of God's 1st Commandment as "fleshed out" in Jesus' terms of commitment.

You must not have any other god but me. [Exodus 20.3]

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

Idolatry is cumulatively the single obstacle preventing compliance with both the 1st Commandment and Jesus' terms of commitment. You must not have any other god but God and this is "fleshed out" as you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow Jesus. This can only be accomplished as we prioritize the categorical and methodical prevention and elimination of idols starting with the idol of "self."

Yes, the proverbial "Pandora's Box" of idolatry must be opened! Satan's every ounce of energy is expended in stocking up "Pandora's Box" in hopes we will avoid it at all cost... all intentionally to our own peril.

So am I talking too much about idolatry? No, in fact, I haven't talked enough about it! Neither have you.

Father, may we yield our will to avoid idols so that we might effectively have no other god but You. Help us see that idols tout "inclusivity" while You demand "exclusivity." Help us to see that we cannot serve You and also serve money (gold and silver) - the motivator of idolatry - the promoter of "self" - the love of which is the root of all evil. May Your Holy Spirit enlighten our eyes to see the truth of Your Word (in letter and in the life of Jesus) as this article attempts convey. So be it.

Work, Food, And The Sabbath

Some of the people went out anyway on the seventh day, but they found no food. The LORD asked Moses, “How long will these people refuse to obey my commands and instructions? They must realize that the Sabbath is the LORD’s gift to you. That is why he gives you a two-day supply on the sixth day, so there will be enough for two days. On the Sabbath day you must each stay in your place. Do not go out to pick up food on the seventh day.” So the people did not gather any food on the seventh day. [Exodus 16.27-30] 

The Sabbath is not a rule, but a person. The reality of the Sabbath is Jesus. 

So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. [Colossians 2.16-17]

The distinction between the Sabbath and the other six days of the week has everything to do with food and sustenance. Unsurprisingly enough, Jesus had something to say about food and sustenance.

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. [Matthew 6.24-34]

When Jesus, the Sabbath gift from God, discusses food and sustenance, we must understand how appropriate that discussion is for Him!

After this the people gathered the food morning by morning, each family according to its need. And as the sun became hot, the flakes they had not picked up melted and disappeared. On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much as usual—four quarts for each person instead of two. Then all the leaders of the community came and asked Moses for an explanation. He told them, “This is what the LORD commanded: Tomorrow will be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath day set apart for the LORD. So bake or boil as much as you want today, and set aside what is left for tomorrow.” [Exodus 16.21-23] 

So the question looms over each of us: are we living in the sixth day or have we entered into the seventh? Are we in the day of man (the sixth day) or, are we in God's gift-day of rest, Jesus Christ? Jesus indicated in Matthew 6 that we cannot successfully do both. Accordingly, Jesus invites us into His rest.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”[Matthew 11.28-30]

Now, before the hornet's nest gets overly disturbed, yes, the apostle Paul gave some clarity about work. We must understand that "balance" is a human reasoning effort and therefore must never replace a command of God (Jesus). Here is where that clarity then is explained:

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us. For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living. As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good. [2 Thessalonians 3.6-13]

The clarity of Paul's explanation above is purely in the context of the call upon every person's life to give up their own way, take up their cross, and follow Jesus. This has no contextual application for an unbeliever. What Paul is speaking of is practical food and sustenance, not gluttony and materialism. Jesus' yoke (Matthew 11.28-30) is indeed a yoke. Wantonness is the idolatrous departure from working for the Kingdom of God to working for ourselves. Wantonness (and all manner of idolatry it leads to) is exactly what Satan appealed to in the Garden of Eden when he inspired man to challenge God - "Has God really said...?" (Genesis 3.1).

To seek first the Kingdom of God is indeed work for the Kingdom. It must never be mistaken as work for ourselves! Jesus, in every way, redeemed us from working for ourselves with the promise of every provision (Matthew 6.33). He is our Sabbath Rest from that burden, but His Kingdom work remains our easy-to-bear yoke.

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

There is a lot to digest here. There is a lot of revelation here. We should constantly allow the Holy Spirit to confirm God's Word (Jesus).

Father, I am grateful for Your gift, Jesus, Your Living Word, Reality of the Sabbath, as He brings to light to Your Written Word. I am grateful for Your Holy Spirit opening our eyes to see it all. May we all examine ourselves for idolatrous wantonness and make every effort to give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. So be it.

Nothing Has Changed

“Who is like you among the gods, O LORD—glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders? You raised your right hand, and the earth swallowed our enemies. [Exodus 15.11-12]

Israel's story is the story of God's people. In Israel's story, God's people throughout history (even to this day), find a picture of themselves as well as truths by which to live. The greatest of these truths is Jesus Christ.

The first and foremost truth of all Israel's history is, in fact, Jesus Christ.

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! [John 5.39]

The second truth I wish to point out, as has been my proclivity to do the last couple of years, is that idolatry was a prevalent antithesis to God, and therefore, an enemy of God's people: "Who is like you among the gods, O LORD..."

As the Scriptures timelessly point to Jesus (God With Us) as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, so idolatry is the timeless nemesis to Jesus being honored in that position. It was then, and it is now: nothing has changed.

In time, it would literally be "written in stone" that God demanded undisputed, undivided, and undiluted lordship in His people. God always intends to be distinct and to make a distinction in His people. God expects and demands no less in return from His people:

I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. [Exodus 20.2-3]

Everything to do with Egypt was slavery and idolatry as is alluded to in the subject passage above:  "Who is like you among the gods, O LORD..."

But God did not risk misinterpretation of His 1st Commandment knowing man would have the tendency (at Satan's behest) to do so. So, God identified idolatry as the first indicator of violating the 1st Commandment in the 2nd Commandment:

“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. [Exodus 20.4-6]

Who can guess what the first indicator of violating the 2nd Commandment above is? Yes, the 3rd Commandment:

You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. [Exodus 20.7] 

Satan's infamous words, "Has God really said..." (Genesis 3) should be remembered right here. God was specific in His instruction to Adam and Eve just as He is specific in His enduring instruction to us in the first two Commandments. However, Satan's same words, often cited in different form by God's own people, misuse God's name by willfully interpreting "no other gods" as "God uses [name any idol here]." This is, in fact, a blatant violation of the 3rd Commandment. Every such misuse of God's name is man's inglorious justification of his own ambiguous way for self-preservation and self-indulgence instead of God's specific way.

Unironically, Israel revealed just such a misuse of God's name in today's One Year Chronological Bible reading. Regardless what God had spoken through Moses (that Israel would be delivered from slavery in Egypt), in a "Has God really said" self-preserving, self-indulgent moment, Israel misused God's name in claiming the following:

Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’” [Exodus 14.12]

Then, before it was actually written, Moses indirectly pointed the people to the first two Commandments. He mentioned the LORD (1st Commandment) and he mentioned the idol of Egypt (2nd Commandment):

But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” [Exodus 14.13-14]

The way to get the 3rd Commandment right is to abide by the 2nd Commandment.

The way to get the 2nd Commandment right is to abide by the 1st Commandment.

Now, watch this...

How do we get the 1st Commandment right? It's already been revealed above: Jesus!

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! [John 5.39]

And, in no less exclusive language, Jesus revealed His continuity with - His very existence as - the Word of God demanding every bit of the 1st Commandment as it has always stood:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

The Bible has never indicated anything other than this! In fact, nothing has changed! Wholesale violation of the 3rd Commandment has confused and confounded man's relationship with God. The prevailing end result is "dead religion."

So... what is the first indicator of violating the 3rd Commandment? It is violating the Sabbath. 

Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. [Exodus 20.8]

In the brilliance of God, the Sabbath is, or it should be said "He" is, Jesus, the very reality of the Sabbath of God.

So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. [Colossians 2.16-17]

Once again, nothing has changed! God's plan has never changed - His plan has been Jesus from the beginning and, in fact, before the beginning!

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. [Colossians 1.15-16]

When Jesus said, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me" He meant it in all the scope and fullness of not only the first four Commandments, but all ten of them. Nothing has changed.

Again, the first indicator of violation of the 1st Commandment is idolatry. Let that soak in.

Father, Your Word is absolutely amazing. Jesus is absolutely amazing in that He commands all the same obedience as the Ten Commandments. As we see ourselves in the Ten Commandments, help us to understand that following Jesus allows idolatry in no way, shape, form, or fashion. Help us to get it right - to "just stay calm" to see that You (God With Us) fight for us relieving us of any responsibility whatsoever to self-preserve or self-indulge (Matthew 6.33). So be it.