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I expect you may disagree with at least of some of what I say. I pray that I don’t cause you too much offence and that somehow the gracious and dynamic Spirit of God will use these words to increase faith, inspire hope and impart love.


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Thursday, 10 February 2011

Thursday 10 February

Exodus 6:13-8:32
Uh oh, someone else is on about their family tree again.  Yawn.
Here we get the ultimate “my dad is stronger than your dad” head-to-head, with Pharaoh’s dad gradually looking more and more pathetic by comparison.  (It’s fascinating that Pharaoh’s secret arts can turn water into blood and can herd together frogs but can’t turn dust into gnats - what is that about??)  It soon becomes undeniably apparent that Yahweh is crushing the gods of Egypt and that Pharaoh, even though he is in a double nelson with his face pressed against the floor, just won’t give the tap of surrender.  The resounding message for those who will hear it is that Yahweh is stronger than every other force in heaven and earth.  If you nail your colours to any other mast you are just choosing to lose.
But there is a tricky question that comes out of this section - did Pharaoh even have a choice about granting Moses’ request?  The text itself says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he just couldn’t give in.  Is it fair then that Egypt gets decimated through no apparent fault of their own?  Paul, in Romans 9, addresses this very issue and comes to the conclusion that God can do whatever he wants because he is the boss.  Not the most palatable of truths to swallow for your petit-dejeuner!  But, we aren’t in this thing because it is palatable.  We are in it because we are convinced that it is true.  God doesn’t have to conform to our desires, we have to conform to his!   There is so much more to say on this but no space to do so.  I am sure we will come back to this theme on numerous occasions on our voyage through the story of God.
Matthew 26:47-68
The scent of desperation lingers across this whole passage.  People desperately trying to keep the river of God flowing down their nicely controlled channels only to have it bursting the bank in every imaginable direction.  And the tsunami really hits when Jesus knocks flat the snide and self-serving questioning of Caiaphas. Jesus’ response “in the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” smashes through every pretense that the ruling high priests were the divine-appointed guardians of God.  Jesus references Daniel 7, thereby declaring that a time is soon coming when the corrupt kingdoms that rule the world will be completely and utterly overcome by a new kingdom, implemented by the Ancient of Days and overseen by the utterly sovereign Son of Man.  Jesus is telling Caiaphas “You’re spent. Your tightly-controlled and self-centred approach to religion is through.  A new way of doing religion is coming upon the world and you will have no authority in it.  This new way will be open to all people, regardless of social status or breeding.  This kingdom will never fade or perish.  And it will be defined by multi-lingual and multi-faceted worship for the sovereign Son of Man.  Caiaphas’ reaction to this statement, of spitting it back in Jesus’ face and calling on the dogs, is a tragic and horrifying demonstration of people’s arrogance and determination to remain masters of their own fate.  Please Lord, would you save me from such a fate.
Psalm 19:7-14
Isn’t verse 14 brilliant?  In fact the whole of this section is pretty stupendous.  I wonder if I can memorise it and use it a bit more in daily life.  And then I could wheel it out at some corporate prayer meeting and everyone would be so impressed...

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