Leaders and Roadkill

Leaders and Roadkill
Words of Faith 1-12-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2022
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Exodus 22:28-31
[28] "Do not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.
[29] "Do not hold back offerings from your granaries or your vats.
"You must give me the firstborn of your sons. [30] Do the same with your cattle and your sheep. Let them stay with their mothers for seven days, but give them to me on the eighth day.
[31] "You are to be my holy people. So do not eat the meat of an animal torn by wild beasts; throw it to the dogs.

What are some of the nuts and bolts of a holy walk with God? Some of it had to do with what we would call the political discourse of the day. Neither the name of God, the supreme Ruler, nor the name of a human leader was to be cursed.
Offerings of grain and wine were not to be neglected for any reason, including resentment toward a leader. Israel was always to remember that the firstborn of her sons and animals belonged to God. Sons were to be dedicated to God when they were eight days old, and redemption money was to be paid. The firstborn of the cattle and sheep were to be sacrificed. This was a reminder that we serve a holy and generous God.
But there was also a specific call to refrain from eating animals killed by unclean predators. This was the ancient form of "roadkill." Because resources were precious, there was a temptation to take home the meat of an animal killed by carnivorous beasts and feed it to the family. But there were specific laws against this in Israel. The blood of such an animal had not been drained, and such meat would cause indirect contact with the unclean animal that killed it. Israel's inward holiness was supposed to be accompanied by her being physically separate from every form of uncleanness.
So how do we apply this? First of all, we are not to curse God or our human rulers. Part of living faithfully lies in honoring and praying for those in leadership, even if we do not agree with them or like them. This could be a challenging mandate in a political season. We are also called to declare the primacy of God in our lives by contributing tithes and dedicating our families to the Lord.
We are called to a life of holiness. It may seem quite peculiar to think about consuming roadkill. But there is more to it. We are called to refrain from things in this life that are tainted or unclean or "torn" by that which is unclean. This is a very relevant part of the text. While we are not often tempted to eat roadkill, we are in a constant battle regarding other things we allow into our homes and lives.
Not long ago, we went to a movie someone had recommended that was billed as a delightful romantic comedy. We found ourselves accosted with a barrage of potty-mouth dialogue and degrading sexual humor, which was totally unnecessary for the movie's plot. Much of television is no better, and the perils of the Internet seem to increase daily. The aggressive agenda in the media to normalize sexual perversion is rampant. The Law of God might well apply here and advise us-- Don't consume a media torn by wild beasts, throw it to the dogs. Don't consume media roadkill.
The nuts and bolts? Honor God. Honor your leaders. Pay taxes properly. Support the work of the Lord. But also avoid those things that would pollute your home.

Lord, I lift to You the leaders of our nation and world. I pray that You would guide them and give them the wisdom needed to deal with such difficult times in our lives. I pray for our President and leaders for the special strength required to lead. I pray for the wisdom I need to be in the world but not of the world. Keep me away from the allure of road kill and those things torn by what is unclean. In Jesus' name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2022 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.