Feb 23rd

Exodus 6     Job 23     Luke 9     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage

God reveals Himself

In his suffering Job is desperately searching for God, but he can’t find him. He is terrified, since he realises God’s sovereignty to do whatever he pleases, whereas the counsellors try to make God predictable. Due to his faith and righteousness, however, Job remains confident in God’s ultimate justice and he is not silenced by the darkness.

In response to Moses’ complaint, God reveals his name to him: “I am the Lord, Yahweh”. He repeats his promise to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, to free them from slavery, to redeem them as his people and to bring them to the promised land. The Israelites, however, still don’t believe Moses because of their discouragement and cruel bondage (v9).

In Luke’s Gospel we read Peter’s confession of Christ. When Jesus asks his disciples: “Who do you say I am?” Peter replies: “The Christ of God”. Jesus then warns them not to tell this to anyone. He reveals to them his coming suffering, rejection, death and resurrection, but the people needed to be taught further before Jesus could identify himself explicitly, due their false belief of the Messiah being a conquering king, rather than a suffering servant.

Thank you God, that you reveal yourself to us and that you want us to know you and love you. Help us to fully trust in you and your Word, whatever the circumstances.  Amen.

(homegroup member)

Feb 22nd

Exodus 5     Job 22     Luke 8     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

Blame

Moses and Aaron deliver God’s message to Pharaoh, to let his people go. As a result Pharaoh increases the workload of the Israelites, who in return blame Moses and Aaron for this injustice. Moses then complains to God, claiming that instead of rescuing his people, he has brought trouble on them.

In Job 22 Eliphaz continues accusations that Job has committed many sins, without any other evidence than Job’s present suffering. His advice to submit to God may seem sound in itself; however it is based on incorrect assumptions and therefore it is doing Job injustice.

The woman with the haemorrhage in Luke’s Gospel had been ceremonially unclean for twelve years. She must have been physically very weak but it is possible that her ongoing ceremonial uncleanliness was also a real source of grief for her. In Leviticus 15:25-30 we read that anything a woman in her situation lay or sat on would become ceremonially unclean and that anyone who touched these items would become unclean as well requiring ceremonial cleansing. She must have been terrified when Jesus asked who had touched him.

The reason, however, why Jesus calls her is not to blame but instead he wants to give her his blessing.

Thank you Jesus that you bless us and that through you we are free from blame. Help us to be like you, blessing, not blaming.  Amen.

(homegroup member)

Feb 21st

Exodus 4     Job 21     Luke 7     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

God is in control!

God continues to graciously respond to Moses’ reluctance, but eventually He does get angry and what does he do? Or rather, what has he already done?  Aaron, Moses’ brother, is already on his way to meet Moses and his heart will be glad when he sees him!

Job defends himself against the claim that his suffering is a measure of his guilt and of God’s anger against him, by insisting that experience shows that wicked people flourish despite God being almighty and perfectly just. Job acknowledges that God is in control in this seeming injustice (v16), and he is left struggling to make sense of it.

Reconciling human suffering with a loving God is still a major challenge. Many people experiencing suffering may feel that God is angry with them and that they are being punished. However, Jesus taught that not all suffering is the result of sin (John 9:2-3). 

It is likely that the woman who had lived a sinful life suffered herself before meeting Jesus. Contrasting her loving conduct towards him with that of Simon the Pharisee, Jesus explains: “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little”. The woman is saved through faith and is able to experience God’s peace, rather than his anger.

Thank you God, that although we were deserving of your anger, you have already provided everything to fulfill your ultimate redeeming purpose.  Amen.

(homegroup member)

Feb 20th

Exodus 3     Job 20     Luke 6     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

Calling

Moses is called by God from within the burning bush and given the enormous but very clearly laid out task to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Despite Moses’ initial reluctance we know that he will ultimately fulfill his role in God’s plan, all the way supported by God.

Zophar, prompted as he says himself, by his troubled mind and guided by his own understanding, feels called to berate Job about human suffering being proof of God’s anger towards them. Displaying false piety with a judgmental attitude, the result of his speech is additional distress and suffering for Job, rather than consolation or support.

In Luke 6 we read how Jesus chooses the twelve apostles from his disciples after spending the night praying to God. He makes his decision after evidently extensively consulting with God to ensure God’s will is done and to fulfill his ultimate purpose.

How do we respond to God’s calling? How do we discern what is our own fallible reasoning and what is a true calling or true wisdom from God? Are our decisions steeped in prayer?

Lord, give us discernment to seek and follow your calling for us and to do your will, rather than to rely on our own understanding. Amen.

(homegroup member)

Feb 19th

Exodus 2     Job 19     Luke 5     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

Redemption

Today’s Bible passages tell us about deliverance through God. We read about the examples of several Biblical characters, who all experience deep personal faith despite their suffering, and an interesting absence of fear. This enables them to actively put their trust in God, leading to amazing miracles and displays of God’s power to save and redeem.

Moses’ life was miraculously saved following his family’s actions and he became a member of the family of the same man who ordered his killing. Hebrews 11:23 speaks of the faith of Moses’ parents while they were hiding him and that they were not afraid.

Job pours out in drastic images his physical and mental suffering, but through his faith he is able to withstand these ordeals and he ends by beautifully proclaiming in v25: “I know that my Redeemer lives!”

In Luke’s Gospel we are told about how the man with leprosy and the paralytic man are both miraculously healed by Jesus following an active expression of their faith.

We can’t save ourselves. We need Jesus and we need fellowship with family, friends and fellow Christians to grow in our faith. With faith we will experience God’s miracles!

Today, speak up with Job in your suffering and read out loud his confession:

I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth!  Amen.

(homegroup member)

Feb 18th

Exodus 1     Job 18     Luke 4     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

At the end of Genesis, yesterday, we saw Joseph full of faith looking forward to the time when his descendants would take his bones back to Canaan. Today as we start Exodus, four centuries later, they are still in Egypt, and things don’t look good. They are made slaves, and Pharaoh even plans to destroy the whole race by killing off all the boys. But even when things look so bad, we see the Israelites continuing to multiply (Ex 1:12), as God had promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the Hebrew midwives saving the baby boys (17-19). God’s promised blessing will not be thwarted by the most powerful of men!

Many centuries later, God’s promised blessing is reaching its climax as Jesus, “full of the Holy Spirit”, goes into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil (Luke 4:1-2). He shows us what is possible for the Spirit-filled person, as he resists the Devil’s temptation. The Devil tries to get him to misuse his power: “If you are the Son of God…” (Luke 4:3, 9) but Jesus answers with Scripture about how people should live. He is resisting the Devil as an obedient man filled with God’s Holy Spirit. He returns to Galilee “filled with the Holy Spirit” (4:14). In the synagogue in Nazareth we see that not only is he a Spirit-filled man, but also the One whom the prophets said would bring Good News, sight, freedom and the Lord’s favour! (Luke 4:18-20, quoting Isaiah 62:1-2)

(church mission partner)

Exodus

To view an introduction on Exodus, click here

Feb 17th

Genesis 50     Job 16-17     Luke 3     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

Luke 3 is a jump of about 18 years from the end of chapter 2 (from age 12 to age 30 – Luke 3:23), so Luke sets the historical context again (3:1-2). Notice how John’s ministry is introduced “the Word of God came to John son of Zechariah”. This is the pattern for introducing many of the OT prophets (Hosea 1:1, Joel 1:1, Jonah 1:1, Micah 1:1, Zephaniah 1:1, and Zechariah 1:1). Here comes the last of the prophets before “all mankind will see God’s salvation” (Luke 3:6)! People wondered if John himself might be the Messiah (3:15), but John answers, no, “someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (3:16, NLT). The stage was thus set for the coming King. Then one day Jesus comes to John and is baptised, and God shows who he is, sending the Holy Spirit on him like a dove and with an audible voice proclaiming him to be his “beloved Son”.  Jesus is both the baptiser in the Holy Spirit, and one who is full of the Holy Spirit. He is God – who imparts the Holy Spirit – but he is also a human being like us. As a human being, he is the perfect model of the Spirit-filled life.

(church mission partner)