Exodus 20:18-21 -- Scared People

Exodus 20:18 All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain surrounded by smoke. When the people saw it they trembled and stood at a distance.19 “You speak to us, and we will listen,” they said to Moses, “but don’t let God speak to us, or we will die.”

The people of Israel were afraid of approaching their God.  It is understandable.  What if they sinned in his presence?  What if they were not respectful enough?  I can see why they would be scared to go near their Lord.  They knew that death would await anyone who disobeyed what God had said.  The loud noises also scared them.  They could hear God speaking.  Just think about when people see angels in scripture.  They must be told, "Do not be afraid."  Think of how much more frightful God is when he is so much higher than angels.

Exodus 20:20 Moses responded to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you will fear Him and will not sin.” 21 And the people remained standing at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

Here Moses does tell the people to not be afraid of God in this moment.  He has not come to pass judgement but to give them the law by which to live.  The people understood at that time that they could not approach God on their own and needed someone to speak for them.  This is why the Israelites needed priest, and we have Christ today.

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God
and one mediator between God and humanity,
Christ Jesus, Himself human,
6 who gave Himself—a ransom for all,
a testimony at the proper time.

Christ is the mediator between God and the church.  Just look at the prayers we normally pray?  We always begin with "Dear God" or some other form of greeting, but always directed to God the Father.  Our prayers usually end with "In Christ's name, Amen." We pray to the God the Father through His son, Christ.

Exodus 20:7 -- Do Not Misuse the Name of the Lord

Exodus 20:7 Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses His name.

We should not use the name of the Lord in a way that would bring dishonor to him.  We should not use his name unless we are addressing Him or telling someone about Him.  Passages in the Old Testament tells us to take our oaths in Him name.  

The Bible is filled with references telling the people to not misuse God's name, here are a few.

Leviticus 18:21 “You are not to make any of your children pass through the fire to Molech. Do not profane the name of your God; I am Yahweh."

Leviticus 19:12 You must not swear falsely by My name, profaning the name of your God; I am Yahweh.

These two verses are straight forward.  Do not profane the name of God.

Deuteronomy 18:19 I will hold accountable whoever does not listen to My words that he speaks in My name.20 But the prophet who dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods—that prophet must die.’

Here, a punishment is given for those who profane or misuse the name of God, he must die.

Psalm 74:10 God, how long will the enemy mock?
Will the foe insult Your name forever?
11 Why do You hold back Your hand?
Stretch out Your right hand and destroy them!

The Psalmist is pleading with God to destroy those who insult the name of the Lord.

Proverbs 30:8 Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me.
Give me neither poverty nor wealth;
feed me with the food I need.
9 Otherwise, I might have too much
and deny You, saying, “Who is the Lord?”
or I might have nothing and steal,
profaning the name of my God.

Here in Proverbs it suggest that having plenty or too little could cause someone to profane the name of God.  Having just what one needs can help keep one from doing so.

Ezekiel 20:39 “As for you, house of Israel, this is what the Lord God says: Go and serve your idols, each of you. But afterward you will surely listen to Me, and you will no longer defile My holy name with your gifts and idols.

Ezekiel is telling Israel that they are defiling the name of God by serving idols.  By rejecting God and raising our lives to another god profanes God's name because we are not seeing Him for being the Holy God he truly is.

Ezekiel 36:21 Then I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel profaned among the nations where they went.
22 “Therefore, say to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord God says: It is not for your sake that I will act, house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you profaned among the nations where you went. 23 I will honor the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations—the name you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am Yahweh”—the declaration of the Lord God—“when I demonstrate My holiness through you in their sight. 

Romans 2:23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.

These two verses show that the name of God is defiled when those who proclaim His name do not act as though they follow God.  They confess with their lips but their actions are completely different.  Thus, those who see them out in the world get the wrong view of God, this His name is profaned.

1 Timothy 6:1 All who are under the yoke as slaves must regard their own masters to be worthy of all respect, so that God’s name and His teaching will not be blasphemed.

If you are subjected to following the rules or under the authority of another individual, no matter who they are, or how they act, you must show them respect so that your witness in Christ may be protected and that you will blaspheme the name of God.

Revelation 16:8 The fourth poured out his bowl on the sun. He was given the power to burn people with fire, 9 and people were burned by the intense heat. So they blasphemed the name of God, who had the power over these plagues, and they did not repent and give Him glory.

The people here experienced something horrible.  Instead of turning to God and repenting or even acknowledging the power of God to remove these horrible plagues, the people grumbled and complained that they were being burned.  Grumbling and complaining against God is another way to blaspheme His name.

There are many ways we can defile the name of our God.  It is more than spewing out a profanity.  It is a way of life.  If we have idols, if we grumble and complain against Him, if our actions do not match our speech concerning Him, if we deliberately sin, we are guilty of profaning the name of God.  God is all about His glory.  His name must be praised and exalted.  We must strive to do this every day by praising him and turning from our sins.

Exodus 14:15-15:21 -- Red Sea Crossing

Genesis 14:5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about the people and said: “What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.” 6 So he got his chariot ready and took his troops with him; 7 he took 600 of the best chariots and all the rest of the chariots of Egypt, with officers in each one. 8 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the Israelites, who were going out triumphantly. 9 The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, his horsemen, and his army—chased after them and caught up with them as they camped by the sea beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

Pharaoh changed his mind.  He wanted the Israelites back.  This was all part of God's plan to destroy the Egyptian's strength so they could no long loom over the Israelites and provide fear that they may come back for them.

Exodus 14:10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians coming after them. Then the Israelites were terrified and cried out to the Lord for help. 11 They said to Moses: “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you took us to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Isn’t this what we told you in Egypt: Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

The Israelites are doubting the plan of God.  They see the Egyptians coming in all their might to get them back and all they can think about is dying in the wilderness.  They are not thinking God's way.

Exodus 14:13 But Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation He will provide for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet.”
15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to break camp.16 As for you, lift up your staff, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17 I am going to harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them, and I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh, all his army, and his chariots and horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh when I receive glory through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

Here God tells Moses what to do to save all the people.  God is going to deliver his people in a mighty way and insure that the Egyptians will not bother them again.

Exodus 14:19 Then the Angel of God, who was going in front of the Israelite forces, moved and went behind them. The pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and stood behind them. 20 It came between the Egyptian and Israelite forces. The cloud was there in the darkness, yet it lit up the night. So neither group came near the other all night long.

During the night, while the Israelites prepared to cross the sea, the cloud separated the Egyptians from the Israelites so no one could be harmed.  God protected the Israelites from the Egyptians.

Exodus 14:21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back with a powerful east wind all that night and turned the sea into dry land. So the waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with the waters like a wall to them on their right and their left.
23 The Egyptians set out in pursuit—all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen—and went into the sea after them. 24 Then during the morning watch, the Lord looked down on the Egyptian forces from the pillar of fire and cloud, and threw them into confusion. 25 He caused their chariot wheels to swerve and made them drive with difficulty. “Let’s get away from Israel,” the Egyptians said, “because Yahweh is fighting for them against Egypt!”

The Egyptians went into the sea after the Israelites.  The Lord caused the chariots and horses to have difficulty crossing, so to delay them long enough for their judgment.

Exodus 14:26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back on the Egyptians, on their chariots and horsemen.” 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal depth. While the Egyptians were trying to escape from it, the Lord threw them into the sea. 28 The waters came back and covered the chariots and horsemen, the entire army of Pharaoh, that had gone after them into the sea. None of them survived.

So in one moment the entire Egyptian army was devoured by the sea.  All at the hand of God.  

Exodus 14:29 But the Israelites had walked through the sea on dry ground, with the waters like a wall to them on their right and their left. 30 That day the Lord saved Israel from the power of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 When Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and believed in Him and in His servant Moses.

After all the plagues, after all the signs, the people of Israel finally had fear in the Lord and believed in Him and in Moses.  It took the destruction of Egypt for them to see, for their eyes to be opened to the power and glory of their God.

Genesis 15:1 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord. They said:
I will sing to the Lord,
for He is highly exalted;
He has thrown the horse
and its rider into the sea.
2 The Lord is my strength and my song;
He has become my salvation.
This is my God, and I will praise Him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.
3 The Lord is a warrior;
Yahweh is His name.

 These praises tell us a lot about God.  He is highly exalted.  He is our strength and song.  He is our salvation.  He is worthy of our praise.  He is a warrior and Yahweh is his name.

Exodus 15:4 He threw Pharaoh’s chariots
and his army into the sea;
the elite of his officers
were drowned in the Red Sea.
5 The floods covered them;
they sank to the depths like a stone.
6 Lord, Your right hand is glorious in power.
Lord, Your right hand shattered the enemy.
7 You overthrew Your adversaries
by Your great majesty.
You unleashed Your burning wrath;
it consumed them like stubble.
8 The waters heaped up at the blast of Your nostrils;
the currents stood firm like a dam.
The watery depths congealed in the heart of the sea.
9 The enemy said:
“I will pursue, I will overtake,
I will divide the spoil.
My desire will be gratified at their expense.
I will draw my sword;
my hand will destroy them.”
10 But You blew with Your breath,
and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
in the mighty waters.

With just one hand he destroyed the Egyptians in a display of his glorious power.  He over threw Egypt with his great majesty.

Exodus 15:11 Lord, who is like You among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
revered with praises, performing wonders?
12 You stretched out Your right hand,
and the earth swallowed them.
13 You will lead the people
You have redeemed
with Your faithful love;
You will guide them to Your holy dwelling
with Your strength.

With His faithful love he redeemed His people.  With His strength, they are guided to the holy dwelling.  No one is like our God.  He is glorious, holy, worthy of praise and performs marvelous wonders.

Exodus 15:14 When the peoples hear, they will shudder;
anguish will seize the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 Then the chiefs of Edom will be terrified;
trembling will seize the leaders of Moab;
the inhabitants of Canaan will panic;
16 and terror and dread will fall on them.
They will be as still as a stone
because of Your powerful arm
until Your people pass by, Lord,
until the people whom You purchased pass by.

When the other nations here what the Lord has done for Israel, they will also fear God.  They will fear the Israelites because God protects them.  They heard what happened to the Egyptians and they will not want that to happen to them.

Exodus 15:17 You will bring them in and plant them
on the mountain of Your possession;
Lord, You have prepared the place
for Your dwelling;
Lord, Your hands have established the sanctuary.
18 The Lord will reign forever and ever!
19 When Pharaoh’s horses with his chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them. But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. 20 Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her with their tambourines and danced. 21 Miriam sang to them:
Sing to the Lord,
for He is highly exalted;
He has thrown the horse
and its rider into the sea.

Praise God for all he has done for Israel and for us.  He is worthy of our praise even if he did not do all the signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.

Now let us look again at some passages from this section:

Exodus 15:2 The Lord is my strength and my song;
He has become my salvation.

Exodus 15:16 They will be as still as a stone
because of Your powerful arm
until Your people pass by, Lord,
until the people whom You purchased pass by.

These verses remind me of things said of Christ.

2 Timothy 2:10 This is why I endure all things for the elect: so that they also may obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God
and one mediator between God and humanity,
Christ Jesus, Himself human,
6 who gave Himself—a ransom for all,
a testimony at the proper time.

Salvation is in Christ, but God is also our salvation.  God "purchased" his people and Christ was a ransom for all.  Christ purchased our souls through the sacrifice of his blood.  He saved us through his death.  He is our salvation.  God and Christ are one, with the holy spirit.  They are the same but at the same time separate.  Each has their own purpose in the trinity, but they act in one accord, all towards the same goal.

Do all good people go to heaven?

The simple answer, NO.  There is a lot in the Bible that supports this answer.   This post is in response to what the Pope said a few days ago.

This is what the Pope said:

"The Lord created us in His image and likeness, and we are the image of the Lord, and He does good and all of us have this commandment at heart: do good and do not do evil. All of us. ‘But, Father, this is not Catholic! He cannot do good.’ Yes, he can... "The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! ‘Father, the atheists?’ Even the atheists. Everyone!".. We must meet one another doing good. ‘But I don’t believe, Father, I am an atheist!’ But do good: we will meet one another there.”

Yes, we are created in the image and likeness of God.  God reveals this from the beginning when he told the angels "let us make man in our image."  We may have the commandment to do good and not evil, but that does not mean we do it.  We will never choose good because it is good.  There is always a selfish reasons, unless Christ is in it, we cannot do good.  Not pure good in the eyes of God.  We can do good in the eyes of man, but God's definition of good is different from ours.  God's definition of good is that which is perfect and complete.  When God created, he called his creation very good.  When it was created, it was perfect and complete.  When God calls something good, it means it is perfect.  There is no sinful desire or motive what so ever.  When we say something is good, we mean it is pleasing or beneficial to us somehow.  Someones actions may be good, but their motives behind those actions may not.

Romans 3:12 All have turned away;
all alike have become useless.
There is no one who does what is good,
not even one.

The Bible is clear, no one is good.  Not even one.  Not one single person, apart from Christ was ever good.

Responding to the leader of the Roman Catholic church's homily, Father James Martin, S.J. wrote in an email to The Huffington Post:
"Pope Francis is saying, more clearly than ever before, that Christ offered himself as a sacrifice for everyone. That's always been a Christian belief. You can find St. Paul saying in the First Letter to Timothy that Jesus gave himself as a "ransom for all." But rarely do you hear it said by Catholics so forcefully, and with such evident joy. And in this era of religious controversies, it's a timely reminder that God cannot be confined to our narrow categories."

My response to this:

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 24 They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Him as a propitiation through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. 26 God presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus.

We are justified by His grace.  Jesus will declare righteous the one who has faith in Him.  Only those who have faith will be justified.  This verse is clear!  The atheist has no faith in God.  He is sinning by denying the one true God.  He is not justified through faith in Christ.  Yes, Christ's blood is enough for all, but not all are allowed to partake.  Only those who receive the grace of God and have faith in Christ will receive the redemptive blood of Christ.

1 Timothy 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God
and one mediator between God and humanity,
Christ Jesus, Himself human,
6 who gave Himself—a ransom for all,
a testimony at the proper time.
7 For this I was appointed a herald, an apostle (I am telling the truth; I am not lying), and a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

I do agree with the statement that Christ's blood can redeem all people.  His blood was enough, but again, scripture is very clear.  Only those who believe in Christ will be redeemed. There is one God.  One mediator between God and man.  That is Christ.  Only Christ.  Only through Christ can we get to God.  Apart from Christ we cannot get to God.

"But do good: we will meet one another there."  There is so much wrong with this statement and it is really, probably, what is most controversial about what he said.  Even more so than saying a good atheist can get into heaven.  A good atheist is still a sinner because he still denies God and sin cannot be in the presence of God.  He abhors sin.  However, this notion that any good person can get to heaven or even be part of the earthly church is ridiculous.

James 1:25 But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but one who does good works—this person will be blessed in what he does.

You might say, but wait a minute.  James here says we must do good works to be blessed.  Look closer.  Look intently in to the perfect law of freedom.  That is Christ.  Look at his laws and preserve them!  Out of this will flow good works.  A true believer and follower of Christ will not only hear the words of God and believe, but they will also preform good works out of their love for the Father.

Galatians 2:15 We who are Jews by birth and not “Gentile sinners” 16 know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. And we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified. 17 But if we ourselves are also found to be “sinners” while seeking to be justified by Christ, is Christ then a promoter of sin? Absolutely not! 18 If I rebuild the system I tore down, I show myself to be a lawbreaker. 19 For through the law I have died to the law, so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ 20 and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

Well, looky here.  Good works do not save.  Doing good will not get you into heaven.  Obeying the law will not get you into heaven.  Only a faith and love in Christ will do!  If we say that someone can do good and get into heaven, then Christ's death was meaningless.  We would not need to send anyone to tell of Christ.  Christ would not mean a thing.  All we would have to do is say "Just do good and God will let you in."  Never mind the fact that you spit in his face daily and deny or even hate the very existence of God.  If  you do what is good in MAN'S eyes then you can get there, no problem.  The Bible preaches something totally different!  Man's opinion does not matter.  What matters is God's opinion.  If God sees you as you are, then you are wretched and wicked.  It does not matter what "good" in man's sight that you do.  It is still evil in the site of God.

"The heart is more deceitful than anything else" (Jeremiah 17:9) and "how can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart" (Matthew 12:34). "A good man produces good out of the good storeroom of his heart. An evil man produces evil out of the evil storeroom, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart" (Luke 6:45).  Our hearts are deceitful.  Out of our hearts flows what is our inherent nature.  This is always evil, unless Christ has redeemed us.  We cannot save ourselves by doing good.  Our hearts will not allow it.

Ezekiel 11:19 And I will give them one heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone from their bodies and give them a heart of flesh, 20 so they may follow My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God. 21 But as for those whose hearts pursue their desire for detestable things and practices, I will bring their actions down on their own heads.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

When we are born, we have a heart of stone.  It will remain a heart of stone until God turns it into a heart of flesh.  From this passage, man does nothing except in response to what God does.  We will follow his statutes, keep his ordinances and practice them ONLY because GOD has changed our hearts.  He changes our hearts so we can obey him.  Otherwise, we would remain wicked and evil.

Our own good works will not get us into heaven.  God makes it clear that we must follow Christ and believe and have faith in him in order to receive blessings through good works which will flow out of the new desires of our heart that are given to us by God when he turns our heart of stone into a heart of flesh.  We can do nothing on our own but wickedness.  Christ can save us.  But only Christ.  He is our hope.  He is our future. His death mattered because we can do nothing to improve our own wicked condition.  His death provided a way for us to be with God.  All people can be redeemed through his blood, but you must believe and have faith.  A faith that only comes from God and only bestowed by his grace and his mercy towards us.

Source:

The quotes were taking from the article:  Pope Francis Says Atheists Who Do Good Are Redeemed, Not Just Catholics

Genesis 21:22-34 -- Everlasting God

Genesis 21:22 At that time Abimelech, accompanied by Phicol the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do. 23 Swear to me by God here and now, that you will not break an agreement with me or with my children and descendants. As I have been loyal to you, so you will be loyal to me and to the country where you are a foreign resident.”
24 And Abraham said, “I swear it.” 25 But Abraham complained to Abimelech because of the water well that Abimelech’s servants had seized.
26 Abimelech replied, “I don’t know who did this thing. You didn’t report anything to me, so I hadn’t heard about it until today.”
27 Abraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant. 28 Abraham separated seven ewe lambs from the flock. 29 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “Why have you separated these seven ewe lambs?”
30 He replied, “You are to accept the seven ewe lambs from my hand so that this act will serve as my witness that I dug this well.” 31 Therefore that place was called Beer-sheba because it was there that the two of them swore an oath. 32 After they had made a covenant at Beer-sheba, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, left and returned to the land of the Philistines.
33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and there he called on the name of Yahweh, the Everlasting God. 34 And Abraham lived as a foreigner in the land of the Philistines for many days.

Abraham made peace with Abimelech.  Abraham lived in his land and agreed to be loyal to him and his children.  The lambs were used as a symbol of the covenant between the two.

This passage mentions something specific about God.  He is the Everlasting God.  That means he is eternal.  He has been before us and will remain after us.

Isaiah 40:6
“All humanity is grass,
and all its goodness is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flowers fade
when the breath of the Lord blows on them;
indeed, the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flowers fade,
but the word of our God remains forever.”

Isaiah 40:28
Yahweh is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the whole earth.
He never grows faint or weary;
there is no limit to His understanding.

This passage elaborates on that concept a little more.  God does not grown faint or weary.  He understands everything.

Daniel 6:26 I issue a decree that in all my royal dominion, people must tremble in fear before the God of Daniel:
For He is the living God,
and He endures forever;
His kingdom will never be destroyed,
and His dominion has no end.

God is forever and his kingdom is forever!  What wonderful news for us believes to know God will reign forever and never be defeated.

And this following verse is a fitting ending to this post!  The words of Paul are perfect!

1 Timothy 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.