Daily Scripture Reading Exodus 23:31 - 24:18
Once upon a time, there was a lot of stigma attached to divorce and remarriage and same-sex attraction. Over the last several decades, our culture has worked to eliminate those stigmas. Our culture has been so successful that the stigma no longer exists in many so-called churches.
This is a problem because human nature is such that tolerance of sin leads to more of that sin. This is a principle mentioned in both the Mosaic Law and the New Testament.
After giving various instructions about how they were to live their lives, Yahweh gave several promises regarding what He would do for them. He specifically promised to go ahead of them into the Promised Land and drive the Canaanites out of the land promised to Israel.
Ex. 23:31 And I will set your boundary from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River; for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out from before you.
When Yahweh called Abraham to live in the land of Canaan, He promised to give the land of Canaan to Abraham’s descendants. The boundary was unspecified other than to say that anything Abraham could see would be his (see Genesis 12:7 and 13:14–15). At Mount Sinai, Yahweh began specifying borders.
The Sea of the Philistines probably referred to the Mediterranean Sea. The wilderness probably referred to the wilderness of Sinai, and the River probably referred to the Euphrates River. The land specified by those parameters is much larger than the land occupied by Israel at the beginning of the 21st century. The only time in history that the land of Israel extended to the Euphrates River was during the days of King Solomon (see 1 Kings 4:21).
This is controversial today because the land specified in this verse includes portions of modern-day Jordan, Syria, and Iraq. If a Christian suggests that Israel should occupy land up to the Euphrates River, they are often asked, “What about the Arabs?”
Ex. 23:32 You shall cut no covenant with them or with their gods.
Ex. 23:33 They shall not live in your land, lest they make you sin against Me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”
Ponder the warning in this verse. Israel was warned that allowing Canaanites to live among them would tempt Israel to sin against Yahweh. Specifically, it would tempt Israel to worship false gods. The rest of the Old Testament makes it clear that Israel allowed Canaanites to live among them, and the Canaanites led Israel into idolatry.
The New Testament contains a similar warning and command to the church. Paul commanded us to “REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES” (1 Cor. 5:13) because a little leaven leavens the whole lump (see 1 Cor. 5:6).
Christians struggle with this. Sometimes our desire to be gracious and merciful causes us to overlook sin. Sometimes we simply want to water down what the Bible actually says is right and wrong. Regardless, in modern-day Christianity, we tolerate a lot of sin.
The Bible says divorce and remarriage are wrong, but that has become very common in the modern church, to the extent that there is very little stigma attached to it anymore. The lack of stigma and the tolerance of divorce and remarriage causes others to think that divorce and remarriage are okay, which leads to more divorce and remarriage.
Many Christians today want to make gays and lesbians feel comfortable in church because they think they can witness to them by welcoming them. However, making gays and lesbians comfortable in church lowers the stigma against same-sex attraction, which leads to an increase in same-sex attraction among those who attend church.
Ex. 24:1 ¶ Then He said to Moses, “Come up to Yahweh, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel, and you all shall worship at a distance.
Ex. 24:2 Moses alone, however, shall come near to Yahweh, but they shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.”
Ex. 24:3 ¶ Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of Yahweh and all the judgments; and all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which Yahweh has spoken we will do!”
Take note of the declaration made by the Israelites. Unfortunately, we will see in later chapters of Exodus that their actions did not match their rhetoric.
Ex. 24:4 And Moses wrote down all the words of Yahweh. Then he arose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.
Some people quote this verse as proof that Moses wrote the book of Exodus. However, it does not say Moses wrote down everything recorded in the book of Exodus. It only says he wrote down the words Yahweh spoke to him. There are many events recorded in Exodus that are in addition to the words Yahweh spoke to Moses. The text does not say Moses documented those events.
Ex. 24:5 And he sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to Yahweh.
Ex. 24:6 And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and the other half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
Ex. 24:7 Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that Yahweh has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!”
Once again, take note of the declaration made by the Israelites, which later chapters will show they failed to perform.
Ex. 24:8 So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which Yahweh has cut with you in accordance with all these words.”
Ex. 24:9 ¶ Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel,
Ex. 24:10 and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.
Ex. 24:11 Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they beheld God, and they ate and drank.
Ex. 24:12 ¶ Now Yahweh said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandment which I have written for their instruction.”
Ex. 24:13 So Moses arose with Joshua his attendant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God.
Ex. 24:14 But to the elders he said, “Remain here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a legal matter, let him approach them.”
Ex. 24:15 Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.
Ex. 24:16 And the glory of Yahweh dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud.
Ex. 24:17 And the appearance of the glory of Yahweh was like a consuming fire on the mountain top, in the eyes of the sons of Israel.
Ex. 24:18 Then Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
Israel was warned that allowing Canaanites to live among them would tempt Israel to sin against Yahweh. The New Testament contains a similar warning. Paul commanded us to “REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES” (1Cor. 5:13).
There are multiple verse in the New Testament which tell us a little leaven leavens the whole lump. We need to take that warning seriously and act accordingly.
In what ways does your church tolerate sin in the church?
How is the tolerance of sin leading to more sin?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”