Exodus 22-24

Daily Reading

Exodus 22-24

Daily Thought

Question: Aren't all sins the same in the eyes of God?

I hear that all the time.  Maybe it comes with good intentions.  No one is worse than anyone else.  God loves us all the same.  That's what my Gramma always said when we asked her who she loved most.  "I love you both the same."  God and Gramma - they don't pick favorites.  No one is better, therefore no one is worse.  Then point to James 2:10, "For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it."  See!  No particular sin is worse than any other.

But that's not what the verse is saying.  It says that every sin, no matter how bad, is equally effective in separating us from God.  Why?  Because the standard is "Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).  Doesn't matter if you miss  by an inch or a mile, you missed.  Whether you sin badly or not-so-badly, you missed the standard, and you need saving and you need grace and you need Jesus.

One last observation: which sins get punished the most severely?  In the first 15 verses of Exodus 22, every one who does wrong gets fined.  In the next nine verses, they die.   But look what happens when you mistreat aliens or orphans or widows.  "My wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless" (Exodus 22:24).  Ouch!

Tells you something about the heart of God, doesn't it?

Daily Prayer

Almighty God, Your ways are truly so much higher than mine.  I'm amazed that You are concerned about me, who I am and what I do.  You care about my everyday life.  It is so good to know what is right and what is wrong, how You expect us to treat each other, what is pleasing in Your eyes.  Thank you, Lord, for showing us Your laws that lead to the good life - a life marked by right living.  Help me God to remember how personal you are, that You are very close, and that You will lead me.  I need to follow!

God, make me keenly aware of those who most need my attention.  Give me a heart of compassion for the outcasts, the weak, the poor, and the helpless.  

Amen