Exodus 34:10-20 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Exodus 34:10-20. Let’s go!
Exodus 34:10-16 (NIV)
10 Then the LORD said: “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the LORD, will do for you.
11 Obey what I command you today. I will drive out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
12 Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you.
13 Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles.
14 Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
15 “Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices.
16 And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same.
On verses 10-16: God was committed to doing wonders among the Israelites never before done in any other nation (v10). His plan was that other nations would see how awesome is the work that God would do on behalf of the Israelites (v10) and as part of this to drive out six of the nations that the Israelites would encounter (v11). However, God needed the Israelites’ cooperation for this plan to fully be realized and thus God tells them to “Obey what I command you today” (v11). In particular, God tells the Israelites not to make treaties with other nations (v12) and not to worship other gods (v13-14). The reason for telling the Israelites not to make treaties with the other nations is not because God was against the mixing of races and cultures, but because God knew that intermarrying with people who worshiped other gods would lead the Israelites to worship other gods too (v15-16) and lose the most important part of their lives in the process, which is God’s own presence and blessing.
What can we learn from this? Just as God had a plan to use the Israelites to show the world His greatness, so God has a plan to use His church – you and me – to show the world how great He is. For this plan to be fully realized, however, it requires your and my cooperation. In particular, we must be careful that in our interactions with people who do not believe in the LORD that we do not become so influenced and affected by unbelievers that we lose the most important aspect of our lives, which is our faith. That is why Paul tells Christians in 2 Corinthians 6 not to become yoked with (“bound to”) unbelievers in romantic or other co-dependent relationships such that the unbeliever’s beliefs can have as much impact on the Christian as the Christian’s has on the unbeliever. Practically speaking this is such wise advice, for easily the most frequent killer of Christians I have seen is actually not a lack of Bible study or inconsistent church attendance, but the yoking of a Christian with someone who does not share the same faith.
Exodus 34:17-20 (NIV)
17 “Do not make cast idols.
18 “Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in that month you came out of Egypt.
19 “The first offspring of every womb belongs to me, including all the firstborn males of your livestock, whether from herd or flock.
20 Redeem the firstborn donkey with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem all your firstborn sons. “No one is to appear before me empty-handed.
On verses 17-20: Some commentators see verses 17-26 as a set of 10 commands that were in some ways overlapping with, though not exactly like, the original 10 commandments in Exodus 20. Other commentators see the commands in verses 17-26 as setting the Israelites straight after their fall into worshiping a golden calf in Exodus 32, and thus the LORD tells the Israelites:
– Don’t make cast idols (v17), which is what the Israelites did with the golden calf;
– Celebrate the feasts the LORD had instituted for the Israelites, namely the Feast of Unleavened Bread (v18), the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Ingathering (v22), instead of holding a festival in honour of the golden calf;
– Use your wealth to redeem your firstborns (v19-20a), instead of using it to make and worship idols;
– Don’t appear before the LORD empty-handed (v20b), giving away your wealth such that you have nothing to present to the LORD, as the Israelites had done with the golden calf.
What can we learn from all this? We are to use our time, money and resources in ways that are pleasing to the LORD, to worship and honour the LORD rather than to worship something else. Also, don’t come to God like a spectator who just wants to watch Him do stuff or a consumer who is in it only to get for themselves. Rather, come to God with something to offer, for God is a King who is worthy of our honour and worship.
Heavenly Father, may I not waste the time and resources You have given me, but use them in ways that honour You and that are consistent with Your plans for me. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
