God's Wisdom And Requirements Series

God’s Wisdom and Requirements

Wisdom in Justice and Land Use

Requirements of Feasts

Requirements of Nation in walking after God

DBF Sunday Sermon, 1/12/03, Exodus 23

I hear many things today about if people will only pray and believe that God will grant them the desires of their hearts.

I hear it and the way it’s presented there is no way that I agree that the word of God confirms this.

Why?

I cannot and would not agree because God’s will is not included in the above comment.

God does want us who follow after HIM and seek HIS ways to be able to do what is needed to complete HIS good and perfect will.

You see the problem is we seek after our riches and our ease and our pleasure without a thought of God’s will.

It is not nor should it be God’s intent to make you are me rich so that we forget HIM and HIS good and perfect will.

I can praise God for HIS wisdom in this matter because at one point in my life, I too waited for Ed McMann to come to my door during the super bowl.

I fully realize now that this would have taken me far, far from God’s will for me.

The testimony of the recent Lottery winner was a blessing.

He promised his tithes to three churches from his proceeds. What a blessing to God’s work, and God’s work was honored in this mans life.

Yet, it seems that this gentlemen had already learned the valuable lesson of being content wherever he was in God, because he was a faithful tither prior to winning this lottery and he remained a faithful tither and remained true to his calling even after God blessed him.

What would you do today if God blessed you with a large sum of money?

Your true answer shows where you are in accordance with seeking God’s good and perfect will in your life and in our current time.

We will see in Chapter 23 of Exodus God’s Wisdom in matters of justice and agricultural land use then look at requirements for bringing the nation unto HIMSELF a minimum of three times a year and requirements of the nation in following HIM in a manner that would bring them blessings and prosperity.

Wisdom in Justice and Land Use

Exodus 23:1-12 (KJV)

Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

[2] Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:

[3] Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.

[4] If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. [5] If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him. [6] Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause. [7] Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.

[8] And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.

[9] Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

[10] And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof: [11] But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard. [12] Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.

Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness…Many of you know what my feelings are on true justice and my feeling that what is practiced now is a far cry from the “true” justice that God meant to bring to us.

God tells us that we will not be a part of a lie. No colors, no emotions, just NO LIE.

You see the world under the deceiver tells us many things like, it’s OK to lie if you don’t hurt anyone…it’s OK to lie on your income tax because everyone else does…it’s OK to lie because even the government does so…

Yet, God’s word is plain that we shall have no part in being deceptive or deceived.