~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Exodus 5:22-7:25 ~ Matthew 18:21-19:12
Psalm 23:1-6 ~ Proverbs 5:22-23
Old Testament - Exodus Chapter 5 verse 22 starts off our readings today with what seems to be an awfully bold question / complaint from Moses to God: "So Moses went back to the LORD and protested, "Why have you mistreated your own people like this, Lord? Why did you send me? Since I gave Pharaoh your message, he has been even more brutal to your people. You have not even begun to rescue them!"" That first question initially made me wince - obviously God was not mistreating his own people - Pharaoh and the foremen were. I don't fault Moses for this question, since he saw the Israelites suffering so much - and God didn't seem to fault Moses either as we see in the beginning of chapter 6 he tells Moses what he is going to do to Pharaoh - and he doesn't address Moses question / complaint. I think Moses was probably really instead trying to ask God what he gets at in the last sentence - why haven't you started your rescue of your people? Then, the second question in verse 22 above takes us back to Moses' words to God at the burning bush near Midian when God first called Moses to this task - "why me??" This second question kind of made me smile... I guess because I've probably asked this question of God a lot of times in my life in various forms - why are you asking me to do this? Why not pick someone else? Don't I have enough going on? How am I going to pull this off? Etc. Etc.... Etc.... any of these questions sound familiar to you? :) And yet, even in the midst of this protesting, God is still going to use Moses in a big way for his Kingdom purposes. I pray he will still use me in the midst of my protesting. Do you want God to still use you in the midst of your protesting? What's your protesting all about? Will you put your protest sign down now before God?
At the end of Exodus chapter 6 today we come across a short genealogy - only 3 of Jacob/Israel's son's are listed - as the third son, Levi, brings us to Aaron and Moses. I liked coming across this genealogy in today's readings. It's kind of a brief interlude in the "action" of the narrative. It's kind of like God saying to us - pay attention! These 2 guys, Aaron and Moses were real! Here's their real genealogy. This is a real factual history. And maybe this genealogy helps remind us of the reality of this book of Exodus before we soon get into the plagues... Below is an image of Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh by an unknown Netherlands or French artist from the mid-16th century - (image courtesy of metmuseum.org)
In Exodus chapter 7 we read about Aaron's staff becoming a snake and the plague of blood. It is interesting that Pharaoh's wise men & magicians did the same thing as these miracles with their "secret arts." However, it's obvious that what the magicians did was not as powerful as what God did - because God's snake wins! :) And, it is indeed ironic that the magicians turning water to blood would really only make matters worse for the Egyptians. I read commentaries that suggested the magicians were either coming up with illusions or potentially tapping into dark / demonic forces to make their tricks come to fruition. Check out tons more great info on the nature of the plagues, the magicians tricks, the pattern of the plagues and the point of the plagues in Bob Deffinbaugh's essay titled "The Finger of God" at bible.org at this link. This is worth the read before we dive into all the plagues over the next few days! Below is an image of the plague of blood along the river Nile:
New Testament - Today in Matthew chapter 18 we read about Jesus' strong teaching on the need for us to forgive others in our life. And not just to forgive someone once... but many many many times. Why? Because God has been so gracious to us - he has forgiven us for our many many many sins through our faith in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. If God has forgiven us many times over - who are we to not forgive others many times over as well? Are we better than God? :) We all know the answer to this one. No. But, we are all called to forgive as gracefully as God has forgiven us. We are to forgive, just as we have been forgiven. Is there someone in your life today that you need to forgive? Will you? Below is the famous painting by Thomas Blackshear II simply titled "Forgiven":
In Matthew 19 we read a discussion between Jesus and the Pharisees on divorce. The context of this discussion basically revolved around 2 Jewish schools - Shammai and Hillel - and their differing viewpoints in Jesus' day on Deuteronomy 24 verses 1-4: "If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the LORD . Do not bring sin upon the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance." From the NIV Study Bible commentary - The Shammai school held that "something indecent" from verse 1 above meant "marital unfaithfulness" - the only allowable cause for divorce. Hillel emphasized to the preceding clause, "who becomes displeasing to him" in verse 1 above - they would allow for a man to divorce his wife for anything she did that he disliked. Jesus in the midst of these 2 viewpoints seems to take to the side of Shammai - but, only after first pointing back to God's original ideal for marriage. So... there you have the context. What does that mean for us today? I honestly will say that I don't know. I do know that many folks participating in this blog are divorced. And many are married. And many are single. So... I guess I'd encourage you to read more or study more about the topic of divorce if you feel God is calling you to this. I do believe in God's grace in each of our lives and I believe in Jesus... Bible.org does have a pretty long overview of Marriage, Abortion and Divorce at this link - I haven't read it all, so I can't say that I agree with everything at this link... but, if you're interested in diving more into this topic you may want to read. Also, Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Matthew chapter 19 titled "Questions About Marriage and Divorce" are at this link. No matter what happens in our life - marriage, divorce, health, sickness - we always have One whose love will never fail us:
Psalms - Psalm 23! What a Psalm!! This is the first Psalm for sure that I ever really read and was comforted by without a doubt. Psalm 23 is a profession of joyful trust in God as the good Shepherd-King by David. I like The Message's take on Psalm 23 at this link. Bible.org has a wonderful commentary on Psalm 23 titled "A Psalm that calms the soul" at this link.
Proverbs - Proverbs chapter 5 verses 22 & 23 are just amazing wisdom for each of us of why we should FLEE from sin... don't entertain it at all! "An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him. He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his incredible folly." Please know that if for some reason you are caught in the ropes of sin, please know that Jesus can truly set you free. Please pray for this freedom in Christ. Only in Christ are we truly set free! Please seek this freedom in Christ with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Don't die for lack of self-control. Don't be lost because of the folly of sin. Please accept the free gift that Jesus offers you this very day.
Worship God: Have you seen the video yet of a young princess (see her T-shirt :) reciting Psalm 23?? This is a must see. I pray this inspires you to memorize and meditate upon Scripture!
Is the Lord your shepherd? Click here to meet your shepherd!
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture this week: "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace." Colossians 3:15 NIV
Comments from You and Questions of the Day: Based on the topic of divorce that comes up in today's Matthew readings, please do share your wisdom / thoughts / books / websites / other resources on this topic. Please be graceful in your remarks as many of our participants have gone through a divorce. If you yourself have been through a divorce, and are willing to share your learnings / experiences from it, this could be beneficial perhaps to some others who might read your comments. But I can understand if it's too much to post up publicly thoughts on this topic in this type of forum. Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless,
Mike
Psalm 23
THE SHEPHERD PSALM
Psalm23:1 "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want."
God will take care of us. The Hebrew word for "want" implies it is our "needs" God fulfills. God does not supply us what we want, some or most of the time those things are not good for us. God supplies us what we need, and nobody knows what we need better than Him.
Sheep usually in the Bible represent believers. Either people who believe, or people who will come to believe. Here is the truth about sheep: They are dumb and they are dirty and they are timid and defenseless and helpless. That is us Christians. That is why it is necessary and God wants us to be independently dependent upon him, to need him alone.
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Psalm 23:2-3a
"He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul."
Sheep will only lie down when they are well fed, fully watered and feel safe. God provides these basic needs for the the sheep and us Christians when we feed on God's word and rest in Him. We feel full and satisfied - restored.
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Psalm 23:3b
"He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." NIV
"The Hebrew word translated "paths" means "a well-defined, well-worn trail." That indicates again how stupid sheep are, because even when the trail is well laid out, they still need a shepherd. They are still inclined to wander away, no matter how obvious the path may be. The shepherd knows the trails. He has been there before, and the sheep trust him." - David Roper
Why does God do this? Why does God guide us down the path of the Christian walk? Does he do it because we deserve the guidance? No, God does it for His name's sake. It is for His Glory. If we could follow the path on our own, or conform ourselves into the image of Christ - it would take from God's Glory, and God shares His glory with no one.
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Psalm 23:4
" Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me."
Notice we are walking THROUGH the valley of death. It is only a shadow, and was conquered by Jesus for believers at the Ressurection. We do not fear death (evil) for the sting of death is gone - as believers we have eternal life NOW.
We don't doubt, because Christ is with us, and He protects us with the rod - never used on the sheep - but to drive off marauding predators (evil, sin, satan). The staff is used to pull the sheep from harm, to gently direct the sheep, and occasionally disipline the sheep. It is a comfort to know the Lord is looking out for us on our Christian walk.
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Psalm 23:5-6
"You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever."
You provide our needs while we are in the midst of the World. We are acknowledged as chosen by you (anointing), and our blessings overflow - as you provide us with everything we need.
goodness and love do not just "follow" us - in the Hebrew it is literally those things "pursue" us.
Ultimately we will dwell in the House of the Lord (heaven) forever and forever. Amen.
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2008
Posted by: John | January 28, 2008 at 04:10 PM
Proverbs 5:22-23
"The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him;
the cords of his sin hold him fast.
He will die for lack of discipline,
led astray by his own great folly."
The advice in proverbs 5 is given to the son and hopefully will be heeded.
What about his counterpart? the man who does not believe in God, does not love God, does not follow instruction.
He is described as wicked. The wicked man is ensnared by his deed of sin.
Jay Adams counsels: "Sinful habits are hard to break, but if they are not broken, they will bind the client ever more tightly. He is held fast by these ropes of his own sin. He finds that sin spirals in a downward cycle, pulling him along. He is captured and tied up by sin’s ever-tightening cords. At length he becomes sin’s slave."
MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. 1997, c1995. Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments . Thomas Nelson: Nashville
Paul says the wages of sin is death. The wicked man will die, led astray by his great folly (lack of wisdom) in not believing in God, loving God, and following God's instruction.
Posted by: John | January 28, 2008 at 04:21 PM
Exodus 6-7
When things don't go well for Moses and Aaron, Moses complains. 'Hey - you said you had my back, would provide all kinds of support and it ain't working. What gives?'
God is patient. Moses is still a baby believer - there is much work to be done on the clay. God just tells Moses what to do next.
Give Moses some credit. At least he went to God and complained. At least Moses did not just run back to Midian sulking and hurting.
How many times do Christians doing the work of God - find that things are not quite working out the way they think they should be in their works. How many times do we just say the "heck" with it, and run back to our perceived safe place hurting, sulking and mad at God? Thus disconnecting ourselves from God's fellowship.
Perhaps we need to go to God - go ahead and complain to God in prayer, then shut up and listen to God. Ultimately we need to trust in, rely on, and depend on God.
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Hardening Pharoah's Heart
The last two years, I have had people emailing saying what is fair about this? God is not allowing free will. God is setting up the game for His Glory? What gives?
There are two ways to look at this:
First - this is judgment time for Egypt, their gods, and the people who worship those gods. There was centuries of time for free will to be enacted by the Egyptians and a lifetime for the Pharoah. God is merciful and God is patient, but their comes a time when the cup of sin is full. Then comes judgment. There is no second chance - to say - oh - I had no idea, why didn't you warn me about this judgment? I want to change my mind.
I often think Pharoah and Egypt is a picture of the unbeliever. Here they are dead in their sin. After death for an unbeliever: There is no second chance, there is judgment. There is no purgatory, there is no excuse making - Rejection condemns them in this life, and how bad is the punishment - God will judge them on what they knew, and what they did with what they knew.
The penalty for rejection of God is death (spiritual) - in the OT, for rejecting the Gospel, and in Revelation. It never changes.
Second option: God is merciful. There are three Hebrew words for "harden" used in this story of Pharoah and the plagues. Initially, pharoahs chose to harden his own heart (I believe for the first six plauges), for the next three??? God just reinforced the predisposition of Pharoahs heart - so there would not be a false conversion. Finally on the last plague Pharoah had corossed the line, and God hardened his heart so that the judgment would be final.
How is this a picture of an unbeliever. We have choices, and when an unbeliever hears the Gospel and rejects it he is hardening his own heart to God. The more chances they get to come to Christ, the harder the heart, until in the end God hardens the heart for them because they had crossed the line - they had rejected God too many times. They had been given plenty of chances. It is time to face their judgment. (just my speculation).
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Plagues
Just want to encourage everyone to go to link below, and scroll down to footnotes. there is a chart there outlining the plagues and the Egyptian Gods that were being mocked as powerless and judged.
Also in the coming chapters notice that there is mercy by God. Their are Egyptians that came to believe during their tribulation and they left Egypt with Moses and the Hebrews for the Exodus. Their is always a remnant of the people of the World (Gentiles) then and in the coming Tribulation.
http://bible.org/page.php?page_id=138
Posted by: John | January 28, 2008 at 05:04 PM
Matthew 18
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
Note: "seventy times seven" is a Hebrew idiom for infinite number.
questions on this parable revolve around whether the servant was a believer or not?
I believe the servant was a believer.
- He asked for forgiveness from King (God). It was given to him, and he was sent out into the world forgiven.
- He was expected to forgive the fellow servant (brother) just as he had been forgiven. Someone who does not believe (been forgiven) would not be expected to forgive as God forgave. The first forgiveness had to be effective, because that's the substance on which the expected forgiveness of the servant is built.
This after all was the question of the apostles (believers) to Jesus in the opening verse.
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Punishment
What about the punishment?
What the beleiver did was a sin (not forgiving). It is even stated in the Lord's prayer. And I believe the believer was given over to chastening (inquisitors: under the stress, difficulty, and pressure of chastening).
"He could never pay the whole debt--even an unbeliever could not pay it--so at that point the physical parable cannot convey the full understanding of the spiritual truth. I think the intent of the parable is simply to say that the king put him under chastening pressure until he paid what should be paid in light of what he had done. And I believe that all it is saying is that the Lord delivers us to chastening, something which we all have experienced." - John MacArthur
Posted by: John | January 28, 2008 at 05:25 PM