Three simple lessons

As I've been reflecting on the year so far, there were three things that seem to have arisen from the teaching programme at church.

Lesson 1: How it feels is not how it is

I'm no sure where this came from, maybe it's just the simple truth over all that we've been through so far this year. I know it's only April, but we seemed to have lived a lifetime in four months. The tragic death of two teenagers can do that to you, but it's more profound than this. Jon Ortberg wrote a book called Everybody's normal 'til you get to know them. In he argued that what we experience now is usual but it isn't normal. Normal is defined by the Kingdom of God. 

Lesson 2: You can't rush God's promises

Abraham waited 25 years to have a son, and to become a nation, let alone the father of many nations, was a longer wait. Joseph spent 13 years in Egypt, Moses spent 40 years in training and then another 40 before he even saw the Promised Land. And even then he never set foot in on the land until he joined Jesus on a mountain top. Daniel was in captivity for 70 years. The list goes on. You can't rush God's promises.

But even though you can't rush them, does that mean that all we do is sit back and wait for them to happen? There has to be a relationship between waiting for God to do what he promises and being active as we wait. The danger is that we put activity first, we're in danger of doing the wrong thing. But doing nothing doesn't feel like the right thing either.

3. You can take the slave out of Egypt but it's much more difficult to take Egypt out of the slave.

The problem that Israel faced when they left Egypt was that although the location changed, who they were had not yet changed. God didn't do an overnight transformation. They wee still slaves, they acted like slaves, they moaned and complained like slaves. Slavery was what they had know their whole lives, being slaves is what they were and moving into the desert didn't change that.

God was less interested in how long it was going to take to make the journey from Egypt to Canaan than he was in who the people would become along the way. The journey was not just a means to an end, it was an integral part of becoming the people of God.

The Mountain of God

Introduction

Sometimes you have to go out into the wilderness in order to meet with God.
God led the Israelites out of Egypt to the Promise Land. This could have been a short trip of about 200 miles. However, they didn’t take the direct route because God knew they had lessons to learn in the wilderness. He was more concerned about the people they would become than how quickly they would get to the promised land. (Jon Ortberg)

The significance of Sinai

This is the first revelation of God to the newly emerging Israel and it carries with it a conditional promise: If you will obey me, you will be my treasured possession… a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

It is in the wilderness not the Promised Land

Therefore it is not the place to settle. However it does mean that you can encounter God, in all his fulness, on the journey. You don’t have to wait until to reach your final destination. You don’t have to wait until you die to meet with the living God!

It is both the place of revelation and the place of failure. It’s while Moses is up the mountain that the people make their idol.

It is the place where God called Moses. (Acts 7:30)

"After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai.

It is the place to which Elijah flees

Let’s think for a while about how God reveals himself to us.

How has/does God reveal himself?

1. In creation (his general revelation)

“What can be known about God is plain to them, for God Himself made it plain. Ever since God created the world, his invisible qualities both his eternal power and his divine nature, have been clearly seen; they are perceived in the things that God has made. So those people have no excuse at all” (Romans 1:20 TEV)

Also part of this so-called general revelation of God is his self-disclosure through history and humanity.

Because humanity bears the image of God, those things that separate us from the rest of creation point towards the image of God that we bear. In history, God is revealed through the outworking of his plan. As one writer puts it:

History’s continuation despite the forces of destruction at work within it points to the compassion of God; a new community (the church universal) emerging out of the chaos of history points to the love of God, and the drive of history itself to a climactic finish points to the ultimate sovereignty of God.

Christianity 101, Gilbert Bilezikian

2. Through his word

From In the beginning God ... (Gen. 1:1) to Come Lord Jesus ... (Rev. 22:20), the Bible teaches the reality of God. There is never a hint of doubt in the Bible concerning the reality of God. It never attempts to prove the existence of God, but asserts His reality as unquestionable. The existence of God is never questioned in the Bible. On the contrary, the Bible boldly confronts us with who God is and what God does. From beginning to end we are faced with accounts of ordinary men and women who dared to believe that God is - and who lived their lives accordingly.

3. In Jesus Christ

John 1: In the beginning was the Word… The Word became flesh and dwelt among…

The differences between the people encountering God on the mountain and the people encountering God on the hillside (Sinai versus Jesus)

(Sinai)Thick cloud God is hidden---(Jesus) Jesus can be clearly seen, God is revealed

People needed to be consecrated---People didn’t need to do anything particular, they can simply come

Limited approachability---Jesus “touched”

Death was the consequence for touching the mountain---Healing was the consequence of touching Jesus

Limited access (only when the signal given)---Free access

Moses was the go-between---Jesus was his own go-between


In the OT the holiness of God is was separates the people from God. This remains true in the NT and in our time. It’s the incarnation that brings him close. He shall be called Emmanuel, God with us.

And the dwelling of God will be with human beings… he will be their God… (Rev. 21)

This is the measure of God’s love for us: In his holiness he must separate himself from us, but he wants to be close to us, so he chooses to become one of us. God, through Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to stand in his presence without fear of being destroyed.

What does God reveal about himself?

1. That he is “other”
The theological word for this is transcendent. At its simplest it means that he is “Above all things”. We must not confuse God with the universe he created because he is not a part of it. This transcendence is characterised by the three “omni” qualities: omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence.

2. That he is active
Right from the beginning of the Bible we read about the God who is active. He creates, he builds relationships, he acts in judgment and mercy and he reveals a long-term plan.
The idea of God’s activity continues throughout the Biblical story. Even Jesus pointed to the fact his Father was always at work.

3. He is holy
The restrictions placed on the newly emerging Israelite community at Sinai were as much about their protection as they were about God’s privacy!
Jacob, when he’d spent the night wrestling with God declared: I have seen the face of God and lived.”

4. He is gracious
Not in terms of the way he moves, but in terms of the way he treats us. Paul reminds us that we are saved by grace through faith. The OT reminds us that he is slow to anger and full of loving-kindness.

What is the key lesson that Israel must learn at Sinai?

1. Patience: While Moses is away, God is still present. He sees everything. But the people get inpatient and wonder where Moses has gone and make an idol.

2. Obedience

3. Boundaries
The parameters of the relationship. It was from Sinai that God would give the Torah, the instruction. This would define what it would mean to live in a relationship with God.

Conclusion

What comes out of an encounter with God? Usually new or renewed purpose. Think about Abraham, Moses, Jonah, Elijah.

For the newly emerging community that would become the nation of Israel, the most important lesson for them to learn was that God loved them deeply, rescued them at great cost and would guide them into a positive future.

In Christ he makes the same disclosure and offers the same eternal reward to those who will trust him now. In Christ, the journey of life has meaning, direction and purpose, whether you’re in the land of slavery, or in the wilderness or in the Promised Land.

Winning the battles

Background to the Battle

Amalek was the son of Eliphaz, the eldest son of Esau. This made the Amalekites distant cousins to Israel. That they came and attacked Israel a long way from their own territory suggests that either they were truly afraid that Israel was looking to their land as a destination, or that some other interests or fears were at work. If they had only remembered the promise made to Jacob, perhaps this battle could have been avoided.

The very next story involves Jethro and the Midianites, who respond more positively to Israel.

Thus the pattern is set for the outcomes for the nations in accordance with their response to Israel. Attack them and suffer the consequences, bless them and experience God’s favour.

The Amalekite attack draws God’s anger because:

A) they fail to recognise his purposes and plan

B) Their first targets are the sick, aged and tired. (Deut. 25:17-19)

Meet the enemy: Eph. 6

Our battle, as Paul says, is not with flesh and blood but against principalities and powers

Whilst we do want to dwell on our enemy, it’s important to know our enemy.

What do we know about our enemy? He’s sneaky, deceptive (the father of all lies), he set on taking power, he’s defeated, he’s powerful but not all-powerful, he knows the Bible well but twists and abuses it…

Winning Battles

Divine intervention

Human responsibility

To pray

To obey

To act

This battle would not, could not have been won if it were not for the intervention of God. Joshua may overcome with the sword, but it needed Moses to overcome with the staff first. When he lowered his hands, Israel faltered, when he raised them, Israel prevailed.

The sword is subservient to the staff. Prayer is what actually wins the day, not the power of the army.

Why is it that when Christians face a challenge they typically stop praying and when non-Christians face a crisis they usually start praying?

Moses positioned himself so that he could see the big picture. We need big picture pray-ers.

Moses did not go up the mountain alone. We need prayer partners.

Moses did his job so that Joshua could be successful in his job. Perhaps even at this point God was preparing Joshua for the leadership role he would eventually fulfil as he lead Israel into the Promised Land and through the battles they would face there.

Prayer that wins battles is based upon the belief that God cannot be defeated. 

John Piper: Christian vision is not the imagining of a possibility, but the grasping of an inevitability.

In Ephesians 6 Paul speaks about the importance of prayer as he outlines the armour of God. He says:

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

What battles do we face?

Battle of the mind

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Battle of the will

Joshua 24:15
But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Battle of the heart

To love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind.

Battle of temptation

When it comes to temptation remember:

There is nothing new… 

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. (1Cor.10:13)

Jesus knows about temptation

Heb. 4:15

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.

We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.

Victory comes through:

God’s word Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God

Honouring God appropriately: You don’t throw yourself off high towers, you do throw yourself upon his grace and mercy

Worshipping him wholeheartedly

Conclusion

Battles are part of life. We may not face an attacking army, but we certainly come under attack form time to time. The trick is to be ready.

We should not be surprised to come under spiritual attack, but we should prepare ourselves to face attacks and respond accordingly. As Paul says, we should to do everything we can to stand, and when we have done everything we can to stand then we should stand. (Eph.6:13)

God will provide

The story so far...

God has brought the people out of Egypt. Pharaoh has been defeated, they’ve crossed the sea and are now in the wilderness. The journey, although already underway, is really only just beginning. And the people are complaining (15:24 So the people grumbled)

Dancing and singing had turned to worry and anxiety.

Now that’s understandable because three days without water is as long as anyone can last. But it doesn’t say that they were without water, it says that they didn’t find water. There’s a big difference between not having any water and not finding a fresh supply.

Isn’t it interesting how quickly we think God has forgotten us. If we miss a meal, has God forgotten us? If we miss the bus has God forgotten us? If we miss a deadline, has God forgotten us?

The problem for the Israelites is that all they had known for generations was slavery and they were still thinking like slaves. We all get stuck in our history, breaking out of those old patterns needs divine intervention.

They say we suffer in the 21^st century from a short attention span, how short is our attention span when it comes to God? Mine can be perilously short.

What do we learn from the story?

#1 God provides

He does so naturally, through the 12 springs at Elim, and he does so supernaturally through the manna and quail, and he does so through a sign at Marah.

He is both the God of the extraordinary and the ordinary.

#2 People generally are rarely satisfied

If ever a people group could be described as high maintenance, it would the Israelites in the wilderness. 

As far as the story goes so far they are two out of two for complaining about something. And as you read the story, you’ll soon discover that the very next time they face a challenge they complain again.

They were not yet predisposed to see the up side of what God had done or might do.

Maybe we are more like them than we came to think. 

#God will continue to provide

This is not a story about stewardship. There are times when God says: Store up, and there are times when he says don’t so it. This is a “Don’t do it time” 

This is a story of God’s continuing provision throughout the wilderness wanderings of Israel. No matter what they do, no matter how much they complain and grumble, God continues to love them, to care for them, to provide for them.

Yes, there are times when judgement comes, people die and God punishes the people. But grace is still the key. It is still there, being poured out day by day for those who will see.

The same is true for you and me. Every day God offers us his grace, everyday we must choose to see it and receive it, or to ignore it and reject it.