Monday, September 29, 2014

#136 Go Exodus 3





16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob appeared unto me, saying, “I have surely visited you and seen that which is done to you in Egypt;
17 and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites, and the Amorites and the Perizzites, and the Hivites and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.”’
18 And they shall hearken to thy voice; and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us; and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’
19 And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.
20 And I will stretch out My hand and smite Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in the midst thereof; and after that he will let you go.
21 And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. And it shall come to pass that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty,
22 but every woman shall borrow of her neighbor and of her that sojourneth in her house jewels of silver and jewels of gold and raiment; and ye shall put them upon your sons and upon your daughters, and ye shall despoil the Egyptians.”

Go and tell them. He is given his orders and told what to say, but to those of prepared hearts and open ears. They will hearken to the words of Moses as from God, and so he will become their prophet. These same words, Moses is forewarned, will fall upon hardened ears when he goes before the king of Egypt. He must sow in grounds both tilled and untouched, and God will display His glory to both Jew and Gentile alike. It must need be that the people ask for three days, for God is not in the business of wasting words. They shall see the intent of their captors when this is refused, and both sides will be tested. The pride of the king, the pride of dust, it will stand between the people and the promise, but how vane can a man be? Those who have worked under the whip, and not for honest wages, shall leave with the favor of the Egyptian people. They shall not go empty. 

  Acts 17:16-3421st Century King James Version (KJ21)

16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred within him when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.
17 Therefore he disputed in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the marketplace daily with those who met with him.
18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoics encountered him. And some said, “What will this babbler say?” And some others said, “He seemeth to be a proclaimer of strange gods,” because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection.
19 And they took him and brought him unto the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new doctrine is whereof thou speakest?
20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears, and we would know therefore what these things mean.”
21 (For all the Athenians and strangers who were there spent their time in nothing else than either telling or hearing some new thing.)
22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ Hill and said, “Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
23 For as I passed by and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription: ‘To the Unknown God’. Whom therefore ye worship in ignorance, Him I declare unto you.
24 God who made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of Heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.
25 Neither is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.
26 And He hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation,
27 that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might feel after Him and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us.
28 For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as also certain of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’
29 “For inasmuch, then, as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold or silver or stone, graven by art and of man’s devising.
30 The times of this ignorance God overlooked, but now He commandeth all men everywhere to repent,
31 because He hath appointed a Day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained. Of this He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead.”
32 But when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked and others said, “We will hear thee again on this matter.”
33 So Paul departed from among them.
34 However, certain men cleaved unto him and believed, among whom were Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

We are not always promised a great reception, but we are told to go and tell. It is a part of taking up the cross, and the arrogance of others should arouse our compassion. Do not take laughter or anger so personally. He said, if they hated Me, they would hate you also. I trust that God is Sovereign in all of it.



Sunday, September 28, 2014

#135 Fire Exodus 3





Exodus 3: 1-15 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the back side of the desert and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
2 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
3 And Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.”
4 And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses.” And he said, “Here am I.”
5 And He said, “Draw not nigh hither. Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.”
6 Moreover He said, “I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.
7 And the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.
8 And I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey, unto the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites, and the Amorites and the Perizzites, and the Hivites and the Jebusites.
9 Now therefore behold, the cry of the children of Israel hath come unto Me, and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”
11 And Moses said unto God, “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
12 And He said, “Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee that I have sent thee: when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.”
13 And Moses said unto God, “Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them, ‘The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you,’ and they shall say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say unto them?”
14 And God said unto Moses, “I Am That I Am.” And He said, “Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, ‘I Am hath sent me unto you.’”
15 And God said moreover unto Moses, “Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob hath sent me unto you.’ This is My name for ever, and this is My memorial unto all generations.


Moses is now a humble shepherd in the desert. The angel of the Lord is mentioned several times in the old Testament; it is in my mind, without doubt, a reference to Christ, the messenger. I was recently reading some questions on this, to which a very good response was given by a Dr. Reagan. This is the link: Angel of the Lord.


Why this bush is not burnt. This passage is filled with answers to so many questions about God and His work. Who is the refiner and the one who reveals God the Father, to those who cannot for sin, look upon Him? Who is the fourth person in the furnace? For this reason, because the king's command was urgent and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. 23But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up. 24Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, "Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?" They replied to the king, "Certainly, O king."…Daniel 3:22-24


God is not blind to the suffering of His people and He has heard their cries. He has chosen to send Moses to Pharaoh, that he may bring forth the people of God. Moses response is to question God, he is no longer in a position of rank, no longer the son of Pharaoh's daughter. I always feel this doubt before I speak to others about God, or of moral convictions. Surely there is someone smarter, better spoken, more well read than myself. There has to be someone already more patient, kind and understanding than myself. It sounds like humility at first, but it is not, and I know of no faith that has not been opposed by doubt. Just like the confidence of the fool, so is the humility of the one who hides from ever being bothered, who tolerates instead of confronts. It is phony, it amounts to nothing. God is patient, and a good thing, because no one wants to live by faith. No one wants to stand in front of Pharaoh, so God, what is Your name that I may tell your people? "I am that I am,' He says, 'I am hath sent me unto you." It is a very revealing statement, in that He is self existent, and that He is unchanging. He is all present, the Alpha and Omega, because He is eternal and therefore able to create those things that could not have appeared from nothing of their own. The Author and the finisher. 


…57So the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" 58Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am." 59Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple. John 8:57-59

The God of your fathers, that same God, that only God, the One Who will carry you through the fire.




Thursday, September 25, 2014

# 134 Forsake All Exodus 2





11 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. 12 Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?”
14 The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.”
15 When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well. 16 Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock.
18 When the girls returned to Reuel their father, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”
19 They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”
20 “And where is he?” Reuel asked his daughters. “Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat.”
21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.22 Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom,[c] saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.”
23 During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them. Exodus 2: 11-25 NIV

Moses was now being raised as the son of Pharaoh's daughter, but still identifies as and with the Hebrew people. This is from the trial of Stephen in Acts 7: 20-29.


From Stephen's exposition of Exodus 2, one could surmise that Moses was at least somewhat conscious of a call upon his life, to lead his people. He is obviously concerned with justice, aware of his own story, and though concerned with who may be watching, he comes to the aid of the persecuted. Now supposing this act has qualified him or that none have seen, he comes back to his brethren and tries to correct a wrong between them. "Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?" It is a fare question that will take on a much larger context with those who later believe. Not everyone will be reproved and the man most in the wrong, like Cain of old, does not wish to be rebuked. His response is, "who made you ruler and judge over us?" By whose authority do you point out our wrong, as if one need such an office to tell another they are going down the wrong path. There is a gaping hole in front of you that you should easily recognize after it has been revealed, and thank the man that reveals it to you. Moses has put himself at odds with the king of Egypt, he has broken their law and sided with Israel. He cannot, in anonymity, be the masked vigilante. What he has done is known and it is not a hero's welcome he receives. Now he is afraid, and cut off from a life of ease. He did sit in the position of one who rules, but it was not in line with the promotions that he sought. Moses feared God, and would be called upon to lead God's people. 

23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.
24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. Hebrews 11: 23-27





Thursday, September 18, 2014

#133 Weaving Exodus 2





And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took for a wife a daughter of Levi.
2 And the woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
3 And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the reeds by the river’s brink.
4 And his sister stood afar off to learn what would be done to him.
5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river, and her maidens walked along by the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to fetch it.
6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child; and behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”
7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?”
8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” And the maid went and called the child’s mother.
9 And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, “Take this child away and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages.” And the woman took the child, and nursed it.
10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses [that is, Drawn out], and she said, “Because I drew him out of the water.” Exodus 2:1-10 KJV21

This is following the decree to kill all the male infants; a couple from the tribe of Levi have a son, and the mother hides him. This arrangement last three months, but for unmentioned reasons becomes impractical. It could be because of the child's cries, neighbor's suspicions or searches. Some Jewish historians have read into this a divine warning. The scripture does not indicate this, in so much as I can tell, and seems to indicate that her son was healthy and beautiful. There does not always have to be a sign to exercise faith, in fact it is a greater test of faith to act upon convictions that stand in the face of adversity. None the less, if one cannot see the hand of providence here and the predetermination of God's will, then our eyes are shut. The child is put in a basket, where no less than the daughter of the person who would destroy his life, shall find him. His sister is at hand to volunteer the services of the child's mother. He is returned to his mother, where he spends the time of his early nurturing. She brings him to Pharaoh's daughter, where he shall be as her son and therefore educated in the manner of the Egyptians. His adopted mother names him Moses, "because I drew him out of the water." This again demonstrates the reason for our hope; it does not rest on the potential for men to do good, nor faint at the realization of evil. What we meant for evil, God can purpose to our good. Moses is being prepared for the greatest of honors, and it starts at the height of his people's affliction, in a little basket. 



Psalms 37:1-40

Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass And fade like the green herb. Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. read more.Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land. Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there. But the humble will inherit the land And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity. The wicked plots against the righteous And gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, For He sees his day is coming. The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow To cast down the afflicted and the needy, To slay those who are upright in conduct. Their sword will enter their own heart, And their bows will be broken. Better is the little of the righteous Than the abundance of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked will be broken, But the LORD sustains the righteous.

Daniel 4:35

"All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, 'What have You done?'







Wednesday, September 17, 2014

#132 Man Exodus 2





13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:
14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.
15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:
16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
18 And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?
19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.
20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.
21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.

Men need little encouragement to find reasons for the ill treatment of others. In fact, I would venture to say that men are mostly stayed and constrained by God's hand. It is a damaged world, but with no moral influence, such as God being completely removed or an image put in His place, men shall fervently chase sin through its course. They shall run to find the end of it, and destroy everything in their path. The king has now put the sons and daughters of Israel under extreme labor. He has instructed, what appears to be Egyptian midwives to the Hebrew women, to kill the male children of the Hebrews. These midwives feared God above the king and so helped the men children into the world, by disobeying the king. God blessed the midwives, and the people of Israel multiplied under persecution.
Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. 17Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:…Matthew 2:16&17






Tuesday, September 16, 2014

#131 Tides Exodus 1





Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob:
2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah,
3 Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin,
4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
5 And all the souls who came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls, for Joseph was in Egypt already.
6 And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.
7 And the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.
8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.
9 And he said unto his people, “Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we.
10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply and it come to pass, when there befalleth any war, that they join also unto our enemies and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.”
11 Therefore they set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.
12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew; and they were grieved because of the children of Israel. Exodus 1:1-12 KJ21

When Jacob passed, his sons feared the wrath of Joseph, but were met with forgiveness. Joseph has now passed, and the Hebrews are multiplying quickly in the land of Egypt. The new Pharaoh did not know Joseph and felt no tie to the children of Israel. Their prosperity is troublesome to him; his thoughts become vain, and he imagines that they intend him harm. The thing Joseph's brothers feared of him for unrighteous deeds, they did not receive. Here, for the "sin" of prosperity, their children will be despised and treated as public enemy #1. How quickly the blessings of God insight violence in the witnesses. Envy is a sad thing, it is so petty that we cannot express honest delight when our neighbor is doing well. When a good man is promoted we try to find every reason to play him down, but when the wicked rise to power, we say, it figures, that doesn't surprise me. Well, Egypt is not the promise land, and it was nice place to visit, but we should keep our hearts towards home. 

14 For this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our city in heaven, which is yet to come.15 With Jesus' help, let us continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by proclaiming the glory of his name. 16 Don't forget to do good and to share what you have with those in need, for such sacrifices are very pleasing to God. 17 Obey your spiritual leaders and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they know they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this joyfully and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit. 18 Pray for us, for our conscience is clear and we want to live honorably in everything we do. 19 I especially need your prayers right now so that I can come back to you soon. 20 And now, may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, all that is pleasing to him. Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep by an everlasting covenant, signed with his blood. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:14-20



Monday, September 15, 2014

#130 A Sum of Genesis

Armadillos

The Creation
"In the beginning," God created and the Word was with God. I make no apologies for what I now believe. Upon a simple reading of the Genesis narrative, and without the mental gymnastics, which are never a necessity to those of us who are simple, there is the historical narration. It makes use of and defines days. It is not wrapped in so great a mystery, and it is not written as a science journal. It is God's word to us, and in every way, as men are even now finding out, it can be used to test against our own lives. The call in recent centuries to equate science with evolution has left many under the assumption that Creationist do not believe in micro evolution, which they do, and has also led to the more dangerous assumption that macro evolution is proven. I have watched several debates, including the Bill Nye and Ken Hamm debate, and others that end in statements of faith from both sides. The sad thing is, I was willing to believe in macro evolution when I was younger, because it was professed as fact. Its funny, people often tell me they don't want to hear about my faith, but I have been hearing about theirs for years. I have found too many problems in believing the secular models and propaganda of the time. I hope you will look into it for yourself, and not be afraid to ask the questions. I was afraid of sounding like a fool, and committing intellectual suicide. There was the fear of the rolling eyes and the snickers, the bold claims and blanket statements of "this is a fact", "its proven", "the Bible is old." Everyone knows we evolved, right? There is a danger in this, that is unavoidable, because what you choose to believe without investigating is your religion. Your faith is in those who have made observances and placed their interpretation upon them. As long as you indoctrinate yourself with the works of those who agree and are like minded then your faith goes unchallenged. I am not a preacher, a scientist or even that smart, but I beg and plead with you, please challenge yourself. 



Dr. Stanford
Made in the image of God


The Fall
We move from the creation narrative to the fall of man kind. Man is given free agency in the garden, but told not to eat of a particular tree. He disobeys the command of God at the beckoning of the serpent.  He is told that he will not die and as with all partial truths or twisted theologies, there is a certain truth to the statement, but it does not take into account the counsel of God. All of creation fell into death, and sin took hold of the free will that men had, and still now so proudly proclaim. A delusional race we are, still clinging to the serpents decree, "you see we're ok, we can fix this, there is no God, there is no ultimate good or moral guideline. There is only you and I and what we set our minds to build." Scripture contests the theology of man, and says, And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.…Ephesians 2:1&2. God's word also declares that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Yet, from the beginning, He puts out this hope. He is prepared, as any good designer would be. He has a plan laid out to His glory and that of the detriment of His own Son. The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life; 15And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel."Genesis 3:14&15 

And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11They also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven." Acts 1:10&11

Justice
We have a small and immediate perception of the word justice. This world was already judged at the fall. "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18"He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.19"This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.… John 3:17-19
God sees the world in its sin, taken up in all manners of violence, and He being just sends the water of His wrath. Yet, He being gracious gives instruction to build the ark, the ship that will hold eight people alive. The ship that will symbolize His ultimate redemption. For it is in Christ we enter into the arms of God's forgiveness. It is through His blood that our sins are atoned, and still all will not choose to enter. 

The Covenant
God calls out Abraham from amongst his home and his people. He is called out to be the father of nations. Abram is the father of Isaac and Ishmael. He is the progenitor of God's sovereignty, and the recipient of the promise. A promise, that he will obtain by faith, as one who does not live in possession of the promised land, nor sees the vastness of his offspring. 12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
2 “I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.[a]
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”[b] Genesis 12:1-3

Redemption
After the stories of the patriarchs and the covenant, comes the narrative of Joseph. He is his father's favored son, the son of Rachel, and hated by his brothers. They despise him almost to the point of murder, sell him and then fake his death. He becomes a mighty man in the place of his captivity, and is there able to forgive and sustain the tribes. 

Gallinule




Tuesday, September 9, 2014

#129 Walking in the Rain Genesis 50





15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.” 16 So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, “Before your father died he commanded, saying, 17 ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph: “I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you.”’ Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
18 Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.”
19 Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. 21 Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
22 So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father’s household. And Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. 23 Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. The children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were also brought up on Joseph’s knees.
24 And Joseph said to his brethren, “I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”25 Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. Genesis 50:15-26 NKJV

Joseph is a strong model for forgiveness. Often people seem to have difficulty with receiving that which they find most difficult to give. The language of forgiveness is nothing so long as the vaults of vengeance are still full. They were uncertain of their standing with Joseph alone. Was it really the umbrella of their father that had shielded them from a brewing storm? Their approach to Joseph seems almost fabricated, more than a little suspect. Jacob knew that his son feared God, and that his word was good. I think his brothers are name dropping, and associating Joseph's forgiveness with the life of their father. They even go so far as to invoke God. Joseph cries. Oh that they could see, we should weep when we sit across from our fellow man. When their heart is so hardened that they cannot but hate the One they say does not exist. We should weep, and like Stephen, forgive them their trespasses against us. It should be counted for nothing for what greater mercy have we already received. Please God, hold not this sin against them, but Lord forgive me and change the heart of my friend. "Do not be afraid," he says. This is greater than revenge. "For am I in the place of God?" I tire of  my own rights, and who is without sin? It is a done thing this true forgiveness, and there is only one Judge who has right over all creation. Joseph will not curse the blessing and he is at peace with the sovereignty of God. "But as for you, you meant evil against." It is not forgiveness based upon delusion. It is not, oh I know you are a good person that sometimes messes up. We do not pretend that others had our best interest as they were selling us out. Love is not blind to the facts, nor does it withhold the truth. "God meant it for good." The same God of his father and of all the patriarchs before, the same Creator, righteous Judge, finds a way for sinful man to be reconciled. As I drive the nails, of my own murderous pride and self certainty, into the hands and feet of this Messenger, have I silenced the voice of God? Or was this Logos as He said He was from Genesis to the cross? What I saw as trite, irrelevant, and blasphemous to my intellect, a god so petty that he is concerned with the actions of mortal man. Oh my God, what I meant for evil, you have used to forgive me. Help me to forgive. I think often we hide under the supposed umbrella of the church, a Christian wife, parent or belief in our own moral goodness. It is a delusion, we are not born good and the umbrella will never replace the ark.

…34"And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. 35"My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart." Matthew 18:34&35 






Monday, September 8, 2014

#128 Homes Genesis 50





 Then Joseph fell on his father’s face, and wept over him, and kissed him. 2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. 3 Forty days were required for him, for such are the days required for those who are embalmed; and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.

4 Now when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the hearing of Pharaoh, saying, 5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am dying; in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come back.’”

6 And Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”

7 So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 as well as all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen. 9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great gathering.

10 Then they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and they mourned there with a great and very solemn lamentation. He observed seven days of mourning for his father. 11 And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians.” Therefore its name was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.

12 So his sons did for him just as he had commanded them. 13 For his sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as property for a burial place. 14 And after he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who went up with him to bury his father. Genesis 50:1-14 NKJV

 Israel has passed and Joseph commands his physicians to embalm his father's body. This was a customary process in Egypt but would also lend to the promise he had given his father. He is to return the body to Canaan, and embalming it will help reduce the effects of decomposition. Joseph request a leave of absence from Egypt in order to bury his father, and Pharaoh grants this. He does not go alone, but is accompanied by his family and all the elders of Egypt. How low they looked upon the Hebrew shepherds at one time, but here they honor the father of Joseph. Here, they bury and morn a great man, as though they had lost their own. There would appear to be a great mutual respect between the two peoples.


Romans 12:15-16King James Version (KJV)
15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

The Canaanites of the surrounding area witnessed the lament of the Egyptians, and so much was it, that they called the meadow after the mourning. Death always bears witness to a finite existence, but the burying of Israel in Canaan also bears faith to the promise of Abraham. His body is at home and his spirit is in it's new home. The shepherds tarry there but for a moment, and then all return to Egypt.


Job 14:5-7New Life Version (NLV)
5 A man’s days are numbered. You know the number of his months. He cannot live longer than the time You have set. 6 So now look away from him that he may rest, until he has lived the time set for him like a man paid to work.
7 “For there is hope for a tree, when it is cut down, that it will grow again, and that its branches will not stop growing.

…6Remember Him before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; 7then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.8"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "all is vanity!" Ecclesiastes 12:6&7


Sunday, September 7, 2014

#127 A Type Genesis 49




22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall.
23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him.
24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob, from thence is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel,
25 even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee, and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills; they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.
27 “Benjamin shall raven as a wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.”
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is it that their father spoke unto them and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.
29 And he charged them and said unto them, “I am to be gathered unto my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession as a burying place.
31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah.
32 The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth.”
33 And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people. Genesis 49: 22-33 KJ21

When Jacob comes to Joseph, in this discourse, he reminds all of  his struggles. He was attacked by his own, tempted and falsely accused by others, yet the resolve of his faith towards God remained. Even when what would appear to the world as his weakest state, Joseph was strong in the Lord. God's grace was always sufficient, even to forgive and become the shepherd to those who mistreated him. He was separate from his brethren, not just by geography when sold as a young man. He was separated by his faith and actions. His love of God and desire to serve God made him a blessing to all, and he stood out above all. I do not see the voice of Jacob's favoritism in this, but rather a man being honored by God, through his father. Benjamin falls next and he is a son of Jacob's favoritism, but look how dry the words of the father to one who he also favored. These are not Jacob's words alone, and what he has spoken of Joseph is also not of his own earthly preference. He was sold by his brothers, and one day, for thirty pieces of silver another would be sold out by his own. My own Lord would not at first be believed by the brothers he grew up with.


 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.
2 Now the Jew's feast of tabernacles was at hand.
3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.
4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.
5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.
6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.
7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. John 7: 1-7

Benjamin would become a tribe of violence, and later be at war with his brothers. One of the most famous members of this tribe was the apostle Paul. He would start out as Saul and like a religious wolf, would track down the followers of Christ. He would hold the garments at the stoning of Stephen but later take his part among those forgiven. 

Acts 7:54-6021st Century King James Version (KJ21)
54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed with their teeth at him.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
56 and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58 and cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man whose name was Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen as he called upon God and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”
60 And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, charge not this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

With this his final word, Jacob goes to his rest. His son is there to see him off.





Saturday, September 6, 2014

#126 Pending Genesis 49




Genesis 49: 13 - 21
13 “Zebulun will live by the coast.
He will have ships by the coast.
His border will go as far as Sidon.
14 “Issachar is a strong donkey,
lying down between the saddlebags.
15 When he sees that his resting place is good
and that the land is pleasant,
he will bend his back to the burden
and will become a slave laborer.
16 “Dan will hand down decisions for his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan will be a snake on a road,
a viper on a path,
that bites a horse’s heels
so that its rider falls off backwards.
18 “I wait with hope for you to rescue me, O Lord.
19 “Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders,
but he will strike back at their heels.
20 “Asher’s food will be rich.
He will provide delicacies fit for a king.
21 “Naphtali is a doe set free
that has beautiful fawns.

The blessing accorded to Zebulun has raised some bit of controversy with scholars over the years. The allotment on some maps does not place the tribe directly on either sea, but as the Hebrew preposition can also be read as towards, it does place the tribe in an ideal trade situation. History would suggest, from both a liberal and conservative scholarly view point, that trade was a primary occupation for the tribe. Later maps, during the time of Solomon, place the tribal border to the Mediterranean Sea, and during Roman rule it would appear that the tribe also wandered and inhabited land around Galilee.

12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;
13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
Matthew 4: 12-16

Issachar, some interpret this as prophecy relating to the time before the Judges Deborah and Barak. They would attest to this based upon the throwing off of the Canaanite burden under their leadership. It is suggested that this indicates a failure upon their part to initially drive out the Canaanites. I have to say, that so far, it is a bit vague for me. So, I will leave it with this: it appears that he is a good laborer. 
It appears that when he comes into the land and sees how good it is, that he settles down. He becomes either a slave to the land, or possibly one of forced labor. 


40 Also, their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen. There were plentiful supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, olive oil, cattle and sheep, for there was joy in Israel. 1 Chronicles 12:40



27 But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddoand their surrounding settlements, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land. 28 When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely. 29 Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, but the Canaanites continued to live there among them. 30 Neither did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites living in Kitron or Nahalol, so these Canaanites lived among them, but Zebulun did subject them to forced labor. 31 Nor did Asherdrive out those living in Akko or Sidon or Ahlab or Akzib or Helbah or Aphek or Rehob. 32 The Asherites lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land because they did not drive them out. 33 Neither did Naphtali drive out those living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath; but the Naphtalites too lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, and those living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath became forced laborers for them. 34 The Amorites confined the Danites to the hill country, not allowing them to come down into the plain. 35 And the Amorites were determined also to hold out in Mount Heres,Aijalon and Shaalbim, but when the power of the tribes of Joseph increased, they too were pressed into forced labor. 36 The boundary of the Amorites was from Scorpion Pass to Sela and beyond. Judges 1: 27 - 36

The above passage lends more to the Canaanites being put under forced labor by several of the tribes. There were those cities that held tribes like Dan back for a time. 

Dan's most famous offspring has to be Samson. Dan is described as handing down decisions for his people or providing justice. Dan was small but very dangerous, and yet later reprimanded by Deborah for not participating in the war. Dan also failed to drive out the Canaanites and lost a great portion of their original inheritance. The blessing ends with a prayer, "I wait with hope for you to rescue me, O Lord." In light of Deborah's song, and the report of Numbers, it would seem that there is a common thread in relation to the tribal inheritance and that which was actually taken by faith. 

So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, "The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size. 33"There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." Numbers 13: 32&33

The eyes of the tribes are fixed upon the natural obstacles, and not upon God. What they were given, they seem often unable to receive. It appears, that it was often easier to just settle, and when they were strong of military might, they did not want to drive out the inhabitants completely. They saw, in their physical might, the ability to obtain free labor. It never seems to work out well for them, and the hope of their strength often fails, and they become more like their captives until they become the captives themselves. In this way they have not been a blessing, nor have they accepted the God of their fathers. Their children will one day see the true inheritance, yet there will be no beauty that they should desire Him. 





Wednesday, September 3, 2014

#125 Days to Come Genesis 49



Genesis 49: 1-12

49 Jacob called for his sons and said, “Come here, and let me tell you what will happen to you in the days to come.
2 “Gather around and listen, sons of Jacob.
Listen to your father Israel.
3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my strength, the very first son I had,
first in majesty and first in power.
4 You will no longer be first
because you were out of control like a flood
and you climbed into your father’s bed.
Then you dishonored it.
He climbed up on my couch.
5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers.
Their swords are weapons of violence.
6 Do not let me attend their secret meetings.
Do not let me join their assembly.
In their anger they murdered men.
At their whim they crippled cattle.
7 May their anger be cursed because it’s so fierce.
May their fury be cursed because it’s so cruel.
I will divide them among the sons of Jacob
and scatter them among the tribes of Israel.
8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you.
Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies.
Your father’s sons will bow down to you.
9 Judah, you are a lion cub.
You have come back from the kill, my son.
He lies down and rests like a lion.
He is like a lioness. Who dares to disturb him?
10 A scepter will never depart from Judah
nor a ruler’s staff from between his feet
until Shiloh comes
and the people obey him.
11 He will tie his donkey to a grapevine,
his colt to the best vine.
He will wash his clothes in wine,
his garments in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes are darker than wine.
His teeth are whiter than milk.



Jacob calls all his sons together and what is said is said before all. Let there be no mistake in the will or intent for all will here and all will learn from the hearing. Reuben is acknowledged as the firstborn and the right of this emphasized, but he has by his actions lost this place. He was described as unstable, like water, and I would take such a critique of myself quite painfully. It is to say that your honor is wavering, that you stand trying to fall down. He is a stumbling block to himself, and he has dishonored his father by sleeping with his step mother. So many times we feel entitled, and for what, just being born or being born first? It is interesting that the Bible uses the term firstborn both in instances of chronology and preference. Reuben was the first out of the womb, but his days were not preferred. He gave up first place, honor and majesty. His offspring would follow the path of least resistance.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), 3SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.… Ephesians 6:1-3


Simeon and Levi destroyed a whole city after deceiving them with talks of peace. Jacob was again dishonored by his sons, whose secret meetings did not go unnoticed by their father. I would not want to be influenced by their scheming either. He condemns their anger and their fury. They do not seek justice, but rather revenge and his sons are cruel. They are scattered among the tribes, and it is from the tribe of Levi that there comes the priests. Some would see this as a reward of honor, but only if the man is honorable, for he is the servant of God. His accountability will be to God, for all his practices, what he teaches and how he measures others. 

Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? Joel 2:17

We have seen the rise of Judah, and the wisdom of Judah. His line will contain Kings, and one of whom will be the Psalmist David. David will share much of this wisdom, and though being seduced by power, he will be a man after God's own heart. He will fail and yet repent; his heart will long for the pleasure of his God. Solomon, his son, will have one of the riches kingdoms ever known, but he too will chase after his own lusts. What the father does will seem in moderation to the excess of the son. And yet, when the nation sleeps again, in the bondage of Roman rule, there will come a mighty Lion of Judah. He will not be seen as a lion though, for he will come as the Lamb. 

The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!30"This is He on behalf of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'…John 1:29 & 30