MOVED pages!!

I have finally caved. Yep, it’s true. I have merged all of my blogs into one spot. Go check it out:
http://followingjesus87.wordpress.com/

Exodus 21-23

“These different regulations are as remarkable for their justice and prudence as for their humanity. Their great tendency is to show the valuableness of human life, and the necessity of having peace and good understanding in every neighbourhood; and they possess that quality which should be the object of all good and wholesome laws-the prevention of crimes.” (Adam Clarke) -on Exodus 21-23

This segment of the Scriptures is divided into a couple different "categories":

Case laws (Rights of slaves, laws protecting human beings, laws dealing with property and compensation)

Social and Religious Commands

Ritual Calendar

God's Presence and how He would conqueror the promised land

It is important to remember the basis for why God gave the Israelites these laws, and why they are important for us as we continue our daily walk with Jesus Christ. LOVE: These things are out of God's love for us as His beloved children, and this is why we should seek to honor Him in each of these areas and in all of the areas of our lives! Remembering the deliverance that God has given to us!

Last night I watched a particular episode of NCIS: LA where a woman entered the country, became a housekeeper, and was worked to the bone--serving late, getting very little sleep, and beaten if they did not like the way she did things. Yes it is a tv show, but  this is what happens. We just don't think about it, or see it in the media. If we do see it, we look away at the injustices.  Even though we do not have people we typically call "slaves" today, we have them. Wives, mothers, maids, housekeepers, nannies, prostitutes who have pimps, those stuck in human trafficking, etc. These are all people who typically fit that category of slave. Some fit the job title more appropriately, while others just scream wrong or INJUSTICE. Just because they serve in these positions (housekeeper, nannies, wives) and have given themselves to this work (whatever it may be), it does not mean they are to be taken for granted, neglected, or harmed in any way. A lot of times people, especially if they are illegal, are taken for granted. We get in this "I am better than you" mindset, and this is what God is warning us against: the severity of our actions against others. We need to be compassionate and loving others everyday in whatever way we can, while still wholly pursuing God's justice!~

Much of the Scriptures in this passage still apply to us today: think of the passages on an ox mauling a human being. The ox is to be killed, but if the owner knew of its tendencies (perhap teaching them)--they should be charged. Doesn't sound to different than what we ought to do if a dog mauls another, does it? Or, how about this one: if a ox goes in and eats of another's field--restitution should be made. What if someone's dog eats of all of our crops planted in our backyards? Or, completely destroys our yards? Would we not expect the same thing to be done? The Old Testament definitely applies to us today! Take time to soak it in!

 It is not about favoritism. It is not about always doing what we may want to do. It is about honoring God. It is about pursuing justice.  It is about pursuing justice no matter what--even if it means helping those who hate us (see Exodus 23:5), in order to show God's love and justice. "The social laws are framed by worship!" Worship. Worship is what to be our heart's aim, and the reason for why we choose to honor God, love all others, love people, and pursue justice!

What helps me is the note given on Sabbath rest in Exodus 23:12. It is for rest and relief that the sabbath is to exist. God has given us the sabbath to bless us... to bless those around us also!  In later part of Exodus 23, God declares that His presence will go before me. God will be my guide. He can send terror into the hearts of those we may encounter. God will be glorified; we need only to seek His face and be completely obedient to Him! We need not to hang onto the concerns of this world, but trust that God will have His way. Little by little is the phrase God uses when describing the process of eliminating Israel's enemies. It wasn't an immediate process, but it was for Israel's benefit. Trust even when the process seems so slow...He IS still working.

I enjoyed how well the passages fit together, and it all boils down to how we treat others. Exodus 22:21-27 really shows how to treat another. Exodus 21:5 gives a picture of the Christian believer. We are given freedom, but it is that tremendous love for God that keeps us seeking Him and seeking to serve Him!

Exodus 20:12-26

There are three parts to today's passage (Exodus 20:12-26).

A. Commandments that relate to both God and man. (12-17)

B. The people's fear and Moses comfort to them. (18-21)

C. God's command for Israel to build an altar where they could worship God. (22-26)

The last six commandments:

A. Honor (revere) (burdened with) your parents. Blessing: "Your life may be long in the land God is giving you" Bottom line is God blesses those who honor their parents. It's caring for our parents. It's allowing ourselves to have that deep caring for our parents, and doing what is right in God's sight!

B. Do not murder. What I found interesting was the reminder I came across that there is a distinction between murder and kill. We are instructed not to kill without any legal reason. This only makes a difference if there was a point of having to do it to protect ourselves if we were gravely in danger. It opens up the verse and reminds me that there is a difference...

C. Do not commit adultery (see Matt 5:28). D. Do not covet or steal (see Eph 4:28). E. Do not lie to our neighbors. These all really boil down to a heart issue at some level.

Israel and Moses:

The Israelites were very fearful, hearing God's mighty voice, air filled with smoke, seeing great thunder and lightening, sounds of the trumpet. Moses comforted them. How could he comfort them? He knew God's love. How did he know the love of God? Moses had a relationship with God!  The fear of God would keep them from sinning against God.

Altar:

Israel saw God and His might for themselves. God commanded them to make no idols, but worship the Lord alone. God called them to make a specific altar that would not be defiled: a place where they could worship God, sacrificing to Him, and God would come to them and bless them.

Exodus 20:1-11

The Ten Commandments is brought to us out of God's great love for us. He begins instructing Moses of the Ten Commandments, by stating what God has done for them. Likewise, we need to think on what God has done for us. We should seek to glorify God and honor Him with our lives--because of God's great love for us.

Two more commadments are given that go with how we treat God. With the whole thing, we should be asking:

• Are we showing Him our love? 
• Genuinely loving Him? 
• Or, do we only love Him when He does good things for us? 
• Where are our hearts at? 

These are the questions we should be asking ourselves.

The layout of the Ten Commandments is like this:

God reminds Israel (and us) what He has done for us. We may have not been literally trapped in Egypt as slaves, but we were slaves to sin...and it is only because of the power of God through His son Jesus Christ that we have been. set. Free.

There are four commands that go directly with loving God:

1. We are to have no other gods before our great God- Yahweh.
   
2. We are to not have idols, or bow down and worship these. Pulpit Commentary shares this significant insight:
   
   "Verses 4 and 5 are to be taken together, the prohibition being intended, not to forbid the arts of sculpture and painting, or even to condemn the religious use of them, but to disallow the worship of God under material forms."
   
   There is a blessing found inside verses 6. God lavishes His love on those who love God and keep His commands. There is also the warning God gives to us: "I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me," (verse 5). God is a jealous God. He has poured out everything to us--willingly calls us His children though we were once His enemies. That should draw us ever close to Him. But if we turn our backs on God,... woe to us!
   
3.  We are to not misuse God's name. Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible reminds us why this is to be a serious thing, just read: "the name of God ought never to be mentioned but in a grave and serious manner, and with an awe of the greatness of his majesty upon the mind." We take God's name too loosely instead of recognizing the great POWER of God even at the sound of calling out His awesome name! We fail to recognize the greatness of His name!
   
4. Ahh yes, the last of the four: Sabbath. This is another thing many of us do not do well or often enough. Taking time to literally rest and remember what God has done in our lives and what God is going to do in our lives and the lives of others. We need that time of reflection, thinking upon God and His Word, how He has worked not only in our lives but the lives of others. The Sabbath day is to be a blessing, but we often take it for granted... We need to come back to the true meaning of Sabbath and what God intended it for.

I came upon this quote a few days ago. David Murray wrote: "Redemption brought the Israelites into a relationship with God, which they were to respond to with grateful obedience." It wasn't a mere "earn it and you can be with me." They were already given access to God and His divine riches! The relationship always comes first, and obedience will follow. The Ten Commandments are a way to help us show our gratitude for all God has done for us, and to show our love for Him! It is to help us keep our gratitude and keep our relationship with Him "happy and healthy" as Murray says in his book (Jesus on Every Page)

Exodus 20:4-6

These are the words found in the study notes portion of my Bible:

"Yahweh demands exclusive covenant loyalty. As the one true God of heaven and eath, Yahweh cannot and will not tolerate the worship of any "other gods"."

God demands loyalty!

Today's focus is verses 4-6, which say:

4 You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

This passage is adding onto the first commandment, which was to have no other gods! We need to devote ourselves to God wholly. In serving Him wholly, we need not to make idols or statues. We should worship God and Him alone. Materials themselves aren't bad, but where is our focus? What do we spend our time thinking about? What do we place value upon? The things themselves are not sin, but how we use them. When we worship statues of angels, a celebrity, or something else, it is a sin. We need to worship our maker, not the created. Choose to worship God, and Him alone! Guard our hearts, and be careful what we allow ourselves to place value upon.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary wrote: "4, 5. Thou shalt not make … any graven image … thou shalt not bow down thyself to them—that is, "make in order to bow." Under the auspices of Moses himself, figures of cherubim, brazen serpents, oxen, and many other things in the earth beneath, were made and never condemned. The mere making was no sin—it was the making with the intent to give idolatrous worship."

It is about not giving into idolatrous worship. We fall into damage of worshiping the things He himself made. That is what happened with the Egpytians, and they would not hear and obey God. They had their idols, false gods, and self-imposed worship, and they missed it all! They thought they knew religion, maybe even, but they definitely did not know God. The real question is: Do we know Jesus? Are we allowing God to be where our worship is? Or, are we worshiping things?

From ESV study Bible, this commentary is added on Exodus 20:4-6:

"You shall not make for yourself a carved image. The gods of both Egypt and Canaan were often associated with some aspect of creation and worshiped as, or through, an object that represented them. The Lord has made it clear, through the plagues and the exodus, that he has power over every aspect of creation because the world earth is his (9:29; 19:5), and thus he commands Israel to refrain from crafting an image of anything in heaven or earth for worship (20:4-5a). The prohibition is grounded in the fact that the Lord is a jealous God (see 34:14; Deut. 6:15), and that the Lord has no physical form, and should not be thought to be localized in one (Deut. 4:15-20). Israel saw what happened to Egypt when Pharaoh refused to acknowledge what was being revealed about the Lord; here Israel is warned against doing the same, while also being reassured that their God is merciful and gracious (see Ex 34:6-7)."

God is worthy of honor! He is God. He is the Creator of the Heaven and Earth. He deserves all of our worship! We need to be watchful of what we are doing: who do we give away worship to? Are we worshiping God and Him only? God is a jealous God. He asks for our loyalty, and He deserves it! We entered a covenant with Him. It is an ongoing covenant. We need to check for "leaks" in our loyalty. Are we allowing other things to come between our worshiping the Lord?

His love.

His mercy.

His greatness.

He is worthy!

"But showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments." (20:6)

Exodus 20:1-3

Today, I want to look at the first three verses. My goal is to hopefully take the time to study the ten commandments at a slower pace. Just take it one step at a time, no rushing... Just enjoying His Word. What does Jesus have to speak to me in the midst of this passage where we are reminded of how He has delivered Israel, saving them from their enemies, and given them instructions that would literally save and be an instrument of change in their lives if they would follow the ten commandments?

Exodus 20:1-3 says:

And 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 me.

The other day, I was able to center myself a little bit on verses 1-2. God giving the Israelites the ten commandments is an act of protection. God seeks to protect us. It cannot be about us constantly going the wrong direction in disobedience, and expecting God to get us out of our mess. What kind of love relationship is that? Often times, this is how we behave: God desires and deserves much more than that! A sincere, love relationship and honestly seeking Him! We need to take our relationship with God seriously, putting God at the center of our lives!

God spoke these things to the Israelites. They clearly knew what God was telling them. It was not foreign or over their heads. They knew clearly what it was that God said. The Israelites struggled with following through. Before too long, they would be seen breaking many of these things. We see many of the ten commandments broken repeatedly- worse than ever! Many are not taking God's promises and His Words seriously!

Look!!

God delivered the Israelites. He gave them things to follow. Was it out of meanness? No. Was it out of protection? Yes! So often we just see the ten commandments as "rules". The oh and no's come crawling out. We fail to realize something: God has given us the ten commandments to protect us, to keep focused on Jesus Christ, and to eye the prize and hope we have in Christ! Thank Him for His grace and seek to be obedient with your eyes focused on your love relationship to Christ! We are not to have any others gods. God loves us greatly. His mercy is far greater than anything we will ever experience in our lives. He loves us like no one else will. He forgives us like no one else will. Others can show us who He is, by their actions...but they fail in comparison. No one and nothing can compare to the greatness of God. We fail to understand who He really is! 

Does it mean we stop seeking, because God's ways are unfathomable? No, keep seeking and praying He will show you who He is, because He will show you who He is. He shows us through His holy word (the Bible)! Our prayer needs to be for clean hearts (Psalm 51) and to see a bigger glimpse of who God is, leaving behind our futility of understanding, trading it for trusting in Him, allowing Him to transform us~ seeking to put Him first! Seeking to choose Him and not put anything before our relationship with Jesus Christ! Removing all the stumbling blocks- things that clash with our walk with God.

We need to recognize the spiritual battle that is set before us, and choose to glorify God. We need to recognize that sin brings death and hurt! We need to come to a place of godly sorrow and genuine repentance, humbly coming to Him undeserving, but knowing His abundant grace is enough. Jesus Christ went to the cross (not because of what he did, but what we did) bearing all of our sins and inequity. All we have to do is come to Him, knowing He desires to give us life and free us from our chains (of sin, of our past...). He holds the keys to victory! Proverbs 22:1 states:

The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.

On Exodus 20:3, Westley writes these words:

"The first commandment is concerning the object of our worship, Jehovah, and him only, Thou shalt have no other gods before me - The Egyptians, and other neighbouring nations, had many gods, creatures of their own fancy. This law was pre - fixed because of that transgression; and Jehovah being the God of Israel, they must entirely cleave to him, and no other, either of their own invention, or borrowed from their neighbours. The sin against this commandment, which we are most in danger of, is giving that glory to any creature which is due to God only. Pride makes a God of ourselves, covetousness makes a God of money, sensuality makes a God of the belly. Whatever is loved, feared, delighted in, or depended on, more than God, that we make a god of. This prohibition includes a precept which is the foundation of the whole law, that we take the Lord for our God, accept him for ours, adore him with humble reverence, and set our affections entirely upon him. There is a reason intimated in the last words before me. It intimates, That we cannot have any other god but he will know it. That it is a sin that dares him to his face, which he cannot, will not, overlook."

See Isaiah 40 on the Greatness of God!

In view of God's greatest and knowing what He has done for us, why would we want to worship any other god? Why would we want to serve another god? It is God and God alone that we should seek to serve. Serving God, not sin. Serving God, not people pleasing. Serving God, not our stomachs. Make the decision to serve God and Him alone! Evaluate your walk with Christ, knowing everything in your life will either bring you closer to Christ or draw you away from Him!

Exodus 19:16-25

Read Exodus 19:16-25

God would appear before Moses, Aaron, and all the people of Israel. The people would know that God had spoke with Moses. In my study Bible, these words are found as a commentary for verses 16-20:

"All the sights (lightnings and a thick cloud, v. 16 smoke and fire v. 18) and sounds (thunders and a very loud trumpet blast v 16, 19) signify the Lord's presence (v. 18); the experience was to be a continual reminder to Israel that the Lord had spoken to Moses (see v. 18-21)"

These would be things that the people would never of seen or heard to such an extent. God's greatest would be shown to the people,  and they would not be able to deny it. It is through something so spectatular that the people would not be able to forget the experience that God would permanently etch in their minds!

Notice the people's reaction. Exodus 19:16 tells us how all in the camp reacted: they trembled. In my app for the Storng's Concordance, it defines that word used to mean this: "to shudder with terror; hence to fear; also to hasten (with anxiety):- be (make afraid, be careful, discomfit, fray (away), quake, tremble." In Hebrews 12:21, it states that "the sight was so frightening that Moses said he shook with fear."

In short, the people would of been terrified. They would want to run away, and would be incredibly uncomfortable, scared, filled with panic and anxiety like never before. They would see the mighty glory of God at its best, and would not be able to stand it. It says a lot about visibly seeing God's great glory and our own human fragile state...But, where are we in recognizing who God is, His glory, and holiness?

In this place of shaking with fear, Moses would bring them out of the camp to meet God. In their fear, they would meet their maker, the Creator of the Heaven of Earth! The Lord descended from Heaven in fire. The mountain wrapped in smoke. The mountain itself even trembled at the glory of the Lord! There in the midst of God's HOLINESS, His glory, the people and mountain trembled, and had great fear of the Lord. It would be an unforgetable experience. The Lord would speak to Moses then and there. It is at this point that the Lord descended onto the mountain and invites Moses up to spend time with Him~ to be alone with Him.

We need to recognize God's holiness. This is what it comes to. So often, we fail to realize God's holiness, and we keep walking in the same direction, not turning from it. We need to recognize God's holiness, and the glory He owns. Scripture teaches us that God will not share His glory with another. He is our Creator, Redeemer, and so much more. We cannot neglect this holy aspect of God and who He is!

God knows our fears and the emotions we face. He still instructs us during those people. In this place, the people were trembling with fear in seeing and hearing the Lord~ The same God who delivered them out of the hands of the Egyptians. The fear they felt leaving Egypt was much greater now when in the presence of God!

The question to ask myself is this one: Am I realizing God's holiness? Am I allowing myself to bask and treasure God's holiness? Am I giving God the glory that is His? Or, am I trying to seek my own glory? I want to be more mindful of Him, His holiness, and give Him the glory that is His! It is not mine...I want to close with Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on this set of verses:

"Never was there such a sermon preached, before or since, as this which was preached to the church in the wilderness. It might be supposed that the terrors would have checked presumption and curiosity in the people; but the hard heart of an unawakened sinner can trifle with the most terrible threatenings and judgments. In drawing near to God, we must never forget his holiness and greatness, nor our own meanness and pollution. We cannot stand in judgment before him according to his righteous law. The convinced transgressor asks, What must I do to be saved? and he hears the voice, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. The Holy Ghost, who made the law to convince of sin, now takes of the things of Christ, and shows them to us. In the gospel we read, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. We have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Through him we are justified from all things, from which we could not be justified by the law of Moses. But the Divine law is binding as a rule of life. The Son of God came down from heaven, and suffered poverty, shame, agony, and death, not only to redeem us from its curse, but to bind us more closely to keep its commands."

Exodus 19:7-15

Two things are really standing out today. Yesterday, I read Exodus 19. I chose to mainly focus on the first portion of it. Preparation and Boundaries are what really stick out for today. Both of these things need to be essentials in our lives. The things that preceded the Lord appearing to the people of Israel were: their consecration/spending time to prepare themselves and also they are told about the boundaries.

Read Exodus 19:7-15 here

The people's willingness to serve God is evident. In verses 7-8, Moses called the elders to tell them all that God had commanded him, and all the people said that they would follow and be obedient. They would  do whatever God asked them to do. They have seen God act in a bigger way than many ever had. They were going to be obedient to Him. Seeing doesn't always equal obedience. Scripture states: "Blessed are those who have not seen me (Christ) and still believe!" (Jn 20:29) Do we have a willingness to be obedient to God? In everything?

At this point, Moses returns to the mountain to bring before God the people's answers. God knew what was in Israel's hearts. He knew where they would stand in their obedience to Him. This was the time for Moses to be given instructions from God. God would be very specific in how He would come to them! (in a thick cloud) God would reveal the purpose behind it. (the people would always trust Moses, and his leadership. They would know that God is the One who guides him!)

Consecrate the people of Israel. In the consecration of God's chosen people, they would have to wash their clothes. The consecration would not be solely external though. It would be a time of sanctification, and inner purity and holiness. This would be a place of them realizing God's holiness in ways they would of never known before. It is realizing we ourselves have nothing to offer to a holy God except our broken hearts, but knowing how great, mighty, and majestic God really is. This was the point of seeking to sanctify. The people could not teach themselves how to come before God. God, using Moses, would teach them how to come before Him! How often do we take time to prepare ourselves before spending time with the Lord, particularly before going to church on Sundays? To prepare our hearts? Maybe even, preparing our hearts for our personal time of worship with Him. To bring things to Him!

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible adds this in light of verse 10: "Go unto the people; go down from the mountain, from the top of it, where he now was, to the camp of Israel...and sanctify them today and tomorrow... he was, to instruct them how they were to sanctify themselves in an external way, by washing themselves, as after mentioned, their bodies and clothes, and by abstaining from all sensual pleasures, lawful or unlawful: and let them wash their clothes; which the Jews understood not of their garments, but of their bodies also; teaching them by these outward things the necessity of internal purity and holiness, to appear before God."

Verse 11 is very specific. God would come down and all the people would be watching Him. No one would escape God's awesome presence! Giving God our best...taking time to prepare and consecrate ourselves, so we may honor God. Bringing all to Him. Seeking to come to Him with clean hearts. It is not solely about external cleansing, but the inner cleansing. The heart is dirty and filthy as it says in Jeremiah. We need God. We need Him to cleanse us!

Boundaries: They are a necessity whether we realize it or not. God has given us boundaries to protect us. Boundaries help us know God more deeply. He has given us boundaries for a reason. We cannot ignore the boundaries He has placed into our lives. We may wish to move the boundary marker, but we cannot. We need to keep it in place, and honor Him in the process by being obedient. For me, one of those boundaries is knowing my limits physically. I wanted to move everything around if it meant being able to go on a trip this weekend, but it was outside my boundaries given to me by God. God has given me boundaries to protect me. I need to be obedient, and allow God to protect me by staying within the boundaries. When we go outside the boundaries, we will face consequences. Think about the law of the land: what happens when we speed and are caught? We face consequences. Boundaries are essential! Boundaries are put in place to protect us! We need to be obedient to God, and allow Him to protect us by staying within the boundaries! What boundaries do we have that we often have the most trouble with? Are we committing ourselves to staying obedient?

Exodus 19:1-6

On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 2 They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, 3 while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people 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 therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all 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 people of Israel.” (Exodus 19:1-6)

In this whole paragraph, what sets out is Moses' relationship with God and God's deliverance. At the end of vs 4, God states: "I...brought you to myself." God's deliverance is what has been at work. The Israelites did not see it until it arrived! They were freed from the slavery and all they faced in Egypt. In light of what God has done for us, we need to give ourselves to Him. Apostle Paul writes this in Romans 12, similar to this passage in Exodus: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship."

What are we doing in light of God's great mercy?
I wonder what Israel was doing after all God had done for them. How were they living differently? From what we have seen so far, they lived much like we do: in complaint, in not seeking Him, in demanding things without realizing the essence of His timing! What are we doing in light of what God has done for us? Or, do we forget depending on the day? Do we live like nothing ever happened? Scary thought, isn't it?

Verses 4-6 is God's Words directed at the people, but also speaks directly to us:

They have seen God work, just as we have. God has done incredibly things in our lives that only HE could do! Now, (in light of experiencing God) how will we serve Him? Reminded of Romans 12:1-2.  In verse 4, God speaks about how He has brought the Israelities to himself. God has done the same for us. God has sent His only son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins, and raised Him to new, vibrant, amazing life. We are given salvation and eternal life! We are given ACCESS to God!! We are no longer God's enemy, but are now a friend of God. God provided a way to reconcile us to Himself. He did the same thing to Israel. He provided a way. He saved Israel, just as He saves those who choose to trust in Him. <3

It's a relationship! We need to make the decision to obey God's voice no matter what the cost, and keep in step with His spirit, seeking to glorify Him in everything, God has wonderful things He is seeking to do. He doesn't want gifts, but our hearts. This is the perfect sacrifice He desires: a broken, contrite heart. Our motive shouldn't be what God can do for us, but what we can give to Him!!

The whole thing is about what God has done for us through His precious son Jesus. He has come and given us better life than we could ever know. More freedom than we could ever experience in this world. It goes back to our relationship with Jesus. What kind of relationship do we have with Him? Is it an open and honest one? Are we coming with a repentant heart? This is what God wants. He wants us to come Him. He longs to welcome us. We need to come to Him with brokenness, and seeking to be obedient to Him. It's about our love relationship with Him!

¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
¹⁷ My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart
    you, God, will not despise. (Psalm 51:16-17)

He are His. He longs to be with us. Are we giving in our relationship with Christ? Or, consumed with taking? We are His chosen possession. He delights in being with us! Are we seeking to glorify God? Are we seeking to please Him and Him alone?!? Or, are we trying to please everyone else?

Exodus 18

So often, we spend ourselves in doing. We continually find ourselves doing, doing, doing. Before chronic illness, it may have looked like this: Sunday: church; Wed: serving with the youth; in between: serving excessively wherever I found myself. One of the biggest things that hits me is discernment. We need discernment in knowing where the Lord is leading us to serve. We are not meant to meet every need. We need to pray and wait on God. God may be leading us to not serving in that area, because God has a specific person to join Him there to build up His Kingdom. Our biggest mistake is in doing without seeking God's awesome guidance!

Thinking about on the last few months, I worry about those who continually spend themselves without seeming to have their time to recharge. We need to wait on God, seeking His face, and seeing how He is wanting us to serve Him. It is not to be a "what can I do for God today", but a "How does God want to use me today". The difference is monumental-seeking to depend on God!

Moses realistically is not much different from today's pastors and servants of Christ. He continually gave himself to God, to Israel. God spoke greatly to Moses through Jethro (Moses' father-in-law). Let us read what God wants to speak also to us!

Wise, fatherly advice:

Jethro knew how God had been working--delivering Moses and Israel. God brought Israel out of Egypt (vs 1). Moses trusted Jethro and God, so Moses' family (wife and two sons) were sent to Jethro to be cared for. In this passage, Jethro and Moses' family were coming back to him (vs 2-7). God was providing for Moses and his family. He brought protection upon Moses' family!  In this area, I know we need to be like Moses. We need people we know we can trust with our family. So if for any reason we need help, we have others who will be there for us!

Now, for the godly advice:

Moses had a special relationship with Jethro. They had a deep relationship. They had a steady, firm relationship where they could confide in one another and be honest. We need that kind of accountability, where we can freely turn to one person with whom we can talk to about what is going on in our lives. This is exactly what Moses is doing starting in verse 8. We need someone to talk to about the good that we see God doing in our lives. Are we getting to share about the good that God is doing in our lives? Or, are we so concerned with the bad: the things that don't make sense? (talking about what is honestly going on in our lives is essential as we are seeking other believers' guidance, but let not the work of God pass us by!) This is what strengthens our faith~ talking about what God is doing! (See vs 11)  It led them to worship God together! We can talk about the good God is doing, praising Him together, and it could led us into a place of worship--worshiping the Lord together!

Jethro saw all that Moses was doing. He was the judge for the people, so from morning to evening he served as the judge as people sought God's Will. Read Jethro's advice to Moses in verse 17-23:

17 [Jethro] replied, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. 19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. 20 Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. 21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

Moses followed his father-in-law's instructions, and I bet Moses was mightily blessed as he carried out this new way of taking care of Israel. We may not be Israel, but we are Christ's bride: we are the Church. Jesus Christ came to save us! We are not meant to go at serving alone. More importantly, it is not the pastor's job to do all the work. We need to share the load, letting everyone go home satisfied. The pastor's job is to equip the saints (See Eph 4:11-16). The pastors are there to lead us, direct us, help us, and offer their discernment and counsel. Moses was brought the hard cases for him to judge. Why don't we allow our pastors to equip us, so we can be used to serve in God's Kingdom?

Given what we have in front of us, how can we better serve? How can we lighten our load, but give God our best? How can we serve Him more readily without burning out? Think it really boils down to discernment and seeking God's will in how we serve Him. Serving is good, but we can get 'caught up' in serving at times. (See Mary and Martha passage)

Exodus 17:8-16

Amalek Attacks Israel and Is Defeated
 

8 Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some men for us and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands grew weary; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; so his hands were steady until the sun set. 13 And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the sword. 14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a reminder in a book and recite it in the hearing of Joshua: I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called it, The Lord is my banner. 16 He said, “A hand upon the banner of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” (Ex. 17:8-16)

  What would a contempary aspect to this story? I think the song covers it: being very worn. In serious need of His deliverance! His strength!

Some things from the passage of Scripture that stick out:

1. The Amalekites came and fought with Israel. It wasn't Israel initiating. It was the Amalekites. Often times, we don't need to go far to find an attack upon us. We are constantly attacked physically and spiritually often. No one is exempt from the spiritual attacks. (See Eph. 6)

2. Moses had a plan: some men would fight in the war directly, but Moses would "stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in [his] hand". We need a battle plan of our own. We have a spiritual war that is on-going. Who do we turn to for support? Who do we confide in, to keep going and actively fighting? Who is helping us seeking Him? Who is helping us not give up?

Pulpit Commentary includes these words about verse 9: " I will stand on the top of the hill. It is implied that there was a conspicuous hill (gibeah), not a rock (tsur) in the near vicinity of Rephidim, whence Moses could see the fight, and be seen by those engaged in it...With the rod of God in my hand. Moses meant to indicate by this, that he looked for victory to God alone, and did not trust in an "arm of flesh," while, nevertheless, he sent his soldiers to the combat."

3. Moses took two men with him to the hill. Victory was found only in praising and seeking God!

4. The thing about being human is we get tired. Moses got tired. He began to get discouraged. When his eyes were not focused on God and the victory God gives, the battle got worse. These men with Moses, they had plans to help Moses and the rest of the Israelites. They used a stone. They helped Moses to sit down. They held up Moses' arms. As a result of Moses' seeking God and others helping Moses seek God, the Israelites won the victory. This is what we need to be about as the Church: seeking to GOD together, seeking to help each other, be there for each other, help each other win the battle in our own lives, be the support we each need, going to extreme lengths to help one another...

5. Seeking God and having accountability is how the battle was won for Moses and the Israelites. They each had a part to play. Some were on the front lines, some were praying, others were serious encouragers and served however they could...but each played a very important part...This is how it is to be in the Church. We may be different, but God has given us each a big part to play. IE) some are better at hugging and reaching out to strangers, others are more comfortable praying for others, some are better at giving their all and serving...but each have a role God wants us to use to glorify Him!

6. Winning this victory was worth writing down! The Israelites won the battle against Amalek and it was worth sharing with the Israelite generations.

7. After the victory, Moses built an altar and praised God. He called it "the Lord is my banner!" Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible adds this to the reason for this name: "he called the name of it Jehovahnissi; which signifies either "the Lord is my miracle" who wrought a miracle for them in giving them the victory over Amalek"... God had provided for the Israelites. Not only once or twice, but God continued to provide for the Israelites. Providing water from a rock. Providing victory in a war. God provided. Moses' trust in God and knowing God would bring the victory was essential!

Exodus 15:1-17:7

Their praise is followed by nothing but grumbling and complaints. Their thanksgiving is followed by unthankfulness. What happened to their hearts? What happened to their spirit of praise knowing what God can do? These are my thoughts that precede the time in the Word involving this passage of praise, then grumbling and complaints. What happened? And, how do we learn from what happened with the people of Israel?

Imagine going away to a conference, spiritual retreat, or a revival service. You walk away from that experience excited and rejuvenated. You are on fire for our great God. What happens after a few days or perhaps a week of not keeping that fire lit? We go from praisers to complainers.

Song of Praise (Exodus 15:1-21)

The people were in a place of absolute adoration for the Lord and exhilarated. They have seen God work. "Moses and the Israelites sang this song of the Lord.." As we will soon see, the Israelites left their spirit of praise, trading it in for complaining.

In verses 1-10, they are praising God, recounting what God had done for them in saving them and destroying their adversaries. God is most sovereign and He places His

strength on those He chooses.

In verse 11-13, it continues to be about praising God for who He is. There is no other God like our God. He is full of holiness, worker in miracles, and amazingly powerful. We get the awesome chance to know God, as He truly is! Many others do not know God! They are either like the Egyptians who doubt who God truly is and chase after God's children to destroy them; or like the other nations who only learn about God by the sharing what He has done. (ie…Rahab in Joshua 2). God keeps His promises! He does not fail us! He leads and guides us in the direction we should go. Our job is to stay obedient to Him! Looking back, some of the Israelites (more than 'some', I imagine) wanted Moses and Aaron to stop going before Pharaoh (See Ex. 5:20-21) and acting like God would have them act. What if Moses and Aaron disobeyed God like the people of Israel wanted them to? Then, they may have still been in Egypt. We need to join God where He is at work despite what others think or have to say!

In verse 14-21, there is such confidence in what God is getting ready to do… what God is continuing to do in the life of the Israelites. They had seen what God done to the Egyptians chasing after God's chosen people. They drowned in the Red Sea. Many others would learn how God delivered His people, and they would fear God and not harm God's people.

In this song, there is such praise about what God had done. Praising Him for delivering them from the Egyptians, praising God for who He is, and praising God for what God is going to do!

Sea of Complainers (Exodus 15:22-17:7)

1.  Grumbled against Moses saying, "What are we to drink?" (Ex. 15:24). Miracle: God provided a way for the bitter water, and it became safe for the Israelites. Promise to consider: Ex. 15:26

2. Grumbled against Moses and Aaron about food. (Ex. 16:2-3). Miracle: God provided Manna for the Israelites for forty years. Only they continually disobeyed Him. Yet, they still would not listen to God. (See Ex. 16:28-19)

3. Again at Rephidim they quarreled with Moses and said, "Give me water to drink." (Ex. 17:2) Miracle: God instructed Moses to strike the rock at Hereb with elders of Israel with him, and the water came from the rock.

God continually provided for the people of Israel. They need not complain, in order to "get God's attention". All we need to do is willingly come. I know, for me, what I am getting from this passage of Scripture is that: when we complain, we put God to the test whether we mean to or not. We need to continue to trust Him, and seek out emotional and prayer support from like-minded believers in Christ!

Let's keep praising Him, knowing He will provide. Let us rest assured, knowing He will provide. Let's take time to sit at His feet, and praise Him. Basking in who He is and what God, the Holy One, is all about! We cannot praise and complain at the same time, so which will we choose to do with the precious time we are given?

Exodus 10:21-14:31

It seems crazy (for me) to try to study such a long passage of scripture, but it makes sense. I wanted to look at plagues 9 and 10  as it relates to the Cross. It is through such darkness and Jesus' death and resurrection that leads to my own deliverance and the deliverance of those who choose to trust in Christ! Darkness, death of first born son, and the deliverance of the Egyptians are the key points that I think upon as I prepare to study these few chapters.

Plague of Darkness (Exodus 10:21-29)

This plague has similarities to what happened during the time Jesus was dying on the cross. First is the fact that there is entire darkness. People are stuck. No-one can see anyone else or go anywhere, because it is total darkness. When we are disobeying God and are His enemies, we cannot go anywhere. We cannot earn salvation. We cannot save ourselves, only God can save us! The darkness that many of us face is not physical, but spiritually. We often walk in spiritual darkness, because we are not seeking Christ.

Second, the plague of darkness is a three day event. (The period between Jesus' death and resurrection is also three days!)

Third, it relates to Jesus Christ, the cross, and the process of making salvation available to all people.

44 "It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last." (Luke 23:44-46)

The darkness was part of God's wrath. For the Egyptians, they disobeyed God and refused to listen and turn from their wicked ways. This is what it really boiled down to. The Egyptians severely mistreated the Israelites and served false gods, and God was working on HIS plan to free the Israelites and draw many to Himself. As hard as it is, the only reason Jesus went to the cross is because of me. It is because of our sins that Jesus was sent to the cross. Jesus committed no sin, but He willingly chose to carry mine (and yours). Why? God has loved us with an everlasting love. God loves us so much that He sent His only son to die on the cross, so that we may have the chance to no longer be God's enemies--but become His friends...His children! New life only becomes from Jesus' resurrection! Forever forgiven, because of the work God chose to do on our behalf! Immediately after learning about the darkness on that black Friday, the curtain is torn into two. We are no longer seperated from God. We are no longer subjected to animal sacrifices day after day, because we can't keep the law. We are no longer seperated from God, because of Jesus Christ! We can have a right relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ!

Plague of First Born Sons (Exodus 11:1-12:32)

God gave the Israelites favor in the eyes of the Egyptians. I think that the Egyptians learned who God is through all of this. (We know Rahab came to know the Lord through the work done in Egypt!) Moses went faithfully to tell Pharaoh the revelation God has given him about what would soon happen. Only the Pharaoh would not listen, instead he continued to threaten Moses...

The passover would be an important part in carrying out the plague. By placing blood of a lamb on their (Israelites) door posts, it would  serve as a reminder that they are His and the plague will not befall upon them. "The destroyer would not be allowed to come into your house to smite you." The Israelites were to eat of the lamb, the unblemished lamb, and soon they would be experiencing sweet freedom and deliverance. Two things "step out" of the passage. Unblemished lamb and eating of it. Jesus Christ is the spotless lamb who would be our "lamb"--our sin offering, and the One who saves us eternally from the punishment of our sins and the chains of sin. We can be free! To experience such freedom, we need to "feed" on the lamb: seeking Christ, being in the Word, and 'digesting' His Word by meditating on it! It is worship!

It's important to take the time to remember the freedom we have been given in Christ! Passover was a special feast and still is for the Jews. Do we take the time to remember and celebrate our freedom? No one Egyptian was spared from the plague. Statute did not matter. We all answer to God! We all need to know and follow Him!

Israel Delivered ( Exodus 12:33-14:33)

This has been a long time coming between Joseph's death to the passover! It's a whole lotta years! (400 years, easy) That included a large load of suffering; burdens that were too heavy for them to carry alone. But, God had a plan! God gave the people instructions for the Passover and Consecration. (entering His covenant first, enjoying His blessings, and Dedicating their first born to Him...He deserves all of us!) Following this instruction from God to Moses and the Israelites (it's about remembering what God has done for us and willingly sacrificing to Him!), God leads His people~ He made His presence known that He was going before them to lead them... The battle wasn't as picturistic as the Israelites would of liked, but there was a purpose for it. Pharaoh and his army would chase after the Israelites. It terrified the people, and they began praying. Even when we are terrified and scared to act, we need to continue to go forth in faith and the confidence that God will act on our behalf!....God used the Pharaoh and his army, so many others will come to know Him. What if failing and misguided leaders make us turn to God more? What if it makes us be obedient to Him and seek His face? What if it helps us share our faith and as a result many come to Christ? God has delivered us from so much. May we seek to glorify and honor our great God in everything that we say and do! This huge chunk of passage (Ex 10-14) reminds me of Romans 12:1-2 to sum it up:

" Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."