Daily Bible Devotionals

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Genesis 1. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“And the man said, “This one, at last, is bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called woman, for she was taken from man.” This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh. Both the man and his wife were naked, yet they felt no shame.” Genesis 2:23-25 (HCSB)

Several years ago, I was sitting in a movie theater in Memphis when I heard Tom Cruise utter those fateful words to Renee Zellweger, “You complete me….” It all seemed sweet at the moment, but in the months to follow, I heard football players, waiters, cab drivers, and even Austin Powers’ “Dr. Evil” repeating the phrase. Removed from their proper setting, these words lost their romantic inclinations.

As far back as the Garden of Eden, it was apparent to both God and Adam that 1) Mankind is not meant to be alone, and 2) Even a sinless man (as Adam was at the time) cannot, apart from Divine intervention, find enduring communion with God. In short, man needed woman for his life to be complete, and God knew that.

Even the word “mankind” tells us that Adam was a creature of a certain kind. So, after parading all the animals past Adam, God made him a creature of his own “kind,” one that actually came from his own flesh. Important to note is that God could have made Adam another dude, a guy who shared his passions for sports and shoot-em-up movies. But In His wisdom, the Lord made a woman for Adam. The Lord instituted marriage to be between man and woman, and nowhere in Scripture does He indicate otherwise. So, there we have it, man & woman: a perfect, God-made match. But where does that leave God in terms of personal relationship & communion with His human creation?

“Creature” could never elevate itself to the level of “Creator.” So, the only way for communion to happen between the two is for the Creator to 1) Condescend, “come down” to the level of the Creature, or 2) Elevate the Creature. In both instances, true communion with God is only found in the “God-man” Jesus.

Made greater than the animals and a little lower than the angels, mankind has always been the object of God’s affection. Redemption & adoption, through Messiah Jesus, is God’s solution to our inability to commune with Him.

In the flesh, man is incomplete without woman. She restores to him what is missing in his flesh. The gravity between man & woman is so strong that both will leave their families just to attach themselves to each other. In the flesh, man & woman complete each other; “Rib” is restored to “body,” bringing wholeness.

But what of the Soul & Spirit? Only Messiah’s atonement and imputed righteousness make us whole spiritually. Perhaps, that is why the Bible calls Jesus the “Groom” and us (followers of Jesus) the “Bride.” Only He can complete what mankind lacks spiritually. Even before the fall of man, being complete in the flesh was not enough for true spiritual wholeness. There was “grace in the garden” even before there was sin.

“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord walking in the garden at the time of the evening wind and they hid themselves from God among the trees of the garden.” Genesis 3:7-8 (HCSB)

Before I was married, I had a friend who had several children. I remember him telling the story of how his youngest son, still a toddler, had overheard his older brothers talking about sex. The young boy approached his father and asked what sex was. Grasping his son’s lack of comprehension, the father asked the boy to bring him the large toolbox from the garage. The boy answered, “It’s too big for me to carry.” The father replied, “Yes, but someday you’ll be big enough to carry it, and when you can, I’ll answer your question. Now, tell your brothers to come see me!”

We will never know if God would have eventually allowed Adam & Eve to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil. Perhaps, He would have spoon-fed them bits as they grew in maturity and faithfulness. We only know that they ate when He forbade them…and as a result, we are all still paying for it because we are all born into sin. From sinful people come sinful offspring. When will we learn from Adam & Eve’s example and stop trying to deny and cover up our sin? When will we repent, confess our sin and receive not only God’s covering but His complete cleansing through Jesus’ blood and righteousness?

When we read through the Revelation, we were reminded of the image of Adam & Eve cowering, trying to cover themselves with fig leaves. There is a time forthcoming when the earth’s sin will again be exposed, and all who have denied God’s Salvation and Lordship will be revealed.

“Then I saw Him open the sixth seal. A violent earthquake occurred, the sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair; the entire moon became like blood; the stars of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a high wind…” Revelation 6:12-13 (HCSB)

“…and they said to the mountains, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb, because the great day of their wrath has come! And who is able to stand?’” Revelation 6:16-17 (HCSB)

Can’t you picture Adam and Eve cowering, dressed in fig leaves, looking like two young figs, dropped before their ripening…unduly heavy from the knowledge of their sin, and blown off the branch as the Lord moves through His garden as an evening wind?

So, what is our takeaway? We all sin, and all sin will be judged. It is impossible for mankind to cover his own sin, and only the atoning blood of Jesus fully satisfies the Lord’s requirements for “covering.” Best of all, salvation is a free gift offered to all who will believe in Jesus by faith, confess their sin, and turn from it to follow Him.

“Adam was intimate with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, for she said, ‘God has given me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.’ A son was born to Seth also and he named him Enosh. At that time, people began to call on the name of the Lord.” Genesis 4:25-26 (HCSB)

Many, especially those in Eastern religions, believe the World must be held in a BALANCE of Good & Evil. The World is not designed for such balance. It runs most efficiently on Goodness alone. We see this scenario displayed in the latter chapters of the Revelation, where all evil is expelled, and sin is nowhere to be found. Yes, for a season, there are Evil and evil men, but God’s desire is for ALL to come to repentance.

“The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some people understand slowness, but is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to perish, but wants everyone to repent.” 2 Peter 3:9 (ISV)

So, is there balance in the World today? Is “Good” held in check by an “Evil” counterweight? No. There is only the perception of balance because God’s Spirit restrains humanity from becoming completely evil. This restraint is only for a season and expressly to call men unto repentance & submission to God. (John 16:8-11)

Perhaps, Eve believed that Cain & Abel provided that balance of Good and Evil. The Bible doesn’t say. After Cain’s murder, she named her next son Seth. (Hebrew: Placed; appointed) Seth may have been a wonderful guy, but humans will never provide a moral balance because, at our core, we are ALL sinners. There will never be enough “Mother Theresa’s” to offset the “Hitlers.”

Furthermore, while we all wish to bestow names to our children that pronounce a blessing for their future, our fates are not determined beforehand. We each must choose to receive God’s grace. This means of salvation through faith was God’s design, not mankind’s.

“Yet to all who did RECEIVED Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” John 1:12-13. (NIV)

Seth’s son, “Enosh” in Hebrew, can be translated as “mortal man” or “sick.” In one of the most misunderstood statements of the Bible, Enoch’s birth is considered by many theologians to have brought about revival as a balance to Cain’s sinful family traditions. The word interpreted as “BEGAN to call on the name of the Lord” in Hebrew is “huchal.” This word is also interpreted as the homonym “PROFANED.” Looking at the degradation of society leading up to Noah, it could be that Enosh may not have brought about such an expected revival. Instead, men began to PROFANE God’s name through idolatry. Perhaps, this was part of God’s reasoning for the first three Commandments.

Salvation comes not from a balance of good men but exclusively from the righteousness of the “God-man,” Messiah Jesus.

“These are the family records of the descendants of Adam. On the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God; He created them male and female. When they were created, He blessed them and called them man (Adam). Adam was 130 years old when he fathered a child in his likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth.” Genesis 5:1-3 (HCSB)

Some believe nature is evolving and changing for the better. Attached to their belief is the notion that society is also evolving. Obviously, we have more technology than any generation before us. Medicine, education, and science are more prominent than ever. But are we “better” people than our ancestors? How does this generation’s morality compare to that of our grandparents? Or Great-grandparents?

Despite all of our technical innovations, society is actually morally worse than ever. I would put forth that morality has been on a downtrend, devolving since Adam. Here are a couple of examples:

First off, the Bible identifies every successive generation as “Descendants.” That downward verbiage doesn’t sound very optimistic. It states the obvious: the more generations we produce, the more we descend spiritually. On the contrary, God’s children could be characterized as “Ascendants.” We all share the hope of resurrection and are co-inheritors of Messiah’s blessing. All who faithfully believe in Jesus have been given the right to be sons & daughters of God. Now, that’s an up-trend!

Secondly, Adam was created in God’s image and likeness. But Adam’s descendants were created in Adam’s likeness. That’s a descending trend if I ever saw one! Adam was made perfect in God’s image and then sinned. Adam’s descendants were born into his cursed image & likeness, with the need for atonement. Only Messiah Jesus can break that curse.

“As in Adam all die, so also in Messiah all will be made alive.” 1 Corinthians 15:22 (ISV)

Again, amid society’s degradation, we have the reminder of Grace: While we were yet sinners, Jesus atoned for our sin. More than simply giving us a fresh start, Jesus’ salvation transforms His followers, forever altering their downward trajectory. Being transformed into the image of Jesus is literally the difference between eternal death and eternal life.

“When the Lord saw that man’s wickedness was widespread on the earth and every scheme that he thought of was nothing but evil all the time, the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth and He was grieved in His heart. Then the Lord said, “I will wipe off the face of the earth: man, whom I created together with the animals, creatures that crawl, and birds of the sky – for I regret that I made them.” Noah, however, found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” Genesis 6: 5-8 (HCSB)

When mankind was created, God said, “Let US make man in OUR image, according to OUR likeness. (Genesis 1:26) The text describes God in the plural form instead of a singular “I will make man in MY image, according to MY likeness.”

This usage of God in the Plural is similar to the Bible’s opening statement, “In the Beginning, God…” (Elohim: Gods). Genesis 1:1

Because of the Bible’s statement that God is ONE (Echad) (Deuteronomy 6:4), the non-Messianic rabbis have traditionally rejected the notion that God exists as a Plurality. That is, they do not believe in the “Trinity” or tri-unity of God.

Two main arguments these Rabbis use to explain away the notion of God as a “singular plurality” are:

1) The traditional Hebrew use of plurality to a single person illustrates power, i.e., “one” possesses the strength of “many.” This is certainly true of omnipotent God.

2) Plurality denotes internal debate. That is, they believe that God debated as to whether to create man. That is, the terms “us” and “our” are simply representative of the different opinions God held (within Himself) while debating whether to create mankind at all.

If you agree with the rabbis’ argument over God’s internal debate, it is easy to understand His statement, “I regret that I made them.” God is represented as being “singular,” “One.” But that argument has a problem: It is impossible for God to be double-minded. (1 Samuel 15:29, Malachi 3:6) Remember God pronounced creation “Very Good” at the end of the 6th day. So, how can creation be “very good” and “regrettable”?

Perhaps, the answer lies in the primary roles of the individual members of the Trinity. God: Justice/Mercy Jesus: Redemption/Grace, Spirit: Revelation of Truth. In the creation of man, we are allowed a glimpse of the Trinity conversing with each other as a single unit: “God said, ‘Let Us…’”. In the pronouncement of judgment in the days of Noah, we see the persons of the Trinity represented individually with respect to their ministries: The Spirit: reveals widespread wickedness. The Father: weighs the Spirit’s testimony and pronounces regret over mankind’s sin. The Messiah: provides grace for Noah and the rest of his family. (Remember: only Noah was “pronounced” righteous, not the others in his ark) Therefore, we conclude that, while still in communion with the Spirit & Son, it is altogether possible for God’s pronouncement to be as an individual.

“‘For in seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and nights; I will wipe out every living thing that I have made from the face of the earth.’ Noah did all that the Lord ordered him to do.” Genesis 7:4-5 (NKJV)

Have I shared the story of the “devil school”? Perhaps I have, but I feel it is important to share it again!

There was a demon school, and the Devil was quizzing 3 of his students. He asked them, “What will you tell people to ensure they go to Hell?”

Demon #1: I will tell them there is no evil.

Devil: No, it’s too obvious that some things are good, and others are evil. They’ll never believe that.

Demon #2: I will tell them there is no Hell.

Devil: No, if they believe in good & evil, they will naturally assume God dwells in Heaven, and evil resides in Hell.

Demon #3: I will acknowledge there are good & evil, Heaven & Hell…but I will tell them they have MORE TIME to decide between the two.

Devil: Now, THAT they will believe.

The whole time Noah was building His ark, collecting his food, and assembling the animals, people watched. No less than a few times, they must have asked him what and why he was undergoing such an enormous building project. I’m sure they all had a good laugh at poor Noah’s expense down at the local tavern. The Bible says that Noah was “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5). Perhaps, some even entertained the idea of helping him or joining in his belief system. But nobody did, except, perhaps, his sons. Surely God would have invited anyone who honestly repented, yet that was not the case. They all rejected God’s Word through Noah’s testimony and paid eternal consequences. (1 Peter 3:19-20)

Eventually, everyone would come to believe God’s Word and Noah’s testimony…but they were too late. Their “sun-setting” opportunity had become eclipsed by the dawn of God’s judgment. Even today, the World scoffs at us believers: Those of us who have rushed into the “ark” of Jesus’ grace & mercy, having believed God’s warning of coming judgment. Who knows what is going on in their minds, why they would reject so great a salvation? Perhaps, they have believed in the lie: You have MORE TIME to decide. Whether it is from natural or apocalyptic causes, we will all die someday. Make sure you jump into Jesus’ “lifeboat” while it is still offered.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Genesis 8. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“And God said: ‘This is the token of the covenant which I make with Me and you and every living creature with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a token of a covenant with me and the earth. Whenever I form clouds over the earth and the bow appears in the clouds, I will remember My covenant between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh: water will never again become a deluge to destroy all flesh. The bow will be in the clouds and I will look at it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh on earth.’ God said to Noah, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I have confirmed between Me and all flesh on earth.’” Genesis 9:12-17 (NKJV)

When I was a kid, I loved seeing rainbows…and it seems I saw more of them back then. Perhaps, I should look up more because I suppose they happen pretty frequently.

A while back, I was down in San Clemente for a day of surfing. As I was about to enter the water for a surf session, the cloudy sea layer began to dissipate, and I noticed a rainbow. The irony was not lost on me. As I was about to ride the waves, I was reminded of the day when those waves came up and covered the whole earth. Then, just as quickly, I remembered God’s covenant never to do it again.

God had promised that He would flood the earth, and He did it. Then, He promised never to do it again, and He hasn’t. (Nor will He ever.) It sounds like a simple Sunday school lesson, but with every rainbow, we are reminded that God’s promises can be trusted.

Back when we read through the book of Revelation, we learned that God has promised to judge sin again. It won’t come by way of water because God promised never to do that again. The next time will be by an all-consuming fire. The coming Judgment will be even greater than the ancient flood because it will completely eliminate sin in the world.

That “promise of God” is not one that people claim often. When was the last time you prayed, “Lord, judge my sin with fire! You promised!”

But with the promise of Judgment comes the assurance of Salvation. There is a way out, an “ark,” so to speak. And that “escape” comes when we fully surrender our lives to Jesus, turning from our sin and receiving the atonement offered through Him.

Whenever you see a fully devoted believer in Jesus, think of a rainbow. Every believer can be assured of the forever promise of God’s salvation.

“These are the clans of Noah’s sons, according to their family records, in their nations. The nations on earth spread out from these after the flood.” Genesis 10:32 (HCSB)

I have friends who are really into genealogy. They spend countless hours online researching their family trees. Perhaps it can be attributed to the breakdown of the family in America, but a whole culture of these types has developed. I suppose we would all like to believe we are related to someone famous. Maybe it gives us hope that some of the old “magic” for success may still be in our DNA.

I once heard a preacher say he traced his family tree back to a lying nomad and a drunken sailor: Abraham & Noah!

The Bible says Noah was a RIGHTEOUS man, but let’s not forget that, at his core, he was a righteous MAN. That means he was by no means perfect, but like Abraham, Noah was considered righteous because he believed in God BY FAITH. Point to consider: The Bible says nothing of the righteousness of Noah’s wife or his sons and their wives. Only Noah is singled out as righteous.

At the end of chapter 9, we see Noah’s flaws, warts & all, because he is found to be drunk & naked…a sailor to the end: Go Navy! One redeeming note is that two of his sons seemed to have learned to honor the Lord (and their father) through the flood experience.

Chapter 10 sets up the story of worship after the ark. It is hauntingly reminiscent of Israel, one generation after entering the Promised Land, the generation after Joshua, who did not know God. How quickly we forget.

For me, the takeaway is the profound similarity of origins we share with all other people on earth. Perhaps, the most profound is the similarity between our sin and our collective need for salvation. Tomorrow, we will read what happens when men, apart from God, decide to unite, work, and worship together. Did I mention “Apart from God”?

These are pertinent chapters because the cry is still going out from the World for nations to unite. I have nothing against unity, but if the nucleus of that unity is anything other than Messiah Jesus, those unifying efforts are destined to fail. Sure, the nations have a strong unifying factor: Our sin. And their unity may appear to have positive consequences for a season. But the only One who can restore everlasting unity is Jesus.

“Then the Lord came down to look over the city and the tower that the men were building. The Lord said, ‘If as one people all having the same language, they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down there and confuse their language so that they will not understand one another’s speech.’ So the Lord scattered them from there over the face of the whole earth and they stopped building the city.” Genesis 11:5-8 (HCSB)

When I was a child, there was no internet, and we had very limited access to cable TV. The information people received concerning the world around them was very limited. Our Worldview was filtered through 3 network TV channels, a couple of newspapers & radio stations, and some magazines.

It never dawned on me that I could write a letter to another kid in a foreign country or that we could develop a friendship. I would never have assumed we could communicate several times a day, forming a real-time face-to-face relationship at no expense. The world was vast back then, and nations & cultures operated almost entirely independently.

But today, through satellite communication and wireless broadband internet, our world has become relatively small. English is the primary language of commerce. eBay is the world’s flea market. Amazon is the world’s vendor. Electronic banking handles all currency exchanges.

So, how does the story of Babel apply to our lives, today? What is so wrong with people sharing the same language and working together? Is society in & of itself “evil”?

As we learned in Genesis 2, both God and Adam knew it was not good for man to be alone. Man was made to live in community. It is necessary for us. Furthermore, God blesses our community when it honors Him. This “community of necessity” is not limited to the male/female relationship. It extends to our children, friends, and beyond.

The problem arises when men attempt to unite to the exclusion of God. In the days of the tower of Babel, if their designs had not been frustrated, mankind would have eventually employed their united strength for outrageously sinful purposes. We see this scenario ultimately played out in the book of Revelation…and developing rapidly in the World culture we are presently in.

All human collaborative effort, divorced from the ultimate goal of acknowledging and worshipping God, is nothing more than collective self-exaltation. Humanism is, in essence, self-worship. It is idolatry, with self-achievement as the idol of worship.

“The Lord said to Abram: ‘Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation; I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:1-3 (HCSB)

When Abram was 75, God called him. This moment is known in Hebrew as “Lech L’Cha,” which means “Go!” or “Leave!” It is considered to be the official beginning of the Jewish people.

This moment is important to all mankind because Abram’s faithful response resulted in his fruitless (childless) seed taking root and bearing a child (Isaac), whose offspring grew into the nation of Israel. Through Israel, God designed for Messiah to be brought forth. Through Messiah, all who believe in Him by faith (as Abram) receive atonement for their sins. Turning from our sin and committing to follow Jesus is how we become eternally “saved”...the true people of God. The gift of God toward mankind is that our faith in Jesus’ righteous atonement would be counted as if WE were righteousness, although we each sin and are by no means righteous. (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:10)

Abram was asked to leave three things: Land, Relatives, and his Father’s house. Interestingly, these are the main influences that mold a person’s thoughts & actions. In a spiritual (and sometimes physical) sense, we are all called by God to cut ourselves entirely adrift from all associations that could possibly hinder our completion of the mission God calls us to.

But God’s call to “Leave!” comes with blessings attached.

Jesus said, “I assure you, there is no one who has left a house, wife or brothers, parents or children because of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more at this time and eternal life in the ages to come.” Luke 18:29-30 (HCSB)

Notice that God calls Abram to no certain place: The land I will show you. Of course, God knew where He was taking Abraham. Abram’s great faithful act was to simply trust the Lord’s voice, contrary to his own understanding or personal wisdom. (Proverbs 3:5-7)

Are you struggling with whether to trust the Lord? I’ll tell you by experience it’s the hardest thing you’ll ever do…but Jesus has prepared a specific place to lead the faithful to. I am not speaking exclusively about Heaven. He has also set aside work for each of us in this life; He has given us a Kingdom purpose. Let’s respond as Abram (and Jesus’ first disciples) did: Leave everything and follow Him. (Luke 5:11)

“After Lot had separated from him, the Lord said to Abram, ‘Look from the place where you are. Look north and south, east and west, for I will give you and your offspring forever all the land that you see. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted. Get up and walk from one end of the land to the other, for I will give it to you.’” Genesis 13:14-17 (HCSB)

It is one thing for a person to choose the way he will go. It is another thing to let someone else choose first, allowing our “lot” to be what’s left over. Some would say followers of Jesus should be shrewd when dealing with the World, not letting anyone take advantage of them. While that may be wise counsel in some instances, Abraham chose differently, and so did Jesus. We should consider their success.

Once Abraham chose graciously and wisely, the Lord swiftly came to encourage him. God repeats His blessing to Abraham and his offspring in chapter 12. God also reinforces the reality that following Him into the unknown is always better than following the World into the supposed “obvious.”

The Bible says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”  Proverbs 14:12 (NKJV)

Lot used the World’s logic. He was in the desert, owned large flocks, and had many servants. It seems wise that he chose the well-watered plain. (Even if it did seem to leave Uncle Abe in the lurch!) The problem is that EVERYONE in the desert wants to possess the well-watered plain. Lot’s decision proved to be a near-fatal strategic mistake.

Lot was also tired of following Abram (who was following the Lord) around the desert. He was ready to forsake the tent of a nomad in favor of the “stability” of Sodom’s city life. I see this situation repeated, all too often, by the children of believers. They buy into the World’s promises of quick pleasure & success and begin to despise their parents’ faithful steadiness. Sadly, they are being led into trouble in their journey down the world’s “wide road,” which always dead ends in tragic consequences.

Of this logic, the Bible remarks:

“The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will stand.” Proverbs 14:11 (NKJV)

Life is not about hoarding all we can get. It is about trusting the Lord and looking out for our fellow man. We should rest in the knowledge that (for the righteous) whatever unfolds is part of the perfect plan and purpose the Lord has designed for our lives. (Romans 8:28)

“The four kings took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food and went on. They also took Abraham’s nephew Lot and his possessions for he was living in Sodom, and they went on.”  Genesis 14:11-12 (HCSB)

“Abram lived in the land of Canaan, but Lot lived in the cities of the valley and set up his tent near Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were evil, sinning greatly against the Lord.”  Genesis 13:12-13 (HCSB)

Here is a familiar scenario. A well-intended believer unplugs from Godly community and sets out on his own. I confess there was a time in my life when I was “a lot like Lot.”  Some call it youthful pride or a strong-willed, independent nature. God calls it compromise and sin.

Soon after leaving Egypt, burdened by their collective abundance, it became apparent to Abram that he and Lot must separate. Lot chose the well-watered plain and camped in all the cities “near” Sodom. Eventually, Lot settled in Sodom. Sodom “absorbed” Lot, as it were. Let this be a warning to all who desire to affiliate with worldliness. You will eventually become so worldly-minded that you are no Heavenly good! Consider this pattern from Scripture:

“How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path of sinners or join a group of mockers!” Psalm 1:1 (HCSB)

That’s Lot’s inevitable story, but let’s look closely at his back story. An orphan seeking a father figure, he settles on Uncle Abram. Abram receives the call of God, and Lot tags along. So far, so good. Where did Lot go astray? I believe some of the blame rests on Abram.

Everything seemed fine until Abram led the whole troop into a lying compromise in Egypt. The moral injustice of Abram profiting from a lie (Sarah is my “sister”) must have profoundly impacted Lot. Furthermore, the “abundance” gained from Abram’s sin is the exact source of Lot’s and his conflict. Sin led to unjust gain, which led to unnecessary conflict and the eventual break-up of the extended family. It is also possible that Abram’s bailout of Lot was (at least partially) motivated by guilt over how things turned out as a result of Abram’s deception in Egypt. Lot was simply expanding on what he had observed Abram do: Operating out of fear, compromise, and half-truths.

Let this be a sober warning for all who seek to lead: When we turn away from the Lord’s path, those who follow us turn right along with us.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Genesis 15. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Abram replied to Sarai, “Here, your slave is in your hands; do whatever you want with her. Then Sarai mistreated her so much that she ran away from her. The Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. He said, Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”  Genesis 16:6-8a (HCSB)

Throughout my church experience, whenever Hagar has been mentioned, she has been vilified with the overtones of being the mother of radical Islam. That may be excessive criticism towards one whom the Lord blessed.  

Interestingly, God never pronounced Abram’s intimacy with Hagar a sin. What is clear is that Abram’s intimacy was a symbol of his intimacy with Egypt. Hagar was an Egyptian slave whom Sarai had obtained while in Egypt.  

It is important to remember that Abram profited from his sin in Egypt. All the while, Sarai suffered the personal burden of keeping Abram’s lie a secret as she fought to stave off the advances of Pharaoh. Similarly, Abram profited from his relations with Hagar at the emotional risk of Sarai. Old Abe had issues with passivity. Instead of taking God’s promises & direction at face value, Abram injected human reason to accomplish God’s purposes. Perhaps he was the “father of our faith” in more ways than one…

On both occasions, Sarai was left to fend for herself. Sarai’s reaction to Hagar’s pregnancy (which led to Hagar’s change of attitude) within the context of Sarai’s marriage relationship with Abram was an explosion of pent-up emotion against Abram’s neglect of her in Egypt. That’s not to say Sarai was justified in abusing Hagar. I simply want to paint an accurate emotional portrait of Abram and Sarai’s marriage.

So what of God’s response to Hagar and her unborn son? Today’s passage mentions the “Angel of the Lord” visited Hagar on the way back to Egypt. Shur was the boundary wall that protected Egypt from raiding nomads.  

The narrative beautifully illustrates the Lord’s regard for the saddened and abandoned soul. It is the first time “angel” is found in the Bible. The phrase “Angel of the Lord” denotes more than simply one of the Lord’s angels. Most theologians believe the Angel of the Lord to be the Messiah Himself. Remember, Messiah has existed from eternity past, and He will exist for eternity future. (Micah 5:2)  

It is important to note that even though God knows the outcome of our decisions, He still gives us the option to choose or reject Him. As for us, the results of our choices are generally a mystery right up to the point that we make them. So, do you know where you have come from and where you are going? Don’t go back to “Egypt,” as it were. Choose to trust the Lord and follow the Messiah, Jesus!

“So Abraham said to God, ‘If only Ishmael were acceptable to You!’ But God said, ‘No. Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. I will confirm My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his future offspring. As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will certainly bless him; I will make him fruitful and will multiply him greatly. He will father 12 tribal leaders, and I will make him into a great nation. But I will confirm My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year.’ When He finished talking with him, God withdrew from Abraham.” Genesis 17:18-22 (HCSB)

In Jewish religious culture, lineage is traced through the mother. There are several reasons for this thinking. One is that the mother is the children’s chief nurturer. She does the primary function of instilling religious values until adolescence.  

When a Jewish boy (from a religious family) comes of age, the occasion is recognized with a ceremony called “Bar (son) Mitzvah (commandment).” Thus, he becomes a “son of the commandment.” This ceremony happens at age 13.  

**There is no Biblical command to perform the ceremony of Bar Mitzvah, but that is not to say that there is anything wrong with committing oneself to follow God’s Word!

For the Orthodox and Chassidic Jews, women are not allowed to participate in religious services. Thus, Bar Mitzvah also acts as a handoff from the maternal to the paternal guidance.

When God told Abraham that Ishmael would not live in His presence, it was less a curse and more a statement of the Lord’s knowledge of the future. Hagar’s Egyptian mindset and values were transferred to Ishmael. By the time Ishmael was circumcised, interestingly at age 13, his values were well established. It’s not that Ishmael could not live in God’s presence; he simply would not faithfully choose God, given his upbringing. It is also not that Ishmael could not have turned to the Lord, but God, in His wisdom, knew that he would not. And God ALWAYS chooses rightly.

Isaac and Ishmael shared the same father, but Isaac was nurtured by his mother, Sarah. Having experienced God’s fulfilled promises, Sarah raised a faithful son. Furthermore, faith was built upon faith throughout the generations, confirming God’s Word to Abraham.

Similarly, how “baby believers” are taught and brought up in the Lord is very important. Early discipleship experience is essential to the long-term maturity and faithfulness of the individual.

“You could not possibly do such a thing: to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and wicked alike. You could not possibly do that! Won’t the judge of all the earth do what is just?’” Genesis 18:25 (HCSB)

In Abram’s day, the story of Noah must have still been fresh on the World’s psyche. It was a simple story of Justice: The wicked perish while the righteous escape.  Now, Abram poses a new question: Would God’s judgment on unrighteous Sodom bear collateral damage among the righteous?  More importantly, was Lot righteous?  Abram’s questioning supposes a couple of common misunderstandings about God: 1) God is fair, and 2) Righteousness can be attained by man, apart from being imputed by God.  

God is not fair. He is JUST, and His justice must be served. “Fairness” assumes everyone gets the same treatment. What’s FAIR is that we all get judged, apart from Grace and mercy. I am eternally grateful God isn’t fair in this regard!  God’s Justice, the penalty we deserve for our sin, was laid on Messiah, Jesus. When we believe in Jesus by faith, His atonement covers our sin, and His righteousness is imputed to our accounts.  At that moment, the Bible says we receive His Name.  

“Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have dealt with you for My name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways nor according to your corrupt doings…” Ezekiel 20: 44a (NKJV)  

God’s satisfaction that Justice has been served on the sin of the World stands alone with Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on the cross. It is verified by His resurrection and certified by God’s testimony in heaven, “Sit at My right hand…” (Hebrews 1:13, Ps 2:7). If you look for fairness with God, you will be frustrated. Sometimes, the righteous suffer, and the wicked prosper. Concerning Israel, God said, “Behold, I am against you, and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off both righteous and wicked…” Ezekiel 21:3 (NKJV)

It is possible that while Abram was negotiating with God, there may have been NO righteous people in Sodom. Lot’s first recorded act of righteousness was when he, believing God’s messengers about Sodom’s judgment, repented and left town. “Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord God, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?” Ezekiel 18: 23 (NKJV)

Have you left the “Sodom” that this World has become and chosen to follow Jesus?

“And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord. Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace. And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt..”  Genesis 19:27-29 (NKJV)

Speechless. That’s how I was the night a high school friend and I walked into his home at 2 am. His mom had been sitting in a chair by the front door for hours, just waiting for the moment he walked in so that she could slap his face! There, he lay on the floor. There she stood over him. I didn’t say a word. I just slowly turned around and walked back to my home across town.

That’s how I picture Abraham looking down on Sodom & Gomorrah, with rising smoke. Its simplicity reminds me of Hemingway’s writing. No dialogue, just a long stare…fade to black.

How can we accept the accounts of Noah’s flood or Sodom & Gomorrah, but when it comes to the Day of The Lord, almost nobody takes the coming judgment seriously? Just look at how similar the accounts are.

“They came up over the surface of the Earth and surrounded the encampment of the saints, the beloved city. Then fire came down from Heaven and consumed them. The Devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”  Revelation 20:9-10 (HCSB)

What I appreciate about today’s passage is Abraham’s intercession on behalf of Lot. He pleaded with the Lord for Lot’s life and his entire family. When was the last time you pleaded with the Lord, even tried to negotiate with Him, on behalf of a non-believing friend? If we really considered the absolute inevitability of the coming judgment, perhaps we would have more of an evangelistic sense of urgency. Consider the angel’s words to the apostle John:

“He (the angel) also said to me, ‘Don’t seal up prophetic words of this book because the time is near. Let the unrighteous go on in unrighteousness; let the filthy go on being filthy; let the righteous go on in righteousness; and let the holy go on being made holy.’”  Revelation 22:10-11 (HCSB)

We need to preach the gospel in its entirety, as Abraham did, knowing some people will respond as the citizens of Sodom & Gomorrah, others as Lot’s wife, and still others as Lot. Nevertheless, we can stand before the Lord, knowing we seized every opportunity to lead the lost to salvation. May God’s Spirit make our testimonies effective!

“Abraham replied, ‘I thought: “There is absolutely no fear of God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.”  Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father, though not the daughter of my mother. So when God had me wander from my father’s house, I said to her: show your loyalty to me wherever we go, and say about me: ‘He is my brother.’”  Genesis 20:11-13 (HCSB)

I have always had difficulty with Abraham’s lying…or, shall we say, “half-truths.”  I can understand his fear. I have been afraid. I can understand his lack of faith; I have often lacked faith. But as a husband, it is painful to observe how Abraham placed his personal security above Sarah’s physical and emotional well-being. And he profited from it.

**Note: The Bible does not condone Abraham’s behavior. It simply relays the facts. Scripture does NOT counsel, “So what have we learned? Men, the next time you’re facing a potentially life-threatening situation, you should passively lie and put your wife in jeopardy.” It also does not come straight out and say, “Women, you should participate in your husband’s lies, even if they cause you emotional (and perhaps physical) distress…because in the end, you will profit from them.”  No, Scripture is simply silent about this particular matter…or is it?    

Imagine yourself as Sarah. You have been hearing your husband speak of God and faith. That side of him really attracts you to him. But at other times, he does completely faith-less things!! After a while of this moral and spiritual back & forth, it must have been hard for Sarah to discern the voice of God saying, “Thus sayeth the Lord!” from the voice of Abraham saying, “Thus sayeth the Lord!”

Perhaps I’ve seen too many soap operas, but this is the dynamic I pick up between the two. Let’s review the timeline: A) God’s call of Abram, “I will make you into a great nation” (12:2). B) Abram goes to Egypt and profits from his lie. (12:10-20) Part of Abram’s profit is an Egyptian slave named Hagar. (16:3) C) The Lord tells Abram his heir will come from his own body. (15:4) D) Sarah offers her slave to Abram, and intimacy with Hagar leads to baby Ishmael…family strife ensues. (16:1-6) E) God tells Abraham he will have a son with Sarah, and Abraham laughs, for he didn’t believe God. (17:15-19) F) When the Angels tell Abraham that Sarah will have a son within a year, she laughs and doesn’t believe. (18:10-15) G) Now, Sarah was distressed anew: Abraham would profit from another lie. Is it any wonder Sarah doubted Abraham’s ability to understand, communicate, and lead by God’s Word? Men take note.

Sarah may not have been able to trust Abraham’s discernment, but she was about to learn that she could depend on God’s promise, spoken directly to her.  (18:10-13) We may be forced to endure all sorts of unforeseeable circumstances. Life is often unbearable to take were it not for God’s great, gracious, and merciful promises spoken directly to us. Where do we learn of these promises?   Right there in the Bible! Keep pressing on!!

“The Lord came to Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what He had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time God had told him. Abraham named his son who was born to him – the one Sarah bore to him - Isaac. When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded him. Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Sarah said, ‘God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears will laugh with me.’ She also said, ‘Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.’” Genesis 21:1-7 (HCSB)

God fulfills His covenant promises. That is the theme of today’s chapter. God is faithful to His Word, whether His promises are to His “Chosen” people (Hebrews like Abraham and Sarah) or the Goyim (Gentiles like Hagar and Ishmael). We learn faithfulness by experiencing His faithfulness…often through trials, which can only be endured by God’s intervention.

In my life, I have faced difficulty and cried out to God. In my desperation, I wanted to hear God say, “I’ll take care of it immediately!” Most often, though, I have heard the retort, “Trust Me.” Then, silence…for what seemed like an eternity. The heat would grow, and I’d be an emotional wreck. Still, the echo, “Trust Me.” I would struggle, groan, cry, and wail, but eventually, God would make good on His promise.

After all these years as a believer, I have only just begun to learn to wait on the Lord patiently. I have only begun to take Him at His Word because I don’t understand His timing. I am learning to trust Him, to distinguish His voice from that of the “Impersonator.”

As a child, I remember the great impersonator “Rich Little” on the TV variety shows. I recall closing my eyes and thinking, “He sounds exactly like… (insert celebrity)”. But there were subtleties in the voices of those people Mr. Little impersonated. Friends of the celebrity being impersonated could clearly distinguish those subtleties. Are you that close to God and His Word that you can discern His voice among the impersonators? Apparently, Sarah knew the Lord’s voice when she heard it because upon hearing it, she faithfully waited for the Lord to fulfill His promise.  

“By faith even Sarah herself, when she was unable to have children, received power to conceive offspring, even though she was past the age, since she considered that the One who had promised was faithful. Therefore from one man—in fact, from one as good as dead—came offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as innumerable as the grains of sand by the seashore.” Hebrews 11:11-12 (HCSB)

Who knows how much faith Sarah had when she first heard the Lord? I am certain that her faith ballooned when the Lord delivered on His Word! Let’s take today’s chapter as a challenge to continue seeking God’s Word and to rely on it. That way, we can rest in His promises until we rejoice at their fulfillment.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Genesis 22. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Abraham bowed down to the people of the land and said to Ephron in the presence of the people of the land, ‘Please listen to me. Let me pay the price of the field. Accept it from me, and let me bury my dead there.’  Ephron answered Abraham and said to him, ‘My lord, listen to me. Land worth 400 shekels of silver – what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.’  Abraham agreed with Ephron, and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver that he had agreed to in the hearing of the Hittites: 400 shekels of silver at the current commercial rate.” Genesis 23:12-16 (HCSB)

Once, I heard a rabbi say that this was the first recorded real estate deal in Jewish history! The land of Canaan was Abraham’s by promise, but the time to possess it had not yet come. Nevertheless, Abraham had the opportunity to buy a piece of it. This was not land for living on, which could be sold or taken away. It was land for burial…a FINAL resting place. Now, that is faith! Abraham said he believed God’s promises to the extent that he was willing to buy real estate and be buried in a land that would eventually become filled with a nation full of his offspring. Abraham wasn’t the only one to believe God’s promise on that same level.  

“So Jacob’s sons did for him what he had commanded them. They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave at Machpelah in the field near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.” Genesis 50:12-13 (HCSB)

“And Jacob went down to Egypt. He and our ancestors died there, were carried back to Shechem, and were placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. As the time was drawing near to fulfill the promise that God had made to Abraham, the people flourished and multiplied in Egypt.” Acts 7:15-17 (HCSB)

“Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am about to die, but God will certainly come to your aid and bring you up from this land to the land He promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ So Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath: ‘When God comes to your aid, you are to carry my bones up from here.’”  Genesis 50:24-25 (HCSB)

“Now they buried the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up from Egypt, at Shechem, in the plot of land which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money; and they became the inheritance of Joseph’s sons.”  Joshua 24:32 (NASB)

The writer of Hebrews melds the Patriarchal hope of Canaan with the believers in Jesus’ “hope for eternity” with the Lord in Heaven.

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” Hebrews 11:13-16 (NKJV)

“The servant said to him, ‘Suppose the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land? Should I have your son go back to the land he came from?’  Abraham answered him, ‘Make sure that you don’t take my son back there. The Lord, the God of Heaven, who took me from my father’s house and my native land, who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘I will give this land to your offspring’- He will send His angel before you and you can take a wife for my son from there.’” Genesis 24:5-7 (HCSB)

Some scholars suggest the story of finding Isaac’s wife is a multi-faceted metaphor. In one sense, it is an historical account. It also presents an image of God’s Spirit searching out the bride of Messiah. (the Church) From another angle, it is practical advice for anyone desperately seeking a marriage partner.

Abraham knew God’s promise fully rested in Isaac’s offspring. (Sarah was dead, and the promise was through her womb)  He sent his servant Eliezer to find a wife for the unmarried Isaac. Eliezer had strict orders to 1) Trust in the Lord’s leading and 2) Never take Isaac back to the land of Abraham’s forefathers.  

In Hebrew, “Eliezer” means: “God was my help.” In this way, Eliezer is considered symbolic of God’s Spirit, whom Jesus promised as a helper and comforter for His bride, the Church.

Similarly, God’s Spirit searches the earth for those willing to accept God’s invitation of spiritual “marriage” to Jesus. The resurrected and glorified Messiah awaits the day when His bride (the Church) will be raptured and united with Him.  

I have heard people say that God does not care who you marry as long as you both love the Lord. I disagree. Not only is that just about the most unromantic thing I’ve ever heard, but it is bad theology. The Bible recounts several episodes where God prepared specific people to be wed to each other. God prepared Eve for Adam and brought her to him. And in today’s chapter, He is directing Eliezer specifically to Rebecca.  

Furthermore, Jesus (the bridegroom) personally died for your sin. That means specific combinations of husbands & wives are woven throughout time just to make YOU, for whom Jesus died personally. Whenever you marry, you will probably have children, whom Jesus also died for personally. Of course, it matters who you marry! God is very concerned with whom you choose for a mate.  

Whatever you do, don’t go back to Worldly relationships. Trust God! Wait on His Spirit to bring you the one God has chosen. But what happens if you feel you have chosen wrongly? Trust God! He can redeem any situation for His glory: Romans 8:28.

“Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, exhausted. He said to Jacob, ‘Let me eat some of that red stuff, because I’m exhausted.’  That is why he was also named Edom. (Hebrew: Reddish) Jacob replied, ‘First, sell me your birthright.’”  Genesis 25:29-30 (HCSB)

I believe Abraham to be a man of struggles and contradictions. He always seemed to live somewhere between faith and faithlessness. With the birth of his twin grandsons, Jacob and Esau, it is as if Abraham’s personal spiritual conflicts were divided between the two.   Esau inherited Abraham’s impulsive short-sightedness, but Jacob got Abraham’s deceit. Later, we’ll see Esau displaying forgiveness and Jacob leaning on faith.

At first glance, Jacob’s conduct seems to be way out of line: demanding a birthright from a starving man. But on closer examination, we learn that the privileges of birthright that Jacob sought (at that time) were purely spiritual.

In the days of the patriarchs, the head of the clan acted as the family “priest.” The firstborn’s “right by birth order” was to inherit that priestly role unless the firstborn failed to accept his duty. In that case, the birthright could be passed on to the next qualified family member. Esau’s general demeanor was hardly in accord with someone who served the Lord.

It is possible that Jacob suspected his brother did not value the dignity and privilege of being firstborn. Therefore, when the opportunity came along, Jacob determined to put his brother to the test. He fully knew that withholding some stew would not kill Esau. However, he found out what Esau really thought about his priestly role. Esau was willing to trade his rights and responsibilities unnecessarily. Esau was impulsive, putting his fleshly desires above the family’s spiritual needs. Put simply, Esau was not fit to minister.  

Have you ever heard of the “Priesthood of all believers”? “You are a royal priesthood and a priestly kingdom” (1 Peter 2:9).

It is our spiritual “birthright” to minister. (See also: 1 Corinthians 4:1, Revelation 5:10, the book of Hebrews) Upon receiving salvation, all believers are called to minister to the Lord, each other, and those who are yet to believe. Some “believers” reject that notion. Just like Esau, they choose to satisfy the desires of their flesh rather than accept their “birthright” (or rather, “born again” right) to put others first.

What can we learn from Esau? If we reject the call to minister to others, two things will happen: 1) We will miss the blessing of serving, and 2) Someone else will take it and assume the ministry we rejected. God doesn’t need us for His will to be done. But in rejecting our God-given roles, we forfeit the blessing that accompanies obedience in favor of the temporary pleasure of sin, which always leads to the Lord’s rebuke.

“Isaac reopened the water wells that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham and that the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died. He gave them the same names his father had given them. Moreover, Isaac’s slaves dug in the valley and found a well of living (spring) water there. But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen and said, ‘The well is ours!’ So he named the well Quarrel because they quarreled with him. Then they dug another well and quarreled over that one also, so he named it Hostility. He moved on from there and dug another and they did not quarrel over it. He named it Open Spaces and said, ‘For now the Lord had made room for us and we will be fruitful in the land.’” Genesis 26:18-22 (HCSB)

The Middle East is not unlike Southern California. Landing in Tel Aviv is somewhat like landing in San Diego, except the “Jesus” who walks around Southern California is probably of the Mexican variety, whereas the “Jesus” who walked around Israel was actually Jesus! I digress… My point is that both Israel and SoCal understand deserts.

Anyone living in the desert knows that water is the most critical resource. Where there is water, there is life. No water, no life. Water in the Bible, therefore, becomes a metaphor for spiritual life. It symbolizes God’s presence, His Ruach (Spirit), His blessing. Today’s passage is about more than water feuds. It symbolizes the “spiritual” family strife between the sons of Isaac and those of Ishmael.

In the New Testament, water imagery is also used. In particular, note how Jesus speaks to the Samaritan woman at “the well.” Samaritans were “half-breeds”: ½ Jewish and ½ Gentile. They were the “ugly reminders” of Israel’s past national sin, where the children of Israel intermarried with Canaanites and adopted pagan ways. Jesus came first for the Jew, then the Gentile. (Romans 1:16) And He used water imagery to communicate that He accepted the Samaritans as if they were fully Jewish. In doing this, Jesus evoked memories of age-old feuds, which went beyond simple water fights.    

“He had to travel through Samaria, so he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar near the property that Jacob had given his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, worn out from His journey, sat down at the well. It was about six in the evening. A woman from Samaria came to draw water. ‘Give me something to drink,’ Jesus said to her, for His disciples had gone into town to buy food. ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?’ she asked Him.  Jesus answered, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and Who is saying to you, “Give Me a drink” you would ask Him, and He would give you living water.’” John 4:4-10 (HCSB)

Jesus draws another parallel that we would be wise to note in today’s Church culture: Religion, apart from a personal relationship w/Jesus simply cannot hold water.

“For My people have committed a double evil: They have abandoned Me, the fountain of living water, and dug cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that cannot hold water..” Jeremiah 2:13 (HCSB) (See also: Proverbs 11:25)

“Now Rebekah was listening to what Isaac said to his son Esau. So while Esau went to the field to hunt some game to bring in, Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Listen! I heard your father talking with your brother Esau…’” Genesis 27:5-6a (HCSB)

Jacob answered Rebekah his mother, ‘Look, my brother Esau is a hairy man, but I am a man with smooth skin. Suppose my father touches me. Then I will be revealed to him as a deceiver and bring a curse rather than a blessing on myself.’ His mother said to him, ‘Your curse be on me, my son. Just obey me and go get them for me.’” Genesis 27:11-13 (HCSB)

It is important to remember what God told Rebekah in Genesis 25:23. When she inquired about her unborn children, she was told, “Two nations are in your womb; two people will come from you and be separated. One people  will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”  Rebekah knew God’s message concerning her two sons, which most likely explains why she kept Jacob so close.

God’s prophecy appeared to be in jeopardy by Isaac’s plan to bless Esau. Knowing how attached Isaac was to Esau, Rebekah must have felt how useless it was to dissuade Isaac. In desperation, she decided to circumvent him. Notice the Bible does not condone or condemn her actions. It just reports the facts. We are left to develop opinions as to the morality of these events.

At least, let today’s passage act as a warning to us all: God does a fine job backing up His own promises. He definitely does not need for us to sin to make His Word come true. God could have easily spoken to Isaac as He spoke to Abraham, back when he would sacrifice Isaac. Who is to say God did not communicate the same prophecy to Isaac concerning his sons?   Either way, Isaac was too rebellious, irrational, or forgetful to heed God’s Word.

Of course, because of Rebekah’s impulsiveness, Isaac was robbed of God’s intervention, and Esau was robbed of his blessing. Because Jacob was a partner in the deceit, we will soon read of his misfortune with an uncle named “Laban.”

Finally, Rebekah robbed herself. She was correct to say, “Your curse be on me.”  Not only did she never see her beloved Jacob again, but she was left behind, serving the two men she had deceived.

We must resist the temptation to fulfill God’s promises by our own wit, strength, and timing. Wait on the Lord and let Him unfold His plan as promised.

“And he dreamed: A stairway was set on the ground with its top reaching heaven, and God’s angels were going up and down on it. Yahweh was standing there beside him, saying, ‘I am Yahweh, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your offspring the land that you are now sleeping on.’”  Genesis 28:12-13 (HCSB)

Anyone who has been in a music store over the past 30 years is familiar with the opening melody of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.” They have, no doubt, been privy to countless bad renditions of it as well! If they lived in the days of Jacob, perhaps the band would have written: “Ladder to Heaven.”

Interestingly, traditionally, the rabbis have taught the “certain place” Jacob stopped to rest was Mount Moriah. If so, it would most likely have been the location where Abraham intended to offer Isaac and where Solomon’s Temple stood.

The description of Jacob’s dream is one of the most vivid Biblical images of the Lord and His angels working on the face of the earth. It’s like being privy to the whereabouts of that door where Disney characters enter and exit the theme park! It should be noted that the angels are first mentioned as “ascending” the ladder. That observation has caused some scholars to speculate that the angels had been accompanying Jacob on his journey the whole time and only now were returning to the Lord. Maybe it was a shift change at Heaven & Co.  Who knows? The Bible does not say.

It is safe to assume that Jacob was without any human friends, but unseen, angels had been by his side to protect and encourage him. Isn’t it comforting to know that the Lord has commanded His angels to watch over His children?

Abraham is mentioned as Jacob’s father because both Isaac’s blessing and Esau’s birthright now rested with Jacob. Jacob was the direct recipient and “conduit” of God’s promises to Abraham.

There is an excellent lesson concerning God’s faithfulness here. God’s guarantee of fulfilled promises depended on God’s character, not the patriarchs’. Jacob was a deceiver, and God would soon test Jacob’s mettle, but the Lord knew what kind of man Jacob would become once His work in Jacob’s life was completed.

I hope you are encouraged by this truth: God’s love for His children is great enough to lead them through hardships just to mold them into “inheritors” who would live up to the character of His name. If you are suffering through a time of molding and stretching, be encouraged! Asleep or awake, God Himself (and His angels) is ever-present and personally “there” for us, His children.

“…for God has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.”  Hebrews 13:5b (NIV)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Genesis 29. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, ‘Am I in God’s place, who has withheld children from you?’ Then she said, ‘Here is my slave Bilhah. Go sleep with her, and she’ll bear children for me, so that through her I too can build a family.’”  Genesis 30:2-3 (HCSB)

There was an apparent difference between the customs of the ancient Middle East and God’s design for a healthy family. It has been said that apples don’t fall far from the tree, and Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel were (literally) all from the same family tree.  

Had Jacob not sinned, Isaac would probably have sent a slave to retrieve a wife for him…as Abraham had done for Isaac. I believe the Lord would have led the slave directly to Rachel, and he would have brought her back to Jacob. Then, Rachel would have learned from Rebekah about waiting on the Lord. But that’s the whole problem with sin: It separates you from the Lord Himself and then radiates to your immediate family, your church, your friends….and the list goes on. Sin separates us from a healthy community so the enemy can pick us off individually.

Take a moment to reflect on your life. When was the last time you took an inventory of the sin in your life? How has sin affected you? Doesn’t it always push you away from the Lord and other believers? Take it from someone who has been there:  Leave that sin and come back home!

It may take a while to repair those bridges burned. That’s okay because you’re going home, either your literal home or back to your family of believers, those who love you and will give you wise counsel.

We don’t have to follow those patterns of sin that we learned from the cultures we were called out from. We must simply turn from those Worldly ways and philosophies, trust in the Lord’s guidance, and begin following His leading. As He proves Himself faithful, you will grow in faith. Pretty soon, you will realize He is changing your whole value system. You desire to sin less & less, and you seek to please Him more & more.

Remember: It took one day to lead Israel out of Egypt, but it took 40 years to drive Egypt out of Israel. Have faith and keep following the Lord. He will lead you to the places He has prepared for YOU, both in this life and the Kingdom to come.

“Now Jacob heard what Laban’s sons were saying: ‘Jacob has taken all that was our father’s and has built his wealth from what belonged to our father.’ And Jacob saw from Laban’s face that his attitude toward him was not the same. Then the Lord said to him, ‘Go back to the land of your fathers and to your family and I will be with you.’” Genesis 31:1-3 (HCSB)

Six chapters in Genesis (this one and the 5 preceding it) tell the story of Jacob’s moral downfall. In his oft-misquoted poem, Marmion (generally attributed to Shakespeare), Sir Walter Scott once wrote, “What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.” By chapter 31, Jacob has reached the pinnacle of his decline, wrapped up in the web of his own deceit, as it were. This is where we learn that cheaters never win and winners never cheat.

After the American Civil War, when slaves were supposed to be freed, many plantation owners found new ways to cheat their former slaves of their human rights. This “legal” form of slavery was called the Company Store. Here’s how it worked. The plantation owner would set up a store on his property to supply all the dry goods his servants would need. He would not pay his “employees” with US currency and devised a new monetary element called the “chit.” This was the only form of money accepted at the Company Store.

Since his field hands were uneducated, they had no idea they were being scammed. When the “chits” ran out, they would buy from the store on credit accounts. The account was tallied at the end of the month, and the crooked plantation owners would always find ways to keep the servants in debt. You couldn’t leave till you paid your debt…slavery.

According to ancient custom, Laban had a similar scam running on Jacob. Despite Jacob’s completed years of service, his wives and children were in the legal power of Laban, who could refuse to hand them over to Jacob. We see this in Laban’s statement in verse 43, “The daughters are my daughters, and the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine….”

So, what does this mean to us? Satan wants to own you. Every negotiation with Satan compromises God’s standard and leads you into further bondage and indebtedness.

God will allow us to feel the sting of our sin, to feel its consequence to rebuke and teach us. But when He knows our lessons have been learned, He extends mercy and grace, leading to our repentance. (Romans 2:4)

“Then Jacob said, ‘God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, “Go back to your land and to your family, and I will cause you to prosper,” I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant. Indeed, I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two camps.”  Genesis 32:9-10 (HCSB)

There are many instances throughout the Tanakh (Old Testament) involving “staff” imagery. Perhaps the three significant instances are Moses, Jacob, and Judah.

In the days of the patriarchs, the staff was essential. It was both a sign of prominence and a defense in the wilderness. A man could lean on it when traveling on a long journey. In Biblical imagery, the staff represented man’s “support system” and how he got through life.

Take the story of Moses. God told him to throw his staff on the ground. Once it hit the ground, Moses’ staff became a snake. The snake represented that Moses’ way of getting through life was sin. God then asked Moses to pick up the snake, which exposed Moses’ fear of trusting the Lord. When Moses took hold of the snake, it became a staff again…but now it was God’s staff.

There is power in that kind of staff! Anyone who’s seen the “10 Commandments” movie knows God’s staff beats the best man-made staff any day!

When Jacob crossed the Jordan “with his own staff,” he became “two camps” spiritually and literally. He was double-minded. He wanted to follow the Lord but in his own way. Of course, that’s not following the Lord! And God was about to teach him that very lesson.  

Elijah gave us a good definition of being double-minded.  

“And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, ‘How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal [Lucifer], then follow him.’” 1 Kings 18:2 (KJV)

We must realize the battle is not over following the Lord’s way or ours. It is overheeding God’s voice or Satan’s.

Later that evening, Jacob wrestled with God. When the Bible says Jacob “overcame,” it doesn’t mean he defeated the Lord. That is impossible. The Lord was trying to shake Jacob loose, to see if Jacob would let go…forcing Jacob to choose Him through adversity. And Jacob WOULD NOT LET GO! Nor should we. Jacob decided to become single-minded and fully follow the Lord. Have you?

“So Esau said, ‘What do you mean by this whole procession I met?’ ‘To find favor with you, my lord,’ Jacob answered. ‘I have enough, my brother,’ Esau replied. ‘Keep what you have.’ But Jacob said, ‘No, please! If I have found favor with you, take this gift from my hand. For indeed, I have seen your face and it is like seeing God’s face since you have accepted me.’”  Genesis 33:8-10 (HCSB)

It is a beautiful thing when brothers reconcile. Jacob rejoiced that the Lord had brought Esau and him back together, once estranged, and now “one.”  Seeing Esau was like seeing God because only God could have accomplished such a reunion. Consider Jesus’ prayer.  

“May they all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You. May they also be one in Us, so the world may believe you sent Me. I have given them the glory You have given Me. May they be one as We are one. I am in them and You are in Me. May they be made completely one, so the world may know You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me.”  John 17:21-23 (HCSB)

“Hear o Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is “One.” (Heb., “Echad”) Deuteronomy 6:4 (NKJV)

The subject of Messiah’s prayer was “Echad,” unity among His Father, Himself, His Ruach (Spirit), His disciples, and all believers who would follow after. It was extremely important to Jesus to communicate that, as He is Echad with the other persons of the Trinity, His children are also to be “echad” with Him and each other.

It is speculated by certain rabbis that Esau came out in force to destroy his brother, but the Lord changed Esau’s heart. If that is so, it was not because of Esau’s goodness or Jacob’s ingratiating march home. Esau’s reaction was in accordance with God’s promise and directive to Jacob while he was still working for Laban, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.” Genesis 31:3 (HCSB)

Also, it is significant to note in this chapter the difference between the brothers’ definition of “blessing.” Esau’s notion of “blessing” was purely material. His anger over Jacob stealing Abraham’s blessing had more to do with his anxiety over the prospects of enduring a future void of wealth & lifestyle. Once he was rich, Esau could care less about the birthright or the land of Canaan.  

Sadly, many within the Church solely equate God’s blessing with acquiring Worldly objects & amenities. This perspective often keeps them from leaving “stuff” to follow God’s call. They simply cannot imagine “blessing” without earthly possessions. Jacob’s biggest lesson is more closely linked to the “birthright” he purchased from Esau for that bowl of stew. The “birthright” was the right to lead the family spiritually. When Jacob experienced God’s miraculous promise fulfilled, he finally learned the differences between “blessing” and “wealth” and between “joy” and “happiness.”

“All the able-bodied men listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and all the able-bodied men were circumcised. On the third day, when they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords, went to the unsuspecting city, and killed every male.” Genesis 34:24-25 (HCSB)

They say it takes a lifetime to build a reputation and a moment to ruin it. Among the otherwise peaceful history of the Patriarchs, this story of Dinah’s rape (and the subsequent slaughter) stands out as particularly damaging to Israel’s reputation. It, no doubt, birthed the perpetuated hatred and suspicion of the Jews among the Arab people that exists to this day. What was its resounding myth? “You can’t trust a Jew.”

In our litigious culture, people seek to assign blame whenever something repulsive happens. You gotta know who to sue! It seems there are several people at fault in this situation.

First, there’s Jacob, who allowed his daughter to roam the countryside un-chaperoned.

Next, Shechem commits the ultimate wrong by raping the young woman. That said, it is unclear whether this was a sin in his culture.

Back to Jacob: Jacob’s response to the initial news was way too passive, a recurring theme in his character.

Then, we see Dinah’s brothers enter the picture. Simeon and Levi’s devious zeal for the family’s reputation supplanted their respect for their father and the honor of the Lord’s name.

Again, Shechem seizes the opportunity to save his neck by undergoing the knife of circumcision. In addition, he convinces all his people to be circumcised, not based on an acknowledgment of Jacob’s God, but on the prospects of obtaining the Jews’ possessions by default.

Back to Simeon and Levi…seriously, it was a cunning slaughter.

Yes, it’s a case that celebrity attorney Johnny Cochran would have loved. But what’s the MORAL? The moral is: We are all human, and nobody is without sin. “All have sinned and come short of God’s glory.” (Romans 3:23) That is precisely why the world needs salvation.

Finally, the actions of Jacob’s sons draw an interesting parallel to the “Judaizers” in the early Church. I am speaking of those who replaced God’s grace and mercy with keeping the Torah’s requirements.   By forcing the “knife” of the traditions of the elders, those “Judaizers” slaughtered the chances for many Gentile converts to flourish, unfettered, in their newfound personal relationships with Messiah Jesus.

“They had set out for Bethel. When they were still some distance for Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and her labor was difficult. The midwife said to her, ‘Don’t be afraid, for this is another son for you.’ With her last breath – for she was dying – she named him Ben-oni (son of my sorrow), but his father called him Benjamin (Son of the Right Hand).” Genesis 35:16-18 (HCSB)

What’s in a name? Obviously, Shakespeare didn’t know what God knows! Names mean something. At least in the Bible, they do. Studying the Bible from a Hebraic perspective, we learn that everyone’s name has a meaning aligned with their character.

For instance, “Jacob” meant “Heel catcher.”  And that’s what he was: a deceiver, a tripper. But once he wrestled with the Lord, his name was changed to Israel: Contends with God. This is because he “wrestled with God and man and has overcome.”  Divine intervention changed Jacob’s character; hence, a name change was in order.

Perhaps it was the wrestling experience that compelled Jacob to quickly change Ben-oni’s name to Benjamin. I believe there may be another idea to consider. When a father decides to be present and affirming in a son’s life, the boy’s confidence and self-worth are established. Imagine Tiger Woods without the presence of his father telling him, “You could be the greatest ever!”  I believe Jacob’s interaction with Benjamin changed more than his name. Benjamin truly grew beyond “son of my sorrow” and into “son of the right hand.”  Later in Scripture, we learn the tribe of Benjamin became the fiercest in all of Israel. The power of an affirming father is simply amazing.

Of course, the theme of “name change” is found throughout Scripture: Simon-to-Peter, Saul-to-Paul.  Hosea’s children’s names were changed from “Not Pitied” to “She-was-pitied” and “Not My people” to “My people.” Abram became Abraham, and Sarai became Sarah…, and the list goes on.

But what of us? Just as Joshua gave Israel the choice of being called by God’s Name (choose you this day Whom you will serve), we believers in Messiah are given the choice of a new name through Jesus. By God’s Grace, we are enabled to transcend the curse of being born children of men to be adopted by God.

“When the time came to completion, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” Galatians 4:4-7 (HCSB)

Our names have been changed because of God’s intervention in our lives. We are adopted by the Lord by accepting the atonement provided by Jesus’ shed blood. We no longer carry our old names: Sinful. We now bear the Lord’s name: Perfect. Made so by Jesus’ atoning work on the cross. Now that’s paternal interaction & affirmation if I’ve ever seen it!

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Genesis 36. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Then they took him (Joseph) and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. Then they sat down to eat a meal. They looked up and there was a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying aromatic gum, balm, and resin going down to Egypt.” Genesis 37:24-25 (HCSB)

The notion that Joseph did not work and was simply a young snitch in a pretty coat is off base. Joseph was wearing a coat given to those in authority. Joseph, though younger, was supervising his brothers.

At 17 years old, Joseph had already shown the giftedness of being a good steward. His stewardship giftedness, combined with his gift of prophecy and interpretation, eventually saved his life. It also saved the nation of Egypt and the seed of Israel. But at the time, those gifts stirred up envy among his brothers that grew to hatred and eventual violence.

Envy is pride, wounded in competition.  

Question:  Is there a brother or sister in your life against whom you are competing? Seize this moment to acknowledge your submission to the Lord’s plans for the person you are competing against. It may be that God will grant that person success you will never obtain. It is important that you understand God has not rejected you but simply has another path for you.

Perhaps you are successful and feel the pressure of someone else’s envy. I warn you that relational conflict will come, even when you completely follow the Lord…or even because you are following the Lord. Even among God’s children, envy arises. Dare I say hardship is part of God’s plan? It was for Joseph and his brothers.  

The point: Remain faithful, even during unjust opposition. The true “shalom” of Jesus is not the absence of conflict for believers. Rather, it is the presence of peace in the midst of conflict that passes understanding.

“I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this World. Be courageous! I have conquered the World.”  John 16:33 (HCSB)

God’s provision is somewhat hidden in the text concerning the Ishmaelites. These traders were coming from Gilead. The very Ishmaelite merchants Joseph was sold to, no doubt, carried that famous Gilead balm that would aid in Joseph’s healing from the wounds inflicted by his brothers.

Even when circumstances overwhelm us, Adonai Yir’eh, God provides.

“About three months later Judah was told, ‘Your daughter-in-law, Tamar, has been acting like a prostitute, and now she is pregnant.’  ‘Bring her out!’ Judah said. ‘Let her be burned to death!’  As she was brought out, she sent her father-in-law this message: ‘I am pregnant by the man to whom these items belong.’  And she added, ‘Examine them. Whose signet ring, cord, and staff are these?’  Judah recognized them and said, ‘She is more in the right than I, since I did not give her my own son Shelah.’  And he did not know her intimately again.”  Genesis 38:24-26 (HCSB)

Three Biblical “women accused of adultery” stories come to my mind. First, Tamar is forced to lure Judah into fulfilling his duties as kinsman-redeemer…by making him believe he is committing adultery. Her actions ensured the birthline of the Messiah. Tamar is recognized by name in the genealogy of Jesus. (Matt 1:3)  **Notice the other women in Jesus’ genealogy were either prostitutes, adulteresses, or accused of both…and all were Gentiles. (Tamar, Ruth, Uriah’s wife [Bathseba], Rahab).

The Jewish community should have considered those women unworthy, yet their characters earned them reputations of high regard…all except for Mary. Mary was the only woman in Jesus’ genealogy who was legitimately innocent: a nice, normal Hebrew girl. Yet, to this day, most Jewish community considers Mary a fornicator.

“The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly. But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.’”  Matthew 1:18-21 (HCSB)

Then, there is this story.

“Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with His finger. When they persisted in questioning Him, He stood up and said to them, ‘The one without sin among you should be the first to cast a stone at her.’  Then He stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. When they heard this, they left, one by one, starting with the older men. Only He was left with the woman in the center. When Jesus stood up, He said to her, ‘Woman where are they, has no one condemned you?’  ‘No one, Lord.’ she answered. ‘Neither do I condemn you,’ said Jesus. ‘Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.’” John 8:6b-11 (HCSB)

The first story involved a woman who faked adultery and thus ensured the line of Messiah. The second was unjustly accused of adultery because she bore Messiah. But the third should be closest to our hearts, for we have all committed spiritual adultery. Her story teaches us that Jesus is willing to FORGIVE adulterers with conditions.

“Now Joseph was well-built and handsome. After some time his master’s wife looked longingly at Joseph and said, ‘Sleep with me.’ But he refused and said to his master’s wife, ‘Look, my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has put all that he owns under my authority. No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do such an evil and sin against God?’” Genesis 39:6b-9 (HCSB)

Like the “tree of Knowledge” was to Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden, so was Potiphar’s wife to Joseph in Potifer’s house. (If Joseph can be considered a “Type of Messiah,” his response to temptation surely passed the test!

Joseph had everything going for him. He was handsome and brilliant. Despite difficult circumstances, he (again) rose to a position of authority. If it seemed unnatural for a 17-year-old to supervise his ten elder shepherd brothers, imagine the same youth running the household of the 2nd most powerful man in Egypt. Some guys seem destined for success, but success can have unforeseen downsides. Joseph knew this all too well.

I have been around many successful people in my career, and I generally sort them into two piles:  Humble and self-absorbed. There doesn’t seem to be much middle ground, and sadly, the humble variety is in very short supply. Joseph was humble, while Potiphar’s wife was utterly self-absorbed.  

If there were ever a “stud,” it would have been Joseph. Perhaps his experience with his brothers taught him to restrain his tongue. Perhaps those early days in slavery taught him to be thankful for even the lowliest position of authority. I believe his faith in God (and his response to God’s faithfulness) gave Joseph his resolve.

Perhaps that is the lesson of today’s passage. Joseph faithfully served Potiphar because Joseph served God. He worked as unto the Lord. On the other hand, Potiphar’s wife did not have the Lord’s moral compass. Potiphar’s wife could not honor her husband because she had no relationship with the Lord. She simply lived to serve herself. And the types of gods she served were, most likely, those whose only reason for existence was to serve her.

But we cannot escape the reality that there is only one true God and only one salvation, found exclusively in Jesus.  

“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 14:6 (HCSB)

If we reject Jesus, the only “god” we are left to serve is the one we see looking back at us in the mirror.

“Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined.”  Genesis 40:2-3 (HCSB)

At the beginning of Genesis 39, Joseph rose to the head of Potiphar’s household. Potiphar was the captain of Pharaoh’s guard. The middle of chapter 39 details a false sexual harassment accusation, landing Joseph in prison. But by the end of chapter 39, Joseph rises again to a position of leadership. He is still in prison but a leader, nonetheless.

Having said all that, the beginning of chapter 40 indicates that the prison where Joseph was held was Potiphar’s own home…“the house of the captain of the guard.”

If somebody made a pass at my wife, the last thing I would want is to keep him in my basement at home! Compound that with the knowledge that Joseph’s former boss was the captain of the guard! It would have been nothing for Potiphar to kill Joseph, yet he allowed Joseph to stay. Why?

There are many answers. The obvious answer is that God’s providence protected, preserved, and prospered Joseph. But what would Potiphar’s logic have been? Maybe Potiphar needed a sharp man running his prison, no matter how soiled his character may have been. Perhaps Potiphar knew his wife was unfaithful but didn’t want to publicly accuse Joseph or his wife. That would cause a scandal that might damage his reputation. It could have been that Joseph had charisma and an indispensable way with money!

God probably used a myriad of factors to get Joseph to Potiphar’s home and keep him there. Why? For the simple reason that God had redemption plans for His people, Israel. Obviously, Joseph was a leadership triple threat: Great looks, shrewd stewardship skills, and the gifts of prophecy & interpretation. They were all gifts from God, which, in some circumstances, led Joseph into trouble. Joseph may have even cursed them all at specific points in his life. But since they were gifts from the Lord, they ultimately had a Kingdom purpose, and Joseph discovered that he NEEDED them all.

Joseph needed to be a slave to prove himself a good steward in Potiphar’s home. He needed to be attractive so that he could be accused and imprisoned. He needed to be imprisoned to interpret dreams… and the list goes. Our directive is not to figure out God’s plan but to honor His Name in all circumstances He places us in, trusting His leading. (Proverbs 3: 5-6)

Every step of our journeys is a destination of sorts, yet God leads us onward. Wherever God led, Joseph glorified Him.  Don’t waste your time focusing on “arriving.”  Find joy in the journey of trusting God. He is with you, knows everything you are going through, has the power to affect change, and has the wisdom to know when & how. And He has an unchanging character. (Jeremiah 29:11-13 Romans 8:28)

“Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I have had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said about you that you can hear a dream and interpret it.’ ‘I am not able to,’ Joseph answered Pharaoh. ‘It is God who will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.’” Genesis 41:15-16 (HCSB)

I believe some clarification may be needed to help us appreciate the dynamics of this verbal exchange between Joseph and Pharaoh. First, in Egyptian culture, Pharaoh was considered to be a god. Not only was he thought to be a god among gods, but it was also assumed he was the central deity, the “God of gods,” so to speak.

It was uncommon for a prisoner/slave to exchange words with this “man/deity” yet notice Joseph’s casual banter. He is essentially schooling Pharaoh. Joseph’s message that God would provide the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream indirectly exposed something maybe only Pharaoh himself knew: Pharaoh was no god. If Pharaoh was “God above all gods,” why couldn’t he interpret his own dreams? Furthermore, wouldn’t any other “god” whom Pharaoh consulted immediately assume authority over him…proving he wasn’t the “God of gods”?

We live in an era where image is everything. The basic celebrity promotions game is summed up like this: Spotlight the good and conceal the bad. Joseph deflected praise that would have elevated his image in the eyes of the Egyptians. Perhaps he learned a lesson from his brother’s response to the coat of many colors. Joseph understood that image only gets you so far. But the Lord can exalt and sustain a man beyond human circumstances.  

Eventually, all men must produce results to back up their images, and it is possible for a man’s charisma to garner them access to places where his character cannot keep him. Put another way: talk is cheap. Joseph knew that men were unable to interpret prophetic dreams. Only God can explain the prophecy because only God gives true prophetic messages.

What can we learn from Joseph today? 1) God has a plan for you, which may involve unjust opposition and suffering. 2) Despite our circumstances, we are still required to act with humility, wisdom, and integrity. 3) Never assume that God will respond to your requests in any particular way, even when you entreat Him wholeheartedly.

We can only assume the facts:  God is Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, and His character never changes. When we commit to putting that knowledge into our operational theology, only then will we learn the secret of contentment.

“I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances, I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:12-13 (HCSB)

“Then they said to each other, ‘Obviously, we are being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw his deep distress when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this trouble has come to us.’ But Reuben replied: ‘Didn’t I tell you not to harm the boy? But you wouldn’t listen. Now we must account for his blood!’”  Genesis 42:21-22

Drawing again from the “Messiah imagery” in the Joseph story, there are two hauntingly familiar statements in the gospels.

The first words are those of Pilate recorded by the apostle Matthew, “When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was starting instead, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood. See to it yourselves!”  Matthew 27:24 (HCSB)

Reuben, as firstborn, had the birthright to spiritually lead his brothers. Just as Pilate caved into the pressure of the religious leaders, Reuben caved into the pressure of his brothers. Instead of protecting Joseph, based on what was right before the Lord, Reuben chose to stop defending Joseph…perhaps believing his defense would jeopardize his own life.  

The second haunting image is the Jewish leaders responding to Pilate’s plea to set Jesus free. “All the people answered, ‘His blood be on us and on our children!”  In the heat of the moment, Israel’s sons’ viciously envious attitudes (towards Joseph) foretold the attitude their descendants would have towards Messiah Jesus.

Blinded by hatred, both groups (Joseph’s and Jesus’ “brothers”) sought to kill the one/One whom God had anointed to save them. Sadly, as was the case with Joseph’s brothers, so it will be for all whose sinful actions against Messiah meet their logical end…both Jew and Gentile. (In essence, all our sins have played a role in Jesus’ suffering.)  They must eventually take ownership of and bear great shame for their attitudes and actions against Him.  

We will all face the Lord someday, and we must recognize just how much Jesus’ suffering provided our way out. The Bible states that “every knee will bow and tongue will confess that Jesus, Messiah, is Lord.”  Like Joseph’s brothers in Egypt, we are given a choice to accept the grace and forgiveness offered by the Messiah and follow His leading. But first, we must acknowledge our sin and humble ourselves before Him.

Now that the greatness of our sin (and the certainty of our judgment) has been brought to light, who could reject so gracious a gift of salvation? (Hebrews 2:2-3)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Genesis 43. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Your servant became accountable to my father for the boy, saying, 'If I do not return him to you, I will always bear the guilt for sinning against you, my father.'  Now please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy. Let him go back with his brothers.”  Genesis 44:32-33 (HCSB)

After all the talk of Joseph being a “type” of Messiah, maybe we should give Judah a closer look.

The spirit of self-sacrifice, which Judah’s speech reveals, holds parallels to the life story of Moses. Judah offered to remain as a slave in Benjamin’s place, while Moses sought God to blot out his name from the Book of Life unless his people, Israel, were saved along with him.

The same spirit was displayed in the Apostle Paul, who called himself a voluntary “slave of Messiah.”  He made himself a slave (servant) to all so that by all means, he might win some for Messiah. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23) Paul also said he wished that he could be cut off from the Lord so that others could take his place in the kingdom. (Romans 9:3)

Of course, the greatest display of self-sacrifice was Jesus upon the cross. He gave himself completely so our sin debt would be laid upon Him, that His righteousness could then be imputed to us. As Judah voluntarily offered himself completely accountable for the life of his brother, Jesus held Himself accountable for the disciples the Lord had given to Him.  

Jesus prayed to the Lord before His crucifixion: “I have lost NONE of all that You have given to me” John 18:9 (HCSB)

For those who have accepted the Grace of God through faithful belief in the resurrected Messiah, our names have been added to the Book of Life. We become sons and daughters of God, hence, brothers and sisters of Jesus as co-inheritors of the kingdom of heaven.  

Lastly, the Bible even calls Jesus the “Lion of Judah.”  

“Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Stop crying. Look! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has been victorious so that He may open the scroll and its seven seals.’”  Revelation 5:5 (HCSB)

How much more significant than Judah is Jesus, author of creation, who stands in your place of punishment just to save you?

“God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. Therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over the land of Egypt.”  Genesis 45:7-8 (HCSB)

With incredible generosity, Joseph reassures his brothers by pointing out God’s purpose and plan, which has overruled their crime. This event foreshadows Jesus’ first statement from the cross:

“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34 (HCSB)

Was it a crime for Jacob’s brothers to abuse and sell him into slavery? Yes. Did they suffer the consequences of their sin? Of course, they did. But was their consequence as great as it “should” have been had it been reviewed by an impartial judge? No.  

Here, we see, perhaps, the most significant similarity between Joseph and Jesus. Biblically, this combination of Grace and Mercy was completely without precedence until Joseph revealed his intentions to his brothers. Here was a man who had undergone severe physical, social, emotional, and financial hardships…completely undeserved. Yet, Joseph’s response was based solely on his belief in God’s promise.  

Jesus, in the garden of Gethsemane, prayed, “Not My will, but Yours be done!”  Jesus had faith that the grave could not hold down those to whom the Lord would summon, “Arise!”  His faith in God’s Word and character allowed Messiah to endure the cross, free of any entanglements this World might otherwise hold. Jesus held no malice to compel Him to keep “souvenirs of hate” towards those who crucified Him.

Who could be offended by so great a love shown towards us? I can identify with Joseph’s brothers in that I once had difficulty coping with the reality that I was REALLY forgiven!

As God told Abraham to leave his father’s house and go to the place He would show him, Joseph also told his brothers to leave everything in Canaan to quickly receive the fullness of their deliverance.

Likewise, Jesus charges all who would follow Him: “Leave everything and follow me.”  Have you partially followed Jesus? That is, have you enjoyed proximity to Him without actually committing to know Him in a saving way? Until you do so, you are not “fully delivered.”  And nobody wants to be left outside of salvation: Matthew 7:21-29 If you haven’t already, I urge you to fully receive Jesus today!

“Israel set out with all he had and came to Beer-sheba, and he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. That night God spoke to Israel in a vision: ‘Jacob! Jacob!’ He said. And Jacob replied, ‘Here I am.’ God said, ‘I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt for I will make you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will bring you back. Joseph will put his hands on your eyes.’” Genesis 46:1-4 (HCSB)

I always liked this verbal exchange between Jacob and the Lord. First off, Jacob seems to be learning his lessons. Having set out on his journey, Jacob realized the gravity of his travel and offered a sacrifice to “the God of his father Isaac.” He had experienced significant moments of Divine deliverance, but given his recent family history, Jacob must have been wondering if the Lord had abandoned him. The “heel catcher” (That was the meaning of his name, Jacob) was wondering if he was setting himself up for another fall.

It’s interesting how God called him by his former name, “Jacob,” and not the name He had bestowed upon him earlier: Israel. As long as Jacob perceived a distance from himself and the Lord, he would most likely fall back into his old ways. I believe God reminded him of where he had been before assuring him where he was going.

God’s reference to His association with Isaac was a sober reminder that God’s PROMISE is the sustaining factor in Israel’s blessing…not Jacob’s righteousness.

Once that is established, God articulates His grace toward Jacob and all of Israel. His blessing is not “I’ll be here holding down the fort in Canaan. Hope you write often….” No, God promised to accompany Israel personally. God’s promise is enough, but His presence is even better!! God would make Israel a great nation during their stay in Egypt. Notice that “great” does not mean “righteous” but simply “large.” Righteousness would come much later, during the children of Israel’s time in the desert. Israel’s deliverance from Egypt was quick. It took 40 years to purge “Egypt” from Israel.

It is remarkable how God told all of this to Abraham everything, even down to the 400 years of Egyptian slavery. And it all came true. Now, God was making promises to Jacob. In a few days, we will read of the fulfillment of some of those promises. Here is a sneak peek:        

“So Jacob’s sons did for him what he had commanded them. They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave at Machpelah in the field near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite. After Joseph buried his father, he returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone with him to bury his father.” Genesis 50:12-14 (HCSB)

God keeps His promises. He can be trusted, and He has the power to accomplish His will despite even His own children’s sinful ignorance. So, what promises of His are you trusting in?

“Then Pharaoh asked his brothers, ‘What is your occupation?’  And they said to Pharaoh, ‘Your servants, both we and our fathers, are shepherds.’ Then they said to Pharaoh, ‘We have to live in the land for a while because there is no grazing land for your servants’ sheep, since the famine in the land of Canaan has been severe. So now, please let your servants settle in the land of Goshen.’ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Now that your father and brothers have come to you, the land of Egypt is open before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land. They can live in the land of Goshen. If you know of any capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.” Genesis 47:3-6 (HCSB)

Today’s passage doesn’t seem to pack much of a punch. It’s more of a formal conversation between a few of Joseph’s brothers and Pharaoh. It’s like the “handshake” that concludes a business deal. There isn’t much drama here, but when placed with its preceding verses in chapter 46, the conversation takes on more of a clever sense:

“Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, ‘I will go up and inform Pharaoh, telling him: My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. The men are shepherds; indeed they raise livestock. They have brought their sheep and cattle and all that they have. When Pharaoh addresses you and asks, “What is your occupation?” you are to say, “Your servants, both we and our fathers, have raised livestock from our youth until now.”  Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are abhorrent to Egyptians.’”  Genesis 46:31-34 (HCSB)

Joseph knew his brothers. These were the men who beat him and sold him into slavery. He knew that for Israel to prosper long term, they needed to be separate from Egypt! That is a good lesson for us. Seriously, we all know how our proximity to the World negatively affects our spiritual walk. That is why we are commanded not to be “of” the World, even though we are in it. Not only did God lead Israel into Egypt, but He also led them to a place where they could be separate from the Egyptians!!

Joseph also knew the Egyptians. Funny, by this time, Joseph was literally “shepherding” Egypt. He was the most powerful man in Egypt. Pharaoh told him that, aside from the title “pharaoh,” Joseph was in charge of Egypt. Still, the Egyptians could not make the abstract connection between “sheepherder” and “shepherd/overseer.”  They despised people who herded sheep, but they did not see themselves as “sheep.”  Isn’t that interesting? Because God honors shepherds. David was a shepherd. Moses was shepherding when God called him. Shepherds were the first to worship the Messiah. Jesus called Himself “the Good Shepherd.”

Bottom line: The Egyptians were more interested in image than goodness. They wanted to be considered “somebody” but didn’t care about anybody. No, Joseph didn’t want that attitude saturating the mindset of Israel. So, with one handshake, Joseph ensured Israel would be separate from Egypt, and Egypt would not want to be close to Israel. Have you determined to live your life “in but not of” the World?

“So he blessed them that day with these words: The nation Israel will invoke blessings by you, saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh,’ putting Ephraim before Manasseh. Then Israel said to Joseph, ‘Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers. Over and above what I am giving your brothers, I am giving you the one mountain slope that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and bow.’” Genesis 48:20-22 (HCSB)

This blessing is significant for several reasons.  

First of all, it is an adoption, or more precisely, a declaration that Joseph’s two sons (born to him in Egypt by an Egyptian bride) are legitimate descendants of Israel. This is a foreshadowing that all spiritual offspring between Jesus and His Church are considered “grafted into” the covenant of Abraham. Jew or Gentile believers, it makes no difference with respect to salvation. (Romans 11:17-24)  We have all received a spirit of adoption, whereby we cry out, “Abba Father!”  (Romans 8:15)  That is to say, all of us who believe, by faith, that Jesus is Messiah.

Secondly, to this day, every pious Jewish father on Erev Shabbat (The day before Shabbat) places his hands on the head of his son and blesses him with the words: “God make you as Ephraim and Manasseh.”  Ephraim and Manasseh would not barter away their Jewish identity for social or political power in Egypt.  

These twins voluntarily gave up their place in Egyptian aristocracy and openly identified themselves with their “alien” kinsmen, who were despised for being shepherds. While “in the World,” they chose not to be “of it.”  Similarly, when we have genuinely received spiritual adoption, we should no longer desire worldly privilege over the eternal honor of being co-inheritors with the Messiah.  

Finally, at the end of this chapter, there is a reference to a plot of ground purchased by Jacob in Genesis 33. It seems this plot of land had (at one time) fallen into the hands of the Amorites and had to be retaken by force. This military exploit is not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible. The statement could also be a prophetic reminder of how Israel will have to retake and maintain Canaan by force and struggle, perhaps several times. The taking and holding of Canaan are ultimately determined by the power and will of God because of His promise alone. And it is not necessarily dependent upon Israel’s collective righteousness.

“You are not going to take possession of their land because of your righteousness or your integrity. Instead, the Lord your God will drive out these nations before you because of their wickedness, in order to keep the promise He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”  Deuteronomy 9:5 (HCSB)

“Then Jacob called his sons and said, ‘Gather around, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the days to come.’” Genesis 49:1 (HCSB)

Before giving attention to the details of the prophecies in Genesis 49, it would be good to look at the passage as a whole.

First of all, these are Jacob’s last words. The prophecy is literally the final word of Jacob, spoken with his dying breath. The dying words of any man should not be taken lightly, much less those spoken by a patriarch and recorded under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Secondly, this is poetry. We might tend to think that a man’s last words, spoken with great effort, should be disorganized and difficult to follow. There are numerous indications that these final words of Jacob were thought out carefully in advance.

Thirdly, more than poetry, it is prophecy. While the form is poetry, the substance is prophecy. Jacob’s words reveal “things to come” for his descendants. The future foretold is the nation’s future as manifested in the twelve tribes, not necessarily predictions for the individual sons being blessed.

Fourthly, the words spoken by Jacob are a blessing. All the sons of Jacob were blessed in that they were to be a part of the nation of Israel. All would enter the land of Canaan and receive an inheritance there. Some would certainly receive a greater blessing than others. Even those rebuked by Jacob and whose futures were portrayed as dismal were blessed.

Fifthly, the prophecy is not independent of the past but an extension of it. Moses (who penned Genesis) told us that every one of the sons was given “the blessing appropriate to him.” As we think through these blessings of Jacob, we find that each of them is related to the past. Prophecy, then, is not necessarily detached from history but an extension of it into the future.

Whatever path you choose, if you continue in it, the outcome of your life (as well as those who follow after you) will be highly predictable. Choose the way that leads to life…the only true life offered…through faith in Jesus. (Deuteronomy 30:19)

“This is what the Lord says: Stand by the roadways and look. Ask about the ancient paths: Which way is good? Then take it and find rest for yourselves. But they protested, ‘We won’t!’” Jeremiah 6:16 (HCSB)

“There is a path which seems right to a man, but the end of its way leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12 (HCSB)

“If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve - But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15 (NIV)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Genesis 50. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“A new king who had not known Joseph came to power in Egypt. He said to his people, ‘Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and powerful than we are. Let us deal shrewdly with them; otherwise they will multiply further, and if war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.’”  Exodus 1:8-10 (HCSB)

I find it interesting that the Pharaoh stated no specific fault with the Israelites. In fact, there is no accusation of wrongdoing, only suspicion. Pharaoh’s suspicion seems to be evidence of the guilty conscience of a viciously ambitious man. He was hard-hearted.

There are two well-known Biblical times when Hebrew infants were murdered:  Pre Exodus-Egypt and Pre-advent Bethlehem. Both Herod and (this particular) Pharaoh shared similar climbs to power. They took their positions by force and dirty politics.

The monarch of this new Egyptian dynasty was probably Rameses II. Joseph served one of the Hyskos (Shepherd) kings, an Asian dynasty whose rule in Egypt began in Egypt centuries before him. The Hyskos rule came to an end not long after the death of Joseph. The Hyskos were driven back into Asia, and a descendant of a native Egyptian dynasty regained the throne.

This new Pharaoh undoubtedly was raised on nationalistic pride, fueled by generations of hatred and mistrust of foreigners.

I grew up in the Southern United States. In those days, there were intense race struggles between Americans of African and European descent. Most often, the hatred had nothing to do with the character or actions of any particular individual. It was rooted in base fear and ambitious competition for power and control of an uncertain future.

Similarly, Pharaoh’s prejudice against the Hebrews was completely unfounded and irrational, as was Herod’s in Jesus’ day. Pharaoh simply loved power more than people. Because his power was secured through violence, he believed that any shift in that power must surely come through violent means.

So, what great lesson can we learn from this injustice? Several, but let’s focus on this notion:  In the times immediately preceding God’s deliverance of Israel, The Lord began simultaneously preparing Egypt to expel the Hebrews and Israel’s desire to leave.

Take a moment and reflect on your present life situation. Has the Lord given you a vision and begun a “calling” for you toward which you are to start moving? Do you sense He wants you in a particular place or position? What factors is He allowing to develop in your life in preparation for your release from your present situation to ensure your reception into His place of deliverance or mission?

“Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Should I go and call a woman from the Hebrews to nurse the boy for you?’ ‘Go.’ Pharaoh’s daughter told her. The girl went and called the boy’s mother. The Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages.’ So the woman took the baby and nursed him.”  Exodus 2:7-9 (HCSB)

At a time when Egyptian men were killing Hebrew babies, God used a force unstoppable by men to save Moses. He used women!

God drew from the innate nurturing tendencies that He naturally instills in females. Soldiers could kill a baby out of duty, but women would have to betray their natures, go against their very souls, to let a baby perish. To that end, I am utterly dumbfounded about how any woman could work at an abortion clinic. The whole process goes against the nature of a woman at her deepest core.

In the words of one rabbinic commentary, “Pharaoh’s plans for the annihilation of the Israelite children are defeated by women: the human feelings of the midwives, the tender sympathy of a woman of royal birth, and a sister’s watchful resourcefulness in the face of extremity. It was to the merit of pious women that Israel owed its redemption in Egypt.”  

I would add that God directed those women's hearts to respond in the way He created them to, naturally.

Do you struggle beneath the weight of this World? Do you find it more & more difficult to honor God in your thoughts and actions because of the “enemy’s” intimidation? Perhaps it will help to remember the simple Proverb that we teach our children:  

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your understanding; acknowledge Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (HCSB)

Sometimes, when it seems the Lord has allowed us to drift into the enemy’s hands, it is there that He provides our shelter and eventual deliverance. It is comforting to know we don’t have to save ourselves. Salvation does not depend on our resourcefulness, strength, or piety. We need only to trust and obey the Lord with all we have and let Him guide our “basket” downstream into the arms of His deliverance.

“God replied to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’  This is what you are to say to the Israelites:  I AM has sent me to you.”  Exodus 3:14 (HCSB)

I AM WHO I AM. In Hebrew, Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh – the self-existent and eternal God; a declaration of the unity and spirituality of the Divine Nature, the exact opposite of all the forms of idolatry, human, animal, and celestial, that prevailed anywhere else.

I AM WHO I AM is not merely a philosophical phrase. To the Israelites in bondage, the meaning would most likely be received as, “Although He has not yet displayed His power towards you, He will do so. He is eternal, and He will redeem you.”  

Another way to translate God’s statement is, “I AM WHO I WILL BE.” No words can sum up ALL that He will be to His people. Furthermore, His everlasting faithfulness and unchanging mercy will continually manifest themselves in the guidance of those who follow Him.

The answer He gives Moses is the equivalent of, “I will save in the way that I will save.”  It assures the Israelites of the FACT of deliverance but does not disclose the MANNER of deliverance.

How does this apply to us today? Perhaps you are going through a difficult season of life and looking for a way out for deliverance. Find comfort in knowing that HE IS WHO HE IS (His character never changes), HE WILL BE WHO HE WILL BE (He has a plan, even though He has not revealed it to you), and HE WILL SAVE IN THE WAY THAT HE WILL SAVE (He has the power to save, and WILL at His appointed time).  

To followers of Jesus: He gives the power to become sons and daughters. (John 1:12)

For those who place their faith in Him, He promises “never to leave or forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5).

Our hope is in God’s promise to His children of every generation, backed up by His unchanging character, in that He cannot lie. While we cannot predict HOW we will be delivered, that should not deter us from the fact that we WILL be delivered. Therefore, simply TRUST and OBEY, leaving the future up to Him.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 (NKJV)

“Moses said, ‘Please, Lord, send someone else.’ Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses, and He said, ‘Isn’t Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, he is on his way now to meet you. When he sees you, his heart will rejoice. You will speak to him and tell him what to say. I will help both you and him to speak and will teach you both what to do. He will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and you will serve as God to him. And take this staff in your hand that you will perform signs with.’” Exodus 4:13-17 (HCSB)

Has the Lord ever asked you to do something, and your reply to him was, “Could you send someone else?”  It seems ridiculous, but we do it all the time. Perhaps you have felt that internal nudge, that whispering “heart voice” urging you to share the gospel with a stranger. “Oh no!” you reply. “That’s a preacher’s job…someone more eloquent and knowledgeable than me!” This is precisely what Moses was doing.

I have heard preachers go on & on about Moses having some kind of speech impediment. But that is simply NOT true. Check out the testimony about Moses, given by the early Church martyr, Stephen:

“So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was POWERFUL in his speech and actions.” (emphasis mine) Acts 7:22 (HCSB)

Moses didn’t have a speech problem; he had a confidence problem!! As we continue reading in Exodus, notice how Aaron’s role as “spokesman” diminishes as Moses’ confidence grows. Eventually, Moses does all the talking.

Consequences. Whenever we disobey the Lord and fail to heed his Word by faith, there are consequences. One of the consequences of Moses’ lack of faith in this instance remains to this day. God designed a situation where He would speak to Moses, and then Moses spoke to the people. When Aaron was added to the equation, God was left out. Notice:

“He will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and you will serve as God to him.” Exodus 4:16 (HCSB)

To this day, in essence, “Moses” (the Torah of God) still seems to occupy a more centric place in Judaism than Adonai, the God of the Torah. And in many respects, the Talmud (rabbinic opinion) is even more centric than the Torah. Are you allowing something to come between you and God’s calling? Doing so may add an unnecessary link between your unbelieving friends and the Lord. What is it you lack which keeps you from being bolder? Like Moses, do you simply lack experience with God’s faithfulness? That is exactly why we are reading God’s Word. Over and over, we experience God’s faithfulness in Scripture…and in turn, our confidence in Him builds.

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Romans 10:17 (NKJV)

“Don’t continue to supply the people with straw for making bricks, as before. They must go and gather straw for themselves. But require the same quota of bricks from them as they were making before and do not reduce it. For they are slackers – that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’”  Exodus 5:7-8 (HCSB)

The world is out for itself. Make no doubt about it. To the world (and worldly leaders), people are nothing more than resources. They are merely a means to a selfish end.

Pharaoh had one thing on his mind, and that was productivity. Because he was solely focused on the product of their labor, Pharaoh failed to recognize a key factor in the Israelites’ productivity: their spiritual well-being.

In that sense, Pharaoh is not very different from many employers in today’s workforce. This “slave mentality” towards employees was especially true of the Big Bosses of generations past, in the era of the Great Depression. Theirs was the generation of workers fighting against the industrialist giants and forming labor laws to protect work environments.

For such employers, you and I are expendable assets. We are like gasoline in a car’s tank or an air filter in a home HVAC. When the tank runs dry, or the filter gets soiled, you just have to refill and replace it. Most important to the heartless machine operator is that the car runs and the air flows. Who cares about the well-being of “expendable parts”? But isn’t a machine comprised of the sum of its parts? Therefore, every piece is integral to the performance of the machine.

The truth is, YOU are not expendable. You are EXPENSIVE! You are of such great worth to the Lord! In the eyes of God, people are not disposable resources to robotically do His bidding. God loves us, not for what we can do for Him. To Him, we have a value beyond our productivity. He doesn’t need us, but He WANTS us. And His desire to use us is simply because of His great affection for us.  

How much does God love us? He gave His life for us.  (Micah 5:2, John 3:16)

We don’t cry out and worship God because we are “weak slackers,” as Pharaoh alleged. We cry out because God created us with the expressed intent that we worship Him! He designed us to worship, and He invites us to enter into adoption as Sons and Daughters through our belief in His “Son,” Messiah Jesus. Worship is not a weakness; it is the height of performance when we reach our most productive potential.

Bob Dylan once sang, “You gotta serve somebody.”  Given a choice between the “Pharaohs” of this world and the Lord God, should we even have to think twice?

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, ‘Go and tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go from his land.’ But Moses said in the Lord’s presence: ‘If the Israelites will not listen to me, then how will Pharaoh listen to me, since I am such a poor speaker?’”  Exodus 6: 10-12 (HCSB)

Often, listening to sermons, I have heard it taught that Moses had a speech impediment. The reason many give for this assumption is from Moses’ own admission, “I am such a poor speaker.” In other Bible translations, the verse is interpreted as “I am a man of faltering lips.” It is easy to see why theologians conclude that Moses couldn’t speak well. Perhaps Moses was not a great orator at that point.

In actuality, the verse literally interprets, “I have uncircumcised lips.” Moses’ argument wasn’t that he had a speech impediment. It was that he had a “righteousness” impediment. He didn’t believe he was righteous enough to minister effectively. He didn’t think he was good enough. As I have said before, Moses had a confidence problem.

We also know that there was nothing wrong with Moses’ speech, based on Stephen’s testimony before his martyrdom.

“So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in his speech and actions.” Acts 7: 22 (HCSB)

Yet, ultimately, the greatest testimony of Moses’ assured success came from God.

“Therefore, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh so that you may lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” Exodus 3:10 (HCSB)

Why must we be confident in ourselves before placing confidence in God? Faith works the other way around. We are first called to do the thing we are uncertain of. Then, once God has accomplished His will through our obedience, we grow in faith.

God’s calling is our equipping. He gives us all we need to accomplish what He calls us to achieve. We may not have all the supplies we need at the outset, but He will provide them as needed along the way.

As we continue through the book of Exodus, watch as Moses becomes bolder. His confidence builds as he experiences God’s faithfulness. Don’t be afraid of what God is calling you to do. Be afraid of not following.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Exodus 7. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Pharaoh responded, “I will let you go and sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but don’t go very far. Make an appeal for me.”  Exodus 8:28 (HCSB)

The plagues were disciplinary chastisements of God. Instead of annihilating the tyrant with one stroke, God, in His divine forbearance, inflicted ten successive plagues to break his pride. Important to note is how the plagues God inflicted were direct judgments against the “gods” of Egypt.

Notice how different the ways of God are from the ways of man. Human warriors attack by surprise. They don’t space out their blows, and when they have the enemy beneath their feet, they make an end of him. But God warned Pharaoh ten times, and the Lord gave Pharaoh the opportunity to repent each time. Before punishing Pharaoh, God offered him mercy each time.

There is grace and merciful forgiveness for all who repent, but there is unsparing punishment for those who, hardening their hearts to the voice of God, continue in their stubborn ways.

So, what is true repentance?  

Repentance is more than lip service. It is more than saying a prayer, walking an aisle, donating money, or some good “work.” True repentance is complete surrender. It is the total giving-over of your life to the Lord. Anything less falls short of what the Lord requires.

In today’s passage, Pharaoh seems to have repented. But Pharaoh is not repenting. He is negotiating.

For a moment, think of Egypt as symbolic of “the World.” “Pharaoh” may represent a personal demonic influence that is holding you captive, threatening you against trusting the Lord. Imagine yourself being so valuable that two warring kingdoms would fight to the death to obtain you. One wants to exploit you, while the other wants to lavish its love upon you. One is Egypt, and the other is the Lord.

Now, imagine yourself hearing the truth of the gospel, about Jesus’ offering of grace, mercy, and forgiveness for all who would repent. Then imagine a growing desire in your heart to obey God’s voice...to trust Jesus.

The enemy senses you are about to be won by the Lord, so it offers a compromise: follow God, but not completely. “Nobody wants to be seen as a fanatic!” the enemy laughs.

Don’t buy the lie. Anything less than complete surrender is not true repentance. Have you completely surrendered your life to Jesus, or are you still in negotiations? I implore you to surrender TODAY! Don’t spend another night in Egypt.

“(The Lord speaking) ‘Every person that is in the field and not brought inside will die when the hail falls on them.’ Those among Pharaoh’s officials who feared the Word of the Lord made their servants and livestock flee to shelters, but those who didn’t take the Lord’s Word seriously left their servants and livestock in the field.” Exodus 9:19b-21 (HCSB)

This is the first indication that God’s warnings had a productive effect on the Egyptians. While Pharaoh may have chosen to harden his heart, some of his subjects were more than willing to consider the Hebrew God’s threats. They went as far as taking appropriate measures to steer clear of His wrath. That is not to say they were complete converts, but they (at least) knew to respect Him.

This passage reminds me of the general attitude in the secular workplace. Most managers don’t care about the Lord, so they do not heed the Bible’s message of the importance of resting. Underpaid and overworked employees do not produce as well as workers in pleasant conditions. A casual stroll through the average HR department file cabinet will give you a strong indication as to the fallout from disgruntled employees.  

In contrast, consider Chick-fil-A. Years ago, the founder of that corporation (a follower of Jesus) determined not to work on Sundays. Not only that, but he gave everyone in their company the day off! Chick-fil-A closes its doors on the week’s busiest restaurant day, yet they gross more than its competitors! They honor the Lord, and He honors their faithfulness.

Likewise, those officials in Pharaoh’s administration who believed God’s message were saved from disaster. The Bible says that when the exodus occurred, the Hebrews left Egypt with a large number of foreigners. There is no indication that these particular officials were in that group, but it wouldn’t surprise me if some of them were.

Have you heard the gospel and witnessed its saving power in the life of someone close to you? Have you noticed that, while followers of Jesus are not immune to hardship, they seem to weather hard times better than others?

Maybe it’s time you took a cue from Pharaoh’s officials. Surrender to Jesus’ Lordship! Save yourself while you still have a self to save!

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may do these miraculous signs of Mine among them, and so that you may tell your son and grandson how severely I dealt with the Egyptians and performed miraculous signs among them, and you will know that I am the Lord.’”  Exodus 10:1-2 (HCSB)

There has been an ages-long debate over the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. Some hold to a strict belief that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, while others say Pharaoh hardened his own heart. Those who say God hardened Pharaoh’s heart usually carry the inference that He kept Pharaoh from believing. It is as if Pharaoh’s heart could not have been softened, even if he wanted to repent. I find that hard to believe because the Bible says that God does not delight in punishing the wicked. Rather, He delights when they turn from their wickedness and trust Him. (Ezekiel 33:11)

I believe God gave Pharaoh the same chance He gave anyone else in Egypt, but He knew Pharaoh would not believe. God knew the same plagues that would make many repent would make many others hate Him even more. In a sense, the Lord DID harden Pharaoh’s heart because the plagues came from God. That being said, it was completely Pharaoh’s decision about how he would respond. God simply knew. Perhaps the best testimony to this interpretation of “hardening” is found in the final verses of Exodus, chapter 9.

“When Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart, he and his officials. So Pharaoh’s heart hardened, and he did not let the Israelites go, as the Lord said through Moses.”  Exodus 9: 34-35 (HCSB)

Similarly, the Lord did not make the Israelites believe any more than He made Pharaoh not believe. Each man had a choice. (Joshua 24:15) Each person has a choice today because God is the same: yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The question is: How do you respond to God’s presence in your life? Do you accept Him or live in denial? Do you submit or rebel? You have a choice to either believe or not, so have you chosen to rebel against His Lordship and thus inherit His judgment, or have you chosen to surrender to Him and enter His deliverance? As long as there is life in your lungs, you have the option to turn to Him through faithful belief and trust in Jesus.

“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, and saw My works for 40 years. Therefore, I was provoked with that generation and said, ‘They always go astray in their hearts, and they have not known My ways.’ So I swore in My anger, ‘They will not enter My rest.’ Watch out, brothers, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that departs from the living God. But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception.”  Hebrews 3:7-13 (HCSB)

(Moses speaking) “‘Then there will be a great cry of anguish through all the land of Egypt such as never was before, or will ever be again. But against all the Israelites, whether man or beast, not even a dog will snarl, so that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. All these officials of yours will come down to me and bow before me, saying, ‘Leave, you and all the people who follow you.’ After that, I will leave.’ And he left Pharaoh’s presence in fierce anger.” Exodus 11:6-8 (HCSB)

Once, a guy from a rock band told me the story of how their van had been towed from a hotel parking lot. It seems the hotel had experienced a rash of abandoned vehicles dumped by car thieves. As a result, they were towing all vehicles left overnight whose owners had not registered their tags at the front desk. A slight oversight by the band’s road manager almost resulted in a missed gig!  

Here’s my point: The car had been in the hotel lot, parked by legitimate customers, but because it was not registered according to hotel regulations, it was also towed “legitimately.”

God made a distinction between Egypt and Israel. Keeping with my analogy, Egypt was illegitimate in His eyes, and Israel was legit. Soon, we will learn (in chapter 12) that even Israelites could be treated as “Egyptians” if they did not strictly follow God’s instructions. Their “legitimacy” was not dependent upon their DNA; instead, on their obedience to God’s Word. In fact, Scripture infers that in this matter, being “Israel” solely meant faithfully following the Lord’s instructions. For instance, Hebrews, who did not smear blood on their doorposts, eat the lamb’s meat & unleavened bread, would be considered “Egypt” and thus judged as Egyptians. Consider Paul’s words:

“But it is not as though the Word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Neither are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants. On the contrary, ‘In Isaac your seed will be called.’ That is, not the children by physical descent, but the children of the promise are considered seed.” Romans 9:6-8 (HCSB)

Pharaoh and his officials eventually recognized Israel’s God as greater than their gods, but they did not surrender themselves to worship Him.  Here is another distinguishing difference: “intellectual ascent” v/s true repentance. It is not enough to say with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord!” You must also believe it in your heart. Notice that neither Pharaoh nor his officials were spared from God’s judgment…even after allowing the Israelites to flee the country. Their “You win!” lip service was not counted as true repentance because they had not surrendered their hearts. The battle was never really between Egypt and Israel. It was over the worship of the One true God, YHWH.

For people today (Jew or Gentile), salvation is neither by DNA, lip service, or good deeds. It is only for those who surrender and follow Messiah Jesus by faith.

“For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves; it is God’s gift – not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (HCSB)

“The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, This is the statute of the Passover: No foreigner may eat it. But any slave a man has purchased may eat it, after you have circumcised him. A temporary resident or hired hand may not eat the Passover. It is to be eaten in one house. You may not take any of the meat outside the house, and you may not break any of its bones. The whole community of Israel must celebrate it. If a foreigner resides with you and wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover, every male in his household must be circumcised, and then he may participate; he will become like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person must eat it. The same law will apply to both the native and the foreigner who resides among you.” Exodus 12:43-49 (HCSB)

A few years ago, I was invited to lead music at a church. Maybe it was vacation time for that church because they also hired a guest preacher! Before the service, I asked the preacher what his topic/text was (perhaps I had a special song to set up his message). The preacher was going to cover the Passover. That was good news to me because I have led many believers through the Passover Seder meal and taught how what most Christians call the “Last Supper” was actually the “Last Seder.”

So, you can imagine my shock when the preacher began his message with the statement: “Gentiles are forbidden to celebrate the Passover.” What was this? Where did he get his opinion? He had taken today’s passage out of context. And sadly, he overlooked most of the Messianic imagery in the Passover!

True, today’s passage does begin with the statement: No foreigner may eat it. But then it defines what a “foreigner” is: One who has not been circumcised. Circumcision is a surgical procedure that God commanded the men of Israel to undergo. Literally meaning “cutting around” or “cutting away,” circumcision is a physical testimony that one has cut himself away from the fleshly “World” and distinguished himself as a follower of God. Meant to be an outward expression of an inner condition, it is possible to be outwardly circumcised yet inwardly wicked. Consider these verses:

“Circumcise yourselves to the Lord; remove the foreskins of your HEART, men of Judah and residents of Jerusalem. Otherwise, My wrath will break out like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it because of your evil deeds.” Jeremiah 4:4 (HCSB) (emphasis mine)

“On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one INWARDLY, and circumcision is of the HEART—by the Spirit, not the letter. That man’s praise is not from men but from God.” Romans 2:29 (HCSB) (emphasis mine)

Ruth, the Gentile Moabitess, professed, “Your people are my people; your God is my God” (Ruth 1:16b) and was included among God’s people. So we also (Jew & Gentile) become the Community of Messiah whenever we profess Jesus as Savior and Lord. Our hearts become “circumcised,” for we are cut away from the World, set apart for God by the “blood of the Lamb.”  Messiah Jesus is OUR Passover sacrifice. (1 Corinthians 5:7b) So, if we (Jew & Gentile believers) can’t truly celebrate the Passover, who can?

“Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, because Joseph had made the Israelites swear a solemn oath, saying, ‘God will certainly come to your aid; then you must take my bones with you from this place.’”  Exodus 13:19 (HCSB)

Do you remember the names of your grandparents’ parents? I don’t know the names of mine. I’ve definitely not heard of any agreements they made about their bones. I’m as good as cursed if they did!

What if we compounded this scenario by 400 years? Do you know the names of your ancestors who lived 400 years ago? Imagine a solemn oath that endured twice as long as the United States has been a nation. This was the case with Joseph’s bones.

Attached to the folklore of Joseph’s bones was the promise of hope. The hope of freedom by Divine intervention sustained the Israelites all those years. For the Israelites, the tradition of “what we’re going to do with Joseph’s bones” had to be comforting because it promised deliverance. At times, it must have felt more like superstition than God’s promise! Still, there was the hope: Maybe it’s true… Maybe God really will deliver us from Egypt and deposit us into Canaan.

Sometimes, planning your response to blessing is all the hope you need to get through the hard times. Here is a little thought I like to comfort myself with when money is tight (and it usually is): I make a mental list of the people I want to give money to as soon as I am in another season of financial overage. It helps keep me pressing on.

But in the end, freedom is not about finances. Freedom is spiritual. Many wealthy people are miserable, and many poor are peaceful.

“Your life should be free of the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ Therefore, we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”  Hebrews 13:5-6  (HCSB)

Jesus said, “I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself” John 14:2-3 (NASB)

This hope of the resurrection, combined with Jesus’ promise to never leave or forsake us, allows the believer to endure this life and its trials. As was the case with Joseph’s bones in Egypt, the Lord will prove Himself faithful towards us. He will return to take us home to Heaven, not bury us in the ground of our homeland. We will walk in newness of life, along with a host of others, including Joseph, saved by God’s grace through faith in His promise. Now, THAT is a hope worth hanging your faith on! That is the hope of eternity with Messiah Jesus mixed with the promise of never leaving or forsaking us in this life!

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Exodus 14. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“He made a statute and ordinance for them at Marah and He tested them there. He said, ‘If you will carefully obey the Lord your God, do what is right in His eyes, pay attention to His commands, and keep all His statutes, I will not inflict any illnesses on you that I inflicted on the Egyptians. For I am Yahweh who heals you.’” Exodus 15:25b-26 (HCSB)

I remember being in college toward the end of the spring semester. It was so hard to stay awake during those late afternoon classes. The more the professor lectured, the more my mind drifted. Then, as if called from a great distance but rushing swiftly into my consciousness, I heard my name, “MR. WIGGINS!”.

It was the voice of my professor. Noticing I was drifting away, he asked me a question…several times. Everyone laughed, and I was embarrassed to 1) not know the answer and 2) not even know the question!

The Lord wants our FULL attention. Just as He directed the Israelites fresh out of Egypt, so He directs us to listen carefully to His voice. What does that look like?

The apostle Paul told the believers in Corinth, “Pursue Love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.”  (1 Corinthians 14:1)

Teaching is to recite tradition. Preaching has an urgent or evangelical bent. Prophecy is a personal revelation from the Lord. For example, as you read the Bible, the Lord will open your eyes to understand the Scriptures on a whole new level. That is prophesy for us believers. Paul said we should desire prophecy and share God’s revelation with others. To be clear, the type of “prophecy” Paul describes is NOT predicting future events. It is simply the Spirit revealing the truth of God’s Word in such a relevant way that it changes your values and how you live out your calling.

It has been my experience that when the Lord starts moving among His people, He doesn’t just tell one guy. He tells a bunch of people. Then, He brings them together so there can be agreement and focus on their efforts. That’s when powerful stuff starts happening! That is also what the church is designed to be. Church has become a place where people come to learn the Bible and get saved. But church should be the place where people who are independently and diligently seeking God’s Word gather at times during the week in agreement. It should be as much a BASE of worship as a PLACE of worship. Church should be less a finish line for people who happened to make it through the week without seeking the Lord and more of a starting line for believers to go out and work towards the Great Commission within their communities next week.  

We should listen for God’s voice as we meditate on His Scripture. Ask for His revelation. When His people obey this command, the Lord reveals His deep knowledge. He heals our theology, our personal relationships, and our emotional and physical conditions as well. Then, we faithfully respond to His call, experiencing His faithfulness.

“The entire Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, ‘If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat and ate all the bread we wanted. Instead, you brought us into this desert to make this whole assembly die of hunger!’” Exodus 16:2-3 (HCSB)

We generally think of “slave life” as a constant stream of whipping and starvation. The Library of Congress has compiled first-hand accounts by American Civil War-era slaves, who describe a very different way of life.  

To be sure, I am not advocating slavery or seeking to absolve slave owners of their moral injustices. I am simply relaying the testimonies of those who lived the life of slaves.

It helps to understand that slaves were forced, laborers. No slave owner, concerned about making a profit, would deprive or abuse his “property” to the point that it reduced productivity. Rather, the slaves were clothed, housed, and fed. Not luxuriously, by any means, but the basics would be there.

Not only is slavery a high moral crime, but it is also bad business. It has been proven that free workers are far more efficient than slave labor. Yet, the myth of slavery (free labor) will always entice throughout the generations. Part of what makes slavery inefficient for the “master” is how enslavement affects a person’s spirit. Slaves become crafty. They become quite adept at working just hard enough to avoid the whip. Take away a man’s freedom, and he loses self-worth, initiative, and discipline.

Biblical slavery, as God allows for the community of Israel in His Torah, is the freewill “indentured” type, not forced slavery. While the New Testament refers to believers as “slaves,” it also calls followers of Jesus “disciples.”  We are also described as co-inheritors with Messiah, rights & privileges not typically bestowed upon slaves.   The simple meaning of “disciple” is “one who disciplines himself to follow.”  This is precisely why God led Israel through the desert: He was weaning Israel from slave life, slave mentality, slave ethics, etc., and teaching them to be disciplined and devoted to Him.

While still a “youth,” the nation of Israel is led through difficult circumstances…desert after desert. Their responses to adversity exposed their craftiness, unrighteousness, and spiritual immaturity.

What difficult circumstances has God led you through lately? Have you “disciplined” your walk to condition a response that honors the name He has given you: Redeemed? Or do you still long for the dysfunctional comfort, the certain slow death of sin’s bondage from whatever “Egypt” you were delivered?

“When Moses’ hands (holding his staff) grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat down on it. Then Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and on the other, so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his army with the sword.”  Exodus 17:12-13 (HCSB)

Let’s consider Moses, the leader. As long as Moses’ hands were lifted to the Lord, Israel progressed victoriously. In business, there is a saying, “speed of the leader, speed of the team.”  As long as the leader worships the Lord, those following will respond in kind. If Moses “served as God” to Aaron (Exodus 4:16), then the community of Israel got a good picture in today’s passage that it will always struggle (and ultimately fail) if it relies on a human leader’s ability to remain righteously vigilant. It is good to know that the Messiah never tires in His interceding, the Spirit never falters in His revelation, nor does God become exhausted in His intervening on our behalf! We never fail for lack of God’s strength, ability, or wisdom or because of a deficit of His upright character!

Then, there is the stone. In Biblical imagery, the “stone” represents remembrance. When his physical resources were exhausted, Moses rested on the foundational memory of God’s covenant.

What of Aaron and Hur? No leader is an island, fully self-sustained. Even the greatest leaders need a strong inner circle of lieutenants. These advisers/support managers are recruited, developed, and sustained in direct proportion to the leaders’ display of character over time. Lieutenants are not a luxury; they are essential to successfully supporting the vision the Lord has given the leader and holding him accountable to it. These two men can also represent the Lord’s Spirit, who helps us by revealing the truth of God’s Word and empowering us to live righteously.

Now, let’s turn to Joshua. Every military campaign needs trustworthy battlefield warriors. These men believe entirely in the vision to the point where they do not sway, even under intense fire. Joshua never left Moses’ side after this battle. It is safe to say he knew Moses better than anyone else. Great preaching is of little value unless the “pew people” respond by going into the World, willing to wield the sword of God’s Word, and rescuing those held captive by sin and the World’s bondage.

The name “Jesus” is a Westernized translation of the Hebrew name “Yeshua,” which, by the way, also loosely translates as “Joshua.” The name’s meaning in Hebrew is “God saves). Yeshua (Jesus) is the “Word of God,” made flesh. (John 1) His victory over death & sin has become our salvation, and He is at God’s side, even now. It is His strength and righteousness that we cling to for salvation! (Acts 4:12)

“‘Praise the Lord,’ Jethro exclaimed, ‘who rescued you from Pharaoh and the power of the Egyptians and snatched the people from the power of the Egyptians. Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all gods, because He did wonders when the Egyptians acted arrogantly against Israel.’ Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law in God’s presence.” Exodus 18:10-12 (HCSB)

The lesson of Israel’s exodus affected more than just Israel and Egypt. The four people groups most closely impacted were 1) Israel, 2) Egypt, 3) the Kingdoms of Canaan, and 5) Moses’ Gentile (Midianite) in-laws.

Israel responded to God by following Him. Egypt responded by defying Him. The Canaanites responded by challenging Him, and Jethro responded by believing in Him.

Not since the meeting of Melchizedek and Abraham has the Bible given us such a clear indication of God’s acceptance of worship from a people other than Israel. Melchizedek was a priest-king of Salem, and Jethro was a priest of Midian. Neither were Israelites.

Interestingly, Jethro is that he burnt offerings and sacrificed to the Lord. In the presence of the Lord, Jethro, and all Israel’s leaders ate a meal – Jew and Gentile, together. This symbolizes that the Lord accepts the worship of all who acknowledge Him.  

The word “Acknowledgement” means more than mere intellectual assent or the belief that God exists. It is more of a turning from old ways and beliefs and a turning to the ways of the Lord. The cessation of false religion and the assumption of faith in YHWH constitutes Biblical “acknowledgment.” The absence of Divine protest indicates that Jethro’s heart was considered “faithful” by the Lord.

Interestingly, there is also the image of the goyim (Gentile) Jethro bringing Moses’ bride and children to him. Similarly, the Bible says the “nations” will someday carry the children of Israel back home. It is a beautiful picture of how the (predominantly Gentile) Church will share the gospel with the Jewish people.    

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘See, I will beckon to the nations, I will lift up my banner to the peoples; they will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their hips.’” Isaiah 49:22 (NIV)

The church, composed of Jew & Gentile believers, is called the “bride” of Messiah. (Revelation 19:7)

“The Lord directed Moses, ‘Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the Lord; otherwise, many of them will die. Even the priests who come near the Lord must purify themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.’  But Moses responded to the Lord, ‘The people cannot come up Mount Sinai since you warned us: Put a boundary around the mountain and consider it holy.’”  Exodus 19:21-23 (HCSB)

Several months after their exodus from Egypt, Moses was obviously frustrated with the children of Israel. Bellyaching had replaced appreciation as the national demeanor of God’s people. It is easy to be frustrated with complaining people; they compromise the bulk of a pastor’s ministry burden. The Bible calls us “sheep,” and we are all created with an acute need for a shepherd.

At this point in the Exodus, though, Moses seems as frustrated with God as much as he did with the people. Perhaps the source of his frustration concerned a promise God made when He called Moses to lead Israel.

“But Moses asked God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt? God answered, ‘I will certainly be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain.’” Exodus 3:11-12 (HCSB)

Moses had done all God had told him to do. He went to Egypt, spoke to Israel and Pharaoh, obeyed the Lord, and led Israel out. In Moses’ heart, he must have felt he held up his end of the bargain. At what he thought was the end, Moses was ready to see the completion of his calling. The people were standing at the foot of the mountain. All Moses needed to see was for Israel to worship on that mountain. Then, his season of shepherding would be completed. But God withheld Israel from coming up the mountain!

Why would God withhold the fulfillment of His promise to Moses? More so, why would He deny Israel the freedom to worship in His presence?

Worship is a matter of the heart, and Israel’s heart was not ready. Nor was Moses’ heart. Much of what men would let pass for worship, the Lord literally cannot stand!

Has the Lord withheld something from you lately? Trust that His judgment & timing are always perfectly aligned with His plan & character. Wait on the Lord’s timing. Who knows what the world would be like today had Israel waited on the Lord until Moses returned from the mountain, bearing the tablets of the 10 Commandments? Yet, their worship of the golden calf proved God’s wisdom in not allowing them to enter His presence in the first place. His desire was for their worship, but that would take time, and in His patient, gracious wisdom, God would teach Israel how to worship rightly. Remember: the word “Torah” does not translate as “Law.”  It translates as “Teaching.”

“All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain surrounded by smoke. When the people saw it they trembled and stood at a distance. ‘You speak to us and we will listen,’ they said to Moses, ‘but don’t let God speak to us or we will die.’ Moses responded to the people, ‘Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you will fear Him and will not sin,’” Exodus 20:18-20 (HCSB)

“My pastor says…”  

I’m so glad I attend a church with a great pastor! He simply loves the Bible and lives to teach it. He encourages the congregants to bring our Bibles and models Biblical scholarship by preaching from his own Bible. He values the Bible as “the source” of knowledge, as opposed to “a resource” for some topic or agenda. I thank the Lord for the fact that our pastor encourages us to read our Bibles every day.  

I can think of only one thing in my journey to follow Jesus that beats good preaching:  Personal Bible study. That’s right. What’s more important than what someone teaches you after they studied the Bible is what God teaches you when YOU read it for yourself.

A major problem in our culture is that people don’t believe the Bible. A major problem in our congregations is that more and more preachers don’t teach the Bible in its entirety. A major problem in our families is that spouses and children don’t speak about the Bible. A major problem with churchgoers is that they don’t read the Bible

“There is enough dust on the Bibles of England to, with one’s finger, spell the word, ‘Damnation!’” Charles Spurgeon  

Hopefully, you are changing that trend. When we read the Bible, we discuss it with those close to us. When we discuss it, a community of Bible-mindedness grows. New Bible teachers are raised in rhythm with those communities, and communities devoted to God steer their cultures.

Don’t be afraid of approaching the Lord. Be afraid of what will happen if you don’t!

“Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.” Hebrews 4:16 (HCSB)

“And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. “You shall have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20:1-3 (NKJV)

Keep this list to practice and teach others The Ten Commandments!

1st COMMANDMENT: “I am the Lord thy God...thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:2-3 (NKJV)

Hold up your pointer finger. Look at your finger and say, “There is only ONE God.”

2nd COMMANDMENT: “You shall not make for yourself any carved images...” Exodus 20:4 (NKJV)

Hold up two fingers like a peace sign. Look at both fingers and say, “If there is only ONE God, there shouldn’t be two, so I won’t make anymore.”

3rd COMMANDMENT: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain...” Exodus 20:7 (NKJV)

Hold up three fingers (like a “W” for Wiggins). Say to yourself, “Do not use the Lord’s name in vain,” which refers to Spiritual adultery. **Also, remember Commandment #7

4th COMMANDMENT: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Exodus 20:10 (NKJV)

Hold up four fingers, look at them and say, “Commandment #4: Remember the Sabbath day and set it apart for God, because that’s what it’s there FOUR (for)!”

5th COMMANDMENT: “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” Exodus 20:12 (NKJV)

Hold up one hand in a “High-Five” and say, “Honor your father and mother, and you will live long in the land the Lord is giving you.” Then, wave your hand down at about knee-level, like you’re spanking a kid! Because at my home, we were spanked if we disobeyed mom & dad.

6th COMMANDMENT: “Thou shalt not kill.” Exodus 20:13 (NKJV)

Hold up a “High-Five” in one hand and hold up the “pointer finger” of the other. Then, point the pointer finger (like a gun) at your best friend and say, “Don’t commit murder!!!”

7th COMMANDMENT: “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” Exodus 20:14 (NKJV)

Hold up a “High Five” in one hand and a “Peace sign” in the other. Say to yourself, “Don’t commit adultery.” (Relational Adultery) **Remember Commandment #3

8th COMMANDMENT: “Thou shalt not steal.” Exodus 20:15 (NKJV)

Hold up a “High-Five” in one hand and three fingers in the other hand. Say, “Commandment number 8: I stole the bread, and I EIGHT (ate) it!

9th COMMANDMENT: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.” Exodus 20:16 (NKJV)

Hold up a “High-Five” on one hand and a “High-Four” on the other, and say, “Commandment number Nine: no lying!” “Nine” and “Lying” sort of rhyme…

10th COMMANDMENT: “Thou shalt not covet...” Exodus 20:17 (NKJV)

Hold up two “High-Fives” and say, “Number Ten is the end: We LOVE IT! But we still don’t covet.”

“When He had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the testimony, stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God.” Exodus 31:18 (HCSB)

A while back, I was asked to speak at a men’s conference in the Northeast. There were about 400 men in attendance. The topic and text of my message was “Book Of The Law Found,” 2 Chronicles 34:14-21. (I suggest you take the time and read that passage.) See, I believe the Church-at-large has largely lost the Bible. That is, the Bible is often treated as a “resource” instead of “the Source” in that so few churches reinforce the urgency for God’s people to aggressively pursue His Word. To establish whether my message was even applicable to the group, I asked that everyone who could recite the Ten Commandments would stand and do so. Only about 1/3 of the men stood up. When I asked who could recite the Commandments in order, every man sat down.

I was guessing there wouldn’t be many who could recite them, but I was blown away to discover not a single man could do it with confidence! Could you?

For this week (before we begin reading the Old Testament next week), I would like to teach you the Ten Commandments. This is the same method I use to teach my children.

“He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, ‘Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of Heaven.” Matthew 18:2-3 (NAB)

FIRST COMMANDMENT: Hold up your pointer finger. Look at your finger and say, “There is ONE God.”

“Do not have other gods besides Me.” Exodus 20:3 (HCSB)

SECOND COMMANDMENT: Hold up two fingers (peace sign). Look at both fingers and say, “If there is only ONE God, there shouldn’t be two. I shouldn’t make anymore.”

“Do not make any idols for yourself” Exodus 20:4a (HCSB)

**Now, there is more verbiage to commandment #2, so I suggest you read it all. That said, we’re covering the gist as one would teach a child.

OK. That’s it for today. Memorize those, and we’ll cover two more tomorrow.

One more thing: It would be good for you and your friends and family to learn & recite the Commandments together. It would be an encouragement for each other, as well as a testimony to anyone looking on, wondering if you are truly serious about God’s Word.

"Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain..." Exodus 20:7a (NKJV)

"You shall not commit adultery." Exodus 20:14 (NKJV)

I know what you’re thinking: Shouldn’t we be learning 3 & 4?  Well, I was educated in Arkansas, and that’s how we count! Ha!

In reality, I teach 3 & 7 because they are closely alike. They both deal with infidelity, or “adultery.” Also, because 3 & 7 are Biblical numbers associated with God.

The number 3 reminds us of the Trinity (or tri-unity) of God: Father, Son, Spirit.

The number 7, as we learned in the book of Revelation, is the Biblical number of “completion.”

That being said, the Third Commandment deals with SPIRITUAL infidelity, and the 7th deals with RELATIONAL infidelity.

3rd COMMANDMENT: Hold up three fingers (like a “W” for Wiggins). Say to yourself, “Do not take the Lord’s name in vain.”

“Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” Exodus 20:7 (NKJV)

Remember how the Bible says Jesus is the Bridegroom and WE (the Church) are the Bride? Imagine a man & woman marrying. In a wedding ceremony, the woman takes the man’s name for her own. The two become “one.” But what if, afterward, she decides to cheat on the man, leave him, and live with another man while claiming to be the first man’s wife? She would have taken that man’s name in vain. Her life did not match up with her vow.

God is telling us that it is a sin to receive His Name, claim to be His “Bride,” and then live our lives devoted to the World. It is SPIRITUAL ADULTERY. He is saying to Israel, in a sense, “If you are going to be a people, called by My name, you had better live like it!”

7th COMMANDMENT: Hold up a “High Five” in one hand and a “Peace sign” in the other. Say to yourself, “Don’t commit adultery.”

“You shall not commit adultery.” Exodus 20:14 (NKJV)

Number 7 is pretty cut & dried. Be faithful to your spouse. Sadly, this is a hard one for our culture. Again, just as Commandment #3 dealt with SPIRITUAL infidelity, #7 deals with RELATIONAL infidelity. That’s why we teach them together.

So, review for yourself: #1….#2….#3….#7.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to set it apart for God. You have six days to labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath unto the Lord your God. On it, you are not to do any kind of work – not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, not your livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property. For in six days, the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day, He rested. This is why the Lord blessed the day, Sabbath, and separated it for Himself.” Exodus 20:8-11 (CJB) ‍

“Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12 (NKJV)

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“Commandment #4: Remember the Sabbath day and set it apart for God… ’cause that’s what it’s there FOUR! (For)”

Today, we are focusing on Commandments 4 & 5. They are not as intimately related as the 1 & 2 and 3 & 7, so let’s consider them individually.

4th COMMANDMENT: Hold up four fingers, look at them and say, “Commandment #4: Remember the Sabbath day and set it apart for God… ’cause that’s what it’s there FOUR! (For)”

“Remember the Sabbath day, to set it apart for God. You have six days to labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath unto the Lord your God. On it, you are not to do any kind of work – not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, not your livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property. For in six days, the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day, He rested. This is why the Lord blessed the day, Sabbath, and separated it for Himself.” Exodus 20:8-11 (CJB)

A friend once asked me how well I observe the Sabbath, as the Lord has directed us: A total day of rest. I had honestly never considered the question before. I guess I’m too busy trying not to break the other Commandments that I simply overlooked the command to do nothing! Today I want to challenge you with the same question. How well are you obeying God’s command to set aside a day of rest? I’m not talking about setting aside a couple hours to attend a church service. I’m not talking about setting aside a day to play because, in our extreme sports culture, we work at our play. I want to challenge you to set aside a day where you simply do NOTHING. Try it. It’s harder than you think!

5th COMMANDMENT: Hold up one hand, like a “high-five,” and say, “Honor your father and mother, and you will live long in the land the Lord is giving you.” Then, wave your hand down at about knee-level…as if you’re spanking a kid. Because at my house, we got a spanking if we disobeyed mom and dad!

“Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12 (NKJV)

Our generation has lost much of its sense of honor and respect, even in my lifetime. Perhaps, the Asian culture is the last holdout for honoring elders. The Biblical command to “honor your father and mother” means much more than simply obeying them. It means to live a life that brings honor to them…which is impossible apart from a life wholly devoted to God through a relationship with Jesus. As a matter of fact, if your parents are against your following Jesus, you actually bring honor to them by disobeying them in that regard. Between the ages of 18-25, people generally detach themselves from their parent’s authority and set out to find their own way. They are developing their own value systems. Make sure you fulfill the 5th Commandment (and reap its articulated blessing) by establishing your value system fully and completely upon God’s Word.

“Do not murder.” Exodus 20:13 (HCSB)

“Do not steal.” Exodus 20:15 (HCSB)

“High-Five” in one hand and hold up the “pointer finger” of the other. Then, point the pointer finger outward at your friend (or family member) and say, “Don’t commit murder!!” Then say, “Lucky for you, this thing wasn’t loaded.” (That part is optional! Ha!)

Today, we are focusing on Commandments 6 & 8. If you remember, we already learned Commandment #7 when we learned #3 because they both deal with infidelity. (#3 deals with spiritual adultery, while #7 deals with physical adultery.)

6 & 8 are my kids’ favorites. Let dig-in.

6th COMMANDMENT: Hold up a “High-Five” in one hand and hold up the “pointer finger” of the other. Then, point the pointer finger outward at your friend (or family member) and say, “Don’t commit murder!!” Then say, “Lucky for you, this thing wasn’t loaded.” (That part is optional! Ha!)

“Do not murder.” Exodus 20:13 (HCSB)

There is an ongoing debate among pacifists concerning the 6th Commandment and how it is to be interpreted as pertains to War and the Death Penalty. To be exact, the Commandment does not prohibit killing. It does not say, “Thou shalt not kill,” as many wrongly assume. Commandment #6 does prohibit murder. It says, “Do not murder.” This is entirely different from when the government punishes a heinous crime versus when a soldier fulfills his duties. There are times when taking another human life is absolutely necessary and lawful in the eyes of God. I recall an interview with U2 lead singer Bono when he commented on this very issue. He described how his personal political views, and his alignment with pacifist organizations like Amnesty International, did not always jive with the realities of imminent danger. He said he always considered himself a pacifist until he saw a man with a gun in his backyard. He told the reporter how he grabbed a knife and would have used it to defend his family. He said he did not doubt that he would have killed the intruder if necessity demanded it.

8th COMMANDMENT: Hold up a “High-Five” in one hand and three fingers on the other hand. Say, “I stole the bread, and I EIGHT (ate) it!

“Do not steal.” Exodus 20:15 (HCSB)

Images of Les Misérables come flooding in…stealing bread in times of trouble. Seriously, do we have to go into the intricacies of stealing? It is simply taking what is not yours.

So, how are you doing so far? Can you recite all of them so far? #1…..#2….#3…..#4…..#5…..#6……#7……#8…..

“Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Exodus 20:16 (HCSB)

“Do not covet your neighbor’s house; do not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female slave, his ox, his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Exodus 20: 17 (HCSB)

“Celebrate Good Times,” balloons & confetti!) Good times, indeed. It is always a good idea to recite these commandments among friends & family. This practice is intended to encourage one another and a positive testimony to any onlookers. We want to communicate that we are serious about knowing the Lord, as well as seeking His requirements for the people who bear His Name.

9th COMMANDMENT: Hold up a “High-Five” on the one hand and a “High-Four” on the other, and say, “Commandment number Nine: no lying!” “Nine” and “Lying” sort of rhyme…

“Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Exodus 20:16 (HCSB)

Today, we finish the 10 Commandments! (Cue the Pointer Sisters’ “Celebrate Good Times,” balloons & confetti!) Good times, indeed. It is always a good idea to recite these commandments among friends & family. This practice is intended to encourage one another and a positive testimony to any onlookers. We want to communicate that we are serious about knowing the Lord, as well as seeking His requirements for the people who bear His Name.

9th COMMANDMENT: Hold up a “High-Five” on the one hand and a “High-Four” on the other, and say, “Commandment number Nine: no lying!” “Nine” and “Lying” sort of rhyme…

“Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Exodus 20:16 (HCSB)

Pretty much everyone knows that lying is a sin, but as with the other commandments, this one goes deeper than the general pedestrian understanding. God foresaw a time when the people of Israel would take each other to court and lie about the evidence. ( Surely, that would NEVER happen today. Ha!) We see this sin most prominently displayed in the trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin. Some Pharisees convinced people to testify falsely against Jesus, but none of their stories could be corroborated. When we consider the idea of what modern Christianity calls “witnessing” (or sharing your faith), the command not to “Bear false witness” carries extra gravity. After all, don’t we sin when we profess to love Jesus, yet our lifestyles bear witness that we really love the World?

10th COMMANDMENT: Hold up two “High-Fives” and say, “Number Ten is the end: We LOVE IT! Don’t covet!”

“Do not covet your neighbor’s house; do not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female slave, his ox, his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Exodus 20: 17 (HCSB)

The correct understanding of coveting is somewhat foreign to our culture. Coveting is not simply wanting something your neighbor has. That is no sin. If your neighbor gets a new car, for instance, and you want one too, all you have to do is simply work hard and buy one like your neighbor’s. Coveting is more like an evil craving to have something INSTEAD of your neighbor. Coveting is the deep compulsion to envy and hate your neighbor for having some “thing” instead of you, and it generates the desire to destroy your neighbor, if necessary, to obtain that “thing.” It is the root of all spiritual and relational adultery. It is the root of all sorts of greed, thievery, malicious intent, and warring.

So, now can you recite ALL 10 Commandments by memory??

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Exodus 21. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“You must not exploit a foreign resident or oppress him, since you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.”  Exodus 22:21 (HCSB)

My family and I lived in Riverside in Southern California for many years. Our town was comprised of a myriad of people groups, but the dominant ethnicity was Mexican—48% Mexican, to be exact. Without reigniting the debate over who originally owned the land of California, let’s just say that race relations can occasionally be a sensitive topic around California. This is especially true when it comes to illegal residents.

As a matter of policy, whenever any country borders another country, the issue of immigration is sure to cause a debate. It is safe to say this is an age-old issue. We know this because 40 years before Israel entered the Promised Land, God outlined how the Israelites should treat foreigners once they finally entered Canaan and took possession.

Of all the ancient cultures, only the God of Israel was as compassionate towards the weak, meek, needy & lowly. I believe God’s gracious attitude towards humanity is because He created all life on earth and that, before time began, He had a plan to redeem mankind through Messiah Jesus. (1 Peter 1:20; Revelation 13:8)

All men are God’s creation; hence, all men deserve dignity. That’s not to say all men honor God. I am simply saying that nobody knows who will eventually repent and follow God, regardless of nationality. Individuals from all nationalities will become members of God’s family, but who knows which ones will respond to the Gospel? We might as well treat them all with dignity, especially in remembrance of how we were merely sinners, saved by God’s grace.

For a moment, let’s assume the “identity” of Israel. Consider “foreigners” as those who are yet to trust the Messiah. How do you respond when a non-believer enters your Church? How do you treat non-believers when you are around a group of your believing friends?  

Do you show grace and compassion when others seek to distance themselves from “sinners”? Do you remember how it felt before you knew the Lord? How was the person who led you to Jesus different from other “believers” you had met before, so different that you decided to follow Jesus? Be THAT person for the non-believers in your life.

Not only is it possible to lead people to the Lord, standing firm in Biblical conviction, all the while maintaining a gracious & merciful demeanor. It is essential!

“For I will place the inhabitants of the land under your control, and you will drive them out ahead of you. You must not make a covenant with them or their gods. They must not remain in your land, or else they will make you sin against Me. If you worship their gods, it will be a snare for you.”  Exodus 23:31b-33 (HCSB)

These verses have all three components of salvation & victorious living: Grace, Works, and Faith.  

The passage might be viewed as a metaphor for personal salvation, with our bodies representing the “land.” After all, mankind began as nothing more than God’s breath on a handful of dirt! (Genesis 2:7)  

The “former inhabitants” represent the sinful ways that used to control us. “Israel” represents us, our souls, delivered. The “idols/gods” are the goals that sinful nature pursues.

GRACE- The system that God allows, whereby mankind can be saved through faith (instead of being perfect in righteousness), is Grace. (Ephesians 2:8-9). Deliverance/salvation through man’s faithful belief is God’s gift. Otherwise, our righteousness would be weighed purely against the virtue of our works. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.” (Romans 3:23). Since God’s standard is PERFECTION, it is impossible for us to do enough “good works” to earn salvation.

God’s Grace was displayed in this passage by placing Israel in control of the “former inhabitants.”  “Accepting God’s Grace” means we faithfully believe God’s righteousness has delivered us. (Sometimes, even before the deliverance occurs!)  Even though “former inhabitants” may still be present, He promises to go before us, driving them out in proportion to our faithful willingness to fight. (Romans 6:23)

FAITH- Saving knowledge of the unseen meant that Israel had to trust God against unknown lands, nations, and gods. Israel drove out the land’s former inhabitants to the extent that they had faith in God’s promise. Do you believe in God’s promise of salvation to the extent that you would faithfully (and sometimes forcefully) turn from your sin, sending the message, “Don’t come back!”?

WORKS- The “life” of faith is Works. Have you continued to discipline yourself, armed with God’s promises in His Word, to drive out those “former inhabitants”?   Continue working hard to destroy all goals & motivations that would cause you to abandon God!  

We are not saved by Faith and Works. We are (gracefully) saved by Faith that Works!

“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to Me on the mountain and stay there so that I may give you the stone tablets with the law and commands I have written for their instruction.’ So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua, and went up to the mountain of God.  He told the elders, ‘Wait here for us until we return to you. Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute should go to them.’”  Exodus 24: 12-14 (HCSB)

Organizations of every size have to face the issue of succession. All corporations, nations, and ministries built around a charismatic leader must eventually cope with that leader’s absence. The challenge of patriarchal success is not just building something big.  It is creating something that would flourish in your absence.

In a documentary on Cuban leader Fidel Castro, analysts speculated about the ability of Fidel’s brother to run the country once Fidel passed away. Many evangelicals were suspicious when Franklin Graham became more prominent in his father Billy’s evangelical association. Sometimes, the successor is easily recognized. Other times, God’s choice would be man’s least likely candidate.

Joseph was the youngest brother, yet his father put him in charge of his elders. And what of the story of David? A young worship-leading shepherd boy was anointed king, above all of the military, business, and political leaders of Israel. Consider Peter. Why would Messiah give the “keys to His Church” to the disciple who would deny Him three times?

One thing is certain: God knows a leader when He calls one!

Aaron was Moses’ spokesman and elder brother. He was a direct participant in God’s Egyptian miracles. It seems he would be the perfect candidate to succeed Moses. At least he would have accompanied Moses to receive God’s tablets! But it was Joshua who attended that historic event with Moses.

Later, we learn why. Neither Aaron, Hur, nor any elders were fit to lead Israel. That was proven by their construction and worship of the golden calf.

When God calls a leader, we may never know what He spared us from. When we choose a leader (apart from God’s leading), we may never know God’s intended blessing.

Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land. Perhaps Joshua’s name held some secret about God’s plan for his future. “Joshua” means “God saves,” and it is the root of the name “Yeshua,” given to a young boy from Nazareth, whom we call “Jesus.”

“Set the mercy seat on top of the ark and put the testimony that I will give you into the ark. I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony; I will speak with you from there about all that I command you regarding the Israelites.”  Exodus 25: 21-22 (HCSB)

Grace and Mercy are two independent concepts, yet they work closely together.  

Grace is getting what you don’t deserve. It has been described through the acrostic: G.R.A.C.E.: God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense

Mercy is not getting what you deserve. Think of this acrostic: M.E.R.C.Y.: My Extensive Righteousness Covers You

In the Ark, God’s mercy is positioned on top. It is the arbitrator between His covenant and His law. In that sense, the ark, with its covering & contents, can be viewed as a picture of the Trinity.

The covenant represents Grace, God’s promise: Jesus. The Law represents Justice, His standard revealed: Spirit. Mercy represents the Wisdom of weighing the two, pronouncing judgment: God.

Without mercy, Israel would always be caught in a divine “Catch-22”. Could they rest in God’s promise to their forefathers, or did they have to live up to His perfect standard? God’s mercy provides the balance, His response. Sometimes, His mercy brings about hardship to teach us. Other times, mercy keeps us from the full consequences to encourage us. It is solely His wise judgment that determines His course. That is mercy.

The good news is that Messiah “…is able to protect you from stumbling and make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless and with great joy.” Jude 1:24  (HCSB)

When Jesus paid our sin debt, it satisfied God’s standard for us. Messiah not only cleared our debt, but He also imputed (deposited) righteousness into our accounts.

When the Lord looks upon a believer in Jesus, He sees only His covenant promise and His law fulfilled. His response to us will be the same as that to His Son, “Well done!”

For those outside Messiah’s covering, the Bible says He reserves the response, “Turn away; I never knew you.”  

Who would reject so great a salvation? (Hebrews 2:3)

“You are to set up the tabernacle according to the plan for it that you have been shown on the mountain.”  Exodus 26:30 (HCSB)

A tabernacle is a tent. In Biblical imagery, “tabernacle” describes several things.  

The Tabernacle was a portable tent used as a sanctuary for the Ark of the Covenant by the Israelites during the Exodus. This is where Moses would go to meet with the Lord. After Moses’ death, only the high priest could enter the innermost “Holy of Holies.”

Another tabernacle is the “sukkah,” a temporary light shelter with a roof of branches built in Jewish homes, yards, or synagogues for the “festival of Tabernacles.” AKA: a “booth,” God commands every Jew to build and live in a sukkah for seven days each year. This is to remember God’s provision and guidance during their 40 years of wandering in the desert. In fact, the Lord desires that all nations celebrate “Sukkot.”

“And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.” Revelation 21:3 (NKJV) (see also: Zechariah 14:16-19)

Another “Tabernacle” is your own body.  

“Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.” 2 Peter 1:13-14  (NKJV)

Three things come to mind when I consider the Tabernacle:  

The first is the transient nature of tent-dwelling. One who lives in a tent should not become too attached to one location. We should be willing to follow wherever the Lord leads. Our love should be only for the Lord, and our desire should be consumed with wherever He guides.

Second, God’s standard and instructions for setting up a tabernacle are very specific. Those who say they are the Lord’s yet build their lives by their own design fool themselves. Jesus said we should set up our lives by His plan.

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”  John 14:15 (HCSB)

Lastly, God’s presence dwells in His Tabernacle.

“Do you not know that your bodies are the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God?”  1 Corinthians 6:19a (HCSB)

“You are to construct an altar of acacia wood.”  Exodus 27:1 (HCSB)

The Orthodox (non-Messianic) Jewish Rabbis have explained the symbolism of the altar by forming an anagram from each of the four letters spelling the Hebrew word: “Mizbe’ah.” Since few of you read Hebrew, and I don’t know how to make my computer type Hebrew letters, you’ll just have to trust me! Here’s the English translation:

FORGIVENESS: Sin separates us from God. The altar was the channel whereby the Israelites could seek reconciliation with God.  

MERIT: Gratitude, humility, and contrition found their outlet on the altar. By approaching the Lord through virtues, life was ennobled, and “merit” acquired.

BLESSING: By remaining faithful to the teachings centered around the altar, man receives the Lord’s blessing and becomes a blessing to his fellow men.

LIFE: The altar points the way to everlasting life. It directs one’s worship to things that abide forever: righteousness, holiness, and God’s Word.

For men to perpetuate forgiveness, merit, blessing, and life, it was necessary for them to sacrifice prescribed things at prescribed times in a prescribed manner. Problem: The atonement diminished over time. You were only covered until the time for the next sacrifice.

Interestingly, these days, neither of the two tabernacle altars exists. They were replaced by the altars Solomon built for the Temple, and those Solomonic altars have been missing since the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD. So, how are one’s sins atoned for today?

We receive forgiveness, merit, blessing, and life when we trust in the Messiah, Jesus. Plus, we have the added bonus: His atoning sacrifice lasts FOREVER.

“We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle do not have the right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy of holies by the high priest as a sin offering are burned outside the camp. Therefore, Messiah also suffered outside the gate so He may sanctify the people by His own blood. Let us then go to Him outside the camp, bearing His disgrace. For here we do not have an enduring city; instead, we seek the one to come. Therefore through Him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips that profess His name. Don’t neglect to do good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.”  Hebrews 13:10-16 (HCSB)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Exodus 28. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Slaughter the ram, take some of its blood, and put it on Aaron’s right earlobe, on his son’s right earlobes, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Sprinkle the remaining blood on the sides of the altar. Take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle them on Aaron and his garments. In this way, he and his garments will become holy, as well as his sons and their garments.”  Exodus 29:20-21 (HCSB)

Atoning for sin is a bloody business. It is ugly, and it involves death. Mankind has a way of excusing its own sin rather than dealing with it head-on. All people in all cultures feel guilt; hence, the removal of guilt is close to the heart of everyone, everywhere.  

The fact that men naturally feel “guilty” testifies that there is a moral law from which to judge right & wrong. If there is a moral law, there must be a moral lawgiver, i.e., God.

The problem is not as much that men don’t know they sin. It is that they overlook their own sin, even while exposing the sins of others. The closer people come to God, the more they feel in touch with/convinced of their “guilt.” Some respond by humbling themselves before the Lord and repenting, while others react in anger and hatred toward Him and His people.

“If the world hates you, understand it hated Me before it hated you.” John 15:18 (HCSB)

From as far back as the Garden of Eden, God prepared a way to atone for or “cover” sin. Remember how God exchanged Adam & Eve’s fig leaf attire for animal skins? Sin kills, so if you do not want the fullness of judgment to fall on you, something (or someone) has to bear your punishment, leading to death. The blood of the sacrifice reminds men of how heinous their sin is. In terms of everlasting atonement, only Jesus’ sacrifice of His sinless life is both affective and effective in bringing about our salvation. His atonement is received when we turn away from our sin and turn to Him, confess our sin, profess our belief in the worth of His sacrifice and Lordship, and commit to following Him. (Acts 4:12)

For Aaron and his sons, the ear was touched with the blood, that it might be consecrated (set apart) to hear the word of God; the hand, to perform the duties connected with the priesthood; and the foot, to walk in the path of righteousness.

All followers of Jesus are called to be “priests” (servants). (1 Peter 2:9) Messiah’s blood consecrates every part of us: ear, hand & foot, and this “consecration” is extended to every member of His kingdom. (Matthew 26:28, Ephesians 1:7, 2:13)

“The wealthy may not give more, and the poor may not give less, than half a shekel when giving the contribution to the Lord to atone for your lives. Take the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will serve as a reminder for the Israelites before the Lord to atone for your lives.”  Exodus 30:15-16 (HCSB)

The technical expression for “ransom” occurs three times in the Torah, and each time, it refers to money paid by one who is guilty of taking human life in circumstances that do not constitute murder. Such a ransom was forbidden in the case of deliberate murder. You could not simply murder someone, pay an agreed-upon price, and have your sin atoned for via your debit card, so to speak.

This concept underlies the “half-shekel atonement” of today’s passage. The same phrase is used in connection with the offering of plunder after the Midianite battle, in Numbers 31:52. Those men registering in the census were those registering for military duty…all non-disabled men. The soldier who was marching into battle was (in the eyes of Heaven) a potential taker of life, although not a deliberate murderer.  

The soldier is to be impressed with the fact that, as the aims for which he goes into battle may be, war remains a necessary “evil.”  Therefore, a ransom is to be paid at the time of mustering (for the taking of life) long before the actual fighting occurs.

Whether rich or poor, the tax was the same. All souls taken are of equal value, and all life-takers of equal guilt in the eyes of God. Hence, all are to give the same ransom.  

Concerning our guilt, Jesus paid our ransom.

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, Christ Jesus, Himself human, who gave Himself—a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time.” 1 Timothy 2:5-6 (HCSB)

The redemption of Christ is offered to all people, regardless of nationality or social standing.

“And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals; because you were slaughtered, and You redeemed us for God by Your blood from every tribe, and language, and people, and nation.”  Revelation 5:9 (HCSB)

Those present at Jesus’ trial cried, “May His blood be on our children and us!”  Yet Jesus prayed,” Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34 In effect, He was asking that their murderous intents and actions, zealous as they may have been, be counted as “unintentional killing,” while He personally paid their ransom for the act. Ponder the depth of His great love for you. Do you feel the gravity of His sacrifice?

“The Lord said to Moses: ‘Tell the Israelites: You must observe My Sabbaths, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, so that you will know that I am Yahweh who sets you apart. Observe the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Whoever profanes it must be put to death. If anyone does work on it, that person must be cut off from his people.’”  Exodus 31:12-14 (HCSB)

My wife and I went on a mission trip to Mexico several years ago. On the Mexican border of Texas, many “squatters” had formed “colonias,” shantytowns. Our mission was to build 9x12 houses for these severely impoverished people.  It was over 100 degrees down there and incredibly humid…no easy task!

One of the men on my team was a fireman. Ever since we had met in Texas, this guy was talking about heat exhaustion, “Gotta stop every 15 minutes, and drink water….”  On and on, he droned. I had been a college athlete as a long-distance runner. I could run for miles, and nobody was there to give me a single drop of water. This fireman obviously was talking to the “lightweights.”

1/2 way through our second day on the job, our construction wasn’t nearly as far along as it should have been. The fireman called for a break, and I kept working. Thirty minutes later, another break. I kept working. Two hours later, I started feeling dizzy. You get the point. The next thing I knew, the fireman was treating my heat exhaustion. I should have trusted the expert.

Constructing the Tabernacle was of the highest importance. It was work in service to God. But it was not of greater importance than the Divinely ordered rest: Shabbat. Nothing was permitted to supersede it.

To profane, the Sabbath resulted in death. It was the equivalent of breaking the third commandment, “Do not receive the Lord’s name in vain.”  That is, you should not call yourself “God’s people” yet deny God’s authority over your life.

Ignoring the Shabbat rest resulted in being cut off from Israel. So, how well do you fare in obeying that 4th commandment to REST?

Try thinking of it this way: Even Kingdom work has a mandatory “blessed union” break.

“So Moses returned to the Lord and said, ‘Oh, this people has committed a great sin; they have made for themselves a god of gold. Now if You would only forgive their sin. But if not, please erase me from the book You have written.' The Lord replied to Moses, ‘Whoever has sinned against Me I will erase from My book. Now go, lead these people to the place I told you about; see, My angel will go before you. But on the day that I settle accounts, I will hold them accountable for their sin.’” Exodus 32:31-34 (CSB)

Fifty days after Passover is the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, or “Pentecost.” Shavuot is, perhaps, the most important harvest festival on the Jewish calendar. Since it coincides with the giving of the Law, Shavuot has become emblematic of God’s confirmation & consecration of Israel as His “first fruit” among the nations.

Their worship of the calf overshadows the day of Israel’s consecration. On that day, Moses gave Israel a “with me or against me” challenge, and the Levites gathered to him. Later that very day, the day that the Torah (God’s teaching) was given, 3000 men were killed. The implication of this account in Israel’s history is that Israel left to its own designs and judged solely through the lens of the Law’s standard, can only produce a “crop of death.” Furthermore, God said that on the day He “settles accounts,” solely by the standard of His commands, none can survive His judgment.

Fast-forward to Acts chapter 2. At the time of the same festival of Shavuot (Pentecost), after Jesus’ resurrection, the Holy Spirit was given to the believers in Jerusalem. Those believers were the “first fruits” of His Greater Messianic Community (the Church), which has grown to be worldwide.   The first fruits of God’s Spirit were also counted to be 3000 men, but this time, their experience was unto life! When God settles OUR accounts based on Messiah’s blood atonement (it’s worth imputed into our spiritual accounts upon the moment of our belief and certified by the presence of His Spirit), His Judgment of us returns, “Not guilty!”

“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:10-11 (NKJV)

“Moses said to the Lord, ‘Look, You have told me, “Lead this people up,” but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. You said, “I know you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.” Now if I have indeed found favor in Your sight, please teach me Your ways, and I will know You and find favor in Your sight. Now consider that this nation is Your people.’”  Exodus 33:12-13 (HCSB)

Mother Teresa said, ‘You’ll never know Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have. Moses understood the importance of going with God. He had seen the destruction of Pharaoh’s army and the judgment of Israel when they denied the Lord.  Moses wanted to know God’s ways, but he could never have predicted God’s methods of instruction…bonding His people to Himself (and each other) by means of shared adversity.

For Moses & Israel, the next several decades would be a constant stream of faith-stretching trials. Why would the Lord choose this method of character building instead of lavishing abundance & prosperity upon His children?

Perhaps the answer is found in Moses’ discussion with God. Similar to their conversation at the burning bush, Moses seems to have difficulty taking God at His Word. Even though God told Moses He would be with him (and after all the miracles experienced in Egypt), Moses still sought signs.

It is said in business, “Speed of the leader, speed of the team.” That is to say, if Moses had faith problems, there was no way Israel would be all-in to follow him. Faith is a muscle that must be exercised. It takes desire, discipline, and time to grow.

A young man once came to the philosopher Socrates, searching for wisdom. Socrates was sitting beside a river, so the young man sat beside him. ‘I want you to teach me to be wise,’ he said. Without warning, Socrates grasped the young man by the neck and thrust his head under the water. The man struggled and flailed until Socrates finally let him up. As he gasped for air, Socrates said, ‘When you seek wisdom as you sought air, you’ll have it.’”

God gives His Word and Spirit to reveal His nature & ways to His children. He is gentle and kind but wise enough sometimes to thrust us into the water! Our life experience, stressed by the manner of His testing, filtered through His Word revealed, is what builds our faith. Ready for some faith stretching today?

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.”  James 1:2-4 (HCSB)

“Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord.  And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.’” Exodus 34:5-7 (NKJV)

In Western culture, the number “13” is considered unlucky, as superstitions go.  The Jewish mindset considers number 13 to be blessed.  Here’s why.  In Hebrew, there are no “numbers” per se, so every letter is ascribed a numerical value.  For instance, the letter “alef” (A) is also #1.  In the Shema (Deut 6:4), God is described as being “One.” The Hebrew name for “One” is “Echad.” The numerical value for “Echad” is 13.  

A bit mystic, I admit.  And people can go crazy trying to reckon numbers & words, looking for “codes” in the Bible.  I only mention it because God announces Himself to Moses in the thirteen spiritual ideas concerning His Divine Nature.  Ironically, perhaps, the One we know as “Echad” is announcing Himself by a list of “13”.

1.  The Lord, the Lord God -  Heb: Adonai, Adonai - Adonai denotes God in His mercy.  The repetition was traditionally considered to mean that God is merciful before a man sins and after he sins (Exodus 20-34).

2.  God - Heb: El - The almighty Lord of the universe, ruler of nature and mankind.

3.  Merciful -  Heb: rachun - God is full of affectionate sympathy for the sufferings and miseries of human frailty

4.  Gracious -  Heb: ve-channun - He assists and helps, consoling the afflicted and raising up the oppressed.

5.  Long Suffering - Heb: erech appayim - The Lord is not hastening to punish the sinner but offers him opportunities to repent.

6.  Abundant in goodness - Heb: rav chesed - He grants His gifts and blessings beyond what man deserves

7.  Truth -  Heb: ve-emet - He is eternally true to Himself

8.  Keeping mercy unto the thousandth generation -  Heb: notzer chesed la-alafim - He remembers the righteousness of the ancestors and reserves reward and recompense to the remotest descendants who will turn to Him.

9.  Forgiving iniquity -  Heb: noseh avon - He bears with the indulgence and failings of man, and by forgiveness, He restores them to purity

10.  Transgression - Heb: pesha - Evil deeds spring from malice and rebellion against God

11.  Sin - Heb: Chattaah - Shortcomings by refusal to heed or ignorance of God’s Word

12.  Will by no means clear the guilty -  Heb: venakkeh lo yenakkeh - Literally, “Acquitting the repentant but not the unrepentant.”

13.  Visiting…upon the children -  This relates only to the CONSEQUENCES and not the PUNISHMENT of a man’s sin upon his descendants.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Exodus 35. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“So Moses summoned Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person in whose heart the Lord had places wisdom, everyone whose heart moved him, to come to the work and to do it.” Exodus 36:2 (HCSB)

There are differing views on Judaism and its relation to art. We are well aware of modern Jewish visual artists, such as Chagall. One would be hard-pressed to examine film or television credits without noticing a strong Jewish creative presence. But what of ancient Judaism?

Often, the opinion is held that there is no significant visual art in Biblical Judaism and that the Jews lacked the aesthetic sense. This is mainly due to the influence of the Second Commandment, which prohibited idolatrous sculpture and other three-dimensional art.

Defenders of the Jewish artistic mindset could say that Judaism was determined to lift the God idea above the sensual and represent the Divine as Spirit only. It could also be said that art was not Israel’s calling. Whereas Greece’s legacy was Beauty, Israel’s mission was Righteousness.  

But when it came to building His tabernacle and temple, God didn’t call the Greeks. He enlisted, of all the nations at His disposal, the Hebrew artists.

It is reminiscent of what the Lord told Zerubbabel through the prophet Zechariah concerning rebuilding the temple.  

“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by strength or by might, but by my Spirit’ says the Lord of Hosts.” Zechariah 4:6 (HCSB)

In addition, Zechariah tells Zerubbabel:  

“For who scorns the day of small things? These seven eyes of the Lord, which scan throughout the whole earth, will rejoice when they see a plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” Zechariah 4:10 (HCSB)

What is the lesson? God has “equipped & called” YOU to work in His Kingdom. Tasks have been designed for you specifically. Furthermore, the Lord’s delight is when you respond with faith and enthusiasm. We must all work, but completion is not determined by our strength, might, or creativity. God’s guidance and favor towards His “faithful” ensures our success.

The highest artist is not the greatest master in self-expression but in self-control: The one who forsakes all & everything to follow the Lord.

“Bezalel made the ark….” Exodus 37:1

“Bezalel made the mercy seat….”  Exodus 37:6

“He made the two cherubim….”  Exodus 37:7

“He constructed the table….”  Exodus 37:10

“Then he made the lampstand….”  Exodus 37:17

“Bezalel made the altar of incense….”  Exodus 37:25 (ALL HCSB)

As in many cases for Biblical names, Bezalel’s name matches his character/calling.  Although there are four possibilities of interpretation, the commonly held meaning of “Bezalel” is “In the shadow of God.”  This is then explained as “In the protection of God.”

This explanation coincides marvelously with the name of Bezalel’s colleague Oholiab.  His name means “Father’s shrine/temple.”

When you put the two together, you get “The protection of God in our Father’s temple.”  Pretty cool…as long as you are near the temple!

The Bible can be summed up as the story of man’s desire to separate from God and God’s deliberate strides to commune with mankind.  Each God-stride established a more permanent presence with His people.  Beginning with the Tabernacle, God commissioned a portable house of presence.  Wherever He led, Israel was to follow.  God stopped, and they set up the tent.  If you wanted to dwell with God, you had to literally follow Him around.

The temple was a more permanent house for God’s presence, laid in a foundation.  A problem arose when God’s people turned their hearts from Him.  As a result, God drove Israel from His temple.  The temple may have been a permanent structure, but men could be separated from it…through exile or ceremonial uncleanness.

With the giving of the Holy Spirit, Jesus consecrated the bodies of His followers as worthy to receive His presence.  In essence, wherever the believer goes, they are under “the protection of God in our Father’s Temple.”

“I will never leave or forsake you.”  Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV)

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?”  1 Corinthians 6:19 (NKJV)

Ultimately, all followers of the Messiah will permanently dwell with God in Heaven.

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:3 (NKJV)

“He made the bronze basin and its stand from the bronze mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.” Exodus 38:8 (HCSB)

There is a notion among certain groups that Christianity discriminates against women in ministry. However, just because the Lord has chosen men to serve in certain ministry roles doesn’t mean He has judged that women cannot minister. By no means should His character be brought on trial just because we cannot fathom His wisdom!

In addition, there is no language anywhere in Scripture indicating that women are inferior in any way intellectually or spiritually to men. “Roles of service in the congregation” is simply one of those cases in life where God has made a judgment, and we are called to honor it, regardless of feelings or cultural/social customs.

A few chapters ago, it was pointed out that women played an important role in constructing the Tabernacle.

“Every skilled woman spun yarn with her hands and brought it: blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen. And all the women whose hearts were moved spun the goat hair by their skill.” Exodus 35:25-26 (HCSB)

In addition, women contributed what must have been the bulk of the gold and fine metals. I say this because it was mostly jewelry that was melted down to make the tabernacle articles.  

“Both men and women came; all who had willing hearts brought brooches, earrings, rings, necklaces, and all kinds of gold jewelry – everyone who waved a presentation offering of gold to the Lord….” Exodus 35:22 (HCSB)

An interesting thing about the women (who served at the Tent of Meeting’s entrance) donating mirrors is the profound message it sends:  The closer a woman gets to the Lord, the less concerned she is with her outer appearance.

“Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised. Give her the reward of her labor, and let her works praise her at the city gates.”  Proverbs 31:30-31 (HCSB)

While the Lord has prescribed specific roles for people in His Kingdom, try not to concentrate on someone else’s role. Focus instead on the fact that the God of all creation has designed a role specifically for YOU. Now, go put your whole self into fulfilling that role!

“The Israelites had done everything the Lord had commanded Moses. Moses inspected all the work they had accomplished. They had done just as the Lord commanded. Then Moses blessed them.” Exodus 39:42-43

My wife and I built our first house in Franklin, Tennessee. You learn a lot when you build a house. Fortunately, we had a good experience. When the work was completed, we walked through and inspected everything. Then, we said, “Well done!” and wrote the builder a final check.

I call it “beginner’s luck” because almost every other home contracting experience has been nightmarish. All I can say is no matter how much a contractor begs, don’t pay them until ALL the work is done. Remember the old saying, “If you want a friend to leave you alone, give him a loan?” Sadly, the same could be said of some building contractors. Give them their money up-front, and you may never see them again!

It is safe to say that Moses was God’s “general contractor.” He was given a job and the task to bring it in on time, on budget, and with a zero-tolerance for shoddy craftsmanship.

I am amazed at how our culture is losing its work ethic. That is, we would rather play first and work later. That attitude has led to our generation being the most indebted generation in history. During the Great Depression, people may have been flat broke, but they were not as “in debt” as we are today. Consider these statistics.

* There are roughly 1.2 billion credit cards in use in the U.S.

* More than 1.5 million people file for bankruptcy every year.

* The average per-household consumer debt in the U.S. is $16,720.

Just as the Egyptians sold themselves into slavery in the days of Joseph (Genesis 47:19), so has our nation has sold itself into bondage to credit companies. In effect, we have rejected the Lord’s provision, considering it inadequate, choosing instead to indenture ourselves so we can obtain the objects of our idolatry.

Let’s take today’s passage as a challenge to 1) Ask the Lord where He wants us to labor in his Kingdom, 2) Work as unto the Lord, 3) Rest in His blessing & provision, 4) Seek His mercy in releasing us from the bonds of debt we have sold ourselves into. Do the work He has chosen and equipped you to complete. Then, seek His blessing. Not the other way around.

“Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded him. The Tabernacle was set up in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month. Moses set up the Tabernacle: he laid its bases, positioned its planks, inserted its crossbars, and set up its posts. Then he spread the tent over the Tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.” Exodus 40:16-19 (HCSB)

In most Christian circles, “tent-making” is synonymous with “not charging a fee for preaching the gospel.” This saying is because the apostle Paul chose to support himself by making tents. (Acts 18:2)  He didn’t want anyone to accuse him of preaching for profit.

“In everything I kept myself from being a burden to you. . . But what I am doing I will also continue to do, so that I may eliminate the opportunity from those who want an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting.” 2 Corinthians 11:7-12 (NASB)

We also know that Paul was a highly trained and qualified Bible teacher.

“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today.” Acts 22:3 (NASB)

“I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees….” Acts 23:6 (NASB)

Of all occupations to support his ministry, why would Paul choose “tent-making”? For that matter, why would God call a “tentmaker” to expand His Church, preaching salvation to the Gentiles, alongside his ministry to the Jewish community? I don’t believe Paul’s occupation was an arbitrary coincidence. It seems similar to how God chose shepherds (Joseph, Moses, and David) to “shepherd” the children of Israel. Could it be that God also chose a tentmaker to “canvas” the known civilized world of the early church era with the Gospel’s influence, establishing churches as one drives tent pegs deep into the ground so that they would act as foundational supports of the greater Church-at-Large, hoisted in later generations?

A map of Paul’s missionary journeys shows how Paul was planting congregations, radiating in a circle from Jerusalem up into Eastern Europe and back to Jerusalem. By design or default, Paul laid out churches in a similar way as Moses laid out the tent panels of the Tabernacle and tied them together to form a single unit. Today, millions of congregations have been built by missionary “tent makers” throughout the generations. These churches are furthering Paul’s foundational teaching of the Gospel and fit together as a single unit, forming the greater Church-at-large, stretching out the “Tabernacle” of Messiah to the most remote parts of the earth…just as the Lord commanded.

“Now the Lord called to Moses, and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: “When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of the livestock—of the herd and of the flock.’” Leviticus 1:1-2 (NKJV)

The oldest name for the book of Leviticus is: “The Law of the Priests.”  Today, it is known in Judaism as the book of “Vayikra.”  In modern Judaism, the names of the books of the Bible are taken from their opening Hebrew words. Vayikra means: “and He called” (commanded).

The fundamental concepts of the book are pretty straightforward. Half of the book deals with sacrifice and the laws that safeguard the priestly character of Israel, and the other half with Holiness and the sanctification (setting apart) of human life unto the Lord.

In ancient times, every Jewish boy began his study of Scripture in Leviticus. The idea put forth by the rabbis was, “Because children are ‘pure’ and the sacrifices are pure, let those who are pure come and occupy themselves with pure things.” (midrash)

Now, we all know nobody is born “pure,” for we are all born into sin through Adam. It may take a few months to realize it, but all babies are born sinners who need atonement. Otherwise, why else would we need a book about how to sacrifice and atone for sin properly? Why else would it be so important for this particular book to be the first one taught to children?  

But there is One who knew no sin, original or otherwise. (2 Corinthians 5:21). And He, the Word made flesh (John 1:140, also would have been taught from the Torah as a young boy. Interestingly, the One who would grow up, and Himself be the sacrifice for all sin, would have been taught “how to sacrifice” as His first Biblical lesson.  

Chapters 1-7 define the laws of sacrifice for the individual, the congregation, and the priests. Chapters 8-10 describe the inauguration of worship in the completed Tabernacle. Chapters 11-17 deal with the laws of clean and unclean, purity, and purification, culminating in the institution of the Day of Atonement. (It also explains why you can’t order a cheeseburger or shrimp and lobster at most restaurants in Israel!) Chapters 18-26 legislate marriage, personal and social ethics (Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself), the Sacred Festivals, and land tenure. It concludes with a solemn exhortation on the connection between religion and national welfare, a subject that is probably on every believer’s mind at this season of American history!!

If you have never read Leviticus, you probably have an “Oy vey!” (Woe is me!) attitude about the endeavor. Stick with it because Leviticus is quite dynamic, and it is so easy that even a Jewish child could grasp it! Are you smarter than a Jewish 5th grader?

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Leviticus 2. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“If his offering is….”  Leviticus 3:1 (HCSB)

A friend of mine tells the story of a woman trying to decide how she should confess her sins. She asked, “Shall I ’fess ’em as I does ’em, or shall I bunch ’em?”

The problem of “bunching” is very much related to our study of the offerings. The offerings of the Torah are something like the tools in a workman’s shop: There is a particular tool for each task, and you never use the wrong tool for the job.

The Torah seems to have more offerings than we can count. That can lead to a fair bit of frustration on the part of the modern-day Christian, but there is a vital lesson to be learned here, which may help to motivate us in our study of these offerings.

There is no specific Torah-commanded offering that sums up the entirety of Jesus’ atonement. Thus, we must see that the Messiah’s death, burial, and resurrection accomplished many different functions, not just ONE. Basically, through His death and resurrection, Jesus fulfilled ALL the requirements of the law, which had been parsed out as several individual offerings.

That being said, we also tend to “bunch” the benefits of the work of the Messiah rather than considering them one at a time. In so doing, we risk not recognizing the enormity of the blessing of Grace offered to mankind. One significant contribution the Book of Leviticus makes is that it names each specific sin…along with the way to be restored to God. Through His suffering, we gain greater insight into the intricacy of the atonement that the death of Messiah, the Lamb of God, provides.

The pre-Messianic Jewish worshipper would sacrifice the various offerings at prescribed times, and he would grasp, to some degree, the blessings God had given. A particular blessing was attached to each offering but was not all-encompassing and comprehensive atonement. For us modern believers, ALL the blessings of God are realized by ONE offering, made once and for all by the death of Messiah at Golgotha.  

In considering the Torah offerings, we are given the privilege to pause and focus on the PARTICULAR benefits and blessings we have received in Jesus’ death & resurrection. And we can thank Him (in our hearts and prayers) for each facet of His atonement, as He reveals them to us when we read His Word.

“Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, saying: If a person sins unintentionally against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything which ought not be done, and does any of them, if the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer to the Lord for his sin which he has sinned a young bull without blemish as a sin offering.’” Leviticus 4:1-3 (NKJV)

There is a breakdown, a significant dilemma with which mankind is faced. Here is the dilemma: Everyone sins, yet we are called to be “holy” (set apart) by a Holy God whose standard is “perfection.” Furthermore, a sinful man has the job of atoning for the sin of a sinful nation; a sinful “high priest” has the unfortunate duty of interceding on behalf of that sinful nation before the presence of perfect holiness. Long before the Mosaic law, a man named Job articulated his personal need for an intercessor:  

“For He (God) is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, that we can take each other to court. There is no one to judge between us, to lay his hand on both of us. Let Him take His rod away from me so His terror will no longer frighten me. Then I would speak and not fear Him.  But that is not the case; I am on my own.” Job 9:32-35 (HCSB)

Isaiah also spoke of a need for a go-between between man & God:

“Jacob, why do you say, and Israel, why do you assert: ‘My way is hidden from the Lord, and my claim is ignored by my God’”? Isaiah 40:27 (HCSB)

“He saw that there was no man – He was amazed that there was no one interceding; so His own arm brought salvation, and His own righteousness supported Him.” Isaiah 59:16 (HCSB)

What makes Jesus so much more superior (than any human high priest) is that, by His atoning work on the cross, He alone has satisfied God’s requirements for mankind. He has reckoned both God’s gracious mercy with His righteous judgment. Consider these verses:

“Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better covenant.” Hebrews 7:22 (HCSB)

“This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.” 1 Timothy 2:3-6 (NASB)

“For this is the kind of high priest we need: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He doesn’t need to offer sacrifices every day, as high priests do – first for their own sins, then for those of the people. He did this once for all when He offered Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak, but the promise of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son, who has been perfected forever.” Hebrews 7:26-28 (HCSB)