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Tuesday 7 October 2014

Exodus chapter 23



Exodus

 Chapter

 23


1. You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with the wicked to act as a malicious witness.

(Exodus chapter 23 verse 1)



 Oh God I pray for Your justice. This is a time when my parents are going through the process of the annulment of their marriage. By the time this chapter is published a big chapter of my life will be over. The people managing the marriage tribunal will falsely declare that this marriage never took place as if I was created out of atoms or a laboratory experiment. For some reason oh God and I am sure that evil is taking place during the process false testimonies are being given by malicious witnesses so that the annulment will go through and then my father can marry again. The great sin is that that the Church is declaring that my father was incapable of fulfilling the duties of marriage, on the other hand it is bringing an end to a previous marriage and still giving him the opportunity to marry again. On reflecting my question is this if my father was not able to fulfil his duties in the first marriage how can he do so in the second marriage if it comes to be. The person either has the capacity or he does not.


      
2. You shall not follow a majority in wrongdoing: when you bear witness in a law suit, you shall not side with the majority so as to pervert justice; 3. nor shall you be partial to the poor in a law suit.


(Exodus chapter 23 verses 2 to 3)




God is insisting on truth and fairness in dealing with each other. Moreover He is warning us not to be influenced by the opinions and beliefs of the majority and stick to our values especially when in a situation of value judgements. On reflecting Oh God I remember when I found myself in a situation in a particular work setting where I had to testify in favour of the truth, even though I was aware that the majority would disapprove of my testimony because the truth was going to bring them in trouble with my boss. However as You say the truth sets us free and by giving true witness I was not reprimanded by my superiors as were those who testified falsely or in favour of the majority in order to cover the wrong doing that was committed.


4. When you come upon your enemy's ox or donkey going astray, you shall bring it back.

(Exodus chapter 23 verse 4)


God is again making a special emphasis on our need to care for others and their property. Even though the property is that of one considered as being our enemy, our love for that person is not to be forsaken by means of our anger sorrow and negative bias's. Thank You God for giving me this verse on which to reflect, As you are aware I feel deeply hurt and angry and as a human many negative thoughts are coming to mind, however You are telling me that even though people whom I loved are hurting me, I am not to respond with anger and hatred but with love.


5. When you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden and you would hold back from setting it free, you must help to set it free.

(Exodus chapter 23 verse 5)


Furthermore God is continuing to insist that we are to go against our sinful nature and lend our support to those whom we consider as having or still hate us. Everybody has burdens in life, even those whom we consider are doing well in life or even are better than us. Jesus offers to carry our burdens even though at times we are still His enemies and have greatly wronged him. Jesus is always there to set us free from our burden, therefore we are to behave likewise in our relationships with others


While we are reflecting on this theme I invite you along with me to offer your burdens on to Jesus and join me in this prayer please click on the following link:


Cast Your burdens upon Jesus



6. You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in their lawsuits. 7 Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and those in the right, for I will not acquit the guilty.

(Exodus chapter 23 verses 6 to 7)




Oh God thanks for being so just and merciful especially to those who do not have as much means as others. I am sad to say that even in your Church there are those who have been influenced by the well off and justice has been perverted. In the case of my parents justice has been perverted, my father has been favoured many times, because it was he who paid for the case. Moreover the great injustice lies in the fact that my mother is going to have to pay the cost of the case without ever having wanted to go through with the case in the first place. However as you said Oh heavenly father You will not acquit the guilty and justice will be done.


8. You shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the officials, and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.

(Exodus chapter 23 verse 8)


How many times Oh God have we tried to bribe You in order to try and bend You hand in our favour in impose justice on us, when and where we did not merit it. How many prayers have we offered You in order to favour us over our enemies. Thanks for sharing this verse with me and the readers. Help us to imitate You Oh God. Give us a just mind Oh God so that we can think, act and behave justly as You have taught us and want us to behave accordingly.


9. You shall not oppress a resident alien: you know the heart of an alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

(Exodus chapter 23 verse 9)


Send a thief to catch a thief, be in the dumps and you can understand those who are or were in the dumps. Even though the professionals say that we project our experiences on to our clients there is nobody better who can understand them. This is why God always understands us, because while being a human He chose to experience life to the fullest in the sense of experiencing both the good times and the bad.


10. For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yields: 11. but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor of your people may eat: and what they leave the wild animals may eat. You shall do the same with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard.

(Exodus chapter 23 verses 10 to 11)


 The same concept of respect for the seventh day as found in the creation process is applied in verses 10 to 11 of this chapter. This shows how important this concept is. We need to rest in God both body and soul or else both may face a state of burn out.


12. Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest, so that your ox and your donkey may have relief, and your homeborn slave and the resident alien may be refreshed.

(Exodus chapter 23 verse 12)


The concept is highlighted perfectly in verse 12. Everybody is eligible for rest in God our spirit needs it. God is able to refresh our souls in a way that the way cannot. Therefore if you feel on the verge of burnout please do not wait until you have no strength left but go and refresh yourself in the presence of God.


13. Be attentive to all that I have said to you. Do not invoke the names of other gods; do not let them be heard on your lips.

(Exodus chapter 23 verse 13)


God advises us to pay particular attention to what He has been telling us this is reflected by the fact that certain issues are repeated over and over again such as that of invoking the name of other gods. He always speaks the truth therefore we are to be eyes and ears open for the Word of God. 


14. Three times in the year you shall hold a festival to me. 15. You shall observe the festival of unleavened bread: as I commanded you, you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. No one shall appear before me empty handed.

(Exodus chapter 23 verses 14 to 15)


On reflecting verses 14 to 15 send cold chills running up and down my spine. This is the fear that after a life time of existence on earth I appear before God empty handed. This would be my greatest disappointment. It would have been a complete waste of the time that God had lent me and you to make good of. Therefore let us pray that this will never be our case. Every minute in our life is precious. It is a gift that we are to use wisely both for our selves and also for others.


16. You shall observe the festival of harvest of the first fruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall observe the festival of ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor. 

(Exodus chapter 23 verse 16)


God wants us to adopt an attitude of thanks giving to Him for every occasion of our life. He is our sole provider and therefore we are to reciprocate our gratitude to Him. Every Sunday or even during the week ideally we go and give thanks to God. We can adopt the positive habit of thanking God for even the smallest thing that happens in our life be it in our favour or even against us, because nothing happens to us in this world without the knowledge of God.


17. Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the LORD GOD.

(Exodus chapter 23 verse 17)


It might appear strange that only the males were to appear before God, however on reflecting both Males and God share the same role that of creating and therefore for some reason this is why God wanted males to appear before Him three times a year. Another possible reason may be that of offering their produce to God. As breadwinner of the family or household it would be proper for for the men to appear before God.


18. You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the fat of my festival remain until morning

(Exodus chapter 23 verse 18)


God gives us the reason why during the breaking of bread everything is to be consumed meaning the bread and blood in the chalice that the celebrant consecrates during mass. God is whole and not individual parts, therefore the sacrifice is also to be consumed as a whole.


19. The choicest of the first fruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the LORD your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother;s milk.

(Exodus chapter 23 verse 19)


When God asks us to offer sacrifice to Him He wants it to be the best of our offering as in the case of Abel and Cain. Cain offered the inferior of his produce, while Abel offered the best portions. As in our life, even where prayer time is concerned, we are  not to offer God the meagre left over time of the day when we are dead tired and do not have a positive state of mind that is open to God. Throughout the day we are to plan time that is to be between us and God alone or with our family in praise and worship to God.


20. I am going to send an angel in front of you, to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. 21. Be attentive to him and listen to his voice; do not rebel aginst him, for he will not pardon your transgression; for my name is in him.

(Exodus chapter 23 verses 20 to 21)


God sends us His guardian angels to guide us in the ways of the world, however our greatest sources of guidance are the Holy Spirit of God ,who speaks by means of His 'Word'; the Roman Catholic Church that although it contains sinners such as you and me it also consists of holy people by which the will of God is transmitted to us, and also by means of teachers, counsellors, spiritual counsellors who guide us according to the Will of God and Help us to discern His Will in our life.


22. But if you listen attentively to his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.

(Exodus chapter 23 verse 222)


God not only does He want us to listen to His 'Word' but to listen attentively. This means mindful listening which requires the focusing of both mind and spirit. This attentiveness requires that we focus on each word that comes out of the mouth of God and his sources as previously mentioned. Moreover once we have focussed with attention on the word of God then comes the second step. On becoming motivated by the Holy Spirit of God in order to grasp the message of His Word that same Holy Spirit of God inflames our soul in order to apply the teachings of God in our lives, in order for us to benefit and even for society at large and especially for those comprising of our inner and external circles, meaning family friends, acquaintances etc.


23. When my angel goes in front of you and brings you to the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out, 24. you shall not bow down to their gods, or worship them, or follow their practices, but you shall utterly demolish them and break their pillars in pieces.

(Exodus chapter 23 verses 23 to 24)


Once a person is warned that person is made aware of the consequences of one's actions. Therefore as Christians we are to be aware and shoulder the responsibilities of that awareness. God may not liberate us from the 'Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites' however he may liberate us from gossiping on our neghbours, giving false witness in order to avoid facing just accusations against us etc. God may also heal us from drug addiction or other conditions, however on having received our healing from God there is no going back to our old ways. We are to demolish our habits and or practices forever even if this means breaking down illicit relationships or a great decrease of our income that had its sources by means of illicit means. Even today on reflecting on His Word, God wants to give us a fresh start, therefore we are to take Him at His word go and confess our sins and pray to God to help us make a roundabout turn in our lives which points us to a new direction that leads us far away from our previous lifestyles and puts us back on track in the direction of his Holy Ways.


Now is the ideal time to reflect on our lives and even go to confess our sins before His appointed priests in order to receive His healing and forgiveness if and when it is the case. The Holy Spirit of God has given the Roman Catholic Church such criteria that both enable it and even restrict it from absolving us of our sins therefore we are to refer to such source and accept whatever the outcome of the decision taken as being according to the Holy Will of God.


25. You shall worship the LORD your God, and I will bless your bread and your water; and I will take sickness away from among you. 26. No one shall miscarry or be barren in your land; I will full fill the number of your days. 27. I will send my terror in front of you 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.

(Exodus chapter 23 verses 25 to 27)


God promises us that if we remain in His ways He will take care of our every day needs. He will be our insurance policy forever. However for every service given in life there is a price and this is our love, praise, faith obedience and worship to God. He will protect us from physical and spiritual hardships however if we insist on getting ourselves into trouble it is not God's fault if tribulations befall us.


28. And I will send the pestilence in front of you, which shall drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites and the Hittites, before you. 29. I will not drive them out from before you in one year, or the land will become desolate and the wild animals would multiply against you. 30. Little by little I will drive them out from before you untill you have increased and possess the land.

(Exodus chapter 23 verses 28 and 29)


God has perfect timing and is fully aware of the consequences of His actions. God was aware that His people were not strong enough in numbers in order to be able to conquer all the land that He had promised them. Therefore the conquest would be done gradually according to the growth of His people. God gives us tasks and skills to achieve those aims that are within our reach at the current moment. God loves us so much that He does not want us to be hurt by the obstacles and even opportunities that we are offered. On reflecting even an opportunity that comes to us at a time when we are not prepared for it, becomes and obstacle because it hinders God's plans for us. This is why at times we pray to God for this and that and the answer is a negative. On reflecting this means that we are either not ready spiritually, socially, and or psychologically to reach that aim or it may be the case that other steps that we are not yet aware of need to be taken before we can advance and reach this stage of the process that leads to our reaching of our ultimate goal.


31. I will set your borders from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will hand over to you the inhabitants of the land, and you shall drive them out before you.  32. You shall make no covenant with them and their gods. 33. They shall not live in your land, or they will make you sin against me; for if you worship their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.

(Exodus chapter 23 verses 31 to 32)


As He did time and time again God confirmed the promise that He had been making since the time of Abraham. However the problem is not with God but with us, who at times we do not keep our part of the bargain but double cross God in order to suit our means.

The author of this chapter Mary Geveetha wishes to end this chapter with the following prayer;


Almighty Father,

We come in honour, glory and praise.  You are our One true God and forever you shall reign.  There's no other God before us, there's no other God greater than You in the universe. We come before You in fear and trembling.  May our every step in life be in Your light. May we turn away from the temptations of this world and keep away from all evil desires. We pray that we lead a prayerful life. And as we come before You,  may our hearts be filled with desires of a holy life. As we dedicate our lives in Your service,  may we give our day of rest to You. May our Sabbath be a day fully utilised for prayer and Your service.


May we recognise people who need our help. May we recognise people who need our prayers.  As we keep away from people who are harmful, may we continuously pray for their transformation in Your blessed name. In our efforts of evangelisation and in Your service may we reach out to hearts that need You and Your love and bring them the good news of Your Kingdom.


We pray in the precious name of Jesus, Amen

(Mary Geveetha)

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