The giving of the laws to Moses is an extension to what we see happening in the first chapter of Genesis. God is bringing order to that which is “formless and void”. As in the creation account so too in the giving of the law, God is setting boundaries, delineating this from that, and setting the pattern for an ordered life. This life was to be orientated around a six-day working week culminating in a day of rest and worship. God was setting up a rhythm of life that matched the tune he wanted his people’s lives to sound. Alongside the sabbath days, the annual festivals would punctuate the year in a way that would cause the people to be brought back, again and again, to remembering God and their identity in him. The point of all this, again, was order. God wanted the lives of his people to be ordered in such a way that would enable them to be who he was calling them to be. Their lives were not primarily ordered for productivity or leisure. They were ordered around worship. Inevitably our lives get ordered according to our priorities. What you do most regularly is what demonstrates your priorities. You might exercise, watch TV and attend the football regularly but only irregularly go to church. This demonstrates what you think is of ultimate importance in life. It’s amazing how disciplined we can be in the observance of the things that are important to us. So, it shouldn’t take much for you to see if your life patterns reflect what is most important to God.
Reflect on your rhythms of life and prioritise the things that are of ultimate importance for you and your family.
Read Exodus 23:10-19
