Daily Verse: Exodus 12:14-17

“But if anyone schemes and kills someone deliberately, that person is to be taken from my altar and put to death. Anyone who attacks their father or mother is to be put to death. Anyone who kidnaps someone is to be put to death, whether the victim has been sold or is still in the kidnapper’s possession. Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.”

 

The text above is a list of instructions that God gave Moses to relay to the Israelities. And from reading this, it’s clear that God means business when it comes to doing right and wrong. The consequences are all death…kill another person, and you will be put to death…attack or curse your father or mother, you get death…kidnap someone and again you get death. And God is very decisive about the consequences…he doesn’t leave any alternatives for punishment or leave the window open for a less harsh options of dealing with the sinful behavior. I think that in today’s church, there is a tendency to focus on the tender and loving side of God and forget about the fact that he drops the hammer when it comes to sinful living. Text like this from chapter 21 highlight several things for me: 1) God detests sinful behavior; 2) God deals harshly, justly, and swiftly with those that choose sin; 3) We are incredibly blessed to have Jesus, for without him, we would certainly be facing the heavy hammer of God’s wrath. I pray that we remember how much God hates the sins that we commit and we use that as motivation to serve him with strict discipline and obedience each day. And when we do screw up, may we turn to Christ in true repentance, resting in the salvation that he won for us. To God be the glory!