Progressive Revelation

Readings for today: Exodus 1-3, Psalm 17

It’s hard for us to imagine what it must have been like for the ancient Israelites. We live two thousand years post-resurrection. We have the full counsel of God revealed in a complete Bible. We have generations of church history to look back on where we can see the hand of God at work. Most importantly, we have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit inside us, keeping us in constant contact with our Heavenly Father. The ancient Israelites had none of these things. Four hundred years had passed since they last heard from God. All they had were a few family stories to go on of this God who occasionally spoke to their ancestors. They had no Scripture. No worship. No Law. Nothing to go on. They didn’t even know God’s name.

One of the things we have to remember as we read through the Bible is the nature of progressive revelation. God reveals Himself in different ways to different people in different situations over time. He speaks to them in a language they can understand, taking into account their particular time and place and culture and worldview. This can result in misunderstandings about God. When we see Him reveal Himself in different ways, we might be tempted to think He is contradicting Himself. But nothing could be further from the truth. God’s character and nature are eternal and unchanging and everything He does has a purpose. It is geared to bring about His great salvation plan.

Consider the plight of Israel. They have lived for hundreds of years in exile from the Promised Land. The king of Egypt no longer remembers the contributions their forefather Joseph made to the nation. As the Israelites grow in number, they represent a potential threat. After all, no empire wants a powerful people group living on their border. So Pharaoh acts decisively to enslave them and decimate their population by killing all the male children. It’s brutal. It’s violent. It’s terrifying. Such was life in the ancient world. One wonders why God didn’t intervene? Why did He not reach down and strike Pharaoh down? Why did He not pluck His people up and bring them back to the Promised Land? Why did God allow such evil and suffering? Once again, we come face to face with God’s unchanging nature and character. He absolutely refuses to change His eternal plan. In the beginning, He gave humanity dominion over all He had made and He has never taken that gift back. So if salvation is to come to the world, it must come in and through the creatures who bear His image. The creatures He set up to reign and rule over all He has made.

I love the end of chapter two. “After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned because of their difficult labor, they cried out, and their cry for help because of the difficult labor ascended to God. God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the Israelites, and God knew.” (Exodus‬ ‭2‬:‭23‬-‭25‬ ‭CSB‬‬) God heard. God remembered. God saw. God knew. God never abandoned His people. He was always there though they could not see Him or hear Him or perceive Him. God was always faithful and at the right moment - after the king of Egypt had died - God raised up a deliverer to save His people.

Now think about your own life. Think about the many ways you groan due to difficult labor or cry out due to struggle and heartbreak. Sometimes it may seem like God is silent. It may seem like God isn’t responding to your prayers. But God is faithful, friends! And at the right time, He will act. He will send deliverance - usually through another person - to bring you comfort and peace.

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 4-6, Psalm 18

Shekinah Glory

Readings for today: Exodus 37-40

I will never forget when my first daughter was born. We named her Chloe Shekinah because she represented the glory of God for us. We had lost our first child. Caleb was only 22 weeks when he died and the delivery process was traumatic. He had massive and fatal birth defects which included a complete lack of lung development. He literally was unable to take a breath. Going through that experience as a young couple broke us. The grief was deep and profound. The fear and anxiety over whether we would ever be able to have children was real. When we got pregnant with Chloe, we had a couple scares where we thought we might miscarry. It was a hard pregnancy on my wife. She was in excruciating pain quite often. Throughout the process, we cried out to God. We cried out to God when we received Caleb’s diagnosis. Cried out to God when Kristi’s life was in danger from the pregnancy. Cried out to God when we held his broken body in our arms. Cried out to God when Kristi got pregnant again. Cried out to God in those moments where we thought we might lose Chloe. Cried out to God when Kristi was doubled over in pain. And we cried out to God on January 28, 1999 when our beautiful daughter entered the world. We praised Him for His faithfulness. For His goodness. For His grace to us. His presence with us in the delivery room was palpable. Almost like a cloud of glory had settled over us in that place. So we named our daughter “Shekinah” which literally refers to the glory cloud that filled the Tabernacle after it was built.

Imagine being Israel and seeing the cloud of glory descend. Imagine watching the cloud of glory fill the Holy of Holies where the ark of the covenant was placed. Imagine stepping out of your tent at night and seeing the cloud light up like a fire as God continually assures you of His abiding presence. Imagine watching the glory cloud lift when it was time to continue the journey or stay put when it was time to rest. It must have felt so comforting. Listen again to how the Bible describes it…

“The Cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the Glory of God filled The Dwelling. Moses couldn’t enter the Tent of Meeting because the Cloud was upon it, and the Glory of God filled The Dwelling. Whenever the Cloud lifted from The Dwelling, the People of Israel set out on their travels, but if the Cloud did not lift, they wouldn’t set out until it did lift. The Cloud of God was over The Dwelling during the day and the fire was in it at night, visible to all the Israelites in all their travels.” (Exodus‬ ‭40‬:‭34‬-‭38‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

“Visible to all the Israelites in all their travels.” I love that line. I love it because I know Jesus is with me in all my travels as well. Jesus is Emmanuel which literally means “God with us.” He is the glory of God who comes to be with us. His Spirit is the glory of God who comes to dwell inside us. As a result, we are never alone. He leads and guides us just as He did ancient Israel. He guards and protects us just as He did His people. He comforts us in our struggles and strengthens us in our suffering and heals us from our hurts and gives us peace to calm our anxious hearts. This is who God has revealed Himself to be in Christ Jesus. Take some time to sit in the Presence of God today. Let your awareness of His nearness, His closeness bring you comfort and peace. Thank Him for always being with you. Ask Him to lead and guide you in all your travels today.

Readings for tomorrow: Leviticus 1-4

The Name of the Lord

Readings for today: Exodus 33-36

The importance of these readings from the Book of Exodus cannot be overstated. God is renewing His commitment to Israel. Despite their sin and rebellious ways, God has determined to be their God. He has determined to do something miraculous in and through them that will stun the nations of the earth. He will drive out their enemies. He will secure for them a homeland. He will do for them what has not been done for any other people. They are His chosen ones. 

The conversation between Moses and God which begins at the end of chapter 33 and finishes in chapter 34 is of particular importance. God begins chapter 33 by telling Moses He will not be going with them. His holiness would consume them along the way for the people are stiff-necked and stubborn in their sin. Instead, He will send an angel to accomplish the mission He’s started. This isn’t enough for Moses. Jump down to 33:12 and Moses again intercedes on behalf of the people. He asks God to remain faithful. To be present among them. To teach them His ways and show them the right paths to walk. God responds favorably to Moses’ prayer. But then Moses gets even more bold. He asks to personally witness the glory of God. Perhaps he needs assurance from God? Perhaps he needs to be affirmed by God? The text doesn’t tell us. But God indeed passes before Moses and in one of the most important passages in all of Scripture reveals His divine name… 

“The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation." And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.” (Ex. ‭34:5-8‬)

From this point forward, whenever Israel is in trouble or has fallen into sin or is suffering or is being oppressed or find themselves in need, they call on the “name of the Lord” and are saved. They call on the “name of the Lord” knowing with full assurance that the Lord’s name is mercy. Grace. Steadfast love. Faithfulness. They call on Him knowing He is slow to anger and keeps his steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love Him in return. They call on Him knowing He is just and will by no means give the guilty a pass. They call on Him trusting Him to be true to Himself. True to how He revealed Himself to Moses. True to what He has declared about Himself. Over and over again, we will see these verses referenced throughout the Old Testament. Every time the people of God call on the “name of the Lord,” they are looking back to this particular meeting where God showed Himself to Moses.  

Fast forward several centuries to the New Testament. The Apostle Paul is writing to the church in Rome. A church that is struggling. A church that is suffering. A church that is being persecuted. Torn apart by division from within over the Jew/Gentile question. In the midst of his letter to them, Paul writes these words, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” He’s quoting from the Old Testament prophet Joel who himself is looking back to this encounter between God and Moses in the Exodus. The difference, of course, is Paul is referring to Jesus. “The radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature...” according to Hebrews 1:3. In Jesus, we have seen God’s glory in all its fullness! In Jesus, God has revealed Himself truly to be merciful and gracious and steadfast in love and faithfulness! In Jesus, God has promised to be with us even to the end of the age! Thanks be to God!

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 37-40

Soaked in Holiness

Readings for today: Exodus 29-32

As many of you who read this blog know, I’ve been reading through the Bible in a Year for about thirty years now. It’s one of the very first spiritual disciplines I engaged in after becoming a Christian. However, one of the dangers I have to battle is routine. I become so familiar with the language and the words that I have a tendency to rush through the readings. One way I combat this is by reading the Bible in different versions. This year I’ve chosen to read it in a paraphrased version called The Message. Written by Eugene Peterson, it attempts to capture the meaning of the text by placing it in modern idiom. It is not a word for word translation and can’t be treated as such but it does offer some interesting insights. Take today’s reading for example. This is definitely a section where I would be tempted to gloss over what I’m reading because it feels so foreign to me. However, about halfway through chapter 29, Peterson uses this phrase that caught my attention - “soaked in holiness.”

What an image! Aaron and his sons undergo this elaborate ritual that essentially involves soaking them in oil, blood, and water. They are washed and purified. Oil is poured onto their heads. Blood is thrown against their vestments. Sacrifices are made and burned. Blood poured over the altar. And the whole thing takes seven days at the end of which Aaron and his sons will be fit to serve as priests of God. The point of it all is to prepare Aaron and his sons to enter into the presence of the Most Holy God. The God whose presence sanctifies all He touches. It is God who will make the Tent of Meeting a holy place. It is God who will make the altar where the sacrifices are offered a holy vessel. It is God who will make Aaron and his sons holy and fit to serve. It is God who will make Israel holy as He moves among them and makes this journey with them.

Now fast forward several thousand years. As prophesied by the prophet Joel, the Holy Spirit has been poured out on those who believe in Jesus Christ. He has come to make His dwelling place inside us. And He makes holy all He touches…including you. Including me. We are not made holy by our own effort. Notice how little Aaron and his sons actually “do” in the story. The same is true for us. Jesus has accomplished all we need to become holy. He is the perfect sacrifice made on our behalf. He is the whole burnt offering which turns away God’s righteous wrath and judgment. He purifies us with His blood. He atones for our sins by His death. And He exchanges His holiness for our unholiness. Not only that but He sends His Holy Spirit into our hearts as a regenerative, sanctifying Presence so that, over time, we become who He created and called and redeemed us to be.

Friends, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you are “soaked in His holiness.” Let that truth sink into your bones today and, as you pray, thank the Holy Spirit for His work in your life and ask Him how you might open yourself up more and more to what He wants to do in and through you.

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 33-36

A Home for God

Readings for today: Exodus 25-28

Imagine you receive a phone call one day from the White House letting you know the President of the United States would like to visit. How would you respond? You would immediately set to work making sure your home was in the most immaculate condition. You would set out the finest china. You would make sure the meal served was prepared by the best chefs. You would spare no expense in making sure everything was ready and worthy of the guest you were about to receive. You would inquire as to the President’s tastes. You would want to know what they liked or disliked. You would want to know how to best set up your home in terms of furniture and layout. You would do all you could to make sure your guest was as comfortable as possible.

Now imagine you are Israel and the guest you are asked to prepare a home for is God Himself. There is no dwelling here on earth that will do. Certainly not the tents you are living in as you wander through the wilderness! So you set out to make a dwelling that is worthy of the God of the universe. You find the most precious of metals and stones. You use only the finest linens and threads. You hire craftsmen to make all new utensils as you prepare for your honored guest. Not only that but you seek His will regarding how to prepare His home. You want to know His taste in furnishings. You want to know how He likes His room. You want to set things up according to His taste. You want the place to be as comfortable as possible for Him. Furthermore, you would spare no expense. You would sacrifice anything in order to make this miracle happen.

Listen to how the Book of Exodus describes it, “God spoke to Moses: “Tell the Israelites that they are to set aside offerings for me. Receive the offerings from everyone who is willing to give. These are the offerings I want you to receive from them: gold, silver, bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet material; fine linen; goats’ hair; tanned rams’ skins; dolphin skins; acacia wood; lamp oil; spices for anointing oils and for fragrant incense; onyx stones and other stones for setting in the Ephod and the Breastpiece. Let them construct a Sanctuary for me so that I can live among them. You are to construct it following the plans I’ve given you, the design for The Dwelling and the design for all its furnishings.” (Exodus‬ ‭25‬:‭1‬-‭9‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

Can you imagine? God wants to live among His people. God wants to be with them and near them and among them. He wants to journey with them as they make their way to the Promised Land. He wants to go before them to give them victory over their enemies. He wants to be their rearguard to protect them from those who might pursue them. He wants to provide for them along the way. Feed them with manna and quail. Lead them beside still waters in the desert. Make sure their clothing doesn’t wear out along the way. These are the promises God makes even as He calls them to build Him a home. A sanctuary. A sacred tent where they will meet with Him morning and evening. It’s a beautiful picture of the relationship God desires to have with us.

Here’s the thing. We don’t have to imagine it. As the Apostle John once wrote, “From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in—we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we’re telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us. We saw it, we heard it, and now we’re telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy!” (1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭MSG‬‬) Friends, Jesus Christ is God with us! He is the Word of God who took on flesh and blood and made His dwelling place among us! He is the Word of Life who appeared right before our eyes. We saw it. We heard it. We touched it with our own two hands. Jesus Christ manifested in the flesh and raised from the dead in glory! This is the good news we continue to proclaim! This is the source of all joy in our lives! We have communion with the Father and with the Son through the Holy Spirit. Pray and thank God today that He has made His dwelling place with you.

Readings for tomorrow: None

God With Us

Readings for today: Exodus 22-24

It’s both comforting and convicting to know God is with us. It is encouraging and sobering to know God is eternally faithful to walk by our side. He never leaves us nor forsakes us not even for a single moment. If we listen to Him and walk in obedience, He will bless us. If we ignore Him and walk in rebellion, He will discipline us. God is eternally consistent. There is no shadow or turning in Him. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So the words He speaks to Israel are just as appropriate for us today as they were for them back then. The ways He reveals Himself to His people back then are just as true for us today as they were for them.

“Now get yourselves ready. I’m sending my Angel ahead of you to guard you in your travels, to lead you to the place that I’ve prepared. Pay close attention to him. Obey him. Don’t go against him. He won’t put up with your rebellions because he’s acting on my authority. But if you obey him and do everything I tell you, I’ll be an enemy to your enemies, I’ll fight those who fight you. When my Angel goes ahead of you and leads you to the land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, I’ll clear the country of them. So don’t worship or serve their gods; don’t do anything they do because I’m going to wipe them right off the face of the Earth and smash their sacred phallic pillars to bits.” (Exodus‬ ‭23‬:‭20‬-‭24‬ ‭MSG‬‬) Can you imagine how comforting it must have been to Israel to know God would be “an enemy to their enemies” and would “fight those who fought them?” Especially after watching what God did to Pharaoh and Egypt? They must have felt invincible. Despite the many different tribes occupying the Promised Land and the challenge they would face driving them out, Israel must have felt such confidence knowing God would be on their side.

“I’ll send my Terror on ahead of you and throw those peoples you’re approaching into a panic. All you’ll see of your enemies is the backs of their necks. And I’ll send Despair on ahead of you. It will push the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites out of your way. I won’t get rid of them all at once lest the land grow up in weeds and the wild animals take over. Little by little I’ll get them out of there while you have a chance to get your crops going and make the land your own. I will make your borders stretch from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea and from the Wilderness to the Euphrates River. I’m turning everyone living in that land over to you; go ahead and drive them out.” (Exodus‬ ‭23‬:‭27‬-‭31‬ ‭MSG) At the same time, God is faithful to not give Israel a quick or easy victory. “Little by little” God would drive them out. He knows Israel isn’t ready to exercise dominion over the land He’s giving them so He will give them an opportunities to practice along the way. It’s the principles of “to whom much is given, much is expected” and “to the one who is faithful with little, God will entrust them with much” that Jesus talks about in His parable of the talents. God knows our tendency to take things for granted. He knows how easy it is for us to become complacent so He will continue to challenge us and test us to refine our faith. This is what it means to have God with us.

God has always been and always will be “God with us.” He has been Emmanuel from eternity. His great desire is for all of us to be saved and fulfill the mandate He gave us at creation to “be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and exercise dominion over all He has made.” God created us in His image to serve as His vice-regents over all creation. He has never wavered from this commitment and is at work even now in your life and in my life to bring it to pass. Spend some time praying today and ask the Holy Spirit to make you more aware of God’s abiding presence in your life and then ask Him how you might respond in greater faithfulness to Him.

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 25-28

Immeasurable Distance

Readings for today: Exodus 19-21

I remember visiting the Grand Canyon for the first time. I stood on the south rim. I looked out over the vast expanse. My heart was struck by the sheer immensity of it all. I felt so small. So insignificant. The depth and breadth of the canyon was simply beyond my ability to comprehend. The beauty and splendor of it all was overwhelming. The forces involved in the shaping of this natural wonder over millions of years were simply awe-inspiring. Now imagine you are standing at the foot of Mt. Sinai. Imagine the summit of the mountain bursting forth into flame as God descends. Smoke like a furnace pours forth. Lightning flashes. Thunder shakes the very ground. Is it any wonder the people drew back in fear?

“All the people, experiencing the thunder and lightning, the trumpet blast and the smoking mountain, were afraid - they pulled back and stood at a distance. They said to Moses, “You speak to us and we’ll listen, but don’t have God speak to us or we’ll die.” Moses spoke to the people: “Don’t be afraid. God has come to test you and instill a deep and reverent awe within you so that you won’t sin.” The people kept their distance while Moses approached the thick clouds where God was.” (Exodus 20:18-21 MSG)

We simply do not appreciate the enormous gulf that exists between God and us. He is wholly other. He is transcendent. He exists on a plane that is inaccessible to us. He is immortal, invisible, and eternal. He is as far from us as the East is from the West. He is above us and beyond us as the heavens are above and beyond the reach of earth. His purity cannot stand even the least amount of corruption. His holiness will not tolerate even the slightest of sins. He is light in whom there is no darkness at all. Not even the briefest of shadows. The only way we can meet this God is by undergoing an intense purification ritual. It’s why the people of Israel had to spend days washing their clothes and preparing their hearts to meet with Him. It’s why they had to protect themselves by posting boundaries around the mountain, lest someone accidentally stumble into God’s presence and be consumed. The threat of death was actually for their own protection, to communicate the seriousness of what was about to take place. Meeting with God is not for the faint of heart!

Now fast forward several thousand years. Listen to the words of the writer of Hebrews as he unpacks what Christ has done for us. “Unlike your ancestors, you didn’t come to Mount Sinai—all that volcanic blaze and earthshaking rumble—to hear God speak. The earsplitting words and soul-shaking message terrified them and they begged him to stop. When they heard the words—“If an animal touches the Mountain, it’s as good as dead”—they were afraid to move. Even Moses was terrified. No, that’s not your experience at all. You’ve come to Mount Zion, the city where the living God resides. The invisible Jerusalem is populated by throngs of festive angels and Christian citizens. It is the city where God is Judge, with judgments that make us just. You’ve come to Jesus, who presents us with a new covenant, a fresh charter from God. He is the Mediator of this covenant. The murder of Jesus, unlike Abel’s—a homicide that cried out for vengeance—became a proclamation of grace…Do you see what we’ve got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He’s actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won’t quit until it’s all cleansed. God himself is Fire!” (Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭18‬-‭24‬, ‭28‬-‭29‬ ‭MSG‬‬) Friends, Jesus has done what we could not do. He has bridged the gulf. He has spanned the gap. He has crossed the divide. When He hung on the cross, He held the heavens in one hand and the earth in His other. He laid hold of the East and joined it together with the West. He exchanged His righteousness and purity and holiness for our unrighteousness, impurity, and unholiness. He became sin who knew no sin so that we might become the righteousness of God. And it was this beautiful and glorious exchange that opened the way for us to enter into God’s presence unafraid.

As you gaze upon the cross of Christ, do you find your heart brimming over with thankfulness? Do you find yourself falling to your knees in worship? Do you find your soul responding in awe and wonder at all God has done? If this is not your experience, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and heart to the mystery of grace God offers you in the gospel of His Son.

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 22-24

Saving Faith

Readings for today: Exodus 14-18

“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and God, with a terrific east wind all night long, made the sea go back. He made the sea dry ground. The seawaters split.” (Exodus‬ ‭14‬:‭21‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

I’ve often wondered what it must have been like for Moses to come to the shores of the Red Sea. You’ve faced down the most powerful man on the planet. You’ve plundered the most powerful empire in the world. You’ve led God’s people out of Egypt with the promise of a better life. A life of freedom under God in the Promised Land. But in following God, you realize He’s led you essentially into a trap. He’s led you to a place from which there is no escape. The Red Sea in front of you. The desert behind you. The ground shaking beneath your feet at the approach of the chariots of the Egyptian army. The people following you aren’t happy. In fact, they are terrified. They believe all hope is lost and lash out in anger against Moses. They question his leadership. “Weren’t the cemeteries large enough in Egypt so that you had to take us out here in the wilderness to die? What have you done to us, taking us out of Egypt? Back in Egypt didn’t we tell you this would happen? Didn’t we tell you, ‘Leave us alone here in Egypt—we’re better off as slaves in Egypt than as corpses in the wilderness.’”(Exodus‬ ‭14‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭MSG‬‬) The pressure must have been enormous and yet Moses doesn’t miss a beat…

“Moses spoke to the people: “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and watch God do his work of salvation for you today. Take a good look at the Egyptians today for you’re never going to see them again. God will fight the battle for you. And you? You keep your mouths shut!” (Exodus‬ ‭14‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭MSG‬‬) At this point in his life, Moses has learned to trust God. He no longer questions Him. No longer doubts Him. He’s come a long way since the burning bush where he argued with God. He has seen God’s wonders. He had seen God’s miracles. He had seen God’s power on display and he knows in his bones that God will deliver. God will save. So he tells the people stand firm and watch God do what only God can do.

Not only does Moses point people to God, he takes an even greater step of faith. He turns his back on the Egyptians, trusting God to be his “rearguard.” He faces the vastness of the Red Sea and stretches out his hand. And as he raises his staff, God sends a violent wind to drive back the sea. Now can you imagine the hurricane forces God would have to unleash to create a path in the middle of the Red Sea? It had to be unbelievable! The roaring of the wind drowning out the rumble of the chariots. The power on display dwarfing anything the Egyptians could bring to bear. The people standing there in awe. All because Moses believed God. All because Moses trusted God. All because Moses was fully confident that God was able to do what He had promised. This, friends, is the essence of saving faith.

So what about you? What steps of faith have you taken in your life? What steps of faith is God calling you to take right now? What’s holding you back? Metaphorically speaking, over what obstacle do you need to raise your staff, trusting God to deliver? Trusting God to save? Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you need walk by faith and not by sight.

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 19-21

God’s Sovereignty

Readings for today: Exodus 10-13

Today we have to grapple with one the deepest mysteries in all of Scripture…God hardening Pharaoh’s heart. Before we even get started, let’s acknowledge the obvious. We hate this truth. It runs counter to everything we’ve been raised to believe about free will, everyone getting a choice, God loving everyone, etc. It calls into question God’s justice. God’s righteousness. How could a righteous God harden someone’s heart to the point where they are kept from saving faith? And yet, if we are courageous enough to take the text at face value, we are left with no other conclusion. 

“God said to Moses: “Go to Pharaoh. I’ve made him stubborn, him and his servants…”(Exodus‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬ ‭MSG)‬‬

“But God made Pharaoh stubborn as ever. He still didn’t release the Israelites.” (Exodus‬ ‭10‬:‭20‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

“But God kept Pharaoh stubborn as ever. He wouldn’t agree to release them.” (Exodus‬ ‭10‬:‭27‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

“Moses and Aaron had performed all these signs in Pharaoh’s presence, but God turned Pharaoh more stubborn than ever—yet again he refused to release the Israelites from his land.” (Exodus‬ ‭11‬:‭10‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

God is relentless with this man. He will not let him repent. He will not let him escape judgment. He will not let him give in until his nation lies in ruins. God will not let up until there is no doubt who is God and who is not. Now this is hard for us. This is a different side to God that we aren’t used to. A God who reigns over the affairs of humanity. A God who rules over the universe with a firm hand. A God who is to be feared as much as loved. So again, the question is pressed...how could a righteous God harden someone’s heart to the point where they are kept from saving faith? 

The key is how we define righteousness. Do we define it from a human perspective or a Biblical one? According to Scripture, God’s highest aim is NOT the salvation of His people. As important as this is, it is merely the means God chooses to achieve a higher end. What is that “higher end?” The full display of God’s power and glory and majesty and sovereignty over all creation. God’s greatest aim is to fill the earth with His glory. His grand design calls for all creation to honor His great name. This is the purpose for which we were created and it is clearly revealed in the Exodus narrative. 

“God said to Moses: “Go to Pharaoh. I’ve made him stubborn, him and his servants, so that I can force him to look at these signs and so you’ll be able to tell your children and grandchildren how I toyed with the Egyptians, like a cat with a mouse; you’ll tell them the stories of the signs that I brought down on them, so that you’ll all know that I am God.” (Exodus‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

“God said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s not going to listen to a thing you say so that the signs of my presence and work are going to multiply in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus‬ ‭11‬:‭9‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

And the Apostle Paul affirms God’s purposes when he looked back on the Exodus story. “The same point was made when God said to Pharaoh, “I picked you as a bit player in this drama of my salvation power.” (Romans‬ ‭9‬:‭17 ‭MSG‬‬‬)

The point is clear. God will make His name known. And He chooses to make His name known through “vessels of mercy” (His people) and “vessels of wrath” (not His people). And lest we think this somehow compromises God’s justice or righteousness or goodness or it just isn’t fair; we have to remember our condition before God. All of us are dead in our trespasses. All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. All of us deserve death. We are in no position - broken, sinful, and rebellious as we are - to pass judgment on God. God is free to choose to use whom He wills in whatever way He wills and this in no way compromises His integrity. 

So what does this mean for us? Does it mean we should be scared of God? Does it mean we are at the mercy of a God who is arbitrary and capricious? Not at all. In Jesus Christ, God has provided the perfect Passover Lamb! He Himself has become the sacrifice that saves! His blood delivers us from the angel of death! And because we have no idea whom God has chosen, we should go forth and gladly, even boldly, share this good news with the world! 

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 14-18

Who is God?

Readings for today: Exodus 5-9

John Calvin once said our hearts are idol factories, constantly churning out false gods. It seems human beings will worship anything and everything except for the one true and living God. In ancient Egypt, the people worshipped Pharaoh. They sacrificed for him. They served him. They gave him everything and, in return, he maintained order. Through the elaborate rituals he performed, the sun rose and set each day. The Nile flooded each year. The seasons changed and the ground produced. From birth, the Egyptians were taught to believe this about their god-king. And it wasn’t just the Egyptians who believed these things about Pharaoh. For four hundred years, the people of Israel were also conditioned into this belief. They were conditioned to believe they were his slaves. They were conditioned to believe there was no hope for freedom because of the power Pharaoh held over their lives. This is why they wouldn’t listen to Moses when he delivered God’s message. “But when Moses delivered this message to the Israelites, they didn’t even hear him - they were that beaten down in spirit by the harsh slave conditions.” (Exodus 6:9 MSG)

The Exodus story is more than a story of deliverance. It is about the introduction of God to the world. It is about the humbling of the greatest empire on the face of the earth and the utter destruction of her most powerful king. It is about teaching humanity - not just Israel - who God is and what He’s all about. The goal of this whole enterprise is not just to save Israel from slavery but to teach the pagan world all about God. Listen to what God says to Moses, “Look at Me. I’ll make you as a god to Pharaoh and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. You are to speak everything I command you, and your brother Aaron will tell it to Pharaoh. Then he will release the Israelites from his land. At the same time I am going to put Pharaoh’s back up and follow it up by filling Egypt with signs and wonders. Pharaoh is not going to listen to you, but I will have my way against Egypt and bring out my soldiers, my people the Israelites, from Egypt by mighty acts of judgment. The Egyptians will realize that I am God when I step in and take the Israelites out of their country.” (Exodus‬ ‭7‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

Why is God so passionate for His own glory? Why is He so zealous for His own Name? Because He knows the false gods of this world can’t deliver on what they promise. He knows the false gods of this world are weak and empty. He knows the false gods of this world don’t even exist. And because He loves humanity so much, He hates to see us fall for the lie. He hates to see us place our trust in something false and untrue. He hates to see us give our lives in service to something that will ultimately never satisfy. But we are stubborn. We don’t give up our idols easily. We don’t let go of false beliefs very quickly. So God has to subject us to judgment, often in the form of pain and suffering. Listen again to what He says to Pharaoh, “For one reason only I’ve kept you on your feet: To make you recognize my power so that my reputation spreads in all the earth. You are still building yourself up at my people’s expense. You are not letting them go.” (Exodus 9:16-17 MSG) If we are honest, we are all like Pharaoh. Hardening our hearts against the will of God. Only the Holy Spirit living inside us can soften our hearts. Only the Holy Spirit doing His sanctifying work inside us can loosen our grip on the idols we’ve created. Only the Holy Spirit can do the work of regeneration we all so desperately need. Pray today for the Holy Spirit to reveal the idols you worship and ask Him to give you the strength to cast them down.

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 10-13

God Remembers

Readings for today: Exodus 1-4

My family has a history of dementia, early onset Alzheimer’s, diseases that rob us of our precious memories and make strangers of those we love. My grandfather died in his middle thirties due to this disease. My aunt died when she was in her early sixties. My grandmother on my mother’s side spent the last few years of her life in an almost catatonic state. So I know the journey. I know the pain of watching someone you love slip away from you while they are still living. I know what it’s like to say the long goodbye. I’m also a pastor. As such, I’ve spent countless hours with people who wonder if they’ve been forgotten by God. They go through incredible hardship and pain. They face great tragedy in their lives. They wrestle with deep depression and demonic powers. And they feel all alone. They cry out to God in their suffering and they wonder if He hears their cries. I often take them back to these verses from Exodus…

“Many years later the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery and cried out. Their cries for relief from their hard labor ascended to God: God listened to their groanings. God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw what was going on with Israel. God understood.” (Exodus‬ ‭2‬:‭23‬-‭25‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

Surely the people of Israel must have wondered if God had forgotten them. Remember, God had not yet revealed Himself on Sinai. He had not yet given them the Law nor the plans for the Tabernacle. They have not seen His presence. They have not witnessed His miracles. The Red Sea. The wilderness wandering. The journey to the Promised Land. All of that is still in the future for Israel. All they have to go on is a few stories that have been handed generation after generation about a God who chose the family of Abraham to be His people. That’s it. And now they’ve lived in Egypt for many years. They’ve been enslaved. They’ve been abused. They’ve even suffered genocide at the hands of Pharaoh who attempted to kill all their male children. Such is life when one serves a man who sets himself up as a god-king.

Thankfully, God listens. God remembers. God sees. God understands. He is a God who draws near the broken-hearted and crushed in spirit. He is a God who stands with - not apart from - His people. When Israel cries out, God hears and God answers. He calls the midwives to save Moses. He delivers him into the hands of Pharaoh’s daughter where he will be raised to lead as a prince of Egypt. God sends him into the wilderness to prepare him for the Exodus journey. Then, in the fullness of time, He calls Moses from a burning bush. He sends Moses and Aaron to confront Pharaoh. He delivers His people with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. He brings the world’s mightiest empire and the world’s mightiest ruler to their knees. He hardens Pharaoh’s heart. Not allowing him to escape until God has had His way. He rains down plague after plague until all the magicians in Egypt are exhausted and spent. He defends and protects His people from any and all harm. In this way, they will know and come to understand their special place as His chosen people.

Friends, God still remembers His covenant promises. It’s why He sent His one and only Son. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of all God has promised. He is the Second Adam. The Faithful Israelite. He lives a life of perfect obedience. He is the perfect Passover lamb who was sacrificed on our behalf. He delivers us from the powers of sin and death and evil by dying on the cross. He parts the Temple curtain so that we might gain access to God. He clearly demonstrates His authority over Satan and all his demonic forces by rising from the dead. All this He does for us. All this He does to deliver us. All this He does to save us. Yes, in this world we will face suffering. In this world, we will face trials and temptations. In this world, we will experience pain but we look to Jesus and take heart. In Christ, we know God listens. God remembers. God sees. God understands. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Readings for tomorrow: None