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FEBRUARY 3
Exodus 17:8-19:15
Exodus 17:8-16
This story has launched a thousand sermons. The question is, “Why did
Moses have to raise his hands?” God is obviously teaching Moses, and the
people, and us, a lesson. It might be that it fits well with the following
story.
Note that Joshua is mentioned here for the first time and he is honored
with the victory. That the memorial is recited to Joshua might be a prophetic
hint of his future role in leading Israel to victory in the land.
The Amalekites will be a pain in the neck for Israel for a long time;
in fact, led by Joshua, they will fight them again in 40 years. They were
present when Abraham moved to Canaan (Gen. 14:7).
Exodus 18
Vs. 1-12 Notice that Jethro was the
priest of Midian, and that he had some knowledge of God. I don’t think the
knowledge of God was as lost back then as it is today. We’ve already met
Melchizedek, and soon we’ll meet Balaam, both of whom not only knew God, but
served Him. In Jethro’s case, it is safe to say that he didn’t consider Yahweh
to be the only God. Just like Pharaoh and his magicians, they knew there were
other “entities” out there, and there was power they could draw on. In 1 Corinthians
10, Paul says that there are no other gods; but what pagans sacrifice, they
offer to demons. Satan is not stupid. If you can’t dissuade people from
believing in God, just convince them that He is just one of many. It
accomplishes the same purpose. These people were very religious, and thinking
that Yahweh was only one of many gods was successful in leading them in the
wrong direction.
During the months of conflict in Egypt, Moses had sent his wife and sons
back to Midian. Now that it was safe, Jethro was bringing them back to Moses.
Vs. 10-12 What God did in Egypt had done something in Jethro’s heart
and understanding. Actually, the entire known world was moved by what happened
to Egypt. We’ll get a taste of this when Joshua reaches Jericho. It would be
the same today if something happened to a major nation or superpower. News back
then didn’t travel as fast, but via trade and travel, word got around.
Remember, too, that one of the wonders of the world was in Egypt. Anyway, it’s
hard for me to say that Jethro became a believer since he mentions other gods.
Compare this to the testimony of Naaman the Syrian in 2 Kings 5:15. I’m
confident we’ll see Naaman at the table, but I don’t know about Jethro, or
Nebuchadnezzar for that matter. But it is safe to say that Jethro was growing
in his conviction and knowledge of God.
Vs. 13-27 This portion of Scripture has not only launched a thousand
sermons, but also a thousand leadership books and illustrations. Ok, this is a
great principle, no doubt, but do you see any common thread between this story
and the one above about the battle and Moses' arms? What is God teaching Moses
and the disciple of Jesus, working in the harvest, making disciples?
One thing this story shows me was that Moses was humble and ready to
receive godly help. At this point, Moses is probably the most powerful man in
the world. He might have been a chicken, but with God he was super chicken. Yet
He was humble and open. Also, rather than making a monument to organizational
leadership, I think that it is noteworthy that Moses saw Jethro as sent from
God to help him. It shows that there is help for those of us who are not
natural stellar organizers, if we are willing to hear from the Lord.
Exodus 19:1-15
A few things to note here:
Vs. 1-6 God began getting Moses ready for His
meeting with the people. Time is mentioned. The third new moon meant that three months had passed since the
Exodus. Israel will be here for another year being organized to worship and
follow God.
What is coming is a major covenant with Israel as a nation. God already
has a responsibility to them by virtue of the covenant He made with Abraham.
That covenant was without condition since Abraham was entranced, watching God
walk alone through the animals that had been sacrificed. The covenant about to
be made with Israel was a conditional covenant based on their obedience. They
had to pledge to do their part or the agreement would be void. It is a good
thing the covenant with Abraham superseded this. We already know the story.
They won’t obey and the covenant will become void. A new covenant will be
needed. Still, and you can't forget this, the promise to use Israel is prefaced
on the promise to Abraham, and God will see that Israel fulfills its destiny to
direct the nations to God.
V. 4 What God was/is doing with Israel is for them and for all of
mankind to see. God will use them to show the truth of the heart of mankind,
the power of sin, and the inability for man to become righteous before God by
doing good, religious stuff. Although they failed, God will still honor the
promise He made to Abraham to guide Israel as a nation. God will reward them
for this service to mankind. And, as we’re reading in Matthew, God will make a
new covenant, not only with Israel, but with all men through the blood of His
Son.
Vs. 5-6 Notice that God was going to make them a kingdom of priests; that is, Israel would represent Him before a
lost world, bringing the nations to God. That this is also said of the church
doesn't mean we have taken Israel's place. Israel will yet fulfill this. But it
does show something about God. All those led into the harvest are given this
description.
Vs. 7-15 God was getting the people ready to "meet Him." He
is going to begin giving the people lessons in being set apart and holy. The
dramatics of staying away from the mountain are part of this.
V. 15 Why couldn’t the men go
near a woman? I would suppose that was a sign of consecration and
seriousness before this great event. On the other hand, every boy growing up in
Milwaukee knew that girls had cooties and just the mere touch could transfer
gazillions of these scary little….well, oh, forget it. Better to go with the
first suggestion.
Matthew 22:34-23:12
Matthew 22:34-66
Vs. 34-40 So now the Pharisees go after Jesus, and Jesus gives them a
perfect answer, to which they have no response. According to Mark 12:28-34, it
seems that a dispute began and another scribe came and heard Jesus' response to
the questions. So then this scribe asked a clarifying question regarding not
the greatest commandment, but the first commandment. Jesus then gave a more
detailed response. This scribe attested to Jesus' accuracy and complimented
Him. Jesus acknowledged the scribe's sincerity, saying he was close to the
kingdom. Through this exchange, the other Pharisees and their lawyer were put to
shame.
Vs. 41-46 So, as the Germans would say, Jesus “rotates the spear” and
points it at them. The question about the Son of David did two things. First,
it exposed their superficial understanding of Scripture. Second, it showed that
the Son of David was actually revered by David as Lord (Yahweh). Obviously,
they should have been revering Jesus. In Jesus showing the shallowness of the
teachers, Jesus goes on to warn the people. Third, and most importantly, it
says that the Son of David will be commanded, for a time, to sit next to the
Father. During that time the enemies and opposition to the King will be done
away with. It meant that the Christ would have to enter heaven and then be
enthroned. It meant there would be a period of time between His glorification
and the full establishment of His rule.
It is interesting to note that at Jesus' trial before His death, the
issue of His identity as the Son of God/ Son of Man/ Son of David is the focus.
It is ironic that as Jesus told them He was a King and the Son of God, they
killed Him.
Notice that everyone who came to Jesus, appealing to Him as the Son of
David, demonstrated amazing faith.
Matthew 23:1-12
This warning is to the disciples and people, and it has a couple of
aspects.
Vs. 1-8 First, Jesus warns them not to be hypocrites like the
Pharisees. Jesus is not saying all the
burdens were wrong, but the Pharisees didn’t do what they were telling the
people to do. This is a good warning for disciples today. It is very easy to
tell people what they need to do, but the disciple has to be doing it himself.
Reach the lost? Then the pastor and elders have to lead the charge. Make disciples,
who make disciples? They need to be engaged every week in groups. Otherwise,
they will be laying something on people, which they themselves do not do.
All of the moral stuff, honesty, and integrity goes without saying. We
are all to be in the Word and honoring God every day.
Vs. 9-10 Second, Jesus steers them away from “revering” any person too
much: God? yes. Man? no. I remember reading for the first time, “Call no man,
Father.” I was a Catholic, and we called all the priests, “Father.” And what
Jesus said here made a lot of sense, because some of them were very frail,
faulted men; but we had been led to think they were right up there with God.
In the church, the same holds true. By nature, we are attracted to the
latest big name. God says not to give people titles that project a kind of
super authority. That’s not good for them or us.
Notice that in what Jesus says here, He is referring to the entire
Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They don't know it yet, but it is the
Spirit who is their, and our, teacher. John 14:26 - But the Helper,
the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will
send in my name, he will teach
you all things and bring to your
remembrance all that I have said to you.
Vs. 11-12 Third, for emphasis, the disciple is to be a humble servant
of all. A disciple of Jesus in the harvest is to be known by his/her love for
Christ and their working together with other disciples to show that love by
reaching out and making disciples. A true disciple doesn’t need a title to be
fruitful, but it is hard for a fruitful disciple to be hidden. Their humility
and servant’s heart will help them make disciples, who will make disciples with
that same heart.
Psalm 27:7-14
Somehow I identify a lot with this psalm.
Vs. 7-9 Look back at v. 6 from yesterday. Do you see what connects vs.
6 and 7? It has to do with David's testimony to the Lord and now his crying out
to the Lord.
Now David is crying out because of the present nearness of danger. He
has responded to the Lord, but needs God to respond to him. How desperately do
you need to “see God’s face?”
V. 10 David knew that everyone around him was capable of forsaking him,
but God was steadfast and faithful.
Vs. 11-12 And David was teachable. He didn't just want deliverance; he
wanted to know and follow the Lord. That was the way for him to remain safe in
God's care.
Vs. 13-14 Look at the note regarding v. 13 and believe. I think the reading is better that says that if David had
not believed God would save him in this life, he would have despaired.
V. 14 Actually, I prefer the KJV's rendering, Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he
shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. You can see there
is a difference in the sense of the verse.
This is a precious and important truth. To understand how important
“waiting” is in praying, do a word search on “waiting” and “wait” in the Psalms
and Isaiah. It might transform your prayer life.
Notice that there is the command here to take courage. That courage is only
possible if the Lord is our strength. This sounds like what will be said to
Joshua several times as he becomes the leader of Israel.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and
courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God
is with you wherever you go. (Joshua
1:9)
God is not commanding us to do something impossible. We can only be
this strong and courageous in the One who can do the impossible. And we have
the knowledge of His love in our Lord.
Proverbs 6:27-35
Vs. 27-33 I can understand why the Spirit emphasizes this truth, but I
wonder what personal experience urged Solomon on to share this with his son. Here,
it is good to remember that Bathsheba was Solomon’s mother. I wonder, again, if
it wasn’t because of the way David damaged himself and his family. How did
David imagine he’d get away with it? It was utterly irrational. David knew
Bathsheba; in fact, he probably knew where to look from his roof. David knew
Uriah, knew her father, and knew her grandfather. They probably all sat at his
table every night. What did David think would happen? David’s act destroyed his
own family and that family. And to think, David also knew God.
The point here is that if you stray too close to lust, you’ll get burned.
To think you can do this without effect is only to fool yourself.
Seasoned servants of God have built protective measures around
themselves to keep from flirting with danger, to keep themselves accountable,
to make sure they don’t linger around the fire. As disciples, we are no better
and need to heed the warning the Spirit is giving us here.
It is interesting that in every election year in America, some of the
top candidates are often destroyed by their past sexual behavior. Even in the
heart of an unbeliever, unfaithfulness and adultery create a dark opinion of
someone.
Vs. 34-35 Some things that God has built into us just cannot be denied.
Please Read
the Following Disclaimer
I'm writing the Reading Notes to and
for those who are following a One Year Bible and are interested in growing
deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the
growth of a discipleship culture in the church, that is, groups of 3-4
disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to
reach out and make disciples, who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most
universal and important discipleship manual we have and it is the key to our
growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here,
or what we are to be doing, or whom we are to be following. My comments are
only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of
God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are
designed to keep us, as disciples, focused on Christ and our role in His
harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be
willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their
growth as disciples, making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a more descriptive
commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary (BKC).
I read the BKC in doing background for the Reading Notes and refer to it quite
often. I also make reference to maps or charts in the BKC, though I will only
note where those resources can be found. Often you can do a search for these
and find them in Google books. Buying both volumes of the Bible Knowledge
Commentary would be a good idea.
I am not endorsing any particular
One Year Bible translation; in fact, I read something you probably don't, Die
Revidierte Lutherbibel, 1984. Unless noted, all Scripture quotes are from the
ESV Bible.
Anyone reading along with us is
welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own
observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition
or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any
point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as
I understand it. Often there is a breadth of opinion on certain events, both
historical and prophetic. Many of my views come from my church background,
theological training and my personal study.
I'm
doing this with discipleship in mind, meaning, I'm writing out thoughts that
will keep discipleship and our growth as disciples applied to what we are
reading. Remember, the real focus of the Reading Notes is to be a
supplement, a disciple’s commentary, giving motivation and insight so that we
will keep following our Lord in the harvest, reaching the lost and making
disciples, who make disciples. Being in
the Word every day, sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning directly from Him, is the
essential essence of being and making disciples.
May the Lord bless you as you follow Him in the
harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make disciples. Dan
If you would like documents
containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
If you would like a full
presentation of discipleship read Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples.
Or if you are struggling with
insomnia and would like a long boring dissertation on disciple making, these
can both be found on https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
Reading Notes ©, Dan Kachikis
2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
The One Year Bible © by
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton Illinois 60189
The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of
Good News Publishers.
All charts/graphics/outlines
from the Bible Knowledge Commentary are used with the permission of David C.
Cook.
© 1983, 2001 John F Walvoord and Roy B Zuck.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary is published by David C Cook.
All rights reserved. Publisher permission
required to reproduce.
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