I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day, or more. in advance. My work schedule has recently changed, meaning that I may not have time every day to complete these. As a result, I am trying to get several days ahead. I hope this does not negatively impact the quality of these posts (if that is possible). If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
When Moses had become a grown man he went to visit his people, the Hebrews. While he was there, he saw an Egyptian beating one of the Hebrews. He looked around, and when he saw no one looking, he killed the Egyptian. The next day, Moses went out to visit the Hebrews again. This time he saw one Hebrew beating up another one. Moses confronted the aggressor. The man replied by asking Moses who had made him ruler and judge over them and if he was going to kill him as he had the Egyptian. Moses was feeling convicted to do something about the oppression of the Hebrews. However, God had not yet called him to act. So, he acted out of his own initiative and things did not work out well.
Moses gave up his idea of helping his people and fled to Midian. There he once more demonstrated his opposition to oppression by defending seven shepherdesses from bullying by other shepherds(it also suggests that Moses was a fighting man to be reckoned with). There in Midian, Moses became a shepherd, got married and raised a family. After many years, God was finally ready to take action on the oppression which the Israelites were suffering, or perhaps, Moses was finally ready to do it God’s way. In either case, God called Moses to return to Egypt and lead his people out.
When God first calls to Moses, Moses’ initial reaction is positive, “Here I am!” However, once God explained to Moses what He wanted him to do, Moses was not so sure. At that point Moses asked God, who he (Moses) was to appear before Pharaoh or to lead the people of Israel? Is that not how we tend to react when God calls us to a new task? “Who am I to do xxx?” God answered Moses the same way He answers us, “You are the person I have chosen and I will be with you.”
Moses then asks what name he should use for God. God tells Moses to tell those who ask the He is, “I Am Who I Am.” I am having trouble figuring out how to express the thoughts this raises for me. Moses was asking God to tell him what “box” God went into. Which sort of God was He? Was He Ra? Or Osiris? Or perhaps Baal? If we are God’s people, which culture do we belong to? Are we Egyptians? Or Canaanites? Or some other group? God’s answer was that they are not, we are not, part of some other culture. We are God’s people and we are not to model ourselves over anyone except God.
When Jesus got back down the mountain after the transfiguration, a father came to Him and begged healing for his son. The father told Jesus that His disciples had been unable to heal the boy. Jesus’ response troubles me. Who was He talking to? At a first reading, He seems to be calling the father faithless and corrupt. However, maybe He is talking about His disciples, but even that seems harsh. Jesus then heals the boy. Later His disciples ask Him why they were unable to heal the boy and Jesus tells them that they did not have enough faith.
When we talk about people receiving healing, from time to time, someone says that if you are sick and God does not heal you, it is because you do not have enough faith. However, Jesus did not tell the disciples that the boy was not healed because he, or his father, did not have enough faith. Jesus told them that they were unable to heal the boy because THEY did not have enough faith. Jesus explains further by telling them that if they have even a bit of faith, just a mustard seed’s worth, they can tell a mountain to move, and it will move. I fully believe that is true. Of course, if you have faith that in order to fulfill God’s will (and faith that God’s will is the path to true joy) a mountain must be moved, you will grab a shovel and start moving it. Understand, I am not claiming that you working with a shovel will be sufficient to accomplish what must be done to fulfill God’s will, but nevertheless you will start working with that shovel. No matter how pointless it may seem. No matter how overwhelming the task may seem. You will do this because you will have confidence that no matter how big the task, if it is one God wants done, it will get done. If that means that the mountain miraculously moves without human intervention, or if it means thousands of people with shovels show up and start shoveling dirt, or if it means someone shows up with earth-moving equipment and moves it, one way or another, God’s will will be carried out.
When Jesus was on the cross, moments before He died, He cried out the first line of this psalm: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” I have often heard Christians develop theological explanations about how Jesus cried that because God had turned away from Him at that moment (including explanations about why God did that). However, I do not think there is any reason to believe that God did turn away from Jesus at that moment. The explanation can rather be found in rabbinical practice of first century Judaism. They would often reference a passage by quoting the first line of that passage. When Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” on the cross, He was calling attention to the whole of Psalm 22.
Today’s portion of the psalm expresses the utter despair which Jesus must have felt as He hung upon the cross about to die. Yet even in the middle of expressing despair, the psalmist acknowledged God’s love and righteousness while expressing faith and trust in God. Even in the middle of his despair the psalmist did not turn away from God. Rather he clung to his faith in God. I pray to God that I will do the same in whatever trials and tribulations come my way.
The writer warns us of the importance of accepting discipline and listening to the words of those God sends into our lives as teachers/instructors. If we do not accept discipline and follow the teachings/instructions which God sends to us, we will face ruin and public disgrace.