01/26/2018 DAB Transcript

Exodus 2:11-3:22, Matthew 17:10-27, Psalms 22:1-18, Proverbs 5:7-14

Today is the 26th day of January. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is wonderful to be here with you today as we take steps forward every day through the Scriptures. And we’ll take the next one right here as we move forward in our journey. We’re reading from the Common English Bible this week and we’re just getting to meet Moses, someone who we will be traveling with for a long time. Exodus chapter 2 verse 11 through 3 verse 22.

Commentary:

Okay. So, we met Moses as a little baby. Right? Put into a wicker basket and then put into the Nile River because Pharaoh had ordered that the baby boys be thrown into the Nile River. He’s trying some population control in a very, very grievous manner because he’s afraid of the Hebrews. We should see that, kind of, right out of the gate. Pharaoh is very powerful and of very stiff necked and stubborn and arrogant, but Pharaoh also has been indoctrinated to believe that he is basically a God. So, he’s trying to behave like that, even though he’s behaving nothing like God. But he does have a fear of the Hebrews and the way that they’re expanding and the way that their numbers are rising and how populous they have become. And, so, he’s trying to put the smack down on them, make life harder, get them in and under control. So, Moses gets put in this wicker basket and Pharaoh’s daughter finds him and then Moses is able to be raised by his mother, but then when he’s old enough he goes into the house of Pharaoh and is educated like a royal. So, Moses would have a bit of an identity crisis in his life. So, he was born into one ethnicity and one people, who lived a certain way and they were enslaved, and then he’s whisked away and becomes like royalty. And, so, he has divided allegiances, which ultimately has them on the run for killing an Egyptian, which we saw in our reading. So, Moses is on the run, and he has to go far, far away where no one will know him. So, now he’s not just a person with an identity crisis, he’s a person with no home, he’s an immigrant. All of these things -  identity, immigrant, homeland - all of these things are woven all throughout the tapestry of the story that we are headed into, because Moses is one of many, over a million people, with essentially the same problem. But as Moses is out shepherding one day he encounters this burning bush. And when he comes to the burning bush, he hears a voice coming out of the burning bush, which would be startling to say the least, but his name is called, Moses. And Moses response is something we need to pay attention to. “Here I am”. That is how Moses responds to God and that is how so many of the heroes of faith respond to God and that is how we should be responding when God calls. So, Moses has a conversation with the Lord in which God is telling Moses that He is hearing what’s going on in Egypt and He is sending Moses back to go before Pharaoh. So, He is essentially inviting Moses to go back and face his greatest fear in his life, because the last time he was in any proximity to a Pharaoh, the Pharaoh wanted to kill him. So, Moses is backpedaling a little bit in the conversation, but he eventually says, if I do go back and tell all this stuff to the people, who am I supposed to say sent me? And that’s when God says, probably the best description that we have of God, the most comprehensive description, and yet, one that shows how language fails when you’re trying to describe the Almighty. God says, “I Am who I Am”. And we should remember that too, because we’re often walking around through life with an identity crisis of our own. We find ourselves with divided allegiances and motives and ambitions. Sometimes we find ourselves on the run, away from things or people. And sometimes God calls and invites us to go back and face our greatest fears, knowing that He is who He is. So, when the great I Am calls, our response must be, here I am, no matter where we’ve run to, because this is the only way we will live fearless. This is the only way we will live without an identity crisis. We were made for God and we are made to be in intimate relationship with Him. And we were made to answer when he calls, not just the other way around, because so often that’s all were doing is living the other way around. We call. God answers. Like He’s our great sugar daddy in the sky. But do we answer when he calls? Because that’s how relationships work.

Prayer:

Father, we invite You into that. It causes us to consider how we’ve been living and the ways in which we’ve been living with an identity crisis, the ways we’ve been back and forth from doubt to faith, to doubt to faith, the ways that we’ve been on the run, in fear. And even as we’re on the run, in fear, with an identity crisis we may think that we’re trying to hold on to You because we keep calling out to You to do something for us, to make this go away, when we may not be listening to You at all. You may be calling us and we are not answering because we are running. And, so, we take this time to slow down, because usually this isn’t intentional. Usually we have gotten ourselves distracted again and we’re flailing around. So, we slow ourselves down, center ourselves in You, declare You are our only, only hope. So, we are listening for Your voice instead of filling the world with our own words. Come, Holy Spirit. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Announcements:

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Looking at the calendar, we’re looking forward to Wednesday, the 7th of February. I’ll be speaking in Bakersfield California at New Life Church and I’m looking for that and the days just fly by, so, it’ll be here before you know it. If you’re in the area, you can get the details dailyaudiobible.com in the Events section. So, we’ll see you soon in California.

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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:

Hi DAB family. This is Lisa calling from Washington DC, the nation’s capital. I wanted to call in today, this morning, it’s about 10 minutes after 6 and I wanted to call in for Pelham because I really heard the stress of his voice and the request for prayer. And I understand what it’s like to be in a very difficult situation, where you don’t know what’s going to happen. You’re in a good situation but it’s not. And then the readings today, the Old Testament readings about Joseph and his child. And, so, in listening to the readings and then hearing Pelham’s request, I was really motivated call in and just to let you know, Pelham, that I am praying for you. I am definitely praying for you. I understand what it is you’re going through and I know how difficult it can be. But I want to let you know to hang onto God’s unchanging hand. He’s there for you. He’s there with you. So, please, have faith, be prayerful, and remember that you’re not alone. This is Lisa calling from Washington DC. Bye-bye.

Hi Daily Audio Bible. This is Julie Mills in North Louisiana and I’m calling for Pelham. I wanted to encourage you, Pelham, and just to say that I feel like I have known you…I heard your call today…it’s January 22…and I feel like I have known you for the last four years. I started listening to the DAB four years ago and you were single back then. And then I remember when you called in and told that you and Molly were getting married and then you called in on your wedding day and the two of you, we rejoiced with you, I celebrated with you then, and then walked with you through when you had your first baby, and when you moved to Birmingham, and I just wanted to say today when I heard your call and to say how are you are struggling and that you said that everything was falling apart…just…Pelham…everything is not falling apart. It may feel like it, but, you know, today was the day that we read about Peter asking Jesus to call them out of the water. And when he took his eyes off of Jesus and looked at the waves is when things shook him up. And, so, don’t be shaken Pelham. Keep your eyes on Jesus and even when Peter said, help me, I’m thinking. Jesus said, I’m right here. So, he’s got you. And also, today, we read about the story of Joseph, you know, the last few days Joseph and his brothers. And, you know, Joseph, all that he went through, in the end he said, I’m here, I was supposed to be here. All that I went through was for a reason. And, so, you know, God has his hand on you Pelham and Molly…and the main thing…and your baby…and the main thing is to keep your eyes on Him and that the two of you have each other and you have a community of people who are standing with you, praying with you. And, so, Lord, I just pray Father, that you would let…

Hello, this is Sharon in Connecticut, Building My Faith, and I am calling with a praise report. First of all, when I called asking for prayers, specifically about my anxiety about testifying on behalf of the patient, and also for a good outcome in court for the patient, I noticed in the next few days I started to feel calm. And I can only attribute that to all of you praying and that’s the Holy Spirit moving among you. So, I was going to call just for that praise report and then I just got word that at the very last minute, after jury selection, right before the first witness was to be called, the case settled. And it’s such a blessing. It’s a just and fair settlement and it spares my patient from the trauma of having to relive everything through his testimony. It’s just wonderful all around. So, that’s my praise and I wanted everyone to be able to share in that because I know how important it is for us to hear how our prayers are answered. And thank you, every single one of you. Bye-bye.

Hi. My name is Robert. I’m a first-time caller from Indiana. I would like to say that for everyone suffering with pain of depression or suicide, God is a God who lies down with you and your suffering. When the righteous cry out for help the Lord hears and delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is near the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out from all of them. I would also like prayers for God to deliver me from my past relationship and to help me understand my purpose that He has planned out for my life. Thank you guys, so much. Don’t stop loving and praise God. Thank you.

Hi family it’s Shannon from Texas. And I’ve called before but I’m calling again. I’m desperate for your prayers for my friend. His name is Jadrian. Like Adrian with a J, Jadrian….I’m trying to control myself. He is my one and only. He is my one and only…oh God…I’m losing it. I’m just realizing how bad it is. And that he is a horrible drug addiction and I’ve never in my life time seen someone so angry and so full of hatred and I’m realizing that no one wants to say that someone has a mental illness, but this kid is, oh my God, he’s just left and cursed me out and his life is just falling apart and I just…I don’t know what to do…I know there’s nothing I really can do…but honestly I am afraid of him. He kicked my car and I’m just afraid he’s about to lose it all again and the things that he said to my mother the other day, a person does not say to someone that they care about. It’s just the cruelest, most hurtful things. I mean, he’s said them to me before, but he’s never said those things to my mother. And I’m just…I’m just overwhelmed. I just need you to pray for him because…so…this kid is on a warpath for destruction. And honestly, I’m afraid of him and I’ve been living like this for too long and I want…I just honestly want for him to get away from me. So please, just help me pray for him because I know I know that is not too much for God…