Tag Archives: Exodus

Fear Not, October 5, 2020

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¹⁸The people trembled with fear when they heard the thunder and the trumpet and saw the lightning and the smoke coming from the mountain. They stood a long way off ¹⁹and said to Moses, “If you speak to us, we will listen. But don’t let God speak to us, or we will die!”

²⁰“Don’t be afraid!” Moses replied. “God has come only to test you, so that by obeying him you won’t sin.” ²¹But when Moses went near the thick cloud where God was, the people stayed a long way off. (Exodus 20:18-20 CEV)

What is it about us? We mock God in so many ways, but when he shows up, we tremble with fear. It happened with Adam and Eve when they recognized their disobedience. The Israelites trembled at the foot of Mount Sinai, where God gave his direction for living in harmony. It happens today when he shows up in extraordinary ways.

God invited his people to witness the giving of the law, but they wanted to listen only to Moses’ voice, not to the voice of God. “Let God speak to Moses and tell us what he said, but don’t let us hear the voice of God, or we’ll die!” How sad that we fail to accept God’s invitation to come into his presence and learn at his feet.

Of course, when we do, we risk everything. We learn that we indeed live in sin. We discover our shortcomings and how far we fall from the perfection of a holy God. We find ourselves falling on our face as Isaiah or Peter or John and declaring our sin to him. The sin he already knows, but we see fully uncovered in the light of His holiness. But isn’t that what we want? Shouldn’t we prefer those faults exposed so God can take care of them instead of them dragging us down? Shouldn’t our greatest desire be God’s intervention in our lives to rid us of those things that oppose him so that we can stand blameless in his presence?

I sometimes think the Israelites failure to accept God’s initial invitation to climb the mountain with Moses and find themselves from that point prohibited from even touching the mountain started their path to exile and destruction. I wonder what would have happened if they had gone up the trail and listen to God’s instructions. I wonder how they would have reacted to his commands differently if, instead of listening to God’s words through Moses, they heard those commands from God’s voice.

Perhaps the thunderous voice, the fire, and smoke accompanying God’s presence as he spoke might have made the impact necessary for them to follow his guidance. Perhaps, if the people experienced God’s presence the way Moses did, they would recognize the incredible privilege of hearing him speak to them and the risk they took in not following him. Perhaps, the Israelites would have fulfilled their mission as God’s light to the world and blessed the rest of the nations as he had desired from the beginning.

Then Jesus came and again invited us into his presence. After his resurrection, he appeared to many with the command repeated more often than any other throughout God’s word, “Don’t be afraid.” He wants us to come near to him. He wants us to enjoy an intimate relationship with God. Jesus knows that entering the presence of God can cause fear when we recognize our sin, but he gave his life as the atonement for our sin. We do not need to fear his presence. He is a God of love and mercy, demonstrated through his actions as Messiah.

Our problem today, we fail to get close enough to God to see through the smoke and get past the thunderous voice and know the intimacy of the Father. We stand off at a distance, as did the Israelites, instead of drawing near to him. When we do, we find the gentle hand of a loving God, ready to save us from ourselves. We see him ready to help us in our time of need. We find the Abba, Father side of God, instead of the wrathful, lightning bolt side.

How do we come near to God today, though? We don’t see the Old Testament’s dramatic events in which he covered the mountain tops with thunder and fire. We don’t see him in a pillar of cloud and fire, leading the way ahead. So how do we find him?

The answer lies in prayerfully reading his word. Let the words of the scripture, especially those of Jesus, show you who God is. The Old Testament points to the coming Messiah. The Gospels show Jesus fulfills that role. The Acts and the Epistles show what happens when people follow Jesus’ teachings and let his spirit guide their lives. His word is fresh every day. He gives new insights to life and what he wants to do in and through you as you study and examine his word.

Then exercise just a modicum of faith in Jesus, believing him to be Messiah, God’s Son, the one who gave himself for your sin. Ask him to forgive you for your disobedience toward him and ask him into your life. Allow him to be master of your life. Open your heart and mind to him, and he will direct you as you journey through life. He will let you know him. He will not be a stranger to you. But it does take that first step of faith believing he is who he says he is.

Awe replaces fear. A desire to know more of him grows in you. You begin to see others how God sees them for who they can become rather who they are now. Your love for others expands as you recognize God’s love for you and them. You recognize the image of God in all humanity, not just in what used to be your favorite parts of the world. Jesus will lead you on the most exciting journey you can imagine.

So, what will it be? Stand in fear at the bottom of the mountain? Or join the crowds who have gone before you following the one who takes away all fear? It’s your choice. He gives us the free will to make it. He’s ready and willing to have you join his kingdom if you are willing.

You can find me at richardagee.com. I also invite you to join us at San Antonio First Church of the Nazarene on West Avenue in San Antonio to hear more Bible-based teaching. You can find out more about my church at SAF.church. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed it, tell a friend. If you didn’t, send me an email and let me know how better to reach out to those around you. Until next week, may God richly bless you as you venture into His story each day.

Quail and Manna, September 21, 2020

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About five years ago, I thought extending our porch into a patio and covering it with a cedar pergola a great idea. Although I hadn’t meant to start the project in the middle of July in San Antonio, my brother-in-law came to visit and cut down a couple of trees that were in the way of the patio my wife and I envisioned someday. Then he built a frame for the concrete.

Only one problem. He left. The form wasn’t strong enough to hold the fill dirt and ten yards of concrete needed, and it was still July in San Antonio.

For anyone who hasn’t been to San Antonio in July, let me share that July and August are our hottest months, with most of those days in triple digits. Unlike West Texas, San Antonio humidity stays relatively high compared to all but the east and coastal regions. We don’t have that much rain but have many streams and rivers that converge in the city to keep the humidity enough to make outside feel like a sauna.

So, at the end of July and through August, I started extending the patio and building my cedar pergola. After shoveling twenty yards of fill (that’s four dump trucks of dirt and gravel) into the forms I had to rebuild, I did get smart and hired experts to pour the concrete and set the twelve-foot tall, six-inch thick cedar posts in place that would support the pergola. What I wasn’t smart enough to do was hire someone to build the rest of it.

Because I wanted to get it done and out of the way and most of my friends worked full-time jobs, I figured I could tackle the job on my own. It sounded simple enough. Attach the frame to the house and the upright posts embedded in the porch, then attach the slats on the frame, and it’s done. Only I didn’t consider the weight of those six by two by twelve- and fourteen-foot pieces of cedar. I didn’t think about what a chore it was to lift them into position in the first place, then hold them there steady enough to attach them to the frame.

I’m not sure how many times I screamed out to myself, “Why did I start this? This is stupid! I’m going to kill myself or at least break something trying to put this stupid thing together, and it’s so hot out here, no one will use it anyway! What was wrong with the way it was in the first place?”

My wife, Carole, would come out occasionally and encourage me, telling me what a good job I was doing. Maybe I should wait and call someone to help. But I ignored her advice, and I carried on, grumbling all the while.

I started sounding a lot like the Israelites in Exodus. We hear them complaining to Moses and Aaron again in chapter 16:

²There in the desert they all complained to Moses and Aaron ³and said to them, “We wish that the Lord had killed us in Egypt. There we could at least sit down and eat meat and as much other food as we wanted. But you have brought us out into this desert to starve us all to death.”

⁴The Lord said to Moses, “Now I am going to cause food to rain down from the sky for all of you. The people must go out every day and gather enough for that day. In this way I can test them to find out if they will follow my instructions. ⁵On the sixth day they are to bring in twice as much as usual and prepare it.”

⁶So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “This evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt. ⁷In the morning you will see the dazzling light of the Lord’s presence. He has heard your complaints against him—yes, against him, because we are only carrying out his instructions.” ⁸Then Moses said, “It is the Lord who will give you meat to eat in the evening and as much bread as you want in the morning, because he has heard how much you have complained against him. When you complain against us, you are really complaining against the Lord.”

⁹Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole community to come and stand before the Lord, because he has heard their complaints.” ¹⁰As Aaron spoke to the whole community, they turned toward the desert, and suddenly the dazzling light of the Lord appeared in a cloud. (Exodus 16:2-10 GNT)

The Israelites met Moses and Aaron and complained about everything. No water, no meat, no bread, no house, no bed. You name it, they complained about it. Moses led them out of slavery, but that wasn’t enough. They wanted him to provide all their needs. Give me, give me, give me. And if you don’t, expect to hear about it.

Ouch. That gets too close to home for too many of us when we think about how we approach God. Hey, God, give me the job I want. Hey, God, fix my finances after I’ve ruined them with my poor money management. Hey, God, heal me after I’ve failed to do the things that I should have done to take care of my body. Hey, God, do something with that boss that doesn’t seem to like me. Hey, God,…

We come to him with our complaints, our want list, our petitions of what we expect him to do for us, without thinking about who we’re talking to. Could you imagine walking up to the President and saying those things? Well, maybe in this country, since we failed to teach each other to respect authority over the last few generations. But if you did that in North Korea or Russia or China or most other countries around the world, you would at least find yourself in prison if not six feet underground in your permanent resting place.

But we do that with the maker of the universe and think nothing of it because we forget who he is. We don’t stop to consider the creator of all things allows us into his presence, and cares enough about us to hear our prayers and act on them. Sometimes he doesn’t answer the way we would like, but he answers in the way that best fulfills his plans. And that is always best for us in the end, too. We may not see it now. We may not see it in this life, but I can assure you that God has our best in mind when he answers our prayers. We just need to consider who we ask those questions when we pray. It would make a huge difference in how we pray, I think.

So what happened to the complaining Israelites?

11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the complaints of the Israelites. Tell them that at twilight they will have meat to eat, and in the morning they will have all the bread they want. Then they will know that I, the Lord, am their God.” (Exodus 16:11-12 GNT)

God answered their prayer. In fact, he answered it the way they asked, which is sometimes dangerous. God gave them quail that night for supper. And the next night. And the next night. And the next night. Until it was coming through their teeth is how later verses describe it. If you think about that a minute, the only way quail comes back through your teeth is in liquid form, already chewed and mostly digested. I’ll let you figure out how that quail returned through their teeth, then. Exodus tells us many died with the quail between their teeth.

The morning after God answered their prayers; they received manna for the first time. They could use it in a lot of different ways. They could make bread with it. They could boil it and make a kind of mush. They could mold it and roast it, I guess, but it all tasted like manna. It looked like coriander seed and tasted like honey. I don’t know about you, but after a couple of tablespoons of honey, I’m done. The overwhelmingly sweet taste means I can’t handle much more than that. But the Israelites got to enjoy manna from heaven every day, at every meal, for the next forty years.

Sometimes it’s better to let God figure out what’s best for us instead of telling him what we need, don’t you think? You might just get what you asked for like the Israelites did. God provided, just like they asked. Many died eating the quail, and I’m sure many would like to die on a steady diet of manna. I wonder what kind of cookbook was passed to the next generation after eating manna for forty years.

In case you’re interested, the pergola turned out well. Days of hard work and fewer complaints let me finish, and we get to enjoy the extended patio during the months with an “R” in them. The rest are still too hot to handle until just before the sun comes up.

Scriptures marked GNT are taken from the Good News Translation®: Scriptures taken from the Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) Copyright © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.

God’s Envoys, September 14, 2020

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¹⁹Next, the angel of God, who was going ahead of the camp of Isra’el, moved away and went behind them; and the column of cloud moved away from in front of them and stood behind them. ²⁰It stationed itself between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Isra’el — there was cloud and darkness here, but light by night there; so that the one did not come near the other all night long.

²¹Moshe reached his hand out over the sea, and Adonai caused the sea to go back before a strong east wind all night. He made the sea become dry land, and its water was divided in two. ²²Then the people of Isra’el went into the sea on the dry ground, with the water walled up for them on their right and on their left.

²³The Egyptians continued their pursuit, going after them into the sea — all Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and cavalry. ²⁴Just before dawn, Adonai looked out on the Egyptian army through the column of fire and cloud and threw them into a panic. ²⁵He caused the wheels of their chariots to break off, so that they could move only with difficulty. The Egyptians said, “Adonai is fighting for Isra’el against the Egyptians! Let’s get away from them!”

²⁶Adonai said to Moshe, “Reach your hand out over the sea, and the water will return and cover the Egyptians with their chariots and cavalry.” ²⁷Moshe reached his hand out over the sea, and by dawn the sea had returned to its former depth. The Egyptians tried to flee, but Adonai swept them into the sea. ²⁸The water came back and covered all the chariots and cavalry of Pharaoh’s army who had followed them into the sea — not even one of them was left. ²⁹But the people of Isra’el walked on dry ground in the sea, with the water walled up for them on their right and on their left.

³⁰On that day, Adonai saved Isra’el from the Egyptians; Isra’el saw the Egyptians dead on the shore. ³¹When Isra’el saw the mighty deed that Adonai had performed against the Egyptians, the people feared Adonai, and they believed in Adonai and in his servant Moshe. (Exodus 14:19-31 Complete Jewish Bible)

God’s angels are an interesting study. They appear periodically in scripture, sometimes to share a message from God, sometimes to guard or protect, sometimes to destroy. These created beings perform tasks at God’s bidding and their power, through God, always amazes me.

In this instance, God’s messenger acted as both guide and protector for the young Israelite nation. Around him stood a cloud by day and a fire by night, visible to the entire encampment who fled Egypt. Also visible to any who happened to be anywhere near the Israelites. I expect the vision of the cloud and fire surrounding God’s angel must have looked like an isolated storm cloud rising from the ground instead of falling from the sky. We’ll come back to that in a moment.

Other instances of God’s envoys include the two men who visited Abram and told him about their mission to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. God gave them the task of destroying the wicked cities and the plains in which they were located. Their mission, rain down the fire and brimstone we hear about and ensure God’s plan happened.

Later, Jacob wrestled with one of God’s messengers who obviously took it pretty easy on him by only touching his hip at the end of a long night of Jacob struggling with him. Just a single touch and Jacob limped the rest of his life, while Jacob wore himself out trying to overcome this angelic being.

One of God’s warriors went through all of Egypt and killed all the firstborn in every household without the Passover blood painted on the doorpost. One of God’s warriors went through the Amalekite camp, killing many, and creating such chaos among the rest that they killed each other. Another of his warriors killed 185,000 Assyrians laying siege at the walls of Jerusalem as Hezekiah prayed to God for deliverance. Gabriel brought the message of Jesus’ coming birth to Mary and Joseph. Michael fought Satan’s warriors before delivering God’s answer to Daniel’s prayer.

Angels sat atop the stone at Jesus’ resurrection and caused an earthquake as they touched ground, frightening the tomb guards to a state of unconsciousness. A legion of angels stood by ready to rescue Jesus from the cross should he give the word. Angels transported Lazarus to Abraham’s bosom in the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The only story Jesus told with names instead of using terms like “there was a man, or there were certain men, or there was one.” Perhaps not a parable after all, but scene he saw before his incarnation.

So, let’s go back to the angelic guide God sent to the Israelites to protect them from the Egyptians right after their escape. Pharaoh changed his mind, as God knew he would. Cheap labor (just the cost of enough food, clothing, and lodging to help them survive) was as important in Pharaoh’s day as it seems to be in ours. After they left the country, he realized his cheap labor disappeared and it would take conquering another country to enlist more slaves, something he was not ready or willing to do.

Probably few besides Moses had left Egypt and knew anything about the wilderness they traveled. They needed a guide to get them to the place God promised their ancestors those centuries earlier. The tornado of a cloud in front of them, provided that compass. Then the chariots came. Horses move significantly faster than children on foot. The angel became more than a guide, he became a fence.

I can picture the scene as the Egyptians see their prey just ahead and then this wall lifts from in front of the Israelites and lands yards in front of them. It looks like a cloud but is impenetrable. Scouts try to push through the fog in front of them and as soon as they enter, they seem to lose all sense of direction and come out exactly where they went in. They try other means to get through before darkness overshadows them, but to no avail. Every time they try to go through the cloud, they find themselves right back where they started. They can’t get through.

Darkness falls. On the Egyptian side of the cloud, it’s the darkest night they’ve seen since the plague of darkness that struck the country weeks ago. They can’t see anything, even when they try to light a candle, the light seems swallowed by the unusual blackness. On the other side of the cloud, the Israelites face light as bright as daylight coming from the same wall. God’s envoy provides darkness and a wall to the Egyptians and light for the Israelites. Moses tells them to head toward the Reed Sea to continue their escape. The people look dumbfounded. There are probably not enough boats in all of Egypt to carry them and their cattle across the sea.

Then Moses holds out his rod and the east wind picks up speed. It’s hard to stand in the tumult. It’s not just a breeze, but one of the strongest winds they’ve ever seen blazing across the sea. Moses gives the order to march. The first of those reaching what should be the shore start to yell, praising God for his great power. The nation crosses on dry land. But the Egyptians follow.

The cloud has once more moved in front of the Israelites leading them across the sea and into the wilderness toward their promised future, but perhaps the angel leaves the cloud for a moment to break those chariot wheels, add a little water to the sea basin creating a little mud for the chariots and horses. Maybe he cut a few reins and loosened a few shafts. Whatever happened, the Egyptians didn’t fare well when they crossed the sea and suddenly, they faced the onslaught of the rushing water pouring over their armor-clad bodies.

Why all this talk about angels? To remind us that as we walk through the days ahead, God remains in charge. One of his names is God of Heavens Armies. Note that it’s not just one army at his disposal, but armies as in many. If one angel can create the kind of protection we see for the Israelites, or Elijah, or Jesus, imagine what an army of angels could do. And God has armies of angels at his disposal to do whatever he wants done.

Should we worry about the state of the world? No. God has it under control. He gave us a mission to take care of it for him. We haven’t done a very good job of it. He takes care of his children. We don’t do a very good job of that based on the headlines around the world. But God can at any moment intervene to guide and protect those who follow him. Will he take us out of the predicament we face? Not always.

Sometimes we get into them by the choices we make and so suffer the natural consequences of those choices. Sometimes we suffer at the hands of others. Why? I don’t know. I don’t understand, except that we live in a fallen, broken world, far from the one God created when he said all he made was good. We’ve kind of messed it up. But God is still God and just like with Moses and the Israelites, just like with Jacob and Mary, and Daniel. God can and does make his plans known and executes them with or without us through the agents of his creation, human or angelic.

Maybe knowing God has a plan for you and has incredible resources to put at your disposal when you need them will help you get through whatever you face today. He will never let you face more than you can handle when you follow him. He knows us better than we know ourselves and we can’t see around the bend in the road to know how he will use what we face today to help us or someone else tomorrow. Trust him to do what is best for his people.

Scriptures marked CJB are taken from the COMPLETE JEWISH BIBLE (CJB): Scripture taken from the COMPLETE JEWISH BIBLE, copyright© 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. www.messianicjewish.net/ jntp. Distributed by Messianic Jewish Resources Int’l. www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

The Beginning, September 7, 2020

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.

God said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “Mark this month as the first of all months for you – the first month of your year.” (Exodus 12:1‑2 The Voice)

When I read those words from the lectionary this week, it started me thinking. That’s always a little dangerous, but I began to think about those moments in my life in which the dates permanently fixed themselves in my mind. Things like my birthday. I don’t remember the first one, but I’m told I was there on June 22^nd more than a few years ago.

I remember my wedding day, December 4^th, 1976. This year my wife and I will celebrate forty-four years together in December. Not many can say that in a country with a divorce rate over 50%, and that among the Christian populace because many of those outside of religious institutions just live together instead of getting married.

I remember my kids’ birthdays. Even though the Army only let Carole and me enjoy nine of 30 anniversaries together during my career, I was there for both my daughter’s and son’s births. Those two days and the hours before that special time will stick in my memory forever.

I also remember the day we began the ground campaign in Desert Storm. The Air Force finished its bombardment of Iraqi fighting positions after almost a month of daily raids, and the Army crossed the border into Iraq on my wife’s birthday in 1991. I called her to wish her a happy birthday. She knew something was about to happen because my voice sounded different than at other times. A few hours later, the ground war began. That day pressed itself into my memory.

I also remember the day I finally told God I would obey his call on my life to pursue ministry for him. It was Sunday night, August 5, 1979. God and I had a long discussion all day about my future, and I finally figured out God knew a lot more than I did. I need to follow his direction in my life if I planned to succeed at anything. That’s the night I said yes to his call. It didn’t surprise my wife or very many people who knew me. I think it surprised me more than anyone else. The journey keeps getting more exciting and more interesting as time goes on. God gave me several occupations to put food on the table, the Army being the primary source for thirty years. But I’ve had the same vocation since that time, paid by his grace and the knowledge I’m doing as he asks.

Big days. Important milestones. I could name many more that stand out as monument moments that press themselves into life never to be forgotten. No doubt, you can do the same. Normally, life doesn’t flow past uninterrupted with no bumps or ripples. In the stream of life, we find a few calm peaceful places where we relax and enjoy the time we spend there. But we also find rapids and waterfalls and places where the water runs so much faster than we think it should.

Life is like that. Always different around the next bend in the river. Never really knowing what to expect. We can prepare for some of it. Sometimes it just hits full force and we hang on hoping the turbulence ends before it dashes us against the rocks.

God came to Moses and Aaron with the command to mark their deliverance as the first month of the year. He told them what would happen that night, but I’m not sure they really grasped the significance of his words. The Israelites obeyed, sacrificed a lamb, ate it in their family or with a neighbor, smeared its blood on the doorpost, and watched through the night. Most probably didn’t realize the vast reach God had across Pharaoh’s domain and the might he would display in that night. All the firstborn dead by morning. With only those spared housed behind the mark of the blood on the doorposts.

It sounds unbelievable. Almost silly. That God could distinguish between believers and non-believers by the act of putting blood on the door. And that the warrior angels he sent could even see the blood in the dark of the night and know which homes to spare and which to enter to kill the firstborn children and animals. But God created everything. From nothing, he spoke everything into place. How he did it is up for debate. Whether you believe he accomplished that task in six 24-hour days, or in six periods of time that correspond with eras to create light, elements for life, then life itself, doesn’t matter to me. What matters is acknowledging someone put it all together from nothing in that first moment of time. He is the great creator of all things.

If God can create a universe as remarkable and almost unbelievable as we can see through our most powerful telescopes, certainly he can send his envoys to distinguish which homes to pass over, and which to enter and do his bidding, in judgment against them. He is God. I have seen things man cannot explain. Will they one day? I don’t know. I’m not sure. God seems to defy the natural laws he created on occasion. Those are difficult to explain away. You can call them fairy tales unless they happen to you. You can call them coincidence until you see them firsthand. You can wish them away and think they never happen, but too many people witness them to say they don’t.

So, what should we do with those monumental moments? How should we handle those times and dates that stick in our mind that never go away? Some of those dates bring incredible joy. Some bring sorrow or terror or other extremely negative emotions. How do we address those times? For the Israelites, their deliverance became the first month of the beginning of all months. In essence, God said, this is the beginning of new life for you. This is the birth of a new nation, a new age. This is such a monumental, God only kind of deliverance that can only come from me, that you will need to start over from this point.

That’s how it is when he remakes us through his forgiveness. That’s how he can use those monumental moments in our lives. That’s how, as I look back on them, every one of those dates that stick in my mind, changed me in ways I would never imagine. God used each of them to mold me into the person I have become today. I would like to forget some of those days, but I also know they were important in shaping my character and helping me discover things about myself and my relationship with God and others than I could not have discovered otherwise.

Like Moses, Aaron, and the Israelites, remember those moments. Use the monumental things in your life to understand how God shapes you to be the person he wants you to become. Who knows, there may be a date that you mark as the beginning of new life for you. Not just making new resolutions or turning over a new leaf, but the month to begin all months. A new start. A fresh beginning. A new creation because of his work in your life. God does God-sized things when we let him. Try it out. He will amaze you at times. That’s just the way he works.

For God so loved he never changes, March 18, 2019

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.

What is God really like? We read the Old Testament and see a God who punishes sin in extremely harsh ways. Take for example the incident recorded in Exodus 32 and 33. Moses goes up Mount Horeb and God writes on tables of stone ten commandments as the basis to live in community with him and each other. Because of Moses’ prolonged absence, the people convince his brother, Aaron, that Moses must be dead and will not return. Aaron crafts a gold statue of a cow and that statue becomes their god.

Exodus 33 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ 2 I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 3 Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.”

4 When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn and no one put on any ornaments. 5 For the Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.’”6 So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb.God is ready to destroy all those people and start over with just Moses. But Moses prays and asks forgiveness for their sinfulness. He offers his life for theirs and asks God to remain with them on their journey to the land God promised Abraham so many years ago.

God changed his mind and saved his people from destruction, but instead of going straight to the land he had picked out for them as an inheritance, the Israelites remained in the rugged wilderness of the middle east for forty years. They lived as nomads with no home to call their own until every adult who left Egypt died except for Joshua and Caleb. That is harsh punishment.

In the desert, God provided food for them, but it was manna every day. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Manna. Once when I was in the Army, our rations got a little mixed up and we at chicken cacciatore for breakfast and lunch for longer than anyone should. We couldn’t exchange them. We were stuck with them. It took me almost a decade to enjoy chicken cacciatore again. It gave me a new appreciation for the Israelites’ complaint about manna. The Bible tells us it was sweet, like honey. But there are only so many ways you can fix something. Raw. Boiled. Baked. Add water and yeast to make bread. Fried. How many things can you do with it? But still it was manna. Every day. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For forty years. If you do the math, that’s 14,560 days. If you ate three meals a day, that 43,680 meals. Of manna. Punishment!

God heard their complaint about manna, though. He solved their problem. They ate quail. Now, if you order quail in a restaurant, it’s usually in one of those high priced places. I’m not sure most of the restaurants I eat in have quail on the menu. Quite a luxury God gave them. But like the manna, when that’s all you have is quail, it gets old no matter how good it was in the beginning. God let them eat it until it came out their nose. They grew really sick of those birds. Literally. Punishment.

God sent hail and brimstone down on the wicked. Sodom and Gomorrah. He turned Lot’s wife into a pillar of salt when she couldn’t resist one more peak at the town she left behind. God let the waters fall back together to crush the Egyptian army after the Israelites walked across on dry land. God surrounded Elisha with an army of angels ready to strike when the Syrian army paid him a visit. God even struck Miriam with leprosy when she and Aaron got a little jealous of Moses’ position.

For those of you who might be fashion sensitive, they had shoes that didn’t wear out. No shoe shopping. The same pair of sandals. Every day. No matter what you might wear. Oh, yeah. The clothes didn’t wear out either. So for the fashionistas, they wore the same clothes. Every day. For 14, 560 days. Maybe they had one extra set so they could wear one set while the other was in the wash, but remember, they left in a hurry. They didn’t take a lot of luggage with them. Not much of a wardrobe. Punishment.

So we see the God of the Old Testament seems like he was always looking for ways to punish. But that’s not really true. Did he punish? Yes. Did he love? More than we can ever understand. I think sometimes those glimpses of God’s wrath in the Old Testament are kind of like our news media today. Bad news cells. We want the juicy failures so it makes us feel better about ourselves.

The truth is God has not changed. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is truth and life and light. He is the creator. He keeps all of this universe humming in perfect order. He is love. He created that emotion because he wants us to experience in our frail, imperfect way, the perfect love the triune Godhead experiences eternally.

The amazing thing about God is that he wants to have a personal relationship with each of us. He wants that relationship so desperately that he came to earth and lived with us wrapped in human flesh. Then sacrificed himself on a Roman cross as payment for the Old Testament covenant punishment we deserve. His mercy relieves us of that payment with our blood. But God hasn’t changed and there is more. Not only does he give us mercy and doesn’t make us pay the penalty for our sins, he pours out his grace on us.

God’s grace is so incredible it is impossible to describe. God’s grace so exceeds our limited capacity to imagine, we cannot put it into words. Many have tried, but we all fall short and just stand in awe of the creator who gives us life. Forgives our sins. Covers us with the blood he shed on the cross for us. Sits at the right hand of the Father intervening on our behalf. His grace is so marvelous we cannot begin to even adequately put it into our thoughts.

The God of grace and mercy and love is the New Testament God we like to hear about and he is all of that. He pours himself out for us. He is an awesome God as the song written by Rich Mullins and made popular by Michael W. Smith echos for us. Don’t get me wrong, I know God’s grace and mercy and love. I’ve experienced it personally. But I also know that God has not and will not change. The God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are the same God. Just like as a good father, there are times that I must punish my kids to help them learn right from wrong, God as our greatest example of a good father disciplines us.

Should we be surprised at the seeming change in personality between the two sides represented in the Old and New? No, but if you look closely at God before and after that dividing line in which God came to earth to live in flesh, you’ll see his love in the Old Testament with scenes like Pharaoh’s daughter rescuing Moses from the river. God giving Sarah a child in her old age. David’s psalms. And the list goes on and on.

The God of the New Testament is also a God of wrath. Just take a look at Acts 5 and see what happened to Ananias and Sapphira or the judgments that will be meted out described in the book of Revelation. God has not and will not change. He is the one constant in everything we do or see or feel. He is the anchor we can depend on because regardless of the political bent of any particular nation, regardless the state of the economy, regardless the health of loved ones or yourself, God is the same and God cares.

What does that mean for us? It means in a hopeless, loveless, wicked world, we have hope. We have love. We have righteousness. Because we can have God, not just with us, but in us. He can forgive us and then if we let him, he can guide us through this life and into the next safe from the destroyer of souls.

In this Lenten Season, remember who God is. Remember he came to show us we have hope because he came and died for us. But he didn’t just die as a sacrifice. If he stayed in the grave as a sacrifice, we would not be worshiping him. We would not have churches around the globe. We would not die as martyrs for Jesus, the Messiah. No, if Jesus had only died on the cross, he would have been another good man doing marvelous things for people.

But Easter came. Jesus arose. He conquered death, our enemy. He lives today. Remember who God is. Remember why we have hope. Spend time listening to him and learning about him as Easter approaches.

You can find me at richardagee.com. I also invite you to join us at San Antonio First Church of the Nazarene on West Avenue in San Antonio to hear more Bible based teaching. You can find out more about my church at SAF.church. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed it, tell a friend. If you didn’t, send me an email and let me know how better to reach out to those around you. Until next week, may God richly bless you as you venture into His story each day.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

New Commands and a New Covenant, October 2, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.

Bible Reading Plan – www.Bible-Reading.com; The Story, Chapter 5, You Version Bible app, days 29 through 35.

In my younger days I thought Leviticus a really boring book of the Bible. I’ll have to admit, it’s still not my favorite, but I’ve come to appreciate its rules and regulations a lot more as I’ve come to understand the bigger picture of God’s Story and His plan for us.

You see, the big picture of God’s story is His incredible desire to live face to face with us. But there is this problem we created. We brought sin into the world. We broke that relationship with Him and He has been working to get it back. But God cannot live where there is sin. So His Story tells us how He is working through history to exact His plan to bring us back into that perfect relationship that existed in the Garden of Eden before Adam and Eve chose to disobey Him.

An interesting concept we need to understand about having an intimate relationship with God, though, is this. If expect to get along with God, we must be able to get along with each other. My kids hated time out growing up. They knew the rules of the house and when they broke them, that was often where they ended up…timeout. Sitting on the sidelines instead of participating in whatever was going on around them. But my wife and I wanted to have a relatively peaceful home. In fact, I’m not sure my kids ever heard me holler at them. That doesn’t mean I’m the best parent in the world. I was absent a lot because of military service. So much of their good character is my wife’s fault. But she and I decided early that we would enforce the rules and from a very early age, they learned there were consequences for breaking the rules.

Kids need fences. They need to know what the limits are and they need to know those limits are firm. When the boundaries change every day, they get confused. They will test those limits and push them as far as you will let them. Never learning there are consequences for disobedience until one day it is too late and the consequences are much greater than either the child or the parent ever expected.

The same is true for adults, though. We need boundaries, too. We need rules as surely as our children do if we expect to live in community with other people. And that’s why God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai those centuries ago.

The last six of the commandments are not unique. Many cultures had those same rules imposed on their people. It’s how communities ensured people got along with each other. Respect your parents, don’t murder, steal, lie, commit adultery, or covet the things someone else owns. These six commands keep us in check with those that live around us.

The first four commandments were unique to this new nation God was building through His chosen people led by Moses. Keep God first, don’t make any idols or images, honor and respect His name, and set aside a day each week to remember and worship Him. These four rules keep our vertical relationship in perspective. The last four keep our horizontal relationships right.

But we grouse at the commandments. Why do we need rules? Why can’t I do my own thing? Well, we want rules for everyone but me. That’s the thing. In our selfishness, the very core of sin, we want something that holds everyone else in check but don’t want to be bound by those same expectations. And that’s the problem. We don’t want anyone speeding past our yard when the kids are playing, but we don’t want that ticket when we are guilty of the same crime. After all, I’m in complete control of my car at all times, right? I know what I’m doing, right? Wrong.

God gave us the commandments so we could get along with each other. They model the relationship that exists within the trinity. The Father, Son, and Spirit have existed eternally living within these boundaries and know that we can only get along when we observe these same boundaries. So God sets limits on our behavior to help us live in community with each other so that He might restore our community with Him. He wants so desperately to return to those walks in the garden with us.

The rules also told Moses how to build a place for God to stay. He wanted to be right in the middle of this new nation, so Moses constructed a tabernacle, a big tent, for God. If you read about the layout of the camp, the tabernacle was right in the middle of those three million people. Three tribes on the north, three tribes on the east, three tribes on the south, and three tribes on west with the tabernacle smack dab in the middle of the camp. That was where God wanted to be in regard to His new nation.

But the tabernacle also had to be built to perfect specifications. Special wood, special materials, special utensils, special dimensions. Even special people doing the work and handling everything associated with His new house. In fact, the priests could not even go inside because of their sin. God is a holy God. He cannot tolerate sin and will not live in the presence of sin. So when His house was built, not even the priests could go inside when He was present.

Sin was a problem. God gave Moses instructions on how to allow the priest to come into His special sacred spot once a year. He gave him a way for atonement for his sins and the sins of the people. A perfect lamb was sacrificed and its blood shed in atonement for sin.

God pointed toward this act back in the Garden of Eden when He killed some animals and took their skins to make clothing for Adam and Eve. These rules for atonement, shedding the blood of an innocent animal point to something bigger coming when He sacrifices His own son for us. But it tells us the innocent pay for our sin. That’s pretty bad. Adam’s offspring, us, pay the consequences of Adam’s disobedience.

Do you ever think your sins might be hidden? Guess again, the innocent pay for your sins. Your spouse, your children, your neighbors. The innocent pay for your disobedience. And oh, by the way, you pay for the disobedience of someone else! You see we are all in this together. We have to learn to get along. God gave us those rules for a reason. He wants desperately to live among us and walk with us in His garden. But until we can get along with each other, we can never get along with Him.

Jesus said it in answer to the question, “What is the greatest commandment?” “Love your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And the second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself.” If we can’t love our neighbor who we can see. If we can’t live with each other? How can we expect to live with a holy God?

Why did God give us the Ten Commandments? To show us how the trinity lives and how we should live in community. They prepare us in the furtherance of His bigger picture to live with us again in His perfect dwelling place.

You can find me at richardagee.com. I also invite you to join us at San Antonio First Church of the Nazarene on West Avenue in San Antonio to hear more about The Story and our part in it. You can find out more about my church at SAF.church. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed it, tell a friend. If you didn’t, send me an email and let me know how better to reach out to those around you. Until next week, may God richly bless you as you venture into His story each day.

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Deliverance, September 25, 2017

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Bible Reading Plan – www.Bible-Reading.com; The Story, Chapter 4; You Version Bible app, days 22 through 28

We continue our journey through the story examining another of the stories that almost everyone has heard. In fact, almost everyone can tell you the book that contains the story. It’s found in the book of Exodus, an interesting compound Greek word that means “the way out.”

Today I want us to focus on the hero of the story as we have focused on the unlikely heroes in the first weeks of our study. Adam and Eve were unlikely heroes because of their disobedience. Abraham was an unlikely hero, picked by God to be the father of the nation of Israel through which all the nations of the world would be blessed. Joseph, a slave and prison, who God chose to become the second in command of the mighty nation of Egypt. All unlikely heroes. People you and I would never choose if we were God. But then we are not God. He chooses people whose hearts are in the right place, not who necessarily have it all together.

So it is with today’s story. Who would choose Moses as the savior of the Hebrew slaves in Egypt? Yes, he was miraculously saved from Pharaoh’s destruction of the male children born to the slaves as they continued to increase in population. Yes, he was raised in Pharaoh’s palace as a young man. But Moses was a murderer. Moses had a price on his head. Moses couldn’t speak well and many scholars think he might have suffered from some sort of speech impediment and had difficulty being understood. Moses was an outlaw living in the wilderness making sure no one recognized him, tending sheep, just to stay alive.

What did Moses have that would make him the hero of the story? Why would God choose him to be the leader of the nation and call him to face Pharaoh to pronounce His judgment on Egypt to free His chosen people from their centuries of slavery? Why would God ask someone with a speech impediment to be His spokesman? This just doesn’t make sense, does it?

But there he was, tending his father-in-law’s sheep, when God spoke to him from a blazing bush that wasn’t consumed by the fire. Bizarre! We would see Moses as much more a hindrance than a help. But God saw something else. He saw a man committed to Him. He saw a man He could use as an instrument of His grace and mercy. He saw a man through whom He could demonstrate His justice and His redemption because He saw Moses’ heart.

Was Moses perfect? No. Not by a long shot. We already said he was a murderer. He was a coward, running into the desert when confronted by his countrymen. He even did things after God called him as Israel’s leader that kept him out of the promised land. Remember the story of Moses striking the rock to get water out of it instead of doing what God said and speaking to the rock? That might not sound like a big deal to you, but to God that was disobedience to His command. That’s pretty serious, don’t you think? That was just like Adam and Eve disobeying God in the Garden of Eden when God said don’t eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They didn’t do what God said. God told Moses, “Speak to the rock and get water out of it.” Moses didn’t do what God said and his punishment, like Adam and Eve’s was banishment from the promised lan. Moses wasn’t perfect. He had his struggles and his faults just like you and I. But he knew to whom he could go when he did wrong. Unlike Adam and Eve, he didn’t hide, but rather he confessed and laid himself before God in repentance. He opened himself to the God of the universe and kept that intimate relationship between His God and himself. And that’s why God used him in such a miraculous way.

There were still consequences for Moses’ disobedience. We still have consequences for our sin. We pay a price for the wrongs we commit. God sometimes removes the consequences, but most often does not in the physical world we live in. We suffer and struggle in this broken world because we live in a world filled with sin. But when we follow Him and obey His teachings, we experience far fewer of the negative consequences that come with wrong actions. Right living brings good consequences. Wrong living brings bad consequences. It just makes sense.

This week, if you follow the reading in “The Story”, chapter 4 or the smartphone app You Version reading plan Engaging God’s Story days 23 through 29, you will see just how God uses this unlikely hero as an instrument for the salvation of His people. It’s pretty exciting stuff.

The readings also remind me that God can use the most unlikely people, even you and me, to carry out the most incredible events. He might not use you to change the world like He did with Moses, but then again He might. Moses was 80 when he stood before the burning bush. Abraham was 100 when Isaac, the promised son was born. God doesn’t pay attention to age or bank accounts or social status or race or nationality or any of the things we might think are important in being a hero or world changer. God pays attention to hearts. He wants people who are devoted to Him. And when He finds that person, He can use him or her to do what others think impossible.

We’ve already seen that in the characters we’ve explored just in these few days of reading God’s Story. But hold on. There is a lot more ahead. God has a plan and it is unfolding just as He expects. You can be part of moving His plan forward or you can futilely try to push against it. It’s your choice which side you choose. But He is God and will not and can not fail because He is God and we are not. No matter how hard we might try to push against His will, His plan, He wins…every time. So which side will you choose? Yours or His? It’s really not hard to make the smart choice, so why do so many choose the wrong one? Which one do you choose?

Did you say that was boring? (Exodus 39/32-43), Feb 5, 2015

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Exodus 39:32-43
Set – Exodus 39; Psalms 15
Go! – Exodus 39-40; Psalms 15; Acts 12

Exodus 39:32-43
³² All the work that went into the sanctuary of the congregation tent was finally finished. The Israelites did everything exactly as the Eternal One had instructed Moses.

³³ Then the Israelites brought all they made to Moses. They brought the tent and all its furnishings, including its hooks, frame panels, crossbars, posts, and bases; ³⁴ the layers of red-dyed rams’ skins and the sea-cow skin that covered the sanctuary; the veil shrouding the most holy place; ³⁵ the covenant chest with its poles and the seat of mercy; ³⁶ the table, its tools, the bread of the Presence; ³⁷ the gold lampstand, its lamps and all its tools, the lamp oil; ³⁸ the golden altar of incense, the anointing oil and the scented incense; the fabric screen for the tent’s entrance; ³⁹ the bronze altar for burnt offerings, the bronze grating, its poles and tools, the basin and its stand; ⁴⁰ the panels that enclose the courtyard, the posts and bases, the screen that covers the court’s entrance, the cords and pegs; and all the tools used in the sanctuary of the congregation tent, ⁴¹ the finely woven clothing for priests serving in the holy place, the sacred garments worn by Aaron the high priest, and the clothes his sons are to wear when they serve as priests as well. ⁴² The Israelites completed each part of the project exactly as the Eternal One had instructed Moses.

⁴³ Moses inspected every piece of work they had completed, and he saw that they had done it all with excellence according to the specifications given to Him by the Eternal One. So Moses blessed them.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Sometimes you might wonder why I asked Moses and others to put so much detail in descriptions that can seem pretty boring to you. I know it’s been millennia since anyone stepped foot into the covenant tent that housed the articles described in these verses. Why would I want anyone to include the detail about the hooks on the poles and the sea lion skin coverings? What do you care about 4,000-year old bronze altars, screens, pans, shovels, and grates?

For one thing, the detail was important to the purity of the religion I established through Moses and Aaron. The Israelites would soon enter a land filled with pagan icons and idols, sacrifices to false gods, and abominable practices that would entice them away from the worship of Me, the only True and Living God. The preparation of the intricate handiwork required to build My tabernacle kept them focused on Me instead of the pagan gods they encountered in their wanderings.

Second, the instruments and implements noted in the building of the tabernacle showed the Israelites I am a God of order, not chaos. It showed them through the fabrication of all the things involved in the feast days, sacrifices, and worship that I had a unique plan laid out for them. Everything pointed to their past and their future and your future as you consider the placement of the furniture in the sign of a cross, the instrument of crucifixion that would later become the symbol of life.

Third, it allowed those with talents I had given them to share those talents with others and with Me. Moses inspected every item, every implement, every piece of cloth, every article that would soon find its way into its place for caring for My tabernacle and the ways I told him to carry out their means of worship. Every item he inspected he declared as excellent in workmanship. Everyone involved in the project gave their best for the project.

So, what might seem boring to you at first reading, stop and think again. Lessons can be learned there. Keep your eyes on me, not on the world’s idea of gods around you. Remember I have a plan for you just as much as I had a plan for the Israelites 4,000 years ago. And don’t forget I gave you talents to use for Me and for others. Don’t hoard them. You can do things that no one else can do. So get to it and do it with excellence.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Don’t chase shiny things, chase God (Exodus 23/20-33), Jan 29, 2015

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Today’s Devotional

Today’s background scripture comes from Exodus 23. And God says:
From the very first, My plan was to give the lands I promised Abraham to his descendants through Jacob’s line. I also knew the new nation must grow large enough to inhabit the land and care for it and it would take time to conquer it completely. I knew this delay would test the faith of the new nation, collectively and individually. I gave them directions to help them in the early days of their new faith. Get rid of every idol. Destroy them. Pulverize every pillar. Obliterate every sign of every other deity.

I knew humankind’s tendency to marvel at things they could put their hands on and touch. The shiny gold and silver idols would attract their attention. They would ask the inhabitants what they meant and some would fall prey to the incitement these pieces of metal brought. The stories of their gods would intrigue the faithless and they would fall away. Then they would teach their children about these false gods and whole generations would turn away from me.

My commands to annihilate the inhabitants of the promised land didn’t come because I hated them. It came about because I knew they would entice My people to fall away from Me. Just like Adam and Eve, centuries before, they would listen to the lies they could see instead of the truth of the Eternal. I made the gold. A person made the idol. How could they think that lump of metal do what only I can do? But man can create incredible fables from his imagination at times.

It still happens today. It even happens with lumps of gold and silver. More often, men bow to jobs, numbers in bank accounts, titles and position, power. They forget all of the things they want I created in the first place and can take away in a moment. It takes focus and constant vigilance to avoid the traps the world puts in place to entice you away from Me. The shiny baubles the world offers is nothing, though, compared to the riches I have in store for you. Just hang on. Trust Me. Know that I will see you through.

Today’s Scripture

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Exodus 23:20-33
Set – Exodus 23; Psalms 14
Go! – Exodus 23-24; Psalms 14; Acts 5

Exodus 23:20-33
²⁰ Look! I am going to send a heavenly messenger before you to protect you during your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you. ²¹ Pay attention to all he shows you and obey whatever he tells you. Do not cause him any trouble. He will not forgive you if you rebel against him for he carries My name in him.

²² If you are obedient to his voice and follow all of My instructions, then I will be an enemy to all of those who are against you, and I will oppose all those who oppose you. ²³ When My messenger moves ahead of you and leads you to the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites—I will annihilate them. ²⁴ Do not bow down to their gods, worship, or serve them in any way. Do not engage in any of their wicked practices. Instead, you must destroy every idol you find and shatter their sacred pillars into tiny pieces.

²⁵ Worship and serve only the Eternal your God, and I will bless you with an ample supply of wholesome food and clean water. I will take away all sickness from you, ²⁶ prevent miscarriages and barrenness, and give you long, productive lives. ²⁷ My fear and My dread will move ahead of you, and wherever you go people will greet you with panic and confusion. I will see to it that all of your enemies turn and run from you. ²⁸ I will unleash hornets ahead of you; and they will drive out the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites from the land before you. ²⁹ Now I will not do all this in a single year, because the land would become a wasteland, overpopulated with wild animals that would roam unchecked. ³⁰ Rather, I will drive them out a little at a time—a few here, a few there—until your numbers grow and you are strong enough to take over the land and its care. ³¹ I will set your borders from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea west of where the Philistines live and from the desert to the Euphrates River. I will give to you all those who inhabit the land, and you will drive them all out. ³² But do not make a covenant-treaty with them or agree to serve their gods. ³³ They must not be allowed to live in your land; otherwise they will cause you to sin against Me, the only True God. If you serve their gods, you will be trapped and be drawn into sin.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Do your part, but don’t do it all (Exodus 18/13-27),Jan 27, 2015

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Today’s Devotional

Today’s background scripture comes from Exodus 18.
Moses learned an important lesson from Jethro most of My leaders today still do not understand. Moses tried to do everything himself as leader of the fledgling nation of Israel. Jethro saw he would soon wear himself out with the tasks he took. Much of the work others could do if he would let them. Some of the tasks I reserved for him alone.

Like many, Moses forgot I gave others special gifts to help him. He would need those others and their skills soon to help build the tabernacle, the furniture, and utensils that I would instruct him to build. He could not do it alone. I would give Moses the instructions, but others would carry out the work. Men I gifted specifically for the tasks. Men endued with artistic skills Moses did not have.

Too many of My leaders today think they must take on the task of doing all the work in their churches. Sometimes, those led by the pastors are too comfortable letting them do the work. But I did not give them the gifts to do everything necessary to build My church. I gave them some gifts, those necessary to carry out their responsibilities, but I expect everyone who is part of the body of Christ to do their share in keeping that body whole and healthy.

When everyone does their part, the work gets done. The loads stay light enough for each to accomplish what must get accomplished each day. And each is blessed with the joy of knowing they have done their part in building the kingdom. So many feel like asking others to help is an imposition when really, it provides a blessing when it is a task I’ve given them gifts to perform in My church. Never take away someones blessing by refusing to let them use the gifts I’ve given them. I don’t fail to find those blessing by refusing to use your own gifts. I’ve given them to you for a reason.

Today’s Scripture

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Exodus 18:13-27
Set -Exodus 18; Acts 3
Go! – Exodus 17-20; Acts 3

Exodus 18:13-27
¹³ On the next day, Moses sat and served as judge, settling disputes among the people. Those with grievances surrounded him from sunrise to sundown waiting to present their case. ¹⁴ Jethro noticed all Moses was doing for the people.

Jethro: What do you think you are doing? Why are you the only one who is able to judge the disputes of all these people who surround you from sunrise to sundown?

Moses: ¹⁵ These people come to me seeking direction from God. ¹⁶ When two people are arguing and can’t resolve their differences, they come to me; and I settle the matter between them. This is one way I help God’s people understand His requirements and instructions.

Jethro: ¹⁷ What you are doing is not good for you. ¹⁸ The responsibility is just too much. You are going to wear yourself out. Not only that, you’re going to wear out the people too. You can’t do it all by yourself. ¹⁹ I am going to give you a piece of advice, so listen up and God will be with you. You should represent the people before God, and carry their concerns to Him. ²⁰ Teach them God’s requirements and pass on His laws. Show them the right way to live and the kind of work they should be doing. ²¹ As for all these other duties you have taken on, choose competent leaders who fear God, love truth, despise dishonesty, and won’t take bribes. After you divide and subdivide all the people into various groups of a thousand, hundred, fifty, and ten, put the men of integrity you selected in charge over the various groups. ²² Let these righteous leaders be ready to judge the people whenever it is necessary. If there is some major problem, they can bring that to you. Otherwise, these select leaders ought to be able to handle the minor problems. This will be much easier for you, and they will help you carry this burden. ²³ If you do what I advise and God directs you, then you will be able to handle the pressure. Not only that, but all these people standing around needing help, they will be able to return to their tents at peace.

²⁴ Moses accepted Jethro’s advice and did all that he said. ²⁵ He chose competent leaders and put them in charge of the community of Israel. He divided and subdivided the nation into groups of a thousand, hundred, fifty, and ten, and he appointed a leader over each group. ²⁶ The righteous leaders judged the people whenever disputes or problems arose. Any major quarrel, they brought to Moses for his judgment; but every minor argument, they judged themselves.

²⁷ When it was time for Jethro to return to his own land, Moses sent his father-in-law on his way.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
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