Posts Tagged ‘Moses’

Scripture reading for January 31st: Exodus 35-40

I love to have fun!  When I am visiting someone in the hospital and find a room full of people, I sometimes say, ” When I see this many people, the first thing I think of is taking an offering!”  I’m sure this helps clear out the room–I’m usually left alone before long!  Just kidding!

In our reading in Exodus today, Moses was responding to the Lord’s earlier instructions (Exodus 25:1-2).  The Lord told Moses to have the Israelites bring Him an offering.  He wanted those who were willing to give as their heart prompted them.  His job was to receive the offering from the people and use it for God’s intended purpose.

Some people feel that when they give, they give to the pastor or to the church.  They feel that money is not too spiritual and that giving is sort of worldly.  Sometimes, they just don’t understand why the church needs money and find ways to justify not giving any themselves.  God’s heart is that we become willing givers.  He is the original giver and sets an example for us that is hard to beat.  Everything we have has come from His hand!  He sends rain for the earth and crops.   His gracious giving is hard to understand, considering how unfaithful we sometimes can be and wasteful, too.

Jesus taught that our giving was a prerequisite for determining God’s measure back to us.  “Give and it shall be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38)  When we are stingy with our giving, we set limits on how much God can give back to us.  We open God’s hand when we open our hand and pocketbook.  These people in Exodus willingly gave a huge amount of gold, silver, bronze, oil and cloth.  They also freely gave of their time and talents to make what was needed for God’s house!  They gave so willingly and freely that Moses had to tell them to stop! (Exodus 36:6-7)

Wow!  As a pastor, I would like to experience that kind of generosity!  I would love to stand up on Sunday morning and beg the people to put away their offerings and not give that day!  However, when we understand that God our Father is a great giver and that He is blessed when we give Him an offering, why would I as your pastor want to hinder God’s blessing and measure back to you by telling you to hold back?  Giving is the one place in Scripture that God says you can test Him!  Malachi 3:8-12 instructs us to bring the whole tithe into the storehouse (where you are fed), and God will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing you cannot contain.  May the Lord open the windows of heaven on you as you “bring him an offering”!

“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound to every good work.” 2nd Corinthains 9:7-8

Scripture reading for January 30: Exodus 32-34

In our reading today, the nation of Israel quickly turned away from their commitment to obey God alone.  Moses was on the mountain in the cloud and fire for 40 days.  He was receiving the tablets with the 10 Words from the Lord.  The people came to Aaron, who was left in charge and asked for gods who would lead them.  Aaron gave in quickly and asked for gold earrings and ornaments.  The people gave freely and soon Aaron had fashioned a golden calf as the god that led the people from Egypt.  They made hasty plans for a festival, built an altar and sacrificed.  They bowed down to the calf-god  made by Aaron. God’s anger and jealousy was aroused!

God spoke to Moses about the idolatry and told him to leave Him alone so He could destroy them.  (Exodus 32:8-10)  God’s verdict–”They are a stiff-necked people.”  Stubborness is as the evil of idolatry and rebellion is as the sin of divination.  (1st Samuel 15:23)  Sin leads to death!  God is jealous!  (Exodus 34:14)  God had just written the tablets on which he emphasized with two commands the order to have no gods before Him and to make no idols.  (Exodus 20:3-6)  Moses smashed the tablets in holy anger indicating the breaking of God’s Word by the very people who had sworn to obey!  (Exodus 32:19; Exodus 24:3)

Moses, however did pray and intercede with God, asking Him to spare the people.  He asked on the basis of God’s reputation and promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Moses was well aware of the Covenant and God’s promises!  These were precious promises that caused these patriarchs to live by faith and walk by faith.  God listened but judgment still fell on those who sinned.

Moses called for those on the Lord’s side and the Levites stepped up.  They had to strap on swords and execute those who participated in the idolatry, even if it was their brother, friend or neighbor!   (Exodus 33:27-2)  Three thousand were executed that day.  Sin is deadly, particularly idolatry!  God is jealous! Israel was His Bride!  From her would come His Son, the Messiah!

The lessons for us today are plain.  This loving and compassionate God (Exodus 34:6-7) will not tolerate idolatry and sexual immorality.  These nearly always occur together because they are closely related.  Lying goes with them, too. Note Aaron’s response about just throwing the gold into the fire and an idol coming out!  We are all born into idolatry.  The “self” or “Big I” is our first and biggest idol!  We are stiff-necked because we don’t want to get rid of this idol and truly worship God.  The sword represents a slaying of the flesh!  The flesh must be crucified!  Idolatry is a work of the flesh.  (Galatians 6:19-20)  The sword of the Spirit, the Word of God brings conviction which can lead us to repent and forsake idolatry!  We must walk by the Spirit and allow His fruit to grow in our lives.

Bow your neck today in reverence and prayer to the merciful and compassionate Lord who paid to free us from the sin of idolatry.  No more stiff-necks among the people of God!  Jesus is interceding for us like Moses of old.  Instead of smashing the tablets, He kept them fully for us and shed His blood to cleans us from sin and death!  What a Savior!

Scripture reading for January 24: Exodus 19-20

Have you ever been afraid of God?  God carried the whole nation of Israel out of slavery in Egypt with a display of His power in the plagues.  The Israelites were protected and experienced God’s deliverance as they walked out of Egypt, laden down with silver and gold and other valuables.  God’s presence guided them in the Pillar of Fire and in the Cloud.  God was in their midst and provided miraculously for them again and again in sending the manna and quail and then providing water from the Rock.  These children understood the mercy of God, but the fear of God was not what it needed to be!  This holy fear or respect is a foundation for wisdom and life.  (Proverbs 1:7)

God led the children of Israel to Mt. Sinai where He gave instructions through Moses to the people.  They were to refrain from sexual relations, wash their clothes, and consecrate themselves to hear God’s voice speaking to them.  (Exodus 19:10-16)  On the morning of the third day, there was thunder and lightning, a thick cloud, and a loud trumpet blast.  When the trumpet sounded, everyone in the camp trembled with fear!  (Exodus 20:18-19)  The people begged Moses to speak to them, but did not want God to speak for they feared death if they heard Him speaking!  This must have been a very fearful encounter with God.  Fire and smoke, clouds, thunder and lightning, and a very loud trumpet created a atmosphere where people felt uncomfortable and under conviction.  Why would God bring these special people out of slavery to do this to them?

God’s stated purpose was to instill in them the “fear of God to keep them from sinning.” (Exodus 20:20)  He wanted them to have 20:20 vision and understanding that sin brings death.  God’s Word is holy and forever settled in Heaven.  It cannot fail or be changed!  (Matthew 24:35) The ten commandments that Moses received revealed sin in the heart of man.  They are the mirror of our soul showing our need of mercy and forgiveness.  They drive us to God for mercy through His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is only by grace that we are saved from the penalty of sin. (Ephesians 2:8-10) Our own efforts cannot keep the law because sin is ingrained in us through Adam. (Romans 5:12-14) When we understand that God’s holy Word is truth, we can repent and be forgiven.

As you read Exodus 20:1-17 today, ask the Lord to reveal his holiness to you and open your eyes to your need for holy fear.  Look at each commandment and see how these commands help us to love God and love our neighbor.  If you are breaking any of them, take time and confess with repentance.  This is the only way to perfect vision!  May you see clearly today and each day till you see Him face to face!

“Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid.  God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” Exodus 20:20

Scripture reading for January 20: Exodus 3-6

One of my brothers is a law professor.  He went to 4 years of college and over 5 years of post-graduate study for his degree.  My other brother is a surgeon.  He went to 4 years of college and 7 more years of graduate study for his degree.   God’s ‘graduate school’ sometimes takes 40 years to get the degree.  Some of us are in class right now and we think God has left us as a perpetual student (or maybe in the dunce chair).  But He is working with us just like with our forefather, Moses.

Moses was picked by God to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.  He knew of this early in his miraculous life.  First, the Hebrew midwives spared his life; they feared God and hid him.  Then God showed his parents a plan to save Moses’ life.  He was placed in a basket and released in the Nile river.  Pharaoh’s daughter was bathing just downstream.  She “found” Moses, named him and paid his own mother and sister to raise him.  God’s sense of humor in action!

Moses had an unusual life.  He grew up in Pharaoh’s household and was taught in Egypt’s schools.  At 40 years of age, he tried to protect his  Israelite brothers by killing an Egyptian who was mistreating them and ended up in the back side of the desert, a wanted man.  He went from a prince in Pharaoh’s household to a fugitive wanted for murder in a story as bizarre as Joseph’s in Genesis.  Sometimes we think we know God’s plan and we end up in the back side of the desert.  Life takes strange turns.  Stuff happens!  “Where is God now?” we ask. We get involved in life again where we find ourselves, but wonder what went wrong.  Ever been there?

God’s delays and detours are for His purposes and our preparation.  When God appeared to Moses at the burning bush in the desert 40 years later, Moses was called to take off his shoes and then go and deliver God’s people from slavery in Egypt.  Moses wisely took off his shoes but made excuses about  going.  God met Moses and answered each excuse.  Moses is said to be the most “meek” of men.  (Numbers 12:3) God honors humility and brokenness.  Moses, after 40 years in the desert university, has learned a valuable lesson.  He can’t do anything on his own!  He needs God at each turn.  You might say that Moses graduated with his BSDD!  He passed the exam and was ready for his assignment!

Are you in the School of the Desert?  Are you open to learn humility and brokenness?  What area of your life needs the most help right now?  Submit it to the Lord and wait patiently on Him.  He will help you pass the course!  He’s preparing you for your assignment too.

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility towards one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”  Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. 1st Peter 5:5-7

Today’s reading:  Genesis 1-2

The journey begins!  May the Lord bless your new year and walk with you each step of the way!

I am so thankful that you have chosen to trek with me through the Bible this year.  We are starting at the beginning and I just love these first chapters of Genesis.  To think that Moses recorded this for us  about 1500 years before Christ is amazing!  According to Scripture, he was moved on by the Holy Spirit and wrote down a message given him by God. (2nd Peter 1:19-21)  This record of creation is given to us by the only one who was there to witness it all!  Without this record, we could only speculate about where we came from and why we are here in the type of world that we live in.  In fact, that kind of speculation is what is going on with many intellectuals today who deny God exists or that He can be known by us.  It is being taught in our school systems to our children and they are confused!

God made all that is simply by speaking!  What powerful words!  As He spoke, out of nothing, creation appeared!  Psalm 33:6 states: “By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.”  We serve a God who breathes out stars, constellations, and galaxies that stretch out for countless millions of light years in every direction from the earth! (Recommended Resource–How Great is Our God by Louis Giglio)

Even more amazing is man himself!  Man made in the image of God!  Man created by God for a relationship!  Man walking with God and sharing rulership of creation with God.  The Trinity is implied here in the “our image”.  God creating man as male and female for a relationship with each other is also noteworthy!  His design has brought companionship and pleasure to man, who could not find what he needed with any of the animals!   We are special and unique!   Thank Him for your uniqueness and His purpose for your life.  Invite Him to walk with you today and this year!  It will be the most exciting way to begin a new year!  In His Love, Pastor John

Then God said, “let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created them.”–Genesis 2:26-27