Fourteen hundred years before Christ was born,
God’s earth was covered with the race He made;
They were all condemned, hopeless, and forlorn,
Unless He came, His life for sins to trade!
The tribe God Chose, full-grown, dwelt in the land
He’d promised Abraham’s offspring to own,
Having been brought by God’s Almighty hand,
Though to rebellion they were ever prone!
Israel conquered Canaan, but disobeyed,
By allowing many aliens remain;
Straying, strife, and wars their lives did pervade,
History filled with troubles, stress, and strain!
God’s toil with them full justified His zeal;
The priceless prophecies prove Jesus real!
*******************************************************
SPECIAL NOTICE: Beginning MARCH 9, I will start a new series in God’s Master Plan for the world---PROHECIES OF THE COMING MESSIAH! With Israel settled in Canaan, God revealed 340 forecasts of the future life of JESUS OF NAZARETH, every one of which was fulfilled! You will not want to miss any of these amazing prophecies and proofs of their fulillment! WILLIAM J.B. CRITTENDEN
*******************************************************
Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added]
Joshua 21:43-45—“So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord handed all their enemies over to them. Not one of the Lord’s promises to the house of Israel [Jacob] failed; every one was fulfilled.”
Acts 9:23—“Yet Saul [later named Paul] grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ [Messiah].”
Commentary on: “Israel Achieved God’s Purpose”
How God labored with Israel! For over five hundred years, beginning with Abram, He manipulated everything: To have them born of chosen parents; arranging for Jacob and all seventy family members to be isolated in Egypt for 430 years and multiplied into millions; crushing Egypt and bringing them out on a forty-year odyssey through the desert back to Canaan; and leading them to victory over all the seven tribes that already resided in the Promised Land. And He was forced to do all this in spite of the stubborn Israelites’ repeated rebellions against Him and the faulty leaders placed over them! Now that they were resting in Canaan, instead of gratefully worshiping Him and remaining faithful, they began 1400 more years of disobedience, internal squabbling, civil war, idolatry, intermarriage with aliens, etc., in punishment, for which God raised up conquerors from Assyria, Babylon, Macedonia, and Rome, during which most of them died or were carried away.
If you read the Old Testament all the way through, you cannot help but grow weary of Israel’s incorrigible behavior and their incessant calls upon God to have mercy on them; which He obligingly does over and over again, until finally even a gracious God has had enough—He dulls their spiritual insight even more, until the spiritual and civil leaders, the wise and wealthy, cannot recognize God when He comes to earth as the man, Jesus of Nazareth, bringing redemption so that they can live eternally. We can only shake our heads and ask: Why did God choose Israel anyway? After all, didn’t He know the future? Then, knowing how impossible it would be to make them love and be faithful to Him, wasn’t choosing Israel a mistake by God?
No, it was not a mistake; Israel achieved the purpose God had for it; they remain “the apple of His eye”; and they will receive grace for conversion to accept Christ and become evangelists to the world during the millenium—the thousand year reign of Christ. God is satisfied with Israel for many reasons. Two of the most important are: (1) The more than 300 prophecies in the Old Testament that describe visible events in the life of Jesus ought to convince the most skeptical cynic to believe that the man Jesus of Nazareth is in reality God of this universe; and (2) From the Israelite race came the Savior of the world. From our limited perspective we cannot know the full mind of God, and the story of Israel is not yet finished. The Bible has many prophecies of unfulfilled evens still to occur in the life of Israel.
In the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament we read how Saul, a young star Pharisee, was called by God from heaven to become His apostle to the Gentiles. Immediately Saul began baffling the Jews in Damascus by presenting the prophecies written hundreds of years before His birth proving that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah sent from God. He proved it by recalling to them events in the life of Jesus that precisely matched those written long ago by the prophets.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in you heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Showing posts with label God's Master Plan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's Master Plan. Show all posts
Monday, March 7, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Moses Foretells Israel's Future (MP 55)
Moses sang to Israel his final song,
Full of forecasts about things to come;
Righteous some of the time, but mostly wrong,
Israel suffered greatly for sins they’d done!
They were set aside when the Savior came,
For rejecting the Son that God had sent,
Refusing to believe in Jesus’ name,
Or of numerous evils to repent!
Solely given the Law and first to hear
The gospel of redemption and God’s grace,
But always turning to God a deaf ear,
They’re still in sin, with Gentiles in their place!
Israel’s redemption is yet long delayed;
When Christ returns, their sin-debt will be paid!
*******************************************************
SPECIAL NOTICE: Beginning MARCH 9, I will start a new series in God’s Master Plan for the world---PROHECIES OF THE COMING MESSIAH! With Israel settled in Canaan, God revealed 340 forecasts of the future life of JESUS OF NAZARETH, every one of which was fulfilled! You will not want to miss any of these amazing prophecies and proofs of their fulillment! WILLIAM J.B. CRITTENDEN
*******************************************************
Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added]
Deuteronomy 31:15---"Jeshurun [Israel] grew fat and kicked; filled with food, he became heavy and sleek. He abandoned the God who made him, and rejected the Rock his Savior [Jesus/God]’ “
Deuteronomy 31:16-17—“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘You are going to rest with your fathers, and these people [Israel] will soon prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land [Canaan] they are entering. They will forsake me and break the covenant I had with them. On that day I will become angry with them and forsake them; I will hide my face from them and they will be destroyed. Many disasters and difficulties will fall upon them…’ “
Commentary on Israel’s Future
From the time of God’s call to Abraham until the death of Moses east of the Jordan River was approximately 500 years; God had overseen the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; He had nursed and nurtured the sons of Jacob through their lives and those of their descendants into a nation of millions of people; He had struck ten plagues upon Egypt and brought the Israelites out of slavery and through forty years of trials and problems of surviving the desert, until they were finally ready to enter the Promised Land and take their place as a nation—one that would introduce God to the world and lead the way for Jesus Christ to redeem mankind from condemnation for sin. And now, God tells Moses that all their efforts have been unsuccessful; that Israel will soon “abandon” Him and reject Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah (Jesus is God Himself coming to redeem men from the condemnation that their own sins and Adam’s had caused). Moses must have been disappointed after his incessant problems with this whining, complaining, unfaithful race, and I can imagine God’s sorrow as He spoke these words.
The reason God commanded Israel to destroy the Canaanites or drive them all out is that He foreknew that if any were left in the land, His Chosen people, the Israelites, would become corrupted by intermarriage or by worshiping idols and false gods. Our God is extremely jealous that those who follow Him do not stray into adopting idols or religions practices other than Christianity. He knew that the people He had chosen to be a nation of priests were weak-willed, spiritual babies that could not resist temptation (as are many modern-day people). Israel did not obey God; they did not destroy or drive out all the Canaanites. They accepted some offers of peace treaties; many were left alive, as were their idols and religious practices. Just as God knew, their failure to demolish them all led to Israel’s complete downfall. If you are a new Christian and are trying to quit smoking, don’t leave a single cigarette around the house to tempt you; you should apply this same process in all your old habits. If you have been drinking alcohol, destroy all that you have left; if you are in the habit of buying lottery tickets, don’t stop at the neighborhood U-Totem.
Israel did live in the land about 1500 years. Though their shortcomings brought turbulence, crises, and disasters, their zenith as a nation was about 1000 B.C., when David and his son Solomon reigned as kings. Shortly after Solomon died, civil war divided the nation into two, and both of these were conquered with many people being taken away from each. When Jesus of Nazareth was born, the land contained a remnant of Israelites living in Galilee in the north and Judah, including Jerusalem, in the south, under occupation by the Roman Empire. In 70 A. D. Roman General Titus besieged Jerusalem, conquered it and flattened it. He had all the land that was Canaan and the home of Israel plowed up and sown with salt, trees along the Jordan cut down, and all the cities and houses destroyed; consequently, the land that once flowed with “milk and honey, turned into desert. The people were killed or sold into slavery, and Israel had no homeland until 1948 A. D.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9)
Full of forecasts about things to come;
Righteous some of the time, but mostly wrong,
Israel suffered greatly for sins they’d done!
They were set aside when the Savior came,
For rejecting the Son that God had sent,
Refusing to believe in Jesus’ name,
Or of numerous evils to repent!
Solely given the Law and first to hear
The gospel of redemption and God’s grace,
But always turning to God a deaf ear,
They’re still in sin, with Gentiles in their place!
Israel’s redemption is yet long delayed;
When Christ returns, their sin-debt will be paid!
*******************************************************
SPECIAL NOTICE: Beginning MARCH 9, I will start a new series in God’s Master Plan for the world---PROHECIES OF THE COMING MESSIAH! With Israel settled in Canaan, God revealed 340 forecasts of the future life of JESUS OF NAZARETH, every one of which was fulfilled! You will not want to miss any of these amazing prophecies and proofs of their fulillment! WILLIAM J.B. CRITTENDEN
*******************************************************
Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added]
Deuteronomy 31:15---"Jeshurun [Israel] grew fat and kicked; filled with food, he became heavy and sleek. He abandoned the God who made him, and rejected the Rock his Savior [Jesus/God]’ “
Deuteronomy 31:16-17—“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘You are going to rest with your fathers, and these people [Israel] will soon prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land [Canaan] they are entering. They will forsake me and break the covenant I had with them. On that day I will become angry with them and forsake them; I will hide my face from them and they will be destroyed. Many disasters and difficulties will fall upon them…’ “
Commentary on Israel’s Future
From the time of God’s call to Abraham until the death of Moses east of the Jordan River was approximately 500 years; God had overseen the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; He had nursed and nurtured the sons of Jacob through their lives and those of their descendants into a nation of millions of people; He had struck ten plagues upon Egypt and brought the Israelites out of slavery and through forty years of trials and problems of surviving the desert, until they were finally ready to enter the Promised Land and take their place as a nation—one that would introduce God to the world and lead the way for Jesus Christ to redeem mankind from condemnation for sin. And now, God tells Moses that all their efforts have been unsuccessful; that Israel will soon “abandon” Him and reject Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah (Jesus is God Himself coming to redeem men from the condemnation that their own sins and Adam’s had caused). Moses must have been disappointed after his incessant problems with this whining, complaining, unfaithful race, and I can imagine God’s sorrow as He spoke these words.
The reason God commanded Israel to destroy the Canaanites or drive them all out is that He foreknew that if any were left in the land, His Chosen people, the Israelites, would become corrupted by intermarriage or by worshiping idols and false gods. Our God is extremely jealous that those who follow Him do not stray into adopting idols or religions practices other than Christianity. He knew that the people He had chosen to be a nation of priests were weak-willed, spiritual babies that could not resist temptation (as are many modern-day people). Israel did not obey God; they did not destroy or drive out all the Canaanites. They accepted some offers of peace treaties; many were left alive, as were their idols and religious practices. Just as God knew, their failure to demolish them all led to Israel’s complete downfall. If you are a new Christian and are trying to quit smoking, don’t leave a single cigarette around the house to tempt you; you should apply this same process in all your old habits. If you have been drinking alcohol, destroy all that you have left; if you are in the habit of buying lottery tickets, don’t stop at the neighborhood U-Totem.
Israel did live in the land about 1500 years. Though their shortcomings brought turbulence, crises, and disasters, their zenith as a nation was about 1000 B.C., when David and his son Solomon reigned as kings. Shortly after Solomon died, civil war divided the nation into two, and both of these were conquered with many people being taken away from each. When Jesus of Nazareth was born, the land contained a remnant of Israelites living in Galilee in the north and Judah, including Jerusalem, in the south, under occupation by the Roman Empire. In 70 A. D. Roman General Titus besieged Jerusalem, conquered it and flattened it. He had all the land that was Canaan and the home of Israel plowed up and sown with salt, trees along the Jordan cut down, and all the cities and houses destroyed; consequently, the land that once flowed with “milk and honey, turned into desert. The people were killed or sold into slavery, and Israel had no homeland until 1948 A. D.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9)
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Prophecy Fulfilled; Promises Kept (MP 54)
God through Moses prophesied many things,
Some of which have already been fulfilled;
We know that whatever the future brings,
It’ll be safe on the others hope to build!
All God’s promises to Abram He kept
To the letter, and all His forecasts, too;
Four hundred years Abram’s offspring dwelt
In Egypt, as God said, and it came true!
Before Israel invaded Canaan’s land,
Said God, “Drive them all out—every one;
For if you don’t do as I command,
I’ll do to you what to them you should’ve done!
Looking back, we can tell, that’s what God did:
Israel driven out; of the land was rid!
*******************************************************
SPECIAL NOTICE: Beginning MARCH 9, I will start a new series in God’s Master Plan for the world---PROHECIES OF THE COMING MESSIAH! With Israel settled in Canaan, God revealed 340 forecasts of the future life of JESUS OF NAZARETH, every one of which was fulfilled! You will not want to miss any of these amazing prophecies and proofs of their fulillment! WILLIAM J.B. CRITTENDEN
*******************************************************
Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added]
Genesis 15:13-14—“Then the Lord said to him [Abram], ‘Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country [Egypt] not their own, and they will be enslaved four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves and afterward they will come out with great possessions.’ “
Numbers 33:50-56—“On the plain of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho the Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, drive out all the inhabitants of the land… . But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land… . They will give you trouble in the land where you live. And I will do to you what I plan to do with them.’ “
Commentary on: “Prophecy Fulfilled; Promises Kept”
God made many promises to Abraham and kept them all. He promised that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars in the sky or the dust of the earth when Abraham had no child at all and his wife was too old to have children; when Abraham died at the age of 175, he left six sons by two wives and a servant girl. His descendants include all the Jews, Arabs, and spiritually all Christians. Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, was a descendant, by Whom all nations on earth have been blessed.
God told Abraham this in about 2000 B.C., and 500 years later, his grandson Jacob’s descendants came out of Egypt. They had been enslaved 400 years; when they came out; Egypt was a broken nation. Jacob’s name was changed by God to Israel, and that is the name of the Chosen nation descended from Abraham.
Before Israel invaded Canaan, the land God had promised to Abraham’s descendants, God through Moses commanded them to slay or drive out all the seven nations that occupied the land. There was not to be a single inhabitant left in the land. God told them they had to get rid of them all or the ones remaining would be a perpetual thorn in Israel’s side. He also prophesied that if they did not drive them all out, He would do to them exactly what He had planned to do with the Canaanites—that is, God would slay or drive out of the land all the Israelites and scatter them into nations all over the earth. AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED!
The facts of history supply us the information about Israel’s grim past. They failed to kill or drive out all the Canaanites; some groups Israel made peace treaties with and allowed these to continue living in the land. Since they did not follow God’s command to extinguish them all, Israel brought upon themselves a horrible destruction. If we fast forward to 70 A.D., skipping 1400 years of civil war, conquests by other nations, and Israel’s idolatry and repeated rebellions against God, we find a small remnant of the Israel that conquered Canaan after Moses’ death. For rejecting Jesus as Messiah, God allowed the Romans under Titus to completely destroy Jerusalem and all the other cities of Israel; they slew more than one million Israelites and sold the remaining 300,000 into slavery for a penny each. This was in Jerusalem alone. They cut down all the trees, plowed up the land, and sowed it with salt. Surviving Jews lived in foreign nations for 1878 years, until 1948, when the United Nations ceded Israel a small piece of land to re-establish the nation. And Israel’s return to the land in 1948 is also prophesied by God in the Bible many times, as well as that Israel will reverse themselves and accept Jesus as their Messiah and King!
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Some of which have already been fulfilled;
We know that whatever the future brings,
It’ll be safe on the others hope to build!
All God’s promises to Abram He kept
To the letter, and all His forecasts, too;
Four hundred years Abram’s offspring dwelt
In Egypt, as God said, and it came true!
Before Israel invaded Canaan’s land,
Said God, “Drive them all out—every one;
For if you don’t do as I command,
I’ll do to you what to them you should’ve done!
Looking back, we can tell, that’s what God did:
Israel driven out; of the land was rid!
*******************************************************
SPECIAL NOTICE: Beginning MARCH 9, I will start a new series in God’s Master Plan for the world---PROHECIES OF THE COMING MESSIAH! With Israel settled in Canaan, God revealed 340 forecasts of the future life of JESUS OF NAZARETH, every one of which was fulfilled! You will not want to miss any of these amazing prophecies and proofs of their fulillment! WILLIAM J.B. CRITTENDEN
*******************************************************
Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added]
Genesis 15:13-14—“Then the Lord said to him [Abram], ‘Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country [Egypt] not their own, and they will be enslaved four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves and afterward they will come out with great possessions.’ “
Numbers 33:50-56—“On the plain of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho the Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, drive out all the inhabitants of the land… . But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land… . They will give you trouble in the land where you live. And I will do to you what I plan to do with them.’ “
Commentary on: “Prophecy Fulfilled; Promises Kept”
God made many promises to Abraham and kept them all. He promised that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars in the sky or the dust of the earth when Abraham had no child at all and his wife was too old to have children; when Abraham died at the age of 175, he left six sons by two wives and a servant girl. His descendants include all the Jews, Arabs, and spiritually all Christians. Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, was a descendant, by Whom all nations on earth have been blessed.
God told Abraham this in about 2000 B.C., and 500 years later, his grandson Jacob’s descendants came out of Egypt. They had been enslaved 400 years; when they came out; Egypt was a broken nation. Jacob’s name was changed by God to Israel, and that is the name of the Chosen nation descended from Abraham.
Before Israel invaded Canaan, the land God had promised to Abraham’s descendants, God through Moses commanded them to slay or drive out all the seven nations that occupied the land. There was not to be a single inhabitant left in the land. God told them they had to get rid of them all or the ones remaining would be a perpetual thorn in Israel’s side. He also prophesied that if they did not drive them all out, He would do to them exactly what He had planned to do with the Canaanites—that is, God would slay or drive out of the land all the Israelites and scatter them into nations all over the earth. AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED!
The facts of history supply us the information about Israel’s grim past. They failed to kill or drive out all the Canaanites; some groups Israel made peace treaties with and allowed these to continue living in the land. Since they did not follow God’s command to extinguish them all, Israel brought upon themselves a horrible destruction. If we fast forward to 70 A.D., skipping 1400 years of civil war, conquests by other nations, and Israel’s idolatry and repeated rebellions against God, we find a small remnant of the Israel that conquered Canaan after Moses’ death. For rejecting Jesus as Messiah, God allowed the Romans under Titus to completely destroy Jerusalem and all the other cities of Israel; they slew more than one million Israelites and sold the remaining 300,000 into slavery for a penny each. This was in Jerusalem alone. They cut down all the trees, plowed up the land, and sowed it with salt. Surviving Jews lived in foreign nations for 1878 years, until 1948, when the United Nations ceded Israel a small piece of land to re-establish the nation. And Israel’s return to the land in 1948 is also prophesied by God in the Bible many times, as well as that Israel will reverse themselves and accept Jesus as their Messiah and King!
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Israel's Spiritual Insight Impaired (MP 53)
Israel’s Spiritual Insight Impaired (MP 53)
From the lips of a vile sorcerer came
Words of truth from God, so the world might know
Of God’s Second Coming, on earth to reign
For a thousand years, His glories to show!
Alas, O Israel! If your eyes could see,
And your minds perceive, what God has in store,
Beyond these doleful woes of history,
You’d temper all tears, and tolerate more!
Hundreds of forecasts of future glories
God sprinkled throughout the pages of Writ*,
To help His own bear their tragic stories,
And implant them with persevering grit!
But these cheering aids pass by you unaired,
Your spiritual insight by sin impaired!
*Writ = Bible
Scripture Quoted: (NIV) [Brackets added]
Numbers 24:15-19—“Then he [Balaam the sorcerer] uttered his oracle [words from God]: ‘The words of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of one whose eye sees clearly, the oracle of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened: I see him [Jesus Christ], but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star [Jesus Christ] will come out of Jacob [Israel]; a scepter [King] will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth [noisy boasters]. Edom will be conquered; Seir, his enemy, will be conquered, but Israel will grow strong. A ruler [Jesus Christ] will come out of Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city.’ “
Isaiah 6:9-10—“He [God to Isaiah]] said, ‘Go and tell this people [Israel]: Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving. Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.’ “
Commentary on Israel’s Spiritual Insight Impairment
God has spoken through persons who are righteous, and He has spoken through those who are unrighteous as well. In Numbers 22-25 there is an incident involving a Gentile sorcerer named Balaam who spoke true words from God in a prophecy. This “fortune-teller” was employed by Balak, king of Moab, to put a curse on Israel, who were camped near Moab’s border. The Moabites were full of dread that Israel would invade and conquer their nation. Balaam knew about God, but he did not worship Him; he made use of God as one of the “tools” of his trade, so to speak. He was in fact a Baal worshiper. God warned Balaam not to go with Balak, but God let him go provided Balaam spoke only what God told him to say. After three tries, complete with animal sacrifices, with Balaam saying only nice things about Israel, he uttered the oracle quoted above.
This is a “prophecy” from God—a glimpse of what will happen in the future—and it is about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (God) to earth. The First Coming has already occurred (the New Testament reveals that over 300 such prophecies as the above in the Old Testament all came true), and these words don’t fit the First Coming. Jesus was a “star” out of Jacob, but He didn’t receive a “scepter”; but He will receive one the Second Coming; He will defeat those Arab nations the Second Coming, and He will rule with an iron scepter a thousand years. Therefore Balaam was speaking of something that hasn’t happened to this day (2011), but it will happen.
Israel had the Old Testament with all its prophesies for many years, but their religious leaders misconstrued or overlooked not only the prophecies but also many of the God-given laws and decrees. Their repeated rebellions against God, not just while wandering in the desert, but after they settled in Canaan, too, reveals their lack of trust in God and their failure to understand spiritual passages of scripture. In Deuteronomy 29:4 Moses told them they were calloused, unperceiving, blind and deaf to the truths God taught. Eight hundred years later (which was 700 years before Jesus was born) God placed a judgment upon Israel that further dulled their capacity to understand spiritual things (See Isaiah 6:9-10 quoted above). By that time it is obvious that God did not want Israel to accept Jesus as Messiah His First Coming to earth. Now, God knew from before creation how Israel would conduct themselves, and He prepared a redemption plan that turned salvation from Israel to the Gentiles; therefore, we can assume that He didn’t want Israel to accept Jesus, and He may have dulled them from Abraham, rather than Isaiah. When He comes the Second time, He will “free captive Israel”, and they will accept him en masse.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him sill not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
From the lips of a vile sorcerer came
Words of truth from God, so the world might know
Of God’s Second Coming, on earth to reign
For a thousand years, His glories to show!
Alas, O Israel! If your eyes could see,
And your minds perceive, what God has in store,
Beyond these doleful woes of history,
You’d temper all tears, and tolerate more!
Hundreds of forecasts of future glories
God sprinkled throughout the pages of Writ*,
To help His own bear their tragic stories,
And implant them with persevering grit!
But these cheering aids pass by you unaired,
Your spiritual insight by sin impaired!
*Writ = Bible
Scripture Quoted: (NIV) [Brackets added]
Numbers 24:15-19—“Then he [Balaam the sorcerer] uttered his oracle [words from God]: ‘The words of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of one whose eye sees clearly, the oracle of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened: I see him [Jesus Christ], but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star [Jesus Christ] will come out of Jacob [Israel]; a scepter [King] will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth [noisy boasters]. Edom will be conquered; Seir, his enemy, will be conquered, but Israel will grow strong. A ruler [Jesus Christ] will come out of Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city.’ “
Isaiah 6:9-10—“He [God to Isaiah]] said, ‘Go and tell this people [Israel]: Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving. Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.’ “
Commentary on Israel’s Spiritual Insight Impairment
God has spoken through persons who are righteous, and He has spoken through those who are unrighteous as well. In Numbers 22-25 there is an incident involving a Gentile sorcerer named Balaam who spoke true words from God in a prophecy. This “fortune-teller” was employed by Balak, king of Moab, to put a curse on Israel, who were camped near Moab’s border. The Moabites were full of dread that Israel would invade and conquer their nation. Balaam knew about God, but he did not worship Him; he made use of God as one of the “tools” of his trade, so to speak. He was in fact a Baal worshiper. God warned Balaam not to go with Balak, but God let him go provided Balaam spoke only what God told him to say. After three tries, complete with animal sacrifices, with Balaam saying only nice things about Israel, he uttered the oracle quoted above.
This is a “prophecy” from God—a glimpse of what will happen in the future—and it is about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (God) to earth. The First Coming has already occurred (the New Testament reveals that over 300 such prophecies as the above in the Old Testament all came true), and these words don’t fit the First Coming. Jesus was a “star” out of Jacob, but He didn’t receive a “scepter”; but He will receive one the Second Coming; He will defeat those Arab nations the Second Coming, and He will rule with an iron scepter a thousand years. Therefore Balaam was speaking of something that hasn’t happened to this day (2011), but it will happen.
Israel had the Old Testament with all its prophesies for many years, but their religious leaders misconstrued or overlooked not only the prophecies but also many of the God-given laws and decrees. Their repeated rebellions against God, not just while wandering in the desert, but after they settled in Canaan, too, reveals their lack of trust in God and their failure to understand spiritual passages of scripture. In Deuteronomy 29:4 Moses told them they were calloused, unperceiving, blind and deaf to the truths God taught. Eight hundred years later (which was 700 years before Jesus was born) God placed a judgment upon Israel that further dulled their capacity to understand spiritual things (See Isaiah 6:9-10 quoted above). By that time it is obvious that God did not want Israel to accept Jesus as Messiah His First Coming to earth. Now, God knew from before creation how Israel would conduct themselves, and He prepared a redemption plan that turned salvation from Israel to the Gentiles; therefore, we can assume that He didn’t want Israel to accept Jesus, and He may have dulled them from Abraham, rather than Isaiah. When He comes the Second time, He will “free captive Israel”, and they will accept him en masse.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him sill not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Moses Denied Into Canaan (MP 52)
They camped at Kadesh, and the wells were dry;
Against Moses the people did complain;
They said, “Moses brought us down here to die;
We should’ve died when the assembly was slain*!”
Moses prayed, and God replied, “Strike the stone
With your staff after the people gathered.”
Moses obeyed, like he did it alone,
As if the Lord’s power had not mattered!
“Listen, you rebels, must I strike this rock
For water?”, when the Lord made it be;
So God gave Moses an unpleasant shock,
Saying, “Because you did not honor me,
Into Canaan you surely will not go,
For I’m holy; you failed to treat me so!”
*the assembly slain: Numbers 16:49
*******************************************************
SPECIAL NOTICE: Beginning MARCH 9, I will start a new series in God’s Master Plan for the world---PROHECIES OF THE COMING MESSIAH! With Israel settled in Canaan, God revealed 340 forecasts of the future life of JESUS OF NAZARETH, every one of which was fulfilled! You will not want to miss any of these amazing prophecies and proofs of their fulillment! WILLIAM J.B. CRITTENDEN
*******************************************************
Scripture Quoted: Numbers 20:8-12 (NIV)
“So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, ‘Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?’ Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.’ “
Commentary on: Numbers 15:1-20:13 (NIV)
God led the Israelites away from Canaan back into the desert to begin their forty-year exile for refusing to trust Him enough to invade the Promised Land. Their morale was low, and some blamed Moses for their misfortunes; a Levite leader named Korah gathered a group of 250 influential men together and openly defied Moses. They thought he had overreached his authority, saying that God was with all the people and challenged his leadership. The Lord punished them severely, opened the ground and swallowed Korah and two of his closest conspirators, with their families and all their possessions. As a result, a large assembly of all the people gathered near the tabernacle and complained to Moses; God sent a plague among them, and they began dying. Moses had Aaron go into their midst with a censer of incense, and succeeded in stopping the plague after it had killed 14,700 people. After the plague stopped, God told Moses to have each of the 12 tribes to present a staff with their tribal leader’s name on it before the Lord in the tabernacle. Aaron’s staff would represent the Levites with the name of Moses on it. The staffs were erected before the altar. The next morning they found that Aaron’s staff had grown leaves and budded, producing almonds, proving that Aaron was God’s choice for chief priest and Moses was His choice to lead Israel.
After these tragic events, they stopped at a place named Kadesh and found no water to drink. Grumbling against Moses grew up again, and Moses prayed to God for help. God told him to gather all the people at the front of the Tent of Meeting (the tabernacle). There was a rock there, and God told Moses to strike the rock in front of the people, and water would be furnished. By this point poor Moses was angry with the repeated demands of the people, and possibly “puffed up” because God had so glorified him to them as their leader, that he wanted to “show off” his supreme power. He struck the rock and produced water, but his speech to them left God’s power completely out (see scripture quoted above). He spoke as if the miracle was coming from him and Aaron, when it was God’s power. This is a major principle to all who witness for God, even until today: In all things He must be given credit for every blessing received; God gets angry when He is the source of life itself, all our possessions, our healings from illness, and every good thing we have, and He wants to be acknowledged as the source. As a result of Moses’ gaffe, God decreed that Moses would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land when it was finally possessed by Israel.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Against Moses the people did complain;
They said, “Moses brought us down here to die;
We should’ve died when the assembly was slain*!”
Moses prayed, and God replied, “Strike the stone
With your staff after the people gathered.”
Moses obeyed, like he did it alone,
As if the Lord’s power had not mattered!
“Listen, you rebels, must I strike this rock
For water?”, when the Lord made it be;
So God gave Moses an unpleasant shock,
Saying, “Because you did not honor me,
Into Canaan you surely will not go,
For I’m holy; you failed to treat me so!”
*the assembly slain: Numbers 16:49
*******************************************************
SPECIAL NOTICE: Beginning MARCH 9, I will start a new series in God’s Master Plan for the world---PROHECIES OF THE COMING MESSIAH! With Israel settled in Canaan, God revealed 340 forecasts of the future life of JESUS OF NAZARETH, every one of which was fulfilled! You will not want to miss any of these amazing prophecies and proofs of their fulillment! WILLIAM J.B. CRITTENDEN
*******************************************************
Scripture Quoted: Numbers 20:8-12 (NIV)
“So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, ‘Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?’ Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.’ “
Commentary on: Numbers 15:1-20:13 (NIV)
God led the Israelites away from Canaan back into the desert to begin their forty-year exile for refusing to trust Him enough to invade the Promised Land. Their morale was low, and some blamed Moses for their misfortunes; a Levite leader named Korah gathered a group of 250 influential men together and openly defied Moses. They thought he had overreached his authority, saying that God was with all the people and challenged his leadership. The Lord punished them severely, opened the ground and swallowed Korah and two of his closest conspirators, with their families and all their possessions. As a result, a large assembly of all the people gathered near the tabernacle and complained to Moses; God sent a plague among them, and they began dying. Moses had Aaron go into their midst with a censer of incense, and succeeded in stopping the plague after it had killed 14,700 people. After the plague stopped, God told Moses to have each of the 12 tribes to present a staff with their tribal leader’s name on it before the Lord in the tabernacle. Aaron’s staff would represent the Levites with the name of Moses on it. The staffs were erected before the altar. The next morning they found that Aaron’s staff had grown leaves and budded, producing almonds, proving that Aaron was God’s choice for chief priest and Moses was His choice to lead Israel.
After these tragic events, they stopped at a place named Kadesh and found no water to drink. Grumbling against Moses grew up again, and Moses prayed to God for help. God told him to gather all the people at the front of the Tent of Meeting (the tabernacle). There was a rock there, and God told Moses to strike the rock in front of the people, and water would be furnished. By this point poor Moses was angry with the repeated demands of the people, and possibly “puffed up” because God had so glorified him to them as their leader, that he wanted to “show off” his supreme power. He struck the rock and produced water, but his speech to them left God’s power completely out (see scripture quoted above). He spoke as if the miracle was coming from him and Aaron, when it was God’s power. This is a major principle to all who witness for God, even until today: In all things He must be given credit for every blessing received; God gets angry when He is the source of life itself, all our possessions, our healings from illness, and every good thing we have, and He wants to be acknowledged as the source. As a result of Moses’ gaffe, God decreed that Moses would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land when it was finally possessed by Israel.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Friday, February 25, 2011
Israel Fails God Again (MP 51)
Despite Israel’s repeated wayward flings,
God gave in to Moses’ beseeching pleas,
Reducing His threatened punishing stings
By inflicting much lighter penalties!
He led them on to Canaan’s golden strand;
They camped outside, and ten were sent to spy;
Eight reported the people in the land
Were giants, too strong for Israel to try!
The Israelites accepted their account,
Grumbling, why God had brought them here to die,
As if He could not Canaanites surmount,
Though Moses assured them God would supply!
The whole tribe, God said again, He would destroy;
Moses pled Him a lesser fate employ!
*******************************************************
SPECIAL NOTICE: Beginning MARCH 9, I will start a new series in God’s Master Plan for the world---PROHECIES OF THE COMING MESSIAH! With Israel settled in Canaan, God revealed 340 forecasts of the future life of JESUS OF NAZARETH to them, every one of which was fulfilled! You will not want to miss any of these amazing prophecies and proofs of their fulillment! WILLIAM J.B. CRITTENDEN
*******************************************************
Scripture Quoted: Excerpts from Numbers 14:26-39 (NIV)
“… ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you say: In this desert your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more… Not one of you will enter this land … except Caleb … and Joshua … For forty years … you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you …’ So the men Moses had sent to explore the land … those men responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died in a plague before the Lord … only Joshua … and Caleb … survived.”
Commentary on: Numbers 10:11-14:45 (NIV)
God kept Israel in camp at Sinai about ten months, and He gave them a system of priests and religious laws, plus He organized the twelve tribes with social laws and a network of judges within the tribes to assist Moses in administering the new nation. Moses was given the total leadership as the chief priest as well as chief ruler. God organized their camp into assigned places for every tribe, civil and religious functions. The Sabbath day was a day of rest; no one was allowed to work. The pillar of cloud by day and fire by night was their guide; when it left the new tabernacle, they broke camp and moved on in a specified order; when the pillar stopped, they camped. Moses’ function was a shadow of that which is prophesied for Jesus Christ—Christ is to combine His leadership of the Kingdom of God as both King and High Priest, and He is to reign forever.
But the Israelites were a contentious people. They grew tired of eating the same food—manna and quail—and grumbled about not having the delicious fish and vegetables they had enjoyed in Egypt. They complained to Moses, until He asked God what he was to do; God’s response was to rain more quail upon the camp to a height of three feet deep. The Israelites had to eat it all for a month. Even His own siblings, Aaron and Miriam, spoke against Moses; God punished them by giving them leprosy; Miriam had to be confined outside the camp for seven days to become clean again, after Moses prayed to God to forgive them.
When they came near to Canaan, the land that God had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob over 500 years before, they camped outside the border and sent 10 men into the land to explore its fertility, military strength and other information. After all the seemingly impossible things God had already done to get them to this point, you would think they would just go right in fearlessly, depending upon His omnipotence to give them victory; but no, they had to evaluate the situation for themselves, evidently depending upon their human strength, rather than depending upon the Lord. Of course, God cannot help but be offended when His followers depend solely on their own power rather than counting on Him to assist. The spies were gone 40 days; they brought back samples of the grapes and produce of the land, saying it was truly a land “flowing with milk and honey”. But eight of them reported falsely that the people were giants, much too strong for them to defeat in battle. Caleb and Joshua, the other two spies, disagreed, advising that Israel should immediately go in and take the land. The people, of course, believed the eight, and wailed that God had brought them out of Egypt into the desert to die, though Moses fell on his face before them, pleading for immediate invasion. God became so angry with Israel, that He struck down the eight false spies; then He turned the nation back, giving them 40 more years of wandering in the desert. All adults above 20 years of age, except Joshua and Caleb, would die; only the younger Israelites would go into Canaan. Of course, the wishy-washy Israelites repented and mounted an attack on their own without God, and got defeated with thousands of casualties.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
God gave in to Moses’ beseeching pleas,
Reducing His threatened punishing stings
By inflicting much lighter penalties!
He led them on to Canaan’s golden strand;
They camped outside, and ten were sent to spy;
Eight reported the people in the land
Were giants, too strong for Israel to try!
The Israelites accepted their account,
Grumbling, why God had brought them here to die,
As if He could not Canaanites surmount,
Though Moses assured them God would supply!
The whole tribe, God said again, He would destroy;
Moses pled Him a lesser fate employ!
*******************************************************
SPECIAL NOTICE: Beginning MARCH 9, I will start a new series in God’s Master Plan for the world---PROHECIES OF THE COMING MESSIAH! With Israel settled in Canaan, God revealed 340 forecasts of the future life of JESUS OF NAZARETH to them, every one of which was fulfilled! You will not want to miss any of these amazing prophecies and proofs of their fulillment! WILLIAM J.B. CRITTENDEN
*******************************************************
Scripture Quoted: Excerpts from Numbers 14:26-39 (NIV)
“… ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you say: In this desert your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more… Not one of you will enter this land … except Caleb … and Joshua … For forty years … you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you …’ So the men Moses had sent to explore the land … those men responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died in a plague before the Lord … only Joshua … and Caleb … survived.”
Commentary on: Numbers 10:11-14:45 (NIV)
God kept Israel in camp at Sinai about ten months, and He gave them a system of priests and religious laws, plus He organized the twelve tribes with social laws and a network of judges within the tribes to assist Moses in administering the new nation. Moses was given the total leadership as the chief priest as well as chief ruler. God organized their camp into assigned places for every tribe, civil and religious functions. The Sabbath day was a day of rest; no one was allowed to work. The pillar of cloud by day and fire by night was their guide; when it left the new tabernacle, they broke camp and moved on in a specified order; when the pillar stopped, they camped. Moses’ function was a shadow of that which is prophesied for Jesus Christ—Christ is to combine His leadership of the Kingdom of God as both King and High Priest, and He is to reign forever.
But the Israelites were a contentious people. They grew tired of eating the same food—manna and quail—and grumbled about not having the delicious fish and vegetables they had enjoyed in Egypt. They complained to Moses, until He asked God what he was to do; God’s response was to rain more quail upon the camp to a height of three feet deep. The Israelites had to eat it all for a month. Even His own siblings, Aaron and Miriam, spoke against Moses; God punished them by giving them leprosy; Miriam had to be confined outside the camp for seven days to become clean again, after Moses prayed to God to forgive them.
When they came near to Canaan, the land that God had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob over 500 years before, they camped outside the border and sent 10 men into the land to explore its fertility, military strength and other information. After all the seemingly impossible things God had already done to get them to this point, you would think they would just go right in fearlessly, depending upon His omnipotence to give them victory; but no, they had to evaluate the situation for themselves, evidently depending upon their human strength, rather than depending upon the Lord. Of course, God cannot help but be offended when His followers depend solely on their own power rather than counting on Him to assist. The spies were gone 40 days; they brought back samples of the grapes and produce of the land, saying it was truly a land “flowing with milk and honey”. But eight of them reported falsely that the people were giants, much too strong for them to defeat in battle. Caleb and Joshua, the other two spies, disagreed, advising that Israel should immediately go in and take the land. The people, of course, believed the eight, and wailed that God had brought them out of Egypt into the desert to die, though Moses fell on his face before them, pleading for immediate invasion. God became so angry with Israel, that He struck down the eight false spies; then He turned the nation back, giving them 40 more years of wandering in the desert. All adults above 20 years of age, except Joshua and Caleb, would die; only the younger Israelites would go into Canaan. Of course, the wishy-washy Israelites repented and mounted an attack on their own without God, and got defeated with thousands of casualties.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Why God Gave The Mosaic Law (MP 50)
Men’s hearts were evil from birth, the Lord saw;
Untaught, they were more apt to sin than not;
At Sinai, through Moses, God gave His Law,
Meant to reduce sins, not death to unblot!
The Law was schoolmaster of wrong and right,
Teaching men and women to live serene,
To guide them to be righteous in God’s sight,
And showing them what “sin” is when it’s seen!
No man or woman ever kept the Law;
It caused more sins, in fact, for they were weak,
Doing wrong when they should have seen the flaw,
Their sinful natures new thrills prone to seek!
The Law was meant to prepare men for grace,
Not for their condemnations to replace!
*******************************************************
SPECIAL NOTICE: Beginning MARCH 9, I will begin a new emphasis in God’s Master Plan for the world---PROHECIES OF THE COMING MESSIAH! With Israel settled in Canaan, God revealed 340 forecasts of the life of JESUS OF NAZARETH, every one of which was fulfilled! You will not want to miss a single one of these amazing prophecies and proofs of their fulillment! WILLIAM J.B. CRITTENDEN
*******************************************************
Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added]
Exodus 19:5-6—“ ‘Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you shall be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you shall be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ “ [God, speaking to Moses about Israel]
Matthew 5:17—“ ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.’ “ [Jesus the Messiah, speaking to Israelites]
Romans 3:20—“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his [God’s] sight for obeying the law [Mosaic Law]; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.”
Commentary on: The Mosaic Law
You must keep in mind the plight of Man—the human race was condemned to hell since Adam’s sin; God has a plan to redeem men and women who believe in the Messiah, Jesus Christ, but He will not be born until about 2 B. C.. That is 1500 years in the future for these Israelites camped at Sinai. God chose the nation Israel and made a covenant with them, but He did not promise to redeem them from that condemnation unless they obeyed the Law (Leviticus 18:5). The covenant is conditional upon their obedience to God’s decrees, including the Laws that He gave them through Moses. The Mosaic Law became the heart of Judaism, the religion by which Hebrews have lived for 3500 years, until this day. When God came to them as He promised them He would do, Israel’s leaders and priests rejected Him and exhorted the Roman governor Pontius Pilate to crucify Him, and Pilate did. God arose from the dead after three days and is living today, but Israel still has not accepted Him or His gift of eternal life.
When Jesus (God) did come, He told them He fulfilled the Law and the Prophets, which He did. Many Israelites did believe in Jesus as the Messiah, and Christianity began in the first century as a joint sect of Judaism, but by mutual agreement of Judaism and followers of Christ they soon parted. God gave the Mosaic Law to Israel as a preparatory system that pointed to the gospel of salvation by grace through faith and not of keeping a set of laws and rules which had been perverted from their true meanings. The word “Gentiles” was coined by Judaism to refer to all human beings not born of an Israelite mother; the word “Jews” came into use by the world as referring to Israelites when the tribe of Judah was the primary remnant; therefore every human being can be said to be either a Jew or a Gentile. God is supreme over all people, and any man or woman who believes in Jesus as Lord or God will have all his or her sins forgiven, his condemnation revoked, and will become a member of the kingdom of God, without doing any works such as circumcision, baptism, sacrifice, or church membership.
Therefore Jews must be redeemed in exactly the same way that Gentiles are saved; that is, by faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible prophesies that when God returns to earth in power and glory, He will pour out His grace on the remaining Jews, and they will accept Him as the Messiah they rejected and crucified (See Zechariah 12:10).
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Untaught, they were more apt to sin than not;
At Sinai, through Moses, God gave His Law,
Meant to reduce sins, not death to unblot!
The Law was schoolmaster of wrong and right,
Teaching men and women to live serene,
To guide them to be righteous in God’s sight,
And showing them what “sin” is when it’s seen!
No man or woman ever kept the Law;
It caused more sins, in fact, for they were weak,
Doing wrong when they should have seen the flaw,
Their sinful natures new thrills prone to seek!
The Law was meant to prepare men for grace,
Not for their condemnations to replace!
*******************************************************
SPECIAL NOTICE: Beginning MARCH 9, I will begin a new emphasis in God’s Master Plan for the world---PROHECIES OF THE COMING MESSIAH! With Israel settled in Canaan, God revealed 340 forecasts of the life of JESUS OF NAZARETH, every one of which was fulfilled! You will not want to miss a single one of these amazing prophecies and proofs of their fulillment! WILLIAM J.B. CRITTENDEN
*******************************************************
Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added]
Exodus 19:5-6—“ ‘Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you shall be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you shall be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ “ [God, speaking to Moses about Israel]
Matthew 5:17—“ ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.’ “ [Jesus the Messiah, speaking to Israelites]
Romans 3:20—“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his [God’s] sight for obeying the law [Mosaic Law]; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.”
Commentary on: The Mosaic Law
You must keep in mind the plight of Man—the human race was condemned to hell since Adam’s sin; God has a plan to redeem men and women who believe in the Messiah, Jesus Christ, but He will not be born until about 2 B. C.. That is 1500 years in the future for these Israelites camped at Sinai. God chose the nation Israel and made a covenant with them, but He did not promise to redeem them from that condemnation unless they obeyed the Law (Leviticus 18:5). The covenant is conditional upon their obedience to God’s decrees, including the Laws that He gave them through Moses. The Mosaic Law became the heart of Judaism, the religion by which Hebrews have lived for 3500 years, until this day. When God came to them as He promised them He would do, Israel’s leaders and priests rejected Him and exhorted the Roman governor Pontius Pilate to crucify Him, and Pilate did. God arose from the dead after three days and is living today, but Israel still has not accepted Him or His gift of eternal life.
When Jesus (God) did come, He told them He fulfilled the Law and the Prophets, which He did. Many Israelites did believe in Jesus as the Messiah, and Christianity began in the first century as a joint sect of Judaism, but by mutual agreement of Judaism and followers of Christ they soon parted. God gave the Mosaic Law to Israel as a preparatory system that pointed to the gospel of salvation by grace through faith and not of keeping a set of laws and rules which had been perverted from their true meanings. The word “Gentiles” was coined by Judaism to refer to all human beings not born of an Israelite mother; the word “Jews” came into use by the world as referring to Israelites when the tribe of Judah was the primary remnant; therefore every human being can be said to be either a Jew or a Gentile. God is supreme over all people, and any man or woman who believes in Jesus as Lord or God will have all his or her sins forgiven, his condemnation revoked, and will become a member of the kingdom of God, without doing any works such as circumcision, baptism, sacrifice, or church membership.
Therefore Jews must be redeemed in exactly the same way that Gentiles are saved; that is, by faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible prophesies that when God returns to earth in power and glory, He will pour out His grace on the remaining Jews, and they will accept Him as the Messiah they rejected and crucified (See Zechariah 12:10).
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Monday, February 21, 2011
Israel Worships A Golden Calf (MP 49)
Having promised God His laws to obey,
Within a month the Hebrews broke the vow;
They made an idol, with Moses away,
A calf of gold, before which they did bow!
Is there none on earth fit to live with God?
Are these not they from bondage He just freed?
Through the sea on dry ground, did they not trod?
Have they not sworn to obey God’s decrees?
An angry God said He would kill them all,
And build anew with Moses as the head;
Then Moses begged God to forgive their fall,
For what would Egypt say with Israel dead?
God pre-knew they’d be stubborn and stiff-necked,
And that His Messiah they would reject!
******************************************************
SPECIAL NOTICE: Beginning MARCH 9, I will start a new emphasis in God’s Master Plan for the world---PROHECIES OF THE COMING MESSIAH! With Israel settled in Canaan, God revealed 340 forecasts of the life of JESUS OF NAZARETH, every one of which was fulfilled! You will not want to miss a single one of these amazing prophecies and proofs of their fulillment! WILLIAM J.B. CRITTENDEN
*******************************************************
Scripture Quoted: Exodus 32:6-10 (NIV) [Brackets added]
“Then the Lord said to Moses [on top of Mt. Sinai], ‘Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt. I have seen these people,’ the Lord said to Moses, ‘and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.’ “
Commentary on: The Golden Calf
The casual reader of the Bible account of Israel’s making and worshiping a golden calf so soon after hearing God give His Ten Commandments in person might think that He was shocked and surprised. No, He was not surprised, for He had known before creation everything they would do. This incident is just a sample of what is to become typical of this obstinate nation, not only during their formative stage but throughout their 3500-year history. Yes, even to this day Israel refuses to accept God as He has clearly taught that they must—through believing that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah sent from God. In fact, they rejected and crucified Him, denying then and now that He came forth from the grave and is Lord of the world today and will be forever.
After God’s extraordinary appearance on Mt. Sinai in smoke and fire, from which He spoke the Ten Commandments, the Israelites vowed they would obey them. The Second Commandment is: You shall not make any graven image nor worship idols. God called Moses to the top of the mountain and kept him there forty days, giving him various laws of how they were to conduct themselves in life, as well as the ways they were to worship Him. After Moses had been gone for some time, the people began grumbling and saying he would never return. They went to Aaron, Moses’ brother, who was in charge, and asked for an idol like those they were accustomed to back in Egypt. Incredibly, Aaron, the chief priest, agreed; he asked for gold jewelry and made a golden calf; they raised it and began worshiping it.
Moses succeeded in persuading God not to destroy the people (which God knew in advance He would not do) and came into the camp which was singing and dancing before the golden calf. In his anger he smashed the two stone tablets on which God had personally carved the Ten Commandments. He went to the gate of the camp and called for those who were to worship God to come to him. His own tribe, the Levites supported him. Next he threw the calf into the fire, ground it into particles of dust, put them in water, and made the people drink it. The next day he had his supporters put on their swords and ordered them to go through the camp killing their “brother, son, neighbor” (I am not sure which people were killed); three thousand were put to death that day.
There is no doubt that Aaron was greatly at fault for the incident. When Moses asked him how he could have done such a thing, his excuse was extremely lame. He said it was the people’s fault, for they were prone to do evil, and that when he put the jewelry into the fire, “out came the calf”, as if it were some kind of miracle. Whether he received any punishment at all is doubtful.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him sill not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Within a month the Hebrews broke the vow;
They made an idol, with Moses away,
A calf of gold, before which they did bow!
Is there none on earth fit to live with God?
Are these not they from bondage He just freed?
Through the sea on dry ground, did they not trod?
Have they not sworn to obey God’s decrees?
An angry God said He would kill them all,
And build anew with Moses as the head;
Then Moses begged God to forgive their fall,
For what would Egypt say with Israel dead?
God pre-knew they’d be stubborn and stiff-necked,
And that His Messiah they would reject!
******************************************************
SPECIAL NOTICE: Beginning MARCH 9, I will start a new emphasis in God’s Master Plan for the world---PROHECIES OF THE COMING MESSIAH! With Israel settled in Canaan, God revealed 340 forecasts of the life of JESUS OF NAZARETH, every one of which was fulfilled! You will not want to miss a single one of these amazing prophecies and proofs of their fulillment! WILLIAM J.B. CRITTENDEN
*******************************************************
Scripture Quoted: Exodus 32:6-10 (NIV) [Brackets added]
“Then the Lord said to Moses [on top of Mt. Sinai], ‘Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt. I have seen these people,’ the Lord said to Moses, ‘and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.’ “
Commentary on: The Golden Calf
The casual reader of the Bible account of Israel’s making and worshiping a golden calf so soon after hearing God give His Ten Commandments in person might think that He was shocked and surprised. No, He was not surprised, for He had known before creation everything they would do. This incident is just a sample of what is to become typical of this obstinate nation, not only during their formative stage but throughout their 3500-year history. Yes, even to this day Israel refuses to accept God as He has clearly taught that they must—through believing that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah sent from God. In fact, they rejected and crucified Him, denying then and now that He came forth from the grave and is Lord of the world today and will be forever.
After God’s extraordinary appearance on Mt. Sinai in smoke and fire, from which He spoke the Ten Commandments, the Israelites vowed they would obey them. The Second Commandment is: You shall not make any graven image nor worship idols. God called Moses to the top of the mountain and kept him there forty days, giving him various laws of how they were to conduct themselves in life, as well as the ways they were to worship Him. After Moses had been gone for some time, the people began grumbling and saying he would never return. They went to Aaron, Moses’ brother, who was in charge, and asked for an idol like those they were accustomed to back in Egypt. Incredibly, Aaron, the chief priest, agreed; he asked for gold jewelry and made a golden calf; they raised it and began worshiping it.
Moses succeeded in persuading God not to destroy the people (which God knew in advance He would not do) and came into the camp which was singing and dancing before the golden calf. In his anger he smashed the two stone tablets on which God had personally carved the Ten Commandments. He went to the gate of the camp and called for those who were to worship God to come to him. His own tribe, the Levites supported him. Next he threw the calf into the fire, ground it into particles of dust, put them in water, and made the people drink it. The next day he had his supporters put on their swords and ordered them to go through the camp killing their “brother, son, neighbor” (I am not sure which people were killed); three thousand were put to death that day.
There is no doubt that Aaron was greatly at fault for the incident. When Moses asked him how he could have done such a thing, his excuse was extremely lame. He said it was the people’s fault, for they were prone to do evil, and that when he put the jewelry into the fire, “out came the calf”, as if it were some kind of miracle. Whether he received any punishment at all is doubtful.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him sill not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Saturday, February 19, 2011
God's Ten Commandments (MP 48)
God made men and women with Him to dwell;
He loved them all, not wishing one to die,
But ev’ry one became condemned to hell,
And there was none to live with God on high!
So He nurtured Israel through whom He’d come,
Bringing redemption for those who believe;
That they sin less than their forebears had done,
He decreed laws their excesses to decrease!
Ten Commandments God ordered Israel keep;
So they’d not forget, He wrote them in stone;
Keeping God’s laws did not salvation reap,
But less evil might be seen in God’s own!
These commands were His basics and His first,
Meant to make His people special on earth!
************************************************************
SPECIAL NOTICE: Beginning MARCH 9, I will begin a new emphasis in God’s Master Plan for the world---PROHECIES OF THE COMING MESSIAH! With Israel settled in Canaan, God revealed 340 forecasts of the life of JESUS OF NAZARETH, every one of which was fulfilled! You will not want to miss a single one of these amazing prophecies and proofs of their fulillment! WILLIAM J.B. CRITTENDEN
************************************************************
Scripture Quoted (NIV)
Exodus 20:1-17—“And God spoke all these words: ‘I am the Lord your God … You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol … You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God … Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy … Honor your father and your mother … You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet …’ “
Commentary on “God’s Ten Commandments”
We must keep in mind the predicament in which the human race has been in since the first man Adam disobeyed God and brought condemnation upon all mankind. God created the universe and man so that He would have fellowship with men and women eternally. As a result of Adam’s sin, no one could ever qualify to escape physical death or being assigned to hell eternally; therefore if no system of redemption from the penalty of man’s sin was ever provided, there would be none to join with God ever. God included in His Master Plan a redemptive system; in order to set redemption for men in motion, God planned to come to earth Himself in the body of a man. However, He would not come for another 1500 years. His method included the nation of Israel, begun by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; their descendants have reached about two million people, and are now free from slavery in Egypt. Israel has become a nation in migration to the Promised Land.
God led the Israelites out of bondage three months ago. He gathers them about Mount Sinai in the desert to begin their organization into a nation. He gives them the Ten Commandments (See above), not as a means of saving them from condemnation, but to prepare them morally and spiritually for His later coming as the Messiah. His laws and commandments are meant to control the sinful nature that is within each person born since Adam. God wants to see less sin from Israel than has been shown by all those who have lived before. Israel is chosen by Him to be a nation of priests to the world; their behavior needs to be an example and a guide to the other nations of the world. By obeying God’s laws and commands, the people of Israel will not earn their ways to heaven and escape hell, but they will prepare the way for Jesus (God) and be first to be offered redemption and salvation when Jesus (God) comes the first century A.D. God’s system for salvation is based upon faith in Jesus Christ through grace, not upon obedience to His laws.
You may not think it fair of God to lay this responsibility upon a people who cannot redeem themselves during their lifetimes long before Jesus comes with a plan of salvation. I am happy to tell you that they were given a way to escape hell. You can read it for yourself in Hebrews Chapter 11. Many men and women beginning with Adam and Eve have been saved by “election”, in which God selects those whose obedience and righteous living He counted as faith in Christ. Abraham, for example, who obeyed God’s call to move to Canaan and many other things asked of him, was redeemed and is in heaven today. Some are listed in Hebrews 11, but there are surely many more whose names are not given.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
He loved them all, not wishing one to die,
But ev’ry one became condemned to hell,
And there was none to live with God on high!
So He nurtured Israel through whom He’d come,
Bringing redemption for those who believe;
That they sin less than their forebears had done,
He decreed laws their excesses to decrease!
Ten Commandments God ordered Israel keep;
So they’d not forget, He wrote them in stone;
Keeping God’s laws did not salvation reap,
But less evil might be seen in God’s own!
These commands were His basics and His first,
Meant to make His people special on earth!
************************************************************
SPECIAL NOTICE: Beginning MARCH 9, I will begin a new emphasis in God’s Master Plan for the world---PROHECIES OF THE COMING MESSIAH! With Israel settled in Canaan, God revealed 340 forecasts of the life of JESUS OF NAZARETH, every one of which was fulfilled! You will not want to miss a single one of these amazing prophecies and proofs of their fulillment! WILLIAM J.B. CRITTENDEN
************************************************************
Scripture Quoted (NIV)
Exodus 20:1-17—“And God spoke all these words: ‘I am the Lord your God … You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol … You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God … Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy … Honor your father and your mother … You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet …’ “
Commentary on “God’s Ten Commandments”
We must keep in mind the predicament in which the human race has been in since the first man Adam disobeyed God and brought condemnation upon all mankind. God created the universe and man so that He would have fellowship with men and women eternally. As a result of Adam’s sin, no one could ever qualify to escape physical death or being assigned to hell eternally; therefore if no system of redemption from the penalty of man’s sin was ever provided, there would be none to join with God ever. God included in His Master Plan a redemptive system; in order to set redemption for men in motion, God planned to come to earth Himself in the body of a man. However, He would not come for another 1500 years. His method included the nation of Israel, begun by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; their descendants have reached about two million people, and are now free from slavery in Egypt. Israel has become a nation in migration to the Promised Land.
God led the Israelites out of bondage three months ago. He gathers them about Mount Sinai in the desert to begin their organization into a nation. He gives them the Ten Commandments (See above), not as a means of saving them from condemnation, but to prepare them morally and spiritually for His later coming as the Messiah. His laws and commandments are meant to control the sinful nature that is within each person born since Adam. God wants to see less sin from Israel than has been shown by all those who have lived before. Israel is chosen by Him to be a nation of priests to the world; their behavior needs to be an example and a guide to the other nations of the world. By obeying God’s laws and commands, the people of Israel will not earn their ways to heaven and escape hell, but they will prepare the way for Jesus (God) and be first to be offered redemption and salvation when Jesus (God) comes the first century A.D. God’s system for salvation is based upon faith in Jesus Christ through grace, not upon obedience to His laws.
You may not think it fair of God to lay this responsibility upon a people who cannot redeem themselves during their lifetimes long before Jesus comes with a plan of salvation. I am happy to tell you that they were given a way to escape hell. You can read it for yourself in Hebrews Chapter 11. Many men and women beginning with Adam and Eve have been saved by “election”, in which God selects those whose obedience and righteous living He counted as faith in Christ. Abraham, for example, who obeyed God’s call to move to Canaan and many other things asked of him, was redeemed and is in heaven today. Some are listed in Hebrews 11, but there are surely many more whose names are not given.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Thursday, February 17, 2011
The People Ask For A Prophet (MP 47)
Israel met with God where Moses was called
From the burning bush that was not consumed;
Thund’rous clouds of smoke Mount Sinai assumed;
People shrank back in fear; some even crawled!
They begged Moses, “Ask God to speak through you;
If He speaks directly to us, we will die!”
God knew they would fear long before their cry,
And in advance had planned what He would do!
From among them a prophet would be born,
One who will redeem their wages of sin,
And whose words will offer salvation to men—
God will come Himself, the earth to adorn!
This in His Plan ere creation began,
All complete, coming together for Man!
Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added]
Exodus 19:16-18—“Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently.”
Exodus 20:18-19—“When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.’ “
Deuteronomy 18_19—“ ‘I [God speaking to Moses] will raise up for them [Israel] a prophet [Jesus] like you from among their brothers; I will put my words into his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.’ “ [Moses, quoting God’s prophecy of Messiah in Deuteronomy in response to the people’s request]
John 5:45-47—“ 'But do not think I [Jesus] will accuse you [for not believing Him] from the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?’ “
Commentary on “The People Ash For A Prophet”
God wanted to speak to the assembly of all Israelites when they first arrived at Mount Sinai thee months after crossing the Red Sea out of Egypt. He was in the midst of billowing smoke and fire on top of the mountain. The sight and sounds and trembling of the mountain caused by God’s presence so frightened the people that they feared to meet directly with God and asked Moses to continue bringing God’s message to them. As a result God agreed, and He spoke through the prophet Moses so long as He lived; then He spoke through other prophets, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Joel, Amos, Zechariah, and others; however God promised in Deuteronomy 18 (partially quoted above) that He would send the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. This prophecy and more than 300 others in the Old Testament speaks clearly of the coming of Jesus, who was God Himself come to earth to bring redemption to Man. Jesus used this prophecy in speaking to the Jews (See John 5:45-47 above), but they did not believe He was sent from God, although He met the words of Moses’ prophecy and all the others precisely. Therefore, He told them that Moses himself would accuse them of unbelief in Jesus, rather than Jesus having to accuse them. They didn’t believe the words of Jesus, and they crucified Him for claiming to be the Son of God. The Pharisees and priests will stand condemned at the Last Judgment for their disbelief in heir own prophets.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
From the burning bush that was not consumed;
Thund’rous clouds of smoke Mount Sinai assumed;
People shrank back in fear; some even crawled!
They begged Moses, “Ask God to speak through you;
If He speaks directly to us, we will die!”
God knew they would fear long before their cry,
And in advance had planned what He would do!
From among them a prophet would be born,
One who will redeem their wages of sin,
And whose words will offer salvation to men—
God will come Himself, the earth to adorn!
This in His Plan ere creation began,
All complete, coming together for Man!
Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added]
Exodus 19:16-18—“Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently.”
Exodus 20:18-19—“When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.’ “
Deuteronomy 18_19—“ ‘I [God speaking to Moses] will raise up for them [Israel] a prophet [Jesus] like you from among their brothers; I will put my words into his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.’ “ [Moses, quoting God’s prophecy of Messiah in Deuteronomy in response to the people’s request]
John 5:45-47—“ 'But do not think I [Jesus] will accuse you [for not believing Him] from the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?’ “
Commentary on “The People Ash For A Prophet”
God wanted to speak to the assembly of all Israelites when they first arrived at Mount Sinai thee months after crossing the Red Sea out of Egypt. He was in the midst of billowing smoke and fire on top of the mountain. The sight and sounds and trembling of the mountain caused by God’s presence so frightened the people that they feared to meet directly with God and asked Moses to continue bringing God’s message to them. As a result God agreed, and He spoke through the prophet Moses so long as He lived; then He spoke through other prophets, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Joel, Amos, Zechariah, and others; however God promised in Deuteronomy 18 (partially quoted above) that He would send the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. This prophecy and more than 300 others in the Old Testament speaks clearly of the coming of Jesus, who was God Himself come to earth to bring redemption to Man. Jesus used this prophecy in speaking to the Jews (See John 5:45-47 above), but they did not believe He was sent from God, although He met the words of Moses’ prophecy and all the others precisely. Therefore, He told them that Moses himself would accuse them of unbelief in Jesus, rather than Jesus having to accuse them. They didn’t believe the words of Jesus, and they crucified Him for claiming to be the Son of God. The Pharisees and priests will stand condemned at the Last Judgment for their disbelief in heir own prophets.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
God Provides For Israel (MP 46)
Israel’s high praise for God did not long last;
For three days without fresh water they marched;
Grumbling grew greater the greater they parched,
“We had plenty of water in the past!”
Bitter-tasting water God led them to;
The people cried for water that was good;
God showed Moses a certain piece of wood;
When placed in the water, it sweetened through!
God told them, “Listen sharp to all I say:
Do right in my eyes; obey my commands;
Keep all my decrees; you’re safe in my hands,
For I am the Lord, who shows you the way!”
He led them to a place of twelve springs,
Seventy palm trees, and other good things!
Scripture Quoted: Exodus 15:19-24 (NIV)
“When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through on dry ground. Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing. … Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. … So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What are we to drink?’ “
Commentary on: God Provides For Israel
The Israelites had a great celebration of singing praises to God and dancing on the eastern shore of the Red Sea after God drowned the pursuing Egyptians and let them cross on dry ground. Moses’ and Aaron’s sister Miriam led the women in a dance of thanksgiving. When they moved off from the sea, it was a different story—they plunged into the desert and trekked for three days without finding fresh water. The complaints to Moses and God cranked up again. We will find that Israel was made up of obstreperous people who were quick to find fault with those that did the most for them.
God knew how they would turn from Him time after time before He chose Israel’s forefathers—Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, yet He repeatedly blessed them and provided for all their needs. You recall that He led them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. He was constant with this blessing the entire forty years of their wandering. God provided a piece of wood at Marah to sweeten the water so that they could drink it. Finding water in the desert was a big problem, but God kept them supplied. In Exodus 17 He told Moses to strike a rock with his staff and water gushed out.
God provided bread from heaven. Thin white wafers called “manna” lay on the ground every morning; there were two full quarts a day for each person. It was gathered every morning and consumed during the day or disposed of, except on Friday twice as much fell, for Saturday was the Sabbath, a day of rest. In the evening, doves fell to the ground all over their camp, which supplied their meat.
In those days it was impossible for two million people carrying gold and other valuables and huge numbers of livestock to migrate across territory occupied by many tribes without having to fight their way. The first group to attack Israel was the Amalekites very soon in their journey. Moses appointed Joshua as commander of Israel’s fighting forces. Joshua and his chosen men went out to meet the attackers, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went up to the top of a mountain overlooking the battleground, Moses stretched both arms up to God—as long as his arms were raised, the Israelites were winning, but when they were lowered to rest, they began losing. So Aaron and Hur placed a stone for Moses to sit upon; one stood on one side and held up Moses’ arm; the other stood on the other side and held the other arm up. His arms were raised all day, and God gave Israel the victory. In everything that God did on behalf of Israel, He tried to accentuate to the people their complete dependence upon Him. If you observe mankind in the 21st century, you will quickly see that none of the governments look to God for His assistance in war or in keeping the peace, and very few people and institutions depend upon God for success either. Although God knew in advance mankind in general would never trust their safety or success to Him, nevertheless He showed us in many ways the importance of depending on Him rather than upon man’s own ingenuity and resources. His complete provision for Israel was essential for their safety and success. Our United States of America founding fathers launched this nation under God and tried to impress upon the consciences of its future citizens the importance of our dependence upon God. However, our current President Obama seems to be trying to remove us from dependence upon God. Bad for our safety and success.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
For three days without fresh water they marched;
Grumbling grew greater the greater they parched,
“We had plenty of water in the past!”
Bitter-tasting water God led them to;
The people cried for water that was good;
God showed Moses a certain piece of wood;
When placed in the water, it sweetened through!
God told them, “Listen sharp to all I say:
Do right in my eyes; obey my commands;
Keep all my decrees; you’re safe in my hands,
For I am the Lord, who shows you the way!”
He led them to a place of twelve springs,
Seventy palm trees, and other good things!
Scripture Quoted: Exodus 15:19-24 (NIV)
“When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through on dry ground. Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing. … Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. … So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What are we to drink?’ “
Commentary on: God Provides For Israel
The Israelites had a great celebration of singing praises to God and dancing on the eastern shore of the Red Sea after God drowned the pursuing Egyptians and let them cross on dry ground. Moses’ and Aaron’s sister Miriam led the women in a dance of thanksgiving. When they moved off from the sea, it was a different story—they plunged into the desert and trekked for three days without finding fresh water. The complaints to Moses and God cranked up again. We will find that Israel was made up of obstreperous people who were quick to find fault with those that did the most for them.
God knew how they would turn from Him time after time before He chose Israel’s forefathers—Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, yet He repeatedly blessed them and provided for all their needs. You recall that He led them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. He was constant with this blessing the entire forty years of their wandering. God provided a piece of wood at Marah to sweeten the water so that they could drink it. Finding water in the desert was a big problem, but God kept them supplied. In Exodus 17 He told Moses to strike a rock with his staff and water gushed out.
God provided bread from heaven. Thin white wafers called “manna” lay on the ground every morning; there were two full quarts a day for each person. It was gathered every morning and consumed during the day or disposed of, except on Friday twice as much fell, for Saturday was the Sabbath, a day of rest. In the evening, doves fell to the ground all over their camp, which supplied their meat.
In those days it was impossible for two million people carrying gold and other valuables and huge numbers of livestock to migrate across territory occupied by many tribes without having to fight their way. The first group to attack Israel was the Amalekites very soon in their journey. Moses appointed Joshua as commander of Israel’s fighting forces. Joshua and his chosen men went out to meet the attackers, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went up to the top of a mountain overlooking the battleground, Moses stretched both arms up to God—as long as his arms were raised, the Israelites were winning, but when they were lowered to rest, they began losing. So Aaron and Hur placed a stone for Moses to sit upon; one stood on one side and held up Moses’ arm; the other stood on the other side and held the other arm up. His arms were raised all day, and God gave Israel the victory. In everything that God did on behalf of Israel, He tried to accentuate to the people their complete dependence upon Him. If you observe mankind in the 21st century, you will quickly see that none of the governments look to God for His assistance in war or in keeping the peace, and very few people and institutions depend upon God for success either. Although God knew in advance mankind in general would never trust their safety or success to Him, nevertheless He showed us in many ways the importance of depending on Him rather than upon man’s own ingenuity and resources. His complete provision for Israel was essential for their safety and success. Our United States of America founding fathers launched this nation under God and tried to impress upon the consciences of its future citizens the importance of our dependence upon God. However, our current President Obama seems to be trying to remove us from dependence upon God. Bad for our safety and success.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Sunday, February 13, 2011
God Parts The Red Sea (MP 45)
Moses stretched his hand over the Red Sea;
The east wind blew, and the waters parted;
Dry ground appeared where water used to be—
High walls of water their safety guarded!
Israel crossed over, amazed and wide-eyed,
Walking between high angry and held-back pours;
Moses was last to climb the eastern side,
Barely in front of Pharaoh’s charging corps!
Then he turned and stretched out his hand again;
The high walls collapsed; all the army drowned,
Frantic scrambles to survive were in vain;
The sea rolled content over the dry ground!
God kept His promise to bring Israel out,
And of His great power, no man can doubt!
Scripture Quoted: Exodus 14:21-22 (NIV)
“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.”
Commentary on: “God Parts The Red Sea”
The Israelites left Egypt a ravaged country. The Bible doesn’t actually state that Pharaoh drowned with his army, but it is implied. Secular history does not report that the departure of the Israelites was the event that cost Egypt the life of a Pharaoh and a huge amount of their gold, livestock, fighting-age men, and most of their hard labor force, but the account in the Bible does, and archeological evidence supports it. Scholars have located the remains of Joseph’s villa in Goshen and his empty tomb (Israel carried his bones back to Canaan). It is believed that the exodus of Israel occurred during the reign of Rameses II. Also, the remains of war chariots have been found in the Red Sea. God hardened Pharaoh’s heart time after time in order to show His great power, first, to Israelites that they would remember always what He had done for them; and second, that Egypt and all other nations of the world realize that the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses was not to be resisted.
When the Israelites were hemmed in by the deser and the ocean, they turned against Moses and God for leading them into a trap, but after escaping from Egypt on dry ground, they quickly rebounded to praise God and Moses. They celebrated by singing songs and swearing allegiance as they watched the bodies of Egypt’s fighting men drifting to the shores on both sides of the sea. However, the on-again, off-again nature of the people was just beginning to be revealed. No matter how much God and Moses did for them, it was never enough. They had short memories. Forty years later, when they finally ended their wandering and entered Canaan by crossing the Jordan River, God did it again—He parted the waters o the Jordan, and they crossed it on dry ground. Of all the miracles God performed for Israel, the parting of the Red Sea was considered by the people His greatest.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
The east wind blew, and the waters parted;
Dry ground appeared where water used to be—
High walls of water their safety guarded!
Israel crossed over, amazed and wide-eyed,
Walking between high angry and held-back pours;
Moses was last to climb the eastern side,
Barely in front of Pharaoh’s charging corps!
Then he turned and stretched out his hand again;
The high walls collapsed; all the army drowned,
Frantic scrambles to survive were in vain;
The sea rolled content over the dry ground!
God kept His promise to bring Israel out,
And of His great power, no man can doubt!
Scripture Quoted: Exodus 14:21-22 (NIV)
“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.”
Commentary on: “God Parts The Red Sea”
The Israelites left Egypt a ravaged country. The Bible doesn’t actually state that Pharaoh drowned with his army, but it is implied. Secular history does not report that the departure of the Israelites was the event that cost Egypt the life of a Pharaoh and a huge amount of their gold, livestock, fighting-age men, and most of their hard labor force, but the account in the Bible does, and archeological evidence supports it. Scholars have located the remains of Joseph’s villa in Goshen and his empty tomb (Israel carried his bones back to Canaan). It is believed that the exodus of Israel occurred during the reign of Rameses II. Also, the remains of war chariots have been found in the Red Sea. God hardened Pharaoh’s heart time after time in order to show His great power, first, to Israelites that they would remember always what He had done for them; and second, that Egypt and all other nations of the world realize that the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses was not to be resisted.
When the Israelites were hemmed in by the deser and the ocean, they turned against Moses and God for leading them into a trap, but after escaping from Egypt on dry ground, they quickly rebounded to praise God and Moses. They celebrated by singing songs and swearing allegiance as they watched the bodies of Egypt’s fighting men drifting to the shores on both sides of the sea. However, the on-again, off-again nature of the people was just beginning to be revealed. No matter how much God and Moses did for them, it was never enough. They had short memories. Forty years later, when they finally ended their wandering and entered Canaan by crossing the Jordan River, God did it again—He parted the waters o the Jordan, and they crossed it on dry ground. Of all the miracles God performed for Israel, the parting of the Red Sea was considered by the people His greatest.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Friday, February 11, 2011
Israel Penned At The Red Sea (MP 44)
God led as a pillar of cloud by day,
And as a pillar of fire in the night;
He led them by the sea and desert way,
Which the Israelites regarded unright!
Hebrews’ trust was fickle, for they were prone
To turn from Moses and God in dismay
At any hardship or trouble unknown,
Expecting miracles to smooth the way!
The shorter route was through Philistine land,
But God knew they were unready for war;
God’s pow’r Pharaoh still did not understand,
So God planned one last plague to gild His star!
Thinking Israel was blocked by the Red Sea,
Pharaoh’s army charged to crush Israel’s spree!
Scripture Quoted (NIV)
Exodus 13:17—“When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, ‘If they face war they might change their minds and return to Egypt.’ “
Exodus 14:3-4—“ ‘Pharaoh will think, The Israelites are wandering around in confusion, hemmed in by the desert. And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself …’ “
Exodus 14:10—“As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, ‘Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?’ “
Commentary on Exodus 13:17-14:12 (NIV)
Although the Israelite men were armed, their exodus had just begun, and they were moving in an unorganized heterogeneous mass, a mixture of men, women, children, and livestock. The shortest route to Canaan was eastward through Philistia. There was no Red Sea or desert to cross; however, the Philistines were certain to mount an armed resistance. Therefore God took them southward, which meant they had to choose between entering the desert or crossing the Red Sea.
In two days they reached a place that looked like a death trap—the desert to the south and the broad Red Sea to the east; they camped, unable to proceed. When they saw Pharaoh’s army—over six hundred chariots—approaching. the Hebrews cried out to God and turned on Moses. The race of Jacob’s offspring turned out to be obstreperous and fickle in the extreme; this was just the first of many such rebellious turnings against God and His prophets that they mounted during the next 1500 years of their history.
Of course, this outburst, nor any others that were to occur, was no surprise to God. He had known in advance every fault and shortcoming in every person before He released the first burst of energy to begin creation, and solutions for every setback were planned ahead of time. In this occasion, He was not finished with Pharaoh. It was His intent from the outset to reveal to mankind the full extent of His power by demolishing Pharaoh and Egypt completely, so that human beings would ascribe to Him the glory One of His immense might was due. God’s primary purpose in creating Man is to be glorified commensurate with One who is supreme. That’s the reason He hardened Pharaoh’s heart repeatedly: To demonstrate ever-increasing levels of power. He had an even greater feat yet to reveal. so He hardened Pharaoh’s heart once more, even though the slaying of Egypt’s firstborn sons had seemed stupendous enough. What He was about to do was even greater.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
And as a pillar of fire in the night;
He led them by the sea and desert way,
Which the Israelites regarded unright!
Hebrews’ trust was fickle, for they were prone
To turn from Moses and God in dismay
At any hardship or trouble unknown,
Expecting miracles to smooth the way!
The shorter route was through Philistine land,
But God knew they were unready for war;
God’s pow’r Pharaoh still did not understand,
So God planned one last plague to gild His star!
Thinking Israel was blocked by the Red Sea,
Pharaoh’s army charged to crush Israel’s spree!
Scripture Quoted (NIV)
Exodus 13:17—“When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, ‘If they face war they might change their minds and return to Egypt.’ “
Exodus 14:3-4—“ ‘Pharaoh will think, The Israelites are wandering around in confusion, hemmed in by the desert. And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself …’ “
Exodus 14:10—“As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, ‘Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?’ “
Commentary on Exodus 13:17-14:12 (NIV)
Although the Israelite men were armed, their exodus had just begun, and they were moving in an unorganized heterogeneous mass, a mixture of men, women, children, and livestock. The shortest route to Canaan was eastward through Philistia. There was no Red Sea or desert to cross; however, the Philistines were certain to mount an armed resistance. Therefore God took them southward, which meant they had to choose between entering the desert or crossing the Red Sea.
In two days they reached a place that looked like a death trap—the desert to the south and the broad Red Sea to the east; they camped, unable to proceed. When they saw Pharaoh’s army—over six hundred chariots—approaching. the Hebrews cried out to God and turned on Moses. The race of Jacob’s offspring turned out to be obstreperous and fickle in the extreme; this was just the first of many such rebellious turnings against God and His prophets that they mounted during the next 1500 years of their history.
Of course, this outburst, nor any others that were to occur, was no surprise to God. He had known in advance every fault and shortcoming in every person before He released the first burst of energy to begin creation, and solutions for every setback were planned ahead of time. In this occasion, He was not finished with Pharaoh. It was His intent from the outset to reveal to mankind the full extent of His power by demolishing Pharaoh and Egypt completely, so that human beings would ascribe to Him the glory One of His immense might was due. God’s primary purpose in creating Man is to be glorified commensurate with One who is supreme. That’s the reason He hardened Pharaoh’s heart repeatedly: To demonstrate ever-increasing levels of power. He had an even greater feat yet to reveal. so He hardened Pharaoh’s heart once more, even though the slaying of Egypt’s firstborn sons had seemed stupendous enough. What He was about to do was even greater.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Monday, February 7, 2011
God Reveals His Power To Men (MP 42)
Each was more ruinous than the one before,
A plague for ev’ry time Pharaoh said no;
After nine no’s, Egypt, reeling and sore,
Suffered the tenth, and Pharaoh begged them go!
Water turned to blood; frogs teemed ev’rywhere;
Gnats, flies, and locusts in turn swarmed the land;
All livestock died; hail beat crops and trees bare;
Darkness reigned three days; boils festered on Man!
And lastly, Egypt’s firstborn sons were all slain;
None was spared, not even Pharaoh’s own son;
Moses did not have to ask him again—
Israel was free, bondage in Egypt done!
God’s power had been revealed to all men;
Who would dare oppose God, and hope to win?
Scripture Quoted: Exodus 11:4-8 (NIV) [Brackets added]
“So Moses said [to Pharaoh on his last visit], ‘This is what the Lord says: About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the slave girl, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. There will be a loud wailing throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any man or animal [the Israelites were not harmed by any of the plagues]. Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. All these officials of yours will come to me, bowing down before me and saying: Go, you and all the people who follow you. After that I will leave!’ Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharaoh.”
Commentary on: God Reveals His Power To Men (Exodus 7-11)
God’s Master Plan could have omitted the smaller first 9 plagues on Egypt; He could have used the slaying of the firstborn sons first, and Pharaoh would have relented and let Israel leave at once. However, God had planned to employ the lesser plagues so that Pharaoh would harden his heart, allowing God to reveal to Hebrews, Egyptians, and the world His mighty power. As it turned out, Egypt was so disastrously ruined by the whole series of plagues that it has never regained its former power and glory. All camels, donkeys, sheep and goats were dead; all the trees had lost their fruit and leaves; all the corn and grain crops were destroyed; the firstborn sons of the nation were dead, weakening Egypt’s military strength; most of Egypt’s gold, silver, and other valuables were carried off by Israel; their entire labor force was gone in one day, along with half their population, foodstuff, and valuables. Even some Egyptians went along and converted to Judaism. God wanted the world to know how foolish any nation would be who harmed Israel or set themselves as opposed to God. He had pledged to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 that any nation who harms Israel will in turn be harmed by God. This scripture passage is relevant to the Israel of today (2011); if the U. S. drops its protection of Israel or tries to force the nation to make a peace treaty with the Palestinians which leaves Israel vulnerable to obliteration, as the Arab nations have repeatedly called for, our own nation is at risk to receive similar treatment to that received by Egypt.
Through His prophet Moses, God told the Israelite women to ask Egyptian women for their jewelry before leaving Egypt. Many of the Egyptians were favorably disposed toward Israel (See Exodus 12:35-36), and the others had seen so much destruction from the God of Israel they were afraid they would all die; therefore, they gave the Israelites everything they wanted. God instructed Moses to set up a memorial called Passover for Israel to celebrate annually. The name signifies the “passing over” of God’s angel of death of houses marked on the lintels of the front doors with lamb’s blood.
Unwittingly Pharaoh, by hardening his heart and refusing so many times to let Israel go, became an instrument of God in His Master Plan for the world. God makes use of believers and non-believers in order to implement His plan of redemption for men from condemnation. Being used by God does not necessarily mean that an individual or a nation is in God’s will.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
A plague for ev’ry time Pharaoh said no;
After nine no’s, Egypt, reeling and sore,
Suffered the tenth, and Pharaoh begged them go!
Water turned to blood; frogs teemed ev’rywhere;
Gnats, flies, and locusts in turn swarmed the land;
All livestock died; hail beat crops and trees bare;
Darkness reigned three days; boils festered on Man!
And lastly, Egypt’s firstborn sons were all slain;
None was spared, not even Pharaoh’s own son;
Moses did not have to ask him again—
Israel was free, bondage in Egypt done!
God’s power had been revealed to all men;
Who would dare oppose God, and hope to win?
Scripture Quoted: Exodus 11:4-8 (NIV) [Brackets added]
“So Moses said [to Pharaoh on his last visit], ‘This is what the Lord says: About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the slave girl, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. There will be a loud wailing throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any man or animal [the Israelites were not harmed by any of the plagues]. Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. All these officials of yours will come to me, bowing down before me and saying: Go, you and all the people who follow you. After that I will leave!’ Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharaoh.”
Commentary on: God Reveals His Power To Men (Exodus 7-11)
God’s Master Plan could have omitted the smaller first 9 plagues on Egypt; He could have used the slaying of the firstborn sons first, and Pharaoh would have relented and let Israel leave at once. However, God had planned to employ the lesser plagues so that Pharaoh would harden his heart, allowing God to reveal to Hebrews, Egyptians, and the world His mighty power. As it turned out, Egypt was so disastrously ruined by the whole series of plagues that it has never regained its former power and glory. All camels, donkeys, sheep and goats were dead; all the trees had lost their fruit and leaves; all the corn and grain crops were destroyed; the firstborn sons of the nation were dead, weakening Egypt’s military strength; most of Egypt’s gold, silver, and other valuables were carried off by Israel; their entire labor force was gone in one day, along with half their population, foodstuff, and valuables. Even some Egyptians went along and converted to Judaism. God wanted the world to know how foolish any nation would be who harmed Israel or set themselves as opposed to God. He had pledged to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 that any nation who harms Israel will in turn be harmed by God. This scripture passage is relevant to the Israel of today (2011); if the U. S. drops its protection of Israel or tries to force the nation to make a peace treaty with the Palestinians which leaves Israel vulnerable to obliteration, as the Arab nations have repeatedly called for, our own nation is at risk to receive similar treatment to that received by Egypt.
Through His prophet Moses, God told the Israelite women to ask Egyptian women for their jewelry before leaving Egypt. Many of the Egyptians were favorably disposed toward Israel (See Exodus 12:35-36), and the others had seen so much destruction from the God of Israel they were afraid they would all die; therefore, they gave the Israelites everything they wanted. God instructed Moses to set up a memorial called Passover for Israel to celebrate annually. The name signifies the “passing over” of God’s angel of death of houses marked on the lintels of the front doors with lamb’s blood.
Unwittingly Pharaoh, by hardening his heart and refusing so many times to let Israel go, became an instrument of God in His Master Plan for the world. God makes use of believers and non-believers in order to implement His plan of redemption for men from condemnation. Being used by God does not necessarily mean that an individual or a nation is in God’s will.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Moses First Confronts Pharaoh (MP 41)
“Let my people go, that they worship me,
Says the Lord God of Israel.” Moses said,
When first he faced Pharaoh, Israel to free,
After he’d convinced Hebrews that God led!
Answered Pharaoh, “This Lord God I’ve not known;
I will not let these lazy people go!
What’s more, now they must find straw on their own,
Making as many bricks, to keep the flow!”
The people were worked harder than before,
And Moses they blamed for making things worse;
“You put a sword in Pharaoh’s hand,” they swore,
Greeting Moses and Aaron with a curse!
God’s Plan purposely hardened Pharaoh’s heart,
So God’s mighty power He could impart!
Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added)
Exodus 5:6-8—“That same day [when Moses first confronted him] Pharaoh gave the order to the slave drivers … ‘You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ “
Exodus 5:20-21—“When they [the Israelites appointed foremen] left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, and they said, ‘May the Lord look upon you and judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hands to kill us.’ “
Exodus 6:1—“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘ Now you will see what I will do with Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.’ “
Commentary on “Moses First Confronts Pharaoh”
God’s Master Plan, complete before creation, provided that Egypt, an ancient nation that refused to comply with God’s desire to set His Chosen nation Israel free, would receive a calamitous judgment. Had Pharaoh complied with Moses’ demand to let the Hebrews go, God would not have sent ten horrible plagues upon Egypt that left them in ruins. God actually hardened Pharaoh’s heart on purpose, so that He could reveal His stupendous power to the world; Egypt was to be an example forever to any nation that ignored God and refused to comply with His commandments. Even today, the United States (and all nations) needs to be fearful of the retribution of God upon it for defying Him and His teachings. Our national leaders should read the Bible and realize that abortion, euthanasia, approval of homosexuality, promiscuity, persecution of Christianity, abandonment of Israel, and many other worldly pursuits that God detests is certain to bring His wrath upon us as it did to Egypt. Revealing His mighty power to the world also induce God’s people Israel to a stronger belief in Him and brings non-believers to belief. As I write this, Dec. 31, 2010, news reports announce that President Obama has issued an executive order for his health care officials to set up a panel whose duties will include setting medical conditions at which human lives may be terminated when all reasonable hope of survival is gone; a “death panel”, in other words. Had such a panel existed in 1982, I would not be alive today. God still performs miracles.
Moses was 80 years old when he first confronted Pharaoh. It was a sort of homecoming for him, because as a three-month old baby he had first come to the royal palace, a Hebrew adopted by the former Pharaoh’s daughter. It would be interesting to know what Moses was thinking on this occasion, or whether the current Pharaoh or any of his officials remembered Moses. We can be sure that he spoke the Egyptian language fluently; since he had been out of the country in Midian 40 or more years, it is doubtful if his rearing in the palace was helpful in his present task. It is obvious that Pharaoh hated to lose the Israelites, for they were extremely helpful in the building of pyramids, cities, and other government structures, many of which still exist.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Says the Lord God of Israel.” Moses said,
When first he faced Pharaoh, Israel to free,
After he’d convinced Hebrews that God led!
Answered Pharaoh, “This Lord God I’ve not known;
I will not let these lazy people go!
What’s more, now they must find straw on their own,
Making as many bricks, to keep the flow!”
The people were worked harder than before,
And Moses they blamed for making things worse;
“You put a sword in Pharaoh’s hand,” they swore,
Greeting Moses and Aaron with a curse!
God’s Plan purposely hardened Pharaoh’s heart,
So God’s mighty power He could impart!
Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added)
Exodus 5:6-8—“That same day [when Moses first confronted him] Pharaoh gave the order to the slave drivers … ‘You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ “
Exodus 5:20-21—“When they [the Israelites appointed foremen] left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, and they said, ‘May the Lord look upon you and judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hands to kill us.’ “
Exodus 6:1—“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘ Now you will see what I will do with Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.’ “
Commentary on “Moses First Confronts Pharaoh”
God’s Master Plan, complete before creation, provided that Egypt, an ancient nation that refused to comply with God’s desire to set His Chosen nation Israel free, would receive a calamitous judgment. Had Pharaoh complied with Moses’ demand to let the Hebrews go, God would not have sent ten horrible plagues upon Egypt that left them in ruins. God actually hardened Pharaoh’s heart on purpose, so that He could reveal His stupendous power to the world; Egypt was to be an example forever to any nation that ignored God and refused to comply with His commandments. Even today, the United States (and all nations) needs to be fearful of the retribution of God upon it for defying Him and His teachings. Our national leaders should read the Bible and realize that abortion, euthanasia, approval of homosexuality, promiscuity, persecution of Christianity, abandonment of Israel, and many other worldly pursuits that God detests is certain to bring His wrath upon us as it did to Egypt. Revealing His mighty power to the world also induce God’s people Israel to a stronger belief in Him and brings non-believers to belief. As I write this, Dec. 31, 2010, news reports announce that President Obama has issued an executive order for his health care officials to set up a panel whose duties will include setting medical conditions at which human lives may be terminated when all reasonable hope of survival is gone; a “death panel”, in other words. Had such a panel existed in 1982, I would not be alive today. God still performs miracles.
Moses was 80 years old when he first confronted Pharaoh. It was a sort of homecoming for him, because as a three-month old baby he had first come to the royal palace, a Hebrew adopted by the former Pharaoh’s daughter. It would be interesting to know what Moses was thinking on this occasion, or whether the current Pharaoh or any of his officials remembered Moses. We can be sure that he spoke the Egyptian language fluently; since he had been out of the country in Midian 40 or more years, it is doubtful if his rearing in the palace was helpful in his present task. It is obvious that Pharaoh hated to lose the Israelites, for they were extremely helpful in the building of pyramids, cities, and other government structures, many of which still exist.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Israel Worships God For The First Time (MP 40)
To worship God Israel did not yet know,
Though He’d spoken to fathers of the race;
To them as a whole Moses was to go,
Forming a nation that seeks for God’s face!
Moses knew the name of God, and His power;
His tasks for God were Israelites to free,
To teach them God was their mighty tower,
Revealing I AM as their leaning tree!
He told them God had heard their plaintive cry,
And Moses was before Pharaoh to stand;
“Israel’s God says their chains must be laid by;
Let them come worship me, is my demand!”
Moses revealed God’s signs, and they believed,
Accepting Moses as prophet and liege!
Scripture Quoted: Exodus 4:29-31 (NIV)
“Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites, and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, and they believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.”
Commentary on Exodus 4:18-31 (NIV)
God had been working hard for 500 years on His Master Plan for the world to develop and organize the nation of Israel as the first step in His Plan for redeeming men and women; keep in mind that since Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden, all his descendants were condemned. But God loved the world so much—that is, He loved Man so much—that He had voluntarily included the redemption of Man in His Plan. He had revealed Himself by speaking to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and now Moses; but most of the children of Jacob didn’t know much about God. They had no written Bible; no priests; no organized system of religion. In Egypt they were surrounded by Egyptian idols; they intermarried with Egyptians; and other than the males being circumcised as a token of God’s promises to Abraham, they had no images of any god. In fact, many of them had drifted into idolatry, having been in Egypt more than 400 years.
Moses teamed up with his brother Aaron, and they called a meeting of all the elders of the 12 tribes of Israelites and told them what God had said to Moses on Mount Horeb, or Sinai. God had told Moses His name—I AM, which Moses now revealed to Hebrews for the first time. Remember that because of translation from the Hebrew language (which has no vowels), it can be Jehovah, Yahweh, or Yeshua. Now, in modern times, we may use these, or a number of other synonyms for God, such as the Lord, Christ, the Father, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost, even Jesus, and many more. God knew a lot about Israel and considered them His Chosen People; until Moses, the Hebrew people knew very little about God.
God revealed to Moses His supernatural power. Since we have been looking at Man over God’s shoulder, so to speak, by reading this series of poems, scriptures, and commentaries, we know a lot about what He can do; for example, He launched this gigantic expanding universe with His spoken word alone. But the men and women we have been studying have been unaware of God’s mighty power. True, Abraham and Sarah gave birth to Isaac after she was too old to give birth, but God did most of His miracles behind the scenes. Now, however, He has shown Moses a flaming bush that is not consumed; He has taught Moses to throw his staff on the ground and it will turn into a snake; to put his hand in his bosom and pull it out covered in leprosy; and to pour water on the ground and have it turn into blood. These “signs” only work in front of Hebrews or Pharaoh, in order to prove God is Who He says He is. (When God came to earth as the man, Jesus of Nazareth, He performed hundreds of miracles, such as healing, turning water into wine, walking on water, raising the dead, etc. They had a wonderful effect in convincing people to believe that He was sent from God. The miracle is, how can we humans NOT believe in God?)
After Moses and Aaron had told the Israelites what God had said to Moses and shown them the three miraculous signs, they believed in God and bowed down and worshiped Him for the first time. What a momentous occasion! They also accepted Moses as the leader of Israel and the prophet of God.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Though He’d spoken to fathers of the race;
To them as a whole Moses was to go,
Forming a nation that seeks for God’s face!
Moses knew the name of God, and His power;
His tasks for God were Israelites to free,
To teach them God was their mighty tower,
Revealing I AM as their leaning tree!
He told them God had heard their plaintive cry,
And Moses was before Pharaoh to stand;
“Israel’s God says their chains must be laid by;
Let them come worship me, is my demand!”
Moses revealed God’s signs, and they believed,
Accepting Moses as prophet and liege!
Scripture Quoted: Exodus 4:29-31 (NIV)
“Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites, and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, and they believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.”
Commentary on Exodus 4:18-31 (NIV)
God had been working hard for 500 years on His Master Plan for the world to develop and organize the nation of Israel as the first step in His Plan for redeeming men and women; keep in mind that since Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden, all his descendants were condemned. But God loved the world so much—that is, He loved Man so much—that He had voluntarily included the redemption of Man in His Plan. He had revealed Himself by speaking to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and now Moses; but most of the children of Jacob didn’t know much about God. They had no written Bible; no priests; no organized system of religion. In Egypt they were surrounded by Egyptian idols; they intermarried with Egyptians; and other than the males being circumcised as a token of God’s promises to Abraham, they had no images of any god. In fact, many of them had drifted into idolatry, having been in Egypt more than 400 years.
Moses teamed up with his brother Aaron, and they called a meeting of all the elders of the 12 tribes of Israelites and told them what God had said to Moses on Mount Horeb, or Sinai. God had told Moses His name—I AM, which Moses now revealed to Hebrews for the first time. Remember that because of translation from the Hebrew language (which has no vowels), it can be Jehovah, Yahweh, or Yeshua. Now, in modern times, we may use these, or a number of other synonyms for God, such as the Lord, Christ, the Father, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost, even Jesus, and many more. God knew a lot about Israel and considered them His Chosen People; until Moses, the Hebrew people knew very little about God.
God revealed to Moses His supernatural power. Since we have been looking at Man over God’s shoulder, so to speak, by reading this series of poems, scriptures, and commentaries, we know a lot about what He can do; for example, He launched this gigantic expanding universe with His spoken word alone. But the men and women we have been studying have been unaware of God’s mighty power. True, Abraham and Sarah gave birth to Isaac after she was too old to give birth, but God did most of His miracles behind the scenes. Now, however, He has shown Moses a flaming bush that is not consumed; He has taught Moses to throw his staff on the ground and it will turn into a snake; to put his hand in his bosom and pull it out covered in leprosy; and to pour water on the ground and have it turn into blood. These “signs” only work in front of Hebrews or Pharaoh, in order to prove God is Who He says He is. (When God came to earth as the man, Jesus of Nazareth, He performed hundreds of miracles, such as healing, turning water into wine, walking on water, raising the dead, etc. They had a wonderful effect in convincing people to believe that He was sent from God. The miracle is, how can we humans NOT believe in God?)
After Moses and Aaron had told the Israelites what God had said to Moses and shown them the three miraculous signs, they believed in God and bowed down and worshiped Him for the first time. What a momentous occasion! They also accepted Moses as the leader of Israel and the prophet of God.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Moses Accepts God's Call (MP 39)
God’s call for Moses His people to free,
Was not accepted by him right away;
“What if the Hebrews won’t listen to me?
My speech is slow; I don’t know what to say!
Please send someone else, this hard task to do,”
He objected. God countered ev’ry one,
Till in anger, “Aaron will speak for you;
I will give you words till the job is done!
Your brother speaks well, and is on his way;
He will be your mouth, and you God to him;
Your staff will miraculous signs display;
A successful team you will make with them!”
So Moses heeded the summons of God,
And with wife and sons back to Egypt trod!
Scripture Quoted: Exodus 4:10-12 (NIV)
“Moses said to the Lord, ‘O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.’ The Lord said to him, ‘Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.’ “
Commentary on Exodus 4:1-17 (NIV)
Men have always underestimated the miraculous power of God, which is understandable, since men’s limitations are constantly with them. In Genesis 18:14 God said to Abraham, “Is anything impossible for the Lord?” Here in Exodus 4 Moses doubts his own ability to free Israel from the powerful grip of Pharaoh without comprehending that He who made the universe is calling him to the task and will certainly be able to provide whatever is necessary to succeed in the task. You must realize that the Hebrews had very little knowledge of God. There was no Bible, no prophets, no priests, no churches or synagogues. They hadn’t known His name until He told Moses He was I AM. It was somewhat miraculous that Noah, Abraham, Jacob and Joseph had obeyed Him as well as they had during their lifetimes. Moses was now to change all that, however; when he finished his work, Israel had the Pentateuch, weitten by Moses, the first five written books of the Bible and knew a great deal about their Creator.
God gave Moses three miraculous signs in this first encounter—turning his staff into a snake and back again to a staff by throwing it down and picking it up by its tail; making his hand turn white with leprosy and back to normal; and turning water from the Nile into blood by pouring it on dry ground. These signs were to be used to convince the Israelites that Moses was really called by God so that they would follow him. Moses was to use these and many more miracles in his leadership of Israel out of Egypt, through the forty years in the desert, and bringing them to the Jordan River which was the border of Canaan. Aaron, his brother who was still in Egypt, was to join Moses in the task. He was reluctant to begin the work God gave him, but Moses did accept the responsibility and was faithful in its fulfillment until he died.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Was not accepted by him right away;
“What if the Hebrews won’t listen to me?
My speech is slow; I don’t know what to say!
Please send someone else, this hard task to do,”
He objected. God countered ev’ry one,
Till in anger, “Aaron will speak for you;
I will give you words till the job is done!
Your brother speaks well, and is on his way;
He will be your mouth, and you God to him;
Your staff will miraculous signs display;
A successful team you will make with them!”
So Moses heeded the summons of God,
And with wife and sons back to Egypt trod!
Scripture Quoted: Exodus 4:10-12 (NIV)
“Moses said to the Lord, ‘O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.’ The Lord said to him, ‘Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.’ “
Commentary on Exodus 4:1-17 (NIV)
Men have always underestimated the miraculous power of God, which is understandable, since men’s limitations are constantly with them. In Genesis 18:14 God said to Abraham, “Is anything impossible for the Lord?” Here in Exodus 4 Moses doubts his own ability to free Israel from the powerful grip of Pharaoh without comprehending that He who made the universe is calling him to the task and will certainly be able to provide whatever is necessary to succeed in the task. You must realize that the Hebrews had very little knowledge of God. There was no Bible, no prophets, no priests, no churches or synagogues. They hadn’t known His name until He told Moses He was I AM. It was somewhat miraculous that Noah, Abraham, Jacob and Joseph had obeyed Him as well as they had during their lifetimes. Moses was now to change all that, however; when he finished his work, Israel had the Pentateuch, weitten by Moses, the first five written books of the Bible and knew a great deal about their Creator.
God gave Moses three miraculous signs in this first encounter—turning his staff into a snake and back again to a staff by throwing it down and picking it up by its tail; making his hand turn white with leprosy and back to normal; and turning water from the Nile into blood by pouring it on dry ground. These signs were to be used to convince the Israelites that Moses was really called by God so that they would follow him. Moses was to use these and many more miracles in his leadership of Israel out of Egypt, through the forty years in the desert, and bringing them to the Jordan River which was the border of Canaan. Aaron, his brother who was still in Egypt, was to join Moses in the task. He was reluctant to begin the work God gave him, but Moses did accept the responsibility and was faithful in its fulfillment until he died.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Sunday, January 30, 2011
God Calls, But Will Moses Accept? (MP 38)
Moses led sheep to the “mountain of God”;
There he saw a bush burning unconsumed;
He went closer to see, for it was odd;
From it, God called him a new task assume!
“I have come down my people to set free;
You are to tell them I AM is my name;
Ask Pharaoh to let them come worship me,
But only plagues will his refusal tame!”
“Who am I,” asked Moses, “that I can do this?”
“I will go with you,” responded the Lord;
“To the land of Canaan, which I promised;
Then they’ll follow you, of their own accord!”
Flowing with milk and honey was the land
God had foretold would be theirs to command!
Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added]
Exodus 3:2—“There [Mount Horeb] the angel of the Lord [God] appeared to him [Moses] in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.”
Exodus 3:5— " 'Do not come any closer,' said God, 'Take off your sandals, for the place where your are standing is holy ground.’ Then he said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ At this, Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.”
Exodus 3:19-20—“ ‘But I [God] know that the king of Egypt [Pharaoh] will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that he will let you go.’ “
Commentary on Exodus 3 (NIV)
When God’s Master Plan provided for the now-massive family of Jacob to become the nation of Israel and leave Egypt for Canaan to possess it, Moses was the man He selected to lead them. As Moses was tending sheep in Midian, he saw a bush in flames but which was not consumed. It was “the angel of God”, a phrase used for God Himself in the Old Testament, come to call Moses to return to Egypt and lead Israel through the desert to the Promised Land. The presence of “flames” is a common phenomenon associated with God in the Bible, but most of the time the flames are not “hot” and do not burn like common flames on earth. In this case the bush blazing but not being consumed caught Moses’ attention, and he went to investigate, as God wished him to. Note that in these appearances to various men, God sometimes talked directly to them, but that He was in some form other than His actual being, for no one could see God’s face and live. It will not be like that in heaven after we die; we will see His face then.
Moses did not accept the call to the task immediately. He mentioned several objections, the first being, “Who am I” to do this? God responded to all his objections; in this case He said, “I will go with you.” Moses then asked, “What if the Hebrews ask me who you are?” God had always called Himself simply “God” in speaking with men; here He said, “I AM WHO I AM” , or just “I AM”. The Hebrew language doesn’t use vowels, and there is a problem in translation here. The original Hebrew was “JHVH”; this word translates to “Jehovah”, “Yahweh”, or even “Yeshua”. To Moses, God told him to tell the people that “I AM” is what He is to be called. I am sure a newcomer to the Bible gets confused with the many names used for “God”; it might be clearer if you just think “God” for any of them; after all, He is just one being.
God told Moses that He knew Pharaoh would not let the Israelites leave at first; so God would “stretch out His hand” with plagues and wonders and compel the king to let His people leave. He also told Moses they would not leave Egypt empty-handed—they would be loaded with gold and silver, coming out with most of the wealth of Egypt.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believed in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
There he saw a bush burning unconsumed;
He went closer to see, for it was odd;
From it, God called him a new task assume!
“I have come down my people to set free;
You are to tell them I AM is my name;
Ask Pharaoh to let them come worship me,
But only plagues will his refusal tame!”
“Who am I,” asked Moses, “that I can do this?”
“I will go with you,” responded the Lord;
“To the land of Canaan, which I promised;
Then they’ll follow you, of their own accord!”
Flowing with milk and honey was the land
God had foretold would be theirs to command!
Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added]
Exodus 3:2—“There [Mount Horeb] the angel of the Lord [God] appeared to him [Moses] in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.”
Exodus 3:5— " 'Do not come any closer,' said God, 'Take off your sandals, for the place where your are standing is holy ground.’ Then he said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ At this, Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.”
Exodus 3:19-20—“ ‘But I [God] know that the king of Egypt [Pharaoh] will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that he will let you go.’ “
Commentary on Exodus 3 (NIV)
When God’s Master Plan provided for the now-massive family of Jacob to become the nation of Israel and leave Egypt for Canaan to possess it, Moses was the man He selected to lead them. As Moses was tending sheep in Midian, he saw a bush in flames but which was not consumed. It was “the angel of God”, a phrase used for God Himself in the Old Testament, come to call Moses to return to Egypt and lead Israel through the desert to the Promised Land. The presence of “flames” is a common phenomenon associated with God in the Bible, but most of the time the flames are not “hot” and do not burn like common flames on earth. In this case the bush blazing but not being consumed caught Moses’ attention, and he went to investigate, as God wished him to. Note that in these appearances to various men, God sometimes talked directly to them, but that He was in some form other than His actual being, for no one could see God’s face and live. It will not be like that in heaven after we die; we will see His face then.
Moses did not accept the call to the task immediately. He mentioned several objections, the first being, “Who am I” to do this? God responded to all his objections; in this case He said, “I will go with you.” Moses then asked, “What if the Hebrews ask me who you are?” God had always called Himself simply “God” in speaking with men; here He said, “I AM WHO I AM” , or just “I AM”. The Hebrew language doesn’t use vowels, and there is a problem in translation here. The original Hebrew was “JHVH”; this word translates to “Jehovah”, “Yahweh”, or even “Yeshua”. To Moses, God told him to tell the people that “I AM” is what He is to be called. I am sure a newcomer to the Bible gets confused with the many names used for “God”; it might be clearer if you just think “God” for any of them; after all, He is just one being.
God told Moses that He knew Pharaoh would not let the Israelites leave at first; so God would “stretch out His hand” with plagues and wonders and compel the king to let His people leave. He also told Moses they would not leave Egypt empty-handed—they would be loaded with gold and silver, coming out with most of the wealth of Egypt.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believed in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Friday, January 28, 2011
Moses Flees For His Life (MP 37)
A pampered life of pomp and patronage,
Moses could have had if he so desired,
But Hebrew roots over royal advantage
He chose to honor when his youth expired!
He became saddened at his people’s plight;
An Egyptian man he killed in anger,
For harshly beating a poor Israelite,
And he fled Egypt, his life in danger!
In Midian he found a foster home,
And passed the years of his younger manhood;
Till God, responding to His children’s groan,
Called him to free them from Egypt for good!
Israel’s years of slavery would soon end,
Despite Pharaoh’s intent to keep them penned!
Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added]
Exodus 2:11-12—“One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.”
Exodus 2:15—“When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to the land of Midian…”
Exodus 2:23-24—“During that long period [when Moses was away in Midian] the king of Egypt [Pharaoh] died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their plea for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob.”
Commentary on Exodus 2:11-25 (NIV)
Moses was reared in the royal palace as the son of the daughter of Pharaoh and could have lived as an Egyptian prince all his life. However, he knew that he was a Hebrew, and considered himself to be one of them. The scripture above describes how he intervened with an Egyptian slave master who was beating an Israelite, killed the Egyptian, and hid his body in the sand, thinking the act was unobserved. The next day he was out again and saw two Hebrews fighting. He separated them, asking the stronger, “Why do you hit your brother?” The man snarled back, “Who made you judge and ruler over us? Are you going to kill me like you did the Egyptian yesterday?” By this, Moses knew his treasonable act was known and was alerted; he fled the country of Egypt.
Moses went to Midian, a desert country to the southeast of Egypt. There he met Jethro, a Midianite priest with seven daughters. Moses was kind to the girls, who were being harassed by other shepherds, and was invited to live with them. He did so, becoming a shepherd over Jethro’s flocks; eventually he married Zipporah, one of Jethro’s daughters, and had a son. Mount Horeb, also called Mount Sinai and the “mountain of God”, was in the area used for pastures by Moses. It was at this mountain that God called Moses to return to Egypt and, with divine help, force Pharaoh to free the Children of Israel. It was also the mount where God met with the freed Israelites and gave them the Law by which they were to live.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Moses could have had if he so desired,
But Hebrew roots over royal advantage
He chose to honor when his youth expired!
He became saddened at his people’s plight;
An Egyptian man he killed in anger,
For harshly beating a poor Israelite,
And he fled Egypt, his life in danger!
In Midian he found a foster home,
And passed the years of his younger manhood;
Till God, responding to His children’s groan,
Called him to free them from Egypt for good!
Israel’s years of slavery would soon end,
Despite Pharaoh’s intent to keep them penned!
Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added]
Exodus 2:11-12—“One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.”
Exodus 2:15—“When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to the land of Midian…”
Exodus 2:23-24—“During that long period [when Moses was away in Midian] the king of Egypt [Pharaoh] died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their plea for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob.”
Commentary on Exodus 2:11-25 (NIV)
Moses was reared in the royal palace as the son of the daughter of Pharaoh and could have lived as an Egyptian prince all his life. However, he knew that he was a Hebrew, and considered himself to be one of them. The scripture above describes how he intervened with an Egyptian slave master who was beating an Israelite, killed the Egyptian, and hid his body in the sand, thinking the act was unobserved. The next day he was out again and saw two Hebrews fighting. He separated them, asking the stronger, “Why do you hit your brother?” The man snarled back, “Who made you judge and ruler over us? Are you going to kill me like you did the Egyptian yesterday?” By this, Moses knew his treasonable act was known and was alerted; he fled the country of Egypt.
Moses went to Midian, a desert country to the southeast of Egypt. There he met Jethro, a Midianite priest with seven daughters. Moses was kind to the girls, who were being harassed by other shepherds, and was invited to live with them. He did so, becoming a shepherd over Jethro’s flocks; eventually he married Zipporah, one of Jethro’s daughters, and had a son. Mount Horeb, also called Mount Sinai and the “mountain of God”, was in the area used for pastures by Moses. It was at this mountain that God called Moses to return to Egypt and, with divine help, force Pharaoh to free the Children of Israel. It was also the mount where God met with the freed Israelites and gave them the Law by which they were to live.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Moses, God's First Prophet (MP 36)
None but God could have brought this life about,
That Moses be reared in the Pharaoh’s home,
For male Hebrew babes were to be snuffed out,
Pharaoh said; his daughter made him her own!
Saved to be God’s first prophet, Moses was;
How many Hebrew boys thrown in the Nile?
The world knows not, nor cares, but God sure does;
With Him’s the soul of ev’ry murdered child!
O Israel! Sing praise to God of that day,
For your exodus from Egypt loomed near;
Moses would free you, and show you the way;
Your deliverer has God sent you here!
He tended this infant with special care,
For the fate of Israel Moses would bear!
Scripture Quoted: Exodus 1:22-2:1-6 (NIV) [Brackets added]
“Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people, ‘Every [Hebrew] boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.’ Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the river bank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her slave to get it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. ‘This is one of the Hebrew babies,’ she said.”
Commentary on Exodus 1:22-2:1-8 (NIV)
According to a poll taken among Jews worldwide, accorded to J. Vernon McGee, Moses is the forefather held in the highest esteem by most. His birth and rearing were miraculous, because Pharaoh (or Pharaohs) had enforced an edict for an unknown number of years that all Hebrew male infants were to be drowned in the Nile. He was hidden by his mother for three months; then she placed him in a basket floating in the Nile, watched by his sister. Pharaoh’s daughter found him and took him for her own. She even paid his mother to nurse him, although she probably didn’t know it was his mother. He became her son, and he lived in Pharaoh’s palace until grown as his adopted grandson. Many of the Hebrew boys were murdered, but God’s blessing on the Israelites caused some to live, and the number of Hebrews continued to multiply, despite the ruthless treatment by Egyptian rulers.
Moses was destined to be God’s Deliverer, His prophet called to confront Pharaoh and force him to let the Israelite nation leave Egypt and the long years of slavery. God used certain men and women as prophets (selected recipients of His words to Israel) over about 1500 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament, which is the Hebrew Bible, was written by these inspired (by the Holy Spirit, who is God in spirit form) men and women, and it contains many prophecies. Moses also fulfilled the dual role of ruler, or judge, and high priest in leading the Children of Israel from Egypt to Canaan, the Promised Land. Note that he was of the tribe of Levi, whose men were appointed as priests for the nation. Moses did not know that he was to do all this during his time spent in the palace; he did know he was a Hebrew.
"For God so loved the world that he sent his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, buy have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
That Moses be reared in the Pharaoh’s home,
For male Hebrew babes were to be snuffed out,
Pharaoh said; his daughter made him her own!
Saved to be God’s first prophet, Moses was;
How many Hebrew boys thrown in the Nile?
The world knows not, nor cares, but God sure does;
With Him’s the soul of ev’ry murdered child!
O Israel! Sing praise to God of that day,
For your exodus from Egypt loomed near;
Moses would free you, and show you the way;
Your deliverer has God sent you here!
He tended this infant with special care,
For the fate of Israel Moses would bear!
Scripture Quoted: Exodus 1:22-2:1-6 (NIV) [Brackets added]
“Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people, ‘Every [Hebrew] boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.’ Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the river bank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her slave to get it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. ‘This is one of the Hebrew babies,’ she said.”
Commentary on Exodus 1:22-2:1-8 (NIV)
According to a poll taken among Jews worldwide, accorded to J. Vernon McGee, Moses is the forefather held in the highest esteem by most. His birth and rearing were miraculous, because Pharaoh (or Pharaohs) had enforced an edict for an unknown number of years that all Hebrew male infants were to be drowned in the Nile. He was hidden by his mother for three months; then she placed him in a basket floating in the Nile, watched by his sister. Pharaoh’s daughter found him and took him for her own. She even paid his mother to nurse him, although she probably didn’t know it was his mother. He became her son, and he lived in Pharaoh’s palace until grown as his adopted grandson. Many of the Hebrew boys were murdered, but God’s blessing on the Israelites caused some to live, and the number of Hebrews continued to multiply, despite the ruthless treatment by Egyptian rulers.
Moses was destined to be God’s Deliverer, His prophet called to confront Pharaoh and force him to let the Israelite nation leave Egypt and the long years of slavery. God used certain men and women as prophets (selected recipients of His words to Israel) over about 1500 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament, which is the Hebrew Bible, was written by these inspired (by the Holy Spirit, who is God in spirit form) men and women, and it contains many prophecies. Moses also fulfilled the dual role of ruler, or judge, and high priest in leading the Children of Israel from Egypt to Canaan, the Promised Land. Note that he was of the tribe of Levi, whose men were appointed as priests for the nation. Moses did not know that he was to do all this during his time spent in the palace; he did know he was a Hebrew.
"For God so loved the world that he sent his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, buy have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
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