READING FOR JULY 26, 2024: EXODUS 33, 2 TIMOTHY 2, PSALM 72:12-20 EXODUS 33 God gave Moses his marching orders after the golden calf incident. God said to keep going to the promised land accompanied by an angel He would send. He also promised to drive out the nations who currently occupied the land. The only condition was that He, Himself, would not go with them. What if God told our church He would fill our pews, increase our revenue, and give us perpetual pickleball-friendly weather. The only condition would be that His presence would not be with us. Would we be happy or go into mourning as Israel did?
For once Israel got it right and removed all their jewelry in sadness. Maybe the reaction of the people encouraged Moses. Although the Tabernacle had not been built yet, Moses’s habit had been to pitch a tent outside of camp and call it the tent of meeting. And God’s presence as a cloud did come to meet with Moses in the sight of all the people. Young Joshua is mentioned in particular as not leaving this spot.
It was at such a meeting where Moses, whom we thought was so meek at times, turned down God’s deal. What? Why? Moses had grown to realize that God’s presence was more valuable than any other attainment in life. Moses implies that life is not worth living without this presence of God. Is that our experience individually and collectively. With the Holy Spirit who indwells all believers since Pentecost, can we have this Moses-like desire for God’s presence?
Paul says we can pray for this: “For this reason I bend my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to all the fullness of God.” (Eph. 3:14-19). Pray this prayer for us!
Moses did not know where to stop. Then he asked, “Please, show me Your glory!” (vs. 18). God, knowing that Moses could not look at Him directly and live, graciously set up an arrangement with Moses standing in a rock and God shielding his eyes but allowing him to see the back of His glory. This sounds a little like how we had to observe the recent solar eclipse, although God’s glory is far greater. Consider how we have a privilege that even Moses didn’t have: But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Cor. 3:18)
READING FOR JULY 26, 2024 CONTINUED: 2 TIMOTHY 2, PSALM 72:12-20 2 TIMOTHY 2 Paul tells Timothy to be strong in the Lord. Much of this chapter seems to operationally define what that means. First, he is encouraged to teach other faithful people what Paul has taught him. Have we been the recipient of helpful teaching from the Bible during our lives? If so, good. Good so that we can be strong in sharing these lessons with others. Have we ever experienced times when people thought we were wasting our time for believing in God. If so, good. Good because in a small way we can be strong with giants like Paul as a good soldier for Jesus. Have we had to say no to other activities in order to say yes to God or have we been working a long time for God and have yet to see much result. If so, good. Good because by our strength in choosing God we are pleasing the One who gave His life for us and who bestows eternal rewards for our persevering commitment to His Kingdom.
What does Paul want Timothy, who leads the church of Ephesus, to keep remembering? Jesus has risen from the dead--the heart of the Gospel. If Timothy a third-generation Christian and spiritual leader of this major city needed this reminder, we all must keep this at the forefront. Paul was willing to endure everything so others might place their faith in this Jesus because he was certain that this faith was the difference between death and eternal life. Do we care that much about our family and friends? It’s a sobering question for all—this writer included.
Paul says we should avoid disputes about words and empty chatter. Regarding words, it’s easy to get into endless debates about what a passage might mean in rare cases when it’s unclear. Mark Twain had a good point: “It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.” Let’s just obey the Bible rather than force it to mean the opposite of what it says. Regarding empty chatter, consider how much of our conversation could be classified as small talk compared with truth. Paul says there are folks who are just wrong about major beliefs. We should point them out and avoid them. As we too often read today, leaders like Timothy can be brought down by youthful lust. We must flee this, not even get close. Bible teachers need to be skillful, kind, and gentle in correcting others.PSALM 72:12-20 If we continue the interpretation of this morphing into a messianic prophecy, we see that Jesus did indeed come to save the poor and oppressed: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to bring good news to the poor...to set free those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:8). Notice, Jesus thought what the poor need most is the Gospel. The idea of “praying for” Jesus is foreign to us. Charles Spurgeon has a helpful take on this: We must still pray for him, not personally, but relatively; for his cause, for his kingdom, for his gospel, for his people, for his blood-bought ones who as yet are in the ruins of the fall, for his second coming, and glorious reign. In this sense, I take it, the text is meant that ‘prayer also shall be made for him continually.’” The rest of this Psalm, which ends Book Two, is praise more appropriately directed toward the Lord than a human king.
