INTRODUCTION:

(Deuteronomy 4:2 [KJV])
Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

(Proverbs 30:5, 6 [KJV])
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

(Isaiah 28:10 [KJV])
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

(Isaiah 28:13 [KJV])
But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

(2 Peter 1:20 [KJV])
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

All of the studies found here, whether book studies or topical studies, are done with research with mainly two things: The KING JAMES BIBLE and a plain old, 1828 Webster's Dictionary. Why? Outside of actually studying secular and Jewish history recorded in the Word of God and in any ancient records from many, which records support it, plus archaeology, one needs nothing more. You do not need foreign, dead languages that no one speaks, nor lexicons, nor concordances, nor commentaries, because they differ not only with one another and with the KING JAMES BIBLE, they create division, confusion, debate, and unbelief, apostasy, and a falling away from God Himself. We do not need them. That Word of God, written and preserved for us in our own language, is supposed to be enough, like the Old Testament was for the Jews, and as the New Testament was for the early Christians in Greek, Latin, Italian, Spanish, German, etc.

There are studies within as tangents on words, subjects found within the two testaments, as to broaden the scope of the study, to learn more, deeper truths. This is not an intellectual site with PhDs, theologians, and no worldly wisdom.. Check everything out, everything. Not just here, but with everything you read and see and hear. Be Bereans:

(Acts 17:11 [KJV])
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

(1 Thessalonians 2:13 [KJV])
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

Always research for yourself, use all of the context, and never privately interpret!

Introduction/Start of study

Exodus Chapter 23:

It must be always, clearly understood that Israel is always in Scripture two things: A PEOPLE AND A LAND. Failure to understand this easy concept leads to all sorts of error in our live, in the lives of nations, in fact the entire world where, one day soon, with all of the armies of that world aligned against her at once and Jesus will come to save her and wipe them out (See Revelation 19:15 and Ezekiel 38:1-39-29)

(Exodus 23:1 [KJV])
Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

(Exodus 23:2 [KJV])
Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:

(1 Kings 18:22 [KJV])
Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

(Exodus 23:3 [KJV])
Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.

COUNTENANCE, v.t.
  1. To favor; to encourage by opinion or words.
    The design was made known to the minister, but he said nothing to countenance it.
  2. To aid; to support; to encourage; to abet; to vindicate; by any means.
    Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause. Exo 23.
  3. To encourage; to appear in defense.
    He countenanced the landing in his long boat.
  4. To make a show of.
    Each to these ladies love did countenance.
  5. To keep an appearance.

(Exodus 23:4 [KJV])
If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.

(Exodus 23:5 [KJV])
If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.

(James 4:17 [KJV])
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

(Deuteronomy 22:4 [KJV])
Thou shalt not see thy brother's ass or his ox fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again.

FORBEAR, v.t.
  1. To avoid voluntarily; to decline.
    Forbear his presence.
  2. To abstain from; to omit; to avoid doing. Learn from the scriptures what you ought to do and what to forbear. Have we not power to forbear working? 1 Cor 9.
  3. To spare; to treat with indulgence and patience.
    Forbearing one another in love. Eph 4.
  4. To withhold.
    Forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not. 2 Chr 35.

(Exodus 23:6 [KJV])
Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.

(Exodus 23:7 [KJV])
Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.

(Exodus 23:8 [KJV])
And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.

BRIBES, THEIR OFFER AND THEIR ACCEPTANCE

(Proverbs 18:16-17 [KJV])
A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men. He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.

(Proverbs 16:19 [KJV])
Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

(1 Samuel 8:3 [KJV])
And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

(1 Samuel 12:3 [KJV])
Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.

(Job 15:34 [KJV])
For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.

(Psalms 26:9-10 [KJV])
Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men: In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes.

(Isaiah 33:15 [KJV])
He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.

(Amos 5:12 [KJV])
For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right.

(Exodus 23:9 [KJV])
Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

THE SABBATH REST FOR THE LAND

(Leviticus 25:2 [KJV])
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD. Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land. And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee, And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat.
And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.

(2 Chronicles 36:17 [KJV])
Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand. And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon. And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.

See the seventy week (period of seven years) prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27

(Exodus 23:10-11 [KJV])
And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof: But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard.

THE PENALTY FOR NO LAND SABBATHS: CAPTIVITY

(Leviticus 26:34 [KJV])
Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths. As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it. And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth. And they shall fall one upon another, as it were before a sword, when none pursueth: and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies.
And ye shall perish among the heathen, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up. And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them. If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me; And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity:
Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land. The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes.

(Exodus 23:12 [KJV])
Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.

(Exodus 23:13 [KJV])
And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.

CIRCUMSPECT, a. Literally, looking on all sides; looking round. Hence, Cautious; prudent; watchful on all sides; examining carefully all the circumstances that may affect a determination, or a measure to be adopted.

(1 Peter 5:8 [KJV])
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

(Exodus 23:14 [KJV])
Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.

  1. Seventh Day Rest, the Sabbath Day, Shabbat, plus the Sabbath rest for the land
  2. Passover, followed by he feast of unleavened bread
  3. Firstfruits
  4. Pentecost, Feast of Weeks

Later on followed by...

  1. Feast of trumpets
  2. Day of Atonement
  3. Feast of Tabernacles

THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL, AKA THE APPOINTED TIMES

This is in Leviticus 23, throughout all of their generation, forever

  1. Seventh Day Rest, the Sabbath Day, Shabbat
  2. Seven days of Passover, the fourteenth day, first month, Pesach
  3. The Feast of Unleavend bread, the fifteenth day, first month, Chag Hamotzi
  4. The Feast of Firstfruits, the fifteenth day, seventh month, Yom habikkumim
  5. Pentecost, Shavu'ot
  6. Feast of Trumpets, seventh month, first day, Yom Teru'ah
  7. Day of Atonement, seventh month, tenth day, Yom Kippur
  8. Feast of Tabernacles, seventh month, fifteenth day, Sukkot

It must said and remembered well that the Passover PRECEDED the Feast of Unleavened bread, and that is in Acts 12:4 corrupted when many heretics take out the word "Easter" and replace it with "Passover", freel done in all of the deliberately corrupted "modern" "ver$ion$" <<-----copyrighted for making money

(Exodus 23:15 [KJV])
Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)

(Exodus 23:16 [KJV])
And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.

(Exodus 23:17 [KJV])
Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.

(Exodus 23:18 [KJV])
Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.

(Exodus 23:19 [KJV])
The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.

Matthew Henry:
"At the feast of ingathering, as it is called (v. 16), they must give God thanks for the harvest-mercies they had received, and must depend upon him for the next harvest, and must not think to receive benefit by that superstitious usage of some of the Gentiles, who, it is said, at the end of their harvest, seethed a kid in its dam's milk, and sprinkled that milk-pottage, in a magical way, upon their gardens and fields, to make them more fruitful next year. But Israel must abhor such foolish customs."

(Exodus 23:20 [KJV])
Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.

(Exodus 23:21-22 [KJV])
Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him. But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.

(Joshua 24:15 [KJV])
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

(Exodus 23:23 [KJV])
For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.

(Exodus 23:24 [KJV])
Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.

(Exodus 23:25 [KJV])
And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.

(Exodus 23:26 [KJV])
There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.

(Exodus 23:27 [KJV])
I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.

(Exodus 23:28 [KJV])
And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.

(Exodus 23:29-30 [KJV])
I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

(Exodus 23:31 [KJV])
And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.


Original land inheritcance of Israel


Israel today in comparison

(Exodus 23:32 [KJV])
Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.

(Exodus 23:33 [KJV])
They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.

Links to studies by book or topic are on the top menu.

Exodus Chapter 24