Exodus 23
Bible Passage: Exodus 23
After years and years of living as a second class citizen in a foreign country, the Israelites were now free! They were saved from their sweat and tears by the merciful hand of God. God stood with them while disaster upon disaster plagued their enemies. Finally, they could stand tall. It was their time to grow as individuals, make choices and develop their strengths. Today, if we were to put ourselves in the shoes of the Israelites of that time, what choices will we make to live out this freedom?
With newfound freedom comes responsibility.
God’s chosen must act circumspectly (Ex23:13; Eph 5:15), responsibly. We do not live alone in the world. There are others besides ourselves. We are responsible for the well-being of our family, our loved ones, and as Christians, all the souls made in the image of Christ with whom God gave us the privilege to come into contact with.
An entire chapter in James (Js 3) has been dedicated to the importance of being responsible in speech. Rightly so, for today we hear a startling amount of bad-mouthing, unfounded rumours, idle gossips coming out of our lips – Christians, non-Christians alike. Imagine the harm we do if we speak irresponsibly! The Chinese has this saying, what has been spoken cannot be collected back, the damage has been done. It is very important to think before we speak. We do not simply blab and relate every single incident verbatim. We have to be socially and spiritually responsible for our brothers and sisters in Christ. A sister brought to my attention how Elder James ended this chapter on the untameable tongue. It ends with saying that the fruit of righteousness is sown by the peacemakers.
Peacemakers or troublemakers?
There are some who unwittingly turn into becoming troublemakers when they are irresponsible in their actions and speech. God warns the Israelites against circulating falsehood (Ex 23:1), showing partiality (Ex 23:3) even as they live out their new lives of freedom. Also, in this newfound freedom, to still stick to the principles of God even when there is a change/upgrade of their situation. Very often, after we have attain the freedom we wanted, there seem to be a reversal of roles where we become the aggressors who have no qualms when others suffer because we have been suffering so much before. God wants them instead to empathise with the strangers as the Israelites themselves were once strangers in Egypt where they lived (Ex 23:9).
Responsibly Keep the Laws
This chapter also continues from previous chapters with laws the Israelites have to diligently and responsibly follow. Moses dispensed the Law of Sabbaths and the Three Annual Feasts – The feast of the unleavened bread, the feast of the harvest (also called the feast of weeks Ex 34:22) and the feast of ingathering (also called the feast of tabernacles Ex 34:22; Lev 23).
The Promises
Moses ends this chapter on a comforting note. We will not be bullied anymore if we responsibly live out our lives. God will be ‘an enemy to our enemies’ and an ‘adversary to our adversaries’ if we serve God faithfully (Ex 23:24-25, 30, 32-33).
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PS
(If ones find it hard to rest on the seventh day and keep Sabbath, isn’t it more difficult to keep the seventh year? Sabbath is for men to rest while the seventh year is for the land to rest and regain its natural fertility.)
Ex 23:29-30 “I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land,
The enemies were not driven out in one year bec the land was too vast and the number of Israelites were not enough to occupy all the land.
Ex 23:31 “And I will set your bounds from the Red Sea to the sea, Philistia, and from the desert to the River. For I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you.
Take a look at the map, the land was really vast. More importantly, in the land where the Israelites occupied all inhabitants had to be driven out completely. God promised to help His people. For us today, our heartland should only be occupied by Lord Jesus and ourselves, the Israelites. Satan and its “people” (Gal 5:19-21) should not be allowed to linger in the land which belongs to God (Gal 5:16). To think otherwise, is to leave a foothold for the devil.
Ex 23:32-33 “You shall make no covenant with them, nor with 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 you.”
Gal 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
God promised to help. He definitely brings it to pass. The Holy Spirit is here, isn’t He?
Let us walk in the Spirit (Gal 5:25)
Time is for us not against us bec time is given by God.