Exodus 20 – Len Bilén's blog, a blog about faith, politics and the environment.

Day 35 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Matthew 2:13-23. After the wise men had visited Jesus they returned back East another way. Meanwhile Joseph was told to get out of Bethlehem and flee to Egypt. Herod was furious that he had been had and murdered all male children under the age of 2 in and around Bethlehem. Herod died soon after, and the little family went back to Nazareth. (As a side note, in the Middle East Christians are nowadays called Nazarenes.)

In Exodus 19, time had come to visit Mount Sinai. God declared that the Israelites would be a Kingdom of Priests and a holy nation. The chapter deals with the three-day consecration that was to occur before Moses went up to meet with God.

Exodus 20. Moses went up Mount Sinai, and there God gave him the ten commandments.

February 4, reading the Holy Bible in a year.

Exodus 20. Moses went up Mount Sinai, and there God gave him the ten commandments.

February 4: Read through the Holy Bible in a year.

Matthew 2:13-23. After the wise men had viited Jesus they returned back East another way. Meanwhile Joseph was told to get out of Bethlehem and flee to Egypt. Herod was furious that he had been had and murdered all male children under the age of 2 in and around Bethlehem. Herod died soon after, and the little family went back to Nazareth. (As a side note, in the Middle East Christians are nowadays called Nazarenes.)

Exodus 20. Moses went up Mount Sinai, and there God gave him the ten commandments.

February 2, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

On today, groundhog day there are four chapters, and they are momentous. Read them carefully. (Maybe not Exodus 21 and 22, they deal mostly with property rights and social responsibility. Thankfully, we are no longer under Mosaic law.)

February 2: Matthew 7, Exodus 20, Exodus 21, Exodus 22 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Matthew 7 is a continuation of the sermon on the mount. Jesus was admonishing us not to be judgmental but to look to our own faults before condemning others. And don’t waste your time by casting pearls before swine. Ask, seek, knock is another theme, and so is doing to others what you would have them do to you. This sums up the Law and the Prophets. It grows into a crescendo with people claiming to have done good deeds, proclaim prophesies and perform miracles in Jesus’ name. And Jesus answered them: “I never knew you”. I took the liberty to add my own discovery of the meaning of these verses. The chapter ends with the parable of the foolish and the wise builders.

In Exodus 20 Moses was at Mount Sinai where God gave him the ten commandments.

Exodus 21 and 22 contain regulations on servanthood and slavery, penalties for manslaughter and personal injuries, all Mosaic law.

February 2, read through the Bible in a year.

On today, groundhog day there are four chapters, and they are momentous. Read them carefully. (Maybe not Exodus 22, it deals mostly with property rights and social responsibility.)

February 2: Matthew 7, Exodus 20, Exodus 21, Exodus 22 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Matthew 7 is a continuation of the sermon on the mount. Jesus is admonishing us not to be judgmental but to look to our own faults before condemning others. And don’t waste your time by casting pearls before swine. Ask, seek, knock is another theme, and so is doing to others what you would have them do to you. This sums up the Law and the Prophets. It grows into a crescendo with people claiming to have done good deeds, prophesyings and miracles in Jesus’ name. And Jesus answers them: “I never knew you”. I took the liberty to add my own discovery of the meaning of these verses. It ends with the foolish and the wise builders.

In Exodus 20 Moses is at Mount Sinai and God gives him the ten commandments.

Exodus contains regulations on servanthood and slavery, penalties for manslaughter and personal injuries, all Mosaic law.

Exodus 20, the Ten Commandments, the Law on Idols and Altars.

Modern day altars have both cut stones and steps, but they are beautiful. This is from the Basilique – Notre Dame in Montréal, Canada. Thank God we are free from the Law thanks to Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Yet, in spite of all this splendor the words from the writer of the letter to the Hebrews still ring true:

^{Hebrews 13:10}We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.

¹¹For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.

¹²Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.

¹³Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

¹⁴For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

¹⁵By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

¹⁶But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.