Same Song, Eleventh Verse...Hope Beyond Snakebite
The ancient Hebrews were like a child who loved to sing a silly song over and over…“same song, a little bit louder, and little bit worse.” And God wasn't amused.
Struggling through reading the lesser-known Old Testament passages and long prophetic oracles may seem to have little relevance to everyday 21st-century life. But there are important things we can learn from the Old Testament. First, the New Testament is based on the Old Testament. Second, the Old Testament reveals the character of God. Third, the Old Testament has transformational power. Its message transcends time, geography, and culture. It speaks to everyone, everywhere, in every situation.
The ancient Hebrews were like a child who loved to sing a silly song over and over…“same song, a little bit louder, and little bit worse.” And God wasn't amused.
Few positions carry with them more weight of personal responsibility than that borne by those who speak for God and those who claim to be called by Him.
The Christian life is the life of faith, but if we fail here, a shipwreck will occur…as it did to a whole generation of Hebrews. Compared to their failure, the Titanic and the Valdez were minor accidents.
After 400 years of slavery to build edifices for a pagan king, God miraculously rescued the ancient Hebrews. When Pharaoh threatened to wipe them out at the Red Sea, God miraculously delivered them. It was time to celebrate, not complain.
The Apostle Paul was an experienced fundraiser. The gifts he received from churches went far beyond meeting physical needs; they were an eternal investment. Another master fundraiser for eternal investments was Moses.
The Hebrews were given God's miraculous protection that encouraged their obedience. God gave them His Law that resulted in their fearing Him. To become generous, God took them through an entirely different and extensive project.
Before our Saviour was born, God set the stage, so Christ could come in “the fullness of time.” So, we shouldn't be surprised that before the exodus from Egypt, God prepared Moses and the people for a life of worship.
Moses—who was getting his travel directions from God—seemed to be taking a roundabout way to get to the ultimate destination. But God has a way of doing the unusual—from our perspective—to accomplish the remarkable.
Can you remember your slavery, when you were unable to free yourself from the bondage of sin? Do you remember when Christ set you free? It was worth the wait, wasn't it? So let the celebration begin!
A promise is an assurance that one will or will not undertake a certain action. The promise motif arises early on and runs throughout Scripture, becoming intertwined with other terms, expanding and giving it depth.