Exodus 17; Luke 20
Daily Catechism
QUESTION 42: WHAT BENEFITS DO BELIEVERS RECEIVE FROM CHRIST AT THE RESURRECTION?
Answer: At the resurrection, believers are raised up in glory; they shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment, and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoyment of God to all eternity.
Scripture: Philippians 3:20, 21; 1 Corinthians 15:42, 43; Matthew 10:32; 1 John 3:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
Exodus 17
Ready:
The previous chapter was a teaching on the miraculous provision of God in bread from heaven and how he tested the Israelites in their devotion to follow his interactions and live by the obedience of faith.
Seeing what’s there:
In this chapter the Israelites grumble once more and it is about water. They seem to be getting very aggressive against Moses and he again goes to God asking what he shall do with them. The Lord provides by instructing Moses to strike a rock with his staff once and the water will then miraculously flow from the rock. Next Joshua faces off with Amalek and Moses watched over the battle in prayer with Aaron and hur atop a hill. They help hold up Moses’ hands in prayer during the battle and Joshua is victorious.
Key Verses:
Exodus 17:2, 4-5, 9-10, 11-12, 13, 15
Theme:
The Lord is our sustenance and our defense.
Thinking about the message:
v1-2. It sounds like Moses was receiving specific instructions on how to move through the wilderness and there was no doubt that Moses was the leader chosen and anointed by God to lead this people. Yet, they grumble again and quarrel and take up an argument with Moses. He equates their quarreling as a testing of the Lord and this event at Massah is cited in Deuteronomy (Deut 6:16) and in Psalms (Psalm 95:8) as a testament to the hard and wayward hearts of the people of Israel.
v3-7. God, in his mercy, provides water by another miracle and he uses a specific means. It is Moses striking the rock once with his staff. To the glory of God Moses followed the instructions and honored the Lord…and the people drank…despite their testing of God.
v8-16. Here Joseph is directed by Moses to take up battle with the Amalek and his army. The victory seems to be secured by the unceasing prayer of Moses over the battlefield in the memorable story of Aaron and Hut holding his arms raised to the Lord in prayer. The message of reliance upon God and the victory belonging to him (Prov 21:31) is vivid here. Moses growing weak and requiring help seems to point out the ultimate inadequacy of a human intercessor or priest. Jesus comes as the God-man who does not grow weary and who lives to interceded for us (Heb 7:25)!
Meaning, Implications, and Significance
I take the meaning here to be that God calls the people to yet trust him for provision and protection and to understand that even what would seem like a simple task of relying on him is a fickle thing in our flesh that is weak. The implication is that the battles and the efforts and the struggles I entertain have a spiritual aspect that should not be ignored. The significance for my life is that my needs and my protection are in the Lord’s hands.
Valuing the message:
This message is valuable because it is easy to think that the situation hinges on me and that my performance on the battle field will make all the difference. This replaces self reliance with reliance upon the Lord. Knowing that Jesus is at the right hand of God interceding on my behalf (Rom 8:34) can be quite the boost if I am no the battlefield wondering how this is going to work out.
Reflecting on the message:
I need to consider my attitude in conflicts and trials and consider whether I see myself fighting alone or if I am aware of my high priest in heaven who intercedes for me.
Questions to ask:
- Do I consider God’s call for me to trust him and not myself in the midst of hardship?
- Do I fight battles in a way that would leave me or God with the glory in the end?
- Do I chase provision for my family in a way that leaves God with the glory or me?
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 20
Ready:
The previous chapter was about salvation coming to Zacchaeus in the person of Jesus and the correction of wrong views of the kingdom of God.
Seeing what’s there:
This chapter addresses the authority of Jesus. He makes it clear to the members of the Jewish Council that they are not actually interested in the truth, but that they dishonor God and refuse his messengers. Then Jesus is bombarded by various members of the Council with efforts to trap him and in the end Jesus uses these efforts to reveal the truth that our devotion is due unto God, our very life belongs to God, and Christ bears the vey authority of this God. Jesus proceeds to warn the listeners against outward religion that ignores the truth and does not submit to Christ’s authority.
Key Verses:
Luke 20:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7, 16, 17-18, 22-23, 24-25, 27, 33, 35, 37-38, 41, 44
Theme:
As the Son of God, Jesus bears the authority of God Almighty and we are to submit to his message and respond by giving our devotion and allegiance and lives unto God, in Christ.
Thinking about the message:
v1-8. It seems here that the members of the Jewish Council converged upon Jesus in response to his cleansing of the temple and now inquire of him regarding his authority that he now and in the past has exercised in the temple. Jesus did not hold a place of authority in their eyes (like they did). Jesus was acting as if he owned the place! Well, here Jesus knows that they have no interest in the truth and he chooses to expose this by qualifying that he will answer once they acknowledge a similar truth. They refuse to confess the truth or even discern it, possibly, because they have nothing to gain in the exercise. Jesus shows here that these religious leaders were not interested in truth, but in what was convenient and useful to them. Therefore he does not cast pearls before swine (Matt 7:6).
v9-18. Jesus goes further now to make his point by telling a parable. There is not much hidden from view in this parable and the council members get his point quite readily. They perceive that he is condemning them for not accepting the revelation of God and for now rejecting Jesus to the point of wanting to kill him. They reject the parable’s conclusion that the promises and the kingdom would be given to someone else due to their failure to receive the truth. Jesus quite seriously says to them that indeed they have rejected the very cornerstone of the temple that they venerate and ask him what authority he has over…his authority is that he holds the entire thing up! His body is the temple…his body is the atoning sacrifice…he is the eternal high priest…and he is the judge.
v19-26. Here Jesus makes clear that we owe earthly allegiance and submission to authority that God has placed over us (Rom 13:1-2). But more so we owe God all that we are (Is 43:7; Deut 4:29, 10:12-13). Jesus masterfully uses their wicked effort to trap him as opportunity to teach the truth and completely stump them. They had most likely hoped that he would either tell people not to pay taxes (and so he could be charged by the Romans for such a unlawful action) or to upset the oppressed people by telling them that they would remain under oppression and needed to keep paying their unfair taxes. But Jesus says to pay what is due to him…not what is attempted to be collected by cheating tax collectors. Nor does he leave the issue at the earthly level but he goes to the kingdom with is and makes the bigger issue our allegiance to God. The Pharisees were a bit overdue on that second “tax”!
v27-40. The Sadducees invent a scenario to trap Jesus here but they fail to understand that women do not belong to their husband eternally…all of us belong to God (1 Cor 8:6, 11:11-12; Rom 11:36). And those who belong specifically to Christ will rise again as Christ rose (Rom 14:7-9; 6:4-5, 8:9-11). Jesus explains how there is not marriage in heaven and though he does not explicitly state this here, we know that scripture tells us that our marriage is to Jesus for all eternity (Rev 19:7-8). Quickly dispelling their little trick, Jesus gets to the heart of the matter and explains that God is not the God of the dead and that our lives belong to him who has the power to raise us up. Jesus here reveals that indeed the patriarchs of old are yet alive (John 11:25).
v41-44. To be finished later…
Soli Deo Gloria!
