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Exodo 19

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1 Sa ikatlong buwan, pagkatapos na ang mga anak ni Israel ay makaalis sa lupain ng Egipto, ay dumating sila ng araw ding yaon sa ilang ng Sinai.

2 At nang sila'y umalis sa Rephidim, at dumating sa ilang ng Sinai, ay humantong sila sa ilang; at doo'y humantong ang Israel sa harap ng bundok.

3 At si Moises ay lumapit sa Dios, at tinawag ng Panginoon siya mula sa bundok, na sinasabi, Ganito mo sasabihin sa sangbahayan ni Jacob, at sasaysayin sa mga anak ni Israel.

4 Inyong nakita ang aking ginawa sa mga Egipcio, at kung paanong dinala ko kayo sa mga pakpak ng agila, at kayo'y inilapit ko sa akin din.

5 Kaya't ngayon, kung tunay na inyong susundin ang aking tinig, at iingatan ang aking tipan, ay magiging isang tanging kayamanan nga kayo sa akin, na higit sa lahat ng bayan: sapagka't ang buong lupa ay akin;

6 At kayo'y magiging isang kaharian ng mga saserdote sa akin, at isang banal na bansa. Ito ang mga salita na inyong sasalitaan sa mga anak ni Israel.

7 At dumating si Moises at tinawag ang mga matanda sa bayan, at ipinahayag sa harap nila ang lahat ng salitang ito na iniutos ng Panginoon sa kaniya.

8 At ang buong bayan ay sumagot na magkakaisa, at nagsabi, Yaong lahat na sinalita ng Panginoon ay aming gagawin. At ipinagbigay alam ni Moises ang mga salita ng bayan sa Panginoon.

9 At sinabi ng Panginoon kay Moises, Narito ako'y naparirito sa iyo sa isang salimuot na ulap upang marinig ng bayan pagka ako'y magsasalita sa iyo, at paniwalaan ka rin naman nila magpakailan man. At sinalita ni Moises ang mga salita ng bayan sa Panginoon.

10 At sinabi ng Panginoon kay Moises, Pumaroon ka sa bayan at papagbanalin mo sila ngayon at bukas at labhan nila ang kanilang mga damit,

11 At humanda sa ikatlong araw: sapagka't sa ikatlong araw ay bababa ang Panginoon sa paningin ng buong bayan sa ibabaw ng bundok ng Sinai.

12 At lalagyan mo ng mga hangganan ang bayan sa palibot, na iyong sasabihin, Magingat kayo, na kayo'y huwag sumampa sa bundok, o sumalang sa hangganan: sinomang sumalang sa bundok ay papatayin na walang pagsala:

13 Walang kamay na hihipo sa kaniya, kundi, siya'y tunay na babatuhin, o papanain; maging hayop o tao ay hindi mabubuhay: pagka ang pakakak ay tumunog ng maluwat ay sasampa sila sa bundok.

14 At bumaba si Moises sa bayan mula sa bundok, at pinakabanal ang bayan, at sila'y naglaba ng kanilang mga damit.

15 At kaniyang sinabi sa bayan, humanda kayo sa ikatlong araw; huwag kayong sumiping sa babae.

16 At nangyari ng ikatlong araw, ng umaga, na kumulog at kumidlat, at may isang salimuot na ulap sa ibabaw ng bundok, at ang tunog ng pakakak ay napakalakas; at ang buong bayan na nasa kampamento ay nanginig.

17 At inilabas ni Moises ang bayan sa kampamento upang salubungin ang Dios; at sila'y tumayo sa paanan ng bundok.

18 At ang buong bundok ng Sinai ay umuusok, sapagka't ang Panginoon ay bumaba sa ibabaw niyaon na nasa apoy: at ang usok niyaon ay napaiilanglang na parang usok ng isang hurno, at ang buong bundok ay umuugang mainam.

19 At nang lumalakas ng lumalakas ang tunog ng pakakak ay nagsasalita si Moises, at sinasagot siya ng Dios sa pamamagitan ng tinig.

20 At ang Panginoon ay bumaba sa ibabaw ng bundok ng Sinai, sa taluktok ng bundok; at tinawag ng Panginoon si Moises sa taluktok ng bundok; at si Moises ay sumampa.

21 At sinabi ng Panginoon kay Moises, Bumaba ka, pagbilinan mo ang bayan, baka sila'y lumagpas upang makita ang Panginoon, at mamatay ang karamihan sa kanila.

22 At gayon din ang mga saserdote, na lumalapit sa Panginoon ay papagbanalin mo, baka ang Panginoon ay hindi makapagpigil sa kanila.

23 At sinabi ni Moises sa Panginoon, Ang baya'y hindi makasasampa sa bundok ng Sinai: sapagka't iyong pinagbilinan kami, na iyong sinabi, lagyan mo ng hangganan sa palibot ang bundok, at iyong ariing banal.

24 At sinabi ng Panginoon sa kaniya, Yumaon ka, bumaba ka; at ikaw ay sasampa, ikaw at si Aaron na iyong kasama: nguni't ang mga saserdote at ang bayan ay huwag lumampas sa mga hangganan upang lumapit sa Panginoon, baka siya ay hindi makapagpigil sa kanila.

25 Sa gayo'y bumaba si Moises sa bayan at isinaysay sa kanila.

   

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From David to Solomon: From War to Peace

Napsal(a) Bill Woofenden

"And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem. Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly." 1 Kings 1:11-12

Just before the giving of the Commandments, Moses was told to say to the people, "Now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, for all the earth is Mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:5-6).

The history of Israel, their journeys and battles, victories and defeats, is a drama representative of Christian life. It is the story of progress until the Lord reigns in the souls of men and in His Church.

This government of the Lord, however, is different at different stages of the regenerating life. It is at first the discipline of the outer man, the government of obedience, directed almost entirely to our words and actions. This is like the government of Saul. In due time our religion becomes deeper and enters into more interior states. It is much engaged in the search for intelligence and truth. It has many conflicts, and it struggles hard for self-conquest. There are hard struggles within for purity of thought and feeling, of which the world takes no note, but which are very real to one who is seeking the Kingdom of God. The love of truth is increasing, and the love of the world decreasing. It is the spiritual state of man. This is the rule of David. Then the celestial state follows. The ideal is clear. The aim is to do good, to seek peace and pursue it. There is little desire for argument, but there is deep concern for charity and justice, a desire for rest and peace, for perfection. This is represented by the government of Solomon, the peaceful king, whose name signifies peace. David's reign was a very warlike one; yet it was a necessary one. It prepared the way for Solomon.

The human mind, when deep thought has been awakened and somewhat of the Divine Light has penetrated, discovers a host of views, feelings, and prejudices in itself that need to be corrected. This entails trial, and sometimes severe distress of soul. "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword" (Matthew 10:34). This the Lord says to every regenerating man. He who makes no change makes no improvement.

The period of spiritual conflict was represented by the reign of David, which, as is said in our text, continued forty years. Forty is used in the Word when a full state of temptation is represented. The rain that caused the flood is said to have descended for forty days and nights. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years. The Lord was in the desert tempted of the devil for forty days. So David's reign lasted forty years to represent the many varied conflicts of mind and heart before the kingdom is brought under the steady government of Divine Truth.

He reigned seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. The seven years in Hebron (which means friendship) pictures coming into a state of love for the neighbor, for unless this is established there can be no progress. The thirty-three years in Jerusalem is the establishment of heavenly truth in the mind.

That David's warlike reign would represent that part of Christian life which is a warfare is easily seen. To avoid sins which are not respectable in the sight of our friends, to observe the requirements of public worship, to read good books, and to support religion may be accompanied inwardly by pride, self-seeking, and the love of self. To fight against these evils within is what the rule of David means in its application to the individual Christian.

In its highest application it refers to the Lord as our Redeemer from the powers of darkness. For though His outward life had little appearance of violent strife until its close, yet the Gospels contain sufficient indications of fearful struggles in the world of spirit against the powers of darkness during His whole career, as pictured especially in the Prophets and Psalms.

The redemption of the world, and the necessity of Jehovah Himself coming into the world to be our Redeemer are little understood, unless we are aware of how closely the spiritual world is connected with ours, and how the two worlds act and react upon one another.

When a church becomes corrupt, "darkness covers the earth, and gross darkness the people" (Isaiah 60:2). Century after century passes on, the darkness becomes deeper, and the lights one after another go out. Then in the fullness of time the Lord comes and executes a judgment. The good welcome Him; the evil hate Him and resist, but in vain. They who have loved darkness rather than light cannot stand the light, and are overthrown, as all the foes of Israel were overthrown by David.

Throughout the Prophets the Lord is pictured as our Redeemer, waging a terrible conflict. No such awful combat took place in the outer world. It took place in the world of spirit. "I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the people there was none with me, for I will tread them in mine anger and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment; for the way of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come" (Isaiah 63:3-4).

Redemption, the overthrow of the powers of darkness, the deliverance of the good from bondage to evil and falsity, is what the reign of David portrays; this is represented by David's reigning forty years; seven years in Hebron, the protection of goodness, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem, deliverance from error, and the filling of the mind with an abundance of Divine Truth.

David's growing old and dying and the accession of Solomon to the throne tells us that the period of struggle will come to an end. We should become loving, good, and established in truth, after the evils and falsities are overcome and cast out.

To think that we cannot overcome wrong desires and false thoughts is to deny the Lord. He overcomes by giving us power to overcome. We must be faithful and believing. When we are faithful and steadfast, the foe falls. To him that overcometh the Lord gives light and love in ever-increasing measure. We may not be able to succeed in many of our plans, but there is one in which everyone can succeed, that is in his conflict with evil. This is the one conflict in which we are certain to conquer, if we are faithful. We cannot fail if we are true.

First we must overcome in ourselves uncharitable feelings — David in Hebron. Without good will there can be no hope of peace. We must exercise good will until it becomes established in us, until it becomes our abiding nature. This is to reign in Hebron seven years.

Divine Truth will then open to us the perception that our thoughts are not in harmony with the truth. We are prone to think as the world thinks, and to vire by worldly maxims. These are opposed to heavenly life and thought. "The kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever" (Revelation 11:15). We can walk safely only as we are guided by the light of truth. The mind and the heart will then be in accord.

Then Solomon will begin to sit on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom will be established greatly. In other words, the rule of the Lord will no longer be a struggle against evils and errors but the development and establishment of goodness and truth. The Lord will become for us the Prince of Peace, and of His government there shall be no end.