Bible Reading & Commentary for the Week Aug. 24 – Aug. 29, 2020

LynnBible Reading Guide

Monday, August 24, Exodus 19

  1. 4 — As the mother eagle drove the eaglet from the nest, so God did the same for Israel as He led them out of Egypt. As the mother eagle caught a faltering eaglet on her back, so God did that for Israel many times as He brought them out of Egypt. God provides that same spiritual security for us today.  Read also Is. 40:31; Is. 41:10
  2. 18 –While the giving of the Law was announced with an awesome, terrifying display from God, the Gospel is announced always with love, peace, hope, and rejoicing. Read Luke 1 and 2 as an example. That’s why the Apostle Paul wrote, “The letter (the Law) kills, but the Spirit (through the Gospel) gives life.”  Cf. II Cor. 3:6.

 

Tuesday, August 25, Exodus 20

Vv.  1-17 — While we still use and obey the 10 commandments, we are no longer bound by the ceremonial regulations of the Mosaic Law.  Read Col. 2:14, 16, 17.  This would pertain especially to vv. 8-11 of Ex. 20.  The Old Testament Sabbath looked forward to Christ’s coming as did the rest of the ceremonial regulations of the Mosaic Law.  Passages that speak of the 10 commandments, the Moral Law, in the New Testament are Eph. 6:1-4; Rom. 13:1, 9, 10; Matt. 22:37-40; Col. 3:16; Heb. 10:25.  What is the chief purpose of the Law?  It’s to give us the knowledge of sin (Rom. 3:20).  Sin’s penalty is eternal death (Rom. 6:23).  The one and only way into heaven is not through the Law, but through Christ’s perfect atonement on Calvary’s cross.  (Rom. 1:16; 8:1; Eph. 1:7)

 

Wednesday, August 26, Exodus 21

  1. 12 — Is God in favor of the death penalty when murder is committed? That should be quite obvious from v. 12. Although they were Civil Laws that pertained only to the Jews, they do help us interpret Rom. 13:4.

Vv. 17, vv. 17, 23-25  — As you read through chapter 21, remember these were civil regulations which governed God’s people, Israel.  While punishments were severe (v. 17), the rights of others were protected, even that of servants (v. 26).  As New Testament Christians, our attitude toward our neighbor can no longer be governed by revenge (v. 24), but, as Jesus points out in Matt. 5:43-44, by love and by government rule instituted by God. (Rom. 13:4)

 

Thursday, August 27, Exodus 22

Vv. 4, 14, 25 — The Mosaic Law has been divided into 3 parts, the Moral Law, the Civil Law and the Ceremonial Law (Laws of Worship).  This chapter deals mostly with the Civil Law.  In vv. 29-31, you are looking at Ceremonial Laws.  Some of the Civil Laws certainly would have merit in our society today.  Look at vv. 4, 14, and 15.  Verse 25 is one that we Christians ought to put into practice in our Christian homes and churches.

 

Friday, August 28, Exodus 23

Vv. 10-11 — The Israelites were able to exist during the 7th year because they had stored grain during the previous year.  While God did designate a particular purpose in doing this (v. 11), another purpose certainly was for the preservation and restoration of the soil.  God was an excellent conservationist.

Vv. 14-17 — There were 3 major festivals for the Israelites.  Three of our church festivals coincide with these festivals.  The Feast of Unleavened Bread occurs about the same time that we celebrate Easter.  The Feast of Harvest, which took place 50 days after the Passover, coincides with Pentecost.  The Feast of In-gathering can be compared to the festival of Thanksgiving.  Both are celebrated at the end of the harvest, praising God for giving us our earthly bounty.

  1. 19 — “Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk,” was apparently a pagan fertility rite. God is warning Israel never to do such a thing.

 

Saturday, August 29, Exodus 24

Vv. 6-8 — The shedding of the blood of animals was the most important part of Israel’s worship in keeping the Ceremonial Law.  It pointed to Christ and was to remind them how Jesus’ blood, shed on Calvary’s cross, someday would free them from all their sins.  To understand these verses read Hebrews 7:26-28; 9:11-15 and 24-29

  1. 10 — In the Old Testament, we have glimpses of the magnificence of heaven as we do also in the New Testament. Cf. Rev. 21.
  2. 12 — This is not strange for God to write the Law on 2 tablets of stone. The first writing was not done on paper, but on stone and clay tablets.