Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy

The focus of this is Exodus 16. Especially since I'm still a college student, I find this passage to be very applicable to me in every possible way. Whether it's having that project due the next day or having that test to study for, I hope that others will hold me accountable for keeping the Lord's day.

1. The purpose of the Sabbath is a test. More specifically, God's commandment for a Sabbath in this context was a test (verse 4). This is because the Israelites have already forgotten was God did for them only a month ago. It's interesting to point out that the very thing God's people remember about Egypt was the food they had. They didn't remember God's plagues, Pharaoh's cruelty, their own cries to God, and the promise to Joseph. And this is why this is a test.

2. So what is the test? The test is to see whether or not we are willing to obey God's calling to rest on the seventh day and to trust in His provision daily. We see this in the passage, where the Israelites failed both parts of the test. God calls us to rest not just because it's good for us and to keep us from being burnt out for the week. He calls us to rest not for ourselves, but to rest in Him all seven days of the week. Six days resting in Him by doing productive work knowing He will provide, and that on the 6th day He will provide even more  so that on the 7th we can stop to remember His provision the rest of that week.

3. What does this mean for us? It means we should keep the Sabbath holy because it shows whether we really trust God's provision in our lives daily and weekly. "God, I have this test tomorrow, I need to study" or "God, you'll understand, I have a project due tomorrow and I'm going to fail if I don't finish it". And God would say "Didn't I already give you six days to work, wasn't it by My hand that you're even at this point in your life to look forward to something like that? Do you trust me, that if you obey what I tell you to do that you will realize I have already provided for you those six days? That I will provide for what you need?" We can become so adamant about doing the right type of work for God. Christian businessmen try to live successful lives putting their all in their work. Missionaries do work overseas, devoting their entire lives to their work in other countries. Church staff have to work constantly to provide an environment of worship and ministry to everyone else. But God's calling to rest on the seventh day, to not do any productive work, is a universal commandment. We can point to any verse in the Bible and say "God, didn't you say I need to work hard? Didn't you say serve the poor? Serve the church?" Look at the Sabbath and know that it's in the top 10.

How do we get ourselves to rest, given how stressful different fields are? How do we advance in our careers if we are at a disadvantage because we lose 1 day in our week to God? How can we do well in class if our peers have that one extra day to study and we don't? It's knowing God gave us the six days. Practically speaking, we should be preparing on the 6th day for the 7th. In today's environment, we should be using the rest of the days so that we can make time for the 7th because God calls us to that Sabbath. And that is how we really devote our work to God, by preparing to obey His commandment every day of the week, and every week of the year. And on the Sabbath, we stop to remember how God has already provided for us the rest of the week.

Singing Songs of Praise

I just skipped out on another 3 days of devotions. Bad habits aside, I'm going to write what I think we should pull from Exodus 15.

1. Praise is intended to be for God. So I noticed something about a requirement I have towards worship: it needs to be something I can enjoy. This defeats the purpose and intent of our praise. Whenever praise becomes tailored to how it can best suit and benefit us, it runs the risk of becoming a self-indulging habit that loses direction in terms of to whom it is being directed towards. In other words, it becomes a praise toward us and our preferences, regardless of the words used. In this passage, praises to God can be spontaneous. Songs of praise in this passage are directed towards God, meaning the songs are sung as if God is the one the Israelites were talking to. It's one thing to sing a song for God, it's another to sing one to Him. And so the rest of the song is a recollection of God's wonderful works. If we look back at what happened in Egypt, it's only appropriate that they sing these songs of praise. For us, it means we should not criticize praise because it's not to our own liking, nor should be obsess over making sure all forms of worship are "correct" by our standards. The Israelites worshiped God with what they had for instruments. They felt a lot of emotion at the time. But all that matters is that the God who saves is the God who is being worshiped, regardless of the means to doing so, and the manner with which it is delivered, whether singing with passion and emotionally, or just reading songs of praise.

2. It's easy to forget what we were praising God for. In the passage, the Israelites traveled three days without water. Look at how quickly their hearts turned from God. In three days, the Israelites turned from praising God for all that He did, to grumbling against Him for not having water. In our shortsightedness, we forget within mere minutes, hours, or even days the glory of God. Why? Because we never gave up the idea that God is all about serving us, and not the other way around. A self-centered relationship with God is bound to lead to this mentality, that if God does not provide for me, He shouldn't receive the glory. In fact, He should receive all the blame because all He seeks is His glory. Or the other side of the coin is that "God must not be working through this situation, so I just need to try even harder". Look at the songs of praise. Notice how everything they praised God about, are things that they themselves could not do. Songs to God are a testimony of our humility before His power, and an acknowledgement of our own powerlessness in all things without Him.

3. God puts us to the test. Verse 25 to 27 is God's promise/challenge to Israel. If they do what is right by Him, then He will spare them from the plagues that He poured out on Egypt. Note that most of the laws God gives to Israel through Moses are important in terms of hygiene. This is in accordance with what He has promised: that the Israelites' physical health would be connected to their obedience to His laws. To us, we love to believe in a God that is flexible and ever-forgiving, succumbing to our desires like a genie and being forgiving in a sense that He crushes all consequence in our forgiveness. But that's not what is being displayed here. In fact, God calls us to praise, He calls us to obedience, and He calls us to faith/trust in Him, yet if we can't even fulfill those by our own petty standards, how can we live up to His standards. And notice that God asking us of these things is only fair because He deserves it, much like how He deserves the glory when the Egyptians were crushed, much like He deserved the credit for the Israelites' escape, much like how He deserves the glory and praise for the salvation of each and every one of us (verse 2), and much like how He deserved the credit for what was accomplished on the cross and the resurrecting power that came on Easter Sunday.

Jesus' act on Calvary demands the utmost praise directed to Him alone, puts in us to a faith founded on God alone, and calls us to an obedience that should take priority above all things in this world.

Escaping Catastrophe

So I've skipped out on devotionals for two days straight because 1. I don't like reading about Leviticus-like passages and 2. Having a lot of things going through my head that distract me from what I should be really focusing on. And if you're reading this, please pray for me that I may keep God at the center because He is the ONLY unchanging and solid foundation on which I can put trust and faith in wholeheartedly.

I think this passage as a lot of small details we can miss out because a lot of people, like me, already know what happens. It's been portrayed in the movies as this fantastic battle between God and pharaoh, but if we really focus in on it we can see something important about us and how we respond to God.

Why does God either bring about (or allow) the threat of danger/trouble to come into our lives and shake our faith? In this passage, it seems to imply that it comes because God wants us to see more of Him and to validate where our faith should truly lie We can go to Exodus 14 where the Israelites just escaped from Egypt. With specific emphasis on verse 8, we can see what would make God so adamant to have to show His glory even after the ten plagues: the Israelites have grown bold, or in the ESV they have grown defiant. If we look at our own lives, whenever we just escaped something that we thought was so bad, we feel invincible. We reach a point where we feel that we can accomplish anything, and the important thing here is we do so apart from God because there is no humility in basking in glory for ourselves. And so God puts us in a situation that we otherwise couldn't get out ourselves to bring us to a point that we can see Him again. He shakes the faith that we have put either in ourselves, in others, or in a future, and none of that is a faith in God. The Israelites were bold in their faith, but I think it's in the future promised to them, not the God that brought them out of Egypt.

How do we usually respond to this catastrophe? We want nothing to do with God. This can take two forms: either directly yelling at God and complaining like the Egyptians did, or denying God's involvement in the situation and turning to ourselves. Both have the same goal in that we try to blind ourselves from all that God has done. Notice the order at which God and the Israelites establish their relationship: the Israelites cry to God, God responds and saves them, the Israelites escape boldly, God hardens Pharaoh's heart to chase after them, the Israelites deny ever wanting to escape from Egypt, and God saves them again. We do this because why would a self-centered people want to worship a God that wants to display His power and His majesty for His glory and not for the self-centered people?

How does God respond to our cry? Verse 15 onward points to God's response to the Israelites. He tells them to move on or go forward while He takes care of the details. His response to our defiance and our boldness is a demonstration of His glory and power in all its forms. God through natural phenomena brought about fear in the Egyptians and brings awe to the Israelites. And through natural circumstances in our life God puts us in a situation where we will cry out to Him and deny the faith we had in ourselves or things that are not of God. However, the extent with which we don't want to see God is so great that He even sent Jesus. The parable of the vineyard and the workers is a commentary on Israel, but it's also applicable to our own rebellion against God. And His response is so that He can be glorified, through our escape, through our lives, and through the cross.

Being Reminded of God's Providence

So Exodus 13 is similar to Exodus 12 which was why I am reluctant to read it and understand it. However, I realized that there's an important reason why we should be reading the entirety of Exodus, not just isolated passages. If I was to read this passage like I am now, I would think God is being unreasonable with all these rules and regulations. But if I read this passage as soon as I read about the plagues and Israel's deliverance, it would only be fair for God to instill these practices as ordinations under Moses' law.

So the point of this passage is to demonstrate how we appease God with seemingly useless rituals:
1. We perform actions or follow certain procedures because it serves as a reminder of our circumstances when we were saved. In communion, Jesus calls us to remember what He did on the cross for us by re-enacting and participating in the Last Supper, reciting the same words He said to His disciples. In the same way the Israelites were called to re-enact their escape from Egypt. They left in a hurry and so forgot to put yeast in the bread, and so God commands them to eat unleavened bread so they may remember that time they fled Egypt.  They were also commanded to do it the same month that God had them flee Egypt every year to commemorate His grace and mercy.

2. We are only called to give to God was originally His. Just look at the Israelites. Why would it be fair for God to ask the Israelites for the first-born of every human and animal (or a substitute)? Remember how God spared the first-born of Israel from the last plague. It would only be fair for the Israelites to return to Him what He should have taken that night. And if we look at our own lives, why should we keep anything to ourselves if it all came to God. Even our souls were purchased by the blood of Christ on the cross, so why should we deny the true owner what He has bought with Himself by plunging ourselves in desires that are not Him (such as addictions, unhealthy/self-destructive behavior, etc.)? At some point in our lives, we deny God a lot of ourselves because we feel entitled to them. Whether it's time, a job, opportunities, money, even people in our lives, we feel we don't have to give any of it up to God because it is ours. And that's exactly why I think God enacted these laws to serve as a reminder, as a way to humble the Israelites towards the God who saved them and called them His. And the same applies to us, that the cross is the reminder that God is the one who has purchased us and is the rightful owner of ourselves and all that He has given us.

3. We are put in certain situations in life because God put as there. This is controversial in terms of responsibility, but if we look at all of Exodus, from God hardening Pharaoh's heart to God having the Israelites go around in circles in the desert, we can be sure of His providence over our direction. Look at the Israelites and how they are following God now, and how they will be following God later on: They have nothing but complete trust that God's the actor and mover. That's why they go to God when they're frustrated and when they get saved from whatever predicament they're put in. That's not to say frustrating with God is what we should strive for, but acknowledgement of His sovereignty is present at least in His people. In this passage, God's presence reminds them that it was He who was leading their lives and their direction. In this way, we can't be presumptuous in thinking that our own finite existence is what determines what will happen and how an infinite being responds to our nearsightedness.

If you see yourself thinking this way, see if you agree with this statement: "If Joseph really wanted to be buried in Canaan, he should've just left his post in Egypt and died there. I'm sure pharaoh would have granted that. Therefore, Joseph must not have wanted it enough and so he didn't really try to be buried in Canaan and settled for Egypt". We think of our jobs, opportunities, and our own lives in this regard. If only I try harder, if I put more effort into it, if only I really strive for it and want it enough, THEN I will achieve it. It's the same with prayer: If only I pray more, if only I will myself to go to church then it will all be good. How presumptuous of us to have this perspective in life. I'm not saying we shouldn't strive hard, but to presume it's all up to us is the pride that the Bible warns us against having. Look at the example of Jesus on the cross. It crushes any attempts of us to say "Oh God, if only I willed myself to a point where I was a little more righteous" or "If only I had a little more faith then I can do all these good deeds". By no means can we take credit for our salvation, and anything else, nor should we presume it's all up to us. You want to know why God enacted these laws that seem pointless and without aim? It's to remind the Egyptians that it was not by their hand, and not even Moses', that they escaped Egypt. In the same vein, we read Scripture, pray to God, spend quiet time,go to service, attend small groups, all so that we can be humbled that our faith is not our own, but God's and His alone. But these are not required of us so that we might not think that it's our actions in doing these things that make us His chosen people.

Living Under God's Strict Instructions

Exodus 12 was on of the hardest readings I've done because it reveals a side of God that none of us really want to see: God is a stickler for detail and for specificity, and that He is also harsh in terms of punishing people who disobey these instructions. This is shown later in the Old Testament in Judges and Leviticus (which I am not looking forward to reading by the way). .

Why is God such a stickler for detail in commanding His people to follow all these silly rules? It's because the value of obedience to God is of utmost importance. Verse 24 explains why God ordered something so ridiculous: it's so that generations after the people who escaped Egypt can still give thanks to God. This brings up the question: Why did God have to make it so specific? It goes to the value of obedience. Obedience that is performed towards a task that requires the utmost precision and detail is a stronger sign of virtue than obedience that asks for something that can be ignored and that can be performed without much effort.

I think in understanding God's strict instructions, we must also look at the detailed fulfillment of His promises. Verse 40 is an outline of God's promise fulfilled at this night. There's also a detailed description of how He worked through pharaoh in verse 31-36. Let's remember that God's been reminding Moses these exact same actions and words by pharaoh and the Egyptians since before Moses was in Egypt. He's a stickler for detail in fulfilling His promises as well. And for the same purpose for being a stickler with instructions: it's for His glory. In this sense, He is glorified through the fulfillment of all His promises, not just some or part of it.

The last point that this passage wants to point out pertains to the Passover. In this part of the passage, God is strict when it comes to who can partake in the meal of the Passover, which also means being strict when it comes to who has to obey His ordination earlier and being picky/specific with which people He will accomplish His promise through. This passage is I think the highlight of this entire section because the Passover is the last meal Jesus shares with His disciples before He was crucified. It brings us back as to what Israel was chosen for. It was to fulfill God's promise to Abraham and to mankind through Genesis 12:1-3. The latter promise being fulfilled through that same line: Abraham to Judah to David to Jesus.

Serving God Faithfully in Faith.

As I was reading Exodus 10, it would've been easier to really focus on God's attributes. I was thinking of breaking the passage down between God's attributes: His graciousness, His mercy, and His sovereignty. But I think it would be very helpful as well if we focus on Moses and his response to these attributes of God that He demonstrated to Moses to others.

This chapter highlights the different facets of Moses' servitude toward God:
1. We are exalted and favored in serving God
2. We will be in disagreement with how God is calling us to work for Him.
3. We will not always see fruit when serving God.

Exodus 11:3 emphasizes the first point: Moses was regarded highly by the Egyptians and officials. In the same regard the Egyptians are also "favorably disposed" to the Israelites, meaning they were willing to help out the Israelites who they enslaved before Moses showed up. Now what about people who go to unreached places of the world and die preaching the Gospel? It's important to see who is favoring Moses and who isn't. It's safe to say that those who have witnessed God's power and sovereignty will be those who will support brothers and sisters in faith. And the important thing is that when we are called to do something, we sometimes convince ourselves that we are without support and without help in answering God's calling. We make missions to be this romantic journey we need to embark on ourselves to find God by serving Him without interference from Christians. But know in confidence that our very brothers and sisters back home are praying constantly for us because God moves through them to support us in our callings.

Exodus 11:8 points this out. Many commentators would point to the idea that Moses is probably angry with pharaoh for being so hard-hearted and stubborn. It would be reasonable for Moses to be angry with someone who is so stubborn that it will result in the wiping out the first born sons of Egypt. But in order to understand who Moses was angry with, we have to look at Exodus 11:9. God is the one who explains to Moses time and time again that it was by His had that this was all happening and it's safe to say Moses knows that all too well. So I think Moses' anger isn't directed so much at pharaoh, but it was directed to the One who orchestrated this whole event: God. Why was Moses angry? Look at God's response to that anger. Moses just delivered a death sentence to a few thousand males in Egypt because God set it up that way and He commanded Moses to do so. 1 Samuel 15:2-3 shows a similar scenario where God orders the death of Canaanite women and children. God's response was so that His wonders may be multiplied in Egypt. We may be called to doing something difficult (of course under God's law of no murder, stealing, or any other sin) like forgiving that person who hurt our closest friend, or maybe parents who were never there for us as children. And we would lash out at God asking "Why God, why do you want me to do this? Why should I beg people to help raise funds for my missions trip? Why should I give to this homeless man when all I know he'll do with it is spend it on alcohol? Why should I waste my degree in college that I worked so hard obtaining by going to seminary? Why should I lose sleep by going to church in every Sunday or fellowship on Fridays? Why are you asking me to give my life to you when I know it won't be for my benefit anyway?


The lasts point is an emphasis on Exodus 11:10. It's hard to keep working towards something when there is no fruit. It's biblical to ask God to see signs of fruit from wherever we're called to work. But know that we are not entitled to seeing the fruits of the seeds we planted. Just look at Moses. At this point, he's not seeing any progress in his work. He goes to pharaoh constantly and he gets the same answer each time: a rejection. And know that the only thing keeping Moses going is the words of God Himself. 


And in our calling in life, whether it's a family or whether it's doing missions somewhere else around the world we should be moved by the words of God Himself, not by the fruits of our labor. Because there will come a time when we won't see the fruits of our labor. And when that time comes we will be angry with God. We will ask Him again why He called us to do something that seems oh so pointless in all human perspective. And we forget God's support and the people who are following us that God is working through. We forget His sovereignty, His grace, His power, and His mercy. Just look at Jesus' ministry. There were no Christian converts when He was still alive. And when He died on the cross, look at what happened to His ministry: it fell apart. Jesus' closest followers who said they would devote their entire lives to the ministry hid at the time Jesus was glorifying God the most. If you want to see someone who served God not motivated by the fruits of His labor, look at the obedience Jesus displayed in Calvary. For in that instance, although He would save the lives of millions in the future, He was alone on the cross with no converts, no supporters, no friends, and no help, with so much pain to be moved into reciting Psalm 22:1. 

Repenting in the Name of God

My reading for today is Exodus 10. I think all that I mentioned about the plagues before is still true for these chapters. But there's something strikingly different as the plagues worsen and we'll look at it quickly today.

So I think these passages talk about feeling bad but not repentant. And this is important to note because in our walk with God, we can be like pharaoh in the following ways:
1. What's the wrong way to be repent?
2. How do you know you're repenting?
3. Why should we repent?

So what's the wrong way to repent? It's to feel so bad and to feel so sorry that we don't do anything about it. And this type of repentance usually comes after something terrible has happened in our lives. In pharaoh's case, it's another plague that devastates Egypt. We can see in the passage that he feels sorry and he is even begging Moses to remove the plague in verse 16. The interesting thing here is that pharaoh compromises his end of the bargain. What this passage wants to teach us about repentance is that it's not partial, nor is it a compromise of what God is asking of us. Even after pharaoh says he will let some of the people go, God still commands Moses to inflict the next plague on them. This is because when it comes to answering God and His calling for us, we can't just go halfway. I think (and there are some scripture to support this) that faith in God that is compromised with faith in one's desires or in this world's calling is no faith. The same applies to repentance. We are called to a life of holiness and repentance, and anything short of that is unholiness or stubbornness.

We know we're repenting when the goal of repentance is so that God's position as Lord is validated (verse 1-2). The difference between how we're called to respond to God and how pharaoh is responding to God is the direction to which we should pray for repentance. Pharaoh is repenting, or at least feeling bad to get out of his situation. He is groveling to save Egypt. And most importantly, pharaoh, like every typical human being, is groveling to save his pride, his country, his reputation, and himself. He feels bad because he sinned against God but look at what he prays for. He doesn't ask Moses to pray that he and his kingdom will see God. Pharaoh didn't even have the humility to concede his will to God in praying for God's will to be done. Instead, he prayed that he be saved from his situation. How do you know you're repenting? When you pray not so that you can get out of the situation, but rather pray to see God in that tragedy or terrible situation, and pray that He may work through you instead of working you out of where you put yourself.

Why should we repent? Because that's how we know we have faith. John 15:4-5 highlights what God's grace is. It's not merely the blessing of material goods and wealth. God's grace is not just a better life because we're assured salvation. God's grace is the ability to do good in His eyes, that apart from Him we can do nothing as Jesus points out. We don't repent so that we can get faith, but we can repent only because we have faith in Jesus. Can we say for sure pharaoh really believed the power that God demonstrated through the plagues? I can't say scripture is clear on this point. It's easy to condemn pharaoh of reneging on his promise to change his mind. But know that in our own lives we compromise God's calling for us. "God, just let me have this because it shouldn't be that big of a deal right?" or "God, at least I repented of this thing right? It's all about the progress I made?" Pharaoh could've used these excuses to justify his human actions. The source of it is our unwillingness to really see God for who He is and the satisfaction that comes from knowing Him because to concede that would be to deny ourselves the pride, the ambition, the worldly desires that we are told are so good. The very desires we are called to repent of. Repentance is a call to change our ways because God calls us to a life of holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:7) and because it pleases Him. That alone should be reason enough for us to pursue it.

Consider what was going through pharaoh's mind as he was facing Moses. "God, just get me out of this situation or do this for me and I will do anything!" We're guilty of praying to God like this in uncertain times. But look at the cross and be humbled and silenced in that prayer. By no means can you do anything to match what God already did for us on the cross. We cannot buy God's grace with repentance, neither does it move God to love us anymore than what He has already demonstrated on Calvary. In praying for repentance, we should be moved to pray for repentance in response to God's calling, not in response to our own needs or desires.

Hardening our Hearts II

I reread my last post and I feel like I could have been clearer with what I think scripture is telling us. My focus last time was on pharaoh's heart, how in our own lives we harden our hearts in response to many of God's actions because it is in our sinful nature rebel against what God wants and deserves. Hardening our hearts in respect to God, can take the form of ungratefulness, ignorance, or indebtedness. Today, I want to focus on Exodus 9 and more so on the plagues themselves and reasons why these plagues went on as they did.

Why did God enact so many different plagues when He could have just skipped to the last one? I read a commentary on this and it seems to be true in our lives and in the Bible as well. God's intent wasn't just to merely let the Israelites escape Egypt. I think that God demonstrated His power and His glory in a way that is specifically designed to destroy any doubt that any one Egyptian deity is greater than He is. Why livestock? Because the cow is a sacred animal to the Egyptians. The Egyptian deity of fertility manifested herself in the form of a cow and the destruction of their sacred symbol is God's way of demonstrating His power over them. Why boils? Because Imhotep, the Egyptian deity of medicine, is rendered powerless before His actions. Why hail? Because the several gods of the sky and weather are shown to be false next to the God of the Israelites. Why did God harden pharaoh's heart? So that His glory can be manifested in the destruction of all that the Egyptians value and all that they worship.

Why did God spare the Israelites? Along with being directed towards the Egyptian deities, God also demonstrated His power to the Israelites. He spared them from most of the plagues that He poured out on the Egyptians. In doing so, God demonstrates His mercy through these plagues. It's also important to note that God had Moses go to pharaoh before some of the plagues offering him a chance to let the Israelites go. But in every instance God hardens pharaoh's heart so that His attributes can be demonstrated through the plagues of Egypt.

Why did God go through the trouble of having Moses talk to pharaoh and to demand that he let the Israelites go before and after the plagues? Why did God want pharaoh to let the Israelites go? It's so that we can be reminded why God wants to liberate the Israelites. He wanted them free from pharaoh and Egypt so that they can praise and worship Him. In other words, God wanted to free the Israelites for the Lord's sake, not theirs. Their liberation is for His plan and for His glory, not for the glory and freedom of the Israelites.

This is why we can only have a God-centered Gospel, not a self-centered one. We can't say God enacted the plagues AND hardened pharaoh's heart just so that the Israelites can be freed. Neither are we in a position to say He pours out mercy primarily for our sake, so that we can be preserved to live a longer life. If you want to know if you have a self-centered Gospel, look at the cross. If the primary reason why God went through that whole ordeal is so that we can be saved then that's a pretty self-centered and limited view of God's act on the cross in my opinion. But if you look at the cross and you tell yourself that the primary reason God went through the pain and agony is to show us His love for us and His grace and His mercy so that He may be glorified through our salvation, then that is the Gospel that Jesus was trying to show us. John 3:16 starts out with the reason why Jesus was given and why we are promised eternal life through Jesus: God's love.

Hardening our Hearts

Exodus 8 focuses on the more commonly known plagues. I think this passage emphasized instances at which we harden our hearts toward God:

1. We harden our hearts towards God after we receive relief from hardship. In Exodus 8:14 pharaoh hardened his heart and he would not listen to God. In this instance, we would not want to listen to God's calling because we only turn to Him when we need help with something. We are so afraid that God is going to ask us to do something we would not want to do because it's not for our immediate benefit. Moses and Aaron approached pharaoh with the request of letting the Israelites worship Him in the wilderness. Pharaoh's resistance is to their request, even after God granted his request because he pharaoh did not want to let go of his control over the Israelites. 

2. We harden our hearts when we try to do something and God shows us that we're not capable of doing anything about. The gnats convinced the magicians that it is by God's hand because they could not do anything about it. However pharaoh hardened his heart and decided not to listen to them. In this instance, we end up convincing ourselves that we're just a victim of circumstances. In hardening our hearts in this situation, we don't want to believe it's the finger of God that has put us in that situation. More often than not, we convince ourselves that God is not really working in our lives, to the point we convince ourselves He doesn't exist. 

3. We harden our hearts when we feel so thankful to God that we make a promise we know we can't keep. This is so because our perception of being thankful is to return the favor so that we won't have to be thankful for what God did anymore. You know this is true whenever you feel like you owe someone something. Most of the time, we're more than willing to throw away that debt that we owe than to show a sign of thankfulness the other person deserves. And that's also the case with God. Pharaoh makes a promise because God removes the flies that He brought upon Egypt. Rather than giving thanks to Moses or God, pharaoh reneges on his promise.

It's easy to be hard on pharaoh for hardening his heart in all these situations. But when we look at ourselves we tend to commit the same acts he did. We turn to God only in hardship and we don't give Him the credit He deserves after we're saved from it. We are put into a situation where we can't seem to overcome it and we convince ourselves that we just need more courage, or more of something we already have instead of acknowledging God. And after God proves Himself time and time again, we are so reluctant to just give thanks and praise that instead we try to earn His favor by working our way into our perception of being "debt-free" and God shows us that we can't even do that. 

Pharaoh's reluctance to let the Israelites go stems from pride. He did not want to acknowledge God nor His sovereignty because to do so is to concede to that pharaoh's control and sovereignty over all things. In pharaoh's case it's sovereignty over Egypt, over the Israelites, and over his own will. Our lives is the very reflection of that rebellion. That is the nature of sin, that we don't want to give in to God. That's exactly why He sent Jesus, not because we're imperfect humans that need improving but because we're rebellious in our doings against God. 

Miracles that were meant for Believers

This passage is interesting in that it isolates the first two miracles that God performs. These miracles were copied however by the Egyptians. For someone who just started reading Exodus 7, I can't help but wonder what this means or why was it that God performed miracles that the Egyptians could copy just as easily by their "secret arts" And ultimately, why did God perform miracles? Was it so that we can believe? Or was it so that He can demonstrate sovereignty over all things? I believe this passage answers these questions.

How do we come to a point where we'll see in miracles God's presence or providence? It's through obedience. Notice that it is Moses' obedience in the face of pharaoh and the Israelites that he was able to witness God's power manifested in nature. Now how does it work? If you ever come to a point where you're sinning (which can be defined as disobedience from God), reflect on what you're telling yourself. Either we tell ourselves "God, this can't be wrong or it's ok for me to do this because I can't help it" or "God, you're not really there so I'll go ahead and do this anyway", we end up convincing ourselves that God is not here or there or wherever it is we're sinning. And it is that mindset that gets us to disobey Him. To get ourselves to disobey an all powerful, omniscient, loving, perfect, omnipresent, jealous, and fair God, we need to go as far as to say "God, you're not really omniscient" or "God, you're not being fair". We end up denying the attributes of the God of the Bible and that is exactly why we cannot see Him.

So what's the point of miracles? It's so that we will know it's by God's sovereignty and power. Remember how Jesus performed miracles. It didn't convert non-believers into believers. The pharisees actually hated Him even more because of the works Jesus did. Rather it affirmed the faith the disciples had and it made them glorify God. In the same way, Moses and the Israelites were the primary target for these miracles. It was so that they will know their God is sovereign.

Why does God perform miracles that were matched by the Egyptians? In a modern context, why is it that God performs miracles that are easily mimicked by human effort? It's to show us where our faith really stands. In the passage, pharaoh's heart was hardened by God. But in the hardening of pharaoh's heart happened after the sorcerers and magicians copied God's miracle. God enables others to copy His miracles through mere human ingenuity to reveal to us where our faith is founded. Is it founded on merely what we've seen or witnessed? Do we believe because God, in all of his infinite power, decided to limit Himself to showing His power through a simple magic trick of turning water red? Do we believe god the magician or God the creator?

If we look at the Gospel, the disciples were not able to go into ministry even after seeing Jesus' miracles. Most of the time they were too scared. It wasn't the witnessing Jesus overcoming the storm that made them want to live out a life for God, it wasn't Jesus feeding the five thousand, it wasn't Jesus' raising Lazarus from the dead, it wasn't even Jesus' presence after the resurrection that moved them to go out and preach the Gospel. It was Jesus offering them the gift of the Holy Spirit that moved them to preach knowing they will be persecuted. In a broader context, it is God who will give us our faith to do His will. If we ask ourselves that if it's God given, then why does He still need to perform miracles? Because we forget, in our finite perspective, that our faith comes from Him and we get ourselves to think our conversion is our own miracle. But let's look to the cross and the grave, and ultimately the resurrection that it's a miracle that really sets our hope on a God who goes beyond the mere tricks and illusions we can create for ourselves.

Witnessing with Faltering Lips

Exodus 6 was one of the tougher readings because it feels like a reiteration of previous passages and previous ideas (the listing of the sons of Israel's tribe leaders). On one hand it's not the best thing to always be looking for something new in scripture. But at the same time God's Word is never failing and is eternally rich, with the lessons we should take form it. So I think this passage speaks of faltering lips and how that pertains to witnessing.

So I think this passage highlights several key points to be considered:
1. What does Moses mean when he said faltering lips?
2. Why does Moses feel that way?
3. How does God respond to us when we feel like our witnessing is like so?

The first question is answered by looking at what Moses asks of God and his accusations against Him. To understand this, we have to go back to Moses' meeting with God at the burning bush. From that point to this, Moses has done one thing: he has obeyed God (even with reluctance) to proclaim God's message. Faltering lips in this context is the lack of God, or lack of feeling that God's favor in his words. You can make an argument that this is the case because the very grievance he has against God is the lack of results in his words. He complains to God that pharaoh didn't listen and that the Israelites were not moved after he did exactly as God told him.

The second point is touched upon earlier. The reason for faltering lips is the belief that because what we said did not bear fruit or had no effect, God is not with us. To understand where Moses is coming from we need to look at the setting of his calling. Moses came into pharaoh's court demanding that he let God's people go. Pharaoh's response was a shattering no, and he placed the blame of extra work on Moses. The Israelites made Moses even more guilty by affirming the blame that comes with what he did. And it would only be reasonable for us to ask at that point "God, where were you?". Moses asks in Exodus 5:22 why did God let these things happen, or rather why didn't anything happen even if Moses did what he was supposed to do?

God's response is a reminder to Moses who is in control.  Verse 2 is God's reminder to Moses that it's not his ability to speak on behalf of God that will move Moses and the Israelites. It is God who will move them, even pharaoh and the Egyptians. Pharaoh will let the people go because it was God's mighty hand moving him, not because of Moses' obedience. To us, it speaks at an even deeper level especially if we are called to witness to others. This means that it's not our words, it's not what we say or how we say it, it's not our theology or arguments that will convince anyone to see God. It means that it's God who will let other see Him. That others will be converted not because we helped God along the way, but it's because He moved in that person to see Him.

Why is this important? It's because in our outreach and witnessing, we will reach a point where we will feel like our words are not correct or what we know is insufficient in convincing anyone how valid your faith is. And God's response to that is to remind us that it wasn't our choice that gave us the faith we had. Rather it's the cross and what God has already done that moves us into faith. That's not to say it's wrong to pursue a more correct theology or stronger arguments to defend out faith. The mindset however should be that we're witnessing because it's our calling as Christians and obedience shows a deep love for Jesus and the Father, not because we're out to collect souls for God.

The genealogy starting in verse 13 seems rather misplaced in this passage, but it holds a great significance: it reminds us where Moses came from and who was working through this whole experience, even after. Remember that Moses is born of the Levites, the head of which was Levi who brought judgment upon those who defiled his sister. At that point we can ask "God, were you really there with all this happening?". We'd think God isn't working or that He's not responding accordingly. But He reminds us that He is doing just that. Through Levi will come Moses, who will lead the Israelites out of Egypt, whose laws will bring about the Jewish sect called the pharisees, the same ones that will call for Jesus' blood, through which God was working to pour the wrath we deserved on His son.

A Handicap in the Workplace

So Exodus 5 is the focus of my readings for today. It's interesting actually reading scripture in a chronological sense because it debunks a lot of what we feel is common knowledge. Moses didn't actually ask pharaoh to let his people go back to Canaan yet. At first, all he asked of  pharaoh was to let the Israelites go into the desert to worship God. And this brings us to what I think are the key points of this passage.

1. Spending time with God can be seen as unproductive to those who don't know Him. It seems obvious to us, but our actions actually reflect otherwise. We often compromise our faith with the things that are more present in our lives, whether it's the Friday night party instead of fellowship, or sleeping in on Sundays because of finals instead of going to church. In the passage, Moses basically asked pharaoh for a three day leave from their labor. The reason why pharaoh didn't let them go is because he didn't know God in verse 2 and he felt that he was not subject to any of the commands given by the Hebrew God. And we can say the same for the rest of the world that pulls us away from our duties as sons and daughters of God.

2. Praising and worshiping God can be seen as a corporate disadvantage. Pharaoh thinks that the only reason the Israelites would ask for something like this is if they're lazy. It would be easy for a manager to think of an employee being lazy because they're not willing to work more than a certain number of hours a day or if they're not willing to give up their Sabbath to work for more hours denying themselves the promotion. It's even easier to skip out on devotions because we didn't save energy for it or not spending alone time with God because it was a long day of work. The Israelites bore the brunt of the punishment when their work was worsened and made more impossible because they were associated with the Hebrew God. They were commanded to make bricks without the building materials. In the corporate world, the time required for the completion of the project or for the finishing of your paper was possibly time you set aside for God.

3. Instead of saying we should make time for God as if we're trying to fit Him into our schedule, we should be trying to fit everything else around a schedule devoted to God. In fact, we can't be anymore devoted to God that He already was to us. In the passage, God ends the chapter by revealing His plan for Israel in that He is freeing them from the Egyptians.

And God even shows His devotion on the cross. If at any point we think it's our devotion to God that counts and matters, let us look with humility at God's act of devotion. He gave His only son so that we can be saved. Many of us aren't even willing to give time, let alone our own lives to Him. We're not even willing to spend an extra hour praying to God because we have a paper due the next day, or we have an exam we need to study for so we don't even spend time thanking God for getting us into college or into the workforce. I'm not saying we should get ourselves to give everything to God. In fact, it's not even about that. But it's to realize what God has given us. Instead of having a very self-centered theology (what can I do for God or what can I give or how can I love God), we should be looking to what God has already done and to give Him the glory for that. And through that realization, only then can we really bring God into our lives and to experience His glory, the glory that can get us to put Him above our work and ourselves.

Sovereignty Displayed for the Glory of God

Before I read Exodus, I wasn't aware of Exodus 4 and how most of what goes on in this chapter is omitted in children's books and popular media. In my opinion, people are afraid to portray God as someone who inflicts pain and as someone who would come in the image/form of a murderer (Verse 24). In many theological cases, it's justified that God permits things to happen, such as leprosy or murder. But in these passages, it seems to point to otherwise, and this is one of the most commonly used passages to try and disprove a good and loving God. 

Three signs of God's sovereignty that we'd be inclined to deny:

1. God is in control of our sicknesses and all of the natural "bad" things that happen. In this passage, God displays his power over sicknesses, disease, and signs of evil (blood and a snake). It's interesting to note that God had Moses display His power through leprosy, blood, and a serpent. In the old days and even now, it's only natural to associate these with something evil or something that isn't pure and holy. In a more symbolic sense, God is sovereign over the things we detest and the things we fear.

2. God is in control of anything we were born with, and that He gave us these deficiencies at birth. Verse 11 is God's display of sovereignty over humans. In the old days, a disability is usually seen as a curse. But in this passage, God takes credit for having the power over the disabilities we were born with. And He followed this immediately with words of encouragement. In verse 12, God tells Moses that given His dominion over these things, He will be the one to help Moses speak to Pharaoh. Even then Moses questioned God and so He had Aaron become the spokesperson.

3. God is in control and has power over death. This is important because verse 19 onward emphasizes this power of God. It's manifested through the timeliness of the death of the Egyptians and the threat of death used to make Moses and his family a branch under the covenant of God and Abraham (via circumcision). 

We usually cringe whenever we associate God with these things because we want a God that is on the other side of the 2-sided moral coin, that on one hand we have a good God and on the other side we have us or Satan. But on the contrary, there is no coin. There is no duality that is even equal to the power of God. He displays His glory through the most righteous of people and through the most wicked of events. He is sovereign over all things, good and bad. If you doubt this, think about the most evil act committed in the history of mankind: the death of Jesus on the cross. If you're not willing to give God credit for giving His son and inflicting His wrath on Jesus through Pilate, the Jews, and the Herod, then you're saying it was never His saving grace on that cross. But the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the God that led Moses to Egypt is the God who displays sovereignty over all things.

Responding to God's Calling for us

I read Exodus 3, and I still can't help but add to my readings by listening to the Prince of Egypt soundtrack. The song Deliver Us by Ofra Haza still gives me the chills because it really reminds me of the cry that would remind God of His people and of the promise He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. So the focus of the passage shifts away from the Israelites for a bit towards Moses and his calling, and how we have the same reasons for hesitating to respond to God's calling.

When we hear God's calling to do something, whatever it might be (missions, serving the church, seminary, serving the community, or even just holding a cubicle job), we would always question one of these three things and Moses did likewise:

1. We would question the calling itself. In the passage, Moses' first objection was raised once he was aware of what God was calling him to do. Often times, it's the absurdity of what God might be calling us to do. For Moses, it was to deliver an entire nation out of bondage in the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For us, it might be committing those long hours of our days and weeks to serve children's ministry, or to give up an internship or job so that we can serve God through missions trips. Regardless of the calling, we have a tendency to weigh the magnitude of the calling and sometimes base our decisions solely on that.

2. We would question the one being called: Moses' first objection was directed towards his merit or ability to perform the task he was called to do. However note God's response in verse 12. God responded to Moses' lack of confidence by placing that confidence on Himself, not on Moses. God didn't give Moses reassurance in the tiny, insignificant mortal Moses. God didn't tell Moses that He had granted him a special ability or that He has transformed him to be the best speaker that will move the Israelites into rebellion. God didn't even mention that Moses was the special one that He had chosen to present God's wonders in front of Pharaoh. All God told Moses was that He was going to be with him. For our callings, we should be comforted and reassured just by that very phrase that God is with us. If the only thing holding us back in serving God is what we think of ourselves, then let verse 12 serve as a reminder that it's not in ourselves that we'll be able to perform the duty, but rather in God. If the one and only sovereign God is with us, then why should we be afraid of our own shortcomings?

3. If the things before were not what was holding us back, then it's safe to say we're probably questioning God Himself. I think that the root of Moses' doubt is that he didn't know who God was. Verse 13 and onward is a revelation of God to Moses. And when it comes down to it, that's where we might doubt the calling God has for us. We don't think He's sovereign over all things, especially His calling for us. We don't think God will be there with us, that we'll be sent to stand on our own as weak and imperfect creatures. We don't think God will provide in every way possible. And that's why we end up unwilling to answer God's calling.

For whatever reason we're hesitant on responding to God calling, it ultimately boils down to our perception of God and how He works. Interestingly enough, God does answer our doubt. In the passage, God reminds Moses of the promise He has fulfilled through the patriarchs. He assures them of His presence and guidance by reminding them of his sovereignty. He tells them how He plans to work through Moses and the Egyptians to deliver them out of slavery. All in all, God reminds the Israelites who is in control. And whenever we reach a point where we doubt this, just look at the cross. The cross wasn't an accident, and neither was it Jesus being momentarily defeated by Satan, or even the pharisees and Herod. Jesus was not just one of the victims of the Roman regime. It was a victory from start to finish because this was the greatest act of God's sovereignty found in John 3:16, that He gave His son up, demonstrated through the acts of the pharisees, Herod, and Pilate for our salvation. And Jesus obeyed the Father knowing it was His calling to die for us, knowing that it was all happening according to God's plan.

Compassion that Delivers us to God

Note: Prince of Egypt doesn't do justice to the events that really happened in Scripture. That's not to say it wasn't a good movie and still one of my favorites for many reasons.

Exodus 2 has three different instances of deliverance that is shown through three instances of compassion.

1. A motherly compassion for her child. Moses' mother took care of him at a time pharaoh has an order for the death of all baby Hebrew males. By keeping the child, she is also putting her own life at risk. In doing so, she has delivered Moses from pharaoh (or in a larger sense death).

2. A compassion towards a stranger, or maybe even an enemy. Although Moses was just a baby, he was still a Hebrew baby and must be killed under pharaoh's law. As the daughter of pharaoh, she decided that it was more important to show compassion and kindness to this Hebrew child than to obey her father. What was even more interesting is that she arranged for the mother to take care of Moses until he was of age so that he can live an adopted life under pharaoh. In this regard, she has delivered Moses from being neglected and risked her position in doing so.

3. A compassion towards your own people. Moses killed another Egyptian because his fellow Hebrew was being beaten. He took a risk to lose his position with pharaoh and to give up all that he has gained through his adoption just to that he can protect one of his fellow Hebrews. And unlike the previous two examples, he in fact does lose those things and he flees Egypt to escape pharaoh's wrath.

All of the examples of compassion precede the greater compassion towards verse 23. God Himself would show compassion towards His afflicted people at their darkest hour. God would moved these characters into their compassion for Moses and the Hebrews so that He can demonstrate His power and glory through Moses, by delivering His people from the most powerful nation of the world at the time.

And what greater compassion God has demonstrated through His son Jesus. Jesus came so that we can be free from the bondage of sin. You can even draw multiple parallels between Moses and Jesus: at their infancy, they were being hunted down and they were called to deliver people from a certain bondage. However, we can't forget the key difference in how they perform their duty. In every instance that Moses was about to be killed God delivers him, either from Pharaoh's wrath or from his own people. But Jesus, at the time that he needed to be delivered from persecution and death, isn't spared. On the contrary, Jesus experiences pain in that God showed no compassion towards His own son on the cross just so that we can be freed from our own sins. The compassion that delivers us back to God is one that was with-held from the One who deserved it the most.

Oppression and Blessings

I've started reading Exodus 1. Lord-willing I will finish Exodus on schedule and will continue writing about my thoughts on my devotions on a daily basis.

What was pharaoh so afraid of that got him to afflict oppression on the Israelites? He was afraid that the Israelites would turn on Egypt and side with their enemies if war breaks out. It is important to note that Joseph was not known to this pharaoh for if he was, then he would have realized Egypt wouldn't have been the power it was if not for one Israelite. And it's important to note that pharaoh was afraid of this only because the Israelites have become numerous. In other words, he has turned the Israelites' blessing into Egypt's curse.

How did pharaoh respond? He does three things: 1. He tried to suppress the Israelites 2. He tried to get them to turn on each other 3. He tries to end their abundance by killing all the male-born children. All of this to accomplish one thing: To suppress God's blessing. Or in other words, pharaoh is trying to keep God from enacting his sovereign plan of prosperity and abundance for His people because he sees it as a potential curse to his people.

How does this apply to us? If we look at our lives and we look at one of the things God has given us, and our reaction is "God why would you give me something like this?" or "God, why would you put me in this situation?", we are in the same boat as Pharaoh. If we think about it, how quick are we to think of something as an affliction (either self-imposed or something we can't change) as opposed to be a blessing? How often do we thank God for blessings we receive, even though in that immediate moment it might not seem like a blessing?

If we look at how we deal with something we are ashamed of, whether it's an ability, something in our body, or our present situation, it's reasonable for pharaoh to have done what he did. We suppress the deformity or we hide the shamefulness of what might be God's blessing for us. We get people to focus on their own problems so that we won't feel bad. And more often than not, we end up keeping from God the glory that can come from displaying His blessing through that deformity or that affliction or that "problem".

In a more "Gospel" oriented context, how ashamed are we of our own sins and our redemption? How willing are we to be witnesses to God's saving grace and his mercy while also mentioning what exactly did we do that warranted that grace and mercy? We become so engrossed in the "Christian" life, we tend to forget we were redeemed from something called sin. I'm not saying that in our sin we should be shameless. On the contrary our shame should get us to want more of God's grace and mercy, and asking for it in humility before a holy God.

But what I am willing to say is that our sin, which we meant for evil, God meant for good and ultimately His glory. To hide the sins we were saved from in our witnessing because of our shame is the self-righteousness that comes from someone who doesn't see all things, even sin, working for God's purpose. When we are called to be witnesses, we are called to be a witness to God's working through us. For Jesus died on the cross not for people who are already redeemed or people who are already perfect, but for sinners.

A Faith that is Founded on God

The last chapter is Genesis is in my opinion, a very fitting way to end the lives of the Biblical patriarchs. This chapter is the perfect summary of what Genesis has been about: the patriarchs of Judaism and Christianity that has had a faith in God and God alone. A faith that is not founded on prosperity (Isaac's obedience instead of going to Egypt), favor with others (Abraham's alliances and conquest of other nations), and oneself (Jacob's deceit). And we see what that faith looks like in Joseph. I'll come up with 3 demonstrations of faith through Joseph.

1. A faith in God is public and it can move even those who don't believe. We can see this in how Joseph carried out his father's promises. He was carrying out God's intention for the patriarchs, which was to be in the land of promise. He has not been shy with his faith even to the point that he asked pharaoh, in front of the whole Egyptian court, to take a break from his duty to return to his homeland and bury his father. Also, the fact that Egyptians (who probably had other gods/deities) were participating in the ceremony AND the Canaanites were seeing the Egyptians weep for Jacob speaks to how God moves even those that don't know Him and those that might not even want to know Him.

2. A faith in God moves a person to act in accordance with what God has done. Joseph forgives his brothers not because of what they have asked of him, even if they claim to say that it was Jacob's last will. Joseph brings his acts of forgiveness and kindness back to God. Verse 19-21 shows Jacob giving credit for his actions to God, in that he is in no place to condemn neither was he in a place to give false forgiveness because God has already offered true forgiveness. His brothers don't believe him when he said it was alright earlier, but a forgiveness that is of God is unchanging and unwavering, and it brings glory to God through whoever offered the forgiveness and the one forgiven.

3. A faith in God waits patiently for the fulfillment of His promise even if they don't see its fulfillment. In other words, a faith in God puts complete trust in God with all things. In the passage, Joseph had one request: to be taken up from Egypt and buried in the land of his fathers. But look at what happens (and how Genesis ends): he was placed in a coffin in Egypt, not even buried. After all that Joseph has done his last request was not fulfilled, neither by Egyptians nor the descendants of his own brothers that he has promised to take care of.

Spoiler Alert:
In Exodus, Joseph's request was fulfilled. It's safe to say that he lived out the rest of his days in Egypt because that was his calling. It would've been easy for Joseph to run to Canaan and wait for his death there to "fulfill his heart's desire".

I think it's important to reflect on these things because our faith could be founded on something that isn't God. A faith founded on prosperity and wealth falters when you lose all of your savings, or if you get sick. A faith founded on community falters when you move to another community, or if you are suddenly called to a mission to a place without Christians. A faith founded on yourself falters when you realize how much you really fall short of God's holiness and how much you don't deserve of his grace and mercy. But a faith in God is the type of faith that gets us to glorify Him and to persevere even if we're not in wealth/prosperity, even if we're not in a community of Christians, or even if we fall or stumble in life. And that's exactly the type of faith and obedience Jesus showed on the cross. Jesus lost the very clothes on his back, the support of his followers, and even the connection with the Father for that one instance and yet He carried out God's plan in obedience knowing that at the end of it all, God is glorified in that type of faith.

Prophecies Regarding Israel

I've noticed that it's hard to really think about the importance of this chapter. In the scheme of things, it seems like I want to move on ahead to Exodus. But doing some research on the 12 tribes, it seems like it's all the more significant. Most of this blog will be a breakdown of the fulfillment of Jacob's prophecy. Also, I plan on writing a bit about the consequences of sin and how dire it is.

Reuben: Because he slept with his father's concubine, he was cursed and the blessing of the firstborn was taken from him. It's important to note that his bloodline never enters the Promised Land and no prophet, king, or judge in the Bible came from this bloodline ("shalt not excel")

Levi and Simeon: Both avenged their sister Dinah by killing off an entire group of people. The tribe of Simeon basically had land but it came from Judah. And the tribe of Levi never got land, but rather they became priests scattered among Israel.

Judah: The blessing came to him. So he became the leader and through him the kings of Israel were born (except Saul). Ultimately it leads to the Lion of Judah, Jesus Himself. The latter part of the prophecy is usually interpreted as Jesus' suffering.

Zebulun: The prophecy said Zebulun will dwell by the sea. The tribe was given the region of Galilee near Lake Tiberias which connects to the Mediterranean Sea. Haven also meant that ships would go there when storms would be tough in the Mediterranean.

Isachaar: It mentioned that the land will be pleasant but they won't fight for it. In Judges, the Canaanites invaded and while the other tribes were mentioned fighting their respective battles, Isachaar was left out.

Dan: Samson, one of the notable judges of Israel, is from the tribe of Dan. The serpent reference could refer to the idea that the tribe of Dan brought idolatry into Israel. Eventually, some of the other tribes fell as well.

Gad: They shall be overtaken. They were one of the tribes that never entered the Promise Land and so they were always subject to attack by raiders. They were also one of the first tribes to be taken into captivity.

Napthali:  Many Theologians think this refers to Deborah and her song in Judges.

Joseph: The prophecies about him and his sons were mentioned in the last chapter. Jacob's words were more of a commendation of where he has been his whole life.

Benjamin: Although a small tribe, they were able to overcome many military conquests where they were the underdog. They were known for being fierce and war-like.

Looking at all of the patriarchs of the tribes and how the fate of the tribes ended up, I can't help but think of the consequences of sin and the blessings of obedience. It seems from this that the consequences of sin are not always immediate, and that more often than not others will suffer because of our sin. In this case, the descendants of these brothers will be the ones who bear their burden while all the brothers got is a reprimanding from their father. But the same time, the blessings of obedience are also reaped by their descendants. Joseph and Benjamin's tribes are blessed. Judah's will eventually become the line of kings and Christ.

I guess for us, it should open our eyes to call for repentance. That although we are forgiven in Christ, the earthly consequences of our sins will still be there. For you to think that you can keep sinning because you can bear the consequences of it anyway, don't forget that others will also suffer for it. If you look at the cross, there's many interpretations for it. Many say that God turning his face at Calvary was the ultimate punishment. But let's not forget the blood, the nails, the crown, and the whipping that Jesus received. If you want to see earthly consequences for our sins, let's look at the physical and mental torture that Jesus had to endure, along with the spiritual pain and anguish He received.

Humility in God

I read Genesis 48 today so here's what I've pulled from it: This passage talks about who is blessed in the Earth and what humility means.

In this chapter Joseph presents his sons to Jacob realizing that Jacob's is probably near death. Jacob reminds Joseph of the blessing he received from God from Luz (running away from Esau). I think this takes us back to Jacob's blessing, that he received it from Isaac even though he was the younger son (Jacob and Esau). Towards the end of the chapter, Joseph receives a blessing that is greater than his brothers because Jacob loved Rachel. Remember that he was the younger of the other brothers. And as Jacob was blessing Joseph's sons, the younger received the greater blessing.

In a way, there were three instances where the greater blessing did not go to the one who would receive it in a cultural sense. Rather it went to the one who least deserved it. I think this passage makes several points about humility and blessing:
1. God's blessing is granted to those who seem to least deserve it.
2. Blessing comes in the form of fulfillment of God's promise
3. Humility can only come from God

For the first point, God's blessing seems to go to the younger sibling, not the older sibling. In older cultures, the older sibling deserves the blessing of the parent because ore responsibility is placed on them. They are the leaders of the household, second to the father. In a bigger picture, this passage seems to imply that God's blessing goes to those who least deserve it. Jesus' sermon on the mount seems to support this.

What is that blessing? It is the accomplishment of God's promise for our good. God's promise in the passage is the blessing of abundance in terms of children and prosperity. And the third point is that humility can only come from God. In a way, we can only be humble if we see ourselves in terms of God's holiness.

Why is this important? Because unless we reach a point of humility in respect to God's holiness, we'll never reach a point of true humility. True humility, in the passage, is the realization that you never deserved the blessing in the first place. Jacob was the 2nd born, Joseph was the youngest of all his brothers, and Ephraim was the 2nd born. If anyone deserved the blessing, it should be the 1st born. I think that the reason Jacob gave the blessing to Ephraim instead of the older sibling is to pass on this realization. That it will be through faith that their promises will be accomplished, not through works or status.

In terms of who deserves God's blessing and promise, let's also look at the cross. God gave us something that we never deserved. God gave us Christ exactly because He knows there's nothing we can do to repair the relationship we have broken with Him. And so in terms of blessing, God gave us the greatest gift of all: Christ.

Building a Nation for God

As I'm nearing the close of Genesis, I can't help but wonder how things ended up the way they did at the beginning of Exodus. In a way, this chapter gives us insight into what happened and how God's blessings don't always seem to work (at least on the surface) for His people.

Joseph presents his family to Pharaoh to gain his approval. Notice that the only reason why Pharaoh approved of the Israelites was that they were relatives of Joseph (verse 5). It's important to note that Pharaoh also allowed Joseph to give his family the land that is the most fertile in Egypt. In this chapter, Joseph becomes the blessing for the Israelites and the Egyptians. Through his ability to lead and distribute resources, Joseph has secured not only the prosperity of Israel but also the unification of Egypt. 

This speaks to God's plan and sovereignty. In order for Egypt to be realized as the great nation it is, it had to be unified under Pharaoh. And so with the famine, Joseph was able to unify Egypt by having neighboring territories sell their money, livestock, and land to Pharaoh. You can even anticipate what is happening here: the entire land and people is now under Pharoah's rule. And if you look ahead to Exodus, this is what happens.

So in terms of God's sovereignty, it's best to explain it this way: God used Joseph to bring His people and the rest of Egypt into slavery under Pharaoh. Anyone who knows of the trials and pain of the Israelites would look at Joseph and see that his actions have damned God's people. Although for that instant, Joseph  saved the people from hunger and immediate death, he just sold a majority of the known world to Pharaoh. And what's even more interesting is that because the Israelites were in the most fertile land of Egypt, they would be the most prosperous people and it would only make sense for their population to grow under such favorable conditions. And it's this same growth that will put in Pharaoh's heart a fear that his own kingdom will be overrun. All of these situations begs the question: Why did God put the Israelites and the Egyptians under Pharoah, knowing that the circumstances to follow will lead to the oppression of an entire nation under slavery?

I won't claim to know all the answers, nor will I claim to understand the entirety of God's sovereignty and plan. But at least on the surface I can say that the reason I think God had the ancient world go through that process, even the famine, is for Exodus. In other words, it's for the demonstration of God's power and glory to both His people and the Egyptians through the Israelites' exodus out of Egypt through Moses. This can also get us to look into what happened in the beginning: Why would God allow sin to enter the world? I think it's so that His power and His glory can be demonstrated on the deliverance of man from his own sins through the cross. 

It would be one thing to say that God delivered Israel from one small province ruled by Pharaoh. It's another  to say that God delivered His chosen people out of the hands of the ruler of almost all the lands known to man at that time. It's one thing to say that God saved His chosen group or family(in terms of size), it's another to say God saved an entire nation He has chosen for Himself. And it's another thing to say that God prevented mankind's damnation be keeping one man from sinning, and it's another to say God saved all of mankind from all of their sins through one man Jesus Christ. 

The Most Powerful Nation in the World

So praise God I've found the time to write again about my scripture reading. Today it was on Genesis 46. I think just based on how it was written, it can be split into three parts: 1. God makes a promise to Jacob 2. The genealogy of Jacob's offspring and 3. The family in Egypt. Each of these parts sort of reveal to the reader how God is working through this story.

1. God assures Jacob that He will watch over them in Egypt. I think the emphasis on this part is how God calls us when it comes to following Him. In this case, Jacob was called to send everything he was given and to invest it all in this trip to Egypt. What's important to note here (which I will point out more later on) is that the sons of Jacob are already in bad standing with the Egyptians, save for Joseph. God called Jacob to settle and invest his all in bringing up a nation in enemy territory.

2. The genealogy is important because like before, it's the continuing reminder to the reader about the importance of God's promise for a messiah. Notice that Judah's family led the way to Egypt. It is this same family through which God will make His promise known and accomplish through Christ what was to be prophesied in scripture after Israel leaves Egypt. (Notice that God is working His plan for the messiah even before any record of a promise was written, before the prophet Isaiah, before David wrote the Psalms, even before there seemed any chance of Israel ever being able to return to Canaan.

3. It's important to note that Jacob's offspring are already losing favor with Egypt just because of their occupation (Genesis 46:34). There are many theories as to why this is possible. Some say it's because of xenophobia, while others point to the nature of sheep and how they weren't supposed to graze with cattle because the sheep destroy the grassland that they feed. But what's important here is again how God is working. God is raising up a people for Himself, within the walls of their enemy, which happens to be the most powerful nation in the world at the time, the only oasis in the known world because of a famine. An enemy in Egypt that is already against Israel even before they were enslaved, even while Joseph was in power.

You can even start drawing contrasts. God chose a people who compared to their neighbors the Egyptians, were dirty nomads who took care of sheep for a living. A group of people who lived in tents and pretty much lacked any real military alliances at the time.  And that same group of people is exactly where God decided to come down in human form and die for the sins of mankind.

What this passage is telling us, through the entry of Israel and his children into Egypt, is that when God calls us to do His will, we should give it our all. Because that's how we show our trust and faith in Him. And remember that God calls a people to Him from the most unexpected of places. God is glorified the most through people who in the eyes of the world, have very little to no value. To God however, these people are the vehicles and the carriers of His divine sovereignty over all things. I think that in the passage, the most powerful nation wasn't the one that had all the food, all the wealth, all the luxury, the palaces, and healthy people, the one that seems to be the most blessed in terms of material wealth. The most powerful nation is the small nomadic family of shepherds because through this family, God promises salvation for men and peace brought to all nations through Jesus Christ.

Acknowledging God's Sovereignty over a Fallen People

Lord-willing, I will be able to write on this blog regularly. It's been an interesting vacation, especially since I was able to hear in its entirety the "Prosperity Gospel". I will touch on this when I get to Malachi 10, one of the most commonly used defenses for it. But right now I want to focus on Genesis 45, when Joseph reveals himself to his brothers as Jacob's son.

It's easy to draw the parallel between Joseph and Jesus. So it's only appropriate to draw a parallel between the revelation of Joseph's identity to his brothers with Jesus' identity to us:

How do we recognize Jesus? We don't, until He Himself reveals His identity to us. If you look at the Gospels, Jesus's role as the Messiah was pronounced first by John the Baptist. However most people never made the connection until Jesus himself made the claim that He was God. In the same way Joseph's identity was never revealed until he reveals himself to his brothers. And even then they didn't believe him on the spot. It speaks to 2 things: The hearts of men and the sovereignty of God. The former being a stubborn inclination to acknowledge truth when it is proclaimed, only accepting it when it is witnessed. And the latter being God's control and sovereignty over all of creation.

God's sovereignty is most demonstrated through our bad intentions. You can draw a second parallel with Genesis 50:20, where God used what we intended for evil God used for good. Joseph's brothers intended to remove Joseph from his position of influence over them as Jacob's favorite son, and God used that to save the land from famine. In the same way, our sins, in its attempt to destroy the only thing that was pure and holy in this world, God used for the salvation of mankind. God's sovereignty is most highly displayed in our disobedience, in our malice, and in our sin. It is easy to say "glory to God" when good things happen out of our actions. But to proclaim that while we are sinful, God is all the more glorified, that speaks more to His power over all things of this world.

The last parallel you can draw is the joy that comes from realizing God's sovereignty. The fact that God used it for good should give us hope, even in a world as fallen as ours. In the passage, Jacob's joy moves him to want to go to Egypt, to travel to a distant land at his age, just to see his son who he thought was dead. And isn't that the joy we should be experiencing on Easter Sunday when we celebrate Jesus' resurrection from the dead. In both cases the good that comes out destroys any evil that we had intended originally.

The problem that I think, most Christians deal with is seeing God working through the worst of situations and thinking "God, how can any good possibly come out of this". We have relatives dying, natural disasters killing hundreds, corrupt politicians destroying the economy, people losing jobs, and how can a God, a sovereign God, possibly pull any good out of that? Let's just look at the cross. An instrument of death and torture meant to suffocate a criminal, while publicly humiliating them. A weapon of fear and death that had the ability to suppress any rebellion, kill any desire to stand up against the Roman empire. The same weapon that will be the symbol of oppression, racism, and intolerance, sometimes even used for satanic worship. And for God to turn that same weapon of death into the instrument for man's salvation. If God is sovereign in Calvary, there is no where else He cannot reign and have control over.

Being A Steward For God

So I've missed out on my devotions because of internet problems. Lord-willing things I will be able to do this again daily when I get back to Boston. I've also been missing out on my my Bible readings because of both time I have to myself and my unwillingness to wake up earlier than 9AM every single day. Pray for me in this regard, that by God's grace I will be able to build up a discipline for living out His Word.

So for Genesis 43, didn't really read into it as much as I could have. Given my internet connection, I'll keep things short.

Benjamin was the only brother Joseph had from the same mother. This should explain why it's so important to him to the point that he was brought to tears at the very sight of him.

Anyway, I think this passage wants to show us what are the signs of good stewardship as modeled by Joseph. He models stewardship as something that is not expected, something that is done because we are reminded of God's grace, and something that strengthens the community between each other.

Stewardship originally meant what Joseph did which was to serve the guests of your household. But in a more Christian context it's meant to take care of someone. I guess it's important to realize the aspects of Christian stewardship because it's one that reflects God's kindness towards us given what God has given us. It's important for it to be unexpected because it reflects unconditional kindness, something done outside of obligation and is a true act of grace. We need to act under the reminder of God's grace because it keeps us from acting with any selfish or ulterior motives. This is close to the 1st reason but altruism for it's own sake can't be the motivator we use. Unless it's for God, we will fail to really glorify Him in our acts of stewardship. In other words, our stewardship is no different from the ones that give for the sake of feeling good about giving or for the sake of giving for their organization/affiliation. And lastly, it needs to strengthen community or fellowship with each other. This is often a byproduct or a result of doing stewardship with the first two parts in mind. In a way, this is how we are blessed for serving: a deeper and stronger connection with each other.

The last point is important because this is how we know we're doing it for others and not for ourselves. That if we are not pushed into that stronger connection with those around us, we might not have done it for the right reasons. In the passage, Joseph eats with not only the Egyptians, the foreigners that will be the enemy of God's people, but also his brothers who threw him in the cistern and sold him off to slavery. Jesus himself dined with the same people who would put him on the cross. And in fellowship with Him, the same sinners whose sins resulted in His death, would live in fellowship with Him in the Kingdom of God.

Showing a Godly Grace and Mercy

I might be a bit behind in terms of my original plan because I don't have internet in Florida and I've been enjoying my vacation (meaning finding time to study the Bible with distractions is harder). So I read Genesis 42 and had a discussion with my aunt/uncle about it. In their view, Joseph's reluctance to reveal himself came from the human desire to sort of take in what the brothers did to him and to act accordingly. I'll address this later but I think the focus of this passage is what does grace and mercy look like and how do we respond to it?

1. It's important to note that mercy comes from whoever was wronged. In other words, mercy is being spared from the deserved punishment that one has incurred. In this passage, it would've been fair for Joseph to condemn his brothers to death for having wronged him but instead he showed mercy and spared them. At the same time, grace was also shown in that he gave them food and he didn't take their payment for it.

The more important note here is that true mercy is found when it is usually least expected. In other words, the greater the sin committed, the least mercy there is to be expected. We see this in how the brothers deal with Joseph (though they don't know it). When standing before a figure of power it is only appropriate to expect that the smallest offense committed against that person would warrant a great punishment. But on the contrary, Joseph shows mercy in terms of position and in terms of what they have done to him in the past.

2. The more dictionary-based point of mercy and grace is that they are undeserved. And so in terms of anticipating mercy and grace, neither are to be expected. So in terms of what Joseph has done and after he has accused them of being spies, the last thing on the minds of the brothers was to escape out of there alive. At the same time they didn't understand the grace of never paying for the grain that they took back with them to Israel.

3. Mercy and grace can make us feel bad, but it doesn't make us repentant. This is key because look at how the brothers communicate with Jacob. They are so focused on going back to Egypt to provide for themselves and their family that they don't realize what they are asking of Jacob. From our perspective we think the sin they need to repent of is destroying Joseph. But on the contrary, the greater sin in this passage, at least in my opinion, is depriving Jacob of his two most favorite sons born from the wife he loved Rachel. The brothers feel bad that they took Joseph away from Jacob but here we see they are asking him to give up Benjamin as well. The mercy in this part of the passage comes from Jacob but it doesn't make the sons anymore repentant.

Looking at this in the bigger picture, that's what we did on the cross. Because of our sins God gave up His Son so that we can be saved. We deprived God of His Son because we are so unwilling to repent and we don't know how much that hurt the father that we repeat the offense over and over. Like Jacob losing Joseph, God lost His son to us, to our iniquities so that we can be saved. In a way, Jesus was able to return to the father. But I can't help but think God at some point must've been hurt by the loss because we need that saving grace. Given all the glory that God received on the cross, I can't help but think that in our sin we remind God of the pain and suffering His son felt because of us, a pain that makes even Jesus recite

Realizing How God Talks To Us

So basically, Genesis 41 is one of the most well-known passages. There are many interpretations of what this passage means and what it's saying to the reader. The story itself is interesting because this is the part in Joseph's life where God's plan really manifests itself. But I'll focus on God and His ways instead of focusing on what Joseph or what Pharaoh did:

1. God talks to us, usually with a warning or a message to make us aware of what our situation is and what will happen. In other words, God reveals His intent for us. In the passage, God reveals to Pharaoh what He plans to do to Egypt. In other stories, God also attaches a condemnation and a call to repentance. If ever you doubt this because you don't feel like you hear God's voice, we should look at what the Bible says. To us, we are so focused on God's immediate will for us in terms of who will be our wife or what job we'll get, we forget that God's will for us is holiness. So if ever we are at a point that we're asking ourselves or God "What do you want me to do?", remember we are called to holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:7). In light of this, God's message is usually a reminder and an evaluation of where we are at right now, usually nowhere near where we're supposed to be and we don't want to hear that. So we would rather tell ourselves that God isn't talking to me because He's not telling me what I want to hear.

2. We don't understand God's message either because God hasn't revealed Himself to us yet or we don't want to. In the passage it's the former, where Pharaoh's lack of understanding was necessary for Joseph to come in. And so God's will for for Pharoah to understand it through Joseph's interpretation. To us, it's both. Sometimes it's safe to say God hasn't revealed Himself to us yet. Many people lack the understanding of what  Jesus has done for us on the cross. But more often than not it's the latter. We don't want to hear God's message or call to repentance because it reminds us of how much we are at fault compared to His Holiness.

3. God will then send someone who is perfect for the job to bring an understanding of His will for us. In the chapter Joseph is that man. In every way he was a man who can bring God's glory to the Egyptians. Yet they had their own deities, Joseph was able to glorify God and was able to reveal God's intent for Egypt and the entire world through him. Notice in the Old Testament God sends his prophets to remind Israel and to call them to repent of their ways. It's a reminder because they already know through the laws of God and the covenant He established with His people what they should be doing. And yet they do not repent. 

We are stubborn when it comes to realizing God's will for us. We are so focused on the immediate future that we lose focus on what God's eternal will for us is: fellowship with Him and holiness through Him. Instead of giving ourselves up to God's will, a call for us to be holy we would rather force God to submit to our will for ourselves. We end up demanding of God "Tell me who my wife will be or where I will be working in 10 years". And this is exactly why God had to send His Son. We are so stubborn and self-centered that God said "You know what I'll do, I'll send my Son down to remind you how much I love you. To remind you how much I want you to be with me. And what it will take is for me to pour my wrath that you deserve on my Son on the cross, so that you will be able to spend eternity with me." 

A Dreamer's Gift

I am on a trip to Florida so I'm having a hard time both reading the Bible and keeping this up daily since my phone doesn't have blogging capabilities. I'm supposed to have read/studied Genesis 40 by yesterday so here it is.

We all have gifts from God but often times we question whether we are using our abilities as they were meant to be used or if they really did come from God. I guess we can look at Joseph's gift and sort of discern from them how God uses our gifts and maybe answer some other questions as well.

1. We all have gifts that God gave us to fulfill a certain need that no one else can accomplish. In a way, God had put Joseph in the position he was for various reasons, one of them was to help interpret these dreams for these men. Later on we'll also look at Joseph and how he was the only one in the kingdom who can interpret Pharaoh's dream and interestingly enough the dream itself came from God (remember that Egyptians worshiped thousands of deities). So if we are using our gifts where we are at right now in our present lives, know God allowed it so that we can demonstrate these abilities under these circumstances.

2. Our gifts are meant to remind us that all things come from God. I guess this is pretty self-explanatory and pretty obvious. It's also supported by verse 8 where Joseph gives credit to God, even to the point that he gives no credit to himself. This point will be more clear later after I explain the 3rd thing.

3. We must not expect immediate rewards or praises for performing those gifts that God gave to us. This says  two things about us: One, it tells us that we use our gifts to glorify ourselves and thus, our expectations rise from our desire to be glorified through the gifts, not through God first; Second, it reminds us that our gifts are for God's glory first. God gave us all gifts, and at times when we ask God "Why did you give me this ability when it's completely useless?" or "What's the point of being good at this or that?", we ask that question precisely because we are looking for immediate results for demonstrating those gifts, more often than not results for our benefit, not God's glory.

Look back at the chapter. It took Joseph two years to get out of prison after interpreting the chief baker and cup bearer's dream. There was no immediate benefit for him in terms of demonstrating that gift, other than the fact that maybe if he had some doubt, it would affirm that God really worked through him (which isn't really supported in the text since his faith seemed unwavering). How many of us would try to use that ability to get out of prison as soon as we can instead of waiting for God to accomplish His plan.

For those who aren't Christian, they ask this question all the time. In fact, that's exactly why they're not Christian. Some non-Christians would tell me "Exactly why would I need the cross anyway? I'm living a life as good enough as it is already" or "What's the point of having a gift like that?". For me, it's because Christ's death and resurrection was meant for my salvation yes, but I'm not realizing the benefits of that now, nor do I fully enjoy in that gift in the time being. First and foremost, Christ's death on the cross was mean for God's glory. To demonstrate not just our iniquities and our faults, but primarily His saving grace and mercy. A gift that is more than enough for a world like ours.

God in the Corporate World

So being a business major, I couldn't help but think of Genesis 39 as a guideline for how to perform in the workplace and glorify God at the same time. So here are my thoughts, and Lord-willing none of them are heretical in nature:

1. We are called to do well and to succeed at whatever profession we do (all under God's law anyway). In the passage, God made the house prosperous through Jacob, meaning God blessed Joseph with the ability to do really well at whatever he was tasked with doing which in the passage is taking care of the house. And if you read how his work is described, the credit goes to God to the point that even the Potiphar is recognizing God's blessing (verse 3). In doing well, we also earn the trust of boss.

2. We are called to obey God's calling before our work's. In other words, especially in the business environment, know that if you do right by God and you obey His commandments, you will probably be persecuted in the workplace. In fact, we are called to do right by what is God even if it means losing our job. We can't just use the excuse "God gave me this job and I must keep it at all costs in order to glorify him because this is what I am willing to do to show my thanks".

3. Know that God will provide. Even in prison God blessed Joseph by making him favorable in the eyes of the warden, to the point that he was the one looking over the rest of the prisoners. Trust that by obeying God He will provide.

Thinking about it, we don't really do this. We compromise who we answer to by committing ourselves to the job, not the one who gave us the job. Don't be devoted to the calling, but be devoted to the one who called you there. If you doubt this just look at Jesus. As much as he was working towards his ministry, he was devoted to the Father first. Jesus didn't raise up an army to overthrow the Roman government, He didn't focus on living as long as he can to keep the ministry going as long as he can, and he certainly did not avoid death on the cross so that people can keep believing that He will save people either through political or military means.

He was devoted to the father first, and Jesus showed that by dying on the cross. In history, when the leader of a movement dies, it's highly probably everything falls apart. But instead everything came together because Jesus obeyed his Father, knowing that God's plan for him and the world is beyond what any of us perceive. A saving grace that brings us back to God.