9 March 2014 - The Attributes of God (part one)

In Exodus thirty four, “the Lord came down in the cloud”

And stood there, proclaiming his name Yahweh out loud

He told Moses that He was “compassionate and gracious”

And “slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness”

Due to His love, God forgives wickedness, rebellion, and sin

Yet he punishes the guilty, mush to their descendants’ chagrin

Moses asked the Lord to favor the Israelites with His presence

To forgive their wickedness and take them as His inheritance

Then the Lord said “I am making a covenant with you”

For the people, never-before-seen wonders will I do

God is compassionate says Psalm one hundred forty five

“Slow to anger” and from His people love He does not deprive

In Second Corinthians one, this message Paul does repeat

God is “the Father of compassion” whose comfort is complete

He “comforts us in all our troubles” so we can do the same

Passing along His comfort to anybody, no matter the name

And although many sufferings in life Paul did know

“So also through Christ our comfort” does overflow

God forgives transgression and pardons sins, per Micah seven

He does not stay angry but showers mercy on us from heaven

He will “be true to Jacob” and to Abraham, mercy show

As He “pledged an oath to our fathers in days long ago”

Per First John one, “God is light; in him there is no darkness”

If we claim fellowship with Him but walk in the dark, we transgress

John added “but if we walk in the light, as He is in the light”

We have fellowship and Jesus’ blood makes everything right

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves” badly

But “if we confess our sins”, “faithful and just” will God be

“If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar”

Then “His word has no place in our lives” no matter our desire

“The Lord is gracious and righteous”, per Psalm one sixteen

“God is full of compassion”, protecting the needy it is seen

John one says “The Word became flesh” and among us dwelled

The glory, grace, and truth from the Father were never withheld

“From the fullness of His grace” we have all received blessing

After the law of Moses, grace and truth Jesus was professing

In Ephesians two, Paul said “it is by grace you have been saved”

The road to our seat in the heavenly realms with Him was paved

We are saved through faith, a gift from God and the Holy Ghost

Paul stated that it is “not by works, so that no one can boast”

In chapter six, Isaiah spoke of “the year King Uzziah died”

Exalted and amidst seraphs, on a throne God did reside

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty” the seraphs did call

For God is holy and on the whole earth His glory will fall

Per Isaiah fifty seven, God lives in a high and holy place

He revives lowly spirits and contrite hearts with His grace

No matter what happens, God will not stay in an angry state

Or faint would be the spirit of the man, whom God did create

Per First Peter one, “as obedient children, do not conform”

“To evil desires you had” when ignorant living was the norm

“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do”

“For it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy’” is the right view

8 March 2014 The Golden Calf

Per Exodus thirty two, Moses was away so people did rebel

To their desire to make other gods, his brother Aaron fell

With all their gold jewelry, they made a golden calf

Thinking that this was a god was indeed a big gaffe

God told Moses about this and thus to go down

Their actions angered him a lot, making him frown

Due to the “stiff-necked people”, God wanted to be alone

Planning to destroy them for actions He could not condone

But Moses pleaded for the people despite their great sin

Saying other nations would view angry actions with a grin

About God’s covenant with Abraham, Moses did remind

So the Lord relented and his threats He did then unwind

Moses went down the mountain, with the two tablets

Seeing the golden calf and dancing, he had regrets

In a fit of anger, he threw the tablets and they broke

He burned the calf with a great fire and some smoke

The ashes were ground and across the water spread

Moses made the people drink it, each and every head

About this in First Corinthians ten Paul did write

Warnings from history and the Exodus he did recite

There was idolatry, pagan revelry, and more immorality

“God was not pleased with most of them”, evidently

But He will not tempt beyond what man can bear

He provides a way out, as for us He does care

8 March 2014 - The Law (part three of three)

Hebrews nine spoke of the tabernacle and worship

The Israelites took the tabernacle and ark on every trip

The first room had a lamp stand, table, and consecrated bread

It was The Holy Place, where priests entered without dread

The ark was in the Most Holy Place, behind another curtain

Only the high priest entered once a year, that’s for certain

There were also Aaron’s staff and an altar of incense

And the stone tablets which did the covenant dispense

When the high priest entered, he did so with a sacrifice

To offer for the people’s sins and various acts of vice

But when Christ came, the tabernacle became perfect

Because He was not man-made and thus had no defect

The Lord spoke to Aaron in Numbers chapter eighteen

The Levites were to become the priesthood, it is seen

They were to care for the care of the sanctuary and altar

God’s wrath would not fall as long as they did not falter

This role was given as a gift to Aaron and his close family

Death awaited anyone else who approached the sanctuary

From the holy offerings, the priests were to take a share

They would have no land, but they were not to despair

For God would be their “share and [their] inheritance”

And they would always have a place of holy residence

Deuteronomy seven spoke of driving out the nations

The Israelites would win because of their foundations

For although the others were larger and stronger

God would ensure that Israel would last longer

But God told them that after victoriously emerging

From His instructions, there should be no diverging

“Make no treaty with them” and mercy do not show

Don’t intermarry or the Lord’s anger would grow

For God loved the Israelites and kept his old oath

He redeemed them from slavery and tyranny both

In Deuteronomy thirty, God gave yet another command

It was not too difficult for those headed for the Holy Land

“The word is very near;…it is in your mouth and in your heart”

“So you may obey it”, take the right path, and do your part

The choice is life and prosperity or death and destruction

The command is to love God and follow His instruction

For then “the Lord your God will bless”

“In the land you are entering to possess”

But “if your heart turns away and you are not obedient”

The path to your destruction God will make expedient

So “choose life, so that you are your children may live”

For then God will keep his covenant and His land give

7 March 2014 - The Law (part two)

Exodus twenty one speaks about capital punishment

It is applied when there is an intentional murderous event

The same is true if someone does their parents attack

As well as if someone goes down the kidnapping track

If one sacrifices to another God, he will be destroyed

Desecrating the Sabbath one should similarly avoid

Leviticus twenty adds to the capital punishment list

Patricide, adultery, and any unnatural sexual tryst

Leviticus eleven speaks of clean and unclean food

Cud chewing animals with split hoof one can include

Anything with fins and scales is acceptable to eat

But not eagle, vulture, owl, hawk, heron, or bat meat

Flying insects without jointed legs should be detested

Likewise, snakes and lizards should not be ingested

God said “do not make yourselves unclean”

“Be holy, because I am holy” is then seen

Deuteronomy sixteen lists three festivals to celebrate

The Passover of the Lord is the most important date

In the Feast of Weeks, an offering should always be made

After threshing, the Feast of Tabernacles should not be delayed

And “no man should appear before the Lord empty-handed”

With gifts proportionate to God’s blessings, it is commanded

Women’s rights are discussed in Exodus twenty one

[One should remember that this is how things were done]

If a woman servant does not please the master

He must let her be redeemed to avoid disaster

Daughters-in-law should be given daughters’ rights

If not treated well, wives are free to go without fights

In the case of when a man dies without a son

His widow must marry his brother to have one

In this way there will not be any concern or doubt

That the dead brother’s name will be blotted out

6 March 2014 - The Law (part one)

Deuteronomy six says “The Lord our God, the Lord is one”

So to love God with all heart, soul, and strength as did His Son

The commandments God gave are to taken upon each heart

To their children and all the time, the people are to impart

“Tie them as symbols…and bind them on your foreheads”

“Write them on…doorframes…and on…gates” and sheds

Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge, per Leviticus nineteen

“But love your neighbor as yourself”, as should be routine

Jesus referred to both commandments in Matthew twenty two

Saying “all the Law…hang[s] on these two”, in His perfect view

“Do not take advantage of a widow”, per Exodus twenty two

For God “will certainly hear their cry” and be angered if you do

When God’s anger is aroused, He “will kill you with the sword”

The resulting impact on your family should not be ignored

In regards widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor

People are to help them, per Deuteronomy twenty four

If people consistently follow the spirit of God’s commands

So “God may bless [them] in all the work of [their] hands”

Per James one, “religion that God…accepts as…faultless”

Is simply “to look after orphans and widows in their distress”

If a man steals an animal, per Exodus twenty two

Paying back four or five more is what he must do

“If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck so that he dies”

“The defender is not guilty of murder” unless it is after sunrise

“A thief must certainly make restitution” for what he has done

Or sold to pay for the theft, if assets or money he has none

Anyone whose cattle grazes on another’s field or starts a fire

Per the passage, complete restitution is God does require

Exodus twenty one addresses one causing serious injury

“Life for life, eye for eye,…wound for wound” we do see

On the same topic of restitution, per Leviticus twenty four

The concept of “life for life” is discussed some more

But Jesus turned this law around, in Matthew chapter five

Saying to turn the other cheek, as He did when He was alive

Hence, “if someone forces you to go one mile”

“Go with him two miles” and do so with a smile

And “give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away”

“From the one who wants to borrow from you” He did say

4 March 2014 - The Ten Commandments (part two of two)

The sixth was “You shall not murder”, per verse thirteen

For man was made by God, in Genesis nine it is seen

Jesus took this commandment further in Matthew five

The same judgment holds true if anger should arrive

First John chapter three provides more explanation

“We should love one another”, not seek retaliation

For “anyone who does not love remains in death”

For hatred and murder result in no eternal breath

“We know what love is” because of Jesus’ sacrifice

To lay down our lives for others was John’s advice

The seventh was “You shall not commit adultery”

Proverbs five says that with God there is no mystery

For “the evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him”

“The cords of his sin” serve to constrain every limb

As such, “he will die for lack of discipline”

“Led astray by his own great folly” and sin

In Matthew five, Jesus said adultery can be in one’s heart

Lusting for others causes us from His path to depart

And if an eye or a hand is the cause of not obeying

“Cut it off and throw it away” was the famous saying

“It is better … to lose one part of your body”, Jesus did say

“Than for your whole body to go into hell” on judgment day

“Marriage should be honored by all”, per Hebrews four

For adultery and sexual immorality God does abhor

The eighth commandment was “You shall not steal”

Psalm sixty two says stolen goods have no appeal

For God has shown His love and strength since time begun

And “will reward each person according to what he has done”

First Timothy states that hope in wealth we should shun

For God “richly provides us” with all of our needs

We should “do good” and “be rich in good deeds”

This is how we “lay up treasure” for the coming age

Taking “hold of life that is truly life” on God’s stage

Ephesians four says people should “steal no longer”

For “doing something useful” makes them stronger

The ninth is “You shall not give false testimony”

Against others don’t make up tales that are phony

Deuteronomy nineteen talks about a malicious witness

And how judges are to investigate and right the mess

Moses said to “purge the evil” by punishing the liar

Then others will hear of and fear what did transpire

And hopefully the people will then completely understand

“Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand”

Psalm fifteen asked who will dwell in God’s sanctuary

It is the righteous one who is blameless until his obituary

He “speaks the truth” with “no slander on his tongue”

And “keeps his oath” even when barbs are flung

He lends honestly and by him, a bribe will not be taken

For “he who does these things will never be shaken”

The tenth was “You shall not covet” that of others

Including possessions, spouses, and brothers

About this commandment, Romans thirteen does say

“Love your neighbor as yourself” is how to obey

“Love does no harm to its neighbor” and is without flaw

In that way, it is said “love is the fulfillment of the law”

Per First Timothy six, “godliness with contentment is great gain”

To think that we can take anything from this world is insane

“If we have food and clothing, we will be content”

But those who wanted to fall rich, into ruin they went

“For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil”

Some eager for money end up with their faith in upheaval

To be content with what we have, Hebrews thirteen said

Knowing that God will not leave or forsake us instead

3 March 2014 - The Ten Commandments (part one)

In Exodus chapter twenty, ten commandments God did list

He spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai all covered with mist

The first one was “You shall have no other gods before me”

For “I am the Lord your God”, who delivered Israel from slavery

David’s psalm of thanks to the Lord is in First Chronicles sixteen

“Sing to the Lord, all the earth” in verse twenty three is seen

David proclaimed God’s glory, splendor, majesty, and strength

And went on to “ascribe to the Lord the glory due” at length

The second was “You shall not make for yourself an idol”

For God is a jealous god; worshipping another is suicidal

He will punish the sins of the fathers for many generations

To those who love Him, He will show love without limitations

Psalm one hundred fifteen says “to [His] name be the glory”

Those who worship handmade idols are in for a sad story

The third was “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord”

Leviticus twenty four says blasphemy cannot be ignored

For “if anyone curses God, he will be held responsible”

He must be put to death by those who are accountable

Solomon said “the name of the Lord is a strong tower”

Per Proverbs eighteen, the righteous run to its power

The fourth was “You shall remember the Sabbath day”

Verse eleven points out that God rested in the same way

By His actions, the Sabbath was made holy and blessed

It is intended for every person to get much needed rest

In Matthew twelve, the Pharisees asked Jesus a question

He said healing on the Sabbath was not a transgression

Jesus said a person would rescue a sheep which fell in a pit

His logic was sound, even the Pharisees would have to admit

The fifth was “Honor your father and your mother”

“So that you may live long”, one year after another

The next chapter says parents should not be attacked

Death is what awaits one who does such a heinous act

Leviticus twenty says the same holds true for curses

This is stated in the midst of several such verses

Proverbs ten says “a wise man brings joy to his father”

Conversely, a foolish son only brings grief and bother

“Listen to your father”, per Proverbs twenty two

“Do not despise your mother” for she bore you

“The father of a righteous man has great joy”

“He who has a wise son delights” in the boy

“May your father and mother be glad”

Let them rejoice instead of being sad

Ephesians six tells children their parents to obey

For from this commandment they should not stray

With a promise comes only this commandment

“To enjoy long life on earth” and to be content