Exodus 7-8

THOUGHT FOR TODAY-

Those who say “no” to God shouldn’t be surprised when the locusts come calling.

EXODUS 7—8

If men will not obey His words of warning, God must speak by His works of judgment. When God speaks, people either obey and submit their hearts or disobey and harden their hearts (Heb. 3:7-13). From the human point of view, Pharaoh resisted God’s will and thus hardened his own heart. From the divine point of view, God sent the judgments and therefore caused his heart to harden. The same sun that melts the ice also hardens the clay.

The court magicians were able to imitate Aaron’s miracle. Satan is a counterfeiter, and that is one way he opposes God’s work today (2 Tim. 3:8—9). Some miracles are lying wonders (2 Thess. 2:9—10). Be sure you can tell the difference (1 John 2:18—27; 4:1—6).

The plagues were God’s declaration of war against the false gods of Egypt (12:12). He proclaimed, “I am the LORD” (7:5). They were also a declaration that God had put a differ­ence between the Jews and the Egyptians (8:23).

How sad that Israel saw God’s wonders in Egypt and yet did not trust Him (Ps. 106:6-7). They even wanted to return to Egypt after they had been delivered! Great experiences are no guarantee that one has grown spiritually. It all depends on what happens to your heart.

With the Word - Warren W. Wiersbe

Thomas Nelson Publishers

Nashville

“Used by permission of Thomas Nelson, Inc.”

Exodus 5-6

You See What You're Looking For

When I was a boy growing up outside of New York City, I was an avid fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers. In fact, I have not yet quite forgiven them for moving west. The archenemy in my childhood was the New York Yankees. I had seen them only on television and heard them only on the radio until I was invited by my father to skip school and to go to the World Series game between the Yankees and the Dodgers. I'll tell you, it was one of the great thrills of my childhood. I remember sitting there, smelling the hot dogs and hearing the cheers of the crowd and the feel of it all. I knew those Dodgers were going to shellac those Yankees once and for all. Unfortunately the Dodgers never got on base, so my thrill was shattered. I tucked it away somewhere in my unconscious until, as an adult, I was in a conversation with one of these fellows who was a walking sports almanac. I mentioned to him when I went to my first major league game. I said, "It was such a disappointment. I was a Dodger fan and the Dodgers never got on base."

He said, "You were there? You were at the game when Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in all of World Series history?"

I said, "Yeah, but, uh, we lost." I was so caught up in my team's defeat that I missed out on the fact that I was a witness to a far greater page of history.

Leith Anderson, "Unlistened-to Lessons of Life," Preaching Today, Tape 48.

EXODUS 5—6

When Moses and Aaron began their work in Egypt, their first problem was with Pharaoh (5:1-9). Not only did Pharaoh refuse to let the people leave Egypt, but he made their work more difficult. That gave Moses a second problem—his own people, who blamed him for their plight (5:20-21). He had a foretaste of the criticism and rebellion he would experience for the next forty years. Often the people you help the most appre­ciate you the least.

Moses’ third problem was with the Lord Himself (5:22—23)1 God had promised success but Moses had failed. Even the Jews didn’t believe him! Madame Guyon spoke of these kinds of difficulties: “In the commencement of the spiritual life, our hardest task is to bear with our neighbor; in its progress, with ourselves; and in its end, with God.”

But God gave Moses the assurance that he needed (6:1-8) and told him to return to his job and stay with it. God doesn’t solve every problem immediately, nor does He follow your schedule. When you think you have failed, even when you have obeyed God’s will, ponder Isaiah 55:8-9 and Jeremiah 29:11.

With the Word - Warren W. Wiersbe

Thomas Nelson Publishers

Nashville

“Used by permission of Thomas Nelson, Inc.”

Exodus 6:1-9

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country."

[2] God also said to Moses, "I am the Lord. [3] I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them. [4] I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they lived as aliens. [5] Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.

[6] "Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. [7] I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. [8] And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.' "

[9] Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage.

Exodus 4

John Cennick (1718-1755)

Sensational lay preacher

Though trained as a land surveyor and writing instructor, John Cennick once was asked to fill in for an absent preacher. He wrote, "I was naturally fearful of speaking before such a company, having never done such a thing as this."

But when he preached, "tears fell from many eyes." When he stood to preach again the next Sunday, 4,000 people gathered. Though never ordained, he soon became one of the top preachers of his day.

George Whitefield soon asked Cennick to be headmaster of a school for coal-mining families. In 1744, Whitefield gave him charge of his Moorfields congregation and the Calvinist branch of Methodism. The responsibilities proved too much, though, and coincided with a shift in theology. By late 1745, Cennick joined the Moravians and became a missionary to Ireland.

Before long, as one historian put it, "All walls and windows [of his meeting house] were covered with people, and Cennick had to go in at the window, creeping over the heads of the people to reach his pulpit."

"George Whitefield," Christian History, Issue 38.

EXODUS 4

Forty years before, Moses was sure he could solve his peo­ple’s problems; but now that God had called him, he was sure he would fail. He could give no reasons for disobeying God, but he certainly had plenty of excuses. “An excuse is the skin of a reason stuffed with a lie,” observed Billy Sunday. But God gave Moses everything he needed for success. All he had to do was trust the great I AM.

Credentials.If we give God what we have, He can use it for His glory: a rod, a sling (1 Sam. 17:40), a net (Luke 5:1—11), or a little lunch (John 6:9). He can even use the hand if nothing is in it!

Companion.God already had Aaron prepared and on his way to meet Moses. While Aaron at times created some prob­lems for Moses, he was still a valued helper in the work. He was the speaker, and Moses was the doer. But in time, Moses himself became a great orator.

Commission. God spoke to Moses and gave him the in­structions and encouragement he needed (vv. 19-23). Before he arrived in Egypt, Moses knew that his work would be difficult and that Pharaoh would oppose him.

Chastening. Moses was chastened by God and almost died because he had failed to make his child a son of the cove­nant (Gen. 17:10). How could Moses lead Israel if his own fam­ily was not dedicated to God? (See 1 Tim. 3:5.)

Conviction. Moses was sure nobody would believe him; however, when the elders saw the signs and heard the mes­sage, they believed and bowed to worship God.

When you face a tough job and you are afraid that you will fail, remember Moses. God keeps His promises, no matter how you feel or how people respond.

With the Word - Warren W. Wiersbe
Thomas Nelson Publishers
Nashville
“Used by permission of Thomas Nelson, Inc.”

Exodus 4:1-31

Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The Lord did not appear to you'?"

[2] Then the Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?"

"A staff," he replied. [3] The Lord said, "Throw it on the ground."

Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. [4] Then the Lord said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. [5] "This," said the Lord, "is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob--has appeared to you."

[6] Then the Lord said, "Put your hand inside your cloak." So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was leprous, like snow.

[7] "Now put it back into your cloak," he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh.

[8] Then the Lord said, "If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first miraculous sign, they may believe the second. [9] But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground."

[10] Moses said to the Lord, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."

[11] The Lord said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? [12] Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." *

[13] But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it."

[14] Then the Lord's anger burned against Moses and he said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when he sees you. [15] You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. [16] He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. [17] But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it."

[18] Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Let me go back to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive."

Jethro said, "Go, and I wish you well."

[19] Now the Lord had said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead." [20] So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand.

[21] The Lord said to Moses, "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. [22] Then say to Pharaoh, 'This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son, [23] and I told you, "Let my son go, so he may worship me." But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.' "

[24] At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him. [25] But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses' feet with it. "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me," she said. [26] So the Lord let him alone. (At that time she said "bridegroom of blood," referring to circumcision.)

[27] The Lord said to Aaron, "Go into the desert to meet Moses." So he met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him. [28] Then Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say, and also about all the miraculous signs he had commanded him to perform.

[29] Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites, [30] and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, [31] and they believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.

Exodus Chapter 3

Never Losing Track of Details*

Have you ever thought of God as being meticulous, thanking him for his extreme care in the consideration of details?

Any thoughtful glance at creation is enough to evoke praise. Intricate design is evident in countless species of insects, birds, flowers and trees. The human body, with its many marvels, proves God to be a careful Creator.

As creation did not end his detailed care, so Calvary did not terminate his unconditional love. He continues to demonstrate that love when he stoops to meet our tiniest and most commonplace needs.

-- Marie Lind, from The Wesleyan Advocate. Christian Reader, Vol. 25, no. 2.

You never know what a day may bring, so keep your eyes and ears open to the leading of the Lord. Childlike curiosity completely changed Moses’ life. God calls busy people to serve Him, and He reveals Himself to them.

God is faithful. He called Abraham, cared for Isaac, guided and protected Jacob, and He would be with Moses. He is the God of the individual as well as the nation, and He does not change from generation to generation.

God is concerned and compassionate. He saw the afflic­tion of His people, and He heard their cries. Then why didn’t He act sooner? Because He was following a perfect timetable (Gen. 15:13—16). You must learn to wait on the Lord. (See Ps. 37.)

God is long-suffering. The Lord answered all of Moses’ ob­jections and gave one assurance after another to encourage him. Moses said, “I am not!” and God replied, “I AM!” Faith lays hold of what God is and obeys what God says. Faith sees the opportunities while unbelief sees the obstacles. Are you arguing with God about something He wants you to do?

With the Word - Warren W. Wiersbe

Thomas Nelson Publishers

Nashville

“Used by permission of Thomas Nelson, Inc.”

Exodus 3:1-22

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. [2] There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. [3] So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight--why the bush does not burn up."

[4] When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!"

And Moses said, "Here I am."

[5] "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." [6] Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

[7] The Lord said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. [8] So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey--the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.

[9] And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. *

[10] So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."

[11] But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"

[12] And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain."

[13] Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?"

[14] God said to Moses, "I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I am has sent me to you.' "

[15] God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The Lord, 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, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.

[16] "Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers--the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob--appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. [17] And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites--a land flowing with milk and honey.'

[18] "The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.' [19] But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. [20] So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.

[21] "And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. [22] Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians."

Exodus Chapter 2

Calling Forth Compassion*

In 1975 a child named Raymond Dunn, Jr., was born in New York State. The Associated Press reports that at his birth, a skull fracture and oxygen deprivation caused severe retardation. As Raymond grew, the family discovered further impairments. His twisted body suffered up to twenty seizures per day. He was blind, mute, and immobile. He had severe allergies that limited him to only one food: a meat-based formula made by Gerber Foods.

In 1985, Gerber stopped making the formula that Raymond lived on. Carol Dunn scoured the country to buy what stores had in stock, accumulating cases and cases, but in 1990 her supply ran out. In desperation, she appealed to Gerber for help. Without this particular food, Raymond would starve to death. The employees of the company listened.

In an unprecedented action, volunteers donated hundreds of hours to bring out old equipment, set up production lines, obtain special approval from the USDA, and produce the formula--all for one special boy. In January 1995, Raymond Dunn, Jr., known as the Gerber Boy, died from his physical problems. But during his brief lifetime he called forth a wonderful thing called compassion.

-- Larry A. Payne, Amarillo, Texas. Leadership, Vol. 16, no. 3.

EXODUS 2

Moses’ parents, Amram and Jochebed (Exod. 6:20), knew that the times were difficult, but they had faith to get married and have a family (Acts 7:20; Heb. 11:23). Aaron and Miriam were already in the home when Moses was born. It was not easy to provide for another child, but God enabled them, as He still does parents today.

It also took faith for the parents to put their son into the river, obeying at least the spirit of the Egyptian law. God re­warded their faith. Jochebed not only got her son back, but she was paid to take care of him!

Moses had a splendid education (Acts 7:22), but he was lacking in faith. He fought the wrong enemy at the wrong time with the wrong weapon. When you start to look around and ask yourself is it safe?” and not “Is it right?” you have stopped living by faith. Sometimes God has to “set us aside” to teach us what we need to know—and to help us forget the way the world does things. Moses’ impulsive deed sent him to the back of the desert for forty years, just as his impulsive words would keep him out of the Promised Land (Num. 20:9— 13). An impatient spirit is a dangerous thing.

With the Word - Warren W. Wiersbe

Thomas Nelson Publishers

Nashville

“Used by permission of Thomas Nelson, Inc.”

Exodus 2:1-25

Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, [2] and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. [3] But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. [4] His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

[5] Then Pharaoh's daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the river bank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to get it.

*[6] She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. "This is one of the Hebrew babies," she said.

[7] Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?"

[8] "Yes, go," she answered. And the girl went and got the baby's mother. [9] Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you." So the woman took the baby and nursed him. [10] When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, "I drew him out of the water."

[11] One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. [12] Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. [13] The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, "Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?"

[14] The man said, "Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid and thought, "What I did must have become known."

[15] When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well. [16] Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father's flock. [17] Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock.

[18] When the girls returned to Reuel their father, he asked them, "Why have you returned so early today?"

[19] They answered, "An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock."

[20] "And where is he?" he asked his daughters. "Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat."

[21] Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. [22] Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, "I have become an alien in a foreign land."

[23] During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. [24] God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. [25] So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.

Times When It Is Hard to Leave

In the December 31, 1989 Chicago Tribune, the editors printed their photos of the decade. One of them, by Michael Fryer, captured a grim fireman and paramedic carrying a fire victim away from the scene. The blaze, which happened in Chicago in December 1984, at first seemed routine. But then firefighters discovered the bodies of a mother and five children huddled in the kitchen of an apartment.

Fryer said the firefighters surmised, "She could have escaped with two or three of the children but couldn't decide who to pick. She chose to wait with all of them for the firefighters to arrive. All of them died of smoke inhalation." There are times when you just don't leave those you love.

Exodus 1

The nation growing. God promised that the descendants of Abraham would multiply greatly, and they did (Gen. 13:16; 15:5). God keeps His word and accomplishes His purposes in His time. Over the centuries, nations have tried to destroy Is­rael but have not succeeded. God gave Israel a special prom­ise in Genesis 12:3, and He is keeping it. God's children today should pray for Israel (Ps. 122:6), share the gospel with them (Rom. 1:16), and minister to them in practical ways (Rom. 15:25-27).

The nation groaning. God told Abraham that his people would experience suffering (Gen. 15:13-14). It is easy for na­tions and local churches to forget the heroes of yesterday (Heb. 13:7-8). Although we must not "embalm" the past, we certainly must not forget those who helped to make our future possible.

The new Pharaoh was more concerned about national se­curity than human decency. When people become a means to an end instead of an end in themselves, we are not treating them as God wants us to. Enslaving the men and killing the baby boys were Egypt's solution to "the Jewish problem."

The midwives believed in obeying God rather than men (Acts 5:29). Thank God for concerned people who will coura­geously defend the little ones! God rewarded the women, not by making them sterile (which would have been safer), but by giving them families!

This shows how valuable children are in the sight of God (Ps. 127:3-5). Ponder the words of our Lord in Matthew 18:1-6.

With the Word - Warren W. Wiersbe

Thomas Nelson Publishers

Nashville

“Used by permission of Thomas Nelson, Inc.”

Exodus 1:1-22

These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family: [2] Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; [3] Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; [4] Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. [5] The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all; Joseph was already in Egypt.

[6] Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, [7] but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them.

[8] Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. [9] "Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. [10] Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country."

[11] So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. [12] But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites [13] and worked them ruthlessly. [14] They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the Egyptians used them ruthlessly.

[15] The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah,

[16] "When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live." [17] The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. *

[18] Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?"

[19] The midwives answered Pharaoh, "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive."

[20] So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. [21] And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.

[22] Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: "Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live."

Introduction to Exodus

Exodus means "going out." The book has three main themes.

Liberation (1-18). This section describes Jehovah's victory over the gods of Egypt and the deliverance of His people from bondage. The emphasis is on the hand of God. (See 3:20; 7:4-5; 9:3, 15; 13:3, 9, 14, 16.) The Exodus is a picture of the redemp­tion we have through faith in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God (John 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7; 1 Pet. 1:18-21).

John 1:29 (NIV) ²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

1 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV) ⁷ Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

1 Peter 1:18-21 (NIV) ¹⁸ For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. ²⁰ He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. ²¹ Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

Separation (19-24). God and Israel entered into covenant relationship at Sinai. God gave them His law that they might be separated from the other nations and devoted wholly to Him. The emphasis is on the holiness of God. While God's peo­ple today are not obligated to obey all these precepts, the ba­sic principles are timeless and apply to holy living today.

Habitation (25-40). God had walked with His people in Genesis, but now He wanted to dwell with them. The emphasis is on the house of God and the priests who ministered there. The book of Hebrews in the New Testament explains how the tabernacle ministry foreshadowed the work of Jesus Christ and His present ministry in heaven as High Priest. Today, God's people are His temple (1 Cor. 6:19-20; Eph. 2:20-22).

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV) ¹⁹ Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Ephesians 2:20-22 (NIV) ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. ²¹ In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. ²² And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Psalm 38 - What happens when you sin

THOUGHT FOR TODAY-

CONFESSION

In his book Great Themes of the Bible, Louis Albert Banks told of the time D. L. Moody visited a prison called "The Tombs" to preach to the inmates. After he had finished speaking, Moody talked with a number of men in their cells. He asked each prisoner this question, "What brought you here?" Again and again he received replies like this: "I don't deserve to be here." "I was framed." "I was falsely accused." "I was given an unfair trial." Not one inmate would admit he was guilty. Finally, Moody found a man with his face buried in his hands, weeping. "And what's wrong, my friend?" he inquired. The prisoner responded, "My sins are more than I can bear." Relieved to find at least one man who would recognize his guilt and his need of forgiveness, the evangelist exclaimed, "Thank God for that!" Moody then had the joy of pointing him to a saving knowledge of Christ -- a knowledge that released him from his shackles of sin.

(Psalms 38:18)

PSALM 38

This is the third of the Penitential Psalms (cf. Ps. 6), and it reveals WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU WHEN YOU SIN.

WHAT GOD DOES (1‑2). God loves you too much to allow you to sin and get away with it. If you disobey, He will first rebuke you and then chasten you. He will shoot His arrows from a distance or come closer and put His hand on you, but He will let you know that He is displeased.

WHAT SIN DOES (3‑10). David suffered from sickness because of his sin (Ps. 32:3‑5). He carried a heavy burden and was crushed under it. He sighed and panted and was ready to quit. Sin comes as a friend to entice you and then becomes a master to enslave you.

WHAT PEOPLE DO (11‑ 14). Sin puts a wall between you and those who can help you, but it builds a bridge between you and those who want to exploit you and hurt you.

WHAT THE SINNER MUST DO (15‑22). THE ONLY HOPE IS TO CONFESS SIN AND CRY OUT TO GOD FOR MERCY. HE PROMISES TO FORGIVE, SO CLAIM HIS PROMISE.

With the Word - Warren W. Wiersbe

Thomas Nelson Publishers

Nashville

“Used by permission of Thomas Nelson, Inc.”

FROZEN IN SIN

The story is told of an eagle perched on a block of ice just above Niagra Falls. The swift current carried the ice and its majestic passenger closer to the edge of the great precipice. The cries of other birds and animals warning the eagle of danger that lay ahead were to no avail. "I have great and powerful wings," he boasted. "I can fly from my perch at any time. I can handle it." Suddenly the edge of the falls was only a few feet away. The torrent of water rushed the block of ice over the great falls. The eagle spread his powerful wings to mount up over the impending doom only to discover too late that his claws had become frozen to the cake of ice. Do I have to say more? None of us is immune to the consequences of sin.(PSALMS 38:3)

(Psa 38 TLB) O Lord, don't punish me while you are angry! {2} Your arrows have struck deep; your blows are crushing me.

{3} BECAUSE OF YOUR ANGER, MY BODY IS SICK, MY HEALTH IS BROKEN BENEATH MY SINS. THEY ARE LIKE A FLOOD, HIGHER THAN MY HEAD; THEY ARE A BURDEN TOO HEAVY TO BEAR.

{4} {5} My wounds are festering and full of pus. Because of my sins, I am bent and racked with pain. My days are filled with anguish. {6} {7} My loins burn with inflammation, and my whole body is diseased. {8} I am exhausted and crushed; I groan in despair. {9} Lord, you know how I long for my health once more. You hear my every sigh. {10} My heart beats wildly, my strength fails, and I am going blind. {11} My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease. Even my own family stands at a distance. {12} Meanwhile my enemies are trying to kill me. They plot my ruin and spend all their waking hours planning treachery. {13} But I am deaf to all their threats; I am silent before them as a man who cannot speak. I have nothing to say. {14} {15} For I am waiting for you, O Lord my God. Come and protect me. {16} Put an end to their arrogance, these who gloat when I am cast down! {17} How constantly I find myself upon the verge of sin; this source of sorrow always stares me in the face.

{18} I CONFESS MY SINS; I AM SORRY FOR WHAT I HAVE DONE.

{19} But my enemies persecute with vigor and continue to hate me--though I have done nothing against them to deserve it. {20} They repay me evil for good and hate me for standing for the right. {21} Don't leave me, Lord; don't go away! {22} Come quickly! Help me, O my Savior.

Psalm 37

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY-

Close Your Eyes And You Will See Everything You Actually Possess.

This psalm shares the wisdom of an old man who had walked with the Lord (v.25). He had battled with evil men and knew the frustration of seeing the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer As he reviewed the past, he gave some wise counsel TO KEEP US FROM FRETTING AGAINST THE LORD WHEN THINGS ARE NOT GOING THE WAY WE WANT THEM TO GO.

"TRUST IN THE LORD'' (3). If you walk by sight and not by faith, you will find it easy to fret. (See Ps. 73.) The wicked seem to be prospering, but they will not last (vv. 35‑36). BELIEVE WHAT GOD SAYS IN HIS WORD BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE YOU FIND REALITY.

"DELIGHT IN THE LORD'' (4). Find all your joy and pleasure in His will. Make Him your delight, and your desires will be in His will. LIVING TO PLEASE THE LORD SETS YOU FREE FROM FRETTING ABOUT WHAT MEN ARE DOING.

"COMMIT YOUR WAY TO THE LORD'' (5). When you trust Him and delight in Him, how could you do anything other than commit your way to Him? LET GOD GUIDE YOUR STEPS, CHOOSE YOUR JOYS, PROTECT YOUR NAME, AND BLESS YOUR WORK.

"REST IN THE LORD" (7). Restlessness is an evidence of unbelief. Faith rests in the Lord and enjoys "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding" (Phil. 4:7). God sometimes waits in answering prayer so that He might strengthen our patience (James 1:2‑8).

"WAIT ON THE LORD" (34). For what are you waiting? The inheritance God has for you (vv. 11, 18, 22, 29, 34). THE WICKED HAVE ONLY TEMPORARY PLEASURE ON EARTH, BUT GOD’S PEOPLE HAVE ETERNAL TREASURE IN HEAVEN. YOU WILL ONE DAY RECEIVE YOUR INHERITANCE, SO BE PATIENT.

With the Word - Warren W. Wiersbe

Thomas Nelson Publishers

Nashville

“Used by permission of Thomas Nelson, Inc.”

LIFE WITHOUT FEAR

He who loves God with all his heart dreads neither death, torment, judgment, nor hell, for perfect love opens a sure passage to God.

¨ Thomas a Kempis

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

(Psa 37 NIV) Of David. DO NOT FRET because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; {2} for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. {3} TRUST IN THE LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. {4} DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. {5} COMMIT YOUR WAY TO THE LORD; trust in him and he will do this: {6} He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. {7} BE STILL BEFORE THE LORD AND WAIT PATIENTLY FOR HIM; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. {8} Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret--it leads only to evil. {9} For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. {10} A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. {11} But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace. {12} The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; {13} but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming. {14} The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. {15} But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. {16} Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; {17} for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous. {18} The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever. {19} In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty. {20} But the wicked will perish: The Lord's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish--vanish like smoke. {21} The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously; {22} those the LORD blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off. {23} If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; {24} though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. {25} I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. {26} They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed. {27} Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. {28} For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off; {29} the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. {30} The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. {31} The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip. {32} The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives; {33} but the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial. {34} WAIT FOR THE LORD AND KEEP HIS WAY. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it. {35} I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil, {36} but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found. {37} Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace. {38} But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off. {39} THE SALVATION OF THE RIGHTEOUS COMES FROM THE LORD; HE IS THEIR STRONGHOLD IN TIME OF TROUBLE. {40} The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.

Psalm 35

THOUGHT FOR TODAY-

Squire Boone, younger brother of Daniel Boone, was wounded in battles with Indians eleven times. Finally he settled near Corydon, Indiana, where he built a mill. On one of the foundations he carved these words:

"My God my life hath much befriended.

I'll praise Him till my days are ended."

-- Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1997).

PSALM 35

Like David, you need God's deliverance from two different enemies.

Those who attack you (1-10). There are places in this world where it is a dangerous thing to be a Christian, and their num­ber may increase. After all, Satan is a murderer (John 8:44) and would destroy all of God's people if he could. But the Lord fights for us. He has effective weapons (vv. 2-3) and knows the enemy's plots (v. 4). If you belong to the Lord, He is responsible to care for you.

Those who accuse you (11-28). Satan is an accuser as well as a murderer (Rev. 12:10), so David had to move from the bat­tlefield to the courtroom where his enemies were lying about him. His prayer changed from "Fight for me!" to "Vindicate me!" (vv. 23-24). But his concern was that God's name, not his own, be magnified (v. 27). When the enemy slanders your name, he attacks the name of the Lord as well.

Note the results: "And my soul shall be joyful" (v. 9); "And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness" (v. 28). Joy on the inside and witness on the outside!

With the Word - Warren W. Wiersbe

Thomas Nelson Publishers

Nashville

“Used by permission of Thomas Nelson, Inc.”

¹ Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. ² Take up shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid. ³ Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to my soul, "I am your salvation." ⁴ May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay. ⁵ May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away; ⁶ may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them. ⁷ Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me, ⁸ may ruin overtake them by surprise-- may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin. ⁹ Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation. ¹⁰ My whole being will exclaim, "Who is like you, O LORD? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them." ¹¹ Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about. ¹² They repay me evil for good and leave my soul forlorn. ¹³ Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered, ¹⁴ I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother. ¹⁵ But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; attackers gathered against me when I was unaware. They slandered me without ceasing. ¹⁶ Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked; they gnashed their teeth at me. ¹⁷ O Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my life from their ravages, my precious life from these lions. ¹⁸ I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you. ¹⁹ Let not those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; let not those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye. ²⁰ They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land. ²¹ They gape at me and say, "Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it." ²² O LORD, you have seen this; be not silent. Do not be far from me, O Lord. ²³ Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord. ²⁴ Vindicate me in your righteousness, O LORD my God; do not let them gloat over me. ²⁵ Do not let them think, "Aha, just what we wanted!" or say, "We have swallowed him up." ²⁶ May all who gloat over my distress be put to shame and confusion; may all who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace. ²⁷ May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, "The LORD be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant." ²⁸ My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long. Psalms 35:1-28 (NIV)