Living by Faith or Dying in Unbelief

Haiti Update

2010-02-13T14:51:00.002-05:00

We continue to receive updates from Pastor Predestin regarding the situation in Haiti. Our church is working with Chris Hindal and Gospel Literature Service (GLS) to get aid there, including some water purification systems which are greatly needed. Many churches and homes of pastors and church members in the association were either damaged or lost.

Thankfully the Lord continues to work there, and prayers are being answered. If you have not contributed to the relief efforts yet and would like to do so thru an organization working directly with people we know, please consider donating through the GARBC website.

Haiti Update

2010-01-29T10:58:00.002-05:00

Praise the Lord we have heard from our friends in Haiti. Pastor Predestin and his family are safe. The orphans and staff in the two My Father's House orphanages are safe. Probably the greatest need for them at this time is the same as others: food, clean water, and safe shelter.

The people of Haiti still greatly need our prayers, particularly those who have lost loved ones and are in great difficulty themselves. There will likely be a long rebuilding process.

If you would like to help, please click on the Haiti picture at www.garbcinternational.org and give by credit card or send your gift marked “emergency relief” made payable to Gospel Literature Services, 1300 North Meacham Road, Schaumburg, IL 60173-4806.

Thank you for caring.

1 Peter 3:12
For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

Urgent Prayer Needed

2010-01-13T22:25:00.003-05:00

For our brothers and sisters in Haiti. As you probably know by now, the earthquake yesterday was 7.0, and has been followed by up to 5.9 aftershocks. These people have nothing already, and the quake has already caused enormous damage.

Pastor Tim (my dad) went to Haiti a couple of years ago and has continued to correspond with several pastor friends from there. The pastor in charge of the association of churches, Predestin, and his family (wife and baby girl) live in/near Port Au Prince, where the quake was at its worst. Pastor Predestin also assists with an orphanage which has around 100 children. Here is an update from Wordsower International (they help with the orphanage):

"In Haiti....Bad EQUAKE!!!!!! Wordsower people are okay for now....but Jason [Nightingale] and James are trying with Predestin to get to MFH [My Father's House - orphanage] 1 and 2. Please pray.....don't know when I will get back on this ...it is bad but we are seeing some miracles!!!"

My dad has been in contact with a friend who is trying to get a flight to Haiti this week, and will be taking supplies and whatever he can do to help with him.

Thank you in advance for your prayers for Pastor Predestin and his wife, the Nightingales, and the people of Haiti.

To our Haitian brothers and sisters, we are praying for you.

Verse of the Week

2009-12-28T11:05:00.003-05:00

I pray that you had a safe and blessed Christmas, and holiday season. This week as we will be celebrating the upcoming year, we have two verses from Philippians. As we think about the new year, let us learn from the past, and go forward in Christ!

Philippians 3:13-14 -

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Glory to His Name

2009-12-14T15:24:00.004-05:00

I'm getting a late start for the month, but wanted to bring you up-to-date. Our theme at church for the month of December is "Glory to His Name". This theme is appropriate not only for the Christmas season, but also for every day of the year. It is based on I Chronicles 16:10, which says:

Glory ye in his holy name:
let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.

Our secondary verse is commonly used during the Christmas season, as it foretells the birth of Christ; it also details some of the names of God. The verse is Isaiah 9:6 -

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,
The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

I will be posting Pastor's messages relating to this series. It is our prayer that these posts will help you reflect upon the name of God, and focus upon giving Him the glory that He rightfully deserves both today, and every day!

Verse of the Week

2009-11-19T18:32:00.002-05:00

This week's verse is II Timothy 3:16 -

All scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Memory Verse of the Week

2009-11-11T16:24:00.002-05:00

One way I thought might be good to get this blog back on track is to start posting our weekly memory verse. Every Sunday, we are handed a memory verse card with the morning bulletin. We can keep the cards and work on memorizing the verse throughout the week (if we do not already know it!). Sometimes the verse is short; other times it is longer. Many times for me, our weekly memory verse is a good reminder of something I have forgotten in the "busy-ness" of life.

Anyway, without further ado, our verse for this week is I Corinthians 15:58 -

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Sometimes we can let life get us down, particularly when it comes to spiritual things. Other times we allow the mundane things of life distract us from the important - the spiritual. Praying that this verse will be an encouragement to you to "keep on keeping on" in the faith.

-Carrie

The End of All Things

2009-05-14T17:57:00.004-04:00

Hello,

Carrie here. I wanted to post something, and am going to diverge from the Wilderness study temporarily, as I am unable to access those notes. The following is from last night's Bible Study and is based on I Peter 4:7-11.

Introduction:

Scripture: I Peter 4:7

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

—Many people are concerned about the present situation. We could well ask the question, “Is the end of all things at hand?” Certainly, there is much in Bible prophecy to point to the soon return of our Savior. There is also much pointing to the end of our nation as we have known it. The whole world seems to be turning upside down.

—Let us assume for one minute that the end of all things is at hand. The big question then becomes, “What should we do about it?” How should Christians respond? There are many ideas. One group says, “Huddle in a cave.” Another says, “Get involved in politics.” Still another says, “We need to compromise so that we can be relevant.” The real question is, “What does the Bible say?”

—The context reveals seven things we need to do:

I.) Sober:

Scripture: Verse 7—”Be ye therefore sober…”

—First of all, we need to be sober. I find this verse to be very interesting, because it is not speaking directly to the subject of alcohol as some other verses do. Rather, the Greek word used here refers to a sound or sane mind. Certainly, a sound mind is not under the influence of a drug that impairs judgment, but that is not the real issue here. The real issue is one of sanity.

—We are living in a postmodern culture. Postmodernism is the rejection of rationalism. It is the observation and resultant lifestyle that says 6000 years of rationalism as the prevailing philosophy of mankind is totally and completely bankrupt. This should not come as a shock to fundamental, Bible-believing Baptists. Our founding fathers of fundamentalism made the same observation and said that the solution was to submit ourselves to God and live by faith.

—What is surprising is that the rest of the world has finally caught up and said the same thing. Unfortunately, they have not turned back to God, but have decided to reinvent the wheel. In rejecting rationalism, they have become irrational and have tried to come up with their very own insane version of Christianity.

—This is what is driving many of the modern trends in so-called "worship." Instead of calling people back to sanity, many seek to be just like the insane world.

—This is what passes for "cultural relevance" today. It is a bunch of guys in white coats trying to be just as crazy as the inmates in the asylum. What we really need is for God’s people to be sane, and start offering the cure to the world’s insanity.

II.) Pray:

Scripture: Verse 7—”Watch unto prayer.”

—Secondly, we need to be prayer warriors. Our text says to watch. The word is interesting, because this word does speak directly to the subject of alcohol. It is the Greek word that means to be a total abstainer from alcohol. In the first case we need to be sane and in the second case we need to abstain from alcohol so that we can pray effectively.

Scripture: Ephesians 5:18

—We cannot be filled with the Spirit if we are under the influence of alcohol. It is either/or. There is no moderation in this verse. It is only abstinence. By the same token we cannot pray effectively without the Holy Spirit. Therefore abstain--especially with the end in sight.

III.) Love:

Scripture: I Peter 4:8

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

—Thirdly, we need to love one another with agape love. This is above everything else. Yes, we need to study the Bible. Yes, we need to pray. But above everything else, we need to love intensely with the love of God. We need divine love.

—Why do we need to do this? Our text answers the question by saying that love covers the multitude of sins. What is Peter saying? He is saying that as we see the end approaching our sins and failures are going to increase and we are going to need a lot of love and compassion for one another to keep from devouring one another. We see that right now. We are nowhere near the godliness of our forefathers. We need to look past each others faults to our Lord and Savior.

IV.) Hospitality:

Scripture: I Peter 4:9

Use hospitality one to another without grudging.

—Fourthly, we need to use hospitality one to another without grudging. When was the last time you had someone over to your house? That is what this verse means. The word translated hospitality means fond of guests. Are we fond of guests? If we do have someone over, do we grumble about it? That is what the word translated grudging means. Here is the message for us. If this is the end, we need to get hospitable and start having people over to our homes and we need to do it without grumbling about it or making excuses.

V.) Grace:

Scripture: I Peter 4:10

As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

—Fifthly, we need to minister grace to one another. This verse is not speaking about spiritual gifts or the exercise thereof. It is talking about sharing with others in whatever God has given to us. The reason for this injunction is the self-centeredness of end times. God’s people need to overcome this with compassion and care for others. Words alone will not do. There must be deeds to go with the words. Acts of kindness point people to the God who gave His Son to die for our sins—a God who gave even while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8).

VI.) Proclamation:

Scripture: I Peter 4:11a

If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God;

—Sixthly, we need to speak as if the oracles of God spoke. In other words, we need to speak with authority and state what the Bible says without any apology or any compromise to make it more palatable. The world in which we live does not want to hear about sin, righteousness, or judgment and many men have accommodated the world. In the process, they have rejected the Holy Spirit’s message (John 16:8-11).

VII.) Submission:

Scripture: I Peter 4:11b

if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

—Last of all, we need to yield ourselves to God. Our text is not talking about every one running around telling everyone else what their so-called spiritual gift is. It is not about me showing you how gifted I am. It is in fact an indictment against the spiritual gift movement of the end times. The text speaks of deaconing or serving and says that any service rendered to God must be done with power that only comes from God. He gives it. The Greek word refers to a dance choreographer. God needs to be in charge of our service as if He were choreographing our lives. That means that we need to submit everything to Him.

Conclusion:

Scripture: I Peter 4:7

—We conclude where we began. The end of all things is at hand and we need to present sanity to an insane world. We need to pray in the Spirit and love with divine love. We need to show hospitality and grace towards those in Christ and those without. We need to proclaim the truth without apology or compromise and last of all submit ourselves fully to God and allow Him to use us as tools of righteousness (Romans 6:11).

Name Change!

2009-03-16T14:47:00.002-04:00

Greetings from Carrie:

I apologize for the lack of updates for some time. My full-time job has been keeping me very busy, and the last couple of months I have been busy working on proofreading and editing Pastor's upcoming book on worship. We need to have it to the publisher by the end of March. I am hoping to finish this week, and would really appreciate your prayers.

In church news, last July the Lord wondrously provided us with 11.2 acres of property on Hayes Road in Groveport, Ohio. We recently voted to change the church name to Hayes Road Baptist Church. I will be changing the information at the top of this page to reflect the new name and renamed website as well.

Thank you for your patience and your prayers.

In Christ,

-Carrie

Marah: Bitter Water - Part II

2008-12-29T10:42:00.000-05:00

Living By Faith

Last time, we began to look at a no water situation that rapidly turned into a bitter water situation. It would be nice to think that Christians are immune to such problems, but, in fact, they are just common to man (I Corinthians 10:13). The question is, “What would you do?” If you were in Israel’s shoes, how would you respond?

We make bold statements about believing and trusting God when the victory is ours. It’s party time. We believe God when we see His deliverance. We have an experience and everything is wonderful. We will do anything for God—or will we?

Seeing is not believing (II Corinthians 5:7) and faith is not the product of experience (Romans 10:17). If we want to be victorious in the Christian life, we must learn this lesson early on.

We may say whatever we want. But as we saw last time, God will prove us (Exodus 15:25). He will not accept at face value our boasts. He will put them to the test and will find out whether we truly love Him with all our heart, soul, and might (Deuteronomy 6:5).

III.) What Water?:

Scripture: Exodus 15:24

And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?

Israel’s faith crashed. They forgot their song of praise and their miraculous deliverance from the Egyptians. Instead they began to murmur again, crying out, “What shall we drink?”

Illustration: Roughly 30 years ago, a young man was asked a question about faith at an ordination council. The inquisitor asked, “Is faith a constant?” His otherwise impressive performance was reduced to consternation as he wrestled with the question. The interrogator quite obviously believed the answer to be, “Yes.” However, the correct answer is, “No (II Timothy 2:11-13).” He was afraid that if we could lose our faith we could also lose our salvation, but the faith that saves is not of ourselves (Ephesians 2:8). We are not saved by some work of faith on our part (I Thessalonians 1:3) . We are saved without merit by God’s grace. Salvation is all of God and none of man. God is faithful (I Thessalonians 5:24) in spite of the fact that we are not.

Our faith most certainly fluctuates from day to day and trial to trial. According to Romans 12:3, God deals out a certain measure of faith to each believer at salvation.

I Corinthians 12:9 speaks of a special gift of faith. If faith is thought of as a constant, our mind has a rationalization for defeat. We say that we did not receive a sufficient measure of faith or we excuse ourselves by saying that we do not have the gift of faith. The fault of our failure becomes God’s lack of supply! Therefore it is His error.

These are the excuses that have so devastated Christianity today. Jesus asked the disciples, “How is it that ye have no faith (Mark 4:40)?” Later, they asked, “Lord, increase our faith.” His reply is quite interesting.

Scripture: Luke 17:5-6

5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. 6 And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

In effect, Jesus said, “Your lack of faith stems from unbelief. It does not take a lot of faith to move a mountain. It simply involves exercising the faith that we have already been given.” The paradox is that our unbelief hinders our faith. God has given us muscles, but through disuse they can atrophy to the point that we can become immobile. Faith is like that.

God has given us all of the faith that we need. What are we going to do about it? Are we going to eat the spiritual food of God’s Word to increase and replenish it, or are we going to starve ourselves with a steady diet of worldly skepticism so much so that we are unable to handle the no water and bitter water situations of life? Are we going to say, “What shall we drink?", or "thank you for the cool, clear water of God’s Word?”

IV.) Sweet Water:

Scripture: Exodus 15:25

And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,

Israel failed, but God is faithful. He provided a tree which was able to make the bitter waters sweet. Over the years there have been many occasions when I have exhausted my faith. The difficulties of life brought me to spiritual bankruptcy. I murmured and complained, “My God, why hast thou forsaken me? You’re trying to destroy me. I’ve been abandoned.” But God has always been faithful.

I have proven myself to be foolish. Often God provides the way of escape even as I complain. I end up kicking myself and confessing my sin. In the end, I am greatly humbled.

God wanted to teach Israel and us a lesson. Before leaving Egypt, they plundered the richest nation on earth (Exodus 12:36). They had gold, silver, and precious gems. They were rich like us. But all of the gold in King Tut’s tomb cannot sweeten the bitter waters of life. If money is our boast, we will be sadly undone.

There is only one thing that can sweeten the bitter waters of life—the cross of Calvary.

When cast into the waters of life, Christ can make even the most bitter waters sweet.

V.) Healing Water:

Scripture: Exodus 15:26

And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

At Marah, God tested Israel with a very difficult test. Although hard, it was reasonably simple. The three-fold test is as follows:

A.) Listen to God’s Word

B.) Do right

C.) Keep His commandments

The problem for Israel was to pass the test, regardless of the circumstances around them. It is easy to listen when all is well. It is easy to do right or obey when we receive some reward or praise. But what happens when we face bitter water?

God has set this same test before us. Will we pay attention to His Word? Will we walk uprightly? Will we obey His commandments? Jesus said, “If ye love me you will keep my commandments (John 14:15, 21).” Do we sincerely love Him? Will we pass the test?

What happens when we lose a job or a loved one? What happens when the church must discipline a close friend or relative? What happens when we or someone we love contracts a serious or terminal illness? What happens when things do not go the way we planned?

God tested Israel, but also gave them a promise. Verse 26 says, “For I am the Lord that healeth thee.” My wife and I have experienced the bitter waters. They are not easy, but we can testify that the Lord knows how to heal us and even turn our grief to our advantage. God may test us with bitter waters, but He is always in control. He knows what we can handle, when to bring an end, and how to heal us with sweet and abundant water.

VI.) Abundant Water:

Scripture: Exodus 15:27

And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.

From the place of no water and bitter water, Israel journeyed to a place of abundant water. There they camped for a time of refreshment. We can testify through repeated experience that God tests and then blesses. The principle is this: First the testing and then the blessing.

Elim was the place of refreshing. The name means palm trees. It was a place of 70 palms and 12 wells—an oasis in the barren wilderness. God certainly has dry spells for us, but He also has plenty of wells.

Conclusion:

Trials are never easy, or else they would not be trials.

In spite of that, we can make them easier by not forgetting what God has done and by doing some simple steps that will help us to rest in Him. The following are some key steps:

A.) Count your blessings

B.) Know God’s will (Colossians 1:9, 11)

C.) Replenish your faith (Romans 10:17)

D.) Ask God for help (Psalm 55:16; Hebrews 4:16)

We trust these steps will be of help to you. May God bless you.

Next Time: Why?

Marah: Bitter Water - Part I

2008-09-30T19:59:00.000-04:00

Living By Faith

Israel crossed the Red Sea, stepped onto the other side, and saw the marvelous victory of God. The Egyptians were swallowed up by the deep waters of God’s wrath. The ocean swept back to overthrow their foe.

Scripture: Exodus 14:31

And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.

As we pointed out last time, we should not read too much into this verse. Moses trusted God. Israel did not. Moses called upon the Lord. Israel accused. Moses wrote the song. Israel merely sang the words. Yes, they believed, but only because they saw it with their own eyes. Belief based on sight is soon forgotten.

The whole atmosphere was one of a party. There was music and merriment, laughing and dancing (Exodus 15:20). We might expect this to be a turning point for Israel. They would now live by faith, trust in God, and never again doubt His ability or intention. But contrary to popular opinion, seeing is not believing. True biblical faith comes from God - not experience. Four days later, Israel dismissed the event as an aberration.

The Christian life is like this. We get saved. The Holy Spirit leads us to the waters of baptism pictured by the Red Sea (I Corinthians 10:2). Immediately afterward, we are on cloud nine, just floating along in a heavenly daze. We have the world by the tail ... or so we think.

Many years ago, I sat at a table with my pastor and a man I had led to the Lord. The man began to boast of all that he would do for God now that God had saved him. My elderly shepherd very kindly and firmly replied, “We’ll see six months from now what you will do for God.”

Wizened by years of service, he knew that there is danger in the bragging of the newly saved. They drift along in a dreamy "never-never land". God would deflate Israel's ego and bring them back to earth. He is our strength. We are nothing without Him. Israel was barely out of Egypt. They had much to learn before they would be ready for the Promised Land. So God took them from too much water to too little.

We find our text in Exodus 15:22-27. There are six verses dealing with water. We will look at two today.

I.) No Water:

Scripture: Exodus 15:22

So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.

Israel, led by the cloud, departed from the Red Sea.

Moving out into the Wilderness of Shur, they encountered a new situation. Verse 25 says that God proved, or tested, them there. It is easy to boast and brag fresh from victory. But what will we do when the next problem comes? This is how the Christian life works! One spiritual high does not mean that we have arrived. It also does not mean that we have learned every lesson that God would teach us. In fact, God wants to lead us on to new trials to help us grow.

Israel advanced into the wilderness three days' journey and found no water. To understand the gravity of the predicament, we must put ourselves in their shoes. There are between two and three million people in this entourage. Besides that, there are livestock. The water requirement is enormous, and they are in a desert climate.

I do not know whether you have ever been in such a place. It is hard to imagine without having been there. Perhaps you have seen a desert on television. Sometimes we see cartoons of men crawling across the wasteland, looking for water. None of that conveys reality.

First, it is hot—beyond anything most have felt. When I was on the Mojave Desert, the ground temperature was 140 degrees. Water lines buried three feet under the sand emitted only hot water. In Los Angeles, it was only 86 degrees and we had to wear spring jackets to keep warm.

The heat in the desert is so intense that shade is necessary to survival. We dug foxholes and covered them with ponchos to provide shelter. This gave us protection from the scorching rays, but created another problem. The air was so hot and still that you could suffocate in your own carbon dioxide. We actually had to have someone check on the men. I distinctly remember crawling from one side of my pit to the other, getting a drink of water, crawling back, and collapsing in total exhaustion.

Second, it is dry. The year that we were there was an exceptional time. We actually saw thunderstorms twice in two weeks. On one occasion we could look up, see the rain pouring out of the sky, put out our hands, and feel only a couple of drops land. The heat caused the rain to evaporate before it hit the ground!

Between the heat and dryness, we required several gallons of water per day per man to avoid dehydration. Multiply that by two to three million people and you begin to understand Israel’s plight. They went three days without water. Another day or two could mean death.

How would you handle this scene? Would you fare any better than Israel? Would you continue to trust God? Israel did better than most of us. They went three days without a hint of complaint. Could we make it that long?

II.) Bitter Water:

Scripture: Exodus 15:23

And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.

Finally, they arrived at a place called Marah, which means bitter. The name was appropriate, because the water was bitter and unfit to drink. Try to put yourself in Israel’s sandals. You have just come off of a spiritual plateau. Then you go three days without water.

On the first day, you are not too concerned. You start out not even thinking about water, but as the time moves on, you begin to get thirsty. You think to yourself, “God knows that we need water. He will certainly supply.” Soon evening comes and there is still no water. You console yourself, though, that tomorrow will bring God’s provision.

The next day arrives and you are optimistic that God will take care. The sun rises further in the sky. You get thirstier and thirstier. You continue to trust God, but you begin to think, “What if?” Still you remember the sea overthrowing the Egyptians and press on. Nightfall comes. You are anxious but say to yourself, “God will surely supply tomorrow.”

Then comes morning. The nation set forth. By now everyone is parched. They crave water and realize that the body can overheat and succumb in just four days without it. They keep listening for some word of a well or oasis but step by step they proceed deeper and deeper into the wasteland. Still no word. One step further—still no word. Evening brings more doubts. Will God supply? I know He can, but does He want to provision us?

On the fourth day you set out again. By now you have just about given up hope. God is not going to supply. Then, suddenly, someone shouts, “Water!” You can hardly believe your ears, but your pace quickens. Before you know it you are running. You are scrambling to get to the beautiful, wonderful, sweet water. Each step of the way, you thank and praise God. Eventually, you reach the crowd and, pushing and shoving, make your way through, throwing yourself prostrate at the brink ready to indulge. Then someone grabs you from behind. You are ready to fight until they scream in your ears, “It is bitter!”—unfit to drink. What would you do?

Illustration: You are serving God and He is directing your steps. He very plainly leads to a new endeavor and then His provision seems to dry up. Finally, something opens up, but it is against your convictions. What would you do?

George Mueller told of a time when he was financially desperate. There was no food in the house and no money to buy it.

Finally, someone came with a gift of money. There was just one problem—George knew that the man was not paying his rent. Therefore, the money provided was stolen from the landlord. What would you do? George refused to accept it. It would have been so easy to reason that he should keep it, but he did not. God honored his faith, and provided another means.

Conclusion:

God uses experiences like this to test us. It is very easy for us to say that we love God and will serve Him. We can deceive others and even ourselves (Jeremiah 17:9). One thing we need to take home today is this truth: Just because we say something does not mean that God will accept it at face value. He will test us and find out what is in our heart. This is not “easy believism”. This is the nitty-gritty of demonstrating our love and loyalty to God (Deuteronomy 6:5).

Next Time: Marah: Bitter Water - Part II

The First Obstacle: Part IV

2008-09-03T14:18:00.000-04:00

Living By Faith

Three lessons ago we began to look at the first obstacle—the Red Sea (Exodus 14). We said that we would divide our study into four phases. In the first phase, we observed the circumstances leading up to the Red Sea problem. Israel was deliberately led by God into a situation where the Egyptians would be pressing down with no apparent way of escape. They actually had to turn and change directions to get there, but God had a purpose. He wanted Israel to learn dependence upon Him. He also wanted Pharaoh to think they were trapped, because God was seting a trap for Pharaoh.

Two lessons ago we saw the responses of Israel and Moses when they saw the Egyptians coming. Israel waltzed out of Egypt with their fingers pointed in the air, all proud and puffed up. They did not give any attention at all to God’s plan and purpose. Then when a crisis occurred, they collapsed in despair and began to complain. In contrast, Moses courageously said, “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.” Then he took his burden to God. That is the difference between those who live by faith and those who do not. Are we paying attention to God’s plan and purpose for our lives?

Last time we observed the deliverance of Israel. God parted the waters while Israel waited. God through the cloud became their fortress. The Egyptians could only come as close to Israel as God would allow. Then Israel began to cross the sea, and the Egyptians pursued, thinking they would have the victory. But God began to trouble them by removing the wheels of their chariots. Then it dawned on Pharaoh that God was fighting for His people and He had set an ambush.

IV.) The Victory:

That brings us to the fourth and final phase, which is the victory. First we saw God as our fortress and refuge in time of trouble (Psalm 18:1-2). Next we saw Him provide the way of escape (I Corinthians 10:13). Now we want to see the triumph that is ours if we trust in Him. There are three considerations:

A.) Egyptians Overthrown:

Scripture: Exodus 14:26-28

26 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. 27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.

First, we need to consider the enemy’s destruction. God told Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea. Just when victory seemed so close for the Egyptians, God troubled them.

The wheels fell off of their chariots. That is when the truth became reality. They knew that God had set an ambush. They knew that He was fighting for Israel. So Moses stretched out his hand and the waters returned to fill the gap. The wave swept away the enemies of Israel.

How difficult was it for God to defeat Pharaoh? Think for a moment! Did God have to work hard? Did He break a sweat? Did He say, “Wow, I’m tired!” No! He merely had to relax for a moment the pressure of the east wind. It was that simple!

Compare: Deuteronomy 4:24-26 and Hebrews 12:29

24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. 25 When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger: 26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.

29 For our God is a consuming fire.

Our God is a consuming fire! Man likes to think of himself as mighty and great. But God is omnipotent—all powerful. In comparison to that we are nothing. For God to destroy this world He has only to relax (Colossians 1:17). It is far easier than creation. There He worked for six days and rested on the seventh. But destruction involves no work at all. Do you comprehend what that means?

Scripture: Lamentations 3:22-23

22 It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

It is due to God’s compassion and mercies that we are not consumed. There are those who think that getting rid of God will make for a really fun time. They have no idea at all how horrible that will be. To have all of the passions and desires that we have now, but without God to make provision for them is a taste of hell. Add to that complete and total darkness for God is light (I John 1:5) and total isolation, because God is love (I John 4:8) and will not allow us to afflict others with our evil desires. That is hell.

Imagine for a minute having every desire and craving that you have now with no way to fulfill any for all of eternity. They will be like a worm that dieth not eating away at us.

God is kind and loving to all. It rains on the just and unjust alike (Matthew 5:45). But He is also holy (Leviticus 11:44). Justice demands death for sin (Romans 6:23). He delays out of compassion, but only for a time (II Peter 3:9). God gave Pharaoh many opportunities to repent, but he angrily pressed on until the waters covered the whole host of his army. All of this is but a shadow of things to come. Satan is the Pharaoh of the world system, and one day the rebels of his army will be as easily dismissed by the King of kings and Lord of lords.

B.) Israel’s Salvation:

Scripture: Exodus 14:29-31

29 But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. 30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. 31 And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.

Secondly, we need to consider Israel’s salvation. Verse 30 says, “Thus the Lord saved Israel…” Wait a minute! I thought they were saved when they left Egypt? What is this?

Salvation is not merely a fire escape from hell. Many people think that they can receive Christ as Savior from hell and then do as they please. This seems to be the prevailing mindset of twenty-first century Christianity. It does not seem to matter whether you believe in eternal security or not. We used to get a lot of grief over that (eternal security) and still do sometimes. People who believe you can lose your salvation accuse us of giving people a license to sin. But they do even worse with people sinning all week and going to church on Sunday. They think if they do their two bits for God, everything will be okay.

Nothing could be further from the truth. God demands holiness of us (I Peter 1:16) and grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and live soberly, righteously, and godly (Titus 2:11-12). If we are truly born again, we have repented of our sin. We turned toward God and automatically from idols and sin (I Thessalonians 1:9). We took up our cross to follow Christ. Our salvation only began the moment we received Him! It only began! He delivered us then and continues to deliver us now (II Corinthians 1:10).

We just need to keep on trusting Him and seeking to live for him. It may rain on our parade right along with the ungodly, but God will get us through (I Thessalonians 5:24).

C.) Victory Celebration:

Scripture: Exodus 15:1-7

1 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. 2 The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him. 3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. 4 Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea. 5 The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone. 6 Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. 7 And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.

Third, we need to consider the victory celebration. After the battle was over, then came the praise and thanksgiving. Notice how Israel gladly claimed the Lord as their God. Just the day before, they were ready to go back to Egypt and God was the one who was trying to kill them. What a difference a day can make. Now, suddenly, He is their God. You need to know that this song is called the song of Moses. Who really gives God praise, when He gives victory?

It is not the unfaithful and the disbelievers. It is the one who trusts in Him. Moses wrote the song. Israel merely sang the words. We have to pay attention to God’s plan and purpose to really appreciate the message.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, this same song will be sung in heaven by those who gain the victory over the antichrist (Revelation 15:3). It is a song for all ages. Are we looking to God for direction in our lives so that we can learn this song in the depths of our soul? That is the only way we can truly claim it as our own.

Next time: Marah—How Soon We Forget! (Exodus 15:22-27)

The First Obstacle: Part III

2008-08-18T20:40:00.003-04:00

Living By Faith

Two lessons ago we began to look at the first obstacle (Exodus 14). We said that we would divide our study into four phases. In the first phase, we observed the circumstances leading up to the Red Sea problem. Israel was deliberately led by God into a situation where the Egyptians would be pressing down with no apparent way of escape. They actually had to turn and change directions to get there, but God had a purpose. He wanted Israel to learn dependence upon Him and Pharaoh to think they were trapped, because God was seting a trap for Pharaoh.

Last time we saw the responses of Israel and Moses when they saw the Egyptians coming. Israel waltzed out of Egypt with their fingers pointed in the air, all proud and puffed up. They did not give any attention at all to God’s plan and purpose. Then when a crisis occurred, they collapsed in despair and began to complain. In contrast, Moses courageously said, “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.” Then he took his burden to God. That is the difference between those who live by faith and those who do not. Are we paying attention to God’s plan and purpose for our lives?

III.) The Deliverance:

The third phase of this Red Sea experience is God’s deliverance. God knows how to deliver the godly (II Peter 2:9a) and He knows how to reserve the ungodly for judgment (II Peter 2:9b). There are four observations to make.

A.) God Our Fortress:

Scripture: Exodus 14:17-20

17 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. 18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. 19 And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: 20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.

First, we see God as our fortress (Psalm 18:2-3). Israel camped by the sea with Pharaoh in sight! What would they do? What could they do? Factually, there was nowhere to go. Moses had told them to do the only thing possible. “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord (vs.13).”

The real question is “What would God do?” Failing to read our Bibles carefully, many Christians mistakenly believe that the waters were instantly parted and Israel immediately crossed. Actually, verse 21 says that it took all night long. During the night, Israel had to simply stand still and wait. God would teach them patience and would do the same for us.

Compare: Hebrews 10:36 and Romans 5:3-4

36For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

Do you see that God thinks we have need of patience and that bringing tribulation into our lives is the way to develop patience? Do you now understand why the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel is all wrong? If we have no troubles or problems, we are at best very shallow Christians. At worst, we may not even be a child of God (Hebrews 12:6,8).

Israel stood their ground, and God made provision. That is how it is with faith! In effect, God became a barrier separating Israel from their enemy. For the duration of the night the cloud rested between them.

To the Egyptians, it was dark and ominous—an impenetrable blackness that blotted out the stars and allowed no light to escape, not even so much as a the glow of a campfire. I am quite sure I could wait for morning to attack if I were them. Couldn’t you?

On the other hand, the cloud gave light to Israel. Black is the absence of light. Those who reject the glorious light of the gospel have only the storm cloud of God’s wrath hanging over them (John 3:36). But we have the light of His Word (Psalm 119:105) to comfort and strengthen us!

Compare: Psalm 34:7 and Romans 8:28

7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

God has decreed that anything touching His children will only work for their good and He encamps around us to assure that is true. He is our fortress!

B.) Waters Divided:

Scripture: Exodus 14:21-22

21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

Secondly, we see God dividing the waters. All kinds of explanations have been offered. One liberal Sunday school teacher told her class that it was really just a big mud puddle and not a big miracle. Little Johnny jumped up all excited and exclaimed, “What a great miracle! God drowned all those Egyptians in a big mud puddle!”

A number of years ago, a science magazine explained that the Island of Minoa dropped into the Mediterranean Sea about this time and the resulting tidal wave caused the parting. This so-called "science" is nothing more than the vain imagination of those conflicted by the truth of the Bible and their desire to come up with a rational explanation.

God says simply that He used “a strong east wind.” The Red Sea lays almost perfectly north and south. An east wind coming from the Promised Land cuts across the water in a perpendicular fashion. The wind blew hard, forcing the water to back up at either end of the camp and giving Israel sufficient highway for between 2 and 3 million to pass. The all night blowing dried out the seabed, making it a super-highway to freedom. Think of it! All it took was a little wind! We think it is impossible—but it is so easy for our God to deliver us.

C.) Egyptian Pursuit:

Scripture: Exodus 14:23

And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

Third, we see the Egyptian pursuit. You have to wonder why Egypt, in the face of this miraculous event, would follow Israel. But put yourself in Pharaoh’s shoes. He is filled with blind rage and fury. He wants only vengeance.

Then he sees before him the dream of every charioteer—a vast, dry, smooth “expressway” leading straight to a defenseless target! No doubt the Egyptians were thanking their gods as they raced between the waters.

D.) Egypt Troubled:

Scripture: Exodus 14:24-25

24 And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, 25 And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.

Fourthly, we see Egypt troubled. The chariot drivers dashed into the channel, expecting to draw blood in the battle. At first they were gaining on the feeble figures ahead, and anticipating the lustful ravaging of a vanquished foe. Then something strange happened. A wheel fell off.

The first soldier to lose a wheel probably cursed his luck and the mechanic who worked on his machine. Then others fell off! About that time, turning from the battle, they notice the mountain of water on either side. I don’t think anyone even thought about procurement scandals and defective parts. They knew in their heart that God fought for Israel, just as He fights for us today.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, some day in the not too distant future, God will set another ambush. He will stir the hearts of men to march on Israel. They will gather on the plain of Megiddo, where a great general once said, “all the armies of the earth could gather here.” Suddenly, the resurrected Christ in all his glory with His army mounted on white horses, will appear to take vengeance on the enemies of His people (Revelation 19:11-19).

Friend, will you be among those who come mounted with Christ, or will you be numbered in the valley below? Will your appetite for the world seal your fate, or will you be counted with those whose garments are washed in the blood of the Lamb? Today is the day of salvation. Tomorrow is judgment day. Today, if you hear His voice, harden not your heart. If you repent of your sin, turn to Christ, and ask Him to come into your heart and life, He will surely save you (Romans 10:13).

Next time: The First Obstacle Part IV (Exodus 14:26-15:19)

The First Obstacle: Part II

2008-08-05T20:30:00.002-04:00

Living By Faith

Last time we began to look at the first obstacle (Exodus 14). We said that we would divide our study into four phases. In the first phase, we observed the circumstances leading up to the Red Sea problem. Israel was deliberately led by God into a situation where the Egyptians would be pressing down on them, with no apparent way of escape. They actually had to turn and change directions to get there, but God had a purpose. He wanted Israel to learn dependence upon Him and Pharaoh to think they were trapped. God set a trap for Pharaoh. He would have glory over the final Egyptian god—Pharaoh himself.

II.) The Responses:

The second phase of this miraculous episode deals with the responses of both Israel and Moses. How did they handle the stress of an army of angry Pharaoh-worshipers hotly pursuing after them? Perhaps they should all get appointments with a therapist or shrink.

The modern tendency to “psychologize” Christianity breeds numerous seminars to teach us how to “cope”. This has even crept into so many pastors' sermons that are more about "self-help" than God’s Word. Unfortunately, they omit the one ingredient that can really help. That is relationship. The Word of God is about building a strong relationship of faith in God and His promises that will withstand, endure, and gain victory over the deep water situations of life.

Scripture: John 14:21

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Observe that Christ says that those who love Him pay attention to the commandments of God and try to keep them. He then adds that if we love Him, we will be loved by God the Father and Christ will reveal Himself to us. Therein lies the problem. We do not want to spend the time in God’s Word that is necessary to demonstrate our love for Christ. He does not reveal himself, and we turn to man for help, thinking God failed. In fact, we are the failures.

It is our relationship with God that makes all the difference in how we respond to difficult times. Those seeking "stress relief" should consider Bible belief. Let us begin with Israel’s response.

A.) Israel’s Fear:

Scripture: Exodus 14:10

And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.

The first response is Israel’s fear.

The New Scofield Bible and some of the modern translations say, “they were in great fear”, but I like the old KJV. It says simply, “they were sore afraid.” In other words they were so utterly terrified that they literally ached with fright! That is an apt description.

Imagine the scene! Here they were camped by the Sea without a care in the world. No one is listening to God’s plan and purpose. They do not really believe Pharaoh will come. Then, someone notices something in the distance.

3500 years later, with the ending firmly in grasp, it is easy for us to look down our spiritual noses and be very judgmental about Israel. But, how often do we do the same thing? How often do we think we have a handle on everything? How often do we ignore God’s plan and direction? How often do we think we have everything managed? Then something happens. Suddenly, we have circumstances beyond our control. What then? Is it sheer terror? Do we panic and frantically scramble everywhere looking for help? Do we respond as Israel?

B.) Israel’s Complaint:

Scripture: Exodus 14:11-12

11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? 12 Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.

The first response was one of fear, but the second translated fear into action. They began to complain. There are two ways to cry aloud to God. One is godly and the other is not. One is the cry of faith and the other is one of complaint. Israel began to complain.

Instead of asking God for help, they began to make accusations. They accused Him of leading them to slaughter. They said that it would have been better for them to remain in Egypt as slaves. They forgot what God did for them. Many Christians do the same.

When we find ourselves with our backs against the wall and the Egyptians pressing down, our first tendency is to make accusations. We want to accuse Moses or God. It is their fault and they do not care about us. “We had it so good in the world. Now look how hard it is.”

We forget that we were slaves to a master who could care less whether we lived or died. We existed only for his service and it was hard labor. He did absolutely nothing for us. On the other hand, Christ gave His life for us. He demonstrated His love by sacrificing all. Who is the better master? Christ is by far! He has nothing more to prove. We just need to trust Him.

C.) Moses’ Faith:

Scripture: Exodus 14:13-14

13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

In contrast to the first two negatives, Moses responded in faith. Ezekiel 22:30 says that God looked for a man to stand in the gap.

It concludes, “...but I found none.” God constantly searches for a man to stand in the gap. This time He found one. In spite of his fear, Moses responded with faith. He said, “...stand ye still and see the salvation of the Lord…” In II Chronicles 20:17 God said to Jehoshaphat, “...stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD.” A similar thought is found in I Corinthians 16:13 where it says, “...quit ye like men.”

God looks for courageous people who will stand in the gap to make up the hedge. Moses was such a man. He stood against the tide of humanity and said, “We are not moving!” God wants us to stand fast and wait for His salvation. God did not save us from the fire of hell just so that we could freeze in the cold, cruel trials of life. He knows how to deliver the godly and reserve the ungodly for the day of judgment (II Peter 2:9). We just need to trust Him.

D.) Moses' Cry:

Scripture: Exodus 14:15-16

15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: 16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

The fourth response we see is Moses’ cry. Moses was a man of faith who stilled the voices of the murmurers. But even the faithful have doubts. The difference is what they do with them. Moses took his straight to the Lord and so should we.

Notice God’s answer. He said, “Why do you cry unto me?” Moses made a bold statement of faith and then pleaded with God for a confirmation of what he did. I get the impression that he was hoping and praying that God would back up what he said. Sometimes we do that. We make a bold statement of faith and then wonder if we are foolish to do so.

But God did back up Moses. He always supports those who would live by faith. It is only when we live by faith that we can truly please Him (Hebrews 11:6).

God stood with him and said, “take the rod.” Why the rod? It represents authority. Often we fail to recognize the authority that we have when we go out in the name of the Lord to do the work of the Lord. God told Moses to use the rod of authority that He already gave him. Moses did not need additional power. He only needed to exercise that which he already had.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, God has given us the sword of His Word (Hebrews 4:12). It is our authority for life and godliness. We just need to utilize it in our day to day lives. Jeremiah 48:10 says, “Cursed is he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully, and cursed is he that keepeth back his sword from blood.” God has given us the sword. He expects us to use it.

The First Obstacle: Part I

2008-08-02T20:19:00.002-04:00

Living By Faith

Having seen the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the cloud and pillar of fire (Exodus 13:21-22), we now want to move on to the first obstacle, but before we do, let us review. Israel’s deliverance in bondage to Egypt is a picture of our salvation experience. When we received Christ as Savior, we were freed from the bondage of sin. As He died for us, we through faith in Him died to sin that henceforth we should not serve it (Romans 6:6). Instead, we are to live in Christ in newness of life (Romans 6:4). God, the Holy Spirit, began the process of freeing us the moment we received Christ.

Scripture: II Corinthians 1:10

Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

Sanctification—that fifty-cent word which refers to the process of being set apart to God—for the believer is past, present, and future. Positionally, we were delivered from bondage to sin and the world at the very moment of salvation. Practically, we are being delivered on a daily basis from the mindset that makes us think the chains are still there. Perfectly and prophetically, we will be once and for all delivered from our sinful nature at the rapture of the church. Then, we will no longer struggle to do right.

What this means in practice is this: when we received Christ and began to speak of Him to our friends, they began to disassociate themselves from us. They no longer wanted to be in our company. We found ourselves developing new friends among those who share our faith. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit who indwelt us at the very moment of salvation began to convict of sin. We began putting off old habits and putting on new. We started to be different.

Unfortunately though, there is a fork in the road at the very edge of Egypt (Exodus 13:17-18). Everyone confronted by the gospel faces this choice point in life. The left path, or easy way, seems like a shortcut to happiness, but is the way to disaster (Proverbs 16:25). Many people choke at this point on the cross. They do not want to take up their cross and follow Christ. They want an easier way. But God leads the right way! Every, truly, born again believer sets out on that path.

The paved road ends abruptly. The path becomes strewn with boulders and obstacles. But this is the way of God! The cloud and pillar of fire are there to comfort and help us along the way.

That brings us to the first obstacle. How will we deal with this situation? To enhance our study, we will divide it into four phases.

Four Phases:

I.) The Circumstances:

In the first phase, we want to observe the circumstances that lead up to the obstacle. If we do not carefully note these, we will miss much that is important to our understanding. So, let us walk circumspectly through our text, noting three crucial facts.

A.) Deliberately led:

Scripture: Exodus 14:1-2

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.

Israel was deliberately led by God. Notice that God was in control of this march. He spoke to Moses and told him what to do. Israel was to go down to Pihahiroth. In other words, they did not just "happen" to be there. This was not a navigational error on the part of Moses. The truth is that God directed them to this place! In fact, to get there, they actually had to turn and change directions!

Observe the words of verse 2, “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn…” God, using the cloud and his instruction to Moses, said, “Change directions and go down to Pihahiroth.” We are intentionally belaboring this point, because it is so vital. God leads His people today, and it is not always where we think. The direct route was not the right route. God would have them to go by way of the Red Sea. He would have us do the same.

Scripture: I Corinthians 10:2

And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

Observe that the baptism in the cloud pictures Holy Spirit baptism, and the baptism in the sea pictures water baptism. We may think we know a better way to victorious living, but God’s way passes through the water. The first step of faith for the child of God after salvation ought to be believer’s baptism, an act of obedience to Christ’s command (Matthew 28:19-20). If we are not going to obey this simple command, how will we obey the more difficult ones that come later? This is a tiny little baby step of faith, but we must walk before we can run.

B.) God’s purpose:

Scripture: Exodus 14:3-4

3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. 4 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so.

God had a purpose for taking Israel to this place. They were to veer from a straight direction across the wilderness to a campsite somewhat out of the way alongside the Red Sea. From a human standpoint, this was a tactical blunder of colossal proportions. It was like being in a boxed canyon with no way out. But God had a reason.

First, God wanted them to be in a position where they would be totally dependent upon Him for victory. Early on, God wants to teach us that we are helpless without Him (John 15:5). What could Israel do?

Second, God wanted Pharaoh to think that they were trapped, because He was setting a trap. This is a military maneuver popularized by Julius Caesar in his writing concerning the conquest of the Gaul's more than 1500 years later. The idea is to place the weakest troops in the center and the strongest on either side. When the enemy attacks, the weaker give way and the stronger troops turn in, leaving the enemy in a crossfire.

In a sense, the weak become the bait that lures the foe. Becoming proud and puffed up, the overconfident and gullible adversary destroys himself. In football this tactic is called the draw play.

Israel was God’s bait. God was going to judge the only Egyptian god left standing. He would judge Pharaoh himself.

C.) Pharaoh’s hardness:

Scripture: Exodus 14:5-9

5 And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? 6 And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: 7 And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. 8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. 9 But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.

Lastly, observe Pharaoh’s hardness. Pharaoh was in mourning. He lost everything he had, including his first born son. He fell from being the most powerful monarch on earth to the bottom in just a brief time. Most likely, he was in a state of shock.

Then, a lowly minion dared to interrupt his grief with the announcement that Israel had left Egypt. Suddenly, he realized what he had done. He was so determined not to let Israel go, but in a moment of weakness he let them slip through his grasp.

In a rage and fury, he called for the chariots. Verse 7 says that he took 600 of the most elite to be his personal command and then gathered all the rest for the chase.

Chariots were the most feared weapon of the ancient world. They were a relatively new invention and were treated much like tanks would be today. One advantage was speed. Israel was slowed by livestock and children, but even that was not slow enough. So God had them set up camp. He wanted them to wait for the Egyptians to catch up.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the Christian life is like this. At first we are all excited and rejoicing in our new-found salvation. Then, God sets us in a place where Satan can catch up. Like a raging roaring lion he bears down. What will we do? God says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” The true believer will persevere. He may quake and fear and tremble, but God will bring him through (I Thessalonians 5:24).

The Cloud and Pillar of Fire: Part II

2008-07-29T19:48:00.002-04:00

Living By Faith

Last time, we began looking at “The Cloud and Pillar of Fire” (Exodus 13:21-22).” In the biblical study of Old Testament types and patterns, we find that the cloud and fire represent the Holy Spirit. I Corinthians 10:1-13 indicates that Israel’s wilderness experience is a complete picture of our Christian life. That means that the appearance of the cloud and fire at the very moment Israel left Egypt is significant. It demonstrates that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is an event that occurs at the instant we are saved. Then, some time later, after salvation, we are led by the Holy Spirit to water baptism.

Today we want to focus in on the ministry of the Holy Spirit as revealed in Exodus. There are three services disclosed:

I.) God goes before us to lead us (Exodus 13:21a):

And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way;

One of the principal ministries of the Holy Spirit in the lives of born again believers is to provide us with direction in life. For many Christians this is a real mystery. How does He guide us? For some, it is nothing more than a feeling, whim, or hunch. For others it is more mystical—sort of like waving hands over a crystal ball. Still others see it as just a big unknown where God gave us our heads and expects us to use them to figure out our own way. This should not be, because God plainly says that He will guide us (Psalm 32:8). So, how does this work?

Scripture: John 3:5

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Notice that a man must be born of both water and Spirit. Water and Spirit work together in the process of salvation. The question here is whether this water is merely H2O or something more. Once again, typology comes into play.

Scripture: Psalm 119:9

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

Water represents the Word of God. Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born again of both the Word of God (I Peter 1:23) and the Holy Spirit to be saved. One without the other does not work.

Scripture: John 7:38-39

38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Notice that while water represents the Word, flowing water pictures the Holy Spirit. Do you see the connection? Water which stands still is dead and lifeless; whereas, flowing water is alive. This principle is taught in survival courses.

When possible, we should use iodine tablets or some filtration device to purify drinking water in the field. But when no means of purification are available, the safest water to drink is found in the rapids. The flowing action acts as a natural cleanser, inserting oxygen and washing away impurities.

The lesson is this: God, the Holy Spirit, works in union with the written Word to bring it alive to us. Instead of mere words on paper, the Bible becomes a living book, able to speak to our need - whether that be doctrine, conviction, exhortation, or direction (II Timothy 3:16-17). God uses His Word to lead us the way (Psalm 119:105).

II.) God lights our path and comforts us (Exodus 13:21b):

...and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

The second ministry of the Holy Spirit is that of giving light in the night. The New Testament refers to the Holy Spirit as the Comforter (John 16:7). In those dark nights of life when we fearful human beings quake, tremble, and cower, the Spirit lights our path with the Scriptures to comfort and show the way.

Many are the times that I have experienced that sudden remembrance of a verse at just the right moment to provide peace in the midst of turmoil. One strange incident should suffice to demonstrate this.

Years ago at a crisis point in my life when God was beginning to take over the reins of my heart, I had a very unusual experience. I am not quite sure what to think of it, but will simply share it to make my point.

I was fast asleep in the night season, when I seemed to abruptly awake with an intense fear that I have never known before or since. In the instant of my apparent wakefulness with my eyes seemingly open, the room looked to be filled with demonic forms and shadows that I somehow perceived to be wrestling for my soul.

Then just as suddenly as I awoke, the thought popped into my head, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee (Hebrews 13:5).” This was accompanied by such peace and calm that I am reminded of Christ stilling the winds and sea (Luke 8:24).

All of this took but a moment and to this day, I do not know what to make of it. Was it a mere nightmare or was it a glimpse of the spiritual conflict that goes on unseen around us (Ephesians 6:12)? I do not know. One thing is sure—God’s Word calmed the howling winds of fear so fast and so completely that I lay for a time in a state of wonder and amazement.

If there is a lesson in all of this (and I believe there is), it is that experiences can often be very unsettling to us, but the Word of God is sure and steadfast (I Peter 1:25). Many today look for experiences, when they ought to look at their Bibles.

The Spirit knows just how to bring Scripture to bear at just the right moment in our lives. The Greek word for comforter is parakletos which literally means "called to one’s side". It implies the capability of giving aid. That is what the Holy Spirit does.

When we think of the desert, we often think of blazing heat from the scorching sun, but night time is just the opposite. It can get very cold. The extreme is so great that even 80 degrees seems cold. God knew just how to care for His people. He provided the cloud by day to shade them, and the fire by night to light and warm them.

III.) God never leaves nor forsakes us (Exodus 13:22):

He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

The third ministry of the Holy Sprit is that of being our constant companion. Those words of consolation in Hebrews 13:5 calmed my fearful heart. They ought to encourage each of us who know Christ as Savior, because our text says that He did not take away the cloud.

Scripture: Ephesians 1:13-14

13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

The Holy Spirit is the earnest, or down payment, of our inheritance. Think of that! When we grieve Him (Ephesians 4:30), it is like trying to throw away our inheritance. How foolish! Fortunately, we cannot succeed, because He is also the almighty God who seals us until the day of redemption.

In ancient times, a letter was sealed by placing a drop of hot wax over the opening and imprinting it with an ornate seal. This security was not perfect. Occasionally, someone would manage to break it by counterfeiting or stealing the seal. But suppose that instead of wax, the seal consisted of an omnipotent bond that could never be broken. Such is the Holy Spirit. We are signed, sealed, and waiting to be delivered (II Corinthians 1:10). The Spirit is all of the assurance we need. He has promised that He will never leave nor forsake us.

The real question is “how often do we forsake Him?” How often do we grieve or quench (I Thessalonians 5:19) Him? We forsake Him, but He never does us. He seals us to the day of redemption and that day is fast drawing nigh (Luke 21:28).

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the ministry of the cloud and pillar of fire to Israel was the same as the Holy Spirit’s ministry to us. He led them, comforted them, and abode with them through thick or thin. Even when they failed miserably and utterly, He was still there. He does the same for us—only better. For them He hovered over the camp. For us, He indwells our bodies. They become His temple.

The Cloud and Pillar of Fire: Part I

2008-07-15T10:00:00.005-04:00

Living By Faith

In our last message, we learned that God deliberately led Israel from slavery in Egypt to a barren desert. At a place called Succoth (Exodus 13:20), there was a fork in the road (Exodus 13:17-18). The left way was well-watered and had plenty of food. It was an easy paved route to the Promised Land. But God led Israel the right way for a reason. They were not prepared for war. So he took them to boot camp.

We live in a culture of “ease”. We do not like nor want anything that involves discomfort, sacrifice, or trouble. Unfortunately, this plague afflicts the 21st century church and to some extent may actually be a product of the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel proclaimed by false teachers who have crept into the church. They promote this line of thinking and encourage the hedonistic philosophy of the world that comfort is the ultimate goal of life.

In reality, nothing ever achieves its potential without some struggle. The least happy are those born with a silver spoon, or those who find life so easy that there is no challenge. Such individuals waste away in boredom, unable to find purpose or meaning to their existence.

On the other hand, when we must work and toil to achieve a goal, there is a deep seated satisfaction at attainment. This satisfaction then translates to happiness. The struggle is necessary to that end.

Some fear that too much struggle will lead to failure and discouragement at our effort. They say that this will irreparably harm our self–esteem. We will be branded or will brand ourselves as incompetent losers. Therefore, we should never try ourselves beyond what some test assures us that we can do.

This fatalistic philosophy dooms us to mediocrity and fails to account for the growth that occurs through struggle. Little Johnny’s IQ may seem to be inadequate in grade school for him to become a doctor. Should we then discourage his desire or should we encourage him to work harder? Through hard work he may sufficiently develop his mind for the rigors of med school, but he will never know without trying. Even if he fails in that goal, there is no doubt he will be far more capable for whatever he does do.

Studies have shown that birds that are helped from the egg are far more prone to disease and are far weaker than those that must struggle to exit the eggshell.

God fully understands this principle and takes us to the wilderness to allow our struggles to fully develop us. This is the direction that He led Israel and it is the course He wants to lead us. The real question is “How did He lead them, and how will He lead us?”

I.) God’s Leading:

Scripture: Exodus 13:21-22

21 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: 22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

God led Israel via a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Typology is the study of biblical types, or pictures. The Old Testament is filled with activities and occurrences which picture some aspect of Christ, His ministry, or the Christian life. There are also pictures which represent the Holy Spirit, such as the cloud and pillar of fire (See Acts 2:2-3). The service provided is the same. What the cloud and fire did for Israel, the Holy Spirit does for us today. One aspect of that ministry is His leading.

Before we move on and look at this ministry, though, we want to point out an important truth revealed in the wilderness. The cloud and pillar of fire first appeared at the very moment that Israel left Egypt. This is not chance, but inspiration (II Timothy 3:16).

II.) Two Baptisms:

Scripture: I Corinthians 10:1-2

1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

Notice that there are two baptisms in this verse. First, there is the baptism in the cloud. Secondly, there is that in the sea. The former pictures the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the latter pictures water baptism, or what we refer to as believer’s baptism.

Many people are confused about both. Some think that being baptized in water is a means of salvation. Others believe that the Holy Spirit is some “second blessing” kind of experience, where we are supposed to receive Him after salvation and become sinless. The Wilderness clarifies these issues. We have already established that Israel’s deliverance from bondage in Egypt is a picture of our salvation experience. Now notice that as soon as they leave, they immediately receive the cloud and fire. This agrees with the New Testament.

III.) Old and New Agree:

Scripture: Romans 8:9

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Our text, speaking of and to Christians, says that we are not in the flesh but in the Spirit. It adds, “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” We are not saved without the Holy Spirit. If we are saved, we have Him. We receive Him instantaneously at our new birth.

IV.) Holy Spirit Baptism:

Scripture: I Corinthians 12:13

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

This verse is addressed to believers (I Corinthians 1:2). It says that we are all baptized into one body by the Holy Spirit. This is the baptism of the Spirit. It occurs at the very moment of salvation, when the Holy Spirit comes to indwell and seal us (Ephesians 1:13-14). At the same time, we become part of the body of Christ—baptized into Him.

V.) Baptism vs. Filling:

Part of the difficulty here stems from a muddling of baptism with filling. There is a difference between the two. We are baptized into Christ at the moment of salvation. We receive the Spirit then. He indwells us and assures us of our eternal destiny with an unbreakable seal. The command after salvation is not “be baptized with the Spirit” but “be filled.”

Scripture: Ephesians 5:18

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

In Ephesians chapter one, we trust in Christ after hearing the gospel. We receive the Spirit, who becomes the down payment on our inheritance in Christ. Then in chapter five we are told to “be filled.” These are two separate and distinct occurrences. Spirit baptism makes us part of the body. Filling has to do with our walk (Ephesians 4:1, 17: 5:1-2, 8, 15). We are to walk like we belong to Christ and are under the influence of the Holy Spirit, instead of being under the influence of alcohol or any other intoxicating influence of this world.

VI.) Spirit vs. Water:

At the moment of salvation from Egypt, Israel was baptized in the cloud and fire. Days later, they were baptized in the sea, which pictures water baptism. Again, this agrees with the New Testament. We are baptized into the body of Christ as the instant of salvation. Later as our first feeble step of faith, we go through the waters of baptism as believers already born again. Water baptism expresses our wish to obey Christ’s command (Matthew 28:19-20) and tells the world of our desire to identify with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4).

If water baptism was the means of salvation, the Red Sea would have to be moved miles inland. The Jews would step from slavery to beachfront condos.

VII.) Instant vs. Second:

By the same token, if Holy Spirit baptism was a “second blessing” or sanctification experience, the cloud and fire would not occur for days, weeks, months, and perhaps years. The Red Sea would occur first. Based upon Israel’s experience, the cloud and fire would never appear, because they never became sinless, and neither do we.

Scripture: Compare I John 1:8 and John 17:17

If we say we are sinless, then we cannot be sanctified. Why? Because the truth is not in us, and it is the truth which sanctifies.

Conclusion:

All Scripture is given by inspiration of the Holy Ghost (II Timothy 3:16). There are no mistakes. All Scripture must be considered within the context of the whole (II Peter 1:20). I Corinthians 10:1-13 indicates that the Wilderness is a complete type or pattern of our Christian experience.

Thus there is agreement between the old and new. Holy Spirit baptism occurs at the very moment of salvation.

Next time: The Cloud and Pillar of Fire: Part II

What is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to Israel and to us? Next time, we will look at three ministries.

The Fork in the Road

2008-07-10T20:28:00.004-04:00

Living By Faith

Several weeks ago, we observed the Passover Feast found in Exodus 12 and pointed out ten observations that picture our salvation experience. The tenth and final plague, which occurred in connection with the feast, resulted in Israel’s deliverance. The slaves were free at last! Prior to our new birth experience we were dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). We were enslaved by this world system. But the day of our salvation marks the day of our emancipation from slavery (Romans 6:18). Christ, the Passover Lamb, died to save and set us free from the power of sin.

Scripture: Exodus 12:51

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.

The very same day of the paschal (Passover) service, God brought Israel out of the land of the Pharaohs, and so He delivers us. In Christ, we are no longer bound to keep up with the Joneses. Life is not just a big rat race or mid-life crisis waiting to happen. Instead, we are on a journey that should take us to the promised land—that is, if we do not repeat the catastrophe of Israel.

Contrary to many hymn-writers, Beulah land is not heaven, but spiritual maturity. John Bunyan recognized this in his famous book, Pilgrim’s Progress. He said that it is the place of peace and rest near the end of life’s journey. It need not take that long though. In just two years, Israel was at the threshold of the promised land. We should be too. Victorious and spiritual living is for here and now. But to achieve the goal, we must set out in the right direction.

Scripture: Exodus 13:17-18

17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: 18 But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.

Three Truths:

I) God Led Them:

First, we must understand that God led them. This is one of the most important facts in our study. God led Israel. Twice our text says as much. In verse 17, it says that He did not lead them one way. Verse 18 says that He instead led them another.

The songwriter knew exactly what he was saying when he penned, “some through the waters, some through the flood, some through the fire, but all through the blood; God leads His dear children along.” I am not a deist. I do not believe that the Bible is merely a moral rulebook, nor that God set the world in motion and left it to run by itself.

Rather, I am a Christian. I believe that God is real and that he takes an active, personal interest in the affairs of men (Hebrews 11:6). I believe that He wants to lead, guide, and direct us (Psalm 32:8). Christ shed His precious blood (I Peter 1:17-18) to free us from bondage to this world, but we must follow His leading. He wants to lead us out, but many Christians want to stay put. We love the things of this world, but God says, “Set your affection on things above (Colossians 3:2).”
Colossians 3 is a very interesting chapter. It begins and ends with eternity. In between, it tells us to mortify our members upon earth (vs.5), and do everything as to the Lord (vs.17 and 23), including being in submission to those in authority over us (vs.18-22). That is not easy to do. The only thing that allows us to do that is a strong belief in the blessed hope of Christ’s return.

Scripture: Colossians 3:24

Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

We serve the Lord Christ, and our inheritance is in eternity. We must put off the old man and put on the new. We must lay aside the world’s way of thinking and acting, because verse 25 warns, “But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.”

To be able to accomplish this living for the hereafter, we must live by faith. The Bible says so four times (Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38). To sacrifice this world, we must trust the promises of God’s Word. We must unequivocally believe in the goodness of God. We must rest in the love that He demonstrated on the cross. Hebrews records that Moses did so.

Scripture: Hebrews 11:24-26

24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

He placed his life by faith in God’s hand, and God led him. If we do the same, He will lead us, too.

II) The Fork in the Road:

Immediately upon leaving Egypt, Israel encountered a fork in the road. Exodus 13:20 calls the name of this place,Succoth. Most people read right over this without even noticing the fork, but it is crucial to our understanding.

Verse 17 says, “God led them not through the land of the Philistines. Verse 18 adds, “But God led the people about through the way of the wilderness.” So, there was a fork in the road.

To the left ran a well-marked path that followed the Mediterranean Sea coast through the land of Philistia straight to Canaan, the Promised Land. This path was well-watered with oases. Thus it became the trade route.

Even as far back as Moses' time, it was a paved highway with rest stops in villages and plenty of food available. Bible scholars indicate that it would only have taken Israel eight to ten days to reach Canaan via this route.

By contrast, the road to the right ended abruptly. Much of the trail was unfamiliar, even to Moses. It led directly into a bleak, desert environment with little food or water available. Besides that, it would take Israel nearly two years to get to the threshold of the Promised Land. Furthermore, they would be totally dependent upon God for everything.

Which path would you choose? Most of us would take the easy one. Yet God chose to lead Israel the right way. Unfortunately, this is where many Christians fail, and the journey has barely begun.

Scripture: Matthew 16:24; 10:38

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

We have been indoctrinated by the world and by false teachers of the world who have crept into the church, that we should have it easy. Work has become a four letter word in our culture. The goal has become: Strike it rich and bathe in luxury and ease.

We have forgotten that Christ has called us to be soldiers in His army. There is a boot camp that we must endure to be equipped for battle, and there is a war to be fought. There will be plenty of time for ease after the victory is won. Christ is preparing a mansion for us right now (John 14:2-3), and we will be there soon enough. In the meantime, we need to take up our cross and get ready for battle.

III) God’s Reason:

We do not like the idea of grief and trouble, but God has a reason for taking us down the right fork. He took Israel the roundabout way because verse 17 says that they were not ready for war.

Scripture: Exodus 12:51

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.

I like this verse. This is so like God. He does not dwell on our failures. He focuses on what we can be. We may be His army, but without training we are more like a giant mob than a disciplined fighting unit. We are not ready for war, particularly not with spirit beings of immense power. Yet God wants us to be ready and able.

The Jews were slaves all their lives. They knew nothing of war. The fighting was done by the Egyptians. They were the trained soldiers; the Israelites were merely civilians.

Illustration: I hated every minute that I spent in the Marine Corps. There was not a day in boot camp that I was not in pain. I hated everything about it. For years, I was mad at God over it. I could not understand why He allowed me to be there. Gradually, I comprehended.

He wanted me to know what it is to be a soldier.

Scripture: II Timothy 2:3-4

3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

These words were written to a young pastor by an old soldier in God’s army. There is no doubt in my mind that I could not have done the things that I have done in the service of the Lord without that Marine Corps training. What I went through in boot camp is nothing compared to some of the things I have faced in my walk with the Lord. What boot camp taught me is that this is what you have to do to be a soldier and to fight the fight.

Very few churches today sing that great old Christian hymn that begins with the words, “Onward Christian soldiers…” Very few sing it and even fewer do it. Most of our national problems lie right there. Too many Christians are civilians, when there is a war to be fought—not the war on terror, but the war against our adversary the devil and his fallen angels. If we fail to go through God’s boot camp, we will be ill-equipped to deal with the ruthless terrorists of his satanic army. Remember, there are giants in the Promised Land.

Conclusion:

There is a fork in the road of life for every believer. The left fork is apparently easier, but the right fork is the right way! God never leads His children the wrong way. He always leads the right way. The songwriter said it very well:

In shady green pastures, so rich and so sweet,
God leads His dear children along,
Where the water’s cool flow bathes the weary one’s feet,
God leads His dear children along.

Some through the water,
Some through the flood,
Some through the fire,
But all through the blood.

Some through great sorrow,
But God gives a song,
In the night season
And all the day long.

~G. A. Young~

Next time: The Cloud and Pillar of Fire

Liberty

2008-07-02T09:26:00.003-04:00

Living By Faith

We have been talking about Israel’s deliverance from bondage in Egypt as a picture of our salvation experience. Today, as we celebrate Independence weekend, we want to take a moment to talk about liberty.

On this day 232 years ago, the Continental Congress of the thirteen colonies voted to approve a complete separation from Great Britain. Two days later, on July 4, 1776, the first two, of fifty-six men, signed the Declaration of Independence. Four days later, on the eighth, members of Congress read the document from the steps of Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Afterwards, the Liberty Bell was rung.

Many people do not know that there was an inscription around the top of that bell. It was taken from Leviticus 25:10 and said, “Proclaim liberty throughout the land and to all the inhabitants thereof.” It is appropriate that our nation should begin in such a fashion—for it is the sounding forth of God’s Word that has given us our liberty.

I.) The Basis for Liberty:

Scripture: Psalm 119:45

And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.

The Psalmist knew and understood that it is the moral precepts found in God’s Word that grant us liberty. That is why the American experience is unique in all the world. The French have spoken eloquently about freedom, but have never attained it. To this day, they do not enjoy the liberty that we have, even though ours is in decline. It is impossible for a secular nation to have our freedom. It took Christianity to implement what the French theorized.

What most people do not know is that the first shot in the struggle for freedom was fired exactly thirty-five years prior to the ringing of the Liberty Bell. On July 8, 1741, a rather grim looking figure ascended the many steps leading to the raised pulpit in the sanctuary of a Congregational church in Enfield, Massachusetts. Arriving at the Sacred Desk, he calmly laid out his handwritten sermon notes. Hunched over to see in the dim light, he began to read them in a dry monotone without any inflexion of voice or gestures with his arms. Observe his text:

Scripture: Deuteronomy 32:35

To me belongeth vengeance and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.

The message was delivered to religious people who knew the moral precepts of the Bible. They were well taught in both the public arena and in the church; however, they forgot the God of those precepts.

Jonathan Edwards went on to point out to his congregation that apart from Christ we are but “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Dangling over the pit of hell, God says, “their foot shall slide in due time.” The effect upon the Spirit-prepared crowd was astounding. People began to cry out for mercy and to genuinely repent of their sins. This sparked a revival that swept through all of the colonies and caused men to seek the Lord at a time when the formative thoughts of our still-future nation were afoot. In the history books, this revival is referred to as “The Great Awakening.”

I would be derelict in my duty if I did not point out that the people who agonized over their souls in that gathering were far more Christian than most in our churches today, but they knew that they were lost. In a short period of time, many confessed that they were sinners and took up their cross to follow Christ. Would to God we could convince the lost Christians of our day to repent and turn to Christ! There would be a great change in our national life. In those days, even unbelievers defended the moral precepts of God. Today, so-called Christians cannot even agree on morality.

The Psalmist knew that our liberty depends on God’s law.

Scripture: Leviticus 19:18

Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

Observe that we are not to avenge ourselves on another and are not to bear grudges. In another place, Scripture says that we are to forgive one another even as God for Christ’s sake forgives us. Jesus Christ already died to pay for our sins that are far worse than anything that anyone can do to us.

We are commanded to love our neighbor as ourself. What does that have to do with our liberty? Would such love enslave, tyrannize, brutalize, rob, steal, cheat, or do harm to another? I don’t think so! What is the essence of liberty? Is it not the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence? For that to occur we must love our neighbor as ourself. We must practice the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This another way of saying what we just said. It is also a summation of the precepts of God.

Observe the last phrase which says, “I am the LORD.” The word LORD refers to God’s eternal nature. In other words, He never changes and neither do His moral rules. They rest in His character and are the same for everyone, because He is not a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34-35). We are equally responsible before God.

II.) The Responsibility of Liberty:

Scripture: Galatians 5:13

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

With liberty comes responsibility. What will we do with our freedom? Will we use it as an occasion for the flesh? There are those who advocate anarchy. They want to do away with all restraints of law placed upon men. They base their belief on the idea that man is completely and inherently good. This is not what the Bible teaches. God insists that man is inherently evil (Romans 3:10). God has therefore ordained human government and civil law to restrain the sin nature of man.

Scripture: Romans 13:1-8

1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. 8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

Observe that God enjoins us to place ourselves voluntarily under the authority that He places over us. We may say as many have that we are free spirits and do not have to obey. But God says that we are rebels against His law and will receive judgment. Our liberty should not be used as an occasion for rebellion but rather as an occasion for loving one another.

What is the responsibility of liberty? Galatians says that it is to “by love serve one another.” If we do not practice this, our liberty will soon end.

III.) The Failure of Liberty:

Scripture: II Peter 2:1-2; 19

1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

Notice that false teachers had crept into the church even at the time of Peter. The problem was so pronounced that Peter saw fit to address it and warn that many of the saints will follow these deceivers. He continued along this same line through the chapter to verse nineteen. Notice what he said: “They promise liberty..”

How do they do that? What do these false teachers say? They start by undermining the moral rules and precepts of the Bible. They say that the Bible may contain God’s Word, but it also has a lot of falsehoods and errors. They say that some things cannot be taken literally, such as the Virgin Birth, the resurrection of the dead, or the deity of Christ. They say that Bible is an evolutionary work in progress. In other words, it is still changing today. Other common themes are that what Paul said about women was sexist and should be ignored; we have learned through modern science that homosexuality is not really a sin, etc. They say that as we evolve, our knowledge grows and some things in the Bible have to be discarded.

In the end, the Bible says, “They themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.” Their sinful lives bear witness to the truth.

They think they are free, but are slaves to their own appetites. In turn, they seek to justify themselves by bringing others into the same bondage. They are merely little pawns on the chessboard of life moved here and there at the whim of their master the devil. As they become more dominant in the religious life of America, our freedom becomes less and less.

But liberty will prevail!

IV.) The Triumph of Liberty:

Scripture: Romans 8:18-22

18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

When sin entered into the world, all of creation was brought into captivity and enslaved by the sting of death. As men rejected the precepts of God, they fell more and more into slavery to sin. Then Jonathan Edwards preached a sermon that sparked a revival. Men and women turned to God at the critical moment in history when our country was founded. The United States Constitution became a social contract between God and men for a system of government designed to ensure freedom for all men.

The degree to which we have followed the precepts of God is the degree to which we have been successful. Now as men turn more and more from those godly values, our freedom lies in peril. Bondage to sin seems inevitable along with our loss of freedom.

But victory is on the way! All of creation waits for one moment when the sons of God are revealed in a great and mighty way. When this corruption puts on immortality, then death will be swallowed up in victory (I Corinthians 15:53-57). Jesus Christ will rule and reign and we will be free indeed!

Conclusion:

True freedom comes when Jesus Christ reigns. That is true both here and now, and also hereafter. If Jesus Christ is the Lord of our life, we can know real liberty. Christ died to set us free from the power of sin. With Him as our Lord we can have forgiveness for our sins and victory over them as well. If you are reading this and do not know Christ, I urge you to ask yourself what your sin has done for you. God the Son died for you to pay the penalty for your sins. Won’t you let him take charge today?

Next time: The Fork in the Road

The Mixed Multitude

2008-06-25T14:09:00.003-04:00

Living by Faith

Last time, we looked at the death of the first born and the introduction of the Jewish Passover Feast. The Jews were to sprinkle the blood of the Passover Lamb on the doorposts and lintel of the house. If the death angel saw the blood, he would pass over without slaying the first born in the house. But if the blood was not there, both the first born of man and beast would die. So Israel sacrificed the lamb and sprinkled the blood.

Scripture: Exodus 12:29-42

29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. 30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. 31 And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said. 32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also. 33 And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men. 34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders. 35 And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: 36 And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians. 37 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children. 38 And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle. 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual. 40 Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. 41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.

Just as God said, the final plague was effectual. Israel was thrust out of Egypt. Every house in Egypt suffered loss. Every house had at least one dead. Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, "Rise up, and get you forth." Verse 33 says that the Egyptians were urgent upon the people. They wanted them to leave quickly, because they said, "We are all dead men."

So Israel spoiled the Egyptians (vs.36) and fled. Verse 39 says that they did not even have time to prepare food, because they were thrust out as God had said. So they left Egypt.

Now we would like to call your attention to verse 38 and the expression, "a mixed multitude." This little phrase is very important. It explains many of Israel's difficulties. But what does it mean? This message is called, The Mixed Multitude.

Three Questions:

I.) Who are they?

Before we can answer this question, we must first of all understand God's position.

Scripture: Acts 17:24-27

24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

God made all nations to be of one blood and says that all nations should seek after Him. God is not a respecter of persons. He does not care one whit what our ethnic origin, economic status, or educational level may be. He wants all men to repent of their sin and turn to Jesus Christ. He is not willing that any should perish (II Peter 3:9).

Having said that, the mixed multitude then is not a reference to some prejudice or bigotry. Rather it is declaration that not everyone who comes along for the ride is truly a child of God. They were a mixed multitude then, and so are we today.

Scripture: Luke 14:25-27

25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, 26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Observe that "there went great multitudes with him." Jesus was quite popular. Every where he went the multitudes followed according to Matthew (Matthew 4:25, 8:1, 12:15, 15:30, 19:2). But the last reference in his gospel account is found in chapter 26.

Scripture: Matthew 26:55

In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.

The multitudes followed but were not truly with Him. Hence Christ began to sift them by telling them what it takes to be a disciple - i.e., a true follower. What does it take? It takes such love that it makes our love for father, mother, wife, or children appear as hatred by comparison. It takes self-denial and self-sacrifice. On that basis, how many qualify as true followers?

Scripture: Mark 4:1-20

1 And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. 2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, 3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: 4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. 5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: 6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. 9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. 11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: 12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. 13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? 14 The sower soweth the word. 15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. 18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, 19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

Observe that "there was gathered unto him a great multitude." So He taught them a parable about a sower who went out to sow. The sower is anyone going out to share the gospel. The seed is the gospel, and the field is the world.

The seed fell on four different human conditions. Some fell by the way side. Such people hear, but immediately turn away. Some fell on stony ground. Immediately, it sprang up, but quickly died out for lack of root. Such people seem to be genuinely saved, but quickly die out. Some fell among thorns. Those people hear the message, but are more concerned with the stuff of this world. In the end, they bear no fruit. Finally, there is the seed sown on good ground which bears much fruit.

The big question is this: Of these four examples, how many are truly born again? The answer is: only the one bearing fruit.

Scripture: Matthew 7:15-23

15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

A good tree will bear good fruit. If the tree appears good, but bears no fruit, it is cast into the fire. Every born again believer bears good fruit. That is one test to tell a true saint from a false. The question is not whether we bear fruit but how much.

Scripture: John 15:1-2

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

If we are truly His child, the Keeper of the Vineyard will chasten us and purge us to bring forth more fruit. A little pruning goes a long way toward bearing a good crop.

The mixed multitude, then, consists of non-believers who come along for the ride. This brings us to the second question.

II.) Why do they come?

Scripture: Exodus 12:36

And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.

One reason why they come is right here: the blessing of God.

God prospered Israel in a mighty way. They plundered the wealthiest nation in the history of the world. Those who left Egypt with Israel saw God's hand on Israel and against Egypt. Under the circumstances, who wants to be with a loser?

Why did the multitudes follow Christ? Certainly, they marveled at His teaching (Matthew 22:22), but they also marveled at His calming of the winds and sea (Matthew 8:27), healing of the paralytic man (Matthew 9:8), and casting out of demons (Matthew 9:33). Did they follow Christ for the loaves and fishes, or for the message He brought? In the end, when the loaves and fishes ceased, the multitudes turned to "Crucify Him, crucify Him!!!"

Scripture: Acts 8:5-24

5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. 6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. 8 And there was great joy in that city. 9 But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: 10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. 11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. 12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. 14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: 16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. 18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, 19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. 20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. 21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. 23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. 24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the LORD for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.

Simon the sorcerer believed what he saw. He liked the idea of having power. He was even willing to pay for it. But he was still in the gall of bitterness. He was not truly repentant of his sin. Simon merely saw Christ as another way to gain power - a new "magic word."

Scripture: Acts 19:13-16

13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the LORD Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. 14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? 16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

The name of Jesus is not some magic word. There is no magic power in saying, "Jesus this," or "Jesus that." Many will say, "I did this in your name or that," but Christ will say, "I never knew you." The real power is in the message of the gospel - the good news that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Do we recognize that we are sinners? Do we want Him to take charge of our lives and change us? That is the real power of God revealed in this dispensation.

The mixed multitude came because they liked what they saw, not because they were repentant. Which brings us to the third question.

III.) What will they do?

They are not truly with us. They do not follow Christ. They have not repented of their sin. They just like the good things that are happening. So what will they do?

Scripture: Numbers 11:4

And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

Observe that the mixed multitude fell to lusting and got the whole camp of Israel to whine and complain. Do you see the seed sown among the thorns here, choked off by the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things? This multitude will come along for health, wealth, and prosperity, but not for tribulation and affliction. The book of Hebrews talks about such.

Scripture: Hebrews 10:22-39

22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. 26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; 33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. 34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. 35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

The true child of God will persevere, but that pseudo-Christian, who comes for the ride, will eventually turn aside.

The world will choke them out. The multitude heard the truth, but turned away for the things of this world. When the affliction came, they went elsewhere; but not so, with the true believer. The true believer endures even "a great fight of afflictions" (vs.33). He does not give up. The genuinely saved are not of those who draw back to perdition, but rather of those who believe to the saving of the soul (vs.39). They have genuine biblical faith.

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

There is both substance and evidence to their salvation. For those who are saved, Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior.

Conclusion:

When Israel departed from Egypt, they went as a mixed multitude. Some were real believers and others were fair-weather ones. We find the same thing in the church today. Not many are willing to take up their cross and follow Christ, our Lord. Lest we deceive ourselves, Paul gives us good advice:

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13)

Next time: The Fork in the Road

The Death of the First Born

2008-06-16T23:20:00.000-04:00

Living By Faith

To this point in time, everything we have looked at has been preliminary to the life of faith. Before we can begin the journey, we must first recognize our dependence on God for everything and His capacity to supply all we need. Then we must understand that He is holy and expects us to be holy as well. Finally, we must turn to God from idols (I Thessalonians 1:9).

Today, we want to look at salvation. This is the starting point of our march to the Promised Land. It is represented by the final judgment of Egypt—the death of the first born.

By way of introduction, God judged Egypt with a terrible judgment. Nine plagues ravaged the land, yet there was one more. This final one was the ultimate and effectual one.

Scripture: Exodus 11:1

And the LORD said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether.

In view of Pharaoh’s obstinate refusal to let Israel go and the intensifying nature of the plagues, we know that this cataclysm would be very terrible. It would be so horrifying that Pharaoh would actually thrust Israel out of the land altogether. Then, God instructed Israel to do something strange.

Scripture: Exodus 11:2-3

Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver and jewels of gold. 3 And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people.

Israel was to plunder Egypt. In this way, they would extract reparation for years of hardship and bondage. Egypt would pay financially. Their destruction would be complete. Keep in mind that Egypt of this time was the wealthiest nation the world has ever seen. They were said to have had as much as eight per cent of all the gold the world has ever known. For years, the Jews had been kept in poverty and slavery. After this, they had gold untold.

Unfortunately, wealth does not guarantee success in God’s eyes. Treasure will only profit if it is consecrated to the Lord. It may be used both for good (the making of the Tabernacle in the wilderness in Exodus 35) or evil (the making of the golden calf in Exodus 32).

Having instructed the Israelites to plunder Egypt, God then revealed the plague.

Scripture: Exodus 11:4-6

4 And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: 5 And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first born 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. 6 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.

Every first born of both man and beast would die. Every household in Egypt would be affected. The loss and grief is beyond our comprehension. Someone may say, “This judgment is too severe.” But it accurately portrays the just condemnation for sin (Romans 6:23).

Someone may cry as Cain, “My punishment is more than I can bear (Genesis 4:13). Yet, God used this horror to reveal a beautiful picture of His wonderful, marvelous, and amazing grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). The death angel was to slay every first born, but there was a way of escape!!!

If the blood of the lamb was found on the doorposts and lintel of the house, the death angel would pass over without harm. Hence this is the origin of the Jewish Passover Feast and the words to the song, “When I see the blood….I will pass over you.”

Ten Observations About the Feast:

1.) A beginning of months (Exodus 12:1-2)

First God told Moses and Aaron that the Passover Feast marked a new beginning for Israel: i.e., it was to be a beginning of months. In like fashion, our salvation in Jesus Christ marks a new beginning for us (II Corinthians 5:17). We become new creatures in Christ at the very moment of salvation. Whatever we have done in the past is now under the blood. We have a fresh start.

We need to remember, particularly if we are saved later in life, that salvation is a new birth experience. We start over again. We become new babes in Him. We are supposed to do away with the worldly philosophy and mindset that we picked up in our course of life. We are to begin again on a new foundation—the Lord Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11-12)—relearning how to conduct ourselves and think as God would have us think.

Too many professing Christians see Christ only as a room addition on a termite-infested house. Soon the vermin move to the new. Eventually, the new house becomes as decrepit as the old. Instead, we are to tear down the old (Ephesians 4:22) and build the new (Ephesians 4:24). How? By the renewing of our minds (Ephesians 4:23; Colossians 3:16).

Every method, thought, and motive must be questioned and tested by the mirror of God’s Word. Is it worldly or Christ-like?

2.) The lamb (Exodus 12:3)

Second, they were to take a lamb—a cuddly, soft, innocent little lamb. Why a lamb? Because the innocence of this lamb pictures the innocence of Jesus Christ, “the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

Scripture: II Corinthians 5:21

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

3,) Let him and thy neighbor take it (Exodus 12:4)

Thirdly, if the family was too small to eat a whole lamb, they were to join with another family. This pictures the communion we have in Christ.

Family lines break down in Christ, and we become one body in Him.

Scripture: I Corinthians 12:12-13

12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

We are made blood relatives of Christ (Matthew 12:46-50), and thus blood relatives of each other. We are also made equal in Christ. Romans 8:17 says that we are made joint-heirs with Christ. The Greek word for "joint-heirs" implies equality. This word is used to correct the ungodly thinking of 'macho men' regarding their wives (I Peter 3:7). It is also used of Isaac and Jacob as equal participants with Abraham in the promises of God (Hebrews 11:9).

This equality is based upon our position in Christ. We are different but equal. We come together from many backgrounds, but in Christ we are one and equal. There is no room for prejudice or bigotry in our Lord and Savior.

Because of this, we can have sweet fellowship with one another without regard to background; however, we need to cultivate the connection. It does not just happen. Division happens. Prejudice and bigotry happen. We are sinners by nature—that happens. Love and fellowship require attention and work. To have those, we must work at our relationship to Christ.

4.) Without blemish (Exodus 12:5)

Fourthly, the lamb was to be without blemish to demonstrate the absolute perfection and sinlessness of the Savior. Isaiah 53:10 says that His soul was made a sin offering for us. Only a sinless soul could satisfy the Holy God. Since all men inherit a sin nature through Adam, God provided His own offering—the virgin-born Son of God.

5.) Keep it four days (Compare Exodus 12:3 and 6)

Fifthly, they were to keep the lamb four days. It was to be taken to them where it could become a family pet. Picture a lamb—small, wooly, lovable. Before you know it, the children play with it. Mom finds it underfoot but puts up with the annoyance because she, too, develops a love for it. Soon he has a name. Then comes the sacrifice!!! Why?

A.) The act demonstrates the grief of the Father at the slaying of the Son.

B.) The event vividly captures the horrible nature of sin that forces innocent blood to be shed.

Too often our view of sin is detached from the terrible toll it exacts. We fail to see the suffering and bloody trail left by our deeds. Oh, that we might see sin as God sees it!

6.) Two side posts and lintel (Exodus 12:7)

Sixthly, the blood was to be sprinkled on the side posts and lintel of the doorway.

This is a beautiful enactment of the passion of Christ. At His thorn-crowned brow, we have the lintel sprinkled with blood. At the outstretched arms, we have the side posts dripping with blood. At the threshold, the blood from His wounded side and battered body collects in a pool. Hebrews 9:22 says, “without the shedding of blood is no remission” for sins. This is the terrible price of our salvation.

7.) Eat the flesh (Exodus 12:8)

Seventh, they were to eat the flesh, which demonstrates our communion and fellowship with Christ. We are to partake of His body—the Word of God—that we may grow in grace and knowledge of Him (I Peter 2:2-3).

8,) Roast with fire (Exodus 12:9)

Eighth, they were to eat it roasted with fire—not raw or watered down. Jesus Christ is not merely a man of God or a good person. He is the Lamb of God come to save sinners by being sacrificed on the cross to satisfy the just and fiery judgment of God. He must be claimed on that basis alone for salvation of our souls. Raw won’t do! Christ did not just die. He did it for my sins. Watering down that message is not an option if we want to maintain the truth.

9.) Leave nothing until morning (Exodus 12:10)

Ninth, they were to leave nothing till morning. Our communion with Christ is based upon daily renewing our commitment to serve Him. We cannot store up spirituality or rest on our laurels. We must continually examine ourselves (I Corinthians 11:28-31). We must allow God to search our hearts for us and confess our sins daily.

10,) With your loins girded (Exodus 12:11)

Tenth, they were to eat the passover hastily with girded-up loins, shoes on feet, and staff in hand. In other words, they were to be ready to go at a moment's notice. Our Lord is not a dead body in a grave. He is a living Savior and we look for His return at any moment. We need to ready ourselves for the occasion.

Conclusion:

And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

Exodus 12:13 says that the blood of the lamb was a token. We have no need of such tokens today. Jesus Christ ended all that with one sacrifice, once for all, at the cross of Calvary. Today, we need only take hold of the sacrifice that He made once for all for us.

Next time: The Exodus

The Judgment of Egypt: Part III

2008-05-28T15:51:00.002-04:00

Living By Faith

We are looking at the judgment of Egypt. God used ten plagues to judge the nation of Egypt and to picture the coming judgment of this world system. Nine of them were ineffective, but necessary to show God’s power over the false gods of this world. The nine are divided into three series of three plagues each (Exodus 7:15; 8:20; and 9:13). Thus far, we have looked at two series. Today we want to look at the third.

The Third Series (Exodus 9:13):

And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

The third series begins as the others with the command, “Rise up early in the morning.” The message is the same, too: “Let my people go.” In verse 16, God states that He raised up Pharaoh for a purpose—so that He might use him to show His power. God sets up and sets down whomsoever He willeth (Psalm 75:7). Pharaoh was allowed into power, because God knew that he would refuse to let Israel go. He knew that Pharaoh would stubbornly harden his heart and refuse to repent. Since this brought judgment upon the whole land, it is good that we pray for our leaders (I Timothy 2:1-2).

Plague 7—Hail and fire:

Scripture: Exodus 9:22-26

And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt. 23 And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt. 24 So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field. 26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail.

This judgment consisted of a terrible plague of hail mingled with fire. By this time, many of the Egyptians turned to God. Thus God revealed His mercy by forewarning them of the danger that would come.

Scripture: Exodus 9:19-21

Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die. 20 He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses: 21 And he that regarded not the word of the LORD left his servants and his cattle in the field.

Some believed and some did not. That is the way it always is. Those who believed were spared. Those who did not were destroyed. The lost go to hell, because they “regard not the word of the Lord.” Those who obey by placing their faith in Christ receive eternal life. God wants everyone to be forewarned. It is our obligation to warn them (Ezekiel 3:17-19).

God’s judgment is coming. That is sure. When it comes it will be far worse than what happened in Egypt. The hailstones will be much larger. Consider that the ones in Egypt were sufficient to be lethal.

Illustration: We have a difficult time comprehending this in central Ohio, because our hail is usually insignificant, rarely reaching the size of a quarter. Some years back, I had occasion to work on some houses that were damaged by hail in the south end of Columbus. The damage was amazing. Cars and trucks were totaled. Windshields were broken.

Cats and dogs left outside were killed. Shingles were knocked off roofs, and paint was knocked off of siding. You could actually see where the hail hit, because the wood was bare. The real impact came when I was asked to replace a relatively new metal shed. When I wondered at this, the homeowner took me inside and pointed up. There, in the roof, I could see holes the size of grapefruit. I was unable to duplicate the feat with an 8 lb. sledge hammer.

This plague marked a turning point for Pharaoh. In verse 27, he admitted that he had sinned. Notice, though, that even though he confessed his sin before, he only acknowledged that he sinned this time. That is telling. He was not really repentant. He was only saying that because he did not like the consequences. Verse 34 says that he sinned yet more and hardened his heart.

Scripture: Exodus 9:35—10:1

And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses. 1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him:

To this point in time, Pharaoh hardened his own heart. From this point on, God hardens his heart. This is what I refer to as “sklerokardia”. It is Greek for hardening the heart and it is a fatal disease. Each time we reject the water of God’s Word, our heart becomes more leathery and hardened. Eventually, it becomes so dried out that it is like shoe leather and will never be soft again. We may think that we can put off Christ, but that is a dangerous game (II Thessalonians 2:11-12). The author of Hebrews says, “Today, if ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart (Hebrews 3:15).” Today is the day of salvation.

Sklerokardia is a spiritual disease that afflicts the lost, but there is a similar condition that afflicts the saints. It is called bitterness. It sets in when Christians refuse to hear God’s Word and deal with their sin. Many have destroyed their lives and testimonies by it.

Plague 8—Locusts:

Scripture: Exodus 10:3-7

And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me. 4 Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast: 5 And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field: 6 And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh. 7 And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?

By this time Pharaoh stood alone. The magicians long ago recognized this as the finger of God (Exodus 8:19). Then, even his servants begged him to let Israel go. We might ask, “What caused this bold defiance of Pharaoh?” The answer is just one word: locusts.

They have heard the word locust and have seen the other judgments. What has preceded is like nothing compared to this, for locusts are the most dreaded of all natural disasters in the Middle East. We have no real appreciation for the horror of this word to the Egyptians. They knew and were terrified.

Here in the Midwest we have something which we call a locust.

It is actually from a different family of insect. Our locust emerges every thirteen or seventeen years, makes a lot of noise, and does some damage to crops and trees. It is more of a pest than a terror. In contrast, the locust of Bible lands is related to the grasshopper and is ferocious.

Locusts have voracious appetites that so strip the ground of vegetation that the earth appears scorched by fire. The prophet Joel likens them to a mighty army of horsemen. Indeed the head of the locust resembles that of a horse.

As an army, they are nearly invincible. If struck by a vehicle at 50-60 mph, they will merely bounce off and fly away. Airline pilots have spotted swarms at 8,000 feet. African swarms have flown as far as the Carribbean islands. To fight them, countries resort to military type operations.

When all vegetation is gone, locusts will eat the bark of trees and the wool off of sheep. They have been known to eat the handles of shovels. At night they cover the ground to a depth of 4-5 inches. When stepped on, they make an awful stench. They leave famine and utter desolation in their wake.

The pleading of the servants caused Pharaoh to offer a third compromise.

Scripture: Exodus 10:11

Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the LORD; for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.

Pharaoh said, “only the men shall go.” The picture is that of a man who develops his own spiritual life but fails to provide spiritual leadership for his home. Many a pastor, missionary, or deacon has been laid aside because he failed to lead his family out of Egypt. Men, we need to point our families to a life of faith and trust in Christ rather than give them up to worldliness.

Moses rejected this compromise. God said, “Stretch out thine hand (vs. 12).” The east wind brought the locust (vs. 13). It did not take long for Pharaoh to call for Moses (vs. 16).

Scripture: Exodus 10:16-17

Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you. 17 Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the LORD your God, that he may take away from me this death only.

Pharaoh confessed his sin, asked for forgiveness, and pleaded for an end. God graciously sent a west wind to take the locusts away. “But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart (vs. 20).”

Plague 9—Light turned to darkness:

Scripture: Exodus 10:21-23

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. 22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: 23 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.

Illustration: My wife and I once visited Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. After going down hundreds of steps into a deep cavern, the guide bunched us together and turned out the lights. It was so dark that I could not see my own hand placed directly in front of my face.

What the Egyptians experienced was a little taste of hell. For three days (vs. 22), they were totally isolated from one another by the thick darkness (vs. 23). A few moments in a darkened cave was bad. Three days would be terrible. Imagine what eternity will be like!

Through the darkness God showed His power over the Sun god, Ra. He also demonstrated the awfulness of darkness. John said, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil (John 3:19).” Once again, God says, “If you want darkness, then here is darkness.”

Pharaoh then offered the fourth compromise (vs. 24). Pharaoh said, “Go and serve. Take your families, too, but leave your possessions behind.” The devil wants us to compartmentalize our lives into secular and spiritual. He wants us to straddle a barbed-wire fence. Go ahead and give God Sunday and even a tenth of everything, but do not give Him everything. But what does God say, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s (I Corinthians 6:20).”

Conclusion:

Scripture: Psalm 97:7-9

Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods. 8 Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD. 9 For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.

”The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice (Psalm 97:1)” Hallelujah!!!

Next time: The Death of the Firstborn

The Judgment of Egypt: Part II

2008-05-04T18:49:00.001-04:00

Living By Faith

Last time, we began to look at the judgment of Egypt. We said that God used ten plagues to judge the nation of Egypt. These plagues are but a shadow of the judgment to come in the book of Revelation, but they are bad enough.

Nine of the plagues were ineffectual but necessary, because they demonstrate that God is sovereign by showing His superiority over the Egyptians' false gods. The nine are divided into three series of three plagues each. Each series begins with the phrase “in the morning” (Exodus 7:15; 8:20; and 9:13). The first series affects both Israel and Egypt as God wanted His people to understand the horrible nature of idolatry. The first judgment is disgusting (water turned to blood); the second, laughable (frogs cover the land); and the third, painful (dust turned to a stinging beetle). That pretty well sums up idolatry. It is disgusting, laughable, and painful.

So why is it that we still struggle with idols? An idol is anything that comes between us and God. We have many things that we allow into our lives that are just as disgusting, laughable, and painful as the gods worshiped by the Egyptians. They do not profit us. Yet we allow them to rule over us.

The Second Series (Exodus 8:20):

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.

The second series of plagues began early in the morning at the water’s edge.

Plague 4—Swarms of flies:

Scripture: Exodus 8:21

Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.

Notice that the words “of flies” are italicized, indicating that they have been added for clarification. The Hebrew word used here refers to swarms of insects. The Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament that was in common usage at the time of Christ, very specifically renders this as swarms of dogflies. This is a particularly mean sort of fly that loves to bite.

Most of us have no concept of the extent of this plague. We know what it is like to be bitten by a fly on occasion, but this plague is not one or two flies. It consisted of great swarms that filled the houses of the Egyptians and even entered into the palace of Pharaoh (Exodus 8:24).

Illustration: When I was a teenager, we lived in an isolated area of the country. The nearest neighbor boy was a farmer’s son about a mile away. I had little interest in farming, but would occasionally visit. One day we had some reason to go to the hog barn. It was a hot summer day as he threw open the door. The stench physically assaulted me and knocked me back a step or two, but the sight was worse. Flies covered everything! There were literally swarms of flies. I fled before I could tell if they bit.

Illustration: Perhaps 25 or so years ago, my wife and I took the Algoma Central Railway out of Souix St. Marie, Canada. Traveling 114 miles into the wilderness, we stopped at Agawa Canyon National Park. The ride was spectacular and the park beautiful. But the stop consisted of hundreds of tourists wearing jackets and trying to cover all exposed skin while they scurried about photographing the sites before rushing back to the train. Swarms of tiny biting black flies dogged our every step.

Now imagine that there was no escape. Whether you go indoors or out, the flies are there, constantly, irritating and tormenting both man and beast. This is what happened to the Egyptians, but not Israel.

Scripture: Exodus 8:22-23

And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth. 23 And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.

God made a distinction between His people and those of the world. God wants His people to live like there is a distinction. He wants us to live separated lives. There is coming a day when God will separate the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:32-46). Those of us who know Christ will inherit the kingdom, but those who do not will face everlasting punishment. The plague began and the land was corrupted by reason of the swarms of flies (Exodus 8:24). Then Pharaoh offered the first of four compromises. The devil does not want us to live separated lives.

Scripture: Exodus 8:25

And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.

Observe the compromise. “Sacrifice to your God in the land.” In other words, be saved but do not separate. Be like the world so that you can reach the world. That is the devil’s lie, but it is very effective. Christians live and worship like the world thinking that this is the way to reach the lost. Unfortunately, the lost see this as just another therapy session or fun thing to do. They do not see the need to lay hold on Christ. (Matthew 26:26) They merely want to receive all of the good things He offers without any real commitment. In the end, they are brainwashed into believing they have salvation when they do not.

The first compromise was too obvious for Moses. So Pharaoh offered a second one.

Scripture: Exodus 8:28

And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me.

This time it is “go, but not very far.” In other words, be a Christian, separate, but do not be fanatical about it.

If Satan cannot get us to live entirely like the world, this is the next best thing. Sadly, it is very effective with so-called Bible believers who separate by not doing this or that, but who fail to consecrate their whole mind, soul, and body to God. They can get radical about sports or hobbies, but not God.

Illustration: This past week God showed me a gemstone in His Word. It was a nugget of truth waiting to be discovered, and I got excited. I could not wait to share it with someone. I became vocal. I could not sit still. It was amazing! Do you find that a little too fanatical? It is certain that the devil does. “Go, but not far.”

Moses apparently accepted this half-way demonic offer by telling Pharaoh that he would ask God to remove the flies (Exodus 8:29). God did so (Exodus 8:31), but Pharaoh broke his word again (Exodus 8:32). Christians who fall for this lie thinking that they can be saved without being fanatical or radical fail to comprehend who their adversary is. The devil is the father of lies. If we think we can get by without total commitment, we are seriously deluded.

Plague 5—Livestock stricken:

Scripture: Exodus 9:1-6

1 Then the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2 For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still, 3 Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain. 4 And the LORD shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children's of Israel. 5 And the LORD appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land. 6 And the LORD did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one.

The fifth judgment consisted of an infectious and fatal disease that struck at additional creatures worshiped by the Egyptians. One deity was represented by a bull, and another by a cow or calf. God again demonstrated His power over these false gods by destroying them.

Unbelievably, Israel learned very little from this demonstration. Just one year later they made a golden calf and bowed down to it. Many Christians do the same. Over the years we have witnessed many start the race strong, only to be turned aside from evangelistic zeal to get-rich-quick zeal. Instead of telling people about Christ, they start selling soap, vitamins, etc. These enterprises always seem to start with the same seductive line: “This business is founded on Christian principles.” Since when is greed a Christian principle? We cannot serve God and money (Matthew 6:24).

Scripture: Matthew 6:19-20

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

We need to serve God and God alone. Any other god will let us down. The Egyptian gods could not even preserve their own kind. Our gods are no better.

God is very specific about this judgment. It would only affect Egyptian cattle, and only those in the field (Exodus 9:3). Furthermore, He set an appointed time for the sentence to be carried out.

God wanted Pharaoh to know that He did the deed. Pharaoh even proved it by sending men to check on the cattle of Israel (Exodus 9:7), but he hardened his heart still more and refused to let Israel go.

Plague 6—Boils afflict man and beast:

Scripture: Exodus 9:8-12

8 And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. 9 And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt. 10 And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast. 11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians. 12 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses.

Imagine for a moment what this plague was like. To have a single boil is bad. What would it be like to be covered with boils that break out into open sores? Consider that the animals are covered, too.

Illustration: Many years ago, our daughter visited friends who had a German Shepherd dog that was normally very docile. This particular day was very hot and humid. The dog had recently been tormented by neighbor children and apparently snapped—quite literally. He narrowly missed her eye and left a large gash requiring stitches.

Now picture man and beast covered by boils and ulcerated sores. Tempers become short. Man’s best friend bites and snarls. Bulls charge, and docile cattle develop a mean streak. The deity becomes the instrument of God’s just judgment.

Verse 11 reads, “And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils.” This is the last reference to these practitioners of evil who began so mighty in duplicating the first judgments. They were no longer able to even stand in the presence of God’s servant. So it will be in the new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21:7-8).

Conclusion:

The devil has many schemes. If he cannot keep us from salvation, he tries to diminish our effectiveness by using various compromises. Today we saw two:

1.) Sacrifice in the land—don’t lead a separated life

2.) Go, but not far—separate but don’t get too fanatical

Truthfully, God expects us to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. That is radical and fanatical, but that is what He expects.

Next time: The Judgment of Egypt—Part III

Brief Hiatus

2008-04-09T10:29:00.002-04:00

Hello, and thank you for stopping by.

This is Pastor Tim's daughter, Carrie. I started posting these messages for my dad in order to "get them out there" for people to use. My goal has been to post at least two per week, or three if I am able. The current messages in the series go back to 2006, so there is a lot of catching up to do.

I and my dad will be out of town next week, and I am not sure if I will be able to post anything during that time. I just wanted to let you know that there is more to come as soon as I get them ready.

I pray you are having a blessed week.

In Christ,

--Carrie

The Judgment of Egypt: Part I

2008-04-04T15:20:00.000-04:00

Living By Faith

In ancient times, masses of humanity would gather at great arenas, not unlike today, to witness the spectacle of men performing in athletic events. In the midst of this teeming throng, the ruler would announce, “Let the games begin!” In Exodus 6, God let Moses know that it was time to begin the contest.

On the surface, this appeared to be a conflict between Moses and Pharaoh. In reality, it was a spiritual battle between God and Satan (Ephesians 6:12). God would free His people from slavery, moving them to the abundant life in Christ. Satan would bring condemnation and everlasting judgment, taking as many with him to hell as possible.

As part of the contest, God poured out His just judgment on Egypt in the form of ten plagues which picture the coming judgment of this world system prophesied in Revelation. The chief difference being that the coming judgments will be far more intense, so that the past will be but a shadow of what is to come. That truth ought to make each of us reach out to others with the good news about Christ.

Nine of these plagues were ineffectual, but necessary. God wanted to make a point. He wanted to demonstrate His sovereign power over the false gods and goddesses of the Egyptians and, by extension, of the world. He is Lord of all.

We will begin our study with the nine ineffectual plagues, saving the tenth for last, because it is especially important. There are three details to note before we begin:

1.) The nine are divided into three series of three plagues each (Exodus 7:15; 8:20; and 9:13).

2.) The first series affects both Israel and Egypt.

The division does not occur until the start of the second series (Exodus 8:22). These awful plagues were to teach Israel the horrible nature of idolatry. In spite of that, they soon made the golden calf.

3.) The judgments became more severe as they proceeded.

God is merciful and longsuffering (II Peter 3:9). He is not willing that any should perish. He gives numerous opportunities to repent. Unfortunately, many like Pharaoh resist and reject until they face the judgment. Today is the day of salvation (II Corinthians 6:2).

The First Series (Exodus 7:15):

Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand.

Plague 1—Water turned to blood:

Scripture: Exodus 7:17-18

Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. 18 And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river.

God wanted to demonstrate His power but to understand this plague we must know something about Egyptian religion. Besides worshiping many gods, they actually deified the Nile River and worshiped it as a god.

Certainly, the river carried the sediment that made the valley fertile. Certainly, it provided the water that made the crops grow, but it was not the source of life. There are two lessons here:

1.) God is sovereign over the river.

By turning the water to blood, God demonstrated that He is the Lord of the river. He, also, proved the futility of this god by causing fish to die and the river to stink. How would you like to worship a god that stinks? Many people worship gods that are no better.

2.) Life is in the blood.

The real source of life is blood not water. The Egyptians were confused like many today. We have life because we have blood in our bodies (Genesis 9:4). We have eternal life because Christ shed His blood for us (Hebrews 9:22). Water never saved anyone!!!

Those who preach baptismal regeneration argue that water baptism is necessary to salvation and fondly quote I Peter 3:21 as proof.

Scripture: I Peter 3:21

The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

Notice the phrase in the parentheses which refutes this error. The text specifically says that water baptism does not save. Rather it says, “The answer of a good conscience saves.” So how do we get that?

Scripture: Hebrews 9:14

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

The blood of Christ purges our conscience from dead works such as baptism or circumcision or any other effort of man to obtain his own salvation. We get a good conscience through the purifying blood of Jesus Christ. The blood saves, not water.

Plague 2—Frogs cover the land:

Scripture: Exodus 8:3-4

And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneadingtroughs: 4 And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.

The second plague reveals the humor of God. In Isaiah 44:10, God questions the sanity of those who worship idols. He asks, “Who hath formed a god, or melted and cast an image that is profitable for nothing?” He then tells of the carpenter who cuts a tree, uses part for a god and burns the rest. In Isaiah 40:19, He speaks of the goldsmith who casts silver chains to keep the idol from toppling over. These are gods that cannot even help themselves. How can they help us?

One of the gods worshiped by the Egyptians had the head of a frog. In effect, God said, “If you want frogs, I will give you frogs.” Suddenly, frogs covered the whole land. Imagine laying down on your bed and finding a frog on the pillow. Think of trying to knead a loaf of bread and a green, slimy frog hops into the batter. Ponder the strange odor of a live frog baking with your cake. The very thought is disgusting!

To make matters even more interesting, the sorcerers and magicians of Pharaoh were actually able to duplicate the first two plagues (Exodus 7:22 and 8:7). Think of this! You are sitting in your house with a frog perched on your shoulder, others on your lap, and still more at your feet. In runs a man shouting, “Eureka, I just found a way to get frogs to come up out of the river.”

There is a truth here that is very important. Satan is a powerful foe indeed. Through demonic power these sorcerers could duplicate the first two plagues and could make their staves turn to serpents (Exodus 7:11). The antichrist will one day be revealed with signs and lying wonders (II Thessalonians 2:9).

Young people sometimes hear of this power and are lured into the occult. They think that they can have this power. What they fail to realize is that the magicians could only add to the misery. They could not remove the plague. God is sovereign. Satan can only go as far as God allows.

There is one final thought. Moses cried unto God and the plague ended. The frogs died.

Scripture: Exodus 8:12-14

And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the LORD because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh. 13 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields. 14 And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank.

Notice the last three words: “the land stank.” The gods of men always leave a stench in the land. Only the God of the Bible can make a sweet odor.

Plague 3—Dust turned to lice:

Scripture: Exodus 8:16

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.

The third plague closes the first series. The King James says that dust became lice. The Hebrew indicates that it was a stinging insect. The Egyptians worshiped a nasty stinging beetle that was painful to man. The nature of the judgments would point to this creature. In addition, the Egyptians worshiped another god—the earth itself. Hence this judgment was a two-fold assault on the false deities of Egypt.

On the one hand the earth god gave rise to the horrible insect god. On the other, that god tormented the people. God showed His superiority. He used their own gods to judge and show how repulsive idolatry is.

Can you imagine the awful predicament of the Egyptians? Here they were covered (Exodus 8:17) with abominable stinging bugs. Yet they dare not step on one, because it is sacred. In effect, God says, “If you want this god, you can have it.” But, do you really want that idol in your life? Do you really understand what it is doing to you?

Remarkably, the sorcerers actually tried to duplicate this judgment (Exodus 8:18). How foolish (Psalm 14:1)! Thankfully, God in His mercy did not allow them to succeed. Many brilliant men have made themselves fools by rejecting the God of the Bible and, in their foolishness, have done incredibly ignorant deeds. Because God did not allow them to succeed, the magicians wisely confessed that this was the doing of God (Exodus 8:19).

Conclusion:

This completes the first series of three plagues. They began as inconvenient and even humorous, but rapidly turned painful. This is just the beginning.

We need to understand that anything which comes between us and God is an idol. What idols do we have in our lives? Are we prepared to give them up and serve Christ? Or must God use our idols to judge us?

I Corinthians 10:22 asks two very thought provoking questions concerning idols:

1.) Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy?

2.) Are we stronger than He?

We need to think long and hard about these questions before we pursue our idols. God has a much better plan for our lives than any idol.

Next: The Judgment of Egypt—Part II

When Nothing Goes Right

2008-03-31T09:50:00.001-04:00

Living By Faith

Moses was called, commissioned, and sent forth by God to free Israel from bondage in Egypt. In spite of that, God met him by the way in the inn and sought to kill him (Exodus 4:24-26). That is not a very good start. Worse yet, the problems continue to mount in chapters 4-6.

Did you ever have one of those days when nothing seems to go right? We may map out our plans and fill our schedule with good intentions for God. Nevertheless, everything goes haywire. Doesn’t God know that our plans are being thwarted? Yes, He does! (Proverbs 16:9)

We have been so influenced by the “health, wealth, and prosperity” gospel that we have come to expect all will be pleasant if we live for Jesus. We expect everything to go well—meaning that it will meet our expectations. That sounds nice, but God does not operate that way. We are not the sovereign. He is. We have a difficult time comprehending God’s plan (Isaiah 55:7-8)

If we do not get a handle on this, we will be very frustrated in life. We see this clearly in Moses. He got off to a bad start and things go downhill from there. He next goes from negative thinking (“I can’t do this.") to positive ("I really can do this.") That will set him up for a big let-down, because he will be positive for the wrong reasons. So let’s trace the journey and see what happened.

Scripture: Exodus 4:29-31

And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel: 30 And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

Moses arrived in Egypt with Aaron and immediately met with the elders of Israel. He took the rod of authority and performed the three signs given to him at the burning bush (Exodus 4:3,6,9). Verse 31 concludes with, “And the people believed….” So far, so good. That brings us to the first of two problems.

Two Problems:

I.) Pharoah Rejected the Message:

Moses started to feel pretty confident. At first, he did not think he could do the job. But then the signs worked and the people believed. It was so easy that Moses became over-confident.

Scripture: Exodus 5:1-2

And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. 2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.

Moses bravely stated God’s demand to Pharoah. He responded, “Who is God? I do not know Him. Moses was completely taken aback. He did not expect this response, because he did not listen carefully to God.

Scripture: Exodus 3:19-20

And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. 20 And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.

Moses was told, but did not pay attention. Too often we do the same. Christ said, “ If ye were of the world, the world would love its own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you (John 15:19). We are told that the world will hate us, but we want the world to love us. So we compromise our stand on faith and adopt worldly ways and means to please men. In the process, we water down the message of Christianity to a weak and powerless 'churchianity'. We act just like Moses.

Scripture: Exodus 5:3

And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.

Observe the personal pronoun “us”. It is only two letters, but has ten miles of importance. The text says, “Lest he fall upon us,” not, “you.” This was not the message. God was not going to fall upon Israel. In fact, He was going to stretch out His hand and smite Egypt with all His wonders (Exodus 3:20).

Moses did not get what he expected. So he watered down the message and gave this weak-kneed explanation to this powerful potentate who could care less whether God fell upon his slaves.

We who know Christ as Savior carry the treasure of the gospel in our earthly bodies. If we water down the message by adopting the lifestyle, method and means of the world, we will go away defeated in our efforts to win the lost. They will see only themselves and we will lose the power of the message.

Moses watered down the message, lost the power of God, and went away defeated. Pharaoh was not impressed and merely said, “Get back to work, slaves (vs.4).” He then introduced the second problem.

II.) The Burden Was Increased:

Scripture: Exodus 5:6-8

And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, 7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

Israel was already serving at hard labor, but Pharoah increased the burden. They would no longer be supplied with straw for making bricks. They would have to forage for their own and their quotas would not be diminished. When they could not meet them, the officers of Israel were beaten.

Scripture: Exodus 5:14

And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?

They complained to Pharoah but his response was, “Ye are idle. That’s why you talk of sacrifice.” This put Israel in a very difficult situation, all because Moses tried to deliver them. How would you respond to this?

Scripture: Exodus 5:20-21

And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: 21 And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.

Moses went from hero to ogre! The life of faith is not easy. It may even become more difficult for a time. But living by faith is the true path to real freedom.

Now put yourself in Moses' shoes. Nothing seems to be going right. You have your own plan. You have not paid attention to God’s plan. What do you think is going to happen?

Scripture: Exodus 5:22-23

And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, LORD, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.

Moses was very discouraged and frustrated. Many Christians are like him. They have their own plans and do not want to listen to God’s. As a consequence, nothing goes their way, and they get irritated at God. They want to blame Him, when the real problem is with them.

God has given us His Word. It is everything we need for both life (secular) and godliness (spiritual) (II Peter 1:3). If we heed the Book, we will find that God’s way is best. If we do not, we will be very frustrated. God has a perfect plan for our lives. He had a perfect plan for Israel, too.

God’s Two-Fold Plan:

I.) Pharaoh to Drive Israel Out:

Scripture: Exodus 6:1

Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.

This seems totally impossible! Pharaoh is probably the most powerful ruler on earth at this time. He has denied knowledge of God and has absolutely no desire to give up his slaves. Yet God said that he would drive them out. “With God all things are possible.”

Illustration: Many years ago the Lord called my wife and I into missions. At first, we vainly sought support in the acceptable fashion. After a year of failure, we came back to the verse God gave us at the outset (I Thessalonians 5:24). From that point on, we decided to merely trust God and do the work He gave us to do without seeking any funds or support. From our decision in December to April of the following year, we prepared a faith approach to missions which we shared with our home church. We would not tell anyone of our need or seek anything for ourselves. We would only minister and serve. People thought we were crazy. Two months later we were commissioned and on the field. God provided wondrously and we were by far the best supported missionaries. We had God’s support.

Our philosophy was summarized by J. Hudson Taylor who said that his life and work rested on three positive facts: First, there is a living God. Second, He has spoken in the Bible. Third, He means what He says and will do all He has promised.

Moses did not have success, because he did not live like God is for real.

II.) Israel to Learn about Jehovah God:

Scripture: Exodus 6:2-7

And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: 3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. 4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. 5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. 6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: 7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

In these seven verses the phrase “I am the Lord” is used three times. In connection with the ten plagues that follow, it appears 5 more times. Each time the word Lord is in all capital letters indicating this is a translation of the Hebrew Jehovah [YHWH]. The name is an acronym made up of the first letters of the conjugation of the Hebrew verb “I am”. The meaning is “The Eternal, or Self-existent One”.

Verse three says, “By my name Jehovah was I not known.” The idea here is not a new name but a new understanding of that name summed by two concepts:

1.) The Self-Existent One

The Egyptians worshiped idols - bowing down to the creature rather than the Creator (Romans 1:20-23). God would show the futility of this false worship by demonstrating that He is the only self-existent one.

2.) The Savior

In the Bible, Jehovah is the name associated with salvation. The name Jesus means Jehovah saves. God would demonstrate that He is the only one capable of saving us. He would do so through the plagues and the lamb.

Conclusion:

God shared all of this with Moses and Israel, but Exodus 6:9 says, “they hearkened not.” Their spirits were in so much anguish that they did not hear the message. Evangelism is frequently like this. We share the gospel, but the bondage of this world is so cruel that people do not hear. We need to ask God to give the lost ears to hear, hearts to believe, and feet to obey the good news about Jesus Christ. Christ died for our sins to set the slaves free. We who are free need to help free others.

That is what evangelism is all about. It is about freed slaves sharing the message to other slaves that Jesus Christ died to set us free from the power of sin and the hold that it has on us. We can have eternal life and forgiveness if we just repent of our sin and turn to Him. He will set us free.

Next: The Judgment of Egypt

God Sought To Kill Moses: Part II

2008-03-28T08:57:00.001-04:00

Living By Faith

And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.

Last lesson, we began looking at Exodus 4:24-26. We said that we would divide the study into two parts. In part one, we said that we would make three observations from the text. We completed the first one, noting that the Lord sought to kill Moses (vs.24). The context (vs. 22-23) revealed the hypocrisy of Moses. He was going to Egypt with a message for Pharaoh that Israel was God’s son and God would slay Pharaoh’s first born if he did not let them go. Yet, Moses had not completed the requirement of the Abrahamic covenant that he circumcise his own son (Exodus 17:9-14). Therefore, his son was excluded from Israel. He failed to practice personal separation. So, God was ready to slay him.

If God would kill Moses for shirking his responsibility to be consistent in his testimony, what do you think He will do to us? God expects us to live holy, righteous, and godly lives before this world.

Part One—Three Observations Continued:

II.) His wife had to do his job for him (vs. 25)

The second observation is that the wife of Moses had to do his job for him. The text says that Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son. As spiritual head of the home, this task belonged rightfully to Moses. But he shirked the responsibility.

God was ready to kill Moses, because he failed his duty to his family. Men need to understand that God holds us accountable for the spiritual leadership in our home. We set the standard and determine whether our home will serve God or not (Joshua 24:15). If we fail in that duty, God will judge us severely.

Unfortunately, this is all too common today. We suffer from a shortage of godly men. Too often men leave this to women. Thank God for godly women! If it were not for godly women the church would have died out long ago, but we still need godly men.

Illustration: Many years ago, our daughter, Amie, made a little paper doll for her mother. On it, she wrote an inscription that said, “World’s greatest mom.” Later, she made another doll for me labeled, “World’s greatest dad.” What impressed me the most, was the Bible she put in the hand of the doll. I was not a pastor or missionary. I was a deacon and Sunday School teacher with no plans for full-time service, but my child saw me with a Bible in my hand.

Now suppose that your child were to make a doll for you. What would most impress them about you? What imprint are you stamping in the mind of others? Are you seen as a hypocrite who puts on one face at church and another at home? How are you viewed by those around you?

Observe that as soon as Zipporah did the deed, God spared his life (vs. 26) Ladies, your husband may not be the spiritual leader that he should be, but that does not excuse you. Sometimes you must take up the sword of God’s Word to do what your husband should have done. If you do this in the right spirit, it can reach that stubborn man in your life. It can save his life and perhaps even his soul (I Peter 3:1-6).

III.) Zipporah resented doing the job (vs. 26).

The third observation we make is that Zipporah did the deed, but resented doing it. Her spirit was not right. She was very angry and demonstrated that by casting the foreskin as his feet (vs. 25) and by twice calling him a bloody husband. She was not at all happy and was not doing all to the glory of God (I Corinthians 10:31)

Ladies, did you ever resent having to do something for your husband that he should have done. If so, you can identify with Zipporah. Perhaps, you responded as she did. Perhaps, you were angry and upset. Perhaps you did the job, and say, “See, I did it.” Simply doing the job is not sufficient. Zipporah did the job, but allowed two sin problems to develop in her life with disastrous consequences.

1.) Resentment

Zipporah resented having to do this job. Instead of “doing all to the glory of God, she angrily did it. That attitude unconfessed can lead to an even bigger problem called bitterness (Hebrews 12:15). Ultimately, it will destroy relationships Keep in mind that Zipporah began the journey to Egypt, but after this, we do not read about her again until Exodus 18.

Scripture: Exodus 18:2-6

Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back, And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land: And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh: And Jethro, Moses' father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God: And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.

Do you see what happened? Her resentment led to separation.

2.) Self-assertiveness

Resentment is the underlying problem, but self-assertiveness is the manifestation. This is merely another sin problem that is highly advocated by modern psychology—even sometimes so-called Christian psychology. They tell us that we need more self-love and high self-esteem. They say that we need to be self-assertive. The problem in all of this is self. The Bible says that we need to die to self (Galatians 2:20).

Zipporah asserted herself. She cast the foreskin at his feet and gave him a piece of her mind. What did it get her? It got her a broken home.

Illustration: As a child, I was encouraged to assert myself. I was about a head taller than my best friend, but my parents thought he was walking all over me. He was actually about a year older and I was content to let him take the lead. My parents, who were not saved at the time, were not. So, they insisted I assert myself. One day, I did. In the ensuing exchange, my friend end up with a bloody nose, and I, a bloody mouth.

What did asserting myself accomplish? Before, we were both happy. Afterwards, we were both crying. Friends, the most miserable people that I have known were the most assertive.

Scripture: Proverbs 15:1

A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

Notice that grievous words stir up anger. That is exactly what happened to Zipporah. She stirred up Moses anger, and he sent her home. No matter how macho we think we are, there is always someone who is bigger, meaner, tougher, nastier, etc. than we are.

Illustration: The psychologists and psychiatrists tell us to assert ourselves. Years ago, my neighbor was a psychiatrist at the time self-assertiveness became the popular fad with psychiatrists. We were trying to complete our first house and subbed some of the work to a contractor who turned out to be not very good. My neighbor use the same contractor as well. Sadly, I got caught in the middle of a dispute between them. One night, the shrink called and began to assert himself. That is not a good thing to do with an ex-marine. I very quickly put him in his place and then spent 45 minutes counseling him on how to deal with people in a proper biblical fashion.

Peter was a rough, tough, old fisherman who was noted for asserting himself. Whether it be whacking off someone’s ear with a sword (John 18:10) or blurting out something foolish on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:4-5), he constantly asserted himself until God humbled him. Eventually, he was used by God to write I and II Peter.

In his first epistle, Peter revealed that he learned the lesson well. The letter deals with four real life situations where it would be easy to assert ourselves:

1.) Citizen under a persecuting government (I Peter 2:13-17)

2.) Slave under a persecuting master (I Peter 2:18-25)

3.) Wife under a persecuting husband (I Peter 3:1-7)

4.) Church member under a persecuting pastor (I Peter 5:1-7)

—In each predicament, Peter counsels the same. We are to cast our care upon Christ (I Peter 5:7). Instead of self-assertiveness, we need Christ-assertiveness.

Scripture: I Peter 3:7

Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

Wives, the proper way to handle a husband who shirks his responsibility is to understand that his prayers are hindered by his failure to render proper honor to you. At that point, if you keep sin out of your life, you can take your problem to God. He will deal with it. My wife knows this to be true. She has taken me to the Lord on occasion and somehow, I have come around to her way of thinking.

Conclusion:

Moses by shirking his responsibility failed his wife and family. His poor leadership opened the door to sin and shut the door on relationship. By the same token he brought judgment from God upon himself. God holds men accountable for the home. Zipporah by doing his job saved his life and helped her family, but her resentment and self-assertiveness, effectively, undid any good that she accomplished. Instead of letting God deal with her husband (I Peter 3:7), she let him have a piece of her mind. In the end, she was just as guilty as he, and the family suffered terribly.

God Sought To Kill Moses: Part I

2008-03-25T13:00:00.001-04:00

Living By Faith

Before we can even begin the journey of faith, we must learn some basic lessons from the life of Moses. Thus far we have seen that God wants us to understand that we are totally dependent upon Him. If we do not learn this lesson we will be unsuccessful in the life of faith. To fully comprehend this truth, we must rid ourselves of self image concerns and develop a healthy God image. We must know that we are mere crummy earthen vessels, but God has called us and chosen to use us. That makes us somebody, who, with His help, can do anything (Philippians 4:13).

That brings us to one of the strangest incidents in the Bible. We will divide the lesson into two parts:

Part One—Three Observations:

I.) The Lord sought to kill Moses (Exodus 4:24)

And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.

The first observation we make is that God sought to kill Moses. This is certainly a strange turn of events. Why would God want to kill Moses?

The context reveals two items of importance:

1.) God’s son (vs.22-23)

God told Moses to tell Pharaoh that Israel was His son and that He would slay the first born son of Pharaoh, if he did not let Israel go. Immediately, we jump from that to God sought to kill Moses.

2.) Moses’ son (vs.25)

God seeking to kill Moses had something to do with Moses’ son not being circumcised.

It sounds like we need to know something about circumcision. The first thing we need to know is that circumcision was a requirement of the Abrahamic covenant. All male Jewish children had to be circumcised.

Scripture: Genesis 17:9-14

And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. 11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. 12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. 13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

Notice that the soul not circumcised was cut off from his people. Thus circumcision was very important in the Abrahamic covenant. The son of Moses was not part of the Jewish nation, because he was not circumcised. Moses was going to Egypt to tell Pharaoh that Israel was God’s son, but his own son was not considered part of Israel, because he failed to circumcise him. To understand more, we must turn to the New Testament, where we find that it represents two things—neither of which has anything to do with infant baptism.

1.) Circumcision is a Work of Man

Because the Bible does not say anything about infant baptism, many groups reach to circumcision for an analogy. The book of Galatians deals with circumcision as a work of man. A good introduction to the book is found in Acts.

Scripture: Acts 15:1

And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

The men who taught the brethren were known as Judaizers. They are the false teachers most often mentioned in Scripture. They came to the Galatian people and told them that trusting Christ was good, but to keep or maintain their salvation they must also follow Jewish customs and traditions, including circumcision.

This is very similar to the argument that infant baptism is necessary to salvation. It is very easy to see why they would appeal to circumcision as a type. But what does Scripture say? Paul argued in Galatians that this is nothing more than an attempt to mix works with grace for salvation. That is sort of like trying to mix oil and water. The two do not mix.

Scripture: Galatians 6:15

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

This verse tells us, as a work of man, circumcision has no saving merit. By the same token baptism cannot save either. Works do not save us today and did not save the Jewish people either. Salvation is now, always has been, and always will be by grace through faith.

Scripture: Romans 4:16

Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

Notice that salvation is by grace through faith so that the “promise might be sure.” If salvation depends upon our works, it is fickle and unsure, but because it depends upon God’s grace, it is sure and steadfast. God does not change, but we do.

The Jewish people were saved by grace through faith. Scripture records that Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:13; and Galatians 3:6). When did this occur? Answer: Genesis 12: 3 - Abraham believed the promise and demonstrated his belief by departing (vs.4).

Paul correctly argued in Romans 4:9-12 that Abraham’s faith was counted as righteousness (Genesis 15:6) before circumcision was instituted (Genesis 17) as a sign of the covenant. As a work of man, circumcision has no saving merit, but, as an outward sign of a covenant relationship that already exists, it teaches a second truth.

2.) Personal Separation

Scripture: Romans 2:28-29

For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

To the Jew, circumcision was an outward sign they were God’s chosen people. It made them distinctly different from other nations of the world.

To the Christian, though, it is not the outward circumcision of the flesh that counts, but the inward circumcision of the heart. Judaizers, who try to follow the law, seek to lead separated lives so that they can earn or keep their salvation, but we are not of those. We recognize that salvation is by grace through faith alone and that we have liberty in Christ, but not a license to sin.

Scripture: Galatians 5:13-15

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

We are not to use grace as an occasion for sin. Rather we are to use our liberty to “by love serve one another.” We voluntarily separate to God out of love for Him and because He does a work in our heart. The only real difference between law and grace is that law unsuccessfully attempts to perform outwardly what grace successfully performs inwardly.

God changes the man of grace from the inside out.

God wanted Moses to know that He is holy and that He expects us to be holy as well (I Peter 1:16). God sought to kill Moses because he failed to practice personal separation. Many Christians sleep in Jesus because they wrongly use liberty as an occasion for the flesh and fail to practice personal separation. Sin always carries a high price (Romans 6:23)

II.) His wife had to do his job (Exodus 4:25).

Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.

The second observation is that the wife of Moses did his job for him. Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son. The job belonged to Moses, but he shirked his responsibility. God was ready to kill him for this, but Zipporah saved his life by doing it for him (vs.26).

Thank God for godly women to rescue godly men who shirk their responsibility. If it were not for godly women the church would have ceased long ago. We suffer from a shortage of godly men who will stand up for Christ and be counted. Too many try to get by with minimal attention to God. That has led to the sorry state we find ourselves in today. God wants men to take responsibility for their families. He wants men to provide spiritual leadership in the home.

III.) Zipporah resented doing the job (Exodus 4:26).

So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.

The third observation we make is that Zipporah did the deed, but resented doing it. She cast the foreskin at his feet (vs.25) and twice calls him a bloody husband (vs.25, 26). She was not at all happy.

Ladies, did you ever resent doing something for your husband? It was his job, but you had to do it. If so, you can identify with Zipporah.

It is easy to say, “I’m not going to do that.” But keep in mind that her act saved the life of her husband.

Simply doing the job, though, is not sufficient. Zipporah did the job, but allowed two sin problems to develop in her life:

1.) Resentment

Zipporah resented having to do this job. Instead of “doing all to the glory of God (I Corinthians 10:31), she angrily did it. That attitude unconfessed can lead to an even bigger problem called bitterness (Hebrews 12:15). Ultimately, it will destroy relationships (Zipporah began the journey to Egypt, but went home after this. Her father had to reconcile them. See Exodus 18.)

2.) Self assertiveness

The resentment led to another sin problem that is highly advocated by modern psychology. It is called, “self assertiveness.” (Did you notice that word “self”? They tell us we need high self esteem and we need to be self assertive.) Zipporah asserted herself, and what did it get her? It got her a broken home and separation from her husband. The most miserable and unhappy people I have ever known have been self assertive (Proverbs 15:1). What does the Bible say?

Scripture: I Peter 3:3-4

Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

In the sight of God, a meek and quiet spirit is of great price. That was written by Peter, who had to learn not to be self assertive. What counsel did he give? (I Peter 5:7) Instead of asserting ourselves, we are to let Christ deal with the matter. Can you imagine what would have happened if Christ had asserted Himself on the cross? He set the example for us (I Peter 2:21-25).

Conclusion:

Moses by shirking his responsibility failed his wife and family. His poor leadership opened the door to sin and shut the door on relationship. By the same token he brought judgment from God upon himself. God holds men accountable for the home. Zipporah by doing his job saved his life and helped her family, but her resentment and self-assertiveness effectively undid any good that she accomplished. Instead of letting God deal with her husband (I Peter 3:7), she let him have a piece of her mind. In the end, she was just as guilty as he, and the family suffered terribly.

Next Lesson: Part 2