Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Advent Day 12

Don’t, don’t do it. You are not allowed
No. No. No. No.
You cannot, you must not, you may not...


Do you just feel the love? We’ll get there.


When the Israelites fled so quickly from Egypt, they were not leaving a foreign place. They were leaving their homes. They had lived in the Land of Pharaohs for over 400 years and not even the oldest man among them remembered any other life.


The funny thing about home is that no matter how dysfunctional it may be, it is the place we are the most comfortable. It is our “place.” The family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had outgrown their small home and had become many families with many homes. They were God’s chosen family, but had no doubt forgotten how it was to work. Maybe some homes had adopted practices of the Egyptians. Perhaps they didn’t see the need to follow what was handed down from so many generations ago.


It was time to make Israel a family again with God as the Father, their Leader and their Light.


And with God as the Father, one of the first things he would do is to give laws. I know...get to the love part.


In Love, God called Abraham. In love He blessed him and gave him many descendants. In love he Saved the children of Israel. In love he guided them with His light.


And in LOVE, he told them how to live. By His Law.


The little tiny baby we celebrate this season would grow to be a man. And that man beyond all wisdom would speak these words:


“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

The purpose of the commandments is not to stifle or confine...the purpose is literally to reflect the greatest Light Himself because God is Love. When the God of Love gave the commandments, it was so that we would be a reflection of Himself. And that...is an amazing gift.






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