Faith and life meet in a story
By Paula
By Paula
After checking Ezra's and Daniel's Bible study examples, this week we'll look at the model for kings.
In Deuteronomy, in some of Moses' final teachings to Israel, he gives the standard for future kings of Israel.
Also it shall be, when [the king] sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel. Deuteronomy 17:18-20
Did you catch those details?
1. Write out a copy – longhand.
2. Keep it close.
3. Read it every single day
Moses then lists several reasons and benefits for the king if he follows this program.
1. He'll learn to fear God
2. He'll be careful to obey it God's laws. If he knows the law by heart, he won't deviate from it.
3. He won't think he's better than his subjects.
4. His reign will be extended, and his children will succeed him.
Sadly, the Old Testament history books show that few of the kings took Moses' advice.
Do you think the model is still valid?
By Paula
"So when the Lord saw that [Moses] turned aside to look, God called to him…" Exodus 3:4
This is at the burning bush.
When God saw that He had Moses' attention, then He called to him.
Not until.
God won't compete for my attention.
And He won't speak until He has it.
What burning bush, what miracle, is God working right in front of me? Is He trying to get my attention?
What message, what calling, might be waiting for me to turn aside and look?
By Paula
A couple of weeks ago, my Sunday school boys and I got to look at one of my all-time favorite stories– the parting of the Red Sea in Exodus 14. Let me share some of my observations.
Anxiety
Verse 8 says Israel went out of Egypt "with boldness". However, at the first sign of difficulty, that confidence evaporated. In Exodus 14, God was working His purpose for the nation of Israel and He was accomplishing a separate purpose for Egypt. (see v. 18) Those two intersected at the Red Sea.
I often head down the path God lays out for me, but when trouble arises, I question the path, the purpose, my faith and God Himself. However, it may all be part of another plan for another situation. I need to hang in there.
Panic
Faced with an elite army bearing down on them, Israel panicked. They lost it. They turned on Moses. They longed for slavery. They forgot they had over 600,000 fighting men of their own (according to Numbers 1). They couldn't remember the miracles God had just performed on their behalf through the plagues. All they could focus on was the enemy and their vision of certain defeat and slaughter. Moses says, "Stand still (or as I like to paraphrase it- shut up!) and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today."
I lose focus. I panic. I forget. I need to stop running in circles, waving my arms like the kid in Home Alone. He may not resolve the entire situation today, but He will show up on my behalf. God will deliver.
Hesitation
In spite of that awesome guarantee, God had to nudge Israel. Verse 15 He says, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward." God gave the direction, He promised protection, and yet it wasn't enough. Crossing the Red Sea had never been done before. Slavery was miserable and oppressive, but at least they knew what to expect. God says, "Move forward."
With boldness. See the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today. Move forward.
By Paula
Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me? John 7:19
Jesus public ministry was marked by several run-ins with the religious leadership of the day. In chapter 7, Jesus arrived in Jerusalem for the Passover and went to the temple to teach, showing a mastery of Scripture and an authority unseen in the other teachers. They began to question Him about His doctrine. Jesus answers, "Why are you so worried about doctrine when none of you DO the things you claim to believe in? Otherwise, why would you want to kill Me?"
For instance, it's one thing to SAY we have no other gods but the Lord, but when our actions prove that we value self or system above the Living God, we align ourselves on the wrong side of the battle.
We esteem God's word. We hold to our traditions. But do our actions (and our heart's motivation) show we discount or disregard what God calls us to obey? Are we like those in Luke's story of the Good Samaritan, seeking to weasel our way out of a commandment through a technicality? (Who, exactly, is our neighbor?)
'You call yourself God's people, but you don't carry out His commands and you seek to undermine Christ's work.'
God help us have hearts and minds that hunger after You, and not merely our preconceptions of You…
By Paula
But if you do not believe his [Moses'] writings, how will you believe My words? John 5:47
Jesus called the religious leaders out when they fell back to their favorite defense – Moses. They were Moses' disciples. Followed Moses' law and Moses' traditions to the letter. They missed an important detail, though. Moses wasn't God. They followed Moses at the expense of following God.
Moses never intended to make disciples for himself, and if you read Deuteronomy, you get an idea how well Moses understood these people. The summary/paraphrase is "I'm gonna tell you all this stuff but you won't listen and God's gonna judge you. Then there will be a Prophet, but you won't listen to Him either."
If the religious leaders had been the great students and followers of Moses that they claimed to be, they would have realized who Jesus was immediately. They wanted to pick and choose which of God's messages they would believe, and then forget all the rest. We can't cherry-pick Scripture either. God's word is a unified whole, a revelation of one continuous story of God's redemption of His people.
If we discount some of it, then how can we can rely on any of it?