Bible Studies, Inspired by Faith and Science

9: What if… principals and rules create a people? The Ten Commandments: The 10 commandments are mentioned in Exodus 20:2-17, Deuteronomy 5:6-21 & Exodus 34:28 How do we count them? Surprisingly, there are different ways in different Christian traditions: 1. Honor only one God 2. Respect him, in image and in name 3. Give one day of the week to him 4. Respect for parents 5. Respect for life 6. Respect for relationships 7. Respect for property 8. Truth in relationships 9. Relational jealousy forbidden 10. Envy of property forbidden This version lists 3 God-centered commandments and 7 describing God’s plan for us. Symbolically 3 represents God, 7 His plan and 10 something counted by man. In the New Testament, Jesus points out the principals displayed in the commandments; in the Old Testament, God tells Moses how those principals translate into immediate practice. Explanations and Civil Law: Exodus 20:22-26 : Idols and Altars: practical application of spiritual issues Exodus 21:1-9 : T...

8: What if… the Ten Commandments were just the short form? Moses goes back up the mountain to plead for the people in Exodus 32:31-35 , and although the Levites have already killed some of the wrongdoers, God claims that punishment is his own domain. He gives the order to Moses to lead the people onward in their journey ( Exodus 32:33, 33:1-6 ) but then He makes them wait. There’s more than “just” the Ten Commandments to be given on Sinai. What if… stories are told from different points of view? Exodus 33:7-11 says the Lord speaks to Moses face to face, but 18-23 says no one can see God’s face. The first description may come from Joshua’s point of view, and the second from Moses’. Whatever if meant, the people see smoke and know Moses is meeting God in a much more real sense than they can. But Moses is aware of how much he is missing. Later, when he interacts more closely with God on the mountain, his face is described as radiant ( 29 ), from the heat perhaps, and also from “seeing G...