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Category Archives: Exodus

Five Old Testament Books

22 Aug

Dear God, I heard a question right before I came in here to pray. on the Russell Moore Show Podcast, the question was asked, “If you were stuck on a deserted island and could only have five books from the Hebrew Bible, which would they be?” The guest, Yuval Levin, chose Genesis, Exodus, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and Job. He took Nehemiah as a bonus book.

As I thought about that question myself, I wondered how I would answer that question. Could I come up with five? But the more I thought about it, the more trouble I had whittling it down to five. So here are the five I would take and why I would take them.

Exodus: I’m holding out on Genesis to see if I have room for it later, but I think it is important to have Exodus because is has great narrative about your power and faithfulness, but it also has quite a bit about your laws and guidance for us. It shows your anger at Israel and your love and mercy for them. It gives a pretty complete picture, I think, of your character.

1 & 2 Samuel: Frankly, I think these are simply the best narratives in the Bible. For me, they are page-turners. You start with Hanna, Peninah, and Elkanah. You get Samuel and Eli. The Ark is lost in battle and then returned. Samuel anoints Saul. Then David and Goliath followed by David, his relationship with Jonathan, running from Saul, and eventually Saul’s and Jonathan’s death. Then you get David’s reign and king and all of the good and bad. From Bathsheba, to Absalom, to David’s death. 1 & 2 Kings covers many more generations of kings, but there is so much humanity in 1 & 2 Samuel.

Ecclesiastes: I haven’t spent enough time in Ecclesiastes, but I probably should. It’s a great book with great wisdom. I prefer it to the fortune-cookie style of Proverbs. Yes, I’ll take Ecclesiastes because I know I need it.

1 & 2 Kings: I guess I’ll polish it off with 1 & 2 Kings (this tips me over to 6, so I’ll just take 1 Kings if I have to choose just one. These stories are amazing. from Solomon and his ascension to the throne to Elijah, Hezekiah, and all of the way to the collapse and exile. Tragic.

Books that I’ll miss: I’ll miss Judges and Ruth. I know the Ruth story pretty well, so I think I’m okay there. Judges has great stories, but can also be very frustrating. I still know that I would have never accepted your choice of Samson as leader had I been a Jewish elder at the time. And Genesis has great stories, but, again, I know them fairly well and I get so frustrated with the heroes. I never quite understand why you decide to choose Abram, Isaac, Jacob, et. al. I guess the good news out of those stories is that I don’t have to be a particularly good man for you to choose me.

Father, you picked an awfully unique way to reveal yourself to your people. My wife said recently that she knows the Bible wasn’t written by a committee of influential and powerful people because it is so messy and doesn’t sterilize the stories of the heroes. For me, I am just glad to know I’m not alone in my confusion, failures, duplicity, and love for you–all at once. Thank you for loving me as much as you love Abram and the rest.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 22, 2024 in 1 Kings, 1 Samuel, 2 Kings, 2 Samuel, Ecclesiastes, Exodus, Genesis, Judges, Ruth

 

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Happy Easter!

31 Mar
  • AM Psalms: 148, 149, 150
  • PM Psalms: 113, 114
  • Exodus 12:1-14
  • Isaiah 51:9-11
  • John 1:1-18, 20:19-23

Dear God, I didn’t look ahead, so I wondered before I opened Sacred Invitation: Lenten Devotions Inspired by the Book of Common Prayer might only have a passage about Jesus resurrection from the Gospels. Or maybe multiple tellings from multiple Gospels. Instead, they don’t have any of those passages. The only post-resurrection passage we get is Jesus appearing to his disciples that evening after Mary Magdalene had already seen him. So let’s get into these passages and see how they might add to the Easter story.

Psalms 148, 149, 150 – So these last three psalms are wonderful because they just worship you. Straight out worship. No calls for killing my enemies or anything like that. Just, “You are great!!” I love it. Yes, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit–my Triune God–you are great!! Oh, thank you. Thank you for your victory. Thank you that you relieved me of the pressure of “winning.” You’ve already won. All I have to do is faithfully follow you as best as possible. It reminds me of that last part of the poem I read inspired by Psalm 23: …I’m trying hard to sit at a table because it’s expected, required really, and my enemies–it turns out I have enemies–are watching me eat and spill my drink but I don’t worry because all my enemies do is watch and I know I’m safe if I will just do my best as I sit on this chair that wobbles a bit in the grass on the side of a hill. (“Here in the Psalm” by Sally Fisher)

Psalms 113, 114 – Psalm 114 might be one of the most poetic psalms I’ve read over the last 47 days: “The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back; the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs…turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water.” What fun ways to remember all the great things you have done. I should probably sit down more often and recount the great things you have done.

Exodus 12:1-14 – This story is so powerful and yet so horrific. It made me think of President Truman’s ultimate decision to drop the first atomic bomb. A lot of innocent people died in both stories. I’m not comparing the moral equivalency of the stories; just the idea that there was a mass group of people who died and another mass group of people who were protected from it. This world is so complex. How time plays out is so complex. That everything in history lined up even so that I could be here today is amazing. That everyone who is currently on earth because history has been laid out in this exact way. Oh, help us to live up to this blessing.

Isaiah 51:9-11 – My wife and I were talking yesterday about time continuing on after Easter. For her, she’s worked very hard this week in the church at different services. There has been a big build up to Easter. For me, this is the most intense Lenten season I’ve probably ever done leading up to Easter. It almost feels like the end of something, but it’s really only the beginning. It’s only the beginning. So it’s time to get up today and every day to live in this victory provided by this amazing gift of God the Father, Jesus his Son, and His Holy Spirit.

John 1:1-18, 20:19-23 – John 1:5: The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. Oh, how I want to really understand who you are, Jesus. I want to, but I still don’t. I’ve been a discipling Christian for 37 years. I’ve been doing these prayer journals for 24 years. Yet I understand so little still. Thank you for your patience with me and teaching me. And that leads me to you walking into the room with your disciples after your resurrection. This whole thing about forgiving sins is powerful. You forgive me. You give me grace. The long list you could keep for me of the things I do wrong is invisible to you because of Jesus’s blood. I don’t know that I have any authority like the disciples did to administer your forgiveness to others, but if I do I want that net of forgiveness to be cast very wide.

Now, I am going to get dressed and go to a sunrise service at a local Lutheran church. I love you, Father. I love you, Jesus. I love you, Holy Spirit. Thank you for accepting my love. Thank you for accepting my life. And thank you for the bridge you provided for me.

I offer this entire Lenten season to you in the precious, powerful, humble, and sacrificial name of Jesus, and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 31, 2024 in Exodus, Isaiah, John, Lent 2024, Psalms

 

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Exodus 17:8-13

16 Oct

In those days, Amalek came and waged war against Israel. Moses, therefore, said to Joshua, “Pick out certain men, and tomorrow go out and engage Amalek in battle. I will be standing on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.”

So Joshua did as Moses told him: he engaged Amalek in battle after Moses had climbed to the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur. As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight, but when he let his hands rest, Amalek had the better of the fight. Moses’-hands, however, grew tired; so they put a rock in place for him to sit on. Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other, so that his hands remained steady till sunset. And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

Exodus 17:8-13

Dear God, I really don’t give the power of prayer enough credit. This is the Old Testament reading for church today. The Gospel reading is from Luke 18:1-8. It’s the story of the widow who petitions the dishonest judge relentlessly about injustice done to her until he relents and addresses her issue. Both stories indicate to me that I need to take petitioning prayer—supplication—much more seriously. I’m good at praying to you about how I’m forming my faith. Like now. This topic. Thinking through how I view you and supplication. Praying to you about it. I’m good at that part. I’m pretty good at worshipping you in my prayers. I’m okay at repenting and confessing my sin to you. But supplication…well, I do it, but my expectations are limited.

I think one of the reasons I lower my expectations is because I don’t want to underestimate how your timing might be involved. You have a plan that is wiser than mine. You have a perspective that is complete while mine is partial. For some of the things for which I pray, the timing might not yet be right. If you did what I wanted you to do when I want you to do it then it might short-circuit the greater work you are wanting to do.

Holy Spirit, teach me to pray both more expectantly and patiently. Raise up people around me like Aaron and Hur. Not that I’m Moses, but when I’m praying, give me people who will strengthen me and help me persevere through the battle. For the cries of my heart, even as I sit here, please bring your healing. For physical issues. For relationships. For internal wounds that are bound as secrets, bring your healing.

I pray this through my Lord, Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 16, 2022 in Exodus, Luke

 

Exodus 32:3-4

16 Feb

3 All the people took the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. When the people saw it, they exclaimed, “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!”

Exodus 32:3-4

Dear God, this morning, I was listening to the Bible in a year podcast I’ve been following and this was part of the reading. I found myself confessing to you that there are things I taken and called them you. There are things in my life that I say are God, but I also attribute them to concrete things I can get my head around and explain for myself.

For example, we’ve had remarkable fundraising success at the nonprofit where I work, and when I visit with our board of directors about it, I am and always have been quick to point out that it is the result of your providence and a lot of prayer on our part. But lately, as I’ve heard about other nonprofits and churches doing well, I’ve also started to add in other explanations to combine with you. Maybe it’s the stock market. Maybe it’s that we are a health clinic and people are more sensitive to our work because of a global pandemic. Maybe this. Maybe that. Well, if you moved through those things, that is great, but I confess to you that I believe you are my provision. And the money in the bank will not be the gold in my ears. I will not take it and form it into something that takes your place or physically represents you. I will not try to understand you and how you work. I will just worship you and thank you for giving us the resources we need to help the people who come to us.

Another example is the idol we make out of government. I have a friend who never cared about politics until six years ago. Then they became enamored with President Trump. Regardless of what anyone thinks about him or his policies, no man is worthy of the adulation she ascribes to him. She travels hundreds of miles to hear him speak. Now, she is into another politician who is running for governor of our state. She went to one of his stump speeches this weekend, and she is thinking about driving 150 miles today to hear him again. At the same time, I’ve talked to her about discipleship in her life and she has no frame of reference for that. I got to thinking about her last night and told my wife, “She seems to want to be inspired.” I would change that this morning to say that she is looking for something/someone to put her faith in.

Father, I am sorry. I am sorry for trying to find anything but you to put my faith in. And now, as I wait for you–as I wait with the Israelites for Moses to come back down the mountain–I will wait patiently to have you answer my prayers. You are my God. Do it whatever way you want to do it and take however long you need to take.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 16, 2022 in Exodus

 

Job 2:11-13

28 Jan

11 When three of Job’s friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him. Their names were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. 12 When they saw Job from a distance, they scarcely recognized him. Wailing loudly, they tore their robes and threw dust into the air over their heads to show their grief. 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.

Job 2:11-13

Dear God, I want to stop and give Job’s friends credit for their first seven days with him. “No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.” Then Job starts speaking in chapter 3 and this is when they make their mistake. They speak too hastily. To give them the benefit of the doubt, they don’t know what they don’t know. They don’t realize that you consider their advice and counsel to be foolish. They think they are doing and saying the right things to Job. They think you will be happy with what they are telling him. “Hey, you must have done something wrong. Repent before God and it’ll all be good.” If only they had either remained silent and encouraged Job.

When I got married, I was the typical guy who thought he could solve all of his own problems and any problem his wife brought to him. My wife, within a year or two taught me to respond to her situations by saying, “That sucks.” Sometimes it requires an exclamation point: “That sucks!” But I’ve learned it’s almost always the right answer. I might have some counsel, but it better be really well thought out and, better yet, prayed over, but sometimes she just needs me to sit next to her and say, “That sucks.”

I was listening to the Bible in a year podcast I mentioned a couple of days ago this morning, and he was going over the story in Exodus of the burning bush. He mentioned that you had remembered the Israelites even when they didn’t know you remembered them. You were working on it. He talked about how we have challenges or even crises in our lives that demand our attention and prayer. And sometimes it feels like you aren’t hearing us at all. Sometimes we see no evidence. But you are always there. You always hear. You are working. We might not see it in the moment. We may never see it. But you are always there. And you might even be doing other things in our lives that are blessing us.

Right now, nine out of every ten things happening in my life are great. So much is going well. But there are a couple of things that divert my attention and dominate my prayers. And it can feel like you aren’t working and you don’t hear them. But I have enough experience with you to know that you are working in ways I can’t see. You are working things for the good of your plan and not mine. You remind me that I submitted my plans to you when I submitted to the cross. You remind me of things you’ve done for me in the past that I didn’t know you were doing at the time.

Father, right now, I have a friend who concerns me. He got a devastating medical diagnosis recently, and I’m not sure what you need him to have from me. Help me and guide me into being exactly what you need him to have from me. Of course, I have the things I pray continuously about. Show me what to do and what not to do. Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage the change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Do it all for your glory, sweet Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit.

I pray all of this under the power and authority of my savior, Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 28, 2022 in Exodus, Job

 

Exodus 2:1-10

23 Aug

1Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman.2The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months. 3When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. 4His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.

5The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. 6When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him, “This must be one of the Hebrews’ children,” she said. 7Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Yes.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed it. 10When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, “because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”

Exodus 2:1-10

Dear God, I don’t have the time to do it right now, but I really want to spend some time with Andy Stanley’s “Not In It To Win It” sermon. Maybe I’ll do it later when I’ve finished some other work. But I just keep coming across this concept lately–losing to win. The Israelites lost for hundreds of years for this very moment. All of the centuries of slavery led to the birth of Moses. Joseph (Jacob’s son) lost to win. Even Hagar. Job. David. Jesus. It’s there over and over again.

So it makes me wonder why we try to so hard to win. Why do we struggle for dominance and power? Why do we struggle for security? Why do we struggle to be right and prove others wrong? We have placed much too large of an importance on our own lives. I doubt people in third-world countries think as much of themselves and the impact their voice should have on the world as we do. I think that’s one thing that social media has given us–a false impression of the breadth of our influence. Ninety-nine percent of us only have influence on our immediate sphere, but somehow social media makes us think we have a platform. In reality, the only people listening to our opinions on social media are those who already agree with us. Everyone else stopped following us a long time ago.

Father, My life needs a complete paradigm shift. You’re getting me there. I can feel it. I’m sorry for my confusion from day to day. I’m sorry for feeling overwhelmed and not just looking to you for wisdom and direction. I”m sorry for my sin and selfishness. Thank you for the people who suffered to give me what I have. Help me to not squander what I have and to be willing to take a step back, to lose a battle, so that you might ultimately win the war, whether it happens in my lifetime or not. I guess that’s why I will not be afraid. Take the November election for example. I really don’t know which candidate will bring about your plan. I certainly know my preference, but I will not fear if my preference does not win because I know that your plan is much more thoughtful than mine could ever be.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 23, 2020 in Exodus

 

The Elephant

22 Feb

Dear God, I’ve been praying through and thinking through these scriptures all week. I’ve looked at Moses on the mountain getting about eight chapters worth of instructions from you. I’ve looked at Peter talking in his second epistle about his experience at the Transfiguration. And I’ve looked at the Transfiguration itself. I’ve also layered on top of it the story of Naomi from the book of Ruth. These are the pieces of quilt I feel like you’ve given to me this week as I’ve prepared to preach tomorrow. So this morning, what I’d like to do is ask you to help me take these pieces and weave them together into the message that your Holy Spirit wants to deliver to the parishioners at the local Presbyterian church in the morning .

It starts, I think, with the old illustration of the blind men who each touch a different part of an elephant and then asked to describe the elephant. One describes the elephant as being a really long stump (the leg). One describe an elephant as an odd snake-type creature or really long, rough hose (the trunk). One describes it as a long smooth spear (the tusk). One describes it as a huge rough wall (the body). Another describes it as a thin, wiggly animal with some hair on the end (the tail). They are all accurate in their description of what they know, but they are wrong. They can’t see what we can see. They cannot see how the leg, trunk, tusk, body, and tail all work together to form one of the most majestic animals in the world.

That’s what you showed me in the story of Moses on the mountain. You were getting some business done with Moses. It was housekeeping time. It was paperwork time. You and Moses needed to spend some time together so that you could give him some marching orders for all of Israel. But the Israelites couldn’t see what was going on. All they saw was the cloud and the fire. For all they knew, you had grown angry with Moses and he was dead. If you would have asked them to explain what was going on they would have had no clue. Not even Moses really understood the whole picture, but you did. You could see what no one else could see.

Then we get the story of the Transfiguration. Another example of you tangibly showing up on a mountain and spending some time with your man. In this case, it was your son, Jesus, and he brought three friends (notably, you brought two friends of your own in Moses and Elijah). You know I’ve thought for a number of years that you did this because Jesus needed it. He was on his way to Jerusalem. He, at a minimum, had a good idea of what was coming if not complete knowledge of his impending future. I think he needed some affirmation and encouragement, and you provided it to him through your personal presence and affirmation as well as whatever he learned from Moses and Elijah. But what were Peter, John, and James doing there? If you asked them in that moment to describe what they had just experienced they would have said that Jesus is really powerful, and they had just gotten to see Moses and Elijah. Yes, Jesus kept talking about his death, but they didn’t really believe that. How could he possibly die? It’s almost like we look at the current stock market. How could it possibly start to lose? The piece of the elephant they could see what very small in the grand scheme of things. They didn’t understand the pressure Jesus was under or what he needed. They didn’t understand what you were doing for them in revealing the reality of Jesus being the Messiah to them through this story. That’s what the verses in 2 Peter are about. Peter, in retrospect, is telling his audience that he knows the Jesus story is real because of what he witnessed on that mountain. He and his two friends didn’t only hear some disembodied voice that could be explained away as a hallucination. They physically saw Elijah and Moses–so much so that it occurred to Peter to put up houses for them. You don’t build houses for spirits.

And then on the way down, they are still trying to make sense of what they had seen. They wondered if maybe seeing Elijah there was a fulfillment of the prophecy about Elijah preceding the Messiah. That’s when Jesus explains to them that they have already seen Elijah in John the Baptist. Jesus showed them just a little more of the elephant.

So why don’t you show us what is going on? Why do you keep us on a need-to-know basis? Why is it that I so rarely need to know? The answer is obvious. If we know any suffering or inconvenience that lies ahead we will most certainly avoid it. If I had known what answering your call to quit my stable job in 2003 would mean to my own discomfort and instability I might not have done it. If I had known some of the pain involved in parenting I might have avoided it. If Jacob had known that his relocation to Egypt would result in generations of slavery he might have let his family die in the desert. And that impoverished widow who Jesus saw put her two coins in the collection never knew that her faithfulness in the midst of her poverty would be a lesson to all of us for thousands of years.

And then there is Naomi. She was convinced you had turned on her. Mara. Call me Mara because God has made my life bitter. When I left I had everything, but now He has taken everything from me. The Lord has sent me nothing but tragedy and made me suffer. (Ruth 1:20-21) But she didn’t know. She didn’t know that you would use her situation and the loss of her husband and sons to bring Ruth to Bethlehem. She didn’t know that she would play a role, through her dead husband’s legacy, in setting Ruth up with Boaz. And she didn’t know that she would end up cuddling and raising King David’s grandfather, Obed. She didn’t know that Obed’s grandchild would kill Goliath and set up the country for its greatest period. She could only see a little piece of the elephant. But you were faithful to her.

What’s one other common thread in these stories. You gave each person affirmations along the way. They didn’t necessarily see them as affirmations. The Israelites didn’t understand that if Moses had just disappeared for 40 days with no cloud or fire they wouldn’t have necessarily believed him when he came back with the rules. Peter didn’t realize at the time that you had given him evidence of who Jesus was through witnessing the Transfiguration. And Naomi didn’t see it at the time, but if she had stopped feeling sorry for herself for a moment she would have seen that Ruth was there for her when she absolutely didn’t have to be. Naomi could have been left for dead, but you were there for her.

Father, help me to reach the level of faith where I don’t need to see what the elephant looks like to follow you joyfully. I don’t know what the lives of my children will look like. I can’t see how a decision they make in this moment will impact the next. I cannot see how my own actions will flow into history. But you have been good to me. You have been better to me than I deserve. I guess my simplest prayer is that I will decrease, you will increase, and I will worship you and do my best to love all of those around me with your love.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 22, 2020 in 2 Peter, Exodus, Matthew, Musings and Stories, Ruth

 

Exodus 24:12-18

15 Feb

The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. To the elders he had said, “Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them.” Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.
Exodus 24:12-18.

 

Dear God, this is one of those scenes that reminds me of the proverb of the blind men touching different parts of an elephant and then describing an elephant to someone. There are a lot of people involved in this story, and each one has a different perspective:

  • Moses: He is the one that went into the fire and saw you up close. He got to be in the loop and have first-hand knowledge of you. But he didn’t know what it was like to just see a mountain with cloud and fire, not knowing what was going on. He was just trying to figure out what you wanted him to do and getting to know you better. And he was getting several chapters worth of instructions from you down to some pretty specific details.
  • Joshua: He went only so far, but not all of the way with Moses. He saw some special stuff. He probably heard more than the Israelites did. But he didn’t see everything Moses saw. He had a unique experience.
  • Aaron and Hur: Moses left them in charge. They were caught between watching Moses and Joshua disappear onto the mountain, seeing the cloud and fire, and then having to manage the people–mainly being their judge–while Moses was away.
  • The elders: They were in a unique form of leadership. They were watching Moses and Joshua disappear, witnessing the cloud and fire, and then submitting to the two men Moses left in charge. We don’t know how they felt about Aaron, but we know that they will feel leaderless after several days and demand that Aaron build them a god (Exodus 32). But from their perspective, they were coming from a world where they probably didn’t have much faith and gods were tangible inanimate objects, the person that seemed to be leading them and talking to you was missing into a cloud of fire for over a month, and they apparently felt lost. It’s hard for me to imagine how seeing a golden calf would make me feel better about my situation, but there was obviously something about it that helped them. Almost like a child’s security blanket or a prized stuffed animal. You and I know that the security blanket and stuffed animal don’t offer any real protections, but there is something about its presence that is reassuring to a child. The same is apparently true for the Israelites in this story. Come to think of it, what is it about cows (sacred cows?) that people find worthy of worship? I think that Hindus have a special place for cows as well. Hmm. Interesting tangent for another day.
  • You (God): Yes, you are a witness to this whole thing as well. You saw your interaction with Moses. You saw Joshua, Aaron, Hur, the elders, and the people all respond to this situation. You know what was in each one’s heart. And like the parent who can see things that their small child cannot see, you could and still can see things that we cannot see. You know more than we know. You understand more than we understand. You also are capable of loving us more than we are capable of loving you.

Father, once again the theme of what I seem to be learning through these times with you is that my knowledge of the past, present, and future is so limited. Faith is something that is not only recommended for a relationship with you and a life spent worshipping you–it is a requirement. So please give me the faith I need to have to let go of my own wisdom and simply trust in you. Whether it be in how I manage my own life or try to have input into others, please guide me beyond my own wisdom (a.k.a. foolishness) and into your peace.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

 
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Posted by on February 15, 2020 in Exodus, Uncategorized

 

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Fathers of the Bible — Jethro

31 Jan

Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything God had done for Moses and his people, the Israelites. He heard especially about how the Lord had rescued them from Egypt. Earlier, Moses had sent his wife, Zipporah, and his two sons back to Jethro, who had taken them in. (Moses’ first son was named Gershom, for Moses had said when the boy was born, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.” His second son was named Eliezer, for Moses had said, “The God of my ancestors was my helper; he rescued me from the sword of Pharaoh.”) Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, now came to visit Moses in the wilderness. He brought Moses’ wife and two sons with him, and they arrived while Moses and the people were camped near the mountain of God. Jethro had sent a message to Moses, saying, “I, Jethro, your father-in-law, am coming to see you with your wife and your two sons.” So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law. He bowed low and kissed him. They asked about each other’s welfare and then went into Moses’ tent. Moses told his father-in-law everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and Egypt on behalf of Israel. He also told about all the hardships they had experienced along the way and how the Lord had rescued his people from all their troubles. Jethro was delighted when he heard about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel as he rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians. “Praise the Lord,” Jethro said, “for he has rescued you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh. Yes, he has rescued Israel from the powerful hand of Egypt! I know now that the Lord is greater than all other gods, because he rescued his people from the oppression of the proud Egyptians.” Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God. Aaron and all the elders of Israel came out and joined him in a sacrificial meal in God’s presence. The next day, Moses took his seat to hear the people’s disputes against each other. They waited before him from morning till evening. When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What are you really accomplishing here? Why are you trying to do all this alone while everyone stands around you from morning till evening?” Moses replied, “Because the people come to me to get a ruling from God. When a dispute arises, they come to me, and I am the one who settles the case between the quarreling parties. I inform the people of God’s decrees and give them his instructions.” “This is not good!” Moses’ father-in-law exclaimed. “You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people’s representative before God, bringing their disputes to him. Teach them God’s decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives. But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. They should always be available to solve the people’s common disputes, but have them bring the major cases to you. Let the leaders decide the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you. If you follow this advice, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.” Moses listened to his father-in-law’s advice and followed his suggestions. He chose capable men from all over Israel and appointed them as leaders over the people. He put them in charge of groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. These men were always available to solve the people’s common disputes. They brought the major cases to Moses, but they took care of the smaller matters themselves. Soon after this, Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law, who returned to his own land.
Exodus 18

Dear God, Jethro lived an interesting life. I’ve always wondered of which god he was a priest: “I know now that the Lord is greater than all other gods…”

In this story, we learn that he allowed his daughter and grandchildren to stay with him while Moses dealt with Pharaoh, the Egyptians, and the Israelites. We also know that he brought them back to Moses and that he apparently really respected Moses. Finally, he played the role of short-term advisor. Moses was so wrapped up in the trees that he couldn’t see the forest. I have a similar problem at my current job and the board of directors is trying to help me and play a similar role to what Jethro played for Moses here.

But I like this image of Jethro as father figure to Moses. I like the ole he is playing in his daughter’s life by 1.) helping her and her boys directly and 2,) helping her husband to keep his sanity which, in turn, will be of benefit to her as well. Basically, Jethro just seems like a good man who is offering himself to be used in whatever role you have for him.

On some levels, being a son-in-law to your father-in-law can be easier than being a daughter-in-law to a mother-in-law. The dynamics are different. But one of the hard things for either men or women is to humble themselves to take advice from their elder. Pride can get in the way. On the other hand, it can sometimes be difficult for the elder to know when to remain silent and let the young generation figure things out for themselves. The best lessons are learned through the experience of failure. Finally, there usually comes a day in the life cycle when the younger generation has to take over and start caring for the elder generation. That is an especially difficult transition because complete paradigms have to shift. My wife and I are moving into that phase now as the younger generation, but I am also trying to steel myself and prepare my ego and heart for the day 25 or so years from now when I will need to make decisions that will make life easier for my children when I am the aging elder and they are the younger.

Father, that last paragraph was a lot of words to just say that humility is important and a willingness to serve and step out in courage is important. I am sure that Jethro was at least somewhat nervous about giving Moses his advice. But he gave it well, and Moses was able to receive it. Help me to be both a good receiver and deliverer of your counsel so that I might be who you need me to be n the lives you have place around me.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 31, 2020 in Exodus, Fathers of the Bible

 

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Parents of the Bible — The Egyptians

30 Jan

So the people of Israel did just as the Lord had commanded through Moses and Aaron. And that night at midnight, the Lord struck down all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn son of the prisoner in the dungeon. Even the firstborn of their livestock were killed. Pharaoh and all his officials and all the people of Egypt woke up during the night, and loud wailing was heard throughout the land of Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died. Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron during the night. “Get out!” he ordered. “Leave my people—and take the rest of the Israelites with you! Go and worship the Lord as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you said, and be gone. Go, but bless me as you leave.” All the Egyptians urged the people of Israel to get out of the land as quickly as possible, for they thought, “We will all die!”
Exodus 12:28-33

Dear God, it was the mass loss of life and their children that finally broke the Egyptians and Pharaoh. They were willing to pay any price after that. Even Pharaoh was brought to his knees by it. It reminds me of an 80s song by Sting called “Russians” in which he has a line about the Russians loving their children too.

Sometimes I marvel at how special my two children are to me. When they were small and playing sports or performing on stage, they were all my eye wanted to follow. Often, I couldn’t have told you what else was happening. I just cared about them. I’ve held one while the projectile vomited on me. I’ve flown across the country to help one (actually, I’ve done that for each of them now that I think about it). I was there when both of them were born. They look a little like me and a little like my wife. If you were to look at a bell curve of the things my wife and I discuss, they would be in the center. They are the center of my wife’s and my daily prayer time. And even with all of that, we can feel so helpless. Kobe Bryant couldn’t save his daughter the other day and I know he would have given all he had if he could have. I couldn’t even stop bullies from picking on them when they were little. I remember holding one in my lap and crying together, but I couldn’t completely shield them. I tried, but I couldn’t.

Father, thank you for this rich, joyful, painful experience called parenthood. You have used it to mold me. You are still using it. The Egyptians loved their children. The Israelites who had to watch their children live and die in slavery (and some be thrown in the Nile) loved their children. The Russians and everyone else love their children. I even saw a baby lamb next to its mother for safety when I was on a bike ride last Sunday. She loved her child too. And of course, you love us as well–even more than I can fathom. Thank you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 30, 2020 in Exodus, Fathers of the Bible, Mothers of the Bible

 
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