Psalm 10:9-18 God Knows And Acts
10:8 “He sits in the lurking places of the villages; In the secret places he murders the innocent; His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless. 8 He lurks in secret as a lion in his ambush. He lies in wait to catch the helpless. He catches the helpless, when he draws him in his net. 10 The helpless are crushed. They collapse. They fall under his strength. 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?" 14 But You do see trouble and grief. You consider it to take it into Your hand. You help the victim and the fatherless. 15 Break the arm of the wicked. As for the evil man, seek out his wickedness until you find none. 16 Yahweh is King forever and ever! The nations will perish out of His land. 17 Yahweh, You have heard the desire of the humble. You will establish their heart. You will cause your ear to hear, 18 to judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that man who is of the earth may terrify no more."
Observations: 10:8-18 God will call the wicked into account, judge and destroy them. God does see all that goes on, and will help the oppressed victims. Both unrighteous people and nations will perish under His rule. God hears the pleas of those humbly dependent upon Him. He will strengthen their heart and judge in their favor. Those who don't fear Him will be vaporized.
Application: Those who don't fear God will discover that He is just waiting for the perfect time to deliver the ones they oppress and punish the oppressors.
Prayer: God, I'm grateful that I can trust You to know what's going on and take action to punish the wicked and establish justice; please give me strength to wait for Your perfect timing. Thanks. Amen.
Proverbs 3:17-20 The Sweet Life
3:17 “(Wisdom's) ways are ways of pleasantness. All her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. Blessed is everyone who retains her. 19 By wisdom Yahweh founded the earth. By understanding, He established the heavens. 20 By His knowledge, the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew.“
Observations: 3:17-20 The benefits and enjoyment of wisdom are for those who grab and hold her. Just knowing the right way doesn't get you blessings, walking arm in arm down the paths is how you reach sweet and pleasant peace. Wisdom (choosing the right objectives, and the right means of attaining them) undergirds the foundation of the earth. With understanding (insight, the ability to discriminate between two options) He established the earth. By knowledge He maintains the life cycles of the earth. These are great tools to use in our life.
Application: You can choose to stumble in the dark, or stroll with wisdom to sweet peace.
Prayer: Lord, thanks that You make available Your wisdom, insight, and knowledge, so I can enjoy life as You created it; don't let me follow folly. Amen.
Exodus 4-6 From Whining To Wine
Exodus 4 Moses the Mute Magician
8 “if they will neither believe you nor listen to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. 9 if they will not believe even these two signs, neither listen to your voice, take the water of the river, and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take out of the river will become blood on the dry land.”
10 Moses said to Yahweh, “O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”
11 Yahweh said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn’t it I, Yahweh? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.” 13 He said, “Oh, Lord, please send someone else.” 14 The anger of Yahweh was kindled against Moses, and he said, “What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well...
18 Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19 Yahweh said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return into Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.”
20...Moses took God’s rod in his hand. 21 Yahweh said to Moses, “When you go back into Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your hand, but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go. 22 You shall tell Pharaoh, ‘Thus says Yahweh, Israel is my son, my firstborn, 23 and I have said to you, “Let my son go, that he may serve me”; and you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.’”
24 It happened on the way at a lodging place, that Yahweh met Moses and wanted to kill him. 25 Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me.” 26 So he let him alone. Then she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.
29 Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. 30 Aaron spoke all the words which Yahweh had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 The people believed, and when they heard that Yahweh had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped."
Observations: 4:3-4 Moses runs from the snake. One of his prior military victories in Egypt was achieved by a surprise attack through a snake infested region. He appears to have lost his self-confidence which opens the door to becoming God confident.
4:5 The purpose of miracles is to authenticate the message. Victory over satanic authority (look for the snake), defilement, and the Egyptian gods (Nile) is foreshadowed.
4:10 Moses had neither an accurate perception of himself, nor God (Acts 7 – mighty in word)
4:12-14 God dealt with Moses' objections, yet now, direct disobedience angers Him.
4:16 Aaron was plan B, and not exactly a prize package. Golden calf coming up...
4:18 Even though commissioned directly by God, Moses seeks Jethro's blessing.
4:21-23 These verses are a summary preview of what will play out in ensuing chapters, where we'll also explore the hardening of hearts and scarabs. Both God and Pharaoh are said to harden Pharaoh's heart. One usually hardens pottery that has already been fashioned.
4:24 Even though commissioned and empowered by God to be His spokesman, Moses was not exempt from obedience. Circumcision of all males in the household was required.
Application: Survival Tip: Never pick up a snake or tiger by the tail, unless God tells you to. Regardless of your fear, faithfully obey.
Prayer: O Maker of my mouth, and Giver of my Gifts, choose me, use me, and make me adequate for all that will please You. Amen.
Exodus 5 Out of the Frying Pan and into the Brick Oven
5:1 "Afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘Let my people go, that...’” 2 Pharaoh said, “Who is Yahweh, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don’t know Yahweh, and moreover I will not let Israel go.” 3 They said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Yahweh, our God, lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword.” 4 The king of Egypt said to them, “Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people from their work? Get back to your burdens!”
7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 The number of the bricks, which they made before, you require from them. You shall not diminish anything of it, for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may labor therein; and don’t let them pay any attention to lying words.”
14 The officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, “Why haven’t you fulfilled your quota both yesterday and today, in making brick as before?”
20 They met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came out from Pharaoh: 21 and they said to them, “May Yahweh look at you, and judge, because you have made us a stench to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
22 Moses returned to Yahweh, and said, “Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people; neither have you delivered your people at all.”
Observations: Just when you think it couldn't get any worse, God shows up, and makes it worse. Why? Usually to soften us up to accept His solutions. But first He wants us to accept Him.
5:9 For those who don't know God, truth appears to be lies.
Application: If we're quick to obey God, we might spare ourselves grief.
Prayer: God, help me be sensitive to You, Your will, and Your word. Amen.
Exodus 6 But Wait, There's More!
a) bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians,
b) and I will deliver you out of their bondage,
c) and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments:
9 Moses spoke so to the children of Israel, but they didn’t listen to Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
10 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 11 “Go in, speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.” 12 Moses spoke before Yahweh, saying, “Behold, the children of Israel haven’t listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, who am of uncircumcised lips?” 13 Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and gave them a command to the children of Israel, and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
25 Eleazar Aaron’s son took one of the daughters of Putiel as his wife; and she bore him Phinehas.
28 It happened on the day when Yahweh spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29 that Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “I am Yahweh. Speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I speak to you.” 30 Moses said before Yahweh, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh listen to me?”
Observations:
6:6-7 From these verses arise the tradition of four cups of wine drunk during the Passover Seder to celebrate God's four saving acts: "I will bring out," "I will deliver," "I will redeem," and "I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God." This last cup, the Cup of Acceptance was not drunk by Jesus in the NT Last Supper, but He mentioned it would be drunk in the Kingdom. We'll discuss this more in Exodus 12.
6:9 When we focus on our pain, we lose sight of the promises of God which could ease our pain.
6:25 A future star is born.
Application: God wants to do more than just make our lives comfortable, He has a relationship and blessings in store for us. The temptation is to settle for ease, when we could have ecstasy.
Prayer: God of infinite pleasure, may I be content in my circumstances, but contend for the full relationship and blessing You offer Your faithful servants. Amen.
God in a nutshell: God feels the pain of His people and has a plan for giving them deliverance, and the pleasure of a relationship with Him, and blessings forevermore; He uses people to bring about His program, sometimes creating discontent with the status quo, to get them to move to a place of blessing;
Us in a nutshell: We do well to call out to God for help; We do better to discern His purpose in our pain; We do best when we obey, regardless of how we feel about it. We can miss out on God's comfort because we're too busy crying over our circumstances, a predicament fixed by a focus on His promises and provision. Unless we know God and have developed a relationship with Him, we will doubt Him, and ourselves.
Where to Go for More:
Truthbase.net
Exodus 4-6 (complete text)
Exodus 4
4:1 Moses answered, “But, behold, they will not believe me, nor listen to my voice; for they will say, ‘Yahweh has not appeared to you.’”
2 Yahweh said to him, “What is that in your hand?”
He said, “A rod.”
3 He said, “Throw it on the ground.”
He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses ran away from it.
4 Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand, and take it by the tail.”
He stretched out his hand, and took hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand.
5 “That they may believe that Yahweh, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” 6 Yahweh said furthermore to him, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.”
He put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.
7 He said, “Put your hand inside your cloak again.”
He put his hand inside his cloak again, and when he took it out of his cloak, behold, it had turned again as his other flesh.
8 “It will happen, if they will neither believe you nor listen to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. 9 It will happen, if they will not believe even these two signs, neither listen to your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river, and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take out of the river will become blood on the dry land.”
10 Moses said to Yahweh, “O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”
11 Yahweh said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn’t it I, Yahweh? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.”
13 He said, “Oh, Lord, please send someone else.”
14 The anger of Yahweh was kindled against Moses, and he said, “What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he comes out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 You shall speak to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do. 16 He will be your spokesman to the people; and it will happen, that he will be to you a mouth, and you will be to him as God. 17 You shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”
18 Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.”
Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”
19 Yahweh said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return into Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.”
20 Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. Moses took God’s rod in his hand. 21 Yahweh said to Moses, “When you go back into Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your hand, but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go. 22 You shall tell Pharaoh, ‘Thus says Yahweh, Israel is my son, my firstborn, 23 and I have said to you, “Let my son go, that he may serve me”; and you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.’”
24 It happened on the way at a lodging place, that Yahweh met Moses and wanted to kill him. 25 Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me.”
26 So he let him alone. Then she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.
27 Yahweh said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.”
He went, and met him on God’s mountain, and kissed him. 28 Moses told Aaron all the words of Yahweh with which he had sent him, and all the signs with which he had instructed him. 29 Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. 30 Aaron spoke all the words which Yahweh had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 The people believed, and when they heard that Yahweh had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.
Exodus 5
1 Afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’”
2 Pharaoh said, “Who is Yahweh, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don’t know Yahweh, and moreover I will not let Israel go.”
3 They said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Yahweh, our God, lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword.”
4 The king of Egypt said to them, “Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people from their work? Get back to your burdens!” 5 Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens.” 6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, 7“You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.8 The number of the bricks, which they made before, you require from them. You shall not diminish anything of it, for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may labor therein; and don’t let them pay any attention to lying words.”
10 The taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you straw. 11 Go yourselves, get straw where you can find it, for nothing of your work shall be diminished.’” 12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13 The taskmasters were urgent saying, “Fulfill your work quota daily, as when there was straw!” 14 The officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, “Why haven’t you fulfilled your quota both yesterday and today, in making brick as before?”
15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you deal this way with your servants? 16 No straw is given to your servants, and they tell us, ‘Make brick!’ and behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.”
17 But he said, “You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to Yahweh.’ 18 Go therefore now, and work, for no straw shall be given to you, yet you shall deliver the same number of bricks!”
19 The officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble, when it was said, “You shall not diminish anything from your daily quota of bricks!”
20 They met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came out from Pharaoh: 21 and they said to them, “May Yahweh look at you, and judge, because you have made us a stench to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
22 Moses returned to Yahweh, and said, “Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people; neither have you delivered your people at all.”
Exodus 6
6:1 Yahweh said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh, for by a strong hand he shall let them go, and by a strong hand he shall drive them out of his land.”
2 God spoke to Moses, and said to him, “I am Yahweh; 3 and I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Yahweh I was not known to them. 4 I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their travels, in which they lived as aliens. 5 Moreover I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered my covenant. 6 Therefore tell the children of Israel, ‘I am Yahweh, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments: 7 and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and you shall know that I am Yahweh your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you for a heritage: I am Yahweh.’”
9 Moses spoke so to the children of Israel, but they didn’t listen to Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
10 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 11 “Go in, speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.”
12 Moses spoke before Yahweh, saying, “Behold, the children of Israel haven’t listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, who am of uncircumcised lips?” 13 Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and gave them a command to the children of Israel, and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
14 These are the heads of their fathers’ houses. The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben. 15 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon. 16 These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi were one hundred thirty-seven years. 17 The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, according to their families. 18 The sons of Kohath: Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel; and the years of the life of Kohath were one hundred thirty-three years. 19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their generations. 20 Amram took Jochebed his father’s sister to himself as wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were a hundred and thirty-seven years. 21 The sons of Izhar: Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri. 22 The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Sithri. 23 Aaron took Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, as his wife; and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 24 The sons of Korah: Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites. 25 Eleazar Aaron’s son took one of the daughters of Putiel as his wife; and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites according to their families. 26 These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom Yahweh said, “Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies.” 27 These are those who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt. These are that Moses and Aaron.
28 It happened on the day when Yahweh spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29 that Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “I am Yahweh. Speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I speak to you.”
30 Moses said before Yahweh, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh listen to me?”
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