EmmDev 2024-03-28 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] Passover 3 - Excited Expression

Passover 3 - Excited Expression

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household... The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire--head, legs and inner parts. Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD's Passover. (Exodus12:1-11)

The Final Aspect of Passover is the fact that the Israelites were to eat it with cloak tucked in and sandals on their feet - ready for action. They were to be ready to start the Exodus straight away.

Like the Israelites we also have a journey ahead of us: The rest of our lives here on earth.
Lives we live in the hope of our eternity secured by our Passover Lamb.
Lives we live in the comfort of His fellowship - He meets us in His Word, at the table and in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

We don't need a pillar of cloud and fire, we have His Holy Spirit guiding and leading us.

We celebrate our Passover, knowing that Jesus laid down His life for us and then took it up again when He rose from the dead. We are ready. Ready to love, to serve, and to shine as we walk into the rest of our lives.

Someone tweaked the children's song: "Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning burning." In the last verse they added "Give me batteries in my torch, keep me shining for the Lord..." and then in the chorus they changed "Sing Hosanna" to "Ever-ready ever-ready ever-ready for the King of Kings..."
That sounds about right!

The joy of "our Exodus" needs to be "Excitedly Expressed" in the rest of our lives. Let's worship Him this Easter and let's enjoy fellowship with God and His people but let us do it ever-ready to excitedly express what God has done for us!

Have a blessed Tenebrae, Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday!
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I am taking some waaay overdue long leave in April and so I won't be doing EmmDevs for a month. We'll be road-tripping and camping - please pray that God fills our tanks and renews our strength.
Blessings and Much Love,
Theo

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EmmDev 2024-03-27 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] Passover 2 - Extended with feasting.

Passover 2 - Extended with feasting.

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household... The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire--head, legs and inner parts. Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD's Passover. (Exodus12:1-11)

The meal part of Passover is interesting. As a ritual, the slaughter of the lamb and painting of blood on doors is already quite memorable but it is very striking that the sacrifice is extended with a feast.

What does the feast do?

1. It creates a sense of valuable community: Both with God and Others.
2. The meal was expensive: They walked through a blood-painted door to sit down at the table.
3. It reminds us that we have a story to tell: The Jewish tradition is that the youngest child at the table asks a scripted question: "What makes this night different from any other?" and the eldest at the table would say: "Well... on this night God rescued His people from slavery..."
4. It reminds us that we have a new beginning: The Israelites ate unleavened bread. Yeast is the fastest growing organism that we know of. It was also the symbol of sin. Eating bread without yeast as a rising agent was symbolic of a new beginning, leaving our sin behind us and committing ourselves to the Lord.
5. The Lamb is roasted and nothing is left: This is reminiscent of the burnt offering which symbolised total commitment to God. Jesus was totally committed to God and to us and gave Himself to us totally.
6. It is a meal of gratitude for our salvation: They ate bitter herbs with the meal to remind them of the hardship of their slavery and how God had redeemed their sadness and brokenness.

And so the Passover Feast is as important as the Passover Sacrifice.
It calls us to community, our faith is not individual or personal, it is shared and communal. It is an expensive meal that calls us to a fresh start. It is a meal of gratitude and proclamation, but most of all, it is a meal that reminds us that Jesus is our Passover Lamb who gave Himself completely for us.

I wonder if we "feast" enough over Easter? I don't mean eat lots of Easter eggs, I mean share in joyful community and celebrate what Christ has done.

Hmmm, now there's food for thought...

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EmmDev 2024-03-26 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] Passover 1 - Expiation

Passover 1 - Expiation

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household... The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire--head, legs and inner parts. Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD's Passover. (Exodus12:1-11)

As we head towards Easter, I want to highlight three aspects of Passover for the next three days.

The first aspect of Passover I want to explain is "Expiation".

Expiation: "the act of atoning for wrongdoing or sins, typically through some form of reparation, penance, or punishment. It is the process by which someone seeks to make amends or restore balance for a moral or religious transgression. Expiation often involves acknowledging one's faults, seeking forgiveness, and undertaking actions or rituals to cleanse oneself of guilt or sin." (ChatGPT)

In the context of Moses and the Israelites, the Angel of Death was going to visit the Israelites because they too had been worshipping Egyptian gods. (This is confirmed in Joshua 24:14) They needed forgiveness too.

The act of expiation God gave them was to offer an unblemished sacrifice and to paint its blood on the doorposts and thresholds of their homes.

At Easter we celebrate that Jesus willingly became the expiation for our sins.
He is the "Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." (John1:29)
And because He was without sin, He could die in our place so that we could be forgiven.

We should "paint" His blood at entrance and exit of our day to day lives:
As I start each day, I remember that He loved me so much that He died for me.
At the end of each day, I remember that He paid for all my sins.

Because of His expiation I am a loved, forgiven and restored child of God.

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EmmDev 2024-03-22 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] Exalt, Examine, Exert and Expend

Exalt, Examine, Exert and Expend

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. (Exodus12:1-3)

(Apologies for the missed devotion on Wednesday - and yesterday was a public holiday...)

We've had nine plagues and the tenth is coming. The Israelites are called to celebrate the Passover and the first thing we must note about the Passover is that it inaugurates a new calendar for the Israelites.

The nation of Israel observed two calendars, a religious one and a civic one. The civic one was announced by Rosh Hoshannah ("Head of the year") and was accompanied by the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement round about our Sep/Oct. The religious calendar started in March/April with Passover and the Feasts of Unleavened Bread and First Fruits.

It's really appropriate for Passover to be a "new beginning". It was the festival that defined Israel's identity. They were helpless slaves who were rescued by God and given a new beginning. They would celebrate the Festival year after year as a reminder of their identity as loved, redeemed and chosen by God.

As we will see over the next few days, the Passover Feast is a powerful blueprint or dress rehearsal for Easter.

But here's the thought for today...
What if we do what the Israelites did?
January to December can be our civil calendar and appropriately it ends with Advent and Christmas - God gave us His Son.
But Easter can mark the start of our religious calendar. It is the reminder that we are loved, redeemed and chosen by God.
As we journey through Palm Sunday, Tenebrae, Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, may we exalt our rescuing God, examine ourselves and re-commit to exerting and expending ourselves in God's service.

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EmmDev 2024-03-19 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] Exerting pressure for the Exodus

Exerting pressure for the Exodus

Then the LORD said to Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt, he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it. (Exodus7:1-5)

Rather than working through the plagues individually, I want to summarise them in this pivotal passage which summarises the journey of the plagues as God instructs Moses and Aaron concerning their roles in confronting Pharaoh and demanding the release of the Israelites. However, embedded within these verses are profound insights into the nature of God's sovereignty, human resistance, and the ultimate triumph of divine justice.

Firstly, the LORD declares to Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh." In this "commissioning" we see God bestowing authority on Moses to act as His representative before Pharaoh. God still uses people like you and me to act as His agents in the world. It's also nice to see that Moses is not alone, he works in a team with Aaron.

People struggle with the idea of God hardening a heart. Here it is quite simple: God gives Pharaoh nine opportunities to do the right thing. In essence, He has given Pharaoh "enough rope to hang himself." In other words, by the time we get to the tenth plague, we know that God's drastic action is justified because Pharaoh has proved that his heart is hard. God is not turning Pharaoh's heart dark, He simply proves how dark Pharaoh's heart is.

The progression of the plagues reveals a strategic and purposeful demonstration of God's supremacy over the Egyptian gods. Each plague targets a specific aspect of Egyptian religious and cultural life, systematically dismantling their belief in the power of their gods.

Additionally, Pharaoh symbolizes not only a single individual but also an oppressive system characterized by pride, arrogance, and injustice. There are times that we sense that Pharaoh is about to soften and then his officials convince him otherwise...

Ultimately, the plagues serve as a testament to the glory and righteousness of God. Despite Pharaoh's obstinacy and the formidable challenges posed by the Egyptian system, God's justice prevails, leading to the liberation of the Israelites and the vindication of His chosen people.

In our own lives we encounter modern-day Pharaohs: Systems of that oppress, intimidate and dehumanise. Yet, like Moses and Aaron, we are called to stand firm in our faith, trusting in God's sovereignty and working tirelessly for justice and righteousness. Just as the plagues ultimately led to liberation, our steadfast obedience and perseverance can lead to systems of oppression being overthrown and God's glory being revealed.

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EmmDev 2024-03-15 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] Exasperation Expressed

Exasperation Expressed

Moses returned to the LORD and said, "O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all." 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." (Exodus5:22-6:1)

The last time we talked about Moses' exasperation was when he killed an Egyptian.
Not a good way to handle the pressure-cooker of emotions!

Here he handles his frustration a bit better - he takes it to God.
And God reassures him.

There are a couple of lessons:

1. When we confront evil, there is often backlash. Sometimes the "darkest hour is just before dawn."
2. We can bring our exasperation to God. He understands our heartache and pain. I always think of the hot angry tears Jesus shed at Lazarus' grave, knowing He was about to raise him, but seeing the grip death had on people...
3. Sometimes liberation is not an event, but a process. Sometimes we have to persist and persevere. It would take ten plagues before God's promise of liberation took place.
4. God doesn't always answer our "why?" questions. Why questions take us back. Here God answers Moses' "Why?" questions with a "What" answer. This is what I'm going to do... God moves us forward - not backward.
5. It's not about us. Moses starts with "Why have you brought trouble on this people..." (note he doesn't say "on us" - he's still connecting to his people). But having started with "this people" Moses makes it about himself: "Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went..." And then he ends with "this" and "your" people. Moses makes this about himself and he stands alone. But it's not about us!

Let's go into our struggles knowing that it's not about us, that we shouldn't be looking back, that liberation is a process, that we can bring our exasperation to God and that the darkest hour is often just before dawn!

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EmmDev 2024-03-14 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] Extinguishing Expectation

Extinguishing Expectation

That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and foremen in charge of the people: "You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don't reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' Make the work harder for the men so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies." (Exodus5:6-9)

Pharaoh was a tyrant and he was good at it!

Yesterday we say how he took the wind out Moses' sails and now, without blinking, he severely tightens the screws. Previously the Israelites were already suffering with the quota of bricks they were required to make. But the straw that was mixed with the clay to help bind it had been supplied. Now Pharaoh insists that they source the straw themselves.

It's a brutal tactic which aimed to make sure that:
- an already exhausted people would feel their glimmer of hope extinguished
- they would be so busy and tired that they wouldn't have time for anything else
- they would turn on Moses and Aaron

And that's exactly what happened.

From the tyrant's perspective, this was extreme action was necessary because the Israelites outnumbered the Egyptians, and, if the "sleeping giant" awoke, the Egyptians would be in trouble. So he tightens the screws, crushes their hope, stifles their imagination and divides them.

The tyrants in our lives do the same.
There are times that the "chaos monster" unleashes in my life and while sometimes it's just the brokenness of our world, I think sometimes the evil one will also do what he can to unleash some chaos in my life to derail me.

I'm tempted to lose hope, to give in to my tiredness or to start blaming and be resentful.

But when chaos abounds it's time to focus.
We need to stay on track and not surrender hope, not be overwhelmed by our tiredness and not be resentful.

Over the last few years I have adopted a strategy:
When chaos overwhelms I go into "plod mode" - I just relentlessly put one foot in front of the other and get things done. I don't overthink, I don't feel sorry for myself, I do try to get enough sleep and I remind myself "tomorrow is another day" and "this will pass" and "don't major on minors."

I don't always get it right, but I'm getting better.
And God keeps surprising me with grace!

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EmmDev 2024-03-13 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] Exaltation Excluded

Exaltation Excluded

Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the desert.' " Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go." Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword." (Exodus5:1-3)

Our passage today raises a couple of questions:

• Why do Moses and Aaron ask permission to celebrate a festival in the desert when we know the real agenda is complete exodus?
  They're not being deceptive, they're actually proving a point. If Pharaoh won't even give them freedom for a few days to practice their faith then it proves that he is a tyrant. And this is a key point. It is not actually about the Israelites' political freedom (even though justice and liberation from slavery are important). The key issue is the worship of Yahweh - the God of Israel. If Pharaoh won't allow that, then the die is cast.
  
  
• Why does Pharaoh make such a big deal about not knowing the LORD?
  (It's worth noting that whenever we see "the LORD" (with capital letters) it is the Bible Translator's way of showing us that the Hebrew "Yahweh" is being used.) Pharaoh is basically saying: "I've never heard of this Yahweh of the Israelites - so why should I be scared of Him?" What it reveals is that Pharoah is concerned about the Israelites. He won't let them have religious freedom, the only thing that will make him be nice to them is if he was scared of their God. The nice irony is that Pharaoh certainly gets to meet God over the course of the plagues...)
  
  
• Why does Moses imply that God will punish the Israelites?
  One of the commentators suggest that this is a lovely example of how Moses is still finding his way as a spokesman and liberator: At first he comes to Pharaoh like a blistering prophet: "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: 'Let my people go...'"
  But Pharaoh cuts right through Moses and Aaron's oracle-like pronouncement "I don't know who you're talking about. The answer is NO!"
  Crestfallen and the wind taken out of their sails, Moses and Aaron, fall back to pleading and bargaining: "Understand our position Pharaoh, God met with us and if we don't do what he asks, it's going to cause trouble for us. Surely you can make this small concession for us?" (There is, of course, the implication that if God is tough on the Israelites, what might He do to the Egyptians?)
  This is a tactic we all use when negotiating: "See it from my side... Can you see the tough spot I am in?"
  But, at this point Pharaoh is too wily for them and he not only refuses, but tightens the screws and proves he's a tyrant. We'll look at that tomorrow....

The bottom line of this passage is that the key issue is not freedom, but worship. Political Freedom is important, but the best place we can get to is when we can worship God freely. The very first "Let my people go" is about worship.

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EmmDev 2024-03-12 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] The Exhausted Excite, Exult and Exalt

The Exhausted Excite, Exult and Exalt

Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites, and Aaron told them everything the LORD had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped. (Exodus4:29-31)

When God called Moses at that the burning bush, he gave him two signs to expedite the process of convincing people that God had called him. Firstly, he could throw down his staff and it would turn into a serpent and then back into a staff when he grabbed its tail. Secondly, he could tuck his hand into his robe and it would come out leprous, and when tucked into the robe again, it would come out clean.

As Moses heads back to Egypt, Aaron is prompted to meet him along the way and the brothers come to meet the elders of the Israelites. Think about their plight - while Moses was in the desert for 40 years, they were still slaves. More sons and daughters had been born - probably two generations born into slavery. This was an excruciating and exhausting experience.

And so Aaron tells Moses' story.
Think about the wisdom of this:
Aaron has credibility - he's been slaving. Moses not so much - He grew up as a prince of Egypt and now he's been far away - and even goat herding in Midian would seem preferable to slavery. But Aaron speaks - they know him and trust him. He is convincing and the story seems plausible.
And so Moses performs the two signs and they get really excited - they begin to believe.

But it's the last bit that grabs me by the throat.
When Moses performs the signs - they are excited and believe - "Yeah! We can do this!"
But even bigger things happen when Moses and Aaron communicate God's compassionate concern ("I have seen their suffering, I have heard their cries, I am concerned about them and I have come down" (Exo3:7-8))
After hearing this the elders exult in God's compassion and bow down in exalting worship.

It's not the miracles - it's the compassion.

Can you see it?
Exhausted older men with bent whipped backs and calloused hands, world weary eyes now flowing with tears, feeling like a load has been lifted off their shoulders:
"God sees us, He's concerned about us, He's coming to help us!"
And so they worship: excited, exulting and exalting.

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EmmDev 2024-03-08 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] Extreme and Exigent Excision

Extreme and Exigent Excision

At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him. 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. So the LORD let him alone. (At that time she said "bridegroom of blood," referring to circumcision.) (Exodus4:24-26)

Moses nearly didn't even get to Egypt to start the Exodus - he nearly expired on the way because he'd made an exception to God's Covenant with Abraham and hadn't circumcised his son...

But there's more to this story than meets the eye...
Moses had married a Midianite girl... When he arrived at Midian after fleeing from Pharaoh, he impressed the daughters of Jethro who were being bullied by the other shepherds. His exemplary show of chivalry resulted in extreme attraction between Moses and Zipporah and soon they were wed.

But the Israelites were the only nation that circumcised their boys at birth.
The other nations circumcised at puberty.
For the Israelites, circumcision was about belonging to God.
For the other nations, circumcision was about a rite of passage to manhood.

It seems Zipporah was extremely opposed to circumcision of babies and Moses gave in, not only to her but to the cultural pressure exerted by his Midianite family even though God had expressly instructed Abraham that his offspring should be circumcised as infants.

When Moses is at risk of death, Zipporah knows what the issue is.
Maybe she and Moses had had "exhaustive examinations" of the subject.
So, with a bit of picque and a degree of disapproval, Zipporah circumcises her son.
God relents, Zipporah understands the seriousness of the call and Moses realises he can't compromise.

So what's the point of this grim little encounter?

1. When you're going to work for God, you need to have your own house in order.
2. Moses had just encountered Holy God at the burning bush, but then he's too afraid to face his wife!
3. Circumcision is about covenant. Covenant is about belonging to God. When Moses denied that covenant with God, God takes it seriously.
4. It seems Zipporah starts to take God seriously at this point. She's not to happy about it here. "You're my bridegroom of blood" - but she does encounter the reality of God's holiness.

What do we exult in? God takes Covenant - that we belong to Him - seriously
What do we exalt God for? Although Zipporah has a tough learning curve, she seems to pass on her faith in God to her father Jethro who we see praising God and advising Moses in Exodus 18.

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EmmDev 2024-03-07 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] Expressiveness Expedited

Expressiveness Expedited

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." 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? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." 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. 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. 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. (Exodus4:10-16)

Moses was unsure of his ability to express himself well before Pharaoh and the Israelites. (Maybe the ba-aa-aaah-ing of the sheep taught him to st-u-tter... ;-) )

But even when God tells Moses that He can give him the ability to speak perfectly - Moses continues to protest and so God provides another solution in the form of Aaron, Moses' brother.

The question we are left with is this:

• Did God "cave in" to Moses' sense of inadequacy?
• Did God, who could make a donkey speak, simply allow Moses to get away with a stubborn lack of trust?

I don't think so...

Although Moses' reticence angered Him, God, with great love, saw a deeper need than Moses' lack of verbal expressiveness. I think that Moses was afraid of facing such a daunting task alone. And so God gives Moses a companion and sidekick and, for Moses, who better than his big brother?

If we follow Moses' journey, there are almost always companions who share his journey with him: His siblings Aaron and Miriam are a core part of his leadership team even when their ambitions get in the way. Young Joshua is his protege. Aaron and Hur hold up his arms in the battle against the Amelikites. He even allows his father-in-law Jethro to give him leadership advice. The only times Moses is alone is when he is with God. Moses is team-orientated.

I think it is wonderful that God cares about Moses so intimately that He looks beyond the surface issue (a stutter) and sees a soul in need of companionship.

So God cuts through (expedites) the speech issue (expressiveness) to address the real need: Moses was lonely.

Let's exult in the knowledge that God knows us intimately and even when our stubbornness might anger Him, He always patiently meets our deepest needs and so we exalt Him for His love.

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EmmDev 2024-03-06 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] X-Factor

X-Factor

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?" 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.' " (Exodus3:13-14)

We're looking at a different "Ex" word today. (And it's not a televised singing talent competition) 

The Hebrew verb "hayah" means to "be", "become", "happen" or "occur". God uses this verb to introduce himself using this simple yet powerful construct. "I AM who I AM."
He uses the imperfect tense in Hebrew which implies:
- actions that are not completed
- or actions that occur in the present or future.

And so we get:
"I AM and will always BE!"
"I AM the constant one!"
"I AM and not I WAS: You can't contain me or pin me down or put me in a box."  

In uncertain times He is the the One whose "constancy in the present"
makes all the difference. He is not "rock" or "mountain" He is always more. And although the Psalmist will say "God is my Rock" he expands it with other descriptions like "refuge" and "strong tower" simply indicating that there is never one single phrase that can contain God. 

He calls Himself "I AM."
He's saying "No matter where you are or what trouble you are in: 'I AM!'"

It is this same verb that forms the root of the Old Testament's
favourite unique name for God: Yahweh (translated by some as Jehovah)
which is the 3rd person form of "hayah" and means "He IS."

People asked the Israelites "Who's your God?"
They would answer "Yahweh! - He, the One who IS!"

When I was a teen, there was a Swedish Gospel Band "Edin Adahl" who sang a song entitled "X-Factor." In the chorus they sang:
You are the X-Factor, eternal life reactor,
You are the X-Factor.
You put my heart in motion, activate my inner section,
You are the X-Factor!

I like the idea behind the song. God is much more than a constant
and He is more than simply a variable (small "x") He is the "(capital) X
factor" - He is the "Constant-Variable" that brings life, change and
transformation. Introduce the "X" into any equation and the equation
becomes dependent on X.

God IS.

And when He is in the room, things will change!        

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EmmDev 2024-03-05 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] Excuses...

Excuses...

But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharoah and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be a sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you (plural) will worship God on this mountain." (Exodus3:11-12)

RECAP: This exchange takes place at the burning bush. The previous chapter describes how Moses acted impulsively, killing an Egyptian slavemaster, and fleeing to Midian. In Midian he names his son "Gershom" which means "alien" and describes the depression that Moses has fallen into.

Now here at the burning bush, God gives Moses a chance to start over, but there's an issue that needs to be cleared out of the way first...

Moses' question appears humble and self-deprecating. If Moses was really being humble then God's answer would have been different. If we put the "I's" in bold then we get a better sense of what this is all about.

As it stands Moses acts as if it all depends on him.
He will go to Pharoah and he will bring the the Israelites out - All by himself. I can just picture him get ready to put on a long face because God has given him this impossible task to fulfill.

God's answer makes short work of the objection:
1.I will be with you.
2.When you have brought the people out you and the people will worship me on this mountain.

When the job was done it would be obvious that God had done all the hard work!
Later on Moses will offer other excuses:
- Who exactly shall I say is sending me?
- Why will they believe me?
- I don't speak too well... (The sh sh sh sheep taught me to st st stutter)

Each time God deals with his objections, but each time the issues were the same:
Moses thought it was all about him - WORSHIP says it's all about God.
Moses thought he had to do it all alone - God says "I will be with you."

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EmmDev 2024-03-01 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] Exceedingly Extensive Examination

Exceedingly Extensive Examination

"Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 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. 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. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians..." (Exodus3:5-8)

Moses has been in the wilderness for forty years (according to Acts 7:30) During this time he has had plenty of opportunity to reflect on the plight of his people: from his own narrow escape from death to the contrast of the opulence of Pharaoh's palace and the enslavement of his people. He has pondered the injustice and his own powerlessness.

Was he searching for God? We don't know. But God was about to find Moses!

Here's how God introduces Himself:

• I am holy: Take off your shoes. My presence makes even the ground holy. I am not mired down by the pettiness of human governments and regimes.
• I am the God of history: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But this genealogy includes the children and future of these patriarchs. Not only the God of history past, but history present and history future. I am the history maker.
• I am the God who cares: I have SEEN their misery. I have HEARD their cries. I am CONCERNED about their suffering. He is the God who sees, hears and cares about our day-to-day "stuff." When we suffer He is concerned. (He exceedingly and extensively examines our situation)
• I am the God who rescues: "I have come down to rescue them." Israel's salvation did not begin when Moses went to Pharoah. It began when God lit the bush and called Moses. He "came down."

This is how God introduces Himself to Moses and, over a thousand years later, these same truths would be true when Jesus came as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, dividing history into BC and AD because He had seen our pain, heard our cries and was so concerned about us that He "came down".

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EmmDev 2024-02-29 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] Exceedingly Excellent

Exceedingly Excellent

"Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 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. (Exodus3:5-6)

For those of us who have grown up with "gentle Jesus meek and mild" there is often a sense of disconnect when we contemplate passages like this that express God's holiness, purity and majesty.

Our "ex" words for today, "Exceedingly Excellent", are actually very helpful: They express the concept of God's Holiness in positive terms whereas I think we sometimes experience it more negatively...

If I think about it, I would never want a God who is anything less than holy. If He were 75% good and 75% pure then there is a chance that I could bring my needs to Him on a "bad day" and I would not be sure that I will receive justice and that He might show favouritism or even behave in a way that is dishonest or even evil. We need a God who is 100% pure by His standards, and that makes Him 1000% pure by our standards!

The gods of Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome were gods made in human likeness - full of foibles and weaknesses.

The problem is that when we come to a holy, pure and exceedingly excellent God, we have to face the reality that we are not like Him. So one of the ways of expressing "Holy" is "other" - God is not like us. Another Hebrew word "kabod", which describes God's glory, also means "heavy."

We are "lightweights" coming into the presence of a "heavyweight" God. God is not "in our league" and, on the one hand, thank God (said with respect) for that! On the other hand, although we couldn't come to God, He came to us in Jesus. Jesus bridges the gap, wipes away our sin and makes it possible to enter God's presence with confidence.

Moses, barefoot in front of an un-expiring exothermic bush, reminds us that God is Exceedingly Excellent!

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EmmDev 2024-02-28 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] Exothermic without Expiry

Exothermic without Expiry

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.  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.  So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight--why the bush does not burn up." 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." "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." (Exodus3:1-5)

I couldn't resist that title! ;-)
It burned but was not consumed!

Moses is in the wilderness working on his stutter when God calls him.

The bush, burning, but not burning up, grabs his attention.

And as he gets there, he discovers that he is meeting with the living God.

This burning bush is symbolic of God's Spirit and of God's Calling. To mention just a few instances of the Spirit as fire: 

• Zechariah depicts the Holy Spirit as a lampstand where the lamps are constantly fed by channels of oil. 
• In Acts 2 the Holy Spirit appears as "tongues of fire" on the heads of the believers.
• In Thessalonians Paul urges them not to quench the Spirit's fire.

But fire is also the symbol of God's Presence and Power. Think of Elijah and the Prophets of Baal. (In that case the fire did consume.)

I think this is a powerful image of what God would do within us: that we will burn brightly, blazing with the light and glory of God, bringing the warmth of God and the protection of God and yet we will not be consumed. 

I think this has two dimensions:
Firstly, we are not consumed by His glory and majesty, as with Moses and because of Jesus, God puts us in the cleft of the rock and shelters us with his hand that we may "see Him and live". My brain can barely grasp the immensity of the Being who created the universe, and yet I may call on Him as my Father.

Secondly, I believe that as we serve Him, He will renew our strength so that we are not overwhelmed and exhausted. We will be given grace and peace. We'll take His yoke and learn from Him because His yoke is easy and His burden is light. (Mt.11:28-30)

It was Wesley who said: "Every morning I set myself on fire and invite people to come and watch me burn!!!"

Thank You Spirit that you are all the might and power I need and then, when I walk in Your ways, I can burn and not be consumed.

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EmmDev 2024-02-27 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] Exiled Exhaling

Exiled Exhaling

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. Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father's flock. Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock.  When the girls returned to Reuel their father, he asked them, "Why have you returned so early today?" They answered, "An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock." "And where is he?" he asked his daughters. "Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat." Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, "I have become an alien in a foreign land." (Exodus2:15-22)

Last week we looked at Moses' explosive exasperation.

Let's look at his CV for a moment:

• Age 0: The only survivor of Pharoah's "Hebrew Male Genocide."
• Age 1- aprox 20: Adopted as the Princess' son with the education and privileges of royalty.
• Age +-20-25: Murders an Egyptian, trashing all his privileges,has to flee.
• The next 40 years: A wandering shepherd in Midian, married with two sons.

One can imagine that the young Moses was urbane and educated. His rash murder of the Egyptian demonstrated his confidence and sense of invincibility. But it backfired. Our text verses show the extent of his sense of loss and depression. "I have become an alien in a foreign land."

Forty years is the amount of time he waited in Midian. In Biblical symbolism forty has become the number of waiting, preparation, separation, renewal and refocusing.

• The flood was for forty days
• Israel wandered the desert for forty years
• Moses spent forty days on Mount Sinai receiving the Law
• Joshua, Caleb and the spies were in the land for forty days
• Elijah walked forty days to get to Horeb to hear from God
• Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for forty days.

Sometimes one has to learn how to exhale.
            To let go. 
            To stop trying to do everything by oneself.

After forty years God called Moses at the burning bush to lead Israel out of slavery. One of the excuses is that Moses offers is that he is "slow of speech and tongue." I have often jokingly suggested that forty years of herding sheep made Moses a stutterer - "Ba-aa-ah!"

Forty years: A time of waiting. A time of unlearning impulsiveness. A time to forgive yourself for past failures. A time to learn about the beauty of the land, the simplicity of the rhythms of work, rest, marriage and parenting. Forty years to forget the gods of Egypt and have one's heart ready for the call of the one true God.

Moses may have always been slow of speech, or he may have learned it in the wilderness.

There is no doubt that, in view of the leadership task ahead of him, he needed a good deposit of quietness and simplicity.

Is there room for quiet simplicity in your life?
Have you learnt how to exhale?

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EmmDev 2024-02-23 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] Explosive Exasperation Exposed

Explosive Exasperation Exposed

One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labour. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 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?" 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." When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian. (Exodus2:11-15)

In the movie "The Matrix" Morpheus is talking to Neo, who has been living in the matrix, and says to him: "You know something is wrong - it is like a splinter in your mind."

Moses has grown up in Pharaoh's palace - in luxury and opulence. Probably also as an oddity - a Hebrew among Egyptians. His mother, who was his wet-nurse probably sang the songs of Yahweh over him and told him stories of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is conflicted and confused. A festering rage is building up in him... In another movie Rocky Balboa, talking about the death of his wife, talks about the "stuff in the basement" and how it needs to be dealt with...

Now as a grown man, Moses reconnects with his people and sees the injustice of Egyptian tyranny. And it boils over in explosive exasperation!

One would expect this action would cast him in a heroic mould - that he would be recognised as an agent of justice and liberation - but the word has got out and Moses is not trusted. His explosive exasperation is seen for what it is - unpredictable and unstable. These are the actions of someone who is frustrated and lashing out - not good liberator material. He is exposed as unreliable and untrustworthy - "Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?"

And so Moses must flee. From Pharaoh, but also from his own explosive exasperation. 
To be able to lead will require a quieter soul...

No matter how noble our cause is, we are no good to that cause if we come to it with "stuff in the basement".

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EmmDev 2024-02-22 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] Exciting Expectation

Exciting Expectation

Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, 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.  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. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. 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. 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. Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?"  "Yes, go," she answered. And the girl went and got the baby's mother. 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. 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." (Exodus2:1-10)

In the light of Pharaoh's extermination orders, a Levite couple were expecting a child and in an exciting account they hid the little boy in a "basket in the bullrushes" where in the Egyptian Princess (Pharaoh's daughter) finds him and Moses sister suggests the expedient solution of finding a wet-nurse (his own mother) to care for him.

Let's reflect on the three women in the story...

Moses' Mom who is not named, must have agonised over the execution of Pharaoh's horrific orders. Some commentators suggest that description of him as a "fine child" pointed to more than that he was a "bonny babe" but that he was "no ordinary child" (This is confirmed by the New Testament references to Moses in Acts7:20 and Hebrews 11:23). Maybe this is best understood as an "extraordinary destiny" rather than some idea of Moses being superior in a physical way. His mom, at great risk to herself, hides him for three months and then at great personal heartache, surrenders him to his destiny in the Nile. (I have a suspicion that she knew where the Princess bathed and what she was like and I believe she placed the basket strategically and left her daughter Miriam to watch with specific instructions...)

Miriam, Moses' sister, also deserves our admiration. She courageously extends herself by moving into the Princesses' presence and expressing her suggestion of finding a wet nurse. This must have taken some courage.

The Princess, daughter of Pharaoh is fascinating. Her adoption of Moses, who was on her father's extermination list, suggests that she was expressing her disapproval of his agenda, or that she was trying to expiate her sense of guilt for the horrible infanticide he had committed... I think this is a beautiful example of resisting evil by doing good. I also think that she figured out who Miriam was and who the "wet-nurse" was too. It is a beautiful example to us all. Maybe Moses got his sense of righteous indignation from watching her.

What can we exult in? That God gives people the courage and creativity to counter evil through beautiful acts of adoption and inclusion. 

What can we exalt God for? That He provides a deliver, Moses, whose name sounds like the Hebrew for  "draw out" and he would lead the Exodus out of Egypt. More than a thousand years later God would send "Jesus" ("Deliverer") to lead a Second Exodus out of Sin and Death. 

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EmmDev 2024-02-21 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] Excessive Efforts at Excision

Excessive Efforts at Excision

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." (Exodus1:22)

Fear and power always lead to tyranny. Pharaoh's decision to execute new-born babies exhibits complete and utter evil. Not only is the boy-child condemned to death, but the girl-child is condemned to slavery and abuse - this is, in fact, a living death. This is about the extinction of a nation.

It is exceedingly significant that, at the outset of the "Second Exodus," Jesus' life would also be threatened by infanticide. Herod's decision, like Pharaoh's, is a fear-based abuse of power and authority. And Jesus Himself is victimised by fear amplified by power. 

While it would be easy to write a lot about tyranny and why it is so utterly evil, I'd like to focus on where tyranny starts because, in big and small ways we can be tyrants ourselves.

Fear is the lever that turns powerful people into tyrants.

And I'm going to leave it just there...
What power does fear have over you...?

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EmmDev 2024-02-20 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] Exempting Exacting Exterminations

Exempting Exacting Exterminations

The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, "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." The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?" The midwives answered Pharaoh, "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive." So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own. (Exodus1:15-21)

Pharaoh, threatened by the Israelite expansion, gives exacting extermination orders to two Hebrew midwives. Their names are Shiphrah ("beautiful") and Puah("splendid") and they are both beautiful and splendid in their courage and service.

They probably had a number of women working for them. Some commentators suggested that they were barren and the implication is that they poured themselves into their work because of what they could not have.

One has to question Pharaoh's sanity or recognise the excesses of his egoism in this account: Did he really believe that these women would obey him?
They do not.
They become the first known (beautiful and splendid) protectors of the unborn and newly born and examples of extreme courage in the face of a bully who could easily have them executed!

When they are called to account to Pharaoh, their response to his examination is incredible: "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive."

Their answer has divided commentators.
Did they lie to him, and if so, how is this justified and how could God bless a lie?
Let's dig a bit deeper...

Here are some simple facts about their statement.

• "Hebrew women are stronger, more vigorous, than their Egyptian counterparts":  Anyone with half-a-brain could refute this as a vague generalization.
• "They give birth before the mid-wives arrive:" If this were true then the need for mid-wives would disappear!

Shiphrah and Puah are telling Pharoah obvious untruths - this is evident to all (including Pharaoh). It even suggests that they are openly poking fun at him. They're not trying to mislead him, they are openly defying him.

They refuse to be afraid of what he could do to them. Their "folklore excuses", as one commentator puts it, reveal the utter unreasonableness of what he had asked them to do.

I think Pharaoh realises that there is nothing he can do that will get these women to do his bidding. They're looking him in the eye and defying his wishes. To examine and refute their excuses would take too much effort and killing them won't achieve anything except strengthen the resolve of the remaining midwives and so he lets them go.

And God blesses the midwives with families of their own, because they feared Him more than they feared Pharaoh.

There is much to exclaim about here:
- The courage of these women.
- The importance of protecting the vulnerable.
- Exposing the bullies by openly and elegantly refusing them and even poking a bit of fun at them.
- Fearing God above all else and recognising He blesses this.

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EmmDev 2024-02-16 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] Unexpected Extras from Exertions

Unexpected Extras from Exertions

So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labour, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with hard labour in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labour the Egyptians used them ruthlessly. (Exodus1:11-14)

The cruelty of the Egyptians had unexpected and unintended outcomes.
The Israelites were brought together and made strong by that which they experienced.

Next week we'll read the piece about Pharoah commanding the midwives to kill the baby boys as they are born. They don't do it and offer the following excuse: "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive." I don't think this is a total exaggeration - I believe that they were physically strong as a result of the "exercise" imposed by the Egyptians and this was good preparation for an Exodus and a journey through the desert.

Did God cause the Egyptians to oppress the Israelites to make them strong?
No, but He used their evil to accomplish an important task.

This does not nullify the negative effects of the excesses of Egyptian cruelty on the Israelites. While they were strong in body, they were weak in mindset. A commentator said "It took God only a short while to take the Israelites out of slavery, but it took forty years to take slavery out of the Israelites..." Just because God, in His mercy, brings good out of evil, we should never be ok with evil.

But while the Egyptians exacted a cruel price from the Israelites, God was at work: Seventy souls from Israel + Joseph and his family had became a nation. If they'd been in the "Wild East" back in Canaan they'd have been a rag-tag clan fending off their enemies. Instead they were safe in the protection of mighty Egypt, and as my friend Johan has suggested, maybe even a bit comfortable...

The cruelty of the Egyptians woke them up to the fact that it was time to exit...

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EmmDev 2024-02-15 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] When people want to exploit, expel or expunge us...

When people want to exploit, expel or expunge us...

The "ex"-words in the title describe the core attitudes of oppressors.
They:
- exploit those they are threatened by.
- do what they can to expel them from their lives
- but, ultimately, they prefer to expunge (destroy without a trace) them so that they don't come back.

The sad thing is that, in almost all cases, oppression starts by ignorance. The new Pharaoh did not know about Joseph. Joseph had rescued Egypt and his family had been embraced by Egypt. But more importantly Pharaoh did not know about Joseph's God! If he had taken the time to find about about Joseph, he would have known that the destiny of Joseph's descendants was in Palestine and he would know that Almighty God had made incredible promises to Joseph's people. Pharoah's ignorance meant that he had to go to an expensive school which consisted of ten powerful plague lessons. Sadly even this was not enough.

Today bullies and oppressors are still motivated by the same ignorance. Strangely enough, they will often study their victims for weakness, but still not see the bigger picture. Their ignorance leads to fear and fear leads to senseless violence.

Before we point fingers at other bullies we would do well to examine ourselves. Are there people in our lives who we want to exploit or to expel or expunge? When we look carefully I am sure that we will see ignorance and fear in our hearts...

So, for society to flourish, we need to diminish ignorance and fear.

But what is there in today's passage to exult in and to exalt God for?
The answer is in v.12: "But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread."
God is with the oppressed. He blesses them in spite of their oppression. In the case of Israel their multiplication and fruitfulness were expressed in population growth, but I believe that this multiplication can occur in productivity, ability, talent, impact and influence. When we find ourselves oppressed God will be at work to multiply and grow us. 

Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. "Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. 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." So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with hard labour in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labour the Egyptians used them ruthlessly. (Exodus1:8-14)

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EmmDev 2024-02-14 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] God Excruciated (Ash Wednesday)

God Excruciated (Ash Wednesday)

Today Ash Wednesday falls on Valentine's Day.
There is a certain appropriateness about that.

Usually Ash Wednesday is about us realising our brokenness and reaching out to God.

The problem is that our brokeness makes us incapable of finding help on our own.
It is only because God sees our brokenness and comes to us that we can "find" Him. (So actually He's the one who finds us...)

Here's some thoughts I had on Ex.2:23-25...

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. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them. (Exodus2:23-25)

One of the human expectations of the "gods" is that "the gods do not bleed." In other words, our human expectation is that any god should not be affected by anything.

The God we believe in and that is portrayed here in Exodus is not a god like that. He is concerned for His creation. Our suffering is excruciating to Him.

Our reading for today depicts God as hearing, remembering and being concerned. Later, at the burning bush, our loving God states it even more clearly: "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.  So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians."

God takes our pain very very seriously.
He is not unmoved or aloof from our pain.
He is profoundly attentive to the extent of our pain and very determined to act on it.

The only "ex" word that I could come up with this morning was "excruciate" which means to torture or be tortured. As it turns out, this word includes the idea of crucifixion and it completes the picture for us. Our brokenness and pain is what took Jesus to the cross where He was crucified ("cruciated"). He experienced and carried the full extent of human brokenness so that we
will never be alone.

Do I hear a "Hallelujah"?

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EmmDev 2024-02-13 [Lent2024 Exodus Explored] Recognise your Blessings

Recognise your Blessings

Last year I started a series on Exodus which I stopped midway to pick up something that felt more relevant at the time. I also think I may have driven people to distraction with my abundant use of words which, like "Exodus", started with "ex"!

For Lent 2024 I want to rework some of those devotions and then carry on the series.

The first one is very appropriate for Shrove Tuesday - "Recognise your Blessings".

So below is the series introduction slightly modified and also the first devotion.

Hope you have a blessed day!

Exodus Explored - Lent 2024

In Luke 1:46-47 we find Exult and Exalt in one sentence: Mary said, "My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has exulted in God my Saviour."
Exalt : To lift up God's name in praise
Exult: To be filled with joy - to be overjoyed - typically at what God has done.

Exodus exalts and exults!
We're going to spend the next few weeks exploring and exegeting this exciting book (if my extensive and excessive use of words starting with "ex" hasn't already exhausted or exasperated you!)

--------------------------------------------
In a monumental book that will explore the lows of oppression and the highs of liberation and the valleys, rises, twists and obstacles in between, things start incredibly simply by doing something we all know
about: Counting your Blessings.

These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family:  Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah;  Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all; Joseph was already in Egypt. Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died,  but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them. (Exodus1:1-6)

Before speaking of the harsh conditions of slavery and oppression, Exodus begins with a simple tally of blessings: One dad and eleven brothers and their families (a mere 70 souls) joined their presumed-dead brother in a mini-exodus from a famine-parched Palestine to Egypt: a land flowing with grain and restored relationships and they flourished there.

Don't miss the exuberance of the verbs: "were fruitful", "multiplied greatly" and "became exceedingly numerous". There is a joyfulness about this blessing that should not be missed. Some might argue that this is not "exuberance" (exulting and exalting) but is actually just setting the stage for the threat that they posed to Egypt. However, the Israelite abundance was not a threat until a certain king came to power. (More on that another day...)

Exodus just explains and expresses the blessings that God bestowed on the nation and exalts our God and leads us to exult in His extensive providence.

On the eve of Ash Wednesday and Lent, it is just right to reflect on our blessings too...
The first step of Liberation is expressing our gratitude and wonder for the blessings we take for granted. What did you start with? How has God grown you? How has He provided for you in the past? What mini-exodus experiences have you had?

Why not pause to exult and then to exalt???

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EmmDev 2024-02-09 [Reasons to Worship God] Unlimited God

Unlimited God

Next week is Lent and I want to start a Lent Devotion series. So I'm concluding this short series on "Reasons to Worship God" but I am very aware that there are many more reasons to worship God. We could worship Him for His Providence in giving us so much and guiding our steps, for His Graciousness and Compassion, for the purpose He gives our lives, for His faithfulness, for His holiness and righteousness, and so much more.

So we'll end with the fact that He is our Unlimited God!
It's a bit longer than usual, but I think it will be worth it.

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 34 "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" 35 "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans11:33-36)

My need for sleep makes me I am deeply aware that my energy is finite.
My lack of answers makes me deeply aware that my knowledge is incomplete.
The brokenness of the world around me reminds me that human goodness isn't nearly enough.

God, on the other hand, is infinite.
His wisdom and knowledge are so vast that you can't use google to search them.
He needs no advisors and has never had to borrow from anyone.

He is the Source of all things ("from Him")
He is the Sustenance of all things ("through Him")
He is the Meaning and Destination of all things ("to Him")

God is Infinite - immeasurable and glorious.
He doesn't need us, but we sure need Him!

And it is our need of Him that brings Paul to this point of praise.
He's been writing to the Romans about the human condition.
That all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory.
That we were unable to save ourselves.
But that the infinite God, allowed His Son to become so finite that He died.
And then in the miracle of love, He was able to defeat even death and sin to be our infinite and limitless God.

Do I hear a Hallelujah?!?

In response to this goodness:
Paul wrote about the depth of the riches of the wisdom of God.
John Newton wrote "Amazing Grace"
Isaac Watts wrote "When I survey"
Charles Wesley wrote "And can it be that I should gain"
And more recently a gospel singer by the name of Bebo Norman wrote "Never saw you coming" when he was caught unexpectedly by the BIG and wonderful love of God.

NEVER SAW YOU COMING ---- Bebo Norman

I am the lonely, the ones who slip away
I am the secret, the words we dare not say
I am the promise I'm about to break again
I am the leader who cannot find the way
I am the preacher who somehow lost the faith
I am the beggar reaching out my hands again

And I never saw You coming
I could never dream of running
I have never known such love before my God
You come, come and breathe Your breath in me
Steal away what's left of me
'Til You are mine and I am Yours

I am the lover with no one to hold
I am the seeker with an empty soul
I'm everyone who's ever lost hope

And I never saw You coming
I could never dream of running
I have never known such love before my God
You come, come and breathe Your breath in me
Steal away what's left of me
'Til You are mine and I am Yours

Fall like stars on my shore
Still You are so much more

And I never saw You coming
I could never dream of running
I have never known such love before my God
You come, come and breathe Your breath in me
Steal away what's left of me
'Til You are mine and I am Yours
I am Yours

https://youtu.be/CeCj6mwCpqA

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EmmDev 2024-02-08 [Reasons to Worship God] He is the God who Suffers and Saves

He is the God who Suffers and Saves

There is a breath-taking moment in John's Revelation.
In ch.4-5 John is standing in the "control room" of heaven. He can see all of creation, all of the heavenly creatures who worship God and God's Throne in the centre of it all.

Then he sees a scroll. The scroll is sealed and describes the brokenness of the world and the judgement to come. But no-one is worthy to open this painful scroll. No-one is strong enough or gracious enough to open this scroll.

And then Someone wonderful enters the room - Jesus - looking like a lamb that was slain.
He is able to take the scroll and open it.
Why?
Because on the one hand He is worthy - He is without sin and He is strong enough to redeem (buy back or "purchase") people from sin.
On the other hand He was slain - in His humanity He took our place and died for our sin.

He is the God who suffers and saves.
The angelic beings cannot help themselves!
They burst into song.
They worship and so should we!
Jesus is the ultimate Hero, He sacrifices Himself, overcomes our enemies and saves you and me.

Their song is below, read it aloud to yourself, imagine singing it with all of heaven and everyone who has been redeemed.
We worship Him because He is the God who Suffers and Saves.

And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. (Revelation5:9)

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EmmDev 2024-02-07 [Reasons to Worship God] Because all of Heaven praises - All the time!

Because all of Heaven praises - All the time!

In Rev 4 we get a picture of the citizens of heaven. We meet four living creatures, 24 elders and later a multitude of angels and later still, the souls of the redeemed.
They are engaged in an ongoing pastime - WORSHIP.

Think about it - these are eternal creatures with minds and souls that can handle eternity and they find fulfillment in a life of worship.

They honour the God they worship as Holy.
Holiness is not just sinlessness - it implies that God is the epitome of goodness. He is not tainted by brokenness or imperfection - He is safe, reliable and incorruptible. He is not like us.

And they honour Him as Worthy to receive glory and honour and power.
This worthiness comes from His creation of an incredible world, but, if you read further in the chapter, it comes from the salvation that emanates from Jesus' sacrifice.

So, the eternal and awesome angelic citizens of heaven, have been and will be worshipping Him forever - shouldn't we do the same? (Have a look at just a part of their worship below...)

Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." (Revelation4:8-11)

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EmmDev 2024-02-06 [Reasons to Worship God] His love endures forever

His love endures forever

Psalm 136 gives us another reason to praise God. And it repeats that twenty six (26!) times!

It repeatedly gives instructions to give thanks and then intersperses those with observations of how God has provided, rescued and delivered. But like the steady ticking of a metronome, each verse is concluded by the phrase "His love endures forever".

And so I really don't need to say too much today - I think the Psalmist does a great job. Just read the extract below, it's just 9 of the 26 verses, but it paints an incredible picture of a God who shows His love to us in so many ways. And the multitude of the signs of God's love leads to only one conclusion: "His love endures forever!"

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.   His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods.   His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords:   His love endures forever. to him who alone does great wonders,   His love endures forever. who by his understanding made the heavens,   His love endures forever. who spread out the earth upon the waters,   His love endures forever. who made the great lights--   His love endures forever. the sun to govern the day,   His love endures forever. the moon and stars to govern the night;   His love endures forever. (Psalms136:1-9)

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EmmDev 2024-02-02 [Reasons to Worship God] Because He made an Incredible World

Because He made an Incredible World

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens... When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? ... O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Psalms8:1-9)

This extract from Psalm 8 captures it all so well.

We look around:
- The vastness of the sky and the countless stars
- The shades of green and the hues of sunrises and sunsets
- The magnificence of the lion and quirkiness of the ant-eater
- The flash of lightning and the roar of thunder, waterfalls and crashing waves
- The silence of the desert and the hush of the forest
- The scent of freshly fallen rain and the perfume of a rose
- The wonder of the eagle in flight and the cheetah at full speed
- The majesty of the mountains and wildness of the sea

All of these things catch our breath and point us towards a Creator who is mighty, creative and loving.

Selwyn Hughes commented on how he pitied the atheist who observed all this majesty and had no-one to thank.
Because that's the crunch isn't it?
We see this beautiful magnificent bounty and then we feel Awe, followed closely by Privilege and then there's a profound sense of Gratitude. Now imagine feeling all of these and then having to say, "but it's all by accident..."

We worship because God gave us this incredible world and that means He must be amazing!
We worship because we see our world and gratitude wells up in us and we do have Someone to thank.

But there's one more thing - and it's captured in that beautiful hymn "All things bright and beautiful" which notes that it is not enough that our world is beautiful, there is a second miracle, captured in the last verse:
"He gave us eyes to see them
and lips that we may tell.
How great is God Almighty
who has made all things well."

Not only does God make a beautiful world, but He enables us to see it and enjoy it.
That's a pretty good reason to praise Him....

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EmmDev 2024-02-01 [Reasons to Worship God] We were created in His image

We were created in His image

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis1:26-27)

We are created in God's image.
This is indicated in Genesis 1 (our passage) and it is illustrated in Genesis 2 when we are told that God fashioned us from clay and breathed (Hebrew = "Ruach" = Breath = Spirit) into us.

What does it mean to be created in God's image? Is this about 10 fingers and toes or something deeper? I think the French mathematician, Blaise Pascal, nailed it when he said that there is a "God-shaped vacuum" inside each of us - a space that only God can fill.

We have been created with the unique capacity to have a personal relationship with God. Being created in His image means that we can be known and can know God personally, authentically and creatively. When we don't know Him, we have not reached our created potential.

We worship, because this is what we were created to do.
It's like coming home...
It's like finding our niche...
It's the meaning of life.

When we worship it's like finding the missing piece of the puzzle.

The church father Augustine said it nicely:
"We are restless until we find our rest in Thee."

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EmmDev 2024-01-31 [Reasons to Worship God] We were lovingly created

We were lovingly created

Greetings after a much longer gap than I expected!! I wanted to resume devotions when the schools started, but the year accelerated very quickly and here we are at the end of January already! My apologies!
I hope you are well - that you had a good and blessed Christmas and a good break that January madness hasn't reduced into too much of a distant memory!

I'm going to do a short series entitled "Reasons to Worship God" which will take us to Lent which is early this year. Enjoy!

From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' (Acts17:26-28)

Why do we worship God?
Is it because we are grateful? Is it because He is awesome? Is it because He saved us? The answer is "Yes, yes and yes and (using impressario voice) Wait... there's more!"
There are many reasons for us to worship God and I think you and I will be blessed as we explore a couple of them...

We start with the obvious one. We worship Him because He created us.

Gen 1 tells us we were created male and female and were "Very Good".
Gen 2 tells us that God breathed into to us to make us. No other creature is breathed into by Almighty God.
Psa 8 tells us that we are just a little lower than angels and that we are crowned with glory and honour.
Psa 139 tells us we are intimately known and are fearfully and wonderfully made
Eph 2 tells us that we were created for good works

Acts 17 tells us that God loving created a world and universe to wow us. That He thoughtfully placed you and me in time and space in such a way that His providence would point us toward Him. Furthermore it tells us that we were created to be in relationship with Him and that He is never far from us.

Our life, our breath, the wonder of our fingerprints, DNA and unique character, the awesome confluence of our circumstances and the wonder-full history of our journey is all part of His gift to us. He gives us life abundantly - and this abundance includes forgiveness, grace and peace through Christ.
When we come to worship this God, we find that He, like the Prodigal Father, is running toward us.

Eugene Peterson with his lovely poetic gift puts our verse so beautifully: "Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near. We live and move in him, can't get away from him! One of your poets said it well: 'We're the God-created.'"

Let's worship the God who gave us life!

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