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January
30
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Reading 1 - Exodus 1 & 2
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Peter Cresswell
Peter Cresswell
:11 afflict Genesis 15:13
:12 afflicted Genesis 15:13
:13 `serve Genesis 15:13
Which begins to show that the Exodus from Egypt was a fulfilment of the promise made to Abraham in Genesis 15. We will return to this theme in the early chapters of Exodus as appropriate.
2:24
Covenant with Abraham Genesis
15:18
2:18
the 'Reuel' here spoken of is elsewhere called 'Jethro' so this is the
beginning of the relationship between Jethro and Moses which develops
through this book
Peter
Forbes
1:9 Do we really think that there were more Jews in Egypt than Egyptians at this time? Or was it simply a ruse to destroy the Jews?
2:10
'The child grew' might seem to be a very causal comment. However it passes
into Biblical use in a very significant way speaking of men who became
faithful servants of God Judges
13:24 1 Samuel 2:21,26 Luke 1:80 2:40 and has it's origins in Genesis
21:8
Peter
Forbes
Moses, in a position of high authority in Egypt, saw his own people in slavery. An Egyptian was beating a Hebrew and Moses delivered the Hebrew by killing the Egyptian. Many people think that at this stage Moses was ready to deliver his people from Egypt. He had not been commanded by God to do so but he began to go ahead anyway.
Moses tried to save his people at the time he thought best and in the only way he knew. But even though Moses had great authority in Egypt, he had physical strength and the ability to draw together an army, and even though he was motivated to save his people - it was not God's time or God's way. When it came to the right time and the right way 40 years later, Moses didn't feel qualified or ready, but it was right for God.
There can often be times in our lives when we think the time and the method are right for the changes we see that we think are needed. But if the time or method are not God's ways then our plans will be fruitless. God will work out his plan but he will do it in his way and in his time - not ours. So let us be sure to do what we do in God's way and in his time. By doing that we are bound for success.
Robert Prins
Exodus
1:1- "Now these are the names" - Better "And these are
the names..." Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers all start with "And" linking
all these books together in one flowing narrative. Having travelled in
Genesis from life in Paradise to death in Egypt, Exodus introduces us
to the creation theme again. In the first few chapters of Exodus we will
find new life being formed in the land of Egypt, the seed of the woman
prevailing, King Sin reigning, death highlighted, along with hard labour
etc.
Exodus
1:8 - "which knew not Joseph" - a change of dynasty in
Egypt. Not so much that the new Pharaoh had not heard of Joseph, but that
he did not acknowledge any obligation to him.� We may therefore understand
by the new king�s not knowing Joseph, his disapproving of that system
of government which Joseph had established, as well as his haughtily refusing
to acknowledge the obligations under which the whole land of Egypt was
laid to this eminent prime minister of one of his predecessors.
Exodus 1:12 - "Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict
them with their burdens" - One of the themes of this portion of Exodus
is, "Whose house is being built?" This Pharaoh was all out to build himself
great treasure houses, but in v21
we learn that God was making "houses or families" for the children of
Israel.
Exodus
1:16 - "if it be a son, then ye shall kill him" - The grand
plans of Pharaoh are thrown into a real spin, as we read the record from
here and make a note of what women (including his own daughter) do,
which completely undoes all his schemes. The strength of God is truly
made perfect in weakness.
Cliff
York
Reading 2 - Psalms 53, 54 & 55
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Peter Cresswell
Peter Cresswell
Psalm 54 - David's own countrymen were his betrayers - Ziph was in the inheritance of Judah Josh 15:24. Even though betrayed by his own tribe David still seeks for God to bring deliverance :2. He left things in God's hands rather than seeking justice himself.
Psalm
55 - This Psalm is for instruction 'Maschil' in the title. It speaks
of David's feelings when Ahithophel betrayed him. David's distress was
because a friend had betrayed him :13,14.
We must take care that we do not let our friends down. The closer we are
to someone the greater is the pain if we fail them.
Peter
Forbes
53:6 The cry that salvation would come out of Zion is voiced against the background of the wickedness in Israel. Do we sigh for the abominations of this world and long for the restoration of Zion and the kingdom?
54:2 The Ziphites betrayed David to Saul but David prayed that God to intervene on his behalf. He did not take vengeance himself.
55:12
In lamenting and reflecting on the hurt cause by the treachery of Ahithophel
David voices the deep sorrow of one betrayed by a friend. Do we think
of the consequences of our actions when we choose to sin?
Peter
Forbes
These three Psalms all have graphic curses given in them for the wicked. These are people who attack the innocent, who do not care for or regard God, who manufacture suffering for others, who make violence and destruction, who lay evil plans for their neighbours, conspiring, lurking and eager to take life.
The curses in these Psalms are mostly curses in which the Psalmist asks God to do right then and there in the life of the wicked people. They are more like instantaneous actions he wants God to take against the wicked. God did answer his prayers in many of these cases and the wicked did fall before David. Ahothophel, for instance, who is referred to in Psalm 55 was cursed with "Let death take my enemies by surprise, let them go down alive to the grave, for evil finds lodging among them." Ahithophel was one of David's wisest men but after this his wisdom was not highly regarded any more and he killed himself.
But the long-term destiny of the wicked is even worse than the short term. They will not get to share in the glories of life in the kingdom of God. They will be cast out into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth and death.
Is wickedness really worth it?
Robert Prins
Psalm 54 -� "To the chief musician upon Neginoth" - belongs properly as a subscription to Psalm 53. Psalm 54 begins with the words "Maschil, A Psalm of David when the Ziphims came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us?"
Ziph was a village in the southern part of Palestine. David having taken refuge in the mountains of that country, the Ziphites went to Saul, and informed him of the fact. Saul, with his army, immediately went thither, and was on one side of a mountain while David was on the other. Just when he was about to fall into the hands of his merciless pursuer, an express came to Saul that the Philistines had invaded Israel, on which he gave up the pursuit, and returned to save his country, and David escaped to En-gedi. See the account in 1Samuel 23:19-29. It is supposed to have been after this deliverance that he composed this Psalm.
Psalm 55 -� "To the chief musician upon Neginoth" - belongs properly as a subscription to Psalm 54. Psalm 55 begins with the words "Maschil, A Psalm of David."
Psalm
55:12-14 - " For it was not an enemy that reproached me;
then I could have borne it neither was it he that hated me that did magnify
himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: But it was
thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet
counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company" -
Though this Psalm was originally written by David, and the one he speaks
of here is undoubtedly Ahithophel, the Psalm is also Messianic and probably
provides an insight into Jesus' estimation of Judas that perhaps we might
not otherwise have ascribed to that man. Was part of the bitter cup that
Jesus wanted the Father to remove from Him, the bitterness of being betrayed
by a friend and his kiss? - Matthew
26:28.
Cliff
York
Reading 3 - Romans 7 & 8
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Peter Cresswell
7:22
We can all identify with Paul's struggle [7:14-20].
It is so easy to reprove ourselves because of this. Psalm 1 presents the
ideal we would aim for we would be amongst those who 'delight in the
law ...' [Psalm
1:2] but feel
that because of the struggle which Paul identifies [v.14-20]
we cannot reach such a high ideal. However Paul quotes that verse from
the Psalm in 7:22
when describing how he dealt with the struggle he had. Therefore we can
live up to the ideals of the Psalm even though we are struggling with
'Adam' who is seeking for supremacy in us.
Peter Forbes
7:1-4 This section of the letter is an appeal to those Jewish believers who could not see that life in Christ transcended the law of Moses.
8:14
'Led by the spirit' catches the words used to speak of Jesus' temptation
(Matthew
4:1) It is not some mystical force in our lives. Rather it is that
force which comes from an understanding of and desire to fulfil the will
of God.
Peter Forbes
Sometimes we can find it a real struggle to walk the Christian life with all the temptations and pressures life throws at us. Sometimes it can even get depressing when we tally up our day or our week and realize how often we have failed to do what we should have don, or have done the things that we shouldn't have done.
While there is no excuse for sinning and we must still confess our sins to God and ask for forgiveness, we can be encouraged by the fact that even Paul, who we look up to as being one of the greatest men of God, struggled with exactly the same sins as we do. He said that the good that he wanted to do he did not do and the things that he did not want to do, he did! We all have exactly the same problems whether we are as great as Paul or whether we consider ourselves the lowest of the low.. Yet Paul, at the end of his life, despite his struggles, was 100% confident that his Lord was prepared to give him a crown of everlasting life.
Despite our struggles too, we can have the same confidence as Paul and know for sure that we will be given the kingdom. It is not an excuse for sin, but a faith and confidence in the grace and mercy of our God and his Son, Jesus Christ.
Robert Prins
Here, God states beforehand his intended 'end of the road' for us! The predestined end is set for His angels to see on our foreheads, it reads, 'This individual is intended to be conformed to the image of my Son'. Israel's High Priest too, wore on his forehead God's intended destination of the nation, 'Holiness to the Lord', although successive generations (with notable individual exceptions) have failed to complete the journey.
What
a privilege we have to be so foreordained by God, we only have to steadfastly
complete our course. The questions of v31-37
lead us to realise that God is on our side and so finally (v38-39),
we are brought to the glorious realisation of God's love.
Derek
Palmer
Romans 8:1 - "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" - Baptised and walking with our Lord day by day, there is nothing that can conspire against us to keep us separated from Him. Our past sins are far removed, and our present shortcomings are covered in the blood of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world to take away our sins, so frail as we are and weak as we may feel, there is no condemnation levelled by God against those who are in Christ Jesus.
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THE
GOLDEN THREAD - As Psalm
53 told us, only the fool would say there is no God. Pharaoh, thinking
that he was God found out this truth to his eternal chagrin in Exds, and
Paul teaches us to rejoice in the fact that there is a God, therefore
nothing can pluck us out of His hand - Romans
8:28-39
Cliff
York