When Jesus walked the earth, God's word was central to life. It was the everyday conversation of the community. They were brought together by the text, and they even agreed on a text of the week. This same ancient rythmn is available to us today! Join us in reading and commenting on what is know as the "Parashah." Imagine a community whose unity is rooted in the very word of God!
This weeks text opens in Chaper 6 with the Lord speaking to Moses.
The Lord tells the Israelites through Moses what He will do and has done: 1. you will see (my outstreached hand) what I will do to Pharoh 2. I appeared to Abraham 3. I appeared to Isaac 4. I appeared to Jacob 5. I established My covenent with them 6. I have heard 7. I have remembered 8. I will bring you out 9. I will free you 10. I will redeem you 11. I will take you as my own 12. I will be your God
------------------------------- These are great words of great encouragement. These are words that should have struck the hearts of the Isrealites. Instead they did not believe. They continued to feel crushed and accept their bondage.
These were a people who felt abandoned by God. All hope had melted away from them slowly over the years of oppression and hardships. In a sense, they were dead. They were dead to hope and freedom. This is a living death of pain, sorrow, and dispair.
God is telling them that he is going to restore them but they do not believe.
Where in our lives to we not believe God's hand is there? Where have we given up hope? Are you in pain or sorrow? Does dipair tear at your heart?
Look to God and ask him to help you in your unbelief. Put your concerns before the Lord so that he can show you His Mighty Hand so that your faith might become stronger in him.
Key verses Exodus 9:14-16 "I will prove to you that there is no other God like me in all the earth. I could have killed you all by now. I could have attacked you with a plague that would have wiped you from the face of the earth. But I have let you live for this reason – that you might see my power and that my fame might spread throughout the earth.”
God appeared as God Almighty, El Shaddai, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He revealed himself intimately to Moses, as Yahweh. He spoke to prophets throughout the old testament. He appeared over and over to ALL people –to the house of Jacob and the house of Esau. But the house of Esau refused to see him, to acknowledge him, his power, his “omni-ness”. He appeared to the Jew and the Gentile, but many refused/refuse to see him. God appears over and over. He desires for all to turn to him. He uses ALL people and all circumstances to reveal his power, whether they choose him or not…
“I am the LORD (Yahweh)….then they will know that I am the LORD…. then they will know that I am the LORD…” Over and over God appears, reveals himself in mighty ways and still many do not see him. He appeared as Jesus in flesh and blood, the living stone that people stumble over. God chose those whom he foreknew…so did he make me choose him? Is praying for others’ salvation futile because God has already chosen? What about free will? These are hard questions. I find comfort in Romans 9:22-24 “God has every right to exercise his judgment and his power, but he also has the right to be very patient with those who are the objects of his judgment and are fit only for destruction. He also has the right to pour out the riches of his glory upon those he prepared to be the the objects of his mercy – even upon us, whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles.” So I fall before El Shaddai, God Almighty, the God of power and might, Yahweh, the intimate and unspeakably holy, merciful one who gave me breath, and in faith believe that I have seen Him, and that I receive His mercy and riches. In faith I believe I will continue to see Him appear over and over every day as El Shaddai and Yahweh, the amazingly powerful creator of the universe who could snuff me but chooses instead to draw near and love me and be in relationship with me. Isaiah says “anyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” I will not be put to shame. I hope he has let me live so that others might see His power and that His fame might spread throughout the earth.
This is a question that I hear a lot when people read this text. I is a difficult thing to grasp that God would harden someone towards Himself. Here are some of the reasons I found in the study of this portion.
1. To give Himself an opportunity to display signs and wonders 2. To lead His people to repentance 3. To bring blessing and healing 4. So that the Egyptians would know that He is LORD.
The way I read this is that God hardened Pharaoh's heart in the beginning. However, as the story progresses, it then becomes Pharaoh who hardens his own heart because of his own personal desires. So, God never plans against us. He is for us. He may use us but He is always willing to save us too.
He uses people who know Him and those who do not know Him.
I love the fact that God gives Pharaoh the honor of choosing when Moses would pray to God. Moses would cry out and the plague would end. Awesome!
Romans 9:15 I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.
God is sovereign and rules over both good and evil in the world. The law was relied upon by Isreal, yet it didn't manifest itself in His people. Instead, they relied on the letter of the law through works instead of faith.
The difference in works and faith? Works is the application of intelligence, thought and self justification. It often expects reward.
Faith however involves the application of obediance, listening to God, hearing God and the heart. The reward IS the works because the reward is serving the LORD.
4 comments:
This weeks text opens in Chaper 6 with the Lord speaking to Moses.
The Lord tells the Israelites through Moses what He will do and has done:
1. you will see (my outstreached hand) what I will do to Pharoh
2. I appeared to Abraham
3. I appeared to Isaac
4. I appeared to Jacob
5. I established My covenent with them
6. I have heard
7. I have remembered
8. I will bring you out
9. I will free you
10. I will redeem you
11. I will take you as my own
12. I will be your God
-------------------------------
These are great words of great encouragement. These are words that should have struck the hearts of the Isrealites. Instead they did not believe. They continued to feel crushed and accept their bondage.
These were a people who felt abandoned by God. All hope had melted away from them slowly over the years of oppression and hardships. In a sense, they were dead. They were dead to hope and freedom. This is a living death of pain, sorrow, and dispair.
God is telling them that he is going to restore them but they do not believe.
Where in our lives to we not believe God's hand is there? Where have we given up hope?
Are you in pain or sorrow? Does dipair tear at your heart?
Look to God and ask him to help you in your unbelief. Put your concerns before the Lord so that he can show you His Mighty Hand so that your faith might become stronger in him.
And I appeared.
Key verses Exodus 9:14-16 "I will prove to you that there is no other God like me in all the earth. I could have killed you all by now. I could have attacked you with a plague that would have wiped you from the face of the earth. But I have let you live for this reason – that you might see my power and that my fame might spread throughout the earth.”
God appeared as God Almighty, El Shaddai, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He revealed himself intimately to Moses, as Yahweh. He spoke to prophets throughout the old testament. He appeared over and over to ALL people –to the house of Jacob and the house of Esau. But the house of Esau refused to see him, to acknowledge him, his power, his “omni-ness”. He appeared to the Jew and the Gentile, but many refused/refuse to see him. God appears over and over. He desires for all to turn to him. He uses ALL people and all circumstances to reveal his power, whether they choose him or not…
“I am the LORD (Yahweh)….then they will know that I am the LORD…. then they will know that I am the LORD…” Over and over God appears, reveals himself in mighty ways and still many do not see him. He appeared as Jesus in flesh and blood, the living stone that people stumble over. God chose those whom he foreknew…so did he make me choose him? Is praying for others’ salvation futile because God has already chosen? What about free will? These are hard questions. I find comfort in Romans 9:22-24 “God has every right to exercise his judgment and his power, but he also has the right to be very patient with those who are the objects of his judgment and are fit only for destruction. He also has the right to pour out the riches of his glory upon those he prepared to be the the objects of his mercy – even upon us, whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles.” So I fall before El Shaddai, God Almighty, the God of power and might, Yahweh, the intimate and unspeakably holy, merciful one who gave me breath, and in faith believe that I have seen Him, and that I receive His mercy and riches. In faith I believe I will continue to see Him appear over and over every day as El Shaddai and Yahweh, the amazingly powerful creator of the universe who could snuff me but chooses instead to draw near and love me and be in relationship with me. Isaiah says “anyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” I will not be put to shame. I hope he has let me live so that others might see His power and that His fame might spread throughout the earth.
Why did God harden Pharaoh's heart?
This is a question that I hear a lot when people read this text. I is a difficult thing to grasp that God would harden someone towards Himself. Here are some of the reasons I found in the study of this portion.
1. To give Himself an opportunity to display signs and wonders
2. To lead His people to repentance
3. To bring blessing and healing
4. So that the Egyptians would know that He is LORD.
The way I read this is that God hardened Pharaoh's heart in the beginning. However, as the story progresses, it then becomes Pharaoh who hardens his own heart because of his own personal desires. So, God never plans against us. He is for us. He may use us but He is always willing to save us too.
He uses people who know Him and those who do not know Him.
I love the fact that God gives Pharaoh the honor of choosing when Moses would pray to God. Moses would cry out and the plague would end. Awesome!
Romans 9:15
I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.
God is sovereign and rules over both good and evil in the world. The law was relied upon by Isreal, yet it didn't manifest itself in His people. Instead, they relied on the letter of the law through works instead of faith.
The difference in works and faith?
Works is the application of intelligence, thought and self justification. It often expects reward.
Faith however involves the application of obediance, listening to God, hearing God and the heart. The reward IS the works because the reward is serving the LORD.
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