This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Man's Best Choice; Commitment To God", 6/24/2012

THE BEST CHOICE; COMMITMENT TO GOD

Deuteronomy 10:12-20, 16:18-20

GOD REQUIRES TOTAL COMMITMENT

V:12. "And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul."

 A. The Lord requires reverence in our attitude.

     1. Fear the Lord.

         a. Be motivated to follow the Lord.

         b. Learn of Him and know His ways.

         c. Honor Him with praise and worship.

     2. Walk in the Lord's way.

        a. We were created in the image and the likeness of the Lord.

        b. God expects us to imitate Him in our daily living.

        c. We are to walk in His way of righteousness.

        d. We are to walk in his way of truth.

        e. We are to walk in His way of peace.

     3. We are to love the Lord.

        a. We are to develop an emotional attachment to the Lord.

        b. Believers should be in awe of the Lord.

        c. We should love the Lord enough to trust His Words.

   4. We are commanded to serve the Lord.

       a. We serve the Lord by being compassionate to others.

       b. We serve the Lord by promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

       c. We serve the Lord by helping those in need.

B. Our devotion must  be from the heart.

     1. Our enter most thoughts must be occupied by the Lord.

         a. All the issues of life flow from the heart.

     2. The soul is thought to be the seat of our emotions.

         a. All of our emotions are to be centered around our love for God.

V:13. "To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?"

 A. Some theologians believe that in the first 5 books of the Bible call the Torah or Law,

      there are 613 commands.

     1. The commands of God covered every area of life for the nation of Israel.

     2. The commands covered their relationship with God and their relationship with man.

 B. The statutes of God may be the rites of purification, the observant of Holy days and

      tithes and offerings.

 C. Every command that God has given is for the "good" of man.

     1. Man was given the will to obey or disobey God's commands.

     2. God establish rules to guide man in the way of righteousness.

     3. Obedience to God's commands leads to success in life.

 GOD IS THE OWNER

V:14. "Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord's thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is."

 A. The Apostle Paul said "He was called up to the third heaven".

      1. Some believe that the sky which contains all the stars and all planets of the

          the universe is the first heaven.

      2. Some believe the abode of the angels is the second heaven.

      3. Some believe that the heavenly throne of God is the third heaven.

 B. God is the owner and the creator of all the heavens and the earth.

      1. God has the authority to command his creation, including man to

          follow in His ways.

      2. His grace and mercy covers His creation.

 V:15. "Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day."

 A. God takes delight in that which pleases Him.

     1.  He chose Israel above all other nations whom He created to give His commands.

     2. In His mercy was the nation of Israel whom He redeemed out slavery in Egypt

         to be His people.

     3. In His Grace was  the nation of Israel whom He used to make salvation available

         to all mankind.

 B. God's grace and mercy was not conditional upon the goodness of Israel but based

      solely upon His love for His creation.

    1. God's choice of Israel was permanent throughout time.

    2. Thank God for the Nation of Israel because through Israel came our Lord and Savior

         Jesus Christ.

    3. God's choice of us to part of the Body of Christ is not conditional upon us, but His

        love.

V:16. "Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.

 A. Israel was commanded to purify themselves and set them apart for God's glory.

      (stiffnecked= orep= rebellious, turn his back)

     1. Israel was commanded to humble themselves before the Lord and follow His

         commands.

        a. God expects us to live according to His ways and not our ways.

     2. True love of God cannot take place without purification of the heart.

     3. True love of God can only take place with unselfish motives.

     4. True love of God cannot take place in disobedience.

THE SUPREME GOD

V:17. "For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward."

 A. The LORD your God is God of gods.

      1. The Lord is supreme and sovereign. There is no greater God.

          a. Lord=Yahweh, Jehovah=  existing one

          b. God= Elohiym=the word is plural, rulers, judges, divine one

              i. The Holy Trinity may be indicated here; God the Father, God the Son

                  and God the Holy Spirit.

              ii. There is but one God in three persons.

              iii. Ungodly men create gods in their minds that don't exist in reality.

 B. The Lord is over everybody and everything

     1. Lord of lords

       a. Lord = Adonay=my lord

       b. lords= Adown= superintendent of households or of affairs

 C.  "A great God."

       1. Great = gadowl= large in magnitude and extent

       2. There is no match for God.

 D. "Mighty and terrible"

      1. Mighty=gibbowr= a strong man, a brave man

          a.  God has all power.

      2. Terrible=Yare= to fear, to be awed

          a. God should be honored and respected.

 E. "Regardeth not persons"

     1. God sees everybody as the same.

         a. Position, title and status means nothing to God.

 F. "Nor taketh reward"

    1. God can't be brought. God can't be bribed.

V:18. "He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment."

 A. God is a father to the fatherless and a husband to the widow.

      1. God looks after those who have no one to take care of them.

 B. God loves the stranger

     1. Stranger= geer= temporary inhabitant.

     2. We are all temporary inhabitants.

          a. This is not our home, we are just passing through.

          b. The Lord loves us and wants us to have  the frame of mind that is heavenly

              bound.

          c. The Lord does not want us to get attached to what's here on earth, but what's

               in heaven.

LOVE BECAUSE GOD LOVED YOU FIRST

V:19. " Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt."

A. Remember where you came from.

    1. Remember that you were not always part of the body of Christ.

    2. Don't look down on someone  because they are strange to you.

       a. A stranger is your opportunity to let your light shine.

       b. A stranger is your opportunity to let someone see the Jesus in you.

       c. A stranger is your opportunity to return God's kindness.

B. We show our love by how we treat others.

   1. Strangers should be treated with kindness and compassion.

 

V:20. " Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name."

 A. "Thou shalt Fear the Lord thy God."

     1. We are commanded to honor God.

         a. He is our creator

         b. He is our provider and protector.

 B. "Him shalt thou serve"

     1. We are commanded to follow God's commands.

     2. Following God's commands leads to fellowship with the Father.

 C. "And to Him shalt thou cleave."

     1. We should put all our trust in the Lord.

         a. The Lord will do what He said.

         b. The Lord should have first priority in out lives.

         c. Trust in anything or person  will lead to problems down the road.

 D. "Swear by His name"

     1. It is only the Lord we can trust.

     2. The Lord never changes.

     3. The Lord is compassionate towards His people.

     4. His grace and mercy flows fresh daily.

     5. The Lord's love for us is a sure thing.

PRAISE THE LORD, HE IS GOOD

V:21. " He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen."

 A. We should praise God continuously for His goodness never ceases.

      1. We should reflect on what God has done in our lives.

          a. When we look back, we can clearly see the  great works of God in

               our lives.

          b. No man can do what God has done for us.

  B. We should be forever grateful to God for saving us out of our sins.

 

V:22. " Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the Lord thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude"

A. God promised Abraham that his descendants  would be as numerous as the stars in

      the sky.

      1. This was a promise God made to Abraham before he had any children.

      2. Abraham believed God even though  he had no son.

B. When it comes to God's promises, we have to believe what we can't conceive

     of being done.

     1. God can do exceedingly more than we can think.

     2. It is our faith in God that makes us blessed among men.

GOD IS JUST

V.16:18. "Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment."

 A. It is God who gave man laws to govern him

     1. It is God who gives judges to judge His people according to the His laws.

     2. God's laws were given for the good of man.

 B. God knows that without laws man would corrupt himself.

     1. God does not trust man to himself.

     2. The law was given to point to the righteousness of God.

     3. Without the law, man would not know his sins.

 C. God appoints  judges to be just in administering the law.

     1. In dealing with himself and others, man is selfish.

     a. Therefore, man needs an impartial judge to administer justice.

V.16:19. "Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous."

 A. Judges are commanded to administer justice according to the Law.

      1. Judges should not be influenced by a persons status, position or popularity.

      2. Justice should be blind to power or success.

 B. Justice cannot be brought.

     1. A bribe corrupts a judge and perverts justice.

V.16:20.  That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."

 A. The righteousness of God is vivid to man in the commands of God.

     1. Man cannot know his corruption without God's laws.

     2. Following God's commands leads to peace and joy.

     3. The quality of our life can be determined by how well we follows God's commands.

        

      

        

It' Time To Celebrate"

IT'S A CELEBRATION; JESUS CHRIST

 

Leviticus 25:8-12,25,35,36,39,40, 47.48,55

 

GOD COMMANDS MAN TO TAKE A BREAK

V:8. "And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years."

A. The sabbath was commanded by God to be a day of rest. He created the universe in

     six days and He rested on the seventh day.

    1. He established a sabbath year of rest for the land and the animals.

        a. The Israelites were commanded to work the land for six years and rest on the

             seventh year.

    2. God does not only care about the welfare of man, but the welfare of all that provides

        for the comfort of man.

        a. God cares about the animals.

        b. God cares about the ground.

        c. God cares about the welfare of everything that supplies the comfort of man.

   3. The comfort of man requires time for praise and reflection.

       a. The comfort of man requires time for rest and relaxation.

   4. God planned a special year of celebration after 49 years.

      a. Men need a special dedicated time to celebrate the Lord.

      b. Celebration brings families together for fellowship and worship. 

V:9. "Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all

your land."

A. Jubile=teruwah= acclamation of joy

    1. atonement= kippur= act of reconciliation

    2. The Jews were to start their preparation for the year of jubilee five months prior.

        a. As we get near to the time of celebration, we ought to get prepared for the

            excitement.

        b. Everybody was to be reminded of the time of celebration.

        c. The trumpet was used to sound the alert that praise time was near.

        d. The trumpet was used to awake men from their work routine to celebration.

        e. Every once in a while, we need to get out of the work routine and get into the

            celebration mode.

 B. The year of jubilee was the year of liberty when God restored property and family

      to their original conditions.

     1. Men were released from all debts and obligation to other men.

     2. God has released us from the debt of sin.

         a. Salvation is liberty from the pits of hell. Luke 4:18

         b. Jesus Christ is the atonement for our sin.

         c. Jesus death on the cross reconciled believers to the Father.  

        d. Every Sunday is a day of jubilee for the believer.

GOD PROVIDES LIBERTY

V:10. "And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family."

 A. God knows that left to ourselves, we will destroy the blessing He has given us.

     1. God will not leave us in our sins.

     2. He reconciles us back into fellowship.

     3. Real liberty is found only in fellowship with Father.

     4. God may let us suffer the consequences of our sin before He bring us back to

         himself.

B. The year of jubilee was to be hallowed.

    1. Hallow= qadash= to be clean, keep holy.

    2. The year of jubilee was to be a year of reflection on the goodness of the Lord.

    3. Sunday is the day we ought to give God the glory.

    4. Sunday is the day we ought to praise and honor God.

C. The year of jubilee was the year when God returned the Israelites to there starting

     point.

    1. Property that was lost was returned to the original family.

    2. Man's debt was forgiven.

V:11. "A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed."

A. Trusting requires us to look beyond the normal and believe the impossible.

    1. The Jews were required to take a year off from farming and eat whatever   

        grew in the ground on it's own.

    2. This required them to trust God to provide all of their needs.

B. Faith in Jesus requires us to trust God for all we need.

    1. God is able to provide.

    2. God is willing to provide.

    3. God will provide for those He loves.

V:12. "For it is the jubile; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field."

A. God expects everyone to be considerate of his brothers.

    1. Don't be greedy.

    2. Collect only what you need.

    3. Don't store up anything.

B. The Jews were expected to trust God completely.

    1. Anything less than complete trust is doubt.

    2. Anything less than complete trust is unpleasing to God.

C. When we completely trust God, there is no fear about anything.

     1. When we completely trust God, we expect God to make a way out

          of no way.

     2. When we completely trust God our tomorrows are filled with joy.

 D. If you hold your day as holy, then you know that God is in control.

     1. When you know God is in control, you will fear nothing.

BLESSING FOR THE POOR

V:25. " If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold."

 A. God makes provisions for our future circumstances.

      1.God knows beforehand what problems we will face, so He sets up rules,

          regulations and laws to protect us.

      2. At  the time this command was given to the Israelites, no one was poor.

          a. God knew that in the course of time, some would become poor.

          b. God put in place a plan of recovery for His people.

 B. It is God's desire that the family unity be preserved.

     1. The 12 tribes of Israel would stay in tact throughout time.

     2. God love for us is not dependant on our obedience to Him.

 C. God makes the family members responsible for maintaining the family.

     1. God gives family members the resources to maintain the family unity.

     2. The family unit can fall apart unless other family members step in and help.

     3. Some things God gives us should be handed down to the next generation.

V:35 "If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you."

A. God commands us to help others who are not members of our immediate family.

   1. A community that stands together grows stronger.

   2. We have all been helped along the way.

   3. What ever we have God has made it possible through  others.

   4. We have a job because God opened the door for us to get it.

   5. We have our health because God supplied it.

   6. Since we cannot claim to have gained anything without the help of others,

       we ought to help those in need.

B. A brother in need is our opportunity to express our gratefulness to God for

     His goodness.

   1. God has made us our brothers keeper.

   2. What ever we do for someone in need, we do for God. Mat 25:40, 45

   3. When we help someone in need, we store blessings in heaven for ourselves.

        Mat 19:21

V:36. " Do not take interest of any kind from him, but fear your God, so that your countryman may continue to live among you."

A. If you loan a family member money, do not charge interest on the loan.

    1. All that we have is a loan from the Lord.

       a. We have never had to pay interest on God's blessings.

       b. God's blessings are continuous.

B. We have a right to expect repayment of a loan.

    1. When we open our hearts, we have to leave the repayment to the Lord.

    2. There are times when repayment will not come from the person you made the

         loan too.

C. Your loan to a family member may help them stay well.

    1. Because you love the Lord, you help without worry about being paid back.

    2. Notice the text says "fear God", which means  to trust Him with your income.

V.39. "If one of your countrymen becomes poor among you and sells himself to you, do not make him work as a slave."

A. When someone obligates himself to you because a loan or your help, be careful to  

     treat him with respect.

   1. A person in need is not your opportunity to abuse him.

      a. A poor person does not have the means to repay you other than by his labor.

      b. You gain more from a person by being kind than by being mean.

      c A kind word is always encouraging. 

   2. We are all obligated to God because of the gift of His Son for our sins.

V:40. " He is to be treated as a hired worker or a temporary resident among you; he is to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. "

A. The Jews were commanded to treat those indebted to them with respect.

    1. The debt was to be forgiven in the 50th year, the year of Liberty.

    2. The Lord had a plan to restore man to right fellowship with his family.

    3. The Lord had a plan to keep man in the family.

B. All believers have a year of Liberty.

    2. We were liberated by the Lord Jesus Christ from our sins.

    3. We live continuously in the year of Liberty.

    4. The Lord keeps us in the family by the sealing of the Holy Spirit. Eph 4:30

        a. Jesus said, "What the Father has given me, I lose none." John 6:39

V:47. "If an alien or a temporary resident among you becomes rich and one of your countrymen becomes poor and sells himself to the alien living among you or to a member of the alien's clan.

A. Notice the "IF". God did not free Israel from Egypt to become a slave again.

    1. God promised success to Israel, if they obeyed His commands.

    2. The "IF" indicates that God knows that man is incapable of keeping His commands.

    3. The "IF" indicates that because of man's disobedience, strangers will get rich.

    4. The "IF" indicates that God will allow man to suffer the consequences of his

        disobedience.

 B. The "IF" indicates that God has a plan to redeem man from his sins.

    1. The GOOD NEWS is that we are in God's plan of redemption.

V:48. " He retains the right of redemption after he has sold himself. One of his relatives may redeem him."

A. God grew the nation of Israel into a nation to serve Him.

    1. He will not allow Israel to be destroyed.

    2. God promised Abraham that his seed would bless all the nations of the earth.

        Gen. 18:18

    3. God promised David that his kingdom would have no end. 2 Sam 7:16

B. The nation of Israel may suffer, but in the end all Israel will be saved. Rom 11:26

    1. Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior was given the authority to redeem all mankind.

        Rom 5:18

    2. All believers are the redeemed of the Lord. Ti 2:13-14, Gal 4:4-5

V:55. " For the Israelites belong to me as servants. They are my servants, whom I brought

 out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. "

 A. The Lord keeps His promises.

    1. The Lord's promises are not dependant on our goodness.

    2. The Lord blesses us even in our sins.

 B. The best thing man can do is to make the Lord his God.

    1. Man would do well to serve the Lord.

    2. Man would do well to trust the Lord.

    3. Man would do well to love the Lord.

    4. There is no greater love than the love of the Lord.

 

       

   

        

Successful Living

SUCCESSFUL LIVING REQUIRES OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S COMMANDS

                                                               Leviticus 19:9-18, 34-37
 

COMPASSION FOR THE POOR

V:9. "And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest."

 A. Don't be selfish, consider the needs of others.

   1. God blesses us so we can bless others.

   2. We have all been in a condition called poor.

       a. We can be poor, meaning a lack of money.

       b. We can be poor, meaning a lack of the spirit.

       c. We can be poor, meaning a lack of peace.

       d. We can be poor, meaning a lack of joy.

  3. God came to our rescue. Therefore, we ought to return the favor to others.

B. The land was a gift from God.

  1. God maintained this land for the Israelites for over 400 years using the hands of their

      enemies.

  2. God has stored up blessings for believers waiting on  His time to release them.

  3.  God expects us to be good stewards of what He gives us.

      

V:10. "And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God."

 A.  God expects us to be good stewards of what He gives us.

       1. Good stewardship means taking care of your own welfare and considering the

           welfare of the needy.

       2.  Remembering the poor keeps us conscience of our present condition and our past.

           a. God brought us from a poor condition without him to a rich condition with Him.

           b. We are rich in the spirit.

           c. We are rich because our Father has promised to take care of all our needs.

           d. Without God's blessings, we are poor.

           e. A grateful spirit is a rich spirit which remembers the poor.

  B.  Before Christ, we were strangers to the body of Christ.

       1. Before Christ, we were strangers to heaven.

       2. Before Christ, we were strangers to the blessings of God.

       3. God expects us to bless strangers with what He has bless us with.

           a. Someone blessed us with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

           b. We ought to bless others with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

       4. Someone blessed us with a helping hand.

           a. We ought to bless others with a helping hand.

           b. We ought to be kind to strangers. You never know if He is and angel from God. 

  C. We can support the poor and strangers through our benevolence offering each

       Sunday.

  D. "I am the LORD your God."

      1. The reason we can be generous to the poor and strangers is because the Lord is our

          God.

     a. 1st, God commands us to be generous.

     b. 2nd, God will provide the resources for us to be kind to the poor and strangers. 

     c. God owns us and everything we have, therefore He has the authority to command

         us to be kind.

     d. God is in control. He will make everything good we do for others, work out for

         our good.

HONESTY

V:11. "Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another."

  A. " Ye shall not steal."

    1. Since the Lord is our God, we have no need to steal. He promised to provide all we

        need.

    2. Stealing is a sin against God.

    3. Stealing is a sin against your neighbor.

    4. Stealing is a selfish act.

 B. " Neither deal falsely"

    1. We should always be truthful with each other.

    2. Relationships that are based on lies will not last.

    3. The truth will always stand, but a lie will be discovered.

    4. God is truth. His Word never changes.

    5. When you tell the truth you don't have to worry about the lies you told.

 C.  "Neither lie one to another."

    1. Our conversation should promote harmony between one another.

V:12. "And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD."

 A. God is Holy.

    1. His name should not be used to deceive anyone.

    2. The name of the Lord should not be used to prove your position.

 B. God is above all the world.

    2. He should not be spoken of as if He is one of us.

    3. Nothing negative should ever be said about God.

    4. We are to give God glory and honor.

        a. To do anything less is to profane His name.

        b. Profane is from the Hebrew word "chalal" which means to dishonor.

        c. We should not dishonor the name of the Lord.

  C. God is supreme and most Holy.

      1. God is the Lord, owner and ruler of our lives.

      2. We are to never take His presence for granted.

INTERGITY

V:13. "Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning."

 A. If we hire someone to do a job, we should pay them when the job is done.

     1. If we make a contract with someone, we are obligated to fulfill the terms of the

         contract when the job is done.

     2. We should not try to cheat someone out of what we owe them.

 B. We should not make someone wait to be paid for a job done.

    1. We should not make excuses not to pay.

V:14. "Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD."

 A. We should not do evil to someone because they cannot hear.

      1. We should be protective of a deaf person.

      2. We were once deaf and in some degree still deaf to the Word of God.

      3. Our spiritual deafness was protected by the Lord.

          a. We ought to protect someone in their physical deafness.

 B. We should never do anything to hinder the progress of someone because of their

       lack of knowledge or inability to do something.

    1. We should not take advantage of someone because of their disability.

    2. Because we fear the Lord, we ought to be first to help them in their disability.

    3. We were all born blind.  We were all born with  spiritual blindness.

       a. God has protected us from the devices of Satan who stand to destroy us.

       b. Satan took advantage of  Eve's spiritual blindness  in the Garden of Eden and

           deceived her into disobeying God's command thus destroying a perfect

           relationship with the Father.

   4. We ought to be grateful to God for protecting us.

      a. We owe it to the blind to nurture them in the Lord and guide them down the path

          of righteousness.

      b. Ones disability may be a gift waiting to be developed.

      c. What we lack in one area may be reason to improve in another area.

      d. Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder were physically blinded, but gifted in music. 

 D. We ought to be a help when we can, because we never know when God is using us

      for a greater good.

FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE

V:15. "Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour."

 A. We need to be careful not to let our personal preferences cloud our judgment.

   1. The only rule for judgment is the Word of God.

   2. The Word of God should be applied to all equally; rich or poor, popular

        or unpopular, powerful or weak.

   3. We should not let friendship or relationship get in the way of good judgment.

B. Only the righteousness of God should govern our judgment.

  1. Our opinions of someone my change based on what we know or think we know.

  2. The Word of God does not change by what we know or think we know.

  3. We must study the Word so we can rightly divide it, before making judgments.

V:16. "Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD".

( Talebearer= Raakiyl= one who travels about dealing in scandals)

 A. Believers ought to stay away from gossip.

     1. We should not be the bearer of gossip nor should we receive gossip.

     2. Gossip can be very hurtful to a person.

     3. The responsibility of a Christian is to build up others in the Lord.

     4. If you are going to spread the word about someone, make sure it is encouraging.

 B. Do not be a false witness against anyone.

     1. Depending on the information and the person receiving it, false information can be

         hurtful and can cause someone to lose their life.

     2. False information can be so devastating to someone that the person may take their

         on life.

     3. Our love for the Lord ought to cause us to love our neighbor so that we would do

         nothing to cause harm or danger.

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

V:17. "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him."

 A. Our problems with others begin in the heart.

    1. We can control what we think about others.

       a. We can see them in love.

       b. We can be tolerant of the behavior of others as Christ is tolerant of us.

       c. We can see them in hate.

       d. We can allow ourselves to be unforgiving.

 B. If we know our brother is in an activity that is unpleasing to God, we should

      love him enough to speak to him.

      1. We should speak to him in private in a caring and supportive manner.

      2. Counsel your brother, if he will listen.

V:18. "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD."

 A. Vengeance is mine said the Lord. Rom 12:19

      1. The Lord is in control and will fight your battles. 2 Chr 20:15

      2. We should promote peace and not hold grudges. John 14:27

          a. Holding a grudge keeps you upset.

          b. You hold the key to your peace; let go and let God.

 B. The way to keep yourself peaceful is to love your neighbor.

     1. Love over looks the faults of others.

     2. Love forgives the wrong done.

     3. Love realizes that we are not perfect and we make mistakes.

     4. Love realizes that we are not perfect and we can't expect anybody else to be

         perfect.

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR, FRIEND OR STRANGER

V:33. "And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him."

 A. The Jews were just getting settle in the Promise Land. As directed by God,

       battles were fought and won for them to gain control of the land. They were

       naturally defensive.

     1. Any stranger not part of the family of Israel may have been considered a threat.

     2. God directs us to do no harm to anyone who is a stranger to us.

 B. The Jews were under the protection of the Lord and had nothing to fear.

     1. We are under the protection of the Lord and have nothing to fear.

     2. God has not given us the spirit of fear, but  power, love and sound mind.

         2 Tim 1:7

     3. Our faith in the Lord will protect us in the mist of strangers.

         a. We have the power to love and the spirit to be kind.

V:34. "But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God."

 A. We are all God's creation.

      1. We are brothers and sisters in Christ.

      2. A stranger should be treated as if he is a family member.

 B. We were not always welcomed in this land.

     1. You are not always welcomed in places that you go.

     2. There have been times when you have been treated as an outsider.

     3. Because you know the hurt, because you know the feeling, treat strangers

         with compassion.

  C. Because you are a child of God, treat others as children of God.

      1. Because you are brothers and sisters in Christ, treat others as brothers and

          sisters in Christ.

BE JUST IN BUSINESS

V:35. "Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure."

 A. Judge others in righteousness, the same way you want to be judged.

     1. What you measure out, will be measured back to you.

     2. There should  only be one standard of measurement.

         a. The same measure should apply to everybody.

B. Don't try to cheat someone out of what is theirs. Four terms are use in which

     one can be cheated.

 1. JUDGMENT in all cases that come before the civil magistrate; he is to judge and  

     decide according to the law.

2. METEYARD,   " bamidah" , in measures of length and surface, such as the reed, cubit,

    foot, span, hand's breadth, among the Jews; or ell, yard, foot, and inch, among us.

3. WEIGHT," bamishqal" , in anything that is weighed, the weights being all according to  

     the standards kept for the purpose of trying the rest in the sanctuary, as appears from   

     Exodus 30:13; 1 Chronicles 23:29; these weights were the talent, shekel, barleycorn.

4. MEASURE, "bam­suwrah" , from which we derive our term. This refers to all

    measures of capacity, such as the homer, ephah, seah, hin, omer, kab, and log. See all

    these explained Exodus 16:16.

V:36. "Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt."

A. In our business activities with one another we should be just in all our ways. 

    1. The Lord watches how we treat one another.

    2. Proverbs 11:1, "A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his

        delight."

THE PROMISE FOR OBEDIENCE

V:37. "Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD."

A. God expects us to be completely obedient to His commands.

    1. If we are obedient to God's commands, He promises to bless us with all we need.

    2. Leviticus 26:3-4

         3."If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out,

         4 then I shall give you rains in their season, so that the land will yield its produce  

            and the trees of the field will bear their fruit."