Monthly Archives: February 2017

Exodus 4-6 Deal With It

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Even though Moses grew up in Pharaoh’s house, he knew he was a Jew. He’d heard that Jewish boys were commanded by God to be circumcised. But when he grew up and married a non-Jew, he didn’t circumcise his son.

So now God is calling Moses into service. In fact, God has conversations with Moses like two friends over coffee. So why, when Moses is heading to speak to Pharaoh like God told him to do, did God attack him on the road and would have killed him?

God demands obedience, and He blesses us so much when we obey. But obedience does not cancel out a sin. Being obedient doesn’t balance the scale. Yes, Moses was being obedient. But God wasn’t about to let that sin slide. And in order to be the leader God wanted Moses to be, it required dealing with the sin issue.

It’s no different with you and me. Yes, God wants us to do what He says, but first we need to deal with our own sin, confess, repent, accept Jesus’ righteousness through His precious blood. Never think that God overlooks your sin because you teach a Sunday School class. Every sin comes with a death sentence.

Deal with it.

Exodus 3 Heaven Came Down

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God spoke to Moses from a bush that looked like it was on fire. Amazingly, it didn’t burn up. But what I saw in my study of this passage today has my heart soaring. It wasn’t just God’s voice in that thorny burning bush. It was God Himself!

vs 8: So I have come down to rescue… (emphasis mine)

It was the same fire that led the Israelites out of Egypt. God’s Presence was right there in a visible way.

Like Jesus.

Jesus wasn’t just born. God came down! John 1 tells us the Creator God “came to His own…” And we have seen Him, “who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (vs 14 emphasis mine)

God Himself came down from heaven and called Moses by name. He was that personal. He called Samuel by name, Zaccheus, Mary, Saul (Paul) by name. He called me by name. And He’s calling you.

I have the wonderful hymn by John W. Peterson running through my head this morning. To think that God, Creator, Almighty, the Great I AM, left His throne above to live and die for love of me. I am overcome.

Heaven came down and glory filled my soul,
When at the cross my Savior made me whole;
My sins were washed away and my night was turned to day.
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul.

 

Exodus 1-2 Gotcha

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When Joseph brought his whole family – 70 people – to Egypt he did it to save them. He gave them the best land and provided for their every need. The Jews went right to work. They planted, cared for the king’s livestock, and they prospered.

Eventually, gradually, they went from being tenants and employees, to being slaves. And before too many years had passed, they found themselves subject to harsh task masters working for a king who only saw the dollar sign.

Their place of shelter and increase become their place of bondage.

This might be a picture of what happens when we get too comfortable, when our needs are met and we stop paying attention. Sometimes, even good activities begin to control us. We fill our days up with appointments and projects, sports and church activities, and we find less and less time to spend with the Lord. Before we know it, we’re a slave to our schedule, or to our job, or to someone other than God.

God is speaking today. I am reminded that He has commanded us to love Him above all else, and I believe that means making time with Him our priority. I believe that means cherishing and protecting our relationship with Him by being in His Word, and praying, by intentionally including Him in everything we do and say.

Jesus died so that we can live freely. Let’s not return to slavery by neglecting so great a salvation.

Genesis 48-50 Looking Ahead

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Genesis, the book that starts at the beginning of life, ends looking ahead to the glorious future. The Messiah is coming, Jacob tells his sons, and He will rule forever. (49:10) Jacob speaks of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, and we know Jacob spoke of Jesus, even if he didn’t know Jesus’ name.

God had promised Abraham that He would use his descendants in a way that would bless all nations. And God will be true to His Word in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus will be born a Jew from the line of Judah. And He will rule the world.

Those are the thoughts we’re left with here at the end of this precious first book of the Bible. So many lessons are learned from watching the nation of Israel as God sets them apart for the privilege of revealing God to the world, and ultimately for producing the flesh and blood Savior.

I’m looking forward to continuing this journey as we dig into Exodus.

Genesis 46-47 There Is Work To Do

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Pharaoh asked Joseph’s brothers, “What is your occupation?” They weren’t coming to Egypt for vacation. They were expected to work. Yes, they were Joseph’s family. But that didn’t entitle them to a free ride.

When Joseph was responsible for feeding the Egyptians during the seven year famine, he never once gave away any grain. If the people wanted to eat, they had to buy it, until they ended up selling everything, including their freedom. But I don’t read where any of them felt entitled to the grain Joseph held. They paid the going rate, and seemed glad for the food they bought

Now I could get political here in light of our welfare system, or our dear millennials and socialism. But I’m thinking God would have us Christians take a closer look at our churches instead.

How many people attend church for a worship experience, then leave unchanged, unchallenged, and unproductive? Oh, they feel good about going to church, and enjoy the message and praise team. But the only contribution they make to the ministry is an occasional check in the plate, a hearty “Amen,” and applause after the worship leader tells them to “clap for Jesus.”

That’s not what being a child of God is about. And that’s not what God intends for His Church.

What is your occupation? What are your gifts? What is your role in your church fellowship? If you aren’t pulling your weight, you have no claim on the blessings. If you aren’t busy serving the Lord, you are a drain on the church, and your church can’t be healthy. And neither can The Church.

Just like the early Jews in Egypt, we are expected to contribute, to use our gifts, to make disciples of every nation. There is work to do. There is work for YOU to do.

Genesis 44-45 Let Me Pay For That

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Judah’s heartfelt plea for Benjamin’s life sealed the deal. Joseph could hide his identity no longer. Jacob’s family would be restored, and saved. Judah’s love for his father resulted in his voluntary sacrifice of himself to pay for the sins of his much-loved brother.

Sound like anyone you know?

There are so many parallels between Judah and Jesus. Although it’s not a perfect comparison, it reminds me that Jesus willingly gave His life to pay for my sins. His life revealed the Father, His death marks my debt paid. And it’s because of Jesus that my relationship with God, once separated by sin, is restored. I am saved.

Footnote: Jesus’ earthly lineage includes Judah. That’s why I love reading the Bible. It’s not just a series of nice stories. God’s Word is the complete picture. And it all points to Jesus!

Genesis 42-43 Trust Me

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Reuben was Jacob’s first born son. So it’s not surprising that Reuben would be the one to take charge, go to his father, and promise to protect Benjamin if only Jacob would let him take the young man back to Egypt. Reuben even swore that if anything happened to Jacob’s precious son, Jacob had permission to kill two of Reuben’s sons.

“We need food, Dad, or all of us will die. Trust me.”

But Jacob refused to let Reuben take Benjamin into Egypt. Even after Reuben made such a demonstrative offer. Could it be that Reuben’s trustworthiness was in doubt, especially after his encounter with Bilhah, Jacob’s wife? Just saying.

Later, when the grain was gone and Jacob’s family was facing starvation, Judah stepped up. His promise to his dad to care for his youngest brother wasn’t dramatic, it wasn’t laced with promises he couldn’t keep. Judah went sincerely and humbly and said, “Dad, I’ll be responsible. If I don’t bring Benjamin back to you, it’s on me.”

What is it that elicits trust in someone? Obviously we look at past behavior. We probably consider the situation and hear what the other person is saying. We weigh what we know about that person’s character, with our need to trust them in the moment.

So today I’m asking myself if God can trust me. Have I been trustworthy in the past? Am I sincere about wanting to follow Him and obey Him? Is my character like that of Jesus, the ultimate example of being worthy of trust?

Or am I all talk? All show? No follow-through? Good intentions that go nowhere?

God wants to entrust me with the eternal souls of people He loves more than Jacob loved Benjamin. Am I up to the challenge? Can I say, “Trust me” and mean it?

Genesis 41 Forget It

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Joseph is out of prison. Not just free, he is made the vice president of Egypt. With that position came honor and wealth and a position of authority over his former captors. He got married and started a family. He had it all, according to what many equate with happiness and success.

But with all the good that was ahead, Joseph had to make a hard and sad decision. It’s revealed in the name he gave his first son: Manasseh, which means “forget”. Verse 51 says God helped Joseph forget all his troubles, including his father’s family.

Wow. That must have hurt. But Joseph was at a crossroad, and he chose to leave what was behind him and move forward. We know he’ll eventually unite with his family. Joseph had no such knowledge.

Sometimes following Jesus involves making hard choices. Sometimes it requires leaving a lifestyle behind, friendships, yes even family. Paul, in Philippians 3 tells us to forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead. Jesus Himself tells us in Luke 14 that anyone whose feelings toward their parents doesn’t look like hate in comparison to their feelings for Him can’t be His disciple. And in John 21 we see Peter leaving a boatload of fish on the beach to follow the Lord.

Forgetting what is behind. Is there something or someone in your life that God is telling you to turn away from? Is there something in your past that is holding you back from serving Him?

Forget it. Leave it at the foot of the cross and move ahead.

God used Joseph’s obedience to save the very family he’d left behind. And God will use your obedience to do amazing things as well. After all, He’s the same God that we read about here in Genesis 41. Joseph trusted Him. And so can you.

 

Genesis 40 How’re You Doing?

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I didn’t get very far reading the familiar story of Joseph, the cupbearer, and the baker, when something convicted me. I don’t think I’ve ever really looked at this verse before.

When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. (vs 6, emphasis mine).

I know that it’s hard to read people some times. But I have to admit there have been times when I recognized a look of sorrow or worry or grief on a person and looked the other way. Or I say the obligatory “How’re you doing?” and expect to hear the accepted reply, “Fine” and leave it at that.

But Joseph paid attention to how the two men looked. Then, in verse 7:

So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why are your faces so sad today?”

Now here’s what I get from this:

  1. Joseph recognized the dejected look on their faces.
  2. He asked them specifically about it.
  3. He listened to what they had to say.
  4. He spoke honestly with them.

Joseph didn’t just tell them what they wanted to hear. I wonder what would have happened if the baker had heard the warning, confessed his sin, and asked forgiveness. Joseph told him the truth. But the baker did nothing with it. And the baker died just like the dream had predicted.

God is speaking to me today about my relationship with others. Jesus told us to love one another. In fact, He said that was the second greatest commandment. And sometimes loving someone requires us to get involved in their lives, to be a sounding board, or to point out sin in their lives so they can confess it and receive God’s forgiveness.

And God is asking me to pay attention. If I recognize a look on someone’s face that tells me something is up, I need to stop and talk to them, listen to them, and be honest with them according to Scripture.

God, if You want me to relate to people like Joseph related to these two men, I’m going to need You. Give me the ability to read people, and the courage to ask them what’s on their minds if You prompt me to do that. Let me show Your love by truly caring about them. Help me to be an encourager if encouragement is needed. Help me to be a mirror if they need to take a good look at themselves. And help me always to point them to You, and only You.

 

Genesis 37-39 It Doesn’t Matter

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I’ve enjoyed my change of Bible study so far this year. I’ve slowed down, read less, and studied more. I’ve looked at each story, each verse a little more closely, and I’ve learned a lot.

But I’ll confess I also get a bit frustrated. As much as I respect the theologians whose commentaries I read, sometimes I feel they can get caught up in insignificant speculation. Like, did Joseph’s brothers throw him into a well or a pit, was it Judah or Reuben who pulled him out, did they sell him to the Medanites or the Midianites, was Potiphar a eunuch (someone really presented the possibility).

Now I know I, too, have speculated on certain points as I’ve posted my thoughts these past few years. It’s natural to wonder, isn’t it? But in the end all that really matters is what God has revealed in His Word. And really, it might be a waste of time to get caught up in possible details not included in the inspired Word. It might be a ploy of Satan to get our attention away from what God wants us to know.

The Scripture tells us that Joseph’s brothers sold him, he ended up in Egypt, God blessed Joesph in spite of circumstances, and used Joseph’s obedience to save his whole family. We read that his brothers lied to their dad, and continued with that lie for years. Those are the facts. And there are enough lessons to be learned from the facts without arguing whether Joseph’s coat was striped or ornamented, or both.

It doesn’t really matter.

Father, I thank you for men and women who have studied your Word and are led to share their insight. But God, help me to trust Your Words first and foremost. May I always read the commentaries, articles, books, and blogs (including mine), using Scripture as the plumb line. And help me not miss the lessons You would have me learn, by being too preoccupied with details and supposition.