Month: February 2014

Exodus 15-16, Mark 5

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The Power of God.

Exodus 15-16, Mark 5

Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy. – Exodus 15:5 ESV

I know of no one who believes in God who would not also say that they believe in the power of God. We sing songs about God’s power. We can recall stories from the Bible, like those in Exodus, that tell of His great power. But there are far too few of us who can speak of His power from personal experience. Either because we have not seen it, or because we have simply taken it for granted. The power of God is not to be some academic or theological concept, but a practical and personal reality in the life of every believer. We have read over and over again in the book of Exodus that simple phrase, “that you may know.” God wants us to know that He is God. He wants us to know of His power from personal, first-hand experience. Witnessing God’s power at work in their lives was what helped the people of Israel believe. His evident power was proof of His ever-presence.

What does this passage reveal about God?

For the people of Israel, God’s power was almost always on display in their lives. They had seen Him do incredible miracles in the land of Egypt. They had watched Him defeat the armies of Pharaoh and part the waters of the Red Sea. They even composed a song about it, singing, “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them” (Exodus 15:11-12 ESV). They had seen these things with their own eyes. They had personally experienced the presence and power of God. His deliverance had been up-close and personal in nature. And God would continue to reveal His power to them long after the events at the Red Sea were just a memory. As they made their way to the Promised Land, God would reveal His power repeatedly and in a variety of practical ways. At Marah, He turned bitter water into sweet water. When they arrived at in wilderness of Sin and began to complain about the lack of food, God provided them with quail and manna to eat. Moses told the people, “in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord” (Exodus 16:7 ESV). While normally this would have referred to God’s presence as revealed in the pillar of fire by night and the pillar of cloud by day, in this case I think Moses was telling the people that they were going to see God’s glory in the form of God’s powerful provision. The manna was going to be a manifestation of God’s glory. His provision would be evidence of His power and proof of his glory and greatness.

Over in the book of Mark, we read about the power of God as revealed through the Son of God, Jesus Christ. He casts the demons out of a man, with just a word from His mouth. A woman who had suffered from the same physical malady for 12 long years, receives healing simply by touching the hem of His robe. And Jesus shows His power over even death by raising a 12-year old girl from the dead. These events were meant to provide the disciples with proof of His divinity. They were designed to give the disciples confidence in who Jesus was and evidence of His having God-ordained role as their Messiah. As it had been with the people of Israel in the wilderness, the power revealed in the miracles of Jesus had an objective: “Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God” (Exodus 16:12 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about man?

God tends to reveal His power in the midst of man’s problems. The Israelites had an uncrossable sea behind them and an unbeatable foe in front of them. But God showed up and revealed His power on behalf of them. The waters at Marah were bitter and undrinkable, but God showed up and turned the bitter sweet. When the food began to run out and the people began to give up, God showed up in the form of bread in the morning and meat in the evening. And the typical response of the people after each of these manifestations of God’s power was not awe and wonder, but grumbling and complaint. Rather than gratitude and a growing sense of faith in the power of God, they disobeyed His commands and found plenty of reasons to gripe about the next inconvenience they encountered. The manna should have been a daily reminder of God’s power and presence. It should have been more than enough proof of the goodness and glory of God. But rather than experience God’s power and trust Him, they tended to focus on their problems and doubt.

When Jesus healed the demon-possessed man and restored him to his right mind, the people reacted with fear rather than faith. The kind of power Jesus revealed scared them to death and they asked Him to leave. Yet the woman who suffered from the long-standing illness was willing to place her faith in Jesus’ power to heal based only on rumors and second-hand stories. Jesus said her faith restored her to health. Her belief in His power made her well. When word came to Jesus that the little girl had died, He told her father, “Do not fear, only believe” (Mark 5:36 ESV). This man had not seen Jesus raise anyone from the dead. He had no reason to believe that his little girl’s life could be restored. In the midst of his greatest moment of tragedy, God was going to reveal His power through His Son. His problem was going to provide an opportunity to see God’s power on display.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

God wants to reveal His power through my problems. He wants me to know that He is Lord – not just intellectually, but experientially. God wants to reveal His power in my daily life by meeting practical needs and solving real problems. God graciously reveals His power in practical ways so that we might believe in Him. He offers us daily proof of His presence, but we either ignore it or refuse to believe it. And far too often, even after we see God’s hand at work in our life, we end up grumbling and grousing at the next setback or difficulty that shows up. Rather than sing of His greatness and goodness as revealed in the practical proof of His power, we whine and moan about our lot in life. May I learn to recognize God’s power in my life more readily and sing His praises more fervently. “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11 ESV).

Father, You have shown Your power in my life in so many ways over the years, but I still tend to doubt You far more often than I trust You. And I show that doubt in the form of ingratitude and grumbling. Forgive me and help me see Your power more readily and express my gratitude more quickly. You are great and You are good. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Exodus 13-14, Mark 4

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Stop. Stand. See.

Exodus 13-14, Mark 4

Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. – Exodus 14:13-14 ESV

This story has always fascinated me. In it we have a wonderful glimpse of the mysterious ways of God. He had been working behind the scenes, orchestrating His master plan to rescue and redeem the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt and take them to the land He had promised to Abraham all those years ago. After ten devastating plagues and the institution of the Passover celebration, God was getting ready to do His greatest miracle to date. But He would do so in such a way that, from the perspective of the Israelites, it all made no sense. He was going to pull off one of the most incredible rescues, but it was going to require some moments of sheer terror and faith-testing uncertainty.

What does this passage reveal about God?

These two chapters in Exodus are all about God. He makes it perfectly clear to Moses and the people that all that is about to happen is focused on and the result of Him. They were to consecrate or set apart the first born of both man and animal to Him. All so they might never forget that “by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place” (Exodus 13:3 ESV). This entire series of events all points to God’s sovereign hand over all that was going on. This was not going to be about the Israelites, but about their all-powerful God. When they left Egypt, Moses makes it clear that “God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near” (Exodus 13:17 ESV). In other words, God did not have them take the short route, but a longer, more round-about path. “But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea” (Exodus 13:18 ESV). Not only that, God stopped them right in the middle of their journey and told them to back track, commanding them to set up camp by the sea. It is very clear from the passage that this circuitous journey was God-directed. “And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of could by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people” (Exodus 13:21 ESV). This was a fail-safe GPS guidance system. So when they found themselves camped on the shore of the Red Sea, they were right where God wanted them to be. It was all part of God’s plan. Their seemingly aimless wanderings had given Pharaoh time to rethink his decision and, with some help from God, he changed his mind and set out in hot pursuit of the Israelites, with every intention of forcing them back into slavery. And when the people saw that Pharaoh was bearing down on them and the sea was behind them, they panicked. They cried out to God and the screamed accusations against Moses. Driven by fear, they expressed their regret that they had ever listened to Moses or left the land of Egypt. But again, God had them right where He wanted them. They were helpless, hopeless, completely defenseless and at a complete loss as to what to do.

Then Moses gave them the most perplexing, but perfectly appropriate advice a follower of God could ever receive. He said, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today” (Exodus 14:13 ESV). Everything about what he said sounded illogical and suicidal. It made no sense. Here they were with an unbeatable army in front of them and an impassable sea behind them. Their condition could not have been worse. And yet, they were right where God had led them. They could have run, but they would have been chased down and died. They could have tried to swim, but most of them would have drowned. So Moses gives them the one option that made the least amount of sense and required the greatest amount of faith. They were to stop fearing, stand their ground and watch God work. They were going to have a ring-side seat to one of the greatest shows on earth. Moses told them, “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Exodus 14:14 ESV). They just needed to shut up and look up. And when they did, God showed up. He parted the sea. He delivered the people. And He defeated the armies of Egypt. As a result, “Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses” (Exodus 14:31 ESV). Fear had to be replaced with faith. Faith in God and His power. Faith required that they stand in midst of the very circumstance that created their fear in the first place. And their faith and firm stand resulted in belief in God, because they were able to witness His power in a real and personal way.

What does this passage reveal about man?

When the Jews made their way out of Egypt, the Bible tells us “the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle” (Exodus 13:18 ESV). That phrase, “equipped for battle” could be translated “in battle array.” They were marching out in well-ordered groups. And they were probably a little bit full of themselves. After all, they were leaving with full pockets, having been inundated by the Egyptians with gold, silver, jewelry and clothing. After the ten plagues, the Egyptians wanted them to leave so badly, they were literally paying them to get out of town. There were probably over a million people in the crowd that made its way out of Egypt that day. But their pride and arrogance would soon turn to fear and, had it not been for Moses, their fear would have quickly turned to flight. But to see the hand of God, they were going to have to stay right where they were. By the time God was done, it was going to be the Egyptians who would fear and attempt to flee. God would turn the tables and literally turn the tide in favor of His people. What had appeared to be a hopeless situation would be turned into one of the greatest miracles any man had ever seen.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

Over in the book of Mark, we see Jesus speaking in parables, attempting to instruct His disciples about the reality of the Kingdom of God. So much of what He said was a mystery to them, making no sense and even His answers seemed to leave them as confused as ever. His stories about seeds and soils, mustard seeds and lamps, planting and harvest, left the disciples scratching their heads and questioning their meaning. It was not what they expected. But later that day when they found themselves in a boat on the Sea of Galilee caught in a storm, all thoughts of parables and their meaning disappeared. They were in trouble. A severe storm with massive waves was filling their small boat with water and threatening them with possible capsizing and possible death. Jesus was sound asleep in the boat, and they woke Him up, screaming over the wind and waves, “Teacher do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38 ESV). And Mark records that Jesus calmly said, “‘Peace be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:39 ESV). Then Jesus spoke words that apply to each and every follower of His who has ever found himself in a difficult situation and full of fear. “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” (Mark 4:40 ESV).

Like the Israelites in the days of Moses standing at the shore of the Red Sea, and the disciples in that boat on the Sea of Galilee, I have more than enough reason to know that God is powerful and that He saves. I have seen His power in my life over and over again. I have been witness to His deliverance time and time again. But each time I find myself in a difficult spot, I tend to forget what He has done, and to doubt what He is capable of. The Israelites had seen ten plagues. They had witnessed the miracle of the Passover. The disciples had seen Him heal the sick and cast out demons. And yet, when the unexpected storm came, they feared. How easy it is for me to do the same. They also jumped to the conclusion that somehow their predicament was unplanned and out of God’s control. They were NOT where they were supposed to be. And yet, Jesus was calmly asleep in the boat. No panic. No fear. No doubt. He was in God’s will and had perfect peace. The storm was just an opportunity to watch God work. The armies of Pharaoh were there, not to conquer, but to be conquered by God. The Red Sea was there, not to be a barrier, but a means of escape and a way of deliverance. Oh, that I could learn to stop fearing, stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord! I must continue to learn to let fear turn to faith and not flight. I must allow God to do the impossible so that my belief in God will become immovable.

Father, thank You once again for this incredible story and reminder of my need to trust You with the impossible in my life. There are NO circumstances that are out of Your control and No situations that are not within Your ability to provide a way of escape. You are leading me every step of the way. May I learn to see Your hand in every phase of my life, so that I might learn to wait for Your salvation in every situation of life. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Exodus 11-12, Mark 3

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The Passover.

Exodus 10-11, Mark 3

“The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.” – Exodus 12:13 ESV

One last plague was to come. God was almost ready to complete His plan of redeeming His people from slavery in Egypt. He had promised Moses that Pharaoh would not only let the people go; he would force them out, and the people of Egypt would give them all kinds of treasure as a parting gift (Exodus 6:1; 3:19-21). The timing was perfect. The seeming delays and constant mood swings of the Pharaoh were all part of God’s plan. It was all building to a crescendo, when God would divinely judge the people of Egypt and graciously spare the people of Israel. This moment would not only be remembered by God’s people, it would be celebrated and memorialized for generations to come. They would tell their children of God’s mercies and His miraculous provision and protection. They would commemorate this day annually as a reminder of God’s redemptive power and undeserved mercy and grace.

What does this passage reveal about God?

Every event in this plan had a meaning and a purpose. Every plague was chosen by God for a specific reason. Every seeming delay was intended by God. And yet, it must have been so frustrating to the people of Israel to wait and watch as the Pharaoh continued to change his mind and renege on his promises. It would have been so easy for them to see every delay as a disappointment. They could have easily begun to doubt the power of their God and the reality of His promise. But God knew what He was doing. He told Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 11:9 ESV). This last plague was non-negotiable. It had to happen. It was going to provide a foreshadowing of yet another event to come. When you think about it, God could have forced Pharaoh to let the people go at any step along the way. But over and over again, we read that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. Why? Because the last plague was the most significant one. The Passover had been God’s intention all along. The lamb had to be slain. The blood had to be shed. Judgment had to come. But God was going to provide a way of escape – through the sacrifice of an innocent, unblemished lamb. How absurd this must have sounded to the Israelites when they first heard it. This must have come across as the most unlikeliest of plans. But it was God’s plan and it had to be obeyed to be enjoyed. The lamb had to sacrificed. The blood had to be sprinkled. The meat had to be consumed. And it all required that the people believe that God was not only bringing judgment, but that this strange plan was His means of escaping that judgment. The death angel passed over every house in Egypt, including those of the Jews. And in every house where the blood of the lamb was sprinkled on the door post and lintels, the occupants would be spared the judgment of God. It wasn’t enough just to be an Israelite. The blood was the determining factor. The writer of the book of Hebrews reminds us, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22 ESV). Without the shedding of blood, the Jews would have experienced the same loss and grief as the Egyptians. It was the death of the lamb that provided life. All of this pointed to the coming of Christ as the ultimate Passover Lamb. Paul reminds us, “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7 ESV). We have been provided redemption from slavery to sin and escape from death “with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:19 ESV). This was God’s plan. And today it makes no more sense to many people as the plan given to Moses meant to the people of Israel. When Jesus appeared on the scene, and announced Himself as the Messiah, He was met with incredulity and disbelief. He seemed an unlikely Savior and an unimpressive king. And yet, He was God’s plan. He was God’s only plan. “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about man?

Both the Jews and the Egyptians were equally dependent on the blood. I am convinced that had an Egyptian heard Moses’ instructions to the Jews and followed God’s plan of salvation by sacrificing a lamb and sprinkling its blood on his door, he would have enjoyed God’s mercy. The death angel passover over every home, and all he was looking for was the blood. He was not concerned about the inhabitants of the home. He was not just looking for Jewish homes. He was looking for the blood of the lamb. Had any individual, Jew or Egyptian, had the faith to believe God’s plan of salvation and followed God’s instructions, he would have been spared God’s judgment. This is in perfect keeping with God’s plan of redemption as revealed in the New Testament. The salvation provided by Christ’s death on the cross was made available to all – both Jew and Gentile. The key was the blood of Christ and the faith of the individual. Paul made this clear in his letter to the Galatians. “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slavenor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:27-29 ESV). As in the Exodus, the presence of the blood was the determining factor. Faith in the substitutionary nature of the lamb was essential. The blood shed, but not applied would have been ineffective. Christ’s death, not believed in and personally accepted as payment for my sins, would fail to be beneficial for my salvation.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

I no more deserved God’s salvation than did the Jews of Moses’ day. They were not spared because they were special. They were not passed over by the death angel because they were more holy or righteous than their Egyptian neighbors. Their salvation was God’s doing. It involved the sacrifice of a substitute – an innocent lamb. Their guilt was covered by the blood of another. And the same is true of me. I must never assume I somehow deserved salvation. I must never think that I was in some way more acceptable than someone else. My guilt was just as great as the next person. My sins were just as worthy of death as anyone else. But because I placed my faith in the blood of Christ, shed for me, I was passed over. I escaped death and have experienced new life. A highly unlikely and extremely unbelievable plan, but it was God’s plan all along. It didn’t require that I fully understand it, but that I simply trust God for it. When Jesus came, His own family thought He was crazy. The Scribes and Pharisees thought He was demon-possessed. Only the demons themselves seemed to recognize Him for who He really way. He was an unlikely Savior. He was not what anyone was expecting. “He came to his own,and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:11-13 ESV). I am a beneficiary of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. I live because He died. I am a child of God because the Son of God died in my place.

Father, thank You Father for passing over my sins because of the presence of the blood of Christ. Thank You for Your matchless plan of salvation for mankind that provided a means of escape that had nothing to do with my worthiness. You provided the Lamb. He provided His blood. And I enjoy the benefits of forgiveness of sins, assurance of salvation and the rights that come with my position as Your child. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Exodus 9-10, Mark 2

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For the Glory of God.

Exodus 9-10, Mark 2

“But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.You are still exalting yourself against my people and will not let them go.” – Exodus 9:16-17 ESV

God will share His glory with no one, including Pharaoh. His every action and every decision are designed to reflect His glory and greatness. Every plague He brought on the people of Israel was designed to prove His power and convince the Israelites and the Egyptians of His glory. Pharaoh, the great ruler over Egypt, who was viewed by his own people as a god, was simply a tool in God’s hand to accomplish His divine will and bring glory to His name. When Moses and Aaron first approached Pharaoh and made their request that he allow them to leave Egypt, his response had been, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go” (Exodus 5:2 ESV). But God was going to introduce Himself to Pharaoh and the people of Egypt. He would provide them with more than enough evidence of His existence and plenty of reasons to proclaim His glory and greatness. When all was said and done, there would be no man, woman or child alive in the land of Egypt who did not know who Yahweh was, and it would not be long before His fame spread throughout the known world at that time.

What does this passage reveal about God?

God was in complete control of the situation. He knew exactly what was going to happen before it happened. He knew what Pharaoh would say and do before Pharaoh did. Each plague was planned and designed to fall in exactly the order in which they came. The intensity of the plagues increased over time. The devastation and destruction they brought on the people and the land grew exponentially each time Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to let the people go. This was all part of God’s plan. Early on, He had told Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong had he will drive them out of his land” (Exodus 6:1 ESV). God was going convince Pharaoh to not only let the people go, but to drive them out of the land and fill their pockets with treasure in the process. This entire story reveals a well-orchestrated plan implemented by an all-powerful God whose ultimate objective is to make Himself known among men. Everything in the Exodus story points to God’s glory. The defeat of the Egyptians will bring God glory. The release of the Israelites will bring God glory. Even the stubborn refusals of Pharaoh will ultimately bring God glory.

Over in the book of Mark we read of Jesus healing the paralytic. There is an interesting exchange between Jesus and the Scribes. They were appalled that Jesus had dared to forgive the man’s sins, something only God could do. Jesus asked them, “Which is easier to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk?'” (Mark 2:9 ESV). Obviously, it is much easier to tell someone his sins are forgiven, because the results can’t be measured or proven. So Jesus takes the more difficult path. He commands the man to get up and walk. And He gives as His reason, “that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” (Mark 2:10 ESV). The result of this healing was that everyone who witnessed it “were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We never saw anything like this!'” (Mark 2:12 ESV). God was glorified. Jesus performed the miracle, but God was glorified. Jesus’ entire life and ministry was designed to bring God glory. In fact, in His prayer recorded in John 17, Jesus told the Father, “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do” (John 17:4 ESV). Jesus’ life and death brought glory to God. The cross brought glory to God. The plan of redemption brought glory to God. And there is a day coming when the give all men will give God glory because of what Jesus has done. “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about man?

We tend to live for our own glory. We are constantly attempting to make everything about us. The result is that we end up viewing the world from our limited perspective and fail to see God’s fingerprints all over our lives and circumstances. Pharaoh thought he was in control. He truly believed he had the upper hand and the last word in what was going to happen. But he was going to learn, perhaps the hard way, that God was the one in control. He would come to understand that God alone was going to get the glory. Every man, woman, and child exists ultimately for God’s glory. We were created for His glory. We exist for His glory. All creation is designed to bring God glory. Jesus Himself brought God glory. Should we be any different? God will be glorified on this earth and through the lives of those who occupy it. His name will be lifted up and proclaimed through all the earth. As His people, we are to be His witnesses, His ambassadors, spreading the glory of His name and the good news regarding His Son. Our lives are to be living, breathing proof of His presence and power. Our faith should bring Him glory as we learn to lean on Him, resting in His strength and not our own. Our transformed lives should bring Him glory and proclaim His greatness and goodness to the nations.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

I exist for God’s glory, not my own. My life is to be a tribute to His greatness, not my own. He is at work in my life, not to bring me happiness or to satisfy my selfish desires, but to bring Himself glory. And the amazing thing is that He brings Himself glory by transforming me into the likeness of His Son. I personally benefit from the process, but I am not the focus of it. The Israelites were going to get to enjoy freedom from slavery. But it wasn’t because they deserved it or had somehow earned it. God would later remind the people of Israel, “It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations” (Deuteronomy 7:7-9 ESV). Ultimately, it was because God was a covenant-keeping God. He is a loving, faithful God who does what He promises to do. For His glory and our good. Jesus did what He did, not because man deserved it, but because God had planned it. He did what He did for God’s glory and our good. I am the beneficiary of God’s goodness because Jesus sought to bring His Father glory.

Father, I want my life to bring You glory. I know that You will be glorified regardless of whether I acknowledge You or not, but I would rather be a willing participant in the process, instead of like Pharaoh. I want to willingly glorify You by regularly acknowledging Your presence and power in my life. I want to praise You more. I want to focus more on You and less on me. I want to seek Your glory and not mine. May my life be lived in faithful obedience to Your will, bringing glory to Your name. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Exodus 7-8, Mark 1

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And You Shall Know.

Exodus 7-8, Mark 1

“The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.” – Exodus 7:5 ESV

God is in the revealing business. The entire Bible is the revelation of God to mankind. In it we get a glimpse into His character and the holiness of His divine nature. But God has not limited what we can know about Him to the Scriptures. Paul tells us in the book of Romans that all men have had His nature revealed to them through the creation. “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made (Romans 1:19-20 ESV).

In the book of Exodus, we see God revealing Himself once again, both to the Jews and the Egyptians. He had already told Moses that He was going to deliver the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. The end result of His actions would be a knowledge of who He was and what He could do. “…and you shall know that I am the Lord your God…” (Exodus 6:7 ESV). God’s goal was that they would recognize Him as the one true God. He wanted them to understand that they belonged to Him and Him alone. They were to worship no other gods beside Him. But they were going to have to learn just how great and powerful He really was. And in order for God to accomplish His promise of redeeming the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt, He was going to bring the people of Egypt into a full understanding of who He was as well. By the time this story is over, everyone is going to know who God is and just what He is capable of.

What does this passage reveal about God?

There are no other gods like Him. He is singular in nature and incomparable in power. But the Israelites didn’t know that yet. And the Egyptians had no idea who God was. They had a plethora of different deities they worshiped, but Yahweh was not one of them. This God of the Jews was new to them and they had no reason to fear or respect Him. But that was about to change. God was going to reveal Himself to the Egyptians and prove to them that He alone was God. He was going to multiply His signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. He was going to bring about ten devastating plagues. He would never-before-seen miracles in the land of Egypt that would leave the Pharaoh’s magicians mesmerized and the people terrorized. Over and over again, God says, “By this you shall know that I am the Lord.” His actions will demonstrate and prove His character. They are going to learn that He is all-powerful. So much so, that He controls nature. Not only that, His power is greater than that of the Egyptian gods. It has been said that each of the plagues was a direct assault on a different god of the Egyptians. Each of the plagues attacked a different area of life that was supposedly protected by or representative of a god worshiped by the Egyptians. But those gods would prove no match for Yahweh. The gods of Egypt would prove to be no gods at all. They were powerless before the God of Israel. They could not protect. They could not save. They could not deliver. But Yahweh could and would. By the time the third plague arrived, even the magicians of Pharaoh were saying, “This is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:19 ESV). They were learning. But they were still not fully convinced. The real lesson they were going to have to learn was not just that God existed, but that there were no other gods besides Him. Moses told Pharaoh, “that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God” (Exodus 8:10 ESV). He is the only true God.

What does this passage reveal about man?

The very fact that the Egyptians had more gods than you could shake a staff at, gives credence to the words of Paul in Romans. All men have an awareness of God, but due to an active sin nature, they tend to create their own version of Him. Paul goes on to say, “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things” (Romans 1:21-23 ESV). That is exactly what the Egyptians, had done, even viewing the Pharaohs as a deities. And the Israelites, having spent the last 400 years in the land of Egypt, had taken on the gods of the land. They knew no more about Yahweh than the average Egyptian did. So they too were going to have to come to know God.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

Over in his letter to the Colossians, Paul tells the believers that he is praying for them and says that he is constantly, “asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:9-10 ESV). One of Paul’s desires is that they grow in their knowledge of God. He wants them to know God better and better as they understand and obey His will, living their lives in a way that brings honor and pleasure to Him, and producing fruit that reveals His presence in them. Knowing God is not just to be academic. It is to be experiential and practical. I am not just to know about God. I am to know Him from His presence and power as revealed in my daily life. The Egyptians were going to know just how powerful God really was. So were the Jews.

When Jesus showed up on the scene hundreds of years later, He would be greeted with both amazement and anger. He was both revered and reviled. John tells us, “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:10-11 ESV). They couldn’t figure Him out. He was like no one they had ever seen. “And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority” (Mark 1:22 ESV). He could command unclean spirits and they obeyed Him. The Jewish people didn’t know what to do with Jesus. They were attracted to Him, but did not recognize Him for who He was. But the demons did. Mark tells us, “And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him” (Mark 1:34 ESV). God had proclaimed just who Jesus was at His baptism. “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11 ESV). But the people would have a difficult time accepting that fact. The religious leaders would refuse to believe that Jesus was the Son of God, eventually accusing Him of blasphemy and having Him crucified for claiming to be God.

Knowing about God is not the point. It is all about coming to an intimate awareness of His power and presence in my life that really matters. Jesus Christ has provided me with a way to know God experientially and personally. I know Him intimately. He is active in and around my life. He is not just God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is MY God. He is involved in my life. He rescues me daily. He reveals His power regularly. He shares His will with me repeatedly. And He loves me unwaveringly. He isn’t just a god, He is my God. All because He provided His Son as my Savior. Now my desire is to grow to know Him better and better with each passing day.

Father, thank You for revealing Yourself to me through creation, but more importantly, through Your Son. I am so grateful that I have a restored relationship with You because of what Your Son did for me on the cross. I can know You intimately and personally. I can come into Your presence boldly and unashamedly. I ask that You would continue to reveal Yourself to me, so that I might grow in my knowledge of You daily. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Exodus 5-6, Matthew 28

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I Am and I Will.

Exodus 5-6, Matthew 28

“I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.” – Exodus 6:6-8 ESV

There are two primary problems that all men share when it comes to God. First, is His very existence. Men struggle with knowing whether God actually exists or not. They doubt and debate it. Many simply deny it. But for those who come to the realization that God is real, the next problem becomes whether or not He is actually at work in our world. They believe in God, but doubt His promises and question His ability to intervene in the everyday affairs of their lives. This section of God’s story, found in the book of Exodus, reveals God attempting to convince men of both His existence and His power to do what He says He will do. The Israelites had been living in Egypt for over 400 years. They had been “Egyptianized.” They had grown comfortable with and close to all the gods of the land of Egypt. They had little or no relationship with the God of their ancestor, Abraham. Much of what happens in the book of Exodus is about God trying to convince His own people of His presence and power. They had to be convinced that He was the one true God and that He had the power to fulfill the promises He had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

What does this passage reveal about God?

He is the great “I Am.” He is Yahweh, the singular and solitary God of the universe. There are no other gods beside Him. He alone is God. He is all-powerful and all-knowing. He is not only the creator of the universe and all it contains, He maintains complete control over everything in it. But the Israelites didn’t know all of this at the time. They viewed God as just another diety in a long line of gods. Pharaoah had no concept of Moses’ God and stated, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go” (Exodus 5:2 ESV). He refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, and instead, upped the pressure on the people of Israel, increasing their labor even more. Pharaoh had his gods and had no use for or fear of the god of the Jews. Even Moses had second thoughts about God. He knew He existed because he had had a personal encounter with Him at the burning bush. But after being confronted by his own people and blamed for their worsening circumstances, Moses began to question God’s plan and doubt His power. “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me?  For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all” (Exodus 5:22-23 ESV).

But God had a purpose behind all of this. He knew what He was doing. He told Moses, “I Am and I will.” He wanted Moses and the people to be certain of His presence and fully aware of His power. And He was going to choose to do it through His dealings with the Egyptians. And His objective? “…you shall know that I am the Lord your God!” All throughout the book of Exodus, you will see this phrase repeated. When all was said and done, the Israelites AND the Egyptians were going to know that God is God. He is the only true God. He not only IS, He DOES. He not only exists, He is the self-existent one. He has no beginning or end. He is not limited by space or time. He is everywhere at once, and is able to see all that is going on in all places at all times. Our greatest need is to recognize His presence and to trust in His power. He is still the great I Am and He will do what He has promised to do in our lives just as He did for Moses and the people of Israel.

What does this passage reveal about man?

Man is prone to doubt God’s existence. Even when we believe He exists, we tend to doubt His presence in and around our lives. Our inability to see Him makes us question His reality. The presence of problems in our lives makes us doubt His power over our lives. Moses had had a personal encounter with God. He had spoken directly with Him. And yet, when things God tough, he began to doubt and question God. The people of Israel found themselves facing mounting pressure and personal discomfort at the hands of the Egyptians, so they reacted in anger and distrust. They blamed Moses and doubted God. “…they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery” (Exodus 6:9 ESV). Their view of God was limited by their circumstances. They allowed the size of their God to be limited by the size of their problem. But God said, “I Am and I will.” Their doubt did not diminish God’s capacity to perform. Their doubt did not make God any less powerful or capable. He was God and He would act. He had promised and He would fulfill that promise. He had seen and heard and He would respond. And while to Moses it may have appeared that God had been inactive, he would find that nothing could have been further from the truth.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

I rarely doubt God’s existence. I simply doubt His presence. I know He’s there. I just sometimes wonder if He is here. That God is in heaven, sitting on His throne is a comfortable concept for me. But to recognize that He is present in the everyday affairs of my life is a bit harder for me to comprehend and believe. I tend to judge the presence of God based on my circumstances. When all is going well, He is obviously there. But let anything go wrong in my life, and I can begin to question His existence or at least His willingness to intervene. I need to see God as the great I Am, who will. He is real and He is intimately aware of my circumstance and fully capable of doing all that He has promised to do in my life – regardless of what I may see going on around me. His apparent inaction is nothing more than my inability to see Him at work behind the scenes. Moses did not know the intimate details of God’s plan, neither do I. I can’t see what He is doing behind the scenes. So I must take God at His word and trust His character more than I trust what my eyes can see.

In the closing chapter of the book of Matthew, we see the disciples grieving over the loss of their Messiah. He is dead. Their hopes are shattered. Their dreams have been dashed. The women went to the tomb to anoint His body, but encountered an angel who told them, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where helay” (Matthew 28:5-6 ESV). Once again, God had done what He had said He would do. Jesus had told His disciples that He would have to suffer and die, but that He would rise again on the third day. And He had.

“I AM and I will.”

God had done the improbably and the impossible. He had provided salvation for man through the death of His own Son. He had satisfied His own just requirement for the payment of mankind’s sins with the life of His own Son. Jesus Himself had claimed to be the great I Am. He had said He was going to die, but also promised to rise again. And He did. He was the Son of God and He did what He said He would do. Our greatest need is to recognize God’s existence in our lives and His power to do all that He has promised to do. He is STILL the great I AM and He WILL do what He has said He will do.

Father, forgive me for doubting You. Forgive me for not seeing Your handiwork all around my life all throughout the years of my life. You have been there. You have been acting behind the scenes in so many ways. You have been there time and time again, but I still tend to doubt. I still tend to question Your presence and Your power. Give me the ability to trust You more. Help me to focus on the reality of You rather than the circumstances that surround me. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Exodus 3-4, Matthew 27

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The Deliverance of God.

Exodus 3-4, Matthew 27

Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings,and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey…” – Exodus 3:7-8 ESV

Slavery, abuse, hopelessness, powerlessness. Sound familiar? It should if you are a believer in Christ. The state of the people of Israel living in the land of Egypt was similar to that of every individual prior to their salvation experience. Living in slavery to sin and under the control of the enemy, they were helpless and hopeless to do anything about their condition. But God saw the plight of man and provided a deliverer. He recognized their hopeless condition and determined to do something about it. God did what man could not do. He provided a way of escape and a means of deliverance that was beyond the realm of human imagination, and not bound by the limits of human power.

What does this passage reveal about God?

God is in the delivery business. He delivered Abraham from Ur of the Chaldees. He delivered Jacob back from Paddan-aram where he had fled to escape the anger of his brother, Esau. He delivered Joseph from the confines of the prison and placed him in the palace. He delivered Jacob and his family from the famine and relocated them into the land of Egypt. He delivered Moses from living as a fugitive in Midian to becoming the divinely-appointed leader who would deliver the people of Israel from the oppressive conditions in Egypt, and lead them to the land God had promised to Abraham generations earlier. God delivers because man can’t. Without God’s call, Abraham would have remained right where he was. Without God’s assurances and blessing, Jacob would never have risked a reunion with his brother. Without God’s supernatural, providential leading, Joseph would have never ended up a slave in Egypt, let alone that nation’s second-most-powerful leader. Without God’s intervention, Moses would have remained content to live out his days as a shepherd of sheep, rather than a shepherd of the people of God. And without God’s clearly articulated plan of salvation, the people of Israel would have found themselves living as slaves in a foreign land rather than free men enjoying the blessings of the Promised Land.

Ultimately, the story of Exodus is simply a picture of a much greater story of redemption and freedom. It foreshadows a much more important and long-lasting deliverance to come – the one we find recorded in the gospel of Matthew. Here we have the story of yet another shepherd who came to provide release and rest for the sheep of God. But this shepherd happened to be the very Son of God. He was delivered up so that we might be delivered out of our slavery to sin and death. He died so that we might have life. He made our freedom possible by paying the ransom required. The writer of Hebrews tells us, “For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time” (1 Timothy 2:5-6 NLT). Jesus described Himself by saying, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11 ESV). He willingly sacrificed His life in order to deliver us from slavery to sin and provide us with a freedom that includes the rights and privileges of sons and daughters of God Himself. “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1 ESV). God has provided deliverance through His Son, Jesus Christ. He has provided freedom from sin and death. He has provided a restored relationship with Himself. And He will one day deliver us into His very presence where we will enjoy freedom from sin and the pleasure of His company forever.

What does this passage reveal about man?

Man needs a deliverer, and human beings – apart from God’s help – always make lousy deliverers. If left to our own devices, we have a tendency to screw up even the basic freedoms we enjoy. The Jews of Jesus day, while living under the heavy hand of Rome, still viewed themselves as free men. They refused to acknowledge the Roman government or submit to their authority over their lives. And while they still longed for a deliver, they had become content with their lot in life and grown complacent about the reality of their circumstances. Like the proverbial frog in the boiling pot of water, they were oblivious to the danger of their predicament and refused to see God’s hand-picked solution to their problem. The Messiah was standing right in front of them and all they could say was, “Let him be crucified!” (Matthew 27:23 ESV). And ever since, countless men and women have continued to refuse God’s chosen deliverer and perfect plan of salvation.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

God’s plan didn’t make a whole lot of sense to Moses. He even argued with God about it, coming up with all kinds of excuses why it wouldn’t work. But God’s plan didn’t need Moses’ approval. Moses didn’t have to like it or agree with it. He simply had to obey it and trust that God knew what He was doing. That God would choose Moses as His designated deliverer made was as ridiculous to Moses as it would prove to be to the people of Israel. That God could make one of the most powerful men on the face of the earth to willingly set free his substantial, non-paid workforce was a lot for anyone to swallow. None of this was logical. Because it was supernatural. It was going to be a God-thing. The ways of God rarely make sense to us as human beings. Reason has to take a back seat at times when God is at work. Common sense rarely fares well when attempting to explain the uncommon and inexplicable activities of God. That God’s plan for Jesus included His death made no sense to Peter. That a suffering Savior was just as important to God’s plan of redemption as a conquering Christ was difficult for the disciples to comprehend. But God always delivers on His terms, not ours. His salvation is of divine origin, not earthly. The words on the sign that hung above Jesus’ head on the cross, while meant to note His crime, were actually a statement of fact. “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews” (Matthew 27:37 ESV). That is exactly who Jesus was and still is. He was their deliver and He was also their sin substitute, taking on the punishment they deserved and offering them a means by which they might enjoy freedom from sin, a right relationship with God, and an eternity in His presence. The freedom Moses provided for the people of Israel would prove to be short lived. It would only be a matter of generations before they found themselves in slavery again, living in a distant land and serving a foreign people. But the freedom Christ offers is of a permanent nature. “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free” (John 8:36 NLT).

Father, You have provided a means by which I can enjoy freedom from sin and the condemnation of death. It is hard to explain, difficult to understand, but completely free for the taking. Thank You for sending Your Son as my deliverer. Thank You for setting me free and transforming me from a slave to Your son. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Exodus 1-2, Matthew 26

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Ignorant of His Ways.

Exodus 1-2, Matthew 26

Years passed, and the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites continued to groan under their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their cry rose up to God. God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act. – Exodus 2:23-25 ESV

The story continues. And while Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph had all disappeared from the scene, God raised up a new cast of characters to carry on the divine story line. It is impossible to read this narrative and not be blown away at how significant each and every event was and how vital they were to the ultimate outcome. The descendants of Jacob, 70 in number when they arrived in Egypt, had become incredibly fruitful and “they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them” (Exodus 1:7 ESV). There was a new Pharaoh who had come to power, who had no recollection of Joseph and, therefore, no compassion on the Jews. Out of fear, he treated the Jews as slaves, setting “task masters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens” (Exodus 1:11 ESV). He even instituted a plan that included infanticide in order to deal with the rapid increase in the numbers of Jews. And yet this incredibly repulsive act would result in the a baby boy being raised in the household of the Pharaoh himself. And this boy, who would be educated as an Egyptian, would never forget his heritage, and at the age of 40, would find himself attempting to rescue his own people in his own strength and according to his own plan. His actions, while well-meaning, would result in his exile to Midian where he would find a wife and begin a new life.

What does this passage reveal about God?

But God was not done with Moses. This entire story reveals the sovereign hand of God over every detail and each individual. The fruitfulness of the people of Israel was not just a coincidence. It was in fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham to make of him a great nation. But it is fascinating to consider how God chose to fulfill His promise. He had caused a famine that had forced Jacob and his family to seek help in Egypt. He had also arranged for Joseph, one of Jacob’s own sons, to be sold into slavery years earlier and become second in command in Egypt. God was behind the rise of a new Pharaoh to the throne over Egypt. At every point in the story, we can see God at work. There is no point at which He is out of control or up in heaven wringing His hands in dismay or surprise at what is taking place back on earth. He was aware of Pharaoh’s plan to eliminate the Jewish baby boys. He was fully up to speed on the abusive conditions under which the Jews were having to live. “God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel – and God knew” (Exodus 2:24 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about man?

Man can be both arrogant and ignorant. Pharaoh, drunk with his own power and fearful of losing it because of a rapidly growing Jewish population, instituted a pogrom designed to eliminate the “problem.” But he was ignorant of what God was doing behind the scenes. He thought he was in control, but he was wrong He believed he knew what was best, but his efforts only made matters worse. Whenever we act out of fear rather than faith, the results are rarely good. When Moses’ mother placed him in that wicker basket and set him afloat on the Nile, she was having to trust God with his life. She was acting in faith. The write of Hebrews tells us, “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict” (Hebrews 11:23 ESV). She had no idea what the results would be. But God knew. The amazing thing is that God not only protected the baby’s life, He miraculously arranged for him to be discovered by the daughter of Pharaoh, the man who had decreed that he be put to death. And then God orchestrated events in such a way that Moses’ mother would be allowed to raise him, being paid for the privilege by Pharaoh’s daughter.

We are all ignorant of the ways of God. We can’t see what He sees. We don’t know what He knows. But we can know Him. We can learn about His character and grow in our understanding of it. That is what these stories are for. Through them, we learn of His faithfulness, love, power, mercy, grace, and sovereignty. Even Moses had learned of God’s promise to Abraham and even after four decades of life as an Egyptian, he wanted to do something to help his own people. Again, the writer of Hebrews tells us, “By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:24-25 ESV). The problem was that Moses would try to take matters into his own hands, killing an Egyptian who was abusing a Jew. His actions would result in a warrant for his arrest and his exile to the land of Midian. Moses was arrogant enough to think he knew what was best. But he was ignorant of God’s ways. He was ignorant of God’s plan for his life and for the people of Israel.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

In spite of the fact that I have the end of the story revealed to me through God’s Word, and that I can go back and read about God’s complete plan in all its detail, I can still be so ignorant when it comes to the ways of God. I can find myself reacting as Peter did when Jesus told him he would end up denying and deserting Him. Peter arrogantly proclaimed, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you” (Matthew 26:33 ESV). Peter even claimed a willingness to die for and with Jesus. But he was ignorant. He didn’t know what he was talking about. He didn’t know God’s plan. Even Judas, driven by his love of money, had no idea what the results of his decision to betray Jesus would be. Perhaps he hoped that his actions would force Jesus to reveal His hand and establish His kingdom once and for all. Or maybe he had simply lost hope in the fact that Jesus really was the long-awaited Messiah, and he was just trying to make the most out of what had become a hopeless situation. Judas was both arrogant and ignorant. Peter was both arrogant and ignorant. The high priest who accused Jesus of blasphemy was both arrogant and ignorant. He was unable to see that the one who stood before him was the Son of God and the Savior for whom they had long been waiting. God rarely shows up in the way we would expect Him to. He seldom does things the way we would want Him to. His plan for Jesus’ life was not what the disciples wanted or expected. His mission for the Messiah was not what the religious leaders of the Jews had anticipated. God does the unexpected. His ways are not our ways. His plan for the redemption of the Jews was not what Abraham would have expected. It was not how Moses would have done it. And God’s plan for the redemption of all mankind was not how I would have done it. God’s ways are not my ways. I must learn to trust Him. I must learn to lean on Him. He knows what He is doing, whether I can see it or not – whether I believe it or not.

Father, help me to trust You more. Help me to recognize Your hand in and around all the events and affairs of my life. I don’t want to live in arrogance and ignorance, thinking I know what is best and oblivious to what You are doing to accomplish Your will for my life. May I grow increasingly more aware of just how actively You are involved in my life. Amen.

Genesis 49-50, Matthew 25

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A Kingdom To Come.

Genesis 49-50, Matthew 25

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. – Matthew 25:31 ESV

As the book of Genesis comes to a close, and the lives of Jacob and Joseph come to an end, the story is far from over. In fact, in many ways it is just beginning. Genesis is the book of beginnings. It tells how the story starts, but it does not reveal its ending. Only God knows the content of the final chapter in the story of mankind. We get glimpses of what is to come along the way. In Jacob’s blessing of Judah we see a foreshadowing of future events. “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples” (Genesis 49:10 ESV). Not only is this a reference to the coming kingdoms of David and Solomon, but to the yet future kingdom of Jesus Christ. His kingdom will be an earthly kingdom, where he will rule in Jerusalem just as his forefathers did. That kingdom has not yet been established. His reign has not yet begun. But the day is coming “when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all his angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.”

What does this passage reveal about God?

It is amazing to watch how God works in the lives of men, accomplishing His will and orchestrating His divine plan. We read these stories and can’t help but see the complex nature of the interactions of each individual’s life with all those around him. The actions of Joseph’s brothers against him were nothing short of evil. In fact, Joseph clearly told the, “you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20 ESV). God was at work behind the scenes, using their sinful actions to accomplish His righteous will. I am reminded of the life of Jesus, and His less-than-warm welcome at the hands of the people of Israel. He too was despised and treated harshly. He was the favored Son of His Father, but His brothers refused to accept Him for who He was. Instead, they had Him put to death. But it was all part of God’s plan. God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive. That is the story of the Bible. That is the story of the redemption of mankind. And the day is coming when the story will come to an end. God’s plan will be fully fulfilled and Christ’s kingdom will be established. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world'” (Matthew 25:24 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about man?

The world is full of all kinds of people. There are those who are good, moral and right. There are others who are wicked, evil and unrighteous. Then there are those who are somewhere in the middle. And we all live on this planet together, constantly interacting with one another in a complex and sometimes confusing interplay of ideas and ideals. There is conflict and confrontation. There are battles, both literal and metaphorical. Men take advantage of one another, harm each other, mistreat one another, and yet sometimes reveal the amazing capacity to extend grace to one another. Left to our own devices, we would eventually self-destruct and destroy all that we know. But thankfully, God is in charge. He is the sovereign ruler over the universe, including the lives of all men. Joseph’s brothers were just as integral to the story as he was. Had they not sold him into slavery, he would never have ended up as the second most highest ruler in the land of Egypt. And while their actions were clearly evil, God used it for good.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

There is a comfort in knowing that God is in control. It reminds me to not view life from my limited perspective. I don’t know why certain events take place and why certain individuals do what they do. I can’t explain the actions of others or comprehend the pain that men inflict on one another. I must constantly remind myself that God has a greater plan than I can see. And that plan, while invisible to me, is also invincible. It is unstoppable and unavoidable. His will will be done. I can rest in that fact. The dreams of Joseph were going to be fulfilled, in spite of his brothers’ intentions. The promises of God to Abraham would come to pass, in spite of the actions of Jacob. The brief sojourn in Egypt on the part of the descendants of Abraham was not an unexpected detour, but simply a part of God’s plan. And I must learn to view the unexpected events of my own life as just as clearly well within God’s plan for my life. He is sovereign over all events, not just the ones I deem good and pleasant. I must learn to see the bigger picture of God’s plan. It includes me, but does not revolve around me. I must learn to live with the greater goal in mind. There is a day coming when Christ will establish His Kingdom on earth, fulfilling the blessing of Jacob to his son, Judah, and fulfilling the promise God had made to Abraham to bless all the nations of the earth through him. That is the point of the story. That is the last chapter in the book. “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:13 ESV). So I am to live in a constant state of readiness and anticipation, eagerly awaiting the end of the story, and not getting distracted by the subplots along the way.

Father, give me a growing peace with Your sovereignty. You are in control. You are fully in power and in completely in charge of all that goes on in this world. You are never caught off guard or surprised by the actions of men. You cannot be stopped and Your plan cannot be altered in any way. There is not reason for me to worry or fret. There is no cause for me to fear. You know exactly what You are doing, whether I can see it or understand it. Amen.

Genesis 47-48, Matthew 24

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The End In Mind.

And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. – Matthew 24:14 ESV

It is so easy to see the Bible as 66 isolated and independent books written by a variety of authors and covering a timeline thousands of years in length. But it is important to remember that the Bible is the revelation of God, not a record of historical events written down by men. It is, in essence, one book written by one author and dealing a single storyline: the redemption of mankind by God. The stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph are essential to the overall plot of the book, but are not to be confused with the central theme and the primary character: God Himself. One of the benefits of reading the Old and New Testaments simultaneously is that it provides a constant reminder that there is really a single story going on. It’s a story with a beginning and an end. The death of Jacob does not end the story. The arrival of the people of Israel in Egypt is not the climax of the plot. The rise of Joseph to power in Egypt and his wise handling of the famine is simply just another plot twist in the bigger story of God’s plan for the restoration of mankind to a right relationship with Him.

What does this passage reveal about God?

Jacob, near death, reminded his long-lost son, Joseph, about the promise of God. “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession'” (Genesis 48:3-4 ESV). This was a long-standing promise originally made to Abraham and confirmed over and over again by God to each of Abraham’s descendants. “I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God” (Genesis 17:6-8 ESV). Once again, we see the promise being passed down to each successive generation. Even though he was close to death, Jacob knew that God was not done yet. His passing would not negate the fulfillment of the promise, because its impact was to be cross-generational and international in scope. Even before Abraham had ever set eyes on the land of Canaan, God had told him, “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3 ESV). The story wasn’t going to just be about Abraham and his descendants. It wasn’t going to be limited to the people of Israel. God’s story was about the fate of mankind and His plan to deal with the sins of mankind in a just, holy, and righteous way. God’s story includes the creation, the fall, and, ultimately, the redemption of man through the coming of Jesus Christ. Everything points to that moment and God’s Word must be read with that end in mind.

What does this passage reveal about man?

Every man who has ever lived has had a plan for his own life. There is a natural bent in each of us to see our lives as central to the storyline. We view our moment in the spotlight as paramount. We want to be significant. We want to have an influence. There is a natural tendency to focus on self and to see the world from our limited and somewhat selfish perspective. But when reading the stories of Abraham, Jacob and Joseph, we see that each of these men, while important, were not indispensable. They were not the point of the story. Each of them played a limited part, but there was a much greater story going on behind the scenes to which they were, for the most part, oblivious. To each, the blessing was important. Which is why they were so adamant to make sure that they or their children received the blessing. Joseph was upset when Jacob laid his hands on the wrong sons, saying, “Not this way, my father, since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head” (Genesis 48:18 ESV). Joseph had a plan and it included his firstborn son, Manasseh. But God had a bigger plan. He was operating with a far greater plot in mind than simply the blessing of a single son or a solitary generation. Our greatest problem is that we too often think the story revolves around us. We see ourselves as the main characters in the plot and view God as a glorified screenwriter whose job it is to craft our story according to our own self-centered, self-satisfying notions.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

But God is doing something far greater than any of us can even imagine. Abraham had no idea just how big God’s plan was. Isaac was oblivious as to the magnitude of the storyline God was writing. Jacob and Joseph were unaware of the incredible nature of what God was doing behind the scenes. Men would come and go. Generations would pass from existence. And yet God was still at work implementing His plan for mankind. No one individual or nation would be more important than any other. Kings and slaves, Jews and Gentiles, men and women … they all would be used to accomplish God’s divine plan for the future. His mind was focused on the end. He knew what had to be done for mankind to be restored to a right relationship with Him. He knew the blessing was about more than promised land and progeny. It was about salvation and redemption from slavery to sin and the condemnation of death that every man was under. I need to have that same mindset. It isn’t all about me. The world doesn’t revolve around me and my desires. I don’t exist for my own satisfaction and I should not live to seek my own limited will. I exist for God’s glory and am part of a long-standing line of men and women whom God has used to accomplish His greater plan for the good of mankind. I am to live with the end in mind. I am to focus on the reality that my life and my short time on this planet are not the point of the story. I am to live faithfully focused on the end. Jesus told His disciples, “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44 ESV). Interestingly enough, not one of those men lived to see the second coming of Christ. And yet they were told to live with that event in mind. They were to be ready. And so should we be. We are to live with the end in mind – not our end, but the one God has planned for all mankind. It is the end of the story, the culmination and conclusion of His plan.

Father, keep me focused on Your plan and not my own. Constantly remind me that there is something far more important than my own selfish, self-centered satisfaction and comfort. I want to be a faithful servant who is found doing what You have called me to do when Your Son returns. I may not live to see that day, but I want to conduct my life as if I will. I want my greatest desire to be Christ’s return and the conclusion of Your plan. Help me to live with the end in mind. Amen.