Bible Reading Reflection from Exodus 11-20

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (LRAU), a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟙𝟙:𝟚-𝟛

"Speak now in the hearing of the people that each man ask from his neighbor and each woman from her neighbor for articles of silver and articles of gold." The LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Furthermore, the man Moses himself was greatly esteemed in the land of Egypt, both in the sight of Pharaoh's servants and in the sight of the people."

“Asking,” that's all! And God made them favourable to the Egyptians.

I was watching an Economic and Financial Documentary on how to reduce poverty in the world. The economists and philosophers propounded a lot of theories and examined how they have fared in this real world. And they have concluded that the best, right, appropriate way to reduce poverty in a society is for the poor to ask and the rich to be generous!

Ask if you don't have, ask if you want, don't be stupid!

If somebody asks you, be generous, don't be a stupid miser!

BTW, I don't have a Nobel Prize in economics, I don't have a PhD in Economics, but I knew from a long time ago that "asking" works and "generosity" helps.

This is God's economics. Read again, these two verses!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟙𝟚:𝟙𝟚-𝟙𝟛

"For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments--I am the LORD. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt."

The Israelites would not only plunder the Egyptians, it's far from over, God would strike each [Egyptian] family's firstborn dead, both of man and animals.

That strike of death is equally applicable [deserving] to the Israelites: they were all equally corrupt and unrighteous. Yet, God devised a way to save those who would look to God to spare them – by the means of the blood of a lamb, which is the symbol of the real salvation that would occur millennium later in the bleeding of Jesus Christ at the cross. There, God's wrath was satisfied.

So, as death befallen upon those who had no lamb's blood on their lintel, so eternal death will befall upon those who have no Lord's blood on their lintel of their soul!

We already have blood on our lintel, but we must flee Egypt, still, fleeing from worldliness. Like the Egyptian who even ate in haste with sandals on their feet and a staff on their hands, we must redeem the time and be prudent and alert!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟙𝟛:𝟠

"You shall tell your son on that day, saying, 'It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt."

The pronouns are "me" and "I".

They are not us or we. It is a personal salvation.

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟙𝟜:𝟚𝟝

"He caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive with difficulty; so the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from Israel, for the LORD is fighting for them against the Egyptians.""

The Egyptians thought they could intimidate the Israelites. They realized they couldn’t, and they were going to lose. They tried to flee away but they still were caught in the water they dared to go into. They lost terribly.

I can see an analogy in Los Angeles, California.

Grace Community Church was threatened and taken to court. The LA officials tried to shut down the church and put the pastor in jail. They did all means. They spent around 1 million dollars to stop them from gathering to worship God. (Israelites were called out to worship God. Pharaoh sent the choicest 600 chariots and best armies to stop them v7) This Tuesday [31^st August 2021], the LA officials realised that they will lose in the court. They withdrew every threat but like the armies of Egyptians, they have been too deep into the water. They have to pay the consequences. They were asked to pay 800,000 dollars to Grace Community Church.

A total of almost 2 million dollars it takes LA officials to stop the Church Worship Service. Expensive! It must be so! All the best chariots, officers, fighters of Egypt perished in that water. It was a very expensive failed pursuit!

BTW, the church had announced that all the money will go to Thomas More Society who defended them pro bono!

And one of its elders, Phil Johnson celebrated the verdict with a can of Fresca! 😂

The world always threatens us. It loves to intimidate us. It wants us to flow along with them. We have to be determined to follow God, and be brave and be convinced, and put our trust in God, and much in prayer! Israelites (Moses) were doing that! And they won. So GCC as well!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟙𝟝:𝟚

"The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will extol Him."

Most probably all of us will have children in the near future. May we live well that our children can recite this verse with their heart on it to say "my father's God"

If you don't walk with God, if you don't revere Him, if you don't enjoy Him, if you don’t see His power in your life, who would want to worship your God? They will defy your God like Goliath defied the God of the armies of Saul.

Saul was a man without character.

But BTW, David walked with God, and Goliath realized Saul's God and David's God was different.

Is your God powerful? Elijah's God is. Moses' God is. But the 12 Disciples' God wasn't powerful once, so Jesus had to rebuke them for their little faith!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟙𝟞:𝟠

"Moses said, "This will happen when the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread to the full in the morning; for the LORD hears your grumblings which you grumble against Him. And what are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against the LORD."

God hates those who grumble. He loves those who delight in Him.

When I grumble in my work, in my duty, in any of my responsibility, it shows that I am not taking delight in God. Evidently, I have seen the consequences again and again.

God did give Israelites what they wanted, but they suffered as well.

It's appropriate to see the grace, mercy, blessing, deliverance, and prosperity from God by request with much patience, not by grumbling!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟙𝟟:𝟙𝟙-𝟙𝟚

"So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set."

How Moses stood up for the victory of Israel! I can't lift up my hands for even half an hour. Moses did till sunset.

Also, how Aaron and Hur supported him! Definitely, they were too old to fight, but they did their part.

Indeed, we need men like Aaron and Hur. Many people, including me, want to be Moses, but we do need to be those who support the main leader as well, especially when we are young now!

Lord, grant me the attitude of these two humble men to support those who are above me, Amen!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟙𝟠:𝟚𝟚

"Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be that every major dispute they will bring to you, but every minor dispute they themselves will judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you."

Wisdom of Jethro: Delegating responsibilities, Training up leaders.

My pastor [of Goa] said that when he delegates responsibility to others, it is to assign blame to them when they fail. That's interestingly superb! 😂 😎

Before the delegation is the training, let's remember.

That's why I love teaching people how to do what I am doing. I give resources that I use. I don't want them just to learn from me. I want them to learn how to find for themselves and be able to teach others!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟙𝟡:𝟜-𝟝

"'You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to Myself.   Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine."

Wow! What a description! God carrying them in eagles’ wings. Have you ever said like that in your prayer, conversation, texting, etc.? Has that ever been your vocabulary?

It should be. God has carried us in eagles’ wings. If you haven't experienced that, maybe you better start worshipping Hanuman! Perhaps he will! 😬 😝 🤣

Isaiah 40:31 reiterates that those who wait upon the Lord shall mount up with wings as eagles!

Wow! What a joyous vocabulary, to express this great joy!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟚𝟘:𝟚𝟝-𝟚𝟞

"If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it. And you shall not go up by steps to My altar, so that your nakedness will not be exposed on it."

God is still this God of these verses. Worshippers must revere Him.

Here, you see, God wants human beings to treat Him differently. Even His redeemed people aren't allowed to play with God like a child jumping on the lap of a father [disturbing] in a formal meeting.

Even His people must realise that God is different, and our reverence for him is another class. What does that mean? Do anything and everything that shows your reverence for God. If your reverence for anything is greater than God, that is usurping God.

BTW, people love to be more naked these days, right? [Look at their dressing, even in church] It's plain stupidity, sin, and depravity of mind. They don't know even why it is bad because their minds are depraved, consciences are seared; and those who approve them are equally the same!