Devotionals #22, 23 and 24

2/26/2024

Opening Prayer
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Song: "God Is Over All"

Devotional #22: "Moses Arms Lifted Up"

Scripture

Exodus 17:8-16 (ESV)

8 Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, 16 saying, “A hand upon the throne[a] of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

Devotional #22: "Moses Arms Lifted Up"

The people of Israel find themselves in their first battle since leaving Egypt. Amalek had come out to fight Israel at Rephidim. Moses calls Joshua to find men to fight, while Moses stood at the top of a hill with staff in hand. With his hands raised high the people of Israel would prevail, but as Moses tired and lowered his hands, Amalek prevailed. So Aaron and Hur had Moses sit on a stone while they held his arms up high. In the end, Joshua and his army won! Moses built an altar and called it “The Lord Is My Banner.”

A banner serves as the rallying cry in war, a symbol of God’s presence. Perhaps we may think of a flag on a pole held by one of the soldiers. But for Israel the banner was Moses with his hands lifted high, supported by Aaron and Hur. Some of us may have a cross to help remind us of God’s presence, but Jesus had instituted something perfect for His people, bread & wine. Communion is the banner that reminds us that God has won the battle and will fight for His people until His return.

Questions

How long did Moses have his arms up?
How has your understanding of Communion/Lord’s Supper grown over the years?

Devotional #23: "Jethro’s Counsel"

Scripture

Exodus 18:1-18 (ESV)

1 Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her home, 3 along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a sojourner[a] in a foreign land”), 4 and the name of the other, Eliezer[b] (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”). 5 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God. 6 And when he sent word to Moses, “I,[c] your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,” 7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. 8 Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. 9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the Lord had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.

10 Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh and has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people.”[d] 12 And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God.

13 The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. 14 When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?” 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; 16 when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.” 17 Moses' father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.

Devotional #23: "Jethro’s Counsel"

Moses would sit as the leader of Israel, judging disputes between the people. But his greater role would be the teacher of the “statutes and laws of God.” Moses would be the one who receives the Ten Commandments and teach the people of God how they should live before God and how they should treat one another and the sojourner.

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, offered him counsel to lighten his role. Instead of being the only judge, to choose capable and upright men to judge over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. Only the most difficult matter would be brought to Moses.

We have here the first mention of a structure for the nation of Israel. The patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would lead as heads of their fledgling tribe. In Egypt, they were enslaved and under the thumb of Pharoah. Here, Moses has given authority to others to judge matters among themselves.

Question

Many people see institutions & governing structures as unnecessary for Christian growth. How has your understanding of church grown over the years?

**Pray for CCPC as we seek to be a church that grows and governs according to God’s Word.

Devotional #24: "Exodus In Light of Jesus"

Scripture

1 Corinthians 10:1-13 (ESV)

1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,[a] that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown[b] in the wilderness.

6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9 We must not put Christ[c] to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Devotional #24: Exodus In Light of Jesus

Paul calls the people of God back to the Exodus story to remind us that Christ is the Rock that followed them. Christ was the Rock who provided the spiritual drink they needed. Paul also uses the story as a warning for us today.

Although all were baptized through Moses, most of them were “overthrown in the wilderness.” They did not see the Promised Land. Although we are baptized in Christ, we must be careful not live a life of idolatry, not to put Christ to the test, not to grumble before God. Unlike most of Israel who perished in the wilderness and whose hearts seemed nothing but rebellious, the new covenant in Christ has given us a new heart. “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” God has given the full promise of His presence through the Spirit. He granted us the full ability to say “no” to sin and “yes” to Him. And we do so with joy, knowing that as we follow Him faithfully, God’s loving and perfect presence will follow us all the days of our lives.

Questions

What is the spiritual food and water we eat and drink today?
How does knowing that God will always give you a way out of temptation give you hope on some of the hardest days?

Prayer Time
(Closing prayer by head of household)
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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 debts, As we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.