We are in chapter twenty-five of Exodus with our word for today.צָוָה give an order, command, instruct, order, send, charge. It is used 496 times in the Old Testament. We find our word used in the sense to appoint, to assign a duty, responsibility or obligation to someone. Numbers 27:18-19, 23 So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership, and lay your hand on him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly וְצִוִּיתָ֥ה and commission him in their presence … Then he laid his hands on him וַיְצַוֵּ֑הוּ and commissioned him, as the Lord instructed through Moses. We also see our word used in the sense to set in order, bring order to. 2 Samuel 17:23 When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He וַיְצַ֥ו put his house in order and then hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father’s tomb. Isaiah 38:1 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: צַ֣ו Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” Our word is also used in the sense to fobid or command against doing something. We see this sense the first time it is used in the Bible when God warned not to sin by eating from the one tree. Genesis 2:16-17 And the Lord God וַיְצַו֙ commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Genesis 3:11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that צִוִּיתִ֛יךָ I commanded you not to eat from?” Our word is used most of the time in the sense to charge someone to do something. Noah is a good example of this. Genesis 6:13-14, 19, 22 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people … So make yourself an ark of cypress wood … You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you … Noah did everything just as God צִוָּ֥ה commanded him. Genesis 7:5, 8-9, 16 And Noah did all that the Lord צִוָּ֖הוּ commanded him … Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God צִוָּ֥ה had commanded Noah … The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God צִוָּ֥ה had commanded Noah. Then the Lord shut him in. This is how our word is used in our chapter today. Exodus 25:22 There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that אֲצַוֶּ֛ה I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel. Did you notice what God calls the instruction that he will be giving to Moses for the people? He will be giving these “in commandment” in other words these are not suggestions or opinions to be considered. As a loving Father God that wants what is best for us God issues out commands so that we can not just be safe from the corruption of sin but also flourish in righteousness. The Holy Spirit speaking through Paul identifies that righteousness brings about great benefits if we obey. Romans 6:20-22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. Jesus clearly defines love specifically by our obedience. John 14:15 If you love me, keep my commands. John also repeats this truth. 1 John 5:3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome. I’ll close with this great Psalm that reminds us of God’s great love for us. Psalm 42:8 By day the Lord יְצַוֶּ֬ה commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.
