One Year Bible For Friday, January 28th - Moses and Aaron Confront Pharaoh But He Hardens His Heart, Jesus Teaches About Forgiveness and Marriage
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After the people get mad at Moses, he goes back to the Lord to find out why he hasn't delivered the people yet. God affirms to Moses that he will remember the promise he made to Abrahah, Issac and Jacob, and he will deliver his people. But even after Moses reports this to the people, they are still discouraged. So God told Moses to go tell Pharaoh again to let his people go. Moses doesn't have much confidence and says that if the Israelites won't listen to him, why will Pharaoh, especially since he has faltering lips.
But God reaffrimed that Aaron would help him and if He spoke through Moses, though Pharaoh would not listen to him. He would perform miracles and signs to prove to him He was the true God. And Moses and Aaron obeyed the Lord's command. Moses was 83 and Aaron was 80 when they spoke to Pharaoh.
So Aaron went before Pharaoh and threw his staff down and it became a snake. So Pharaoah summoned his magicians, and they did the same thing, but then Aaron's staff swallowed up their staff. Pharaoh's heart had become hardened just as God had predicted. Next, Aaron took his staff and when he raised it and struck the water in the Nile River, it turned to blood so that the fish died and it stunk. But once again, Pharoah's magicians did something similar so that Pharaoh's heart continued to be hardened. And then seven days passed before the next plague.
Jesus tells a parable about forgiveness. In the story a man owed a million dollars to the king, so the king demanded that he and his family be sold to pay the debt. The man begged for mercy and the king had compassion on him and cancelled the debt. Then this man went out and came upon a man who owed him a thousand dollars. The man could not pay his debt and likewise begged for mercy. But instead of being like the king, the man grabbed him by the throar and demanded instant payment. When others heard about what happened to the king, he ordered the man be brought in. He rebuked the man for not affording the same mercy he had been given and sent him to prison to pay his debt. This story was to teach Peter that if God has forgiven us so large a debt, we can't turn around and not be merciful to those who have harmed us.
Jesus left Galilee and went east of the Jordan river, where he once again encountered the Pharisees. Again, they tried to trap him this time asking him a question about divorce. Since the Mosiac law had offered some provisions for divorce, they wanted to see if Jesus would honor those, or take a hard line stance on divorce. But Jesus gets at the heart of marriage starting with God's design and intention for marriage.
God's desire was that a man would leave his father and mother and get married. The two would become one in God's eyes. What God had brought together a man or a woman should not separate. The Jewish men had taken some of Moses concessions on divorce and justified divorcing their wives for many reasons. Jesus saw that this needed to be called out. So Jesus says that whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, unless the person has been unfaithful.
So why do they commit adultery by being with another woman? Because since God has joined two people together as one, when one has sex outside of that covenant relationship, they are breaking the covenant. They are tearing apart what God has made one.
We see this all the time. We see the untold damage divorce and/or adultery has on people and their kids. Catholics include Holy Marriage as a Sacrament. Although Protestants don't, marriage is a holy thing because God has joined two people together in a way we don't really even understand. It is based on the promise they make to each other, the promise they make to God and the promise God makes to them.
This is the famous Psalm 23 that we hear read at so many funerals. The words are beautiful. Theu speak of the relationship between David and God. The analogy given is one of shepherd watching over his sheep, which was a common part of David's culture. As we reflect on our relationship with God, we see God's cares for us and give us all that we need. He guides us into green pastures and calm waters. He is always there for us no matter what valley we go through in life. He is compassionate with us and never forgets the promises he made to us. He watches over us every day here on earth, as he prepares us to live with him forever in heaven.
"An evil man is held captive by his own sins;
they are ropes that catch and hold him.
23 He will die for lack of self-control;
he will be lost because of his great foolishness."
"What Now" Study Questions
The parable of the unmerciful servant reveals someone that has forgotten the grace they received. Give thanks to God for mercies He has shown you and you may find it easier to display mercy to others.
I may walk through valleys as dark as death, but I won't be afraid. You are with me, and your shepherd's rod makes me feel safe. ~ Psalm 23:4 (CEV) - Biblical Truth: Christ is our shepherd providing comfort to His flock, He protects and guides us through the darkest times. We have nothing to fear because nothing can separate us from God?s love.
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