February 12
Ex 34:1-35:9 | PS 33:12-22 | Prov 9:1-6 | Matt 27:15-31
Some skeptics have pointed to the Cuneiform laws written in 2350 BC, the code of Urukagina written in 2380 BC, the code of UrNammu in 2050 BC, and most popularly the Code of Hammurabi in 1750 BC, and state that since these predate the Law handed down to Moses that Moses did not really receive these by inspiration directly from God but merely copied. These previous codes cover a whole host of topics primarily dealing with administrative, civil, and criminal issues as would be necessary for any society. The similarities reveal that things like murder, theft, adultery, etc. are problems in every society and must be dealt with. The difference is stark in that the Law of Moses is much more than a matter of legality, it is a code centered on sin and a relationship with God. The Mosaic Law, though certainly speaks of meting out justice, elevates human life, speaks of forgiveness, and points one to holiness. The other codes emphasize how to get along with one another, while the Mosaic Law teaches others to get along with God. I mention this because those of us who worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who exalt the name of Jesus Christ as our only hope of salvation, cannot simply place similarities and differences as in a Venn Diagram. Jesus claimed exclusivity when He stated in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." We must recognize holiness and not seek to assimilate with what stands in opposition to our God, as God told Moses in Exodus 34:12-15, "Be very careful never to make a treaty with the people who live in the land where you are going. If you do, you will follow their evil ways and be trapped...You must not make a treaty of any kind with the people living in the land. They lust after their gods, offering sacrifices to them. They will invite you to join them in their sacrificial meals, and you will go with them."
Something which has largely been misunderstood both during the time of Moses and moving forward, is the concept of generational curse. We read in Exodus 34:7, "I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations, I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected - even children in the third and fourth generations." We also read in the sham trial of Jesus in Matthew 27:25 when Pilate saw no reason for condemning Jesus the response of the religious leaders, "And all the people yelled back, “We will take responsibility for his death—we and our children!” In other portions of Scripture such as Ezekiel 18:19-20 it clearly states that a child will not be punished for the sins of their parents. What one must realize is that none of us live in a bubble. Our children and grandchildren are watching. When we sin, they are learning and taking notice and adjusting their mindset. Those who divorce are showing their children it is okay to divorce. Those who rob to get ahead are teaching their children it is okay to rob to get ahead. Our sins have consequences far beyond how it impacts our own lives. We can choose to either bless those who come after us with a legacy of honoring God and teaching others to do the same or instead we can choose what serves us because we want it and seeing how that ripples down to the next generation.
Lastly, whenever we have the tendency to assimilate, as they teach in comparative religions in the university, realize that it is Jesus Christ who sets us apart from all others. We read when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane that there simply was no other way for our sin to be washed clean other than for Jesus to accept the cup of God's wrath for all mankind. Now we see in today's reading what He was willing to do on our behalf. Please let no one cheapen that which He did by seeing how much of our faith can be merged with another. Jesus died for this distinction. There is no other way and there is no other alternative. This is not a Venn Diagram. Jesus stated if you want to follow Him, and it is a choice, you need to forsake the rest, forsake every other alternative, forsake every other "ism", and enter His circle which does not merge with any other. Please make that choice today if you have not yet done so.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: