Laws of Legacies

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(Exodus 13:14) And when in time to come your son asks you, “What does this mean?” you should say to him, “By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.”

O
God requires us to pass our salvation legacy to the next generation. Since the passover is only a symbol of Jesus’ cross and resurrection, we now pre-script our legacy lessons around our stories of how Jesus’ death and resurrection delivered us from slavery to the world, the flesh, and the devil (1 John 2:16;5:19).

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Slavery was strong and sin is stubborn, but salvation is stronger and sweeter than both (v. 14). God dedicated His Son to serve me; my legacy is to dedicate myself to serve Him (v. 15). My devotion to Jesus governs all I do (my hands) and all I understand (my eyes) (v. 16). Because I follow Him, God shepherds me wisely and safely according to my specific needs (v. 17), and He fully equips me to be fruitful and successful in His work (v. 18). This is the legacy I've received and that I pass on (v. 19).

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Lord, You are my permanent and constant reason to be full of joy. Thank You for the constant fountain of blessings from the wells of salvation (1 Thess. 5:16; Psa. 21; Isa. 12:3).

Whine that Blinds

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(Exodus 26:2) “And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness,”...

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Two weeks (15 days) into their deliverance and the people whined against their human leaders and ignored the divine leadership behind their deliverance. The nature of their misery, besides doubting God’s goodness and leadership, was focusing on what they could not see. They didn’t see God so they doubted His resources. Where would they get food and water? By focusing on their blindness--what they could not see--they blinded themselves to the joyful realities of what they were doing and where they were going.

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My eyes don’t see Jesus, but I see that He has proven His good leadership and care for me. Like them, my eyes look to the future without seeing certain human resources. However, because I see God’s faithful supply in my past and present, by faith I choose to rejoice in the possibilities of the future and I choose to revel in thankfulness for all I have now.

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Lord, open my eyes so I can grow even more in bold thankfulness.

Oops!

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"If the whole Israelite community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord's commands, even though the community is unaware of the matter, they are guilty." Leviticus 4:13

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It is possible for a community to sin, and to do so without realizing it. Even so, their guilt is real, whether they are aware of it, or not.

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Sometimes the blood and guts of the Old Testament troubles me. I think it all seems so unfair, but I think that's because I have a naive view of sin and guilt. Of course, sin is something I do occasionally: I blow it, or I mess up. I tend to forget that sin is so much more serious than that. And what it ultimately cost God. The Cross helps me keep everything in perspective. It was horrific—a blood sacrifice of God in the flesh. Then there's guilt. It's a feeling I have, right? Not according to this passage. It's real. It exists regardless of whether I feel it. Again, I'm back at the Cross. Even if I don't feel it, I can see what my guilt look like—really look like on the Cross. Maybe that's the point of all the bloodiest passages in Scripture. If not for the Cross, I'd be right in the middle of it all.

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Dear Lord, thank you for taking my sin and guilt on yourself. Please let the Cross always remind me of how much you love me.

Big Time

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"Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action." Acts 7:22

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Moses is described by Stephen as educated in all that the mightiest kingdom of his day could offer. As a result, Moses was a powerful presence: eloquent and highly effective.

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Moses sounds a lot different in Stephen's description than he does in Exodus chapter four where he claims to be "slow of speech and tongue." What happened during the years between the salad days of Egypt and Moses encounter with God in the Burning Bush? Why would a man who was once so powerful, think so little of his own abilities? One thing's for sure: God didn't choose to use him when his stock was up. He waited until Moses had been brought low in the world's estimation. Is there a pattern here? If this is the way God does things, would I be up for it?

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Lord, please do what's needed to use me however you want to use me.

Cool Place

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Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you...There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites. Exodus 25:9 and 22

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God is telling Moses to make a place of worship "exactly like the pattern". Later, He says that when this task is done, it will be the specific place where He will meet with Moses. It is there that Moses will receive God's commands for His people.

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Obedience and communion go together. This passage is telling me that God is a good communicator. He isn't coy about what He wants. I don't have to guess, but the intimate fellowship I have with Him will be "exactly like the pattern I show you". Obviously, it starts with Jesus, but it also continues with Him. As I read the Word (the pattern), and do what it says (exactly like...I show you), then He meets with me. I don't think it's a condition of meeting, as if I have to do it exactly right, or else. No, there's grace and mercy at His throne, because the Cross takes care of my condition, but obedience is the PLACE of meeting. It's the sacred place where communion dwells.

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Lord, please make me quick to listen, and even quicker to obey!

What Do You Want from Jesus?

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The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. Acts 5:41-42 (NIV)

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They leave the highest court in Jerusalem, having just been rebuked and beaten, but the apostles are rejoicing. Their joy flows from their conviction that it was an honor to suffer for Jesus. They ignore the rebuke—to stop teaching in Christ's name—and continually minister, both in the place of public worship, and in people's homes.

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I see no attractive message of happiness and success in this passage, only the joy of suffering in holiness and service. I love the parts of the Bible that speak of God's blessings for obedience. I often read into those verses, "happiness and success." But I really need the other parts, the passages that serve up a hearty meal of holiness, suffering, and, joy.

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Dear Lord, please scrub my heart of any un-holy desire for comfort and ease in You. May I rejoice equally in your loving blessings whatever they bring, knowing that sometimes service comes as suffering. I pray that I will testify of Your lovingkindness even in the midst of the worst circumstances.

Purity Refined

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...The Lord replies, “I have seen violence done to the helpless, and I have heard the groans of the poor. Now I will rise up to rescue them, as they have longed for me to do.” The Lord’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over. Psalm 12:5-6 (NLT)

O:
God notices the poor, and He promises to rescue them from their affliction in response to their desire for help. His promise contains no impurity. It's compared to silver that has been repeatedly refined.

A:
I don't recognize the marginalized poor the way God does in this passage. There's real passion in His declaration. He doesn't just show up. He "rises up." I get the impression that He's deeply aroused by their plight, and He's just plain had it. Earlier in the Psalm, David complains about the lack of godliness, and the exploitation of the poor. It makes me wonder if my concern for the poor isn't in some way the "canary in the mine" that shows me just how godly I am. If I'm avoiding sin, BUT also the poor in equal measure, what does that tell me?

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Dear Lord, I confess a lack of love for the poor. Please give me your heart for them. If You're pleased to use me, I want to be Your hands and feet when it comes to the least...