When Moses and the people of Israel/Jacob reached the land of Midian, Moses' father-in-law Jethro came to meet them. He gave Moses sound advice on how to exercise his leadership and authority more efficiently by delegating responsibility to subordinate rulers who would judge the people in small cases.

'It is not right' the father-in-law Jethro of Moses said to him 'to take this on yourself. You will tire yourself out, you and the people with you. The work is too heavy for you. You cannot do it alone. Take my advice, and God will be with you. You ought to represent the people before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them the statutes and the decisions; show them the way they must follow and what their course must be.

But choose from the people at large some capable and God-fearing men, trustworthy and incorruptible, and appoint them as leaders of the people: leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, tens. Let these be at the service of the people to administer justice at all times. They can refer all difficult questions to you, but all smaller questions they will decide for themselves, so making things easier for you and sharing the burden with you.

If you do this - and may God so command you - you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.' Moses took his father-in-law's advice and did as he said. - Ex. 18:1-27 -

The Covenant At Sinai - God appeared to Moses on Mount Sinai (Horeb) and entered into a relationship with the twelve tribes, which bound them to Himself and made them, in effect, the nation of Israel. The relationship was in the form of a "Covenant."

This "Covenant" is fundamentally important for Israelite history. Through it a number of independent tribes were bonded together into one Hebrew/Jew/Israel nation and given a specific destiny as the people chosen by God as a channel for divine revelation. The Israelites, however, were not to behave just like any nation of the ancient world. All of these were pagan, as part of their worship.

The Israelites were to live as a religious community in which each member cared for the others. The exploitation of such helpless persons as strangers, widows, and orphans was strictly forbidden under the Mosaic Law - Deut. 24:17 - since God Himself was their champion. - Duet. 10:14-22 -

God promised to provide a land for the Hebrews/Jews/Israelites in which they could settle in obedience to "Covenant Law' as a holy nation, and be witnesses of His existence and power to all the neighboring nations.

Moses then went up to God, and Yahweh called to him from the mountain, saying, 'Say this to the House of Jacob, declare this to the sons of Israel. "You yourselves have seen what I did with the Egyptians, how I carried you on eagle's wings and brought you to Myself. From this you know that now, if you obey my voice and hold fast to my Covenant, you of all the nations shall be my very own for all the earth is mine.

I will count you a kingdom of priests, a consecrated nation. Those are the words you are to speak to the sons of Israel.' So Moses went and summoned the elders of the people, putting before them all that Yahweh had bidden him, Then all the people answered as one, 'All that Yahweh has said, we will do.' And Moses took the people's reply back to Yahweh. - Ex. 19:3-8 -

Throughout Hebrew/Jew/Israel history, God's covenant people meant to be an example of spirituality to the world. This, rather than political activity or territorial conquest, was to be their true destiny. Unfortunately, much of Israelite history was marked by periodic disobedience of the Covenant Laws. - Ex. chapter 19 to 31 -

When God had finished speaking with Moses on the mountain of Sinai, God gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God. - Ex. 31:18 -

-  ISRAEL'S  APOSTASY  -  THE  COVENANT  RENEWED  -

Unfortunately, Israelite history began badly with an idolatrous act. The people made and worshiped a golden calf while Moses was still on Mount Sinai.

Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, 'Go down now, because your people whom you brought out of Egypt have apostasised. They have been quick to leave the way I marked out for them; they have made themselves a calf of molten metal and have worshipped it and offered it sacrifice. "Here is your God, Israel" they have cried "who brought you up from the land of Egypt!"'

Yahweh said to Moses, 'I can see how headstrong these people are! Leave me, now, my wrath shall blaze out against them and devour them; of you, however, I will make a great nation.'

But Moses pleaded with Yahweh his God. 'Yahweh' he said 'why should your wrath blaze out against this people of yours whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with arm outstretched and mighty hand? Why let the Egyptians say, "Ah, it was in treachery that He brought them out, to do them to death in the mountains and wipe them off the face of the earth"?

Leave your burning wrath; relent and do not bring this disaster on your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob/Israel, your servants to whom by your own self you swore and made this promise: I will make your offspring as many as the stars of heaven, and all this land which I promised I will give to your descendants, and it shall be their heritage for ever.' So Yahweh relented and did not bring on His people the disaster He had threatened. - Ex. 32:7-14 -

When Moses delayed in coming down from Mount Sinai, the faithless people became restless. They persuaded Aaron to take their golden earrings and other articles of jewelry and to fashion a golden calf for worship, offered holocausts and brought communion sacrifices; then all the people sat down to eat and drink, and afterwards got up to amuse themselves.

As Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the groups dancing, Moses' anger blazed. He threw down the tablets he was holding and broke them at the foot of the mountain. Moses seized the calf they had made and burned it, grinding it into powder which he scattered on the water; and he made the sons and daughters of Israel drink it.

To Aaron Moses said, 'What has this people done to you, for you to bring such a great sin on them?' When Moses saw the people so out of hand - for Aaron had allowed them to lapse into idolatry with enemies all round them - he stood at the gate of the camp and shouted. 'Who is for Yahweh? And of the sons of Levi rallied to him. And Moses said to them, 'This is the message of Yahweh, the God of Israel/Jacob, "Grid your sword, every man of you, and quarter the camp from gate to gate, killing one his brother, another his friend, another his neighbor"?

The sons of Levi carried out the command of Moses, and of the people about three thousand men perished that day. 'Today' Moses said 'you have won yourselves investiture as priests of Yahweh at the cost, one of his sons, another of his brother; and so God grants you a blessing today.' - Ex. 32:1-35 -

Yahweh said to Moses, 'Leave this place..........

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Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. Thank You. God bless. 

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Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -