Daily Devotion for September 10, 2015
Prayers
Scripture
Lord's Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
Open the eyes of the blind.
There's no one like You.
None like You.
Into the darkness You shine.
Out of the ashes we rise.
There's no one like You.
None like You.
Chorus:
Our God is greater, our God is stronger,
God You are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, awesome and power,
Our God, Our God...
Into the darkness you shine
Out of the ashes we Rise
There's no One like You
None like You.
And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
What can stand against?
(repeat)
Music and Lyrics by Jesse Reeves, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Jonas Myrin
Prayer to Live with Jesus
Dearest Jesus, work another miracle, a prodigy of grace. Make my soul a beautiful, living Tabernacle where You will ever dwell. Let me never leave You alone, but remind me to return hundreds of times in the day and have a word with You.
Prayer for Fellowship
Oh Holy God, who has taught us that we should not be yoked with unbelievers, and that righteousness has no fellowship with unrighteousness; I pray that you will send into my life people who confess the name of Jesus Christ, people who love you and follow you and seek to grow in your Spirit every day. Let me be honorable and worthy before the profane world, dear Father, but also let me find more friends of sincere convictions, that I may follow your command to be in fellowship with other saints, and thus be reinforced in the holiness and purity of Christ to which I aspire.
And let me live in harmony and unity with other Christians. Let me know them and spend time with them, that we might share the blessing of your love. Grant that I might never feel lonely in my faith; and help me to let others feel the comfort of Christian community. In Christ's name, I pray,
Meditation
[Who do I know who loves Christ?]
Benediction
Lord, support me all the day long of this troublous life, until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over and my work is done. Then of Thy mercy, grant me a safe lodging, and a holy rest and a peace at last through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Think of the day ahead in terms of God with you, and visualize health, strength, guidance, purity, calm confidence, and victory as the gifts of His presence.
Troubling God
Some people think God does not like to be troubled with our constant coming and asking. The way to trouble God is not to come at all.
~ D L Moody
Exodus 6:10-28 (New Living T.)(condensed)
The Ancestors of Moses and Aaron
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go back to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and tell him to let the people of Israel leave his country.”
“But Lord!” Moses objected. “My own people won’t listen to me anymore. How can I expect Pharaoh to listen? I’m such a clumsy speaker!” But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them orders for the Israelites and for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. The Lord commanded Moses and Aaron to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt.
These are the ancestors of some of the clans of Israel:
These are the descendants of Levi, as listed in their family records: . . . Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she gave birth to his sons, Aaron and Moses. . . .
Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she gave birth to his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. . . . These are the ancestors of the Levite families, listed according to their clans.
The Aaron and Moses named in this list are the same ones to whom the Lord said, “Lead the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt like an army.” It was Moses and Aaron who spoke to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, about leading the people of Israel out of Egypt.
When the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, he said to him, “I am the Lord! Tell Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, everything I am telling you.” But Moses argued with the Lord, saying, “I can’t do it! I’m such a clumsy speaker! Why should Pharaoh listen to me?”
Notes on the Scripture
Exodus was cobbled together from ancient texts, and nowhere does this show more clearly than in Chapter 6. The repetitions and out-of-place partial genealogy, however, although they make it difficult and sometimes tedious to read, bespeak authenticity. Nobody sat down and wrote this; nobody redacted and reordered the scenes. Exodus is difficult, in part, because it is unedited.
There are two completely different sections in today's quote. The long partial genealogy was a critical passage to Jews, because the descendants of Levi became the hereditary priests of Judaism. Remember, from the Christmas story in Luke, that Zechariah (father of John the Baptist) was a priest of the sons of Aaron; he was offering incense in the Temple when the angel appeared to him.
The story of Aaron becoming the patriarch of a hereditary Hebrew priest class, the Levites, is an important part of Exodus and Joshua. This passage legitimizes Levitical authority. It proves that Aaron was, along with Moses, chosen by God to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt.
Moses continues to argue with God, but there is a story behind his argument of "clumsy speaking". Many many manuscripts of early Hebrew thought and history have been lost or destroyed; Judaism is filled with traditions about Moses not found in the Torah, i.e., the Christian Pentateuch. Hebrew tradition accepts a story about Moses' youth, not found in Exodus proper, that explains his clumsy speech. In a word, Moses had a speech impediment.
According to this legend, Moses — a charming and precocious baby raised by Pharaoh’s daughter at her father’s court — kept reaching for the king’s crown, causing Pharaoh’s counselors to urge killing him, since they feared this signified that he would cleverly usurp Pharaoh’s place when he grew up.
They decided to test Moses by presenting him with a golden bowl and an even more brightly glowing coal to see which he chose; reaching for the gold would prove that he sought power and wealth. But an angel guided his hand to the coal and his life was spared. Unfortunately, although he passed the trial, he flunked the IQ test, because he stuck the coal (or his hot finger) in his mouth, burning his tongue. Thus, his speech was permanently impaired.
