Happenings
January 31st
Day 31 Daily Read
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Day 31
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Exodus 28
Exodus 29
Acts 7
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Judy’s Insight
1/31/11
Exodus 28
Undergarments complete the high priests’ outfit. This is not a typical part of the under-the-robe wardrobe. Apparently God does not want even accidental glimpses of the priests more private parts. The penalty for allowing this to occur is death. God really does not want the priests showing their ‘unmentionables.’
Practical Application: If God feels this strongly about accidental nudity, how do you think God feels about provocative dress today, since we are now all priests? This is a question each believer must answer for themselves, but knowing that it is the death penalty for the priests if they accidentally show ‘stuff’ by not wearing underwear, it does say that God takes modestly seriously when serving Him.
Exodus 29
The priests are then consecrated. (Set apart for service to God) A bull, 2 rams, and various types of unleavened bread are sacrificed. The high priest is washed, dressed in his garments and anointed with oil.
Before offering the bull the high priests place their hands on the head of the bull. This is a sin offering, and it takes their punishment for the sins they have committed. The same is done for the ram. This is an offering to please the Lord. The second ram is sacrificed for the ordination. (i.e. Thank-you for my job.) The bread offering is then waved and a portion is burnt to make a pleasing aroma to the Lord. The breast and thigh of the ram are also waved and given to the priests, with the bread, for food. Much of the offerings will be used as food for the priests- except for the fat, which is typically the Lord’s. The Lord also announces that the role of the high priest will pass down through Aaron’s line. It will not be a job you can earn, or attain, but rather an inheritance. (During Jesus’ time the high priests will be corrupted and people will pay King Herod for the privilege.)
The ordination takes 7 days. A bull, 2 rams and bread are sacrificed each day. The altar is also atoned for and purified.
The sacrificial system will continue so that the Israelites will not forget that it was the Lord who took them out of Egypt, and that He is their God.
Acts 7
The high priest asks Stephen if the charges of blaspheme are true. Stephen uses this question as an opportunity to witness. He begins with Abraham and recounts the history of the Jews. (Jewish law says that you must listen to a person’s full testimony without interruption.) He concludes by calling the rulers of the Sanhedrin ‘stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears.’ He accuses them of resisting the Holy Spirit and asks them if there was ever a prophet that they did not persecute. He then tells them that they killed the righteous one of God (Jesus) predicted by those same prophets and accuses them, the leaders of the Jewish community, of not obeying the Law. Stephen is most likely saying this with the Power of the Holy Spirit. Understandably they are now furious with Stephen, but Stephen is already in another world and tells them that he is looking into heaven and sees God with the Son of Man (Jesus) at His side. The rulers cover their ears, and scream, while dragging him out of the city to stone him. Paul, then Saul, is there, watching the people’s cloaks.
FYI: This passage seemingly violates Jewish law about fair trials, and how to perform the death penalty etc, but in reality it does not. At this time there is a loophole based on Phinehas (Aaron’s grandson) stabbing a Moabite woman and an Israelite man through as they, how should I say this, got to know each other ‘Biblically.’ (Num. 25) Phinehas was praised and his actions stopped the plague that was the result of the Israelites taking advantage of Moabite ‘prostitutes.’ Because of this, Jewish law at this time allowed someone to be murdered ‘in the moment’ if you were ‘zealous’ for God’s laws.
The Jews did know the Holy Spirit at this time, so Stephen’s mention of the Holy Spirit and their resistance to Him is not lost on them. At this time the Jewish people described the voice of the Spirit as a small dove, or the small coo. How the Holy Spirit worked in the Old Testament is a bit vague. We know that there is a more intimate relationship with Him now, but that the Spirit did interact with believers to some degree before the resurrection as well.
Although Saul ‘watched’ the cloaks, he understood that he was even guiltier than those who threw the stones. How could this be? Saul was a person people respected. By standing there he was saying that he approved of their actions. (Which he did.) If he had not been there, or if he had disapproved, the people may not have been comfortable enough in their belief that they were to do this. Saul recognized this, and will later regret his part in Stephen’s death. Think about the times that you condone things by just standing there silently. Sometimes, when we are afraid to say something, people see our silence as if we have no problem with the situation and follow our example, especially if they believe us to be ‘good.’
Posted on: 01/31/2011
January 30th
Day 30 Daily Read
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Day 30
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Exodus 25
Exodus 26
Exodus 27
Acts 6
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Judy’s Insight
Exodus 25-27
God tells Moses to ask the Israelites for an offering, as each man’s heart is prompted to give. This offering will be from the things the Israelites were given by their Egyptian neighbors. They include gold, silver, and bronze, dyed yarns and fine linen, black goat hair (rare), ram and sea cow skins, acacia wood (a hard wood resistant to insects), olive oil, spices, incenses, onyx and gems. From this they will build a tabernacle (tent) for God.
FYI: A Hebrew cubit is approximately 18 inches. An Egyptian cubit is about 22 inches. A cubit is the distance from the tip of your middle finger to your elbow with your elbow bent. Ironically I have an 18 inch cubit, while my husband’s is 22 inches. I am 5’ 6” (the height King David and Paul are rumored to be), while my husband is 6’ 5,” showing the size difference between the two groups of people.
The cover of the ark is to have two cherubim facing each other on it. The word for ‘ark’ is the same word used for the coffin of Joseph in Genesis. Further the angels at either end are similar to the angels seen in the tomb at either end of where Jesus was laid. This ark is a foreshadowing of the resurrection. John calling Jesus the ‘Word,’ which is the law of God, furthers this illustration as the commandments will be placed in the ark as well.
Acts 6
The church has a problem. The Greek widows are not being taken cared of like the Jewish widows are. The disciples are busy with prayer and ministry and see fit to appoint men to be responsible for this area of ministry. They appoint seven Greek men. (Again, we do not have to do it all ourselves. Make priorities, and then allow capable people to do the rest.)
The number of believers is growing, and it is mentioned that many priests become believers as well.
Stephen, one of the men appointed to oversee the ministry to the widows, is doing miracles. His peers, other foreign Jews (from Greece and Egypt) become upset with him and falsely accuse him of blaspheme. Stephen is called before the Sanhedrin, and his face glows. As we will see, even a glowing face does not always change people’s hearts….
Posted on: 01/30/2011
January 29th
Day 29 Daily Read
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Day 29
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Exodus 23
Exodus 24
Psalm 14
Acts 5
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Judy’s Insight
01/29/11
Exodus 23-24
Israel’s boarders will eventually be: The Red Sea, the Sea of the Philistines (the Mediterranean), the desert and the Euphrates River. God emphasizes that the Israelites will drive the people out. (It will not be done completely supernaturally; they are going to have an active part.) God emphasizes that His promises are only attainable if they trust Him enough to actually drive the people out. The Israelites are not to make covenants with the people, or let them live with them. If they do, they will cause the Israelites to sin and to worship other gods as well. (which is what happens)
Practical Application: Sometimes people are a snare to us. Their actions lead us to do things that we wish we would not. For example: A gossiper may cause us to treat the subject of their gossip less kindly, someone who does drugs may cause you to try them etc. While this indicates a weakness in you as well, weaknesses are real and it is easy to get caught up in things. For this reason there are some people that it is best to avoid. That does not mean that the person is left with no help, it just means that the appropriate help is not you! Let someone who is strong in this area take the lead.
Something to think about: People always intend to do a lot of good things…. (The Israelites promised to obey.) The true test is not what you say, or think you will do, or even what you want to do, but rather what you actually do.
Just a thought: Sacrifices are a way to show you trust God. Like tithing you take something you think you need, and give it away…
Psalm 14
Psalm 14, like psalm 12, focuses on times when it seems like the wicked are everywhere. This psalm specifies a certain type of wicked person, the fool. In studying scripture I have come up with this definition: A fool is a person who knows the truth, and is capable of learning, but chooses to do the wrong things anyways. Someone who does not know is deceived, and someone who cannot learn is disabled, so they are not ‘fools.’ A fool knows better, or could know better if they listened, and chooses not to.
In this psalm we see the fool having certain telltale characteristics.
A fool:
1. Says that there is no god.
2. They are corrupt. They do vile things.
3. They do not understand, or seek God.
4. They never learn.
5. They hurt good people.
6. They are fearful.
7. They frustrate the plans of the poor.
The psalm also includes promises that God is with the righteous, is a refuge for the poor and that He will restore the fortunes of His people, even though for a time, they will be affected by the fools.
Acts 5
A married couple, Ananias and Sapphira, sell a plot of land. They tell the church that they are giving all the money to the church, when in reality they are keeping some of the money for themselves.
Peter points out to Ananias that he owned the land and did not have to give it, or any of the money, to the church, so why lie? He points out that this is not a lie to men, but to God, and Ananias drops dead.
Three hours later his wife, Sapphira, appears. She does not know that her husband has died. Peter asks her point blank if the price she got for the land is what they told the church they got for the land. He gives her a chance to repent, but she lies. She dies too.
Practical Application: Some teach that it is the husband’s job to obey God, and the wife’s job to obey her husband. That the husband will be judged based on his obedience to God, but that the wife will be judged on her obedience to her husband. This account proves that this is not true. Both husband and wife are judged based on their obedience to God. If Sapphira was to obey her husband only, she would not have died.
We then see that the believers gathered at Solomon’s Colonnade (at the Temple). They were highly regarded at this time. Many miracles were occurring and even Peter’s shadow seemed to have healing power. Before persecution the believers gathered in large groups in public, not in each others’ homes. Gathering in homes is a response to persecution, and not necessarily the ‘perfect plan’ for how to do church. Church changes as the people’s needs change.
Persecution then begins as a result of the Sadducees’ (who were in charge of the Temple) jealousy. (Remember Cain and Abel. Sometimes good people get hurt when bad people are jealous.) The apostles are arrested, but an angel lets them out of jail. In the morning they are in the Temple courts preaching. (This had to be extremely annoying to the Sadducees.) The Sadducees find them and they appear before the Sanhedrin (the Jewish ruling body, based on Moses and the 70 elders, they decide matters pertaining to Jewish law). Peter again is the spokesman and he repeats that Jesus, who they killed, was raised from the dead and is now at God’s right hand. The Sadducees fear is that the people will blame them for the death of Jesus, an innocent man, and that things will not go well for them.
Gamaliel (one of my favorites in scripture- he was a student of a Hillel, a very famous Jewish teacher, and may have taught Jesus as a youth. He did teach Paul.) Anyways, Gamaliel states that they have seen many false messiahs who have come and gone. If this is false then just let it go its course- paying attention to it will only make it last longer- but if it is of God then they are not going to be able to stop it anyways.
In response to Gamaliel’s comments they have the apostles flogged (Apparently they do not listen well.) and tell them not to speak of Jesus again. As Gamaliel predicted, their actions backfire. The believers rejoice that they were worthy to suffer for God, and the preaching continues.
Posted on: 01/29/2011
January 28th
Day 28 Daily Read
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Day 28
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Exodus 21
Exodus 22
Psalm 12
Acts 4
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Judy’s Insight
01/28/11
Exodus 21-22
Exodus 21 begins with the concept of Biblical slavery. Biblical slavery is not like Southern slavery. It is more of a ‘welfare system’ for the Hebrew people. If you get into debt and cannot pay, and none of your relatives will ‘redeem’ you, then you may offer to become another’s slave to work off your debt. The longest you may be a slave is six years, then you must be set free with a home, land and provisions. Additionally, under Jewish law a slave was to work no more than ten hours a day, with the Sabbath off. During his free time he may earn money and achieve his freedom earlier. He may also decide that being a slave to his master is better than being on his own. In this case he may become a ‘bondservant,’ or ‘slave for life.’ To do this his master will split his earlobe with an awl.
Now remember, every Hebrew male gets an inheritance of land. To get to the point of slavery you must lose your land, and have upset your relatives (even the distant ones) so much that they are not willing to take responsibility for you even if it means they get your land. It is therefore not easy to become a slave. You must be very bad managing your assets, and not really open to relative’s help.
The laws for female slaves seem harsh to us, but they are actually meant to protect vulnerable females in a society where women could not easily make it on their own. For a woman to be a slave she would have no means of support and no relatives to support her. For this reason, since slavery protects the woman by giving her a home, food and safety, it is harder for a woman to be set free as freedom means starvation since women have a very limited amount of jobs available to them at this time. If she does marry the master, or his son, she must have all the rights a typical wife has. She also must never be sold to a foreigner, who would not be bound by these rules.
Psalm 12
Psalm 12 is for when it seems like wicked people are everywhere. It concludes with the fact that even then God will keep you safe.
The actions wicked people do are listed. They include:
1. Lying to your neighbor.
2. Flattering people with untruths.
3. Boasting. (Talking like you are better than others.)
4. Oppressing the weak. (Bullying; taking advantage of people)
5. Not helping the needy.
6. Maligning (Saying bad things about) people.
7. Honoring what is vile. (Thinking bad things are ‘cool.’)
Acts 4
Even though Peter and John were arrested their numbers grew to 5,000. Peter is questioned and he again tells of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and that it was the name of Jesus that healed the crippled man. He also tells us that Jesus is ‘the stone that the builders rejected’ (Is.28:16, Ps 118:22) mentioned in scripture. (In psalm 118:21 just before this quote we see that God is our salvation.) He also tells us that salvation is found in no other name but Jesus’. This is big since according to the Old Testament salvation is from God alone. (Jonah 2:9, Ps. 49:7&15) Peter is calling Jesus God.
The Sadducees command Peter and John to stop preaching. They reply that they are to listen to God, not men. (Again implying Jesus is God.) Because of the miracle the Sadducees are reluctant to punish them and they are let go. The believers praise God and quote Old Testament scripture that remind them that people will always be against God and those who follow Him. The rest of the believers are now filled with the Holy Spirit.
Posted on: 01/28/2011
January 27th
Day 27 Daily Read
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Day 27
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Exodus 17
Exodus 18
Exodus 19
Exodus 20
Acts 3
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Judy’s Insight
Acts 3
Peter and John are at the Temple and a beggar, crippled from birth, is being brought to the gate so that he might beg. Peter takes the initiative and prays for the man, who is healed. What is interesting is that Peter states that he has no significant amount of money (silver or gold). Even though Peter is blessed by God in such a way that he heals a man crippled from birth, God has not blessed him with riches as well. We must remember that with God, money is not always the form in which blessings come!
The former beggar hangs onto Peter and John and people, astonished to see him healed begin to gather. Peter begins to preach and emphasizes strongly that these people had Jesus here, but killed Him, yet in Jesus’ name the crippled was healed. Peter also emphasizes that scripture foretold that this would occur. This time he mentions Moses, Samuel and Abraham. He also emphasizes that God sends His anointed, including Jesus, to bless the people by leading them to repent of their wicked ways. Turning from evil is the root of all blessings.
Exodus 17-20
The Ten Commandments
Different groups number these differently… (As humans, we can’t agree on anything, can we? However we number them, the meaning remains the same.)
1. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
Some people stop here. This tells us who God is, and that He is to be our God.
You shall have no other gods before me.
This means no other gods, not just that God should be the top god. ‘Before me’ means sitting in God’s presence. Since God is omnipresent (always present everywhere) any time you worship something else you are placing a god ‘before Him,’ or ‘in His presence.’ Anything you obey instead of God is also a ‘god’ since you have chosen obedience to it (like your friends) instead of the Lord who deserves your obedience. That is why God keeps reminding people what He has done for them, to emphasize their need to trust and obey.
2. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down and worship them.
The Jewish people took this seriously during Jesus’ time. King Herod tried to put statues of animals around his castle and the people through a fit! He eventually removed them for the sake of peace. In the beginning the Romans honored this by not putting images of people on the coins used in Jerusalem. By Jesus’ time they had had it with the Jews and went back to putting pictures of the emperor on the coins complete with the description ‘Son of the Divine…’ (basically ‘Son of god so and so’) with the emperor’s father’s name at the end. (It was believed that the dead emperor was now a full god.) This really upset the Jews.
The woman who was healed from the issue of blood also caused some trouble as she put a statue of Jesus reaching out His hand to her on her front lawn. (His response to her what obviously the more significant act in her mind.)
The Jews strict adherence to this rule is likely why we have no pictures of Jesus today.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain.
This does not mean do not use God’s name as a curse word! Though it does imply that. It means ‘You bear His name, so don’t make Him look bad.’ (The word translated as ‘take’ here can also be translated as ‘carry’ or ‘bear.’ So it is like you are taking God’s Name wherever you go.) There are a few ways you can break this commandment. One is to promise something that God has not promised. God has not promised, so He has no obligation to oblige you. False prophecy is an example of this, so is making God’s laws stricter or more permissive, as are many of the prosperity teachings. (God’s blessings come in many forms, not just money!) Jewish law also teaches that if you steal from a Jew you break one commandment, (Thou shall not steal.) but if you steal from a non-Jew you break two commandments, since you are making the Lord look bad as a bearer of His name as well. The final way you may take the Lord’s name in vain is to try to make God do something by invoking His name inappropriately. This would be ‘say this prayer ten times and God will do this,’ or, ‘take communion every day and you will be healed.’ God does not take orders from you! So if you do these things, in His Name, He has no reason to answer and you are doing them in vain. (Though sometimes He has mercy…)
4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
So how do we keep the Sabbath holy? By resting! (Doing no ‘work.’) By resting one day a week we are telling God that we trust Him to provide for our needs. We are to work hard, but humans need rest. (If you have hit 40, you have probably noticed this.) Overworking oneself says that we do not trust the Lord to provide. Additionally, when our neighbors see us rested and blessed, they too will be drawn to the Lord.
5. Honor Your Mother and Father, so that you may live long in the land…
This is the only commandment with a promise directly tied to it. (There are promises for obeying all the commands in general.) While we understand what it is to honor our parents what is often missed is the implication that a parent should be worthy of honor lest they lead their child to sin. Jewish teachings commonly emphasize this side of the commandment as well.
6. You shall not murder.
Since God requires the death penalty for certain crimes, and states that there is a time for war, this is a prohibition against the taking of an innocent life only.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
While adultery is literally not sleeping with another person’s spouse, further rules in scripture barring fornication combine to say, ‘If you are not married to it, don’t sleep with it!’
8. You shall not steal.
Jewish teachings elaborate on this and point out that you can steal more than just material possessions. One example of this is the theft of someone’s time. (i.e. when you are chronically late). Many Jewish scholars consider the theft of time worse than the theft of money etc since time is something you can never give back.
9. You shall not give false witness.
While most of us would never lie about what another has done, especially in court, many of us frequently ‘lie’ by not correcting misconceptions that make the other person look bad in comparison to ourselves. Later in scripture we will see that not telling when we know something is bad too.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, wife, servant, donkey (vehicle?), or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
You shall not be jealous of your neighbor and want what is his. It is okay to like his stuff and work hard to get it for yourself, but you cannot harbor hatred in your heart if he has something you can’t see yourself getting.
Posted on: 01/27/2011
January 26th
Day 26 Daily Read
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Day 26
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Exodus 14
Exodus 15
Exodus 16
Acts 2
Stay Accountable
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Judy’s Insight
Exodus 14-16
The Red Sea Controversy
As many of you may have heard the term the “Red Sea” is more correctly translated as ‘the Sea of Reeds.’ This is true. So does that mean that the Israelites did not cross the Red Sea? Not at all. The Sea of Reeds refers to a collection of bodies of water, which includes the Red Sea. From times earlier than Jesus terms, which specified that it was the Red Sea specifically, were used when translating this section of scripture. The Red Sea is the part of the ‘Sea of Reeds’ that Jewish tradition tells us they crossed.
In the wee hours of the morning (the last watch of the night) God has Moses lift his hand and the Israelites walk over on dry land. The Egyptians follow, but God does more than just let the sea come and drown them. He sends them into a state of confusion, and had their wheels fall off, making it difficult to drive their chariots. At this point the Egyptians realize that God is on the Hebrews side and run away. It is unclear whether these men who run away are part of the ‘entire army’ that drowns, for the ‘army’ is recorded as running towards the sea. This may be a case where the Lord only considers people whose hearts still belonging to Pharaoh as part of the army, while those who turned to God through this course of events are His. You will see this throughout scripture, where we are told that the Hebrew people do something, and then find that there are converts within the group that are not of Hebrew ancestry. This is because once you turn to God, you are one of His people.
Exodus 15:2-3 are among my favorite verses in scripture. Everything about this passage just says, ‘Wow’ to me. This is what those verses mean to me.
‘The Lord is my strength and my song:” Not only is the Lord my strong protector, but He is my joy, the reason I dance and sing!
“He has become my salvation:” I am in a relationship with Him and He will save me to the point of making sure that I am with Him for all eternity. Not even the fires of hell can touch me now!
“He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God and I will exalt Him:” He has been around forever, from the time of my father until now. Even though my father is not a believer, He is there for my father, and for me, whenever we wish to turn to Him and I will praise Him from the rooftops for it! (Father in this case can refer to our whole line of ancestors as well.) By the way, the word manna means ‘What is it?’
Although God give specific rules for the manna, some of the people did not obey and gathered more than they needed to save for the next day. When the following day arrived, these people found that their stored manna was full of maggots and no good. This does not mean that manna goes bad in one day though. Manna can obviously last until the next day, as it did for the Sabbath, or forever, as it will in the ark! (v.33) God is in charge of how long your manna lasts, and how long it lasts it tied to your obedience and trust in Him. The Israelites went through this process of learning to trust the Lord eating manna for 40 years….
Acts 2
Pentecost takes place 50 days after the Sabbath of the Passover week, so it always lands on the first day of the week. It is also called the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Harvest and the day of first fruits.
The people in Jerusalem heard the sound of the Holy Spirit as well and a crowd gathered. Each person in the crowd heard them speaking in their native tongues. This puzzled them for several reasons. First, it is seemingly impossible for every person to hear the same speaker in his own tongue. Second, the people are from Galilee, which doesn’t have a reputation for providing a high level of education. Others dismiss this all together and decide the believers are drunk. (While this seems like a silly thing to do, people today often dismiss acts of God with silly explanations as well.)
Peter also explains that Jesus, who did miracles, signs and wonders that only God could do, was put to death, but was raised from the dead. Peter emphasizes that God ‘foreknew’ that men would put Jesus to death and gives scriptures showing this to be the case. While there are many scriptures predicting the crucifixion, Peter chooses Psalm 16 where David predicts that the Holy One’s body will not see decay, and points out that this cannot possibly be about David, since he died and everyone there knows where his tomb is. He also quotes psalm 110 where David says, ‘The Lord says to my Lord.’ Since David was obviously talking about a future time, and would not call his descendant ‘Lord,’ and since this obviously takes place in heaven, where David would not be in a position of authority, David cannot be speaking about himself. Peter is thus pointing out that this is God, speaking to Jesus, in an Old Testament scripture.
Peter then tells them what they must do: Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Why? For the forgiveness of sins. 3000 responded that day and many more were added in the days to follow.
Baptism was not uncommon in the Jewish culture. We see John baptizing in the Jordan, and there are man-made ‘baptisteries’ found throughout this area, including the settlement at Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are thought to have originated. Baptism indicated that you were changing your ways and becoming a new person. (Repenting) It was an outward sign to show people that you did not intend to be the person you once were.
Now the believers in Jerusalem sold their possessions as needed so that no one lacked. This only occurred in the Jerusalem church however. A famine was coming to Jerusalem, and then the Romans were coming to destroy the city. By combining their resources, and later through the donations from the other churches, the Jewish Christians will avoid much of the hardship others in Jerusalem will face, and it will be easier for them to leave when it become time to relocate. The preparedness of the Christians in Jerusalem, as we will see later, also encourages others to become believers. It is through the urging of the Holy Spirit that this occurs as the believers in Jerusalem could not possibly know what the future would be like. This is not a model for all churches, but instead an admonition to listen to the Spirit’s prodding and do what He says, for you too do not know what the future will hold!
I hope this helps. There is much more that could be written about these passages, especially regarding the gift of tongues, so if you have any questions, please feel free to ask!
-Judy
Posted on: 01/26/2011
January 25th
Day 25 Daily Read
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Day 25
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Exodus 12
Exodus 13
Psalms 21
Acts 1
Stay Accountable
After each reading, post to our facebook page or twitter what the reading meant to you that day. We want everyone to stay accountable so post it everywhere you can.
Have Questions?
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Judy’s Insight
Exodus 12-13
These chapters focus on the plague that kills the firstborn of any family not protected by the blood of the lamb on their door posts. This is also the first Passover meal. As most of you know, Jesus is referred to as our Passover lamb in the New Testament. He was examined by Pilate, pronounced sin (blemish) free, and slain, similar to the lamb at Passover. Additionally, like the lamb, not one of Jesus’ bones were broken.
Something else happens in these chapters as well- God changes the ordering of the year around. Prior to this time the Jewish year began in the fall. Now God tells the Hebrew people that this month is to be the first month of their year. Like most things God tells them to do, the Hebrew people only partially follow this order. After this time their religious calendar begins in the spring, as God commanded, but their civil calendar continues to start in the fall.
The time of slavery is almost over. It has been 430 years. If you look back at Genesis 15:12-14 you will see that the prophecy God gave to Abraham has been fulfilled. They have been slaves for 400 years, been mistreated and are now leaving with great possessions thanks to their Egyptian neighbors.
God is also choosing to take them on a path through the wilderness. (Ex.13:17) There is a road to Palestine, which would be arguably easier to travel. God explains His motives by stating that they are likely to meet other people who will make war with them. They will become scared, and return to Egypt. (God knows His people well!) He will therefore take them on a longer path. You must wonder whether God has ever taken you on a ‘longer path’ due to fear and insecurity…
Psalm 21 (Did you know that the book of Psalms is actually 5 song books put together?) Psalm 21 is a beautiful song thanking God for the great things He has done, as well as praising Him for the great things He is going to do in the future. When we pray, we too must remember to thank God for future blessings as well.
Acts 1 The book of Acts is the second letter from Luke to his friend Theolphilus. (The gospel of Luke is the first letter.) In the first chapter we see the believers in Jerusalem. They have been told to wait there by Jesus. This passage emphasizes that God has His timing and that sometimes we just have to wait. So what do we do while we are waiting? In this instance we see that they took care of the business they had to attend to- the picking of a replacement for Judas- and they prayed.
We are also told about the death of Judas. Early church tradition tells us that Judas hung himself, the branch broke, and his body burst open on the ground, which fits with this description. Others have postulated that Judas had used an older method of hanging (as seen in the gallows Haman builds in the book of Esther) which involves putting something sharp at an upward angle under you so that you are both hung and impaled in the process. Ew.
Acts 1 also emphasizes that God had predicted Judas’ betrayal. Two psalms are quoted, but this is prophesied in other places as well. Jesus, knew that Judas was to betray Him, and allowed it to happen. This is another instance where God shows His sovereignty by telling us exactly what is to happen, and it does happen, even though the ones involved (satan and Judas) are clearly not into doing God’s will.
Posted on: 01/25/2011
January 24th
Day 24 Daily Read
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Exodus 9
Exodus 10
Exodus 11
Luke 24
Stay Accountable
After each reading, post to our facebook page or twitter what the reading meant to you that day. We want everyone to stay accountable so post it everywhere you can.
Have Questions?
If you have any questions about what you read, our friend Judy Barrett will be answering questions and giving insight on the reading each day. Click here to ask your question.
Judy’s Insight
Exodus 9-11
We are beginning our reading right in the middle of the 10 plagues! One question that is often asked about this portion of scripture is, ‘How did Pharaoh forget what Joseph had done?’ what you should know is that during this time Egypt underwent a change in leadership. We do not know for sure who was in charge when the Hebrews were there, but we do know that at one point during this time the Hyksos (people who were Semitic and looked like the Hebrews) were in charge as ‘Pharaohs,’ then the Egyptians retook the Northern kingdom and there were Egyptian Pharaohs (aka kings) again. Also, in the Hebrew language when you say something like ‘remembers’ or ‘forgets’ it does not mean that you literally ‘forgot,’ but rather that you are choosing to ignore, or not pay attention to, the information. So, the new Pharaoh is likely from a different race than the older Pharaoh whom Joseph had helped, and he has chosen to ignore the fact that a Hebrew, Joseph, helped the country in the past. Instead he is afraid that the group of Hebrews may decide to overtake the country and put themselves in control like his people did.
The plagues themselves target the specific Egyptian gods of that time and show that our God is actually in control of these things. (For example, the 3 days of darkness show that Ra, the sun god, is ineffective.) There were some things that the ‘gods’ could do however, most likely through fallen angels (aka demons- 1 Cor.10:20), which do exist. Also remember, God protects the Hebrew people and their land etc. from the plagues. (Ex. 9:4, 26; 10:23) therefore we do not have to be afraid of demons (God is more powerful by far), or by God’s judgments if we are His.
There is also an Egyptian bigotry against shepherds (like the Hebrews) that prohibits the sacrificing of sheep and goats etc. in the city. It also prohibits ‘dirty shepherds’ form eating with Egyptians or handling their food. (See Gen. 43:32 and 39:6) The Egyptians at this time loosely control the Promised Land and everything in between, asking for taxes in return for protection from these areas, so Moses is not asking to leave Egyptian land per se. Archeologists have uncovered evidence that these lands did ask for help from Egypt when the Hebrew people come against them, and Egypt does not respond.
The Hebrews are told to ask for silver and gold and are given it- possibly out of fear from the plagues.
Pharaoh’s heart is hardened so that he is stubborn and refuses to let the people go easily. This is so that God may show His full power- it has nothing to do with Pharaoh’s salvation. (Ex. 11:9) If anything, seeing how much more powerful God is would bring the Pharaoh closer to worshipping Him. In support of this point, there is evidence that a Pharaoh from around this time (Amenhotep IV, aka Akhenaten) became a monotheist (one God); except that he decided the one God was Amun (aka Aten), who does not have the same rules, or nature, as our God.
Luke 24 the last chapter in Luke. Starting with the Resurrection is to start on a positive note! Women, being the first witnesses to the resurrection, is an awesome commentary on how God feels about women spreading the word of His salvation. It is especially impressive when combined with the knowledge that during this time a woman’s testimony was not considered valid in court. Combine this with that fact that it was the women who provided the financial support for Jesus’ ministry (Luke 8:3) and you have God making a statement that says He is not in favor of the current role society places women in at this time.
Luke 24:16 States that God kept the two disciples from recognizing Him as they walked. In both our reading of Exodus and here in Luke we see God interfering with human capacities. (He hardens Pharaoh’s heart.) While there is certainly free-will, (i.e. God allows evil people to do evil things, remember Cain killed Abel for no good reason.) God does have the ability to intervene in people’s lives, and thoughts, and occasionally uses it for His purposes.
I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any questions. -Judy
Posted on: 01/24/2011
Finally Christmas
Christmas Eve at Copper Pointe Church
Come Celebrate Christmas Eve with Copper Pointe Church.
Posted on: 12/02/2010
Wrap It Up
Free Gift Wrapping
Bring up to 8 of your boxed Christmas gifts to Chick-Fil-A® at Paseo Del Norte for a free gift wrapping. Courtesy of Chick-Fil-A® at Paseo Del Norte and Copper Pointe Church.
Saturdays Until Christmas 9:30 am to 7:00 pm
View map to Chick-Fil-A
Voulnteers Needed
We need volunteers to help wrap gifts at the CFA on Paseo on Saturdays beginning next weekend. Contact us to put your name down for a shift and register for the training class.
Posted on: 11/18/2010
