Passover

Exodus 12. I apologize for getting this out late today. I am recovering from some unknown allergic reaction and the medicine the doctor gave me causes me to sleep. But we can't let this day go by without commenting on this grand chapter of Exodus.

The night of death has arrived just as God said. But God made provision for the children of Israel. The death angel would "passover" their houses because of the blood. And we know that eternal death will not touch those who have the blood of the Lamb applied over the "doorposts" of their hearts. Jesus is our Passover Lamb (1 Cor.5:6-7; John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:18-19).

Let me first give you the Lamb's Qualifications:

1. It had to be one year old, in the prime of its life. Jesus was crucified in the prime of life at 30 years old.

2. It had to be without blemish. Again see 1 Cor.5:6-7 and 1 Peter 1:18-19.

3. It had to be a lamb. John the Baptist said, "Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Jesus is referred to as the Lamb of God 28 times in the book of Revelation.

Now let's draw two very important lessons from this section:

1. We are to appropriate Jesus' blood by faith.

We're not saved by admiring Jesus' example, but by APPLYING HIS BLOOD (Exodus 12:13). Note that it says "when I see the blood...."; not "when I see your good works" or "when I see your baptism certificate" or "when I see your church membership". No! It says "when I see the BLOOD on the doorposts of your heart, then I will pass over you." How do you put it there? By faith. We are saved by grace through faith (Eph.2:8-9).

2. When you are born again, the calendar starts all over for your life.

Did you notice that God's redemption started Israel's calendar all over again? (Exodus 12:2). When you are born again, the calendar starts all over for your life. Praise God! Have you applied the shed blood of Christ by faith? Do so today before it's to late. God bless.

Different

Exodus 11. The tenth and final plague is announced in chapter 11, though it is not recorded until chapter 12 (Exodus 12:26-39). This plague of death would not affect Israel. Isarel's firstborn would be covered and protected by the blood of the lamb. And against none of the children of Israel would a dog move its tongue (Exodus 11:7). In that day, dogs were not kept as pets, but were roaming nuisances. So their peculiar silence would be an unsettlling calm. Why? So they would know that the LORD does make a difference between Egyptians and Israel (Exodus 11:7).

Dear believer, do know that God makes a difference between you and the world (Egypt). There is a distinction. There is a difference. I have known people who claim to be Christians, but there was no difference in their lives. They still live like the world and have no time for Jesus. Dear friend, if you take Jesus as your Savior then there will be a difference in your life. Are you different? The Apostle Peter wrote that "we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people..." (KJV) of 1 Peter 2:9. We are different, and it is God who makes the difference!

One and Only God

Exodus 10 contains the eighth and ninth plagues. As each plague descended upon the land, the Egyptian people realized how powerless their own gods were to stop it (Exodus 10:7). Hapi, the bull god, god of the Nile and Isis, goddess of the Nile, were helpless and could not stop the water from being turned into blood (Exodus 7:14-25). Heqet, goddess of birth, with a frog head, could not prevent the frogs from infesting the land. And when they died their decaying bodies reeked. Hathor, goddess with a cow head and Apis, the bull god, were helpless as the Egyptian livestock died in droves (Exodus 9:6). Re, the sun god along with Horus, a sun god, could not stop the eerie darkness from covering the land for three full days (Exodus 10:21-22). And Monday and Tuesday, we shall see that Min, the god of reproduction and Heqet, the goddess of birth who attended women at childbirth and Isis the goddess who protected children, all were helpless in the death of all the firstborn children (ch.11-12).

The Egyptian gods were not personal and not exclusive--any and all could be worshiped. And they were numerous. By contrast, the God of the Hebrews, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was and is a living personal Being, who is the one and only true God, the one and only God who should be worshiped. Is He the only God of your life? He is a jealous God and will have no rival. Let me recommend a good commentary on this passage. You won't have to go to the book store to pick it up. You already hold it in your hand. Read Isaiah 45. Follow other Scripture references in the reference column of your Bible. Remember, the Bible is its own best commentary. God bless and have a great weekend.

God's Desire

Exodus 9. As you continue to study these plagues, keep in mind the purposes of God in and through them. First, He was manifesting His power to Pharaoh and his officials and proving to them that He alone is the true living God. Second, He was exposing the sham religion of Egypt and the vanity of the many gods they worshiped. Third, He wanted to make His name known in all the earth (Exodus 9:14). This was a phrase repeated often throughout the plagues (Exodus 7:5; 7:17; 8:10, 22; 9:29; 10:2). God's ultimate purpose is still that all men repent, that no one perish, and thus all be saved (2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:4). God's glory is spread both through the gospel and through displays of His wrath, but one way or another, everyone will bow the knee and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil.2:10-11). God gave the Egyptians an opportunity to repent. He's giving you too an opportunity to repent and be saved. Today is the day of salvation. (2 Cor.6:2). Don't put it off any longer. Call upon Him today as your Savior (Rom.10:9-10, 13).

God's Warning

Exodus 8. As we continue to see the powerful hand of God, able to deliver the children of Israel from bondage, chapter eight records the next three plagues: Frogs, Lice and Flies. Now there's something found in the first two plagues but missing in the third one. What is it? It's a warning. The first two plagues contained a warning: "If you don't let my people go...the water will be turned to blood" and "frogs are going to come up from everywhere". Now in this third plague, there is no warning. Moses just does it. As you study these ten plagues, you will see a pattern develop. They are clustered in a strange way. It will be warning, warning, then no warning.

1. Warning..................1

2. Warning..................2

3. No Warning

4. Warning..................3

5. Warning..................4

6. No Warning

7. Warning..................5

8. Warning..................6

9. No Warning

10. Warning................7

Seven out of the ten plagues came with warnings. Seven is God's complete, perfect number. God's warnings are complete. God always warns before He judges. The wicked dead will have no excuse when they stand before the Judge at the Great White Throne Judgment in Revelation 20. And dear believer, God warns before He judges sin in your life. What is He warning you of today?

The Counterfeiter

Exodus 7. The first six chapters of Exodus show our need for redemption. The next several chapters (specifically chapters 7-14) show God's ability to perform that redemption. This section begins with the first of the ten plagues: the water turned to blood.

Egyptian religion was full of idolatry, which is connected with demonism (1 Cor.10:20). "Magic", i.e., "demonic miracle" was the only language the Egyptians understood in the realm of religion. Moses and Aaron would have to communicate with Pharaoh in a language that he understood. Pharaoh's two magicians are named for us in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul gave us their names and would use them to teach an important truth: in the last days, Satan will attack God's truth and God's people by imitating the works of God (2 Tim.3:8). As Jesus taught in the parable of the tares (Matt.13:24-30, 36-43), Satan is a counterfeiter who "plants" imitation Christians in this world. Satan has an imitation gospel (Gal.1:6-9), a counterfeit righteousness (Rom.10:1-3), and even counterfeit ministers who spread his lies (2 Cor.11:13-15). And Satan will one day produce a false Christ who will deceive the whole world (2 Thess.2:1-12).

In these last days we need to be alert to Satan's devices and tactics. We need to put on the whole armor of God (Eph.6:11-18) and stay close to God (James 4:7-8). There, in James 4, James tells us to resist the devil, not assist him. Are you resisting him or assisting him?

Encouragement From God's Word

Exodus 6. We last saw the frustration of Moses in chapter five. There we learned the lesson that, when you obey God, opposition often comes. But Moses did the right thing. He took his burdens to the Lord (Exodus 5:22-23). Today, in chapter six, we read God's response. How did the Lord encourage His struggling servant? First,

1. God told him that He was the same God that appeared to the patriarchs (Exodus 6:2-3).

2. God remembered His promise to Israel (Exodus 6:4).

3. God felt their burdens (Exodus 6:5).

4. God said that He would save them (Exodus 6:6-8).

Notice the seven "I will" statements in vss.6-8. When we know that God is in control and we claim His promises, then we can experience peace and courage in the battles of life. Again, when you serve God, you will encounter opposition. That's not the exception to the rule. It is the rule! That's when we must get alone with God, pour out our hearts to Him, hear His Word, and gain strength from His promises. For Moses, God's latest word contained little by way of new information, but those words of comfort came through in a new and fresh way. And these promises of God enabled Moses to 'carry on', to move on in obedience, and to lead the children of Israel out of bondage and into freedom. May God's Word and His promises become fresh, new and alive to you today. And may they enable you to move out in obedience to follow Him into a new day and new week. And remember, not one promise of His word has ever failed! (1 Kings 8:56).

Obedience

As we read Exodus 5 we feel for the Israelites. All their hopes of deliverance were dashed when Pharaoh cruelly imposed heavier burdens upon the people, requiring the same number of bricks, but compelling them to gather their own straw. Even Moses began to doubt the whole plan in Exodus 5:20-23, as he appeals to the LORD. Moses was discovering that his obedience to the word of the LORD only aggravated the evil He wished to remove. Instead of receiving gratitude from his countrymen, Moses was loaded only with reproaches. His faith and obedience were being tested. No great work of God is ever accomplished without severe testing, and Moses' career was no exception. Moses did the right thing. He went to the LORD and poured out his heart before Him.

Moses is frustrated. The people are worse off than when he started. And so, we have the lesson. LESSON: When you obey God, opposition often comes. It's not always smooth sailing. We, as believers, err in thinking when we assume that being in God's hand and being in God's will means that there will be no difficulties; and then we get upset when things DON'T go smoothly. We've got to realize that opposition is not necessarily a sign of failure, but is many times a sign of obedience! As we close, do know and understand these two things: 1) When God sends you on a task, and you obey, the mission will not end in failure. It may seem like it's failing, but it will not fail. 2) It is better to be in God's will and to provoke reactions than to run away and accomplish nothing. Obedience to God and opposition from the world go hand in hand.

Availability

Exodus 4. Today we see the final two objections of Moses. In Exodus 4:1 Moses says that the people will not believe him. God's response was "what is that in your hand?" (Exodus 4:2). Then He told Moses to throw the rod down and it became a serpent. When Moses picked it up, it became a rod again (Exodus 4:3-4). Why? So that the people will believe that the LORD had appeared to Moses (Exodus 4:5).

Moses last objection was a lack of eloquence (Exodus 4:10). God's response was "who made your mouth?"(Exodus 4:11). In other words, God was saying 'I know what I'm doing when I called you. I am the Creator here. And I will supply what you need to fulfill this calling.'

LESSON: A very important lesson we need to learn is this: God is looking for 'availability' not 'ability'. When we present ourselves as available servants, God then supplies the ability. So remember, God is not looking for ability (He'll supply that). He's looking for availability. Are you available? Or do you still give God excuses and objections? Our response should be that of Isaiah "Here I am, send me." (Isaiah 6:8).

The Call of Moses

Exodus 3. Today we read of Moses' call to deliver Israel. God was at work to prepare His servant for a great ministry of deliverance. Note:

1. What Moses Saw: 3:1-3.

As Moses looked, a common desert thorn bush was on fire yet was not consumed. The prickly bush pictures the sinful enslaved Israelites, since thorns are the result of the curse of sin (Gen.3:17-18). The fire symbolizes their suffering and tribulation, yet the bush not being consumed shows that all the persecutions visited upon them would not annihilate them. This burning bush also says something of Moses. God can take an insignificant bush, ignite it, and turn it into a miracle. That's what He wanted to do with Moses, and that's what He wants to do with you.

2. What Moses Heard: 3:4-10.

Moses vision was followed by his call. The One who called him revealed Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God also revealed His mission and purpose. The LORD said that He had seen the oppression of His people, heard their cry, and was going to come down to deliver them. (Exodus 3:7-8). That's God's promise to you. Regardless of what you are going through right now, be assured that God sees, hears and will come to deliver you from your tribulation.

3. What Moses Did: 3:11-4:17.

Moses should have rejoiced because God was at last answering prayer. He should have submitted to God's will by saying, "Here I am! Send me!" But instead he argued with God and proposed many excuses and objections. His first objection was...

• Insignificance: "who am I?" (Exodus 3:11). God's response: (Exodus 3:12). God promised to be with him and promises to be with us.
• No Authority: Moses' second objection was that he had no authority (Exodus 3:13). God's answer was "I AM WHO I AM...thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent you..." (Exodus 3:14). Jesus sends us out under His authority. See Matt.28:18-20. We'll note two more objections tomorrow.

The Preparation of Moses

Exodus 2. We'll break this chapter down into three parts:

1. The Redemption of Moses: 2:1-10

2. The Murder of Moses: 2:11-15

3. The Marriage of Moses: 2:16-22

In the first part, God was preparing for Himself a leader. In all of these experiences, God is preparing Moses to be the one to lead the children of Israel out of bondage. But first, Moses is to be delivered himself. The application for us here is: If God is going to use someone to lead others to Christ, that someone has to be redeemed first.

In the second part, as God was preparing Moses, we see in Exodus 2:11 that Moses went out to visit his brethren when he was grown. Acts 7:23 tells us he was 40 years old at this time. We know nothing of Moses life during these 40 years. But now we come to the first recorded event in his life since his birth and deliverance, and it is this record of Moses' murder of an Egyptian. Why is Scripture silent for 40 years? Well, the verse says when Moses was grown (Exodus 2:11), or that could read "grown up". In other words, when he had matured. Was this the first time he went out among his brethren? No. Surely he had been out of Pharaoh's court many times, but this time was different. Something happened in Moses' heart. His insensitivity became compassion. The application for us here is: When God prepares us to be instruments of redemption in His hand, first we have to be redeemed (v.1-10) and then we're to have compassion for the lost. Much of the lack of growth in the Kingdom of God can be attributed to a lack of compassion for the lost.

So Moses has compassion for his brethren, but he goes about it the wrong way. He kills the Egyptian and buries him in the sand. Moses is going to try to redeem Israel one Egyptian at the time. But God's way would be better. God will bury the whole army under the Red Sea. Thus, you've got to do God's work, God's way.

One parting thought: Moses was a murderer. King David was a murderer and adulterer. The apostle Paul was a murderer. I'm glad God uses imperfect people to do His work, His way, or else none of us could serve in His Kingdom work in His redemption plan.

Ignorance

Exodus 1. Today we move into Exodus which continues the story of the nation Israel. They went down to Egypt as 70 people (Exodus 1:5), but came out 2 million strong. It's in Exodus that we find Israel in bondage. Thus, this book tells of her redemption which becomes a picture of our redemption through our Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ. The book breaks down as follows:

1. LIBERATION: The emphasis on the HAND OF GOD: ch. 1-18.

2. SEPARATION: The emphasis on the HOLINESS OF GOD: ch. 19-24.

3. HABITATION: The emphasis on the HOUSE OF GOD: ch. 25-40.

Today, pay attention to Exodus 1:8. The new king knew nothing about Joseph, and he knew nothing about God. Pharaoh was ignorant of history and paid very little attention to it. He was ignorant of the great contribution Joseph had made to Egypt. Joseph had literally saved Egypt and the surrounding known world from starvation.

Ignorance. What is ignorance? It is a lack of knowledge. It is an unawareness. God says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6). Why? "Because you have rejected knowledge." Ignorance is one thing, but willful ignorance is inexcusable. The New Testament word for "ignorance" is "agnoia" (where we get our English word "agnostic"). Look at Eph.4:17-18. After writing of the vanity of man's thinking (Eph.4:17), Paul goes on to write of man's ignorance (Eph.4:18). Wuest says, "this ignorance is not caused by something external, but by man himself." This describes our agnostic world. They say that we can't know there is a God, but they say this only because they DON'T WANT TO KNOW. It's being willing ignorant, or as one preacher put it, "stupid on purpose." If man would just believe, he would be freed from the prison of his own ignorance (Acts 17:30 and 1 Peter 1:14). This kind of willful ignorance not only affects unbelievers. Sometimes it even shows up in church, and willful ignorance is inexcusable.

Next Devotional Reading

Having completed Genesis on our chapter per day schedule, I was going to next go to Matthew. But the more I thought about it, I believe we'll start with Exodus and continue the story line, for it's in Exodus we see the story of redemption. Then when we conclude Exodus, we'll go to one of the Gospels and there read about our Redeemer. So we'll take a couple of days off and then pick up Exodus 1 Monday morning. Everyone have a great week and see you back here Monday.

Empty Tomb

Genesis 50. I'm blogging a little later this morning. Yesterday, I had all three vehicles down. I worked late into the night and got two out of three back on the road again. Now I've got to get to work on our Wednesday Bible study, but first let me give you a parting thought on this final chapter of Genesis. Here we see the death and burial of two great men: father and son, Jacob and Joseph. The Bible teaches us that death isn't an accident, it's an appointment (Heb.9:27). The ratio of living to dying is still one to one: for everyone born, everyone dies--no exceptions. Thus we see the death of Jacob and Joseph in this final chapter of Genesis. Man began in a beautiful garden (Gen.2-3); We leave him, for now, in a coffin in Egypt. The book of Genesis ends with a full tomb. The Gospel story ends with an empty tomb! Praise God. "O death where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?" (1 Cor.15:55-57).

Shiloh

Genesis 49 records the last words of Jacob, words that are loaded with prophetic insight. In verse one, we come to a very important phrase: "in the last days" (Gen.49:1). This is the first time this important phrase occurs in Scripture. This phrase in verse one qualifies for what is known as "The Law of First Mention". The first time any subject is introduced in the Bible, it is of special significance, and the Bible student needs to sit up and take notice. The Holy Spirit gives the clue there to the place and significance of that subject as it relates to the whole Bible. For example, in Genesis 22:2 we have the first mention of the word "love". This speaks of the love of the father for the son. The second time the word "love" is used is found in Genesis 24:67 where "Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her." This speaks of the son's love for his bride. Put these two together and you have the love of the Father for His Son and the love the Son, the Lord Jesus, has for His Bride the Church.

Here, in Genesis 49:1, we have the first mention of "last days" and it is used in conjunction with the sons of Jacob, the twelve tribes of Israel. This gives us a dispensational clue. The term "last days" or "latter days" is used fourteen times in the Old Testament, and it's concerned with the last days of Israel, not the church. The last days of Israel will be different from the last days of the church. Jacob is talking about the last days of the nation Israel and what is going to happen to them. He begins a march down through the centuries of Israel's history right into the future Millennial Kingdom. Each son represents a period of their history along the way. For more on this see John Phillips work "Exploring the Future".

For a final thought look at Genesis 49:10. History tells us that in AD 7, the high priest put on sackcloth and ashes and marched in the streets of Jerusalem wailing and crying out in despair. Why? Because the government of Rome had just taken away their right of 'capital punishment' -the rule of the law-their political sovereignty. No more could they stone anyone for serious offenses as prescibed in the Mosaic Law. They had lost their political sovereignty and "Shiloh (Messiah) hadn't come, (so he thought). Little did he know that at that very time, up in Nazareth, was a boy of 9 or 10 years old named Jesus. Shiloh had come. And He shall come again! Praise God! Come quickly Lord Jesus! Rev.22:20.

Second Born

Genesis 48. Jacob's benediction upon Joseph's two sons explains why Ephraim and Manasseh ranked as two independent tribes. Jacob adopted them by the ceremony of taking them between his knees (Gen.48:12). This adoption and blessing upon them was to ensure that they would remain true to Israel's God. Jacob's move was by faith (Heb.11:21), and once again, the younger was preferred over the elder. This is the fifth time in the book of Genesis that we see a reversal of the birth order. God had chosen Abel, not Cain; Isaac, not Ishmael; Jacob, not Esau; and Joseph, not Reuben; and now He chooses Ephraim over Manasseh. Warren Wiersbe offers an interesting note here: "While we have no biblical grounds for doing it, one is tempted to see the cross pictured in the crossing of Jacob's hands. The sinner's birth order is reversed when he or she trusts Jesus Christ, for it's the second born whom God receives, not the firstborn. All of this is made possible because of our Lord's sacrifice on the cross." [Wiersbe, O.T. commentary]

Whether we can make the biblical application here or not can continued to be debated by the scholars and theologians, but the fact remains true: If you're born once, you die twice. But if you're born twice, you only die once. Jesus said, "you must be born again" (John 3:3). Have you been born again? Trust Christ today as your Lord and Savior.

Pilgrimage

Genesis 47. When the elderly Jacob met Pharaoh he blessed him and then said, "The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of ...my life." (Genesis 47:8-9). Everyone has some word picture to describe life: a battle, a race, a journey etc. Jacob's word picture was that of a pilgrimage. What is a pilgrim? Websters says that a pilgrim is 1) a person who travels about; a wanderer. 2) a person who travels to a shrine or holy place as a religious act. [Websters New World Dictionary]

Thus, a pilgrimage is a journey made by a pilgrim to a holy place. Jacob was on a journey to a holy place--the Promised Land; the land that was promised to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The patriarchs were pilgrims and strangers on the earth (Heb.11:13-16), and so are we (1 Peter 1:1; 2:11). As the old hymn says, 'this world is not my home, I'm just a passing through...' Our time is brief here. Even Jacob recognized that. One hundred and thirty years were just a "few". And not only were they "few", they are troublesome. The word "evil" used here means "misery" "troublesome". Job said it this way: "Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble" (Job 14:1).

As a pastor, I see lots of sickness and death. And it amazes me how desperate some Christians are to be healed and remain in this troublesome, miserable world. Now don't get me wrong, I don't want to die before my time, but my goal is to get out of this world. My goal is to see Jesus. My goal is to journey to a holy place, to a tabernacle not made with hands and there stand in the presence of my Savior. You see, I'm a pilgrim, just passing through. I'm on a journey to a place called heaven. I'm like Paul who said, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain", my desire is like his and that is "to depart and be with Christ which is far better" (Phil.1:21-23)

I don't know why some believers fear death and cling to this world. Maybe it goes back to the old saying: "You're not prepared to die, until you're prepared to live." And Paul was prepared to live. His whole life was wrapped up in Christ: For me to live is Christ! What are you living for? If you're not living for Christ, you're not prepared to die for Him.

Sing with me:

"What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see;

When I look upon His face, the One who saved me by His grace;

When He takes me by the hand, and leads me through the Promise Land;

What a day, glorious day that will be...."

Following God

Genesis 46 records Jacob's journey to Egypt. Jacob was apprehensive about packing up and moving to a new location this late in life. And the location that he was moving to was Egypt, the very place his grandfather Abraham had gotten into trouble (Gen.12:10ff). But God came to Jacob at night and assured him that it was safe for him and his family to relocate (Gen.46:2-4). Change is something we all fear. New situations and new surroundings can frighten us and make us uncomfortable. What should we do? Seek the Lord. Ask him in prayer whether to proceed or not. When we recieve the answer from Him, we can then proceed in confidence. God is faithful and will never lead you down a path in which you find yourself backing up later. Solomon gives us a good parting word in Proverbs 3:5-6.

Away

Everyone,

I'll be away from my computer until Wednesday, and I'll resume with the devotionals on Thursday. Pray for our safe return from the conference we'll be attending. To stay on track, continue reading a chapter a day:

Genesis 43: Monday

Genesis 44: Tuesday

Genesis 45: Wednesday

Genesis 46: Thursday

Genesis 47: Friday

God bless,

Bro. Royce