Changes

Reading the Bible in a year shouldn't be too much of a challenge for anyone and since I'm having to re-read it for the Bible Story Clubs it ought to be fairly straight forward.

However, I have been struck by some of the major changes that have occurred during the times within the Bible and even more coming up to the present day.

In the early days of the Hebrew nation various characters, and often all the people, were being tested and challenged to prove their love and commitment to God.  Abraham was asked to give his son as a burnt offering and was only stopped from doing so at the last minute.  Could we find anyone that trusting and committed  today?  I'm not sure.

Then whilst wandering in the Sinai Desert the Israelites were given extremely detailed instructions for constructing the Ark, the Altars and the Tent of Meeting.  This required the people to give up their most valuable assets of gold, silver and bronze, and many hours of labour to complete the task.  Regular sacrifices of burnt offerings were expected to be made using prime lambs, goats, calves, and even donkeys.

Of course, God did not actually receive in his hands any of these offerings.  They were not given to make God rich, but to encourage the Israelites to have faith in him and to accept that God was worth more than all the riches they could possess.  In return God would watch over them and keep them from harm by other people, and give them gifts no earthly wealth could buy.  Time and again they failed to keep his laws and every time he relented and confirmed them as his people.

Today we have it easy. We are not required to make such sacrifices since God sent his Son to cleanse us from all sin.

In the beginning there was only one rule: Do not eat from the Tree of Knowledge.  Adam and Eve broke that one.

Moses was given the Ten Commandments: One or more of those got broken almost regularly.

Today the world gives us so many laws, rules and regulations that we are hard pressed to keep them all. I've probably broken several just writing this!

However, God only requires us to keep his Commandments.

Lord, we offer you our hearts and our lives. Guard us against the sins of this modern world and help us to keep your true commandments. Amen.

Jim Finch