Feb 23 2024 69 mins
In this episode God told Moses to write an account of Israels journeys, according to their goings out.
Moses started off by saying they departed from Ramseses on the 15th day of the 1st Month. The day God executed judgments on the Egyptians and their gods.
God judged the Egyptians and the gods they worshipped. And in this chapter the people are told to destroy all molten images, pictures, and high places when they enter into the promised land.
We note they would be tempted to keep the idols because they were often covered with gold and silver. The idols were symbols of wealth, so the people would want to keep them.
Here’s the text:
Deuteronomy 7:25 The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God.
Deuteronomy 7:26 Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing
Idolatry was forebidden in the Old Testament and in the New Testament.
Paul said, in Colossians chapter 3 verse 5 that covetousness is idolatry.
So he encouraged Christians to set their affections on things above not on things on the earth.
Here’s the text:
Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Colossians 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Colossians 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Colossians 3:6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
The people were also told to drive out the inhabitants in the land. If they did not drive them out they would vex them and be pricks in their eyes. Pricks were briers or thorns and in this case pricks are figurative, for evil men.
The BDB says, eyes may refer to the physical eye, or mental and spiritual faculties. If they allowed the inhabitants to remain in the land, they would distress and afflict them.
Their sinful deeds and wicked behavior, would distress the Israelites causing mental and physical anguish.
Jesus told his followers they were the salt and the light of the world. If they refused to be salt and light they in essence would be vexed by their enemies.
He said, they would be trodden underfoot by men. Thayer’s says trodden means, to tread down, trample under foot, to trample on, metaphorically to treat with rudeness and insult, to spurn, treat with insulting neglect.
In order to be salt and light they would have to deal with the images and high places in the land,
by destroying all manner of covetousness in their own lives.
They would have to cast down thoughts and imaginations and pluck down the high places in their lives, as Paul notes in the following text.
2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Thayer’s says, casting down means, to pull down, demolish, the subtle reasonings of opponents likened to a fortress, to refute, to destroy.
Strongs says, imaginations means reasoning, thought, estimate, conclude, esteem, suppose, think on.
They would have to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God. And live according to the written word of God and not their own thoughts and reasonsings.
They would not be able to let the images of the world, it’s pictures and the things the world promotes and highly esteems, dictate their lifestyle or determine, what’s important in life.
The pictures and the images they’ve raised up and exalted, above the word of God must be destroyed. Or they will be vexed by the prince of darkness. They will be afflicted and distressed, mentally and physically.
And if they don't repent, the enemy will continue to deal wisely with them and they may find themselves in a snare, having to be chastised by the Lord.
They will also be seen as adulterers in God’s eyes because He is a jealous God.
James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
In Deuteronomy chapter 5 verse 9, God says, He is a jealous God.
Here’s the text:
Deuteronomy 5:9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,
The god of this world seeks to vex us with his wiles. If we love the world, that his territory and the things on earth more than heavenly things, we will forfeit the kingdom of God.
So John warns us by telling us we cannot love the world or the things in the world because it affects our love for God.
Here's the text:
1John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1John 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Moses started off by saying they departed from Ramseses on the 15th day of the 1st Month. The day God executed judgments on the Egyptians and their gods.
God judged the Egyptians and the gods they worshipped. And in this chapter the people are told to destroy all molten images, pictures, and high places when they enter into the promised land.
We note they would be tempted to keep the idols because they were often covered with gold and silver. The idols were symbols of wealth, so the people would want to keep them.
Here’s the text:
Deuteronomy 7:25 The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God.
Deuteronomy 7:26 Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing
Idolatry was forebidden in the Old Testament and in the New Testament.
Paul said, in Colossians chapter 3 verse 5 that covetousness is idolatry.
So he encouraged Christians to set their affections on things above not on things on the earth.
Here’s the text:
Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Colossians 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Colossians 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Colossians 3:6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
The people were also told to drive out the inhabitants in the land. If they did not drive them out they would vex them and be pricks in their eyes. Pricks were briers or thorns and in this case pricks are figurative, for evil men.
The BDB says, eyes may refer to the physical eye, or mental and spiritual faculties. If they allowed the inhabitants to remain in the land, they would distress and afflict them.
Their sinful deeds and wicked behavior, would distress the Israelites causing mental and physical anguish.
Jesus told his followers they were the salt and the light of the world. If they refused to be salt and light they in essence would be vexed by their enemies.
He said, they would be trodden underfoot by men. Thayer’s says trodden means, to tread down, trample under foot, to trample on, metaphorically to treat with rudeness and insult, to spurn, treat with insulting neglect.
In order to be salt and light they would have to deal with the images and high places in the land,
by destroying all manner of covetousness in their own lives.
They would have to cast down thoughts and imaginations and pluck down the high places in their lives, as Paul notes in the following text.
2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Thayer’s says, casting down means, to pull down, demolish, the subtle reasonings of opponents likened to a fortress, to refute, to destroy.
Strongs says, imaginations means reasoning, thought, estimate, conclude, esteem, suppose, think on.
They would have to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God. And live according to the written word of God and not their own thoughts and reasonsings.
They would not be able to let the images of the world, it’s pictures and the things the world promotes and highly esteems, dictate their lifestyle or determine, what’s important in life.
The pictures and the images they’ve raised up and exalted, above the word of God must be destroyed. Or they will be vexed by the prince of darkness. They will be afflicted and distressed, mentally and physically.
And if they don't repent, the enemy will continue to deal wisely with them and they may find themselves in a snare, having to be chastised by the Lord.
They will also be seen as adulterers in God’s eyes because He is a jealous God.
James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
In Deuteronomy chapter 5 verse 9, God says, He is a jealous God.
Here’s the text:
Deuteronomy 5:9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,
The god of this world seeks to vex us with his wiles. If we love the world, that his territory and the things on earth more than heavenly things, we will forfeit the kingdom of God.
So John warns us by telling us we cannot love the world or the things in the world because it affects our love for God.
Here's the text:
1John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1John 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.