Understanding God's Laws: Love, Protection, and Redemption

Devotional

Day 1: Understanding God's Laws

God's laws can be challenging to understand, but they are rooted in His character and designed for our good. They require us to dig deeper into their historical and cultural contexts to fully grasp their meaning and purpose. This deeper understanding helps us appreciate the wisdom and care behind God's instructions. God's laws are not arbitrary; they are a reflection of His divine wisdom and love for humanity. By studying these laws, we can gain insight into God's nature and His intentions for our lives.

Understanding the historical and cultural context of these laws can be enlightening. For example, some laws may seem peculiar or outdated to us today, but they were given to guide a newly freed people who had no experience in self-governance. By delving into the context, we can see how these laws were designed to bring order, justice, and compassion to society. This understanding helps us trust in God's wisdom and submit to His guidance, even when we don't fully comprehend the reasons behind certain commandments. [40:14]

Deuteronomy 4:5-6 (ESV): "See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'"

Reflection: Think of a specific law or commandment from the Bible that you find difficult to understand. How can you seek to understand its historical and cultural context to gain a deeper appreciation for its purpose?

Day 2: God's Laws Reflect His Heart

The laws given to Israel were not arbitrary but came from God's heart of love and care for His people. They were designed to guide a newly freed people who had no experience in self-governance. Understanding God's heart helps us trust His laws, even when they seem restrictive. God's laws are a reflection of His character and His desire for the well-being of His people.

These laws were given to a people who had just been liberated from slavery and needed guidance on how to live in freedom. God's heart is revealed in these laws as He seeks to protect, provide for, and guide His people. By understanding the loving intentions behind these laws, we can see that they are not meant to be burdensome but are given for our benefit and flourishing. [49:14]

Psalm 19:7-8 (ESV): "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt restricted by a commandment or rule. How can understanding God's loving intentions behind His laws change your perspective on obedience?

Day 3: Protection of the Vulnerable

Many of God's laws were specifically designed to protect the vulnerable in society. For instance, the laws about servants and the prohibition against kidnapping highlight God's concern for justice and protection for those who are easily exploited. This reflects God's character as a protector and provider. God's laws demonstrate His deep concern for the marginalized and vulnerable members of society.

These laws were given to ensure that justice and compassion were upheld, especially for those who were at risk of being mistreated or overlooked. By protecting the vulnerable, God's laws reveal His heart for justice and His desire for a society where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. [56:26]

Isaiah 1:17 (ESV): "Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause."

Reflection: Identify a vulnerable group or individual in your community. How can you take specific actions to protect and support them, reflecting God's heart for justice and compassion?

Day 4: Laws Pointing to Jesus

The laws and sacrificial system in the Old Testament were designed to lead us to Jesus. They served as a guardian until Christ came, highlighting our need for a Savior. The blood sacrifices foreshadowed the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, whose blood brings true forgiveness and reconciliation with God. The Old Testament laws and sacrificial system were not an end in themselves but pointed forward to the coming of Christ.

These laws highlighted humanity's need for a Savior and prepared the way for Jesus' ultimate sacrifice. The sacrificial system, with its emphasis on the shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sins, foreshadowed the perfect sacrifice of Jesus, who offered Himself once for all. By understanding this connection, we can see how the entire biblical narrative points to Jesus and God's plan for redemption. [59:11]

Galatians 3:24-25 (ESV): "So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian."

Reflection: How does understanding the connection between the Old Testament laws and Jesus' sacrifice deepen your appreciation for God's plan of salvation? How can this understanding impact your daily walk with Christ?

Day 5: Invitation to Faith and Repentance

The sermon concluded with an invitation for those who have not yet professed their faith in Jesus to do so. It also called for those who have strayed to recommit their lives to Christ. God's love and forgiveness are always available, and His laws are meant to guide us into a deeper relationship with Him. God's invitation to faith and repentance is a call to experience His love and forgiveness.

No matter where we are in our spiritual journey, God is always ready to welcome us back into His arms. His laws are not just rules to follow but are meant to lead us into a deeper relationship with Him. By responding to this invitation, we can experience the fullness of God's grace and the transformative power of His love. [01:06:57]

2 Corinthians 5:20-21 (ESV): "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

Reflection: If you have not yet professed your faith in Jesus, what is holding you back? If you have strayed, what steps can you take today to recommit your life to Christ and experience His love and forgiveness anew?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Welcome, everyone, to today's service at Lakeshore Christian Church. We are delighted to have David Powers from Christian Financial Resources (CFR) with us, along with his wife. CFR has been a tremendous partner, helping us achieve many things we couldn't have done otherwise. We also celebrated our summer event at Camp YI and thanked all the volunteers and staff who made it possible. Before diving into today's message, we lifted up in prayer the families of Ken Sandell and Paul Smith, who are dealing with the loss of loved ones.

Today's sermon continues our series on the book of Exodus, focusing on the laws given by God and how they reflect His love and character. We began by discussing some peculiar laws in the United States to illustrate that laws often have historical and cultural contexts that may not be immediately apparent. Similarly, God's laws, though sometimes hard to understand, are rooted in His character and are meant for our good.

We explored how the Ten Commandments serve as the foundation for all other laws, much like a constitution. These laws are not arbitrary but are designed to bring healing and restoration to a broken world. They reflect God's character and His plan for humanity, which is always for His glory and our good. Trusting God's character allows us to be submissive to His laws, even when we don't fully understand them.

We also discussed how God's laws are intended to protect the vulnerable and lead us to Jesus. The laws given to Israel were not just for their immediate context but were part of a larger plan pointing to the coming of Christ. The sacrificial system, for instance, foreshadowed the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, whose blood would bring true and lasting forgiveness.

In closing, we invited those who have not yet professed their faith in Jesus to take that step today. We also encouraged those who have strayed to recommit their lives to Christ, reminding them that God's love and forgiveness are always available.

###

Key Takeaways

1. governance. Understanding God's heart helps us trust His laws, even when they seem restrictive. [49:14]
3. Protection of the Vulnerable: Many of God's laws were specifically designed to protect the vulnerable in society. For instance, the laws about servants and the prohibition against kidnapping highlight God's concern for justice and protection for those who are easily exploited. This reflects God's character as a protector and provider.

4. Laws Pointing to Jesus: The laws and sacrificial system in the Old Testament were designed to lead us to Jesus. They served as a guardian until Christ came, highlighting our need for a Savior. The blood sacrifices foreshadowed the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, whose blood brings true forgiveness and reconciliation with God.

5. Invitation to Faith and Repentance: The sermon concluded with an invitation for those who have not yet professed their faith in Jesus to do so. It also called for those who have strayed to recommit their lives to Christ. God's love and forgiveness are always available, and His laws are meant to guide us into a deeper relationship with Him.

### [49:14]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[23:34] - Introduction of David Powers from CFR
[25:36] - How CFR Helps Churches
[27:01] - Legacy Planning with CFR
[27:53] - Prayer for CFR
[28:46] - Prayer Requests for Church Members
[29:49] - Introduction to Exodus 21
[30:34] - Examples of Crazy Laws
[32:23] - Understanding God's Laws
[34:00] - God's Laws and His Character
[35:20] - Trusting God's Plan
[36:22] - Categories of Laws in Exodus
[40:14] - God's Laws Are Hard to Understand
[49:14] - God's Laws Reflect His Heart
[56:26] - Protecting the Vulnerable
[59:11] - Laws Leading to Jesus
[66:57] - Invitation to Faith and Repentance
[68:40] - Closing Prayer and Announcements

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What is the significance of the seventh year for a Hebrew servant according to Exodus 21:1-2?
How does the Psalmist describe his relationship with God's law in Psalm 119:97-99?
According to Galatians 3:23-25, what role did the law serve before the coming of faith in Christ?
In the sermon, what were some examples of peculiar laws in the United States mentioned to illustrate the historical and cultural context of laws? [30:34]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think God set a specific time limit for Hebrew servants to be set free in the seventh year? How does this reflect His character? [56:47]
How does meditating on God's law, as described in Psalm 119, contribute to a deeper understanding and appreciation of His commandments?
What does it mean that the law was a "guardian" until Christ came, according to Galatians 3:23-25? How does this concept help us understand the purpose of the Old Testament laws?
The sermon mentioned that God's laws are rooted in His character and designed for our good. How does this understanding affect our willingness to follow His commandments, even when they seem restrictive? [49:14]

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when you found one of God's commandments difficult to understand or follow. How did you respond, and what did you learn from that experience? [40:14]
The sermon emphasized that God's laws are meant to protect the vulnerable. Can you identify a situation in your life where you can advocate for or protect someone who is vulnerable? [56:26]
How can you cultivate a habit of meditating on God's law daily, as the Psalmist did in Psalm 119:97-99? What practical steps can you take to make this a regular part of your routine?
The sermon concluded with an invitation to faith and repentance. If you have strayed from your faith, what steps can you take this week to recommit your life to Christ? [01:06:57]
Consider the idea that God's laws point us to Jesus. How does this perspective change the way you read and apply Old Testament laws in your life today? [59:11]
The sermon mentioned that understanding God's heart helps us trust His laws. How can you deepen your understanding of God's heart and character in your daily walk with Him? [49:14]
Think about a specific commandment or teaching of Jesus that you find challenging. How can you seek to understand its purpose and apply it in your life, trusting that it is for your good and God's glory? [35:20]

Sermon Clips

1. "All of God's laws come from God's character. Remember at the very beginning of the series, we looked at this. God's got an amazing plan, right? It's for the healing of the brokenness that came with sin. And everything God does, in response to that brokenness, and bringing healing back from the brokenness that sin caused. All of it. Everything God teaches, every example that He sets, is to help lead us to that healing. Not just for us personally, but for human beings around the world, and for all of His creation to be healed and restored as well." [34:00] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "Now the key is, how we respond to His instructions, to His commandments, to these laws, all depends on, do we trust God's plan? Why should we trust God's plan? Because we know we can trust God's character. So if we can trust God's character, we can trust His plan. If we can trust His plan, then we can be submissive to the teachings, and the laws, and the instructions that God gives us, because we know we can trust they're really for our good. That's why they're there." [35:20] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "God's laws are not easy to understand a lot of times. They're not always easy to understand. Now, some of them are. It's pretty easy. Like, if you kill somebody's animal, you've got to replace it with some animals. That's easy, right? It's easy to understand. But there's some stuff here that's hard to understand, especially depending on the translation you might be reading." [40:14] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "The Psalmist recognizes the value of God's laws, of God's restrictions and God's boundaries that he set. He understands how valuable they are and so he spends a lot of time getting to know them, trying to understand them and how they work and how to live them out in his life. And when he lives them out, he's discovering that there's wisdom in the law of God. There's a reason behind the laws, to protect people, to care for people, to provide for people, as they need to be provided for, within every culture that they're in, whatever their situation is." [44:50] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "God's laws are also intended to protect the vulnerable that culture and that society. When you read through these laws, some of them are a little bit hard to understand. They're confusing, right? If you buy a Hebrew servant, he says, well, he's here to serve you for six years, but in the seventh year he shall go free without paying anything. If he comes alone, he can be set free alone. If he comes with a wife and family already, they can be set free with him." [56:26] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "God's laws are designed to lead us to Jesus, period. They are designed to lead us to Jesus. You see, what He's doing with Israel, remember, is pointing ahead. And what He did before that in the record of creation and the fall and everything after the fall, everything after the fall, everything after the curse of sin is all part of God's plan that leads us to this part of the plan where He sends the Savior, the Messiah, to deliver us from the bondage and slavery to sin." [59:11] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "The law was our, look at that word, what's that word? Guardian, until Christ came, that we might be justified by faith. The law was our what? Guardian. Now what's a guardian doing? It's protecting you and keeping you until this delivery that he's talking about today. see, the law served its purpose for Israel. The law that he had for them was serving a great purpose. It was holding them and keeping them. They were making sacrifices on the altar, blood sacrifices that were acting as this guardian for them." [01:04:14] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "Baptism is a beautiful, beautiful picture and demonstration of putting the old man of sin to death to rising up to a new life. And it says we put on Christ. We are clothed with Christ. Why is it so essential that we be clothed with Christ? Because our righteousness is like filthy rags. That's why. Because we've all sinned. We've all come short. And if we're going to dwell for eternity with a holy God, we cannot do that with our sins. We can't take our sins with us into the presence of a holy God." [01:06:57] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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