Good afternoon, everyone!
Today I read Exodus 39-40.
Chapter 39 is about the priestly garments, with specific details about how they are supposed to be made: the material, the adornments, etc.
In chapter 40, they set up the Tabernacle.
And something I found interesting in this part is how the glory of God, in the form of a cloud, rested in the Tabernacle.
And when God was present there, the Israelites stayed camped wherever they were. But when the cloud departed, they packed up the Tabernacle and continued on their journey.
And this made me think of the way God works in our lives.
No one can move God. But He can move us. When God moves, we move. When God stays, we stay. Or that's how it should go.
And when God gets ready to move, you don't want to be the one in His way.
Sometimes you can feel when God is about to move, about to do something. It can be very exciting. Also scary.
We just need to be prepared to follow God's lead.
So that's all for today. I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Leviticus 1-4.
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 30: Building the Tabernacle
Good evening everyone!
I wish I could say it was a busy day and I just didn't have a chance to post until now, but that wouldn't be true. I had a very relaxing day, and put off posting because I couldn't think of anything to say about today's reading.
Today, I read Exodus 36-38.
And today the Israelites began building the Tabernacle and the Ark.
And as important as that is, I really don't have any revelations about it. Perhaps I'll have some when I do my study on the Tabernacle, but today I don't.
Sorry!
One thing that I did find interesting--and if you read the chapters today, too, you'll know what I'm talking about--was how specific God was about the instructions for building the Tabernacle.
Nothing was too small to be left to interpretation. Nothing was too big to be left to assumption.
Everything was planned out in great detail, and built to that exact specification.
And God appointed specific, skilled craftsmen to build His Tabernacle.
And that amazes me. God is the original Creator, and He is very creative.
I know it's not as riveting as Daniel in the lion's den, but take a minute (if you want) to read the details for the Tabernacle. It's amazing! I can imagine that it was quite the sight to behold.
So, that's all for today. I hope you'll join me tomorrow, as I read Exodus 39-40.
I wish I could say it was a busy day and I just didn't have a chance to post until now, but that wouldn't be true. I had a very relaxing day, and put off posting because I couldn't think of anything to say about today's reading.
Today, I read Exodus 36-38.
And today the Israelites began building the Tabernacle and the Ark.
And as important as that is, I really don't have any revelations about it. Perhaps I'll have some when I do my study on the Tabernacle, but today I don't.
Sorry!
One thing that I did find interesting--and if you read the chapters today, too, you'll know what I'm talking about--was how specific God was about the instructions for building the Tabernacle.
Nothing was too small to be left to interpretation. Nothing was too big to be left to assumption.
Everything was planned out in great detail, and built to that exact specification.
And God appointed specific, skilled craftsmen to build His Tabernacle.
And that amazes me. God is the original Creator, and He is very creative.
I know it's not as riveting as Daniel in the lion's den, but take a minute (if you want) to read the details for the Tabernacle. It's amazing! I can imagine that it was quite the sight to behold.
So, that's all for today. I hope you'll join me tomorrow, as I read Exodus 39-40.
Monday, January 29, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 29: Mourning in Separation
Good evening, everyone!
Today I read Exodus 33-35, where the Israelites resume their journey.
With one major difference. They are no longer dancing, praising, and celebrating.
Instead, they remove all their adornments, and walk solemnly. They are in mourning, because they have so displeased God that, though He continues to protect them, He no longer goes with them as He had before. And they feel alone.
Now, I find this very interesting because it's an excellent example of what sin does to us.
No matter how "big" or "small" we consider the sin, it leaves us with the same feeling. Loneliness.
When I sin, I can immediately feel the separation from God, and it manifests as a literal ache in my spirit. After that, there is no joy, only sorrow, as I mourn my poor choices and the separation that I can feel.
Even though I know that God is still with me, it's not the same as before. And the distance is almost palpable.
Just like it was for the Israelites.
Thankfully, we don't have to stay in that separation until God decides if He can overcome His anger. Rather, Jesus intercedes for us, and when we ask forgiveness with an honest and sincere heart, God will forgive us, and we can return to His presence as though we had never sinned.
So, that's what I learned today. I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Exodus 36-38. I wonder what I'll learn tomorrow...
Today I read Exodus 33-35, where the Israelites resume their journey.
With one major difference. They are no longer dancing, praising, and celebrating.
Instead, they remove all their adornments, and walk solemnly. They are in mourning, because they have so displeased God that, though He continues to protect them, He no longer goes with them as He had before. And they feel alone.
Now, I find this very interesting because it's an excellent example of what sin does to us.
No matter how "big" or "small" we consider the sin, it leaves us with the same feeling. Loneliness.
When I sin, I can immediately feel the separation from God, and it manifests as a literal ache in my spirit. After that, there is no joy, only sorrow, as I mourn my poor choices and the separation that I can feel.
Even though I know that God is still with me, it's not the same as before. And the distance is almost palpable.
Just like it was for the Israelites.
Thankfully, we don't have to stay in that separation until God decides if He can overcome His anger. Rather, Jesus intercedes for us, and when we ask forgiveness with an honest and sincere heart, God will forgive us, and we can return to His presence as though we had never sinned.
So, that's what I learned today. I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Exodus 36-38. I wonder what I'll learn tomorrow...
Sunday, January 28, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 28: Wages of Sin
Good afternoon, everyone!
Today, I read Exodus 30-32.
And this is where it starts to get interesting again.
Okay, so I don't find reading through all the Old Testament laws riveting. Leviticus is going to be fun. And just wait until we get to Numbers!
Sorry. I will try to make an honest effort to write something about everything I read, though some days I may not have much to say.
But today, I have something to say.
So, in the first two chapters, God gives Moses more laws and instructions, and then:
Exodus 31:18 - When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.
Two tablets of stone, written by God's own hand. That's amazing!
But the Israelites don't care about how amazing that is right now. They are too busy convincing Aaron that Moses might be dead, and that he needs to take charge.
Which would be fine if Aaron had said something like "Don't worry. Wait a little longer." Or even "Trust God. If Moses doesn't come back by the end of the week, I will entreat God to see what we should do."
He did none of those things.
He did nothing that he should have done.
And maybe I'm being a little hard on him because of what happens next. But just wait until you read this.
Exodus 32:1-6 - Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, "Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." Aaron said to them, "Tear off the gold rings which are n the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me."
So they did. Now, I want to take a moment to point out something.
It doesn't say Moses was delayed, but that Moses delayed. And maybe that's just my translation, but it reminds me of how I feel in God's presence. The thought of going out and facing people, or leading people, or teaching people, sometimes makes me want to cry. But when it's just me and God, everything makes sense, and I am at peace. Even when the world is in chaos.
Imagine how Moses must have felt. Yes, he was getting instruction from God, but he had all these people to lead. All this responsibility. And I'm not saying he was shirking his duty, but do you think maybe he stayed in God's presence as long as he could?
In fact, God tells him to go back down the mountain. But we'll get there.
So, the people bring Aaron their gold, and this is what he does with it:
Exodus 32:4-6 - He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt." Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord." So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
Uh oh. Now they're in trouble.
In Exodus 32:7-11, God tells Moses what the Israelites have done, and orders him away so that His anger can burn against the Israelites and He may destroy them. But Moses pleads with God, he intercedes with God for his people, and the Lord changed His mind.
This amazes me. Just like with Abraham's entreaties for Sodom.
Moses interceded for his people.
Now, Jesus intercedes for us. We are His people, and He talks to God about us, interceding for us, so that God's wrath is not kindled against us.
Now, Moses gets down the mountain and actually sees what the people are doing, and he gets angry. So angry, in fact, that he throws the stone tablets, which had the actual writing of God on them, to the ground, where they shatter. My Bible actually says shatter.
Then, he does something that I find interesting. In a weird sort of way.
He destroys the calf and grinds it into powder, which he mixes with the water and makes the Israelites drink it. Yep. Drink it.
Then, Moses has a bigger problem. The Israelites have gotten out of control with corruption. So he calls for all of those faithful to God, and then tells them to kill the others.
About 3,000 were killed. Then, Moses returns to God to entreat him to forgive the nation of Israel.
And God says this:
Exodus 32:33-35 - The Lord said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. But go now, lead the people where I told you. Behold, My angel shall go before you; nevertheless in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin." Then the Lord smote the people, because of what they did with the calf which Aaron had made.
Now, that's a heavy note.
Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The only thing sin leads to is death. And in the Old Testament, before Jesus came to be the ultimate, complete, and perfect sacrifice, sometimes that was literal.
Something that I find very interesting about the Old Testament is how often the Israelites messed up. How often they disobeyed or forgot God.
And somehow, that gives me hope. I am not alone. Sometimes I mess up, and now, Jesus is my intercessor. That does not give me the right to do evil, nor does it mean I can do whatever I want with no consequences, but it does mean that death does not have to be my end. Jesus bore my sin on the cross, and because of His sacrifice, I can look forward to eternal life with my Lord.
I hope you learned something from this post along with me.
Until tomorrow. I'll be continuing the Israelites exodus in Exodus 33-35.
Today, I read Exodus 30-32.
And this is where it starts to get interesting again.
Okay, so I don't find reading through all the Old Testament laws riveting. Leviticus is going to be fun. And just wait until we get to Numbers!
Sorry. I will try to make an honest effort to write something about everything I read, though some days I may not have much to say.
But today, I have something to say.
So, in the first two chapters, God gives Moses more laws and instructions, and then:
Exodus 31:18 - When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.
Two tablets of stone, written by God's own hand. That's amazing!
But the Israelites don't care about how amazing that is right now. They are too busy convincing Aaron that Moses might be dead, and that he needs to take charge.
Which would be fine if Aaron had said something like "Don't worry. Wait a little longer." Or even "Trust God. If Moses doesn't come back by the end of the week, I will entreat God to see what we should do."
He did none of those things.
He did nothing that he should have done.
And maybe I'm being a little hard on him because of what happens next. But just wait until you read this.
Exodus 32:1-6 - Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, "Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." Aaron said to them, "Tear off the gold rings which are n the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me."
So they did. Now, I want to take a moment to point out something.
It doesn't say Moses was delayed, but that Moses delayed. And maybe that's just my translation, but it reminds me of how I feel in God's presence. The thought of going out and facing people, or leading people, or teaching people, sometimes makes me want to cry. But when it's just me and God, everything makes sense, and I am at peace. Even when the world is in chaos.
Imagine how Moses must have felt. Yes, he was getting instruction from God, but he had all these people to lead. All this responsibility. And I'm not saying he was shirking his duty, but do you think maybe he stayed in God's presence as long as he could?
In fact, God tells him to go back down the mountain. But we'll get there.
So, the people bring Aaron their gold, and this is what he does with it:
Exodus 32:4-6 - He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt." Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord." So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
Uh oh. Now they're in trouble.
In Exodus 32:7-11, God tells Moses what the Israelites have done, and orders him away so that His anger can burn against the Israelites and He may destroy them. But Moses pleads with God, he intercedes with God for his people, and the Lord changed His mind.
This amazes me. Just like with Abraham's entreaties for Sodom.
Moses interceded for his people.
Now, Jesus intercedes for us. We are His people, and He talks to God about us, interceding for us, so that God's wrath is not kindled against us.
Now, Moses gets down the mountain and actually sees what the people are doing, and he gets angry. So angry, in fact, that he throws the stone tablets, which had the actual writing of God on them, to the ground, where they shatter. My Bible actually says shatter.
Then, he does something that I find interesting. In a weird sort of way.
He destroys the calf and grinds it into powder, which he mixes with the water and makes the Israelites drink it. Yep. Drink it.
Then, Moses has a bigger problem. The Israelites have gotten out of control with corruption. So he calls for all of those faithful to God, and then tells them to kill the others.
About 3,000 were killed. Then, Moses returns to God to entreat him to forgive the nation of Israel.
And God says this:
Exodus 32:33-35 - The Lord said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. But go now, lead the people where I told you. Behold, My angel shall go before you; nevertheless in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin." Then the Lord smote the people, because of what they did with the calf which Aaron had made.
Now, that's a heavy note.
Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The only thing sin leads to is death. And in the Old Testament, before Jesus came to be the ultimate, complete, and perfect sacrifice, sometimes that was literal.
Something that I find very interesting about the Old Testament is how often the Israelites messed up. How often they disobeyed or forgot God.
And somehow, that gives me hope. I am not alone. Sometimes I mess up, and now, Jesus is my intercessor. That does not give me the right to do evil, nor does it mean I can do whatever I want with no consequences, but it does mean that death does not have to be my end. Jesus bore my sin on the cross, and because of His sacrifice, I can look forward to eternal life with my Lord.
I hope you learned something from this post along with me.
Until tomorrow. I'll be continuing the Israelites exodus in Exodus 33-35.
Saturday, January 27, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 27: Laws for the Priests
Good afternoon, everyone!
Today I read Exodus 28-29.
In today's chapters, God continues His instructions to Moses, specifically instructions for the priests.
God set Aaron and his sons apart as His priests. He ordered that robes be made for them from specific materials, with specific requirements.
God is never vague. We may not always understand what He says, or He may not reveal everything to us all at once, but God's instructions are always specific.
So, that's what I took away from the reading today.
I know I haven't had a lot to say the past couple days. Sorry about that.
I find these laws interesting from a cultural and historical perspective, but I'm not sure how to apply it to my daily life. Except for what I said earlier.
If you have any thoughts or questions about these chapters, I'd love to read them.
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Exodus 30-31.
Today I read Exodus 28-29.
In today's chapters, God continues His instructions to Moses, specifically instructions for the priests.
God set Aaron and his sons apart as His priests. He ordered that robes be made for them from specific materials, with specific requirements.
God is never vague. We may not always understand what He says, or He may not reveal everything to us all at once, but God's instructions are always specific.
So, that's what I took away from the reading today.
I know I haven't had a lot to say the past couple days. Sorry about that.
I find these laws interesting from a cultural and historical perspective, but I'm not sure how to apply it to my daily life. Except for what I said earlier.
If you have any thoughts or questions about these chapters, I'd love to read them.
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Exodus 30-31.
Friday, January 26, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 26: Tabernacle and Ark
Good evening, everyone!
It was a super busy day today, so I didn't get a chance to post until now.
But enough about me.
On with the biblical reflections.
Today, I read Exodus 25-27.
And in today's chapters, God tells Moses exactly how to build His tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant.
Now, if you don't know what those are, let me explain.
The tabernacle is a mobile version of God's temple. Only the priests were allowed to enter, and only after they had cleansed themselves.
The Ark of the Covenant is a chest which contains the written version of the laws God gave to Moses. It had to be carried in a specific way - using poles, and no one was allowed to touch it. Or they died. An example of this comes later in the Old Testament.
These chapters didn't give me a lot to talk about today, but I loved reading about all the details God gave to Moses. The Tabernacle and Ark had such intricate details and specific design.
I encourage you to read about it.
One day I may do a post about it for further study. But I want to gather all my resources and do some reading first.
So, not today.
Until tomorrow! I'll be reading Exodus 28-29.
It was a super busy day today, so I didn't get a chance to post until now.
But enough about me.
On with the biblical reflections.
Today, I read Exodus 25-27.
And in today's chapters, God tells Moses exactly how to build His tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant.
Now, if you don't know what those are, let me explain.
The tabernacle is a mobile version of God's temple. Only the priests were allowed to enter, and only after they had cleansed themselves.
The Ark of the Covenant is a chest which contains the written version of the laws God gave to Moses. It had to be carried in a specific way - using poles, and no one was allowed to touch it. Or they died. An example of this comes later in the Old Testament.
These chapters didn't give me a lot to talk about today, but I loved reading about all the details God gave to Moses. The Tabernacle and Ark had such intricate details and specific design.
I encourage you to read about it.
One day I may do a post about it for further study. But I want to gather all my resources and do some reading first.
So, not today.
Until tomorrow! I'll be reading Exodus 28-29.
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 25: Laws
Good morning!
Today I read Exodus 22-24, where Moses lays down the law.
Okay. Okay. That was a bad joke. I know.
So, in these chapters, God continues to give Moses laws for the people.
And while it may not be the most interesting read, it's still very important.
I have heard people say that we no longer have to obey the old laws because Jesus freed us from them.
But that's not true.
In fact, Jesus actually said:
"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Phophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill." - Matthew 5:17
The Old Testament laws still apply. They are still a part of God's Word and we must study them.
Now, having said that, let me say this.
It was a different time back then. And some of the laws (I'm thinking of a few found in Leviticus, and specifically the sacrificial laws) don't apply to us any longer.
Some of the Leviticus laws are about cleanliness and health, which we no longer need to observe due to the availability of health care and the changes in the spread of diseases.
And of course the laws for burnt offerings no longer apply because Jesus himself became the ultimate sacrifice for all of our sins.
We are no longer bound by law, but saved by grace.
Which does not give us license to do whatever we want.
Thus, we must study all of God's laws so that we can know what is right, and what is good, and how we should behave, taking into account that these laws were written at a specific time for a specific purpose and a specific people, but bearing in mind that God knew that we would read them someday.
My point is that we cannot dismiss any part of God's Word as being irrelevant to our lives just because it's an Old Testament law. Study the laws and the prophets. Ask God to help you learn from what you've read. See what He wants you to take away from it.
Now, there are a lot of laws, and I won't get into all of them today, but there are a few that I want to go back and study further. When I do, I'll try to do a post about it so that we can learn together.
That's all for today. Until tomorrow! I'll be reading Exodus 25-27.
Today I read Exodus 22-24, where Moses lays down the law.
Okay. Okay. That was a bad joke. I know.
So, in these chapters, God continues to give Moses laws for the people.
And while it may not be the most interesting read, it's still very important.
I have heard people say that we no longer have to obey the old laws because Jesus freed us from them.
But that's not true.
In fact, Jesus actually said:
"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Phophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill." - Matthew 5:17
The Old Testament laws still apply. They are still a part of God's Word and we must study them.
Now, having said that, let me say this.
It was a different time back then. And some of the laws (I'm thinking of a few found in Leviticus, and specifically the sacrificial laws) don't apply to us any longer.
Some of the Leviticus laws are about cleanliness and health, which we no longer need to observe due to the availability of health care and the changes in the spread of diseases.
And of course the laws for burnt offerings no longer apply because Jesus himself became the ultimate sacrifice for all of our sins.
We are no longer bound by law, but saved by grace.
Which does not give us license to do whatever we want.
Thus, we must study all of God's laws so that we can know what is right, and what is good, and how we should behave, taking into account that these laws were written at a specific time for a specific purpose and a specific people, but bearing in mind that God knew that we would read them someday.
My point is that we cannot dismiss any part of God's Word as being irrelevant to our lives just because it's an Old Testament law. Study the laws and the prophets. Ask God to help you learn from what you've read. See what He wants you to take away from it.
Now, there are a lot of laws, and I won't get into all of them today, but there are a few that I want to go back and study further. When I do, I'll try to do a post about it so that we can learn together.
That's all for today. Until tomorrow! I'll be reading Exodus 25-27.
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 24: Commandments
Good morning everyone!
I went for a walk this morning. No pictures yet. I had no storage space left on my phone. Yikes! But I hadn't been on a walk for a while, so it was a lot of fun. Sometimes it's hard to find the motivation, but I always feel better after a nice long walk. What about you?
So, speaking of walks, the Israelites are still walking through the desert.
In today's reading, Exodus 19-21, they are stopped at Mount Sinai.
Does that sound familiar?
It's where Moses gets the Ten Commandments.
Actually, the people get a lot of commandments in chapters 20 & 21.
One thing I find particularly interesting (please don't hit me) is that in chapter 21, God sets laws for governing the correct and fair treatment of slaves/servants. Including giving them the opportunity to leave after a certain period of time.
I won't get into the whole thing, but I see this with new eyes now that I've read it a few times. The first time none of it made sense to me, but now it does. God saw that the Israelites would be influenced by the cultures they encountered, and that slavery/servitude would become common, so He foresaw the need for laws to govern this practice.
In fact, checking my concordances, the original word - which I can neither spell nor pronounce - simply means servant, or bond servant (think bonded/indentured servant). Most slaves in Israel were not what we would think of when we hear the word, although they were considered property in many ways.
So, imagine that someone owes you a debt they can't pay. They could work off the debt by becoming indentured to you for a period of time. They become a servant who works for no pay, but you have to take care of their basic needs and their health. When their contract is up, they go free. If you don't honor the terms of the contract (and Jesus has a parable on this) then you are in big trouble.
Now, don't get me wrong. I do not condone slavery or even indentured servitude, which is a form of slavery. But some cultures practiced it (look at the Egyptians), and some cultures abused it, with no regard for God's laws.
So, what I found interesting about the reading today was that God placed strict guidelines in His Word for the proper treatment of people. No matter who they were or where they came from.
So, that's my musing for today. Let me know what you thought. We're moving right along through the Israelites' exodus.
Join me tomorrow as I read Exodus 22-24.
I went for a walk this morning. No pictures yet. I had no storage space left on my phone. Yikes! But I hadn't been on a walk for a while, so it was a lot of fun. Sometimes it's hard to find the motivation, but I always feel better after a nice long walk. What about you?
So, speaking of walks, the Israelites are still walking through the desert.
In today's reading, Exodus 19-21, they are stopped at Mount Sinai.
Does that sound familiar?
It's where Moses gets the Ten Commandments.
- You shall have no other gods before me
- You shall not make for yourself and idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth; You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God...
- You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain...
- Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
- Honor your father and your other, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.
- You shall not murder.
- You shall not commit adultery
- You shall not steal
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
- You shall not covet your neighbor's house...wife...servant...ox...donkey...or anything...
Actually, the people get a lot of commandments in chapters 20 & 21.
One thing I find particularly interesting (please don't hit me) is that in chapter 21, God sets laws for governing the correct and fair treatment of slaves/servants. Including giving them the opportunity to leave after a certain period of time.
I won't get into the whole thing, but I see this with new eyes now that I've read it a few times. The first time none of it made sense to me, but now it does. God saw that the Israelites would be influenced by the cultures they encountered, and that slavery/servitude would become common, so He foresaw the need for laws to govern this practice.
In fact, checking my concordances, the original word - which I can neither spell nor pronounce - simply means servant, or bond servant (think bonded/indentured servant). Most slaves in Israel were not what we would think of when we hear the word, although they were considered property in many ways.
So, imagine that someone owes you a debt they can't pay. They could work off the debt by becoming indentured to you for a period of time. They become a servant who works for no pay, but you have to take care of their basic needs and their health. When their contract is up, they go free. If you don't honor the terms of the contract (and Jesus has a parable on this) then you are in big trouble.
Now, don't get me wrong. I do not condone slavery or even indentured servitude, which is a form of slavery. But some cultures practiced it (look at the Egyptians), and some cultures abused it, with no regard for God's laws.
So, what I found interesting about the reading today was that God placed strict guidelines in His Word for the proper treatment of people. No matter who they were or where they came from.
So, that's my musing for today. Let me know what you thought. We're moving right along through the Israelites' exodus.
Join me tomorrow as I read Exodus 22-24.
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 23: Grumbling Through the Desert
Good morning, everyone!
Today's reading is Exodus 16-18.
And now the whining starts.
"I'm hot."
"I'm tired."
"I'm hungry."
"My feet hurt."
The Israelites do a lot of complaining in the desert. It's as though being rescued from slavery wasn't enough.
They're hungry, so God feeds them with manna from heaven. Food literally falls from Heaven.
That's amazing.
And yet, as their journey continues, the Israelites get thirsty and they see no water, and they begin to complain.
Again.
So the Lord provides water.
Now, it's easy to look at the Israelites' story and see what they were doing wrong. But I have to confess that I do it too. Even when I don't realize it.
God provides for me. I am so blessed. And yet, when there's a new bump in the road, I often complain about it before I pray about it. Or I complain about it while I pray about it. Or after.
You get my point.
I have a (bad) habit of focusing on the situation rather than on what God can do, or what He has already done.
Just like the Israelites.
We all go through deserts in our lives. Some hotter than others. Some drier than others.
But God always provides what we need to get through them, even if it doesn't seem like it at the time.
I can look back on my life and see how He brought me out of so many deserts, so many storms.
And I am grateful for each time.
Yet, when the next desert appears, I am tempted to forget all that God has brought me through. To complain about it before I pray about it. To seek my own solution before I seek His will.
So, when I read these chapters of Exodus, I am reminded that my situation could always be worse. I am also reminded that no matter how bad the situation, God will be with us, and He always has a plan. We just have to trust Him to fulfill that plan in His timing.
Sometimes He has something for us to learn while we are in the desert that will help us through an even drier desert.
Are you getting tired of the desert metaphor? I am.
So, I'll move on.
In chapter 18, Moses' father-in-law visits.
Jethro hears that Moses is passing through, and takes Moses' wife and sons to meet him.
While he's there, Jethro hears all that God has done for the Israelites, and believe that God is the only true God, and worships Him.
Now, what's amazing about this is that Jethro was a priest of Midian, serving many false gods.
And yet, at the mention of all the things God had done, he believes and sacrifices to God and worships Him.
Sometimes I focus so much on the stories of salvation in the New Testament that I forget they were in the Old Testament too.
Something else that's good about Jethro's visit is that he has a new perspective on things.
Now, Moses is judging the people. All of them. Tens of thousands of them. For every little thing.
And Jethro counsels Moses that it's not a good thing because he'll wear himself out, and the people will get tired of him.
So Jethro tells him to teach people God's laws and delegate to leadership.
So Moses does and it works out very well. The leaders handle the small disputes, and Moses takes the larger ones to God.
When I read this part, I am reminded of an important function in the church.
The church has leaders. Pastors, apostles, teachers, etc.
And each leader has a function. One leader (usually the head pastor) is the head of the church, following God's direction for the church.
And the rest of the leadership functions under the head pastor. So, in this way the head pastor delegates positions of authority, according to God's direction.
And each leader in the church functions in their position with resources and guidance from the head pastor.
And when one leader isn't doing what they are supposed to be doing, or if the head pastor has trouble delegating, it causes chaos in the church. Actual chaos. And frustration.
You've heard the phrase "too many cooks in the kitchen," right?
Well, it's something like that. A good leader, like Moses, not only delegates to leaders, a good leader then trusts those leaders to handle their positions, without micromanaging.
I don't know why I felt that was important today, but it was a point I observed.
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Exodus 19-21.
Today's reading is Exodus 16-18.
And now the whining starts.
"I'm hot."
"I'm tired."
"I'm hungry."
"My feet hurt."
The Israelites do a lot of complaining in the desert. It's as though being rescued from slavery wasn't enough.
They're hungry, so God feeds them with manna from heaven. Food literally falls from Heaven.
That's amazing.
And yet, as their journey continues, the Israelites get thirsty and they see no water, and they begin to complain.
Again.
So the Lord provides water.
Now, it's easy to look at the Israelites' story and see what they were doing wrong. But I have to confess that I do it too. Even when I don't realize it.
God provides for me. I am so blessed. And yet, when there's a new bump in the road, I often complain about it before I pray about it. Or I complain about it while I pray about it. Or after.
You get my point.
I have a (bad) habit of focusing on the situation rather than on what God can do, or what He has already done.
Just like the Israelites.
We all go through deserts in our lives. Some hotter than others. Some drier than others.
But God always provides what we need to get through them, even if it doesn't seem like it at the time.
I can look back on my life and see how He brought me out of so many deserts, so many storms.
And I am grateful for each time.
Yet, when the next desert appears, I am tempted to forget all that God has brought me through. To complain about it before I pray about it. To seek my own solution before I seek His will.
So, when I read these chapters of Exodus, I am reminded that my situation could always be worse. I am also reminded that no matter how bad the situation, God will be with us, and He always has a plan. We just have to trust Him to fulfill that plan in His timing.
Sometimes He has something for us to learn while we are in the desert that will help us through an even drier desert.
Are you getting tired of the desert metaphor? I am.
So, I'll move on.
In chapter 18, Moses' father-in-law visits.
Jethro hears that Moses is passing through, and takes Moses' wife and sons to meet him.
While he's there, Jethro hears all that God has done for the Israelites, and believe that God is the only true God, and worships Him.
Now, what's amazing about this is that Jethro was a priest of Midian, serving many false gods.
And yet, at the mention of all the things God had done, he believes and sacrifices to God and worships Him.
Sometimes I focus so much on the stories of salvation in the New Testament that I forget they were in the Old Testament too.
Something else that's good about Jethro's visit is that he has a new perspective on things.
Now, Moses is judging the people. All of them. Tens of thousands of them. For every little thing.
And Jethro counsels Moses that it's not a good thing because he'll wear himself out, and the people will get tired of him.
So Jethro tells him to teach people God's laws and delegate to leadership.
So Moses does and it works out very well. The leaders handle the small disputes, and Moses takes the larger ones to God.
When I read this part, I am reminded of an important function in the church.
The church has leaders. Pastors, apostles, teachers, etc.
And each leader has a function. One leader (usually the head pastor) is the head of the church, following God's direction for the church.
And the rest of the leadership functions under the head pastor. So, in this way the head pastor delegates positions of authority, according to God's direction.
And each leader in the church functions in their position with resources and guidance from the head pastor.
And when one leader isn't doing what they are supposed to be doing, or if the head pastor has trouble delegating, it causes chaos in the church. Actual chaos. And frustration.
You've heard the phrase "too many cooks in the kitchen," right?
Well, it's something like that. A good leader, like Moses, not only delegates to leaders, a good leader then trusts those leaders to handle their positions, without micromanaging.
I don't know why I felt that was important today, but it was a point I observed.
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Exodus 19-21.
Monday, January 22, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 22: Red Sea
Good morning, everyone!
I hope everyone is having a splendid day.
So, continuing the RBY challenge, today I'm reading Exodus 13-15.
And in today's reading is one of the biggest miracles in the Bible.
The parting of the Red Sea.
After the last plague: the death of every firstborn male in Egypt, Pharaoh releases the Israelites.
But then he changes his mind again, takes his army, and pursues them to the Red Sea.
The Israelites are terrified with the Sea before them and the Egyptians behind them.
But Moses stretches out his staff and God parts the waters, so that the Israelites can cross over on dry land.
Can you imagine this? You're escaping slavery. Your slavers are pursuing you. And there's a sea in front of you. But God pushes the waters back so you can walk across safely. On dry land.
Can you imagine what that must have looked like? What they must have been thinking?
I can almost see it, but I can't imagine the awe that they must have felt. And probably fear too.
As the do the Egyptians. They pursue the Israelites for a time, but become afraid and turn back. But it is too late.
When the Israelites have all crossed over safely, God releases the waters.
And the Egyptian pursuers, including Pharaoh, die.
Thus, God took the Israelites safely out of Egypt.
And that's a big miracle.
But did you know there was another miracle happening at that time?
God leads the Israelites out of Egypt by day and by night.
And He shows them the way with a cloud. That lights up at night. This cloud also protects them from the Egyptians.
Isn't that amazing?
Genesis 14:19-20 - And the angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Thus the one did not come near the other all night.
Isn't it amazing how God protects His people?
He can use any means to do it, sometimes simple, and sometimes miraculous.
I love the story of the parting of the Red Sea because it reminds me that no matter how close in pursuit the Enemy gets, God has a plan to protect us. He does not bring us out of slavery just to lose us. And there is nowhere we can go that He cannot be.
So that's my reflection for today.
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Exodus 16-18.
I hope everyone is having a splendid day.
So, continuing the RBY challenge, today I'm reading Exodus 13-15.
And in today's reading is one of the biggest miracles in the Bible.
The parting of the Red Sea.
After the last plague: the death of every firstborn male in Egypt, Pharaoh releases the Israelites.
But then he changes his mind again, takes his army, and pursues them to the Red Sea.
The Israelites are terrified with the Sea before them and the Egyptians behind them.
But Moses stretches out his staff and God parts the waters, so that the Israelites can cross over on dry land.
Can you imagine this? You're escaping slavery. Your slavers are pursuing you. And there's a sea in front of you. But God pushes the waters back so you can walk across safely. On dry land.
Can you imagine what that must have looked like? What they must have been thinking?
I can almost see it, but I can't imagine the awe that they must have felt. And probably fear too.
As the do the Egyptians. They pursue the Israelites for a time, but become afraid and turn back. But it is too late.
When the Israelites have all crossed over safely, God releases the waters.
And the Egyptian pursuers, including Pharaoh, die.
Thus, God took the Israelites safely out of Egypt.
And that's a big miracle.
But did you know there was another miracle happening at that time?
God leads the Israelites out of Egypt by day and by night.
And He shows them the way with a cloud. That lights up at night. This cloud also protects them from the Egyptians.
Isn't that amazing?
Genesis 14:19-20 - And the angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Thus the one did not come near the other all night.
Isn't it amazing how God protects His people?
He can use any means to do it, sometimes simple, and sometimes miraculous.
I love the story of the parting of the Red Sea because it reminds me that no matter how close in pursuit the Enemy gets, God has a plan to protect us. He does not bring us out of slavery just to lose us. And there is nowhere we can go that He cannot be.
So that's my reflection for today.
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Exodus 16-18.
Sunday, January 21, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 21: The Passover Lamb
Hello everyone!
Today I read Exodus 10-12.
In the reading, Pharaoh refuses to let God's people go three more times.
The complete list of plagues:
Today I read Exodus 10-12.
In the reading, Pharaoh refuses to let God's people go three more times.
The complete list of plagues:
- Water to Blood
- Frogs
- Gnats
- Flies
- Death of Livestock
- Boils
- Hail
- Locusts
- Complete Darkness
- Death of Firstborn
I did a short post on the plagues before, when I first had to study them in order to teach my Sunday school class.
So, despite all that he has seen, Pharaoh's heart remains hardened, and he won't release the Israelites.
So, God sends the 10th plague. He charges all the Israelites to kill a spotless lamb and spread its blood over their doorposts, and leave nothing for the morning. Whatever is not eaten must be burned in the fire. They are also instructed to eat only unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
And then when God saw the blood on their houses, He would know to spare them from the final plague.
And thus we have the First Passover, when God passed over the Israelites. We also have the first Passover Lamb.
The other Lamb I am thinking of, of course, is Jesus. He is called the Lamb of God for a reason.
He paid the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, and His blood covers us so that we can have freedom from sin's bondage. Though His sacrifice happened later, though is blood was shed many years after the First Passover, because He was with God from the beginning, Jesus is actually the Original Passover Lamb.
Because God spared the Israelites from the last plague, and brought them out of slavery in Egypt, they were instructed to continue to observe the Passover supper forever.
One other thing I found interesting in this reading was that God gave the Israelites favor with their neighbors so that when they asked them for gold and silver, as God had instructed, they got it all.
An the Bible says "...Thus they plundered the Egyptians (12:36).
Now, when I think of the word plundered, I imagine something incredibly violent, possibly with pirates, and including looting.
But the Israelites plundered the Egyptians without hurting them at all. Rather, it was a peaceful plunder.
And to me, that is just amazing.
How many times has this happened to you, and you never recognized it for what it was?
When we serve Him and keep His commandments, God will bless us and give us favor even with our enemies.
That doesn't mean our blessings will always be monetary. But how many times have you come out of a situation feeling like you got everything you had wanted from it and more?
Maybe you had a meeting at work and it went better than you'd expected.
Maybe you got a promotion that didn't come with a pay raise, but had better hours.
Maybe you were having an issue with someone and it worked out in your favor, even better than you'd imagined.
God wants our obedience.
And when we give it to Him, He can better take care of us and our situations.
All we need to do is ask.
Even the Enemy cannot stand against us when God stands with us.
Nothing can keep you in slavery when God has already set you free.
I hope you will join me tomorrow when I read Exodus 13-15. We will get to see the Israelites finally escape from Egypt.
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 20: Hard Heads and Harder Hearts
Hello everyone!
In today's reading of Exodus 7-9, Pharaoh's refusal to release God's people has deadly consequences.
Ever heard of the 10 plagues? We only go through part of the plagues today, but that's bad enough.
After the first one, I'd have been dropping to my knees and begging for the Israelites to leave.
But that's me.
Pharaoh continues to prove stubborn, and keeps hardening his heart to all the mighty things he can see in front of his face.
So, first, Aaron's staff turns to a serpent. But Pharaoh's magicians can do that too, so he isn't impressed.
Then the plagues hit.
The plagues Egypt has seen so far are:
In today's reading of Exodus 7-9, Pharaoh's refusal to release God's people has deadly consequences.
Ever heard of the 10 plagues? We only go through part of the plagues today, but that's bad enough.
After the first one, I'd have been dropping to my knees and begging for the Israelites to leave.
But that's me.
Pharaoh continues to prove stubborn, and keeps hardening his heart to all the mighty things he can see in front of his face.
So, first, Aaron's staff turns to a serpent. But Pharaoh's magicians can do that too, so he isn't impressed.
Then the plagues hit.
The plagues Egypt has seen so far are:
- Water to blood
- Frogs
- Gnats
- Flies
- Death of livestock
- Boils
- Hail
After all of that, Pharaoh still wouldn't release the Israelites. Despite the evidence in front of his face, he still didn't believe.
Pharaoh is an extreme case, but the fact is, we've all behaved this way at some point.
Maybe the signs aren't always as noticeable as these, but haven't we all struggled to believe that God is real? Or at least that He cared?
Aren't there areas in our lives where we've been stubborn or hardhearted about something God had told us to do?
I know I have. It's a very human trait to disbelieve something we can't understand. It's a very human trait to try to rationalize, to think that God couldn't have possibly asked that of us, because it's difficult or hard to understand.
But sometimes He does ask things of us that we don't like.
And if we refuse, sometimes He has to use extreme measures to get our attention.
Thankfully, that's where God's Spirit inside of us comes through. God's Spirit and His Word give us faith to believe the unbelievable. To dream the unthinkable. To do the impossible.
Because, as we know:
"...with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:25)
Thankfully, that's where God's Spirit inside of us comes through. God's Spirit and His Word give us faith to believe the unbelievable. To dream the unthinkable. To do the impossible.
Because, as we know:
"...with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:25)
So, that's what I took from today's reading.
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Exodus 10-12. We'll be finishing up the plagues then.
Friday, January 19, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 19: Equipping the Called
Hello everyone!
I have been really busy today, but I did my reading this morning (Exodus 4-6) and ruminated on it all day. Well, most of the day. Okay fine. I only thought about it part of the day.
But I did think about it.
In today's chapters, God gives Moses the ability to perform miracles in His name so that he can prove God's power to the Israelites and to Pharaoh.
Then, Moses and Aaron (who was chosen to speak for Moses who was a poor public speaker) went to Pharaoh to demand the release of all the Israelite slaves.
Pharaoh refuses.
Of course.
And increases the Israelites' workload with fewer resources.
Jerk.
Anyway, the chapters end on a bad note. How can Moses convince Pharaoh to let God's people go?
Well, it won't be easy. Pharaoh is very stubborn. But it's a very interesting story.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that these chapters weren't terribly interesting but just wait and see what happens next!
One thing I do want to talk about from chapter 4 is Moses' lack of speaking ability.
God tells him to go speak to Pharaoh, and, while Moses doesn't refuse outright, it's pretty close.
So God (and here I imagine Him rolling His eyes) tells Moses to go anyway, but that He'll give him help.
And that help is in the form of Moses' brother Aaron, whom God appoints as Moses' mouthpiece. No. It really says "mouthpiece."
Basically, God tells Moses His will. Moses relates it to Aaron. Aaron tells the people. So, everything Moses tells Aaron to say is Law, because it comes from God.
Anyway, the point I took from this today was a nice reminder that, while God might ask something of us that feels beyond our abilities, He will always equip us to do it. Even if He has to send someone else with us to speak for us.
It reminds me of a saying we have in church. Not just mine, but churches everywhere use this.
"God doesn't call the equipped. He equips the called."
And that's very true. I may have some writing ability (all of it from God) but I am not a preacher. When I started this blog, I was not fully equipped (and still am not) to use this blog as a ministry. I had no experience teaching children before I was asked to teach a Sunday school class. But God is working in me, and teaching me, and guiding me, so that I can do what He has called me to do.
He is continually equipping me. Every day anew.
Just as He equipped Moses. Elijah. Jonah. Just as He equipped the apostles.
Just as He will equip you to do whatever He has called you to do.
I found further reading on God equipping the called, if you need further encouragement on that subject.
Tomorrow's reading is Exodus 7-9, and we will see what God has planned to encourage Pharaoh to release His people.
Until then! Have a blessed day.
I have been really busy today, but I did my reading this morning (Exodus 4-6) and ruminated on it all day. Well, most of the day. Okay fine. I only thought about it part of the day.
But I did think about it.
In today's chapters, God gives Moses the ability to perform miracles in His name so that he can prove God's power to the Israelites and to Pharaoh.
Then, Moses and Aaron (who was chosen to speak for Moses who was a poor public speaker) went to Pharaoh to demand the release of all the Israelite slaves.
Pharaoh refuses.
Of course.
And increases the Israelites' workload with fewer resources.
Jerk.
Anyway, the chapters end on a bad note. How can Moses convince Pharaoh to let God's people go?
Well, it won't be easy. Pharaoh is very stubborn. But it's a very interesting story.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that these chapters weren't terribly interesting but just wait and see what happens next!
One thing I do want to talk about from chapter 4 is Moses' lack of speaking ability.
God tells him to go speak to Pharaoh, and, while Moses doesn't refuse outright, it's pretty close.
So God (and here I imagine Him rolling His eyes) tells Moses to go anyway, but that He'll give him help.
And that help is in the form of Moses' brother Aaron, whom God appoints as Moses' mouthpiece. No. It really says "mouthpiece."
Basically, God tells Moses His will. Moses relates it to Aaron. Aaron tells the people. So, everything Moses tells Aaron to say is Law, because it comes from God.
Anyway, the point I took from this today was a nice reminder that, while God might ask something of us that feels beyond our abilities, He will always equip us to do it. Even if He has to send someone else with us to speak for us.
It reminds me of a saying we have in church. Not just mine, but churches everywhere use this.
"God doesn't call the equipped. He equips the called."
And that's very true. I may have some writing ability (all of it from God) but I am not a preacher. When I started this blog, I was not fully equipped (and still am not) to use this blog as a ministry. I had no experience teaching children before I was asked to teach a Sunday school class. But God is working in me, and teaching me, and guiding me, so that I can do what He has called me to do.
He is continually equipping me. Every day anew.
Just as He equipped Moses. Elijah. Jonah. Just as He equipped the apostles.
Just as He will equip you to do whatever He has called you to do.
I found further reading on God equipping the called, if you need further encouragement on that subject.
Tomorrow's reading is Exodus 7-9, and we will see what God has planned to encourage Pharaoh to release His people.
Until then! Have a blessed day.
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 18: Forgotten History
Good morning, everyone!
Today I started reading the book of Exodus, chapters 1-3.
These are the beginning of Moses' story.
But first, something interesting happens. The Egyptians forget their history. Some time has passed since Joseph and his brothers were in Egypt, and their descendants have multiplied.
Genesis 1:8-11 - Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, "Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply and in the event of war, they also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us, and depart from the land." So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses.
It's dangerous to forget history. Forgotten history can lead to the repeat of history. If we don't remember what happened, we can't know if our history was good or bad. If we don't know the good, we can't follow its example. And if we don't know the bad, we are doomed to repeat it.
If this Pharaoh had known of Joseph, had known that part of Egypt's history, it is possible that he would have remembered why the Israelites were in Egypt, would have remembered all that Joseph had done for Egypt, and would have dealt more kindly with them.
Something else happens too.
Genesis 1:12 - But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel.
The more the Israelites were persecuted, the more they multiplied.
Next begins Moses' story.
At this time, Pharaoh wanted all the Hebrew boys killed. But Moses' mother was wise, and sent him down the Nile in a basket, where Pharaoh's daughter found him and raised him.
So Moses grew up right under Pharaoh's nose.
And one day came where Moses was so enraged over the injustice being done to a Hebrew slave that he killed the Egyptian, and was forced to flee Pharaoh.
He ends up in the land of Midian, where he meets a Midianite priest who gives Moses one of his daughters, Zipporah, to marry, and they have a son.
Now, it came about that the Pharaoh whom Moses had known died, and a new Pharaoh took his place.
Next, God appears to Moses in a burning bush, and charges him to go to this new Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of slavery.
God says so many good things while He is talking with Moses here, but I only want to talk about one specifically.
He says that He will go with Moses.
God may send us somewhere we don't want to go. He may give us an assignment we don't want to do. He may ask us to do something we don't feel equipped to do.
He does not promise that it will always be easy. He does promise to always go with us.
Always.
No matter what we are going through, or what God has asked of us, we can do it knowing that He is always with us.
Joshua 1:9 - "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Please join me tomorrow as I read Genesis 4-6.
Today I started reading the book of Exodus, chapters 1-3.
These are the beginning of Moses' story.
But first, something interesting happens. The Egyptians forget their history. Some time has passed since Joseph and his brothers were in Egypt, and their descendants have multiplied.
Genesis 1:8-11 - Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, "Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply and in the event of war, they also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us, and depart from the land." So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses.
It's dangerous to forget history. Forgotten history can lead to the repeat of history. If we don't remember what happened, we can't know if our history was good or bad. If we don't know the good, we can't follow its example. And if we don't know the bad, we are doomed to repeat it.
If this Pharaoh had known of Joseph, had known that part of Egypt's history, it is possible that he would have remembered why the Israelites were in Egypt, would have remembered all that Joseph had done for Egypt, and would have dealt more kindly with them.
Something else happens too.
Genesis 1:12 - But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel.
The more the Israelites were persecuted, the more they multiplied.
Next begins Moses' story.
At this time, Pharaoh wanted all the Hebrew boys killed. But Moses' mother was wise, and sent him down the Nile in a basket, where Pharaoh's daughter found him and raised him.
So Moses grew up right under Pharaoh's nose.
And one day came where Moses was so enraged over the injustice being done to a Hebrew slave that he killed the Egyptian, and was forced to flee Pharaoh.
He ends up in the land of Midian, where he meets a Midianite priest who gives Moses one of his daughters, Zipporah, to marry, and they have a son.
Now, it came about that the Pharaoh whom Moses had known died, and a new Pharaoh took his place.
Next, God appears to Moses in a burning bush, and charges him to go to this new Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of slavery.
God says so many good things while He is talking with Moses here, but I only want to talk about one specifically.
He says that He will go with Moses.
God may send us somewhere we don't want to go. He may give us an assignment we don't want to do. He may ask us to do something we don't feel equipped to do.
He does not promise that it will always be easy. He does promise to always go with us.
Always.
No matter what we are going through, or what God has asked of us, we can do it knowing that He is always with us.
Joshua 1:9 - "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Please join me tomorrow as I read Genesis 4-6.
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 17: The Sons of Israel
Good morning, everyone!
In today's reading (Genesis 48-50), Israel dies and his sons go to bury him.
Now, there are two things I want to talk about from today's reading.
First, Joseph's sons.
Ephraim and Manasseh.
Manasseh is the older, but when Israel blessed Joseph's sons before his death, he placed his right hand on Ephraim's head, giving him the greater blessing.
It was usual in those days for the oldest son to inherit everything, for his blessing to be greater than the younger's.
But Jacob was the youngest, and he usurped Esau's birthright.
Later, we will see David, a young shepherd boy, become God's chosen king over all the rest of his older brothers.
Sometimes the greatest blessing goes to the younger child.
Now, being the oldest child in my family, I don't find this comforting or anything.
But I do find it amazing.
God doesn't care how old you are or what your birth order is.
He chooses to bless whom he chooses to bless. He chooses to use whom He chooses to use.
And age, or gender, or birth order has nothing to do with it. He looks at the heart of the person.
God has a plan for each of us.
And that just makes amazes me.
Secondly, I want to talk about what Joseph says to his brothers after they bury their father.
Joseph's brothers are worried that Joseph will bear a grudge now that their father is dead, and put them all to death. Here is Joseph's response:
Genesis 50:19-21 - But Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
What you meant for evil, God meant for my good.
Whatever your plan for me, God's plan was greater.
Sometimes The Enemy plots something evil against us.
But God's plans for us are always good.
Whatever you are going through today, remember that whatever the Enemy has planned for evil, God can turn it around for good.
Isaiah 54:17 - "No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me," declares the Lord.
I hope we all remember that as we go through the rest of our week.
I will see you tomorrow when I begin my study of Exodus.
In today's reading (Genesis 48-50), Israel dies and his sons go to bury him.
Now, there are two things I want to talk about from today's reading.
First, Joseph's sons.
Ephraim and Manasseh.
Manasseh is the older, but when Israel blessed Joseph's sons before his death, he placed his right hand on Ephraim's head, giving him the greater blessing.
It was usual in those days for the oldest son to inherit everything, for his blessing to be greater than the younger's.
But Jacob was the youngest, and he usurped Esau's birthright.
Later, we will see David, a young shepherd boy, become God's chosen king over all the rest of his older brothers.
Sometimes the greatest blessing goes to the younger child.
Now, being the oldest child in my family, I don't find this comforting or anything.
But I do find it amazing.
God doesn't care how old you are or what your birth order is.
He chooses to bless whom he chooses to bless. He chooses to use whom He chooses to use.
And age, or gender, or birth order has nothing to do with it. He looks at the heart of the person.
God has a plan for each of us.
And that just makes amazes me.
Secondly, I want to talk about what Joseph says to his brothers after they bury their father.
Joseph's brothers are worried that Joseph will bear a grudge now that their father is dead, and put them all to death. Here is Joseph's response:
Genesis 50:19-21 - But Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
What you meant for evil, God meant for my good.
Whatever your plan for me, God's plan was greater.
Sometimes The Enemy plots something evil against us.
But God's plans for us are always good.
Whatever you are going through today, remember that whatever the Enemy has planned for evil, God can turn it around for good.
Isaiah 54:17 - "No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me," declares the Lord.
I hope we all remember that as we go through the rest of our week.
I will see you tomorrow when I begin my study of Exodus.
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 16: Israel in Egypt
Good morning everyone!
This morning I read Genesis 46-47.
I actually don't have a lot to say about these chapters. They're pretty straightforward.
Jacob, now called Israel, moves to Egypt with all of his family where Joseph sets them up on the land Pharaoh gives them.
Israel blesses Pharaoh.
The Egyptians give all their money, and then all their land, and then make themselves slaves to Pharaoh in exchange for grain.
Israel is 130 years old, and he lives in Egypt for 17 more years.
Upon his deathbed, he calls for Joseph and makes him promise to bury him in the land of his fathers, and not in Egypt.
Joseph promises.
Now, this is the second time I have read about someone swearing something this way.
Genesis 47:29-30 - When the time for Israel to die drew near, he called his son Joseph and said to him, "Please, if I have found favor in your sight, place now your hand under my thigh and deal with me in kindness and faithfulness. Please do not bury me in Egypt, but when I lie down with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place." And he said, "I will do as you have said."
This happened before with Abraham and the servant he sent to find a wife for Isaac.
And now that I realize it's an Old Testament pattern, I'm curious about it.
Why did they place a hand under the thigh?
I'm going to research it. Wait just a moment...
Well, according to most sources, "under the thigh" is a euphemism for swearing on the genitals. Thus, that's where we get the word testify.
One source did mention that in Jewish tradition, placing ones hand literally under the thigh (close but not touching the genitals) was a sign of submission to authority, and thus an agreeable act for an oath.
Unfortunately, I don't know a lot about Jewish tradition. (I have to find some books to read about this.) So, I can't say for sure exactly what is accurate and what isn't. Just because a lot of sources say one thing doesn't make it true. In fact, a lie can circulate as easily, if not more so, as the truth, especially where God's Word is concerned.
I'll keep looking, and if I find the answer, I'll link back to this post and let you know what I've found.
If you know the answer, please let us know (with sources).
Hope you enjoyed my ramblings today.
Join me tomorrow when I'll be reading the final chapters in the book of Genesis, chapters 48-50.
This morning I read Genesis 46-47.
I actually don't have a lot to say about these chapters. They're pretty straightforward.
Jacob, now called Israel, moves to Egypt with all of his family where Joseph sets them up on the land Pharaoh gives them.
Israel blesses Pharaoh.
The Egyptians give all their money, and then all their land, and then make themselves slaves to Pharaoh in exchange for grain.
Israel is 130 years old, and he lives in Egypt for 17 more years.
Upon his deathbed, he calls for Joseph and makes him promise to bury him in the land of his fathers, and not in Egypt.
Joseph promises.
Now, this is the second time I have read about someone swearing something this way.
Genesis 47:29-30 - When the time for Israel to die drew near, he called his son Joseph and said to him, "Please, if I have found favor in your sight, place now your hand under my thigh and deal with me in kindness and faithfulness. Please do not bury me in Egypt, but when I lie down with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place." And he said, "I will do as you have said."
This happened before with Abraham and the servant he sent to find a wife for Isaac.
And now that I realize it's an Old Testament pattern, I'm curious about it.
Why did they place a hand under the thigh?
I'm going to research it. Wait just a moment...
Well, according to most sources, "under the thigh" is a euphemism for swearing on the genitals. Thus, that's where we get the word testify.
One source did mention that in Jewish tradition, placing ones hand literally under the thigh (close but not touching the genitals) was a sign of submission to authority, and thus an agreeable act for an oath.
Unfortunately, I don't know a lot about Jewish tradition. (I have to find some books to read about this.) So, I can't say for sure exactly what is accurate and what isn't. Just because a lot of sources say one thing doesn't make it true. In fact, a lie can circulate as easily, if not more so, as the truth, especially where God's Word is concerned.
I'll keep looking, and if I find the answer, I'll link back to this post and let you know what I've found.
If you know the answer, please let us know (with sources).
Hope you enjoyed my ramblings today.
Join me tomorrow when I'll be reading the final chapters in the book of Genesis, chapters 48-50.
Monday, January 15, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 15: Forgiveness and Joseph's Blessings
Hello everyone!
So, in today's reading, Genesis 43-45, Joseph's brothers get their father's permission to take Benjamin back to Egypt.
When they arrived with Benjamin, Joseph invites them to dine with him, and is so overwhelmed by the sight of Benjamin, his mother's son, that he has to leave the room to weep.
He gives Benjamin the largest portion of everything: food while they are dining, and money when they leave.
But Joseph has one final test for his brothers.
He places a silver goblet in Benjamin's sack. When Joseph's soldiers overtake them, the brothers, being innocent, declare that whomever among them has taken the goblet shall die and the rest will become Joseph's slaves.
When the soldiers find the goblet and bring the brothers back to Joseph, he accuses them of theft and declares that the one who took it will remain to be his slave.
The brothers then declare that it would kill their father if Benjamin does not return to him, since he is the last of his mother's sons, and offer themselves up as slaves in his place.
Joseph then takes pity on them, and reveals himself, seeing how far they will go to protect Benjamin.
He says that he does not hold a grudge against them, since what they intended for evil, God used for good, to preserve the whole land of Egypt during the famine.
Then Joseph sends for his father, and intends to give him land so he can settle near him.
But Pharaoh hears that Joseph's family is coming and offers the choicest land to Joseph's family.
God really turned things around for Joseph, but, because of Joseph's forgiveness and mercy, God was also able to bless Joseph's family.
So, I love this part of Joseph's story, not only because of the family reunion, but also because of the lesson in forgiveness.
If Joseph had continued to hold a grudge against his family, he would have had a barrier between himself and God.
Remember, forgiveness is never for the other person, but for yourself.
Thus, because Joseph forgave his family, God prospered him, used him to help the whole land of Egypt, and helped him to bless his family too.
What an amazing lesson. I hope you'll join me next time when I read Genesis 46-47, when Joseph reunites with his father.
So, in today's reading, Genesis 43-45, Joseph's brothers get their father's permission to take Benjamin back to Egypt.
When they arrived with Benjamin, Joseph invites them to dine with him, and is so overwhelmed by the sight of Benjamin, his mother's son, that he has to leave the room to weep.
He gives Benjamin the largest portion of everything: food while they are dining, and money when they leave.
But Joseph has one final test for his brothers.
He places a silver goblet in Benjamin's sack. When Joseph's soldiers overtake them, the brothers, being innocent, declare that whomever among them has taken the goblet shall die and the rest will become Joseph's slaves.
When the soldiers find the goblet and bring the brothers back to Joseph, he accuses them of theft and declares that the one who took it will remain to be his slave.
The brothers then declare that it would kill their father if Benjamin does not return to him, since he is the last of his mother's sons, and offer themselves up as slaves in his place.
Joseph then takes pity on them, and reveals himself, seeing how far they will go to protect Benjamin.
He says that he does not hold a grudge against them, since what they intended for evil, God used for good, to preserve the whole land of Egypt during the famine.
Then Joseph sends for his father, and intends to give him land so he can settle near him.
But Pharaoh hears that Joseph's family is coming and offers the choicest land to Joseph's family.
God really turned things around for Joseph, but, because of Joseph's forgiveness and mercy, God was also able to bless Joseph's family.
So, I love this part of Joseph's story, not only because of the family reunion, but also because of the lesson in forgiveness.
If Joseph had continued to hold a grudge against his family, he would have had a barrier between himself and God.
Remember, forgiveness is never for the other person, but for yourself.
Thus, because Joseph forgave his family, God prospered him, used him to help the whole land of Egypt, and helped him to bless his family too.
What an amazing lesson. I hope you'll join me next time when I read Genesis 46-47, when Joseph reunites with his father.
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 14: God Knows
Good afternoon, everyone!
I hope you all had a wonderful morning.
We had a Messianic Rabbi come speak at our church today. It was amazing to hear God's Word along with the original Hebrew words and historical & cultural Jewish context.
It was just amazing.
I wish I could add more historical and cultural context to what I'm reading. I think I'll look for a book on that, and perhaps a Hebrew-English dictionary as well.
If I do, I'll include some of what I research with my posts.
So, today I read Genesis 41-42.
It starts with Pharaoh, who has two dreams. And he calls in all the magicians in the land of Egypt, but no one can explain the dream.
Until the cupbearer remembers Joseph.
When Joseph comes before Pharaoh, freshly washed and shaven, Pharaoh tells him the dreams, and asks if Joseph can interpret them.
Joseph once again points the glory back to God.
Genesis 41:15-16 - And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it." Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer."
So Joseph interprets the dreams, which were a warning from God.
7 years of plenty, followed by 7 years of famine in Egypt. Everywhere, actually.
But because of Joseph, whom Pharaoh then places in charge of everything except his own throne, food is stored away during the 7 years of plenty.
God had Joseph right where he needed to be the entire time.
Not a moment of Joseph's life in Egypt was wasted.
From running Potiphar's household, he had experience for running Pharaoh's affairs.
From his time in prison, he had a witness to his interpretation of dreams, a witness who could bring Joseph to the attention of Pharaoh, for whom Joseph would then interpret dreams sent from God.
God knew exactly where Joseph was, and where he needed to be.
So, now, the famine has come upon the land, not just in Egypt, but everywhere.
And Joseph's brothers hear about Egypt's plenty, and come for grain.
When Joseph sees them, he recognizes them, but they don't recognize him.
All of his brothers except Benjamin have traveled to Egypt.
And what happens next is Joseph's plan to get all of his brothers in one place.
After reading it, I also think it was a bit of a practical joke, which brothers sometimes play on one another.
He accuses them of being spies, and since he's such a high-ranking official, they can't dispute it.
Then, he throws them in jail for three days.
Hey, I said a bit of a practical joke.
After the three days, he agrees to send all but one back to their father so they can bring the other brother, the youngest, the actual baby of the family - Benjamin, Joseph's brother by his own mother, Rachel - to Egypt.
So the brothers return, all except for Simeon, who stays in the dungeon.
But Jacob, or Israel, refuses, declaring that if this son is lost to him too, he will die.
Reuben tries to convince his father by offering up his own sons' lives if he fails to protect Benjamin, but Jacob isn't going for it.
At first.
But that's more for next time.
So, in today's reading, we learned that God places us right where we need to be, and if we are faithful and obedient to Him, He will prosper us.
God placed Joseph in an elevated position, over his own brothers, so that Joseph could save the entire land of Egypt, but also his kinsmen.
That's powerful.
Sometimes God places us in a position over other people, sometimes even above our own families. Instead of using it against them, we need to use it to be able to help other people.
But remember that God always places us where we need to be, if only we obey His promptings.
Until next time, when I'll be reading Genesis 43-45.
I hope you all had a wonderful morning.
We had a Messianic Rabbi come speak at our church today. It was amazing to hear God's Word along with the original Hebrew words and historical & cultural Jewish context.
It was just amazing.
I wish I could add more historical and cultural context to what I'm reading. I think I'll look for a book on that, and perhaps a Hebrew-English dictionary as well.
If I do, I'll include some of what I research with my posts.
So, today I read Genesis 41-42.
It starts with Pharaoh, who has two dreams. And he calls in all the magicians in the land of Egypt, but no one can explain the dream.
Until the cupbearer remembers Joseph.
When Joseph comes before Pharaoh, freshly washed and shaven, Pharaoh tells him the dreams, and asks if Joseph can interpret them.
Joseph once again points the glory back to God.
Genesis 41:15-16 - And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it." Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer."
So Joseph interprets the dreams, which were a warning from God.
7 years of plenty, followed by 7 years of famine in Egypt. Everywhere, actually.
But because of Joseph, whom Pharaoh then places in charge of everything except his own throne, food is stored away during the 7 years of plenty.
God had Joseph right where he needed to be the entire time.
Not a moment of Joseph's life in Egypt was wasted.
From running Potiphar's household, he had experience for running Pharaoh's affairs.
From his time in prison, he had a witness to his interpretation of dreams, a witness who could bring Joseph to the attention of Pharaoh, for whom Joseph would then interpret dreams sent from God.
God knew exactly where Joseph was, and where he needed to be.
So, now, the famine has come upon the land, not just in Egypt, but everywhere.
And Joseph's brothers hear about Egypt's plenty, and come for grain.
When Joseph sees them, he recognizes them, but they don't recognize him.
All of his brothers except Benjamin have traveled to Egypt.
And what happens next is Joseph's plan to get all of his brothers in one place.
After reading it, I also think it was a bit of a practical joke, which brothers sometimes play on one another.
He accuses them of being spies, and since he's such a high-ranking official, they can't dispute it.
Then, he throws them in jail for three days.
Hey, I said a bit of a practical joke.
After the three days, he agrees to send all but one back to their father so they can bring the other brother, the youngest, the actual baby of the family - Benjamin, Joseph's brother by his own mother, Rachel - to Egypt.
So the brothers return, all except for Simeon, who stays in the dungeon.
But Jacob, or Israel, refuses, declaring that if this son is lost to him too, he will die.
Reuben tries to convince his father by offering up his own sons' lives if he fails to protect Benjamin, but Jacob isn't going for it.
At first.
But that's more for next time.
So, in today's reading, we learned that God places us right where we need to be, and if we are faithful and obedient to Him, He will prosper us.
God placed Joseph in an elevated position, over his own brothers, so that Joseph could save the entire land of Egypt, but also his kinsmen.
That's powerful.
Sometimes God places us in a position over other people, sometimes even above our own families. Instead of using it against them, we need to use it to be able to help other people.
But remember that God always places us where we need to be, if only we obey His promptings.
Until next time, when I'll be reading Genesis 43-45.
Saturday, January 13, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 13: God Remembers
Hello everyone!
Today I read Genesis 38-40.
Now, last time we left off with Joseph's story, but today's reading begins with Judah, one of Joseph's brothers. Since I actually did a post on part of chapter 38, I won't revisit it. You can read the other post if you want.
The next chapter takes us directly into Joseph's life, where he is serving Potiphar. He has been put in charge of the whole of Potiphar's household, and prospered greatly.
But Potiphar's wife is about to mess it all up. She wants Joseph to sleep with her (and you thought the Bible was boring!) but he refuses.
Several times.
Well, the last time, she grabs onto him, and he escapes, but leaves his coat behind.
These coats keep getting Joseph into trouble.
Potiphar's wife screams and accuses Joseph of trying to attack her. He denies it, but Potiphar is so angered at the thought of the betrayal that he throws Joseph into jail.
Which, as it turns out, is where God needs him right now.
Isn't it amazing how God always puts us where we are needed, even if it's not what we originally planned, or somewhere we would have originally chosen to go?
Joseph is faithful to God and His commands, so Joseph prospers in the jail and is put in charge of the prisoners, where he meets Pharaoh's chief baker and chief cupbearer.
They have dreams and need an interpreter.
And Joseph says something I really love.
Genesis 40:8 - ..."Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell it to me, please."
He acknowledges that all of his dream interpreting skills come from God, and then asks them to tell him the dream to see if he can interpret it.
And God gives him the interpretation.
I love reading about the dreams that Joseph interprets. First, they are appealing to my imagination. The visual way they are written down makes my reader's mind happy. Second, they are all powerful dreams.
Powerful!
Sent from God, so that Joseph could gain favor to get where God needed him to be.
But more on that later.
I encourage you to read all of this for yourselves. I won't write the dreams out here, but they are all worth reading.
Basically, the chief cupbearer's dream means that he will be restored to his former position. But the chief baker's dream means that he will be killed.
And it all comes to pass as Joseph interprets.
Now, Joseph asks for one thing from the cupbearer in return for interpreting the dream, which is to remember him to Pharaoh.
But the cupbearer is so caught up in his happiness that he forgets about Joseph.
But God didn't.
The last verse of chapter 40, verse 23, says Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
And that sentence alone is enough to remind me that God does not forget about us.
Joseph went through a lot, but God was always with him. God used the bad to get Joseph where he needed to be. Joseph didn't go through all the bad things for nothing. God had a plan, and it was not a plan to harm Joseph. Rather, God prospers Joseph.
Joseph never loses heart. He always trusts God. And God rewards his faithfulness.
Sometimes it is difficult to believe that God remembers us. When we are stuck in the "dungeon" of our circumstances, it is easier to believe that God has forgotten about us than to believe that He has a plan even for what we are going through.
But He hasn't forgotten us.
And He has a plan. He always does.
Jeremiah 29:11 says 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'Plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'
I love this verse.
Along with this one:
Romans 8:28 - And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.
God plans to prosper us, to give us hope, to give us a future. To work even the baddest of bad things out for our good.
And all He asks of us? Love Him. Obey Him. Believe.
God hasn't forgotten you.
God has a plan for your life.
God will use the bad to prepare you for the good.
Trust Him. And don't stop believing.
Until tomorrow, my dear readers! I'll be reading Genesis 41-42.
Today I read Genesis 38-40.
Now, last time we left off with Joseph's story, but today's reading begins with Judah, one of Joseph's brothers. Since I actually did a post on part of chapter 38, I won't revisit it. You can read the other post if you want.
The next chapter takes us directly into Joseph's life, where he is serving Potiphar. He has been put in charge of the whole of Potiphar's household, and prospered greatly.
But Potiphar's wife is about to mess it all up. She wants Joseph to sleep with her (and you thought the Bible was boring!) but he refuses.
Several times.
Well, the last time, she grabs onto him, and he escapes, but leaves his coat behind.
These coats keep getting Joseph into trouble.
Potiphar's wife screams and accuses Joseph of trying to attack her. He denies it, but Potiphar is so angered at the thought of the betrayal that he throws Joseph into jail.
Which, as it turns out, is where God needs him right now.
Isn't it amazing how God always puts us where we are needed, even if it's not what we originally planned, or somewhere we would have originally chosen to go?
Joseph is faithful to God and His commands, so Joseph prospers in the jail and is put in charge of the prisoners, where he meets Pharaoh's chief baker and chief cupbearer.
They have dreams and need an interpreter.
And Joseph says something I really love.
Genesis 40:8 - ..."Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell it to me, please."
He acknowledges that all of his dream interpreting skills come from God, and then asks them to tell him the dream to see if he can interpret it.
And God gives him the interpretation.
I love reading about the dreams that Joseph interprets. First, they are appealing to my imagination. The visual way they are written down makes my reader's mind happy. Second, they are all powerful dreams.
Powerful!
Sent from God, so that Joseph could gain favor to get where God needed him to be.
But more on that later.
I encourage you to read all of this for yourselves. I won't write the dreams out here, but they are all worth reading.
Basically, the chief cupbearer's dream means that he will be restored to his former position. But the chief baker's dream means that he will be killed.
And it all comes to pass as Joseph interprets.
Now, Joseph asks for one thing from the cupbearer in return for interpreting the dream, which is to remember him to Pharaoh.
But the cupbearer is so caught up in his happiness that he forgets about Joseph.
But God didn't.
The last verse of chapter 40, verse 23, says Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
And that sentence alone is enough to remind me that God does not forget about us.
Joseph went through a lot, but God was always with him. God used the bad to get Joseph where he needed to be. Joseph didn't go through all the bad things for nothing. God had a plan, and it was not a plan to harm Joseph. Rather, God prospers Joseph.
Joseph never loses heart. He always trusts God. And God rewards his faithfulness.
Sometimes it is difficult to believe that God remembers us. When we are stuck in the "dungeon" of our circumstances, it is easier to believe that God has forgotten about us than to believe that He has a plan even for what we are going through.
But He hasn't forgotten us.
And He has a plan. He always does.
Jeremiah 29:11 says 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'Plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'
I love this verse.
Along with this one:
Romans 8:28 - And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.
God plans to prosper us, to give us hope, to give us a future. To work even the baddest of bad things out for our good.
And all He asks of us? Love Him. Obey Him. Believe.
God hasn't forgotten you.
God has a plan for your life.
God will use the bad to prepare you for the good.
Trust Him. And don't stop believing.
Until tomorrow, my dear readers! I'll be reading Genesis 41-42.
Friday, January 12, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 12: Jacob's Sons
Good evening, everyone! Sorry this post is so late. It has been all go around here today. Busy, busy, busy!
First, Jacob moves to Bethel, and God officially renames him Israel, and tells him that he will become the father of a great nation.
So, I actually did the reading this morning, but I ran out of time to do a blog post. Which means that I had all day to think about what I read. Which I didn't do. As I said, busy busy.
Anyway, today I read Genesis 35-37.
And a lot happens in these chapters.
First, Jacob moves to Bethel, and God officially renames him Israel, and tells him that he will become the father of a great nation.
Which makes sense, because Jacob has a lot of kids. Twelve sons and who knows how many daughters.
That's right. I said twelve sons.
Sons of Leah:
Reuben (firstborn)
Simeon
Levi
Judah
Issachar
Zebulun
Sons of Rachel:
Joseph
Benjamin
Sons of Bilhah (Rachel's maid):
Dan
Naphtali
Sons of Zilpah (Leah's maid):
Gad
Asher
Any of these names sound familiar?
What about Joseph?
See, what happens next is a familiar story to most people.
Joseph has these dreams, visions from God, of the future. Later, we learn that Joseph has also been given the gift from God of interpreting dreams. But we aren't there yet. Right now, he's dreaming the dreams.
So, Joseph tells his brothers about these dreams he has about his brothers bowing to him, where he is in an exalted place above them.
And this makes his brothers very angry.
In fact, it makes most of his brothers angry enough to want to kill him.
If not for Reuben (good ol' Reuben), they might have.
See, this is the part of the story I don't remember. According to Genesis 37:21, "But Reuben heard this [their plot to kill Joseph] and rescue him out of their hands and said, 'Let us not take his life.'"
What I remembered was all of his brothers except Benjamin wanting to kill him. But Reuben, the oldest, voted in favor of his younger brother, his father's favorite.
And what Reuben suggests instead is leaving Joseph in a pit until he could return the beloved son to their father.
Oh, did I mention Joseph is Jacob's favorite? No? Oops. That's pretty important. It's also a reason his brothers dislike him so much. Joseph is Jacob's favorite because he was Rachel's firstborn. Remember? Jacob loves Rachel more than Leah, his first wife.
Joseph is so favored by his father, that Jacob gives him a multi-colored (read: valuable) coat.
And so most of his brothers want to kill him. But Reuben talks them out of it. However, before he can rescue Joseph, his brothers sell him into the hands of Midianite traders, who then sell him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh's captain of the guard.
And then Joseph's brothers take a torn multi-colored coat, soaked in the blood of a goat, so Jacob believes his favorite son is dead.
It's not looking good for Joseph, is it?
What I love most about the story of Joseph is how we shouldn't lose hope no matter what happens to us.
But we aren't there yet, so today my focus is on Joseph's dreams.
Some dreams don't mean anything. You ate something weird. You watched a movie. You were thinking about people you miss. And your dream reflects that. But some dreams do mean something. And Joseph knew that his dreams meant something.
And his brothers hated him. But he still told them about the dreams.
Sometimes you may have dreams (literal sleeping dreams or something you carry inside your heart) and others may hate you for them or they may make fun of you or try to talk you out of them like you're crazy. But you know what you know, especially if you seek God in all areas of your life.
God will give you dreams. Don't be afraid of them. You don't have to tell everyone you meet, but don't be afraid to tell some people, even if they don't like your dreams.
God turns all things around for us.
Just wait and see what happens to Joseph.
Tomorrow I'll be reading Genesis 38-40.
I hope this encouraged someone today. If it's not encouraging because of what's happening to Joseph, just wait. His story gets a lot better.
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