Day 17 Advent (12/20/23): Fall in Love with God (Luke 1:38)

It is interesting to me that in this Advent season Luke 1:26-38 appears 4 times in 22 days. Today is the 3rd time, with the 4th time being on Christmas eve, which would be the 4th Sunday of Advent.

• The 1st time on 12/8/23 addressed the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Despite doctrinal differences, may Protestants and Catholics love each other in Christ.
• The 2nd time on 12/12/23 was the first time I read about our Lady of Guadalupe. God can surely choose to reveal Himself through visions and apparitions, though this has not been my own experience.
• Today, the 3rd time, focuses on Mary's submission and obedience. God's favor to her was to conceive the Son of God as a virgin (Lk 1:28-31) while betrothed to Joseph. This would cause endless shame, disgrace, misunderstanding, fear, worry, anxiety, uncertainty, and possible stoning as an adulterous woman. Yet she welcomed it as "the Lord's servant" (Lk 1:38) with overflowing joy and gratitude (Lk 1:46ff).

Bishop Barron asks, "Why is surrender such a critical part of falling in love with God?" 

Lord, though I love many things in the world, help me to always love you utmost in my heart with joy and gratitude. Thank you for helping me to surrender my life and future into your hands alone.

Wednesday, December 20, 2023 Third Week of Advent Luke 1:26–38 Friends, in today's Gospel, the angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she has been chosen to be the mother of God. In the face of this overwhelming word, Mary is confused: "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" And she cannot begin to imagine the full consequences of accepting this invitation: shame, exile, violent pursuit, the final agony on Calvary. And yet, despite her fear and despite the darkness, she says, "I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." At the crucial moment, Mary of Nazareth allows herself to fall in love with God, and in that moment of ecstasy, the Son of God enters the world for its salvation. The human tragedy began with Adam and Eve's grasp; the divine comedy commences with Mary's letting-go. This is why the medieval commentators, with their delicious sense of the co-penetration of all parts of the Bible, observed that the "Ave" of the angel of the Annunciation reverses "Eva," the mother of all the living. .

Jealousy, Life, Obedience and Joy (Acts 5:17-42)

• 
  What are your takeaways from Dr. Kevin Cassel's sermon "Jesus demands everything, but nothing more" (Mk 8:34-38)?

Tell of This New Life (Acts 5:17-42).

1. JEALOUSY. Why were the Sadducees filled with jealousy (Ac 5:17, 14-16; Jas 5:14-16)? What did they do (Ac 5:18)? Why did they have Jesus killed (Mt 27:18; Mk 15:10)? How does envy affect people (Prov 14:30; 1 Sam 18:7-9)? How do you overcome it?

2. LIFE. What did an angel of the Lord do (Ac 5:19-21a)? What is "this new life" (Ac 5:20)? How does this life come about (Jn 6:63; 8:31-32)? What did the religious leaders find out and do (Ac 5:21-28)?

3. OBEDIENCE. What did Peter and the apostles do (Ac 5:29-32)? How did Gamaliel persuade the Sanhedrin not to kill the apostles (Ac 5:33-40)?

4. JOY. How did the apostles respond to being flogged and warned (Ac 5:41-42)?

JEALOUSY is a fruit of the flesh (Gal 5:19-21), an antonym of love (1 Cor 13:4), a symptom of pride (1 Tim 6:4), a catalyst for conflict (James 3:16), and a mark of unbelievers (Rom 1:29).

• "You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?" (1 Cor 3:3)
• "The acts of the flesh are obvious...discord, jealousy...dissensions, factions and envy... I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal 5:19-21).
• "...love does not envy..." (1 Cor 13:4).
• "...they are conceited...understand nothing...unhealthy... result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions" (1 Tim 6:4).
• " if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts... For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice" (James 3:14, 16).
  
• "They are full of envy...gossips" (Rom 1:19).
• "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones" (Prov 14:30).
• "Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy? (Prov 27:4)
  
• "And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person's envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind" (Eccl 4:4).
  
• "Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it" (James 4:11).
  
• "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves" (Phil 2:3).
  
• "As they danced, they sang: "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands." Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. "They have credited David with tens of thousands," he thought, "but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?" And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David" (1 Sam 18:7-9).

LIFE. John 1:4; 6:63; 8:31-32; 17:17; 3:3; 6:35; 11:25. 2 Corinthians 5:17.

• "Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being" (Gen 2:7).
  
• "In him was life and that life was the life of man" (Jn 1:4). John 14:6; 3:16.
• "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life" (Jn 5:24).
  
• Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (Jn 17:3).
• "Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor" (Prov 21:21).

OBEDIENCE. John 14:15, 21, 23. Romans 1:5. Exodus 19:5. Romans 2:6-8). [Obedience to God's commands is the true sign of your love for God, and the only way you can know if you are obeying God is by knowing his Word. The joy of obedience: As we obey God's commandments, we experience the joy of the Holy Spirit. We experience God's pleasure rising in us. If you find yourself stuck in despair, try obeying the Bible's instruction to love God and others. When we obey His commandment to love one another, we are striving to live according to His Word. And what a wonderful experience it is as He fulfills his promise to give us joy through obedience.]

• "You are my friends if you do what I command" (Jn 15:14).
• "...take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Cor 10:5).
• "And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands" (2 Jn 1:6).

JOY. 1 Thessalonians 5:16. Philippians 4:4. Galatians 5:22. Hebrews 12:2.

• "I have food to eat that you know nothing about" (John 4:32).
• "And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior" (Lk 1:47).
• "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Ps 16:11).
  
• "...the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Neh 8:10).
• "When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul" (Ps 94:19).
• "Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit" (Ps 51:10).
• "I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices" (Ps 16:8-9).
• "Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart" (Jer 15:16). Psalm 1:2; 119:97.
• "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Rom 14:17).
• "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master" (Mt 25:21).
• "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth" (3 Jn 1:4).

Imperatives, Indicatives and Ironies in Exodus 1-2

IRONIES (Read Exodus 1-2)

• The more Pharaoh tried to reduce the number of Israelites (Exo 1:9-11, 13-14), the more they increased in number (Exo 1:12, 7).

• Pharaoh wanted to drown the Hebrew males (Exo 1:22) but he and his army were drowned (Exo 14:28).

• Pharaoh feared the Hebrew men (Exo 1:16, 22) but it was the women who thwarted him (Exo 1:15; 2:1,4,9-10).

• Pharaoh tried to destroy Hebrew men, but he fully educated, trained, equipped and raised 1 Hebrew man Moses in his very own palace, who later delivered all the Hebrew slaves.

* Is God mentioned in the above? Is God involved? What do you learn? (Gen 3:5; 50:20; Ps 14:1; Prov 16:9)

• It was as though Moses belonged nowhere in this world. “Moses named him Gershom, saying, 'I have become a foreigner in a foreign land'” (Exo 2:22b). Moses was never at home anywhere...

1. ...not with his family and his own people though he was born a Hebrew.
2. ...not as an Egyptian, though he grew up in an Egyptian palace.
3. ...not with his Midianite family in the wilderness.
4. ...not in the promised land, for he wasn't allowed entrance.

• The Creator is not accepted or received by his creation. "He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him" (Jn 1:10-11).

• Jesus' birth. He was born in a manger, while Caesar ruled the entire Roman world (Lk 2:1,7). Yet Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Tim 6:15; Rev 17:14; 19:16).

• Jesus' death. "You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish" (Jn 11:50; 2 Cor 5:21).

• "Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God" (Mt 19:24).
  

IMPERATIVES and INDICATIVES [Imperatives (commands) = what you should do {Law}. Indicatives = what God has done {Grace}. Christendom and evangelicalism often do not clearly distinguish Law / Grace, and misunderstands or confuses imperatives / indicatives, which confuses the church.]

• You don't repent and obey (and believe) [imperative] to be saved, but because you are saved (by grace) [indicative] you repent and obey [and believe] (Mk 1:15).

• The imperatives are based on the indicatives and the order is not reversible. [Law is based on Grace.]

• "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery [indicative]. You shall have no other gods before me [imperative]" (Exo 20:2-3; Dt 5:6-7).

• "For God so loved the world [indicative] that he gave his one and only Son [indicative], that whoever believes in him [imperative] shall not perish but have eternal life" (Jn 3:16).

• "The time has come," he said, "The kingdom of God has come near [indicative]. Repent and believe the good news [imperative]!" (Mk 1:15).

• "We love [imperative] because he first loved us [indicative]" (1 Jn 4:19).

• "...work out your salvation with fear and trembling [imperative], for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose [indicative]" (Phil 2:12-13).

• "...he saved us [indicative], not because of righteous things we had done [imperative], but because of his mercy [indicative]..." (Tit 3:5).

• For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” (Rom 1:17, NIV)

• For the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith, just as it is written, "The righteous by faith will live." (Rom 1:17, NET)

Exodus Introduction: Freedom and Obedience

• Take a few weeks to read through the book of Exodus (chapter 1-40). Is there anything that God by His Spirit is saying to you? Write it down.

• How does Genesis begin and end (Gen 1:1; 50:26)? How is Exodus a continuation of Genesis (Exo 1:1; Gen 46:8)?

• What are the 2 parts of Genesis [chapter 1-11 {the origin of the world}; 12-50 {the patriarchs}]? A simple 2 part division of Exodus [Outlines and divisions from every Exodus commentary is different.]:

1. The power of God in Egypt. Why is power needed (Rom 1:16; 1 Cor 1:18,23-24)?
2. The presence of God in the wilderness. Why is God's presence crucial (Mt 28:20; Gal 2:20)?

• What are the 2 prominent events in Exodus (Ex 14:29; 34:28; Ac 7:36; Heb 11:29)? How does it apply to Christians (Jn 8:36, 31-32;  14:15, 21, 23)? How does Exodus help you know the grace of God and to love God (Exo 20:2-3)?

1. Exit from slavery in Egypt [crossing the sea on dry land].
2. The Ten Commandments.

• Are you truly free or enslaved? How do you know (Jn 8:34; Rom 6:6-7; 2 Cor 3:17; Gal 5:16, 18, 24-25)? Why precisely does God want you to be free (Exo 3:12,18; 4:23; 5:1,3; 6:6-7; 7:16; 8:1, 20; 9:1,13; 10:3,7-8,11,24-26; 12:31; 13:21-22; 19:4; 20:5; 23:24-25,33; 24:1; 34:14; 1 Pet 2:9; 2 Cor 5:15)? How can you continue to live in freedom (Jn 14:15, 21, 23; Phil 2:12-13; Ac 20:19)?

• In God's eyes, freedom is entirely for the sake of worship/service ['abad {Hebrew} is translated in English as "worship" (NIV, NLT, etc) or "serve" (KJV, ESV, etc).

• What is the most important and famous moral code in world history and the central moral code of the Torah (Exo 20:1-17)? [What is the Torah?] What would the world be like if people just lived by these 10 "Ten Words" (Exo 34:28)? Why are we unable to do so (Gen 6:5; 8:21; Ps 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Eccl 7:20; Jer 17:9; Isa 64:6a; Jn 3:19; Rom 3:23)?

• The Ten Commandments.
• Torah means teaching or instruction [translated as "law" (Ps 1:2; 119:97)].

• What "rules" (laws/commandments) do you personally obey daily and/or regularly (Mt 6:33; Lk 9:23; Ac 20:24)?

Exodus Sermons:

1. Slaves Need Liberation (1:1-14). Women Power--resisting the authorities (1:1-2:10). A Nowhere Man. A man with no home (2:11-24). From a guerrilla to a fugitive.
2. http://westloop-church.org/index.php/messages/old-testament/55-exodus/659-god-wants-you-exodus-3-4 God Wants You (3-4). Meeting God on an Ordinary Work Day (3:1-10). God has a Name. The 1st 2 of 5 objections/protests by Moses (3:11-15). 7 points for the elders (3:16-22). Moses' last 3 protests (4:1-17). 5 short encounters (4:18-31).

 A more detailed outline of Exodus --  http://bentohwestloop.blogspot.com/2021/10/liberation-from-slavery-exodus-1-2.html

Slaves Need Liberation-Exodus 1-2a

• Are you truly free? Why precisely does God want you to be free?
• What does it mean to you to be free and liberated? Is the U.S. truly "the land of the free"? Why or why not?
• What rules do you practice daily? How do you obey God?
• Is your fear like that the king (Exo 1:9-10) or of the midwives (Exo 1:17)?

* What rules do you live by? Why did I decide to study Exodus? Why should we study it? A short answer is that I/we need [absolute and non-negotiable] rules in life to live well, and Exodus contains the most famous and most important rule of life--the Ten Commandments (Exo 20:2-17). Tom Brady, age 44, won 7 Super Bowls and is the undisputed GOAT in football. He has great skills. But he disciplined himself to live by certain rules daily regarding his diet, sleep, hydration, pliability, etc, which he keeps year round even in the off season. [He avoids the "W's": white sugar, white bread, white pasta, white potatoes, white rice, white milk.] I have my-7-rules-to-not-gain-weight-and-have-a-belly. When I break the rules, I gain weight, but if I keep them I maintain my weight and/or lose what I gained. It involves a conscious act of the will daily. Likewise, to live well as Christians, we need rules to live by. If we break them, as the Isrealites did, we'll suffer consequences/punishments, but if we keep them, we'll experience God's blessing. What "rules" do you practice daily?

* 10 Commandments. "And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant--the Ten Commandments" (Exo 34:28b). The 10_C is the most important moral code in world history, and the central moral code of the Torah [teaching, instructions, law]. It's the great climax and point of reference of all biblical literature. Together with the Israelites' exodus from Egyptian slavery, the revelation of the 10_C at Mount Sinai are 2 of the most important events in world history. If people lived by those 10 laws alone, the world would be almost devoid of all man-made suffering.

* Freedom and obedience MUST go together. People, even Christians, misunderstand freedom. "I'm free to do whatever I want." Do that and you'll lose your freedom. To be truly free [as a Christian] you need to obey the Law [of God]. If you don't obey the Law, you're not free but a slave of yourself or someone else. The Israelites were liberated for the explicit purpose of serving God, and NOT freedom for freedom's sake.

* Obedience. "Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant..." (Exo 19:5a). Exodus stresses throughout the importance of obeying God, which lies at the heart of the covenant relationship (Exo 19:8; 24:3, 7). Moses was initially reluctant to obey. Pharaoh stubbornly refused to obey. The Israelites had to obey God's instructions exactly regarding the Passover. Then after the exodus from slavery in Egypt they had to newly learn obedience to God who delivered/saved them from bondage. But...

...human obedience doesn't create the covenant relationship with God, since God is the one who first acts/initiates; obedience merely maintains it. When the Israelites later made and worshipped the golden calf they were punished for their disobedience and the covenant relationship with God was broken. How is your personal obedience to God?

Liberation with Exodus as a paradigm. Exodus inspired a branch of theology known as "liberation theology." It's emphasis is that God is particularly concerned with the poor, oppressed and enslaved. Since God worked to liberate the Hebrews, generations have expected that God will do the same for them. Thus, this story, as told in the Passover liturgy, has comforted Jews through all kinds of persecution. It has comforted African American slaves. It comforts the poor in Central and South America. The liberating God offers more than spiritual liberation. God's freedom is political, economic, and social; it is a form of re-creation. But, liberation in divine terms is not synonymous with independence of doing whatever you want. God always frees people from serving others by inviting them to serve God instead. Exodus defines true freedom as living and serving in God's kingdom. (See Matthew.)

* Fear God, Civil Disobedience. "The midwives, however, feared God..." (Exo 1:17). [Rules/Laws, Liberation/Freedom, Obedience/Civil Disobedience.]

God's agenda, masterfully narrated in Exodus, forms the outline for the book itself:

• "Let my people go, so that they might worship me!" (Exo 7:16).
• The Passover. God is to be known as the creator and the redeemer of all things.
• Ten Commandments is for creating a good neighborhood.
• God's identity revealed: a forgiving and longsuffering God
• Tabernacle: God's "dwelling" in the midst of the camp.

Outline (The New Interpreter's Study Outline, 2003)

1. The Power of the Lord in Egypt (1:1-15:21). Liberation.
1. The Egyptian Oppression (1:1-2:25) sets the stage.
2. The Commissioning/Call of Moses (3:1-7:7) as the hero of the story.
3. The Conflict between the Lord and Pharaoh (7:8-15:21) recounts the events leading to deliverance from Egypt.
2. The Presence of the Lord in the Wilderness (15:22-40:38). Relationship (Covenant).
1. The Wilderness Journey (15:22-18:27). Is the Lord among us or not? God is present.
2. The Revelation of the Law at Mt. Sinai (19:1-24:18). The charter of a holy nation.
1. (19:1-25) At Mount Sinai.
2. (20:1-17) The Ten Commandments.
3. (20:18-21) Moses as Mediator.
4. (20:22-23:19) The Covenant Code.
5. (23:20-33) Conquest of Canaan Promised.
6. (24:1-18) The Covenant Ceremony . 
   
3. The Sanctuary of the Lord (25:1-40:38).
1. The pattern of the tabernacle (25:1-31:18).
2. Sin and restoration (32:1-34:35).
1. (32:1-35) The Golden Calf.
2. (33:1-23) Moses Seeks Assurance.
3. (34:1-28) Renewal of the Covenant.
4. (34:29-35) Moses' Shining Face.
   
3.  Israel's obedient work (35:1-40:38).
1. (35:1-36:7) Materials for the Tabernacle.
2. (36:8-39:43) The Work of Construction.
3. (40:1-33) Moses Finishes the Work.
4. (40:34-38) The Glory of the Lord.
   

Walter Brueggermann, 1994. 4 themes. The God who Liberates: http://popchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Class-One-Handout.pdf

1. Freedom [sociopolitical liberation] from oppression. A narrative.
2. God's will for all aspects of [Israel's] personal and public life. Sinai law.
3. The Sinai covenant is binding. Israel and the Lord are intimately, profoundly and non negotiably committed to each other.
4. God establishes an enduring presence in Israel's midst through the structure of the tabernacle.

James Bruckner, 2008. 6 perspectives.

1. Freedom to serve God--NOT freedom for freedom's sake--is the purpose of Exodus [exit]. The Exodus is missional (Exo 3:18; 5:1; 6:6-8; 13:21-22; 19:4; 20:2). Fully, 1/2 of Exodus focuses on worship of the Creator and Redeemer God (ch. 20-40).
2. Bless the world through Abraham's descendants. God fulfils his promises in Genesis.
3. Grace of deliverance. The exit from Egypt and God's victory at the Red Sea is God's grace on which the law at Sinai was based. The law is for a good and healthy community life for those God had already chosen, delivered, blessed, redeemed and saved, and with whom God had entered into a personal relationship. The law was NEVER a means of salvation. Grace always precedes the law.
4. Formation of an emerging people of God. God didn't accomplish everything for God's people at once, nor negate his promise of blessing when they rebelled against God after their deliverance. God redeemed them [again] even from the self-destructive worship of the golden calf. God delivers them not just from an oppressor, but from their own sin as well. Even their rejection of God won't drive God away. God's presence would positively affect every aspect of their lives.
5. God invited people into a cooperative venture for the 1st time in the creation of the tabernacle. God's glory was first manifested in the beauty of creation, and then in the cloud, fire, manna and mountain. God's glory would be accessible daily, since God would dwell in their midst in the tabernacle through the clouds of presence.
6. Give God's people hope for the future by remembering God's acts of deliverance in history/in the past. In Deuteronomy, Moses continually looks back to the events of Exodus as a source of inspiration and hope.

INTRODUCTION. The story of Yahweh's rescue of the Hebrew slaves from oppressive slavery under Pharaoh in Egypt has inspired people all around the world for millennia. According to popular author Bruce Feiler, the Exodus narrative is especially foundational to and serves as a recurring narrative in American history. "Even a cursory review of American history indicates that Moses has emboldened leaders of all stripes, patriot and loyalist, slave and master, Jew and Christian." But long before it became a recurring theme in politics, the story of the Exodus was a recurring theme in the Bible. Exodus, the 2nd book in the Torah, tells the original story of how a group of enslaved people in Egypt escaped into the wilderness and became a new people, the people of Israel. The prophets tell the story again, reminding the people of how they have forgotten their liberation and their promises, the Psalms celebrate the story, and in the NT, the story is repeated and reworked in the sacraments–baptism and Communion–and in our commission to be a light for the world (Exo 19:6). In John, Jesus is equated with a bronze serpent Moses held up to save the people from serpents in the desert, and when Jesus commanded that his disciples remain rooted in the vine. Perhaps most of all, Matthew draws upon the Exodus narrative as Matthew frames Jesus as a 2nd Moses figure, ushering in a new era of liberation and a new kingdom, the kingdom of God. One can't really know the Bible without knowing the Exodus story, nor fully understand who Christ was to his Jewish followers either. The Bible and Jesus' life tell us that God's business is to liberate us from things and people that enslave us.

Why study Exodus? Exodus is to Jews what Jesus' death and resurrection is to Christians. In the OT, > 100x God is referred to as "the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." Exodus is God's mighty redemptive act to free His people. To this day, the Passover is their commemoration/celebration of their deliverance from Egypt. This mirrors Christian's celebration of the forgiveness of sin in the Lord's Supper.

Genesis--the account of creation, an intro to God: creation, Fall, Noah and the Tower of Babel in Ch. 1-12. Ch. 13-50 is the story of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Exodus begins where Genesis left off.

Exodus means "way out, exit" Exodus is God's power and sovereignty over the most powerful country, Egypt. God provides a way out of dire circumstances of His chosen people. " No temptation has seized you except what is common to man, And God is faithful, he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a 'way out' so that you can stand up under it" (1 Cor 10:13). God still provides a "way out" for His people.

The story of the Jews is our story. Their journey is our spiritual journey. Their freedom from slavery by God's mighty hand is our release from the bondage of sin by the mighty sacrifice of Christ. Their journey in the wilderness is our individual journey of the reality of Jesus in our lives. Their entering the Promised Land through battles, victories/defeats, is our faith journey with the ups and downs of our commitment to Christ. Their division of the land of promise and time of peace is our receiving the inheritance offered to the saints and the peace promised through Christ. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (Jn 14:27).

How are we all to inherit the Promised Land? Entering heaven after death, but we can enter a dimension of the Promised Land here on earth. The Hebrew's story helps us see the sign posts to enter the rest of God, the peace of God and the joy of God here on earth as it is in heaven.

Is the account of the Exodus real? Did it really happen, or is it a story to support Biblical claims? Ancient historians conclude that a group of nomadic people called the Habiru came into Egypt from the east escaping a famine. From Genesis, it was a famine that drove Jacob and his sons to seek asylum in Egypt. Historians also agree that slave labor was used for Egypt's massive building projects. In Exodus 1 the Jewish slaves, as Pharaoh's property, were the backbone of his work force.

Which Pharaoh was it? Most historians think it's the reign of Ramses II in the 19th dynasty ~ 1270 BC. In Egypt today, you see the grandeur of that in ancient times. At the time of Exodus, the pyramids would've been built. Egypt was a mighty world power with a high level of learning and sophisticated engineering feats we still haven't figured out. The city of Aswan has temples to the goddess Ibis that are elegant and beautifully adorned with artwork. Up the Nile to Luxor, you can see the ancient city that stood proudly over the Nile. Egypt, with great wealth and power, used brutal slave force to achieve the remarkable structures we see today. It was a land of many gods; Pharaoh himself was considered a god. Exodus shows how The Living God of the Jews used His power against the gods of Egypt to show His supreme sovereignty to a world in darkness.

How did this Living God become known to the Jews? Spiritually all was in darkness. The Fall caused the world to be a dark place, hence the Flood. After the flood, one candle was lit--Abraham. Though he lived in an idol worshiping world, his heart was open to the one Living God. Once the light was lit in the darkness, it passed on to Isaac, to Jacob, to the 12 tribes of Israel. The Jews were the only people in the ancient world who worshiped the one true God, and these nomadic people were given the responsibility of carrying the light into a dark world.

After 400 years of bondage in Egypt, Moses carries the light passed on by Abraham and becomes the vehicle by which God will free his people from slavery and begin the journey to becoming the nation of Israel. Throughout Exodus God takes actions that are a portent of things to come in the person of Christ. What's hinted at in the OT becomes fulfilled in Christ, who is the Light of the World. With the reality of Jesus and faith in Him, God puts the Holy Spirit lighter fluid on a world stuck in darkness. It ignites and the world has never been the same.

• https://www.sjd.org/am-site/media/study-guide---lesson-8.pdf
  
• Walter Brueggerman Exodus 1 sermon [2017]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxc9b9Ln51g Civil Disobedience. Rom 12:2.
• James Bruckner [2020]: 613 laws in Exodus; 175 about community. The laws are to structure life together and not for salvation, which the Pharisees thought: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DthZyVFtoGI 15 categories of laws:
• 42 - how to handle meat
• 22 - prevent infection
• 14 - washing
• 42 - sex, incest
• 19 - domestic violence
• 45 - resting for the whole community
• 32 - giving gifts; 13 giving to those who lack

Reference:

1. James K. Bruckner. Exodus. New International Bible Commentary. 2008.
2. John Goldingay. Exodus & Leviticus for Everyone. 2010.
3. Robert Alter. The Hebrew Bible. A translation with commentary. The Five Books of Moses. 2019.
4. Dennis Prager. Exodus. God, Slavery, and Freedom. The Rational Bible. 2018.

Obedience (Dt 4:1-15)

Deuteronomy 4:1-15; Key Verse: Dt 4:1

"Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live..."

Theme: Obedience requires one to first hear (Hebrew: shamar).

Hear. In Deuteronomy 1-3, the themes discussed are Sin (Dt 1:1-46), Leadership (Dt 1:9-18) and Faith (Dt 2:1-3:29). In chap. 4, the theme of obedience is best understood by comprehending the word shamar (Hebrew), which is repeated 11 times in this chapter (Dt 4:1, 6, 10, 12, 28, 30, 32, 33, 36; twice in verse 33 and 36). In the 2011 NIV shamar is translated hear, heard and obey (Dt 4:30). [Strong's concordance: "to hear, listen to, obey."] The most famous use is in Dt 6:4: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one." This verse is known to all Jews by the first two words "Sh'ma Yisrael" or simply as "Shema." It encapsulates the monotheistic essence of Judaism (and Islam and Christianity). The Shema is considered the most important part of the prayer service in Judaism and its twice daily recitation as a religious commandment (mitzvah, which means commandment).

Obedience (Deuteronomy 4)

Deuteronomy 4:1-49; Key Verse: Dt 4:1

"Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you."

Obedience. The themes covered so far are Sin (Dt 1), Leadership (Dt 1a) and Faith (Dt 2-3). The theme of Dt 4 is on obedience to the law (Torah). Generally, people think or act as though obedience is needed for their salvation. But biblical obedience is the fruit of salvation, not the means of salvation. Biblical obedience is not commanded of non-believers or non-Christians, but of the people of God--those who have experienced God's saving grace (Dt 1:30-31; 4:37; 5:6, 15; 15:15; 24:18). This is similar to Jesus saying to his disciples that their obedience should be because of their love (Jn 14:15, 21, 23; 15:10).

Grace Before Obedience (Exodus 19:1-6)

Exodus 19:1-6; Key Verse: Ex 19:4b-5a

"I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me..."

Mt 28:19, 1 Pet 2:9, and Ex 19:4-6 are significant signature verses that have driven UBF over the past half century, especially the phrase "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex 19:6). Ex 19:1-6 shows that--in the history of God's people and God's work in the Bible--grace always precedes and comes before obedience (to the Law) and mission. Today's sermon has 3 parts, which necessarily stresses the importance of the order. In his BST Commentary on The Message of Exodus: The Days of Our Pilgrimage, Alec Motyer, OT scholar, says that this order is crucial to our understanding of the Bible:

1. The saving acts of the Lord.
2. Our responsive obedience.
3. The blessing that comes from obedience.
   

Nothing must upset this sequence. Stated differently, this biblical "spiritual order" is:

1. Grace (Ex 19:1-4): How God saves us.
2. Obedience (Ex 19:5): Our response to grace is obedience to the Law.
3. Mission (Ex 19:6): The blessing and reward of obedience (and punishment for disobedience).