I am the LORD your God, you shall have no other gods Do not take God’s name in vain Honor the Sabbath and keep it holy
Honor your father and your mother You shall not kill You shall not commit adultery You shall not steal You shall not lie You shall not covet your neighbor You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.
When we look closer at the Ten Commandments, we begin to realize that we have broken all ten. Martin Luther’s Small Catechism helps us to better under stand what I mean. While we may say, I’ve haven’t broken some of those, perhaps when we think of it this way, we might change our mind:
Put something before God? . . . broke that one.
Ever say OMG? . . . broke that one.
Ever skip a Sunday, to sleep in, go shopping . . . ? broke that one.
Mom, Dad . . . all I can say is sorry! . . . broke that one too.
Put someone down? Talk behind their back? . . . broke that one.
Steal a glance, have a lustful thought? . . . broke that one.
Borrowed something and never gave it back, or an idea you claimed as your own? . . . broke that one too.
Lying? . . . that one was easy, broke that one too.
Longed for that great something of your neighbor’s? Wanted a relationship like your neighbor has? . . . broke both of those. too.
10 for 10! Even me, as a pastor . . . I broke all ten. Gratefully, God’s law serves as a guide given in love. With full praise, God’s grace is given freely to redeem us from each and every mistake we make. What a blessing!
. . . and the people grumbled, and grumbled, and grumbled! Are you starting to notice a theme here?
“If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger!” Exodus 16:3
There are a few things to take note of here . Not much time has passed since the people have left the heavy hand of Pharaoh. Yet, their memory of days gone by has suddenly changed. Suddenly the people recall eating bread, gathered around the pot of soup, enjoying life, all while eating and drinking their. I certainly think not! They were slaves after all. Perhaps that was a distant memory of when Jacob first came to Egypt and they all settled in the fertile land of Goshen, but not now. More recently, we can recall the order to make bricks, without the hay supplied. More recently, we can recall the hardship and oppression. How quick the Israelites are to change their story.
The same holds true in chapter 17, when the people are thirst. What happens? They complain, again and again.
For every complaint, God has a response, that is kind and generous. Manna and Quail, food to live by for their wilderness journey. Water that burst forth from a dry rock, to quench their thirst. Care, love, and compassion. Indeed, even in our own complaints, our God is good!
Did you notice the parallels that take place before and after the events of the Exodus? For Egypt, every first born dies. For Israel, every first born must be consecrated. New life, redeemed life, freel life is soon at hand, but before that happens all the first born of Israel is to be set apart, designated as a gift to God. Children, livestock, even servant animals, all must be blessed/consecrated as a reminder of the great things that God has done in redeeming the nation of Israel.
From there, we move to the Red Sea where freedom is found as the waters are parted, and the people of Israel walk on dry ground to the other side. As they do, Pharaoh and his army give chase, only to find themselves stuck in the mucky sea bottom drowned as the sea waters returned.
Finally, victory is at hand, and what a better way to response than in song. I always knew that Miriam would sing and dance, but I was pleasantly surprised to read Moses’ song of thanksgiving in chapter 15.
“I will sing to the LORD, for his si highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my defense; for he has become my salvation. He is my god, and I will praise him, my father’s God and I will exalt him.” Exodus 15:1-2
Even while victory is a hand, did you notice one other thing? What do the people do? They begin to complain. “What are we to drink?” “What have you done to us?” “Why did you bring us here?” The people that Moses has worked so hard to save, the people God has guided into freedom, never seem content with what is before them. I suppose we better get used to it, we are going to hear a lot more complaints before anything gets better. You’ll see what I mean, as we venture further in our reading.
The plagues come to an end, but at great cost for the people of Egypt. Imagine with me being an Egyptian, suffering through plague after plague then to wake up one morning to find everyone dead. At least that’s how it would be from the perspective of my youngest son, everyone in our family struck down, everyone but him.
Me, I’m a first born. I’d be dead.
My wife, a first born. She’d be dead.
Our oldest, obviously a first born. Dead as well.
Depressing, isn’t it? Absolutely!
Yet, for the people of Israel, this is God at work. This is God, revealing signs of power and might. This is God setting the people free. For the people of Israel, this is redemption, this is freedom, this is a new beginning!
Exciting, isn’t it! Most definitely!
After 430 years in Egypt, now it is time to inherit the Promised Land. Together let’s read on to see what happens next. On to Exodus 13 – 15.
As Moses encounters God in the the early chapters of Exodus, there part of the conversation between Moses and God that I never noticed before. I’m wondering if you noticed it? It’s after Moses makes all the excuses on why someone else should do what he is being called to do, after he returns to Jethro, and begins to set out to travel with Zipporah. God speaks,
“Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord: Israel is my firstborn son. I said to you, “Let my son go that he may worship me.” But you refused to let him go; now I will kill your firstborn son.’” Exodus 4:22-23
Even as Moses approaches Egypt the fate of what Pharaoh and all of Egypt is about to experience is known and proclaimed . . . “I will kill your firstborn son.” Yet, despite heeded warnings, Pharaoh’s heart is continually hardened. And so the plagues begin:
Water is turned to blood Frogs cover the land Gnats take flight out of the dust of the earth Swarms of flies take over everything Death of the livestock Boils that cover humans and animals Hail Locust cover everything Darkness covers the face of the earth Death of the firstborn
Sounds horrific! For every hardship the Egyptians face, the Israelites go unharmed. For every plague enacted, the hardships for Egypt only grow worse. Why Pharaoh? Why? Why would you not let God’s people go? That question we will never know the answer too, yet one thing is certain, the awesome power of the hand of God is revealed as we read through these chapters.
Good morning and welcome to a Sunday morning reflection! Most of us in Northern Ohio are snowed in for the day. I also know there are many reading this blog from all over God’s creation, so welcome as we gather to pause and give thanks! At least here, the snow and wind have stopped, the sun is out, and it is absolutely beautiful. We still have frigid temperatures, so grab a cup of coffee or hot cocoa, and stay indoors!
Together (although apart) we gather:
Let’s pray . . .
Lord God, source of every blessing, you showed forth your glory and led many to faith by the works of your Son, who brought gladness and salvation to his people. Transform us by the Spirit of his love, that we may find our life together in him, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
A reading from the Gospel of St. John, the second chapter . . .
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
A brief reflection:
Jesus changes water into wine!
Jesus and his disciples are invited to a wedding. Lo and behold a problem arises . . . there is no more wine! What are we to do!
For the day and times that we are speaking of, running out of wine would have been humiliating. In our own day and times, perhaps the closest we could come was ordering a cake that fed 100, when there were 250 guests or more. For the host, this was bad news, this was embarrassing, this brought shame to the bride, groom, and the entire family
Now we don’t know why Jesus was there. We don’t know if there was some family relation. We can assume that there may have been some family relations since Mary, the mother of our Lord, was there. And what does she do? She ask Jesus to fix it. Actually, she doesn’t really ask, she simply states, “Do what ever he tells you.” From that, we get the miracle of the water turned to wine. And, not just any old wine, but an abundance of the finest wine anyone has ever tasted.
Like you, I’ve tasted some pretty good wine, and I’ve choked down some pretty gross stuff that was supposed to be wine. But rather than think of the taste and flavor, lets just think about the abundance. As the servants filled the six stone jars with water, lots and lots of ordinary, every day water, 150 gallons of water, by God’s divine guidance it becomes wine. That’s a lot of wine! Think about how far that would go! Think about how many that would serve!
Now most of us are more familiar with the average wine bottle. You know the ones that hold 750 ml., well imagine that by the gallon (that’s about 5 bottles), and then imagine that by the two gallon jug (that’s about 10 bottles). For us two gallons is a lot of wine, let alone ponder 150 gallons of wine, but in the country church I served many years ago, there was a family who made our communion wine in two gallon batches. Even at two gallons, it was a lot of wine! It would last for weeks!
What I remember most about those two gallon jugs was the day I broke one! I was planning on taking communion to our home-bound, and needed to fill my traveling communion kit. When I pulled the jug out of the cupboard, I bumped the latch that held the cabinet door shut, and the jug cracked! Then the wine began to flow . . . and flow . . . and flow. All over the carpet! Do you have any idea how far two gallons of wine flows? There wasn’t a sink. There wasn’t a trash can. All I could do was watch this enter two gallon jug drain out into the sacristy floor carpet. In the end a 6 foot circle of soggy, wine soaked carpet surrounded me! Rather than do visits, I ended up going home to pick up my carpet scrubber, to extract gallon after gallon of wine soaked carpet. Not one of my greatest moments!
What I remember most was the smell. When I returned with carpet scrubber in hand, there was a sweet aroma that filled the entire worship space. What I remember most was just how far that wine poured out, how far it quickly spread. What i remember most was how long I had to scrub and scrub and scrub before it was all out.
I like to think of that smell, the abundance, and the lasting effect as a sign of how God works in our life.
God’s love . . . is sweet! God’s love . . . it flows everywhere! God’s love . . . it sticks and doesn’t want to come out!
It is my prayer, that you always remember how sweet is the abundance of God’s love. I pray that you might realized that through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God’s sweet love is stuck on you and cannot be washed away. For that, let us ever give our thanks and praise!
Together we pray:
Let us pray . . .
For the sweet love you have give to us . . . we give you thanks and praise! For the abundance of grace you have poured into our lives . . . we give you thanks and praise! For everything you have blessed us with . . . we give you thanks and praise! For the snow that has fallen . . . we give you thanks and praise! For the warm cup of coffee or mug of hot cocoa . . . we give you thanks and praise! For the time to spend with family and friends . . . we give you thanks and praise! For the time of rest and renewal . . . we give you thanks and praise!
For those we are still longing to experience your love . . . we entrust them to your care! For those who only see the emptiness rather than the abundance of good things around them . . . we entrust them to your care! For those who struggle to stay warm . . . we entrust them to your care! For those who have no one to keep them company . . . we entrust them to your care! For those who are sick, ill, and hospitalized . . . we entrust them to your care! For our country in the midst of deep political divide . . . we entrust it to your care! For those who continue to wait for their pay check even after a long hard days worth of work . . . we entrust them to your care!
For all that you see, that we may need, we entrust to your care especially as we pray, Our Father . . .
Based on current weather conditions, and predicted weather over night, there will be no worship services or activities held at First Lutheran Sunday, January 20, 2019.
I’ll be posting a special Worship Blog tomorrow morning where we can reflect, give thanks, and worship from the warmth and safety of our own homes.
“Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.” Exodus 1:8
We end the story of Joseph . . . to begin the story of Moses. Unlike Genesis, where we hear story after story, spanning from one generation to another, the story of Moses stretches out over the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Now we are in this for the long haul! So stick with me!!
Sometimes Moses’ story will move quickly, as we see in the first three chapters. Sometimes, it will seem to drag on, as we will see in the forty years in the wilderness. Yet, the entire story tells of how the people of Ancient Israel became a strong and mighty nation as they will eventually inherit the Promised Land.
For now, we begin with a baby, born in the midst of tense political times, when Pharaoh had ordered all of the male Hebrew infants killed or tossed into the river. If you paid close attention, Moses’ mother, followed the rules that Pharaoh had enacted, she just happen to place little baby Moses in basket as she tossed him in. Smart woman! Then to do so, when she knew he would be recovered, adopted, and that her services would be needed to tend to the child. Now she was being paid by Pharaoh’s daughter, to raise her own child. Very smart woman!
That wisdom, and mental security, wasn’t all passed on to Moses, at least not in these first few chapters. He kills someone. He runs way. He questions God’s identity, and as we move into tomorrow’s reading, doubts the authority that God has given him. What a leader! At lease that brings hope to me, if God can use Moses, despite his flaws, than God can keep using me.
Congratulations! Pat yourself on your back! We made it through the first book of the Bible. Yes, that’s correct, one book down, 65 to go. Oh, wait a minute . . . .you thought we were reading one book, called the Bible. That’s a common misconception. The Bible is actually made up of 66 books (a few of them are letters, but we’ll get to that later). It’s also divided into two main sections, the Old Testament (containing the story of ancient Israel) and the New Testament (containing stories of Jesus and the early church). The Old Testament has 39 books in it, while the New Testament is made up of 27 books and letters. So for now, we are one book into our reading and well on our way to completing Year of Scripture.
As we finish up the story of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, did you notice Joseph’s words to his brothers in the days after Jacob’s death. They serve as a great summary to the entire Genesis story:
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Genesis 50:20, NIV
From the beginning, as Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, we have all been living in harm’s way. Yet, through God’s divine plan, good news is found. For Joseph and his brothers its is food in the midst of the famine. For you and I, it is forgiveness from our sins and everlasting life gathered around God’s throne in paradise. How great is that!
Stay safe and keep warm as the snow begins to fall, now on to Book Two, Exodus 1 – 3!
Today is January 17th, and many people label today as the day that New Year’s resolutions are often broken. So if you are still hanging in there with me, congrats! If not, we are just about to finish Genesis, so its not to late to join in, or to get restarted again. Though I will admit, the bigger challenge is coming when we begin our February readings and start our journey through Leviticus. Together, we will make it!!
Last night we also gathered for our second review and discussion group. Together we shared the highlights of the second half of Genesis. If you want a quick summary of our discussion, check out this video. If you want to check out part one, for the first twelve chapters in Genesis, you can watch that here. Lastly before I share some quick thoughts, The Bible Project, has a great comic strip poster summarizing all of Genesis. There is a lot to it, but it is worth a look!
Genesis as told by “theBibleproject.com”
On to last nights reading . . . I don’t think many of us can fathom the joy that Jacob had as he embraced Joseph after years of separation. Not only separation, but separation after years of what was thought to be Joseph’s death. Occasionally, we watch it on the news or hear about it in stories . . . someone thought dead, kidnapped, run away, etc. finds their way back home. In light of recent news, we think of Jamye Closs. Together, we celebrate the joy her family shares in her bold escape. Then, we ponder, if only she could embrace her parents again. If we can (not that we ever will or would want to) place ourselves in that mind set, then we might be able to find the joy that Jacob must have felt as he embraced Joseph after all of those years. At the same time, we might begin to fathom the inexpressible joy that God has for us his chosen created people, who have fallen into sin from the very beginning, only to be redeemed and embraced through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
Off to finish the last few chapters of Genesis! Pastor Bailey
First Lutheran Tiffin Ohio 44883 