God Orchestrates It All - Exodus 1-4

Exodus 2:4-10 (ESV)

And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”

God orchestrates all He wants to accomplish.   Pharaoh had ordered that all male Hebrew children were to be killed upon birth.   There were to be tossed into the Nile River.   Moses’ mother was afraid of that decree, but did not kill Moses.  She kept him for three months and then put him the Nile River.   We don’t know if she did so out of the flesh and fear of the Pharaoh or out of faith and the fear of the Lord.   But from this point God puts all the pieces together.  Moses will be God’s perfect leader.  Moses will be leading the nation of Israel out of Egypt and into the promise land.   That means he needs the experience to do both.   In this above passage we read how God orchestrated his life to begin his knowledge of all things Egypt.   Later he will flee to the wilderness (where the nation of Israel will eventually wander for 40 years).   God will give him knowledge of both worlds.   In this above set of verses we read about how God made him cry at the right time; put his sister in the right place; put a tender heart into the heart of Pharaoh’s daughter; and made it possible for Moses to be weaned and raised by his own money, for pay!    This is how God takes all the events of our lives and weaves them into a tapestry of His sovereign plans.   Nothing that happens to us is not first decided by God before the beginning of the ages.  He has prepared our good works to walk in them before the world even began:

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Compelled To Preach The Gospel - 1 Corinthians 9-10

1 Corinthians 9:16-18 (ESV)

For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

In chapter nine of this letter to the church at Corinth, God has lead Paul to write about his own authority and standing in and toward this church.  In earlier chapters he has exposed the division in the church that some had loyalty for one and some loyalty for another and some who had loyalty for Paul.   He is correcting this devision by instructing them about his conduct in their midst.   Whereas some have taken advantage of them by collecting funds from them for their ministry, he has not.   He is not saying that ministers of the gospel should not be paid by the gospel.  In fact, just the opposite:

1 Corinthians 9:14 (ESV)

In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

But this is where he separates himself from the others in Corinth, also proclaiming the gospel.  He has not afforded himself with that right.   Instead, as he states in the above few verses, he has a compulsion to preach the gospel.  He must preach it.  It is a necessity that is laid upon him.   Oh, would that be true for us all!   It is not about leveraging the gospel for gain.   It is about gaining the gospel more leverage in the hearts of those you meet.  Paul had to preach the gospel.  He could not, not.   He believes teaching and preaching the gospel is a gift he is to steward.   As the disciples were commissioned to go into the world to preach the gospel, so, too, Paul.  This is, according to his argument, the proof of his apostleship and the reason the church at Corinth should listen to him.  Not because of who he was, but because of his message.   So, we too, ought to preach the gospel.   We should believe, like Paul, we are compelled to do so.  

Calling Our Sin in Leadership - Mark 5-6

Mark 6:14-20 (ESV)

The Death of John the Baptist

King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.

John the Baptist was not afraid to call out the sins of the leaders around him.  He not only called out Herod, as we read above, he also called out the religious leaders of the day:

Matthew 3:7-8 (ESV)

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

Sometimes we simply have to stand up and call out sin.  

Turn From Evil to God - Jeremiah 1-6

Jeremiah 4:22 (ESV)

“For my people are foolish;

they know me not;

they are stupid children;

they have no understanding.

They are ‘wise’—in doing evil!

But how to do good they know not.”

In the first six chapters of Jeremiah we read about the prophet’s call, his mission and the indictment against Israel and Judah.   The prophet was called to be a prophet while still in the womb:

Jeremiah 1:5 (ESV)

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

He was then commissioned to speak God’s Word:

Jeremiah 1:9 (ESV)

9 Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.

He was told he would be protected by God’s sovereign power:

Jeremiah 1:18-19 (ESV)

And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the LORD, to deliver you.”

Why is all that true?  Because of the message and mission he was sent upon.   In the above verse we read why Jeremiah was sent.  This nation, a people called out by God, had turned their backs on God.   They were now turning their back on God.  Although they thought themselves to wise for God, God tells them they are wise - but wise only in what was evil.   When we turn our backs on God the only other thing we will see is evil.  There is not a middle ground.  You can’t have one-half God and one-half evil.   Many, if not most, think that is true.  They turn to God in troubled times, but day-to-day they turn toward evil.  The world’s system is great for teaching evil.    It is not hard for children and adults, alike, to find evil and turn toward it.  The nation needed a prophet, speaking the holy Word of God (while being protected by God) to speak to them in their evil hearts.   The only solution for those who turn to evil is for someone to speak truth to them to turn them to God.  

Man the Maggot vs the Majesty of God - Job 25-26

Job 26:11 (ESV)

The pillars of heaven tremble

and are astounded at his rebuke.

In Job 26 we begin a six chapter response from Job regarding his friend’s comforting words to him.  They are anything but comforting.   Job has lost those he loves.  Like most people who come to funerals, the friends probably didn’t know what to say.  And like people who come to funeral’s, they say too much, or say it in the wrong way.  In chapter 25, Job’s friend, Bildad, had just told Job that no one can comprehend God and that we are but maggots and worms before God.  Job does not dispute Bildad, but he does challenge his intellect and where he gets his knowledge.  Note:

Job 26:2-3 (ESV)

“How you have helped him who has no power!

How you have saved the arm that has no strength!

How you have counseled him who has no wisdom,

and plentifully declared sound knowledge!

Job has become quite sarcastic and delivers this rebuke to Bildad to set up what he is about to say.   Job will piggy-back on the concept that man is a but a worm and a maggot.  But not in the way Bildad believes.  Bildad’s point is that Job is not worth much to God (like a maggot or worm).  Job will take this thought and turn it into another direction.  Rather than talk about the frailty of man and his obscurity, Job begins to talk about the power of God.   He speaks about how the dead tremble (v. 5) at God.  He speaks about how death and the grave are naked before God (v. 6).   He speaks about how the earth is simply hanging in the air and attached to nothing (v. 7).   He then pivots to talk about how God is so powerful He even controls all the drops of water on the earth.  In verse 11 he speaks about how the waters (he calls them the pillars of heaven) tremble at God and are astounded at His rebuke.  Bildad chose to focus on the insignificance of man and therefore Job’s plight is not even on God’s radar.   Job chose to focus on the power of God over drops of water.   In the midst of suffering we typically do both.  In one sense we see how little we matter in the big scheme of things.   We are but small creatures in great big universe.   Yet, as Job is telling us, God hung the earth in the sky and although the waters in the universe tremble at Him, it shows that our lives matter to Him.   That God is here.  That God does see our pain and suffering.   Job has no answers, yet.  He may not really get one from this book.  But he does see the glory and majesty of God and trembles before Him.  Sometimes in our loss, that is all we see.  But it is enough:

John 14:8 (ESV)

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”

Evil Will Not Prevail - Psalms 36-38

Psalms 36:3-4 (ESV)

The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit;

he has ceased to act wisely and do good.

He plots trouble while on his bed;

he sets himself in a way that is not good;

he does not reject evil.

Psalm 36 is a contrast between the righteous and the wicked.   This is a prayer of David’s and it seems to read as though he has a group of people in mind.   The theme of chapter 36 overflows to chapter 37, as well.  Chapter 37 starts out:

Psalms 37:1-2 (ESV)

OF DAVID.

Fret not yourself because of evildoers;

be not envious of wrongdoers!

For they will soon fade like the grass

and wither like the green herb.

David writes to tell us that wicked, though they appear to be strong, will eventually be nothing and be gone. 

We might do well to compare this in Psalm 15 which is a song written about the righteous man who will never be moved.  

A key peace of knowledge we gain from the above verses about the wicked, is that he does not reject evil.   But Jesus came to give us joy and power over the evil one:

John 17:13-14 (ESV)

But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

We are in the world and the world is evil.   We can, if not careful, be caught up in the success and ease that the wicked appear to have in their lives.   If we are not thinking correctly, we can falsely believe their carefree, but evil life, is missed by God.  Asaph, another song writer of the Psalms was in that spot.  He looked at the wicked and saw no pain in their lives.   But then he comes to his senses and writes this:

Psalms 73:16-17 (ESV)

But when I thought how to understand this,

it seemed to me a wearisome task,

until I went into the sanctuary of God;

then I discerned their end.

When we see injustice done in this world it is easy for us to become completely discouraged.   But those who act with wickedness in their hearts and do not reject evil, but rather seem to invent it, will be dealt with by God, eventually.  Here is how David ends this song:

Psalms 36:10-12 (ESV)

Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you,

and your righteousness to the upright of heart!

Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me,

nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.

There the evildoers lie fallen;

they are thrust down, unable to rise.

The wicked will not prevail!

Obedience To God Matters - 1 Samuel 11-15

1 Samuel 15:17-21 (ESV)

And Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. And the LORD sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the LORD?” And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the LORD. I have gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.”

God, through Samuel, had sent Saul on a mission.  He was to attack the wicked Amalekites and destroy them all.  It was an exact command Saul was to follow:

1 Samuel 15:3 (ESV)

Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”

But, when Saul arrived and defeated most of the Amalek people, this is what happened:

1 Samuel 15:9 (ESV)

But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction.

Now, we, as fellow human beings, might think this is okay.  But Saul disobeyed God.  So Saul actually saving people alive, was disobedient to God?   Does that make sense?   Yes, because Samuel will tell Saul this:

1 Samuel 15:22 (ESV)

And Samuel said,

“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,

as in obeying the voice of the LORD?

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,

and to listen than the fat of rams.

God does not want our good works.  He wants our obedience in faith to His word.   It should be noted that God was using Saul to be God’s vengeance on an evil man.  Note what Samuel says about this king just before he, himself, obeys God and kills him:

1 Samuel 15:32-33 (ESV)

Then Samuel said, “Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” And Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

Saul had a mission from God.  He may not have liked the mission.  He may have wanted to show mercy and thought that he was being gracious.  But he was supposed to be God’s hand for justice, not God’s hand for mercy.   Obedience is the driving element here.  We are to obey God’s word, not fit it into our own life philosophy.  

What To Do With Loss - Genesis 48-50

Genesis 49:29 - 50:1 (ESV)

Then he commanded them and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah— the field and the cave that is in it were bought from the Hittites.” When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people.

Then Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him.

The above verses are taken from the middle of a paragraph.   Israel (Jacob) is dying.  He has just finished blessing his 12 sons and grandchildren.   The scene is of course, somber. The moment monumental.   But the instructions specific.   Israel does not want to be buried in Egypt (Neither will Jospeh ... Joshua 24:32).   He wants his remains to be in his land, with the remains of his family.   In the New Testament this type of discussion is not really talked about.   But I am now, here, faced with my son’s remains after his sudden passing.  This passage, read for years, now takes on an entire new meaning.   I’m trying to navigate what that looks like.   I think what we read in this passage, that there are many points to be made, but three stand out to me.  These feed my hurting soul:

1. That aftermath of death is to be respected.  As hard as it is and evil as it is, we are to understand that God has designed us, even in death, to be in community.   Israel was dying but wanted to be with his people.  That is such an amazing thought process. Yes, we know, as Christians we will be absent from our body and present with the Lord.  But these things matter as God created us to connect with Him AND with each other, even in death. 

2. We are to honor the wishes of the dying.  This probably has some limits.  But where we can, we are to try to show honor to people after they are gone, base upon their mindset when they were here.   If they don’t tell us we are somewhat lost.  But I believe we are to find a way to capture their hearts, in our actions.  

3.  It is okay to fall on our face and weep.   Jesus wept (John 11:35).   Our weeping is a gift from God to cleanse the mind and soul by releasing our anguish and hurt.  It is designed by God.   Ironically, it is weak people who typically spout that weeping shows you are weak.  No, it is strong people (our Savior) who weep in the face of loss. 

I am still not that clear but will make sure my son is honored in community and that even though my weeping hurts for me, it honors him!!  

To Marry or Not To Marry? 1 Corinthians 7-8

1 Corinthians 7:36-38 (ESV)

If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin. But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.

It is amazing how practical God’s word can be in any era.   No matter what book we read in the Bible, God seems to touch our lives and speak to us in the most practical moments.  In the early church there was apparently a question about marriage.   Paul starts out chapter seven with these words:

1 Corinthians 7:1 (ESV)

Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”

Corinthian, in Ancient Greece, was known of its worship of the goddess Diana.   In that worship of her it was typical to include sexual perversions of all sorts.   This religion was a concoction of man to allow him, under the guise of worship, to do whatever he wanted.   When people in Corinth began to come to Christ, this created all types of strife and stress in the marriage union.  The church at Corinth had apparently written to Paul to ask for guidance about sexual areas in the marriage.  Men were leaving wives and wives were leaving husbands.   Throughout the chapter Paul gives the church practical guidance about these things.  In the above passage he is coming to the end of his answer and gives them a general principle to follow about some of these day-to-day issues.   There was an argument in the church about whether they even should be seeking marriage.   Paul was single and does express his personal views throughout this work.  However, the principle is clear from Paul:  If you can’t control your sexual desires get married.  If you can you can stay single.  Both honor God.   This is NOT the only passage in the Bible to read about marriage and/or celibacy.   But it is a good principle for the church to follow.  The marriage union has many advantages.  Paul stresses those in other areas of his writings.  But, here, he is only concerned about the backdrop of the sexual perversions of the day.  His statement is in essence, if you are compelled with sexual desires, fulfill them in the marriage union.  If you are not, you don’t need to marry and can be married for other reasons.   Either is pleasing to God.  

I Will Get To The Other Side - Mark 3-4

 Mark 4:35-41 (ESV)

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 

When Jesus told the disciples to get into the boats it was for the purpose to get to the other side.   He was the God of the universe and TOLD THEM TO GET INTO THE BOATS.  Even though this is what unfolds for them:

37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 

Why does Jesus tell them to get into the boat, even though He is the God of the universe and knows the storm is coming?   And if He does know the storm is coming, why does He do this:

38a But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. 

It is in these moments of life, when the storms come, that we are perishing and we see Jesus asleep on the cushion.   It is in these moments of life that we are lost.   We are not really lost in the storm, but in our fears.  Their fears would make them cry out in prayer:

38b And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 

It is in these moments that we see the waves and the wind and we forget the original words of Jesus.  But He said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.”  He didn’t tell them to simply get into the boats.   He told them to go across to the other side.   Jesus had a purpose for them.  He had a purpose to get to the other side.   The storm was, of course, in the way.   But He still had the same purpose for them. A purpose of Jesus trumps the storms of life.  He was with them.  That is why He would say to the storm: 

39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Hearing Jesus’ voice calming the sea, turned their fear of the storm into the reverential fear of Him.  When we are in the storms of life, let us never forget that He has put us in the boat with a purpose to get to there others side: He will accomplish this for us.  It might include a storm but it ultimately includes Him along side us saying with a loud voice to the storm, “Peace! Be still!”

I rest in this thought today!!  He is in the boat, in the storm, speaking to the storm to be at peace!  I will get to the other side.