Leviticus 19:9-10

The Message (MSG)

 

 

 

^9-10 “When you harvest your land, don’t harvest right up to the edges of your field or gather the gleanings from the harvest. Don’t strip your vineyard bare or go back and pick up the fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am God, your God.





God instructed the Hebrews to provide for those in need. He required that the people leave the edges of their fields un-harvested, providing food for travelers and the poor. It is easy to ignore the poor or forget about those who have less than we do. But God desires generosity. In what ways can you leave the "edges of your field" for those in need?






Joe


















 

Exodus 39:42

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

 

 

⁴² So the people of Israel followed all of the Lord’s instructions to Moses.

 

 

 

 

Moses had learned his management lesson well. He gave important responsibilities to others and then trusted them to do the job. Great leaders, like Moses, give plans and direction while letting others participate on the team. If you are a leader, trust your assistants with key responsibilities.

 

 

 

 

 

Joe (This one is for me today!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exodus 32:19-20

New International Version (NIV)

 

 

 

¹⁹ When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. ²⁰ And he took the calf the people had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it.

 

 

 

 

Overwhelmed by the actual sight of the blatant idolatry and revelry, Moses broke the tablets containing the commandments which had already been broken in the hearts and actions of the people. There is a place for righteous anger. However angry Moses might have been, God was angrier still - He wanted to kill all the people. Anger at sin is a sign of spiritual vitality. Don't squelch this kind of anger. But when you are justifiably angry at sin, be careful not to do anything that you will regret later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exodus 32:1-10

New International Version (NIV)

 

The Golden Calf

32 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”

² Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” ³ So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. ⁴ He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”
⁵ When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.” ⁶ So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.
⁷ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. ⁸ They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’
⁹ “I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. ¹⁰ Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”



 
Idols again! Even though Israel had seen the invisible God in action, they still wanted the familiar gods they could see and shape into whatever image they desired. How much like them we are! Our great temptation is still to shape God to our liking, to make Him convenient to obey or ignore. God responds in great anger when His mercy is trampled on. The gods we create blind us to the love our loving God wants to shower on us. God cannot work in us when we elevate anyone or anything above Him. What false gods in your life are preventing the true God from living in you?





Joe















 

Exodus 23:24-25

Amplified Bible (AMP)

²⁴ You shall not bow down to their gods or serve them or do after their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and break down their pillars and images.

²⁵ You shall serve the Lord your God; He shall bless your bread and water, and I will take sickness from your midst.

 

 

If you're in a furnace, it's easy to catch on fire. God warned the Israelites about their neighbors whose beliefs and actions could turn them away from Him. We also live with neighbors whose values may be completely different from ours. We are called to maintain a life-style that shows our faith. This can be a struggle, especially if our Christian life-style differ from the norm. Our lives should show that we put obeying God before doing what is praised and accepted by society.

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exodus 20:7

The Message (MSG)

 

 

 

⁷ No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter; God won’t put up with the irreverent use of his name.

 

 

 

God's name is special because it carries His personal identity. Using it frivolously or in a curse is so common today that we may fail to realize how serious it is. The way we use God's name conveys how we really feel about Him. We should respect His name and use it appropriately, speaking in praise and worship rather than in curse or jest. We should not take lightly the abuse or dishonor of His name.

 

 

 

 

 

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matthew 28:5-7

New International Version (NIV)



 

⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”





The angel who announced the good news of the resurrection to the women gave them 4 messages: 1.) Do not be afraid. The reality of the resurrection brings joy, not fear. When you are afraid, remember the empty tomb. 2.) He is not here. Jesus is not dead and is not to be looked for among the dead. He is alive, with His people. 3.) Come and see. The women could check the evidence themselves. The tomb was empty then, and it is empty today. 4.) Go quickly and tell. They were to spread the joy of the resurrection. We too are to spread the great news about Jesus' resurrection.




Joe

Enjoy Easter with your family!