The recurring theme that jumped out me in today's readings was the glory of God. Everything God does is for His glory, that all men may know that He alone is God.
We see His power in the miracles he told Moses (and Aaron) to perform.
We see His holiness when He was about to kill Moses because He had not circumcised his son - the Lord remembered His covenant promises but His people were also called to remember the conditions of the covenant, one of which was circumcision).
We see Pharoah's haughty and arrogant attitude and outright disdain for God - something that God will soon rectify on a massive scale so that all Egypt may know that He is the Lord.
My favourite portion of our Mark passage is then when temple curtain is torn in two from top to bottom, removing the separation between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place - giving everyone access to God through the sacrifice of Jesus. The tearing of the curtain was no easy task - it was approximately 60' high, 30" wide, and 4" thick. It was so massive it took 300 priests to manipulate it, and, according to Josephus, horses tied to each side could not pull the veil apart. It would've been incredible to witness that massive curtain being torn in half as though it was only a thin piece of paper. What dramatic symbolism!
Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Exodus 7-8, Mark 16
2 comments:
The same theme jumped out to me as well.
It was also evident in Exodus that God uses people who feel inadequate to fulfill His purpose, but He will also equip us with the means of bringing His plan to completion.
Exodus 4:21 "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharoah all the wonders I have given you the power to do."
Moses begged God to send someone else because of his faltering lips, instead God provided Moses with the proper tools for the job.
What stood out for me was the fickleness of people. The Israelites went from this:
31 And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.
To this:
9 Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.
Impatient. Unbelieving. Unable to see how God would triumph in the seemingly impossible situation.
In the New Testament too...
And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself.
The same people who hung on every word of Jesus now mocked Him. Impatient. Unbelieving. Unable to see how God would triumph in the seemingly impossible situation.
We haven't changed much have we?
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