“Mishpatim” Or the Judgments of God • God Is Instructing Israel of His Decisions Concerning How They Are to Live with Each Other and As I Said

______EXODUS

• We are in the section of scripture known as the “Mishpatim” or the judgments of God • God is instructing Israel of His decisions concerning how they are to live with each other and as I said... the basis of all God’s law is LOVE • God is establishing a culture of LOVE • In vs. 10, God is establishing the worship life of Israel... this is how we are to live in response to God loving us

Exodus 23:10–12 (NKJV) 10 “Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its produce, 11 but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave, the beasts of the field may eat. In like manner you shall do with your vineyard and your olive grove. 12 Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female servant and the stranger may be refreshed.

This is the law of “Shabat” or Sevens • The word “shabbat” is used 4 different ways in scripture • It’s used in reference to the seventh year which is a year of “shabat” which is also referred to as the “shemitah” • It’s used in reference to the seventh day, called “shabat” and in Judaism “shabat” falls on Saturday • It’s used in reference to a festival day in which the first day of the festival and often the last day of the festival is referred to as a high “shabat” or a special “shabat” day • The last usage is in reference to the “yovel” or the Jubilee year which occurs after 7 cycles of 7 years or 49 years... the next year, the 50th year is a “yovel” or a year of “shabat”

Vs. 10-11 The 7th year is to be a year of rest for the land... a shemitah • Shemitah means to release... you are to release the land, leave it alone • The produce will grow naturally on the land ownerless and free... • You are to allow the poor to gather food for free • Thus the poor were to be cared for by God Himself through the land • The Shemitah also reminds us that the land is not a resource to be used and abused... we are to care for the land by letting it rest • Now science confirms that crops deplete the land of nutrients and over- farming can lead to health issues in the population THROUGH THE BIBLE / EXODUS © 2020 Holland Davis ______EXODUS

• For instance, the over-farming of Ireland by the potato farmers have depleted the land of trace elements which has caused a rise in schizophrenia in the nation • THUS God in His wisdom built rest into the rhythm of life • Now when Israel entered into the Promised Land, this is one of the laws they did not obey... they did not keep the Sabbath year • They planted every year for 490 years • Jeremiah prophesied the reason for their captivity in Babylon was because they owed the land 70 Shemitah’s • The LORD returned to the land 70 shabat years by taking the nation into Babylonian captivity • Again... God is sovereign... He has the right and authority to make law and the power to enforce law... which HE does

Vs 12 – we are to work 6 days and rest on the 7th • Why? So your ox and donkey can rest • But also your servants (employees) or seasonal workers (sojourners) could be “veyin-naphesh” which means “refreshed in their soul” which speaks of a spiritual refreshment that is tied to worship • This connection to worship is further made by vs. 13

Exodus 23:13 (NKJV) 13 “And in all that I have said to you, be circumspect (pay attention, be careful) and make no mention of the name of other gods, nor let it be heard from your mouth.

• San Clemente is known for the unity of the local pastors and we do unify under the banner of Jesus • But we do not unify with other religions... we don’t join with Buddhists, Muslims, Hinduism or New Age Groups because we are not to be joined to false gods... which are really demonic powers • From God’s vantage point, there are two kingdoms • The Kingdom of God and the Kingdoms of this world which includes the Satanic, the demonic powers that manipulate and control people • As God’s people, we are to have nothing to do with the demonic powers that are organized under the tyranny of Satan • We are not even to mention them or say their name

• Which is the reason why you don’t need to know a demon’s name or purpose to cast them out... the presence of Jesus drives them out

Next God lists the 3 primary feasts (Haggim) they are to observe • The Feast of Unleavened Bread (which includes Passover) • Shavuot or Pentecost • Feast of Sukot (Tabernacles)

Exodus 23:14–17 (NKJV) 14 “Three times you shall keep a feast to Me in the year: 15 You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread (you shall eat unleavened bread (matzot) seven days, as I commanded you, at the time appointed (moed) in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt; none shall appear before Me empty (without an offering)); 16 and the Feast of Harvest (Pentecost), the first fruits of your labors which you have sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering (Sukot) at the end of the year, when you have gathered in the fruit of your labors from the field. 17 “Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord GOD.

• Vs. 17 the LORD God says... 3 times a year you will appear before me • This meant they would travel to the place where God appointed • THUS God is building into the life of the nation... worship • 3 times a year the men were to travel... which meant a disruption of life • The date and the place was appointed by God • I didn’t choose what was convenient for me • The basis of worship is a recognition of God as the sovereign in my life • It requires me to adjust my life to worship God... not fit God into my life when it’s convenient

Vs. 18-19 give direction relating to these 3 festivals Exodus 23:18–19 (NKJV) 18 “You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread; nor shall the fat of My sacrifice remain until morning. 19 The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the LORD your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.

• Vs. 18 refers to Passover... they are not to eat leavened bread or the leave food until morning

• The first part of Vs. 19 refers to the Feast of Pentecost • God says... the first fruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the LORD your God • First fruits simply means we are to give to God first... it doesn’t mean “best” fruits and by giving to God first we are acknowledging God as the One through whom all blessings flow • As I’ve taught previously, those who bring their first fruits, their tithe to the house of the LORD are acknowledging God as the owner of all things and that we are simply giving back to God what belongs to Him. • Notice... it says... bring it to the house of the LORD, not the non-profit or the para-church organization... to the house of the LORD (local church) • If you’re giving to other ministries that’s an offering, not a tithe • If you, like me, have your own ministry outside the church and you’re giving to your own ministry, that’s an offering, not a tithe • A tithe goes to the house of the LORD, the local church • The second half of Vs. 19 refers to the Feast of Sukot or Tabernacle • God says you will not boil a young goat in it’s mother’s milk • This law is repeated 3 times in scripture • The Rabbi’s believe it has a humanitarian motivation... you’re not to boil a young goats meat in the milk of it’s mother... that’s inhumane • But I believe it is dealing with an attitude of rebellion against God... • What do I mean? God draws near, tabernacles amongst us to give life • A young goat is sustained by it’s mother’s milk... it is the source of life • Amongst the pagan nations, the common practice was to take a baby goat while it was alive and take it’s life in what God provided to give life • This is a picture of rebellion against God... I am going to use what God provides and rather than use it to promote life... I am going to use it to take life or end life in order to fulfill my selfish desires • We see this with abortion, we see this with the transgender movement, we see this with the homosexual agenda... taking what God has provided to give life and using it to take or end life

Exodus 23:20–24 (NKJV) 20 “Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. 21 Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him. 22 But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your

THROUGH THE BIBLE / EXODUS © 2020 Holland Davis ______EXODUS adversaries. 23 For My Angel will go before you and bring you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off. 24 You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars.

• Now God is giving the conditions of the Covenant • There are promises and warnings • God is sending an Angel before you to lead you • The word “Angel” is “malak” or “messenger” and vs. 21 says my name is in Him... meaning He has the name YHWH... this Angel is Jesus • They were to listen and obey and not defy or rebel against the Angel because the Angel would lead them in the “way” • INTERESTING: The early Christians were referred to as “The Way” • VS. 22 If they listen and obey, God will be an enemy to your enemies • What is an enemy? Someone I don’t like? No... it’s something that gets in the way of me doing the will of God... that is a Biblical enemy • THUS... false gods, idols are enemies of God • NOTE: VS. 24 They are not to bow down (worship) or serve them (worship) or do according to their works (or follow their customs) • Rather... you are to tear down their sacred pillars... eliminate the enemy

Exodus 23:25–26 (NKJV) 25 “So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. 26 No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.

Notice the benefits of serving the LORD • God will bless you with provision • God will bless you with health • God will bless you with children • God will bless you with a full life

Exodus 23:27–33 (NKJV) 27 “I will send My fear before you, I will cause confusion among all the people to whom you come, and will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. 28 And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the

Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before you. 29 I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land. 31 And I will set your bounds from the Red Sea to the sea, Philistia, and from the desert to the River. For I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. 32 You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. 33 They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

• In 1973, when Syria and Egypt launched what was code titled “The War of Annihilation,” they were planning to annihilate Israel. • Up in the Golan Heights, Syria approached the Golan Headquarters with over 100 tanks plus armored personnel carriers • Israel had only two operational tanks to defend against them • Zvki, a young Israeli lieutenant, hitch-hiked up to the Golan headquarters and said, “I’m a tank commander. Do you have any tanks?” • He said, “We have one. Wait a half-hour, we’ll get a second.” • He helped unload the dead bodies out of the one tank, refueled the thing, and he took off with the two tanks to face the Syrians • He ordered the tanks to start firing, and then he noticed that his tank was the only one firing, so he popped the hatch and looked, and he saw that the other tank was already knocked out of commission. • He then began to race up and down along what is known as the tap line road; coming up over a hill, popping a couple Syrians tanks, banking down, racing to another hill, coming over the top, popping a couple more tanks, banking down, and racing back and forth behind the hills: coming up over the top and wiping out Syrian tanks when he came over the top. • He was reporting back to the Golan headquarters, “The Zvki brigade just destroyed two more tanks,” • “The Zvki brigade just got another tank,” and kept reporting about the Zvki brigade but he was the only one. • The Syrians figured there must be a whole armored division on the other side of the hill because he kept popping up over different hills. • And God confused them and they began to retreat. • Had the Syrians known, they could have come right down to the Sea of Galilee and taken Tiberias.

• But God put them to confusion and drove them out of the land... that’s what God does

Vs. 32 God says make no covenant with them, nor their gods • There is no peaceful existence with the enemy • There is no peaceful existence with idolatry because if you allow idolatry into the land it will eventually overtake you and trap you and place you back into bondage

Now we have the ratification of the Covenant Exodus 24:1–2 (NKJV) 24 Now He said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. 2 And Moses alone shall come near the LORD, but they shall not come near; nor shall the people go up with him.”

Notice the order of God’s revelation... • First God speaks to Moses... • God calls Moses to bring Aaron (the brother of Moses) and Aaron’s sons... Nadab and Abihu which makes 4 • 4 is the number of salvation to the entire world, there is a global implication • God also tells Moses to bring 70 elders • 70 is the number of the nations... from Noah came 70 nations • This is what we need to understand... God gave revelation to Israel in order to use Israel to bring revelation to the world, to all nations • But notice... the 70 elders and the people worship from afar but Moses goes up alone • Again... if you remember, the people said we don’t want to meet face to face with God... Moses you meet with God face to face and tell us what He says • God is honoring their request... something important for us to remember • God will honor your request... if you want to worship from afar God respects that... if you like Moses want to draw near... God desires intimacy • But God does not violate your will and force you to draw near to Him

Exodus 24:3–8 (NKJV)

3 So Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the judgments. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the LORD has said we will do.” 4 And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD. And he rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 Then he sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the LORD. 6 And Moses took half the blood and put it in basins, and half the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the LORD has said we will do, and be obedient.” 8 And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you according to all these words.”

• Vs. 3 the people were unified... the answered with One Voice • They said... all the words which the LORD has spoken we will do • In response to the will of the people, Moses writes down all the words of the LORD... the Book of the Covenant • Then Moses builds an altar at the foot of the mountain representing worship • Notice the order... the Word comes (Revelation comes) then the response comes... Worship • Notice the connection between the word, worship and sacrifice • David said let the lifting of my hands be as the evening sacrifice • Moses also builds 12 pillars representing the 12 tribes of Israel • Then the young men offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of “oxen” to the LORD • Now why does it mention “oxen”? Because “oxen” were the most expensive offering you could bring... • Israel was offering their best, the most expensive offering to God which the sages say is a sign of faithfulness • The more faithful I am the more sacrificial I will be • The Word brings revelation with leads to a response of worship which results in sacrificial living and giving of my time, my presence, my resources

Vs. 6 The Covenant God is making with the people is a Blood Covenant • Blood is always a sign of redemption... of salvation

• Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins which means there is no peace with God • It’s through the blood of the Lamb that we have peace with God

Vs. 7 Moses reads the Book of the Covenant to the people • I made this connection previously, but allow me to highlight here • The basis of worship is the Word of God • Faith comes by revelation (hearing) and revelation by the Word of God • One of the problems I see in many modern worship circles is we elevate experiences, manifestations that are not found in God’s Word and we look to these as proof of God’s Presence and they are not • The proof of God’s Presence is the Word of God made flesh through the faithfulness and the obedience of the community to God’s commands • Of course, this is manifested in love... loving God and loving each other

NOTE: The people respond to hearing God’s Word by saying... • Ve Na-say Ve-nishma... We will do and we will hear • There is an important principle... doing the Word of God causes us to be a recipient of the Word of God • If we don’t act of what we’ve heard, then we haven’t received it • That is a concern for me... those who hear God’s Word and don’t act are really positioning themselves for consequences because now they are responsible for what they know • Vs. 8... Moses throws the blood (redemption) on the people and says... • This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made (cut) with you according to all these words... (going back to Abraham)

Exodus 24:9–11 (NKJV) 9 Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. 11 But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank.

• Now what is the significance of this event? What does it point to? • The Transfiguration of Jesus • Here you have Moses with Aaron and his two sons (4 people)

• The 70 elders of Israel are there and they all... 74 of them... see the God of Israel in plain sight (and they didn’t die)... • Who is God in the flesh? Jesus... God in the flesh is always a pre-birth appearance of Jesus • NOW, this should remind you of Matthew 17 • Jesus is present with Peter, James and John (4 people) • Moses and Elijah appears representing the elders of Israel, the law and the prophets and then a voice from heaven speaks... This is my Son in whom I love... listen to him! • REMEMBER: What did the people commit to do at Mt Sinai? We will do and we will hear (obey) all that you say to do • Vs. 11 the people see God and then what happens... fellowship! Eating and drinking (fellowship) is part of worship as well

Exodus 24:12–18 (NKJV) 12 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law (torah) and commandments (ha mitzvah) which I have written, that you may teach (instruct) them.” 13 So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua (the first time Joshua is mentioned as his assistant), and Moses went up to the mountain of God (Mount Sinai). 14 And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Indeed, Aaron and Hur are with you. If any man has a difficulty, let him go to them.” 15 Then Moses went up into the mountain, and a cloud covered the mountain. 16 Now the glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17 The sight of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel. 18 So Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

• What an awesome sight... I wished I could have been there to see it • But one thing I want to point out... Moses went up into the mountain and waited for 6 days, the cloud descended... on the 7th day the LORD called to Moses and then Moses went into the midst of the cloud • It says Moses was on the mountain 40 days and nights (40 rep. change) • I believe the reason we don’t see change in our lives is because we’re unwilling to wait on the LORD until the LORD calls us out