Acts 13:13-43

Dear RTB’ers, 

Today we continue with Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, as they move on from the island of Cyprus to the mainland of modern-day Turkey. Today we see for the first time a pattern that Paul follows, to first go to the local synagogue in every city, therein to preach Jesus. And Paul’s preaching in today’s reading takes up 26 of the 31 verses that we read.

And John left them and returned to Jerusalem… (v. 13b) This is a key item in Acts. It will show up later when Paul and Barnabas are ready to go off on their second missionary journey (Acts 15:36, ff.). This “John” is John Mark, also known as Mark, the writer of the second Gospel.

Just over a month ago, in posting about Peter’s Pentecost sermon I pointed out a pattern in his sermon, a common thread that we would see in further sermons in Acts:

1. An explanation of events
2. Jesus’ life, death, Resurrection, and Ascension
3. An exhortation to repentance and baptism/salvation.

We see that today in Paul’s preaching. In addition, as we saw in Stephen’s sermon back in Acts 7, we see Paul also giving his listeners a history lesson, tracing highlights of Jewish history before introducing Jesus and John the Baptist.

A few items from Paul’s sermon… For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize Him nor understand the utterances of the prophets … fulfilled them by condemning Him. (v. 27) It’s always intriguing to me when New Testament people do what has been prophesied in Old Testament scriptures, not knowing that they are fulfilling those prophesies! Finally, Paul connects Jesus with His Old Testament forebears: … what God promised to the fathers, this He has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus (vv. 32-33). Jesus IS the long-ago promise of the Father through the prophets!!

Blessings!

Acts 12:25-13:12

Dear RTB’ers,

Today we return to Acts. Thus far in Acts the focus has mostly been on the church in Jerusalem and the apostles’ ministry in neighboring cities. Now the focus becomes the church at Antioch, some 300 miles north of Jerusalem, about twice as far from Jerusalem as Damascus. There are two Antiochs mentioned in Acts, one in Syria (today’s Antioch) and one in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey – we will visit there tomorrow), so we can easily get confused if we don’t keep them straight.

We have not heard much about Saul since his visit to Jerusalem and his going back home to Tarsus (Acts 9:26-30). It’s now been about ten years since his conversion. We saw that Barnabas went to Tarsus to bring him back to Antioch (Acts 11:25-26) and that they have now been there for a year or so, including their trip to Jerusalem to bring famine relief to the disciples in Jerusalem (Acts 11:29, 12:25). Now, from this point forward most of the rest of Acts will be devoted to Saul.

But Saul, who was also called Paul… (v. 9) Here we have the first occurrence of Saul’s name being changed to Paul – and Paul never again being referred to as Saul. We also see a change from here on (except while in Jerusalem) of the listing of “Barnabas and Saul” changing to “Paul and Barnabas”.

You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy… (v. 10) I chuckle every time I read Paul’s description of Elymas. I’m sure Paul was referring to his deeds, not his actual person, but he has harsh words, nonetheless! Recall that Peter had met up with a magician/sorcerer named Simon back in chapter 8 and Peter had properly chastised him – much less harshly than Paul’s words to Elymas. And with Simon we saw some hint of repentance; we don’t see any of that with Elymas. He is struck blind and that’s where the text leaves him, being led about by the hand. But Sergius Paulus, the proconsul believed, and Elymas was his friend; maybe Elymas also turned to faith. We’ll never know!

Blessings!

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See also: November 26 (2023) / Acts 13-14

Exodus 19-20

Dear RTB’ers, 

Let’s continue to pray for Mary G. as she recuperates from knee replacement surgery.

Today, the Ten Commandments. It’s our last day in Exodus for a while; we’ll finish this book after spending more time in Acts.

Put yourself into today’s reading…!! The POWER that God brings, …thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast … [and] Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire… (Ex. 19:16,18). I’m trying to picture this scene. Probably the closest that we can come is horrific thunderstorms or maybe some of us have experienced a tornado or a hurricane. I can well remember (even feel in my mind right now) the power that comes when huge lightning strikes nearby. And I’m always thankful that I’m safely in my house – and even then, wondering how safe I really am!

Also let the priests who come near to the LORD consecrate themselves… (Ex. 19:22). This the first mention of priests that we have seen. Earlier in this chapter Moses calls forth the “elders” (Ex. 19:7). Could these “elders” also be the “priests”? God has not yet installed the tribe of Levi to serve Him as His priests, so these priests are possibly similar to priests in pagan religions who lead the people in worship to their gods.

The Ten Commandments in chapter 20 are repeated in Deuteronomy 5:6-21. Many other rules and regulations are given by God to the Israelites in Leviticus and Deuteronomy and as we continue in Exodus. Jesus presents a much shorter version of God’s commands for us, His “Two Commandments”, which we read every Sunday: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40. See also Mark 12:29-31 and Luke 10:27.) Clear, concise. Go and do.

Blessings!

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See also: January 23 (2023) / Exodus 19-22:15

Exodus 18

Dear RTB’ers, 

Let’s continue to pray for Mary G. as she recuperates from knee replacement surgery.

It’s easy to forget that Moses was a family man, with a wife and two sons. We first met Zipporah when Moses had exiled himself to Midian after killing an Egyptian. There he married Zipporah. However, after Moses was commissioned at the Burning Bush incident, I don’t recall that Zipporah came to Egypt with Moses. Presumably he sent her back to her father, Jethro. We see her again today, coming with her father and Moses’ two sons. Then we don’t hear of her again. However, there is mention later of Moses (second?) marriage: Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married… (Numbers 12:1) Scholars disagree as to whether this is a second marriage for Moses or simply a translation issue. One other item of note – in the New Testament we know that Peter was married (Luke 4:38-40), but we never hear of his family. So these two men who are leading God’s people, did they have normal family lives?

Moses’ father-in-law offered good advice, creating a sound judicial system, a pattern that we see in our country even today, with smaller local courts, then district and state courts, then federal courts leading all the way to our Supreme Court. It’s also a pattern in our military, with Armies, brigades, battalions, companies, and squads.

It’s surprising to me that STS has this chapter set off by itself instead of being combined with chapter 17. But, we move on.

Blessings!

Exodus 17

Dear RTB’ers, 

Let’s continue to pray for Mary G. as she recuperates from knee replacement surgery.

More grumbling (Ex. 17:2-3), this time for lack of water and them “dying of thirst”. Previous grumblings have been fear of death from Pharaoh’s army (Ex. 14:10-11), bitter water (Ex. 15:24), and hunger (Ex. 16:3). Do we also find so many things to grumble about? The Lord takes care of His people this time by having Moses strike a rock with his staff and water flowed. Many years later, with more grumbling over lack of water, Moses will again strike a rock to bring forth water – but he will strike the rock twice instead of just once, and for that one failure he will not be allowed to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 20:2-12).

So Moses said to Joshua… (v. 9a) A small observation here. This is the first mention of Joshua. He will go on to become Moses’ right-hand-man, will be one of the two “faithful spies” who surveyed the land of Canaan (Numbers 13-14), and will succeed Moses as leader of the Israelites, leading them into the Promised Land.

I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands … (I Timothy 2:8). No doubt Paul had Exodus 17 (Moses, Aaron, and Hur) in mind when he wrote this letter to Timothy. See also Leviticus 9:22; Deuteronomy 32:40; I Kings 8:22, 54; Nehemiah 8:6; and Psalms 28:2, 63:4, 134:2; and other verses. It’s what we do as an Anglican people, both clergy and laity, lifting our hands in prayer and worship.

Blessings!

Exodus 15:22-16:36

Dear RTB’ers, 

Let’s continue to pray for Mary G. as she recuperates from knee replacement surgery – for her, for Len, for her medical team, and for her recovery.

Today, wilderness wanderings, grumbling, quail, and manna. Yesterday we saw the first incident of the people grumbling against Moses (Ex. 14:10-11). Today we see two more: So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” (Ex. 15:24) and The sons of Israel said to them, “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread until we were full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this entire assembly with hunger!” (Ex. 16:3) We will see more! I couldn’t help but notice the word “grumble” and its derivatives – it appears eight times in eleven verses (Ex. 16:2-12), spoken by the narrator, by Moses and even by the Lord. Moses has the bottom line, that should have shut the people up, “Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD.” (Ex. 16:8b)

Quail and manna. Although the Lord provides both quail and manna for the people to eat, it is manna that becomes symbolic as the Lord’s provision for his people. We’ll see it mentioned again in Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, and even quoted by Jesus in John 6:31 and John 6:49. It shows the peoples’ disobedience when they gather more than necessary and it becomes foul (Ex. 16:20), then it remains edible when it is held over for the Sabbath (Ex. 16:24). It is described in detail (Ex. 16:31), and a jar of it is saved (Ex. 16:33) and later placed into the tabernacle. Even today manna is a common term, well known as a reflection of God’s provision for our needs. Finally I particularly like Paul’s quote referring to Ex. 16:18, “…your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. As it is written, ‘Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.’” (II Corinthians 8:14-15) Manna, bread from heaven…!

Blessings!

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See also: January 22 (2023) / Exodus 16-18

Exodus 14:1-15:21

Dear RTB’ers, 

Let’s be in prayer today for Mary G. as she undergoes knee replacement surgery – for her, for Len, for her medical team, and for her recovery.

Today, they’re gone! The Israelites from Pharaoh’s grasp and the Egyptians to the bottom of the Sea! The Lord delivers His people, but not before they lose their faith in Him and in Moses. Here we see the first of the Israelites grumbling against Moses: Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? (Ex. 14:11a) We will see more grumbling as we continue in Exodus! Moses, however, responds confidently, But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! …The LORD will fight for you, while you keep silent.” (Ex. 14:13-14) Unlike John’s posts from last year, I am not so good at applying our Scripture readings to our own lives. Today, however, it struck me: keep silent! How often do we fret and worry and try to fix things, when it might be in our best interests to just pray and wait for the Lord to act. Pray and wait, wait and pray.

So the sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right and on their left. (Ex. 14:22) Thankfully, we have Hollywood movies, so it’s not difficult for us to picture this wall of water on their right and left. But 2.5 million crossing through, together with their flocks and herds… That’s hard to fathom! We’ve all been to concerts and sporting events and have experienced the mass of people moving toward the exits. Now multiply that by multiple thousands and throw in a larger number of cows, sheep and goats! Yes, the Lord parting the waters is a major miracle. But this mass of people passing through – that’s quite a miracle in itself!! GLORY!

Blessings!

Exodus 12:37-13:22

Dear RTB’ers, 

Today, Israel’s departure from Egypt and instructions for celebrating the Passover and for setting aside the firstborn. As far as I know, our reading yesterday and today are the only Biblical instructions for how the Israelites were to celebrate the Passover. By contrast, the setting aside of the firstborn males is a topic covered extensively in Leviticus, where the Lord “takes” the entire tribe of Levi for Himself in place of the firstborn Hebrew males.

Israel’s departure, 600,000 men – possibly 2.5 million people total, including that “mixed multitude” (Ex. 12:37-38) that might have included a number of Egyptians who had come to fear the Lord. A few important verses concerning their departure: When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. … And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. (Ex. 13:17-18a, 21) Here we see God’s protection of His people. The direct route to the Promised Land would have been to go east along the Mediterranean coast. Instead God sent them south (more on that tomorrow), guiding them by those twin pillars, a cloud by day and fire by night.

One interesting little tidbit: Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb… (Ex. 13:13a) Pack animals were important for the Israelites to carry their belongings, so donkey firstborn sacrifices were replaced by lambs. Carol and I saw firsthand how important donkeys are even today when we were in Morocco and in the Balkans – donkeys were loaded down with heavy burdens, often with their owner riding atop! Interesting!

Blessings!

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See also: January 21 (2023) / Exodus 12:37-15:27

Exodus 12:1-36

Dear RTB’ers, 

The Passover. Today we get 28 verses of instruction and preparation, then eight verses of action. And the instruction is given with detail: the tenth day, the fourteenth day, the twenty-first day; year-old male lamb, unblemished, roasted; unleavened bread, bitter herbs; belt, sandals, staff; blood, hyssop, lintel, doorposts. And the people bowed their heads and worshiped. Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. (vv. 27b-28)

Each morning, after reading these passages in two translations and praying and pondering what I might say, I often look back to what I posted in previous years. This morning I looked back to what John wrote last year. I can’t say it any better, so take a look at the January 20, 2023, post.

Blessings!

Exodus 10-11

Dear RTB’ers, 

Exodus 10-11, two plagues today –  the eighth and ninth, locusts and darkness – and the promise of another, the final plague, the death of the Egyptian firstborn.

Two days ago I spoke of Pharaoh wanting to compromise with Moses: So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you must not go very far away.” (Ex. 8:28) Today we see Pharaoh offering Moses two more compromises. First, Pharaoh wants Moses to keep the women and children behind: Moses said, “We shall go with our young and our old; with our sons and our daughters, with our flocks and our herds we shall go…” Then he said to them, “So may the LORD be with you, when I let you and your little ones go! … Go now, but only the men among you…” (vv. 10:9-10a, 11a) Second, during the darkness plague Pharaoh demands that the flocks and herds be left behind: Then Pharaoh called for Moses, and said, “Go, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be left behind. Even your little ones may go with you.” (v. 10:24) But God does not compromise. His will be done!

Although Pharaoh’s heart has remained hardened, not so with his servants and the Egyptian people: Then Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God. Do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?” (v. 10:7); plus And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people. (v. 11:3)

We close today with Moses warning Pharaoh of the tenth and final plague, the death of the Egyptian firstborn. We’ll see that played out tomorrow.

Blessings!