Exodus 15:20-17:7, Matthew 22:1-32, Psalms 27:1-7, Proverbs 6:20-26
Today is…what is today? I was back in last month. Today is the 2nd day of February. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It’s great to be here with you today. I probably should’ve engaged my brain better before turning the mike on. I probably need just a sip of coffee…hold on. Okay thank you. Much, much better. Today is the 2nd of February and we’re going to take the next step forward in the Scriptures this year. And, so, that will take us back into the book of Exodus, where the children of Israel have crossed over the Red Sea on dry ground and the enemies of Israel, Egypt’s armies, have been washed away. Exodus chapter 15 verse 19 through 17:7 today.
Commentary:
Alright, let’s go back into the book of Exodus for a minute. So, we will have all noticed that the children of Israel were freed from slavery in Egypt. Right? And that they left Egypt and went out into the wilderness and this was intentional. There was a shorter route to get into the promised land through the land of the Philistines, but God led them into the wilderness. They weren’t ready for battle, they weren’t ready to take the land, and they didn’t know what to do when they got there. The wilderness is going to be the backdrop for a complete identity change. For 400 years now, more than 400 years, these people have been slaves. So, like, there’s no one alive in this camp that doesn’t have the identity of a slave. It’s all that they know. It’s pretty much all that they can remember except for these mythic promises of patriarchs named Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Joseph. These people are centuries in the past, so they’re stories. But they’re not going to be able to go into the promised land, take the promised land, govern the promised land, live right before God in the promised land with the identity of slave. And God is going to use the wilderness to change that identity.
So, stop there and say the parallels in our own lives are striking. But let’s move on because we begin to get a glimpse of why. Like, we begin to see the way that the wilderness is already pressing in on them. So, they’re out in the barren wilderness. Empty, infertile, stark, unforgiving, wilderness. And have you noticed how many times we find them grumbling? And we can read the story and go, hang on guys, didn’t you just see what God did to set you free in Egypt? Didn’t you just see what he did at the Red Sea to your enemies? Do you not see the cloud and the pillar of fire guiding you? Do you not think if God can do that that he can find water for you, right? I mean, we can see all so clearly.
Alright, pause. Remember those parables we were talking about yesterday when Jesus was talking to the religious leaders who are asking Him whose authority He was doing these things under? And He told them stories and they answered His questions, but in the process, they simply implicated themselves in the story?
Yea, so this story of the children of Israel moving out into the wilderness kind of works the same way. We can read this and go like, okay yeah you guys are in the desert, but didn’t you just see what God did to set you free? You don’t think He can take care of you out here? How often are we grumbling when we go into wilderness seasons? I mean, isn’t that pretty much what we do when find wilderness seasons in our lives? Grumble.
So, they’re at the Red Sea. Right? Pharaoh’s armies coming down upon them. There’s open water in front of them and a big army behind them and there’s nothing that they can do. They’re trapped. And, so, they’re freaking out and what does God say? Listen, listen, listen, you don’t have to do anything. All you need to do is look at that army. You see that army coming down upon you? You will never see them again. You don’t have to do anything but watch. And that’s what they did. They watched. They walked across the Red Sea, got to the other side and watched. And the armies were no more. And they never saw them again. And they’re jumping up and down with tambourines, singing, and rejoicing. And then they go out into the desert and what do we find? They’re grumbling. Right? So, they can’t find water and they’re thrashing around and they’re going after Moses and Aaron. And Moses and Aaron are trying to tell them, guys why are you yelling at us? We’re just simply trying to obey God here. You’re grumbling against God and they’re mad and they say things like, oh would that we have died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger. Right? So, that’s kind of the first test of the wilderness. The first thing that has to shift in these people’s hearts is that there is no going back to slavery. And they’re candy coating what slavery was like. They’re longing for the good old days when it was easier than it is now, because now they’re in the wilderness, even though the promise and the promised land is out in front of them. Even though they’re on their way there, they’ve had to go into the wilderness. And, so, all they’re thinking about is the good old days and they are making plans, often, about how to go back, see if the Egyptians will take them back. Oh, is this not us? Is this not our lives? Does this story not become a parable of us? What I can tell you is that the wilderness is a part of this story. It is a formative part of this story. It is an essential part of this story because identity has got to change from slave to chosen. And God brought them out into the wilderness where He could have their full attention, because there was going to be no way for them to operate in their own strength. They didn’t have the skill, they didn’t have knowledge, they didn’t have the tools, they didn’t have the weaponry, they didn’t have…they were not equipped. And I’ve been out there. I mean, a million people out there. There’s no way…there’s no way to survive out there, not with that many people. So, they’re doing a lot of grumbling and at this point God’s being patient. He’s just showing them at every stop He will take care of them. At every step, their need will be met. That’s what He’s trying to show them, utter dependence on God for life. And, again, are we not reading our own story? Do we not find ourselves moving into the wilderness and thrashing around and complaining and grumbling and trying to make it work and missing the fact that the point of being out there in the first place is to get to the baseline fact that we are utterly dependent on God for life and that He is utterly committed to giving it. It will not be they’re thrashing around out in the wilderness that will get them into the promised land. It will be they’re obedience. And the thrashing around we will see is nothing but wasted energy. And we’ve been following this story since we met Abram. Maybe only a month has passed in our readings, but centuries have passed to bring this about. And it has taken centuries in our own family history to bring us here. And we can choose. We can continue running around, thrashing around or we can slow down. We can be still. We can actually trust. We can slow down enough that we’re not thrashing around inside and be still and listen so that God can show us the next step forward. Right? Just a couple of days we read in the Psalms, friendship with God is for those who fear Him. We talked about that being a circle of friendship, an intimate, allied, counsel. But we’re not going to get clarity on the next right step if running to and fro to every conceivable option, thrashing around, grumbling, complaining and thinking about the good old days, and trying to figure out if maybe we could even go back to those good old days. If we could go back to slavery. We have to decide: are we going to stay a slave or are we going to become chosen? And if we’re going to become chosen, then that’s going to be a process. And the first step in that process is crystal clear clarity that we are utterly, completely dependent on God for life itself.
Prayer:
Father, that strikes really near our hearts. That reaches bedrock. That explains so much. And, so, we’re thankful for that. We’re thankful that our eyes are open. But we have the story of the children of Israel to help us. We see that they’re eyes get opened and then they move on and over time they find other obstacles and are complaining and have lost it. And, so, we realize that we do that, too. We want our eyes to stay open. There is no other hope but You. There isn’t anywhere else to put our hope. And, so, we hope in You. Our eyes are open. We are utterly dependent upon You. And the faster that we can learn that lesson, the more that we can operate in Your kingdom because You can send us anywhere and we don’t fear. Come, Holy Spirit, plant these truths in our lives, transforming our identity. Transform us to the point that we can’t even remember the days of old and we do not long for good old days because the adventure out in front of us is so much more compelling because we get to do it with You. Come, Holy Spirit, we pray. In Jesus’ name, we ask. Amen.
Announcements:
dailyaudiobible.com is the website, it’s home base, it’s where you find out what’s going on around here.
A few days from now, on the 7th of this month, so this coming Wednesday, I will be in Bakersfield, California and I’ll be speaking at New Life Church. I’m looking forward to that. So, if you are in the area, come say hello. All the details for this event are at dailyaudiobible.com in the Events section. So, you can find maps and phone numbers and websites and times and the works there. So, check it out. Look forward to seeing you in a few days.
Later in this month, a couple weeks from now, we’ll be getting on a bigger plane, heading across oceans and landing in the land of the Bible, where we’ll be doing a Daily Audio Bible pilgrimage in the land of the Bible. So, if you haven’t begun to follow Daily Audio Bible on social media, like, if you haven’t begun to follow Daily Audio Bible Facebook page and Twitter and stuff like that, this is a good time because we’ll be posting pictures as they’re happening in the land of the Bible. And, so, many of these places you’ll get to see. And we’ll use social media for that because it’s easiest, the most immediate way to do it. And, of course, I’ll be talking about it here on Daily Audio Bible. It’s a pilgrimage we do together whether in person or virtually. It’s something that we do in hopes of making the Bible come alive and expand and become what it is in our lives. And, so, we’ll look forward to that. And I love it. I don’t look forward to jetlag. That’s one of my least favorite things. But it’s going to a great time. And if that interests you, we’ll be going back in 2019. And you can find out about that at dailyaudiobible.com in the initiatives section. Another resource is Promised Land. And I’ve talked about that so we all know what it is but having those kind of handy as we’re moving through the land of the Bible and you being able to engage that way if you’re going virtually can make it come alive as well. So, check those resources out.
If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There is a link. It’s on the homepage. Thank you for your partnership. This is how the community exists. So, thank you. So, there’s a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996, Spring Hill Tennessee, 37174.
And, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment, 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.
And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayer and Praise:
Hello my DAB family. This is Mark S. From Sydney Australia. Today is Friday the 26th. I’ve just finished listening to the 25th podcast. And I just heard the prayer request from Joe the Protector and I want to pray for you Joe. And Joe…I just wanted a quick message…Joe, you were the first person that ever prayed for me in one of my prayer requests. I can’t even remember how long ago I started listening…six or seven years ago Joe. So, you’re very special in my heart and I just want to let you know you are the one that gave me such faith in this community Joe. And, so, you’re really very special in my heart Joe. And I just want to let you know Joe, that don’t underestimate the power of calling in, because you’ve converted my heart Joe. It is a trust in this community. Lord, I want to lift Madison up to you Lord. Joe has been a faithful member of Your community Father in heaven. Joe’s daughter Madison is needing Your help heavenly Father. We come to You as a community lifting Madison up to You Lord. You know how to heal. You can heal and You will heel Lord and we trust You Lord. Lord, we ask You to send Your godly wisdom to all the doctors, to guide them and to help Madison. Send Your Holy Spirit to Madison Lord and help her to recover and recover completely Lord and to follow You and to follow Your love again Lord. Lord we lift up Joe and his whole family too, for Your heavenly patience Lord and comfort Lord. Lord we ask this in Your name. Amen. I love you Joe.
Hello family. This call is for Joe the protector. Joe, Joe from Atlanta, Nikki, Madison, we’re praying for you. I want all you prayer warriors out there that really know, know to pray, listen to the Holy Spirit and every time…and this is in honor of David from Kansas…not just two o’clock but 10, 2, and 4. If you remember Dr. Pepper, 10, 2, and 4. Every time you think about Joe, the Holy Spirit leads you to. Pray for him. Heavenly Father You are holy holy holy. We cannot even conceive on how holy You are. You are just too good to even try to explain how good You are in words. Lord, we thank You that we can come to You through the blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection. And we can come directly to You. And we do so now on the behalf of Joe the protector. You made him the perfect Joe, big, strong, loving, but Lord we ask You to come against all the powers, the invisible powers and principalities that are against You Lord God. We ask You to put a hedge around Joe and his family. Lift up Nikki and Madison that they would feel Your presence. Joe has faith Lord, we ask You to increase the faith of that household, that You would surround it, that everywhere they go, whether it’s Madison, Nikki, or Joe that Your presence will be with them, and all would be backed up, and feel Your love reflected through them. Lord, we pray these things in Jesus name. We thank You for what You’re about to do in strengthening Joe and Nikki, building up their faith that only You, only You can heal their daughter and come against the forces of darkness and the physical ailments that have…
Hi. Yeah, this is Blind Tony. I just came from a form of checkup on my prostate cancer. And it’s been beautiful for the last four or five years. But anyway, my numbers are slowly creeping back up and now it’s at the point where it has definitely gotten the attention of my urologist. And they’re sending me for a bone scan and a CT scan for my chest, my abdomen, and pelvic areas to see if there’s some definitive areas that need to be treated with radiation. And then we’re going to have to start another round of hormone therapy with its own set of negatives and side effects. But it’s all good. I’m just calling because the fervent effectual prayer of the righteous avails much with God, according to James. So, I want to solicit the prayers and support of my DAB family to be with me as I get ready to go through this again. And know, it is all good, because many are the afflictions of the righteous but God rescues us out of all of them. There’s no trial or hardship or affliction that hits us that’s not common to all the men. But we stick together and we pray together and we learn together and we lean on God’s promises together. And He is faithful and just and He is the reward of those that honestly seek in him. So, we know that whatever our lot, it is well with our soul. Anyway, just wanted to share that with you. Know that you are loved. All right. Thank you. Bye-bye. Oh, you can contact me at blindtony1016@gmail.com. Okay. Bye-bye.
Hi, this is Bonnie from Virginia. I am calling to request my DAB family to pray for my son __. As I mentioned a long time ago that he has been incarcerated and did not get the chance to get out. They sent him…and did not allow him to come back home, but he is going to be released on this February 12th of 2018. And I want you all to pray for him, that once he comes home he would have desire to go to church. I also bought the Sneezing Jesus book and I have given it to him. It seems like he hasn’t started reading it yet. So, please pray that he could have a heart to start reading that book and get closer to God before he gets out from jail. I would really appreciate your prayers. Thank you and I may call back later.
Good morning Daily Audio Bible friends. This is Tara from Maine. I’m a first-time caller. I’m calling to ask for you to pray for my mom. She has been diagnosed with stage IV cancer. She is a very vibrant woman and our prayers have been that she will just continue to live out her life that way. She started her chemo treatment and has had no side effects and our prayer is that that will continue. I so appreciate your prayers. God bless you all.
Hey, Daily Audio Bible prayer warriors. This is Dr. John and we need to go to war for the kids. Hey, everybody put on your armor and let’s roll. In the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ I command any unclean spirits coming against Joe’s daughter Madison, any spirit of depression, any spirit of anxiety, any spirit of diminishment, any spirit of fear, any spirit that is causing her to feel suicidal I command you in Jesus name to be bound and cast away to Jesus feet. And I also pray for Jadrian. In Jesus’ name I command any unclean spirits coming against Jadrian, especially any spirit of depression, any spirit of anger, any spirit of bitterness, any spirit of fear, any spirit of addiction, any self-diminishment spirit coming against Jadrian to be bound and cast away to Jesus feet. Family, thank you for praying for them. We hope that they will…we know that they can be free by Jesus’ power. Thank you for joining with me that we can set the captives free through Jesus. We pray this in His holy, mighty, and victorious name. Amen.