Podcast appearances and mentions of moses ex

A message talking about the value of mothers in our lives. This message focuses on the mother of Moses (Ex 2:1-10) and how her life impacted him and helped to make him the man that God called him to be. 

Send us a textIn our last episode Bryan randomly decided we needed to do an entire bonus podcast on one point because he wanted to follow a rabbit trail, and we are so glad he did!He showed us that Micah and the eleven other minor prophets all reference Exodus 34:6-7.  Bryan VanHaitsma is the digital media director for Revive Our Hearts.  He studied at Hope College in Michigan and Jerusalem University College in Israel.  He has a passion for digging into Scriptures that we often find perplexing, helping us understand why that story might be included, and what we are supposed to do in light of that story.Our website - www.thecontextandcolorofthebible.comWe are on Facebook - The Context and Color of the Bible | FacebookWe are on Instagram - @contextandcolorofthebibleWe are on YouTube - The Context and Color of the Bible - YouTubeWe are on Pinterest - The Context and Color of the BibleErika's website - www.erikavanhaitsma.comMusic: Tabuk by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4453-tabukLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In Joshua 3 and 4, God illustrates for us three essentials for moving ahead by faith and claiming all that He has for us: the Word of faith, the walk of faith, and the witness of faith. If we are to cross the Jordan's in our life, face the Jericho's, and defeat the giants, those obstacles and mountains that stand between us and the place of victory, we must learn to live by faith! In 2 Corinthians 5:7, the Apostle Paul said, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” We cannot walk and live by our feelings because they change depending on the circumstances and situations around us. And usually our “sight”, our feelings will usually take us down the wrong path and cause us to make bad decisions and choices for ourselves.   First, in Joshua 3:1-13, we find that God has given us the Word of faith. In this paragraph, you find five different messages, all of them based on the Word of God, which is the "Word of faith" (Rom. 10:8). The people obeyed these messages by faith, and God took them over the river. Joshua received his orders from the Lord, and he obeyed them by faith. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). After Joshua got his orders from the LORD, he gave them to the officers or leaders of the twelve tribes, who then in verses 1-4, gave them to the people.   Joshua was an early riser (Joshua 6:12; 7:16; 8:10), who spent the first hours of the day in communion with God (Joshua 1:8). In this, he was like Moses (Ex. 24:4; 34:4), David (Ps. 57:8; see 119:147), Hezekiah (2 Chron. 29:20), and our Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 1:35; see Isa. 50:4). It's impossible to live by faith and ignore the Word of God and prayer (Acts 6:4); for faith is nurtured by worship and the Word. The people God uses and blesses know how to discipline their bodies so that they can give themselves to the Lord in the early morning hours.   Joshua ordered the camp to move ten miles from The Acacia Grove to the Jordan; and no doubt the people in Jericho watched this march with great apprehension. It probably took Israel a day to make this journey; they rested another day; and on the third day, the officers gave them their orders: The people were to cross the river, following the Ark of the Covenant.   The Ark is mentioned sixteen times in chapters 3 and 4. It's called "the Ark of the Covenant" ten times, "the Ark of the Lord" three times, and simply "the Ark" three times. It was the "throne of God," the place where His glory rested in the tabernacle (Ex. 25:10-22) and God sat "enthroned between the cherubim" (Ps. 80:1). The Law of God was kept in the Ark, a reminder of God's covenant with Israel; and the blood of the sacrifices was sprinkled on the mercy seat on the annual Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:14-15).   The Ark going before the people was an encouragement to their faith, for it meant that their God was going before them and opening up the way. God had promised Moses, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest" (Ex. 33:14). When the nation had marched through the wilderness, the Ark had gone before them (:33); and Moses would say, "Rise up, O Lord! May Your enemies be scattered; may Your foes flee before You" (Num. 10:35). On that occasion, the presence of the Ark was a guarantee of the presence of the Lord.   Each of the tribes had an assigned place in the camp and an assigned order in the march when they broke up camp (Josh. 2). When the leaders of the tribes saw the priests bearing the Ark and moving toward the river, they were to prepare their people to follow. Since the people had not traveled this way before, they needed God to guide them. But they were not to get too close to the Ark, for this was a holy piece of furniture from the tabernacle; and it was not to be treated carelessly. God is our companion as we go through life, but we dare not treat Him like a "buddy."   Today, are you in the Word of faith and walking by faith and not by “sight”?   God bless!

Quiet Time Coaching Episode 481 | New Thing Series — Part 36 | “Esther's Family” | Malcolm Cox Introduction A new thing! I'm Malcolm Cox. Welcome to your daily devotional podcast anchored in Isaiah 43:19: 'See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.' We are currently looking at God doing a new thing in the life of Esther. Today we explore Esther's family “Now there was a Jew in the citadel of Susa whose name was Mordecai son of Jair son of Shimei son of Kish, a Benjaminite. Kish had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with King Jeconiah of Judah, whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had carried away. Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is Esther, his cousin, for she had neither father nor mother; the girl was fair and beautiful, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter. So when the king's order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in the citadel of Susa in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king's palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women.”(Esther 2:5-8 NRSV) Esther's Family Esther's parents died when she was young She is adopted and brought up by her cousin Mordecai She is totally reliant on him for food, housing and safety - still a ‘girl' She is taken from Mordecai without his or her consent and placed in circumstances of luxurious danger More on that in future podcasts For Reflection Adoption is a Scriptural theme. Pharaoh's daughter adopted Moses (Ex. 2:10), and Mordecai adopted Esther (Esther 2:7). Both rescue God's people from disaster. God adopted Israel (Ex. 4:22; Deut. 7:6; Hos. 11:1; Rom. 9:4) - “Theirs is the adoption to sonship;” (Romans 9:4 NIV11). By God's grace we are brought into his redeemed family - “children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.” John 1:13 We have an inheritance - “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8:17 NIV11) Why not take some time today to thank God for adopting you as his son or daughter? You could pray through this wonderful passage: “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.” (Romans 8:15-21 NIV11) Conclusion I hope you find your heart, your life, your congregation and your world inspired by God doing a new thing. Until tomorrow, take care, and God bless.  Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community. Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org. If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org. Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. "Carpe Diem" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Quiet Time Coaching Episode 481 | New Thing Series — Part 36 | “Esther's Family” | Malcolm Cox   Introduction A new thing! I'm Malcolm Cox. Welcome to your daily devotional podcast anchored in Isaiah 43:19: 'See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.'   We are currently looking at God doing a new thing in the life of Esther. Today we explore Esther's family   “Now there was a Jew in the citadel of Susa whose name was Mordecai son of Jair son of Shimei son of Kish, a Benjaminite. Kish had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with King Jeconiah of Judah, whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had carried away. Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is Esther, his cousin, for she had neither father nor mother; the girl was fair and beautiful, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter. So when the king's order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in the citadel of Susa in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king's palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women.”(Esther 2:5-8 NRSV)   Esther's Family Esther's parents died when she was young She is adopted and brought up by her cousin Mordecai She is totally reliant on him for food, housing and safety - still a ‘girl' She is taken from Mordecai without his or her consent and placed in circumstances of luxurious danger More on that in future podcasts   For Reflection Adoption is a Scriptural theme. Pharaoh's daughter adopted Moses (Ex. 2:10), and Mordecai adopted Esther (Esther 2:7). Both rescue God's people from disaster. God adopted Israel (Ex. 4:22; Deut. 7:6; Hos. 11:1; Rom. 9:4) - “Theirs is the adoption to sonship;” (Romans 9:4 NIV11). By God's grace we are brought into his redeemed family - “children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.” John 1:13 We have an inheritance - “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8:17 NIV11)   Why not take some time today to thank God for adopting you as his son or daughter?   You could pray through this wonderful passage:   “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.” (Romans 8:15-21 NIV11)   Conclusion I hope you find your heart, your life, your congregation and your world inspired by God doing a new thing. Until tomorrow, take care, and God bless.   Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.   Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org.   If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org.   Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.   "Carpe Diem" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Quiet Time Coaching Episode 481 | New Thing Series — Part 36 | “Esther's Family” | Malcolm Cox   Introduction A new thing! I'm Malcolm Cox. Welcome to your daily devotional podcast anchored in Isaiah 43:19: 'See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.'   We are currently looking at God doing a new thing in the life of Esther. Today we explore Esther's family   “Now there was a Jew in the citadel of Susa whose name was Mordecai son of Jair son of Shimei son of Kish, a Benjaminite. Kish had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with King Jeconiah of Judah, whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had carried away. Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is Esther, his cousin, for she had neither father nor mother; the girl was fair and beautiful, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter. So when the king's order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in the citadel of Susa in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king's palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women.”(Esther 2:5-8 NRSV)   Esther's Family Esther's parents died when she was young She is adopted and brought up by her cousin Mordecai She is totally reliant on him for food, housing and safety - still a ‘girl' She is taken from Mordecai without his or her consent and placed in circumstances of luxurious danger More on that in future podcasts   For Reflection Adoption is a Scriptural theme. Pharaoh's daughter adopted Moses (Ex. 2:10), and Mordecai adopted Esther (Esther 2:7). Both rescue God's people from disaster. God adopted Israel (Ex. 4:22; Deut. 7:6; Hos. 11:1; Rom. 9:4) - “Theirs is the adoption to sonship;” (Romans 9:4 NIV11). By God's grace we are brought into his redeemed family - “children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.” John 1:13 We have an inheritance - “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8:17 NIV11)   Why not take some time today to thank God for adopting you as his son or daughter?   You could pray through this wonderful passage:   “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.” (Romans 8:15-21 NIV11)   Conclusion I hope you find your heart, your life, your congregation and your world inspired by God doing a new thing. Until tomorrow, take care, and God bless.   Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.   Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org.   If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org.   Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.   "Carpe Diem" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This gift, to some degree, is given to us all at salvation due to the Great Commission to make disciples (Mt. 28:19-20). However, some are supernaturally gifted to be able to speak publicly like Moses (Ex. 4:10-11). Like an evangelist, the best way to determine if you have this gift is to practice doing it.

“Help us, O God of our salvation, For the glory of Your name; And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, For Your name's sake! Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Let there be known among the nations in our sight The avenging of the blood of Your servants which has been shed. Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You; According to the greatness of Your power Preserve those who are appointed to die.” The Asaph who wrote Psalm 79 lived in the time of Jeremiah the prophet when the Babylonians captured the city of Jerusalem and destroyed it. He is mourning over the terrible atrocities that have taken place and pleading with God to bring relief.   Yesterday we mentioned the long-term consequences of our sins as Asaph was asking God not to “remember former iniquities against us but instead send His tender mercies speedily to meet us, for we have been brought very low” (v. 8). God's judgment for our sins can curse and impact our family for generations to come. But in the same way, our godly living can bless our future generations.   A good example of a godly family bringing great blessings on future generations is Jonathan and Sarah Edwards who lived in the early 1700's in New England. Both of them lived very disciplined and godly lives. God blessed them with 11 children. Years later a reporter tracked down 1,400 of their descendants and found among them 80 college presidents, professors, and deans, 100 lawyers, 66 physicians, 80 political leaders, three senators, three governors, and countless preachers and missionaries!   I'm convinced that many of the wonderful blessings, freedoms, and prosperity that we have enjoyed in America are a carryover from our forefathers who founded this great nation on Biblical principles. But now our sins that have grown out of our pride, covetousness, greed, and forgetting and removing God from both our public and private lives is catching up with us. We are quickly losing the blessings and experiencing the curse of sin.   Galatians 6:7-8 states this very clearly: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”   Today, in verses 9-12, we find Asaph interceding in prayer and pleading for God's help. His concern was for the glory of God's name (vv. 9, 12), and he felt that a miraculous deliverance for Judah would accomplish that, but no deliverance came. Asaph was quick to confess his own sins and the sins of his contemporaries, for it was not only their ancestors who had disobeyed the Lord (v. 8). (Psalms 25:11, 31:3, 65:3, and 78:38.)   In ancient days, a nation's victory was proof that its gods were stronger than the gods of the enemy, so the Babylonians taunted the Jews and asked, "Where is your God?" (v. 10) (See Psalm 42:3, 10; 115:2.) Moses used this same argument when he pled with God to forgive the nation (Ex. 32:12; Num. 14:13).   Asaph was also concerned about the justice of God. Twice he mentioned the pouring out of blood (vv. 3, 10), the slaughter of people, for the blood was very sacred to the Jews (Lev. 17). The shedding of animal blood at the altar at least covered the sins of the worshipers, but to what purpose was the shedding of so much human blood?   In verse 11, he prayed on the basis of the Lord's great compassion, perhaps remembering Jehovah's words to Moses (Ex. 33:12-23, Deut. 32:36). God had felt the burdens of the Jews when He called Moses to lead them out of Egypt (Ex. 2:24-25, 6:1-9), so surely, He would have pity on the prisoners and those ready to die.   The cross of Jesus Christ is for us today the only evidence we need that God loves us (Rom. 5:8). God has provided the “great atonement for our sins” (v. 9), and for His name's sake He will forgive us and bring healing to our souls and even to our nation if we will repent and believe!   God bless!

Over the years I have often said that most of the Bible needs no interpretation, it basically means what it says. I'm not sure when I heard this quote, but it is one that has stuck in my mind. “When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense.” In other words, the Scripture has only one interpretation but no doubt, it can have many applications. Especially in the Old Testament, we have the principle of “double fulfillment”, meaning that a particular prophetic passage would have an immediate fulfillment, but also have a future fulfilment in the ministry, work, and Kingdom of Jesus Christ.   This is what we find in Psalm 72. Literally this Psalm is about King Solomon and his rule and reign over Israel for 40 years. It was either written by his father David who prayed this prayer for him and his future reign just before he died, or it was written by Solomon himself as he remembered his father's last words. But the fulfilment of many of the verses in this Psalm can only be found in the future reign of Jesus over Israel and all the earth during His Millennium reign (Revelation 19-20).   That being said, in verses 1-7, Solomon would be a “righteous” king. We know he started out well in this way but for sure he didn't end well. In the later years of his rule his heart would turn from Jehovah to the false gods of his many wives, and his kingdom fell apart shortly after his death. But the complete fulfilment of these verses is found in the only true Righteous King, Jesus Christ!   In verses 8-11, we learn that Solomon would have dominion over a large part of the earth in his time.  Remember God had promised Abraham that he would give his descendants all the land from the River of Egypt in the south to the Euphrates in the north (Gen. 15:18), and He reaffirmed this promise through Moses (Ex. 23:31). Both David and Solomon ruled over great kingdoms (1 Kings 4:21, 24; 1 Chron. 9:26), but neither of them ruled "from the river [Euphrates] to the ends of the earth" (v. 8). This privilege is reserved for Jesus Christ (Psalm 2:8; Zech. 9:9-10; Mic. 4:1-5; Luke 1:33).   David gained the kingdom through conquest and left it to his son who strengthened it by means of treaties. His marriages to the daughters of neighboring kings were guarantees that these nations would cooperate with Solomon's foreign policy. Even Sheba and the nomadic tribes in Arabia would pay tribute to Solomon, and so would Seba in Upper Egypt; and kings as far away as Tarshish in Spain would submit to him. (See 1 Kings 4:21, 34; 10:14-15, 24-25; 2 Chron. 9:23-24.)   But there is only one King of kings, and that is Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Isa. 2:1-4; Dan. 7:13-14; Rev. 17:14; 19:16). There can be no peace on earth until the Prince of Peace is reigning, and the nations have submitted to Him.   In verses 12-14, we are told that Solomon would have a compassionate reign. The king of Israel was looked upon as God's shepherd who lovingly cared for God's flock (Psalm 78:70-72; 100:3; Ezek. 34). Any citizen had access to the king to get help in solving legal problems, and the king was to make certain that the local judges were being fair and honest in their decisions. Solomon didn't reach this ideal even though he had a vast bureaucracy, but unfortunately his officers didn't always aid the people (Eccl. 4:1).   The picture here is surely that of our Savior who had such great compassion for the needy and met their needs (Matthew 9:36). Not only does He hold their blood (life) precious to Him (v. 14; 116:15), but He shed His own precious blood for the salvation of the world (1 Peter 1:19). Jesus Christ is the near "kinsman redeemer" illustrated by Boaz in the book of Ruth. Jesus was the only Holy and Righteous One, Who had the ability and was willing to completely pay the ransom price for the redemption of our souls!   Thank God we are “precious in His sight”. God bless!

6-28-23 – Wednesday Evening Service. A continuation of our character studies through the bible.

Map of the Tribes of Israel Introduction      Throughout the book of Deuteronomy, Moses' death has loomed like a shadow over the nation. The book as a whole is his farewell address, as he imparts to them all that is needed for a life of success after he dies. Moses, after having communicated the core of the law to Israel, appointed Joshua as his successor and received the Lord's command to ascend Mount Nebo and die, is left only to offer his blessings to the nation before his graduation to heaven. Moses' blessing in Deuteronomy 33 reveals the heart of this great leader for God's people, Israel. The blessings were not predictive, but rather, express Moses' desires of what he wished for the nation. According to Eugene Merrill, “Moses' utterances concerning the tribes were in the nature of prayerful intercession. They express what he fervently desired for his people and what he confidently expected that God would do.”[1] Of course, under the Mosaic Law, Israel's blessing were conditional on the obedience of his people. The Blessing Introduction      “Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the sons of Israel before his death” (Deut 33:1). This opening verse sets the tone for what follows, as it is Moses' blessing on the nation just prior to his death. The word blessing translates the Hebrew word בְּרָכָה berakah, which means to bless or favor someone. The blessing derived from Moses revealed his wish or prayer for the future of God's people. Of course, this was conditional, as they would receive the blessing if they would “listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am commanding you today” (Deut 11:27). Though Moses sought their best interests, he can do no more than give them God's directives and encourage them to walk by them, knowing the Lord's blessings would follow if they obeyed.        Moses continued, saying, “The LORD came from Sinai, and dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, and He came from the midst of ten thousand holy ones; at His right hand there was flashing lightning for them'” (Deut 33:2). Here, God is portrayed as the Divine Warrior who goes before His people, and this is seen elsewhere in Scripture (Judg 5:4-5; Psa 68:7-8). That God shone forth (יָפַע yapha – brightness, splendor) at various times and places revealed His glory in theophanic form. The holy ones mentioned in this verse refer to angels. The reference to flashing lightning could be a manifestation of the angels as they come with the Lord and do His work. This picture of God as Divine Warrior was intended to instill confidence among His people that He was with them, and to instill fear among Israel's enemies who sought to thwart God's purposes among His people.      Of the Lord, Moses said, “Indeed, He loves the people; all Your holy ones are in Your hand, and they followed in Your steps; everyone receives of Your words” (Deut 33:3). Here, Moses emphasized God's love for His people (cf. Deut 7:7-8), which is what motivated Him to set them apart. The holy ones in this verse refer to the nation of Israel, whom God had created as special (Isa 43:1, 15), to be set apart from the other nations and to walk with Him in righteousness (Deut 7:6, 11). The text continues, saying, “Moses charged us with a law, a possession for the assembly of Jacob. 5 And He was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people were gathered, the tribes of Israel together” (Deut 33:4-5). Moses had given Israel God's law (תּוֹרָה torah – law, instruction, direction), which was their special possession (Lev 27:34), which gave them everything they needed for a life of righteousness. And God was their king (Isa 33:22), the One who ruled over them, to provide, guide, and protect them in all things. The term Jeshurun (יְשֻׁרוּן Yeshurun) means upright one and was a nickname for Israel. Here, the word is used of how Israel was intended to be, as Moses hoped they would be, as upright to the Lord. In the NT we see where God's people are called saints (ἅγιος hagios – sacred, holy; Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:2; Eph 1:1), and the ideal Christian is one whose performance is that of his/her position in Christ (Eph 4:1; Col 1:10). Blessing the Tribes Reuben      Moses' first wish of blessing fell to Reuben, as he says, “May Reuben live and not die, nor his men be few” (Deut 33:6). Reuben was Jacob's firstborn son (Gen 29:32; 49:3). As the firstborn son, the birthright and blessing naturally fell to him. However, we know that Reuben committed a terrible sin when he had sex with his father's concubine (Gen 35:22), and for this he was cursed by Jacob just before he died (Gen 49:4), which meant he'd forfeited his inheritance. Reuben's descendants were judged, as they followed in the footsteps of their progenitor. Though there are always exceptions, children often model their parents values and behavior, and worldly parents tend to produce worldly children. According to Thomas Constable, “Reuben (v. 6) was the firstborn son of Jacob, but he did not enjoy greatness among the tribes because of his sin. He lost his father's birthright and blessing. Furthermore, no great civil or military leader or prophet ever came from this tribe, as far as Scripture records.”[2] Judah      Next in the order of Moses' blessings was Judah, where it reads, “And this regarding Judah; so he said, ‘Hear, O LORD, the voice of Judah, and bring him to his people. With his hands he contended for them, and may You be a help against his adversaries'” (Deut 33:7). Judah was Jacob's fourth son (after Simeon and Levi) and was singled out for blessing, from whom would come Messiah (Gen 49:8-12). Moses asked God to help Judah, to hear his voice, and to “bring him to his people” (Deut 33:7). This phrase likely refers to the safe return of Judahites after a military campaign. According to the book of Numbers, Judah was to lead the other nations in battle, as “They shall set out first” (Num 2:9b). This meant Judah would take the lead and be in a dangerous position, militarily speaking. It's natural that as they went into battle, they would ask to be returned safely to their people and that God would “be a help against his adversaries” (Deut 33:7b). Ultimately, through Judah would come David, and through David would come Jesus, the Messiah (Matt 1:1, 6, 16). Levi Concerning the tribe of Levi, Moses said: Of Levi he said, “Let your Thummim and Your Urim belong to Your godly man, whom You proved at Massah, with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah; 9 who said of his father and his mother, ‘I did not consider them'; and he did not acknowledge his brothers, nor did he regard his own sons, for they observed Your word, and kept Your covenant. 10 They shall teach Your ordinances to Jacob, and Your law to Israel. They shall put incense before You, and whole burnt offerings on Your altar. 11 O LORD, bless his substance, and accept the work of his hands; shatter the loins of those who rise up against him, and those who hate him, so that they will not rise again.” (Deut 33:8-11)      The tribe of Levi is mentioned here without regard to the tribe of Simeon. Previously, in the book of Genesis, Moses had recorded Jacob's genealogy and listed Simeon and Levi together, as the second and third sons in the lineage. Of those brothers, Jacob had said, “Simeon and Levi are brothers; their swords are implements of violence” (Gen 49:5). This refers to Simeon and Levi's exaggerated violence against the Shechemites, whose leader had raped their sister, Dinah (Gen 34:1-29). Jacob, having cursed his two sons for their violence (Gen 49:6-7a), said, “I will disperse them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel” (Gen 49:7). Though Levi retained land in Israel, Simeon was incorporated into the tribe of Judah (Josh 19:1, 9). Concerning this, Eugene Merrill states, “The effect of this is evident even here in the blessing of Moses because Simeon is lacking entirely in the list, and Levi appears without reference to territory of its own. Moreover, Simeon had already become involved in idolatry at Baal Peor (cf. Num 25:6–15), a sin that brought such devastating population loss that the whole tribe eventually became assimilated into Judah.”[3]      Though the tribe of Levi did not own land, they were blessed by Moses and became the tribe that was given to Aaron and his sons to help them in their priestly duties (Num 3:6-10; 18:1-7). The selection of the tribe of Levi came because of their faithfulness to God during the incident of the golden calf in which they stood with the Lord and Moses (Ex 32:25-29). In this way, they had been faithful to God's covenant (Deut 33:9b). Both Moses and Aaron were from the tribe of Levi. Part of Moses' blessing referred to the function of the high priest who was given the Urim and Thummim to wear inside a pouch on his chest and was occasionally used to discern a divine answer (Ex 28:29-30; cf. 1 Sam 28:6).[4] One of the functions of the priests was to teach God's Word to the other tribes (Lev 10:8-11; Deut 31:9-13; 33:10; 2 Ch 17:7-9; Ezra 7:10; Mal 2:7). Another function of the priests was to offer sacrifices to the Lord, as Moses wrote, “They shall put incense before You, and whole burnt offerings on Your altar” (Deut 33:10b; cf., Leviticus chapters 4, 9, 16). Moses closed out this section on Levi, saying, “O LORD, bless his substance, and accept the work of his hands; shatter the loins of those who rise up against him, and those who hate him, so that they will not rise again” (Deut 33:11). To accept the work of Levi's hands meant God approved of their work. And to shatter the loins of their enemies meant they would be destroyed completely without descendants. Benjamin      Moses blessed Benjamin, the last of Jacob's sons (Gen 49:27), saying, “Of Benjamin he said, ‘May the beloved of the LORD dwell in security by Him, Who shields him all the day, and he dwells between His shoulders” (Deut 33:12). Moses' blessing was that Benjamin would dwell in security in the land. And God would be the One to shield him, as he dwelt “between His shoulders” (Deut 33:12b). Eugene Merrill notes, “The anthropomorphism here is suggestive of the most tender compassion and solid security at the same time. The phrase speaks not of carrying on the back but of being held close to the breast or bosom.”[5] Benjamin's safety in battle came, not because of his military prowess, but because of His closeness to God. Joseph (i.e., Ephraim and Manasseh) Moving on to Joseph, Moses wrote: Of Joseph he said, “Blessed of the LORD be his land, with the choice things of heaven, with the dew, and from the deep lying beneath, 14 and with the choice yield of the sun, and with the choice produce of the months. 15 And with the best things of the ancient mountains, and with the choice things of the everlasting hills, 16 and with the choice things of the earth and its fullness, and the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush. Let it come to the head of Joseph, and to the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers. 17 As the firstborn of his ox, majesty is his, and his horns are the horns of the wild ox; with them he will push the peoples, all at once, to the ends of the earth. And those are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and those are the thousands of Manasseh.” (Deut 33:13-17)      Here, Joseph is represented by his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh (Deut 33:17). Living in Canaan meant relying on the weather—rain, dew, sun—to bring forth fertile crops. Moses' wishes for Joseph—i.e., Ephraim and Manasseh—was that their land would be blessed with fertility and production of vegetation (Deut 33:13-16). Moses also asked that they be given strength whereby they might judge other nations, perhaps in battle, as the Lord's instrument of judgment (Deut 33:17). The reference to “the ends of the earth” (Deut 33:17b), according to Merrill, “suggests an eschatological rather than historical fulfillment, a time when God's kingdom would rise above and rule over the kingdoms of the earth (cf. 1 Sam 2:10; Psa 2:8; 59:13; 72:8; Mic 5:4).”[6] Zebulun and Issachar      Next, Moses blessed Zebulun and Issachar, saying, “Of Zebulun he said, ‘Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going forth, and, Issachar, in your tents. 19 They will call peoples to the mountain; there they will offer righteous sacrifices; for they will draw out the abundance of the seas, and the hidden treasures of the sand'” (Deut 33:18-19). Zebulun and Issachar were the sixth and fifth sons of Jacob by his wife, Leah (Gen 30:18-20), here blessed by Moses in reverse order. Jacob also blessed them in reverse order of their birth (Gen 49:13-15), These two brothers were close, and so were their descendant tribes, as their land was near to each other. Both were to rejoice; Zebulun in their “going forth” and Issachar in their “tents” (Deut 33:18). The phrase forms a merism, a figure of speech with includes all activities of life. In this way, Moses wished for their blessings to be wherever they went and in all they did. These tribes would bring blessings to Israel by offering “righteous sacrifices” that were in conformity with God's directives, and by drawing out “the abundance of the seas, and the hidden treasures of the sand” (Deut 33:19). That is, their wealth was shared with their brethren, and in this way were a blessing to others. Gad      Moses' blessing on Gad was, “Blessed is the One who enlarges Gad; he lies down as a lion, and tears the arm, also the crown of the head. 21 Then he provided the first part for himself, for there the ruler's portion was reserved; and he came with the leaders of the people; he executed the justice of the LORD, and His ordinances with Israel” (Deut 33:20-21). When entering the land of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua, all Israel proved faithful to fight, but apparently some fought harder than others and they were blessed in a special way with more land. Gad was known “as a lion” that was ferocious in battle. According to Peter Craigie, “The blessing indicates that Gad was to play an important part in the battle, and that as a result the tribe would deserve a lion's share of the fruit of victory.”[7] The tribe of Gad (as well as Manasseh and Reuben) requested to live east of the Jordan River, and Moses granted their request, but only on the condition they would help their brothers complete the military conquest into Canaan beyond the Jordan River (Deut 3:18). They would help their fellow Israelites by leaving their wives, children, and livestock behind (Deut 3:19). After victory was obtained, they could return to their own land (Deut 3:20). We know from the book of Joshua that they were faithful to help their brothers (Josh 22:1-6). Dan      Moses continued, “Of Dan he said, ‘Dan is a lion's whelp, that leaps forth from Bashan'” (Deut 33:22). As a lion's whelp, the tribe of Dan would display timidity early on, but would become strong and eventually leap forth as a powerful lion. Jacob, when blessing Dan, used similar language, saying, “Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches, he lies down as a lion, and as a lion, who dares rouse him up?” (Gen 49:9). Naphtali      Moses' next blessing was for Naphtali, and “Of Naphtali he said, ‘O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, and full of the blessing of the LORD, take possession of the sea and the south'” (Deut 33:23). This tribe was to be satisfied with the Lord's favor (רָצוֹן ratson – goodness, favor). The result of the Lord's full blessing was their taking “possession of the sea and the south” (Deut 33:23b). The sea is a reference to the Sea of Galilee. Eugene Merrill notes, “The Galilee region embraced by Naphtali did indeed enjoy many temporal and material riches (cf. Josh 20:7; 2 Chr 16:4; Isa 9:1), but by far the most abundant blessing was the fact that the Messiah spent most of his life and exercised much of his ministry there or in nearby Zebulun (cf. Matt 4:12–17).”[8] Asher      Moses continued, saying, “Of Asher he said, ‘More blessed than sons is Asher; may he be favored by his brothers, and may he dip his foot in oil. 25 Your locks will be iron and bronze, and according to your days, so will your leisurely walk be” (Deut 33:24-25). The tribe of Asher was blessed more than others and had good relations with his brothers (i.e. was favored). To dip his foot in oil was a reference to the many olive trees of that region as well as the overall fertility of the land and its produce. The reference to locks of iron and bronze meant the tribe would dwell in safety and would enjoy the leisure of their wealth. Conclusion to Moses' Blessings      Moses concludes this section, saying, “There is none like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to your help, and through the skies in His majesty. 27 The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms; and He drove out the enemy from before you, and said, ‘Destroy!' 28 So Israel dwells in security, the fountain of Jacob secluded, in a land of grain and new wine; His heavens also drop down dew” (Deut 33:26-28). Israel's God is unique and there are none like Him (Isa 45:5-6). He is pictured as the Divine Warrior “Who rides the heavens to your help, and through the skies in His majesty” (Deut 33:26b). According to Earl Radmacher, “Like a soldier, the Lord is constantly on the lookout for ways to defend His people from attack. The Divine Warrior is always providing protection because He is eternal. God is a refuge or fortress for the people to flee to in times of distress (Psa 90:1; 91:9).”[9] And the eternal God would be Israel's “dwelling place” where they would find refuge and safety “underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut 33:27a). The same arms that brought them to safety would be the ones used to drive out their enemies and would “destroy” those who opposed. Because of their relationship with Yahweh and their walk with Him, Israel would dwell in safety and seclusion (Deut 33:28a), and would live in a land blessed by the Lord, “in a land of grain and new wine” where “His heavens also drop down dew” (Deut 33:28b). Concerning this section, Peter Craigie notes, “The substance of verse 26-28 expresses once again the apparent paradox of Israel's existence. The path lying ahead was not one of peaceful existence and quiet solitude, but it was one beset on every side with danger. Yet it was within this danger and war that Israel would find its safety (v. 28), because the path of danger was the path in which the presence and help of God would be found.”[10]      Moses closed his blessing, saying, “Blessed are you, O Israel; who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, Who is the shield of your help and the sword of your majesty! So your enemies will cringe before you, and you will tread upon their high places'” (Deut 33:29). Israel's blessings were possible only because of their relationship with God, as He shielded them from danger and would defeat their enemies when they walked with Him in righteousness. And Israel's enemies would cringe in fear, knowing God was with them to grant them victory as they would “tread upon their high places” (Deut 33:29b). Summary      Moses, the man of God, blessed the sons of Israel before his death. He spoke about the Lord's love for His people and called for them to obey His law (Deut 33:1-5). Moses also made specific blessings for each tribe of Israel (Deut 33:6-25). And in conclusion, praised the greatness of God and how He protected Israel from their enemies and would allow them to dwell in safety (Deut 33:26-28). Moses ended his blessing by declaring the blessedness of the people of Israel, who were saved by the Lord and would tread upon their enemies Deut 33:29). Present Application      As Moses' death approached, his great concern was for the success of Israel in the days after his departure. The Lord had worked through Moses to liberate the people from Egyptian slavery, to guide them for forty years in the wilderness, and to educate them in the law of the Lord that they might walk with Him and know success (Deut 11:26-28; 28:1-2; 30:15-16). But God revealed to Moses that after his death the nation would turn away from Yahweh and pursue idols (Deut 31:16; cf., Judg 2:11-12; 2 Ki 18:11-12). Though this news saddened Moses, it did not hinder his efforts to guide them into righteousness, giving them what they needed for success—the Word of God.      Likewise, we see something similar in the life and ministry of the apostle Paul. Paul had taught in Ephesus for several years (Acts 19:10; 20:31), and as his ministry was nearing an end, he called for the elders of the church to come to him (Acts 20:17). He reminded them about his faithfulness to serve the Lord and to teach them the Word of God (Acts 20:18-21), and that he was about to leave for Jerusalem where he would suffer persecution (Acts 20:22-24). He told the elders of the church they would no longer see him (Acts 20:25), which was upsetting news. He also told them he was innocent of harming anyone (Acts 20:26), and that he had been faithful to declare to them “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). Afterwards, Paul gave them heavy news, saying, “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts 20:29-30). Knowing this, Paul instructed them to “be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears” (Acts 20:31). Paul was leaving, but he was not leaving them emptyhanded, as he said, “I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). Though Paul was leaving, God and His Word remained, and that was sufficient for a life of success. The church at Ephesus did well after Paul's departure, and he gave thanks for their faith and love (Eph 1:15-16). However, the generation that followed did not continue in their love, as Jesus said of them, “I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (Rev 2:4). This shows that the faith of one generation does not automatically continue into the next, as each generation must choose for themselves whether they will learn and live God's Word.      As Christian leaders (whether pastors, parents, or teachers), we bear special responsibility for our own spiritual growth which comes by studying God's Word (2 Tim 2:15; 1 Pet 2:2), learning from gifted teachers (Eph 4:11-14), and applying His Word by faith (2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38; Jam 1:22), which leads to spiritual maturity (Heb 6:1). Furthermore, we seek to communicate His Word to others who will listen (Mark 16:15; Matt 28:19-20; Eph 6:4; 2 Tim 4:2; cf., Ezra 7:10). Once we've fulfilled our duty to the Lord, we then entrust our loved ones to Him, knowing that the Lord and His Word provides a fortress of truth and love that will protect their souls as they advance to spiritual maturity. Our desires and prayers for our loved ones are that they will “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet 3:18) and learn to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col 1:10). Dr. Steven R. Cook   [1] Eugene H. Merrill, Deuteronomy, vol. 4, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 431–432. [2] Tom Constable, Tom Constable's Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Dt 33:6. [3] Eugene H. Merrill, Deuteronomy, vol. 4, 438. [4] Only a descendant of Aaron could serve as the high priest (Ex 28:1; 40:13-15), and the non-Aaronic priests came from the tribe of Levi (Deut 17:18; 18:1; 24:8; 27:9). All priests were Levites, but not all Levites were priests. The priesthood consisted of men who could not have any physical defects (Lev 21:17-23), and restricted to the age of twenty-five to fifty (Num 8:24-25). [5] Eugene H. Merrill, Deuteronomy, vol. 4, 440. [6] Ibid., 442–443. [7] Peter C. Craigie, The Book of Deuteronomy, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1976), 400. [8] Eugene H. Merrill, Deuteronomy, vol. 4, 445–446. [9] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne House, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1999), 269. [10] Peter C. Craigie, The Book of Deuteronomy, 403.

Romans 9:14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!  15 For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." 16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth." 18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens. A.   BELIEVERS ARE THE OBJECTS OF GOD'S MERCY (14-19)The question of fairness arises whenever someone makes a choice to favor one person or group over another. Paul dealt with the justice of God in doing what He did in this section.Paul reverts to the diatribe style, with its question-and-answer format and references to a dialogue partner, that he has utilized earlier in the letter (see 2:1—3:8; 3:27-31; 6—7)." 1.    Salvation is only possible only through His Mercy (14-16)“God is unjust if He chooses one and leaves another!” ignorant people often say. But the purpose of God goes beyond justice; for if God did only what was just, He would have to condemn all of us! Paul uses Moses (Ex. 33:19) and Pharaoh (Ex. 9:16) as proof that God can do what He wishes in dispensing His grace and mercy. Nobody deserves God's mercy, and nobody can condemn God for His choice of Israel or His bypassing of other nations.[1]14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!The apostle first flatly denied the charge that God is unjust. God cannot be unjust because He is GodAs soon as Paul asks the question, “What then shall we say? Is God unjust?” he answers by an emphatic denial: “Not at all!” It is the strongest denial he can muster. The King James Bible has “God forbid!”[1] 15 For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion."Paul quoted Exodus 33:19 to show that God's mercy and compassion are extended according to God's will and not man's will. All of us deserve condemnation—not mercy. The reference in Exodus 33 deals with Israel's idolatry that occurred in chapter 32 while Moses was on the mount receiving the Law. The whole nation deserved to be destroyed, yet God killed only 3,000 people—not because they were more wicked or less godly, but purely because of His grace and mercy.[1]"The grace of God has been spoken of in this Epistle often before; but not until these chapters is mercy named; and until mercy is understood, grace cannot be fully appreciated." 16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.God is under no obligation to show mercy or extend grace to anyone. If we insist on receiving just treatment from God, what we will get is condemnation (3:23).2.    Just as Pharaoh was the object of His Wrath (17-18)17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth."God said He raised Pharaoh up. God had mercifully spared Pharaoh up to the moment when He said these words to him, through six plagues and in spite of his consistent opposition to God. God did not mean that He had created Pharaoh and allowed him to sit on Egypt's throne, though He had done that too. This is clear from Exodus 9:16, which Paul quoted. The NASB translation of raised you up makes this clear by translating Exodus 9:16, ". . . for this cause I have allowed you to remain." Pharaoh deserved death for his opposition and disrespect. However, God would not take his life in the remaining plagues so his continuing opposition and God's victo

I WILL BLESS THE LORD. This episode is a reading from Psalm 34 a psalm of David when he changed his behavior before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed. The writer of this psalm praises the LORD for a miraculous deliverance from great trouble. His testimony encourages all afflicted believers to believe that they may also experience the goodness of the LORD. 7. The angel of the LORD probably refers to the angelic host of heaven. They are "ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation" (Heb. 1:14). God has appointed His angels to protect and rescue His saints from physical and spiritual harm. This promise of divine intervention is reserved only for those who truly fear God. Note that the promises in this psalm are conditional, but many of these blessings require our active participation. He will deliver us from fear, save us out of our troubles, guard and deliver us, show us goodness, supply our needs, listen when we talk to Him, and redeem us, but we must do our part. We can appropriate His blessings when we seek Him, cry out to Him, trust Him, fear Him, refrain from lying, turn from evil, do good and seek peace, are humble, and serve Him. 8. "Taste and see" does not mean, "Check out God's credentials." Instead, it is a warm invitation: "Try this; I know you'll like it." When we take that first step of obedience in following God, we cannot help discovering that He is good and kind. When we begin the Christian life, our knowledge of God is partial and incomplete. As we trust Him daily, we experience how good He is. You say you belong to the LORD, but do you fear Him? To fear the LORD means to show deep respect and honor to Him. We demonstrate true reverence through our humble attitude and genuine worship. Reverence was shown by Abraham (Gen 17:2-4), Moses (Ex 3:5,6), and the Israelites (Ex 19:16-24). Their reactions to God's presence varied, but all deeply respected Him. 9, 10. At first, we may question David's statement, because we seem to lack many good things. This is not a blanket promise that all Christians will have everything they want. Instead, this is David's praise for God's goodness—all those who call upon God in their need will be answered, sometimes in unexpected ways. Remember, God knows what we need, and our deepest needs are spiritual. Many, even though faced with unbearable poverty and hardship, still have enough spiritual nourishment to live for God. David was saying that to have God is to have all you really need. God is enough. The Bible often connects the fear of the LORD (love and reverence for Him) with obedience. "Fear God and keep His commandments" (Ecc 12:13); "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching" (John 14:23). Love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, with all thy being. God will never leave you nor forsake you. Stand upon the promises of God. Blessings, Elder Barbara FL|LAB

Thursday Night Bible Study - Moses (Ex 1-4)

Scripture is full of individuals who, when faced with a God-given task, immediately felt ill-equipped and insecure, sure that the Almighty had chosen the wrong person of the job. For example, consider Abraham and Sarah (Gen 17:17), Moses (Ex 3:11), Gideon (Jdg 6:15), Jeremiah (Jer 1:6), Mary (Luke 1:34), and Paul (1 Cor 15:9). These were real people wanting to serve a real God who had given them real assignments in the real world but were faced with real uncertainty because of real deficiencies. Most Christians today can relate with these characters in the face of our God-given task to “make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:18–20). That's a huge and potentially overwhelming calling, one that leaves many believers wondering how to even get started, if they're even capable of contributing, and if they have anything of significance to offer. It's into this uncertainty that the Holy Spirit speaks clarity and reassurance through Paul's pen.

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It is amazing that in the midst of the greatest trial in his life David took the time to pray, to reflect and write this Psalm. Can you imagine the rejection he must have felt as the people of Israel turned against him, and he is publicly humiliated. Even as he was leaving Jerusalem some of his enemies came out to mock and jeer at him. This a desperate time for him! Maybe at times you have felt this same way. In verses 1-2, we see David acknowledge his conflict and admit his troubles in this trial. In verses 3-4, we hear David's confidence in the Lord as he prays and puts his trust in the Lord his shield. Now in verses 5-8, we watch as David celebrates God's victory over his enemies as he anticipates victory. Wow! What faith! Everything is falling apart around him and from a human standpoint there is no hope, but David believes and sees God's victory. When David awakened the next morning, his first thought was of the Lord and how He had protected him and his attendants during night. This was a sign to him that the Lord was with them and would see them through the crisis. It reminds us of Jesus asleep in the storm (Mark 4:39) and Peter asleep in the prison (Acts 12). If we trust Him and seek to do His will, God works on our behalf even while we're asleep (121:3-4; 127:2). David affirmed that he would not be afraid if tens of thousands of people were set in battle array against him, for God would give him victory (Deut. 32:30). The morning was the most important time of day for David, as it should be for us today. It was in the morning that he met with the Lord and worshiped Him. It was his time to pray (5:3), to sing (57:7-8; 59:16) and to be satisfied by God's mercy (90:14). "For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning"(30:5). Abraham arose early in the morning (Gen. 19:27; 21:14; 22:3), and so did Moses (Ex. 24:4; 34:4), Joshua (Josh. 3:1; 6:12; 7:16; 8:10), Samuel (1 Sam. 15:12), Job (Job 1:5), and our Lord (Mark 1:35). God not only rested David but He also rescued him. David's prayer in verse 7—"Arise, O Lord"—takes us back to the years when Israel was in the wilderness, as David was at that time. When the guiding cloud of glory began to move and the camp set out, Moses would say (or sing): "Rise up. O Lord! Let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You" (Num. 10:35). David had sent the ark back to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 15:24-29), but he knew that the presence of a piece of sacred furniture was no guarantee of the presence of the Lord (see 1 Sam. 4). David had no access to the tabernacle or the ministry of the priests, but he was spiritual enough to know that the love and obedience of His heart was what God wanted. He didn't have the ark of God, but he had the God of the ark! He couldn't offer animal sacrifices or incense, but he could lift his hand to worship God (141:2). The glory of God was with him (v. 3) and so was the blessing of God (v. 8). Let the enemy arise! (v. 1). God will also arise and give victory! In verse 7 David was looking back at the many past victories God had given him. "You saved my life many times in the past, so why would you abandon me now?" David had the faith to trust God to go before him and defeat the army of Absalom, and God did. David also refused to carry a grudge against his people, but asked the Lord to bless them (v. 8). This reminds us of our Lord's prayer on the cross (Luke 23:34) and Stephen's prayer as he was being stoned to death (Acts 7:60). May the Lord give us this kind of grace and faith today in the midst of our trials! God bless!

Deuteronomy 28:15-46 - The Lord's Cursings      Having already presented God's blessings for obedience (Deut 28:1-14), Moses turned to the cursing section of the covenant, saying, “But it shall come about, if you do not obey the LORD your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you” (Deut 28:15). The responsibility fell upon Israel to abide by the terms of the covenant. They were to abide by “all His commandments and His statutes”, and failure to do so would bring God's curses. Earl Radmacher states: "A curse is the opposite of a blessing. It wishes or prays for ill or injury on a person or an object. God cursed the serpent and the ground after the sin of Adam and Eve (Gen 3:14, 17). Jeremiah, in despair, cursed the man who brought news of his birth (Jer 20:14, 15). The seriousness of God's covenant with His people is illustrated by the threat of a curse on any who violate it (Deut 28:60, 61)."[1]      The curses would reverse all God's blessings and would overtake His people wherever they were. Moses wrote: "Cursed shall you be in the city and cursed shall you be in the country. 17 Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. 18 Cursed shall be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock. 19 Cursed shall you be when you come in and cursed shall you be when you go out" (Deut 28:16-19).      What follows in Deuteronomy 28:20-68 spelled out God's curses in specific detail and were intended to produce a healthy fear in the Israelite who might be tempted to turn away from the Lord and His clear directives. Moses informed his people that the curses would pursue them in stages until they were destroyed (Deut 28:20-22, 24, 45, 48, 51, 61). Daniel Block states, “By means of a seemingly endless catalogue of secondary agents of doom, Moses warns that Yahweh will marshal every conceivable agent of destruction against His people.”[2] God is offering a theological understanding of Israel's circumstances and experiences should they break their covenant with Yahweh and not abide by His directives.      Moses gave an overarching summary statement of all God would do to Israel if they pursued evil and forsook Him. Moses said, “The LORD will send upon you curses, confusion, and rebuke, in all you undertake to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, on account of the evil of your deeds, because you have forsaken Me” (Deut 28:20). The word send translates the Hebrew verb שָׁלַח shalach which in this passage means to “send out, forth, send on a mission.”[3] The form of the verb is intensive (Piel), which means the curse will be relentless in its pursuit. God's judgment would come because of Israel's choice to forsake the Lord and to pursue a life of evil deeds. According to Craigie, “The root cause of the disaster would be forgetfulness; the people would forget God, and in forgetting God they would forget his commandments. Having forgotten the commandments of God, the people would inevitably commit evil deeds and bring upon their own heads disaster. God sends the curse (v. 20a), but man invites it by his deeds (v. 20b).”[4]      At the beginning of the judgments, Moses said, “The LORD will make the pestilence cling to you until He has consumed you from the land where you are entering to possess it” (Deut 28:21). The pestilence (דֶּבֶר deber) could be something like bubonic plague, which afflicted both people and animals with fever and delirium. This might explain Moses' next statement, saying, “The LORD will smite you with consumption and with fever and with inflammation and with fiery heat and with the sword and with blight and with mildew, and they will pursue you until you perish” (Deut 28:22). Blight and mildew refer to attacks on crops, which God brought upon His people during times of judgment (see Amos 4:9; Hag 2:17). Daniel Block states: "In verse 22 Moses becomes more specific, listing seven afflictions with which Yahweh will strike his people. The catalogue of seven afflictions expresses Yahweh's sovereignty over all agents of death and destruction. The first four entries elaborate on deber in verse 21 and specify diseases at Yahweh's disposal: wasting disease, fever, inflammation, and scorching heat. The fifth refers to the sword (ḥereb), which functions as shorthand for Israel's defeat by enemy armies (cf. vv. 25–26), and the last two refer to crop diseases."[5]      The judgments would include a severe drought upon the Land. Moses said, “The heaven which is over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you, iron. 24 The LORD will make the rain of your land powder and dust; from heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed” (Deut 28:23-24). A bronze sky and iron earth is a picture of impenetrable material which would frustrate the farmer. And the Lord, rather than sending rain that would soften the earth, would only send “powder and dust” upon the land. Eugene Merrill states, “As impervious as these metals are to water and tools, so both the heavens and the earth would be in the day of calamity. The rains would not leak through the skies, nor would the earth be able to be broken up to receive the farmer's seed. Instead, the heavens would rain down dust, which would only exacerbate an already hopeless situation on the earth.”[6]      Moving to a picture of military defeat, Moses said, “The LORD shall cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you will go out one way against them, but you will flee seven ways before them, and you will be an example of terror to all the kingdoms of the earth. 26 Your carcasses will be food to all birds of the sky and to the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to frighten them away” (Deut 28:25-26). Israel would always have enemies, but rather than know victory, God would cause them to know only defeat. Israel, going out against their enemy “one way” speaks of a planned attack. Fleeing seven ways meant their efforts would fail, as they would scramble to “flee seven ways” from the battle. Israel's choice to separate themselves from God meant they forfeited the Lord's protection against hostile forces. According to Craigie, “Disobedience to the law of God separated the people from him, and in this state of separation they could not expect to experience the presence of God in the midst of their army; without God in the midst of Israel's army, defeat was inevitable.”[7] Not only would Israel be an example of terror to surrounding kingdoms, but their dead bodies would be food for wild animals. Merrill states, “Israel would, in fact, become a field of corpses, a banquet for winged and four-footed scavengers that would be free to eat their fill (v. 26). The irony of the contrast between Israel's feeding off the land (vv. 4–5, 8, 11) and being itself a food supply for carnivorous beasts is inescapable.”[8]The wise Israelite understood, “the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge” (Psa 73:28).      Moving from military defeat, Moses then describes various skin diseases that would inflict the nation. Moses said, “The LORD will smite you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors and with the scab and with the itch, from which you cannot be healed” (Deut 28:27). Concerning the boils, Earl Kalland states, “The ‘boils of Egypt' are doubtless the boils of the sixth plague, which so discomfited the Egyptian magicians, as well as all other Egyptians, that they could no longer stand before Moses (Ex 9:9–11). This may have been a form of leprosy known in Egypt.”[9] The reference to tumors (עֹפֶל ophel) could mean hemorrhoids, much like what afflicted the Philistines when they took possession of the Ark (1 Sam 5:6). The scab (גָּרָב garab) was something that irritated the skin, perhaps a rash of some sort. Interestingly, such a skin disease would disqualify a priest from service (Lev 21:18-21), as well as an animal from being sacrificed (Lev 22:20-22). The itch (חֶרֶס cheres) referred to some eruptive disease.      All of this would have great psychological and social impact on the Israelites, as Moses continued, saying, “The LORD will smite you with madness and with blindness and with bewilderment of heart; 29 and you will grope at noon, as the blind man gropes in darkness, and you will not prosper in your ways; but you shall only be oppressed and robbed continually, with none to save you” (Deut 28:28-29). Their mental, emotional, and social condition would make it impossible to function on a daily basis. They would become like a “blind man” who cannot see his way clearly to do anything, and the result will be that they “will not prosper” in any of their activities. Furthermore, there would be none to help, as those around them would only oppress and rob them, and there would be “none to save” them from their troubles. Eugene Merrill writes: "The inclusion of blindness between two states of emotional or psychological disorder suggests that this loss of vision was not physical but metaphorical (cf. Psa 146:8; Isa 29:18; 35:5; 42:7, 16; 43:8; 56:10). The groping about in midday like a blind man (v. 29a) is a simile qualified in the next line, “You will be unsuccessful in everything you do.” The blindness, then, was the incapacity to think clearly or form intelligent judgments. It would lay the ones under the curse open to all kinds of exploitation including oppression…and robbery (v. 29b). Having broken fellowship with the Lord, they would have no one to deliver them from their insanity and its consequences."[10] Peter Craigie adds: "In broad daylight, the cursed blind man gropes around. He cannot see and does not know how to make himself prosperous, but he can be seen by others; his fumbling ineptitude makes him an easy prey for robbers. Having brought about his sad state through disobedience to the law of God, he is now at the mercy of those who live outside the law, and there is no one to offer help. His fellows are equally cursed, and he has gone too far from God to call for his deliverance."[11]      Having turned away from the Lord, Israel would no longer enjoy His protections, and this meant what was precious to them would be vulnerable to attack and harm. These included attacks on one's spouse, home, business, children, and safety from one's enemies. Moses said: "You shall betroth a wife, but another man will violate her; you shall build a house, but you will not live in it; you shall plant a vineyard, but you will not use its fruit. 31 Your ox shall be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will not eat of it; your donkey shall be torn away from you, and will not be restored to you; your sheep shall be given to your enemies, and you will have none to save you. 32 Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, while your eyes look on and yearn for them continually; but there will be nothing you can do. 33 A people whom you do not know shall eat up the produce of your ground and all your labors, and you will never be anything but oppressed and crushed continually. 34 You shall be driven mad by the sight of what you see." (Deut 28:30-34)      Here is a picture of harm by one's enemies, frustration by helplessness, and eventual despair of soul and madness of mind by the sight of what they will see. They would have no control over their lives but would be perpetual victims of their enemies who take possession of their wives and mistreat them. The fruit of their ground and livestock would be eaten by another, and their children would be forcibly taken and sold into slavery while they looked on in helplessness, and there would be nothing they could do to stop it. The end result was mental madness by what they saw happening to them. All of this was the result of their walking away from the Lord's protections.      Revisiting the motif of boils previously mentioned (Deut 28:27), Moses said, “The LORD will strike you on the knees and legs with sore boils, from which you cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head” (Deut 28:35). This disease would cover the whole body, but emphasis seems to be given to the knees, legs, and soles of one's feet, which would make normal activities very difficult, thus exacerbating one's efforts to work.      The judgments also anticipated a time in the future when Israel would have a king over them. Moses said, “The LORD will bring you and your king, whom you set over you, to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone. 37 You shall become a horror, a proverb, and a taunt among all the people where the LORD drives you” (Deut 28:36-37). If Israel turned away from God and refused to serve Him, they would fall victim to slavery in godless nations who served dumb idols of wood and stone. Eugene Merrill states, “Deportation does, however, imply submission, a condition contrary to the exaltation of Israel described in the list of blessings. Rather than being a nation set “high above all the nations” (v. 1), God's people would lose their children to another nation (v. 32) and would themselves go off into ignominious captivity (v. 36).”[12] Israel's fallen condition would serve as a horror and proverb to other nations.      Deuteronomy 28:36 describes how God will bring His people and their king into captivity in a foreign land. Because Israel did not have a king until nearly four centuries after Moses gave the law, it is argued by liberal scholars that Deuteronomy is actually a late book, written around the seventh or fifth centuries B.C. These liberal scholars—who operate on antisupernaturalistic presuppositions—reject the Bible as divinely inspired and treat it as a humanistic book and the events described therein as history rather than prophecy (Lat. vaticinium ex eventu = after the event). However, because the Bible is supernaturally inspired by God, these prophetic statements are not a problem, as God had promised Israel would have a king (Gen 17:6, 16; 35:11; Deut 17:14-20).      Returning to the judgments, Moses stated that all their efforts at labor and production would be met with futility. Moses said: "You shall bring out much seed to the field but you will gather in little, for the locust will consume it. 39 You shall plant and cultivate vineyards, but you will neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes, for the worm will devour them. 40 You shall have olive trees throughout your territory but you will not anoint yourself with the oil, for your olives will drop off. 41 You shall have sons and daughters but they will not be yours, for they will go into captivity. 42 The cricket shall possess all your trees and the produce of your ground." (Deut 28:38-42)      Again, we have a picture of fruitless labor by the Israelite farmer. Frustration would come as locusts and worms would be used by the Lord to destroy their crops. Even their sons and daughters—who often helped with farming—would be taken away into captivity, further exacerbating their ability to farm. Daniel Block states: "The catalogue of futility curses involves the entire range of ancient Palestinian agricultural activity: fields of grain (v. 38), vineyards (v. 39), olive groves (v. 40), and fruit trees (v. 41). The crop failures are caused by little creatures that Yahweh will send to devour and despoil the crops before they can be harvested. “Locusts” (v. 38) are grass-eating insects that fly in vast swarms and devour everything in sight. “Worms” (v. 39) refers to fruit grubs that attack the grapes. The meaning of “swarms of locusts” (v. 42) is uncertain, but it probably refers to a species of beetle that kills vegetation by attacking leaves or stems."[13]      Israel would also experience social and economic decline, as Moses said, “The alien who is among you shall rise above you higher and higher, but you will go down lower and lower. 44 He shall lend to you, but you will not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you will be the tail” (Deut 28:43-44). The alien (גֵּר ger) was the one who originally came to Israel to be elevated and blessed, but his low position would become the new standard, not because he was lifted up, but because Israel was brought down to a lower position. Israel would experience economic slavery by being the borrower rather than the lender.      Moses continued, “So all these curses shall come on you and pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you would not obey the LORD your God by keeping His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. 46 They shall become a sign and a wonder on you and your descendants forever” (Deut 28:45-46). The curses would pursue (רָדָף radaph – to pursue, chase, persecute) and overtake (נָשַׂג nasag) Israel like a relentless hunter who is tireless in his pursuit to catch and destroy the hunted animal. All of this would happen because Israel refused to walk with the Lord and to keep His commandments. Peter Craigie states, “Disobedience to the word of God would result inevitably in disaster…For a sign and for a wonder—the disasters that would befall the Israelites, if they were disobedient to God, would serve to illustrate the ways of God to other nations, who would be prompted to ask questions when they saw the plight of the Israelites.”[14]   [1] Earl D. Radmacher, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary, 263. [2] Daniel I. Block, The NIV Application Commentary: Deuteronomy, ed. Terry Muck (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 652. [3] Francis Brown, Samuel Rolles Driver, and Charles Augustus Briggs, Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1977), 1019. [4] Peter C. Craigie, The Book of Deuteronomy, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1976), 342. [5] Daniel I. Block, The NIV Application Commentary: Deuteronomy, 653. [6] Eugene H. Merrill, Deuteronomy, vol. 4, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 359. [7] Peter C. Craigie, The Book of Deuteronomy, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, 343. [8] Eugene H. Merrill, Deuteronomy, vol. 4, The New American Commentary, 360. [9] Earl S. Kalland, “Deuteronomy,” in The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 172. [10] Eugene H. Merrill, Deuteronomy, vol. 4, The New American Commentary, 361. [11] Peter C. Craigie, The Book of Deuteronomy, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, 345. [12] Eugene H. Merrill, Deuteronomy, vol. 4, The New American Commentary, 362. [13] Daniel I. Block, The NIV Application Commentary: Deuteronomy, 657. [14] Peter C. Craigie, The Book of Deuteronomy, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, 347.

Acts 1:9-11 ESV 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” WHY DO YOU STAND LOOKING INTO HEAVEN? The disciples and their company at Mt. Olives saw Jesus lifted up and disappeared into the clouds. The cloud has significant meaning in the bible, especially about God's dealings with Israel. The pillar of cloud led the Israelites through the wilderness (Ex 13:21). When the Jews camped at Mt. Sinai, God covered the mountain in cloud and smoke to show the people the authority He was giving Moses (Ex 19:9, 16–18). When Solomon brought the ark of the covenant into the new temple, God filled the whole building with a cloud of His glory so thick the priests had to flee (1 Kings 8:10–11). In the New Testament, God showed to Peter, James, and John the glory of Jesus during the transfiguration, wherein He spoke to them from a cloud (Mark 9:7). And when Jesus will return someday, during the rapture (1 Thess 4:16–17) and the second coming (Rev 1:7), He will come with clouds. All such cases illustrate the ‘shekinah glory of God, His glorious dwelling with His people. God's glory is so great we can only experience it if it is veiled as if covered by clouds. Soon, according to Paul, we will see God clearly (2 Cor 3:12–18). The sight of Jesus' ascension must have been very captivating that stunned the disciples. They stared unto heaven for awhile. Thus, the angels said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” They were always hoping that this kingdom eventually be realized which included an Israel freed from Roman rule and the twelve thrones for the twelve apostles set up (Luke 22:30). Their hope now rises into the sky with Jesus. Their expectations were not met as yet. God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours.[Isa 55:8,9] The kingdom will surely be realized but not so soon. Jesus had warned them that hardships will come. But, they should be of good cheer for He overcomes the world. [John 16:33] The same Jesus they saw who went up into heaven will come again. Thus, we should be ‘waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.' In what ways? By living a pure life as His redeemed people zealous for good works. [Titus 2:13,14] -------------------- Visit and FOLLOW Gospel Light Filipino on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram

e continues our Lenten series talking about the Moses in our lives. Do you have a Moses? Will you be a Moses?

Apologetics Live Episode 142 Justin Peters will be with us Thursday at 8 pm EST, and you are invited to come along for this great conversation. Does the Bible explain the purpose for miracles, signs, and wonders (Acts 2:22)? Why does having a biblical understanding of these issues inform our knowledge of God, and do we need to believe in the Trinity? If so, what is the Trinity? We explain that it is very important to have a careful and precise definition of a biblical “miracle” Moses Ex 4; Ezekiel, NT Jn 3:2 A true miracle must be non-counterfitable. Must prove that God has vindicated His own messengers. A Miracle is a function of Divine revelation. Miracles are always for vindication. One definition; “A miracle is an event in nature, so extraordinary in itself and so coinciding with the prophecy or command of a religious teacher or leader, as fully to warrant the conviction, on the part of those who witness it, that God has wrought it with the design of certifying that this teacher or leader has been commissioned by him.” [A. H. Strong, Theology,118]

Apologetics Live Episode 142 Justin Peters will be with us Thursday at 8 pm EST, and you are invited to come along for this great conversation. Does the Bible explain the purpose for miracles, signs, and wonders (Acts 2:22)? Why does having a biblical understanding of these issues inform our knowledge of God, and do we need to believe in the Trinity? If so, what is the Trinity? We explain that it is very important to have a careful and precise definition of a biblical “miracle” Moses Ex 4; Ezekiel, NT Jn 3:2 A true miracle must be non-counterfitable. Must prove that God has vindicated His own messengers. A Miracle is a function of Divine revelation. Miracles are always for vindication. One definition; “A miracle is an event in nature, so extraordinary in itself and so coinciding with the prophecy or command of a religious teacher or leader, as fully to warrant the conviction, on the part of those who witness it, that God has wrought it with the design of certifying that this teacher or leader has been commissioned by him.” [A. H. Strong, Theology,118]

Romans 9:14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!  15 For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." 16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth." 18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens. BELIEVERS ARE THE OBJECTS OF GOD'S MERCY (14-19) The question of fairness arises whenever someone makes a choice to favor one person or group over another. Paul dealt with the justice of God in doing what He did in this section. Paul reverts to the diatribe style, with its question-and-answer format and references to a dialogue partner, that he has utilized earlier in the letter (see 2:1—3:8; 3:27-31; 6—7)." Salvation is only possible only through His Mercy (14-16) “God is unjust if He chooses one and leaves another!” ignorant people often say. But the purpose of God goes beyond justice; for if God did only what was just, He would have to condemn all of us! Paul uses Moses (Ex. 33:19) and Pharaoh (Ex. 9:16) as proof that God can do what He wishes in dispensing His grace and mercy. Nobody deserves God's mercy, and nobody can condemn God for His choice of Israel or His bypassing of other nations.[1] 14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! The apostle first flatly denied the charge that God is unjust. God cannot be unjust because He is God As soon as Paul asks the question, “What then shall we say? Is God unjust?” he answers by an emphatic denial: “Not at all!” It is the strongest denial he can muster. The King James Bible has “God forbid!”[1]  15 For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." Paul quoted Exodus 33:19 to show that God's mercy and compassion are extended according to God's will and not man's will. All of us deserve condemnation—not mercy. The reference in Exodus 33 deals with Israel's idolatry that occurred in chapter 32 while Moses was on the mount receiving the Law. The whole nation deserved to be destroyed, yet God killed only 3,000 people—not because they were more wicked or less godly, but purely because of His grace and mercy.[1] "The grace of God has been spoken of in this Epistle often before; but not until these chapters is mercy named; and until mercy is understood, grace cannot be fully appreciated."  16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. God is under no obligation to show mercy or extend grace to anyone. If we insist on receiving just treatment from God, what we will get is condemnation (3:23). Just as Pharaoh was the object of His Wrath (17-18) 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth." God said He raised Pharaoh up. God had mercifully spared Pharaoh up to the moment when He said these words to him, through six plagues and in spite of his consistent opposition to God. God did not mean that He had created Pharaoh and allowed him to sit on Egypt's throne, though He had done that too. This is clear from Exodus 9:16, which Paul quoted. The NASB translation of raised you up makes this clear by translating Exodus 9:16, ". . . for this cause I have allowed you to remain." Pharaoh deserved death for his opposition and disrespect. However, God would not take his life in the remaining plagues so his continuing opposition and God's victory over him would result in greater glory for God (cf. Jos 9:9 So they said to him: "From a very far country your servants have come, because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard of His fame, and all that He did in Egypt; Ps 76:10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise You; With the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself. Here is another example similar to the one in verse 15 of God not giving people what they deserve but extending mercy to them instead. Paul then quoted Exodus 9:16, using Pharaoh as an illustration. Moses was a Jew; Pharaoh was a Gentile; yet both were sinners. In fact, both were murderers! Both saw God's wonders. Yet Moses was saved and Pharaoh was lost. God raised up Pharaoh that He might reveal His glory and power; and He had mercy on Moses that He might use him to deliver the people of Israel. Pharaoh was a ruler, and Moses was a slave; yet it was Moses who experienced the mercy and compassion of God—because God willed it that way[1]  18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens This statement summarizes Paul's point. In chapter 1, the apostle had spoken about the way God gives people over to their own evil desires as a form of punishment for their sins. This is how God hardens people's hearts. In Pharaoh's case, we see this working out clearly. God was not unjust because He allowed the hardening process to continue. His justice demanded punishment. Similarly, a person may choose to drink poison or he may choose not to, but if he chooses to drink it, inevitable consequences will follow.             "Neither here nor anywhere else is God said to harden anyone who had not first hardened himself." God's     hardening   does   not,    then,    cause   spiritual insensitivity to the things of God; it maintains people in the state of sin that already characterizes them."357 Before leaving this section, we need to discuss the “hardening” of Pharaoh (Rom. 9:18). This hardening process is referred to at least fifteen times in Exodus 7–14. Sometimes we are told that Pharaoh hardened his heart (Ex. 8:15, 19, 32), and other times that God hardened Pharaoh's heart (Ex. 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27).                By declaring His Word and revealing His power, God gave Pharaoh opportunity to repent; but instead, Pharaoh resisted God and hardened his heart. The fault lay not with God but Pharaoh. The same sunlight that melts the ice also hardens the clay.                God was not unrighteous in His dealings with Pharaoh because He gave him many opportunities to repent and believe.[1] God speaks to what was going to happen Ex 4:21 And the LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. (NKJV) Ex 7:13 And Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said. Ex 7:14 So the LORD said to Moses: "Pharaoh's heart is hard; he refuses to let the people go. Ex 7:22 Then the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments; and Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said. Ex 8:15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the LORD had said. Ex 8:19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the LORD had said. Ex 8:32 But Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also; neither would he let the people go. Ex 9:7 Then Pharaoh sent, and indeed, not even one of the livestock of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh became hard, and he did not let the people go. Ex 9:12 But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh; and he did not heed them, just as the LORD had spoken to Moses. Ex 9:34 And when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet more; and he hardened his heart, he and his servants. Ex 9:35 So the heart of Pharaoh was hard; neither would he let the children of Israel go, as the LORD had spoken by Moses.  Ex 10:1 Now the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, that I may show these signs of Mine before him, Ex 10:20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go. Ex 10:27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go. Ex 14:4 "Then I will harden Pharaoh's heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD." And they did so. Ex 14:8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness.  2Ch 36:13 And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear an oath by God; but he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD God of Israel. "Neither here nor anywhere else is God said to harden anyone who had not first hardened himself." "God's hardening, then, is an action that renders a person insensitive to God and his word and that, if not reversed, culminates in eternal damnation." God's    hardening does   not,   then,   cause  spiritual insensitivity to the things of God; it maintains people in the state of sin that already characterizes them." We say boldly, that a believer's heart is not fully yielded to God until it accepts without question, and without demanding softening, this eighteenth verse. Paul did not mention the fact that Pharaoh hardened his own heart, which Moses stated in Exodus. Paul's point was simply that God can freely and justly extend mercy or not extend mercy to those who deserve His judgment. "The reconciliation of God's sovereignty and man's responsibility is beyond our power. The Bible states and emphasizes both, and then leaves them. We shall be wise if we do the same." Lessons It's foolish to test God's patience It is unbelief to doubt the love of God One day you will stand before God. Do you know Him as your Savior? Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32 Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.  hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en Don't go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

Do you ever feel like you're not being promoted in certain areas in your life? Have you been feeling ‘stuck' and motionless? In this message, Pastor Vlad goes into the story of Joshua as God revealed his purpose in life and the journey between them. We pray that this message will encourage you in the season you're in, no matter what it may be. May God minister to your heart and may you feel rejuvenated in your spirit. Notes: Joshua 3:7 Joshua 4:14 1. God's promotion follows God's process. 
Joshua served Moses - Ex 17:9; Ex 24:13-18 Joshua served God - Ex 33:11 Joshua spied out the land - Num 13:8 Joshua was Moses' successor - Num 27:18-23 2. God's promotion is not connected to a position but to the Presence. The process is you learning to be with God. The promotion is God's power being with you. 3. God's promotion is for God's purpose. John 15:2 Favor follows faithfulness. Favor leads to fruitfulness. Faithfulness blesses me. Fruitfulness blesses the world. Favor is not so that I can keep talking about my faithfulness but so that I can walk into my fruitfulness. Exaltation is for exploits.

     The word prophet translates the Hebrew word נָבִיא nabi (Grk. προφήτης prophetes), which means “speaker, herald, preacher,”[1] and refers to one who served as the spokesman for another. For example, נָבִיא nabi was used of Aaron who was the spokesman for Moses (Ex 7:1-2). When called of God, the prophet communicated a message directly from the Lord. Sometimes the prophet engaged in forthtelling, in which he addressed sinful behavior within a community, calling God's people to stop their evil practices and turn to righteous living. But sometimes the prophet engaged in foretelling, in which he revealed the future actions of God, either for judgment or salvation (i.e., The Exodus, the Rapture of the Church, the Tribulation, Millennial Kingdom, etc.). The prophets were primarily men, but did include women such as Miriam (Ex 15:20), Deborah (Judg 4:4), Huldah (2 Ki 22:14), and Anna (Luke 2:36). God's prophets received His revelation directly and then communicated it to others (Ex 4:12; Jer 1:9; Amos 1:3), and sometimes they served as intercessors to God (Gen 20:7; Ex 32:10-14; 1 Sam 12:17, 19). Throughout Scripture there were true prophets to be obeyed (Deut 18:18; 34:10-11; 1 Sam 3:20; 2 Ch 25:15; 28:9; Hag 1:13; Acts 11:27-28; 21:10-11) and false prophets to be ignored (Deut 13:1-5; 18:21-22; Neh 6:12-13; Jer 23:25-28; Matt 7:15; 24:24; Acts 13:6; 2 Pet 2:1-3; 1 John 4:1-3; Rev 2:20). In the NT, the gift of prophecy was for the edification of others, as Paul wrote, “one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation” (1 Cor 14:3).      It is important to understand that prophetic revelation always originates with God, as the prophet is merely the mouthpiece of the Lord. The Lord told Moses, “I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say” (Ex 4:12). To Isaiah the Lord said, “I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand” (Isa 51:16a).  And He told Jeremiah, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth” (Jer 1:9b). We're not exactly sure how this happened; however, what is clear, is that the words the prophet spoke originated with God. The apostle Peter stated, “No prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Pet 1:21; cf. 1 Sam 10:6; 19:20). The word moved translates the Greek word φέρω phero, which means “to bear or carry from one place to another.”[2] Luke used the word φέρω phero to refer to ship that were propelled by a wind (Acts 27:15, 17). Paul wrote, “when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe” (1 Th 2:13). Prophecy that was written became Scripture. And the prophets who wrote were not robots who merely dictated what God revealed, but maintained their personality, literary style, emotion, and volition.      In the OT, Moses knew there would be false prophets that would arise and seek to lead God's people away from their covenant agreement with the Lord. Concerning the false prophets, God said, they “are prophesying falsehood in My name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility and the deception of their own minds” (Jer 14:14; cf. Jer 23:16, 21). This deception derives from Satan and his demons who are active in the world and constantly seeking to subvert God's activities and programs. God, in His sovereignty, permits Satan to have his way for a time. Ultimately, false prophets are agents of Satan and can appear as messengers of light (2 Cor 11:14-15). But God has equipped His people to be able to identify false prophets so they can be rejected. In Deuteronomy, Moses gave two objective tests that could be applied to the person who claimed to be a prophet and said, “Thus says the Lord.”      First was the doctrinal test. In this test, there would appear someone who claimed to be “a prophet or a dreamer of dreams” (Deut 13:1), and would even perform a miraculous sign or wonder (Deut 13:2a). The miraculous sign or wonder performed by the false prophet functioned as a means of persuading others. However, the ability to perform a sign or wonder by itself proves nothing. When Moses was executing God's plagues upon Egypt, it is recorded three times “the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts” (Ex 7:10-11; cf., 7:21-22; 8:6-7). Jesus warned, “false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect” (Matt 24:24). And Paul spoke of the coming Antichrist, “whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved” (2 Th 2:9-10).      Though able to perform a supernatural act, the deceiver would reveal himself as a false prophet by his words, saying, “Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them” (Deut 13:2b). When the self-proclaimed-prophet teaches something that clearly violates God's written Word, he/she reveals the source of their connection. To call God's people to serve other gods is in violation of the first commandment, which states, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Deut 5:7), as well as the great commandment which states, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deut 6:5). Moses said, “you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deut 13:3). Here is a test of allegiance. Those who love God will remain loyal to Him (Deut 13:4). Because Israel was a theocracy, and God was their Judge, Lawgiver, and King (Isa 33:22), He directed His people to execute the false prophet or dreamer of dreams (Deut 13:5a), “because he has counseled rebellion against the LORD your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from among you” (Deut 13:5b). Only those who know God's Word and live by it will guard themselves against the deceiving power of false miracle workers.      Second was the short-term-fulfillment of a prophecy. On another occasion, God spoke about “the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak” (Deut 18:20a). Like the previous example of a false prophet, God prescribed the death penalty for such an action, saying, “that prophet shall die” (Deut 18:20b). Naturally, the Israelites would ask, “How will we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?” (Deut 18:21). The Lord's answer was, “When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him” (Deut 18:22; cf. Jer 28:9). Apparently, the prophet would be able to predict a short-term event that everyone could see for themselves and verify. Once the short-term prophecy was fulfilled in exact detail, the prophet's long-term prophecies could be accepted and relied upon as valid. Jesus adhered to this test, providing short-term prophesies that came to pass (Mark 11:12-14, 19-20), which validated His long-term prophecies which are still pending (Matt 24:3—25:46). Example of a True Prophet: "Now behold, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, while Jeroboam [King of Israel] was standing by the [pagan] altar to burn incense [to false gods; cf. 1 Ki 12:28-33]. 2 He [the true prophet] cried against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on you he shall sacrifice the [bones of the dead] priests of the high places [pagan worship centers] who burn incense on you, and human bones shall be burned on you [fulfilled 300 years later; cf. 2 Ki 23:15-20].'” 3 Then he gave a sign the same day [proving to everyone he was a true prophet], saying, “This is the sign which the LORD has spoken, ‘Behold, the altar [used by King Jeroboam] shall be split apart and the ashes which are on it shall be poured out.'” 4 Now when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him.” But his hand which he stretched out against him dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself. 5 The altar also was split apart and the ashes were poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD." (1 Ki 13:1-5) In this example of a true prophet, we see where he spoke against the worship of false gods in agreement with written revelation (Deut 13:1-5; cf. Ex 20:1-5a), and validated himself by performing an observable short-term prophecy for others to witness (Deut 18:22). Beware of False Prophets: "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you [in the Church], who will secretly introduce destructive heresies [false doctrines], even denying the Master who bought them [attacking the Person of Jesus Christ and His redemptive work on the cross; cf. 1 John 4:1-3], bringing swift destruction upon themselves.  2 Many [in the church] will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned [outsiders will spurn Christianity]; 3 and in their greed they will exploit you [to get your money] with false words [πλαστοῖς λόγοις plastois logois – lit. plastic words, easily molded to accommodate the hearer]; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep." (2 Pet 2:1-3)      False prophets/teachers will arise in churches and will seek to introduce false doctrines alongside true ones (2 Pet 2:1a; cf. Acts 20:28-30). These false prophets will attack the incarnation of Jesus Christ (2 Pet 2:1b; cf. 1 John 4:1-3), as well as His redeeming work of the cross (2 Pet 2:1). On this basis we know Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses are cults. Unfortunately, many in the church will be misled by false teachers, and this will cause the Christian way to be maligned (2 Pet 2:2). The motivation of false prophets is greed, in which they will exploit others for money (2 Pet 2:3a). Their power lies in their false words which they employ to subjugate their hearers. But these false prophets/teachers have not escaped God's notice, and their judgment is coming (2 Pet 2:3b). Exposure to false teachers is inevitable; however, the Christian mind is guarded and remains stable as the believer continually learns and lives God's Word (Matt 7:24-27; 2 Cor 10:3-5; 2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:2; 2 Pet 3:18). Some false teachers may be won to Christ (Acts 8:9-13), but others are to be resisted or avoided (Gal 2:4-5; Phil 3:2; 2 John 1:9-11).      There are some Christians today who believe God continues to reveal Himself directly to His people. However, other Christians believe God reveals Himself today only through nature (general revelation), the Bible (special revelation), and providentially through circumstances. The Bible is the only source of special revelation, and God's providential acts are only discernable by the Christian mind saturated with Scripture. Concerning faith and practice (orthodoxy & orthopraxy), the Bible is the only dependable source of divine revelation, and the Christian does well to know it from cover to cover. Christians are instructed to know God and His will through Scripture (Eph 4:11-16; 2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:2), and the believer who knows and lives God's Word will prove to be a blessing to others.   [1] Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1994–2000), 661–662. [2] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 1051.

SERMON TITLE- Christmas - The Dawn of Devotion--SERMON TEXT- Luke 2-13-14--SERMON THESIS- Christmas is the dawn of a new Day that should bring the dawn of new Devotion in the heart and home of every believer- This Christmas season our vision is to see a new dawn of Devotion come to every person in BFF---I. The DEFINITION of Devotion---NOTE- Devotion is the daily dedication of our instrument to the Grand Conductor so as to get in tune with Him before the daily concert starts. His tuning of our instrument includes the Word, Prayer, Meditation, and Worship. Through such personal time in the Conductor's presence our lives play beautiful music for our good and for His glory---II. The DESCRIPTION of Devotion---A. Abraham - Gen. 19-27 B. Moses - Ex. 34-2-C. Job - Jb. 1-5 D. David - Ps. 5-2-3-E. Daniel - Dan. 6-10 F. Jesus - Mk. 1-35--III. The DESIGN for Devotion---A. Select a TIME-B. Select a PLACE-C. Select a PLAN--1. Include PRAYER-2. Include SCRIPTURE-3. Include DEVOTIONAL Reading-4. Include JOURNALING-5. Include WORSHIP-6. Include APPLICATION-7. Include ACCOUNTABILITY--IV. The DEDICATION to Devotion- The 25 Day Christmas Challenge-

The victory is won, and it is total. The people of Israel are free, Egypt is utterly defeated, and just as God promised earlier, Israel has even plundered the Egyptians as they left. But it is not time for celebration just yet. God takes steps to make sure his people will never forget, from generation to generation, what he has done to save them. = Continue to marvel at the God we worship as we journey through His story, spanning Genesis to Revelation, for all of us to look into God’s plan across the ages. #TheStoryOfScripture

Sarah testified; *“God has made me laugh and all who hear will laugh with me!”* Gen. 21:6 The journey to the making of the above testimony did not start on a happy note like the above text. There were moments Sarah struggled with the promise, there were times she was weak in faith and strength, there were even times she compromised.. But He who gave the promise was merciful and faithful! *"By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed,* and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised." Heb. 11:11 In the above scripture, there would not have been a reason for strength if there was no weakness. The promise of God first came directly to Abraham who then shared with his wife Sarah. She may have thought that she had an no part in that kind of amazing promise. Perhaps, she may have believed that the promise only applied to people with strong faith like her husband, so she attempted to "help Abraham to help God to bring His promises to pass" through her maidservant Hagar. *"And not being weak in faith, he (Abraham) did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God."* Rom 4:19-20 Even though Abraham held on to God's promise, he still needed His strength. This shows that there will be times in our lives when we feel weak in strength and faith. Don't crucify yourself when you sometimes find yourself doubting or not holding on to the promises of God, the heroes of faith had their moments of weaknesses as well. E.g Gideon (Jud. 6:15), Moses (Ex. 4:10-13), Mary (Luke 1:34). However, it is important to identify the areas where you are weak and submit them to God, so you can receive His strength. *"And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness". For when I am weak, then I am strong."* 2 Cor. 12:9 - 10 Most times, we fret because we are working with our own timeline. There is a moment called the "Appointed Time". There is an appointed time for every promise. *3 Ways We Can Be Strengthened* *#1 Identify Your Source of Strength* What is it that gives you strength in your moments of weaknesses? Is it listening to music, singing, studying the word of God, strategic relationships, fellowshipping with the saints? Identify it, guard it and don't stop doing it! *#2 Guard Your Confession* Guard your utterances. There will times when the people you think should encourage you are weary as well, you need to get real and encourage yourself while guarding your confession. Your utterances must be in line with what God said. *#3 Receive Strength by Faith* The strength that was supplied to Abraham and Sarah is available for you too, even now, if you'll ask and receive by Faith. Persistent Faith is what is needed.

ISRAEL SPENT 430 years in Egypt. This is recorded in Exodus 12:40-41 and Galatians 3:17. How do we reconcile that with God's promise to Abraham that his descendants would return “in the fourth generation” (Gen. 15:16), or the four generations between Levi and Moses (Ex. 6:16-20)?
 We address that, and Derek admits his timeline of the ancient Hebrews needs to be adjusted accordingly. For the record, he now agrees with the plain reading of the 430 years, which places Jacob and his family in Egypt in 1876 BC, which means Abraham arrived in Canaan in 2091 BC.
 We also discuss Moses' encounter with God at Mount Sinai and His revelation of the divine name, and why Moses' birth story was not copied from that of the Akkadian king Sargon the Great.

ISRAEL SPENT 430 years in Egypt. This is recorded in Exodus 12:40-41 and Galatians 3:17. How do we reconcile that with God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants would return “in the fourth generation” (Gen. 15:16), or the four generations between Levi and Moses (Ex. 6:16-20)? We address that, and Derek admits his timeline of the ancient Hebrews needs to be adjusted accordingly. For the record, he now agrees with the plain reading of the 430 years, which places Jacob and his family in Egypt in 1876 BC, which means Abraham arrived in Canaan in 2091 BC. We also discuss Moses’ encounter with God at Mount Sinai and His revelation of the divine name. You can read a summary of the proto-Hebrew inscriptions found in the Sinai, as translated by Dr. Douglas Petrovich, at The Interactive Bible. Our latest book Veneration is now available for Amazon’s Kindle e-book reader! Click here and find out why readers rate Veneration 4.7 out of 5, describing it as "a must read" that "opens up…the Bible’s hidden mysteries." Download these studies directly to your phone, tablet, or iPod! Get our free mobile app for iOS and Android. Links to the iTunes App Store and Google Play are on the main page at www.GilbertHouse.org. The Gilberts’ book Veneration: Unveiling the Ancient Realms of Demonic Kings and Satan’s Battle Plan for Armageddon is available for a special price (better than Amazon!) at the SkyWatchTV Store (www.skywatchtvstore.com). Sharon's last novel Realms of Fire is available for Amazon's Kindle e-book reader! The print edition should be available this week. For more information, see Sharon's website, www.sharonkgilbert.com, or www.TheRedwingSaga.com. Click here for the complete archive of our New Testament Bible studies to date, and click here for the Old Testament studies to date. Or go to www.spreaker.com/show/gilbert-house-fellowship for all of the audio.

This week we look for Christ in the books of Joshua and Judges. First, we consider major themes in each book.  Second, we consider how the New Testament interprets these book.  Finally, we consider some important implications of the text. Please listen, subscribe, and tell others who need to hear this!   Show Notes:   Give us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts!  (Click “View in iTunes” and “Ratings and Reviews”) The Unfolding Mystery series by Lee Irons Biblical Theology by Geerhardus Vos The Unfolding Mystery by Edmund Clowney Introduction to the Old Testament by Longman and Dillard Kingdom Prologue by Meredith G. Kline Outline of Joshua Joshua as successor to Moses Joshua stood in heavenly council like Moses Ex. 24:13 Commissioned by the Lord Deut. 31: 14-15 Brought Word to people Joshua 3:9ff. Interceded for the people Joshua 7:7-9 Leads them across divided sea Joshua Ch. 3 Holy War against Canaanites Deut. 20:18-20 - intrusion The Land becomes holy ground Joshua 5:13-15 Israel becomes unified Joshua 3:17; Ch. 22 A nation under God's law Joshua 23:1-8 From the outside the conquest is successful, but… Israel in Canaan Structure of Biblical Authority by Meredith G. Kline The inadequacies of the conquest The people let some Canaanites remain Joshua 9:1-15; 16:10; 17:12-13 Retaining the land was conditional Joshua 24:19-28 Unity fragile at best Joshua 22:10-12 Death - never enjoying the inheritance Joshua 24:29-33 Rahab more faith than Israel  “Joshua” Hebrew for Jesus (Savior) - Jesus a New Joshua! A new inheritance that cannot be taken away 1 Pet. 1:3-5; Rev. 21:1-2 A better warrior that will eradicate God's enemies Rev. 19:11-16 A better unity that lasts John 17:22 A real obedience to God's law from the heart Heb. 8:10 Joshua typifies post-Pentecost ministry of Christ - leading the Church to the Promised Land. Acts - the beginning of the New Covenant - through the gospel The fulfillment of Holy War is Second Coming Rev. 19 Looking to a better covenant Episode 26 - Apologetics and the Canaanite Conquest Episode 28 - Theocracy and… Immigration? Outline of Judges Background In the Promised Land, enemies still left No new Joshua - what will people do without a leader? Cycle 2:10-19 - Apostasy, discipline, repentance, judge, deliverance, apostasy… Othniel the best - marries covenant child Judg. 1:13 Samspon the worst - marries pagan woman, lusts after prostitutes Othniel - People cried out to God Judg. 3:9; God give rest Judg. 3:11 - Sampson: no cry, no rest Downward spiral of the judges - Othniel to Sampson Beginning - war against Canaanites Judg. 1:1-26 End - civil war Judg. 8:1; 9:1-57; 19:1-21:5 Unity to disunity The downward spiral “There was no king” Judg. 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25 “Everyone did what was right in their own eyes,” Judg. 17:6; 21:25 C.The theme - no righteous king = apostasy D.The temporary solution - 1 Samuel - King David A new king who can make his people truly righteous - not David. A king who can atone for apostasy. A king that can truly unify the people. A king who lives forever. A king who can rid the land of the Canaanites - kingdom In Judges, our own hearts are revealed apart from a King who can make us righteous.  In a sense, Judges exegetes Genesis 3 and the need for Christ the king. The eternal solution Total depravity only takes time and circumstance to show itself. The Law of God cannot produce good works! Truths for today   Connect with us on:   Facebook Twitter YouTube Spotify iHeartRadio Feedburner  Stitcher Libsyn iTunes Gab Minds Steemit

Sermon for the Watford church of Christ, 21 June 2020 Introduction, v1 Question: Who or what is it good to fear? Blessings galore! vv2-4 Fruit - security, vineyards Vine - sexual charm Olive shoots - vitality A pre-vision of God's great plan The reanimation of the original blessing “God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”” (Genesis 1:28 NIV11) To be fulfilled at return of Jesus and bringing of kingdom of heaven to earth. God's desire is for our joy! How to live in healthy fear of the Lord and walk in obedience to him, vv1, 4 A. Touched by fear yare: origin, “to tremble” or be “short of breath.” Question: Who can you think of who had this kind of experience? Moses - Ex 3.6 Isaiah - Is 6.5 Paul - Acts 22.6-8 All had life-changing ‘yare' experiences What does it look like to walk in obedience? B. Motivated to walk in obedience Moses - Ex 3.6 - led the people the way God wanted Isaiah - Is 6.5 - spoke God's Word to people Paul - Acts 22.6-8 - preached God's Word to the Gentiles Us - 1 Jn 2.3-6 - walking in a certain way “They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.“Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.” (Hebrews 12:10–13 NIV11) “If you go against the grain of the universe, you get splinters”. H. H. Farmer Conclusion, v6b God's desire is that we live at peace. For a Christian this is because Jesus is with us.   Thank you for listening to this podcast. You can find more episodes in our feed. Our web site is http://www.watfordchurchofchrist.org.    Join us in our adventure: 10.30 AM on most Sundays at Laurance Haines School, Vicarage Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 0DD.   Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.    Do you have a question about the Bible or the Cahristian faith? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send us your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: thewatfordchurch@gmail.com.   Thanks again for listening. Have a super day.   God bless,   Malcolm   Watford, Watford church of Christ, Malcolm Cox, mccx, Croxley Green, Bushey, Leavesden, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, ICOC, ICCM, Chesham, Chorleywood, Aylesbury, Croxley, Laurance Haines School, Vicarage Road, Bible teaching, Sunday School, Youth Ministry, Watford Church, Churches in Watford, Churches in London, Churches in Hertfordshire, Watford UK, Holywell, Watford England, Watford in Hertfordshire, West Watford, Churches of Christ, 

Sermon for the Watford church of Christ, 21 June 2020 Introduction, v1 Question: Who or what is it good to fear? Blessings galore! vv2-4 Fruit - security, vineyards Vine - sexual charm Olive shoots - vitality A pre-vision of God’s great plan The reanimation of the original blessing “God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”” (Genesis 1:28 NIV11) To be fulfilled at return of Jesus and bringing of kingdom of heaven to earth. God’s desire is for our joy! How to live in healthy fear of the Lord and walk in obedience to him, vv1, 4 A. Touched by fear yare: origin, “to tremble” or be “short of breath.” Question: Who can you think of who had this kind of experience? Moses - Ex 3.6 Isaiah - Is 6.5 Paul - Acts 22.6-8 All had life-changing ‘yare’ experiences What does it look like to walk in obedience? B. Motivated to walk in obedience Moses - Ex 3.6 - led the people the way God wanted Isaiah - Is 6.5 - spoke God’s Word to people Paul - Acts 22.6-8 - preached God’s Word to the Gentiles Us - 1 Jn 2.3-6 - walking in a certain way “They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.“Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.” (Hebrews 12:10–13 NIV11) “If you go against the grain of the universe, you get splinters”. H. H. Farmer Conclusion, v6b God’s desire is that we live at peace. For a Christian this is because Jesus is with us. Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org. If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org. Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) God bless, Malcolm PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool", a devotional look at the Gospel of John Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org (mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org) . If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org (http://www.malcolmcox.org/) . Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) God bless, Malcolm PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool" (https://dqzrr9k4bjpzk.cloudfront.net/images/9167082/379662794.jpg) , a devotional look at the Gospel of John mccx, Malcolm Cox, Watford, Croxley Green, teaching, preaching, spiritual disciplines, public speaking, corporate worship, Sunday Sample, Corporate Worship Matters, Tuesday Teaching Tips, Quiet Time Coaching, coaching, coaching near me, coach, online coaching, savior, quiet time, devotion, God, Jesus, Pray, prayer, malcolm’s, cox, 

How do we learn to lean into God, to experience him more fully, and to come to rest in his love for us? To relate to God not just as a distant King who we've read a book about, but as a real, present, loving Father who “walks with us and talks with us and tells us we are his own.” Because for me, everything God wants to do in us and through us hinges on an unfolding relationship and growing intimacy with God. That's the subject of today's show, and in particular, we're going to talk about what communication looks like in the relationship between us and the Father. If we're going to develop real intimacy with God, there has to be communication, and that communication has to be both ways. And that's often where we as Christians stumble. Because we understand talking to God. But it doesn't always seem like God talks to us. Or maybe some of us don't believe God talks to us. I've spent much of my adult life as part of a denomination that largely denies that God speaks to us. He spoke to us in creating the Bible, and that's the only way he speaks. So, what about this idea that God talks to us? Should we expect it? Does Scripture affirm it? Yes. There are loads of examples of God talking to individuals, and there just seems to be the overwhelming expectation on the part of the biblical writers that God speaks to his people. For example: Ps. 4:1 — “Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.” Ps. 16:7-8 — “I will praise the Lord who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand.” This is parallelism. The Lord counsels me; my heart instructs me. Ps. 17:6 — “I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.” Again, there's the expectation of an answer. Ps. 28:1 — “To you I call, O Lord my rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone to the pit.” Matt. 4:4 — “Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” John 10:1-18 — The sheep follow him because they know his voice. Hearing God is about relationship with him. Calling his sheep by name = personal. He created us to encounter him. John 14:15-18 — The Spirit (Counselor) - “you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” You can't know him if he's silent and invisible. John 16:12-13 — The Spirit will speak and guide you. Okay, so Scripture affirms both God's willingness to speak to us and the expectation of his people throughout history that he will. Speaking words is one form of communication, but God can speak to us without words, too, just like we do. So take a few minutes and think: How many different ways in can you think of in Scripture that God has communicated with people? Here are a few: Audibly (Paul on the Damascus Road — Acts 9:1-9) Through a donkey (Balaam's donkey — Num. 22:21-39) Through a burning bush (Moses — Ex. 3) Writing on the wall (Daniel 5) Through other people Through prophets (Agabus re. Paul's imprisonment) Through his Word (which is the plumb line for hearing God in other ways) Dreams/visions (Paul/Man from Macedonia — Acts 16:6-10) Through creation (Psalm 19:1; Rom. 1:18-20) Through confirmation from two or more sources saying the same thing How about some more modern ways? What other ways have you experienced in your own life where you felt like God was speaking to you? Where he got your attention in a way that felt like time stopped for a minute and revealed something brand new to you that changed the way you saw yourself or the world around you. Music (God used the song Desperado to get my attention one time) Books Movies The Bible (the first time I ever "heard" God speak to me I was reading Ps. 139) The point is that God is endlessly creative. He has every means of communication at his disposal to communicate with you. So we shouldn't expect that it's only gonna happen in just one way. So what are some of the barriers to hearing from God? The first one is disbelief. If you don't believe God speaks to you, that doesn't mean he doesn't or won't. He's not limited by your disbelief. But it does mean you won't recognize it as God. Another barrier is simply the lack of training & examples. If no one guides us, how can we learn? Only once in my life have I ever seen a church that put forth any real effort to help its people learn how to discern the Lord's voice for themselves. And that leaves people uncertain, unsteady in their faith, feeling like they should be able to hear from the Lord, but because they can't, it must be because they lack faith, or they're not good enough in some way. And it can really end up undermining people's faith. "The UFO Syndrome” -- If you saw a UFO, would you tell anyone about it? Maybe not because of the fear of ridicule). Why is it that when we speak to God we are said to be praying, but when God speaks to us we are said to be schizophrenic? Why does it seem like such a bizarre thing to admit to people that we might actually hear from the Lord who created us? Some people get derailed by the fear that maybe it's just all in our head. But why on earth should we expect the voice of God to arise from outside us when he has placed his own Spirit within us??!! Paul talks in both Gal. 5:25 and Rom. 8:16-17 about the Spirit living inside us and that we're to “walk by the Spirit” and be “led by the Spirit.” How do you think that works? We should expect God to speak to us from within. We should expect that God's “voice” is going to probably come from within and is probably gonna sound a lot like our voice. But that leads to the fear of being unable to distinguish our voice (or the enemy's voice) from God's voice. Well, discernment is something we struggle with sometimes, isn't it? And it's definitely healthy to want to make sure we're discerning things correctly. “Do not believe every spirit,” we're told in 1 John 4:1, “but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Discernment is a skill we're supposed to grow in. But just because something requires spiritual discernment doesn't mean we should avoid it, or disbelieve in it. It means we need to be careful, yes, and mature in our thinking, but we don't reject it simply because it's not easy. Here are a few book recommendations that have helped me tremendously in learning to discern God's voice in my own life: Armchair Mystic: How Contemplative Prayer Can Lead You Closer to God, by Mark E. Thibodeaux SJ (2001, updated 2019) Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God, by Dallas Willard (2012) Walking with God: How to Hear His Voice, by John Eldredge (2016) Dallas Willard says, “Today, there is a desperate need for large numbers of people throughout our various social groupings who are competent and confident in their own practice of life in Christ and in hearing his voice. Such people would have the effect of concretely redefining Christian spirituality for our times. They would show us an individual and corporate human existence freely and intelligently lived from a hand-in-hand, conversational walk with God. That is the biblical ideal for human life.” Arthur F. Miller says something that has helped me tremendously. He says, “How does [God] so communicate with you? How will you know? Because God has designed your frame and understands how you are put together, and how you function, what you notice and what you ignore, what you read, what you hear, and what gets your attention. Because the Spirit of God is resident within you and has a job to do as you do yours — leading, nudging, instructing, guiding, opening new doors, reminding, questioning, affirming, prodding, sometimes engineering circumstances — strange, extraordinary things happen. If you need a knock on the side of your head, or a sense of God's love that will take your breath away — that will happen in God's time and in a way only you will understand.” - Arthur F. Miller, Jr. Thanks for spending time with us today. Please like and subscribe, and tell others about the podcast, if it's been helpful to you. And remember, you are greatly loved.   Music Provided by Nathan Longwell Music

The Backbone of the entire Bible lies in the first few chapters of Genesis. That is why we will really slow down and take a few weeks to dive into the first 3 chapters of the Bible. And the first thing we see when we dive into the Bible is This Being… The Bible simply calls him “Elohim” Definition (via CWSB Dictionary): אֱלֹהִים ’elōhiym: A masculine plural noun meaning God, gods, judges, angels. Occurring more than 2, 600 times in the Old Testament, this word commonly designates the one true God (Gen. 1:1) and is often paired with God’s unique name yehōwāh (H3068) (Gen. 2:4; Ps. 100:3). When the word is used as the generic designation of God, it conveys in Scripture that God is the Creator (Gen. 5:1); the King (Ps. 47:7[8]); the Judge (Ps. 50:6); the Lord (Ps. 86:12); and the Savior (Hos. 13:4). His character is compassionate (Deut. 4:31); gracious (Ps. 116:5); and faithful to His covenant (Deut. 7:9). In fewer instances, this word refers to foreign gods, such as Dagon (1 Sam. 5:7) or Baal (1 Kgs. 18:24). It also might refer to judges (Ex. 22:8[7], 9[8]) or angels as gods (Ps. 97:7). Although the form of this word is plural, it is frequently used as if it were singular—that is, with a singular verb (Gen. 1:1-31; Ex. 2:24). The plural form of this word may be regarded (1) as intensive to indicate God’s fullness of power; (2) as majestic to indicate God’s kingly rule; or (3) as an allusion to the Trinity (Gen. 1:26). The singular form of this word ’elôah (H0433) occurs only in poetry (Ps. 50:22; Isa. 44:8). The shortened form of the word is ’ēl (H0410). Now the Bible simply introduces an Elohim and tells you that he created the heavens and the earth. Just like in a story, you are introduced to the character and don’t know much about them… That is what the Bible is doing. It is introducing you to a powerful spiritual being. The Being responsible for creating the universe and begins to tell you his story. Sometimes as Christians we work the other way. We defend our God as the creator, which isn’t bad, but the Bible takes a different approach, it starts with the creator “Elohim” and then begins to tell you about Him. This God starts off, basically disconnected from any religion. This is brilliant, because it is not trying to say one God is better than all the other God’s, instead, there is only one God who made the world… and this is His story. Some think this Creator God revealed himself as this or that, but this record is who He really is. The next page of the Bible gives us the name of this creator… יְהוָֹה yehōwāh (via CWSB Dictionary): A noun meaning God. The word refers to the proper name of the God of Israel, particularly the name by which He revealed Himself to Moses (Ex. 6:2, 3). The divine name has traditionally not been pronounced, primarily out of respect for its sacredness (cf. Ex. 20:7; Deut. 28:58). Until the Renaissance, it was written without vowels in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament, being rendered as YHWH. However, since that time, the vowels of another word, ’aḏōnāy (H0136), have been supplied This is God’s name… the next development in the story. Exodus 6:3 “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.” So one thing to realize is that God is gradually revealing more of himself throughout human history. He gradually dispenses truth to humans regarding who He is and what He is like. Note: Although YHWH is used in Genesis, nobody in Genesis knew that Name! This is important, because it will show you what God is doing. He is trying to show more and more of himself.

After the death of Jacob/Israel in Egypt (c. 1885 BC; Gen. 49:33), his twelve sons continued to live and propagate until hundreds of years later the family of Israel had become a ‘nation'. Fearing Israel would turn against them in war, the Egyptians enslaved them until they were rescued by Moses (Ex. 1:10; Ps. 77:20). Because of unbelief they were not allowed to go into the Promised Land (modern Israel) but wandered in the desert for 40 years where God still mercifully took care of them (Neh. 9:20, 21). Even during human failure, God is faithful, so people should be thankful. Believers are to reference the past but not reside there.

Foundational Truths: The Bible is God’s self-revelation.God is the Eternal, Sovereign Creator; all that He creates is good.Man is a responsible agent, held to a moral standard.Sin originates within a person, separating us from God.God declares one righteous by faith alone, apart from works.Spiritual Warfare is all throughout the Bible. We have seen this in Genesis 3 with the serpent and in Genesis 6 with the “sons of God” and the “daughters of men.” This subject is not just confined to the Ephesians 6:11-20. In Exodus, Moses is called to be YHWH’s spokesman before Pharaoh, a man in Egyptian culture deemed to be the personification of the gods’ rule. The “gods” are fallen celestial beings who have temporary rulership over this earth, of which “Satan” is one (Ezekiel 28:11-19).Important: Every “god” that we encounter in Egypt fits in the category of “the continuity of being” (see “The Framework Approach” Chart), meaning that men can become gods, or that the gods are like men and women. Anytime we see a graphic depiction, it is a mixture of man and animal/reptile/insect, etc. YHWH sets Himself apart, being the sovereign, eternal, and omnipotent Creator.Psalm 82:1-8. There is a cosmic conflict in the spiritual realm. YHWH is supreme, being the Creator, while all other “gods” are answerable to Him and accountable for how they govern the nations of the earth. A “council” is assembled (v.1). YHWH accuses the gods of ruling in an unjust way, showing partiality to the wicked. He calls on them to tend to the weak, afflicted, and fatherless. They are to have compassion! YHWH’s evaluation of the gods and their rule is that they operate in darkness. Though they are called “the sons of God,” and though they have high-accountability for governing in righteousness, they have failed, leaving YHWH no choice but condemn them (v. 7). YHWH has the right to judge, not just as the Creator, but as the One who will “possess” (“shall inherit”-NKJV, ESV) the nations (v.8). Exodus 5:1-2. Moses and Aaron obey YHWH and appear before Pharaoh asking for the release of the Israelites, that they may worship YHWH at Mount Horeb. Pharaoh’s response is telling: Pharaoh was worshiped as a god, along with many other gods (as we will see). But he had never heard of YHWH. Why should he obey Him?This “interruption” causes Pharaoh to increase the workload of the Israelite slaves, causing greater oppression. This result discourages the Israelites from listening to Moses (Ex 5:21).Exodus 6:1-8. The NASB translators have mishandled v.3. It is not that YHWH did not make Himself known to the patriarchs, but it should be translated, “Did I not make myself known to them?” Meaning that YHWH revealed Himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob clearly and communicated with them clearly.The “covenant” (Abrahamic) and the “land” are mentioned testifying to YHWH’s faithfulness (v.4-5). Between 6:6-8, there are eight “I will” statements that YHWH declares. He alone will deliver His people and He alone will bring them into the land.Exodus 7:4-5. The judgments of God would be executed upon Egypt and the people of Israel would be set free. The “unknown YHWH” would be known in Egypt and would be revered by the nations! The Framework Approach Handout Exodus 7:17-25. This first act of YHWH against Egypt strikes at five of its gods, all of which are affiliated with the Nile River. This plague halted the ability to wash clothes or dishes, bathe, drink water, and to eat fish. This would also stop the transportation of goods by boat, leaving each community short on supplies. In Egypt, the Nile River was connected to everything!Osiris was believed to be the guarantor of eternal life, who allowed for the annual flooding of the Nile. It has actually been said that the Nile served as his bloodstream.Hapi is a water and fertility god who controlled the Nile. When it would flood, the Egyptians would set out statues of Hapi and throw offerings for him into the waters.Khnum was the guardian of the Nile and the molder of people and gods, believed to be fashioned by clay on a potter’s wheel.Sobek is depicted as a man with a crocodile’s head and is the one who brings order to creation and fertility to the land. He is also called “the Lord of the Waters.” Blood in the Nile would have driven the crocodiles away from the waters and into the cities of Egypt. Crocodiles were worshiped in Egypt, and much like India and their view of cows today, the people would not harm them for fear of hurting a god and incurring his wrath.Neith is a goddess who is the creator of the world, the mother of Ra (the sun god) and Sobek, and cared for the largest fish in the Nile known as “lates.” With blood in the water, all of the lates died.It is obvious that “spiritual forces” are at play (“secret arts,” 7:22), allowing the magicians of Pharaoh to imitate the signs of YHWH. What we are seeing is YHWH vs. the lesser gods.We must keep in mind that for Egypt, religion, worship, idols, offerings, and “gods” were a way of life, and not just a small piece. YHWH is demonstrating His omnipotence against all that the Egyptians trusted in and held dear. He is shaking their lives!Exodus 8:1-15. The second plague involves an infestation of frogs from the Nile. This is an attack against Heqet, the goddess of fertility and renewal. This goddess has the head of a frog and the body of a woman. While Pharaoh’s magicians imitated the plague by bringing more frogs, only Moses was able to stop them by interceding to YHWH for Pharaoh. At his request, and with the promise that the Israelites would be released (v.8), Moses called upon Pharaoh to give the time for the end of the frogs. This added greater accountability to Pharaoh. The frogs died, were gathered in piles, and began to rot. Their death shows the power of YHWH over Heqet.Exodus 8:16-19. The third plague turned the dust of Egypt into gnats, infesting every person and animal in Egypt. This plague attacked Geb, the god of the earth, who is depicted as a man with a goose on his head. YHWH changes the dust of the earth into a drove of flesh- eating, blood-sucking insects that feast upon the Egyptians. The magicians could not imitate this plague, exclaiming to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God” (v.19). This confession denotes the supernaturalas they have never known it, “figuratively conveying a sense such as ‘something easy enough for him to do with just a finger.’[1]Exodus 8:20-32. The fourth plague involves swarms of flies that lays the land to waste, covering everything (v.24). YHWH attacks the god Khepri, who is the most famous of the (multiple) insect gods, depicted with a man’s body with a scarab for a head.This time things are different: Israel is “set apart” and the flies do not touch them (v.22), Pharaoh tells Moses and Aaron to go and sacrifice to YHWH, but tries to put restrictions on their ability to worship freely (v.25-26), Pharaoh tries to dictate the distance that Israel will travel, violating the theology of sacred space (v.28b),[2] and Moses warns Pharaoh not to act in deceit by breaking his word (v.29b).With such destruction in place, would YHWH ever have mercy on Egypt?After the time of the Exodus, Egypt goes unmentioned again until the time of Solomon, due to their decimation. What YHWH had done to Egypt was known throughout the world (Josh 2:9-12). Would YHWH’s anger toward Egypt burn forever?Isaiah 19:18-25. One day, YHWH will call Egypt “My People,” alongside Israel and Assyria, who at the time of Isaiah’s writing were the enemies of Israel. Notice the use of “in that day” repeatedly. There will come a day when YHWH will embrace Egypt as His own, not consigning them to destruction like Canaan, but showing kindness and mercy to them, giving them a place in the future reign of Jesus Christ, who is also their Savior and Champion (19:20).Let us marvel at His infinite power and mercy! [1] Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus, vol. 2, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2006), p. 212.[2] This refers to worshiping only in the place that YHWH has deemed fit.

PRAYER THAT CONNECTS - “FASTING” (series) Nov 26, 2017  Matt. 6:1 Be careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. Otherwise you have no REWARD from your Father in heaven... In the next 8 verses Jesus lists the 3 Christian Displays of Righteousness that GOD REWARDS: Praying, Giving, & Fasting Jesus didn’t say IF, but WHEN you Give, Pray & Fast GOD Expects us to Fast because He Plans to reward it. 2Chr. 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall HUMBLE themselves, and pray, and SEEK my face, and TURN from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. There can be no doubt that GOD desires to Forgive the sins of His people and Heal our lands. But there must first be a Humbling, Seeking, and Turning, on our part. Fasting empowers Humbling, Seeking, and Turning by redirecting our dependence on natural food into desire for greater closeness with the LORD. Fasting repositions our desire over our dependence It's simply curbing the appetite of the flesh in order to increase our appetite for the things of GOD. DANIEL — In Daniel’s 1st fast (ch 9) he prays with repentance for Israel’s sins, after discovering Jeremiah’s prophecy of 70 years of captivity is completed. And is visited by the angel Gabriel. In his 2nd fast (ch 10) Daniel prays 21 days (fasting) for the explanation of a vision. An angel is dispatched with the answer, on day one, but fights the demon of Persia during the 21 days, before breaking through! How many Answers, Breakthroughs, and Deliverances, have not reached us because we don’t fast, or quit too soon? In many areas we receive partial blessings without complete victories, because our faith needs to be applied with fasting... The disciples ask Jesus why they couldn’t cast the devil out of a seizure-ridden boy. And He replies...Matt. 17:20 “It was because of your little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; nothing will be impossible for you. Mark 9:29 And he said unto them, This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting. Sometimes the answers from GOD that we seek remain beyond reach, waiting for Faith through Fasting to hit critical mass and vault over the walls of impossibility. Fasting Is a way of reprioritizing yourself; making the demands of your body subservient to your spirit. In Jn 4, when the disciples brought food to Jesus, he said, “I have food to eat that you don’t understand. My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to complete His tasks.” Paul writes in Ro 12:1-2, Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—alive, holy, and pleasing to God–which is your reasonable service. Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect. GOD has perfect plans for your life, your family, ministry, and job. Don't you want to know what they are and apprehend them? Fasting is a holy & healthy way for you to make your body a sacrifice to GOD, so that your Mind can be renewed, and you can KNOW THE PERFECT WILL OF GOD. Fasting... • Clears plaque from your spiritual arteries, • Trims the excess weight of guilt from your soul, • Frees your sluggish mind from the toxin of fear, • Sharpens spiritual receptivity & restores boldness. Fasting Targets CLOSENESS, DELIVERANCE, & SUCCESS CLOSENESS -- Repentance, Drawing Closer, & Receiving Answers from GOD People who got close to GOD by fasting... MOSES — Ex 34:27-28 On 40 day fast, receives the 10 Commandments HANNAH - Fasts in her grief over barrens and GOD gives her the Prophet Samuel for a son NEHEMIAH — Neh 1:4 Learns of the broken and depressed condition of Jerusalem and the Jews left behind during the exile. He fasts and repents for the nation and GOD gives him favor with Artaxerxes, to go and rebuild the walls. PAUL — Ac 9:1-9 Fasts and repents for 3 days after his encounter with the Lord on the road to Damascus, and exchanges blindness and error for a relationship with Jesus. CORNELIUS — Ac 10:30 A Roman Centurion is fasting and seeking GOD when he receives a visitation from an angel, instructing him to send for Peter, which leads to him (and his entire household) becoming the first Gentiles to be saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. DELIVERANCE -- From Satanic Holds, Patterns Of Bondage, & Destruction ESTHER — Esth 4:14-16 A Jewish wife of Xerxes, king of Medo-Persian empire, learns of a plot to annihilate all the Jews, so she proclaims a 3 day fast that leads to their deliverance and elevation instead. JEHOSHAPHAT & JUDAH — 2Chr. 20:3-25 Are invaded by a huge Moabite-Ammonite army and threatened with annihilation. After fasting and humbling themselves before the Lord, they send out the Praise Team against the invaders and they all turn on each other. Takes 3 days to gather the spoil! DANIEL - Escapes the lion’s den as King Darius fasts through the night. Discovering Daniel’s deliverance the next morning, King Darius makes a royal proclamation that the LORD is the true Living GOD and and must be worshipped throughout the empire. NINEVEH — Jonah ch 3 120K Ninevites (men, women, children, animals) fast and repent 40 days, and are spared from judgment. SUCCESS -- Taking Territorial Assignments & Achieving GOD’s Goals in Ministry JESUS - Repels Satan’s temptation and gains power for ministry Luke 4:1-3 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God... (Satan tempts Jesus with the Lust of the Flesh, Lust of the Eye, and the Pride of Life)... Luke 4:13-14 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee,... ANTIOCH ELDERS — Ac 13:1-4 Are fasting and seeking GOD when the Holy Spirit speaks to send Paul out on the ministry he was called to. After more fasting Paul is sent by the power off the Holy Spirit.   Faith Christian Church will be entering 2018 with a 21 Day fast! We are going to Fast & Pray for... Our Closeness with GOD, Deliverance from sickness and oppression Success in our ministry assignments I’ve provided a copy of Jentezen Franklin’s book, “FASTING—Opening the door to a deeper, more intimate, more powerful relationship with GOD” for each of you to begin reading and preparing yourself. Over the next few weeks I want you to plan out your fasting schedule, and I’m going to create a Fasting Calendar with everyone’s commitment on it, so we can cover the entire 21 day period. Pick the Frequency & Type of your fast. Pick the Frequency of Your Fast... Full 21 Days Certain Days Each Week (3 Weeks) Pick the Type of Your Fast Full Fast - Water Only or Water & Juices Only “Daniel Fast” – No Meats. No Sweets. No Bread Partial Fast – Sun Up to Sun Down