February 27

Exodus 10; Luke 13

Daily Catechism

QUESTION 34: HOW DOES THE SPIRIT APPLY TO US THE REDEMPTION PURCHASED BY CHRIST?
Answer: The Spirit applies to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling.
Scripture: 1 John 5:1; Philippians 1:29; Ephesians 2:8; Acts 16:14; 18:27; John 3:8; 6:64f.

Exodus10

Ready:
The previous chapter included plagues 5-7 and Pharaoh did not seem to have a reaction to the first two, which seemed very much like judgment mores than signs.  With the 7th plague he pleaded for relief from but then reneged again once he had what he wanted. 

Seeing what’s there:
This chapter covers the 8th and 9th plagues.  In this chapter I see a few things jump out at me.  There is a bit of a summary here from verse 1-2 where God seems to describe his purpose on this whole interchange with Pharaoh and it is about showing himself so that the Israelites would know that he is the Lord and so they would have a history of wonders and deliverance to pass down through the generations.  God was creating legacy.  In the eighth plague owes and Aaron challenge Pharaoh to humble himself before God in order to stop the judgement.  Allowing Pharaoh and his counsel to speak Pharaoh’s counsel even urges him to let them go pleading that he open his eyes and see that Egypt is devastated already from this judgement of God.  Pharaoh seems to proud to admit defeat or to see the true state of affairs.  Thus Pharaoh tries to keep the children back and ends up ignoring Moses’ request that all of the people go and Pharaoh yells at him some lie about what he is asking or not and forces him out under the false pretense that he has only asked for the men to be released.  This turns to the Pharaoh pleading for relief once more after the locusts come…followed again by a reneging due to another hardening.  There seems a pattern here that there is additional hardening all along the way and not just a continuous state of hardness but that on a daily or even moment by moment basis the Lord may choose to mercifully restrain or to release us in freedom to express what is within us.  Next the darkness.  No dialogue with Pharaoh first, just a “darkness to be felt” as God said.  Three days of darkness over the Egyptians (and light in Goshen) was the response God gave to Pharaoh’s impenitent refusal to humble himself.  It could be that this darkness is representative of God withdrawing the final measure of his mercy and allowing Pharaoh now to even threaten the life of Moses and refuse to have any additional meetings after Pharaoh tries this time to get Moses to leave behind the flocks and herds.  Alternatively the darkness can be a foreboding of the death to come in the final plague…or the darkness also could be a shaming of the Egyptian sun god named Re, who was responsible for providing sunlight and warmth and productivity.  Pharaoh is intent to have some sense of control and he wants to ensure their return to his reign.  But Moses agrees that they will have no further meetings and proceeds to describe to final plague to Pharaoh, except there is a bummer of a chapter break right before his emotional charged speech to Pharaoh that brings this for tomorrow. 

Key Verses:
Exodus 10:1-2, 3-4, 7, 10-11, 14, 16-17, 20, 21-22, 24, 27-29

Theme:
The hard heart ultimately ends up surrounded by devastation and in complete denial of the truth.

Thinking about the message:
    v1-2.  Here is a summary of the purpose of what is happening in this difficult Exodus.  God is creating legacy for his children by demonstrating his wondrous and strong hand against the will and might of man and by demonstrating judgement against the proud and impenitent who would try to enslave his people.
    v3-6.  Here it is made clear to the reader that the issue in Pharaoh is pride and a failure to humble himself before God.  This is the failure of mankind from the Garden through today.  Pride is the source of our troubles.  Romans 1:18-32 demonstrates a spiraling affect of pride that takes us deeper and deeper into sin and rebellion. 
    v7-11.  Trying to hold back the young and the flocks and herds, Pharaoh tries to negotiate a compromise against God’s will again and ultimately he refuses the wise counsel of his servants that beg him to take note of the devastated condition of Egypt and to let the people go.  Often times we may try to negotiate with God in order to protect our idol or our selfish interest and this is not what God is looking for…he is looking for our complete surrender (Luke 14:33).  He wants all of our heart to be his and not just a part (Deut 4:29, Gal 2:20).  Pharaoh abruptly ends the discussion and ignores Moses’ response about all of Israel being released together.  Pharaoh is blind to the devastation surrounding him and he is too stubborn to admit defeat even though he is surrounded by death and destruction.
    v12-20.  Here the locusts do their work and Pharaoh confesses his sin again and pleads for relief.  As before, he reneges once the relief comes. 
    v21-29.  Now the Lord brings a darkness for three days that seems like an ominous indication of his disapproval and his removal of mercy and his warning of his coming final judgment.  Pharaoh ends the conversation with a threat of Moses’ life should he come back again requesting the release of the people.  Pharaoh thinks he can just deny God and send him away!  Sometimes I may think I can just close my eyes and ignore a situation created by my sin, but this will not fend off the hand of God at work in my life (1 Thess 5:23-24; Titus 2:11-14; Heb 12:10-11).  I need to own up to it and face God in brokenness and with a contrite heart (Psalm 51:17).

Meaning, Implications, and Significance
      I take from this chapter that God is exposing the pride and blindness of mankind in order to not only judge it but also to show how his strong hand delivers his people and accomplishes his holy will in spite of man’s rebellion.  He is also demonstrating that father’s create legacy and leave a mark upon the generations to come that directs the focus of the people to the faithfulness and unstoppable power of God.  The implication for today is that God is still unstoppable and that he still cares about legacy and that he still calls us to humble ourselves and to surrender to his will in repentance.  The significance for me is that I might watch over my heart and ensure that I maintain a brokenness over my sin and that I create a pattern of confession and repentance rather than self-protection and manipulation.  I can leave a legacy of pride and rebellion or one of humble surrender to my children and their children after them.  One brings wrath and fury and the other results in glory, honor, and peace (Romans 2:6-11).

Valuing the message:
I value this message because it guides me in how I am to impact the generations after me.  God cares about the message I send and he intends to be remembered as mighty and as a deliverer.  My actions and my relationship with God can and will have a ripple effect through my family.

Reflecting on the message:
I need to consider all areas where I am still resisting God before the discipline increases in severity to get my attention.  I need to consider the devastation around me that I may be ignoring and think more carefully about how I am reacting to God. 

Questions to ask:

1. Is there devastation around me from my sin that I am denying?
2. What is the message I am leaving my children by my choices and my priorities?
3. Am I being stubborn and resisting any last areas in my life where God is needling me?
4. Am I doing anything to protect from the daily chance of hardening my heart against the truth?

Responding to God & Reacting to His Lesson:
Tell God about your observations and your thoughts and your struggles with the chapter and determine how it will change or impact your thinking and your decisions.  Be sure to react in some way to the truth rather than remain silent.

Proclaiming the Truth to Others:
Decide who you can share what you have learned with and ask for God’s help in reaching out to love others.

Luke 13

Ready:
The previous chapters have made it clear that I am to ask, seek, and knock.  I am to come to God with persistence and ask for the filling of his Spirit that I might see true transformation in my heart and mind and that I might live richly toward God instead of the default of living rich toward self with only a surface level appearance of faith.  I am to be settled with God by trusting Jesus and living no longer for satisfaction in this life, but in Christ.

Seeing what’s there:
There seems to be three units of teaching here in this chapter as there are three separate settings.  It begins with Jesus teaching the crowd and then moves to him teaching in one of the synagogues, and finally to him making his way through town and villages.  The first unit is related to true faith resulting in repentance and fruit bearing (though the fruit does not often come in an instant).  The second is related to true faith resulting in a love for others.  The third is related to true faith resulting in a striving for Jesus in this life that looks like a daily death to self of a cross (Luke 9:23) and a whole-hearted devotion to Jesus (Gal 2:20) and not a casual acquaintance.  These pictures of faith help make sense of James assertion that true faith is not alone but is accompanied by works (James 2:17).

No time to expound...moving on!  In catch up mode :)

Soli Deo Gloria!