Milo

JANUARY 18

Reading 18

GOD’S INTENTIONS Exodus 15:22–19:25

“Although the whole earth is Mine, you will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex. 19:5–6).The Israelites’ discontent and quarreling on the journey toward Sinai demonstrates how far this people was from the holy nation God intended them to become.

Overview

Israel grumbled (15:22–27) and, though God provided meat and manna (16:1–36), the people tested God (17:1–7). Yet God gave a military victory (vv. 8–16), and Moses shared responsibility for settling disputes (18:1–27). They arrived at Sinai, where God displayed His holiness and announced His intention to make this unresponsive people a holy nation (19:1–25).

Understanding the Text

“The people grumbled against Moses” Ex. 15:22–25. The euphoria of the Egyptian defeat quickly disappeared when, three days into the desert, only bitter, alkaline water was found. Moses prayed to God, who showed him how to make the water sweet. The incident established a pattern that was repeated on the journey to Sinai. (1) Something causes dissatisfaction. (2) The people mutter against Moses and God. (3) God responds graciously and provides what the people need or want. (4) Rather than being thankful, the people become more dissatisfied and more rebellious (see also 16:1–12; 17:1–7). Some time ago “permissive” child-rearing was popular. The theory was, let the child do what he wants, and his natural beauty will unfold as the petals of a flower. The only problem was that permissive child-rearing produced selfish, unproductive, and dissatisfied adults, just as the permissiveness that God displayed during the three-month journey to Sinai allowed the Israelites to become more dissatisfied and more rebellious. Grace without responsibility, like love without discipline, doesn’t promote holiness. The behavior of the Israelites on the journey to Sinai shows us why God found it necessary to introduce the Law. The Law, with its clear standards, served to make the Israelites responsible for their actions, and provided God with a basis on which He could discipline when His people did wrong. Today God does deal with us in grace. But He is too wise and too loving to give us everything we want or think we need. God continues to discipline Christians, not to punish but to guide us. Hebrews 12:10 says He “disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness.” “If you pay attention” Ex. 15:26–27. The principle of reward for obedience introduced here is valid in every age. But the specific promise—that obedience would preserve from disease—was made to Israel rather than you and me. Paul’s experience (2 Cor 12:1–10) shows us that Christians are not guaranteed healing and that God can use physical illness to accomplish spiritual purposes in our lives. “Manna and quail” Ex. 16:1–36. Some suggest that manna was really the excretion of a desert plant, the tamarisk tree, which drops to the ground and hardens into a sweet substance. Manna, however, was the product of a miracle. Enough was produced to feed millions; it was available everywhere the people went for some 40 years; it appeared only six days a week. And, unlike the product of the tamarisk, manna bred worms when kept overnight, melted, was white in color, and could be made into cakes. In Scripture, manna serves as a symbol of God’s provision. The Lord knows our basic needs and He acts to meet them. “Each one gathered as much as he needed” Ex. 16:18. It is significant that manna did not appear in the pot, but on the ground, where people had to gather it. God provides, but He expects us to work for what we get. It’s significant that manna appeared daily. Jesus taught His disciples to petition God for their “daily” bread. God meets our needs day by day, so that we will continue to depend on Him. If God put $10 million in our bank accounts, we would have “lifelong” bread, and would have no need to look to the Lord daily. Jesus wants His disciples to remain dependent on God, so we will seek Him daily and nurture our relationship with the Lord daily. “Put the Lord to the test” Ex. 17:1–7. God’s presence was visible to Israel in the cloudy-fiery pillar that led them, and in the manna that appeared daily. Yet when the people camped where there was no water, they accused Moses of trying to kill them and were “almost ready to stone” him. God provided water. But Moses gave the name Massah (“testing”) to that place because the people questioned whether God was with them or not. When troubles come, it’s natural to wonder where God is. But we must guard against the unbelief displayed by Israel at Massah. How? By making it a practice to rehearse all the good things God has done and is doing for us. Rather than focus on the problem, we need to focus our attention on the Lord. “Now I know” Ex. 18:1–12. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came to Sinai to meet Moses. When Moses told him what the Lord had done in Egypt, and how the Lord had saved Israel on their journey to Sinai, Jethro praised God and said, “Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods.” Sitting with friends or relatives and simply telling what God has done in our lives is still the best way to share the Lord with others. “If . . . God so commands” Ex. 18:13–27. Jethro advised Moses to distribute responsibility for settling any disputes that arose. But Jethro was careful to recognize God’s lordship when giving his advice. He expected Moses to check with the Lord to confirm the wisdom of what he said. We need to have this attitude when giving or receiving advice. However wise we feel our advice may be, it’s important to urge others to bring that advice to God before acting on it. And when we are given advice, no matter how good, we need to seek confirmation from God before we act. “You cannot handle it alone” Ex. 18:17–27. This chapter is often cited as evidence for “organization” in the church. It’s better to see it as a word to workaholics. One of the most popular speakers on Christian radio in the ’80s is a workaholic, bringing home not briefcases but boxes of work to do on weekends and holidays. He urges listeners to give priority to their families, but his ministry has crowded his own family out of his life. Like Moses, he needs to be reminded that there are “capable men” who “fear God” and are “trustworthy” nearby. Delegating responsibility today as in Old Testament times is not only wise, it is right. “In front of the mountain” Ex. 19:1–25. God’s display of power at Mount Sinai is later described as a “consuming fire on top of the mountain” (24:17). It was intended to inspire awe and fear, and to communicate something of the holiness of Israel’s God. Only Moses would go up into the thunder and constantly flashing lightning that shrouded the mountaintop. Hebrews 12:18 describes the mountain as “burning with fire . . . [a vision of] darkness, gloom, and storm.” It was so terrifying that even Moses said, “I am trembling with fear” (v. 21). While Christians come directly to God through a loving Christ, something important about the nature of God was communicated at Sinai. Hebrews reminds us that we are to “worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (vv. 28–29).

DEVOTIONAL

My Treasured Possession (Ex. 19:3–6)

It’s all too easy in reading these chapters to focus on the obvious flaws in Israel’s character. The people were ungrateful. They were rebellious. They were mean-spirited and hostile. They were selfish and petty. Perhaps a good way to sum it up is that they were the kind of folks who, if you had them as neighbors, would make you want to put your house up for sale. Yesterday. Yet God delivered this people from Egypt and “brought you to Myself” (v. 4). God even says that He chose this people, “out of all nations,” to be His treasured possession. The Hebrew word here is significant. Segullah means “valued property,” “personal possession,” or “private treasure.” God looked over the whole earth, and selected Israel to “be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (v. 6). These few verses remind us of wonderful things about our God. Like the diamond miner who picks up a rough and dull stone and shouts with delight, God delights in unlovely people. He knows what precious gems, through His shaping and polishing, sinners can become. It’s hard for you and me to have this delight in unlovely people. We tend to see only the rough spots, the dull and lifeless form. When we find ourselves placed next to people who are like members of the Exodus generation, we want to get up and move. What we need to do is ask God to share His perspective with us. We need to see in the least lovely, someone who can be God’s own treasured possession. Someone whom God can transform and make beautiful. Someone who can join God’s kingdom of priests and become a holy citizen of the holy nation He intends to create.

Personal Application

The first step in developing God’s perspective is to pray daily for unlovely others.

Quotable

Since I dislike you, how can I then fulfill the law of love? Your speech, your ways, your very image in my eye, These all revolt me . . . (and it is little help that I am sure you care no whit the more for me!) Thus battle head and heart, the one rever berant with pique, The other incandescent in the light of love. But both, I think, must surely be of God, and so an acrid lesson says That head must love whom heart insists it cannot like. God help me try!-Samuel J. Miller

JANUARY 17

Reading 17

GOD’S VICTORY

Exodus 12:1–15:21 “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today” Ex. 14:13.

The great celebration of Passover calls every Jewish family together to participate in an annual reminder of the deliverance God brought their forefathers in Egypt. The story told in these chapters portrays God’s final victory over the gods of Egypt, Israel’s passage through the Red Sea, and Israel’s song of praise.

Definition of Key Terms

Passover.

Passover is (1) a historic event, and (2) an annual Jewish festival commemorating the event. On the first Passover, a lamb, which had been taken into the home for three days, was killed and its blood was sprinkled outside on the doorposts. The meat was roasted and the lamb was eaten by the family the night God took the lives of Egypt’s firstborn. The highlight of the annual festival is a commemorative meal shared by members of a Jewish household. Eating this meal was to be “a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants” (Ex. 12:24). The purpose of the meal is to enable all generations to participate in what God did for their forefathers. In a real way, that first Passover won freedom from slavery not just for one generation of Jews, but for all generations to follow. Deuteronomy 16:2, 5–7 establishes Passover as a national as well as a family celebration, to be marked by an entire week of sacrifice and public rejoicing. The meal that Jesus shared with His disciples the evening before His crucifixion was Passover (cf. Matt. 26; Mark 14; Luke 22; John 13:1). The writers of the epistles see the Passover lamb as a symbol of Jesus, who was “sacrificed for us” and whose blood frees us from bondage to sin and death (cf. John 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7).

Overview

Lambs’ blood on the Israelites’ doorframes protected them the night God took the life of every firstborn in Egypt (12:1–30). The next morning God’s people left the land of their captivity (vv. 31–51). Israel’s firstborn were set aside for God in honor of the Exodus deliverance (13:1–16). Israel passed safely through the Red Sea (v. 17–14:31), and Miriam led the women in singing a song of praise to God for His commitment to His people (15:1–21). Yet within three days the Israelites questioned God’s commitment to them (vv. 22–27).

Understanding the Text“

For the generations to come you shall celebrate it” Ex. 12:1–30. Passover is the first of several annual religious festivals ordained by God. Passover is Israel’s celebration of freedom: a yearly reminder of the God who exercised His power to tear a slave people from the grip of oppressive masters. It’s not enough to think now and then of what God has done for us. We need to set aside regular times to remember. Celebrating God’s work in and for us is as important now as celebrating Passover was for the Jewish people. “Unleavened bread” Ex. 12:17. This is bread which has not had an opportunity to rise. No leaven or other fermenting agent is permitted in unleavened bread. Modern Jews use the cracker-like matzos during the week-long Passover festival. The bread, like the Passover meal, serves as a reminder, for the Israelites left Egypt in such a hurry that there was no time to let bread rise. “Hurry and leave” Ex. 12:31–51. When Pharaoh realized that all Egypt’s firstborn had been struck dead, he urged the Hebrews to leave. The general population was so eager to have them depart that they “loaned” Israel whatever gold or silver or clothing they asked for. There would be nothing to spend such wealth on in the desert. But later the people of Israel donated much of this wealth to be used in making the tabernacle, Israel’s portable house of worship. “Consecrate to Me every firstborn male” Ex. 13:1. The celebration of freedom is closely linked with a fresh sense of Israel’s obligation. Because God spared Israel’s firstborn, all future firstborn would belong to Him! You and I are given a freedom won at the cost of Christ’s blood. It is appropriate that, since He gave Himself for us, we should give ourselves to Him. When we remember what God has done for us, we are motivated to ask what we can do for God. It is important never to invert this order. We try to please God in order to obligate Him to us. Instead we are already obligated to Him for our salvation! Good can express love for the God who has saved us, but can never serve as a bribe to win God’s favor. “A pillar of fire” Ex. 14:1–31. God supernaturally guided Israel through the appearance of a cloudy-fiery pillar that either moved ahead of them or stood waiting over the camp. The Israelites had a clear, visible, and unmistakable indication of what God wanted them to do. Despite such a clear indication, the Israelites were terrified when the pillar led them into what appeared to be a trap on the edge of a large body of water. (No one is sure what that body of water was, as the Hebrew reads yom suph, generally understood as “reed sea.”) Desperate circumstances led Moses to reassure Israel. He called on them to stand firm and watch to see what the Lord would do. We may find ourselves in desperate circumstances at times. When we do, we too need to stand firm, and expect God to act. Moses’ faith was not displaced. The waters which parted to let Israel through rolled over the Egyptian army, killing every soldier. Circumstances need not create fear, or even make us waver. Certainly no circumstances should cause panic as long as we have sought and tried to follow God’s leading. He remains able to make us a path through the sea. “Who among the gods is like You, O Lord?” Ex. 15:11 The deliverance stimulated Moses to write a song. The song, which reviewed what God had done, was intended as a teaching tool and instrument of praise. Music can serve us in much the same way. The tune of a familiar hymn, or its words recalled during a difficult day, remind us of God’s presence and His power.

DEVOTIONAL

Celebrate with Song(Ex. 15:1–16)

Our nine-year-old, Sarah, is already picking up the tunes and words of popular music. We have to be careful about the artists she listens to and the words she hears. Somehow thoughts set to music find their way easily into the heart and mind. That’s one reason why we’re so pleased Sarah is in the children’s choir at church. She sings the music she’s learning there around our house, and the words of Christian songs too are finding a home in her heart. The song that Moses wrote, recorded here in this passage, picks up three aspects of the kind of music we should choose to hear. Moses’ song celebrates what God has done. We see this theme in verses 1–10. Like a warrior, majestic in his power, God acted to hurl Pharaoh’s chariots and army into the sea. Moses’ song celebrates who God is. We see this in verse 11. God is majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders. Moses’ song celebrates what God will do for His believing people. This God who has worked so powerfully in the past will “lead the people You have redeemed.” He will continue to use His power until “You bring them in and plant them on the mountain of Your inheritance.” You and I can decide to fill our homes and our thoughts with tunes that celebrate what God has done, who He is, and what He will surely do for us. This is one of the most important things we can do for our children as well as for our own spiritual growth and peace of mind.

Personal Application

Check out the Christian music available in your local Christian bookstore.

Quotable

“If anyone would tell you the shortest, surest way to all happiness and all perfection, he must tell you to make a rule to yourself to thank and praise God for everything that happens to you. It is certain that whatever seeming calamity happens to you, if you thank and praise God for it, you turn it into a blessing. If you could work miracles, therefore, you could not do more for yourself than by this thankful spirit. It heals and turns all that it touches into happiness.”—William Law

JANUARY 16

Reading 16

GOD REVEALS HIS POWER

Exodus 5–11“Who is the Lord, that I should obey Him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go” (Ex. 5:2).In ancient times a nation’s gods were credited with its successes. The more powerful the nation, the greater its gods seemed to be. But in these chapters the God of Israelite slaves—our God!—is shown to be far more powerful than the gods of the greatest nation then on earth.

Definition of Key Terms

Miracles. The Hebrew words used to describe the plagues God brought on Egypt mean “wonder” and “miraculous sign.” Most of the 10 plagues were natural disasters that had occurred at some time in Egypt. However, three things unmistakably marked them off as miraculous: (1) Their intensity. The disasters were far greater than normal. (2) Their timing. The disasters came and left at Moses’ command. (3) Their subject. Several of the disasters occurred only in Egyptian districts, leaving areas occupied by the Israelites untouched. Whether God used natural forces to bring the judgments or not, the Egyptians who suffered under them were forced to acknowledge the power of Israel’s God.

Overview

Pharaoh rejected Moses’ demand and increased the work required of his Israelite slaves (5:1–21). God promised to act to redeem His people (v. 22–7:5). God’s power was unleashed in a series of nine miracles which struck Egypt, devastating that land (v. 6–10:29). The final, decisive plague took the life of every firstborn male in Egypt (11:1–10).

Understanding the Text

Pharaoh’s hard heart. These chapters speak often of the “hard” condition of Pharaoh’s heart. The image suggests stubborn resistance to God. The biblical text speaks of Pharaoh hardening his heart (8:15), of God hardening Pharaoh’s heart (7:3), and of his heart hardening (vv. 14, 22). To understand, we need simply to ask, What did God do to harden Pharaoh’s heart? The answer is that God revealed His power more and more fully. God hardened Pharaoh’s heart in the same way that the hot sun hardens bricks. God did not harden Pharaoh’s heart against Pharaoh’s will. If Pharaoh’s heart had been like wax rather than clay, it would have softened rather than hardened when God revealed Himself more fully. If our hearts are like wax, we will respond to God as He speaks to us. If our hearts are like clay, we will be as Pharaoh. The more God speaks to us, the harder we will become until finally God is forced to break us. “Make the work harder” Ex. 5:1–21. Moses’ request that Pharaoh release Israel for a temporary pilgrimage was scornfully rejected by Pharaoh, who ridiculed the God of slaves (v. 2). He ordered that the slaves’ quota of bricks be maintained, but that they be forced to gather the straw that earlier had been provided. Chopped straw was added to the mud used in making brick. The chemicals in the straw created a harder, longer-lasting brick. The response stunned the Israelites and Moses. They had expected an easy victory because God was on their side! When no easy victory occurred, the people became angry with Moses and Aaron (v. 21). We have to guard against unrealistic expectations. Psalm 37:7 says, “Do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” Rather than panic when this occurs, we are to “be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for Him” (v. 7). “Their secret arts” Ex. 6:28–7:24. When Moses showed Pharaoh the authenticating signs God had given him, Egyptian magicians duplicated them. Some suggest the Egyptian magicians used trickery. Snake charmers even today cause cobras to become stiff by pressing on a nerve in their necks. They then throw them on the ground to arouse them. Others believe that the “secret arts” of Egypt’s magicians was actual magic, performed with demonic aid. In this case the confrontation between Moses and Egypt’s magicians was a true test of supernatural resources. It doesn’t really matter. Soon God began to perform such powerful acts that even Egypt’s magicians told Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God” (8:19). Today too human beings attempt to duplicate God’s works. Hospitals promise cures for substance abuse. Psychiatrists offer freedom to the guilt-ridden. In certain cases they even seem to succeed! Yet true release from every dependency, and life-transforming forgiveness, remain a work of God. Pharaoh was unwilling to see the difference between what his magicians could do and what God could do. We need to be aware of that difference, and depend on the “finger of God.” The Ten Plagues

The Nile turned to blood	7:14–24
Frogs infest the land	8:1–15
Gnats fill Egypt	8:16–19
Flies swarm Egyptian districts	8:20–32
Anthrax devastates Egypt’s cattle	9:1–7
Boils fester on all Egyptians	9:8–12
Hail crushes Egyptian crops	9:13–35
Locusts devour all vegetation	10:1–20
Darkness falls on Egyptians	10:21–29
Firstborn males of Egypt die	11:1–10

The devastating plagues the Lord caused were a judgment on Egypt’s gods (Ex. 9:27, 34), some of which are shown here. God’s plagues were directed against the Nile god, whose waters killed rather than sustained life (7:14–24); the goddess of birth, Heqt, whose symbolic frogs became rotting heaps of death (8:1–15); and the sun god, Ra, whose impotence was shown as God imposed three days of absolute darkness (10:21–29). “I will deal differently with the land of Goshen” Ex. 8:22. A distinctive feature of several of the plagues is that they fell only on districts occupied by the Egyptians. Hebrew districts were immune. This clearly demonstrated the miraculous nature of the plagues. It also made it clear to the Israelites that they truly were God’s special people. “Those . . . who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside” Ex. 9:20. The verse reminds us that the Egyptians did not, as some have suggested, suffer innocently for the sin of Pharaoh. They participated, as taskmasters and in other ways, in the oppression of Israel. No one who sees evil and stands silent is guiltless. Even so, God published Moses’ decrees of judgment so that those who came to respect the God of slaves could protect their possessions. God is good to the guilty, gracious to all those who respond to His word. “This time I have sinned” Ex. 9:27. When I last talked with Charlie he was lying in a hospital bed with two broken legs. He’d been lying drunk in a Brooklyn gutter and been run over by a truck. Charlie was like Pharaoh. When things went against him, he vocally turned to God. But as soon as the trouble disappeared, there he was, back in the gutter again. Pharaoh was a deathbed convert. When he was in trouble, he asked for prayer. But when each plague was lifted, Pharaoh went back to his old ways. It’s worthwhile to underline what Pharaoh said in each confrontation with Moses, and note that each expression of repentance was worthless. How do we know? We understand what was in his heart by observing what he did when each plague was removed. Talk is still cheap. Words of repentance, without a change in life, are as empty as Pharaoh’s promises. “Every firstborn son in Egypt will die” Ex. 11:1–10. In the biblical world the firstborn son was special. He was expected to guide the family in the next generation, and he was the one through whom the family name would be preserved. Inheritance laws reflect the importance of the firstborn son: he received at least twice the portion of the other sons in the family. Thus the death of every firstborn in Egypt was a stunning loss. Only this final, devastating plague would at last force Pharaoh to release his slaves. We might view the plagues on Egypt as a series of increasingly painful punishments. If Pharaoh had relented at any stage, he could have avoided the more serious troubles that followed. Because Pharaoh remained hard, however, the ultimate penalty was finally imposed. God’s judgments are often gracious in exactly this way. They become more severe only as we continue to resist Him. When we sense the disciplining hand of God, it’s wise to surrender immediately. Why should God have to strike what is dearest to us before we respond?

DEVOTIONAL

God’s Mighty Hand (Ex. 5:22–6:27)

When Pharaoh increased the burden on the Israelites, Moses was as upset as the people. But his response in the situation was more spiritual. He didn’t blame others. Instead Moses went to God to express his anger and his confusion. We can sense both emotions in Moses’ prayer. “O Lord, why have You brought trouble upon this people? Is this why You sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and You have not rescued Your people at all.” It is wrong to blame others when things go wrong. It is not wrong to speak freely to the Lord. In expressing his emotions, Moses showed that he was willing to be totally honest with himself and with the Lord. And in coming to God, Moses acknowledged the Lord’s sovereignty and power. Moses did not question whether God could rescue Israel. He cried out in frustration, questioning, “Why not yet?” You and I, who believe in God, will feel the same anger and frustration that Moses knew at times. Such feelings need not suggest a lack of trust. But they do raise the question of timing. Why not yet? God gives Moses his answer in 6:1–8. God will deliver with “mighty acts of judgment” so that “you will know that I am the Lord your God.” When our victories are easy, it’s all too likely we will lose sight of God. But when all is so dark and hopeless that we are about to give up, and then deliverance suddenly appears, we know what happened is of the Lord. Often God delays deliverance, not because He wants us to go on suffering, but because He wants us to recognize His hand when He acts.

Personal Application

How does Moses’ experience speak to your own frustrations and anger?

Quotable

“You will hear men say that people ’in olden times’ believed in miracles ’because they didn’t know the laws of Nature.’ A moment’s thought shows this to be nonsense. If events were not known to be contrary to the laws of nature how could they suggest the presence of the supernatural? How could they be surprising unless they were seen to be exceptions to the rules? And how can anything be seen to be an exception till the rules are known? If there ever were men who did not know the laws of nature at all, they would have no idea of a miracle and feel no particular interest in one if it were performed. Belief in miracles, far from depending on an ignorance of the laws of nature, is only possible in so far as those laws are known.”—C.S. Lewis

Exodus

JANUARY 15

Reading 15

GOD REVEALED TO MOSES

Exodus 1–4 “This is My name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation” (Ex. 3:15).In these chapters we meet Moses. But most important, in these chapters we meet God, and learn His most personal name, I AM.

Overview

The Israelites multiplied in Egypt, but were enslaved (1:1–22). Moses was found and adopted by a princess (2:1–10), but as an adult he identified with his people and was forced to flee (vv. 11–25). When Moses was 80 years old, God revealed Himself to Moses as I AM. Bearing the divine name, Moses was sent to Pharaoh to win Israel’s freedom (3:1–22). Equipped with miraculous signs, a reluctant Moses returned to his people (4:1–31).

Understanding the Text

“The Israelites . . . multiplied greatly” Ex. 1:1–7. A family of 70 persons entered Egypt. Based on the number of men of military age reported in Numbers 1:46, there must have been between 2 and 3 million Israelites at the time of the Exodus! “Multiplied greatly” suggests God’s reason for Israel’s sojourn in Egypt. Canaan served as a land bridge between Egypt and great northern empires. Armies marched across it and fought in its hills and valleys. If the Israelites had remained in Canaan, they could never have grown the population base needed to establish a nation. “They put slave masters over them” Ex. 1:8–22. Initially the Israelites enjoyed a favored position in Egypt. They were settled in “the best part of the land” and many were employed by Pharaoh himself (cf. Gen. 47:5–6). Some time after Joseph’s death, however, the Israelites were enslaved. This passage emphasizes the terrible conditions under which God’s people were forced to live. Words and phrases like “oppress,” “forced labor,” “worked ruthlessly,” and “lives bitter with hard labor” are used. The ultimate oppression is seen in Pharaoh’s command that Hebrew boy babies be thrown into the Nile to drown! The Israelites’ situation in Egypt is intended to mirror the spiritual condition of the human race. As Israel was in bondage to Egypt, so all humanity is in bondage to sin. Only the miracle-working power of God, which forced Israel’s release, can break the bonds forged by sin and make us truly free. Moses Ex. 2:10. Moses is the dominant figure in Exodus and the next three Old Testament books. He was 80 years old when God commissioned him to deliver the Israelites, and he led God’s people for 40 years. We can learn much from Moses’ life, and will do so as we read Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The New Testament says Moses was “faithful as a servant in all God’s house” (Heb. 3:5). We can discover much about faithfulness in such revealing stories about Moses as are told in Exodus 32–33, Numbers 12, 16, and 21. “He became her son” Ex. 2:1–10. This simple phrase reminds us that Moses, found by a princess, was adopted into Egypt’s royal family. As the princess’ son, Moses may even have had a claim to Egypt’s throne! Stephen repeated an accurate oral tradition when he said that “Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action” (Acts 7:22). Despite his advantages, Moses identified with his oppressed people and their God. Hebrews 11:24–25 says that “by faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.” This surely is one source of Moses’ greatness. His priorities were not shaped by wealth or privilege. He truly cared about God and about God’s people. “He killed the Egyptian” Ex. 2:11–24. Despite Moses’ concern for his people, he apparently wavered until he was 40 years old. Then when Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew he first glanced “this way and that and seeing no one” he then killed the Egyptian (v. 12). Moses was unready to take a public stand with the Hebrews, or to lead a slave uprising. We can sympathize with Moses. How can anyone represent an oppressed people to their oppressors? Still, when even righteous anger is expressed in hostile acts, little is accomplished. “Who am I?” Ex. 3:1–22 When God spoke to Moses from a bush that burned without being consumed, the 80-year-old seemed a very different person from the angry firebrand of age 40. Four decades of life in the desert had humbled Moses. The one-time prince of Egypt who dreamed great dreams had learned his limitations. When God said, “I am sending you to Pharaoh,” Moses replied, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” The rest of the passage, which reports Moses’ dialogue with the Lord, shows how hesitant Moses was. Moses brought up difficulty after difficulty—a pattern that continues into Exodus 4 despite God’s repeated promises to be with Moses and bring him success. Again we can identify with Moses. As we grow older, and discover our limitations, the dreams of youth fade away. We won’t be famous. Or rich. Or find the cure for cancer. Or become a well-known evangelist. As our early self-image shrinks, we find ourselves less willing to risk. Instead of opportunities we see problems. Instead of trying, we think of all the reasons why we are sure to fail. This is what happened to Moses. Even promises from God weren’t quite enough to change a view that had developed over 40 years of failure. Yet in a sense it was Moses’ awareness of his weaknesses that made him suitable for God’s purpose! Moses had finally realized that there was nothing he could do. Now all Moses needed to learn was that God can do anything! It’s the same with you and me. It’s healthy to acknowledge our weaknesses. But we need not dwell on them. What we really need to do is to fix our eyes on the Lord, and remember that there is nothing too hard for Him. Any task God may call you or me to do is a task that He can accomplish through us. “What is that in your hand?” Ex. 4:1–9 Moses continued to object, focusing on his weaknesses rather than on God’s strength. Finally the Lord gave him three miraculous signs to serve as evidence to the Israelites that God truly had sent Moses. The signs weren’t spectacular. And God chose simple things—the shepherd’s staff Moses carried. His own hand. Water from the river. But what strikes me as special is the phrase “in your hand.” God took what Moses already had and transformed it. We may not perform miracles. But God still takes what we have at hand and uses it to convince others that He is real. “I will harden his heart” Ex. 4:18–23. Earlier God had given Moses repeated promises. Now He gives Moses a warning. Why? Sometimes human beings misunderstand the promises of God. We assume that God will make our lives easy and remove all the obstacles in our path. But God’s promises never imply that! Instead the promises of God express His commitment to be with us and help us when the obstacles are greatest! It is only in facing, and living through, pain and tragedy that we experience God’s faithfulness. “The Lord . . . was about to kill him” Ex. 4:24–26. This puzzling event teaches an important lesson. Centuries before, God had commanded that male descendants of Abraham should be circumcised as a sign of their membership in the covenant community (Gen. 17:9–14). Moses had not yet circumcised his own sons. It seems likely Zipporah, his wife, had objected, for when Moses was taken deathly ill she apparently knew the reason, and acted immediately to circumcise her two boys. Her subsequent anger (Ex. 4:25) suggests she had been against the rite. But why was it so important that Moses’ sons be circumcised? Because Moses was to be a leader. A spiritual leader in any era must himself be obedient to God. If we are to be used by God, we must first be responsive to Him. “And they believed” Ex. 4:27–31. The Israelites welcomed Moses and believed his promise of deliverance. It must have been encouraging to Moses. But this early response, as is often the case, would soon turn into angry accusations as things didn’t work out as the people of God expected. Faith that counts is faith that persists, even when things seem to go wrong.

DEVOTIONAL

God Reveals Himself (Ex. 3)

When Moses held back, fearful, on the doorstep of commitment, God told Moses His name. In biblical times names had meaning. They were intended to convey something of the identity, the essence, of the thing or person named. So when God told Moses the name by which He was to be known “forever”—the name “by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation” (v. 15)-that revelation was significant. The name the Lord revealed was “I AM.” We know it as Jehovah or Yahweh. Wherever most English versions have Lord, the Hebrew reads “I AM.” That name is constructed on the Hebrew verb “to be,” and is best taken to mean “The God Who Is Always Present.” God, who was with Abraham centuries before, was present with Moses and the Exodus generation. God, who delivered them then, would be present with every coming generation as well! In the past, in the present, and in the future, GOD IS! He who was with Moses is with you and me even today. These Exodus chapters help us see why this name of God is so important. When Moses hesitated to respond to the Lord, God gave him a series of promises. Note each of these in the text. “I will be with you” (v. 12). “The elders of Israel will listen to you” (v. 18). “I will stretch out My hand . . . and [perform] wonders” (v. 20). “I will help you speak and teach you what to say” (4:12). How could Moses know that God would keep His promises? The name told him. God is the great I AM. Because He is always present with His people, God is able to fulfill in our present every promise He made in our past. When God told Moses “this is My name forever,” God was speaking to you and me as well as to His prophet. God truly is The One Who Is Always Present. He is with you today. He will be with you tomorrow. And because God IS, every promise He has made us in Christ will surely be fulfilled.

Personal Application

Is there a time or situation in which you need to hold on to the fact that God IS, and that He is present with you?

Quotable

“If I could give you information on my life it would be to show how a woman of very ordinary ability has been led by God in strange and unaccustomed paths to do in His service what He has done in her. And if I could tell you all, you would see how God has done all, and I nothing. I have worked hard, very hard, that is all; and I have never refused God anything.”—Florence Nightingale

Exodus

INTRODUCTION

Exodus means “going out.” The book tells the story of the Israelites’ release from bondage in Egypt about 1450 B.C. Exodus tells how God, faithful to the covenant promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, performed miracles to shatter the bonds holding His people. The fast-paced adventure moves quickly to Sinai. Here Exodus lingers, and in careful detail explores the Law that God gave His people to live by. This code was intended to teach the Israelites how to love God and how to love one another. Exodus also introduces Moses, that towering Old Testament character who is revered in Judaism as the lawgiver, and whose faithfulness to God serves as a model for modern Christian laymen and leaders. Most significant, however, is what Exodus reveals about God. God uses His power to redeem His people. God demands holiness from those who claim relationship with Him. And God provides a way for sinners to approach Him and be transformed.

OUTLINE OF CONTENTS

I.	The Story of Deliverance	Ex. 1–19
	A. Moses’ call	Ex. 1–4
	B. Miracles	Ex. 5–13
	C. On to Sinai	Ex. 14–19
II.	God’s Design for a Holy Community	Ex. 20–40
	A. Laws for living	Ex. 20–23
	B. Provision for worship	Ex. 24–40