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Scripture for the day: Exodus 20:1-3 And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me.”
Thought for the day: When I was in Navy Boot Camp (Basic Training), I discovered just how ridiculous the military can be. We were required to fold our socks and underwear in a particular manner, put it in our lockers in a particular place, facing a particular way; we even had to put our initials on every piece of clothing in a particular place. We got up at the same time, ate the same foods, did the same things and slept for the same amount of time each night. Why, even our bootlaces had to be threaded into the eyelets in a particular manner so that each and every one of us looked exactly the same. We were told to do countless numbers of things that made no rational sense whatsoever. We marched across the base to get shots that were supposed to make us immune from diseases we’d never heard of and then marched back to our starting place. Our company would stay there for perhaps ½ hour and then march back to the same place for another series of shots. It made no sense; why didn’t we just get all the shots when we were there the first time? Only later did I discover the real reason behind all the near-ridiculous rules and regulations. You see, Boot Camp wasn’t about learning to do our job in the Navy. Boot Camp was all about converting us from civilians to sailors. Our thought patterns, our outlook, our response to authority; everything had to be altered so that, when and if the time ever came, we could work together as a team to accomplish the task we would be given.
The manna and the quail, the rules and regulations about how much and when it was to be gathered had little to do with how much any one person could eat. I believe God’s requirements had everything to do with transforming this rag-tag bunch of related people from “civilians” into the people of God. The Lord was in the process of converting these folks from a conglomeration of twelve tribes into one nation, ready and able to possess the land he was about to give them. In order for that to happen there had to be boot camp; and that’s what the wilderness was all about.
The wilderness with all its dangers, with all the times of hardship in which the Lord God showed his ability and willingness to provide for his people was all about the necessary preparation for this encounter on Mount Sanai. Oh, they weren’t everything they needed to be as yet but they had made enough progress to be able to receive God’s blueprint for living the rest of their lives. They had seen God’s deliverance from bondage in Egypt. They had seen his provision at the edge of the Red Sea, when they had no water to drink, when food was becoming scarce, and when the Amalekites had attacked them. They’d seen that pillar of cloud by day and fire by night and they knew without a doubt that the Lord God was with them. Now they were ready to listen as he began to outline for them the kind of people they should be.
Have you ever heard people lament the fact that they found it so difficult to apply the Bible to everyday life? I have, and far too often. Hey! I have an idea – why not try this:
I am the Lord your God, you will have no other gods before me (God first – no other gods second)
You will make for yourself no carved images – no idols (American or otherwise) that would threaten God’s first place standing in our lives.
You will not take the name of the Lord in vain – and that means a lot more than just not swearing.
You will keep the Sabbath day holy – remember, it’s a holy day, not a holiday.
You will honor your father and mother – whether you love or even like them
You will not murder – and that includes a lot more than just taking a life; what about character assassination?
You will not commit adultery – (see Matthew 5:27-28)
You will not steal. Again, there’s a lot more to this than meets the eye.
You will not bear false witness (lie).
You will not covet – anything – for any reason. I believe this one is last because it leads us to all the others, but that’s another story for another day.
Why are all these things here? To change us by the renewing of our minds until we take on the very likeness of Christ.
Now go take on your world. - Bill