The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Exodus 8:25-27,
"Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, 'Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land.' But Moses said, 'That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the Lord our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us? We must take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, as he commands us.'"
After the Lord had struck Pharaoh, his officials and all Egypt with a plague of flies, Pharaoh relented to allow the Israelites the freedom to worship the Lord.This plague followed Aaron's staff turning into a snake, a plague of blood over the waters of Egypt, a plague of frogs, and a plague of gnats.
However, as these increasingly difficult plagues began to have its impact on the hard-hearted Pharaoh, he only relented in allowing the Israelites to worship the Lord his way - by the Israelites worshipping the Lord in the land of Egypt and not in the wilderness as the Lord told Moses and Aaron to demand.
I don't think the reasoning Moses gave Pharaoh as to why they had to go into the wilderness to worship the Lord (because it would make the Israelites detestable to the Egyptians and bring violence from them), was nearly as important as the fact that were Moses to succumb to Pharaoh's requirement they do it his way - by staying in the land to worship - it would be a compromise in yielding to the Lord.
I am reminded that compromising on what the Lord requires just won't do. Just as Moses rejected the notion of only yielding halfway to the Lord, we should do likewise.
When it comes to passages written specifically for us of those things the Lord wants from us, no compromise will do. No halfway, no doing it on our terms.
Consider this passage: "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Colossians 3:12-14. Are we going to tell God, "Well, I'll forgive only those who I think deserve it." Is that good enough?
"Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, 'Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land.' But Moses said, 'That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the Lord our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us? We must take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, as he commands us.'"
After the Lord had struck Pharaoh, his officials and all Egypt with a plague of flies, Pharaoh relented to allow the Israelites the freedom to worship the Lord.This plague followed Aaron's staff turning into a snake, a plague of blood over the waters of Egypt, a plague of frogs, and a plague of gnats.
However, as these increasingly difficult plagues began to have its impact on the hard-hearted Pharaoh, he only relented in allowing the Israelites to worship the Lord his way - by the Israelites worshipping the Lord in the land of Egypt and not in the wilderness as the Lord told Moses and Aaron to demand.
I don't think the reasoning Moses gave Pharaoh as to why they had to go into the wilderness to worship the Lord (because it would make the Israelites detestable to the Egyptians and bring violence from them), was nearly as important as the fact that were Moses to succumb to Pharaoh's requirement they do it his way - by staying in the land to worship - it would be a compromise in yielding to the Lord.
I am reminded that compromising on what the Lord requires just won't do. Just as Moses rejected the notion of only yielding halfway to the Lord, we should do likewise.
When it comes to passages written specifically for us of those things the Lord wants from us, no compromise will do. No halfway, no doing it on our terms.
Consider this passage: "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Colossians 3:12-14. Are we going to tell God, "Well, I'll forgive only those who I think deserve it." Is that good enough?
Should we not take a lesson from this passage in Exodus and understand that the Lord is not interested in our half-hearted obedience to him, but, that we should follow what he asks of us without qualifiers?
What in my life should I be reconsidering in this regard?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know. A blog with all my posts can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know. A blog with all my posts can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
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