31 March 2012

Psalm 137, 144; Exod. 10:21-11:8; 2 Cor. 4:13-18; Mark 10:46-52

Pharaoh’s response to the darkness is to propose a compromise with Moses.  The people can go but they have to leave the livestock behind.  The compromise is to ensure the people return.  They won’t simply leave their assets behind, remember that the original story was that Joseph’s family were shepherd, leaving the flocks and herds behind in Egypt would require shepherds to return to them when they had finished their worship.  The Lord’s promise, however, was not only would they leave Egypt but that they would take not only their stuff but that the Egyptians would send them away with anything they asked of them.  The people are thus instructed to ask their Egyptian neighbors for their gold and silver jewelry, these will be needed to construct the tabernacle and its accoutrements although they don’t know that at the time, they have never had formal worship.  Before he takes his leave of Pharaoh, Moses announces the final plague against the first born.

Bartimaeus makes his plea by calling Jesus the Son of David.  That is a clear statement that Bartimaeus recognizes Jesus as Messiah.  As the procession moves towards Jerusalem pilgrims for the Passover feast are joining the disciples and we can only imagine the “buzz” that all this has raised, both in Jerusalem and the outlying districts and towns.  Many told Bartimaeus to be silent, something the Pharisees will encourage Jesus to tell the crowds welcoming Him to Jerusalem.  Bartimaeus will not be silent, if this is indeed the Messiah then it is his one shot at healing and he won’t miss out.  Jesus asks what he wants, is the man begging for money and food or does he have faith for something more?  He wants to recover his sight and receives that for which he asks.  Bartimaeus’ response is to follow Jesus on His way.  He will have reason to wish his sight had not been restored when he sees what happens to Jesus.

Paul gives the Corinthians perspective on suffering.  He refers to this light momentary affliction and say that this does not compare to the eternal weight of glory for which we are being prepared.  In Egypt the people’s suffering was acute and as the plagues wore on they saw the power of God in His judgment on Egypt and His lovingkindness in sparing His people from these judgments but they must have wondered how long this would continue before they were delivered.  This generation never received the promise because they failed in faith, they only received deliverance from Egypt.  We are encouraged to look beyond those things that are seen as merely transient to the unseen things that are eternal.  The long view of things is longer than the world knows, our sight for these unseen things is part of the healing of our sinful brokenness that Jesus has healed.  Do we walk by that sight and praise Him for all the unseen things he has done for us or do we walk by the limitations of the fleshly sight?

I love to tell the story of unseen things above,

Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.

I love to tell the story, because I know ’tis true;

It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.

I love to tell the story, ’twill be my theme in glory,

To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.

Tune

30 March 2012

Psalm 22; Exod. 9:13-35; 2 Cor. 4:1-12; Mark 10:32-45

We skipped a few plagues.  Speaking of Egypt the Lord says, “…I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.”  It was through Joseph that Egypt became great.  They were prepared for famine and prospered through the famine and became an economic superpower.  Now, they are exalting themselves over God’s people and that will not do.  They were warned about this hail and yet did not believe.  It is the first plague where God’s people are marked out for salvation, there was no hail in the land of Goshen.  Pharaoh speaks of sin, both he and his people had sinned and begged Moses to plead for him and the people with the Lord.  Moses knew, however, that they didn’t yet fear the Lord, they still had hope in the later crops which had not been destroyed.  Moses is learning some things about human nature.  In spite of that knowledge he does pray for those who oppress the people. 

James and John are still thinking of an earthly kingdom.  Apparently they didn’t believe Jesus concerning what was going to happen in Jerusalem.  Their arrogance is quite stunning in the request and in their response to His questions.  They are also incredibly naïve concerning what this cup of suffering (see Psalm 75 for a reference to the cup) will mean, and Jesus does affirm that they will indeed know this suffering in their own lives but not yet.  They are not now prepared for such suffering, they need the assurance of the resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to prepare them to endure such things.  Not surprisingly, the other disciples are quite upset with the brothers.  Again, Jesus speaks of the path to greatness being humility and service, not exalting ourselves above others as Egypt had done.

Paul understood that Jesus’ glory and righteousness was so surpassing that there was no question of sitting at His right or left, no greatness at all left over for anyone.  He knew now the standards of good and great and such terms could not apply to anyone but Jesus.  He alone is exalted and we are as nothing in His sight.  If He didn’t love us we would be nothing at all, it is His love alone that gives us dignity and value.  Our lives have transcendent, eternal value because of that love and we will live forever because of Him.  Do we dare then exalt ourselves in any way?  Our lives are to be His, lived for His glory to be revealed in us.  Our hope is entirely in Him and our trust is in His mercy.

I will tell of your name to my brothers;
   in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
You who fear the LORD, praise him!
   All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
   and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
For he has not despised or abhorred
   the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from him,
   but has heard, when he cried to him.

29 March 2012

Psalm 131, 132; Exod. 7:25-8:19; 2 Cor. 3:7-18; Mark 10:17-31

The next two plagues are frogs and gnats swarming on the land.  Pharaoh makes a deal with Moses that he will let the people go if Moses will end the pestilence of frogs and yet when they are gone he hardens his heart again.  How many bargains have been cut with the Lord in time of trial and difficulty that are forgotten when the emergency is over?  Is Pharaoh any different from most people?  The plague of gnats is the first that cannot be duplicated by Pharaoh’s magicians, we reached the end of their powers quite quickly.  Their summary judgment of the matter is that this is done by the finger of God.  Jesus will use that expression as well in a passage where he is accused of casting out demons by Beelzebub and it will appear another time in the Old Testament, in Exodus 31, when Moses gets the second tablets with the Ten Commandments on them, they are said to be “written with the finger of God.”  It is a sovereign work of God.

Jesus’ message, from beginning to end of this passage and of His entire ministry, was the same.  In order to see and inherit the kingdom of God we have to seek it first, last and always, forsaking all else.  As long as we are double-minded we are of no true value and we won’t see the kingdom.  The rich young man wants the kingdom but he doesn’t want it enough to sacrifice his earthly kingdom for it, his riches keep him from the kingdom of God.  The disciples are astonished at Jesus’ words that it is difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom, if not them then who is their question.  Wealth doesn’t make the most important thing any easier.  It is not necessarily a sign of God’s blessing, it can be a great stumbling block.  Not having wealth can also be a great stumbling block if we spend our time seeking it or believing it solve our problems.  Any earthly thing can become a stumbling block to the extent it diverts our attention from seeking the kingdom.  We can’t be like Pharaoh, only willing to acquiesce to God’s will when life is tough.

Jesus told the rich young man something he had seemingly already discovered for himself, that keeping the commandments isn’t the same as the kingdom of God.  The righteousness under the law wasn’t enough and so he asked how to inherit the kingdom.  Paul says that in Jesus the way to inherit the kingdom is made clear.  Yes, it is difficult to inherit the kingdom of God but He has made a way, the path of real righteousness, the way of the cross.  In Jesus has come freedom not bondage because He has given us His Spirit.  Our wills are bound to His will if we live by the Spirit and we can seek the kingdom of God with all we have.  The finger of God has written the law on our hearts.  We have hope and we have been given the kingdom.  Inheritance always requires death and the will was written so as to include us as beneficiaries if we have faith in Him. 

O LORD, my heart is not lifted up;
   my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
   too great and too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
   like a weaned child with its mother;
   like a weaned child is my soul within me.

I will hope in the LORD
   from this time forth and forevermore.

28 March 2012

Psalm 119:145-176; Exod. 7:8-24; 2 Cor. 2:14-3:6; Mark 10:1-16

The Lord provides proof that Moses and Aaron have power by giving the sign of the staff turning into a serpent.  Pharaoh is unimpressed as his magicians can do the same.  Aaron’s serpent devours theirs but Pharaoh is unmoved.  The first plague is accomplished through the agency of Moses and Aaron.  Moses strikes the Nile and Aaron stretches out his staff over the other waters and they turn to blood.  Again, Pharaoh’s magicians duplicate the feat, which only makes matters worse for the people.  Pharaoh has proven that he is not a man who cares about his own people, making their lives more miserable simply because he wants to control these Hebrews. 

God’s will for marriage is lifelong commitment.  We are to become one flesh with our marriage partners for the rest of our lives.  Divorce was something that was allowed by God through Moses because of the hardness of the hearts of the people of God.  Would that be the same hardness of heart Pharaoh had?  Jesus appeals to Genesis to understand God’s will for marriage, an earlier standard than the law given to Moses.  Sin has hardened all our hearts, God’s will has not been done since the first sin, and divorce is an accommodation to that reality.  As Christians we have to go back to that original standard and acknowledge that deviation from that is sin, just like every other sin in our lives.  We should grieve broken marriages and in our day one way of being salt is for the church to be deeply committed to marriage with the compassionate outlook that sin does indeed separate men and women within marriage.  We should be able to point out sin and deal with it ruthlessly but sometimes sinners are unrepentant, spouses commit adultery not only with their bodies but with their hearts and reconciliation requires not only confession but repentance, turning away.  Our hearts need to be broken and pliable not hardened for that to be a possibility.

(We made a rather large leap from I Corinthians 14 to 2 Corinthians 2 here.  Some of that is due to the fact that we are in Lent still and 1 Corinthians 15 deals with the resurrection. We will come back to 2 Corinthians 1 next week during Holy Week.)

As Moses and Aaron not only speak the words God told them to speak, their authentication is in power and signs.  Paul says that his work is authenticated by his life and the lives of those who have come to Christ through his teaching.  He doesn’t need other men to send letters of introduction or authentication to the Corinthians, they themselves in persevering in the faith he delivered to them are all the authentication he needs.  Is this a polemic against churches commissioning those who will serve in the local church?  I don’t think so but Paul clearly felt no need as an apostle to seek such commissioning, he had been commissioned directly by God.  There were witnesses to that fact and there were witnesses after the fact by the results of his ministry.  Paul himself set standards for those who would be allowed to minister in the churches he had established and we see those standards in the letters to Timothy and Titus.  All that being done, however, fruit is what matters.  The word is a wonderful thing but we can be peddlers of the word, professionals who are well-trained, without being sincere and commissioned by God. 

I long for your salvation, O LORD,
   and your law is my delight.
Let my soul live and praise you,
   and let your rules help me.
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant,
   for I do not forget your commandments.

27 March 2012

Psalm 121, 122, 123; Exod. 5:1-6:1; 1 Cor. 14:20-33a,39-40; Mark 9:42-50

Pharaoh asks good questions.  He will get some answers to those questions but do those answers truly matter to man who believes himself to be a god?  He asks the right questions but he isn’t interested in the answers.  If Moses thought this was going to be quick, simple and painless he didn’t get what he bargained for.  Pharaoh’s reaction was to snub his nose at the Lord and exert his own power over these people, making their lives worse by far.  Moses had promised the Lord had heard their cry and seen their affliction and was prepared to deliver them.  Those words sounded like hollow lies now to everyone, including Moses.  Moses believes he knows best what should happen and what the Lord has done is evil.  He has much to learn.

The old standard was an eye for an eye, the lex talionis but here Jesus says it isn’t about what others do, it is about what you do.  Sin matters and we need to be ruthless about dealing with it in our own lives.  If I did that I would have relatively little time to spend thinking about other people’s sin against me or their sins in general.  Sin destroys the saltiness of Christians. We become tasteless to the world as we become more like the world.  As salt becomes tasteless it loses its value and may as well be cast away.  This passage tells us that the best way to become salty is to deal with our own sin and in doing so we won’t have as much need to condemn the world’s sin, our lives will reveal it without our words.  In the course of the plagues, God will reveal the distinction between His people and the Egyptians, and the distinction will be His lovingkindness towards His people, not anything in them.

I put back the verses omitted in the lectionary in the Corinthians reading.  They are difficult but that doesn’t give me license to omit them from the Bible.  Paul’s prohibition on women speaking is an absolute that he says is observed in all the churches.  The only question is whether this is cultural or not.  In my opinion such a practice is cultural but speaking is only one consideration, leadership and headship are different. 

Here Paul gives instruction for public worship.  It is funny that in our day people frequently quote verse 40, “all things should be done decently and in order” but only out of context.  Contextually Paul is speaking about prophecy and speaking in tongues in public worship.  Paul is concerned with the experience of unbelievers in public worship so he wants things done in an orderly fashion with the focus on the prophetic word rather than a free-for-all with tongues as the focus.  Worship needs to be comprehensible to unbelievers but it is not designed for them.  Would anyone today think in these terms when they design a “seeker-sensitive” worship?  We would never think of including tongues and several prophets in such a service but Paul expected that seekers might come to a service and therefore it needed to be orderly but with the gifts of the people of God being used.  Our witness is our lives but it also includes using our spiritual gifts to show distinctiveness in the body of Christ where all are valued and equally vital.

To you I lift up my eyes,
   O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
Behold, as the eyes of servants
   look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maidservant
   to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God,
   till he has mercy upon us.