One Year Bible, January 29

EXODUS 8:1-9:35
The 10 plagues reported in Exodus are wrathful judgments of God that actually result in freedom for God's people. Israel's finest hour was upon them! The first three plagues: bloody Nile, frogs, and lice (gnats) were on everyone, even God's people. The next 7 plagues are only against Pharaoh, Egypt and the Egyptian gods.  

"Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by miraculous signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other." (Deut 4:33-35)

The 10 plagues showed God's power, the "finger of God" (which we encounter again in Luke 11:20), "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness." (Rom 1:18) 

As Pharaoh's heart got harder and harder, he kept breaking his promise to the Israelites. And as plague after plague destroyed Egypt, God said in Ex 8:23, "I will put a division between my people and thy (world's) people... and this would be a sign." Note that the plagues were progressive, getting worse and worse and gaining momentum, but God's people walked in immunity.

RESPONSE: As I see our world crumbling, political promises being broken, our Christian lifestyle being threatened, I wonder how the Israelites felt when all this was going on around them. Did they rejoice when the Egyptians suffered and they DIDN'T? Or were they just sad? I know that many Egyptians joined the Israelite community during this time, and eventually left Egypt with them.  

My heart is at rest because I know that God rules the world, the nations only THINK they rule the world. But, if anyone were to say that some of these things are judgments of God against ungodliness, they would be destroyed by public opinion, huh? We sing, "Show Your power", but do we really mean that? Look what happened in Egypt when He did that! My heart is fixed, and I dare not look around except to see who is hurting and needs God.

MATTHEW 19:13-30
Look at what the young man asked Jesus: "What good thing must I do to get eternal life?" He had lived an exemplary life, and still was not satisfied or at rest. So Jesus, sensing that something was missing (and in Mark 10:21 it says He "loved him"), told him what he must do in order to be "complete" or "perfect". To sell all he had and distribute it to the poor - which he would have already done if he had actually kept the SPIRIT of the Law. Wealth can capture your affections and God knows that. This showed the young man where his heart really was - because a "treasure" is whatever you find important enough to motivate you. They have the ability to steal our hearts and our focus, so make sure that your treasure is something eternal.

When Jesus blessed us, He crossed His hands like Jacob did (Genesis 48:13-14). Jesus' last statement is to show that Jews (who were first) and Gentiles (who were last) will now be on equal footing, and then demonstrates that Truth in chapter 20. 

RESPONSE: "Who then can be saved?" Having money or success does NOT give you an advantage for getting into the Kingdom of God, and in fact, may make it harder. Only God can take the love of money and of the world out of our hearts (or, as the OT puts it, the yearning to return to Egypt). Only God can so compel our affection as to be our treasure, even though He is invisible. IT IS POSSIBLE with God. In fact, He insists on it.

Who can outgive God? He says He will pay us back in this life AND in the life to come (Luke 18:30; Mark 10:30) Wowza! Mark 10 says "with persecutions". Not so good.

PSALM 24:1-10
The earth NEVER DID belong to the devil. He is a usurper and can only use his influence to get what he wants. Of course, he is not above holding humans in bondage to get it. He rules through "the whore" and "the beast" - seduction and force (Revelation 11 and 17).   But everything rightfully belongs to God, to do with as He wishes.

This Psalm may have been written to accompany David when he ascended the throne, or for when the Ark was brought back to Jerusalem, or for when Jesus passed through the heavens and ascended the throne of David (Heb 4:14). At any rate, it is about the approach to God's throne. To whom is the honor and privilege given? (1) Clean hands and pure heart- doing right and being right. But it's more than that. We must not be doubleminded about our pursuit of God. Not holding anything back. Not wanting God AND ..... something or someone else. That's what Jesus was talking about when He said we can't serve God and Mammon both. We'll eventually hate one of them (Mathew 6:24). We must prefer one or the other and then we "shall receive the blessing from the Lord" - the blessing of the firstborn because of right-standing before God.

Doublemindedness will hinder our pursuit of God because we are trying to live like a "natural" man AND a "spiritual" man at the same time.  Trying to walk by faith and by sight together won't work.  If we are going to function successfully, or be blessed, we must learn to see and evaluate all of life from God's perspective while we are being weaned from walking by sight.  The last half of this Psalm is a good read (out loud) when you want to draw Him near.

PROVERBS 6:1-5
If you have unwisely obligated yourself to someone you shouldn't have, don't rest until you extract yourself from the agreement! This is referring to someone you may not know very well - shaking hands on it or just a verbal agreement, you still have to humble yourself and beg them to release you.

RESPONSE: God, Your love overwhelms me. That you would actually choose me to come close to You. You don't want me to be bound to anything else but You - and seeking You. What a wonderful God we serve! You are truly Fabulous! With every breath, you breath freedom into me. Thank You!