Exodus 23:1-151Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. 2Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment: 3Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause. 4If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. 5If 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. 6Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause. 7Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked. 8And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous. 9Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. 10And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof: 11But 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. 12Six 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. 13And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth. 14Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. 15Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) (Exodus 23:1‑15).
HERE is a needful word, "Thou shalt not raise a false report." Let us be careful, dear children, and older ones too, that we do not tell things about others unless we are sure they are true. Let us also be careful that we do not exaggerate. Some stories become so exaggerated, because every person who tells them adds a little, that soon they are so far from the truth one would not recognize them. We should be careful when repeating things which we have heard that we do riot state them as facts unless we are very sire they are true.
Another thing which the children of Israel were told to do was to leave their land uncultivated every seventh year. Even the land was to enjoy its sabbath of rest. The Sabbath, as we have explained in a previous paper, was God's pledge of rest on the earth, If the children of Israel had been obedient and kept God's holy law then they could have earned His rest, hut this they never did. Rest will come to the earth in a future day, not through fallen man's obedience, but through Christ—the man of God's counsels.
God delighted to remind His people of His covenant and of His rest, and therefore the Sabbath must come first before the order of the feasts. All acceptable service must be the result of the rest which Christ alone can give. Dear reader, have you received it? Have you heard Him saying, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest"? Matt. 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28). We who are saved have rest of conscience now, and some day we shall enter into His rest above. Israel will have their rest on earth.
In this chapter there are only three of the feasts mentioned although there are seven in all. First there is the feast of unleavened bread. We remember how the children of Israel had to Put away leaven out of their homes at the time of their passover,- for God would always have His people to be in separation from evil, and this is what leaven typifies. (1 Cor. 5: 7, 8.) At the various times when the Israelites appeared before the Lord, they were to come as worshipers and they must not come empty-handed. There is a message in this for us as Christians also, for we should not come before the Lord empty-handed. There are two kinds of sacrifices mentioned in Hebrews 13 which we can bring: first. "the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name." Yes, even children can learn to thank the Lord for His many mercies, and above all for what He has done for us at Calvary when He "bare our sins in His own body on the tree."
Then we can be kind and help others in need, and this, we are told, is well-pleasing unto the Lord (Hebrews 13: 16) . How good it is to see boys and girls learning to be kind-hearted and generous to the poor. When showing a kindness one can often speak a word for the Lord which God may use for His glory. Others may not notice these little things, but they rejoice the heart of God. We are not called upon to bring a Iamb or a bullock as were the Israelites, but let us seek to lead useful happy lives for the Lord's glory and be sure never to come before Him empty. The Christian's life is to be one of fruitfulness, first to God and then to others.
Messages of God’s Love 9/18/1949