Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Exodus 1-3, Mark 15:1-25
In Exodus chapter 2 we see God at work in how He looks after the future leader of the Israelites, when Moses was a baby. Pharaoh wanted all Israelite male babies to be killed because he feared the power of the Israelites as they grew in numbers.
Just the fact that Moses survived as a baby and wasn't discovered by the Egyptian guards was a miracle. As well as how he was hidden, in a homemade boat, then found by Pharaoh's daughter who had compassion for him. She then "happened" to find a women (Moses' mom) to look after him, and was even paid to do so. Pharaoh's daughter later would want to look after him and raise him. This was obviously God at work. The odds of this happening just on coincidence was impossible.
In our new testament reading in Mark, I notice two men who are put in difficult positions. First is Pilate, who feels uncomfortable going through with crucifying Jesus. He tries to convince the people to agree to let Jesus go free, but he's not strong enough to stand up to the political pressure he gets to kill Jesus.
The second man who is put in a difficult position is Jesus. Instead of taking the easy way out, He goes through with His Father's will and takes unbelievable punishment for us. He takes this abuse for sinners like me and you, people who don't deserve it. Jesus could have easily gotten out of this, He didn't deserve it, but loved us so much He went through with it. He took the hard road compared to Pilate who took the easy road, when put in an uncomfortable position.
This is a reminder for me to do my best for God, who did something for me that I'll never be able to repay.
Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Exodus 4-6, Mark 15:26-47
3 comments:
I love the book of Exodus and the incredible story of how God delivered the Israelites from captivity.
God's sovereignty jumped out at me in both passages once again. It was, as Nathan said, completely the hand of God at work in the circumstances surrounding Moses' birth and early years. At the burning bush, God tells Moses exactly what's going to happen when he goes to Pharoah. And in Mark we see prophecy after prophecy fulfilled.
The takeaway for me in this - no matter our circumstances, God is still on His throne, God is still in control, God is "I AM".
Years ago, I took an women's history class that had a real feminist slant to each of the issues. Since I am really interested in Egyptian history, I decided to choose Hatshepsut as one of my essay topics. She was an enigma because in an era dominated by men, she obtained Pharaoh status and power. It was only after my research about her that I discovered that it is possible that Hatshepsut could have been "Pharaoh's daughter". This woman, who defied conventional gender stereotypes and had power beyond what women had at the time, could have been God's tool to save Moses. It's such an important thing to realize what it meant to save Moses from a decree that she, of all people, should have obeyed. What kind of power and influence would this woman have had to have in order to defy a law and pay the "enemy" to raise a boy she would claim as her own. How could that even happen? Interesting.
I found this if you want to read more:
http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2009/02/moses-and-hatshepsut.aspx
In Mark, I think of Barabbas. Perhaps this was the very first example of redeemed man. This known and convicted sinner was literally and figuratively set free from the wrongs he had committed. He knew his sin, Pilate knew his sin, and everyone else knew his sin and yet he was free. I wonder what he did with his freedom. Did he continue in his old ways? or did he take the chance to start over?
I have been redeemed too....what am I doing with my new start?
Interesting point Nathan about two people caught having to make a decision that would be very impactual.
Exodus 1:17 stood out for me and ties in with that point. The midwives made a decision to disobey their king out of the fear they had for God. The decision they made could have put their lives at risk, but by doing so God protected them and blessed them with families of their own.
Living out a life pleasing to God is not easy. I find if I'm trying to figure out what God wants me to do, it is usually the more difficult plan of action that I should be taking. These midwives took the harder, more dangerous path and God blessed them beyond their imagination for doing so.
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