Thursday, October 31, 2013

Protect the Vulnerable... Afflict the Comfortable. Exodus 21-22; Matthew 26

May the mumbling commence!

There is no doubt.  God calls us to care for the vulnerable in our midst.  Among these people are foreigners in our midst.  Read a verse from Exodus chapter twenty-two:

"Do not oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.” (Verse 21)

Gaining the upper hand is NOT an invitation to abuse power.  Remember when you were once vulnerable… foreigners in a strange land.  Remember and deal with those vulnerable in your midst.  It is this thought that was on Jesus’ mind when he cleansed the Temple.  The outer court was where the Gentiles and foreigners were meant to worship God… but how could they when it was a bustling marketplace? 

It was in this context that Jesus uttered the words “Destroy this temple and I will rebuild it in three days.”  And it was this testimony that came up at his trial before the Sanhedrin.  Read from Matthew chapter twenty-six:

Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death.  But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, there was no testimony they could use. Finally, two men were found who declared, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.'" 
Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Well, aren't you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?" 
But Jesus remained silent. (Verses 59-63a) 

In our dealings with people, let us speak boldly in defense of the vulnerable in our midst.  And let us deal with the corrupted power structures with mute silence and steady resolve… willing to take the punishment for our supposed transgressions.

May we inspire others to heed the call of the Lord to protect the vulnerable and afflict the comfortable.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

That Belongs to the Lord, Too! Exodus 19-20; Matthew 25

May the mumbling commence!

What is there that does not belong to the Lord?  When we think about giving to the Lord, it is more accurate in asking how much we can keep for ourselves… rather than how much I can give to God.  All that we have belongs to the Lord.  Read from Exodus chapter nineteen:

Then Moses climbed the mountain to appear before God. The Lord called out to him from the mountain and said, "Give these instructions to the descendants of Jacob, the people of Israel:  'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. You know how I brought you to myself and carried you on eagle's wings.  Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the nations of the earth; for all the earth belongs to me.  And you will be to me a kingdom of priests, my holy nation.' Give this message to the Israelites." (Verses 3-6)

Give thanks to the Lord for what you have… for everything you have is the Lord’s.  All the earth belongs to the Lord.  There is nothing kept from the Creator.  It brings a whole different way of looking at possessions, doesn’t it?  It also brings a whole other way of looking at this passage from Matthew chapter twenty-five.  Read it below:

"Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a trip. He called together his servants and gave them money to invest for him while he was gone.  He gave five bags of gold to one, two bags of gold to another, and one bag of gold to the last – dividing it in proportion to their abilities – and then left on his trip.  The servant who received the five bags of gold began immediately to invest the money and soon doubled it.  The servant with two bags of gold also went right to work and doubled the money.  But the servant who received the one bag of gold dug a hole in the ground and hid the master's money for safekeeping. 
After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money.  The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of gold said, 'Sir, you gave me five bags of gold to invest, and I have doubled the amount.'   The master was full of praise. 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!' 
Next came the servant who had received the two bags of gold, with the report, 'Sir, you gave me two bags of gold to invest, and I have doubled the amount.'   The master said, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!' 
Then the servant with the one bag of gold came and said, 'Sir, I know you are a hard man, harvesting crops you didn't plant and gathering crops you didn't cultivate.  I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth and here it is.' 
But the master replied, 'You wicked and lazy servant! You think I'm a hard man, do you, harvesting crops I didn't plant and gathering crops I didn't cultivate?  Well, you should at least have put my money into the bank so I could have some interest.  Take the money from this servant and give it to the one with the ten bags of gold.  To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who are unfaithful, even what little they have will be taken away.  Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'” (Verses 14-30)

May we seek to do our best with the things that the Lord gives us.  May it honor the Lord.

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Serving the Lord in Tandem. Exodus 17-18; Matthew 24

May the mumbling commence!

In a rapidly dwindling church in the United States, burnout is a very real possibility.  We need to find ways of identifying the gifts of the Body of Christ so that one small group of active members does not bear the brunt of the ministry tasks.  Much like the suggestion that Moses’ father-in-law suggested to Moses.  Read from Exodus chapter eighteen:

The next day, Moses sat as usual to hear the people's complaints against each other. They were lined up in front of him from morning till evening. 
When Moses' father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "Why are you trying to do all this alone? The people have been standing here all day to get your help." 
Moses replied, "Well, the people come to me to seek God's guidance.  When an argument arises, I am the one who settles the case. I inform the people of God's decisions and teach them his laws and instructions." 
"This is not good!" his father-in-law exclaimed.  "You're going to wear yourself out – and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself.  Now let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you.
You should continue to be the people's representative before God, bringing him their questions to be decided.  You should tell them God's decisions, teach them God's laws and instructions, and show them how to conduct their lives. 
But find some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as judges over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten.  These men can serve the people, resolving all the ordinary cases. Anything that is too important or too complicated can be brought to you. But they can take care of the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you. 
If you follow this advice, and if God directs you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace." (Verses 13-23)

Find those people with the talents necessary to carry out various aspects of ministry and set them to work.  Leaders should help train people and decide the hardest of problems.  It is a much more efficient way of handling things… rather than just a few people trying to do everything.  It wearies the servants and those who wait forever to be served.

It is okay to consider the organizational forms of this world.  They can potentially help us to minister before our Lord.  But we also must remember the council of Jethro: Do as God directs you to do.  Let us never lose sight of the center of our ministry – the Lord God.  Let’s be like the faithful servant Jesus referred to at the end of Matthew chapter twenty-four:

"Who is a faithful, sensible servant, to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his household and feeding his family?  If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward.  I assure you, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 
But if the servant is evil and thinks, 'My master won't be back for a while, and begins oppressing the other servants, partying, and getting drunk – well, the master will return unannounced and unexpected.  He will tear the servant apart and banish him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Verses 45-51)

May we be diligent in serving you, O Lord… serving you together.

Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out

Monday, October 28, 2013

Doubt and Greed Succumb to a Living Faith. Exodus 15-16; Matthew 23

May the mumbling commence!

Oh, man!  Do we have to?  What will we eat and drink?  Are we there yet?  The people of Israel sure knew how to complain.  Perhaps their complaining drowned out the commands of the Lord.  Perhaps that is why they had trouble obeying… they weren’t really listening.  Read from Exodus chapter sixteen:

And the Lord said to Moses, "I have heard the people's complaints. Now tell them, 'In the evening you will have meat to eat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.'" 
That evening vast numbers of quail arrived and covered the camp. The next morning the desert all around the camp was wet with dew.  When the dew disappeared later in the morning, thin flakes, white like frost, covered the ground.  The Israelites were puzzled when they saw it. "What is it?" they asked.
And Moses told them, "It is the food the Lord has given you.  The Lord says that each household should gather as much as it needs. Pick up two quarts for each person." 
So the people of Israel went out and gathered this food – some getting more, and some getting less.  By gathering two quarts for each person, everyone had just enough. Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough. Each family had just what it needed. 
Then Moses told them, "Do not keep any of it overnight."  But, of course, some of them didn't listen and kept some of it until morning. By then it was full of maggots and had a terrible smell. And Moses was very angry with them. 
The people gathered the food morning by morning, each family according to its need. And as the sun became hot, the food they had not picked up melted and disappeared.  On the sixth day, there was twice as much as usual on the ground – four quarts for each person instead of two. The leaders of the people came and asked Moses why this had happened.  He replied, "The Lord has appointed tomorrow as a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. On this day we will rest from our normal daily tasks. So bake or boil as much as you want today, and set aside what is left for tomorrow." 
The next morning the leftover food was wholesome and good, without maggots or odor.  Moses said, "This is your food for today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord. There will be no food on the ground today.  Gather the food for six days, but the seventh day is a Sabbath. There will be no food on the ground for you on that day."  
Some of the people went out anyway to gather food, even though it was the Sabbath day. But there was none to be found.  "How long will these people refuse to obey my commands and instructions?" the Lord asked Moses.  "Do they not realize that I have given them the seventh day, the Sabbath, as a day of rest? That is why I give you twice as much food on the sixth day, so there will be enough for two days. On the Sabbath day you must stay in your places. Do not pick up food from the ground on that day."  So the people rested on the seventh day. (Verses 11-30)

My, my, my!  Trust in the Lord.  Gather only as much as you need for the day.  Greed only leads to decay and maggots and terrible smells.  It reminds me of some of the “science experiments” that I have discovered in my fridge over the years.  Yeah, we can learn from the mistakes of our spiritual ancestors. 

Can’t we?  Please say there is hope for that!

Gather twice as much on the sixth day because the seventh day is a Sabbath rest dedicated to the Lord.  No manna will fall on the Sabbath.  Yet, some people still went to the harvest.  How often do we seek to harvest or buy services on the Sabbath?  Yeah, we have a lot to learn from these lessons of old! 

Let’s listen and obey… thus, we will not bring our Lord and Savior to grief, like Jerusalem.  Read from Matthew chapter twenty-three:

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God's messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me.  And now look, your house is left to you, empty and desolate.  For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, 'Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'" (Verses 37-39)

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Human Leaders Do NOT Dictate Our Attitudes or Actions; Exodus 10-14

May the mumbling commence!

After the plague of hail, the Lord sent a plague of locusts.  With the hail, there were some members of Pharaoh’s court who secretly believed in the Word of the Lord.  When the locusts were predicted, some of these believing members of Pharaoh’s court came forward to plead the case for the Israelites.  Let us prevent more disaster!  Read from Exodus chapter ten:

The court officials now came to Pharaoh and appealed to him. "How long will you let these disasters go on? Please let the Israelites go to serve the Lord their God! Don't you realize that Egypt lies in ruins?" (Verse 7)

But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened.  And where does a hard heart lead in the end..?  Read from later in Exodus chapter ten:

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Lift your hand toward heaven, and a deep and terrifying darkness will descend on the land of Egypt."  So Moses lifted his hand toward heaven, and there was deep darkness over the entire land for three days.  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. 
Then Pharaoh called for Moses. "Go and worship the Lord," he said. "But let your flocks and herds stay here. You can even take your children with you." 
"No," Moses said, "we must take our flocks and herds for sacrifices and burnt offerings to the Lord our God.  All our property must go with us; not a hoof can be left behind. We will have to choose our sacrifices for the Lord our God from among these animals. And we won't know which sacrifices he will require until we get there." 
So the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart once more, and he would not let them go.  "Get out of here!" Pharaoh shouted at Moses. "Don't ever let me see you again! The day you do, you will die!" 
"Very well," Moses replied. "I will never see you again." (Verses 21-29)

A hardened heart leads to a darkness that prevents us from making sound decisions in our life with the Lord.  We attempt to say what the Lord can and cannot have of our possessions and lives…  In the end, it leads to death… even as Pharaoh promised Moses.  Pharaoh pronounced his own doom!

And, yet, there is always hope.  When Israel left Egypt, they did not go alone.  Read from Exodus chapter twelve:

That night the people of Israel left Rameses and started for Succoth. There were about 600,000 men, plus all the women and children. And they were all traveling on foot.  Many people who were not Israelites went with them, along with the many flocks and herds.  Whenever they stopped to eat, they baked bread from the yeastless dough they had brought from Egypt. It was made without yeast because the people were rushed out of Egypt and had no time to wait for bread to rise. (Verses 37-39)

The attitudes and actions of our greatest leaders do not dictate ours.  Thank God!  Remember that the next time you grumble about church leadership… or grumble about political leadership.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Saturday, October 26, 2013

The Power of God's Word - Here's Your Sign! Exodus 8-9; Matthew 22

May the mumbling commence!

How much do we believe in the power of the Word of the Lord?  It is an important question.  For some of the Egyptian people, the power of the Word of the Lord was beginning to be respected. 

After six plagues, some of Pharaoh’s officials believed God when he said through Moses that a plague of hail was coming.  The ones who believed brought in their livestock and servants to protect them from the hail.  Read from Exodus chapter nine:

“‘So tomorrow at this time I will send a hailstorm worse than any in all of Egypt's history.  Quick! Order your livestock and servants to come in from the fields. Every person or animal left outside will die beneath the hail.'" 
Some of Pharaoh's officials believed what the Lord said. They immediately brought their livestock and servants in from the fields.  But those who had no respect for the word of the Lord left them out in the open. 
Then the Lord said to Moses, "Lift your hand toward the sky, and cause the hail to fall throughout Egypt, on the people, the animals, and the crops." 
So Moses lifted his staff toward the sky, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. The Lord sent a tremendous hailstorm against all the land of Egypt.  Never in all the history of Egypt had there been a storm like that, with such severe hail and continuous lightning.  It left all of Egypt in ruins. Everything left in the fields was destroyed – people, animals, and crops alike. Even all the trees were destroyed.  The only spot in all Egypt without hail that day was the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel lived. (Ex 9:18-26)

The Word of the Lord came true just as it always did… and always does.  How can anyone deny that this Lord God is the God of the Israelite people?  Only the Israelite people were unaffected in the land of Goshen from this plague of hail.  So it was true of the Israelite protection for the past several plagues as well!  As it was once popular to say, “Here’s your sign!”

God will overcome our unbelief… if we allow him – just as the Lord tried to overcome the unbelief of the Sadducees, who refused to believe in the resurrection.  Jesus quotes from what the Lord God first said to Moses in Exodus – “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”  Read from Matthew chapter twenty-two:

That same day some Sadducees stepped forward – a group of Jews who say there is no resurrection after death. They posed this question:  "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will be the brother's heir.'  Well, there were seven brothers. The oldest married and then died without children, so the second brother married the widow.  This brother also died without children, and the wife was married to the next brother, and so on until she had been the wife of each of them.  And then she also died.  So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For she was the wife of all seven of them!" 
Jesus replied, "Your problem is that you don't know the Scriptures, and you don't know the power of God.  For when the dead rise, they won't be married. They will be like the angels in heaven.  But now, as to whether there will be a resurrection of the dead – haven't you ever read about this in the Scriptures? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' So he is the God of the living, not the dead." 

When the crowds heard him, they were impressed with his teaching. (Mt 22:23-33)

Grant us belief… O God of the living… so that we may truly live in you.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Friday, October 25, 2013

DISASTER! Exodus 6-7; Matthew 21

May the mumbling commence!

The Lord did miracles in Egypt that can be distressing to me… especially the last couple of miracles that destroyed so much life.  But these miracles had a purpose… to make believers out of the Egyptians.  Read from Exodus chapter seven:

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Pay close attention to this. I will make you seem like God to Pharaoh. Your brother, Aaron, will be your prophet; he will speak for you.  Tell Aaron everything I say to you and have him announce it to Pharaoh. He will demand that the people of Israel be allowed to leave Egypt.  But I will cause Pharaoh to be stubborn so I can multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.  Even then Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you. So I will crush Egypt with a series of disasters, after which I will lead the forces of Israel out with great acts of judgment.  When I show the Egyptians my power and force them to let the Israelites go, they will realize that I am the Lord." (Verses 1-5)

The Egyptians had many gods, but the Lord is God… the one and only.  The miracles were to make believers out of the Egyptians.  And the miracles were multiplied by the stubbornness of Pharaoh.

And stubbornness brought disaster… great acts of judgment.  It is hard for my ears and heart to hear about judgment from a loving and peace-filled God.  But out of disaster belief might grow.

Kind of like the new life that occurs after a forest fire.  Forest fires are destructive, no doubt.  But they get rid of the dead wood and allow new life to take hold.  Forest fires, though deadly, are a force for renewal.

No one likes to be caught up in disaster or divine judgment.  But sometimes (not all the time) disaster and judgment serves the purpose of God cleansing us and allowing new life – the life of the Spirit – to grow up from the ashes.  Perhaps this was the way of the miracles of Egypt.

Too bad that they had so limited effect on the people of Israel, as we will see in the upcoming days of reading Exodus!

Let us find faith in the withering of a fig tree… faith for our lives with God as center.  Read from Matthew chapter twenty-one:

In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs on it, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" And immediately the fig tree withered up. 
The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" 
Then Jesus told them, "I assure you, if you have faith and don't doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, 'May God lift you up and throw you into the sea,' and it will happen.” (Verses 18-21)

So, let’s have faith in God… even in the midst of trials, disasters, and seeming judgment.  These things only make our faith grow stronger and last longer.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Know God; Know Your Work. Exodus 4-5; Matthew 20

May the mumbling commence!

It behooves us to know God.  Knowing God can bring a well-being that is not to be found elsewhere.  Refusing to know God can bring eternal separation from the Lord… a dead-end street.  Read from Exodus chapter five:

After this presentation to Israel's leaders, Moses and Aaron went to see Pharaoh. They told him, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'Let my people go, for they must go out into the wilderness to hold a religious festival in my honor.'" 
"Is that so?" retorted Pharaoh. "And who is the Lord that I should listen to him and let Israel go? I don't know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go." 
But Aaron and Moses persisted. "The God of the Hebrews has met with us," they declared. "Let us take a three-day trip into the wilderness so we can offer sacrifices to the Lord our God. If we don't, we will surely die by disease or the sword." 
"Who do you think you are," Pharaoh shouted, "distracting the people from their tasks? Get back to work!  Look, there are many people here in Egypt, and you are stopping them from doing their work." (Verses 1-5)

“Who is the Lord that I should listen to him?”  “Who do you think you are?”  Pharaoh was telling the Hebrew people that they got their identity from their labor.  He basically told them, “Stay on task.  Do your work.  That is most important.”

Ironically, Pharaoh was right.  The Hebrews had work to do.  But it had nothing to do with building more structures for Pharaoh.  The work of the people – the liturgy – is to worship God.  Nothing was to stop them from doing this work.

Do we recognize where we get our identity from?  Not from our jobs or our friends or our possessions… we get our identity from the Lord… worshiping Him.  Let’s get down to the task of worshiping our great Creator.  Even blind men recognize this reality!  Read from Matthew chapter twenty:

As Jesus and the disciples left the city of Jericho, a huge crowd followed behind.  Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"  The crowd told them to be quiet, but they only shouted louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" 
Jesus stopped in the road and called, "What do you want me to do for you?" 
"Lord," they said, "we want to see!" 
Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him.  (Verses 29-34)

To see and know is to follow.  It is that simple.  Let’s join the children of God in following Jesus.  It is our work… our greatest task in the world.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Finding Holy Ground. Exodus 2-3; Matthew 19

May the mumbling commence!

Where in your life is holy ground?  It may be a sanctuary.  It may be a particular spot in your home where you do your devotional reading.  It may even be contained within your workplace. 

Anywhere where we meet God is holy ground.  On weekdays, I have set aside about twelve to fifteen minutes to read my Scripture for the day in the driver’s seat of the school bus that I drive.  For me, that seat resides on holy ground.  It sets a proper attitude for when I greet my students as they load onto the bus.

Moses found holy ground in his workplace too.  He met God while tending the sheep.  Read from Exodus chapter three:

One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he went deep into the wilderness near Sinai, the mountain of God.  Suddenly, the angel of the Lord appeared to him as a blazing fire in a bush. Moses was amazed because the bush was engulfed in flames, but it didn't burn up.  "Amazing!" Moses said to himself. "Why isn't that bush burning up? I must go over to see this." 
When the Lord saw that he had caught Moses' attention, God called to him from the bush, "Moses! Moses!"
"Here I am!" Moses replied. 
"Do not come any closer," God told him. "Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground."  Then he said, "I am the God of your ancestors – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." When Moses heard this, he hid his face in his hands because he was afraid to look at God. 
Then the Lord told him, "You can be sure I have seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries for deliverance from their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering.  So I have come to rescue them from the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own good and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey – the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites live.  The cries of the people of Israel have reached me, and I have seen how the Egyptians have oppressed them with heavy tasks.  Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You will lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt." (Verses 1-10)

May the Lord find catching our attention so easy!  Let’s stay aware of our surroundings and look for the Lord in unexpected places.  Even in the middle of the wilderness!  Yes, places that seem desolate of God can surprise us.

Let’s acknowledge the holiness of the ground where we meet God.  Let’s take off our shoes and bow before our Lord.  Let’s be open to listening to what God has to say to us… even when it is uncomfortable to hear and heed.  Because God will never call us to a task that He will not equip us for.

Let’s come to God as children.  It is the proper way to come – knowing our vulnerability and the love that the Lord has for us.  Read from Matthew chapter nineteen:

Some children were brought to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. The disciples told them not to bother him.  But Jesus said, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these."  And he put his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left. (Verses 13-15)

Indeed, the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to children. 

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Learn to Know One Another. Genesis 50; Exodus 1; Matthew 18

May the mumbling commence!

What does it mean to know someone?  It means knowing who they are and what they bring to the table.  The Pharaoh of Joseph’s day knew that Joseph was a blessing to him because of Joseph’s relationship with the Lord.  Without question, this Pharaoh allowed Joseph to go and bury his father.  In fact, Pharaoh sent his highest ranking officials to go with him.  Tears were brought to the Egyptians’ eyes.  Read from Genesis chapter fifty:

Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him.  Then Joseph told his morticians to embalm the body.  The embalming process took forty days, and there was a period of national mourning for seventy days.  When the period of mourning was over, Joseph approached Pharaoh's advisers and asked them to speak to Pharaoh on his behalf.  He told them, "Tell Pharaoh that my father made me swear an oath. He said to me, 'I am about to die; take my body back to the land of Canaan, and bury me in our family's burial cave.' Now I need to go and bury my father. After his burial is complete, I will return without delay." 
Pharaoh agreed to Joseph's request. "Go and bury your father, as you promised," he said.  So Joseph went, with a great number of Pharaoh's counselors and advisers – all the senior officers of Egypt.  Joseph also took his brothers and the entire household of Jacob. But they left their little children and flocks and herds in the land of Goshen.  So a great number of chariots, cavalry, and people accompanied Joseph. 
When they arrived at the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan River, they held a very great and solemn funeral, with a seven-day period of mourning for Joseph's father.  The local residents, the Canaanites, renamed the place Abel-mizraim, for they said, "This is a place of very deep mourning for these Egyptians."  So Jacob's sons did as he had commanded them.  They carried his body to the land of Canaan and buried it there in the cave of Machpelah. This is the cave that Abraham had bought for a permanent burial place in the field of Ephron the Hittite, near Mamre. (Verses 1-13)

What a difference it makes knowing someone well!  Trust is rock-solid, and empathy is assured.  But, oh how times can change!  Read from Exodus chapter one:

In time, Joseph and each of his brothers died, ending that generation.  But their descendants had many children and grandchildren. In fact, they multiplied so quickly that they soon filled the land.  Then a new king came to the throne of Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done.  He told his people, "These Israelites are becoming a threat to us because there are so many of them.  We must find a way to put an end to this. If we don't and if war breaks out, they will join our enemies and fight against us. Then they will escape from the country." (Verses 6-10)

Not knowing someone bring distrust and suspicion.  The Israelite blessing is now seen as a curse.  The Israelites are seen as a threat instead of a blessing through the Lord God.  It is a sure recipe for disaster. 

It eliminates forgiveness.  And forgiveness is essential.  Read from Matthew chapter eighteen:

"For this reason, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him.  In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars.  He couldn't pay, so the king ordered that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt.  But the man fell down before the king and begged him, 'Oh, sir, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.'   Then the king was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. 
But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.  His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. 'Be patient and I will pay it,' he pleaded.  But his creditor wouldn't wait. He had the man arrested and jailed until the debt could be paid in full. 
When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him what had happened.  Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, 'You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me.  Shouldn't you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?'   Then the angry king sent the man to prison until he had paid every penny. 
That's what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters in your heart." (Verses 23-35)

Let’s remember one another for who we are and what we bring to the table.  Then forgiveness is possible. 

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out

Monday, October 21, 2013

Stepping Forward Well - Part 2. Genesis 48-49; Matthew 17

May the mumbling commence!

In Genesis chapter forty-nine, Jacob / Israel sings a song on his deathbed and hands out blessings appropriate for each of his sons.  It is difficult not to notice the sharp contrast between Simeon and Levi with Judah.  Read from the song below:

"Simeon and Levi are two of a kind—
men of violence. 
O my soul, stay away from them.
May I never be a party to their wicked plans.
For in their anger they murdered men,
and they crippled oxen just for sport. 
Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce;
cursed be their wrath, for it is cruel.
Therefore, I will scatter their descendants
throughout the nation of Israel. 

Judah, your brothers will praise you.
You will defeat your enemies.
All your relatives will bow before you. 
Judah is a young lion that has finished eating its prey.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness—
who will dare to rouse him? 
The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler's staff from his descendants,
until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,
the one whom all nations will obey. 
He ties his foal to a grapevine,
the colt of his donkey to a choice vine.
He washes his clothes in wine because his harvest is so plentiful. 
His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk. (Verses 5-12)

Yes, the wrath and anger of Simeon and Levi shown in the rape of their sister, Dinah, brings destruction upon their part in the Promised Land.  They stepped forward… in an evil way.  And evil they receive.

Judah stepped forward in a good way, as we mulled over yesterday.  And Judah gets rewarded with good.  Indeed, the promise of the dreams of Joseph is transferred to Judah.  All your relatives will bow before you.  The scepter will never depart from your hand.  The one to whom it belongs will come from your descendants… that’s Jesus, by the way.

Let’s learn to take and stand and step forward in a way that is pleasing with the Lord.  For another example of stepping forward that is not positive, look at this passage from Matthew chapter seventeen:

Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain.  As the men watched, Jesus' appearance changed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothing became dazzling white.  Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.  Peter blurted out, "Lord, this is wonderful! If you want me to, I'll make three shrines, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." (Verses 1-4)

Let us think through what we will say and do when we step forward well!
 
Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out