Exodus 15

“And he said, If you will carefully listen to the voice of Jehovah your God, and will do that which is right in His sight, and will give ear to His commandments, and keep all His Laws, I will put none of these diseases upon you, which I have brought upon the Egyptians; for I am Jehovah who heals you” (Exodus 15:26).

Israel makes it across the Red Sea. The people rejoice and sing his song of praise. Never again will we see judgment set upon the earth in such a supernatural way until we come to the Book of Revelation. Truly the people had something to rejoice about. As it is said in verse 16, “Till the people pass over, Whom You have purchased.” This describes all of us! We are a purchased people, baptized in the waters of atonement, brought fourth to a new life.

How then does sin affect the believer? What happens when you sin after you have become saved? Are there still repercussions? If we re punished for sinning, does this mean we were not 100% forgiven?

Read Exodus 15:26 over again. God has set the world up for purity. Think of natural spring water. On every bottle of natural spring water they want you to know that their water is pure. There are no weird creatures in it, or bacteria lying around. The water is pure. Believe it or not, so is life. Life with Jesus is 100% pure. We are to do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments.

Sin is like a harmful piece of bacteria in our pure water. It makes the whole bottle of water bad! As Mr. O’Keefe shared last night, 30 years of righteous living can be thrown away by 30 minutes of flesh time. Sin can terribly affect the Christian walk. It still is present, though it is always forgiven. Think of the many diseases sin causes. It causes the disease of selfishness, pride, lust corruption, lying, jealousy, addiction, and other wicked things. It only makes sense that sin would cause literal, physical diseases as well.

Follow Jesus. He has a plan for you. Pray this week. Come to church and pray with us. If you cannot pray with us, pray alone in your room for a half an hour during the time we pray. We all want purity. I want a life that shines for Jesus, therefore a life where none of these diseases can take root and kill my spiritual ability to walk with Him.

Exodus 14

Exodus 14

“And Moses said to the people, Do not fear. Stand still and see the salvation of Jehovah, which He will prepare for you this day. For the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you shall never see them anymore” (Exodus 14:13).

Salvation is the theme of the first 14 chapters of Exodus. As we continue into the rest of this book you may be wondering, “What is left?” We have already covered the story of Israel’s deliverance out of Egypt in the first 14 chapters. The rest of this book, the rest of Leviticus, and the rest of Numbers has one theme to it: salvation. As of this point salvation has happened, now we follow the Lord.

The Red Sea is a perfect ending to this exodus. In the beginning of our story we have Moses, set apart to be a deliverer. Jesus came to deliver us. We have the plagues, the mighty wonders of God. We have Jesus performing miracles throughout His life. We then have the Passover, the blood of the lamb cast upon the doors. We see next that Jesus gives of His own life, the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 5, read it!). Finally, we have the baptism. This is no other than the Red Sea parting.

Think about the people of Israel. As they are along the Red Sea they see the Chariots of Egypt. Egypt is a type of the world. Here we see the world come roaring up in all its fury. Before salvation, we would just give in to the world. Now we run to Jesus. So God parted the sea over the course of the night. This differs from the movies. It took the whole night. It was not all at once.

With salvation come, we are called to baptism. What is baptism? This is an outward representation that you are no longer following the way of the world, but trusting in God. Imagine if every baptism involved you having to go through two walls of sea. It would be a little more credibility into the whole event. As Israel passes from one side of the sea to the next, they were saying, “No longer am I a slave to the world but now a follower of Jehovah.”

Jesus has provided Salvation. He has died on the cross. Does baptism complete salvation? No, in that, Jesus has already done all the work and we are not required to ever touch a body of water to be saved. Yes, in that, unless you choose to trust Jesus and let go of this world, you will never have salvation. My exhortation to you is, let go of the world. You do not need a body of water to be baptized and to openly declare, “I am going to follow Jesus.” We are passing from one world of slavery to a world of promise. Trust, and do not look any other direction but His.

Call to Prayer

hey everyone, this Sunday the Jr. High will be staying in service. Pastor Jim will be sharing a special message about prayer to kick off the week of prayer. If you can, plan on joining us this next week to pray. We are all just as much a part of this body as the rest of the adults, so we should come and seek the Lord as well. Even if you can't come out, I encourage all of you to spend some time in the evenings praying for the same things we will be praying for at the church. I will be posting the prayer points here on the blog everyday.

Exodus 13

And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
(Exo 13:21-22)

We mentioned this yesterday, but I would like us to look a little closer at it now. Let’s begin with the cloud:

It LED them – This cloud served the purpose of showing them the way to go. The Lord used it to guide and direct them on their journey. When it moved they would move. When it stopped they would stop. God didn’t free them from Pharaoh and then say, “Alright, you’re on your own”. Nor did He give them a map and a compass, or a GPS and some co-ordinates! He wanted to lead them HIMSELF! The same is true of us. The Lord has given us His Word and His Holy Spirit to guide us in the way we should go. He didn’t leave us alone to figure it out, nor did He give us a copy of the “game plan” and then split; He is here to lead us every step of the way. We need to learn to follow the Lord. To go when He goes, and stop when He stops.
It PROTECTED them – This cloud protected them, it shielded them from the heat of the sun. As long as they followed the Lord, and stayed close to Him, they had protection from the heat and intensity of the day. This is also true of us. As we follow the Lord, He doesn’t remove us from this world, but He does protect us and shield us from its harshest attacks. Even when we are walking through a spiritual dessert, dry and lifeless, we are kept under the shadow of His wings… What a great comfort!

THE PILLAR OF FIRE

It PROVIDED LIGHT for them – This is very important, the pillar of fire chased away the darkness. In the darkness danger can hide, in the darkness people can stumble and fall, in the darkness things can be hidden. The Lord is our Light. We need not fear, for when we are with Him, we are safe… our way is illuminated, the pitfalls revealed, the hidden faults exposed. We dwell in light so that we can live in real fellowship with Him! What a wonderful gift. We do not have to walk in darkness, but are provided with a light!
It PROVIDED HEAT for them – It was a fire… Even in the cold harsh climate of the world, they had warmth, a fire to keep them alive. We have the same thing. This world wants to freeze our love for God, and destroy us with its harsh outlook on life. But we need not fear, for if we stay near the Lord and continue to follow Him, we have the fire of His love to warm our hearts and protect us from the world!

Rejoice in the great provision of the Lord, and as He leads the way, just be faithful to continue to follow!

Exodus 12

And the LORD spoke unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
(Exo 12:1-2)

And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the LORD did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.
(Exo 12:51)


New Beginnings… There is really nothing quite like them! This was to mark a new beginning for the nation of Israel. 430 years they had spent in Egypt, 430 years waiting for the promise of REDEMPTION. They so looked forward to the day when they would be freed, and that day had come!

Redemption and a fresh start always go hand in hand. When we accept the offer of salvation, and are “bought back” by God, our former life is erased and we are given a fresh start. In this chapter we see a fresh start for an entire nation! This event literally changed the calendar, because from this point forward everything would be different. They were about to set out on a journey that would end with them residing in the land they had been promised!

The day we were bought back from this world is just as remarkable, and it changed the course of HUMAN HISTORY. When Jesus died and rose again, He gave EVERY MAN a fresh start, a new beginning. Just like the children of Israel, this new beginning isn’t just the close of one chapter in our lives, but the beginning of a new one. Our redemption isn’t the end all of the Christian life, it is just the beginning! When we receive Jesus, we begin a life-long journey to the Promised Land, just like the Israelites did. They didn’t go it alone, God provided for their every need! Led by a cloud by day, and fire by night… fed with quail and manna… water that came pouring out of a rock… enemies buried at the bottom of the sea… Shoes and clothes that never wore out!

Just like God covered ALL of the Israelites needs on their journey, He likewise covers ours as we walk the straight and narrow path. He leads us every step of the way, provides for our needs, and protects us from the enemy! In many ways we are JUST LIKE the children of Israel during the Exodus.

As we read through the rest of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy; let’s put ourselves in the shoes of the Israelites, and learn from them just what this Christian life is all about. We can follow them in their triumphs, avoid their mistakes, and grow with them in faith. WELCOME TO THE JOURNEY TO THE PROMISED LAND, ENJOY THE RIDE!

Exodus 11

And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more. But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel. And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.
(Exo 11:4-8)

I have often heard people use this event in history to claim that the “God of the Old Testament” was not loving, gracious or compassionate because He killed babies. I believe that the “God of the Old Testament” is the same as the “God of the New Testament”, and that if we look closer at today’s chapter, we see His love displayed.

Check it out; God is giving Pharaoh one last chance to repent. He warns him of just how awful this last judgment will be… He warns him that every household in Egypt will be affected, but the Israelites will not. He warns Pharaoh that THE EGYPTIANS would then INSIST that the Israelites leave the country, the very thing they wanted to do that started this whole mess.

All of God’s Judgments come in increments, and Pharaoh was about to experience the greatest judgment of all, the 7th judgment (7 is symbolic of completeness). If we look in the book of Revelation at the final judgments of this world, they come in sets of 7. Seven seals on the scroll, seven trumpets, and seven bowls of God’s wrath. The judgment of this world will be complete and total in every way!

But like Pharaoh all of the earth has been given a chance to repent before God’s judgment falls. This chance at redemption, this opportunity to escape the wrath to come is only available because someone else took the judgment for us…

Think about this final judgment in Egypt… The firstborn son of Pharaoh would be slain. God sacrificed His own son, in our place, so that we would not have to face eternal judgment.

People have it all wrong, for if they knew the rest of the story, they would know that this wasn’t about a vindictive God, killing babies and terrorizing nations… This is about a God of love who would give His own son just to save sinners like you and I.

Exodus 10

And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
(Exo 10:21-23)

Darkness which can be felt… Just the thought of it gives me chills. I have only been in absolute darkness a couple of times, and it’s one of the weirdest things in the world. It was in a cave, deep in a cave, and we all turned out our lights… you literally couldn’t see your hand in front of your face… and you could FEEL it. It’s like the walls are closing in on you, it’s totally oppressive, and you feel really claustrophobic.

This is the darkness that set in over Egypt… for 72 hours! It’s disorienting, you can’t tell if you are sitting, lying, or standing… you don’t remember where you are or which way you are facing! Imagine what it must have been like for those who were out and about the city when the darkness fell… 72 hours of lying their helpless, it says that no one moved for 3 days!

I love the fact that this darkness didn’t touch the children of God… they had light in their houses! The bible tells us that Hell will be a place of “outer darkness”, probably a lot like what the Egyptians experienced… but in the new heaven and new earth, when we reside in the New Jerusalem; the Bible says it will NEVER be dark, for the LORD will be our light.

Today the world is groping about in spiritual darkness. So dark they can feel it, not knowing which way is up or down. But for us, we have the Light of the Lord… we never have to wander around, feeling, groping, unsure of where we are. The Lord is a lamp to our feet, and a light to our path.

Youth Leader - Episode One

Here it is... The first episode of YOUTH LEADER!

Exodus 9

And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. Entreat the LORD (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer.
(Exo 9:27-28)

And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses.
(Exo 9:34-35)

We have all seen this at one time or another… in the midst of great trial and difficulty, even the most ungodly men will call upon the Lord for help. They look to Him because they know that He is the only one who can make a difference. When they call out to Him it isn’t because they truly want to repent… it because they want to cut a deal with God. They are willing to do or say anything to get the trial to end, and then it is right back to their old ways again.

Do you think this is the type of relationship God wants to have with people? OF COURSE NOT!!! How would you like it if you had a friend that you never heard anything from unless they needed something? I know how I would feel, I’d probably want to hide when I saw them coming! Pharaoh tries to play this game with God, the storm is raging, so he says “I give up”. The storm stops and he basically says, “just kidding, you can’t go, and the LORD is not my Lord”.

This is the main problem with Pharaoh and those like Him. They want the Lord to be in control when they need something fixed, or corrected. They recognize His power and authority. Yet, when it comes to their own lives, they want the Lord to KEEP OUT!

My dad often says “If God isn’t the Lord OF ALL, he can’t be the Lord AT ALL.” What this means is simple… if we can’t allow God to control our lives, then we can’t expect Him to fix our problems. The solution for Pharaoh was simple… REPENT. He just wouldn’t do it! Because of this, the judgements and plagues against Egypt just got worse and worse. The same is true in our lives… the more we refuse to turn from our sin, the more the Lord turns up the heat! Don’t be like Pharaoh… Establish a real relationship with the Lord! Wouldn’t you rather have God working IN your life rather than fighting AGAINST you?

Exodus Chapter 8

And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast. Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said. And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
(Exo 8:16-20)

They couldn’t do LICE… I don’t know what it was about lice, but God stopped them… the magicians, empowered by demons, just couldn’t do it! They had met their match, and recognized it immediately for what it was… “this is the finger of GOD!”

Because they could not do it, they had to acknowledge that something far greater than Moses was at work here, and I think they were scared. Pharaoh was another story though… He was getting harder and harder… his mind was made up, he wouldn’t let them go, God or no God.

It’s a dangerous place to be… Letting our heart grow callous to the voice of God is a very dangerous place to be. If we aren’t careful, we could easily end up like Pharaoh. Here he KNEW that God was talking, and he simply didn’t care. You might say, “hey, I would never not care if God spoke to me!” Let me ask you this: is their anything you read in your Bible that you just kind of ignore or disregard?? It isn’t good, it’s really dangerous! You never know what it might take for God to get your attention if you are ignoring His commands, and even then, there is no guarantee you will respond. The harder a heart gets, the easier it is to ignore the voice of the LORD.

Trust me, I know. When I first started driving, I was pretty cautious. As I drove longer, I got cockier. I started driving faster, and more aggressive. At first, I would feel convicted… but I just excused it and told myself, “everyone drives like this”. For me, it wasn’t until I almost rolled my Ford Taurus station wagon over with three other kids in it that I got the message!!! God’s word was clear; I was not to put Him to the test. I am so glad that the Lord was gracious, and we didn’t have a wreck that night. I was only 16 or 17, and I can’t imagine what might have happened had we rolled over.

Listen to the Lord, His laws are their for a reason… Don’t grow hard hearted like Pharaoh… You never know what it might cost you in the end. It could be your life, maybe even your soul.

Exodus 7

Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
(Exo 7:11-13)

And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.
(Exo 7:22)

When I read these two verses today, it immediately made me think of another verse in the New Testament:

And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
(2Co 11:14)


Over and over again in the Bible Satan is referred to as the DECEIVER. Since tempting Eve in the garden he has been all about deception. One of the ways he does this is by counterfeiting the work of God, making himself look like an angel of light! Though Satan isn’t ALL-POWERFUL, he does have the ability to work “lying signs and wonders”. This is exactly what he does here.

Look at the affect that these false miracles had on Pharaoh… It made his heart harder, and he ignored the word of God.

Though it may be a little different, it reminds me of the false explanations the world has for life existing in the universe. Not miracles here, but lies of the devil being masqueraded as the truth. God tells us that He created the world and all that is in it for his glory. False science produces fabricated stories about a big explosion, life coming out of nothing, and no purpose other than “survival of the fittest”. When accepted, these lies have the same affect as the tricks of Pharaohs magicians; they make your heart hard, and result in you ignoring what God has said.

There are LOADS of people who try and explain away all of the miracles in the Bible, they try and say Moses crossed the REED sea (a small stream), That Jonah was a fairy tale, and that Daniel’s lions simply weren’t hungry. They use “Historical and Scientific” evidence to explain God away… But they cannot argue with a changed life.

We will see it in Exodus… The Egyptians couldn’t argue anymore when the Israelites had crossed the Red Sea and many of Egypt’s finest lay buried in a watery grave! When real redemption takes place, there is NO WAY to argue with it… the Devil can’t counterfeit a changed life! When Jesus changes a person’s life, the scoffers are silenced. Let’s see Pharaoh’s magicians take away the sin of the world and radical transform people. THEY CAN’T!!!

Exodus 6

Exodus 6

“And I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you a God. Then you will know that I am Jehovah your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians” (Exodus 6:7)

Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy are the beginning of many characteristics we see through out the Bible. Here we notice one of the many characteristics of God, He is personal. The term, “Then you shall know that I am…” is used 44 times in the Bible, all from God. It is used twice in the New Testament. Can you guess who uses it in the New Testament?

This is the first time God uses this term. The word “Know” means to ascertain from seeing. Relationship is seeing, is feeling, and is knowing. You can have faith. You can believe and imagine any type of relationship you want. God never intended there to be a relationship with Him 100% dependant on faith always. The reason we have faith is because one day, we will see Him. If there was no promise of this, this would be a very broken religion, much like the religions we see around the world today. Did God give Israel this hope? Look at what they would see! They would see plagues. They would see God’s glory come down from heaven (Leviticus 9). Forty-four times God promises us that we will know Him by seeing Him. What a hope we grasp on to.

The word LORD (Jehovah) means “self-existing one.” God is revealing to finite minds the vastness of His glory. This is Who we are getting to know!

The answer to our question as to who uses this term in the New Testament: Jesus.

“Then Jesus said to them, When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you shall know that I AM, and that I do nothing of Myself, but as My Father has taught Me, I speak these things” (John 8:28).

“At that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you” (John 14:20).

We are made in God’s image. This is the image of relationship, and relationship with God. God has so designed us to seek after Him. What has Satan done? He has provided different means of relationship. He gives a false relationship with the world, with our own pride, with the wrong people. God sent His plagues and judgments saying, “Then you shall know.” God sent His prophets saying to Israel, “Then you shall know.” God sent God sent His kings saying, “Then you shall know.” Finally, God sent His Son, saying, “Then you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” Do you know?

“But he said, You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, Let us go, let us sacrifice to Jehovah” (Exodus 5:17).

Score one for Pharaoh. This chapter is nothing short of depressing. When we watch the movies we always see Moses come in with power. He is there before Pharaoh and he lays down his rod. The rod turns into a serpent and conquers Pharaoh’s serpents. Stop! This is not what happened with Moses’ first encounter with Pharaoh. Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh they wanted to have a feast in the desert. Pharaoh said, “You have too much time on your hands.” He then doubles the work load by having them have to find straw for their bricks. Moses only made things harder.

When we stand for God and endure for His sake we need to be ready to get past that dreaded first step. People often talk about living for the Lord and stopping their fellowship with this world. They talk about how much they are willing to change. However, because of their new found desire for the Lord, they think the path will be easier. It is not. Too often when I say, “Lord from now on I am doing this (fill in the blank),” or “I am not doing that (Fill in),” my life becomes harder. Why? Becomes I am tested in exactly what I said I would or would not do. How do we endure through the first battle of any long process? Here are a few verses to remind us of who we should run to:

“The name of Jehovah is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe” (Psalm 18:10)

“casting all your anxiety onto Him, for He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

“Therefore since we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” (Hebrews 12:1).

There seems to be a common theme to these verses. I think in all of them we get a sense of someone running to the Lord. Patience, endurance, and the ability to be steadfast are all qualities we cannot conjure up on our own. We must have help. We must run to Him.

Exodus 4

“And it will be, he shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be for a mouth to you. And you shall be to him as God” (Exodus 4:16).

Interesting verse. God tells Moses that he shall be to Aaron as God. The study of the life of Aaron is very interesting. Let us take a look at this person, as he will play a big role in many chapters to come.

Aaron is chosen through Moses’ lack of faith. The fact that Aaron was to be the High Priest of Israel was always part of God’s plan. Aaron relates to the people. There is a picture God is painting here. Aaron, being chosen as a spokesman was part of the permissive will of God. Aaron compromises, God does not. This means that God allowed it, though it was not what He had intended. From now until Chapter 8 God would speak directly to Moses and Aaron. He would use Aaron’s rod to perform miracles. As we see the demeanor of Moses change, we find God looking over Aaron and going directly to Moses, as He had always intended. In Plagues two and three, God tells Moses “Say to Aaron…” Finally, plagues four and beyond God skips over Aaron altogether. Moses represents judgment, and judgment does not compromise.

What was God’s intension for Aaron? The answer is priesthood. The priest was to be a man who built bridges. What types of bridges? It would be a bridge between God and man. Consider the ultimate High Priest Jesus, who built the perfect bridge for us to get to heaven. What did the High Priest have to have more so then anything else? The High Priest had to relate to the people. Moses did not have this. Moses was the giver of the law, not the priest! Moses represented the unrelenting, straight and narrow path of the law. If you failed to obey the law, Moses would be there to tell you.

Aaron was known for being the people’s guy. He heard everyone out. Think of the picture. Jesus became just like us that He might be the perfect giver of empathy. Aaron was the same to Israel. It is said that the mourned far longer over the death of Aaron than for the death of Moses. Aaron was truly the perfect picture of a High Priest.

Finally, Aaron’s fate was tied to that of his master’s. Who was Aaron’s master? It was Moses, who was to be to him as God. Moses struck a rock when he was supposed to touch it. This prohibited him from entering into the Promised Land. Interesting that, because Moses struck that rock Aaron would suffer the same punishment. Aaron would no longer be allowed to enter the Promised Land, because his master was the law himself.

Priests and Servants to the Most High God, you are bridge-builders. Go out, build bridges, that they might know their High Priest, Jesus Christ. Remember, your fate is tied to that of your master’s. If Jesus is your master, expect persecution and expect rejection, but also expect Heaven and life and love over the edge. If Moses (the law) is your master, expect rules and expect religion, but expect it to one day fall short of the glory of God and keep you from the Promised Land. Finally, if anything in this world is your master, it will only lead you down the wrong path, the path back to Egypt.

Exodus 3

This is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. Here we have God telling Moses how He is going to save the people of Israel. First important thing to note:

“…for I know their sorrows” (Exodus 3:7b)

Our God is personal. He knows our sorrows. How is it that God knows our sorrows? God would suffer on the cross. He is able to relate to the people of Israel through the sacrifice He would later give. God is so powerful; He is able to relate to us through the sacrifice of His Son. Remember breaking your foot, arm, wrist, etc. Now when other people hurt themselves, you are able to relate to their pain. However it is never quite the same because they are currently hurting and yours was just a past hurt. You cannot remember every little thing. Your ability to say I relate may even come off as annoying. Now picture a God outside time, and as you suffer He is able to look back on that time He suffered and feel it in the same way you are. I am not saying that Jesus has die over and over again on the cross, but I do believe God has a divine memory. Our God can relate to us perfectly. This is what makes Him the perfect deliverer.

Exodus 3:14

“And God said to Moses, I AM THAT I AM. And He said, So you shall say to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.”

Our God works in present tense. Although our God is beyond time, He puts Himself within time to serve us in the now. Picture it if our God always related Himself as the future. We would have a God who was never with us. He would always be beyond us. Picture it if God said He was in the past. How then could a God work out the now if He is way back there? Our God is the great “I AM.” Everything that is, is working and moving and having its being through Him. Without “I AM” nothing is. Everything falls apart without God! God is the perfect deliverer because he relates to us, and works with us in the now. Read John 1 to learn about God working in everything!

Exodus 3:19

“And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.”

Our God remembers His suffering for us. Our God is “I AM,” the perfect worker of all things. Our God can also see the future because He is also Alpha and Omega. Now people argue, “Did God force Pharaoh’s heart to be hardened? Was Pharaoh stuck in having to fight with God? It does say that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.” Let us consider this verse. God says He is sure that Pharaoh will not let Israel go easy. If God is looking into the future, He is looking at a Pharaoh who is not going to submit. Therefore when it says that God is hardening Pharaoh’s heart, the choice had been made by Pharaoh; God was setting that man in his ways. If you choose to turn your back on God then God may very well harden your heart that you may be driven to that place of repentance. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom in order to look up. Our God relates with us. Our God works with us in the now. And finally, our God considers our hearts, and does what it takes to save us (Though some keep on running). What a deliverer.

Exodus 2

“And it happened after many days the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the sons of Israel, and God knew them.” Exodus 2:23-25

In one chapter we find a lot happening. Now picture yourself reading the Bible for the very first time. You know nothing about Moses. You have just finished Genesis, which leaves you happy because Israel and Joseph are mighty and everything worked out. You start the Book of Exodus and you see everything turns out wrong. Israel becomes slaves. Children are being slaughtered. Nothing is right. Then you come to chapter two and you here this strange story about this one boy being saved from death through a basket in the Nile. The story quickly progresses. All of a sudden, the boy is grown up. To find out more about Moses during this time read Acts 7:17-36. We are told that Moses grew up and learned all of the wisdom of the Egyptians. We learn he was mighty. This is how this man Moses spent the first forty years of his life. If you are reading this for the first time all you know is Israel still needs help, and nothing seems to be happening.

Once again, I want to point out the training time of Moses. He spent his first forty years as the prince of Egypt. We have no clue what happened to him in these forty years. It seems that all of a sudden, one day, he felt a certain conviction for his people. Therefore, he makes a big splash by murdering a man. All of a sudden, Moses fancies himself the friend of Israel. The next day he tries to get involved by helping them out. “For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand…” (Acts 7:25). Moses knew who he was. He thought he was ready to deliver those people. God knew he was not.

Finally, at the end of the chapter, we are left with a cliffhanger (That is if you are hearing this for the first time). Moses has run away to the desert thinking he has failed. He would be trained up another 40 years before he confronts the burning bush. Up until this point we are only left with this reassurance, “…and God remembered…” Maybe this is where you are in your life. Maybe you feel in between what God has promised you. Maybe the only thing you have to hold on to is the fact that God is remembering you. I guarantee he does. Dear friend, God is not slow in keeping His promises, as some understand slowness to be. Keep a watch out, don’t lose faith, He said He would come for you.

2 Peter 3:9

Exodus 1

Exodus 1

We are through the Book of Genesis! We have seen God take one person, Abraham, and build him into a mighty family. Now we will see God take a family and build them into a nation. Four hundred years would pass between the time of Joseph and the time of Moses. What has happened to Israel at that time?

In verse 7 we learn that Israel continued to grow. This caused the Egyptians to grow fearful of their neighbors. They saw that Israel was starting to outnumber them, so they made them their slaves. For these 400 years Israel would be making nothing but bricks and babies. Egypt tried to put a hold on what was happening by having every male child killed. This is how the stage was set for Moses.

I find amazing similarities between the birth of Moses and the birth of Jesus. Moses was a deliverer to the people of Israel. Jesus is our Deliverer from sin. Moses was born after a 400 year period of silence. Jesus was born after a 400 year period of silence. Pharaoh sent out a decree to kill all male children. Hared sent out a decree to kill all male children. Moses was saved through a basket in the Nile. Jesus was saved through fleeing to Egypt.

Trust in the Lord because He has a plan. It was His plan to bring Israel into Egypt. It would certainly be His plan to get them out. Ever feel like God has led you somewhere and now you are stuck there? Look at what happened to Israel when they were in Egypt. They were persecuted, yes, but they also grew! God will bring us to certain places. Sometimes it feels like He just leaves us there to be persecuted. What we end up finding out later on in life that we grew in that situation. We grew, and sure enough, God gave us a way out right when we needed it.

Genesis 50

Genesis 50

“And Joseph said to them, Do not fear. For am I in the place of God? But as for you, you thought evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save a great many people alive” (Genesis 50:19-20).

Pharaoh often referred to himself as the morning star. This is a powerful titile to bestow yourself. What is the morning star? In Revelation 2:28 the church of Tyratira is promised, “And I will give him the Morning Star.” Who is this morning star? The Son! What is the star in the morning that wakes you up? The Sun! Jesus is the morning star promised to all of us. He will light up Heaven and be our light. Now think, who was Pharaoh to bestow upon himself such a title.

Why do I mention this? I mention this to show that Joseph was not affected by his great position. His words are powerful when he says, “For am I in the place of God?” To every Egyptian that looked upon him he was. To everybody in the world Joseph was a god, the second in command of earth. Joseph did not recognize this at all. It is imperative that we ask ourselves this question regularly. When we are being successful and we think we are doing so good we must stop and think, “Have I done this? Do I not owe it all to God?”

The second half of the verse is a message of salvation. Why do refrain from bestowing glory upon ourselves? Why do we not place ourselves in the position of the morning star? We are like Joseph. We are like Joseph, only, no one had to throw us in a pit. We threw ourselves in there. We had set our lives up for failure and lost hope. Jesus then comes and takes what was worthless and sets it in a place of glory, just like Joseph! How can we give ourselves glory when we could not even save ourselves?

For what purpose are we put in this place? We are here to save lives, and many lives at that. Guys, you are at a privileged position. Give the glory to God and go save lives.

Genesis 49

Chapter 49… In many ways this chapter is bittersweet. You have a dying man, with his family gathered together all around him. He is about to prophesy about what will take place in the lives of his 12 sons. These prophecies are one of the Bible’s most vivid picture of the “Reaping and Sowing” principle.

Rather than go through all twelve of these, I will just highlight a few of them…

Case #1: Rueben – Rueben was the first born, called here the “Excellency of Jacob’s power”. Because of choices Rueben made, choices that were shameful and inappropriate, Jacob tells Rueben, “You are unstable as water, you will not excel”. Because Rueben vasilated back and forth between doing right and wrong his life would remain unstable. Jacob uses water as a metaphor to describe Rueben’s character… no form of it’s own, taking on the shape of whatever container it is placed in, impossible to get a grasp on… Not the type of person the Lord wants us to be!

Case #2: Simeon & Levi – They had taken cruel vengeance for the awful things that happened to Tamar. And so, they would reap the consequences… they would be scattered, not having a steady habitation, but dispersed throughout the country… Levi would receive some great blessings later on in their history as a tribe, they would be the line of the priesthood! Though they had this blessing, as a result, they still carried the effects of this prophecy… They never had any land of their own!

Case #3: Joseph – In all of Joseph’s suffering, he had remained faithful to the Lord. As a result, the Lord would be faithful to bless him for all of his days. He would be so fruitful that Jacob describes him as a fruitful vine that has branches reaching up and over the wall. It is a picture of overflowing blessings, the kind the Lord wants to pur into all of our lives! Jacob tells us Joseph will be blessed from the heavens above to the depths beneath, blessings of every kind!

The point of this is to remind us of a simple biblical truth. You will reap what you sow. Your choices will affect your future. They will have consequences. Rueben, Simeon, and Levi all made pour choices, and as a result they had to reap the consequences. Joseph on the other hand remained faithful, even in the midst of difficult circumstances. In the end, he reaped the reward of faithful service to the Lord.

So, the next time you are tempted to make a poor decision, remember Jacob and his sons… ask yourself this question, “am I prepared to reap the consequences of this decision?”

Genesis 48

And he blessed Joseph and said, May God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who fed me all my life to this day, the Angel who redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads. And let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and let them grow like the fishes into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
(Gen 48:15-16)

We can learn a lot about prayer by observing the prayers of Godly men in the Bible. Here at the end of his life, as we have already observed, Jacob made the transition from leaning on his own flesh to trusting in the Lord. His prayer here in chapter 48 is a wonderful example to us. Lets look at a few things in this prayer that can help us as we seek to communicate with the Lord.

“Before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked” – He begins with a little history, recognizing the faithfulness of God in times past. When we remember what God has done in the past, we build and strengthen our faith in Him! We recognize that God has always been faithful, and that increases our belief that He will be faithful in our lives as well.

“The God who fed me all my life to this day” – He continued in an attitude of Thanksgiving… recognizing God’s PROVISION for all he needed. So often we go to the Lord and right away it’s “I want this” and “I want that”, maybe even a little “Don’t give me any of THAT”. What we need to learn here is that God wants more than a to do list, He wants a relationship. In this short prayer of only two verses, Jacob spends most of his time thanking God, and remembering all that God had accomplished in his life. God has truly blessed each one of us, but do we thank Him for it?

“The Angel who redeemed me from all evil” – He thanked God for His protection. Looking back over his life, Jacob could recognize all of the times God had intervened on his behalf and protected him. It is so good for us to recognize not only what God has provided us with, but what He has protected us from. Whenever I take the time to remember the things that God has protected me from, I am reminded in a very real way of how much He loves me! It is one of the most encouraging things we can do!

“Bless the lads” - Not a vague request, Jacob is SPECIFIC in his request… It doesn’t just stop with BLESS THEM, but he shares the details of HOW he wanted to see them blessed! He wanted God’s name to rest upon them, for them to be known as God’s Children. He wanted the history of the PROMISE to rest upon them, for them to continue living under the covenant of Abraham and God. He wanted to see them grow and multiply by God’s grace. We should be specific in our requests as well. Not a vague “bless them”, but a real request for specific needs!

In all of this I am not trying to give you a formula for your prayers, you should be Spirit led. I am only attempting to point out some principles that may change the way you approach God’s throne. As you read through the Bible take note of the way men pray, and ask yourself if there is anything you might learn from them.

Take some time today to get quiet before the Lord and just thank Him. Thank Him for what He has done in the past, for His provision, and for His protection. I guarantee your faith in Him and love for Him will be increased!