Exodus 11 - August 21, 2009

Exodus 11 – August 21, 2009

 

Exodus 11 speaks about the threat of the final plague.  It is a simple foretelling of the last plague to hit Egypt before Pharaoh will allow the people to leave.  I can’t imagine the roller coaster ride that it must have been to be Moses. I know that God told Moses (at least most of the time) that Pharaoh wasn’t going to listen.  But, still, it must have been hard to go in and out time after time and not have the things that took place free the people of God.  As a pastor, it often feels like that.  No matter what I do, even (and more importantly) no matter what God is doing, it doesn’t often seem to free the people.

 

Vs. 3

“Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.”

 

When I read this I get to see that God is using circumstances, time, and God’s actions, to create what He wants.  In the story, the Jews are getting freed from slavery.  Also in chapter 11 it speaks to them asking for gold and silver before they go.  From knowing the story we know that they come in with tens of people, and the leave with over a hundred thousand times that many.  Not only do they enter during a famine, but they come out in prosperity.  But, this is the people, there is a story that is specific to Moses too.

 

Moses was born a Jew, then taken in by Pharaoh’s daughter and raised in the palace.  At one point Moses is on the run for murder.  At this place in his life, he is neither well received by the Jews, nor is he well received by the Egyptians.  By Exodus 11:3 both the Egyptians and the Jews look up to Moses.  As a leader, I often get discouraged.  When I read true stories of men and women in the Bible like this one, I am encouraged. 

 

Maybe in the dry times – God has a plan.  Maybe that plan is not only for the people, but also for me.  Maybe my character and relationship to the people are more important than a quick answer to a problem.  It may not be what I want to hear when I am IN the problem.  However, once I am OUT of the problem, this will be so much clearer.

 

 

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Jeff.

Exodus 10 - August 20th, 2009

Exodus 10 – August 20^th, 2009

Chapter 10 begins and ends with God caring for ALL the people.  It is interesting some of the language that is used in this chapter.  It makes me see that God is a God of details, and that there is no one that is insignificant.

In vs. 1-2 God speaks of His working for the generations.  He tells Moses that the things He is doing will be told to the sons and the grandsons. It is God’s intention – specifically – to care for the legacy of the Faith during His work in the people of Egypt.

In vs. 7-11 Pharaoh is trying to let only the men go and worship God.  Moses tells him that ALL shall go and worship: men and women; young and old; even the cattle.  Pharaoh is not willing that Moses should take all the people; Moses will not go without all the people.

Then God causes a plague of locusts on the land, and Pharaoh recognizes he was wrong.  Pharaoh confesses his sin against God and against Moses, and even asks for forgiveness this time.  But, in the end, God hardens Pharaoh’s heart again.  Why?  Great question!  It is because God is the God of details, of men and women, and of future generations.  God knows that this is best for ALL of His people.

Darkness is the ninth plague in Egypt. Yet, while there is darkness in Egypt, wherever God’s people are, there is light.  There is a great tie and challenge to the Church being light in a dark world here, but that is for another time.

In the end of the plague of darkness, Pharaoh wants to allow the men and women of God to leave with their young – but not with their livestock.  This is not good enough; Moses says no, and God continues to move in Egypt.

Have you ever felt like you were insignificant in the mind of God?  Or, have you ever felt like you were insignificant in the Church?  I know I have.  Sometimes it just seems like I am not “on the radar”.  God would say different.  Even in Egypt, during a time of “less than perfect obedience” by God’s people, God was still very aware of every last man, woman, and child.  In fact, God was even caring for their stuff.  Whenever I think that I am not valued in the Kingdom, it is powerful to look back over the stories in the Bible, and how God cares for His people.  NO ONE is left out.

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Jeff Ludington.

 

 

 

Exodus 9 - August 18th, 2009

Exodus 9 – August 18^th, 2009

Plagues 5, 6, and 7.  It is amazing to sit here in my chair reading the Bible, and watching what God did in Egypt and wondering why the people of Egypt – and most importantly Pharaoh – didn’t respond to God a lot quicker.  Can you imagine the loss of livestock that took place in plague number 5?  Or, what it must have looked like to see an entire nation plagued with boils?  How this must have affected everything.

Who can lose so much and not turn to God?  Oh yeah, I do it all the time!  I think this is all of us.  How often do we let our lives spiral out of control, lose (or allow it to temporarily be shallow) the relationship we have with our God, and forfeit the great intimacy that He wants with us?  All to often I think.

Even Pharaoh comes to his senses for a minute.  After the plague of hail Pharaoh even admits his sin – though it is short lived.

I think the ultimate desire of God for our lives is just like it is in verse 13: “Let my people go, that they may serve me.”  Isn’t that what God wants for us today?  He just wants us to serve Him.

When this is not right, God will allow the circumstances around us to dominate us, hoping that we will feel the weight of life, and turn to Him.  I know that often times it is the simple weight of life that reminds me that I have moved away from intimacy with God.  God just wants me to serve HIM.

The challenge is not to be like Pharaoh: who when things are tough admits he is sinning against God, but when the pressure is off, returns right back to where he was.

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Jeff Ludington.

 

 

Exodus 8 - August 6th, 2009

Exodus 8 – August 6^th, 2009

Frogs???  Really?

I read the account of the plagues of frogs, and I have to wonder why God would choose to send frogs as a plague to Egypt.  I mean, what do frogs do that are so bad?  I have a friend that is deathly afraid of frogs – and we make fun of him for this issue!  Funny, that most people see frogs as something that may be a bit weird, but not a plague.

Come to find out, there was a goddess that the Egyptians worshiped named Heqt – that was symbolizsed by a frog.  There is some confusion as to what this frog goddess was about.  I can find people that both say it helped in childbirth, and others that say Heqt was symbolic of resurrection.  Either way, there was a representation of life in this particular goddess.  All the 10 plagues of Egypt were specifically against different deities in Egypt’s polytheistic worship.

Imagine you worshiped frogs (I know it’s crazy).  Imagine that you were just head over heels crazy about frogs.  Then, a plague of frogs comes and there are billions (literally) of frogs.  Frogs knee deep in the streets.  There are so many frogs that you cannot walk in your home without smashing them each time you put your foot on the floor.  There are so many frogs that it is all that you can see, and the sound is deafening. 

This is probably more “frog” than you would ever want.  In fact, now you are slave to the frog.  You cannot cook without a frog jumping in your food.  You cannot drink water, because there is nowhere to get away from them.  There are frogs everywhere, in everything, and overwhelmingly in the way.

This is the way things are when we put things before God.  Often times our idolatry takes the form of something we really like.  I know that there have been things that I have placed before God, and they ended up consuming me.  Sometimes God will give you what you want, in order to teach you that it isn’t actually what you think it is.

In this case, God takes the worship system they have, and overwhelms them with frogs.  He does it to show that He alone is God, and that frogs are actually a nuisance – at least with that many of them. God is above all, and needs to be placed in His rightful position.

We can put many things before God, and often times, God will allow that to overrun our life for a bit. Eventually, we will realize that this isn’t what we need, and we are in need of God. 

Do you want to worship God today?  Or, would you rather learn your lesson the hard way?

Grace & Peace,

Jeff Ludington.

 

 

Exodus 7:14-25 - August 5th, 2009

Exodus 7:14-25 – August 5^th, 2009

It seems as if there is always a counterfeit to the genuine article.  It is distracting and often misleading as we begin to wonder which is which. 

Moses goes back into Egypt to speak again to Pharaoh.  This time Moses is to take his staff, the one that was turned into a snake and then back into a staff, and touch the Nile with it.  The outcome is that the Nile turns to blood, the fish in the Nile die, and then the Nile stinks from the death in it.  Moses does just that, and all the water turns to blood, the fish die, and there is a smell.  According to verse 19 even the Nile water that had been drawn previously was turned into blood. 

Then, of course, here come the magicians to show Pharaoh that they too can turn water into blood.  I can’t imagine what this might have looked like, and the arrogance and pride that must have been shown in the magicians.  But, notice that there trick is never as good as God’s work.  They do in fact turn water into blood, but it isn’t in something the size of the Nile.  It also doesn’t affect things that are not even being touched by them, like the water already drawn from the Nile.

It seems as if the Enemy always has a counterfeit for the genuine article.  And, that makes it hard to discern what is true.  For example: Pharaoh doesn’t see the genuine article as any different, and it misleads him to believing that other things are as satisfying as God.

How can we tell the difference?  It seems to me that the genuine article (that which God does) is always better.  It may not seem too much different, but we have to learn to trust that it is. 

Imagine all the ways that humanity has come up with to sin.  One great example is sexual sin.  What is that?  It is a counterfeit of what God designed for us to have in marriage.  What is lying? It is a counterfeit of how God has created us to speak.  What is idolatry or pride?  It is a counterfeit worship.

All that ways that we have devised to contradict what God has told us is simply perversions of the things that God created (sex, speech, worship, mentioned above).  So, how can we tell the difference? It is often hard, but we do have God’s Word.  And, we can find that over time, God was right.  His way is better. 

It is a challenge to not fall for the counterfeit.  But, once we have learned to spot it, it is easily recognizable.  When we see it for what it is, we are quicker to follow the genuine article.

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Jeff.

 

 

 

Exodus 7:8-13 - August 4, 2009

Exodus 7:8-13 – August 4, 2009

As I read this passage of Exodus, I am reminded of my life.  Moses and Aaron are headed to the big confrontation with Pharaoh.  This is their first attempt at getting the Israelites loosed from the slavery that they have been in for so long.  This is the first attempt at getting Pharaoh to bend and change who he is and what he does.  Now bear in mind that the last couple chapters have told us that Pharaoh will not do what they want him to the first time.  In fact, God will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he won’t release the Hebrew slaves until after ten plagues have happened.  So, Moses and Aaron should know that this will be a bumpy ride.

Taking all this into account, Moses and Aaron go into Pharaoh’s palace, and they do EXACTLY as God has commanded them.  They go in, they prove that God has spoken by throwing a wooden staff on the ground and it becomes a snake.  That is a pretty cool trick in my book – because I can’t do it!  However, Pharaoh calls for his magicians and they all perform the same trick.  The laugh is on Moses and Aaron.  To be fair, Moses’ snake does eat the Egyptian Magicians’ snakes.

Have you ever been in the will of God and still felt like the butt of the joke?  I have.  It doesn’t feel so good.  I have prayed, sought Christ’s will for my life, and walked out in faith – even knowing that it would be tough, ready to take on the world.  Then, sometimes, my efforts just seem like a joke. 

Is it enough to just be in God’s will?  It should be, but I think pride enters in.  It should be plenty to know that we are doing exactly what God has called us to do.  However, it is clearly an area of struggle.  I feel better knowing that Moses was frustrated too.  He will vent later, but he stays the course for now.

My recommendation to you, and to myself, is stay the course.  Honoring God in our lives will pay off always!

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Jeff Ludington.