Daily Devotions

Exodus 16:31, The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.

The Hebrew word manna sounds like what is it? This was something they had never seen before, this bread of heaven. The manna is described as white, and looking like flakes on the ground, remember I compared them to Frosted flakes. They tasked like wafers made with honey, which sounds pretty good to me. But for these Israelites, they had no idea what this was. Moses had to explain it to them.

And if we are honest, doesn’t God work that way in our lives as well. Things happen and we have no idea what is going on, how things came about, where they are going, what is going to happen. And this is not just bad things, often good things happen to us and we are beside ourselves trying to figure them out or explain them. And maybe like the Israelites, all we can ask is what is this? What is happening? How can this work?

The Israelites ate the manna for forty years while they were in the desert. God provided it every day for them, expect the seventh. Honestly, isn’t that often how God provides for us? The ways of God are beyond our understanding. We cannot see how things work, what the next step is, where this is going. But God is always there and always in control. Rest assured that when we say, “What is it?” God knows completely.

Father, thank you for your care. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 16:32, Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the wilderness when I brought you out of Egypt.' ”

The Lord commanded Moses to take an omer of manna and save it for the Israelites to see. And in the few verses left in this chapter, that is what Moses and Aaron do. Remember, the omer was what one person was to gather for one day, and we said it was about half a gallon. Why would God want Moses to save some of this? We know the Israelites will eat the manna for forty years, as they travel through the desert. It would seem they would have it permanently burned into their brains. Why would they need a reminder?

Getting a little ahead of the story, this whole generation is going to die in the wilderness. They will doubt God when they first come to the border and be sentenced to their forty years of wandering. Eventually, this manna will be put into the ark of the covenant. And though no one was allowed to look inside, they would know this manna was in there. God knows the people he created are forgetful creatures. Sadly, we can continue doing something and forget why we are doing it. But God wants his people to remember; to never forget what he has done for them, what he can do for them, where he can lead them, and how he can bless them. It is for our benefit that God gives us reminders.

What are some of the things that you need to be reminded of this morning? What are the things that you know, but you have forgotten? What are some of the things that you so take for granted, you don’t realize their significance anymore?

Father, help me remember. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 17:1-2, The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”

The Israelites were a pretty amazing group of folks, when you think about it. Back up a little and look in the last verses of the last chapter. And I realize we do not know exactly how much time might have passed between these verses, but think about something here. In those last verses, the Israelites were grumbling and complaining about not having anything to eat. God heard it and gave them quail in the evening and manna in the morning. The manna was something they had never heard of before, it was the bread of heaven.

And now they are back at it again. Quarreling with Moses and demanding that he give them water to drink. To begin with, who do they think Moses is? Sure, he is the leader, but he is the leader God has chosen. And it was not Moses who provide the meat and bread for them, it was God. But Moses is just an easy target. And second, how can Moses, a man like them, provide water for this crowd?

But let’s realize we are not all that much better than those Israelites, and let’s not forget our own selfish, self-centered grumblings. How we love to complain when things don’t seem to be going our way. It could be big things; tragedies, terminal diseases, financial catastrophes, relationship breakups. But then again, we love to complain about the little things too, don’t we? How someone else acts or treat us along the way, what they got and we didn’t, how the weather is this way or that. And instead of leaning into the Lord, instead of being faithful and trusting that he will carry us through, even though we have no idea why, we want to complain, grumble, and fuss. We need to learn to trust the Lord. That is easy when the pantry and water jug are full, but we need to trust him when they are empty too.

Father, help me hold to the fact that you will always provide. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Ponzerite said:
Hey Guys,

I asked for and recieved the permission to begin posting my devotions here. We are currently going through the Gospel of John, so just picking up where we are. I post these in a cople of other places, and can also email them out, if anyone had rather have them that way. Please feel free to use these however the Lord leads you, there is no copyright and os no royalites are ever due. ;) I hope these will be a blessing to someone.
Mike

John 10:20-21, Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?” But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

Much of the division surrounding Jesus was based on who he actually was. Jesus asks his disciples in Matthew who men said he was, and then made it personal, who do you say I am? That is a question that demands to be answered, who is Jesus? That is simply a matter of fact, one of those truths we spoke about before. In that sense, it does not matter what you think, the truth is the truth. Jesus is who he is. And nothing you or I think or believe will ever be able to change that.

But what we do with that fact makes all the difference in the world for us, and in fact, in our eternity. Some said Jesus is demon possessed and raving mad. That was their opinion, their thought. Other said Jesus could not say these things if he was demon possessed, and they question the demon’s power to heal blindness. But what do you think about Jesus? Who is he? Many today might offer much the same answer as those folks. Some might say that he was a good teacher. Some might say he is the embodiment of an ideal, simply a made up character to make folks behave. Some might say he was insane. Some might simply choose to ignore him. But the truth cannot be ignored. Secular history shows us there was a man named Jesus, who lived, taught, and died as the Bible records. But what do you believe about him?

The fact is, Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Whether we want to admit that now or not, it is true. And one day every knee will bow and tongue confess that to the glory of the Father. The point is, if we claim that we must live that. Our lives must match what our mouths say. Otherwise, we show that we truly don’t believe who Jesus is. It is easy to say the right words, but we need to live the right lives. We need to conform every aspect of our lives to the one truth, Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God.

Father, help me truly believe and honor you every day. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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Amen brother
 
Exodus 17:2b, Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?”

It is easy, when you are the target of people’s attacks, complaints, whining, and so forth, to take those things personally. Good leaders love their folks, they want the best for them. I’m sure Moses wanted the best for those Israelites; plenty of food and water, safety as they travel, protection from their enemies, easy paths to walk, and so forth. And I’m also sure Moses was just as thirsty as anyone in the camp, he knew the water situation better than they did, and he was not just worried about himself or his family, Moses had the entire community to be concerned about. And yet, he’s the very person they are complaining against.

And don’t forget, God has called Moses as the leader, and it was through Moses that God had provided the manna and the quail. He realizes he is an easy target. But his response to them is classic. Do you think Moses came up with this all on his own? Or do you think God revealed this to Moses? Or maybe there was a combination. And we ought to think about what Moses told those folks.

Moses asks them why he is quarreling with him? Moses knows, and the people have to as well, that he cannot provide water for all of them. The one they are really grumbling about, complaining against, questioning is God himself. You see, the question is not whether Moses can give them water, the question is can God give them water. The answer is very simple: Moses cannot. God can! And instead of blaming others, we need to look to God and the resources that he provides.

Father, help me realize you provide my needs. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 17:3, But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”

Moses made a great point in the last verse, why do you put the Lord to the test? Moses realizes ultimately it is not him they are questioning and quarreling with. (Hold onto that thought until tomorrow.) The real issue is these folks commitment, their trust, their faith in the Lord. They really don’t believe that the Lord can take care of them. Moses is simply an easy target, as is every leader of every group in the world. It doesn’t matter whether this is a church group we are talking about, a ball team, a factory or an office setting, a home, or whatever. The leader is the easy target, whether the real problem is his or not.

Something else to notice here, these grumbling people were thirsty. And they take that to an extreme conclusion, we are all going to die of thirst; us, our children, the livestock, everything. I doubt many of us have ever really been thirsty. And I know there is a tremendous discussion today about how everyone is dehydrated. But let’s be honest, none of us are about to die of thirst. But we sure let those feelings of thirst, hunger, or something else take control of us and our thinking, don’t we? Snickers bars have made a million dollars over people being hangery.

But there is something to that. We far too often allow our physical cravings to get the best of us. We do and say things we know we ought not. We need to learn more self control, and we need more faith. It is really that simple. I know these Jews didn’t have the promises of Jesus, but Jesus promised his followers he would provide our daily needs. And we need to learn to rest more on those promises, we need to learn to trust him more.

Father, help me focus on you and not my problems. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 17:4, Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

Remember from yesterday, Moses asked the people why they put the Lord to the test? Moses knows he is just a servant, both of the Lord and these people. He cannot provide them water any more than he could provide them with bread. And he points that out to the people.

But still, there is some part of Moses that takes this personally. We can see here the cry of a frustrated and discouraged man. Moses loves those people, but what is he going to do? What can he do? Moses wants to do everything and anything to help these folks. But he realizes he is helpless. Are the people really ready to stone him? I suspect this is a little overboard, but no doubt this is how Moses feels. Who among us is not a little dramatic from time to time?

Do you ever feel this way? Overwhelmed? Frustrated? Disappointed? Maybe even scared? What do you do, when you realize there is nothing you can do? Moses cried out to the Lord. When there is nothing else you can do, you can always go to the Lord. Prayer ought not be the last resort, it ought to be our first response. And I believe it is important to be honest with our feelings. God already knows how Moses feels, and how we feel. This is more about being honest with ourselves and admitting our weakness and helplessness, than it is about informing God. But until we admit to ourselves what we think and feel, and until we acknowledge we cannot do anything to solve the problem, the problem is not going to get any better. We have to cry out to God and we have to put ourselves in his hands.

Father, help me admit my frustrations. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 17:5, The LORD answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.

The LORD answered Moses, don’t ever forget that. When we call out to the Lord he will answer us. Jesus promised his followers he would never leave or forsake them. Psalm 46:1 tells us, God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Sometimes, I think we forget this. Even Jesus asked why God had forsaken him on the cross. Jesus’ case was unique, as he was sinless and bearing the sin of the world on himself. But even in that moment, God was still there, still watching, still in control, and things were still going according to God’s plan. You see, that is what we need to remember. God never promised us an easy life, no pain, no struggles, no ungrateful people. But God does promise to be with us, to help us, to provide for us, sometimes we get confused on the timing. But remember, God’s timing is always right.

God tells Moses to go out with his staff and stand in front of the people. The very people who were grumbling and ready to stone him. God has something more in store here, but we will have to wait until we get to the next verses to see it. But just rest assured of this one thing, the Lord always hears and always answers our prayers. He never leaves us or gives up on us. And we need to never give up on him.

Father, help me remain faithful. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 17:6, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.

The Lord answered Moses, we talked about that last time. Moses was to go out and stand before the people, with the staff in his hand. But it is interesting what else the Lord told Moses. The Lord told Moses that he would stand there with him. There is more, about striking the rock and water coming out for the people to drink. But go back to that first part.

The Lord said he would stand there before Moses. You see, as long as we are following God, he is always going to be there with us. Jut think about that, Jesus later told his disciples, as he was about to return to heaven, that he would never leave them or forsake them. That is a tremendous promise for God to make. We never have to worry about being alone. When people are grumbling and complaining about us, God is there. When they are taking about stoning us, God is there. When it seems like everyone has abandoned us, God is there. That is quite a promise and it is quite comforting, isn’t it?

Those are the kind of promises that we need to hold onto as Christians. Regardless of what the world throws at us, God is there with us. He provides for us, comforts us, strengthens us.

Father, thank you for always being with me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Ponzerite said:
Exodus 17:6, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.

The Lord answered Moses, we talked about that last time. Moses was to go out and stand before the people, with the staff in his hand. But it is interesting what else the Lord told Moses. The Lord told Moses that he would stand there with him. There is more, about striking the rock and water coming out for the people to drink. But go back to that first part.

The Lord said he would stand there before Moses. You see, as long as we are following God, he is always going to be there with us. Jut think about that, Jesus later told his disciples, as he was about to return to heaven, that he would never leave them or forsake them. That is a tremendous promise for God to make. We never have to worry about being alone. When people are grumbling and complaining about us, God is there. When they are taking about stoning us, God is there. When it seems like everyone has abandoned us, God is there. That is quite a promise and it is quite comforting, isn’t it?

Those are the kind of promises that we need to hold onto as Christians. Regardless of what the world throws at us, God is there with us. He provides for us, comforts us, strengthens us.

Father, thank you for always being with me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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Exodus 17:6, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb.
we know/were told the Lord led them out with His Presence (column of fire, clouds, etc). Maybe when He said “I will stand there before you”, He meant visually as well for proof of the miracle that was about to happen.
What I’ve always wondered is; when did He withdraw His visual presence (Exodus 13:21) to the Israelites ? It would have to be withdrawn at some point for all their grumbling to start. Maybe the grumbling caused Him to withdraw it ? Idk, just have always wondered. I’ll ask Him one day.
 
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Exodus 17:7, And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”

We’ve sort of looked down on the Israelites in the last few verses. We’ve seen them grumble and complain about the lack of water. They said they, their children, and all their animals were going to die of thirsty in the desert. But the root of their problem is revealed in this verse: they doubted whether the Lord was among them or not. We might wonder how they could even think this. After all, consider the miracles they have seen. We can start with Moses’ staff becoming a snake, think about the plagues in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the destruction of Pharaoh’s army, and the giving of manna and quail. How can they doubt the Lord is with them?

And yet, don’t we far too often do the same thing? When we go through troubles, we grumble and complain ourselves. We want to know why this is happening to us. We look at all the negatives and problems we have. We might even grumble about God and his people. We might be angry with God. We might blame him for our troubles. We might doubt he is there with us any more.

And yet, we must remember, God has promised to be with us always. And we also need to remember God does not promise us an easy life, smooth sailing, all sunshine and ice cream. On one hand, Christians go through the same sicknesses and diseases that non-Christians go through. We suffer with the same accidents and tragedies they do. We face the same financial problems the world does. And on top of that, Jesus said that the world would hate us, just like it hated him. And he promised persecution for those who follow him. I know, that does not sound like a huge incentive to follow God.

But we must never forget, God has promised to be with us always. Simply put, he doesn’t always calm the storm, sometimes he calms his child in the storm. We need to remember God will never leave us. And we need to learn to lean into him; in the good times as well as the bad.

Father, help me overcome my doubt. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
xtp308 said:
Exodus 17:6, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb.
we know/were told the Lord led them out with His Presence (column of fire, clouds, etc). Maybe when He said “I will stand there before you”, He meant visually as well for proof of the miracle that was about to happen.
What I’ve always wondered is; when did He withdraw His visual presence (Exodus 13:21) to the Israelites ? It would have to be withdrawn at some point for all their grumbling to start. Maybe the grumbling caused Him to withdraw it ? Idk, just have always wondered. I’ll ask Him one day.
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Good thoughts here. I didn’t really think about the Lord standing before Moses visually, if that were so I’d think the Israelites would have had a much different reaction. Later, when God appeared on Mt Sinai, the people trembled Exodus 19:16. Then in 20:18-19 they trembled in fear again and told Moses not to have God speak to them for they would die. I was thinking more of an assurance to Moses of God being with him.

As for when the Lord withdrew his visual presence, Exodus 32 talks about the golden calf. Exodus 33:3 says, Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.” (I bolded those words for emphasis.)

So, maybe that’s it. But like you said, we can ask him one day.
 
Exodus 17:8, The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.

Short verses like this always make me wonder. You know there has to be more to the story, but the writer, Moses in this case, just makes a simple statement and moves on to the next thought. And there is more coming after this, no doubt.

The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. But why? How? Who was winning? What was the battle like? How many Amalekites came and how many defenders did the Israelites have? What happened to the women and children; were they put somewhere safe? Were any of them hurt? I can come up with a million questions.

Some of these are pretty easy to figure out. The Amalekites probably saw Israel as a threat. This mass of people were coming through their land, they didn’t know if they were planning to stay or move on. Maybe the Amalekites felt threatened. Maybe they felt they had to protect their land, their food, and their water. Maybe the Amalekite king was just having a bad day and lashed out at them. To be sure they took enough men with them to fight and Israel would send enough to fight back. Many of the other things we can only imagine.

So, what’s the point? Things happen to us and maybe we can understand parts of it, or maybe not. But regardless, we need to remember the Lord has promised to be with us. Maybe we don’t feel it at the moment, maybe we have doubts, maybe we think this is the end. But we never know that. And we always need to leave room for God to work in our lives. God has a plan here, he knows what he is going to do. And as we read farther, we will see that plan unfold. And there will be a few lessons we can learn along the way. But our faith needs to stay in God.

Father, help me when I cannot see what is happening. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 17:9, Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”

Again, I have some questions about this verse. Why just choose some of the men, why not send the entire army out in full force? I don’t know how many Amalekites came at the Israelites, but I’d like to have an overwhelming force to fight them. Of course, sometimes you can have too many folks helping and they end up in the way. And why wait until tomorrow? If we are being attacked, let’s go out now and deal with the situation.

But it is almost always better to have a plan. I know there are sometimes we just have to jump up and do something. But far and away, it is better to figure out what is going on, the best way to deal with it, and then to deal with it on your terms. Again, I know that is not always possible. But when we have a plan in place, when we have time to get our resources lined up, when are prepared, and we can act rather than react, things usually go better. Moses and Joshua could do some valuable things overnight. Getting the men and equipment ready, making sure everyone knew their job, deciding the best way to go about the battle, and so forth. The best thing they could do was to seek God, his plan, his will, and pray for his strength and blessings.

I think we sometimes forget that. We too often want to rush in, when we need to slow down. We need to seek God and his will and plan for this situation. We need to prepare ourselves for what might be ahead. Of course, we cannot plan for every possibility, and we don’t always have the opportunity to plan at all. That is why we need to stay close to God all of the time and stay in his plan.

Father, help me slow down and look for your direction. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 17:10, So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill.

Joshua did just what Moses told him to do. He selected his men to go and fight the battle. War in those days was much more personal than it is today. There were no rifles or pistols, no RPGs or missiles, no planes to drop bombs and no ships or artillery to lob shells for miles. It was up close and in your face; hand to hand combat, knives, swords, clubs, spears, rocks, and whatever else you could find. You looked your enemy in the eye and either your blood or his was going to be on you. Joshua and the army were in the thick of the battle.

Moses, Aaron and Hur were on the top of the hill watching the battle. It should not seem strange these guys, the leaders of the Israelites were up there and not in the battle. If Moses was killed, for example, who would lead the Israelites on their journey? God selected Moses for a different job, and it would have been a tragedy to loose him. And remember, Moses was 80 years old at this point, sure he still has 40 more years ahead of him, but he’s not a young man. And so, his position is more of leadership and guidance.

We need to remember that everyone has a part to play in God’s plan. And remember too, that everyone’s part is different. Joshua’s part was to lead the men into battle. Moses’ part was to be the go between for God and the Israelites. Maybe that is what Moses is doing on the hill, maybe the warriors can look up there and see him and know that he is interceding on their behalf. Maybe he is more valuable on the hill than in the battle.

Paul later compares the church to the human body. Each member has a different part to play; eyes, hands, feet, ears, stomachs, and so forth. And each part has to do the part God assigned it to do. Ears don’t digest food, but they hear all sorts of sounds; danger, instructions, words of love, and so forth. We need them both. And in this world, we need Christians who will stand up and do their part as well. Whatever that part is. You will see people today, have relationships with them that I never will, and you are in those positions to share the love and the good news of Jesus. We all do things that others can’t, but put it all together and everything functions as it should.

Father, help me do my part, no matter how big or small. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 17:11, As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.

This is a story we have all heard before, it makes a great Sunday School lesson for the little guys. But I wonder what is really behind this. Why did the Israelites win when Moses held his hands up? And what happened when he put them down that the Amalekites turned the battle?

Commentators offer a couple of suggestions. One is that while Moses’ hands were lifted he was praying. That was a common posture for prayer in the Old Testament. But prayer is not effective only while the prayer is on our lips, we do need to continue in our prayers. Some say while Moses’ hands were lifted up, he was holding the staff of God. And that was the symbol of the power and help of God. While his hands were up, they were relying on God’s power and not their own.

Some says this was more for the benefit of the soldiers below. As long as they could look up and see Moses hands, the staff, and so forth, they were encouraged in the battle. But men in those types of battle couldn't afford to look away, they had to be focused on what was going on around them so they wouldn’t get killed. But that’s really not what this says, as long as Moses’ hands were up the Israelites were winning. There is no mention of the soldiers paying any attention to Moses.

Why were Moses’ hands up? I’m going back to the thought of seeking God’s strength in this case. Moses was no doubt praying for the warriors below. He prayed for strength, for protection, for skill, for wisdom in the battle plan, and ultimately for victory over their enemies. And while our prayer doesn’t loose it’s power when we stop praying, we do need to continue to look for God to act and work in our lives. There is more information we need in the next verse, but for now, let’s remember what Paul said to the Thessalonians in 5:17, pray continually.

Father, help me realize how much I need you. In Jesus’ name amen.
 
Exodus 17:12, When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.

As long as Moses held his hands up the Israelites were winning, but how long can you hold your hands up? It might sound easy, but in reality it is a hard thing to do. Simply put, your arms will get tired, regardless of how strong you are or how good a shape you are in. We get tired. Remember that, we all get tired. We might be the leader, maybe at home, maybe at work, maybe in the church, maybe in the community, wherever, but you will get tired. You will get discouraged, you will feel like you cannot go on, and maybe you can’t. This is a normal feeling.

And we all need Aarons and Hurs in our lives. We need people who will come along side of us and help us support us. We need people who will hold us up when we are simply and completely give out. They got Moses a rock to sit on and they held his hands up, they held his hands steady until sunset. We don’t know what time they got the rock seat. But we do see they stayed until the sun went down, the rest of the day. Do you think they got tired of holding Moses’ hands? Probably. But they knew that their friend Moses needed their help. And they knew Joshua needed their help and they knew all of the soldiers in the battle were depending on them. And so they held tight, they remained at their post. There is no shame in needing someone, and there is no shame in receiving help.

So, remember that this morning. It is OK to need help. We often have to carry more than we need to, more than we should, more than we can. Let others come along side of you and share the burden. And remember, sometimes we need to go to someone and help them out. Aaron is mentioned over 300 more times in the Bible. Hur is only mentioned 15. Sometimes we are just the helper. We don’t need recognition for that. We just need to do the job God has put before us. So help someone with no thought of recognition. All three of these men in the hill were important in the battle.

Father, help me give help and accept help. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 17:13, So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

Make no mistake about it, I believe the Bible to be the inerrant word of God revealed to mankind. So, when it says here that Joshua overcame the Amalekites with the sword, I fully believe that. But there is also something about this victory that I believe. I believe this victory used something besides the power of Joshua’s sword, the battle was dependent on the power of God and his people working together.

Remember, we talked about Aaron and Hur last time? All four of these men had a part to play in this battle. Joshua and his soldiers were down there in the thick of it, fighting for their lives and the lives of their families, man to man. Moses was up on the hill, interceding for Joshua and the army, asking God for his power and protection for the men down below. I’m sure Joshua and his men were give out, and so was Moses. That is where Aaron and Hur come into the picture. They set Moses down so they can hold his arms up. Each of those men have a specific job, and each of those jobs are important. Maybe Hur, who is the least known of the four, didn’t think his job was very important, maybe he wanted to quit, maybe he thought he didn’t matter. But he did! And each of those men was dependant on the others to overcome the enemy. And all of these men were dependent on God.

Remember that, when you get discouraged, or feel you don’t have anything to contribute. Remember that each of us has a part to play in God’s plan. It might not be as showy as someone else’s part. We might not get the glory or attention that others get. But each of us has something that we, and only we, can contribute. Sure, we are dependent on God and on others ourselves. This is not to say we are necessarily the most important part of the machine. But if one tooth on one gear breaks off, it can stop the whole thing. We simply need to do our part.

Father, help me stay faithful. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 17:14, Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.”

How good are we at remembering things? I know the sad truth is, many of us are not very good. Honestly, this is something struggle I with. I want to remember, I really do. You might ask me to do something for you, and I am100% willing to do it, but by the time I get home or to the office or wherever I am going, I have forgotten. That’s why I ask you to remind me.

The Lord wants this battle with the Amalekites to be remembered. And that is why he tells Moses to write it down. Those folks were much better with oral history than we are, they memorized and recited their stories often. But God knows that sometimes we forget certain details, or we might change them with no intention to, or someone else might hear things differently than we tell it. There are a million ways a story can get changed. And God wants this story preserved. God is going to completely blot out the name of this king, and he wants people to remember what he has done.

So, how do you remember the important things? Do you write things down? Make lists? Put reminders on your calendar or phone? Get someone to remind you? We need to do whatever it takes. But we must never forget the commitment we have made to the Lord and we must never forget the good things he has done for us. It sounds so simple to say we will never forget: but the reality is we do. And we forget all too often. So,set a reminder today to remember the Lord’s goodness to you.

Father, help me never forget. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 17:15, Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner.

We don’t build altars anymore. Or do we? These altars were pretty important to the people in those days. There was no temple or tabernacle for the people to go to in order to worship. And so, they worshiped the Lord, or whichever god they served wherever they were. As you continue to read through the Old Testament, these altars often became snares to the people. They built altars to gods they ought not be worshiping, they built them in places God told them not to, they allowed those altars to become more important than the God they were supposed to be worshiping.

Should we be building altars today? No, Jesus has offered himself once for all for the sins of every man, woman, and child on earth. No more sacrifice for sin is needed, the book of Hebrews makes that clear. But we are called to continue to offer sacrifices to the Lord. Romans 12 tells us to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to the Lord. If we are willing to do that, everything else will fall into line. We will not have to worry about what we are going to give to the Lord, we will give generously. We will not have to worry about sacrificing our time to the Lord we realize it is not our time anyway. Once we put ourselves on the altar, and keep ourselves there, (and that is no easy task), we will realize that all we have belongs to the Lord anyway, we are simply his stewards.

But these altars also served as reminders to the people who came along that the Lord had done something wonderful and powerful there. They will be reminders that the people need to continue to praise and worship the Lord, not just in that place, but wherever they find themselves. We do need to set up reminders for ourselves, because we are forgetful. Maybe not a stone altar, but whatever it takes simply to jog your memory; a picture, a verse, something on your key ring, a sticker on your computer, and app on your phone, whatever it takes to remind you of the Lord’s goodness.

Father, help me keep you in the forefront of my mind. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 17:16, He said, “Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the LORD, the LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”

I use the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible for reading and study. But I often look at other translations along the way. Maybe they say things in a little different manner, maybe it will cause me to think a little different. Remember, the Bible was not written in English, the Old Testament was written mostly in Hebrew with some Aramaic thrown in. And the New Testament was written in Greek, and that was an earlier form of the language. Think about reading Shakespeare in his English vs our English.

All of that to say this, the King James Version (KJV) translates it this way, For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. Do you see the difference? NIV says hands were lifted up against (there is a footnote that says “to” is a possible translation) or that the Lord has sworn in the KJV. So, did the Amalekites lift up their hands against the Lord and his people? Yes, they did. And God considers attacks on his people personally, as attacks on himself. And so, God will be at war with the Amalekites for generations. Or did God swear that he will be at war with the Amalekites for generations? Again, yes that is true also. And maybe the reason is because they attacked his people in the first place.

I don’t suppose this makes a huge difference in how we are to live our lives today. Except to say this; it is good to look at different translations. The message is going to be the same, but it might be said a little different, and that might give you a little different insight or way to think about something. And in this case, that is true. We can see that, 1 the Amalekites did attack Gods people and God defeated them. And we can see that 2, God swore to continue to fight against these people. And as we continue through the Old Testament we will see God doing just that.

God does take attacks on his people personally, the persecution the church faces, God sees that, he knows that, and he will deal with those persecutors in his way and in his time. And so, we need to learn to trust the Lord more, to depend on his plan and his timing. We far too often want things to happen immediately, and we want them to happen like we want them to happen. But we need to remember God’s plan and his schedule is always better.

Father, thank you for knowing better than me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 18:2-4, After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land”; and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, “My father's God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”

We will look at verse 1 next time, but these verses give us some background information that helps verse 1 make sense. We know that Moses took Zipporah, and their two sons, Gershom and Eliezer along with him when he left for Egypt. But there is no record of them ever getting there. This is not difficult to understand, Moses was about to be locked into a fierce battle. And it was not just Pharaoh and the Egyptians who opposed him, many times the Israelites were not very happy with him either. So, from that perspective, it makes sense for him to want to send them back, to protect them from whatever is ahead.

You know, God blessed Moses with a good family, from what we can see. He fled Egypt and came to a man who also worshiped the true God, verse 1 calls Jethro a priest. God blessed Moses with two sons, and their names remind Moses of God’s goodness to him. God protected Moses in a foreign land and the God of his father had blessed him. And it seems Zipporah and her family are supportive of Moses, she takes the boys and goes along with Moses on his trip to free the Israelites. She knew she was not going on a vacation, she knew Moses was not going to be received very well in Egypt, she knew there were a lot of people he was going to be responsible for; and yet she went anyway, to support her husband. Men, find you a woman like Zipporah! And Jethro was willing to take his daughter and grandsons back in. He was willing to help his extended family anyway he could.

The family has really taken a hit in our society lately. We have shifted the focus from the family to “it takes a village” letting the community, schools and so forth raise the children. And while I agree parents need all the help they can get, the primary responsibility for raising children rest squarely on the parents. I’ve been reading some of Old Testament laws in my daily readings. Over and over we read about parents being told to instruct their children. Sure, the religious leaders had a role; sure, the community was to help out; but the primary responsibility was on the parents. Parents, and especially men, need to step up and be the leaders God intends us to be.

Father, bless the family today. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 18:1, Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.

Moses had sent his family back to stay with his father-in-law while he was in Egypt dealing with Pharaoh, as well as the Israelites. But now they have come out of Egypt and are on the way to the promised land. God has destroyed the Egyptians at the Red Sea. It has not exactly been smooth sailing, the people are already grumbling about not having food or water. But God has provided all of their needs. Finally they are on their way.

And Jethro hears about what has happened. We live in what has been called the information age, that is the modern age regarded as a time in which information has become a commodity that is quickly and widely disseminated and easily available especially through the use of computer technology. We have the ability, for the most part, to communicate with almost anyone almost anywhere in the world almost immediately. We can simply pick up our phone and call someone all the way across the country. Or we can call people in different countries. With the internet, we can look at huge amounts of information, and we can access it at anytime from anywhere. We know what is happening anywhere in the world, almost in real time.

But it was not that way with Jethro and Zipporah. You know they wanted to hear about Moses and what he was doing, how things were going, where he was, if he was still alive. And they did hear, but how? News traveled much more slowly in those days; you might hear from a caravan about a mass of people in the desert, maybe some shepherd had seen something, maybe some nomad had a run in with them. Or maybe the caravan told the nomad who told the shepherd who came into town for supplies and told it in the marketplace and a merchant finally told you. How would you know if the story was true?

But the good news about God always finds a way to get through. God could intervene in those folks’ minds to keep the story straight. He could prevent them from forgetting some important detail or adding some bit of fancy. That is a good thought for today. If God could inspire men to write his word, and he did. He can no doubt protect that word down through the centuries, and he has. There is tremendous textual evidence for the accuracy of the reliability and accuracy of the Scripture.

Father, thank you for getting the word out. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 18:5-6, Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, together with Moses' sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountain of God. Jethro had sent word to him, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”

I can think of a thousand reasons Jethro and Zipporah and the boys would want to go to Moses. And to be sure Moses wanted to see his wife and sons as well. God established the family as the heart, the building block of community and really all of civilization. We don’t know how long the family had been apart, but to be sure they all wanted to get back together.

We could spiritualize this; talk about the family of God, his fatherhood, our relationship as brothers and sisters, and so forth. But let’s look at this for what it is, a mother, father, two sons, and a father-in-law getting back together. Certainly there was good reason for the separation, and sometimes we are separated as well from our loved ones. It might be months or more away for a job, or a family sickness, or maybe just for the day as we go our different ways with work, school, and so forth. But we need to make the most of the time we do have together. We need to love and appreciate the people God puts in our lives, whether we are connected by blood or not.

Father, thank you for family. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 18:7, So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent.

Why no mention of the reunion of Moses and his wife and children? I’m sure that was a happy time as well, probably much hugging and kissing there too. But women and children were seen a little different then than they are in our world. Neither of these were seen as anywhere near as important as men. Women and children were here to serve the man. And there should be no doubt Moses was happy to see his family, but the emphasis is on the relationship with the men.

There are a couple of things that we would do well to notice. Moses bowed down to Jethro. Moses was the leader of God’s people. God had appeared to him, spoken to him, performed miracles through him, call him to lead the Israelites out of bondage and into the freedom of the promised land. All we know about Jethro is he was a priest of Midian. And yet, Moses bows down to his father-in-law. This is a sign of respect and honor. And the same way with the kiss. There might have been an aspect of affection and love here, but this was about the greeting, the respect, and the honor Moses gave to his elder.

We must remember, no matter how important we think we are, others are deserving of respect and honor as well. We realize not everyone can do everything, some folks have different talents and abilities than others. We might be tempted to treat the boss with some special honor or respect, and ignore the janitor. But if the janitor doesn’t do his job, everyone will notice it in short order. Maybe we think the janitor couldn’t do the boss’ job, and maybe he couldn’t. But I’ve seen plenty of folks who couldn’t do the janitor’s job either. Maybe they thought they were too good for that, maybe they thought that was beneath them, maybe they just slobbed thorough the job, maybe they just didn’t care. But we all have roles to play, and we all need to do them well. Remember that, whether you are on top or on bottom.

Father, help me give everyone the honor due them. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 18:8, Moses told his father-in-law about everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the LORD had saved them.

It says in verse 1 that Jethro heard of everything God had done for Moses and his people Israel, and how he had brought Israel out of Egypt. So, when they went into the tent, did Moses tell Jethro the same thing? If you look at verse 8 and then at verse 1, it seems they cover much the same ground. We all like to talk about the same things over and over, especially the good things. We like to tell stories where we are the hero, or where God is the hero, but he used us in a big way. But think about this for another minute.

Have you ever heard a story about someone else, whether it is good or bad, but then you get to talk directly to the person themselves? What do you tend to notice about the two stories? There are always, always differences. And often times this is not done with any malicious intent. People get confused on the details, maybe they embellish what happened a little, maybe they leave out something they didn’t think was important, maybe they couldn’t hear or understand the one who told them, maybe another person told them the same story but was a little different. The more ears a story goes into and the more mouths it comes out of, the different the story can become. Moses wanted Jethro to know exactly what had happened. And to be sure, Moses knew some details that the storytellers didn’t. And so, these two men would have a lot to talk about.

A couple of lessons here. Be wary of the stories you hear others tell. They might have the best of intentions and tell the story as best they can, but sometimes important parts are left out. We need to be careful about the things we hear and believe. And second, and this is especially true when it comes to God’s word, go to the source and get the facts for yourself. Don’t just take my word for it, or your preacher’s, or some author, and especially not everything you read on Facebook, go and see what the Bible says for yourself. My favorite group of people in the Bible would have to be the Berean Jews. Acts 17:11 tells us, Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

Father, help me to be like the Bereans. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 18:9, Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the LORD had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians.

How quick and how eager are we to hear about all the good things the Lord has done? Far too often church people are jealous of others and the good things the Lord does in their lives We look at them and think we deserve those things more than they do. Those folks are not good enough, righteous enough, or whatever to get those blessings from the Lord. James 4:3 tells us, When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. And this is not just about individuals, too often churches are jealous of each other as well. Little churches complain about big churches and the things they are doing.

This should not be so! We need to rejoice when God gives his blessings to others. We need to be thankful for God’s blessings regardless of who they go to. And remember, God is always right with his blessings, it is not what we think that matters, it is what God knows. Jethro sets us a good example here of the attitude we need to have when others are blessed. As far as we know, Jethro was living his life faithfully to God there in Midian. But there is no record of any wonderful victories in his life. To be sure he had some; he had his daughter and grandchildren with him, his health was well enough to allow him to travel, and he had the means to travel. But there is no record of him rescuing any slaves, performing any miracles, and so forth.

Maybe we need to learn to be thankful for the blessings God gives to us. And that will allow us to rejoice in the blessings of others.

Father, help me be thankful. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 18:10-11, He said, “Praise be to the LORD, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.”

How vocal are we with our praise to the Lord? I know everyone is different, some folks are naturally louder and more expressive than others. Honestly, I am one of the more quiet folks. But that is not what I’m talking about. It is not a question of who is louder, who lifts their hands, or any of those “showy” things. (And I do not use that word in any negative context, we need to praise the Lord from our hearts, we need to forget others and even ourselves, and focus completely on honoring the Lord.) It is a matter of honestly worshiping the Lord from the heart.

But Jethro was not shy or bashful about his praise to the Lord here. He praised the Lord for the things the Lord had done. He is specific in his praise here; talking about how the Lord had rescued Moses from the Egyptians and then how he had rescued all of the Israelites. Remember, Moses had a run in with the Egyptians before he left forty years ago. He went back to Egypt as a wanted man. That had to make his demands to release the Israelites a little more tricky. And yet it was not Moses who was making the demands, it was the Lord, Moses was just the spokesman. And we realize it was not Moses who brought about the miracles, it was the Lord. And Moses had not parted the Red Sea, produced water, produced the manna and quail, it was all the Lord. Moses knew that, the Israelites knew that, and that is what Jethro is praising the Lord for.

We need to learn to praise the Lord more, and let others know what we are doing. Not that we are doing this for attention to ourselves, that was what the religious leaders in Jesus’ day did. No, we need to praise the Lord because of who he is, and we need to share that good news with those we are around. We need to let our lights shine so that others may praise our Father in heaven. It is not about drawing attention to self, it is about showing God to those around us.

Father, help my actions honor you. In Jesus name, amen.
 
Exodus 18:12, Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.

Jethro didn’t just talk about the Lord, he put his faith into action. He brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to the Lord. What sacrifices did he bring? We are not really told, and this took place before God gave the law to Moses. Later, in the Law, God gave some very specific commands about what kinds of sacrifices were to be offered, when they were to be offered, how they were to be offered, and so forth. But the Israelites have been sacrificing to the Lord since the beginning. Cain and Abel were the first ones we read about, and certainly mankind learned something from that incident.

And since Jethro was a priest of Midian, he would know something about sacrificing to the Lord. Sheep were always popular sacrifices, but birds, cattle, and other things were acceptable as well. And there were also grain sacrifices and vegetable sacrifices. Let’s not get too hung up on what he offered, as much as the fact that he offered acceptable sacrifices to the Lord.

And though our faith is personal, it should not be private. Jethro invited Aaron and all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with him. There are many reasons people eat together. And getting physical nourishment is often the least important one. There is the idea of fellowship and community. And many times, and it seems so here, those meals were a celebration to the Lord. Opportunities for people to praise God for his goodness, his bounty, to eat lavishly, not because they could but because God made those things available. There was the idea of worship in those meals. And no doubt this meal was in thanks to God for his care and protection of the Israelites. God had sent a leader to them, freed them from their bondage, protected them for the Egyptians, provided direction for their trip, provided food and water, and had now reunited Moses with his family. That sounds like reasons enough to celebrate and worship the Lord.

Father, help me never stop thanking you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 18:13, The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening.

Was the next day a Monday? Because it sure sounds like a Monday! Moses got up and went to work. When you think about it, Moses had to be a busy man. He was the leader of this massive group of people, Exodus 12:27 tells us there were about 600,000 men on foot, besides the women and children. Can you imagine being responsible for that many people? Of course, God was ultimately the leader, but Moses was the man God put in charge. Moses was the one who told the people when to move and when to stop. Moses was the one they complained to when they were hungry and thirsty. Moses was the one who told them God’s commands and how they were to act and live. Moses was the one who, well basically did everything.

And here we see the people coming to Moses to have their disputes settled. They stood around him from morning until evening. Personally, that would have bothered me. I would have to tell them to back off, to stop crowding me, to give me some air. But Moses took his seat and served as the judge. Can you imagine the cases that came before him? To be sure there were some big and important ones. But no doubt there were plenty of trivial ones as well. And yet, Moses took it as his job to settle each and every one.

Do you ever feel like that is what happens to you? Problems (I don’t mean the people necessarily, but the cases and disputes and troubles) come and gather around you? That you cannot get one thing done before two more come rolling in? It is a problem, and we can easily be overwhelmed. We need to learn to handle life, and all of it’s troubles and trials, the same way you have to eat an elephant. One bite at the time. We need to learn to prioritize, to decide what is important and what is not. I’m not sure Moses was doing that or not, but he sure does have his hands full.

Father, help take one trial at the time. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 18:15-16, Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God's will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and instructions.”

Jethro wants to know why Moses sets alone all day to decide the cases of all the people. Moses’ answer is simple; they come to be to seek God’s will. Think about that for just a moment. In the next verse we see Moses is settling the disputes between the people. There is no telling what kind of disagreements 600,000 men, not to mention the women, could get into. I’m sure some of them were serious, and I’m also sure some of them were not. That is the way people are, some folks take offense at any little thing, But it all falls into Moses’ lap to give them an answer.

But Moses also says they come to him to seek God’s will. Perhaps this is not just in cases of dispute, but what if they are coming to seek God’s plan and direction for their lives in different situations. What if they are coming to find out what God would have the to do in certain situations. Those Israelites didn’t have a Bible to read and study. And at this point in their history, God has not revealed much of the law to them. So, they would have to have a Godly leader they could look to and seek God’s plan. Naturally, that fell to Moses.

Two questions this morning. One, who do you go to for good and most importantly, Godly advice? We certainly need to be able to search God’s word for ourselves. We need to be students of the Bible, and we need to be learning and getting more familiar with it each and every day. But who are the folks you trust to guide you, with God’s word, through life? And second, who are you helping guide through life? You see, we are all a mentor to someone. And we need to make sure the advice and direction we give to them is grounded in God’s word. Those are serious questions to consider today.

Father, thank you for good guides in life. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 18:17-18, Moses' father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.

You know, there are just some folks you don’t want to hear advice from. I suppose, for guys at least, high on that list would be your father-in-law. But ladies, how do you like advice from your mother-in-law? And I am sure there are others we can add; know-it-all coworkers, lazy folks, bosses who want to micromanage, folks who think they are experts in every subject, and so forth. But then again, maybe Moses and Jethro had a better than average relationship, maybe they got along very well together, and maybe Jethro could say things with tact and in a way that Moses would listen and not be offended. It seems that way as we read the rest of the story.

Jethro tells Moses this situation where everyone comes to him for God’s will and to have their disputes settled is not good. There are so many of them and only one of Moses and this is going to wear everyone out. Moses might already feel overwhelmed with the responsibility and eventually he is going to burned out and tired of this. That can lead to some real feelings of resentment towards of the people. Moses needs to protect himself. And the people will get worn out and tired of it as well, there is no way Moses can render decisions to all of them in a timely manner. Folks will get tired of waiting, and you know that often leads to the same resentment we mentioned before. They have already been grumbling about Moses, this will just add fuel to the fire.

It’s just a simple fact that one man cannot do everything. And it is another simple fact that the masses cannot rely on one man to do everything. Jethro has a good proposal that will help the people become more self reliant, better able to take care of and even lead themselves. Sometimes leaders fear that, what happens if they realize they don’t need me anymore. I say that is great, you will not be around forever anyway. And you need to be preparing the people for that day. True success is when you train people to carry on without you. That’s my goal as a minister, and it should be our goal as Christians; make disciples (as we are told to do) that will be able to carry on with the gospel message after we are gone.

Father, help me teach others to keep going. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 18:19-20, Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave.

I wonder how Moses reacts to these first words Jethro gives. Was there an eye roll? Did Moses think to himself, that is what I have been doing? Moses is already the people’s representative before God. And they all bring their disputes to him to be settled. And no doubt Moses has been teaching them God’s decrees, instructions, and laws along the way. And Moses has been showing them, by word and deed, the way they are to live. Maybe Moses thought, Jethro, that’s what I’ve been doing!

But there is powerful advice in those words, not just for Moses but for all of us. Do we realize we are often people’s representatives before God? How often are we asked to pray for someone or some situation? How often do people come to us for advice? And to turn that around, we are also God’s representative to the people. This certainly comes into play as we give them advice, but the lives we live are to be shining God’s light for all to see. And we need to be teaching others about God; his will, his plan, his love, his grace, his justice, and his judgment to come. We may never stand behind a pulpit or in front of the room to do this, but we need to be showing and sharing God with those we are in contact with every day. They are learning from us by example, if nothing else. And we need to be showing people how to live and to behave.

When you think about it, that is a pretty powerful position we are in. But it is not about power for selfish gain, it is about using the power God gives to us to lead others closet to him. Jethro’s advice to Moses is actually pretty good advice for us. And as we go on, Jethro will have more wisdom especially for Moses situation, but we will see it can apply to us as well.

Father, help me lead others to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 18:21-23, But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

Jethro’s suggestion is really solid advice. He tells Moses to select Godly men, men who will be faithful to the Lord, not swayed by human influence or money, men who know God’s word (as it has been passed down to them) and put those men in charge of smaller groups. That way when the people have a dispute, they can go to someone closer to them. And if the problem is too big, it can go up the chain, all the way to Moses if it is necessary. That will make your load lighter, because you won’t have to hear every single case, the people can get the attention they need, and everyone (well, most folks) will be happy.

This is all about delegation of authority. One of my Bible college professors told us, “It is better to get ten men to do the work, than to do the work of ten men.” there is no doubt that is true. But the problem we so often run into is, how do we get those men to be willing to do the work? And this problem seems to have gotten bigger lately, no one wants to volunteer for any organization. We all see this, and too often the ones who do join up are not willing to do the work that needs to be done. What’s the old statistic? 10% of the people do 90% of the work? How can we change that? What will it take to get folks involved and willing to really step up?

I wish I had a good answer for that. But I suppose the solution has to begin at the individual level, each of us has to decide we are not just going to stand on the sidelines, we are going to get involved. And then those of us in leadership positions need to make sure we are willing for those folks to do, and we need to make sure they are trained to do, and we we need to actually let them do. Honestly, some things might not be done as we would have done them, but that is probably OK. There is often more than one way to accomplish a goal. I think too often, at least part of the problem, is jealousy among the leadership. And so, there is plenty of responsibility on both sides.

Father, help me involve others. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 18:24-26, Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.

To Moses’ credit, he listened to Jethro. Sometimes that is a very hard thing to do, to simply listen to someone else. Far too often, we think we have it all figured out. What we are doing is working, or at least it seems to be. It is a plan we came up with, and so it must be a good one. And to be honest, we simply don’t want to hear what anyone else has to say about the matter. It is our business, and others should stay out of it, thank you very much.

And Moses did everything Jethro said. Not only did he listen, but he considered it, gave serious thought to what he had heard. And it made sense to Moses. This is a second thing that we need to be sure to do, to really think about what others tell us. There are many people who only pretend to listen to others, they are not going to give any thought to what others say. They are simply trying to appease the people, make them think they are listening, but nothing they are told registers. And they do not give what they were told second thought.

To be honest, not all the advice we get is good advice. And we have to be smart or savvy enough to really listen and then to think it through and then to take the good and reject the bad. But if we don’t listen, we will never see another perspective. And if we dismiss their thoughts without considering them, we again miss out on the possibility of learning something. The old saying is even a broken clock is right twice a day. That hearkens back to the analog days, but the digital ones often flash 1200, so that is still applicable.

Father, help me listen and consider other’s advice. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 19:1-2, On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on that very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai. After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.

It has been three months since the Israelites left Egypt. Sometimes our timeline of these Biblical events seems to run together. We can read about things faster than they can happen, and not everything that happened on the journey is recorded for us. So, these time markers are important. (Let me just put in a plug for a chronological Bible here. It makes the message of the Bible read like a story, putting things in the order that they happened, as best as possible. Later, the prophets and kings are put together, so you know who prophesied during whose reign. The Gospels are harmonized, the epistles are put into the Acts narrative, and so forth. It really seems to make the whole story flow along, and for me, it helps give a cleared picture. If you want to know more, just let me know.)

Back to Exodus, something big is about to happen here. Jethro has gone back home, we are told the place they camped, and they are in front of the mountain. But which mountain is it? It is Mount Sinai. This is also referred to as Mount Horeb. And that is near the place God first appeared to Moses in the burning bush. And just as Moses received some important information there before, he is about to receive more, possibly even more valuable information from God. But that is getting a little ahead of ourselves at this point.

How often do we really take note of where we are? Sure, we know the way to the places we usually go, but do we notice where we are along the way? If something happened, could you tell someone where you were? But more importantly, how often do we examine where we are spiritually. We know that our spiritual lives are a journey, we are called aliens, travelers in a strange land, we are looking for a better place. So, we need to make sure we are making progress towards that. And we need to make sure we are moving forward. It is easy to get tired, to get discouraged, to get comfortable in the same place, doing the same things. But as Christians, we have to keep moving forward, getting closer to the Lord every single day. I know, there are some days we don’t see much progress, in fact, there are some days we go backwards. But we need to get up and keep moving in the right direction. We need to be committed to following and getting closer to the Lord every day. That requires determination, commitment, sacrifice, work, and faith.

Father, keep me moving forward every day. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 19:3, Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel:

Can you imagine what Moses felt and thought as he went up the mountain to God? It boggles my mind as I consider it. Now we know God had appeared to Moses before at the burning bush in this same area. And God had spoken to Moses on several occasions; about the plagues, the Red Sea, the food and water situation, and so forth. We don’t know all the particulars about those events; did God appear in dreams while he slept, were they visions he drifted into and out of, was it simply a voice that spoke, we can imagine different things. But here Moses is climbing up the mountain to get to God. His anticipation, anxiety, excitement, fear, and so forth had to grow with each step he took.

And then the Lord called to him from the mountain. Again, I wonder what that sounded like; was it like thunder, loud and booming? Was it a still, small voice like Elijah heard? We are not told, but it would have to be an awesome experience. When people encounter God, they are usually consumed by fear, by the realization they are unworthy to be in the presence of the Holy God, they fall down, put their faces to the ground, and so forth. And yet God has a message for Moses and the people. What is about to come is not Moses’ ideas, not this thoughts, not his laws, or rules. God himself is about to speak to the people, and they need to be ready to listen.

And we need the same attitude in our hearts and lives as well. We need to be ready to listen when God speaks. Today, God speaks to us through his word. And so that begs the question, are we listening to God? Are we looking to see what his word has to say to us today? Listening to the Lord is not, it cannot be, something we only do once a week. Every Christian needs more than one meal a week. We must be reading, considering, thinking about God’s word each and every day. The older I get the more I realize this, and the more I realize that far too many who claim Jesus, never open his word to hear what he has to say. We need to be fed daily by the word of God.

Father, help me listen to you each and every day. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 19:4, ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.

The Israelites are to be reminded about all the things they have seen the Lord do. What exactly have they seen the Lord do? Remember, these are the ones who have come out of Egypt. They were in slavery when Moses showed up. These were the ones he was sent to rescue. Moses met with these elders and leaders and told them the Lord had sent him, told them about the burning bush, told them God had heard their cries and seen their misery.

These are the ones Moses performed his miracles before. These are the ones who had heard about the confrontations with Pharaoh, seen the plagues on Egypt, and lived through those days. They saw the river turn to blood, the frogs, gnats, boils, darkness, hail, and so forth. They had seen the distinction God had made with his people, how they had light while all the Egyptians were in the thick darkness, for example. They had heard and followed the instructions about the Passover. They had heard the wailing of the the Egyptians when their firstborn died, maybe they had seen some of the dead. They had seen the Red Sea part, they had walked through it, and they had seen the Egyptians drown when the water rushed back in. They had eaten the manna and drank the water from the rock and the bitter water that was made sweet. They had seen and followed the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night.

Moses said you yourselves have seen this. This is evidence for your faith, evidence for you to believe. But have we seen any of those things? No, not those things. But haven’t we seen God work in our lives and in the lives of others? Haven’t we seen prayers answered? Haven’t we seen lives changed? Haven’t we seen and felt God’s hand of protection on us? Sure we all have! And so that is evidence for our faith, that ought to assure us that God can and will take care of us. It ought to remind us that God has called us to himself.

Father, thank you for showing yourself to me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 19:5-6, Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

God is laying it out for these Israelites here. He explains what they are to do and what he will do. This is a conditional statement, if certain requirements are met, certain things are done, then something else will happen, this will be the results, the consequences. We make statements and agreements like this every day. If you cook, I’ll wash the dishes. If you get the trash together, I’ll take it off. If you clean your room, we will go to the movies. We make deals, covenants, agreements with people every day. We make those deals with our spouse, children, coworkers, friends, and right on down the line.

The Israelite part is pretty simple, fully obey God and keep all his covenant. That sounds simple enough, but we know they, nor we, nor anyone else was able to do that. (I know Jesus did, but he is the only exception.) At this point, they don’t even have all of the laws and regulations God has in mind, that will come soon. But for now, God is calling them into a covenant with him. It is far too easy for us to stop here and think, we cannot do that. There is no way we can keep all of God’s laws, no way we can obey him fully. And that is right. But we have to set our hearts and minds on this, we have to commit ourselves fully to the Lord, we can hold nothing back. I think that too many of us go about our day thinking, I will not sin too much today. Or maybe we think I will be better than that person. But honestly, we need to think I am not going to sin at all today. It is like a soldier going into battle, does he think I am going to do all I can not to get shot too much? Or does he go in thinking I am going to do all I can not to get shot at all. Do you see the difference?

And God’s response to this is they will be his treasured possession. Out of all the world, God says he will make them into a holy nation, a kingdom of priests. God says these people will be the apple of his eye, that he will bless them, protect them, provide for them, guide them, and love them. What a blessing that will be!

We know those Israelites failed miserably at keeping the covenant with the Lord. And we know that we fail miserably at doing all God tells us to do as well. This is not an excuse to give up or not to try. And honestly, it should motivate us to want to do better, to please the Lord and put a smile on his face. When we fail, we ought to learn a lesson, and not make the same mistake again. But God knew we were going to fail. And that is why he sent Jesus, the Savior into the world. Jesus kept all of the laws of God perfectly, and he died for the sins he did not commit, the sins of the world, my sin and your sin. It is only through Jesus, and our acceptance of his sacrifice on our behalf, that we can be forgiven and have the relationship with God that he desires for us.

Father, help me live to honor you for the things you have done. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
Exodus 19:7, So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak.

Moses has gone up the mountain with God and God called out to him and told him about the covenant. It is only natural that Moses would go back and tell all of the people. But remember, there are a lot of people in this group. We’ve read before there were 600,000 men plus the women and children. So, how is Moses going to get the word from the Lord to all of them? There was no text messages or email to send to everyone at once. Moses is going to have to rely on good old word of mouth.

And so, he summons the elders of the people, and he tells them what the Lord has spoken. And then he depends on them to get the message out to the rest of the folks. This might be a good use of the plan Jethro had suggested, appointing men over different sized groups to help with the judging, but it is also a great way to get the word out to everyone. And of course, you know there are some folks who are better at spreading the word that others. You recognize those folks, and you must use them to your advantage.

When you think about it, this is a good lesson for us about spreading the word of God. The first thing we need to do is hear the word. Sure, we can hear sermons and lessons from all sorts of folks today, but we need to go to God’s word ourselves. We need to search the Scripture, study for ourselves, learn what God is saying to us, and like the Bereans, make sure what others are telling us is true. But then we need to spread the good news we have learned. Obviously, you cannot tell everybody. But you can tell somebody. And that is the key. If we told just one person, who told just one person, who told just one more, just imagine how far the word of God would go. But it all starts with us. And so, who will you share something from God’s word with today?

Father, help me be bold and speak up for you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
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