Category: Saturday Study

Balaam  5.18.24

How many times have you made a choice based on desire or gain—where, rather than following the clear warning of God on a matter, you have pushed it until you got your own way? Sometimes it seems like we are getting what we want and then it does not work out as we had expected. Other times, we justify what we want, and we work any angle in order to get it. 

As we read the introduction to Balaam, we notice a couple of things. First, Balaam is not an Israelite (Numbers 22:5). Second, God is fulfilling His promise to strike fear in the hearts of the inhabitants of Canaan (Numbers 22:3). Third, Balaam inquires of the Lord (Numbers 22:8). Fourth, God speaks to Balaam (Numbers 22:9). Fifth, Balaam listens to God but does not obey (Numbers 22:22). Sixth, Balaam cannot do anything contrary to the Lord’s will (Numbers 23:8).

First, Balaam is not an Israelite. Many times it is easy to assume that God only speaks to certain types of people. This is not always the case. God usually speaks through a particular means that He has defined. In the Age of Balaam, God used visions and prophets as His mouthpiece. In the Old Testament, this developed an elitism that Israel was the only people through whom God spoke. But, here we have an instance of a non-Israelite receiving direct communication from God in a very specific manner. We have to understand that this is not the norm. Peter tells us that we have something surer, the prophetic word. God declares His will to all peoples through His word. 

Second, God is fulfilling His promise to strike fear in the hearts of the inhabitants of Canaan. Exodus 23:27 says, “I will send my terror before you, and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you.” God promises to go before Israel, and He does. Balak, the king of Moab, is scared, so he calls on Balaam. Balaam has a reputation for divination and power. In essence, Balak knows that he cannot defeat the Israelites in battle. He also understands that there are spiritual realities, and God works in His mighty way. Balak brings together Moab and Midian in hopes of giving themselves more strength. However, God always does what He says He will do. 

Third, Balaam inquires of the Lord (Numbers 22:8). Balaam inquires and asks God what He wants him to do. The irony here is so funny. Balaam is asking God if he can go and curse the people that God brought out of the land of Egypt. Balaam does not have all the data. He does not realize that Israel are the people of the same God that he, Balaam, follows. This should be a warning to us; many times, we lack all the data and pray in our ignorance, whereas, if we were to do the research, we could pray better. We can thank God that He has given His Spirit to pray when we do not know what to pray. This is a good thing for us to keep in mind. Balaam is willing to obey in the form of following directions from the Lord. But, notice that I am not using the word obey in sense of obedience as it relates to Balaam, because He does not obey, even though he has a willingness to submit to the outward command. We will discuss this later. How often do we inquire of the Lord not because we want to obey, but because we know it is necessary and right?

Fourth, God speaks to Balaam (Numbers 22:9). The passage that this verse is in, is key to understanding all of the issues with Balaam. God specifically tells Balaam, “you will not curse these people, for they are blessed.” God clearly tells Balaam what he is not to do—do not go, do not curse. This is a clear declaration by God of what Balaam is, and is not, to do. Balaam listens and sends the men on their way. 

Fourth, Balaam listens to God, but does not obey (Numbers 22:22). This is a major point. This will clarify the problem of contradictory commands in the text. Balaam knew what the command of God was concerning the people of Israel, yet he entertains the princes and tells them he will inquire of the Lord again. We know from other texts in the Bible that the money offered to Balaam was a great temptation. God has specifically told Balaam what he cannot do. This is like when our children know we have said no to something and then start to whine and wheedle or persistently ask, while what they are asking for is harmful and not what is best for them. Obedience is not just following orders; it is having a right heart and attitude. 

Balaam does not obey. He does not have the right heart or attitude based on his willingness to listen to the princes of Moab. How do we know this? Peter tells us, “Forsaking the right way; they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.” This is a common error. Scripture speaks of Balaam’s error on more than one occasion and never in good way. (Jude 1:11, Revelation 2:14). Oftentimes, we think we know what we want, and we are persistent even after God has given us a direct or clear “No” as an answer. We would rather have our stuff than give God obedience. 

God tells Balaam to go, even though God has clearly told Balaam what is, and is not, going to happen. Balaam has a direct command not to curse. Balaam knows that this is what Balak wants Him to do. God gives Balaam warnings along the way—so much so that Balaam is rebuked by a donkey. God hands Balaam over to his sin and Balaam reaps the rewards (Numbers 31:8). 

Fifth, Balaam cannot do anything contrary to the Lord’s will (Numbers 23:8). God allows Balaam to go, but God does not listen to Balaam and curse His people; rather, He makes Balaam bless them. God puts the words in Balaam’s mouth. No matter how much Balaam wants to curse these people, he cannot, because the only thing he can do is what the Lord tells him to do. Though Balaam knows that he cannot curse Israel, He does deal treacherously with the people of Israel. Numbers 31:16 tells us that Balaam caused the people of Israel to act against the Lord. Balaam has the Moabite women lead the men of Israel astray into pagan worship. Remember God had told Israel not to intermarry, as this would lead them away from God. This command continually is disobeyed and the people of Israel end up in captivity because of this sin of idolatry. In Numbers 25, we see that the Israelites followed after other women and they followed after the other gods. Balaam had instigated this.

Balaam is a figure that we can look at and be thankful to God for His work and plan. God tells us clearly in Joshua 24:10 that He would not listen to Balaam. God is not at our beck and call. Throughout the story, Balaam seeks God, hoping for a change, and it never happens. God has a clear plan He has laid down from the foundation of the world. This plan is according to His own infinite, wise counsel. We have seen how God always fulfills His word. It is a refuge for us. 

How are you trusting in the promises of God, relying on Him, following Him in all things with a right heart and right attitude? In what ways are you following after the error of Balaam? How are material things more important than the Word of the Lord? Spend some time meditating and reading God’s Word and ask the Spirit to illuminate these things. 

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Disciples Church

*Special thanks to J. Taylor for his help with this week’s devotional.

Joshua   5.11.24

By the end of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible covering the Creation Era, the Patriarchs Era, and the Exodus Era), Israel has been brought into the blessing of covenant relationship with the Lord and has become a great people, but they remain outside the Land of Promise, on the plains of Moab. Now, after so many years of wandering, Joshua, the “new leader of God’s people,” is ordained to lead God’s people into the land, take it, and divide it among them as their inheritance from the Lord.

In chapters 1-5, we see Joshua take the lead position and give a charge to the people to obey God in all things—to study His Word and to follow His guidance. The Lord said to Joshua this in His charge: 

Joshua 1:7-8 “… be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” 

We, too, can hear these words and remember the vital importance to study and know God’s word, so we have guidance in our lives for all that God has for us. 

Next, God uses a faithful outsider, a prostitute named Rahab, to help His people escape the enemy. Then He guides them to the Jordan and makes way for them to cross on dry land by parting the waters like He did at the Red Sea. The Lord our God is truly our great guide. My prayer is for you to look to Him and His loving word, the Bible, and the counsel of the Holy Spirit for guidance in all you do in your life.  

The book of Joshua closes with the Israelites settling in and finally enjoying rest. The people are, more now, faithful to God in their service to Him, which is the center point of Joshua’s farewell to the leaders of God’s people. In this, Joshua urges the Israelites to continue to follow the Lord and worship Him alone. “So be very careful to love the Lord your God” (Joshua 23:11), and “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve … But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). The people had seen God deliver them from many enemies and miraculously provide for all their needs, but they were prone to wandering from the Lord. 

This is a great reminder to us today. Even though we may have experienced God at work in our lives, we, too, must continually renew our commitment to obey Him above all other authority and to worship Him alone.

Now, I want to take a closer look at one passage found in Joshua 5 verses 13-15. Let’s look at it together: 

Joshua 5:13-15 When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

1. The holy Lord: Who God is and why it matters

Joshua is out by himself, and he looks up. What is he doing? Forty years before, the Israelites are out of slavery and headed back to their ancestral land, and their ancestral land is now occupied by another people. This means if they are going to get it back, there is going to be a fight. So, just like we still do today, before marching in, they sent in spies or scouts to survey the enemy to see what they are up against. 

All but two of the scouts said, “We will never overcome those huge fortified cities. We are going to die in there.” The only two who had confidence they could do it were Joshua and Caleb. Because the people rebelled against God and showed Him no confidence, God sent them back out into the wilderness for 40 years, until a new generation was ready to follow a now older Joshua, who had been put in charge after Moses’s passing, into battle to claim the Promised Land.

Now, he is standing outside the huge fortified walls of Jericho on the eve of their attack, and it is clear that the other scouts were right about one thing: The Israelite people did not have any amount of needed resources to take that city by human effort.  Only with God’s mighty divine provision and power would they be able to conquer the fortified walls of Jericho. He is out there, most likely, seeking God for his battle plan, because Joshua knows his own plan is already defeated. 

He looks up to find that he is not alone but lingering in the shadow is an unknown man with a drawn sword! Now, when a man is in your space with a drawn sword, it’s probably not to offer you shade. So, Joshua draws an immediate line and asks, “Are you for us or against us?”  Meaning, “If you are for our people, you will bow before me as your leader, or if you are for the enemy and you have your sword drawn, it’s about to go down.”  

The stranger’s response is unique. He says, “NO!” in verse 14. What he means is “neither.” What he is saying is, “You are asking the wrong question. I am the commander of the army of the Lord. (YHWH).  The question isn’t am I for or against you; the real question is, ‘Are you for or against me?’” 

Realizing who this is, Joshua falls to the ground in worship: “And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, ‘What does my lord say to his servant?’” (Joshua 3:14). Israelites did not worship other men, nor did they worship the created angels. They only worshiped God! Joshua knows whose presence he is in. 

Joshua 3:15 And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

What is cool about this is that it is a very similar interaction that God had when He called Moses at the burning bush. Just like the burning bush, this mighty warrior is both breathtaking and scary all at the same time. This is a picture of God’s holiness.  

My question for you today is do you get the holiness of God?

The holiness of God is His unmatchable majestic, perfection, and purity. 

If you do, then you will fall face down before Him. Why?

1. Because you have nothing to offer that comes close to matching Him. 
2. Because you are so stained with impurity in your sin in the brightness of His perfection. 

When Isaiah sees God high and lifted up and the seraphim cry out to God in song shouting “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is the LORD God almighty,” Isaiah’s response is, “Woe is me, I am a man of unclean lips.” What is so profound about this is that for Isaiah, he was a prophet and preacher, and his lips were what he was most proud of. But in the presence of God, he admits his best attribute is garbage compared to GOD.

We need to get the holiness of God. We need to come face to face with how unmatchable He is, how perfect He is, how pure He is, how mighty He is! Why? Because only in light of this will you and I see who we really are in His shadow. Only then do you and I really begin to see our sin. Because if you just look to your fellow man to see how you stack up, you will look hard enough to find people that make you feel good about yourself compared to them. This is why man’s love affair with the old adage, “I am a good person,” is so damning! Because compared to man, maybe that is true, but compared to the holiness of God, it is a laughable lie.  

We need to see the holiness of God so we can see the fullness of our sin. 

We need to see the depth of our depravity so we can feel bad about ourselves. 

Many tragically miss this clarity of our sin in light of God’s holiness and in doing so they miss the good news! We need to see the depth of our depravity in light of the holiness of God, so we see our need for one thing: the cross of Jesus Christ!

2. The holy servant Lord: What Christ did and why it matters

The only thing big enough to mend the enormous gap that rightly separates me in my sin from God in His glory is the cross. 

Praise God for the cross of Jesus Christ! 

Only when God reveals Himself to you and shows you His unmatchable majestic perfection and purity—His holiness thereby revealing your utter wickedness and weakness in sin—only then will you fall face down before Him and lay your deadly doing down and worship Him. Only then will you realize that by no effort of man will you ever conquer the fortified walls of your life that keep you from the Promised Land.

The mercy of God on His elect is the source of all our praise. Why? Because He should have righteously taken out His sword of justice and cut off our guilty heads. But He didn’t! God’s people needed delivering, so God became human! In this encounter between Joshua and the man holding up his sword, who is the man holding the sword—this commander of the Lord’s?

Alec Matier says that only the angel of the Lord God can come among people safely. The angel appears as a merciful accommodation whereby the Lord can be present among a sinful people. But, if He were to go among them Himself, His presence would consume them. 

So, the angel of the Lord is that mode of divinity whereby God can keep company among sinful people. Does that remind you of anybody? There is only one other in the Bible who is both identical with and also distinct from God. One who, without abandoning the full essence and prerogatives or diminishing the divine holiness of deity, is able to accommodate Himself to the company with sinners. One who, while affirming the wrath of God, is yet a supreme display of His out-reaching mercy. The angel of the Lord in the Old Testament can be appreciated only if we understand him as a preincarnate appearance of Jesus Christ Himself.

This is the grace of God, who sends His Son to take the sword for His people so that we can have His holiness and therefore watch the walls of sin crumble at our feet, so we can march into the Promised Land and forever feast with the King! This is the good news of the holy Lord!

Genesis 3:24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

The sword of eternal justice: The only way back to God is to pay the ultimate price. The only way back to God is to go under the sword. To be “at one” with God, we needed atonement. The spotless Jesus was crucified! He was the one who was able to take on the sword for His people. 

In John 17:19, Jesus says, “I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.”

God shows up, and Joshua is rightly scared and full of reverence before God, and what does he get up and do? He leads his people in great courage up to the wall. And what do they do? They don’t lean on the power of man, on their best laid plans, or great tools of war. No. Joshua walks them around while blowing trumpets, so when the walls fall down, the One who receives all the praise is only God Himself. Joshua is the Christ-like servant leader that faithfully surrenders to His God and obediently serves his King. Like Joshua, we can faithfully surrender to our God and obediently serve our King in the battle in which He has put us. 

3. His holy servants: Who we can be in Christ and why it matters

Two things:

1. To be exclusively, undividedly, unconditionally obedient to God
2. To be different than the world

To be exclusively, undividedly, unconditionally obedient to God

Why does Joshua need to take off the sandals? In Leviticus, there was holy use and common use. The difference was things that were used exclusively for God were holy, and things used for man were common. 

“I will serve you if …” 

Do you realize anytime you give God this ultimatum, you are highlighting the fact that it is not really God you are serving or living for, but it is the things you want Him to give you? The “if” is the rival against God for your greatest affections. But God will have no rivals. His first commandment is “Have no other gods before me.” If you have “ifs” that you put between you and God, you are placing conditions on Him. 

The life of a holy servant means you are wholly devoted to Him—not partially devoted. “Partially devoted” is an oxymoron. 

To be different than the world

When understanding the word “holy” in the Bible, it often means separate. It is separate than other things used for common things. It is set apart. This means holy people will be different than the world. Why was the early church so revolutionary in the Roman dominant culture in which they lived? Why was the gospel so transforming in that day?  Because their faith was truly radical!

Four big areas we can see how they lived very different than the world around them: 

1. Integrity: In a lie-to-advance-yourself culture, they were honest to a fault.
2. Sympathy: In a quick-to-shame-the-guilty culture, they were for forgiveness.
3. Chastity: In a live-loose-and-hedonistic culture, they were faithful to sex only within marriage.
4. Generosity: In an acquire-wealth-and-success culture, they were recklessly open-handed in sharing what they had.

May we be people of holiness. May we hold high the worthiness of God, not just in our praise of Him, but in the way we live our lives for Him. 

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Disciples Church

Aaron   5.4.24

In today’s Bible study, I want to break down each one of the sections we read this week and then help you consider the different foreshadows of Christ through Aaron’s role as priest. First, a quick word of warning. While the Old Testament (law and the prophets) in general points to Christ, I think we can take this too far when we look at extremely tiny details and try to connect every single little thing to Christ. Be careful to not dig too deeply and make some unnecessary connections the authors didn’t intend. 

Exodus 4:10-31

There is so much going on here in these verses, but the focus of our study is on Aaron, so I’ll try to cover the context briefly and then bring the focus back to Aaron. 

God reveals to Moses that He has chosen him to bring His people out of Egypt. Moses quickly begins to plead with God to use someone else. He brings out all of his excuses: they won’t believe or listen to me; I am not eloquent and never have been; I’m slow of speech and tongue. God’s answer to Moses’ objections are clear. God responds by saying, “I am the One who makes man’s mouth. Who makes man mute or deaf or blind? Isn’t that Me? Moses, stop looking to your abilities and rely on mine.” This should be a sweet reminder to us that, if God has called us to something, He is powerful enough to carry it out. 

Moses then pleads one more time and there’s this interesting phrase in verse 14, “… the anger of the Lord was kindled against him and He said, ‘Is there not Aaron your brother the Levite?’” 

I’m not exactly sure what the purpose is for God’s anger being revealed here. The scriptures do not really give us an answer. I often wonder if God’s allowing Moses to use Aaron has caused Moses to miss out on something greater that he may have experienced if he had had more faith and had been obedient instead of fearful. In any case, God’s final answer to Moses’ pleading is Aaron. Aaron, your brother, doesn’t have all of these things of which you’re afraid, Moses, so I will let you use your brother. 

So, Aaron has finally come into the scriptures and is now on the scene as a part of God’s redemptive story. The first role, or job, given him by God is to be the mouthpiece of Moses—ultimately of God—to the people of God. God says in verses 15 and 16, essentially, that Aaron will speak for Moses and that God will be with both their mouths and teach them what to do. 

The role that Aaron receives here is like that of the prophets; he is to be the mouthpiece of, or speak on behalf of, God. This is where we begin to clearly see some of the foreshadowing of Christ in Aaron and his role. It is not a stretch to see how Aaron’s being the mouth piece of God to save His people from slavery to Egypt can point toward Jesus (the Word who became flesh in John 1) as God, Himself, speaking to us and rescuing us from a far greater and eternal slavery to sin and death. We can see this more clearly in Hebrews 1:1-2: Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

You can see the foreshadowing from Aaron to Christ in these verses as Aaron was a real reflection of, or precursor to, the prophets that would speak on behalf of God. 

Exodus 28:1-14

So, what’s going on here? Why are such details given in the making of the garments? What’s the point of setting aside Aaron and his sons for this? The answer is priesthood. In a rather unique way, God is trying to show the Israelites how magnificent the true high priest, namely Jesus, would be. Jesus is called the High Priest twelve times in the book of Hebrews and called priest about six more times. Jesus was pure, holy, and glorious—Aaron was not.

If Aaron and his family were to take on this role, they would have to take great pains to make him look as marvelous as possible. This was done in order to, in some small shadow-of-a-way, point to the beauty and magnificence of Christ. Notice that verse 2 says, “… you shall make a holy garment for him for glory and for beauty.” This is to point toward Jesus’ holiness, glory, and beauty.

What about this role of priesthood? The priest stood in the gap between God and His people. There was no access directly to God for most people. The role of priesthood was to give someone the ability to intercede for us. Jesus is our ultimate intercessor. He is the true high priest who stands in the gap between the beloved and God. We now have access to God because the true High Priest made the sacrifice for us with His very life. There were many roles of the priest. One was to make the sacrifice for the people of God to atone for sins. Christ Jesus was not only our High Priest, he was also the sacrifice, the spotless Lamb. This is why Aaron, and the role of the priesthood, is merely a shadow of what God had planned from before the ages to redeem His people through His Son, Jesus Christ. 

Exodus 32:1-7, 21-35

Wow! How quickly we abandon the God of our salvation! These people have just watched God rescue them from Egypt and Pharaoh, and yet they freak out when Moses is gone for too long and they demand that Aaron make them a god. Isn’t that funny? How can man make a god? 

So, what’s really interesting in this passage is that Aaron goes along with the people’s demands. What should Aaron have done? Why doesn’t he tell this people, “No, you can’t do this; this is unacceptable?” This whole scene is so similar to Adam and Eve’s debacle in the garden. Eve had wanted to be God—or wanted to be like God—so she had bought the serpent’s lie and ate the fruit. The Israelites want a god so badly that they demand Aaron make them one. Adam, who was supposed to protect Eve and be her spiritual leader, not only didn’t stop her but instead joined her and he ate, too. Aaron, who is supposed to intercede between the people and God and be their spiritual leader, not only doesn’t stop the people, he joins them in their sin. 

You can even see the similarity in their responses when being rebuked for their actions. Adam had said, “the woman whom You gave me is to blame (essentially shifting the blame to God and the woman)”, while Aaron responded with, “the people made me do it, and the fire made the calf (blaming the people and the fire)”. Aaron is giving us a great example as to how badly we need Christ. Aaron not only reveals how perfect a representative for mankind Adam was, but how he, himself, fell terribly short of the intercession the people needed. Praise God for Jesus and His perfection!

Leviticus 10:1-20

Aaron and his sons were to have represented the true High Priest, Jesus. Notice how God responds when they do that in a way that is not according to God—He kills them immediately! God takes very seriously the glory and honor that are due Him. 

Leviticus 10:3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” And Aaron held his peace. 

Such powerful words—God will be sanctified and glorified. 

Do we take God’s glory this seriously in our lives? Notice the response of Aaron: “he held his peace.” Aaron should have been upset about the dishonoring of God! Having children of my own, I could not imagine this scenario. I can only understand some of the hurt that Aaron withheld over the situation. In a world of false teachers and false worshipers, it is only the grace of God that keeps them from being wiped off the face of the earth, or possibly it is the judgment of God who is storing up wrath for the sins they continue to commit. 

Notice in verses 10 and 11, Aaron is to distinguish between the holy and common, the clean and unclean, holy and unholy, and to teach Israel all the statutes of the Lord. It is, therefore, Aaron’s job to teach what belongs to God (holy, clean) and what does not (common, unclean). We see this role done properly and perfectly in Christ. He came and taught these truths. But what’s more amazing is that through Him we, God’s beloved, are made holy and clean. All Aaron can do is teach these things, but Christ not only taught these truths, He applied them to us in a way no one else could, including Aaron.

Is this not what Christ did? Jesus is the only way anyone can be made clean and holy; without Him we all are unclean and common. Through this failure, on behalf of Aaron’s sons, God reiterates the role of the priesthood and the responsibilities of it. 

Look at verse 17. What are the priests supposed to do? They are to bear the iniquity of the congregation and make atonement for their sins. Well, that doesn’t need much explanation. That is exactly what Christ did—He took the penalty for the sins of His people and made atonement through His life, death, and resurrection. Christ is the perfect Aaron, the perfect high priest who sacrificed Himself to set His people free!

Numbers 3:5-15

God establishes who will carry on the priesthood until the coming of Christ. When God plagues Egypt and kills the firstborn of all the cattle and men, He passes over the firstborn of Israel, thereby setting the firstborn of all Israel as the servants in the sanctuary of God. However, after the golden calf incident, the Levites take the place of the firstborn. The Levites’ role is to minister and protect. 

Christ says in John 10, “I am the good shepherd … I lay down my life for the sheep.” Christ protects His sheep with His very life. His being a shepherd would mean He ministers to His sheep, provides for them, cares for them, etc. The role given to the Levites is ultimately fulfilled in Christ. 

There are many ways in which the priesthood, and Aaron, point to Christ. I hope the Old Testament is coming alive for you as you study. We must see all that God is doing in and through people like Aaron. Praise God that He prepared for the great high priest, Jesus Christ, to come and intercede for us in a way we never could. 

Hebrews 7:23-25 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he [Jesus] holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” Amen!

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Disciples Church

*Special thanks to Steven Obert for his gospel partnership and help with this week’s devotional.

Moses   4.27 24

Grab your bibles and let’s dig into the testimony of Moses. 

A God-ordained Adoption

In Exodus 2, Moses’ story begins with his birth. His parents had to send him down the river in order to try to keep him alive; if only they had known what God had in store for him. The daughter of Pharaoh makes him her own. (v.10) Moses looks to use his status in Pharaoh’s house to look out for his people (v.11). In his defending a Hebrew man who was being beaten, he kills an Egyptian soldier and flees to Mideon to avoid the wrath of Pharaoh. (v.12-15). He marries and has a son in his time away from Egypt. At the end of Exodus 2, we read that Pharaoh dies and the Israelites cry out to God to remove them from their bondage in Egypt. 

Exodus 2:23-25 Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew. 

An Unlikely Leader

In Exodus 3, we read about the incredible encounter Moses has with God at the burning bush. God making Himself known through this kind of encounter is what is called a Theophany. Moses shows great reverence and righteous fear at the presence of God. God tells Moses that He has seen His people’s affliction and heard their cries and that he will deliver them to the Promised land. Then God says something Moses would have never expected. He says you will be my mouth piece before Pharaoh and chosen leader. Listen, to Moses’ response: But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”(Exodus 3:11)

Too often we get caught up in looking only at the horizontal. Meaning, we are only worried about what other people think of us, how they will respond, and of what we are capable. But realize, when we do this, we are missing something very critical. What God thinks about us and what He can do in and through us, is the vertical truth we must walk in every day. Yes, by the world’s standards, we are often very insufficient and unqualified, but that is not how God works. He most often takes the least of these and raises them up to do mighty things so that He is the one who gets the glory.

Notice as we read on that God doesn’t give Moses a pep talk. He doesn’t slow down and say, “You can do it!” What God doesn’t say to us in response to our feeling defeated or ill-equipped is, “You just have to believe in yourself.”

God’s response to Moses is a statement of truth and of assurance of the one who is in power! Five life-shifting words: 

Exodus 3:12 He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

God isn’t the guy who wants to cast you in His epic story because He is desperate for anyone who will show up. This is the author, perfector, designer, creator, director, and sustainer of all things. “I WILL BE WITH YOU!”

God has given that life-shifting statement to everyday, average, unlikely people time and time again. It is those same words Jesus told His previously cowardly, failed, and scared disciples. After experiencing the risen Christ and hearing the promise that He would be with them all the way, what did they do? They rose up and gave all they had to their faith as they gave birth to the church. 

The question for us is, “What have we done with those words?”

God says: “I will be with you.” How have you woken up and lived life this last week as a result of those words? Has it been, “Thank God! Having You around will make things easier and more convenient,” or “Ok God, I’ll remember that when I can’t seem to do it on my own,” or has it been, “God, I recognize it as being all from You and for You. I trust that You will lead me, sustain me, and use me for Your purposes. Let’s go!”

I AM

One of the things that helps us is to rightly know and remember who God is, is to understand what His name is. In our text, we get one of the most important insights into who God is as He describes to Moses His name!

Exodus 3:13-18 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ 

What you need to understand about the religious system in Egypt in that day is a belief in many gods; these are “little-g”, little-pretender gods—a god of soil, of fertility, of the sun, of death. So, Moses is asking, “How do I describe You to those who believe in many gods? Which god will they think You are?”

Now listen to God’s answer:

Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” 

Now you might be thinking, “Well that just clears it right up!” But pay close attention to what He just said. “I am who I am” is taken from a Hebrew word that means “to exist”. What God is telling Moses is, “I exist, I am real!”

In this, He is totally slamming the entire religious system and putting to proper shame all the little-g, man-made gods.

He makes no excuses nor any explanations. He is as straightforward as He can be. I am! Whether you figure Me out or not, or whether you acknowledge Me or not, I am. 

Next God says, “This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” So, God’s name is “I am.”

Exodus 3:15 God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, “The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered from generation to generation. 

The Lord (all CAPS) L-O-R-D 

The Lord = four Hebrew consonants (YHWH); these were so sacred that the Jewish people wouldn’t even pronounce them.

Our modern word for God’s name is “Yahweh”, so anywhere you see the word Lord in all caps in the bible this is a sign that it is in reference to the one, true God.

This is the name of God! YAHWEH! It is not a name to be taken lightly; it is full of power and wonder; it is a name describing His eternal power and unchangeable character. In a world where values, morals, and laws change constantly, we can find stability and security in our unchanging God.

This name is used 6,800 times in the Old Testament. Now think of the difference between knowing Him as GOD versus knowing him as YAHWEH—“He Is”! When God reveals His name, He is not only letting us get to know Him, He is proclaiming who He is.

So, when He says, “I am,” He is saying, “I am huge, I am it, I am vast, I am who I am!” No matter what you think, or have been told, I am.

I Will Put My Power on Display for All to See and Talk About

Exodus 3:19-22 “But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go. And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, but each woman shall ask of her neighbor and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.” 

God raises Pharaoh to power and then hardens his heart to not let His people go so that God can put His power on display. In each interaction with Pharaoh and each plague to follow, Moses remains faithful. He leads the Israelites to the mouth of the Red Sea where God will put His power on display again. God uses Moses for so many mighty works in delivering a nation out of bondage. Surely Moses could have tried to make his new leadership and fame about himself but instead he remains faithful and continues to make it about God.

In Exodus 20, we read about God giving this law to Moses and His people. The Ten Commandments are the cornerstone of God’s expectations of His creation. They are God’s moral law for how mankind should honor God above all else and love and honor one another before themselves. These are moral expectations God has had on His creation from day one, but God personally wrote them into stone so that the people would be clear about His expectations. 

At Moses’ death, this is said of him:

And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. (Deuteronomy 34:10-12)

Moses thought the Israelites would not obey him and that he was too “slow of speech and of tongue” to lead Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 3:1-4:17). Yet the Lord, in His patience and grace, remained with Moses and strengthened his hand. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, Moses stared down the mightiest king on the planet (Exodus 4:18-14:31), led the Israelites against the Midianites (Numbers 31), and did many other mighty works.

Despite years of serving the Lord, however, Moses never steps foot into the Promised Land; rather, Joshua leads Israel into Canaan (Deuteronomy 31:1-8). Even though Moses does not enter the land, God grants him a vision of it, reminding Moses that the promise to the patriarchs (Genesis 15) would come to pass. Moses dies on Mount Nebo after seeing Canaan, and God, Himself, buries him (Deuteronomy 34:1-8)—probably to guard against the people later building an idolatrous shrine to Moses. Being buried by the Lord, of course, was also a great honor.

Death before entering Canaan was earthly discipline for Moses, who failed to trust God at Meribah-kadesh (Deuteronomy 32:48-52; see Numbers 20:1-13). Even the greatest old covenant prophet had to learn that his place in the kingdom is through a grace that covers all his failures. No less than all the other saints of God, Moses had to recognize the truth of the old hymn Rock of Ages which says, “Not the labors of my hands can fulfill the law’s demands; could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow, all for sin could not atone; thou must save, and thou alone.”

What I love about the testimony of Moses is that it is far more a testimony about God. I want my life to be that way. I want the people who have walked with me, heard my preaching, and followed me, to have way more to say about all that God did in and through me in that time than what I did. 

Beloved, may we keep our eyes on the vertical and not just the horizontal. May we never forget that we are utterly dependent on the great I am who is with us always. May we never lose our gratitude or trust in God, even when what stands before us seems insurmountable. 

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Disciples Church

Pharaoh   4.20 24

When considering those who had a tremendous impact on the Old Testament narrative, it is not always the people who find redemption, but many times it is those who are destined for destruction that are still used by God for His purposes. We have already studied Satan who fits this description, and today we will study Pharaoh. 

Help Turns to Fear, Turns to Enslavement

There were many who had the office of Pharaoh over the generations of Egypt, but a few found themselves serving a particular and special part of God’s plan.

At first, Egypt was mostly helpful to the physical descendants of Abraham by providing food and shelter for Jacob and his sons during a famine in the ancient world (Genesis 46:1–47:12). Yet Egypt’s role of helper would not endure, as the ancient Egyptian empire would become one of Israel’s greatest foes.

Consequently, Pharaoh oppressed Israel with slavery in an attempt to slow the nation’s growth (Exodus 1:11). Yet as has often happened in world history, the persecution of the Lord’s people had the exact opposite effect, for the more the Israelites were oppressed, “the more they multiplied” (vv. 12–14). 

Pharaoh’s oppression of Israel did not take God by surprise (Genesis 15:12–16), and so we should understand that the trials we encounter do not take Him by surprise, either. The blessings of the Lord upon us may provoke others to jealousy and even to a kind of persecution. But as He did with Egypt (Exodus 14:4), God will use such trouble to bring Himself glory. Even the most minor trials we face are opportunities for our Creator to be glorified.

God’s Two-fold Purpose for Pharaoh

1. God raised Pharaoh up so that God’s divine power and name would be put on display in all the earth.

God would raise up Pharaoh and Egypt in order to fulfill His eternal purposes. Moreover, God’s purpose for the life of Pharaoh and his interaction with God’s people is clearly stated in Exodus 9:16:

Exodus 9:16 “But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.”

We often love to relegate Pharaoh to simply the position of an evil ruler over an evil land that, in the end, God brought to justice with His deliverance of His people in the Passover, through the Red Sea, and by bringing the destruction of Pharaoh’s first born sons and his army in the Red Sea. But the truth is God was doing far more than delivering His people and condemning Egypt. The fact that God raised up Pharaoh for His purposes is what makes Pharaoh’s testimony so important. It is God who raised him up and hardened his heart for a very important purpose. What was that purpose? 

Again, look at Exodus 9:16: “But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.”

God raised Pharaoh up in order to show His power so that His name may be proclaimed in all the earth. How did God show His power via Pharaoh? The plagues and the Red Sea. These events are still talked about and celebrated to this day. The Passover, which was directly connected to the tenth plague was a central part of Israel’s testimony for the next 1400 years. The sovereign work of God at the Red Sea is one of the most reflected-on events for the rest of the Old Testament narrative. 

2. God raised Pharaoh up to put His sovereignty on display.

God’s second purpose for the life of Pharaoh and his interaction with God’s people is clearly stated by Paul in Romans 9:14-18:

Romans 9:14-18 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

Paul is bringing a great clarity to a longtime-misunderstood perception of God—that He is the one who ultimately chooses whom He will, and also that He is not culpable, or guilty, for the sin that those who are guilty commit.

Paul is saying there is NO injustice on God’s part, but that it is His sovereign, free choice to choose whom He will for His holy purposes. In verses 14-18, Paul talks about the freedom of God in mercy (He has mercy on whomever He wills) and the freedom of God in hardening (He hardens whomever He wills). To make this big, important clarity about God’s free, sovereign choice, he uses Pharaoh as an important example. 

The testimony of the exodus from Egypt repeatedly affirms that God hardened the heart of Pharaoh. God says, “I will harden his heart” (Exodus 4:21); “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart” (Exodus 7:3); “the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh” (Exodus 9:12); “the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart” (Exodus 10:20, repeated in 10:27 and again in 11:10); “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart” (Exodus 14:4); and “the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Exodus 14:8).

It is sometimes objected that Scripture also says that Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Exodus 8:15, 32; 9:34) and that God’s act of hardening Pharaoh’s heart was only in response to the initial rebellion and hardness of heart that Pharaoh, himself, exhibited of his own free will. But it should be noted that God’s promises that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 4:21; 7:3) come long before Scripture tells us that Pharaoh hardened his own heart (we read of this for the first time in Exodus 8:15).

Now, this brings up a common question: “How is God not guilty of sin or evil if He is sovereignly ruling in this way?” Funny you ask, because that is what Paul addresses next in Romans 9: 

Romans 9:19-23 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory?

The simple truth is God is over all things and wills to raise up and use wicked people like Pharaoh to put on display His sovereign power. This is good and right for God to do because He is God, and everything He does is holy and right—not because we think it is, but because God is the one who did it. 

“We must not think that God does a thing because it’s good and right, but rather the thing is good and right because God does it.” —William Perkins 

As we see in the text, God is ultimately the one hardening Pharaoh’s heart,but it is important to see that He does this in such a way that He upholds Pharaoh’s ability to make willing, responsible choices that have real, eternal consequences for which Pharaoh is held accountable.

Theologian Wayne Grudem says, “Exactly how God combines his providential control with our willing and significant choices, Scripture does not explain to us. But rather than deny one aspect or the other (simply because we cannot explain how both can be true), we should accept both in order to be faithful to the teaching of all of Scripture.” 

Now, there are a few very important takeaways regarding this truth about God’s sovereign reign over all things including wicked men like Pharaoh.

1. We must understand that, although God did raise up evil men like Pharaoh who did evil things that brought about great judgment on many people, it is very clear that Scripture does not show God as directly doing anything evil; rather, He brings about evil deeds through the willing actions of moral creatures. 

Scripture never blames God for evil. Neither should we!

So, planes fly into the World Trade Center, Isis beheads Christians, or someone cheats you out of money, you don’t say, “God, you did this. This is your fault.” You don’t blame God for evil. He is not guilty of any sin. These things are the result of sin, of man’s selfish heart, and of the curse on mankind.

What you can, and should, say is, “God is at work in these things.”

You say, “God is on the throne and not thwarted or surprised.”

You say, “God has us in His grip.” 

Why do you say these things? Because they are true! Because they are beautiful and are needed reminders that when great evil is at work, death is at work, or injustice is a work, God is at work in His sovereignty in an even greater way. 

When evil comes into our lives to trouble us, the doctrine of divine providence should give us a great assurance that “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). 

We can also realize that God is glorified even in the punishment of evil. Scripture tells us that “the Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble” (Proverbs 16:4). 

We do not blame God for evil or sin or temptations. 

James warns us not to blame God for the evil we do when he says, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one; but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire” (James 1:13-14). 

We can never blame God for temptation or think that He will approve of us if we give in to it. We are to resist evil and always blame ourselves or others who tempt us, but we must never blame God. If we were to say that God Himself does evil, we would have to conclude that He is not a good and righteous God, and therefore that He is not really God at all. 

2. Scripture never excuses human beings for the wrong they do. 

Many passages in Scripture affirm this. One is found in Isaiah: “These have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations; I also will choose affliction for them, and bring their fears upon them; because, when I called, no one answered, when I spoke they did not listen; but they did what was evil in my eyes, and chose that in which I did not delight” (Isaiah 66:3-4). 

The blame for evil is always on the responsible creature—whether man or demon—who does it, and the creature who does evil is always worthy of punishment. Scripture consistently affirms that God is righteous and just to punish us for our sins. 

3. Scripture consistently teaches that we never have a right to do evil, and that we should persistently oppose it in ourselves and in the world. 

We are to pray, “Deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13), and if we see anyone wandering from the truth and doing wrong, we should attempt to bring him back. Scripture says, “If any one among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20). 

We should never desire evil to be done. Even entertaining sinful desires in our minds is to allow them to “wage war” against our souls (1 Peter 2:11) and thereby to do us spiritual harm. In thinking about God using evil or evil people to fulfill his purposes, we should remember that there are things that are right for God to do but wrong for us to do. Augustine said, “There is a great difference between what is fitting for man to will and what is fitting for God … For through the bad wills of evil men God fulfills what he righteously wills.”

Now, we see why Paul chose to quote Exodus 9:16 in Romans 9:17 rather than one of the verses that relate directly to hardening. Instead, he quotes a verse that shows the purpose of why God exercised His freedom in hardening as well as mercy: “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.’” 

He chose a verse that expressed the very purpose that relates implicitly to the righteousness of God and the hope of the world; namely, God’s commitment to uphold and display the honor of His name: “that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

In other words, God’s freedom in extending mercy and hardening is at the heart of God’s glory and God’s name. This is what it means to be God—to be ultimately free and unconstrained from powers outside Himself. Treasuring and displaying this glory and this name is right—it is the meaning of “right.” 

So, when you think of Pharaoh, do not simply think of a wicked ruler that was defeated in the end. Think of God’s sovereign hand in Pharaoh’s life to accomplish God’s purposes of displaying His power and making His name holy among all the nations. 

Wow! God is worthy of our awe and our praise. He is to be trusted no matter how crazy hard our circumstances are. His promises are to be trusted, as He will fulfill them and endure His people to glory. This is good news to our souls!

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Disciples Church