Muhammed Ali was the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. He won 56 of his 61 professional fights and knocked out 37 opponents. His most famous catchphrase was, “I am the greatest!”

One day he was seated in an airplane when the flight attendant came up the aisle to make sure that all the passengers had their seatbelts fastened. When she reached Ali’s seat, she asked him to buckle up. He sneered, “Hmph! Superman don’t need no seatbelt!”

The flight attendant smiled sweetly and replied, “Superman don’t need no airplane, either!” Ali fastened his seatbelt.

The words of Moses in Deuteronomy 8:7-18 impress on the Israelites and on us the need to learn a specific lesson from the past. Their experience of God’s care in the wilderness period, when they were unable to help themselves, was to teach them humility through the Lord’s providential discipline. The memory of that experience should have kept them from having pride in their own achievements when entering the Promised Land. Similarly, our experience of God’s care in the tough times in our lives when we can’t help ourselves should teach us humility. We learn this through God’s loving discipline.

When Moses led the Israelites into the Promised Land, he urged them to be a grateful people. Thanks to God’s blessings, the land was abundant, but they could easily treat this prosperity as something they deserved. From this, the people developed a practice of giving thanks for every meal, no matter how small. For them, it was all a gift.

Moses didn’t want the people to forget that God was their liberator and leader. Remembering implies action and honour. The living God isn’t bound by time. On the other hand, man, susceptible to the pleasures of the moment, is constantly tempted to limit his horizons to what he presently sees and experiences. The very thing that was Israel’s goal-the Promised Land-was the possibility of her downfall. The God who blesses and sustains life was setting before Israel the choice: forget the Lord your God and perish, or remember Him and live.

Dependence is a two-edged sword. It can encourage trust, or it can encourage pride, rebellion and resentment. We as Christians are also susceptible to forgetting what God has done for us. We can get so involved with our daily lives and successes that we can forget that our successes are due to God’s involvement in our lives.

The Israelites needed to learn that if they disobeyed God they would cease to have a claim on Him. They would be judged the same as other nations who had disobeyed God and were therefore punished. Each new generation, including ours, needs to grasp this fact and decide for themselves to be obedient to God. This was and is not to be treated lightly. It was and is a life or death decision.

The greater our success, the greater the risk of us thinking too highly of ourselves, as Muhammed Ali did in the story that introduced this message. We must view success as a gift from God. We must learn to see all of our successes as a gift from God, not our own achievement.

We can be so arrogant as humans. Not only do we start to think that we have made our way by our own strength, but we also turn away from the One who has blessed us so wonderfully. That happened to the Israelites, and it can happen to us. Forgetting God means no longer having Him in our daily thoughts. This forgetfulness leads to disobeying His commandments. God designs our wilderness experiences so that we might learn discipline and obey Him. Through our obedience, we receive His blessings.

Sometimes God provides for us, but we aren’t happy with what He provides or how He provides. We want what we want and we want it now. We don’t consider that what we’re asking for might not be good for us. We don’t consider that the time might not be right for us to have what we’re wanting. Sometimes we act like spoiled brats who always want their way. Can you imagine how it makes God feel when we act this way?

Nothing in the Bible condemns hard work in the acquisition of material wealth. God wants us to remember that our ability to earn wealth comes from Him and Him alone. God designed us to create wealth and be productive people. He wants us to provide benefits, services and protection to others. He wants us to create opportunities to help people.

In verses 17-18, Moses warns against remembering the Lord when times are bad and forgetting Him when times are good. His people remember Him through thankfulness and generosity in His name. God cares for his people as a father cares for his children. He provided everything the Israelites needed for their long journey, including the Word of God. He provides everything we need for our journey through life, including the Word of God.

Making progress in our life of faith begins with a clear vision of the outcomes we are looking for. We need to know not only what our objective in following Jesus is, but why that objective is so desirable and worthy of unremitting effort on our part. Progress in our life of faith begins with a clear understanding of what it means to be revived daily in God’s Spirit and Word. As revived people, we can bring renewal of worship and mission to our churches and our communities.

God has prepared a place for us just like He prepared a place for the Israelites. There is no shortage of anything in this place. We won’t lack any good things. In return, we are to give God thanks by saying a prayer like this: “Lord, I want to thank You that You are bringing me into my garden, a land of blessing, a land where my gifts and talents will come out to the full, a good land where I will fulfill my destiny, a good land where I’ll live happy, healthy and whole, a good land where my whole house will honour You!”

Have you ever thought about how it makes God feel when we complain about the things He has provided for us? How much better do you think it makes Him feel when we give thanks to Him for what He has done for us? Instead of complaining about what we don’t have, maybe we should be more thankful for what we do have.

When we have trying circumstances in our lives, we are often so busy asking God to quickly take them away that we don’t stop to think that God, who oversees the entire universe, has not allowed this thing to happen by accident. He has given it to us for a purpose, and it will work for good. We can be content, even thankful, in every circumstance of life because Jesus will strengthen or empower us to do so.

We must always thank God for everything He has given us. In the worlds of a hymn we sing at this time of year:

We plough the fields and scatter

The good seed in the land,

But it is fed and watered

By God’s almighty hand;

He sends the snow in winter,

The warmth to swell the grain,

The breezes and the sunshine,

And soft refreshing rain

All good gifts around us

Are sent from heaven above;

Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord,

For all his love

Every day there are things in our lives to be grateful for. Some days may not seem like it. Those are the times to look a little deeper. Thanksgiving is not about the material things in our lives., though they can be nice. Giving thanks is about much more. It’s about feeling for another, for what they’ve done for you, for what they’ve helped you with or what you’ve done for them.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 238-239)
2. Matthias Claudius, “We Plough the Fields and Scatter.” Published in Common Praise: Anglican Church of Canada (Toronto, ON: Anglican Book Centre: 2000)
3. Maxwell, J.C. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 5: Deuteronomy (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1987; pp. 139-146)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
6. Pastor Rick Warren, “You Were Created to Be Productive.” Retrieved from connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com
7. T.M. Moore, “Stay Focused.” Retrieved from www.ailbe.org/tmmoore
8. Joel Osteen, “The Good Lord.” Retrieved from www.joelosteen.com
9. “In Whose Strength?” Retrieved from www.dailydisicples.org
10. Sheridan Vosey, “Grateful for Everything.” Retrieved from donotreply@email.rbc.org
11. Os Hillman, “The Success Test.” Retrieved from tgif@marketplaceleaders.org
12. Deborah H. Bateman, “Remember to Give Thanks.” Retrieved from http://deborahhbateman.com/articles-written-by-the-author
13. Jennie A. Brownscombe, “In Everything Give Thanks.” Retrieved from www.wordofgrace.org

It’s painful to have someone you trust tell you that they are going to do something for you—and they don’t. Many of us can tell stories about people who have let us down by making promises and then not following up on them. For example, there is a story of a young widow whose husband died suddenly and left her to raise their two children. She told her minister that during the wake for her husband, a lot of family and close friends came up to her and told her that they would be there for her. During the following years, some people were there for her when she needed them, including some people who never made that promise, but there were others who were so eager during the wake to offer help and never called or visited.

Life has taught us to be wary of certain people, and it is a lesson I have learned the hard way. These people include not just blatant liars but those who are all talk with no follow-through. There is an old saying that “a promise made is a debt unpaid”. We expect family and friends to keep their word and come through for us when we have a pressing need, but sometimes they don’t. When a friend disappoints us we are not terribly upset. When someone close to us makes a promise and then fails to fulfill it, we are blindsided because often we do not see it coming.

At the same time, we must acknowledge that that there have been times when we have made promises and then not kept them. There might also have been times when, in order to avoid discomfort or confrontation, we’ve given a half-hearted “yes” to someone or something which we never planned to follow up on. Whether we have been on the receiving end of broken promises, or have given a half-hearted investment of ourselves to commitments we have made, we are in need of the healing and the challenge the Word of God offers us today.

The Gospel reading from Matthew 21:23-32 is another discussion between the Pharisees and Jesus. It occurs just after Jesus has chased the moneychangers and animal sellers from the temple. Both types of businesses needed the approval of religious authorities to operate in the temple. They provided a necessary service. Only temple currency could be used in the temple, so foreign currency had to be converted to temple currency, albeit at outrageous rates of exchange. Animals that were offered for sacrifice had to be free of blemishes as determined by the temple authorities. Both of these services evolved into profitable enterprises, so it is not surprising that the chief priests and elders were upset. They wanted to know who gave Jesus the authority to do what he did. They wanted God to play by their rules, and they insisted that God’s prophets must make the distinctions they make. Like John, Jesus thinks that God’s freedom includes the freedom to forgive people who are not children by blood of the Covenant, who haven’t offered sacrifice, even the poor person’s sacrifice of a dove, in the Temple, who haven’t done anything to deserve forgiveness.

Jesus’ actions in the Temple not only broke the powerful connection between money and religion, they also freely heal and forgive those who are perceived as cursed, those who are perceived as under punishment, those who need some serious blood atonement. Jesus sought to redirect the tradition of Israel away from ritual legalism and a dominant priesthood toward a more meaningful trust by the individual in the gracious and forgiving love of God. Jesus’ actions are a bullet in the heart of sacrificial religion, and they challenge the ultimate structuring of relationships proffered by the so-called authorities. Like Jesus, we too may be called by God to engage in acts of conscience, acts that defy authorities and challenge their right to exist as authorities. We may end up paying a price like Jesus did, but we will also have the chance to turn the questions of our accusers back upon themselves in the hopes that they might see and repent.

We know the answer to the Pharisees’ question, but the chief priests and Pharisees did not. God gave Jesus the authority. The Pharisees and chief priests were rabbis, and they could not believe that Jesus’ authority was greater than theirs. They forgot that God is the ultimate authority. He gave the Jews the Ten Commandments. The Pharisees expanded them with all of their rules and regulations because they were obsessed with not breaking any of the Ten Commandments. The Pharisees considered themselves to be so righteous that they thought they were doing God’s work, but Jesus pointed out in the parable of the sons in Matthew 21:28-32 they were sadly mistaken.

But Jesus uses this trick question to teach the Pharisees about the Kingdom of God. You see, they were living examples of the second son in the parable. Self-righteous Jews were the ones who always gave the appearance of serving God. They followed all the picky religious rules; rules about what they should eat, and what they should wear, and how they should say their prayers. They looked and sounded very religious. But when it came to issues like loving their neighbor, or showing kindness to the poor, or showing compassion to the lowly, they never showed up in the vineyard! They said they would; their religion was very impressive when they were at the synagogue, but they did not live it out in their daily lives.

If we profess that Jesus is our Lord, we must do what he tells us to do. The religious people were the ones who were a problem for Jesus. They were oblivious to the true demands of God’s righteousness. They just didn’t get it. They did not see that God was not so much interested in the pious rhetoric and ceremonial formality.

When Jesus asked the Pharisees if the baptism of John came from heaven or from man, he was really asking them if they thought John was a true prophet or a false prophet. They were caught between the proverbial “rock and a hard place”. If they said that John’s baptism came from heaven, they would be faced with John’s witness to Jesus and their failure to respond to John’s preaching. If they said that it was from man, they would risk upsetting the crowd, many of whom believed in Jesus and John. The Pharisees had the responsibility to know who was and who was not a false prophet. They had the duty to protect the people from false prophets. Their final decision, which was the refusal to answer Jesus, compromised their own authority.

Jesus also indirectly asked the Pharisees if they thought that his authority came from heaven or from man. If Jesus authority is from heaven, then his messianic claim is valid, and the church must stake claim to a unique mission, a mission that relinquishes power in bringing Christ to the world, just as Christ relinquished power in bringing himself to the world. The church living under Christ’s present, heavenly authority will embody Christ’s own ministry as a gracious transformation, a divine reclamation of the world.

Tax collectors and prostitutes were prepared to change their ways, but the religious leaders were not, even though they had time to change. In the parable of the two sons, the older son represented the religious leaders and the younger son represented outsiders such as tax collectors and prostitutes. The faithful son represents the faces of people such as a recovering alcoholic, a small band of worshippers in a storefront, a church that reaches out to the needy in the community, a church member who decided to tithe-all of whom, however reluctantly or painfully, obey Christ. The second son is the person in the pew who refuses Christ entry to the deepest recesses of his or her heart—a preacher whose sermon is designed to please people rather than to please God; the Christian who refuses to obey God in the sensitive areas of sex, money or power; a church that ignores issues of justice and mercy. In other words, they are the people who appear to be faithful but, deep down, are not.

The parable of the two sons means that those who are not religious may sometimes respond to the good news of God’s forgiving love more readily than those whose self-serving religious superiority makes them immune to its appeal. The main key is a person’s sense of self-worth which can deceive even the most perceptive to think of ourselves more highly than they ought to think. The truth is that even keeping the rules can lead us astray if we end up with the attitude that we’re good and righteous people, pure as the driven snow. To believe this is a dangerous deception. It can cause us as much grief as if we dive headlong into living an immoral life.

When we believe ourselves to be good and righteous people, then we ignore a large part of who we are. We overlook our dark side, what some psychologists call the shadow. The shadow then acts on its own, swallows us up, and takes others along with us. This can happen without us even recognizing it.

Jesus’ parable asks us how we will respond to the Gospel. Will we change our minds and believe, or not? Will we be the son who says he will obey and does not, or will we be the son who turns around and changes his mind? The parable is an example of the old adage that “actions speak louder than words”. We will be judged not by what we say, but by what we do. The religious leaders wrongly thought that they were better than they really were, and they imagined that they did not need to repent.

How many times have we made commitments to God, only to fail on the follow through? How many times have we made promises to God that for one reason or another, we have not kept? How often do we find ourselves responding to God when we have already told God “no”? What we believe needs to be evident in the way we live and relate. There must not be any break between our words, actions and faith. We must be able to discern God’s voice in those expected and unexpected places. We must not only listen but be willing to change as we grow in our personal and corporate faith.

Most of us have been pretty religious for most of our lives. Still, there are those whose religion seems to be lovely when they are surrounded by other religious persons. They can quote scripture verses by the boatload. They know all the religious language, all the religious rituals. But they don’t go to work in the vineyard. And all the love, and all the kindness, and all the compassion that they speak of in church…tends to stay at church. But there are also those whose lives are laced with sin, whose language would make a sailor blush, and who wouldn’t know a bible from a dictionary if it were handed to them, but they are kind, and generous, and compassionate to no end. They don’t get it when it comes to religion, and yet they are walking examples of the very people Jesus came to love.

Which of those people is doing the will of God? It’s a trick question because neither of them is. But here is the word of grace: Which one of them is God’s daughter or son, which one of them does God want to nurture, and mold and change into walking examples of righteousness in the vineyard? All of us.

Jesus says that it isn’t the religious folk who are first in the kingdom of heaven. It is those who are most open to turning their lives around who are first in line, those who take action when Jesus says, “follow me”. We need to be careful lest we get to feeling that God owes us something. God sent Christ into the world to die for our sins, because we are sinners, and we are in need of redemption. That applies to all of us—Sunday school teachers, choir members, clergy, and members of the congregation. God does not owe us anything. Our hope for heaven is based on one thing and one thing alone—and that is the grace of God. This parable comes with the flame of Jesus’ Spirit to quicken our resolve to try again to change what needs changing. We have hope that this time, in some small or large way, change is possible because we have heard God’s word and experienced the living Christ through it.

When we look over our recent past and notice the trend our lives have taken, with the thoughts and deeds that speak of our lukewarm disciples, we want the second chance this parable offers us. We want to be able to change our minds, repent and do the good things we know we are called to do—and do them with the wholehearted “Yes” the gospel requires of us.

Bibliography

• Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASV

• Exegesis for Matthew 21:23-32. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

• Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 26^th Sunday (A)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

1. Karl Jacobson, “Commentary on Matthew 21:23-32”. Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching_print.aspx?commentary_id=1047
2. Ira Birt Diggers, “Commentary on Matthew 21:23-32”. Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching_print.aspx?commentary_id=144
3. Preaching Peace, XVII Pentecost, Year A. Retrieved from www.preachingpeace.org/lectionaries/yeara-proper21
4. Saturday Night Theologian, 28 September 2008. Retrieved from www.progressivetheology.org/SNT/SNT-2008.09.28.html
5. Daniel Clenendin, Ph.D., “Repentance: Cleaning Up a Messy House”. Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net/Essays/20080922JJ.shtml?view=print
6. Sarah Dylan Breuer, “Dylan’s Lectionary Blog, Proper 21, Year A”. Retrieved from www.sarahlaughed.net/lectionary/2005/009/proper_21_year_.html
7. The Rev. Debbie Royals, “Sept.28, 2008-Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 21, Year a (RCL)”. Retrieved from www.episcopalchurch.org/sermons_that_work_100542_ENG_HTM.htm
8. The Rev. Beth Quick, “Paved With…Intentions”. Retrieved from www.bethquick.com/sermon9-25-05.htm
9. John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost, September 25, 2011. Retrieved from http://lectionary.seemslikegod.org/archives/fifteenth-sunday-after-pentecost-september-25-2011.html
10. Pastor Steve Molin, “Trick Questions”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
11. Dr. Mickey Anders, “Show Me Now”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
12. The Rev. Charles Hoffacker, “The Strange Parade”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

What is the difference between fairness and justice?

How many of us have felt that someone treated us unfairly? Has someone favoured another person over us? All of us have endured some hurt when our dreams are dashed or ambitions denied. Preferred treatment can lay the foundation for bitter memories. Does our ill treatment serve a greater good? Do others in need benefit? Sometimes we endure unequal treatment in the name of justice. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus presented the Kingdom as one of justice, not necessarily of fairness. According to Jesus, the faithful, even those who practiced faith all life long, did not earn the Kingdom. God gave His children the Kingdom as a gift.

Jesus told the parable in Matthew 20:1-16 to illustrate His point that “the first will be last, and the last first”. The landowner hired workers at 9:00 am, 12 noon, 3:00 pm and finally at 5:00 pm. The group hired at the end of the day would have included the sort of workers nobody wanted to hire. The owner promised all the labourers the same wage.

The parable would have had significance in the early church whose members were Jewish Christians. To them the “late arrivals,” the Gentiles, deserved a lesser place in the kingdom. After all, they were not the first invited, as were God’s chosen people. Judging from the heated epistles, like Galatians and the accounts in Acts, the conflict between the two groups could get quite intense.

It also runs contrary to how the world works today. We’re used to being rewarded in proportion to our service. We would be happy to grant the apostles a larger share than we would expect for ourselves if we could expect more than a lesser disciple might receive. We feel for the all-day workers, who received the same pay as the one-hour workers. Is that fair? Don’t they deserve more? Shouldn’t the master treat them better?

We don’t want to be on par. We want to be on top! We don’t want mercy (what God gives freely) but justice (what we have earned). If God distributes rewards fairly, we who worked all day will get more than those who arrived at the last hour. We will receive what we have earned plus a generous bonus. The irony, of course, is that the little bit we have earned is of no consequence when compared to God’s grace.

The generosity of the landowner in this case shifts our thinking away from what a person can achieve or offer to the way in which a person and their very life is valued by the landowner. This parable calls into question the way our world operates and how it devaluates people and exploits many who work long hours in appalling conditions so those in wealthier countries can have cheap products.

This parable reveals important truths about God’s grace. No matter how many hours they worked, all workers were paid the same wage—the wage that was promised. The workers hired first represent Israel, the recipients of God’s covenant promises. Those hired last, at the end of the day, represent the Gentiles, who were offered the same salvation available to the Jews through faith in Christ.

Jesus repeated His parable from Matthew 19:30 and added that “many are called, but few chosen.” His meaning is essentially the same in both cases; namely, that God lavishes His grace on those He chooses, and those who receive it are blessed beyond anything they can ever hope to earn.

If Christians are just and pay their lawful debts and injure no one, the world has no right to complain if they give the rest of their property to the poor, or devote it to send the gospel to the world, or release a prisoner. It is their own. They have a right to do with it as they please. They are accountable only to God. The world has no right to interfere.

This parable is about the kingdom of God. It presents the nature of God’s grace. Grace is God’s graciousness. He extends his love and mercy to everyone. Not everyone responds alike to His goodness. Some compare and evaluate their own “goodness” and thereby fail to understand God’s graciousness.

The points of the parable are:

• The calling to service is in direct relation to the need.

• The reward for service is a gracious meeting of our needs.

• The integrity of service will respect the integrity of grace in meeting needs equally.

God can and does distribute His gifts and His goodness as He wills. Grace can’t be earned or deserved. God is completely free to parcel out His favour however He chooses.

When we’re envious, we’re in a battle with God. We doubt God’s goodness in our lives. We resent His decision to bless others. We accuse Him of being unfair. We don’t believe He has our best interests at heart. We accuse Him of playing favourites. God has a good reason why we don’t have what we want. He knows us better than we know ourselves.

There are two main reasons to never compare ourselves to anyone else:

• We’re unique. God made each one of us special
• If we do start comparing, it’s always going to lead to either envy or pride.

We can easily get trapped by our own patterns of counting and assessing and evaluating that we can miss God’s generosity. We can learn to overcome comparison obsession by focusing on the life God has given to us. As we take time to thank God for everyday blessings, we change our thinking and begin to believe deep down that God is good.

We dare not judge God’s love by our poor standards, nor should we think that once we are in heaven we can choose to go to hell. We should admit that no one deserves to receive freely anything from God. It is His grace that brings salvation. Our work is only a poor “thank you” for what we have received from His mercy and grace. (Pause)

The generosity of the landowner shifts our thinking away from what a person can achieve or offer to the way in which a person and their very life is valued by God. God wants to give value and opportunity to even the weakest within the faith community. The good news is not just for the privileged few but for all. God will return and seek us out to join the labour as many times as it takes.

It isn’t the amount of faith we have, or when we come to faith, that matters. The object of our faith matters. Constantly comparing ourselves to others robs us of the joy of working for God, who made each of us His treasure. God’s gift of grace is free and undeserved. Each of us is given the grace that is sufficient for us to live our Christian faith. Our response is to rejoice and be glad.

Those who only find Christ later in their lives are the ones who have missed out, for life in Christ is rich and meaningful. To find forgiveness and fullness and meaning and purpose is to find freedom, which is what Jesus intends for all of us. Following Jesus and His way is the way of freedom. Following the ways of the world are the ways of bondage and meaninglessness. Like the workers hired later in the day, the landowner found them “…standing idle…with no purpose.”

The kingdom of heaven image from Jesus comes as a comfort and as a warning. A comfort, because the invitation is always there for each of us. It is never too late for us to turn to God. It is a warning because there will indeed be those who are welcomed into God’s family after we are. Our task is to love them and welcome them just as God does. We are not to feel haughty and more important because we were there first. We must meet them with great joy for their faith.

When God pours out His love and favour toward us, we don’t have to worry. If we take the time to look we will see that God has filled our cup. When God’s favour is extended to those of whom we disapprove, it’s time for us to begin looking at the world the way God looks at the world. We are all equal in God’s eyes.

The story about the workers in the vineyard is about forgiveness. When God forgives our sins, he forgives them all. A brand-new Christian is as welcome to God as the person who has known God for a long, long time. It’s not about fairness. It is about forgiveness. It is about a big and welcoming God who doesn’t make us feel like second class citizens. God takes outsiders and makes them insiders. He treats us not according to our standards but according to His. The measuring stick he uses is generosity.

When God pours out His love and favour towards someone else, we don’t have to worry. If we just take the time to look, we will see that God has filled our cup to the brim too. When God’s favour is extended to those of whom we disapprove, it’s time for us to grow up and begin looking at the world the way that God looks at the world.

The question for today is this: “Is God fair?” Of course, he is! But do you know what else? The Bible tells us that he is more than fair. The Bible tells us that “God is love.” Does God love us because we love him?” No, the Bible says, “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” That’s not fair—that’s love.

If we got what was fair, none of us would get to heaven. We can rejoice in the knowledge that God doesn’t give us what is fair. He gives us his love and grace, despite what we deserve!

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 1316-1317)
2. Barnes’ Notes on the New testament. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
3. Augsberger, M.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 24: Matthew (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; p. 18)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
5. Pastor Rick Warren, “When You Envy, You’re in a Battle with God.” Retrieved from connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com
6. Pastor Rick Warren, “Get to Know Others so You Won’t Envy Them.” Retrieved from connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com
7. Marvin Williams, “Comparison Obsession.” Retrieved from www.rbc.org
8. Rev. Park Ju-Young, “Workers in the Vineyard.” Retrieved from www.lhm.org
9. Thomas Skeats, O.P., “God’s Generosity.” Retrieved from www.torch.op.org
10. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 25^th Sunday (A).” retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
11. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for Matthew 20:1-6.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
12. “Justice in the Kingdom.” Retrieved from www.wordsunday.com
13. Rick Morley, “Crazy Talk Grace.” Retrieved form www.rickmorley.com
14. “Is God Fair?” Retrieved from www.Sermons4Kids.com

One evening, as a husband was sitting quietly, reading his newspaper, his wife walked up behind him and whacked him with the back of her hand. “What was that for?” he asked. “That was for the piece of paper I found in your pants pocket!” she replied. “It had the name Mary Lou written on it.” “Oh, that was from two weeks ago, when I went to the race track,” the man said. “Mary Lou was the name of the horse I bet on.” The woman thought for a moment, then hung her head. “Oh, honey,” she said quietly, “I’m so sorry. I should have known there was a good explanation.”

A few days later the man was watching a ball game on TV when his wife walked up and whacked him on the head again. He asked, “What was that for?” She replied, “Your racehorse just called.”

When it comes to forgiveness, how much is enough? How much do we need to forgive? How often should we be doing all we can to wash away the stains which weaken the bonds between us, which take their toll on our own sense of well-being — our very own peace, not to mention the peace between us?

People come in all different sizes, shapes, and colors, but they have one thing in common—they all make mistakes! We make a lot of mistakes. That is why God sent Jesus to die on the cross — to erase our mistakes. When we do something wrong, we can ask God to forgive us and because of Jesus, He will erase our mistakes and we can start over again, and again, and again.

The parable of the king and the man is designed to show one great truth-the duty of forgiving our brethren, and the great evil of not forgiving someone when we are offended. It also teaches us the following lessons:

1. Our sins are great.
2. God freely forgives them.
3. The offences committed against us by others are small.
4. We should, therefore, most freely forgive them.
5. If we don’t, God will be justly angry with us and punish us. God will forgive if we do not.

Rabbinic tradition taught that a brother could be forgiven three times for the same offense, but not four times. Peter, trying to be a better-than-superior law keeper, doubled that and added one-seven times. He did not expect Jesus’ response, which is not congratulations but a correction. Whether the phrase should be rendered “seventy times seven” or seventy-seven is not important; Jesus teaches us that believers in Christ have been forgiven far more than they will ever be asked to forgive. They must cultivate a spirit of forgiveness, not a habit of counting offenses.

Peter knew the power of forgiveness. He made many mistakes during his time with Jesus, the biggest of which was denying Jesus three times on the night of Jesus’ crucifixion. Each time Jesus forgave him. Peter still didn’t get the fact that because we are all sinners, real, enduring, reconciling forgiveness is beyond our control. It must be a gift received from God to be a gift unleashed and shared for others.

We are not to limit our forgiveness to any fixed number of times. As often as someone hurts us and asks for forgiveness, we are to forgive them. It is their duty to ask for forgiveness, and it is our duty to forgive.

Under Hebrew law, a debtor and his family could be sold into slavery until the debt was paid. Jesus isn’t giving us a lesson in economics or philanthropy. He points out that there is something more than a debt that has been paid. It’s the eternal mercy of God overcoming our sin debt. When we receive God’s love and forgiveness, it changes things. It’s the power and blessing of God, received by faith that is to be put to good use in our lives and in our relationships.

The king’s act of mercy represents God’s mercy to us. We have sinned. We owe more to God than we can pay. Instead of casting us off, God has mercy on us. When we ask for forgiveness, He forgives us.

The story of the man who refused to forgive someone who owed him money was used by Jesus to teach us that the offences which our fellow men commit against us are very small and insignificant compared to our offences against God. Because we have been the recipients of God’s mercy, who are we to suddenly demand justice from others? God’s compassion calls for us to do the same toward others. Anything less is hypocritical.

God expects His children to take on His likeness. If they do not resemble Him in their willingness to forgive, they prove they are not His children. God is rich in mercy and grace, but He is also holy and just, so those who refuse to forgive should not imagine that God would welcome their unforgiving hearts into His kingdom.

The nature of forgiveness is a profound aspect of reconciling grace. Forgiveness is hard. It means that the forgiving person as the innocent one resolves his/her own wrath over the guilty one and lets the guilty one go free. Forgiveness benefits us and frees us for the option of living.

Forgiveness reveals a deep awareness of sin. We can’t change the facts. Forgiveness costs the innocent one, for he resolves the problem in love. Forgiveness conditions us to forgive others for we are forever accountable for our privilege of freedom.

Refusing to forgive inflicts inner turmoil on us. If we refuse to forgive, God will refuse to forgive us. It isn’t worth the misery. We are to forgive as we have been forgiven. We are encouraged to release the poison of all that bitterness. We are encouraged to let it out before God and declare the sincere desire to be free.

Holding on to our anger is not good for our physical health either. Research shows that holding on to anger increases our chances of a heart attack, cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other illnesses. On the other hand, forgiveness boosts our self-esteem and lowers our blood pressure and heart rate. Forgiveness also helps us sleep better at night and boosts a positive change in our attitude.

Forgiveness is the gift that keeps on giving when our giving gives out. It’s the power of the Lord’s Prayer unleashed in our lives in the relationships that we hold dear. Do we want to live with the junk of past hurts? No. If we want to give every day a chance, Jesus says that we must get rid of the trash. We are to give others the grace we have been given. When there is no possibility for an ongoing relationship, especially when the one who has wronged us is unreachable or dead, forgiveness can free us from bitterness and the desire for revenge.

When we sincerely confess our sin, we admit to ourselves that we have hurt someone else. To ask for forgiveness repeatedly is to admit that we do not have the ability or power to change that truth in us. If we need to ask forgiveness from someone, it will help us if we ask God to give us humble hearts and a spirit willing to change. If we are being asked to forgive, it will help us if we ask God to help us to look to Him to help restore the person back in our heart without bitterness.

There are three reasons why we need to forgive:

1. Because God forgives us
2. Because resentment leads to self-torture
3. Because we need forgiveness every day

Every time we remember the hurt we have received, we make an intentional choice to say, “God, that person really hurt me, and it still hurts. Because I want to be filled with love and not resentment, I am choosing to give up my right to get even and wish bad on that person. I am choosing to bless those who hurt me. God, I pray you’ll bless their life—not because they deserve it. They don’t. I don’t deserve your blessing either, God. But I pray that you’d show grace to them like you’ve shown to me.”

Forgiveness is something that we need every day. We must ask for forgiveness. We must accept forgiveness from God and from others. We must offer forgiveness. It must be continual. It must be enough, and it must be employed.

Forgiveness is not a matter of social grace or necessity. Forgiveness is integral to the Christian lifestyle. As God always forgives sinners, the sinner should always forgive others. This is the most precious gift in the world. We squander this gift so easily when our selfish hearts shut Him out. When we realize our fault and return to Him, He forgives us and renews His life in us. Forgiveness lies at the heart of our faith in God and our love of one another. Forgiveness, which we receive from God, is what God expects from us in our dealings with each other.

The enduring gift of forgiveness began at the cross. Jesus paid the price for our sins. God forgave our sin debt because Jesus paid it for us. We owe our lives to a Holy God because of our sins and failures, but God took the payment of Jesus’ life in our place. Because of God’s great love for us in Christ, He forgives us. He lets us go in His peace. He releases us from the burden of debt and allows us to live in His freedom.

The story of Ruth Bell Graham and Jim Bakker is a story of forgiveness. Many of you might remember evangelist Jim Bakker’s public disgrace. During his darkest days, Jim Bakker found friends in evangelist Billy Graham and his wife Ruth. Billy visited Jim in prison several times. The first Sunday after Jim was released from prison, Ruth hosted him at her own church. She publicly showed her support for him by sitting with him. She showed God’s love. The language of love is always the language of forgiveness. Love is not love unless it is essentially the spirit of forgiveness.

On Ruth’s tombstone at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina, is an inscription that she requested herself. It reads, “End of construction. Thank You for your patience.” She lived in an area of North Carolina where construction work was always going on. At the end of every construction zone was a sign with that message on it. She said once that it is a wonderful image for the Christian life. “A work under construction until we go to be with God” she said. We are also works under construction. We need the patience of others to the very end. In return, we must freely give and receive the extravagant forgiveness that Jesus commands.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 1314-1315)
2. Augsberger, M.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 24: Matthew (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; p. 18)
3. Dr. Neil Anderson, “The Cost of Forgiveness.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
4. Charles R. Swindoll, “When You Are Offended, Part 1.” Retrieved from eministries@insightforliving.ca
5. Charles R. Swindoll, “When You Are Offended, Part 2.” Retrieved from eministries@insightforliving.ca
6. Rev. Gregory Seltz, “Forgiveness, the Gift That Keeps On Giving.” Retrieved from lh_min@lhm.org
7. Max Lucado, “Taking Out the trash.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
8. “The Voice of the Lord for Tammuz 26.” Retrieved from listserv@lists.studylight.org
9. “A Humble Heart and Willing Spirit.” Retrieved from info@dailydisciples.org
10. Pastor Rick Warren, “How Often Should You Forgive?” Retrieved from connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com
11. Doug Fields, “Finding Freedom in Forgiveness.” Retrieved from www.homeword.com
12. Pastor Rick Warren, “Why Should You Forgive?” Retrieved from connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com
13. Charles R. Swindoll, “Be Forgetful.” Retrieved from eministries@insightforliving.ca
14. Daniel B. Clendenin, Ph.D., “Accepting One Another: The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant.” Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net
15. Karl Jacobson, “Commentary on Matthew 18:21-35.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
16. Pastor Edward Markquart, “Pockets of Poison: The Need for Forgiveness.” Retrieved from www.sermonsfromseattle.com
17. The Rev. Dr. Robert M. Zanicky, PCUSA, “The Freeing of Forgiveness.” Retrieved from www.day1.org
18. “Over and Over Again.” Retrieved from www.Sermons4KIds.com
19. The Rev. Janet Hunt, “Forgiving ‘Seventy-Seven’ Times.” Retrieved from www.dancingwiththeword.com
20. Daniel Clendenin, Ph.D., “Never Judge, Always Forgive.” Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net

How many of you have played with a yo-yo? A yo-yo is a simple toy, but it is a lot of fun. Some people can make the yo-yo do amazing tricks, but the main thing a yo-yo does is go up and down, up and down. That is also a good picture of us. We all have our “ups and downs,” don’t we? Sometimes we are happy and sometimes we are sad. We may be hard working one day and lazy the next. We may be honest one day and dishonest the next. Can you think of other ways that we have “ups and downs?” In the Book of Exodus, we heard that Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, also had his “ups and downs” and we heard how God punished Pharaoh for his wicked ways.

You will remember that God spoke to Moses from a burning bush and told him to go to Pharaoh and tell him to set his people free. They had been slaves in Egypt for many years. So Moses and his brother, Aaron, went to see Pharaoh and asked him to set God’s people free, but Pharaoh said, “No, I will not let them go.”

Because Pharaoh refused to obey, God began to send terrible plagues on Egypt. One time he sent frogs all over the land. There were so many frogs that Pharaoh thought he would croak. At other times, God sent gnats, flies, and locusts. That really bugged Pharaoh! Well, Pharaoh had more ups and downs than a yo-yo. When God would send one of the plagues, Pharaoh would tell Moses that if God would make it go away, he would let his people go. But after God made the plague go away, Pharaoh would change his mind and refuse to let the people go. Since Pharaoh was so hard-hearted and refused to let God’s people go, God continued to send plagues upon Egypt — there were ten in all.

The final plague was the worst of all. God told Moses to tell Pharaoh that the last plague would be so terrible that it would change his heart and he would let the people go. Every firstborn son and every firstborn male animal would die. How sad! It is always sad to see what happens to people when they refuse to obey God. Since Pharaoh and the people in Egypt refused to do what God told them to do, they suffered terribly! That may be hard to understand, but remember – God had given them many opportunities to do what he told them to do, but they refused.

God gave Moses instructions on how his own people were to prepare for the last plague. He said that every family was to take a one-year-old lamb, one that was perfect in every way, and prepare a meal. They were to take some of the blood from the lamb and smear it on the sides and tops of the doorway of their houses.

God said, “I will go through the land of Egypt on this night and strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, whether human or animal, and bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. The blood will serve as a sign on the houses where you live. When I see the blood, I will pass over you—no harm will touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.

After God sent that tenth plague, Pharaoh repented and freed God’s children.

The symbolism of Passover for Christians is rich. The Passover Lamb is a type of Christ. Passover marked the beginning of months for the Hebrews, and the coming of Christ into our lives marks both the changing of our world and the beginning of our lives.

God began the calendar year of Israel with the Exodus. The first month of the Hebrew year, called Abib (or Aviv), literally means “the ear” month because at this time-about April for us-the ears of grain have developed. Passover was to begin Israel’s year. It was a reminder of their coming into being as God’s delivered people.

The Passover was a sacred meal. It was intended to honour God and His relationship with His people. Burning leftover meat represented the sacred nature of this observance, making it clear that it is food for the soul and food for the Body. The bread and wine (or juice) served during the Eucharist is also food for both the body and the soul. Our gathering in worship and God’s saving grace should motivate us and encourage us to perform acts of justice and mercy.

God’s specific instructions about the Passover lamb would ensure that in every way, it was fit for sacred service. A lamb without flaws was to be the perfect sacrifice for the Passover meal, just like Christ was the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Nothing but a perfect sacrifice could satisfy God’s requirements, because God Himself is perfectly righteous. No sacrifice was adequate, so God had to provide the Lamb that was without blemish-Jesus Christ. The Feast of the Passover became a festival to celebrate the visiting and redeeming God-the One who comes to dwell among us, not only as Protector but as Sustainer and Giver of Life. The Passover Lamb represented the work that Jesus would finish in His death and resurrection. That’s why he said, “It is finished” just before He died on the cross.

The Israelites were told to be ready to leave their bondage at any time. We as Christians today must also be ready to leave at any time. We don’t know when Christ’s return and the final judgment will take place. The Israelites were also told to eat unleavened bread. In Scripture, leaven represents evil. Our bread of life must be unleavened. We can’t have communion with Christ when there is sin in our lives.

The bitter herbs represented the memory of the Israelites’ bondage, and today we who are saved must not forget the cost of our redemption. Our sin-filled lives must be constantly crucified. Deep down in our hearts, the drinking of His cup and being baptized with His baptism will be our taste of bitter herbs in the feast.

The one who would “pass through the land” was not some angel of death as is commonly assumed. According to the repeated pronoun “I”, it was the Lord Himself, bringing judgment against all the gods of Egypt. Just like the angel of death passed over the blood-stained doorways of the Israelites, Christ’s blood allows eternal death and separation from God to pass over us. We can pass over from physical death to eternal life. Only the blood of Jesus can save us.

God did not protect the Israelites because they were better than the Egyptians, but because they were His people. God gives grace to His followers-whether through the blood of the Passover lamb or the blood of Jesus-not based on merit but on His lovingkindness. Christ’s blood saves us from the penalty of spiritual death just like the blood of the Passover lamb saved the Israelites from the death of their firstborn children and animals.

The passage from Exodus is about freedom from slavery, new beginning and leaving behind. It’s about life and death. It teaches us how to get ready to move fast. Christ’s death and resurrection are also about freedom from slavery, a new relationship and life with God and leaving behind our old sin-filled lives. Christ’s death and resurrection mean freedom for all who believe in Him. The Lord’s Supper is open to all He invited, all the baptized, who remember that Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. The blood of the host at this banquet means that God will pass over the sins of all who partake. As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

God cares for us just like he cared for his children in Egypt long ago. In fact, He made a way for us to get out of our messes too. Just like Pharaoh, we have our ups and downs, but Jesus died on the cross for all the wrong things we have done. If we believe in him and ask him to come into our hearts, he makes a way for us to go to Heaven.

For Christianity, the passion narrative is built, at least in part, on the Passover narrative. In Matthew’s Gospel, the disciples gather in the upper room to celebrate the Passover meal, at which time Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper, offering the wine as a sign of the blood of the covenant poured out for the forgiveness of sins. While Passover had nothing to do with the sins of Israel, it does speak of liberation, and the cross is itself understood in that context. In John’s Passion narrative, the connection of Jesus to the Passover Lamb is even more explicit. He is crucified on the day of preparation for the Passover, the day when the Passover lambs are sacrificed in preparation for the feast. Thus, for John, Jesus is the Passover Lamb, through whom liberation takes place. It is his blood placed on the doorposts as a sign to the angel of death. The good news, the gospel, is that God is a liberating God, and in our worship, we are invited to continually retell the story of how God acts to liberate.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 89-90)
2. Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 21: Exodus (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1987; pp. 132-142)
3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
4. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010)
5. Ron Moore, “Nothing but the Blood.” Retrieved from www.ronmoore.org
6. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for Exodus 12:1-14.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
7. Joni Eareckson Tada, “The Passover Lamb.” Retrieved from www.joniandfriends.org
8. Mark S. Gignilliant, “Commentary of Exodus 12:1-14.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
9. Anathea Portier-Young, “Commentary of Exodus 12:1-14.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
10. Ralph W. Klein, “Commentary of Exodus 12:1-14.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
11. “The First Passover.” Retrieved from www.Sermons4KIds.com

An old Native American story tells of a young boy who was sent into the woods alone on an autumn night to prove his courage. Soon the sky darkened and the sounds of night filled the air. Trees creaked and groaned, an owl screeched, and a coyote howled. Even though he was frightened, the boy remained in the woods all night, as the test of courage required. Finally, morning came, and he saw a solitary figure nearby. It was his grandfather, who had been watching over him all night long.

It’s often in wilderness experiences that we really see God at work, and the events Exodus 3:1-15 are a good example. Moses grew up in a position of privilege in Pharaoh’s palace, but because he killed an Egyptian, he fled into the wilderness. Forty years later, we see him tending his father-in-law’s flock when God gets his attention. God appeared in an ordinary way that was extraordinary at the same time. In Moses’ time, it was common to see a burning bush, but in this case the bush did not burn up-and that got Moses’ attention.

God had to get Moses’ attention before He could present Himself to Moses. Similarly, God must get our attention before He can present Himself to us. God uses various methods to get our attention. He is always looking for ways to present Himself, and those opportunities come when we give Him our attention.

God often speaks to us through unusual circumstances. When we are amid confusing times that we can’t understand, or when we face life’s trials, we should slow down and listen. God might be trying to get our attention.

In what ways do we expect God to speak to us today? In what ways has God spoken to us unexpectedly? How might we more intentionally turn aside to see in those instances in which God seeks to speak to us?

The appearance of God was the first instance of direct revelation to Moses. After 80 years, Moses was now ready to fulfill the Lord’s calling. No other leader in biblical times had such a lengthy training period. Times of preparation are never wasted; God knows that, properly prepared, His servants can do more in 40 years than they could do in 120 unprepared.

For these divine moments, the area near the bush was the Lord’s house because of the Lord’s presence. The resulting command to “take your sandals off your feet” reflects this. Moses’ sandals had dust and dirt on them, and the place and presence of God are not to be defiled. The symbolic act points to the powerful reality of God’s presence. When we are in God’s presence, the ground on which we stand is holy, so we must not defile it.

What does a holy God do? A holy God hates injustice, oppression and sin. A holy God works to undo wrong. A holy God puts humanity to work.

If God is all powerful, good and holy, why doesn’t God make sure evil is eliminated from the universe? Isn’t that within God’s ability? Yes, but there is a good reason. God is love, and love is by necessity non-coercive, so God needs a partner. That’s where Moses came in, and that’s where we come in. God invited Moses to join Him in the work of redeeming the people of Israel, and He invites us to join him in doing His work in our world.

When God spoke through the burning bush, He put his tent amid Moses’ world. When He pitches His tent our midst, He is present with us and identifies Himself with us. In return, He demands something from us. If He is to identify with us, we are to identify with Him, so He commands us to be holy because He is holy.

The burning bush represents God’s presence. Because the bush was not consumed, we can know God’s presence eternally. God identified Himself so that Moses would know that he was not meeting an unknown God. Similarly, we need to know that God is holy, mighty and lifted up. He is a God who is slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and who always keeps His covenant with us.

God did not forget his covenant with Abraham, and He won’t forget His covenant with us. The phrase “I have come to deliver them” were words for Israel, but they also point to the future incarnation of Jesus. God always hears the cries of His people. God hears our cries and sees our troubles. In His own time and in His own way, He will move to deliver us from our difficulties. God has always promised to be present with those who believe in Him. No matter how dark the night is or how dire our circumstances are, the unseen God is ready to respond appropriately to our need.

There is a connection between Moses and Jesus besides their encounter at the Transfiguration. Moses was the primary actor in the Exodus drama. The word “Jesus” comes from the Greek form of Jesus’ name-Joshua, which means “God saves.” In the name of Jesus, we are taken back to the tradition of Moses and Exodus, but we have the completion of all that Exodus was all about. The picture of redemption in Exodus is now complete in Jesus.

Moses typified human response when God calls someone to do what seems beyond them, but the success of any divine mission is never dependent on human abilities. The Lord’s words- “I will certainly be with you”-were intended to focus Moses on the true source of his future success.

Like Moses, sometimes we feel inadequate or unqualified for the tasks God gives us, so we tend to make excuses. For example. Moses argued that he could not do the task. The confidence Moses had in his younger years was gone. The task God called him to do was overwhelming. Was Moses’ confidence gone because of genuine humility or a lack of faith in God’s ability and wisdom, even though God promised that He would be with Moses?

Moses also gave the excuse that He didn’t know God’s name. At that time, every god had his own personal name. People believed it was necessary to know his name to approach him in prayer or ask for his help. Also, the name revealed something of the god’s character. To know the name of the god was to enjoy a privileged relationship with that god. Moses felt that he needed to give God’s name to the Israelites.

Isn’t that the same with us? We often think that we don’t know enough or that we haven’t experienced enough or that we don’t feel deeply enough. We don’t think that we will have anything to say. At times like this, God tells us what to say just as He told Moses what to say.

When God said, “I AM WHO I AM,” He declared his eternal, unchanging, uncreated self-existence. The identification of the Lord as “God of your fathers” is enormously important. Moses said the people needed to know that this was no new god. He is the Deliverer of Israel.

The Lord’s plan was to deliver His children from bondage so they could worship Him and be established as His chosen people. He gave Moses the responsibility for the task. In a similar way, God always clarifies our responsibility so we can respond in obedience. He uses various events and circumstances to prepare us for increasing levels of spiritual responsibility. He always equips us for the responsibilities He gives us. We are qualified to do God’s work not because of our knowledge or skills but because God is with us. If He is not with us, no amount of skill or experience will make us qualified. As the saying goes, God does not call the equipped. He equips the called. In return, we must wait on God’s timing in every situation. God gives us limitless opportunities but we must assume responsibility and obey His call. When we choose to cooperate with God and submit to His way, He will do amazing things in and through us.

If you wonder where God is, or if He is going to use you to do something, ask Him to use you right where you stand. You’ll find that in Him you have the power of the Holy Spirit to change the world if you ask. For example, look around your local church or community. Are you the missing piece needed to reflect God’s compassion and mercy in a broken world? Which of Moses’ excuses are you hiding behind? What gift, token or resource are you hiding from the world? God is looking for people who will slow down long enough to check out the burning bush. In God’s calling, He has a plan, but He never expects us to carry out the plan. He’s going to pull it off. He simply wants us to be the instrument of action.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 78)
2. Dunnam, M.D> & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 2: Exodus “Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1987; pp. 54-70)
3. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles, 2005)
5. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010)
6. Dr. Charles Stanley, “The Effectiveness of God’s Way.” Retrieved from www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/intouch/
7. Sheri Rose Shepherd, “Standing on Holy Ground.” Retrieved from Biblegateway@e.BibleGateway.com
8. David Egner, “Burning Questions.” Retrieved from donotreply@email.rbc.org
9. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for Exodus 3:1-15.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
10. Dr. Chuck Betters, “Are You the Missing Piece?” retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
11. Charles R. Swindoll, “Moses: I’m Here.” Retrieved from eministries@insightforliving.ca
12. Alexizendria Link, “Bible Study, Lent 3©, February 28, 2016.” Retrieved from www.episcopaldigitalnetwork.com
13. Charles R. Swindoll, “Moses: Hard of Hearing.” Retrieved from eministries@insightforliving.ca
14. “Bible Study, 13^th Sunday After Pentecost (A)-September 3, 2017”. Retrieved from www.episcopaldigitalnetwork.com

The story of Paul’s voyage to Rome, part of which we heard in Acts 27:27-44, with its trials and triumphs, is an example of the way of faith all through the story of human life. Its remarkable feature is the hard and narrow places which we find intermingled with God’s most extraordinary plans and providences. It’s full of examples of night and day experiences.

The word “night” is symbolic of the times when all seems dark and foreboding for us. Like the people of the ship, we pray, but that prayer is also our time to let down our anchors. What are our anchors? What keeps the ship of our lives off the rocks of life? Do we believe the words of the old hymn, “Will Your Anchor Hold?” Some of these anchors should be faith, surrender to God, hope and thanksgiving.

Because God promised that everyone would be saved, the sailors who were trying to save themselves were fleeing from the promise of their own protection. Paul recognized what they were doing, and the sailors’ plan was thwarted-for their own benefit. A belief that God has purpose (that He designs and has always designed to save some) will prompt the use of all proper means to secure it. Paul believed that God offers mercy. Paul believed that God would save the passengers and crew because Paul was part of God’s plan.

Men can be cruel even when experiencing God’s mercy. God’s goodness will not ease the natural anger and cruelty of those who delight in blood. Roman policy was that if a prisoner escaped, the man who guarded him would be killed. So rather than run the risk of any of the prisoners (Paul and others) escaping, the soldiers wanted to kill them before abandoning ship. But Julius, the centurion, ordered the soldiers not to touch the prisoners. Paul escaped yet another attempt on his life.

For Paul’s sake, the lives of all the prisoners were spared. A pious, God-fearing person can earn the favour of man. God often confers blessings on the wicked for the sake of their believing friends, relatives and neighbours. God can defend people in all dangers and can accomplish all His purposes. We are safe in His keeping. He has a plan that can fulfill all His purposes and protect His people from danger. God promised that everyone on board the ship would be saved, and they were saved. When we take God at His word, we will never go wrong.

Paul modeled not only a life of faith but a life of wisdom and gratitude. Life presents us with a splendid succession of opportunities-both good and bad-to put our faith in action. Often the best chances we have to share our faith result from involvement and caring in ordinary ways for the people we long to introduce to God.

Sometimes God will use the strangest of circumstances to do His greatest works. He used the storm, so He can use any event. Even when life’s voyages are stormy, there will be a time when these storms will be minor compared to what God was able to accomplish because of them.

The worst time to “jump ship” is when times are tough. If we make decisions when times are tough, it’s hard to make clear choices. Isn’t that when we often make life changing decisions, only to look back later, and discover we made the wrong one? We should be more like Jesus and Paul-men who did not turn and run in the face of crisis, offense or opportunity. The storms of life are opportunities to grow as people, believers and followers of Jesus. All we have to do is find them.

When we go through difficult times, what happens to us is not nearly as important as what happens in us. The passage from Acts teaches us three ways we shouldn’t respond:

1. Don’t drift. The problem with coasting is that we’re heading downhill. Life is not a coast. Life is tough. When life is tough, we must not lose our ambition or our dream.
2. Don’t discard. When times are tough, we tend to abandon values and relationships we would not let go of in better times. God can change situations and personalities. He can change us, but He won’t change us if we’re always abandoning ship!
3. Don’t despair. Even in a storm, God is in control. He hasn’t left us. You may not feel Him, but if we feel far from Him, it’s because we have moved. God is with us in the storm, and He will help us through it. He uses the storms of life to test us to see if we will trust Him. Will we pass the test?   

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1533)
2. Ogilvie, L.J. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 28: Acts (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1983; pp. 341-347)
3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
4. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010)
5. L.B. Cowman, “Streams in the Desert-August 22, 2016” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
6. Pastor David McGee, “Rough Waters.” Retrieved from www.crossthebridge.com
7. Pastor Rick Warren, “How Difficulty Can Make You Better, Not Bitter.” Retrieved from connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com
8. Dr. Harold Sala, “Anchors.” Retrieved from info@guidelines.org.

Have you ever noticed that some people are threatened by the prosperity and success of other people? If you’re looking for a good example of this, you don’t have to look any further than the passage from Exodus 1:8-2:10.

The Israelites experienced safety, security, sanctuary and success in Egypt. Their prosperity was a threat to the new king, and he set out to subdue them, make them slaves and remove them as a threat. What the Israelites did not know or had forgotten until the new king arrived was that they were in bondage and became comfortable and complacent in a place that was not their true home.

It was only after the new king came to power that the Israelites found out where they were and later who they were and where they were meant to be. The new king was the occasion for the heartache, misery, destruction and death that also gave birth to a Moses who started the struggle of liberation and who took the first step toward the sea and through the wilderness and toward the river on the other side of which they will meet themselves.

The essence of our faith is not certainty, but trial. Kings who don’t “know Joseph” are always rising in the world. Change is certain. It calls us to trust the Lord of the covenant with Abraham. He is constant in His love and in His self-giving during change, even though He may seem to be silent. When God does act, it is depicted in ironic ways. It was through God’s providence that the Israelites were fruitful and prolific, something that He promised to Abraham and Sarah. This same blessing became the source of Pharaoh’s fear and the Hebrews’ oppression. The more God multiplied the Israelites, the more Pharaoh opposed them with abuse and death.

We are often in situations where “a king who did not know Joseph” comes to power. Death leaves us without a father, mother, sibling, husband, wife, child or friend. That means a whole new way of doing things. Divorce can leave people feeling devastated or defeated. The diagnosis of a terminal illness can leave us without the ability to talk about it or express our fears. Change can bring despair, defeat and devastation, but there is another alternative-trust God.

The population of Israelites multiplied during long years of ease. Three unsuccessful methods were used to limit the exploding population growth of the Hebrews:

1. Working the Hebrews to exhaustion.
2. Commanding the Hebrew midwives to commit infanticide.
3. Selective annihilation, with baby boys being cast into the River Nile while baby girls were spared. 

The oppression by the new Pharaoh stirred them out of their comfort zone and made them willing to leave Egypt. Sometimes we need to be removed from everything we trust so we can depend on God. As long as we are happy where we are, we won’t long for God

In the history of the church, when has it made its greatest number of adherents? When its pulpits were filled with eloquent preachers and the aisles crowded with fashion and wealth? No. It happened when the church was driven to the dens and caves of the earth and its members were persecuted and described as outcasts. Christians who are suffering hardships that are as great or greater that the hardships suffered by the Israelites at the time of the passage of Exodus must not lose sight of the awesomeness of the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses. God allows impossible situations to develop our faith

Shiprah and Puah-possibly leaders of the guild of midwives-refused to obey Pharaoh’s orders, fearing the real King more than their earthly ruler. These women were likely Egyptians who came to faith in God and were included in Israel. The midwives were willing to let go of what they trusted so they could serve and obey God. They were willing to risk their lives to disobey Pharaoh. When governments at any level and by any means try to require us to disobey God’s Law, they have overstepped their bounds and must not be obeyed on the specific point of issue.

When we make a commitment to obey God, the world may be against us, but God will sustain us in that commitment. The midwives depended on God’s power-a power that nothing can prevail against. When we fear God more than we fear anything else, God can do great things through us. God blessed the midwives for their courageous actions. He always blesses wholehearted obedience.

The call to obey God means walking with Him not by sight, but by faith. We do this by spending time alone with God and asking three questions

1. What have I done during the past months that will make a difference in my life or the life of someone else?

2. If I died tonight, what would those who know me best remember most about me?

3. If I knew I was going to die soon, what would I want to do in the time I have left?

Being preoccupied with death is morbid, but to take death seriously is a mark of wisdom and faith. Life is precious, and something that is ours forever is never precious. What we do between living today and dying tomorrow is the big question. We have a choice.

For Moses’ parents to hide him for three months until he was in safe hands was an act of faith lauded in Hebrews 11:23. Moses’ mother did what she had to do to save Moses’ life. At this time in Israel’s history, hope and despair were in conflict. Israel was oppressed and pessimistic. At that moment in time, God’s providence took human shape. Moses was born. Moses’ mother made an ark and put Moses in it. Pharaoh’s daughter saw Moses, had compassion and adopted him as her own son. She unknowingly hired Moses’ own mother to take care of him. The midwives defied Pharaoh, and Moses’ mother also defied Pharaoh by determining that her son would live. From the moment Moses was born, the struggle between good and evil surrounded him.

The word “ark” (in this case, a floating basket) refers to Noah and, as in his day, served as a vessel of divine deliverance. The basket was placed securely among the reeds by the bank of the Nile where the current was slight, so it would not wash out to sea. It was also placed where the women of the palace would see it when they came to dip in the waters of the Nile as part of their religious ritual.

The daughter of Pharaoh knew immediately that this child was a Hebrew because he was circumcised. Her adoption of Moses as her son, along with the selection of Moses’ own mother as his wet nurse, are two ways that God preserved the infant. The word “Moses” in Egyptian most likely means “born,” but the Hebrew meaning is “to be drawn out.” God would later use him to draw His people from the water. Moses typified Christ as a prophet, advocate, intercessor and leader or king while, in relation to God, he is in contrast with Christ. Moses was a faithful servant over God’s house. Christ was a Son over His own house.

God was the primary actor in this scenario. That’s why Moses’ parents and siblings weren’t named in this passage from Exodus. It emphasized God’s role. All other players were anonymous, but that doesn’t mean that they were unimportant. They had roles to play, and that gives us hope. No matter how anonymous we may feel, we are part of God’s covenant and plan of redemption. We never know how God may use our obedience and faithfulness for His purposes. My own ministry is an example. God has used it to fulfill His plan by spreading the Good News to people in this community and beyond.

When we face challenges that judge our faint faith yet stir us to life in the confidence that God is there for us, what can we do? We can rely completely on God. We can trust God and wait on Him to do His work.

When Pharaoh’s daughter saw Moses, she showed compassion. Compassion comes from identifying with another person. It enables us to see things as Pharaoh’s daughter saw them and feel things as she felt them. God seeks to bring all of us to this place just as He brought Pharaoh’s daughter to this place.

The story of the midwives’ courage and Moses’ infancy is part of the broader story of the relationship between God and Israel that is presented in the book of Exodus. Israel will learn who God is, and they will learn that their identity is rooted in belonging to God. As we will see in the story of Moses and the burning bush, God will reveal His name to Moses and declare that God is the God of Moses’ ancestors: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

This story has a lesson for us. We are to place our lives in God’s hands, but at the same time we must do all we can to prepare ourselves for the battle between good and evil, even though the final victory will rest with God. Wisdom tells us to do all we can within our strength, then trust God to do what we can’t do, to accomplish what we can’t accomplish. Faith and careful planning go hand in hand. They always have.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 71-72)
2. Schofield’s Notes. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
3. Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 2: Exodus (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1987; pp. 27-42)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
6. T.M. Moore, “Whom to Fear.” Retrieved from www.ailbe.org
7. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for Exodus 1:8-2:10.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
8. Charles R. Swindoll, “Have Faith, Have a Plan.” Retrieved from www.insightforliving.com
9. The Rev. Dr. William L. Dols, “An Invitation to Find Ourselves.” Retrieved from www.day1.org
10. Amy Merrill Willis, “Commentary on Exodus 1:8-2:10.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
11. Cameron R.B. Howard, “Commentary on Exodus 1:8-2:10.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org

Have you ever felt that God has abandoned you? Have you ever wondered if God has abandoned humanity? If so, you’re not alone. Throughout history there have been times when the people of God wondered if God had abandoned them. Paul answers this question in Romans 11:1-2,29-32.

In Romans 11, Paul presents a panoramic view of God’s plan for Israel, past, present and future. God has reserved a remnant of His people, and His election is by grace, not works. The grace of God and works for salvation are mutually exclusive.

The concept of a remnant has always been a part of God’s redemptive plan, so it’s no surprise to see it is in effect today. Paul uses his own experience to illustrate this concept. Paul’s experience was that of a man running away from God’s plan for his life. Christ redeemed him on the road to Damascus. Paul returned to his people and proclaimed the good news. He was one man among a remnant. He proved that God is faithful to preserve those that He foreknew.

Paul was part of God’s plan to bring another remnant-the Gentiles-into the fold. God knows the number and the identities of the Gentiles, and in due time they were brought into the Christian family. Before that could happen, the Jews were hardened in terms of their strict interpretation of God’s Law and their belief that they were God’s chosen people. The Gentiles were hardened because they didn’t know God’s righteousness. Neither group had the right to think that they were better than anyone else. Despite their attitudes, God honoured them and loved them.

At the end of Romans 10, it almost seems that Israel has hopelessly and eternally rejected Christ, effectively ending God’s plan and purpose for Israel. But Paul himself is proof that God is not through with Israel. He was from the tribe of Benjamin and a Jew who believed in the Messiah. Paul discussed how some of the branches of the tree (unfaithful Jews) were broken off so that the Gentiles could be grafted into the tree of faith. Just as God reserved a remnant of His people in Elijah’s day, even when Elijah thought he was the only faithful person left, so in Paul’s day and beyond, God has preserved a remnant according to the election of grace.

Despite every advantage in the moral law of the covenant with Abraham, the Jews had failed in their moral obligations. They, like everyone else, were dependent on God’s grace for their salvation. The result is a wonderful vision: God wants to have compassion for all people, and he will have compassion for all people. God will be faithful to us despite our sinful ways. God won’t give up on us. His promise of life is centered in Christ’s death and resurrection. He delivers both Jews and Gentiles from sin, death and the power of the devil.

God worked to show the Jews and Gentiles that both groups were under the dominion of sin. God did not give up on the world, but provided a system of salvation. He did not want to condemn the world, but He needed to do it so that everyone might see his sin, and then God could show His mercy upon all.

God has not rejected Israel, even though Israel rejected God. Similarly, God doesn’t reject us even when we turn away from Him. He was always there for Israel, and he is always there for us. For example, at a time when Israel turned away from God, the prophet Elijah became discouraged and engaged in a pity party. He thought he was the only believer left, and having seen what happened to the other prophets, he didn’t hold out much hope for his own survival. As the only one left, he had a feeling of high visibility and peculiar vulnerability! God pointed out to Elijah that he was not alone; in fact, there were seven hundred thousand others who had not betrayed the Lord. God claimed to have reserved these people for Himself. They were part of the unfailing remnant which runs like a thread through the tapestry of Israel’s history. At times, they were highly visible as the children of faith, and at other times they were hidden from sight by the sins of Israel. They survived because God is committed to the covenant He made with Abraham. God is committed to seeing that His people are saved.

God’s choice of Israel and individual believers is unconditional and unchangeable. It’s rooted in His unchanging nature and the covenant He made with Abraham. He extends his grace to everyone, because His grace flows from His mercy. God has allowed His people to sin so that He could receive glory by demonstrating His grace and mercy to disobedient sinners.

Israel was eager to lay claim to its special status as a nation with God, but was reluctant to accept the responsibility of faithful obedience to Him. As Christians, sometimes we feel superior to other groups. We sometimes feel that we have done something great to earn our acceptance before God. Instead, God’s gift of salvation should make us humble and grateful. God has given an unconditional promise to His people, and He is not going to renege on His promise.

Israel’s condition was partial because there are genuine believers. It was temporary in that there was a restoration of the fortunes of the Israelites. God chose to use the rejection of Christ by His people as a means of reaching the Gentiles so that through His demonstration of grace to them the Israelites might realize the grace of God in Christ. Israel’s unbelief was used by God to evangelize the Gentiles, and in turn that led to the restoration of Israel. Gentiles should not criticize God because of His plan to bless Israel in the future. God chose Israel so Gentiles could receive and enjoy salvation.

God has a plan for our lives. That plan may have some detours, shortcuts and bypasses in store for us. He has laid out the entire route for our lives. He knows that we will take our own detours, bypasses and shortcuts. He has arranged a comeback for every setback. He doesn’t change His mind or His plan. He will work with us to fulfill His plans for our lives.

Once we have placed our faith in God, He will never cast us away. He will never abandon us, reject us or turn us away. He will discipline us, but He will never cast us away. God’s mercy is a gift, no matter what. Mercy is kind or forgiving treatment of someone who could be treated harshly. We know that we could be treated harshly, and our sin would indicate that we should be treated harshly. But by God’s grace, we are loved anyway. We are forgiven anyway.

Those who have been called and responded to the gospel in faith have become not only the remnant of Israel who were God’s elect in ancient times, but the new Israel God has now created in Christ. There’s a “wideness in God’s mercy” that will never abandon the original covenant people. By grace it’s a mercy that is extended to us, too!

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 1559, 1561)
2. Amanda Schultz, “Romans 11:1-2,29-32.” Retrieved from communic@luthersem.edu.
3. Briscoe, D.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 29: Romans (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pp. 202-205,209-210)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King Janes Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
6. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 1575-1577)
7. Joel Osteen, “God’s Gifts.” Retrieved from www.joelosteen.com
8. Pastor Jack Hibbs, “God Wants to Use You.” Retrieved from wttw@calvarycch.org
9. Bobby Schuller, “Leading the Way…” Retrieved from www.hourofpower.org
10. Joel Osteen, “His Call Remains.” Retrieved from www.joelosteen.com
11. Swindoll, Charles R.: Swindoll’s New Testament Insights on Romans (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan; 2010; pp. 214-218-231-237)
12. Paul D. Opsahl, “God Pause for Wednesday, 08/16/2017.” Retrieved from communic@luthersem.edu

Have you ever been so jealous of someone that you couldn’t speak to them or perhaps you even hated them? This envy comes from deep insecurity and has led to the downfall of many people. The passage from Genesis 37:1-4,12-28 reveals the dangers of playing favourites. God constantly uses the lives of Bible characters to teach us, encourage us and warn us.

While nowhere is it stated that Joseph was a type of Christ, the similarities are too numerous to be accidental. Both were objects of a father’s love. Both were hated by their brethren. Their superior claims were rejected by their brethren. The brethren of both conspired against them to have them killed. Joseph was, in effect, slain by his brethren as was Christ. Both became a blessing to the Gentiles and gained a Gentile bride. As Joseph reconciled his brothers to him, and afterward exalted them, so will it be with Christ and His Jewish brethren.

Joseph’s commitment to the truth was stronger than his hesitation to tell his father about his brothers. Perhaps he learned that “honesty is the best policy” from hearing about how his father Jacob got into trouble with Laban and Esau. Joseph’s life story tells us that we need to do what is right regardless of the circumstances in which we find ourselves or how other people will respond.

Joseph was given to dreams through which he believed that God was speaking to him. The principle of faith was nurtured in his young life but might have been underlined when his father took the whole family back to Bethel after telling everyone to do away with foreign gods.

There are people in our lives who do not want our dreams to come true, but dreams do come true! We need to have dreams and we can have dreams because dreams come from God. He is the creative genius of the universe. He is constantly dropping creative thoughts into our minds. We have to receive dreams. We have to love them, nurture them, respect them, resource them. It’s one thing to have dreams, it’s another to do something with them. Dreams have a way of attracting the support that is needed from all kinds of people: the right people, the right resources, the right timing. God brings them together. That is how dreams get fulfilled.

Our dreams may shake up other people like Joseph’s dream did to his brothers. They may challenge their complacency and ruffle their feathers. Our dreams may cause others to be jealous. Our dreams may seem outrageous and unrealistic to people who know us. It is highly unlikely anyone will try to kill us or physically harm us but they may try to kill our dreams. They may be critical of our dreams and tell us why they can’t happen. They will discourage us from pursuing our dreams and tell us why they can’t be done.

We must protect the dreams God has given us. Dreams provide us with a purpose. They give our lives direction. They keep us focused. Dreams are pictures of our potential and blueprints of our vision. We must feed our dreams and find people who will encourage us to pursue them.

Some people don’t want to admit wrongdoing. Others say they do not want to become involved. Joseph possessed spiritual integrity and was willing to face abuse from his brothers for exposing their evil ways. We see an example of these evil ways in Genesis 38, which tells the story of Joseph’s brother Judah. God always tests our loyalty to Him by bringing circumstances into our lives that we may not understand or that may seem unfair and undeserved. This is His means of testing our attitude; of perfecting our patience as well as our faith in Him.

Commitment to the principles of truth, good, right, faith and work were key parts of Joseph’s life by the time he was seventeen. These principles served him well during traumatic events of his life. Joseph’s story shows how the mysterious ways of the Lord are threaded through all of mankind’s plans. God will ultimately triumph and His purposes will prevail. Joseph understood this, and he had the strength to endure.

It would be reasonable to expect that Jacob would have learned from his own family background that favoritism is not only out of place in a family, but it is also fatal to family harmony and well-being. But he had not learned, so Joseph was required to walk around wearing a magnificent tunic which spoke of favoritism and led to hostility. When parents insist on spoiling their children they make it difficult for those same children to grow up mature and complete. Joseph had to deal with negative peer pressure as well as unhelpful parental pressure.

The Hebrew phrase for “a coat of many colours” describes a robe with “long sleeves and skirts” rather than varied hues. Although Joseph’s coat was an ornamental, distinctive garment, the coat was significant for its symbolism, not its beauty: Joseph would be the heir of his father. Joseph’s 11 brothers had coats too. Their tunics were short-sleeved and short-waisted, making it easier for them to do their work.

Jacob’s preferential treatment of Joseph does not condone the actions of Joseph’s brothers. It points out to us as Christians that we should love everyone as Christ would. When people feel that love, it makes it easier for them to love each other in return.

Because it was the dry season, Jacob’s 10 older sons traveled from Hebron to find grasslands and water for their flocks. Joseph’s obedience to his father was courageous (considering the hostility of his siblings) and complete. When he did not find his brothers near Sechem as expected, he continued to Dothan, about 12 miles away by the roads of the day.

The brothers plotted to kill Joseph and throw him into a pit. Reuben, the oldest brother, convinced them to cast Joseph into the pit alive instead, with the secret hope that he might rescue Joseph later. This move saved Joseph’s life. Cisterns were dug as reservoirs for water, sloping downward and outward with a narrow opening at the top. A person thrown into one would be unable to escape because there were no handholds or footholds.

Judah, seeing a way to profit from their crime, recommended they sell Joseph as a slave. The sale was the same as death, but the brothers believed it would relieve them of direct responsibility. The price of twenty shekels of silver marks the integrity of this account; later in Israel’s history, a slave would be sold for 30 shekels of silver. Ironically, the traveling merchants were Ishmaelites, descendants of Ishmael, the first son of Abraham.

There are three lessons that we can learn from Jacob’s family and Joseph’s adversity:

1. No enemy is subtler than passivity. When parents are passive like Jacob was with his other sons, they may eventually discipline, but by then the delayed reaction is often carried out in anger.
2. No response is crueler than jealousy. If jealousy can grow and fester, it leads to devastating consequences. The jealousy Joseph’s brothers had toward him is a good example.
3. No action is more powerful than prayer. The Bible doesn’t say so, but Jacob likely turned to God in prayer. How else could he have gone on with his life? Where else could he have turned for hope? Prayer brings power to endure.

How would we have faith if we were in Joseph’s place walking on the long road to Egypt? What long, lonely journeys have we made in our lives that have challenged our hearts or tired our bodies? God has filled the Bible with the experiences of real people with real problems. The Bible is our spiritual guidebook. If it is studied prayerfully and carefully, it will help us live in the 21^st century. It will help us navigate the long journeys and rocky roads that we will face. God loves and wants to use us despite our faults and mistakes.

In times of questioning say:

FIRST: God brought me here; it is by His will I am in this place; in that I will rest

NEXT: God will keep me here in His love, and give me grace in this trial to behave as His child.

THEN: God will make the trial a blessing, teaching me the lessons He intends me to learn, and working in me the grace He means to bestow.

LAST: In God’s good timing He can bring me out again-how and when He knows.

What we have in this passage from Genesis is the beginning of an account of God’s providence. Through Joseph, a young and flawed man, God chose to save Jacob and his family and thereby set the stage for the founding of the nation of Israel. It is also a story of God redeeming His people-a story that must have given the Israelites comfort during their many trials-and a story that should give us comfort when things are going badly for us. It tells us that God is at work behind the scenes shaping the lives of his people-and thereby shaping history. When the night is darkest, this story holds out the promise of the dawn.

In the grand scheme of things, the story of the brothers’ sale of Joseph to traders heading to Egypt, traders who were descendants of outcastes, who ultimately serve to rescue an outcaste, is understood to be a sign of divine providence. Despite its messiness, this is the way things are supposed to be. Such things are not easy to understand. They’re not the same as God making lemonade out of life’s lemons. What it does suggest, however, is that God’s purpose can be resisted but not stopped. Not even family dysfunction can stop it.

Thanks be to God, AMEN

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 52-53)
2. Schofield’s Notes. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
3. Briscoe, D.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 1: Genesis (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1987, pp. 290-297)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Allison Herrin, “So Long Insecurity.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
6. “Playing Favorites.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
7. “The Long Road to Egypt.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
8. “When We Ask ‘Why?’” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
9. Charles R. Swindoll, “Joseph: Lessons in Adversity.” Retrieved from www.insightforliving.ca
10. Charles R. Swindoll, “Joseph: God’s Training Manual.” Retrieved from www.insightforliving.ca
11. Pastor Rick McDaniel, “Dreams Come True.” Retrieved from Oneplace@crosswalkmail.com
12. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for Genesis 37:1-4,12-18.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org