Exodus 7; Luke 10
Daily Catechism
QUESTION 31: WHAT DO WE MEAN BY CHRIST’S HUMILIATION?
Answer: By Christ’s humiliation we mean that he was born, and that in a low condition; that he was made under the law, and underwent the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross; that he was buried, and continued under the power of death for a time.
Scripture: Luke 2:7; Galatians 4:4; Isaiah 53:3; Luke 22:44; Matthew 12:40; 27:46; Philippians 2:8; Mark 15:45-6.
Exodus 7
Ready:
In the previous chapter Moses documented how the Israelites became broken and they ceased listening to him and they were without hope. Moses and Aaron were charged by God to continue on and to go to Pharaoh again.
Seeing What’s There:
Here I see Moses and Aaron perform two miracles that are duplicated by Pharaoh’s magicians and so Pharaoh is either convinced that they do not come with the authority of God or at least he is comforted that his magicians can match this God of theirs. Either way he hardens his heart (according to the plan and will of God) against the truth.
Key Verses:
Exodus 7:3, 5, 22
Theme:
God has a message for the world. Man is responsible and accountable for his Sin, though it may be used by God in his unsearchable judgement and inscrutable ways, and man is also responsible for not feeding himself lies that take him off track in what he is seeking in this life.
Thinking About the Message:
A few things jumps out in this chapter.
v3. One is that God will harden Pharaoh’s heart in order to accomplish his will. This can be taken in a couple of ways. Later I know that Moses documents not only that Pharaoh hardens his own heart but that he is also held accountable by God for this sin (Exodus 9:34). I take this to mean that what has happened is that God’s restraining mercy that keep every one of us from being as wicked as we could possibly be is removed from him so that it can be said that God hardens his heart and yet Pharaoh hardens his own heart and bears the responsibility. It is like God unbridles him to do what is in him. The picture of this is seen in Rom 1:21-32. Paul says in 1 Cor 15:10 that he is what he is only by the grace of God. There is an important and deep truth here that relates to our fallen nature and the depth of our depravity. When reading the newspaper headlines and the question “who could do such a thing” rises, I think we need to understand that the answer is “we would”…if it were not for the grace of God. Rom 9:18 goes on and says (with the preceding reference to Pharaoh) that the Lord will have mercy on whomever he wills and he will harden whomever he wills. He is making a contrast and hardening is opposed to mercy. Knowing that mercy is the withholding of due judgement and also the helping of the one in dire need the picture emerges that God delivers a just judgement when he withdraws his help and leaves us to dive further into wickedness. This is the message of that Romans 1 passage. God indeed has a plan for Pharaoh, but Pharaoh is guilty as sin and has no argument against God.
v5. Another is that God seems intent that the deliverance of his people from captivity will be a message to Egypt and probably to the whole earth (Rom 9:17). His message is not merely for Israel and not merely for Pharaoh. As revealed through Paul, the message was to the world. God saves. God fulfills covenant. God is personal. God is opposed to the proud. God has chosen a people.
v22. Another is that false miracles and false experiences and false doctrine is a real problem. Pharaoh’s magicians are twice able to repeat a similar “miracle” no doubt by the power of evil and they convince Pharaoh that there is no special thing to be seen or known of in this God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is evolution and humanism and relativism and tolerance and false religion. If what I am looking for in my Christianity is a peaceful existence or an improved family life or motivation in life or a greater love for others then there are many magical ways to produce these things and there is nothing special to be had in my Christianity. I can have a Christ-less Christianity. The point of my surrender to Jesus is to seek him hotly and to love God and to get God, not to get something else like the list I mentioned. These things too will come but the goal is God. It has been said that God is the gospel. God is the great treasure and if I make something else the goal then God is a means to an end and I either have a false religion that will not get me to where I am hoping- or I have a very poor understanding of my God and I need to repent and seek him (Deut 4:29).
Meaning, Implications, and Significance
1. The implications of the above is that God alone has the power to deliver me from my sin and to keep me from diving into the wickedness of my misery. All mankind us fallen and depraved and deserving of judgment but thanks be to God that he has chosen to give mercy to those whom he will give mercy. The significance for me is that I should come before God each day with a broken and contrite spirit with thanksgiving in my heart and I should ask for the blessing of his mercy that I might find greater victory each day over the sin nature that remains in me. I can ask him to take from me selfishness and pride, for a start. The significance is recognizing that I am not better than Pharaoh and that is is only the grace (unmerited favor and power) of God exercised as mercy in my life that keeps what I am. I do not want to sink into evil by failing to acknowledge this and let pride pit me against God in a way that he is moved to show me myself like he did in Romans 1.
2. Another implication is that Satan uses falsehood and bizzaro blessings that would try to pull people away from the source of life. The significance us that I must be on the lookout for falsehood. I must not buy the world’s lies that I can get what “I want” somewhere other than from God. The truth is that if what I want is something other than God… there is a temporary truth to the world’s message. It will be hell to pay but I can find temporal happiness and relief and a number of “blessings” apart from God. I must recognize true blessings (side affects of seeking God) from false blessings (selfish desires of my prideful heart).
Valuing the Message:
This message is valuable to me because there is a clear warning of very believable lies and there is a realization of who I am and what I am capable of if I am not dead to sin and alive to God in Jesus (Rom 6:11).
Reflecting to Feel the Impact of the Message:
I must search my own heart for lies that I am currently believing about life and blessings and purpose and goals. I must think on whether I am seeking water turned to blood any way I can get it or am I seeking the author of life. I must face the fact that I have the same capacity for evil as another guy and I must give thanks to God that he is merciful (not that I am so wonderful or better than another as the Pharisee did in Luke 18:9-14).
Questions to ask:
- What am I trying to get out of life?
- Why am I not a murderer?
- Who chooses whether I will receive mercy or justice? Are either of these wrong?
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 10
Ready:
The previous chapter was a heavy teaching on discipleship. Highlights include the need to take up my cross daily and follow Jesus, the cost of following Jesus, humility in the community of believers, the amazing provision of God, and Jesus as the embodiment of God’s message to the world.
Seeing What’s There:
I see this chapter as about seeing and acknowledging our sin and need for a savior. It is about relying on him and not looking to ourselves. Luke begins with the account of Jesus sending out the 72 ahead of him with a message of repentance due to the kingdom being near (John the Baptist’s message). He pronounces woe upon those who reject this message and do not see the need for repentance. Jesus rejoices that the Father has chosen to reveal himself not based upon the ability or wisdom of man but based upon his mercy and grace alone to those who know they have nothing to offer Jesus. He explains to the lawyer that the law offers life to the one who wold keep it but the dilemma is that none keep it and it should therefore have been a message of need and brokenness and not confidence in self accomplishment as he tried to take it. Mary and Martha close out the chapter with Jesus explaining that worship is not an offering to Jesus from our abilities but an offering to Jesus from our dependence…which is a receiving from Jesus.
Key Verses:
Luke 10:9-12, 13, 16, 20, 25-28, 40-42
Theme:
A gospel without a perceived need for repentance, resulting in a complete dependence upon Jesus, is not the gospel.
Thinking About the Message:
v1-16. This passage teaches the main message that all people must recognize their need for repentance and their subsequent need for deliverance from sin. When there is an increase in revelation there is an increase in responsibility to act upon the revelation from God. He does not teach that the other cities are not guilty but that the ones with greater revelation will face a more severe judgement (all are judged). Jesus explains that a rejection of the message of repentance in preparation of the kingdom is a rejection of him. Without an acknowledgement of the problem of sin and a running to Jesus for freedom from it, there is no gospel. This speaks in the face of the health wealth and prosperity gospel (even faint forms of it) that teaches only promise of an improved life and does not teach that the gospel is a bidding to come and die (Rom 6:5-8). The gospel is about dying to self and to the world and to sin and living for Christ and his purposes (Rom 6:11; Gal 6:14; Luke 9:23). The gospel is about a need for transformation in our lives and not just a get out of jail free card (Titus 2:11-15; Rom 6:1-4; Rom 6:12-19). v17-24. The main message of this passage is that we do not bring God something but he brings us something. We ought not to see what we do in his power as something of ourselves but we ought to simply rejoice that he chose to use us for his glory. Spiritual pride is a real problem and we should recognize that it is God at work and he is the one responsible at to be praised.
v25-37. Here Jesus explains that the law is powerless to save us because we are unable to keep it and this is how it was meant. The law is a spiritual signpost and a message of need, not a ladder to heaven (Rom 7:14, Rom 3:20, 1 Tim 1:8-11). He does not teach here to keep the law for salvation but he points out our need for deliverance because we are in a heap of trouble. Jesus also does not throw out the law but expects that by his indwelling Spirit we actually will fulfill it and keep it (Rom 3:30).
v38-42. I take this to show that one person can react to the gospel with a need to prove themselves and another with a need to fall upon Christ in dependence and worship. There is nothing wrong with service ministry but I take the lesson to be a heart issue. A point is being made that has nothing to do with cooking or service. Luke is still carrying the same theme of the recognition of dependence.
Meaning, Implications, and Significance
The implication I hear is that Jesus does not save men from guilt but leave them in sin. Jesus first calls me to see my sin and know that it must die, then he is the solution to the guilt and the power and the presence of sin in my life. I have a sin problem…not a self esteem problem. I have a death problem…not a need a better life problem. I have an enemy of God problem…not a show him my goodness problem. I have an idolatry problem…not a need things to go better problem. Jesus solves my problem on the cross and in my life every day. How much more and I saved by his life (Rom 5:9-10)!
Valuing the Message:
I value this message be because it is easy for me to get distracted from the necessary task of reflecting upon my heart and confessing my sin (1 john 1:9; Mark 1:5). It is easy to get caught up in the idea that what Jesus is doing is fixing the circumstances of my life and not fixing my wicked heart. One of these looks like everything going right and getting easier…the other looks like things going the way they need to go to teach me and to train me in godliness and to make me like Jesus.
Reflecting to Feel the Impact of the Message:
I need to reflect on my heart and my hope.
Questions to ask:
- What do I hope for in life?
- Do I want Jesus to make me holy or do I want him to fix my circumstances so things are comfortable?
- Do I see and confess my sin or do I ignore it and ask for more blessing?
- Do I work to impress him so he will feed me my idol (comfort, praise of men, stuff & things, etc) or do I seek him to enjoy him and rely on him and be transformed by him?
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.
Soli Deo Gloria!
