This week we took an overview of three points of crisis for Moses and the Hebrews.
The first crisis occurred about three days after the celebration of getting through the Red Sea.
They had traveled and were thirsty, and came up over a hill to see a beautiful lake filled with gorgeous looking water. As they ran down to drink they discovered it was bitter, it was un-drinkable and so another opportunity for them to develop their relationship with God was given.
The main thread that we wanted to pull out of these stories is that a relationship with God involves individuals communicating with him and in that communication developing a relationship of trust. This is not unlike any relationship that we develop with each other. The more we know each other the more we trust each other, and during times of crisis based on what we know we can ask for specific help.
In this particular crisis but people turned to Moses. Well to be more specific they turned against Moses and demanded that he find them water.
This is the first of many "lies" at the Hebrew people were going to have to learn to overcome. The lie that they believed was that authorities must provide for the people.
The lesson they needed to learn was that God would supply their need in his timing and in his way and they needed to go to him not to Moses.
Moses was given a plan by God whereby he actually threw a branch into the water and the water became sweet. One of the lessons I think God was trying to get through was that he does listen, and in this case he specifically listened to Moses.
In the next chapter we see that they have been traveling about a month, and now were running out of food.
This is a normal event in traveling with that many people for that amount of time in a desert. This opportunity was for them to turn to God and ask him to supply what they would need in order to continue on the journey that he was leading them on.
Don't forget they saw a cloud of God leading them by day and a cloud of fire keeping them warm at night to remind them that God was with them and was available.
The Hebrew people turned to Moses and complained. They complained that they were taken out of Egypt so that God could kill them in desert. They remembered that he didn't although they worked very hard at least they had food and a place to sleep every night.
This is not unusual for any one of us when we believe God needs to do more on our behalf. This is where God becomes "the great needs meeter" and whatever needs I have God better meet them.After several meetings Moses and Aaron told the people that God would supply quail every night and a soft breadlike substance every morning.
They were not to take more than what they needed for each day except on the day before the Sabbath. This day they can take twice what they needed because the Sabbath was to be a day of rest.
The concept of"rest" was foreign to slaves. They were used to producing seven days a week 24 hours a day. They were used to a philosophy that said the more you work the more you get the more you get the happier you will be.
God was trying to break them of this production consumption philosophy that is so prevalent even in today's world. By allowing millions of people in the desert to sit still and not have to produce one day every week he would show the world that was watching they were trusting their God to take care of them.
I have no doubt this was a very weird concept and for some very difficult to participate in. The Bible says that some one out on the Sabbath to pick up their food and there was none there. God was and is serious about being trustworthy within our relationship with him.
The next opportunity came with the lack of water again. This time the people turned against Moses.
Even with the pillar of fire at night keeping them warm,the cloud during the day giving them shade, manna every morning, and quail at every night, they still had trouble believing that God would take care of them.
They went after Moses because Moses was their leader, and leaders are supposed to take care of the people. They grew up in a culture in which a leader was in charge of everything. A pharaoh was not only the political leader but also a god to supply whatever he wanted to supply the people with. The Hebrews were used to being told by a godlike figure that it was their job to produce so the Egyptians could consume and it returned the Egyptians would allow them to live eat and drink the supplies they gave them.
Over the years they stopped going to God and began trusting in human leaders. Even when daily evidence of God's presence they still had trouble believing and trusting God enough to speak to him directly.
They went to Moses more than once because after the first complaint Moses did not produce water instead he challenged the Hebrews asking them why they would test the Lord.several days later still very thirsty Moses under threat of death asked God (some would say accused God of not supplying water) but either way he got a plan from God. He took his staff and walked up to the cliff and struck the rock. The clip split wide open and a huge river of water poured out. His river flowed down the desert allowing tens of thousands of people to fill their bottles water their livestock, and be restored to life.
Our challenge is much like there's. Are we going to develop a relationship with God in which we trust him to provide. Or are we going to demand of God that he meet our every need.
The difference can be very subtle, as it is with most Lies.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
my past is the past
Putting the past behind you, it was a concept my mom was very good at repeating to me.
I agree there are things once they have been forgiven and worked through they should be put behind you and not constantly distracting you from moving forward.
I also know that my past experiences, relationships, successes, and failures are a part of who I am now and will continue to help propel me in the future.
There are many in my life that know of the conservative, fundamentalists, almost cultlike beginning that I had to my faith walk in Christ. I do not need to get specific as to the churches and ministries that affected and shaped my beginnings, and are now a part of my past.
I do need to say that although I have moved in what I would consider a positive direction away from their myopic ideologies, and bondage of rules I couldn't be here without them.
Okay I do agree it could be here without them, I mean God can move/journey with anyone toward more Christ likeness regardless of where they start. I look back at my past and I do not hold bitterness even though at times it may rail against what those specific churches and ministries continue to do to people and their walk with Christ.
I have seen people who have made attacking their past what their future is all about. They tend to be rather angry and bitter. They often hold up specific people and ridicule them. They will be little and beat up ministries for churches in public ways to try and keep anyone else from repeating what they went through. I know this because I was one of those people. I wanted to see the ministries that held me back from walking freedom, and enjoying a living dialogue with God from ever tying up in bondage anyone ever again. I knew the ins and outs of the way they thought the way they talked and it was only going to be a matter of time before I could expose them and destroy who they are, of course this would all be done In the Name of God.
I am so glad I am not that person anymore.
I believe that God has the ability to judge far better than I can. (I know that should be obvious to most but I really liked helping him out) I believe God can and does give and take away the effectiveness of ministries and churches. I trust that those institutions that shaped my past will not be in existence one day longer than God would want them to be there.
On the flip side
I also trust God to exalt and use ministries in greater ways as He sees fit. I know that there are some that have touched my life more recently that I think God should turn into worldwide outreaches, and then I laugh at myself. For I have become a judge again and try to help God out, to help him know who should be great and who should not be as great. I laugh and then I trust, and the transition is only a matter of moments rather than months.
My past is the past, and it is a part of who I am now. It gives me the opportunity to speak life to those that have been affected by similar ministries and teachings.
My past is the past, and it allows me the ability to be thankful for how far I've come and with God's help will continue to walk the path Alongside Him.
Putting the past behind me, is a good thing because with it behind me I am propelled forward.
I agree there are things once they have been forgiven and worked through they should be put behind you and not constantly distracting you from moving forward.
I also know that my past experiences, relationships, successes, and failures are a part of who I am now and will continue to help propel me in the future.
There are many in my life that know of the conservative, fundamentalists, almost cultlike beginning that I had to my faith walk in Christ. I do not need to get specific as to the churches and ministries that affected and shaped my beginnings, and are now a part of my past.
I do need to say that although I have moved in what I would consider a positive direction away from their myopic ideologies, and bondage of rules I couldn't be here without them.
Okay I do agree it could be here without them, I mean God can move/journey with anyone toward more Christ likeness regardless of where they start. I look back at my past and I do not hold bitterness even though at times it may rail against what those specific churches and ministries continue to do to people and their walk with Christ.
I have seen people who have made attacking their past what their future is all about. They tend to be rather angry and bitter. They often hold up specific people and ridicule them. They will be little and beat up ministries for churches in public ways to try and keep anyone else from repeating what they went through. I know this because I was one of those people. I wanted to see the ministries that held me back from walking freedom, and enjoying a living dialogue with God from ever tying up in bondage anyone ever again. I knew the ins and outs of the way they thought the way they talked and it was only going to be a matter of time before I could expose them and destroy who they are, of course this would all be done In the Name of God.
I am so glad I am not that person anymore.
I believe that God has the ability to judge far better than I can. (I know that should be obvious to most but I really liked helping him out) I believe God can and does give and take away the effectiveness of ministries and churches. I trust that those institutions that shaped my past will not be in existence one day longer than God would want them to be there.
On the flip side
I also trust God to exalt and use ministries in greater ways as He sees fit. I know that there are some that have touched my life more recently that I think God should turn into worldwide outreaches, and then I laugh at myself. For I have become a judge again and try to help God out, to help him know who should be great and who should not be as great. I laugh and then I trust, and the transition is only a matter of moments rather than months.
My past is the past, and it is a part of who I am now. It gives me the opportunity to speak life to those that have been affected by similar ministries and teachings.
My past is the past, and it allows me the ability to be thankful for how far I've come and with God's help will continue to walk the path Alongside Him.
Putting the past behind me, is a good thing because with it behind me I am propelled forward.
Monday, April 13, 2009
April 11 elevate review
Crossing the Red Sea.....
I Acknowledge that crossing the Red Sea is a famous/well-known Bible story in the secular world, Judaism, and Christianity.within the secular world it is a story that has been broken down and scrutinized so that the Bible could be proved to be unreliable. within Christianity and Judaism is seen as a story of great redemption and amazing displays of God's power.
I acknowledge my presuppositions do filter what I read in Scripture, I do believe presuppositions also affects the secular/academic community. I believe the Bible to be true, God to be real, and miracles to be unexplainable and possible . Within the Secular community those filters are different, so their interpretations are different, and that does not mean that they are not intelligent or honest.
Within the general layout of the story there are some little details that I enjoy acknowledging, so I will put them here but I also would like to know what parts of the story you enjoy.
The idea that God would not let them take the short way to the promise land. The quickest way would've led them through hostile territory and probably battles that they were not prepared to fight. I am sure after watching God defeat the Egyptians through the plagues there was a sense for some of invincibility. The Bible says that God knew that their hearts would melt away if faced with a battle.
Trusting God to know our hearts better than we do is an act of humility. The applications regarding this part of the story are many.God understands what we can handle and what we cannot. God is not required to destroy every enemy through miraculous means so we may have to take the long way around until we are ready to fight enemies of God's plan with God's power.
The second aspect I like to point out is the way to learn cloud/fire moved to the back of the Hebrews and separated them from the Egyptian army. Separation was a mysterious black cloud that formed a wall of black fog in which the Egyptians could not find a way around or through. On the other side were flames that lit up the night so the Hebrews could see their way across the Red Sea, and allow the wind to be super hot to dry up the ocean floor so they could walk across on dry ground.
The Hebrews did get very nervous and cried out to Moses in order to beg God to send them back to Egypt.I know as a child I used to think badly of the Hebrews for not trusting God, but now as an adult I do understand. God was calling them out of something they were very used to. And even though slavery was not a lot of fun it was something they were comfortable doing. Not comfortable as an everything was cool, but comfortable as in they knew what the day was going to be like, and they knew how to function within that society without getting themselves scared, or in a position where they would desperately need God.
God was calling them out into a relationship in which they would be dependent on him, and who he is in order to survive. And although sometimes this sounds great on paper to live it out can be very scary especially when you're used to being controlled by society, or in control of what you consider to be your life.
I also like the reference to God looking out over the Egyptian army when the cloud lifts up and allows the Army to start to follow the Hebrews through the ocean. The concept in the original language is that he leaned out of the window and scared them. For a brief second Egyptian army got to glimpse an angry God which had to be amazingly powerful. It says when they saw his face they were thrown into confusion. (I love when the Bible understates something)
Along that same time period within the story, we see that God knocked the wheels off the chariots, confused the horses so they couldn't pull in the right direction, and then caused the ocean to fall down around them. God effectively destroyed the Egyptians ability to ever come back after the Hebrews for the next 40 years.
At the end of the story we see that the Egyptian army floated to the surface in the Hebrews were able to confirm what God had done.
This I see as a sign that God wants his people to know that they can trust him, and he didn't allow the Egyptians to drown He killed them before they were crushed by the water. (Because drowned bodies don't float)
In general we drew the conclusion that God will call us out of whatever it is that keeps us from a relationship with him.and a new relationship can make us feel very uncomfortable because it involves constant work in order to maintain, and oftentimes we will desire of God something of a list of things to do so that we don't have to maintain a relationship with Him.
Slavery can represent many things when we apply this passage, and so can the rescue of us from that slavery by God. It's not easy to be called out of what we are comfortable in, even when we see miracles sometimes within the only days we are asking God to reverse the miracle and put us back where we started.
I encourage you to keep walking, recognize God's hand in every small and large miracle. And understand that God seeks to restore us back to where we belong, which for the Hebrews was the Covenant relationship he had started with Abraham and for us....... well you know what he wants.
(And I bet it has to do with a relationship)
I Acknowledge that crossing the Red Sea is a famous/well-known Bible story in the secular world, Judaism, and Christianity.within the secular world it is a story that has been broken down and scrutinized so that the Bible could be proved to be unreliable. within Christianity and Judaism is seen as a story of great redemption and amazing displays of God's power.
I acknowledge my presuppositions do filter what I read in Scripture, I do believe presuppositions also affects the secular/academic community. I believe the Bible to be true, God to be real, and miracles to be unexplainable and possible . Within the Secular community those filters are different, so their interpretations are different, and that does not mean that they are not intelligent or honest.
Within the general layout of the story there are some little details that I enjoy acknowledging, so I will put them here but I also would like to know what parts of the story you enjoy.
The idea that God would not let them take the short way to the promise land. The quickest way would've led them through hostile territory and probably battles that they were not prepared to fight. I am sure after watching God defeat the Egyptians through the plagues there was a sense for some of invincibility. The Bible says that God knew that their hearts would melt away if faced with a battle.
Trusting God to know our hearts better than we do is an act of humility. The applications regarding this part of the story are many.God understands what we can handle and what we cannot. God is not required to destroy every enemy through miraculous means so we may have to take the long way around until we are ready to fight enemies of God's plan with God's power.
The second aspect I like to point out is the way to learn cloud/fire moved to the back of the Hebrews and separated them from the Egyptian army. Separation was a mysterious black cloud that formed a wall of black fog in which the Egyptians could not find a way around or through. On the other side were flames that lit up the night so the Hebrews could see their way across the Red Sea, and allow the wind to be super hot to dry up the ocean floor so they could walk across on dry ground.
The Hebrews did get very nervous and cried out to Moses in order to beg God to send them back to Egypt.I know as a child I used to think badly of the Hebrews for not trusting God, but now as an adult I do understand. God was calling them out of something they were very used to. And even though slavery was not a lot of fun it was something they were comfortable doing. Not comfortable as an everything was cool, but comfortable as in they knew what the day was going to be like, and they knew how to function within that society without getting themselves scared, or in a position where they would desperately need God.
God was calling them out into a relationship in which they would be dependent on him, and who he is in order to survive. And although sometimes this sounds great on paper to live it out can be very scary especially when you're used to being controlled by society, or in control of what you consider to be your life.
I also like the reference to God looking out over the Egyptian army when the cloud lifts up and allows the Army to start to follow the Hebrews through the ocean. The concept in the original language is that he leaned out of the window and scared them. For a brief second Egyptian army got to glimpse an angry God which had to be amazingly powerful. It says when they saw his face they were thrown into confusion. (I love when the Bible understates something)
Along that same time period within the story, we see that God knocked the wheels off the chariots, confused the horses so they couldn't pull in the right direction, and then caused the ocean to fall down around them. God effectively destroyed the Egyptians ability to ever come back after the Hebrews for the next 40 years.
At the end of the story we see that the Egyptian army floated to the surface in the Hebrews were able to confirm what God had done.
This I see as a sign that God wants his people to know that they can trust him, and he didn't allow the Egyptians to drown He killed them before they were crushed by the water. (Because drowned bodies don't float)
In general we drew the conclusion that God will call us out of whatever it is that keeps us from a relationship with him.and a new relationship can make us feel very uncomfortable because it involves constant work in order to maintain, and oftentimes we will desire of God something of a list of things to do so that we don't have to maintain a relationship with Him.
Slavery can represent many things when we apply this passage, and so can the rescue of us from that slavery by God. It's not easy to be called out of what we are comfortable in, even when we see miracles sometimes within the only days we are asking God to reverse the miracle and put us back where we started.
I encourage you to keep walking, recognize God's hand in every small and large miracle. And understand that God seeks to restore us back to where we belong, which for the Hebrews was the Covenant relationship he had started with Abraham and for us....... well you know what he wants.
(And I bet it has to do with a relationship)
Monday, April 6, 2009
rumors to thought
A rumor came across my path the other day. It may me think, and that made me smile.
A blog written several weeks ago regarding the firing up two different friends of mine from two different ministries evidently caused a stir.
Somehow someway the information wormed its way through the Internet and eventually into the hands, or eyes of one of the people who did the firing. This in an of itself did not surprise me nor bother me because I would be shocked if something like that didn't weasel its way around the Internet and eventually into the hands of people who might take it personally. I would've hoped that if these people did take it personally it would open up a dialogue between us and possibly gain some understanding. I also don't think I really made any sort of personal attack, only general philosophical observations regarding the overall events surrounding these two friends of mine.
The rumor was that one of these ministries brought up as a statement of fact in a staff meeting "that Bob Switzer has made it quite clear he doesn't like us".
Now I have to admit that this quote may not be an exact quote because I readily admit it probably has been filtered through several or more people before it popped into my little world. What this little quote did for me was make me think and make me smile.
What I would like to examine and here now write about is that I really don't believe I meant anything as a personal attack toward anyone in either of the ministries in which such negative actions were taken against my friends.
I don't doubt that those with a modern mindset or a business approach to Ministry are perfectly capable of desiring and wanting the best for God, and God's people. I don't doubt their motive to be pleasing in God's sight and to develop outreaches or ministries that God would be happy with. I believe that many a Ministry throughout the 1900s were conducted and maintained through what amounted to a very impersonal and strategic plan.
I can think of many ministries I have been affected by and many that I have heard about that were run in a strict authoritative way that accomplished many things for God and were run by men who sincerely love God and believed that their business/strategic plans were God-given inspirational things .
If people within their ministries could not stay in line or get on board with the approach/plan then they were to be removed or "called of God" elsewhere so that the plan could move on without hindrance and God would be pleased and glorify.
My experience is that these plans, and modernistic view to Ministry created an atmosphere in which grace was denied and relationships were based on expectations. Grace was not given the opportunity because things had to be done, and if expectations were not met then relationships had to be severed.
I don't think that's the way God's kingdom operates. I think God's kingdom is far more complicated than that. I am not saying that plans/strategies are unimportant or those with them should not be trusted I am saying God's kingdom work deserves more than that and in these two minor instances grace and relationships should have been given equal priority with plans and strategie.
What's funny to me is probably both ministries would claim that my observation of these situations is without merit and narrowminded. And I agree they may be right.
I truly hope the for the best regarding both of these ministries and those that are now running them. I in no way believe that God is limited by anyone's approach to Ministry whether the modern or postmodern whether it be all grace and relationships or all plans and strategies or some other form of philosophy. I want to see God's kingdom continue to take on the enemy on this earth and win victories. It is my hope and sincere prayer that those that were fired through "mutual consent" will have opportunities of vast Kingdom impact and relational depth that will bless their lives.
And if the rumor is true and someone out there believes that what I have written in the past made it clear to them that I do not like them, I am sorry, will you forgive me.
A blog written several weeks ago regarding the firing up two different friends of mine from two different ministries evidently caused a stir.
Somehow someway the information wormed its way through the Internet and eventually into the hands, or eyes of one of the people who did the firing. This in an of itself did not surprise me nor bother me because I would be shocked if something like that didn't weasel its way around the Internet and eventually into the hands of people who might take it personally. I would've hoped that if these people did take it personally it would open up a dialogue between us and possibly gain some understanding. I also don't think I really made any sort of personal attack, only general philosophical observations regarding the overall events surrounding these two friends of mine.
The rumor was that one of these ministries brought up as a statement of fact in a staff meeting "that Bob Switzer has made it quite clear he doesn't like us".
Now I have to admit that this quote may not be an exact quote because I readily admit it probably has been filtered through several or more people before it popped into my little world. What this little quote did for me was make me think and make me smile.
What I would like to examine and here now write about is that I really don't believe I meant anything as a personal attack toward anyone in either of the ministries in which such negative actions were taken against my friends.
I don't doubt that those with a modern mindset or a business approach to Ministry are perfectly capable of desiring and wanting the best for God, and God's people. I don't doubt their motive to be pleasing in God's sight and to develop outreaches or ministries that God would be happy with. I believe that many a Ministry throughout the 1900s were conducted and maintained through what amounted to a very impersonal and strategic plan.
I can think of many ministries I have been affected by and many that I have heard about that were run in a strict authoritative way that accomplished many things for God and were run by men who sincerely love God and believed that their business/strategic plans were God-given inspirational things .
If people within their ministries could not stay in line or get on board with the approach/plan then they were to be removed or "called of God" elsewhere so that the plan could move on without hindrance and God would be pleased and glorify.
My experience is that these plans, and modernistic view to Ministry created an atmosphere in which grace was denied and relationships were based on expectations. Grace was not given the opportunity because things had to be done, and if expectations were not met then relationships had to be severed.
I don't think that's the way God's kingdom operates. I think God's kingdom is far more complicated than that. I am not saying that plans/strategies are unimportant or those with them should not be trusted I am saying God's kingdom work deserves more than that and in these two minor instances grace and relationships should have been given equal priority with plans and strategie.
What's funny to me is probably both ministries would claim that my observation of these situations is without merit and narrowminded. And I agree they may be right.
I truly hope the for the best regarding both of these ministries and those that are now running them. I in no way believe that God is limited by anyone's approach to Ministry whether the modern or postmodern whether it be all grace and relationships or all plans and strategies or some other form of philosophy. I want to see God's kingdom continue to take on the enemy on this earth and win victories. It is my hope and sincere prayer that those that were fired through "mutual consent" will have opportunities of vast Kingdom impact and relational depth that will bless their lives.
And if the rumor is true and someone out there believes that what I have written in the past made it clear to them that I do not like them, I am sorry, will you forgive me.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
March 28 elevate review
We took a broad brush review of the plagues.
As we worked our way through the plagues in Egypt we threw out two main points.
Point number one was that Pharaoh refused to see the miracles of God because his magicians could copy the first few of them.
What I tried to point out was that we often refuse to see the miracles of God because in our own little ways we give credit to outside sources that we believe can also mimic the miracles. The miracles I am referring to are the small daily miracles along our journey and the outside sources are things that we call circumstances, Fate, luck,karma, as well as a host of phrases or concepts in which we take away hundreds of miracles that God performs on our behalf and in doing so we refuse to see his hand and his power in our lives.
We need to develop within us the confidence in recognizing God's hand in our everyday life. To begin to see that he provides "our daily bread". In practicing or developing our eyesight to see the hand of God in this journey that we are on we become more confident in his power to take care of us should things get crazy in the world. We are able to walk through any circumstances even through "the valley of the shadow of death"because we understand and have seen his hand providing for us all along the way, even on the mountaintops, and "beside the still waters".
About halfway through the plagues even the magicians recognized that this was the hand of God. Recognizing God's power and submitting to it are two different things. We see the Pharaoh tried something that many of us also try and that led us to our second point.
The second point is what I would call conditional submission. Throughout the plagues Pharoh tried to negotiate the terms of releasing the Hebrews. He would beg for the plagues to end, then after relief came he would renege on his commitment to releasing the Hebrews. He also would try to limit the number of people that could go, what to be taken with them, or how far/long they were allowed to go. All of this negotiation on Pharaohs part was his way of controlling God and being able to claim that he told God what he could and what he could not do.
We do the same thing when we recognize God's power and we want him to use it, but we want him to use it under our conditions.
We say things like, you can take my life but let me do---------, I am willing to go anywhere just make sure it's not------------, I know you are the ultimate judge but I would like you to do this to---------- because I don't like them, or any number of blanks after a phrase in which we give conditions to God's use of God's power.
Like the Pharaoh we will learn that that is a dangerous place to live because God does not negotiate.
Pharaoh ultimately lost the firstborn child of his entire nation, and in waiting so long to learn his lesson he also lost major cash crops of the nation, huge amounts of of livestock, and caused much physical suffering and stench around the nation.
We also took a humorous look at what it would take to move a nation of people that had been living in the same area for approximately 400 years. We estimated conservatively that it was 2.5 million and could be up to 4 million people that had to get on the road and start leaving Egypt immediately. In doing so I have no doubt the line of people stretched out for probably about 6 to 10 hours.
I think it is also important to see that there are many ways to apply what happened to the Hebrews, the Pharaoh, the people of Egypt, and the magicians. There are many things that we can discuss and dialogue over in which we will never know for sure nor is it important if we are right but we can learn. I look forward to the things that you may have picked up in this study.
As we worked our way through the plagues in Egypt we threw out two main points.
Point number one was that Pharaoh refused to see the miracles of God because his magicians could copy the first few of them.
What I tried to point out was that we often refuse to see the miracles of God because in our own little ways we give credit to outside sources that we believe can also mimic the miracles. The miracles I am referring to are the small daily miracles along our journey and the outside sources are things that we call circumstances, Fate, luck,karma, as well as a host of phrases or concepts in which we take away hundreds of miracles that God performs on our behalf and in doing so we refuse to see his hand and his power in our lives.
We need to develop within us the confidence in recognizing God's hand in our everyday life. To begin to see that he provides "our daily bread". In practicing or developing our eyesight to see the hand of God in this journey that we are on we become more confident in his power to take care of us should things get crazy in the world. We are able to walk through any circumstances even through "the valley of the shadow of death"because we understand and have seen his hand providing for us all along the way, even on the mountaintops, and "beside the still waters".
About halfway through the plagues even the magicians recognized that this was the hand of God. Recognizing God's power and submitting to it are two different things. We see the Pharaoh tried something that many of us also try and that led us to our second point.
The second point is what I would call conditional submission. Throughout the plagues Pharoh tried to negotiate the terms of releasing the Hebrews. He would beg for the plagues to end, then after relief came he would renege on his commitment to releasing the Hebrews. He also would try to limit the number of people that could go, what to be taken with them, or how far/long they were allowed to go. All of this negotiation on Pharaohs part was his way of controlling God and being able to claim that he told God what he could and what he could not do.
We do the same thing when we recognize God's power and we want him to use it, but we want him to use it under our conditions.
We say things like, you can take my life but let me do---------, I am willing to go anywhere just make sure it's not------------, I know you are the ultimate judge but I would like you to do this to---------- because I don't like them, or any number of blanks after a phrase in which we give conditions to God's use of God's power.
Like the Pharaoh we will learn that that is a dangerous place to live because God does not negotiate.
Pharaoh ultimately lost the firstborn child of his entire nation, and in waiting so long to learn his lesson he also lost major cash crops of the nation, huge amounts of of livestock, and caused much physical suffering and stench around the nation.
We also took a humorous look at what it would take to move a nation of people that had been living in the same area for approximately 400 years. We estimated conservatively that it was 2.5 million and could be up to 4 million people that had to get on the road and start leaving Egypt immediately. In doing so I have no doubt the line of people stretched out for probably about 6 to 10 hours.
I think it is also important to see that there are many ways to apply what happened to the Hebrews, the Pharaoh, the people of Egypt, and the magicians. There are many things that we can discuss and dialogue over in which we will never know for sure nor is it important if we are right but we can learn. I look forward to the things that you may have picked up in this study.
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