Year 2 Day 261
Pray (ACts) Read - Exodus 3:2-6 Message - Alan Burke “First posted Year 1 Day 304 - 22 Jan 21” In the spring or summer no doubt there will be wildfires on the Mourne’s. A couple of years ago now one fire at its front is a mile long, homes and a caravan park were evacuated while fifty fighter fighters tried to get it under control. It was started either to encourage young shoots for grazing or just out of badness but the visible effect of that fire was clear for everyone to see. In the dry Sinai desert region a bush catching fires was and is not unusual. This bush that Moses saw was different; it appeared to be on fire even though it wasn’t actually burning. That’s because it was no ordinary fire. For this was the Angel of the Lord appearing to Moses, within the bush, clothed in flames of fire. God by his presence was there. But this was not an angel in the ordinary sense, created beings sent by God like Gabriel to announce to Mary how she was with Child or the Angels who appeared to the shepherds. No, this Angel is the Lord himself appearing to Moses, this was what is known as a theophany, the visible manifestation of God to his creatures. God had been leading Moses to this point because He unknown to Moses and unknown to his people had been at work, to bring glory to himself, and it is this is the turning point in the book of Exodus for Moses and the people of God. It is curiosity plain and simple that draws Moses to the bush (4), and the Lord speaks; “Moses! Moses!” His Curiosity now turns to shock even terror. Our familiarity with this means that this supernatural theophany fails to fill us with wonder as it once did when we were children, I’m surprised Moses was even able to respond, there would have been many who turned on their heels and ran. Yet Moses says, “Here I am.” The Lord warns Moses not to come any closer, to take of his sandals, for the place where he was standing was holy ground. And then God said verse 6 “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. After hearing the voice of God, Moses is afraid, his reaction albeit in awe was initially to gaze at the bush, he now covers his face afraid to look at God. Moses understood that that the one who spoke from the bush was the Lord God, the God of his fathers. Why did Moses cover his face? Simply because Moses knew that he was an unholy man before the holy God. He hid is face for he knew his unworthiness, his sinfulness. This is why Moses hid his face because he knew that before a holy God he deserved his wrath. And all of us have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God, we are all worthy objects of God's wrath and punishment. Before the living God men are traumatised, because it reveals sin. Its not the picture that many of us have in our heads, we have made God some kind of fluffy agony aunt that meets our needs, but Bible teaches that at the end of history every human being who has ever lived or will live will stand before God’s throne for judgment (2 Cor 5:10). When that day comes, unless we are holy, we will be destroyed. How will we ever survive a direct encounter with God? There is only one way that we can stand before God’s throne on that day, it is in and through Jesus Christ, the only way for us to come into the presence of a holy God is to become holy. This is only possible though what God has done, this is why He sent his Son Jesus Christ so that he might become our holiness and redemption (1 Cor 1:30). “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight” (Col. 1:21, 22). It is the grace that God through Christ Jesus that enables us to approach Him—not as Moses did, hiding his face in fear, but by faith, trusting in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q26 How doth Christ execute the office of a king? Christ executeth the office of a king, in subduing us to himself, (Acts 15:14–16) in ruling, (Isa. 32:22) and defending us, (Isa. 32:1–2) and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies. (1 Cor. 15:25, Ps. 110)
0 Comments
Year 2 Day 260
Pray (ACts) Read - Genesis 30v25-43 Message - Scott Woodburn Jacob had been in the employment of his father-in-law Laban for fourteen years and it was now time to go home. He approached Laban and told him of his plans, asking to be allowed to leave taking only his family with him (v26). Laban was not a righteous man. If Jacob have proved to be a sneak then Laban had proved sneakier. Yet whatever we can say about Laban, he was no fool. He had used the wicked practice of divination to learn that the Lord had blessed him because of Jacob (v27) and now he offered wages to Jacob in order to get him to stay (v28). Jacob responded to Laban’s request with a complaint that whilst the Lord had blessed Laban, Jacob’s own family hadn’t seen much of the blessing (v29-30) and so Jacob proposed that if he stayed and continued working for Laban he would receive all of the speckled and spotted sheep and goats and every black lamb from Laban’s flock (v31-33). Jacob’s request was both honest (v33a) and generous. His share of the flock would certainly not be as big as the share that remained with Laban. Laban’s delight at this arrangement seems to jump off the page “Good!” He replied “Let it be as you have said.” (a34) A new era was dawning. No longer would Jacob work for free but instead he would be able to build his own flock and work in a new arrangement with Laban. Sadly though a leopard or a goat cannot change its spots and Laban remained untrustworthy and underhanded. That day Laban removed all the striped and spotted goats and all the black lambs from his flock and sent them away with his sons at a distance of three days journey (v35-36). Laban was doing all he could to ensure his own prosperity and once again he proved himself duplicitous in all his ways. In response Jacob met fire with fire. He cut fresh sticks of various trees and peeled the bark at certain places producing a striped stick (v37). It was believed that if an animal saw such an image during mating it would have an impact on their baby. He placed these sticks in front of the animals as they drank and mated (v38) and later when the animals gave birth they produced striped, speckled and spotted babies (v39). He kept the young animals for himself (v40) and he selectively bred the stronger animals, leaving the weaker flock for Laban and the stronger flock for himself (v42). Jacob prospered greatly in flocks, servants, camels and donkeys (v43). What are we to make of such a passage? Firstly I’d suggest that we shouldn’t be surprised when the way of the world seems to be treachery, trickery and lies. No one is neutral in this world. Some are for Christ and some are against Him. We will encounter individuals both inside and outside the church who quite literally lie through their teeth and will do anything to succeed. Secondly I’d suggest that the Christian shouldn’t fight fire with fire. When a Laban enters your life and does the opposite of what was agreed you have no Biblical mandate to wage war on their terms. The Christian will not resort to name calling, slander, gossip or under handed means. Instead we rest in Christ. Jacob responded to Laban by making striped sticks to manipulate the flock. Soon he will realise that it wasn’t the sticks but rather the Lord who gave the increase. It remains the same today. By the stripes of Christ we have been healed (Isaiah 53v5) and He sends us into a world full of wolves to be as wise as serpents and gentle as doves (Matthew 10v16). Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q25 How doth Christ execute the office of a priest? Christ executeth the office of a priest, in his once offering up of himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice and reconcile us to God, and in making continual intercession for us. Year 2 Day 259
Pray (ACts) Read - Exodus 1:6-11 Message - Alan Burke “First posted Year 1 Day 290 - 8 Jan 21” The baby sitters nightmare, when the parents arrive home telling them that something has happened to their wee treasure and this part of the account of Exodus is just that, the baby sitters nightmare. Take what you have been told about how Moses’ mother arranged all of this because she knew Pharaoh’s daughter was compassionate, humane, tenderhearted and that Moses would be safe and put it in the bin if you can and think about what happens. The people of God faced bitter slavery by an evil man who was being used by Satan, he had commanded that all the male Hebrew boys be thrown into the nile, next remember Moses’ mother is a slave, beaten, downtrodden, facing hardships that are unimaginable and ask yourself this… would you hand over your three month old son to your enemy, who’s father had ordered that your child should be murdered. Would you? Even if the pharaohs daughter had been known to Moses’ mother which is unlikely since she was a slave, would anyone in their right mind put their hapless three month old in the hands of the daughter of such an evil barbarous man! I hope by now you have left the Sunday school version behind and you get sheer terror that there would have been for Miriam as she watched on from the bank seeing this all unfold, the baby sitters worst nightmare. Yet God is at work in the midst of all that is going on. Pharaoh’s daughter sees the ark, sends her slave girl, then opens the ark, sees the baby boy crying before her eyes and she feels sorry for him, she is moved with compassion. She knew fine well that before her was a Hebrew baby, for no Egyptian woman would have had to hide their son in an ark in the Nile. Even if she had tried to convince herself that he was an Egyptian child, when she or one of her servants went to change him it would have been the inescapable truth as this baby would have been circumcised on the eighth day. Miriam, his sister then does something that is amazingly brave, she goes to Pharaoh’s daughter, asking… “shall I get one of the Hebrew woman to nurse him for you”. I doubt that I would have had the courage to be brave enough to approach but this young child goes (7). Miriam made it sound like she was doing Pharaoh’s daughter a favour by finding a we nurse, but it was really for Moses’ benefit, it was all part of God’s plan for saving his people. And Moses was brought up by his mother. Two things I want us to notice here, firstly that word we’ve thought about a lot recently ‘providence’. God was and is at work, he was at work in moving the daughter of Pharaoh to compassion on that day as he is at work this day in all that goes on, for God is governing all his creatures, and all their actions governs, he is at work don’t forget that truth (Heb 1:3, Ps 103:19, Matt 10:29-31). Secondly, Moses was adopted, taken by Pharaoh’s daughter as her son but Moses’ birth parents had a few years with him. They brought him up to know who he was, they taught him that he was a Hebrew, they taught him who the Lord God is, they would have prayed for him and they would have prayed with him, teaching him the truth of God. This was the preparation for Moses to go the the house of Pharaoh. It might have only been a few years, yet those years were formative in the life of Moses, he never forgot the lessons he learnt. There is a challenge to all of those who are parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, there is a challenge to us here as the church. We have such a big part to play in the faith of our children, but often we make God fit around the rest of our life, we worship when its convenient, we live differently at home than at ‘church’ stuff and we give a higher priority to school and sport than God. Our children aren’t fools they see what is important to us, discipleship begins in the home. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q24 How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet? Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in revealing to us, by his word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation. (John 1:18, 1 Pet. 1:10–12, John 15:15, John 20:31) Year 2 Day 257
Pray (ACts) Read - Genesis 30v1-23 Message - Scott Woodburn Perhaps you grew up having memorised the names of the twelve sons of Jacob? Can you still remember them? Here’s a wee refresher from the oldest to the youngest. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph and Benjamin. From these famous sons there came the twelve tribes of Israel. Eventually the promised land would be divided up among eleven of these tribes with the tribe of Levi receiving no land but instead having the privilege of serving the Lord as priests. But do you remember how these tribes started out? We’ve already seen the disciplining of Jacob as he is deceived by his uncle Laban. Jacob the trickster fell to his uncle’s trick. Jacob was forced into marrying Leah and he grew to despise her. Leah longed for her husband’s love which never seemed to come. Jacob served his uncle for a further seven years before also marrying Rachel. He loved Rachel but Rachel didn’t fall pregnant causing much anguish, bitterness and jealousy. The family is a mess and their troubled relationships are seen in the origins of the tribes. To Leah is born Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun and a daughter called Dinah. To Rachel’s servant Bilhah is born Dan and Naphtali. To Leah’s servant Zilpah is born Gad and Asher. To Rachel is born Joseph and Benjamin. Can you imagine Christmas dinner with such a mixed bunch? How about arranging the seats for a family wedding? The whole story is really quite sad. Our hearts go out to Leah who wonders if the birth of her son will cause her husband to love her. The absence of a child causes Rachel to envy her sister (v1a) and to wish death upon herself (v1b). Jacob is infuriated at Rachel as a result of her attitude (v2). Later Leah trades some mandrakes (roots from a plant believed to help fertility) with Rachel for a night alone with Jacob (v16). Ladies can you imagine have to barter with another woman just so you can spend the night in your husband’s bed? Can you imagine sitting looking at your mandrakes when you know your husband is with your sister? Chaos. Utterly tragic chaos. And yet…God brings blessing in the midst of chaos. As we marvel at the inter-family bickering we shouldn’t miss the sovereign provision of twelve sons - God was building His people and keeping His Word. Did Jacob deserve such blessing? It would be hard to make a case for him. His underhanded ways have blown up in his face. God’s love was clear and yet Jacob still resorted to dubious methods to get one over on his brother. Families are rarely perfect and I’m certain as you consider your own clan you probably have some stories to tell. You didn’t respect your father. You don’t speak to your brother. You love your sister but don’t approve of her choices. You sacrificed everything for your children but now you rarely see them. It would be easy to fall into bitterness and envy and strife but I would urge you to flee from such a path. Our God is not stopped by family chaos or the darkness of the world. He fulfilled His promises in Jacob’s life despite the family politics and sinful decisions. He remains the God who spoke into the darkness and created the light. He brings order out of chaos. In response, walk rightly before Him. “The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (Romans 13v12-14) Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q23 What offices doth Christ execute as our Redeemer? Christ, as our Redeemer, executeth the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king, both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation. Year 2 Day 256
Pray (ACts) Read - 1 Samuel 10:16-27 Message - Alan Burke Saul had been annoyed by Samuel, even though he had expressed his insignificance in all of this it is the Lord who was at work. To show this Samuel gives Saul a sketch of the signs that would come about, it would be the most unusual day, and the Spirit of the Lord would come upon him in power (6) he will join them in their prophesying indeed he would be turned into another man. These signs and fulfilment authenticate the anointing and God worked by his Spirit in Saul (9). It was the Lord who was at work in the midst of it all, he was the one who brought Saul to this point, he had used what seemed like the ordinary mundane things of life by his providence. As Saul returned home, the change was seen in him by his uncle, asking not so much of an itinerary but for an explanation of the change that has happened in his life (14), everyone can see that he is not the same man that left, just like those who remarked when they saw him prophesying (11). Even so, it seems that Saul didn’t discuss any of what had been revealed with his family, instead he waited as he had been instructed by Samuel, the time at home was like a time for Saul to take stock of all that had happened to him in the past few days, how his life had changed dramatically. Up to now it had only been Samuel and Saul who were aware of what God was doing and had done. The people were called together, there lots are cast in order to see whom God had chosen because they could not be influenced by anyone other than God. This casting of lots leads to the discovery of Saul as the one. What surprised everyone initially is that not who God had chosen to be king but that the one who was chosen was off hiding among the equipment, but when he was brought in his stature struck everyone, Samuel presented him to the people and they responded “long live the King” (24)! The LORD gave the people what they wanted but they would find out in time it wasn’t really want they wanted and it wasn’t really what they needed, they needed God and the true king not a king to be like the other nations. Like all of us we need the Lord God and the true King Jesus to rule and reign in our lives. Two things I want to leave you with. Firstly, God gave Saul all he needed for what lay ahead. For us through Christ and the work of the Spirit, His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness (2Pet1:3). This is the kind of encouragement that many of us need on a continuing basis, were not going to have someone give us the kind of signs that Saul was given, but all of us need to know that he has given us everything we need. And we can all play our part in encouraging those around us, affirming that we are in Christ able to do all that he has called us or enabled us. Finally what God has done in us should be seen for others to see, there will be times that that will be more clear for others to see, but Saul’s uncle knew that his nephew was transformed, the people who witnessed him prophecy knew he was transformed. I have met many people who say they have made a commitment but it is not clear for others to see, there has never been a change in their lives, they may have put their hand up in that meeting but it made not one bit of difference, the work of Christ by the Spirit should be seen in us! Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q22 How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man? Christ, the Son of God, became man, by taking to himself a true body, (Heb. 2:14,16, Heb. 10:5) and a reasonable soul, (Matt. 26:38) being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her, (Luke 1:27,31,35,42, Gal. 4:4) yet without sin. (Heb. 4:15, Heb. 7:26) Year 2 Day 255
Pray (ACts) Read - Genesis 29 Message - Scott Woodburn My mother used to tell us “long runs the fox!”. What did Mrs Woodburn mean? The fox might run for years without any consequence, he might feast on the farmer’s chickens without ever being caught, but one day, the fox stops running when he’s hit by a car or taken out by a shotgun. Jacob found himself in a land far away as he sought to avoid his brother Esau’s wrath and despite Jacob’s trickery, everything looked rosey in the garden. He bumped into men who knew his uncle Laban (v5) and soon Laban’s daughter Rachel arrived with father’s sheep (v9). Jacob wept as he kissed Rachel and soon he was brought into the home of Laban for a month (v14). It couldn’t have gone much better for Jacob. He had found safety, shelter and family! Additionally Jacob had found gainful employment in the service of his uncle. Indeed the arrangement had been so useful that Laban wanted to know what he could offer as wages for Jacob’s services (v15). Jacob wanted a wife and in particular he wanted Rachel. She was beautiful in form and appearance (v17) and so Jacob offered to work for seven years in exchange for the hand of Laban’s youngest daughter Rachel (v18). This seemed like a good idea to Laban who would rather have given his daughter to Jacob than to anyone else (v19). So Jacob worked for seven years and they flew by in an instant because of his love for Rachel (v20). The day arrived for the the marriage to be made official and after the feast Jacob lay down with his new wife. But do you remember the fox? He runs long until he is caught. It turned out that Laban was just a tricky as Jacob. Instead of giving Rachel to Jacob he had sent his eldest daughter Leah. We are told that her eyesight was poor and humanly speaking her little sister was more desirable. Yet Leah was the eldest and her father told an outraged Jacob “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.” (v26) If a wee bell is ringing and you’re thinking about Esau - then good. Many years have passed but we are reminded here that Jacob’s actions back home dishonoured his older brother and more importantly they dishonoured God. Yet we shouldn’t see Laban as a hero in this passage either. Laban’s actions are a disgrace. His yes had proved to be no. He had lied and used his daughters as pawns. This is not a fine man of moral fibre. He further manipulated the situation by giving his other daughter Rachel to Jacob in marriage thus keeping Jacob as a servant for another 7 years (v30). Leah is blessed with four sons called Rueben, Simeon, Levi and Judah (v31-35) but tragically we are told that Leah is hated by her husband. We can imagine the strife within this wee family. The wife who Jacob loves cannot have children (v31) while the wife he despises is blessed by God. Sister is set against sister. Jacob feels hard done by. Laban proved deceitful. What a rotten sinful mess! Some might say that the whole situation is “karma” or in simple terms if you put bad into the world, you get bad back. We don’t believe in karma - the sun shines on the righteous and wicked alike (Matthew 5v45). Instead we believe in a sovereign God who sees all and knows all and who will certainly discipline those whom he loves (Hebrews 12v6). The Lord loves Jacob but He certainly does not condone Jacob’s treachery. Through the wicked actions of Laban, the Lord brings his discipline to bear in Jacob’s life. Is discipline loving? Yes! You discipline your children not because you hate them but because you love them. You want to see them grow and mature and sometimes you need to walk the hard miles of discipline for the good of your loved one. Jacob was loved but was learning that “good sense wins favor, but the way of the treacherous is their ruin.” (Proverbs 13v15) Are you under the discipline of God? That’s a hard question which is difficult to answer adequately but I will say this - it is good for all of us to constantly examine our ways. Is your heart hard? Is your attitude bitter? Are your words slanderous? Are your schemes treacherous? Is your Bible closed? May we wrestle with who we really are and may we then flee to the Lord in repentance. If you are being disciplined it is because you are loved. Return to the Saviour who loved you first. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q21 Who is the Redeemer of God’s elect? The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was, and continueth to be, God and man in two distinct natures, and one person, for ever. Year 2 Day 254
Pray (ACts) Read - 1 Samuel 9:15-10:1 Message - Alan Burke Just another ordinary day! Is that how it is for you? Just incase you have forgotten where we are, it was just another ordinary day for Saul but it turned out that the Lord God was at work in the midst of it all brining Saul to where he wanted him to be. For God governs all his creatures, and all their actions and this is called providence (Ps. 103:19, Matt. 10:29–31). To help us to understand that this wasn’t just a coincidence and that it was all according to God’s plans and proposes were let in on what God was doing. This flashback seems more suited to a Hollywood film or TV series that is there to help us understand what is going on. But that is precisely why it is here, it is given to us so that we know that the Lord God was indeed working in all that was taking place. For it was the Lord God had brought Saul to this point. We learn that he is to be the leader of the people of Israel (16). This leader was to save the Lord’s people from the Philistines, from the hand of their enemies and this leader was to govern the people of God. Then when Samuel lays his eyes on Saul (20), he observes that he is exactly what the people would want in a leader. In Saul, Israel gets what it desires, the description given to us at the beginning of the chapter (9:1-2) that was more akin to something that one would find in a lonely hearts column of a ‘young, tall and handsome, well built farmer’ is the kind of king the people wanted. That was the kind of king Israel wanted, and Samuel seen that in Saul. The kind of king the people wanted was one like the other nations. Yes it was what they wanted, but it was not what they needed. In Saul they would for a time prosper, he would indeed deal with the Philistines but in the end it didn’t end well just as the Lord had warned them. The Lord God by accepting the demands of his people used it for his purposes, for the Lord God works all things together for the good of those who love him and his purposes in redemptive history. Many years later the Lord God gave his people another King, it was the kind of King that we all need, this King alone is the saviour, he is the one whom we either accept or reject. This King, Jesus Christ rules from the right hand of God the Father, he is the one who we look to, the one who should govern our actions, the one who we we pray for his kingdom to come, his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. This will happen when the true King returns and on that day, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:10-11). Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q20 Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery? God having, out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life, (Eph. 1:4) did enter into a (covenant of grace), to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation by a Redeemer. (Rom. 3:20–22, Gal. 3:21–22) |
Alan
|