Exodus 20:22-26

Pastor Dave cautioned us not to dismiss as irrelevant this passage and following chapters that set out the detailed laws God gave Israel. These laws don’t apply to us directly because we do not live in a theocracy, as Israel did, but they do teach us things about God. We learn what pleases Him and displeases Him. Learning about God is a valid and important application of all Scripture, not just these arcane laws. Sometimes in group Bible studies, application discussions sound a lot like setting SMART goals: What specific, measurable, achievable, etc. actions can I take this week? Ask another question that focuses on God, not us: What does this passage teach us about who God is, about His attributes and ways, and how does that intersect my life? Invite the Lord to use the Bible to adjust your thinking about Him in a way that affects everything you do.

God lays out clearly and specifically how He want the Israelites to worship Him: no gold or silver images, with sacrifices offered on a simple altar of earth or unhewn stone. Dave noted that we often pay a lot more attention to how we want to worship than to how God wants to be worshipped. Ask the Lord to help you set aside your preferences of worship venue, practices, and style. May we be a church that searches the Scriptures to discover and understand how God wants us worship Him … and then worships like that.

My study Bible includes a chart that describes five major types of sacrificial offerings God required of Israel. Dave taught that the two mentioned in this passage are significant because of their connection to the gospel. The burnt offering was the only offering in which the entire animal was burned on the altar, and its purpose was to turn God’s wrath away from the people. Jesus’ complete, costly sacrifice saves us from God’s wrath, once for all. Therefore, our worship becomes a peace offering, a free-will expression of gratitude for peace with God. We gather on Sunday mornings to worship and honor our triune God from hearts overflowing with gratitude. Pray for any necessary changes in heart attitudes in yourself, your family, and in our church body. May every one of us wake up on Sunday morning thinking, “I get to go to church today!” not “If I have to, I guess.”

Lent began with Ash Wednesday last week. I used to dismiss Lent as something only Catholics did or as a sort of semi-spiritual diet plan involving the giving-up of sweets. But in recent years, a friend has challenged me to use Lent for its real purpose: to prepare myself for Good Friday and Easter. There’s not a formula for observing Lent. It’s really about intentionally connecting in a deeper, fuller way with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It’s not too late to talk to the Lord about how He wants you to engage in Lent this year, to honor Christ’s Passion by preparing for it.

In Christ,
Carol Gilbert
Calvary Community Church of Brea

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