Jesus - Our Passover Lamb.

Exodus 11-12

This animal must be a one–year–old male, either a sheep or a goat, with no physical defects. – Exodus 12:5 NLT

Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. – 1 Corinthians 5:7 NLT

The tenth and final plague would bring death to the people of Egypt. God would take the life of every firstborn, in every household in the land of Egypt, including Pharaoh's. The loss would be great. No family would escape it, unless they followed God's plan. And that plan probably sounded a little far-fetched, a little bit strange. They were to take a 0ne-year-old lamb or goat, the best of their flock, without blemish, sacrifice it, then sprinkle its blood on the doorpost and lintel of their homes. Then they were to remain inside their homes so that the angel of God would pass over their homes, sparing their firstborn from death. This plan had to sound strange, even to the children of Israel. It included odd instructions about unleavened bread and purging their homes of all leaven. But those that obeyed God's instructions were spared the loss of their firstborn. Those that did not, were visited with death and loss.

In his commentary on Exodus, John Gill has this to say about the passover lamb. "This lamb was a type of Christ, who is therefore said to be our passover sacrificed for us, comparable to a lamb for his innocence and harmlessness, for his meekness, humility, and patience, for usefulness both for food and raiment, as well as for being fit for sacrifice; and who is a lamb without spot and blemish, either of original sin, or actual transgression, holy in his nature, harmless in his life." Jesus has done for us what each passover lamb did for the children of Israel. He died so that His blood could cover our sins. "For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God" (1 Peter 1:18-19 NLT). Jesus gave His life so that death would not visit our doorstep. Death was coming to every household in Egypt – regardless of their nationality, status, religious disposition, or moral standing. It was inevitable and unstoppable. But it could be avoided by following God's of salvation. The same holds true today. Death, eternal separation from God, is coming to every household, every person, who lives today. But that death sentence can be avoided by accepting God's plan of salvation – the acceptance of Jesus Christ as our sin substitute. To many it sounds odd and even ridiculous that this plan is the only plan. For others, they doubt that death is really coming, so they ignore the offer of salvation. Many think they can save themselves. I am sure that there were those who believed the same things during the time of Moses. There were those who refused to believe Moses' warning. There were those who tried to do it their way and save themselves. There were those who thought all this talk of lambs, blood, unleavened bread and death was silly. And they lived to regret it. They suffered great loss.

But for those who obeyed, they were spared. But they were also delivered. And they were also blessed. Not only were they able to leave their slavery behind and walk away as free men, but they did so with their pockets full of the treasure of the Egyptians. God had blessed them with abundance – wealth beyond their wildest dreams. But wealth for a reason. God had a plan for that plunder. It would be used to build a tabernacle or dwelling place for Him. As believers we have been set free, released from slavery to sin and are able to walk in freedom, thanks to the blood of Jesus Christ. And God has blessed us beyond belief. "How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ" (Ephesians 1:3 NLT). We who were poor are now rich in Christ. He has blessed us and filled us with His Spirit. He has made us His heirs. He has called us His children. We have everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). We are walking witnesses of His grace, mercy, power, and the truth of His redemptive plan. Jesus, our Passover Lamb, was sacrificed for us, and we have been set free.

Father, You have told us in Your word, that "if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free" (John 8:36). I have been set free from sin by Jesus, but I don't always live free. That if my fault, not His. I choose to remain in slavery to sin. Will You give me a passion to live as a free man, not a slave. Will you open my eyes to the reality of my position as a child of God, not a slave to sin. I have been delivered from captivity, but too often, I willingly go back and live as if I was still a slave. But I am free indeed! I am delivered. I am forgiven. Show me how to live that way. So that You might receive the glory every day of my life.  Amen.

Light In the Dark.

Exodus 10

During all that time the people scarcely moved, for they could not see. But there was light as usual where the people of Israel lived. – Exodus 10:23 NLT

Two more plagues. Two more opportunities for God to display His power. This time it would be locusts and darkness. Both would fill the land. The locusts would fill the land and cover the ground in such quantities that "the land was darkened" (Exodus 10:15 NASB). They consumed and destroyed. They ate everything in sight. What the hail had failed to destroy, the locusts did. And this plague seemed to get Pharaoh's attention, at least for a while. But yet again, he refused to let the people go. Then God brought a darkness on the land. God described it as a "darkness which may be felt" (Exodus 10:21 NASB). "A darkness so dark you can touch it (The Message). This darkness would last three entire days. During that time no one could see anyone else. You could have held up your hand in front of your face and you would have seen nothing. All light was gone. It reminds me of the time I took our family to Carsbad Caverns in New Mexico. At one point in the tour, they take you into a cavernous room, then they turn out the lights. Suddenly you find yourself in an inky darkness that is totally devoid of any light source. You can't see a thing. All perception is lost. Your eyes are incapable of penetrating the intense blackness that seems to enfold you. It was a very disconcerting feeling. But imagine that kind of darkness everywhere you look. Consider what it must have been like to find yourself immersed in complete darkness with no hope of seeing anyone or anything, no matter how hard you tried. There was no moon glow, no fire light, no lamps to provide even the slightest of light. And you had no idea of knowing when it would end. That would have been a terrifying experience. No one left his home. No one ventured out. Their Sun god, Ra, had failed them. He had been effectively destroyed by the God of Israel.

Yet, the Israelites had light in their dwellings. Moses records, "But there was light as usual where the people of Israel lived" (Exodus 10:23 NLT). While the Egyptians, including Pharaoh himself, were immersed in darkness, the Israelites found themselves bathed in light. God provided for His own. He gave them light in the midst of the darkness. It reminds me of John chapter one where John describes Jesus in the following way: "Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone. The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it" (John 1:4-5 NLT). Jesus is the Light of the world. He came into the world to expose and eliminate the darkness in which men were living. But John goes on to tell us, "The light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. They hate the light because they want to sin in the darkness. They stay away from the light for fear their sins will be exposed and they will be punished" (John 3:19-20 NLT). What a picture this story in Exodus is of the fate of mankind. Men today live in complete darkness – the darkness of sin. They cannot see to do good. They are blind and incapable of saving themselves. They grope around in the dark trying to save themselves, but find it impossible. The darkness of this world is palpable, it can be felt. It is all around us. Yet, as believers we have the Light of life living within us. While others stumble about in darkness, we have our lives illuminated by the Light Himself. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life" (John 8:12 NLT). No stumbling around in the dark. No sitting around in the pitch black stillness, incapable of even the simplest task. No, we have all the Light we need to live life abundantly and fully. In face, because we have the Light within us, we "are the light of the world – like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see" (Matthew 5:14 N:T). Can the world see your light today?

Father, Your Son has lit up my life with His life. He has illuminated the darkness that once filled my life. Now let me shine for You. Let my life shine brightly in the midst of all the darkness that surrounds me. Thank You for giving me light so that I can see. Help me expose the darkness that fills the world and engulfs so many today. Amen.

God's Power On Display.

Exodus 8-9

I could have killed you all by now. I could have attacked you with a plague that would have wiped you from the face of the earth. But I have let you live for this reason – that you might see my power and that my fame might spread throughout the earth. – Exodus 9:15-16 NLT

Every plague God brought against the nation of Egypt was a display of His power. There were an open attack on the gods of Egypt and a powerful argument for the superiority of God. Chapters eight and nine include the frogs, gnats, flies, pestilence, boils, and hail. Each one was representative of a different Egyptian god or goddess. And Pharaoh and his sorcerers were powerless to stop the attacks. In fact, all they could do was replicate a few of them. Which, when you think about it, is a bit humorous. Here is the nation overrun by frogs, and the best the sorcerers could do was make even more! They even tried to make more gnats (Exodus 8:18), but were unsuccessful. God's power was on display. One plague at a time.

At any time God could have wiped out the entire nation of Egypt. He could have brought a single plague and ended the whole thing. He even said so. "I could have killed you all by now. I could have attacked you with a plague that would have wiped you from the face of the earth" (Exodus 9:15 NLT). God wasn't impotent or at a loss as to what to do. No, He knew exactly what He was doing. God had no desire to wipe out the nation of Egypt. He wanted to display His power. He wanted His reputation to spread throughout all the earth. "But I have let you live for this reason – that you might see my power and that my fame might spread throughout the earth" (Exodus 9:16 NLT). Word was going to get out about this whole affair. Visitors who happened to be in Egypt at the time of these events would eventually return home and tell what they had seen. News of God's attacks on Egypt would spread. Word that He had spared the people of Israel would get around. It wouldn't take long for other nations to hear that this God was a powerful god and He had a chosen people.

Beginning with the fourth plague, God began to exempt His people from the effects of the plagues. The land of Goshen, in which they lived, was spared and their livestock and crops were not impacted by the devastation God brought down on the people of Egypt. God was making a point to the people of Egypt and the children of Israel. There is no god like the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Step by step, plague by plague, He was revealing His power and His authority. Each time Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to give in to the demands of Moses, God had another opportunity to display His power. Not out of anger or vengeance, but as a means to convince men that He was truly God. Over and over again, you read the phrase, "Then you will know that no one is as powerful as the LORD our God" (Exodus 8:10 NLT). That is what God has been out to convince men of since the beginning. There is no one or nothing as powerful as the Lord. He is incomparable, unstoppable, and all-powerful. And today He wants to reveal His power and spread the fame of His name through the lives of His people – the church. He wants His reputation to get around as He works in and through the lives of His children. Yet we refuse to let Him work. We do it all ourselves. Instead of allowing God to display His power in our lives, we live as if there is no God – leaning on our own understanding, depending on our own strength, relying on out own abilities, and turning to the gods of this world to meet our needs and provide us with hope. We are His people. We are His children. He wants to provide for us. He wants to work through us. He wants to reveal His power in us.

Father, I have made You into a weak and impotent God. I claim You are powerful, but I live as though You are not. I don't allow You to display Your power in my life. I tend to try to do it all myself. When You do work, I tend to take the credit. The reputation of Your name should be spreading like wildfire as You work among Your people. But we are a self-sufficient lot. We tend to want to do it all ourselves. And in doing so, we turn up our nose at Your power and settle for lives of mediocrity and weakness. I want to see Your power on display in my life each and every day. I want to recognize Your power already at work in and around my life. I want to spread Your fame throughout the nations as You display Your power on my behalf. Amen.

Showtime!

Exodus 7

By this you shall know that I am the Lord. – Exodus 17:7a NASB

Chapter seven is the beginning of God's miraculous deliverance of His people. He has heard their cries and He is going to intervene on their behalf. His is a well-thought-out, highly orchestrated plan that is designed to illustrate His power and His superiority over the gods of Egypt. After 400 years of living in the land of Egypt, the descendants of Jacob (Israel) have become desensitized and acclimated to the culture in which they had been living. They had taken on the worship of the gods of Egypt and there were a lot of them. While Jacob had been a worshiper of Yahweh, there had been no formalized worship of Him in Egypt, so it had been easy for the people to grow complacent and slowly take on the religious preferences of their hosts. So much of what God is about to do is for their benefit. He tells Moses and Aaron, "But I will harden Pharaoh's heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt" (Exodus 7:3 NASB). The people of God had not seen the hand of God in a long time. They had been living in the land of Egypt for a long time and had lost contact with the God of their father Jacob. But now God was about to reveal Himself in an incredible and unforgettable way. Not only would the Egyptians know that He was the Lord, so would the people of Israel.

God has Moses start out with the "serpent trick" He had shown him in the wilderness. So Aaron throws down his staff and it turns into a serpent. But the sorcerers of Pharaoh take their staffs and do the same thing. They somehow were able to replicate this miracle, only to have their "serpents" consumed by God's "serpent." In spite of this impressive display of God's power and Moses' authority as God's spokesperson, Pharaoh's heart is hardened and he refuses to listen to them - just as God said would happen. So that prepares the stage for the ten plagues. God is going to unleash on the people of Egypt the full brunt of His power in the form of ten miraculous plagues, and every single one of them is a symbol of God's power over the gods of Egypt. The first would be turning the water of the Nile River into blood, destroying all life in it and eliminating the primary source of water for the region. There were at least two gods of the Nile, Hapi, the spirit of the Nile, and Khnum, whose job it was to guard the Nile. Both were no match for God Almighty. In turning the Nile into blood, God effectively destroyed the spirit or life of the Nile. And if any god was guarding the Nile, he failed miserably. This mighty river, upon which thelives of the people of Egypt depended, was rendered useless by God. Not only that, but every reservoir, bucket, bowl, or cistern containing water was impacted by this plague. All water in the land of Egypt was turned to blood. Yet Pharaoh refused to listen to them. He simply went back into his house "with no concern even for this" (Exodus 7:23 NASB).

But God was not done. He would bring more plagues and reveal even more of His power. Each time it would be a statement of His power over the gods of Egypt and a revelation of His power to the people of Israel. He wanted them to be ready to follow Him when the time came. Which makes me think about how much God wants to reveal his power in our lives today and show that He is greater than the gods of our day. He is greater than the god of materialism, greater than the god of popularity and fame, greater than the god of pleasure, greater than the god of finance, greater than the god of power, greater than the god of government, greater than the god of entertainment, greater than the god of intelligence...He is greater than all the things we turn to for help, hope, sustenance, comfort, joy, pleasure, deliverance, etc. And He wants to show us His power. He wants us to know that He is the Lord by allowing Him to work in our lives. And He is working in and around our lives in incredible ways doing miraculous things. But we refuse to see Him or acknowledge His activity. Like Pharaoh, our hearts become hardened and we continue to turn to the gods of our own making. We even attempt to replicate the miracles of God by performing our own cheap imitations of God's power, just like Pharaoh's sorcerers. We save ourselves by turning to our money, by leaning on our intelligence, by trusting in our government, by seeking joy through pleasure and by distracting ourselves through entertainment.

But God wants us to know His power. He wants to reveal Himself as the one and only God in our lives. He is out to convince us that He is the Lord. Are we going to listen?

Father, You are as powerful today as you were all those years ago in Egypt. You are working today just as much as you did then. You are delivering today just like you did in the days of Moses. But we fail to see Your power and we refuse to notice You at work all around us. Open my eyes to that I can see and appreciate Your power. Forgive me for turning to the gods of this world. They cannot satisfy me or save me, yet I keep putting my hope and trust in them. May I learn to seek and see Your power in my life and nothing more. So that I might know that You are the Lord. Amen.

Because I AM – I Will.

Exodus 5-6

Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will free you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with mighty power and great acts of judgment. I will make you my own special people, and I will be your God. And you will know that I am the LORD your God who has rescued you from your slavery in Egypt. – Exodus 6:6-7 NLT

Okay, so things didn't get off on the best note. After Moses breaks the news to the people that they are going to be set free by God and they rejoice and worship, he breaks the news to Pharaoh. The response he got from Pharaoh was slightly different. A resounding, "No way I'm going to let you go. What do you think, I'm crazy or something?" Pharaoh rejected Moses' request and told he and the people to get back to work. The more Moses pushed on the subject, the angrier Pharaoh got, until he began to turn up the heat on them. He demanded they make the bricks for his work projects, but instead of him providing the straw, they would have to get their own. He doubled their daily quota of bricks. He had them beaten and pushed relentlessly. It got so bad that the Hebrew foreman (who were being beaten as well), went to Pharaoh and begged him to relent. He simply told them they were lazy and to get back to work. They had had enough. So the next time they see Moses and Aaron, they give them an earful. "May the LORD judge you for getting us into this terrible situation with Pharaoh and his officials. You have given them an excuse to kill us!" (Exodus 5:21 NLT).

Even Moses couldn't explain this situation. He had come here to set the people of Israel free and things had just gotten worse. So he takes his frustration to the Lord. "Why have you mistreated your own people like this, Lord? Why did you send me? Since I gave Pharaoh your message, he has been even more brutal to your people. You have not even begun to rescue them!" (Exodus 5:22-23 NLT). Moses couldn't understand why things were going so wrong. He wanted to know why God had not done what He said He would do. Moses began to question why he ever agreed to do this job in the first place.

But God was not done. He rarely is. He knew exactly what He was doing. He always does. And He reminds Moses who he is talking to and what He is about to do. "Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will free you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with mighty power and great acts of judgment. I will make you my own special people, and I will be your God. And you will know that I am the LORD your God who has rescued you from your slavery in Egypt. I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It will be your very own property. I am the LORD!’" (Exodus 6:6-8 NLT). God tells Moses to tell the people that their God is Yahweh, the One who will redeem them. He had always been known to them God Almighty (El Shaddai), but now they would know Him in a different way – as their redeemer. He tells Moses to tell the people just exactly what Yahweh is going to do for them:

I will free you

I will redeem you

I will make you My special people

I will be your God

I will bring you into the land

I will give the land to you as a possession

Because He was the great I AM, He was going to do all these things for them. And the result would be that they would know that He was the Lord their God. But the people did not listen to Moses. They were so hung up on the condition of their circumstances that they refused to listen to Moses or believe what he was saying. As far as they were concerned, their God had caused them nothing but trouble. They were worse off ever since Moses came to "deliver" them. But God was about to reveal Himself to the people of Israel. They were going to see Him perform incredible acts on their behalf. He would reveal Himself to them as He acted on their behalf. And He is still doing that today. God wants to reveal Himself in my life and your life each day by acting on our behalf. But like the people of Israel, we refuse to believe it. We look at our circumstances and think there is no way that God can get us out of the mess we're in. We even think He may be the cause of it! But God is the redeemer-God. He is in the redeeming business. He wants to redeem us daily, free us, make us His special people, be our personal, intimate God and fulfill every one of His promises to us. And He will, because He is the great I AM. God is still in the redeeming business.

Father, thank You for redeeming my life from slavery to sin through Jesus Christ, my kinsmen-redeemer. He gave His life so that I might have eternal life and life to the full right now. Help me to see You at work in and around my life today. Help me to trust You and take You at Your word. You keep all Your promises. You will fulfill all Your plans for me. Because You are faithful.  Amen.

That They May Believe.

Exodus 4

"Perform this sign, and they will believe you," the LORD told him. "Then they will realize that the LORD, the God of their ancestors – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob––really has appeared to you." – Exodus 4:5 NLT

The story of Exodus is about redemption – God redeeming His people from slavery and setting them free to serve Him. But it also a story about belief. In it you see the constant battle of belief as the chosen people of God struggle believing in the reality and reliability of God. It is a book filled with signs and wonders, plagues and miracles, incredible events and unexplainable stories of God's intervention in their lives. Yet they refuse to believe. They doubt, fear, grumble, whine, moan, and refuse to do what God tells them to do. Even Moses, the one God chose to lead His people out of captivity struggles with belief. As he debates with God over his role as the great emancipator of the people, Moses tells God, "Look, they won’t believe me! They won’t do what I tell them. They’ll just say, ‘The LORD never appeared to you.’" (Exodus 4:1 NLT). Thus begins Moses' long list of excuses for not doing what God is calling him to do. Moses' real problem is not that the people wont believe him, it is that he is having a hard time believing God. His own doubt is a sign of unbelief. He is basically telling God, "You can't do this!" When he says, "They won't believe me!", he is telling God that this plan of His will not work. But God gives him a sign, and it was a sign that came with a cost or risk to Moses. God turned his wooden staff into a poisonous snake. Then he told Moses to pick it up by the tail, not something anyone who had lived in the desert for long would ever do! But it was that risky step that would cause not only the people to believe, but Moses. Belief is faith in action. It involves a degree of risk.

God gave Moses another sign, He told Moses to put his hand inside his cloak, then remove it. When he did, it came out covered in leprosy. Can you imagine the shock and fear Moses went through. He knew about leprosy and he knew it wasn't good. It never ended well. But God told him to put his hand back in his cloak and when he removed it, it was clean again. God told Moses, "If they do not believe the first miraculous sign, they will believe the second" (Exodus 4:8 NLT). But this sign was really aimed at Moses. He had a personal stake in it. It was designed to help Moses believe. But in spite of what he had just seen, Moses continued to struggle with his unbelief. He uses his own personal flaws as a reason to doubt God. How could God use someone like him, a man who was a lousy public speaker, to be His spokesperson. At first glance, this would appear to be a case of Moses doubting himself, but he is really doubting God. He believes God is limited by his own limitations. That's unbelief. That's doubt. But God tells Moses, "Now go, and do as I have told you. I will help you speak well, and I will tell you what to say" (Exodus 4:12 NLT). Stop doubting and go! God even agrees to give Moses his brother Aaron as his right-hand man and mouthpiece. But he does not let Moses off the hook. He is still going to have to go and do what God has called him to do.

This is going to be a journey of belief and disbelief, trust and doubt, faith and failure, reliance and rebellion. And through it all, God will be revealing Himself in unbelievable ways so that His people will believe in Him. But isn't that the journey of faith we find ourselves on? Every day we are being forced to put our faith to the test. We find ourselves in situations and circumstances where we have to find out what it is we really believe. Do we believe in God or do we believe the lies of the enemy? Will we lean on God or our own limited understanding. When Moses returned to Egypt and gathered the people together, he and Aaron told them what God had said and performed the signs God had given them. The result was that the people believed. "So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD was concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, then they bowed low and worshiped." (Exodus 4:31 NASB). They believed and worshiped. But the next day would bring with it renewed doubt. Their belief was going to be tested. The worth-ship of God was going to come under fire. Could He really be trusted? Was He really worthy of their praise and honor? Today will hold the same thing for you and me today. Will we believe? The truth is, we believe in all kinds of things. We believe sin will bring pleasure. We believe our way is better than God's way. We believe we are smarter than God. We believe we're not usable by God. We believe. But we don't always believe God.

Father, life is all about belief. Will I believe You today? Will I worship You today? In spite of the circumstances and situations I encounter. Will I see You in the midst of all that is going on in my life? Will I believe Your promises and Your Word regardless of what I see happening around me and to me? I want to believe. I want my belief to be more than an intellectual assent. I want it to be real. I want my belief to be in You and not myself or the world around me. Help me learn to believe You as I read through the story of Exodus. Open my eyes. Change my heart. Amen.

What A Coincidence!

Exodus 2-3

Years passed, and the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites still groaned beneath their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their pleas for deliverance rose up to God. God heard their cries and remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. – Exodus 2:23-24 NLT

Chapters two and three are examples of Scripture passages we can read and blow right through them, missing out on all the incredible details of God's sovereignty and power. We read them as stories and marvel at some of the "coincidences" that take place. But we run the risk of missing the picture they present of God's underlying plan of redemption for His people. Nothing is a coincidence. Nothing just happens. It is all part of God's grand plan. If you read verses 23 and 24 of chapter two, you could easily draw the conclusion that God was unaware of their need until they cried out to Him. But if you read between the lines, you see that God was already well aware of what was going on and had already begun putting into place the necessary ingredients for His plan to begin.

An obscure Jewish woman named Jochebed, who happened to be married to a descendant of Levi, has a son. Nothing too spectacular there. It happened all the time in Jewish households. Except for the fact that the Pharaoh had just ordered that every male child born to the Hebrews was to be killed. So Jochebed, a Godly woman, hides her son in a basket lined with pitch and sets him afloat on the river. Interestingly enough, the Hebrew word for "basket" is the same word used when referring to the ark that God used to save the family of Noah (Genesis 6). This defenseless baby, floating alone on the river just happens to wind up right at the foot of the Pharaoh's palace, where the great Egyptian leader's daughter is bathing. She discovers the basket and the child within, immediately recognizes that he is a Hebrew baby, then makes a surprising decision. Rather than turn him over to the authorities for immediate execution, she turns him over to a young Hebrew girl who just happened to be passing by. Miriam takes the baby and gives him back to his mother Jochebed to raise – on the payroll of Pharaoh himself.

Eventually Moses is returned to the Pharaoh's palace and is raised as an Egyptian. In that environment, he receives a great education, military training, and develops leadership skills that will serve him well in the future. Yet his life as an Egyptian ends when he accidently kills another Egyptian while trying to defend one of the Hebrews. News of this crime results in Moses having to run for his life. He goes from prince to murderer to fugitive in a very short period of time. But in his running he ends up in the land of Midian where he meets Jethro, a worshiper of Yahweh. Moses marries one of Jethro's daughters and settles down taking on the life of a shepherd.

It was here that Moses received his call from God. Everything that had happened up until this point had been preparation for this moment. We are told that God heard their cries and remembered His covenant promise. This was not new news to God. He was well aware of their situation and had a plan in place to deal with it. Jochebed was part of that plan. Miriam was part of that plan. Pharaoh's daughter was part of that plan. Pharaoh himself was part of that plan. Jethro was part of that plan. Zipporah was part of that plan. And Moses was part of that plan. God called Moses. He shared His plan with Moses. He revealed Himself to Moses. And He made a promise to Moses that He would use Moses to deliver the People of Israel from captivity and provide for them a land of their own – "a land flowing with milk and honey." A land of abundance and prosperity.

This is not the story of Moses. It is not the story of the people of Israel. It is the story of God. The whole Bible is the story of God. He is the star. The plot revolves around Him. Everyone else is a bit player. Including Pharoah, Jochebed, Amram, Miriam, Pharaoh's daughter, Jethro, Zipporah, and Moses himself. God reveals Himself to Moses as the great I AM. He is essentially telling Moses "I am the One who is." "I am self-existent, not created."  "I am not bound by time." "I am present right now and into the future."  You can see the reality of this all throughout this story. God has been there all along, working behind the scenes. God is not just the God of the future, He is the God of the present and the past. He is timeless. He knew the situation the Hebrews were in long before they cried out. He knew what they would need long before He stepped in to deliver it. He had already begun putting the pieces in place, as far back as Joseph's arrival in Egypt after having been sold into slavery by his own brothers.

So what's the point? This story is about God. Look for him. See what it reveals about Him. Instead of concentrating on the characters in the story, dwell on the character of God.

Father, You are the great I AM. You are, have been , and always will be. You are not limited by time and space. You are timeless, limitless, and your power should leave us speechless. Help me to see You in the story of Exodus. Give me a glimpse of You. May I see the reality of Your redemptive story for mankind in the story of the redemption of Israel. Amen.

The Party's Over.

Exodus 1

They made their lives bitter with hard labour in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labour the Egyptians used them ruthlessly. – Exodus 1:14 NLT

When we last left the family of Jacob (or Israel), they had just moved to the land of Egypt to be with Joseph, Jacob's long-lost son, who was now second-in-command to the Pharaoh himself. When they had arrived on the scene, they were treated well by Pharaoh, as an honor to Joseph. In fact, Pharaoh told Joseph, "Now that your family has joined you here, choose any place you like for them to live. Give them the best land of Egypt––the land of Goshen will be fine. And if any of them have special skills, put them in charge of my livestock, too" (Genesis 47:5-6 NLT). And that's exactly what Joseph did. "So Joseph assigned the best land of Egypt––the land of Rameses––to his father and brothers, just as Pharaoh had commanded" (Genesis 47:11 NLT). When they had arrived there were only 66 of them (not including their wives), but in the years that followed, the family of Joseph would grow. Exodus 1 tells us "But their descendants had many children and grandchildren. In fact, they multiplied so quickly that they soon filled the land" (Exodus 1:7 NLT). God was with them and He was blessing them, in keeping with the covenant He had made with Abraham many years before.

But even in blessing there can be difficulty. In fact, their fruitfulness would lead to conflict with the Egyptians. There was a new Pharaoh in charge now and Moses tells us that he "did not know Joseph." Joseph was dead and this Pharaoh had no recollection of who he was or what he had done to help save the nation of Egypt during the time of famine. All he knew was there were far too many Hebrews living in his land and he was going to do something about it. This is the first in a long and sad line of attempts by men to eradicate the Jewish people from the face of the earth. History is replete with case after case of men trying to wipe out the Hebrew people. Hitler wasn't the first to come up with the idea.

But this conflict was going to set the stage for the rest of the story. God had a plan. And His plan was bigger and greater than that of Pharaoh. The persecutions and pogrom of Pharaoh was not going to get in the way of what God had planned for His chosen people. As a matter of fact, it was going to be the very thing God would use to set His people free. Slavery and persecution would become the backdrop for His plan of redemption for them. But to set them free, they would have to be enslaved. Had they never been persecuted by the Egyptians, the Israelites would never have wanted to leave. They had nothing to go back to. They had no land, no home, no gardens, no farms. They were content living in Egypt. But things were about to change. The situation was about to heat up. Because God had a plan for them. He had a promise He was going to fulfill.

Chapter 1 sets up the great redemptive plan of God for the people of Israel. It is act one in the play that God has written. Things look bleak. It seems as if everything is going wrong for the people of Israel. But we see that God is there. He is blessing them and multiplying them. He is working behind the scenes with the midwives, giving them courage and conviction. And He is getting ready to raise up a deliverer.

Father, thanks for the reminder of Your sovereign plan in the lives of men. I am so short-sighted. I can only see so far, and then I begin to panic, because I don't see You at work all the time. I concentrate on the circumstances and forget that You are working behind the scenes in ways I can't see. Let the story of Exodus remind me once again of Your unstoppable plan. You are in control and I have no reason to fear – even in the face of overwhelming odds and inexplicable circumstances. Amen.

Knowing God Vs. Knowing About God.

Job 41-42

I had heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. – Job 42:5 NLT

This is it. The end of the story of Job. He has suffered much – at the hands of Satan, but also as a result of the words of his friends. But as the book comes to an end, we find Job with his fortunes, family, fellowship, and future restored. God has spoken and condemned Eliphaz and his friends as having spoken our of turn. In fact, God tells them, " you have not been right in what you said about me" (Job 42:7 NLT). He commands them to offer burnt offerings for their sin and to have Job pray for them. If they don't, God would be forced to deal with them according to their folly.

But the most important part of the story of Job seems to be what he learns about his God. After all is said and done, and God has spoken, Job responds:

I'm convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans. You asked, 'Who is this muddying the water, ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?' I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me, made small talk about wonders way over my head. You told me, "Listen, and let me do the talking. Let me ask the questions. You give the answers." I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand – from my own eyes and ears! I'm sorry – forgive me. I'll never do that again, I promise! I'll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor. – Job 42:2-6 MSG

Up until this point, Job's understanding of God was based on what he had heard about God. His was an academic, intellectual understanding of God. And it showed up in his diatribes against God. But now that He had met God face to face, he realized that he was wrong. He confessed, "I was talking about things I did not understand, things far too wonderful for me" (Job 42:3 NLT). He had not had a personal, experiential knowledge of God, but a disconnected, distant, and purely academic understanding. As a result, he spoke of what he did not know. But now, he truly knew God. He had experienced God. He had heard from God. And it changed his view of God.

And isn't that what God is always trying to do – reveal Himself to men? He wants us to know Him, not just know about Him. He wants us to experience Him – in all His power, mercy, grace, and love. That is why He sent His Son – as a living revelation of God on earth in the form of a man. In Jesus, we see the character of God come alive – up close and personal. "For in Christ the fullness of God lives in a human body" (Colossians 2:9 NLT). "For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ" (Colossians 1:19 NLT).

God wants us to know Him, not just know about Him. Yet, for too many of us, our knowledge of God is what we have heard, read, or assumed. Our understanding of God is limited to what we have been taught or told. It lacks the personal, experiential touch. Our God ends up being distant and, at times, a little difficult to know. But God wants us to know Him. He wants us to see Him in our everyday life. Over in Psalm 46:10, He tells the Psalmist, "Stop your striving and recognize that I am God!" (Psalm 46:10 NET). That word "recognize" means to know, realize, see, find out, discern, or to know by experience. God wants us to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that He truly is who He says He is. He wants us to know by experience that He is God. It is in the daily experiences of life that God wants to reveal Himself. In our trials and difficulties. In those impossible situations that come our way. In our relationships, finances, health, homes, workplaces, and the moments of doubt and fear. Job didn't come to know God because God blessed him. That didn't take place until later. Job came to know God when he actually heard from God. God spoke to Him. God revealed the truth about Himself. He gave Job a glimpse of His power and majesty by comparing Himself to His own creation. The interesting thing is, He never gave Job an explanation of what had happened. He never defended Himself to Job. He didn't have to. He was God. He simply reminded Job who it was he was complaining to. He reminded Job of His power and sovereign will. God doesn't owe us an explanation, but we owe Him our reverence and respect. He doesn't have to defend or explain Himself to us. He simply reveals Himself to us in His Word and through His Son. That's enough. And as a result, like Job, we should say, "I was talking about things I did not understand, things far too wonderful for me" (Job 42:3 NLT).

Father, You are too wonderful. You are too much for my small brain to understand. Yet You reveal Yourself to me every day through Your Word. I can learn about You and I can experience You in my daily life. I can see You at work, if I just stop striving long enough to catch a glimpse of You. Thank You for showing Yourself to me in my circumstances. Give me an increasing ability to see You more and more clearly with each passing day. Amen.

Don't Criticize What You Don't Understand.

Job 38-40

Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers? – Job 40:2 NLT

God finally speaks. Job has heard from his three friends and Elihu, the young, arrogant upstart. But now he hears from the only one who matters. God Himself. And God's response if full of not-so-subtle sarcasm. Over and over again He questions Job. He starts out His response to Job by saying, "Brace yourself, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them" (Job 38:3 NLT). God tells Job to brace himself like a man because He has a few questions for him. "Who are you...?" "Where were you when..." "Have you ever...?" "Can you...?" "Do you know...?"

At one point, God's sarcasm comes out. He says, "But of course you know all this! For you were born before it was all created, and you are so very experienced!" (Job 38:21 NLT). God is questioning Job's right to question Him. Who is Job, a mere man, to question the intentions of a holy, righteous, powerful, world-creating God? Job can't answer a single one of God's questions and he knows it. When given a chance to respond, all he can say is, "I am nothing––how could I ever find the answers? I will put my hand over my mouth in silence. I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say" (Job 40:4-5 NLT). Good answer, Job! You're learning. The moment Job has been waiting for has finally come. His chance to defend himself before God. And all he can do is put his hand over his mouth. He knows he has nothing to say in response to God Almighty.

Once again, God commands Job to gut it up and prepare himself to answer a few questions. And the first one is, "Are you going to discredit my justice and condemn me so you can say you are right?" (Job 40:8 NLT). God seems to be accusing Job of doing the same thing his friends had done to him. In his effort to defend his innocence, he had overextended his understanding of what his suffering was all about. He knew it wasn't about something he had done wrong, so that left him to make false assumptions about the justice of God. He questioned God's goodness and righteousness. Job's perception was limited. His understanding was incomplete. He could not understand all that was going on behind the scenes. He was jumping to conclusions based on circumstances just like his friends had done. And God makes it perfectly clear that Job is just a man.

All right then, put on your robes of state, your majesty and splendor. Give vent to your anger. Let it overflow against the proud. Humiliate the proud with a glance; walk on the wicked where they stand. Bury them in the dust. Imprison them in the world of the dead. Then even I would praise you, for your own strength would save you.  – Job 40:10-14 NLT

Job is NOT God. That seems to be God's main point. Job is just a man. So am I. And I need to remember that. I don't have the strength, power, majesty, holiness, wisdom, judgment, or justice of God. If I did, I could save myself. But the sad thing is, I live as if I do have all those things and I DO try to save myself on a regular basis. But it never works. Because I AM NOT GOD! There is only one God and I will never understand or fully comprehend Him. I do not know His ways. I cannot explain His actions. I have no way of understanding why He does what He does. And He does not have to explain Himself to me. God seems to be trying to get Job to understand who it is he is talking to. God doesn't necessarily condemn Job for his words, but He does blast him for making wrong assumptions about Him based on ignorance or arrogance. Before we condemn God, we should take some time to remind ourselves just who it is we are condemning. He can handle our questions, but He wants us to bring them to Him in fear and respect. We do not have a peer-to-peer relationship with God. We are not His equals. Just because we can come into His presence, does not mean we can do so flippantly or cavalierly. He is still God. And He still deserves our honor and respect.

Father, too often I come to you in anger, demanding answers. I forget just who it is I am talking to. But the amazing thing is, You don't just blow me away. You actually listen to me. But You do want me to treat You with the dignity and honor You deserve. Forgive me for my disrespect. You are God and I am just a man. I don't understand Your ways. I can't see what You see. I can't comprehend what You are doing behind the scenes. But I can know that You are powerful, mighty, just, righteous, and always in control. Let me place my hand over my mouth before I would ever try to answer You without stopping first to remember just who You are. Amen.

The Wisest Thing You've Said So Far.

Job 36-37

Therefore men fear Him; He does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit. – Job 37:24 ESV

OK, I've officially had enough of Elihu. He is a highly eloquent, but loquacious young man who just doesn't know when to shut up. While he has a lot of wonderful things to say about God in these two chapters, he still will not relent in his attacks on Job. He accuses Job of wickedness and assures him that he is suffering at the hand of God for his sinful actions. He tells Job to repent of his sins and all will go well with him. "If they listen and obey God, then they will be blessed with prosperity throughout their lives. All their years will be pleasant" (Job 36:11 NLT). Elihu's is a simple and simplistic view of God. He keeps talking about the majesty and incomprehensibility of God, yet he seems to have God boxed in and figured out. He alone knows the ways of God. He even brags that he speaks on behalf of God. "Be patient with me a little longer and I will instruct you, for I still have words to speak on God’s behalf" (Job 36:2 NET). He even brags that his wisdom is perfect and complete. "For in truth, my words are not false; it is one complete in knowledge who is with you" (Job 36:4 NET). But the wisest and most accurate thing Elihu says is found in the last thing he says. "Therefore men fear Him; He does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit" (Job 37:24 ESV).

If only Elihu would listen to his own counsel. Here is a young man who is wise in his own conceit. Not only does he have Job figured out, he has a handle on God as well. For all his spouting about God's majesty and power, his god is really a small, petty, vengeful and reactionary god. But his god is not the God of the Bible. He doesn't know or understand the ways of God. None of us do. Just about the time we think we have Him figured out, He surprises us. We will never know His ways. We can never predict His actions. But we can rest assured in His character. He is a loving God. He is a holy God. He is a righteous God. He is a God of judgment. But He is also a God of mercy. Where we get into trouble is when we start trying to determine what He is doing in the world or in the lives of those we know. We can jump to wrong conclusions and assume things like the earthquakes in Haiti or Chile were to punish them for their sins. We don't know that. We can't assume that. We cannot claim that. Because we do NOT know. Rather than try to figure out the why, we need to ask God what and how. What does He want us to do about it? How does He want us to react to it? We know God has a purpose. We know He has a plan. Our job is not to try and figure out the cause of what has happened, but to reach out in love and compassion to those who are caught in the midst of it.

I have no problem with Job's friends pointing out that Job MIGHT have sinned and that his suffering is a result of that sin. But once Job denied it, they needed to move on and help Job seek God in the midst of it all. They needed to point Job back to God and keep him focused on the mercy and love of God. We need to do the same with those in our lives. We need to do the same with ourselves as we go through difficult times. Instead of looking for the reason behind what we are going through, we need to look for the God who is ultimately in charge of all that goes on in the world. We need to ask Him to examine our hearts, expose anything that needs exposing, but more importantly, open our eyes so that we might better see Him.

Father, help us to look for you in any and all circumstances. Not as our judge or executioner, but as a loving Father who has nothing but our best interest at heart. Help us to focus on You and not the circumstance. Help us to see You instead of searching for explanations. May we learn to be true friends and godly counselors to those you bring in our paths. Amen.

It Is A Tale … Full Of Sound and Fury; Signifying Nothing.

Job 34-35

Job is an ignoramus. He talks utter nonsense. Job, you need to be pushed to the wall and called to account for wickedly talking back to God the way you have. – Job 35:35-36 MSG

Elihu is a bag of wind. He loves to hear himself talk. He is in love with the sound of his own voice. He goes on and on, spouting his words of wisdom, but never really saying anything of substance. Amazingly, he accuses Job of talking utter nonsense. He claims that Job speaks without knowledge or insight, and he opens his mouth in empty talk. But in reality, Elihu is the one who is saying much without saying anything. He is so convinced he is right that he even gets vindictive and hateful toward Job, wishing him harm and not good.

I think we all could learn a lot from Elihu, not so much from what he says, but how he says it. In his pride and arrogance, this young man cares more about being right than being showing love to someone who is hurting. He takes it upon himself to defend God, when God needs no defense. He speaks for God when he has no clue what God is doing or thinking. But I can do the same thing. It is too easy to jump to conclusions regarding situations and circumstances, and make determinations that are neither correct or corrective. We judge too quickly and condemn too easily. Sometimes our declarations of guilt have less to do with the facts than wishful thinking. I have no doubt that there were those who took a perverse sort of pleasure in Job's demise. They had watched him prosper and succeed, all the while harboring jealous feelings toward him. Now that he had taken a tumble, it was easy to dog-pile Job and relish in his apparent sinfulness. They say if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. That's probably exactly what Job's friends were thinking about him. And sometimes we can harbor the same feelings towards those in our sphere of influence who we have watched suddenly fall from grace. Sure, we tell them we are praying for them, while all the while finding their demise somewhat enjoyable. We find pleasure in helping point out their apparent sin. We want to expose their failings. We want to remind them that they are far from perfect. All because if we can find fault in others, it usually makes us feel better about ourselves.

But what Job needed was encouragement. He needed reassurance and comfort. He needed to know that God loved him and had not abandoned him. He needed the calming presence of friends, not the harsh criticism of fair-weather friends. So when we encounter friends who are going through difficult times, will we offer them a tale ... full of sound and fury, signifying nothing? Or will we offer them our unconditional love and unwavering support?

Father, it's easy for me to condemn Elihu, but it's also easy for me to be just like him. Open my eyes and help me see any similarities and confess them to you. Silence really is golden. There are times when saying nothing can speak volumes. Give me the wisdom and discernment to know when to speak up and when to shut up. But whenever anyone I know is going through difficulty, always help me to show up. Amen.

When Know-it-alls Tell It All.

Job 32-33

It is not only the old who are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right. Therefore I say: Listen to me; I too will tell you what I know. – Job 32:9-10 NIV

Someone once asked the question, "Why does youth have to be wasted on the young?" This somewhat sarcastic and tongue-in-cheek statement, made by an obviously older person, reflects an understanding about the abundance of energy and vitality that come with youth, but the wisdom that often seems to be lacking. In today's reading in chapters 32 and 33 of Job, we get an up-close-and-personal glimpse into just what this looks like in the life of Elihu. This young man, full of vitality and energy, has been biding his time and biting his tongue, waiting for a chance to speak his mind. And once he opens his mouth, what comes out is not exactly flattering. Like Job's three other friends, Elihu is well-intentioned but poorly informed. He is so ready to share his wisdom with Job, he is about to explode. "I am like a wine cask without a vent. My words are ready to burst out! I must speak to find relief, so let me give my answers: (Job 32:19-20 NLT). Elihu is like a volcano ready to explode. That should have been his first sign to take a deep breath and keep his words to himself. It reminds me of the warning of James: "My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry" (James 1:19 NLT). The Proverbs have a lot to say about choosing our words carefully and using them sparingly: "When words abound, transgression is inevitable, but the one who restrains his words is wise" (Proverbs 10:19 NET). "The truly wise person restrains his words, and the one who stays calm is discerning" (Proverbs 17:27 NET).

Elihu seems to have had a problem with restraint. He also suffered from a bad case of ego. I am amazed at how often he speaks of himself. His use of the personal pronoun has got to be an Olympic record. I lost track after 40. Elihu comes across as an arrogant and prideful young man who appears short on discernment. He has a lot of the characteristics of the fool described in the Proverbs:

The wise person accepts instructions, but the one who speaks foolishness will come to ruin. – Proverbs 10:8 NET

Those who are wise store up knowledge, but foolish speech leads to imminent destruction. – Proverbs 10:14 NET

The teaching of the righteous feeds many, but fools die for lack of wisdom. – Proverbs 10:21 NET

Elihu seems to think that because he was made by God, he was qualified to speak for God. "I speak with all sincerity; I speak the truth. For the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life" (Job 33:3-4 NLT). That is a dangerous assumption for anyone to make. I can speak sincerely, but be sincerely wrong. I can speak what I think is the truth, but be flatly false in both my conclusions and my words.

Elihu's pride are painfully apparent in the closing verses of chapter 33: "Pay attention, O Job, listen to me; Keep silent, and let me speak. Then if you have anything to say, answer me; Speak, for I desire to justify you. If not, listen to me; Keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom" (Job 33:31-33 NASB). WOW! The boldness of Elihu is amazing. I get embarrassed for him just reading his words. They come across as so pompous and arrogant it's almost unbelievable. But then I have to think how many times I have probably come across the same way. Even in my "advanced" years. Elihu was right in one respect, wisdom doesn't necessarily come with age. It comes from God. And it begins with a fear of God. "Fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. Only fools despise wisdom and discipline" (Proverbs 1:7 NLT). As I grow in my knowledge of God, I will grow in wisdom and discernment. I will increase in knowledge as well as discretion. I will seek to be wise, but not just in my own eyes. I will seek to be righteous, not just right. I will learn what it means to speak words of comfort, not just correction. I will have the heart of God, not just the words of God.

Father, before I attempt to speak for You, let me get to know You better. Help me bridle my tongue and limit my speech unless I know I have heard from You. Don't let me assume I have the answers just because I have Your Spirit living within me. I know how easy it is to let my pride take precedence. I can speak my own words and fool myself into believing they are from You. And I end up doing more harm than good. So keep a watch over my mouth. Help me be quick to listen and slow to speak. And when I do speak, may I speak for you but because of You. Amen.

What If?

Job 30-31

Isn't God looking, observing how I live? Doesn't he mark every step I take? – Job 31:4 MSG

What if I were in Job's shoes? What if I found myself in a similar situation? Could I respond the way Job did? Would I be able to claim my innocence with unwavering confidence? No, I would probably be able to come to come up with more than a handful of reasons for why I was going through what I was going through. I could find plenty of things for which I was guilty and deserving of some kind of punishment. But not Job. Just take a look at his speech in chapter 31. Job continues to claim his innocence, and he does it by giving a list of possible options for sins that might result in the kind of suffering he is enduring.

If I have stolen...

If I have coveted...

If I have lusted...

If I have taken advantage of...

If I have been selfish and unmerciful...

If I have not been generous...

If I have showed no compassion...

If I have abused the defenseless...

If I have been greedy...

If I have made prosperity my god...

If I have enjoyed watching others fail...

If I have not shared with those in need...

If I have tried to hid my sins...

If Job had done any of these things, he would have understood why he was suffering. But he stood before God and men as innocent. Could I say the same thing? No, I'm afraid not. I would be guilty. In fact, I would never have played the "What if" game that Job played. Too dangerous. Too risky. Too condemning. I have done all of those things and more. I know it and God knows it. Because, just as Job stated in his rhetorical question at the beginning of his little speech, "Isn't God looking, observing how I live? Doesn't he mark every step I take?" (Job 31:4 MSG). God knew every detail of Job's life and He knows every detail of my life. But what is amazing for us as believers is that we get to stand before God as righteous – justified and pure – all because of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. God looks at me through the blood of His Son and sees me as righteousness. I have had Christ's righteousness imputed to my account. He sees me as guiltless and therefore, He does not condemn me. I am positionally righteous. But we both know I still sin. Which is why I am called to become progressively righteous. Paul commands us to "lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God" (Ephesians 4:1 NLT). In Colossians he tells us, "So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, [act] like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ--that's where the action is. See things from his perspective. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your [real] life--even though invisible to spectators--is with Christ in God. [He] is your life" (Colossians 3:1-3 MSG).

Yes, God is watching us. But He is also indwelling us and empowering us. He is providing us with all we need to live the life of righteousness to which we have been called. Peter reminds us, "Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received!" (2 Peter 31:3 MSG). We have all we need to live a life of righteousness. And even when we fail and fall, which we will, we have the right to bring our sins before the throne of God and confess them. And "if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong" (1 John 1:9 NLT). So in actuality we can stand before God just as Job did and say, "If I..." The key is confession and repentance. Our sins have been paid for in full on the cross. There is no more punishment for sin. We confess our sins not so we can incur God's wrath and judgment, but so that He can cleanse us and make us more into the likeness of His Son. He progressively makes us more righteous. Over in 1 Peter 1:16, we are told by God to "Be holy, because I am holy." God is not telling us to become something new. He is not telling us to change who we are. He is telling us to become what we already are – holy, set apart, and uniquely His. Peter tells us, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:10 NIV). We are to live like what we are. We have the power within us to change everything about us. So that we can actually stand before God and say, "If I..."

Father, thank You for the indwelling presence of Your Holy Spirit. If I did not have Him living in me I would have no hope. I would be sin-riddled and guilty as charged – with no hope for ever standing before You as righteous. But because of what Jesus did on the cross, I have a new power within me that allows me to recognize my sin and then confess it to You so that You can cleanse me from it. So as I confess those sins, I can stand before You as Job did and claim my innocence. That is amazing! Amen.

An "I" Exam.

Job 28-29

But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding? – Job 28:21 NLT

Chapters 28 and 29 are an interesting contrast. Both are the words of Job, but they reflect two extremely different views or outlooks. In chapter 28, Job asks and answers the question, "Do people know where to find wisdom?" We may be able to mine precious metals from the depths of the earth, but we don't have the foggiest idea where to find wisdom. It eludes us and remains a mystery to us no matter how hard we search for it. But "God surely knows where it can be found, for he looks throughout the whole earth, under all the heavens. He made the winds blow and determined how much rain should fall. He made the laws of the rain and prepared a path for the lightning. Then, when he had done all this, he saw wisdom and measured it. He established it and examined it thoroughly. And this is what he says to all humanity: 'The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding'" (Job 28:23-28 NLT). God knows where wisdom can be found, because He is its source. And when we begin fear of Him is when we will find wisdom. Solomon put it this way: "Fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. Only fools despise wisdom and discipline" (Proverbs 1;& NLT). The problem that Job and his friends faced was a lack of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of the ways of God. None of them truly understood what was going on. They could only guess as to what was the cause of Jobs distress. Job's friends blamed it on some hidden sin in his life. Job blamed it on God's abandonment of him. But they lacked wisdom. Job seemed to know that, which is what is reflected in his speech in chapter 28. He seemed to know that the fear of God is where he would find wisdom.

But then there's chapter 29. In this speech Job suddenly reflects a perspective that many of us have. He took his eyes off of God and focused on himself. Depending on the translation you are reading, there are upwards of 40 uses of the personal pronouns "I," "me," or "my" in the speech. Job develops a serious "I" problem. He can't keep his eyes off of himself and his problem. He dwells on the past. He focuses on the way things were. He recalls how good he used to have it. He sort of brags about all his accomplishments. He longs for things to go back to the way they were. Now, I don't particularly blame him, but he seems to lose his fear of the Lord. Like his friends, he starts to make some unwise conclusions. His speech wrongly infers that God is no longer watching over him. He seems to believe that God is no longer his friend and that God is no longer with him. All based on his circumstances. He still maintains his innocence, but he blames his condition on God because He had abandoned him.

Job wanted his honor back. He wanted to be respected once again. He wanted to be remembered for all the good he used to do. He missed the respect he used to garner for all his good deeds and acts of kindness. There's no doubt that Job had lost a lot. And I don't blame him for wanting things to be the way they used to be. But when he turned his attention to himself, he lost his focus on God. Reminiscing was not going to change anything and it was not going to provide him with any answers to his questions or comfort for his pain. That would only come as he turned his attention to God. He alone had he answers Job was looking for. He alone could provide the comfort Job was seeking. Whenever we get myopic and focus on ourselves, we lose sight of God. Turn to Him. Fear Him. Seek Him. "For the LORD grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of good sense to the godly. He is their shield, protecting those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of justice and protects those who are faithful to him. Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will know how to find the right course of action every time. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy" (Proverbs 2:6-10 NLT).

Father, I want and need wisdom. But I tend to seek it in all the wrong places. I look to myself and I look to others. Instead I need to seek it in You. I need to fear You. Not in a timid, cowering way, but out of awe, reverence and respect for Your power, majesty, and holiness. Rather than question You, I need to learn to trust You. Rather than whine and moan at You, I need to learn to thank You for the fact that You are in control of my life and my future. Help me get my focus off of me and put it on You. Because You alone grant wisdom. Amen.

Too Vast To Grasp.

Job 26-27

See, these are only the outskirts of his ways; and how small is that which comes to our ears about him! But the thunder of his acts of power is outside all knowledge. – Job 26:14 BBE

God knows things we don't know. His knowledge is far beyond anything we can comprehend. Just take a look at some of the Hubble Telescope images of the universe and the scope and size of God's knowledge starts to become clear. Job seemed to know that without having ever seen what we have seen.

By his hand the north is stretched out in space, and the earth is hanging on nothing. By him the waters are shut up in his thick clouds, and the cloud does not give way under them. By him the face of his high seat is veiled, and his cloud stretched out over it. By him a circle is marked out on the face of the waters, to the limits of the light and the dark. – Job 26:7-10 BBE

Job tells his friends that while they seem to be speaking for God, they have no clue what God knows. They are presumptuous to think that they have figured out the ways of God. They make assumptions about Job's guilt as if they know for sure what has taken place. But they don't know. Only God does. We can't understand the ways of God. Our understanding is limited. We can't fully comprehend or explain what God does or why He does it. And He does not explain Himself to us. For Job, all he could rest on was his integrity. He stood firm on his innocence. "Let it be far from me! I will certainly not say that you are right! I will come to death before I give up my righteousness. I will keep it safe, and will not let it go: my heart has nothing to say against any part of my life" (Job 27:5-6 BBE). Job didn't understand why he was suffering. He couldn't explain it. All he knew was that he had done nothing wrong to deserve it. At the end of the day, all we can know about God is what He chooses to reveal about Himself to us. We see His aspects of His power and creativity in nature and within the world around us, but we can't fully comprehend how it all works. We can look into the design of the human cell and appreciate its intricacy and complexity, but we can't explain how God made it. There is so much about God that we don't understand. But we do know that He is powerful. We do know that He is loving. We do know that He is sovereign, and righteous, and just, and always watching. Job knew these things and he rested in them. Knowing these things did not stop his pain or eliminate his suffering, but it gave him some sense of hope in the midst of it all. Job's approach to his situation is similar to that of the Psalmist.

I said to myself, “I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say. I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me.” But as I stood there in silence — not even speaking of good things — the turmoil within me grew worse. The more I thought about it, the hotter I got, igniting a fire of words: “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered — how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you." – Psalms 39:1-7 NLT

My only hope is in You. Is God where you put your hope? Is He the first place you turn to in times of trouble? There is much about life we will never understand, but we can know that God is faithful, just, righteous, merciful, powerful, and completely in control of any and all circumstances. We can trust Him.

Father, I want to trust You, but I struggle so often with wanting to understand first. I want to have everything explained to me, THEN I'll trust You. But You don't explain Yourself to me. You don't justify Your actions to me. Part of trusting You is learning to rely on You even thought I don't understand You. You've never proven Yourself untrustworthy Lord. So I'm not sure why I struggle so much with trust. But thank You for your patience. Thank You for Your love. Thank You for Your faithfulness. Amen.

Life Is Not Fair.

Job 24-25

From the city the dying groan, and the wounded cry out for help, but God charges no one with wrongdoing. – Job 24:9-12 NET

The world we live in is anything but fair. Every day, people suffer injustices of all kinds. Children are born into families where they are unloved and abused. The powerful take advantage of the weak and defenseless. Corrupt governments deny the rights of their citizens. Individuals harm one another. People who have worked all their lives and saved to provide themselves with a decent retirement income, lose it all as the result of unethical corporate executives and greedy lenders. The same was true in Job's day. In spite of his friends' assertions that the wicked always face justice at the hand of God, Job argues that this isn't necessarily so. Plenty of people in Job's day seemed to walk away without a scratch in spite of their unethical and immoral behavior. "There are people out there getting by with murder--stealing and lying and cheating. They rip off the poor and exploit the unfortunate, push the helpless into the ditch, bully the weak so that they fear for their lives. The poor, like stray dogs and cats, scavenge for food in back alleys. They sort through the garbage of the rich, eke out survival on handouts. Homeless, they shiver through cold nights on the street; they've no place to lay their heads" (Job 24:2-7 MSG). This is reality. This is life in a fallen world.

It was true in Job's day and it is true in ours. Job asks the obvious question: "Why doesn’t the Almighty open the court and bring judgment? Why must the godly wait for him in vain?" (Job 24:1 NLT). There are times we ask the same question. Why doesn't God step in and do something. When we read news stories of abuse, neglect, corruption, murder, hatred and bigotry, we want to know where God is and why He isn't doing something about it all. The truth is that the wicked don't always suffer. Sometimes they actually get away with their actions and profit from their behavior. The innocent suffer while the wicked prosper. It happens all the time. We don't like it. And we can't explain it. And the fact is, God doesn't seem to feel obligated to provide us with an explanation. But Job finds comfort in knowing that in the end, God will deal with all those who practice ungodliness. "But God drags away the mighty by his power; though they become established, they have no assurance of life. He may let them rest in a feeling of security, but his eyes are on their ways. For a little while they are exalted, and then they are gone; they are brought low and gathered up like all others; they are cut off like ears of corn" (Job 24:22-24 NIV). His eyes are on their ways. He is watching them. He is not asleep or indifferent. God has His eye on them. And He will act – in His own good time. In the meantime, the righteous will suffer and the wicked will prosper. Christians will face persecution and even death at the hands of malicious governments. Innocent women and children will be sold into slavery or used to feed the insatiable desires of the world's burgeoning sex trade. It's unfair. It's immoral. It's offensive and reprehensible. But it does not mean God is out of control or lacking in interest. He is fully aware of what is going on. And one day, He will act. We can rest assured.

But GOD hasn't moved to the mountains; his holy address hasn't changed. He's in charge, as always, his eyes taking everything in, his eyelids unblinking, examining Adam's unruly brood inside and out, not missing a thing. He tests the good and the bad alike; if anyone cheats, God's outraged. Fail the test and you're out, out in a hail of firestones, drinking from a canteen filled with hot desert wind. GOD's business is putting things right; he loves getting the lines straight, setting us straight. Once we're standing tall, we can look him straight in the eye. – Psalm 11:4-7 MSG

Father, You see all. And You are just. One day You will make all things right. Give us patience to wait for Your perfect timing. In the meantime help us to be salt and light in the midst of a dark world. May we bring refreshment and hope to the thirsty and the hopeless. Life is not fair, but our God is just, righteous, and He will act. Amen.

He Sees Me.

Job 22-23

I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I turn to the south, but I cannot find him. But he knows where I am going. And when he has tested me like gold in a fire, he will pronounce me innocent. For I have stayed in God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside. – Job 23:9-11 NLT

Let's face it. We can't always understand what God is doing. His ways are sometimes mysterious and even frustrating. Like Job, we look for Him, but can't seem to find Him anywhere. It is as if He is hidden from our sight. But Job makes a profound statement that should bring us assurance and comfort: "He knows where I am going." One commentator says that this phrase could be translated, "He knows where to look for me." Either way, it reveals the idea that God knows exactly what is going on in my life. He hasn't lost sight of me for one moment. He doesn't get distracted and turn His back on me, only to turn around and find Himself shocked at some unexpected change in my circumstances. No, God knows right where I am. In fact, He knows right where I'm going. He has a plan for my life and that plan includes what I am going through at the moment – even if it is something I don't particularly enjoy or understand.

Job continues to claim his innocence. He declares that he has remained faithful to God and has treasured His words. But then Job states, "Nevertheless, his mind concerning me remains unchanged, and who can turn him from his purposes? Whatever he wants to do, he does. So he will do for me all he has planned. He controls my destiny" (Job 23:13-14 NLT). Job seems to understand that this is not all about his guilt or innocence. It is about the sovereign will of God for his life. God controls his destiny. What He has set out to do, He will do. Nothing Job does will change that. You can detect a little frustration in Job's statement, and I don't blame him. I have been there more often than I would care to admit. I have found myself frustrated by God's plan for my life. Like Job, I know God is in control, and so I get frustrated that He can't come up with a better scenario for my life than the one He has chosen. Sure, I know I contribute to my own problems by bad decisions and outright sin, but sometimes it just seems like things get all screwed up and I didn't particularly do anything to "deserve" it. But that's when I have to remind myself that God's ways are perfect. And His love for me is perfect. He has my best in store for me. I am His child. He is my Father. And I can trust Him.

There are going to be days of darkness. Difficulties will come. Job knew that. In fact, he was in the middle of it. "Darkness is all around me; thick, impenetrable darkness is everywhere" (Job 23:17 NLT). He couldn't see his hand in front of his face. He couldn't see his God either. But he knew that God was in control. That was his hope in the midst of his hopelessness. And it should be ours as well. Our God is both powerful and merciful. And He sees us. Not only that, He loves us, and we are safely in His plan for us – no matter how the circumstances may appear.

Father, Your plan for me is perfect, but sometimes it is so hard to see, let alone understand. I feel like you are not there sometimes. I feel like I can't find you. But You remind me that You can always see me. You never take Your eyes off of me. You hold me in the palm of Your hand. You love me and are looking out for me. Help me see You in the midst of my trials. Help me trust You in the middle of my scariest moments. I know you don't have to explain Your ways to me, but help me to trust them. Amen.

I Beg To Differ!

Job 20-21

The truth is that the wicked live to a good old age. They grow old and wealthy. They live to see their children grow to maturity, and they enjoy their grandchildren. Their homes are safe from every fear, and God does not punish them. – Job 21:7-9 NLT

Job's friends have a theology of consequences. Their arguments are based on their belief that Job's circumstances are the obvious result of his sinful behavior. He is suffering the consequences of a life lived in sin. They take a look at his life and conclude that God must be punishing him. All of their speeches are based on this assumption. And the truth is, we can easily find ourselves doing the same thing. When we see someone suffering, we can easily jump to the conclusion that they have done something wrong and are being punished by God in some way. Many of us have the same you-reap-what-you-sow mentality. It creeps into our thinking and influences our views on life. For instance, if something negative happens in our day, we can quickly find ourselves asking the question, "What did I do wrong?" We can easily assume that we are suffering the consequences for some past action or thought. God must be punishing us for something we've done. And, if we're not careful, we can just as easily view the sufferings or trials of others in the same way.

But Job points a very logical argument against this sin-has-consequences theology. He asks his accusers to take a look at the world around them and explain why it is that most wicked people don't ever suffer the way Job has. In fact, they seem to thrive. Job points out that they tend to grow old and rich, and their kids grow up to enjoy the wealth they leave behind. From all appearances, there doesn't seem to be any punishment from God on their lives. In spite of the fact that they tell God, "Go away. We want no part of you and your ways. Who is the Almighty, and why should we obey him? What good will it do us if we pray?" (Job 21:14-15 (NLT). These people don't fear and respect God, but they don't seem to suffer for it. Job knows his accusers well. He answers their objection before they have a chance. He knows they will say that while the wicked may not suffer in this life, their children will. God will punish their children for their sinful lives. But Job responds, "‘Well,’ you say, ‘at least God will punish their children!’ But I say that God should punish the ones who sin, not their children! Let them feel their own penalty" (Job 21:19-20 NLT).

You see, Job understood that life is not always easily explainable. We don't know why some suffer and others do not. We don't know why a massive earthquake strikes the island of Haiti and nowhere else. Sure, we can explain it geologically, but not theologically. We don't know why one person suffers from cancer while another doesn't. We don't know why one couple loses their child in a car accident while another's grows up and lives a long life. There are things we do not know. There are mysteries to life that we can't explain. That is where faith comes in. That is where trust in a holy, mighty, all-knowing God comes in. Rather than turning to our conclusions, we must turn to Him. Even God Himself reminds us, "My thoughts are completely different from yours," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT). Job even asks his friends the question, "But who can teach a lesson to God, the supreme Judge?" (Job 21:22 NLT). Can we tell God how to run the world? Can we make assumptions about how God works? Can we judge based on circumstances and build an entire theology about God? We can, but we probably shouldn't. Because we don't know. And neither did Job's friends. So rather than jump to conclusions about Job's guilt, they should have stood by his side offering words of support, encouraging him to trust God, whether he ever understood what was going on or not. Because God's ways are far beyond anything any of us could ever understand. But He can always be trusted.

Father, forgive me for reaching conclusion about You that are based solely on conjecture and poor conclusions based on consequences and nothing more. You are inexplicable and Your ways are always unquestionably right and good. Help me to look for You in any and all circumstances of life. Help me to see the good You are bringing about in my life and the lives of others – in spite of what I may see initially. Your ways are not my ways. Your plans are beyond me knowing and understanding, but they are always right and true. Thank You for that reminder and assurance. Amen.

My Redeemer iLves!

Job 18-19

But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he will stand upon the earth at last. – Job 18:25 NLT

What an incredible statement in the middle of incredibly difficult circumstances. Job is suffering inexplicably and unexpectedly. He is being relentlessly attacked and accused by his friends for his apparent wickedness. But in the midst of it all, he cries out, "I know that my Redeemer lives!" What is he saying? At the least, he is expressing belief in a God who will one day vindicate him and prove him as being innocent. It will be proved that his sufferings are not the result of sin and are not some form of divine punishment for wrongs done. Job knows that he will be redeemed in the end. He may die, but he will stand before the Lord with a new body and innocent of any wrong-doing. The word Job uses for "Redeemer" isגָּאַל (ga’al, “to redeem, protect, vindicate”). Listen to what the Net Bible study notes have to say about this rich word: "The word is well-known in the OT because of its identification as the kinsman-redeemer (see the Book of Ruth). This is the near kinsman who will pay off one’s debts, defend the family, avenge a killing, marry the widow of the deceased. The word 'redeemer' evokes the wrong connotation for people familiar with the NT alone; a translation of 'Vindicator' would capture the idea more. The concept might include the description of the mediator already introduced in Job 16:19, but surely here Job is thinking of God as his vindicator. The interesting point to be stressed here is that Job has said clearly that he sees no vindication in this life, that he is going to die. But he knows he will be vindicated, and even though he will die, his vindicator lives. The dilemma remains though: his distress lay in God’s hiding his face from him, and his vindication lay only in beholding God in peace."

In the face of the unrelenting onslaught of his friends' accusations, Job is anxious for someone to vindicate him (to clear, as from an accusation, imputation, suspicion, or the like: to vindicate someone's honor). He is longing to have someone stand up for him and he knows that the only one who will do so is God Himself. Job pleads with his friends to show him mercy. "Have mercy on me, my friends, have mercy, for the hand of God has struck me" (Job 19:21 NLT). But they are not willing to show him mercy. So Job is left with God alone as his future source of hope and restoration. Job knows that he may very well die. But he believes that he will stand before God one day with a new body and a clean record. "And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!" (Job 19:26-27 NLT). Job could face death because he believed in an eternity. He also believed in a God who would redeem him and restore him. As bad as his life was, Job could face it only because of his belief in God and his hope in an eternal destiny.

So what about us? How do we face the trials and tests of life? Where do we focus our attention? Yes, Job was fully aware of his suffering. He was not living some Pollyanna dream where he refused to face reality. He was in pain. He was suffering. But he kept going back to the only thing he could trust – God. There was a lot he didn't understand about God and his own circumstances, but he did know that God was just, righteous, and merciful. He also knew that there was more to life than the here and now. There was a future life ahead of him and he was counting on it. It was there that his vindication would be completed. His honor would be restored. Even his body would be renewed. It was that belief that kept Job going in the face of extreme difficulty. And we have the same hope. We have a Redeemer who will one day vindicate us. He will welcome us into His presence as righteous, spotless, and completely sinless. We will have restored bodies and hearts that are free from sin. And in the last part of Job's statement, I think we get a glimpse of the future reality of Christ's triumphant return to earth as the conquering Messiah. "But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he will stand upon the earth at last" (Job 19:25 NLT). There is a day coming when Jesus Christ will return to earth, not to suffer and die, but to rule, restore, and reign. That is our hope. That is our future. That is why we can cry out along with Job, "I know my Redeemer lives!" He will set all things right. He will vindicate and avenge His own. We will be revealed to be what we have always claimed to be: God's children.

Who taught the sun where to stand in the morning? And who told the ocean you can only come this far? And who showed the moon where to hide till evening? Whose words alone can catch a falling star?

Well I know my Redeemer lives I know my Redeemer lives All of creation testifies This life within me cries I know my Redeemer lives

The very same God That spins things in orbit Runs to the weary, the worn and the weak And the same gentle hands that hold me when I'm broken They conquered death to bring me victory

Now I know, my Redeemer lives I know my Redeemer lives Let all creation testify Let this life within me cry I know My Redeemer

He lives To take away my shame And He lives Forever I'll proclaim That the payment for my sins Was the precious life He gave And now He's alive and There's an empty Grave!

And I know My Redeemer lives He lives I know My Redeemer lives Let all creation testify Let this life within me cry I know my Redeemer

I know My Redeemer lives

©2009 Nicole Mullins

Father, thank You for the reminder that my Redeemer lives. And while I may not understand all that happens in this life, and I may not enjoy all that I encounter as I live my life, I can rest in the truth that my Redeemer really does live. And He is going to return for me some day. There is a day coming when I will stand before Your throne and my righteousness will be vindicated and my sinlessness will be validated. Help me keep my focus on that reality. Amen.