Saturday Study

Joshua (5-14-16)

By the end of the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Bible covering the Creation Era, The Patriarchs Era & 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 that 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 urged 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.

à 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?” 14 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?” 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.

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.  Which 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 was 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 has been put in charge after Moses 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 battle plan is already defeated.

He looks up to find that he is not alone, but lingering on the shadow of 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?”

Israelites did not worship other men nor did they worship the created angels.   They only worshiped God!  Joshua knows who he is in the presence of.

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 calls 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?

• …because you have nothing to offer that comes close to matching him.
• …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.

This is the response of SOME and oh, how they tragically miss it. They MISS THE GOOD NEWS!

We need to see the depth of our depravity in light of the holiness of God so that 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 our guilty heads off.

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 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.    à 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 of deity or diminishing the divine holiness is able to accommodate himself to the company with sinners 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 that 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…. crucified!   The one who was able to take on the sword for his people.

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. He walks them around while blowing trumpets so that when the walls fall down, the one who receives all the praise is only GOD himself.  Joshua is the like Christ servant leader that faithfully surrenders to his God and obediently serve his King.

Like Joshua, we too can faithfully surrender to our God and obediently serve our King in the battle He has put us in.

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 he need to take off the sandals?

In Leviticus, there is 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? 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.  First commandment…“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 they lived in?

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 men and women 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

Olive Drive Church

Saturday Study

Aaron (5-7-16)

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 point 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 Aaron so I’ll try to cover the context briefly then focus back on 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 you to something, He is powerful enough to carry it out. Moses then pleads one more time and there’s this interesting phrase in vs.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 of God’s anger being revealed here is.  Is it simply to show a frustration God had with Moses’ lack of faith? Was it to say that Aaron would be a sort of penalty to Moses for his lack of faith? The scriptures do not really give us an answer. I often wonder if God 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 was obedient instead of fearful.

In any account, God’s final answer to Moses’ pleading is Aaron. Aaron, your brother, doesn’t have all of these things you’re afraid about, 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.  His 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 vs.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 mouth piece or speak on behalf of God.  This is where we begin to clearly see some foreshadows of Christ in Aaron and his role.  It is not a stretch to see how Aaron being the mouth piece for 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, 1:1  “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 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 or precursor to the Prophets that would speak on behalf of God.

Exodus 28: 1-14

And what’s going on here? Why such details in the making of garments and 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 12 times in the book of Hebrews and called priest around 6 more times.  Jesus was pure, holy, and glorious.  Aaron was not.

If Aaron and his family were to take this role, they had to go through 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 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 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 do we abandon the God of our salvation!  These people just watched God rescue them from Egypt and Pharaoh and yet they freaked out when Moses was gone too long and they demanded 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 went along with the people’s demands. What should Aaron have done? Why didn’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 wanted to be God (or wanted to be like God) so she bought the serpent’s lie and ate the fruit.  The Israelites wanted a God so badly that they demanded 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 was supposed to intercede between the people and God and be their spiritual leader not only didn’t stop the people he joined them in their sin. You can even see the similarity in the response when being rebuked for their action.  Adam said “the Woman, that 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 revealed how perfect a representative for mankind Adam was but he 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 represent the true high priest Jesus, notice how God responded when they did that in a way that is not according to God. He killed them immediately! God takes very seriously the glory and honor that are due to him. Verse 3 reads: 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 the judgment of God who is storing up wrath for the sins they continue to commit.  Notice in verses 10 and 11 Aaron was to distinguish between the holy and common the clean and unclean, holy and unholy, and to teach Israel all the statues of the LORD. It was 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 truth but what’s more amazing is that through him we God’s beloved are made Holy and Clean.  All Aaron could do is teach these things, but Christ not only taught these truths, He applied them to us in a way no one else including Aaron could.  Is this not what Christ did?  Jesus is the only way anyone can be made clean, 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? 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 would carry on the priesthood until the coming of Christ.  When God plagued Egypt and killed the firstborn of all the cattle and men, he passed over the firstborn of Israel thereby setting the first born of all Israel to be servants in the sanctuary of God. However, after the golden calf incident, the Levites took the place of the first born. The Levites’ role was 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. He being a shepherd would mean he ministers to his sheep, provides for them, cares for them etc… The role given to the Levites was ultimately fulfilled in Christ.  There are many ways that the priesthood and Aaron point to Christ.  I hope the OT is coming alive to you as you study.  We have to 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, 24 but he (Jesus) holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 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!

Soli Deo Gloria,

Steven Obert

Olive Drive Church

Saturday Study

Moses (4-30-16)

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 they only knew what God had in store for him.  The Daughter of Pharaoh makes him her own. (v. 10)  Moses looked 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 killed an Egyptian soldier and fled to Mideon to avoid the wrath of Pharaoh. (v. 12-15). He married and had a son in his time away from Egypt.  At the end of Exodus 2, we read that Pharaoh died and the Israelites cried out to God to remove them from their bondage in Egypt.  “Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God saw the people of Israel—and God knew”. (Exodus 2:23-25)

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

“who am I?  I am a nobody! “

Too often we get caught up in only looking at the horizontal. Meaning, we are only worried about what other people think of us, how they will respond and what we are capable of.   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.  This 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…. 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.. of assurance of the one who is in POWER!-   5 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 the life shifting statement to everyday, average, unlikely people time and time again… it was 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… And what did they do?  They rose up and gave all they had to their faith as they gave birth to the church.

The ? for us is:    What have I done with those words? 

God says: “I will be with you” … how did you wake up and live life this last week as a result of those words?

“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   “God, I recognize it is all from you and for you… I trust 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 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 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?” 14 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. ’” 15 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. 16 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, 17 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.”’ 18 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….

¹⁴ God said to Moses,   “I am who I am . ”    Now you might be thinking,  ‘Well that just clears it up!”

But really pay attention to what he just said. “ I am who I am” is taken from a Hebrew word that means, “to exist”

àWhat God is telling Moses is…. I exist, I am REAL!

IN this he is Totally slamming the entire religious system.   And putting to correct shame all the little g man made gods.

He makes no excuses, no explanation.  He is as straight forward and 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.

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, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.

The LORD (all CAPS)     L   O   R    D

The LORD = Four Hebrew consonants (YHWH) This was so sacred the Jewish people wouldn’t even pronounce them

• Our modern word for God’s name is “Yahweh”
• So, anywhere you see the 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!

àIt is not a name to be taken lightly!     àIt is full of power and wonder!

àIt 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 6800 times in the Old Testament!

Now think of the difference between knowing him as GOD verse knowing him as Yahweh–  “HE IS”!

When God’s reveals his name 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!”

àNo 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. 20 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. 21 And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, 22 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 raised Pharaoh to power and then hardened his heart to not let his people go so that God could put his power on display.   In each interaction with Pharaoh and each plague to follow, Moses remained faithful.   He led the Israelites to the mouth of the Red Sea where God would put his power on display again.   God used Moses for so many mighty works in delivering a Nation out of bondage. Surly Moses could have tried to make his new leadership and fame about himself but instead he remained faithful and continued to make it about God.

In Exodus 20 we read about God giving this law to Moses and his people.  The 10 Commandments were the cornerstone of God’s expectations of his creation.  They were God’s moral law for how mankind should honor God above all else and love and honor one another before yourself.   These were moral expectations God had on his creation from day one but God personally wrote them into stone so that the people would be clear on his expectations.

At Moses’ death, this was said about him:

And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, 11 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, 12 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 (Ex. 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 (4:18–14:31), led the Israelites against the Midianites (Num. 31), and did many other mighty works.

Despite years of serving the Lord, however, Moses never stepped foot in the Promised Land; rather, Joshua led Israel into Canaan (Deut. 31:1–8).   Even though Moses did not enter the land, God granted him a vision of it, reminding Moses that the promise to the patriarchs (Gen. 15) would come to pass. Moses died on Mount Nebo after seeing Canaan, and God Himself buried him (Deut. 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 (32:48–52; see Num. 20:1–13). Even the greatest old covenant prophet had to learn 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: “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 walked with me and heard my preaching and followed me to have way more to say about all that God did in and through me in that time then what I did.    May we keep our eyes on the vertical and not just the horizontal.  May we never forget that we are utterly dependant 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

Olive Drive Church

Saturday Study

Pharaoh (4-22-16)

When considering those who had a great impact on the Old Testament narrative, it is not always people who find redemption, but many times those destined for destruction that are still used by God for his purposes.

We have already studied Satan who fits this description and today we 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 find themselves serving a particular and special part of God’s plan.

At first, Egypt was mostly a help to the physical descendants of Abraham 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 help 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 (Ex. 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 (Genesis15:12–16) 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 a kind of persecution, but as He did with Egypt (Ex. 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 God brought justice to in the end with his deliverance of his people in the Passover and through the Red Sea and brought the destruction of Pharaoh’s first born sons and his army in the Red Sea.

But, the truth is that 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 seventh 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 sovereign power 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.

What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 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.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

Paul is bringing a great clarity to a long time misunderstood perception of God.

That He is not the one who ultimately chooses whom He will and 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, he talks about the freedom of God in mercy (“He has mercy on whomever he wills”), the freedom of God in hardening (“He hardens whomever he wills”).  To make this big and 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” (Ex. 4:21), “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart” (Ex. 7:3), “the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh” (Ex. 9:12), “the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart” (Ex. 10:20, repeated in 10:27 and again in 11:10), “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart” (Ex. 14:4), and “the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Ex. 14:8).

It is sometimes objected that Scripture also says that Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Ex. 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 (Ex. 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 Ex. 8:15).

Now, this brings up a common question which is, 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?” 20 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?” 21 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? 22 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, 23 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 and eternal results 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 but rather as bringing about evil deeds through the willing actions of moral creatures.

Scripture never blames God for evil.  Neither should we!

So, when your newborn dies, or planes fly into The World Trade Center, or Isis beheads Christians, or cancer overcomes your loved one, 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, of the curse on mankind.

What you can and should say is that “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 needed reminders that when great evil is at work, death is at work, injustice is a work… that God is at work in his sovereignty in a 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 “(Prov. 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” (Isa. 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” (Matt. 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 this…

”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 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 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

Olive Drive Church

Saturday Study
Joseph (4-16-16)

The testimony of Joseph is one of my favorites in the Bible. It stands to remind us that while our circumstances can be up and down in this life, God is with us and working all things according to His purpose and our good.

We pick up the testimony of Joseph, in Genesis 37, where we read that he has the favor of his father, Jacob. He was given a very special robe of many colors by the parents and given the gift of prophetic dreams. He is blessed and highly favored.

But, things take a terrible turn for Joseph in the latter part of Genesis 37 when his brothers’ hatred and jealousy causes them to distance themselves from him and even plot to kill him. Thankfully, Rueben convinces them to not kill him. Still their anger and resentment propels them to throw him into a pit and then sell him to some traveling gypsies who would then sell him as a slave. Their father is broken when the brothers show him Joseph’s coat and deceive him into thinking that he had been killed by an animal.

In Genesis 39, we read that Joseph ends up in a great situation for a slave. He is sold to Potifer, Captain of Pharaoh’s guard, and he quickly earns Potifer’s trust and is appointed to oversee his entire house. What an amazing turn from such life-altering, horrible events.

But, it doesn’t last long for things to go horribly bad again as Potifer’s wife lusts after Joseph and pursues him to sleep with her. When he tells her no, she screams out that he assaulted and raped her. This means the loss of everything good he had come to know as he is thrown into prison.

Once again, Joseph lands in the worst of situations only to earn the favor of the chief jailor who ends up putting him in charge of the entire jail. Some time goes by and in Genesis 40 we read that Joseph is given the opportunity to interpret the dreams of the chief cup bearer and Pharaoh’s baker. Unfortunately, the baker’s negative interpretation proves true as he dies and the cupbearer’s positive interpretation proves true and he is restored to his position and freedom.

But, after promising Joseph that he will mention him to Pharaoh, he forgets and Joseph spends another 2 years in jail. Wow, this one must have been so hard as his means to freedom are all but sure and then one week turns into two, turns into months and then years. He had every opportunity to start doubting God and just give up. But, he stayed faithful and vigilant which is good because what he was about to do and become nobody could have ever seen coming!

Pharaoh had a dream that was tormenting him and the cupbearer finally remembered Joseph so Pharaoh sent for him. Upon his arrival to stand before the highest power in the land, Joseph accurately interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams.

In Genesis 41, we read that Pharaoh puts Joseph 2nd in charge over all of Egypt to carry out the plan to prepare for the famine. Joseph runs things well in Egypt, even though Egypt worshiped Pharaoh as a god. Joseph was able to still honor and glorify the one true God in heaven with his faithful work and devotion to God.

In Genesis 42, Jacob hears of Egypt selling their grain and sent the boys to buy some.
His brothers come to Egypt and Joseph recognizes them but they don’t recognize him. He calls them spies and throws them in jail. He then says for them to go and get their youngest brother and return to him to prove they are not spies and to buy the grain they need. Jacob is fearful he will lose another son, but lets Benjamin go with reservation. Upon their return, Joseph ends up revealing himself to his brothers. Pharaoh hears of this and provides the means for the entire family to be moved to Egypt. Finally, Jacob and Joseph die and are buried in their homeland in Canaan as requested.

As we read the close of Genesis 50, we read Joseph’s request for them to take his bones to be buried in the Promised Land. Now, this is huge because even though Egypt had blessed Joseph and now his family had great success, this could not compare with the blessing of God. If he would have encouraged the Israelites to stay in Egypt, it would have shown disbelief in the promises of God. Instead, Joseph told the nation to take his bones with them when they left Egypt. He did not want his body to be buried in exile. He wanted to dwell in the Promised Land. This is awesome.

Joseph had faith that God’s promises would prove true as he would bring them out of exile and into the Promised Land.
This is why Joseph is mentioned in the faith hall of fame in Hebrews 11.

Hebrews 11:22 “By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones”

Patriarchs like Joseph are excellent examples of persevering faith for us not only because of how they lived their lives in faith, but also how they died in great faith too. May this be the case for you and me.

As we consider Joseph’s journey through incredible hardship, betrayal, abandonment, false testimony, physical abuse and years in slavery or prison, we also recognize he had some incredible high points of his parents’ love and God’s giftedness, the chance to lead in Potifers house and in jail and, even more significant, being raised to lead the most powerful nation through the worst of times. Joseph was able to make the most of terrible turns. The truth is, Joseph survived and prospered through times we would have likely failed or given up in. Consider- which of these turns would have been the hardest for you?

But, also consider how he relied on God to get him through and never lost his faith.
Our faith is truly strengthened when we don’t see a way out but we still trust in God and don’t lose hope.

The two huge things we learn from Joseph are:
1. Instead of asking WHY? He asked God WHAT SHALL I DO NOW?

Romans 5: 1-5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

2. Trust God who is over all things and has a great plan for your life.

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Genesis 45:4-8 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

And finally, the most important verse in Joseph’s testimony!
Genesis 50:20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

Let us trust in God no matter how bad our circumstances get. He is able and we are never done until we are dead.
Don’t lose hope. Stay the course. Don’t ask God WHY. Ask God WHAT NOW?

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine
Olive Drive Church