These Simple Things….

There’s God’s way and the world’s way. They are polar opposites. If you currently live in a small town or grew up in one, there are still signs of God’s way being lived out. But if you live in a city, you probably see fewer examples of God’s way, and plenty of worldly ways. This section in Exodus 23 starts out like a behavioral guide for middle schoolers “You must not follow the crowd in doing wrong”, and “You must not pass along false rumors”. Then it shifts to not being swayed to give false testimony and taking bribes. Don’t you wish our government should be required to read this during a major thunderstorm? BANG, BANG, POP, you’d think they would “get it”? These commands God gives the Israelites are common sense behaviors. Does God expect us to behave in a manner that is difficult? These are simply “loving your neighbor as yourself” principles. Why is it so ignored? Answer: pure selfishness. When our eyes focus inward, our outward behave shifts from living God’s way to living a worldly life. No joy, no peace, no real love, and no satisfaction will ever come from living in the world with an inner focus. It goes against everything God created us for. These simple things: not taking a bribe, taking care of your neighbor’s stuff like it was your own, or not lying to make yourself look “good” are simple things. And they make all the difference in the world, when we make them part of our everyday life.

1 “You must not pass along false rumors. You must not cooperate with evil people by lying on the witness stand.2 “You must not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you are called to testify in a dispute, do not be swayed by the crowd to twist justice. 3 And do not slant your testimony in favor of a person just because that person is poor.4 “If you come upon your enemy’s ox or donkey that has strayed away, take it back to its owner. 5 If you see that the donkey of someone who hates you has collapsed under its load, do not walk by. Instead, stop and help.6 “In a lawsuit, you must not deny justice to the poor.7 “Be sure never to charge anyone falsely with evil. Never sentence an innocent or blameless person to death, for I never declare a guilty person to be innocent.8 “Take no bribes, for a bribe makes you ignore something that you clearly see. A bribe makes even a righteous person twist the truth.9 “You must not oppress foreigners. You know what it’s like to be a foreigner, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.10 “Plant and harvest your crops for six years, 11 but let the land be renewed and lie uncultivated during the seventh year. Then let the poor among you harvest whatever grows on its own. Leave the rest for wild animals to eat. The same applies to your vineyards and olive groves.12 “You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working. This gives your ox and your donkey a chance to rest. It also allows your slaves and the foreigners living among you to be refreshed.13 “Pay close attention to all My instructions. You must not call on the name of any other gods. Do not even speak their names. Exodus 23:1-13