God’s saving grace and His keeping power

Exodus 35:1-36:38; Mark 7:31-8:13; Psalm 25:16-22 “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done” (Exodus 36:5). “The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven baskets full of broken pieces that were left over” (Mark 8:8). Jesus always has more to give than …

Christ sets us free to please God, not to please ourselves.

Exodus 37:1-38:31; Mark 8:14-9:1; Proverbs 6:1-11 Jesus warns His disciples against the godless influence of the Pharisees. Their influence on people is classed along with the evil influence of Herod (Matthew 8:15). The Pharisees had become obsessed with the externals of religion but they had lost the awareness of God’s glory. They conformed to the details (the kind of …

The glory of the Lord, revealed through Moses and Elijah, was nothing compared with the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Exodus 39:1-40:38; Mark 9:2-32; Psalm 26:1-12 “The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:34-35). There is, however, an even greater demonstration of God’s glory - in Christ. Concerning Christ, God says, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!” (Mark 9:7). The glory of God, revealed through the ministries of Moses …

Listening to the Word of the Lord – and speaking His Word

"The Lord called to Moses out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my …

The Lord loves us – and He calls us to love Him and love one another.

Exodus 34:1-6; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Exodus 34:6 invites us to focus our attention on the Lord our God - The Lord is the compassionate and gracious God. - The Lord is the God who is slow to anger. - The Lord is the God who is abounding in love and faithfulness. Here, in this verse, …

We rise up and stand firm.

Exodus 9:1-10:29; Matthew 26:69-27:10; Psalm 20:1-9 The tragedies of Pharaoh and Judas continue – “the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart … Moses replied … I will never appear before you again” (Exodus 10:27-28). Judas “went away and hanged himself” (Matthew 27:5). This is the tragedy of those whose hearts are hardened against the Lord. The opportunity …

Jesus Christ, our Saviour: perfect in holiness, perfect in love

Exodus 27:1-28:43; Mark 5:21-6:6a; Psalm 24:1-10 "Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart" (Exodus 28:29). This bearing of the names on the heart is seen supremely in Jesus. He was not prepared to let the woman, who had touched the hem of His …

Where are you?

"Where are you?" (Genesis 3:9).Everything had started out so well, It was such a promising beginning. Then something went wrong, something serious, something that changed everything. What does God do about it, when things start going wrong? He starts looking for us. Why is He looking for us? It's because He loves us.Jesus tells us …

What wonderful love the Lord has for each one of us!

Exodus 20 begins with comforting words: "And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery" (vs.1-2). These words speak to us of the love of God. What wonderful love the Lord has for each one of us. The Lord …

Good News for the next generation

"You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out …

God’s love for us is stronger than our faith in him.

"And God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name Lord I was not known to them. I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. And I have also heard the groaning of the …

The salvation of the Lord – how wonderful this is!

"And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”" (Exodus 14:13-14). "The salvation of the Lord" - how wonderful this is! The …

Gathered into Christ

"The Feast of Ingathering" (Exodus 23:16). We are gathered into Christ. Jesus came "to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10). This is Good News - but it's not to be kept to ourselves. Good News is for sharing. We're to gather others into Christ. As I thought about this phrase, "the feast of …

When I see the blood, I will pass over you.

Exodus 11:1-12:51; Matthew 27:11-44; Psalm 21:1-7 In Exodus 12:13, we read of the Passover – “when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” In the story of Christ’s crucifixion, we have the message of His blood being shed for sinners. This is illustrated in the events of Jesus being crucified and Barabbas being set …

The light of God’s love, shining upon us…

When we preach the gospel of God's love, where are we to begin? Are we to begin with birth of Christ? Would we lose anything very important, if we were to set aside the Old Testament, and begin with the New Testament? The Old Testament may, at many points, be difficult to understand, but, surely, …

Jesus – what a great Saviour he is!

"But I have been the Lord your God ever since you came out of Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Saviour except me" (Hosea 13:4). Here, God is saying to the people, "Here's something you must never forget. I brought you out of Egypt the land of bondage." He's saying to them, "Never forget how much …

From a long, long time ago – a story for us, a story for today

Situations change. Sometimes, we're going through hard times - but blessing may be just around the corner. In the Old Testament book of Exodus, we read about the people of Israel, suffering in the land of Egypt. Would their suffering go on and on... Would it never come to an end? Then came their deliverance …

When we feel like we’re on our own

Exodus 17:1-18:27; Mark 1:1-28; Psalm 22:1-11 The life of faith is never an easy life. We have to do battle with the world, the flesh and the devil. We see the influence of the world in Exodus 17:3, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt… ?” We may also see this as the influence of …

Singing our song to the Lord

"Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;    the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song,    and he has become my salvation;this is my God, and I will praise him,    my father's God, and I will exalt him" (Exodus 15:1-2). …

So Strange, Yet So Relevant

Exodus 38:1-40:38 All of this may seem so strange to us. Among all the many details, there is one thing which we must not miss. They "made everything that the Lord commanded." They "followed the Lord's instructions" (Exodus 38:22; Exodus 39:1,5,7,21,26,29,31-32,42-43). God's people are called to be obedient to Him. We are not to do …

God is about to move in saving power.

EXODUS 1:1-2:10  -  Things were difficult for Israel yet ‘the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied’ (12). Difficult times can be the making of God’s people! Pharaoh (and Satan!) is murderously anxious about the growth of God's people (15-16; John 10:10). God is about to move in saving power - His ‘midwives’ are …

The School of Discipleship (5): The Lord will be with us, every step of the way.

The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So, I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land …

Believing and worshipping

"They believed... and worshipped" (Exodus 4:31). God is leading us on to believing worship and worshipping faith. He's showing us how great he is. When we're coming to a deeper appreciation of how great God is, we will have a growing desire to worship him and we will have a growing faithfa in him. What …

A song of redemption, thanksgiving and hope (Exodus 15-16)

Exodus 15:1-21  -  This is a song of redemption - God has redeemed His people; a song of thanksgiving - we  give thanks for God's redemption; and a song of hope - we look forward to the complete fulfilment of God's redemption. This is not only a ‘song of  God’s people.’ It is also the …

Let’s keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.

Exodus 13:1-14:31; Matthew 27:45-66; Proverbs 4:20-27 “The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left” (Exodus 14:21-22). “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:51). The dividing of the …

So much greater …

Going back to the book of Exodus, we read about the redemption of God's people, Israel. When we move, from there, to the New Testament, we read about something much greater - people from every nation are being redeemed by the Lord. The love of God for the people of Israel was very great. How …

Out of the land of slavery

"Let my people go" (Exodus 5:1). Who let the people of Israel go? Was it Pharaoh, the king of Egypt? or Was it more than Pharaoh? Was it God? Who led the people of Israel out of Egypt? Was it Moses? or Was it more than Moses? Was it God? In the book of Exodus, …

May we be a shining light.

Exodus 27:20-29:9 The 'lamp' was 'set up to burn continually' (27:20) - 'May we be a shining light...Let the flame burn brighter...' (Songs of Fellowship 389; Mission Praise, 743). A 'royal priesthood', we have been called by God - to let His light shine (1 Peter 2:9). He has called us to serve Him (28:1 …

In Moses, there is great weakness. In the Lord, there is great strength.

Exodus 4:1-31 In Moses, there is great weakness. In the Lord, there is great strength. By himself, Moses was completely out of his depth. With God, Moses would go from strength to strength. He had God's promise as well as God's command: "Now go, and I will help you speak and will teach you what …

God’s Holy Anointing

Exodus 30:31 speaks about "holy anointing oil." God's anointing is given to those who recognize that it is a holy thing to be called to serve the Lord. His anointing is given only to those who truly pray, "O for a closer walk with God ... " May the Lord help each of us to …

What does it mean to be free?

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Corinthians 3:17). In today's world, there are plenty of people who speak of freedom in terms of I, me and my. I: I'm free to think what I like and do what I like. Nobody can tell me what I'm to think and how …

Teach us, Lord, that it’s not all about us.

Exodus 36:8-38 Teach us, Lord, that it's not all about us. It's not about getting ourselves noticed. It's all about You. It's about giving all the glory to You.

Calling upon the Lord, responding to him …

At the heart of our life of faith, there is speaking to God, listening to him and making our response to what he says to us. We pray to him - "Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening" (1 Samuel 3: 10). We read the Word of God. God speaks to us. As we listen to …

Link to Rev James Philip’s notes on Exodus

Exodus

Gold!

Exodus 37:1-29 Many times over, we read the word, “gold.” We look beyond the furnishings of the place of worship to the God whom we worship. In our hearts, we say, “My God, how wonderful You are.” All that we read of here is pointing us to the great God, the God of glory, the …

Responding to God’s Word (2): Ask the Saviour to help you, comfort, strengthen and keep you. He is willing to aid you. He will carry you through.

The Lord said, "My presence shall go with you and I will give you rest" (Exodus 33:14). The Lord's people were in the wilderness, but they were not alone. The Lord was with them, and he was leading them to the land that he had promised to give to them. When we feel like we're …

How long will we be in this wilderness?

Sometimes, we feel like we're in a wilderness - and we can't get out of it! The first half of the book of Exodus tells of the deliverance of the people of Israel from their time of bondage in the land of Egypt. Things were looking up! Surely, there were better days ahead for them. …

Some Simple Thoughts From The Scriptures

Genesis When I was writing these words, I was thinking of some of the stories in the book of Genesis (the book of beginnings). I was thinking about Adam, Abraham and Joseph - and I was thinking about Jesus!___________________________________________ It was the genesis of my life.Things were looking so good.Then, it all went badly wrong.What …

Before the Ten Commandments

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt" (Exodus 20:2). Before the Ten Commandments, there is this great declaration concerning God's salvation. This is something we must never forget. Our obedience is inspired by his salvation. The Lord has saved us. Let us live as people who are …

Jesus Christ – the Lamb of God

"When I see the blood, I will pass over you" (Exodus 12:13). When we read these words, our thoughts move forward to several verses from the New Testament. In John 1:29, our attention is directed towards Jesus Christ, "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." In 1 Corinthians 5:7, we learn …

In the beginning, there is love, eternal love, the love of God.

Easter Vigil: Genesis 1:1-2:4a; Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26; Genesis 7:1-5, 11-18; 8:6-18; 9:8-13; Psalm 46; Genesis 22:1-18; Psalm 16; Exodus 14:10-31; 15:20-21; Exodus 15:1b-13, 17-18; Isaiah 55:1-11; Isaiah 12:2-6; Proverbs 8:1-8, 19-21; 9:4b-6; Psalm 19; Ezekiel 36:24-28; Psalms 42 and 43; Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 143; Zephaniah 3:14-20; Psalm 98; Romans 6:3-11; Psalm 114; Matthew 28:1-10 In …

Can people of this generation still live “by faith” in God (Part Two)?

In an earlier post, I invited people, who are unconvinced about faith in God, to consider what Hebrews 11 and the book of Genesis have to say to us about living by faith. Here's a link to that post. https://learningfromgodsword.wordpress.com/2022/08/08/can-people-of-this-generation-live-by-faith-in-god After I completed that post, which highlights what Hebrews 11 says to us about the …

Life Is A Rollercoaster.

Exodus 31:1-33:23 The history of Israel is like a rollercoaster ride. It’s full of highs and lows. We read of the Lord, giving His Word to Moses (Exodus 31:18). This is followed by the people rebelling against God (Exodus 32:1). The sin of the people is very great. The mercy of God is even greater. …

Daily bread that sustains our faith

"And the Lord said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”" (Exodus 16:11-12). "And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the …

Preaching the Word of the Lord – Exodus 20:1-21

Before the Ten Commandments, there is love (Exodus 20:2). There is more than law. There is more than the exodus. There is Jesus, our Saviour. He does for us what the law can never do for us. He saves us. The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17) - What effect do they have on us? Read Exodus …

God has not given up on us.

Exodus 2:23-25 The mercy of God, revealed in the Exodus, is connected with the ongoing purpose of God: "God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob" (Exodus 2:24). From Exodus 1:13 to Exodus 2:23-25, there were 80 years (Acts 7:23,30). These 80 yeara are referred to as "the course of those many …

The Exodus and the Cross

Exodus 1:1-3:22; Matthew 26:1-30; Psalm 19:1-6 The mighty redemption of God in the Old Testament was focused on the Exodus. The mighty redemption in the New Testament is focused on the Cross – Jesus’ ‘exodus’ or ‘departure’. The Exodus led to “the land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:17). The Cross leads to the …

The stage is set for a mighty work of God …

Exodus 1:1-2:25 The stage is set for a mighty work of God. The Lord's people face a crisis situation. they are being oppressed by the Egyptians. God sees what is happening. He is making His plans - to give His people a better future. It may have seemed like God was doing nothing about Israel's …

We have more than God’s call. We, also, have his promise.

"I will certainly be with you" (Exodus 3:12). These words were spoken by God. They were spoken to Moses. Why did God speak these words to Moses, and why does he continue to speak these words to us? Moses was being called to do something big - for God. Moses felt that it was too …

Why does God allow His people to suffer?

Exodus 15:22-16:36  -  God allows His people to suffer difficulties. Why? -  To strengthen our faith (15:25; 16:4; Deuteronomy 8:2,16; 1 Peter 1:6-7). He chastens us, to teach us repentance (Revelation 3:19). Don't forget God’s love. He is faithful: ‘He didn’t bring  us this far to leave us’. He shows us His glory (7). He …

We have glimpses of glory – but the full glory is still to come.

Exodus 3:1-22 Moses may have been content to remain in the background. God was calling him to step into the foreground - for God’s people. This is more than the story of Moses. It’s the story of Israel. It points forward to God’s purpose for all nations. When we read the Old Testament story, we …

Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 33:12-23; Psalm 99 or Isaiah 45:1-7; Psalm 96:1-9, (10-13); 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10; Matthew 22:15-22

God is holy. God is love. Let us come to Him with our prayers. In Moses, we see the holiness and love of God: a deep hatred of sin (Exodus 32:19), an intense longing for sinners to be forgiven (Exodus 32:32). Filled with ‘the fear of the Lord’, Moses was fearless before men. God’s Word …

In the wilderness… (Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 14:19-31; Psalm 114 (or Exodus 15:1b-11, 20-21) or Genesis 50:15-21; Psalm 103: (1-7), 8-13; Romans 14:1-12; Matthew 18:21-35)

In the wilderness, we can know that God is with us. Sin may be ‘near’, but God never leads His people into it (Exodus 13:13:17, James 1:13). Following Christ means walking a narrow road (Matthew 7:13-14). We are surrounded by many temptations. Pray that your feet will not slip (Psalm 37:31; 17:5; 44:18). Sometimes, the …

Being saved by the Lord and going on to live for Him (Exodus 11-14)

Exodus 11:1-12:28  -  Here, we focus attention on two verses which emphasize the importance of being saved by the Lord and going on to live for Him: ‘when I see the blood, I will pass over you... you must eat unleavened bread’ (13,20). In verse 13, we are directed beyond the Passover to Jesus Christ, …

Our obedience to God

Exodus 21:1-23:33 Our obedience to God is to take shape within the varied circumstances of everyday life. At the heart of our obedience, there is to be compassion, an expression of God's compassion (Exodus 22:21,28; Exodus 23:9). At the heart of our obedience, there is to be worship (Exodus 23:14). taking compassion and worship together, …

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 12:1-14; Psalm 149 or Ezekiel 33:7-11; Psalm 119:33-40; Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 18:15-20

Saved by the Lord, let us go on to live for Him. ‘When I see the blood, I will pass over you... You must eat unleavened bread’ (Exodus 12:13, 20). In Exodus 12:13, we are directed beyond the Passover to Jesus Christ, whose blood was shed for the forgiveness of sins (John 1:29; 1 John1:7). …

Prayer and the ministry of God’s Word

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16 or Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32; Psalm 25:1-9; Philippians 2:1-13; Matthew 21:23-32 Prayer and the ministry of God’s Word Worldly people create problems (Exodus 17:3). Moses asks, ‘What shall I do...?’ (Exodus 17:4). Indecision asks, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’ (Exodus 17:7). He gives victory (Exodus …

It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better!

Exodus 5:1-8:31 It gets worse before it gets better. Things seemed to be going from bad to worse for God’s people. They become “discouraged” (Exodus 6:9). They were unable to look beyond their present difficulties. They needed the Lord’s Word of encouragement – “The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I use …

Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 3:1-15; Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45c or Jeremiah 15:15-21; Psalm 26:1-8; Romans 12:9-21; Matthew 16:21-28

The work of God makes progress when God’s people move forward together. Salvation, service, personal faith, life among God’s people - God has much to teach us. Moses sins (Exodus 2:12). God graciously forgives (Micah 7:18-19) - this is salvation. His sin forgiven, Moses is called to service. He is called by the eternal God, …

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 1:8-2:10; Psalm 124 or Isaiah 51:1-6; Psalm 138; Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 16:13-20

Redeemed by the Lord, we are to be consecrated to Him. Things were difficult for Israel yet ‘the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied’ (Exodus 1:12). Difficult times can be the making of God’s people! Pharaoh (and Satan!) is murderously anxious about the growth of God's people (Exodus 1:15-16; John 10:10). God is …