The Core

I was in Exodus 21-25 today. It's some of the first details of the law God gave to the children of Israel to guide them as they lived life free from the bondage of slavery in Egypt.

One of the first things that hit me was how much of our laws today are based on the values expressed in these chapters.

Okay, so none of us have oxen that might gore someone else's slave and we probably don't open up pits in our backyards, but as I was thinking about the overarching themes some things struck out at me.

There seemed to be three qualities of character that covered most of the situations mentioned.

Fidelity

Honesty

Equity

Fidelity means faithfulness. Are we faithful to our God, not worshiping others? Are we faithful to our families and to our jobs and to our neighbors and friends?

Honesty is just that. Tell the truth always and encourage truth telling. Be honest with others as you deal with them in business and in life.

Equity means fairness. Give others a good deal and expect a fair shake from them. Treat other's things with care and consideration and don't mistreat anyone.

Now, of course, these are great ideals but if we can't perform on them they won't help us much. It is only by having the life of the person who gave us these ideals inside of us that we can be this way. That life only comes through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Pastor Tom