Exodus 22:31 - "You must be my holy people."
At first glance, these two chapters in Exodus look like they could never apply to our lives or current situations. But upon closer look, if we look at the bigger picture, we can really learn something from God's commands to his people.
We have to realize that cultures during this time were absolutely brutal. There were no laws, no rules, and no regulations. People just did their own thing. If they felt like killing someone - they would kill them. If they felt like taking someone else's property, they would take it. It was an extremely chaotic time to live in.
With this in mind, God wanted his people to be different. So, not only did he give them the ten commandments, but he also began listing other commands for the people to follow. There would be a visible difference between those who belonged to God and those who didn't.
So don't focus on all the rules when you read these chapters. God's motives weren't to make up rules just because. But he wanted his people to be SET APART. Not only that, but he knew that the people would soon realize that it was impossible to keep all the rules - magnifying their need for a perfect savior - who would come into the world to replace the old system. (That's Jesus, by the way.) I'm thankful that there's forgiveness in Jesus when I can't keep all the rules.
So, Are you set apart?
-Taylor
No comments:
Post a Comment