January 26th readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Exodus 2:11-3:22 ~ Matthew 17:10-27
Psalm 22:1-18 ~ Proverbs 5:7-14

Old Testament - Well, I debated posting up this water color of Moses killing the Egyptian in chapter 2 today, but the image probably captures things accurately enough.  We cannot hide from some of the things in the Bible that are not squeaky clean & perfect.  The Bible is not always squeaky clean & perfect in terms of the behaviors of people in the Bible.  Life is not always squeaky clean & perfect.  However God will ultimately make us squeaky clean & perfect - forever.  And in this life God can even redeem Moses after this act -

Please do read up more on this act of Moses' from Bob Deffinbaugh at bible.org at this link.  At this link you'll see this line from Bob - "We dare not seek to defend Moses in the murder of the Egyptian, no matter how cruel he may have been. Moses’ act was in defiance of the authority of Egypt, and it was premeditated murder (“he looked this way and that,” v. 12). While Moses’ method of dealing with this problem was wrong, we can see that his motivation was commendable. Moses sought to defend the oppressed. When he sought to rebuke his Hebrew brother for wrongly mistreating another Hebrew (v. 13), Moses revealed, once again, the disposition of a deliverer."  Moses was 40 years old when he killed the Egyptian.  Moses then escapes to Midian - an area on the eastern side of the Red Sea that was very dry and desolate.  Moses ends up living in Midian for 40 years -

In Chapter 3 today God speaks to Moses through the burning bush!  What I love about this is in verse 4 - "When the LORD saw that he had caught Moses' attention..." It seems like Moses probably could have seen this burning bush - and kept going.  He could have somehow walked on by - maybe because he had to get the flocks back home or he was late for dinner or who knows what.  He could have missed the adventure and the calling of his life.  But he doesn't.  He stops.  He investigates.  He has a conversation with God.  God caught his attention.  And I wonder in our lives today, is God trying to catch our attention?  Is God trying to tell us something important?  And are we just passing God by - or will we stop and investigate and have a conversation with God?

Exodus 3:14 is a biggee in today's readings as Moses asks God who he should tell the Hebrews who sent him - "God replied, "I AM WHO I AM. Just tell them, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" I AM WHO I AM  translates into Yahweh in Hebrew.  I read a cool little commentary that said when God speaks of himself, he says "I AM".  When we speak of God we should say "He is."  I like that.  He is.  I actually heard a sermon recently about the unchanging nature of God.  He is omniscient.  Omni-present.  Eternal.  He is wisdom.  He cannot learn anything, because he knows everything.  He is.  The Hebrew letters yud, hey, vav, hey (below) -- often depicted in English as YHWH or Yahweh -- spell the ineffable name of God:

Another powerful thing to note is that Jesus uses this same phrase of I AM and nearly gets stoned to death for sharing this truth in the Gospel of John chapter 8 verses 58 & 59 - "“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds."  Do you believe that Jesus is? So - when God says I AM! - what is our response?  He is!  :)  I like that.   He is.  A great commentary on the Burning Bush & I AM in Exodus chapter 3 is at bible.org at this link.

New Testament - Today in Matthew chapter 17 verse 20 stood out to me - ""You didn't have enough faith," Jesus told them. "I assure you, even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, `Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.""  As I think about this verse, I wonder about my own faith.  How much faith do I really have?  Do I have enough faith Jesus?  And in all of God's promises?  Or - am I hedging my bets?  Do I also place a lot of faith in my own power?  My own skills?  My own "smarts"?   Do I truly have complete faith in Jesus and Jesus alone?  If so, and if it was Jesus' will, do I believe that I could move mountains?  Could you?   I don't think that this idea of not having enough faith means that I need to "try harder" in any way.  I think it means I simply need to depend more - rest more - relax more - give more - to Jesus.  Trust in Jesus.  Trust that his grace is enough...  As a great Jeremy Camp song goes - "All of you is more than Enough, for all of me."  Is Jesus more than enough for you?

Verses 25 & 26 are awesome as Peter is about to ask Jesus about the Temple Tax - "But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, "What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the foreigners they have conquered?" "They tax the foreigners," Peter replied. "Well, then," Jesus said, "the citizens are free!""  Here we see that Jesus is recognizing himself as the King - and his disciples are the citizens who should not have to pay the tax.  But - as to not offend those who did not realize that Jesus was the King, he tells Peter where to find a coin, in the fish's mouth, to pay the tax. 

Psalms - Psalm 22 is an amazing Psalm.  This Psalm is the most quoted Psalm in the New Testament.  Re-read this Psalm again and see if you see parallels to Jesus' crucifixion?  There are a lot in this Psalm.   I'll list a few - Psalm 22:1a was quoted by Jesus on the cross - "My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me?"  As we see in Matthew 27:46 - "About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”–which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 

Psalm 22 Verse 8 - ""Is this the one who relies on the LORD? Then let the LORD save him! If the LORD loves him so much, let the LORD rescue him!"" We see in similar fashion in Matthew 27:42-43 - "“He saved others,” they said, “but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”

Psalm 22 verses 16 & 17 make me want to cry... "They have pierced my hands and feet. I can count every bone in my body." The piercing of the hands and feet of Jesus are apparent with how the crucifixion took place.  And these Psalm 22 verses are similar to John 19:33-37 - "But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”"

And Psalms verse 18 - "They divide my clothes among themselves and throw dice for my garments." Compare to John 19:23-24 - "When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. “Let's not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let's decide by lot who will get it.”"

Proverbs - Proverbs chapter 5 verses 12-14 are some sad verses to imagine saying in our lives - ""How I hated discipline! If only I had not demanded my own way! Oh, why didn't I listen to my teachers? Why didn't I pay attention to those who gave me instruction? I have come to the brink of utter ruin, and now I must face public disgrace.""  Do you love or hate discipline?  Do you demand your own way?  Are you listening to your teachers today?  Who are your teachers today?  Who is disciplining you?  For Whom will you not demand your own way?

Comments from you & Question of the Day - I realize that reading Psalm 22 and seeing some of the images I posted up can evoke a lot of emotions.  I am wondering, how often do you meditate upon Jesus' passion and death?  Do you do this just around Good Friday each year?  Or more often?  How do you meditate upon the Lord's passion and death?  Are movies like "The Passion of the Christ" helpful for you to do this?  Or are their other things you read or watch or do?  Do you think we should or should not meditate upon Jesus' passion and death more often than once a year?  Why or why not?  Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

Grace,
Mike

Comments

[anka]

does anyone have any explanation for math 16:28...a lot of times unbelievers say Jesus never did keep his word...I wondered if he was refering to the transfiguration that took place 6days after...but then he said "the son of man coming in his kingdom" so it can't be....Deep down i believe there is truth to that verse that i just can't see...I'd really like to have the opinions of others.....sorry I know it was yesterday's reading but I just can't help wondering....
God bless you all

[anka]

oh...it's actually 09:49am 26th jan where I'm at

[Ramona]

Exodus 2:11-3:22

I will probably come back to Mike question/thought of the day this evening, but know I need to address something I’ve just seen in the text, two things, that I’ve never considered before.

Moses, knowing he was adopted, seeing the life he had led as an adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter, and seeing the life of his biological people, chose to identify with slaves although he had not completely thrown off the comforts of being raised in the household of Pharaoh. Got used his act of murder to begin the removal of his identification to the palace and his privilege, He kicked him out of the “boat.” Moses also must have understood or knew his purpose as Israel’s deliver; however, he didn’t have a clue on how that was to be achieved.

I think many of us have some inkling, some vision, of what our purpose is; however, because we don’t know how that is to be fulfilled, we go off and do our own thing and mess up royally. We then don’t set goals (see Jan. 24th) because we are afraid to mess up again. Based on Moses’ story we see that God can have us go at least forty years to get the Egypt out of us although we are out of Egypt.

I also now think that Moses’ reluctance to go back to Egypt and lead his people out was not based on some self-perceived speech impediment, but based on his knowledge that he was a murderer. Even after forty years, people have long memories and I’m sure if someone in the palace committed murder, even if the people around at the time die off, the records would clearly record that even. After all inquiring minds want to know. People love to see the might fall. Hmmm!

Grace and peace,
Ramona

P.S. Anka--I belive you must look at that verse with a different understanding of what Jesus' Kingdom is. There are two. There is the Kingdom, geographical, that will arrive upon Jesus' Second Coming or Advent. Then there is the Kingdom that has been placed in the heart of every Believer. Theologians chime in on this especially if I'm wrong.

I have to get ready to get out of my house to head off to work (I'm still in my P.Js.), so I don't have the time now to give scriptures. However, Jesus states this Himself when He tells people at different points in the texts; The Kingdom of God/Heaven is "near" you.

[John]

anka,

I think you are right that the verse applies to the transfiguration. If you look at the Greek words for "coming" (Gk. erchomai) and "kingdom" (Gk. basileia) and tweak them with alternate meanings, then perhaps the verse reads like this:

"Verily I say unto you, There are some standing here, who shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man appearing in his royal majesty."

Peter and John commented on the transfigurion:

2peter 1:16-18
"We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain."

John 1:14
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only..."

On the mount, to those three (some), Jesus pulled back the veil and gave them a display of the glory He had promised.

[Micah Girl]

I was in the art museum yesterday with my little girl and we were walking around. So much of the art portrays the passion and I was thinking about the fact that these beautiful art works were the Word of God for illiterate people through the ages and was wondering why I don't usually stop to ponder the beauty of them. And although I didn't have long periods to meditate (I was with an almost 4 year old after all) I really was touched in a profound way by the artwork. What is our modern equivalent to this creative work? Our PowerPoint slides and our video clips? I'm not downing technology--I use it a lot for worship services--I just wonder what more beautiful ways we could use it.

[anka]

thanks Ramona and John.When I watched the passion I think it was the first time I actually came to understand what my sin cost...I think we should think more about Christ's death as many times as we can in appreciation of just hateful sin was to God that it made him decide to pay such a price...also how much Jesus loved people enough to ask for their forgiveness even though they treated him so badly.
God bless you all

[Andrew B]

Re Mike's question about "The Passion of the Christ": 'helpful' is a rather weak word to describe its impact. It certainly gave me a much deeper awareness of what the crucifixion invloved. For quite some time after, images from the film came to mind whenever we sang worship songs and hymns about Jesus' sacrifice.

So far, I have not been able to steel myself to watch it a second time.

[Andrew B]

"But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours." Mat 17:27

" ... so that we may not offend them ..." Why was it important not to offend them? Jesus was not shy about offending the Scribes and Pharisees. Why were the temple tax collectors not to be offended? Was it because they were well meaning guys innocently doing their bit to serve God as they saw best?

[Emogene King]

I thought I would answer the roll call from the 23rd (I am behind on reading commentaries.
1. Emogene King
2. Near Tyler, TX
3. Read bible early in the day--usually get online later.
4. Read in area with good light in my bedroom.
5. Enjoying my trip through the bible. I am ashamed to say it is my first time (to read through it in a year)--although I am a senior citizen and been a Christian since chilhood.
It has been a blessing--wish I had done it years ago.

[Claire]

Am I understanding this correctly...in Matthew Ch. 11:14...is Jesus telling them that John the Baptist is really Elijah re-incarnated? Which had been prophesized earlier? My friend Pat and I are truly "into" a lot of GREAT DISCUSSIONS over this Bible Study. Thanks for giving us this opportunity Mike.

[mich]

what's the significance of the fish? why is peter told he'll find the money there?

[Ramona]

Claire,

I read that verse as not the re-incarnate of Elijah, but the spirit of Elijah. Elijah proclaimed in the desert and he spoke out what was in and a sin, even to a king, Ahab (I Kings 17). In other words what they did in society was prepare the people to receive the soon coming King of kings.

But don’t take my word, stick around and read along with us.

[Ramona]

Mich,

I’m not sure if there is anything significant about the fish except fishing was Peter’s occupation. Jesus sent him to do something that he knew and with what he was familiar. I guess you can extrapolate out that Jesus will use us in our occupations to take care of our financial obligations. Did you notice that Jesus told him to look in the mouth of the “first” fish? You don’t use the word first if you mean only so Jesus was expecting Peter to do a little work.

[John]

Andrew B.?
Re: not offending them...

A plausible answer to that question was given in a sermon in Arizona. Excerpted below.

Summary: Before the tax incident: Disciples exhibiting some big egos and "PRIDE", then you see Jesus' unwarranted humility and instructions to Peter (Jesus sets an example), followed by Jesus' teaching or remarks on the matter to disciples.

The pattern: PROBLEM - EXAMPLE - TEACHING

"it is worth pointing out that this particular episode falls between two episodes recorded for us in Mark. On the way back to Capernaum from their encounter with the demon-possessed boy and his father, the text we considered last Lord’s Day, Mark tells us that the disciples fell to arguing about which one of them was the greatest. When they got back to Capernaum, the Lord brought their argument up and asked them about it. That is the subject of our next paragraph, Matthew 18:1-9. So, taking Mark and Matthew together, it seems that the conversation on the road to Capernaum about which of the disciples was the greatest, occurred just before this conversation between the Lord and Peter about the temple tax, and the Lord’sresponse to their conversation took place just after it.

In other words, on both sides of this conversation about the temple tax was the demonstration of the disciples’ pride. They were arguing among themselves, in the first instance, about which of them was the greatest and, in the second instance, the Lord was teaching them not to think more highly of themselves than they ought to think and to love and practice humility before others. Pride is in the air at this moment in Capernaum.

It is not difficult to see that Jesus is dealing with that pride in his discussions with Peter about the temple tax just as he will deal with his disciples about the same thing in his next remarks.If a man is arguing in public that he is greater than some other man – and, somehow we expect that Peter was in the thick of that argument – and if that argument is between believers, well,they have lost sight of something supremely important and need to be slapped up the side of thehead. And that is what the Lord does. He tells Peter and the disciples in no uncertain terms that he had rights that he never claimed precisely to do good to others. That man who is worrying about his status and his station, the man who wants to be above others, in that moment and in that attitude is no follower of Jesus Christ. That spirit is the exact opposite of the spirit of a man who forgets himself and his rights and his reputation in order to do good to others and help them.What the Lord is going to need from Peter and the other disciples, and, thankfully, what he will eventually get from them, is a spirit of self-denial, a humility that frees them to forget themselves so that they can live and act and speak on behalf of others."

http://www.faithtacoma.org/sermons/Matthew/Matthew2.20.05.pdf

[John]

Anecdotal from a messianic Jew giving a talk to a conference. I tried to find source, but could only find repetition of the same story. Hence the term anecdotal:

In Jesus' day: Old Testament was written on scrolls, copies were kept in synagouges. There were no chapter and verse markings on scrolls. Just seperate scrolls for each book of the Old Testament.

If someone had a question of the local Rabbi/teacher that involved the scriptures. Often the Rabbi would cite the first verse of a chapter. The listener would know it as such and go study the whole chapter for his answer.

Forgetting the theological arguments surrounding Christ's cry: "My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me?"

I like to think that in that moment, Jesus Christ, ever the teacher - was citing the first verse of Psalm 22 to the people on Calvary so they would go home and study the Psalm and see the similarities and "Believe in Him".

This would be in addition to what was going on between Jesus and the "Father". But it is just conjecture :)

[John]

I prefer to focus on the Ressurection.

I have watched "The Passion of the Christ" four times: once at the theater, three times on DVD at home. the Brutality does help me to remember the price paid by Christ.