February 26 Readings

Blended Reading Plan from Back to the Bible

Exodus 23-24; 2 Thessalonians 2
Exodus 23 with Commentaries, verse by verse
Exodus 24 with Commentaries, verse by verse

Exodus 23 (v.1-9) had application with the 9th commandment, giving false testimony against your neighbor. This is very important especially when bringing judgment against the accused. We see this today in the court system such fancy words as perjury, false testimony. All of this has to do with fairness to the accused. The passage spells out examples from where you see your enemy's ox or donkey wandering off and returning it to him to not denying justice to the poor not accepting bribes, not oppressing the aliens. How much more practical can this be to us today? Are we just and show mercy to the people around us, those who are poor and helpless, to the immigrants in our society!

Exodus 23.10-13 deals with the Sabbatical Year, where on the seventh year the land remained unplowed and unused. The poor could get food from it and the wild animals eat what is left on the cultivated land. (See Leviticus 25.1-7)
The people were to work for six days and on the seventh day, they are to rest. We don't have to be legalistic about honoring God on Sunday. But we should go to church and worship God and have fellowship with one another, and have a time to rest.

Three Annual Feasts were mentioned. They were the Feast of the Unleavened Bread (v. 15) the Feast of the Harvest v. 16 and the Feast of the Ingathering. (v.16). Link to Annual Feast Days
God's Angel was to go ahead of the Israelites, to guard them on their way to make sure that they have arrived safely in Canaan. They were told not to worship the idols on Canaan but to destroy them. God will send His terror ahead of them and throw them in confusion. Rahab said that The people of Jericho knew about the works of God among the Israelites and they were terrified (Joshua 2.9-11). Remember as Christians, we do not compromise with the world in our thoughts, words or deeds.

In Exodus 24, the Covenant is confirmed to the people. Moses went up Mount Sinai and stayed there for forty days and nights with God.

Other Links
Calvin Harmony of the Law Volume 1 Search for the chapter you want with (CTRL F)
Calvin Harmony of the Law Volume 2 Search for the chapter you want with (CTRL F)
Calvin Harmony of the Law Volume 3 Search for the chapter you want with (CTRL F)
Calvin Harmony of the Law Volume 4 Search for the chapter you want with (CTRL F)
Dr. Thomas Constable Study Notes is a PDF file, open with Adobe Acrobatic Reader
Deffinbaugh on Exodus
Scott Grant on Exodus
Arthur Pink: Gleanings from Exodus

2Thessalonians 2 with Commentaries, verse by verse

This chapter deals with the antichrist (v.1 -12). He was the man of lawlessness. Paul warned the Thessalonians not to be alarmed or unsettled by things happening around them. The antichrist is being held back by the Spirit until the time is rightr for him to come. More information on the antichrist is found in this link.
Steve Lewis on 2Thessalonians
Paul warned the Thessalonians to stand firm and hold on to the teachings that they heard from Paul. Paul, again prayed for them in 2Thess 2.16-17 Gleanings from Paul on 2Th 2.16-17.
The Greek word translated "stand firm" is "steko." William Barclay says this is the "word used for a soldier standing fast in the shock of battle, with the enemy surging down upon him." The Scriptures tell us that we stand in the faith (1 Cor. 16:13), in grace (Rom. 5:1-2; 1 Pet 5:5-12), and in Christ (2 Cor. 1:21). It is God who enables us to stand firm by anointing us with His Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 1:21; Rom. 14:4).

What about us, are we easily sway by what people say about God, Jesus Christ, the Bible and the last days. We need to be firmly rooted in the word.

Other Links
Calvin on 2Thessalonians
John Chrysostom Homilies on Second Thessalonians
Dr. Thomas Constable Study Notes is a PDF file, open with Adobe Acrobatic Reader
J. Hampton Keathley, III on 2 Thessalonians
Index to Sermons by McArthur, Ryle, Edwards and Spurgeon on 2 Thessalonians
Sermons by Piper on 2Thessalonians
Gleanings from Paul on 2Th 1.11-12
Gleanings from Paul on 2Th 1.11-12
Jesus Saves
This Posting is NOT a commentary of the passages read today but it is a devotional. Please send a comment if something spoke to you today from the passages, links or thoughts that I have shared with you.