Enter the Thicket of the Cross (St. John of the Cross)

Pharaoh's Hardness of Heart

During the plague cycles there are 3 different ways Pharaoh's hardness of heart is expressed:

1. Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Exo 8:15,32; 9:34).
• "But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said" (Exo 8:15).
  
• "But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go" (Exo 8:32).
• "When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts" (Exo 9:34).
  
2. Pharaoh's heart was hardened or became hard (Exo 7:13-14,22-23; 8:19; 9:7,35).
• "Yet Pharaoh's heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said. Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Pharaoh's heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go'" (Exo 7:13-14).
• "But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh's heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart" (Exo 7:22-23).
• "...the magicians said to Pharaoh, 'This is the finger of God.' But Pharaoh's heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the Lord had said" (Exo 8:19).
• "Pharaoh investigated and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go" (Exo 9:7).
• "So Pharaoh's heart was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the Lord had said through Moses" (Exo 9:35).
3. God hardened his heart (Exo 9:12; 11:10; 14:8).
• "But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses" (Exo 9:12).
  
• "Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his country" (Exo 11:10).
  
• "The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly" (Exo 14:8).

Liberation from Slavery (Exodus 1-2)

Exodus outline [chapters]:

1. 
   1-14: Exit from Egypt. In graphic detail God demonstrates his identity as Creator.
2. 15-18: Journey to Sinai. The people's slowly growing trust in God's provision for their daily needs: manna, meat, water, protection.
3. 19-24: 10 Commandments and the Book of the Covenant. Laws for a new society based on God's justice and mercy to maintain their newfound freedom. The 10 Commandments were placed in the holiest place at the center of the community.
4. 25-31: Tabernacle Instructions. God descends from the heavens and from Mt. Sinai and dwell in their midst to be present daily and to travel everywhere with them (Exo 40:38).
5. 32-34: Golden Calf Crisis and God's Forgiveness. God forgives sinful rebellious people and provides a 2nd exodus for them, an exodus from the bondage of their own sinful inclinations (Gen 6:5; 8:21). Ex 34:6-7 are some of the most critically theologically significant OT verses.
6. 35-40: Tabernacle Build and God's Dwelling Presence. The people's heartfelt willing response, bringing generous offerings and building the tabernacle. Exodus ends with God's visible descent to dwell on earth in their midst (Exo 40:34-38; Jn 1:14).

In summary:

• 1: God's deliverance of the people from forces of evil, oppression and bondage.
• 2,3,5: Living in true freedom must be in an ongoing relationship with God. God gives wilderness provision, builds trust from daily troubles, orders their lives by laws and teaches them to live as forgiven sinners. The laws, given by God the Creator, are critical in their role as a blessing to all nations: lifting the burdens of the oppressed, just courts, healthy ethical living, truth-telling and worship.
• 4,6: God's daily presence in the midst of their lives. The tabernacle creates space for God as well as a place to belong, to give generously and to experience the glory of the Lord.

Questions [m-memorize]:

1. What made the new king fearful and why (Exo 1:7-10)? What did he do (Exo 1:11,13)? Why did it not work (Ex 1:12, 7; Gen 1:28; 12:2; 18:18; 22:17)?
2. What is the king's next birth control strategy (Exo 1:15-16)? How did the midwives respond and why (Exo 1:17-19)? Why were the midwives named but not the king (Exo 1:15, 8, 18, 22)? Why should you fear God (Exo 1:20-21; 3:5; 4:24; Prov 1:7; 9:10 m; Ps 112:1; 2 Cor 5:11; 7:1)?
3. How ruthless is Pharaoh's policy of mass scale forced male infanticide (Exo 1:22; Ac 7:19)? Who would God eventually drown (Exo 14:28)?What is ironic about Pharaoh's fear of the Hebrew men (Exo 1:16,22; see next question.)? 
4. Who were the 5 women who defied Pharaoh's authoritarian decree (Exo 1:15; 2:1,4,9-10; 6:20; 15:20)? Why did Moses' mother do what she did (Exo 2:1-3; Heb 11:23)? What did Moses' sister do (Exo 2:4-9)?
• How is Moses' story a pointed allusion to the Flood story (Exo 2:3; Genesis 6-11)? [The basket Moses is placed in is the same word used for Noah's ark.]
• How does water play a thematic role in Moses' career (Exo 2:3, 10; 14:22,28; 15:25; 17:2,6)?
5. What is the time interval between Exo 2:10 and Exo 2:11 (Ac 7:23)?
6. What does Moses' first spoken words suggest about him (Exo 2:13)? What was good and bad about his actions (Exo 2:11-13, 17; Ac 7:24; Heb 11:24-26 m)? Why did he do this (Ac 7:25)? Was Moses "ready" to serve God? Why?
7. How did the Israelite respond to Moses (Exo 2:14; Ac 7:26-28)? Why did Moses flee to Midian (Exo 2:15)? What happened to him there (Exo 2:16-3:1)? How long was he there (Ac 7:30)?
• How does the women [or woman] coming to draw water follow the narrative convention of the betrothal type-scene (Exo 2:16; Gen 24:15-20; Gen 29:9-11; Jn 4:7,16,25-26,39)?
• What is bread the common biblical synecdoche for (Exo 2:20)?
8. Why was Moses a man who was never at home anywhere (Exo 2:22)?
• Do you sometimes feel as though you don't belong anywhere (Jn 1:10-11)?
9. What are the 4 verbs that describe God's consideration of the Israelites (Exo 2:24-25; 3:7)?
   
• Do you have a sense and awareness of God's presence and that God "knows" you personally (Gen 16:13; Gal 2:20; 4:9; 1 Cor 8:3)?
10. What is the time interval between Exo 2:22-23 and Exo 3:1-2 (Ac 7:30)?

Slaves Need Liberation (Exodus 1-2).

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

The Way to become Your True Self (Thomas Kempis)

"A man must go through a long and great conflict in himself before he can learn fully to overcome himself, and to draw his whole affection towards God. When a man stands upon himself he is easily drawn aside after human comforts. But a true lover of Christ, and a diligent pursuer of virtue, does not hunt after comforts, nor seek such sensible sweetnesses, but is rather willing to bear strong trials and hard labors for Christ." — Thomas a' Kempis.

What are you responsible for?

Only One Thing Causes Unhappiness

This is perhaps the major underlying motivation for adultery, infidelity, affairs, divorce and remarriage.

The reason our spontaneous human default is to "cling," is because "the human mind is a perpetual forge of idols" (Calvin, Institutes 1.11.8).

Anger (Mark Twain). Success (Gore Vidal).

Are compassion and criticism compatible?

Are you Seeking Comfort, Security and Safety?

Do you know how to stop?

How much are you affected by success or failure?

Forgiveness and Reconciliation. Desmond Tutu

"True reconciliation is not cheap. It cost God the death of His only begotten Son.

In forgiving, people are not asked to forget... Forgiveness does not mean condoning what has been done... It involves trying to understand the perpetrators and so have empathy, to try to stand in their shoes and appreciate the sorts of pressures and influences that might have conditioned them.

Forgiveness is not sentimental... Forgiveness means abandoning your right to pay back the perpetrator in his own coin, but it is a loss that liberates the victim..."

Bishop Tutu.

What John and Paul say about Christ (Jn 1:1-2, 14; Col 1:15; 2:9; Heb 1:3)

• "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:1-2, 14).

• "The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation" (Col 1:15).

• "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form" (Col 2:9).

• "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being" (Heb 1:3).

Lift Up Your Hands in Prayer (Psalm 88:9)

"...my eyes are dim with grief. I call to you, Lord, every day; I spread out my hands to you" (Ps 88:9).

Hold up your left hand.

1. The thumb is closest to your heart--your family and friends. Pray for them 1st.
2. The index finger points the way to Jesus and God's will--teachers and leaders be wise in their own lives.
3. The middle finger, your tallest finger--people in authority who influence society. Lead with integrity.
4. The ring finger is pretty weak--the vulnerable, elderly, suffering, hungry. Meet their needs/draw them closer to God.
5. The last finger, pinky--you. OK to pray for yourself...last! Don't start there. Pray for everybody else 1st.

Your right hand.

1. Thumb, closest to your heart--first thing you pray for is. Guard your heart, because it controls your life (Prov 4:23). Everything flows from the heart! Confess your sin to get your heart right with him.
2. Index finger signals the number 1--pray for your priorities and schedule. What's most important to make it a priority in your life?
3. Tallest middle finger stands out--your influence. People see how God has worked in your life. Be an example of his love.
4. Ring finger--pray for your relationships--your friends, spouse, children, colleagues, supervisors, ministry partners, neighbors.
5. Little finger--pray for material blessings—it's just not the most important thing, so it's the last thing you pray for.

Piper's concentric circle of prayer:

1. Myself--the most needy person. Family, kids, grandkids.
2. Ministry, leaders one by one.
3. Specific people.

The Crucifixion (Fleming Rutledge)

Fleming Rutledge Preaching the Cross of Christ (Jan 2021). The Crucifixion, Advent and Preaching (2020). 10 Reasons to read Fleming Rutledge’s ‘The Crucifixion’.

1. The Passover lamb, 
2. the goat driven into the wilderness, 
3. the ransom, 
4. the substitute, 
5. the victor on the field of battle, 
6. the representative man—

each and all of these and more have their place, and the cross is diminished if any one of them is omitted. We need to make room for all the biblical images.

• "You have not yet considered the gravity of sin." Anselm. Scandalous Cross of Jesus [Barron on Rutledge, 9 min, 2016].

• "Your sin is the biggest problem in the world. Do you hate it? Do you make war on it?" – 
  @JohnPiper.
• Karl Barth specifically notes that sloth [spiritual laziness which is the prime deadly sin of today] gives rise to
• callous indifference, 
• racism and xenophobia, 
• increasing competitiveness [jealousy], 
• excessive consumption [appetites], 
• the desire for total security from threats [fear], and 
• a willingness to use violence to achieve one's ends [anger].
• Paul Tillich speaks of self-complacent [satisfied] finitude.
• One mark of godly Christians is that you fear sin more than you fear suffering or covid.

• A narrative sermon has a plot. It has
1. a beginning,
2. a destabilizing center,
3. a resolution. The resolution should come as a surprise, as a welcome surprise. Living words for life in the midst of death--every sermon ideally should be that. It should take the hearer from death to life.

• Preach a sermon that summons the congregation to an apocalypse, a revelation, something revealed, something new, something transformative. The purpose of the narrative is to lead the congregation from depression, despair, indifference into an eye-opening new way of understanding what God has done. God is the agent.

• Do sermons as dramas. I believe in that. The sermon is a drama, not a teaching. People say my sermons had beginnings, middles and ends. That's the best way to do it because the gospel itself is a story. The story of Jesus Christ is a story.

• There's a Jesus kerygma [proclamation; announcement; the preaching of the apostles as recorded in the NT] and there's a Christ kerygma. The NT is a Christ kerygma, which we often turn into a Jesus kerygma. That means if we tell enough stories about what Jesus did and summon people to do what Jesus did, that's a Jesus kerygma. But that's not the same as the justification of the ungodly, the phrase Paul uses twice, which is the center of the gospel.
• The justification of the ungodly is NOT a message about how we should try to be like Jesus. It's a message about what Jesus has done and his ongoing life.

• Preach every Sun about the ongoing life of Jesus in the community: "Look what we can do because of this ongoing life of Jesus." NOT "Be like Jesus," but "Listen for his voice, his living voice; listen for the gospel; listen for what God is doing and has done and will do. Even through you, this little Christian church / congregation, God is working even through you, even in the midst of this terrible, demonic plague, God is still working through little bodies of Christians." Look at what is happening through these little bodies of Christians, NOT "go and do likewise," but look at what Jesus is already doing, what God is already doing, what the Holy Spirit, the Trinity is already doing. In other words, not exhorting, but enabling, not just teaching [what 3-point tends to do]. Sermon is not just teaching; it is enabling---and enabling not only belief, but enabling action that arises out of the belief. So when Jesus says, "Go and do likewise," he doesn't mean "Copy me." He means, "Here is my power, living in my vine, my beloved, my chosen."

7 Characteristics of Liberal Theology.

• Liberalism is a diverse, but identifiable approach to Christianity, one that differs significantly from historic orthodoxy, evangelicalism and fundamentalism.  Liberals believe they are making Christianity relevant, credible, beneficial, and humane. Evangelicals like J. Gresham Machen believe they are making something other than Christianity--the dividing line a century ago, and the division persists.

• Lifting Jesus’ teaching above any claims about his person. The true religion is the way of Christ. Asserting that Christianity is essentially a life, not a doctrine. Cf. Traditional Protestant orthodoxies place the substitutionary atonement of Christ at the center of Christianity.

• Liberal theology is defined by its openness to the verdicts of modern intellectual inquiry, especially the nature and social sciences; its commitment to the authority of individual reason and experience; its conception of Christianity as an ethical way of life; its favoring of moral concepts of atonement; and its commitment to make Christianity credible and socially relevant to modern people.

• 
  The idea of liberal theology is nearly three centuries old. In essence, it is the idea that Christian theology can be genuinely Christian without being based upon external authority. Since the 18th century, liberal Christian thinkers argue that religion should be modern and progressive and that the meaning of Christianity should be interpreted from the standpoint of modern knowledge and experience. cf. the view of scripture as an infallible revelation and theology as an explication [vs. explanation] of propositional revelation.

• The movement in modern Protestantism which during the 19th century tried to bring Christian thought into organic unity with the evolutionary world view, the movements from social reconstruction, and the expectations of ‘a better world’ which dominated the general mind. It is that form of Christian faith in which a prophetic-progressive philosophy of history culminates in the expectation of the coming of the Kingdom of God on earth.

𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙉𝙤 𝙎𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝘽𝙚 𝙃𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙣

Do you want: 

• All your desires to be known?
• All your secrets exposed? Or remain hidden?
• To sit through a video of every detail of your personal life?

None of this would be a revelation to God "to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid." 

𝒀𝑶𝑼, 𝑰, 𝑾𝑬 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘...

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝑴𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆

Who is the sexiest man in the Bible? Put your money on King David. He's got it all. He's a real man's man, and a woman's man too: handsome, glamorous, magnificent in statecraft, a lion on the battlefield, a brilliantly gifted musician and poet, a flamboyantly physical presence yet deeply introspective and prayerful, a man of action and a man of contemplation ... just recounting these traits makes me go weak in the knees.

The final chapter of King David's life is as pathetic as the rest of his life is titanic. He has become so feeble that he cannot leave his room, and he shivers constantly. His servants and family pile covers on him, to no avail. Finally, in desperation, they resort to a stratagem appropriate to an Eastern potentate--they put a young woman into bed with him to keep him warm. This may sound exciting, but since he has become impotent, it is not even the last flickering of a once-brilliant flame, but a pitiful dying away into ashes--precisely the kind of death we all dread.

Excerpts from a sermon by Fleming Rutledge: God on the Move (Lk 1:26-33).

4th Sun in Advent 1996; St. John's Church, Salisbury, Connecticut.

Published in Advent. The Once & Future Coming of Jesus Christ, 2018.

How far can you go?

Practice God's Presence (Brother Lawrence)

"The holiest, most common, most necessary practice in the spiritual life is the presence of God, that is to take delight in and become accustomed to His divine company, speaking humbly and talking lovingly with Him at all times, at every moment, without rule or system and especially in times of temptation, suffering, spiritual aridity, disgust and even of unfaithfulness and sin."  [Practices necessary to attain the spiritual life.]

Critics of Paul in Corinth

Paul's critics/opponents in Corinth commended themselves and denigrated Paul according to their:

1. commanding presence (2 Cor 10:1, 10).
2. concrete displays of power and authority (2 Cor 11:19-20).
3. impressive speech (2 Cor 11:20-21).
4. worthiness to accept full compensation (2 Cor 11:7-11).
5. Jewish pedigree (2 Cor 11:21b-22)).
6. endurance of hardships (2 Cor 11:23-29).
7. mystical visions (2 Cor 12:1-6).

David E. Garland. 2 Corinthians. The New American Commentary. 1999. 454.

Graphe (2 Tim 3:16). Logos (Heb 4:12). Rhema (Eph 6:17)

—Graphe – (Written Word) – The Holy Scriptures. 51 x (1 Cor 15:3, 4).

¡"All Scripture [graphe] is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness" (2 Tim 3:16).

—Logos – (Meaning of the Word) – A Bible message. 331 x (Jn 1:1, 14; 5:24; 1 Cor 1:18; 2:4; 15:2; 1 Ti 1:15; 2 Ti 4:2; Jas 1:22-23).

¡"For the Word [logos] of God is alive and active.  Sharper than any two-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (Heb 4:12).

—Rhema – (Spoken Word) – A word God speaks to you from his written word.  A word that 'leaps off the page' into your heart. 70 x (Mt 4:4; Lk 1:38; 3:2; 4:4; 5:5; Jn 6:63, 68; 15:7; 2 Cor 12:4; 1 Pet 1:25).

¡"Take … the sword of the Spirit, which is the word [rhema] of God" (Eph 6:17).

Christ Crucified (Horatius Bonar, 1808-1880)

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.

Change a Bad Wrong Attitude

My sentiment and attitude for most of my life--even after becoming a Christian--which all my 4 children unfortunately experienced was "Go ahead, make my day." What my children felt about my attitude was "as if I didn't give an f... about what people felt or thought." Sadly, I didn't mind it and sometimes still do not, due to my own stubborn insistence on my own rightness.

But over the past decade or so, I am intentionally trying to change that, based on:

• "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (Rom 12:18), and
• 
  "For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man" (2 Cor 8:21).

Yet a favorite verse of mine is

• "I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me" (1 Cor 4:3-4).

My life should not be affected by what others think of me, since I should be more concerned about what God thinks of me. So, yes, I shouldn't care how others judge me. But I do judge myself, for I'm often acutely aware of my sins, which never entirely goes away. So my conscience does bother me and I can only avail myself to God's judgment and God's mercy.

Even as I fail often, I desire to live with a heart of "fear and trembling" before God (Phil 2:12), and with "humility and tears" (Ac 20:19), and by my faith and conviction of one "who loved me and gave himself to me" (Gal 2:20).

What do parents "impress" on their kids? (Deut 6:6-7)

What do parents "impress" on their children today?

• Be safe?
• Fear and doubt?
• Anger?
• Make money?
• Be whatever you want?
• Do what I say, not what I do?
• Love God (Dt 6:5)?
• Trust God (Prov 3:5-6)?

The Sins of a Man after God's Own Heart

• 
  Can a man after God's own heart commit horrific sins?

If you don't consistently do what you should, you'll eventually and increasingly do what you shouldn't.

1. He didn't do what he should have done (2 Sam 11:1)--his mission, perhaps rationalizing that he had worked hard enough for so long, and needed a break.
2. He slept in with nothing to do. When you have "nothing to do," you'll end up doing something you shouldn't be doing (2 Sam 11:2).
3. He gave in to lust (2 Sam 11:3). He should stop looking at Bathsheba, but then he had "nothing else to do."
4. He committed adultery (2 Sam 11:4). He "forgot" he was married. But then he had "nothing to do." 
5. He concealed his sin, instead of confessing his sin (2 Sam 11:8, 10).
6. He made Uriah drunk (2 Sam 11:13).
7. He was blind to Uriah's loyalty and faithfulness (2 Sam 11:11), being consumed with hiding his sin.
8. He sent Uriah to his death (2 Sam 11:14-15, 24-25). It was premeditated murder.

My 7 Rules to Not Gain Weight and Have a Belly!

Get Fit. The TRUTH:  The "ONLY" way to loose weight is to decrease calorie intake.

As a foodie I love to eat. But I'll gain weight, which I hate, which is then very hard to lose. So I have 7 RULES to not gain weight and not have a belly:

1. * Weigh myself daily. Don't go over 160 lbs. I prefer 150 lbs. but that seems impossible.
2. No breakfast. Only black coffee.
3. No sugar, no carbs, no "W's" (Tom Brady):
• no white sugar,
• no white rice,
• no white bread,
• no white potatoes,
• no white pasta,
• no white milk.
• [I also avoid pop, pizza crust, ice cream, doughnuts, cookies, chocolate, etc. But I cheat and break this rule maybe once a week!] Eat more vegetables and protein.
4. Intermittent fasting for 12-16 hours every day. No calories after dinner the night before till lunch the next day [for eg. from 8 pm to noon -- 16 hours].
5. Drink lots of water. 8 cups or more every day.
6. "Enjoy" hungry feelings. I don't have to eat just because I feel hungry, which happens throughout the day every single day!
7. Stop eating before I feel completely full.
8. [Not recommended but it works for me on occasion.] A shot of bourbon--which has no carbs--to delay lunch for a few hours.

You Need to Obey Rules to be Free (and to loose weight). We like freedom: "I'm free to do whatever I want." So we don't like rules: "Do this, don't do that." But freedom without rules will lead to a loss of freedom (and weight gain).

• I don't keep these rules rigidly but I am always conscious of them when I break them, so as to make up for them...especially to loose the weight after I've gained a few lbs.
• Exercise is important, but exercise is not primarily for weight loss but for building muscle. Those who exercise might excuse and justify themselves to eat more.