Posts
timewithgod.blog-city.com — March 2008
Exodus 3 & 4 -- Not Lettting Our Shortcomings Cause Us To Settle For Second Best
God was ready to use Moses to bring His people out of Egypt. Yet Moses was full of excuses as to why he wouldn't be a suitable man for the job. Instead of knowing in his heart that God would provide, he kept thinking about what t
God was ready to use Moses to bring His people out of Egypt. Yet Moses was full of excuses as to why he wouldn't be a suitable man for the job. Instead of knowing in his heart that God would provide, he kept thinking about what the worst possible outcomes or reactions might be from everyone involved.
God was ready to use Moses just as he was, but Moses kept making excuses. My commentary spoke of what it cost Moses and the people of Israel because of this:
"Moses should have obeyed the Lord in simple dependence, knowing that His commands are His enablements. God never asks us to do anything without giving us the power to do it. Because Moses was not satisfied with God's best, he had to take God's second best -- that is, having Aaron as his spokesman. Moses thought that Aaron would be a help, but he later proved to be a hindrance in leading people to worship the golden calf.
Father, please let me trust that, when You call me, You have already or will soon be developing everything in me that You need and want. Help me to remember that Your commands are Your enablements for me. I love You and I thank You for picking me, warts and all!
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Exodus 5 & 6 -- Discouragement Within The Ranks
At the close of the last chapter, the Israelites had believed that the Lord was concerned about them, and that He had noticed their troubles. They had bowed down and worshiped Him.Pharaoh quickly decided that he had to get the Israelites' m
At the close of the last chapter, the Israelites had believed that the Lord was concerned about them, and that He had noticed their troubles. They had bowed down and worshiped Him.
Pharaoh quickly decided that he had to get the Israelites' minds off of what Moses was telling them, so he decided that making them work harder as a direct result of Moses' request would certainly do it. He wanted them to be so tired after a day's work that they would be too tired to listen to Moses, as well.
His plan had its intended effect. The Israelite foremen even went so far as to ask God to punish Moses and Aaron for making things worse for them. Faced with such a discouraging attitude from those he'd come to help, Moses cried out to God and said, "Why have You brought this trouble on Your people? .... and You have done nothing to save them."
It's harder sometimes to see God in the middle of the storm. In writing about these verses, my commentary also noted: "Opposition from within the ranks of God's people is often harder to bear than persecution from without." The Israelites were now barely existing with their workload and they seemed to just lash out at anyone who made matters worse for them.
Father, I've heard that discouragement and doubt have surfaced lately, and that some of Your people even appear to be reacting as the foremen did here. I pray that those so affected will listen to You and not to other voices. I pray that You will move among us to show Your mighty power so that we will remain united in our vision of what You are doing among us. Let us take a lesson from this, Father.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Exodus 7-9 Selective Judgments and Hardened Hearts
Two things really stood out as I read about the first seven plagues on Egypt: The hardening of Pharaoh's heart and the fact that God could keep His people plague-free in the midst of everything He was doing to the Egyptians.Over and over ag
Two things really stood out as I read about the first seven plagues on Egypt: The hardening of Pharaoh's heart and the fact that God could keep His people plague-free in the midst of everything He was doing to the Egyptians.
Over and over again, my commentary noted that God wasn't arbitrary in hardening Pharaoh's heart just to allow Him the excuse to bring more plagues upon the Egyptians. Instead, Pharaoh was choosing with each decision to fight God, and as he hardened his own heart, God simply added to that hardening. It said, "The Lord used Pharaoh as an example of what happens to a person who is determined to resist the power of God."
As to the plagues, 7:18 says that the Egyptians would not be able to drink the water from the Nile. It doesn't mention the Israelites. In 8:22, God said, "I will not treat the Israelites the same as the Egyptian people," and there were no flies in Goshen. In 9:4, Moses said, "But the Lord will treat Israel's animals differently .... none ... will die." And in 9:26, it said, "The only place it did not hail was in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived."
As my commentary stated, there can be no natural explanation for this different treatment. "All attempts to explain the plagues on naturalistic grounds dash themselves against the rocks."
Father, thank You for clearly showing that You can completely control nature and disease -- that You can defy the natural laws because You created them. Please help me to react differently and quickly to Your chastening than Pharaoh did. Keep me from ever hardening my heart against You again. I know that I cannot resist You and that I shouldn't even try. You have my very best interests at heart.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Exodus 10-12 All The Symbols Are There So That We May KNOW
All of the details of the final plague -- the death of the firstborns -- so point to Christ and what He did on our behalf that it is incredibly hard to see why the Jewish people and the unsaved can't equate it with Christ!The lamb without bl
All of the details of the final plague -- the death of the firstborns -- so point to Christ and what He did on our behalf that it is incredibly hard to see why the Jewish people and the unsaved can't equate it with Christ!
The lamb without blemish speaks of His sinlessness; the male of the first year suggests His being cut off in the prime of life. "Killed by the congregation of Israel" reminds us of the cries to crucify Him.
The Lamb was to be killed at twilight, between the 9th and 11th hours; Jesus was killed at the ninth hour.
The blood applied to the doors followed the markings on the cross. The flesh roasted with fire spoke of Christ enduring God's wrath against our enduring sins, my commentary said. The bones could not be broken, and neither were those of Jesus.
The people were to leave leaven (sin) and Egypt (the world) behind them.
How can anyone not see this?
Father, as the Easter season draws near, help me to keep close to my heart the knowledge of what Christ endured for me. Help me to remember that I am to put sin out of my life in response to Your great sacrifice on my behalf, so undeserved. Thank You for such a priceless gift!
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Exodus 13 Yes, I AM A Donkey
Being a firstborn, I took particular note of what it said about the firstborn in this chapter. "Every firstborn male ... belongs to Me, whether man or animal." At that time, the men became priests, my commentary says, until the
Being a firstborn, I took particular note of what it said about the firstborn in this chapter. "Every firstborn male ... belongs to Me, whether man or animal." At that time, the men became priests, my commentary says, until the tribe of Levi was eventually set aside for that service. Firstborn clean animals were sacrificed, but unclean animals could not be; "therefore, it had to be redeemed by the death of a lamb..."
Every time I see verse 13, I think of myself: "Buy back every firstborn donkey by offering a lamb. But if you don't want to buy the donkey back, then break its neck." I think of us as stubborn as a donkey and headstrong, too; yet God is willing to buy me back with the death of the Lamb, His Only Son. Aside from that, there is only destruction.
Father, You were so very loving to this very unlovable man who was and in many ways still is as stubborn as a donkey when it comes to Your commands. I was unclean and undeserving, and yet You bought me back for Yourself by sacrificing Your Son. I only deserved destruction. How awed I am at what You've given me. I deserved a broken neck, and yet You gave me eternal life. Such love!!
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Exodus 14-15:21 Learning To Wait
Men are traditionally such "doers" -- we can't sit still when something needs to be fixed. So it's tough when we find ourselves hemmed in by problems with no solutions available. And that's exactly what was happening
Men are traditionally such "doers" -- we can't sit still when something needs to be fixed. So it's tough when we find ourselves hemmed in by problems with no solutions available. And that's exactly what was happening with the Israelites. God had led them to a place where they faced the sea in front of them and to their right, mountains to their left, and the Egyptian army behind them.
In their despair and unbelief, they appear to have quickly forgotten about that first Passover which had led to their release. Now, they railed against Moses, demanding, "What have you done to us? Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in the desert? There were plenty of graves for us in Egypt."
Moses' answer?? "Stand still and you will see...you only need to remain calm; the Lord will fight for you."
Standing still and waiting simply goes against our basic nature. More than anything, it indicates that we are giving in or giving up. But that is not the case with God. He's at work when we least expect it. My sidebar said, "Often much can happen during this waiting for the Lord. Sometimes He changes pride into humility; doubt into faith and peace; sometimes lust into purity. The Lord can and will do it .... If at times God allows a conflict, it may be His way of training us."
Particularly during Josh's adoption from Ukraine, God trained me to wait on Him. It seemed like every delay in the playbook popped up. He finally gave me peace when I realized that everything happens in His timing. On my first trip to Ukraine, I was given an appointment two months away. God knew exactly what He was doing, though, for Josh's file did not reach the "now available" desk until the day I left America to go back to Ukraine to bring him home. Had I not been willing to wait, I would not have him now."
Father, I'm so thankful that You took Your time with Josh and me. Knowing how You worked makes having gotten him all the more special! Thanks for loving me enough to make me wait, rather than giving in and fixing things right there. You grew me so much in my faith and my trust in You!
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Matthew 15:22 - 17:16 What Tests Are REALLY All About
I hadn't thought much about it before, but the Israelites weren't really accustomed yet to walking with God. They'd been in Egypt for 430 years, and although they'd been forced into slavery, they were apparently still working th
I hadn't thought much about it before, but the Israelites weren't really accustomed yet to walking with God. They'd been in Egypt for 430 years, and although they'd been forced into slavery, they were apparently still working the very best farmland in Goshen. They'd been used to providing for themselves, and suddenly they find themselves moving through a desert and having to give up their self-reliance, instead depending on God for food and water. They hadn't yet learned to trust Him. My commentary says that God planned the various stopovers not only to test them, but also to teach them what they lacked spiritually.
Sometimes their cries were premature and even indulgent. The sidebar in my Bible compared their journey to a trip with kids:
"Can you imagine the chaos if a parent indulged every indulgence? Can you imagine the chaos if God indulged each of ours? No is a necessary word to take on a trip. Destination HAS to reign over desire.... God's overarching desire is that you reach that destiny. His itinerary includes steps that encourage your journey. He frowns on stops that deter you. When His sovereign plan and your earthly plan collide, a decision must be made. Who's in charge of the journey?"
Father, we leave Friday on a ski trip, so as usual, Your timing couldn't be any better. The imagery is so easy to visualize, and this all links in perfectly with what we've just studied last Sunday about learning to trust Your plans for our lives. Father, I now that Your tests aren't about You learning about me, because You already know me. They're instead about You showing me what I need to see about myself that I haven't yet taken to heart. I want to be a willing and eager learner, Father -- one who makes adjustments based on what You show me. Help me to have the honesty and courage I'll need to agree with You about my current spiritual condition.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Exodus 18 - 19 Drawing Nearer To God
I kept getting a nudge toward the phrase "draw near to God" as I read these two chapters. First, Moses' non-Jewish father-in-law brings Moses' wife and 2 sons to him as the Israelites arrived at Mt. Sinai -- the mountain of Go
I kept getting a nudge toward the phrase "draw near to God" as I read these two chapters. First, Moses' non-Jewish father-in-law brings Moses' wife and 2 sons to him as the Israelites arrived at Mt. Sinai -- the mountain of God. There is a confluence of people occurring here. As Jethro, his father-in-law, listens to everything God had done for the Israelites, he came to know God, even offering sacrifices, though not being a Jew.
Moses also told of how the people were "coming to him for God's help to solve their disagreements." Moses was the only one with direct access to God at that time. People saw that and drew near to him to hear from God.
In 19:3, it speaks of the Lord calling to Moses from the mountain, to tell the Israelites of the conditional covenant of the Law God was offering. He would draw them near to Him through it, promising that they would be "My kingdom of priests and a holy nation" -- words that match with those in Revelation!
God told Moses in 19:9, "I will come to you... and speak to you. The people will hear Me speaking ..." God is closing the distance between them.
God instructed Moses to have the people spend two days preparing themselves to meet Him. They were to wash their clothes and abstain from all sexual activity. My commentary said, "This was designed to teach them the necessity of purity in the presence of God."
As God descended to the mountain, it reacted violently, with smoke rising everywhere, and the mountain shook wildly. If a mountain made of non-living rock could respond like that to God's presence, how much more so should we!
Yet there was a limit to the closeness. Although "Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God" in 19:17, God established a boundary of the foot of the mountain. His holiness is "separateness" and we cannot hope in a thousand lifetimes to ever match it. "The priests (not the sons of Aaron or the Levites -- that hasn't happened yet. Probably the firstborn sons, my commentary said, because they were to be dedicated to God.) who may come near Me, must first prepare themselves," God said in 19:22, but even they were warned not to touch the foot of the mountain.
Father, thank You for reminding me again that You call out to us to draw us near to You, yet because of Your holiness and our sinfulness, we must not presume upon that relationship. We must practice purity to be in Your presence, yet You graciously offer us access to Your throneroom through the blood of Your Son. It's a strange and heady mix for us to comprehend and live out. Please keep me ever mindful of it.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Exodus 20 -- Sin As Self-Worship, Which Amounts To Idolatry
I liked the way my commentary saw the commandments as God's ways of teaching us: 1) respect for Himself 2) respect for parents 3) respect for authority 4) respect for human l
I liked the way my commentary saw the commandments as God's ways of teaching us:
1) respect for Himself
2) respect for parents
3) respect for authority
4) respect for human life
5) respect for marriage
6) respect for private property, and
7) respect for a person's reputation.
That covered the first nine commandments. About coveting, it said, "The 10th commandment passes from acts to thoughts, and it shows that it is sinful to lust after ANYTHING that God never intended us to have." I loved the way it says that, because it just seems to drive home the fact that God has our absolute best in mind, and even when we obey Him through our actions, we can at the same time be disobeying Him by indulging in thoughts about what is prohibited in actions. Such thoughts can just as surely hold us in a place God does not want us to be as the acts themselves can.
In my sidebar, Oswald Chambers notes so very well:
"The moral law does not consider our WEAKNESSES as human beings; in fact, it does not take into account our HEREDITY or INFIRMITIES. It simply demands that we be absolutely moral." In other words, it leaves no room for the excuse, "I was born that way." That doesn't matter with God.
I'm coming to believe that there is importance in verse 20, where Moses says, "Don't be afraid, because God has come to test you." God very may well create a person with an inborn inclination to sin a certain way as a TEST of that person's WILLINGNESS to obey Him, for ultimately those last people-based commandments hinge on our willingness NOT to be SELFISH. We must not put self above God, for that breaks the very first commandment.
Chambers also said, "Sometimes we wish He would make us be obedient, and at other times, we wish He would leave us alone. Whenever God's will is in complete control, He removes all pressure. And when we deliberately choose to obey Him, He will reach to the remotest star and to the ends of the earth to assist us with all of His mighty power."
Father, I know in my own life, even if I do obey in my actions, I find myself thinking thoughts that I know I shouldn't be thinking. These areas of my greatest struggles only serve to highlight the fact that I am often all to willing to settle for much less than the very best You wish for me, and in doing that, I am showing my own selfishness which really amounts to nothing more than idolatry, which is self-worship. You are deserving of much more than that, Father. Guard my thoughts.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Exodus 21-22 Spirituality Or Righteousness??
God gave many highly specific laws and rules for the Jewish people to follow. Indeed, many of them form the basis for much of our laws today.My sidebar, by R.C. Sproul, addressed what many new Christians and even non-Christians feel about the m
God gave many highly specific laws and rules for the Jewish people to follow. Indeed, many of them form the basis for much of our laws today.
My sidebar, by R.C. Sproul, addressed what many new Christians and even non-Christians feel about the many rules:
"When I first became a Christian, I learned quickly that it was expected of me that I have a daily devotion time. I was expected to go to church [and live a life of ] not cursing, no drinking, not smoking, and the like. I had NO idea that biblical righteousness went FAR BEYOND those things. I found that there was more to the Christian life than daily devotions and sanctified words. I realized that God wanted more. He wanted me to grow in my faith and obedience. I also discovered that Christian jargon was an almost meaningless form of communication. I found myself more interested in echoing a subculture's lingo than in finding true godliness. My error was this: I was confusing SPIRITUALITY with RIGHTEOUSNESS. I was caught up with a crowd who confused the means with the end. Spirituality can be a cheap substitute for righteousness. Righteousness has rules, but it is more than rules. If we care for rules without caring for people, we have missed the goal of righteousness."
The question was also asked: Can you distinguish God's rules from those of our Christian subculture?"
Father, I definitely do not want to substitute spirituality for righteousness. I also know that righteousness comes from You. Please guide me to know the difference, and to strive for a life that is most pleasing to You.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
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