Open Thine Hand

Deuteronomy 15:7-11

Throughout the Old Testament, there are hundreds of laws and commands God’s people were instructed to live by. Aside from the well-known ten commandments, God issued a number of other laws the people were to also consider, and obey. Although Jesus came to fulfill the law, there are still some practices the church can benefit from, even today. For example, tithing is no longer a mandatory law or command from priests, according to Malachi chapter 3, but the practice of tithing can still offer great benefits to the church as a whole, also to the individual who continues this practice. God loves a cheerful giver, so when we invest in God’s business, He’ll no doubt bless the works of our hands. It’s unfortunate that the modern church has become a business, but the body should never hesitate to give, so the needs of the church can still be met.

Another command given by God to His people was concerning lending money. In a society where selfishness and pride abide, it’s rare to find one willing to give to anyone in need, but God commanded His people to never harden their hearts, nor shut thine hand from anyone in the body who has a need. In times of selfishness, many forget that God was the source, and supplier of their increase, so holding on to what God gave is a big NO-NO! God blesses us, so that we can be a blessing to others, and holding back from helping someone in need is indeed sinful.

Knowing there will ALWAYS be people in the body of Christ who will have some type of need, should keep the church conscious, and motivated to always be ready to assist, when the opportunity presents itself. There are people who strongly believe, others are poor because of a fault or sin they possibly committed, but this is not always the case. Sometimes, God allows things to happen to some, in order to monitor the reaction of those who can help. In addition, we should refrain from making excuses on why we should withhold our blessings from those we feel don’t deserve them. If God was willing to give us His Son, while we were yet in a miserable state, we should not hold back from giving to the poor, in their time of need.

“It’s okay to ask God for what you want, but don’t be surprised when He gives you what you need.” – Ell

Keep God’s commandments

Proverbs 3:1-10

This lesson will be a short reminder to all those who claim to be born-again sons and daughters of God, that keeping His commandments always yield amazing benefits. Although heaven and earth are soon to pass away, disciples of Christ are yet mandated to live by a godly, and holy standard. Serving God, at times, seems tedious, and can cause the minds of even the most faithful to question whether or not He sees all the troubling experiences they encounter, but the Lord never slumbers, nor sleeps, and pays close attention to every detail of everything we face. God commanded His people to do things a certain way for a reason. For example, to obtain peace and long life, one must only remember God’s laws, and keep His commandments. While that may be a simple command to obey in order to reap such great blessings, attempting to follow God’s words are usually met by inevitable confrontation. Satan has a hard time ignoring those who seek to please God, because he was deemed, “the author of confusion”, and directs all his focus on knocking them off track. For this very reason, the text reminds us in verses five and six to, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledged Him, and He shall direct thy paths”. When we consult God’s advice on all the situations we face in life, it will greatly reduce the possibility for satan to influence us to sin. God’s power never fails, and if we commit all our trust to Him, then He’ll make sure our choices and decisions are stamped with His approval.

From morning, to afternoon, and in the evening, God should be at the forefront of our minds and hearts. His way is right, and those walking along the path He directs exhibit consistent righteous behavior. Make sure you have a full understanding of what God expects of you, after claiming to be His own, because many wear the title “Christian”, but live contrary to what it stands for.

Walk in love,

Ell

Status of divorced women in Israel

Deuteronomy 24:1-4

Ancient laws and rules were implemented for the children of Israel to follow, in order to keep a sense of peace and uniformity amongst the people as a whole, and that they remain pure in the eyes of a holy God. Although those laws were tied specifically to the people during olden times, some may still be applicable to society today. I expounded a bit on the laws concerning divorce and remarriage the people of God were to abide by in the past, and in this lesson, I’ll add a few more details in reference to this topic, as food for thought.

A man who took a woman to be his wife had the option to write a bill of divorce, put it in her hand, and send her out of his house, if he found some uncleanness in her. This was typically in reference to him finding out she was impure before they got married. Some women apparently claimed to be virgins, but were proven to be false claims after they married. It was God’s intention that when a man and woman marry, they remain together forever. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case in a number of situations. The woman who was put out of the man’s home, was then free to be another man’s wife. Even if the second husband loses favor in the woman, he too can issue the same bill of divorce. If perhaps the second husband dies, the woman would not be allowed to go back to her first husband, as she would be considered defiled.

Marriage was never intended to be a simple walk in the park, rather an opportunity for a man and woman to unite, becoming one flesh, while fulfilling the will of God as one heart, one mind, one soul, and one spirit. God hates divorce, because it proves that what He instituted, wasn’t worth fighting for. The pain of a failing marriage cuts deep in human lives, and the hearts of men, women, and children are broken when divorce occurs. The impact of a divorce can even go on for many years, especially when children are involved. When promises and covenants are broken, entire communities feel the effects. This is part of what God hates about divorce.

I strongly believe that every marriage can work, and withstand the times, but only if pursued with godly intentions, and between people who have a desire to live according to God’s Word. Couples break up for many reasons, including lack of commitment, infidelity, conflict/arguing, money, unrealistic expectations, and many more, but all can be overcome with patience, love, and effective communication. God instituted marriage, so why don’t more people turn to Him for advice, rather than waste time and money on men and women who typically give their own biased opinions, without Scripture background? When problems occur in marriage, I don’t recommend we write bills of divorce, but that we come together in prayer, bringing the issue before God, while remaining calm as He guides us in His Word where to find strength and advice for the problems we face. Many problems between couples can be avoided simply by listening to one another, and being nice. It’s amazing what a simple smile and hug can do to appease a hot situation. The devil wants relationships to fail, and he tries extremely hard to make this happen, but God can give us what we need to make marriage worth experiencing.

“Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD” (Proverbs 18:22). “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband”
(Ephesians 5:25-33).

Walk in love,

Ell

Continuing the family line

Deuteronomy 25:5-10

The children of Israel were required to follow some very interesting laws and ordinances back in Bible days. The obvious laws that kept men in right standing with God were the ten commandments, and those that separated the evil from the good, but some laws that applied to them back then would be shunned upon in 2019. Our text presents one such law concerning remarriage, and succeeding a man’s family name. In Christian culture today, marriage is to be between one man, and one woman, then the two are joined as one, and are to be fruitful and multiply. If the husband dies, this releases the wife from her bond of matrimony, and she’s free to remarry at her will. The next potential candidate she chooses is expected to be of no relation to her, nor her husband, and the name of the deceased husband would soon die, if they didn’t bare a male child.

In our lesson text, if the husband of the wife passes, and he has a brother, then she has the option of marrying him, in order to keep her husband’s name relevant. I’m certain I would roll over ten times in my grave if my wife married my brother, but hey, that’s how it was back then. To add more drama to this issue, if the brother refuses to take the widow as his wife, then she’s to report him to the elders of his city, where they’ll give him a chance to explain his reasoning. If he stands true to his refusal, then he’s to be publicly humiliated, as wife is to loose his shoe from his foot, and spit in his face. To be barefoot was a sign of distress and humiliation. Doing this to the man signified that he had sold everything and was bankrupt. In other words, the man in Israel who refused to preserve the name of his brother was considered worthless, and without value. This lesson was just a little food for thought. Stay blessed!

Walk in love,

Ell

The greatest commandments

Matthew 22:34-40

“What part of ‘thou shalt not’ don’t you understand?” For the life of me, I can’t remember where I read that line, but it always makes me smile and think for a moment when it comes to mind. God gave commandments to His people during the time of Moses. Those rules were given so that the people of God would have a standard to live by, that was first true to God, and opposite of the world. The children of Israel were judged by the standard of the ten commandments, and were either blessed for obeying them, or punished if they disobeyed.

After Jesus died to fulfill the law, that included hundreds of laws and commands, the same standard the law set, was, and still is expected to be upheld. Of all the commandments, there are two that are held to a higher degree over all the others. While that may seem contradictory to how some view God’s way, obeying these two commands will ensure that all others won’t be hard to follow.

Aside from the hypocritical Pharisees who were known to challenge the authority and knowledge of Jesus without ceasing, the Sadducees would be placed second on the list of those who made it their business to try and tempt the Son of God. These unwise and disrespectful men approached Jesus with another plot to try and throw Him off His game. They didn’t believe in the resurrection, yet asked Jesus a question concerning marriage after resurrection. In response to their phony question, Jesus made it clear that they were deceived in their thinking that there will be marriage in the next life, as in the present one, also in not believing there will be an actual resurrection. They didn’t know the Scriptures, nor the power of God to resurrect men. In the resurrection, men and women will not marry (Did you know that? If not, now you do. Enjoy your marriage as best you can while on this earth, because the purpose of marriage is to replenish the earth, and keep the race going. Resurrected Saints, as well as angels do not die, and don’t need to marry to keep their kind in existence).

After Jesus made the Sadducees feel like stale mashed potatoes with His truths, all the people who heard were astonished at His doctrine, including those pesky Pharisees. After they heard how their buddies, the Sadducees, got their butts handed to them, they also made an attempt to tempt Jesus by asking, “Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” Jesus wisely responded, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” When a man truly understands what love is, and surrenders all of himself (heart, soul, mind) to the will of God, he will ONLY do those things that directly correlate to what godliness represents. The Holy Ghost is all things God is, so when we receive God’s Spirit in us, we move as He moves. Even in times when things get rough, we are to never deviate from God’s standard.

God is love, and when He abides in us, our words, actions, and deeds will be birthed from the genuine love that flows from the heart of the Creator. In order to love people the right way, we must first establish God’s definition of love in our hearts. According to God, love is patient, kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not proud, does not dishonor others, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth, always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres, and gives wholeheartedly. Is the love you represent found in God’s definition?

Walk in love,

Ell

The people promise to obey

Exodus 24:3-8

During ancient times, the power of God was displayed mightily in the lives of Moses, and the children of Israel. From being set free from the bondage of the Egyptians and walking on dry land through the Red Sea, to being fed miraculous meals from Heaven and never outgrowing their raiment for 40 years, the children of Israel were blessed to experience God’s grace to great extremes. But while enjoying the benefits of godly provision and protection, the Israelites managed to find reasons to complain. It says a lot about a person who has all their needs met, yet still finds reasons to complain about something. God chose Israel to be His representation on the earth, and needed a bloodline to use for His Son to be born through, so His love never changed toward them, even during their ungrateful moments.

God eventually spoke to Moses, and set before him a contract to present to the people. This particular contract included laws by which they were to simply obey, that would grant them the right to be to God a peculiar treasure above all nations. As long as the people obeyed, God would freely bless them beyond measure. After Moses presented the words from God to the people, they all with one voice promised to obey “all” the words which the Lord had said. While their collective agreement seemed genuine in that moment, as you read further in the Scripture, you’ll discover how faithful the Israelites really were in keeping their word. In any case, God was ready and willing to be everything they needed Him to be in their lives, and all they were expected to do was obey His commands.

Believers today are under a new covenant, but the same rules that applied to ancient Israel, apply to us today. Just as the children of Israel had to meet certain conditions in order to receive the full benefits of God’s love, we too must also be obedient in keeping God’s commands as well. Jesus said in John 15:10, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” A real man is known not by the wealth he accumulates, but by the consistency in keeping his word. Make sure before you start blaming God for things in your life that may not seem to be going well, check to see if you are upholding your end of the agreement through faith in God, and obedience to His word.

Walk in love,

Ell

Laws of confession and restitution

Exodus 22:1-3; Numbers 5:5-7

The Old Testament scriptures of the Bible are filled with nearly 700 laws God’s people were commanded to follow on a daily basis. These laws weren’t to restrict His people from enjoying fruitful and enjoyable lives, but to keep them from turning away from His standard of living. There were countless idols being worshipped in those days, and God expected those who carried His name, to also walk in His character as well. Although the laws were strict and numerous, many did well in keeping most of them, but many also disobeyed, and suffered the consequences of their decisions. In every law written, love was evident in each one. Even though Christ died to fulfill the law, the law of love is what abides in every believer today, that keeps us consistent with godly living. We no longer are required to read, remember, and keep a long list of “thou shalt nots”, because the Spirit of God that resides in our hearts will prompt us on how to address every situation we face in life. That’s like upgrading from a collection 669 LPs, to a single USB flash drive that can store 32 gigabytes of music (millenials probably won’t understand that reference 😂🤣).

When we accept Christ, everything we need to produce for the kingdom will come as a package deal. The Holy Ghost is what slowly brings those necessary godly attributes out of us, as we mature in Him. This is why it’s important to meditate on God’s Word, and continue in healthy spiritual habits, because it helps the believer gain knowledge, strength, and the faith required to stand firm against all the wiles of the devil. It was lawful for the Old Testament believers to confess their wrongs to God and each other, then repay whoever they offended, with interest. Under grace, we are still required to ask forgiveness of those we’ve wronged, and the love of Christ (if it truly abides in us) will urge us to do something nice for them as well.

In all that we do unto men, we must do it in love. God is love, so our lives are to extend that love in EVERY situation. Have you matured to the level where you confess your wrongs to those you may have hurt, or do you still hold grudges, waiting for them to first come to you? Let love live, and let it abide in your heart. The apostle Peter admonished us to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). Let’s be better Christians this year. Instead of harboring hate, let love push those emotions aside, so that we can have better relationships with our family, friends, coworkers, and even those we’re soon to meet.

Walk in love,

Ell