60IN60 Day 19 - Fri May 22

It's Day 19 and we're in Exodus 7.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verses 11, 22 - This is a reminder to me that the forces of evil can duplicate some of the amazing things that God can do.  I shouldn't be too impressed by the miracle in and of itself.

Help:

- Verse 1 - "I will make you as God to Pharaoh" - That simply means that Moses would be God's chosen representative before Pharaoh, not that God was going to make Moses into a "mini-God."

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

Your Comments and Questions:

- A comment from one of our 60IN60 participants: Exodus 6 - "Moses said this to the sons of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses on account of their despondency and cruel bondage." - Why: Sometimes when life has been hard for so long, it’s difficult to imagine it any other way. This is true in the case of the captive Israelites. They’d been downtrodden for 400 years, and couldn’t imagine life any other way. Despondency is a deep state of despair, a hopeless state. The Israelites couldn’t believe Moses because they’d lost their vision and had no courage to change. Perhaps the miracles (the plagues)  were  a sign for them as much as they were for Pharaoh. 

- A comment from one of our 60IN60 participants: Exodus 6 - Response: It appears in Exodus 6 that, while there is a Jewish people, Judaism is holding on by its fingernails. It is not surprising that no one listens to Moses. As we know from our own history, slaves may want to be free, but anyone who simply proclaims that he is the vehicle of God and promises freedom will be seen as a dangerous madman. Following such a person could easily get you killed. Moses needs a more persuasive voice. Enter Aaron. But the Jewish people also need to be organized, and God, in this passage, basically elects representatives for the tribes, probably out of a number of folks who saw themselves as representatives. It is these people Moses will speak to, given that no convention center for Jews is available. But Moses is already in negotiation mode, learning to become the guy who will later confront God when he feels God is becoming too impulsive. He’s just beginning to learn how to become God’s voice, and he’s beginning to learn how to become his people’s advocate, not just to Pharaoh but to God himself.

60IN60 Day 18 - Thurs May 21

It's Day 18 and we're in Exodus 6.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 9 - Sometimes people struggle to believe that's what God is offering could be real because their current situation is so bad.

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

Your Comments and Questions:

- A comment from a 60IN60 participant: Exodus 5: Verse that spoke to me: "And they said to them, 'May the Lord look upon you and judge you, because you have made us repulsive in Pharaoh’s sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us!'”  Why: It’s so easy for us to judge or give into despair because we can’t see the end of things — the final working out of God’s plan. In this case, the Jews are taking out their anger on Moses and Aaron, and several times Moses is in danger of losing his life when he leads them through the wilderness to the Promised Land. At one point, Moses asks God to strike him dead because he can’t put up with his own people! I know I don’t understand unanswered prayer. I don’t understand evil. I don’t understand why some people suffer and others don’t. I often get angry at flagrant injustice or hopeless situations. I am not so different from the OT Jews. 

60IN60 Day 17 - Wed May 20

It's Day 17 and we're in Exodus 5.

If it's hard to understand what you're reading in the Bible, make sure you have a translation that's a good fit for you. Reading the King James (a great historic translation) can be particularly difficult because of the antiquated language. Among the good options available today: New International Version (good all-around translation), English Standard Version (good all-around translation), New American Standard (a more literal translation, closer to the original manuscripts), and New Living Translation (a translation that focuses on readability and understandability). 

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 7 - Sometimes the first step toward God's deliverance looks like a step backward.  Things don't always immediately get better.

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

Your Comments and Questions:

- Exodus 4: "Verses 24-26 - could it be that Moses, after being chosen by God, had not circumcised his son as had been instructed through Abraham?" - The first thing that needs to be said is that this passage is difficult and obscure, so we can't be strongly confident in our interpretation. Having said that, what you shared is a solid interpretation of what was going on there. It may well have been that God was displeased at Moses for not maintaining what He had revealed through Abraham.

- Comment shared by a 60IN60 participant on Exodus 4: “'Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.' And He said, 'I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God." - This verse is one of many which references something that is often overlooked in our current culture. The Holiness of God. I hear (or read) of so many life after death experiences, and out of all, I believe only one. The majority of them talk about a loving presence, seeing the face of Jesus, being folded in God’s arms and the tunnel of light, there’s always a tunnel of light, yet  no one is struck with fear. Even when those in the OT saw angels, they were struck with fear. Our culture has stressed God is love to the point  where it now means, “God will let me do what I want because he loves me.” Yes,  God is love, but his first attribute is holiness. “Be ye holy because I am holy”, “Be holy for you are God’s temple”,  For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness” are only a few of the many verses referencing his holiness. 

60IN60 Day 16 - Tues May 19

It's Day 16 and we're in Exodus 4.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 1 - How many excuses can we come up with as to why we shouldn't do what God is calling us to do?

Help:

- Verse 21 - Does this mean that God was overriding Pharaoh's free will?  I think it was a combination of two things: Pharaoh was inclined to be hard-hearted toward Israel and God orchestrated the situation to accentuate that.

- Verses 24-26 - This is an obscure and weird passage that has stumped scholars for centuries.  I can't really say that I have a good answer to what's going on here.

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

Your Questions and Comments:

- "No line caught my eye, but the overall quickness of Moses's sister has always intrigued me. She was undoubtedly hidden, watching over the basket. When she realizes the Pharaoh's daughter wants him, she is quick to recommend her own mother as wet nurse. Weaning took 2-3 years then; meaning Moses spent his earliest years with his biological mother."

60IN60 Day 15 - Mon May 18

It's Day 15 and we're in Exodus 3.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 11 - I think we all have moments of doubting that God could do something significant through us.  Ultimately, though, it's about how big He is, not how great we are.

 

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

 

If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

Your Questions and Comments:

- "Because the midwives feared God, He blessed them and established households for them. Family was the center of Jewish life.  Establishing a household was not merely  building a house.  A household in that world meant a multigenerational unit where the family is protected and nurtured physically and spiritually.  From the blessing in the text, we can assume that  God gave the midwives  godly husbands as well.  A happy life." 

- Where God spoke to me: "The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, 'Why did you not bring Him?' The officers answered, 'Never has a man spoken in this way!'" Why: Imagine this: the chief priests send officers to arrest Jesus — men who daily deal with criminals and use force— and the officers don’t return with Jesus because “Never has a man spoken in this way.” They departed  because of his words. His words had enough power to send the squad back empty-handed to face the Jews.  This causes me to wonder what Jesus said to them, but I would venture to guess they were awed rather than frightened. I don’t think Jesus used scare tactics. 

- What Verse Spoke to Me: "Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.'" Why: No one can manufacture belief in Christ. True belief.  It is God given, and is backed up by Christ himself (John 15:16)  “You did not choose me. I chose you.”  

60IN60 Day 14 - Sun May 17

It's Day 14 and we're in Exodus 2.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 5 - Even in the midst of something intended for evil, God is able to work so that His chosen servant is raised both with a Hebrew heritage and with a knowledge of the inner workings of Pharaoh's household.

 

Help:

- Verse 12 - Moses' thoughts were in the right direction (protecting the Hebrews), but he went about it the wrong way (in his own power).

- Verse 25 - Not saying that God had been distracted, but rather that their cries and prayers finally were sufficient to merit His move.

 

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

 

If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

60IN60 Day 13 - Sat May 16

It's Day 13 and we're in Exodus 1.

We'll come back to John.  We're going to visit different parts of the Bible during our 60 days: gospels, New Testament epistles, Old Testament stories, Psalms, Proverbs.  Each brings something different to the table.

 

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 8 - "who did not know Joseph" - You can't rest on the way things used to be.  It's a new day and you have to face what's in front of you.

 

Help:

- Verse 1 - The context of this, for those who don't know, is that Israel has long been in Egypt and now God is going to bring them up to the Promised Land.

- Verse 15 - Because there were so many Israelites, either (a) these were the two midwives in charge of all the others or (b) the Israelites didn't normally call on the midwives at birth.

 

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

 

If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.