It's a Miracle! ...Or Not

When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying,

'Work a miracle,'

then you shall say to Aaron,

'Take your staff

and throw it down before Pharaoh,

that it may become a serpent.'

Exodus 7:9

The first sign before Pharaoh is the same sign that Moses performed before the children of Israel when he came to them from the wilderness. His staff would become a serpent. I have always found it interesting that God chose this as a sign. In my opinion this points us all the way back to Genesis 3:1, "Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made..." I believe God chose this sign as a direct mock in Satan's face. I think this sign was to remind Satan that God had created him and that he, God, still had complete authority over him.

Now when Moses threw his staff down and it became a serpent, Pharaoh called in his wise men and sorcerers. They too came in with staffs. They threw their staffs down and theirs also became serpents. My friend do not think for one minute that Satan has no power here on this earth. He is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) and his desire is to blind you and deceive you so that you might not see the glory of God. He has many tricks up his sleeve and many who will do his will just to experience his power.

In 2 Timothy 3:8 we discover the names of these two magicians, "Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses..." But more importantly we discover the nature of these two magicians. Men and women like these have existed since the fall. They are those who are caught in the snare of the devil, and held captive to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26). Most are so entranced that even when they are face to face with the truth of God, they refuse His authority over them. Choosing rather to have the temporary power of Satan.

We read in Acts 8:9-10 of "a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great; and they all, from the smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, 'This man is what is called the Great Power of God'". We read on in Acts how the people were all amazed by this man's magic arts. They were captivated and deceived by his tricks. They were confusing his sorcery with the works of the Almighty God.

Then we read how the truth of God showed up through Philip bringing the people the gospel. The people believed and were being baptized. The magician, Simon, saw his followers slipping away, and he also saw that the apostles of Christ came with a power and authority that he had never had and he wanted it. Simon professed to believe and was even baptized, but what we discover was that his profession was not of faith. He simply thought this was his means to gain this power of God.

Oh, but our God does not work that way.

In Acts 13:8-10 we read of a magician named Elymas who is working to oppose the apostles to keep the proconsul away from the faith. We read that Paul "filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, and said, 'You who are full of deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?'"

These men are everywhere.
Still today we must be on the look-out for those like them.

Going back to 2 Timothy 3:1-9 we read of the difficult times that will come in these last days. We read of those who rise up and appear to have "a form of godliness, although they have denied it's power;..." (2 Timothy 3:5)

What power is it that they have denied?

The power of salvation (Romans 1:16).

The power of the grace of God.

The grace of God that instructs us to "...deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age." (Titus 2:12)

These men attempt, as Paul said, "to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord" They mimic God in an attempt to deceive those who are weak so that they may hold a position of power over them. They will succeed if you do not hold fast to the truth, the Word of God.

Holding fast is not just obtaining knowledge. These men are quite knowledgeable of the Word of God, which strengthens their ability to deceive. Satan himself attempted to use Scripture to tempt and deceive Jesus in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-12). It's not just about knowing, it's about obedience to what you know.

You, however, continue in the things you have learned

and become convinced of,

knowing from whom you have learned them,

and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings

which are able to give you the wisdom

that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 3:14-15

Obedience to God's Word is key to our not being deceived by men such as Jannes and Jambres that stood in Pharaoh's court and opposed Moses. It is key to keep us from being deceived by Simon and Elymas who opposed the apostles. We guard ourselves against these men by keeping our eyes wide open and watching their deeds.

We read in 1 Timothy 5:24-25 that "The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after. Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed."

Men such as these can only go so far. My friend, Satan can only go so far. "But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes's and Jambres's folly was also." (2 Timothy 3:9)

Yes, the magicians of Pharaoh mimicked the power of God. They threw down their staffs and into serpents they did become, but that is not where it ended. "...But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs." (Exodus 7:12)

Oh precious one, don't you just love our God! This sign so simple, yet saying so very much. Our God is greater. Satan can only mimic the power of the I AM. He can not originate his own. Satan may be able to deceive some for a while with his trickery, but his ways will be swallowed up in the victory of our God. "He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken." (Isaiah 25:8, 1 Corinthians 15:54).

Oh Father,

How great You are! You are my God and I follow no other. Keep my eyes open that I may not fall prey to those who are doing the will of Your enemy and mine. Let me not be impressed by a smooth tongue and magic arts. May the power of Your Holy Spirit work mightily in and through me as it did in Moses and in Paul and in Philip. May I not be afraid to stand up to the Jannes's and Jambres's of my time. For You my God will prevail. I will continue in Your Word and hold fast to Your truth walking in obedience to what I already know as I pursue to know even more. Strengthen me my God, according to Your glorious might, and Yours alone.

My Jesus, it is in Your name I pray,

Amen

Responding to Judgment and Mercy

When Pharoah does not listen to you,

then I will lay My hand on Egypt

and bring out My hosts,

My people the sons of Israel,

from the land of Egypt by great judgments. Exodus 7:4

We are now about to dive into the great judgments that God would use to bring deliverance to the children of Israel. Moses is now resolute. His face is set like flint. He has no more questions and no more complaints. Moses has submitted himself to God in complete trust. He knows that God is with him. He knows what he must do. In Exodus 7:6 we read "So Moses and Aaron did it; as the LORD commanded them, thus they did."

As we go through the next few chapters of this amazing book we will look closely at each plague that God sent upon the land of Egypt. We will compare how these plagues affected the hearts of the people, especially the heart of Pharaoh. We will also compare these great judgments to the great judgment that is to come.

Friend, as we read, as we study, take inventory of your own heart. Examine yourself and allow the Holy Spirit to probe deep within your soul. Let him see if there is any wicked way in you. Allow him to expose it to you. For if it stays hidden, it cannot be destroyed. It only grows stronger in the dark and seeps deeper into the abyss of your being.

God's judgment is for our good. "But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world." (1 Corinthians 11:32) God's judgments may come, but His mercy comes with it. 

Let him give his cheek to the smiter
Let him be filled with reproach
For the Lord will not reject forever
For if He causes grief

Then He will have compassion

According to His lovingkindness.
For He does not afflict willingly
Or grieve the sons of men.
To crush them under His feet
All the prisoners of the land,
To deprive a man of justice
In the presence of the Most High,
To defraud a man in his lawsuit-
Of these things the Lord does not approve.
Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass,
Unless the Lord has commanded it?
Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
That both good and ill go forth?
Why should any living mortal, or any man,
Offer complaint in view of his sins?
Let us examine and probe our ways,
And let us return to the Lord.
Lamentations 3:30-40

God's judgments are never for just punishments sake. He receives no pleasure from our pain. "The LORD is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works" (Psalm 145:9) Yes, His mercies are over all His works, even His judgments.

His judgments are meant to wake us up. To cause us to look within ourselves and see our sin against Him. They are meant to lead us back to Him. In Isaiah 26:9 the Word declares, "...For when the earth experiences Your judgments the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness." When we fall under the judgment of God we are to cry out to Him for His mercy and when He gives us His mercy we are to never return to the wicked ways that brought His judgment upon us.

This, however, is not always the case. Sometimes God's mercy hardens a heart. In Kay Arthur's Precept Upon Precept on Exodus one of the statements she made was "judgement softens some and mercy hardens others." How true this statement is. As we dig deeper into the heart of Pharaoh we will see this played out.

Oh precious one, as we continue our walk through Exodus, examine yourself and probe your ways. I implore you to take a close look at your own heart. Take a close look at your own responses to the judgments and mercies of God. Make sure my friend, that you are where you need to be in your relationship with God. Are you truly reconciled to Him?

Oh Father,

May Your Holy Spirit go before me as I read through these chapters. Let me not be afraid of my own flesh (Isaiah 58:7). Open my eyes so that I may see what You see. Help me to examine the deepest regions of my heart and mind and cleanse me of all unrighteousness. Oh Father if there be any part of my heart that has been hardened by Your mercies, bring it to my attention that I may seek Your forgiveness. I never want to take Your mercy and Your grace for granted.

My Jesus, it is in Your name I pray,

Amen

Not Who I Was

But Moses said before the LORD,

'Behold, I am unskilled in speech;

how then will Pharaoh listen to me?  

Exodus 6:30

Moses has already made the complaint out to God that he was "slow of speech" (Exodus 4:10), and now he cries to God that he is "unskilled in speech." The word unskilled in the original Hebrew text is arel which means exposed or uncircumcised. Moses is actually saying "Behold, I am uncircumcised of lips;..."

This is essentially the same cry that the Prophet Isaiah made in Isaiah 6:5 when he said "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips..." Moses is not crying out to God in doubt of his ability, he is crying out to God in realization of his unworthiness to be God's messenger.

Moses is looking at himself. He is looking at the children of Israel. He is looking at Pharaoh and he is crying out to God. I can hear Moses saying "God, they know me. They have seen all that I have done. They know I murdered a man. They know all the sins of my youth. They have seen all the mistakes I have made and God I know all the mistakes I am still making. I am uncircumcised of lips. I am a man of unclean lips. God I have said things I should not have said. I have wounded with my words as well as my hands. The children of Israel will not listen to me why would Pharaoh. He knows even more about me than they do. He shall call me a hypocrite, a traitor. I am a fool in his eyes. God, he will not listen to me."

Oh precious one, have you been there?

Moses is so real with God. He is so obviously just a man like you and I. He is not a superhuman. He is a man who was living a life apart from God but now has been brought near to God to accomplish a mighty mission for the kingdom of heaven. Part of that mission is to return to where he came and show them that he is not who he once was.

He now looks different, walks different, and talks different. Moses may look at himself and see a man of no worth, but once again God does not even acknowledge his cry of insecurity. God simply reminds him of his mission.

We can not allow who we were to hinder who we are now called to be. It doesn't matter who we were. "Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:11)

Yes, you may have to prove yourself, but if your salvation is real, the proof will be made evident. Even Paul had to prove himself. We read in Acts 9:26 that "When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple." Our past goes with us, but it does not control us, nor does it define us when we are new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Moses would go and be obedient to God. He would not have to worry about whether Pharaoh would listen to him. Pharaoh's response was between Pharaoh and God. We too must go and be obedient to God. He has a mission for us just as he did for Moses. A mighty mission to accomplish for the kingdom of heaven, for the glory of our God.

My friend, do not allow what lies behind you to slow you down or cause you to shrink back from what your God has commanded you to do. Forget what lies behind and press forward to what lies ahead. Remembering always who you are in Him.

Has the burning coal from the altar of our God touched your lips and taken your iniquity away? Have your sins been forgiven (Isaiah 6:6-7)? If so, precious one, then speak. Speak all that the Lord has commanded you to speak. Speak with authority and love and confidence and leave the results up to God.

Oh Father,

I look at who I once was and all that I have done and the enemy can so easily convince me that I have no right to speak on Your behalf. The truth, however, is that it gives me every right. I am a living testimony to Your Word. I am living proof that You are God. Comparing who I was to who I am now only strengthens my testimony and greater displays Your grace. Yes I may have to prove myself to some, but that is okay with me. Father I just pray that You would set a guard over my mouth and keep watch over the door of my lips (Psalm 141:3) so that my relationship with You would be made evident and obvious to all.

My Jesus, it's in Your name I pray,

Amen

Waiting on Deliverance

So Moses spoke thus to the sons of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses on account of their despondency and cruel bondage. Exodus 6:9

Moses cried out to God and God answered him. God declared, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh..." God then reminds Moses who it is that he is speaking to as He says, "I am the LORD;"

God expounds to Moses that when He appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, He appeared as God Almighty, El Shaddia, but to Moses He has appeared as LORD. As far as we know Moses is the first Israelite to know this memorial name of God.

God is giving Moses a pep talk. God is building the confidence of Moses. In other words, God is saying 'Moses, you can do this! You know Me now as no other in the flesh does. I have allowed you and you alone this privilege. You will have victory!'

In the first eight verses of Exodus chapter six, God tells Moses four times "I am the LORD", at least nine times God tells Moses "I will", and twice God speaks of the Abrahamic Covenant.

I can just see God taking Moses by the shoulders and looking him deep in the eyes baring directly into his heart and soul and speaking these words as a coach would his boxer in the corner awaiting the second round.

Moses is pumped and he returns to his brethren to share God's words of deliverance with them, but they would not hear. The Scripture tells us that they would not listen because their "despondency and cruel bondage."

The word despondency is qotser in Hebrew and it means shortness of spirit or impatience. God sent word by Moses that He would redeem them with an outstretched arm and with great judgments (Exodus 6:6). Israel did not want to wait for "great judgments" they wanted their freedom now.

Sometimes we have to wait for our deliverance.

In Acts 1:6-7, after the resurrection of Christ, we read "So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, 'Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?' He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;'"

Then also in Revelation 6:9-10, we read "When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"

Waiting is not easy for us, but with God waiting is required. Waiting is a lesson in trust. It is a lesson in faith. It is a lesson in endurance. The Israelites were in despondency, but they were also under cruel bondage. I believe it was because of this cruel bondage that God looked over their impatience.

God never condemns the children of Israel for their lack of faith while they are slaves in Egypt. He looks over it as though it was never said. He doesn't even address it with Moses when Moses brings it up to Him. God just reiterates what it is that Moses has been called to do and sends him to do it.

Our God knows the depravity of our situation. He is a compassionate God and just in all His ways. God sees the weight of our chains. He knows we are blind, deaf, and naked. He knows we are poor, wretched, and despised. He knows we are bitter, confused, and fickle. Yet He comes to us anyway, with "outstretched arms and great judgments".

Oh precious one, do you see the foreshadowing of the cross in this word from God to Moses. Yes, He is speaking of deliverance from the Egyptians, but also He is pointing to the greater redemption. Our redemption from slavery to sin and the prince of this world who holds our chains. Great judgments fell on the shoulders of our Savior as He, with outstretched arms, hung on that cross. Yet, it was by these outstretched arms and through these great judgments that our freedom was found.

My friend, I would almost bet that you too once would not hear the Word of your God, because of your despondency and cruel bondage. Possibly you did not even believe that God was there because you had not been immediately delivered out of your bondage. Perhaps you are struggling with listening as you read this now.

Maybe you are one who, like Moses, have friends and family who will not hear. Believe me, I understand, but more importantly God understands. Trust Him. Keep doing what you know you are to be doing, and trust Him. He will deliver those who cry out to Him. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all." (Psalm 34:19)

Oh Father,

I love You. Waiting is not easy. Afflictions and struggles are not fun, but they come with the territory of a fallen world. Yet, I can still rejoice because I am no longer a slave. There was a time when my cruel bondage kept me from hearing Your words of deliverance, but You were so patient with me. Even now I can catch myself in despondency. I find myself impatient with You, expecting You to deliver me immediately, but as I grow in faith and in my walk with You, I learn that I have much to learn. Mostly I learn that I need to be as patient with others as You have been with me.   

My Jesus, it is in Your name I pray,

Amen.

Rescue Is Coming

Then Moses returned to the LORD and said,

'O Lord, why have You brought harm

to this people?

Why did You ever send me?

Exodus 5:22

Have you ever finally gotten the nerve to be obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit and share the freedom and joy of knowing Christ with someone and then watch their lives get worse? Have you ever prayed with someone who prayed to receive salvation in Christ and then the moment their life didn't turn into a bed of roses they denounced Christ and walked away from Hm? Have you ever turned to God and said these words that Moses poured out to his LORD?

Moses went to the children of Israel and to Pharaoh and said what God had told him to say.

To Israel: God had promised that He would set them free and they bowed low and worshiped Him.

To Pharaoh: God had asked him to let Israel go free to come and worship Him.

I suppose Israel assumed that Pharaoh would readily set them free, but this was not the case. Pharaoh turned up the heat. He made their work harder for them. This response of Pharaoh takes me to the book of Job.

In Job 1 we read of an encounter between God and Satan. God points Job out to Satan and tells him how Job is a servant of God, blameless and upright in his ways. Then Satan responds with "Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side?...But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face." (Job 1:9-11)

Oh precious one, do you see the spirit of Satan working in and through Pharaoh? Satan knows our human nature. He knows how easy it is for man to worship something when it seems like he is gaining an advantage for doing so.

Once again this goes all the way back to the garden when Eve thought her advantage in life would come through her own wisdom and knowledge and through the pleasure of her flesh and not though submission to her Creator.

God has pointed Israel out to Satan through Moses and said they are My people, My servants and they will worship Me. Satan responds through Pharaoh and says, well, we'll see about that! When the work load increases on Israel, Satan gets the response he expected and very much wanted. The people turn their backs on Moses and on God.

When Job's persecution began he did not turn his back on God. He ran to God. Job "fell to the ground and worshiped." (Job 1:20) It is written that through all Job went through he "did not sin nor did he blame God." (Job 1:22) Job declared "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD." (Job 1:21) My friend we must love and obey our God not because He makes us feel good, not because He gives us what we want, but simply because He is God.

Jesus teaches a parable about a sower in Matthew 13:18-23. In this parable He speaks of a person "who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away." (Matthew 13:20-21) We see this parable played out perfectly in the children of Israel and we have seen it played out in many ways and through and many others since, even to this very day. Perhaps it is even being played out in your very own heart.

My friend if you are experiencing persecution and affliction don't run from God, run to Him.

He can handle your hurt. He can handle your confusion. Moses did not understand why God had allowed this persecution, so Moses came before God and asked why. Moses is crying out for immediate deliverance, but God is not going to give immediate deliverance in this situation. God is going to give a mighty and awesome and glory-filled deliverance that is going to spread the name of the people of Israel and the name of her God throughout all the world.

Oh precious one if you are suffering for the Word of God that you have received know that God has not abandoned you. Hold fast, stand firm, and worship Him for greater glory is coming!

Oh Father,

You are good even when I am in the midst of affliction. I trust You my God. I know that as Your child my life is filtered through Your holy fingers. You will not allow anything in my life that I can not get through in Your strength (1 Corinthians 10:13). With this promise in my heart and this knowledge in my mind, I will praise You no matter how great the storm. Though the waves may crash hard and though the wind may slam my world, I will stand firm on You my solid rock (Matthew 7:24-25). I will not allow the enemy to turn my heart from You. My mouth may cry out why, my soul may be in anguish, but my heart is Yours no matter the circumstance.

My Jesus it is in Your name I pray,

Amen 

Charmed

But Pharaoh said, 'Who is the LORD

that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?

I do not know the LORD,

and besides,

I will not let Israel go. 

Exodus 5:2

I read this verse of Scripture, these words of Pharaoh, and I wince. The sad thing is these words are still coming out of the mouths of "pharaohs" today. The pharaohs of Egypt believed themselves to be a god, and they were worshiped by the people as a god.

Once again we see the spirit of Satan himself. The one who said he would set himself up like the Most High God. The one who deceived Eve and still deceives today with the same lie, "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God..." (Genesis 3:5)

Satan convinces us that we need to be our own god. We need to run our own life and make our own decisions. We don't need God telling us what to do or how to live. The sad thing is, he says this, while all along he holds us enslaved with the cords of sin. Oh how blind we are to our chains.

In 2010 I went to an Allman Brothers concert with my husband. As we sat there listening to the music I spent the majority of the evening watching the other concert attenders. The majority appeared to be intoxicated on alcohol and illegal drugs, their minds now fuzzy, and their emotions completely given over to be controlled and manipulated.

They possibly have no clue that their souls are open wide to the enemy. It broke my heart to see all these people lifting there hands up in a worshipful manner to this band. They had their hands up in praise, and their heads back and lifted up, drinking in the music of this band. Precious one, look. Let your eyes be opened to what is really going on.

This was the first non-christian concert I can recall ever attending sober. I too had been one intoxicated and completely clueless to the danger I had put myself in. I looked around at the crowd and I saw how I too once worshiped "pharaohs". I too once lifted my hands and heart and mind in praise of some performer on a stage. I made my emotional connection with them. I let the lyrics of their song help to form my own identity and my view of others.

These lyrics usually encouraged my flesh and encouraged me to be my own god. These lyrics kept my eyes focused on myself and my own selfish desires. I ask you, my friend, who do you think is the originator of these songs?

If the tongue has the power of life and death in it (Proverbs 18:21). 

If God hates a perverse and evil tongue "You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth. You love every harmful word, you deceitful tongue! Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin..." Psalm 52:3-5. Then don't you think we should pay attention to what we sing as much as what we speak?

How blind I was to my chains. Now that I see, I know that there is only One who is worthy of my hands being lifted up to in praise. There is only One who sings with lyrics I should emotionally connect with and that, my friend, would be the beautiful song of the Holy Spirit bringing my heart to worship before the One True Living God.

In these songs my eyes are not focused on myself or the desires of my flesh. They are focused on my Christ, for He opened my eyes to my chains and when I called on Him, He set me free. Oh precious one, have your eyes been opened? 

Pharaoh's eyes were not open. They were tightly shut up in his rebellion. He was soaking in his moment of being a god to his people. He would not submit to the authority of the One who would not allow him to remain in this "god" position.

God had already warned Moses that Pharaoh would not let the Israelites go. God knew well the condition of Pharaoh's heart and now God will use this hard heart that has refused Him and will continue to refuse Him to save millions. Pharaoh is about to get a better understanding of this God he claims that he does not know and whose voice he has refused to obey.

Oh Father,

How thankful I am that You set me free. How manipulated and controlled I once was. I was as someone who stared lost and amazed at a charmer working his magic with a cobra while all along the basket of captivity was being wound around my feet. I was a fool who thought I was free and being entertained but all along I was the one being charmed and deceived. Oh Father how I pray for a great awakening! Open the eyes of Your people and set them free.

My Jesus it is in Your name I pray,

Amen 

God's Not Playing

Now it came about

at the lodging place on the way

that the LORD met him

and sought to put him to death. 

Exodus 4:24

God has just given Moses this great commission to return to Egypt and bring out the children of Israel. God has been patient with his fear and insecurities. God has reminded him over and over that He would be with him. God has allowed Aaron to help him. Yet now we read that God seeks him to put him to death. What has happened?

Disobedience and disregard for the Word of God is what has happened. Now first of all we can not read this like a movie script. It is not like God is sneaking up behind Moses with a dagger and is about to slit his throat. That picture, my friend, does not line up with the character of our God.

Most likely God has allowed Moses to become sick and weak, and he is becoming sicker and weaker. This sickness and weakness comes from Moses' blatant disregard to the covenant of God. This way of God has not changed.    

Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord

in an unworthy manner,

shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.

But a man must examine himself,

and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

For he who eats and drinks,

eats and drinks judgment to himself

if he does not judge the body rightly.

For this reason many among you are weak and sick,

and a number sleep.

But if we judged ourselves rightly,

we would not be judged.

But when we are judged,

we are disciplined by the Lord

so that we will not be condemned along with the world

1 Corinthians 11:27-32    

In Genesis 17:11 God gave Abraham circumcision as a sign of the covenant that was between God and Abraham and Abraham's descendants. This sign was to be performed on every male at eight days old. Those not circumcised where not in the covenant.

Moses had been hidden by his mother for three months and when the daughter of Pharoah drew him out of the water she knew immediately that he was a Hebrew. How did she know? Circumcision.

Moses was well aware of the importance of this ritual. Yet he had neglected to circumcise his own son. Possibly because he had not stood his ground against his Midianite wife.

As we look through the Scripture we see time and time again how a man of God has stumbled and fallen over putting the desires of a woman over the Word of God. This, precious one, goes all the way back to the beginning and it will continue until the end of the age.

We read in Revelation 3:20 of how Jesus is rebuking the church of Thyatira because they have tolerated "the woman Jezebel" and God warns that He is going to throw those who tolerate her onto a bed of sickness.

Ladies we must be very careful to not let our emotions lead above our devotion to the Word of God. Men you must be very careful to not allow your desires to lead over your calling to be the spiritual head of your household. We must stand firm on the Word of God and live in obedience to it. Our hearts will deceive us, but the Word of God is solid and true.

We read that Zipporah, the wife of Moses, circumcises their son in haste right before the LORD puts Moses to death. Zipporah throws the foreskin of her son at the feet of Moses and she declares "You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me." (Exodus 4:25)

I believe Zipporah did this for two reasons. One, I believe Moses was too weak to do it. Two, I believe she was demonstrating her willingness to submit to the God of Abraham and the God of her husband.

Oh precious one, our God is serious about His covenants. He is serious about His Word. He is not playing with us. He does not care what position you hold in this world. He does not hold one person above or under another. His standard never changes and His standard is obedience to His every Word.

God is not legalistic. Legalism comes from man adding traditions and philosophies and extra rules to God's Word. God's commands are not too hard for us, "In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome," (1 John 5:3) and He will help us to walk in obedience when obedience is our desire.

Oh Father,

Thank You for Your Word. Thank You that I have this solid ground to stand on. The ways of man and the ways of religion change, but Your Word stays the same. Traditions and rituals of man can enslave me, but obedience to Your Word sets me free. Oh Father help me to constantly examine myself and judge myself, so that You do not have to. May I walk in Your ordinances and commands with a willing heart and a worthy manner. For You are worthy of my obedience.

My Jesus, it is in Your name I pray,

Amen