A few questions to ponder over

Fri 2020.07.24

Reading from 1 Corinthians Chapter 10 KJV

This morning, I ponder over a few Questions from verses 2, 4, and 9 of this chapter of First Corinthians:

1. How were the children baptised unto Moses "in the cloud and in the sea"?
2. How was that Rock, from which the children of Israel drank, the Anointed One, the Christos?
3. How did the children of Israel tempt the Anointed One?

1 Corinthians 10:2,4,9 KJV
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

Run, not uncertainly; Fight, not beating the air

Fri 2020.07.24

Reading from 1 Corinthians Chapter 9 KJV

Run, not as uncertainly. Fight, not as one that beateth the air.

What kind of running, and what sort of fighting is the Apostle writing about in verses 24 to 27 here?

In verse 24 he likens the Christian life to an athletic race where only the fastest will receive the prize. In writing this, the Apostle is calling the believers in Corinth to do their utmost, to live a life that will make themselves worthy of the fastest in a race.

In verse 25 the Apostle gives another analogy, that of striving for mastery in the believer's life. Those who strive to be the best, to master an athletic event, to be the champion, must be "temperate", i.e. self-controlled in all things. They who strive to be masters in this world do so for corruptible rewards, but the believers in Iesou the Anointed do it for an incorruptible crown.

This call to lead a life of self-control is reiterated in verse 27 where the Apostle writes of himself, "I keep under my body, and bring it to subjection", as much as he preaches to others.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us do our utmost to run this race, to strive for mastery by a of self-control, to keep our bodies under subjection, that we may win that incorruptible crown at the end of our sojourn in this world.

Let us run, not as uncertainly, but with single-minded perseverance to obtain the only prize ahead of us. Let us fight, not as one beating the air, but with self-control, as one who recognises the enemy working through our bodies.

1 Corinthians 9:24 - 27 KJV
24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

God will likewise raise us

Mon 2020.07.20

Reading from 1 Corinthians Chapter 6 KJV

Only God alone can raise us from the dead.

Just as God raised our Lord Iesou from the dead, God will likewise raise us up from death, "by His own power".

1 Corinthians 6:14 KJV
And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.

Anointing, and the anointed

Mon 2020.07.20

Reading from Exodus Chapter 40 WEB

Anointing an item sets an item or a person apart as holy to the Lord. It is an act of sanctification. The Tent of Meeting and all its furniture, the altar of burnt offering with all its vessels and the basin were all sanctified by anointing them with oil. Likewise, Aaron and his sons were anointed and sanctified thereby.

Furthermore, for Aaron and his sons, Exodus 40:15 tells us that their anointing is to set them apart for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.

This is why the Lord Iesou the Anointed One is also called the Holy One of God.

Exodus 40:9 - 15 WEB
9 You shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tent, and all that is in it, and shall *make it holy*, and all its furniture: and it will be holy.
10 You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering, with all its vessels, and sanctify the altar: and the altar will be *most holy*.
11 You shall anoint the basin and its base, and *sanctify it*.
12 You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tent of meeting, and shall wash them with water.
13 You shall put on Aaron the holy garments; and you shall *anoint him*, and *sanctify him*, that he may minister to me in the priest`s office.
14 You shall bring his sons, and put coats on them.
15 You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to me in the priest`s office. Their anointing shall be to them for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.

Reviled, persecuted, defamed

Fri 2020.07.17

Reading from 1 Corinthians Chapter 4 KJV

Reviled, persecuted, defamed: Living as fools, for the sake of the Anointed One.

The Apostle tells the Corinthian brethren that he and his co-workers live like fools for the sake of the Lord, the Anointed One. Besides having to endure hunger, thirst and beaten, and having no place to stay in, they were also being reviled, persecuted and defamed by others without fighting back.

What did they do instead?

They blessed those who reviled them, tolerated those who persecuted them and entreated those who defamed them. The Bible in Basic English renders verses 12 and 13 in this way, "when they give us curses we give blessings, when we undergo punishment we take it quietly; When evil things are said about us we give gentle answers . . ."

Such is the reality of living as fools for the sake of our Lord in this world.

1 Corinthians 4:10 - 13 KJV

10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.

11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;

12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:

13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

Compare this passage with the words of our Lord the Anointed One in His Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 5:11 - 12 ASV

11 Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you.

Matthew 5:38 - 41 ASV

38 Ye have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

39 but I say unto you, resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

40 And if any man would go to law with thee, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two.

All that had wisdom

Wednesday 2020.07.15

Exodus Chapter 36

The work of manufacturing and constructing the Tabernacle and the vestments of Aaron was not only carried out by Beseleel and Eliab, but was also assisted by "all that had wisdom, to whom God gave knowledge in their heart, and all who were freely willing to come forward to the works, to perform them." (Exodus 36:2)

Exodus 36:1,2 LXX

1 And Beseleel wrought, and Eliab and every one wise in understanding, to whom was given wisdom and knowledge, to understand to do all the works according to the holy offices, according to all things which the Lord appointed. 

2 And Moses called Beseleel and Eliab, and all that had wisdom, to whom God gave knowledge in their heart, and all who were freely willing to come forward to the works, to perform them.

Eyes over evil, hands over heart

Wednesday 2020.07.15

Reading from Matthew Chapter 5

Eyes over evil, Hands over heart: It's all in your body.

Our Lord Iesou teaches us in this passage that when a man looks at a woman to lust after her, it is not so much his lust, nor his desires, nor his attraction towards the woman, that causes him to stumble. Instead, it is his eyes. It is that part of his body that he uses to look that leads him into sin. The man who faces such a temptation must deal with this part of his body, namely his eyes.

In other words, he must stop looking at that which is tempting him.

"Pluck it out, and cast it from thee . . . " says the Lord of your right eye, if you have to.

Likewise, if there is a sin that you commit with your hands, you must deal with this part of your body. You must stop using your hands to commit sin. Just as you turn your eyes away from the temptation of looking, you must also turn your hands away from the temptation of doing.

"Cut it off, and cast it from thee . . . " says the Lord of your right hand, if you have to.

Matthew 5:27 - 30 ASV

27 Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28 but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

29 And if *thy right eye* causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body be cast into hell.

30 And if *thy right hand* causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body go into hell.

Who is this adversary?

Wednesday 2020.07.15

Reading from Matthew Chapter 5 ASV

What does the Lord mean by "agree with your adversary quickly"?

What was the Lord talking about when he mentioned the adversary, the judge, the office and finally imprisonment? An imprisonment from which you will not be released until you have paid your adversary "the last farthing"?

The adversary in question may probably be a creditor who has come to collect the debt that you owe him. The teaching that you should agree with "thine adversary" can mean that you should settle your debt with your creditor and not enter into a dispute with him. Otherwise he may drag you to court and the judge may sentence you to debtor's prison. Hence the words in verse 36 saying that you will by no means be released until you have paid the last farthing.

Matthew 5:25 - 26 ASV

25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

26 Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou have paid the last farthing.

An example of the "adversary" being a creditor to whom one owes a debt, is seen in the Lord's parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew chapter 18, who grabbed a fellow servant friend by the throat, and threw him into prison for failing to pay just a small debt of a hundred shillings, ignoring his plea for more time to pay up.

Matthew 18:28 - 30 ASV

28 But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a hundred shillings: and he laid hold on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay what thou owest.

29 So his fellow-servant fell down and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee.

30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay that which was due.

Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, today's passages remind us to live at peace with others as far as possible, to pay up our debts, and not wait until we are hauled to court by our "adversary".

A Prayer after morning chores are done

Our Father in Heaven,
the God and Father of your Holy Servant,
the Lord Iesou the Anointed One,
Blessed be Your Name, and Blessed are You
for you have provided us all we need,
in sufficiency and in abundance.

Thank you for the enabling me to complete this morning's tasks
of washing the car and the backyard.
Thank you also for the equipment and opportunity
to practise music on stringed instruments.

Help me, I pray,
to understand your Holy Scriptures
as I read them at this morning's devotion.
And grant me wisdom,
from such understanding,
to discern between right and wrong
in all that I do today.

Protect my children,
and my grandchildren,
from harm and illness,
and provide them all that they need in the coming days,
sufficiently.

Grant them a broad space
to do their work successfully
and give them favour
in the sight of their employers and their colleagues.

In the Name of our Lord Iesou the Anointed One
we ask of Thee our Heavenly Father.

Amein and Amein.

A Prayer at Morning Devotion.

Our Father who is in Heaven,
Creator Almighty,
O God and Father of our Lord Iesou your Anointed One,

Blessed are You,
and Blessed be Your Name,
For you have granted me this computer for writing,
and this set of sound equipment for music practice,
and have given to me this family.

And You have kept us
and guarded us in safety,
in sufficiency
and in good health all these years.

We give you thanks through our Lord Iesou,
your Holy Servant.

Grant me your wisdom
in understanding these passages,
and grant me the power
to keep the lessons so learnt in mind
throughout the day.

Amen and Amen.

Face-to-face, yet not His face

Mon 2020.07.13
Reading from Exodus Chapter 33 LXX

This chapter of the book of Exodus is somewhat puzzling from a cursory reading of the expression "face to face" in verse 11, in contrast and apparent contradiction to "Thou shalt not be able to see My Face" in verse 20.

With a little pondering over the passage, however, one can gain a better understanding of how Moses met with the Lord at the door of the Tabernacle.

In verse 9, we notice that the pillar of cloud (the same pillar of cloud that accompanied the children of Israel since they departed Egypt and crossed the Red Sea) stood at the door of the Tabernacle. This means that the presence of God was in that cloud, and it was through that cloud that the Lord spoke to Moses, as it were, "face to face".

In other words, Moses did not see the Face of God literally. Instead God spoke to him, as one speaking to a friend (verse 11), through the pillar of cloud at the door of the Tabernacle.

It was because Moses did not see the face of God literally, that he asked God to reveal Himself to him in verse 13. ". . . that I may evidently see Thee", he said to God, to which God replied in verse 20, "Thou shalt not be able to see my face".

Exodus 33:9 - 11 LXX
9 And when Moses entered into the tabernacle, the pillar of the cloud descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and God talked to Moses.
10 And all the people saw the pillar of the cloud standing by the door of the tabernacle, and all the people stood and worshipped every one at the door of his tent.
11 And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as if one should speak to his friend; and he retired into the camp: but his servant Joshua the son of Naue, a young man, departed not forth from the tabernacle.

Exodus 33:13 LXX
If then I have found favour in thy sight, reveal thyself to me, that I may evidently see thee; that I may find favour in thy sight, and that I may know that this great nation is thy people.

Exodus 33:18 - 23 LXX
18 And Moses says, Manifest thyself to me.
19 And God said, I will pass by before thee with my glory, and I will call by my name, the Lord, before thee; and ✡ I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and will have pity on whom I will have pity.
20 And God said, *Thou shalt not be able to see my face*; for no man shall see my face, and live.
21 And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me: thou shalt stand upon the rock;
22 and when my glory shall pass by, then I will put thee into a hole of the rock; and I will cover thee over with my hand, until I shall have passed by.
23 And I will remove my hand, and *then shalt thou see my back parts*; but my face shall not appear to thee.

Keeping the Sabbath: a final reminder to Moses

Saturday 2020.07.11
Reading from Exodus Chapters 16, 20 and 31 LXX Brenton.

The Sabbath was first explained by Moses to the people of Israel at the beginning of their wandering in the wilderness of Sinai, when they were gathering manna in Exodus 16:23 - 30. It was then given to Moses as fourth of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20: 8 - 11.

Later, in Exodus chapter 31, a stern final reminder was given to Moses, before God gave him the two tables of testimony, engraved by the finger of God, that His people must keep the holy Sabbath. This reminder is accompanied by a warning that anyone who does work on the Sabbath "that soul shall be destroyed from the midst of his people" (Exodus 31:14), and a reiteration that it is a perpetual covenant between God and the children of Israel (Exodus 31:17).

Having received such a stern reminder from God, Moses went on to remind the children of Israel about taking pains to keep the Sabbath, in Exodus 35:1,2, before making announcements to them on taking offerings of raw materials for the construction of the Tabernacle and for the vestment of Aaron the High Priest.

Exodus 16:23 - 30 LXX
23 And Moses said to them, Is not this the word which the Lord spoke? To-morrow is the sabbath, a holy rest to the Lord: bake that ye will bake, and seethe that ye will seethe, and all that is over leave to be laid by for the morrow.
24 And they left of it till the morning, as Moses commanded them; and it stank not, neither was there a worm in it.
25 And Moses said, Eat that to-day, for to-day is a sabbath to the Lord: it shall not be found in the plain.
26 Six days ye shall gather it, and on the seventh day is a sabbath, for there shall be none on that day.
27 And it came to pass on the seventh day that some of the people went forth to gather, and found none.
28 And the Lord said to Moses, How long are ye unwilling to hearken to my commands and my law?
29 See, for the Lord has given you this day as the sabbath, therefore he has given you on the sixth day the bread of two days: ye shall sit each of you in your houses; let no one go forth from his place on the seventh day.
30 And the people kept sabbath on the seventh day.

Exodus 20:8 - 11 LXX
8 Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.
9 Six days thou shalt labour, and shalt perform all thy work.
10 But on the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God; on it thou shalt do no work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy servant nor thy maidservant, thine ox nor thine ass, nor any cattle of thine, nor the stranger that sojourns with thee.
11 For in six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth, and the sea and all things in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it.

Exodus 31:12 - 18 LXX
12 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
13 Do thou also charge the children of Israel, saying, Take heed and keep my sabbaths; for they are a sign with me and among you throughout your generations, that ye may know that I am the Lord that sanctifies you.
14 And ye shall keep the sabbaths, because this is holy to the Lord for you; he that profanes it shall surely be put to death: every one who shall do a work on it, that soul shall be destroyed from the midst of his people.
15 Six days thou shalt do works, but the seventh day is the sabbath, a holy rest to the Lord; every one who shall do a work on the seventh day shall be put to death.
16 And the children of Israel shall keep the sabbaths, to observe them throughout their generations. 17 It is a perpetual covenant with me and the children of Israel, it is a perpetual sign with me; for in six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth, and on the seventh day he ceased, and rested.
18 And he gave to Moses when he left off speaking to him in mount Sina the two tables of testimony, tables of stone written upon with the finger of God.

Exodus 35:1, 2 LXX
And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said, These are the words which the Lord has spoken for you to do them.
2 Six days shalt thou perform works, but on the seventh day shall be rest—a holy sabbath—a rest for the Lord: every one that does work on it, let him die. 3 Ye shall not burn a fire in any of your dwellings on the sabbath-day; I am the Lord.

When God gives understanding

Saturday 2020.07.11
Reading from Exodus Chapters 25, 28, 31 LXX Brenton.

When God gives understanding.

In Exodus 28:3, Moses was commanded by the LORD to speak to those who have understanding, whom God has "filled with the spirit of wisdom and understanding" to make holy garments for Aaron to serve as the priest in the sanctuary.

Similarly, in Exodus 31:1 - 6, the LORD called Besalel ben Urias ben Or from the tribe of Juda, and filled him with "a divine spirit of wisdom, and understanding, and knowledge, to invent in every work" along with Eliab ben Ahisamach from the tribe of Dan, and to "every one understanding in heart I have given understanding" to make all the things that God has commanded Moses.

Subsequently, when making announcements to take offerings of raw materials from the children of Israel for the building of the Tabernacle and the manufacture of the vestments of Aaron the High Priest, Moses told them of this God-given spirit of wisdom in Besalel ben Urias ben Or, and in Eliab ben Ahisamach, in Exodus 35:30 - 35.

Whether it is understanding of how to make the holy garments for Aaron and his sons to serve the LORD as priests, comprising
- breast-plate,
- shoulder-piece,
- full-length robe,
- tunic with a fringe,
- tire,
- girdle;

. . .  out of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen (Exodus 28:3 - 5),

Or that of how to make out of gold, silver, brass, blue, purple, and spun scarlet, and stone and wood (Exodus 31:4,5),
- the tabernacle of witness,
- the ark of the covenant,
- the propitiatory that is upon it,
- the furniture of the tabernacle,
- the altars,
- the table and all its furniture,
- the pure candlestick and all its furniture,
- the laver and its base,
- and Aaron's robes of ministry, and the robes of his sons (as written in Exodus 28:4,5 above),
- and the anointing oil and the compound incense of the sanctuary;

. . . "according to all that I have commanded thee shall they make them." (Exodus 31:7 - 11),

all such understanding is given by the LORD. This kind of understanding is described as an understanding "in heart" (Exodus 31:6)

Without such God-given understanding, none of the above can be made according to all that God has commanded Moses, and according to the pattern that God has shown to Moses on the mountain (Exodus 25:9, 40)

Exodus 25:9, 40 LXX
9 And thou shalt make for me according to all things which I shew thee in the mountain; even the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all its furniture: so shalt thou make it.
40  See, thou shalt make them ✡ according to the pattern shewed thee in the mount.

Exodus 28:3 LXX
And speak thou to all those who are wise in understanding, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom and perception; and they shall make the holy apparel of Aaron for the sanctuary, in which apparel he shall minister to me as priest.

Exodus 31:1 - 6 LXX
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2 Behold, I have called by name Beseleel the son of Urias the son of Or, of the tribe of Juda.
3 And I have filled him with a divine spirit of wisdom, and understanding, and knowledge, to invent in every work,
4 and to frame works, to labour in gold, and silver, and brass, and blue, and purple, and spun scarlet,
5 and works in stone, and for artificers' work in wood, to work at all works.
6 And I have *appointed him and Eliab the son of Achisamach of the tribe of Dan, and to every one understanding in heart I have given understanding; and they shall †make all things as many as I have appointed thee

Exodus 35:30 - 35 LXX
30 And Moses said to the children of Israel, Behold, God has called by name Beseleel the son of Urias the son of Or, of the tribe of Juda,
31 and has filled him with a divine spirit of wisdom and understanding, and knowledge of all things,
32 to labour ††skilfully in all works of cunning workmanship, to form the gold and the silver and the brass,
33 and to work in stone, and to fashion the wood, and to work in every work of wisdom.
34 And God gave improvement in understanding both to him, and to Eliab the son of Achisamach of the tribe of Dan.
35 And God filled them with wisdom, understanding and perception, to understand to work all the works of the sanctuary, and to weave the woven and embroidered work with scarlet and fine linen, to do all work of curious workmanship and embroidery.

We believe, therefore we speak

Monday 2020.07.06
Reading from 2 Corinthians Chapter 4, ASV

Do you believe? And have you spoken?

The Apostle told the Corinthian brethren that he believed (in the Anointed One) and therefore he spoke, despite often being "delivered unto death for Jesus' sake" (2 Corinthians 4:11). He went on to state that "we" also believe, and therefore we shall also speak out our belief.

2 Corinthians 4:13, 14 ASV
13 But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, I believed, and therefore did I speak; we also believe, and therefore also we speak;
14 knowing that he that raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also with Jesus, and shall present us with you.

What is your odour?

Saturday 2020.07.04
Reading from 2 Corinthians 2, J.N. Darby's version.

Are you an odour of life or or death?
The Apostle wrote in verses 14 to 17 that, in every place they went, God made manifest the "odour of His knowledge" through them. He went on to explain that this odour was a sweet odour of the Anointed One to God. However, this odour of the knowledge of God is an odour of death to some (who do not believe) while it is an odour of life to others who believe.

Finally in verse 18, the Apostle states that this odour of knowledge of the Anointed One, this word of God, is made manifest in sincerity, not for trade or for profit.

2 Corinthians 2:14 - 17 JND
14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in the Christ, and makes manifest the *odour of his knowledge* through us in every place.
15 For we are a *sweet odour of Christ* to God, in the saved and in those that perish:
16 to the one an *odour from death* unto death, but to the others an *odour from life* unto life; and who is sufficient for these things?
17 For we do not, as the many, make a trade of the word of God; but as *of sincerity*, but as of God, before God, we speak in Christ.

Did you know that Joshua was on the mountain too?

Saturday 2020.07.04
Reading from Exodus Chapter 24

It is noteworthy that Joshua, who was Moses' attendant, was the only one who accompanied Moses up "into" the mountain of Sinai (v13, 14), although it was Moses alone who entered the midst of the cloud that descended on the mountain, and stayed therein for forty days and forty nights (v18).

It is also significant to note that although Joshua's name wasn't mentioned initially in v1 when the LORD commanded Moses to go up the mountain together with Aaron, Nadab, and Abiud, along with seventy elders of Israel, it was Joshua, and not any other person, who was eventually allowed to accompany Moses up to the cloud-covered mountain.

Likewise, subsequently in Exodus 33:11, when the Lord spoke to Moses at the Tabernacle which was set up outside the camp of the Israelites, it is written that Joshua was also there with Moses, and he did not depart from the Tabernacle.

Exodus 24:1 LXX
And to Moses he said, Go up to the Lord, thou and Aaron and Nadab and Abiud, and seventy of the elders of Israel: . . .

Exodus 24:13, 14 LXX
13 And Moses rose up and *Joshua* his attendant, and they went up into the mount of God.
14 And to the elders they said, Rest there till we return to you; and behold, Aaron and Or are with you: if any man have a cause to be tried, let them go to them. And *Moses and Joshua* went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.

Exodus 24:18 LXX
And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and went up to the mountain, and was there in the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Exodus 33:11 LXX
And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as if one should speak to his friend; and he retired into the camp: but his servant Joshua the son of Naue, a young man, departed not forth from the tabernacle.

If you will indeed hear my voice

Saturday 2020.07.04
Reading from Exodus Chapter 23

After charging them to hearken to His Angel, who bears the Name of YHWH, the LORD promised to make the children of Israel a peculiar people above all other nations on earth, and that Israel will be a royal priesthood and a holy nation to the LORD.

Exodus 23:22 LXX
If ye will indeed hear my voice, and if thou wilt do all the things I shall charge thee with, and keep my covenant, ye shall be to me a peculiar people above all nations, for the whole earth is mine; and ye shall be to me a royal priesthood, and a holy nation: these words shall ye speak to the children of Israel, If ye shall indeed hear my voice, and do all the things I shall tell thee, I will be an enemy to thine enemies, and an adversary to thine adversaries.

Note that the the words, "If ye will indeed hear my voice . . ." at the beginning of verse 22 is equivalent to "hearken to him, and disobey him not . . ." (referring to the Angel of the LORD) earlier in verse 21, another instance showing that the Angel of the LORD is an agent of the LORD himself, such that hearkening to the Angel is equivalent to listening to the voice of the LORD himself.

cf 1 Peter 2:9 JND
But *ye* are a chosen race, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a people for a possession, that ye might set forth the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness to his wonderful light;

Hearken to the Angel of the LORD

Saturday 2020.07.04
Reading from Exodus Chapter 23

After giving the commandments to keep the Three Pilgrimage Festivals of Pesach (15-21/1), Shavuot (3/6) and Sukkot (15-21/7), in verses 14 to 19, the LORD commanded Israel to obey His Angel (often called the Angel of the LORD), who will bring them into the promised land, because "My Name is on him", says the LORD.

This is often described as the Agency of God by some, where the presence of the Angel of the LORD is to be regarded as the presence of the LORD himself.

Visit this link for a more detailed commentary:
https://onegodworship.com/the-principle-of-agency-in-the-old-testament/

Exodus 23:20 - 21 LXX
20 And, behold, I send my angel before thy face, that he may keep thee in the
  way, that he may bring thee into the land which I have prepared for thee.
21 Take heed to thyself and hearken to him, and disobey him not; for he will
  not give way to thee, *for my name is on him*

A peculiar people above all nations

Wednesday 2020.07.01
Reading from Exodus Chapter 19 LXX

Hear the voice of the LORD, keep His covenant, and you shall be to Him
- a special people,
- above all nations (Gentiles)
- a royal priesthood (priests belonging to a King, Messiah)
- a holy nation, set apart from the world.

Exodus 19:5,6 LXX
5 And now if ye will indeed hear my voice, and keep my covenant, ye shall be to me a peculiar people above all nations; for the whole earth is mine.
6 And ye shall be to me a royal priesthood and a holy nation: these words shalt thou speak to the children of Israel.

This verse is quoted in 1 Peter 2:9 KJV

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

What really matters is the Love of God

Wednesday 2020.07.01
Reading from Galatians Chapters 5 and 6, Weymouth New Testament.

Is Circumcision of males the cause of stumbling?
Only faith, through love, and a new man matters.

Galatians 5:6, 11 WNT
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of
 any importance; *but only faith* working through love.
11 As for me, brethren, if I am still a preacher of circumcision,
  how is it that I am still suffering persecution? In that case the
  Cross has ceased to be a stumbling-block!

Galatians 6:15 WNT
For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any importance;
 *but only a renewed nature*.

In the fulness of time, God sent forth . . .

Wednesday 2020.07.01
Reading from Galatians Chapter 4

In the fulness of time, God sent forth . . .
The expression " sent forth" strongly indicates that the Son of God, and His Spirit, were already in the presence of God before that. They pre-existed the sending forth. The birth of the Son of God, being born from a woman, under the Torah of God, was the means by which God sent forth His Son to the world.

- His Son v4
- - made of a woman, made under the Law
- - to redeem those who were under the Law
- - to grant us adoption as His sons.

- the Spirit of His Son v5
- - to enable us to cry call upon Abba, our Father

Galatians 4:4 - 7 KJV
4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God *sent forth* his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
6 And because ye are sons, God hath *sent forth* the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.