February 7
Exodus 20:1-22:15
As we begin to go through God's 613 laws, we would all do well to remember what it says in Romans 7:12, "Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good." We must also remember that God is immutable. He does not change His mind on matters. That Christians are now under grace, not the law, does not make the law null and void. It means that God knows that we are unable to follow it completely, so He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17-18). With this, we are called to repent, which means change our mind. We are to acknowledge that when our thoughts, our beliefs differ from God's as spelled out in His law, that each and every time, He is right and where we differ, we are wrong. We are to acknowledge this, accept His Son's fulfillment and accept Him as your Lord and Savior, thus being covered by grace rather than the law.
We read in Exodus 21:22-25, "“If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe." An estimated 62 million abortion have occurred since the passing of Roe v. Wade in the U.S. since 1973. This has been done under the banner of women's choice. Complex Family Planning became a fellowship, or sub-specialty in Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1991, and has grown in popularity ever since. These men and women are trained in all facets of abortion, at all types of gestational ages. God held the man who accidentally took the life of the unborn child, ended the life of one His marvelous creations, "life for life". Does anyone believe that those now performing such procedures on purpose will be held guiltless in God's eyes? Ignorance to God's law has never been and never will be an adequate defense before God, the ultimate Judge. In our own state of New Jersey, abortion is now allowed up to 40 weeks of life in the womb.
We read in Exodus 22:16-17, "“If a man entices a virgin who is not betrothed, and lies with her, he shall surely pay the bride-price for her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money according to the bride-price of virgins." God has not changed His mind. Most people forget that it was indeed God that created sex. He wants it to be enjoyed in the confines of marriage between a man and a woman. A 2018 study reported that the average man has 26 sexual partners before "settling down", while the average woman has on average 19 sexual partners. That this is now the new norm does not make it right. Under the banner of sexual freedom, celibacy before marriage has become the object of scrutiny. The average person now gets married in their early thirties, after many previous encounters. In addition, the overwhelming number of married individuals engaged in premarital sex before marriage. Getting married does not rectify what was done previously. One must repent of what they have done in the past, not justify it, or move on from it. When it comes to premarital sex, God is right, society is wrong.
We read in Exodus 22:18, "“You shall not permit a sorceress to live." Yet there are places in every neighborhood open to the public in which you can have your palms read, or engage in tarot cards, etc. Popular for a while when I was younger (not sure if they still are), would be women who would gather together for a night of fun and pay someone to have a séance together. Attempting to contact the dead has been clearly discussed in Scripture (a vivid account occurs with King Saul in 1 Samuel 28:7-20), and it is condemned, yet this continues day in and day out in our cities.
We read in Exodus 23:1-2, "“You shall not circulate a false report. Do not put your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice." Recently I heard of a 17 year old teen who had a heart attack after receiving the second dose of the vaccine. Recently I heard of a healthy 32 year old who died after the second dose. In both situations it was clear to the nurses who gave me first hand accounts of these events what had transpired. In both cases, they were explained away by the doctors using alternative explanations. No matter where one stands on this topic, the falsifying of information for what is perceived as "the greater good" is never justified in God's eyes. The separation of loved ones by the medical community, especially when these same loved ones are dying, is not justifiable in the name of safety. We are called to help heal our loved ones, and if God is taking them, we are called to walk them home to Him.
We read in Exodus 23:8, "And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the discerning and perverts the words of the righteous." Simply ask yourselves how so many of our public servants (current salary for a U.S. Senator or Representative is $174,000), have become multi-millionaires? Our law and justice has become perverted in the hands of those blinded by bribes.
As you continue through God's law, as you witness us drifting farther and farther from God's perfect standards, never forget that we are not becoming more relevant as a nation, we are becoming more godless. Not only are we becoming more godless, but we have become more shameless as we proudly move forward in this sea of godlessness. Though the ceremonial laws that we will eventually get to were specific to the nation of Israel, God's moral standards do not change over time. Realizing this will help all of us when confronted with decisions and having to offer opinions.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: