Exodus 10:1-12:13 + Matthew 20:1-28 + Psalm 25:1-15 + Proverbs 6:6-11
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Old Testament – In Exodus chapter 10 today we read about the Plague of Locusts! In ancient times locust plagues were greatly feared and were often considered to be a sign of divine judgment.
Next up is the plague of darkness. Some Biblical commentaries have found Pharaoh’s statement to Moses to be quite appropriate and ironic that he said this during the plague of darkness in 10:28: “The day you see my face you will die.” Apparently Moses couldn’t quite fully see Pharaoh’s face during the plague of darkness? Makes sense to me. Commentaries have also suggested that this verse was a death threat to Moses, and that this death threat was responded to with the coming plague on the firstborns of Egypt, including Pharaoh’s son. Below is an image of the plague of darkness:
In Exodus chapter 11 we read in verses 4 & 5: “So Moses announced to Pharaoh, “This is what the LORD says: About midnight I will pass through Egypt. All the firstborn sons will die in every family in Egypt, from the oldest son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the oldest son of his lowliest slave. Even the firstborn of the animals will die.” And an appropriate image for this announcement might be this – (except for the fact that they were in the midst of the plague of darkness… so this image should have the lights turned off. Oh well… 🙂
Today we read in Exodus chapter 12 about God giving Moses and Aaron instructions on the First Passover. Verse 2 stands out: “From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you.” Here we see that God is actually instituting a new religious calendar for the Hebrews with the month that Passover is in being the first month of the calendar year. This month is in the March-April spring timeframe and is called Abib or Nisan in Hebrew. The feasts that were and are celebrated in this 1st month were – Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits. Here is a very interesting note on the Jewish calendar from the NIV Study Bible – “In the ancient Near East, new year festivals normally coincided with the new season of life in nature. The designation of this month as Israel’s religious New Year reminded Israel that its life as the people of God was grounded in God’s redemptive act in the Exodus… Israel’s agricultural calendar began in the fall, and during the monarchy it dominated the nation’s civil calendar. Both calendars (civil and religious) existed side by side until after the exile. Judaism today uses only the calendar that begins in the fall.” Below is an image of the Jewish religious calendar:
The significance of Passover was that God was introducing the concept of a sacrifice or a substitute for a life. The lamb was sacrificed as a substitute for the Hebrews first-born sons. The blood of the lamb was placed on the doorposts as a sign that the household had sacrificed an innocent life – the lamb. By the blood of the unblemished/perfect lamb, the household was protected from death. This is a foreshadowing of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus is the sacrificial lamb for us. He was a substitute for us and our sins. He was an innocent unblemished/perfect lamb – sinless. By Jesus’ blood, we are protected from eternal death. Do you see the parallels between Passover and Jesus’ death on the cross?
Exodus chapter 12 verse 11 is of note: “Wear your traveling clothes as you eat this meal, as though prepared for a long journey. Wear your sandals, and carry your walking sticks in your hands. Eat the food quickly, for this is the LORD’s Passover.” By wearing their traveling clothes, the Hebrews were faithfully acknowledging God’s Word that they would very soon be freed from slavery and bondage in Egypt. The Exodus would soon begin! And the traveling clothes signified that the Hebrews were ready for the journey! How about us today? Do you think that God may still call us on journeys today? Do you think that God might be calling you on a journey here in this new year? If so, will you be ready for the call? Will you wear your “traveling clothes”, so that when the “Exodus” comes, you are ready for it? Below is a sketch by 19th century English painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti showing the Israelites wearing their traveling clothes for the Exodus:
Bible.org’s commentary on the plagues of Exodus titled “The Finger of God” is at this link and commentary on “The Passover and the Plague of the Firstborn” is at this link.
New Testament – Matthew chapter 20’s parable of the vineyard workers is one that I have at times had challenges with. I, like the workers who labored all day, would think – “that’s not fair!” Well…. but then I came to realize that I believe this story is a parable of Grace. God’s grace. And you know what – God’s grace is not “fair.” And thank God for this being so! God’s grace is so powerful and all-encompassing and life-giving and healing and saving. And God’s grace is offered to me. And to you. And to our neighbors. And to everyone. God’s grace is offered to people that have sinned against God. Me. You. Our Neighbors. Everyone. God’s grace is offered to people who become Christians early in their lives and live wonderfully giving lives. And God’s grace is offered to people who become Christians on their deathbed after living destructive lives, but who finally repent and surrender to God. God’s grace is given freely. Like these workers in this story, we may accept God’s grace at different points in the “day” of our life. Though, of course, some never do ultimately accept God’s grace and there is grave risk as the day grows longer… How about you? What part of the “day” are you in? Have you accepted God’s gift of grace? Will you do so today? While it is still “today” for you? Below is an oil painting by Rembrandt from 1637 of “The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard”:
Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 20 verse 16 has always been convicting to me: “And so it is, that many who are first now will be last then; and those who are last now will be first then.” I see the wisdom in this verse… but yet, I still think that I try to be “first” in many ways in my life. I don’t like being “last”. I like being honored. I like being the star. I don’t like being the servant. I don’t like to be the guy supporting the star. And yet, Jesus is calling us to be last. To serve others. To let others go first. How about you? Are you trying to be “first” in your life? Or do you see the eternal wisdom in being “last”? Continuing this thought of serving others – below is a painting from 1856 by British painter Ford Maddox Brown of “Christ Washing St. Peter’s Feet”:
As this chapter proceeds we read about Jesus prophesying his own death and resurrection. And then, we see Jesus prophesy about the end of James & John’s life when their mother and they ask to sit at Jesus’ right & left in heaven. Check out verses 22 & 23: “”You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of sorrow I am about to drink?” “Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!” “You will indeed drink from it,” he told them.” You will indeed drink from it… James ended his life being martyred for his faith in Jesus. And John ended his life in exile on the island of Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation. And I wonder again about us today… sometimes we hear about the “health, wealth and prosperity gospel”, and think that’s what we’ve signed up for as Christians. But… do you think that it might be possible that at some point in your life that you might be called to drink from the bitter cup of sorrow that Jesus drank from? If you are called to drink from that bitter cup, will you indeed drink from it? Below is a painting by Flemish artist Pieter van Mol from the early 17th century of “Jesus with the cup”:
The last 10 words of verse 28 remind me of the Passover Lamb / Jesus parallels discussed above in this post: “For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many.” Jesus came to give his life as a ransom for many. Do you believe that Jesus came to give his life as a ransom for you?
Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in Matthew chapter 20 titled “Workers in the Vineyard” is at this link.
Psalms – Psalm 25 has some amazing verses today! I think I could write some reflections and questions on each of the verses today… Maybe a good thing for each of us to do is to re-read this Psalm today and really reflect on what the verses are saying to our hearts. David wrote this Psalm as a prayer for God’s mercies when he was suffering affliction for his sins and when enemies were seizing this occasion to attack him. It’s a very penitential Psalm. One that we might need to pray to God from time to time as David did. I do like verse 5 a lot and I believe it will speak to each of you going through the One Year Bible this year – “Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.” Do you believe that reading God’s Word each day is allowing you to be led by God’s truth? Are you being taught each day? Then – that last sentence in verse 5 is amazing. I cannot honestly say that all day long I put my hope in God. I pray that I do… but I think sometimes I drift away from putting my hope in God and I put my hope in myself – or maybe even sometimes I lose hope! I get discouraged about a situation. I get stressed. I worry. If we put our hope all day long in God, do you think we would get discouraged, stressed, or worried? I don’t think we would…
Psalm 25 verse 15 really stood out to me today – “My eyes are always looking to the LORD for help, for he alone can rescue me from the traps of my enemies.” I have come to realize more and more lately that the Enemy is indeed constantly setting traps for us. I don’t mean to scare anyone here – but I think this is something very important for us to realize. It has been said that the greatest trick the Devil can play on us is to make us think that he does not exist. If we don’t think the Devil exists, then we logically won’t think that he’s setting any traps for us. Let me assure you – this is clearly Biblical – the Devil exists. Evil exists in this world. Temptation exists. And evil does not rest. However – the good news – God is so much bigger and stronger and brighter (and this list can go on) than the Devil – the Enemy. David says in this Psalm that his eyes are ALWAYS looking to the Lord for help. Why? Because God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit alone can rescue us from the traps of the Enemy. Again, the traps are out there for us in this modern world. The temptations and dark alleys and wrong turns call to us unceasingly. But – again, great news here – we can be saved from all of that nonsense; all of that darkness; indeed all of that death, through a relationship with Jesus. Jesus saves. Jesus saves us from ourselves. From our sin. And from the Enemy that sets traps for us. Like David in this Psalm, are your eyes always looking to the Lord for help? Please don’t ever take your eyes off God and His mercies, power, and strength.
Proverbs – Okay, Proverbs chapter 6 verses 9 through 11 make me smile. I do absolutely see the wisdom in these verses… but reading the word lazybones makes me smile. Is this a New Living Translation thing?? I honestly wondered for a split second if I was getting The Message translation on this Proverb somehow today! 🙂 These are powerful words of wisdom I think for each of us to consider: “But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? I want you to learn this lesson: A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest– and poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.” It is pretty amazing to consider that this Proverb also tells us to take a lesson from the ant! The seemingly lowly ant! We’re told to emulate. I love that… and it’s so true. The ant works hard for its keep! What lesson can you learn from the ant today?
Worship Video: Today’s Pslam of course reminded me of Third Day’s song “My Hope is You” which I think is based on this Psalm. Here they are singing it at their final concert ever at Red Rocks in 2018:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zebrk3yFoaU
Where is your hope these days? Click here to put your hope in Jesus!
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on two verses of Scripture today: “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest- and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.” Proverbs 6:10-11 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you would work hard in the Lord 6 days a week, and take 1 day a week of Sabbath rest and worship. Pray that each day that you work that you will work for Jesus – no matter what your job is. Pray that you would get plenty of sleep each night, but not too much. Pray that you won’t be lazy.
Comments from You and Questions of the Day: Based on the lesson from the ant in today’s Proverbs, how do you balance working hard in your life with getting proper rest and relaxation? How do you find the balance? I think balance in our life is a challenging thing to find in almost all areas of our life. We have to be vigilant about balance in all things, or else we’ll lose our balance. I know there is the modern day adage of “Work Hard and Play Hard.” But I’m not so sure about this adage… seems to me like you could end up being a selfish workaholic weekend warrior who spends money and time only on your own gratification with this adage. I hope that wasn’t too harsh?… 🙂 I do agree that we need to work and play – but I’m just not sure about playing hard. I’m thinking the adage should maybe be “Work Well and Play Well” or “Work Smart and Play Smart.” Or something along those lines. Please post up in the Comments below how you balance work and play and rest in your life? Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless,
Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Bible readings at this link.
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BLOG READERS HISTORICAL COMMUNITY COMMENTS:
======= Ramona:
Exodus 10:1-12:13
Some quick thoughts on today’s Old Testament reading.
And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was exceedingly great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and of the people.
(Exodus 11:3 AMP)
Leadership can get you in trouble by the choices they make. Moses had favor in Egypt with the Egyptians but not the Pharaoh. Can the words in the above verse be made in your corporate organization, country, city, town, village, church and household about the effect and affect you are having on those submitted to you? Just change the name Moses, Egypt and Egyptians and then fill in the blanks. Those of us on this site who are in leadership positions should stop and ask themselves the question: How am I leading? What am I leading the people under me into? Am I being stubborn refusing to lead by way of the Master causing destruction and suffering by my decisions, or am I closely listening to the voice of God and truly serving my customers, citizens, and employees? Is there a Moses in your organization proclaiming warnings that the people respect but you are ignoring? Just something to think about. Hard hearts are not a phenomenon to Ancient Egypt.
And you shall eat it thus: [as fully prepared for a journey] your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment [proving their helplessness]. I am the Lord.
(Exodus 12:11-12 AMP)
Hearing the voice of God and obeying immediately. Being prepared to escape from our captivity should be something we must always strive to maintain. There was a window of opportunity that was getting ready to open up and Israel had to be ready. I have known that voice of immediacy, sometimes followed it, and sometimes I didn’t. For the times I did not heed, I really do not know where that path to freedom would have led me. The text doesn’t say if any were left behind, but what left out of Egypt, as we will read, was a “mixed multitude (12:38).” Not only did those who the message was directed to taste that freedom, but the people who observed those given the message, those in the “mix” got in on the deal. So not only are we to listen to that “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12), but if we fail to do so we need to keep an eye out for those who do.
Grace and peace,
Ramona
P.S. Could it be that getting into the Word, “Seeking First The Kingdom …” is the key to staying in Balance? Hmmm
======= Anka:
I was abit amused at the details that went in to prepare Israel for the exodus in chapter 12.The lamb lamb portion was to be decided according to how much a person could eat,cloak tucked in to the belt(so they wouldn’t trip I guess)…it sounds a bit like a mother fussing over her kids getting them ready for a trip.Just like the part in genesis before God drove Adam and Eve out,he actually made clothes for them,he could have just thrown down some animal skin for them to figure out what to do with them…but he made them coats!
As I read about the hardness of Pharoh’s heart and God’s part in it,I began to ponder a bit about our will…God’s will.He says I put before you life and death..chose life…he put the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil,told the couple which to touch but ultimately the choice was theirs.God is knows it all,knew us before we were born,the choices we’d make so i think he knew what pharoh was like already…the idea of killing the first born wasn’t put into pharoh by God…pharoh was just evil.The first 6times i read in genesis about pharoh’s heart upto the plague of boils..it’s doesn’t say God hardened pharoh’s heart..Moses shows us there are times God hardens pharoh’s heart..there are times pharoh does that himself..or he would have just said all the time that the Lord hardened pharoh’s heart I guess.I think God already knew the choices pharoh was going to make so he placed him to live in a time that would suit God’s purpose.
In this days of us demanding our rights,demanding justice it seems we forget we are God’s…he loves us but if he chose not to it wouldn’t make him less God..or good(since he created it anyway).God chooses whom he has mercy on.Who are we to judge his actions.He made the distinction between right and wrong not us…even if he slays us…we should pray that our heart is steadfast.Personally I’ve been praying for a good dose of the fear of the Lord in my life so I don’t ever presume to question him…
God bless you all
Anka
PS..my views about certain issues may be wrong..I’m open to any corrections.
God bless you all
======= Micah Girl:
Starting my day this year faithfully and consistently with the One Year Bible has been tremendous for helping me achieve balance. Right after I work out spiritually, I work out physically, and then I face the challenges of my day. I’m a bit of a free spirit when it comes to schedules, and so starting my day off right means that the rest of my day is more structured and focused and flows much better. I’m even blogging more consistently.
Micah Girl
======= Jan:
Regarding Mike’s question: “But… do you think that it might be possible that at some point in your life that you might be called to drink from the bitter cup of sorrow that Jesus drank from? If you are called to drink from that bitter cup, will you indeed drink from it?”
In my life, there have been circumstances that I didn’t have a choice whether I wanted to suffer or not & I think that is the way it is with most of our lives in Christ. If we are truly in Him and/or sons or daughters…we will suffer with the sufferings of Christ…there is no getting out of it…that is why we are taught to count it all joy for the trying of our faith.
Jan
======= John:
Mike
“And so it is, that many who are first now will be last then; and those who are last now will be first then.”
My view of this passage is that some who have had discipleship for a long time may not have done as well serving God as some that had it for a short time. Thus the shorter time disciples may have higher rewards (in heaven). Thus the “last” becoming “first”.
Both groups are equal in salvation, but differ in rewards.
John
======= Jim:
Not that I don’t like to hear your statement, John, your last line. That’s too damning, it makes me cringe!!!
Jim
======= John:
Jim,
“Both groups are equal in salvation, but differ in rewards.”
This makes you cringe?
Ok, Ok I know – it is the Bundy/Dahmer comment. On a measurable line of sin, we are some finite distance from Bundy/Dahmer. We may be far from them on the line – say a million miles. Without Christ we are an infinite distance from God. There is no way to get to God without Jesus’ sacrifice.
A million is less than infinite, so therefore we are closer to Dahmer/Bundy. Again this is without Jesus’ sacrifice for us.
The point is not how close we are to the deviants, but how far we are from God when not covered by the blood of Christ.
John
======= Stephanie:
about balance..i find with having a family and a father living with us( being, wife, mother and daughter)my balance is affected by family needs, the only way to manage is we get up very early, i do breakfast and make the days lunches see my husband off to work and then from 6.15 till 7.15am is my private time i can do my Bible reading etc then i wake the kids up and what i call “real life” starts and only stops again at bedtime.i am blessed with a profession( im an artist) that i can fit in inbetween..the balance seems heavy towards caring for my family but every now and again when i feel im not achieving or get frustrated i realise one has different phases in your life and this is the phase that God has given me that family is my job and to treasure it , it wil pass so swiftly.i cant work out a balance of i spend so many hours working for God and so many for home but i try to weave being a Christian into everything i do, seeing friends, working with a Church mums and tots group,being a governor at school,trying to give joy with my paintings and chatting over copious cups of tea( the cure for all ails in the uk).i read a very good saying once..it said you dont lack the discipline to get up early in the morning for a quiet time but you lack the discipline to go to bed early the night before to make the getting up early the next day possible.i fall down horribly here and often burn the candle at both ends trying to cram everything i want to into one set of 24 hours so maybe this wasnt a very useful comment on how i achieve balance but i would sincerely recommend the early mornings to anyone it starts the day off well( thats of course by the time you manage to start focussing and have had your first cup of coffee
Stephanie
======= Beth:
With regard to balancing work and rest in my life, I have been thinking about these words from Oswald Chambers:
“Consecration is the act of continually separating myself from everything except that which God has appointed me to do. It is not a one-time experience but an ongoing process. Am I continually separating myself and looking to God every day of my life?”
With me, I think this is key: there are lots of things I like to do and many things that cry out for doing, but only a few are really needful in the eyes of the Lord.
Beth
======= Mae:
Reading Exodus is so powerful! Moses’ story is just so wonderful! I can’t stop reading it! I’s be ready for a journey every day! If God would ask me to leave Den Bosch and move to another city, I’d do it in a heartbeat. I don’t have travelling clothes LOL, but I am ready. Every minute of the day. I can leave, just like that.
Matthes 20:28 stood out for me “For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many.” ~ I absolutely believe that Jesus came to give his life for my sins. I believe that I was saved by Jesus’ blood. He is my personal Saviour. Accepting Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour gave me my ‘ticket to heaven’.
I love Psalm 25:7 “Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth. Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O Lord”. ~ I trust God that He washed away my sins and I trust and believe that my sins before my rebirth are gone. That’s my freedom being a Christian …
Mae
======= Jenny:
great readings today. i always had a kind-of respect for ants…they never stop working n they work together, its kinda neat how God made them like that…and they all look exactly alike. I’ve always liked Prov 6:10-11. Its very important we be hard workers, no matter where we work, wat we do, do it unto the Lord and you will find fulfillment. Doesnt matter if you have a high paying, high-skilled job, or a low-skilled min. wage job. Do it unto Him.
Remember, its a good witness! Christians should be the hardest workers! (and our hearts’ motive shouldnt be solely for money, but to please God…I pray about this every day before work).
I love Ps 25:14 “The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him”. this is sooo true, we have sumthing others cant attain. nonbelievers dont get it. We have His secret, how awesome! i’m keeping this short today
Jenny
======= Jeff:
I am always asking myself the same question if I am spending too much time at work vice spending family time and time reading and reflecting on the Bible. I don’t want to look back on my life and regret the time I spent at work instead of with my family. But I do have to work to support my family. It is a tough decision to make. I talk and pray about it with my wife often. I always let my family know that I love them. I wish I could stay home all day with them and just enjoy being with them. But we were ment to be social beings and to interact with others in life. I try to bring my Christian faith and attitude to work with me and to try and pass that along to people I meet. I believe it works by the way I treat others and how they in turn treat me. this is one of the things I want to teach my children how to do because this is not a perfect world and trying to balance raising a christian family and living daily like a christian takes a lot of prayer and communication with your family. I remember a quote from a famous mathemitician (althouh I can’t remember his name). he said he would rather spend all day reading scripture but since that was not possible he might as well do math. what I took from this was that we would all love to spend all day reading our bible but we have a job or a responsibility that God has called us all for in our daily lives that we must do. also I try to burn the candle at both ends often. I do believe waking early is good. it is a great time to read the bible and then to use the lessons you learned in the day you are about to begin. but I will often stay up late and then my early wake up time for bible reading gets replaced by my snooze alarm. this is an area of my life I need improvement and help with.
Jeff
======= Bill:
QUESTIONS OF THE DAY:
“ Based on the lesson from the ant in today’s Proverbs, how do you balance working hard in your life with getting proper rest and relaxation? How do you find the balance?…”
Well, let me first just say that I would rather be the weightlifting ant at the gym rather than the ant working in the coal mine anyday…lol…but that won’t pay the bills. I was into bodybuilding when I was in my 20s and 30s and I have also done manual labor. Periods of rest and relaxation are crucial if you want to be able to do either well. In my younger days it wasn’t easy working 10 hour days, going to the gym for two hours after work and then coming home and trying to spend time in God’s Word. Later on I finally got my priorities straight and the time with God became more important. It was better to skip the workouts than my devotional time. Trying to cram all of that in a 24 hour day didn’t always leave much time to get much needed sleep. Time management is not something I have always been very good at but I know that is the key to find balance in your life.
EXODUS 10:1-12:13
I love the boldness that Moses showed in speaking the Word of God on religious freedom to Pharaoh: “ Let my people go, that they may serve me “ ( 10:3 ).
Many of the plagues that the Lord put upon Egypt will also be repeated again during the coming Great Tribulation. In the case of the locusts though there will clearly be a difference. In Egypt they hurt every green thing ( 10:10-15 ) but in the Tribulation Period they will hurt men ( Revelation 9-11 ). Ironically, environmentalist extremists and Gaia Mother Earth goddess worshippers would probably be more upset by the plague in Egypt because of the harm done to the environment.
The plague of darkness, “…even darkness which may be felt “ ( 10:21 ) reminds me of the time I visited Onondaga Cave in Missouri one time. After we descended deep into the cave the tour guide turned off the light switch for a few seconds to show us what it would be like in the absolute absence of any light. It was oppressive darkness and you could actually feel it. It was totally unlike any darkness I had ever experienced. I imagine it was like this in Egypt and I also imagine that it will be like that in the “outer darkness” which Jesus spoke of ( Matthew 8:12; 22:13; 25:30 ) for those who end up there. As in the case of the locusts, there will be similar plague of darkness during at the outpouring of the 5th vial judgment in Great Tribulation ( Revelation 16:10 ). That darkness will be felt too because they will gnaw their tongues because of pain. All of these plagues of darkness are a taste of Hell on earth.
MATTHEW 20:1-28
What James and John suffered for the cause of Christ has been the norm for most Christians down through the Church Age. I would recommend that every Christian read Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. Christians have never had it so good as do so many of us here in the United States do when it comes to wealth , prosperity and religious freedom. Though I am thankful for the blessings of God that we enjoy in this country there are times when I think maybe it is a detriment. It has made us soft. We generally have no inkling of what it means to suffer for the Name of Christ. If persecution were to arise tomorrow because of the faith I don’t know that we are prepared and I am including myself when I say that.
PSALM 25:1-15
Speaking of persecution, David also knew something about that ( v.19 ).
In this passage it is also promised that we will know his will ( v. 12 ), and that we will understand the mysteries and the truth of God if we fear him ( v.14 ).
PROVERBS 6:6-11
The lesson to be learned from the ant in the proverb is that he worked hard while he had the opportunity to do so and put up in store for the day when he could not work. Likewise we as Christians should prepare for the future but live as if Jesus Christ could come back at any moment. It also reminds me of Jesus’ words, “ I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” – John 9:4 ( KJV )
Bill
======= Gary:
Mike,
Thanks for your ministry of encouraging many to read through the Bible. I am grateful for your participation/leadership in this work of the Lord.
Regarding life balance, I have always been led to view our life in Christ not from the perspective of balance, but from the perspective of ‘abandon’. From Matthew 16, we read “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” I want to abandon my hopes, dreams, and desires in exchange for service in the kingdom of heaven. God can use us in His service in ‘all’ circumstances of our life. As we grow in spiritual maturity, we can serve Him in all areas of our life and at all times of the day and night.
We can pray through our calendar each day to seek his will for those things that go on our calendars, and seek his guidance in each activity of our day. One friend of mine prays to see each meeting of his day as a divine appointment. We know Christ goes with us through His Holy Spirit, so each activity of the day can be redemptive.
I like the idea of abandon. More of Him in service to His Kingdom.
Gary
======= Elizabeth:
Hello Everyone,
Regarding Proverbs 6 and the ant, one thing I admire is the ant knows what she’s designed to do and does it without being commanded or reminded:
“Without having any chief, officer, or ruler,
she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.”
-Proverbs 6:7-8
I believe our primary “work” in this world is to glorify God in whatever He calls us to. Inherent in our daily work–no matter how menial or cerebral– is the opportunity to glorify Him by doing a job well and unto the Lord, not unto materialistic wants or to satisfy our hungry egos.
With regard to the ant’s work ethic, I love working alongside people who are like her, people who diligently complete their work, even when no one else is around to supervise them or give them pats on the back.
I also think the proverb suggests that there are appropriate seasons for different kinds of work. What’s appropriate work for one season may not be for another. We need to be sensitive to God’s timing in things.
Our work is much more than just our paid employment, (although of course that’s a necessary chunk of it)–there is work to be done in our family, community and church every day. And I agree Mike, it’s got to be a balanced portrait– we should not neglect our family for our job or the church for our family or our family for the church (!)
We can make an idol out of any work–even work for His church.
Just thinking,
Elizabeth
======= Arielle:
I totally agree with your comments on the story of the ants, Elizabeth!
In proverbs it says that the ants toil day in and day out without a leader or governor. They know that is the right thing for them to do and they don’t need anyone to tell them that. What if all of us did that in our Christian growth, huh! We would have been far better off. We sometimes put aside, what is the easiest to put aside. And that sometimes becomes our Christian growth or our bible study or our daily fellowship with the divine One. I know at least I do, either because I have important things going on in my family life or at work. We know we are responsible to meet expectations of people or family first. And the easiest thing to do last sometimes becomes our time with GOD. I wish we could find that perfect balance to put GOD first and give HIM the full glory all the time. I remember our church priest mention in one of his sermons one day, if each of us could take a vacation or a day off from work or our regular routine just to do things that would give glory to GOD , that would be awesome. That sounds crazy but, but what if we did that? I bet there would be 100 or more angels praising GOD for us, “saying they got it right this time”
Another verse that stood out to me was:
Mathew 20: 16 “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”
I think this is what it means. We are all equal in the kingdom of heaven. There is no first or last or what CHRIST says in the verses above is first = last. Be it a person who followed CHRIST 10yrs ago or a person who received CHRIST yesterday. All who have heard the Promise, salvation is theirs and we become members of the same kingdom. We are all one body and are at peace with one another. It greatly resonates with our memorizing verse:
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.” Colossians 3:15 NIV
Regardless of who were are we all reap the same benefits in the kingdom of heaven, for there is only one GOD and we are all children of the same Father. We will all be treated equally!
Arielle
======= John:
Elizabeth,
“I believe our primary “work” in this world is to glorify God in whatever He calls us to.”
Amen, Amen, and Amen.
“Whatever He calls us to” is His Will. As we advance on our walk and begin to understand the Father’s Will – we know Him better. By knowing Him better, we are becoming more like Christ who knows the Father perfectly.
By submitting our will to His Will and obeying (is not that what Christ did here on earth the first visit?) – God will be glorified – not us.
From the beginning to the end this is all about the magnification of the Glory (all God’s Characteristics) of God.
John
===== Deborah:
I connect to your thoughts on balance, Mike! At times, we have such tunnel vision.
I know balancing work and play, action and rest, rejoicing and weeping. . . leads to a fully human life. When I’m sensing a need to improve one area of my life, I find it helpful to prayerfully consider all the areas of my life that help me walk as one who is fully alive in Christ and fully human. My key areas happen to be Spirituality, Relationships, Wellness (health, fitness, leisure, fun), Surroundings (local to global), Finances, Work, and Creativity. Then I ask myself how satisfied I am with each of those. I take my disatisfaction to God in meditation and prayer. Then, I listen and watch for resources to help me raise a sense of balance in the areas that are weak–even if it means moderating some of the others. I keep returning to the wisdom of Ecclesiastes 3 – “For everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.”
I also appreciate a quote from G.K Chesterton, “Let’s rally the really human things.”
Deborah
======= Rita:
Whenever i work hard, i really want to rest hard also..the Lord is really teaching me to balance everything in my life. what i like in today’s passage also is that the Lord can harden the heart of the pharaoh so that His glory will be revealed, at first i don’t understand..why is God trying to control, where is what we call “freewill”? later did i realized that the Lord is indeed in control.:) He is Sovereign and in this way, i am reassured that God can do everything. He can fulfill His plans and purpose in our lives for His greater Glory. isn’t that a great comfort for us..though some of us are called to sacrifice for the Lord, we can be martyrs for Jesus and not have all the riches and power in this world but we are assured that He knows what He is doing and what’s important is not the lives we have but His glory tobe revealed always. May the Lord bless us as we journey with Him, as we acknowledge that the devil is present but OUR God is greater than the devil,evil or any temptaions. Simply because HE IS GOD! Godbless.:)
Rita
====== Raeann:
Why did GOD harden Pharoah’s heart against the Hebrews?
Raeann
======= Beth:
Raeann,
“Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you—so that my wonders may be multiplied in Egypt.”
I think Pharaoh’s heart was hardened so that the power and might of the Lord could be displayed in an undeniable way. The Egyptians would HAVE to acknowledge God as God after all this. And not just the Egyptians, the Hebrews needed to know His power. They had been there for 400 years. Their founding fathers had been Joseph and family who had died a long time ago. I am guessing their faith had waned just as we witness the faith in America waning — after only 200+ years of establishment as a Christian nation. The people needed the works to see God’s power so they would re-develop the fear of the Almighty.
And all this so God could show them His mercy and grace and goodness. So the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart was really mercy… for them and for us. His ways are not our ways… but He is good!
Beth
======= Steve:
Matthew 20:10 The workers who had been hired first thought they would be given more than the others. But when they were given the same, 11they began complaining to the owner of the vineyard.
As I read this verse my thoughts turned to my own entitlement issues and priorities. A shift is occurring, my desire to put God first is increasing, yes, I’m even beginning to see fruit in this area but the entitlement battle never stops. The longer I go without feeding the belly of entitlement, the clearer the picture of the prize God has prepared for me. Spending time in God’s word each day, looking at the lesson He wants me to see, equip me for today’s journey. The path becomes abundantly clear when I humble myself before God.
Steve
====== Robert:
My main problem with time management is procrastination. Real deadlines I respect more than the ones I need to make so as not to be up against the last minute. Procrastination causes me to be less creative and produce a lesser quality of work.
The lesson about the ant speaks to me to get better and do not procrastinate. The ant not only works without a ruler, but also does what needs to be done within the proper time frame, ie.. working in the summer and harvesting for the winter. What an important lesson. Windows of opportunity may not stay open very long.
Robert
======= Bev:
Reading the Word is the way to keep in balance and keeping your eyes on God. He will lead you where you need to go. A while back we were talking about God speaking to us and my pastor said to be careful about feeling a calmness only. I didnt understand right away but now I see that God’s Word is how he speaks to all of us and we can hear it if we study it faithfully. When calmness comes upon us we need to remember to still check our decision with the Bible. I thought that was a given. I will be glad when it becomes second nature to check with Him on all work done during the day. How much better would it have been to have the Bible instilled in me as a child so I would have the answers already in my heart. I love you Jesus.
Bev
======= Jill:
21 “What is it you want?” he asked.
She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” Wow this hit me! How often do we ask of God ” please let it be me! Or please give me _ God!” It’s not for us decide. We are again trying to control God to make demands of him.
Secondly growing up we sang songs of Gods grace. “Marvelous grace” for ex. or the verse “let your speech be full of grace seasoned with salt that ye may know how to answer every man” Did we really understand what Grace was? I didn’t. It wasn’t really preached on the pulpit. More judgement was preached. Less Grace. Did I grow up allowing others grace in my life if I wasn’t taught it?
Overnight it just hit me along with a woman who came into my church introduced the word. After that my life changed. But it took many years to truly understand what grace meant till I lost something valuable to me. I demanded of God ” how dare you take this from me! I’ve been a good Christian all my life (50 yrs)!!”
God answered me ” whoever you show mercy and grace to comes back to you” he allowed me to go thru a valley to learn what grace is.
To those who don’t understand Grace read what Matt 20 says about it. Really study Grace and your life will change. Life is not fair but God is.
Jill
======= Carol:
I’m seeing a correlation between these ancient times and our world now, and what we read in Revelations. With so many things happening in the world that are being allowed and/or caused by God…. people/leaders have their hearts hardened and do not turn to God. In fact, many/most seem to be running away from God, either denying him or changing Him into their own image of who they think a God should be like.
Something interesting I noticed today was that the Land Owner/God went out to get his workers. They weren’t lined up outside of his property…but he went out to gather them/choose them. And he didn’t ask for their qualifications/experience with this type of work either.
I will be using this Psalm for repentance/prayer and thank you for pointing that out!
Yes, keeping our eyes on God, our hearts filled with Him and our mouths praising Him, is so important in staying away from the many temptations that face us.
Oh, and I like the word “sluggard” much better! It seems to be a much harder hitting word!! haha
Carol
======= Bob:
PASSOVER
I have celebrated the Passover a few times at congregational festivals. It is very rewarding to have all the elements explained like the lamb shank, unleavened flatbread, bitter herbs, etc. Also it isn’t complete without the kids running around looking for the hidden matzah bread.
Mathew 20:20-23 Soccer Mom.
Aren’t kids moms great! The mother of Zebedee’s sons just wants the best for them. I can see my wife doing this. She is an ambitious mom that wants her boys to be the “strikers” on the soccer team. The lesson here shows great wisdom because it says that we should seek others to intercede for us, (especially in prayer). Thanks mom.
Psalm 25:15 Snares
Mike, I really think you brought up an excellent point about the traps we are susceptible to. I try to pray every night that wonderful verse in the Lord’s Prayer…and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Not only for myself but for the whole family!
Bob
======= Mitch:
Some thoughts:
OT: interesting exercise is to take the events of Jesus’ last week prior to crucifixion and match them up with the instructions given on treatment of spotless lamb in today’s reading on Passover.
NT; parable of workers seems to be an answer to Peter’s question at end of chapter 19. “We followed you from beginning-what do we get?” The parable probably is better seen as workers getting a reward/gift rather than wages. God’s gift of salvation is not dependent on what you do or for how long – it is a free gift as long as you come aboard (agree to plan). As long as you have a breath you can say – Yes to Jesus and get eternal life. First shall be last and the last first – to me – is just saying it is a tie – no matter the timing we all are winners of the exact same reward/gift.
Mother asking for her sons’ seats at Jesus’ table in the kingdom – may have the same idea as most Jews of that time – that the messiah would have a kingship and kingdom when he arrived. She was probably thinking of the now not eternity or the last days.
Mitch
======= Dee:
I do believe that seeking the Lord first is a key to balance. My house may not always be clean, my surroundings may be crazy but I would rather give priority to the one that is deserving the most and that is Jesus. Be a Mary in a Martha world.
What I got from the Exodus readings today was this: God can bring distinction and honor wherever He wants -And you don’t have to be perfect just be willing to hearken to His voice. Rejoice your Exodus is coming!!
Matthew 20:1-8
We must learn in God’s Kingdom He operates differently than the world. We must be humble, kind and giving and not compare ourselves with others (which is hard for me at times). Not envious over anothers pay.
Ps25:1-15
I am so grateful the Lord gives me life and that my sins as a youth are washed away. Thank you for loving me Lord.
Proverbs:
Be like an ant-diligent, hard working and not intentially sleeping to avoid the work.
Amen!
Dee
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