Masks
Exodus 33:15 “Then Moses said to him, ‘If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here’” (NIV). Observation: Moses had come off Mt. Sinai to the devastating scene of Hebrews worshiping a golden calf. In fury, God told Moses to lead the people away...
Paying My Own Ransom
Exodus 30:12 “When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransom for his life at the time he is counted” (NIV). Observation: God was in the midst of establishing patterns for the Hebrews’ spiritual lives. After much detail, the...
The Ultimate Bouncer
Exodus 23:22, 27 “If you listen carefully to all that he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation that you encounter.” Observation: God...
His Deepest Longing
Exodus 17:2 “Moses replied, ‘Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?’ ”(NIV). Observation: The Hebrews had recently begun what would be a forty-year odyssey of desert wandering. Having satisfied their need for food, they then quarreled with...
Stuck in a Birth Canal
Exodus 14:13–14 “Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still’ ” (NIV)....
Victimization Cancelled
Exodus 9:19 “Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything you have in the field to a place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every man and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die” (NIV). Observation: We...
Pile Drivers and Paper Cuts
Exodus 5:22–23 “Moses returned to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord, why have You brought trouble upon this people? Is this why You sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and You have not rescued Your people at...
Finishing Well
Genesis 49:33 “When Jacob had finished charging his sons, he drew his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.” Observation: Genesis 48 and 49 record the deathbed scene of a man still fully engaged. He first blessed Joseph’s two sons,...
Famine of the Heart
Genesis 47:25 “ ‘You have saved our lives,’ they said. ‘May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh’ ” (NIV). Observation: Joseph was governor of Egypt, in charge of all grain distribution, as famine grew more severe. In payment for...
Nose Rings
Genesis 44:1 “Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: ‘Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack. Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along...