Jesus began to teach his disciples, we read today in Mark ch. 8, “that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and scribes and be killed and after three days rise again.” [v.31]  This statement was completely foreign to the expectations of the disciples:  they were eagerly anticipating his exercise of power to take control and reign, this anticipation even caused two of them to ask if they could sit alongside him in the glory of his kingdom (Mark 10 v.37,38).

Their refusal, especial Peter’s, to accept his words about suffering and dying earned them the rebuke, “you are not setting your minds on the things of God.” It is sad that the same sort of thing happens today, but Jesus is not here to rebuke.  Today, especially at funerals we hear it said that the deceased (many prefer the word ‘departed’), is now in heaven looking down on us.  But the Scriptures say the opposite. “No one has ascended into heaven … except the Son of Man” [John 3 v.13]

What Jesus said to the thief on the cross is often quoted as a promise that the thief would be with him in paradise.  This is true – but paradise is not in heaven!  In his message to believers at Ephesus Jesus promised “the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the paradise of God.” [Rev. 2 v.7]  The ‘tree of life’ was on earth and the whole earth will become a paradise when Jesus returns (Rev. 22 v.14).

Now the thief had requested Jesus to “remember me when you come in your kingdom” [Luke 23 v.42]  And how does Jesus reply?  Now the original Greek text has no punctuation, and those who set their minds on the detail of God’s word will clearly see that the Master’s answer needs to be punctuated this way, “Truly I say to you today, you will be with me in Paradise.” Those who set their minds on the whole message of scripture perceive the complete harmony of its meaning. Reading it every day is of the greatest help in doing this.

Our readings in Exodus, having recorded the giving of the Ten Commandments, are now taking us through a whole range of the laws which the people of Israel were to keep so that they became an orderly and holy nation.  We pondered their system of slavery and the fact that there appeared to be no system of employment with wages as we know it today.  If there was, what would they use for money, where would they keep such wages?  But what kind of slavery was it?  In the modern world slavery was only abolished 150 years ago; it was an abhorrent social system and it was far more abhorrent than Israel’s kind of slavery.   

The chapter starts, “Now these are the rules that you shall set before them.  When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing.” [Ch. 7 v.1,2].  As we come to read further chapters and Leviticus (eg Ch.25 v.39) we shall see that the payment made for someone enslaved was to clear a debt; also the son(s) of a man who died, leaving debts, could be enslaved for a period to clear those debts.

But it was verse 17 that really caught our attention, it reads “Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death”   A footnote indicates the Heb, qalal could also be translated as dishonours or reviles.  Juvenile delinquency was very firmly dealt with under this law!  

This lead us to consider the future laws in God’s Kingdom when  “many people will come, and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD … that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go the law …” [Isaiah 2 v.3].  We noted also Ch. 51 v.4,5, “for a law will go out from me, and I will set my justice as a light to the peoples … for my arm they wait.”

Jesus is the ARM of the LORD (John 12 v.38)!  Those who have the attitude, ‘I’ll do as I please’ will get a shock when the Jesus reigns and the LORD’s law goes forth.  Is our spirit and attitudes such now that we will appreciate that time – or does the so called “freedom” of today influence us too much?.

This was the great promise the people made to Moses when they “encamped before the mountain (of the LORD)” [Exod 19 v.2]  It was 2 months since they left Egypt. God instructs Moses to tell the people.  “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians … Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples , for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” [v.4-6]. What an awesome promise!

What God, through his power, had done to the Egyptians, which they had witnessed, beginning with the plagues; this should have filled them with overwhelming awe as to the nature and power of the one and only God – their God. They readily said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do” [v.8].  The presence of the Lord is in this mountain,  “there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast so that all the people in the camp trembled” [v.16] The mountain “was wrapped in smoke because the LORD descended on it in fire” [v.18] What an utterly awesome experience!  “The people were afraid and trembled … Moses said … do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear (awe) of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” [20 v.20] 

In a sense the people had been baptised before they came to the mountain.  Paul makes this point. “I want you to know, brothers that our fathers … were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea” [1 Corinth.10 v.1,2]   The writer to the Hebrews takes up this example of an awesome encounter with God and invites baptised believers in Christ to contemplate the contrast.  “for you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them …  But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels … to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant.” [12 v.18,22,24]  

How clear is our spiritual vision? Is it clearer than those with Moses? We all have God’s word, the Bible in our hands, they didn’t.  Are we in awe of the God we serve, or plan to serve, appreciating his wondrous grace and mercy?  Our lives must show how much we realize this. 

 This is one of the best known Psalms of David; at the end it states, “The prayers of David, the son of Jesse are ended.”  It completes the 2^nd book (or collection) of Psalms, Israel’s wonderful hymn book. The superscription at the beginning says, ‘OF SOLOMON’ – it was initially David’s thoughts and prayer for Solomon’s successful reign, but God’s inspiration took his prayer beyond this to the reign of his ‘greater son’ the Lord Jesus Christ. 

The Psalm begins with, “Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son! May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice!” [v.1-2] This is what Solomon was motivated to ask God for when given the choice!  His father’s prayer may well have influenced him. 

But David’s vision expands and knows no limits, “In his days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound until the moon is no more!  May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth!  … May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him!” [v.7,8,11] 

When the Lord Jesus sends his final message to his followers in the book of Revelation he conveys to them the same vision – that in the time to come when ”the wrath of God is finished” and ungodliness eliminated – then “they will sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying … just and true are your ways, O King of the nations … for you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.’” [Ch.15 v.1,3,4]  

    Notice the reference to the “song of Moses” which we read 2 days ago.  Look at the final words of that song. “… till the people pass by whom you have purchased. You will bring them in and plant them … The LORD will reign for ever and ever.” [Exod. 15 v.17,18]  God’s word presents a united message from beginning to end, a wonderful golden thread of the Divine purpose.  The Lord Jesus purchased with his own blood those who have the spirit and vision we have seen in the writings of David.  Let us make that our spirit and vision.

Today’s 4^th chapter of Mark’s Gospel tells us that Jesus “was teaching them many things in parables” [v.2] and Mark gives us 4 examples of the parables adding “with many such parables he spoke the word to them” and “but privately to his own disciples he explained everything” [v.33,34].  Only one of the explanations is recorded and that is the familiar parable of the sower and all the different kinds of hearts and minds into which the “seed” of his message is sown.

Sadly, for some, “the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word” [v.19] and that is more than ever the case in many countries today, it certainly is in Australia.  

The short parable in v.26-29 is one we might wish his explanation had been recorded, but perhaps the explanation can be specially applied to our 21^st Century. The seed is scattered and “the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself …” [v.27,28] We saw this as telling us that the ultimate sower is God; are there other means by which he makes his message known? How does the “earth produce by itself?” All kinds of fertilisers are used today in producing literal crops. Is there a special illustration of this today in the way the internet now makes it possible for people of virtually all nations to have access to God’s message and be challenged by it?  We suspect this is the case!

It is impossible for us to know many of the ways in which the message spreads, truly the sower “knows not how”!  The phrase “the kingdom of God” occurs 3 times in this chapter because that is the heart of the message contained in the seed. All those who are dissatisfied with the kingdoms of this world are the ones who are most eager for God’s kingdom – and they pray with fervour, “Thy Kingdom come”   Is that how you feel?

 Human beings seem to be by nature very fickle in supporting others.  This may be more evident now because there is a fascination about constantly taking public opinion polls – at least this is so in our part of the world: these show the fleeting nature of human support, people are very ready to grumble. So many want almost instant solutions to any problem – and as problems increase, this grumbling attitude is constantly in evidence.

Our thoughts were prompted to run along these lines after reading about the final dramatic deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt.  The waters parted for them, then they saw the total destruction of the Egyptian forces.  

    How wonderful, the people must have thought, is the power of our God, especially after being spared the effects of most of the plagues.    How astonishing to then read, “Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur.  They went three days into the wilderness and found no water.  When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter … And the people grumbled against Moses …” [Exodus 15 v.22-25]   After all the wonders of their recent experiences of the power of their God, why did they not turn to Moses asking – and expecting – that this mighty God would provide!   The water is healed and becomes sweet and then the comment is made, “There the LORD … tested them”   It is most instructive to us to look at the references in Scripture that use words to test, to prove, etc. God does wondrous things and then tests those who witness them and receive his blessings – to see if they have developed real faith. We recall how often Jesus tested his disciples in this way.

David in his Psalms expresses this on several occasions, it sustained him in his times hiding in the wilderness far more than it did the Israelites in their wilderness wanderings. “The LORD’s throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test, the children of men. The LORD tests the righteous …” [Psa. 11 v.4,5]  Jeremiah 17 v.10 is a powerful quotation!  We must aim to develop a real relationship with our Lord and really “know” the truth of these words.

There are interesting parallels between our two Old Testament readings today.  Chapters 13 & 14 of Exodus describe the drama of the Israelites escape from Egypt.  We noted the fear they had when the Egyptians started pursuing them and Moses reassurance that the LORD was in control, they must “Fear not and stand firm” [14 v.13]; their God would complete their deliverance and, in doing so, make a “name” for himself.

Psalm 68 gives us David’s perceptions of how God arises and so enemies are scattered and that those who hate God flee before him (v.1) which is what happened to Pharaoh’s armies.  That David’s words are somewhat inspired by these events is plain from v.7.  “O God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness … the heaven poured down rain, before God, the one of Sinai”

Then we noted that David also reflected on situations with individuals, how God watches over them as “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows … God settles the solitary in a home” [v.5,6] David would think of the times he was alone when fleeing from Saul, his anxieties of mind, but, ultimately, the realization of God’s protection.  Moses could well have had similar thoughts in the 40 years before he encountered God at the burning bush. 

So David is thinking of himself and other individuals when he writes, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation.” [v.19] The Lord Jesus also experienced this, the disciples had little ability to bear him up and so, at times, he retreated to the mountains alone as we will read in a few days time. (Mark 6 v.46).  The ultimate time was in Gethsemane before his arrest, “Could you not watch one hour?” followed by special personal advice, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” [Mark 14 v.37]   As we read the Bible – it should have the effect on us of bringing us closer to God – and as we do this we will sense more and more how he “daily bears us up.” 

Today we start reading the Gospel of Mark, understood to be the first Gospel to be written.  The message that comes through loud and clear is that Jesus impressed the people with the nature of his teaching. “On the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.” [v.21,22]

Jesus was “proclaiming the gospel of God and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand repent and believe the gospel” [v.14,15]  Jesus had a positive message, God’s kingdom was coming.  The time was fulfilled for the first stage of God’s plan.  The king of God’s kingdom was there and he was recruiting citizens for that kingdom.  It was a clear and positive message.  And today?  We see the equivalent of the scribes today, but the Bible is the only source for truthful teaching; its message is clear if we apply our minds to understand it.  .

Jesus told Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world … then Pilate said to him, ‘So you are a king?’  Jesus answered, ‘… For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.’ ”  [v.37]  We are about to see the most dramatic stage of its fulfilment of God’s purpose.  Our age will witness this climax, the signs that point to the imminence of this are multiplying. 

In reading Exodus (Ch. 12) we saw some comparisons. The climax of the plagues set shock waves through the people of Egypt; these are in some ways comparable to the shock that the return of our king will bring on this world.  When there “will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory”. (Mat.24:30)

Any preaching we do must be done with the authority of the Bible as its backbone, it must be a true testimony.  God, through Isaiah, challenged the people in those days. “Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching among my disciples … to the teaching and to the testimony!  If they do not speak according to this word …” [Ch.8 v.16,20]  Let us keep reading God’s word, developing our understanding and teaching with authority.

We thought about this for some time. How do we understand the references in today’s ch. 10 of Exodus to the LORD hardening Pharaoh’s heart.  (v.1,10,27)   Can God blame man for what God does – if that is the way to understand this?  Notice how Moses conveys the message of the LORD (i.e. Yahweh/Jehovah) to Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews; how long will you refuse to humble yourself before me?” [v.3]

Pharaoh refused to recognise the power of the one and only God.  In the time of Joseph God’s power had been fully recognised as a result of the 7 years of famine and plenty.  Then we read in Exodus 1 v.8 “Now there arose a new king over Egypt that did not know Joseph” and the situation changed.  To restore the spirit of knowing and fearing the only real God was surely part of the purpose of God in sending the plagues.  God saw to it that a Pharaoh was “raised up” whose attitude and pride would cause this to happen.

We can see a modern parallel to this today.  When printing was invented, the first book printed in nearly every language was the Bible!  We are celebrating 400 years since the King James Version of the Bible was first printed.  Four Centuries ago there was a wonderful change in the attitudes of many people; the world became more spiritual; laws were influenced by the principles set out in the laws in the Bible.  The R.C. Church tried to resist this but the reformation movement, fed by the reading of the Bible, spread throughout the world.  People at last read for themselves what God had really done and said.  

The effect of this reformation movement came to and end during the 20^th Century, now a whole generation has now arisen who largely do not know the Bible.  Sadly some read the Bible to get power and influence for themselves and distort what it says by trying to find in it things they want to believe.  The stage is set therefore, for God to bring another series of plagues on the earth, to show his power to Godless man, so that once again people will be aware of the true God, but it will require one last dramatic act of God to really cause them to wake up – and that surely will be the return of Christ to rule the earth.

 “frost and hail, snow and mist, stormy winds fulfilling his word” [148 v.8] these words are not quoted from our readings today, but from the verse in Psalm 148 that we quoted at the end of our thoughts yesterday.  We recalled this today as we read of the encounters of Moses and Aaron with Pharaoh.  Moses stated the words of God as to what God would do because of Pharaoh’s refusal to let “let my people go.”[Exodus 9 v.2]

Pharaoh said what he would do as a result of the damage caused by the hail.  “I and my people are in the wrong … I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer” [v.27,28]  But the chapter ends with “… the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go …”     So Pharaoh did not fulfil his word!

Now we take special note of what God had previously told Moses to say to Pharaoh, “… this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself and on your servants and on your people so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth.  But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.” [v.14,16].  The proclaiming of God’s name is that his reputation became known throughout the nations of the then known world.   So God fulfilled his word!   The Bible is full of examples of God fulfilling his word.  It is fascinating to read the examples of God’s word in Old Testament times about the coming of the Lord Jesus, first to “bring the good news to the poor … to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour” [Isaiah 61 v.1,2]  and then the ultimate time, soon to be fulfilled, achieved by the return of Christ when “the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.” [v.11]

God and his Son set the example for us; when we give our word, such as in marriage, or at the time of baptism, to fulfil the commitment we have made.   Believers have been given God’s words to keep; they, in a sense, fulfil his word by the way they live their lives.  Look at the words of Jesus to his disciples in John 14 v.23 “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my father will love him, and we will come and make our home with him.” 

We possess the word of God; we read from it every day, it becomes part of us.  May that happen so that- our hearts will never suffer hardening, as did the heart of Pharaoh.