FIRST WORDS
To My Friends, Colleagues, Church Fellowship, Curious People everywhere and especially my Grandchildren,
Always know that you are fully loved by God and you are loved by me. I pray that you remember our purpose is to reflect the entire Glory of God.
MOSES REFLECTS ON HIS JOURNEY WITH CHRIST
It is important for me to begin this week by sharing how I think the first five books in scripture were written. I think we can safely attribute the actual writing of Genesis and Deuteronomy to Moses himself. I believe we have to be a bit more circumspect about the books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. I personally believe these were written accounts by Joshua (in coordination with Moses) as he accompanied Moses up the mountain and down into the dessert with God's people. For Moses to have the actual conversations and participate in the experiences of these three books while at the same time maintaining such a precise accounting of the details seems a bit dubious to me. This leaves Joshua as the only one who was always there and we know he will eventually write the book of Joshua for himself.
I make this point, because it matters to me as I read the book of Deuteronomy. This book sounds different than the previous three and it just feels different. It sounds and feels more personal. In the laws, ordinances and offerings we get a first hand view of how they were practiced and not just recorded for posterity. It has the same feel for me as the Federalist Papers in our own history here in the United States. Our constitution is a cold and hard document. It is supposed to be. It is designed to be a guarantee of rights and processes. The founders were not explaining or defending the laws and processes, they were enacting them. The Federalist Papers on the other hand, are personal and alive with debate. Why the laws were passed and how they were intended to be lived out were the topics of these papers. That is Deuteronomy, it is a book written by Moses that gives us personal insight into the journey he took with God and the journey he took with God's people. He will get some things right and quite frankly he will get one key thing wrong. I hope this is not too shocking. We all get it wrong sometimes. Isn't it wonderful that we have the records of both in relation to the people of God.
I would like to use the blog this week to talk about one of those places I believe Moses got it wrong.
MOSES GETS IT WRONG
Let me take you back to Israel in the dessert of Exodus 17. We are not far into the journey with Christ when the people of Israel are thirsty. They are not shy telling Moses of their discomfort. Christ tells Moses to strike a rock with Aaron's staff the same way he struck the Nile in Egypt. Moses does, and water comes from the rock to quench the thirst of Israel. Another proof for the Israelites that they can in fact trust Christ to deliver them in their time of need.
Fast forward to Numbers 20 and we are faced with the same situation. This time, one would imagine, that the Israelites would be a little further along in their faith. God has been delivering them and traveling with them. The only casualties have come from the result of rebellion on the part of Israel and punishment from a Holy God. In numbers 20 the people are thirsty again and Moses is frustrated. Christ once again tells him to take the staff of Aaron but Christ changes it a bit this time. Instead of striking the rock, Christ tells Moses to simply speak to the rock. If you are tracking with me you remember what Moses did and Moses said. Listen to the account.
Numbers 20:8 - 13
"Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water....Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?" Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank."
Do you hear the third person narrative going on in this story? We have just received the simple facts of the story. Christ said, Moses did and then Christ responds. God is not happy. Here's the thing, this is not even the mistake I am talking about! To be sure it is a terrible mistake that Moses has just made, so severe in fact that Christ will deny him entrance into the "promised land" of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but it is not the mistake I want to talk about.
If we go a little further we find ourselves at the beginning of Deuteronomy. Right at the front of Moses's first hand account of his journeys he is going to talk about this very occasion. He will back track and pick it all up from Egypt to the last battle he will fight with Israel, but he begins with what is probably the most troubling episode in his life.
Deuteronomy 1:37 and repeated in 3:21
"Because of you (children of Israel) the Lord became angry with me and said, "You shall not enter it, either."
Moses has just blamed Israel for his mistake of disobedience to God. Let's be clear about what exactly that mistake entailed. Christ told Moses to simply speak His word over the rock. Moses decides to make a statement about himself and Aaron instead. The mistake is nothing less than Moses setting himself up in the position of provider and savior of the nation of Israel. Remember the words? "Moses said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water..." The heart of Moses has slipped. He has not lost favor with Christ. He has not placed himself in a position that Christ cannot use him to lead the Israelites. What he has done is make a mistake and allowed his heart to move away from the presence and the will of God. In my language, Moses has failed to live out his basic purpose which is to reflect the glory of God. Moses has chosen to reflect his own glory.
The real kicker for me, is when Moses recounts this story, he has not yet reconciled his heart to his own mistake. He blames others for the condition of his heart and his actions in relation to God. I understand this very well. There have been many times in my life when I could have used a scapegoat. A major part of the maturity of person hood, just like maturity of faith, is our willingness to accept responsibility for our own mistakes, shortcomings and sins.
For me, there is no other response here except to say, Moses got this totally wrong. There is work to be done in his life in relation to the people of Israel and in the condition of his heart towards Christ.
Allow me to compare the response of Moses to the response of Christ in relation to the hardness of Pharaoh's heart.
It is absolutely true that had the Israelites not complained and rebelled, Moses would have had no reason or opportunity to take this glory upon himself. Would you agree with me in this situation that there is in fact a cause that we can point to for this action? Would you also agree that no matter how dynamic that cause is, we cannot remove from Moses his personal accountability for his own actions? He was still the one that acted contrary to the word of Christ.
Is it not equally true, that Christ Himself is responsible for the plagues that set up a win lose scenario for Pharaoh? Would you remove the responsibility for the choices Pharaoh makes from him? Are you willing to totally blame Christ for Pharaoh's actions? I am not, and yet Christ steps up in the book of Exodus and boldly claims responsibility for His part. I hear in the words "God hardened Pharaoh's heart" as the admission that Christ's unwavering judgment played a huge role in why Pharaoh was not able to turn back. Christ never backs away from righteous acts or judgments. He always takes total and full responsibility and yet does not alleviate the reality of personal responsibility on our part. He has chosen and so must we.
Is this not the same story that will be told at the beginning of the book of Genesis, when first Adam and then Eve try to mitigate their responsibility by bringing other's actions to their defense. For Adam it was Eve and for Eve it was the serpent.
Could it be to this idea that Christ will go in the gospel of Luke, when He says that to "everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded"? Is it this same idea in the book of Revelation 20 where John records the book of life is opened and "the dead are judged according to the things written in the book, according to their deeds"?
The idea is not that we make no mistakes or commit no sin. The idea is that we take responsibility for our mistakes and sin (confession and repentance) just as Christ takes responsibility for His Holiness and standards of expectations for us. It is in this way that the people of God in the Exodus learned to walk with Christ and become holy. It is in this way that we learn to walk with Christ and become holy.
For those who know me well.
NO EXCUSES!
Yol bolsum,
Tim
Showing posts with label exodus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exodus. Show all posts
Friday, May 25, 2018
Friday, May 11, 2018
Christ in Leviticus (The Offering and Tithe)
FIRST WORDS
To My Friends, Colleagues, Church Fellowship, Curious People everywhere and especially my Grandchildren,
Always know that you are fully loved by God and you are loved by me. I pray that you remember our purpose is to reflect the entire Glory of God.
CHRIST INTRODUCES OFFERINGS AND THE "TITHE"
I want to share with you what I saw as the basic structure of the offerings Christ instituted. To do this we might as well tackle the big one first. The Tithe.
All offerings culminated with the "Tithe". When we talk about giving in the church these tend to be the questions.
What is the tithe? How much is the tithe? Is this really in the bible? Is this still an institute of the modern church or was it only for the nation of Israel in the Old Testament? The questions are numerous and perhaps you have asked some of these questions yourself.
For me to give these questions fair answers I begin in the books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers which we are currently reading.
Before we attempt to bring clarity to the questions of offerings and the tithe, permit me to clarify the difference between the ordinances Christ is instituting and the offerings He is asking His people to bring to the tabernacle.
Remember that the tabernacle is a part of the agreement Christ made with His people so that He would (not "could" but "would") travel with them to the promised land. Christ had stated He would not go with them to the promised land, because in His holiness he would destroy them before they arrived. He was Holy and they were not. His will, was that the people of Israel would move into the land He had promised for them. He knew they would be continually drawn to the building of idols in this world and the response of Christ would be harsh. Christ told Moses He intended to keep the promise of giving them a land of their own but He would send an angel to lead them. Moses asked for Christ to reconsider. Moses asked that rather than leave them to be led by an angel why not teach them how to live in relationship with Christ as they journeyed together. Christ consented to this and the tabernacle is built. Ordinances and laws are put in place and offerings are required. All of this is a part of the process Christ will use to teach His children what it means to be Holy in the presence of Christ Himself who is Holy. This brings me to the basic difference between a law that is to be followed and an offering that is to be given. This is the basic difference. Christ will use the ordinances and laws He is instituting to direct and teach us about His holiness as we observe and follow them. He will use the offerings and the tithe to bring us into right relationship and fellowship with Him as we repent, give and serve.
Let's begin in the latter part of Exodus as Christ begins telling Moses about several types of offering he is to institute. Let's do a quick overview of these offerings and their purpose.
Burnt Offerings - these were offerings to atone for sin
Sin Offerings - for sins that could not be atoned for
Guilt Offerings - for sins that could be atoned for
Grain Offerings - these were offerings given in gratitude for abundant crops
Fellowship Offerings - these were in honor of our fellowship with God
In addition to these offerings there were the offerings of our gifts and talents. Everyone had something they could do to work for God and His temple. Writing, Sewing, Woodworking, Metalworking, Music etc… Everyone was encouraged to contribute for the temple in their work.
Here was the catch. In most of these fellowship offerings we were to give freely as we felt called. There were annual offerings that had to happen but in relation to individuals it was between you and God when you brought one of these offerings to the temple or the church. In these times you came to just be in the presence of Christ and to be in fellowship with Him.
Here was Christ's decree in all of these offerings.
Exodus 34:20 - Christ says, "no one is to appear before me empty handed".
This brings us to the questions of a tithe. Leviticus tells us the tithe happened in a couple of ways. Whenever your land or your flock or your occupation increased you brought the “first fruits” of that increase to the temple. You were also asked every three years to not totally gather your fields and your flocks so that those who were poor (usually the orphans and widows) could use your produce to help feed and clothe themselves.
Why the "first fruits"?
Numbers 3:11 tells us the "tithe is His because He set aside the firstborn of Israel for himself in Egypt when He struck down all the firstborn of the Egyptians.
Why 10%
Leviticus 27:30 Christ tell us that the tithe is one tenth of everything that is first in your life. Crops, Animals, money, etc...
I have continued to say in these blogs that Christ in the books of the Old Testament must agree with Jesus Christ in the New Testament.
In the new testament (Mark 12 and Luke 21) we have Jesus Christ honoring a poor widow who was bringing an offering to the temple. It was a very small amount and yet she brought it. In the midst of very wealthy people giving offerings in the temple Christ called attention to this one small offering from the widow. He said to His disciples that this woman’s offering was more pleasing than the large amounts the wealthy were giving. Christ did honor and promote the idea of giving an offering and tithing in the New Testament.
The early church also practiced both offering and tithing. The bible tells us that people went and sold items or brought money to the church for the common fellowship and purpose of the church.
In our modern era when we receive an increase in our income on at least a monthly basis the idea of a monthly tithe is common. When we make money we give to the church and the community of believers.
A shoutout to my mother and father.
I have always given at least a tithe and often an offering each week or month since I made my first dime as a paperboy and cutting lawns in the summers at about 13 years old. My mother and father modeled this for me. When I began working at the age of 13, each week (that was how often I was paid) 10% of my income went into the offering plate of the church. As my income increased so did my tithe. The extra I might give to the church for things that were close to my heart were my offerings.
Joy and I as the pastor give 10% of our income and we give offerings as well. In our offerings we support things like sending kids to camp or special ministries. We support various youth projects in the church. We support things like Feed My Starving Children. These offerings are not a part of our tithe or a part of the 10% that we give in the general offering of the church. In addition to this we help many families outside of the church. We support the Optimist Club, many school fundraisers and various other community organizations.
I believe in tithing and I practice tithing. I believe in the offering and I practice the giving of various offerings. I go back to scripture and I would say again that the bible makes this a very personal decision between you and Christ.
The invitation of Christ is that His presence will move from a tabernacle into our hearts. This means as we journey towards the promise of an eternal life with Him (which is our "promised land") He will teach us how to be Holy as He is holy. We will fail in this and yes we must bring a sacrifice of repentant hearts into His presence if we want to be forgiven and restored to a place of holiness so we can have the blessing of His presence with us on this journey. It also means we bring fellowship offerings to Him in the form of our gifts and the first fruits of our labor. Christ instituted the church as the body of Christ in this world until He comes again. When He comes again the church will be obsolete and I will once again bring my offerings directly into His presence. Until then I give my tithe and fellowship to the church and my fellow believers in Christ.
I would be interested in other interpretations of the ordinances and the offerings from these books of the Old Testament.
I hope this foundation for the tithe and offering is a blessing to my family as it has been a blessing to me. Thank you mom and dad for teaching me even when I didn't fully understand the scripture supporting the practice.
Yol bolsun,
Tim
To My Friends, Colleagues, Church Fellowship, Curious People everywhere and especially my Grandchildren,
Always know that you are fully loved by God and you are loved by me. I pray that you remember our purpose is to reflect the entire Glory of God.
CHRIST INTRODUCES OFFERINGS AND THE "TITHE"
I want to share with you what I saw as the basic structure of the offerings Christ instituted. To do this we might as well tackle the big one first. The Tithe.
All offerings culminated with the "Tithe". When we talk about giving in the church these tend to be the questions.
What is the tithe? How much is the tithe? Is this really in the bible? Is this still an institute of the modern church or was it only for the nation of Israel in the Old Testament? The questions are numerous and perhaps you have asked some of these questions yourself.
For me to give these questions fair answers I begin in the books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers which we are currently reading.
Before we attempt to bring clarity to the questions of offerings and the tithe, permit me to clarify the difference between the ordinances Christ is instituting and the offerings He is asking His people to bring to the tabernacle.
Remember that the tabernacle is a part of the agreement Christ made with His people so that He would (not "could" but "would") travel with them to the promised land. Christ had stated He would not go with them to the promised land, because in His holiness he would destroy them before they arrived. He was Holy and they were not. His will, was that the people of Israel would move into the land He had promised for them. He knew they would be continually drawn to the building of idols in this world and the response of Christ would be harsh. Christ told Moses He intended to keep the promise of giving them a land of their own but He would send an angel to lead them. Moses asked for Christ to reconsider. Moses asked that rather than leave them to be led by an angel why not teach them how to live in relationship with Christ as they journeyed together. Christ consented to this and the tabernacle is built. Ordinances and laws are put in place and offerings are required. All of this is a part of the process Christ will use to teach His children what it means to be Holy in the presence of Christ Himself who is Holy. This brings me to the basic difference between a law that is to be followed and an offering that is to be given. This is the basic difference. Christ will use the ordinances and laws He is instituting to direct and teach us about His holiness as we observe and follow them. He will use the offerings and the tithe to bring us into right relationship and fellowship with Him as we repent, give and serve.
Let's begin in the latter part of Exodus as Christ begins telling Moses about several types of offering he is to institute. Let's do a quick overview of these offerings and their purpose.
Burnt Offerings - these were offerings to atone for sin
Sin Offerings - for sins that could not be atoned for
Guilt Offerings - for sins that could be atoned for
- Without doing a thorough study of the offerings we can see at a basic level these offerings keep us connected to Christ even when we fail to live up to His Holy Character in the ordinances and laws. Were it not for these offerings we could not stay in right relationship with Christ. Even if we can't live by the standards of His Holly character we can show we want to by our repentant hearts that obey the offerings. Both conscious and unconscious sin is dealt with in these three offerings.
Grain Offerings - these were offerings given in gratitude for abundant crops
- These offerings were a constant acknowledgement that everything Israel had comes from Christ. These do not mirror the Egyptian offerings that were given so that you would have a good crop. These offerings were given regardless of the bounty of the crop. They were given from good crop harvests and the same is required even in a poor harvest. All that we have comes from Christ.
Fellowship Offerings - these were in honor of our fellowship with God
- These were instituted as a reason for all Israel to come to Christ just to be in His presence. Not because they had sinned or failed, but rather because He wanted to be with them and they wanted to be with Him. A part of these offerings were the things they brought to the tabernacle to sustain it and the things they brought to the tabernacle because they were the people of Christ.
In addition to these offerings there were the offerings of our gifts and talents. Everyone had something they could do to work for God and His temple. Writing, Sewing, Woodworking, Metalworking, Music etc… Everyone was encouraged to contribute for the temple in their work.
Here was the catch. In most of these fellowship offerings we were to give freely as we felt called. There were annual offerings that had to happen but in relation to individuals it was between you and God when you brought one of these offerings to the temple or the church. In these times you came to just be in the presence of Christ and to be in fellowship with Him.
Here was Christ's decree in all of these offerings.
Exodus 34:20 - Christ says, "no one is to appear before me empty handed".
This brings us to the questions of a tithe. Leviticus tells us the tithe happened in a couple of ways. Whenever your land or your flock or your occupation increased you brought the “first fruits” of that increase to the temple. You were also asked every three years to not totally gather your fields and your flocks so that those who were poor (usually the orphans and widows) could use your produce to help feed and clothe themselves.
Why the "first fruits"?
Numbers 3:11 tells us the "tithe is His because He set aside the firstborn of Israel for himself in Egypt when He struck down all the firstborn of the Egyptians.
Why 10%
Leviticus 27:30 Christ tell us that the tithe is one tenth of everything that is first in your life. Crops, Animals, money, etc...
I have continued to say in these blogs that Christ in the books of the Old Testament must agree with Jesus Christ in the New Testament.
In the new testament (Mark 12 and Luke 21) we have Jesus Christ honoring a poor widow who was bringing an offering to the temple. It was a very small amount and yet she brought it. In the midst of very wealthy people giving offerings in the temple Christ called attention to this one small offering from the widow. He said to His disciples that this woman’s offering was more pleasing than the large amounts the wealthy were giving. Christ did honor and promote the idea of giving an offering and tithing in the New Testament.
The early church also practiced both offering and tithing. The bible tells us that people went and sold items or brought money to the church for the common fellowship and purpose of the church.
In our modern era when we receive an increase in our income on at least a monthly basis the idea of a monthly tithe is common. When we make money we give to the church and the community of believers.
A shoutout to my mother and father.
I have always given at least a tithe and often an offering each week or month since I made my first dime as a paperboy and cutting lawns in the summers at about 13 years old. My mother and father modeled this for me. When I began working at the age of 13, each week (that was how often I was paid) 10% of my income went into the offering plate of the church. As my income increased so did my tithe. The extra I might give to the church for things that were close to my heart were my offerings.
Joy and I as the pastor give 10% of our income and we give offerings as well. In our offerings we support things like sending kids to camp or special ministries. We support various youth projects in the church. We support things like Feed My Starving Children. These offerings are not a part of our tithe or a part of the 10% that we give in the general offering of the church. In addition to this we help many families outside of the church. We support the Optimist Club, many school fundraisers and various other community organizations.
I believe in tithing and I practice tithing. I believe in the offering and I practice the giving of various offerings. I go back to scripture and I would say again that the bible makes this a very personal decision between you and Christ.
The invitation of Christ is that His presence will move from a tabernacle into our hearts. This means as we journey towards the promise of an eternal life with Him (which is our "promised land") He will teach us how to be Holy as He is holy. We will fail in this and yes we must bring a sacrifice of repentant hearts into His presence if we want to be forgiven and restored to a place of holiness so we can have the blessing of His presence with us on this journey. It also means we bring fellowship offerings to Him in the form of our gifts and the first fruits of our labor. Christ instituted the church as the body of Christ in this world until He comes again. When He comes again the church will be obsolete and I will once again bring my offerings directly into His presence. Until then I give my tithe and fellowship to the church and my fellow believers in Christ.
I would be interested in other interpretations of the ordinances and the offerings from these books of the Old Testament.
I hope this foundation for the tithe and offering is a blessing to my family as it has been a blessing to me. Thank you mom and dad for teaching me even when I didn't fully understand the scripture supporting the practice.
Yol bolsun,
Tim
Friday, April 27, 2018
Christ in Exodus
FIRST WORDS
To My Friends, Colleagues, Church Fellowship, Curious People everywhere and especially my Grandchildren,
Always know that you are fully loved by God and you are loved by me. I pray that you remember our purpose is to reflect the entire Glory of God.
CHRIST HARDENS PHARAOH'S HEART
What are we to do with this?
If we consider seriously that God is active in the world at this point through Christ, then we cannot relegate this action of God (hardening Pharaoh's heart in Exodus 7:3) to the responsibility of the Father. We cannot simply dismiss it because that is not the way God acts towards us in Jesus Christ. Would you at some level agree, that this is the way we have usually handled our questions about the plagues, judgment and the hardening of Pharaoh's heart? These actions were done by a judgmental God (The Father). In contrast to that fierce, judgmental Father we meet Jesus Christ (God Incarnate), and are introduced in the New Testament to the God of grace and mercy who calls us to love and forgive.
What if I am correct in my reading of scripture, and Christ is always the active presence of God in this world from the first verse of Genesis to the last verse of Revelation. That makes this action by God the responsibility of Christ, just as surely as we will see God in the New Testament as the compassionate and loving action of Jesus Christ when he heals the blind man or forgives the prostitute. It also means, that this is the same resurrected Christ who will come again with the judgment of revelation when He breaks the seals and sends plagues to ravage the earth. This is exactly what I believe is happening in Scripture.
This interpretation begs for an answer in Exodus 7:3. What does it mean to say that Christ will and does harden Pharaoh's heart?
To explore a possible and I believe plausible answer to this, let me take you back to Exodus 6:6-9. Christ tells Moses to speak these words to Israel, "I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will take you as my own people." In verse 9, when Moses spoke these words to the people of Israel, they responded like this, "they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor." In other words, they were so beaten down and discouraged from the abuse and tyranny of the Egyptians that they did not have the capacity to hear words of hope and deliverance. I hear in this that their hearts were "hard". I wonder if you have ever found yourself in that situation. I certainly have. I have had times in my life where I seemed so caught and transfixed by fear, pain and sometimes anger, that I was not able to hear words of hope that could have resolved the pain in my life. I don't think Israel was being blatantly disobedient to Christ, I think they simply didn't have the capacity to hear these wonderful words of hope. With that idea let me talk about Pharaoh.
Is it conceivable, that Pharaoh was in a frame of mind that fear and perhaps even anger was keeping him from responding to the voice of God that would have brought deliverance to Israel and potential prosperity to Egypt. At the very least, we can conceive this reality, if Pharaoh had listened to Christ from the beginning he would have had an intact nation on which to rebuild their future. They had received free labor for hundred of years that had enabled them to build one of the most impressive cultures the world has ever known. Egypt was in a good place and the reality of losing slave labor would have certainly changed their future but not left them desolate. For proof of this we need only look at the massive step forward the United States of America took when we moved from ideas of nation building on the backs of slaves to nation building by free lives that dream and hope for their own futures. Is it possible, that the fear, pain and yes even anger which accompanied the call of Christ to set Israel free created a barrier to hearing future hope and framing that voice of Christ in a way that made Pharaoh's heart hard? I think it is possible, and laying that as a foundation we witness the fight and conflict which develops as Christ will work to free His people and Pharaoh will rebel. With each successive judgment and plague we watch as Pharaoh considers his options but ultimately chooses rebellion. In this way, can we not affirm the words of Christ that His actions will harden Pharaoh's heart while at the same time affirming that it is the choices Pharaoh makes which prompt future judgment and plague. It appears that Christ is ready to relent at any point where Pharaoh is willing to let Israel go. Is this not a reflection of what Pharaoh has already done to Israel in Exodus 6:9?
For this to be true it must be consistent with the way Christ will teach and act as Jesus Christ. It must also be consistent with the way our resurrected Jesus Christ will act through the end of time.
To reflect on this, it seems very consistent that Jesus Christ teaches a willingness by God to embrace a rebellious and sinful life the second it will repent (Read Paul's letter to the Romans). It seems equally consistent to say that Christ did not remove free-will from our lives but left the decision up to us. In this way we continue to be responsible for our own destiny. It also makes for an interesting conversation in regards to the "Lord's Prayer" when Jesus Christ teaches this truth. "Forgive us as we forgive". In the context of Pharaoh's actions towards Israel, (as they ask to leave and pursue the worship of God in freedom Pharaoh says he will make life harder for them-he takes away even the straw he had previously supplied for the making of brick) we witness Christ making it equally as difficult for Pharaoh. We certainly see in the book of Revelation the harsh judgments of Christ that once again bring a world to it's figurative knees. Yet the world will not relent even in the midst of destruction.
I would ask at least an honest consideration of this interpretation for Pharaoh's heart being hardened by Christ.
THE LAWS OF CEREMONY, CLEANLINESS AND MORALITY
I am choosing to wait and deal with this fully at the time we study Christ and His words in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. I will pull this part of Exodus and the "Ten Commandments" into that conversation. All of those Laws were actually given at this time of the exodus, and so it is appropriate to have that conversation in its entirety as we are actually reading the laws.
Until next week,
Yol Bolsun,
Tim
To My Friends, Colleagues, Church Fellowship, Curious People everywhere and especially my Grandchildren,
Always know that you are fully loved by God and you are loved by me. I pray that you remember our purpose is to reflect the entire Glory of God.
CHRIST HARDENS PHARAOH'S HEART
What are we to do with this?
If we consider seriously that God is active in the world at this point through Christ, then we cannot relegate this action of God (hardening Pharaoh's heart in Exodus 7:3) to the responsibility of the Father. We cannot simply dismiss it because that is not the way God acts towards us in Jesus Christ. Would you at some level agree, that this is the way we have usually handled our questions about the plagues, judgment and the hardening of Pharaoh's heart? These actions were done by a judgmental God (The Father). In contrast to that fierce, judgmental Father we meet Jesus Christ (God Incarnate), and are introduced in the New Testament to the God of grace and mercy who calls us to love and forgive.
What if I am correct in my reading of scripture, and Christ is always the active presence of God in this world from the first verse of Genesis to the last verse of Revelation. That makes this action by God the responsibility of Christ, just as surely as we will see God in the New Testament as the compassionate and loving action of Jesus Christ when he heals the blind man or forgives the prostitute. It also means, that this is the same resurrected Christ who will come again with the judgment of revelation when He breaks the seals and sends plagues to ravage the earth. This is exactly what I believe is happening in Scripture.
This interpretation begs for an answer in Exodus 7:3. What does it mean to say that Christ will and does harden Pharaoh's heart?
To explore a possible and I believe plausible answer to this, let me take you back to Exodus 6:6-9. Christ tells Moses to speak these words to Israel, "I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will take you as my own people." In verse 9, when Moses spoke these words to the people of Israel, they responded like this, "they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor." In other words, they were so beaten down and discouraged from the abuse and tyranny of the Egyptians that they did not have the capacity to hear words of hope and deliverance. I hear in this that their hearts were "hard". I wonder if you have ever found yourself in that situation. I certainly have. I have had times in my life where I seemed so caught and transfixed by fear, pain and sometimes anger, that I was not able to hear words of hope that could have resolved the pain in my life. I don't think Israel was being blatantly disobedient to Christ, I think they simply didn't have the capacity to hear these wonderful words of hope. With that idea let me talk about Pharaoh.
Is it conceivable, that Pharaoh was in a frame of mind that fear and perhaps even anger was keeping him from responding to the voice of God that would have brought deliverance to Israel and potential prosperity to Egypt. At the very least, we can conceive this reality, if Pharaoh had listened to Christ from the beginning he would have had an intact nation on which to rebuild their future. They had received free labor for hundred of years that had enabled them to build one of the most impressive cultures the world has ever known. Egypt was in a good place and the reality of losing slave labor would have certainly changed their future but not left them desolate. For proof of this we need only look at the massive step forward the United States of America took when we moved from ideas of nation building on the backs of slaves to nation building by free lives that dream and hope for their own futures. Is it possible, that the fear, pain and yes even anger which accompanied the call of Christ to set Israel free created a barrier to hearing future hope and framing that voice of Christ in a way that made Pharaoh's heart hard? I think it is possible, and laying that as a foundation we witness the fight and conflict which develops as Christ will work to free His people and Pharaoh will rebel. With each successive judgment and plague we watch as Pharaoh considers his options but ultimately chooses rebellion. In this way, can we not affirm the words of Christ that His actions will harden Pharaoh's heart while at the same time affirming that it is the choices Pharaoh makes which prompt future judgment and plague. It appears that Christ is ready to relent at any point where Pharaoh is willing to let Israel go. Is this not a reflection of what Pharaoh has already done to Israel in Exodus 6:9?
For this to be true it must be consistent with the way Christ will teach and act as Jesus Christ. It must also be consistent with the way our resurrected Jesus Christ will act through the end of time.
To reflect on this, it seems very consistent that Jesus Christ teaches a willingness by God to embrace a rebellious and sinful life the second it will repent (Read Paul's letter to the Romans). It seems equally consistent to say that Christ did not remove free-will from our lives but left the decision up to us. In this way we continue to be responsible for our own destiny. It also makes for an interesting conversation in regards to the "Lord's Prayer" when Jesus Christ teaches this truth. "Forgive us as we forgive". In the context of Pharaoh's actions towards Israel, (as they ask to leave and pursue the worship of God in freedom Pharaoh says he will make life harder for them-he takes away even the straw he had previously supplied for the making of brick) we witness Christ making it equally as difficult for Pharaoh. We certainly see in the book of Revelation the harsh judgments of Christ that once again bring a world to it's figurative knees. Yet the world will not relent even in the midst of destruction.
I would ask at least an honest consideration of this interpretation for Pharaoh's heart being hardened by Christ.
THE LAWS OF CEREMONY, CLEANLINESS AND MORALITY
I am choosing to wait and deal with this fully at the time we study Christ and His words in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. I will pull this part of Exodus and the "Ten Commandments" into that conversation. All of those Laws were actually given at this time of the exodus, and so it is appropriate to have that conversation in its entirety as we are actually reading the laws.
Until next week,
Yol Bolsun,
Tim
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