101 - Two Gifts: Rest and Residence

You pick up your Bible and one is there more here than meets the is there something here for me.

I mean it's just words printed on paper may look like just print on the page but it's more than Inc. join us for the next half hour, as we explore God's word together as we learn how to explore it on around as we ask God to meet us there in its pages welcome to more than reading the law from all points to Jesus to Jesus do this don't do this because God sent Jesus an accident of genetics is all today okay on more than Inc. to him across the table from lovely Dorothy and we are doing what we love to do to sit around the table drink or coffee and a more than that.

Read the word of God and we are glad that you will is doing that we find great encouragement as we read the word, and I'm finding great encouragement in the section of Exodus.

As we look at what most people consider a very dry section, I mean the working out of the law. How's the law the 10 Commandments. For instance, how they find their fit in society me. Let's get real. How do you apply this and this. We been spending the last two times looking urging. This is where conversation about the word with the word open in front of you can be very helpful when you reading what seems like the dry law and then you begin talking about it, you stimulate one another to go implied good. I like to you so you know there is real power in the conversation of people who are reading the word together. Yeah, yeah, I would encourage you to do that rather than just reading by yourself which is fine but sitting around and kinda chewing the family really it's really a blast. It brings out more ideas and remember you can remember more is and you can anticipate emulates you exactly yeah and there's nothing wrong with that and I might add also that in this section were God is, you know, put the rubber. The road in terms of how does the 10 Commandments apply. The nation is not only just to make a nation where you want to live. That's what I said last time, but it also is a profound testimony to the world about the character nature of God because these laws and the behavior of the people in the nation of Israel are meant to be a shining light to the rest the world. In contrast to the junk that they believe in the junk that they do in their justice systems and the value and worth, for we saw last week in a couple weeks. Women and slaves and the poor. I mean, it's so different from what the world does.

People say what's with you guys and Israel could say what we have the Scott and we can say that to his Christian I want to redo this text really quick from Francis Schaeffer was a theologian many times back.

Many decades back. He says he says our relationship with each other is the criterion the world uses to judge whether our message is truthful.

Christian community is the final apologetic, so indeed this kind of behavior isn't just good for us it's a testimony to the world of who God is and that's were working okay. Well, now let's only our home. Chapter 2323 seven were still talking about unpacking the meaning of the 10 Commandments that Moses is already delivered so now in verse 10 begin harkening back to that fourth commandment about the Sabbath except for six years. You shall sell your land and gathering at the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow that the poor of you people may eat and what they leave. The beasts of the field may eat so you shall do likewise with your vineyard and with your orchard.

Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest and your ox and your donkey may have rest and the son of your servant woman and the alien may be refreshed paying attention to all that I've said to you. Let's stop there. Yeah yeah so I'm Sabbath. Isn't it interesting the Sabbath is just about 1 to 30 is not just for people, but one year out of cell whole year. I mean, are you kidding me I look this up. I don't know of any other nation in the history of the world that does this. Let the cops lie fallow all now we recognize that is good farming practice knowing that the land rest) that is that is a known and established thing yet but but I'm bummed you look at this and think what this is really unreasonable, mean how can the people live. They don't if they don't harvest for year ramming how the house at work and yet that's the source of why they were in captivity in Babylon for 70 years because they did not land rest until God counted all his fingers and said that was 70 years. You should have let the land rest so I'm in a let you go into captivity for the seven years until the land rest for the seven years so were not just talking about a symbolic thing here.

In fact, it which was Jeremiah who looked at read it up and he said basically you know you can tell from this that were gonna be here seven years because that's how long we did not do this land yeah and Daniel when he was in Babylon set out for reading the scriptures, and all the seven years are up yet start. Let's pray toward that big deal, but it's so unusual it's so distinctive the world and say what you guys inking cats is now let it lie fallow so that the poor can eat and have no access to the land so that the beasts of the field natural world can be fed and replenish itself, and everyone gets to rest.

Even slaves even animals. Everyone observes, not just hi Linda, so God assigned humankind at the beginning of creation to cultivated to keep the world right in the garden in which he placed them to live and that needs to be done according to the character that God has created within them. That means there needs to be rest needs to be rest rest as part of the design that God has put us into in creation and so because it refreshes you right that's what it says in verse 12 that you may be reverse the son of your servants and aliens.

Maybe friendship rest and I might point out that when you get away from God save a secular society tends toward being a workaholic.

You tend toward saying I will have no security unless I worked to my max and put away to my max and and God says no. Well you parable Jesus told about the guy said why I'm so profitable and far right the story because you know tonight your soul is required of you and is not a stretch to say that you suddenly taken your material goods and turn them into your idol. What is interesting that they been growing grain and growth vineyard making wine juice and olive orchard making oil so those are things that keep long time to just stop cultivating and eat what you've harvested right. Enjoy the fruits it's a remarkable luxury every time I read the Sabbath, especially when I see people who, in a very punitive way. They beat themselves up for doing the Sabbath are not doing the Sabbath.

I'm thinking maybe in the Sabbath is a great little one Juliet from John want to just go with it. Just go when the Sabbath was made for you. You Sabbath when a person you will come back to the Sabbath many times yeah yeah so verse 13 all that I've said to you, and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips. While there is no other God gives rest right. All they do is say more more more. I soon the other guys in the in the old pagan cultures, always demanded culture had to be fed in order to continue which total opposites, so God says okay I'm only required this view.

Verse 14. Three. As in the year you shall keep a feast to me you shall keep the feast of unleavened bread. As I commanded you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of a B for any you came out of Egypt.

None shall appear before me empty-handed for 16 you shall keep the feast of harvest of the firstfruits of your labor of what you sell in the field, you shall keep the feast of ingathering at the end of the year when you gathering from the field, the fruit of your labor three times in the year shall all your labels may also appear before the Lord. Okay.

What is interesting over talk about what a great luxury not working one down the weaker one year out of seven is I mean, it's a great it's a great gift from God, not a burdensome demand in here. He saying by the way, will have three big gigantic nationwide parties every year while they were more than there were nine more of these 3R's are very important reason. These are the big one is of the big one. Interestingly enough, in the New Testament. They are all connected to God's saving actions in the Messiah exactly it's really so so readers, listeners yet start tracking down you start looking for that is feast in the New Testament and see how they connect what God is done for us in Jesus. What a wonderful thing were going all get together and celebrate what God has done for us what you mean, leave my fields at home and going celebrate what got yeah okay so unleavened bread celebrates what being delivered from Egypt because Passover is right at the beginning of (right so so again if where if you were remembering what we've read in Exodus listeners you go back to Exodus 12 and reread what God's instructions were for the Passover and an awning to chapters 13 and 14 where he can exist examines that and amplifies it. Go back and read that, since that's the important one.

None shall appear before me empty-handed in verse 18 you shall not offer the blood of my sacrifices anything unleavened about the fat of the feast are made until the morning because those were stipulations connected to the Passover. Yeah.

Remember in the Passover.

We had to clean your house at about 11 before you sacrifice before the blood came from a young man you eat unleavened bread right right you so those are connected together by the way, this will retouch touching on right here. These fees will be amplified tremendously.

Leviticus yes tremendously.

So this is just the introduction of the castle actually listeners. Leviticus 23 gives us more details about all three of you so sword restocked well where we need to just touch on the fact that the feast of the harvest is that firstfruits right and then the feast of the ingathering because the ESV puts a little differently than some other translations do is what we know is feast of booths. So again, go to Leviticus 23 and read about the details of those.

Those are the only three times that everybody had to go to a central place for you may know, the feast of booths as Pentecost. Yes yes I okay because booths happens in the fall Sukkot that when they build that the okay will check with Jack had accosted after Passover will check check yes after but yet it's actually 78 home on you know this is true, 50 days after Passover my room. I know that because now I'll do my miracle next okay okay anyway so were introducing me so. 19 the best of the first fruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God, and this goes back into honoring the true source of these things bring bring the best of fun. Give back to God's way of saying God. You provided this force you the one who started this and the harvest will go on giving this back to you and then we get to one of the most curious verses and they don't feel like it's just stuck. So the end of 19 you shall not boil a young goat in its mother's life is what this is just no saying you can have a kosher cheeseburger well.

So okay so that this actually is the source of the not eating meat and milk together lots but that's not a fight at all shows up in Deuteronomy 1421 shows up again. Exodus 3426 so there must be something here that we need to understand and if you think about go back to what we talked about last week, and in chapter 22 I think it is yeah where in verse 29 Moses says now seven days use, it shall be with your mother right you sacrifice the first of your animals boxing your sheep and lambs seven days, it shall be with his mother on the eighth day shall give it to me oh so there's a clue right. Seven days is it is a completion and establishment of life. This little animal has a life right yeah and that is to be recognized.

So I think that might be partly in view here because God is telling him to bring the best of the firstfruits and in a human way. We would think, well, the best is going to be the first is going to be the younger the better know that little animal needs to have its full seven days it's completely its life established that's one way of understanding what this means here. There's also I was reading some time ago about the fact that there was a prevailing Canaanite magic spell her, so this could be quite aimed toward St. Branko following the Canaanites.

In fact, I had never really heard that much before, but old Canaanite writings a talk about taking the Lamb from a mother boarding in the mother's milk and then taking that boiled milk can actually sprinkle it around their plants. So's wells and fertility right is a fertility so so yeah there's something maybe a lot packed in here, but it's really not about you shouldn't eat meat but to let you know.

To this very day. There is, in Jewish kosher laws. You can't have dairy products and meat right occupy the same place you can eat them together but you dinnerware has Stallings and your cookware have to be separate so that and it all comes from this verse. So okay suppressant let's press on to talk about. Not to so much ceremonial stuff in the Sabbath will talk about the coming conquest of Canaan. What's going to happen.

Looking forward so he says in verse 20 of chapter 23 behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared to pay careful attention to him, obey his voice, don't rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression for my name is oh my goodness done done what an illegal and just a little bit.

But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say that I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries will assist operate okay so what will he not pardon you transgressions what says your rebellion that you're not going against him. Listen to his voice and respond to his this is some angel he carries. It seems like the authority of God himself well in the word angel means literally message measures are yeah so there's a lot of speculation that this is the pre-incarnate Jesus because I mean you deal with this angel like you would even Jesus well in the Old Testament we have that expression angel of the Lord which very often is green cardio. She says he is a mysterious being. This angel yeah and I might point out I mean are we talking about Michael or Gabriel who actually both of them do have the name of God in their name was McKay L and got brief LL means God because some were talking about her necessary were talking about someone when you see the name. The name always God's name is his revealed nature. You're saying this. This angel carries that character and his reputation. Big big deal any issue here is not rebelling against his word list, he is that he is the mouthpiece of God to you is my connection if you reject my word to you carried by this angel. There will be no part yeah it's a big deal so you know that set me thinking about what Jesus said, you know that all sin will be forgiven except blaspheming against the holy right. What is the function of the spirit to convict of sin to reveal the things of God. And if you reject the conviction of sin and rejects the word of God is to truth about your need for salvation. There is no pardon for that. It's interesting to go back and find it here. 22 but if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say. So it looks like everything this angel said is exactly everything God says well and again we see that with the angel of the Lord's in the first person, ask God but he's called angel of the Lord well point that just breaks are bright right and Jesus himself said everything I say is what God tells me exactly so there's a very tight tight connection and also I find a connection with the fact that in John 14.

He's told the apostles I go and prepare a place for yeah exactly the same thing. So this is really this is kind of cool. You know, when we say every word in the Old Testament points to Jesus. This is a pattern is run camping on a little bit and I know there are some serious obvious pointers. Here Jesus just linger here and consider it before the Lord and see how he leads you in your understanding. Yeah yeah but for the Israelites were now kind of in the middle of the desert. They had no inkling about Messiah yet know. But what wonderful comfort is from God to know that I'm sending someone whose particular job is to get you to where want you to be to the place I prepared for you made it ready yet he's making.

What a great thing even in the in the face the fact that will wait a second God Arthur bad people out here I'm going to do a sensor conquest with is already these established nations. Yes, but I will be an enemy to your enemies and adversary to your adversary so that's that's good news.

And now he's an amplified picture again starting verse 23 when Angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and Hittite parasites in the Canaanites and the Jebusites. I will blot them out a lot. You shall not bow down to their gods and serve them do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars and pieces. You shall serve the Lord your God and he will bless your bread and your water.

And I will take sickness away from among you.

None shall miscarry or be buried in your land. I will fulfill the number of your days.

Just look will go away suddenly moved from, he shall do this and that to I well yeah do this and you look at God says, and he will bless your bread and water those things that you need for provisions in the wilderness got it already given those the essentials none shall miscarry or be barren right life giver And I will fulfill the number of your days are in essence I will fuel the number you live long and prosper and maximize that. So here is an interesting blurring against who's doing this angel or God answers yeah yes yeah it is very clear statement.

The restatement of the First Amendment right you shall know the guy overthrowing those pagan peoples right now. God had already told Abraham back in chapter 15 Genesis I will give you this land and he names all the same people but not yet because of their iniquities. Not complete. God gave these peoples 400 years to abandon their idolatry and repent and was a witness among women.

We I'm not to unpack that for you right now you go back and read in Genesis 15 and see the kind said to do that. So when I displace that when I conquer them. Don't you serve their God so so Scott's did nothing for them will and you could actually say that their gods for the Canaanites. Those people their gods was their undoing.

That's right so watch out what you worship. Watch out what you worship. You shall serve the Lord your God. I I am your God. And why is it such a big deal because when you worship other gods new look to them. You looking to them for the source of life and God says is only one source of life and that's me it's it's blasphemy to do that to say that God does not exist on the look someplace else. So you can see what he so severe about this will keep going on 27 so I will send my terror before you, I mean the news of what's coming is terrified.

Yeah, and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you when running yeah and I will send Hornets hornet's before you would shall drive uphill fights in the Canaanites and the Hittites from before you.

I will not drive them out from before you in one year. This land become desolate, and the wild beasts multiply against you little by little, I will drive them out from before you until you have increased and possess the land to supper sure I wills I want I will I will I will end this by the way, might tip you to a good steady skill and that is take that word, those two words. I will look them up in your concordance, and when I did this earlier.

I just limited it to just the New Testament. That's a fascinating read. But if you expand to the whole of Scripture and kind of pick through those slowly and see sort out the times where it's human being saying I will look for the voice of God. I will what is God's pledging himself to do so encouraged and in this very impossible task from man's perspective of pushing outpatient entrance to a well-established universe.

I'll do this he'll do it, even starting 27 with with the terror campaign.

In the confusion and it it it reminds me of Rahab yes because Rahab says our hearts melted, right, and heard what was going on, so clearly God did this, and even the the murder Hornets. I was curious. Joshua 24, the murder Hornets show up there with him rights to kings of the Amorites were routed by hornet Riley didn't have to lift a sword against him there you go. So okay furniture. Let's finish up or 31 and I will set your border from the Red Sea to the sea. The Philistines is Mediterranean and from the wilderness to the Euphrates for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand and you shall derive them out before you, you shall make no covenant with them and their gods.

They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to run in there today. Well first of all, that is a huge area is huge in verse 31 from the Red Sea to see the Philistines. Okay, so that will be over on the coast and from the wilderness, which would be to the south Euphrates, which is way north right so I can the inhabitants into your hand as a huge area and actually it's an area that Israel did not actually occupy in their entire history announce some of some of those were tributaries under the King Solomon in the King James under soma but not complete but not completely, but that's what got saying it's it's an lien you can't measure. It's a big area. It's a big area and all those people that were in there got to someone and clean them out don't you make any deal with them. I remember back in Joshua Josh elastic of making a deal with some guys and it was not a good set them up for trouble for generations. It was also don't make any deals with these guys and don't get involved with their gods. It'll be a snare to you. It will, it's a trap you will be a snare to just don't do it because don't make you sin against me and that's the whole deal God's just not jealous of these other peoples and their gods.

He's saying that you're dealing with these people will draw you away from me right. And that's the issue. God wants to have a place where they can dwell well but primarily dwell with God in their center and these people will draw your weaknesses, the Lord your God. I delivered you. I brought you out of Egypt I called you my people, I am making.

I making you a kingdom of priests to represent me. Don't be making covenants with people deals with them because it's not good for compromise and then you know again go to Josh or you find out that the degree to which they did not push people while land was constantly a snare to us, there is an interesting picture is that trap trap in Fort Worth. The end of our time we finish chapter 23 we finished, at least for now. Some the outworking of the 10 Commandments and next week 24 reenter the narrative drama will miss that pickup on so come back to us next time you see the drama unfold top sign here mainstream church is solely responsible to contact us with your questions or comments like that