God isn't Barney

EXODUS 17:8-16

The last few posts have started off with Exodus 17:1-7. And now for the fourth time--haha, just kidding. We’re actually moving forward this time to the rest of the chapter, which means we are going to be looking at Exodus 17:8-16. I posted it earlier but didn’t talk about it much if at all. So we are going to do that a little bit now.

The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”

So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.”

Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. He said, “Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation” (Exodus 17:8-16 NIV).

There are several people mentioned in this chapter:

1. The Amalekites- They attacked the Israelites at Rephidim, but were defeated.

2. The Israelites- They were attacked by the Amalekites at Rephidim, but won the battle. 

3. Moses- He told Joshua to go fight the Amalekites with some Israelite men while he obeyed God on top of a hill with his staff in his hands. When his hands were raised, the Israelites were winning. When they were lowered, they were losing. He also obeyed God in making sure there was a written record of these and many other events. He built an altar to the Lord and named it, “The Lord is my Banner.” As with many other times, the Lord supernaturally worked through Moses to achieve victory for his people.

4. Joshua- He was a “General” of the Israelite men who fought back and overcame the Amalekites with swords.

5. God- He displays his supernatural power here by granting the Israelites victory when Moses cooperated in obedience to the Lord by raising his hands with his staff in them.

6. Aaron- He hold up Moses’ hands with the staff in them so that God would continue to grant the Israelites supernatural victory. The Lord then told Moses to keep a record of the events, as he did with the rest of the Torah. God also said he would blot out the name of Amalek from under Heaven. 

7. Hur- He hold up Moses’ hands with the staff in them so that God would continue to grant the Israelites supernatural victory.

EXODUS 4-17

The word “staff” is used 71 times in the NIV Bible and 22 times here in Exodus. The very first time we see it, God asks Moses when he sees it, “What is that in your hand?” And, of course, Moses answers (Exodus 4:2). I’m pretty sure God does not have a vision problem. I’m also certain that is not the first time he had ever seen a staff. When God asks questions like that, he is not seeking information because he is omniscient. He has other reasons for doing so depending on the context of the question at any given time. When Holy Spirit asks you questions, it would be helpful to remember that as well.

Immediately we see either the supernatural properties of Moses’ staff or, more likely, what God directly does with a normal staff in order to demonstrate his power. According to the Midrash Yelammedenu, the staff with which Jacob crossed the Jordan is identical with that which Judah gave to his daughter-in-law, Tamar. It is likewise the holy rod with which Moses worked, with which Aaron performed wonders before Pharaoh, and with which, finally, David slew the giant Goliath. David left it to his descendants, and the Davidic kings used it as a scepter until the destruction of the Temple when it miraculously disappeared. When the Messiah comes it will be given to him for a scepter in token of his authority over the heathen (Jewish Encyclopedia). In reading that, the first thing I thought of was Revelation 2:27. He will rule them with a staff of iron and dash them to pieces like pottery (CJB).

The story of Moses’ staff in Exodus continues with Moses throwing it down and it became a snake on the ground. Then he picked it back up and it turned back into a staff (Exodus 4:4; 7:9-12). With this staff, Moses was able to perform many other signs (Exodus 4:17). With it, he turned the water of the Nile River into blood for a time (Exodus 7:15-20), brought a plague of frogs (Exodus 8:5), gnats (Exodus 8:16-17), brought thunder, hail, and lightning (Exodus 9:23), and brought a plague of locusts (Exodus 10:13). Moses brought it with him everywhere he went (Exodus 12:11; 17:5), including using it to part the Red Sea for he and the Israelites to walk through as the Egyptians pursued them (Exodus 14:16). It was used to supernaturally aid the Israelites in defeating the Amalekites as I have already mentioned here (Exodus 17:9). And we will see one more mention of the word “staff” of the book of Exodus a little later when God gives the Mosaic Law in Exodus 21:19.

DEUTERONOMY 25:17-19

Remember earlier when we read that the Lord said he would be at war with the Amalekites from generation to generation? You never want to be at war with God. Here’s a hint: In the end, God always wins one way or the other. Look at what the Lord will command Moses to tell the Israelites later in Deuteronomy 25:17-19. “Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and attacked all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God. When the Lord your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!” Some Bible critics have made false claims of racism (some things never change) against God because he ordered the Amalekites to be totally wiped out. This command had nothing to do with their “race”--although, in reality, we are all a part of only one race (Acts 17:26)--but with the character of the people. Some have even falsely claimed that the God of the Old and New Testaments must be different because the God of the Old Testament is angry, hateful, and genocidal while the God of the New Testament is full of love and compassion. I suggest anyone who thinks anything even close to that to read their New Testament again from beginning to end. Here’s another hint: When Jesus returns, he’s not going to be turning the other cheek at his enemies, but returning as a conquering king to bring about an everlasting righteous government. God is full of mercy, love, grace, and extraordinary patience. However, he is also holy, just, righteous, jealous, and sometimes angry. The Lord is a man of war (Exodus 15:3) and the prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6). These are not mutually exclusive or contradictory. They work together to form the total character of God. If we are going to worship God as he truly is and all that he reveals about himself, we must accept all aspects of who he is, not just the ones that we like, are most comfortable with, or give us the most warm and fuzzy feelings. God isn’t Barney, but he is love (1 John 4:8, 16). God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16 NIV). He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9 NIV). But the choice of whether or not you will accept the gift of pardon that Jesus died and rose from the dead to purchase for you because of your sin debt you can never pay on your own--that’s up to you. Will you accept his loving, merciful gift and have a relationship with him that will last forever and grant you eternal life? Or will you die in your sins and experience his eternal wrath that will never end? Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them (John 3:36 NIV).

Jesus: Our rock and living water

For the third and final time this week, we are going to be beginning a post with Exodus 17:1-7 as we look at the symbolism or typology associated with Moses getting water from a rock. At the Lord’s command, the whole community of Israel left the wilderness of Sin and moved from place to place. Eventually, they camped at Rephidim, but there was no water there for the people to drink. So once more the people complained against Moses. “Give us water to drink!” they demanded.

“Quiet!” Moses replied. “Why are you complaining against me? And why are you testing the Lord?”

But tormented by thirst, they continued to argue with Moses. “Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Are you trying to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”

Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What should I do with these people? They are ready to stone me!”

The Lord said to Moses, “Walk out in front of the people. Take your staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile, and call some of the elders of Israel to join you. I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink.” So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on.

Moses named the place Massah (which means “test”) and Meribah (which means “arguing”) because the people of Israel argued with Moses and tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord here with us or not" (Exodus 17:1-7 NLT)?

Now we are going to go to another Old Testament passage and two New Testament passages for more on this. In the first month of the year, the whole community of Israel arrived in the wilderness of Zin and camped at Kadesh. While they were there, Miriam, Moses' older sister, died and was buried.

There was no water for the people to drink at that place, so they rebelled against Moses and Aaron. The people blamed Moses and said, “If only we had died in the Lord’s presence with our brothers! Why have you brought the congregation of the Lord’s people into this wilderness to die, along with all our livestock? Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates, and no water to drink!”

Moses and Aaron turned away from the people and went to the entrance of the Tabernacle, where they fell face down on the ground. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to them, and the Lord said to Moses, “You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will provide enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock.”

So Moses did as he was told. He took the staff from the place where it was kept before the Lord. Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. “Listen, you rebels!” he shouted. “Must we bring you water from this rock?” Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill.

But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!” This place was known as the waters of Meribah (which means “arguing”) because there the people of Israel argued with the Lord, and there he demonstrated his holiness among them (Numbers 20:1-13 NLT).

Once again, we see here the people grumbling against Moses and Aaron, accusing them of bringing all the people out into the desert to die. No matter how many times God provided for them, they continued to rebel in faithlessness against Yahweh. Moses finally had enough and, in his righteous anger (who wouldn't have had enough after all that time), disobeyed the Lord himself and it cost him what he looked forward to the most in this life, to lead his people into the Promised Land. Because he disobeyed the Lord, striking the rock instead of speaking to it and saying, "Must we bring you water from this rock," taking credit for it, the Promised Land of Israel was no longer a promise for Israel's leader.

Over 1,400 years later on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths (Hebrew: Sukkot), Jesus of Nazareth, Israel's Messiah, stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink! Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them!” By this, he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given since Jesus had not yet been glorified (John 7:37-39 NLT). If anybody knew how to take advantage of a setting to make a point, it was Jesus Christ. The Feast of Tabernacles was the seventh and final festival God gave to Israel. During this week-long event, families build shelters outside to live in with three walls and a roof made of branches. The purpose of living in the booth is a reminder of what the Israelites dwelt in for 40 years after the Lord brought them out of Egypt. This is also why the Apostle John used the phraseology he did in his gospel when he said the Word (Jesus) became flesh and tabernacled among us (John 1:14 TLV). Everything God did and does has a reason. There is no such thing as an overlooked detail with the God of the universe. During the Feast of Tabernacles, a sacrificial pouring out of water was performed at the Temple. The High Priest would lead a procession to the Pool of Siloam where he would fill a golden pitcher with water and then return to the courtyard of the Temple. The water at the Pool of Siloam came from the Gihon Spring, the principal supply of water for Jerusalem. Because it came from a spring, the water was considered "living water" and used for purification. After returning to the courtyard of the priests, they circled the altar once before the priest poured the water out onto the altar of sacrifice. They did this each morning except on the last morning when the priests would circle the altar seven times. This symbolized Israel's request that the Lord bless them with rain for the next harvest season. It was on this exact day when Jesus said, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink! Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them!” Again, nothing, n-o-t-h-i-n-g happens by accident with God (The Festival of Sukkot and Understanding the Feat of Tabernacles or Sukkot).

I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. All of them ate the same spiritual food, and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ (1 Corinthians 10:1-4 NLT). Moses, who gave the law from God, struck the rock in Exodus 17:1-7 and the people drank water from it. Although Jesus is the only perfect person who kept the whole law for his entire life, the law struck him because he chose to take our place and our punishment for breaking God's law so that we could be set free and have the option for a restored relationship with God. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17 NIV). Moses, the representative of the Law, was not able to enter the Promised Land because, despite his own words, it wasn't he who provided the living water. It was God who provided the living water from the rock, and our spiritual rock, as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:4, is Christ. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are (Romans 3:20-22 NLT).

The split rock at Jabal al-Lawz, the most likely location of these events

Leadership lessons from Moses

We are going to start this post with the same passage that we looked at yesterday: Exodus 17:1-7. At the Lord’s command, the whole community of Israel left the wilderness of Sin and moved from place to place. Eventually, they camped at Rephidim, but there was no water there for the people to drink. So once more the people complained against Moses. “Give us water to drink!” they demanded.

“Quiet!” Moses replied. “Why are you complaining against me? And why are you testing the Lord?”

But tormented by thirst, they continued to argue with Moses. “Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Are you trying to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”

Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What should I do with these people? They are ready to stone me!”

The Lord said to Moses, “Walk out in front of the people. Take your staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile, and call some of the elders of Israel to join you. I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink.” So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on.

Moses named the place Massah (which means “test”) and Meribah (which means “arguing”) because the people of Israel argued with Moses and tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord here with us or not” (Exodus 17:1-7 NLT)?

The people's quarrel with Moses was that they did not have water to drink. They accused Moses of bringing them out of Egypt to kill them, their children, and their livestock with thirst. As I said yesterday, the people's quarrel against Moses was legitimate in one sense, illegitimate in another, but in both cases, it demonstrated a lack of faith in God. I can sympathize with how they were suffering. Walking in a desert for a long time with water doesn't sound like my idea of fun. But they had been walking without water, not long enough to completely dehydrate, but long enough to really start feeling it and seeing those they love suffering. On the other hand, their statement that Moses brought them out there to die was more out of frustration than having any foundation in common sense. What incentive would Moses have had to give up the life he had as a prince in Egypt, become a fugitive for four decades, come back, stand up to the most powerful ruler in the world, and lead the people out of Egypt if he was just taking them out in the middle of nowhere to die a horrible death? But although I understand their frustration, this, too, demonstrated a lack of faith in God and his willingness to provide for them after bringing them that far.

There are many lessons in leadership to be learned from observing Moses' life. One time when Israel was still under bondage in Egypt, the Israelite foremen went to Pharaoh and pleaded with him. "Please don’t treat your servants like this," they begged. "We are given no straw, but the slave drivers still demand, 'Make bricks!' We are being beaten, but it isn’t our fault! Your own people are to blame!"

But Pharaoh shouted, "You’re just lazy! Lazy! That’s why you’re saying, "Let us go and offer sacrifices to the Lord." Now get back to work! No straw will be given to you, but you must still produce the full quota of bricks.”

The Israelite foremen could see that they were in serious trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce the number of bricks you make each day.” As they left Pharaoh’s court, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who were waiting outside for them. The foremen said to them, “May the Lord judge and punish you for making us stink before Pharaoh and his officials. You have put a sword into their hands, an excuse to kill us!”

Then Moses went back to the Lord and protested, “Why have you brought all this trouble on your own people, Lord? Why did you send me? Ever since I came to Pharaoh as your spokesman, he has been even more brutal to your people. And you have done nothing to rescue them!”

Then the Lord told Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. When he feels the force of my strong hand, he will let the people go. In fact, he will force them to leave his land!”

And God said to Moses, “I am Yahweh—‘the Lord.’ I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty’—but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them. And I reaffirmed my covenant with them. Under its terms, I promised to give them the land of Canaan, where they were living as foreigners. You can be sure that I have heard the groans of the people of Israel, who are now slaves to the Egyptians. And I am well aware of my covenant with them.

“Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt. I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your very own possession. I am the Lord!’”

So Moses told the people of Israel what the Lord had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery (Exodus 5:15-6:9 NLT).

After the Lord had delivered them from slavery, the Egyptians pursued Israel to the point that they were trapped between the fast-approaching Egyptian army and the Red Sea. As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’”

But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will charge in after the Israelites. My great glory will be displayed through Pharaoh and his troops, his chariots, and his charioteers. When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the Lord!”

Then the angel of God, who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to the rear of the camp. The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and stood behind them. The cloud settled between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. As darkness fell, the cloud turned to fire, lighting up the night. But the Egyptians and Israelites did not approach each other all night.

Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land (Exodus 14:10-21 NLT).

As Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea, they moved out into the desert of Shur. They traveled in this desert for three days without finding any water. When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink. So they called the place Marah (which means “bitter”).

Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded. So Moses cried out to the Lord for help, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink.

It was there at Marah that the Lord set before them the following decree as a standard to test their faithfulness to him. He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you" (Exodus 15:22-26 NLT).

Soon after, the whole community of Israel set out from Elim and journeyed into the wilderness of Sin, between Elim and Mount Sinai. They arrived there on the fifteenth day of the second month, one month after leaving the land of Egypt. There, too, the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron.

“If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day, they will gather food, and when they prepare it, there will be twice as much as usual.”

So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “By evening you will realize it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt. In the morning you will see the glory of the Lord because he has heard your complaints, which are against him, not against us. What have we done that you should complain about us?” Then Moses added, “The Lord will give you meat to eat in the evening and bread to satisfy you in the morning, for he has heard all your complaints against him. What have we done? Yes, your complaints are against the Lord, not against us.”

Then Moses said to Aaron, “Announce this to the entire community of Israel: ‘Present yourselves before the Lord, for he has heard your complaining’” (Exodus 16:1-9 NLT).

In reviewing these passages, there are a number of principles that we can learn from these events in the life of Moses:

• Moses was not a distant, far-off leader, but he was with the people in all they endured. He was not above the "team," but a part of it. When the Israelite foremen went before Pharaoh, he awaited them to hear all that had occurred.
• Moses was a mediator to the Lord for the people he led. In the New Covenant, Jesus is our mediator to the Father, but we can still intercede for those we lead. Hey look, I'm a poet and didn't know it.
• Moses shared with the people what the Lord had spoken to them. God will give guidance to leaders who have ears to hear. Then they can pass that along as needed.
• Moses was an encourager. When the people wanted to give up in fear and go back to Egypt, Moses encouraged them to stay calm and trust the Lord. Leadership is not without challenges. When his people wanted to buckle under the pressure, Moses supported them in their time of need. Good leaders today do the same.
• Moses took divinely-directed action. God told Moses to raise his staff in his hand over the Red Sea and it would divide for them. Moses obeyed the Lord and took action. He did not use continued prayer as an excuse for lack of obedience. The Lord said to Moses, "Why are you carrying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!" So he did. A leader's words are important, but so are their actions.

Unconventional means of provision and victory

What can satisfy the thirsting of a human soul? Exodus 17 begins not just with soul thirstiness, but with physical thirstiness. The children of Israel had departed Egypt and were journeying through the wilderness, as the Lord had been leading them. Along the journey, there were already plenty of things they were not pleased with, that made them uncomfortable. They previously traveled for three days in the Desert of Shur, not finding any water until they came to Marah, the place of bitter water. So they grumbled and God solved the problem, making the water fit to drink (Exodus 15:22-27). Then they came to the Desert of Sin (what a name, huh) and grumbled against Moses and Aaron because they didn't have the same quality of food as free people in the desert that they had while they were slaves in Egypt. So God provided manna from Heaven for them as well as quail during the evening (Exodus 16). Then we go to Exodus 17 where, once again, the people had no water to drink as they traveled from the Wilderness of Sin to Rephidim. "This wilderness was probably the narrow plain of el-Markha, which stretches along the eastern shore of the Red Sea for several miles toward the promontory of Ras Mohammed, the southern extremity of the Sinai Peninsula" (Wilderness of Sin). It would have been about eight days of travel in stages from the Wilderness of Sin to Rephidim.

By the time the people got to Rephidim, Moses felt as if the people were ready to stone him because of the poor shape they were in. We might be tempted to pile on the Israelites here, but put yourself in their shoes. They didn't have shoes, but let's pretend they did since I already typed the word and don't feel like changing the phrase to make it historically accurate. You've been walking for days in a desert. You're free, yes, but this is the first time you've ever been free. You were slaves before, but you had everything you needed even though your quality of life in other ways was terrible. You've been on this cycle of desperate need, miraculous provision, desperate need, miraculous provision. Intellectually, it may be easy to think, "Well, God is just going to provide again because he has already shown us that he will so many times already in a short time frame." But humans aren't Vulcans. For all of you reading this who aren't Star Trek fans, that means we tend to wholeheartedly embrace emotion alongside logic as part of the human experience rather than trying to suppress emotion, thinking that logic is superior like the Vulcans. It's not like the whole nation of people had collective short-term memory loss and couldn't recall what God had already done for them. But that was then. This is now. "What if...?" Who among us hasn't had those "what if...?" thoughts before. "What if, this time, it's different? What if, this time, God doesn't come through? What if...?" So Moses went before the LORD, who told him to strike a particular rock. When Moses did, water came out of the rock for people to drink. Thus, the place was called Massah (Testing) and Meribah (Quarreling) because the Israelites quarreled with Moses and tested the LORD there (Exodus 17:1-7).

At this point, there is a division in Exodus 17. We go from the LORD providing water from a rock to the Amalekites attacking the Israelites. "The Amalekites were descendants of Amalek, a grandson of Esau. They were a fierce nomadic tribe that lived in the desert region of the Dead Sea. They made part of their livelihood by conducting frequent raids on other settlements and carrying off plundered goods" (Life Application Study Bible). For another Star Trek reference, they sound like the Ferengi to me. "A Ferengi's entire existence revolved around the acquisition of wealth, even above family and friends, according to their sacred Rules of Acquisition" (Ferengi). "One of the greatest insults in Israelite culture was to call someone 'a friend of Amalek.' When the Israelites entered the region, the Amalekites saw this as a perfect opportunity for profit. But this hostile tribe was moving in on the wrong group--a people led by God. For Israelite slaves to defeat such a warlike nation was more than enough proof that God was with them as he had promised to be" (Life Application Study Bible). Joshua selected some of the Israelite men and went to war against the Amalekites while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. When Moses held his hands up, the Israelites gained the advantage. When he lowered his hands, the Amalekites gained the advantage. As Moses got tired, they gave him a stone to sit on while Aaron and Hur held his hands up until the Israelites finally overcame the Amalekite army. Such an event might sound silly to some modern readers, but this literally happened as written. It was a testimony to the Israelites, and to today's reader, that the Israelites gained the victory, not because of their superior skill or might--they had neither. What it demonstrates is what God is able to accomplish through anyone that makes themselves available through faith and obedience.

What's your reason?

My favorite singer is Michael W. Smith. One of the lines from the chorus of his song Cross of Gold goes, "What's your line, tell me why you wear your cross of gold. State of mind, or does it find a way into your soul." Founder and CEO of the Church Answers blog Thom S. Rainer wrote an article last year titled Five Types of Church Members Who Will Not Return after the Quarantine. Here are the five types of people he listed:

1. "The decreasing attendance members. These were your members who, at one time, attended church almost four times a month. Before the pandemic, their frequency of attendance declined to twice a month or even once a month. COVID accelerated their trends. They are now attending zero times a month."
2. "The disconnected church members. If a church member is in a small group, his or her likelihood of returning is high. If they attend worship only, their likelihood of attendance is much lower. Please let this reality be a strong motivation to emphasize in-person small groups once everyone feels safe to return." There are some things I could say about "feeling safe to return," but that would turn this post into something that would best be left to times when I am actually aiming to talk about COVID-19 and the response to it since March 2020. What I can directly testify to is the importance of small groups or Life Groups as my church calls them. One of the things that has made Life Church feel like home to me is the personal connections I have made there. Let me qualify that a little by saying that the first thing I pay attention to with any church is not how they make me feel, but what their doctrinal statement is. If I don't agree with the beliefs of a church, they could be the nicest people in the world, but I don't belong there. That being said, how a person is treated once they begin attending can be just as important to keeping someone there as the doctrinal statement should be about whether or not a person begins attending in the first place. We call each other brothers and sisters in Christ for a reason. It's not just a nice sentiment. We are united as one under the blood of Jesus. When we are genuinely connected with other believers, we are more likely to stay at a church than if they are not.
3. "The church-is-another-activity church members. These church members see gathered attendance as yet another activity on par, or lower, than other activities. They were the church members who let inclement weather keep them from church but not their children’s Sunday soccer games. Commitment to the church was a low priority before the pandemic. They have no commitment in the post-quarantine era."
4. "The constant-critic church members. These church members always had some complaints for the pastor. In fact, your pastor may be dying a death by a thousand cuts. They are likely still complaining even though they have not returned to in-person services. Many of them will not return at all."
5. "The cultural Christian church members. They were part of a declining group well before the pandemic. They were those church members who likely were not Christians but came to church to be accepted culturally. Today, there are few cultural expectations for people to attend church. These cultural Christians learned during the pandemic that it was no big deal to miss church. It will be no big deal for them never to return."

People don't fall away because Jesus isn't good enough. But if the primary message that draws people to Jesus is not primarily about him and what he has already done for us in regards to eternity, then it's no wonder why people eventually become disillusioned and develop a harder heart toward godly things. Jesus said, "God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in Heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way" (Matthew 5:11-12 NLT). He also said, "In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33 NIV). When is the last time you heard an invitation to Christ that included promises of mockery, persecution, lies, evil, and trouble?

To be fair, of course, that's not all the Christian life is. There is love, joy, peace, GRACE like I talked about in my last post, that comes with conversion to Christ. But those are promises that come alongside the less positive ones mentioned above. Neither category of promises supersede the other. The ultimate reason for coming to Christ is because I owed a debt I could not pay. So Jesus paid my debt that he did not owe. If people are drawn to Christ with that being the reason, they are less likely to fall away when a sucky world acts like it sucks because that's already been factored into the equation. On top of that, they will encounter people in congregations who will love them as we are called to do because they came to Christ for the same reasons. I don't know who originated this comment, but the one I have heard use it the most is Bryan Fischer, who used to be with the American Family Association. "The Christian life is not a pleasure cruise, but a battleship." So let us dispense with false promises and expectations and get our armor on (Ephesians 6:10-18). There is a battle for souls going on every day. Are you on the field and in the game or a cheerleader on the sidelines?

Appreciating God's amazing grace

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found;

Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

And grace my fears relieved;

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils, and snares,

I have already come;

’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,

His Word my hope secures;

He will my Shield and Portion be,

As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,

And mortal life shall cease,

I shall possess, within the veil,

A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,

The sun forbear to shine;

But God, who called me here below,

Will be forever mine.

When we’ve been there 10,000 years,

Bright shining as the sun,

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise

Than when we’d first begun

The above are lyrics to the song Amazing Grace. The movie by the same title, released in 2006, begins this way: By the late 18th century, over 11,000,000 African men, women, and children had been taken from Africa to be used as slaves in the West Indies and the American colonies. Great Britain was the mightiest superpower on Earth, and its empire was built on the backs of slaves. The slave trade was considered acceptable by all but a few. Of these, even fewer were brave enough to speak against it. That is until William Wilberforce came on the scene. Thanks to his tireless efforts despite many defeats year after year, British involvement in the slave trade was brought to an end, being made illegal on May 1, 1807. The overall abolishment of slavery took effect on August 1, 1834. Originally, Amazing Grace was a poem by former slave ship captain John Newton. The Library of Congress notes that there is no direct link between Amazing Grace and the abolition of slavery in Britain. Nonetheless, the hymn was written by a man who was moved to speak out against something from which he had once profited. In an essay Newton said: "I hope it will always be a subject of humiliating reflection to me . . . that I was once an active instrument in a business at which my heart now shudders." Thus we have the most recognizable hymn of all time.

The Greek word for "grace" is "charis." That's where Andrew Wommack got the name for Charis Bible College. Larry Pierce's Outline of Biblical Usage defines grace as affording joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness, including in speech. Grace is goodwill and loving-kindness. It is the favor due to grace. Grace is thankfulness for the benefits, services, recompense, and reward that come from it. I like to say it the following way: Grace is not just God giving us good things we don't deserve. It is empowerment from the Holy Spirit to help us live the lives God wants us to live. The testimony of John Newton's life, and anyone who has truly been forgiven by Christ, is that God's grace is so amazing because not one of us deserves it, yet he freely offers it to all people. Like Newton, once a person truly recognizes the depths of their sinfulness, grace can be properly appreciated and activated to change a person from the inside out. Charles Spurgeon said sinners will never accept grace until they tremble before a just and holy law. A person can have an emotional reaction to the idea of God's grace without it actually touching their hearts and changing them. The fruit of a changed life is the evidence of true conversion.

Romans 5:20 AMP says the law came to increase and expand [the awareness of] the trespass [by defining and unmasking sin]. But where sin increased, [God’s remarkable, gracious gift of] grace [His unmerited favor] has surpassed it and increased all the more. How do we make grace amazing in a culture that is losing not only its moral compass but the God who makes who gave us that moral compass? We make grace amazing by reminding people of our true condition before the almighty, perfect creator of the universe who is just and holy. The law is not outdated or useless. It just needs to be used properly, to show us our true state so that grace can be made amazing to us once again, individually and collectively. When I look at my own sinfulness in light of God's law, not only before I came to Christ, but after, and in some cases even in the present time, I cannot help but marvel at God's grace that I absolutely, positively do NOT deserve. And that makes me all the more thankful for it. May it do the same for you.

Convincing and convicting

Paul persuaded his hearers about the Gospel by fully testifying to the Kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets from morning to evening (Acts 28:23). The Law and the Prophets are God's 1-2 punch. They are how true converts are made, and people are legitimately won to Christ. Bible prophecy testifies to the divine authorship of the Bible. Only a divine Author could know the end from the beginning and declare, from ancient times, things that are not yet done (Isaiah 46:10). Only the God of the universe could breathe future predictions about the Messiah hundreds of years in advance. Then history would record how all of those prophecies would come to pass centuries later.

In my most recent search on this topic, while writing this, I have found estimates anywhere from 109 to 351 messianic prophecies fulfilled by Jesus. Why such a large discrepancy? It all comes down to whether or not we count direct predictions, repeated prognostications, Old Testament allusions, indirect references to the ministry of Christ, and prophetic types. Do we count all of those or some of them? How do we choose which to keep and leave out? I used to be pretty set on the 109 number, but as I have read more this time, I now realize the number could be much higher. That only makes the odds of the complete fulfillment of all of them all the more miraculous.

A professor and 600 of his students at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, once calculated the odds that one man could fulfill all of these prophecies. Then the professor submitted his work for review by a committee at the American Scientific Affiliation. Keep in mind that Jesus fulfilled hundreds of predictions, but after only considering eight of them, the group concluded that the odds of one man fulfilling only eight prophecies was 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000 or 1 in 10 to the 17th power. The professor demonstrated it this way: Mark 1 of 10 tickets. Then place all the tickets in a hat and thoroughly stir them. Have a blindfolded person draw one of them. The odds of picking the right one would be 1 in 10. Now let's repeat that scenario but instead place 100,000,000,000,000,000 silver dollars and lay them all over Texas so that they cover the entire state two feet deep. Mark one of the silver dollars and stir them all thoroughly. The odds that a blindfolded person could pick one silver dollar out of all those silver dollars covering Texas two feet deep are the same odds that any one person could fulfill just eight of the Old Testament messianic prophecies. Yet Jesus fulfilled hundreds!

Fulfilled prophecy proves the authenticity of the Bible. The Law of God, found in the Bible, convicts the sinner after convincing that the Bible is true. Paul said he would not have known sin if not by the Law (Romans 7:7). Then he wrote in 1 Timothy 1:9-10 that the Law is not for righteous people, but for lawless people like the insubordinate, ungodly, sinful, unholy, profane, murderers, the sexually immoral including homosexuals, enslavers, liars, and perjurers. There is not a person on Earth except Jesus Christ who has lived a sinless life. All of us have fallen into at least one of those categories at some point in our lives. When the Law is properly used, it is not to make us more righteous. It shows us how sinful and hopeless we are and thus why we need Jesus Christ as a substitute to take our punishment. Psalm 19:7 says Yahweh's Law is perfect and converts the soul. Yahweh is an English pronunciation of the proper name of God the Father. It is often written as "LORD" in most Bibles.

One of my favorite shows that used to be on TBN was The Way of the Master featuring Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron. They would often make the point from 1 Corinthians 1:18 that the message of the cross is, indeed, foolishness to those perishing. That is why their whole program and materials from their ministry at Living Waters emphasize the sinner's need to hear God's Law before the Good News can do its work. The Law shows the person without Christ their true hopelessness before God. Only then can they fully appreciate their need for a Savior. Without that, it all seems foolish or is taken too lightly. Romans 3:19 says the Law speaks so that every mouth may be stopped and all the world can be under God's judgment.

The bad news is that all have sinned and are under God's judgment. Everyone committing sin also commits lawlessness because sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4). But the Good News is that Jesus willingly became our substitute. He was the only one not worthy of death. Yet, He chose to take our punishment in our place. The innocent took the punishment of the guilty so that the guilty could decide to go free or not. It is up to each of us whether or not we will accept or reject that pardon.

Family: God's first institution

What was home like for you? If you ask that question to everybody on Earth, you're going to get a different answer. Sure, there will be a lot of similarities among different types of people, but there will also be a lot of differences. Some people grew up in very good homes full of love, encouragement, and peace. Some people grew up in homes that felt more like a war zone than a place of refuge from the rest of the world. Some people grew up in homes where Jesus Christ was at the center of it, where not a day went by when prayers were not prayed, the Bible not read, and the Lord not magnified. Others went through their formative years having never heard the name of Jesus or the good news about what he has done for everyone.

Considering what my life could have been like, I would say my life was pretty good. There wasn't anything I needed I didn't have. And a lot of stuff I wanted, I got. That's not to say I grew up in what Americans would consider a rich family. I didn't. In my earliest memories, I remember growing up in a house where my grandmother and both of her parents lived. Then, before my great-grandfather passed away, my dad moved in with us from 1990-1998 (ages 7-15 approximately for me). I didn't get everything I wanted, but I got a lot of things I wanted and everything I needed. And I got to do a lot of things many people never get to do. We had season passes to Kings Island in Ohio every year. And I got to go to Disney World four times before my cousin started working there in 1998. Then we started going a lot more often. So as I think back on it, I had a much better life than I was even going to say when I started typing this. And for that, I am thankful to the Lord because everything could have been so much different for me. One or two decisions made differently and my entire life story could have been drastically changed for the negative. Thank God it worked out like it did. The one thing that was not central to my early years was rearing in the things of the Lord. However, God took care of that too, saving me at age 17 through the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B Jenkins.

God created three institutions. The Church Age began in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost. The institution of human government was created in Genesis 9:1-7 after the Flood. But before both of those, the first institution God created was the family (Genesis 2:18-24). In 2020, there were 128.45 million households in the United States. This is a significant increase from 1960 when there were 52.8 million households in the U.S. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a household is considered to be all persons living within one housing unit. This includes apartments, houses, or single rooms, and consists of both related and unrelated people living together. For example, two roommates who share living space but are not related would be considered a household in the eyes of the Census. It should be noted that group living quarters, such as college dorms, are not counted as households in the Census. While the population of the United States has been increasing, the average size of households in the U.S. has decreased since 1960. In 1960, there was an average of 3.33 people per household, but in 2020, this figure had decreased to 2.53 people per household. Additionally, two-person households make up the majority of American households, followed closely by single-person households (Statista).

The family tree of Jesus is found in Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38.

https://www.conformingtojesus.com/images/webpages/genealogy_of_jesus_chart1.jpg

The roles, responsibilities, and structure of the family are laid out in several places in Scripture. Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged (Colossians 3:18-21 NIV). Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. “For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 5:21-6:4 NIV). Wives, in the same way, submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. Husbands, in the same way, be considerate as you live with your wives and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life so that nothing will hinder your prayers (1 Peter 3:1-7 NIV).

But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God (1 Corinthians 11:3 NIV).

https://www.bible.ca/trinity/trinity-submission-headship-God-Father-Jesus-Christ-man-husband-wife-woman-1cor11-3.jpg

The structure of the family was not given arbitrarily any more than the institution of the family was created for no reason. It was given to be a model, a reflection of God's relationship to the church. The church submits herself to Christ. Likewise, each individual within the church is to be as obedient to Christ as we are obedient to our Father in Heaven. Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does" (John 5:19 NIV). Whether we have families of our own or living on our own, let us serve each other, following the example of Christ and the instructions God has laid out for us in the Bible.

Symbols for the Bible

The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey from the honeycomb. I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to your word. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. (Psalm 19:9-10; 119:25, 105, 118, 130).

This command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life (Proverbs 6:23).

As the rain and the snow come down from Heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:10-11).

When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty. But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. “Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces” (Jeremiah 15:16; 20:9; 23:29)?

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there while everyone stood on the shore. Then Jesus told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seeds fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still, other seeds fell on good soil, producing a crop—a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of Heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown” (Matthew 13:1-23).

Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready (1 Corinthians 3:1-2).

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Therefore, take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 5:25-27; 6:17).

For the word of God is alive and active. So sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. In fact, though you ought to be teachers by this time, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 4:12; 5:12-14).

He chose to give us birth through the word of truth that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. Those who consider themselves religious yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and keep oneself from being polluted by the world (James 1:18, 23-27).

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Instead, like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk so that by it you may grow up in your salvation (1 Peter 1:23; 2:1-2).

$22 million worth of God's goodness

The Nazarene Fund has raised $22 million in two days to rescue thousands of trapped Christians in Afghanistan and relocate them to safety in countries outside the United States since the U.S. is not currently welcoming them. We are only seven months into a four-year term for this President, and he is already one of the worst we have ever had. I literally shudder to think what this place and the world will look like by 2024 if his administration has its way. Of course, that's not to say we shouldn't have gotten out of Afghanistan. That decision was also long overdue, but leave it to Joe Biden--or whoever is thinking for him this week--to make a mess out of what could have been the only good thing his team has done since assuming power in January. But while the Biden Administration and everyone else on Team Great Reset are busy remaking the world in their own warped image, it has fallen on the everyday, not-so-average "Joe" (pun intended) in what is left of the real America to try to clean up the mess. And boy, did real America show off this week.

On Wednesday morning's show, Glenn Beck was joined by Rudy Atlallah, Chief Operating Officer of the Nazarene Fund, who detailed a dangerous mission his team is about to attempt to save the lives of thousands of Christians hiding and trapped in Afghanistan [1]. It was revealed that The Nazarene Fund would need $20 million in two days to accomplish everything their goal of rescuing approximately 5,000 Christians from the closest thing to Hell on Earth at the hands of the Taliban that has recently retaken control of Afghanistan. It seemed like a near-impossible task, even as Glenn pleaded with his audience to "give until it hurts." He and his wife backed up his words by donating $200,000 of their own money to the cause. But the best part of what has happened the last two days was not large, single-donor donations, but the countless smaller contributions that have made up the $22 million currently raised by The Nazarene Fund. From $10-20 to some people donating $1 because it's all they could afford, over the last two days, The Nazarene Fund has already gone over the fundraising goal.

On his show this morning, Glenn spoke directly to his audience again, saying, "I will tell you I have felt like George Bailey all week [2]. Everybody makes fun of Frank Capra. 'Oh, that America doesn't exist.' It does exist because I've just played the role of George Bailey! All I did was say, 'These people are in trouble,' and you went out and gathered money. You didn't even ask questions. You just went and gathered the money. Do you know how unbelievable it is? When people do fundraisers, they usually pad them. 'We got a big check for $50,000. We know that's coming.' We had nothing on Wednesday. Nothing. And you just went out and said, 'The people in Afghanistan are in trouble,' and look at what you've done. To Hell with those people who say Frank Capra and It's A Wonderful Life isn't a realistic look at America. Yes, it is, but it's a mindset. You have to choose to live that. And I want you to know you're going to be so blessed by this. You already are. If you're feeling like I am, you already are. I was at the end of my rope. ... Last Sunday, I said, 'I've really kinda given up hope. I don't see a way out.' ... But I thought more people were just past it. The worst thing that could happen to us, this is what will seal our fate, is if our hearts grow cold. When man's love for man waxes cold, we're done. When we lose our Judeo-Christian value on life and decency, there's nothing that can be saved, and we wouldn't deserve it. We will make Nazi Germany look like rookies if that grows cold in us. And for me to come to you, and you already knew, and say, 'The Afghan people are in trouble, and we gotta try to do something.' And I told you at the time, 'I don't know how this is gonna work.' Yesterday I told you, and I'm telling you this again now, but with much more optimism, there's no way this happens unless God is present. If this happens, it is because God has opened up doors because there are no doors. Yesterday, we were told that the airport is gonna be closed for 48 hours. I didn't even know if that was going to be opened up. I can't give you any of the details right now, but the first flight of Christians just took off. We have other planes going in very soon, and if all goes well, it will be a steady landing and taking off of airplanes. We could have thousands out by this time Monday, but boy, we need prayers. But I so want you to focus on the people because when we're focused on others, our problems don't seem so big. And I want you to focus on [the fact that] you are not helpless. Tell me any problem in our country that is bigger than what's happening in Afghanistan. Tell me that we can't accomplish anything we set our mind to. ... Everyone would tell us, 'It can't be done.' It can be done. And if we serve others, if we keep our eyes and our hearts open to the suffering of others and get out of our suffering, we will solve problems that people will say can't be solved. You will see miracles in your lifetime ... You will witness Moses-style miracles. And I'm telling you if we get [even] 3,000 of these people out, it's a Moses-style miracle. You don't know the briefings that I have had in the last two days. It will be a Moses-style miracle, and it happened because of you. Don't you dare give up hope. You know what's going on. Of all the principles we have, the one that makes [Americans] so noble is that we never leave people behind. ... Your heart is more open than I thought, and your heart is more open than mine. Thank you for giving me my hope in the future back" [3].

Glenn Beck on his radio show this morning

There are a couple of lessons to learn from all of this. God is light, and he shines brightest at the darkest times. But Jesus said, "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven [4]. I'm not saying everyone involved in this truly belongs to Christ. Only God knows that for sure one way or the other. But I am willing to go out on a limb and say that most of what has been accomplished here and what will be accomplished going forward is a direct result of the obedience of Christ-followers as the Holy Spirit prompted. May the whole world see what has been done here. May we believe for those Moses-sized miracles. And may the world as a whole see it and glorify our Father in Heaven in Jesus' name.

Here are all the ways you can donate:

Online: https://thenazarenefund.org

Phone: 972.499.4747

Check: PO Box 140489 Irving, TX 75014

SOURCES

1. Give to Afghanistan Until It HURTS: '30 Minutes That’ll Change Your Life’ Part 3 on the Glenn Beck website, August 18, 2021.
2. It's A Wonderful Life by Liberty Films (1947)
3. The Glenn Beck Program: Miracles happen, thanks to God, and you aired on August 20, 2021
4. Matthew 5:14-16

What keeps me up when I'm trying to sleep

This doesn't happen to me as often. That's not to say I never have times where bad memories keep me up at night. Sometimes they do, and boy, do I have some doozies do dwell on when it does happen. Don't we all? However, what keeps me up more often is not bad memories but "what ifs" about the future. That wasn't always the case. I can remember when absolutely no money came in for months, and I didn't worry one time because I trusted that the Lord would work it out some way. When I had the H1N1 (swine) flu and my temperature was hovering around 103, not only was I not worried, I was trying to bring calmness and assurance that I would be okay. And yet, there have been ridiculous times in the past and present where I have allowed worry to grip me and tear me apart. An earwax buildup on a Friday night worried me to the point that I thought I had some kind of sudden permanent deafness. Then I went to the doctor that Monday morning and all they had to do was flush my ear out. I was constipated for not even a full day and scared myself into thinking I had a kidney stone. More recently, I found out I was going to have to have some oral surgery. I went from feeling relieved by the time I left the dentist's office to make the one cardinal mistake you never do when facing a medical procedure: I started Googling. So I went from, "Whoo, dodged a bullet there" to thinking my life was over, I was going to have to voluntarily wear a mask for the rest of my life, not because of some stupid virus with a ridiculously high survival rate, but because I thought I would be too ugly to take it off. Or I thought that I was going to look 62 by the time I was 42 because my face was going to sink in. To be honest, because this surgery is still pending, I still struggle with these thoughts, though not nearly as much as I was the first weekend after I got this news. The other worst times are when I first wake up in the morning for some reason. That brings me to another side note I will mention before continuing on here. Don't just be careful about looking up information for yourself and diagnosing worst-case scenarios, but also be cautious about who you talk to about certain things. Even if you have terrific friends who aren't trying to add to your distress or discourage you, sometimes well-meaning people can do more harm than good.

And that brings me to the points I want to make with this post. Jesus said, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you, by worrying, add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. So if that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:25-34). Worry is the real pandemic, and it's been a global problem much longer than March 2020 and after. Depths of worry, fear, panic, or whatever you want to call it may have been exposed by the COVID-19 response, but it didn't create it. These things have been in people's hearts since the fall of mankind (not Mick Foley, but humanity) in Genesis 3.

Not the fall of Mankind I was talking about (Photo courtesy of WWE King of the Ring 1998)

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid" (Genesis 3:8-10). Before the fall of mankind (okay, at this point, I just keep repeatedly using that phrase because of my AWESOME WWE pun), Adam and Eve walked in perfect, unbroken fellowship with God. There were no barriers in their relationship between them and God or between each other. After the fall, fear entered the picture. "I was afraid, so I hid." Before they even heard God, they covered up their nakedness and hid it from each other, and they were married! They had only ever seen each other naked from the very beginning, and they felt no shame (Genesis 2:25). But now, because of sin, they were worried. Their sin separated them from God, and their fear kept them from seeking reconciliation with him. It's interesting to think of the fact that sin caused fear because submitting to fear of anything except God is also a sin. Talk about a vicious cycle from the very start. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters, and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death (Revelation 21:8). That's quite the list of people who will end up in eternal Hell, but did you notice who was mentioned first in this list? It is cowardly and unbelieving people. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them (John 3:36). Fear and unbelief are not the same things, but they are at least cousins. Not all fear is wrong, but all unbelief toward God can lead people to paralyzing fear, especially in times of crisis if the unbelief persists. What is the correct response when fear comes knocking at your door? There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love (1 John 4:18). So the proper response to fear is perfect love, and that only comes from God, which means you have to depend on him for it to flow through you.

Times of testing reveal what is really inside of us. So, dear brothers and sisters, consider it an opportunity for great joy when troubles of any kind come your way. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing (James 1:2-4). Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test (2 Corinthians 13:5)? Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). Of course, you don't earn salvation by having courage and not giving in to feelings of anxiety. But trials and times of testing are a way of showing us what is on inside of us. They are some of our best self-assessment tools. When you are squeezed, what comes out of you? When I am squeezed, what comes out of me?

I asked myself that question after my dental appointment a couple of weeks ago, followed by a total of four hours of sleep over the next two days. I didn't like the answer to that question. I thought to myself, "If I am reacting this way to news of oral surgery, how would I have acted had I been told I only had a limited time to live? What does this reveal about what is in me?" We need to be careful with such thoughts because there is a thin line between self-examination and condemnation. Self-examination and conviction says, "You are coming up short here. Take this to God and deal with it." Condemnation says, "You call yourself a Christian? Look how scared you are! You can't even sleep! You talk about faith and encourage others to have it, but look at you up all night worrying yourself to no end. You might as well give up. If you need any further treatment that isn't covered, you'll never afford it, and your life will be as good as over." God isn't all fluffy warm fuzzies, but even his chastizement is intended to bring correction, not hopelessness.

So whether you are like Kermit in this meme and your brain is keeping you up with your 10 worst memories or whether you have some concerns about your future, may I encourage you to do what I have been doing since that first weekend passed? Always answer fear with faith. But what if I don't have any faith? I'm glad you asked that because the Bible has the answer for that, too, as it does for everything since it comes from God himself. So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). So if your faith is weak, go to the God-breathed Old and New Testaments he has provided for you and stay in it so that your faith will be strengthened. Then you will be ready to pass your tests with flying colors.

Will the real Mount Sinai please stand up?

Moses was tending the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, who was also the priest of Midian. Moses led the flock to the back of the desert, coming to Horeb, the mountain of God, also known as Sinai (Exodus 3:1). Controversy has long surrounded the actual location of Horeb or Sinai. Midian, where Moses fled after killing the Egyptian 40 years later, was located entirely in modern-day Saudi Arabia. This was ideal for Moses because it was outside of the control and influence of Egypt. However, Moses' decision to hide in Midian may have been influenced by the presence of the Egyptian military in the Sinai Peninsula. Pharaoh's soldiers were supervising the construction and operation of copper and turquoise mines throughout southern Sinai. Inscriptions on their walls and the surrounding ruins of ancient temples still provide visual evidence of Egypt's presence there during the years of Moses' exile. It is doubtful that, as a fugitive, Moses would have lived or traveled anywhere in the south Sinai with an army committed to his capture close at hand. The prospects of sanctuary in Midian, however, were far more significant (The Exodus Revealed).

Map of Moses moving to Midian--Headwaters Christian Resources

After 40 years, Moses wandered to the base of Mount Sinai. There, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame from a burning bush. Moses looked and saw that the bush was burning with fire even though it did not consume it. So, naturally, Moses did what anyone would do, right? He said (paraphrasing), "Gee, there's a bush burning over there, but nothing is happening to it. That doesn't happen every day. Let me go get a closer look and check that out." When God saw that Moses was looking, he called to him. The first thing he had Moses do was take off his sandals because the ground he was standing on was holy. Then God informed Moses that, even though it had been hundreds of years, God heard the cries and sorrows of the Israelites because of their taskmasters. So he was finally going to deliver them from Egyptian bondage and bring them to the land he promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in Genesis. Furthermore, God let Moses know that he had been selected to go to Pharaoh to demand their release and lead them out (Exodus 3:2-10).

"Moses and the burning bush" by vlastas on Video Hive

At this point, we should probably identify who this Angel of the Lord is in verse 2. The Hebrew word translated as "Angel" is "Malak," which means "messenger." Therefore, this particular messenger is not just an angel but the "Angel of the Lord." The messenger of the Lord—or in Hebrew, "Malak" Lord—is the only messenger who bears the name of the Lord. Later, God makes an interesting statement when he says of the Angel of the Lord, "My name is in him" (Exodus 23:21). If you continue to explore the Bible, you see that sometimes the Angel of the Lord speaks as if he is a messenger of the Lord. Other times, he seems to indicate that he actually is the Lord.

The story of Hagar illustrates the complex way that the Angel of the Lord is portrayed in Scripture. In Genesis 16, we encounter a slave woman who has become pregnant by her master. Then she is abused by her master's wife until she ends up fleeing to the desert to meet her likely death. The Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness. (Genesis 16:7). The Angel of the Lord speaks to her, but then something strange happens. The Angel of the Lord says to her, "I will give you and your family many children. There will be more of them than anyone can count. You are now pregnant and will have a son. You will name him Ishmael because the Lord has heard about your suffering. He will be like a wild donkey because he will use his power against everyone. Everyone will also be against him. He will not get along with any of his family. She gave a name to the Lord who spoke to her. She called him, "You are the God who sees me." That's because she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." That's why the well was named Beer Lahai Roi (The well of him that lives) (Genesis 16:10-14). The Lord is the one who typically issues this kind of blessing.

Hagar and Ishmael in the wilderness

So the Bible portrays the Angel of the Lord as both God and yet distinct from God. Is this sounding familiar yet? Can you think of anyone else in the Bible described as separate from God and yet as God himself? Jesus said, "The Father and I are one" (John 10:30). This ancient and creative way of portraying the Lord as a complex unity helps readers understand that he is a diverse yet unified community of love. This is foundational for understanding that perfect community of love—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—that we have come to call the Trinity. The Lord interacts personally with humans while also maintaining his identity as God above all, yet entirely other. This God takes on an embodied form to relate with humanity, ultimately taking on human flesh to restore humanity to the right relationship as partners with him. This complex portrait of the Angel of the Lord uniquely communicates truths about the character and identity of Yahweh—that he is a complex unity, one who is both unified and diverse, near, and above all. What we see in the Angel of the Lord is brought to a culmination in the person of Jesus. Jesus draws near to humanity to draw us near God ("Who is the Angel of the Lord?").

"Jesus" from season 1 of "The Chosen"

Given the biblical record, some believe that Mount Sinai must be in Midian. Several Jewish documents, some written hundreds of years before Christian traditions, locate the mountain of God in the Midianite territory. In 250 BC, a council of 70 scholars translated the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek for the first time. This Greek translation is called the Septuagint. Their translation of the Exodus account presupposed that Mount Sinai stood in the Arabian Peninsula. Three centuries later, the Jewish philosopher Philo placed the mountain east of the Sinai Peninsula and south of Israel. At the same time, the Apostle Paul also located Mount Sinai in Arabia (Galatians 4:25). Perhaps the most specific description of Sinai's location can be traced to the first century AD historian Josephus. He wrote that Mount Sinai was the highest of mountains near the city of Madian. Shortly after this account, Madian was identified in the Arabian Peninsula by the Greek geographer Ptolemy. The ruins of Madian lay just outside the modern-day town of Alba, near Saudi Arabia's northwest coast. Thus, the best modern-day candidate for this mountain is called Jabal al-Lawz (Mountain of Almonds).

Jabal al-Lawz (possible location of the biblical Mount Sinai

There is a tradition among the locals there that Jabal-al-Lawz ["Mountain of Moses"]. Specific features of the mountain resemble the biblical description. Most prominent is a jagged peak more than 8,000 feet in elevation and blackened as if scorched by fire. Exodus 19:18 says smoke covered Mount Sinai because the Lord came down on it in fire. The smoke rose up from it like smoke from a furnace. The whole mountain trembled and shook.

Possible evidence of God descending on the mountain in a fire

At its base, an enormous pile of boulders at least 15 feet high and 60 feet across from where Aaron built an altar in front of the golden calf (Exodus 32:5). The flattened top of this structure has the appearance of being manmade.

Etched into its rock faces were petroglyphs of bovine creatures: cattle and bulls. The distinctive horns in some of the inscriptions resemble those found on pictures of sacred Egyptian Apis bulls.

Satellite photos of the area have revealed another geographical feature that parallels the biblical account. There is a sprawling plain of more than 10,000 acres. Flat, surrounded by mountains, and adjacent to the dried bed of an ancient river, it could have provided an ideal place for the Israelite encampment. After they started out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai. They camped there in the desert in front of the mountain (Exodus 19:2). Just west of the mountain stands another possible link to the Exodus account. A towering rock 60 feet high is split from top to bottom. Evidence of water erosion is etched into its base (The Exodus Revealed). The Lord broke open a rock, and streams of water poured out. They flowed like a river in the desert (Psalm 105:41).

Open rock from which water gushed out (Psalm 105:41)

As interesting as all this information is because it provides geographical evidence for the accuracy of the Bible, let's not lose sight of what is going on with the Israelites because God didn't. The Israelites groaned and cried out for help because they were slaves. God heard their groans, which took him back to the covenant he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites with concern for them (Exodus 2:23-24). Reflect on their situation and try to imagine what it would be like to live under those conditions. The whip of the cruel taskmaster was a daily reminder of their slavery. Maybe people are enslaved today by invisible taskmasters not seen by the naked eye, but that is just as real as the Egyptian taskmasters (Precept Upon Precept: Exodus). Perhaps your taskmaster is alcoholism, drugs, pornography, pride, people-pleasing, hatred, bitterness, anger, self-pity, or any number of things too numerous to list. The worst slavemaster of all are not these things, though, but the one who uses them to enslave people. Satan, the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4), is the real enemy that seeks to use whatever he can to keep you in bondage all the way to Hell.

Israelite bondage

On one occasion, Jesus was speaking to some Jews who had believed in him. He told them they were only really his disciples if they obeyed his teaching. The Jews, quite bafflingly, bragged that they were children of Abraham and had never been slaves of anyone. As such, they didn't see what they needed to be set free from. How could they make such a statement given the number of times in the past they had been captives in a foreign land? How could they say that when they were facing Roman occupation at the very time they said they were slaves to no one? Jesus replied that everyone who sins is a slave to sin. A slave has no lasting place in the family, but a son belongs to the family forever. Only when Jesus sets you free from sin are you really free (John 8:31-36).

"Gospel of John" movie

Maybe, like those Jews, you believe there is a God. Perhaps you acknowledge Jesus Christ, but are you really his disciple, learner, and follower? Are you enslaved in bondage, afflicted by persistent unrelenting sin, or have you been set free? Think about what Jesus taught in John 8:31-36 and parallel it with the picture of the Egyptians. Do you need to call out to God because of your bondage and torment? If so, don't wait. Do it now (Precept Upon Precept: Exodus).

Images of stones described in ancient Hebrew from Daily Star

The earliest known inscription of a Menorah from Daily Star