Exodus 19-21
Today we get:
- Sinai
- The Decalogue
- More and More laws
Exodus 19
1 In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.
The last date we were given was the 15th day of the second month, when they entered the valley of Sin. So they spent at least 14 days in the valley of Sin, and in Rephidim, where they were attacked by Amalek.
God speaks to Moses from Mount Sinai.
5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
So, they may be God's chosen, but if they don't keep the covenant, they aren't a treasure. I wonder, what is considered keeping the covenant?
8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.
I wonder how long
THIS will last?
9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.
So the people will believe forever, because of a cloud. Surely this will PROVE to them that God is real and he chose them.
Moses then tells the people to gather around the mount, when he goes up to talk to God. But, don't touch it, or they will be killed.
18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.
God's cloud starts to dissipate a little, so God tells Moses to send the people away.
23 And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.
So Moses goes down and delivers this message:
Exodus 20
The Decalogue (the ten commandments) (the first 10 commandments)
God said.
2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. He could have done it sooner, but he wanted to flex his mighty muscles, including killing the firstborn.
1.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
2.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
3.
7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
4.
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5.
12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
6.
13 Thou shalt not kill.
7.
14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8.
15 Thou shalt not steal.
9.
16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
10.
17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
And there you have it. The cathylicks tend to ignore number 2, they prefer to not even notice that verse in the bible (kjv1611). Instead, they break up 10 into two parts, and have them as 9 and 10. If they followed #2, then they wouldn't be able to sell their rosaries, or to venerate their "relics".
Later, just to re-iterate #2, we get this.
23 Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.
Then God tells Moses how to make his altar. It must be of earth, or stone, but not done with any tool.
25 And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
And it has to be on the ground, because God has a tendency to look up people's skirts.
26 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.
Exodus 21
More and more and more and more laws.
1. Rules for slavery:
2 If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
If he's bought single, he leaves single. If he's bought married, he leaves married. If the master gives the servant a wife, the wife and children belong to the master. If the man chooses to stay with the wife, then he promises to stay with the master forever.
2. Rules for selling daughters.
7 And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.
3. Rules for smiting.
12 He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.
15 And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.
4. Don't kidnap
5. Don't curse your parents.
6. Rules for fighting.
18 And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:
If he doesn't die, you need to pay him for missed work. AFLAC!!!
7. If you smite your own servant and he dies, you will be punished. If he doesn't, then it's no big loss, because it's your property.
8. If men fight, and somehow hurt a pregnant woman, and she miscarries, then the husband of the pregnant woman gets to determine the penalty. If the woman dies, then the striver also has to die.
9. If you smite a servant and it loses an eye, it gets to be set free.
9b. Same for a tooth.
10. Rules for ox, and if they kill people or are killed.
So what have we learned?
1. The people once again believe in God and Moses.
2. God provided 10 simple laws in Exodus 20, that if the people follow, they will be His favorite.
3. Our 10 commandments aren't the same as the catholics.
4. There are rules for having slaves. NOT rules against having slaves.
YIC
V