Week 7 - Existence
This week in summary| Day 1 : Moses | Exodus 1-3 |
| Day 2 : The God who is | Exodus 4-6 |
| Day 3 : Peacemakers | Exodus 7-9 |
| Day 4 : Blessing | Exodus 10-12 |
| Day 5 : Faith with Feet | Exodus 13-15 |
Moses
Moses was born under a death warrant signed by the leader of the most powerful nation on earth. But God has a sense of humor so Moses grew up in the household of the man who wanted him dead.
God had big plans for Moses. It would soon be time to rescue the descendants of Abraham and reclaim their birthright. Moses was just the man to do it. But Moses wasn’t ready.
As a young man Moses was ambitious and courageous. He saw the social injustice of an Egyptian beating a Hebrew and he put a stop to it. He took a stand and was expelled from Egyptian society.
Later in life Moses settled down and started a family. He engaged in decent work as a shepherd. But He still wasn’t ready.
It was time for Moses to have a face to face with God. As soon as Moses realized who was speaking to him Moses cowered with respect and fear. God laid out his plan to rescue the children of Abraham. Moses openly and honestly laid out his fears beginning with “who are you?”
Moses didn’t know God. He knew about God. He heard stories of God passed through Abraham Isaac, Jacob and all his children. Moses knew about God, he just didn’t know God. He’d never met God personally. So God identified himself:
Confused? Understandably.
God is accountable to no one but himself. We all have a boss who tells us what to do. Even if you don’t have a direct employer you are still accountable to the government which is accountable to the political system which is accountable to human behavior which is accountable to the laws of nature. To put it another way I can make my own decisions about who I am until death decides I should be a corpse.
I could be or could not be, but God is and must be.
He alone is the foundation of all that exists.
I exist out of possibility, God exists out of necessity.
God exists and is the source of existence.
He decides what exists and continues to exist.
Everything that truly exists comes from Him.
He is not an idea, or literary device.
He is not a phenomenon that we create from our belief.
He is real
... and the source of reality.
He is present.
Although intangible, he is substantive.
And He alone is of ultimate significance.
No wonder Moses hid his face.
The God who is
The compassionate and gracious God
Slow to anger,
Abounding in love and faithfulness,
Maintaining love to thousands,
And forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin
Yet he doesn’t leave the guilty unpunished;
He punishes the children and their children
for the sin of the fathers
To the third and fourth generation
~ Exodus 34:6-7 ~
At first blush, there are some things I like about this self-description of God. I like the idea, for example, that he’s slow to anger. We all know short-tempered, hot-headed…persons…whom the Bible, in the book of Proverbs, refer to as “fools.” They really know how to catch us in the act, immediately rip us up one side and down the other, get under our skin, and usually over practically nothing. And O how good it feels to know that scripture is on our side! That fool! That guy or gal is such a hot-head, they qualify for the category we know as, “fool!”
I like the idea, too, that he’s abounding in love and faithfulness. In a world where it’s easy to feel like our worth is based on our looks, productivity, sex appeal, bank account, socio-economic standing, etc., it’s comforting to know—even though mocked (“Hey…at least Jesus still loves you”)—that there is a god in your corner (Question: are you serving him who promises to be in your corner?).
I greatly appreciate on a daily basis the fact he forgives our “wickedness, rebellion, and sin.” Not enough space to detail.
I also appreciate that he doesn’t leave the guilty unpunished—even when it’s me who needs a good shoe mark on my backside.
And then there are some things I don’t. That last part is the one that gets me, though. At first glance, it appears he is out to make me suffer by watching my own children, my grandchildren, and my great-grandchildren receive punishment for something I did. I have to presume that a face-value reading isn’t what’s in mind here. Because in the Law it says that children will not suffer for the sins of the fathers. So perhaps this is meant to be understood in the sense that if the children continue in the sin of the fathers they will bear worse consequences because they should have known better. So, for example, if my father had been a drunk and I continued in it I would receive punishment for his sin and mine. Why? Because I didn’t take heed from my father’s example and turn away from sin. Did this ever play out in Israel’s history? The two-word answer is in the question.
Speaking of Israel’s history, it’s surely not all tainted with stories of sin and rebellion! No, we also find stories of people who loved and obeyed God. Because of their relationship with him—and he being no respecter of persons—he had compassion on some to show his love.
Jesus said, “I have come that they might have life! And more abundantly.” How comforting to know that God is compassionate and gracious!
“Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love” - Lamentations 3:32.
Peacemakers
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
The Peacemakers, who show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight; and how to discover their place in God’s family.
When we look at the last two things that Jesus taught, in being merciful and pure in heart and we add those two God traits together we get the next element of God that Jesus is going to teach on in His ministry, the peacemaker. Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
When I think of this beatitude an obvious question springs to my mind, peace between who and whom. That’s the real question, but before we deal with that, let’s ask another question, how much peace do we see anywhere we look? Answer not much. There is trouble everywhere we look. We read about it in the paper, if you still get one. We see it on the news. We celebrate it in most every video game we play. The world is saturated with everything, it seems but peace. The world seeks to be at peace with itself but it’s looking in the wrong direction and in the wrong place. Peace between us and each other, or between countries at war is not even possible in the realest sense without peace between us and God.
God cannot possibly expect us to achieve peace or even know what peace is without knowing what He has in mind for us. Ever since the beginning of time and what happened in the garden and the breaking of the relationship God intended and still wants we have been at war with God. By that I mean we have had no peace with Him, and also no connection.
The whole reason Jesus came to be with us is so that peace between us and God could be re-established and the relationship restored. As followers of Jesus teachings we are called to be peacemakers. To be peacemakers we have to be at peace with God ourselves. Everything we have, everything we are belongs to God. That means we belong to God and we can belong to nothing or no one else. The peace treaty made by God with regards to us is signed in Jesus blood. The result of living this beatitude is its greatest benefit, we are God’s sons.
Blessing Your Neighbors
Pray with your Family - Remember your neighbors by name during mealtime and bedtime prayers.
Prayer Walk - Walk by yourself or with family, roommates, and other neighbors who are believers. Pray over each home by name as you pass and ask God for opportunities with your neighbors.
Ask Open-ended Questions - How long have you lived here? What line of work are you in? What do you do for fun?
Ask Follow-up Questions - How did that test go? Are you feeling better? How was your vacation?
Enjoy a Meal Together - Invite a neighbor (or two) for a BBQ, order in Pizza, or have everyone bring a dessert to share.
Celebrate Special Occasions and Holidays - Bake cupcakes for birthdays. Send a casserole to new parents. Deliver Christmas cookies.
Serve While You’re Outside - Turn lawn chores into opportunities to serve: Mow lawns, water yards, etc.
Serve In Times of Need - Visit when a neighbor passes away or has a baby. Deliver flowers or a gift. Coordinate meals with other neighbors.
Share Commonalities - Hobbies such as golf, book club, bunko night, or a running/fitness group can all bring people together.
Socialize and Make Holidays Special - Enjoy recreational areas. Participate in yard sales and BBQs. Attend holiday parties.
5 People I will bless this week
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Faith with Feet
Based on Exodus 1-15 What do you believe God wants you to do?
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What have you learned about God’s heart & values?
How did people follow God’s instructions?
What changes took place to society?
What parts of this story might apply to you?
Why is this story important for someone like you?