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“Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.” (Exodus 1:8, KJV)

These 13 words describe how easily life can be transformed from mountaintop to valley; from “can do no wrong” to “can do nothing right”; from the big house to the dog house.

We do well to remain mindful of how quickly the externals of our life can change; and to grasp lightly our health, wealth, and personal relationships. Egypt — although gracious and hospitable for a time — was not God’s destination for the Children of Israel; a much better land awaited them. The “new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph” was the catalyst for the beginning of the next phase of God’s plan for the Israelites.

Changes await all of us, and some changes may not be welcome changes. Fear not. A change in circumstance provides the “elbow room” in our lives for the growth that is to come.

God did not desert the Children of Israel, even in their distress; and God will not desert the disciples of Jesus. As we are reminded in Romans 8: Nothing shall separate us from the love of God! – Luther

Tagged confidence, God's sovereignty, hope, the book of Exodus

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Mothers’ Day

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20: 12, NIV)

Some years ago, I heard a lecture by a renowned rabbi and Hebrew scholar. The topic was the Torah, which is commonly known as “The Law of Moses,” and is sometimes a specific reference to the Ten Commandments given Moses by God for the Children of Israel.

The 10 Commandments were given on two tablets of stone: The first five address the relationship between God and man, and the second five commandments address the relationship between man and man. Today’s scripture reference is the fifth commandment, and addresses the relationship between a child and his/her parents. So, why is it on the “God to man relationship” tablet?

The Hebrew sages, according to the scholar referenced above, said that it is in the “God to man” set because in the procreation of a child, there are three essential participants: The mother; the father; and God. As the scripture declares from the Psalms (in a different context, but applicable nonetheless): “It is God that made us, and not we ourselves.” The same may be said of the necessity of one’s mother (and father): We did not create ourselves, and every day of our earthly existence we shall bear visible and invisible characteristics of our parentage.

Tomorrow (Sunday), we observe Mothers’ Day in the U. S. A., the United Kingdom, and in Australia. It hasn’t been around nearly as long as the Torah, but we all do well to set aside a day to honor our mother, if she is still living; or the memory of our mother, if she has died. Doing so not only honors her, but God as well. – Luther

Tagged Mothers' Day, Rabbi Sheftel Neuberger, the 10 Commandments, the book of Exodus

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“Then Moses said to them, ‘No one is to keep any of it until morning.’However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.” (Exodus 16:19-20, NIV)

The Lord’s prayer includes these words: “Give us this day, our daily bread.”

The daily bread of the Children of Israel’s 40-year sojourn in the desert was called manna. The wanderers were commanded by Moses to take only what was needed each day (except on the day before the Sabbath, when they were to collect two day’s worth so they could keep the command to refrain from labor on the Sabbath). But some of the wanderers paid Moses no mind, and hoarded the manna. They should have saved the effort: The manna became inedible by morning.

Believe it or not, something as simple as eating can be an exercise in faith. Do we trust God to supply all of our needs, or do we have our own ideas about what we shall eat, drink, and wear? And if we’re set in the food and clothing department, do we reveal our insecurities about the future of our children, the state of our health, or the various other uncertainties of life?

God knows that we need the necessities of life, and he wants us to trust Him to provide them. We need not hoard; God has not forgotten us. We need not fret; our heavenly Father has not left us alone to fend for ourselves. – Luther

Tagged daily bread, manna, the book of Exodus, trusting in God