191 In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt , on that very day they came into the wilderness of Sinai . 2 When they set out from Rephidim , they came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness ; and there Israel camped in front of the mountain . 3 Moses went up to God , and the Lord called to him from the mountain , saying , "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel : 4 ' You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians , and how I bore you on eagles' wings , and brought you to Myself. 5 'Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant , then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples , for all the earth is Mine; 6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation .' These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel ." 7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people , and set before them all these words which the Lord had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together and said , "All that the Lord has spoken we will do !" And Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord .
9 The Lord said to Moses , "Behold , I will come to you in a thick cloud , so that the people may hear when I speak with you and may also believe in you forever ." Then Moses told the words of the people to the Lord . 10 The Lord also said to Moses , "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow , and let them wash their garments ; 11 and let them be ready for the third day , for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people . 12 "You shall set bounds for the people all around , saying , 'Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it; whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death . 13 'No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through ; whether beast or man , he shall not live .' When the ram's horn sounds a long blast , they shall come up to the mountain ." 14 So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people , and they washed their garments . 15 He said to the people , "Be ready for the third day ; do not go near a woman ."
16 So it came about on the third day , when it was morning , that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound , so that all the people who were in the camp trembled . 17 And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God , and they stood at the foot of the mountain . 18 Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because e e the Lord descended upon it in fire ; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace , and the whole mountain quaked violently . 19 When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder , Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder . 20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai , to the top of the mountain ; and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain , and Moses went up. 21 Then the Lord spoke to Moses , "Go down , warn the people , so that they do not break through to the Lord to gaze , and many of them perish . 22 "Also let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves, or else the Lord will break out against them." 23 Moses said to the Lord , "The people cannot e come up to Mount Sinai , for You warned us, saying , ' Set bounds about the mountain and consecrate it.' " 24 Then the Lord said to him, "Go e down and come up again, you and Aaron with you; but do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord , or He will break forth upon them." 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.
201 Then God spoke all these words , saying , 2 " I am the Lord your God , who brought you out of the land of Egypt , out of the house of slavery . 3 " You shall have no other gods before e Me. 4 " You shall not make for yourself an idol , or any likeness of what is in heaven above e or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth . 5 " You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God , am a jealous God , visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children , on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands , to those who love Me and keep My commandments . 7 " You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain , for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain . 8 "Remember the sabbath day , to keep it holy . 9 " Six days you shall labor and do all your work , 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God ; in it you shall not do any work , you or your son or your daughter , your male or your female servant e or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. 11 " For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth , the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day ; therefore e the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy .
12 " Honor your father and your mother , that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you. 13 " You shall not murder . 14 " You shall not commit adultery . 15 " You shall not steal . 16 " You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor . 17 " You shall not covet your neighbor's house ; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor ."
18 All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking ; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance . 19 Then they said to Moses , "Speak to us yourself and we will listen ; but let not God speak to us, or we will die ." 20 Moses said to the people , " Do not be afraid ; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain e with you, so that you may not sin ." 21 So the people stood at a distance , while Moses approached the thick cloud where e God was.
22 Then the Lord said to Moses , "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel , 'You yourselves have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven . 23 ' You shall not make other gods besides Me; gods of silver or gods of gold , you shall not make for yourselves . 24 'You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings , your sheep and your oxen ; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered , I will come to you and bless you. 25 'If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones , for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it. 26 'And you shall not go up by steps to My altar , so that your nakedness will not be exposed on it.'
21 Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord , how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times ?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times , but up to seventy times seven . 23 "For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves . 24 "When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 "But since he did not have the means to repay , his lord commanded him to be sold , along with his wife and children and all that he had , and repayment to be made . 26 "So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying , 'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything .' 27 "And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt . 28 "But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii ; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying , 'Pay back what you owe .' 29 "So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying , 'Have patience with me and I will repay you.' 30 "But he was unwilling e and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed . 31 "So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened , they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened . 32 "Then summoning him, his lord said to him, 'You wicked slave , I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 ' Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave , in the same way that I had mercy on you?' 34 "And his lord , moved with anger , handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. 35 " My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart ."
(Read Matthew 18:21-35)
Though we live wholly on mercy and forgiveness, we are backward to forgive the offences of our brethren. This parable shows how much provocation God has from his family on earth, and how untoward his servants are. There are three things in the parable: 1. The master's wonderful clemency. The debt of sin is so great, that we are not able to pay it. See here what every sin deserves; this is the wages of sin, to be sold as a slave. It is the folly of many who are under strong convictions of their sins, to fancy they can make God satisfaction for the wrong they have done him. 2. The servant's unreasonable severity toward his fellow-servant, notwithstanding his lord's clemency toward him. Not that we may make light of wronging our neighbour, for that is also a sin against God; but we should not aggravate our neighbour's wronging us, nor study revenge. Let our complaints, both of the wickedness of the wicked, and of the afflictions of the afflicted, be brought to God, and left with him. 3. The master reproved his servant's cruelty. The greatness of sin magnifies the riches of pardoning mercy; and the comfortable sense of pardoning mercy, does much to dispose our hearts to forgive our brethren. We are not to suppose that God actually forgives men, and afterwards reckons their guilt to them to condemn them; but this latter part of the parable shows the false conclusions many draw as to their sins being pardoned, though their after-conduct shows that they never entered into the spirit, or experienced the sanctifying grace of the gospel. We do not forgive our offending brother aright, if we do not forgive from the heart. Yet this is not enough; we must seek the welfare even of those who offend us. How justly will those be condemned, who, though they bear the Christian name, persist in unmerciful treatment of their brethren! The humbled sinner relies only on free, abounding mercy, through the ransom of the death of Christ. Let us seek more and more for the renewing grace of God, to teach us to forgive others as we hope for forgiveness from him.
