Mark - Exodus 37

I agree with Jordan with regard to the minute detail that is the make up of the last few chapters.
There is so much information that I'm in overload. The significance of God's Word which is bestowed on the Israelites is of greater importance in my eyes than the vessel that is to house it. Reading the Old Testament has given me a better apprecation for the New Testament.

Jordan - Exodus 37

What do I do with all of these details?  Its hard to take the elaborate description of a box and find meaning.  Today though, I find meaning not in the words themselves, but that someone is dedicating their talents to create this beautiful vessel.  Bezalel, Oholiab and all of those skilled people are a testament to us that we do not need to give material things to God to express our joy, but we can use our talents to create things that glorify God.  Some of us are givers, some are creators, some are doers and others just listen to those who need an ear or hug the person who needs a hug.  A lot of us are more than one!  Praise be to God!

No more offerings!

What?!?

"The people kept on bringing in their freewill offerings, morning after morning."

"The people are bringing more than enough for doing this work that God has commanded us to do!"

"The people were ordered to stop bringing offerings!"

Close your eyes and think of the day when we will be talking more about mission and less about money.

Look at the calendar in your mind. What is the date?

Today we will propose a $16,000 deficit budget. Do we have it within us to make that a balanced budget this year?

After two years, we will be used to each other and could be freed to focus on what God is trying to do in and through us.

Let's unite and move in that direction, God willing.

Time, talent, treasure, and touch

Moses walked out of Egypt with nearly 2 million followers. Even with 3,000 killed and the occasional plague, this was the biggest congregation ever.

Why did they take the Sabbath so seriously? Because God keeps bringing it up.

"Work six days, but the seventh day will be a holy rest day, God's holy rest day. Anyone who works on this day must be put to death."

The threat of death helps too.

This is the part that interests me more: "Receive on God's behalf what everyone is willing to give as an offering."

Time, talent, treasure, and touch.

"Everyone whose heart was roused, whose spirit was freely responsive, brought offerings to God."

Did everyone bring offerings? No. But everyone whose spirit was stirred gave whatever they could. And it was enough.

I hope to see everyone at our annual meeting tomorrow after late service. We are celebrating Ahnna's baptism tomorrow, Bunnie's life on Monday, and Pauline's wedding on Saturday. Perfect opportunities for the ministry of touch.

Shine!

"When Moses came down from Mount Sinai carrying the two Tablets of The Testimony, he didn't know that the skin of his face glowed because he had been speaking with God. Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, saw his radiant face, and held back, afraid to get close to him. Moses called out to them. Aaron and the leaders in the community came back and Moses talked with them. When Moses finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face, but when he went into the presence of God to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. When he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they would see Moses' face, its skin glowing, and then he would again put the veil on his face until he went back in to speak with God."

Why the veil, Moses? Couldn't Aaron and the others take it?

This Scripture makes me think of these Newsboys lyrics:
Dull as dirt
You can't assert the kind of light
That might persuade
A strict dictator to retire
Fire the army
Teach the poor origami
The truth is in
The proof is when
You hear your heart start asking,
"What's my motivation?"

And try as you may, there isn't a way
To explain the kind of change
That would make an Eskimo renounce fur
That would make a vegetarian barbecue hamster
Unless you can trace this about-face
To a certain sign...

[Chorus]
Shine
Make 'em wonder what you've got
Make 'em wish that they were not
On the outside looking bored
Shine
Let it shine before all men
Let'em see good works, and then
Let 'em glorify the Lord

Out of the shaker and onto the plate
It isn't Karma
It sure ain't fate
That would make a Deadhead sell his van
That would make a schizophrenic turn in his crayons
Oprah freaks
And science seeks a rationale
That shall excuse
This strange behavior

When you let it shine
You will inspire
The kind of entire turnaround
That would make a bouncer take ballet
(even bouncers who aren't happy)
But out of the glare
With nowhere to turn
You ain't gonna learn it on "What's My Line?"

Shine!

Jordan - Exodus 32

There is always a tendency to turn to the shiny object and the "what have you done for me lately" attitude is nothing new!  Moses disappears for 40 days up a mountain and the people begin to figure out how to entertain themselves.  What better than a bright and shiny golden calf to get their attenton away from the fact they are homeless and in the wilderness?  Without Moses speaking for God and without ever seeing or hearin God themselves, could it be that this calf really is the God that brought them out of Egypt.  And hey, this calf can be seen and touched!

They pay a huge price for their lack of faith.  Moses sends the Levites againt their own people and kills 3000.  And God is fuming and will unleash more at a time unannounced.  Does the punishment fit the crime?  Mobs of unguided people aren't very smart and what is Aaron's punishment for leadingthem down this path?

Mark - Exodus 32

It didn't take long for the Israelites to defy God in the most significant of ways. The Lord has been their rescuer and how quickly they forget. Furthermore Aaron takes no responsibility for his role in this god creation and worship,(v24)...'Bring me your gold earrings.' So they brought them to me and I threw them into the fire, and ...well... this calf came out!" It's a wonder God didn't decide to start over again after such an unforgiving show of disrespect for His power by doing away with all of them. His wisdom shows itself once again and His people will be given the opportunity to move forward but not without punishment.

We are his people!

"God spoke to Moses: "Tell the Israelites, 'Above all, keep my Sabbaths, the sign between me and you, generation after generation, to keep the knowledge alive that I am the God who makes you holy. Keep the Sabbath; it's holy to you. Whoever profanes it will most certainly be put to death. Whoever works on it will be excommunicated from the people. There are six days for work but the seventh day is Sabbath, pure rest, holy to God. Anyone who works on the Sabbath will most certainly be put to death. The Israelites will keep the Sabbath, observe Sabbath-keeping down through the generations, as a standing covenant. It's a fixed sign between me and the Israelites. Yes, because in six days God made the Heavens and the Earth and on the seventh day he stopped and took a long, deep breath.'"

I cannot emphasize how important learning, worship, fellowship, and Sabbath rest are for us as Christians.

We learned in Confirmation last night that we must love God and our neighbor in that order, but God tells us to forgive our neighbor before asking for forgiveness from him.

My last continuing ed opportunity was in late April, last year. For the previous 15 years, I had always taken a week every six months. I'm hungry for this learning over the next few days. It's about family systems. It'll make me a better husband, father, son, and pastor.

Mark - Exodus 31

The Lord has made it crystal clear, work six days rest on the seventh. The Sabbath is a day of reflection for the Israelites with regard to their bond to God. This covenant signifies their place
with the only true God. Now the people must respond with obedience to the One who has both
saved them and exalted them to the status of His people.

Jordan - Exodus 30

Perhaps, many of the mainline denominations are struggling because we lack threats.  In these chapters, much of the rituals are done precisely so that the people required to do them "will not die."  That's about as good a motivator as any, I suppose! 

What really grabs me in this chapter is the half shekel for atonement.  A bit of silver and you are among the chosen!  This reminds me a lot of the Catholic Indulgences that Martin Luther complained so much about.  Why would this monetary payment come from the mouth of God?  Was it to pay for the start-up of His church?

Mark - Exodus 28

There is a lot of detail with regard to how the Israelites are to prepare God's place of worship and to the chosen whom are given the honor of entering. I agree with Jordan's last entry regarding how mind-numbing these instructions are to read. My worship of God through Jesus Christ is flawed at best. The intentions I bring to living as a Christ-like christian sometimes get lost in the shuffle of my comings and goings during my day. Walking the walk is my goal but I do fall short at times. Praise God for allowing my human frailities to be something I can ask for guidance with through Jesus.

Bells and whistles...I mean underwear

"Aaron has to wear the robe when he does his priestly work. The bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place and comes into the presence of God, and again when he comes out so that he won't die."

God's people took his presence so seriously that the priests feared death. They would actually tie a rope around the priest's leg, so that if they didn't hear the bells jingling, they could pull him out and revive him. No one else would go into the holy of holies to rescue him for fear of dying themselves.

Luther says over and over in his small catechism that we are to fear and love God.

What happens when we love God, but don't really fear him? He becomes a god (little g) for us to dictate to and control.

What happens when we fear and love God? We orient our lives to his kingdom and will and live in holy awe.

On the lighter side, since I wear my best suit under my robe, I never thought of underwear as a part of the pastoral outfit before. =)

Jordan - Exodus 27

All of these details are mind-numbing.  Did God really say all of this stuff or is this just a description of what was built for God?  When I was in Munich, Germany as a 8 year old my dad always had us visiting churches and cathedrals.  These places were awe-inspiring, but some went so overboard with elaborate and rich decor that you could never imagine worshiping there.  To give you an idea of the worst offender, I had to google around for an image I had in my head of a "golden church" that I can distinctly recall.  And wouldn't you know, I found it!  It is called the "Asam Church" in Munich, Germany:

Eternal flame

"Aaron and his sons will keep this light burning from evening until morning before God. This is to be a permanent practice down through the generations for Israelites."

God's people kept a light burning to represent his constant presence in their midst. That's why a lot of churches (like us!) do the same. We reverence the altar, because we sense that God is there, even within us.

My favorite story about an eternal flame goes back to 1998. My sister was a sophomore at the college my brother and his wife and Heidi and I had attended before her. A tornado hit the campus (thankfully during spring break, so the students weren't there). The steeple was knocked off the chapel by the strong winds. Near total destruction.

But the eternal flame somehow stayed lit through the whole ordeal. It gave us hope that not all was lost.

God is with us. All is never lost.

Details, details

"The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Holy-of-Holies."

This is one detail that stands out. Only the chief priest could enter the holy of holies.

Throughout the centuries (millennia!), things have changed. When Jesus breathed his last, the curtain in the temple tore in two from top to bottom.

God is on the loose in the world. We are priests and priestesses in his kingdom.

One of the most radical notions in Lutheranism is the priesthood of all believers. If we really lived that out, the roof would blow off the church.

And the pastor wouldn't be the only one to pray out loud... =)

Mark - Exodus 25

God's commandments are to be housed in a Tabernacle of His design. He is the architect. The Israelities as His chosen are blessed to be a part of the plan. Reading from The Old Testament
gives me a different perspective into the love God has for His most precious of creations. We have been given the privilege of being able praise God's glory and grace. We as people fall short of perfection, only the Creator knows infallibity. Being human means making mistakes, the key for me is to continue to rely not on my own judgement but to look to God for guidance on what direction I am to follow in my life.

Offerings

God spoke to Moses: "Tell the Israelites that they are to set aside offerings for me. Receive the offerings from everyone who is willing to give."

In this chapter, God's people are following instructions to create a chest, table, and lampstand that would please God. They are used to following rules or facing the consequences.

It's different for us. God still asks all of us who are willing to set aside offerings for his kingdom. The difference is our motivation. Jesus has saved us from sin, death, and the devil. We are no longer destined for eternal punishment. But we aren't trying to repay God with our offerings of time, talent, treasure, and touch either.

We are simply thanking God with our very lives.

Jordan - Exodus 24

If you were in Moses's sandals, would you go get the law?  Moses is the law, at this point.  God speaks through him and he settles disputes among the people.  He has more power than any of the Israelites and could squeeze the life out of this opportunity.  How often, do you think, that Moses started to wonder if he could do this stuff on his own?

Here in this chapter, another covenant of blood is present between God and his people.  This is the old covenant one that tempted sin, and Jesus, is the New Covenant who defeats sin.

Exodus24

So many laws, so little time! 613 altogether? How could anyone follow them all?

I wonder as I read this book at how God expected the Israelites to follow all of these. Humans are not perfect (big surprise!), especially the Israelites. Each time they face a trial they cry to Moses to help them. They are tested, it seems, daily. And know they are expected to follow all of these laws or else. The punishments seem exceedingly harsh as well. To us in this day and age we would never think to kill someone for a wrong deed. Well, not all of us would.

I almost feel as if God was setting them up for failure. Could they really keep all of these laws and be faithful? Is that what God expects of us? Luckily we have the new testament to help and guide us through our lives to live as Jesus. Thank you God for sending us Jesus to wash away our sin!

Mark - Exodus 24

Now Moses is spending forty days and nights on the mountain with God inorder to receive His law and commandments. These last chapters have had an abundance of reiteration. As people God knows that we easily forget and need to be reminded of what is significant and truly worthy of our time. For me reading the Bible has become a daily ritual and a good one. It provides me a starting point for the day that lies ahead. Praise God for this book!

Laws, laws, laws

Devout Jews follow the 10 Commandments and 613 laws outlined in the rest of the books of Moses.

"If someone hits father or mother, the penalty is death."
"If someone curses father or mother, the penalty is death."

God really was serious about our honoring our parents.

What I wanted to lift up today was the "eye for and an eye" part. This was meant to limit retribution. For instance, if someone poked out your eye, you couldn't kill them. Therefore, it should be read, "only an eye for an eye".

One of my favorite Christian rap lyrics is:
An eye for an eye
A tooth for a tooth
Turn the other cheek
Which one is the truth?

#3 is #1 to me

Mark, you are right. If we understand the truth of this statement, everything changes, "I am God, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt." The "land of Egypt" is different for all of us.

However, I noticed something today. Here are 8 of the 10 commandments:
#1. No other gods, only me.
#2. No using the name of God, your God, irreverently.
#5. No murder.
#6. No adultery.
#7. No stealing.
#8. No lies about your neighbor.
#9. No lusting after your neighbor's house.
#10. No lusting after your neighbor's wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey (but my neighbor has a REALLY nice donkey).

Even if we go with the non-Lutheran counting scheme and combine the last two, we add No idols (what's the name of that American TV show that's so popular?!?)

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!!! It's like living with a toddler.

Here are the others:
#3. Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Work six days and do everything you need to do. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to God, your God. Don't do any work—not you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your maid, nor your animals, not even the foreign guest visiting in your town. For in six days God made Heaven, Earth, and sea, and everything in them; he rested on the seventh day. Therefore God blessed the Sabbath day; he set it apart as a holy day.

Other than the conversation about idols, this is the longest commandment. What would happen at Faith if we really took the Sabbath seriously (i.e. if all of the active members took a Sabbath day to learn, worship, fellowship, and rest EVERY week)?

#4. Honor your father and mother so that you'll live a long time in the land that God, your God, is giving you.

This is the first commandment with a promise. Do this and you will be blessed beyond reason. For most of us, our parent(s) passed the faith on to us. The least we can do is honor them.

Mark - Exodus 20

God gives His people the commandments that they are to obey. Is any one of these greater than the other? Not to kill and not to covet people or material things are significant but what about the worship of false gods? Idol worship takes many forms. Today we can put money, comfort, career and on and on the focus of why we take our heads off the pillow in the morning.
Not getting number one right leads to many of the other commandments being put in jeopardy of not being honored. I want to keep it simple today, follow the first and the others fall into place.

Jordan - Exodus 19

There is a big difference between the voice of God and Moses blowing smoke from a mountain.  God is well aware of the humanity of the people he led out of Egypt.  Its all about "what have you done for me lately?"  But make sure that these people still recognize Moses as God's instrument God makes a spectacle of Godself.

For those with kids, you know how you sometimes get on the floor or make a silly face and act like an idiot just to put a smile on your kid's face and let them know you are real?    Its kinda like that.  Only God makes mountains tremble.

The Holy Bible

What happens when you open Scripture? I envision it like this:
"Mount Sinai was all smoke because God had come down on it as fire. Smoke poured from it like smoke from a furnace. The whole mountain shuddered in huge spasms. The trumpet blasts grew louder and louder. Moses spoke and God answered in thunder. God descended to the peak of Mount Sinai. God called Moses up to the peak and Moses climbed up."

God made sure his people surrounded the mountain, so that they could hear what he was saying to Moses. Likewise, I am so thankful that you who are leading this church with me are right there, cracking open the same book.

Mark - Exodus 19

God is all knowing. We live in a finite world where there is a beginning and an end. God doesn't have boundaries, before there was a beginning there was God. When God warns Moses to make sure the Israelites obey and not climb the mountain Moses seems taken aback. In his eyes he has followed the Lords' command but still the warning comes again. Why? Moses is human therefore his thoughts are based as such, God is so much more.

Jordan - Exodus 18

The secrets to success in leadership are a) surrounding yourself with smart people b) delegating responsibility and c) most importantly, listening to the people from a and b.  Moses did a and found b by following c.  A man who was essentially the voice of God for these people was humble enough to listen to the advice of his father-in-law and made the lives of his followers better and his own more efficient.

As we participate in the synod's renewal process, we need to do more listening.  Listening to each other, but most importantly, listening to what God is calling us to do.  We aren't much a praying/Bible study congregation, but if we want to truly find ourselves through God's eyes, we are going to need to jump in the deep end.  So get out and pray and read the Bible for God's sake!

I just found a cool new blog site that I have added to my blog subscriptions.  It has some great articles from all angles with a Lutheran perspective:
http://livinglutheran.com/

Exodus 17

I agree with what Mark has to say about this chapter. The people of Israel continually doubt the Lord's plan for them. Each time they do not get what they want they cry to Moses and bemoan the fact that he brought them out of Egypt. Did they really think that their lives were so great being slaves to Pharoah? After all of the signs and miracles performed before them how could they continue to doubt God?

I certainly hope that I would not be the same way. I do believe that God has a plan for me and I am hopefully following that plan. I ask each day for God's guidance and help. Some days I feel his presence more than others but I do believe that he is moving me in his direction.

Faith is a tough thing for some people. When people ask me why I believe in God I don't have an intelligent answer. I tell them that I believe because that is what I was brought up believing and there have been times in my life when I have felt his presence and know that he has helped me. I just believe.

Empowering Leadership

Moses, with the advice of his father-in-law, decides that he can't do it all. He appoints other judges to handle the smaller cases and he deals with only the big ones, along with probably Aaron and a couple of other priests.

Right now, we have a 15 member Council, led by an Executive team of 4. Our 10 other adult members cover our 10 teams (and the youth member is mentored by one of them, as they work together on one team):
1. Christian Ed
2. Evangelism
3. Fellowship
4. Finance
5. Property
6. Senior Ministry
7. Social Ministry
8. Stewardship
9. Worship & Music
10. Youth Ministry

In the 9 days since I posted about having...
spiritual disciplines, so that we can remain connected to God: prayer, Bible study, worship, and confession
AND
a spiritual lifestyle, so that we can remain connected to each other and who we are as God's people: simplicity, service, fellowship, and witness
...I have been thinking a lot about simplicity.

What if we took our structure and simplified it?
1. On Sunday mornings, we learn, worship, and fellowship. Could Christian Ed, Worship & Music, and Fellowship work together to plan the best Sunday morning experience possible, each handling their own parts?
2. We are sent from worship, "Go in peace. Serve the Lord." We are meant to have Sabbath rest, so why don't we do our team meetings during the week, in order to make the main thing the main thing on Sunday mornings? The other six days are meant to be about living out our lives of faith in the world. Could Evangelism and Social Ministry work together to plan the best outreach possible, again each handling their own particular emphasis?
3. 25% of our members are under 18. Of the remaining, half are between 18-55 and half are over 55. Could the Youth team morph into the Children, Youth, and Family team, covering everything related to that age group not having to do with education. In other words, Christian Ed would handle Sunday School/Bible Study, VBS, Confirmation, etc and the CYF team would cover worship, fellowship, and outreach. Likewise, Senior Ministry would cover their age demographic. Could Children, Youth, and Family and Senior Ministry work together to tie the two groups together as much as possible? Several families at Faith represent all three generations.
4. Two teams do incredible maintenance work behind the scenes. Could Finance and Property work together to keep things running smoothly?
5. That would leave Stewardship as the umbrella team, encouraging everyone to sacrificially give of their time, talent, treasure, and touch for the kingdom work God has given us to do.

Mark - Exodus 17

Once again the people of Israel are giving it to Moses,(v3)..."Why did you ever take us out of Egypt? Why did you bring us here to die...", and once again God provides. When I was a younger man I tested and risked my life recklessly. By God's grace and love I am here today. The Israelites are also being "tested" for a reason and that story is unfolding. God knows the plan, the beginning through the end, it is on me to be willing to participate with what God has in store
for my life.

Testing, take II

Moses said to the Israelites, "Why are you testing God?"

Why not?!? Sometimes I would like to.

But we just read in Matthew 4 that "Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the Test. The Devil was ready to give it. Jesus prepared for the Test by fasting forty days and forty nights. For the second test (of three) the Devil took him to the Holy City. He sat him on top of the Temple and said, 'Since you are God's Son, jump.' The Devil goaded him by quoting Psalm 91: 'He has placed you in the care of angels. They will catch you so that you won't so much as stub your toe on a stone.' Jesus countered with another citation from Deuteronomy: 'Don't you dare test the Lord your God.'

I guess that settles it. How are we preparing for testing that will inevitably come? The answer is found in Christ's first battle with Satan: "'Since you are God's Son, speak the word that will turn these stones into loaves of bread.'
Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: 'It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God's mouth.'"

Back to Exodus: "Moses named the place Massah (Testing-Place), because of the Israelites' testing of God when they said, 'Is God here with us, or not?'"

I did baptismal counseling with Bob and Stephanie today. Their daughter, Ahnna, has two middle names: Rose and Emmanual (God is with us). Funny enough, their dog's name is Moses.

The steady stream of words I'm getting from God's mouth right now is "I am with you to the end of the age." We can endure testing together. God has plans for us.

Mark - Exodus 16

God expects allegiance and obedience from His people. Trusting that the Lord who freed them from slavery will also provide sustenance doesn't seem to be part of their thought process. Further, when food is provided they still can't follow direction. They leave it out and it spoils or
they attempt to gather on the Sabbath. It seems as if they expect to be taking care of without truly participating in the responsibility necessary to have their needs met. God provides what I need daily. Worship and service to others is how I can try and give back.

Exodus 16

Sabbath seems to be a thing of the past for many of us.

I remember a world where stores were closed on Sunday, no one worked and you went to your Grandmothers for Sunday dinner, after church of course. What happened to that world? Today Sunday is just another day to get chores done, work a second job or get your shopping done. I can't remember the last time I took a Sunday to just relax and visit family or friends. Part of that is my own doing but part is the time we are living in. Everything is expensive and raising a family is not easy. I keep dreaming of working one job and having weekends to myself and family.

I dream of an easier time when we can spend family time doing not much of anything and enjoying each others company.

Jordan - Exodus 16

Let go and let God.

The simplicity of that saying beguiles how diffcult it is to give God the reigns of your life.  The Israelites have seen miracles that we can only imagine, but still their trust in God is less than their trust in their own knowledge of the scarsity of a desert.  When there is no food in your sack, there is no food.  Why would food magically appear?  And when it does appear, who is to say that it will come tomorrow?

Life is a balancing act of trusting in your survival instincts while simulateously believing that God will provide.  Do not test God by assuming that God owes you life, but trust that God owns your life and has great plans for it.

Testing

God said to Moses, "I'm going to test the people to see if they'll live according to my Teaching or not."

Three scenarios emerge:
"A few of the men kept back some of it until morning. It got wormy and smelled bad."

"They set aside what was left until morning, as Moses had commanded. It didn't smell bad and there were no worms in it."

"On the seventh day, some of the people went out to gather anyway but they didn't find anything."

The concept was pretty basic: daily bread. The hard one to figure out was the Sabbath. If I kept leftovers on Tuesday night, it would rot, but on Friday night (the Sabbath was on Saturday), it stayed fresh for an extra 24 hours.

God was trying to bless his people with a day of rest. How did you enjoy your Sabbath yesterday?

Sanctuary in Marshfield came up with this bumper stick slogan: Connect. Grow. Serve. Reach Out.

On the Sabbath, we are to connect with God in worship and our sisters and brothers in Christ through fellowship. We are to grow by studying God's word. Service and outreach are to be how we live our lives with the strength we gain from Sabbath rest.

God is my strength, song, and salvation

"God is my strength, God is my song, and, yes! God is my salvation. This is the kind of God I have and I'm telling the world!"

This is the perfect text for today, because this is what the season of Epiphany is all about.

"The people you redeemed, you led in merciful love."

Today, we start answering the question, "Who is Faith?" God has redeemed us. He will lead us into the future.

"I am God your healer." Any old hurts that are holding us back from claiming this promised future will be healed...if we turn them over to the Father.

Welcome to year two of this journey we are on together...

Mark - Exodus 15

These Israelites are whiners they begin in this chapter giving the glory that is deserved to their Savior and in the same breath begin complaining when the road gets rough again. (v24) Then the people turned against Moses. "must we die of thirst?" they demanded. They went from working
tirelessly for a ruthless man to having freedom. But it seems they've forgotten were they came from so quickly. They witness the majesty and power of God in His delivering them from Egypt,
do they really believe He would now let them die of thirst? Moses has his hands full!

Mark - Exodus 14

God has fulfilled his promise to the Israelites by protecting them from the army of Pharaoh. The Egyptians have perished by the immeasurable power of Jehovah. Now with the tyrants eliminated will God's chosen move toward fulfilling their responsibility. That is worshipping only Him. The coming chapters will tell a different story of how people can so quickly forget.

Deep and wide

In Sunday school, we learned about Moses and God's people crossing the Red Sea. In my mind, a crowd of people split a lake and walked across. But Pharaoh's entire army of 6,000 chariots and unlimited foot soldiers ALL drowned, so it had to be much deeper and wider than I originally thought.

The Red Sea is about 1,400 miles long and, at its widest point, is 220 miles wide. It has a maximum depth of 7,250 feet in the central median trench and an average depth of 1,600 feet.

So the Israelites, about 2 million of them (there were 600,000 men), had to walk down and through walls of water 80 stories high (if you do the math)! In order to be able to move that many people through in one night, they probably didn't walk more than 25 miles.

I can't imagine the amount of trust you would have to have to be able to pull that off. Can we muster up the faith to allow God to speak to us in the next 2 1/2 years, so that we can determine who we are, what we have, and then...this is where we step off the cliff and start walking down into the sea on dry ground...do what matters?

Right now, we are primarily doing what matters to us, but it's a GIANT leap to move forward--first and foremost doing what matters to God and to our neighbors.

Mark - Exodus 13

God's power has been displayed with the freeing of the Israelites and the destruction of the Egyptians. He has shown His love for the Jews by crushing their oppressors and ending their suffering. All praise and glory are to God and He tells Moses to teach the people accordingly.

Observing the Passover

"This will be a memorial day for you; you will celebrate it as a festival to God down through the generations, a fixed festival celebration to be observed always. You will eat unraised bread (matzoth) for seven days: On the first day get rid of all yeast from your houses—anyone who eats anything with yeast from the first day to the seventh day will be cut off from Israel."

God is so hard core sometimes.

Right up until Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with the disciples in the upper room, for a thousand years, Jews observed the Passover. They still do. We as Christians celebrate the Passover every Sunday in communion.

What does communion do for us? We are forgiven of our sins. We can taste it! We are also "re-membered" as the body of Christ in this place, so that we can have the strength and unity we need to go in peace and serve the Lord out in the world.

Having faith as an Israelite must have been a lot easier than being a Lutheran. God told Moses, Moses said, "Thus says the Lord," and either the people did it or they were punished...or were even struck dead like the Egyptians.

I have been "Moses" at Faith for 5 days short of a year. While I hear from the Lord in prayer and Bible study, the system is very different here. People can choose to follow God or not. For the most part, each of us individually dtermines what that even looks like for ourselves personally. It's much more complicated.

That why we need to continue to have face-to-face discussions around how/where God is leading us. We won't ever all agree, but hopefully kneeling around the altar and accepting the sacrifice offered for us there will bring us closer to God's will and to each other, as sisters and brothers in Christ.

Exodus 11

I agree with Jordan! I don't understand God's reasoning for hardening Pharoah's heart. Did Moses and Israel have to go through all of the signs so that the people truly believed that it was God's will? The people certainly were fickle and soon forgot all about what God had done once they were in the wilderness. Moses did not however although I believe he did have some doubts even after all these plagues were brough upon Egypt.

I guess you can say that it really is not for us to understand. God is mysterious and requires our complete and total trust and faith in him. He knows what is good for us and what his plan is for us. We just don't follow! In a world where we bring our kids up to be curious and searching for answers this is one area where we all have to realize that we cannot understand God's plans. We just have to trust and believe!

Easier written than done!

Jordan - Exodus 11

Why does God harden Pharoah's heart?  I just don't get this.  Was Pharoah really an obstinate fool or did God just make him one to fulfill His plan.  Anyone want to debate free will?

Alright, so I pray to God and he answers me through my heart.  What if he has made me the pawn where I, like Pharoah, make a decision with deathly consequences?  Does it matter if I made that decision with God?  Would I ever know if God pushed me to that decision or if I had turned from God with a bad decision of my own?  Arghh!!!

Dear God, why must you be so complicated?  Why do you need to be on the outside of the spectrum and not right in my face?  Or are you right there?  What are you telling my heart to do right now?  Amen!

Heartless

Yesterday, Malachi got stitches/staples for the 3rd time in his young life. He had run, forehead first, into the van door I had opened before he or I saw it coming. Total accident. All boy.

The situation that leads to the death of Pharaoh's son is very different. Moses confronted Pharaoh: "God's Message: 'At midnight I will go through Egypt and every firstborn child in Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, to the firstborn of the slave girl working at her hand mill. Also the firstborn of animals. Widespread wailing will erupt all over the country, lament such as has never been and never will be again.'"

You think this threat would have been enough. If I were Pharaoh, this straw, the mere warning that my son would fall ill, much less die, would break the camel's back. I would have let God's people go BEFORE this tragedy struck.

That's why the death of Jesus, God's only son, is so meaningful to me. It's a sacrifice no one should have to make.

Let's live lives of faith that are worthy of that sacrifice.

Mark - Exodus 11

This is a very short chapter but it tells us with certainty there is a conclusion coming. God will strike all Egyptian households with the death of their first born sons. Moses' life began by escaping death as a Hebrew infant and now he is the messenger of God's words. He has grown into the role that was his destiny. Knowing what God has in store for you isn't a propostion to be taken lightly. In the quiet of the morning when I read and blog it sets my mind to seek what He has in store for me as a Christian for that day. The challenge is to not miss those opportunities that do arise during the course of my day.

Mark - Exodus 10

God has no intention of letting Pharaoh let Moses take the Israelites from his rule. In every instance God hardened this ruler's heart making it necessary to inflict more suffering upon the Egyptian people. It seems that God's vengence against those who have enslaved His chosen people has no bounds but there is a purpose. God is all knowing and all powerful, He knows the outcome of all events before they transpire. His kingdom unfolds on His time line, on His schedule, not Moses' and certainly not ours.

Why?!?

When tragedy strikes, this is the question we turn heavenward to ask, "Why, God?!?"

While Jordan focused on what it would have been like to be any given Egyptian on the street, I was thinking what it would have been like to be a God follower, "Why can't we be free, God? Why is this taking so long and inflicting so much pain on those around us?"

Here is the answer God gives Moses: "I've made Pharaoh stubborn, so that I can force him to look at these signs and so you'll be able to tell your children and grandchildren the stories of the signs that I brought down on them, so that you'll all know that I am God."

The reason for the plagues and the parting of the Red Sea? So that we can pass this faith on to our children. Have you been telling little ones and teens the stories of how awesome and powerful God has been in your life?

Be still and know that he is God...and then tell the story.

Jordan - Exodus 10

Can you imagine yourself as a common egyptian in this time of plagues?  At this point your livestock are dead and every green thing growing in your field has been consumed by locusts.  Then, the sun goes dark for three days, but only in your land and you are now burning through the oil for your lamps.  For some reason the sun still works for the Israelites.  Your days are numbered all on account of Pharoah and Moses and his God you keep hearing about. 

What about your God?  Why is Pharoah not capable of stopping the God of Moses and what does the God of Moses have against you?  Just because you are Egyptian you are to be decimated by this God?  Doesn't seem fair that you are collateral damage in this holy war!

What's the difference?

...between us and everyone else?

In the first several chapters of Exodus, we start to notice a stark contrast between God's people and those who don't fear and love him. The hail storm is a classic example. Those who could give a rip about God and his ways don't take Moses seriously. Consequently, their workers die in the storm, along with their livestock. In the meantime, God's people continue to suffer due to Pharaoh's hard-heartedness.

For us in a world where most believers aren't enslaved or persecuted, the real rub comes when we are sacrificing and struggling and those who don't give God the time of day are succeeding wildly. Their selfishness goes seemingly unpunished in this life.

But those of us who follow God do indeed live a better life. We know forgiveness and love from God and each other.

When we were vacationing between Christmas and New Year, I read a book called Turn Toward the Wind. It talked about how we ought to have spiritual disciplines, so that we can remain connected to God: prayer, Bible study, worship, and confession AND a spiritual lifestyle, so that we can remain connected to each other and who we are as God's people: simplicity, service, fellowship, and witness.

At Confirmation tonight, we talked about how we are marked and claimed for this abundant life of freedom. It does set us apart from everyone else. God made you special and he loves you very much. Live out of that truth and the world will change. The kingdom will unfold on earth as it is in heaven.

We will then come to the end of our lives and know that not only were we different, but that we made a difference...for God.

Exodus 9

Talk about being persistent! Moses keeps on bringing the plagues to Egypt, even as Mark states, he doesn't really think that he has what it takes to bring the people to freedom. Even though Moses doesn't believe that he is the one, he believes enough in God to keep on going back to Pharoah and insisting that he let his people go. We can learn a lot about faith from this guy! We all need to listen and follow Gods commands for us, he does have a plan.

Jordan - Exodus 8 (i think)

Hopefully I am on track blogging on Exodus 8!

Frogs, gnats and flies..oh my!  Obviously, while reading Exodus, the only way to imagine it is by picturing Charlton Heston in  The 10 Commandments.  Unfortunately, not even this epic movie was capable of capturing the plague of frogs, gnats and flies!  This was nasty stuff that God was throwing Phroah's way.  I remember playing baseball as kid and having the occasional swarm of gnats descend preventing you from concentrating on anything.  I twinge to even think about having these things everywhere and not being able to escape.

Moses journey begins

Leading the Israelites out of bondage from Pharaoh is not a cut and dry proposition. Moses doesn't want the job, he doesn't believe that he can get it done. Furthermore God doesn't make this and A-Z quick expedition. God's wisdom is not for us to understand. Moses wants the quick and easy route while the journey from slavery to liberation comes with much trepidation and resentment from the very people Moses is to lead. They are being further brutilized by their taskmasters, no straw to be given but the same quota to be met. Moses is wondering why is God making this so tough on the very people whose cries He is going to answer. His wisdom and understanding are not for human understanding. We must have faith and believe in Him.