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February
3
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Reading
1 - Exodus 9
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v.16
- There is an important scripture principle here God had a direct purpose
for Pharaoh (and he told him so) - to allow God to demonstrate his power
- Rom.9:17,22.
He has rule over all things. In no way is this principle brought out better
than on these occasions when he exercises power through evil people to his
glory and honour. Prov.16:4,
Dan.4:17
Peter Cresswell |
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God saw
to it that Pharaoh didn't give in. Who stood to gain from this delaying
tactic? The Israelites did. We all learn by what we suffer. There are many
examples of individuals and of Israel at a national level, where a long
period of suffering is required to help them to see their dependence on
their Lord God. We too should be pleased when we suffer (James
1:2-4), knowing that this is God's way of preparing us for eternal life.
Peter Cresswell
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9:29
This demonstrates that Pharaoh, by his actions, has been claiming authority
over God's creation. He had to learn 'that the earth is the Lord's'. A
point which David stresses Psalm
24:1 when speaking
of those who will 'ascend into the hill of the Lord' Psalm
24:3. The
contrast between the one spoken of in the Psalm and Pharaoh is profound.
We should not be like Pharaoh but like the one in the Psalm who has 'a
pure heart'.
Peter
Forbes
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9:34
This is the first time that we are told that Pharaoh's servants hearts were
hardened. So the obstinate mind of Pharaoh caused his servants to be of
the same mind. It is so easy to hold a view because others influence our
viewpoint. We should be sure in our own minds what it correct. In the case
of Pharaoh's servants they had seen his behaviour a number of times on this
matter and eventually they join him. Likewise we might manage to resist
the inclination to be 'led' for a while but if we continue in the same company
eventually we will fall - flee temptation
Peter
Forbes
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9:18
The 'very grievous hail' that fell on Egypt was really out of keeping with
Egyptian experience. Egypt does not have rain as Zechariah informs us Zechariah
14:18 - so the Egyptians should really have seen God was at work especially
as they had suffered so many other things at the hand of God. However they
probably were able to rationalise the event as a natural disaster - though
quite an unusual one. It is so easy for man to dismiss Gods involvement
in world affairs as 'chance happenings' or provide explanations as to why
they have happened. This is a very foolish way of thinking - there is a
danger that we might think similarly and fail to recognise that God is working
in our lives.
Peter
Forbes
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Exodus
9:16 - "...that my name may be declared throughout all
the earth" - The word "declared" can be understood as 'advertised.'
Rahab the harlot heard of this advertisement in far away Jericho, and
remembered its substance 40 years later - Joshua
2:9-11.
9:19
- "Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle..." - Here
is evidence that the plagues were spread over a period of time. All Egypt's
cattle had perished in v6,
but inscriptions found in Egypt's records reveal that Egypt had replenished
now her herds from Ethiopia and Libya. Typical of King Sin, Egypt is slow
to learn the lesson that Yahweh, Lord of Heaven and Earth is driving home
to the nation.
Cliff
York
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Reading
2 - Psalms 62 & 63
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here to Listen
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62
Title
- Jeduthun. Often the names in the Title refer to musical instruments or
the names of popular songs of the day to which the Psalm should be sung,
but this one was a person. Having said that he was a musician and it could
still have referred to the style in which the song was to be performed -
ie. the style of Jeduthun. He was a Levite of the family of Merari and he
was one of the 3 masters of music appointed by David 1Chr.16:41,42,
25:1-6. He is called 'the king's seer' in 2Chr.35:15.
He began a musical family Neh.11:17.
Incidentally Asaph, who appears in the titles of Ps.50 and 73-83 was also
a seer 2Chr.29:30.
Peter Cresswell
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63
v.11 - The stopping of the mouths of liars, as a pattern of the time
of the end, that only truth may be spoken, is picked up by Paul in Rom.3:19,
Tit.1:10-11
Peter Cresswell
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| Psalm
62 - Whilst man might think that he can behave with impunity in his
life God will finally judge righteously. He will give man his true deserts
:12
- this concept is picked up by Paul Romans
2:6 and Jesus Revelation
2:23
Psalm
63 - The title says that David was in the Wilderness of Judah. However
whilst David was there fleeing from Saul this Psalm is not talking about
that time for David speaks of himself as 'king' :11
therefore this Psalm relates to the time when David was fleeing from Absalom.
Peter
Forbes
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62:12
It is interesting to note that God is merciful because He renders according
to works. God's judgement is not with respect of persons. He judges righteously.
63:2
So when David speaks of having seen God in the sanctuary he is commenting
upon the time when he went and 'sat before the Lord' (2
Samuel 7:18)
Peter
Forbes
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Psalm
62 - "To the chief Musician, to Jeduthan" is
the subscription for Psalm 61. "A Psalm of David" is
the superscription to Psalm 62.
Psalm
63:7 - "in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice" -
another reference to the wings of the cherubim in the Most Holy Place
overshadowing the Mercy Seat. Though David was not permitted to physically
enter this part of the Tabernacle, (only the High Priest could, and
that once a year), David's heart was centred on all that the Mercy
Seat represented. Where is our heart centred? We too, cannot physically
enter "The Most Holy Place" but we know someone who has... do our hearts
centre on Jesus Christ our Risen Lord?
Cliff
York
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Reading
3 - Romans 13 & 14
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here to Listen
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13
v. 9
- This 'love thy neighbour' law is the 'royal law' according
to Jas.2:8
- James goes on to point out the difference between this and the law upheld
by the Pharisees etc. - the 'respecters of persons' -
v.9,10. Here
in today's chapter we learn v.10
love is the fulfilling of the law. And that leads to our self-examining
exhortation in v.11-14.
Peter Cresswell
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13
v. 9
'Thou shalt love thy neighbour ...' shows that simplicity of the theory
of living the gospel. No complicated rules. No list of laws to remember.
Simply decide how you would wish to be treated in any situation and use
your conclusion as the basis for how you would treat others.
14:1
It is so easy to think of ourselves more highly than other brethren and
sisters. We can easily judge their spirituality and denigrate them. Paul
responds to brethren and sisters, taking account of their spiritual state.
The 'weak' are not subjected to problems they cannot deal with. If we
are really 'strong' we will think about the spiritual state of others.
Peter Forbes
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13:14
In saying 'out ye on
' Paul shows that life in Christ is not a list
of things that should not be done. The evil in our minds is to be replaced
- not just removed.
14:4
Whilst it is so easy to look at our brethren and fault them in our minds
when they are not living as we think they should Paul makes it very plain
that God is 'on their side' - He is able to lift them up. Surely this
should be our attitude. If our brother is failing we should seek to restore
him rather than denigrate him. Using a secular saying 'Don't kick a man
that is down'.
Peter Forbes
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ch.
14 - DO ALL FOR THE LORD
Whatever we do is between us and God. Everything we do must be for the glory
of God.
Rich Mullins wrote a song called "If I Stand," and the chorus
goes like this:
"So if I stand let me stand on the promise
That you will pull me through.
And if I can't, let me fall on the grace
That first brought me to you.
If I sing let me sing for the joy
That has borne in me these songs.
But if I weep let it be as a man
Who is longing for his home."
No matter what our action, it must be done for God. God must be part of
every action we take, he must be the motive, the centre and the reason for
everything we do. Paul said, "He who regards one day as special, does
so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats it to the Lord, for he gives thanks
to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.
If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So,
whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord."
So let us take stock of our actions and see whether all we do is done to
the Lord, or whether we have ulterior motives, idols or other priorities
that take his place. In the end each one of us will give an account of himself
to God. How does he fill your life today?
Robert
Prins
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Romans
14:4 - "for God is able to make him stand" - It
has been well said that our job "is not to see through one another, but
to see one another through!" God wants to see His family safe on the other
side of death, and He will do what it takes to have His children
"stand" with Jesus Christ His Son in His great Kingdom of Grace. Let us
help one another overcome the weakness's and difficulties that we all
have, just as one would with one's own family in the flesh.
14:10
- "for we shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ"
- Apparently the better texts render this "the judgement
seat of God." Christ has been given authority to sit in this
seat by His Father because He is the Son of Man - John
5:27; Psalm 8. Have you ever spent time considering
the fact that it will be our Father who will be overseeing our tribunal?
What Father is not somewhat biased when it comes to his children? Is this
a judgement seat then? Or is it our "Mercy Seat"? That all depends on
how we have treated His "other" children. We will be treated by God, like
we have treated His children, our brethren -
Matthew 7:1-2,21-23; Matthew 25:34-46.
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The
Golden Thread:- The theme of Judgment runs through all
three readings today. Egypt refused to yield to the mighty hand of Yahweh
in Exodus, David has learned to yield to the merciful hand of the Father
in Psalm 63, and Paul wants us to remember that we all have yet to stand
before the Son of Man and give an account of how we have treated His Brethren
and why.
Cliff
York
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