Scripture to Read: Exodus 20:21–23
As we know, God had already given Moses the Ten Commandments. Then, we saw in the devotion on “Day 3” that the people were too afraid to hear directly from God, and they asked Moses to speak to them what God spoke to him. Today, we read what God told Moses to share next in Exodus 20:21–23, “21 So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was. 22 Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘You yourselves have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven. 23 You shall not make other gods besides Me; gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves.” It’s interesting how God’s Word tells us that the Israelites stayed back, “at a distance,” while Moses went toward the thick cloud. We must always pursue our intimacy with God as well and never stay at a distance. Also, God had already said in Exodus 20:3–4, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” 4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.” But God knew the hearts of the Israelites, that they could easily be swayed by the pagan nations around them who worshipped false gods and made them out of silver, gold, bronze, and other materials. We, too, must guard our hearts against the things this world chases after and make sure we pursue our Lord.
Challenge & Application
· In the past, how have you been like Israel and tried to stay at a safe distance from God?
· How have you chased the junk of the world in the past and then realized that it never meets your needs?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!