Introduction. Mon, Feb 22

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2 Introduction Now we will look at what happens when God tries to bless a whole nation of people. It begins with the calling of Moses to deliver Israel out of slavery in Egypt. A recurring theme is reluctance or refusal out of the desire to hold onto the familiar. This is at the heart of Israel s idolatry. People want tangible, familiar comfort. Mon, Feb 22 Exodus 1:8-2:15 (selected passages) Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. Look, he said to his people, the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country. So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live. Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. Then Pharaoh s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. This is one of the Hebrew babies, she said She named him

3 Moses, saying, I drew him out of the water. One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew? The man said, Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian? Then Moses was afraid and thought, What I did must have become known. When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian. Points of Interest: Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. Look, he said to his people, the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. Almost 400 years pass since Joseph s days. And now, the Egyptians feel threatened. They feel their control slipping away. Control is a consistent theme this week. Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live. This is genocide. Egypt will use whatever means necessary to restore their sense of control. People wonder how God could have been so harsh as to bring Ten Plagues on Egypt. But considering what is going on and for how long, one could argue God was overly patient, not overly harsh. when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. Can you imagine how it feels to be forced to abandon your child to such fate? Nevertheless, it was probably the best they could do to give the boy a chance at life. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. This is one of the Hebrew babies Some among the Egyptians felt

4 sorry for what was being done to the Hebrews. This is how Moses comes to live in the palace of the Pharaoh. She named him Moses, saying, I drew him out of the water. This naming foreshadows Moses taking his people out of the water through the Red Sea. Some of our past may be full of hurt, but God can redeem it and use it as a means for redemption. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand The calling on Moses life is to deliver the Israelites from the oppression of Egypt. But, force and violence is not God s way. We saw this lesson emerge in Abraham s story as well. God s blessing and promise needs to be accomplished by God s power through God s ways. We are called to step into the story of God so that we can experience life in all its fullness. Jesus said, Apart from me, you can do nothing. Moral improvement is not our goal, we want to see God at work. We need patience and guidance from God to walk into our part in the Story of God. This theme of control and force as we walk into God s blessing is a big lesson in faith. When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian It seems like Moses life is now over. Yet just as we saw with Joseph, he is getting closer to his destiny. Someone remarked it was perfect training for Moses to learn how to shepherd sheep in Midian, because he had to lead his nation through the wilderness for forty years. Even more than that, Moses is humbled during this time. He will need humility guiding his people through the wilderness, as the Bible calls Moses the most humble person in history.

5 Taking it home: For yourself: Ask God to help you gain patience when the situation seems out of control. As you dwell on your problems, ask God to free you from anxiety and temptation towards rash solutions. For My Five: Are any of your friends dealing with injustice or overwhelming difficulty? Ask God to help you be like this Pharaoh s daughter, to provide practical help for your friends. For our church: Manhattan appears to be all set, but the city has many emotional and relational problems. But like Moses in this story, we don t feel yet able to provide real relief. Ask God to equip our church to be able to provide true help to the community around us in the areas of broken hearts, broken ambitions, broken marriages.

6 Tue, Feb 23 Exodus 3:1-4:14 (selected passages) Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb. There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight why the bush does not burn up." When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?" Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he replied. The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. Then the LORD said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. "This," said the LORD," is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob has appeared to you." Moses said to the LORD, "Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." The LORD said to him, "Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them

7 deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." But Moses said, "Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else." Then, the Lord became angry. Points of Interest: Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law Moses has become a modest shepherd with no great ambition. What follows is a story of re-discovering his calling and passion. Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight why the bush does not burn up." This is the famous burning bush story. A bush is a very ordinary thing, but God's presence makes this bush light up. We can find God in ordinary moments and ordinary interactions if we take the time to look for His presence. When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him God does not call to Moses until Moses takes the trouble to investigate. Discovering our calling takes effort and willingness to invite God to speak. It s worth taking a break from the busy routines of the day, and take the time to ask big picture questions. Where is your life headed? What is the meaning of your life? What are the deepest dreams and passions in your heart? I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers It is often the case that our burning bush moments come from seeing a need that grabs our hearts. The destiny for Moses has always been to be the deliverer of Israel. In his youth, he tried to help his people through violence. That did not work. After 40 years, God sees Moses is ready to be sent. What if they do not believe me? the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he replied. Moses is reluctant to go. He is skeptical that he can succeed. God asks a profound question what is in your hand? The answer, the shepherd s staff captures his identity like a

8 white gown captures a doctor s identity. It captures identity, income, and influence. The staff signifies Moses control in life. What is in your hands? Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. Moses must throw down his staff that symbolizes his identity and his control in life. Did you know all the miracles in Egypt were done by this staff? God is saying if you lay down what is in your hands for God's purposes, He will do incredible things with it. When Moses takes it up again, it turns back into a staff. But, I don t think Moses ever looked at that staff the same way again. It s still the same staff, but it s taken on entirely new meaning and power. It s a snake staff. This is symbolic of how we may still do the same things, remain who we are, but when we walk into our calling, it s with entirely new meaning and power. But, we must learn to lay down our control and walk into the uncertainties of the story of God. I have never been eloquent Moses continues to feel inadequate. God has equipped him with power, but he doesn t feel like he will have the right words. His past failures hold him back. The last time he tried to help his people, they betrayed him. Now, he would rather finish out his life as a shepherd. It s hard and smelly work. But, it s familiar and comfortable. He has control over the narrative of a life of a simple shepherd. Please send someone else. Then, the Lord became angry When Moses runs out of excuses, he just flat out refuses to go. God was fine with all kinds of doubts and fears, but not flat out refusal. Moses must step into the unknown waters. There is no other way to live a life of faith. This is the lesson throughout this week. We must learn to take on uncertainties of trusting in God s goodness rather than holding onto the tangible and the familiar, even if it means overcoming old wounds. We must overcome cynicism and disappointments from the past.

9 Taking it home: For yourself: Can you, like Moses, sometimes feel that you just don t have what it takes? Pretend for a second that you didn t feel that way: what would you be doing differently? Ask God to give you the courage to move beyond your insecurities. If you re having a hard time doing so, try saying aloud: God, I know that these doubts don t come from you; so I choose not to believe them. God, I thank you because you are perfectly capable of giving me what I need to do what you ve called me to do. For My Five: Pray that God would take away insecurity, stress, and fear from their lives. Choices of fear do not lead to anything good. For our church: Ask God to empower our church to be full of power in helping people to lay down their staff for the purposes of God. Ask God to make our church a place of empowering courage and compassion so that people feel encouraged to leverage everything they have for the purposes of God.

10 Wed, Feb 24 Exodus 20:18-21, 32:1-20 (selected passages) When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die. Moses said to the people, Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning. The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was... When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don t know what has happened to him. Aaron answered them, Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me. So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt. When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. And he took the calf the people had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it.

11 Points of Interest: They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die. The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was Israel is reluctant to meet God face to face. They want someone else (Moses) to act as a go-between. Their refusal echoes Moses refusal to be sent. It s safer to read about stories of God than to experience God ourselves. It s risky to put our hearts on the line as we pray for a miracle from God. We don t know what will happen. But, God is found in thick darkness. We must not be reluctant to enter uncertainties entailed in faith. 'When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, Come, make us gods who will go before us. ' Israel would rather have false gods that s tangible than the true God who is invisible. This is the great temptation when it comes to seeking God in thick darkness. We need and want someone or something tangible and familiar. We want to be in control. It s unsettling to walk into darkness. We know things like money and status can t protect us from threats like cancer or accidents. But, we still prefer to have something visible and predictable to hang our hopes on rather than acknowledge our vulnerability. We must train ourselves to be suspicious of tangible comfort, for the living God is found in thick darkness. Control is what idolatry is all about. 'When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces.' These are the tablets containing the famous Ten Commandments. When Moses got these tablets on the mountain, he must have felt like he has all the answers he needs in the Law of God. After all, God wrote upon it with His own fingers. But, even these are not enough. The Law is tangible, but it will not be enough. The Living God is still to be found in Thick Darkness, in the real situations of life, in faith that holds on through the ups and downs of life.

12 Taking it home: For yourself: Do you sometimes wish for the golden formula that will take all your troubles away? Maybe winning the lottery or change in your career or change in your marriage? Ask God for courage to be at peace with uncertainties of following the living God. Ask God for fulfillment and joy right this moment. For My Five: Do you have any friends who are gripped by anxiety because of uncertain future? Pray for them that they would experience peace in the uncertainties. For our church: Ask God for spiritual power in our church for courage to enter the Thick Darkness. Ask God for power to help people feel less anxious so that people can face the uncertainties of life with faith.

13 Thu, Feb 25 Exodus 16:1-20 (selected passages) The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Zin on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, If only we had died by the Lord s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death. The Lord said to Moses, I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God. That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, What is it? For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. This is what the Lord has commanded: Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent. The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed. Then Moses said to them, No one is to keep any of it until morning. However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.

14 Points of Interest: If only we had died by the Lord s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted They have been freed from genocide and slavery. But, they are reluctant to accept the conditions in the wilderness. Their memory is short and selective. It s been only forty five days since Egypt. Yet, all they can remember is the good food of Egypt. It's easy to grumble, and hard to be thankful. At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God. God decides to provide for them in miraculous ways so they would know they don't have to be afraid of hunger. What is it? For they did not know what it was'... 'It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. Sometimes, even when God provides for us, it's hard to know what to make of it. It's outside outside our control and norm. That can cause discomfort and distance even if we're told God is behind it. 'Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.... some gathered much, some little.' God gave specific instructions about how much to gather per person, but some of them want to hoard 'just in case.' They want to be ready for 'worst case scenarios' even though a little more manna is not going to matter in the desert if they get into trouble. Others gather little, perhaps because they are troubled by this unknown substance. Either way, it s hard for them to follow instructions. when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Supernaturally, God makes a point that He is providing for them. Can they accept the new reality? This is the challenge ahead for the Israelites. Moses said to them, No one is to keep any of it until morning. However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell Moses wants people to learn that it is God keeping them alive. Hoarding will not

15 save them. Yet, they refuse to accept that God is good and faithful. Just in case is the motto. It s hard to accept God at face value. This is the challenge of being free in the wilderness. Can we trust God through the uncertainties? Can we accept reality as it is instead of dwelling on the golden past? Taking it home: For yourself: Do you sometimes find yourself playing the 'worst case scenarios' through your mind? It's good to be prepared, but not at the expense of being able to enjoy the present. Would you be willing to say to God, 'I renounce the spirit of control, I refuse to play the 'worst case' games? Ask God to give you a thankful spirit instead of fretful, fearful spirit. For My Five: Ask God to give your friends remarkable God provisions this season. For our church: For many folks in New York, it's not easy to take a 'Sabbath.' We have busy lives, and even if we had the time, it's not emotionally easy to take a meaningful pause to reflect and examine our lives because of the fear of what we might find. This week, find a chunk of time to reflect with God how you feel inside. Bring your honest feelings to God. Whether you find your life to be 'too much' or 'too little', God will bring you to your promised land if you keep following Him in faith.

16 Fri, Feb 26 Numbers 13:1-14:10 (selected passages) The LORD said to Moses, Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders. So they went up and explored the land. At the end of forty days, they came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh. They gave Moses this account: We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it. But the men who had gone up with him said, We can t attack those people; they are stronger than we are. And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there. We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them. That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn t it be better for us to go back to Egypt? And they said to each other, We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt. Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the

17 LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them. But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Points of Interest: ' Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, Now, the whole nation of Israel is at the doorsteps of the Promised Land. What will happen? Are they ready to receive God s blessings in the Promised Land? Twelve spies are sent into Canaan. 'They gave Moses this account: We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. The report they bring back is the classic good news, bad news. The land is great. It flows with milk and honey which is a term used at the time to refer to a pastoral paradise. But, it will be difficult to challenge the people who live there. Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, We should go up and take possession of the land Caleb accepts the challenge. He realizes it s not about our strengths and gifts, but what God will do through us. But the men who had gone up with him said, We can t attack those people; they are stronger than we are. The other spies focus on the negatives. They refuse to enter into the Promised Land, because they don t have enough control over the situation: they are weaker. They had already seen incredible miracles. But, it s human nature to wonder, yes, God helped us the last time, but will He do it again? When we have to count on God, it feels very uncomfortable because we are not in control. If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt. ' With this seeming set-back,

18 people simply lose it. When life deals us a tough break, it s understandable to get discouraged. But, this can lead to dangerously dark places. We can romanticize our past. We can imagine worst case scenarios. Instead of facing our present reality, we can lose our self in the past or the future. Do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb stand against this mob of ungrateful nation wanting to go back to Egypt. They see their complaining as a rebellion against God, because their words and actions betray their complete lack of trust in God who brought them this far. But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. They will not listen to reason. This is why God condemns them to wander around the deserts of Sinai for forty years. Their children who they said will be slaughtered will get to go into the Promised Land, but not them. The lesson is, even if our present resources are not enough to tackle the challenges facing us, even if we don t have control, we need to live by faith. God is with us, what can man do to me? God has bound Himself to always do us good in New Covenant! Taking it home: For yourself: Ask God to give you fortitude through the ups and downs of life. Even when you don t have control, do not live by fear, but by faith. For My Five: Ask God to give your five the ability to hold onto their dreams and not despair because of obstacles. For our church: We need our church to be a community that gives hope to people instead of discouragement and complaining. Ask God for our church to receive the spirit of Caleb.