Don’t Let Sin Blind You - Exodus 5-8

Exodus 8:16-19 (ESV)

The Third Plague: Gnats

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.’” And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt. The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

The third plague brought on the Egyptians in general and Pharaoh specifically, was gnats.   The Hebrew word can be translated many ways and one was gnats and the other is mosquitos.   Both were plentiful in Egypt.  

The interesting thing about this plaque is that God was creating something different out of the dust of the earth. In the first two plagues He turned water to blood and multiplied a known animal, the frog.  Here God takes dust and makes it into a pesky little animal that would bite and bother the Egyptians.   

Here the Egyptian magicians have finally met their match.  They can’t produce gnats or mosquitos out of dust.  Here they are willing to at least confess this is god-like.  They are still not ready to give glory to Yahweh.  The translation of their phrase can simply mean this is the finger of a god.   

Pharaoh still won’t listen.   Even though his own magic team was now confessing this was quite different, he is not willing to humble himself before Yahweh.   Even though a miracle is performed in front of him, he will not submit to God. Like the religious leaders later would not confess that Jesus was the Son of God, despite, His miracles, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened.  Man wants a miracle to believe in God but still won’t submit to God when they see one.  This is the hardness of man’s heart.  Sin keeps man from seeing the glory of who God is.  Satan has truly blinded their eyes:

2 Corinthians 4:4 (ESV)

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Don’t let sin cause you to miss seeing the power and glory of God. 

Submit for the Sake of Angels - 1 Corinthians 11

1 Corinthians 11:10 (ESV)

That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.

In this section of Paul’s words to the church at Corinth, he addresses women having their head covered in worship.   He begins the discussion by not talking about these head coverings by addressing the thought of submitting to authority.   He begins with this verse:

1 Corinthians 11:3 (ESV)

But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.

 The bigger issue in Corinth is that there were some women who did not submit to the authority of the church, or their husbands.   Paul is not addressing head coverings as much as he is addressing submission to authority.  That is the history of the context. 

The above verse gives us even more understanding about this challenge in the church as Paul gives the reason for the head coverings as it is a symbol of authority for the women, because of the angels.  

One of the truths of the New Testament seldom talked about is the fallen angels and how our spiritual walk with Christ is a rebuke to them.  One of the reasons we are to preach the gospel and live the gospel out in our lives is to make know the wisdom of God to the fallen angels.  Notice what Paul says to the church of Ephesus on this subject:

Ephesians 3:10 (ESV)

so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

It is through the church that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known.  And who is it to be made known to?  The rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. Those are angels.   

Our walk in obedience, in the context of the church, is to show the fallen angels our submission to Christ.   Something Satan and his fallen angels would not do.   Our willingness to be submissive to authority is more than just our obedient walk in Christ.  God is using the church as exhibit A to His amazing grace. We are on display for the universe to see.  Submission is one act of that exhibit.   

Deity and Humility - Mark 7-8

Mark 8:22-26 (ESV)

And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

The above miracle and the one of Jesus hearing the deaf man in Mark 7:31-37, are only found in the Gospel of Mark. In both of these miracles Jesus takes the person aside, privately and uses spit in some part of the miracle.   There is nothing we know of the Jesus using His own spit.  It seems to be just a way to convey in picture form Jesus transferring His power to this situation. 

Taking the men away privately seems to serve two purposes:

1. One purpose was for those in the villages who brought the deaf and blind man to Him.  Jesus was already wanting to make sure the religious leaders were not too quick to take Jesus by force.  There was a time for His death and resurrection, but not now.

2. Another purpose would be to teach the disciples.  After each miracle, Jesus uses the moment to do some teaching.   

Both miracles required the man to believe in Jesus.   Both required the man to leave and not tell anyone.  But they did any how.   

These two miracles show us the power of Jesus and display His deity.   It also displays His humility.  He was not doing these things to make a name for Himself.  He was doing these things to glorify His Father and to educate His disciples.  When we read these miracles we are to see both His deity and humility.  We are to recognize His power but also that He is meek in the use of that power.  Jesus didn’t need to flex to prove anything.  Our walk with Him is to be the same.  We don’t need to flex and proclaim our fame.  Jesus didn’t do it, neither do we.  

Don’t Disobey God’s Messengers - Jeremiah 7-11

Jeremiah 7:25-26 (ESV)

From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day, I have persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, day after day. Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers.

If you want the formula for disaster, there it is.  You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure this out.  Obedience to God introduces His blessings.  Disobedience brings disaster. It is that simple.  Note what Solomon said about this regarding leadership vs followership:

Those who do not support God‘s leaders will eventually fall by God‘s disasters:

Proverbs 24:21-22 (ESV)

My son, fear the LORD and the king,

and do not join with those who do otherwise,

for disaster will arise suddenly from them,

and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?

Be careful who surrounds you. How they treat a leader may end up how you are also treated.  Be careful how you respond to God’s leadership in your life.  He will send prophets and leaders to us to lead us. If we reject them, disaster is soon to follow.  

Can the Creation Understand the Creator? Job 27-28

Job 28:7-8 (ESV)

“That path no bird of prey knows,

and the falcon’s eye has not seen it.

The proud beasts have not trodden it;

the lion has not passed over it.

Job has had an enough of his friends in these last chapters. Before his young friend Elihu and God speak, Job goes off on a long dissertation on his view of life.   But the view has a focus. Job is laying the ground work for a very big question he will ask in just a couple of more verses:

Job 28:12 (ESV)

“But where shall wisdom be found?

And where is the place of understanding?

Job has just talked about how man digs in the earth for silver and gold and iron.  He has talked about how man can plow the earth and produce grain for bread.   He is simply stating that what man seems to want he can find.  Yet, where is wisdom? That is his concern.  He has not heard it from his friends.  He does not claim to have it himself.  

In the above verses he turns to a very deep and hidden place under the earth we cannot see.  He knows that there is a place where even the falcon’s sharp eyes can’t see.  He knows there is a place where birds can’t even find food.  Job’s point to his friends and us and to himself is that God is not contained in a box that we can understand Him and all that He has done.  The hidden parts of the earth are not even known to us, how can we know God.  Job is about to write:

Job 28:20-22 (ESV)

“From where, then, does wisdom come?

And where is the place of understanding?

It is hidden from the eyes of all living

and concealed from the birds of the air.

Abaddon and Death say,

‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’

Before we can find wisdom we must realize that God is beyond us and the only things we can know about Him and His creation come from HIs grace and mercy to allow us to know.  Those who don’t understand God want to put the God of the universe into a box so they can dissect Him and, with a small human mind, understand Him.  What we know of God is amazing.   He gives us much to know about Him.  But there are some things hidden.  A creature can’t ever fully understand their Creator.  

Deuteronomy 29:29 (ESV)

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Proverbs 9:10 (ESV)

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,

and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

 

Prayer For Grace and Mercy - Psalms 39-41

Psalms 39:12-13 (ESV)

“Hear my prayer, O LORD,

and give ear to my cry;

hold not your peace at my tears!

For I am a sojourner with you,

a guest, like all my fathers.

Look away from me, that I may smile again,

before I depart and am no more!”

Although in the inscription of this psalm we know the author (David), Psalm 39 is quite unusual in this ending.  In the content of David’s song we have some notable statements, typical of a psalm of David:

1. He recognizes his sin in his life:

Psalms 39:1 (ESV)

I said, “I will guard my ways,

that I may not sin with my tongue;

I will guard my mouth with a muzzle,

so long as the wicked are in my presence.”

2.  He recognizes his end of life:

Psalms 39:4 (ESV)

“O LORD, make me know my end

and what is the measure of my days;

let me know how fleeting I am!

3. He recognizes his only hope is in God. 

Psalms 39:7 (ESV)

“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?

My hope is in you.

But in the closing lines, as typical, he cries out for God for hope, as God is his only hope. But then, in the last couple of lines, there is an ending that moves us in another direction:

For I am a sojourner with you,

a guest, like all my fathers.

Look away from me, that I may smile again,

before I depart and am no more!”

He claims two things that should matter to us in this prayer:

1. He is a sojourner (an alien) to God.   Despite what he said previously he recognizes that his relationship with God, is by God’s invite.  He is a guest in God’s presence. 

2. He asks God to look away from him.  He knows that when we look at God we see our own shame and need for grace and mercy. 

In our walk with God and in our prayers, we know that we are but human.  We are but flesh.  We need God’s grace.  If we are even to see His face, His glory, like all, we would bow down in shame.  David had a relationship with God like no other.  But he also had a reverence for God and saw Him as also a consuming fire. 

The World’s Rubric vs God’s - 1 Samuel 16-20

 1 Samuel 17:1-7 (ESV)

Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him.

The world has a rubric that determines might and power.   The above was the rubric for David’s day.   The Goliath of Gath was everything man worshiped.  His size alone would automatically give him an NFL contract.   The equipment he carried would be the envy of every militia on the planet at the time.  

When David shows up later he will be carrying a small sling and five stones.  In the world’s eyes this battle will be like a little league baseball player trying to hit a major league pitcher’s fastball.  No contest!   

This the beauty of who God is and what He does for us.  We see the challenges they are dressed up like Goliath as completely insurmountable.  In our eyes we see the reality of their enormous strength compared to ours.   Yet, here is where we have to remember something said to Samuel in the previous chapter.  Samuel had gone to David’s father (Jesse) at the command of God.  God had chosen one of Jesse’s sons to be the next king of Israel (David).  When Samuel saw Jesse’s oldest son and saw how big he was, Samuel thought that this surely was God’s choice.  Again, like the world, Samuel had a rubric. He had a way to measure size and strength, that was equated in his mind to success.  Yet, note what God told him:

1 Samuel 16:6-7 (ESV)

When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’S anointed is before him.” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

When we are meet with the challenges of life they often take our minds toward the rubric of the world.  God sees something different.  When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, it was not on a white steed with an army behind Him.  It was a small donkey, never ridden before.  Jesus did not come with the message of strength. Instead He said this:

Matthew 11:29 (ESV)

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

When your Goliath shows up (and he will) it is okay to be fearful.  When Israel saw Goliath this is what happened:

1 Samuel 17:11 (ESV)

When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

But God was going to send them a little boy with a lunch for his brothers in one hand and sling in the other.  His outward appearance was frail.  His inward heart was full of faith toward God.  That is all God requires.