August 1, 2008 7:08 AM
Sam wrote:
Rules. Regulations. Laws. This chapter reminds me of the rules we, as fathers, set for our families. Some of our rules, I am certain, seem harsh to our children, much like the rules with God laid out about the Passover, and the Passover Meal, might have seemed harsh. But there were reasons for those rules....and God's reasons were simple...obey and you live, disobey and you die. Now, our rules for our household might not seem as morbid, but sometimes they are. We teach our kids with rules about crossing the road, staying out of 'bad' places, and about 'safe' sex (when the time comes, of course). And these rules can also be deadly if not followed. What rules can you think of which YOUR parents taught you, which at the time seemed harsh, yet looking back on them you realize your life may have been saved because of them? Think about any 'unique' rule your parents might have had for you and share that...I'd be interested. One of mine was "If you don't go to sleep (my brother and I liked to play a lot before going to bed) you'll have to get up in the morning and milk the cows." Wow...talk about a harsh rule. Punishment was two fold...one, you had to get up at 5, and two, you had to spend about 1.5 hours milking 25-35 cows. NO FUN AT ALL! What did I learn from this rule looking back? Well, I guess it would be 'get it right the first time'. Dad would always warn us once (it was usually through Mom that this warning came) with a 'gentle' "be quiet and go to sleep". The second 'warning' was Dad's law. We had already ticked him off, and looking back, I think that was unwise. Today, if told to do something (like at work, or by laws, etc), I know it is best to obey the FIRST time, because by not doing so, the boss (or the law) can get pretty upset, and that is not always a good thing!!!! Moses told the Israelites what to do, based upon God's commands. Those fortunate enough to have obeyed 'the first time' certainly saved their lives and the lives of their firstborns. THe Bible doesn't say EVERYONE obeyed, it only hinted at it. I am assuming there were some Israelites who didn't and the Bible doesn't mention those. I would find it hard to believe that every Israeli did precisely as Moses ordered, as today, we see PLENTY of people who disobey laws, even though they know it is wrong. Make sure we lean to obey better, especially the commands of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I was super-encouraged to see Rick on the upswing once again, spiritually. But, in caution, don't let the 'feeling' be the reason for it---continue to strive harder to keep from going back down the hill very far before once again returning. Tony has been w/o Net this week, so will be encouraged once he gets the chance to return to the site. And am also encouraged to hear from Rich again on a regular basis. God is Good. Hope to see you Sunday afternoon (anytime after 2) for a BBQ---I sent an email invite needing RSVP. Reply to this
August 1, 2008 9:30 AM
Rich wrote:
I have been thinking for the past 10 minutes about rules my parents had when I was a kid. Actually, I do not remember a lot of hard, tough rules. I remember things more like guidelines. This reminds me of the line in Pirates of the Caribbean. The pirates code is not a set of rules, they are more like guidelines!
I can think of many sayings my parents instilled in us. One was don't go along with the crowd (if everyone else jumps off a bridge are you going to jump too?). Another was treat others like you want them to treat you. Another was that hard work was the only way to achieve anything (things that come easy are not worth the same in the end as things you work hard for). And others.
Most of what I remember, however, was that (1) My parents lived much of what they preached. I believe I reflect more of who they were than what they said, and (2) I was always told (and this was demonstrated many times) that no matter what I did, I would always be loved and accepted in my home.
I think my parents reflected much of what God is to me with these 2 principles. God never asks us to do something he has not done or gone through (Jesus was just like us in every way). And God always loves no matter what we do.
The "rules" in the OT are more like guidelines (or sayings) to live by. The people of the OT (just like us today) break the rules all the time. I am sure that by the first anniversary of the Passover, some broke the rules. Were they kicked out of the community? The reason for many of these rules is to show the deep love of God. It is to show that there is no way for us to follow the rules all the time to earn our way to heaven. God gives us guidelines to live by the will improve our lives. If we follow them we will be happier and live a fuller life than if we depart from them. However, regardless of what we do, God is always waiting with open arms for us to return home to him. If we confess our sins, he will forgive us of our sins and purify us from ALL unrighteousness. Reply to this
Rules. Regulations. Laws. This chapter reminds me of the rules we, as fathers, set for our families. Some of our rules, I am certain, seem harsh to our children, much like the rules with God laid out about the Passover, and the Passover Meal, might have seemed harsh. But there were reasons for those rules....and God's reasons were simple...obey and you live, disobey and you die. Now, our rules for our household might not seem as morbid, but sometimes they are. We teach our kids with rules about crossing the road, staying out of 'bad' places, and about 'safe' sex (when the time comes, of course). And these rules can also be deadly if not followed.
What rules can you think of which YOUR parents taught you, which at the time seemed harsh, yet looking back on them you realize your life may have been saved because of them? Think about any 'unique' rule your parents might have had for you and share that...I'd be interested. One of mine was "If you don't go to sleep (my brother and I liked to play a lot before going to bed) you'll have to get up in the morning and milk the cows." Wow...talk about a harsh rule. Punishment was two fold...one, you had to get up at 5, and two, you had to spend about 1.5 hours milking 25-35 cows. NO FUN AT ALL! What did I learn from this rule looking back? Well, I guess it would be 'get it right the first time'. Dad would always warn us once (it was usually through Mom that this warning came) with a 'gentle' "be quiet and go to sleep". The second 'warning' was Dad's law. We had already ticked him off, and looking back, I think that was unwise. Today, if told to do something (like at work, or by laws, etc), I know it is best to obey the FIRST time, because by not doing so, the boss (or the law) can get pretty upset, and that is not always a good thing!!!!
Moses told the Israelites what to do, based upon God's commands. Those fortunate enough to have obeyed 'the first time' certainly saved their lives and the lives of their firstborns. THe Bible doesn't say EVERYONE obeyed, it only hinted at it. I am assuming there were some Israelites who didn't and the Bible doesn't mention those. I would find it hard to believe that every Israeli did precisely as Moses ordered, as today, we see PLENTY of people who disobey laws, even though they know it is wrong. Make sure we lean to obey better, especially the commands of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I was super-encouraged to see Rick on the upswing once again, spiritually. But, in caution, don't let the 'feeling' be the reason for it---continue to strive harder to keep from going back down the hill very far before once again returning. Tony has been w/o Net this week, so will be encouraged once he gets the chance to return to the site. And am also encouraged to hear from Rich again on a regular basis. God is Good. Hope to see you Sunday afternoon (anytime after 2) for a BBQ---I sent an email invite needing RSVP.
Reply to this
I have been thinking for the past 10 minutes about rules my parents had when I was a kid. Actually, I do not remember a lot of hard, tough rules. I remember things more like guidelines. This reminds me of the line in Pirates of the Caribbean. The pirates code is not a set of rules, they are more like guidelines!
I can think of many sayings my parents instilled in us. One was don't go along with the crowd (if everyone else jumps off a bridge are you going to jump too?). Another was treat others like you want them to treat you. Another was that hard work was the only way to achieve anything (things that come easy are not worth the same in the end as things you work hard for). And others.
Most of what I remember, however, was that (1) My parents lived much of what they preached. I believe I reflect more of who they were than what they said, and (2) I was always told (and this was demonstrated many times) that no matter what I did, I would always be loved and accepted in my home.
I think my parents reflected much of what God is to me with these 2 principles. God never asks us to do something he has not done or gone through (Jesus was just like us in every way). And God always loves no matter what we do.
The "rules" in the OT are more like guidelines (or sayings) to live by. The people of the OT (just like us today) break the rules all the time. I am sure that by the first anniversary of the Passover, some broke the rules. Were they kicked out of the community? The reason for many of these rules is to show the deep love of God. It is to show that there is no way for us to follow the rules all the time to earn our way to heaven. God gives us guidelines to live by the will improve our lives. If we follow them we will be happier and live a fuller life than if we depart from them. However, regardless of what we do, God is always waiting with open arms for us to return home to him. If we confess our sins, he will forgive us of our sins and purify us from ALL unrighteousness.
Reply to this