The Israelites were under new leadership.

This mysterious God of their forefathers had rescued them. No longer would they be slaves under the hand of Pharaoh. No longer would their time be spent building the kingdom of a heavy-handed monarch. Now they would live under the protection and the laws of a powerful God. They would build His kingdom. They would serve Him. They would eat of the abundant life He gave, as long as they followed His unusual recipe.

God gave this recipe to Moses.

Key ingredients were the original Ten Commandments He wrote with His finger on stone. But another six hundred or so statutes were handed out to the Israelite community as well. These ingredients were intended to create an orderly society, a safe family environment, protection from disease, and connection to the divine.

In exchange for following God’s recipe for living, He promised His children that they would live healthy lives, free from the diseases that plagued their former masters.

God’s kingdom has expanded.

We are now a part of it, welcomed in through Jesus. Jesus stirred up all those Old Testament commands and statutes into one recipe. He called it “Love.” Jesus said, “Love first God, then your neighbor, then yourself.” These are the ingredients for an abundant life, a living feast, an overflowing meal of God’s goodness.

Today is the perfect time to follow His recipe for living.