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February
8
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Reading
1 - Exodus 16
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here to Listen
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manna
- Here begins a great theme of God's provision for us to explore. It leads
us straight to the verse that Jesus quoted in his temptations - Deut.8:3.
Here is a lesson for us to learn from the manna because it was 'to humble
thee ... to prove thee ...' Deut.8:16.
We have to stand the test of patience as they did. As food, it was supplied
only during the wilderness journey and stopped instantly the day that the
promised land was providing for them - Josh.5:12.
Here is the pattern of our remembrance of Christ "to humble thee ...
to prove thee ..." 'until he come' 1Cor.10:1-22
Peter Cresswell |
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v.26
- This was surely the point that constantly would remind the people that
this was a miracle from God. Every day the manna came except the sabbath.
Amazing. This reinforces God's requirement that they rested on the Sabbath
day. Exo.20:9-11,
Deut.5:13, Eze.46:1
Peter Cresswell
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:1
We are not one month - 30 days - into the period in the wilderness. Israel's
first test is seen. The Manna was then provided to :4
'prove' Israel. That is the event was designed to teach Israel to rely on
God. Deuteronomy
8:2 reminded Israel that the whole of the wandering period was a learning
experience for them. So we have to ask ourselves whether we think of this
life as a learning experience for ourselves or is it simply a drudge that
we have to endure?
Peter
Forbes |
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16:3
In saying that they would rather have died by the hand of the Lord in Egypt
we maybe have a hint that Israel realised that they were being punished
in Egypt for their sinfulness (Ezekiel
20:9)
Peter
Forbes |
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GRUMBLING
From the time Moses went back to Egypt until after they were settled in
the promised land, a constant murmuring was heard in the camp of Israel.
They were a nation of grumblers. If things were not just right, they would
grumble against Moses and against the LORD. They grumbled about the work,
the water, the food, the leadership, the desert, the giants in the land
and it went on and on and on for more than forty years.
Having seen this characteristic in God's people Israel after they had been
redeemed, we should look carefully at ourselves. After all, we are all human
and what is a problem to one person is often a problem to more of us, though
it is sometimes hard to see it in ourselves.
Take note of the tone of your conversation next time you find yourself talking
about someone else. Are we praising them, planning encouragement or criticizing
and complaining? Does it make a difference whether we think they deserve
our criticisms or not? Israel seemed to think that Moses deserved their
grumblings - and yet how wrong they were!
The bottom line is that God does not like us grumbling. It is a sin. Let's
remove it from our lives and be positive. Let's encourage instead of complain,
and share our needs with God instead of gossiping about things that have
gone wrong.
Are you humbly grateful or grumbly hateful?
Robert
Prins |
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Exodus
16:3 - "And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to
God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we
sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for
ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly
with hunger" - Barely a month out of Egypt and Israel is wishing
that they had been able to swap places with Egypt's firstborn. It takes
great faith to "Let Go - and Let God..." work in our lives some times.
Above all, God would like to develop grateful children. How do we
we feel when things seem to go "wrong" in our lives? Can we
cheerfully accept that our Father knows the way, and will allow nothing
to happen to us that is not for our ultimate good?
Cliff
York
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Reading
2 - Psalms 70 & 71
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here to Listen
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70
v.4
- repeated from 40:16.
May we be numbered amongst these. Ps.5:11,
35:27, 97:12. Isa.61:10, 65:13,14, John 16:20.
Peter Cresswell
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71v.9,18
- It seems strange that David should be thinking along these lines. Why
should God cast him off when he became old? Psa.92:13-15
suggests that he did not really see that as a possibility, so was this present
Psalm a low point such that he felt he might not be able to continue faithful
to the end. If so, I, for one, take great comfort in this.
Peter Cresswell
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| Psalm
70 - This Psalm is an extract of the words of Psalm
40:13-17 and as such shows how the servant who wants to serve his master
because he loves him recognises that he has no rights of his own - :5.
71:20
The Psalmist recognises that he will attain to everlasting life through
tribulation - that is he recognises the chastening hand of God in his
life.
Peter
Forbes
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70:1,
5 Whilst God may take a long time to bring judgement on the enemies
of His servants those servants still ask Him to 'make haste'. The fact
that we know that God will eventually deliver does not in any way minimise
the trauma of the events.
71:12
Following on last year's comments even though David believed that God
would give him everlasting life his is concerned - as in Psalm 70 - for
speedy deliverance.
Peter
Forbes
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Psalm
70 - "To the chief Musician" - is
the footnote the the Psalm preceding. This Psalm begins - "A
Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance." Some feel
that there should be no Psalm division after v5, which would
make Psalm 71 a continuation of Psalm 70. This psalm is almost the
same as the last five verses of Psalm
40. While here we behold Jesus Christ set forth in poverty and distress.
Urgent trials should always awake fervent prayers.
Psalm
71:14-24 - The psalmist declares that the righteousness of Christ,
and the great salvation obtained thereby, shall be the chosen subject
of his discourse. Not on the Sabbath day only, but on every
day of the week, of the year, of his life. Not merely at stated returns
of solemn devotion, but on every occasion, all the day long. Why will
he always dwell on this? Because he knew not the numbers thereof. It is
impossible to measure the value or the fullness of these blessings. The
righteousness is unspeakable, the salvation everlasting. God will not
cast off his grey-headed servants when no longer capable of labouring
as they have done. Assured of deliverance and victory, let us spend our
days, while perhaps, waiting the approach of death, in praising the Holy
One of Israel with all our powers. And while speaking of His righteousness,
and singing His praises, we shall rise above fears and infirmities, and
have earnests of the joys of the Kingdom. The work of redemption ought,
above all God's works, to be spoken of by us in our praises. The Lamb
that was slain, and has redeemed us to God, is worthy of all blessing
and praise.
Cliff
York
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Reading
3 - Mark 4
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here to Listen
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v.21-23.
Is this a condemnation of our preaching? Let us shine forth as lights, as
Jesus did John
5:35, Isa.60:1-3. - and us - Eph.5:8,14, Phil.2:15, Matt.13:43
Peter Cresswell
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4:24
'measure ye mete tells us that our benefit from the Word is directly proportional
to the effort and application we put into reading Scripture.
4:33
That Mark tells us that 'with many other parables' Jesus taught forces
us to appreciate that this was Jesus' teaching method. Whilst Mark only
records six parables we know from the other records that he told more.
We must work at finding the reason why Mark only records these six as
they must somehow fit into the theme that he, by the spirit, is developing.
4:37
Psalm 107 showed Jesus how to respond to this situation.
Psalm 107
23.
They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;
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These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.
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For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves
thereof.
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They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul
is melted because of trouble. Matthew
8:25 Mark 4:38
27
They reel to and fro, and stagger like Luke
8:23 a drunken man, and are at their wits' end.
28
Then they cry unto the LORD in they cry unto the Lord their trouble,
and he bringeth them out Matthew
8:23 Luke 8:24 of their distresses.
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He maketh the storm a calm, so that he maketh the storm a calm the waves
thereof are still. Matthew
8:26 Mark 4:39
30
Then are they glad because they be Luke
8:24 quiet; so he bringeth them unto their the waves thereof are still
desired haven. Luke
8:24 he bringeth them unto their desired haven Luke
8:26
Peter
Forbes
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:12 This quotation from Isaiah
6:9 is most instructive. Whereas we might think that Jesus told parables
to enable his audience to understand his message more easily actually the
converse it the case.
Just
as it was in Isaiah's day God was witnessing against those who were self
righteous. The message spoken had one of two outcomes. Either it was spurned
by the audience or produced a desire to ask further. The parables, therefore,
were not the main message. They were the vehicle to stimulate the hearers
to enquire more fully of the words of Jesus - :10
tells us that the disciples actually did ask 'when they were alone' so
we see that the disciples were the ones eager to understand.
Peter
Forbes
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4:35
Notice that Jesus and the disciples 'passed over to the other side'
in the evening. In Israel 'evening' is dark. The sun sets quickly at about
6.00 every day - all the year round. So, when the people had gone home because
it was dark, Jesus and his disciples were still working - travelling when
the people had left them so that they could maximise their preaching.
Peter
Forbes |
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Mark
4 -
This chapter begins with intense activity and ends with the Lord totally
exhausted. In this chapter the Lord introduces His hearers to the principle
of teaching by Parable. Why would He do that? Any good salesperson will
tell you that the best way to get a message across to a potential client
is to paint a good word picture and involve the client in that picture.
Jesus Christ was the greatest "salesman" that this world has ever
seen. His "product" is still freely available "without money and without
price," but it does come with a cost. What Jesus offers His followers
has more benefits than can possibly be numbered, but to fully experience those
benefits, one must spend a great deal of kindness, show amazing qualities
of love, and develop awesome faith in God. So why tell stories? Jesus
had enough problem with people who wanted to do Him in - but it is impossible
to hang a man for telling a good story!! And this parable holds the keys
to interpreting the other parables which were to follow.
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