EXODUS 23
10 “For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, 11 but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard.12 “Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed.13 “Pay attention to all that I have said to you, and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips.
20 “Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. 21 Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him.
22 “But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. – Exodus 23:10-13,20-22
EXODUS 23 UTTER NOT OTHER GODS
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When the Lord God saved you from your old life
He gave you the ability to be faithful and abide in him
The Son of God laid down his life so you can be free
Do not even utter the names of other gods for it is sin
Pay careful attention to his laws and make sure you obey it
If you rebel, you open doors for the devil to tempt you to sin
Rebellion is witchcraft for it operates in getting what it wants
It creates its own gods that strays you from praising the One true God.
It is interesting how verse 12 mentions to honor the Sabbath as a condition for us not to do what he says in verse 13. Why do you think God emphasizes in verse 13 that we ought to listen with all ears to what he says and refrain from mentioning the names of other gods? I think that God wants us to know what he loves and what he hates. He gave us his laws as a boundary for us to remember who he is and what he allows us for his people to do. He was clearly defining that he cannot tolerate spiritual adultery and even just the utterance of the names of these pagan gods stirred him to wrath. But he also gave his people a defence against such idolatrous acts when he pointed out to honor the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for us to stop working and doing things so that we will be protected by that day of rest that we ought to honor him with. What is interesting in our world today is that we take the Sabbath as a rest for us to reward ourselves for the hard work we’ve done throughout the week. We treat ourselves to pleasures such as vacations, indulgences in activities and things we love and many don’t even remember that the rest we were given is for us to reflect on thanking and praising God for all that he has done and given us. Pleasure and lust replace worshiping and thanking God. No wonder we fall prey to idolatry because we allowed the devil to twist our worship to God and turned it to worship ourselves.
REFLECTION
- What happens to our bodies, mind and spirit when we don’t honor the Sabbath?
