Psalm 10:1-7 The Self-Talk of a Sinner
10:1 "Why do You stand far off, Yahweh? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble? 2 In arrogance, the wicked hunt down the weak. They are caught in the schemes that they devise. 3 For the wicked boasts of his heart's cravings. He blesses the greedy, and condemns Yahweh. 4 The wicked, in the pride of his face, has no room in his thoughts for God. 5 His ways are prosperous at all times. He is haughty, and Your laws are far from his sight. As for all his adversaries, he sneers at them. 6 He says in his heart, "I shall not be shaken. For generations I shall have no trouble." 7 His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression. Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity...11 He says in his heart, "God has forgotten. He hides His face. He will never see it." 12 Arise, Yahweh! God, lift up Your hand! Don't forget the helpless. 13 Why does the wicked person condemn God, and say in his heart, "God won't call me into account?"
Observations: The wicked have no fear of God, therefore they oppress others, thinking God won't take action against them. Note the “self-talk” of the arrogant. We tend to put down others to boost our worth and value. However, God has revealed Himself to be the Great Leveler. He will lift up those oppressed and bring down the oppressors.
Application: Keep God and His Word in your thoughts, and you won't think incorrectly and pridefully.
Prayer: All-Seeing God, keep me from the presumptuous arrogance of thinking I don't need You, and that You won't do what You promised. Amen.
Proverbs 3:13-16 A Long, Rich, and Honorable Life
Observations: 13:13-16 No one says “I want a short, poor, dishonorable, unpleasant and miserable life,” but then, they order their steps to get just that. Solomon exhorts his readers to get wisdom and understanding because they yield a better profit and return than getting silver and gold. (Here are two of those “betters” in Proverbs.) The next verses will mention the benefits of pleasantness, peace and a fulfilled life. Most people don't value wisdom (the ability to choose the right objectives and the right means of obtaining them), nor understanding (insight or discernment into the real nature of things), because they've never reaped the benefits of them. You've got to have wisdom before you can use it and get blessed as a result of making the right choices. Most never find wisdom, because they don't fear the Lord (Proverbs 1:7).
Application: The person who fears God and follows His ways every day, will enjoy life all of his/her days, and be honored at the end.
Prayer: God, thanks that in Your word, You tell me both what constitutes the good life, and how to go about getting it; may I desire Your wisdom more than temporal trinkets. Amen.
Exodus 1-3 God Remembers, Pharaoh Doesn't
The book is about the Exit from Egypt, but is not just about saving the Hebrews or fulfilling His promises. It starts with the Israelites groaning in Egypt and ends with God's glory dwelling in the midst of His people on the way to the Promised Land. Genesis described the physical creation of the nation. In Exodus we'll be observing how God creates the spirituality of a people with whom He can have an intimate relationship. {Hint: Holiness probably has something to do with it.}
Exodus 1 Forgetful Pharaoh And God-Fearing Midwives
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| Note Upright Snake |
Observations: 1:1 Starts with “now.” In Hebrew, it is a single letter which looks like a stroke of the stylus “1” (called: vav or waw consecutive) prefixed to a word, giving the meaning “and” or “now.” Its significance is that it links Exodus to Genesis as a continuation, giving a clue to the authorship of the books. See Digging Deeper (below) for chronology issues.
1:8 How soon they forget. Joseph was the one responsible for the Pharaoh owning everything and collecting 20%. It's just like Americans forgetting the cause of their prosperity.
1:7,12,20 God remembers His promise of blessing, fruitful and multiply, fill the earth...
1:17, 21 God blesses the midwives for fearing Him. When ordered to do wrong, we must obey God rather than man. (Acts 5:29)
God uses the affliction by the Egyptians to strengthen His people, and develop deeper dependence upon Him in preparing them for the Exit from Egypt.
Exodus 2 Mighty Moses Makes a Mistake
2:3 "When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket for him, and coated it with tar and with pitch. She put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank...9 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away, and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” 10 The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, and said, “Because I drew him out of the water.” 11 when Moses had grown up, he saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his brothers. 12 He looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no one, he killed the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. 13...two Hebrews were fighting with each other. He said to him who did the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow?” 14 He said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you plan to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian?” Moses was afraid, and said, “Surely this thing is known.” 15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and lived in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.
19 They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and moreover he drew water for us, and watered the flock.” 21 Moses was content to dwell with the man. He gave Moses Zipporah, his daughter. 22 She bore a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land.”
23...the children of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. 24 God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God saw the children of Israel, and God was concerned about them."
Observations: 2:9 God uses “the enemy” to protect and train His servant who eventually decimates them, reversing the benefits of Joseph. Delicious irony.
2:11 In just a handful of verses we have 40 years of Moses' life. He humbly presents mainly his flaws. After jumping the gun in trying to save his people, Moses spends another 40 years learning to shepherd dumb sheep in the wilderness, which would be good preparation for the final 40 years of shepherding God's people. We get this chronology from Acts 7 in which Stephen gives an inspired history lesson just before he gets stoned to death for telling the Truth.
Acts 6:22 "Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He was mighty in his words and works. 23 But when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. 24 Seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him who was oppressed, striking the Egyptian. 25 He supposed that his brothers understood that God, by his hand, was giving them deliverance; but they didn't understand."
2:23-25 It looks like it took Israel about 80 years to actually cry out to God (and even then they weren't receptive to His solution). Just because God doesn't immediately answer, or doesn't do what we expect, it doesn't mean that He doesn't care. Maybe He's got a better plan and timetable than we do.
Application: Moses missed the will of God in round 1. Don't make the same mistake. Check out this Will of God outline if you haven't already done so (and see the other outlines in Digging Deeper below). You might save 40 years.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I praise You for being the God who knows and cares. I know You see and care about my circumstances. Help me trust You to do what's best when it's best. Amen.
Exodus 3 Identity Issues
5 He said, “Don’t come close. Take your sandals off of your feet, for the place you are standing on is holy ground.” 6 Moreover he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look at God. 7 Yahweh said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. 8 I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Canaanite...
11 Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “Certainly I will be with you. This will be the token to you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” 13 Moses said to God, “Behold, when I come to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you;’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What should I tell them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said, “You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
15 God said moreover to Moses, “You shall tell the children of Israel this, ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations. 16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and tell them, ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt 18...king of Egypt, and you shall tell him, ‘Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Yahweh, our God.’19 I know that the king of Egypt won’t give you permission to go, no, not by a mighty hand. 20 I will reach out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in its midst, and after that he will let you go. 21 I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, and it will happen that when you go, you shall not go empty-handed. 22 But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who visits her house, jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons, and on your daughters. You shall plunder the Egyptians.”
Observations: 3:2 The burning bush brings the reader back to when God made the covenant with Abe (as does the list of nations in this chapter).
Genesis 15:13 "He said to Abram, "Know for sure that your seed will live as foreigners in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them. They will afflict them four hundred years.14 I will also judge that nation, whom they will serve. Afterward they will come out with great wealth...16 for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full." 17...flaming torch passed between these pieces.18 In that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying..."
3:5 Dirt is holy when it is set apart from other dirt by the presence of God (3:2 called Him an angel/messenger of Yahweh; similar to Jacob's opponent).
3:8 Not only good pastureland (grass for cows to make milk), but beautiful, (full of flowers for bees to make honey).
3:14 God's name stresses His ever-present self-existence.
3:19 When God called each of the major prophets to deliver His message to His people, He added a PS-”They won't listen”. Yet God's servants have the responsibility to do what God said even though they “know” it won't work. God is frequently working out a plan to glorify Himself and bless His people that we have difficulty grasping. All we have to know is what God has told us to do.
Application: The question is not “Who am I?” but “Who is my God?” By the way, Who is your God? In whom or what do you trust?
Prayer: O Eternal “I AM,” You were, are, and always will be trustworthy. I trust You to give me what I need to do Your will. Amen.
Digging Deeper:
Some folks educated beyond their intelligence date the Exodus at 1200 BC, assert that there is no evidence of the Jews being in Egypt at that time, and conclude that Exodus and the history of the Jews is a fable. Amazing! The Book that changed the world, started Western Civilization, demystified the universe, brought in the Scientific Revolution, championed property rights, human rights, women's rights, social justice, resulted in the abolition of slavery, and done incomparably more to improve the human condition, is a work of fiction???
There are two approaches to Egyptian chronology. The early flawed theory assumes that one Pharaoh takes up rule when his predecessor dies. The correct archaeologically authenticated theory (Truth is that which best explains all the facts.) recognizes the overlap of reigns. In other words, co-regents. The new guy started before the old guy died. Stones don't lie.
When you adjust the chronology for the 300 years worth of overlaps, you have a date for the Exodus which corresponds to the Jewish history, 1450 or so. Imagine that! One secular researcher sardonically observed that the the old method of dating won't die out until the current regents of archeology die. (Their doctoral dissertations, and thus worth, value and professorships are tied to the old disproven chronology.)
There is plenty of evidence that the Jews were in in Egypt around 1450 BC: double the statistical average of infants in cemeteries, infants buried under houses, 50% of a listing of slaves have Semite or Biblical names with the Egyptian equivalent after it, a general named Mousos/Moses, and the take-over of Egypt (recorded by an Egyptian historian) by invaders who win without having to strike a blow. Where was the mighty Egyptian army? Stay tuned...
God in a nutshell: God is aware of our needs before we even call out to Him, and has a perfect plan to care for us; He lets us reap the consequences of our actions that are in accord with His plan; He uses pain to get our attention when we are hard of hearing; He can protect us from our enemies while using our enemies to benefit us (see David and Saul); He's always existing.
Us in a nutshell: We can lose sight of God if we don't keep focused and remind ourselves of why we're on this planet; when we call He responds but not always on our timetable; it's better to potentially suffer for doing what's right rather than what's wrong; we might be surprised by blessing (midwives).
Where to Go for More:
Will of God in TOYL and Will of God Part 1 and Part 2 (the best one), all on Truthbase.net.
Will of God in TOYL and Will of God Part 1 and Part 2 (the best one), all on Truthbase.net.
(Note: reference to a site doesn't imply endorsement of everything you'll find there.)
Exodus 1-3 complete text
Exodus 1
1:1 "Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt (every man and his household came with Jacob): 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 All the souls who came out of Jacob’s body were seventy souls, and Joseph was in Egypt already. 6Joseph died, as did all his brothers, and all that generation. 7 The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.
8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who didn’t know Joseph. 9 He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we. 10 Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our enemies, and fight against us, and escape out of the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. They were grieved because of the children of Israel. 13 The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve, 14and they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all kinds of service in the field, all their service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve.
15 The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah, 16 and he said, “When you perform the duty of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stool; if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” 17 But the midwives feared God, and didn’t do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive. 18 The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and have saved the boys alive?”
19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women aren’t like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous, and give birth before the midwife comes to them.”
20 God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty. 21 It happened, because the midwives feared God, that he gave them families. 22 Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “You shall cast every son who is born into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.”
Exodus 2
2:1 A man of the house of Levi went and took a daughter of Levi as his wife. 2 The woman conceived, and bore a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. 3 When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket for him, and coated it with tar and with pitch. She put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank. 4 His sister stood far off, to see what would be done to him. 5 Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe at the river. Her maidens walked along by the riverside. She saw the basket among the reeds, and sent her handmaid to get it. 6 She opened it, and saw the child, and behold, the baby cried. She had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”
7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Should I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?”
8 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.”
The maiden went and called the child’s mother. 9Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away, and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.”
The woman took the child, and nursed it. 10 The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, and said, “Because I drew him out of the water.”
11 It happened in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brothers, and looked at their burdens. He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his brothers. 12 He looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no one, he killed the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
13 He went out the second day, and behold, two men of the Hebrews were fighting with each other. He said to him who did the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow?”
14 He said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you plan to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian?”
Moses was afraid, and said, “Surely this thing is known.”15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and lived in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.
16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 The shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. 18 When they came to Reuel, their father, he said, “How is it that you have returned so early today?”
19 They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and moreover he drew water for us, and watered the flock.”
20 He said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.”
21 Moses was content to dwell with the man. He gave Moses Zipporah, his daughter. 22 She bore a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land.”
23 It happened in the course of those many days, that the king of Egypt died, and the children of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. 24 God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God saw the children of Israel, and God was concerned about them.
Exodus 3
1 Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to God’s mountain, to Horeb. 2 The angel of Yahweh appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3 Moses said, “I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.”
4 When Yahweh saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the midst of the bush, and said, “Moses! Moses!”
He said, “Here I am.”
5 He said, “Don’t come close. Take your sandals off of your feet, for the place you are standing on is holy ground.” 6 Moreover he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”
Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look at God.
7 Yahweh said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. 8 I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 9 Now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to me. Moreover I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”
11 Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
12 He said, “Certainly I will be with you. This will be the token to you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
13 Moses said to God, “Behold, when I come to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you;’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What should I tell them?”
14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said, “You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 15 God said moreover to Moses, “You shall tell the children of Israel this, ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations. 16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and tell them, ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt; 17 and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ 18 They will listen to your voice, and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and you shall tell him, ‘Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Yahweh, our God.’19 I know that the king of Egypt won’t give you permission to go, no, not by a mighty hand. 20 I will reach out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in its midst, and after that he will let you go. 21 I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, and it will happen that when you go, you shall not go empty-handed. 22 But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who visits her house, jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons, and on your daughters. You shall plunder the Egyptians.”
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